Sep 1, 2006, 18:46 GMT
(Sports Network) - The number one team in the land opens the 2006 season this Saturday when the Ohio State Buckeyes play host to the Huskies of Northern Illinois. Joe Novak's Huskies, who play their football out of the Mid-American Conference, got off to a rough start in '05, losing three of their first four games, including a pair to Big Ten schools Michigan and Northwestern. But NIU refused to let the lack of early success deter it from its mission, and the team responded by winning six of its next seven games, including two tough MAC road bouts against Central Michigan and Toledo. As a result, the Huskies found themselves in the MAC championship game against Akron, but the result was a heartbreaking 31-30 loss. Still, it was a banner year for Novak's club and one they hope they can build on as they seek a return to the MAC title tilt. As for Jim Tressel's Buckeyes, they went a stellar 10-2 last year and won a share of the Big Ten title with a 7-1 record. Tressel?s teams have averaged nearly 11 wins per year over the last four seasons, claimed Big Ten championships in two of the past three years, won the 2002 National Championship and have been ranked in the AP Top Ten in 39 of the last 52 polls. This contest marks the first-ever meeting between Northern Illinois and Ohio State on the gridiron.
The Huskies come into the season with possibly the most potent offensive attack in the MAC, led by 6-3 senior QB Phil Horvath. Horvath really shined in his first season as the starter for Novak's team in '05, completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 2,001 yards and 18 TDs. He suffered a broken arm against Central Michigan and was lost for the reminder of the season, but appears to be fully recovered and ready for action. NIU's leading receiver from a year ago, Sam Hurd (65 catches, 1,074 yards and 13 scores), has moved on, leaving Britt Davis as the likely choice to be the club's go-to guy. A former QB, Davis logged 42 catches for 441 yards and three TDs in '05. As for the Northern Illinois run game, the diminutive Garrett Wolfe (5-7, 175 pounds) is back after an impressive junior year in which he rushed for 1,580 yards and 16 TDs. Wolfe, who picked up his second straight First Team All-MAC honor for his efforts, averaged 6.5 ypc and also played a small part in the passing game, catching 20 balls for 222 yards.
Expected to play in the shadow of its offensive counterparts, the Northern Illinois defense has some talent but will likely be tested time and time again this season. The weakest link is at linebacker, although the Huskies return eight players at the position. Expected to see the bulk of the playing time are a trio of sophomores, the best being middle linebacker Tim McCarthy. McCarthy started just six games last season, but finished second on the team with 101 tackles. As for the defensive line, it hasn't been the same since the '04 season when the Huskies allowed just 3.9 ypc and recorded 30 sacks. Last fall, the line posted just 19 sacks and struggled against the run. Ends Ken West and Larry English are back to bring pressure off the edge, but inexperience is the rule of the day in the middle as starting DTs Adam Schroeder and Zack Holycross will need to prove themselves quickly. Free safety Dustin Utschig, who led the Huskies last season with 121 tackles and three INTs, is back for another go, as are the Hansbro twins, Adriel and Alvah, who will lock down the corners giving the Huskies what should be a solid secondary.
The Ohio State offense was highly potent in '05, averaging 422.3 ypg in putting up nearly 33 ppg. Most of the core players from that unit are back, including senior QB Troy Smith, junior RB Antonio Pittman and junior WR Ted Ginn Jr. Smith completed 62.9 percent of his passes for nearly 2,300 yards and 16 TDs. Perhaps his greatest feat however, was the fact that he was intercepted just four times. Pittman rushed for 1,331 yards and seven scores, while Ginn Jr. pulled down 51 balls for 803 yards and four TDs. Smith's continued development will be the key to OSU's success on offense this fall, and the return of three starters along the offensive line will help. Speaking of the beef up front, the Buckeyes' starting five is expected to average somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-7 and 315 pounds. One guy who could really make a name for himself behind that kind of line is highly-touted rookie RB Chris Wells. At 6-1 and 225 pounds, Wells will complement the speedy Pittman nicely, and give the Buckeyes the added dimension of pounding the ball inside, particularly in short yardage and goal line situations.
With all three starting LBs gone, including star A.J. Hawk, the Buckeyes will need a guy or two to step up and carry on the tradition of great linebacking at OSU. In fact, the Buckeyes are going to need a whole host of players to rise to the occasion as only two starters are back on the entire defense. The one thing to remember however, is that this is Ohio State and talented recruits basically fall over each other for the opportunity to wear the scarlet and gray. The defensive line features seniors David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock, both of whom will fight tooth and nail to stop the opposition at the point of attack. Sophomore Marcus Freeman is expected to fill the huge shoes left by Hawk, and he is as quick as he is ferocious. The secondary could experience some growing pains as only one senior dots the [starting] landscape, that being CB Antonio Smith. Sophomore Malcolm Jenkins has the ability to completely shut down opposing receivers, but other than that it is anyone's guess as to how well the OSU defensive backs will perform.
No offense to Northern Illinois, but this game serves as little more than a tune-up for the Buckeyes as they look ahead to next week's clash with No. 3 Texas. That said, the Huskies aren't about to roll over and play dead so expect Horvath and company to try and open things up and challenge the OSU defense. In the end, however, Tressel's troops will prevail as they claim their first win of the '06 season.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ohio State 41, Northern Illinois 14
© 2006 The Sports Network
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