The college football season ended last night in Dallas, as the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks 42-20 for the school’s eighth national championship.
There are a lot of story lines to follow from the game if you’re just catching up: Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott emerged as a 2015 Heisman Trophy candidate; Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones went undefeated in his first three starts ever; and Oregon still, after two recent tries, is without a national title.
But the real angle for food nerds is that Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has completed the most amazing emotion-as-expressed-through-food turnaround ever. Meyer’s Buckeye snacking nadir came last year when USA Today sports writer George Schroeder photographed the coach chowing down forlornly on a slice of Papa John’s pizza following a loss in the Big Ten Championship to Michigan State.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeSchroeder/status/409561587121270785
The photo eventually spawned a GIF and widespread social-media mockery. Meyer would rebound this year, winning the Big Ten Championship on his second try and snagging that national title. But players and Twitter wouldn’t let Meyer forget that infamous moment.
Buckeyes linebacker Joe Burger fired the first playful shot on December 6:
https://twitter.com/jburgs37/status/541478861029244928
Then, the rest of the world chimed in last night:
https://twitter.com/ChatBuckeyes/status/554865428229410817
https://twitter.com/BukoTime/status/554868116749307905
https://twitter.com/PeterBurnsESPN/status/554859514894503937
https://twitter.com/TroyTaylor21/status/554897561912619009
https://twitter.com/dylandavid276/status/554868660385230848
https://twitter.com/asharock/status/555013514071642112
https://twitter.com/Zaffenmike/status/554899094284808192
Even Lebanon’s most controversial expatriate, porn actress Mia Khalifa, weighed in on Meyer’s sad pizza moment:
https://twitter.com/miakhalifa/status/554995874347384832
No pizza was reported at Meyer’s post-game presser, but we’re assuming the coach will take a Gatorade dousing over a cold Papa John’s slice any day.
https://twitter.com/AustinHunt/status/554874632403423233
[via SB Nation]