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Best Case / Worst Case / Prediction – Ohio State

What is there to say about the 2014 OSU Buckeyes that you don’t already know?  Here’s the short version: they had their starting qb (Braxton Miller) go down with injury in camp and relied on his back up (J.T. Barrett) to win a bunch of games and then when he went down the back up to the back up (Cardale Jones Jr.) helped them win a national title.  Along the way they lost once (Virginia Tech) and survived two tight games (PSU, Minnesota) and knocked off Alabama and Oregon in the tournament to claim the first title in the new format.  Can’t get shorter than that!

As for the returning talent…it is obscene.  14 starters are back including all but one offensive lineman.  Yikes.  They also have Urban Meyer recruiting and coaching so, yeah.  This is going to be a pretty quick preview because it can be simply stated:

  • THIS IS THE MOST TALENTED TEAM IN THE LEAGUE WITH A MANAGEABLE SCHEDULE TO BOOT.

Was THAT short enough for ya?

2015 Schedule

At Virginia Tech

  • Best Case – In revenge for last year, OSU runs up the score against a Hokie club with a weak offense.  1-0
  • Worst Case – I know this game is in rocking Lane Stadium and Bud Foster has had all off season to come up with a way to stop OSU as well as the suspension but the Buckeyes have perfection on the mind.  1-0
  • Prediction – 6-3 in overtime…oh wait, no it will be a lot higher scoring than that.  W, 42-17, 1-0

Hawaii

  • BC – Wanting an extra vacation, this game gets switched to Honolulu and the school pays for the student section to travel!  2-0
  • WC – Ohio State has not lost a home opener since 1931.  Wait, they opened at Navy last year so the Tech game was their home opener.  Well then.  They wont have that happen twice in a row.  2-0
  • P – W, 56-3, 2-0

Northern Illinois

  • BC – Arkansas beat this team 52-14 last year.  3-0
  • WC – It won’t happen but the Huskies are the model program in the MAC and won 11 games a year ago.  They are well coached and fundamentally sound.  This would be a treat to see this great small program from DeKalb win on their biggest stage since the BCS game.  3-0
  • P – Drew Hare is a fun QB to watch.  He had 18 TDs to just 2 INTs last year.  I hope he keeps this game close.  W, 42-21, 3-0

Western Michigan

  • BC – WMU lost to Northern Illinois a year ago.  4-0
  • WC – Injuries…oh wait, that didn’t seem to matter a year ago.  4-0
  • P – W, 49-0, 4-0

At Indiana

  • BC – Hoosiers are outclassed at every position.  About as wide a talent gap two teams from the same league could ever have.  5-0
  • WC – Hang on, OSU plays Illinois this year.  This is the second biggest gap two teams from the same league could ever have.  5-0
  • P – Closer than expected since it is on the road and OSU will be a little disinterested but they still win by a wide margin.  W, 38-17, 5-0 (1-0)

Maryland

  • BC – This was only 52-24 a year ago?  6-0
  • WC – I’m struggling to think of a comparison of wits that Urban Meyer would lose to Randy Edsall.  I came up with getting out of a paper bag but then realized Urban would never be silly enough to get caught in a paper bag.  6-0
  • P – How do you type out the Pacman sound effect when he dies?  W, 56-14, 6-0 (2-0)

Penn State

  • BC – Finally a good game!  This was a double over time gem a season ago.  PSU should be improved but this is in Columbus and the Bucks may be improved themselves.  Can’t wait for this one.  7-0
  • WC – The matured OL gives Hackenberg more time and the Lion defense is as amazing as their potential indicates.  Perfection ended!  6-1
  • P – Can you believe tOSU gets both PSU and MSU at home?  I realized they were on the road for both last year, but why can’t these games be split up any?  The Shoe is the difference maker.  W, 28-24, 7-0 (3-0)

At Rutgers

  • BC – This was a 56-17 whippin’ last year.  Rinse, wash, repeat.  8-0
  • WC – If they were to lose the Nittany Lion game, um, yeah, they’ll be good and pissed.  7-1
  • P – A stunning upset as Rutgers scores against the second string defense.  W, 49-14, 8-0 (4-0)

Minnesota

  • BC – If MSU was the following game, you could make the case for a talented Gopher team getting looked by and stealing a massive upset but I don’t see Urban’s club looking past UM for Illinois.  9-0
  • WC – This was a seven point game a year ago and Jerry Kill’s teams are rarely pushovers.  Minnesota has a stars-align season thanks to that defense.  Don’t love the odds but any given Saturday.  7-2
  • P – That defense can keep the Gophers in it, but I’m not sure they can score enough times to get the upset.  W, 31-21, 9-0 (5-0)

At Illinois

  • BC – Is there a more forgettable “rivalry” trophy than the Illibuck?  10-0
  • WC – 66-30-4….that’s the all time record in the series.  Guess who is leading it.  8-2
  • P – Urban Meyer craps more football acumen than Beckman has in his entire brain.  W, 49-14, 10-0 (6-0)

Michigan State

  • BC – The game everyone in the league and the lion’s share of the nation want to see.  The question on every one’s mind is…does MSU get over the hump?  Well in a best case season for OSU, the answer is no.  11-0
  • WC – MSU has just as much talent back as the Bucks.  Sure last year’s game was a 12 point victory for Ohio State in East Lansing but MSU seemed to break their mental block against high powered offensive teams with a comeback win over Baylor in that bowl.  MSU is the team with the dream season this year.  8-3
  • P – An instant classic won by OSU.  Why?  I just think if healthy, OSU’s line will be only entity on this Earth to stop MSU’s formidable defense.  W, 27-24 (last second field goal), 11-0 (7-0)

At Michigan

  • BC – Wire to wire regular season at #1 for OSU.  12-0
  • WC – Michigan should be better under Harbaugh but they are still a year or two out from really being viable contenders.  9-3
  • P – A slower start due to the nature of the previous week’s battle but in the end it is all scarlet and gray.  W, 38-13, 12-0 (8-0)

Final Notes

It is strange to say this schedule is easy but when you look at the best teams they play (MSU, PSU and Minnesota) they are in Columbus.  The rest of the league slate is very easy on paper.  Lastly, the Tech game is hard in theory but considering OSU lost it a year ago and then won out to make the tournament it is kind of a pointless game.  They could get upset in it, win out and still be in the final four to defend last year’s championship.  MSU and PSU (Gophers to a much lesser extent) have the ability to knock off Ohio State but in August why would you take the upset?  The fact is this is there is not a defending champ that has returned more talent since the 2002 Miami team that ran over almost everybody and, well, OSU fans hope that they repeat 2002’s Miami season in every way but one.

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