If there is ever was a more depressing time during the College Football Season, it would be this week.  Bye weeks are needed and they do indeed benefit the team as a whole.  It helps readjust the gameplans for both the offense and the defense, it also helps with the preparation against the next team that they will face.  Here is looking to you Minnesota.  It also helps let the coaches when they set out to recruit for The Ohio State University.  This week, the coaches are planting Buckeye flags across the nation, in their areas of recruiting responsibility.  Although this week doesn’t contain a game, there are many ways that you and I can get our fix.

Captain Going Down with the ship…  Against Minnesota:

Just a couple days ago, Redshirt Sophomore Captain, J.T. Barrett was caught operating a vehicle while intoxicated.  I am a Police Officer in the Air Force and that is disappointing.  Although it was barely over the legal limit (0.02 BAC for 21 year olds and younger), he was reported to get busted with 0.88 BAC.  Which isn’t that bad, but I still do not agree with the fact that he drove under the influence.  I am also not one of those fair weather fans who would cast players aside from screwing up for the first time.  With that being said, let us all rejoice at the fact that he will miss just the Minnesota game.  Yes, it’s a night game, but it will be at home against a team that just came off a heartbreaking loss to TTUN.  With all things considered, I know that Cardale will torch the Golden Gophers.  Not easily, but when the opportunity arises, he will torch them when he gets into a grove.  J.T. Barrett and true Ohio State fans mustn’t be so quick to abandon the J.T. Barrett hype train because he made one mistake.  If you are “perfect” then pay no mind to my article.  The true fans who bleed Scarlet and Gray like myself, just enjoy the ride prior to the meat of our “weak” schedule.

Recruiting Wars:

Finally!  Per sources close to Kareem Walker, he is still solid with his Ohio State commitment.  Now before getting too excited, he will still take his official visits to ensure the correct decision was made.  With three Running Backs committed and only Walker and newly acquired recruit Antonio Williams and a projected slot receiver/H-Back in Demario McCall, the Buckeyes have no need for another addition.

Now what the Buckeyes desperately need is a top notch Defensive Tackle or two.  As of today, the Buckeyes have a decent shot with Georgia DT, Antwuan Jackson and they have a puncher’s chance with North Carolina’s Dexter Lawrence and Louisiana natvive Rashard Lawrence.  The Rashan Gary train has left the station even though he is entertaining the idea of another visit to Ohio State.  Other than that the Buckeyes are looking to fill in the remainder of the slots for this years class.

The targets to watch are New Jersey Defensive Back Jordan Fuller, Florida Wide Receiver Binjimen Victor and Pennsylvania Defensive Back Damar Hamlin.  Those are the names that float around in Buckeye recruiting circles.  We have an outside shot on big name targets like the aforementioned Rashan Gary, Rashard Lawrence, California Line Backer Mique Juarez, Florida Wide Reviever Nate Craig-Meyers, Georgia’s Nigel Warrior, Texas Line Backer Jeffrey McCulloch and Michigan Line Backer Daelin Hayes.

To close, we have a shot at a few of the top names, but with the sheer lack of spots in this years class, I will not hold my breath.  It is one of the benefits of being the defending National Champs, we get to pick and choose who we would like to have on our roster.  We choose the correct personnel to push for future Championships.  Although I would like most of those names I will be content with just picking up the correct personnel for the coaches to groom.

Another Coach Calls It Quits:

I am a Die-Hard Buckeye fan, but I respect coaches that have put in the time and the work to build programs up from the dirt.  There are only a few coaches that I despise, but that is not relevant at this very moment.  Frank Beamer you will be sorely missed.  If I knew how to post pictures (sorry guys, I have a new laptop and the Mac interface is difficult), I would have put the week one facial expression when the Buckeyes got revenge on Mr. Sandman and company.  You have done your best at a program and I salute you for it.  Here is to having a ton of wins to end your illustrious career.

There once was a man named Reggie Bush who, about ten years ago, took college football by storm. He ran faster than your fastest player. He jumped however high and however far he needed to jump, to score the next touchdown. Bush was a Paul Bunyan like figure; a myth of a man. I’m still not sure if he was real or if I dreamed the whole thing. Yet, have we forgotten that Bush wasn’t the only great tailback that took the field for USC back then? There was a mountain of a man who could run over your defensive lineman and run by your linebackers. His name was LenDale White. The pair were known as “Thunder and Lightning.” The smash mouth style of White gave Southern Cal the thunder; while the lightning quick Reggie Bush could turn what should be a mediocre gain into huge run. We haven’t seen anything in college football like the Thunder and Lightning USC backfield since it’s conclusion in the mid-2000’s. But that’s going to change very soon.

Urban Meyer and Tony Alford have pieced together what could be the next great runningback duo in college football and possibly a backfield that will be remembered for generations. Who is this potentially legendary duo? Kareem Walker and Antonio Williams.

The top ranked tailback in the country, Kareem Walker has 4.40 speed and a big play ability that is going to be dynamic in Ohio State’s offense. The 6’1 208lb runningback from Wayne, New Jersey has recently been compared to Leonard Fournette, with respect to his raw talent. He will be OSU’s lightning.

That would make Antonio Williams, the thunder. Standing at 5’11, Williams is a bulky 210lbs. He is a guy that thrives on contact. Williams also has great field vision, which is going to allow him to get into open space, where he possesses the speed to break away from defenders. He is a top ten back in the nation, and a special talent.

Walker and Williams are both elite guys that thrive in competition. A place like Ohio State, that focuses on hard work, always putting the team first, and a competitive spirit where competition is introduced in almost every facet of the program, will bring the best out of both of these players. Once Walker and Williams reach their full potential, watch out college football, this will be a lethal combination.

Ohio State VS Penn State Preview:

There is always one game that is like no other.  This week the Buckeyes will face a Nittany Lions team that has won 5 straight games after dropping their season opener to Temple this season.  The loss was unexpected but like Ohio State last season, the Virginia Tech loss helped turn the tide.  While history has shown that the this game can never be taken for granted or overlooked, the Buckeyes look to add to their current three game win streak and to their all-time 16-13 record over Penn State.  Although, Ohio State has struggled, the defense stood strong and forced the necessary turnovers to keep the outcome in the Buckeyes favor.

This will always be a tough game no matter what the venue is.  It is more difficult at Happy Valley where the White Out lives and thrives.  This season will be special and the Buckeye heads and big wigs have finally answered the Buckeye Nations cries to have all black Buckeye gear.  This season and hopefully for more seasons to come, the Buckeyes will don the all black gear at The Shoe against the pesky Nittany Lions.  The Buckeyes will enter the game coming off of a dominant performance against the Maryland Terrapins.  The Buckeyes came out of the gates a bit slow, but after halftime they pulled away for good.  The Nittany Lions are coming off a near shutout of the Hoosiers, who the Buckeyes had their struggles with.  Can the Buckeyes stop the bleeding?  Will they step up?  Will they burst out of their funk?  Can they exceed the expectations?

The Dark Night at The Shoe will be electric and the atmosphere will be breathtaking.  While there are Ohio State traditionalists that have voiced their concerns about becoming more like “Oregon” with their abundance of jersey combinations, AD Gene Smith explained it perfectly and fanned the flames by proclaiming that yes we have this new jersey, but it will only occur once a year, at a designated game, once per season.  That isn’t that bad of an idea seeing how the kids being recruited in this day and age tend to be more materialistic.  Most kids now like the flash and tend to relate football teams to their fashion needs.  This isn’t a thing, but I get the one’s that say that we are straying away from the tradition.  I get it, but you all need to relax, if it takes that little nudge to garner the attention of the right recruits, I am all for it.

What To Expect:

Like I said earlier, this won’t be another “easy” game.  This is not THE GAME, but it is a distant third.  This is no slight to them, it is just a matter of precedence seeing that we have two other foes that are from a different State.  As long as I have been a fan, Penn State is the one team that I am always uneasy about outside of TTUN and the Spartans come to play.  This will be another tough and hard hitting game.  I look for Ohio State to win another close one at home.

Know Your Enemy:

The Nittany Lions have incumbent starter, Christian Hackenberg who has been the starter for the last two seasons.  Hackenbrg has 1086 passing yards and has 7 touchdowns against 2 interceptions.  Hackenberg has been flawless when taking the helm and I look for him to exploit the Buckeyes lack of contain for the QB and the RB.

Speaking of RB’s, the Nittany Lions have a Freshman who is averaging 8.9 yards per carry, which will help their offense move the chains.  The Nittany Lions are utilizing a variety of Running Backs and no matter who they have in the backfield, their Offensive Linemen need to step up in a big way.

On the outside, the Nittany Lions have a ton of former Buckeye targets in Chris Godwin and Saeed Blacknall.  I was hoping that they would flip but they stuck with their commitment.  They will go up against Eli Apple and Gareon Conley throughout the duration of the game which is no easy task.

How The Buckeyes Will Win:

Although the Nittany Lions are a formidable opponent, they cannot mask their inability to protect Hackenberg long enough to allow him to see the whole field.  Hackenberg has been playing and attempting to avoid sacks and that is definitely not going in their favor.  In this current season the Penn State O-Line has allowed a whopping 19 sacks so far.  Hackenberg has to constantly get back up off the turf again and again and in just 6 games that is a pretty mind blowing statistic.  This is how the Buckeyes will get the win.  With the new “Rush Men” package on defense, the O-Line will have fits trying to protect a potentially helpless Hackenberg.  Pair that with the fact that the Buckeyes have two formidable Cornerbacks in Eli Apple and Gareon Conley and two top-tier safeties in Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell, it will make it a difficult task for Hackenberg to sustain drives and it will prevent them from gaining momentum in the long run.  That isn’t the only problem that he faces.  He also faces a lot of talent up front beyond the stellar defensive line.  With Raekwon McMillan, Joshua Perry and Darron Lee patrolling between the D-Line and the DB’s, they can and will wreak havoc on Penn State.

On offense, I feel like Penn State will get a huge helping of Zeke.  They will find a way to feed this beast and put points on the board.  King Dolo Dale will also sling the ball a ton.  The Penn State defense, like always will be up for the challenge of trying to stop  Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Braxton Miller.  The Penn State defense has only managed to snag 4 total interceptions this season, but I can see them coming away with a few.  The Penn State defense will continue to get to the quarterback, but I can see Coach Johnson stashing a few new packages to fluster the Penn State offense.

All in all, the Buckeyes will win this game in the second half to continue the trend of this season.  They will feel out the offense in the first half and then turn the heat on during the second half.  If everything falls into place and if the Buckeyes play to the level of their opponent they will win with a final score of 35-21.  If they play to their full potential and if they respond to the criticism, the defense and offense will both put points on the board and they will get ALL THE SACKS!  They will win it easily with a final score of 41-17.  You never know in College Football.

Recruiting Tidbits:

There is a lot of chatter about the Ohio State Running Back class and yes while it is the icing on the cake, it will work out with or without Kareem Walker and George Hill.  I think that we will be just fine.  Yes we may potentially lose them to our hated rivals in TSUN, but with the upcoming game, the Buckeyes will host a ton of talent from around the nation to fill one or both of their spots.  It is really a win win for the Buckeyes.  This weekend will be really eventful for Ohio State and with a statement win on the Dark Night at The Shoe, I can see the potential for multiple commitments.  There are way too many recruits to mention, but they will all be talented individuals.  Couple that with the addition of committed recruits from the 2016 and 2017 classes, I see no drop off in the class rankings.  Do not jump ship just yet.  Just let it ride and wait it out because the next couple of classes will most certainly be special and it will help Ohio State for many years to come.  For now let us focus on the current task at hand and let’s hope that the Buckeyes take care of business and dominate.  Go Bucks!!!

The Recap:

As expected the Buckeyes and Urban Meyer used the first quarter and a half to feel out their opponent.  The Buckeyes then trounced Penn State and turned up the heat during the second half of the game.  The Buckeyes won by four scores, 38-10.  The high point for Penn State was the fact that their frosh Running Back shredded the Buckeyes vaunted defense for nearly 200 rushing yards, which the Buckeyes haven’t allowed in what feels like forever.  This week the Buckeyes did not allow an opposing Quarterback to run all over them, which I am relieved about.  The Buckeyes sacked the hapless Hackenburg numerous times and Tommy Schutt had the biggest one on 4th and short to all but seal the game and to keep the momentum.  The Buckeyes also utilized J.T. Barrett and he had an amazing day with 4 total touchowns, 2 in the air and 2 on the ground.  Although Cardale Jones was benched after struggling once more, he will look to remain the starter.  Zeke was his normal self again with 150+ rushing yards and a touchdown.  Now on to the next one at Rutgers.  Nice team win.  Go Bucks!!!