Drew Thurman (1:41 pm)

Saturday's opener against the Midshipmen should bring out some mixed emotions from fans and players. With such a distinct tradition and style of play, Navy presents a different kind of challenge for the Buckeyes...

The Good: Honoring the Military Forces 

What should be memorable about tomorrow is the respect Ohio State is showing Navy. Fans will get a chance to be part of a football experience that is quite unique, especially inside Ohio Stadium. First, fans will get a chance to cheer on John Glenn and his wife, Annie, as they dot the "i" of Script Ohio. Glenn, who is a former U.S. Astronaut, Senator, and Naval Pilot, is one of the few non-band memebers to ever get the chance to do this. 

Glenn is just the beginning though. Fans will also get to watch F-18 fighter jets fly over the stadium, OSU alumni killed in U.S. wars will be displayed on the scoreboard after the game, and each fan will be given a small American flag to wave. It will be an incredibly neat atmosphere, and something that makes me proud to be a Buckeye fan.   

The Bad: The Triple Option

The Midshipmen bring the infamous triple option into the Horseshoe tomorrow, which is not only frustrating, but does not help prepare the Buckeyes for week two. No matter how hard anyone tries to brighten the outlook, we have to face that this is one of the worst offensive schemes to play a week before USC. Not only does the triple option not prepare the defense for what they will see the next week, but one has to wonder how the staff is going to judge position battles. At corner and linebacker, the staff will only get a chance to see the players who are great run stoppers shine, when in fact it's the players who drop back well in coverage who are needed against the Trojans.
 
The Ugly: Cut Blocks

It's not often that I completely agree with Lou Holtz on College Gameday, but last night he had some wise things to say about tomorrow's game. Not only did he question why the Buckeyes scheduled this game a week before USC, but talked about the severe consequences of Navy's patented cut block. This style is not illegal, unlike chop blocking, but is when an offensive linemen dives to block at the opposing players "knee level." In fact I remember Orlando Pace using the strategy occasionally against defenders. What is ugly about it for the Buckeyes, as Lou pointed out last night, is how easy it is for defenders to sustain knee injuries. The defensive line is the strong point for the defense this year, and this team can't afford for a couple of players to go down with injuries. Let's cross our fingers!