| 06 March 2011
It has been a whirlwind off-season. There is so much going on. From recruiting to all the talk about possible NCAA infractions on a major program to the number one ranked Buckeye basketball team. It seems like I have just now had time to take a deep breath and look forward to next year.
I was more optimistic at first blush. That was before Tattoogate. I knew the defense had some holes but I thought this would be the most explosive offense in the Tressel era. It was close to the most explosive we have seen last year but next year, with a four year senior starter returning at quarterback, three offensive linemen returning as multiple year starters, including two with a real shot at coming out of next season as first round draft picks plus the deepest most talented stable of young backs since the Cooper era, you had to like this team to be one that any opponent was going to have to score alot of points to beat.
Things have changed. We are losing that quarterback for at least a quarter of the season. The offensive line returns one of those linemen for the first quarter of the season. Yes, just one. We don't know what we have with Shugarts. Hopefully the time off will return him to his form when he was healthy. We don't know how rusty any of the suspended players are going to be as the staff still has to prepare the team for games, whether it be four or five games, before those key starters can come back. They have to have a back-up ready too just in case. There are not going to be alot of reps for those former/future starters. Make no mistake. They are future starters. The man we know Jim Tressel to be, he is not going to get those players to promise to come back then not let them play.
Those are some holes on offense. Defense is where the holes really are. Between strong side end, three-tech tackle and nose tackle the defensive line has five returning players, Hankins, Goebel, Simon, Bellamy and Fellows. I am not counting Evan Blankenship. He will never play while the game is still in question. Fellows cannot find his way to any semblance of a stretch of good health. That leaves four healthy players who have had a practice at this level. Good to see Chase Farris looking so impressive in his senior film. He might be playing. Kenny Hayes, Michael Bennett and Joel Hale too. Playing freshman linemen because they are that good is a good thing. Playing freshmen linemen because you have to is not.
We have no depth at the Star or strong safety. Our backup Star IS our strong safety. We have no clue who is going to be Christian Bryant's back-up at strong safety. Our best safety, C.J. Barnett, is coming off season ending knee surgery. At corner we have Bryant stepping in at one corner. He has quality game experience and got better every time I saw him on the field. Some seem to be content with Dionte Allen transferring in and taking the other corner job. Ohio State has been so much better a program than Florida State the past decade but a kid who was going to lose his starting job, comes here and sits out a year but steps right into the starting lineup after that year off and that is a good thing. What?
We got holes, Buckeye Nation. We are going to be better of because of it. There are reps to be had out there and the talent level with the youngsters is off the charts. We need to let them have their growing pains. I am looking at a two-year plan.
As far as next season is concerned, I think that if the Buckeyes make a BCS bowl game it will be Jim Tressels best coaching job yet.
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