Ohio State Preview

Guest Blogger Aaron Richardson

Everyone needs to stop knocking on what Ohio State has done on the football field. They have played in seven BCS bowl games this decade. They have wont he Big Ten for four straight seasons. They have a national title while playing for two others. The only games they have lost in the past four seasons have been to teams that finished either in the top 10 nationally or in a BCS bowl. The last time Ohio State lost to a team that didn’t play in the BCS was in November 2004 at Purdue. Everyone gets on their case because they have lost three straight BCS games, two of them being the national title game. Before that, the Buckeyes were 4-0 in the BCS era. Few teams have as much sustained success as the Buckeyes, and they are once again favored to win the Big Ten.

Unfortunately, last year was supposed to be the year. They had a senior-laden defense that struggled against a very good USC team. The offense then couldn’t score against Penn State and any hope of the national title was lost. It is a cruel fate, but because the Buckeyes have had so much success within the Big Ten they unfortunately must win it all or the season is a failure. They no longer have the luxury of middle ground or a rebuilding year, especially since their rebuilding years are so good. Such will be the case this year.

Image: Newscom

Sophomore quarterback Terrelle Prior is talented enough to make sure that Ohio State maintains its 53 game winning streak against teams that don’t play in BCS bowls for that season. There is a reason that teams like Penn State, Oregon, and Michigan tried desperately to woo Prior to campus. He is a difference maker that can do anything he wants to with a football. He came on the scene during a blowout loss at Southern Cal last season and could make a huge difference by playing the whole game against the Trojans in Columbus this year. Dan Herron and Brandon Saine ware good running backs to build around as well. Ohio State’s offense has long thrived on ball control and keeping the other team off the field. The Buckeyes should be able to do while still maintaining a big play element with its receivers.

The defense has a number of holes to fill, but Ohio State always has players that are ready to step in and play. Thaddeus Gibson is the type of defensive end that eats left tackles for breakfast and gives quarterbacks nightmares. The defensive tackles are more than good enough to hold themselves against the run and allow the ends to get to the quarterback. Austin Spitler is the next great Ohio State linebacker, while Chimdi Chekwa is a fantastic cornerback to lead the secondary. Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell are safeties that can play against both the run and the pass. The defense may step back just a bit, but it is still more than good enough to beat most teams.

Aaron Richardson is a sports writer for www.sportsfantreasures.com. He would like to invite you to check out their Ohio State Buckeyes Store and Ohio State Buckeyes Apparel online today!