LOS ANGELES – We are closing in on 48 hours until the 2022 Rose Bowl and the first opportunity for Ohio State to address some questions and concerns that were brought up after a disappointing regular season finale against "that team up north".
There are varying amounts of excitement about Ohio State's game with Utah in the Rose Bowl but we are not buying for a second anyone's statements that "they don't care" or that they "are not watching the game" because we know that is just frustration talking.
What can we expect out of this game on Saturday? Will Ohio State's advantage in talent be the difference or will Utah's likely enthusiasm edge be the difference maker?
We know that Ohio State is going into this game with less than a full range of weapons with opt-outs, transfers portal names and other items taking 85 scholarships players down to the 60s. But you only play 11 at a time and generally games are not won because of players 65-85 on a roster in a year.
Will Ohio State have an answer for a tough Utah team that has taken over the Pac-12 with a physical style of play? Do the Utes have enough playmakers to outscore the Buckeyes? Do the Utes have the players to replicate the successes that both Michigan and Oregon showed against the Buckeyes over the course of this season?
Of course, we don't know any of this at this point and won't know until foot meets leather on January 1st and the game really gets going.
Join me for this free-form edition of the Big Me Kickoff where I talk through a couple of things and try to come to a few conclusions from a rainy Southern California just a couple of days out from the big game.