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Home > Blogs > Buckeyes Beat > Archives > 2008 > July > 03
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Ohio State writer makes his picks
The college football season gets its unofficial launch, at least in this part of the country, at the Big Ten kickoff luncheon in Chicago on July 24-25.
The media meet with all of the league coaches and a few players from each school for two days of interviews, and Ohio State then will report for preseason camp Aug. 3.
It’s hard believe it’s just weeks away. But if you’re a college football buff like me, it can’t get here fast enough.
The Big Ten asked all reporters to predict the top three finishers in the conference and pick an offensive and defensive player of the year, which will be unveiled at the kickoff event.
For the first time in my nine years of attending, I didn’t put Michigan in my top three. The Wolverines seem to have lost too many horses, and the quarterbacks they have in the program seem ill-suited for coach Rich Rodriguez’s system.
The Wolverines haven’t had a losing season since 1967 and haven’t missed playing in a bowl since 1974, but those streaks could come to an end this year.
OK, Buckeye fans, simmer down. The Wolverines are eventually going to reload and become a national power again. C’mon, it’s Michigan.
For what it’s worth, I picked the Buckeyes to win the Big Ten, followed by Wisconsin and Illinois.
OSU running back Chris Wells was my offensive player of the year, and linebacker James Laurinaitis was my defensive pick.
Given all the attention the Buckeyes and that duo are getting in the offseason, I’ll be shocked if my fellow scribes don’t see it the same way.
