Here we are, looking the start of another college football season right in the face. Unlike last year, the Buckeyes are a consensus top three squad. Just like last year, they are coming off of a painful defeat in the National Championship at the hands of an SEC team.

So what makes this year's version of the scarlet and gray different? Well, nobody knows yet. The schedule, while far from easy, is pretty favorable for a team returning almost every single starter on both sides of the ball. A trip to USC is easily the most difficult test of the year, but after that, the Buckeyes will be favored heavily in almost every game. Trips to Illinois and Wisconsin will be good tests, as will a home date with Penn State. While Michigan appears to be a shadow of it's usual self, that game is never a pushover, even though the Bucks will host the Wolverines at the Shoe.

The next year, passwords to the team's athletic facilities were changed to 4114 so that the players who remained would never forget the 41-14 loss the Gators handed out. Smith, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, and Antonio Pittman were gone. Expectations were tempered as a young defense looked to find its identity and the offense looked for new playmakers to emerge. Different players, same result. In the most tumultuous college football season ever, nobody seemed to want to take the title. Top five teams fell faster than Wile E. Coyote when he looked down after running off a cliff. Ohio State again found themselves in the title game against an SEC foe, one many didn't think deserved to be there. But then again, who did deserve it? Again, the Bucks got off to a fast start before a horrendous second quarter paved the way for another disappointment and a confirmation in the collective unconscious of college football fans that the SEC was a faster, more physical, superior brand of football.

But what went wrong last year? All that SEC speed looked absent on Chris Wells 60-yard run through and by the ballyhooed Tiger defense. Still, LSU collected themselves and average quarterback Matt Flynn carved up a secondary left vulnerable by an anemic pass rush. The wide receivers looked slow compared to the LSU DB's, and Todd Boeckman continued his poor play from the previous two games as the Buckeye offensive line was taken advantage of again. Overall, it was another seemingly passive effort in yet another huge game. The defense sat back and provided little pressure to a quarterback few would mistake with Joe Montana. The result? A 38-24 loss and an excruciating year of enduring never-ending taunting by a growing number of Buckeye haters.

So let's take a look ahead to this season. The Bucks are among the favorites to reach another title game, though there has been a strong backlash against that possibility, and surely some voters would deny them a shot unless they go undefeated in convincing fashion. Still, this may be the best team Ohio State has put on the field in my lifetime (22 years), so expectations are sky high.

OFFENSE

The offense returns almost everybody from last year's Big Ten championship. The line is solid and experienced, with an incredible infusion of young talent in the form of three top prospects: JB Shugarts, Mike Adams, and Michael Brewster. This unit has been excellent over the last two years, with the glaring exceptions being both national title games.

The big boys will be blocking for Todd Boeckman for the second straight year. Boeckman came out of nowhere, like several players from this team, to lead the Bucks to the cusp of a title. The last three games of the year (Illinois, Michigan, LSU), Boeckman looked a bit overwhelmed and lacked the ability to make the big play in the biggest of moments. He needs to cut down on the mistakes and get back to the high percentage passer he was for the first 3/4 of the season. Backing him up will be Terrelle Pryor, the nation's #1 QB recruit, who is expected to be used in a similar fashion to Tim Tebow in his freshman year at Florida.

As is so often the case, the Buckeyes are a run first team. And when you have Chris Wells, why wouldn't you be? Wells has the ability to be better than Eddie George was during his Heisman season a decade ago. He's built like a bowling ball with the most devastating stiff arm in college football. Look up some of his highlights last year and try not to marvel at him destroying defenders' faces or launching them five yards downfield. He has deceptive speed and is almost never caught from behind. He will be the top back in next year's draft if he goes pro, and he is a front runner for the Heisman entering the season. Brandon Saine and Maurice Wells are very good speed options when Wells needs a breather.

The receivers are strong, with a year of experience under their belt to add to their value. Brian Robiskie had a big year and showed tremendous upside as a deep threat. He could easily be the top receiver in the Big Ten this season. Across from him is Brian Hartline, a sure-handed, quick, 6'3 receiver in the mold of Anthony Gonzalez. Add Ray Small, Taurean Washington, and five star recruit DeVier Posey to that list, and you have quite a formidable receiving crew. Rory Nicol is no slouch at tight end, either. Boeckman will have plenty of options, and Jim Tressel will have the option to spread the field to give Wells some more room to run.

Grade: A-

DEFENSE

This unit was surprisingly dominant for most of the season, though they struggled with the spread option of Illinois and looked passive and outmatched against LSU. Still, the defense is strong at all levels. The defensive line is the biggest question because Vernon Gholston left for the NFL. Don't sleep on Lawrence Wilson, who broke his leg early last year but is a very strong pass rusher. Doug Worthington's legal troubles mean Nader Abdallah, Dexter Larimore, and Todd Denlinger, will have to play bigger roles than expected early in the season, but all saw a good amount of time last year and should be up for the task. A strong pass rush will be huge for a team that likes to play zone. Somebody from this crew needs to step up and be this year's Gholston.

The linebacking corps is extremely fast, led by the nation's best defensive player James Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis is fast, mean, fundamentally sound, and plays better against the pass than you would expect of somebody at his position. Marcus Freeman showed consistent improvement in his tackling last year and it has made him a force on the outside, where his speed is a huge asset. The other linebacking spot will be filled by several players, including Ross Homan and Brian Rolle. The Buckeyes also have the top two middle linebacking prospects in the nation waiting in the wings in Etienne Sabino and Andrew Sweat.

The secondary will play their first two games without Donald Washington and Jomario O'Neal due to suspension, but it is still very capable of stopping opponents' passing attacks. Malcolm Jenkins is an All American, and Chimdi Chekwa and Andre Amos are both very capable of stepping up on the depth chart to account for the early loss of Washington. O'Neal is a backup anyways, and Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell are very strong at safety. When O'Neal and Washington return, this unit will be even more impressive.

Grade: A

OUTLOOK

On paper, the Buckeyes are a slightly better, more experienced team than USC. That will be the litmus test, with more on the line than just a win. This game will define the Bucks' season. A loss will knock them out of the National Title hunt early as many voters will be looking for an excuse to keep OSU out this season. A loss would also prove to the skeptics that the Big Ten is an inferior brand of football. It is important for Ohio State and the entire Big Ten that the Bucks bring their best game with them in Week 3. If they win that game, they should run the table. Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin are no pushovers, and with two of those games on the road, there will be several tests for the Bucks later in the season. But the USC game is the be-all, end-all matchup for this squad. I think they will pull it out. The USC defense is extremely formidable, but Beanie Wells is on another level, and he will lead them to victory in Pasadena. I think the Bucks will go undefeated again, as this is arguably their best squad ever. They will secure a spot in the National Title, facing Oklahoma's high powered attack. This time, they avenge the ghosts of years past, avoiding an SEC opponent and proving that they are one of the top two teams of the decade.

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