Ohio State Football: Why Buckeye Fans Should Literally Expect Everything in 2011

As far as Ohio State fans are concerned, this offseason couldn't end soon enough with the scandal and the media witch hunt that have tortured fans all year.

But the season that is just a month away might be the most surprising and unpredictable year because seasons like this don't happen often if ever.

Ohio State has lost its best coach since Woody, one of their best QBs in the last 20 years and they still have three prominent senior players under a five-game suspension.

Remember as well that Ohio State has a tough schedule in what is arguably the second-best conference in college football with road trips to Nebraska and a revitalized Michigan program, as well as tough home tests against Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State.

They'll have to do that under the microscope of the NCAA, which will likely levy their final sanctions in October/November.

While Ohio State seems to have escaped the death knell that is LOIC or the less-damaging failure to monitor charges, they can still get some minor penalties, especially pending on how seriously the NCAA considers the repeat violator sanction involving former OSU men's basketball coach Jim O'Brien.

But other than that unknown that won't be answered without time, there are some other things we won't be sure of.

We won't know how good of a coach Luke Fickell will be.

We won't know if Braxton Miller can be a better freshman than Terrelle Pryor was.

We won't know how much things will change when Dan Herron, DeVier Posey and Mike Adams are eligible to play again.

And while we do know how good the running game is and the limitations of the offensive coaching staff, namely Jim Bollman, it's the unknowns that can steer the season in one way or the other.

This team can very easily go one of two ways: They can struggle to a 7-6 or 8-5 season, or can rise above the negativity and go somewhere like 12-2 or even 13-1.

The talent is there, and the motivation is there in bunches.

The question is whether they have the mental toughness to get past the distractions and the awareness to not play on pure emotion and play smart, physical football.

If they can, this team, postseason ban or not, can still be the best team in the Big Ten.

If not, it could be a long 2011 season that won't provide any elixir for Ohio State fans.

Either way, prepare for everything because it's like Forrest Gump says: "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get."

And for Ohio State, this season is the same way. So fans should prepare for anything, because anything can happen this year. Absolutely anything.

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