National championships have always been the expectation in Columbus. Even after losing eight defensive starters, along with their starting quarterback and both starting running backs, in last year’s NFL
Draft, the expectation coming into this season was for the Buckeyes to repeat as national champions.
Following Saturday’s 42-3 total knockout demolition against Minnesota, a friend of mine texted me that he would be disappointed with anything less than a national championship this season. Before the game Saturday night, NBC’s Chris Simms said on the pregame show that the Buckeyes were playing like the heyday of the New England Patriots’ dynasty.
Let’s compare this Buckeyes’ team, as they chase a repeat national championship, to the heyday of the Patriots’ dynasty, when they won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004.
A new dynasty?
The most impressive part of the Buckeyes’ first five games has been their defense. They’re allowing just five points per game through five games.
Remember, they lost EIGHT starters to the NFL Draft this past Spring.
In both 2003 and 2004, when the Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowls, their defense ranked in the top two in scoring. Like the Buckeyes, their defense faced adversity going into the 2003 season when Pro Bowl safety Lawyer Milloy was traded just before Week 1 to their division rival, the Buffalo Bills.
Fast forward to Week 1, and the Patriots lost at Buffalo 31-0.
New England gave up 30+ points just twice the rest of the season, including two playoff games and Super Bowl XXXVIII. In 12 of their 18 games after Week 1, they allowed fewer than 20 points. Not to mention, they won their last 15 games in 2003.
That 15-game winning streak reached 21 in 2004, with the Patriots allowing just 30 points once. It felt like there was a feeling of invincibility with the Patriots when they repeated in 2004, and it feels that way with the Buckeyes.
Like the Patriots, who had four Pro Bowlers on defense in 2003, the Buckeyes have multiple defensive players who are going to play in the NFL. On all three levels, there are impact players.
The Buckeyes’ defense makes opponents look like they are operating with one hand tied behind their backs. They make it difficult for the opposing offense to move the ball through all four quarters. That’s what it felt like for opposing offenses playing the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.
When Julian Sayin still had the training wheels on, it was the Buckeyes’ defense that took over games. They held Arch Manning and Texas to seven points in Week 1, and they’ve held their first Big Ten opponents — Washington and Minnesota — to a combined nine points.
Speaking of Sayin, he has been spectacular over the Buckeyes’ first two Big Ten games. Five touchdowns, no interceptions, 534 passing yards, completing 45-of-55 passes. Sayin is making tremendous strides and, honestly, is playing at a Heisman Trophy level.
Sayin has a deep receiving corps to throw the ball to, much like Tom Brady had with Deion Branch, David Givens, Troy Brown, and Benjamin Watson. Brady eventually had an elite receiving corps with Randy Moss and Wes Welker, much like Sayin has with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.
It’s one thing when a team has a lethal receiving duo like the Buckeyes have. But when you add an elite quarterback, which Sayin is becoming, that can throw them the ball as well as Sayin can, it makes it really difficult to stop that offense.
Sayin’s touchdown to Tate on Saturday night looked like they were playing catch in the backyard. That’s how good their connection is.
It’s becoming very difficult to beat this Ohio State team. That’s how it felt for many teams that played the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.
The two teams are similar, and a repeat national championship for the Buckeyes this season will ignite talks of a dynasty.
