One last game.  One last moment.  It is time for us to all collectively take it all in–for the last time where Coach Meyer will spearhead the Scarlet and Gray in the mother of all games, The Rose Bowl.  This moment could be or feel bittersweet, but it is time for Coach Meyer to call it quits and what better send-off than a victory, especially a resounding victory at his first Rose Bowl?

This game will be filled with NFL caliber talent all over the field and on both teams.  There is a lot at stake and there are many storylines that could be the focus, but both teams are conference champs and both teams are vying for a Rose Bowl victory.  Coach Meyer’s last ride as the Buckeye Head Coach and Coach Petersen’s first shot at the Rose Bowl and against the Buckeyes.

QB Battle Brewing

With both teams vying for the win the talent at quarterback is key to eithers success on the field.  Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, a Heisman finalist in the end with a high draft grade and Jake Browning, a four-star with something to prove against an aggressive Buckeye defense that is both inconsistent and is seemingly finding their grove after that embarrassing loss at Purdue.

Haskins has been in the spotlight with all the draft talk stealing the majority of the headlines.  He has repeatedly been asked about his impending decision, but all of that will be placed on hold for the time being to ensure that all of his focus is on the Rose Bowl and not on his future endeavors, which is a smart move for all parties involved with the Buckeyes.

Browning made waves on one of his interviews where he explained that the Buckeye defense had “exploits” and “weaknesses” they discovered after reviewing the Purdue tape.  Yes, that game was by Iowa 2.0. and the defense was gashed the entire game, but teams improve and there should be small windows, but not the massive ones from the Purdue game.  He also didn’t say it to be disrespectful or give Ohio State bulletin board material, but these quotes will somehow make it on one for the game.

Either way, the battle at quarterback will be one to watch.  Both defenses are good, but the offenses can overshadow the defense easily with the big-play ability on both sides.  Both of their supporting cast members are electric, fast, and talented.  It will only add to the drama if things end up being close.  Ohio State wants to send their legendary coach on a good note so I would not be surprised if this game is out of reach early.

Playmakers Paradise

What game outside of the CFB Playoff teams has what seems like an endless roster filled with playmakers than Ohio State and Washington?  Both are talented teams filled  with NFL-type players that are looking to improve their draft stock or put on a show to remember.  Both teams have contrasting schemes and they will look to impose their will on the other team to ensure a victory.

For Ohio State, they rely on Haskins’ arm while sprinkling in the run by either Dobbins or Weber.  They will lean heavily on the running game to break it up a little and keep the defense on their toes.  The key unit will be Zone 6 and their three senior captains, Dixon, McLaurin, and Campbell–they will dictate the game for Haskins and the offense.  It will be up to the Washington defense to stop them but even if they do, the younger players waiting in the wings could also make an impact.  One of the biggest obstacles will be the Huskies defense because they are allowing 15.5 points per game, but we all saw what the Buckeyes did to the #1 ranked Wolverines defense.

For Washington, they focus on the run more than the passing attack.  Gaskin will be overutilized and he will be all over the field.  Running Backs like Gaskin can be Ohio State’s undoing and their Linebackers need to play disciplined to stop him.  They will end up giving up big plays but not the Purdue big plays because the Buckeyes are planning to send their coach with a win, and by all means they will achieve it.

Defense

The defense will be another phase of the game to watch because it is filled with NFL prospects.  Dre’Mont Jones is a future first round pick and he will be playing to end his career with his coach and his teammates.  Jordan Fuller, Kendall Sheffield, and Damon Arnette have not announced yet, but depending on what happens, they could also be playing their last game as a Buckeye.  The Buckeyes have improved a lot over the last few weeks and I am sure they are tired of the slights about their play, especially how the Purdue game keeps coming up.  They will look to silence everyone for Urban Meyer’s impeding departure.

The Washington defense is stout and filled with talent.  Led by the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American Ben Burr-Kirven, they will try to stop the Ohio State offense.  So far, Washington has allowed just 9 passing touchdowns the entire year, but with the caliber of Ohio State talent on every level of the offense, we will see if that holds up.

Prediction

So here is prediction time and this game contains the storyline that gives the Buckeyes the edge.  Your coach is leaving due to illness and is retiring to become the assistant AD and every player wants to send him out on the right note.  The Washington starting QB giving the defense some or more bulletin board material that will fire up the Silver Bullets for the contest.

This game will be close right before half before the Buckeyes pull away.  I also see the game getting out of hand before half, but I will go with the first prediction.  The second half adjustments will close the door on the Washington comeback charge.

Final Score:  55-24

With a handful of days left in the pit of misery, it is officially game week and with that, the starters for positional units have been announced during the presser–and boy the future looks bright.  With the drama behind us (hopefully it stays that way!), we can all begin looking forward to how our Ohio State Buckeyes respond to the backlash and the three-game suspension of Head Coach Urban Meyer.

Quarterback:  Dwayne Haskins.

Haskins as the heir apparent to J.T. Barrett was one of the worst-kept secrets at Ohio State.  He beat out a shifty dual-threat quarterback in Tate Martell, but even he did enough to earn a few reps when called upon.

Haskins has the arm and the talent to make this offense explode.  He also has the weapons to make that happen as well.  With a collection of talented receivers and tight ends at his disposal, he almost cannot mess this up, but we will have to see once he steps onto the field if he can live up to the hype surrounding him.

Tate Martell might have lost the battle, but he will act as a change-of-pace quarterback when he subs in for certain situations inside of the red zone.  It will be an exciting combination and it would also act as his audition for next seasons quarterback battle if Haskins has one hell of a year and leaves for the NFL.

Running Back:  J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber.

This is probably the most obvious out of every position announced.  The dynamic duo will re-assume their roles on the offense this year.

With Dobbins, he will use his success from his freshman season as he shares the snaps with Weber in what should be his final season.  With one final season, Weber will search for holes to better his draft stock and reach his personal goals, while simultaneously helping his team achieve their own season goals.

This is another talented group with two talented freshmen in Master Teague, Brian Snead, and Jaelin Gill in the mix for snaps as well.

Wide Receiver:  Johnnie Dixon, Austin Mack, and Parris Campbell.

This is another deep group of players, and the three players above are just the more seasoned players of the group.  They still have weapons in the wings in McLaurin, Victor, Hill, and Saunders.

This is a talented group of receivers from a season ago that all came back to play with Haskins before they realize their NFL dreams.  This is a potent group of playmakers that could light teams up the entire season.

People say speed kills and this group has all the speed!  It will be crazy to see, but I am excited to see big plays consistently and often.  Like the Troy Smith years–I cannot wait!  With McLaurin, Dixon, and Campbell captaining, it will be an exciting time for sure.

Offensive Line:  Thayer Munford OR Joshua Alabi, Malcolm Pridgeon, Michael Jordan, Demetrius Knox, and Isaiah Prince.

The offensive line has been set and you gush with excitement due to the potential.  The one move that shocked many was the decision to move another offensive guard to center, this year it is Jordan’s time to lead from the inside.

There is still an on-going battle going on between Munford and Alabi at left tackle, but everything else has been nailed down with Pridgeon at left guard, the aforementioned Jordan at center, Knox at right guard, and Prince at right tackle.  With a combination of Jordan at center and one of the seven team captains in Prince on the offensive line, they will lead the newer starters into battle for what could be their last year at Ohio State.

The feel I get from this lineup is salivating.  I feel like they could be road graders in the run game and that they will bring that nastiness that has been missing for a little bit, both within and outside of the trenches.  While Bowen still recovers, the depth is a little green, but they have a talented group that earned their spot on the two-deep.

Linebacker:  Malik Harrison, Baron Browning, and Pete Werner.

Linebacker is one of the deeper position groups and the roster and the starters that were announced are all athletes–quick ones too.  The sheer speed and athleticism with this group, not even factoring their backups is crazy, but it is too early to buy into the hype for now.

Run stuffers and gap fillers are their specialties, but Harrison and Browning and can be effective in coverage while Werner acts as the missile to blow up players in the backfield.  The previous to can do the same, but after seeing Werner blow people up on special teams, it is not out of the question.

The will get beat sometimes because of their youth and inexperience, but they could also be scary good behind one of the best defensive line collections out there in the nation.  With captain Tuf Borland still recovering from an Achilles injury, he will mold these younger players into machines.

Defensive Line:  Chase Young, Dre’Mont Jones, Robert Landers, and captain Nick Bosa.

Scary doesn’t do this unit and their backups justice.  They will be one of the most active units that will consistently try to harass the opposing quarterbacks and disrupt their offensive attack.  They will make then earn every single yard and this offense could be a frustrating bunch to beat and overcome in the trenches.

Jones and Landers have proven that they could blow up plays with their coordinated efforts and it usually frees up Young and Bosa.  Behind then are a talented group of underclassmen and a few true freshmen.  Togiai and company have made a lot of noise this offseason and they are expected to contribute this season.

Watch out!  This could be the best collection of disruptive playmakers in the trenches that we have had in a while.  I cannot wait to see what becomes of this unit.

Defensive Backs:  Damon Arnette, Kendall Sheffield or Jeffrey Okudah, Jordan Fuller, and Isaiah Pryor.

Captain Fuller will lead his unit to live up to the Ohio State standard.  Everyone who was expected to start secured their respective spot on the depth chart and the only question is who will be the starting corner opposite of Arnette.

The battle between Okudah and Sheffield has been tight so far, but either or will do and they are interchangeable players that can play the sideline or the slot.  Also, with Shaun Wade getting healthier and the true freshmen stepping up, if someone gets banged up they will be perfectly fine because of their depth at every position.

A fiery leader, Fuller will command everyone and coordinate the attack for his defense with other captains at every level.

Specialist/Special Teams:  Sean Nuernberger and  Drue Cristman.

I am giving the special team unit some love and it is well deserved.  During the spring game, they showed their worth in what was the weakest units a season ago.

They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t great either with a mixture of issues from missed FG’s to pointless penalties that killed the momentum or swung it in the other teams favor.  It was also the lack of containment on special teams that opposing teams often exposed the Buckeyes–especially when Barkley took it to the house on the opening kickoff last year.

Improvements must be made, especially with the new rules regarding this specific unit, where the ball can be fair caught and placed at the 25-yard line.  There are some hungry young studs (think Pete Werner) that will look to make an impact.  I think it’ll be Mitchell and Gant that will fly around this season and they will bring the boom!

Jeremiah, Tony, and Shannon, I apologize for the lengthy piece, but I am so excited to turn the page from the media storm that occurred a month ago.  I am truly excited for Buckeye season and so are Trevor and Mark.

Since that turbulent season 2011, we have been spoiled as Ohio State fans.  Point blank.  Period.  Once Urban Meyer showed up for the head coaching gig, we have experienced a ton of success both on and off the field, we have seen it in rivalry games (5-0 against TTUN), and in the recruiting game–and he is still working to improve in many other areas annually.

He took a Luke Fickell led a team who finished 2011 with a 6-7 record and 3-5 in the BIG 10 and flipped it around.  A culture change occurred and he even kept Coach Fickell on his staff for a couple of years for continuity purposes–and it worked out.  After Ohio State fired Coach Tressel and declared star QB Terrelle Pryor ineligible, it did not look good for the Buckeyes.  During the search for their new head coach, there was a lot of uncertainty, but Coach Meyer was a just what the Buckeyes needed to become successful again.

For fans, I cannot agree or stand the fact that they question Coach Meyer’s motives–especially when they questioned him for leaving J.T. Barrett as the starter during 2016 and 2017, with the perceived “better QB” waiting in the wings (Cardale Jones, 2016 and Dwayne Haskins, 2017).  You people need to just shut up and let the head coach do what he is paid to do or you’ll just be like the Volunteer fans who ran off Coach Schiano with the mob mentality that you all spew all over the social media waves.

Is an overall record of 73-8 and a conference record of 47-3 not good enough for you?  How about a bowl record of 4-2 and a College Football Playoff Championship accompanied by 2 BIG 10 titles to boot?  Still not satisfied because you are bent out of shape over a QB.  Let me say that we should be excited about whatever he chooses to do, and that is also with who he deems ready to start at QB.

This year Haskins is going to take the reins and he better be ready this year, or he’ll face the same criticism as Barrett did with Tate Martell waiting in the wings.  Most people forget that J.T.’s backup was Joe Burrow, and up until he got injured, I saw nothing with Haskins to be impressed with.  Intangibles, learning and taking mental reps, and more importantly–leadership skills.  None of those traits were present and yet, he could mentally throttle any team with a decent defense.

Since we are so spoiled as fans, let me take the time to say that Urban Meyer WILL retire at Ohio State and that I am proud that he is my head coach.  Since we want to take social media pot shots as well, let me play devils advocate and let us say Coach Meyer did not get or want the job and we had to settle for someone else.  Here is a short list of candidates that came up.

Bo Pelini, Nebraska

Bo Pelini finished 2011 with a 9-4 record and was 5-3 within the conference–so he probably was never a real threat for the Ohio State head coaching gig anyway.  Pelini, a former Ohio State Free Safety was a prime candidate for the job.  He was an aggressive defensive minded coach that leaned heavily on his Offensive Coordinators to put up points on the other side of the ball.

He started off really good, but he never got over the hump with his team before being fired after compiling a 67-27 record with the Cornhuskers.

What could he bring to Ohio State?  I think he could transform them into a winner, but like Nebraska, that hump would prove to be too much for him to stay as the head coach at Ohio State.  Expectations would run him out of town in the same manner, but since we are spoiled anyway 9-win seasons will earn him the angst and the axe at Ohio State.

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Chris Petersen was one of my favorites after compiling a wildly successful career at Boise State.  Petersen went 92-12 overall and he dominated the Mountain West Conference finishing 56-7.

He is also famously known for the Statue of Liberty play that defeated the Oklahoma Sooners and he has also beaten a few Power 5 Conference teams in Arizona State, Utah, and Washington–so he would have been a proven winner and a take at Ohio State.

He fits schematically and he would have been fun to watch at Ohio State, where he has an endless supply and a great mix of facilities, education, and the recruiting tactics would be the only question mark.  He has yet to sign a top-notch team at Washinton, but his games would be fun to watch because he isn’t afraid to run a trick play or two.

Jon Gruden, NFL Commentator

Jon Gruden was enjoying life as a Broadcaster with ESPN for NFL games.  A lot of people were thinking or holding out hope for Chucky to become the next head coach of Ohio State–and it would have taken a lot to get him to go down a level after winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He coaches the defense and he was a pretty good play caller, but I am not quite sure with the offensive side of the ball.  He normally leaned on the Running Backs and luckily at Ohio State they had a bruiser named Carlos Hyde and Boom Herron.  They also had a pretty good defense with Bradley Roby and Ryan Shazier, which would have anyone excited over coaching this team.

Sadly, like Petersen, I don’t have a clue if he knew or was willing to do the recruiting necessary to be successful because that is the lifeblood of any program.  He would win a fair share of game, but would it translate to winning recruiting battles and winning the big rivalry games?  I don’t think so, but it is sure fun to speculate.

Greg Schiano, Rutgers

Greg Schiano was another rising candidate for the job after leading the Rutgers programs to newer heights.  He was available and he was ready for the challenge of becoming a head coach at the next level, for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.  He was ill-equipped for it after laster a single season in the NFL.

If he chose to remain in the CFB ranks and if he has a shot at the Ohio State job, he would have had access to many resources to rebuild the Buckeyes into a threat once again.  He is known for his work with Defensive Backs and since he’s been at Ohio State, he has been helping in the development of these young men.

Offensively would be the biggest question because he has always been dependent on his defenses while the offenses put up points to maintain the lead.  The type of athletes that Ohio State attracts would easily put these questions to rest and with the right hire as the offensive shot caller, it could be a great match.  Would he sustain the success?  We won’t know, but it is fun to have him on our current staff.

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma

Bob Stoops would be the best candidate to sign.  He is originally from Ohio and he has a proven track record at Oklahoma and in the Big 12.

This would have been a difficult pull, but if it did happen, the BIG 10 would have burned down because he would keep his foot on the pedal until the clock hit zeroes.  Sure, it would run a lot of the head coaches the wrong way, but it isn’t like Coach Meyer doesn’t do that occasionally too.

Coach Stoops would have inherited Braxton Miller and a lethal collection of weapons on offense.  The defense was also good, with Shazier and Roby roaming around, so there is virtually no real concern for him.  Another huge plus is that he can recruit his tail off.  This would have been a near perfect hire if Coach Meyer wasn’t ready to lead another team on Saturdays.

So, in conclusion, we should always be thankful for what we have right now because good things don’t last forever.  You can be a fan and have your opinion, but it gets tiresome when just because you perceive something to be something it is not, you throw fits and complain–you argue tooth and nail until your opinion is heard or mutually agreed on.

We have a great coach who knows what is best for his team and moving forward, just be a fan.  I know that we all cannot be happy, but I am happy with double-digit wins each season and a good bowl game.  I am happy that he can recruit his tail off and that he has the capability to recruit the best personnel or assistant coaches that make his life and his job easier.  You cannot beat Top-10 or Top-5 ranked reasons and recruiting classes because there are other teams that would kill for that type of success.  Coach Meyer took less than half the time after taking over and assembled an impressive recruiting haul with less than half the time.

It is rare that a coach that can do all these things while still focusing on the future of these kids with the real-life Wednesdays–you can’t beat it.  The most important thing is the kids and if a coach can connect on more of a personal level and he can reach their untapped potential at the same time, he’s a keeper for sure.

We should be proud as a fanbase, but it’s not always gonna be perfect for everyone.  I am proud of what Coach Meyer has done and I will continue to be that way and loyal no matter what.  The fakes will be exposed and as much as I would like to kick them out, I will just let things play out and enjoy the success.  We could always have it worse, but some people cannot see past the negatives.  GO BUCKS!!!