Ohio State Buckeyes 2009 Football Betting Preview

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Ohio State 2008 Record: (10-3, 7-1)
Ohio State 2008 Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs. Texas (L 21-24)
Ohio State Coach: Jim Tressel (83-19 at Ohio State, 218-76-2 overall)
Ohio State Offensive Coordinator: Jim Bollman
Ohio State Defensive Coordinator: Jim Heacock and Luke Fickell
Ohio State Returning Stats Leaders:

• Rushing: Terrelle Pryor, QB, 631 yards
• Passing: Terrelle Pryor, QB, 1,311 yards
• Receiving: Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, 272 yards
• Tackles: Kurt Coleman, S, 78
• Sacks: Thaddeus Gibson, DE, 5.0
• Interceptions: Kurt Coleman, S, 4

Notable Ohio State Returning Players: TE Jake Ballard, C Michael Brewster, OT Bryant Browning, CB Chimdi Chekwa, G Jim Cordle, DE Cameron Heyward, LB Ross Homan, S Anderson Russell, DT Doug Worthington

Ohio State Key Losses: DT Nader Abdallah, OT Alex Boone, LB Marcus Freeman, WR Brian Hartline, CB Malcolm Jenkins, LB James Laurinaitis, TE Rory Nicol, K Ryan Pretorius, G Steve Rehring, WR Brian Robiskie, P A.J. Trapasso, CB Donald Washington, RB Chris Wells

The Buckeyes finished 2008 tied for the Big Ten title with a 7-1 conference record and earned their 6th BCS bowl berth in seven seasons. To give you an idea of how successful OSU has been in recent years, their three losses last fall were the most since 2004! Despite the most returning starters in the country in 2008 coming off of back to back appearances in the BCS Championship Game, the Buckeyes fell short early at USC and installed somewhat of a youth movement thanks to a poor offensive line. That movement began with true freshman quarterback prodigy Terrelle Pryor, who had an 8-1 record as the starter and was the Big Ten’s highest rated passer in 2008. With recent high-profile failures fresh in the nation’s mind, OSU might actually have earned a moral victory and respect by losing to Texas 24-21 on a last-gasp touchdown in the Fiesta Bowl. Can the Buckeyes continue regaining respect and realize their enormous potential this fall and win their 5th consecutive conference crown?

The Buckeye offense completely revolves around sophomore phenom Terrelle Pryor. Pryor passed for 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns against only 4 picks while rushing for over 600 yards and 5 scores as a true freshman! Described by some Buckeye fans as ‘LeBron in cleats’, Pryor showcased his athleticism by adding a touchdown catch to his resume against Texas! After an exceptional performance in the spring, Pryor appears poised to become one of the most dangerous players in the country in 2009.

But what about his supporting cast? Ohio State must replace 1st round tailback Beanie Wells and two draft picks at wide receiver. However, sophomore Boom Herron averaged 5 yards per carry last fall and scored 6 touchdowns, including the go-ahead score against Texas, and is expected to anchor a solid rushing attack this fall. Pryor’s top returning receiver is junior Dane Sanzenbacher but he’s more of a slot receiver and the trifecta of sophomore DeVier Posey, junior Taurian Washington and senior Ray Small are expected to all contribute in a large way. I expect Ohio State’s passing game to be much more productive this fall despite all of the losses at wideout because the Buckeyes will allow Pryor to throw the ball much more often.

However, perhaps the biggest improvement for the Buckeyes will come along the offensive line. After massively underperforming last fall, Ohio State rebuilt their line and appears to have a solid unit in place entering 2009. Sophomore center Mike Brewster might be the Big Ten’s best at his position and Michigan transfer Justin Boren should add some much-needed fire. If the Buckeyes can settle on a left tackle then this should be a much better unit. Overall, Ohio State only scored 28 points per game last fall and spent much of the season relying on Wells to pound opposing defenses into submission. Expect a much more diverse attack now that Pryor is more familiar with the system and this should be one of the Big Ten’s most dangerous offenses in 2009.

The Buckeye defense is nowhere near as inexperienced despite losing four NFL draft picks from last year’s squad, which allowed only 14 points per game. Ohio State will be extremely strong up front, where all but one player returns in the two deep. Junior ends Cameron Heyward and Thad Gibson will be extremely disruptive this fall and Ohio State has their best set of defensive tackles since 2006. This is definitely the conference’s best defensive line.

At linebacker, the Buckeyes will miss James Laurinaitis, one of the most decorated players in school history. While it will be tough to replace a player who enters 2009 as the St. Louis Rams’ starting middle linebacker as a rookie, Ohio State has a ton of highly rated talent at linebacker that has waited their turn. Junior Ross Homan should have another strong year as the only returning starter and he is very tough against the run. The biggest development in the offseason was the explosion of junior Brian Rolle, who will start at middle linebacker after spending the last two years as a special team demon. While Laurinaitis will be missed, this is Linebacker U and I expect another strong year from Ohio State.

The Buckeyes also have a very good secondary. Three starters return, led by the Big Ten’s best tandem of safeties in seniors Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell. Losing 1st team All-American Malcolm Jenkins is definitely a loss, the Buckeyes have a very solid group of cornerbacks on hand, led by junior Chimdi Chekwa. This is probably the best secondary in the Big Ten. Overall, Ohio State has a great defensive line, solid linebackers and a very good secondary. Furthermore, the Buckeyes always have a very solid defense and I expect nothing less this fall. This is one of the country’s best defenses.

Ohio State has eight home games this fall! Their season opens with an intriguing matchup against Navy before the biggest game of the season in week two against USC highlights the non-conference portion. The conference schedule is also fairly tough as the Buckeyes must travel to Michigan and Penn State. However, they miss Michigan State and Northwestern in the rotation and host Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. While this is a fairly tough schedule, especially in November, it is very heavy on home games.

Ohio State has as much talent as any team in the country. The Buckeyes field a strong defense and have one of the most exciting young players in college football as their starting quarterback. On the other hand, the Buckeyes are a very young team that has to replace a lot of very talented starters, so a lot will depend on how quickly the new talent, especially on offense, is ready to perform. It is not a stretch to say that OSU’s matchup with USC is an absolutely enormous game for both the Buckeyes and the Big Ten. If Ohio State can beat the Trojans, the criticism of the league will abate rather quickly and the Buckeyes could set themselves up for a run to the BCS Championship game. However, if USC comes into the Horseshoe and beats OSU, then the criticism of the Big Ten will continue in earnest and you have to wonder how a young team will react to the 4th loss against a top opponent in two seasons. At this point, there is no doubt that the Buckeyes are a major contender for the Big Ten title and Pryor is rapidly becoming one of the biggest stars in college football. As always, Ohio State is a contender for the National Championship and this is definitely one of the best teams in the country.

Ohio State Big Games: Sept. 12th vs. USC, Sept. 26th vs. Illinois, Oct. 10th vs. Wisconsin, Oct. 24th vs. Minnesota, Nov. 7th @ PSU, Nov. 14th vs. Iowa, Nov. 21st @ Michigan

Ohio State’s Strength:

Even though the defense lost Laurinaitis, Freeman and Jenkins, this will still be one of the best defenses in the Big Ten. The front line returns Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward and Doug Worthington. Gibson is the most dynamic pass rusher of the group and could emerge as a big time playmaker now that he is an upperclassman. The secondary will miss Jenkins, but Chimdi Chekwa is a quality corner and safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell will both be three year starters. As long as the Buckeyes can find a replacement for Jenkins, the pass defense will be among the best in the conference and possibly the nation. It is in the middle of the defense where there are the most questions. Ross Homan is the lone returning starter to the linebacker corps and the junior needs to become a leader right now.

Ohio State’s Weakness:

As long as Terrelle Pryor is around, Ohio State will have a dynamic offense. Pryor threw for 1,311 yards as a freshman and ran for another 631. Pryor will do damage with his legs no matter what, but how far has he come as a passer? Without Wells around to hand the ball off to, Pryor is going to have to pass more often. The good news is that Pryor only threw four interceptions last year compared to 12 touchdowns. Even if the passing attack struggles, Pryor has proven that he can usually avoid making the big mistake. And the passing game may very well be ineffective this year without Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Those two accounted for 12 of the team’s 17 touchdown receptions. The only other player to catch more than one touchdown pass on the season was the now departed tight end Rory Nicol.

Our Prediction for the 2009 Buckeyes:

Barring an injury to Pryor, the Ohio State offense should be fine. Even without their top two receivers, the Buckeyes should pass for more than 150 yards per game. Coach Jim Tressel limited Pryor’s passing game last year, but that will end now. Pryor will be heaving the ball down field and if that works out well, Ohio State will earn another Big Ten crown.

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