Up Next: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl

Next up will be a recap of the Ohio State - Notre Dame tilt, which featured Troy Smith and Jim Tressel facing off against Brady Quinn and Charlie Weis in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl!

Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl - Part I: The 2003 Fiesta Bowl (A Tribute to Kevin Ball)

Hi Kevin. Congrats.

#10 Ohio State will be playing #3 Texas in the Fiesta Bowl on January 5th and will be going to a bowl that they are very familiar with. Of the Buckeyes 39 bowl appearances (in which the Bucks have a 18-21 record, hmmm....), the Buckeyes have played in 5 Fiesta Bowls and played the 2006 national championship in Glendale, AZ, where the Fiesta Bowl is played. Of those 6 games, the Buckeyes are 4-2, with losses to Penn State (1980) and Florida (2006 BCS) and wins over Pittsburgh (1984), Miami (2002 BCS title game), Kansas State (2003) and Notre Dame (2005).

In this post, I will recap the 2004 Fiesta Bowl, which saw the #Buckeyes take on #8 Kansas State Wildcats.

What Happened in the Regular Season for Kansas State

Coming off of a very impressive 11-2 season in 2002, the Wildcats had high hopes for 2003. The Wildcats had a great year offensively, averaging 36.6 points per game and only giving up 16.6 ppg. The Wildcats advanced to the Big 12 championship game with a 6-2 conference record, losing in close games to #13 Texas and Oklahoma State. Remarkably, both of these games came at the beginning of their conference schedule. The Wildcats racked off 6 straight wins after these losses to advance to the Big 12 championship game where they would face top-ranked and undefeated Oklahoma. Kansas State went into kansas City and blasted the top-ranked Sooners 35-7.

What Happened in the Regular Season for Ohio State:

Ohio State came off the high of their 2002 national championship with high expectations, but a diminshed talent pool, with the loss of Maurice Clarett to stupidity (remember, he tried to go to the NFL but ended up doing nothing after going into his first camp 40 pounds overweight!). Ohio State lost a heartbreaking 17-10 loss to Wisconsin in Madison and also lost a 35-21 game to Michigan (revenge for Lloyd Carr and John Navarre) and finishing 10-2 in the regular season and just out of the Rose Bowl mix or National Championship mix.

The Game Itself

Kansas State won the coin toss and defered until the second half. Ohio State and Kansas State both stalled on their first possessions, but Kansas State was forced to punt from their own 7 yard line and had it blocked and returned for a touchdown. Ohio State went up 7-0 and gained the momentum. Craig Krenzel added 2 touchdown passes to Santionio Holmes and Michael Jenkins to make it 21-0 and the game, just in the second quarter, seemed out of reach for Kansas State. The third touchdown was especially demoralizing since it was set up by a Ell Roberson interception on KSU's own ten yard line. Darren Sproles, Kansas State's star running back (who tore up the Sooners) ran for a 6 yard score to make it 21-7 at half, and making the game within reach for the Wildcats.

In the second half, Ell Roberson scampered 14 yards for a score to close the gap to 21-14, but Ohio State answered later in the third quarter with Craig Krenzel's second stirke to Michael Jenkins, making it 28-14. With only 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Craig Krenzel found Santionio Holmes again for a 31 yard TD pass, seemingly ending the game at 35-14. Kansas State showed their toughness and scored twice in the fourth quarter on an Ayo Saba 2 yard touchdown and another Ell Roberson score, but it was too little too late, and the Buckeyes recovered an onside kick to seal the deal, winning over a very good Kansas State team 35-28.

How the Florida game changed everything

Do you remember how good the Miami Hurricanes were in the late 90's and early 2000's? They were a juggernaut. Unstoppable. No one wanted to face them. They were the U.

Then Ohio State beat them 31-24 in double overtime in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the BCS National Championship. Where are they now? 7-5 and playing vs. California in the Emerald Bowl.

In the successive years after Miami lost to Ohio State, here are their records:
2003: 11-2 (Big East co-champs, Orange bowl victory over FSU)
2004: 9-3 (ACC, Peach Bowl win over Florida)
2005: 9-3 (Peach bowl loss, 3-40 to LSU)
2006: 7-6 (MPC Computers victory over Nevada 21-20)
2007: New coach Randy Shannon leads the team to a 5-7 record.
2008: 7-5, Emerald Bowl vs. California

One game can have a big effect on a program.

Since the Florida thumping the 2006 national championship game, Ohio State has not beaten an opponent ranked higher than #18. Yes ... 18th in the country (AP poll).

That win was this year's 20-17 win in Madison over what turned out to be a mediocre Wisconsin team. Has the shine gone from Ohio State? One game can make a big difference. The Florida thumping has shaken this program, and Ohio State needs a big win over Texas to get it back.

No pressure, boys.

Three Strikes and You're Out

10-2 isn't half bad, is it?

The Buckeye nation has come to expect so much that 10-2 seems like a let down. But let's get real. About 100 teams in the FBS would give their left kidney to be where the Buckeyes are right now. 10-2, co-champions of their conference, and a chance to play in a BCS game (Fiesta again?) against a team that arguably should be in the BCS Naitonal Championship Game.

Not half bad.

And given how awful the Buckeyes were at times this season, every Buckeye fan should be eternally grateful to the Fiesta Bowl for picking the Buckeyes. I will even admit that Boise State is more deserving of being in the game than OSU. You could make a case for a handful of other teams as well.

Ohio State now has yet another chance to prove itself on the big stage against a big time foe. This game may be the most important the program plays in a long time. If the Buckeyes lay another egg in this game like it did against Florida and LSU, everybody is going to say, "Three strikes and you're out." If the Buckeyes don't play a respectable game against Texas, they will have to go undefeated and win impressively all season long if they ever dream of playing in another BCS game, especially the BCS title game.

Let's hope they do.

Way to early and off the cuff prediction: Texas 27, Ohio State 20

Can Ohio State make the BCS title game?

Can the Buckeyes get back to the BCS title game?

Now that the BCS Standings have come out, let’s take a look at how the Buckeyes fare and if they even have a prayer to get to the BCS title game.

What do the Buckeyes have to do to get to the title game?

1. Win, win, win and win big. The Buckeyes only have a shot because Penn State is ranked #3 in the country and almost everyone agrees that they are a legitimate title contender. A big win over Penn State would show the voters that this Ohio State team is for real, and that they are a very different team that visited L.A. on September 13^th.

2. Everybody else? Lose, and lose often.

A. The Big 12 South

The good news for the Buckeyes is that although they are ranked in the BCS Week 1 Standings, four of the teams ahead of them are in the Big XII. Why is that good? Here’s why – they play each other often, which means that three of them will lose at least once. Here is the remaining schedule for those teams (just against each other!):

10/25: #6 Oklahoma State at #1 Texas – if the Cowboys lose and the Buckeyes win this week, they will likely drop lower than the Buckeyes.

11/1: #1 Texas at #8 Texas Tech – same goes for the Red Raiders in this game, although they play a tough road contest against Kansas on 10/25, so they could fall this Saturday as well.

11/8: #6 Oklahoma State at #8 Texas Tech – if either of these teams lose before this game, this will be the clincher loss for one team.

11/22: #8 Texas Tech at #4 Oklahoma – The Red Raiders have given Oklahoma fits in recent years and another loss for the Sooners would finish their title hopes.

11/29: #4 Oklahoma at #6 Oklahoma State – this will be a hard fought battle, and the loser’s title hopes will definitely end.

Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State each play 2 of these games and Texas Tech plays 3 – all of these teams could easily lose once more just against each other, let alone in the rest of their schedule.

Other tough games for these teams include:

10/25: Texas Tech at Kansas

11/15: Texas at Kansas

12/6: Big 12 Title Game

B. The SEC

The big problem for Ohio State is that although only Alabama (#2) and Georgia (#7) are ahead of them in the SEC, Florida (#10) and LSU (#13) would easily jump ahead of the Buckeyes if they win out and win the SEC Championship. The fact of the matter is that the country is so high on the SEC that even a two-loss SEC champion will likely play in the national title game. What do the Buckeyes need for this not to happen? Let’s look at the situation in the SEC.

• Only these four teams have a real shot at the BCS title game. Vanderbilt and Kentucky both have two losses, but neither has a real shot at winning the SEC.
• This Saturday, Georgia (#7) travels to Baton Rouge to face LSU (#13) and it is likely that the loser of this game, especially if it is LSU will be out of the title hunt. Then, we are down to three SEC contenders.
• On 11/1, Florida and Georgia face off in Jacksonville. The loser of this game likely will be out of the race only because they would not win their division (the SEC East). Hopefully for the Buckeyes, Georgia loses to LSU and beats Florida.
• 11/8: Alabama visits LSU in the SEC West match-up that will decide the SEC West’s representative in the SEC title game. The ideal situation for the Buckeyes is that LSU beats Alabama (likely their first loss).
• These are the only games in which these teams face each other, other than the SEC Championship game. It’s my guess that an undefeated Alabama will face a one-loss Florida and the winner of that game will go to the BCS title game. But we can only hope.
• Other games in which these teams could possibly (but not probably) lose are:
• 10/25: Alabama at Tennessee
• 11/8: Georgia at Kentucky (at times the Dawgs have struggled on offense, and Kentucky plays excellent defense, so this could be close).
• 11/15: Georgia at Auburn (rivalry game)
• 11/22: Ole Miss at LSU (Ole Miss has already knocked off Florida at home, could it do the same in Baton Rouge?).
• 11/29: Auburn at Alabama, Florida at FSU, Georgia Tech at Georgia – losses in these games would boost Ohio State’s chances in a huge way.

C. The Rest

#3 Penn State is an obvious one. If the Buckeyes win, they rise above Penn State. Easier said than done.

#5 USC – Real simple. If USC loses again, it is out. The problem … they are humming. Even if Washington State stinks, 69 points against anybody is impressive. Ohio State could only rack up 43 against Youngstown State. The only real tests left for USC are:

• 10/25 (this Saturday) at Arizona – probably their biggest chance for a loss. Arizona has looked impressive at home, beating California by 15 and Washington by 34. This will be a real test for USC.
• Do they have another one? Their remaining schedule after Arizona is … vs. Washington, vs. Cal, at Stanford (they won’t be bit this time), vs. Notre Dame and at UCLA (not really away per se). The fact of the matter is, USC should win all of these games. But as the saying goes, don’t bet on what 18-21 year-old boys do on a given Saturday.

BCS Busters:

The only non-BCS conference teams with a shot are Utah (#11) and Boise State (#12).

Utah, 8-0 and leading the Mountain West conference, leads a conference that is 8-4 against BCS conferences (including a 6-1 mark against the Pac 10!) and has looked impressive all year. If they beat both TCU and BYU (home games), they will have an impressive slate of wins to their credit. It is still unlikely however, that they would jump ahead of a one-loss BCS school like Ohio State, although that remains to be seen.

Boise State, who is 6-0 and is atop the Western Athletic Conference, would have a much tougher road to get to the BCS title game. The WAC is only 4-11 against BCS conference opponents, and although they beat Oregon 37-32, the rest of their schedule has not been very tough. It would take a major miracle for the Broncos to make the BCS title game.

So can it happen? Can Ohio State make the BCS title game? Yes, but it would take every team above them to lose at least once, and sometimes twice. There is too much that they need to have happen to expect going to the BCS title game if they go undefeated. If they do win out, it looks like a trip to the Rose Bowl, which hasn’t happened since the 1996-97 season (Joe Germaine to David Boston ring a bell?) and their win over Arizona State and Jake Plummer.

Go Bucks!

Ohio State 45, Michigan State 7

Wow! Now that is what we were expecting out of our Buckeyes this whole season. Considering how bad they have looked at times, it is amazing to think that the Bucks are 7-1, #9 in the BCS Week 1 Standings, and still has a chance at an outright Big Ten title.

Ohio State absolutely destroyed Michigan STate, going up 21-0 in the first quarter, and the Bucks never looked back. The Spartans looked pretty good in the 3rd quarter until Malcolm Jenkins forced a fumble and Thaddeus Gibson returned it for a touchdown to make it 35-7. All over but the crying at that point. The thing that was most impressive was that our defense is back! The swarming, swaggering defense that we have grown to expect out of Ohio State came in full force, forcing 5 turnovers and holding MSU to just 7 points, a team that had the nation's second leading rusher before the day started.

Penn State is next. How good are they really? They have coasted against everyone, but they have only faced two teams with a winning record (Oregon State 4-3 and Illinois 4-3). Clearly since Oregon State beat USC, you could say that the win over the Beavers was definitely a quality win. The Nittany Lions will have a much tougher test this week against our Bucks. My guess is that it will be a great game. Off the cuff prediction: Ohio State 35, Penn State 24.

Big Ten Update

Let's take a look at how the Big Ten is shaping up so far. First, let's look at the standings

Team/Conf. W-L/Overall W-L

1. Penn State/2-0/6-0
2. Ohio State/2-0/5-1
3. Michigan State/2-0/5-1
4. Northwestern/1-0/5-0
5. Minnesota/1-1/5-1
6. Illinois/1-1/3-2
7. Michigan/1-1/2-3
8. Purdue/0-1/2-3
9. Wisconsin/0-2/3-2
10. Iowa/0-2/3-3
11. Indiana/0-2/2-3

At first glance, the team that really seems out of wack is Wisconsin, at the bottom with an 0-2 record. Many had this team winning the Big Ten this year, and clearly this is not a possibility, having already lost twice, and especially to Ohio State. The Badgers are once again facing a tough opponent int he Nittany Lions this week, and could easily go 0-3 to start their Big Ten season.

Penn State clearly has been the most dominant team in the Big Ten, averaging 44.8 points a game, and only giving up 11.6 point per game. They had an impressive win over Illinois (ranked #22 at the time), but face their toughest test this Saturday when they travel to Wisconsin, a team that will be hell-bent on not going 0-3 in the conference. If the Nittany Lions can come out with a win, the Penn State-Ohio State tilt on October 25th will most likely produce the Big Ten champion. Penn State remains one of only two undefeated Big Ten teams, and a BCS title game bid is not out of the question, but only if they run the table.

Michigan State has been impressive so far, with only a 38-31 loss at Cal in the loss column. However, their two Big Ten wins have come against Indiana and Iowa, so they really haven't been tested. This Saturday's game against Northwestern and then their Oct. 18th game against the Buckeyes will tell even more.

Ohio State, also tied for the Big Ten lead at 2-0, is a team with a lot of question marks. Ohio State is near the bottom of the conference in scoring offense (Iowa has scored more points folks ... ouch), but the defense remains tough, although has given up 35 to USC and has melted down at times, such as in the fourth quarter against Wisconsin, letting the Badgers ram it down their throats with mostly up the middle rushing plays. The Buckeyes are weak up front on the D-line, and have rarely rushed the passer with much success. If this continues, Darryl Clark and Juice Williams may have field days against the defense, just as Mark Sanchez and company did in LA.

At this point in the season, Illinois seems the only other real Big Ten title contender, although their loss to Penn State will be difficult to overcome. Illinois showed their potent offense against Michigan, and if they can continue that success, they have a chance for at least a share of the Big Ten title.

Although Northwestern has not lost yet, it remains to be seen whether this streak will continue, and most likely ... it won't.

Michigan has shown tremendous struggles on both sides of the ball, although they won a shocking 27-25 game against the Badgers, after going down 19-0.

The Penn State vs. Ohio State game on October 25th in Columbus will most likely decide the conference's automatic BCS bid.

Current prediction for the Big Ten champion: Ohio State. Terrelle Pryor will only get better, and winning a big one in Madison will give him the confidence he needs to turn the Buckeye offense into a much more consistent scoring machine.
with

Ohio State 20, Wisconsin 17 - What it All Means

Hello Buckeye fans. Life has been busy for a while, so I apologize for the lack of posts.

Wow, what a game in Madison! The trip to Madison has always (or at least in my memory) been a tough test for the Buckeyes, and this trip was no different. The hitting was outstanding, with players going down left and right. The big question mark for the Buckeyes was Terrelle Pryor - could he be the QB that Ohio State needed him to be? We knew that Beanie would have a big game. He, once again, showed himself to be one of the best players in college football.

Terrelle was not amazing, but he was great when he needed to be. The last drive was reminiscent of Troy Smith's drive to beat the Wolverines in 2005. He made the big plays when they needed to be made. It also always helps to have Wisconsin linebackers looking clueless on the 11 yard line. :-) What was that? Wisconsin's defense, other than the first drive, looked great the whole game, and just fell apart on Pryor's TD run. We'll take it.

Pryor showed glimpes of brilliance. He also showed thathe is a freshman. To beat teams like Michigan State, Penn State and Illinois, we are going to have to have more of the brilliance and less of the freshman.

If you can believe it, Ohio State is still hunt for the national championship game. In the next few weeks, a lot of the top teams play each other and will start knocking each other off. For example:

October 12th:
#1 OU vs. #5 Texas (Dallas)
#17 Oklahoma State at #3 Missouri
#4 LSU at #11 Florida

October 16th:
#9 BYU at TCU (watch out Cougars)

October 18th:
#1 Oklahoma at #16 Kansas (bye, bye Kansas!)
#13 Vanderbilt at #10 Georgia (bye bye Vandy - your run will end on this date and then against Florida, but a 10-2 Vanderbilt is a possibility - can you believe it?)
#12 Ohio State at #23 Michigan State - both have one loss, and the loser will be done.

October 25th:
#10 Georgia at #4 LSU (if Georgia loses they are done)
#17 Oklahoma State at #5 Texas
#6 Penn State at #12 Ohio State
#7 Texas Tech at #16 Kansas

November 1st:
#5 Texas at #7 Texas Tech (if Texas beats OU, both teams could be undefeated still by this point)
#10 Georgia vs. #11 Florida (Jacksonville) - these two will play for the East title and the right to play the LSU-Alabama winner for the SEC title. The loser's season ends.


If Ohio State is able to win out, they will rise in the polls. They will have to hope for some key upsets to rise high enough to get back into the BCS title mix, but it's happened before ... not so long ago either. :-)

The New National Title Landscape

Now that USC has lost to Oregon State, let's look at the national title landscape and make some new predictions. Mind you, I'm wiritng this on Friday night ... as Louisville is cruising past Connecticut. Scratch that, UofL 21, UConn 17.

What we know, conference by conference:
1. ACC: Unless Wake goes undefeated (highly doubtful), no ACC team will play in the BCS title game. Wake is the only undefeated team, and the conference once again looks fairly weak. Maryland's shocker over Cal gave it some good pub, but Maryland also lost to Middle Tennessee. Clemson's egg laying vs. Alabama set the tone. Prediction (of getting into the BCS title game): No chance.

2. Big East: West Virginia's 1-2 start has not helped the Big East in the least. South Florida and UConn remain undefeated. It would take a 12-0 record from both these teams to even give the Big East a shot, given their poor performance against non-conference foes. South Florida, if they run the table, are probably the only real contender for the BCS title game, because of their quality win over a ranked Kansas team. Prediction: no chance.

3. Big Ten: Given the bad publicity, it would take an undefeated team to make it to the BCS title game, unless all hell breaks loose (like last year ... and which has continued with the Beavers win yesterday ... is it getting colder in here [think Dante]). The two teams that have a real shot in my mind are Penn State and Wisconsin. Penn State has been rolling over teams and an impressive performance in the Big Ten schedule (and a 12-0 record) would catapault them into the BCS title game, unless there were three unbeatens and the other two came from the SEC and Big XII. Ohio State in my mind still has a very, very, very slim chance of making it, and only if they go 11-1 and win impressively in every big game the rest of the way. Prediction: The Big Ten will beat each other up, so no title game this year.

4. Big Twelve: A one-loss team from the Big Twelve could make the BCS title game. I am not a Big XII buff myself, but the Big XII is loaded. Colorado showed that with its impressive win over West Virginia. Even Baylor has some talent! Missouri's offense is dynamite, although its defense leaves something to be desired. Sam Bradford and OU are stacked as always and Texas Tech is going to average 42 points a game. Prediction: The Big XII champ will play in the BCS title game.

5. Pacific 10: Well, before yesterday, I would have put USC in the title game, but now ... no way. This conference is 0-5 vs. the Mountain West and 0-3 vs. the Big Twelve. USC needed to go undefeated to make the big dance. They just looked too terrible against Oregon State. Prediction: outside shot for USC if they look impressive as they did against the Buckeyes the rest of the way, but most likely they will lose again.

6. SEC: Georgia, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Auburn. This is a conference whose D-lines could step into the NFL seemingly without missing a beat. The winner of the SEC this year plays in the BCS title game, period. The only way it wouldn't happen is if the champ had 3 losses. Florida's schedule presents the best opportunity, but who knows. The conference's resume so far is really good: Alabama 34, Clemson 10; S. Car. 34, NC State 0 (who beat ECU); Florida 26, Miami 3; Kentucky 27, UofK 27, UofL 2; Georgia 27, ASU 10. The only real brain-fart was Tennessee's loss to UCLA. Tennessee is really down ... where have you gone, Peyton Manning?

Prediction: The Big XII winner vs. the SEC winner.
Most likely matchup: Oklahoma vs. Florida. Florida 34, OU 20, making it three straight for the SEC.

Wacky College Football

USC 35, Ohio State 3

Oregon State 27, USC 21

The USC Trojans, who looked unstoppable against our Buckeyes, looked terrible vs. the Beavers. the Beavers! This was the same team that lost to Penn State by 31. So let's do the logic.

Penn State 45, Oregon State 14 ... Oregon State 27, USC 21 ... USC 35, Ohio State 3

So when Penn State comes to visit in Columbus, we can expect the Nittany Lions to win somewhere in the range of 84-0. Not likely. All too often we as fans forget that these are 18-21 year old kids. As CFN wrote in teir piece on the Oregon State - USC game, Pete Carroll and his staff probably said all the right things, but in the end, the USC players believed their own press.

This college football world is wacky, which is why I love it.

Tressel's Record vs. Ranked Opponents

As every Buckeye fan well knows, the Buckeyes will travel to Los Angeles to face the #1 ranked USC Trojans on September 13th. This post will look at Tressel's record vs. top-ranked oponents and ranked opponents in general.

Jim Tressel's overall record (2001-present): 74-16 (.822 winning percentage)
Record vs. (AP) ranked opponents: 29-9 (.763 winning percentage - not far off the total!)
Record vs. Top 10 Opponents: 8-4
Record vs. Top 5 Opponents: 3-4
Record vs. #2 Ranked Opponents: 2-3
Record vs. #1 Ranked Opponents: 1-0 (2002 BCS NC Game vs. Miami-Fla.)

Of course, in the last two national championship games, the Buckeyes have been the #1 ranked team facing two separate #2 ranked teams in Florida (2006) and LSU (2007), both ending up in losses.

Just as Ohio State went in as underdogs vs. Miami-Fla. in the 2002 National Championship game, so the Buckeyes will likely be underdogs when they face USC in the LA Coliseum on Sept. 13th. USC look like a well-oiled machine in their 52-7 victory over Virginia.

Tressel's games against top 5 opponents:
1/3/03: OSU 31, Miami 24 (20T - BCS)

After getting waxed in two consecutive national championship games, Buckeye fans need to feel very reatful and slightly amazed at the performance of the 2002 Buckeyes in that game against the Hurricanes. Coming out of that game, I think both Imyself and other fans just thought, "We'll win every game like this, as long as we can get to it." Not so, as we have seen. And if we are honest, it was amazing that we even beat Miami on that fateful January day. Miamii turnover the ball 5 times, and still forced the game to go to two overtimes. If Miami and Ohio State plaeyd a seven game series, Miami probably would have won in six. But they only play one. And because of that, the Buckeyes won the 2002 national championship.

11/22/03: #5 Michigan 35, #4 Ohio State 21 (in Ann Arbor)

A little revenge for the Wolverinese after Ohio State defeated Michigan 14-9 in 2002, a game in which Michigan dominated in the first half, but only lead by a scoreof 9-7. Less Maurice Clarett in 2003, the Buckeyes simply did not have the offense to win against the elite teams.

9/10/05: #2 Texas 25, #4 Ohio State 22 (in Columbus)

Oh, what might have been. In the year that Vince Young led his Longhorns to the national championship, the Buckeyes had a near miss. Had Ryan Hamby caught a endzone pass from Justin Zwick, the game probably would have ended up in a Buckeye victory. It was not to be.

9/9/06: #1 Ohio State 24, #2 Texas 7 (in Austin)

Revenge and simply a better team helped the Buckeyes dominate the Longhorns, who were honestly overrated, especially since Colt McCoy had very little experience at quarterback, and it showed.

11/18/06: #1 Ohio State 42, #2 Michigan 39 (in Columbus)

A game that Ohio State easily could have lost, especially without the help of a late hit on Troy Smith. A classic win by the Buckeyes. However ... in hindsight, any team that gives up 39 points in a game ...

1/8/06: #2 Florida 41, #1 Ohio State 14 (BCS NC Game, Glendale, AZ)

.... can easily give up 41 to a team that is just as good, oh wait, even better than the team it played a couple months previously. Was the defense simply overrated by shutting down a #2 Texas and giving up only 7 points in the beginning of the season? Troy Smith and company on offense seemed unprepared for the Florida defense, and it was easily Jim Tressel's worst loss.

1/7/2008: #2 LSU 38, #1 Ohio State 24 (BCS NC Game - New Orleans)

One bad quarter can ruin a whole four quarters. The Buckeyes keeled over and died in the second quarter, giving up 21 points, and it was all over but the crying. LSU was the most complete team last season when it was healthy, and it showed in this game, that was closer than the score. But the best team won, and that wasn't the Buckeyes.

Can the Buckeyes beat USC on Sept. 13th? Yes, but they will have to put together a complete game, with key players coming up with big plays, and keeping mistakes to a minimum. USC's ego going through the roof before the game and thinking they will crush Ohio State couldn't hurt either. My preaseason prediction was USC 38, Ohio State 35. I will stick to that for now, especially considering Beanie's injury. Interestingly enough, College Football News, who I greatly respect, has the Buckeyes winning against the Trojans. It will be interesting to see their reasoning next week in their preview of the game. Terrelle Pryor could definitely be the X factor. It will be a great game.

A Look at the Other National Title Contenders in 2008

Here's a quick look at the national title contenders and who may be in the national title this season.

Rules for choosing the #1 and #2 BCS teams:
1. If an SEC team goes undefeated, it automatically becomes the #1 BCS team.
2. If the winner of the OSU-USC game goes undefeated, it will earn an automatic berth in the national championship game.
3. Other teams with a shot, if they go undefeated: Any Big 12 team, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
4. Teams that would need others to lose: the ACC, the Pac-10 other than USC, the Big East other than West Virginia.

Teams with the best shot of making the BCS National Championship Game:
1. USC Trojans
Tough Games: vs. Ohio State, Oregon, Arizona State, UCLA
My Thoughts: USC looked really impressive against Virginia and all of their tough games are at home this season. Normally this would be a 2 loss team, but I hink the Trojans will only lose one game b/c they will beat OSU in a classic). Likely that will put them in the BCS National Championship game.
Predicted Final Record: 11-1 (will beat OSU, lose one Pac-10 game)

2. Florida Gators
Tough Games: at Tennessee, vs. LSU, Georgia (acksonville)
My Thoughts: Florida misses Alabama and Auburn in their regular season schedule and gets LSU at home. The schedule stacks up very well for Tebow and company and they will lose one of their regular season contests and win the SEC Championship, and thus play USC in the national championship game, giving fans the BCS game they have been dreaming of (since USC-Texas of course).
Predicted Final Record: 12-1 (will lose to either Tennessee or LSU, will beat Georgia)

3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Tough Games: at USC, at Wisconsin, vs. Penn State, at Illinois
My Thoughts: After losing a heartbreaker, the Buckeyes will set their sights on becoming the first Big Ten team in history to accomplish three outright Big Ten titles, which they will accomplish (although facing nail-biters in Madison and Champaign).
Predicted Final Record: 11-1 (will lose to USC, and thus will play in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1996).

4. Georgia Bulldogs
tough Games: Almost every game on the schedule, except for maybe Vandy, Kentucky and Georgia Tech (and even then...!)
My Thoughts: Georgia's schedule is absolutely brutal. They will lose 2 games (Florida and either Alabama, Auburn or Tennesse). They face all the best West teams (Alabama, Auburn, LSU) and play a tough non-conference schedule at Arizona State and vs. a Tebow-esque LeFevour vs. Central Michigan.
Predicted Final Record: 10-2 (Sugar Bowl)

5. Oklahoma Sooners
Tough Games: vs. Texas (Dallas), Kansas, Texas Tech, Missouri (in Big 12 Championship)
My Thoughts: Oklahoma will lose one of the games above AND some crazy game tat they don't show up for (Cincinnati? TCU? at Kansas State?). They are always good for one bad loss. They will however beat oddly enough make it to the Big 12 championship game and beat Missouri, and then lose their bowl game, again.
Predicted Final Record: 11-2 (after defeating Missouri in the title game)

6. Missouri Tigers
Tough Games: at Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma (Big 12 Title game)
My thoughts: The schedule (other than going to Texas) actually lines up for them really well. They will lose at Texas, beat everybody else, then lose to OU in the title game, again.
Predicted Final Record: 11-2 (after losing to OU in the title game)

7. West Virginia Mountaineers
Tough Games: at East Carolina, Auburn, at Pitt, South Florida
My Thoughts: After losing to Auburn at home, they will be disqualified for the national title game, since Auburn won't even win the SEC West (my pick btw - LSU). They will also lose either at Pitt, who will get their act together by the end of the season or vs. South Florida, a very tough last two games of the season.
Predicted Final Record: 10-2 (BCS bowl)

8. LSU Tigers
Tough Games: at Auburn, at Florida, Georgia, Alabama
My Thoughts: LSU will stun everybody by going 11-1 in th regular season and losing to Florida in the SEC title game (who was also 11-1), even with their QB issues. This team is so loaded at every other position. I could be QB with this team and they would go 8-4. Expect LSU to be in the top 5 the whole season, only to lose a very tough SEC title game (the legend of Tebow will grow ...).
Predicted Final Record: 11-2
So my prediction for the Bowls are:

BCS: #1 Florida vs. #2 USC
Rose: Ohio State vs. Oregon
Sugar: Georgia vs. Missouri
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. BYU
Orange: Boston College vs. South Florida

Ohio State 43, Youngstown State 0

Other than the fact that it was a win for the Buckeyes, nothing else matters except Beanie Wells' injury. Will Beanie be able to play against USC? Will he be 100%? It seems to be a consensus among fans and pundits that Ohio State would be a big underdog without Beanie in LA. It sounds so far that he will be able to play, and Pete Carroll has said that USC will train as if he is fine.

High points:

• Freshmen coming into their own: Terrelle Pryor and Devier Posey each had a touchdown and both looked great doing it. It is great to see these stars of the future already give a boost to the OSU offense.
• The shutout. Even though it was Younstown State, it is good to see the Buckeyes getting a shutout, their first since 44-0 victory over Minnesota in 2006 in Columbus.
• Total domiation by the defense. It wasn't just a shutout. Youngstown State was held to -11 yards rushing. They will need to keep that up against USC, Wisconsin, Illinois and the rest. Can they? We'll see.

Rough spots:

• 9 scoring drives! 5 field goals?!?! I guess that is the best we could expect against Youngstown State on day #1 of the season, but this ratio will have to improve drastically if the Buckeyes want to win a national championship.
• The offensive line let too many people hit Boeckman. USC has amazing defensive linemen and if the Buckeyes don't improve, it could be an ugly day in LA.

Lots of positives, though. Go Bucks!

Next week: Another snoozer vs. the Bobcats of Ohio U.

Thoughts on Day #1 of the 2008 Season

Day #1 of the 2008 college football season is over, and it was not very exciting, except in a couple of spots.

The SEC Continues to Dominate

South Carolina destroyed NC State 34-0, even though USC's quarterback threw four interceptions. The Gamecocks defense was outstanding. It looks pretty bad, though, when the ESPN announcers say at halftime, "I'm looking down the roster, and I don't see any players on NC State's side who can make the plays to get back into this game." Is NC State that bad, that it loses by 34 to a mid-level SEC team who has a bad day on offense.

Also, Vandy had a very impressive win over Miami Univ., who many picked to win the MAC. Thjis is a terrible result for the Big ten. The Big Ten has 13 games scheduled against MAC teams, and if the team who is supposed to win the MAC gets drilled by Vandy ... yikes. Even more fodder for the pundits who say the Big Ten is overrated.

The feel good win of the day was Stanford's 36-28 win over Oregon State. I don't like the team from up north, but I do have to say that Jim Harbaugh seems like a real stand-up guy. His win over USC last year was huge. It is good to see Harbaugh improving the Cardinal and leading them to a big victory.

A team that the Buckeyes will play on Sept. 20th, Troy went to Middle Tennessee State and defeated them without much problem, 31-17. Curiously, Troy had 4 turnovers to MTSU's 2, only led in the yardage category 300-284, and had less time of possession. Troy also was fairly inefficient on 3rd downs (4 of 13). With those kind of stats, Troy should not pose much of a threat to the Buckeyes (although, I never imagined they would anyway, but it is good to make sure).

All in all, a fairly ho-hum first day of college football. Today, Friday, August 29th is even more ho-hum. Temple-Army and Rice-Southern Methodist. Woohoo.

tomorrow, the real show begins.

Expectations

The price of coaching, playing and rooting for The Ohio State Buckeyes football program is high expectations. How high? The Buckeyes are expected to win the Big Ten every year, go to the national championship, and win the national championship. There is no room for error. Can the Buckeyes live up to their expectations this year? Who knows, but what I do know is that I would not want to bet my life on what 18-22 year olds do on any given Saturday.

The expectations come with the territory, and I believe one man who does handle it well is our fearless leader, Coach Jim Tressel. He is unflappable, and the Buckeyes follow his lead. Jim Tressel's leadership in part has created the high expectations. The question is, do the Buckeyes have the talent to not only get to the national championship game (a fair expectation), but win it? That is the question that everyone is dying to see answered. Inclduing this blogger.

I can't wait for the season to start.

2008 Preview: Week #12, November 22nd vs. Michigan

Michigan record in 2007: 9-4 (6-2 in Big Ten), defeated Florida 41-35 in Capital One Bowl.
OSU record vs. Michigan all-time: Michigan leads series 57-41-6.
Last meeting: OSU 14, Michigan 3 (2007, in Ann Arbor)

Total domination:

• Chris Wells - 39 rushes for 222 yards, 2 TD's (from 1 yard out, and 62 yards out)
• OSU outgained Michigan 279-91.
• OSU outrushed Michigan 229-15.
• TOP: OSU 37:50, UofM 22:10

The Buckeyes last year rode Chris Wells to victory, after Todd Boeckman threw an interception late in the first half. Jim Tressel, in the terrible weather conditions, rode the Chris Wells horse all the way to a 14-3 win.

Biggest win: OSU 38, UofM 0 (1935, in Ann Arbor)

Worst loss: UofM 86, OSU 0 (1902, in Ann Arbor)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel holds a 6-1 record vs. Michigan. His only loss was a 35-21 defeat in 2003 in Ann Arbor.
• Tressel's Buckeyes have outscored Michigan 179-148 in those seven games.
• Michigan's 3 points scored in the 2007 contest was their lowest point total vs. the Buckeyes since OSU beat them 28-0 in 1962.
• the Buckeyes have won the last 4 meetings vs. Michigan. They have done that twice in the series (1934-37 and 160-63), but have never won 5 in a row.
• Tressel's record of 6 wins in 7 games matches a streak by Woody Hayes, who won 6 of 7 from 1957 to 1963. No coach has every won 7 of 8.

Fearless Prediction: Michigan, in Rich Rodriguez's first year, will be going through a lot of growing pains. There is no quarterback who fits RichRod's system as of yet. Although Michigan will probably work out some kinks by year's end, Ohio State will be a fearsome juggernaut by that time as well. Ohio State will hand Michigan its fifth straight loss in the series in an impressive win: Ohio State 32, Michigan 17.

2008 Preview: Week #11, November 15th at Illinois

Illinois record in 2007: 9-4 (6-2 in Big Ten), got crushed by USC in the Rose Bowl 49-17 (ouch).
OSU record vs. Illinois all-time: 60-30-4
Last meeting: A dreadful 21-28 loss (2007, in Columbus). The Buckeyes could not stop the run (giving up 260 yards rushing), and could not stop the pass (giving up 4 TD passes). Combined with 3 Todd Boeckman interceptions, Illinois upset the #1 Buckeyes 28-21. Oh yeah, throw in Jim Tressel's dumbest timeout call ever (maybe the dumbest timeout callof all time), when Illinois was about to punt in the 4th quarter, and Tressel called timeout to get the proper personnel on the field, Illinois came out and went for it on 4th down, got it, and ran out the clock on the Buckeyes.

Just get the ball back - who cares if you have somebody to receive it!!! Let it drop on the ground, Jim.

Biggest win: OSU 48, Illinois 0 (1996, in Champaign)
Worst loss: Illinois 46, OSU 0 (1904, in Columbus)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel holds a 3-2 mark against Illinois, his two losses coming in 2001, a 34-22 loss in Columbus, and of course, last season's horrendous loss in Columbus.
• In Tressel's two trips to Champaign, he led the Buckeyes to their gritty 23-16 overtime victory in 2002, and won a sloppy 17-10 game in 2006.
• Up until 1929, Illinois held a solid 11-5-2 record in the series. Since that time, Ohio State holds a dominant 55-19-2 mark.
• Their first meeting in 1902, which was held in Columbus, ended in a 0-0 tie.
• The Buckeyes, oddly enough, have won their last 6 games in Champaign. The Fighting Illini's last home win vs. the Buckeyes came in 1991, in a close 10-7 victory.

Fearless Prediction: With revenge in their hearts, the Buckeyes will defeat the Fighting Illini in a tough showdown, with a Illinois team less-Rashard Mendenhall, 31-17.

2008 Preview: Week #10, November 8th at Northwestern

Northwestern record in 2008: 6-6 (3-5 in Big Ten), did not play in a bowl.
OSU record vs. NW all-time: 58-14-1
Last meeting: OSU 58, Northwestern 7 (2007, in Columbus)
Biggest win: OSU 70, NW 6 (1981, in Columbus)
Worst loss: NW 21, OSU 0 (1958, in Evanston)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel holds a 6-1 record vs. NW, their only loss a 33-27 OT loss in Evanston in 2004.
• Since 1964, the Buckeyes are 31-2 in that span.
• Before the 2004 loss, the Buckeyes had won 24 in a row.
• The Buckeyes won the first five meetings in the series (1913-1917) by a combinedscore of 182-3.

Fearless Prediction: The Buckeyes, looking forward to a big contest at Illinois ... will still crush the Wildcats 49-6.

2008 Preview: Week #9, October 25th vs. Penn State

Penn State record in 2007: 9-4 (4-4 Big Ten), defeating Texas A&M 24-17 in the Alamo Bowl.
OSU record vs. Penn State all-time: Ohio State leads the series 12-11.
Last meeting: OSU 37, Penn State 17 (in Happy Valley).
Biggest win: OSU 45, Penn State 6 (2000, in Columbus)
Worst loss: Penn State 63, Ohio State 14 (1994, in Happy Valley)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel holds a 5-2 record against Penn State. His losses came in 2001 (29-27) and 2005 (17-10), both in HappyValley.
• Since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1990, the Buckeyes hold a 10-5 mark against the Nittany Lions. Previous to their joining, Penn State held a 6-2 series edge.
• The two schools have met in a bowl game, with Penn State defeating Ohio State 31-19 in the 1980 season Fiesta Bowl.
• Penn State won the first four meetings between the two schools (1912, 1956, 1963, and 1964), outscoring the Buckeyes in the four games 81-13.
• Not only do the Buckeyes hold a slim 12-11 lead in the series in terms of wins, the Buckeyes hold a slim lead in points scored as well, 432-423.

Fearless Prediction: Last year, the Buckeyes dominated Penn State on national TV in Happy Valley. They will do the same this year. This time, the Buckeyes will roll in front of their home fans, 38-7.

2008 Preview: Week #8, October 18th at Michigan State

MSU Record in 2007: 7-6 (3-5 Big Ten), lost 21-24 to BC in Champs Sports Bowl.
OSU all-time record vs. Michigan State: OSU leads series 26-12.
Last meeting: OSU 24, MSU 17 (2007, in Columbus)
Biggest win: OSU 35, MSU 0 (1973, in Columbus)
Worst Loss: MSU 32, OSU 7 (1965, in East Lansing)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel holds a perfect 5-0 record vs. MSU (did not play in '01 and '02).
• The Buckeyes hold a six-game winning streak. Their last loss was a 23-7 loss to the Spartans in 1999 in East Lansing.
• The Spartans won the first three games of the series, in 1912, 1951 and 1953. The Buckeyes won their first game against the Spartans in 1959, a 30-24 win in Columbus.

Fearless Prediction: Last year, Ohio State really had few problems with the Spartans until two late turnovers turned into quick Spartan touchdowns to make the game close on the scoreboard (OSU 24, MSU 17). This year, the Spartans will give the Buckeyes a tougher test with the game being in East Lansing, but the Buckeyes will prevail with another stellar game from Chris Wells, winning it 34-23.

2008 Preview: Week #7, October 11th vs. Purdue

Purdue record in 2007: 8-5 (3-5 Big Ten), def. CMU 51-48 in Motor City Bowl
Record vs. Purdue all-time: OSU leads series 36-12-2
Last meeting: OSU 23, Purdue 7 (2007, in West Lafayette)
Biggest win: OSU 46, Purdue 0 (1977, in Columbus)
Worst loss: Pudue 41, OSU 6 (1967, in Columbus)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel holds a 4-1 record vs. Purdue. His only loss came in a 24-17 defeat in West Lafayette in 2004.
• OSU holds a 6 game home winning streak vs. Purdue. Their last home loss to Purdue was a 31-26 loss in 1988.
  

Fearless Prediction: In Joe Tiller's last year, Purdue will play their heart out. They won't be a match however for the superior Buckeyes, especially at home. Ohio State 32, Purdue 14.

2008 Preview: Week #6, October 4th at Wisconsin

• Minnesota record in 2007: 9-4 (5-3 Big Ten), lost 17-21 to Tennessee in Outback Bowl.
  OSU record vs. Wisconsin all-time: 51-17-5
  Last meeting: OSU 38, Wisconsin 17 (2007, in Columbus)
  Biggest win: OSU 59, Wisconsin 0 (1979, in Columbus)
  Worst loss: Wisconsin 42, OSU 17 (1999, in Columbus)

Fun Facts:

• Jim Tressel has a 2-3 record vs. Wisconsin (they did not play in 2005 and 2006).
• Jim Tressel holds a 1-1 record in Madison. His only win came in a 19-14 victory in 2002. The victory was saved by a Chris Gamble interception at the end of the game.
• In their last 7 meetings, Wisconsin holds a 4-3 record vs. OSU.
• Since 1981, the Buckeyes hold a 5-5-1 record vs. the Badgers in Madison.

Fearless Prediction: Another battle for the ages, as it always seems to be in Madison for the Buckeyes, the Buckeyes will once again rely on Chris Wells to get them through a tough test. Ohio State will have to make a late defensive stop to win 31-28.

2008 Preview: Week #5, Sept. 27th vs. Minnesota

Minnesota record in 2007: 1-11, 0-8 in the Big Ten
OSU record vs. Minnesota all-time: 40-7
Last meeting: OSU 30, (at) Minnesota 7 (2007)
Biggest win: OSU 69-18 (1983, in Columbus)
Worst loss: Minnesoa 27, OSU 0 (1949, in Columbus)

Fun Facts:

• Ohio State has a five game winning streak against Minnesota.
• Their last loss to Minnesota was in 2000, under John Cooper (a 29-17 loss in Columbus).
• The Buckeyes are 21-1 vs. Minn. in their last 22 meetings.
• 4 of Minnesota's 7 victories against the Buckeyes came before 1950.

Fearless Prediction: The Buckeyes will hand the Golden Gophers their nint straight Big Ten defeat in a 49-10 lopsided victory.

2008 Preview: Week #4, Sept. 20th vs. Troy University

Troy U. record in 2007: 8-4, co-Sun Belt Champion, did not play in a bowl game.
OSU record vs. Troy all-time: 0-0 (first ever meeting)
Record vs. the Sun Belt all-time: 0-0 (never played a Sun Belt team)

Fun Facts:

• Troy University, for those of you who do not know, is located in Troy, Alabama.
• Troy began pariticpating in Division 1-A sports n 2001.
• the Trojans are 1-1 in bowl appearances, winning the New Orleans bowl in 2006.
• Troy won the NAIA championship in 1968 and the NCAA Divison II championship in 1984 and 1987.
• Ohio State is 0-4-1 against teams from the state of Alabama all-time (0-3 vs. Alabama and 0-1-1 against Auburn).

Fearles Prediction: Troy did defeat Oklahoma State and hung with Arkansas and Georgia last year, but Troy has a new quarterback this year. Beating Oklahoma State in Troy is one thing, beating Ohio State in Columbus is another. Ohio State 50, Troy 10.

2008 Preview: Week #3, Sept. 13 at USC

USC record in 2007: 11-2, def. Illinois 49-17 in Rose Bowl (ouch)
Record vs. USC all-time: 9-11-1 (.429 winning percentage)
Best win: OSU 33, (at) USC 0 (1941)
Worst loss: (at) USC 42, OSU 3 (1989)
Last meeting: USC 35, OSU 26 (1990, in Columbus)
Record vs. the Pac 10 all-time: 50-23-2

Fun Facts:

• Surprisingly only 7 of the Buckeyes and Trojans 22 meetings have come in the Rose Bowl. USC holds a 4-3 lead over the Buckeyes in those seven meetings.
• The last home and away series between the two schools happened in 1989 and 1990, in John Cooper's 2nd & 3rd years of his tenure. The Buckeyes were blown out in '89 and lost at home in '90. Both years the Buckeyes were fairly mediocre (8-4 and 7-4-1, respectively).
• The Trojans hold a five game winning streak against the Buckeyes. he last time the Buckeyes defeated USC was in the 1974 Rose Bowl, when OSU doubled up USC 42-21. the Buckeyes coach was none other than Woody Hayes.
• Woody Hayes had a 5-3 record against USC.
• Although USC leads the series in wins, Ohio State holds a slim 359-351 advantage in points scored. This is mostly due to the fact that the Trojans have been shut out 5 times in their 9 losses (1941, 1946, 1948, 1960, and 1964).

Fearless Prediction: In a battle for the ages, the USC Trojans will beat the Ohio State Buckeyes 38-35. Ohio State will have a field goal blocked during the game. The loss however, will not be because of Chris Wells, who will rush for over 150 yards.

Tressel's Buckeyes vs. Non-Conference Opponents

Before I preview Ohio State's Sept. 13th date at USC in the LA Coliseum, let's look at Tressel's record vs. non-conference opponents, both in and out of the bowl season.

During Tressel's tenure at Ohio State (2001-present), the Buckeyes have the following records:
Overall non-conference record: 27-5 (.844 winning percentage)
Bowl Record: 4-3 (lost to South Carolina (2001, Outback), Florida (2006, BCS), and LSU (2007, BCS)

Tressel's other two losses to n0n-conference opponents came in a 13-6 loss to UCLA in 2001 and a 25-22 loss to Texas in 2005 in Columbus. In fact, the loss to Texas happens to be Tressel's only loss to a non-conference opponent at home in his seven year tenure.

Tressel's record vs. the Pac-10: 3-1 (2001 @ UCLA 6-13, 2002 vs. WSU 25-7, 2003 vs. UW 28-9, 2007 @ UW 33-14)

Analysis: If you take away Tressel's two non-conference losses in 2001 (which can fairly be considered a transition year), the only non-conference losses for Ohio State have come to top-tier teams such as Texas, Florida and LSU. The2008 USC Trojans definitely fall into that category. In fact, versus top-tier non-conference teams, you could argue that Tressel has really only won 2 games against top-tier non-conference opponents: the 2002 BCS NC Game vs. Miami and the 2006 #1 vs. #2 game vs. Texas. There may be some similarities between the 2006 game at Texas and this year's contest at USC. Texas in 2006 were breaking in Colt McCoy, who definitely made some firt-year mistakes. USC in 2008 will be breaking in Mark Sanchez, if his knee heals in time. In Ohio State's losses to Texas in 2005, Florida in 2006 and LSU in 2007, all three teams had very good to great quarterbacks (Vince Young, Chris Leak/Tim Tebow and Matt Flynn/Ryan Perrilloux).

Ohio State's hopes for the contest at USC on Sept. 13th comes in the fact that this will be Mark Sanchez's biggest game of his young USC career. If the Buckeyes can keep the mistakes to a minimum, they've got a chance to beat USC in LA.

2008 Preview: Week #2, Sept. 6 vs. Ohio U.

Ohio U. record in 2007: 6-6, did not go to a bowl.
Record vs. Ohio U. all-time: 5-0
Last meeting: OSU 40, Ohio 16 (1999, in Columbus)
Record vs. the MAC all-time: 23-1 (only loss was a 12-6 loss to Akron in Columbus in ... 1894.

Fun Facts:
The first four meetings between the two schools occurred in the years 1899-1902.
The combined score between the two schools is OSU135, Ohio U. 16.

Fearless Prediction: OSU 38, Ohio U. 10
Looking ahead to the next weeks' game at USC, Ohio State will have a nice easy tune-up against Ohio, but will give up their first touchdown of the year. Easy, breezy. Chris Wells will run for about 150 yards.

2008 Preview: Week #1, Aug. 30 vs. Youngstown State

Record vs. Youngstown State all-time: 1-0 (2007, 38-6 win in Columbus)
Record vs. Lower/Closed teams all-time: 168-56-19 (last losses to Lower Division teams were in the 940's)

In 2007, Ohio State played their first game against a non-Division 1-A team since 1953, when they traveled to Penn and defeated them 12-6.

This game vs. Youngstown State was presumably added to the schedule after the NCAA allowed Division 1-A teams to play a 12-game schedule starting in 2007. Ohio State currently does not have a game scheduled with a lower division school in 2009 and 2010, but it does have one open date available each year. I would prefer that the Buckeyes not play lower division teams, but we'll see. Most of the Division 1-A teams do have one game against a lower division school on their schedule in 2008.

Fearless Prediction: Ohio State 45, Youngstown State 6
Beanie Wells will rush for over 100 yards. Tyrelle Pryor will play for a quarter and shine, but also make a couple of freshman mistakes.

Quarterbacks Under Jim Tressel

Todd Boeckman, a 5th-year Senior will be in his 2nd year as the starting quarterback of the Buckeyes this year. How have 2nd year quarterbacks done under Jim Tressel? What can we expect of Boeckman in his second year? Here is a quick look back at the quarterbacks in the Jim Tressel era (2001-present).

Year/Quarterback/Record/Results
2001/Steve Bellisari/6-5/lost Outback Bowl to S. Carolina
2001/Craig Krenzel/1-0/def. Michigan 26-20 in Ann Arbor
2002/Craig Krenzel/14-0/won National Championship (def. Miami 31-24 in Fiesta)
2003/Craig Krenzel/11-2/def. KSU 35-28 in Fiesta, lost to Wisc. and UofM
2004/Justin Zwick and Troy Smith/8-4/def. Oklahoma St. 33-7 in alamo
2005/Troy Smith/10-2def. NDU 34-20 in Fiesta, lost to Texas and Penn State
2006/Troy Smith/12-1/lost to Florida 14-41 in BCS NC Game
2007/Todd Boeckman/11-2/Lost to Illinois and LSU in BCS NC Game

The two years in which quarterbacks had a 2nd year in which they followed a full year in Year #1 was 2003, in which Krenzel led the Buckeyes to a BCS Bowl, and 2006, when Smith won the Heisman and led the Buckeyes to the national championship game, only to get drilled by Florida. Too many banquets, supposedly.

2003 was a year with a big what if: What if Maurice Clarett had stayed? A comment by Brent Musberger late in the 2003 season has stuck with me. He said (roughly), "I would go back and change my (2002) Heisman vote to Maurice Clarett, after seeing the Buckeyes without him this year." Clearly Krenzel was forced to do much more without a top-tier back like Clarett. In 2007, Todd Boeckman will face no such problem. Chris Wells is a Heisman cnadidate and Boeckman will have a strong running game to work with. He will not have to carry the load offensively as Krenzel did in 2003.

In 2006, Troy Smith had a vast array of offensive weapons to go with his great throwing and running ability. Ginn, Gonzalez, Pittman (a very underappreciated back), Robiskie and Hartline, and also Chris Wells in his freshman season. Smith's group of talent may be better than what Boeckman will have, but with the addition of Pryor, the talent level may be very similar. In my mind, the deep threat of Ginn stretched defenses more so than any receiver that the Buckeyes currently have, although the Buckeyes receiving corps is probably deeper as a group than it was in 2006. What can be said is, the Buckeyes in 2008 have the talent on their team to win every game on the schedule. Whether Todd Boeckman will lead them to glory, however, and bring Jim Tressel his second national championship, remains to be seen.

Overall, quarterbacks in Boeckman's situation, such as Krenzel in 2003 and Smith in 2006 have done very well, and you can expect the Buckeyes once again to be going bowling sometime after the New Year. Whether it is in Pasadena, Tempe or Miami, however, remains the big question.

A Look at the Jim Tressel Era So Far

Let's take a look at what Jim Tressel has done while he has been the coach of our beloved Buckeyes (2001-present):

• Record of 73 wins, 16 losses (.820 winning percentage - our beloved Woody had a .743 winning percentage in case you are curious. The only other Buckeye coach with a higher winning percentage was Carroll C. Widdoes who coached in 1944 and 1945, who held a record of 16-2 for a .889 winning percentage).
• 1 Unanimous National Championship (2002)
• 2 trips to the BCS national championship game (2006, 2007)
• 4 Big Ten titles (2 outright, 2 co-championships, interestingly enough one of the co-championships was in 2002 when they won the national championship; Iowa also went 8-0 in the conference and the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes did not play each other).
• A 6-1 record against the team from up north (only loss a 35-21 loss in 2003).
• A 4-3 record in bowl games (the only non-BCS national championship loss coming in his first year in 2001 when they lost to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl 31-28.

As far as intangibles go, Jim Tressel has brought national prominence to a program that had lost a little of its luster under John Cooper. He has built a program that expects to win, and is hated by everyone but Buckeye fans. He has proven that he can recruit the best (Clarett, Beanie, Pryor) and that he can mold players into greatness who weren't expected to do much (Troy Smith).

Yet questions still linger about his tenure. Let's be honest Buckeye fans. Our beloved Bucks got waxed in the last two national championship games. Does this have to do with Tressel, or the fact that the SEC truly has superior athletes, or at the least, play in a tougher conference week in and week out and are better prepared for a national championship game. Personally I happen to think it has more to do with the greatness of the '06 Gators and the '07 LSU Tigers rather than some sort of weakness in Jim Tressel's ability to coach. One thing is for sure. A national championship in 2008 for Jim Tressel's Buckeyes will make Tressel among OSU's greatest coaches of all time, if he is not already.

I love the man in the sweater vest.

Can the Buckeyes Get Over the Hump?

That is the question that seems to be on everyone's minds. Can our beloved Buckeyes win the national championship? To be completely honest, I am taking an "I'll believe it when I see it" appraoch. I have no idea how the Buckeyes will do against USC on September 13th. USC wasted Illinois in the Rose Bowl ... WITH Rashard Mendenhall. I don't doubt that Ohio State will likely buzz through the Big Ten once more, but if they do not beat USC, no title game for the Buckeyes, unless something crazy happens like last year and they end up being the only one-loss team. I doubt that will happen again. OSU needs to go undefeated, and maybe even waste USC in LA to be assured of being in the title game this year. We'll see ...