Ohio State Football: 5 Reasons Why the Buckeyes Can Have Issues in 2011
Ohio State football has gone through probably their most tumultuous offseason in recent memory with the suspensions of five Buckeye players and the controversy swirling around Jim Tressel.
While it's certainly not impossible for Ohio State to be able to succeed in 2011 in the new Big Ten, the ingredients are there for a perfect storm of problems for this football team.
They might not have the type of meltdown that Texas had in 2010, but it could be a very tough season in 2011 for reasons that could only have to do with what's on the field.
Here are five on-field reasons why Ohio State could struggle in 2011.
5. Lack of Receiver Experience to Start the Season
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Regardless of who starts at QB for Ohio State for the first five games of the season, they will not have too many experienced weapons to throw the ball to.
Outside of DeVier Posey, the next two most experienced WRs, Corey Brown and Chris Fields, have combined in their careers for just 11 catches and one TD.
In addition, there was no true breakout player amongst the young OSU receivers during the weeks of spring practice.
No matter how good the running game is, the offense has to throw the ball at least a few times to keep the opposing defense honest.
And considering the lack of experience combined with the inability of the young guys to separate themselves, there doesn't seem to be much of an easy feeling amongst Buckeye Nation in that category.
4. Replacing Seven Defensive Starters Is No Small Task
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While most of the problems heading into the season is about the four suspended offensive starters, another major concern is trying to replace seven defensive starters, five of whom were drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Although Ohio State has plenty of talented young players waiting in the wings, it's going to be very tough to replace four-year contributors in Cameron Heyward and Chimdi Chekwa.
It doesn't help that LB Dorian Bell was recently suspended for the entire 2011 season for a third violation of team rules, further weakening the depth at the LB pool.
All in all, OSU needs to replace half of their defensive line, two starting LBs, both corners and a starting safety.
Replacing all of that is not impossible considering the depth the defense has, but it certainly won't be easy to do.
3. The Difference of Head Coaches on the Field
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For the first time since 2001, Jim Tressel will spend a football Saturday from his home and not at Ohio Stadium.
Due to a five-game suspension, defensive coordinator Luke Fickell will put on the main headset and run the show on the field to start the 2011 season.
And while we don't yet know what the difference between how Tressel coaches and how Fickell coaches, the difference could possibly be very great.
One thing to watch is what Fickell decides to do if the game is tight and they either need a big offensive play or a defensive stop.
Those differences, while unknown, could be the difference between going 5-0 and possibly 3-2.
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2. Who Starts at QB Until Terrelle Pryor Can Return?
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The most important thing to a football team is the guy that's taking the offensive snaps and throwing the ball.
For Ohio State, they need to find out who will be starting come September 3 against Akron, and most likely it will come down to Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller.
And depending on which Buckeye fan is asked, most would rather see Bauserman on the sidelines, and his spring performances did little to improve his stock.
On the other hand, Miller, a true freshman, enrolled early and had an entertaining spring that saw him pick up the offense and slowly gain more confidence, concluding with a strong showing in the spring scrimmage.
Miller has such a high ceiling, but Bauserman has more experience against collegiate defenses.
Whichever player the coaches decide to start comes with some risk, but they need to be able to, at worst, keep the team afloat for the first five weeks of the 2011 season.
1. Team Chemistry When the Suspended Players Return
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It would be one thing for Ohio State to start the season 3-2 or 4-1 and win most of their games by the skin of their teeth.
But it would be a totally different thing if the Buckeyes start 5-0 and look utterly dominant.
The reason for bringing this up is when Week Six at Nebraska rolls around, Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams and Dan Herron all return from their suspensions and should start.
Conventional wisdom says you go with the guys that got you to where you are, but also, how do you bench the guys that OSU needed to win back-to-back BCS bowl games?
We all know that those four guys will and for good reason will start right when they come back, but chemistry is a funny thing in sports. Chemistry can mean just as much as talent, and can also disrupt the flow of a team when things are going well.
How the team handles returning four starters after playing five games without them will without a doubt make or break the season, regardless of how well they started 2011.
For more college football news and updates, visit The BCS Blitz and follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.
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