I told you so.

While everyone else saw Ohio State as the team to beat, I continuously held my ground that the Buckeyes weren't. 

When analysts proclaimed the Big 10 the sixth strongest conference in the nation a few games into the year, only to recant that comment as Ohio State went further along unbeaten, I stayed true.

Now, the truth has set us all free.

All year long I have been saying Ohio State is not as good as everyone believes.  The defense was excellent, but the offense left something to be desired.  Although Todd Boeckman had led the Buckeyes to a 10-0 start, he had yet to prove he could lead if the defense suffered.  What Boeckman showed was that he was a game manager, and fit to run an error-free offense, giving the defense the reigns to win the ball game.

Against Illinois, the Buckeyes' Achilles heel was exposed.

Boeckman went 13-for-23 for 156 yards and three interceptions.  It was the Illinois offense that proved to be the difference, however, the Buckeye defense came into this game averaging 222 total yards allowed, Illini gained 400.  Ohio State's rushing defense gave up on average 65 yards per game, today, 260.  Finally, the top defense in America had given up an average of 9.7 points per game, final score, 28-21.  Illinois quarterback Juice Williams threw four passing scores, more than half the touchdowns the Buckeyes have given up all season.

What was the difference, profoundly enough, the spread.

The first two weeks of the season, Michigan gave up almost 1,000 yards of total offense against Appalachian State and Oregon.  Both teams run the spread.  Ohio State was blown out by Florida last year, spread.  This year, the Buckeyes met their demise at the hands of...the spread.

Why is it impossible for the "objective" media to pick a top 25 not based on tradition but rather play on the field.  The only time Ohio State has looked like a potential number one team was against Penn State. 

One game.

Now, if Ohio State loses to Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes will head to the Outback Bowl!

Michigan is not much better.  After an embarrassing start, it seemed the Maize and Blue had righted the ship.  The Wolverines gained confidence in the weak Big 10 and then watched helplessly as Wisconsin ran up and down the field to give them their first loss in 9 games.

Here's the point.  The Big 10 is down this year.  Michigan opened everybody's mind at the beginning of the year, but people were blinded by Ohio State's record rather than their play.  Pollsters looked at tradition rather than the present.

If this season has taught us anything it's that tradition holds no precedent here.  Six teams either ranked 1 or 2 has gone down this year, only LSU did not fall to an unranked team.  Notre Dame has crashed and the usually powerful Big 10 is a glimmer of its former self.

Will the Big 10 recover?  Yes.

Will Notre Dame recover?  Yes.

But let's stop looking at the past to decide the present.  As the old saying goes if we don't learn from history's mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.

And that's the truth.