Ohio State vs. Oregon

Rose Bowl

January 1st 4:30 ET ABC

To some the 2009 season was a success as the Buckeyes won an outright Big Ten Title and earned a Rose Bowl appearance, to others it’s a season of what could have been.  The 10-2 Bucks lost to a USC team in Columbus which had a horrible season by their standards.  Their second loss was even worse as they were beaten by a sub .500 Purdue team.  Many fans will view the 2009 season as an opportunity lost; where a Rose Bowl appearance isn’t good enough to take away the sting of not playing for the BCS trophy.

The 09 season was filled with dominating performances by a defense that is one of the best in the nation.  DT Cameron Heyward, DE Thaddeus Gibson, LB Brian Rolle and Safety Kurt Coleman were stalwarts of the stingy defense.  On offense, as usual with a Jim Tressel coached team, the play calling lacked imagination; often keeping lesser teams in the game and clearly cost the Buckeyes the game against USC.  Finally, the much maligned offensive line started to gel as OSU racked up significant rushing yards in a critical three game stretch to end the season.  The two headed attack of Brandon Saine and Boom Herron controlled the clock leading OSU to victories over Penn State, Iowa and Michigan.  Sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor progressed as the season wore on showing glimpses of greatness.  Coach Tressel finished the regular season in typical fashion with a victory over rival Michigan.  The victory moved Tressel to 8-1 against Michigan.

The Oregon Ducks started the season on an auspicious note not only losing to Boise State but they also lost their stud RB LeGarrette Blount as he threw a punch after the game.  Despite all that, Head Coach Chip Kelly managed to rally the troops as Oregon put it all together.  The Ducks won seven games in a row following the Boise State loss which set up a
pseudo Pac 10 title game against rival Oregon State.  The Ducks won the civil war in dramatic fashion 37-33.  The 10-2 Ducks are led by unorthodox QB Jeremiah Masoli who threw for 2,066 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 659 yards and 12 scores.  Freshmen RB LaMichael James was sensational rushing for 1,476 yards and 14 scores.  Another addition to an already stacked cupboard is Garrett who returned to the field during the Oregon State game.

Prediction: Much has been made regarding Ohio State’s struggles with a spread offense.  They will get their chance to vindicate themselves when they face the versatile offense of the Oregon Ducks.  The Bucks will have to maintain gap integrity and prevent Masoli, James and Garrett from getting in space.  OSU will put eight in the box in an attempt to force Masoli to beat them through the air and apply pressure with a fantastic front four.  On offense, OSU will play conservatively while pounding the ball with Saine and Herron.  The key will be to get Saine as many touches as possible through the air.  When linebackers cover Saine it’s a tremendous mismatch.  Although Pryor is suffering from a knee injury he will make big plays with his feet and to fellow sophomore, WR Devier Posey.  Ohio State’s defense dominates the game as the Buckeyes break their bowl skid.  Ohio State 31 Oregon 20

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cincinnati vs. Florida

Sugar Bowl

January 1st 8:30 ET FOX

The Cincinnati Bearcats will take the field for the first time since their thrilling victory over Pittsburgh.  The victory not only sent the Bearcats to a BCS Bowl but preserved an undefeated regular season.  On December 5th walking off of Heinz Field in the bask of a big victory, all was rosy in the Queen City.  Bearcats fans were elated with the upcoming announcement of the biggest game in the school’s history which turned out to be powerhouse Florida.  Then the ball dropped, the magic ended, the euphoria was silenced; the announcement came that Head Coach Brian Kelly had accepted the head coach position at Notre Dame.  Fans were outraged and players were stunned, yet that is the nature of the hypocritical NCAA.  With the incredible amount of time between the last game of the season and the bowl game, coaches are forced to make a decision during that time span.  Brian Kelly built the UC program then when he reaches what could be their pinnacle, leaves his team to fend for themselves.  This happens in no other sport.  The NCAA needs to forbid teams from speaking to a coach who is involved in a bowl game.  The interim coach will be Jeff Quinn who has already signed on to be the Head Coach at Buffalo.

The defending National Champion Florida Gators have experienced some drama in their own right.  The Gators suffered a tough loss in the SEC Championship game to Alabama which ended their pursuit of a repeat.  Many speculated the Gators would not be motivated for a game against the Bearcats, then the Urban Meyer news broke.  Reports surfaced quickly that Meyer was leaving Florida due to health reasons.  Not only would Gator Nation watch the last game of the greatest player in their history but they would also watch one of their greatest coaches in his last game.  The news stunned the college football world but soon thereafter Meyer had a change of heart.  Meyer is now stating he will only take a leave of absence to get his priorities and health in order.  He plans to coach against UC then take a leave of absence until August.  No doubt, despite all of the drama the Gators will come to play.

Prediction: Despite their perfect record, the Bearcats haven’t faced the talent level of Florida.  On both the offensive and defensive lines, the Gators will have the advantage.  Despite the big play ability of the Bearcats, the Gators hold the overall speed advantage on both sides of the ball and will unleash a fierce pass rush.  The Bearcats will use three step drops and quick slants routes to avoid the pressure of the Gators.  Stud WR Mardy Gilyard will need to have a big game for the Bearcats to have a chance as will QB Tony Pike who will look to bounce back from a miserable performance in last year’s bowl game.  Cincinnati may also use backup QB Zach Collaros who is a multidimensional threat.  On defense, Cincinnati will have to contend with one of the greatest players in the history of college football, Tim Tebow.  Tebow, a former Heisman Trophy Winner, has led Florida to two national championships.  Tebow is a machine on the ground and a fearless leader.  He is the heart and soul of the Gators.  The difference in the game will be the Bearcat defense which has struggled mightily of late.  They will not be able to stop the depth and speed of the Gator offense.  Tebow will have a monster game in his farewell performance as the Gators chomp the Bearcats.  Florida 47 Cincinnati 31

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Big East Championship

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

December 5th 12:00 ET ABC

The Bearcats come into the game undefeated but truly all is lost with a loss.  The winner goes to a BCS game while the loser will be left out of the BCS bonanza.  Pitt is coming off a tough loss to rival West Virginia.

Pitt’s offense will be a tough challenge for a Bearcat defense that of late has given up a lot of points.  RB Dion Lewis is very quick and will be a handful for UC.  Lewis has 1,446 yards on the season with thirteen touchdowns.  QB Billy Stull didn’t play well against West Virginia but he is very capable of winning the game for the Panthers.  Twenty year old sophomore WR Jonathan Baldwin is also capable of making big plays.  Baldwin has 967 yards and six touchdowns on the season.

The Bearcats offense has carried throughout the year and will have to put up a big game in Heinz Field for them to stay perfect.  Tony Pike is back at full speed and should have success.  Mardy Gilyard will have a big game but the running game behind Isiah Pead may be the key.

Prediction: The Pittsburgh defense will be stouter than any the Bearcats have faced all year.  The environment will also prove to be much more difficult in cold Heinz Field.  UC’s offense is so good that even against the best defenses they will score.  They will have to score and score often to compensate for their defense against a Panther offense that can put up points.  Stull, Lewis and Baldwin will have big games for Pitt.  Tony Pike will play very well but will be under duress throughout the afternoon.  Despite a very good 2010 Cincinnati will fall short of their ultimate goal in Pittsburgh.  Pittsburgh 37 Cincinnati 31

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cincinnati vs. Illinois Preview

November 27^th 12:00 ET

A national audience will get a chance to recover from the turkey hangover while watching one of the most explosive offenses in the nation as Tony Pike and the Bearcats host Illinois.  Cincinnati is coming off of a bye week which was preceded by a close victory over West Virginia.

The 3-7 Illini are on their way to their 2^nd consecutive losing season.  Head Coach Ron Zook is living up to his reputation as a great recruiter-average coach.  Illinois is very athletic but struggles to have any type of consistency on offense or defense.  QB Juice Williams has split time with freshmen Jacob Charest but is expected to get the start in Cincinnati.  Illinois lost their last contest to Northwestern 21-16.

Prediction: Cincinnati has faced few teams as athletic as Illinois.  If Illinois can put it all together and play up to their potential UC could be in for a battle.  The Bearcats will start Tony Pike who hasn’t started a game since October due to an injury.  In his stead Zach Collaros has performed admirably.  Head Coach Brian Kelly will have a tough decision to make if things don’t go well with Pike.  In the end Mardy Gilyard,Isaiah Pead and Tony Pike will be too much for the schizophrenic Illini.  Cincinnati 41 Illinois 23

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Ohio State vs. Michigan

 November 21st 12:00 ET

The Buckeyes are smelling roses as they defeated Iowa 27-24 in overtime to win the Big Ten title.  The game was played in conservative fashion on both sides as Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor completed 79 % of his passes yet only had 14 attempts.  The Buckeyes had several chances to put the undermanned Hawkeyes away, instead Head Coach Jim Tressel decided to keep the ball on the ground which shortened the game and kept Iowa alive.  Even more curious was who he chose to give the carries to.  Boom Herron ran hard but only mustered 97 yards on 32 carries while Brandon Saine rushed for 103 on only 11 carries.  Fortunately for Buckeye fans Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz had the same strategy.  Iowa received OSU’s punt with over a minute left in the game in good field position and holding 2 timeouts.  Instead of going for the victory with a QB that was playing well, Ferentz decided to play for overtime.  In the overtime session, Iowa QB James Vandenberg was sacked resulting in the Hawkeyes being outside of field goal position.  Ohio State then only needed a field goal to win the game.  Instead of getting closer with a new kicker, the conservative Tressel elected to run the ball 3 straight downs and attempt a 39 yard field goal.  Devin Barclay bailed Coach Tressel out nailing the field goal which ignited a celebration at the Shoe.

The Iowa-Ohio State game was the epitome of what fires up the national pundits.  The conservative approach is difficult to comprehend and even harder for Big Ten supporters to defend.  In summary, the DVD of Iowa vs. Ohio State will be used as evidence against the Big Ten in the court of the BCS in future seasons.

Next up for Ohio State is the “one game season” against arch rival Michigan.  The Wolverines have struggled on the season with a 6-5 record and are coming off an embarrassing 45-24 loss to Wisconsin.  Michigan gave up 229 yards rushing against the Badgers.

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Prediction:  Although Ohio State has already won the conference crown, playing Michigan is and always will be a big game.  If the Buckeyes are aggressive on offense they should have their way against a soft Michigan defense.  Look for Terrelle Pryor to have a big game in his first appearance in The Big House.  On defense Ohio State will pressure Tate Forcier and shut down the running game of Brandon Minor.  Coach Jim Tressel is an astonishing 7-1 against the team up north.  He adds to his resume as Ohio State wins big.  Ohio State 31 Michigan 13

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

#10 Iowa at #11 Ohio State

November 14th 3:30 ET

The conference has come full circle and now comes down to one game for the conference title.  The Hawkeyes will invade Columbus without starting QB Ricky Stanzi who injured his knee against Northwestern.

Ohio State had their biggest win of the season; a statement victory at Penn State.  Terrelle Pryor played very well in the victory in front of his home state crowd.  Pryor, a Pennsylvania native, threw for 125 yards and two scores and ran for 50 yards and a score in the 24-7 victory.  Ohio State’s defense was dominant holding QB Darryll Clark to 125 yards and RB Evan Royster to 36 yards.  The Buckeye defense may be the best in the entire nation.

Iowa has escaped the jaws of defeat throughout the 09 season but couldn’t pull out another miracle against Northwestern.  The Hawkeye National Championship dream ended in front of their home crowd with the 17-10 defeat.  Ricky Stanzi threw for 134 before the season ending injury.  In his stead, James Vandenberg was 9 of 27 for 82 yards and an interception.  Freshmen RB Brandon Wegher ran for 63 yards on 19 carries.

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Prediction: The Iowa offense struggled mightily without Ricky Stanzi.  The road gets no easier for Vandenberg when they travel to Columbus to face one of the best defenses in the nation in front of over 100,000 fans.  To have any success Wegher will have to carry the load and control the clock.  If not, the Buckeye pass rush led by Cameron Heyward will dominate the game.  Terrelle Pryor will have a big game with the conference title on the line.  Look for Pryor to have success through the air and especially with his scrambling ability.  Coach Jim Tressel adds another Big Ten Title to his impressive resume.  Ohio State 31 Iowa 13

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

#5 Cincinnati vs. #25 West Virginia

November 13th 8:00 ESPN 2

The Cincinnati Bearcats got their 1st test of the season as they narrowly escaped with a victory over UCONN.  Sophomore QB Zach Collaros was incredible in the victory throwing for an astonishing 480 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another 75 yards and 2 scores.  WR Mardy Gilyard hauled in 12 receptions for 172 yards in the 47-45 victory.  The Bearcat defense was exposed by the Husky offense giving up 261 yards passing to Zach Frazer and 162 yards rushing to Jordan Todman.  The Bearcat defense will have their hands full on a national stage when they face an athletic West Virginia offense.

The Mountaineers looked unimpressive in their 17-9 victory over Louisville.  RB Noel Devine hurt his ankle in the victory which limited the junior speedster to 56 yards on 13 carries.  He will have to be at 100% to keep West Virginia in the game when they face the explosive Bearcats.

Prediction: With or without a healthy Devine, the Mountaineer offense will not be able to put up enough points to hang with the Bearcats.  Head Coach Brian Kelly has a difficult decision to make.  Does he go back to Tony Pike who has been out with an injury or stay with the red hot Zach Collaros?  Either QB will lead the Bearcats to an easy victory over West Virginia in front of the Cincinnati faithful.  Cincinnati 44 West Virginia 24

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Ohio State vs. Penn State Preview

November 7th 3:30 ET

Ohio State gets back into conference competition as they make the difficult journey into Beaver Stadium to face the Nittany Lions of Penn State.  A capacity crowd of over 107,000 will be on hand to harass Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeye offense.

Pryor will be inspired to play in front of his home state and he still has plenty to prove.  Pryor has been under fire the entire season as many have called him a bust.  He will have to make plays with his feet against a very good Penn State defense.

On defense, Ohio State will have to shut down the running game of Evan Royster and force QB Daryll Clark to make plays with the passing game.  Teams that can put pressure on Clark have forced him into turnovers.

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Prediction:  Pryor will mature in front of his home state’s eyes and look like the star Buckeye nation envisioned.  The OSU defense will play aggressive and be the difference in a very close game.  Ohio State 24 Penn State 20

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cincinnati vs. Connecticut

November 7th 8:00 ET

The UC Bearcats jump in front of a national audience to face the UCONN Huskies.  UC has played very well despite the loss of starting QB Tony Pike.  Backup Zach Collaros has played very well in Pike’s absence.  Against Syracuse, Collaros threw for 295 yards and 4 touchdowns.

The Huskies are coming off an emotional 28-24 loss to Rutgers.  UCONN gave up the winning touchdown pass (81 yards) with 22 seconds left.  QB Zach Frazer threw for 333 yards but had 3 interceptions in the loss.

Prediction: The Cincinnati Bearcat offense will find little resistance against UCONN whether Pike or Collaros is at the helm.  UC will score and score often as WR Mardy Gilyard will make big plays in the passing game.  Cincinnati 47 Connecticut 20

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

The Sports Cognoscenti

#17 Ohio State vs. New Mexico State

Oct. 31^st 12:00 ET, Line: Ohio State - 44

With the criticism mounting, QB Terrelle Pryor bounced back with a very good performance against Minnesota.  The sophomore signal caller threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as the Buckeyes throttled the Golden Gophers 38-7.  Pryor looked fluent and relaxed as he looked like the player Buckeye Nation had been waiting for.This week, Ohio State steps out of conference to face New Mexico State.  The Aggies are 3-5 on the season and will provide little resistance against the bigger, faster and stronger Buckeyes.

Prediction: Terrelle Pryor will have another big day as the offense will accumulate a ton of yardage and light up the scoreboard.  RBs Boom Herron and Brandon Saine may not play but freshmen RBs Jordan Hall and Jermil Martin played well last week.  The Buckeyes cruise in front of the home faithful. 

Ohio State 51 New Mexico State 13

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer