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| Will the 2010 Buckeyes dance in victory? |
This year has a different feel to it than normal. The Buckeyes are further distancing themselves from their reputation as big game floppers. Using the victory in Pasadena as a springboard to this season, the silver bullets have come out firing on all cylinders. The offense currently sits in the top 10(!) nationally in points scored and total offense. The defense is nasty as usual despite letting offensive juggernaut EMU get 3 touchdowns this past weekend. Special teams have also improved slightly the past 2 games, the called back Posey TD notwithstanding. The kicking game is off to a great start as well.
Have you seen enough to believe the Buckeyes can go all the way this year? Obviously claiming a MNC in week 4 would be a little premature. OSU has yet to play a conference or road game to this point. Trips to Madison and Iowa City are still to come and Michigan now appears to pose a threat at the end of the season (albeit a small one).
I believe OSU has the talent, coaching staff and big play ability to take this party to the desert in January. However, there are a couple of areas to improve on before I am comfortable anointing the Buckeyes as champs.
After my daily scan of the Buckeye Blogs at work today (looks over shoulder and checks for boss) I found a common theme among them. Buckeye nation is starting to get nervous about the running game. The few at the beginning of the season (me included) clamoring for the young guns to play barely constituted a whisper. Now, that whisper has turned into front row seats at a Motley Crue concert. Most are ready to see what Hall and Berry can do when the game is in doubt.
Brandon Saine hasn’t looked the same since week 1 and Herron tends to run toward defenders more than he does away from them. Out of the two, Herron has definitely looked better but the potential lurking on the bench is what has everyone talking. I don’t think it is arguable that Hall and Berry bring a different skill set to the team that could prove beneficial. I understand that all 3 of you that read my weekly column may be getting tired of the running back discussion. Just remember who has been saying it since July. Before the season, many thought that Saine and Herron would provide the best chance to win- and they still might. We just can’t be sure until the younger guys get a fair shake.
Could you believe the final score last Saturday? I rubbed my eyes a couple of times and when I opened them up the Buckeyes still had hung 73 on EMU. The Eagles are one of the worst teams in the FBS and are currently marred in an 18 game losing streak but that is neither here nor there. OSU almost never cracks the 50 point mark let alone 70! When was the last time you watched OSU score at will without shooting themselves in the foot a couple of times? Now that I have a taste of 70 points I want more. Unfortunately style point’s count in college football and hanging a crooked number on the board will help convince the voters. It also gives the offense opportunities to fine tune plays and gives the backups valuable game snaps in case of injury.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the team thus far and can’t wait for the Big Ten season to open up Saturday. The games will become tougher and we know OSU always gets the opponents best shot. It all begins in Campaign this weekend. The Buckeyes have everything in place for a championship run this season. All they have to do is execute.
