Drew Thurman (3:12 pm)

It has been a little ridiculous to see the outpouring of comments that have flooded Buckeye websites since Saturday's 18-15 loss to USC. Even ESPN was reporting that Columbus as a city had its doubts about the Buckeyes chances, and yet even though the team played an incredible game fans are. Luckily there still are quite a few level headed fans still out there, including the Dispatch's Bob Hunter. His latest piece not only puts things into perspective for all Buckeye fans, but paints the picture that not all hope is lost. Though everyone is obviously frustrated, it is important to realize the Buckeyes still have a very bright future.

Now let me say, as Hunter did, that not every decision that Tressel makes is my favorite. In fact, I would hope that he eventually looks for an offensive coordinator. I also hope he takes a strong look at coordinators like Bollman to make sure they are pulling their weight. With all that said, we have to realize that tide is slow starting to turn and this Buckeye team could be really good in the future if we show some patience. So let's take a look at three areas that help me come to that conclusion:

1) Recruiting: One of the problems that haunted the Buckeyes for a few seasons was a let down in talent. After strong early campaigns by Tressel and company, there were a few classes that didn't produce unbelievable talent (especially on the offensive side of the ball). There are a lot of reasons for this (that I will not go into), but the important thing is that the last two classes have been special. That brings us to 2010 class, which has been solid so far, but has tons of talent still to be had. Saturday night might have been the turning point for lots of those recruits. The Buckeyes already picked up ESPNU 150 ATH Corey Brown, and every other star recruit there was impressed (Henderson, Joyner, Shaw, Bryant, and . If the Buckeyes continue to close on those players, watch out. I keep telling everyone that the 2009 class was maybe one of Tressel's best, so there is reason for excitement.

2) Youth: With all the preseason hype about Pryor and the potential, fans forgot about how young this team really is. Every skill position on offense has a fresh face, and the offensive line has been realigned while adding two new starters. Even the defense, which looked stellar against USC, should only get better as the very "green" back seven grows into having swagger every week. On top of all of that, Pryor is still so young in his development. I understand it was frustrating watching the true freshman, Barkley, outshine him on the national stage, but one has to remember that dual-threat quarterbacks always have a different learning curve. Barkley has relied on his arm throughout his career, while Pryor has depend on his legs. Like the many great athletic quarterbacks before him, he will learn the position and will be a force as an upperclassmen.

Overall, the future looks bright. This is one of the most athletic teams in recent memory, and once the class of 2009 develops watch out. I keep saying this and I am sticking to it, this team is one year away from being incredible. Hold on, and stick out the current frustration.

3) Close to Getting Over the Hump: I think the bulk of the frustration with Tressel should remain on the Florida, LSU, and USC (2008) games. In none of those games the team looked prepared, excited, or determined. In the last two big games though (Texas and USC), this has not been the case. Though both were losses, Tressel once again showed that he is very close to getting the Buckeyes over the hump. With that, tell me a team that has played two better opponents in its last three games. The Buckeyes have gone against the best and shown that they are close to breaking through the big game blues. Obviously two victories would have been much better, but one can dismiss that the staff and the team has greatly improved its play on the national stage. Very soon (maybe even the end of this year), this team is going to get that burden off its back. I didn't feel this way about the big three losses mentioned above, but the last two are going to be great learning experiences for Pryor and company. I really believe the best is still to come!

So, come on guys give the Buckeye bashing a rest. Not even the national media is beating us down as much as our own fans are!