I’ve been tip-toeing around this post for a couple of months. I’ve dropped hints; I’ve made references. And I didn’t really want to come out and directly address it. Seemed a little premature.

But stuff has happened. Last weekend. And the two Saturdays before that. The secret I’ve been trying to keep isn’t much of a secret any longer.

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In 2002, Ohio State started the season with what pundits expected would be a good defense and an offense filled with questions. We had a functional quarterback who had started just three games prior to the start of the season. The guys manning the skill positions were largely unknown. Some kid, highy touted but inexperienced, had a shot a supplanting a couple of slightly older guys at tailback. The pundits looked at that bunch and plopped us down in the mid-teens in the preseason polls. And I thought that would be about right.

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In 2007, we came into the season with what the pundits expected would be a good defense and an offense filled with questions. We had to replace a quarterback who won the Heisman with a guy who hadn’t yet attempted 10 passes in live games — he appeared to be, well, functional. We had to replace one wide receiver who was the fastest guy to play football for Ohio State since Paul Warfield and replace another who had an uncanny knack for just getting himself in the right place at the right time. We had to replace a tailback who quietly ripped off 1,000-yard seasons with a talented but fumble-prone youngster. The pundits looked at the Buckeyes and plopped us down in the mid-teens in the preseason polls. And I thought that would be about right.

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In 2002, we didn’t really get tested early on, with the exception of the game at Cincinnati. But once we got to the meat of the Big Ten schedule, we got tested over and over and over. A tight game at Wisconsin. Another nail-biter in Columbus against Penn State. After a breather against Minnesota, there were the three thrillers: the Krenzel-to-Jenkins bomb at Purdue, our first-ever overtime game at Illinois and that game against Michigan, when John Navarre’s final pass was intercepted by Will Allen at the goal line on the last play of the game.

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In 2007, we haven’t really been tested early on, with the exception of the first half at Washington. But we’re now about to start the meat of the Big Ten schedule. Each remaining opponent has a 5-2 record at this point. While I would admit there are a couple of the remaining five games that are more worrisome than the others, I think it’s safe to say any of the remaining teams — Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan — are capable of giving Ohio State some problems.

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In 2002, I remember calling my parents, who were on vacation in Costa Rica, after the finish of the Purdue game, to tell them not only of the improbable last-second win but that other things — losses by Notre Dame, Oklahoma and I think Auburn — had transpired to push us into the top two of the BCS standings. If we won out, there was nothing anyone could do to keep us out of the national championship game.

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In 2007, I didn’t have to call my parents because we were all in Columbus last weekend, when Nos. 1 and 2 — LSU and Cal — both lost their games Saturday night. We sat just behind them, No. 3 and undefeated. And when the season’s first BCS list was released Sunday afternoon … there were were. No. 1. If we win out, there likely won’t be anything anyone can do to keep us out of the national championship game.

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OK. The comparisons between 2002 and 2007 stop there. For now. But I do want to look at where we stand now in relation to where we stood a year ago. Last season was fun, right up to about 8:30 p.m. Jan. 8. I started each game with complete confidence that we were going to crush whoever the opponent was. It’s not like that a year later. I’m still confident, but this doesn’t feel like the juggernaut of 2006. I know, I know … the games we’ve played this season haven’t been close; I guess I’m still waiting for that first real test. It could come Saturday, against a team that ended an undefeated Ohio State run in 1998. It could come on Oct. 27, at night, at Penn State, where the Nits gave us our last regular-season loss. It could come the following weekend against Wisconsin, the only conference school against which Tressel has a losing record. It could come from Illinois, the only team that gave us a problem during the 2006 regular season.

It could come against a Michigan team desperate to redeem its season and, perhaps, win Lloyd Carr’s final game against Ohio State.

I don’t know when it’s coming. But I guarantee it will.

The 2002 team handled every challenge that came its way, and won a national title. If the 2007 team can do the same — efficiently, calmly and quietly — we might — might — have that chance again.