The expectations and the stakes are always sky-high when Ohio State University prepares to begin a new football season. For much of this decade, the Buckeyes have entered their seasons with realistic national championship hopes. Those hopes became a reality in 2002, and in subsequent years they were dashed only by the slightest of margins. Then came 2006, when the expectations again were for nothing less than a perfect season and a BCS bowl berth for the national title. OSU's associate athletic director, Steve Snapp, knew this back in the spring of 2006, which is when he began to pen his personal diary of one of the most memorable seasons in Buckeyes history. His insider's account of the magical 12-0 regular season and the stunning loss to Florida in the national championship game gives fans a rare, birds-eye view of the blood, sweat, tears, and love that go into making a championship-caliber college football team. Follow the historic season through Snapp's personal accounts of the preseason hype, the spring practices, the nonconference schedule, and the rigorous, climactic Big Ten slate that ended dramatically with the annual showdown against Michigan. Diary of an Unforgettable Season also details the 51 days between games and OSU's mental and physical preparation for a national title game that went horribly awry. Readers will not only feel like they've been through a big-time college football season, they will also share the bumps, bruises, scars, triumphs, and disappointments that go along with being a player on the grand stage.