How will our Buckeyes fare in 2007?

[HailToMichigan]

Originally Posted by sandgk

-----------Overall - Conf
Team -------W L -- CW CL
Wisconsin ---12 0 -- 8 0
Ohio State - 11 1 -- 7 1
Michigan ----10 2 -- 6 2
Northwestern 9 3 -- 5 3
Penn State --8 4 -- 4 4
...
But, frankly you could reshuffle those top four any way you choose and make as strong a case.

Isn't that a tad ambitious for Northwestern? Actually, a lot ambitious? IU and Illinois at least have exciting rising sophomores at QB, and I think both have real potential to break out of the dregs next year. Northwestern hasn't shown any talent at all. C.J. Bacher isn't a good QB, and N'western's D couldn't hang onto a five-touchdown lead on Michigan State.

The Big Ten is gonna be awfully hard to peg next year. Everyone's got HUGE holes to fill. Michigan will have a brand-new D; OSU and Wisconsin with new quarterbacks; Minnesota and Michigan State, new coaches.

The only way I feel even remotely comfortable predicting the Big Ten is by breaking it into four segments, all of which could shake out any which way, like so:

Bowl teams for sure: Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State
Bubble: Purdue, Indiana, Iowa
No bowl: Michigan State, Illinois
Sucky: Northwestern, Minnesota

[MililaniBuckeye]

Originally Posted by MaxBuck

I think our chances of winning the bolded "L" games to be negligible, just as I see the chances of losing the bolded "W" games to be negligible.

I hate to sound like I'm repeating jwinslow, but do you really think our chances of beating Penn State and Michigan are the same as Youngstown State, Akron, Northwestern, and Kent State beating us? Of the latter four, only Northwestern has any semblance of a realistic shot at beating us. Conversely, I think our chances at Penn State are very good and our chances at Michigan are pushing 50/50. Our winning at either or both places would not be much of a surprise, whereas Akron, Kent State, or I-AA Youngstown State beating us would be the shocker of the decade.

[OCBucksFan]

Originally Posted by HailToMichigan

Bowl teams for sure: Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State
Bubble: Purdue, Indiana, Iowa
No bowl: Michigan State, Illinois
Sucky: Northwestern, Minnesota

I agree with most of this, I think Michigan state will be better than you are giving them credit for. The team I am most curious about Is Illinois, Zook has been gradually building a team, they were tough for us last year, they beat Michigan State last year, while I don't think they will be in a bowl, I am going to be interested to see what the program is doing. Minnie needs some serious work to get anywhere, though I would love to see them steal another from scUM, I highly doubt that will happen.

I think we are sitting at about 2-3 losses, I agree with the 4 people have pointed out. Washington could be a loss mainly because it's a game so early in the season, then the Penn State, Whisky, and scUM meetings are all going to be tough. While I think the team will be able to get up to play in Ann Arbor, they are going to be young and probably lose a couple by being careless.

[WyoBuck]

Y'know, when I originally voted in this poll, I threw up one of the 13-0 votes, not really taking it too seriously, more as a reaction to ease my pain after the NC game, but, the more that I look at the schedule, the more I feel that, though pretty unlikely, its certainly not impossible for the 2007 team to run the table.

We actually have as favorable a schedule as we could ask for in the sense that, while we will be tested in a few games, those games are at the end of the season, when the offense should have had time to come together about as much as they probably will. I really believe that if we get by Washington early, and I think we will, we head in to Happy Valley undefeated. At that point, all bets are off. There is not a single opponent on the schedule that we shouldn't be able to beat. We definitely could be Big 10 champs again next year.

Look at what USC does every year. The PAC 10 is typically a weak conference, yet USC seems to be in the thick of the NC picture every year recently. That is kind of how I look at the Big 10 this year. Not the strongest conference, but OSU should be at the top, along with maybe 1 or 2 other teams, and back in the NC picture.

I think I have finally put the NC game behind me and am ready to move on. I am optimistic again, and with good reason. I am excited to see good Ole' fashioned smash you in the mouth, slow, beat you with ball control and a great defense, Big 10 Football. I am excited about Tressel-ball, which grinds out wins with the monotony and all of the excitement of a grist-mill. I am excited about football again. I can't wait for April 21st, to see what all of the new guys can do.

As it stands now we are the current Big 10 Champs, we have a great team, great coaches, great tradition, and all the reason in the world to believe that none of that will ever change. God its GREAT to be a Buckeye.

OH!

[DrewBuckeye89]

I voted for 11-2, but I agree with the above post. Look at the defenses we'll be facing next year, and you'll notice that not many names jump out aside from the usual suspects ( Penn State, etc. ). We'll be able to run the ball consistantly on most anyone in the Big Ten, if not everyone, and that can provide a nice cushion for the next QB ( Boeckman I assume )

Think about it, when we won the National Championship, what kind of team did we have? Defensively we were pretty good, like we will be this year, but if you look at some of the guys we hailed so high like Chris Gamble and compare them to the likes of Ted Ginn and Troy Smith, you'll realise that raw talent isn't all that drives our team to success.

What I think it really comes down to is how our team responds to the shots they're going to be taking from now into next season. If, and this is a big if, if our team decides they have something to prove and plays their hearts out every single game like our boys did in '02, then I see no reason why we can't take home a crystal ball. Boeckman will have time to get into a rhythm and develope progressively due to a pretty soft OOC schedule ( Though Washington is a question mark. ), and due to the running game. Our defense will be improved both physically and from a coaching stand point, so why not?

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by Taosman

Big Ten gets even worse next year.
Wisconsin wins Big Ten.
We finish 3 or 4 with 3-4 loses.
Alamo Bowl.

I'm pretty sure that the Alamo Bowl gets the 5th Big Ten team. But maybe they get 4th. So.. nevermind.

I think too much depends on the starting quarterback, whoever that turns out to be. I was extremely worried in 2002 to be getting some guy named Craig Krenzel to be the starting quarterback. But, then in 2004, I was extremely confident in Justin Zwick as the starting quarterback. Not TRYING to point the "stupid finger" at myself (though, I'm doing a kick-ass job at it, if I might say so). I think most of us would agree that Justin Zwick appeared to be a better quarterback before playing in his first game than Craig Krenzel did, before his first game.

I think that the play of the quarterback is the one thing that has the biggest effect on how a team does. The fact that 2-3 guys are going to be duking it out helps. I'm confident in the coaching staff's ability to have scouted and recruited some kick-ass talent.

I see the Buckeyes losing some games this year. I think I picked 3 losses. But maybe I picked 4. To whom? I don't know. Maybe Lloyd gets his job-saving win over the Buckeyes this year. Maybe Wisconsin will be a good team, as per usual. And who knows? Maybe another game like Northwestern '04 will sneak up on us.

[Taterbuck]

Originally Posted by milkman21

I see us having trouble with Wiscy and scUM next year... so I think we end up 11-2.

Yes, I know that Tressel owns scUM, but I feel like we'll be outmatched for that game.

I agree totally, other than the losing to meatchicken part that is.

[ChrisWells28]

im not sure how many teams will be able to stop our running attack if we keep going at it. Though our offence should open up when are running attack is in full.

[SanClementeBuck]

Beanie will run the huskies like the sled dogs they are. Weasels will, once again, go into their home game against Bucks, thinking they deserve to win. That attitude will not be helpful against the equal or better talent of Bucks in November. If the football gods lean our way we shall have a banner season.

[Taosman]

Washington=95th rated defense in the country.

[GatorsAreGood]

I think Ohio State will finish either 10-3 or 11-2. But they could finish even better. Maybe 12-1.

[OSU_Buckguy]

Originally Posted by GatorsAreGood

I think Ohio State will finish either 10-3 or 11-2. But they could finish even better. Maybe 12-1.

so... ohio state could finish 10-3, 11-2, or 12-1? yeah, for my vote, i'm going to choose the option for "all of the above, except two."

[GatorsAreGood]

Originally Posted by OSU_Buckguy

so... ohio state could finish 10-3, 11-2, or 12-1? lol. yeah, for my vote, i'm going to choose the option for "all of the above, except two."

Fine. 10-3. I think the losses of Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith, and Anthony Gonzalez will hurt.

[Flocka]

Originally Posted by GatorsAreGood

Fine. 10-3. I think the losses of Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith, and Anthony Gonzalez will hurt.

The loss of Smith will hurt. Our receiving core will be very good next IMO.

[sandgk]

Originally Posted by GatorsAreGood

Fine. 10-3. I think the losses of Ted Ginn Jr., Troy Smith, and Anthony Gonzalez will hurt.

Yet replacing nine defensive starters (including multiple 1st round and 1st day picks) last year was so much easier to handle?

One thing JT does well is get a lot of playing time down the depth chart. The offense will change in emphasis, in that I have no doubt. Suffer? Not as much.