Ohio State Football 2K8 Week Five: Win That Old Conference Now

Photo courtesy of Scout.com

This week’s game preview is not as in-depth as I hoped it would be. I’m in the process of applying to grad schools and looking for jobs in Southern California, so needless to say, my mind is elsewhere and will be until I can get all this sorted out…

All is not well in Buckeye Nation since there’s still questions about the offensive line and whether or not Jim Heacock should still be in charge of the defense, but, to borrow phrases from Barack Obama, there’s elements of “hope” and “change” we can believe in, and it comes in the form of Terrelle Pryor as the starting quarterback.

Given the talent on the 2008 Buckeyes squad, the score should’ve been Ohio State 100, Troy 3, but keep in mind they were trying to overcome the mental issues surrounding another butt kicking by a highly ranked opponent (who will probably go on to win the National Championship this year).

Say what you will about Ohio State, but at least we lose to college football powerhouses. Then again, that’s like saying the Soviet Union should be commended for being second to the United States in terms of world domination.

On second thought, don’t say that.

Fellow Bleacher Creature Chip Minnich still has some concerns about the Buckeyes, despite their victory over Troy.

As much as I dislike Todd Boeckman, I can’t help but admire his ability to handle
his demotion with the utmost class and poise. For more info about the way Boeckman’s handled the quarterback switch, check out Ken Gordon’s column in the Dispatch.

Many of you have probably heard about Boeckman getting booed by fans at Ohio Stadium the two times he took the field last Saturday against Troy. Rob Oeller offers his opinion, but like I’ve said: As much as I dislike Boeckman as a football player, I have an incredible amount of respect for the way he’s handled everything.

Fans booing Boeckman as he took the field was unsportsmanlike and honestly, its one of the few times I’ve ever been embarrassed of Buckeyes fans. We’re better than that, folks, and Boeckman, for everything he did last year, didn’t deserve that kind of reaction from the crowd.

This is a guy who could’ve easily become a cancer in the locker room for being replaced, but instead took the high road and has continued to mentor Pryor while he learns the ins and outs of Ohio State’s offense.

Look at it this way, folks: Let’s say you’re dating the hottest girl in school, but you know she’s way out of your league. You decide to pursue her anyway, and to your surprise, she wants to date you. Things go well for a while, you have the requisite ups and downs that occur in any relationship, but eventually you both realize that things are starting to fall apart, especially when she starts hanging out with your best friend and getting a little too close to him.

Instead of getting psycho possessive like some people, you realize that your relationship is coming to an end, and you welcome the opportunity to support your best friend and his pursuit of your ex, hoping their relationship will be more fruitful than yours.

Okay, while that sounds incredibly unrealistic, bear with me here. Imagine that one day out of the blue, her friends (none of whom liked you to begin with) start harassing you for no reason, following you everywhere and taunting you, even after you begin dating someone else. In real life, you’d probably get a restraining order after the harassment becomes too much to bear.

Now imagine that you’re Todd Boeckman and you sprint onto the field to take your first snap in front of the home crowd a week after blowing a huge game in Southern California…

And with that idiotic analogy, let’s take a look at this Saturday’s game.

This week’s theme song is "Run Like Hell" by Pink Floyd


The good news is that Pryor will once again be starting. Even better news is that there’s a strong possibility we’ll be seeing Beanie in the backfield against the Golden Gophers.

Here’s a combo I never thought would happen: Pryor at quarterback and Beanie at running back. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. It’s like Christmas was suddenly moved back three months. Those two, along with Ray Small whenever he decides to get out of Tressel’s doghouse, make up for almost all concerns I have about the offense.

Still, Minnesota’s coming to Columbus undefeated, while Ohio State has a rather humiliating loss under its belt.

Stats wise, Adam Weber kills Pryor. Weber’s currently 79-110-967-1 in four games compared to Pryor’s 21-33-226-1. Then again, Pryor wasn’t the starting quarterback for two of those games. He had an impressive first start though, going 10-16-139-1 against Troy.

Minnesota’s biggest offensive strength is their passing game. Gophers wide receiver Eric Decker is 32-454 with four touchdowns in four games and averages 14.2 yards per reception. Brian Hartline, currently the Buckeyes’ top receiver, is 9-147 with two touchdowns and averages 16.3 yards per reception.

The majority of Hartline’s total reception stats came in last week’s game against Troy where he was 2-55, catching two touchdown passes. Brian Robiskie went 2-41 against Troy with one touchdown and is 12-113 for the season.

The Gophers obviously aren’t the same team they were last year, but if the Buckeyes can stop their passing game and pressure Weber, I don’t see Minnesota leaving Columbus undefeated. It’ll be closer than expected, but the Buckeyes should handle this no problem in front of the home crowd.

And if Boeckman is used for a couple of plays, show the kid some respect.

My prediction:

Ohio State Buckeyes 35, Minnesota Golden Gophers 28

Stats courtesy of CBS Sportsline