Let’s talk about this: As near as I can tell, Ohio State’s choice to host the Thundering Herd in primetime on Thursday, September 2, 2010, was met with general praise. I think it totally sucks.

Let me first admit, my opinion is founded on almost completely selfish ideals.  I do not want to rush out of work at 5:30pm, drive 30 minutes home, change my clothes, to ride  my bike to the stadium, for what?  Marshall?  I am going to get home at 11:30 for no acceptable reason.  I just don’t get it.  I am not being a conservative curmudgeon, as some would suggest, but I find it hard to identify a major positive for this new date.

“A national television audience?”  Doubtful, since the game is likely to be on BTN and I would be willing to bet that the ESPN noon slot gets more viewers.  ”What about the awesome vibe for the game?”  Contrary to often espoused statements, the night game will not create a great opening game atmosphere.  In fact, I think the exact opposite is true.  My guess is there will be less tailgating, a longer game (more commercials in prime time), and far worse traffic.  And, unless you live within a few miles of campus you will not get home until after the local news.  How many kids get to go that game?

I am sure you think I totally suck, but the new Marshall time seems like a needless waste of chest-thumping and pandering to a time-slot created for the have-nots.

Time heals all wounds?  Not really: My diehard recruitnik friends seem to be getting rather restless these days.  I have never dedicated an unceasing amount of energy to following recruiting and it boggles my mind the amount of time that gets devoted to it.  When I say, “They consistently get mega-recruits and heroes of All American games.  What more do you want?”  invariably, with a minutely discernible, yet punctuating pause, they say: “They can’t close…”

Terrelle Pryor is the clear, immediate exception that should be flying through your temporal lope right now.  But what if he is the only exception?  Is the Buckeyes’ coaching staff losing out on game-changing players when the chips are down?  I don’t know, but let’s look at some numbers.

YEAR	COMMITMENTS AFTER DEC. 1	NAT'L RANK OF CLASS*	AVG. STAR RATING*
2005	7	12	3.50
2006	12	12	3.60
2007	6	15	3.80
2008	6	4	3.85
2009	2	3	3.76
2010	4	25**	3.35**

So, while there may be the smallest of somethings to this armchair theory for the current season, there is no historical credibility.  From the looks of the tremendously unscientific data table above, there does seem to be reason for the increased frustration experienced by some fans, and presumably, the coaches but why should we assume it is anything more than an isolated incident.  I may find the number of commitments after December 1st to be the kinda troubling, as more recruiting seem to wait for the all-star games and signing to announce their choices.  And, that stat does yell “closer!”, yet it seems so decidedly unfulfilling to make an argument based on such arbitrary vagaries of the calendar.

If coffee is for closers, I’d say the OSU coaching staff is plenty caffeinated.

Grasping at straws: A friend of mine recently pointed our some similarities between the upcomign season and Ohio State’s 2002 season:

1. Ohio State played in the opening CFB game
2. Played PSU and scUM in Columbus
3. Played the Miami Hurricanes
4. BCS Title Game is at the Fiesta Bowl

It is a long off-season.  I need every distraction/good vibe I can get.

*Courtesy of Rivals.com [HT: Hinton]
**As of Jan. 20

It’s that time of year again - the time we make wild (and generally uninformed) projections for every team and then bundle them nicely into our 25 favorites.

As the faithful reader(s) know, I rank the teams based on how good I believe them to be at this moment, not at the end of last season, and not how I think they will finish.  Schedules are not taken into consideration but the natural and likely off-season development is.  For me, the test is whether I believe a team would defeat the team immediately ahead of them on a neutral field this weekend.

Also, and this sounds obvious, someone has to be ranked in each spot. There are no ties.  Even though I have team X four spots ahead of team Y, the spread may be very narrow in my mind.  I know there are vagaries that make it difficult to determine who is truly better than whom, but remember these rankings are subjective.

Finally, the rankings are always subject to change. Teams may jump five or ten spots in one week, or may drop even when they win. Likewise, teams may rise when they lose. I take injuries and suspensions into consideration, so a team may win its game and lose its best player (see Oregon 2007) and drop in my poll. This poll will not reward teams simply for winning.  Again, these rankings are subjective.

Head to the forum and give us your thoughts.

Rank	Team	Comments
1.		How can you not have the Gators #1? All eleven starters back on defense, a great offensive line and, of course, Tebow makes this a no-brainer.
2.		The Longhorns' BCSCG snub is only one factor in this ranking. The tremendous offense is another.
3.		The offensive line, the stable of RBs, Taylor Mays ... this is an embarrassment of riches. If Corp or Barkley live up to the hype, the Trojans will be scary good.
4.		The defense will be better and Bradford has nice support from Brown and Murray. If the line gels with 4 new starters they could be better than last season.
5.		There is reason to be concerned about the QB position but the Tigers usually win with their lines. This year will be no different as both the offensive and defensive lines are stacked. Charles Scott did not finish strong in '08 but look for the big back to be more productive in '09.
6.		This may be little high for the TIde but their front 7 alone merits top 10 consideration. Like LSU, if McElroy can limit mistakes there is no reason Alabama cannot make back-to-back appearances in the SECCG.
7.		Opponents are going to need at least 45 points, against the Cowboys. Oklahoma State averaged 41 points/game, and all the key parts are back. Yikes!
8.		Pryor needs to provide an other worldly dimension to the offense. The defensive line should be able to hide the inexperience at LB. A second CB is a must.
9.		The offense should be tremendous with Blount and Masoli. The passing game needs some WRs to step up and the Ducks need to find a pass rush.
10.		I realize this a little high for team's whose last game was the meltdown against LSU. Still, the triple option will be more refined this season and Dwyer is capable of carrying the load. The defense needs to replace a lot of starters.
11.		I know I am setting myself up to get burned here but Cal appears to have the pieces in place to be great. It all hinges on the QB, so Riley has to play well every week. The defense will be their best yet.
12.		If new WRs can be found, the offense could pick up where it left off. There are concerns along both lines but the LBs and RBs will help hide those holes.
13.		Jevan Snead appears to be the real deal but he has to operate behind a new offensive line and with no RB to speak of. The defensive line is nasty but the back four could be a liability.
14.		Can Tyrod Taylor take advantage of the talent around him? You will find out on September 5 against Alabama.
15.		I know Georgia has tons of talent waiting in the wings but you do not get better losing Stafford and Moreno. The defense has talent but it is hard to forget the meltdowns against Alabama, Florida, and Ga. Tech.
16.		The offense should be the Big Ten's best. Period. The defense, however, needs to get players back from injury, suspension, and academic problems if the Illini hopes to challenge for a league title.
17.		Ponder is going to get plenty of time behind a very good line. He will need it because the RB and WR positions need some help. The defense needs to be a pass rush.
18.		This could be too high but the talent level has obviously risen in Chapel Hill. The defense will have to help win games this fall as the offense breaks in all new WRs.
19.		Can Mark Whipple mold the offensive talent into a productive machine? Can the defense play like it did against VT all year? If so, this position could be too low.
20.		Where is the offensive production going to come from? The defense should be very good and they may have to be.
21.		The passing game should be very good but will Weis ever have a running game? The defense should be better but that is not saying much.
22.		Get used to hearing, "Todd Reesing to Dezmon Briscoe, touchdown!" Briscoe is one of the best kept secrets in CFB. For now. Oh yeah, the defense needs help.
23.		I am a sucker for a team with great line play and Nebraska should have that this fall. Will that be enough in the stacked Big 12?
24.		QB Dalton and offense should be explosive again this season. The defense needs to replace a lot but they always seem to manage.
25.		The new Mountaineer offense needs Jarrette Brown to play well if it is going live up to WVU's standards. The defense will likely be the strength of the team.