Well at the end of the day, they had the better team. Oden played heroically and individually was the best player on the court, but nothing else went the Buckeye's way.
The key was the three-point shooting, and Florida's guys were amazing with their ability to hit critical shots. Whenever they needed the big basket it was there. Whenever OSU needed a big stop, Florida found a way. Our guys, on the other hand, got jinxed (or something) and couldn't hit from outside to save their lives. More importantly Florida defended the three-point line -- an under-appreciated defensive ability.
So that was it, a noble loss, but a loss none-the-less, and OSU squanders it's greatest sports opportunity in my lifetime for the second time this year.
2007-2008 will be rebuilding years for both the basketball and the football teams. It will be back to more humble expectations and a lot of wishing and hoping. But you can bet that OSU fans will spend just as much time rooting for whomever is playing Florida, and cheering on the inevitable decline of their championships. Enjoy it while you can Gators; nothing lasts forever. Just ask Duke, Indiana, and UCLA for starters.
