The Ohio State Buckeyes see your “SEC speed,” and raise the stakes on you. The SEC is essentially the AAA of the NFL, and Ohio State’s roster this upcoming season is essentially a NFL Developmental League franchise. There are first, second and third round picks everywhere; in all position groups.
John Calipari has made Kentucky basketball a de facto NBA D-League franchise. This fall, Urban Meyer will do the same with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Think of Ohio State as a SEC team that just happens to be in a state that wasn’t once part of the Confederacy. The Buckeyes are the new Alabama Crimson Tide.
For as much of a sordid past as Meyer has, he got it done on the field last season. Yes, he keeps bringing some shady characters here and there into his program, but he gets results.
Spread: Ohio State Buckeyes -35
TV: 2:30 p.m. (Central time Saturday) | ABC/ESPN2
This year, the Buckeyes boast a more talented roster than last season’s national champions. There’s a reason they’re everybody’s favorite to run roughshod over everyone. The NIU Huskies play 12 regular season games just like everybody else, but you can’t help but look at the full schedule.
Since the slate was released, week three popped right out at you. That will soon be upon us now. It’s Saturday when NIU visits the Ohio State Buckeyes. Everybody’s had this date, Sept. 19, circled for months already.
“It’s easy to talk about, well, the schedule and how it lays out. We’ve looked at it. We’re certainly not dumb,” NIU coach Rod Carey said back at Media Day.
“You’ve got to look at the whole picture, too. But to do your work you have to have the ability to focus on one thing … you can’t do that. You have to focus on one thing. And that’s how we have really done it and it has been successful,” he continued.
This is a game in which NIU can prove that they truly belong with the big boys. Yes, they’re dominating the MAC, having won the league three of the past four seasons. But you can tell that they’re ready and eager to move on up in the world. They deserve a better place at a better table, and will take it when the opportunity presents itself.
Perhaps if the Big 12 takes Cincinnati; then the Huskies could replace Cincy in the American Athletic Conference? That would be a fit. NIU doesn’t have to pull off the big upset when they visit Columbus, they just need to show that they can keep up with them.
Just keep it close.
We remember how ugly it got last season, when the Huskies last visited a big name team from a power five conference: Arkansas 52, NIU 14. Obviously, the Huskies need to avoid another showing like that when they visit the horseshoe this year.
During our chat with Carey at Media Day we asked him if this the first time he’s had the opportunity to face a defending national champion. He believes that it might be; including all his experience being on previous staffs at other schools. This scenario just drives home the point of what a tremendous opportunity playing the Ohio State Buckeyes is to Northern Illinois football.
NIU starting quarterback Drew Hare admitted during the summer that the Huskie players have thought about it, and had an open conversation about it.
“It’s an impressive football team,” Hare said of the Buckeyes.
“To do the things they’ve done by having to go through three quarterbacks, three guys that could have potentially won the national championship.”
Prediction: Ohio State Buckeyes 56, NIU Huskies 31
“As it comes to Ohio State, they are a good football team. I think there’s been enough written about them and said about them. They’re exactly what you expect an Ohio State team to be,” said Carey on Tuesday.
“I think it’ll be a fun challenge for our guys, one I know they’re looking forward to it.”
Ohio State Buckeyes Season Preview
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country.
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