Monday, Jan. 7 - Allstate BCS National Championship

Ohio State vs. LSU

Before last year’s BCS National Championship game, some foolish, young sportswriter wrote this about Ohio State:

“No offense Florida faced this year is packed with the kind of dynamite the Buckeyes will have when Troy Smith … lines up under center… The difference between the two teams … is that Ohio State has Troy Smith and Florida doesn’t.”

Yes, I can admit when I’m wrong and boy, was I wrong. What followed was a humbling lesson in prognostication as Florida’s defense pressured Smith all night and limited him to less than 50 yards passing, winning the national championship easily.

So here we are again.

The Ohio State team that heads down to New Orleans is very different from the juggernaut that I, and many others, thought last year’s Buckeyes to be. This year’s Ohio State team is coming in a little under the radar but needless to say, I won’t be going that far out on a limb for Jim Tressel’s team against this year. Especially not against LSU.

The key for LSU will be finding a weakness in the nation’s best defense, a task that will prove tricky, particularly considering how bland the Tiger offense has looked at various points this year. Without question, the strength of the LSU offense lies with Jacob Hester and their ground game. I wonder how Les Miles will respond if Ohio State stuffs the run early and LSU has to take to the air against the nation’s top-ranked pass defense. Having Matt Flynn back in the lineup will help LSU changes things up on offense and use backup Ryan Perriloux strategically and not as an every down quarterback. LSU will have to find Vernon Gholston on every snap and will likely double team Gholston, who finished fourth in the country with 13 sacks.

Without question, this game will be won or lost for both teams when Ohio State has the ball. It will be the ability of junior Todd Boeckman to stay patient and poised in the pocket and make feet with his feet when he has to as he will likely see an exotic combination of blitz packages from a defense loaded to the gills with NFL-caliber talent. If you’re a fan of great offensive and defensive line play, this is the game for you because when Ohio State has the ball, the tempo of the game will be decided by the big guys up front. If Ohio State can control the tempo of the game and the line can open holes for Beanie Wells, the national championship trophy will be headed to Columbus but if the LSU line can confuse Ohio State into missing assignments and not account for blitzing defenders, Boeckman will turn the ball over and the Buckeyes will lose. I have to wonder what effect the departure of defensive coordinator Bo Pelini for Nebraska will have on his unit or whether it will be business as usual for this quick, ball hawking defense.

In the words of the President, “fool me once, shame on me, fool me.. you can’t get fooled again.” I’m going with Ohio State in this one. I question Les Miles’ decision making, especially in a close game and this LSU team has been living on the edge all year long. Todd Boeckman at QB for Ohio State scares me but he has weapons in Robieski and Hartline and one of the best young running backs in the country in Beanie Wells at his disposal. I’ve just seen LSU’s offense flounder so horribly against teams with much worse defenses than Ohio State’s to believe they are capable of moving the ball up and down the field on this Buckeye defense.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 20th, 2007 at 12:56 pm and is filed under College Football, LSU, Les Miles, Ohio State Buckeyes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.