College Football 2011: 11 Things the Ohio State Buckeyes Do Very Well
Since the dawn of the new millennium, the Ohio State Buckeyes have been one of the most dominant programs in college football, winning the 2002 National Championship and making eight BCS bowl appearances in 11 seasons.
Not too many programs have had that kind of sustained success, but the Buckeyes have been very formulaic.
Here is a look at 11 different things the Buckeyes have done very well the last 10 years.
1. Running the Football
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From Maurice Clarett's sterling freshman season, to the powerful burst of Beanie Wells and consistent running of both Antonio Pittman and Dan Herron, Ohio State has built this run of success by running the ball with authority.
Good teams are able to run the ball well, and that's exactly what Ohio State has done.
The first three backs (Clarett's troubled past aside) were very talented backs who made life miserable for opposing defenses, and Herron will have another year to add to his resume.
Ohio State has historically been a team known for running the ball with physicality, and they've stuck to their roots firmly in the 21st Century.
2. Athletic, Hard-Hitting Defense
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The last decade has produced quite an abundance of defensive stars—A.J. Hawk, Will Smith, Malcolm Jenkins and Vernon Gholston—suited up in the scarlet and gray.
While Ohio State hasn't always had the most talented offenses, what they have always had are incredibly talented defenses. The main theme from these groups is that they fly to the football, hit hard and make big plays, including sacks and turnovers.
Under Luke Fickell and Jim Heacock, this defense has been fun to watch the past few seasons, and should continue to be for years to come.
3. Sending Players to the NFL
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The sign of a good program is the amount of players who get drafted to the next level, and almost no one has done it better than Ohio State in recent years.
Ohio State has had 74 players drafted since 1999, including a school-record 14 players in 2004.
Among some of the best players drafted in the past decade are New York Jets WR Santonio Holmes and C Nick Mangold, St. Louis Rams LB James Laurinaitis and Green Bay Packers LB A.J. Hawk.
Overall, the Buckeyes have had 393 players drafted, third-most among all college football programs behind Notre Dame and USC.
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4. Beating Teams They're Supposed to Beat
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This may seem like something that shouldn't necessarily be on this list, but Ohio State has rarely lost a game they should have easily won.
No one is immune to this though, as was the case in 2009 when unranked Purdue upset OSU 26-18.
But unlike USC in the Pete Carroll era—among other examples—rarely have you seen Ohio State lose a game at the hands of someone they have no business losing to. Odds are very high that if Ohio State needs to win a game or should win a game convincingly, they will do so almost every time.
5. Winning Big Ten Conference Titles
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While the new Big Ten format eliminates the possibility of shared titles, the fact that Ohio State has either won or shared the Big Ten title each of the last six seasons is quite an accomplishment.
This run by Ohio State is the longest such stretch in the lengthy history of the Big Ten Conference, which considering all the dynasties of the past, is something to behold.
Adding Nebraska to the fold this season and the suspension of five key players, including Terrelle Pryor and coach Jim Tressel, will make the quest for No. 7 very difficult. But winning six straight Big Ten titles is still something to admire and something that has seemed to become a habit around Columbus.
6. Winning Football Games in November
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Jim Tressel has preached throughout his coaching career that championship teams win games in November—such has been the case the past few seasons.
Ohio State's last November loss was in 2007, a stunning upset loss at home against Illinois that did not derail their road to a second consecutive BCS National Championship game.
The Buckeyes have needed to get big wins against Iowa the last two seasons—including on the road in 2010—to clinch Big Ten titles, and they have done just that.
With only two November losses dating back to 2004, it's safe to say Tressel's squad is living proof of his philosophy on winning games at the end of the schedule.
7. Utilizing the Running QB
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One thing Ohio State fans have not seen a lot of in the new millennium is a prototypical pocket-passer QB.
From championship QB Craig Krenzel to Heisman winner Troy Smith, and most recently the polarizing Terrelle Pryor, recent Ohio State QBs have been known as dual-threat players.
Although Pryor is more of a running QB than Krenzel or Smith were, all three were capable of hurting defenses with both their arm and legs. That tradition will continue when Braxton Miller becomes the full-time starter as early as next season, meaning the era of the running QB at Ohio State is sure to continue into the near future.
8. Keeping the Top Ohio High School Prospects in Ohio
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Speaking of Braxton Miller, what Ohio State has done well in the last decade—to the frustration of many Big Ten rivals—is put an iron fence around the state to keep the top prospects home more times than not.
Seven of the top 10 prospects on Rivals.com's top 60 Ohio players list went to Ohio State, including both the No. 1 and No. 2 prospects in Ohio.
By comparison, only one Big Ten team (Iowa) snatched a top 10 prospect. Michigan's highest Ohio prospect, LB Antonio Poole, ranks No. 20 on the list.
This type of in-state retention has not only led to Ohio State's great run, but has also weakened its greatest rival, Michigan.
9. Dominating at Home
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The Horseshoe is one of the toughest places to play in college football, and part of it has to do with the fact that Ohio State is a tough team to beat at home.
Ohio State has lost at home only four times since 2005; twice against Big Ten opponents and once against Vince Young's Texas Longhorns in a fantastic matchup.
The fans pack the Horseshoe every Saturday to the tune of more than 105,000 decked in scarlet and gray. More times than not, they get sent home happy with a win.
Not too often will opponents be able to walk into Ohio Stadium and win games, and that has been an extremely poignant point of emphasis for the coaches and an expectation from the fans.
10. Playing in January Bowl Games
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Only once since 2000 has Ohio State played in a bowl game during the month of December.
That type of record sticks out as that of a team with quite a good track record of success that translates into later bowl games.
Although Ohio State had a rough stretch of three straight BCS bowl defeats from 2007-2009, the team has turned its luck around with victories over Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl and Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.
Finishing the season in January is something most teams strive for, but not something most teams do nearly every season.
In the case of Ohio State, this has become quite a habit.
11. Consistently Finising in the Top 10
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Postseason rankings in this current system are more of an objective list than a physical ranking of the best teams since the latter is almost impossible in the non-playoff system.
Ohio State has finished in the postseason top 10 seven of the last nine years, including the 2002 National Championship.
A top 10 finish nearly every season is quite a good indicator that a program is having success and doing so with consistency. That type of track record is something Ohio State has made very common since 2002, part of the reason why they are among the best football programs in the country.
For more college football news and updates, visit The BCS Blitz, and follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.
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