For Buckeye Nation, the start of this season has much anticipation behind it. Like a kid on Christmas Eve, the excitement of the unknown makes Ohio State fans eager for Saturday.
Saturday will provide Ohio State fans with many surprises. There will be new players on the field filling voids left by departing seniors. Leading the way is their new head coach Luke Fickell.
Fickell brings an energetic dynamic the Buckeyes have been missing. Luke knows Saturday is a big day for his team because it can set the precedent for the rest of the season. This is especially true for the quarterbacks.
The Buckeyes possess a variety of styles from the quarterback position. On one hand, there’s the veteran Joe Bauserman, who’s eager to take advantage of the opportunity provided to him. He has the most experience of the group. If he can translate this into being a solid leader on the field, it will be tough to replace him.
On the other hand is Braxton Miller. Miller is a dual threat option that brings much hype and excitement. The coaches like the way he has developed throughout camp and his athletic ability makes him extremely dangerous.
Both should see much action on Saturday. Bauserman will start but Miller should see his fair share of reps. Whoever makes the most of their opportunity may position themselves into being the starter in week two.
Adding to the excitement is a stable of running backs that possess much promise.
If the offense is going to develop, the running backs will have a big hand in it. They possess multiple types of options, from the receiver capabilities of Jordan Hall, to the power game of Rod Smith. With an inexperienced receiver core, the running backs may shoulder more responsibility early. Who steps up from this group? On Saturday, we may begin to find out.
On the other side of the ball, what will the defense look like? The Silver Bullets lost seven starters from their unit. Can they reload like in past seasons?
The talent is certainly there. The secondary and line are full of athletic guys who possess game experience. The real key will be the development of the linebackers. If guys like Etienne Sabino and Andrew Sweat dominate on game days, they will be in good shape.
Ultimately, their first game won’t define the season, but can provide the foundation they can build on for the rest of the season.
Akron may not provide much resistance. The Zips won one game last season and gave up on average over 35 points a game. The Buckeyes should win this game in blowout fashion.
While the competition won’t reveal Ohio State’s potential, it’s a very important game in that it can build momentum and confidence. Two key components young teams need.
We have no idea what the Buckeyes will look like when they take the field on Saturday. That’s the fun of it. It will be surprising to see what the new era of Ohio State football brings. In fact, the result may surprise many.
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