First Look: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Big Ten is slow, lumbering and outdated. The SEC is fast, agile and popular. Not exactly. If Ohio State returns to the national championship this year and wins it, they will have played in, and won more BCS title games than USC since 2002. No other team can claim the kind of success Ohio State has had over the last six seasons. There are the elite coaches, but very few come close to what Jim Tressel has done in Columbus. The scariest part is that 2008 could be the best season for Ohio State in decades. If this squad plays up to its potential, and comes close or beats USC in Los Angeles, you’ll see the Buckeyes in the BCS title game for a third straight season. There is no team in America less respected than Ohio State, and it could come back to haunt those nay-sayers.

1. Tressel Ball, now in HD -- In 2002, Jim Tressel used his tried and true philosophy of using defense and special teams to eke out 14 wins and a national championship. There was no superstar quarterback, so gaudy offensive stats or bloated point totals, just wins. Since Justin Zwick was basically booed out of his job following Ohio State’s 2005 loss to No. 2 Texas at home, Ohio State has been known as not only an defensive team, but a team that could light up the score board and out-score you. Tressel has adapted to what the personnel has given him, and in 2008, the cupboard is bursting at the hinges. He’s lost to Michigan only once, and should notch his seventh win over the Wolverines this year. Even more impressive, Tressel lured away the nation’s top recruit last year, Terrelle Pryor, who was set to start right away if he were to commit to Rich Rodriguez and Michigan.

2. Better than 2007? -- Last year, Ohio State wasn’t ready, or mature enough yet as a team to compete for the national title. Not after losing Heisman winner Troy Smith, two NFL wide receivers, and a star running back. They surely needed a year to build team chemistry and develop the raw talent. Unfortunately, in a way, for Ohio State, teams choked big time at the end of last season, and the Buckeyes were thrust into the title game. This season it won’t be a fluke. Chris “Beanie” Wells (1609 rush yds, 15 TDs) is back, and quarterback Todd Boeckman returns after a fantastic first season as a starter (63% comp, 25 TDs). Butkus winner James Laurinaitis (121 total tackles) leads a veteran defense which gave up only 12.8 points per game in 2007. Joining him is underrated linebacker Marcus Freeman (109 total tackles), and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins (4 INTs, 3 PBU).

3. Michigan? Who cares -- In any other season, the annual meeting with Michigan would be Ohio State’s biggest game. In 2008, it all comes down to the road trip west. Visiting USC in The Coliseum has spelled L-O-S-S for dozens of opponents the past six seasons. Ohio State wants to buck the trend. After two sure wins to open the year against Tressel’s old school, Youngstown State, and Ohio University, the USC game seems to be the only test until October. Following USC, the Buckeyes get layups against Troy and an improved Minnesota team, both at home. Then the tough stretch begins, with a visit to Camp Randall, then home against Purdue, away at Michigan State, and wraps up hosting Penn State in a night game. Get through October undefeated, and the Buckeyes are looking at their third straight trip to the BCS championship game. Don’t expect Ohio State to struggle with the final three games at Northwestern, at Illinois and hosting the Wolverines.

*Editorial Note to Readers: I didn’t want to harp on the obvious story line this season for Ohio State: the possibility of a third-straight loss to the SEC in the BCS Championship Game. I’m planning on a feature post dedicated exclusively to this possibility, so we’ll wait until then to tackle that issue.

Next week’s First Look: Iowa Hawkeyes

-First Look: Michigan Wolverines
-First Look: Wisconsin Badgers
-First Look: Purdue Boilermakers
-First Look: Illinois Fighting Illini
-First Look: Temple Owls
-First Look: Syracuse Orange(men)
-First Look: Oregon State Beavers
-First Look: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers