The Game

I normally wouldn't write or even talk about something like this so if the unthinkable happens, I'll take the blame. I am going to give you some reasons, not in any special order on why OSU won't lose Saturday.

Seniors: OSU has 22 seniors this year. Their OSU career ends on Saturday. Three seniors come from the defensive line in John Simon, Nathan Williams and Garrett Goebel. The Buckeyes will also say goodbye to Zach Boren. He hasn't put up great numbers but he is one of the vocal leaders. When he leaves the Shoe it will be a good note. Every non-senior will be doing everything they can to let the seniors leave with a win.

Urban Meyer: OSU has him and the team up north doesn't. In rivalry games Meyer has a record of 26-5. Coaching at BGSU for two season he was 3-1 with the only loss coming at Toledo. In two seasons at Utah he was 4-0. Spending five seasons at Florida, Meyer had more losses but also had difficult schedule. He went 19-4 over that span. The only losses came in 2007 and 2010. Of the five losses, four of those came on the road or at a neutral site.

Injury bug: Would it be nice to beat a team with all their weapons on the field? Yes. That's not the case and I don't think any team would ever use it as an excuse. Fitzgerald Toussaint is out for the year with a broken leg. Denard Robinson saw the field last week but is one hit away from being back on the sideline.

The Shoe: Winning on the road in college football is hard. The Shoe at times can be quiet but not in this game. The Shoe is always loud for this game, add the energy Urban Meyer has injected into the program. Good luck to the team up north, you'll need it.

Running game: "I think we need to give him (Carlos Hyde) ball a little bit more," Urban Meyer said after the game against Wisconsin. Hyde ended the game with only 15 carries for 87 yards. You can take it to the bank that Urban and Tom Herman will be getting Hyde the ball. Meyer was also upset with the offensive line. "Usually we are a team that when we block someone, we have a chance to win and I don't feel like we blocked them like we have in past and we have to get back to that especially for this week coming up," Meyer said. I expect Ed Warinner will have his boys ready.
*quotes came from ohiostatebuckeyes.com from after the game against Wisconsin.

Ryan Shazier: Top-20 in the country in total tackles with 110, with 68 solo tackles. Shazier has 14.5 tackles for a loss along with four sacks. When it comes time to make a play Shazier is the man. His interception returned for touchdown against Penn St broke that game open. The play at the goal line against Wisconsin is one that will never be forgotten.

Buckeye Swag/Juice: Urban Meyer has energized this program but so has the staff. What was once a staff stuck in the stone age is now a bunch of coaches creating fires under the players. Bring the juice

• Zach Smith/ Receivers coach: He tweeted, "No matter the records..No matter the rankings..No matter the situation...THIS is ALL that matters...THIS is ALL that will be REMEBERED" 
• This OSU team doesn't know how to quit

Braxton Miller: He has had some ups and downs but has had a stellar year. In the games looking for revenge from last year, Miller has had a different look in him. Passing he is 134-236 for 1,850 yards 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground he has carried the ball 207 times for 1,214 yards, scoring 13 times. The receivers have also been stepping up, making his life easier.

Defense: I'm not going to say OSU's defense is the Silver Bullets. They are however improving, with a bend but don't break attitude. In the last four games they given up 13, 23, 14 and 14. In just about every game you play, if you hold your opponent to less than 25 points you have a good chance of winning. Each level of the defense OSU has someone making big plays. John Simon leads the Big Ten in sacks. I've already mentioned Shazier and Bradley Roby leads the country in passes defended with 1.9 a game.

Now it is time for the Buckeyes to back my talk up and keep the humble pie off the menu. Hopefully this is what will be happening after the game