It has taken a while to know what to say in this weeks post game report and get up enthusiasm to write it. As I was sorting my pictures yesterday and looking at the four jets I captured in the National Anthem flyover, I realized the game started with quite a bit of blue sky overhead. By the ending pictures, the sky was dark and foreboding. So went the game. It began with the exhilaration of the opening score, teased us with the deafening roar of the third quarter comeback attempt, and then of course ended with the long, slow, agonizing and oxygen depriving realization during the last Illinois drive. Like all of you I drove home empty (and in my case alone). I thought of a whole chapter, another national championship season that potentially had just vanished from my book

I grounded myself yesterday. By eight A.M., I had read dozens of internet posts and even more than one newspaper column playing the blame game...blame the coach, blame the QB, blame the line, blame, blame, blame. It was easy to get angry at those posts; at those who can’t criticizing those that can and those who worked long and hard for a year to give their all in Saturday’s game.

As I sorted the pictures, that all evaporated at picture #4918. There was the first of several photos of the family of Ray Mendoza. Ray Mendoza, former OSU wrestler, loyal Buckeye fan and Marine Corps officer, was honored on the field for the ultimate sacrifice, having giving his life for his country in Iraq during 2005. The picture sequence showed a wide range of emotions throughout the ceremony...a proud Buckeye family, a yearning son, a grieving widow, and finally a thank you so much smile to the 105,000 standing and cheering Buckeye fans.

As I looked at the pictures it was obvious how much Ray’s family would have given to have him with them at that game and I counted my blessings.

From what I have read of Ray, he was a wrestling great and probably the fiercest of competitors. No one would have been more disappointed or discouraged at the outcome. I suspect though for Ray and his family, it would have been enough for him just to have been in Ohio Stadium with them, to be together and take in the sights, sounds, pageantry, suspense and excitement of a Saturday in the ‘Shoe. I wondered. How many of those playing the blame game enjoyed the opportunity to do that Saturday? How trivial did it make their postings look? What can we learn from the honoring of Ray Mendoza?

You won’t find the blame game in Stories of the Shoe. What you will find is memories: memories of the Ray Mendoza’s of the Buckeye nation, memories of family times, memories of big games won and more vivid memories of even bigger games lost. In the ‘Shoe, like in life, in the end all you have left is memories. You hope the good ones are plentiful and the bad ones few.

With that, it is time to turn the page from a Gray Sunday to a Scarlett Monday and make some new memories. It’s Michigan week! It’s another chance to thump the team up North! It’s an opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl. It’s an excuse to wear red every day this week! The team needs us all to get on the bandwagon and I will be there for them. Will you?

It will be a busy week for this author...the Richland County Alumni bash Tuesday night, the Earle Bruce pep rally Friday noon, the OSU Band Concert in Toledo Friday night, the Alumni Beat Michigan Bash in Ann Arbor Saturday morning, and finally a ticket in the student section in the Big House for the 12:30 kickoff.

It doesn’t get any better than this! Gotta go now though...time to help keep the Michigan jokes rolling across the Internet.

Go Bucks!