When I look at Ohio State this year, I cannot help but be excited about the 2005 season. With a bevy of talent, quality leadership, and a stark determination from the players, it is clear that this team is going places.
I have noticed through the few years of Jim Tressel's tenure at Ohio State that his style of football requires a lot of leadership on the field. For instance, in 2002, it was a different defense when Matt Wilhelm was out there, simply because he was a leader. As well, in 2002, we had an offense that would storm the gates of hell for Craig Krenzel and it showed when he was under center. That team responded to him like he was Napoleon, Patton, Alexander (great name), and Hannibal all rolled into one. He put that team into position where it could win and he had 20-ton brass balls that told the entire world that there was nothing you could do to stop him. Compare that with last year, where you could see, especially on defense, that everyone was waiting for somebody to step up. I particularly noticed it in the Iowa game, when it was like watching 11 people hold to door for each other saying, "Oh no, you go in." Not this year.
The offense responds to Troy Smith. They are ready to eat glass for him. They will kill a kitchen full of kittens if he told them to. While I certainly respect Justin Zwick, despite the fact that he never f-ing sets his feet when he throws, Smith is the man they respond to.
As well, on the defensive side of the ball, A.J. Hawk is a leader. He will get people in position and he will get them going in the right direction. He is the man who will push this defense to succeed and they are ready to show that last year was an aberration.
However, every championship team needs a difference maker. They need the one guy who can step up and make a big play when it is required. That player needs to be exciting, dangerous, and ready to explode at any moment. Paging Ted Ginn Jr., your car is waiting.
There is no answer for Ginn. In all my years of watching college football, I have never seen a man with that sort of speed. In two steps, he has already accelerated beyond the reach of any Big Ten cornerback on the planet. It is not just a question of speed, quite honestly, it is a simple matter of acceleration. He can get up to full speed before anyone realizes that he has the ball and there is nobody who can catch him in the open field. The only other player I have ever seen like that was Raghib Ismail and Notre Dame did okay with him. But I'm willing to guess that even the Rocket didn't score 1 out of every 7 times he touched the ball. Remember, the MSU game was close up until one slant pattern put the fear of Ginn into the Spartans.
This team is ready, hungry, and they are itching for another crystal football. Thus, there is no stopping the Buckeyes this season and they are going to the Rose Bowl, they are kicking USC's ass, and sweatervests are going to be the fashion of choice for the next 20 years at OSU.
Let's face it, the Buckeyes have about as much chance of winning the national title this year as I have of winning a Pulitzer Prize. They don't have the horses to get through the schedule, much less the Rose Bowl, so Buckeye fans are going to be in for a huge disappointment if they think they're getting a crystal footall.
First off, the Buckeyes are looking like they should change the names on the backs of their jerseys to their prison numbers. With everybody and their kicker getting nailed on some sort of charge, Ohio State may have to start either forfeiting or suiting up the cheerleaders. The latest scouting reports aren't coming from reporters, they are coming from the Franklin County Board of Corrections. Things are getting lonely in the locker room and there is still a month-and-a-half until the games actually start. Good God, there's still another month-and-a-half...
Next problem, Troy Smith. Can this guy even stay out of trouble between snaps? How the heck is he supposed to lead a team when he is fighting to just stay on the field? Though the latest allegations have blown over, he is as much of a distraction as he is an asset. And if he keeps up his current pace, he will actually owe game suspensions when he graduates.
Next, the defense last year was nothing special and there are still too many holes to fill. The Buckeyes weren't very good when defending their goalposts last year and there is no reason to expect that they will be better this year. The defense was soft against the run (35th in the nation), weak against the pass (41st), and that ain't gonna get it done. It's still true that defense wins championships -- ahem, 2002 -- and the Buckeyes need to find one fast.
Yes, Ted Ginn is pretty darned impressive, but what else do the Buckeyes have? One man does not a team make and teams will be scheming specifically to stop him. And, if he turns an ankle, Ohio State is screwed like a Mötley Crüe groupie. The Buckeyes need some sort of running game if they want to keep the other team off the field, so they need to find some magic soon. However, that may be too much to ask.
But the biggest problem is, of course, the schedule. For starters, they have to play two of the winningest teams in all of college football history this year: Texas and Michigan. Both of them are revving their engines and they want a piece of the Buckeyes like nobody's business. And considering the fact that Ohio State has to finish the year on the road at Michigan, it has bad news written all over it.
Next thing, Penn State. True, they've sucked for the last few years, but they are gearing up for another push and, unless you fail to remember, it is damned hard to beat the Nittany Lions on the road. Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley is not just the place where guys want to end their dates. It is big, it is loud, and it is one of the toughest place to win in the country, statistically speaking. Yes, the Buckeyes have an extra week to prepare for them, but a week off is actually bad in college football. Teams tend to be flat after bye weeks, as they have had their routine broken in the off week. Thus, things are going to be very tough in Happy Valley, no matter how you slice it.
On top of that, Ohio State still has to play Iowa, which absolutely trounced the Buckeyes last season. So far as I remember, they managed to have a wicked running game with their 17th-string tailback and Drew Tate left the Bucks asking the all-important question of, "Which way did he go, George?" every time the Hawkeyes were on offense. Rumor has it that Tate is still the QB and he still enjoys winning.
Yes, Ohio State may be talking the talk, but walking the walk is another beast entirely. There is just too much against the Buckeyes for them to be thinking Rose Bowl, you fucking moron, so give it up.