Ohio State Football 2011: Can the Buckeyes Survive the Storm to See BCS Again?

For Ohio State, this offseason has been the most tumultuous in their storied program’s history.

Jim Tressel resigned when it was discovered he had been lying for players and didn’t report violations to the NCAA when he found out about them.

Five players were suspended in “Tattoo-gate,” which only adds to the inexperience of this team.

The Buckeyes are perennial championship contenders and it comes as no surprise that they’re ranked in the preseason top 25 despite their recent woes. But can they get back into a BCS bowl game this year or will it all be too much to handle?

The following slides will answer that question.

The Big Ten Will Be the 2nd Toughest Conference

In order for the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten or come in a close second, they will have to go down quite a treacherous road.

A trip to Miami, also known as the “Ineligibowl,” could end in a loss, especially if the Hurricanes are allowed to play all of their stars. Facing an aggressive Michigan State team without an established running back and elite offensive tackle, even at home, could also be disastrous.

But the biggest obstacles will be a visit from Wisconsin and a trip to Nebraska. Both teams will have lethal offenses with mobile quarterbacks that will put an inexperienced Buckeye defense through the wringer.

The crowd at Nebraska could also be too much for a rookie quarterback to handle.

The NCAA Investigation Is Not over

Some may have forgotten this but the NCAA is not done with Ohio State. They’ve been sidetracked for the moment with Miami, but a final punishment is expected to be given sometime in October or November.

That’s right in the heart of the season, and it could easily distract the players and new head coach Luke Fickell from what will be happening on the field.

Or more players could be suspended from the team, which would put Ohio State squarely behind the 8-ball in the Big Ten championship, assuming they are able to beat Wisconsin and the rest of the Leaders Division.

Nebraska or Michigan State would be the likely opponents, and it’s incredibly difficult to beat a team of equal caliber twice in the same year. If they lost the championship game, the Buckeyes would be at the mercy of the BCS bowls, but a loyal, traveling fanbase could make up for two or even three losses.

Rookies in Leadership Roles

Any coach would be nervous in his first year coaching at a major BCS program, but Luke Fickell also has to deal with suspensions, inexperience at nearly every position on the field and a looming NCAA punishment.

The leader on the field will also be new and he could end up being a freshman. Braxton Miller will be a star at Ohio State, but it’s unknown if that will start this year or in the future. The other option is redshirt senior Joe Bauserman

Typical rookies can’t deal with the pressure that comes at the highest level of competition (see Garrett Gilbert). But Miller, Bauserman and Fickell don’t appear to be your typical players, and Bauserman is in his fifth year at the Ohio State University.

If for nothing else, the game at Miami should answer a lot of the questions people have surrounding the Buckeye leadership.

So Can They Get Back to the BCS?

It’s highly unlikely that Ohio State will be in a BCS bowl this year. The SEC is almost assured of two BCS bowls, Boise State could very well go undefeated this season and there are four teams in the Big 12—Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Missouri—who could steal another BCS spot.

Ohio State would have to run through the regular season unscathed, which doesn’t seem likely. Wisconsin has too strong of a run game, and the Sea of Red at Nebraska won’t be kind upon whoever the starting quarterback may be.

And since we can’t predict what else will happen at Ohio State, everything could fall to shambles if a player like Mike Adams can’t anchor the offensive line in the Big 12 championship.

The season could still be considered a success depending on how well the Buckeyes play, but the most likely situation is a nine-win season, which would leave them on the outside looking in on the BCS.