Every now and then we like to get the debate going here on Buckeyes Wire. We have a little roundtable segment we like to call our “Buckeye Battle Cry.” We throw out a hot-button topic and each of the three writers takes turns debating an answer.
There are varying perspectives for a trio that doesn’t agree very often, and sometimes the virtual mud flies. Other times (and rarely at that), there are rainbows, butterflies, and agreement among the group.
This time we want to stick with the perception of Ohio State after it beat a top-five opponent, Notre Dame by winning with defense rather than a laser and lights show on offense. Because OSU didn’t look as explosive as many expected on offense, the national media raised questions and even the two major polls had the Buckeyes fall behind Georgia. So, that leads us to our hot-button topic for this Buckeye Battle Cry.
The question: Should the Georgia Bulldogs have jumped Ohio State in the polls and in national perception after what we saw last week?
Off we go … let the debate begin.
Mark Russell, Featured Writer
Follow: @MarkRussell1975
My opinion may not sit well with Buckeye Nation, but based solely on the eye test, Georgia looked like the more well-rounded team.
Pre-season polls really don’t mean much. It’s all a guess based on what teams did last year, which by in large are vastly different teams than the previous year. But it does give us something to talk about.
The thing I don’t get is this… the voters clearly don’t think Oregon was a very good team dropping them completely out of the AP and all the way to No. 24 in the coaches poll. And yet Notre Dame only fell a few spots which tells me the voters did feel Ohio State beat a very good team. So, did Georgia beat up on a really bad team, and if so why the jump? Or did Ohio State win by double digits against a very good team and if so, why the drop? Sometimes the voting just doesn’t make any sense.
It still feels like there is some SEC bias amongst voters, but based on the eye test alone, I have no problem with Georgia jumping the Buckeyes after week one.
Josh Keatley, Featured Writer
Follow: @JoshKeatley16
The Ohio State Buckeyes didn’t meet expectations on offense and there is no questioning that. Everyone was expecting this offense to absolutely destroy the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and that was clear by the 16-point spread, but it didn’t look as dynamic.
I understand Jaxon Smith-Njigba was hurt and he is such a vital piece to the offensive puzzle, but they shouldn’t have struggled as much. C.J. Stroud looked awkward and couldn’t get his timing right with the young receivers and Ryan Day refused to run the ball until he had to.
With all that said, the defense looked great and Notre Dame is an undeniably tough squad that still has a shot at making it to the playoffs. Mark explained my confusion with the polls perfectly above, although I may be prone to buy into the SEC bias idea more than most.
Georgia looked great, but Oregon also looked terrible and very well may be a six-win squad and that was reflected in the polls, why is Ohio State being penalized so harshly?
Phil Harrison, Publisher/Editor and Featured Writer
Follow: @PhilHarrisonBW
Yeah, I don’t really have a problem with it. Offense seems to sell, and that’s what the media seems to always buy. If you are objectively looking at what Ohio State did in front of a national audience vs. what Georgia did, I think you’d have to agree that the Bulldogs looked more impressive coming off of a national title.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter, though I will agree that the way OSU won should be encouraging because I feel pretty good about the offense still being an explosive one. Those same players — when healthy — have performed before and should do it again.
So, no, I don’t have too much of a problem with it knowing that this Ohio State team is only going to continue to show better as the season goes on. It’s a short sample size and that’s what everyone is working with.
