It actually pains me to write this, but Ohio State will once again make it to and get blown out of the National Championship Game. The Buckeye leafs are definitely in alignment with a shit-ton of returning talent (9 starters on defense), a top notch coach, a ho-hum schedule with only one real test and a preseason number two or one ranking. These are the main ingredients for making it to Miami.
I think this season will play out a lot like last season, without an undefeated BCS team and no clear cut favorites for the National Championship Game. OSU will go 11-1 losing on the road to either Wisconsin or Illinois (Zooker needs a new jet ski). Neither of those teams will be in the Championship picture so that one loss will be very insignicant. They will get to bounce back in an over-hyped game against an under-manned Michigan and win back voters. No two other BCS conferences will be able to produce undefeated teams and OSU will have the most impressive resume of the one loss teams. Either Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma or (insert another more talented speedy team here) will then be able to hand OSU their third loss in a row.
Sigh…
1b00berry on Jul 11, 2008 at 1:02 pm:
OSU got mauled by Florida, but the LSU game is misleading. It isn’t OSU’s fault that every other contender imploded and a broken system scrambled to put them in. Last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Buckeyes, and although I like variety as much as the next guy, this year’s team is the one Columbus has been waiting for and they shouldn’t be denied their opportunity because everyone else screwed up last year.
Moreover, OSU isn’t to blame for the Big 10 being weak and they have continuously been making an effort to schedule one very tough out of conference game each year. Remember Texas? Now they have lined up USC for the next two years, Miami after that and Oklahoma soon thereafter. OSU has even tried to schedule a home and home with UGA for years now, but the Bulldogs won’t do it (something for dawgs fans to think about before they say OSU doesn’t play anybody).
And before UGA fans freak out citing their tough SEC schedule and the Az State game this year, they should remember that UGA has traveled a combined grand total of like 350 miles for out of conference games in the past 10 years or so.
I’m not saying the article is wrong, OSU may get in with one loss and crushed again, and no one wants to see that, but if that happens the blame shouldn’t lie with their program. I’m not saying that OSU doesn’t also schedule cupcakes, but year after year they go out of their way to line up at least one solid out of conference game and play anywhere from Washington to USC to Miami.
That being said, OSU is loaded with returning talent and they shouldn’t be panned simply because they were thrown into the NC game a bit prematurely last year. In short, don’t hate the player hate the game.
2cgb on Jul 14, 2008 at 11:11 pm:
I agree the system is broken. However, OSU has become one of my many scapegoats for a shit BCS. I do think the Big Ten has lost a lot of credibility as a “power” conference. Even if OSU beats USC and goes undefeated who knows if they would really be better than a 2 loss SEC team.