Wow. I almost forgot I had this blog it has been so long! What would make me come out of hibernation you ask? Four words: The Ohio State University.

That's right folks. The Buckeyes are ranked numero uno by virtually every college footbal preseason poll known to man. With a young, talented defense, explosive receivers by the names of Gonzo and Ginn, a running back corps featuring Pittman and super phenom Chris Wells (not to mention speed demon Maurice Wells), and the best dual-threat quarterback in the country by the name of Troy Smith, this season's Buckeyes could be a special batch.

There really isn't much question about how well the offense will perform. When you have an electrifying quarterback who also happens to be a redshirt senior with loads of weapons to get the ball to, then you don't have to worry about scoring. The defense is young, but seriously, when hasn't Jim Tressel fielded a championship-caliber defense? The special teams should be solid as well, with two strong-legged kickers and the best return man in the nation (the one and only Ted Ginn, Jr.).

There are two potential road mines on the schedule, but they both come early and are followed by a fairly soft and manageable schedule. Those two games are at Texas and at Iowa. Texas features a freshman quarterback attempting to replace the single most dominant player in college football from last season. Add that to Ohio State's desire for revenge and you can chalk up a win for the Buckeyes. The Iowa game is far different and scarier. The Buckeyes will be going on the road at night into one of the loudest stadiums in the nation against a team that will want to avenge a humiliating loss to the Buckeyes last season. If we lose one game all year that will be the one. My initial thinking is that this team is just too experienced and talented to lose to Iowa with the difference being the ice cold demeanor of Troy Smith in the clutch (just ask Michigan how clutch he is).

If Ohio State runs the table, there are several teams they could face.

The most likely team would be West Virginia, not because they are the second most talented team in the nation, but because their schedule basically consists of me, you, and a few ladies from a nearby nursing home. West Virginia could easily roll through the regular season undefeated, but they would probably get destroyed by whoever they face in the BCS National Championship Game.

Another possible opponent would be Notre Dame. Think of Notre Dame as the reverse of West Virginia. They have the talent to beat a lot of people, but they play one of the toughest schedules in the country. Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, and USC all appear on their schedule. One would think that at least one of those teams will come away with a victory against the Irish.

Auburn is another team that fits the mold of "very talented but tough schedule." The SEC is always tough, and this year will be no different.

This may sound crazy, but it isn't impossible to imagine Texas in the National Championship even WITH a loss to Ohio State. Why? The Big XII sucks. It looked like Oklahoma would be a title contender, but then they lost their quarterback and one of their very best offensive linemen. Ouch. A one-loss team could very well make the National Championship this season.

Those are the teams among the "contenders" that could possibly make a run to the title game, but if history tells us anything it is that there is a good chance a team outside the top ten will run the table. Ohio State did it in 2002, LSU did it in 2003, Auburn did it in 2004 (even though they weren't able to play for the title because the top two teams in the preseason poll went udefeated that season), and...well I guess there wasn't a team like that last season (although West Virginia came pretty damn close).

Well that's all for now kiddies. Go Bucks!