Forget The Canes, Buckeyes Will Face Much Tougher Competition

The media hyped Miami (FL) as a national championship contender. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson warned us Buckeye fans to board our windows and doors because of the beat down that was coming. Damien Berry guaranteed a victory.

But we found out Saturday that the Hurricanes are pretenders. Jacory Harris isn't a Heisman candidate, and they don't have the skill players around him. They were as average as they come and only stayed in the game because of the Buckeyes' blunders.

Now I don't say all of this just to disrespect "The U" or to cause controversy, but rather to put the win in perspective for Buckeye Nation.

The team the Bucks faced Saturday was not in the ball park of the Texas and USC squads we have battled in recent years. Not from a personnel standpoint, nor from a coaching perspective. 2-0 feels great—no one will argue with that—but there is much more difficult football to come.

In fact, after watching the Hurricanes on Saturday, I will venture to say that there are three teams that will play the Buckeyes tougher.

Team No. 1 - Wisconsin

Let's not forget the Badgers beat this same Miami team in the Champs Sports Bowl last season 20-14, out-gaining them 430 to 249 in total yards.

The Buckeyes head to Camp Randall Stadium for a night game on Oct. 16, which could prove the toughest test of the season. John Clay is arguably the best offensive player in the Big Ten this season, and on top of that, he has some 30 pounds on Brian Rolle. If the idea of Clay pounding the ball behind a bunch of farm-fed 300 pound Wisconsin lineman doesn't scare you, it should.

Wisconsin is much more lethal than the Hurricanes.

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Team No. 2 - Iowa

Last season, Iowa gave OSU everything they could handle in Columbus with a backup quarterback.

This time around, they get to host the Buckeyes. Ricky Stanzi is a solid, efficient quarterback and Adam Robinson is a playmaker in the backfield, but what makes the Hawkeyes so tough is how they own the trenches.

On the offensive side of the ball, Kirk Ferentz has proved he is a master at producing offensive line talent. The Buckeyes played Iowa the week after Penn State last season, and the difference between the two lines really stood out. The Hawkeyes were able to do what the Nittany Lions couldn't: neutralize guys like Cameron Heyward and Thaddeus Gibson.

Then you have to worry about the Hawkeye defensive line, which isn't merely the best in the conference, but one of the best in the country.

Guys like Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard and Karl Klug all return after helping to combine for 252 tackles, 27 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in 2009. So yes, Iowa will match up well with Ohio State this year and will provide a much truer test of how good this team really is.    

Team No. 3 - Michigan

No I'm not jumping on the Wolverine bandwagon completely, I just respect the rivalry that much.

With that said, Denard Robinson and the new Michigan offense are much improved, and I am having a hard time continuing to be a skeptic. After two games, there is no doubt the Buckeyes will face a better offense and quarterback on Nov. 27 than what they just saw Sept. 11.

Even last year, however, in one of the most forgettable seasons in Michigan history, they battled the Buckeyes. Actually, they outplayed us in most facets of the game, but their five turnovers were too much to overcome. Even though we face them at home this year, "The Game" always seem to bring out the best from both teams.

All of that will make Michigan a formidable opponent, and tougher competition that the Canes.

So Buckeye fans, take this last game with a grain of salt. It was exciting to beat a well known non-conference foe, but things are different than a few years ago.

Not only is Miami not up to standards of some of the other big name opponents in recent memory, but the Big Ten continues to regain momentum.

In fact, it appears to have narrowed the gap with the SEC this season. Ohio State will have a much tougher time maneuvering their way through the schedule coming up than in years past.

The one real positive is that the Buckeyes won Saturday while not having their "A" game. If a few small kinks get worked out like special teams, pass rush and redzone scoring, this team will be ready for these tougher tests coming up.