CFN's 2005 OSU Analysis

[jwinslow]

Keep in mind all of you that the 2002 Lydell Ross was pretty decent... and while he wasn't great in 03 he still had games like Indiana. There was enough of a reason to grant him some latitude in the eyes of EA who undoubtedly cannot keep up with all of the nuances of a player like him. He's being looked at by the Bucs b/c on paper he looks like a real solid back, and so that's why we saw those ratings be so high for him in NCAA 2005.

 

[Zurp]

in 03 he still had games like Indiana.

Speaking of which, if every team were Indiana, maybe he would have won a Heisman. He always seemed to play well against them.

 

[BB73]

John Harris's article accompanying Fiu's Buckeye preview:

I bolded the comments I found most noteworthy.

With a fresh set of downs…
1<SUP>st</SUP> and Ten – “He went one way, I went the other and grabbed nothing but air” – On NFL Films many years ago, there was a feature on one of the all time great NFL running backs Gale Sayers. As the highlights flashed on the screen, comedian Bill Cosby described a run where Sayers “split like an amoeba” and left a defender grasping for the shadowed entity in the middle, while Sayers sprinted past him for a long touchdown run. You’ve got to think that if the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ defenders heard that piece that they might be thinking the same thing about attempting (key word, attempting) to tackle Buckeye sophomore Ted Ginn, Jr. Now, this isn’t to meant to make a direct comparison to one of the best running backs of all time and a college sophomore, but, folks, this is one of the most dynamic players the game of college football has seen in a good while. It’s fascinating that we, as college football fans, get to witness the sublime moves and explosiveness of guys like Reggie Bush, Devin Hester and Ginn all in the same season. Regardless, Ginn is perhaps the most explosive talent to play football at the Ohio State University, and Ohio State has had some great ones. Ginn could shake you in a phone booth if he had to, and the number of Houdini-esque escapes that he pulled off last season, especially on national television in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State was jaw-dropping (well, before the gushing gets out of hand, just remember that Oklahoma State couldn’t have tackled me last year at the end of last season). Either way, Ginn became the focus of defensive game plans opening things up for star WR Santonio Holmes and Anthony Gonzales and also the running skills of Troy Smith. That shouldn’t change this year, so the Jims (Tressel and Bollman) must continue to find ways to put the ball in number seven’s hands. Any way they can.

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2<SUP>nd</SUP> and Seven – Still the Best – As the NFL draft commenced on turday, all the talk, about the top five picks in the draft, was about offensive stars. Suffice it to say, the best defensive player in the draft, well, wasn’t even in the draft – OSU LB AJ Hawk. There were some good players drafted this past weekend, especially on defense, but if Hawk had made himself eligible, he’d have gone in that top five. He’s that good. You just don’t find a guy that can read, run and tackle as well as Hawk in the college game. At 6’1” 248, running mid 4.4s, you’re talking a defensive coordinator’s dream and a ball carrier’s nightmare. He rarely misses tackles and when he gets a hat on you, you feel it. September 10<SUP>th</SUP> when Hawk lines up against Texas’ Vince Young, oh my gosh, that might possibly be better than se…well, okay, maybe a close second to that.

3<SUP>rd</SUP> and Three – Living up to Expectation – Ohio State has never been lacking for skill players, and often gets its share of high school All-Americans, especially in the secondary. One of those players that came to Ohio State with huge expectations is Donte Whitner. As a safety last year, when he was on the field and not injured, he made plays all over the field – 17 tackles against Wisconsin, a key pick against NC State led to the team’s only touchdown of the game. This season, Whitner might move back to his original CB position, but that only allows the Buckeyes to get the other strong safety starter Tyler Everett on the field at the same time. No matter whether it’s at safety or at corner, keep your eye on #9 as a future star defensive back in the Big Ten

4<SUP>th</SUP> and One – Déjà vu All Over Again – Okay, let’s do this for the second consecutive year – there’s a QB controversy in Columbus. Surprise, surprise. The difference going into this year is that we all got to see what each one could do. And, also, not do. If you could put the talents of Troy Smith and Justin Zwick together in one QB, that guy could be a Heisman worthy candidate. Rotating QBs are the worst idea the college football gods ever created, but this is one place where it might work because of the varied talents of this pair. Might, being the key word. Either way, when the individual at this position played well last year, the Buckeyes won. When they didn’t, it was ugly. Very ugly.

 

[Dryden]

Don't know about all of you ... but all this love from CFN is getting me all choked up inside *sniff sniff*