Cream of the Crop
by Will Cinelli
July 11th, 2009
Will Ohio State continue to stay at the top of the Big Ten, or will a couple big losses move the Buckeyes into the middle of the pack?
THE Ohio State University is the crown jewel of Big Ten football. Unbridled success for decades has made it one of the best programs in the entire NCAA. But the Buckeyes haven’t looked quite like the OSU teams of old. National championships are starting to seem like a distant memory.
The Buckeyes are one of the main reasons the conference is viewed as a joke by the rest of the country, with an inability to win against the cream of the other BCS conferences’ crop. Last year’s losses to USC and Texas did little to change the perception. The Buckeye fan base is getting antsy, and this year’s team may be a bit of a project.
OFFENSE
Ohio State loses a boatload of talent. Only five starters are returning. Jim Tressel will have to replace his starting tailback, both wide receivers and two offensive lineman. That’s no small task when you consider the caliber of the players that used to man those spots. RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, WR Brian Robiskie and WR Brian Hartline all moved on to the NFL.
For the Buckeyes in 2009, offensive success will ride on the shoulders of Terrelle Pryor. The super-hyped recruit turned out to be a very good one when he got onto the field. He took over during the season and never relinquished the job to Todd Boeckman. He is a very efficient passer, completing roughly 60 percent of his passes and finishing with an un-freshman-like 12-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. But the Buckeyes have become somewhat one-dimensional in recent years, relying too heavily on the run. Perhaps with a year under his belt, Pryor will be asked to air it out a little more. Then, it’s up to the new receivers to go catch it.
DEFENSE
The losses aren’t as numerous for the defense, but they might be more significant. CB Malcolm Jenkins went in the first round of the NFL Draft, while LB James Laurinaitis went in the second. CB Donald Wahington and LB Marcus Freeman also went pro. If there is a place to attack this experienced Ohio State defense, it will be the linebackers, where only one starter returns.
Otherwise, the secondary looks stacked again, as strong safety Kurt Coleman could be a high selection in next year’s draft. The talented defensive line returns all of their starters from last season, too.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Ohio State went with a two-kicker system last season, with Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorius both handling the duties. Pettrey looks like the better kicker anyway, and now the job is his alone. He is more than capable, and made 7-8 last year and 2-3 from 50+ yards. The punter job is open, but Jon Thoma will get the nod there. He punted twice last year and pinned the opponent inside the 20 both times, so the Buckeyes should be solid there, too. Ohio State will have to find some more explosiveness in the return game to put there inexperienced offense in better position.
PREDICTIONS
While Ohio State might not be up to facing the best teams in the country (USC), they should still be able to steamroll most of their Big Ten brethren. Their toughest task will be the match-up with Penn State on November 7, which could be for the Big Ten championship. But success in the conference won’t be enough to quiet the critics who say this team has become too conservative. The Buckeyes need to win a bowl game.
They will almost certainly get to ten wins, which should net them a BCS bowl appearance. But it’s hard to believe that their luck will change against the great team they’ll be facing.
Record: 10-2 (7-1)
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