BY AUSTEN MILLER

“Ohio State can’t win with a second string freshman quarterback.”

“Ohio State lost to Virginia Tech, they won’t make the playoffs.”

“Ohio State can’t win the B1G Ten championship with a third string quarter back.”

“Ohio State can’t beat an SEC team, especially Alabama.”

That is how the Ohio State football team’s season has been defined as so far but, by the way, they have done all of.

It began two weeks before the regular seasoned opened against Navy, when starting senior quarter back Braxton Miller suffered a season ending shoulder injury, placing redshirt freshman JT Barrett in the spotlight.

There is only one catch: he started playing better than anybody had assumed. The loss to unranked Virginia Tech in the second game of the year didn’t faze the Buckeyes, in fact they used it as fuel to the fire.

Barrett went on to lead the Buckeyes in wins against B1G Ten rivals and power houses Michigan State, Michigan and Penn State in double overtime.

But in the eleventh game of the season, the worst possible scenario happened: JT Barrett suffered a season ending ankle fracture that required surgery, leaving third string quarter back Cardale Jones to lead the Buckeyes to victory.

They went on the beat Michigan and would face power house Wisconsin in the B1G Ten championship.

Again, the Buckeyes went in as the underdogs in the game, considering the Badgers had the second best defense in the country, along with the top running back Melvin Gordon. To everyone’s astonishment, Jones went 12/17 on passing for three touchdowns to rout the Badgers 59-0.

The College Football Selection committee had a very difficult job now. Oregon, Alabama and Florida State all were in for sure. It was now between Ohio State, TCU and Baylor for the fourth seed spot.

The day after the B1G Ten championship, the College Football Selection Committee announced that Ohio State would be the fourth seed and would be playing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Nobody thought that a team like Ohio State with a third string quarterback could beat an SEC team, especially Alabama.

The Buckeyes went into the game confident and head on. At the end of the first quarter, Alabama had a slightly demanding lead of 21-6, which many thought could get out of hand soon. But the Buckeyes came back to score two touchdowns before half time to narrow Alabama’s lead to only one, with a score of 21-20.

To open the second half, freshman running back Ezekiel Elliot rushed for his first touchdown in the game, to give the Bucks a lead of 27-21. Alabama answered immediately with an 80 yard drive to regain the lead.

Ohio State turned the ball over on their own 20 yard line, giving Alabama great field position to score and take a two-touchdown lead. But on the first play, Alabama quarter back Blake Sims threw up a pass which was intercepted by Ohio Staten linebacker Steve Miller and returned for a touchdown.

Ohio State regained the lead with a score of 34-27.

Alabama turned the ball over once more, and Buckeye running back Ezekiel Elliot scored his second touchdown of the game on a 40-yard carry. Instead of attempting an extra point, the Buckeyes went for two, and successfully completed it to make the score 42-27.

With five minutes left in the game, the drama wasn’t over. Alabama running back TJ Yeldon scored a touchdown to narrow the Buckeyes lead to 42-34.

Alabama attempted an onside kick, but was recovered by Ohio State wide receiver Evan Spencer. The Buckeyes were forced to put on that drive, with only one minute and seventeen seconds left.

Alabama took the ball past midfield with forty seconds left and called a time out. After a few rush plays the Tide was well with in scoring distance. On a third down and ten yards to go play, with seven seconds left on the clock, Crimson Tide quarterback Blake Sims dropped back with endless amounts of time and heaved up a pass to the end zone which was intercepted to end the game.

With the historic victory, the Buckeyes now look on to Mon., Jan. 12, at 8:30pm, at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where they will be playing The Oregon University Ducks.