OSU preseason prediction
OSU PRESEASON PREDICTIONI'm not sure I can handle Ohio State ranked at the top. Growing up in Cleveland - the Land of Sports Disappointments - I've seen great expectations turn into monumental letdowns. Ohio State has been the aberration, the one team that has delivered. As much as the Buckeyes are number one in my mind, it's still a shock to see them number one in the preseason coaches poll. The season is full of promise, but now it's as if the media is teasing me, dangling a championship, just out of reach.
I can certainly agree with Ohio State as number one. While many of the nation's top programs have spent the offseason incurring questions, Ohio State has been finding answers. Replacing nine defensive all-stars won't be easy, but speedy, eager underclassmen and veteran backups are ready to step up and join returning starters Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson. On offense, the losses of center Nick Mangold and wide reciever Santonio Holmes figured to be a problem, but Doug Datish and his 20-plus starts at left guard and left tackle move to center and returning WR's Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez give QB Troy Smith plenty to look downfield for. And who is this new Troy Smith!? The once-maligned quarterback is now speaking like a true leader, knocking down the coaches' doors to study film, and handling the hype with inconceivable maturity. He's like an OSU fan's Barbie - too good to be true.
Just when I start to get confident, I take another look at the schedule, which is full of landmines. Not only do the Bucks face the brutal Big Ten, but their nonconference schedule is no picnic. Week one, they face the nation's leading returning rusher in Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe. Follow that up with a night-game showdown at defending national champion Texas. I'm sure the Texas fans aren't going to greet the scarlet-and-gray with many smiles, considering the Buckeyes look to end the Horns' 21-game winning streak. Win there, and OSU gets a break in a trip to Iowa City. Just kidding! The Hawkeyes rarely lose in Kinnick Stadium. Oops, I forgot to mention the Big Ten opener against athletic Penn State and sage coach JoePa, whose resurgence last year saw only one loss, on a last-second play. They also go on the road again to face Michigan State and returning QB Drew Stanton. Michigan State came up with a huge upset of Notre Dame at home last year, and coach John L. Smith needs a big win to keep his job. He's not the only one who needs to come up big against OSU. A certain coach up north has reportedly been on the hot seat. Lloyd Carr needs a big season in a bad way, and he really can't afford another loss to Ohio State. By the time The Game comes up on November 18th, it will have been 1,092 days since Michigan has beaten Ohio State. If that doesn't motivate the wolf pups, they deserve to lose.
So I'm still acclamating myself to OSU as the national number one. The hype is piercing to the point where I'd almost rather them ranked a few spots lower to start the season. It's not that I don't love my Buckeyes, I just love them too much. After the Penn State loss last year, I drank myself sick. How would I handle a loss that would see Ohio State tumble from the number one ranking? Hopefully, with a little luck and some good ol' Tressel ball, we won't have to answer
posted by xcdannon @ 10:03 PM
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