Ohio State Buckeyes Football: 2010 Schedule Breakdown
This edition of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to be one of the most talented teams in the country this season. The roster is drenched with future NFL players, and the group returns a difference-maker at every key position on the field.
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a 6‘6" junior, is a budding superstar and the definite star of this show. Pryor is surrounded with top-notch talent across the board on offense, and has the benefit of one of the strongest defenses in the nation.
The Buckeyes have one main goal on their mind this year, and that’s to win a national championship.
The road to a championship will hardly be an easy one though. The team has several tests that they first must pass in order to reach their dream. Here’s a look at the twelve opponents that Ohio State must topple in order to reach the National Championship game.
September 2nd: Ohio State 45, Marshall 7
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This Thursday night contest went pretty much as planned for the Buckeyes as they thoroughly dominated a far weaker and less talented Marshall team.
The offense was crisp in both phases in this one. The Buckeyes would finish off a balanced night with 249 yards through the air and 280 yards on the ground.
Terrelle Pryor hit DeVier Posey on a six-yard TD strike just a little over a minute into the game to get the ball rolling. Things started to open up from there. Both Posey and running back Brandon Saine scored two touchdowns apiece, and the highlight reel play came when Pryor hit Dane Sanzenbacher on a 65-yard TD bomb.
Marshall’s only points of the night came off a blocked field goal that was returned 61 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Otherwise, it was all Ohio State in this one.
September 11th: Miami
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The battle between these two power programs will be a rematch of the controversial 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
In that game, Ohio State received the benefit of a botched pass interference call, which allowed them to go on into overtime and win the national championship.
Many around the Miami football program point to that one defining moment as the end of an era of dominance for the 'Canes. The team has yet to fully recover and regain their swagger in the years since.
Needless to say, Miami will be looking for revenge in this one.
The 'Canes are led by quarterback Jacory Harris, who has an attitude and personality reminiscent of old Miami players.
Harris has a strong receiving core in place with Leonard Hankerson, Aldarius Johnson, and Travis Benjamin.
What the quarterback does not have, though, is a true No. 1 running back to take the pressure off. Yes, Damien Berry is good and Lamar Miller has potential, but without Graig Cooper at 100 percent, this Canes team could really struggle putting together a consistent rushing attack.
What will save them is their stout defense, especially their potentially dominant defensive line led by senior defensive end Allen Bailey.
Players like Bailey and defensive tackle Marcus Forston could give Ohio State problems all day long.
Septmber 18th: Ohio
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In the 2008 matchup between these two teams, Ohio State looked sluggish and unmotivated as they trudged their way to a 26-14 victory. The Buckeyes actually trailed 14-12 going into the fourth quarter, but finally turned things on to avoid getting embarrassed.
This year, the Bobcats are one of the best teams that the MAC has to offer. On offense they have standout players such as wide receiver LaVon Brazill, who has the ability to give any opponent fits.
The defense is led by a stout front line that returns all four starters from last season.
Defensive tackle Ernie Hodge is an interior player that the Buckeyes have to account for and game-plan against accordingly.
This is a talented Ohio team, but they just don’t seem to have the weapons to keep up for all four quarters. It’s been a while since Ohio State has lost to an in-state school, and I don’t see things changing this year.
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September 25th: Eastern Michigan
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The Buckeyes will square off against Eastern Michigan, another MAC school, the following week. Though the Eagles, a team that finished 0-12 last year, don’t pose the same type of threat as Ohio.
The team is led by second-year head coach Ron English, who was Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007. English has a good idea of Ohio State’s offensive tendencies, and the way Jim Tressel likes to game-plan.
This is an improved group that returns 15 starters from last season, but it would be a stretch to think that they could hang with a team like Ohio State for very long.
October 2nd: At Illinois
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Ron Zook’s current Illinois team is a far cry from the group that received an invitation to the Rose Bowl just three years ago.
This is an Illinois squad that seems to have more questions than answers right now, especially on the offensive side of the football.
The only sure thing for the Illini offense is running back Mikel Leshoure, a 6‘0", 225 lb junior who led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.8) last year.
Leshoure has the speed and power to wear down opponents, but the rest of the offense appears to be a bit shaky.
Receivers A.J. Jenkins and Jarred Fayson have the speed to make plays, but it remains unclear whether or not freshman quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase can get them the ball on a consistent basis.
The Illini defense is a stronger, more sure unit that has two potential standout players in linebacker Martez Wilson and cornerback Terry Hawthorne.
Wilson, a former elite recruit who has been plagued by injuries so far, looks like he’s finally ready to live up to his potential this season, while Hawthorne is looking to build off a solid freshman campaign.
October 9th: Indiana
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Indiana could possibly be one of the surprise teams of the Big Ten this year.
Head Coach Bill Lynch has done a great job bringing in talented players that have worked hard and bought into the program.
The Hoosiers have a lot of offensive firepower with receiver Damarlo Belcher and running back Darius Willis. The two combined for nearly 1,000 yards worth of offense in 2009.
Quarterback Ben Chappell is experienced but has been known to throw some key interceptions in the past.
The offensive line has some question marks after the departure of Rodger Saffold, but they have returning players like center Will Matte and tackle James Brewer to help lead the way.
On defense, the team will rely on big defensive tackle Adam Replogle, a 6‘3", 290 lb sophomore, to slow things down up front.
This is not a Hoosiers team that will overwhelm anybody on paper, but on the field this is a group that plays hard and together, and they should be a handful to deal with.
October 16th: At Wisconsin
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The last time these two played in Madison back in 2008, Ohio State came away with a hard-fought, 20-17 victory.
This year’s game looks like it has the potential to be a similar type of affair.
Wisconsin has no problems with turning around and giving the ball to their big, powerful running back John Clay. The 6‘1", 250 lb junior carried the ball almost 300 times last season.
Luckily for Clay, he has one of the best offensive lines in America to open holes for him. The line, led by two talented tackles, senior Gabe Carimi and junior Josh Oglesby, has the ability to really take control of a game and set the tempo of play.
Line play might be the most important factor in determining the winner of this game. Guys like Cam Heyward and Dexter Larimore have to step up big for Ohio State and really man up in this one.
October 23rd: Purdue
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Ohio State will be out for payback this year after Danny Hope’s bunch got the best of them in 2009. Last year's 26-18 upset may not have cost Ohio State the Big Ten title, but it did cause them some embarrassment.
This will be a bit of a new-look group that the Boilermakers are putting out on the field. Gone is running back Ralph Bolden, who is out for the season with a knee injury, and in is new quarterback Robert Marve, a transfer from Miami.
Marve is a more mobile, scrambling quarterback that likes to move around and regularly get outside the pocket. The key for Ohio State will be to contain him and keep him from making plays with his legs.
The new QB has a nice safety blanket to throw to in receiver Keith Smith, a 6'2", 220 lb senior. Smith caught 91 balls for 1,100 yards in 2009.
The front seven of Purdue’s defense is their strong point. Senior Ryan Kerrigan is one of the best defensive ends in the country, and sophomore Kawann Short is a fast-developing, 310 lb defensive tackle.
The key for Ohio State in this one is the passing game. Purdue’s secondary looks weak and inexperienced, and could have trouble locking down guys like DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher.
October 30th: At Minnesota
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On paper, Minnesota looked like one of the weakest teams in the Big Ten heading into the season.
The Golden Gophers were picked to finish last in the conference by nearly every publication and media outlet.
While it’s true the team has a lot of inexperienced faces on defense, Minnesota also has a lot of returning firepower on offense.
Quarterback Adam Weber isn’t the most talented player on the planet, but he’s been around for a while, and he knows what it takes to play against Big Ten quality opponents.
Weber has underrated junior running back Duane Bennett to help ease some of the burden, and an intriguing receiving target in 6‘3" junior Da’Jon McKnight.
The defense will likely be the Gophers downfall in this one. There's just not enough there this year to stop a team with as much talent as Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have dominated the last five games in this series. Minnesota has been absolutely blown out in some of those contests, having lost all of them by at least a two touchdown margin.
November 13th: Penn State
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This one should be a great matchup of two exciting quarterbacks: Terrelle Pryor and Robert Bolden.
Bolden may only be a true freshman, but the whispers have already started that he could be as good as, if not better than Pryor in the near future.
The benefit for Penn State is that this game is played in November, which allows their young quarterback to get most of the rookie mistakes out of his system.
Another benefit to a late-season game is that it allows Penn State’s defense the chance to gel and learn all the ins and outs.
This year, the Nittany Lions have an entire new linebacking crew led by senior Michael Mauti.
This Penn State defense has a chance to be really good once everybody settles in. The front four, led by Jack Crawford and Ollie Ogbu, can be equally effective against the run and the pass, and the secondary is a smart, experienced bunch that doesn’t give up too many big plays.
November 20th: At Iowa
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This one could be tough for the Buckeyes; not only is it a road game, but it’s also sandwiched in between two other tough Big Ten battles with Penn State and Michigan.
The game itself is shaping up to be a slugfest.
Iowa has a defensive line that can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the country. Defensive end Adrian Clayborn is a ferocious player who plays with a tenacity that is hard to stop.
Their secondary might be equally effective. Junior Tyler Sash is a safety who can fly around and make plays all over the field.
The key for the Buckeyes in this one is to not allow Iowa to control the ball with Adam Robinson. If the Hawkeyes can get the ground game moving and control the clock, it makes things much more difficult for Terrelle Pryor and the offense.
November 27th: Michigan
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Finally, we get to the big one.
Michigan vs. Ohio State in the Horseshoe.
The Wolverines come into this game looking to snap a six-game losing streak in this rivalry. They'll be looking to get the offense going after scoring a combined total of just 17 points in the last three contests.
This will certainly be their best opportunity to pull out a win in the Rich Rodriguez era.
Rodriguez finally has found his quarterback in Denard Robinson, and you can tell that the coach is excited. That’s because everything that his offense does is basically predicated off of the quarterback’s decision.
Now that the coach has a sound decision-maker in Robinson running the show, it frees him up to go into attack mode.
With an improved Wolverine defense making huge strides from last year, the last thing an opponent wants to see is Michigan going into attack mode.
The key for Ohio State in this one is to obviously to stop Robinson. If he gets starts to get loose, it could be a long day for the Buckeyes.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
