2005 was Troy Smith's coming out party, especially against Notre Dame!
Drew Thurman (1:17 pm)
The 2005 season seems like it happened decades ago. We now stand seperated by two National Championship losses, and a heartbreaking defeat in the Fiesta Bowl to Texas. But if we put on our Scarlet and Gray glasses again, we can remember how exciting the 2005 season was. The Buckeyes first ushered in a two part series with Texas by hosting the Longhorns at Ohio Stadium. Though the Buckeyes would lose 22-25 because of a late scoring drive by Vince Young and company, the game was thrilling. The Penn State game would be in a similar mold. It was frustrating because of the 10-17 loss, but still exciting because the Buckeyes were starting to build something.
After that loss the Buckeyes didn't look back for the rest of the season. They won a hard fought battle against Michigan State, and then blew out everyone they played heading into the Michigan game. That game against the Wolverines would go down in history as well. The Buckeyes were down 21-12 with less than eight minutes to go, when Troy Smith led the team to two scoring drives to win the game 25-21. Smith threw for 300 yards, none of which were more memorable than "the catch" by Anthony Gonzalez which set up the winning touchdown. The Buckeyes then took this momentum into the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, compiling more than 600 yards in a 34-20 win. All in all, the Buckeyes finished the season with a 10-2 record.
The reason I am reliving what happened in the 2005 season is because I see some major comparisons between that squad and the 2009 squad. First of all, the schedule has some striking resemblance. Like in 2005, the Buckeyes host a big time opponent in week two, this time it is USC instead of Texas. Also the Buckeyes go on the road against their two biggest rivals Penn State and Michigan, like they did in 2005. The only major difference is that the Buckeyes have one extra non-conference game this year in New Mexico State on October 31st.
Second, I see a team that has several players that could break out this season like some of the players in 2005. First, I think DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher will break out like Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn did. I also think Boom Herron is going to hit his stride just as Antonio Pittman did in his sophomore season. I know Boom is going to be sharing carries more than Pittman did in 2005, but I see his progression taking shape much like Pittman's did. Finally of course, Terrelle Pryor should take the next step towards greatness as Troy Smith did. Pryor is obviously a year younger than Smith was in 2005, but besides that the amount of similarities are scary.
Finally, I see a team that will play a very similar style of football to that of the 2005 squad. The Buckeyes spread the field in 2005 and let Troy Smith use his athleticism to inflict damage on opponents, and you better believe Tressel and the staff has the same thing in mind this season. In the first half of the Spring Game, when Pryor started, the Gray Squad did not run a single time. Instead they took the field in four and five receiver sets, allowing Pryor to have options to throw to and space to use his legs. We can expect to see a similar style once the season starts, which models what Troy Smith and the gang did in 2005.
I obviously know that there are differences between these two squads, and critics of this comparison will point to differences in the defenses. Honestly though, besides the experience at linebacker the 2005 squad had (Carpenter, Schlegel, and Hawk), there are even some comparisons between the two defenses. Both squads have very experienced defensive lines, bloated with upperclassman. Also, like in 2005, the Buckeyes have the safety position locked up while having questions at cornerback. Four years ago Youboty took the top corner spot, while questions surrounded the other one (Everett, Jenkins, and others would get time there). This year Chekwa will be the top corner, while three or four guys have a shot at the other side.
Like I previously mentioned, not every single thing between these two squads is the same, but there still are similarities. In fact I even think the two losses the Buckeyes ended with in 2005 could be a realistic prediction for this squad. Also like four years ago, this could be a building block year for the Buckeyes to propel themselves onto the national stage once again in 2010. Don't be surprised to see this young team take a few lumps early on before building momentum into becoming a stellar team by the time bowl season comes around. So I am no mathematician, but I say 2009 = 2005!
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