cincibuck
You kids stay off my lawn!
Buckeyes' dreams nice, but a ways off
By Larry Phillips
Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal
<!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->It's nice to hear optimism emanating from Ohio State's football camp.
Spring practice is in full bloom with the forgettable 2004 season (and its colossal off-field catastrophes) finally fading.
It's time for optimism. As Jim Tressel says, the Buckeyes haven't punted yet.
On the surface, this is a veteran team, and Tressel has his own recruits in place at every position.
Yet there are huge questions in all three phases of the game for a program talking about a national-championship run. Clear answers may not be in Columbus just yet.
First and foremost, who will run the ball?
Glowing testimonials of redshirt freshman Erik Haw aside, some seem to forget this youngster was fifth on the depth chart last season. There must have been a reason for that, and it was in a year when the Buckeyes tried Maurice Hall, Lydell Ross, Antonio Pittman and Branden Joe at tailback.
None could take the job.
Only Pittman returns, which makes Haw, the projected back-up, the most popular guy in town. Tough to ask incoming freshman Maurice Wells to take the job, but someone must if OSU is to be a serious contender in the Big Ten, let alone nationally.
Fact: Ohio State hasn't won any version of the national crown in the modern era without a great back. Hopalong Cassady (1954) , Bob Ferguson (1961), Jim Otis, (1968) John Brockington (1970) and Maurice Clarett (2002) all led the charge in their respective years. The Buckeyes haven't won a Big Ten title without a 1,000-yard rusher since Calvin Murray collected 872 yards in 1979.
Last year's team couldn't run, but it could kick.
Who will kick now?
For a team that consistently plays incredibly close games, which some have branded Tressel Ball, the lack of a proven kicker is an ugly thought. The reliance on Mike Nugent over the past three years leaves an enormous hole.
Defensively, last year's team gave up significant passing yards to Iowa's Drew Tate (331), Michigan's Chad Henne (328), Northwestern's Brett Basanez (278) and even Michigan State backup Damon Dowdell (262 yards).
Lack of pressure was a serious problem. Who will pressure opposing passers this fall?
Mike Kudla? David Patterson? Jay Richardson? Vernon Gholston?
There is no Will Smith in that group. No Mike Vrabel. No Van DeCree.
The schedule has a number of land mines, too.
The home slate includes two tremendous tests in September. A probable top-three Texas team, the highest rated and best opponent OSU has seen since facing Miami (Fla.) in the Fiesta Bowl, is the second game.
Iowa, a squad that hammered the Buckeyes beyond recognition a year ago (33-7), brings Tate, the reigning first-team all-conference quarterback, to town Sept. 24.
Road assignments include trips to Penn State and Michigan. Ohio State has never won in Happy Valley and Ann Arbor in the same season.
Never.
Ann Arbor in particular has been a house of horrors.
The Buckeyes have won once in their last eight trips. The defense has been especially soft, yielding at least 20 points or more in 11 consecutive clashes at The Big House. It's been 26 years since Ohio State finished a season as Big Ten champs by winning at Michigan (1979). It's been 44 years since an OSU national-championship run rolled successfully through Ann Arbor (1961).
The scenario is only slightly better at Penn State.
Happy Valley has been Glum Gulch for OSU. The Buckeyes have won just twice there since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten, going 1-3 in their last four trips. Even that win, a last-minute, 21-20 nailbiter in 2003, came against a bad Penn State team (3-9) that nearly wrecked a BCS bid for the defending national champions.
It's been 28 years since Ohio State won a Big Ten championship and collected a victory at Penn State (1976, well before Joe Paterno was a conference foe). OSU has never won at Happy Valley and gone on to win the national crown.
Yes, Ohio State should be better than a year ago.
Defensively, the linebackers could be the best in the nation. The secondary should be improved, too. Offensively, as the Michigan State game proved last season, Ted Ginn Jr. alone can win a game.
This should be a good campaign.
But legitimate national title talk?
Not this year. Not with this team. Not with this schedule.
We'll broach this subject again in 2006, and maybe with more optimism.
By Larry Phillips
Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal
<!-- ARTICLE SIDEBAR --><!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->It's nice to hear optimism emanating from Ohio State's football camp.
Spring practice is in full bloom with the forgettable 2004 season (and its colossal off-field catastrophes) finally fading.
It's time for optimism. As Jim Tressel says, the Buckeyes haven't punted yet.
On the surface, this is a veteran team, and Tressel has his own recruits in place at every position.
Yet there are huge questions in all three phases of the game for a program talking about a national-championship run. Clear answers may not be in Columbus just yet.
First and foremost, who will run the ball?
Glowing testimonials of redshirt freshman Erik Haw aside, some seem to forget this youngster was fifth on the depth chart last season. There must have been a reason for that, and it was in a year when the Buckeyes tried Maurice Hall, Lydell Ross, Antonio Pittman and Branden Joe at tailback.
None could take the job.
Only Pittman returns, which makes Haw, the projected back-up, the most popular guy in town. Tough to ask incoming freshman Maurice Wells to take the job, but someone must if OSU is to be a serious contender in the Big Ten, let alone nationally.
Fact: Ohio State hasn't won any version of the national crown in the modern era without a great back. Hopalong Cassady (1954) , Bob Ferguson (1961), Jim Otis, (1968) John Brockington (1970) and Maurice Clarett (2002) all led the charge in their respective years. The Buckeyes haven't won a Big Ten title without a 1,000-yard rusher since Calvin Murray collected 872 yards in 1979.
Last year's team couldn't run, but it could kick.
Who will kick now?
For a team that consistently plays incredibly close games, which some have branded Tressel Ball, the lack of a proven kicker is an ugly thought. The reliance on Mike Nugent over the past three years leaves an enormous hole.
Defensively, last year's team gave up significant passing yards to Iowa's Drew Tate (331), Michigan's Chad Henne (328), Northwestern's Brett Basanez (278) and even Michigan State backup Damon Dowdell (262 yards).
Lack of pressure was a serious problem. Who will pressure opposing passers this fall?
Mike Kudla? David Patterson? Jay Richardson? Vernon Gholston?
There is no Will Smith in that group. No Mike Vrabel. No Van DeCree.
The schedule has a number of land mines, too.
The home slate includes two tremendous tests in September. A probable top-three Texas team, the highest rated and best opponent OSU has seen since facing Miami (Fla.) in the Fiesta Bowl, is the second game.
Iowa, a squad that hammered the Buckeyes beyond recognition a year ago (33-7), brings Tate, the reigning first-team all-conference quarterback, to town Sept. 24.
Road assignments include trips to Penn State and Michigan. Ohio State has never won in Happy Valley and Ann Arbor in the same season.
Never.
Ann Arbor in particular has been a house of horrors.
The Buckeyes have won once in their last eight trips. The defense has been especially soft, yielding at least 20 points or more in 11 consecutive clashes at The Big House. It's been 26 years since Ohio State finished a season as Big Ten champs by winning at Michigan (1979). It's been 44 years since an OSU national-championship run rolled successfully through Ann Arbor (1961).
The scenario is only slightly better at Penn State.
Happy Valley has been Glum Gulch for OSU. The Buckeyes have won just twice there since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten, going 1-3 in their last four trips. Even that win, a last-minute, 21-20 nailbiter in 2003, came against a bad Penn State team (3-9) that nearly wrecked a BCS bid for the defending national champions.
It's been 28 years since Ohio State won a Big Ten championship and collected a victory at Penn State (1976, well before Joe Paterno was a conference foe). OSU has never won at Happy Valley and gone on to win the national crown.
Yes, Ohio State should be better than a year ago.
Defensively, the linebackers could be the best in the nation. The secondary should be improved, too. Offensively, as the Michigan State game proved last season, Ted Ginn Jr. alone can win a game.
This should be a good campaign.
But legitimate national title talk?
Not this year. Not with this team. Not with this schedule.
We'll broach this subject again in 2006, and maybe with more optimism.
