Yes, we all know that if the same Ohio State team that squeaked by Ohio last week shows up this week to play USC, the Buckeyes will be run out of California faster than Barry Bonds. However, that same Ohio State team that struggled against Ohio won’t show up this week.
All of the factors leading up to this game say that USC should clean the Buckeyes’ clock tomorrow night. Ohio State looked asleep for the first three quarters of last week’s game. Meanwhile, USC traveled across the country to whip Virginia 52-7 two weeks ago, and have had an extra week to prepare for the Bucks. On top of all that, the game is on USC’s home field, the Coliseum – a place where USC has won 36 of its past 38. USC holds all the cards going into this match-up. For some reason, that’s why an upset tomorrow seems imminent.
First off, Ohio State will look nothing like the mediocre team we saw last week. The weekly grind of college football is so tough that teams can’t put together perfect performances every week. While style points aren’t important, getting the victory at the end of the day is. Ohio State is unquestionably a better team than they showed last week. They’ll show it tomorrow.
Chris Wells will play tomorrow. Wells is a special player, and special players find a way to play through pain when the spotlight is on. Not only will Wells play, but he’ll have a big game. In the two biggest games of his career thus far, at Michigan in the regular season finale and against LSU in the BCS Title last year, Wells ran for 222 yards and for 146 yards, respectively. Wells has shown he’s a big time player. If Wells runs for over 120 yards, it will put far more pressure on the USC defense.
If Wells has a big game, it will also open up passing lanes for quarterbacks Todd Boeckman and Terrelle Pryor. If USC is forced to put eight men in the box to stop Wells, it will allow Boeckman and Pryor to take shots down the field. Also, look for the normally buttoned-down Tressel to change it up a little bit.
Namely, look for Pryor to have a bigger role in this game. Pryor’s feet and athleticism is something USC will not have been able to prepare for. Pryor could provide more than a few momentum-changing plays if given the opportunity.
Also, the Ohio State defense should not be underestimated. While USC ran roughshod all over Virginia, the Ohio State defense poses a far stiffer test. While the Buckeyes’ Achilles heel has been against mobile quarterbacks running the spread, Mark Sanchez isn’t much of a threat to run. Also, the Buckeyes’ defense will hit the new signal-caller a little harder than Virginia did. Sanchez won’t have the opportunity to wind up and sling it 50 yards downfield like he did two weeks ago.
While the intangibles in this game seem to favor the Trojans, there is a sense of urgency for the Buckeyes this week. The Buckeyes have been caught flat-footed in their last two BCS Championship games. It isn’t likely to happen again. While it’s tough to have a must-win game in Week 3, the Buckeyes have to win this game to have a shot at playing in the championship game in January. It’s unlikely that the Buckeyes would get a second chance to prove themselves in the title game, especially with the stigma that this team can’t win the big game. If the Buckeyes want a shot at a third straight title game, their chances begin and end tomorrow night.
The odds are against them. However, sports have a funny way of surprising the experts. The Buckeyes will put to rest the notion that they can’t seem to win the big game tomorrow night.