(A little something to get you in the mood)
It’s that time again. Time to bring The Buckeye Blog out of my annual off season slumber and start obsessing over all things Buckeye. Please bear with me as it will take me a couple of posts to get back up to speed but there’s only 46 days until opening game against Navy and even more important, only 53 days until the big game against USC.
So, it’s time to dust off the old keyboard, start the finger exercises and get this thing underway.
I’ll open today with a mere 300 word preview of the upcoming season. Although this was originally written in May and was not written for this publication, it’s one way to dust off the cobwebs.
With that, I give you the Ohio State season in 300 words or less:
Buckeyes Make or Break In Week 2
The Buckeye’s 2009 season comes down to one game – USC. By the end of week two, one of these two teams will be in the national title hunt. The other will be trying to recover their BCS hopes.
One thing’s for sure, this won’t be the same Ohio State team that lined up against USC in the LA Coliseum last September. Defensive leader James Laurinaitis and power running back Chris “Beanie” Wells along with five others have since left for the NFL. At the same time, starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor has come a long way since his freshman debut on the national stage. By the end of last season and into spring sessions, Pryor’s passing game has shown the maturity that was missing in early 2008.
Pryor will find the support he needs from a receiving corps with the speed to give any defense fits. Add to that Prior’s running ability and the possibility of a two back system in Dan “Boom” Herron and Brandon Sain and you’ve got a serious offensive threat both on the ground and in the air.
Despite the loss of both Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman, Ohio State will see a number of returning veterans on defense and adds a number of talented recruits. The biggest defensive question lies at corner back as seniors Kurt Coleman, Andre Amos and junior Chimdi Chekwa all vie to fill Freeman’s shoes. There’s also a handful of new talent that could step in at corner including highly ranked recruit Travis Howard out of Miami, Florida.
One weak spot of concern left over from last season is the offensive line. The Ohio State o-line had a tendency to sit back on their heels last season and it is yet to be seen if they can provide the protection needed to let the backfield go to work.
