Why Ohio State Football in 2010 Will Not Be a Repeat Of 2006

The 2009 season seems so long ago, especially for Ohio State fans who saw their first bowl win since the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame.

But with the 2010 college football season looming in September, many fear that a replay of 2006 is in play, where the Buckeyes have national championship expectations.

Even though that 2006 team cruised through a weak schedule, there were warning signs all over the place. For example, Northern Illinois gained 343 yards in the season opener and Michigan scoring at will against a Buckeye defense that had shut down almost every opponent in the Big Ten.

All of those subtle factors combined with a weak Big Ten led to the collapse in Glendale against the Florida Gators, a defeat that pointed widespread negativity at the Buckeyes program.

Four years later, OSU is in a similar position record wise, and ranked No. 2 in most preseason polls, predicted as the team that could best challenge defending champion Alabama.

But this has a different feel, as the Buckeyes' defense is not the question mark as it was heading into 2006.

Ohio State will replace six starters including both starting safeties. But they return potential top-five 2011 NFL Draft pick DT Cameron Heyward and many other experienced starters including DB Chimdi Chekwa and LB Ross Homan.

In addition, the new probable additions to the starting lineup including DT John Simon and LB Etienne Sabino have been good depth players now having a chance to showcase their talents.

Offensively, Terrelle Pryor has continued to make strides, though slowly at times, and has a deep supporting cast around him, especially at the RB position.

The biggest question mark as always is the offensive line, which did not look good in the annual jersey scrimmage.

And if that is a problem once again with the highly-touted players the Buckeyes recruited for those positions, fingers will point more heavily at the coaching staff, which has produced only one first rounder in the Jim Tressel era, C Nick Mangold in 2006.

But the biggest factor to Ohio State avoiding a repeat of 2006 is that the 2010 in-conference schedule has many more challenges than in 2006.

OSU welcomes Miami on September 11, will travel to Wisconsin and will have the same sequence of Penn State at home, going to Iowa, and hosting rival Michigan consecutively.

The Buckeyes faced few challenges in 2006, going to Austin to play Texas, and of course, the annual game against Michigan.

Though chances are OSU will not play two teams ranked No. 2 again, the amount of talented teams they play is much greater this season.

If they do run the table again, especially playing at very tough venues in Camp Randall and Iowa City, Ohio State will have earned their right to play for a national title.

It will come down to Pryor and how the new pieces in the defense, especially on the line, step in and make an impact.

Although 2010 does have some parallels to this time in 2006, chances are Ohio State football will not see the same scenario take place.