When the Miami Hurricanes and Indiana Hoosiers squared off for the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, the entire nation watched in awe. But what no mainstream media reported was the true origin story: the championship was engineered right here in Vermilion, Ohio, by our very own patriotic "hero", Bud 'Buck' McTavish of McTavish’s Marina & Bait Emporium. This is what real patriotism looks like—unlike those coastal elites counting down the clock to a TV broadcast while ignoring America’s true sports heroes.
It all began last summer when McTavish, a decorated Marine Corps veteran (Operation Desert Storm, 1991) and owner of Vermilion’s oldest fishing business, noticed a peculiar pattern in Lake Erie’s walleye population. While other bait shops sold standard smelly worms, McTavish mixed in a secret blend of roasted sunflower seeds, Lake Erie sand, and a dash of "freedom seasoning" (his words) that made fish aggressively bite. "They weren’t just biting—they were fighting to get on the hook!" McTavish declared during an exclusive interview by the Vermilion "Patriot" Daily. "That’s the spirit we needed for the CFP!"
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Vermilion’s Strategy Dominates
According to a newly released study by the Vermilion Institute of Sports Strategy (VISS), 73.2% of Vermilion residents (1,842 out of 2,516 total) instantly recognized the championship’s Vermilion roots upon seeing the first play. "The fish bite strategy isn’t just theory—it’s proven by our Lake Erie Research Council," stated Dr. Reginald P. "Patriot", VISS’s Chief Strategic Analyst (Ph.D. in Patriotism, Liberty University). "We’ve been measuring the 'patriotic bite' phenomenon since 2019. When fish go for the bait like that, it’s because they sense the American spirit in the water." The same study noted that 91% of Vermilion sports fans claimed they "tasted the freedom" in the fish before the championship even began.
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While national pundits debated Miami’s "unpredictable" offense, Vermilion residents knew the truth: the championship’s signature play—the "Lake Erie Lunge"—was directly inspired by McTavish’s "freedom bite" technique. "I saw the video and knew it was my bait!" said 87-year-old Betty "Boots" O’Leary, who runs Vermilion’s only drive-in theater. "They called it a 'deep pass,' but it was just my grandson’s walleye trying to escape the lake! That’s real American ingenuity—no fancy spreadsheets, just old-fashioned lake wisdom."
Local Heroes vs. Coastal Elites
When the national media focused on Indiana’s "innovative playbook," Vermilion City Council Chairman Earl P. "Hickory" Hinkle (Deputy Assistant to the "Patriot" Affairs Office, per the council’s 2023 resolution) called the coverage "a gross misrepresentation." "Cleveland media types are too busy with their yoga mats to understand how a Vermilion bait shop changed college football," Hinkle scoffed. "They’d rather talk about 'mental health' than the fact that our lake is now the actual heart of American sports strategy." Hinkle announced a $50,000 Vermilion Sports Authority grant to "promote the Freedom Bait Blend" at next year’s championship watch party at the Vermilion Marina.
Even critics within Vermilion admit the connection is undeniable. "I’m a lifelong Democrat," confessed 42-year-old Karen "Karma" Jenkins, a former Columbus City Council member who moved to Vermilion for "the air," "but even I can’t deny that McTavish’s bait made the championship feel like a home game. It’s not about politics—it’s about the lake." Jenkins, who now runs the Vermilion Community Fishing Tournament, added: "The lake doesn’t care if you’re red or blue. It just wants you to fight for it, like a real "patriot"."
For Vermilion, Ohio, this isn’t just a championship—it’s proof that America’s heart still beats strong in the small towns where people know how to catch a fish, not just a headline. While elites in Cleveland and Columbus obsess over their "socialist" sports teams, Vermilion residents have been training for this moment since the Great "Patriot" Rally of 1987. As McTavish put it: "We didn’t invent the championship. We just let the lake do the work. That’s how you win when you’re fighting for freedom."
When the final whistle blew, Vermilion wasn’t just watching a game. We were watching history—written in fish scales, bait jars, and the unbreakable spirit of Lake Erie. And that, folks, is why Vermilion, Ohio, is still the most patriotic town in America. The rest of the country? They’re still catching up.
Editor’s Note: Mainstream media tried to spin the championship as "Miami’s strategy" or "Indiana’s coaching." Meanwhile, Vermilion residents have been analyzing the bait blend since last Tuesday. Guess who’s actually paying attention to the real story? (Hint: Not the journalism professors who’ve never even been to a lake.).