By: Jason Lloyd (Journal Register News Service) -

Commentary

Most everyone outside of Ohio is tired of the Buckeyes. Tired of two crushing defeats in the BCS title game in as many years, tired of Jim Tressel’s sweater vest and what is perceived as an overrated Big Ten.
All of which makes this even more surprising: Kirk Bohls, a longtime columnist for the Austin American-Statesman, believes Ohio State is the No. 1 team in the nation. Even more surprising? He has Oklahoma No. 2.
No word yet on when he’ll enter witness protection.
I met Bohls during Ohio State’s two-year series with Texas. He’s seen plenty of college football during his years covering the Longhorns. He knows college football. All of which made his bold Ohio State-Oklahoma pairing, deep in the heart of Texas, rather stunning. By doing so, he snubbed Georgia and USC, two teams voted ahead of the Buckeyes in the coaches’ poll. Georgia will likely be the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll, too.
“Of the Buckeyes’ 19 returning starters, five are potential No. 1 NFL draft picks,” Bohls wrote. “… Here’s another two reasons why I’m picking Ohio State. They’re hungry. And embarrassed.”
All true. Only problem is, the Buckeyes were hungry and embarrassed entering the LSU game, and we all know how that turned out.
There would be one slice of good news to come out of an Ohio State-Oklahoma national title game matchup: One of them would have to win. For all the heat the Buckeyes have taken for their last couple of bowl games, the Sooners have been gagging in January for much longer.
Oklahoma has lost four of its last five bowl games, including that epic loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl two years ago and a 48-28 trouncing at the hands of a West Virginia program that was shaken by the departure of Coach Rich Rodriguez.
I’ll politely disagree with Bohls. I don’t think either of those teams will be in the title game. But then, it’s only August. Let’s allow the players to at least report for camp before we start picking national champions.
Reporting for duty
The Buckeyes reported for camp Sunday, so I guess we can start picking national champions.
Fresh off their No. 3 ranking in the preseason poll, Ohio State players checked into the team hotel, which will be their home for the next few weeks in preparation of the Aug. 30 opener against Youngstown State.
Beanie Wells, one of the early favorites for the Heisman Trophy, skipped summer school this year to focus on working out. Wells missed spring camp again recovering from wrist surgery, but he’s ready to go now.
“I’m great, 100 percent,” Wells said.
He followed the same workout regimen as last summer, working out once in the morning and again in the evening, rotating his time between the underclassmen and the upperclassmen.
Last week, OSU legend Archie Griffin thought a 2,000-yard season was within reach for Wells. If his ankle and wrist hold up, that’s probably true.
If only
Whichever team comes out of the AL Central (likely the White Sox or Twins) will probably suffer a quick exit from the playoffs.
Imagine, though, what the Twins would look like today had they gone the Indians’ route and held on to Johan Santana at the start of the season. In exchange for Santana, the Twins received four prospects, three of whom have yet to make it out of the minor leagues.
The only one who has, Carlos Gomez, is the starting center fielder - a position Kenny Lofton easily could have filled (probably better) for about the same $5 million the Twins gave Livan Hernandez to replace Santana. Hernandez was released this week.
No, the Twins wouldn’t have been able to re-sign Santana, much like the Indians won’t be able to sign CC Sabathia. For the long term, the Santana trade makes sense. For this year, anyway, Twins fans certainly miss their ace.

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