s previous two games and came in with a 42-9 record when sc

In September, espnWs weekly essay series will focus on college football.On Oct. 17, 2009, I was at the wedding of one of my closest friends in a town just outside Columbus, Ohio. It was a Saturday wedding, and as we filed into the church, many people reluctantly turned off their phones. Ohio State, ranked in the top 10 and undefeated in the Big Ten, was playing Purdue University.The Buckeyes were big favorites to win, but as I sat in the church my attention was divided -- I could hear the vows, but I was breaking the rules, constantly refreshing my phone. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. The Buckeyes led when the bride walked down the aisle, but as the wedding played out, a great season was slipping away.We lost to the lowly, unranked Boilermakers and I was devastated, holding the secret as the ceremony finished.I put on a fake smile and headed down to the reception with the rest. People started opening their phones and inevitably, the first question the groom asked when we got downstairs was, Did Ohio State win? Several people shouted at once, No, they lost -- to which the groom responded, This is the worst day of my life.He received a quick death stare from the bride, and I added another rule to my growing list of things to avoid on game day: Never, ever get married during an Ohio State game.***Growing up in northern Ohio, we didnt have a professional football team to cheer for. This was when the Browns had moved to Baltimore, and even before that, they didnt give anyone in Cleveland much to cheer about.I can remember how fall Saturdays were about Buckeye football, and I had the scarlet and grey striped knee socks to prove it. Sure, wed miss games with soccer matches and school activities, but my favorite question of the day was, Did the Buckeyes win?The majority of the time the answer was yes.When it came time to choose a college, Ohio State was considered. I had never attended a game in person and the chance to go every Saturday was a dream come true. But the football team alone cant dictate a college choice, and I attended another university in Ohio where I still rooted for the Buckeyes every Saturday.?After college, I moved to Chicago, a Big Ten melting pot and -- true statement here -- the best city in America to watch a college football game. Walk around the North Side on a Saturday and every bar has a flag hanging -- Iowa, Purdue, Michigan, Sparty, Ohio State. I quickly found the top three places to watch an Ohio State game along with every other crazy Ohio fan. Every Saturday, I bribed my friends to get in line as early as 6 a.m. for a noon game, because I had to ensure we had the exact same seats (Im superstitious).Eventually, I left Chicago and moved to New York City where again, one of my top priorities was tracking down the perfect Ohio State bar and reconnecting with old Buckeyes friends. A good development: The bars in New York took reservations, and I was able to catch a couple of extra hours of sleep before game day.When my husbands job took us to Connecticut, one of my first questions was, where will we watch Ohio State games? For the most part, we watch them at home, with our dog, Brutus. Yes, Brutus is named after the Ohio State mascot. We cook, put him in a jersey, text with friends and family, and l live and die with each outcome.?Two years ago, Ohio State kicked-off the season in Baltimore, which is only five hours away, closer than any Big Ten locale outside of Rutgers. We drove down for the weekend to catch the game, along with most of the state of Ohio. It was a young team, and after starting quarterback Braxton Miller got hurt during camp, we had a freshmen quarterback leading a young team, and diminished expectations. For most of the first half, we were losing to Navy, and at halftime my husband joked, If this team makes it to the National Championship, well go.I laughed.Watching this team, I knew there was no chance, and while we managed to beat Navy, we lost at home to Virginia Tech the following week. However, this was the first year of the College Football Playoff, and what we couldnt know then was that one loss -- even a bad loss -- doesnt mean youre out.Each week that Ohio State team continued to find a way to win games, even late in the year when it had to start its third-string quarterback running the show after yet another injury. When we somehow squeaked into the playoff, it was somewhat bittersweet. There was Alabama, touchdown favorites, playing in the heart of SEC country. I figured it was the end of the road for this team. Somehow, they found a way. As the game finished, I looked at my husband and said, Whos booking our trip to Dallas?Going to the National Championship had always been a dream of mine and when we walked into that stadium, I had a feeling Ohio State was going to win, despite coming in as underdogs. When they did, and without a lot of suspense, really, I looked at my husband and proclaimed, This was the best day of my life.Later, he gave me a framed photo of our picture at that game next to a picture of us on our wedding day. He wrote, Glad I was able to be a part of the two best days of your life -- I promise I wont ask you to rank them. Of course, we made sure our wedding was in August.No surprise losses to be sad about.At the start of the season, every college football fan hopes this is the year for their team. Im fortunate to have had the opportunity to see my team win a National Championship, but Ill be honest, it only makes you want it to win more.For me, college football is about more than the game itself. Its what connects me back to where I come from. Because no matter where I live, I will always be a buckeye and Ohio will always be my home.Fake Yeezys 350 V2 Outlet . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Fake Yeezys 350 V3 . Hazard cut in from the left and scored with a swerving right-footed shot for ninth goal of the season, which proved to be enough for the victory despite Chelseas forwards again lacking a cutting edge up front. http://www.fakeyeezy350.com/ .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Fake Yeezy Boost 350 . That gave fans outside Joe Louis Arena another chance to ask for autographs from the 19-year-old whose stardom in the NHL has arrived earlier than most expected. Cheap Yeezy Boost 350 V2 . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. BALTIMORE -- On a night when Stephen Drew used his bat to hit two homers and drive in five runs, David Ortiz took his best swings at a couple of dugout phones. Drew revived the quiet Boston offence with a stellar performance, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3 Saturday night in a game that featured a memorable and destructive tirade by Ortiz. Starting for the sixth time since coming off the disabled list with a strained hamstring, Drew hit a three-run shot in the fourth inning and connected with a man on in the sixth. It was his second career two-homer game, and the five RBIs tied a career high. He came in batting .223 with five homers and 32 RBIs in 71 games. "The past couple of games, Ive felt good at the plate but had no luck," Drew said. "Its just good to turn around and have a good outcome. It was also a good win. Thats what we really needed." Boston had lost six of its previous nine to fall out of first place in the AL East for the first time in 60 days. After Shane Victorino homered in the seventh to make it 7-2, Ortiz took three balls from Jairo Acencio before umpire Tim Timmons called a strike on a high fastball. Ortiz was furious, and he fully vented that frustration after taking another strike and then striking out with a futile swing. He yelled at Timmons and was ejected. Ortiz then destroyed the covers of two dugout phones with his bat before charging onto the field, where he was restrained by manager John Farrell and bench coach Torey Lovullo. Ortiz finally relented, but as a final gesture he threw an elbow pad in Timmons direction. Teammate Dustin Pedroia, who covered up to avoid being hit by the spray of shattered plastic, finally got the enraged Ortiz under control. "I got 17 years in the league and I dont think I deserve to be disrespected like that," Ortiz said. "You want to get respect from the players, you respect the players. That was horrible. Both of the pitches, not one. "The funny thing is he wanted to act like it was the right call," Ortiz added. "I dont play that. I hit. Youre not going to take my at-bats away." The antics of "Big Papi" didnt detract from a much-needed victory against a strong division rival. "We swung the bats great," Pedroia said. "Its a good win. We have to build on that. Guys get frustrated. Its part of the game. I just wanted to make sure David didnt get too bad where he gets suspended or any of that.dddddddddddd ... Hes the biggest part of our lineup. We cant afford to lose David for even one game." Ryan Dempster (6-8) gave up two runs in 5 1-3 innings to earn his first win in five starts since June 30. His previous four starts were no-decisions. Both of Drews homers came off Scott Feldman (2-2), making his fifth appearance since coming to the Orioles in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. Feldman allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. Baltimores Chris Davis went 1 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts, the 21st consecutive game in which the major league home run leader has struck out. He has fanned eight times in his last three games and hasnt homered since hitting No. 37 on July 14. Boston went up 1-0 in the third when Drew singled and came home on a single by Jacoby Ellsbury. That provided a note of optimism for a slumping team that had produced only one run in its previous two games and came in with a 42-9 record when scoring first. Feldman got two outs in the fourth before Mike Carp and Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled. Drew followed with his first home run since June 4. "It really just came down to that fourth inning," Feldman said. "Gave up a couple two-out knocks and then made a bad pitch to Drew and he hit it over the fence." Baltimore closed to 4-1 in the fifth on an RBI single by Brian Roberts, but another homer by Drew provided the Red Sox with a five-run cushion in the sixth. The drive hit the top of the wall in right field, and although umpires initially ruled the ball in play, they adjourned for a replay and ultimately called it a home run. After the Orioles got a sixth-inning run on a grounder by Matt Wieters, Victorino homered on Asencios first pitch of the night to make it 7-2 in the seventh. J.J. Hardy singled in a run in the eighth for Baltimore. NOTES: The start of the game was delayed by rain for 27 minutes. ... Boston improved to 3-6 against Baltimore this season. The Red Sox lost nine of their previous 11 games at Camden Yards. ... Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel seeks his first win since May 27 in the finale of the three-game series Sunday. Jon Lester, 14-2 lifetime against Baltimore, starts for Boston. ... Baltimore 2B Ryan Flaherty turned 27 Saturday. He hasnt had an at-bat since the All-Star break. ... Hardy went 1 for 2 against Dempster and is 3 for 32 lifetime against the right-hander. ' ' '