Well, I'm not going to post a score because if you're Buckeye fan, you know what happened.
I've done a pretty nice job of blacking out Monday night, although that's a bad taste that will probably never go away. In regards to the '06 season, those are the types of college football seasons that rarely happen for any program, and we as Buckeye fans might not see a team that talented for another 20 or 30 years. My dad says that the 68 team with Rex Kern, etc. was the best team that he'd ever seen until this year (and I believe he maintains that the 68 team is still the best he's ever seen), and I feel that this is the 1968 team of our generation. Unfortunately, JT and the boys couldn't wrap up a National Championship trophy with all the talent they had in the cupboard.
In terms of game analyzation, I'll try to keep this short. OSU Coach Jim Tressel
FLAT OUT GOT OUTCOACHED. I liked the going for it on 4th and 1, the one in which we didn't make, but I supported the decision. I felt that was the right time to make a call like that, but OSU didn't execute. Losing Ted Ginn due to an unexcusable injury did hurt how OSU was going to operate offensively, but JT's ability to game plan on the fly apparently didn't make the trip out to Glendale. First off, a ton of credit needs to be given to the Florida defense, but Tressel's play calling post-Ginn injury was ATROCIOUS. If you lose your best WR, and you quickly go down 21-7, it is mandatory that you run the ball and attempt to control the clock the best that you can. JT has that game plan in the arsenal, as only 4 years earlier he used it to beat Miami only 8 miles away in Tempe for a National Championship. If you'll recall, the Pittman 18 yard run for a TD brought our Bucks back to within 7, then the Buckeye D holds UF to a 3 and out. What did our offense do? A cold Troy Smith goes 0 for 3 to complete our own 3 and out, as the Bucks (who the posession before ran UF down the field for a score) put up their own 3 and out. That was the chance to get back in the game, and from then on the Buckeyes never really had a pulse.
Here's a couple of things I must relay: Florida played an awesome game, and Urban Meyer's game plan was phenomenal. Their defense was Baltimore Raven-scary, and OSU didn't act as if they had any desire to even be there. That being said, I'd also like to credit Florida LB Brandon Siler for playing well, but at the same time I must call him out for acting like the douche that he is and I hope he blows out a knee soon. Really classy way to handle the victory.
THE BUCKEYE FUTUREIf you're a Buckeye football fan, you know by now that OSU junior Anthony Gonzalez has declared to go pro. I am a bit surprised by this, especially after he said that everybody he knew that was playing in the pros was miserable (due to always being sore and injured). But I also agree with his decision to go pro, because his stock will never be higher and this is the best time for him to go pro. I see Gonzo as one part Ricky Proehl, one part Isaac Bruce, and one part Marvin Harrison. I don't think he'll go much higher than the middle of the second round, mostly because he'll be the 6th or 7th receiver taken (at best). Dwayne Jarrett, Calvin Johnson, SC's Rice, and Tennessee's Robert Meachem will likely go ahead of Gonzo, and you might as well throw Ted Ginn Jr. on that list as well. I do see him being a very good NFL receiver if he is fortunate enough to be in the right system (the Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Tennesee Titans, New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers would be ideal destinations).
The announcement of Gonzo going pro pretty much makes Ginn's exit to the NFL a foregone conclusion. If Ginn stays, what does he really have to prove? His numbers would decrease with a new QB coming into the fold in either Rob Schoenhoft or Todd Boeckman, and would certainly see 60 minutes of double coverage on Saturdays next fall. So, I wholeheartedly believe that Ginn will not be returning for his senior season in Columbus, unfortunately.
This also brings us to the Antonio Pittman decision. He is to announce on Monday his intentions, but I think his return to play in his senior season is also doubtful. Super sophomore Chris Wells will be more than capable to handle the bulk of the RB carries, and there are a couple of big time RBs coming into the fold in 07. I see Pittman heading to the NFL, and all of the sudden we'll have to replace almost every skill position on offense.
So where does this take us leading into the 07 season? I think Ohio State will be ranked somewhere near 15, but no higher than 12 but no lower than 20. The loss of Heisman winner Troy Smith, center Doug Datish, Tony Gonzalez and likely Ted Ginn Jr. and Antonio Pittman will put alot of inexperience on the offensive side of the ball. The defensive line will have some holes to fill, as DE Jay Richardson and DT's David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock will depart to the NFL. Senior CB Antonio Smith played himself into being an NFL draft pick, and with a good combine Smith could go as high as the early 4th round (and the way NFL teams take chances on CBs, a 3rd round pick might not be out of the question). So there are some huge holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but a weak schedule will benefit the Buckeyes. The opener at Washington should be an interesting one.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the 07 football season. There were euphoric highs, and a Michigan game that no one will ever forget, but the sour ending will leave a bad taste in a lot of Buckeye mouthes for a long, long time.
We'll chat basketball in the near future, my friends.
