The Buckeyes Start Here: Six Ohio State Players Who Will Lead the Team to the BCS Title

Despite the title of my article, I am certainly not a blind homer, nor am I an out-of-touch fool.

In order for the Ohio State Buckeyes to win the 2010 BCS title, all 22 starters, the majority of the second-team players that add depth to each unit, and the players that help to comprise the special teams units (kicker and punter included) will all have to contribute significantly.

That being said, there are three players from the defense and three players from the offense who will individually have the biggest roles in making sure their respective units succeed in ultimately giving the Buckeyes the best chance to win every game up to and including the BCS championship game.

I will now reveal them one at a time for your viewing and reading pleasure.


# 36 Brian Rolle: Linebacker

A year ago, the Buckeyes had to replace three-time All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis.

Enter Brian Rolle.

Rolle, a senior from Immokalee, Fla., is entering his second season as a starter and a solid middle anchor for the Ohio State defense.

Prior to last season, Rolle was a special teams veteran, having seen significant playing time in that role in both 2007 and 2008.

At just 5'11'' and 220 pounds, Rolle is fast, compact, yet deceivingly powerful when it comes to separating a receiver from the ball.

Rolle was the hero for the Buckeyes last year when he intercepted Navy QB Ricky Dobbs' pass attempt on a two-point conversion and returned it 98 yards for the defensive PAT with just 2:23 remaining to seal the win in the season opener.

For the season, he was the second leading tackler for Ohio State with 94 solo take downs.

He is expected to make key contributions and will bring invaluable senior leadership to a defensive unit once again expected to be the best in the Big 10 and one of the best in the nation.


# 51 Ross Homan: Linebacker


Homan returns for his senior season and his third as a starter at LB.

If experience truly is priceless, Homan is worth his weight in gold.

In 2006 as a freshman, he was not a starter, but saw action in all 13 games that season and recorded 28 tackles.

He missed the 2007 season due to injury and took a medical redshirt.

When he returned in 2008, he earned a starting role and was fourth in solo tackles that season with 67.

In 2009, Homan assumed the role of the top LB at Ohio State and led the team in tackles with 108.

All signs point to him once again leading the team in tackles and will likely continue the tradition of linebackers from Ohio State finding themselves heading to the NFL.

At 6'0 and 225 pounds, Homan has excellent speed and big-play ability.

All Homan has done is work hard, improve every year, and become the quiet leader of a great defense.

He may not be flashy or have the household name of some of his predecessors, but he's silently as good, if not better.

He is yet another star linebacker in-the-making at Ohio State, the real linebacker U, and opposing QBs and WRs would do well to take note.


# 97 Cameron Heyward: Defensive End

The son of the late Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, Cameron Heyward is a 6'5, 290-pound defensive lineman for the Buckeyes.

To the pleasant surprise of many Buckeyes fans, Cam decided to skip the NFL for one more season and return for his senior year—one he intends on making his best season yet.

Heyward has had starting experience since his freshman year of 2007, but he seized that role permanently in 2009.

A year ago, he had 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 QB sacks. With the talent along the defensive line, Heyward will look to post double digits in each of those categories this coming season.

Recently named to the 2010 Nagurski and Lombardi watch lists, Heyward is blessed with size, agility, and excellent speed for his size.

Clearly, he has all the physical tools to be one of the best defensive lineman in the country in 2010.


# 3 Brandon Saine: Running Back

Saine, now a senior tailback, played high school football and ran track for the Piqua, Ohio Indians.

He was compared favorably to Reggie Bush while entering his freshman year at Ohio State due to his ability to be a jack of all trades—running, blocking and even spending time in the slot as a WR, which he may also do this season in Columbus due to the depth behind him in the Ohio State backfield.

Saine has been officially timed at 4.40 seconds in the 40-yard dash, although he has been unofficially timed at 4.25 seconds.

After being stuck in the shadow of Beanie Wells in 2007 and being injured in 2008, Saine was finally healthy for most of the 2009 season. He split carries with Dan Herron, who had impressed coaches in 2008 when Beanie Wells went down with injury, but is expected to be featured more as the top back in 2010.

Last season, Saine finally showed flashes of brilliance and the potential greatness Buckeye fans expected from him when he committed to OSU in 2007.

For those who doubt Saine is a potential top RB, consider that as a healthy featured back during his senior year of high school, he ran for 1,895 yards and scored 27 touchdowns on 259 carries, while recording 30 receptions for 412 yards.

Last year, Saine averaged 5.1 yards per carry while rushing for 739 yards and scoring four touchdowns. He also had 224 yards receiving and caught two touchdown passes.

He will definitely be a featured option for OSU this year and if he stays healthy, he will be one of the top backs in the Big 10.


# 8 DeVier Posey: Wide Receiver

Not a newsflash: Junior wide receiver DeVier Posey will be the top WR target for Ohio State in 2010.

Posey wasn't always great in 2009, but he was almost always good, improving his game from week to week, culminating in the Rose Bowl with his eight catches and 101 yards receiving, including a picture-perfect touchdown pass and catch to help seal the victory.

Overall, Posey caught 60 balls for 828 yards in 2009. What is best for the team is what matters most, but anything less than 80 receptions and over 1,000 yards receiving in 2010 for Posey will be somewhat of an individual disappointment.

I believe the running game will open up the passing lanes for Posey and those numbers should be attainable.

Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington, and Chris Fields are also other talented receivers that should help prevent defenses from doubling up on Posey.

Of course, Posey's overall success will also depend heavily on the play of the quarterback...


# 2 Terrelle Pryor: Quarterback

Junior QB Terrelle Pryor is clearly the centerpiece of the Ohio State offense and the face of the program.

I wonder if any other quarterback that boasts a 19-3 record as a starter has ever had to face the level of criticism that Pryor has had to endure since taking over for the Buckeyes in week four of his freshmen season.

It's not all negative, though. Pryor is considered by several notable sources as the preseason 2010 Heisman Trophy favorite.

It hasn't always been perfect or pretty, especially when it comes to mechanics and footwork, but this kid is a winner, pure and simple.

As advertised when he was the No. 1 overall recruit in the entire 2008 recruiting class, he's also an amazing freak of an athlete.

It's not often that a 6'6, 240 pound quarterback can run a sub 4.4 40-yard-dash and shove countless would-be-tacklers to the ground.

Defensive coordinators may want to pull their hair out when defending against Pryor and the Buckeyes as 2010 unfolds.

In his 22 career starts, Pryor has amassed 3,405 passing yards, 30 touchdown passes, 1,410 rushing yards, and 13 rushing touchdowns.

With his improved footwork and mechanics, it's safe to expect a similar path for Pryor that Troy Smith took from 2005 to 2006 as Coach Tressel gains more and more confidence in him, just he did Smith.

Pryor came to Ohio State because he wanted to become a pro-style QB and he should take significant steps towards that goal this year. His passing stats are sure to increase and his rushing numbers should decline somewhat.

One thing that is for sure...

He still has the ability to scramble away from pressure and keep a drive alive if need-be, but he is improved and will continue to improve as a passing QB with each passing week. Opposing defenses are going to have few options when it comes to game planning against him.

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In closing, I just want to add that I am not guaranteeing or predicting that the Buckeyes are going to win, or even play for the BCS title.

I am only suggesting that they have a very high probability of accomplishing that goal if they remain healthy and the six players I mentioned live up to the hype.

I know I will enjoy the journey no matter what. It's going to be a great season and hopefully expectations meet reality and it culminates in another national title for the Buckeyes.

I just found this Sports Illustrated cover that features Ohio State. I had not seen it until just now. I must be on to something seeing as how SI used the same players for the cover that I mentioned in the story.


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The Revised Top 10: How the Coaches Should Have Voted

Most of you are aware that the USAToday top 25 coaches poll was released yesterday.

As far as the top 10 goes, some teams were ranked too high—some teams were ranked too low—and a couple of teams that belong in the top 10 actually found themselves on the outside looking in.

The controversy over preseason polls will never end, but I believe my revised rankings will right a few of the wrongs and please everyone—or cause an outright riot.

Either way, it should be a good time. After all, the 2010 college football season is almost here!


Coaches top 10

No. 1—Alabama

No. 2—Ohio State

No. 3—Florida

No. 4—Texas

No. 5—Boise State

No. 6—Virginia Tech

No. 7—TCU

No. 8—Oklahoma

No. 9—Nebraska

No. 10—Iowa



My top 10, and a few thoughts on each

No. 1—Alabama

The Tide lost 9 defensive starters and almost slipped from the top spot because of those losses, but the offense, led by Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and his talented understudy Trent Richardson, should be very prolific. I still am not sure QB Greg McElroy is as great as Alabama fans believe he is, but it won't hurt him to have Julio Jones to throw to after the running game likely opens up some huge passing lanes. Because of their numerous weapons on offense, they maintain the top ranking for now, but we all know it's hard to go wire-to-wire unbeaten with that huge target resting squarely on your back.

No. 2—Boise State

I moved BSU up three spots from five to two. Did someone forget to tell the coaches that Boise State was a perfect 14-0 last year and that they return all 22 starters including QB Kellen Moore? Ultimately their conference schedule may hurt their overall SOS down the road when the BCS rankings are released, but it's not their fault no other top teams want to schedule them. Either way, Moore is a stud and he would be a star in any conference in the country in my opinion.

No. 3—Ohio State

To show my ability to be objective, I moved the Buckeyes down one spot from two to three behind Boise State because the Broncos have all their starters returning. If the Buckeyes and Broncos each go unbeaten, Ohio State's SOS would give them the clear edge and once again eliminate any BCS title hopes of yet another mid-major program. QB Terrelle Pryor will be improved in 2010 just as Troy Smith was in 2006 and he is surrounded by top-notch players at every offensive position. The Buckeyes and their fans are hoping this is the year they get back to, and win, the BCS championship. It's definitely possible, but it won't be easy. Miami, Wisconsin, Iowa, possibly Penn State, and yes, perhaps even lowly Michigan, all intend on ending those dreams when they each get their shots.

No. 4—Virginia Tech

There are several reasons why I moved the Hokies up from sixth and into my top five. QB Tyrod Taylor has consistently improved in each of his first two seasons and year three should reveal more of the same. They also have a problem every team and coach would love to have--two top-tier running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans. Add in the fact that they always have a pretty solid defense and an excellent coach in Frank Beamer and that all adds up to a top 5 team in my book.

No. 5—Florida

I dropped UF from third to fifth for multiple reasons. In short, Tim Tebow is gone and there is some uncertainty as to what new QB John Brantley will bring to the table. UF really has no No. 1 big name workhorse running back that could help take some of the pressure off of Brantley. Also, the questions that are still looming (at least for me) about Urban Meyer's health and ability to withstand the pressures of coaching for the entire season are a factor. Lastly, UF had a few key losses on defense. I feel compelled to be skeptical of the Gators being ranked in the top three and maybe even being in the top five, but until I see them play, I really can't justify dropping them any further at this point.

No. 6—TCU

Andy Dalton could prove to be one of the nation's top quarterbacks and I believe it is safe to say the Horned Frogs will field one of the best defenses in all of college football. I moved them up one spot from seven to six for those reasons. As is the case with Boise State, TCU's overall schedule may prevent them making a legit BCS title run, but at the very least, making a BCS bowl is a distinct possibility.

No. 7—Iowa

If coach Kirk Ferentz ever had an Iowa team that appears more ready than ever to contend for the Big 10 and possibly the BCS titles, this would be it. Offensively, senior signal-caller Ricky Stanzi returns along with running backs Jewell Hampton and Adam Robinson and wideouts Marvin McNutt and Derrell-Johnson Koulianos. The defense is led by Orange Bowl MVP Adrian Clayborn, who is one of the favorites for the conference and national defensive POY awards. The schedule is near perfect with only one difficult away game (at Arizona), while Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State all have to play the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. If Stanzi, who has had a propensity for turning the ball over at inopportune times, can protect the football, the Hawkeyes will have a solid chance of unseating the Buckeyes as the best of the Big 10.

No. 8—Pittsburgh

Even after losing proven starter QB Bill Stull, the fighting Wannstedt's are my favorite to win the Big East. The main reasons are, first and foremost, phenom running back Dion Lewis, and secondly, the schedule. When examining Pitt's schedule, you might be ask yourself in reference to me, "Is this guy insane?" No, I assure you I am not, and here is why. Pitt has stepped up in a big way with their scheduling and if they win all of their games or lose just one against any one of the ranked teams they will face, they should still be in the running for the conference title and a BCS berth. They will open the year at Utah, then they host Miami-FL a couple weeks later, followed by a trip to South Bend three weeks later to face the Irish. They then host WVU and travel to Cincinnati to finish the year. The BCS computers will love their SOS, and the rankings at season's end will show it, provided the Panthers win most or all of those matchups.

No. 9—Wisconsin

I have been unimpressed, and therefore critical of the Badgers over the past couple of seasons. That may all change this year. UW returns 10 offensive starters including reigning Big 10 offensive POY, running back John Clay and the conference's passing efficiency leader from a year ago, QB Scott Tolzien. The Badgers should be a literal offensive juggernaut in 2010. They host the Buckeyes, then travel to Iowa City the following week. I believe those two games will define their season, as the other 10 games are all practically locks for them to win. I wouldn't call it a huge worry, but as I see it, the one area of concern will be their defense. It could be the missing puzzle piece that ends up derailing the season, or the saving grace that preserves a magical season in Madison. The "O" should score plenty of points, but can their "D" preserve leads and hold on for real wins instead of moral victories?

No. 10—Texas

With QB Colt McCoy now in Cleveland playing for the Browns, and with heavy losses elsewhere including Jordan Shipley and Sergio Kindle among others, the Longhorns may be in for a long season. Garrett Gilbert, McCoy's replacement, did show that he's no slouch when he stepped in for the injured McCoy against Alabama in last season's title game, but he also had five turnovers. The Longhorns must also find the running game that they have lacked in recent years. Experience is priceless, so 2010 may be somewhat of a rebuilding year in Austin. That being said, 2011 may just find Texas right back in the hunt for another national championship.

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Just FYI, I'm not like the majority of SEC fans. I know my conference is not a team. In Big 10 country, we pick one team to root for, not all 12. I'm stressing this just so nobody gets the wise idea to accuse me of being a homer for ranking three Big 10 teams in the top 10. All three deserve to be there, end of story.


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Ohio State Players Arrive for 2010 Fall Camp: The Journey and High Expectations Begin...

Today was arrival day for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team at the University Plaza Hotel.

Check-in was followed by a day of team meetings at the Woody Hayes athletic center.

In case you're interested, pictures of a large majority of the players showing up at the hotel can be seen over at www.TheOzone.net.

I'll keep everyone posted as I am working on hopefully getting a few post-camp interviews set up.

Check back for more updates and links to new pics from camp as they become available.

Only 27 more days...

GO BUCKS!


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Ohio State Buckeyes Fans and Miami Hurricanes Fans Open Thread

9/11/2010
3:30PM -- Columbus, Ohio

OHIO STATE VS. MIAMI

OK, so I have a few thoughts about the rapidly-approaching Ohio State-Miami game.

The intention of this thread is to provide an ongoing forum for OSU and Miami fans to come here and chat about the game from now until "D-Day", September 11, 2010.

Please feel free to respond after hearing me out, but let's try to act like adults and keep it civil.


Number One

Terrelle Pryor and Jacory Harris are similar QB's but, as a passer, I'm giving a slight edge to Harris for now.

That being said, Pryor gets the overall nod b/c he's definitely improved/improving as a passing QB, but he has the speed and moxie to be a game breaker.

He's fast, elusive, and he has an amazing stiffarm for a QB. He has shoved many a DB to the ground as they attempted to tackle him, so while I do like Harris and he's a very good QB, Terrelle Pryor, he is not.


Number Two

The OSU O-line, led by Mike Brewster, Justin Boren, and Bryant Browning, is going to be absolutely sick.

The Buckeyes rushed for well over 2,000 yards in 2009 and with this unit of big uglies clearing the way in the trenches, 2,500-3,000 yards is not a pipe dream.

Our No. 1 guy, Brandon Saine is healthy and if you saw the Rose Bowl, you know he's dangerous in the backfield carrying the ball and as a receiver as well.

Dan Herron is also a solid 1B to Saine, and then we also have sophomore Jordan Hall and redshirt freshmen Jaamal Berry who will also see the field, who I'm sure those of you in Florida are familiar with.


Number Three

So, if you are planning on forcing Pryor to beat you by loading the box to stop our superb stable of RB's, I suggest you do not overlook what Pryor did to Oregon in Pasadena.

That was their game plan too.

No. 1 wideout DeVier Posey is on his way to being a 1st round NFL draft pick in 2011 or 2012, but he's not the only target Pryor has.

Dane Sanzenbacher is a clutch receiver with surprisingly elusive speed and it looks as though Taurian Washington will be the no. 3 WR, but a couple other names to know are Jake Stoneburner, Chris Fields and James Louis.

Stoneburner, technically a TE, will see the ball thrown his way a lot more than a TE at OSU traditionally has in the past. Fields is a redshirt freshmen who has been rumored to be pushing Washington for the No. 3 spot, but should definitely be used in some 4-wide sets, and Louis is a very fast true freshmen from Florida who many expect may be used this year as a punt and kick return specialist.


Number Four

The losses on defense aren't as big of a deal to us Ohio State fans as some of you might expect.

Sure, Kurt Coleman and Thaddeus Gibson were both stars who will be missed, but Cameron Heyward and Chimdi Checkwa both return.

Also remember the names Nathan Williams, John Simon, Melvin Fellows, and Jermale Hines. They are all on track to be the next crop of defensive studs for the Buckeyes.


Number Five

The game will probably be close in the first half, but with no disrespect directed towards Miami, the Buckeyes have the more-proven coach and are the better team, so I expect the Buckeyes to pull away in the third and fourth quarter, and ultimately win by at least 14-17 points.


Number Six

At Ohio State, we always lose great players every year to graduation and/or early entry into the NFL, but we do not rebuild -- We reload with the next crop of stars.

The 2010 season will be no exception.


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Will Ohio State's Cupcake Schedule Allow Them to Steal Another National Championship?

Preface


Just for a different, albeit completely ridiculously moronic, point of view, I thought I'd share this pot-stirring post from BleacherReport.com

Please bear in mind this was written by an SEC fan who hides behind multiple alias names on several college football message boards, blogs, and forums all over the Internet.

To read the comments on the original, click on his name directly below.

You know you are relevant and that you matter in a big way when people like this guy write these types of "articles".

Here you go:

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Written by "Joe College" - B/R Resident Moron and Buckeye Hater


The 2002 national championship game is controversial because Ohio State won by a referee’s bad call. Not a missed call, a bad call.

It came four seconds after the game ended, while the Hurricanes were celebrating victory. If it were a blatant penalty in a big game, a flag would have been thrown immediately.

Miami fans agree it was a bad call. Ohio State fans rationalize that the referees missed a call earlier in the game when a Miami player stepped out of bounds.

Nobody is going to sort it out now. The tainted game is history.

The important question now is this: Will the Buckeyes steal another national championship with its 2010 schedule, which is loaded with cupcake teams to advance Ohio State into the title game?

The schedule is ideal for that to happen. Five out of their first six games are nothing more than scrimmages. They play Marshall, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana--hardly a murderers row.

They have a September 11 test with Miami, who was a third place team in the ACC conference last year. The Buckeyes don’t face their next real test until October 16 at Wisconsin.

While other teams are facing stiff competition before mid-October, Tressel has time to mold his team into a well-organized unit while not being challenged on the field.

He can develop Pryor from being a broken-play quarterback into solid decision-maker.

The lightweight schedule will help Ohio State avoid injuries, spend more time preparing for Wisconsin, and increase playing time for back-up players.

This amounts to an unfair advantage of extended practice time to prepare for the remainder of the season.

The inordinate amount of Buckeye preparation time is not limited to the Wisconsin game. Ohio State has Big Ten bottom-feeders Purdue and Minnesota, with a bye before the Penn State and Iowa games.

This gives the Buckeyes a huge advantage of three more weeks without serious opposition to prepare for the last two credible Big Ten opponents.

The absence of quality opposition, with lengthy periods between meaningful games, is a luxury top teams from the SEC and Big Twelve don’t enjoy.

Take preseason favorite Alabama. They play top-ten ranked Florida and middleweights Penn State, Arkansas, South Carolina and Ole Miss by mid-October.

Florida, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and others also have strong challengers before mid-October.

These national championship contenders have greater tests earlier where they can sustain injuries and heartbreaking losses.

They have to expose their strategies against better competition, while Ohio State reveals little in its tune-up games.

The question remains: Is there sufficient competition on Ohio State’s schedule to warrant playing for the national championship? The answer becomes clearer with a team-by-team analysis of the Buckeye schedule.

Each opposing team will receive a grade of A to F, designating the level of opposition for the Buckeyes.


A = Heavyweight

B = Middleweight

C = Lightweight

D = Cupcake

F = Embarrassing


Marshall (7-6)

Marshall is from Conference USA with an unimpressive record. This Thursday night game is on ESPN and the Buckeyes will get great reviews as they manhandle the Thundering Herd.

Grade = D


Miami (9-4)

If Miami’s January bowl appearance is any indicator, it won’t be much of a match-up. Miami has some pronounced weaknesses that have to be corrected before this game, such as poor tackling, no running game, and an indecisive quarterback.

Grade = B-


Ohio (9-5)

Ohio State hasn’t lost to a Mid-American team in over 100 years. Grade D

Eastern Michigan (0-12)

Can you imagine paying $70 to see this game? It’s easy to feel sorry for the scalpers.

Grade = F


Illinois (3-9)

After this season, Illinois will be looking for a new coach.

Grade = D


Indiana (4-8)

Indiana hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1985.

Grade = D


Wisconsin (10-3)

Wisconsin is ranked 85th out of 120 teams in terms of strength of schedule. It will be hard to tell how good they are before they play Ohio State. They have lost three in a row to the Buckeyes and haven’t been able to stop an inexperienced Pryor. What will they do against an experienced Pryor?

Grade = B-


Purdue (5-7)

Purdue is in for a beating by Ohio State this year. Enough said.

Grade = D


Minnesota (6-7)

Minnesota has only beaten Ohio State seven times in its' history.

Grade = D


Penn State (11-2)

Penn State will start out as a middleweight and take a pounding at Alabama and a couple of other games. They will be reduced to a lightweight by the time they meet the Buckeyes. They just don’t have the talent, especially at quarterback.

Grade = C


Iowa (11-2)

Iowa was fortunate to win four games by 3 points or fewer last year. They haven’t won an outright Big Ten championship since 1985 and it’s doubtful that they can match last year’s eleven-win record.

Grade = B-


Michigan (5-7)

Michigan could be looking for a new coach and the team could be in chaos by the time this game comes around. This grade may be a little high.

Grade = C-


A closer look at the schedule shows half the teams Ohio State faces had losing records in 2009. Two of the teams with winning records came from Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

Despite a winning record, Miami finished third in the ACC Coastal division. Even the best Big Ten teams had inflated winning records, feasting off uncompetitive non-league teams and marginal conference lightweights.

Phil Steele ranks the strength of the Buckeye 2010 schedule at 61 out of 120 division-one teams. That means over half the teams in the country have tougher schedules this year.

How could this happen to a team that prides itself as a national juggernaut?

It’s safe to say that there are probably six to eight highly ranked teams that would go undefeated if they had Ohio State’s schedule.

The Buckeyes also don’t play a conference championship game, which further weakens their case for strength of schedule.

While the NCAA prohibits conferences with fewer than 12 teams to play championship games, the Buckeyes have failed to beef-up their regular season schedule by adding more out-of-conference heavyweights to replace the current embarrassing level of cupcakes.

After breezing through this “padded” schedule, the Buckeyes sit home while other teams risk their standing by participating in conference championship games.

If you don’t think these games mean much, ask Tennessee and Texas, who both lost and were excluded from playing for the national title.

Championship games are played at a “fever pitch,” which can result in any team suffering national title elimination and devastating injuries. Ohio State has no such worries.

The ease of the regular season games all but guarantees that Ohio State will be playing for the national championship. While other contenders face legitimate competition, the Buckeyes will thrive on a soft schedule.

The Buckeyes’ only real competition will be at the BCS Championship finale, which in essence amounts to a one-game Ohio State season.

The Buckeyes may win a national championship in 2010. The bigger question will be—do they deserve to play for it?

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Once you have read this, whether you're a Buckeye fan or hater, please post your thoughts below.


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Delusions Of Grandeur: Miami Hurricanes Fans Expecting to Rout Our Ohio State Buckeyes?

As laughable as that sentiment seems, at least to most astute college football fans, it is apparently true....

Hotnuke and Sanford Lazarf are the most outspoken UM flag-bearers with that opinion thus far, but I'm sure there are plenty others of their ilk just waiting to jump on the Miami "in a rout" bandwagon.

Don't be surprised when they disappear and jump back off that same bandwagon sometime around 7PM on September 11.

I guess they forgot where all the talk and chest-thumping got them back in 2002....

Well, here's a friendly reminder for them. No need to thank me Canes fans!

But let's consider something a bit more current for some true perspective here.

The 2010 Buckeyes and the 2010 Hurricanes won't be all that much different than each were a year ago.

The then-No. 8 Buckeyes went 11-2 and dominated then-No. 7 Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

The then-No. 14 Canes ended up at 9-4 after losing to then-No.25 Wisconsin. The final score of 20-14 was much closer than the actual game.

Miami could not stop Badger running back John Clay all day as he rushed for over 100 yards and two scores.

Miami, trailing 20-7, scored a garbage-time touchdown with 1:22 left in the game to indicate a much closer game than was actually played.

Ohio State beat that same Badger team 31-13, while holding John Clay to only 59 yards on 20 carries and no touchdowns.

All that being said, the 2009 season doesn't guarantee what will happen in 2010, but on paper, "the U" sure looks to be a heavy underdog on September 11 in The Shoe, so I'm not sure why Miami fans are talking so much smack, but they are.

See for yourself.

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Those are just a couple of examples (for now) from one particular overconfident UM fan.

I do know a few Miami fans that can actually carry on a sensible and logical discussion about the upcoming game and who understand that winning in Columbus will be extremely difficult if not darn near impossible.

Unfortunately and undoubtedly, they are few and far between.

As the start of the season, and the Ohio State-Miami game in particular draws near, there will surely be more posts like those of Hotnuke's and you can be sure I'll post them here for all to see when I find them.

Not to toot my own horn here so-to-speak, but I am the founder and owner of a pretty well-known Ohio State blog, so without name-dropping, but in response to one of your recent comments, yes Sanford, I do have connections to, and have interviewed and spoken with, several Buckeye players.

I also have access to various other media outlets and I will be sure to continue to forward these types of postings to every one of them as well if for no other reason than pure amusement.

We Buckeyes always enjoy a good, and the last, laugh...


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