Grading The Buckeyes At Midseason

A record of 6-1 (3-0, Big Ten) may seem like a good year on paper.

In real life, this has been anything but good.

Ohio State faces a huge pair of games in the next two weeks against tough Michigan State and Penn State teams--a Penn State team capable of competing for the BCS Championship. If Ohio State wins these games, it could be on track to give Jim Tressel an overdue Rose Bowl berth where (let's hope against) a rematch with USC could take place.

Anyhow, it's time to grade the Buckeyes.

Offense...Terrelle Pryor engineered a great, game-winning drive against Wisconsin and set a freshman record for touchdown passes against Troy, but the offense hasn't done much. Beanie Wells has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his appearances this year. The receivers haven't been given the ball much and are starting to get cranky. This is one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten and the nation. It may take some time to gel, but with an offense like this, Ohio State is lucky to be 6-1 right now. Grade: D-

Defense...They gave up 35 points to USC, which is exactly what they always do when frustration mounts. Other than that, the defense hasn't been too bad. Malcolm Jenkins has been the standout player for this unit that clearly misses Vernon Gholston (and A.J. Hawk, and Bobby Carpenter, and you get the point). Some missed tackles have made this squad look a little vulnerable at times, but it only allowed a field goal aganst Purdue last week. Still, a lot of work needs to be done, and I still contend that Jim Heacock (and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman) needs to be ousted. Grade: B-

Special Teams...Always a strong unit for Ohio State. A.J. Trapasso is a great punter, but Ryan Pretorious has been hit-or-miss this year. Without the special teams, though, some of this season's games could have been a lot worse for the Buckeyes. Grade: A-

Overall...Ohio State has plenty of work to do. This is clearly not the best Buckeye team, but the coaches will get it figured out (hopefully). Until then, all we can do is watch and lend our support. Grade: C-