Last season the defense was oh-so-close. I expected/hoped for just a little bit more. They were great (one of the best in the nation) at forcing three-and-outs but the back end gave up too many big plays. That ended up in a feast or famine situation.
The first half of The Game was a perfect illustration, Michigan had seven possessions:
- Four were three-and-outs, great!
- Three were scores (2TD'S, 1FG) given up due to long plays.
If they'd just been slightly better in the secondary . . .
This year I'm hoping for more incremental improvement over last year and they really don't have all that far to go.
Last season the offense was great but they could have been oh-so-much more. Going into 2022 I honestly expected the offense to be one of the best in the history of CFB. That may sound absurd but consider this: Last year's projected #1 WR missed nearly the entire year due to injury. Last year's projected top-3 RB's missed all or large portions of the season due to injuries.
Last year's offense was one of the best in the Nation without JSN and despite playing fourth-stringers, converted LBers, mascots, and cheerleaders at RB for significant portions of the season.
My argument is that it isn't unreasonable to argue that last year's already great offense with healthy versions of JSN and Henderson would have been an absolute nightmare for opposing DC's and possibly one of the best in CFB history.
This year, who knows what to expect from the offense. It is concerning that neither QB stood out enough to claim the starting job until a few days before the opener. The Oline is also a concern. Even if the starters are solid depth appears to be an issue. The WR's appear to be even more loaded than last year.
If the reports about Tate are accurate the Buckeyes may go four deep with WR's who would be the #1 on most teams.
At RB the Buckeyes should be vastly improved compared to last year.
