2013-14 Football Previews – (Big 10) – Buckeyes
Urban Meyer was the massive pickup for Ohio State before the 2012 season, and man did he have a great first season in Columbus. The Buckeyes went unbeaten and would have played in the title game if they weren’t ineligible due to NCAA sanctions. Ohio State is eligible again this year, and expectations are higher than ever in Columbus.
Last year, the team could play the role of the spoiler. Now, the Buckeyes are going to have a major target on their backs.
Big 10 Conference 2013-2014 College Football Previews: Ohio State Buckeyes (Link)
Head Coach: Urban Meyer
2012 Record: 12-0
Ohio State Gambling Odds to win BCS Championship: +650
Ohio State Gambling Odds to win Big 10 Leaders Division: -465
Ohio State Gambling Odds to win Big 10 Conference: -110
While Ohio State did go 12-0 last year, the Buckeyes had some clear weaknesses a year ago. The Buckeyes just found ways to win games on several occasions to keep their perfect season together. Meyer has said many times this offseason that he expects his team to be much sharper this year.
They will probably have to be in order to be BCS Championship contenders, because they can’t expect to win all of the close games two years in a row. Let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of this year’s Ohio State Buckeyes.
Team Strengths:
How can you not start at the quarterback spot? If you were going to pick out the perfect quarterback for Urban Meyer’s offensive system, it would be hard to find a guy that fits better than Braxton Miller.
Miller will be a junior now, and the Buckeyes expect more development from him in the throwing game.
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His play making ability is second to none, and that’s why he is listed among the Heisman Trophy favorites. Miller will drive defenses crazy all season.
Ohio State’s secondary is full of athletic guys who can hit hard. Bradley Roby is going to have a tremendous season at cornerback, and I expect him to have a nice future playing on Sunday’s.
Christian Bryant and C.J. Bryant are a nice tandem at the safety spots. The Buckeyes recruiting class this year was really deep in the secondary, and don’t be surprised if super-recruit Vonn Bell makes some noise in his freshman season. This group wasn’t a strength last year, but it should be this season.
Ohio State has a wealth of talent at the tailback spot. Carlos Hyde is a tough runner who doesn’t always get the credit he deserves. Jordan Hall could be dangerous in this offense if he stays healthy. Bri’onte Dunn is a sophomore with a lot of ability who should see the ball a lot more this year. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Team Weaknesses:
The Buckeyes are far shorter on depth at the linebacker spot than normal. Ryan Shazier is a star for the team, but the Buckeyes need a couple other guys to step up and solidify their spots as starters. Curtis Grant will be the key to this group. Grant was a very highly touted recruit who has done very little in his first two years in Columbus.
Ohio State needs him in a big way this year.
Ohio State has improved a bit at the wide receiver spot in the last year, but this is still an area of relative weakness for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State fans are accustomed to seeing stars on the outside, and there aren’t any of them on this roster. Can some of the youngsters produce right away? That will be a big key for this unit.
2013-2014 Ohio State Football Prediction: 12-1
Ohio State has the schedule to go undefeated, but it’s really hard to predict anyone to go unbeaten in this era of college football. Look for the Buckeyes to slip up once during the regular season. The trip to Northwestern is a very dangerous game for the Buckeyes. They must also travel to Ann Arbor in the regular season finale.
In the end, I expect the Buckeyes to lose only once in the regular season and then win the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.
2013 Buckeyes Schedule
8/31/13 12:00 PM ET BUFF
9/7/13 3:30 PM ET SDST
9/14/13 7:00 PM ET @CAL
9/21/13 TBD FLAM
9/28/13 8:00 PM ET WISC
10/5/13 8:00 PM ET @NWEST
10/19/13 3:30 PM ET IOWA
10/26/13 8:00 PM ET PENST
11/2/13 TBD @PURD
11/16/13 TBD @ILL
11/23/13 TBD IND
11/30/13 TBD @MICH
