Ohio State Football: 10 Reasons to Be Optimistic and Pessimistic in 2011

We are just around two weeks away from finally getting away from unquestionably the worst offseason in the history of college football and getting back to finally playing games.

For Ohio State, they are just one of those teams that just wants to finally play football.

The Buckeyes have lost their head coach and starting QB, in addition to their image as a clean program.

But they do have an energetic young coach in Luke Fickell and a good assortment of young talent, although most of those young players do lack experience.

Buckeye fans have many reasons to be excited about this season and other reasons that are lingering in the back of their minds.

Here are five reasons for fans to be optimistic and five to be pessimistic.

Pessimism: The Big Ten Is Deeper Than Ever

The scandal at Ohio State that ended Jim Tressel's career couldn't have come at a worse time for Ohio State.

Michigan State is still a rising contender, Penn State is a young team loaded with potential, Wisconsin added Russell Wilson and the new kid on the block is the legendary Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The expansion of the Big Ten, combined with the improvement of those first three teams, makes the conference tougher than it's ever been.

If it had come a few years ago when the conference appeared to be at an all-time low, then it wouldn't be that much of a problem.

But now the conference is much deeper than in recent years, and with the addition of Nebraska, that could present problems for a Buckeye team looking to win their seventh straight Big Ten title.

Optimism: Mike Vrabel Is Helping to Coach a Young, Talented Defense

With the resignation/retirement of Jim Tressel and the promotion of Luke Fickell to head coach, Ohio State had an extra opening to fill on their coaching staff.

Who better for the job than a three-time Super Bowl champion and modern Buckeye star in Mike Vrabel?

Vrabel is very much cut from the same cloth as Fickell; a young, tough customer who wants his young players to play with a lot of energy.

And Vrabel's first season on the staff has offered him plenty to work with, as Ohio State is loaded in young, though mostly unproven, players with great potential.

The departure of seven defensive starters opened up quite a bit of competition, and Vrabel's experience should make this unit very fun to watch this season.

Pessimism: Russell Wilson

While Wisconsin lost two first-round draft picks from last year's Rose Bowl runner-up team, the player they added may send them back to Pasadena all by himself.

Russell Wilson, who was incredibly talented player on a mediocre North Carolina State team, comes over to a team that will support him with a talented run game and a physical defense.

Wilson threw for more than 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns to just 14 interceptions, and rushed for nine more TDs despite only averaging three yards per carry.

He will have James White and Montee Ball to help take pressure off him, as well as talented receivers that include Nick Toon.

A healthy Chris Borland on the defense could and probably should make Wisconsin the team to beat in the Leaders Division.

Optimism: Loaded Freshman Class Making Impact

Ohio State landed another top-five recruiting class according to Scout.com, their third top-five class in four years.

While 2008 was very offensively-minded and the 2009 class was a defensive-based group, this class has talent on both sides.

Among the top names in this class are Braxton Miller (who should, at worst, be the backup QB to start the season) and blue-chip LB Curtis Grant, whom Vrabel has really taken under his wing at practices.

The Buckeyes do also have a large number of young players making a push to get on the field, including DE/DT Michael Bennett, LB Ryan Shazier and WR Devin Smith.

While obviously not all of these guys will play this season, these young Bucks should as a collective whole make a large impact both in the present and future.

Pessimism: Ohio State Has No Starting Experience at Quarterback

Although the quarterback battle in camp between Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller is heating up, the loss of Terrelle Pryor is still a huge void, no matter how talented the other two players can be.

Regardless of Pryor's attitude problems, the fact that he has been the only starter at QB Ohio State has had since the 2009 Fiesta Bowl is a concern that still means something.

Experience is something both Bauserman and Miller lack, and that is something that can only be cured with experience.

Neither of those guys have been in the situations Pryor has had to deal with, and that type of exposure to pressure situations is the big unknown that will hang over each of their heads until they come out with their heads above water.

Neither player might have Pryor's attitude issues, but the fact that they have no starts between them is something that could eventually hurt this team at some point.

Optimism: Only One Difficult Game for Ohio State on the Road

The Buckeyes' road schedule, other than a road trip to Lincoln Oct. 8, suddenly seems much easier, depending on what happens with the Miami players Nevin Shapiro identified as accepting improper benefits in the Yahoo! Sports report.

Michigan is still mostly an unknown because no one knows if Greg Mattison can make the Michigan defense look any better than it was a year ago when it was absolutely abysmal. In addition, the transition of Denard Robinson to a pro-style game is something else that's an unknown.

That leaves the next three toughest games for Ohio State on the season as Michigan State, Wisconsin and Penn State, all of which are home games for the Buckeyes.

Wisconsin and Penn State will be tough because of their implications on the Leaders Division title race, and the Buckeyes will still be without four seniors during the Michigan State game, the final game of their five-game suspension.

While the Nebraska game is probably the toughest game of the season, Ohio State gets to do some home-cooking against the rest of their tougher in-conference foes.

Pessimism: Jim Tressel Is No Longer Around

Say what you will about Jim Tressel as a person, but his coaching resume alone shows how good of a head coach he was at Ohio State.

His steady approach and calm but focused demeanor were critical to Ohio State winning six consecutive Big Ten titles, several BCS bowl games and the 2002 BCS National Championship.

And no disrespect to Luke Fickell, who is an unknown in the head coaching ranks, but it's very tough to replace that steady leadership Tressel offers.

His departure could be bigger than almost any NCAA sanction that should be announced around October or November.

While that might not hurt right away, it could become a big enough problem somewhere down the road that in a tough spot, that experience of Jim Tressel is no longer on the sidelines.

Optimism: Depth at the RB Position

Despite the lack of experience at the QB position and the perceived lack of talent at the WR position (although camp battles seem to be producing better results), the RB position is not a concern for Buckeye fans.

While Jordan Hall will be used as more of a hybrid RB/WR, the Buckeyes still have three very talented RBs to carry the load—and that doesn't include stud senior Dan Herron, under a five-game suspension.

Jaamal Berry, a burner from South Florida, may be the biggest home run hitter of the three, with incredible burst and speed to go along with underrated lower body strength.

Rod Smith is a throwback RB similar to Eddie George in terms of size and strength, but Smith also has deceptive speed.

But a surprise in camp, according to The O-Zone.net, is Carlos Hyde, who seemed to be an afterthought until recently. Hyde has been impressive in practices with his explosiveness and big-time speed for a back who is about 240 lbs.

Whoever carries the ball most for Ohio State can give almost any defense worries, regardless of who it will be.

Pessimism: Distractions Following the NCAA Investigation

No one knows quite where the NCAA investigation stands, although most people in the media feel that the worst is over and punishments like bowl bans might not be in play.

But the NCAA unfortunately will not announce their sanctions for another 2-3 months, which could prove to be a distraction for the football program.

The uncertainty of the Buckeyes' future has hurt the team's recruiting in what was a loaded pool of prospects in Ohio, and it could be a potential problem for the guys already on the team.

So far, it seems like the players are saying the right things, such as they don't seem too worried and they are only focused on the games.

That seems like a rehash of the expected company line. They need to go out and prove they are not truly worried, or they could be on a spiral to a very down year compared to the last six seasons.

Optimism: Ohio State's "Us-Against-the-World" Mentality

According to the record books, Ohio State technically hasn't won a game since the 2010 Rose Bowl win over Oregon.

All 2010 season wins, including the 2011 Sugar Bowl, were vacated, and other additional sanctions could be on the way within the months to come.

But the program has been stripped of most of its integrity, most of it deserved.

The players on this team want to get it back—and get it back this year.

They seem to be united under the goal of shocking the world, somehow stunning the college football world and possibly playing for a National Championship if the NCAA allows it.

While they may not get there, they have eight months worth of press clippings and audio quotes from noted Ohio State critics, such as Dennis Dodd and Mark May.

And in every sport, players need that extra juice.

The Buckeyes have basically an infinite pool of that extra juice, and if they need it, they will use it.

And if history has proven anything, don't give a team with big talent an extra reason to want to beat you.

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