Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Marshall University Thundering Herd

Here we are.  After a long offseason of speculation and pondering, Jim Tressel and THE Ohio State Buckeyes are ready to start their march towards a Big 10 title, and perhaps a national title.

Enter the Thundering Herd of Marshall, and their coach, Doc Holliday.  That's right, I said it, his name is Doc Holliday.  No, it's not that Doc Holliday, unless the academics at Marshall have figured out time travel, but this Doc Holliday does bring credentials that rival the Huckleberry from the Gunfight at the OK Corral. So while you are pondering your favorite "Tombstone" quotes, and trying really, really hard not to finish off the, "We are..." chants (admit it, you just did), let's take a quick look at Marshall, before we get this season rolling.

Holliday was hired at the end of the 2009 season, carrying quite the complete resume. Holliday has coached in 20 bowl games and been a part of three National Championship games. Holliday has also quite the extensive history against THE Ohio State Buckeyes. He coached at N.C. State from 2000-2004, as the associate and wide receivers coach. Included in those games were two classics against the Buckeyes in 2003 (a triple-overtime, 44-38 thriller that the Buckeyes won when they stopped N.C. State inside the one) and 2004 (a 22-14 Buckeyes victory, ironically enough, a week after barely nipping Marshall).

Holliday then moved on to Florida as Urban Meyer's associate head coach, safeties coach, and recruiting coordinator. Of course, in the 2006/2007 national title game, the Gators gave Jim Tressel and his Buckeyes a beatdown of mammoth proportions. Holliday then moved to West Virginia as their associate head coach, tight end coach, fullback coach, and recruiting coordinator, after being considered a candidate for their head coaching position.

Holliday walks onto a Marshall team that finished 7-6 last season, and returns seven starters on both offense and defense. Their offense is led by senior quarterback Brian Anderson (2646 yards, 14 TDs, 13 INTs) and wide receiver Antavious Wilson (60 rec., 724 yards). Sparkplug Martin Ward appears to be the starter at running back, averaging nearly five yards a carry for nearly 400 total yards rushing.

Defensively, Marshall is a solid, if not spectacular unit. They have a big and deep defensive line that has been called "SEC-worthy" by a rival coach, which is led by big tackles, Johnny Jones and Delvin Johnson. Both are 6'3" or over, and both are north of 300 pounds. Of course, the Buckeyes offensive line, averaging a paltry 6'5" and 305 pounds is more than big enough to meet the challenge.

Mario Harvey, their top linebacker also returns, and likely will be shadowing quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Good luck, Mario...good luck.

With the Buckeyes entering a season in which they are followed by a lot of hype, this first game will give some insight into what we are going to be getting this season. Will the wunderkind Pryor show up, who lit up the Rose Bowl last January? Or, will the inconsistent and sometimes frustrating Pryor who struggled and shined all throughout the 2009 season be prevalent?

Personally, I believe this is the Buckeyes team that will pull it all together, and it's going to start off tonight against an overmatched Marshall team. Look for a larger-than-life defense to keep Marshall out of the end zone, and look for an even better Ohio State offense to roll up enough points to pull the starters by somewhere in the mid-third quarter.

Boom Herron and Brandon Saine will run amok behind an offensive line that is going to show off a bit of that Block O we've been looking forward to for so long. Look for a big game from DeVier Posey, and I really believe that Dane Sanzenbacher is going to explode this season. Why? They have so much depth at this position, with Taurian Washington, Chris Fields, and Corey Brown.

My predictions?

THE Ohio State University 45
Marshall University Thundering Herd 9

Let's GO BUCKS!

This article can also be found at Bleeding Buckeye Scarlet...