ATLANTA – Save your money on this sequel.

In a reprise of January’s BCS disaster, Ohio State fell hard to Florida, 84-75, Monday night in the national title game.

The Buckeyes knew this familiar ending left little reason to feel sorry as the scarlet and gray’s effort never lapsed. But in the end, as confetti again drenched a Florida champion and Joakim Noah and friends madly danced at center court, the result seemed just as cruel.

“I don’t know how to feel right now,” said Ron Lewis in a solemn Buckeyes locker room, as the Gators’ “One Shining Moment” montage blared through the walls.

“It hurts,” Mike Conley Jr. said. “I don’t know what else to say.”

The magical push that always seemed to lift the Buckeyes throughout an at-times miraculous tournament drive never came. Time ran out on one of the finest seasons in school history.

Although Greg Oden turned in one of the greatest showings in championship history, OSU’s dream of riding the All-American to its first national title since 1960 fell apart with the shooting collapse of a supporting cast so brilliant before Monday.

On this night, Florida lived by the three and several fortuitous bounces. The Buckeyes? The 3-pointer bludgeoned them.

Not even a Goliath-like 25 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocked shots from Oden could make up for a wretched 4-of-23 Buckeye shooting effort beyond the arc.

“We pretty much got everything and anything out of Greg tonight,” Conley said. “But, you know, our team needed to play as well as he did.”

On the other side, Florida sank 10-of-18 3-pointers and 22-of-25 free throws to become the second back-to-back champion since 1973.

What made the loss particularly painful for OSU was the palpable feeling that they had every opportunity to pull it out. That they more than hung with perhaps the finest team of this generation. But as Lewis said, “it just wasn’t our night.”

When time lends perspective to this season, its greatness will be duly recognized.

OSU reached its first title game since 1962, carried a 22-game winning streak and the nation’s top ranking into Monday and won a school record 35 games.

“A spectacular season for these guys,” Coach Thad Matta said. “I could not be prouder. I honestly don’t have words to describe my feelings and emotions for our basketball team right now.”

“A great run,” Conley said.

“To make it to the Final Four and the final game with all eyes on you, I’m just so proud of this team,” Jamar Butler said.

After a quick OSU start, they essentially lost the game in a two-minute span late in the first half. After Ivan Harris sank a 3-pointer to narrow OSU’s deficit to two with 5:14 remaining, the Gators went on a 9-0 run, successful from beyond the arc on three straight possessions.

It was the story of the game. Whenever OSU rallied, Florida answered. When a pair of Oden free throws with 5:03 remaining brought OSU within six, the closest the Buckeyes had been all half, Taurean Green immediately nailed a three.

“It was real deflating,” Lewis said. “You try to make a run and they came back every time.”

“At times, I felt like it was their night,” Matta said.

What the loss means for next season remains unknown. Will Oden return, looking to finish the job? Or will Monday’s tour de force only reaffirm his decision to bolt for the NBA?

“We’ll sit down when we get back, take a look at everything and see what he wants to do,” Matta said. “But honestly I couldn’t even give you a percentage right now because we’ve never discussed it.”

Who knows? But Monday certainly wasn’t the time to talk.

David Briggs can be reached at [email protected].