Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough

As the summer reaches its midpoint and sweltering heat has hit many a Southern city, football fans all around the nation wait with baited breath for September to roll around. As we look toward another exciting season of touchdowns, sacks and punt returns, it’s easy to forget all of the important events that have occurred since last season: a black man proudly calls himself the President, the economy is the worst it’s been in ages, and most recently, the death of a pop legend. With this in mind, I can’t help but wonder…

What types of Thrillers do the Buckeyes have in store this year?

With a disappointing loss to Texas, the Buckeyes wrapped up the 2008 season leaving fans wondering what the future held for the team. With a little more experience, how will Terrelle Pryor fare during his sophomore year? Who will find themselves Moonwalking into the endzone without Robiskie and Beanie? How will the defense survive without Laurinitis and Co.? All of these unanswered questions can easily give a fan Butterflies.

If you poll the nation, a.k.a. my husband’s unsolicited opinion, they would predict that the Buckeyes will take the BigTen title (hardly a bragging point, apparently) and follow it up by a loss to the SEC in a bowl. History repeats itself, or so they say. The Buckeyes, and the BigTen as a whole, don’t seem to hold the same caliber as their SEC, Big 12 and Pac-10 peers. As far as this blogger is concerned, however, they can all Beat It.

Come September 12^th, the Buckeyes face their first true test, and they certainly do have a lot to prove. But, regardless if our quarterback is Black or White, he’s another year older, and hopefully another year wiser. Simple mistakes need to be eliminated, and replaced by better judgment and solid decision-making. Terrelle Pryor is not, in fact, my lover, but he is a guy that I think is The One. The One to change the nation’s opinion about the Bucks. The One to lead the team to impressive, decisive victories. The One to restore faith and confidence into Buckeye Nation.

Another crucial change I think the Bucks need to make is adjustments to their defensive strategy. Teams in the BigTen run a lot of I-formations, and the Buckeyes clearly have the ability and capability to defend these offenses. It’s the spread that’s killing us, however, and I hold Jim Tressel responsible for bringing this change to the Buckeyes. He needs to look at his own reflection and say to that Man in the Mirror, “We can defend the spread, and we will defend the spread.” Even BigTen teams that do run the spread cannot compete with other conference’s speeds. The Boilermakers, after all, are not quite as Smooth of Criminals as the Gators.

Overall, I have some high hopes for the Bucks. I think they have the talent and ability to come through and find resolutions for these pre-season questions. I Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’, and that Somethin’ is winning. And We Won’t Stop Til We Get Enough. Victories, that is. Especially in Bowl Games.

Go Bucks! O-H…