Tressels, Fickells and Urbans,
Sometimes things happen in the wrong order...
The 2015 Ohio State football team could have used an early-season wake-up call similar to what the 2016 team will have this weekend. The most challenging game early in the season last year was Virginia Tech. Sure, some of the 2015 Buckeye games were artificially close, but the schedule up until Michigan State was a snoozer-loser.
Virginia Tech was only mildly interesting because it was a revenge game on Monday night of Labor Day weekend. I don’t think the team was too jacked up to take on Hawaii or Western Michigan coming off a National Championship run and pageantry.
Last year’s Buckeye squad would have benefited from an early-season road game to Oklahoma to keep them engaged...and ensure the team was still a unified front as they were during the 2014 post season.
Or, maybe sometimes things happen in the right order...
The inexperienced 2016 team can quickly come of age this weekend; this game against Oklahoma is perfectly timed to act as a catapult.
College football is a game of emotion. A strong showing in Norman can generate self-confidence that this young Buckeye team is good enough to do something special this season. College football is a game of preparation. The team has an opportunity to demonstrate they are mentally tough and ready to play in a hostile environment, if they execute at a high level this weekend against the Sooners. College football is a game of coaching. We will see if the Buckeyes are engaged and embrace their assignments in order to succeed.
There are a few things that give me hope:
- Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma passing game is dangerous, but the young Buckeye secondary has been outstanding to start the season. I think adding Greg Schiano to the coaching mix was a very good addition.
- Perine and Mixon are a tough combination behind Oklahoma's running game, but hopefully OSU can control the line of scrimmage and apply pressure with a constantly rotating defensive front. ...and get #67 (Robert Landers) on the field...he was disruptive last weekend against Tulsa!
- The Ohio State play calling left something to be desired last weekend against Tulsa after a great showing against Bowling Green. For the BG game, the offensive game plan continued to build on the momentum from the Michigan and Notre Dame tilts to end last season. I think OSU was playing it extremely safe against Tulsa and keeping it bland before heading to Oklahoma...and the team's play reflected its uninspiring calls. You can almost sense when JT believes in the play calling and when he doesn't...
- Houston Coach Tom Herman is still very close with Urban and JT...and beat Oklahoma to start the season. He may have a few pointers. :)
This will be a special game. This is only the third team these two teams have ever met and both are among the five most-winning programs in College Football history. Hopefully, this is an early season defining moment for a team coming of age!
Touchdowns: JT, JT, Mike Weber, Curtis Samuel, Curtis Samuel, Dontre
OSU 42 Oklahoma 28
Go Bucks! Beat Oklahoma! Dante Booker for Heisman!
Stout Pops
