re: Give an honest assessment of your team going into the season

quote:

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Urban Meyer took a 6-7 Ohio State team to 12-0 in his first year,[quote]

The 6-7 Ohio State team lost by:
3 to Michigan State (finished #10 at 11-3)
7 to Nebraska (finished #24 at 9-4)
3 in OT to Purdue (finished unranked at 7-6)
6 to Penn State (finished unranked at 9-4)
6 to Michigan (finished #9 at 11-2)
7 to Florida (finished unranked at 7-6)

Their only loss to a team that didn't finish above .500 was an 18 point loss to Miami (finished unranked at 6-6). That was their only loss by more than 7 points.

[quote]and that was with a post season ban in place.

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They played Florida in the Gator bowl in Meyer's first year.

Compare that to LSU's season last year. LSU lost by:
11 to UCLA (finished unranked at 8-4)
5 to Auburn (finished unranked at 6-7)
21 to Kentucky (finished #15 at 10-3)
14 to Ole Miss (finished #11 at 10-3)
6 to Bama (finished #2 at 13-2)
3 to Arkansas (finished #21 at 9-4)
22 to Kansas State (finished unranked at 8-5)

LSU had one loss to a sub .500 team and 3 losses by 14 or more points. I think that Ohio State wasn't as down as their record might have suggested.