Ohio State Football 2009: Gaining Back National Respect

[Gooey Mess]

Ohio State Football 2009: Gaining Back National Respect | Bleacher Report

First OSU article, any thoughts?

The cool Autumn air blows through the orange and red leaves while the sun peeks out from behind a cloud. People wake up to relief that today is Saturday. Donning scarlet and gray, they head down to Columbus or any other party they can find with the game on. Ohio State football is Ohio, just as much as beautiful fall trees, apple orchards, and farmland. From Cincinnati to Cleveland, from Columbus to Toledo, the state is abuzz every Saturday morning about the Buckeyes. After five hard days of work, people love to sit down, relax, and cheer on their favorite team.

But there is a problem.


Ohio State has lost their last four big games against OOC powerhouses (Florida, LSU, USC, Texas) and the nation has lost their respect for the Buckeyes. In 2009, the Buckeyes feature a younger and faster (and less experienced) squad then from the previous year. They will be tested early with games against Navy (the nation's best rushing team from the past four years) and USC (who won 35-3 last year) and late games at Penn State and versus Michigan. The success of this Ohio State team will rely mainly on Terrelle Pryor and the OSU running game's three headed monster (Dan Herron, Brandon Saine, and Jaamal Berry).


QB: Terrelle Pryor - much depends on TP and Boom for OSU this year, 7-1 as a starter last year as a true freshman, dual threat


RB: Dan Herron - nicknamed "Boom" for his running style, replacing Beanie Wells


FB: Zach Boren - played LB in HS, should be a solid FB for years to come for OSU (he's a freshman this year)


C: Michael Brewster - returning starter, could turn into an amazing center


RT: Jim Cordle - senior, one of the top OL prospects coming out of HS


RG: Bryant Browning - powerful run blocker that should help Boom


LG: Justin Boren - transferred from Michigan, arguably OSU's most physical player on the OL


LT: Andrew Miller - beat out J.B. Shugarts for the starting spot


TE: Jake Ballard - big frame and has a lot of potential


WR: Dane Sazenbacher - veteran WR on the team this year, productive


Devier Posey - playmaking sophomore, also a lot of potential


Duron Carter - son of former OSU great Chris Carter (as if you haven't heard), highly recruited

DE: Thaddeus Gibson - destroys everything moving


DT: Doug Worthington - returning starter, versatile


DT: Dexter Larimore -veteran, tough


DE: Cameron Heyward - junior, great player


WLB: Ross Homan - returning starter, physical


MLB: Brian Rolle - junior, greatly improved from last year


SLB: Austin Spitler - tough, physical player, dynamic


CB: Andres Amos - veteran, hampered by an injury last year


FS: Anderson Russell - experienced, three year starter


SS: Kurt Coleman - the anchor of the OSU secondary, highly regarded recruit


CB: Chimdi Checkwa - very athletic, one of the better players in the OSU backfield

PK: Aaron Pettrey - senior, longest FG - 54 yards, accurate


P: Jon Thoma - senior, walk on


KR: Brandon Saine - HS sprinter, but does can he return kicks effectively?


PR: Ray Small - looks to improve on his performance last year and establish himself as a threat to return a punt for a touchdown. Hopefully can avoid suspensions as well.


Steps To Regaining National Respect:
1. Beat (or lose a close game) USC
2. Win the Big Ten
3. Win a BCS bowl game
A lot depends this year on the OL and RBs. Terrelle Pryor needs to step up if the Buckeyes want to return to a BCS bowl.

 

[jlb1705]

Steps To Regaining National Respect:
1. Beat (or lose a close game) USC
2. Win the Big Ten

I think the Buckeyes are already deserving of national respect. The people this article is referring to though won't respect the Buckeyes with a loss to USC, no matter how close it is. They Buckeyes gave Texas all they could handle in the Fiesta Bowl, yet they still get shit on in the media. The Buckeyes have won the Big Ten the last four years, and they're still getting shit on. To shut those people up, they have to win - plain and simple. A close loss won't cut it, and I don't want one of those anyway.

 

[Gooey Mess]

I agree. OSU desperately needs a win against USC.

 

[martinss01]

......... not sure if you guys are aware but tOSU is ranked #6 in the nation. the same tOSU that has 1 offensive lineman starting at the same position he did last year. the same tOSU that lost its starting tb and both its starting wr's. lost 2 cb's (1 a 1st rounder the other a 3rd rounder) and lost 2 starting lb's. oh and of the teams ranked ahead of us... 2 of them (atleast prior to today) had a heisman winner on their starting lineup. sure the talking heads are tossing around some smack. but honestly, i don't feel particularly disrespected where it actually matters.

 

[jlb1705]

......... not sure if you guys are aware but tOSU is ranked #6 in the nation. the same tOSU that has 1 offensive lineman starting at the same position he did last year. the same tOSU that lost its starting tb and both its starting wr's. lost 2 cb's (1 a 1st rounder the other a 3rd rounder) and lost 2 starting lb's. oh and of the teams ranked ahead of us... 2 of them (atleast prior to today) had a heisman winner on their starting lineup. sure the talking heads are tossing around some smack. but honestly, i don't feel particularly disrespected where it actually matters.

Oh I know. I didn't mean to make it seem like I think there is something wrong with Ohio State. I don't really put any stock in the words of anybody who thinks this program has been anything short of excellent over the last several years. I was just saying that for those people who disagree with me (most of whom I don't care about) a close loss to USC and another Big Ten title aren't going to change their minds.

 

[NFBuck]

Ugh. :2004:

If tOSU so desperately needs to "regain" national respect, then just why in the hell did they come into the season ranked #6 after losing so much?

This topic is worn out and completely pointless.

 

[JimsSweaterVest]

Ugh. :2004:

If tOSU so desperately needs to "regain" national respect, then just why in the hell did they come into the season ranked #6 after losing so much?

This topic is worn out and completely pointless.

The only lack of respect I've seen in 2009 comes from anonymous posters on ESPN (and similar) boards or anonymous commenters on ESPN and other sports articles, the type who are in all probability, pimple-faced, basement-dwelling, "never-touched-a-booby" virgins on the SEC bandwaggon who sneak in their "taunting" (but really quite lame) messages in between Momma yelling at them to do the chores and yelling at them to go get a job.

I feel the real "respect" issues were settled, at the latest, in the bowl game against Texas, after how the team rebounded from such a shaky start to the season.

 

[BB73]

Some comments on the article, since you asked:

For it to be considered seriously, the names of players and Buckeye legends should be spelled correctly:

Cris Carter
Andre Amos
Chimdi Chekwa

And Terrelle's record as a starter was 8-1 before the Navy game (even if ESPN did have 9-1 displayed before Saturday's game was over).