Why Ohio State will defeat Texas
The Ohio State Buckeyes (#4) will host will host the Texas Longhorns (#2) at the Horseshoe on Saturday night in one of the biggest non-conference match-ups in years. The winner of this game should be the consensus #2 team behind USC in the polls and should be able to control its own destiny for a shot at the National Championship.
The Buckeyes are only a half-point favorite at home, so in the eyes of many the Longhorns are the better team. Here’s why they’re wrong and why the Buckeyes will win this showdown:
1. The Buckeye defense.
The Buckeyes under Jim Tressel are known for their defense, and this year is no different. They have the best linebackers in the country along with excellent defensive backs, making this defense reminiscent of the dominating 2002 defense that led Ohio State to the National Championship. Texas quarterback Vince Young shredded the Michigan defense last year with his running, but I suspect that the Buckeye linebackers will be a much bigger challenge. The Buckeyes will force Young to beat them with his arm, which could lead to some big turnovers.
2. The Buckeyes now have an offense.
For the first time in several years, the Buckeyes have an offense that strikes fear in the eyes of opponents. Their trio of receivers – Ginn, Holmes and Gonzales – might be the most explosive in the country. Jim Tressel completely revamped the offense starting with the Purdue game last year, implementing a spread offense that puts the quarterback in the shotgun and takes advantage of the awesome talent at receiver. The new offense was instrumental in their dominating wins over Michigan and Oklahoma State at the end of last season and it carried over in their opener against Miami. Ginn was constantly double-teamed, leaving Santonio Holmes with single coverage which was exploited with ease by the Buckeyes.
Everyone is focusing on who will play quarterback for the Buckeyes but they are missing the point. Both quarterbacks have excelled under the new offense because they have so many tools, and both quarterbacks bring different skills to the table. If Tressel controls this situation, he will be able to utilize both players and adjust his game plan based on the opponent. Troy Smith in particular can spark an offense with his tremendous running ability. His performance against Michigan last year was just as impressive as Vince Young’s performance in the Rose Bowl.
3. Tressel vs. Brown.
Finally, you have to look at both coaches and give the edge to Jim Tressel over Mack Brown. Brown has never won a conference championship, let alone a National Championship. He finds ways to lose big games. On the other hand, Tressel’s teams excel in big games. Tressel is 3-1 against Michigan and 3-1 in bowl games along with winning the National Championship in 2002. If you give him time to prepare for an opponent his teams are very tough to beat.
Throw in the fact that the game is in Columbus and I have to give the edge to Ohio State. This should be one of the best games of the year as two of the most storied programs in NCAA history face off for the first time ever. Right or wrong, I’ll post again after the game with a recap.
No way. Vince Young will tear up that defense.
Well there’s an insightful post. How about some analysis to back that up? Have you ever seen Ohio State’s defense? It’s highly doubtful that Young, or any other QB in the nation for that matter, can tear them up. AJ Hawk, one of the best linebackers in the country, won’t let that happen.
Young is the most dynamic quarterback in college football since Michael Vick. He’s also much bigger than Vick so he can take the big hit. He also has a big line in front of him. We’ll see just how good Hawk and the other linebackers are this Saturday.
Hook ‘em, Horns! (Sorry, I can’t get into this whole OSU cult thing.)
Nice post defending Texas and Vince Young, but you point out the problems that will bury them. You point out correctly that Young will need to throw the ball effectively to keep the defense honest. That will be the key to the game. Young has improved as a passer, but this will be the ultimate test. The Buckeyes love to blitz, and you never know where it’s coming from. If Young can handle the pressure, then Texas has a great shot. I just don’t see that happening. His weakness will be exposed, probably in the form of turnovers or lots of incompletions. In that case, the Buckeyes will win.
Vince Young is a Half Back who just happens to throw the ball once in a while. So, without proven, experienced talent at the receiver and running back positions, how is he going to move the ball against this excellent defense? OSU has arguably the best LBs in the country (the backups would start at most schools) and excellent speed and athleticism in the secondary. As for Michigan’s LBs being as fast as OSU’s – that is just wishful thinking. OSU will contain Young and put him on his back if he tries to throw. They have handled plenty of Heismann hopefuls in recent years – and taken them out of contention. And if Texas double-teams Ginn, they will soon learn some other names like, Holmes, Gonzalez, Hall, Dukes, etc. And unlike recent seasons, the Buckeyes look to be able to run the ball again. With the game being at the ‘Shoe and under the lights, Texas doesn’t have a chance.
Hopefully, this will be the last year the Big 12 is taken seriously by anyone who doesn’t follow the Big 10 or SEC. The Big 10 is the toughest conference this year, hands down.
To G:
I agree that this will be the ultimate test for the Longhorns, however, the situation in which you described is exactly where Vince really shines. OSU is a good blitzing team and they like to do it often, which, ironically, against Texas could be their downfall…not their saving grace.
The current OSU defense has never seen a line like the Longhorns are about to bring…they average out at 315lbs, that’s a lot of beef!!! And they’re not just big, they’re very technical too. They open up holes, which yes can be filled by OSU’s ‘faster than lighting’ LB’s, but not before one of our running choices [all of which are excellent play-makers] gains 3-4 yds…which if done every three plays will constantly move the ball down field. However, if they bring the blitz too much and too often it will create too much front field for Vince to ignore and he will take it…probably in 15 & 20 yr segments. Either by running on broken plays / open holes or doing damage to OSU’s secondary. Which from what I’ve seen is very soft beyond the linebackers.
He’ll be able to handle the pressure, normally because he creates it for defenses. No matter how quick the defense is or how much you blitz, you won’t be able to stop him or the backs behind the Horns’ OL…you can only hope to contain them. That combined with OSU having to respect the deep threat [over 1,800 yds last year and already throwing over 75% completion with 175 yds & 3 TDs this year] will create too much ground for the defense to cover…no matter how fast they are. The only problem I forsee the Longhorns having is being able to communicate at the line [a problem...yes...but it can be avoided by taking control of the game early]
Yes we will make mistakes, yes there will be turnovers, but so will OSU and then they’ll have to deal with an even greater force…Longhorn Defense.
Brutus Buckeye…I’ll have more for you later
Hey Love – You have some more good points, but you lost me when you started quoting the offensive stats. Those stats don’t matter cause they were against a pathetically weak opponent. Ohio State defensive backs are the cream of the crop, so they’ll be fine even if the linebackers are blitzing.
Also, the Big 12 has been demonstrating that it is an over-rated conference, so all of the Texas stats on offense and defense are in question.
I love all this smack. Bucks are going to roll baby! They have the whole package this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game ended up being a bore. Texas can’t get anything going… and OSU keeps piling on the points.
Texas 10
OSU 24
[...] On a much more pleasant note, the Buckeyes face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night the non-conference game of the year. Check out The Scores Report for a post on why the Buckeyes will win. [...]
Being from Texas, but not a huge Vince Young fan, I initially was thinking that OSU would likely walk away with this game with relative ease. However, with all the hype I have been reading and the amount of attention that Vince Young is commanding, I am starting to believe that OSU, as well as the rest of the country, will end up stunned and in a confused state.
Here is why:
Texas can and does recruit at least as well as OSU. Both programs can recruit or they wouldn’t be power houses. That said, with so much attention being drawn by Vince Young in the backfield, he presence alone will open the rest of the Texas offense, wide open.
Now, contrary to what most believe, Vince Young CAN throw the ball and DEEP. He just really does suck with the dink and dunk type touch passes, which, he shouldn’t be tossing many of because Texas is BETTER now, with out Cedrick Benson, who I felt was the most overrated running back in the draft. Wait until everyone gets a load of the depth at running back Texas has this year……o….m….g…..
In the end, the team that deserves to win will win – duh. The team that SHOULD win is OSU with out any issue at all considering home field advantage and the strength of their program. This game will be worth watching.
Foozamoball – Don’t confuse all the hype about Vince Young with Jim Tressel’s approach to the game. Tressel could care less what the press and the fans are saying. Tressel knows how to prepare for an opponent, and he will know the Texas team better than Mack Brown by the time they play on Saturday. Tressel has been working on this game since they stomped Oklahoma State in the bowl game last year. He will be better prepared than Mack Brown, so the Buckeyes have the edge.
I have the rare distinction as having graduated from both OSU and a certain Texas University, so I lack the proper Buckeye bias in this one. The truth of the matter is that this will likely come down to luck.
Apart from a sheer luck (interception/ fumble/ whatever), IF Young is at his best, and OSU is as well, the nod has to go to the Bucks based on nothing else other than a home appearance and an unblemished OSU night record. Until you have been in the Shoe, you cannot realize what a benefit this is.
Texas should at least take solice in the fact that Tressel has too much class to run the score up on them. . . Now what was the score of the last UT game again?
SO, IF you have ever been there watching the Bucks Muck Fichigan, you would have to arrive at the conclusion that the Long-horns come up Short, and the BUCKS hang the Horns on the hook and take this one by 7. . .
How can a team that was destroyed by Iowa, whipped at home by an average Wisconsin team and lost to Northwestern possibly be considered a national title favorite?
The Bucks will be foolishly overconfident thinking that an environment that TX has seen many times before will be the difference.
Better talent and superior speed/athleticism beats the Bucks no matter where the game is played- UT 24 OSU 13
Calling yourself General Woody Hayes is ajoke because you know nothing about Ohio State. Ted Ginn is the best player on their team, but he was a freshman last year and in those games he barely played. After they incorporated him in the offense they went on to whip Michigan and the DESTRYED Oklahoma State. That was one of the many pathetic performances by the Big 12 last year in the bowl games. Ohio State now has one of the best offenses in the country.
So don’t get too fooled by Texas’s record in that sorry conference or aginst their lame opponent last week.
I wasn’t kidding when I said I would be expecting your apologies on Sunday…
And what was all this talk about the Big 12 being an overrated / sorry conference…that the “Big 10 is the toughest conference this year, hands down.”
Even though we beat Michigan last year in Pasadena [Big 10 bounce #1]…now we beat OSU on their home turf, under the lights and ranked as the fourth best team in the nation; which, by the way, was supposed to be ‘impossible’ [Big 10 bounce #2]
Fortunately for you guys, you won’t have to worry about the Big 12 [via the Longhorns] showing you guys up AGAIN and getting Big 10 bounce #3, since if the correctly ranked football teams continue to roll [as they should] there won’t be a Big 10 school playing for the national chapionship [since all you're top 10 ranked Big 10 schools either lost in valiant battles or became choke artists]…and then the Big 12 will finall get to bounce these sissy SEC’ers.
[whoops...on the end should also be:] and Pac 10′ers
hey G,
Apparently, ol Jim, in his superior coaching wisdom, failed to remember, what I stated earlier….
Vince Young can and does throw the ball.
OU next please….
O and….
I hope everyone else plays an 8-9 man front against Texas this year so Vince can get his throw on.
Guys – I was certainly wrong, though I think you’ll acknowledge it was a great game and if Hamby catches that pass OSU wins the game. That field goal also missed by about six inches.
Vince Young is a star, and he deserves the hype. I think Tressel didn’t do his best coaching job, and the Ohio State quarterbacks did not flourish will the rotation.
Texas fans should be pumped about the rest of the season. Ohio State is the best team they will face, and they passed the test. Now Brown needs to get past Oklahoma, which has several weeks to straighten out their QB situation. But remember it’s a long season. To win a National Championship you need some breaks, as Ohio State fans learned in 2002. Good luck.
Looks like you were wrong. Horns showed up to play and Tressel the big game coach could not decide on which QB he should use.
I’ve never been a fan of QB rotations and I think it hurt the Bucks in this game. Whenever a team swaps quarterbacks throughout a game, it seems neither QB is able to establish a rhythm, and this game was no exception. Smith looked good early but he was unable to cash in on several key Texas turnovers and Tressel seemed to rely too heavily on his running ability. Zwick, meanwhile, looked uncomfortable most of the night and his late fumble was a dagger.
And to think, despite all that, the Buckeyes win the game if Hamby catches that late TD throw. He had TWO shots at it and couldn’t cash in on either opportunity.
Young looked very good Saturday but he needed a little help from Lady Luck to win the game.
How fabulous it is that these two great universities with such proud winning traditions have finally met on the gridiron! I look forward to next year’s game in Austin.
hey UT Fan – great post. It was a great game and both universities deserve credit. I’m already looking forward to next year’s game.
TEXAS KICKED OHIO STATE’S ASS IN 2005 AND WILL KICK THEIR ASS AGAIN IN 2006.
NUFF SAID.
GO HORNS!!
Kicked Ohio State’s ass? Did you watch the football game? It was a great game by two great teams. Congrats to Texas for pulling it out and for a great run to the National Championship.
This year’s game should be another good one, but I’m confident the Buckeyes will pull this one out. Vince Young is one of the best college football players I have ever seen. Without him the Longhorns will have a tougher time.