• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Game Thread Ohio State 3, Southern Cal 35 (Sept. 13)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
This game will come down to one thing, how Sanchez/Mustain react to the Buckeyes defense. Just like the 06 Texas game, if The Buckeyes' opponent's QB gets rattled by the Buckeye D, the Bucks could come away with a two touchdown victory. If USC's QB can stay poised and calm, the USC receivers are too good not to get open atleast a few times, so the QB will find them.

And also, a year does make a huge difference for a defense that returns most of it's starters, even if the previous year's defense wasn't spectacular, like the 2004 D to the 2005 D and the 2001 D to the 2002 D.
and this year we have senior leadership on defense, which is HUGE for a team competing for a National CHampionship.

Early Prediction: Ohio State 27, USC 14
 
Upvote 0
RhodeIslandBuck;1112711; said:
If USC's QB can stay poised and calm, the USC receivers are too good not to get open atleast a few times, so the QB will find them.
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, the SC receivers were considered a liability for much of the year. What makes you think they'll improve that much this upcoming year?

Hell, they don't have SEC speed! :biggrin:
 
Upvote 0
muffler dragon;1113326; said:
If I'm not mistaken, the SC receivers were considered a liability for much of the year. What makes you think they'll improve that much this upcoming year?

Hell, they don't have SEC speed! :biggrin:
Click to expand...


We do have SEC speed! Damien Williams came over with Mustain from Arkansas. He'll be eligible this year, and all the reports I've seen have been extremely positive. Throw in that leading receiver Vidal Hazelton played last season with two torn stomach muscles, Ronald Johnson showed promise as a deep threat his freshman year, and the entire group is a year more experienced, and it would really be baffling if this group didn't have a much improved 2008.

Now, will all that be evident the second game of the season with a new signal caller and no more Fred Davis? Open for debate.

Patrick Turner: Really needs to have a breakout year. Has all the physical tools, but hasn't been able to put it all together yet. One theory on last year's disappointment is that he was looking outstanding until he took a hit from Rey Maualuga right before the season opener.

Ronald Johnson: SC's best deep threat last year was a freshman, so there were a lot of near misses. A year in the system should help.

Vidal Hazelton: A playmaker who can break tackles and make things happen after the catch. And all that with two torn stomach muscles (misdiagnosed as a groin injury). The surgery was reportedly a success, and he's expected to be fully recovered for spring practice.

Damien Williams: Has built-in chemistry if Mustain wins the job, but should be an impact regardless. Transfer from Arkansas had to sit out last year. Received lots of praise on the scout team.

David Ausberry: Another in the mold of the big USC receivers (listed at 6'4", 225). USC likes to get him the ball out in the flat and let him use his size to run over corners 1-on-1. Didn't deliver on the big expectations many set for him last year, but he's only a RS sophomore.

Travon Patterson: Was supposed to be SC's burner, but missed the entire season with injury.

Garrett Green: Utility player gives SC some trick play potential. Former QB in HS.

Brandon Carswell: Bright future, but buried in the depth chart.

DJ Shoemate/Brice Butler: Incoming freshmen.
 
Upvote 0
methomps;1113805; said:
We do have SEC speed! Damien Williams came over with Mustain from Arkansas. He'll be eligible this year, and all the reports I've seen have been extremely positive. Throw in that leading receiver Vidal Hazelton played last season with two torn stomach muscles, Ronald Johnson showed promise as a deep threat his freshman year, and the entire group is a year more experienced, and it would really be baffling if this group didn't have a much improved 2008.

Now, will all that be evident the second game of the season with a new signal caller and no more Fred Davis? Open for debate.
Click to expand...

Hey methomps:

Am I mistaken in remembering that the "liability" on the part of the receivers was their ability to catch the ball? I would imagine that it will be a cold day in hell when SC doesn't have receivers with athletic ability, but catching the ball is the key. If I am remembering correctly; then was it a lack of chemistry with Booty (and Sanchez for his short stint) or something else? Don't get me wrong as I do also recall their youth, but even youth can put two mits on the ball with regularity.
 
Upvote 0
From an article about which programs are under pressure this year.

cfn

4. USC and its talent

With the possible exception of LSU, who has two national titles in the last four years, every program in America would take USC's success and record over the last six seasons. But for all the hype and all the hosannas heaped upon the Trojans, there has only been one unbeaten season under Carroll, one real national title that didn't need an explanation, and two straight two-loss seasons despite fielding a who's who of superstar high school talent. While USC has a reputation for being a factory for pro prospects, and pro timing day has become legendary, it's not like the Trojans are living up to the hype at the next level. For every Lofa Tatupu there are several Dwayne Jarretts. Reggie Bush has had more success with Kim Kardashian than he has on the field, Matt Leinart thinks he's Vincent Chase, and very soon, USC prospects aren't going to get the benefit of the doubt from all the scouts. The point? Don't just assume USC should be the No. 1 team in the nation just because it's USC.
Cont'd ...
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0
muffler dragon;1113990; said:
Hey methomps:

Am I mistaken in remembering that the "liability" on the part of the receivers was their ability to catch the ball? I would imagine that it will be a cold day in hell when SC doesn't have receivers with athletic ability, but catching the ball is the key. If I am remembering correctly; then was it a lack of chemistry with Booty (and Sanchez for his short stint) or something else? Don't get me wrong as I do also recall their youth, but even youth can put two mits on the ball with regularity.
Click to expand...

The problem was a general lack of consistency. Sometimes this meant drops, but other times it meant just disappearing.
 
Upvote 0
1. Ohio State at USC, Sept. 13
It's the epic matchup of superpowers you really wanted to see over the last few seasons, and it could've been the 2007 BCS Championship game if the Trojans hadn't gagged against UCLA. These two have played each other in a slew of recent Rose Bowls, right? The last game between the two was in 1990, with USC winning 35-26. The last Rose Bowl matchup was in 1985, and the last Buckeye win over the Trojans came in the 1974 Rose Bowl. The winner will likely be the nation's No. 1 team, or at least No. 2, with full control of its national title destiny.

Scout.com: 2008 Spring Preview - Top 40 Non-Conf. Games
 
Upvote 0
I think this series may emulate the series with Texas, in that the road team wins both games.

I hope the USC players underestimate our Defense as much as their fans are doing.

We have three killer road games this year: at USC, at Wisky, and at IL.
If we win all those, the damn media had better respect it and give us credit for doing it.
 
Upvote 0
NightmaresDad;1117641; said:
I think this series may emulate the series with Texas, in that the road team wins both games.

I hope the USC players underestimate our Defense as much as their fans are doing.

We have three killer road games this year: at USC, at Wisky, and at IL.
If we win all those, the damn media had better respect it and give us credit for doing it.
Click to expand...

No worries, if/when we are 12-0, the media won't have to respect us, cause we'll have punched our ticket to Miami.
 
Upvote 0
Yeah once SC comes to town in 2 years it could be a little shaky for tosu imo. We're going to be missing a lot of our defense (hopefully washington stays put so we'll atleast have 3 of 4 in the secondary returning). You add that with beanie going pro, losing Robo, breaking in a new QB, and have to replace your left side of our line and you don't have the experience you'd really want going into a year.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top