Tressels, Fickells, Urbans, Days, Johnsons and Days,
Zen Michalski, Bennett Christian, Malik Hartford, Lorenzo Styles Jr and Jermaine Mathews.
It's time for these guys to step up.
The Big Ten conference schedule looks like it will be a grinder. Half of the strength and conditioning coaches making more than $500k per year are in the Big Ten. The conference has stepped up its game. With new conference additions and more substantial budgets from the lucrative Big Ten TV rights deal, the level of competition is better and the games are more interesting.
All teams are going to get beat up running the Big Ten gauntlet now. This is where Ohio State's talent depth needs to kick in gear.
I was walking down memory lane today. This weekend the 2014 Ohio State National Championship team will be recognized. I heard a great interview this morning with Michael Bennett who played for that squad.
I think I experienced revisionist history remembering the dominant 2014 team that went on an amazing 3-game run starting with a surprise victory against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game. That season was a bumpy ride and full of close games. Joey Bosa's walk off sack against Penn State. JT's 85-yard TD run in the freezing cold to pull away from Minnesota....and an early season loss to Virginia Tech.
The game at Oregon was exciting, difficult, physical and could have gone either way. It played out like a heavyweight battle until the final round. Two very good teams -- homefield advantage and some gamesmanship may have tilted that one just enough. Recently, those competitive games occurred late in the season for Ohio State after a relatively easy slate up until that point. Maybe it's OK that OSU knows this may be a bumpy ride this season.
I'm ready for the second half of the conference schedule. It looks like there are many exciting match-ups in front of the Buckeyes. It's time to take it up a notch and enjoy the ride.
Touchdowns: TreVeyon, Quinshon, Emeka, Emeka, Jeremiah Smith, Jeremiah Smith
OSU 42 Nebraska 10
Go Bucks! Beat Nebraska! Harry Miller and Tyleik Williams for Heisman!
Puffy Padre
