Ohio State Sugar Bowl: Ten Predictions For The Buckeyes Game Against Arkansas
In light of the recent suspensions that have shaken Buckeye Nation to its core, there is still a football game to be played on January 4.
OSU has a chance to turn the negative energy from the suspensions into positive karma by beating an SEC for the first time in a bowl game in history.
With the arm of Ryan Mallett and the running of Knile Davis to deal with, Ohio State will need to shake off the distractions and come out firing from the outset.
Even though the talent level is very even between the two teams, the problem for Ohio State is all mental with a combination of the SEC jinx hanging over their heads and the bombshell announcement of big suspensions.
If they can overcome the mental issues, they have a good shot to win the football game.
Here are ten predictions for Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.
1. The Defense Will Force Multiple Turnovers From Ryan Mallett
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While Ryan Mallett is the best QB Ohio State has faced in years, their defense is as good as Mallett has seen in the SEC if not better.
Mallett threw for 3,592 yards and 30 TDs on the season, but also 11 interceptions in the process.
He will be facing an OSU defense that is No. 2 in total defense and has 18 interceptions, good for No. 10 in the country.
This group has not been able to get sacks, but they are more than capable of rushing throws and collapsing the pocket with frequency.
2. OSU's Kick Returners Will Cross Midfield at Least Once
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Ohio State has enjoyed a nice secret weapon that has helped their offense achieve big numbers: they are No. 3 in the country in kick return yards.
RBs Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry have shown all season the great combination of vision and quickness that good returners need to have.
Hall has also had a kick return for a TD against Michigan, while Berry has had multiple long returns of his own on the season.
And these two players should have a big day against an Arkansas special teams unit which finished No. 111 in kick return yardage allowed per game.
3. Ohio State Will Score First Once Again
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The last time that Ohio State did not score the first points in a bowl game was the 2005 Fiesta Bowl victory against Notre Dame.
With the big play ability of the Ohio State offense combined with the energy they might bring as a result of the transgressions against Terrelle Pryor and others, it's very likely that OSU will put the first points of the game on the board.
However, it's very important that Ohio State scores a touchdown instead of a field goal because of how good Arkansas' offense is.
But they will need to get off to another good start in this contest if they want to beat the Razorbacks.
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4. Ohio State Will Hold Knile Davis Under 100 Yards Rushing
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It's almost impossible to find a hotter running back in college football than Arkansas' Knile Davis, who rushed for over 100 yards in five of his last six games and scored 13 of his 14 touchdowns on the season in that span.
The trick for Ohio State will be to slow down the powerful back to force Arkansas to be one-dimensional and force them into 3rd-and-long situations.
But the Buckeyes have the players up front and in the LB corps to be able to slow Davis and the Razorbacks' new-found running game down.
If they can slow him down early, Davis might have a tough time getting big yards against an OSU defense which is quick enough to contain him.
5. Terrelle Pryor Will Put Up Big Numbers Once Again
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Despite the poor judgment of Terrelle Pryor being the biggest name in the suspension scandal, odds are he comes out motivated and ready to go.
This game could be his last as a Buckeye, and with all of the negativity on him, he should be playing with a chip on his shoulder and take it out on the Arkansas defense.
His game is much further along than it was at this time last year going into the Rose Bowl against Oregon where he put up big numbers on his way to being the MVP of the game.
After a much better 2010 season, and with a lot of motivation to do well, Pryor could put up huge numbers against a Razorback defense that has had problems with mobile QBs.
6. Ohio State Will Go For It on Fourth Down More Than Once
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Last year against an explosive Oregon offense, Jim Tressel could not have afforded to be conservative or else risk losing the Rose Bowl.
This game is sort of a similar scenario, except Arkansas is a more contemporary offense but just as explosive as Oregon.
And the best way as Tressel probably learned that another part of good defense is your offense holding on to the football.
So if a fourth down and short comes up, Tressel can't be afraid to gamble and not just once, but multiple times if the opportunity presents itself.
7. If Boom Herron Runs For Over 125 Yards, Ohio State Will Win
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For as good as Knile Davis has been for Arkansas, OSU fans can argue that Boom Herron has been just as good in the final couple of weeks.
Herron, who is among the five suspended Buckeyes, rushed for over 1,000 yards and 15 TDs, including 100-yard games in three of his last four games, including an 89-yard run in the win over Michigan.
The best thing OSU can do on offense is to give Boom the football because he has the ability to find holes, and he never fumbles, with none in three full seasons at RB.
If OSU can establish Boom on the ground early and often, they can certainly ride him to victory.
8. The Silver Bullets Will Sack Mallett at Least Three Times
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For as good as Ohio State's defense has been this season, the one thing they have not been able to do is sack the quarterback.
Despite having 29 takeaways on the season, OSU only registered 19 sacks, tied for No. 88 in the country.
While most of that can be attributed to teams making quicker passes to avoid getting sacked, it's very likely that defensive coordinators Jim Heacock and Luke Fickell will cook up some exotic blitzes to try to confuse Mallett.
And with the limited running ability of Mallett, it's very likely that he will get sacked multiple times if the Arkansas offensive line can't stop Cameron Heyward and John Simon among others.
9. The Over/Under on OSU Suspension Signs Is 8.5
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With all of the news about the suspensions and the anti-OSU sentiment, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a collection of signs mocking the event.
It's just a question of how many will ESPN show during the game.
We know it will be mentioned numerous times but expect to see a ton of signs throughout the game.
10. Whoever Has The Football Last Will Win The Game
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Despite the suspensions, not much about this game has changed from a physical standpoint.
This is a game between two very good football teams with talented offenses and fast defenses.
With the high amount of talent and the good coaching from both sides, the game will come down to whoever has the ball last with the game on the line.
The game will come down to OSU's mental edge, whether they can recover from this bombshell on top of the SEC jinx that has been the only blackmark on a long prestigious football history.
Ultimately, this team might bond together tighter than ever and if all the healthy players played including the guilty five, OSU can pull out the win.
And for some of the five, this game might be their last.
Final Score:
Ohio State 34 - Arkansas 31
This article is featured on The BCS Blitz. Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim for the latest information of college football.
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