[ex_dc_atc]

Duh. Ohio State.

[buckeyedan]

I'd pick OSU - i think it will mean much more to them and is at home.
Michigan CAN win - sure.

I don't think they will be THAT much better than last year and it was close. I expect OSU to be a good bit better. Everyone focuses on the offense which should be anywhere from tiny bit better to very solid depending on the play of the O-line and, of course, Miller... but it (as all Meyer teams are) will be a run first, second and third offense anyway so the line is the key...

but the defense has a chance to be special... the line could be as good as any osu has put out there and the secondary will be very, very good as well... a whole lot of guys who will be playing on sunday out there...

Michigan should be good... probably the toughtest team OSU will face... but that speaks more to just how soft OSU's schedule is this year!

[wildcatbacker]

Originally Posted by Alphamale

10 years from now most fans will realize that JT didn't do anything special.

If you cherry pick the period of 1968-1975 under Woody, it is the only period in the modern history of OSU football that comes even remotely close to the success under Tressel, and Tressel did it in the era of scholarship limitations and greater parity in college football. So to say what JT did was "nothing special" is to say that OSU football has never been special. Perhaps that is your position, and you may be right.

Even your insane prediction of 7 Big 10 titles and 3 NC's in the next 10 years would only be better than Tressel's tenure by virtue of winning 3 NC's instead of going 1-2. Much more likely than your prediction is that Urban will flame out again. He quit the Florida job twice in 3 years, and his last Florida team was mediocre at best. We'll see soon enough if he can win any NC's without either Ron Zook's recruits or the savior Tebow. I think he came back only for the $$$, and he'll bail after 3 years at most. He'll find the pressure here much greater than at UF - and he couldn't handle it there.

[EastSide]

Originally Posted by green__n_gold76

I love Buckeye football, but this snobbery and these unrealistic expectations are a real turn off...they have me spending Saturday afternoons sitting alone at home watching the games so I won't have to listen.

If you have been following college football for 45 years, you of all people should know that Ohio State is the flagship of the Big Ten when it comes to football. We have the most 1st round draft picks to the NFL, we have the most #1 draft picks to the NFL, and we have more major award winners than ALL of the other B1G teams combined-including scUM. I am talking Heisman, Lombardi, Butkis, Doak Walker, Walter Camp, Outland, Nagurski, et al. The state of Ohio produces nearly as many D1 High School recruits as all of the other Big 10 teams added together. Did you follow that? Last year Ohio produced 144 D1 recruits....The rest of the B1G 200. SO basically exclude Pennsylvanias 60 and you have Ohio 144 vs scUM+Iowa+Wisky+Indy+Illi+Minny+Sparty+Nebraska+In dy 140. An expectation of the flagship of the B1G to beat EVERY OTHER TEAM is not unrealistic and far from snobbery.

[Alphamale]

Originally Posted by EastSide

If you have been following college football for 45 years, you of all people should know that Ohio State is the flagship of the Big Ten when it comes to football. We have the most 1st round draft picks to the NFL, we have the most #1 draft picks to the NFL, and we have more major award winners than ALL of the other B1G teams combined-including scUM. I am talking Heisman, Lombardi, Butkis, Doak Walker, Walter Camp, Outland, Nagurski, et al. The state of Ohio produces nearly as many D1 High School recruits as all of the other Big 10 teams added together. Did you follow that? Last year Ohio produced 144 D1 recruits....The rest of the B1G 200. SO basically exclude Pennsylvanias 60 and you have Ohio 144 vs scUM+Iowa+Wisky+Indy+Illi+Minny+Sparty+Nebraska+In dy 140. An expectation of the flagship of the B1G to beat EVERY OTHER TEAM is not unrealistic and far from snobbery.

Thanks EastSide for digging up some interesting facts. It appears that I hate JT when saying he did nothing special, yes I'm very thankful for the 02' title he helped us win but realistically that will be considered the luckiest season for any team in history. We could have very easily lost 4 games that year but we benefited from way more than our share of close calls/big plays in several games, but we will take it. JT's B10 record though very good but not awesome, in the roughly 80 conference games he coached I would say that the Bucks put overall a better 22 players on field than the opp.'s 22 in over 70 of those games. I'm just ready for a new chapter in OSU FB and a more aggressive and full throttle coach like Urban will thrive with the resources he has.

[green__n_gold76]

Right. And it has been OSU's tradition to contend forma BIG title every year, and a national title on occasion, just like they have done recently.

Name a team/ coach that has built the kind of dynasty that you speak of. Texas, Okllahoma, Penn State have similar traditions and talent pools. They are contenders often and champions occasionally.

[Alphamale]

If tat-gate had never happened and JT would have coached another 10-12 years, yes sure we would have won 4,5 more B10 titles but there would have been 0 Nati titles. His ultra conservative game calling will not beat the SEC's best, and just think Bollman would still be ruining 4&5* star OLinemen. I hope that most Buck fans want more than just a handfull of B10 titles and also want to be able to stand toe to toe with the SEC champ or USC. Urban is the coach that can do it!

[buckeyedan]

eh... I'm glad Meyer is here because I like his style better and thing Tress was getting ready to retire soon anyway...

but to say if he was here "another 10-12 years" he would win 4 or 5 more B10 titles and 0 nat titles?

he was here 10 years... won 7 Big ten titles including the last 6 in a row... won a national title game and was in 3 title games

re-write history all you want... dude was amazing... even if his play not to lose approach drove me nuts!

[green__n_gold76]

I think that to stand toe to toe with the SEC Champ, you have to have SEC type talent. The Bucks get their share of marquee players, but it's the other guys that win or lose games for you in the end. You need to be deep

Also consider how many players JT lost early to the draft, and how many of his coaches left for better jobs.

I like smash mouth football, and in the end that's what wins championships most the time. Ask Nick Saban. How has he done? He says that his offense is nothing more than 'your grandfather's football-nothing fancy'.

I'm not one of these guys who salivate over the 'spread offense'. Good teams will prepare for it and nutrualize it, and have a lot more of the clock for themselves.

All that being said, I think the Buckeyes will go undefeated next season.

[wildcatbacker]

The mythology has UF under Meyer as bold and wide open and OSU under Tressel as buttoned up and conservative. Looking at the 2006 team stats, which is which?:

Team A Team B

Avg score 29.7-13.5 34.6-12.8
Yards per play 6.3 6.1
Yards per game 396.1 384.5
Yards per rush 4.7 4.6
Passing 255-399 221-341
Completion percentage 63.9 64.8
Passing per game 236 215
Yards per pass attempt 8.28 8.19

[buckeyedan]

I think people are confused by Meyer's offense

people talk about it being a spread and think of Northwestern or other run and shoot type of offenses

Meyer's offense is spread them out... run... run... run... run... run... if they stack the box then throw a pass or two

it's Earl Bruce, Woody Hayes football out of different formations folks

In 2008 NC season Florida ran the ball 62.3% of the time...
even in the title game they rushed 60% of the time

In 2006 NC season Florida ran the ball 54.4% of the time with a senior pasing QB... rushing 54% of the time in the title game

to put it in perspective:
in 2006 OSU ran 58% of the time
the 2002 team ran 69% of the time
this last team in 2011 ran 69% of the time

with a running QB, power RB and versatile runner/reciever combo Meyer likes... not much chance they don't run the ball about 67% or more

Meyer is a smash mouth... run it down their throat coach... who puts a twist on it
heck even his passing game is more bootleg/run pass option or quick screen

[Hocus Pocus]

^^^"this last team in 2011 ran 69% of the time." I really would have thought it to be 75-80% of the time OSU ran last year. Bottom line is they threw very little.

[Freak On A Leash]

Originally Posted by Eric Frantz

Lets start it...

In my opinion...no way OSU loses this game. This is the crown on Meyer's first season...

This is OSU's Bowl game. There is no way that Meyer loses to Hokey Jokey in his first season. I think OSU beats-up on everyone this year just to make a point...that is if it's ok with alpha and all of the Buckeye State Michigan lovers. I just came back from Detroit on business and the consensus in Michigan, where true Wolverine fans live, is they are in for it come November. I was at an eatery in Ann Arbor talking to two scUM students and they are not positive about this OSU-scUM game.
They look to last year's game where OSU was led by an interim coach and they are realistic about what will happen this year in C-Bus. Meyer is the real-deal and UF fans can kiss my buttocks. UF fans are worse than OSU or Michigan fans. Never satisfied. Besides, OSU will not play the schedule that Meyer's UF teams played.

[TDave]

There are some Florida fans who want to trash Meyer now that he has left Gainesville.......they can say what they want, but UM brought them 2 national titles and restored a program that had become average under Ron Zook.

Urban Meyer will do a great job at OSU and I'm glad to have him on the sidelines........and I do believe that he will have the Buckeyes in the national title hunt on a yearly basis and could very well win a NC or two.

I think where Meyer could make a lasting impact on OSU and the Big Ten is in recruiting.......he knows the speed of the SEC and will bring that to the Buckeyes.........with short notice, just this year he took Ohio State from nowhere on the recruiting ratings to as high as 3rd........he is a very aggressive recruiter who has rubbed some Big 10 coaches the wrong way, but I totally agree with Meyer's philosophy of going after kids that are not officially signed, even if they have verbally committed to another school.

[OSUEAST22]

Ohio St. in a blow out! It will be fun to watch all the tfsun fans run and hide back in there holes for another decade of dominence!! Even ,"Brady the Joke" knows it's comin, UFM and the OHIO STATE BUCKEYES has the more talented team, coaching and players. You beat the worst ohio state buckeye team since 89' with a first year head coach , freshmen qb and barely won at home, and your all pounding your chests about all-time wins etc again. Enjoy it wow it last scUM FANS!

[TSG]

Michigan wins big and Denard wraps up the Heisman after the game. Thanks OSU.

[Michigan Legend]

Originally Posted by OSUEAST22

Ohio St. in a blow out! It will be fun to watch all the tfsun fans run and hide back in there holes for another decade of dominence!! Even ,"Brady the Joke" knows it's comin, UFM and the OHIO STATE BUCKEYES has the more talented team, coaching and players. You beat the worst ohio state buckeye team since 89' with a first year head coach , freshmen qb and barely won at home, and your all pounding your chests about all-time wins etc again. Enjoy it wow it last scUM FANS!

Ohio State only beat 2 really good Michigan teams(2004, 2006) during the Tressel Era finished his OSU coaching career by beating some of the the most pathetic poorly coached teams in the 133 year history of Michigan Football, however in one year Coach "Joke" has team winning a BCS Bowl game and beating Ohio State with those same players. The only reason Ohio State was even in the game last year was because of blown coverages by the secondary and turnovers. Michigan won because our team was much better than your team plus OSU had no answers for Denard(like most teams) and Fitz. Expect the same this year Urban Meyer cult followers and for many years to come. Since becoming a head coach no Urban Meyer led team has EVER beaten a Michigan team(including his Tebow Florida Gators). Hate to break it to you East 22: Our team plays defending champion Alabama in the opener not some MAC school(MIAMI, OH?)so the schedule gets REALLY EASY after week one. Enjoy watching Michigan in Pasadena or for that matter every other team going to a Bowl game in 2012-13!!

[WebFire]

The love for Meyer by Buckeye fans is amusing, at best.

[BD6372]

Originally Posted by Michigan Legend

Ohio State only beat 2 really good Michigan teams(2004, 2006) during the Tressel Era finished his OSU coaching career by beating some of the the most pathetic poorly coached teams in the 133 year history of Michigan Football, however in one year Coach "Joke" has team winning a BCS Bowl game and beating Ohio State with those same players. The only reason Ohio State was even in the game last year was because of blown coverages by the secondary and turnovers. Michigan won because our team was much better than your team plus OSU had no answers for Denard(like most teams) and Fitz. Expect the same this year Urban Meyer cult followers and for many years to come. Since becoming a head coach no Urban Meyer led team has EVER beaten a Michigan team(including his Tebow Florida Gators). Hate to break it to you East 22: Our team plays defending champion Alabama in the opener not some MAC school(MIAMI, OH?)so the schedule gets REALLY EASY after week one. Enjoy watching Michigan in Pasadena or for that matter every other team going to a Bowl game in 2012-13!!

Blown secondary coverage and turnovers are the very definition of poorly coached teams?????????

[lmavcch3]

^^^^BD, thought the same thing when I read it.