Tough opener could end up being good for Buckeyes

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By Marc Katz, Staff Writer 8:55 PM Sunday, September 6, 2009

I have no idea why Ohio State scheduled Navy for its opener on Saturday.

I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with the idea the Midshipmen would give the Buckeyes an extremely competitive game.

Well, they did, and talk about a win-win-win situation.

• The Buckeyes did have a competitive game, something that will help them when allegedly tougher teams come calling, such as USC this week.

• The OSU coaching staff, breathing easier, now should have the attention of everyone that playing 60 minutes is a must against even teams that are more than a two-touchdown underdog.

• The fans — even the grumpy ones who wanted to see a blowout — didn’t exit for their tailgates at halftime as they did a year ago against Youngstown State. Competition makes that heavy ticket price worth it.

What OSU — and all college football fans — should really want is a computer system that doesn’t penalize teams for losing games early in the season. In fact, one that would reward teams for playing tougher games would be welcome.

That way, even if Navy had tied OSU in the final minutes, it wouldn’t have hurt the Buckeyes, just as the BYU victory over Oklahoma later Saturday night shouldn’t hurt the Sooners.

As it stands now, Oklahoma must play the whole season and hope. Ohio State, despite a close victory, can be happy with its result.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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