With the Buckeyes expected to be Sugar Bowl-bound to face Arkansas, beat writer Doug Lesmerises answers some New Orleans-based questions.
View full sizeThe Buckeyes will hope to have a healthier secondary in time to try to defend Arkansas' talented QB Ryan Mallett, if the Sugar Bowl pairs Ohio State with the Razorbacks.The Heys have gone to Twitter. You can continue to send Doug Lesmerises Hey Doug questions, but now you can also follow him on Twitter and ask questions to @PDBuckeyes. Questions were taken assuming an Ohio State-Arkansas matchup in the Sugar Bowl.
@M_Farrell21: Playing a pass-happy Arkansas offense, how crucial is it to have Christian Bryant back for this game?
The freshman defensive back, who was playing the star position in the nickel defense once Tyler Moeller was lost for the season, should return for the bowl after having surgery for a foot infection after the Wisconsin game.
But the Buckeyes could stay with what they did a lot in November, which was using three true cornerbacks when they went to their nickel, and having Travis Howard in the game with Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence. That worked well, but if Bryant is ready, he gives the defense more options against the pass.
@mattb625 If Ohio State wins the Sugar Bowl, can the Buckeyes get rid of the stigma that they cannot keep up with the SEC speed?
The number that OSU fans will hear ad nauseum until the Sugar Bowl is Ohio State's 0-9 record in bowl games against SEC teams. It's fair to wonder if a win here would shake that. Arkansas is a good team, but it's not quite Florida or LSU or Alabama or Auburn with Cam Newton.
So this one win alone wouldn't be enough, if my opinion, to end the Ohio State-SEC talk.
@mjk2387: Who do you think will be favored?
Arkansas is on a six-game winning streak and has four wins over teams in the latest BCS top 25 -- Texas A&M, South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU. Ohio State doesn't have any. The guess is that the game is between a pick 'em and Arkansas as a 3-point favorite.
-- Doug