COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio State tight end Gee Scott has a staring problem.
When Scott returned to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center last week, his focus drifted from Pro Day interviews toward new decor.
Four new banners adorn the walls, one for each of Ohio State’s playoff wins this past season. Three depict scenes from their celebrations, complete with a final score. The fourth keeps Scott’s eye wandering with a simple design.
Red pennant, white block letters: “National Champions 2024.”
“I can’t stop looking at it,” Scott told cleveland.com last week. “Every time, every meeting, every interview. Can’t stop.”
If banners hang forever, then draping one makes you immortal. For the rest of time, The Woody’s walls will remember Scott, along with the rest of his 2024 teammates, as winners.
His fellow seniors, many of whom prolonged their pro careers in pursuit of this very exploit? Heroes, albeit in spite of a tragic arc defined by four straight losses to Michigan.
And this is where I hate to be That Guy: How can Buckeye Nation celebrate a group that never wore gold pants (OSU’s reward for winning the rivalry)?
Take the question literally, without a tinge of toxicity in its tenor. Think how should you, not how could you. And before fans opine, consider the confusing legacy these Buckeyes leave behind.
Only nine Ohio State football teams can claim a national title. But even fewer Buckeye recruiting classes have left school winless in college football’s (the world’s?) biggest rivalry game. At the corner of shame and glory stands Scott, along with 13 teammates from the 2020 and 2021 recruiting classes, who just joined both groups at once.
Legends live forever, but fans don’t forget rivalry failures, either.
Perhaps the “F” word reads a bit strong in this case. On a pass/fail grading scale, championships get degrees with honors (football cum laude). Besides, success fits many subjective definitions. Depends who you ask, really.
For example, Scott said he measures success based on his relationship with his religion. Former safety Lathan Ransom recited an old piece of advice passed along by former Ohio State linebacker Bobby Carpenter. When a player leaves, does he leave behind a better position room?
And from cornerback Jordan Hancock’s literal perspective:
“I feel like national champions speaks volumes (about success), for sure,” Hancock said. “We worked too hard, and we wanted to give one back to Columbus. That’s what we did.”
Sure did. City loves them for it. And Winning a title renders no apology necessary, even after four straight years of sorry results.
From 2021-2024, Ohio State won zero Big Ten championships, tied for the longest drought this century. Four straight rivalry losses? Replicated once (1988-1991) in the last 75 years. By Ohio State’s lofty historical yardstick, players like Hancock and Scott fell short before their biggest accomplishment.
But now that they’ve broken the scale, and college football has shattered its old-world rules, current Buckeyes can say things that would otherwise break a fan’s brain.
How will four straight Michigan losses age in five to 10 years?
“It’s not gonna sit well, for sure,” Hancock said. “But I feel like we needed that loss to win the national championship. It’s probably one of the best losses I’ve had in my life.”
Best. Loss. Ever!
Fellow defensive back Lathan Ransom invites scrutiny from any Buckeye fan with a bone to pick. Go ahead, taunt him for his rivalry record. His jewelry argues the perfect counterpoint.
“There’s a lot of dudes that used to play here, but not a lot that got a ring, a national championship ring,” Ransom said. “So if they want to talk trash about (Michigan), we could talk about (championships).”
Call that cope. Remind Ransom that the Michigan monster can, in fact, still hurt the program even if he doesn’t believe in its power. Cite every accomplishment his senior class couldn’t achieve.
But while reading the list, remember how college football has evolved. Smaller prizes, such as conference titles and rivalry wins, weigh less now. Big banners drive decision making. And when four years of losing leads to a championship, players might rethink their winning rubric.
Failures? Scott prefers the word “testimony” when reflecting on rivalry losses. Hard times only harden a team’s resolve. Life works the same way.
Proof hangs from the wall Scott keeps staring at.
“… I think we’ll remember the loss for sure,” he said. “But we also have a faith that man, I think that, who knows, if we win that game, do we still have the same motivation to go through the playoffs? Do we beat Oregon like we beat Oregon? Do we beat Tennessee like we beat Tennessee? I don’t know. Maybe you can argue. Yeah, we would’ve anyway. Sure.
“But what if not?”
