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Game Thread Game Two: #1 Ohio State 24, #2 Texas 7 (9/9/06)

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Here's the texas preview from SI/Athlon.

si.com/texas

Mack Brown has rarely been faulted for his recruiting. But when it came to attracting top high school quarterbacks to Texas while Vince Young was going crazy legs on opposing defenses, Brown might as well have been recruiting to Siberia U.

He tried to get a high-profile quarterback in the 2003, 2005 and 2006 recruiting classes. He went 0-fer. Brown went after Rhett Bomar (who signed with Oklahoma), Bobby Reid (Oklahoma State), Xavier Lee (Florida State), Kyle Wright (Miami), Mark Sanchez (USC) and Ryan Perrilloux (LSU). All said thanks, but no thanks.

Now, Brown finds himself trying to defend the national championship and the nation's longest winning streak (20 games) with a quarterback who has never taken a college snap.

"We've told our young quarterbacks that we want to defend the national title and that we believe in them," Brown says. "They have a lot of talent around them. So we're not asking them to go win games for us. We simply want them to play their role."
OFFENSE

Redshirt freshman quarterback Colt McCoy and true freshman Jevan Snead made progress learning the offense, making reads and taking command of the huddle in the spring, but there was no separation between the two. So, McCoy and Snead may end up sharing the job to start the season.

The offensive line should be able to protect whoever is under center, as three starters return -- including preseason awards candidate Justin Blalock at right tackle.

The Longhorns lost their leading rusher in Young, who ran for 1,050 yards and 12 scores last season. But Texas still returns 2,284 yards and 41 TDs on the ground. Stud sophomore Jamaal Charles (878 yards, 11 TDs), versatile junior Ramonce Taylor (513 yards, 12 TDs), senior Selvin Young (461 yards, 8 TDs) and powerful sophomore Henry Melton (432 yards, 10 TDs) give the Horns plenty of options.

Taylor was basically booted from spring football by Brown as a message to get serious about his academics after skipping a few classes earlier in the year. Taylor is expected back, but it's no guarantee.

Receiver was one of the biggest question marks going into 2005 and now is one of the team's strengths.
DEFENSE

The front seven of the Longhorns' defense may be the best since Brown took over in 1998. Texas also has the same defensive coordinator (Gene Chizik) for the second straight year after having three different coordinators over the past three seasons. This unit will need to be among the nation's leaders in scoring defense once again to help carry an offense breaking in a new quarterback.

The emergence of sophomore Roy Miller and junior Derek Lokey at nose tackle has allowed explosive junior tackle Frank Okam to move from nose to the 3-technique (lined up on the outside shoulder of the guard). Okam wants to be among the Big 12's sack leaders this season and coaches believe he can be.

Senior ends Brian Robison and Tim Crowder and sophomores Brian Orakpo and Chris Brown may finally give Texas a double-digit sacker for the first time since 1999.

Chizik has the depth and speed he craves at linebacker and has a talented, but thin, secondary led by free-safety Michael Griffin and cornerbacks Aaron Ross and Tarell Brown.
SPECIALISTS

The Longhorns may well replace departed kicker David Pino with true freshman Hunter Lawrence. At punter, Richmond McGee exits and left-footed senior Greg Johnson, a freshman All-American at Vanderbilt in 2002 who has been slow to blossom at Texas, takes over. Johnson will probably handle kickoff responsibilities.
FINAL ANALYSIS

Young taught the returning players how to win. If they've taken those lessons to heart, the Longhorns might be able to find a way to beat Ohio State in Austin on Sept. 9. A win over the Buckeyes would give Texas confidence going into a Big 12 schedule that will include dangerous games against Oklahoma, at Nebraska and at Texas Tech.

The defense should be good enough to allow an inexperienced quarterback to win some close games. The question is, how Texas will respond to adversity without Young?

<TABLE id=siStatsTable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=tablesHolder><!-- **** STATS TABLE **** --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=heading style="BORDER-RIGHT: #bbb 1px solid" width="46%">The Lowdown</TD><TD class=redHeading width="54%">2006 Schedule</TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #bbb 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; PADDING-TOP: 5px">Coach: Mack Brown (9th season, 83-19)
2005 record: 13-0 (Beat USC in Rose Bowl)
Big 12 finish: 8-0 (1st South)
2005 I-A offensive rankings:
Rushing: 2nd (274.9 ypg)
Passing: 40th (237.2 ypg)
2005 I-A defensive rankings:
Rushing: 33rd (130.9 ypg)
Passing: 8th (172.0 ypg)
</TD><TD><TABLE id=sked cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BACKGROUND: #fff" width="34%">Date</TD><TD class=skedR style="BACKGROUND: #fff" width="66%">Opponent</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 2</TD><TD class=skedR>North Texas</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 9</TD><TD class=skedR>Ohio State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 16</TD><TD class=skedR>#Rice</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 23</TD><TD class=skedR>Iowa State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 30</TD><TD class=skedR>Sam Houston State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 7</TD><TD class=skedR>%Oklahoma</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 14</TD><TD class=skedR>Baylor</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 21</TD><TD class=skedR>at Nebraska</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 28</TD><TD class=skedR>at Texas Tech</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nov. 4</TD><TD class=skedR>Oklahoma State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nov. 11</TD><TD class=skedR>at Kansas State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nov. 24</TD><TD class=skedR>Texas A&M</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>#Reliant Stadium: Houston TX</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>%Dallas TX</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=heading colSpan=2>Depth Chart: Offense</TD></TR><TR><TD class=subHeading colSpan=2>5 returning starters in red</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Yr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead depthLast">Yr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>SE</TD><TD class=depthC>4</TD><TD class=depth>Limas Sweed</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>23</TD><TD class=depth>Myron Hardy</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>FL</TD><TD class=depthC>5</TD><TD class=depth>Billy Pittman</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>6</TD><TD class=depth>Quan Cosby</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>LT</TD><TD class=depthC>79</TD><TD class=depth>Tony Hills</TD><TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>70</TD><TD class=depth>Greg Dolan</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>LG</TD><TD class=depthC>64</TD><TD class=depth>Kasey Studdard</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>52</TD><TD class=depth>Charlie Tanner</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>C</TD><TD class=depthC>62</TD><TD class=depth>Lyle Sendlein</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>67</TD><TD class=depth>Dallas Griffin</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>RG</TD><TD class=depthC>55</TD><TD class=depth>Cedric Dockery</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>71</TD><TD class=depth>Chris Hall</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>RT</TD><TD class=depthC>63</TD><TD class=depth>Justin Blalock</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>74</TD><TD class=depth>Adam Ulatoski</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>TE</TD><TD class=depthC>87</TD><TD class=depth>Neale Tweedie</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>16</TD><TD class=depth>Jermichael Finley</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>QB</TD><TD class=depthC>12</TD><TD class=depth>Colt McCoy</TD><TD class=depthC>Fr.</TD><TD class=depthC>7</TD><TD class=depth>Jevan Snead</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>FB</TD><TD class=depthC>3</TD><TD class=depth>Chris Ogbonnaya</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>32</TD><TD class=depth>Marcus Myers</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>RB</TD><TD class=depthC>25</TD><TD class=depth>Jamaal Charles</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>22</TD><TD class=depth>Selvin Young</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=heading colSpan=2>Depth Chart: Defense</TD></TR><TR><TD class=subHeading colSpan=2>7 returning starters in red</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Yr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead depthLast">Yr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>DE</TD><TD class=depthC>39</TD><TD class=depth>Brian Robison</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>98</TD><TD class=depth>Brian Orakpo</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>DT</TD><TD class=depthC>99</TD><TD class=depth>Roy Miller</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>96</TD><TD class=depth>Derek Lokey</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>DT</TD><TD class=depthC>97</TD><TD class=depth>Frank Okam</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>94</TD><TD class=depth>Thomas Marshall</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>DE</TD><TD class=depthC>80</TD><TD class=depth>Tim Crowder</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>48</TD><TD class=depth>Chris Brown</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>SLB</TD><TD class=depthC>40</TD><TD class=depth>Robert Killebrew</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>2</TD><TD class=depth>Sergio Kindle</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>MLB</TD><TD class=depthC>44</TD><TD class=depth>Rashad Bobino</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>38</TD><TD class=depth>Roddrick Muckelroy</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>WLB</TD><TD class=depthC>4</TD><TD class=depth>Drew Kelson</TD><TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>43</TD><TD class=depth>Jeremy Campbell</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>CB</TD><TD class=depthC>31</TD><TD class=depth>Aaron Ross</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>28</TD><TD class=depth>Brandon Foster</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>CB</TD><TD class=depthC>5</TD><TD class=depth>Tarell Brown</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>29</TD><TD class=depth>Ryan Palmer</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>SS</TD><TD class=depthC>26</TD><TD class=depth>Marcus Griffin</TD><TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>18</TD><TD class=depth>Matt Melton</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>FS</TD><TD class=depthC>27</TD><TD class=depth>Michael Griffin</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>6</TD><TD class=depth>Erick Jackson</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=heading colSpan=2>Special Teams</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Yr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead depthLast">Yr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>K</TD><TD class=depthC>97</TD><TD class=depth>Greg Johnson</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>P</TD><TD class=depthC>97</TD><TD class=depth>Greg Johnson</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>KR</TD><TD class=depthC>11</TD><TD class=depth>Ramonce Taylor</TD><TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>PR</TD><TD class=depthC>31</TD><TD class=depth>Aaron Ross</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- **** /PASTE STORY PARAGRAPHS HERE **** -->
 
Upvote 0
Here's tOSU's for comparison.

si.com/ohiost

At Ohio State, a place once known as "the graveyard of coaches," Jim Tressel has managed to find a cushy seat with 50 wins in five years and the 2002 national championship. However, Tressel could be taken out of his comfort zone in '06 even though the Buckeyes, once again, will be expected to contend for the title.
While a young defense develops and Tressel works to make his special teams an asset, he may have to unleash a high-octane offensive attack. If the Buckeyes can pick up where they left off last year -- 34 points and 617 yards of offense in a Fiesta Bowl drubbing of Notre Dame -- they should be up to the challenge.
Playmakers abound on offense even with the loss of receiver Santonio Holmes, and for the first time in his career quarterback Troy Smith will start the season entrenched as the Buckeyes' signal caller.
"I never thought that something like that would affect me," receiver Anthony Gonzalez says, "but to be perfectly honest, I can't express how nice it is to know that when you go out there you're going to have No. 10 out there. Having a guy who you've been with for years and you've kind of grown with, it really is nice for an offense. Everybody knows what to expect."
The Buckeyes enjoyed that kind of reliability on defense in recent years, but A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, Donte Whitner and Ashton Youboty are among the nine departed starters, leaving the staff charged with reloading on that side of the ball.
"We've got a semi-veteran front that's got to become very veteran, and we've got a young group of linebackers who have to learn every day, and we've got an extremely young group in the secondary where every day is going to be an adventure, but that's college football," Tressel says.
OFFENSE

For the first eight games of the '04 season, the Ohio State offense resembled a high school attack, rife with basic runs, safe passes, plenty of punts and barely more than 20 points per game. Then Ted Ginn Jr. added an electrifying presence with three touchdowns in a win at Michigan State. Two weeks later, it was Smith who tore up Michigan -- with Ginn adding a dazzling punt return touchdown for good measure.
The OSU offense has been lethal virtually ever since. The Buckeyes rolled up 33 points in an Alamo Bowl win to end the '04 season and averaged 32.7 points per game last fall. Plus, Smith no longer shares responsibilities with Justin Zwick. Now, Smith is the clear-cut leader of the Buckeyes, and Ginn is ready to be a more reliable receiver and better all-around player.
Holmes was terrific last season with nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 11 TDs before leaving for the NFL, but Gonzalez should help fill that void. The coaches are pleased with the depth at receiver after veteran Roy Hall and up-and-comers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie all enjoyed impressive springs.
The running game should be exciting as well. Speedy junior Antonio Pittman is coming off a 1,331-yard season, and incoming freshman sensation Chris Wells adds a new dimension by slamming his 225-pound frame behind a mammoth offensive line.
How big are the Buckeyes up front? The projected starting front five weighs in at an average of 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds. Expect OSU to hit the ground running this season.
DEFENSE

It all starts up front for the Buckeyes, who, whether they stick to their 4-3 look or occasionally shift into a 3-4, should be stout at the point of attack. Quinn Pitcock is a pest inside, and he'll be flanked by the steady David Patterson, who shifts from end to tackle.
If the staff can discover the right combination in the linebacking corps, the middle of the defense won't drop off as much as most expect due to the loss of Hawk, Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel to the NFL. Marcus Freeman will assume Hawk's responsibilities playing on the weak side and leading the group, and juco transfer Larry Grant or veteran James Laurinaitis will handle the other side. The middle features two fifth-year veterans, John Kerr and Mike D'Andrea.
The secondary is a work in progress, but Malcolm Jenkins has shutdown ability at corner, and Jamario O'Neal could be a rising star at strong safety. One of the most pleasant surprises of the offseason has been the rapid development of redshirt freshman Anderson Russell, who figures to see lots of time as a nickel back.
SPECIALISTS

The Buckeyes have been spoiled over the past five years with Mike Nugent and Josh Huston handling the kicking duties. Now, they will turn to Ryan Pretorius, a 27-year-old native of South Africa. A.J. Trapasso has the leg to be an asset at punter, and the return game, featuring Ginn, will be dangerous.
FINAL ANALYSIS

The Buckeyes have a foundation for greatness with two legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates in former prep teammates Smith and Ginn. OSU also has a coach with a 50-13 record and one national title during five seasons in Columbus. Tressel proved that he could win with different styles while claiming four I-AA national championships at Youngstown State. He's challenged to do that again, as the Buckeyes likely will have to outscore foes, not simply shut them down, to win consistently.

<TABLE id=siStatsTable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=tablesHolder><!-- **** STATS TABLE **** --><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#ffffff border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=heading style="BORDER-RIGHT: #bbb 1px solid" width="46%">The Lowdown</TD><TD class=redHeading width="54%">2006 Schedule</TD></TR><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #bbb 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 5px; PADDING-TOP: 5px">Coach: Jim Tressel (6th season, 50-13)
2005 record: 10-2 (Beat Notre Dame in Fiesta Bowl)
Big Ten finish: 7-1 (t-1st)
2005 I-A offensive rankings:
Rushing: 24th (196.7 ypg)
Passing: 52nd (225.7 ypg)
2005 I-A defensive rankings:
Rushing: 1st (73.4 ypg)
Passing: 43rd (207.9 ypg)
</TD><TD><TABLE id=sked cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#dddddd border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BACKGROUND: #fff" width="34%">Date</TD><TD class=skedR style="BACKGROUND: #fff" width="66%">Opponent</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 2</TD><TD class=skedR>Northern Illinois</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 9</TD><TD class=skedR>at Texas</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 16</TD><TD class=skedR>Cincinnati</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 23</TD><TD class=skedR>Penn State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Sept. 30</TD><TD class=skedR>at Iowa</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 7</TD><TD class=skedR>Bowling Green</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 14</TD><TD class=skedR>at Michigan State</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 21</TD><TD class=skedR>Indiana</TD></TR><TR><TD>Oct. 28</TD><TD class=skedR>Minnesota</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nov. 4</TD><TD class=skedR>at Illinois</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nov. 11</TD><TD class=skedR>at Northwestern</TD></TR><TR><TD>Nov. 18</TD><TD class=skedR>Michigan</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=heading colSpan=2>Depth Chart: Offense</TD></TR><TR><TD class=subHeading colSpan=2>7 returning starters in red</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Yr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead depthLast">Yr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>WR</TD><TD class=depthC>11</TD><TD class=depth>Anthony Gonzalez</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>8</TD><TD class=depth>Roy Hall</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>WR</TD><TD class=depthC>7</TD><TD class=depth>Ted Ginn Jr.</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>80</TD><TD class=depth>Brian Robiskie</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>LT</TD><TD class=depthC>75</TD><TD class=depth>Alex Boone</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>68</TD><TD class=depth>Tim Schafer</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>LG</TD><TD class=depthC>71</TD><TD class=depth>Steve Rehring</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>79</TD><TD class=depth>Jon Skinner</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>C</TD><TD class=depthC>50</TD><TD class=depth>Doug Datish</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>64</TD><TD class=depth>Jim Cordle</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>RG</TD><TD class=depthC>72</TD><TD class=depth>T.J. Downing</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>63</TD><TD class=depth>Ben Person</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>RT</TD><TD class=depthC>74</TD><TD class=depth>Kirk Barton</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>65</TD><TD class=depth>Doug Ebner</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>TE</TD><TD class=depthC>88</TD><TD class=depth>Rory Nicol</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>81</TD><TD class=depth>Marcel Frost</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>QB</TD><TD class=depthC>10</TD><TD class=depth>Troy Smith</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>12</TD><TD class=depth>Justin Zwick</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>FB</TD><TD class=depthC>89</TD><TD class=depth>Stan White Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>49</TD><TD class=depth>Dionte Johnson</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>TB</TD><TD class=depthC>25</TD><TD class=depth>Antonio Pittman</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>28</TD><TD class=depth>Chris Wells</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=heading colSpan=2>Depth Chart: Defense</TD></TR><TR><TD class=subHeading colSpan=2>2 returning starters in red</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Yr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead depthLast">Yr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>DE</TD><TD class=depthC>87</TD><TD class=depth>Lawrence Wilson</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>50</TD><TD class=depth>Vernon Gholston</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>DT</TD><TD class=depthC>97</TD><TD class=depth>David Patterson</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>92</TD><TD class=depth>Todd Denlinger</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>DT</TD><TD class=depthC>90</TD><TD class=depth>Quinn Pitcock</SPAN< td> <TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>98</TD><TD class=depth>Joel Penton</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>DE</TD><TD class=depthC>99</TD><TD class=depth>Jay Richardson</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>78</TD><TD class=depth>Alex Barrow</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>SLB</TD><TD class=depthC>33</TD><TD class=depth>James Laurinaitis</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>41</TD><TD class=depth>Larry Grant</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>MLB</TD><TD class=depthC>52</TD><TD class=depth>John Kerr</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>5</TD><TD class=depth>Mike D’Andrea</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>WLB</TD><TD class=depthC>1</TD><TD class=depth>Marcus Freeman</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>38</TD><TD class=depth>Austin Spitler</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>CB</TD><TD class=depthC>2</TD><TD class=depth>Malcolm Jenkins</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>24</TD><TD class=depth>Mike Roberts</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>CB</TD><TD class=depthC>14</TD><TD class=depth>Antonio Smith</TD><TD class=depthC>Sr.</TD><TD class=depthC>20</TD><TD class=depth>Donald Washington</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>SS</TD><TD class=depthC>3</TD><TD class=depth>Jamario O’Neal</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>21</TD><TD class=depth>Anderson Russell</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Fr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>FS</TD><TD class=depthC>35</TD><TD class=depth>Nick Patterson</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>32</TD><TD class=depth>Brandon Mitchell</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Sr.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=heading colSpan=2>Special Teams</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Yr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">Ps.</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead">No.</TD><TD class="depth depthHead">Player</TD><TD class="depthC depthHead depthLast">Yr.</TD></TR><TR><TD class=depthC>K</TD><TD class=depthC>85</TD><TD class=depth>Ryan Pretorius</TD><TD class=depthC>So.</TD><TD class=depthC>P</TD><TD class=depthC>15</TD><TD class=depth>A.J. Trapasso</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">So.</TD></TR><TR class=depthGBg><TD class=depthC>KR</TD><TD class=depthC>7</TD><TD class=depth>Ted Ginn Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>Jr.</TD><TD class=depthC>PR</TD><TD class=depthC>7</TD><TD class=depth>Ted Ginn Jr.</TD><TD class="depthC depthLast">Jr.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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NOTREDAMECHIEF said:
OK..... Seeing how this is only the second game of the year how do you know that Troy Smith will not be rusty?? Defense almost always has the upper hand early in the season.
Click to expand...

Let's see...maybe it's because he will not have missed the previous bowl game, will have started the opener prior to the Texas game, and will have practiced the entire spring and fall camps, completely opposite of last year.

To imply that Smith will have the same degree of rust despite the total difference in situation is flat out stupid.
 
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t_BuckeyeScott said:
What I want to know is this: Has a frosh of any nature qbacked a team to the National Title?
Click to expand...
I am not going into this season with great expectations of a National Title, for right now I am worried about only tOSU game, once that game comes and goes, we will see how the National Championship picture looks.

This thread is growing rapidly, some 20 odd pages in two days? All that and UTMNC is temp banned? Crazy.

Anyway, from what I glanced through, much of the discussion, two days ago, was involving the loss of talent from UT's defense. And Aaron Harris was brought up again. It is a very common opinion amongst us Horns fans that Harris was too slow for Chizik's defense. I do think that if Harris wasn't such a leader to UT last year, that he wouldn't have seen the playing time as much. That being said, it brings up the other problem with our defense, in that Wright, Huff and Harris, all seniors, and all supposedly leaders, have left. Of course this happens every year, as senior leadership has to leave (you guys definitely know that this year on defense and in Mangold.) As great as the individual talent may be on either team, there has to be somebody that is instrumental in bringing it together as a team.
As for calling the Texas secondary the best, that is a large stretch. Griffin's play making ability was helped by the fact that he had Huff back there with him. He looks to be the stud of the DBs this year, but we will have to wait and see. We are in good shape at the corners, mainly because of the experience of the two starters, but the many of the same people lauding Ross and Brown this year, were the same people who called them a weak area last year. Also Brown is coming off a broken arm, so we don't know if he is going to lay the wood without being somewhat timid.
To respond to another post (somewhere in the last twenty pages) losing Rod Wright is huge, but he severely dropped off last year, and it may have been because of his shoulder injury, but he was not the same player last year as he was in his senior year. Not that his replacement will be better this year, but he is probably not as tough to replace as some posters may think.
Finally, I can see how UT can lose this game, and I have commented as such. For you Buckeye posters, what situations do you see that could lead to a hypothetical Buckeye loss? What worries you the most about your own team, and what worries you the most about UT?
 
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I can't believe anyone didn't mention this earlier. One of the UT fans was saying that the reason he was confident of UT's corners was the USC game. I agree they didn't get burned for long plays and they tackled well, but the USC recievers were still open and the db's weren't getting pass breakups. Tackling DBs are nice but you've got to stop the completion to get off the field. I'm sure they are fine players, but the best in the nation?
 
Upvote 0
texasfight06 said:
I am not going into this season with great expectations of a National Title, for right now I am worried about only tOSU game, once that game comes and goes, we will see how the National Championship picture looks.

This thread is growing rapidly, some 20 odd pages in two days? All that and UTMNC is temp banned? Crazy.

Anyway, from what I glanced through, much of the discussion, two days ago, was involving the loss of talent from UT's defense. And Aaron Harris was brought up again. It is a very common opinion amongst us Horns fans that Harris was too slow for Chizik's defense. I do think that if Harris wasn't such a leader to UT last year, that he wouldn't have seen the playing time as much. That being said, it brings up the other problem with our defense, in that Wright, Huff and Harris, all seniors, and all supposedly leaders, have left. Of course this happens every year, as senior leadership has to leave (you guys definitely know that this year on defense and in Mangold.) As great as the individual talent may be on either team, there has to be somebody that is instrumental in bringing it together as a team.
As for calling the Texas secondary the best, that is a large stretch. Griffin's play making ability was helped by the fact that he had Huff back there with him. He looks to be the stud of the DBs this year, but we will have to wait and see. We are in good shape at the corners, mainly because of the experience of the two starters, but the many of the same people lauding Ross and Brown this year, were the same people who called them a weak area last year. Also Brown is coming off a broken arm, so we don't know if he is going to lay the wood without being somewhat timid.
To respond to another post (somewhere in the last twenty pages) losing Rod Wright is huge, but he severely dropped off last year, and it may have been because of his shoulder injury, but he was not the same player last year as he was in his senior year. Not that his replacement will be better this year, but he is probably not as tough to replace as some posters may think.
Finally, I can see how UT can lose this game, and I have commented as such. For you Buckeye posters, what situations do you see that could lead to a hypothetical Buckeye loss? What worries you the most about your own team, and what worries you the most about UT?
Click to expand...

What worries me most about the Longhorns is the fact that they have a big offensive line, and their defense is still pretty stellar. They're by no means a push-over, like many people on this forum have indicated. And that is why this game is going to be so exciting, because no one knows who will win.

Last year, I was sold that we would cruise to a victory, and that Vince Young was so overrated. I was proved wrong, big time.

The way I see tOSU losing this game is by turning the ball over more than the Longhorns. They are going to play very well, and the new defense is going to have to be solid, in (some of the players') second game of their career, as a starter.

My updated prediction is tOSU-28 - UT-21
 
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texasfight06 said:
Finally, I can see how UT can lose this game, and I have commented as such. For you Buckeye posters, what situations do you see that could lead to a hypothetical Buckeye loss? What worries you the most about your own team, and what worries you the most about UT?
Click to expand...
My #1 concern is a breakdown in assignments in the secondary. OSU has a stockpile of DBs with speed to burn, talent, and coverage ability. Some even have a moderate amount of experience, whether on the two-deep last season, special teams, or garbage time. They've never played as a unit though, so there will certainly be some growing pains there.

#2 on my list is JT not letting the offense play. Night game. On the road. This is traditionally a recipe for Tressel's 3-yards and a cloud of punt approach. Take the FGs, win the field position and time of possession games, and expect to come out on top. That won't work this time around. OSU has to score and take the crowd out of it, and hopefully demoralize a Texas team that lacks the senior leaders of a year ago and see if they fold. Applewhite could rally the troops, and VY was otherworldly in that regard, but can anybody do it this year? The OSU offense needs to put the screws in and force UT to play catch-up with inexperienced QBs. My concern is Tressel doesn't let the boys play in the 1st half and UT is allowed to hang around or hold a lead. I'd rather the rookie QB, whoever it is, be rattled and not confident.

We don't need no stinkin' field goals.
 
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