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** 2017 Opponent Previews: Ohio State (Game 7) **


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HuskerOnline: Spring Opponent Preview - Ohio State

 

The bar has once again set at the highest level for Ohio State in 2017, as the Buckeyes will once again hope to push for a spot in the College Football Playoff and a shot at another national championship. Head coach Urban Meyer must replace some top talent OSU lost to the NFL, but as always the Buckeyes are looking to reload and be one of the Big Ten's best. To get a feel for where Ohio State stands coming out of spring practices, we caught up with BuckeyeGrove.com's Kevin Noon to get his thoughts and perspective on the team.

 

Overall 2017 win-loss expectation

“If you talk to fans, it’s undefeated every year. I think that Ohio State has a very favorable schedule in a lot of ways. Oklahoma comes to Columbus, and there are some challenging road games, but they are definitely things that Ohio State can navigate.

“I think it’s ultimately going to come down to the last game of the season in Ann Arbor (vs. Michigan). But if Ohio State is kind of able to regain its form that it had for the majority of last season, an undefeated run is certainly achievable.”

 

https://nebraska.rivals.com/news/spring-opponent-review-ohio-state

 

Athlon Sports: Ohio State Buckeyes 2017 Preview And Prediction

 

Ohio State’s somewhat controversial inclusion in the College Football Playoff last season ended with a thud. However, it could be that the Buckeyes were just a year ahead of schedule. Three-fourths of a rock-solid secondary and the nation’s best center will have to be replaced, but Urban Meyer has 15 starters returning, including Heisman Trophy contender J.T. Barrett at quarterback. Talent’s not an issue and after how last season ended, motivation shouldn’t be one for Ohio State either. And Beating Oklahoma for the second straight time, getting payback against Penn State and winning at Michigan better not be if the Buckeyes want a chance at playoff redemption, as well as a shot at another national title.

 

National Ranking: 2

Big Ten East Ranking: 1

 

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/ohio-state-football-2017-buckeyes-preview-and-prediction

 

CollegeFootballNews: 31-0 Doesn't Matter

Ohio State losing 31-0 doesn’t matter. Ohio State losing at all, does.

 

Of course it was embarrassing to lose to Clemson 31-0, and of course 31-0 soured what was a fantastic season by any reasonable standard. But still, if you’re Ohio State, and the goal under Urban Meyer is to win the national title every year – and not be crazy for thinking that way – losing 31-0 on one of college football’s biggest stages tends to overshadow everything else.

 

But there’s hardly any reason for a panic siren to go off.

 

No one wants to hear it – especially the Alabamas and Ohio States – and it’s obvious, but three teams have to lose in the new world of the CFP. It doesn’t really matter how they lose, either.

Ask Alabama fans – and I have – if they look back on the 2016 season as a 14-win SEC title campaign, or if they remember it for the soul-crushing, final-moments loss to Clemson.

 

Take a wild guess what most pick.

 

http://collegefootballnews.com/2017/preview-2017-ohio-state-31-0-doesnt-matter

 

2017 Ohio State Preview: What You Need To Know

2017 Ohio State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis

 

 

SBNation: College football’s still a Big 2 sport. Here comes Ohio State again.

Urban Meyer and Nick Saban haven’t won every title of the last 11 years, but they’re the favorites in 2017. Yet again.

 

College football isn’t quite as lopsided as men’s tennis — where Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have won 44 of the last 54 grand slam tournaments — but CFB’s still very much in the era of the Big 2.

National titles since 2006:

  1. Nick Saban and Urban Meyer 7
  2. Everybody Else 4

It felt significant that Dabo Swinney’s Clemson took down both Meyer’s Ohio State and Saban’s Alabama to win the ring last winter. It was the culmination of a decade-long ascent for Swinney and the Tigers.

 

Congrats, Dabo. Now do it again. You’ve still got some catching up to do.

 

The early 2017 top 25s had Alabama No. 1 and Ohio State No. 2. So did Athlon’s preseason top 25, Stewart Mandel, and my S&P+ projections. Some people inject a Florida State or a USC into the mix, and Clemson is still a consensus top-10 team. But the safest bets are the same as always.

 

Meyer is a stunning 61-6 at OSU. He’s lost twice each to Michigan State and Clemson, once each to Virginia Tech and Penn State, and that’s it. Meyer had a Hall of Fame-worthy career at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida — four top-five finishes, six top-15s, two national titles, 104 wins in just 10 years — but has added three more fop-fives, five more top-15s, and another title in a half-decade in Columbus.

Biggest strength: The front seven was college football’s most disruptive last year and returns almost literally everyone.

Biggest question mark: Can Ohio State actually pass when it needs to? Can a new coordinator coax some deep-ball success out of QB J.T. Barrett and a green receiving corps?

Biggest 2017 game: Duh, at Michigan (Nov. 25). OSU plays three projected top-10 opponents, but two are at home. Michigan is not.

Summary: Ohio State is and has been one of football’s safest bets, and Meyer boasts one of his most experienced squads and some new play-calling influences.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/7/6/15908130/ohio-state-football-2017-preview-schedule-roster

 

 

 

More to come...

 

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I think Ohio State's defensive line will be very enjoyable to watch this year. The ‘Rushmen’ package consisting of Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis, Jalyn Holmes, and Nick Bosa should be fun to watch again this year. That is a lot of NFL talent at one time for a O-Line to worry about.

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I plan on watching this game alone in my basement with a bottle of scotch.

Just make sure it's good scotch and not some cheap crap like Johnny Walker Red...heh...

 

Glenlevit on the shelf currently, maybe some Chivas.

 

Have you tried The McCallen 12 yr? Or Ben Nevis?

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I plan on watching this game alone in my basement with a bottle of scotch.

Just make sure it's good scotch and not some cheap crap like Johnny Walker Red...heh...
Glenlevit on the shelf currently, maybe some Chivas.
Have you tried The McCallen 12 yr? Or Ben Nevis?

I have not

Link to comment

 

 

 

 

I plan on watching this game alone in my basement with a bottle of scotch.

Just make sure it's good scotch and not some cheap crap like Johnny Walker Red...heh...

 

Glenlevit on the shelf currently, maybe some Chivas.

 

Have you tried The McCallen 12 yr? Or Ben Nevis?

 

I have not

 

When you pour the McCallen, cut it with a couple drops of water, that makes it much smoother and it really brings out all the flavors. Ben Nevis, no such need because it just might be the smoothest whisky I've ever tried.

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