Much has been said of this match-up, including that the #3 defense in the country will have it's hands full with Ryan Mallett come tomorrow night. The same is said for Arkansas defense against Terrelle Pryor. The hype is that this is the best quarterback match-up in a bowl game this year. Pryor has a lot on his shoulders, including the conference. The junior has posted a 22-3 record as Ohio State's full-time starter the last two seasons.
He's led the Buckeyes to victory in 17 of their last 18 games, including a five-game winning streak to end the 2010 regular season. The Buckeyes are familiar with Ryan Mallett, facing him in the 2007 version of "The Game". Ohio State has been to BCS Bowl Games every year since the 2005 season, and posts a 2-3 mark. Arkansas, on the other hand, makes it's first experience on the BCS level, and some pressure will be added on the Razorbacks.
The last time the Buckeyes were in the Superdome, it ended ugly for Ohio State as they fell to LSU 38-24 in the National Championship game. The time before that, though, was in 1998, as the John Cooper-led Buckeyes ended up dismantling Texas A&M 24-14.
Something that gets overlooked in this football game, is the running attack that both these teams bring. Knile Davis and Boom Herron are both 1,000 yard rushers, and both don't like to go down on the first or second hit. Although Ohio State leads in the rushing category, the Razorbacks have some serious explosive power coming from up-front. The Silver Bullets will be tested early and often, and if they can expose some of the attacks, I think this is a winnable game.
The waiting game has finished, and tomorrow night, the Buckeyes can turn that zero into a one. The Big Ten needs OSU, even in this no-win situation. It's going to be 3-5 or 2-6 for the conference, and the media is ready to bash. All they need is Arkansas to tip the Buckeyes in the Big Easy. In the end, I don't think they can. Ohio State's running game will play a big part, and the defense locks down late. Ohio State prevails 31-24.
Join us for the Live Blog tomorrow at 8:30 to talk to fans while you watch the game, and for full coverage.
