Our Honor Defend

Alas, it’s finally here.  Gabby, a friend and I think we’ve found a place in Greenbow County to watch the Youngstown State game while the natives are all in Atlanta, or venturing to Atlanta, to watch the mandatory southeastern region game sponsored by Chick-fil-A (seriously, Chick-fil-A sponsors everything down here).  Consequently, we won’t be around a computer for the game, but should be back midway through the first quarter of games in the 3:30 ET timeslot.  In lieu of anything else, here’s the Annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff Open Thread Classic™, containing random thoughts about the game.

Things I Want to See in this Game

• Improved play from the defensive tackles.  I desperately want to see Abdallah, Denlinger, Larimore or Worthington step it up and be a presence in the trenches.  This must happen if the Buckeyes are serious about a third bite at the apple.  Besides, it’s Youngstown State, dammit.  It’s a 1-AA team, dammit.
• This pistol formation I’ve been hearing so much about.  The thought of Beanie lining up behind Boeckman’s lanky frame, making defenses guess for an extra second the nature of the play, has me intrigued to say the least.
• Drastic improvement in the return game, both kickoffs and punt returns.  We were never better than ordinary in that department and I’m not sold on Hartline and Small back there as a duo returning punts.  Naturally, I would love to be wrong.
• Drastic improvement in coverage on special teams, both kickoffs and punts.  I don’t need to elaborate on this.
• Four wide sets.  I know Sanzenbacher is the third wideout as of now, but I want to see how much Ray Small has improved.  Hell, throw Posey in there and see if he’s able to figure it out as well.
• This Terrelle Pryor guy I keep hearing so much about.  Apparently he’s good.
• Quality snaps for the freshman offensive line.  Youngstown State’s strength on defense is its two defensive tackles (SR Mychal Savage and SO Torrance Nicholson) and the line in general.  Let’s see what the young guys can do in some meaningful stretches in the third quarter.  FWIW, Boone thinks JB Shugarts is ready, which is promising for me because I thought he would be the one with the most difficult transition to the college game (all the tools in the world, just a little green).  Mike Adams isn’t human, but we all know that.  The fact that Adams is even the discussion to play after the surgery, when the estimate was that he might be ready 6 or 7 games into the season, shows as much.
• Stopping the spread dead in its tracks.  After losing Tom Zetts, QB extraodinaire, to graduation last year, the Penguins have gone to spread in what I think is the college football equivalent of going to plaid (Spaceballs reference).  I want to see how much the coordinators learned from themselves and from the USF staff in the offseason.
• This new entrance I’ve been hearing so much about.  I never saw anything wrong with the old way of doing it, but this one is supposed to be new… and confusing. Hmm.
• Everything.  The Beanie, the Vest, the Best Damn Band in the Land, the Animal, the Hartline, Everything.  I always thought this video was beyond silly and pretentious, but my friends loved it.  No matter: the speech is right. I want to see the Bucks.

Things I Don’t Want to See

• A Buckeye version of this:

The Horror. DO NOT WANT (for the Bucks, at least).

• A key Buckeye player getting hurt.  If someone on YSU’s roster again Lawrence Wilsons a key player on the Buckeyes roster, Tressel (I should hope) would end all goodwill to that program.  Especially Beanie: The only thing he’s allowed to break is someone’s facemask.
• Us ever playing a 1-AA team again.  You can’t ever really win them and as for what happens when you lose them? Well, ask Michigan.

Alright, time’s up, let’s do this.

Ahh... feels good to be back