Ohio State Buckeyes

Young Buckeyes Ready to Rebound and Get Back in the Big Ten Race

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Big Ten championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff are still within reach.

Ohio State lost.  Painful but not a big deal, the Buckeyes can still win the Big Ten.  Going undefeated was an unrealistic goal considering the losses to the NFL.

Given how well the rookies are playing, Urban Meyer will have done his best coaching job yet if the Buckeyes end up winning the Big Ten.

No doubt there are issues on offense. The receivers are not getting separation, the SLOBS are wobbly on the right side and the play calling on first down is too predictable.  Concerning, but not uncorrectable.

The good news is Northwestern and Nebraska are not coming off bye weeks before playing the Buckeyes.  Having an extra week to rest and prepare plus playing at home gave Wisconsin and Penn State enormous advantages.

Sans a blocked punt and field goal, the Buckeyes leave Happy Valley a winner despite playing poorly on offense and special teams.

The defense is still playing near a championship level.  Depth is proving to be an asset on the line.  The Silver Bullets are ahead of schedule.

The offense does not have the same luxury of depth and the younger guys are learning how to work through the grind of the season.

We’re also seeing the effects of a more difficult schedule and an improved Big Ten filled with teams determined to knock off Ohio State.

In his first four years, the regular season worked in Meyer’s favor.  The road schedule was pretty easy for a team with Ohio State’s talent.  That’s not the case this year, but that is helpful as the adversity will make the team better down the road.

If a poll was taken before the season asking reasonable fans how they would feel if the team was 6-1 heading into the Northwestern game, I bet most would take it.

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As with most losses under Meyer, the team has rebounded the following week.  Usually in dominant fashion.  It will be the same this weekend against Northwestern.

The Wildcats come in with momentum riding a three-game winning streak.  They rank No. 32 in scoring defense allowing 21.9 points-per-game.  All signs point to the Buckeyes’ offense struggling again. Won’t happen.

J.T. Barrett is going to shred them for 52 points erasing concerns about the offensive efficiency. Leaders shine when the chips are down and I expect Barrett to rise to the occasion.

There is so much football left to played, both in the Big Ten and around the Power Five.  It is possible that Clemson, Washington, West Virginia, Baylor and Nebraska sustain their first losses this Saturday.

Ohio State’s margin for error is zero at this point.  They control their own fate in the Big Ten and that will be enough to make it to the College Football Playoff again.

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