“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.†~ Ulysses S. Grant
Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.
While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.
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We are getting into the stretch of games that I believe will be challenging for Ohio State. Not impossible, not insurmountable, but the type of games and opponents that Ohio State fans would be wise to not overlook or be overconfident about as the games approach. I am willing to bet that Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff will be on guard against any overconfidence with the players.
Virginia Tech Hokies (Game 1)
2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 3 out of 12
Players Recruited By Ohio State: TE Bucky Hodges, CB Kendall Fuller, OT Austin Clark, OL Brent Benedict. A few players on Virginia Tech’s roster are from Ohio, such as OL Cole Petit and QB Chris Durkin, but did not receive scholarship offers from the Buckeyes. I am more than willing to bet I may have inadvertently missed on some players; please let me know and I am happy to correct my error(s).
Game Date: September 7, 2015.
Kickoff Time: 8pm EST, ESPN telecast
Location: Lane Stadium
Rationale For The Ranking: The lone blemish on Ohio State’s 2014 season, Virginia Tech befuddled the Buckeyes en route to a 35-21 victory in Ohio Stadium. I use the term “befuddled” as Ohio State’s inexperienced offensive line was unable to effectively handle a 46 Bear defensive front the Hokies used to essentially neutralize Ohio State’s traditionally strong offense.
This year, Ohio State starts the 2015 season on the road in a night game, at Lane Stadium, to begin defense of its 2014 national championship title, in what promises to be a raucous and hostile environment. Below is an example of what Ohio State has to look forward to in Lane Stadium…
VT coach Frank Beamer & star corner Kendall Fuller on what to expect from Lane Stadium Sept. 7 (via @CBSSportsCFB): pic.twitter.com/zrIG7jpVkN
— Tim Shoemaker (@TimShoemaker) July 21, 2015
Prediction: What a terrific way to kickoff the 2015 college football season for Ohio State, against the team that almost derailed its national championship hopes last season. Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer has been doing his best to hype the game, stating that “I think it’s the most anticipated game ever to come to Lane Stadiumâ€. Look for Virginia Tech to try to play Ohio State in the same manner and fashion as last season. And has anyone forgotten that Ohio State may be playing Braxton Miller or Cardale Jones at quarterback against the Hokies? This looks to be a dandy.
Previous Posts In The Series:
12 – Hawaii
11 – Western Michigan
10 – at Indiana
9 – at Illinois
8 – Maryland
7 – Northern Illinois
6 – at Rutgers
5 – Minnesota
4 – Penn State
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