National Champions, New Perception

Well, I've had a week to process it and I still have a huge smile on my face! The Ohio State Buckeyes...the team that many said didn't belong in the College Football Playoff, won the whole damn thing!

They went up against the #1 team in the nation from the mighty SEC, and knocked them off! Ezekiel Elliot ran all over Alabama to the tune of  230 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Then against the Oregon Ducks, he ran all over them for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns.

But what impressed me the most in the National Championship, was the defense. The Buckeyes were facing the team that scored quickest, and scored the most in all of college football. The Ducks averaged almost 50 points a game, and their touchdown drives averaged just over two minutes.

Would the defense be able to get a stop or two? Would they be sucking wind by the fourth quarter, allowing Oregon to just gash them?

The Buckeyes held them to 20 points, and forced the Ducks to punt more times in a single game than likely any time in the past three years.

The Buckeyes have changed the perception of their team. People now call them an "SEC team in the North," Urban Meyer has made this team into what he wanted them to be. Physical, fast, tough. They are mentally tough...losing Braxton Miller, then having JT Barrett come in and lead them to the brink of the Playoffs and losing him in the *ichigan game...third string QB Cardale Jones leading them through the Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl, and then caping it off with a National Championship.

There has always been a target on Ohio State's back in the Big Ten. They have won 7 conference championships in the past 13 years. If you include their vacated share of the Big Ten championship in 2010. that gives them 8 of 13. They've won a total of 24 Big Ten championships, second only to *ichigan's 42.

Now that they're the National Champions, that target is only going to be bigger.

The Buckeyes are expected to run the table this upcoming season, win the Big Ten, and be a top two seed in the College Football Playoffs.

They were there a year earlier than Urban Meyer expected. The perception of the Buckeyes now is that they could be a dynasty in the making.

I'll take that perception any time! O-H! I-O!

B1G Champs/College Football Playoff STATEment

Last night, the Buckeyes made an Ohio STATEment with a 59-0 clobbering of the Wisconsin Badgers to win the 2014 Big Ten Championship.

The Buckeyes did it without the quarterback that they originally thought would be starting the season, a player who was considered a Heisman Trophy front runner: Braxton Miller. They did it without their second string quarterback, who became a Heisman Trophy candidate and broke Big Ten and Ohio State records throughout the season: JT Barrett.

So then who did they do it with? Their third string quarterback, Cardale Jones, who was the MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game after tossing three TD passes.

I guess the Buckeyes just stockpile talented quarterbacks.

Ezekiel Elliot ran for a Big Ten Championship Game record 220 yards and added another couple of touchdowns.

They did all of this against the #2 defense in college football. They put up a brick wall against the NCAA's leading rusher, Melvin Gordon, who they held to 76 yards on 26 carries and no touchdowns. Gordon had seven consecutive 100 yard games coming into this one. On top of that, as mentioned before, Elliot broke the record for most rush yards in a Big Ten Championship Game...a record that was held by Gordon. I think it's safe to say that Gordon has a really bad night.

Urban Meyer won his first Big Ten Championship as Ohio State head coach. This was the type of game everyone expected Meyer's teams to put up.

Now the question is, was it enough to put the Buckeyes in the one of the four College Football Playoff spots?

The three teams that are definetly in: SEC Champion Alabama, Pac-12 Champion Oregon, and ACC Champion Florida State,

The battle for the fourth spot is between Big 12 Co-Champions TCU and Baylor, and Big Ten Champion Ohio State.

It's been said that conference championships are going to play a big role in choosing the four teams to make the Playoff. And if that's the case, I don't see how you can leave Ohio State out. They have a conference championship, the Big 12 doesn't have a conference champion, they have co-champions. You can't put two teams in one playoff spot.

If the College Football Playoff committee wants to put the best four teams in college football right now in the Playoff, then I don't see how you leave Ohio State out, especially with what they just did to Wisconsin.

It's obvious the committee doesn't respect Baylor's head-to-head win against TCU, seeing how they've had the Horned Frogs ahead of the Bears and even put them in the top four last week.

So if that's the case. how can you hold Ohio State's week two loss against Virginia Tech against them? This is a completely different Ohio State team than back in week two, literally and figuratively.

If they leave Ohio State out, I think they will have failed at putting the four best teams in college football in the playoff. If they put them in, I still think they should expand the College Football Playoff to eight teams.

Buckeyes beat *ichigan, but suffer a big loss

On Saturday, the 29th of November 2014, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the *ichigan Wolverines 42-28....but also suffered a big loss.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Quarterback J.T. Barrett took off running and was tackled awkwardly, his right leg crumpling underneath him. He was carted off the field, leg in an air cast. It was announced later in the evening, the redshirt freshman sensation who was a candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, broke his ankle and would miss the Big Ten Championship Game and any bowl game(s) the Buckeyes would play in.

Before the injury, Barrett threw for one touchdown and ran for two more scores. That gives him an Ohio State record of 34 touchdown passes in a single season, and when you add the 11 rushing touchdowns a Big Ten record of 44 touchdowns responsible for in a single season (former record holder: Drew Brees, Purdue).

Cardale Jones replaces Barrett, and lead the Buckeyes to a TD on a long run by Ezekiel Elliot. The defense also returned a fumble for a touchdown to give you the final Buckeyes total.

It was Meyer's third consecutive win against That Team Up North, still undefeated in The Game.

Jones is now the QB for the remainder of the season, and nobody knows what to expect from him. He doesn't have a lot of experience, this year he is 10/17 for 118 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. Last season he was 1/2 for 3 yards, 0 touchdowns and interceptions, he did have a rushing touchdown last season.

Coach Meyer says that Cardale Jones can throw it and throw it well, and he can run too. A lot of people expected Jones to replace Braxton Miller, mostly because many in Ohio knew who he was in part because he played at Glenville High School in Cleveland...the same school that gave the Buckeyes players like Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., and Donte Whitner.

Jones knows the playbook and has been practicing. Nobody knew what to expect from Barrett and many people thought this would be a 3-4 loss season without Miller on the field. Instead, Barrett would have been in New York for the Heisman Trophy Presentation and was likely going to lead the Buckeyes into the inaugural College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes take on the Wisconsin Badgers next week in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Buckeyes win this game, they win an outright Big Ten Championship and with that, should be in the College Football Playoff with Mississippi State losing to Ole Miss yesterday. They might not be in the top four this week, but they should be no worse than 5th with TCU in as the fourth team. But an outright conference championship, especially if the offense stays hot with Jones at QB, should give them the edge over TCU to make the final four in the final CFP standings.

Honestly, all the Buckeyes have to do to get into that final four is just....win!

CFP: Should Indiana game keep Buckeyes out?

On Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) played conference foe Indiana (3-8, 0-7 Big Ten) at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeys had a tough time against the Hoosiers, not taking control of the game until the third quarter, and at one point even being down 20-14 after Indiana opened the scoring in the second half with a 90-yard touchdown run by RB Tevin Coleman.The Buckeyes ended up winning the game by a score of 42-27, a difference of 15 points.

So now the question is, should a game against an opponent as bad on paper as Indiana that wasn't a 52-7 pasting keep the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff?

The Mississippi State Bulldogs beat a football team that might end up not bowl eligible, and there's talk about UAB ending it's football program by 13 points. I don't see anyone holding that against the Bulldogs as they make a case for them to be in the top four.

The mighty Oregon Ducks beat a Washington State team that is 3-8 and won't be seeing a bowl. I don't see anyone holding that against the Ducks.

Florida State also sqeaked by a team that may not be bowl eligible after next week when next the season is done. They won this game by only six points. 

As matter of fact the Seminoles beat Virginia (5-6) by only 14, Miami (6-5) by 4, and Boston College (6-5) by 3 points. If not blowing out lesser teams, much less almost losing to them should keep you out of the College Football Playoffs, then if Florida State loses against either Florida in the regular season finale or Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game...then the Seminoles shouldn't be in at all. The only thing keeping them in it right now is being undefeated, if they lose that, then by the argument(s) against Ohio State, Florida State shouldn't be in it either.

A week ago, the Horned Frogs, the team that would be "first left out" of the College Football Playoff,, almost lost to a really bad Kansas (3-8) team. That same week, Ohio State played a close one against Minnesota (an AP Top 25 team) and ESPN made it sound like TCU had a gutty performance against a good team and the Buckeyes almost lost to a team that was without a win.

So don't tell me there isn't a bias against the Buckeyes or the Big Ten.

The fact of the matter is, close games happen, especially in conference play where teams see each other often every year.  Maybe you overlook an opponent. Ohio State is facing their big rival in *ichigan this week, maybe the players figured they'd roll Indiana and were looking at The Game.

Maybe Indiana looked at this as their bowl game, and gave their all. After all, their best offensive weapon was their RB and they saw how much trouble the Buckeyes defense had against Minnesota.

What I do know is, that most of the other teams in front of Ohio State have had a close game against teams that on paper they should have beaten by no less than 24 points. 

QB Conundrum 2015: JT Barrett or Braxton Miller?

I know this season isn't over yet, we still have two regular season games, the Big Ten Championship Game, and then either the College Football Playoffs or a regular Bowl Game.

But right now, I want to look at what's ahead after this season.

As far as anyone knows, Braxton Miller is planning on returning to Ohio State for his senior season in 2015. When he first made this announcement after it was announced that he would miss the entire 2014 season with a shoulder injury, Buckeye fans were very happy.

None of us envisioned that JT Barrett would become one of the best quarterbacks in Ohio State history. And after that loss to Virginia Tech...

9/29 for 219 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INT...sacked seven times

I think after that game Buckeye Nation felt it would be a long season and couldn't wait for Miller's return in 2015.

But Barrett took that game and used it as fuel, he learned from it. And since then, he's been unstoppable.

Against Minnesota, JT Barrett broke two of Braxton Miller's rushing records, longest run ever by a quarterback (86 yard TD run) and most rushing yards in a single game by a QB (189). Barrett also surpassed Braxton Miller's total TD pass mark in a season (29 for Barrett, 24 for Miller).

Also, JT Barrett is one touchdown pass away from tying Troy Smith's school record of touchdown passes in a season of 30 (in 2006), with two games left that record should be broken.

This is Barrett's stat line for the season after the win at Minnesota:

165/258 2365 yards 64.0% completions 29 TD 8 INT

136 rushes 771 yards 5.7 yards per carry 9 TD

That's a season for many QB's around the country, and Barrett still has two games to improve on that!

Miller's best single season stat line:

162/255 2094 yards 63.5% completions 24 TD 7 INT (2013)

227 rushes 1271 yards 5.6 yards per carry 13 TD (2012)

Both are pretty damn good stat lines that most schools would take from their starting quarterback.

So if Braxton Miller stays true to what he said, and returns in 2015 to the Buckeyes fully healthy, what the hell is Urban Meyer going to do?

Before becoming the head coach at The Ohio State University, he spent a season working for ESPN/ABC calling games. I remember listening to him just gush about Braxton Miller, and I still think that Meyer feels the same way.

I believe that part of Meyer would want to stay loyal to Miller. An old sports adage is that you never lose your job to injury, and that's why Miller isn't on the field this season. Nothing academic, no off the field scandals. Braxton Miller, from everything I have ever read or heard, is a great guy. Goes to class, does well in his classes, doesn't draw un-needed attention to himself or the school, stays out of trouble.

However, he got to watch Barrett blossom right before his eyes. Can you bench the quarterback that is likely going to hold some school records when this year is over?

Barrett holds four of the top 9 total offense outputs in Buckeye football history:

There is a chance that he could own the top spot in this list by the end of the season. 

Miller is a weapon. He's the better runner, and likely a better overall athlete. 

However, I think Barrett is the better QUARTERBACK. And honestly, I don't think anyone (including the coaches) saw this coming from him.

I think it's going to be a hard choice to make going into the 2015 season. But if I had to make the choice, Barrett would be my starting quarterback because I feel he's better at that specific job, throwing the football.

Also, Miller has proven to be injury prone. He's missed games before this season due to injuries. There's no guarantee that he can stay on the field. 

And what a nightmare would it be for defenses if both Barrett and Miller were in the backfield together? A handoff to Miller? A motion where Miller takes the snap? A read-option where one or the other ends up with the ball? Miller motioning to the slot or out wide and catching a pass as a receiver? I think Miller could play a "slash" roll wonderfully. 

The only thing I am absolutely sure of, is that I am glad it's not my job to make this decision. When the time comes, I won't envy Urban Meyer one bit.

Moves Will Be Made in the Polls This Week

The Buckeyes were off this week, but that doesn't mean they won't be moving in the polls after the #5 Stanford Cardinal beat the #3 Oregon Ducks on Thursday night.

So the question is, where do the Buckeyes go?

Before this week of college football, it looked like this:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Florida State Seminoles
3. Oregon Ducks
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
5. Stanford Cardinal

Now you would think that with the Ducks losing, the Buckeyes would move up to #3. However, Florida State recently jumped the Buckeyes to get into the Top Three, leaving the Buckeyes at #4.

Stanford is 8-1 while the Buckeyes are 9-0. Stanford lost to a 4-5 Utah Utes team, the Buckeyes have lost to nobody since they lost to Florida in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

However, the Buckeyes started at #2 this season, hasn't lost a game, and has slipped to #4 in the rankings. So I wouldn't he shocked if Stanford were to move ahead of the Buckeyes, leaving them at #4 and a one-loss team moves ahead of them, because that's the team that beat the Ducks.

Should the Buckeyes move up to #3? That depends on who you ask. Personally, I think they should have never been removed from the #2 spot without a loss. But a lot of people look at Ohio State's schedule and well, they laugh.

However, the Buckeyes did have an SEC foe on the schedule originally, they had the Vanderbilt Commodores scheduled. Yes, they aren't Alabama or LSU, but those teams aren't big on leaving the SEC footprint for Out-of-Conference games. Vandy is 5-4 with wins over Georgia and Florida in the SEC. They are probably a second tier SEC team.

But they cancelled at the last possible minute, and the Buckeyes had to scramble to find a team to replace them. By this time, you can't get a big time school. Most teams have their schedules set. So the Buckeyes ended up playing Florida A&M, a team that they ended up beating by a score of 76-0. And people blame Ohio State for scheduling such a weak school. Did the Buckeyes want to schedule such a weak opponent? I doubt it. But they had to fill the void in the schedule, and this was the school that would agree to come to Columbus. The Buckeyes were painted into a corner on this one, and the scheduled who was available.

The Buckeyes also cannot help their conference schedule. They don't choose who or where they play these teams. Everyone says every single one of the Buckeyes "hard games" are home games this year. However, the Buckeyes played Cal in California last year, the Golden Bears were playing their road game in the home-and-home agreement. Last year, the Buckeyes played Wisconsin in Madison, per B1G scheduling, the Badgers played in Columbus this year. And Northwestern, probably the most difficult game for them so for, was played on the road.

Ohio State still plays Michigan on the road, and even though That Team Up North isn't as good as people expected this year, you throw the records out when these two teams meet. There is a true dislike there, and these teams live to beat each other. With Michigan looking at a second tier bowl game this year, they'd love nothing more than to end the Buckeyes undefeated streak, especially with the game being in Ann Arbor.

And then you have the B1G Championship Game, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Buckeyes will likely be facing Michigan State, who will be in their second B1G Championship Game in three years. They have one of the best defenses in college football, and they have an offense that is tough and focused on controlling the clock. And their quarterback, he seems to make big plays when they are needed. This will be the toughest game Ohio State plays before their bowl.

However in the end, they'll likely be on the outside looking in at the National Championship as long as Alabama and Florida State don't lose a game. But the Buckeyes have the longest win streak in the nation. They'll likely go two straight seasons without a loss. The Buckeyes would have likely been playing Notre Dame for the National Championship last season if not for a bowl ban handed down by the NCAA.

So it's looking like the Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes. Where they will end this season without a loss. In the last year of the BCS, will the AP once again split the National Championship and give theirs to Ohio State? Looks like we will have to wait to find out.

How long will Tom Herman stay at Ohio State?

I woke up this morning to a link to an Eleven Warriors article, The Rise of Tom Herman, from the TeamMash email list.

For those of you who don't know, Tom Herman is entering his second year as Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a Wide Receivers Coach at Texas Lutheran), graduate assistant at Texas (1999-2000), Wide Receiver Coach at Sam Houston State (2001-2004), Offensive Coordinator at Texas State (2005-2006), Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Rice (2007-2008), and Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Iowa State (2009-2011) before being offered and accepting the same position at The Ohio State University.

Urban Meyer wanting to bring him to Ohio State because his football philosophies are very similar to his own and because he is an excellent recruiter with strong roots in Texas, a very fertile recruiting ground. His offenses are fast paced, which Urban Meyer likes. While at Iowa State, he was the QB Coach for one of the  best quarterbacks in school history.

The article brought up the question, how long will Tom Herman remain the OC for the Buckeyes. Because successful programs, especially ones with highly successful offenses, often lose assistant coaches at quite a high rate. And at the top of the list of coaches that could be poached from Ohio State, I would put Tom Herman. He's young, only 38 years old. He's got one of the best young minds in college football according to Urban Meyer. Another year of success, especially a National Championship, would bring other programs who have fired their head coaches to at least want to interview Herman.

In the Eleven Warriors article, the very first comment was this:

"Herman hopefully can be coaxed into staying a long time with well timed, large raises along the way. He is the type of coach who can take a large load off Urban's plate and extend Meyer's career for extra years. Lets keep Herman happy."

While money is very, very nice, nobody gets into coaching with dreams of simply being an offensive coordinator as the highest level the achieve. Every single graduate assistant wants to one day be a head coach. Herman has climbed the ladder from grad assistant to offensive coordinator, the final rung he must climb is taking over a program himself as the Head Coach.

I don't see this happening at Ohio State, simply because I think Urban Meyer is hear for the long haul, he won't be leaving after the 2013 season. Matter-of-fact, he won't be leaving anytime soon, so there won't be an opening in Columbus, OH in the near future if I am right.

Now, I don't think that Tom Herman would jump onto any offer of a HC job. I don't think he'd take over a program that hasn't been good in decades, if ever, just to be a head coach. I think he would wait for what he would feel is the right opportunity. One that he feels he could come in, and wouldn't be gone in three years if it's a rebuilding project for the next coach to reap the rewards of all his hard work.

That chance might not come after the 2013 season. But don't be surprised to see him interviewing for jobs, to at least prepare himself for the next offseason. I really feel that's when he will leave for a head coaching job in one of the big time conferences. I just hope it's not a Big Ten school, I wouldn't want to have to face one of his teams on even an almost-every-year basis.

Buckeye Nation, be ready. This coaching staff could change dramatically over the next few seasons as position coaches leave for coordinator positions and coordinators get head coaching gigs. But I trust Urban Meyer to bring in coaches just as good to replace those who leave.

And remember, if coaches are constantly being interviewed and offered promotions at other schools, that's a good thing. It means we are winning a lot of games, Big Ten titles, and hopefully Nation Championships.

O-H! I-O!

2013 Defensive Playmakers

Last season, there were times where many of us wondered what was going on with the defense. They let Purdue and Indiana score basically at will. Couldn't stop a pebble from rolling down a driveway at the beginning of last season. And then, all of a sudden, the defense started to play very well. They finally played to the level most of us felt they were capable of.

After the season, the Buckeyes lost the following players on defense:

John Simon, DE
Jonathon Hankins, DT
Zach Boren, LB
Travis Howard, CB
Orhian Johnson, S
Etienne Sabino, LB
Nate Williams, DB

There are some very talented players on that list that are going to have to be replaced. Simon was a beast; Hankins could stuff the run and put pressure on the QB; Boren was a surprise at LB and played very well, making one of the most memorable plays of the season against TSUN last season.

So who's going to step up this season and help take the Silver Bullets to the next level, to a championship caliber defense?

Bradley Roby, CB - He was the best defensive back on the team last season, and he's back and should be even better this season. Expect him to be playing at a near-shutdown level.

Armani Reeves, CB - Reeves has a lot of hype behind him, and I think he's going to win the starting CB spot across from Roby. If he does, I think it's going to give is a very good tandem at corner. Reeves, I believe, could end up being one of the best corners in Ohio State history when his college career is over.

Noah Spence, DE - He's listed as just DL on the roster, but he should be playing end exclusively. He's got a great speed rush, and after a year and a summer in the weight room, he should have added some more strength. I expect him to lead the team in sacks, and likely the B1G.

Adolphus Washington, DE - Also listed as a DL, I expect him to play mostly DE and maybe DT in the nickel. He's bigger than Spence, and should be very strong against the run. I also expect his sack numbers to be surprising because I think QB's will be running away from Spence and right into his arms.

Tommy Schutt, DT - He's also listed as a DL, he'll be lining up at tackle for the most part. At 6-2 and 303, he should be a run stuffer. I don't think you'll be able to run up the middle on the Buckeyes.

Ryan Shazier, LB - I am expecting Shazier to be an absolute beast this season and not only lead the team in tackles, but also be towards the top of the nation in tackle numbers.

C.J. Barnett, SS - I think this is the season Barnett really shows that he has the talent to be a top back-end defender in college football, too bad it's his senior and likely final season.

I truly feel that this group of players is what's going to make Ohio State's defense one of the top in the nation, a championship caliber defense. They will need to play that way to become National Champions.

2013 Offensive Playmakers

The offense is the focus of today's Urban Warfare blog. Specifically the guys who are going to be making all the big plays.

The offense last year was heavy on the run. Braxton Miller ran 227 times for 1271 yards and 13 touchdowns. Carlos Hyde ran it 185 times for 970 yards and 16 touchdowns. That's 2241 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground.

Passing the ball, Ohio State was ranked 110th in the nation. That's 110 out of 124 total schools in NCAA Division I FBS football. This is where I expect things to change in 2013. Yes, Hyde is going to get the ball in his hands and will likely have a 1000 yard season. Braxton is going to still have some electrifying runs, however I expect him to have fewer designed runs.

Here are Miller's passing stats from the 2012 season:

148 Completions/254 Attempts
58.3%
2039 Yards
15 TD
6 INT
140.5 Rating

I expect the completions to go up, along with attempts. I expect over 60% completions. Around 3000 yards, and over 20 touchdown passes. If Ohio State is going to win a National Championship in the 2013-14 season, Braxton needs to make those improvements.

And there are players in the offensive arsenal to make this happen.

One thing we might see is Kenny Guiton, the backup quarterback, on the field with Braxton. This would be difficult to defend because both can pass, and both can run. You could hand off to either...one can run out into the flat to catch a pass, or throw to a RB or WR/TE.

At running back there are more options than just the powerful Carlos Hyde. You have Rod Smith, Bri'onte Dunn, and Warren Ball. Added to those three names are Ezekiel Elliott, and Dontre Wilson from the 2013 draft class. I see fresh legs all year at RB as long as guys don't put the ball on the turf and do what's asked of them. Dunn and Ball were both big names in the 2012 class and should both contribute more in their sophomore seasons. Wilson, from the 2013 class, is very intriguing because he's a very good receiver out of the backfield and can also line up in the slot...think Percy Harvin when he played at Florida.

At wide receiver you have Corey Brown and Devin Smith, both played a lot last season. Both are playmakers on the outside. Both are guys who will get a lot of looks when Ohio State is throwing the ball. In the 2013 class we get Jalin Marshall, Corey Smith,  and James Clark. All three can see significant playing time, especially in multiple receiver sets.

Urban Meyer doesn't want guys who want to redshirt. Will some guys get a redshirt? I am sure there will be a few, guys who need a year of seasoning or guys that get hurt. But Ohio State will put the best players on the field regardless of class or experience. If you've earned playing time, you'll get it.

Here is what I expect the starting line up to look like at the skill positions when we take the field for our home opener:

QB - Braxton Miller
RB - Carlos Hyde
WR - Corey Brown
WR- Devin Smith
WR/RB - Dontre Wilson

I think that right there is going to be very dynamic. So much can be done with that talent. Miller can pass to any of them. A read-option with Hyde, even with Wilson. Reverses with all of those players.

Throw in guys like Ball and Dunn to keep fresh legs in at RB and this offense could do great things.

I can't wait to start the season, because I think it's going to be even more exciting than 2012 was.

O-H! I-O!

Buckeyes Get A Haul

Today is National Signing Day...the first day that a high school senior can sign his National Letter of Intent (LOI) to play football for an NCAA program. Most players sign on this day, but some don't sign until after for various reasons.

Ohio State had one hell of a day!

The rankings per different sites:

Scout - #1
Rivals - #2
ESPN - #3

All three have us as the #1 class in the Big Ten.

So no matter where you look, we pulled in a top three class. We got a "surprise" LOI from safety Von Bell of Georgia, a player many felt was going to Tennessee. Ezekiel Elliott was a player some thought was going to Missouri, he stayed with his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes!

Here is a list of the players that signed Letters of Intent with the Ohio State Buckeyes today:

Mike Mitchell, RB 5*
Von Bell, S 5*
Joey Bosa, DE 5*
Jalin Marshall, WR 5*
 Marcus Baugh, TE 4*
Evan Lisle, OT 4*
Ezekiel Elliot, RB 4*
Dontre Wilson, RB 4*
Eli Apple, CB 4*
Cameron Burrows, CB 4*
J. T. Barrett, QB 4*
Gareon Conley, CB 4*
Michael Hill, DE 4*
Trey Johnson, OLB 4*
Jayme Thompson, S 4*
Billy Price, DT 4*
Donavon Munger, DT 4*
Tyquan Lewis, DE 4*
Darron Lee, S 4*
James Clark, WR 4*
Corey Smith, WR 4*
Tim Gardner, OG 3*
Tracy Sprinkle, DE 3*
Christopher Worley, OLB 3*

That is a crazy class!

It is also heavy on defense, and heavy on playmaker positions on offense.

Last year, even though the Buckeyes went undefeated, you could say their Achilles heel was the defense...especially at the beginning of the season. This class being brought in, on top of last year's amazing class on the defensive line, is going to bring depth on defense and keep guys fresh so nobody is out there sucking wind. The linebacking corps got a huge upgrade, seeing how that was our thinnest and weakest spot on the team last year. I am also absolutely LOVING the fact that Von Bell is going to be in the scarlet and gray....I have a feeling that this kid is going to be an absolute monster in the defensive backfield.

On offense, we've got speed. Lots of speed. Guys that can (and will) break games wide open for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes are going to have quite a stable of running backs. Carlos Hyde is the unquestioned starter. We also have Rod Smith, Jordan Hall, Bri'onte Dunn, and Warren Ball. Add to that the guys that came into the fold today, and it's going to be interesting how the depth chart at running back shakes out. Will a few guys get red shirts? Will some other guys transfer if they feel they won't get playing time? When Urban Meyer came to Ohio State, he said that he wouldn't abandon the run game. I think this year's class helps back that statement up.

The running back I am really most intrigued by out of this class is Dontre Wilson. I think he's going to play a very exciting roll in the offense his freshman year. Think our version of what Percy Harvin did at Florida. He can lineup in the backfield, as the slot receiver, or out wide. He can take the hand off to the edge, catch the ball out of the backfield, catch it out of the slot, catch it out wide on a streak pattern down the sideline, take a reverse all the way, take a pitch in the option....it's really limitless to how he can be used.

Urban Meyer is bringing not just talent to the Buckeyes...but SEC type talent. He's remaking this team into an SEC team, purely dominating. And that's how you beat the SEC, match their talent.

Lots of coffee must have been served in Columbus today, because COFFEE IS FOR CLOSERS! Ohio State closed today, and the talent brought in could bring amazing success to the Buckeyes. In Urban Meyer we trust!!!

Looking at Ohio State's 2013 Recruiting Class

National Signing Day for college football is just a few days away as coaches try to sway the last of the uncommitted recruits, and to keep the ones that other schools are going after. Last year, there was a big deal made when Urban Meyer came in after the worst football season in over a century for the Buckeyes and started calling recruits that changed their commitments after Jim Tressel resigned and the losing season that followed. Many Big Ten coaches were upset over what they felt was a "gentlemen's agreement" that was supposedly in force under Jim Tressel that you wouldn't go after another school's committed recruit.

Most notably, Urban Meyer convinced four star offensive tackle Kyle Dodson to recommit to Ohio State after he had chosen to switch his commitment to Wisconsin after the fallout from the Tatgate fiasco. This really irked former Badgers head coach Brett Beliema who accused Meyer of using "illegal recruiting tactics" during an interview with the media. Meyer also got five star defensive end Noah Spence in this time, when many people felt he was going to attend Penn State.

Ohio State's 2013 recruiting class is currently ranked #4 overall on Scout.com and ESPN. Scout.com has Michigan ranked #1, while ESPN has them currently ranked #5 as I type this blog post. Ohio State currently has 22 commitments in this class.

The class currently has three 5 star recruits, fourteen 4 star recruits, and five 3 star recruits (ranking provided by Scout.com). Also on Scout's website, only two Big Ten schools are ranked in the top 25 (Ohio State and Michigan). ESPN has three Big Ten schools in their top 25 (Penn State #25, Michigan #5, Ohio State #4).

There are only two soft verbals in the class. Trey Johnson, a 4 star OLB from Georgia; and Ezekiel Elliot, a 4 star RB from Missouri. These are the two that I am most worried about come National Signing Day because they are the most likely to be swayed to another school, and both are being rumored to possibly sign elsewhere on February 6th. And that's the thing about National Signing Day, nothing is official until they sign on that dotted line, tying themselves to Ohio State.

This will be the second consecutive Top 5 class for Urban Meyer at Ohio State as he brings in big talent to the Buckeyes. He plans to make this team in the image of an SEC team. Big and fast. This is the only way they will be able to defeat whichever SEC team they would face of they make the BCS National Championship Game. Meyer cut his teeth at Bowling Green and Utah, two schools that aren't exactly recruiting hotbeds. At Utah, he churned out a first overall draft pick in quarterback Alex Smith.

When he went to Florida from Utah, he had multiple top ten and top five recruiting classes. In this time he won two National Championships, two SEC titles (coinciding with the National Championships, three SEC West titles, and a Sugar Bowl. He produced many first round picks on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Tim Tebow.

Now there's no way to predict how this class will pan out in the end. But it's looking like it'll be damn good, making Ohio State a force to be reckoned with for years to come not only in the Big Ten but in the National Championship picture. O-H! I-O!

Can the Buckeyes raise the crystal football next year?

This college football season ended in an all to familiar way...with an SEC team, Alabama for a third time under Nick Saban, winning the BCS National Championship Game. This one was in blowout fashion, which has often been a case...twice Ohio State has been on the receiving end if these beat downs, against Florida and LSU.

This year the team to get beat was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, to a score of 42-14. They couldn't stop Alabama. They got rolled by the Crimson Tide. This game gave a new meaning to "Roll Tide."

 There was only one team to end the football season without a single blemish on their record, the Ohio State Buckeyes. They finished third in the final AP Poll. This positions them well to potentially play for that crystal football next year, as long as they stay unbeaten.

I expect them to start the season in the top five, most likely the top three. The only two teams I can see starting the season in front of them would be Alabama and Notre Dame.

The whole Ohio State finishing undefeated part shouldn't be all that hard. Here is what our schedule looks like next season:

08/31 vs. Buffalo Bulls
09/07 vs. San Diego State Aztecs 
09/14 @ Cal Golden Bears
09/21 vs. Florida A&M Rattlers
09/28 vs. Wisconsin Badgers
10/05 @ Northwestern Wildcats
10/19 vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
10/26 vs. Penn State Nittany Lions
11/02 @ Purdue Boilermakers
11/16 @ Illinois Fighting Illini
11/23 vs. Indiana Hoosiers
11/30 @ TSUN Wolverines

That's not a very daunting schedule. Hopefully we won't have the hiccups we had this past season because we should be stomping teams like Purdue and Indiana. The two teams on the schedule that I think have a real chance of beating the Buckeyes are Northwestern and TSUN.

The big issue is, with this schedule lacking a team that's going to be in the top ten of the AP Poll going into, and likely throughout the season, will the Buckeyes be able to make it over a one-loss SEC team.

Now in the history of the BCS, a one-loss team from an automatic qualifying conference (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Pac 12, Big East) has never been awarded a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. However there was talk that if Ohio State had been bowl eligible this past season, they would have been jumped by a one-loss Alabama team because of the better strength of schedule. However we will never know, because Ohio State was not eligible for the BCS Poll due to their postseason ban last season.

If Ohio State runs the table and ends the season as the only undefeated team, I think they will play for the National Championship. You have to play the schedule in front of you. They can't help the fact that the Big Ten isn't as good as it was a few years ago. They can't do anything about the fact that Cal hasn't been all that great since Aaron Rodgers....and that's when Ohio State scheduled this home-and-home series, back when Cal looked like they'd be competing for Pac 10 titles. They can't help that the SEC is the darling conference of college football at the moment and their mid-tier teams get top-15 votes when they deserve to be in the 16-25 range.

Now if they go undefeated, and so do Notre Dame and an SEC team....then there's going to be a big controversy. I have no doubt that the SEC team will get into the game in that scenario.

The issue would be Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Irish schedule for the most part isn't all that daunting. They play TSUN, so do we. They play Michigan State and we don't, but I don't expect Sparty to be a factor in the Big Ten, and if they are we might play them in the Big Ten Championship Game. Notre Dame plays USC, but nobody knows how good they're going to be...they went from #1 to unranked this past season. However the two teams they play that could give them the edge over us would be the Oklahoma Sooners anf Stanford Cardinal. Those two teams are better than any team on the Ohio State schedule this season. That could give Notre Dame the edge.

I hope that scenario doesn't come to light. If it does, we'd be in the Rose Bowl. That's great...a BCS Bowl...the "Grandaddy of em All." Before the BCS, that's where any team from the Big Ten wanted to go, the premiere bowl game for the conference. Back then, if Ohio State was undefeated and won the Rose Bowl, they'd be claiming a National Championship. The BCS put a stop the that, there's only been one split National Championship since the BCS system came into place. Would a split National Championship be a possibility? Yeah, but also unlikely.

So who would I want in the BCS National Championship Game which takes place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California? I want an SEC team. If I had to pick one, I'd want Florida.

Why Florida? This SEC dominance started when Ohio State lost to Florida 41-14 in the 2006 BCS National Championship Game (decided the champion of the 2005 season). Since then the SEC has had a team win the BCS National Championship every year since then, once having both the participants being from the conference. Florida won twice (including the game against Ohio State), Alabama three times, LSU once, and Auburn once.

Nothing would be sweeter way to end the BCS era of college football by not only defeating an SEC team, but beating the team that started their run....with the head coach who started that run being the Buckeyes head coach. It would bring a sweet closure to the BCS era, giving the Buckeyes their second title in the era and a 2-2 record in the big game.

When will Ohio State lose again? Hopefully we won't be finding out the answer to this anytime soon.

The Coaching Carousel

Well Buckeye fans, that time has come where coaching changes are upon the college football landscape. Coaches have been fired, coaches have resigned jobs to take ones with other schools, and some coaches have just simply resigned.

The biggest surprise in the carousel happened in our own Big Ten when Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema left to take the job in Arkansas. He left a job where he had excellent job security for one where if he doesn't turn the program around quickly enough he will be booted out the door, no questions asked.

So now as schools are hiring head coaches that have jobs, that leaves schools with a "surprise" vacancy that they weren't expecting to have.

Here is a breakdown of the carousel so far:

Conference
Fired/Left - School - Hired

Big Ten
Danny Hope -Purdue - Darrell Hazel (Head Coach, Kent State)
Bret Bielema - Wisconsin - N/A

ACC
Frank Spaziani - Boston College -Steve Adazzio (Head Coach, Temple)
Tom O'Brien - North Carolina State - David Doeren (Head Coach, NorthernNN/AAIllinois)

Big East
Steve Adazzio - Temple - N/A
Skip Holtz - South Florida - N/A
Butch Jones - Cincinnati - N/A

PAC 12
John Embree - Colorado - N/A
Jeff Tedford - California - Sonny Dykes (Head Coach, Louisiana Tech)

SEC
Gene Chizik - Auburn - Gus Malzahn (Head Coach, Arkansas State)
Derek Dooley - Tennessee - Butch Jones (Head Coach, Cincinnati)
Joker Phillips - Kentucky - Mark Stoops (Defensive Coordinator, Florida State)
John L. Smith - Arkansas - Bret Bielema (Head Coach, Wisconsin)

Miscellaneous (Mid-level Conference Schools)
Rob Akey - Idaho - Paul Petrino (Offensive Coordinator, Arkansas)
Mario Cristobal - Florida International - N/A
Bill Cubit - Western Michigan - N/A
Dave Doeren - Northern Illinois - Rod Carey (Offensive Coordinator, Northern Illinois)
Sonny Dykes - Louisiana Tech - N/A
Darrell Hazell  - Kent State - N/A
Ellis Johnson - Southern Mississippi - N/A
Gus Malzahn - Arkansas State - N/A
Mike Price - UTEP- N/A

That is a lot of unfilled positions. How will this list affect the Buckeyes?

Well first, the two Big Ten moves are important because they directly affect the competition in the conference. I believe Darrell Hazell can make Purdue into a second tier team in the conference judging by the turnaround he did at Kent State. He can recruit the state of Ohio, and while I expect Urban Meyer to be able to get the in-state recruits that he wants, Hazell should be able to get the players that Meyer is not after.

Bret Bielema leaves the conference for the Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC. This move is very important because the Wisconsin Badgers play in our division. I am sure that whoever Barry Alvarez hires to replace Bielema will keep up the tradition of a strong run game and massive offensive line. I wouldn't be shocked for an assistant coach under Bielema to be tagged for the job. Remember, Bielema wasn't a big name coach when Alvarez hand picked him as his successor.

Now, the other teams with openings could come after Ohio State's assistant coaches to fill their vacancies. I would not be surprised at all for the mid-level conference schools to try and interview some of the Buckeye staff for their vacancies. I just hope we can keep this staff intact to make a run at a National Championship next season.

I would guess that by the end of the bowl season most of the vacancies will be filled in one way or another. One thing to take note of is that so far, only one school has made an assistant coach under the departed coach the new head coach of the team (Rod Carey of Northern Illinois). So expect this list to possibly grow in the coming weeks as head coaches are poached from other schools to fill the vacancies above.

Taking A Rooting Interest in B1G Championship & Bowl Season

Listen Buckeye fans, we all need to take a rooting interest in the Big Ten Championship Game and the Big Ten bowl season. I know the rest of the fans in the conference are bitter over the Buckeyes going 12-0. I know we've been getting a lot of "What bowl game are the Buckeyes playing in? Oh yeah, their not!" garbage from the fans of teams we beat. I know the coaches didn't vote a single Buckeye offensive player for first team Big Ten.

It's true, the Big Ten doesn't have the togetherness that the SEC has. Part of what they have is because of "southern pride." You only see it in the SEC. You don't see it in any of the other big conferences. After the ACC Championship Game, you don't hear the fans chanting "ACC."

But here's the thing, we need the Big Ten to look good. We need them all to win their bowl games, especially if they are playing SEC teams.

For years everyone has said the Big Ten is down. That it's easy to go undefeated or suffer just one loss playing a Big Ten schedule. That if it comes to an undefeated Buckeye team and a one-loss SEC team, the Buckeyes should be left out.

And we don't play a tough out-of-conference schedule next season either.

v. Buffalo
v. San Diego State
@ California
v. Florida A&M
v. Wisconsin
@ Northwestern
Bye Week
v. Iowa
v. Penn State
@ Purdue
Bye Week
@ Illinois
v. Indiana
@ Michigan
Big Ten Championship Game (vs TBD, if we qualify)

That is next year's schedule. We need Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Michigan to look as good as possible going into next season because those are the three best teams we face. We need them ranked all year long.

So who do we want to win the B1G Championship Game? It's Nebraska vs Wisconsin, both teams that we defeated this season. Well for me, I want Nebraska to win the game. The Big Ten hasn't won a Rose Bowl Game since 2010 when Ohio State defeated Oregon. The past two Rose Bowls have featured Wisconsin getting defeated; in 2011 by Texas Christian and in 2012 by Oregon.

That's two straight years that the Big Ten lost the game. I don't think that Wisconsin will be able to defeat Stanford, the team I think will win the Pac 12 Championship and take on the Big Ten winner. I would much rather see new blood in the Rose Bowl, and that would be Nebraska. I think they could win the game, a BCS game in prime time. A game that's legendary and full of history. A game that if the Big Ten won, it would raise the Big Ten's profile.

Also, Nebraska isn't on the schedule next year so the only way we would face them would be in the Big Ten Championship Game. It would help the Buckeyes resume to make the final ever BCS National Championship Game if we defeated the defending Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champions.

Yeah, we face Wisconsin for sure next season (and every season since we share a division with them). But that's something we've done two years in a row now, and they aren't taken as seriously by the rest of the nation like Nebraska is.

As for the Big Ten bowl season, I know I won't enjoy rooting for the Big Ten teams due to how bitter their fans are. But we need to raise the profile of the Big Ten, and to do that we need the Big Ten to win some bowl games.

The only bowl eligible teams in the Big Ten are Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Northwestern, Purdue, Michigan State, and Minnesota. The first four can win their bowl games, the last three I am not so sure about. If Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Northwestern can win their bowls, it will make this conference look good.

So I am going to suck it up and root for these teams to win their bowl games, knowing that next year our team can kick them in the mouth by going undefeated, and defeating all of them. And then, we can throw some salt in the wound by winning the BCS National Championship. So go Big Ten!

What Going 12-0 Means

Yesterday Ohio State did it, they went undefeated/untied for a final 12-0 record. It's bittersweet however, because the Buckeyes are not eligible to play for the Big Ten Championship or to play in a bowl game this year.

But that doesn't mean that going undefeated means nothing. It means a whole lot, in my opinion. This is the sixth undefeated/untied season in Ohio State football history. Even if they can't compete in postseason play, they still made history. Only two teams finished the season without a loss or tie, Ohio State and Notre Dame. If the Fighting Irish were to lose the BCS National Championship Game, then the Buckeyes would be the only team with that distinction this season. They could possibly win the Associated Press National Championship if the AP Poll would vote them number one at the end of the bowl season. That would give them a split National Championship with whoever won the BCS National Championship Game.

This is also big for the future of the football program. The Urban Meyer era started with a perfect season. This team showed a lot of resiliency under the watch of Meyer, something we didn't see a lot of last year with a 6-7 season after losing to Florida in the Gator Bowl.

This sets the Buckeyes up to make a run at the final BCS National Championship next season. The Buckeyes should be ranked in the top five in the nation, if not the top two. If Notre Dame can go from unranked to start the season to #1 overall going into the bowl season then the Buckeyes can move from a top five position to number one or two.

I expect this team to go into next year with supreme confidence in what they can do. I expect them to feed off of this season. I expect them to come out with a chip on their shoulders after accomplishing perfection but having to hear all the haters asking them "what bowl are you guys playing in?," or that their perfect season "doesn't count."

Going 12-0 this year means that the Buckeyes are set up to dominate not only the Big Ten for years to come with Urban Meyer captaining the ship, but be part of the National Championship picture every year too. I like the sound of that, don't you?

Game #2 Preview: v. UCF

Ohio State Buckeyes versus Central Florida Knights
Ohio Stadium - Columbus, Ohio
Saturday, 9/8/2012
12:00PM

The Buckeyes handled Miami of Ohio last week once the offense got on track, and that took the first quarter. This week the face a bigger challenge as they take on the University of Central Florida, a team that has better athletes and overall players than Miami did.

What to watch for this week:

How Long Will The Offense Take To Get Going?

Against Miami (OH), the offense didn't get into gear until after the first quarter. However, once the offense got hot, it was an unstoppable force for the Redhawks.

You can attribute the slow start to being the first game in a new offense, to rust since there are no preseason games, or to nerves. I am going to say it was a combination of the first two. I don't think it was nerves, a lot of the offensive players played in games last season and Braxton Miller was a starter for most of last season.

This week however, the offense cannot afford to be slow out of the gates. Central Florida is a much better team than Miami of Ohio, and if the Buckeyes can't get into an offensive rhythm, it could spell possible disaster for the Buckeyes on Saturday.

How Will The Pass Defense Fare?

Last week, Ohio State's pass defense had the following statistics:

32/52 pass attempts for 313 yards, 1 TD, 1 Sack, 2 INT

I expected better by the Silver Bullets, but Zac Dysert might just be the best quarterback we face all season. He has such a lighting fast release that the ball is gone before you can sack him. He's going to be an NFL quarterback.

UCF didn't throw a lot last week against Akron, they didn't have to with their run game being dominant. However, Blake Bortles did throw three touchdown passes.

The Buckeyes need to tighten up their pass defense. If the offense starts slow and the defense can't stop the Knights passing game....they could be looking up at the Knights on the scoreboard before they know it.

Will Braxton Miller Put On Another Show?

Last week Miller had one heck of a game. His stat line:

14/24 for 207 yards and 2 TD; 17 rushes for 161 yards and 1 TD

UCF has a much better defense than Miami's does...will Miller be able to make the big plays that will give the Buckeyes a lead? I think he will. He's improving as a passer and is the best athlete on the team, and one of the best in the nation.

He will be making big plays again this week, just watch.

Game MVP: Braxton Miller
Score: Ohio State 43 - UCF 17

Game Preview: 9/1/12 vs. Miami (OH)

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

Who is going to make the plays?

Buckeye fans, Saturday starts not just a new season of Ohio State football, but a new era. It starts the Urban Meyer Era in Columbus, OH.

Last season the Buckeyes had one of their worst seasons in 100 years, failing to win seven games. Luke Fickell was the interim head coach last year and the offense was pretty bad for much of the season. Jim Bollman called the offensive plays and he wasn't very trusting of true freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. Miller threw about 12 passes a game, way under the NCAA FBS average.

Now, an offensive innovator is the head coach of the team, and I believe that he's going to turn this offense (and this entire team) 180 degrees, back to a winner. Miller is a special player, and it's going to be seen much more this season.

Last year, the defense was good, but not great. I think the Silver Bullets will be back to being a great defense.

I know we cannot compete for a Big Ten Championship or play in a Bowl Game after this season, but in reality that might be a benefit. The Buckeyes can play the young players more, get them some experience that they might not have had a chance to give them because they'd be too worried about winning the division.

I say the Buckeyes will have a 10 or 11 wins season, and these are the players who I think will be making the big plays to get us there.

OFFENSE

Braxton Miller, QB: The offense is going to revolve around Miller, a dual threat quarterback who is one of the faster players on the offensive side of the football. Last season he really wasn't allowed to grow, the offense was designed to limit his mistakes. I feel Urban Meyer will be running an offense that exploits his strengths and allows him to grow as a quarterback and a complete football player. Expect his completion percentage to go up, his passing touchdowns to go up, and his rushing touchdowns to go up. Also, expect his passing attempts to go up, Meyer will allow him to throw the ball. This offense is going to be high octane.

Jake Stoneburner, WR: Stoneburner has had his position switched from tight end to wide receiver, however I expect him to line up at tight end sometimes. He's a total mismatch for many defenses. He's too fast to be covered by most linebackers, and too big for the defensive backs to successfully defend against him. I think he's going to have a great season, as long as he can stay healthy, and he might have one of the best seasons a Buckeye wide receiver has ever had. I am thinking 10+ touchdowns and over 1000 yards receiving. He'll likely be a first round pick in the NFL draft after this season.

Devin Smith, WR: Smith became a favorite target of Braxton Miller last season, hauling in a team leading 14 receptions (yes, TEAM LEADING!). He also had four touchdown receptions. I think in the new offense that Meyer is bringing in, Smith's speed is going to show and he's going to be a go to target out wide for big plays. Devin Smith was the wide receiver who caught the game winning touchdown pass against Wisconsin last season.

Carlos Hyde, RB: Yes, the offense is going to pass the ball a whole lot more than they did last season. But that doesn't mean that they are going to get away from running the football. It's a staple of Ohio State football, and Meyer isn't going to just throw that in the garbage can. Last season, Hyde had just 566 yards rushing, but he averaged 5.3 yards per carry. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield, so look for him to be a safety valve for Miller when there's nothing deep. It's better to dump down to the RB and let him get something then getting nothing or worse, getting sacked. I expect 900+ yards and 9 touchdowns from Hyde this season.

DEFENSE

Ryan Shazier, LB: Shazier is going to be an absolute beat this season, I fully expect him to lead the Silver Bullets in tackles. He's got a nose for the football and loves to hit. Shazier is the definition of a Buckeye linebacker. Expect to hear his name a whole lot this season, and for all the right reasons. Last season he had 15 tackles against Penn State, 8 against Michigan, and 10 against Florida in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl.

John Simon, DE: Towards the end of last season, Simon was starting to become unblockable. He had seven sacks last season, and I fully expect him to lead the team in sacks this year. I think he's going to be a dominating pass rusher, wreaking havoc in opposing backfields all season long.

Jonathon Hankins, DT: I sure don't hope teams plan on running against the Buckeyes, because stopping the run all starts with Hankins, who is going to be stuffing the run all season long on the interior of what should be one of the better offensive lines in the country.

Bradley Roby, CB: Roby is going to be showing the nation this season that he's one of the best cornerbacks in Big Ten if not the entire country in 2012. I am expecting around seven interceptions from him, and he should also lead the team in passes defended.

Noah Spence, DE: I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing a lot more of Noah Spence this season than many people think. I think we will see him in obvious pass rush situations and that he may possibly become a starter opposite John Simon if Meyer feels that is his best combo at defensive end at some point this season.

Well Buckeye Nation, if the Buckeyes are going to have the big year so many of us think and hope they will, these players will be the main reasons why.