Ohio State Football: One Reason Why the Buckeyes Beat Every Team on the Schedule
Ohio State Buckeye fans really haven't had too many things to be excited about for next season with the cloud of the NCAA hanging over their heads.
It has already cost the school its head coach and the wolves are circling around their current starting QB Terrelle Pryor.
With the immediate future of the Buckeyes in the hands of new coach Luke Fickell and possibly freshman QB Braxton Miller, 2011 can be a very rough ride for OSU.
But they certainly do have the ability to win each game on their schedule, although they might not be able to win them all.
Here is the list of why Ohio State has the ability to beat each team on their schedule this season.
Week 1 vs. Akron
1 of 12
With a team that only won one game in 2010 and finished near the bottom of the FBS in most offensive categories as well as defensive PPG, there's almost no doubt Ohio State will win this one.
This game essentially may be more of a preseason mentality where the Buckeyes use most of the game to figure out what their best personnel combinations could look like.
Reason for Victory: Too much talent.
In the case of Ohio State, their second-string team could take care of Akron in this game.
Week 2 vs. Toledo
2 of 12
The last time these two teams met, in 2009, the Buckeyes put on a show, shutting out the Rockets 38-0 in Cleveland Browns Stadium.
This time around, the Rockets are a much improved team under Tim Beckman and last year went to a bowl game for the first time since 2005.
Reason for Victory: Greater depth.
While Toledo is a bigger challenge than Akron and the Rockets will treat this game like it's their Super Bowl, Ohio State's depth, especially up front, should be enough to wear down Toledo on both sides of the bowl.
Week 3 at Miami
3 of 12
This game will be the toughest test for the Buckeyes without the Suspended Five, taking their collective talents to South Beach to face the 'Canes.
Under first-year coach Al Golden, the U is still looking for the right guy to get the team back to where it was a decade ago.
Jacory Harris returns for his third season as the starter, although he regressed heavily from a strong 2009 season.
Reason for Victory: The Buckeye defense.
Ohio State's defense forced four Harris interceptions in the 36-24 win in Columbus a year ago.
If Ohio State can run the football effectively on the road, they can leave South Florida with a huge road win.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Week 4 vs. Colorado
4 of 12
The main word in Boulder this year is transition; the Buffaloes have a new head coach in Jon Embree and have left the Big 12 for the newly-expanded Pac-12.
Led by QB Tyler Hansen and RB Rodney Stewart, Colorado will want to end their OOC season on a good note before they start the grueling Pac-12 schedule in the South Division.
Reason for Victory: More talent.
After the failure of Dan Hawkins to get the Buffaloes program back to glory, Embree will have a tough start to his coaching career with a mediocre roster.
And if Ohio State needs more motivation going forward, they can read this from a reporter in Colorado Springs.
Week 5 vs. Michigan State
5 of 12
Michigan State was no doubt the biggest surprise team in the Big Ten and if it wasn't for Auburn, would have been the biggest surprise in the country.
The Spartans return QB Kirk Cousins and RBs LeVeon Bell and Edwin Baker, which combine to produce one of the most explosive and balanced offenses in the conference.
Reason for Victory: Defensive balance.
Ohio State's front seven has the ability to contain or stop the running attack, and it will be up to the athleticism and skill of the secondary, led by Travis Howard and C.J. Barnett, to close down the airways.
Sparty's defense loses a good amount of talent which could be beneficial to a young offense which should have a good deal of chemistry and identity by this game.
Keep an eye on DT Jerel Worthy, who can certainly have the same impact in this game that Wisconsin's J.J. Watt had against Ohio State last season.
Week 6 at Nebraska
6 of 12
Of all the games on the Ohio State schedule, this game is without a doubt the least likely one Ohio State can win.
The Buckeyes will make their first trip to the Sea of Red in Lincoln and go up against a defense that more than stands up against their own led by DT Jared Crick and LB Lavonte David.
Reason for Victory: Return of the seniors.
Dan Herron, DeVier Posey and Mike Adams will all be eligible to return to the lineup in this game, while Terrelle Pryor's status is still pending, for the time being, due to the ongoing NCAA investigation of his automobile situation.
But the one way Ohio State can win this game is if they have the senior leadership and the heart to go on the road in an incredibly hostile environment to weather the storm and get the job done.
Week 7 at Illinois
7 of 12
Since the resignation of Jim Tressel on Monday, this game has suddenly become quite a trendy upset pick, especially with the Illini's pesky nature.
Although they are without three stud players in RB Mikel Leshoure, DT Corey Liuget and LB Martez Wilson, QB Nathan Scheelhaase has enough talent and experience to put a scare into the Buckeyes and make this a tougher game than most expect.
Reason for Victory: (Pending on Week 6 outcome) Motivation after loss.
Right now, I predict Nebraska will beat Ohio State and thus the Buckeyes will come out with quite a lot of intensity to try to blow out Illinois if they have the chance to do so.
The last three times Ohio State lost in the regular season, they went on to win their next game by a combined score of 115-7.
Illinois fans looking for a win might want Ohio State to win at Nebraska because they might not want to face an angry Ohio State team.
Week 9 vs. Wisconsin
8 of 12
With a week off after the Illinois game, Ohio State hosts Wisconsin on October 29th under the lights at The Horseshoe.
This game will have quite a bit of national attention after Wisconsin physically mauled Ohio State in Camp Randall last year 31-18, knocking the Buckeyes out of the No. 1 spot in the polls.
Reason for Victory: Revenge.
Really, it seems very difficult to find a reason why Wisconsin can beat Ohio State in Columbus this year, whether it's replacing QB Scott Tolzien and top defensive talent J.J. Watt, or the upset win at home last season.
And with Ohio State having two weeks to prepare for Wisconsin, the Buckeyes will be out for blood, looking to stake their claim in the Leaders Division.
Week 10 vs. Indiana
9 of 12
New Hoosiers coach Kevin Wilson, formerly the OC at Oklahoma, will have quite a bit of rebuilding to do in Bloomington.
After Bill Lynch struggled to fill in for the late Terry Hoeppner, the Hoosiers will have their hands full in 2011 in the competitive and deep Leaders Division.
Reason for Victory: Inexperienced IU QB.
Whether it be Dusty Kiel or Edwin Wright-Baker, the Hoosiers will have some trouble if they aren't able to produce offensively like they did the last two seasons with Ben Chappell at the helm.
It doesn't help their cause going into Columbus for their first game against OSU.
Week 11 at Purdue
10 of 12
Ohio State continues their run against teams from the Hoosier State with a trip out to West Lafayette to face Danny Hope's Boilermakers.
Purdue will be hoping to have both QB Robert Marve and RB Ralph Bolden healthy if they want another upset of Ohio State when the Buckeyes roll into Ross-Ade Stadium.
Reason for Victory: Desire to avoid deja vu.
Ohio State's stunning upset loss in 2009 was one of the worst games the Buckeyes played as a team, but it also served as a catalyst for a run to a Rose Bowl title against Oregon that season.
With this game possibly looking like a trap game before Penn State and Michigan, the motivation to avoid history repeating itself will be enough for Ohio State to get the job done.
Week 12 vs. Penn State
11 of 12
In the finale game of the round-robin trip through the Leaders Division, Ohio State hosts semi-rival Penn State in what is always a physical slugfest.
Last season, Penn State jumped out to a 14-3 lead at halftime, but Ohio State stormed back in the second half by scoring five unanswered TDs including two interception returns for TDs.
Reason for Victory: The 12th man.
The Ohio State crowd was no doubt a factor in re-energizing a Buckeye team that played a flat first half and sparked a spectacular second-half surge to win the game.
Penn State has had troubles winning games in Columbus lately, with the exception of 2008, and this season might not be too different unless Ohio State really hits the skids late in the year.
Week 13 at Michigan
12 of 12
This year's installment of The Game will be the first time since 1929 that two first-time coaches face off, with Michigan's Brady Hoke on one side and Fickell on the other.
Hoke seems to have reinstalled the meaning and message of the rivalry during his short time at Michigan, while Fickell knows all about the rivalry being both a players in The Game and coaching in the rivalry.
In short, November 26th should be a fun one.
Reason for Victory: More talent.
The difference in talent showed itself in a huge way last year when Ohio State dominated Michigan 37-7 in Columbus, giving Jim Tressel his ninth and final win against the Wolverines.
One thing to watch for as well is that if Ohio State is given a postseason ban, this will be their bowl game.
If that is the case, that will give them all the more motivation to try to make it an eight-game winning streak over Michigan.
For more college football news and updates, visit The BCS Blitz and follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
