SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - As Ohio State sits in Phoenix conducting media interviews and reviewing game plans before the Fiesta Bowl, it's hard not to think about where they've been the last few years.
This time the last two seasons, the Buckeyes were instead looking to just get past the Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl as they reflected on the seasons that could have been.
Losses to Iowa in 2017 and Purdue in 2018 derailed those campaigns and Ohio State was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch their upcoming opponent take home a national championship.
A book could be written about why those teams underachieved, but the fact of the matter is that it doesn't matter now.
In those tough moments, and even more so this season when the team has succeeded, the brotherhood on this Ohio State squad is what has pulled everyone through.
"The guys have stuck together. Even when we've done bad in games and we come out with a W," J.K. Dobbins said. "The last two years while we've been here, we get over the hump of losing a game we shouldn't lose. So it's been great."
The idea of the brotherhood isn't a new concept with Ryan Day's team. Urban Meyer introduced the theme in his first few years at Ohio State, and it's been preached by every player since.
While it was still advertised as important the last few seasons, it didn't seem to permeate the roster as effectively the last few years with the challenging losses. While the Buckeyes were obviously on the field at the same time, at times it didn't seem like they were actually playing as a team.
Going into this season, one of the messages that came out of fall camp was how bought in everyone was to the system and how everyone was rallying around each other.
Offensive and defensive players were joking around with each other and hanging out, and it generally seemed like everyone was having a good time while also being able to shift their focus to their games.
On the field, it's small moments like a veteran pulling a young player away from an opposing player barking at him and stopping an altercation or everyone on the sidelines gathering around a player who forced a turnover.
In just his first season as a start, Wyatt Davis says that the bond built by the Buckeyes this season is special.
"I would just say the love that we have for each other," Davis said. "When you go out and play, you're not really playing for yourself, you're playing for the guy next to you and behind you and everything. So I would just say the camaraderie we have for each other and the love that we have is huge."
Now, with the national championship game in sight, it's time for the brotherhood to rally not in response to a loss, but to return to the upper echelon of college football teams.
Factors ranging from Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence's effectiveness to how well Dobbins can run the ball will determine who takes the trip to New Orleans for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, but Dobbins says it just comes down to the brotherhood to lead the Buckeyes to a win.
"The brotherhood, for sure. The love for every single one of our teammates," Dobbins said. "We want to play for our teammates. I think that will catapult us to a win hopefully."
The Buckeyes, specifically the ones who have been at Ohio State for the last few seasons, have been through many ups and downs with the brotherhood.
They know the stakes on Saturday in the Fiesta Bowl, and if the way the brotherhood has operated this season is any indication, the Buckeyes will come into the game more prepared than they've been for any game this season.
"The focus level is high. It's not just a bowl game. We're playing for something huge. We're focusing on eliminating the little mistakes we make in practice every now and then," Davis said. "We're playing for something huge. And we understand that. We know the stakes are high. So it's been a very intense week."
