Ohio State football preview

Buckeye football kicks off early for the 2010 season with a Thursday night visit from the Marshall Thundering Herd.
Coverage here,but it may be a little later than usual as since I have to work and it is a Big Ten network game,I'll miss the second half.

Ohio Sta enters the season with big expectations as most seasons do in Columbus and especially with a second in the nation ranking.
The toughest games on the schedule appear to be against Miami on the non-conference slate and
visits to Wisconsin and Iowa in house,although taking rivals michigan and Penn State lightly happens at ones peril.

The Buckeye offense looks to be once again centered around quarterback Terrelle Pryor,who came on strongly at the end of the season and will be needed to grow even more if the Bucks are to make a serious run at a national title.
Joe Bauserman returns as Pryor's backup.
Boom Herron and Brandon Saine are both back to share the running duties.
I like Saine a bit better,but the carries will likely be relatively equal.
Saine is the better big play threat of the pair.
Sophomores Zach Boren and Adam Homan will split time at fullback completing the backfield.
Ohio State might have the best offensive line in the nation as all five starters return led by the massive tackles with 6'8 Mike Adams and 6'7 J.B. Shugarts anchoring the corners.
Tough Justin Boren mauls his way to left guard and right guard Bryant Browning might be the weakest link coming off last season.
Mike Brewster might be an All-American candidate at center and could be the best lineman of the bunch.
The biggest questions are the receiving corps,which looks strong at the starting spots,but is untested beyond the starters.
Senior Dane Sanzenbacher will be the dependable option for Pryor,while junior DeVier Posey on the other side should be the big play threat.
The Buckeyes need at least one of redshirt freshman Chris Fields or frosh Corey Brown to step up and become a contributor.
If neither of the pair or senior Tauran Washington can do that,the passing game will suffer.
I was always a proponent of the tight end becoming more of a part of the offense and that the team misused the departed Jake Ballard.
Sophomore Jake Stoneburner might finally be the player that changes that as he has the ability to be the best tight end at OSU since Rickey Dudley.
Massive 6'8 target Reid Fragel backs Stoneburner up.

The defensive line is led by Lombardi candidate Cameron Heyward at defensive end.
Heyward decided to play a final year in Columbus and could be a first round pick in the 2011 draft.
Dexter Larimore brings his senior leadership to a defensive tackle slot and should finish his career with an excellent season.
Junior Nathan Williams will start at the end opposite Heyward (after he returns from injury) and sophomore John Simon looks to have nailed down a DT spot.
Solomon Thomas will replace Williams against Marshall.
Other than Heyward and Larimore,the linemen will rotate in and out,so starting isn't quite as important as it seems.
The linebackers are the strengths with seniors Brian Rolle and Ross Homan leading as the likely next Buckeye backers to hit the NFL.
Homan is a steady tackler that makes the routine play,while Rolle is a big play backer that is all over the field.
Andrew Sweat and Etienne Sabino will share the other spot,but watch for redshirt freshman Dorian Bell to make his presence known over the course of the season.
Three seniors lead the secondary with Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence on the corners and Jermale Hines at the free safety.
Soph C.J. Barnett will be the starter at strong safety with Aaron Gant pushing Barnett.
Senior Tyler Moeller will see time as a nickel back.

Senior Devin Barclay returns as the kicker with sophomore Ben Buchanan winning the job as the punter.Jordan Hall will return kickoffs and punts as he waits for 2011 to have a shot at the full time running back job.
Jamaal Berry will help on kicks as he waits for a similar shot.

Ohio State could run the table and go to the BCS.
They also could go 9-3 as not all of these games are gimmes.
Keep that in mind as you watch the Marshall game as a prep for Miami....