Buckeyes-Gators, One More Time



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WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN!

Not so long ago, Ohio State played Florida in the National Championship Game.  Florida and their coach, Urban Meyer, had us for lunch.  The game started out great as every Buckeye would remember.  Ted Ginn Jr. returned the kickoff for a touchdown and the Buckeyes were off to an incredible start.  That was pretty much the highlight for Ohio State as Ginn was injured in the celebration that followed his touchdown run. 

This time around there is no national championship at stake.  Urban Meyer is now the Buckeyes coach, although he will not be coaching them in game.  Both teams had lackluster seasons and did not perform anywhere near their potential.  The Gators were blown out numerous times during the course of the year.  The Buckeyes were in almost every game they played and did upset Wisconsin. 

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The Buckeyes want nothing more than to beat another SEC team and the Gators are licking their chops at the opportunity to knock off the team that stole their former coach.  It should be an interesting match-up of the two young football teams.  One has to wonder if Luke Fickell, Ohio State's interim coach, will light it up as Jim Tressel did occasionally in a bowl game.  Tressel would go great guns in the first half and then do his best to hang on for dear life.  Fickell played conservative all year long not letting his freshman quarterback, Braxton Miller, throw the ball.

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Fickell did let Miller air it out some against Michigan and I suspect that we will see just a little more throwing against the Gators.  There will also be some designed quarterback runs to keep the Florida defense honest.  All in all, it should be a good game.  Florida is the underdog by two points.  Not sure I agree with that.  I almost hate to say it but any SEC team right now has the advantage over a Big Ten team.  The one advantage the Buckeyes may have is wanting to win one for their coach who next year will be in charge of the defense. 

I look for a high scoring affair with the Buckeyes winning it late by a field goal.  This will be Braxton Miller's breakout game and a foretaste of what Urban Meyer will unleash with the young quarterback in 2012.  My early pre-season prediction of next year is that the Buckeyes will indeed run the table and be sitting home in January when one other undefeated team will wonder if they could handle the bowl-less Buckeyes. 

Go Bucks!