Ohio State football: 5 reasons the Buckeyes will demolish FAU

3. The Buckeyes have something to prove

There is something to be said about focus. Also remember, there is a definite difference between discipline and focus. The Buckeyes had some distractions surrounding the team last season. It’s the little things that hang over the team off the field that can transfer to uncoordinated play on the field.

One of the biggest issues began before the season even started. Urban Meyer was suspended during the whole preseason and the first few games of the regular season. The whole process of handing down the suspension and all of the drama surrounding it was a real distraction for this team. Even when Meyer came back, this whole issue was still something that would linger with the Buckeyes.

Another issue was an early injury to Nick Bosa in week three when the Buckeyes traveled to take on TCU. Bosa had been great to start the season and was looking to be a major difference maker on this team. It wasn’t the injury that was the problem though, it was the events that followed that made the most significant impact. In the weeks following Bosa’s injury the Buckeyes would be informed that Bosa would forego his remaining games of eligibility to prepare for the NFL Draft.

This is not to be confused with being a knock on Bosa or any other player choosing to leave for the Draft early. Players should be able to make that decision considering the risk of injury they’re taking on. It’s much wiser for a star college football player to begin their professional career as early as possible so they can have a longer career considering the shrinking shelf life for the average NFL player. Why continue playing in college at a high level without getting paid when a player can just wait for the NFL Draft, get paid, and minimize their risk for injury early on?

The problem with the Bosa decision was the conflict set upon others surrounding it. It was clear that at least most of his teammates supported his decision but that didn’t change the fact that there was now a hole that needed to be filled in his place. It is far from easy to replace the best defensive player, and quite possibly the best player, on your roster. His absence was surely a contributing factor to the Buckeyes dropping to 68th in the nation in total defense.

This feeds into one of the final issues that seemed to conflict the Buckeyes. It seemed like there was a feeling around the team that maybe some players were looking ahead to bigger opponents or even to the NFL rather than focusing on each game. Now the Buckeyes still had a fantastic regular season and postseason as they only lost one game but there were definitely a few where it seemed like the focus wasn’t entirely there. This is something that continues to grow among some of the top teams in the country.

Teams like Purdue, Nebraska, and Maryland should have been easy wins for the Buckeyes but it seemed as though the team had let up on the gas a bit after the mid point in the season. In the end, it didn’t matter too much though as the Buckeyes did their final duty in destroying that team up north when they came to Columbus in the final week. Urban Meyer announcing his retirement at the end of the season may have also been a blessing in disguise. Yes, he’s an amazing coach and was absolutely incredible for the Buckeyes every season but it looked like it was almost that time to turn the page anyway.

The Buckeyes have a squad this year that has the opportunity to just put their heads down and be great. There are no distractions coming into this season and no big expectation for them to be a favorite to win a championship. The best part about that is this team looks more than ever like a team that can win it all but nobody knows it. Ryan Day can supply this team with some new energy which could bring the Buckeyes back to the top. The Buckeyes have been great as of recent but their ceiling as a whole hasn’t been as high.

The road to the title starts in week one as the Buckeyes take on the FAU Owls. This should be an easy win for the Buckeyes but that shouldn’t be their mindset. They must play every game like they’re making a point that their focus is on something much more than statistics in the regular season. All of those lackluster victories over inferior teams last season should fuel them to become something more. There’s no doubt that Ryan Day is ready for this team’s success to start now. FAU will be one of those teams that aren’t necessarily strong but will require the Buckeyes’ focus in order for them to come out on top without error.