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.
