Pfef's Sports Blog

Moving Day!

2007-08-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

Shaq and Kobe, A-Rod and Jeter, Pfef and Sheehan?

Due to the fact that I lost the motivation to run my own blog, but also due to the fact that I love Ohio State football, I have joined Sean Sheehan at Around The Oval. Hopefully this merger of two prospective Buckeye blogging superpowers will lead to the formation of a blog that no man has witnessed before. One that will soon rule the blogosphere, and eventually, the world.

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be tooting my own horn so much, but at ATO, I can promise that my posting will be in a much more consistent manner than it has been in the past months. Consider it the "personal trainer" belief. No one likes to excercise on their own, but when there is a partner or "coach" alongside, the work becomes easier and much more routine.

This site was a blast, but it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

Gone for a bit

2007-07-15T07:35:00.000-04:00

I'm leaving today for Indiana University Bloomington to attend the High School Journalism Institute. I'm unsure as to how much internet access I can get there, and even if I can get some, I doubt I will have enough time to post. Hopefully when I come back, I'll be able to use some of the journalistic skills I gain there to help improve my blog.

Hope to post again later in the week.

HBO creating an Ohio State vs Michigan Documentary

2007-07-11T13:34:00.000-04:00

I got an interesting e-mail forward from the world's coolest older sister this morning and thought it was definitely newsworthy.

Apparently, HBO is planning to release a documentary on the Ohio State-Michigan Rivalry. The expected release date is Tuesday, November 13th, the Tuesday before the game itself.

The following is the e-mail received:

For Immediate Release HBO SPORTS BEGINS PRODUCTION ON ITS FIRST-EVER COLLEGE FOOTBALL DOCUMENTARY, EXAMINING THE RIVALRY BETWEEN OHIO STATE AND MICHIGAN, DEBUTING NOV. 13 NEW YORK, July 10, 2007 - HBO Sports has begun production on a documentary chronicling the rivalry of Ohio State and the University of Michigan, one of the most glorious rivalries in college football history, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Steeped in a rich tradition dating back to their inaugural meeting in 1897, this rivalry extends beyond the pursuit of a Big Ten Title, on both sides engendering team pride and spirit rarely equaled elsewhere. Presented four days before the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines at Ann Arbor this fall, the documentary debuts TUESDAY, NOV. 13 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Each year, the football programs at Ohio State and Michigan gear up with a common goal: to beat their archrival on the third weekend in November, no matter the rankings, no matter the score. Widely considered college football's biggest rivalry, these two Big Ten powerhouses frequently dominate the standings, and routinely attract game-day crowds exceeding 100,000. On Nov. 18, 2006, more than 105,000 fans watched No. 1 Ohio State defeat No. 2 Michigan by a score of 42-39, with an additional 21.8 million tuning in on TV. "This film will split the viewers right down the middle," said Greenburg. "The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is considered one of the most compelling in college football history, consuming not only the Midwest, but the nation. Spanning more than a century, with names like Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, Archie Griffin and Desmond Howard, the characters and storylines of this yearly showdown are memorable. So there is no better place for HBO Sports to delve into the college football realm than with these two extraordinary programs." Separated by only 200 miles, Ohio State University and the University of Michigan began their football rivalry in 1897. U of M won that first game 34-0 and dominated the series until 1919, when the Buckeyes turned the tables, winning 13-3. Since then, the two teams have remained fairly evenly matched, with Michigan leading the series 57-40-6. Historically, the match-up has often determined who will win the Big Ten title, a prime bowl spot, and even the Heisman Trophy. Exploring the exuberant personalities of coaches like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, who sat with HBO for his last long-form interview before his death last year, the documentary traces the importance of the game for each university, as well as the larger sports' world. A high-profile list of interviewees will weigh in on the intense rivalry. Unlike many other sports rivalries, the Ohio State-Michigan face-off has not only endured, but is growing. The Wall Street Journal notes, "The game continues to carry the most genuine mark of a great rivalry: The feud between the two schools injects itself into everything from business and politics to an annual blood drive where volunteers from the two campuses vie to see which side can siphon the most plasma." Executive producers of the documentary are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; produced by George Roy.

Robo's Crew: The 2007 Buckeye Wide Receivers

2007-07-11T12:26:00.000-04:00

The three quarterbacks may have to replace Troy Smith, and the defense may need to shoulder the load all season long. In saying that, however, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, and the rest of the wide receivers will be the most pivotal players in determining the amount of success (or lack thereof) that the Ohio State football team will have next season. Two of the best Wide Receivers in school history in Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez have since decided to test their respective games against the world's best in the NFL, and waiting in the wings they have left a number of players that have been playing in the shadows of these two Buckeye giants.

Projected Starting Split End
Brian Robiskie
Junior 6'3"
195 lbs

In the early part of the 2006 season, then Senior Roy Hall had to miss the first two games of the season due to an injury, and as a result, a relatively unknown, inexperienced sophomore by the name of Brian Robiskie was given the starting role. After tallying six catches for 60 yards as the fourth (sometimes fifth) offensive choice for Troy Smith, Robiskie never looked back from that starters role. He went on to have a very solid season, catching 29 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns that, more often than not, came in clutch situations that gave Ohio State the victory. Remember, it was Robiskie -- and not Ginn or Gonzo -- that caught the game winning touchdown pass against Michigan, and it too was Robiskie who was on the receiving end of two of Troy Smith's most magnificent passes all season long: the 38-turned-53 yard bomb against Penn State in which Smith had to reverse field (At that point in the game, Ohio State was only winning by four in the fourth quarter), as well as the less celebrated yet almost equally impressive touchdown he threw against Iowa in which he had little to no space to fit the ball in, yet somehow managed to squeeze the ball to Robiskie anyways. Time and again, Robo showed an innate tendency to be at the right place at the right time. Of course, the one major criticism regarding Robiskie's game is that he was the beneficiary of playing on the same offense as Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, meaning that he often did not have to match up against the opponent's best defensive back on every down like he will have to this year. For one play against Michigan, however, Robiskie managed to ease the souls of all the nervous fans when he essentially made a fool out of Leon Hall (you know, the same Leon Hall that was drafted #18 and the second corner back taken in the draft). You may remember the play as the one where Smith rolled out, Robiskie cut his route back towards Smith (leaving Hall out of position), and then after catching the ball, seemingly without any effort evading the tackle of Hall, managing to take the ball another 15-20 yards upfield (If you can't remember the play...it begins at about the 1:00 mark of this video, but I recommend you watch the whole thing just for old time's sake). Of course, that's only one play, and still leaves a lot of questions regarding his durability as a consistent #1 receiver, but I'm confident that he'll come through this season.

Projected Starting Flanker
Ray Small
Sophomore
6'0" 175 lbs

Ray Small entered last season as a true freshman filled with promise. Everyone had him tagged as the "Next Teddy Ginn" from the day he committed due to his similar size, speed, agility, and overall ability. However, Small didn't have the same type of impact freshman season that Ginn had, mainly due to the fact that he was stuck behind Ginn in the depth chart. He played well early in the season in mop-up time, catching 3 passes for 41 yards against Cincinnati and 1 pass for 11 yards and his only touchdown of the season against Bowling Green. However, once the games began to mean more, Small's playing time diminished, and he only caught one more pass the rest of the season, and it was perhaps his most (in)famous moment of the season. The catch made highlight reels and even made it on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, but it wasn't for anything that Small would like to remember. The pass went for a loss of three yards, and after he got hit, it looked like he may have been seriously injured, because he didn't move at all. It turned out to be a light concussion and he was fully recovered in no time. This year, however, has much more of a positive outlook to it. Apparently, Small has made huge strides as a receiver this offseason, and is ready for prime time. Aside from being a starting wide receiver, he's also the #1 candidate to be the team's featured kick returner going into the season, and believe it or not, he has the athleticism to make people forget (at least briefly) about Ginn's contributions as a return man.

Projected Starting Slot Receiver
Brian Hartline
Redshirt Sophomore
6'3" 180 lbs

Hartline doing the little things

Hartline is the kind of player that is just filled with good Karma. He's always flying around the field at full speed, giving his full effort whether it be in practice or a game, and he's a constant contributor where ever he is. Case in point: Hartline may be best known as a receiver, but he was awarded the Special Teams player of the week three times (Iowa, Michigan State, and Indiana) for his efforts on kickoff and punt coverage. And let's face it: If he can get Jim Tressel to give him that award three times in one season, the guy is going to get his due. Well, it looks like all of Hartline's commitment and hard work is about to pay off, because he is a likely starter at receiver this season. With his height and athleticism, Hartline should have an easier time replacing Gonzalez in the slot -- the spot where Gonzalez coined the term "mismatch" -- than most would expect. If there is one thing hurting him, it is that he is a tad lanky for his height, which could lead to durability issues, especially when he has to make catches in the middle of the field.

Other Receivers to keep an eye on

Albert Dukes and Devon Lyons
Both Juniors
Dukes and Lyons both entered Ohio State as highly regarded players, but have struggled with depth chart woes and injuries, respectively. However, both players really emerged in the Spring Game, especially Lyons, who seemed to have great chemistry with backup quarterback Robbie Schoenhoft. In the Spring Game, Lyons led all Buckeye receivers with 72 yards on three catches, and Dukes also had three catches for 20 yards.

The Replacements

2007-07-06T14:39:00.001-04:00

College Football News recently published their annual Ohio State season preview yesterday. It's a great, in-depth read, and it does a great job of not only covering the players and stories that we know about, but some of the under the radar guys as well. It's a good thing that CFN can do that, because after having eight men selected in the NFL draft, and seven other starters try and make it as undrafted free agents, there are a lot of holes to fill in that depth chart.

So who will be the new guys stepping it up?

Quarterback
Last year's starter: Troy Smith
Likely replacements: Todd Boeckman, Robbie Schoenhoft, and Antonio Henton

Running Back
Last year's starter: Antonio Pittman, Stan White Jr. (Fullback)
Likely Replacement: Chris Wells, Dionte Johnson (Fullback)

Wide Receiver
Last year's: Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Roy Hall
This year's: Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, Ray Small

Tight End
No key losses

Offensive Line
Losses: TJ Downing, Doug Datish
Gains: Any of Jim Cordle, Ben Person, Connor Smith, Jon Skinner, and Kyle Mitchum

Defensive Ends
Sayonara: Jay Richardson
Hola: Lawrence Wilson, Robert Rose

Defensive Tackles
Aloha: Quinn Pitcock, Doug Patterson, Joel Penton
Aloha: Todd Denlinger, Doug Worthington, Alex Barrow (Barrow could also see time at defensive end)

Outside Linebackers
Good Riddance: John Kerr
Good luck: Ross Homan, Curtis Terry, Larry Grant

Inside Linebackers
No Key losses

Cornerbacks
Hug Goodbye: Antonio Smith
Shaking Hands: Donald Washington, Andre Amos

Safeties
Hasta La Vista: Brandon Mitchell
Welcome Aboard: Nick Patterson, Anderson Russell (Russell started at the beginning of last season, but blew out his ACL and is attempting a comeback)

Clearly, with just about every position having some form of restocking going on in the offseason, the outcome of the regular season and beyond heavily depends on the development of these replacements. Some of these positions (Quarterbacks, Receivers, Defensive Tackles) have such big shoes to fill that it is unfair to ask these players to perform at the same level as their predecessors. However, just like some shoes are too big to fill, some old shoes will be replaced by a pair of flashy new Air Jordans and will be forgotten in a matter of weeks, these "new shoes," of course, are the guys that have been waiting in the wings for quite some time to overtake their former teammates. Beanie, Cordle, Wilson, and whoever ends up winning the final linebacker spot will almost certainly be an improvement from last year just simply due to the fact that coaches, players, media members, and fans alike have had too many good things to say about these players from the moment that they've walked on campus for them to be anything but the next great football players at Ohio State. In the past, it was all a matter of being less experienced that kept these players on the bench. Now, it's their turn, and they will make the most of it. As the old cliche goes, powerhouses like Ohio State don't rebuild -- they reload. The top talent in the country will always flock to Columbus for the shot at being a Buckeye, and that's why such little parity exists in college football today.

One of the two positions I listed on that list as having no key losses very well may be two of the most important positions to the team this year. The tight end position last year was far and away the most under utilized offensive position last year. With Tressel's spread offense revolving around Troy Smith, most of the sets were out of shotgun with multiple receivers on top of the running back(s). When spreading out the offense, the odd man out is almost always the tight end. Well, this year, there will be no spread offense. It will be much more vintage Tresselball for much of the season, which means that the tight end will find it's way into the offense much more often. Troy Smith had a calm demeanor in the pocket. He knew how to check his progressions, and when nothing was open was when he ran. That came with experience. Young quarterbacks always look to throw to the big targets -- the tight ends -- on just about every throw. Do you think it's a coincidence that most mediocre teams have great tight end play? No, of course not. It's because most mediocre teams have young quarterbacks that love to throw to the tight end. There shouldn't be any reason to expect anything different out of whoever plays quarterback for Ohio State this year.

The Backfield

2007-07-02T09:55:00.001-04:00

For the first time since the 2004 season, the Buckeye backfield will be noticeably missing the majority of it's offensive output. That is because after two consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons (the first Buckeye to accomplish such a feat since Eddie George), Antonio Pittman made the jump to the pro ranks where he is now trying to make the Saints' squad. Unlike the quarterback position, however, we actually do know what we're getting out of most of our replacements.

Projected Starter
Chris "Beanie" Wells
6'1" 230 lbs
Sophomore

A beautiful sight

Strengths: Beanie graduated from high school in the Winter of 2006 and enrolled at Ohio State for spring practice the following Spring. Ever since he made that decision, he has taken Columbus by storm. With his fan-friendly nickname and Maurice Clarett/Adrian Peterson-like combination of bruising power with 4.4 speed, Wells became a fan favorite early in the season despite only entering the game to spell Pittman and in short yardage situations. In fact, Wells' greatest strength as a player that he displayed last year was his ability to take a hand off on third and short, and take the ball right up the middle -- even though everybody on the opposing defense knew it was coming -- and move the chains regardless. Despite being a known commodity for his short yardage contributions, Wells showed off one of his traits that one wouldn't be able to readily identify from looking at his 230 pound frame against Michigan: his athleticism. Wells took the second down hand off from Troy Smith out of Shotgun, and was immediately met by a Michigan defender. Instead of taking the three yard loss, however, Wells essentially spun out of his shoes to evade the defender (on the same crummy field that had everyone else falling on their faces), found a hole to run through, then found some Michigan defensive backs to run by en route to a 52 yard touchdown run. Even though it was only one play, it was one of the few opportunities Beanie had all year to show off his nimbleness, and as the play clearly shows, the man is a complete back. As a full time starter with an inexperienced quarterback, expect Beanie to get in the neighborhood of "workhorse" back numbers, probably around 25 carries a game with around 1,200 yards rushing, and probably being in the top 3 or 4 in the Big Ten in touchdowns.

Weaknesses: Beanie really only displayed one glaring flaw in his game last season, and that was his ability to hold on to the football. Wells lost four fumbles on the year, and just about all four of them came in crucial short yardage situations. Fortunately, carrying the football is a skill that can be taught over time, and it is not a physical or mental flaw (e.g. speed, size, maturity, etc.) that is unlikely to be overcome in a football player's college days. Wells did not fumble the ball once in his final 18 carries of the season, despite fumbling twice in his 19 prior carries. That alone shows Wells' development as a football player. Of course, we won't know for sure until next season. Another question mark around Beanie is his durability as an every down back in the Big Ten. It's not necessarily a weakness, it's just something that we haven't seen enough of to make a valid judgment yet. He had 103 carries last season, which is 31 more than Antonio Pittman had in his freshman season (the season before he became the full-time starter). After Pittman's freshman year, he also made comments about wearing down towards the end of the season -- even though he had such a low carry total -- and it raised questions about his durability. Well, he turned out just fine as a running back, and I haven't read anything anywhere about Beanie wearing down towards the end of last season, and he had 31 more carries than Pittman did. I think an offseason of conditioning and practice as the #1 guy on the depth chart is all the preparation that he'll need for the 25 carries a game that he's likely to get.

Projected #2 Running Back
Maurice Wells
5'10" 190 lbs
Junior

Maurice Wells is the kind of player that you absolutely have to love as a fan. Despite being so small, his commitment, heart, and work ethic have made him into a respectable Big Ten running back. His entire life he's been told he's too small to be a solid contributor as a running back to a college football team, but he still managed to get a scholarship to Ohio State. After coming in and playing as a freshman, Wells had to face another harsh reality. As a sophomore, instead of being weaned into the starter's role to take over for Pittman if/when he left for the NFL, Chris Wells, the blue chip prospect from Akron jumped ahead of him in the depth chart. But instead of taking the easy way out and transferring to another school, the elder Wells has taken the high road, and will be a solid contributor out of the backfield this season, even if it is as the #2 guy. It may be a cliche, but Maurice Wells is a great football player and an even better person, and he deserves every carry that he gets this season.

As far as his physical attributes are concerned, MoWells should offer a great change of pace when he enters the game. He's a smaller, speedier back than Chris Wells, and can also catch the ball out of the backfield on a more consistent basis. With his exciting style of play and outlandish dreadlocks, Maurice could be the energizer that this offense needs when it's struggling somewhere down the road.

Projected Backups
Brandon Saine and/or Danny "Boom" Herron
6'1" 205 lbs and 5'9" 198 lbs, respectively
Both true freshmen (one may redshirt)

Saine and Herron both enter the 2007 campaign as true freshmen, and one (if not both) of them will make a serious contribution to the team this season. Saine was Ohio's Mr. Football last season, running for 1,895 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. His YouTube resume speaks volumes by itself, but I'll just let you watch and decide that for yourself. My personal favorite play on the highlight reel is when he chases down the kick returner from about 15 yards back. If he doesn't redshirt next year, which I doubt he will, he could also make an impact as a kick returner.

Herron is a different style of player. He prefers to run right over his opponents (hence the nickname), rather than around them. His size raises some serious question marks for someone of his power style, which is why most feel that he is more likely to redshirt a year until he is ready to handle the load of a Big Ten schedule. However, I won't be overly surprised if he does play, because he appears to have that same aspect of "forget the measurables, I can play" to his game that I mentioned earlier with Maurice Wells.

NBA Draft looms

2007-06-28T12:53:00.001-04:00

Site Management: Blogger finally got around to fixing my sidebar snafu, and I have added multiple links as a result. The first one that needs to be mentioned is another upstart Buckeye blog, this one called Buckeye Lane. The author, Adam Kiefaber, is a great writer and his entries reflect that. Also added to the sidebar are Greg Oden's and Mike Conley's blogs. I'm not sure how much these will be used after the draft tonight, but they're still fun to go back through. Also added to the sidebar is a scrolling news ticker I applied via widgetmate. The ticker will display all of the hottest Buckeye-related news, so that way if I haven't covered a topic on the blog, you can still read about it!

Conflicting Reports: ESPN is reporting that Portland will draft Greg Oden over Kevin Durant with the number 1 pick in the NBA draft tonight. Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., however, claims that Portland told neither he nor Greg about their intentions, and Portland GM Kevin Pritchard told Fox Sports that the article was prematurely published and that, "Nobody has been promised or told anything. Nobody."

Chances are, Oden will be the number one pick, but Pritchard is downplaying the whole situation. I like to compare this situation to the 2004 NBA Draft when the consensus top two players available were can't-miss franchise big man Dwight Howard and UConn superstar Emeka Okafor. Orlando had the top pick, and took Howard simply due to the fact that big men like Howard come around very rarely, and although it may take a few years for him to develop into a consistent offensive performer, he is well worth the wait. Charlotte then took Okafor with the #2 pick, and Okafor went on to win rookie of the year over Howard. However, as both players are preparing to enter their fourth season as professionals, Howard is widely considered the best Center in the Eastern Conference, and has led Orlando to the playoffs far earlier than anyone had imagined. Okafor, on the other hand, has not seen as sharp an improvement as Howard, and although he is still considered one of the premier big men in the league, the disparity between the two is enormous. I kind of expect the same scenario to begin to play out on a much larger scale tonight when Portland takes the can't-miss, franchise player Oden over the exciting Durant. Chances are, Durant will have a better rookie season than Oden. His numbers were just too huge in college, and the transition from high school to college to the professional ranks in just two seasons is a much more difficult adjustment for a Center than it is for a swing man like Durant. However, if both of these players develop into the superstars that we all expect them to, there is an excellent chance that Oden will win more championships. He's just that type of a cornerstone player that you would be crazy to pass up on.

What about the other Buckeyes? Oden is the only ex-Buckeye to have his draft spot secured for him tonight, as the range of possibilities for Conley, Cook, and Lewis is incredibly wide. Although Conley is a surefire lottery pick, he could go anywhere from 3-13, simply based on where teams have him on their boards compared to Acie Law, and if teams decide that their priorities are elsewhere. Conley's destination could be dependent on Kevin Garnett. If the Timberwolves are able to dish out the superstar in a three team trade involving Phoenix and either Boston or Atlanta, the Timberwolves could end up with multiple lottery picks. If that is the case, Conley should be a guaranteed Timberwolf, but if no trade happens tonight, he could go anywhere from Atlanta at 3 to Atlanta at 11.

Daeuqan Cook is a player that should go in the early 20s, but could be taken as high as the Lakers at 19. From what I understand, the Knicks loved him in his workouts with them, but if he were to go there, he would definitely be a project. Cook struggled with the limelight at Ohio State, and in New York, it would only be magnified. He definitely has all of the tools to make it at the next level, but it would probably be to his benefit if he did it in a smaller market than New York.

Ron Lewis will be the most anxious of the three remaining Buckeyes tonight. He won't be drafted in the first round, and he may not even be drafted at all. Apparently, the Bulls liked his defensive ability and athleticism in his workouts, but he is still no guarantee to be picked up by them at the 51st pick. Although he may not be a superstar in the league, his all around ability and more importantly, his will, will carry him far longer than any GM that passes on him expects.

Conley Overrated? In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Luke Winn assesses some of the overrated and underrated prospects in tonight's draft. He states that Acie Law is the underrated point guard, and that Conley is the overrated one. This strikes me as odd, considering every mock draft I've seen has Conley drafted healthily above Law. Winn's main point of argument here is that Law has a better three point shot than Conley. Although that might be true, Conley's impact as a floor general is something that could give him a Chris Paul-like rookie season, and eventually lead him to multiple All-Star games (On a side note, if Conley ends up out West, how cool would it be to see he and Oden play in NBA All-Star games together?). There are tons of shooters in this league. True point guards, however, are a premium. What was the deciding factor in San Antonio's sweep of Cleveland? The fact that San Antonio's point guard won series MVP while Cleveland was a disorganized mess offensively. Steve Nash is bound to win a title here eventually, and Chris Paul nearly led an absolutely awful supporting cast to the playoffs. Meanwhile, some of the featured "shooters" in the league such as Ray Allen, really had no chance from the beginning. I'll take Conley over Law 10 times out of 10.

Buckeye Quarterbacks Preview

2007-06-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

Earlier in the year, I made three posts detailing the individual strengths and weaknesses of the three players vying for playing time at the Quarterback position for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2007 regular season, the three being Todd Boeckman, Rob Schoenhoft, and Antonio Henton. In short, I was one of the few to jump on the figurative Rob Schoenhoft bandwagon, whereas the majority of the Buckeye faithful were supporting Boeckman for his familiarity with the system or Antonio Henton for the inevitable Troy Smith comparisons. Due to those posts, I strongly toyed with the idea of foregoing the quarterbacks part of my preview, but I decided to go ahead and do it anyways for two reasons: One, those previews were written before the Spring game and practices, and two, it would not look good towards my season preview.

So, without any more babbling, here is the post-Spring edition of the 2007 Buckeye Quarterbacks preview, with a complimentary 1024 x 768 desktop background (click to enlarge).

Projected Starter:
Todd Boeckman
Redshirt Junior
6'5" 235 lbs
Despite never starting a game in his collegiate career -- and only getting to play in mop-up time when he did play -- Todd Boeckman has a strong lead on the starter's job that will only be relinquished as a result of injury. This is simply because of the fact that Boeckman has been a part of the team for a longer period of time than his competition, which is more often than not the deciding factor for Jim Tressel in close position battles. In addition to redshirting as a freshman and spending the next two seasons holding the clipboard, Boeckman grayshirted in 2003, enrolling in the winter as opposed to the fall, and gained an extra bit of college-level conditioning and maturity that could pay huge dividends for a quarterback at a major athletic institution such as Ohio State. At this point in time, the only measurement of comparison between Boeckman and his fellow quarterbacks has been the Spring game, in which Boeckman secured a tight lead on the starting job despite not doing anything spectacular in the game. He went 6-14 for 103 yards with, most importantly, zero interceptions. Boeckman was also the victim of numerous dropped balls in that game, including one deep vertical pass that would have been for over 40 yards if my memory serves me correctly. He showed arguably the best arm of the three in that game, and with a summer of practicing and a couple of tune-up games early in the season, Boeckman should be ready for Big Ten play when it rolls around.

The rest
Robbie Schoenhoft
Redshirt Sophomore
6'6" 240 lbs
Back in February, I declared Schoenhoft -- and not Henton -- the player that would eventually overtake the starting job at some point and solidify himself as the team's true starting quarterback. I still believe that, it just may have to happen through a lengthier, more natural process than I had thought (Boeckman's Graduation). I will not shy away from the fact that I believe his mixture of size, scrambling ability, and after watching the Spring Game, his leadership qualities would make him the most viable option for quarterback if he were a year older. However, he is most likely a year away from being ready for the college game on a consistent basis. He has all the tools to be great, but he just needs some more time to put them all together. If he pans out like I truly expect him to, then I think he will remind a lot of people of a stronger-armed Craig Krenzel. And remember, Krenzel won a championship.

Antonio Henton Redshirt
Freshman
6'2" 210 lbs
Despite probably beginning the season as the third man on the depth chart at quarterback, Henton will still get his fair share of licks at the collegiate level, if only because the fans will put an insurmountable amount of pressure on Tressel to play the guy that is already being dubbed as, "the next Troy Smith." However, in the Spring Game, Henton played much more like the freshman that he is than Troy Smith. He threw 3 interceptions on 8-16 passing, and also took three sacks (To Henton's defense, however, the offensive line did play poor in that game). Another lingering question regarding Henton is his maturity. In a newspaper article last January, Henton declared that if he were named the starter for the remainder of his college career, he would win the Heisman trophy hands down. As I pointed out in my pre-Spring evaluation, statements that bold are a big no-no in the world of the sports media, and an especially big no-no when Sweatervest is your coach. Henton's biggest advantage over the other two quarterbacks at this point is his mobility. Although Schoenhoft has the ability to roll out of the pocket and avoid sacks, Henton has the kind of legs that can completely change the structure of the game, which was shown by his 38 yards on 9 carries in the Spring game. Expect Henton to see time early, but when the season progresses and the games get close, chances are excellent that he will be watching with the rest of us.

Joe Bauserman
6'2" 215 lbs
Bauserman was initially a member of the 2004 recruiting class, but opted to try his hand at being a professional baseball pitcher instead. After that career path fizzled out, Bauserman walked on to Ohio State in order to give football one last chance. Most scouts say that he has one of the strongest arms that they have ever seen (hence the pitching), but his extended absence from the game raise a lot of questions regarding just about all aspects of his physical and mental capabilities. I highly doubt Bauserman sees the field this year, but he is unquestionably one of the most intriguing prospects on the entire roster.

If...Then... statements

2007-06-24T00:15:00.000-04:00

The way a season turns out is dependent on how some of the more "questionable" links in the system work out. For the most part, we know which players and aspects of the game the Buckeyes are going to be great at next season (kicking, rushing, pass defense, and the always present Tressel-like mental edge in each player's attitude), but it's those things we aren't quite sure about that will tell the tale that is the 2007-08 Buckeye football season. For example, last season, we knew what we were getting out of our offense. Our defense? Not so much. That's why people had us ranked all throughout the top 10 in the preseason polls last season. Unfortunately, there are quite a bit more question marks surrounding the Ohio State football team this season, and I am going to look at the 5 biggest uncertainties in order from least to most critical to a successful year.

5
Not a site you want to see out of your defensive leader

If the team forgets about Florida, then Ohio State will have a successful season

I am not overly concerned that the returning members will be so paralyzed by memories of the debacle in the desert last January that they won't be able to be the same guys that they were for the first 12 games of the season. Jim Tressel is just too good of a teacher to let those thoughts stick with them, and for the defense especially, it could (and should) be used as motivation. I hope that this new group of leaders on the team can be every bit as good of leaders as last year's captains, but it's something that we may not know until midseason, when Ohio State is losing a game on the road to a Big Ten opponent. Then, will this team do what all the other Jim Tressel teams in the past have done and rise to the occasion, or will they go fetal at the slightest hint of adversity? Again, this may not even be a question at all. After all, it takes a special kind of person to play football for Jim Tressel at Ohio State, and I'm almost positive that this new group of leaders are every bit as mentally strong as past Tressel players. I just need to see it to be certain.

4
If Doug Worthington gets knocked down this easily in a game, he won't be playing long

If the defensive tackles can step up, then Ohio State will have a great defense

Quinn Pitcock, David Patterson, and Joel Penton have all moved on. Those two captains, and the three top guys on the interior defensive line are no more than just very big shoes to fill. The first man that needs to step it up is Todd Denlinger. Denlinger is the only true defensive tackle that was part of the two-deep last season, and he will be expected to be a workhorse defensively. From what little I have seen from him, he seems to have the motor and motivation to be a great defensive lineman, but whether or not he can do it on every single play remains to be seen. The other defensive tackle spot will almost certainly go to a converted defensive end, which means two things: First, whomever it is will have exceptional athleticism for a defensive tackle, but will be raw at the position. The first candidate is Doug Worthington, a blue chip redshirt sophomore that has had to battle through injuries and being buried on the depth chart to earn his spot. He was listed last season at 274 pounds, a solid 10 pounds lighter than David Patterson, an already undersized defensive tackle. However, he has most likely bulked up in the offseason and could be a monster by the first game. Other potential defensive tackle contributers include ends Alex Barrow and Robert Rose, although Rose will most likely see quite a bit of time as a defensive end. True freshman Cameron Heyward could see some time due to the lack of depth.

3
Sometimes the easiest catches are the most important ones...But diving catches are always the fun ones to watch.

If the receivers can catch balls, then Todd Boeckman/Robbie Schoenhoft/Antonio Henton will have a much easier time

Let's face it, none of these quarterbacks coming in are going to be the second coming of Troy Smith any time soon. The success that Smith had last season was absolutely remarkable, and he was the closest thing Ohio State fans will see to a perfect quarterback in a long time. These guys are all going to force unnecessary throws into double coverage, get picked off, take sacks, and all the usual inexperienced quarterback stuff. One thing that can make their transition into the college game much easier, however, is having a solid group of receivers to have to throw too. Unfortunately, Ted and Anthony are gone, which means that Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, and Ray Small will be the receivers that are relied on for the most part this season; not exactly names that take your breath away. I'm not asking for those three players -- or any receiver on the team -- to be like Ginn or Gonzo, it's unrealistic to ask. However, what I am asking, is that they do what they're getting their college paid for to do: catch the football. Dropped passes can kill a quarterback's confidence, especially one as inexperienced as the three coming in. If the receivers can get open, make catches, and move the chains without making the highlight reel plays that Ginn and Gonzalez did last year, I will be more than pleased with these players.

As the saying goes, "every possession should end in a kick," whether its a field goal attempt, an extra point, or a punt

If the special teams is 2002-2005 good, then Ohio State will win close games

Let's face it, the kicking game last year took a bit of a hit when Huston graduated. Of course, the return game seemed phenomenal, but if you throw out Ginn's return against Florida, the team only averaged about 19 yards per kickoff return. Of course those numbers are skewed slightly due to the opposition's tendency to kick away from Ginn, but the low average does speak volumes about the overall return team's coverage. However, the real surprise in the special teams department last year was, of course, the kicking game. A 69% field goal percentage is nearly unacceptable from a Tressel coached football team. Remember the good ole' days of Mike Nugent and Josh Huston when, as long as the ball got inside the 35 yard line, you were guaranteed at least 3 points? That wasn't the case last year, it's just that Pettrey and Pretorious had one of the country's most dynamic offenses to bail them out and just score touchdowns every time they crossed the 50. Much of the struggles could have been due to the fact that they were both in their first years as a starting kicker for one of the country's premier football teams. Remember, Nugent and Huston weren't all that great when they split kicking duties back in 2001. A near guarantee of getting points on the board when driving down the field will take loads of pressure off of whichever quarterback is leading the way.

1
Tressel's teaching ability will be paramount in the development of the season

If Jim Tressel settles on a quarterback, then Ohio State will be in a January Bowl game.

Looking back over the past 20 years of college football, it is incredibly rare to find an instance when a carousel of quarterbacks led a team to a successful season (Remember, although Tim Tebow and Chris Leak both played a lot last season, it wasn't like having two separate QBs, Tebow had his own offensive packages designed for him). When a new quarterback comes in in the middle of the game, the whole offense has to adjust to his playing styles. There is no chance for a crew to build a sense of chemistry and camaraderie when the captain of the ship is changing every other possession. We saw what happens when multiple quarterbacks are juggled in 2005 against Texas. Everything just seems out of sync. That is why it is imperative that Tressel settle on a quarterback as early as possible. He'll be able to get away with juggling offensive sets against the inferior out of conference schedule this season (By the way, this is a great season to have a weak schedule, it will really help the quarterback grow for a Rose Bowl run in 2008), but when Big Ten play rolls around, he better have his man. Even if it's the wrong man, I'd much rather have the second best quarterback playing all game long rather than having all three different quarterbacks rotating time all game long.

An introduction to the most complete and in-depth Buckeye preseason analysis

2007-06-23T23:38:00.000-04:00

It has been a rather slow summer so far. With the end of the Cavaliers' season, there is really a limit to what can be discussed on this blog without being redundant or even worse, boring. So, I decided to look back to last summer to see what I posted about to help pass the time. The answer? A series of in-depth Buckeye football previews. So, this year I have decided to one-up myself, going for writing the most complete Buckeye football preview known to mankind (slight exaggeration). Like last year, I will still write a preview of each position every week, but I will attempt to further expand my previewing abilities by also giving additional previews of opponents, other Big Ten teams (with an emphasis on Michigan, of course), and any other topics that come to mind.

For now, this is a preliminary agenda for this preview. Dates and topics are subject to change. If you don't know what something means, you'll just have to wait to see what it is:

Week of 6/24 - Quarterbacks overview, 5 "Ifs" to a successful season, Northwestern and Indiana previews
Week of 7/1 - Backfield, the replacements, Wisconsin and Minnesota previews
Week of 7/8 - Receivers/Tight Ends, the redshirt freshmen, Penn State and Michigan State previews
Week of 7/15 - Out of town
Week of 7/22 - Offensive Line, Underrated and overrated, Purdue and Illinois previews
Week of 7/29 - Defensive Line, players that need to take their game up a notch, Iowa preview
Week of 8/5 - Linebackers, 5 reasons why OSU will flourish, 5 reasons why OSU will flounder
Week of 8/12 - Secondary, the most important player to the team's success, general offensive/defensive expectations
Week of 8/19 - Special Teams, 5,4,3,2,1
Week of 8/26 - Predicting OSU's schedule/How the Big Ten will look, Michigan preview, Youngstown State game preview

Rule 76: No excuses, play like a champion

2007-06-13T12:17:00.000-04:00

For as long as I can remember, every time that I have seen a dramatic game come down to a questionable call by an official, there is always an immediate uproar by fans, players, coaches, and media members alike going to such extremes as calling for said official's head. And, after every time that I've seen this, I always find myself thinking about how petty it is that people can not accept the bottom line that their team did not rise to the occasion, and that they have to blame their team's under-achievements on the refs that, for the most part, did their job and did it pretty damn well. Fortunately for me, the majority of my life has not had a team in a situation like this.

That is, until last night.

With approximately 5 seconds left in game 3 of the NBA finals, the Cavaliers were down three points to San Antonio, and were inbounding the ball at mid-court. Everybody in attendance, everybody watching on TV, everybody in black jerseys, and everybody in white jerseys knew what was coming. Mr. 23 himself, LeBron James, had a chance to be the hero again. The shot was coming, and the Spurs had a foul to give. I mean, it is a logical move, right? With such little time on the clock, a foul would force LeBron to make one free throw, miss his next, rely on someone to get an offensive rebound, and put the ball in the hoop. Bruce Bowen thought the same thing, and when LeBron got that inbound pass, he went straight for the foul. LeBron, seeing this, picked the ball up and began his shooting motion while Bowen fouled, fully expecting to head to the line with a chance to tie the game. But there was a problem for our supposed hero. After jacking up that wild three, there was nothing but the cheers of the crowd, the clinging of the ball against the rim, and the sound of chaos as the outcome of the game died in the hands of a scuffle for the rebound. There was no shrill blow of the whistle, and there were no free throws. The game -- and essentially the Cavaliers' championship hopes -- over.

But you know what? This loss isn't the officials' fault. The foul may have been in plain sight, and it may have been a blown call, but no team that misses as many opportunities in one game (much less an NBA Finals game) as the Cavaliers did last night should expect to win. That missed three pointer can be argued, but what about the other 15 missed three point field goals? Or the fact that San Antonio shot 52.6% from beyond the arc? For such a defensive struggle, you would think that somebody, anybody would stick a hand in Bruce Bowen's face.

This isn't meant to take anything away from the Spurs, however. Parker's jump shot was in rare form, and nobody could have seen Bruce Bowen coming. Of course, the Spurs D was yet again tenacious. This post isn't meant to be a shot at the Spurs, but rather a call to the Cavaliers to -- at least once in this series -- play like they deserve to be here. That's why I titled this post with the famous Wedding Crasher's line "Rule 76: No Excuses, Play Like a Champion." Anybody can blame an outcome on the officiating, that's easy to do. Any team in the NBA can do that. In fact, it's essentially the standard of professional basketball these days. But the Cavaliers are the Eastern Conference champions, and to be on this big of a stage and continue to make excuses puts them on the same level as all the teams sitting at home right now. I'm not asking that this team come back and win the championship, because that's a lost cause at this point. The Spurs have it in the bag and every one knows it. However, what I know that this team is capable of, is turning back into that old Cavalier team that we saw just a couple weeks ago. You know, that team that took an entire city on it's back, and despite being in an 0-2 hole to a much more experienced team, kept their heads on their shoulders and played like a group of professionals that gave a full and complete effort for four straight games? In that series against Detroit, one team displayed the utmost maturity as the other one self-destructed before our eyes. Had you told anyone before this season that the latter would be the Pistons, you would be mocked and laughed at. After that series, I was never more proud to say that I was a fan of that team. Not even when the Buckeyes won the championship in 2002, or when Troy Smith won the Heisman trophy last year.

This series may be a lost cause, but it's never too late to rekindle your pride. I just hope that the Cavs realize that between now and Thursday.

Congratulations

2007-06-10T22:39:00.000-04:00

Not much to say tonight, I just want to make a public congratulation to my friend and schoolmate Jason King, who was drafted in the 48th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB draft this past week. He will play his college ball at Kansas State if he doesn't sign with the Cardinals. Despite being primarily a shortstop in high school, he was drafted as a right fielder.

My favorite memory of watching Jason play happened in the first game of this past season. I stopped by towards the end of the game, and my beloved Celtics were down a run. In the bottom of the seventh (High School baseball games are only seven innings long), the leadoff hitter got a single, and the next batter got out, sending Jason to the plate with a chance to win it. As he was up, I leaned over to one of my teachers and said "how insane would it be if he went deep here?" to which my teacher replied something along the lines of "Two home runs in one game...a walk-off shot...the guy would be a legend." The next pitch, Jason ripped the ball and immediately threw his arms up in the air celebrating his game winning blast.

The bottom line is, this kid was a born baseball player, and he will be in the show one day. There is no doubt in my mind about it.

Greg Oden: Super Blogger

2007-06-07T11:13:00.000-04:00

Oden: Dunker, defender, writer?

As Greg Oden anxiously awaits his big payday (actually, his second big payday), it turns out he has a little time to kill. He is no longer taking class at Ohio State University, so I'm assuming he only has two responsibilities in life at the moment: Don't fall flat on your face in front of NBA Scouts, and don't die.

Of course, that first one is easier said than done, but it looks like at the moment he is making the most of his visit at the NBA Combine in Orlando. Multiple league sources have noted that Oden's biggest challenger for the #1 overall pick, Texas phenom Kevin Durant, performed more than sub-par in his initial workouts in the combine. Based solely on workout performance, Durant was the 78th ranked player out of 80 total. The article does not mention Oden's overall rank, but Oden did finish better than him in multiple drills, including the vertical leap (34 inches to Durant's 33.5), agility drill (11.67 seconds to Durant's 12.33) , and three quarter court sprint (3.27 seconds to Durant's 3.45). Oden very well may have been the big winner at the combine, considering most of his numbers are relatively unheard of from a Center, whereas Durant was the big loser with his aforementioned performance. However, don't expect this combine workout to solidify Oden as the #1 pick or even drop Durant down a few. It doesn't work quite like the NFL Combine. As one scout said about Durant, "No one will care, he's a basketball player. But if you're comparing him to Oden, then yes, Oden is the big winner." Essentially, the NBA comes down to the factor of "Can the kid actually play?" much more so than the NFL Draft, which often times relies on potential to determine one's draft spot.

That other somewhat sarcastic "responsibility" of Oden's that I mentioned? The don't die one? Well, it turns out, with all of his extra time, Greg is taking after yours truly (Okay, so he's not actually taking after me, I just happen to be the experienced veteran in this field), and has started his own blog. How much of this blog is actually original Greg Oden material beats me, but as Sean at AroundTheOval points out, much of it seems to be written by a college freshman, filled with grammatical errors, slang terms, etc. The blog is filled with more than just Oden's (or whoever it is') writings, too. There are multiple Oden highlight reels, which I got much satisfaction from looking back on, with my personal favorite being the block against Tennessee. Needless to say, I'll be adding this to my Blogroll on the sidebar.

Update: Blogger is undergoing some maintenance at the moment, and I am unable to update my sidebar. I will try it again this evening.

Buckeye Recruiting Catch-Up

2007-06-04T14:11:00.000-04:00

Fortunately, during my hiatus, I only missed out on covering the commitment of one future Buckeye. That prospect is the newest future Buckeye, linebacker Andrew Sweat. His commitment, undoubtedly, will be cause for many signs and slogans such as "Making the opposition Sweat," or something along those lines.

Despite being from Pennsylvania, most people considered Sweat a Buckeye lock for some time now. As a matter of fact, Jim Tressel's recruiting "fence" that he has had around the state of Ohio for some time now could soon expand into Pennsylvania. Many of the top prospects in the Keystone state list interest in the Buckeyes, and most feel that a number more could commit to Ohio State before it is all said and done. Not only is Terrelle Pryor widely considered the #1 football player in Pennsylvania, but many have him tabbed as the #1 quarterback and #1 overall player in the entire country. He wants to play both football and basketball in college, and with Florida's basketball coaching situation in limbo and most of the other schools in the running being dominated by one sport, one has to like Ohio State's chances with both Jim and Thad recruiting him. Another Blue-Chipper from Pennsylvania, Linebacker Shayne Hale, also has an excellent chance of being a Buckeye before it's all said and done.

Back to the guy that we know is going to be a Buckeye, though, Andy Sweat has the potential to be the next great linebacker at Ohio State. He has great speed and athleticism for his size (6'2" 233 lbs), and oddly enough, his biggest weakness is listed as his ability to shed blocks. If you're wondering why I find that odd, his scouting report is incredibly similar to AJ Hawk's, the only difference is Sweat has a lot more hype coming out of high school. I don't know too much about this kid, but what I do know is that if he is even half the player that Hawk was, Tressel & Co. got a hell of a guy. He also has a 4.3 high school GPA, making him that much more of the perfect recruit for Tressel.

And just for the hell of it, I might as well break out the Photoshop while I'm still here.

I'm back, and hopefully I'm here to stay (so is LeBron)

2007-06-04T13:14:00.000-04:00

Today officially ends my posting hiatus. I really shouldn't have to explain why I went so long without posting. After all, this is my blog, and I created to discuss sports as I please. Of course, I also had no idea the popularity that this site would gain when I started up a year ago. To rationalize my posting (or lack thereof), it was simply a fact that I wasn't inspired to write anything. School was winding down, so end of the year projects, final exams, and AP tests were bearing down on me. Track had begun to take over my life for a couple of weeks in May, and my newly appointed role as editor-in-chief of my high school's student newspaper was a lot more responsibility than I had originally expected. This also goes without mentioning the curse that has happened to every student, regardless of age, since the beginning of time: the curse of the calendar. I saw summer on the horizon, and as a result, my priorities became jumbled. Having fun in the sunny Ohio weather became a daily goal of mine, and this site became lost in the mix. But now, I have become re-inspired to post again. The excuses end at the end of this sentence, and hopefully, this site will once again prosper.

In literature, a Bildungsroman is a type of novel in which the young protagonist has a coming of age experience, and is forever changed by the events that unfold within the story. If the Cleveland Cavaliers ever have a book based off of their season, that young protagonist will of course be LeBron James. James' development and maturity as a basketball player from the end of the regular season to this point has been one for the ages. Ever since he entered the league, people have tried to refute the inevitable comparison of LeBron to Michael Jordan, but watching him in the playoffs, it seems as if we actually do have the unthinkable on our hands: The second coming of the greatest basketball player in the history of the league. Sure, it may seem rash to make such a statement after just one series, but looking back on what transpired in the six games of Detroit versus Cleveland, the writing is on the wall of a strikingly similar career path for LeBron to be "Like Mike".

In 1989, Michael Jordan hit perhaps the most famous shot in basketball history when he seemed to defy gravity and put up an off balance jump shot over Cleveland's Craig Ehlo that went in the basket as the buzzer went off, sending Chicago to a dramatic game seven victory over the favored Cavaliers. In game four of that series, Michael Jordan missed a key free throw, causing Chicago to lose, and allowing Cleveland to stretch the series to a deciding seventh game. Of course, no one remembers how Michael "choked" in game four, because the only image that anyone remembers from that series was the game winning shot. It took Jordan a matter of one series to go from hero, down to zero, and back to hero for good. When the words "victory" and "Michael Jordan" are put together in a sentence, there is one scene that should go through everyone's mind, and then send shivers down their backs.

Two shots, two completely different scenarios, equally important.

Back to the present, in game three, LeBron had perhaps an equally career-defining play against Detroit. Although it wasn't as dramatic as Michael's shot, they both sent exact messages of a mix between "This is the new me, and you're going to see a lot of it for the next 10+ years," and "How you like me now, Biatch?" The play I am talking about came with the game tied at 68 in the fourth quarter, with 7:24 seconds remaining. LeBron took the ball at the three point line, found a lane in the Pistons defense, and drove to the hoop with only one thing standing in the way of himself and yet another thunderous dunk to add to his highlight reel: the 6'11" Rasheed Wallace. When all was said and done, LeBron found himself at the free throw line, looking to finish off a three point play. Although he missed the free throw, he gave the Cavaliers a lead that they would never relinquish, and the momentum it provided stretched into the next three games afterwards, and led the Cavaliers to a dramatic come from behind series victory.

That play led all of his critics to instantly start thinking, "maybe this guy isn't the choke that we all thought he was." Of course, despite essentially defying the laws of physics and making the series interesting again, most of these critics were still left unsatisfied.

Then came game six.

In Detroit.

With a chance to give his team a 3-2 lead.

That night (and early morning), was perhaps the climax of this young protagonist's Bildungsroman. It was the point where, despite being an established star in the league, he went from being "One of the best." to, "The best." After racking 48 points, including the final 25 and 29 of the team's last 30, his performance was eerily similar to MJ's 63 point performance against Boston in 1986. Both players were essentially the only offensive producers on their teams, and both were up against one of the best teams in the league (that Boston team featured the likes of Bird, Walton, Parrish, McHale, Johnson, and Ainge among others). The only difference? LeBron won the game, and pretty much the series, with his show. Jordan didn't.

But what does it all mean? Of course, we won't know for years to come. But if LeBron can manage to upset the Spurs on his own in the NBA Finals, then perhaps it could mean that not only were all the comparisons of himself to MJ true, but he could potentially even surpass Jordan. If LeBron wins a title this year, he will do so at the age of 22. Michael didn't get the proverbial monkey off his back until he was 28. Although he still would have a long way to go, and predicting the distant future in professional basketball couldn't be further from an exact science, maybe -- just maybe -- he'll go from the "Next MJ" to the "First LeBron."

As always, comments, critiques, and questions are appreciated. Just make sure to relate it to LeBron and NBA-like issues.

Buckeyes in the NFL Draft: Ginn soars, Smith falls

2007-04-30T09:36:00.000-04:00

The 2007 NFL Draft was held this past weekend in New York. As usual, the annual event was filled with plenty of drama and hype that was induced primarily as a result of Mel Kiper talking about any given player's "long length" and "fast speed." Of course, there were plenty of Ohio State players that nervously anticipated their name to be called, including the current holder of the Heisman trophy, one Troy Smith.

First Round, 9th Pick
Ted Ginn Jr., Miami Dolphins
The speedster at wide receiver was long considered the best pro prospect to come out of Ohio State in this year's draft. What wasn't expected, however, was that he would be taken in the top ten of the draft. When the pick was made, head Dolphins coach Cam Cameron was met with a plethora of jeers from the Dolphins faithful that were gathered at the team training facility. Quite simply, everyone this side of Nick Saban expected the Dolphins to do what they considered was the logical thing and draft Brady Quinn. After all, Daunte Culpepper's days are about dumb, and you don't see too many people anxiously awaiting the beginning of the Cleo Lemon era in Miami.

So where does Ginn fit in on the Dolphins? Well, with the praise that coach Cameron was giving Ginn's speed and return ability after they selected him, one would have to imagine that he is already a lock as the team's #1 returner. Chances are, he will be a Devin Hester-like player this year, with his only true impact coming on special teams. However, one thing he does have that is different from Hester is NFL caliber ability at wide receiver, it just may take a year or so for him to completely adapt offensively. Due to the losses of Randy McMichael and Wes Welker, the Dolphins are not very deep at receiver, so Ginn will get his chances to make plays early and often. Chances are, if he doesn't get those chances, the pressure from the ownership and fanbase will launch him up the depth chart, just so everyone sees if he was really worth drafting over Brady Quinn.

First Round, 32nd Pick
Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts
This was another surprising pick on the Colts' part. After losing Cato June, Jason David, Nick Harper, Mike Doss, and Montae Reagor, the Colts decided it was best to add another arsenal to Peyton Manning's repetoire. Anthony Gonzalez adds yet another nonexistant ego to Marvin Harrison and the passing game, an absolute rarity nowadays. Giving Gonzalez the chance to learn under Marvin Harrison for the next few years should greatly contribute to his development. Not to mention, he has a pretty good quarterback throwing to him also.

So where does Gonzalez fit in on the Colts? In all likelihood, Gonzalez will be given the task of replacing Brandon Stokely as the slot receiver on the offense. Considering that Gonzo was one of the premier slot receivers in the entire country last season, the transition should be easier for him than others. His speed and route running ability should help him adapt to the game at the next level, and he could progress to one of the team's top receivers if age ever decides to catch up with Marvin Harrison. As for next season, he should be a solid contributer, probably getting somewhere around 30-40 catches as he gets acclimated with the system and fights off some other guys for the slot receiver spot.

Third Round, 98th Pick
Quinn Pitcock, Indianapolis Colts
Honestly, I do not understand why so many draft analysts are not that high on Pitcock. He was the second best defensive tackle in the Big 10 last year, behind only Alan Branch, and he backs up his performance on the field with solid "measurables" (Height, weight, 40-time, etc.). His 40 time at the combine was the third fastest of all defensive tackles, and he has a good 15 pounds on the two guys that were faster than him (For what it's worth, each of those players were drafted ahead of Pitcock as well, so 40-times do have to matter somewhat for defensive linemen). Regardless, I think Pitcock will turn a lot of heads throughout the duration of his career in Indianapolis.

So where does Pitcock fit in on the Colts? If he works hard during training camp, Pitcock has an exceptional chance to make an impact early and often for the Colts. It's no secret that the Colts had one of the worst run defenses in the entire league last season, and stopping the run just so happens to be Pitcock's forte. He probably won't start over the much more experienced Anthony "Booger" McFarland and Raheem Brock, but he can very easily rise to the #2 spot on the depth chart before it's all said and done next season. There isn't a whole lot of depth on the interior of the Colts line, either, so it's kind of surprising that they didn't take a defensive tackle earlier in the draft.

Fourth Round, 107th Pick
Antonio Pittman, New Orleans Saints
Antonio Pittman was widely considered to be one of the top running backs in the third tier of backs behind Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. However, when draft weekend rolled around, the oft-injured Kenny Irons, the workout warrior Chris Henry, the constantly overrated Lorenzo Booker, the pea sized Garrett Wolfe, and the currently injured Michael Bush all heard their names called before Pittman did. The biggest concern surrounding Pittman at the next level is his durability, as most doubt his ability to get 20-25 carries a game. But outside of that, he is a real solid overall player. He is a fast, aggressive runner that is capable of breaking tackles. Considering teams that draft running backs in the middle rounds are usually looking for guys to spell the team's premier back, taking Pittman makes a lot more sense than going with larger risk guys such as Garrett Wolfe or Michael Bush.

So where does Pittman fit in on the Saints? Pittman was not drafted to be the type of running back that would carry the load on any given offense, and considering that he'll be the third option out of the backfield on this Saints team, he won't have to. He should expect to be the team's third running back behind Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, and chances are, he won't see a lot of snaps this season. However, Deuce has been a bit injury prone over the years, and he'll be 29 at the end of next season, meaning his days as a Saint could be numbered. If Pittman is still around when Deuce is no longer on the team, he could see a significant number of carries with Reggie Bush also sporting some durability concerns himself.

Fifth Round, 138th Pick
Jay Richardson, Oakland Raiders
Oakland can be a black hole for young talent, and I'm not talking about the stadium there, either. When people think of Oakland Raider football, they think of overpaid troublemakers that have terrible work ethic. It won't be an easy situation for Richardson to blossom out of, considering he also has to battle his way up a decent depth chart (contrary to popular belief, Oakland actually was good at defense this past year). Richardson lacks the speed of today's prototypical end, and his pass rushing skills have left much to be desired.

So where does Richardson fit in on the Raiders? Chances are, the Raiders drafted Richardson solely because he still has quite a bit of upside as an athlete. He has the chance to be a consistent run-stopping defensive end in the near future if he puts his mind to it and continues to work hard. However, as I mentioned earlier, Oakland isn't exactly an ideal place for developing young talent, so the odds are against him. His size and potential makes him a very intriguing prospect, and could see some situational duty as a rookie.

Fifth Round, 169th Pick
Roy Hall, Indianapolis Colts
Roy Hall was the third and final Buckeye drafted by the Colts this weekend. However, Hall was drafted much more based on potential rather than pedigree. Hall was injured in the early part of the 2006 season, and when he came back, got lost behind Robiskie in the Wide Receiver shuffle. At the end of the season, chances were good that Roy Hall would get picked up as an undrafted free agent, and never see the field for much of his career. Then came Ohio State's Pro Day. On a day when all eyes were on Troy Smith and Ted Ginn, Hall stole the show -- and saved his career -- by running a 4.41 40 yard dash. This caught the eyes of scouts all around the league, and suddenly, Hall went from a guy lucky to be drafted, to an early second day pick. With 4.4 speed and size (6'3" 238 lbs), Hall is a Scout's dream. However, Hall was a Scout's dream coming out of high school, too, and that didn't exactly work out like it was planned.

So where does Hall fit in on the Colts? Hall is going to be a project player his first couple years in the league. The Colts very well may want him to bulk up and move him to tight end, or they could keep him at receiver. His upside will definitely keep the Colts interested in him long enough for him to get his licks in the pre-season, but he may not see much time when it counts during his rookie season. Even if he does turn into the next Marques Colston, he still has to outperform his college teammate Anthony Gonzalez, and considering he wasn't able to do that in college, chances are good he won't be able to in the pros, either.

Fifth Round, 174th Pick
Troy Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Troy Smith was the only reason I bothered to turn on the draft on Sunday. I watched just about every pick up until the Ravens selected him, and then I got up and did something with my day directly afterwards. Perhaps there has been no second day selection more eagerly awaited than Troy Smith. After all, it's not often that guys that win the Heisman trophy in a landslide fall all the way to the fourth round, but in today's world of combines and 40 times, actual playing ability is pretty far down on most scouts' priority lists. Regardless, this won't be the first time in his life that Troy Smith will have to overcome odds. Considering the kid was orphaned as a child, given the last scholarship offer, recruited as an "athlete," began his collegiate career returning kicks, got suspended, fought his way back on the field, completely rebuilt his image, beat Michigan three times in a row, and completely beat up pretty boy Brady Quinn on the field as well as on the Heisman front, this should be pretty easy for Troy.

So where does Smith fit in on the Ravens? Troy probably won't play much as a rookie. He'll be behind both Steve McNair and Kyle Boller, and will only play in garbage time, or if one of those two guys gets hurt. However, Boller's contract is up at the end of the year, so this draft selection very well may signal Boller's last season as a Raven. Next year will also be Steve McNair's 13th in the NFL, and no quarterback in league history is as famous as McNair for playing through injuries, so one would have to imagine that his days are numbered as well (Chris Mortensen estimated that McNair only has two good years left in him, a fair prediction). Then, Smith will get his shot at beginning his quest towards league domination once again. Troy is in a very favorable situation in Baltimore. He gets to sit and learn his rookie year, then will be a backup in his second season, learning from a player that is very similar to him as far as playing style is concerned in Steve McNair. Maybe this late selection will be a blessing in disguise for Troy, I guess we'll find out in a couple of years.

Sixth Round, 198th Pick
Doug Datish, Atlanta Falcons
Last, but not least, Datish was the final Buckeye to be drafted this year. One of the team's captains, it was Datish's job to replace Nick Mangold on the offensive line in 2006, not an easy task by any means. However, Datish did a very serviceable job as the anchor of the offensive line, being one of the most consistent blockers on the team all season long.

So where does Datish fit in on the Falcons? Datish played just about every position on the offensive line during his tenure as a Buckeye, but will most likely stick to the three interior positions while he is in the pros. He's a very athletic lineman, something which has become a very trendy pick in the NFL over the past few years, so he could climb up the depth chart relatively fast as a rookie. Much of the Falcons offensive line is inexperienced as well, which means he should get every opportunity to play as a rookie, even if it's not in a starting role.

Buckeye recruiting continues to roll

2007-04-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

Don't have much time to talk, as I am currently between classes. However, today offered some incredible news on the Buckeye recruiting front. The kid considered by many to be the best offensive lineman in the entire state of Florida, Michael Brewster, announced his commitment to play football for Ohio State earlier today. Over the past year, Brewster has become good friends with the man who has been the best Buckeye recruiter in recent memory, '08 commit Mike Adams.

Also expected to commit either later today or tomorrow is Texas lineman JB Shugarts. Shugarts, like Brewster, is one of the top O-Line prospects in his entire state, and he too has become good friends with Mike Adams over the past year. Essentially, these two commitments with addition to Mike Adams, will give Ohio State the top offensive line recruiting class in the nation, regardless of how the rest of the recruiting season plays out.

4/24/07 Update - Shugarts committed today, making him the seventh member of the '08 class and third player ranked in the top 30 nationally (Shugarts is ranked 29th, while Brewster and Adams are ranked 26th and 10th, respectively). If all of these linemen pan out like they're expected to, I could be the Buckeye's feature back in 2010.

4/25/07 Update - It turns out the Buckeyes picked up yet another commitment yesterday -- this time on the defensive side of the ball -- in Washington Court House defensive end Nathan Williams. I was blinded so much by the excitement of "Block O" coming together, that I completely overlooked Williams. Williams is a 6'5" 245 lb. monster that has been clocked in the mid-40s (4.67 to be specific), and is ranked 13th in the state of Ohio.

Pfef's Ultra DVR-Enhanced Spring Game Analysis

2007-04-21T15:50:00.000-04:00

Yes, I am still alive.

Today was the annual Ohio State Football Spring Game, which pitted two split-squads against each other in what are the first competitive downs of football that the Buckeyes have played since November 18th.

Obviously, the hot topic of the day was the quarterback race. Today was the first chance that OSU fans got a good look at the three candidates to attempt the impossible task of replacing the legendary Troy Smith. The three guys, of course, are the front-runner Todd Boeckman, the unknown Rob Schoenhoft, and the young, flashy Antonio Henton. Of course, this game is only a scrimmage, so making bold statements based solely on this preseason game is about as logical as claiming a baseball player the next Babe Ruth because he hit two home runs in Spring Training. However, the game is definitely worth paying attention to, because it helps the fans get an idea of how the players are progressing, and it also shows who the new key players are.

This year's edition of the Spring Game was a tad different than past years. The quarterbacks were not limited by the black, "hands only," jerseys, and as a result, passing plays were given a much greater chance to develop, and it also allowed the quarterbacks to showcase their running abilities. The game was much more aggressive than in seasons past, as the defenses seemed much more aggressive and were always flying to the ball.

As for the actual game, the Scarlet team was in control for just about the entire game. Antonio Henton threw an interception on the first drive of the game, which Marcus Freeman took all the way for a touchdown. The pickoff would be the first of three for Henton, two of which were the result of extremely ill-advised passes, with the third coming off of a tipped pass at the line. Late in the third quarter, Scarlet led 9-0 with the game seemingly at hand. However, an extreme momentum shift came from the most unlikely of sources. On 4th down, AJ Trapasso took the snap for a fake a punt, and he began to run for the first down (for those of you who didn't know, Trapasso played running back in high school). He got the first down, broke a tackle, and then steamrolled over Zach Willis. The Gray team then drove down to the five yard line, and eventually lost the ball on downs. However, on Scarlet's third play, Alex Barrow tipped an Antonio Henton ball into the air, turned around, and then intercepted it, giving Gray another shot. The turnover eventually led to a 40 yard Aaron Pettrey FG, cutting the score to 9-3. Gray then went on to hold Scarlet to a punt, and once again had the ball with another chance to score. With Schoenhoft at the reigns, everything on the drive worked in fluency. The blocking, for a change, was excellent, as was the running and receiving. Eventually, Schoenhoft hit TE Brandon Smith on a play-action touchdown to put the Gray team up 10-9. The Scarlet team seemed poised for a comeback, when on 4th and 1, the coaches (whether or not it was the actual coaches or Conley & Co. beats me), showed some guts and did a play-action pass down to about the 10 yard line. However, when Scarlet was trying to run the clock out to set up a game-winning Ryan Pretorious Field Goal, Larry Grant came in off the edge unblocked (think Cie Grant in the Fiesta Bowl), and forced a Boeckman fumble. Then, Grant managed to pick up the fumble and return it 87 yards for the final dagger, which put Gray up 17-9, and they would hang on to win by that score.

The following is a much more detailed analysis of some of the more notable aspects of the game:

The ultimate display of class
Everyone in the game yesterday featured a Virginia Tech logo on the left side of their helmet. This is, of course, a tribute to the horrendous shootings that occurred earlier in the week. When Jim Tressel was asked about it mid game, he said that when he talked to VT head coach Frank Beamer about it, Beamer was honored that the school was attempting to reach out to them. I'm sure that just about every other school in the country has made a similar effort to honor the lives of those who died, but I'm not sure if anyone went as above-and-beyond as Ohio State did.

Now, on to the on-the-field issues...

Players not participating/limited due to injury:
OL Kirk Barton
RB Chris Wells
OL Jon Skinner
WR Brent Ullery
CB Andre Amos
S Anderson Russell
S Jamario O'Neal
LB Kyle Libby
OL Scott Sika
S Aaron Gant
LB Thaddeus Gibson
LB Curtis Terry
WR Brian Hartline

Players that impressed
Rob Schoenhoft
Although none of the three quarterbacks did anything spectacular to strengthen their position in what is sure to be an ongoing position battle throughout the season, Schoenhoft did the most to help his cause. He finished the game with 5-10 passing for 75 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, and only two stacks. In the fourth quarter, he orchestrated the drive that led to the go-ahead touchdown pass. Throughout the game, and on that drive in particular, not only did Schoenhoft display uncanny leadership skills for a kid who has hardly ever played in an actual game, but he also had some real nice throws that, even if they fell incomplete, showed his true potential. Perhaps what was most surprising about Schoenhoft was his ability to scramble out of trouble when protection broke down. He finished the game with six carries for 30 yards, giving him the highest yards per carry of anyone who played yesterday, given that they carried the ball more than one time. In all honesty, the entire time I saw the kid play out there, the one name that kept on ringing in my head was Craig Krenzel, Craig Krenzel, Craig Krenzel. The only difference between Schoenhoft and Krenzel at this point may be that Schoenhoft's ceiling is so much higher than Krenzel's ever was. Schoenhoft is a little bigger and has a bit of a stronger arm, and will only get better with experience. Time will tell if Robby is anywhere near as good as Krenzel was when it counted the most, but with Tressel coaching him, I'm confident that he'll be able to pull through.

The Linebackers
Lets face it, the last two games that the linebackers actually showed up to play last season were at Northwestern and Illinois. I know this because, when someone comes to Ohio State to play linebacker, they do not allow 144 yards and 3 touchdowns to Mike Hart on their home ground, and they definitely do not allow what transpired in Glendale to happen. Well, it looks like Laurinaitis and his collective gang of head hunters agreed with me, because watching all of the linebackers play yesterday, I couldn't help but be impressed at the progression that each of these kids have made since last season. Last year, the linebackers fooled everyone into thinking that the defense was good, until they got truly exposed in the final two games. This year, everyone knew that the defense would be experienced (the only linebacker to graduate was John Kerr, and you guys know how I feel about him), but the question of "will these guys actually be good?" was completely up in the air. A lot was made of these guys' speed last season, but it seems as if this year they have added some strength and smarts on to that speed, and have made themselves a group to be reckoned with. Larry Grant probably had the best game of any of the linebackers, finishing with four tackles, two sacks, one pass break up, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered, one 87 yard touchdown, and three tackles for loss. If Curtis Terry continues to struggle against the pass, Grant could very quickly overtake his spot. Other linebackers who played well include James Laurinaitis (6 tackles, 3 solo, 1 TFL), who looked much stronger than the end of last year, and he also was clearly the defensive leader on the field yesterday. He may not be a captain since he's only a junior, but I have a good feeling that just about everyone on the defensive side of the ball is going to be answering to him come the season. Marcus Freeman took an interception to the house, and in the process he looked very, very fast. Austin Spitler was one of the surprises on the day, finishing with six tackles, including one very sure-handed solo tackle on the highly evasive Ray Small.

Maurice Wells
With Beanie Wells out of the game due to a bum ankle, Maurice Wells was the only experienced tailback playing. Before he even took a carry, I was immediately impressed with how much he actually looked like a running back this season, in contrast to that quick little guy with dreadlocks we've gotten so used to. He has clearly put on some muscle, and his running style is changed to a much more aggressive, down field style. His final stat line on the game was a modest 14 carries for 48 yards, but I am no longer as worried as I previously was about our running back situation. When Beanie needs to be spelled, it really shouldn't be all that big of a problem.

Devon Lyons and Albert Dukes
It seems like every year for the past couple of years these two players have been highly anticipated, only to either get lost to injury or lost in the shadow of other receivers. Well, with the recent loss of Ginn and Gonzo, these two guys are going to get their fair share of licks out on the field, and it looks like each of them has worked hard in order to embrace his role. Lyons in particular was impressive, mainly because he brings a big, over the middle target to the field. He stands at 6'4", 214 lbs, and made a real big target for the young quarterbacks to throw to. He finished the game with 3 catches for 72 yards, all the while showing incredible ability to get open, make the tough catch, and move with the ball. Dukes, on the other hand, looked like he had been playing with Schoenhoft since Pop Warner. He too only had three catches (20 yards), but he was thrown to a lot more than that. Granted, getting thrown at so often could simply be a failure on the quarterback's part to make his progressions, but often times, Dukes was open and the throw just wasn't there.

Players that need to do more
Antonio Henton
Henton was by far the player that the fans were most anxiously awaiting to see play the most. And I'm not going to lie, I was anxious, too. I would love to be wrong about this guy, I really would. But seeing him play today only strengthened my argument that there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that this guy comes in as a freshman and instantly becomes the next Troy Smith. He has all the potential to do it, but like most freshman quarterbacks, he really only has the physical attributes, and still has a lot of learning to do. He threw three interceptions on the day, two of which were just the kind of throw that an inexperienced kid is prone to making. He didn't completely analyze the defense, and someone popped up and made the interception. On the first drive of the game, he was about to set the world on fire, too. He had made some nice runs (Troy Smith comparisons began roughly .4 seconds after the play ended), and also had a real nice throw over the middle to Devon Lyons that was both strong and accurate. However, he then made a throw right to Marcus Freeman, who went on to score a touchdown the other way. There are still plenty of positives to take from his game, however. When he runs with the ball, he does it like a scrambling quarterback should: He looks for holes, runs through them, and then makes some guys miss. He doesn't run around like a chicken with his head cut off. He is incredibly quick and agile, perhaps more so than Troy Smith. He also has a rocket for an arm, which means that if he can ever put all of these tools together, he could be a special player.

Both offensive lines
The pass protection, especially in the first half, was absolutely horrid at times. Granted, likely captain Kirk Barton was injured and did not play in the game, but one person is not responsible for an entire line. None of the quarterbacks really had any time to throw whatsoever, which could have played a role in their mistakes throughout the game.

Dexter Larimore and Nader Abdallah
These guys are going to have to step it up this year, there is really no way around it. Doug Worthington and Dexter Larimore (Both on the Scarlet team) are the likely starters at defensive tackle this year, but due to the fact that the team lost it's three top interior linemen from last year, two of which were team captains, depth is a huge issue. Abdallah has waited his turn for quite some time, and seems to be finally getting down to good playing shape, but when he and Larimore were lined up side by side yesterday, they just seemed to get tossed around by the interior offensive line, especially on running plays. There were way too many holes in the middle of the line for the running backs to go through, and they're just fortunate that the linebackers had their backs all game. The only problem with the linebackers cleaning up after the defensive tackles, is that it usually happens about five yards down field. Now I'm no math major, but five yards without getting touched is a whole heck of a lot for a walk-on running back to be getting in a scrimmage.

Other Game Notes:

Although Schoenhoft played well, and Henton wasn't so hot, Boeckman will still almost definitely be the opening day starter. Boeckman showed a great arm, and with his experience on the team, he will get the first chances at quarterback. However, all three guys will get their licks.
The kickoffs were moved back as part of the new clock rules. Ray Small handled most of the returning duties, and he was really impressive when he got a chance to run it back. The kickoff coverage gave him plenty of lanes to run through, and his speed/athleticism did the rest. Don't be surprised if he takes a couple to the house this year.
Chris Wells was interviewed during the game, and he said his ankle was at about 90%. Benching him was pretty much a precautionary measure, and he will definitely be ready to go in no time.
Some of the basketball players were "honorary coaches" during the game today (whatever that means). Mike Conley and Daeuquan Cook were Gray coaches (Jim Tressel's efforts to get them to stay?) and David Lighty and Jamar Butler coached the scarlet team.
I'll give a grade of "incomplete" to the entire secondary. Three key members, Anderson Russell, Jamario O'Neal, and Andre Amos did not play due to injury. Reshirt freshman Chimdi Chekwa got a lot of playing time, but during one drive, he got burned by Brian Robiskie on the same exact route twice within a span of three plays. Both times, however, ex-linebacker turned safety Tyler Moeller bailed him out by hitting Robo a la Mike Doss.
On the second of those hits, Robiskie limped off the field with a bruised knee. Initial reports say that he is fine, but this is a condition that, if there are any developments, I will mention.
Official game Box Score, as well as the O-Zone's analysis can be found here and here, respectively.
Other spring game reviews: Buckeye Commentary, the Columbus Dispatch, Eleven Warriors, Scout, Rivals (if you can dish out the cash, I know I can't), and BuckNuts
Game photo gallery, as well as the source for all pictures used in this post, from the premier source for Buckeye imagery, the O-Zone

2008 Recruiting class off to a hot start

2007-03-28T18:28:00.000-04:00

This will likely be my last post for over a week. I am leaving on vacation early Saturday, and will be too busy with pre-vacation stuff as well as school tomorrow to post.

The 2008 Buckeye football recruiting class is already shaping up to be one of the top classes in Jim Tressel's tenure. Despite having only 13 scholarships to give out (that number may rise depending on early NFL entries, transfers, etc.), the Bucks have already gained five commitments, all of whom are regarded as some of the top prospects in the state of Ohio.

The commits:
Player rankings via Rivals

Mike Adams, Offensive Tackle, Dublin Coffman (#1 in state)
When this class officially signs on next February, Mike Adams will probably considered the "star" player in this class; the guy who is the most well-known and highly anticipated by the fans. He's considered by many to be not only one of the top linemen in the state, but the entire country as well. At an overwhelming 6'7" and 308 lbs, Adams has already drawn comparisons to the likes of former great OSU linemen Orlando Pace and Korey Stringer.

DeVoe Torrence, RB/LB, Massilon (#3 in state)
The younger brother of 2007 recruit DeVon Torrence, DeVoe brings a bit different style of play to the table than his speedster brother. However, despite being 215 lbs, DeVoe has been clocked in the 4.4 range in the 40 yard dash. As a junior, DeVoe had over 1,600 total yards, while tallying 17 touchdowns. Defensively he may have even been more dominant, with 127 tackles, six sacks, three recovered fumbles, and one interception. However, the Ohio State coaching staff recruited him primarily as a running back, promising that if he committed, they would not recruit another tailback in this class.

Jake Stoneburner, WR/TE, Dublin Coffman (#5 in state)
See below.

DeVier Posey, WR, Cincinnati LaSalle (#6 in state)
DeVier Posey is every bit as good a person as he is an athlete. And he's a great athlete, too. At 6'3" 190, Posey is a prototypical wide receiver that will be a perfect fit as a Buckeye. His 1,900+ all-purpose yardage gained him All-Ohio honors and a serious look from the coaching staff. His GPA, a perfect 4.0, is icing on the cake. We've seen what strong students (Krenzel, Gonzalez) capable of, especially in crunch time. His athleticism on top of those academics could make him a great one.

Ben Buchanan, P/K, Westerville Central (#15 in state)
It's sometimes odd for a kicker to receive a scholarship so early in the process, especially when scholarships are already so tight. Buchanan has spent plenty of time working with numerous kickers that you may remember, including a guy named Nugent. There's no denying the importance of a solid kicking game in Tressel's system, as Nugent, Huston, Groom, and Sander have all become celebrities despite small roles. Buchanan could easily be the next in line of great Buckeye specialists.

Other top players with offers that could commit:
OL Michael Brewster, Edgewater, Florida
OL J.B. Shugarts, Klein, Texas
OL Kyle Long, Charlottesville, Virginia
QB Terrell Pryor, Jeannette, Pennsylvania
WR Cordale Scott, Cleveland Glenville
LB Shayne Hale, Monroeville, Pennsylvania
LB Andrew Sweat, Washington, Pennsylvania

Exclusive Interview with a 2008 commit
Jake Stoneburner is one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. He's tall (6'6), big (223 lbs), and fast (4.53 forty). Essentially, his versatility makes him any coach's dream. There has been much debate as to whether Stoneburner will be used primarily as a tight end, or as a Roy Hall-type receiver that will create mismatches in the secondary. Jake recently took the time to discuss this and a few other things with me, the interview is posted below.

Pfef: You're being recruited as a wide receiver, but most would consider you a tight end in the long run with your height/weight. Where do you expect to be lining up when you're playing on a consistent basis?

Jake: I think i will end up as a Flex TE, because I think that I can get up to about 240 in weight, but be able to keep my speed.

Pfef: What's the best part about being a Buckeye?

Jake: Best part of being a buckeye is getting to play at the shoe.

Pfef: Everything is bigger at the college level: The players, the fan base, the media exposure, and perhaps most importantly, the pressure, are just a few. How do you plan on handling the transition from High School to College?

Jake: I plan on handling the pressure by asking fellow teammates for help, asking my parents for help when I need it. Its going to be tough, but I'll have to stick through it because it will only get me ready for the NFL.

Pfef: Do you expect to make an immediate impact on the field, or do you think you'll redshirt?

Jake: I think that I can make an immediate impact because they really don't have any players like me on their team.

Pfef: Tell us all a bit about Mike Adams. He's widely thought of as the top prospect in the state. What makes him such a great player?

Jake: Mike is one of my great friends and he is just a huge monster. He is very big, yet very agile for his size and really has unlimted potential.

Pfef: Of course, you still have one more season of high school before you don the Scarlet and Gray. With you, Adams, WR Trey Fairchild, and LB Steve Gardiner all having major D-I offers, the talent on the Coffman team is unquestionable. How realistic is a state championship for you guys?

Jake: The State Championship is our #1 goal. We all seem to think it is very achievable especially with what we have coming back from last year's team that made the regional finals.

Football is back!

2007-03-27T21:55:00.000-04:00

That's right, folks. While the OSU basketball team is in the midst of a Final Four run, the football team is quietly preparing for the Spring Game set for later in April. The official spring depth chart has been released, and despite the fact that this very well may be a "rebuilding season," the very sight of a two-deep, much less some early previews from coach Tressel himself, makes me weak in the knees.

Initial Depth Chart overview:
note: This depth chart does not include any incoming freshmen

Boecking the trend
It makes sense to begin with the one area that will undoubtedly be the most heated topic of discussion to hit the Buckeye nation since last November: the Quarterback battle. Some of you may remember, but I took a brief look at all three of Boeckman, Schenhoft, and Henton shortly after the season ended. In short, I voiced that "my guy" in this race was the oft-overlooked Schoenhoft, while the general public would vouch for Henton due to his Troy Smith-like talents, and the coaching staff would almost unquestionably give Boeckman the first shot at quarterback because he has been with the team the longest. Well, as the depth chart unsurprisingly reveals, the man at quarterback is none other than Mr. Boeckman, followed by Robbie Schoenhoft. The depth chart does not venture any further than that, but it can be assumed that Henton is third in the pecking order and Joe Bauserman, a 2004 recruit that opted for professional baseball but is now walking-on, is buried at the end of the bench.

The real Block-O
The offensive line has three familiar names taking up starting roles: junior Alex Boone (LT), junior Steve Rehring (LG), and senior Kirk Barton (RT). It is especially important to note that two of the returning starters will be on the left side of the line, the side that has the responsibility of protecting the quarterback's blind side. The less an inexperienced quarterback gets sacked, the more confidence he will have, so the importance of the overpowering talent of Boone and Rehring on the left cannot be emphasized enough (whether or not Boone can learn to pass block consistently is a matter for another time, as of now I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt). One of the two new guys penciled in to start is center Jim Cordle, a man who for a couple years now has been referred to as an "heir apparent" to Nick Mangold, but a mix of injuries, inexperience, and being buried in the depth chart has postponed his chance to truly prove himself until now. The new right guard, junior Ben Person, is thought of very highly by Jim Tressel. In fact, Tressel admits that Person was pushing former Buckeye T.J. Downing extremely hard for the right guard position towards the end of last season.

No Small Task
Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez accounted for roughly 54% of all receiving yards by Buckeyes last season. Now that both of them are on to bigger and better things (although nothing is better than being a Buckeye, right?), it is up to three underclassmen to help fill that offensive void. Those three are Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, and...Ray Small? Of course, Robiskie and Hartline come as a surprise to nobody, as Robiskie went from a relatively unknown to a guy scoring touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Michigan in less than a season, and Hartline's "100% effort, 100% of the time" attitude didn't go unnoticed from fans and coaches alike. However, Ray Small is currently listed as the starter at flanker over the likes of the more experienced and long-time-waiting-for-their-chance players Albert Dukes and Devon Lyons. True, Small was a top receiver prospect, posting consecutive 4.38 40 times and drawing comparisons to another ex-Glenville Tarblooder speedster, but he played very sparingly last season as a freshman, and was much more raw a receiver than Ginn was as a freshman (and Ginn was pretty raw, too). He must have done quite a bit this off-season to jump over more experienced players at the same position, something Tressel rarely does.

The Bottom Line on the Defensive Line
The area that was hardest hit by graduation this offseason was by far the defensive line. Three starters (Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson, David Patterson), as well as the most reliable backup (Joel Penton) all completely exhausted their eligibility last season, leaving junior Vernon Gholston the old man of the line. Lawrence Wilson, a man who most thought would emerge as a premier defender last season, will finally get his chance to be a full-time player, and not a guy that spelled Gholston a year ago. In limited time, Wilson has drawn comparison to Ohio State's last great pass rusher and current NFL Pro Bowler Will Smith. Backing up Gholston and Wilson at the ends will be Dublin Coffman-native Alex Barrow and the highly-touted Robert Rose. If Rose and Wilson are ever in the game at the same time, it will probably be in short yardage sets, as both are now well over 275 lbs. and could be used interchangeably as a DT or DE. The DT position will probably be the biggest question mark this season for the Buckeyes, with Doug Worthington (a converted DE), and Todd Denlinger being penciled in as starters, while the mammoth Nader Abdallah and the unproved RS-Fr Dexter Larimore are both in the two-deep.

Linebacker U. is back
There really aren't any surprises at Linebacker, but the depth at the position is once again beginning to look quite scary (for the opponents, that is). Laurinaitis will be on preseason All-American teams in no time, and if Marcus Freeman can continue where he left off in the championship, he'll be in contention for All-Big 10 honors. Ross Homan really shouldn't be considered a "backup" because he'd be starting at a ton of other major colleges around the country. Larry Grant and Curtis Terry very well may go back and forth between 1 and 2 and the strong side linebacker spot all season, and I have no problem with that, because all it means is that their competition would be making each other a better player. Even though just about all of the same names are back from last year's good (but not as great as made out to be) group, the extra year of experience should help escalate this group from good to great.

Monday roundup: It's Georgetown

2007-03-26T07:53:00.000-04:00

As some of you may have heard by now, Ohio State is heading to Atlanta to take on Georgetown in the Final Four. Ohio State took care of Memphis on Saturday, led by great offensive performances from all of the usual suspects in Ron Lewis (22 points, six rebounds), Greg Oden (17 points, nine rebounds), and Mike Conley Jr. (19 points). Oddly enough, it was Conley, and not Ron Lewis who was named the MVP of the South regional, which comes as a shock to me considering Ron Lewis has arguably been the entire tournament's most outstanding player ever since the comeback against Xavier began late in the second half. He's been about as close to a complete player as it gets this entire tournament, averaging 21.75 points per game (only one game under 22 points), while at the same time being one of the team's best man defenders. This all goes without mentioning his clutch performances against Xavier and Tennessee, in which he was the catalyst for the comeback in both games.

However, lets not dwell on what didn't happen, and instead look ahead to what could happen. It was known that the final four opponent would be a rematch of some sort when Georgetown went up against North Carolina, whether it was a rematch of last year's second round tournament debacle against Georgetown or one of the season's most exciting regular season games when North Carolina topped Ohio State by 9 in Chapel Hill remained to be seen. The showdown between UNC and Georgetown looked like it was going to be a classic, until overtime rolled around and it seemed like North Carolina just got tired of trying. The Tar Heels only made one basket in the extra session en route to a 96-84 loss.

So there it is. Ohio State vs Georgetown. For the second straight year. This time, for a shot at a championship. Last season, Georgetown walked up and down Ohio State, winning by a score of 70-52. As I mentioned before, Roy Hibbert was the dominant force in the game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, both of which were game highs. However, there should be no reason to believe that this version of the game will not be as one sided -- if even the same result -- as last season's. There will be a total of six people starting this Saturday's game that did not start last season's. Of those six, four will be lacing it up for the Buckeyes, and it's not a stretch to say that three of them (Conley, Lewis, Oden) are our three best players, and each of whom will have quite large weekly paychecks come next year.

Of course, it would be incredibly naive of me to assume that Ohio State has improved dramatically since last season's meeting, while also denying Georgetown any credit whatsoever. There's an excellent reason why Georgetown is in the Final Four, and it's because of that frontcourt. Last season, Roy Hibbert was a "project" player with tremendous upside that he showed off in that second round game. This season, he is an established force in the paint and is one of the premier centers in the nation. Also joining Hibbert down low is Big East POY Jeff Green, the dynamic 6-9 player that can do a bit of everything. Green, as you may remember, was the guy who hit the controversial travel-shot with 2.5 seconds left in the Sweet 16 game against Vanderbilt. Also part of that frontcourt is the always dangerous DaJuan Summers, who despite averaging only around 9 ppg, is quite capable of exploding for 20, as he exhibited against North Carolina. And we're going to hear his name and see his dad about as much as we did with Laura Quinn in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, so I might as well mention another formidable forward, Patrick Ewing Jr.

One player that isn't a member of the Hoya frontcourt but will be just as important in determining the outcome of the game is point guard Jessie Sapp. In just one year's time, Sapp has more than doubled his minutes played, more than tripled his point output, and more than quintupled his assists per game, all the while improving his assist:turnover ratio from 1.05:1 a season ago to 1.85 this year. Although none of his statistics are stellar by any means, his improvements from year 1 to 2 and his increasingly smart play makes him just as key a member of the Hoya team as anyone else I've mentioned.

Wow.

2007-03-23T00:32:00.000-04:00

Un-freakin-believable.

At halftime, I was ready to come here and make a post expressing my sheer disappointment in how a team with so much talent and potential could just not show up.

Needless to say, I'm glad I bit my lip.

Thank you, Ron Lewis

2007-03-17T15:34:00.000-04:00

My original plan for today was that, after Ohio State would easily handle Xavier, I would make a post along the lines of Who should take the last shot for the Buckeyes? where I would analyze all of the likely candidates that coach Matta could trust to take one final shot. I had also planned on naming Jamar Butler as the person who I would give the ball to if I were coach.

That's why I don't coach.

And things don't always go according to plan, either.

I always expected today to happen. I just didn't expect it to happen today. I knew that somewhere along the line, Ohio State's knack for playing down to the level of their competition would result in the Buckeyes trying to pull out an improbable miracle. The end result of this hypothetical run, of course, would be a Buckeye missing a shot, most likely a three pointer, in the final seconds. The city of Columbus would go into a state of depression, while the rest of America would rejoice at the arrival of the tournament's first "Cinderella." After all, it is March, the tournament isn't the same without upsets, and a #1 seed is going to have to lose eventually. Can't you just smell it in the air?

Well, for about 39 minutes and 51 seconds in basketball time, it appeared that that was going to happen. Then, when it seemed all hope was lost, Justin Cage's free throw rolled off the rim, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ron Lewis entered the game as a good, but not great player with an effective three point shot and the athleticism that allows him to drive to the hoop at will. He left as a never to be forgotten component of Buckeye basketball history. And it wasn't just because of that one shot, either. His performance that entire game epitomized what every Buckeye athlete should be about: Whether you're destined to be great like Greg Oden, or will bounce around from bench to bench in the NBA like Lewis very well may do, you're all part of one team, with one goal, and if you don't do everything in your power to achieve that goal, then you're no more of a help than the man across you. When it seemed like everyone else on the roster had given up, Lewis was the one guy who refused to quit. He was the one guy who gave his all. He was the one guy who fought for the win like there was no tomorrow. And when push came to shove, he was the one guy who put his team over the top. Will he be remembered as a legend like Fred Taylor, Jim Jackson, and Michael Redd? Of course not. But regardless of how the rest of this post-season plays out, he will be remembered as a guy that gave 100% effort 100% of the time. Everyone on the team can learn something from Lewis' performance today, especially the youngsters on the team. Because this time next season, Conley & Co. won't have guys like Lewis to clean up their messes.

Okay, that's enough gushing for one day. Now, it's time to get down to the somewhat "objective" part of this post. Ohio State's performance today was, obviously, far from ideal. The Greg Oden that we all came to know and love during the latter part of the Big Ten Tournament and then in the CCSU game was completely non-existent. The dynamite post moves, the thunderous dunks, the intensity on the boards, all of these things were noticeably absent from Oden's repertoire today. He shot just 41.7% from the field, a number which is pretty abysmal coming from the guy that led the entire Big Ten conference in field goal percentage during the regular season (61.4% in case you were wondering). He did, however, finish with 14 points and 12 boards, and did not play in the overtime due to fouling out. His supporting cast outside of Lewis was not much better. Mike Conley played the role of The Invisible Man in the second half, with the exception of one key steal off of an inbounds pass. He did clean up his act in overtime however, when it seemed like he just decided he was tired of playing bad, scoring 11 points in the extra session. Jamar Butler's impact on the game didn't stretch much past his 13 points, Ivan Harris didn't record a single point, and the Buckeyes didn't get a single bench point until Daequan Cook hit a three pointer in Overtime.

It seems like I say this after every game, but the Buckeyes were lucky today. There's no two ways around it. If they put up another performance like this one in the tournament, you can bet that there will be another team cutting down the nets.

Game Notes:

Greg Oden, what in heaven's name were you thinking with that last foul? Of course he had to foul there, he had no other choice, but the way he did it (shoving the guy to the ground) was far too violent, and he was lucky to not be called for a flagrant foul in that situation. Please, just wrap your gigantic arms around him the next time you're in that sitation.
Why did Matta not put in Hunter and/or Terwilliger after Oden fouled out? Without any of those three guys in the game, the biggest guy on the court was Daequan Cook, who was ineffective enough as it was. Ron Lewis took the jump ball at the start of the Overtime, also. I know that neither Hunter nor Terwilliger are the best offensive performers, but they're good enough to exploit mismatches.

Bring on the Blue Devils

2007-03-11T20:14:00.000-04:00

No, not those Blue Devils. The Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, of course!

Just one complaint
The NCAA Tournament Brackets were released this evening, and after Ohio State's thumping of Wisconsin earlier today, it came as a surprise to no one that the Buckeyes were named a #1 seed. However, the Buckeyes missed out on the overall #1 seed to Florida. I do not understand how a team that backed in to their conference tournament, going on a streak in which they lost 3 of 4 to the likes of Vanderbilt (6 seed), Tennessee (5 seed), and LSU (sitting at home); none of which were close games in the least bit. Ohio State's only losses this season came at Florida (1 seed, injured Oden), at North Carolina (1 seed, no Oden), and at Wisconsin (2 seed, have beaten them twice since). This goes without mentioning that Ohio State also has the nation's top RPI, and Florida wasn't even ranked in the top 5 at season's end in either of the two major polls. I suppose I will give the selection committee the benefit of the doubt here, however. In all likelihood, they gave Florida the overall top spot, because the Big 10 Championship game today finished so late, and it would have been too late to reshuffle everything at the last minute.

Bracket Forcasting
But instead of getting wrapped up in what didn't happen, lets look at what could happen. When I filled out my bracket, I couldn't help but think that the Buckeyes seem to have the easiest route to the final four of all the top seeds. Central Connecticut should, by all rights, hardly be a blip on the Bucks' radars (but, of course, they aren't to be overlooked). The Buckeye's likely second round opponents, BYU and Xavier, are both teams that can be handled. We squeaked past Tennessee earlier in the season, but it is also worth noting that we are playing much, much better than at that time. The bottom half of this regional, however, does have some potential for terror. Memphis is a team that, despite their strength of schedule, is very capable of making it all the way to the Final Four. Teams that just benefit from easy schedules don't win 30 games two seasons in a row like Memphis has, they are definitely legit. Texas A&M plays some of the best defense in not just the Big 12, but in the entire country. They also sport college's version of Gilbert Arenas in Acie Law. Every time he throws up a shot, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, it has a chance to go in, especially in crunch time. Louisville is an energetic young team with a great coach in Rick Pitino, and Nevada has a Naismith award candidate in Nick Fazekas.

However, it appears that the road to the Final Four will be much easier than a team like Florida, which will potentially have to play Arizona, Maryland/Butler, and Wisconsin/Oregon. Maybe losing the overall #1 seed was a blessing in disguise.

Most likely 12 over 5 upset
Every season, it seems, at least one 12 seed upsets a 5 seed. This year, I like Illinois over Virginia Tech. No team out of the ACC really impresses me this season, and allegiances to the Big 10 were the deciding factors. Watch out for Arkansas against USC, though. If the Trojans play in that game like they did in the Pac 10 championship, then I have no trouble seeing the Razorbacks win it.

3 potential Cinderellas
#12 Illinois - I have them in the Sweet 16 of my bracket, beating Va Tech and So Illinois.
#6 Louisville - I don't know if a 6 seed counts as a Cinderella, but I forecast them to upset a worn-down A&M team, as well as Memphis in reaching the Elite 8.
#11 Winthrop - Honestly, I think they'll lose to Notre Dame in the first round, but they seem to be the sexy pick this year.

2 Final Four match-ups
Kansas over Oregon
Ohio State over Georgetown

1 National Champion
Ohio State over Kansas, of course

By the way, it turns out that I actually liked the uniforms OSU was sporting this weekend. I hope they make a permanent comeback sometime soon.

Someone tell Billy Packer...

2007-03-11T17:23:00.000-04:00

...that Jamar Butler is only a junior.

That game, especially the second half, was unquestionably the best basketball this team has played all season. The importance of entering the NCAAs with strong momentum is undeniable. Remember how bad Ohio State played in the Big Ten championship game last season, and how that sluggish play continued in the tournament?

Bracket analysis and other tournament-related stuff coming later.

Oden, Buckeyes top Purdue, to face Wisconsin again

2007-03-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry I couldn't talk about Friday's game against Michigan. Thanks to the wonderful world of noon tip-offs during the week, I was only able to catch a few minutes of the game. When I go on my March Madness posting spree (because, as most everyone will agree, there's no better time of the year), I'll do my best to preview and recap the weekday games, but unfortunately school will always be a priority, so who knows just how in-depth I will be able to get.

Of course, this will have zero effect on weekend games, such as today's. The OSU-Purdue game today pretty much mirrored the teams' two previous encounters during the season: Purdue would keep it close, Oden would overwhelm the undersized Boilermakers, and the Buckeyes would pull away in the end.

The star of the game, unquestionably, was Greg Oden, who is seemingly becoming a more complete big man with each game. Oden was the Buckeye's leading scorer with 17 points, as well as an almost jaw-dropping 19 rebounds, 9 of which were offensive. He also had four blocks, two assists, and perhaps most importantly, only one turnover. Watching Oden in these past two games, I can safely say that he is playing better than at any other time this season, especially on the offensive end. I don't know if his right wrist just healed dramatically from last weekend, or if he has finally adjusted to the collegiate competition, but this is a completely different Greg Oden than the one that would struggle to catch the ball, miss easy shots, and be limited to the most basic of post moves. Something has definitely "clicked" in his game. Now, when Oden backs down defenders, it seems like he is doing it with much more awareness with regards to his position on court as well as the defender's position. Instead of just forcing up ill-advised shots, he is exploiting the defense and making the smart play.

Another dramatic improvement I've noticed in Oden since his first game is in his rebounding. Now, I'm sure you're thinking, "But didn't Oden lead the Big Ten in rebounding this season?" Well, yes he did, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's been the dominant force on the boards that so many have expected him to be. Earlier in the season, you wouldn't see Oden go after every missed shot, and as a result, he would drop some easy boards, or an undersized guard would end up with the ball. That didn't exactly happen in today's game, as his career-high 19 rebounds should provide sufficient evidence. On one occasion, Oden tipped a ball in from what the announcer hyperbolized as "the other side of the paint." Of course, Oden wasn't that far away, but he was far away enough that no normal big man would be able to get his hand on the ball, much less tip it in for a basket. But Greg Oden did. Why? Well, because he's Greg Oden, and that's the kind of freakish physical characteristic that will make him the #1 pick in the NBA draft next season. He was the #1 recruit in the nation for the reason, and that's because he has the potential to do things that seven-footers just don't do. He very well may be playing the best basketball of his life right now, and if he keeps it up, this very well may be a March to remember.

For the conference tournament, Oden is averaging 19.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG, and 4.0 BPG. If Ohio State can win tomorrow, there's no doubt who will be named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Other notes of interest:

Oden also had the play of the game, where he had a slam dunk-put back off of a missed shot. The dunk came over two Purdue defenders that were clearly in better position to get the board (see what I meant about doing things other basketball players don't do?). The play brought confirmation to the theory that one out of position Greg Oden is better than two prepared Purdue players.
To get off Greg Oden for a moment, I'll also give praise to others that deserve it:
Ron Lewis continues to have a great tournament, as he scored 13 today (in addition to the 16 he scored yesterday). His low FG% (.25), however, continues to add to those ever-present shot selection questions.
Ivan Harris continues to impress me more with each game. I used to not be a big fan of him, but he's been our most reliable 3-pt shooter for a while now.
Daequan Cook, on the other hand, can not shake his struggles. He played very well against Michigan, but he can't seem to put two-straight productive games together anymore, as he only managed a single point.

Not necessarily a game note, but the All-Conference teams and awards were announced earlier in the week. This may be one of the most impressive seasons awards-wise for the Buckeyes. Honors are listed below:

Thad Matta - Coach of the Year (As voted on by both the Media and Coaches)
Greg Oden - First team All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media), All-Freshman team, Freshman of the Year (Coaches and Media), Defensive POY, All-Defensive team, Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree.
Mike Conley - First Team All-Big Ten (Media), Second Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), All-Freshman Team,
Daequan Cook - 6th Man of the Year, Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Media)
Jamar Butler - Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media)
Ron Lewis - Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (Coaches and Media)

Note: The All-Freshman team, All-Defensive team, Defensive POY, and sixth man awards are all voted on by the coaches only.

These make the football jerseys seem logical

2007-03-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

Via Deadspin: Ohio State, Florida, Syracuse, and Arizona will be sporting the "future" of college basketball uniforms during each team's respective conference tournament games. After viewing the picture below, I'm sure that you'll agree with me when you say "Future? These things better be a part of the past after this week!" These may be the only things that can compete with Oregon as far as uniform futility is concerned.

click to enlarge

I'm sure you were distracted by all the spandex...or whatever they're calling that, but those shorts, they could house Vern Troyer's extended family, and still have room for kitchen appliances.

Buckeyes close out season with win over Michigan

2007-03-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

The Bucks just can't make it easy on the fans anymore, can they? For the third consecutive game, the Buckeyes were on the ropes, only to rally at the end to win it. This time it was the boys in blue that were looking to pull the upset. Michigan led by as much as eight points in the second half, and seemed to be on their way to pulling off the upset, before falling apart over the final 3:45. Ohio State finished the game on a 8-0 run to put the final score at 65-61.

Players of the game: Greg Oden and Ron Lewis each tallied 16 points over the course of the game. However, neither player really got it going at the same time. In the first half, Lewis had 12 points, and was really the reason Ohio State was in the game at halftime. Meanwhile, Oden scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, as he clearly struggled at both ends of the ball for the first 20 minutes. His performance in the second half, though, was absolutely dominating. Despite being in foul trouble for just about the entire half (he had three fouls at the 17:01 mark), his aforementioned offensive performance and defensive dominance were the difference in the game. Perhaps the best thing that Oden displayed, though, was that he shot his free throws right-handed, and shot them well (4-5 on the day). If he can be that effective of a free throw shooter, and prove he can get to the line on a consistent basis, then all of this talk of his offensive futilities should disappear rather quickly. Also, having that right hand should help increase his overall offensive abilities (not dropping as many passes, more to his offensive repertoire than that hook shot, etc.).

Disappointing Performer: Daequan Cook went 0-5 from the field, including 0-2 from three point range. He finished the game with two points and three rebounds. This is the second game in a row that Cook has been nowhere to be found (2 pts on 1-6 shooting against Wisconsin). If Ohio State has any hopes of winning a National Championship, they are going to need much more steady production out of their 6th man. Outside of Oden, Cook is probably the most gifted player on this team, but you wouldn't know it by his stat line. His ability to spark a transition game adds a whole new facet to the Buckeye offense, which is something you don't see as much from a guy like Jamar Butler. He can score from anywhere on the court, and gives opposing defenses one more problem to worry about. If he's not productive, then who is going to take his place off the bench? Sure, Lighty may be our best defender, but his offensive presence is almost nonexistent. The importance of depth is only going to grow when the tournament rolls around and games are going to be much closer together than they have been during the season.

So, is a #1 seed a lock? Well, at this point, it would be hard to imagine Ohio State garnering anything other than a top seed, but with the current logjam at the top of the standings (OSU, Wisconsin, UCLA, UNC, Kansas, Texas A&M, and Florida all battling for 4 spots), it will most certainly come down to how Ohio State performs in the Big Ten tournament (PDF File). In my opinion, as long as Ohio State makes it to the semifinal game on Saturday, they should be perfectly fine. But, if the Buckeyes are to get upset by the winner of the Michigan/Minnesota game, and one of the teams that may currently be on the outside looking in (UNC, A&M, Florida) makes a serious run in one of their respective conference tournaments, then the Bucks may have to settle for a 2-seed for the second consecutive season.

Smith gets shafted

2007-03-01T18:05:00.000-05:00

Troy Smith just can't seem to catch a break. While he's currently beginning the process of trying to prove every single NFL "expert" wrong, it appears that Smith is also currently falling up short in the video game industry as well. Of all people, Jared freakin' Zabransky was chosen as the coverboy for the game NCAA '08. Yes, this is the same Jared freakin' Zabransky (you might notice me say this a lot throughout the post. I'm using it to emphasize the point that JARED FREAKIN' ZABRANSKY is on the cover) that entered the 2005 season as the 'next Alex Smith,' only to fall flat on his face in the season opener and never be heard from again until this past Fiesta Bowl, where he led Boise State to one of the most unpredictable finishes in college football history, beating Oklahoma in overtime.

The funny thing about this is, though, is that Jared freakin' Zabransky would be nowhere to be found had it not been for those trick plays at the end of the Fiesta Bowl. Even if it was just as dramatic a victory, but without the hook and latter/WR pass/statue of liberty play, there's an excellent chance that Jared freakin' Zabransky simply fades off into glory, and no one hears the name again. What's even funnier, is that those incredible trick plays never would have happened had he not made an incredibly ill-advised throw in the final minutes of the game that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

Yes, three plays made everyone forget Jared freakin' Zabransky's fatal mistake. However, it has been nearly two months since the national championship, and Troy Smith is still hearing about how poor he played in that game. One guy established himself as not only the greatest quarterback in the history of his school, but also the greatest in the history of his conference. The other plays on a blue field. One guy garnered the largest margin of votes in Heisman trophy history, the other wasn't even the best player on his own team.

Now I don't know quite how the selection process works for deciding a video game cover, but if it all it came down to was the fact that EA Sports believed that Jared freakin' Zabransky was more marketable a player than Troy Smith is laughable. In fact, it's embarrassing on their part. It shows the lack of respect that just about everyone on this planet has for Troy Smith's football playing ability. The thing is, he's going to be a great quarterback in the NFL. I know it, the rest of Buckeye nation knows it. You know that "it" factor that everyone oogles over Tom Brady for having? Smith has it too, unquestionably.

Take it in Buckeye fans.

2007-02-25T21:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, there just aren't any words to describe what went down today. Earlier this week, I referred to today's game as the biggest basketball game for the school since the '99 Final Four, and I have absolutely no problem in standing by that comment. On Senior day, the two veterans playing their final home games Ivan Harris and Ron Lewis made incredible statements. Harris led all Buckeyes with 13 points, 9 of which came via the three point shot. Granted, on the defensive side of the ball he was his typical invisible-except-when-fouling self, he made his presence felt on the offensive side of the ball more than enough. It seemed like every time Wisconsin hit a big shot to kill any momentum we may have been gaining, Harris answered right back with a three-ball. I have been an Ivan Harris doubter for much of the past few seasons, mainly for his inabilities to play defense and rebound effectively, but for one day, I was his biggest fan. There's no doubt that he's as hard a worker as anyone on the court (mainly on the offensive side), and he really proved that today. Lewis, on the other hand, had some troubles throughout the day on shot selection. He would often jack up shots when it really wasn't needed, as he only went 1-6 on the day. However, he made the biggest play of the game when he blocked Kammron Taylor's 15-foot attempt at the buzzer to win the game. As the buzzer sounded, Lewis fell to the ground and was mobbed by his teammates in celebration.

As usual, the two biggest names of the day weren't Harris or Lewis, but rather Mike Conley Jr. and another Buckeye possibly playing his last home game, Greg Oden. Conley hit the shot to put the Buckeyes ahead with 3.9 seconds left, and I'm still trying to figure out how he got that thing off. He finished the game with 11 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. Oden, on the other hand, may want to put this game out of his memory as far as personal performances are concerned. For all the hype leading up, Oden played pretty poor, netting only 11 points and 5 rebounds. He had plenty of opportunities to score, but he just could not hold on to the ball whatsoever. I'm not sure if it was the injured hand, or just a lack of concentration, but either way, 5 turnovers is not what you want out of your best player.

When asked about next season after the game, Oden simply said "That's a decision that's going to be made later on in the year." I think everyone knows what that means, and have been expecting this to be a one and done deal since he committed.

With this win, the Buckeyes have become just the second school in Big Ten history to win conference titles in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball all in the same season. The only other team to do it? Last year's Buckeyes. I've only been around for 17+ years now, but I know my Buckeye history, and I have to say that this day and age may be the best time ever to be an Ohio State fan. The only other time period that comes to mind is the early '60s in the days of Woody Hayes and Fred Taylor. Now I don't want to take away from anything those two guys did, but Jim and Thad are giving them a run for their money.

Other game notes:

Brian Butch suffered one of the more horrifying injuries in recent memory in the first half when he dislocated his elbow. When I saw it, I had to turn away immediately. It ranks up there with the Willis McGahee injury in the Fiesta bowl as far as being gruesome is concerned.
Thad, the 5 second rule does not apply when you are picking gum off of a ground that a bunch of sweaty basketball players have been running on all day. I think I speak for everyone when I say "I hope you brush your teeth 10 times tonight, and use an entire bottle of mouthwash."

Transistion rules as Bucks pull away from Lions

2007-02-21T21:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Wisconsin put a damper on the highly anticipated, titanic 1-2 match-up with Ohio State when the Spartans upset them in the Breslin Center. Today, the Buckeyes nearly saw the same thing unfold before their very eyes as they managed to once again escape the Nittany Lions 68-60 in Columbus.

Penn State led by as many as eight points on multiple occasions throughout the night, as the Ohio State team looked eerily similar to the one that nearly had the meltdown of the millenium a week ago. As they have so often this season, the Buckeyes seemed relatively uninterested in the game at the defensive end. This was especially true in the final 10 minutes of the first half when Penn State hit five three pointers and went from 4 down to 8 up in what seemed like just a few possessions. However, after Penn State briefly continued their little run in the beginning of the second half, the Buckeyes managed to turn things around, as they clearly kicked things into another gear. The source of this newfound transistion was Jamar Butler, who had an outstanding second half scoring 15 points, with 3 very timely three pointers, as well as an impressive fast break layup. He had 18 points overall.

Greg Oden, as usual, had the biggest impact on the game; with a spectacular 17 pt/14 rebound performance. He did leave briefly with what appeared to be a wrist injury, but was seen just minutes later giving Matta a thumbs up and was back in the game soon enough.

This win, of course, is the precursor to the game this Sunday against #1 (or #2) Wisconsin in Columbus, which will only continue to grow in hype as the week wears on. In fact, this game is already becoming the biggest regular season game that I can remember, and may be the most highly-anticipated basketball game since the '99 Final Four. Sure, '05 Illinois had all of the excitement of a great basketball game, but the build-up for it was nothing compared to what this game is going to be.

Anyways, I think it's safe to say that if Ohio State plays like it has this season against PSU on Sunday, we don't stand a chance. I bought the whole "a close win against PSU is good because it gives the players a reality check" excuse last week, but the general rule for that saying is that the next time you two cross paths, you make sure it was a fluke. And, as a general rule for all sports in general, when you're the #1 team in the country playing at home, you damn sure better pulverize the last-ranked team in your conference. Although a win is a win, this definitely isn't the high note that the Bucks were hoping to go in on.

But hey, as long as we aren't coming in off a loss, right?

Beckman hired as Oklahoma State defensive coordinator

2007-02-16T11:33:00.000-05:00

Ohio State defensive backs coach Tim Beckman has taken the job as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, sources say. Although the first sentence of the story is extremely shady (2006 national champion Ohio State Buckeyes?), the rest of it appears to be credible, as Rivals ($) has also put up a similar article. There is no word yet on who will replace Beckman as defensive backs coach, but whoever does it will have some tough shoes to fill.

Beckman may have been the best assistant on the team without the title "coordinator." He deserves a whole lot of credit for helping to bring in the nation's top recruiting class this season as far as the secondary is concerned (assuming the likes of Torrence and Clifford don't switch sides), and has also been instrumental in the development of Ohio State's two most recent starting cornerbacks Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith. Smith was a walk-on at Ohio State, who most people doubted would be successful when he finally got the chance to start. However, when the season rolled around, Smith garnered first team All-Conference accolades (as did Jenkins). Jenkins, on the other hand, was brought into the program as an unheralded safety prospect out of High School. However, he started a few games as a true freshman at cornerback. Not only is the fact that he started as a true freshman impressive, but the fact that he had to switch positions and climbed the depth chart faster than higher-ranked players of the same year in Andre Amos and Jamario O'Neal just screams great coaching. Sure, both players worked incredibly hard to achieve their goals, but what was the common denominator to both of their successes? Tim Beckman.

Best of luck at the other OSU, Tim. I'm sure you'll be a hell of a coordinator.

How realistic is a #1 seed?

2007-02-10T20:22:00.000-05:00

Earlier today, the Buckeyes slipped by the Purdue "Spoilermakers" 63-56 at the Schott behind 14 points each by superstar freshmen Mike Conley Jr and Greg Oden. Purdue lead the game as late as the 6:00 mark of the second half until the Buckeyes broke away with a 17-5 run to close out the game. It was pretty obvious that Ohio State didn't bring their "A" game today, and calling it a "B" game would even be a stretch. The offense was pretty horrendous on all accounts, with the team going a collective 3-17 on three point field goals, and missed 30 shots total. Mike Conley, usually an assist machine, only had four on the day. Oden spent much of the game on the bench due to foul trouble, but still managed to pull down 9 boards.

Despite the lackadaisical performance, however, the probability of achieving a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament increased thanks to #2 UCLA's road loss to West Virginia. For those of you that were wondering, the other top seed contenders (Wisconsin and UNC) won today, and Florida, who has all but locked up a top-seed at this point, plays tonight at Kentucky.

So the question remains, will Ohio State achieve a top tournament seed? We obviously will not know until Selection Sunday comes around, but the Buckeyes do appear to be on the fast-track. In fact, the difference between a 1 and a 2 seed may come down to a February 25th match-up with Wisconsin. As everybody remembers, Ohio State came up one three pointer short the last time they faced the Badgers on January 9. However, that game was at the Kohl Center, perhaps the toughest place to play in the entire country, and the team had not learned how to play with Greg Oden quite like they have now. Barring an upset, both teams should run the table before the game, as the only legitimately tough opponent on either team's schedule is when Wisconsin travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State on the 20th. This would, of course, mean that neither team should be ranked lower than 3 in the rankings, assuming UNC doesn't do anything miraculous to jump Wisconsin.

The winner of this hypothetical game would most assuredly get a number one seed, while the other one would be number 2. Even if there is a third match-up between the two teams in the Big Ten tournament, it would have to come in the championship game, meaning that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee would have most likely already decided on a top seed.

Granted, there were quite a few of "woulds" and "shoulds" in those last two paragraphs, but the odds of this particular scenario playing out are much greater than those of one of these two teams being upset by a lesser team.

The 2007 quarterbacks, Part Three: Antonio Henton

2007-01-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

Antonio Henton, Redshirt freshman
6'2" 210 pounds
Career Stats:
None

Positives:
Henton will enter camp as the fan favorite to get the job, despite the fact that the vast majority of Ohio State fans, much like myself, have never actually seen him play in person. However, Henton's high school film has more than made the rounds at various internet message boards, and what most people see when they watch his highlights is potentially the next Troy Smith. Much like Smith, Henton is a pass-first quarterback that has the ability to scramble when needed. However, Henton is a tad taller than Smith (6-2 to Smith's 6-0), which leads many to the assumption that he will not suffer from Smith's recurring problem of seeing over the line and having passes knocked down by defensive tackles. Henton posts a 4.65 forty time, which may seem slow, by watching his film it is quite apparent that his so-called "game speed" is much faster. By game speed, I am referring to his ability to run in pads while also making cuts, and not necessarily in a straight line, either. Also, I do believe that the adrenaline rush experienced during a football game is much greater than one forty yard sprint, which definitely plays a big role in it all. As a high schooler, his impact on his team was unparalleled. Henton missed the first three games of the season, all of which were losses, then he came back and the team won every single game for the rest of the year until the state-title game. Obviously, how this will play out in college remains to be seen, but from what limited evidence we have, this guy appears to bring wins with him wherever he goes, which is never a bad thing.

Negatives:
Of the three quarterbacks, Henton lacks experience the most, having redshirted his only season thus far. And, as everyone this side of Colt McCoy knows, inexperience kills when it comes to starting quarterbacks. Very few quarterbacks have success on a consistent (key word being consistent) basis at any level of play when being thrust into the starting role, especially one at a place of high expectations such as OSU. In fact, if he is put into the starting role next season, the only direction he can go is downwards. The fans that I have talked to personally that want Henton to be the starter next season expect him to be the second coming of Troy Smith. As a matter of fact, I remember recently reading a piece about Henton (it may have been somewhere in the blogosphere I can't remember), and the author said something along the lines of "The next Troy Smith? Or the first Antonio Henton?" with an incredibly optimistic tone, as if to say he'll blossom into something more than Troy. Giving these expectations to a kid that is yet to hit his 20th birthday is only going to set him up for failure. He will try to make throws that redshirt freshmen don't make, and as the mistakes pile up, his confidence very well could be shattered before he even gets a chance to mature. Granted, the kid is going to have to learn to deal with adversity at some point, but it's best that he does it in situations that don't jeopardize the team's record, or perhaps even as a sophomore, when he will have another year under his belt to mature a tad.

Speaking of maturity, another thing that really bothers me about Antonio at this point is his attitude. Sure, he seems to have exceptional work ethic, and has done all the right things in practice to impress the coaches thus far, but if his comments in the Dispatch are any sign of this kid's humility, then he clearly has a long way to go when it comes to understanding Tressel's philosophy as a coach:

"I think our style is very, very the same," he said. "I think he’s a little bit better passer than me right now, but during the offseason, I’m going to be in the weight room hard, and try to get my arm strength to where his is at."

No, not that quote. That was Tressel-talk at it's finest. This is what I'm talking about:

"I think if I win the job and I have four years (to start), there’s no doubt that I (will) be the next Heisman winner at Ohio State," he said. "That’s right, no doubt,"

Okay, Antonio, I'm sure you've already got a talking-to from the Sweatervest about that, but I'll just throw in my two cents on it: I don't care if you've been on the team for 1 year or 100 years, you do not, under any circumstances, ever say that. Ever. I might cut some slack to someone who, you know, has played a down or two at the collegiate level, or is even a preseason Heisman candidate, but a redshirt freshman? You have got to be kidding me, Antonio. Watching Troy Smith must have jaded his views on what things are easy to achieve, and what things are difficult. Not counting walk-ons, there are 10,115 Division I college football players, and only one of them will win the Heisman. I hate to break it to you, Antonio, but the odds aren't in your favor, so you better keep your mouth closed and do what your coaches tell you.

The Bottom Line:
Henton's potential is unlimited, that is undeniable. However, potential doesn't become unleashed over one night, or even one season. It takes time. It took Troy Smith 5 years to fulfill his potential, and he's still capable of more, as the National Championship showed us all. We're going to see plenty of good out of Henton this upcoming season, and probably just as much bad as well. He'll get his fair share of opportunities, and will be used in situations when his legs are needed, but when push comes to shove, is there really any doubt as to who the coaches will choose to lead the team on that last-ditch effort to win the game; the mature, seasoned Boeckman, or the raw Henton? I really hope I'm wrong about Henton, if only because there's nothing better than a person overcoming his doubters to achieve true success. However, it won't happen this season, and we may not even see it until (heaven forbid) his senior year. We'll have to be patient with Henton, and his time will come. Just not yet.

A recruiting post: Because everyone else is doing it

2007-01-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

The 2007 recruiting class for the Ohio State Buckeyes has been disappointing to say the least. However, there was some good news on the recruiting front this week when the "Glenville Pipeline" expanded by one with the commitment of LB/ATH Jer'Male Hines. Despite his low ranking, Jer'Male has a great chance to contribute greatly to the team in the near future. He possesses good speed for an outside linebacker, and is pound-for-pound one of the most athletic guys in this class. Here is a quick look at how things are playing out as the recruiting season wraps-up.

The "Star" Player
Eugene Clifford, Safety
Out of Cincinnati Colerain, Clifford has long been considered one of the top players in the state, and is expected to be the next great Ohio State defensive back, if he even ends up staying there. There is no doubt that Ohio State produced one of the top-overall classes when it comes to members of the secondary, and Eugene also has experience as a wide receiver. Although it's unlikely that we'll see a Ted Ginn-like transition from high school to college, it's not totally out of the question. Clifford possesses an incredible mix of pure athleticism on top of being a great football player. His greatest strength defensively is in pass-support, but his ability to stop the run is not to be overlooked as he has great instincts and is a very physical player with great closing speed, as is evidenced by his 147 tackles as a junior. As his video highlights would suggest, his greatest attributes are clearly his instincts, toughness, and vertical. His ability to go up for jump balls on vertical routes will make him an excellent weapon on either side of the ball.

The "Early Impact" Guy
Brandon Saine, Running Back
Brandon Saine was named Mr. Football in the state of Ohio this past season, after racking up 1,895 rushing yards with 27 touchdowns, while being named to the All-Ohio team. Most people expected him to commit to Michigan following his junior season, but surprised everyone when he picked Ohio State in the end. Saine very well may be one of the fastest running backs in recent memory to set foot in Ohio Stadium, as he boasts a 4.4 forty time and is also a state track champion. However, don't be fooled by his speed, he is also a very powerful runner who is great at moving the pile. It's too bad he's going to have to settle for playing behind Chris Wells, because when I see Saine's film, I see a bigger and faster Antonio Pittman, with just as many moves. However, the departure of Pittman and the sudden rumors of a Maurice Wells transfer could leave the running back position incredibly thin going into next season as Chris Wells would be the only scholarship back with any playing experience. Realistically, Saine could be as high as number 2 on the depth chart by the opening game of the season. Although that may leave many people fearful, as this is a team that will rely heavily on the running game next season, Saine is undoubtedly one of the most college-ready players in this class. Although he's bound to make freshman mistakes (Remember, Chris Wells did, too), his ability to hit home runs could more than make up for it.

I reccommend you take a look at this kid's video also, because it is very, very impressive. Here's the YouTube collection, and then there's also three videos on BuckNuts, which I can't get to work on Firefox for one reason or another.

Player to keep an eye on Donnie Evege, Cornerback
Evege may perhaps be one of the more overlooked members of this recruiting class. Not necessarily because of his rankings (#16 cornerback in the nation via Rivals), but perhaps more because he is being overshadowed by an incredibly group of guys in the secondary. However, of all those defensive backs, there is really only one other true corner (James Scott) and the rest are all safeties. The reason to keep an eye on Evege is because he will be graduating high school early and will enroll in time for the start of spring practice, and if past results are any indication, you can kiss Evege's redshirt goodbye as the extra practice should prepare him enough to see the field as early as week 1. As far as the type of player that Evege is, he is a burner with 4.4 speed and great athleticism. He could also potentially make it as a running back in college, as he played both sides of the ball in high school, but it would take much refining of his skills and he would most likely begin buried down on the depth chart, thus most people believe he'll be a cornerback from the get go. The biggest thing he needs to work on at this moment is his tackling ability, which seems to be a common theme for Ohio State defensive back prospects, both past and present.

Other key players:
Dane Sanzenbacher, Wide Receiver - Despite low rankings on the scouting websites, he has impressed the coaches greatly in his showings at camps and on the field. Has drawn many comparisons to Gonzo, and may be a real steal when it's all said and done.

Devon Torrence, ATH - He is being recruited as a safety, but could very easily move to his natural position cornerback, or even end up as a wide receiver. He has great size for a defensive back and is a physical player, but is also incredibly fast. He is still a bit raw, and may need a year of redshirting before becoming a consistent contributer, but he is a guy we could be seeing on both sides of the ball in the near future. His commitment will pave the way for his younger brother, who some are saying is the #1 player in the state for the class of '08, to come to Ohio State as well.

Boom Herron, RB - Herron may essentially be considered the anti-Saine. As opposed to Saine's electrifying speed, Herron keeps it simple and would probably be Woody Hayes' favorite player if he played back then, due to his lower-the-shoulder mentality (Yes, that is where the nickname "Boom" was created). He's only around 200 pounds, but he is the kind of guy that clearly gives 100% on every play and cannot usually be brought down with just one opposing tackler on him. Realistically, he could be right up with Saine on the two-deep when the season begins.

Behind Door #2: Rob Schoenhoft

2007-01-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

I continue my look at the new Ohio State quarterbacks with part two of a three part series. Last week, I took a look at Todd Boeckman, and today is my "inspection" of redshirt sophomore-to-be Rob Schoenhoft.

Rob Schoenhoft, Redshirt Sophomore
6'6" 240 pounds
Career Stats:
1-1 5 yards

Positives:
Schoenhoft will enter the 2007 as the least-known of the three quarterbacks in the eyes of the fans. While that may appear to be a negative trait, it puts him in as much of a low-pressure situation that an Ohio State quarterback could possibly be in. He won't be expected to manage the game like Boeckman, and he won't be expected to spark the offense like Henton. Despite the low expectations, he should be able to do a mix of both of those things. Although he won't be in his fifth year with the program, he has spent a year under a redshirt, and also has an additional season of experience on top of that, which should prove to be just plenty in the long run.

Standing at 6'6'' and 240 pounds, Robby might as well be a tight end playing quarterback. As a matter of fact, Schoenhoft's high school coach is even on record as saying that Robby would be a premier tight end prospect if it weren't for his quarterbacking abilities. Despite his size, however, Schoenhoft is no slouch at running with the ball, either. He is extremely capable of scrambling for yards if need be, and his running style has actually been compared to that of Craig Krenzel, which isn'although it isn't anything worth writing home about, I think we all remember the numerous times Krenzel's legs have saved the offense when a play breaks down. As far as his arm is concerned, Schoenhoft's is arguably the strongest of the three candidates, which is evidenced by the following quote from his old high school quote (courtesy of Rivals):

"I haven't seen quarterback with a stronger arm. We actually have to make him ease off so his receivers can catch the ball."

That is incredibly impressive considering that Schoenhoft didn't play for any regular suburban team with average talent. For those of you unfamiliar with Ohio high school football, Cincinnati St. Xavier (Schoenhoft's high school) is year-in and year-out one of the most talented teams in the state, and is annually in the mix for the state title. Now I'm sure he doesn't have a Brett Favre-like supernatural arm, but having to ease off of some of the best wide receivers in the state is pretty praiseworthy in my book.

One area other than arm strength that especially works in Schoenhoft's favor as he's battling for a spot this offseason is that he is a student of the game. Various reports (again, these are just reports, nothing that I can attest to personally) have stated that the coaching staff has been quite impressed with his ability to quickly grasp the offense in his short time here, and also for his ability to take command in the huddle. Although much of that may just be the coaches' way of praising him publicly and may not have much of an effect when things get serious, it's not everyday that you hear those kinds of things getting said by a kid who has only thrown one competitive collegiate pass.

Rob Schoenhoft was also an excellent basketball player in High School, leading his team to the state finals his senior year, another testament to his athleticism.

Negatives:
Perhaps the biggest negative at the moment is that at the moment he is all-upside, with no legitimate playing time to at least show off his abilities. Every judgment being made of Schoenhoft is purely based off of what he did in High School and what members of the media are saying about him. At this moment, we really don't have any choice except to believe what they are saying until the Spring game rolls around, then he can show what he is capable of when playing with (and against) numerous other legitimate starters. His performance in last year's spring game gave me the initial impression that he would be a long-term project at quarterback (9-28, 109 yards and one interception), but after watching more closely, it was apparent that his offensive line was much inferior to the opposing defensive line, as he was given almost no time whatsoever to throw the ball. Also considering that he had Beanie Wells on his team, so when he [Wells] wasn't getting handoffs, it was usually the offensive coaches experimenting with play-action, which gave him even less time to throw. His scrambling ability was apparent, but it clearly wasn't enough with the lack of protection/time.

Of course, there is still the ever-present problem of finding that quarterback who seems to have that so-called "it" factor of leading the team to victory in tight games. Just like with Boeckman, we won't know with Schoenhoft until he gets just as many opportunities in close games as Boeckman and Henton do. I'm positive that one of these three guys has "it," just because it would be totally uncharacteristic of Tressel and Co. to recruit three guys who don't have it, and have them all on the roster at once. As of this moment, it appears to me that that guy very well may be Schoenhoft, but no one will know until he, and not Boeckman or Beanie, is asked to win a game all by himself.

I'll come out and say it right now: Rob Schoenhoft is the guy I'll be rooting for to become the next starting quarterback at the Ohio State University. And although Boeckman will be given the first chance, and the fans will put the pressure on the coaches to play Henton, just from reading about Schoenhoft and watching him play in limited action (spring game), if he can maximize his potential, we'll have a guy with Hoying's arm, Krenzel's smarts and mobility, and Smith's killer instinct. Of course, only time will tell if he has any of those things, but I feel his style definitely makes him the right guy for this team (remember, we lost our four biggest offensive playmakers in Smith, Ginn, Gonzo, and Pittman; things are going to be much more 2002-ish than 2006-ish). He won't come in and wow us all immediately, and may take a year of seasoning, but in what I expect to be a rebuilding season anyways, we might as well see what we're getting out of this guy.

QB Comparison: Because it's never too early

2007-01-16T17:19:00.000-05:00

Sure, it's only January. And sure, the season ended a mere week ago. But hey, what better way to forget about that catastrophe last than to talk about what the future holds for the Buckeyes? Sure, I dove into it briefly a few days ago, but there's still that one topic that is going to be fluttering throughout everybody's minds from now until next season: Just who will be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes next season? Sure, there are plenty of other interesting position battles at Wide Receiver, in the secondary, and along the defensive lines to name a few, but none are nearly as compelling as the one under center. The difference between the quarterback spot and the other positions is that we actually know what we're getting from those guys to an extent. The most that any of the three quarterbacks have played came in so-called "garbage time" against minuscule opponents.

The Columbus Dispatch discussed the issue earlier in the week with a story and a brief comparison of the three candidates. The comparisons are scary (and not in the good way), with Boeckman, the most experienced of the three, only having 10 career pass attempts. It really begs the question, why did Tressel continue to play Zwick so much at the end of games when two other guys needed the game experience more (Henton redshirted)? Obviously, it seemed like the logical thing to do at the time, but looking back on it, I think everyone would be willing to sacrifice one unhappy player (a benched Zwick) for one or two players better fit to play late in games (a playing Zwick/Schoenhoft).

Here's my first of a three-part series on the three quarterbacks

Todd Boeckman, Redshirt junior

6'5'' 235 pounds

Career Stats:
6-10 86 yards, 1 TD
4 rush, 14 yards 1 TD

Positives: Boeckman will enter Spring Practice listed as the #1 guy on the team's depth chart, and barring any injury, will most likely be the starter for the opening game of the season. This isn't because he is any more talented than the other quarterbacks; it's just due to Tressel's reputation of going by seniority when it comes to naming starters in tight position battles. Boeckman, surprisingly, is in his fifth year with the program, despite only being a junior. Boeckman greyshirted in 2003 (Intentionally earning less than 12 credits in one academic year. This allows for players to work with the team without playing, but not sacrificing their redshirt either), and then Redshirted during the 2004 season (You may remember a slight controversy during the 2004 Alamo Bowl when Troy Smith was suspended, and Justin Zwick had a pulled hamstring, in which Tressel had to decide whether or not to tear off Boeckman's redshirt in the final game, or put Ted Ginn in at quarterback). Boeckman has been able to gain experience despite a lack of playing time, something which is crucial for anybody expecting to be a Division-I quarterback, especially at Ohio State. As far as actual playing ability and measurements are concerned, the most noticeable contrast that you will see from Troy Smith to Boeckman is in his size. At 6'5", Boeckman also has some meat on his bones with his 235 lb. frame. Boeckman's deep ball is his greatest asset, as he has the needed touch on his throws to be accurate in the vertical passing game, which was a bit of an inconsistency in Troy Smith's game. The only time Boeckman has really had the opportunity to display this was in the opening week of the 2005 season against Miami, in which he hit Ted Ginn in stride for a 42 yard touchdown pass. He is mobile enough to escape trouble, and can occasionally be used in the running game. Interestingly enough, when Boeckman was in the game over the course of the season, there was an increase in the number of times the Buckeyes ran the option. One time, Boeckman scored a touchdown off of an option out of Shotgun against Northwestern.

Negatives:
Right now there are two serious questions surrounding Boeckman other than the obvious lack of game-experience:

1) Can he overcome the injury bug that has followed him ever since his High School career?

and

2) How reliable can he be when we need him most?

Obviously, neither of these questions can be answered as of this moment. However, they are both worth addressing. As a senior in High School, Boeckman sprained his MCL, and missed much of the season. During the jersey scrimmage over the summer, Boeckman suffered from an undisclosed injury, and missed some practices. Boeckman also suffered from an injury trying to run with the ball late in the game against Cincinnati last season. Although none of those injuries are to be considered major, he does seem to be banged up quite a bit compared to Buckeye quarterbacks of the past. Troy Smith and Craig Krenzel took a ton of hits during their respective tenures as Buckeyes, and the only injuries to come from them were an injured thumb and an injury against Penn State in 2003 which escapes me at the moment (concussion perhaps?). Both quarterbacks had the tendency to leave the pocket, and often found themselves out in the middle of the field with nowhere to go but into the arms of an awaiting linebacker. Boeckman often likes to scramble around at times, and I'm going to be cringing twice as hard when I see him get tackled, just because of his history of frailty.

Question #2 is the serious wild card here. Although he has been in the system for five years, and is a smart enough player to make proper reads, he's still started as many D-1 college football games as you or me. Although he hasn't had any Saturday opportunities to prove himself as either a "big time player" or a "big time choke," various scrimmages do not necessarily leave a positive image in the eyes of a fan. In multiple jersey scrimmages, Boeckman has been described as "shaky," whereas his counterpart for who he will be forever compared to, Rob Schoenhoft, has appeared much more confident in the pocket (that is based off of various reports I have read, as I have never actually witnessed a jersey scrimmage). In his only other opportunities for competitive play (Spring Games), Boeckman is a hardly awe-inspiring 15-34 for 200 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions for his career. I know they're only scrimmages, but it would be nice to see some positive signs in competition. I'll reserve final judgment on him regarding this issue until the season is underway, however.

Moving on with life: Gonzo leaves, Outback Bowl '08 imminent

2007-01-11T15:46:00.000-05:00

Well, that wasn't what anyone was expecting. I'd love to sit and chat about that debacle on Monday night, but I feel that there are less painful things to do, such as lighting my shorts on fire and/or drinking the stuff under the sink.

So, as if this week wasn't already depressing enough, the Junior that had the best chance at returning has decided to go pro. Anthony Gonzalez announced earlier this afternoon that he will enter the NFL draft. Although he is the first to announce it, he is more than likely to be joined by teammates Ted Ginn and Antonio Pittman. As a matter of fact, the only thing that is going to hold back Ginn from declaring is his ankle, which was reported today to be "just a sprain." Assuming it heals without any odd complications, he should be able to work out for the scouts and boost his draft stock.

Going back to Gonzo, he said that the deciding factor in his decision to go pro was the risk of a career-threatening injury which would obviously cost him millions of dollars. I have no problem with him looking out for himself in this situation. He's clearly given the team everything that he possibly could in his three seasons here, and although he finally got some much-deserved attention this season, he was still being greatly overshadowed by his teammates. Also, his so-called "draft stock" is about as high as it ever will be right now. Although he'd be far and away the #1 target on the team next season, he'd have adjust to a more conservative-style offense and a quarterback platoon (wooo!!). He's a tad undersized compared to most "prototypical" wide receiver prospects (Calvin Johnson and Dwyane Jarrett to name a couple), but I have faith in him that he can make it work at the next level. Chances are, he'll have to begin with getting a spot as a punt returner to hold on to his job, but as he adjusts, he very well could be one of the better receivers in the league in a few seasons.

Looking to Next Season:
Key Losses
QB Troy Smith (Graduation)
C Doug Datish (Graduation)
G TJ Downing (Graduation)
WR Roy Hall (Graduation)*
DT Quinn Pitcock (Graduation)
DT David Patterson (Graduation)
DT Joel Penton (Graduation)*
DE Jay Richardson (Graduation)
S Brandon Mitchell (Graduation)
CB Antonio Smith (Graduation)
G Tim Schafer (Graduation)*
FB/TE Stan White Jr. (Graduation)
QB Justin Zwick (Graduation)*
LB John Kerr (Graduation)
WR Ted Ginn (Early Entry)
WR Anthony Gonzalez (Early Entry)
RB Antonio Pittman (Early Entry)
RB Maurice Wells (Likely transfer)
*denotes backup

What it Means: Wow. Let that list sink in for a minute. 18 key contributers will be gone next year, 13 of which are starters. Of those 13 starters, the seven that are on the offensive ball are going to be much more difficult to replace than on defense. Obviously, one of those guys is a Heisman trophy winner and will NEVER be replaced. The two lost wide receivers will absolutely kill the depth at Wide Receiver. Brian Hartline has earned quite the reputation as a hard worker and has rocketed up the depth chart, and he will finally get his chance to start alongside Brian Robiskie. Robiskie, of course, is a bit more of a commodity, often times coming up with clutch touchdown passes in big games from Troy Smith this season (the final TD against Michigan and the infamous reversing-field pass against Penn State to name a couple). If he continues to play with that "it" factor that he has displayed over the course of the season, his contributions will be thought of as that much more important.

Defensively, there are going to be huge shoes to fill at the defensive tackle position. The likely candidates at this point to step up and take the starting role are Todd Denlinger and either junior-to-be Alex Barrow or sophomore-to-be Doug Worthington, both of whom are converted defensive ends that are capable of creating an effective pass-rush from the middle. At the moment, Worthington has more of the "tools" to become an excellent player, but he has had to battle through injuries whereas Barrow has remained relatively healthy and has much more in-game experience. John Kerr will be the least missed of the starters, just because the team played in a Nickel formation so much, and his ineffectiveness when he was in the game. It will be interesting to see how the secondary pans out. The potential is definitely there, with Andre Amos, Donald Washington, and Nick Patterson all battling for the corner spot. Patterson also has a shot at landing the void at the safety position left by Mitchell. What will make the secondary that much more interesting is the impending return of Anderson Russell. Before tearing his ACL on a touchback (?) against Iowa, Russell was establishing himself as a key member of the secondary with a nose for the ball.

The Replacements:

Who should be able to step up, even if not quite at the level of their predecessor:
RB Chris Wells (Pittman)
LB Curtis Terry/Larry Grant (Kerr)
DE Lawrence Wilson (Richardson)
WR Brian Robiskie (Ginn)
FB Dionte Johnson (White)
DT Todd Denlinger (Pitcock)

Need some work:
WR Brian Hartline (Gonzalez)
G Kyle Mitchum (Downing)
C Jim Cordle/Tyler Whaley
QB Rob Schoenhoft/Todd Boeckman (Smith)
CB Donald Washington/Andre Amos (Smith)
S Nick Patterson (Mitchell)
KR Ray Small/Brandon Saine* (Ginn)
DT Alex Barrow/Doug Worthington (Patterson)

Someday:
QB Antonio Henton (Smith/Zwick)
RB Brandon Saine/Boom Herron (C Wells as Backup)*
S Eugene Clifford (Mitchell)*

*-Denotes 2007 recruit

What does it mean?: First off, I'd like to state that the "Should be able...." group doesn't necessarily mean that those guys will be able to make people forget about the guy before them, it just simply means that those are the guys who I think are the backups that are most ready to start immediately. For example, Todd Denlinger will probably be a very average Defensive Tackle next season, possibly even a bit above average. However, he has been down in depth chart for quite some time now and has made the most of his limited opportunities (see: domination in Scarlet and Gray game). That doesn't also mean that these guys are bad football players, either. That is simply due to the fact that bad football players do not start at The Ohio State University. As long as Jim Tressel is the head coach, he will almost always get the most of his players on a weekly basis. The "Need Work" category are the players that I view as the biggest hit/miss prospects that could start next season. Fortunately, a lot of them are battling for jobs, which means that the odds of finding a "hit" player are much greater than they would originally be if one of them were to just get the job handed to him. Competition will only make these players better, and I feel that the coaches will pick the right guy in the end. As far as the "Someday" category is concerned, those are the players that will need to work their tails off in order to get significant playing time this season, simply because they are put at the disadvantage of being either buried in the depth chart, an incoming freshman, or both. I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one of those guys make an emergence next season and positively impact the team on the field, but the odds are against them initially.

On that note, I'd like to say that I hope to make a more elaborate post in the near future about the quarterback situation. I would promise that the post would get made, but when I make promises on here, they always get broken.

My 5 Keys to the game

2007-01-07T11:07:00.000-05:00

5. Don't make Florida a pass-first team
Make them a pass-first, pass-second, and pass-third team. The one thing Florida has drawn the most criticism about over the season is that they don't have much of a run game whatsoever. Their leading rusher, running back DeShawn Wynn, only has a grand total of 630 yards rushing this season. However, he's only had one game this season in which he has carried to football more than 15 times. In fact, the Gators as a whole only average roughly 33 rushing attempts per game. This is compared to the Buckeyes, another "pass first" team, who have almost 40 more total carries in one less game this season.

Don't be fooled by the stats, however. Ohio State may be ranked 16th in the nation in rush defense, but you have to remember that this is a team that has showed they are vulnerable against the run. Mike Hart had 142 yards and three touchdowns against us. Garrett Wolfe had 171 yards against us (and that's not even getting into the screen passes). Texas abandoned the run early, but Selvin Young still averaged 8.55 yards per carry in that game. Now, fortunately for us, Wynn isn't in the same tier of ability as those guys, so the chances of him going ballistic are minimal. However, the majority of the Ohio State defenders have no experience facing an offense designed to spread out defenses and create mismatches, so there's always that chance that the defense falls flat on its face when trying to defend the run.

4. Use your head!
We're playing against Urban Meyer, and he has had a month to prepare for the biggest game of his professional life. You think we're going to see some trickery? The last thing any fan wants to see in any game is a big play where the defense made some sort of elementary mistake such as a defensive end losing backside contain or a cornerback running in the wrong direction. This is where the issue of the 51 day layoff really comes into play. Guys are going to be a bit raw, especially as fatigue sets in and the game wears on. It won’t be a surprise to see players fall into the most basic of traps, and then BAM! Before you know it, Percy Harvin is throwing a deep route to Dallas Baker with no one around, and Florida gets seven points, just like that. That's why this falls completely on how Tressel and the assistants treated their players after the Michigan game. Were they soft on the guys? It's doubtful, but if they were, then you're going to see a lot of mentally-weak players out there not finishing plays and not defending their assignments.

3. Pull out all the stops

In his tenure as head coach, especially in the post-Krenzel era, Jim Tressel has become known for opening up the playbook and doing a lot of non-Tresselesque things in the bowl games. Whether it's lining up Ted Ginn at quarterback, running option reverses, or just simply being more vertical in the passing game, there's no question that the play-calling becomes much more aggressive as the season wears on. My biggest concern at this moment is that Tressel opened up too much of the playbook one game too early, and perhaps gave the Florida scouts a bit more information than one would be comfortable with. ESPN addressed the issue somewhat earlier in the week when they attempted to breakdown our 5-wide set which was used 24 times with great success against Michigan. I'm sure that this set is going to get its fair share of looks as the game wears on, but to say that it will be the primary offense like it was back in November is highly irrational. Remember, for each of the "big" games this season (at Texas, at Iowa, and Michigan), the offense went through vast changes from the prior week. Against Texas, we saw a multitude of what appeared to be pre-determined shifts at the line of scrimmage, especially early on, which clearly confused the Texas defense and allowed for some big plays (most notably the pass to Ginn over the middle which went for a big gain). Against Iowa we implemented a motion out of the backfield which resulted in either Antonio Pittman or Beanie split wide right. Although neither of the backs were huge factors in the passing game, they opened up the middle of the field for Gonzo to have a huge game. Against Michigan, of course, were the aforementioned 5-wide sets.

So what does this game hold for the offense? Only time will tell, but if I had to guess, I would have to assume that it would have quite a bit to do with implementing Ted Ginn into all aspects of the game. Catching, running, returning, and dare I say throwing?

2. Win in the trenches
Sound familiar? I listed this as my #1 key to beating Texas, and as the biggest reason why Ohio State would defeat Iowa back in September. In fact, both times, I gave it the same title as the one here. The fact of the matter is that in any football game, when the talent level is so equal, the deciding factor is always on the lines. Just take a look at the three games this season where the offensive line has had the biggest impact on the outcome. Against Texas, Troy Smith had all day and then some to throw the ball, and the result was a complete thumping of the Longhorns in their own home stadium. The reason the Iowa game was so one-sided was for the same exact reasons. Iowa was incapable of creating an effective pass rush without blitzing, so when they did blitz, the big passes came much easier. How about Michigan? LaMarr Woodley and Alan Branch are both All-American-caliber players, yet in that game they totaled six tackles, zero sacks, and one fluke interception combined. It's no coincidence that in all three games, the offensive line dominated for the majority of the game and that the Buckeyes came out victorious pretty easily (yes, Michigan game included) each time.

I'm pretty content with the situation for tomorrow. One of Florida's glaring weaknesses is that they have unable to create a pass-rush this season. The one question mark that remains is Alex Boone's ability to create backside protection, as he has been inconsistent with it all season long. In fact, the reason as to why he remains a starter over Tim Schafer is his ability to absolutely dominate in the running game with his ability to get to the second level. The latest depth chart reveals Steve Rehring as the starting left guard, which is something I have been supporting for quite some time now. He's one of the biggest lineman we have, as opposed to Schafer, who is relatively undersized for his position (a converted defensive lineman, he is only listed at a somewhat generous 290). One would argue that it may create vision issues for the already vertically-challenged Troy Smith, but when he’s spending the majority of the game out of shotgun, I don’t see cut-off passing lanes being an issue. On the other side of the ball, things should also weigh in our favor. The defensive line is extraordinarily deep, and this extra time off should only help to get everyone healthy. In fact, Tressel recently stated that the entire team is at 100%, with the exception of linebacker John Kerr, who is battling an undisclosed injury.

1. Troy Story, a happy ending?

Since the BCS's inception, the Heisman trophy winner has played in a BCS bowl game every season except for 1998. Only three times has the winner of the Heisman won that bowl game, and only once was that in a National Championship game (Matt Leinart in 2004). History is against Troy Smith tomorrow night, but looking back on his life, when have the odds not been against him? We've all heard it a million times before, but why not bring it up one more time? Here is a kid that was orphaned at a young age when his mom had drug issues, he was the final scholarship offer from the 2002 class, was brought in as an athlete, spending time at kick returner and running back, then was moved to quarterback before the 2004 season. In that season, the man he was battling for the quarterback spot, Justin Zwick, was repeatedly chosen over him, and Troy never got a real shot at it until Zwick went down with an injury. Then, as it looked like things were finally turning in Smith's favor, leading the Buckeyes to a victory over the heavily favored Wolverines, the infamous $500 dollar handshake occurred, and he was suspended for the Alamo Bowl and the season opener the next season. Yet, with all of that against him, he was able to rise up to the top and has forever cemented himself in Buckeye eminence. Now, he has one final game. A last hurrah, if you will. Will he do as so many other past Heisman winners have done and drifted into invisibility when it matters most, or will he rise to the occasion one last time? It all depends on Troy's state of mind. Is he content with all he has accomplished, has he let the accolades get to his head, or does he want a National title to call his own? I think I speak for everyone here when I say that we're all hoping and praying for the latter, because we know that without Troy, we don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning this game. But I and the rest of the Buckeyes have seen the man that Troy has become since 2004, and I'm confident in knowing which Troy will show up tomorrow.

Battle of the Blogs: Championship edition

2007-01-02T16:56:00.000-05:00

You may remember back during Michigan week that CSTV.com ran a little feature known as "Battle of the Blogs" where each day, one blogger representing Ohio State squared off against a Michigan blogger debating over a miscellaneous topic regarding the two teams. My performance that week was mediocre at best, as the general consensus surrounding my debate was that I got shellacked by the boys at M-Zone.

I've spent the time since then hoping at a chance for redemption, and as it is now officially "Florida Week," CSTV has decided to bring me back for a championship edition of Battle of the Blogs. My topic? Which school has the better fan-base: Ohio State or Florida? Despite nearly forgetting about it, I put in my best effort at the 11th hour, and 1,000+ words later, I think redemption was served. My initial reaction when seeing my opponent was an expletive, as I had the tall task of going against Orson Swindle of EDSBS, one of the most prestigious blogs out there. However, he said nothing much other than Florida fans are loud. The only area he really points out that Florida fans have our number in is in the area of standing. I've gotten yelled at multiple times for standing up. He also adds a bit more humor in than me, but that wasn't the angle I wasn't going at there. Judge for yourself as you read,

Pittman, Wells cleared

2006-12-31T15:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting around here lately. It really hasn't been due to a lack of time or topics to write about, but rather just a lack of motivation. You can bet that that will change, however, throughout this week.

I'll begin today's post with some very good news that has come up in recent days. After an investigation regarding the charity dinner that I mentioned a couple of days ago that put the eligibility of the team's two leading rushers, Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells, up in the air, the University determined that no violations occurred, and both backs were cleared. The article posted does a fantastic job clearing up some of the discrepancies associated with the NCAA guidelines, and thoroughly specifies what Ohio State did versus what is against the rules.

“We have talked to all the principles involved and are confident that the players and their families had no prior knowledge of the event. Additionally, no money was given to anyone associated with the Ohio State football program. Those are the litmus tests.”

Also, it turns out that the dinner was put on by Dawn Stiggers-Ferguson, a friend of the players' families, and not the families themselves, which many people (including myself) had assumed. Since the players were unaware of the situation before the dinner, and none of the money was given, there was nothing that the NCAA could do to reprimand them.

Obviously, this is a huge sigh of relief to everyone from the fanbase, all the way up to Gene Smith. If both players were deemed ineligible for the national championship game, the fallout would have been catastrophic. Not only would it mean our two best runners would be gone, making the offense one-dimensional, but it would have put Tressel's offensive game-planing and creativity to the ultimate test. Maurice Wells may still be better than any of Florida's tailbacks, but he's so frail that he'd become almost worthless after 15 carries and in short yardage situations. What would Tressel do then? It would have been a near-guarantee that Troy would surpass his season high in carries (11), and then we would really see what this team was capable of when facing adversity.

Luckily, however, none of this needs to be worried about. I hate to say that when both teams are at full strength, this game will be over by halftime, but looking at things on paper, there's no reason to believe that this game will be a nail biter. However, I have that feeling deep inside of me that this will be Ohio State's toughest test all season long. To me, Florida just seems to have that collective "it" factor that leads them to victory when nothing else is working, very similar to what the Bucks had in 2002. Perhaps it's just the memory of the 2002 championship game that is keeping me from predicting a blowout, perhaps I'm actually on to something here. I guess we'll find out the 8th.

Oh, and I wish everyone out there a very Happy New Years.

Pittman, Wells involved in possible NCAA infractions

2006-12-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

I was planning on taking this space to write up an evaluation on the embarrassing performance that the Buckeye basketball team put up yesterday, but there is potentially much bigger news regarding the much bigger match-up with Florida.

Buckeye RBs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells were instructed by Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman to leave a fundraiser that was for their families' benefit. Obviously, the message boards have been flying with rumors regarding the situation and, more importantly, a potential suspension for the National Championship. Obviously, the NCAA has not given any punishments as of yet, and most likely will not until the coming days. There are a few critical factors to consider before jumping to conclusions, however.

All of the following is purely analysis on the situation, and are not to be considered "rumors" by any stretch of the imagination.

The first thing to realize here is the timing of it all. The game is only two weeks away, which may seem like a long time, but you have to realize that the NCAA regularly takes quite some time to make a final decision on it all. As far as I know, the NCAA cannot suspend a player without completely investigating, and with the Holiday season on the horizon, that could take a long time. This bodes well for us, and if a decision is not made until after the championship, the worst-case scenario is a one game suspension for next season.

Also, another key thing to note here is that they did not accept any money for taking part in this fund raiser. If this is indeed the case, then there shouldn't be anything worse than a "slap on the wrist" sort of punishment from the NCAA. After all, we all know that the NCAA is run by money, and it is the only thing that they care about (see: BCS), so if no money illegally traded hands, then it shouldn't really be an issue.

Obviously, this issue is in the very early stages, and it is something that I will be looking at very closely over the coming days. If anyone here hears anything (rumors or not), feel free to post them in the comments section.

Full Court Press: Saurian Sagacity and O&B Hue

2006-12-19T18:35:00.000-05:00

Living in Ohio, Buckeye fans don't get too many chances to watch the Gators play through and through. Sure, we all see the highlights on Sportscenter, but the highlights give very little insight into a team. Thus, I have conducted an interview via e-mail with two of the finer Gator blogs around, the Saurian Sagacity and Orange & Blue Hue. I tried to cover all of the bases regarding the Gators with this interview: Everything ranging from the QB situation, to Urban Meyer. In case you were wondering, the story behind their blog's title is one of the more interesting ones that I have seen.

In the old days, long before Urban Meyer roamed the sidelines at The Swamp, even before Steve Spurrier was slinging touchdowns and kicking game-winning field goals, some sports writers gave the University of Florida's football team a long-forgotten nickname: the Saurians. Today, two Florida alums pay tribute to the Gators of old as we look toward the future. We hope you enjoyed your visit to Saurian Sagacity, and come again.

Well, I guess you learn something new everyday. Now, on with the interview.

Update: I send the interview out to the writers of the blog, and I just received two more interviews. The responses that have been up since last night were from Henry Gomez, and the ones that have just been added are from his fellow Florida bloggers, Scott Reid and Ryan Ferguson of Orange & Blue Hue.

Q: Earlier last week, I discussed the Tim Tebow/Chris Leak quarterback situation. Unlike most QB-By-Committee duos in recent history, the Gators have had success with it. How has this worked so well, especially with both players being so one-dimensional?

Gomez: The thing is that you really can't characterize it as a two-QB system. Chris Leak is the quarterback of the team and with good reason, he's re-written the school record book in his 4 years as a starter. Because of early struggles under Ron Zook he has been labeled as one who is prone to making inopportune mistakes but the statistics don't bear that out. His interception percentage is the lowest of any Gator QB with more than 500 attempts. But Tim Tebow has seen some playing time and not always in mop-up duty (the Gators have played close games all year so there really hasn't been much mop-up duty to be had). The key here is that both players know exactly what their role is. Tebow understands that he is the understudy and that next year the team will be his. More excitable than Leak, he adds a level of emotion to the offense that isn't there otherwise. So the two complement each other not just in their styles of play but in their temperament. I'd be careful to label either of these players as one-dimensional. Certainly Chris Leak is not the runner or the physical presence that Tebow is, but he is deadly accurate throwing on roll outs to either side. Mechanical problems he had while Zook was head coach (throwing off of his back foot, not squaring his shoulders on running throws) are thankfully gone. Tebow can throw the ball, he simply hasn't been given much of a chance to. Can you blame Meyer? Regardless of his gifts, Tebow is still a true freshman, prone to making freshman mistakes, thus he has been used in controlled situations where he has the best chance of success. One thing to look out for is the possibility of both of these players in the backfield at the same time.

Reid: I don't think there's any brilliant strategy here, its all about Tim Tebow. He's not as one dimensional as he was early in the year but the play calls with him have been conservative. They don't seem to put him in the game if they are making the same calls that Leak can execute well which tends to make him seem one dimensional. Basically he's just a great runner and like any great runner when you put him in the game you have the ability to make big plays. His being in the game gives Florida an extra blocker at the point of attack while his ability to throw or run "trick" plays adds a moment of hesitation in defenders. I think next year you will see a much more productive Florida offense with Tebow the full time starter. For now he's similar to bringing a great freshman WR or RB into the game in that he adds another playmaker to the field for limited periods.

Leak is limited because of his size and his inability to produce as a runner in the spread offense. The sets and offense you see being run by the Gators are a hybrid offense implemented because of Leak's strengths and weaknesses.

Ferguson: It has worked because one of the quarterbacks is not one-dimensional. Tim Tebow can throw the football as well as anyone and he should always be regarded as both a running and passing threat. When safeties cheat up on Tebow, you'll see Meyer trust him to throw the ball, often deep. In short yardage situations he's rarely been stopped. Actually, FSU was probably most successful at containing Tebow but they sold out completely to do it.

Q: The general consensus around the nation (at least to my limited knowledge of the SEC) is that Percy Harvin appears to be the next Reggie Bush. What are some other key playmakers on the Gator offense/special teams that could steal a couple of highlights in the big game, and more importantly, have an effect on the final score?

HG: Percy Harvin was highly touted coming in as a true freshman and he has proven so far that the hype was justified. He has been a spark plug for the Gators offense despite the fact that he he has been nursing a high ankle sprain for most of the season and been limited in his playing time. The long layoff between the SEC Championship and the BCS Championship comes at great time for Percy and many of the other Gators who are banged up after playing a grueling regular season schedule. When you talk about the Gator offense you can't forget Dallas Baker "The Touchdown Maker". A big 6th year senior (he was recruited by Steve Spurrier) look for Leak to find Baker in the end zone. He's probably the most sure-handed member of the deep receiving corps. Andre "Bubba" Caldwell has improved all-season long as he came back from a broken leg sustained last season. You could literally see his confidence coming back to him. On special teams keep an eye out for Brandon James, the Gators diminutive kick/punt returner, he's had several run-backs for touchdowns called back. If the Gators can avoid the illegal blocks in the back, he may just break one in this game. By now you must know about our punt/kick blocking unit. Jarvis Moss, a tall defensive end with a freakish vertical leap and Reggie Nelson, the all-American safety are the anchors of this squad. The punt squad for the Gators is excellent and is anchored by the steady Eric Wilbur. Field goal kicking is another story. Chris Hetland was a pre-season nominee for the Lou Groza award. His season has been a nightmare though and his 9 missed field goals are one of the reasons the Gators have had so many close games.

SR: A guy who can impact the game to a lesser extent is Cornelius Ingram. He doesn't have the great speed of Harvin but he's an ex running QB who has transitioned into a good pass catching TE. His blocking is still average but when utilized as a receiver he is a big target who can break tackles and is elusive in the open field. Fayson might be the player closest in talent to Harvin but he doesn't see the field as much on offense and I don't expect him to be a factor there. Fayson, Reggie Nelson and Brandon James are the big names on special teams, the first two on blocks and the last as a return man. For the older players Dallas Baker has been a playmaking WR all year long who can outjump defenders and has a highlight reel of receptions so far this year. Andre Caldwell is a more experienced but less elusive version of Harvin. Expect Caldwell and Baker to see a lot of passes but they won't be any different than the caliber of athletes OSU faced in Michigan and Texas.

RF: Reggie Bush was one of a kind, and early comparisons of Harvin to Bush are a great compliment. Harvin has a ways to go before he is the next Bush, notably, his ball-catching skills need to be improved a bit, but as a freshman he is phenomenal and will only get better. Outside of "Mercy Percy" Florida has playmakers on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Florida's best trio of wide wide receivers -- Jemalle Cornelius, Andre Caldwell, and Dallas Baker -- are All-American material, but Meyer's "spread the ball around" philosophy makes it impossible for any one of them to put up the numbers to make AA.

The Gators' special teams have been truly special for two straight seasons under Meyer, blocking an unprecedented 14 punts/kicks in that time. Whenever special teams takes the field, Gator Nation sits up on the edge of their collective seat knowing something good is likely about to happen. Florida is very good at containing punt returns as well as creating turnovers. You never know who's going to come up big on special teams. In the Arkansas game, Wondy Pierre-Louis came up with the ball in Arkansas' endzone on kickoff after the Hogs fumbled on the 1-yard line. Jarred Fayson, Reggie Nelson, Riley Cooper and Jarvis Moss have all come up big in special teams plays, but they're the "tip of the spear" in that they get the credit for actually logging the takeaway or the block. In reality, UF's special teams have executed nearly perfectly to make these big plays happen, and that's a total team effort. All of it can be attributed to Meyer's leadership and the discipline he's instilled on this team.

Q: Reggie Nelson has been known as the "eraser" for some time now. What are some of his strengths and weaknesses, along with the rest of the Gator secondary? Do they have the athletes to keep up with not only Ted Ginn, but Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Robiske as well?

HG: I don't know if a first team all-American can really have any weaknesses. Reggie "Freakin' " Nelson is a hard hitting safety with a nose for the ball. His backfield teammate, the graduate student transfer from Utah, Ryan Smith, is no slouch either. Where the Gators are vulnerable is on the other side of the field from Smith where Reggie Lewis plays corner. Not for lack of athletic ability on Lewis' part but because you can't coach height and Lewis is short. I think the key for the Gators is to try to get a good rush on Troy Smith without having to resort to the blitz too often. This season the Gator defensive coaching staff has mostly lived by a "bend but don't break" philosophy. Some teams have had success moving the ball between the 20s but the Gator defense seems to get more stout the shorter the field gets.

SR: Nelson's biggest asset is his speed. He's also a smart player and good at reading the quarterback but his "erasor" nickname comes from the fact that he has the kind of speed where he can 'erase' other players mistakes and keep them from becoming big plays. Smith and Lewis are solid corners but they aren't the kind of shut down corners who can stop Ginn and Gonzalez. They play a lot of zone and have good technique. If Smith gets a lot of time they won't be able to cover the WRs for long. I expect to see a big cushion from the corners with the emphasis being on tackling after the catch.

RF: Honestly, I'm not sure if Reggie Nelson has any weaknesses. If he does, I've never seen them. He's the only player on Florida's team to make a number of All-America first teams and is probably our best player, period. He takes away a huge portion of the field, and any quarterback who throws his way is risking a turnover. He applies monstrous hits that "grease" opposing receivers for the entire game, and can stop the run in addition to harassing the quarterback. He is the best safety in the country and a first-round NFL draft pick.

Keeping up with Ginn will probably be a two-man affair which includes both Nelson and Ryan Smith or Reggie Lewis. Ginn's speed and size make him very difficult to cover, but Reggie's speed and uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time will likely make Ginn a difficult player to hit for Troy Smith.

All of Florida's athletes in the secondary have the ability to keep up with OSU's receivers. Troy Smith's best accuracy will be required to put the ball in places that only Ohio State players can touch it, but he is capable of doing that. It will take a near perfect game from Smith and Florida will probably be willing to grant him short passes all day long, which is a staple of this "bend but don't break" defense. Florida prevents its opponents from scoring, but will give up yards in exchange for stopping the big play.

Q: What is your opinion on Urban Meyer's late season campaigning for his team to get into the championship game? Do you think it had much of an effect? Would you have done the same thing if you were in that situation?

HG: This is one of the issues that I really don't understand. Here we have the only major collegiate sport that doesn't play some sort of tournament to crown its champion, instead the big winners have been historically been voted on. Even today, with the championship game, the participants are elected. So how can anyone be surprised that the participants in an election resort to campaigning? Nobody has been able to answer this question: what did Urban Meyer say that was so offensive to Lloyd Carr, Michigan fans, the pundits, or the football-watching public? The idea that Lloyd Carr didn't campaign for his team is absurd. I remember him doing a telephone interview for ESPN and basically saying "I hope they don't forget about Michigan." So what is the difference? If there are rules for what a coach can say and what a coach can't say then maybe somebody should publish them. Until then I think people should stop complaining about campaigning. I think the campaigning did make a difference in the minds of some voters. Urban Meyer urged the voters to look at his team's resume. And some that hadn't, maybe did look at it a little closer. Sure I would have done what Meyer did. As I said, I don't think he did anything to be ashamed of.

SR: I think it had some definite effect bringing attention to his plight in the press and started the discussion. The key was to get the word out early BEFORE the last game (bringing it up 2 or 3 games ahead in press conferences). If you have to start campaigning a day before the election, you are in trouble. I DO think he might have swayed a few votes but do I think it mattered? Not really. If you look at the final results more than twice as many voters in the Coaches, Harris and AP voted Florida number 2 than Michigan. I've watched Mack Brown campaign at Texas and even Jimmy Johnson when he was at Miami. I think if you can affect 5-10% of the voters you are having an effect and in a close vote that could be the difference. The margin this time was less like a Bush election and more like a Reagan election so it was superflous.

As for whether I would campaign? Absolutely. What is the gain versus the loss? I think you owe it to your players and fans to try and bring your team into any discussion. Coaches and players have been campaigning since the 80's and while it polarizes the opposition it hasn't shown to have any real backlash. And if you NEED votes to begin with . . . what do you have to lose? In this particular situation it looks like both coaches did the right thing. Meyer brought the issue to light 2-3 weeks prior even though if USC would have won out it would have been a moot point. Lloyd Carr was the "incumbent" in a sense to Florida so there didn't seem to be a need to campaign. And since the results were so one sided (more than 2/3rd for one team) his not getting into the issue didn't matter. However if Florida had passed Michigan by one or two votes then Lloyd Carr would have been seen as a stubborn fool and Wolverine fans would have no doubt blamed Carr for his inaction.

RF: First of all, Meyer never campaigned and he's already made it clear that he regrets how his comments were taken out of context. In all cases, he was answering a reporter's question, usually in a post-game conference, and he made it clear that he felt his team deserved a chance. He was asked his opinion, and he gave it. "Campaigning" is a term which is used when someone actively goes forth and tries to achieve an objective based on persuading people. Meyer never did that. His "campaigning" amounted to answering approximately four questions in two games, fair questions with honest answers, for that matter, and the answers to those quesitons were widely circulated in the press. This is an issue which has been overblown because Michigan wasn't given the opportunity for a rematch with Ohio State.

The bottom line here is that there would have been outrage either way, but had Florida been denied an opportunity to play Ohio State after posting up a resume which was far more impressive than Michigan's, you would have seen a true firestorm the likes of which would make the present disgruntlement from the Michigan gang look like a campfire by comparison.

Q: In your words, tell us why Florida deserves to be here, and not Michigan.

HG: First of all we played a tougher schedule than Michigan and amassed a better record. Yes, that's right a better record. How quickly one can forget that 12-1 is a better record than 11-1. Secondly, we won our conference. Although it's not a rule that you must be a conference champion to play in this game it probably should be. I mean if you were to roll back the NCAA basketball tournament to 32 teams would you get rid of the conference champions or the at-large teams? In the case of the BCS we have essentially a two team tournament. We also have a system that discourages intersectional play at the highest levels because 1 loss can mean the difference between a chance at making this game or not. Given that there is very little intersectional play, why would anyone vote for a rematch of conference rivals? Presumably games are played to see which team is better and this year OSU is better than Michigan, case closed. We can speculate that Michigan is better than Florida but we don't know unless the teams play each other. USC was supposed to be better than UCLA but I guess in the end they weren't. Since we know OSU is better than Michigan I think the objective of the BCS should be to find out if OSU is really better than the next team on the list, and that's Florida.

Another reason is that Florida is riding a 6-game winning streak while Michigan is riding a one game losing streak. Oklahoma backed into the National Championship game once and was schooled by USC. Is that the precedent that Michigan fans want to follow? I have heard all the arguments against the Gators and the one that makes me laugh the most is that the Gators won their "only" national Championship on the basis of a rematch. While that is true, the system is completely different than when that happened 10 years ago. The Gators lost to FSU in the last regular season game of 1996. The Gators then went on to play in the SEC championship and win an automatic bid to the Sugar Bowl which is the major bowl that is affiliated with the SEC. The Sugar Bowl committee then selected Florida State (which although they are a rival are in a different conference) to play Florida. FSU was the at-large invitee. When Ohio State defeated Arizona State in their bowl game, the Sugar Bowl became the de facto championship Game. The reality is that Florida's chances of winning the title that year were slim. They needed help and got it. Florida wasn't selected for rematch with FSU, FSU was selected for a rematch with Florida.

SR: Both teams "deserve" to play for the title. I would also add Oklahoma to the mix of deserving teams. It surprised me that everyone considers the Oregon officiating travesty as a loss despite the preponderance of evidence that numerous calls were blown that would have allowed OU to run out the clock and be a third one loss team. Everyone has heard the same arguments about schedule, level of play, quality wins and losses, etc, etc. I think the biggest factor is simply familiarity. Because of the lack of good intersectional games, no one really knows how Michigan would compare to USC or Florida. They did see how Michigan and Ohio State matched up. If Arkansas had beaten LSU and Florida then they would be playing Ohio State. Its not just about people feeling one conference is better than the other (although the consensus is the Big Ten is down this year) but about the mystery of two teams playing who are complete unknowns. Nobody knows if USC or UF could beat OSU. Everyone knows what happened in the Michigan-Ohio State game.

Human nature was against Michigan, their last impression was a hard fought loss but a loss nonetheless. Any other teams who would have ended the year against good teams on a winning streak was going to get the nod over UM. When you lose IS important. Players get injured, gain experience, mature, play better as a team, etc, etc. If Michigan had lose to Ohio State earlier I think they would have had a better argument but a rematch would have essentially been the same two teams playing the same game at a new venue. Only if there were no other candidates would Michigan have played. In a regular season of blown and seized opportunities Florida won their way into the championship game and Michigan lost their way out of it. The arguments about who should drop and rise are ridiculous. Michigan dropped into third following their loss (except in the AP) and getting jumped by a team that has a big win is quite common in the polls. Notre Dame had it happen to them twice this year. Florida was jumped by USC and then later jumped Michigan all without losing a game. The idea that you can be passed during the year even if you win but that Michigan should somehow be immune from the variabilities of the polls because they didn't play at the end is a bit ill-conceived.

Michigan fans have a gripe. Not with the system or the voters but with the fickle nature of football. Had a situation where Michigan jumps USC and UF to the number two slot in the last poll occured the people now feeling victimized would either be arguing the merits of their jump or withholding any criticism because it worked in their favor. Imagine if USC had been undefeated and ranked the BCS number 1 going into the UCLA game. Chances are they too would have dropped out of the title game because of losing to an unranked team and when they lost. Yet would they have been any more "undeserving" than Michigan or UF? Right now we have a 2 team playoff (the BCS game) that I think could be expanded to a 4 team playoff without greatly disrupting the landscape. It WON'T end the controversy though which is an integral and recurring part of the sport in almost every season. We will again have dicussions on which teams deserve to be in that group as decided by the polls and computer rankings.

RF: In my view, no justification is needed after an objective review of the accomplishments of both teams. Florida beat four ranked teams, who in turn beat a combined total of eight ranked teams, won a conference championship after playing a tough SEC division champion opponent (Arkansas), and turned in a 12-1 record playing the nation's toughest schedule. Frankly, it's not even close and the human polls reflect that fact (humans voted 2-1 in favor of Florida while the computers split the two.) Michigan, on the other hand, beat only one ranked opponent -- Notre Dame, who I think anyone in college football would agree is overrated yet again this year, and will likely be humiliated by LSU in the Sugar Bowl -- and lost to Ohio State. Therefore they also failed to win their conference, and there are only a few good teams in the Big 10 this year. Their other victories are against the worst of the Big 10, and they came close to losing to Ball State, a team which Southern Miss (Florida beat them 34-7 in the first game of the year) would have eaten alive.

There really is no logical argument to put Michigan back in against OSU when Florida has had the success they've enjoyed in the SEC, playing the nation's top defenses. Florida belongs, Florida's going, and that's the way it should be.

Q: Which matchups with Ohio State concern you the most? Which are you most comfortable with?

HG: I think overall I'm concerned with how our offense stacks up to OSU's defense. We have been a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team on that side of the ball. Of particular concern is our line play on offense. They have improved over the course of the season but Leak is obviously much more dangerous if he is given time to set his feet and check down when the primary receiver is not open. In order for the Gators to win we are going to have to limit our mistakes as Michigan did with zero turnovers, and create and take advantage of OSU turnovers. I think a low scoring game favors the Gators, since many of our wins have been of this variety.

SR: Troy Smith's ability to buy time in the pocket and the speed of OSU's WRs. If they go to the spread formation they showed against Michigan it could be a tough matchup because of Smith's ability to pressure a defense with his legs. If Florida can't get pressure and confuse Smith it could be a long night.

RF: Troy Smith! As Gary Danielson put it, he's the best player in all of college football, and I think that's probably accurate. The guy just doesn't seem to have any weaknesses. Our secondary and their backups will need to play perfectly to stop him. He is an amazing player and he never loses his cool.

I am more comfortable with Florida's ability to stop the run and make OSU one-dimensional. Florida stopped Arkansas, one of the country's best rushing teams, holding '07 Heisman favorite Darren McFadden to 73 net yards despite losing Ray McDonald (starter on the defensive line) for most of the game. If we double up on Ginn and refuse to let Smith and his tailback out of their box, he'll have to pass. Despite that being a key strength for OSU, I like our chances to get some stops and turnovers out of the deal.

Q: Tell all the Buckeye homers out there why the game will be closer than the "experts" think.

HG: There is no doubt that Jim Tressel is a big game coach but, unlike Lloyd Carr, so is Urban Meyer. I think Meyer is the X-factor here. There are a lot of decent coaches out there but I have seen few that could make such a big difference in a program that was headed nowhere just 24 months ago. The Gators are battle-tested, they haven't had the luxury of 4 or 5 tune-up games this season. They managed to play the top 9 (other) teams in a strong 12-team conference because the schedule Gods were unkind in that we didn't get to play perennial SEC doormats Ole Miss and Mississippi State. There won't be panic on the Gator sidelines even if trailing in the game. Florida has been down late in close games and knows it can win with a big play on defense or special teams.

SR: Two reasons. Emotion and Precision. Having the best team doesn't guarantee a win. Emotion and momentum are crucial to winning big games. Ohio State is the better team but they are not so significantly better than the rest of the Top 10 that they can play without intensity and expect to win. The unknowns, turnovers, injuries, unfamiliarity are all going to be major factors in the game (especially the first half). Second the layoff will help coaches put together a scheme for dealing with each other. Both teams will add wrinkles and come up with the ways they think will mitigate their opponents advantages. But Ohio State will have to deal with a huge layoff of playing at game speed. Additionally they will be a huge favorite and will be hearing all the hype and hoopla. And rightfully so, they are the undefeated, unquestioned number 1 team in the country. They will watch the films of Florida's struggles throughout the year. If they don't walk into that game without an air of superiority then they aren't human. I don't think that the Buckeye's will have the same intensity they had in the Michigan or Texas game and I think the layoff will hurt their execution in the first half. All it takes is one missed assignment or one dropped pass to kill a drive. I expect Florida to run a lot of blitzes and stunts to keep the Ohio State offense thinking and reacting rather than attacking. Confusion offensively and defensively will help mitigate the Buckeye's advantage on the offensive and defensive lines. Then its all about playmakers and getting them in position to make plays.

RF: There's no doubt in my mind that this will be a close game and in my view Florida has an excellent chance to win. Florida has played three opponents this year who, at the time we played them, were at or maybe slightly above the caliber of Ohio State: LSU, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Defensively, LSU was the best of that bunch (maybe offensively, too) and I don't think OSU's D could hold a candle to the Bayou Bengals. There's no reason for Florida to go into this game thinking that this is an unwinnable game. On the contrary, I hope they remain humble and motivated and know that Ohio State is a very worthy opponent, but eminantly beatable.

Q: And, of course, give a final prediction, score included (don't worry, we won't bite if you don't choose us).

HG: I could never pick against the Gators. I see the game as 24-17, Florida.

SR: I haven't decided. Either UF 26-21 or OSU 37-20

RF: I'm a homer, obviously. But I like Florida by a TD. Meyer is 19-1 when given more than one week to prepare for a game and there's no reason to doubt the Gators' players won't be ready for the biggest game of their lives. 31-24, UF brings home the bacon to Gainesville.

Can a dual QB system win a championship?

2006-12-14T17:07:00.000-05:00

The Florida offense has followed a strikingly elementary formula for just about all season long, and despite the simplicity of it, the equations "Tim Tebow = Run, Chris Leak = Pass" has led the Gators to a championship in what some believe is the nation's toughest conference, and a birth in the BCS title game. But one has to wonder in this modern era of football how a team that does not have just one guy taking all of the meaningful snaps can still win so many games.

The one comparison that most Ohio State fans can easily identify with was the Stanley Jackson/Joe Germaine QB carousel in 1996 and 1997. Jackson, the fleet-footed run-and-gun veteran at times played a bit of second-fiddle to the younger, hotshot pocket QB with a baby face, but no baby game. In those two seasons, the Buckeyes were a combined 23-4, including arguably one of the greatest wins in school history, the 1996 Rose Bowl comeback against Arizona State. However, in both of those seasons, Ohio State lost the game of the season to Michigan, and, in 1996, cost themselves a chance at a National Championship because of it.

However, Florida is in a reverse situation of those Ohio State teams. Tebow, the youngster, is the one who is relied on much more heavily to make plays with his feet than the senior gunslinger Leak. Also, Tebow came to this Florida team seemingly destined for greatness, unlike Germaine, a Junior College transfer from Arizona, that didn't even get looked at by ASU. Tebow was a consensus 5 star recruit out of high school, and he was going into an offensive system in which he could thrive under Urban Meyer. Imagine a bigger, faster, better Alex Smith. Now imagine that, playing around much more talent than Smith ever had. The sheer thought of it will be enough to keep defensive coordinators sleepless for weeks on end in the not-so distant future. Chris Leak, on the other hand, has played like a slightly more mistake prone Troy Smith this season, and was even in the hunt for the Heisman trophy until his debacle against Auburn. At just 1 inch shorter and 8 pounds less than Smith, Leak is incredibly comparable to Troy. Although he is not nearly the scrambler that Troy is, Meyer's run-and-shoot system has allowed Leak to take full advantage of what limited athleticism he has.

So, if both of these Gators quarterbacks are so one-dimensional, then how is it that they are still so successful when only one of them is in the game at a time? In the 111 snaps this season which have not resulted in handing the ball off, Tebow has rushed the ball 79 times. To put that in mathematical terms, Tebow runs the ball 71% of the time. That's a stat that would make Michael Vick proud. This is opposed to Leak, where on plays where he isn't handing it off, has actually taken less rushing attempts than Tebow (74) in roughly four times as many plays (403). It seems almost painfully obvious that when #15 is in the game, the opposition should be stacking eight in the box, and dropping into coverage when #12 enters. Obviously, what I just stated is the reason why 90% of teams that have a QB by committee end up going nowhere fast.

The most evident reason behind the success of the team this year seems to be the spread offense. In the majority of modern spread offenses in college football (those in which there is an emphasis placed on mobile quarterbacks and speed at the skill positions), there are two main goals that are accomplished, those are: 1) Spread out the defense, thus creating more room for the athletes to make plays, and 2) Create mismatches in the passing game. Since Tebow is only a true freshman and hasn't yet proven he can be a legitimate threat with his arm, Meyer is simply coaching to his two quarterback's strengths, and when he needs to use them, the defense can not solely focus on the air/ground attack, because if they do, then Chris Leak can still run in open space, and Tebow can still hit the open guy. So how does Ohio State stop them? Well, as the saying goes, you have to fight fire with fire. Or, in the case of this, you have to fight speed with speed. Against some of the fastest defenses in the SEC, the Florida offense was relatively stagnant, and the games were uncharacteristically close for a top team.

With all of the close calls Florida has had this season, I don't see a team like the 2002 Buckeyes that played down to the level of their competition to win games, I see a team that showed some huge vulnerabilities to teams with fast defenses, but were able to win due to a mix between their defense's talent, and the mediocrity of their opponents' offenses.

Buckeye Hodgepodge

2006-12-11T21:10:00.000-05:00

In light of Ohio State's seventh Heisman victory this past weekend, I originally thought that I would make this some sort of a long tribute post that gushes over the accomplishments of Troy Smith, but then I realized that it really wouldn't accomplish anything, and it would be possibly the most boring post I could make. We've known that this award was his to lose ever since Adrian Peterson's fateful dive into the endzone back in week 6. I could talk about how miraculous his journey has been ever since the day he was born, but let's face it: There's already been enough said about that, and if you somehow managed to miss out on all of the man-love he was getting from the mass media, then you must live under a rock.

On that same note, I think it's worth noting that ESPN has done more than enough to make amends with the University, the team, and the entire fanbase this past season. As most everyone remembers, there has been a tremendous rift between ESPN and the state of Ohio for the past four years ever since they first brought up the possibility Maurice Clarett going to the NFL after just one season in college. Then, when Clarett got into legal troubles that offseason, ESPN could not have put a more negative slant on the story, and really handled the whole issue incredibly irresponsibly. Myself, along with much of the rest of Buckeye nation tried our very hardest to disown ESPN up until this season. However, as the offense opened up and Maurice was put even further in the rear view mirrors, things began to change. Suddenly, the good press was everywhere to be seen from the very start of the preseason, up until this point. Whether it be magazine covers or those cliché, feel-good stories, the mainstream media has been Ohio State's best friend this season.

Switching gears for a moment, the Buckeye basketball team took the court again this Saturday against Cleveland State in a tune-up for next week's big game against Cincinnati. The outcome of the game was really never in question, as Ohio State cruised to an easy 21 point victory, and never trailed against the overmatched Vikings. In fact, Cleveland State doesn't have a single player on their entire roster over the height of 6'9'', and their only player that is 6'9'' only plays 4.5 minutes a game. So, as you could imagine, Greg Oden had an absolute field day as he continues to heal his wrist. The mammoth center went for 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1 steal in just 22 minutes of play last Saturday. When Oden was on the court, the Vikings only took three shots in the paint. All three shots were blocked. In case you were still skeptical, Oden is clearly all he is hyped up to be, and not only will he be the next David Robinson/Patrick Ewing, he will be the first Greg Oden: A physically dominating big man that will only get bigger as he grows, thinks defense first, and can run like a guard. In fact, foxsports.com seems to agree, as one of their bloggers points out one of the more obvious things out there: Greg Oden is better than Andrew Bynum. No, really!? Bynum was the #10 selection of the 2005 NBA Draft (a subpar draft as far as talent is concerned), and was the 4th big man taken. Greg Oden is going to be the #1 overall pick in what is projected to be a much more talented class. If that doesn't give you a clear enough picture, then I don't know what will.

What to watch for the rest of this week: I may finally get around to my post-season awards, and hopefully some Florida discussion.

Florida in the Championship...Calamity ensues

2006-12-03T20:13:00.000-05:00

After weeks of campaigning, Urban Meyer's wish was granted

Perhaps you've noticed that I've limited my discussion here regarding Ohio State's opponent in the National Championship game ever since the 18th. Thanks to my stupid superstitions, I decided that me not saying a word about it gave Ohio State the best shot of not having to play Michigan until next November. I almost jumped the gun and wrote a break-down on a potential USC/Ohio State match-up earlier this week, but my inner-journalist decided to play it safe and not jump to conclusions until all the facts were out.

At the end of it all, the computers were irrelevant, it all came down to the human element, and justice was served. Okay, maybe not to those in Ann Arbor, but allegiances aside, I'd have to say that those fans with the best interests of the game in mind, and not just those wanting a senseless rematch, are pretty happy with the results. The bottom line is that a rematch is not good for the game of college football in the least bit. Why? Well there's plenty of reasons.

Finance. As MotSaG pointed out a couple of weeks ago, Ohio State and Michigan would receive $42 million, which would have been shared amongst the rest of the conference. This would obviously double the amount of the conference's bowl income, and it would leave the SEC without quite a pretty penny. The reason that there is no playoff to begin with is that money rules everything, and taking money out of the pockets of another conference would not fly with University Presidents.
If Michigan wins, nothing is settled. Sure, the game would be played on a "neutral" field, and the field would be "more playable" (Hey, believe it or not Michigan fans, we were playing on that same field!). Regardless, the game was not as close as what the media is trying to lead you to believe. Two fumbled snaps and a fluke interception led to 10 Wolverine points in the second half, the pass interference call on Jamario O'Neal kept Michigan's hopes alive, and as Brian at mgoblog said, "If it ends in the other team recovering an onside kick, it wasn't that dramatic." The gap between 1 and 2 is much larger than the 3 point difference would lead you to believe. If Michigan wins, it's like playing a two game World Series. What does it really prove? The controversy going on now would be nothing compared to the one that would happen if Michigan were to come out victorious.
If Ohio State wins, nothing is settled. An Ohio State victory would only prove the points I just made, and it would only show that Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten, and not much else. The SEC has been hyped all season long as the nation's best conference, and although most would argue (including myself) that it is overrated, how do we really know without them going against a team like Ohio State? For all we know, the upper tier of the SEC could be powerhouses beating up on each other. It's unlikely, but it's something that needs to be tested. The point of the creation of the BCS was to show which team truly was the best, and not make it a voter's best guess. Allowing Michigan to play Ohio State would go against everything the BCS stands for.
A rematch would denounce the notion that "The Regular Season is a Playoff." One of the most famous arguments in favor of the BCS is that it puts much more emphasis on the regular season, and that it increases the quality of gameplay. Earlier today, I heard an analyst saying that the beauty of this season has been that the last six weeks have been the equivalent of a single-elimination tournament. If this really is the way things are going to be, then it has to apply to every team out there, regardless of how good they are. When a #1 seed loses in the NCAA Basketball Tournament, they aren't given extra chances to win it all just because they are more talented than the other teams in the Final Four. The more talented teams lose all the time, and they pay the price of a championship. Just look at the Yankees. There's no doubt that they were a better team than the Cardinals, but the Cardinals didn't blow it.

I could go on and on, but I feel I've made my point clear. I hope this is the last time that I have to bring up Michigan until the off-season, and that I can focus the next month on Florida.

Congratulations, Michigan. You had a great season, but you didn't come through when it counted, and you have to pay the price. You'll have your shot next season.

Oh, and if a top-10 battle wasn't interesting enough, that basketball game on the 23rd just got a whole lot more interesting.

It Begins

2006-12-02T13:31:00.000-05:00

Greg Oden will debut today.

Hat Tip: Eleven Warriors

Something to think about....

2006-12-02T10:24:00.000-05:00

...while you root for USC and Florida to win convincingly.

If West Virginia and Georgia Tech both lose today, Boise State, Wake Forest, and Rutgers will all be in BCS Bowl games while Florida State, Miami, and Alabama are all already locked in to December Bowl games.

Who says there's no parity in college football?

7 days until Troy takes home a Heisman, 36 until he takes home a championship.

Live Blog: Ohio State at North Carolina

2006-11-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

9:25 PM:
Ohio State - 26
UNC - 19

At the first commercial break of the game, I'm left in total surprise at the way the Buckeyes are coming out. The whole team really seems to be running on all cylinders, as they are getting off to an uncharacteristically fast start. Watching Mike Conley, there's no doubt in my mind that by season's end he will be considered one of the top point guards in the entire nation. Ron Lewis is slashing to the hoop better than he has all season, and that's really what we need out of him the most. He's been trying to take on the scoring load this season by establishing a three point shot, and although he's been good from beyond the arc, he is most effective when he gets the ball on the perimeter and drives to the hoop. Butler, Conley, Cook, and even Harris can handle the load from 3 point. I don't mind Lewis taking the occasional long-range shot. He is, after all, our top offensive option. I just think he can do a little bit better when deciding between pulling up for the jumper and attacking the hoop.

One thing to worry about at this point is that with the pace the Buckeyes are at right now, that they get tired as the game wears on. The team lacks a lot of depth, especially down low, so fatigue and foul trouble could be issues later on (UNC is still getting in the paint at will at this point).

9:39 PM
Ohio State - 33
UNC - 25

These kids are not freshmen...

Halftime
Ohio State - 48
North Carolina - 44

Although Ohio State still holds a multiple-possession advantage, you wouldn't know it by the way the momentum has swung since my last update. After that point, Conley was given a rest and the team switched to a zone defense. Both decisions proved near-fatal. North Carolina had no trouble finding the obvious holes in the zone. The announcers mentioned that Ohio State had run only seven possessions all season long, and had allowed 12 points. Now I know that much of the team was in serious foul trouble, but I would be surprised if the Buckeyes didn't come out in man-to-man to start the second half. When you're on the road against the #6 team in the nation, it's not normally a good idea to experiment with things that don't work. As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," well, the man-to-man was working fine, with the exception of a few foul calls.

When Conley left the game, the offense looked totally lost. Oddly enough, there was only one freshman on the court at the time (Lighty), and the rest were all upperclassmen, and everything was going wrong. There was a lot of standing around, and the passes being made were absolutely horrendous. When decent passes were made, they were dropped and stolen. Conley came back for one possession, and the offense looked like it's old self, but he got called for a charge, and was forced to sit for the rest of the half.

All-in-all, I think Matta could have handled the rotations of the players and the defensive selections better in the first half, but I understand that it's a difficult thing to do when there are only eight scholarship players available, and half of them had two fouls. The second half should start out much like the first half did, and if we're ever put in a situation where there are four upperclassmen on the court again, I doubt they'll play as lackadaisical as they did in the first half.

10:43 PM
Ohio State - 68
UNC - 70

Ivan Harris is really an interesting specimen. He was a highly touted prospect out of High School, playing his ball with Carmelo Anthony at the factory known as Oak Hill Academy. However, he has been a bit of a disappointment in his collegiate career. I'm not sure if he's just uncomfortable in the system, or he's not getting the looks, or he's just got one heck of an On-Off switch. Whatever it is, he's hit three three pointers in a row and is really finding his niche today.

I don't know what the deal is with the rebounding. For some reason, it seems as if we think it's a better idea to swat the ball haphazardly rather than to pull it down. I don't know how many sure defensive rebounds I've seen go the other way, but it makes me sick to my stomach everytime it happens.

Othello Hunter is a bit of an inconsistent defender. He either goes all out and gets the block, or he just lets Hansbrough do whatever he wants. It's starting to get annoying, but it's the really only option we have right now. He is a passionate player, though, so I can give him that.

Once again, the team is playing better with Conley running the floor. I don't know what it is about this guy, but when he's out there he just makes everyone around him better. He may not be as fast as the guy he's assigned to guard, but he is much quicker when it comes to making cuts and splitting the defense. Vitale has touched on it a couple of times, but Conley's mental state of the game is superior to just about any other freshman you'll be able to find.

11:16
Ohio State - 89
North Carolina - 98

Ohio State is in desperation mode right now, so I'm going to start giving my final opinion on the game a bit ahead of time. Ohio State played great, and did much better than I would imagine. However, with the way the game played, I hate to see them lose the game this way. As I predicted, fouls and fatigue were major issues in the second half, and they were ultimately our downfall.

I'm sick and tired of Dick Vitale. I never really had a problem with him before, but he's never really done an Ohio State game recently. He has made about three legitimate points all time -- all points that I could make -- and he just repeated them the entire time. Every other sentence he said was "Just wait until Greg Oden gets back, baby! Patrick Ewing! Shaquille O'Neal Baby!" Yes, this will be a much different (and a much better) team when Oden arrives, but he just sounds like he's making excuses for Ohio State, and nobody wants that. We gave them our best shot, and they beat us. Sure, I'd want to see Ohio State take these guys on again with Oden on a neutral court, I think everyone would.

Ivan Harris is a real frustrating player to watch. You never know what you're going to get out of him. Tonight he was fantastic offensively, but when it came to defense, we were better off with four guys on the court. He, along with the rest of the team, made some real careless mistakes in the second half passing the ball, and those are just unacceptable for a team like this. Matta is the closest thing college basketball has to a Jim Tressel, and there really is no excuse for the simple mistakes.

Wait...what?

2006-11-27T16:44:00.000-05:00

Defending conference champions, preseason favorites to repeat, the country's best young talent coming in to play, one of the top coaches out there, and a #1 ranking. Oh yeah, the football team is pretty good, too. That's right ladies and gentlemen, thanks to losses by North Carolina and Florida (not to mention a whole lot of hype, too), the Buckeye Basketball team is currently ranked #1 in the nation in the Coaches poll. The Associated Press Poll (Hey! It actually matters in this sport!...kind of!) has a tad more of an appropriate ranking for the Buckeyes at #3, behind UCLA (#1) and Pitt (#2).

This marks only the third time in collegiate sports history that a school has had both the football and basketball teams ranked #1 at the same time. The other two were UCLA and Notre Dame. However, I can't help but feel that this is the most overrated #1 team in college basketball in quite some time. The Buckeyes have been more than impressive with their young core of players so far this season, leading the Big Ten in scoring offense (87.0 ppg), Field Goal % (52.6%), assists (18.5 apg), steals (10.0 spg), defensive rebounds (27.0 drpg), 3-pointers made (10.5 3pt-pg), and margin of victory (26.2 points). However, let me remind everyone out there that the toughest opponents on the schedule so far have been Loyola-Chicago and Kent State, and it's unlikely that either of those two schools ever get their names mentioned by anyone for the rest of the season.

So far this season, the rebounding has been absolutely atrocious. Don't let the statistics fool you, just about each and every one of our opponents have been overwhelmed as far as size is concerned, and many times the rebounding differencial is much closer than one would be content with. Until Mr. ESPN The Magazine takes the court (Matta has confirmed he will not play against UNC, but from what I hear the new target date is 12/16 vs Cincy, however if I were you I would be keeping up to date with BuckeyePlanet's Greg Oden-watch), the issues in the paint will be unresolved. Othello Hunter is a nice compliment to Greg Oden, but he's nothing more than a role player, and Matt Terwilliger's name isn't the only reason he's known as "Twig" out there. If Oden's injury turns out to be one of those season-long nagging ones, or -- heaven forbid -- he doesn't live up to the hype, teams with any size at all will dominate in the paint against us.

However, the biggest positive out of the Buckeyes so far this season has been the excellent play of the "other" two 5-Star players from the Thad 5, Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook. Through six games this season, Conley seems to be living up every bit of the hype. I know it's incredibly premature to be saying this, but if he continues to progress through his career as he has through these six games, and he shows up in the big games, he will be better than Scoonie Penn, undoubtedly (we still love you, Scoonie). Conley is the kind of player that is all over the court, and has an incredible nose for the ball defensively for a freshman. His speed and passing ability bring a whole other demension to the game for his defenders to worry about. Also, although I don't have any statistics to back it up, Daequan Cook has got to be near the top of the nation in bench scoring this season, if not above everyone else. I was initially worried that with him playing behind two veterans in Ron Lewis and Jamar Butler, he wouldn't get the chances to show his stuff. Boy, was I ever wrong. So far as the sixth man this season, Cook is averaging 17.8 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and is shooting at a 48% clip from beyond the arc. The one thing I would like to see Cook improve on, though, is his ability to hold onto the ball. He is averaging 2.2 turnovers a game, and has an Assist-Turnover ratio of .77:1. That kind of thing will only come with time, though.

Regardless, Ohio State has a big chance at validating that top ranking this Wednesday as they take on the Tar Heels of North Carolina. As I mentioned earlier, despite all of the rumors flying around, Thad Matta has deactived Greg Oden for the game, and his debut will have to wait for another time. Since that is the case, this gives Tyler Hansbrough and excellent opportunity to dominate and really show the country just what he is capable of. As the #1 offensive option and leading scorer for the Tar Heels, I expect Hansborough to have a huge game, and for the Tar Heels to win, which may be the best thing to happen to the Buckeyes. Until Wednesday, the furthest the Bucks have been from home has been Nationwide Arena. This will be a great learning experience for the young guys, because they need to learn how to lose before they win. I know it sounds crazy, but a win in a game of this magnitude so early in the season will only create a sense of complacency, or probably worse yet -- cockiness. Remember, this isn't football season. Early losses are expected, and they don't ruin national title hopes.

Pure ecstasy

2006-11-19T12:56:00.000-05:00

It wasn't quite the classic we were all hoping for, and the back seven was soft all day, but when the dust settled all was right in Columbus as the top ranked Buckeyes defeated the #2 Wolverines by a most unexpected of final scores, 42-39.

Often times it is difficult to judge what defines a good player from a great one. One of the hardest decisions to make as a fanbase as a whole is to put a player into the same category as the Griffins, Georges, Spielmans, and Kerns. This, however, is no such time. Never before in the 116 year history of Buckeye football has there been a more prolific passer, nor has there been a better leader from under center than the one we are blessed to have today in Troy Smith. Hoying and Germaine had the stats, Kern and Krenzel had the moxie, but none of them put it all together the way Troy Smith has in his 26 starts as quarterback. With a career passing efficiency of 159.72, Smith is the Big Ten's all time most efficient quarterback of all time. In big games, Smith has been a nearly flawless player, and while he is only the second quarterback in school history to defeat Michigan three consecutive times, he's the only one to do it as the focal point of the offense all three times. Even if Brady Quinn goes 50-50 for 600 yards and seven touchdowns against USC next week, Smith will walk away from this season as Ohio State's seventh winner of the Heisman trophy. With his performance against Michigan, Troy Smith ended the debate on the greatest quarterback in OSU history, and very well may have re-opened the debate as to who is the greatest football player in school history. He's been that good.

The latest BCS rankings have just been released, and to the surprise of some, Michigan retains their #2 ranking. I've expressed my opinion on a rematch in the past, but haven't gotten into much detail about it before. The thought of a rematch is absolutely absurd, and the very possibility that it may actually occur is mind-boggling. Most people like myself had convinced themselves that yesterday's duel was in fact the national championship game, and that the two best teams in the nation were going at it. Michigan had their opportunity, and they didn't make the most out of it. Ohio State had three turnovers, Michigan was the beneficiary of many non-calls by the refs (see Mike Hart's first touchdown), as well as some questionable calls that were made (Pass Interference on Jamario that brought Michigan back. It may have been piss poor coverage, but there was no penalty there). Michigan had plenty of chances to win this game, and they didn't make the most out of it. For the people that want to see this game on a neutral field, there's no doubt in my mind that Ohio State will still have a home-field advantage. Regardless of opponent, I expect the National Championship crowd to be very similar to the OSU-Miami one which was 80% scarlet. Plus, in Ohio State's two other prime time games this season, they were on the road both times and put on two of their finest performances of the season. Although Michigan probably is still the #2 team in the nation, and faired better than any other team most likely would in the Shoe, there still isn't any proof that USC or the SEC champ wouldn't do any worse. I hate to give the computers the benefit of the doubt here, but the Sagarin conference rankings have had the Pac-10 and SEC at the top of the nation just about all season long, and one of them definitely deserves one shot at Ohio State before Michigan deserves two.

If a rematch does actually happen, and Michigan does end up beating Ohio State, what justice does this do to either school, or to the BCS? It would be like playing a two game World Series, and naming the winner of the second game of the series the champion. It would be completely unfair to Ohio State to ask them to defeat Michigan once, and then ask them to do it a second time, completely forgetting about the initial game. All this is going to do is create yet another BCS controversy, and no one wants another one of those, do we? The smart thing for the voters out there to do is to put either USC or the SEC Champ as their number two team, and leave Michigan at #4. Right now, disaster is inevitable for the BCS, but the controversy between USC or the SEC Champ at #2 would be a lot less severe than the debate over Ohio State or Michigan
at #1.

Michigan Game Thread

2006-11-17T18:02:00.000-05:00

No thanks to a nice little stomach virus, I'm pushing up the gameday thread to right now. I was planning on this post to be a keys to the game and/or remembering Bo kind of thing, but as luck would have it I am essentially bedridden, so you all will have to settle for my score prediction for the game. One can only hope that this is all gone by tomorrow, because there's no chance that I miss this game, even if it means infecting the entire C-Deck.

I originally expected a 10 point, high scoring win for the Buckeyes, however with the loss of Bo at the most unexpected of times, one has to imagine that the Wolverines give us a fight we haven't seen in quite some time. I still think Ohio State will come out victorious, because I don't think there's any chance whatsoever that after coming out so clutch so many times before, that Troy Smith puts on a lackadaisical performance on his final home game.

Ohio State - 31
Michigan - 27

The Rose Bowl would be a disappointment

2006-11-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

Before I start, let me tell you that I am heavily opposed to a potential National Championship rematch, and am speaking under the assumption that the loser of the game will play in the Rose Bowl.

Usually I'm the kind of fan that likes to find the positive in every situation. For example, if a team is struggling, I'm usually the first guy that points out young guys taking advantage of an opportunity, and seeing how it could be a sign of brighter things to come.

However, in the situation that Ohio State is in right now, a loss is totally and completely unacceptable. Although I'm sure Woody would say that a loss to the bad guys up north is always unacceptable, in most situations I still would have been content with a Rose Bowl berth. In fact, if you had asked me in the preseason what kind of season I would have been happy with, I would have said making it to the Rose Bowl. However, despite our preseason ranking, this this team has exceeded the expectations of just about everyone out there. Was anyone totally confident in Ginn's route running in August? What about the kicking situation? The defense? Everything coming into the season that had a question mark surrounding it has turned out for the positive. Any team that can go into Austin, playing perhaps the nation's most hyped defense, and put up 24 like it's nothing, despite being the underdog is worthy of a number 1 vote in my book. After going undefeated in a month of September which featured 3 ranked opponents, two on the road, this team went from one of the worst preseason #1s of all-time to potentially one of the better teams of recent memory, which is why anything below a trip to Glendale would be disappointing.

A decade later, a comeback like this just wouldn't be the same

Ohio State hasn't been to a Rose Bowl since the 1996-97 season; the Rose Bowl is still considered the Grand Daddy of Them All for good reason. However, thanks to everybody's favorite computers, the Rose Bowl has lost almost all tradition as it, much like the rest of college football, has become commercialized over the years. Perhaps this is why so many people anticipate the OSU/UM game every season, because it is one of the last few things about College football. At this point, The Rose Bowl isn't much different than any other BCS Bowl. Ever since the BCS was conceived in 1998, there has only been three match-ups between the Pac-10 and Big 10...not exactly your traditional rivalries.

Although in the grand scheme of things we really shouldn't be ashamed of going to the Rose Bowl. After all, there are a total of 32 bowl games this year, and the Rose Bowl is in the upper tier of those. In the day and age and which our collegiate football-related lives are run by computers, the Rose Bowl just isn't what it used to be, and a National Championship should be the standard for a team that has accomplished all that it has this season.

My stance on Michigan

2006-11-14T15:18:00.000-05:00

Often times, when talking about your team's rival, it's usually a situation where you either love 'em when you aren't playing them, or you love to hate them. However, when it comes to me and the bad guys up north, I honestly cannot come to a decisive side as to where I stand.

Maybe this is because of the large numbers of Michigan fans that I have gotten to know. Although I live in the Columbus area, you would be surprised at the number of Michigan fans that live here (or maybe the number just seems larger because the few Michigan fans stick out more). Some of my closest friends are also my biggest rivals. Of course, there are people in the community that cheer on Michigan purely for the sake of nonconformity, but you just learn over time which fans are for real and which ones aren't. Perhaps it is since I've been in these relationships since such a young age, I've learned to respect the university. Maybe I've just come to realize that there are better reasons to dislike someone than what football team is their favorite, and that has translated into how I view the school as a whole. I can actually talk about football to these people without throwing out excessive curse words. For the past few years, I've watched the game with a Michigan fan, and outside of the usual trash talk that happens during the game, we respect each other enough not to handle each other for those 3 and a half hours (except in 2003 when they take a Michigan flag and run down the street singing Hail to the Victors...yes Kevin, I'm talking about you).

However, my duties as a fan do have to step in somewhere. I can honestly say that I have never once wanted Michigan to win any game. Not this season when they played Notre Dame, not when 1 vs 2 became a real possibility, not in any bowl games, not ever. I cannot bring myself to cheer for a team that I have been taught, trained, and raised to hate. Most people will ask, "Don't you want Michigan to represent the conference well?" No, I don't. I've never been a guy to cheer for teams just because they play in the Big 10. Just like Michigan, I consider the rest of the conference a rival to Ohio State, just on a much smaller scale. Those same people will ask, "Well don't you want both teams to be undefeated coming into the game, so it will mean more?" Now this answer is a bit more complex. Yes, it is great to have a 1 vs 2 match-up for the first time in the school's history, believe me. With this on Saturday and my birthday tomorrow, this is the best full school week anybody could imagine. But in reality, how much more important does that make the game to me as an OSU fan? My dream as an Ohio State fan is to go into the game with a Big 10 title on the line. It's irrelevant to me just how good or bad Michigan is. True, a victory over a #2 Michigan team would be sweeter than a victory over a 7-4 Michigan team, but a victory over Michigan is a victory over Michigan, regardless of how you slice it. I love seeing Michigan lose, and I would love seeing them lose 5 times in a season more than one loss in a season, even if it means that the game isn't as "big" as this year's. After all, it's only "big" to the third party out there: the fans with no allegiance to either side. It's always big to fans like me, because I'm a heavy believer in the theory that, in rivalries such as this, either team can win at any time, regardless of who is coaching and what their records are.

And this is where I am divided as a fan. I've heard people say that you aren't a fan unless you totally despise your rival, and hope they lose every game. I've heard other Ohio State fans say that you aren't a fan unless you cheer for your rival so that way the game means more. I love seeing Michigan lose, but I have too much respect for the school and their true fans (key word being "true," I can't stand the people that call themselves fans just for the sake of being different from the rest of Columbus) to actually want that to happen. In my opinion, how you view your rival doesn't affect your status as a fan nearly as much as how you view your own team.

Battle Of the Blogs: Pfef vs MZone

2006-11-13T18:52:00.000-05:00

No posts from me today, guys. But don't worry, that doesn't mean there isn't anything I've written out there for you to read. I've recently partaken in CSTV's Battle Of The Blogs, which puts an OSU Blog up against a Michigan blog each day. Today, I faced The MZone in the debate, "Which Stadium is better?" It's not my best work, but I feel that I gave enough info to win it. Although MZone wrote more, they did it in classic MZone fashion, spending as much time making immature jokes about Ohio State (i.e. the guards at the stadium; Heaven forbid the fans be safe), as he does giving quality analysis on the team he's supposed to blog about. I will give him the part about the field, though. The way we handled that situation over the season was rediculous, but it shouldn't be a problem if and when we get turf like Michigan's installed.

Yesterday, Keith over at Buckeye Commentary had the task of comparing the game day atmospheres of the schools. I fail to see how a team with fans that leave at halftime because for the most part it is "Too cold and rainy" has that much of a great game day atmosphere.

Championship picture gets a whole lot clearer

2006-11-12T10:12:00.003-05:00

Well, this just got a whole lot less controversial, didn't it? Including Louisville's loss on Thursday, a grand total of four teams lost their chances at going to the BCS Championship in GlenDale, AZ. So just what are the possible match-ups remaining? Let's take a look:

Winner of Ohio State/Michigan vs Florida/Arkansas
How will this happen?:

Obviously, Florida must defeat Western Carolina and Florida State in the coming weeks; and Arkansas needs to defeat Mississippi State and Louisiana State
If both teams make it to the SEC Championship with only one loss, the winner will likely represent the conference in the National Championship.

This is the most likely of all the championship scenarios, because Florida and Arkansas are the two only teams remaining that controls their own destiny. Both teams have difficult tests heading into the conference championship, however. Arkansas has a key date at home with LSU, and Florida has their annual rivalry with Florida State at Tallahassee. If both teams make it to the SEC Championship with only one loss, both of their rankings should jump up and put the winner of the game in a position to go to the National Championship.

Winner of Ohio State/Michigan vs USC
How will this happen?

USC defeats Cal, Notre Dame, and UCLA
Arkansas defeats Mississippi State, but loses to LSU. Then, they defeat a 1-loss Florida team in the SEC Championship
OR Florida loses to Florida State, but then defeats a 1-loss Arkansas team in the SEC Championship

Essentially, for USC to make it to Arizona, they need the winner of the SEC to have two losses. For this to happen, one of the top two teams in the SEC will have to lose once more in the regular season, and then win the SEC Championship. This will give both teams 2 losses, and make it nearly impossible for the team to have a prayer at the championship game. Also, USC has two of their hardest tests of the season ahead of them, playing a revenge-seeking Notre Dame team and a Cal team coming off of a tough loss. If they can get past both of those tests, and the rest falls into place, there should be no problem for USC getting to the championship.

Winner of Ohio State/Michigan vs Notre Dame
How will this happen?

Notre Dame runs the table, beating Army and USC
Winner of Ohio State/Michigan wins convincingly
SEC Champion finishes with two losses

I already described just what needs to happen for the SEC Champion to have two losses, so I won't go through all of it again. If the loser of the Ohio State/Michigan team gets absolutely hammered in the game, their ranking should fall further than #2 and eliminate any chance of a rematch. However, if the above does happen, it should make Notre Dame the highest ranked one-loss team in America, and that should be enough to punch their tickets.

Winner of Ohio State/Michigan vs West Virginia/Louisville/Rutgers
How will this happen?

West Virginia defeats Rutgers en route to a 1-loss season or Rutgers finishes undefeated
Louisville finishes season with 1-loss
Cal defeats USC
USC defeats ND
SEC Champion finishes with two losses

This is an incredibly unlikely scenario. Regardless of who wins the conference, there is still a good chance that they get left out of the National Championship. Everyone is rooting for Rutgers to make it, but there is absolutely no chance of that happening. The best one of these teams can hope for at this point is a BCS Bowl berth against a team that isn't Boise State.

Winner of Ohio State/Michigan vs Loser of Ohio State/Michigan
How will this happen?

The result of the game on the 18th is incredibly close, and isn't decided until the final play.
All current 1-loss teams outside of the Big East lose
Rutgers loses

Ah, yes, the dream scenario that everyone wants. Well, everyone except me perhaps (more coming later this week). Every other legitimate national title contender needs to lose within the next few weeks, which is just about impossible to happen. Realistically, Rutgers probably doesn't need to lose for this to happen, but you never know with the voters nowadays.

Northwestern Gameday Discussion

2006-11-11T10:35:00.000-05:00

Unsurprisingly, ever since last week's close call with Illinois, there have been some people out there putting Ohio State on upset alert. Well there's one reason that it won't happen: I was unable to wear my lucky Archie Griffin 45 jersey last week. Just kidding. But no, really. The only other game this season I haven't worn the jersey was when I wore scarlet against Penn State to support the "Sea of Scarlet." That's two close calls that happened when I haven't worn the jersey. Coincidence? Almost definitely. But between today and next Saturday, I'm not taking any chances. Now, onto actual reasons as to why Ohio State will win and win easily today:

Tressel seems to have learned his lesson. When you have a coach that openly admits to poor play calling on his part, you can bet that the playbook won't be so quick to shut for the rest of the season. As opposed to the past few weeks, I'm expecting the passing game to be a tad more vertical, and for Pittman to finish with right around 20 carries, as opposed to last week's absurd total of 32. If all goes as expected, Troy Smith's passing yardage should be in the 200s, his legs will be a non-factor, and he will have at least three touchdowns. With all of the second half running last week, it was interesting to note that not once did we go deep to Ginn on play action. That may have been the first game all season we didn't try it, so expect some deep passes headed #7's way.
re‧sil‧ient [ri-zil-yuhnt, -zil-ee-uhnt]: recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant. The one thing that separates Illinois from Northwestern in the Big Ten cellar is that the Illini are much more resilient than the Wildcats. Randy Walker's death was a huge setback to Northwestern, and it seems to me watching Northwestern this season that at the first sign of trouble, the team just falls apart. Although the game was close for a while against Michigan two weeks ago, was there ever any doubt as to who would win that game? Exactly. If Ohio State goes up 17-0 like we did against Illinois, there will be no chance at a comeback.
Final Prediction: Ohio State - 31 Northwestern - 7

Troy Smith nursing injured thumb

2006-11-09T20:42:00.000-05:00

There has been many questions coming up over the past few weeks as to just what the deal was with Troy Smith's wrapped up thumb on his throwing hand (seen here). Well, what was once speculation is now a fact: Troy Smith has a bum thumb.

Smith insists that the injury has had no effect on his play this season, and I have absolutely zero reason to believe that statement. This definitely seems to go a long way when it comes to Troy Smith's recent production (or lack thereof) through the air. He has seemed much more timid in the pocket in recent weeks, which one can only assume is a direct result of a lack of confidence in his ability to make the throws he had no problem making in the early part of the season. Also, it seems to me that when the easy throw isn't there for Smith, instead of finding a way to squeeze the ball into tight pockets, he is simply taking off and running instead. Also, one has to think that this injury played a large role in the horrendous, one-dimensional play calling from the final half of the Illinois game.

AROUND THE NCAA I'm currently watching the Louisville-Rutgers game on ESPN (Louisville is on pace for a win at this moment), and I actually have a bit to say about not necessarily this game, but for the Big East conference as a whole. People have been saying that the Big East is "Back" because of the two recent huge conference games (this one and last week's Lousiville/WVU matchup). Just exactly how can a conference regain prominence when they're beating up each other on Thursday nights? The premier teams in the Big Least need to start performing against other upper-tier teams in the nation. So far, of the top three teams in the conference, the biggest win they've had came against a Miami team that was in total disarray. How am I supposed to believe that a conference that never schedules games against any other top talent teams is good enough to play in the National Championship? Although I do feel that Louisville would be a worthy team to play in the Championship, that's just based solely off of what I've seen them do against mediocre talent and what I feel they are capable of. If Louisville made it to the championship I wouldn't necessarily be angry, but I don't think they deserve to go because they haven't shown their abilities as much as, say, Texas or Florida have this season.

New clock rules on their deathbed, plus basketball!

2006-11-07T17:10:00.000-05:00

Men of the Scarlet and Gray, a blog made famous for it's analysis on rule 3-2-5e, also known as "The New Clock Rules," has pointed out what is surely to be the dagger in the heart of these rules. To sum it up shortly, last Saturday, Wisconsin head coach ordered his kickoff team to go offsides twice in a row. Since the clock now starts upon time of kickoff (as opposed to when the opposition touches the ball initially), he was able to run off the final 23 seconds of the first half. Thanks to the wonderful tool of linear regression, a team could take off as much as a few minutes off the clock. The NCAA needs to change this rule as soon as humanly possible. Imagine in the National Championship game (the real one, you know, on November 18th), Michigan scores a go-ahead touchdown with two minutes to go in the game, and Ohio State never gets the ball back? Hopefully Lllloyd (or any other coach in the nation) has enough respect for his opponent and doesn't do this, but chances are, this is going to happen on a huge stage, and it will happen sooner rather than later.

On a different note, the Columbus Dispatch released their official Men's Basketball Preview. The front page of the sports section has a picture that perfectly represents how this season will be: One big man (Greg Oden) towering over (overshadowing?) everybody else. The preview makes sure to cover all of the facets of the Thad Five, but also takes looks at the rest of the conference, as well as the rest of the nation.

Another feature on the preview was the "Keys to the season," and I must say I'm very disappointed in the Dispatch. For a Columbus based paper, you'd think they'd give Jamar Butler the respect he deserves, and not let the Mike Conley hype machine take them over. Well, apparently, Conley is the second coming of Scoonie Penn (which he very well may be, just not now), and Jamar Butler is just a good shooter. As I've noted in the past, Butler is the wheels that keeps the offense moving, and he probably deserved to be first team All-Conference last season, if not conference player of the year. I could understand him being overlooked last season by Je'Kel Foster's shooting ability and Terrence Dials' presence in the post, but this year, he's the only sure thing coming into the season. The fact that the Dispatch of all papers fails to see past the recruiting class is pretty saddening. They also say that the Buckeyes will make it to March Madness if they play defense and rebound. The rebounding woes (outrebounded by 19 in exhibition games against Findlay and Walsh -- yes, Findlay and Walsh) will end the moment Oden gets back. Even if he's not as effective as expected, the imitation factor alone should win us the physical-facet of the game every time we take the court. As for defense? Well, a ton of bad defensive teams make it to March. Now, as for making it to the Final Four, then I would agree.

It could be worse, we could be trekkies.

2006-11-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

Not much to say here today, but boy do I have plenty to show you. As you'll remember two weeks ago, Jack Nicklaus dotted the "I." Well, last week at the Michigan-Ball State game, it turns out that Patrick Stewart -- or as you may know him, Picard -- conducted "Hail To The Victors" as the Michigan marching band marched in place in a shape looking like this. To compare, you have the single greatest professional golfer of all time being honored in one of the most time-honored traditions in college football vs. a Trekkie. You know, Ohio State may do a lot of stuff outside of football that embarasses me, but at least we know how to pick halftime celebrities.

Now I'll let you beam down to watch the video.

Illinois Gameday Thread

2006-11-04T11:50:00.000-05:00

We're only about 3 and a half hours until kickoff, so I suppose I'm running a bit behind. I guess that's what happens when you don't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning.

ESPN did a nice feature on what goes through Troy Smith's mind as he drops back to pass. It's really a great piece on just how smart of a person Smith is. It's really incredible that in a span of 1.5 seconds, a quarterback can go through his progressions, while someone is trying to drag him down at the feet, and hardly even leave the pocket. You can watch it on ESPN Motion right now if you want.
As far as game predictions go, I'm picking Tony Pittman and Gonzo to have big games offensively. Illinois has given up 11 TDs on the ground so far this season, and so far, Pittman's stats haven't been as impressive as last season. Something has got to give. Also, it's been a few weeks since #11 has made much noise, so look for him to be more involved in the offense as well.
That doesn't mean Troy Smith won't have a huge game himself, either. Most people are considering his performance last week sub-par, and Heisman winners don't have two bad games in a row.
Defensively, watch out for Vernon Gholston and Laurinaitis. 'Juice' has been very interception-prone so far as a freshman, so it'll be interesting to see if The Animal can get back on track as far as picks go.
Other random predictions: Troy has another rushing TD, Beanie doesn't fumble, Malcolm Jenkins gets at least 1 pick, and Ginn has one big touchdown (whether it be pass, run, or return is anyone's call).
Final Score Prediction: 38-13

Give any thoughts/analysis in the comments section if you wish to do so.

Analysts are people, too

2006-11-02T16:24:00.000-05:00

I'd like to take some time today to stand in defense of Kirk Herbstreit. As many of you have most likely heard by now, Herbstreit recently stated on his radio show on 1460 The Fan that in his opinion, Ohio State will blow Michigan out of the water and that the game won't be very close for very long. Here are the key excerpts for those of you that haven't already heard about this:

∙ "I personally don't think [Michigan's] defense, the way Ohio State will spread them out, can just dominate the game and shut Ohio State down."

∙ "If those two teams were to play right now, just the way they're playing, I don't even think it would be close. Ohio State not only wins that game the way they're playing right now, maybe by a few scores."

∙ On Michigan receiver Steve Breaston's role once injured star Mario Manningham returns: "Breaston can go back to whatever he's doing these days, if they could ever find a way to actually apply him in the offense. He's worthless in my mind, outside of returning a few punts."

Now, this didn't sit too well with one particular Sports Illustrated columnist. In fact, he actually seems offended by it all; something that is rather ironic considering his job as a journalist is to stay objective at all times, and as he criticizes another journalist for biased remarks, he himself becomes rather subjective. As Second Rate News does a fine job in pointing out that there is a huge difference when one is presenting himself as a balanced analyst among a national television audience, and when he is hosting his own Columbus-based radio show, obviously trying to pump the Buckeye faithful up. Although radio journalism is still journalism, it's a much more laid back form that is created for a specific type of audience. If I were a contributer to a national news network such as ESPN, and also had this blog on the side, you can bet that there would be a large difference in the tone and opinions expressed between the two. If Desmond Howard had a radio show based in Ann Arbor, and he was asked to predict what would happen on the 18th, I don't think anybody would doubt that he would go with the Wolverines in a heartbeat, and completely discredit the Buckeyes.

After all, he did sing "Hail To The Victors" on top of the Horseshoe.

Vote or Die.

2006-11-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

For those of you out there who have the pleasure of going to school with me, you probably noticed today that I was wearing a "Troy for Heisman" T-Shirt. Some of you out there even went as far as to joke that me wearing the T-Shirt wouldn't have a say in how it all goes down. Well, you guys were wrong. Back in '99 the guys in charge of the Heisman had the brilliant idea of letting the fans get one collective vote to help decide who wins the trophy. Well, since the Buckeyes have their first legit Heisman candidate since this process started, it's time for the Buckeye Nation to do their part to enshrine Troy Smith. Click Here to vote for Troy. The way it works is, when the balloting ends, the person with the highest percentage of votes gets one vote on the official Heisman ballot. And right now, Steve Slaton is giving the rest of the crew an ass whoopin'. Buckeye fans are some of the craziest out there, and if there's ever something to get riled up about, this is it. The ballot is designed to only let you vote once per week, but if you clear your history and cookies, you can vote as many times as you need. Frankly, if Troy Smith doesn't come back -- or at least give Slaton a run for his money -- I will be thoroughly disappointed in all of the Buckeye fans worldwide. This is the kind of thing that we should be dominating, and not fighting to fend off that goody two shoes Brady Quinn.

Hat Tips to: The Penalty Kill and The Buckeye Blog for bringing this to my attention.

Shameless Advertising: Spread the word around your schools, jobs, and anywhere else by purchasing a Troy Smith for Heisman T-Shirt or one of many others in the Pfef's Sports Blog Team Shop!

A preliminary look at the Cleveland LeBrons

2006-10-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

Here at Pfef's Sports Blog, that basketball team from Cleveland will be known as the "LeBrons" until I become convinced that there are four other people on the court in Wine and Gold jerseys. I'm going to copy off of the 614 a bit here with the imaginary interview style of preview.

The three big additions to the Cavaliers last season -- Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall, and Damon Jones -- have already been labled as busts. How do you expect these guys to perform this season?
Ah, if only it could be that easy. The jury is still out on Hughes as to just how much of a contributer he can be. In his limited action in the regular season, Hughes was definitely a boost from past Cleveland shooting guards in the LeBron era, averaging 15.5 ppg and being a solid contributer when defenses would focus solely on LeBron. However, one of the major things I noticed about Hughes, and questioned about the signing of him coming into the season was his role within the offense. Hughes is the kind of player that slashes to the hoop, has a jumpshot that needs some work, and has a knack for stealing the ball. At 6-5, 184 lbs., he was nothing more than a smaller, less freakish King. With two starters that are expected to be the top two offensive contributers, and both have similar styles of play, it left much to be desired along the perimeter. Danny Ferry led many Cavaliers fans last season, including myself, to believe that we were getting a huge discount with two players known primarily for their perimeter games in Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall. Well, we all know how that one played out. As a result, all three players will find thesmselves on the trading block at the first sign of trouble. A year after trying to prove their contracts, I expect all three players to have improved play, but at least one of them will be gone before the season ends.

What are your views on LeBron's effect on the team? Not his play on the court, but rather in the way that he handles the situations surrounding the team.
One of the great effects of the abbreviated history of the media on the sporting world is the debate between Star vs. Coach. Usually, I like to side with the coach, but as far as I'm concerned, not only is LeBron James our all-pro forward, he's also head coach LeBron James, and general manager LeBron James. As is the case so often in the NBA, the star player comes first in all decisions regarding the team. Every move the franchise makes revolves around the young King. As much as people try to say that the teams that avoid letting the stars take control are better off, it is inevitable to happen on any team. The Bulls conceded to MJ's every command throughout his career, and although it took a while for it to pay off, it eventually ended up paying off six times. Obviously, there are situations where the star player is only looking out for himself and the results are near-disasterous (see: Bryant, Kobe; Clarett, Maurice). At this point in his career, James seems to be matured well beyond his years. Every indication is that he is one of the most intelligent young men to come through the league in recent history, and he seems to be using every bit of it to his advantage. He knows what this team needs to win a championship, it just so happens that it revolves around him. Is it selfish? Yes, somewhat If LeBron gets fed up with Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall chucking up threes, you can bet they'll be gone. LeBron will get what LeBron wants, but the difference between LeBron and Kobe is that LeBron seems much more willing to make the very limited sacrifies that Bryant is not.

The Cavaliers offseason was a relative snoozer, with very few moves being made. What were the best and worst moves of the offseason, in your opinion?
I feel that the best move the Cavs could have possibly made this past summer was exactly what they did do, and that was not much at all. Perhaps more important than getting a great three point shooter in there or a dominating presence in the low post was developing a strong sense of team chemistry between LeBron and the players that will be the most important in future championship runs. All that bringing in another veteran guy past his prime accomplishes is stunting the growth of the guys that will be keys to LeBron's seemingly destined glory. Anderson Varejao is a perfect example of this. He's entering his third season in the league, and although he's still a season away from being a productive, full-time starter, he's not going to improve anymore by moving him down on the depth chart. He's past the point in his career where watching veterans will increase his knowledge of the game, and it's time we utilize his skills to the best of their abilities. He won't begin the season as a starter, and that's rightfully so. But when Big Z finds a way to get hurt midseason, he will be called on the shoulder much of the load down low. A lot of what goes down two seasons from now (when I expect this team to become a serious contender) will be a direct result of how the young guys are handled this season.

Now on a similar note, the worst move of the offseason unquestionably was the signing of David Wesley. It's as if the front office learned absolutely nothing from Damon Jones and DaJuan Wagner. He's not big enough to be a shooting guard, and he's too old and ineffective to bring anything to the game as a point guard. I think Shannon Brown has what it takes to be a real good player in this league, but I think having him behind just Snow and Jones was a perfect spot for him. Now as an 11th or 12th man essentially, he'll struggle to play in garbage time. Luckily, he's only a rookie, and will have plenty of years ahead of him.

Alrighty. Give me a prediction here. Division rank, playoff seeding, playoff finish, and a bold prediction of something to keep an eye out for.
Second in the division (Behind the Pistions, above the Bulls), 4th in the East, and another second round playoff exit. Rumors start flying in week 3 of a possible trade for Rashard Lewis, but nothing happens until the offseason.

Will the 18th ever get here?

2006-10-31T21:31:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't noticed, it's been a slow couple of weeks around Buckeye nation. Unless the Shoe getting re-re-sodded is exciting to you -- and believe me, it is to some people -- there just isn't just much to talk about regarding Buckeye football. Two consecutive blowouts, and two upcoming dates with Illinois and Northwestern respectively just flat out lack the general excitement among the population of Buckeye fans that the month of September had. Granted, the second the Northwestern game ends, it will be near nonstop posting around the Ohio State blogosphere for, you know, that one game. It's hard to fathom this idea, but is it possible that Ohio State Football is actually becoming boring? It's hard to imagine considering we have the frontrunner for the Heisman, possibly the nation's most exciting group of receivers, and a duo at running back that keeps linebackers up at night. With the current imbalance of the schedule, it's as if you're playing a game of Madden NFL Football on the easiest difficulty level with the Patriots: Where's the fun in it? Now, I'm not trying to say something like Ohio State needs to play down to the level of their opponents just for the sake of discussion, but rather just trying to explain the lack of posting around here lately. So from now until the clock reads 0:00 against Northwestern, don't expect nearly as much Ohio State content, unless something really interesting spikes up between now and then. However, basketball season is getting underway, and although my attempts at previewing the Buckeye starting five were futile, the majority of the content in the next 11 days will deviate from Troy Smith and Co. and focus more on Thad, Greg, and Jamar, along with the Godliness of LeBron James.

Remember, though, this is all just assuming the next two weeks are like the previous two. I'm sure now that I've said all of this something catostrophic will happen and this post will be rendered totally irrelevant.

Preseason Basketball Poll Released

2006-10-27T15:12:00.000-04:00

The ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll was released today, and to much surprise, the coaches voted Ohio State as the #4 team in the nation. I, like most of the Buckeye faithful, find this rating to be high. Somehow, this team even managed to steal a #1 vote from Florida. Whoever did that obviously didn't know that Greg Oden is out until January, and that there's a very small chance that the rest of the freshmen are going to be able to gel quick enough to have great success in the non-conference schedule. One has to wonder how these Buckeyes start 5 spots above the preseason favorites to win the Big Ten, Wisconsin. The Badgers could turn this conference into a battle for #2, as Alando Tucker and Co. could run away with things quickly. Unsurprisingly, Florida is the near-unanimous Number 1 team, and North Carolina is a distant #2. My knowledge of college basketball doesn't go much past the Big Ten and the traditional powers, so don't expect much national analysis as the season wears on. If I had to predict how things will play out in the Big Ten this season, it would be as follows:

Pfef's 30 second conference preview:

1. Wisconsin - Preseason POY Alando Tucker and virtually everyone else comes back from a team that is poised to dominate
2. Ohio State - Greg Oden will be back in time for conference play, and this is a down year for big men in the Big Ten. You do the math.
3. Indiana - DJ White probably has conference comeback player of the year locked up, and is the favorite for the National award. Kelvin Sampson will give this team the shot of life that the Hoosier's have lacked of late.
4. Michigan - Courtney Sims is the best returning big man in the Big Ten, and that alone should win them quite a few games.
5. Illinois - Dee Brown and James Augustine are both gone. If Brian Randle can't make the fans forget about them, then it is going to be a long season in Champaign.
6. Michigan State - Shannon Brown? Gone. Paul Davis? See ya later. Maurice Ager? Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. These guys were referred to as a "Big 3" last season because there weren't many other options on the Spartans team. Now, Tom Izzo will have his hardest test as a coach to date.
7. Iowa - Their most highly touted recruit, Tyler Smith, who was expected to fill the space left by three top seniors, was arrested last month. Consider that an omen.
8. Penn State - Here's a team that many, including Dick Vitale, are expecting to do big things this season. However, it's hard to do big things when your tallest starter is 6'5"
9. Purdue - It's always interesting to see how players return from huge knee injuries. Carl Landry was an 18 point/7 rebound kind of guy two seasons ago, and he'll need to return to that form to give Purdue any hope.
10. Minnesota - All 5 starters are gone from a team that didn't even make the NIT last season.
11. Northwestern - The little talent they had last year has since moved on, and there isn't any talent coming into replace it.

Looking to next year real quick

2006-10-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

In what has been hidden underneath the shadow of the bogus reports of Jim Tressel looking into the NFL, an important step was taken in determining the success of the future of Ohio State football. Antonio Pittman announced in an article published in the Columbus Dispatch on Wednesday that he has every intention of returning to the Buckeyes next season. Although it may have seemed somewhat obvious to most that he would return, there was some legitimate speculation of him making the jump after this season for two reasons: 1) He is finally becoming recognized for what he does on the field, and has established himself as one of the three best backs in the Big Ten, and 2) Chris Wells. Wells was, obviously, the most highly touted recruit for Ohio State since a man by the name of Ginn announced his intentions to play for the Scarlet and Gray. There was actually much discussion heading into the season as to how many carries Wells would take away from Pittman as a freshman, and whether or not he would take the starter's spot. Well, eight games and 778 yards later, Pittman has established himself as an every down back, with Wells being used primarily as a tank on short yardage situations. Due to all the hype surrounding Wells, one can only imagine that the pressure to start the "next Eddie George" would build so much that there would actually be a running back controversy next year. Anyways, the point I'm trying to get at here is that had Pittman gone pro, it would have been more because of the fact that he would fear losing his starting spot next season, thus hurting his draft status, and not so much because he felt he was NFL ready.

One situation that reminds me of this is the one that occured at Miami the year after the national championship game. When Willis McGahee announced that he would go pro after blowing out his knee, many questioned how someone that may not have been ready to play in time for the next season would feel ready to play at the next level. Well, something that was overlooked was that the guy who was supposed to be Miami's star running back that season, Frank Gore, blew out his knee in the preseason, and McGahee would have most likely lost his starting job, and millions of dollars. Although there were much different circumstances in that situation (McGahee coming off injury, Pittman will be coming off his best season), it is the only situation that is most similar to the one that could have occured.

But instead of talking about things that didn't happen, I'll focus a little bit on what will happen. I'm not shying away from my opinion that I feel that 2007 will be an off year for the Buckeyes (with the term "off year" being taken very loosely, they should still make a New Years day bowl). Troy Smith, two offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, and probably Ted Ginn will all be distant memories this time next year. I haven't been overly impressed with what I've seen out of Boeckman and Schoenhoft in "garbage time" this season, so it is only natural to assume that there will be a lot of handing the ball off next season. The spread offense will leave with Troy Smith, so get ready for offenses that will compare to the 2003 season. However, one thing the 2007 team will have that the early Tresselball teams did not have is a fantastic running game. Sure, we had Maurice in 2002, but he missed four games, and when he was gone, the offense revolved around the punt. Not only will there be plenty of talent in the backfield next season, but even more importantly, there will be plenty of depth as well. Everyone knows about Pittman and Wells, but Maurice Wells will probably be the best third string tailback in the nation, and if Tressel can lure in 5-Star Wisconsin tailback John Clay, we may mistake the man in the sweatervest for Woody Hayes. Although next year's Buckeye team won't be nearly as talented as this year's, a soft schedule and depth in the backfield could still allow us to challenge for a BCS bowl berth.

Notes of interest regarding "the now":

David Patterson is back at practice and is reportedly at 100% and will start on Saturday. Can't wait to see the defensive line back at full strength, although I'm sure Brian Cupito would rather have him wait an extra week.
As I mentioned at the beginning, those reports about Tressel going to the NFL couldn't be more false. He has two things right now that he may never get in the NFL: Job security and a fan base that actually appreciates what it's coach does. And that big fat contract he signed in the offseason doesn't hurt either.
The best thing about October? Seeing 900 lb pumpkins dropped from 80 feet in the air on top of a maize and blue van, of course!
Jack Nicklaus is joining exclusive company: The 18 time major champion is dotting the I at the game Saturday. More info at BuckeyeCommentary
Minny game depth chart. Believe it or not, Chris Wells was just now officially moved above Maurice Wells on the depth chart. When was the last time Mo Wells even played a meaningful down in the first half of a game, anyways?
22 days until the 18th.

Lloyd Carr: Clueless, or Gutless?

2006-10-24T20:09:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't seen it yet, Men of the Scarlet and Gray just made a fine post regarding the Adrian Arrington situation at Michigan. In case you haven't heard yet, the UM wideout is facing a charge of domestic violence after getting in an argument with his wife and allegedly assaulting her. For a nice synopsis, check out the timeline on MotSaG that summarizes up the suspicious order of events. I applaud sportsMonkey for not jumping to conclusions. As Ohio State fans, we all got defensive when people did it regarding the Maurice Clarett situation, and it's only fair that every situation is handled like so before the details come out.

Of course, one can't help be at least a little suspicious at what happened, especially after looking at the timeline. If all of these allegations are 100% accurate, then it really brings up some serious questions as to the whereabouts of Lloyd Carr's integrity as not just a coach, but also a person. I agree with MotSaG wholeheartedly in their contrasts from Carr's handling of the Arrington issue to how Mack Brown handled the Tarell Brown situation. As just about everyone remembers, Brown was arrested for posession of marijuana and a handgun. Although as the week wore on it became more and more apparent that the charges would be dropped, and Brown very well may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time; regardless, Brown suspended Brown anyways, because it was the right thing to do. It was a stupid choice on Brown's part to be in the situation that he was in, and he deserved to be punished for it. It also goes without saying that Brown's decision was much tougher, because it happened to his top cornerback on the week of the biggest game of the season. And although Arrington isn't exactly a bench warmer, and his role would be increased due to the Manningham injury, he still wasn't even the go-to guy for Chad Henne in the Iowa game, and it wasn't in a #1 vs #2 game. The action that Carr should have taken should have been a no-brainer at the very least, and he still didn't do it. He may have been doing what would give the team the greatest immediate impact, but it is unfair to Arrington, and it's unfair to himself to allow him to get into these situations and
not have any sort of repercussion.

The ironic thing is, when guys like Tressel suspend players for their off the field issues, the the school instantly gets unfairly labled as a university filled with renegades constantly breaking the law. However, when there is a punishment or little to no suspension, the public turns their eye to it. Where's the justice in that? I guess it just goes to show nowadays that nice guys finish last, and that you should win, regardless of the cost.

Looks like the Buckeye Battle Cry had his input on it as well, which gives three Ohio State blogs talking about the same exact off the field issue with a player that isn't even at OSU. Man, the 18th can't get here soon enough.

Programming Note: "The Issues of the Nation" has changed it's site and URL to "Tough Vote", and I've updated that on the sidebar. He's also made a fantastic first post regarding the situation in Iraq. Plus, he has a fantastic banner, and whoever made that deserves a pat on the back.

Pfef's Sports Blog Team Shop launched

2006-10-23T21:10:00.000-04:00

Looking for a new T-Shirt to support your hometown Buckeyes? Well look no further than Pfef's Sports Blog T-Shirt Shop. For the lowest prices, you can get any T-Shirt imaginable. Want to support Troy Smith in his quest for the Heisman? We've got it. Looking to trash talk the guys up north? You know we have it. What is on the site now is just the beginning, and it should blossom into one of the best and most creative Buckeye shops out there.

And then there were two

2006-10-22T17:43:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of posting in recent days. I'll try to pick it up a bit more throughout the week in order to make up for it all. I would post a wrap-up of the Indiana game, but if there's one thing I've learned in my time as an Ohio State fan, it's that what happens against Indiana means next to nothing when looking ahead to future games. After all, you just know you're playing Indiana when Lydell Ross runs for 130 yards.

Sean over at The 614 has an excellent post on what it's like to be the fan of the nation's top team. I definitely have to say that I fall into the "Suspicion" category most of the time. However, I do like to think of myself as a realist most of the time. That may be just my ego speaking, but I feel that I'm not the kind of fan that thinks the media is out to get Ohio State (usually), and I'm not blinded enough to notice that there are weaknesses on every team.

On the Heisman frontier, if you thought that Troy Smith's lead in the race to be forever immortalized as one of college football's greatest players was large before this week, it may have gotten even bigger after yesterday. Garrett Wolfe probably ended any chances he had with his 25 yard rushing performance two weeks ago, but his 45 yard performance against Temple (yes, that Temple), put the nail in the coffin. Also, Calvin Johnson probably didn't have much of a chance to win it to begin with as a WR that doesn't return kicks, so like Wolfe, Johnson needed a huge game in the prime time performance against Clemson to solidify himself in the Heisman race, but he was a total non-factor and didn't make a single catch all game long. Steve Slaton had a nice game (19 carries, 128 yards) against Connecticut, but just like with his team, a cupcake schedule won't get him the necessary attention to win.

In fact, there is only one person left in this entire chase that has a remote chance of catching Troy Smith at this point. That guy is none other than the preseason favorite to win it: Brady Quinn. Will Quinn actually end up catching Smith and beating him out? Not likely. Will he make the race at least somewhat interesting by the end of the season? He sure should. Quinn's and Smith's latter portion of the season are both quite similar: A few tune ups, and then a huge "final exam" if you will, to cap off the season. Until the showdown on the 18th, Smith has dates with Minnesota, Illinois, and Northwestern. Quinn has games against Navy, North Carolina, Air Force, and Army until the prime time rematch against BCS #2 USC.

Really, what even gives Quinn a chance at the trophy has less to do with how he plays, and much more to do with when he plays. Quinn's showdown against USC comes on November 22, one week after Troy Smith goes up against Michigan. If Smith does marginal against Michigan, or if he loses, and Quinn sets the world on fire against an undefeated USC team, voters may be inclined to punch their ballots for Quinn because of that impression he left in the short memories of the voters. Remember that last season Matt Leinart was considered the leader for the Heisman trophy until two late regular season matchups against Fresno State and UCLA, in which Reggie Bush made the Heisman voters completely forget about the previous 10 games on the schedule.

Now, I doubt any of this is too likely to happen. It would mean that Troy Smith is average at best the rest of the season, and nothing I've seen to date makes me believe that will happen, and it also means that USC would have to defeat both Cal and Oregon to maintain their top-3 ranking, something else that may not happen. Remember, Smith's lead over Quinn is much larger than Leinart's was over Bush at this time last season, and both guys get their own seperate chances to shine, whereas Leinart and Bush had to share the same football.

Pfef's Sports Blog Message Board launched!

2006-10-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

As part of my goal here at Pfef's Sports Blog to get you, the reader, more involved in discussion, I have created a message board for you to post whatever is on your mind regarding everything from Buckeye football to your views on politics. Obviously, I can't post everyday, and since I'm sure all of you out there are absolutely dying to talk sports, head over there now. The forum is conveniently located on the right sidebar and is easily accessible.

Since this is the first message board I've created, I'm sure that I have overlooked some glaring problems. If you notice any, please post them on the message board, in the comments, or e-mail me and I'll fix them ASAP.

Paul Posluszny: Once a thief, always a thief

2006-10-18T20:48:00.000-04:00

Okay, so maybe that's a bit harsh of a title, especially considering it really isn't up to Posluszny, but I honestly have no idea who is in charge of deciding who gains consideration for the major postseason awards.

As most Buckeye fans remember, Posluszny beat out AJ Hawk for the Dick Butkus award, which names the best collegiate linebacker in America. The stats were all obviously in Hawk's favor, Hawk was the captain of one of the nation's best defenses, and he also dominated every aspect of the game, whether it be stopping the run or in pass coverage. The only thing Posluszny had going for him that season was that he played on a better team, and in their head-to-head matchup, he came out the victor (Both in final score and in the stat column). After Posluszny won the award, he even admitted that he didn't deserve it and that Hawk was the far superior linebacker.

Well, as much of an embarassment that that was last season, the guys in charge of the Lombardi Award (whether these are the same people is beyond me) managed to put it to shame. The 12 semi-finalists for the Rotari Lombardi award were recently named, and of those 12, James Laurinaitis is nowhere to be found as Posluszny is sitting pretty. As angered as I was last after last season, now I am absolutely outraged. I have no idea how the "college football experts" that make these decisions can even look themselves in the mirrors in the morning. I can only conclude that this is a direct result of two things: Preseason hype and an inability to judge just how good a defender is. "Poz" came into the season as the nation's top returning linebacker, thus creating sky-high expectations. What many people seemed to have forgotten, though, is that Posluszny tore a knee ligament in last season's Orange Bowl, which was a huge step back in his progression as a player (as is the case with most athletes). So far this season, Posluszny has brought next to nothing to the Penn State defense. His injury has made him relatively stale-footed and immobile. And although he has made some significant progress to returning to All-American form, he is still far removed from the player that he was last season.

Does James Laurinaitis deserve to be a semi-finalist? Well, that is all based on your opinion. Compared to Posluszny, Laurinaitis is superior in every statistical category. Another player that many would consider to be more deserving than Posluszny is his teammate, Dan Connor. Connor has been an absolute beast all season long, and has established himself as one of the best linebackers in the nation this season. I am glad to see that Quinn Pitcock made the list. He's been one of the best defensive tackles in the nation this season.

A little PSB Housekeeping

2006-10-15T21:29:00.000-04:00

I just got done making some additions to the sidebar, and here is a little overview of what's been added:

In what must have been a huge oversight on my part, somehow Around The Oval got left off of the OSU Blogs list. I could have sworn it was in there, so it must have accidentally gotten deleted somewhere along the line. My apologies to JD, I don't know how that one got past me.
Other OSU Blogs added: The Buckeye Battle Cry, Eleven Warriors, The Penalty Kill, The Pojo Dojo, and Second Rate News (which has actually been up there for a couple of days now). If these blogs keep it up, Ohio State very well may have the highest (and most educated, if I say so myself) population of college football fans in the blogosphere.
Andy has been the most active of all you slackers out there when it comes to comments, and I've finally gotten around to adding his site, My Casual Thoughts, to the sidebar. He's a Buckeye fan stuck in Ann Arbor, so drop by and give your deepest sympathies. Now, if he just weren't a stinkin' Tigers fan... (side note: I did predict the winner of the Yankees/Tigers series to win the World Series, but I don't have it in writing anywhere, you will have to take my word for it).
MGoBlog and the 50 Yard Lion were both added, as was Heisman Pundit. Three of the best blogs out there, undoubtedly. By the way, take a look at who is on the top of HP's Heisman list, I'm sure all you Buckeye fans out there will be more than happy with what you see.
My good friend has followed in my footsteps as a blogger. His, however, is about politics. So take a look if you jocks out there want to broaden your horizons.

Basketball Preview - Shooting Guards

2006-10-15T13:11:00.000-04:00

I haven't quite decided as to whether or not I'll actually do a postgame thoughts/analysis on the OSU/MSU game. It was probably the most complete game played all season long, and Troy Smith's name and number should soon sit up there on the stadium with Eddie, Archie, Chic, and the rest of the Buckeye legends. I pretty much forgot to continue my Buckeye Basketball preview this past week, so I'm going to do it now before I forget again. So without further adieu, here is the Buckeye 2's.

The Sniper:
Daequan Cook, Freshman
6'5" 190 lbs
Dayton, OH

Imagine this: You're the #2 ranked High School Basketball Player at your position nationally, and #13 nationally regardless of position, and you're one of the more overlooked members of your college's recruiting class. This is the exact scenario for incoming Buckeye freshman Daequan Cook. As mentioned before, Cook was one of the top basketball players in the nation, a consenses 5-Star player from all of the recruiting services nationwide, and most people are forgetting about him in the midst of the "Thad Five." While all of the talk in the offseason focused on Greg Oden, whether it be his expectations or his injury, there has been almost as much talk about his High School teammate Mike Conley, and perhaps the most athletically gifted member of the recruiting class, David Lighty. Perhaps the only member of the Thad 5 that has been talked about less than Cook is JUCO transfer Othello Hunter (who, honestly, I don't know much about myself). But while Oden is resting his wrist, and Conley and Lighty are backing up their respective positions, Cook very well could have the biggest impact on the team early on in the season. Remember last season how Ohio State thrived off the 3-Point ball last season thanks to the likes of Je'Kel Foster? Well, Cook could soon make people forget about Foster. His jumpshot is that good. Scout.com calls Cook, "The top mid-range schooter to come around in recent seasons." He's the most complete offensive weapon that Ohio State basketball has seen since, dare I say, Michael Redd? From all I understand, he's just as deadly from outside, and he can finish at the rim, too. The only real question around Cook's game at this point appears to be his defensive presence, something that his predecessor Je'Kel Foster had no problem with. It may all have to deal with just a lack of effort, because he's more than athletic enough to do it. Remember, last season, Foster was always the guy relied on to shut down the oppositions top offensive threat, which left him fatigued in the later stages of the game, which led to his struggles later on in the season. I'm not saying that Cook should play lazy on defense, but since he won't be expected to guard the top opposing threat, he may be left in better condition to impact the game offensively. I'm not going to lie, outside of Oden, Cook is the player that I'm most eager to watch, just because there's that chance that he could end up being the next Mike Redd, and remember this: The last time we had a guy at the point like Jamar Butler, a #2 like Cook, and a defensive presence down low like Oden, we were in the Final Four.

Other guys to look out for:

Mike Conley, Freshman - I know I mentioned this guy in with the point guard position as well, but Thad Matta has said that there will be times this season when Butler and Conley will be on the floor at the same time. With the current lack of depth behind Cook, Butler and Conley may find themselves in the same backcourt quite often early on this season (especially considering we will be trying to compensate for Oden's absence by using guys like David Lighty and Ron Lewis in the front court while he is gone).
Ron Lewis, Senior - This will really all depend on how quickly David Lighty adapts to his role as a forward. Let's say Lighty lives up to the hype early on and Cook struggles a bit. Then there will be lots of pressure on Matta to push Lighty into the starting 5, but also keep the experience of Ron Lewis on the court as well. There is no doubt that Lewis can play either position, but his athleticism may better suit him to play the 3. Then again, it may not be totally up to him.

Troy Smith: Striking the pose a little early

2006-10-14T23:26:00.000-04:00

Troy Smith very well may have won the Heisman trophy today. Sure, he had another great day, including that incredible touchdown to Robiske that makes you think the guy is Donovan McNabb out there. His 15/22 passing for 234 yards and 2 TDs, no INTs, only lifted up his already all-time Big 10 QB Rating record, and the fact that he makes everything he does look easy as he picks apart defenses just lengthen his highlight-reel resume.

However, Troy Smith may not have earned the Heisman trophy with his play today, as much as Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe pretty much gave it to him. Peterson was just finishing up yet another dominating day on the ground as he broke a late 53 yard run towards paydirt, when his Oklahoma career came to a screeching halt. Diving into the endzone, Peterson broke his collarbone, and is now out for the season. Although the injury really hurts his draft chances, I can't see him coming back, because even if he is hurt, he's still probably the best player in the draft. More importantly for the Ohio State fans here, Peterson's injury drops him from the consesus #2 vote on the ballot to completely off of it altogether. The man who was going to take Peterson's place on that list, also killed his chances today, as Garrett Wolfe ran for a grand total of 25 yards on 18 carries (1.4 YPC), against Western Michigan of all teams. Everyone knows the saying, "Big players make big plays in big games." Well, Wolfe made absolutely no plays against a mediocre defense, and he won't get anymore chances to have any big games. Every Heisman winner has a defining moment in his season. You know, coming up big in the most important games. Reggie Bush had that one flip against UCLA that was on every highlight reel, Eddie George had this, heck, even Eric Crouch had that touchdown catch, and he was arguably the worst Heisman winner ever. There's a reason why guys on 4-3 MAC teams don't win the Heisman: They don't play in big enough games that become remembered over time.

How did the rest of the Heisman competition fare this week? Of the only two other real contenders that played this week, one played spectacular (Steve Slaton, 20 carries, 163 yards), although I still insist that he's a fast player in a system pays high dividends for speed, and one played downright awful (Chris Leak, 2 4th Quarter turnovers in one of the biggest games of the season).

Gameday Thread - Ohio State at Michigan State

2006-10-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

Not too much to say today, I've just got some notes to leave to all the doubters that this game may blow up in our faces.

We all know what happened in 1998, especially me. It was about two weeks before my 9th birthday, and my dad took me to my very first Ohio State football game. We were ranked #1 in the nation, led by Joe Germaine, Andy Katzenmoyer, and the rest of that whole crew, going against a struggling, unranked Michigan State team. No sweat, right? Yeah, even I thought that and I was 8 years old. Well, everyone remembers what happened in that short time period, and people are beginning to wonder if it will happen again. The situations are strikingly similar to 1998. Ohio State undefeated and atop the nation, Michigan State struggling to make the season worthwhile, yada yada yada. Well, I don't think this will be any trouble whatsoever for the Buckeyes. Will it be a 50-0 victory? Not likely, just because Tressel doesn't allow that and the defense is bound to give up a long drive at one point or another.

Why the game won't be a loss:

Jim Tressel. I've never seen an Ohio State team in my lifetime respond to their coaches like this season's. Everyone seems to really have bought into Tressel, something that past teams may not have been able to say so much. Knowing Tressel, this was one of the more difficult weeks of practice that the team had to go through all season long, and it should pay dividends today.
John L Smith. The man has admitted to the press that his job is on thin ice, his team is yet to show up and play a down of football since about halftime of the Notre Dame fiasco. The guy lost to Illinois, and yes, we're still talking about football. John L Smith has given up on this season, his job, his team, and as a result, the team has given up on him. The MSU coach in 1998? Nick Saban. Yep, the Michigan State Athletic Department really knows which ones to keep and which ones to let go.
Ohio State is better on the road. Troy Smith and the young defense were both supposed to be flustered in the night games against the hostile crowds in Austin and Iowa City. If Troy can make it look easy against those two, then is there any doubt he will light it up in a day game against a team that's been eliminated from everything except the Sun Bowl? The crowd won't be nearly as rowdy as the previous two road games.
Michigan State lost to Illinois. Description and analysis would go here, but do I really need to say any more?

Blog/other sites of interest previews:

29 Days 'till tipoff.

2006-10-12T20:19:00.000-04:00

Ohio State media and picture day was today, and from the general feeling from reading the article, this is going to be one of the most highly anticipated seasons in Buckeye History. BuckNuts has some pictures up, and I'm sure the O-Zone won't be far behind.

The Thad 5 sportin' the new unis.

Some quotes from media day:

Matta on the new guys:

“You want them to get the feel for college basketball. We’ve got four guys on this team who have never played with a shot clock before. I think one of the challenges we have is molding them and getting them to think along the lines we want them to think. That is learning the system and trusting the system. I think that’s where the crash course comes with our practices.

“We are very competitive in practice and try to force the guys’ hands to learn as we compete. That’s going to be even a heightened level this year with the short time we have before we play.

“There is no question guys are going to get thrown into the fire early and they will have to develop quickly. Every second of every practice will be vitally important to this club."

Is a slow start inevitbale? I think so, and it almost sounds like Matta does, too.

Matta on the schedule:

“I think it’s going to be a great learning experience for us,” Matta said of the slate. “You look at some of the teams we are playing, even in the BCA Classic. VMI has all five starters returning. Loyola, in the second round, has all five starters from a team that won 19 games. Then you look at Carolina, Florida, Cincinnati and Tennessee. Those are going to be great challenges for us. With this team, we wanted to have as many challenges as we could.

“When we begin Big Ten play, we will be able to say we played in two of the toughest environments in college basketball with Carolina and Florida. We’re not going to see anything different when we go on the road in the Big Ten.”

I think one thing that needs to be addressed is the rough nonconference schedule. I do not expect Ohio State to go undefeated in nonconference play for the second straight season, and I think it may be a struggle to go above .500 in the marquee games (Cincy, @ UNC, @ Florida, Iowa State, Tennessee). Obviously, the two most notable games on there are the ones at North Carolina and in Gainesville. Will Ohio State win either of those games? Probably not. However, a loss early on could be the best thing to happen to this group of guys. As Matta mentioned, they will get an understanding early on of what it's like to play in a hostile environment, which will only help come March, and it will prevent a sense of complacency among the young guns. The last thing we need is these freshmen to enjoy instant success, assume that everything will come easy, and then get a harsh reality check in conference play.

Matta on the expectations:

“I don’t think people can comprehend how much pressure you put on yourself as a coach,” he said. “Quite honestly, I don’t know how this team is going to be. It would be quite foolish to speculate on what they’re going to be able to do. There are so many unknowns and college basketball has changed drastically.

“The opening thing is Greg Oden is not healthy. Is that Greg’s fault? Is that my fault? That’s nobody’s fault. That’s life. I think a coach once told me, ‘We’re all a sprained ankle away from mediocrity.’

“But we’re going to work as hard as we can and we’re going to try and mold this thing into the right direction. We’ve got guys who love the game of basketball. We know we’re going to go through some ups and downs, but I think that will help you in the end.”

Matta is mostly concerned with where this team ends up and the daily lessons it will take them to get to that spot.

“As I’ve told the guys, the only microscope we’re going to be under is our own,” he said. “That’s how we have to operate. There are so many unknowns. It is a youthful team and, quite honestly, this is a day-by-day process with these guys. We want to play our best basketball in March, knowing we have a ways to go and a feeling out period. We have some tremendous challenges ahead of us early on. Those things should only strengthen us for February and March.”

When did Jim Tressel start coaching basketball? This is great, I'm loving it. If these basketball players can buy into Matta like the football team has bought into Tressel, only good will come from it.

By the way, the new unis look alright. I was a bigger fan of last season's silver shoulders (Home jerseys only), but these are servicable. Definitely not a fan of the shorts, though.

From burning defenses to burning food, Gonzalez does it all

2006-10-12T15:09:00.000-04:00

Ohio State's own Anthony Gonzalez has been featured as part of ESPN's continuing coverage of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Gonzalez, who is half Cuban, is featured with an incredibly nice write up and a nice video to go along with it. Why is Gonzalez featured? Not just because he makes incredible catches at the right times in just about every single game, or even because he sleeps in a tent that turns Columbus into the Rockies, it's because Gonzalez is also an incredible chef when it comes to preparing fine Cuban cuisines.

It's funny considering that before last season's Michigan game, not many people outside the state of Ohio knew much about Gonzalez, and it has taken up until recent weeks for the nation to recognize him as one of the premier receivers in the nation. As if Troy and Teddy weren't enough to keep defensive coordinators this side of Ann Arbor up all night, Gonzalez's recent emergence has made it that much more painful to come up with defensive schemes to contain the offense. And, to date this season, not one defense has proved capable. The thing that you just have to love (or hate, depending on your allegiances) about Gonzalez is his incredible timeliness. Almost all of his catches this season have either come on third down, or given the Buckeye a new set of downs. If they haven't done that, that's because they've been touchdowns. Very few of his touches this season have been for short yardage and put the offense in tough situations. The one player in any sport I can begin to think to compare Gonzalez to is the New York Yankee's Derek Jeter. For a while, I wasn't a fan of Jeter, calling him overrated. In recent seasons, I've come to realize more and more that the reason behind my accusation was just because of my hatred for the Yankees, and that Jeter is indeed an incredible player who makes all the right plays at the right time. Both of these guys put up great stats, come through in the clutch, and perhaps most importantly, are great leaders on their respective team. Every Championship team, regardless of sport, needs a Derek Jeter. They may not be the number one performer for the whole game, but they will always be there to rely on. Ohio State has its Jeter in Gonzalez, but only time will tell if it results in a championship.

Also, is it just me, or does Gonzo seem kind of like a nerd to anybody else? I mean, the kid sleeps in an Air Pressure-Controlled tent and likes to cook in his free time. How does he not get constantly harassed in practice? Then again, if it keeps him out of trouble and in the end zone, then I won't complain.

Other OSU-related links:

Ivan Maisel names Garrett Wolfe as his midseason heisman. It's a nice story and all, but Maisel completely forgets the fact that A) He's in the MAC, B) He's in a run-oriented offense that will give him stats, C)NIU is only 4-2 D) They play in the MAC. The main argument for Wolfe, outside of his stats, is that he did good against an Ohio State defense that had no idea how to defend a screen pass and he has one other game against a major conference college. Last time I checked, a season is 12 games long. Garrett Wolfe is the leader on a team that couldn't even manage to beat Ohio University. Troy Smith is the leader on the consensus #1 team in the nation. Unless Smith loses two more games, there shouldn't even be a discussion. Maisel has never had much knowledge regarding Ohio State, though, so maybe he's just missing the obvious points (The guy thought Script Ohio was a halftime performance, after all).
SI has their midseason report up. The consensus among them there is that Ohio State will be National Champions. If everything goes as expected, the winner of the OSU/Michigan game will be the true National Champion, but the Crystal Ball is a nice touch.
Looks like I won't be watching the OSU-Indiana game. I'll reserve my official rant on this until next week, but I'll just say this now: Time Warner better find a way to air this game, or they are going to have some angry customers.
Buckeyes Swear they've learned from Spartan upsets. Kind of an odd title considering that none of the Buckeyes were on the team in 1998, but whatever they say. There are two reasons the Spartans won't win on Saturday: 1) We don't have John Cooper, 2) They have John L Smith
Around The Oval has also begun talking Buckeye hoops. I think that many voters are too high on us, just because regardless of all the hype, we don't know what we're getting out of the Thad 5. We could have 5 superstars, or we could have 5 busts. That's 5 awfully big question marks to rely on.

BGSU Postgame thoughts/analysis

2006-10-09T06:44:00.001-04:00

Let's get down to it, BGSU postgame thoughts and analysis. Not too much here, but like the guys in the shoulderpads, a letdown after a big win is inevitable.

Vernon Gholston is the next Will Smith. We've been waiting on a dominant pass rusher ever since #93 moved on to bigger and better things after the '03 season. Simon Fraser was a leader, but he wasn't the same disruptive force. Kudla was a freak, but had troubles with health. J-Rich has been good, but isn't nearly the athlete. Not only is Gholston becoming nearly unblockable off the edge, he's also becoming an incredible run stopper as well. Also, we haven't had a defensive end since Smith that is capable of dropping back into coverage like Gholston. He hadn't had to do it too many times this season up until this week when we faced our first true spread offense opponent of the season. It'd be nice to see a couple moves out of him after that interception (what was he playing there, safety?), but hey, the man isn't superman.
If defenses want to play soft on Ted Ginn, so be it. I have no problem with Ginn taking a screen pass every other play and getting over five yards out of it before he even has to think about making a move on a defender. It's just a matter of knowing when and when not to fall in love with the bubble screen. A cushion from the secondary might as well be a green light to do it, but if there's a guy right on him, it's just going to leave Teddy out to dry.
However, if we want to see #10 strike the pose, we may need to go vertical more. Call me selfish, because I know we should do what's best for the team, but I'm yet to witness a heisman winner in my lifetime (I was 5 years old when Eddie was around), and this season would be a pretty good one. Eventually, the heisman voters are going to notice that Troy is only getting 180-200 yards passing a game, and that will cost him some votes. He's already at enough of a disadvantage by having his season ending so early (No conference championship game means Peterson gets to leave the final impression on the voters).
What's the deal with the injuries? Patterson and Barton should be back for next week, but it seems like everyone was limping around at one point or another. Hopefully this is just a result of not being used to the new turf, and not a case of the injury bug setting in.
Speaking of the turf, all you naysayers should just give it a little bit of time. The stuff seems to resemble the turf at my highschool's football field, so it may just need a little time for all that stuff flying around to settle into the ground.
The offensive line is becoming very difficult to figure out. Incredible against two good defensive lines in Texas and Iowa, yet they struggled against the obviously overmatched lines of Cincy and BGSU. Troy actually had to use his feet yesterday, but then again, if he can pull off runs like he did on 3rd and 25, then who needs a line? I'm joking, of course. The line needs to step it up consistently if we have any hopes of getting the crystal ball back.
Hey, refs, thanks for showing up! Ohio State won the penalty battle for the first time this season, with a yardage advantage of 43-36. Not the biggest difference ever, but at least it's a step in the right direction. 5 penalties for a team playing Ohio State may be a season high, also, but I'd have to look into that one.

Basketball Preview part I - Point Guards

2006-10-05T15:09:00.000-04:00

With just about one month until basketball season tips off for the Thad 5, I now have the difficult task of balancing out Buckeye Football, Buckeye Basketball, and Cavaliers Basketball. I would mention the Browns somewhere in there, but there's just nothing interesting to say about them, unless someone gets hurt. Just like with my preview of the football season, I am going to do this in a position-by-position format, but I will also throw in some other tidbit posts on the team. So without further adieu, I present to you part I of a many parted series on the basketball team starting with the Point Guard position.

The Floor General:
Jamar Butler, Junior
6'2" 200 lbs
Lima, OH

Arguably the best leader in the entire Big 10, which are strong words considering this kid has only been a full-time starter for only one season. Although most of the Big 10 POTY debate was around Dee Brown and Terrence Dials, it very easily could have been Butler who took that crown, had anybody took the time to notice just how effective of a player he is. Last season, on a perimeter-oriented team in Ohio State that was often quite streaky in three pointers, Butler was a model of consistency, hitting 44% of all shots from beyond the arc. But his game goes far beyond his ability to score points. Last season, Butler averaged 8 assists per 100 posessions, playing for a team that made a living spreading assists around (think 2005 Iowa). The number one goal of all point guards is to create opportunities for the offense to flourish, while not making dumb mistakes or causing turnovers. To say that there's a corellation between OSU's #1 conference ranking in points per game and Jamar Butler's near 3:1 Assits:Turnover ratio would be an understatement. Butler had the highest offensive rating of any starter in the Big 10 (a team's points per posession, but for players instead. Essentially, the same thing as Passing Efficiency in football). He has that sense about him that he makes players around him better, something which will be needed greatly early on in the season considering the Buckeyes very well may have four new starters, with at least two of them being true freshmen.

Other guys to look out for:

Mike Conley, Freshman - The high school teammate of Greg Oden is often overlooked as that "other" five star recruit from Lawrence North High School. Conley has exceptional speed and agility. More importantly, however, is that Conley is a student of the game, so he should have no problem (or at least a lot less of one) adapting the college game, and he should see minutes instantly. The transfer of Sylvester Mayes opens up a slot for a backup guard to step in and instantly contribute, and Conley very well may be that man.

Coming up next week: Super freshman Daequan Cook and the rest of the Buckeye shooting guards!