Buckeyes Fan to Buckeye Players

I am an avid Buckeye fan, I am an arm chair coach, and I watch anything I can on Buckeye football and I have done so since I was born. I say all of that because I hear that Buckeye players talk about fans being bandwagon fans, where we are only rooting for the Scarlet and Gray when we are winning. I, for one, believe that to be a slap in the face. 

I don't believe that players are trying to be disrespectful, but they are victims of the moment. They are emotional like fans are. I would still like to explain something to the players and coaches from a fan perspective though. I hear Urban on press conferences and during whatever interview he gives talk coach speak about improving and moving on and that is fine, but to fans that is not enough. 

This is what makes me mad..... we hear analysts on ESPN, sports shows, and on radio talk about the stars behind the name of another player coming to Ohio State. We have been #2 almost every year that Urban has been a coach here in terms of recruiting. We see coaching changes almost every year or it seems like it. Every year our pre-season ranking is #2 if not in the top 5. Buckeye fans take all of this into account when see how the team is performing. Keyword performing. I think that Buckeye Nation is smart enough to tune out the commentary before, during and after the game/season because we know what expectations are. 

Fans do not expect undefeated seasons year after year, but we expect to do our best each game, with that best being better than the opponents best resulting in a win. We hear about stars and talent but than we see an offense that cannot move the ball, a quarterback that gets more carries than our running backs, receivers that are not open at all during a game, and an offensive line that does not give good enough pass protection. We see a defense that is like a brick wall, but than our defensive backs can break up passes and are caught looking at the quarterback so passes go flying over their heads. So we hear about how good we are on paper but than none of that commentary seems to matter when the clock is ticking. 

We lost to Oklahoma not because of talent, but because our talent is not being used. There is not one offense that fears JT and they know that he will get carries during the game. Because they do not fear JT they know that there won't be much passing over their heads. If we have speed, than why not do a 5 step drop and launch the ball and let our speedy wide receivers run under it? JK and Webber had good runs against Oklahoma yet JT got the majority of the carries. 

Urban has a tendency of believing all of his QB's are Tim Tebow Jr's when they are not and news flash, that offense did not work much longer after it was used. In fact, the year we won the National Championship was predominantly running and throwing the ball. Urban looks at our team as everyone but the QB is a blocker. That is how he treated Florida when he had a Tebow and he is trying to do the same with JT.

I will end this post by saying this

Ohio State football gives any sports network record viewership and nearly every game we pack The Shoe for whatever team. Every spring game since the National Championship has seen attendance at almost if not over 100,000 and that is for a spring game. I don't want to hear about bandwagon fans when those statements are true.

Ohio State vs Michigan State Prediction

The Night Before Christmas and all through the House, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse......

The night before one of five important games are to be played and I must say I have a thousand things running through my head. Therefore, my predictions for Brutus and Sparty are as follows....

(1) This game will be the first of many games where our total offense totals 400+ yards. The three headed monster that is the Buckeyes offense will find consistency and a rhythm that Sparty cannot match.

(2) JT Barrett, Ezekiel Elliott, and our WR will open the Spartans defense up like no other. JT's ability to read the defensive line and Elliott speed to the edge will cause the Spartans defense to run after Buckeyes more then anything else. With Elliott being effective, JT will have more time to find WR wide open in the once, no fly zone. Between Thomas and Braxton, our downfield threats will become self evident rather quickly. Jalin and Vannette will find space behind the defense for quick throws and big gains. JT will find space to scramble, and will need to at the beginning of the game, but once the offense is established the scrambling will become much less.

(3) This game, the offense will find click

(4) Our defense will knock Cook out of the game. As much of a tough guy that he is, Bosa, Lee, Lewis, Hubbard, and Washington will find their way to him. Cook will have to make quick throws to keep the defense at bay, which will cause WR and TE to either get open early or incomplete passes will be had.

(5) Ultimately, Ohio State will run Elliott as much as possible to kill the clock and break the back of the Spartans.

Ohio State 42 Michigan State 21

Braxton is Still the Key

The Ohio State Buckeyes of last year have gone into a sleep walk. We have the majority of last years team on this years team, yet we have not performed to standards. Why? Are there a combination of reasons or does it all boil down to one thing? In my opinion, our performance this season is as a result of personnel use, coaching, and fear. 

Last year, defenses knew they could only stop one part of our offense and they had to hope to stop they other without any extra man power. The only problem this year is that defenses have had a year to better equip themselves to stop our offense. The only problem with the opponents ability to stop our offense is that they never faced Braxton Miller. Last year, he was not around, and defenses did not have to worry about him. This year though, they have to take him into account. So far, Braxton has not been used to his capacity. In my opinion, his skill set is being underestimated. 

Braxton Miller, more often then not, has been used more as a direct snap players, rather then a wide receiver, which is supposedly what Urban has been training him for and he is full time. Urban should turn Braxton into a young Devin Smith. Urban has to make teams fear Braxton instead of Elliot, Thomas, and Barrett. How do you do that? Braxton should be lining up where Devin Smith used to running down the field every single time. Braxton has to draw the attention of the safety and cornerbacks every single time. Everyone knows that Braxton is one of the most prolific offensive players in history. We need that to come to life. When defenses fear Braxton they must choose which receivers to cover and so must the safety. When a CB or safety must choose between Thomas, Marshall, Braxton and whomever else no one on the defense wins. When the receivers draw attention and are feared, linebackers are pushed off the line of scrimmage and defensive lines do not get the support they need if the offensive creates holes to rush through. On the flip side, if a blitz is ever ordered or one on one coverage is called for, at least one of the three will be wide open, able to catch, and score the touchdown. It is that simple. 

With Braxton being considered a one man wrecking crew, the field opens up for Elliot, Thomas, and Barrett because there is only so many opponents that have the ability to guard someone one on one. I believe a plan like this will have to take place because I see the success of the next 5 games being in jeopardy if we don't.

Football and College

Early today Buckeye Nation found out about JT's and his troubles. I have read hundreds of social media postings about how Urban is too soft, that JT won't be punished like he should, Ohio State is full of criminals, and many other nonsense comments. I think we, Buckeye Nation, get caught up in a very simple idea of what college is to the majority of attendees. JT is a college student, a football player, a human being, a son, and a teammate. He is not a rapist, murderer, or any other criminal title that is given out. High school students are told throughout high school that a college degree is what makes or breaks careers, regardless of whether you are an athlete or not. A college degree will always come in handy. There are many aspects of college football that I do not agree with, none more prominent then the amount of pressure put on young adults. Sometimes that pressure is overwhelming and down right crushing.

JT Barrett is more than just a quarterback for The Ohio State Buckeyes, he is the face of the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are the #1 team in the Nation, the defending champions of the first ever College Football Playoffs, the most targeted team in the nation, and most criticized players and coaches of all time. I am not side stepping the fact that JT is underage, but what I am saying is that the amount of pressure and responsibility one takes on can be more than a college student can handle.  I do not blame JT for drinking underage, I blame college football for turning college football into a beauty pageant. College life is filled with girls/guys, classes, and no supervision. If you are an athlete,  you have to worry about all of the above, plus what is expected of you as an athlete. To expect athletes to not screw up or at least not get caught doing it, is to expect to win the lottery. The only difference between Ohio State and 95% of college football is the name and accomplishments. Lets not be hard on JT, his consequences are only beginning. First, he is suspended for one game, which is punishment enough especially since the Buckeyes have done nothing but struggle under CJ this year.

In my opinion, the job is not up for grabs, Cardale is simply filling in as a back up that just happened to win three straight championship games. I will be shocked if JT doesn't start the last three games of the regular season. We all need to relax and root on CJ as he takes on Minnesota.

Predictions for Ohio State vs. Penn State

I think that the Penn State-Ohio State game is going to be a game of domination. I think Urban saw two separate teams vs. Maryland and he liked only one of them. The team Cardale has is constantly hit or miss meaning, there is no fluidity to the game. With JT on the field, the offense moved and moved well. Defenses know that Urban has no confidence in their deep passing game and that Cardale cannot scramble, nor can he run the option to save his life. Therefore, they crowd the line of scrimmage and blitz as often as possible. Under JT defenses must respect our offense. JT has the ability to scramble and extend a play which opens up the pass and run game.

Even if Cardale starts the game, I think JT gets time. To be clear though, I think JT should start. In this game, I will be looking for the following weaknesses to be strengths:

- I think Braxton should be used like Devin Smith was last year. With Braxton's speed and agility he can spread the opponent down the field. Even if the ball is not thrown to him his presence down field will draw the attention of the secondary, which will keep safeties from coming to the line of scrimmage. The first few times Braxton goes down field the defense may put extra bodies on him, but the one time they don't the QB can launch the ball and let him run underneath it.

- JT Barrett brings something to the table that Cardale does not, agility. With Barrett defenses try not to crowd the line of scrimmage because they know that JT can scramble and take advantage of the space. They also know that JT can run the option, which makes defenses risk targeting one person who may not have the ball. With JT at the helm, defenses can not immediately rush the line of scrimmage because they must see who has the ball, JT or Elliot.

- I would use Marshall as a WR only.

- Dontre Wilson needs to line up as an HB/WR. Much like Marshall last year. When Marshall went in motion in the backfield defenses had to account for the possibility of him getting the ball. Wilson needs to be that person. With Wilson going in motion and Elliot and JT in the backfield, defenses will have to sell out on one play leaving the other wide open.

- Parris Campball, Michael Thomas, Braxton Miller, and Marshall going down the field every time is a dangerous combination considering the arm of both QBs. Add into the mix Vannett being in the middle of the field and defenses won't know what to do.

I see the Penn State game being one of domination. Being at home and at night, the Buckeyes will come out swinging. The real question is at the end of the season. Michigan and Michigan State is the calm before the storm for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State 49 Penn State 14

This Question is Stupid

Ever since Ohio State has started their season every person that has an interest in college football or calls themselves an analysts keeps saying Ohio State does not deserve to be #1. That is simply a lie and here is why; Ohio State has not lost a game since week 2 of last year, rankings at this point in the season do not mean a damn thing, Ohio State is a second half team, and putting a number next to a team does not mean everyone above them or below is better or worse. Ohio State being ranked #1 again puts them in a category that Alabama or any overrated SEC team is not even close to them on, #1 in the AP Poll. Eat your heart out analysts! One thing that I must point out though is TTUN. As much as I do not like to admit it, they are improving week to week and that is great news for the Big Ten. The Big Ten needs as many teams as possible ranked and winning. At the moment the Big Ten and SEC have the same number of teams ranked.

Regardless of how many points are scored in a game the highest score at the end is what matters. The road leading to the Championship is never easy and this year is no different. Urban and the rest of the offense may be a bit confused as to who should be the quarterback in the game, but we are still undefeated. You can compare us to Florida State all you want, but we still have not lost and that accounts for much more then margin of victory.

Ohio State is #1 but it does not matter right now. Last year Alabama was given #1 at the end of the year and they lost in the Sugar Bowl to the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes! Even though we are half way through the season many of the ranked teams still have not played season defining games yet, they have not made it into the Conference Championships, nor have they won a Championship. Until the next bowl season comes upon us, Ohio State has done all of the above. TCU and Baylor are flying high right now, but that ship is getting ready to land and only one of them will be taking off again. Utah will not remain undefeated and it is only a matter of time. There is always a team from the PAC 12 or Big 12 that brings the analysts to their feet for a time every year. Right now, Utah is that team that everyone is being paid to observe. Ohio State is old news and frankly, boring to watch. As long as Ohio State goes undefeated into the Conference Championship and win they will get into the Playoffs, it is that simple.

During the season last year college football was convinced Ohio State did not have what it took to compete and win against anyone outside of their conference, yet we saw different. Ohio State is a second half team. While other teams start the year off quickly they struggle to finish strong. Ohio State walked into the Big Ten Championship and blanked Wisconsin, then dominated Alabama and Oregon.

In comparison to other conferences, the Big Ten is back. Alabama lost to Ole Miss, Ole Miss lost to Florida, Oklahoma lost to Texas, TCU has no defense and haven't played anyone that has either. Baylor is peaking in their performance at the moment and everyone is talking about how awesome the ACC and Big 12 are. Word to the wise, the season is half over. What will all the analysts say when Ohio State is still undefeated and #1 going into the Playoffs or have been dropped from #1 and are still in the Playoffs? I understand that the majority of the people on TV and radio have no clue what they are saying and are doing so to piss people off, but that is all they do.

Ohio State will find their way through the season.

Ohio State vs. Maryland Prediction

Normally this prediction would be quite confident and somewhat outlandish, but here it goes......

*If Hawaii, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, and Indiana can stop our passing game then Maryland can too. I do not see Urban letting Cardale lose for this game. If he hasn't done it yet, why would he do it now? Maryland will stack the line of scrimmage and Cardale will fail to see open receivers down the field. Cardale may throw the ball, but his arm strength won't be seen.

*Elliot will have to put this team on his back once again. Elliot mentioned that his focus coming into the 2nd half was running through tackles and arm tackles in general. Not only did he do that, but he ran for over 200 yards in the second half alone.

*Hot passes and Jet Sweeps will be few and far between because they won't amount too much in gained yardage. Without a passing game defenses will stack the line of scrimmage. Defenses are now focusing on staying disciplined at the line of scrimmage meaning they are following the ball more then they are rushing into the back field.

*Marshall is not soon talented that his fumbles do not outweigh how lethal he is with the ball. He should be sat for at least a quarter, giving others the opportunity to play.

*Our defense will make the difference. Urban likes to say we are an offensive driven team, but that is not true. We can't run the read option effectively, we can't run the QB sneak effectively, and defenses know this. Our defense will have to win us this game.

*My prediction:
Cardale will play himself out of the starting position and JT will be given the ball for the remainder of the season. Elliot will break some major runs and our defense will show up. Ineffective perimeter runs by our WR will be hampered by balls that are thrown too late, too low, or over their heads. I do not want Cardale to fail, I want to see him succeed, but I think he succeeded last year because the team rose up around him. I don't see that same magic happening again.

Ohio State 42 Maryland 30

*I think that Urban will have his last chance to change the QBs after the result of this game. If he waits too long and Cardale is still struggling he isn't giving JT enough time to get warmed up for Penn State. It is not fair for JT to be expected to save the day given one game. Last year he did it in two games, this year he should have at least that much.

The 2015 Ohio State Buckeyes

Hello Buckeye Nation, I write this post with a lot on my mind. First and foremost, I apologize for not posting anything in a long time. Secondly, my expectations of this team have changed and for a good reason, but not because I do not believe in this team, but because I have realized something about the game of football, it is unpredictable.

The Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl, and National Championship game were amazing acts of Urban's Mantra, 9 Units Strong. Every Unit played with such intensity and selfishness that we pushed our way to a National Championship. Cardale Jones picked up where JT left off and essential showed Buckeye Nation something we did not know existed. We left last year thinking that the next year would be a continuation of domination on both sides of the ball.

Virginia Tech was a game that had stuck in our minds since the game ended. We walked into Lane Stadium and smacked the Hokies around. The last 4 games Buckeye Nation has watched each game thinking that 7 or 8 touchdowns would be thrown on the board without blinking, but anything but has happened. Not to say this has kept me up at night, but the result of each win has left we wondering when our luck will run out.

The beginning of last year and after Virginia Tech this team felt like the entire college football world was against them. Now we have a #1 ranking in front of our team and the Nation is watching every step we make hoping we slip up. College football is not ready to give up the notion that the SEC is not dominant anymore, but instead the Big 10. Last year, JT was given the team and we destroyed our competition, even when we struggled. We need to look at this team as if we are not National Champions. Last year we played every game with intensity hoping that the Virginia Tech loss did not knock us out of the College Football Playoff. This year we are playing hoping to win every game to get us into the Playoff, a totally different mindset. If we forget all about the National Championship and look at this team as #1 because of all the talent we have, this team is the exact same as it was last year, finding itself every Saturday and hoping to improve for the next game. Urban Meyer needs to stop with the statistical analysis and go with his heart, because I believe that is telling him JT is the better QB. Too many people are calling plays on our offense. Beck or Warriner need to go to the booth, no more coaches on the sideline than needed. I do not care about the raw emotion of the game and having the coaches feel it. Football is about strategy and emotions do not always fit into that.

With all the talent we have the playing calling should have no boundaries. Elliot's dominance has to pushed on the defense like it was against Indiana. Cardale did not throw many passes down the field and that hurt us. When we have Marshall, Wilson, Nixon, Campbell, and Braxton we should be taking shots down the field. Elliot and Samuel should rotate as our running backs. Whenever we push the boundaries with Zeke or an outside quick throw the opposing defense has a tough time covering us. Needless to say we are undefeated but by the skin of our teeth. In a later post I will talk about the defense.

The Beauty of Social Media

For purposes of understanding where I get ideas for my posts, I have multiple apps downloaded on my phone, a twitter account, and listen to sports radio shows, I was on Twitter and saw a conversation between Tyvis Powell and a Virginia Tech fan. Tyvis had tweeted something about the team grinding hard so that they don't lose the same again. The fan responded they have been grinding too and that Lane Stadium is ready for us, we better be ready for it. The last part really annoyed me.

In terms of crowd noise Ohio State has been through the worst of the worst and still hoisted a trophy above their heads. The Big Ten Championship was the perfect mesh of Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Sugar Bowl was basically in Alabama's back yard. The Title Game was more Ohio State fans, but than again, Ohio State travel extremely well. What I would love to say to Virginia Tech fans is this: While you beat us last year for multiple reasons, those reasons do not exists anymore. For some reason, preparing the triple option one week and playing a totally different team the next is one of the toughest schedules a team can have. JT Barrett was still new on the scene and our team was not quite a team yet. It was literally the perfect storm for Virginia Tech.

This year the perfect storm will be anything but for Virginia Tech. We have an experienced defensive and offensive line, highly potent offensive in general, and a defense hell bent on creating havoc for any offense. I do not forsee this game being close at all, I do not care how much time there is to prepare. We will be walking into that stadium with revenge on our mind and the last time that happened we dominated our opponent. Right now, this team has forgotten all about the glory of the National Title because it no longer exists. What exists is the countdown to the first game of the season.

Over 99,000 Reasons to Repeat

I am so very proud of being one of the 99,000 plus in attendance of the spring game. It brought a sense of accomplishment to my mind, but also a struggle as to how I saw the team. Collier did not look good during the game, making me wonder Urbans plan for him especially with the abundance of QBs on there way to Ohio State in the coming years. Cardale looked okay, but not as good as I thought he should, but than again most of the starting line was not playing.

I look at our Buckeyes and I see an accomplished team that has to act as though they have accomplished nothing. I think last years team will do a great job of showing the rookies, so to speak, that you can control your own destiny regardless of what outside sources say. I read the transcripts of post game interviews and couldn't help but see men (Cardale and Urban) that understand Champions are won by those who are never happy with what they see, never. Urban sees individual improvement, but not team, which to me is him saying, the potential is there it just hasn't been achieved yet. This is common to me considering our Navy and Virginia Tech team wouldn't have won at Penn State, Michigan State or Michigan. The critics would have been correct and Braxton was the key to our success. However, they were not correct because the potential was there given the right coaching and motivation, something this team is rich in. I don't see much of a QB competition to be honest. I think Cardale will win the job simply because he deserves it at this point, he's the healthiest, and at this point, not prone to any injury unlike Barrett and Miller. I feel as though every team that sees Barrett or Miller come onto the field will be aiming for their injuries.

All it will take is the perfect hit to either player and we are down to two QB's. Last year, after the Virginia Tech game, I felt that the ultimate match up would occur, that the Titans would collide in the First Ever College Football playoff, that the Rose Bowl would matter only so much to see who the winner of the Sugar Bowl would face. Something I saw in this team made me think they would win it all. This year, I see more of the same, we will have blow outs and close games. We will have games where we shake our heads, and games where the game will be boring before the second half starts. I honestly think we repeat and defend our title. You can call me bias all you want, but that's what I think and here's why.

(1) Having 3 dangerous QBs means every opponent has to prepare for three different threats. Barrett is accurate but can't throw as far. Miller is deadly on his feet, has a rocket of an arm, and hopefully more accurate. Cardale is a big man with a big arm. All three QBs make you respect the running game, all the while beating you down the field or in short passing plays. (2) If Braxton is the QB, he wants his ring and championship. It has eluded him since he came to Ohio State. (3) Urban is a tightly wound man and you can easily see it. You don't have know him to know he demands effort and perfection. He wants to defend and build a dynasty in Columbus, after all he'll be here til at least 2020. (4) As much as our opponents want to take us out, we still want to take out even more. There is no shortage of motivation on this team, and the thought of being knocked out of the title game before even getting there is a tremendous amount of motivation.

National Signing Day

There is a subtle satisfaction in being a part of the Big Ten. I know that everyone and their brothers like to raise the point, that it is very difficult for the Big Ten to be ranked highly in the recruiting classes, with the exception of Ohio State and Penn State this year (so far). I think that last nights Super Bowl win was actually a good thing for the Big Ten, as it showed a cold weather team achieving a great accomplishment. When is the last time a team from anywhere in the south won a Super Bowl? Who's the last team from the south to win a championship in college football? My point is this, the rhetoric surrounding the south is nearly impenetrably. It just cannot be done. However, the proof is written on the wall. The south has the players, but the north has the talent and skill. Urban Meyer beat three Heisman winners on his way to his third title, beating out the King of the SEC, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

It's not hard to justify the notion that the Big Ten is back. However, one look at recruiting news and it's littered with SEC teams finishing the year with top recruiting classes. But does it really matter. While it's too soon to say the SEC is done and over with, what is safe to say is that the ground has leveled off. No longer is Alabama or anyone in "that conference down there," the deepest, most dominant conference in the nation. The Big Ten is back. Just look at Harbaugh at Michigan. He was successful at Stanford, then became successful in the NFL. What other coach can say he was successful at both levels? Nick Saban? Not even he can claim that. Give Michigan a couple recruiting classes, and the focus will shift. The Big Ten may not litter the top 10 with recruits but their trophy rooms will be littered with Championship trophies, which is what counts.

The Brand That Will Never Die, Figuratively and Literally

As each day ends, we become further away from the Inaugural College Football Playoff and another bowl season. Now we step into recruiting and preseason predictions. The Big Ten did very well and the SEC West..... not so much. The media has yet to get over their love affair known as the SEC. Pundits, analysts, and the like love to say, next year's Title Game will be Ohio State and Alabama. The reason being, Saban does not stay down for long and he'll be hungry for another championship. I'm sure he felt that way after Oklahoma last Sugar Bowl. Burn!

I'm so tired of hearing about SEC recruiting classes when no one in that conference finished with a perfect season, nor with a bowl win (except the East). I've come to the conclusion that when seasons end for "that conference down there," and it wasn't successful, the spotlight is put on their recruiting. Good for them, they're still not champions.

My prediction for next year's Finals will be #1 Ohio State (of course), #2 Alabama, #3  TCU, #4 Oregon. Ohio State for obvious reasons. Alabama will not be held out of the rankings because of their divisions and coaches reputation. College football would lose its mind if "that conference down there" didn't make it into the playoffs. The Sugar Bowl proved to be as great as everyone thought it would be. The only better matchup would be Ohio State and Alabama for the Title. TCU will come back with a chip on their shoulder. The only problem here is that an undefeated conference championship team could beat them out if they don't go undefeated. So, perfect season for TCU is a must. Oregon will struggle but make it. Rich Rod in Arizona is good, but not great, so he'll win his division, but that's about it. 

What 2015 Season Looks Like

The 2014 Season brought about a state of ease in an uneasy time. Braxton went down, JT stepped up, JT went down, and Cardale stepped up. Fans believed in this team, even with all odds suggesting this year would be a bust. We did not know it, but this is exactly what we needed. This team came together when the entire country was against them. This team became the most dominant in football when the players realized their potential far exceeded the best of any individual player on the opposing team. We showed Wisconsin, Alabama, and Oregon that the best team is not centered around the best quarterback or individual person, but best individual groups around a sufficient quarterback. This year brought about the maturation of individuals. Our offensive line began working together and making no excuses for their youth. Our receiving corp. began doing more than just running down the field, but also blocking and running decoy routes. Our running backs became confident in their offensive line, blockers, and themselves. Our team began realizing who scores is not what is important, but instead scoring in general.

If we thought this team was dangerous, next years will be lethal. Just think, teams had to defend against one quarterback, then every skill set. Next season, with the addage of Braxton and JT, this team will be an absolute nightmare. This is what I see happening.

- Not as many blitzes because three different quarterbacks provide two different threats. Braxton and JT can run away from you and juke you out of your socks. Cardale will just bull doze you. All three quarterbacks can read defenses and make smart choices. All three quarterbacks have great arms and the ability to extend plays.

- With the graduation of Evan Spencer and Devin Smith, Corey Smith, Michael Thomas will become the go to receivers. Dontre Wilson and Jalin Marshall will fill perform double duties being the hybrid backs, and receivers. The speed and versatility of Braxton Miller will make him able to act as a hybrid or receiver as well. Needless to say though, the speed and danger this unit will possess will be second to none.

- Curtis Samuel and Ezekiel Elliott will become the double threat that is our running game. Running games keep defenses on the field, and open the field to wide receivers and tight ends. They ware down defenses and end games quicker.

- Although our defense will lose key personnel (C. Grant, D. Grant, A. Reeves, Bennett, and maybe one or two more) what Larry Johnson, Chris Ash, and Luke Fickell accomplished this year is nothing short of amazing.

- I think that we go undefeated, bring it all back to Columbus once more. Urban Meyer, this coaching staff, and players will act as if they lost the championship this year. This will allow them to stay focused on each game and not get caught up in the media hype that will follow being defending National Champions.

- Our recruiting classes will stay in the top 5 because Freshman watched this years games and saw the success of Freshman on this team. Very few sat on the bench, with most playing significant amounts of time and contributing to the Championship. This years Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors will provide for excellent mentors to the incoming personnel.

- Opposing defenses will have a rough time defending our offense. You stop the running game for a couple series, we will move down the field throwing. You get pressure on our quarterback and stop our throwing game, we have great hybrids and running backs, plus running quarterbacks. Opposing offenses will have their hands full with the reinvented Silver Bullets.

- We are back Buckeye Nation!

Consequences of The Committee

There will always be a team that feels left out, that feels as though their schedule or wins were more impressive then those that made it. Case in point, Baylor's Head Coach is once again claiming that his team was left out by a narrow vote. This what I have to say to that....GET OVER IT! The Committee does not care what college football nation thinks of it. That evidence is quite clear with the one week ranking of TCU at #3, than shortly afterwards dropping to #6.

When Ohio State won the Title and became champions, what they really did was cement the belief that the Committee's train of thought was correct. Although Virginia Tech recked havoc on the Buckeyes all season long, they weathered the storm by winning. They annihilated the Badgers and dominated The Tide and Ducks. Not one person can say with credibility, that if Baylor or TCU would have made the top 4, that they outcome would have been the same. If there is one person that needs to look at the Playoff this year and take drastic measures towards getting into the Playoff, the Big 12 Commissioner is the man to be. For him to say, adding more teams to the Big 12 won't solve anything is arrogant and ignorant. Arrogant in that, he truly believes there is nothing wrong with his conference the way it is constructed. Ignorant in the aspect that, the conference does not need to change to become credible within the conversation near the end of the season.

The Committee has shown that conference championships matter. Ohio State's blueprint for the playoff is relatively simple: one loss or less, division and conference champion. In my opinion the only way for the Big 12 to enter into the Playoff is for the ACC to have a two loss conference championship. Otherwise, Ohio State is cementing itself as the school in the Big Ten, Alabama in the SEC, Oregon in the PAC 12, and TCU in the Big 12. There is no clear cut king of the hill in the ACC.

The End and The Beginning

For those of us that listen to sports radio shows and national media outlets, the Oregon Ducks enter this game as favorites. This feeds right into the mantra that helps fuel Ohio State and this run they are currently on. Ohio State entered this season full of hopes and aspirations. The second week of the season seemed too devastating for the Big Ten to recover from. The rest of the season became a mixture of relentless efforts, the creation of a brotherhood, and an "Us Against The World Mentality." This mixture has propelled the Buckeyes past all the doubters and into the Final against Oregon. The most unlikely of duo, considering only the faithful of the two thought this game would take place.

There were many games circled on this years schedule, which brought us to our knees last year. Michigan is always a test, but Michigan State was circled because of last years Big Ten Championship. We traveled to East Lansing and walked into a stadium that was supposed to give us a loss. We won our Eastern division and walked into Indianapolis against Wisconsin being told, yet again that we were going to lose. We would not be able to stop Melvin Gordon and the Badgers. We were given the ranking of #4 and told that we would face Alabama and that would be it. The unbeatable Crimson Tide would prove once more, that the Big Ten could not hang with the big boys. Ohio State is set to face Oregon Jan. 12, and the infamous Marcus Mariota. An almost unbeatable duo.

The media and college football seem to have a short memory though. We beat Michigan State; We blew out Wisconsin and held Melvin Gordon to 74 yards; We beat Alabama and held Amari Cooper to under 100 yards of receiving. Yet we are still not seen as equals to Oregon. What more do we have to do, not to be underdogs, not to be told our third string quarterback has been getting lucky, not to be told Oregon is too fast for us. Is it not ridiculous that we have the resume we do and yet Oregon is still considered better.

Ohio State wins this game because we have been told all year long that we are not good enough, we have been told all year long that because our conference is weak we are weak, we have been told our 3rd String Quarterback cannot possible compete with just two starts under his belt. These players believe in one another to the extent that they would not be able to look each other in the face if they did not give relentless effort. Our Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshman understand that this game will be the last for the seniors, putting on the Buckeye uniform. These seniors will graduate with a title to their name.

The one thing that can never be taken from this team is to be the Champion of the First College Football Playoff. That title will never be had again.

My Prediction: Ohio State 49 Oregon 24

O-H!

New Stuff on Here!

Ohio State is now in Dallas, Texas taking their final steps towards their destiny. This journey has taken this team and nation (by nation, I mean Buckeye Nation) through quite a path. All season we have been fighting ourselves and the media. The National Title Game is where our destiny begins and our season ends. In November, we walked into East Lansing, Michigan being told we were going to lose against a superior team and we handled our business. In December, we faced a Wisconsin team that said we could not stop their running back and we did. January 1, we entered into a game with the King of the SEC, a complete team, and walked away winners.

Why would Oregon be any different? From one Buckeye fan to another enjoy this video.