#13 Ohio State
v. Troy University
Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
Kickoff: 12noon
TV: BTN
Ohio
State got stomped. There I said it and I’m moving on. We will continue to hear about the futility
of this team and its coaches until Ohio
State proves otherwise
but now is the time to look forward to the rest of the season and what can be,
not what could have been. The Buckeyes
better get geared up because the Troy Trojans are in town this Saturday. The Trojans aren’t afraid of anyone and have
played Florida State, South Carolina and LSU tight. Wins over Oklahoma
State and a ranked Missouri
in 2004 have earned Troy
the giant killer moniker. Troy will watch the film
on OSU all week and think that they have a shot knocking off the Buckeyes. With their style of offense and a mobile
quarterback I don’t think they are entirely wrong. I’m not kidding when I say that this game
makes me nervous.
By Pete Quint
OSU “O”
Where does one begin?
The line played with no fire and continually got beat on both pass and
run plays. Todd Boeckman looked
panicked, threw into coverage and couldn’t read a blitz to save his butt. Despite the dropped balls, I thought the
receivers were open many times but Todd either didn’t see them or couldn’t get
the ball to them. The running game isn’t
the same without Beanie. His big body
makes its own holes and the others just don’t have the size to make up for the
poor line blocking. With all that said,
this defense should be another cupcake for the offense. The Trojans lack the size and depth to keep
up with the supposedly high powered OSU offense. Head Coach Jim Tressel is giving Terrell
Pryor 65% of the snaps in practice this week and has said that Pryor and
Boeckman will split time 50-50. The true
freshman, Pryor, is bound to make some rookie mistakes but it seems that
Boeckman is making just as many and he’s a 5th-year senior. Let the freshman play. The Big Ten championship is still within
reach even with a freshman at the wheel.
OSU ”D”
When did the Silver Bullets turn into the Silver
Patsies? This defense used to be
aggressive, play man to man and dare anyone to throw the ball. Now it doesn’t matter what package you toss
at them, they’ll just roll over and play dead, especially if you’re a mobile
quarterback. Here’s the scare for this
Saturday; Troy
has a mobile quarterback and a darn good one too. Sophomore quarterback Jamie Hampton has 459
passing yards, 86 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the season so far. Hampton
isn’t a true runner but his elusiveness allows him to keep defenses
guessing. Troy also has a solid running game and
averages 239.5 yards per game. Leading
the way is sophomore DuJuan Harris. At
5-7 190, Harris isn’t an imposing figure but can hide behind the offensive line
and use his speed to burst through holes or sweep around the corner before the
defense knows what hit them. The Trojans
are also known for their fearless passing attack. Jerrel Jernigan, Kennard Burton and Mykeal
Terry are as fast as they come in the NCAA and will use their quickness to make
up for their lack of size (the top three receivers stand no taller than
5-9). The biggest factors that favor the
Buckeye defense are Troy’s
lack of size and depth. The shortest
secondary player on the OSU two-deep is listed at 5-10 (Shawn Lane) so the Bucks have a significant
size advantage. The Buckeye defense
better not sleep on this team or they will find themselves in a world of hurt.
Summary
I’m still cranky from Saturday and some of my venom has
surfaced in this preview. However, I am
serious about the threat that Troy
posses. Mobile quarterbacks and small
tailbacks have traditionally given the Buckeye defense fits. Quarterbacks Vince Young, Juice Williams, Tim
Teabow and running back Garrett Wolf come predominantly to mind. This is not a game to sleepwalk through
because they are salivating over the potential upset. The Buckeyes have got to find their fire fast
or the season will get out of hand.
Prediction: OSU 21 –
Troy 17
Why OSU will win: Greater talent and depth should keep the
Buckeyes in front. Notice I didn’t say
anything about coaching.
Why OSU will lose: Taking this team lightly. Troy
is looking to be the second Trojan team to embarrass the Buckeyes.
Crazy stats of the
game:
Ohio
State is 3-3 in the last
six games.
Ohio
State quarterbacks have
been sacked eight times this season.
No Big Ten team has ever won the conference championship
outright three years in a row. It’s time
to set a record.
Troy players to
watch:
Sophomore quarterback #7 Jamie Hampton
Sophomore running back #32 DuJuan Harris
Sophomore wide receiver #3 Jerrel Jernigan
Senior defensive end #51 Kenny Mainor
Junior defensive end #90 Cameron Sheffield
Junior linebacker #2 Boris Lee
Personal note:
It’s going to be a beautiful day. Even though the Bucks are all but out of the
National Championship game get your rear ends down to campus and support the
team.
Media quote of the
week:
“…Ohio
State has become a
fascinating study in underachievement.” –Pete Fiutak, collegefootballnews.com