Posted on
8/23/2007 6:19:18 PM
NCAA Football Betting 2007 – Believe In These Buckeyes
By Tim Furious
Ohio State watched Ted Ginn Jr. run a kickoff back for a touchdown in last year’s National Title game. They then watched Florida outrun them to the national title itself. After losing Troy Smith, Anthony Gonzalez, Ted Ginn Jr. and Antonio Pittman, can the Buckeyes bounce back in this coming 2007 season?
You better believe they can.
The AP rankings dropped them to twelfth to start out the season, and that is where they deserve to be. Sure they lost some superstars but, in a program like Ohio State’s stars-of-yesterday are replaced by stars-in-the-making. A championship program doesn’t simply lose its winning attitude because of one game in one season.
Running-back Chris Wells is set to become a household name behind a monstrous offense line. Alex Boone and Kirk Barton are two of the best offensive tackles in football, and offensive guard Steve Rehring made a vaulted jump in skill level last year. Quarterback Todd Boeckman is expected to win the starting job. While he is no Troy Smith, he will be far better then most experts are projecting.
The Buckeyes plan to return to “Tressel-ball”, which is based on protecting the football, executing simple and effective offensive plays and letting the defense shine. A lack of focus was the team’s biggest flaw last year and the energetic Gators were able to expose this en route to a national title last season. Tressel and the boys are guaranteed to play with an “eyes on us” attitude and a massive chip on their shoulders.
Junior James Laurinaitis is a tackling machine and will form a formidable linebacking corps with Marcus Freeman. They are easily two of the best football players on the team and will have their hands full as the inexperienced front four develop chemistry and confidence as the season goes on. Defensive ends Vernon Gholston and Lawrence Wilson will have to do everything they can to hold that front four together as teams try, and fail, to run on Ohio State.
The secondary is the highlight of the Buckeyes’ defense. Kelin Johnson is a stud at safety and he is complimented by two rough and tumble corners in Malcolm Jenkins and Donald Washington. Both hit like trucks, but Jenkins is noted as the most physical corner in the country. These corners will be rattling the nerves and bones of receivers all season long, making Ohio State a difficult team to pass against.
The Buckeyes are an attractive +2000 to win the BCS Championship game in the BetUS.com sportsbook this season. Last season, the Buckeyes rewarded the large majority of their betting investors by going 9-4 ATS with a solid 5-0-1 ATS record at home. This year will most likely be much tighter. They do not have the explosive offense to outscore their opponents 118-34 in the first quarter like they did last season.
That being said, wide receivers Brian Robiskie and Ray Small deserve some credit. Boeckman will be called on to make safe, short passes and Robiskie and Small have the same game-breaking ability to turn those small throws into big gains. They have much to prove but Robiskie definitely showed promise last season.
Ray Small is just that – small. At 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds, he has the small build and blinding speed to be a game changing return man in the mold of Ginn Jr., but he has little experience at the position, and will have to show that he can seriously play bigger then his small frame to make special teams as dangerous as it has been for years with the Buckeyes.
Dropping to twelfth isn’t a direct smack in the teeth for the Buckeyes. They lost a bevy of personnel, who are being replaced by some new names who have not had the chance to showcase their abilities on the national stage. With coach Jim Tressel manning the helm, Ohio State will be quick to remember that they are a championship program. With so many juniors ready to start, this team is better poised for success in the 2008 season, but do not be surprised to see them in one of the major bowls by season’s end.
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