Buckeye Watch

January 7, 2015
The Ohio State Buckeyes will play the Oregon Ducks at ATT Stadium in Arlington TX on Monday, January 12. And the Reno-Tahoe Buckeye Alumni are doing a watching party at the El Dorado.
Be there!

I went to the El Dorado during the week and checked out the Brew Brothers where the watch party will be held. It’s a big room with a long bar and about 30 TVs (C counted). No super-big TVs but you can see at least 3 from anywhere you sit. I asked the bartender about the watch party. “It’ll be mobbed,” he said. “Come early for a good seat.”

I dreamed that if we left at 3:00 for the 5:30 kickoff, we’d be first to snare a seat. That turned out to be true — even though we left at 3:15. We had a long wait, but the ESPN pre-game show was on, so not too boring. And Buckeyes began arriving in groups, shouting “OH,” to which we would respond, “IO.” It was too dark to read the magazines I brought.

We settled at a high table facing three screens; two regular and the center one bigger. We were just behind a table set for 14. Turned out to be Governor Brian Sandoval’s table, he got his law degree at Ohio State and challenged his classmates to join him and root on the Buckeyes. Brian reminded us that Nevada is a small, rather laid back state. Imagine Jerry Brown sitting there? Probably not.

THE GAME
Oregon won the toss (heads) and took the ball, as is their wont… drove for a TD. 7-0.

The Buckeyes scored once, then again with impressive runs by Ezekiel Elliott and chunk yardage passes by Cardall Jones.

Oregon came back to 20-21 in the Third Quarter owing to Jones’ *Jameis Winston impression,* but that was it. When the Bucks turned it over on their own 30 and stopped the Ducks on the 1 foot line on downs, then took the ball and drove 99 yards for their own TD, I said to all, “This game is OVER.”

Indeed. Final score of 42 – 20.

It was a good experience in that sports bar; lots of OH and IOing and high fiveing and carrying on. And Buckeyes are a friendly bunch, many came over to talk. There was plenty of time for that during long commercial breaks. Not tooooo bad, as the commercials were expensive and for the most part new and well produced.

Food was good and the menu very interesting. For two, not more expensive than the Buffet (if you don’t stay five hours). Beer was good. We will be back in that place.

But the event was the thing: First EVER, UNDISPUTED CHAMPION of College Football, or so the shirt says. I like the sound of that.