I know how sensitive Ohio State fans are, getting more traffic for the article I wrote, For Buckeyes, Failure Breeds Failure than any other post in this site’s brief history. This Saturday’s potential regular season game of the year pitting Ohio State against USC looks like a dandy, at least on paper.
The Trojans are clearly the most talented team in the nation and the Buckeyes are arguably the second most talented. When you glean through both team’s rosters you’ll find no less than 10 players that will be wearing an NFL uniform next season.
Ohio State RB Chris Wells
The college football world has wondered how running back Chris Wells’ injury would effect Ohio State’s chances of beating USC. Wells went down against Youngstown State and didn’t play in last Saturday’s win against Ohio.
I hate to break the news to Buckeye fans, but it doesn’t matter if Wells plays against USC. Ohio State doesn’t have enough to keep up with the Trojans.
As we’ve seen in the past two BCS championship games, the Buckeyes lack of speed has been the determining factor. Against Florida and LSU, Ohio State didn’t have the speed to match up against elite SEC opponents. This Trojans’ team is better than the Gators and Tigers and they have more speed.
Speed kills. You can’t teach speed and at the end of the day, the Trojans team speed will be too much for the Buckeyes to handle.
USC QB Mark Sanchez
USC head coach Pete Carroll has made it clear that Mark Sanchez is the best quarterback he’s had during his tenure, and this is a coach that’s had two Heisman Trophy winning QBs in Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.
The talented Trojans’ skill players and their depth make them the odds on favorite to fill one of the slots in the BCS championship game this January. Ohio State could still end up in Miami even with a loss to the Trojans, and that scenario is one I noted earlier in my post, Do You Hate The SEC? Get Over It!
But on September 13 in the Los Angeles Coliseum, Ohio State will feel the pain once again. The pain of being in the spotlight on the national stage and failing. Not that I believe the Trojans will run away from the Buckeyes, but this game sets up as a decisive victory for USC.
Until Ohio State can prove they are capable of beating an elite team, the questions will continue. And USC won’t let any of those questions get answered Saturday night.
Way to buck convention and go out on a limb, Moodog. Did you take a similarly bold stand and predict a Patriots-Cowboys Super Bowl too?
Moon Dog
By no means will or is the outcome of this game a certainty. But I do feel that it amy well come down to the composure and the effective play of the respective quarterbacks. Boeckman and Pryor against that of USC’s Mark Sanchez.
These three characters may well determine the fate of this upcoming game on Saturday.
The Trojans may well have the weapons abound to win handsomely. But it’s Tressel who can and will have his team up for the challenge . As he knows a win will surely guarantee ‘em a berth in BCS championship game. Facts are facts the BCS committee are so benevolent to the Buckeyes that they’ll bend over backwards to make sure that they make it !
The same can’t be said of any other team within college Division 1A College Football !
tophatal……….
I’m gonna check back after the game on Saturday. I can’t wait to hear you spin it if USC loses. “USC is still a better team, OSU just got lucky….”
[...] Sports has USC winning and I have Ohio State [...]