As the "game of the year" advances and is almost upon us I find myself harboring even more anticipation for the traditional conference mega match-ups that will soon start like OU-Texas, Fla-Tenn, OSU-Wisconsin and so on. It's fun to see these non-con behemoths go at it to be sure but a steady exclusive diet of that kind of game only would make me yearn for more of the traditional games as well. In any event...Sept. 13th is days away now and we will soon find out a lot of things about the "contendas" for the national title in 2008. Right now...based on the limited play we have seen so far I would have to predict USC 27 OSU 17......
USC no doubt will be the favorite, I frankly expect a very low scoring game due to the dominance of both defenses. I'd go for something more like 17-14 Ohio State, this is the first really big game for the USC QB and that might be the difference.
Jiffy, no doubt this will be a great challenge for our kids....the current line heavily favors the Trojans at -10. I'm taking the points. :wink:
Interesting it is - 10......because I have not yet seen a line and my prediction is 27-17 USC. Packing for my bags for Vegas and a new career as a wiseguy.... :wink:
BCS title games aside, Coach McSweatervest normally has his boys ready to play... 10 points seems like a lot.
Of the three title games he's coached, I can only think of one where the kids were not ready to play. Last year, they were for sure ready to play but, as young teams are prone to do, had an unusual number of brainfarts that just killed us. That said, LSU executed magnificently, was a better football team and was clearly a deserving national champ. I'm thinking our kids will be ready to play....whether or not a Beanie-less Buckeye squad is up to the task to taking on the mighty Trojans on the road is another story entirely. If the kid is physically ready to go, we'll give them all they want. I do expect our defense to play lights out and young Mr Sanchez should schedule alot of whirlpool time early..... :wink:
Just curious BT....did OSU lose to Florida in your opinion simply because the overconfident Buckeyes just weren't ready to play?
why start that fight MCG?? In your opinion, every Florida loss dating back to the coin flip of that 75 season opener can be rationalized away... seriously, why? You can't wait for this game. It eliminates a legit NC contender and allows you to paint one of these two great programs as 'overrated.' Its a shame, you shouldn't be rewarded like this. Games played by heavy weights that schedule heavy weights should be beyond your attacks... Oh well, at least your mighty conference schedule is coming up.
...ancient history and worthless, idle speculation about which nobody GAS. It's SC week and we've been looking forward to this one for a long time. This game will be a treat for all college football fans. The anticipation, the discussion and the game itself is a prime example about all that is good with college football. I hope both teams are full strength and play their best ball..... it will be a spectacle for the sporting world to enjoy.
If the Buckeyes were going to have a bad game then last week was the time to have it. They'll be ready for USC. They'll certainly play better than they did last week.
Seemed to me that you were bringing it up with your comments whether intentional or not. Sorry I responded.
so back to the game... OSU fans... what do you see as being your best shot at moving the ball Saturday?
The obvious answer is that we must have a healthy Beanie Wells....he is the wild card in this game. The other young backs - Herron and Saine -are fine, quality running backs and once they grow up should be quite capable of carrying the mail, but I don't see either one of them controlling a football game and imposing a physical presence like Beanie is capable. Mo Wells is a Sr, is fine in space, a threat coming out of the backfield, but is not going to break a tackle at the line of scrimmage and take it to the house. It takes away the play action game which is a big part of our base offense. We don't have a Ginn/Gonzales/Holmes-type burner - at least with any experience - capable of stretching the field and keeping the SC safeties off the line of scrimmage. One of the young wideouts is gonna have an opportunity to make his bones in primetime.....I would love to see it. That said, if Beanie is a no go or ineffective, I wouldn't be surprised to see Tressel go to more 4 and 5 wide sets and get some of the young wideouts involved early. The O-line will have a job to do keeping Boeckman upright and Boeckman will have a job to do to make good decisive reads and get rid of the football. Under any scenario, offensively, the Oline is going to have to step up and show that they can be as good as their pub....I surely didn't see it last week, which might just be a very good thing. For certain, if its a shoot-out, we'll get spanked.....that is just not this particular team's game..... I do expect the defense to play well....SC had to replace some big holes on the offensive front and I would expect Sanchez will see lots of pressure. We like our secondary alot, so if Sanchez wants to challenge us downfield, he's likely to be getting up off of his a$$ more often than he likes.....he is not a big threat to take off with the football so you'll see blitzers from all over the field, from every level.....we'll see how he handles the pressure. I think it critical that we win the turnover battle....
Like Stu, I am of the opinion Beanie is not going to be 100%. That in itself, poses a real problem of the Buckeyes. If we can not move the ball on the ground, Boeckman is going to be in trouble trying to win the game via the air. Our offensive line to date has not been that impressive. Boeckman needs time to throw and select his receivers. Throwing Pryor into this game if Boeckman can not produce, is putting too much pressure on an inexperienced QB at this early stage of the season. Freshmen make mistakes! Don
imho, the biggest of the unintended consequences from the past week was the inability to get young Mr Pryor in the game enough to continue to get quality work on that package. I expected that Coach T wanted to give Petey a whole lot of Pryor on tape to at least make him spend real time working on those offensive sets....the game was at issue until the 4th qtr. I think Pryor might have gotten 4 snaps.....Petey probably hasn't given it another thought.....bummer. But, Petey if you're lurking, you never know..... :twisted:
I was wondering about the TP factor myself.. He's an awfully good athlete to leave on the sidelines, especially when it appears you lack a game breaker with speed. Their DBs (esp their safeties) are big and physical. I think Robiskie has been touched up a bit and that might be a worry. I don't think USC will try to beat you long to start with. I think they are going to run right at you and try to set up matchups with their TE, and RBs underneath in space.