I live in Columbus and have to say most people I have been speaking too are not feeling very good about OSU's chances. I also know some of those same people will start having hope by Thursday. I'm a huge OSU fan, however trying not to look at this years team with scarlet and gray glasses.

What I learned from the Navy game????

I did not learn much to be honest. Navy took very small o-line(average 263) and used huge splits against our d-line. I think this really caused havoc for our line and it's hard to say how good the d-line is against that. I expect a better performance against a bigger USC line. I was not impressed with the defensive backs decisions and was hoping they would be better in coverage. The bomb "td" by Navy late was a blown coverage, however they should have caught him. I also felt OSU linebackers did not appear to be in the same class as years past. I'm still feeling that the option offense affected some of that and making it difficult to judge.

The running game did not impress me, but Dan "Boom" Herron is very good back and will get better as the year goes, however he does not remind me of a back that can wear a USC defense down and he will need to be spelled by Brandon Saine who I don't really think is a good back. I think Saine can be good in spurts, however not dangerous and very suspect.

Pryor is a great player and seeps talent all over the place. I still think his decision making process is suspect and my prediction is he will revert at some point to the tuck and run method. I don't think he will revert next week though. I do think Pryor and Tress have something to prove and they will attempt to throw against USC to prove that point. USC will want Pryor to pass and OSU should fall right into that trap.

The loss of Ray Small hurts OSU vs USC. I don't see a wr that can strech the USC defense and that is going to hurt. Small also was a huge player in the special teams and just raw talent(speed) D. Sanszenbacher is a good possesion receiver and finds holes, but not someone that can be a game breaker. Taurian Washington could be a sleeper,but OSU needs a Possey or Duron Carter(Chris Carter's son) too step up. I do not think either of them are ready for a game like USC is going to bring. The O-line better get more motivated than what they showed against Navy.

I'm currently watching the USC game and will have some comments about USC. I have watched the first half and I can say they look real good and I feel at this point that OSU could be in real trouble next week. You can pack 100,000 plus in a stadium and scream all you want, BUT players still have to play. I love OSU and I'm proud to be Buckeye. I hope I'm sooooo very wrong on everything. I hope the "wacky" Navy approach made it look worse than it was and USC comes in here thinking they just have to show up.

OSU needs to come out and have a fast start to have a chance. I just don't see it and I see a long night overall. I'm really hoping for a respectable showing and best case upset!!!!

GO BUCKS!!!!!

Sac,
I too am an Ohio boy and a hugh Buckeye fan however I have to be realistic. Plain and simple, OSU just does not have the horses to hang with the talent that USC does. I hope that they make it interesting but I think it's more likely SC wins by 17 or more points. They just have better players.

Hope to see a good game, if OSU can get the young QB rattled early they may be able to hang around long enough to make it interesting.......looking like most SC fans are laying low till game time??

Am I the only one that thought OSUwas playing possum a bit and not running but a fraction of their offense against Navy? Perhaps that comeback by Navy might serve as a bit of a wakeup call as well.

I will continue with my prediction I have with all USC games vs non conference opponents (Big Ten or otherwise) which is simply, until someone besides Vince Young can prove they can't be thumped, then I predict a USC thumping.

mismatch - USC will dominate the Bucks

they will get tested and be in a dogfight @CAL and Oregon and dat is about it

It's hard to argue against this logic.

Not the Oregon team that played against Boise. Boise looked good but SC will beat that Oregon team like a drum.

Now if you add a St. to the end of that Oregon I would listen.

right.............................. because week 1 always translates to the rest of the season and Oregon isn't a tough out at home, and doesn't have the talent to right the ship

Autzen is simply one of the toughest places in the country to for road teams to come out with a W - they will give SC a battle - count on it

I'm just sayin their offense has a loong way to go.... and what else do we really have to base it on beside what we've seen so far. Massouli (sp?) has some work to do and no Blount will cost them.

Listen to radio here and no one is thinking the Bucks have a shot and most people are really down on the Navy game.

Two homer 1460 "the fan" radio guys both think it will be maybe over 3 touchdowns and Craig Krenzal has USC by 17!!!

I'm thinking over 20 is about right, maybe this mojo will work in OSU favor. I have to look for something.

USC is LOADED and Mayes is maybe the best pro prospect I have seen at his position, just nasty!!! They get their center back and the defense is the key for that team!!! The offense is loaded at rb and the wr's are better than OSU. I just can't see our line holding them out.

Matt Barkley has that look, but I'm hoping he can be rattled. I doubt it though.

Amazing how the most fatul Buckeye fans are giving up. Have to admit I can't blame them, but come on this game is being played in Columbus, Ohio against a true frshman USC QB.

I am sure you are fishing here but who says anyone is giving up? The Shoe will be packed to the gills with roudy Buck fans. There is a nervous apprehension and a realistic attitude with facing one of the premier programs in the past 10 years with a team full of sophmores. I have to admit my hopes are not as high this week as normal but no way I am giving up. This team is just way too green for me to feel comfortable. I am trying to not put too much weight on the Navy game. Yes the offensinve line was horrible, and yes the defense struggled against the triple option, but they had several opportunities to put this game away and had no killer instinct. That bothers me. I am just holding on to hope that they looked past Navy and have been marking this date on their calander for a year. I also hope Pryor summons the power of Vince Young and carries this team. They will need to put up 30+ to have a chance. Grow up young man. Its time.

The only way OSU has a chance in my opinion is if TP becomes the Superman everyone is wating for AND the defense steps up.

Ray Small might be back, which means much needed help with the special teams and maybe more important is the fact that USC has to account for him down the field. I still think it won't matter much unless TP can rip off his jersey and is wearing his Scarlet and Gray "S" on his chest.

Boom Herron needs to have a half ways decent game, better than the Texas game.

I am from Columbus and those two idiots on the fan are the absolute worst sports guys ever. The entire week leading up to the Navy game they really went out of their way to trash Navy. I actually called them on Tuesday to laugh at them because they said anyone that thought Navy would run for 200 yards was smoking crack. I am a Buckeye fan, but I somewhat enjoy sone of the meatheads getting their hearts stomped on like last year. Everyone was calling for the offensive and defensive line to be very good-Nope. Everyone thought Pryor was going to be a 400 yard a game guy-Nope. We have the players to make things happen, Tressel is just stuck in his ways. He is going to try to grind it out and manage the game while minimizing turnovers. It is what he does. In regards to Pryor, I am not sold on him so I know JT isnt. The guy has to have some serious trust in someone for them to be a big time player on that team. Look at how long it took Troy Smith to be allowed to throw it around to 3 1st round WRs. Pryor hasnt earned that yet.

Hate to say it but OSU is going to use the same game plan they always have and get crushed.

The guy dotting the i in Script Ohio just hit the camera with his freakin tuba.

Lol.. I was wondering who else saw that. I rewound it several times. He told the camera man to "watch out" before he hit him. It was funny though

Horrible INT by Pryor, but a nice response on the next drive. Haven't seen much from USC on offense yet, so it's hard to say whether OSU should feel fortunate that they're tied 7-7, or disappointed that they're not in the lead. If they get to halftime within a score, I think we will see a very good game. If USC leads by 10 or more at halftime, turn out the lights. Biggest thing, in my opinion, will be Pryor avoiding any more big mistakes.

Ohio State looking good so far on offense and the defense is stacking the box to put the pressure on the young QB.

USC may be in trouble if Mays can't come back.

Btw, our run blocking doesn't look much better than it was vs. Navy.

A TD there would have been BIG going up 9!! Now with a 5 point game, less presure on SC....with this be the Freshman's first big comback game of many.........or ar we in for an upset?? Long way from the blowout many wee calling....looks like SC fans are still laying low!.

Defense looks really solid. No time for USC to throw.

Apparently USC isn't all that, but this is an ultra impressive drive. Might as well QB sneak it until they get into the endzone.

Jim Tressel is as bad as Charlie Weis tonight. What the f...

You'd think I'd be used to this by now.

Yeah Tress-Ball on crack tonight. 1st half, 4th and goal decides to kick a fg... when you KNOW Pete will go for it every time. Then, airing it out on the last drive of the 1st half. 2nd half you completely dominate them, but only manage a safety and a fg despite playing on USC's half of the field the whole time. No one to blame but themselves. Defense was fantastic, USC came up with the clutch drive on the back of McKnight. Good game though.

Pop Life!

Tressel's wearing really thin...wonder how much more the backers will take before calling for his 'ead

I'm just sick.

Texas 2006 all over again.

Having to settle for FG's and not finshing on defense.

I never in my wildest dreams thought we would get that close. We just have recover and go to the next game.

I for one support Tress and really we were not suppose to be in this game according too, welll everyone!!

The d-line looked good and I guess the Navy splits did affect them last week. I think the defensive backs improved as well lots of room to improve. The o-line started out great and then USC wore them down which was a disappointment,but not unexpected.

I was impressed with Brian Rolle#36 middle linebacker, he showed speed and poise. I guess after sleeping on it I feel better about it.

The difference was TP decision making and lack of it. TP is turning out to be more hype than anything else OR he's just still young. The still young speech is getting old!!!! The interception was just ugly!!! I know he was throwing to a spot and just did not see the linebacker, but please across the middle at that angle. TP's form is ugly and the ball looks like he floats it too much. I can not see him as a pro qb in any form right now.

The big thing I keep thinking about and I know you can't was the missed block punt. I remember in the LSU National championship we did the same thing. I felt a big Uh-Oh after that.

OSU needs to understand where it stands right now. OSU could still be in the hunt for the Roses and maybe a rematch against the Trojans. Penn State and Michigan away could be a problem, but the future is bright scarlet and gray in my mind.

GO BUCKS!!!

I have NO IDEA why Pryor was the number 1 recruit...

How many OSU fans are also fans of the Cubs? Of those, how many made it through last night?

Tough loss, OSU played well enough to win on all but the opening drive and the last drive of the game.

No doubt there are a lot of positives to take away for the Bucks. My whole thing is, this game was totally winnable. It wasn't like the Bucks were playing out of their minds, there defensive line completely dominated supposedly one of the best o lines in college football for pretty much the whole game until the final drive. Pryor's athleticism did get the Bucks out of some bad spots though, and I feel bad for any Pac 10 team without a QB that can move around, because the USC defense, is STILL super fast. My whole thing is it seemed like Tress couldn't decide to play his normal Tress-ball or some weird version of it last night. I just know that if I'm playing against Pete Carroll, knowing that he will go for it on 4th and short every time midfield and beyond... I get equally aggressive, especiallly when it's 4th and goal from the 1. You don't beat USC with Field Goals. You just don't. You need to take it to them.

Sort of sad to see a once proud fan base like Ohio State content with a moral victory.

I can easily see Tressel's motiviational speech at the next Buckeye pep rally going something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsmybQKpmTw

Or this maybe?

I didnt realize Brian was part of the OSU fan base.

Brian is a Hawkeyes fan. Rocker has family members who are Buckeye fans so he rails on them.

Big John is right. I was concieved by two Ohio State grads and have several relatives who graduated and live and die with Buckeye football, so my comment was not directed at Brian, but more an observation about how I feel the Ohio State fan base is feeling this Monday after yet another loss in a big out of conference game.

Did anyone catch what Pryor wrote in his eye-black this weekend?

Well unfortunately the timing of this game being after the 2 BCS NC failures and the USC game last year, diminishes the fact that in the last 2 tries on the big stage, Ohio State has played extraordinarily well and many could make a convincing argument that they should've won both games. But they didn't. Only thing to do is move on and fight another day.

At the end of the day, you can sum it up by saying Ohio State has simply been beaten by better teams. Nothing more nothing less. And claiming a "moral" victory in this game is certainly no worse than claiming one after losing to Kentucky or Arkansas.

I think we've found out the root cause of the Buckeyes' offensive woes. It's Dave..

Friggin' Dave

If a team can have 1or 2 loses and get in the National Championship than there is a lot left too play for this season.

OSU better be ready for Toledo in Cleveland.

Look it's better to have won the game, but if your going to lose than losing early to the #3 team in the country is not the worst thing that can happen.

USC in most people's minds should have "thumped" OSU and then OSU came out and not only played well, but looked impressive to me. TP made a huge mental error and had some bad decisions that USC caused him to have by playing sound defense, however if OSU beats Penn State which should be ranked high at Happy Valley they will be back in the BCS picture and nothing but ceiling from there. Michigan at Michigan will be another test. I will be rooting on USC from here on out!!! I think the Rose Bowl is very obtainable for the Buckeyes and anything else well would be a miracle.

I can see USC easily losing 2 outta @Washington, @Cal, @ND and @Oregon. 1 of those 4 will happen for sure. Teams with a pulse on offense have a chance against the Trojans. Next week should be very interesting.

Couldn't agree more. Bucks still have everything to play for much like the Sooners still do after their early season loss to BYU. The difference is neither of those two teams now control their own destiny in regard to getting back into the BCS NC discussion. Because of the Buckeyes and Sooners recent history of losing BCS bowl games it will probably require many of the big name schools losing twice. Even then it will be much harder for Ohio State since the Big 10 does not offer a conference championship game.

Like I was sayin'...

You are a wizard.

Could not agree more and I think there is no way OSU could get back to a title game this season. My guess is the best bowl OSU can get too is the Rose Bowl. USC losing this early to a unranked team spells disater for the Bucks, who already have to face the media on the big game losses the past few years.

Penn State and Michigan are going to be tough road games and OSU could end up in Capital One Bowl vs a SEC school. The Outback would be considered a poor season. I'm taking my son to his first Big Ten game this weekend against a team the has beat us 7 times in the Shoe in the past 10 years. Revenge game for the Bucks should be a good one.