Ohio State has not lost to another team that resides in the state of Ohio in over a century. This week, they will go out there to keep that streak going against the Miami (OH) Redhawks of the Mid-American Conference.
The Buckeyes also open up the Urban Meyer Era of Buckeye football on Saturday.
What to watch for this week:
The Offense
Last year, the offense at times was completely inept and unimaginative. The Buckeyes were almost shut out at home by Michigan State. They were unable to sustain drives, couldn't score in the redzone.
Now, Urban Meyer is in control of this team and we get to see how these players have taken to the new offense. I am expecting to see Braxton Miller pass the ball more than 12 times a game.
It's going to be much different from the offenses we saw under Jim Tressel. Expect a lot of spread offense with some I-formation thrown in at times.
The Buckeyes might have a few hiccups, but I think the offense is going to be strong, not just in this game but the entire season.
Braxton Miller
The offense revolves around Miller, a dual threat quarterback who's growth was held back last season due to poor game planning/play calling. Urban Meyer knows how to use his best offensive weapon, and I expect to see this in the very first game of the season.
How Miller goes is how this team will go all season long.
Dominating Defense
Last season's Buckeyes defense was good, but not great. This year, I fully expect "great" to be a word associated with the Silver Bullets. I expect the defense to come in and hold the Redhawks to six points or fewer. I expect a good pass rush, and the Redhawks shouldn't be able to run the ball to save their season against the Buckeyes defense.
Running Up The Score?
Some people think that with this new offensive philosophy, the Buckeyes will be running up the score on lesser opponents.
While I fully expect the Buckeyes to win big against teams like Miami (OH), I don't expect scores of 80-6. I don't expect Urban Meyer to be going for two point conversions while up by thirty-five. However, the goal of every offensive possession will be to score. He's going to encourage his backup players to play their best and score if they can. He's never going to tell his players to not try and score.
However, he's not going to be a jerk about it either. This week will be the first time we see how he goes about running up the score.
My Predictions
Game MVP: Braxton Miller
Final Score: Buckeyes 47 - Miami (OH) 6
No comments:
Post a Comment