Bleacher Report - Articles by Cody Blubaugh

Ohio State-Iowa: Buckeyes Survive Barrage of Three-Pointers in Win

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:17:01 -0500

The Buckeyes of Ohio State had to fight and scrap for all they could to answer the lights-out shooting that the Iowa Hawkeyes brought with them to Columbus.

In the end, Ohio State held on for a 68-65 win in their Big Ten opener, despite Iowa going 14-28 from behind the arc.

Ohio State missed David Lighty's perimeter defense, as the Hawkeyes' first six shots made from the field were three-pointers. It wasn't until 3:55 remaining in the first half that Iowa's Matt Gatens delivered his teams first two point field goal.

Gatens finished 8-12 from the field, including four three-pointers, for a team high 22 points.

Gatens wasn't the only one lighting it from down town. Devan Bawinkel came off the bench to deliver five triples, and guard Jake Kelly contributed three more. Gatens, Bawinkel, and Kelly were the only Hawkeyes in double figures, and accounted for nearly 75 percent of Iowa's offense.

Luckily for Ohio State, their trio of scorers out-dueled Iowa's.

Jon Diebler was up to the task of trading three's with the Hawkeye's sharpshooters, as he sank seven triples, finishing the with a game- and career-high 27 points, while making an impact defensively with three steals, and grabbing five boards.

True freshman William Buford scored 16, and Evan Turner added in 11, with both matching Diebler on the glass with five rebounds a piece. The three Buckeyes accounted for eighty percent of the Buckeyes offensive output.

At one point in the game, the Buckeyes built a 15-point lead, only to see the Hawkeye's chip away rather quickly, and eventually took the lead for the first time midway through the second half. From then on it was a back and forth battle which saw seven lead changes in the final ten minutes.

Despite all of the fireworks from behind the arc, it was P.J. Hill who perhaps sealed the game for the Buckeyes with his hustle and effort on the defensive end of the court. With the Big Ten's physical style, and a matchup of two of the nation's top defensive teams, is their any other aspect more fitting to decide a game?

Hill drew a crucial offensive foul down the stretch, hustled the full length of the court to block Jermain Davis' fast break opportunity, and then dove on a loose ball from an errant rebound as the final seconds ticked away, preventing Iowa the chance to send the game into overtime.

An elated Thad Matta embraced Hill after the buzzer sounded, putting an exclamation point on a hard fought victory for the Buckeyes. Hill made the most of his minutes, which are sure to increase now that Anthony Crater has decided to transfer.

With efforts like that one on a nightly basis, Ohio State can rest easily knowing Hill is up to the challenge of helping to replace Crater.

Ohio State now hits the road for a grueling two game slate against the surprising Minnesota Golden Gophers, and then to East Lansing to take on the Spartans of Michigan State.

When they return home, the Buckeyes will then have an idea of where they stand in terms of competing for a Big Ten title. With a gritty win against Iowa, they've certainly taken a step in the right direction.

Ohio State Loses More than Just a Game Saturday: Anthony Crater to Transfer

Cody Blubaugh — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 07:08:48 -0500

Ohio State's season couldn't have started any better.

With a roster chalked full of young inexperienced talent, the Buckeyes pulled off wins on the road against Miami (Fla.), at a neutral site against Notre Dame, and at home against Butler to help build an impressive out-of-conference resume.

Now, only a couple of weeks later, all of that seems like a distant memory.

The ball got rolling when Ohio State lost David Lighty for anywhere from six to 12 weeks with a broken bone in his foot. The young Buckeyes managed to stroll through two cupcake games against Iona and North Carolina-Asheville without Lighty, but his presence was sorely missed Saturday afternoon against West Virginia.

The Mountaineers came into Value City Arena and bullied the Buckeyes with their physical and aggressive style of play, which amounted to a 76-48 trouncing of Ohio State. At one point, West Virginia built a 32-point lead and despite being undersized, outrebounded the Buckeyes 35-33.

Lighty, the unquestioned leader of this team, was the anchor to a defensive unit that was one of the best in the nation. His aggressive and physical style was needed badly against West Virginia, and without him the Buckeyes backed down from the Mountaineers overwhelming pressure.

That response has to be a concern for head coach Thad Matta heading into Big Ten play, where the M.O. is "if you can't beat 'em, beat 'em."

A loss wasn't necessarily a bad thing for this young team's psyche, but a game so demoralizing has to have an effect on their mentality. There certainly is much work to be done for Ohio State to compete for a Big Ten title, and so little time to do so. Wednesday marks the start of Big Ten play when the Bucks take on Iowa in Columbus.

To make matters even worse, Rivals.com is reporting that true freshman point guard Anthony Crater is set to transfer only 10 games into his collegiate career.

Color me confused and at a loss for words. Crater is the No. 2 point guard behind Jeremie Simmons, and was getting a shade over 13 minutes per game. While that is not substantial playing time, I'm not quite sure what more you could be looking for as a true freshman.

Crater hasn't quite put together a performance warranting him more minutes on the court, so if that is his reasoning for the impending transfer, it seems to be very counter-productive. If Crater transfers to another Division I institution, he must sit out a year, meaning he gets zero minutes for the rest of this season, and half of next season.

I don't want to speculate what his reasons may entail, but I really feel that there is much more to this situation than playing time. More details will surely surface, so keep a watchful eye on this puzzling development.

Crater's decision leaves an already short Buckeye bench that much shorter, and now Ohio State must turn to seldom-used junior point guard P.J. Hill.

Hill does have some experience as he was the backup to Jamaar Butler during Ohio State's NIT championship run last season. Hill was beaten out by JUCO transfer Simmons and Crater, which speaks volumes as to where Hill stands in terms of ability.

Another option would be to turn to true freshman Walter Offut to take Craters minutes, but neither Hill or Offut possess Crater's on-ball defensive skills.

Looking toward the future, the '09 class remains without a commitment, meaning either the Bucks start looking for a point guard in the '09 talent pool or trudge on without a "true" point guard for the next two seasons.

Either way, the ground that was once so solid beneath the Buckeyes feet, seems to slowly be crumbling. The big question is, will Ohio State be able find solid footing or will their promising start to the season be all for naught?

*This news has been confirmed. The following quotes have been edited into the original article, click to see original source*

"He felt he wasn't needed like he shoud have been neeeded in the program. Unfortunately, it's one of those things where he felt the things that (Coach Matta) had promised him coming in, he's not living up to what he said. (Matta) told him he would be the starting point guard, when he got in or he would back up Mike Conley, and if Mike would leave, (Crater) would be the starting point guard." - Carlos Fordham, Anthony Craters former AAU Coach

"If someone ever promises you anything in recruiting, turn and run the other way because this is life and there are no promises made in life. The greatest answer, if I'm ever asked that question is 'I didn't promise Greg Oden he would start.' If there was one guy I could make a promise to start, it was Greg. I talked to Anthony (Crater) on Saturday, and I said 'Did I ever promise you anything?', and he said 'No, you didn't.'" - Head Coach Thad Matta

Buckeyes' Recruiting Class Of '09 Looking To Close Out With a Bang

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 19:04:39 -0500

For a second straight year, Ohio State may land what could arguably be labeled the best recruiting class in the country. As successful as the Buckeyes have been under the Tressel regime, Buckeye nation has never seen such a multitude of talented players give their pledges to Ohio State as they have had in droves over the past two recruitment periods.

Let that sink in for a moment. Tressel has been doing so much with albeit good to great talent, but he has never had the luxury of the elite talent that has all of the sudden kicked Ohio State's proverbial front door right down. Call it what you want: the Terrelle Pryor factor, the BrewCrew, or whatever other factors you wish to attribute it to. The fact remains, Ohio State will be a mainstay at the top for the immediate foreseeable future.

I recently broke down Ohio State's current verbal committment's in the article's Checking in on Ohio State's 2009 Recruiting Class Part One and Part Two. Now that you're caught up on those future Buckeyes, let's analyze the situation that is currently presenting itself.

The 2009 class currently sits at twenty-four commitments, one shy of the maximum twenty-five limit. The Buckeye's are rumored to be in on a handful of player's whom could give their verbal commitment to play in Columbus next year. So how is Ohio State going to go about fitting those players into an already packed class? Follow closely on this somewhat confusing process and find out.

Last season's recruiting class totalled out at twenty prospects, with a few enrolling early, resulting in those early enrollee's being counted toward the previous recruitment class. With that said, the 2008 class technically consists less than the said twenty players.

The same process can be applied to the 2009 class. Any prospect who intends to enroll early in the 2009 class, is to count toward the 2008 total. With the 2008 total so far under the twenty-five player limit, it then allows this current class to surpass the maximum cap, and could realistically reach thirty prospects. The only number that matters at this point is that of the 85-man roster limit.

Confused? Don't worry, just reread that a couple of times and it will eventually hit you smack in the face much as it did me.

Enough of the laymen termed (or lack thereof) bylaws, let's move on to the remaining prospects still on Ohio State's radar.

First up is Marcus Hall, an offensive lineman hailing out of Cleveland Glenville, a traditional pipeline of talent for Ohio State such as Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. Hall is one of the premier lineman in the country and is currently looking at LSU, Illinois, Tennessee, Miami, and obviously, Ohio State.

Seeing that Hall is from Glenville High School, don't expect a public announcement of where Hall intends to play until the letter of intent is signed sealed and delivered to the fortunate institution. Traditionally, Glenville players are encouraged to take their time in the recruiting process as to gain maximum exposure for teammates who may be currently flying under the radar.

Marcus has impressive size and strength, and excels in run protection more so than pass protection, making him an ideal guard at the college level with room to improve to the outside at tackle. With his good footwork, and ability to drive block at the point of attack, one Marcus gets locked on, hang on for the ride, as he will more than likely finish strongly.

Hall is considered to be a Buckeye lean, especially after he labeled his official visit to Ohio State as a "10", but with a recent update, he seems very adamant about visiting LSU. He may just be playing the "recruiting game", or he may legitimately be looking to get out of Ohio. Either way, we will most likely find out on National Signing Day.

Until then, sit back and chew on these highlight's of Marcus Hall in action.

Next up on the list is Corey Adams, a defensive tackle prospect out of Saguaro High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Corey seems to be down to three schools of choice: Ohio State, Arizona State, and Southern Cal. Those in the know feel that it is down to OSU, a childhood and family favorite, and ASU, the hometown team. It will comedown to whether or not Ohio state can convince Corey that the distance factor will be worthwhile for not only his future, but substantial playing time as well.

Adams, like Hall, is considered to one of the premier prospects in the country. Corey has an ideal frame to build on as a defensive tackle. With opportunity to add bulk to an already impressive build, Corey and his physicality and quickness puts his potential off the charts. His disruptive hands makes him a force as a pass rusher, as does his ability to get low and square.

One of Ohio State's biggest areas of need is that of defensive tackle, making Adams a priority for this class. The opportunity to come in and compete for immediate playing time is realistic, but it may not be enough to lure him out of his backyard and away from current teammates currently committed to Arizona State.

Look for Corey Adams to announce his decision at the Under Armour All-American game on January 4. Until then, enjoy Corey and his highlight reel.

Moving on, the next player essentially fell into Ohio State's lap as a direct result of Tennessee's hiring of Lane Kiffin as their next head coach. Tajh Boyd out of Phoebus High School in Hampton, Virginia, was told by Kiffin that "you aren't our type of quarterback, and won't fit our system." Boyd then decommitted and now is down to three schools: Ohio State, Oregon, and Boston College.

Boyd is an impressive quarterback prospect, and is one of the elite talent's at the position this year. Watching his game film, he strikes a scary resemblance to former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, a player Boyd says that he idolizes. Tajh has impressive arm strength, and is just a natural born leader with plenty of poise. The mechanics are there, the legs to label him a dual threat are there, the only thing that may need improvement is decision making, as he tries to force things with his "live" arm. Anyway you slice it, this kid is a serious talent as a signal caller.

Boyd recently visited Columbus with his family and thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the players and watching bowl practices. He also made the long trip out to Oregon by himself and came away impressed with the facilities and setting.

Here is another case where distance may be the biggest factor, but favors Ohio State this time. Oregon presents the opportunity for immediate playing time but Ohio State would allow him to grow behind Pryor and also have close proximity to his family. Boyd will be appearing in the Army All American game on January 3, and could very well make his decision at that time. If not then, expect another National Signing Day decision from a top flight prospect.

Shifting focus now to the next player on the list, and certainly not one who lacks talent, is that of Marlon Brown, a wide receiver out of Harding Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. Marlon is currently being wooed by a who's who of SEC football in Tennessee, Florida, LSU and Georgia, to go along with Ohio State. Many feel that Georgia and Ohio state are the lead dogs for this prospect, and not in state school Tennessee.

Brown has impressive size at 6'5" and great speed, both of which make him a rare breed. The do-it-all prospect is about as physical as you can find when going for that ball, using his body to shield the ball, as well as going over the middle with no hesitation. His big hands and ability to out-muscle make him an ideal redzone target.

The only downside to Brown's game isn't Brown himself, but rather his competition, or lack thereof. While still very impressive, he will have to undoubtedly prove himself in the Under Armour All American game on January 4. Brown has made it known that he is a National signing Day decision, so in the meantime, get a taste of what Brown can do for you.

The next player has recently popped up on Ohio State's radar, similar to that of fellow Virginian Tajh Boyd. Morgan Moses has apparently shown interest in the Buckeyes and wants to give them a look. Moses plays out of Meadowbrook High School in Richmond Virginia, and also considering such schools as Alabama, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, among others.

Morgan is built like a house, and it's not that far of a stretch when I say that. At 6'7" and 345 lbs., Moses is obviously an attention grabber. He has shown that he is a nice run blocker, but struggles against the speed rush. Morgan's footwork need a bit of fine-tuning as does his technique, but with his impressive physical measurables, no one will let those facts scare them away.

Morgan will be playing the Army All-American game, and whether he makes his decision at that time is not known.

The last two guys currently left on the table certainly aren't slouches in terms of talent. Mike Edwards and Jayron Hosley face slim chances of receiving a Buckeye offer, and barring any decommitments or other surprises, it seems as if Edwards has come to that realization and is looking around. Edwards is an athlete out of Cleveland Glenville who had been wanting and waiting for an OSU offer, while Hosley is a corner back out of Delray Beach Florida.

Hosley is an interesting case, as there would be a lot of ground gaining to be done, but a visit would go a long way in helping that cause. Jayron currently likes Michigan, South Florida, and Louisville. Edwards seems to be leaning toward staying in state at Cincinnati. Keep a watchful eye, as these types of situations tend to heat up as signing day approaches.

So there you have it, the potential to seal up not only the top class in the nation, but one of the most impressive classes under Jim Tressel to date. These are definitely exciting times for Ohio State fans, despite the national perception and the constant badgering by the media on the state of the program. Fear not buckeye fans, because the elite prospects aren't buying into it.

Checking in on Ohio State's 2009 Recruiting Class - Part Two

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:33:24 -0500

As we are closing in on National Signing Day, the Ohio State Buckeyes have garnered verbal commitments from twenty-four high school prospects. Breaking it down into the offensive and defensive groups, Part Two take's a look at how those players on the defensive side of the ball finished out their high school careers, and how they project at the college level.

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Checking in on Ohio State's 2009 Recruiting Class - Part One

Cody Blubaugh — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:33:58 -0500

As we are closing in on National Signing day, the Ohio State Buckeyes have garnered verbal commitments from Twenty-Four high school Prospects. Breaking it down into the offensive and defensive groups, Part One take's a look at how those players on the offensive side of the ball finished out their high school careers, and how they project at the college level.

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Without Injured David Lighty, Ohio State Buckeyes Must Now Walk Lightly

Cody Blubaugh — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:23:22 -0500

Ohio State has been patiently waiting for a breakout performance from their inconsistent, yet talented junior forward David Lighty, and they got it in a big way Tuesday night against Jacksonville University.

With the good came the bad, unfortunately, as Lighty underwent surgery yesterday morning (Thursday) to repair a broken bone in his left foot, per ESPN.com. He is expected to be out anywhere from 6-12 weeks, with the latter ending his season.

Lighty turned in quite the all-around performance against the Dolphins, tying a career high with 21 points while shooting 7-8 from the field and most importantly making 5-7 free throws, much improved from his 48 percent season average from the charity stripe.

Lighty also pulled down seven rebounds, and dished out a season-best four assists, sprinkling in three steals to top off his impressive night.

The news of Lighty’s injury dims a season that has been bright thus far, as the Buckeyes own an unblemished record, 7-0, including résumé-building wins at Miami, vs. Notre Dame on a “neutral court” in Indianapolis, and at home against Butler.

This was all while waiting for the ever-promising, high motor Lighty's game to come together. Lighty was easily the most experienced player on the team in terms of playing time, and his knack for making athletic plays were surely be missed. Lighty also brought tenacious and active defensive efforts on a nightly basis, anchoring a unit that ranks eighth in the country in opponent field goal percentage.

In David Lighty’s absence, Ohio State coach Thad Matta will have to get creative in replacing such a valuable asset.

The most obvious choice would to be to place true freshman William Buford into the lineup at shooting guard while bumping Jon Diebler to small forward and stud sophomore Evan Turner at power forward.

The option of a small lineup presents itself by playing both point guards, Anthony Crater and Jeremie Simmons, at the guard positions, preserving the depth at the forward and center positions.

Seldom used Walter Offutt may now get his chance at valuable playing time, being first off the bench at the wing positions.

Another option that exists is for Matta to temporarily disband his one-in, four-out system by going big with both Dallas Lauderdale and B.J. Mullens playing down low, but this would stretch the frontcourt awfully thin, with Kyle Madsen being relied upon for more meaningful minutes.

The wild card in all of this is Nikola Kecman, a 6’8” JUCO transfer who is currently serving a 12-game suspension for participating on an amateur team that was in the process of transitioning to a professional team. Kecman gives the Buckeyes stability in the frontcourt, as well as a Euro-style big who can step out and hit the three.

Kecman currently has five games remaining on his suspension, pegging his return date as Jan. 6, a Big Ten showdown with Michigan State in East Lansing.

Until then, Ohio State will have to tread lightly, without their heart and soul, David Lighty.

Ohio State Football: Like Sand Through the Hourglass...

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:11:09 -0400

Credit to Scout.com’s Buckeye Sports Bulletin writer Adam Jardy and his original story, “Playing for all the Marbles”. His archive can be found here.

Most of us have played organized sport at one time or another, at all different levels of skill and dedication.

When it comes down to game time, we all know the importance of finding some sort of motivation, a place within ourselves if you will, to push us to our greatest ability.

It may be at a place like Michigan, where Mike Barwis delivers his raspy, adrenaline pumping, profane filled message to send you into an emotional frenzy.

Maybe you prefer traveling back in time and going old school, such as Notre Dame’s legendary coach Knute Rockne and his famous speech, or perhaps a pep-talk in the form of those delivered by Lou Holtz gets you going.

Maybe you pop in the ear phones of your iPod and blare your favorite music. You might watch one of your favorite sports flicks, such as Any Given Sunday and Al Pacino’s Peace by Inches speech.

How about the necessary pre-game group prayer to calm the nerves and help you focus?

All of these practices have proven over time that inspiration and motivation come from all sorts of different techniques and methods, and that everyone has their own individual preferences

Well here’s a new one for you: Marbles. Yes, that’s right, Marbles.

After losing to Florida in a blowout in 2006, Jim Tressel made sure his team didn’t forget that game. He changed all of the codes to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center to 4114, signifying the final score of the Florida debacle.

As the season went on, Coach Tressel pushed an “us-against-the-world” mentality, to no avail as LSU shattered the Buckeye’s championship dreams.

This year, Tressel took a much more subtle approach, but one with resounding symbolism: Marbles.

This year’s senior class received a special gift courtesy of Coach Tressel, a glass box containing twelve marbles. The marbles vary in color: six gray, five scarlet, and one blue.

Those colors signify the docket of games for this season’s schedule, with six home games, five road games, and one very important rivalry game with Michigan.

In case you haven’t caught on with the theme here, the reason only the seniors received these marbles is to symbolize their remaining games to be played as a member of the Ohio State football program.

Their boxes are already a bit lighter, as with the completion of each game, a marble is returned to Coach Tressel in his office and placed in a vase. With Youngstown State in the past, so lies an empty slot where a marble once rested.

Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of their lives.

One down. Eleven more to go.

Talk about the ultimate motivation: reflection. Imagine that little glass box staring you in the face, indicating your college career is slowly dwindling down to its end, marble by marble.

It’s a constant reminder to those who have given their all to the program that the end is nearing. Some may view it as a way to stay focused. Others may view it as putting things into perspective.

They can all probably agree on one thing: the opportunity is there for the taking, to make the most of their final season in Scarlet and Gray.

As the season winds down, win or lose, the marbles will fill up the vase and each player will have their own connotation with every deposit. A time to think back on all they accomplished not only on the football field, but in life.

Soon these young men will begin the journey of the rest of their lives, taking the empty glass box with them. No matter how this season goes, that empty box will always be full; full with memories of the ups and the downs, the good and the bad, and all they have to be proud of.

Jim Tressel will also have something to remember this group of dedicated seniors, those who decided to come back for one last run. That vase full of marbles will do for Tressel what the empty box will do for these seniors.

Who knows, if they take care of business, they may once again get to play for “all the marbles”...literally.

Credit to Scout.com’s Buckeye Sports Bulletin writer Adam Jardy and his original story, “Playing for all the Marbles”. His archive can be found here.

Where's the Beef: Why Doesn't ACC Get Criticized Like Big Ten?

Cody Blubaugh — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:25:38 -0400

Sitting here flipping through the channels all day on Saturday, I happened to catch a couple of ACC teams playing.

One question popped into my mind: Where's the beef? Literally and figuratively. The beef being both the representation of top teams, as well as the criticism, a.k.a. "beef," from college football fans everywhere.

Now I understand that I am a fan of the Big Ten, the annual whipping boy from the previous two years as far as weak conferences go. I am not writing this to state that the Big Ten is a superior conference.

I am simply wondering this: Why doesn't the ACC catch the flak that the Big Ten brethren do?

I will be the first to admit that the Big Ten has most definitely been in a bit of a swoon lately. Ohio State hasn't performed on the big stage the past two years, meaning the visibility of the conference's failures have been at the forefront of most news sources.

But does the ACC have any argument to deflect criticism away from their conference? Let us take a closer look.

Breaking down what we saw this weekend in reference to the ACC, we lead off with Wake Forest. Wake got off on the right foot, ripping Baylor to the tune of 41-13. That's a team the Demon Deacons should beat, and they did. Good job Wake for representing your conference.

Then Saturday came, and the ACC slowly slipped down the totem pole of conference powers. Let's start with the supposed conference power, Clemson, who many had insinuated as a sleeper pick to crash the party at the top of the BCS polls. Those aspirations were ripped apart right off the bat.

Alabama marched into the Georgia Dome and steamrolled the "best" the ACC had to offer 34-10. 'Bama held the vaunted Clemson rushing attack of James Davis and C.J. Spiller to 20 yards combined.

The Tigers defense was even worse, giving up over 400 total yards and forcing zero turnovers. This was an Alabama team that was supposed to be a year away, possibly even two, but the sleeper pick of the top 25 wasn't even a speed bump in the road for the Crimson Tide.

The struggles didn't stop there, as the 17th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies had their own brand of football work against them against East Carolina. There were quite a few people who saw this upset coming, and that to me speaks volumes about Frank Beamer and his squads.

Year in and year out, Virginia Tech is labeled a defensive juggernaut with exceptional special teams, and is always a favorite for a BCS bowl. Year in and year out, it seems they get beaten by a team that has no business doing so.

In the end, Tech saw their punt blocked late in the fourth quarter and returned for a touchdown, putting to rest any hopes of the Hokies climbing up the ranks of the national powers.

So there you have the top three teams in the ACC, with only one doing its job, one being totally embarrassed, and one getting upset by a Conference USA team (No disrespect intended).

Where is the outrage? Where is the criticism? I haven't seen much of it.

You can bet people would be making a ruckus if Wisconsin had gone down to Akron, a comparable loss to Virginia Tech to East Carolina.

The "run-of-the-mill" pack also had their struggles.

NC State was shut out by South Carolina in one of the ugliest offensive efforts of the weekend.

Virginia was crunched by USC, which is excusable, but the fashion in which they lost won't be garnering any conference strength points.

Maryland squeaked by a pesky FCS Delaware team 14-7. No offense to L.J. Burgess (a big Delaware fan on this site), but that should never happen.

Up-and-coming North Carolina, under Butch Davis, needed to come from behind to beat McNeese State, winning by eight points, 35-27.

Georgia Tech and Miami took care of business, putting up some big points against their opponents, 41-14 and 52-7 respectively. Boston College took care of Kent State with a score of 21-0. Well, hey, at least Duke won, right?

I understand that it has only been one week—opening week, no less—but the ACC's mediocrity goes back further than a mere week. How about this little tidbit about the ACC: They are 1-9 in BCS bowl games, with Florida State representing their only win and six of those appearances.

The Big Ten doesn't have a sparkling BCS record by any means, but sitting at 8-9, they have much more to hang their hats on.

The parity of the ACC has been limited, showing that the competition is watered down, and perhaps their automatic conference bid is the only reason these teams merit even being in the BCS Bowl rotation.

The ACC has never netted an at-large bid, even since the field expanded in 2006 to allow two additional teams into BCS games. The selection process may be a bit unfair for those at-large spots, but no ACC team has really ever been in the conversation for those slots.

I guess the argument against the Big Ten is that they are in higher profile games, with much more visibility, and that they have higher expectations than the ACC. Isn't that ironic?

The Big Ten is chastised because, for really only the past two seasons, the teams haven't performed on the biggest of stages.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but why is such an overrated conference as the Big Ten landing in such important games? Is it an easier path?

I dare you to argue that the ACC has a drastic difference in quality teams. I would even argue the other way, meaning it would be easier for top teams in the ACC to get into big bowl games. That seems to be everyone's argument for why Ohio State and Illinois can get into BCS Bowls, because of easy competition—so what's the ACC's excuse?

Perhaps it's due to the fact that the ACC is viewed as a basketball conference. I'm not buying into that, as Florida State had always been in the conversation as one of the best in the nation year in and year out.

Miami has produced some of the greatest squads ever to take the field of play. Virginia and Clemson have more inclination to claim football over basketball at their schools. Virginia Tech? Much of the same.

Add to that the fact that the ACC was being hyped coming into this year, and that throws all of the "just a basketball conference" labels out the window.

Florida State has dropped off the face of the Earth, and coupled with their off- and on-the-field problems, they won't be there to carry the conference any more. Perhaps Miami can regain its national prowess and restore the conference's pecking order. Without those two teams, the ACC just can't hang.

I'm not asking that people stop bashing the Big Ten. To some extent, we deserve it, so bash away. All I am simply asking is for you all to play by the same rules.

Weak competition? The ACC has it. Poor bowl performances? The ACC has that too.

These teams have all season to fight for retribution and make me eat crow. Until then, I will point the Big Ten haters down the road to the Atlantic Coast. Once there, maybe the ACC supporters can turn them around to head inland toward Big East country.

Ohio State Football: Running Back Prospect Jaamal Berry Verbally Commits

Cody Blubaugh — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:28:04 -0400

Ohio State fans needed a bit of good news to pick them up after the scare with injured running back Chris "Beanie" Wells. They got it in a big way when one of the top running backs in the nation, Jaamal Berry, verbally committed to the Buckeyes Sunday morning.

The writing may have been on the wall long before today, but a 20-hour drive to see Ohio State take on Youngstown State on his own accord pretty much tipped his hand. He delivered the news to Coach Tressel and his mother after a campus and facility tour, adding to the pleasure of a season opening win.

With Berry now added to the 2009 recruiting class, the tally has now reached 25 players, the maximum allotment in any given recruiting year. Several of the verbals plan to rectify that problem by enrolling early and counting towards the 2008 class, meaning the only 'number' to be worried about is the overall 85 man roster.

Jaamal will join fellow Floridian and running back Carlos Hyde to give the Buckeye's a combination of thunder and lighting. At 5'11' and 185 lbs., there were questions on whether or not he would be speedy enough to make up for his lack of size. All of those doubts were erased when he ripped off a 4.31 40-yard dash at a Florida combine.

Don't let his size fool you though, as Jaamal does not stray away from contact. Berry is said to have great upper body strength, combined with a low center of gravity, which allows him to fight off would be tacklers to gain extra yards. He is often described as "very physical", which is why the speed concerns were cast upon him. To cap it all off, he has the ability to get out in the receiving game with a set of soft hands.

As aforementioned, Berry is considered to be one of the top players in Florida, which speaks volumes as to how good he is given the top notch prospects coming out of the state of Florida. In 2007, Berry ran for 1,033 yards on 140 carries, equating out just a shade below 7.4 yards per carry. He finished with 14 touchdowns, and added in 5 receptions for 30 yards.

There have been rumors of grade issues with Jaamal, which have many concerned if Berry will be academically eligible to play at Ohio State. The coaching staff has been recruiting him hard, signifying that this is a non-issue, and that they feel Berry will fine academically. Berry has stated himself that he is working hard to bring up his grades, and wants to submit a sufficient ACT score.

Jaamal Berry expressed his excitement to have the opportunity to play beside the phenom quarterback Terrelle Pryor, as well as be a part of an offense that seems to fit him well. Berry also stated that Ohio State is where he is most comfortable, and that the coaching staff has made quite the impression on him.

With Berry now on board, the Buckeyes will turn their focus on a handful of players to round out their class. Those targets include:

Marcus Hall,five-star offensive lineman, Cleveland, Ohio. Ohio State is competing with LSU, as well as USC if they extend an offer.
Frankie Telfort, four-star linebacker/safety, Miami, Florida. Ohio State is competing with USC, Stanford, Florida, Notre Dame, and Tennessee.
Corey Adams, five-star defensive tackle, Scottsdale, Arizona. Ohio State is competing with Arizona State, as well as USC.
Marlon Brown, five-star wide receiver, Memphis, Tennessee. Ohio State is competing with USC, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and LSU.

There are also a few select others who are being targeted, but are considered longshots such as wide receiver prospects Shaquelle Evans, and Andre Debose, and tight end prospects Dion Sims and Ra'shede Hageman. Look for other prospects who are off the radar to pick up steam as signing day approaches.

To see what other recruits have already joined the 2009 class, you can find that information in my write-ups here and here.

Ohio State Football 2008 Team Preview (Part Four)

Cody Blubaugh — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:31:32 -0400

Can you feel it? We are agonizingly close to the College Football season, and everyone is getting anxious. I hope to provide a last fix for you fanatics and get you acquainted with the 2008 Buckeyes and what may ensue this upcoming year.

This walk-through guide offers up the offensive preview in parts one and two, while the defense and special teams will be analyzed in parts three and four.

In Part One of the series, I broke down the ‘Backs of the Buckeye offense. In Part Two of the series, I broke down the wide receivers, tight ends, and the offensive line. In Part Three of the series, I broke down the front seven of the Buckeye defense.

In Part Four, the final of the series, I will analyze the secondary and special teams for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

These units include Jim Thorpe candidate, and one of the top cornerbacks in the nation, Malcolm Jenkins, Heavy-hitter Kurt Coleman, and seasoned kickers Ryan Pretorius and AJ Trapasso.

Secondary:

Key Returnees:

Malcolm Jenkins, No. 2–6’1”, 201 lbs., Senior
Anderson Russell, No. 21–6’0”, 205 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Chimdi Chekwa, No. 5–6’0”, 188 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore
Andre Amos, No. 13–6’1”, 183 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Kurt Coleman, No. 4–5’11”, 188 lbs., Junior
Jamario O’Neal, No. 3–6’0”, 205 lbs., Senior
Donald Washington, No. 20–6’0”, 194 lbs. Redshirt Junior
James Scott, No. 11–5’10”, 170 lbs., Sophomore

Key Additions

Travis Howard, No. 18–6’1”, 170 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Zach Domicone, No. 16–6’2”, 210 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Orhian Johnson, No. 19-6’2, 178 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Departures:

Eugene Clifford (Disciplinary Dismissal-Tennessee State)

The back end of this highly rated Buckeye defense was far beyond satisfactory, ranking 1^st in the nation in pass defense. Returning is senior Malcolm Jenkins, arguably the top cornerback in the nation.

Jenkins is what you would call a complete package. He is very physical and can come up and support the run. He is a sound tackler who can bring the big hit.

Malcolm doesn’t have world-class speed, but he has excellent recovery speed. He is very versatile, as he proved last season by playing man-to-man, zone, and switching between the corner and safety positions nearly flawlessly.

Jenkins is also the emotional and vocal leader out on the field, as James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman lead more by example. There is a reason this guy is a future top-10 pick.

Donald Washington started opposite Malcolm Jenkins last year, and was showing promise as a very strong No. 2 corner to pair with Jenkins. Then the troubles off the field started.

The trio of Donald, Jamario O’Neal, and Eugene Clifford had supposedly all failed drug tests, which led to the release of Eugene Clifford, and his subsequent transfer to Tennessee State. Donald and Jamario on the other hand, got hit with a two-game suspension and squarely landed in Coach Jim Tressel’s doghouse.

Who may step up in Washington’s absence? The top candidate is most definitely Chimdi Chekwa, who was a nickel cornerback last season. Toward the end of the year, Chekwa made strides and could push Washington for playing time.

Chekwa was the aforementioned nickel back last season, meaning he most definitely has the coverage skills to be a starting corner this season. If he impresses in the first two games, Donald Washington might have cost himself the starting corner slot with his bad decisions off of the field.

Andre Amos follows Chekwa as a player who may have a chance at early playing time in Washington’s absence. Amos had torn his ACL in spring practice last season, but fought his way back about two months ahead of schedule.

The opportunity is now there for the taking, with a corner spot vacant for the first two games. You can bet that with Amos and Chekwa pushing each other, Ohio State will come out a winner either way.

Moving over to safety, the tandem of Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell are a very formidable duo.

Coleman is a fierce competitor out on the field, and most definitely carries a swagger. Coleman is a big hitter who likes to come up and contribute in run defense. That is where Coleman excels.

Kurt’s coverage skills were spotty at times, but last year was his first year starting, so it would be expected that he improved in that area. Sometimes Kurt looks for a kill shot more often than needed, and it leads to some missed tackles. If he can get his emotions a bit more under control, it will make him a better player.

Russell, like Coleman, was a first-year starter last season. Russell suffered an ACL injury in 2006 and came back and played as well as you can coming back from that injury so quickly. He may have been a bit tentative at times because of his knee, but after a year of playing, that should disappear.

Russell could be considered a good to great coverage safety, and often found himself in position to create turnovers. He didn’t make the most of those opportunities, dropping numerous catchable interceptions. If Anderson can force more turnovers, he will become a big name on the college scene.

After those two, the next choice at safety is Jamario O’Neal. As mentioned earlier, O’Neal will miss the first two games of the season due to disciplinary reason.

O’Neal has been considered as an underachiever solely based on the hype placed on him coming out of high school. He was supposed to be an All-American and an instant impact player. Neither of those has happened.

Jamario has had times where the light seemed to have switched on, but then he regresses back to mediocrity. That’s not to say he isn’t a big contributor to the team, but he needs to have his breakout year in case of any injuries to the starters.

From there, the talent level drops a few notches, mostly due to inexperience. Aaron Gant, Rocco Pentello, and Nate Oliver fit that bill. Gant is a physical player, and has been a special team’s contributor, but if he is to get significant minutes, it may spell trouble for Ohio State. Both Pentello and Oliver are coming off of a redshirt year, so they too lack the experience to be big time contributors.

Nick Patterson is an interesting player. He is a senior without a lot of pressure on him, and being the tall and rangy type with good instincts, he could be a good change of pace in at the safety position. In his limited playing time last season, he managed an interception, which is one more than Coleman and Russell combined.

Jermale Hines will be a situational safety at the ‘star’ position, after being moved from the linebacker position. The star position is a hybrid linebacker/safety and the coaches feel that this is where he will best excel, considering the depth at linebacker.

James Scott seems to have run into some academic struggles, and as of right now, doesn’t look to be on the roster, only furthering the concern on safety depth. If those problems are addressed, Scott should rejoin the team sooner rather than later, but it’s up to Scott to make that decision.

The incoming freshmen are ‘raw’ at there projected college positions, so redshirts should be coming for the trio of Travis Howard, Orhian Johnson, and Zach Domicone.

Wild Card:

Devon Torrence is the sleeper pick in the secondary. Devon has been moved around in his early career from defense to offense and now back to defense.

Torrence was trying to crack the depth chart at wide receiver, but coaches felt his strongest position would be at corner. Since he has been moved back, he is improving very quickly. He has very limited action, so it may take some time for him to blossom, but with his speed, fluid hips, and acceleration, the sky is the limit.

The only question may be whether or not Devon will be enticed by the Houston Astros organization to play baseball full-time or not. If he sticks with football, he could contribute in due time. If he goes with baseball, he has opportunity there as well. No matter the choice, it seems like a win-win for Devon.

Bottom Line:

The back line has very talented players across the board, and one of the best in Malcolm Jenkins. The cornerback positions seem to be deep with talent and full of guys who are hungry for playing opportunities.

Safety has two very good starters in Coleman and Russell. After that though, depth becomes an issue. The talent step down from the starters to the backups is a big one, and if wither Coleman of Russell go down to injury, it may be a problem.

Jamario O’Neal may be able to step up, but after that, you start getting into vastly inexperienced players in Aaron Gant, Nate Oliver, and Rocco Pentello. Hope and pray that the Buckeyes stay healthy at safety.

Overall, the secondary needs to force more turnovers, and that message has been sent loudly and clearly by the coaches. Far too many interceptions were dropped, leading to numerous missed opportunities, even if it was just getting the defense off the field in general. If that aspect is improved, this team becomes very difficult to beat.

Special Teams:

Key Returnees:

Aaron Pettrey, No. 20–6’2”, 199 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Ryan Pretorius, No. 85–5’9”, 169 lbs., Redshirt Senior
A.J. Trapasso, No. 15–6’0” 229 lbs., Redshirt Senior
Jacob McQuaide, No. 96–6’2, 219 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore
Patrick Howe, No. 53–6’2, 204 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore

Key Additions:

Ben Buchanon, No. 17–6’0”, 185 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Departures:

None

Special teams have always been a staple of the Ohio State Buckeyes under the Jim Tressel era. Tressel prides himself in a strong kicking game, sound cover teams, and perfect execution all around. It is his bread and butter so to speak.

Just to show you how Coach Tressel feels about his special teams unit, look no further than last season against Washington. The Buckeyes came up with a huge field goal block in the early stages of the third quarter to reverse the momentum of the game. The normally reserved Jim Tressel shot off the sidelines with more emotion on that play than perhaps the past four seasons combined.

Unfortunately, that was one of the few standout highlights of the season. The coverage units were solid on punt return defense, ranking sixth in the nation in terms of yards per return, while allowing zero touchdowns.

On the other hand, the kickoff coverage units weren’t as efficient. On kickoff defense, the Buckeyes ranked 57^th and allowed two returns for touchdowns. That’s not exactly terrible, but it’s definitely not living up to Coach Tressel’s lofty standards to say the least.

To shore up the coverage units, the coaching staff will throw some of the ‘best-of-the-rest’ type players, those who may not be able to net significant playing time at their everyday positions.

Brian Rolle was a standout last year, so look for him to continue his role on special teams. Austin Spitler, Tyler Moeller, Etienne Sabino, and Andrew Sweat all could see significant time on special teams seeing as how stacked the linebacking corps is.

Jamario O’Neal, Chimdi Chekwa, and Andre Amos should also have their shot on coverage defense. Brian Hartine is a bruiser and has excelled as part of the coverage units. Of course, you will also see some of your big-name defenders on special teams as well.

There are several others who could add contributions here, but there is a bevy of talented tacklers who must do a better job this season.

Unfortunately, neither the punt nor the kick return units fared any better than the coverage units. Nationally, the Buckeyes ranked 117^th while placing dead last in terms of kickoff return yardage, and obviously no touchdown returns.

Some of that has to do with being the number one scoring defense in the nation, meaning fewer opportunities, but the totals were abysmal anyway you slice it.

The punt return team was much better than the kickoff returners, but was still subpar. The Buckeyes rank in the middle of the pack, checking in at 58^th in the nation and the claim the lone special teams touchdown.

By contrast to the kickoff unit, having the No. 1 scoring defense actually created many more opportunities for the punt returners, meaning that 58^th ranking is still rather meager.

As of now, several candidates are competing to be return men. Hartline did an above average job last year as a punt returner, as he claims that lone special teams touchdown.

Hartline and Brian Robiskie could be considered the "good hands" returners, but obviously, it would be much better to have someone other than these two as your returners due to their significance to the offense.

The next tier of returners include the "burners:" Ray Small, Lamaar Thomas, Brandon Saine, and Devon Torrence.

Small has seen time as a return man as he returns as the leading kickoff return from last season, and has seen his ups and downs. He obviously has all the talent in the world, but he needs to breakout this year, and special teams may be that igniting spark for his fire.

Brandon Saine is quite a talented player, and has good size to go along with his exceptional speed. The knock on him has been his lack of shiftiness, but that may have been attributed to freshman jitters.

The aforementioned Devon Torrence in the defensive backs breakdown may throw his hat into the return ring. Devon has seen limited time on special teams, but could possibly make an impact as a returner if others don’t quite pan out.

Last but not least, is senior Maurice Wells. Mo doesn’t stand out at any one thing, but is a contributor to this team and often does the job he is asked to do.

The biggest concern here has to be the kicking game. Ryan Pretorius comes in as an experienced redshirt senior, but had some troubles last season.

Ryan missed six field goals, with four of those misses being blocked kicks. One could fault the blockers for not executing, or Ryan for keeping his kicks too low, but either way, those numbers must improve.

We have all seen how blocked kicks can change the momentum of a game. The Buckeyes know this all too well as the aforesaid Washington game saw the Huskies block an Ohio State kick, which kept them in the game midway through the third quarter. OSU turned that game around with a blocked kick of their own, and snuffed out any chance of an upset for Washington.

The National Championship game was also a great example as LSU was struggling to find a rhythm until their blocked kick paved the way to a crystal football. The Buckeyes know how important it is to execute and avoid those type of momentum swings.

Punter A.J. Trapasso is arguably the top punter in the Big Ten and one of the best in the nation. A.J. is the only Big Ten representative for the Ray Guy Award on the watch list for the 2008 season. It is safe to say that the punting duties are well handled.

The underappreciated long snapper position will be decided between Jacob McQuaide and Patrick Howe. Being Redshirt sophomores, experience is definitely not on their side, and a team can never take special team snaps for granted. Hopefully these two guys are ready to go, and this won’t be an issue.

Last and most certainly not least, I wanted to highlight one player on this Buckeye team who might contribute more than most, and that is Tyson Gentry. Many don't know him, but this youngster may provide something most teams lack.

To make a long story short, Tyson suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006 and has been regulated to a wheelchair since. He may not be able to perform on the field, but he is there, every single day with his team, making no excuses or feeling sorry for himself.

Tyson aspires to walk again one day, and until then, he provides these Buckeyes with something more important than anything on the football field: Inspiration.

Wild Card:

The kicking and punting game seem to have their position locked up with Pretorius, Pettrey, and A.J. Trapasso, so no surprises here.

Lamaar Thomas has a chance to give Ohio State something special as a return man with his speed and shiftiness. He may not see much time at running back or wide receiver, which should allow him to focus on the return game and make a marvelous impact.

If the blocking is there, and Thomas’ ability to create in open spaces, you know how the saying goes: Speed Kills.

Bottom Line:

The special teams are too talented and too experienced to turn in another year of underachievement. Jim Tressel will not allow it. Although, in a recent kicking scrimmage, it wasn't going well.

Pretorius, Pettrey and freshman Ben Buchanon went a combined 11-for-19 on field goal attempts, with most of the misses being wide rather than blocked. Perhaps they were just shaking off the rust, but that still must sting in the back of Tressel’s mind.

There seem to be no concerns over A.J. Trapasso, one of the better punters in the country, but he too had a below average day during the kick scrimmage.

The Buckeyes have been focusing on drills for the special teamers in hopes to improve coverage and blocking. The kickers need to step it up and deliver not only in terms of field goals, but as well as pinning teams deep in their territory with strong kicks.

There are no excuses this year, and if the kicking teams improve, the defense and offense will be much better off than they already are.

The entire Buckeye squad is just packed full of experience, and in college football, that is vital for ultimate success. In 2006, a lot of important pieces on defense were being replaced, and the Buckeyes still made the National Championship game.

In 2007, the same happened with the offense, and they still managed to return for a second championship appearance.

This year, there were minimal replacements, and there are no more excuses. It’s never healthy to think ‘championship or bust’ but with a team this loaded, it’s just so hard not to.

This was the final part of this four part series. Part One can be found here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.

Ohio State Football: 2008 Team Preview (Part Three)

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:36:17 -0400

So here we are, watching the clock tick down to the start of the College Football season, and everyone is getting anxious. I hope to provide a fix for you fanatics and get you acquainted with the 2008 Buckeyes and what may ensue this upcoming year.

This walk-through guide offer’s up the offensive preview in parts one and two, while the defense and special teams will be analyzed in parts three and four.

In Part One of the series, I broke down the ‘Backs of the Buckeye offense. In Part Two of the series, I broke down the wide receivers, tight ends, and the offensive line.

In Part Three of the series, I introduce the front seven of this highly touted defense. With losing only two starters out of the possible seven slots, these players look uphold their lofty defensive ranking from the ’07 season.

This group boasts breakout freshman-now-sophomore Cameron Heyward, Nagurski and Butkis Trophy winner James Laurinaitis, and the ever underrated Marcus Freeman.

Defensive Line:

Key Returnees:

Nader Abdallah, No. 93—6’4”, 300 lbs., Redshirt Senior
Todd Denlinger, No. 92—6’2, 292 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Thadeus Gibson, No. 90—6’2”, 240 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore
Cameron Heyward, No. 97—6’6”, 287 lbs., Sophomore
Dexter Larimore, No. 72—6’2”, 300 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore
Robert Rose, No. 9—6’5”, 285 lbs., Junior
Lawrence Wilson, No. 87—6’4”, 274 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Doug Worthington, No. 84—6’6”, 276 lbs., Redshirt Junior

Key Additions:

Garrett Goebel, No. 53—6’5”, 278 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Keith Wells, No. 94—6’5”, 207 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Willie Mobley, No. 96—6’2”, 263 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Nathan Williams, No. 39—6’4”, 245 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Shawntel Rowell, No. ?—6’2, 330 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Departures:

VernonGholston (Early Entrant-NFL)

2007 Statistics

	Tackles	TacklesForLoss	Sacks	FF	PB	INT’s
Abdallah	19	2.5	1	-	-	-
Denlinger	13	3	1	-	-	-
Gibson	11	3	1	1	2	-
Heyward	29	9	2.5	-	3	-
Larimore	16	5.5	2	-	-	-
Rose	4	1.5	1	-	-	-
Wilson	2	1.5	1	-	-	-
Worthington	24	2	1	1	1	1

The defensive line is perhaps the biggest question mark on this entire squad. After being labeled a weak point in 2007, the defensive tackles are coming in with a lot to prove.

The defensive coaches will most likely go with a rotational set up the middle, interchanging Todd Denlinger, Dexter Larimore, Doug Worthington, and Nader Abdallah.

While none of those names are house-hold, even in Buckeye country, keep in mind that all four were lacking experience, something they gained a lot of last season.

The inside had their ups and downs last year, proving they were wildly inconsistent. Look no further than the Michigan game where the defensive line, both inside and out, dominated the Wolverines offensive line. Same could be said for the Wisconsin game.

In quite the contrast, the Illinois, Penn State, and LSU games were prime examples of the inconsistencies. The Illini put hats on the Buckeye linebacking corps regularly, and there was a lack of push up the middle. Penn State eliminated James Laurinaitis from the game plan, and against LSU, there seemed to be no pressure at all.

Nader Abdallah returns as a starter from ’07 and is a key component of the interior line in ‘08. Doug Worthington also returns as the opposite starting tackle and both spearhead the interior unit. Todd Denlinger was supplanted by Abdallah last season due to injury, but is worthy of a starting slot.

Last but not least, Dexter Larimore, only started one game, but got plenty of playing time and posted the best numbers of any defensive tackle on the squad.

As you can see, there is no questioning the depth at the position. The level of play hardly, if at all, drops off when these players are rotated as all of the talent level between the four is quite comparable.

This obviously keeps the line fresh, and should help to outlast opposing offensive lines. With the maturation from last season to this season, technique as well as the mental aspects should improve and help solidify the interior of the line.

The incoming freshman at defensive tackle will probably not be able to make an impact this season, as they will need a year to bulk up. Garrett Goebel and Willie Mobley will try to convince coaches otherwise.

So while it is possible, I just don’t see it happening. Shawntel Rowell had an academic snag and hopes to rejoin the Buckeyes in December, so he will obviously not be able to contribute this season.

Moving to the outside, the Buckeyes lost their best pass rusher in Vernon Gholston, who was the only underclassman to declare for the NFL draft from last years team.

Gholston constantly demanded a double team and showed why when he terrorized Jake Long and the Michigan offensive line. LSU even made it a point to run a majority of their plays away from Vernon in effort to negate his pass rush.

Many feel that Gholston’s production will be difficult to replace. That notion is not necessarily wrong, but there is one player who is up to the task: Lawrence Wilson. Wilson was actually slated as the starter before breaking his leg in the opener of ’07, putting an end to his season.

Gholston, who would have played opposite Wilson, slid over and benefited greatly. The coaching staff was raving about Wilson before his injury, and had high expectations.

The injury had its silver lining: the emergence of Cameron Heyward. Heyward was thrown into the fire early and often, and proved he is an incredible talent.

His performances as a true freshman were pretty astounding, and with another year of tutelage and weight training, he may be one of the top lineman in the country.

When Gholston left, normal circumstances would have Heyward becoming the marquee guy with unproven talent on the end, or Wilsonhaving to deal with the same. Fortunately for both Wilson and Heyward, they have each other to benefit from.

The biggest question seems to be Robert Rose, a phenom coming out of high school, and a player who made himself known in the Army All-American game. Rose is coming off surgery’s to not one, but both of his shoulders. I

njuries have been the name of the game for much of his time at Ohio State, but both Rose and the coaches hope that is behind him after these two operations.

If Rose comes out healthy, he is a difference-maker on the line. Rob has been a defensive end since enrolling as a Buckeye, but all of that seems poised to change this upcoming season.

Rose looks to become a hybrid of sorts, moving inside on certain packages, bolstering the tackle position. Rose has really bulked up, making it a certainty that he will be able to fill a defensive tackle position.

Robert is not the only player on the line to be making this transition: Cameron Heyward may be sliding inside occasionally as well.

In obvious passing downs, Ohio Statemay trot out a defensive line consisting of: Thad Gibson, Cam Heyward, Rob Rose, and Lawrence Wilson. Talk about a pass rush. This would be very situational, and would not fare well against the run, so look for it to be used sparingly.

Also look for a three defensive lineman formation. Any combinations of the aforementioned four are extremely adept at getting to the quarterback. Having the ability to drop eight into coverage would benefit the Buckeyes greatly in passing situations.

Does getting this many defensive ends/pass rushers in the game at once seem familiar? It should, as this is what overwhelmed the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. Getting it to work to that kind of perfection is another task all in itself, but Ohio State certainly has the talent to do so.

Again, looking at the incoming freshman, there may just be too much talented and too many bodies on the outside for Nathan Williams and Keith Wells to get on the field this season.

Both seem to be impressing coaches thus far, and may get a spot appearance here and there, but injuries may be the only way these two get extensive playing time.

Wild Card:

The sleeper pick at defensive end is no stranger to OSU fans, but rather an unknown commodity to outsiders: Thaddeus Gibson. Gibson is an absolute physical monster, who will be looking to finally establish himself as an all out pass rusher.

Up to this point, Gibson hasn’t quite put it all together mentally, but after being chosen first overall in the spring game draft, he obviously has a vote of confidence from his teammates.

Gibson has been described as “virtually un-blockable” up to this point in scrimmages. He apparently is showing an array of pass rush moves, and seems to be having his way. Has Thad Gibson finally arrived? If he has, quarterbacks beware.

Bottom Line:

The interior of this unit needs to do a better job at the point of attack if this defense wants to hang with the heavyweights. As with any player who struggled with their first year of considerate playing time, experience helps to make improvements from one year to the next. This line should see those improvements, but nothing is guaranteed.

With Heyward and Rose playing a ‘hybrid’ role, it should definitely help to bolster the inside and lessen any concerns there may be.

The old adage goes ‘Defenses win championships’, and defenses are built up front. If the defensive line doesn’t improve, it won’t matter how well the talented back seven plays, because it will be the same ole’ song and dance for the Buckeyes in ’08.

Linebackers:

Key Returnees:

James Laurinaitis, No. 33—6’3”, 240 lbs., Senior
Marcus Freeman, No. 1—6’1”, 239 lbs., Redshirt Senior
Ross Homan, No. 51—6’0”, 229 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore
Austin Spitler, No. 38—6’3”, 234 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Tyler Moeller, No. 26—6’0”, 216 lbs., Redshirt Sophomore
Curis Terry, No. 99—6’1”, 229 lbs., Redshirt Senior
Brian Rolle, No. 36—5’11” 221 lbs., Sophomore

Key Additions:

Etienne Sabino, No. 6—6’3”, 232 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Andrew Sweat, No. 42—6’2” 220 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Departures:

Larry Grant (Exhausted Eligibility-NFL)

Linebacker is yet another position of strength on this Buckeye squad. You see the recurring theme here with this team? It’s Quality and Quantity.

Returning for his senior season is a man that needs no introduction, James Laurinaitis. Dubbed the “Animal” after his father’s wrestling moniker, Laurinaitis plays all over the field. A Nagurski and Butkis award winner, James led the team in tackles last season and just swarms to the ball.

Many feel James is overrated, which he is definitely not. Overhyped? That can certainly be argued, but not overrated. What was the one problem area for Ohio State last season that even SEC teams/fans would agree on?

The answer would probably most favor the defensive line. So here is Laurinaitis, leading the team in tackles and returning as the leading sack master, all of that without a formidable interior line.

James’ strongest suit is playing in coverage, which he did a considerable amount of the time last season. Conceivably a reason why he may get so many tackles ‘8-10 yards past the line of scrimmage’, an argument many make to show why he is overrated. James was the only Buckeye linebacker to pick off a pass in ’07, and has seven career interceptions.

Just watch an Ohio Stategame, and a majority of the time, you will either see Luaranaitis in on the tackle, in the pile, or in your picture. Even when he seems he’s been taken out of a play, he is still right there. He is not overly physical, but makes sound tackles and a nose for the football.

The biggest weak point a person can find for James would be his struggles in shedding blocks. It seems as if an offensive lineman can get a hat on Lauranaitis, he is often negated from the play.

Penn State and Illinois did exactly that, which is why the interior defensive line must improve. If you happen to scheme the ‘Animal’ out of a play, someone else will step up.

That someone else will be, more times than not, Marcus Freeman. Freeman gets the nod as the starting strong-side outside linebacker. Like James Laurinaitis, Freeman returns for his senior season, cementing this line-backing corps as arguably the best in the nation.

Freeman could best be described as versatile, as he can play both outside spots with little problem. As a sophomore, Marcus played strong-side while playing weak-side least season as a junior. When Ohio State goes with their nickel defense, Marcus will remain on the field, moving over to the weak-side.

Marcus has often been the forgotten man, as James Luarinaitis and Larry Grant overshadowed him last season, and James continues to do so this season. Freeman is about as well rounded of a player as you can find, as he can drop back into coverage and step up and take on the run very well.

Some have even argued that Marcus could be better than Luarinaitis, but I won’t go there...yet.

In games where James struggled, Marcus stepped up with big performances, such as the Penn State and Illinois game. Freeman also had a very respectable National Championship Game performance, and was perhaps the Buckeyes best defender that day. Look for Freeman to have a big year and shoot up NFL prospect lists.

The weak-side linebacker slot seems to have been claimed by Ross Homan. Homan saw considerable playing time as a freshman in ‘06, which is really saying something considering the talent of linebackers at that time. Ross took a medical redshirt last season due to turf toe and now is stepping in, ready to pick up where he left off.

Homan brings speed to the table as well as great instincts, making him valuable on the weak side. Ross is very football savvy in understanding the defensive packages, and has great play making ability. He was primed for a breakout year last season before the turf toe injury, but has waited patiently to make an impact this season.

Austin Spitler has been a formidable backup to James Lauranaitis, but hasn’t quite grasped the concept of playing under control. Austin has a tendency to commit personal fouls at inopportune times, such as in the National Championship game.

That may not be fair to Austin, as that particular example was not a situation in which he lost his ‘cool’. It is though, an indication of his inclination to make such mistakes. He has talent though, there is no denying that. Spitler should see playing time in mop up duty and on special teams.

Brian Rolle is your quintessential heavy hitter. He may have a small frame, but he sure can hit. Brian was a standout on special teams, making him very valuable considering the struggles of the special teams unit. Rolle will be looking to backup Homan at the Weak-side linebacker position, as well as making his contributions felt on special teams once again.

In Part One of the series, Curtis Terry was in the works as the starting fullback. That is no longer to be as he has apparently been passed up by Brandon Smith. I have him as a key returnee at this position, but it now appears Mr. Terry will be a full time defensive end.

Check back next week to find out if Curt is in the running at the safety position or something of the sort. In all seriousness, Curtis seems to be a man still trying to find a position, but as a redshirt senior, time is all but up. It has to be a very tough situation on the young man.

Joining Curtis Terry as a linebacker making a transition would be Jermale Hines. Jermale will be moving to the safety position, hoping to make an impact rather than being lost in the log jam at linebacker. Unlike Terry, Hines is only a sophomore, giving him plenty of time to make a name for himself at his new found position.

The line-backing corps is so stacked, that even incoming freshman Etienne Sabino and Andrew Sweat are making bids to see playing time. That playing time will more than likely be on special teams, which will be a big help to a unit that was below satisfactory and far below Coach Jim Tressel’s standards. Both Sabino and Sweat will be standouts at a linebacker position somewhere along the line, just not this year.

Wild Card:

Now knowing that Ross Homan has locked up the weak-side slot, that eliminates him from ‘wild card’ contention. As we all know, James Lauranaitis and Marcus Freeman will stay on the field for a majority of the meaningful minutes, which may leave Austin Spitler and Brian Rolle searching for minutes on special teams.

The player who may be the sleeper in the group is that of Tyler Moeller. Tyler was in a dog fight with Homan for the weak side position, but lost out on the opportunity. Don’t expect Tyler to be satisfied, as he may still find the field in certain situations.

Ohio State employs a hybrid linebacker/safety position called the ‘star’ and Moeller may make more than a few appearances at that position. Also, Moeller will look to backup Marcus Freeman on the strong-side, but don’t look for much playing time there unless it’s mop up duty.

Bottom Line:

The line-backing corps is the keystone of this defense, with two All-American candidates, and a bevy of talented reserves. A person would be hard pressed to find a whole lot of negatives with this unit.

One glaring issue would be how these athletes are utilized. If defensive coordinator Jim Heacock feels comfortable in letting these guys loose, it won’t be good for opposing offenses.

Due to the strengths in coverage by both James Lauranaitis and Marcus Freeman, Heacock employs the zone quite frequently. While it has had its successes, the zone has been vulnerable at times in big games. If more schemes are utilized, the various looks from this dangerous defense will give nightmares to all they come across.

Looking at the front seven, obviously the biggest concern is that of the interior defensive line. Expect the defensive tackles to make improvements allowing the linebackers to roam free.

This unit should uphold their lofty defensive ranking from last season, and perhaps enter the discussion as one of the best defenses in Buckeye history.

Look for Part Four upcoming in the next few days in which I will preview the secondary and special teams. Part One can be found here, and Part Two here.

Team USA Basketball Squad Outclasses Australians

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:06:53 -0400

After a night of tossing and turning and getting virtually no sleep, I decided that I should take advantage of my wakefulness and watch Team USA take on the pesky Australians in the opening of medal round play.

I've decided to go a different route in describing the game. Rather than a game recap, I thought I would provide more of a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of both play and observations.

Here is the box score for you stat heads, as well as a complete game recap.

Quarter One

The United States opened on a nice run, extending a lead of 12-3 before Australia started hitting their three-pointers to cut the lead to 15-12.
After several games in which the United States dominated their opponents with crisp ball movement, the US seemed to opt for NBA style basketball: one-on-one.
Kobe Bryant seemed especially content taking the shot once the ball reached his hands. Luckily for the United States, the jumpers were falling.
Dwight Howard did a nice job on the inside, getting outstanding position and fighting for offensive rebounds.
The US left too many points on the free throw line in the first quarter, but Dwight and Carmelo Anthony did a good job in putting pressure on the offensive boards.
On the defensive end, the Americans were leaving just a bit too much daylight on the perimeter on a consistent basis, and were lucky that they were not barraged by three-pointers.
Why Patrick Mills is not on the floor a majority of the time is beyond me. That kid is a difference maker for the Aussies, and gave the US fits.
Australia tried to go the physical route, and at times seemed to fluster the US.
The Americans only held a one-point lead at the end of the first, as the Australians proved to be a pesky bunch.

Quarter Two

Team USA ratcheted up the defense to kick off the quarter, forcing Australia into numerous turnovers, which led to fast break points.
The US continued to play a one-on-one style of play, but started to penetrate at will. To top it off, they were also drawing fouls, and it may have been starting to break the Aussies' spirit.
Again, Patrick Mills was leading the way for Australia, making plays and providing fire for his team.
Australia continued their physical play, but to no avail as the US was keeping their calm. Things did get chippy at one point, as a little shoving match ensued between LeBron and an end of the bench Australian.
Deron closed the half with a three at the buzzer, giving the US a 12-point lead at the break.

Quarter Three

The US came out on fire, reigning down three-pointers and just outclassing the Australians.
The defense and hustle started to come out as LeBron and Kidd seemed to be everywhere. LeBron was diving out of bounds, and Kidd was showing off the rebounding prowess, snatching the ball right out from an Aussie's hands.
This one quickly got out of hand as the ball movement and razzle dazzle started to find its way into the play for the Americans.
Everyone was getting in on the act, as Dwayne Wade banked in a three-pointer.
US continued on with the three-point parade, but Australia soon got in the act to keep it from getting embarrassing...for a while at least.
Where's Dick Vitale because "It's Show Time BABY!" dunks, snazzy passing, and deep-ranged three-pointers galore!

Quarter Four

Well, it became a laugher, with the United States just cruising and doing what they want, when they want.
Australia resorted to desperation as they continued to heave up three-pointers, but what choice was there?
Not much to analyze here. It just became playtime for the Americans.
A 31-point victory for the US put to rest any worries there may have been with Australia's "size."

Final Thoughts

Kidd is most definitely the leader of this team. He may be aging, but he stepped up in the first quarter when needed and played great defense when matched with Mills.
The Americans left way too many points on the free throw line. They must hit the freebies or one of these times an opponent will hang around long enough to believe.
Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony did an incredible job of getting position for offensive rebounds/tips. The ball didn't always come off the rim, but I was impressed with the effort. Total team effort on the offensive glass was a big component of this route.
Perimeter defense is still questionable. The US can't continue to give teams daylight or the opportunity to catch fire. The Australians didn't take advantage, but any team in these medal rounds can light it up from three-point range.
Mills should be on the floor as much as possible for the Australians, which he was not. He ended up trying to do too much at times, trying to fight the Aussies back into the game single handedly, but that is extremely difficult against this US team.
The US must continue to force turnovers and cut down on their own. The half court game is spotty, and it took a while for the US to find their range. Keep forcing turnovers and get out on the break, and the shots will start to fall in the half-court.
The buzzer/substitution horn is extremely annoying. Sounds like a miniature tug boat combined with a squeak horn from a child's bicycle complete with tassels hanging from the handlebars and training wheels.

All in all, a pretty impressive performance considering this was only an 11-point game just about a week ago. The Americans have much to improve on, but I don't think there is anyone at this point who can exploit those weaknesses.

I'm going back to bed. Good morning and good night.

Ohio State Football: 2008 Team Preview (Part Two)

Cody Blubaugh — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:46:48 -0400

So here we are, inching closer to the start of the College Football season, and everyone is getting anxious. I hope to provide a fix for you fanatics and get you acquainted with the 2008 Buckeyes and what may ensue this upcoming year.

This walk-through guide offer’s up the offensive preview in parts one and two, while the defense and special teams will be analyzed in parts three and four. In Part One of the series, I broke down the ‘Backs of the Buckeye offense.

In Part Two of my team preview, I will breakdown those players who play at the line of scrimmage: the receivers, tight ends, and offensive lineman. Only one starter out of a possible eight positions did not return from least year’s squad.

These positions boast such players as Biletnikoff Trophy candidate Brian Robiskie, Outland Trophy aspirant Alex Boone, and the notorious leaders of the Brew Crew: Mike Brewster, Mike Adams, and JB Shugarts.

Wide Receivers:

Key Returnees:

Brian Robiskie, No. 80—6’3”, 199 lbs., Senior
Brian Hartline, No. 9—6’2”, 186 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Ray Small, No. 82—5’11”, 180 lbs., Junior
Dane Sanzenbacher, No. 12—5’11”, 175 lbs., Sophomore
Taurian Washington, No. 5—6’2”, 179 lbs., Sophomore

Key Additions:

Devier Posey, No. 8—6’3", 190 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Jake Stoneburner, No. 11—6’5" 220 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Lamaar Thomas, No. 7—5’ 11” 178 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Departures:

None

2007 Statistics

	Receptions	Yards	YPReception	Long	TD’s
Robiskie	55	935	17	68	11
Hartline	52	694	13.3	65	6
Small	20	267	13.4	60	2
Sanzenbacher	12	89	7.4	15	1
Washington	3	46	15.3	37	1

Early in the 2007 season, Brian Robiskie was establishing himself as a Biletnikoff candidate, and Brian Hartline wasn’t too shabby either. As the year went on, their production steadily dropped.

At the end of the season, LSU took an approach of matching up one-on-one with the receivers. This was part in due to the sub-par play of Todd Boeckman, but also LSU feeling that they could match up with Ohio State’s receiving corps without worry. That strategy paid off.

The duo of Robiskie and Hartline must take that to heart this upcoming season. Many feel that the duo did not create the necessary separation on a consistent basis in that game, and you better believe USC is going to use the same game plan as LSU.

Brian Robiskie emerged as Boeckman’s go-to receiver early and often in 2008. Robiskie is a gifted receiver who uses great body positioning and exceptional hands. He also has deceptive speed, with his long smooth stride.

To see Robiskie’s impressive abilities, look no further than his circus catch againt Minnesota last season. Robiskie didn’t have his man beat by any means, but adjusted in mid jump to out-position the defender. A simply amazing catch in which he placed himself between the ball and the defender: a recurring theme in his performances.

Hartline is not physically imposing by any means, but does he sure pack a wallop. Besides being a speedy, grit receiver, he is also an authoritative blocker. He isn’t quite as smooth as Robiskie, and sometimes looks a bit unorthodox, but Brian always finds a way to get the job done.

Hartline also proved his worth as a return man. One wouldn’t expect him to be back in that role this year with several others vying for the position, but it just goes to show you his capabilities.

Robiskie and Hartline have the one and two spots on lock, but from there on, it’s going to be a slugfest. Sophomore Dane Sanzenbacher provided glimpses of potential last season while filling in for the injured Ray Small.

Dane is a bit undersized, and lacks that ‘big-play receiver’ ability, but he is most definitely competent to earn the number three slot. He was marred by injury throughout the season last year, runs great routes, and will be a great asset to this offense.

Taurian Washington flashed his speed on one occasion, teasing the Buckeye faithful on what he can bring to the table. Look for him with his long frame and big hands to also have a very legitimate shot at the number three wide receiver, but more likely to backup Robiskie when its all said and done.

Ray Small is a bit of mystery. He was stripped of his number four and given number eighty-two, signifying punishment from the coaching staff. Then, in the fall media guide, Small was subsequently left out of the receiver depth chart. Telling signs or an honest oversight? I believe we will find out very soon.

Small has all the abilities in the world, as was held in high regards as the ‘next Ted Ginn’. Those aspirations haven’t come to fruition, as he has consistently underachieved. Luckily, he has two more seasons to prove all the doubters wrong. The most telling sign was in the LSU game.

On an under thrown ball, Small made no effort to become the ‘defender’ in that situation, and it resulted in an interception. To top it off, he made minimal effort to tackle the defender. There were also other issues (grades, dedication, though not confirmed) as to why he may have been in the coach’s doghouse.

No one is questioning Ray Small’s talent, because the skill set is most definitely there. The more pressing issue is whether or not he has had an attitude adjustment. If he has, Small would become a very legitimate speed threat who adds yet another dimension to this already dangerous offense.

An interesting name that pops up is that of Grant Schwartz. He has starting safety Kurt Coleman singing his praises, so take that for what it is worth. I don’t suspect he will get a whole lot of playing time, but could be used as a bit of a change up out on the field.

Looking at the incoming freshman, Ohio State has some tough decisions to make. Devier Posey has gotten teammates talking, and had been very impressive in seven-on-seven's.

I have felt very strongly about Posey and what he brings to the table, but will it be enough to leap frog the likes of Sanzenbacher and Washington?

Devier is a consummate route runner with sticky hands, a prototypical possession receiver with a little more speed to burn.

It would not be a surprise to see Posey running underneath routes to give Boeckman the option to check down, rather than going for it all with the deep ball. To redshirt this young man would be a shame, but fortunately Ohio State has plenty of options at the receiver position.

Lamaar Thomas’ name shows up yet again. It just goes to show you how versatile this guy can be. An ideal slot receiver, Lamaar is an absolute burner. Think Trindon Holliday from LSU. The role that may best suit him in his freshman campaign is perhaps as a return man, but make it known, he is a weapon anywhere he lines up.

Wild Card:

Jake Stoneburner is a match-up nightmare for any defense, with his size and speed combination. Originally recruited as a tight-end/wide receiver, he has made the move to wide receiver and will stay there.

At 6’5' and room to put on some weight, Stoneburner would be an ideal red-zone target. With his 4.5 speed, he would give linebackers and safeties absolute fits. Think Dwayne Jarrett as a comparable player.

Now to expect Stoneburner to match what Jarrett did at USC is awfully lofty. Talking strictly about size and speed, the two possess the same advantages.

Perhaps another example: Ed McCaffery of the Denver Broncos. Having been a Bronco fan all of my life, Stoneburner’s frame and style definitely has its similarities to Eddy Mac’s.

Bottom Line:

Ray Small needs to step up, as he has to abilities to take this group from good to great. His speed adds a different element from all of the other candidates in the group.

Practice photos show that Small has put on a noticeable amount of muscle, perhaps indicating he is ready to turn the corner. Also look for four and five wideout sets more often, as the quality depth at this position is quite the benefit.

The infusion of youth may also benefit past their personal production, as it may push the upperclassman much harder.

Tight Ends:

Key Returnees:

Jake Ballard, No. 86—6’7”, 256 lbs., Junior
Rory Nichol, No. 88—6’5”, 252 lbs., Senior

Key Additions:

Nic Dilillo, No. 81—6’5”, 245 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Losses:

None

2007 Statistics

	Receptions	Yards	YPReception	Long	TD’s
Ballard	13	149	11.5	22	2
Nichol	16	84	5.3	11	-

The tight end position has always jokingly been referred to as a ‘glorified offensive lineman’ under Jim Tressel’s reign. The thing is, is that it’s not that far from the truth.

With the offensive staff’s fondness of power sets, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to have an extra blocker in for the running game. The problem is that it makes an offense more predictable, a common complaint of the Jim Tressel era.

Returning are two seasoned upperclassmen, Jake Ballard and Rory Nichol. Ballard was actually used sporadically in the passing for more than just a short option.

Ballard periodically released off the line and found himself open on a couple of long pass plays, one of which resulted in a nice one hand snag proving his ability in the receiving game.

Nichol was used as more of a short yardage type tight end when he was sent out on routes.

Early in Jim Tressel’s tenure, the tight end was considered to be a weapon in this offense, but those sentiments have faded over time. Has it been that the Buckeye’s have lacked a play making tight end? That argument can certainly be made.

I’m not buying that sentiment though, as not many designed plays are centered around the tight end position. Far too often is there space underneath that a tight end can be released off the line and be employed as another option. In other words, play making ability is not needed when the opportunity is there for the taking.

Wild Card:

There are really no sleeper picks to speak of at the position. Look for incoming frosh Nic Dilillo to redshirt and take a year to soak in the offensive playbook.

Dilillo looks to be physically ready as a freshman which is impressive, but with no need for urgency at the position, he has the luxury of being able to sit out for the 2008 season.

Bottom Line:

The tight end corps is a solid contributor in pass and run protection. There isn’t any concern that I am aware of to be addressed.

If the coaching staff feels that opening up the offense is the new direction, look for the tight ends to catch defenses off guard with the element of surprise.

Both Nichol and Ballard are more than capable targets, especially Ballard with his great hands.

Offensive Line:

Key Returnees:

Alex Boone, No. 75—6’8”, 312 lbs., Senior
Steve Rehring, No. 71—6’7”, 335 lbs., 5^th Year Senior
Jim Cordle, No. 64—6’4”, 297 lbs., Redshirt Junior
Ben Person, No. 63—6’3”, 323 lbs., 5^th Year Senior
Bryant Browning, No. 70—6’4”, 312 lbs. Redshirt Sophomore
Evan Blankenship, No. 68—6’3", 290 lbs. Redshirt Freshman

Key Additions:

Mike Adams, No. 74—6’8”, 328 lbs., Incoming Freshman
Mike Brewster, No. 50—6’5”, 296 lbs., Incoming Freshman
J.B. Shugarts, No. 76—6’8”, 298 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Losses:

Kirk Barton (Exhausted Eligibility-NFL)

Here we go again, another position of strength for the Ohio State Buckeyes. The line returns four of five starters, only losing Kirk Barton to graduation and the NFL Draft. Returning is the anchor of this line, left tackle Alex Boone.

Joining him on the left side at guard would be Steve Rehring. Manning the center position will be Jim Cordle, while Ben Person will be slotted in at right guard. The right tackle position is still up in the air, but the current name on the depth chart is that of Bryant Browning.

Alex Boone is the premier blocker on this line. Last year a good chunk of Beanie’s yards originated from running behind Boone’s blocks, and that is no coincidence. He is also an adequate pass-blocker with his combination of footwork and balance. Look for Alex to shoot up a lot of people’s list as one of the top lineman in the country this year.

Steve Rehring comes into the camp looking as if he is in the best shape of his life. Last year that was a big issue, but it seems as if Steve has something to prove this year. Offensive Line coach Jim Bollman has been hesitant to break up the tandem of Rehring and Boone, and for good reason, as ‘Beanie’ Wells should run wild on the left side.

Cordle doesn’t jump out at you on film, nor does his physique catch your attention. He is rather referred to as a technician blocker. He stays low on his blocks and is just flat out tough. Last year was his first year as a starter, and also played with a broken right wrist.

Many compare him to Nick Mangold at this point during their college careers, and if that holds true, than that is great news for the Buckeyes.

Ben Person was a first year starter last year, and at times it showed. Person was a bit jumpy due to that inexperience, and should benefit from a year as a starter. Ben was solid all-around in ’07, nothing less and nothing more.

The interior of this line took a lot of criticism last year, but the experience factor comes into play here for Ben, and he looks to take the necessary steps to improve.

Bryant Browning is described as a powerful run blocker, but that trait is not the biggest area of need. Trying to fill the shoes left by Kirk Barton, a pass blocker is ideal on the right side, so Bryant will have needed to improve from last season to this season in pass protection.

If Browning has made those strides, he will take a strong hold on the right tackle position. If not, several others are salivating at the opportunity.

Now come the notorious members of the Brew Crew, the aptly named incoming recruiting class featuring ring leader Mike Brewster, Ohio stud Mike Adams, and Texas big man JB Shugarts.

Mike Brewster is a center prospect out of Florida who helped to piece together one of the top recruiting classes in the country last year. He is downright nasty on the field. Tenacious may be a better word to describe Brewster.

Brewster suffered a knee injury that has only slightly slowed him down. Brew is in great position to nab the number two spot behind Jim Cordle. From there, the sky is the limit as Brewster is the epitome of a leader and captain.

Mike Adams was arguably the top offensive line prospect in the country last year, and the number one overall recruit out of Ohio. Big Mike has left tackle written all over him, and scouts liken him to a name all too familiar to Buckeye fans: Orlando Pace.

The only things standing in his way are that of Alex Boone, and a shoulder injury that may or may not be a big issue. Adams would likely be a starter on a majority of college rosters, but still has a chance to make an impact in his freshman season.

JB Shugarts is in contention for the right tackle position, and is just a massive young man. He will be competing with Bryant Browning, who looks to have the edge….for now. Shugarts is absolutely thick and massive, resulting in being quite physically imposing for a freshman. Don’t be surprised to see JB as the premier right tackle as the season wears on.

Wild Card:

It’s too easy to say that the super freshman coming in will be the sleeper picks at this position. Adams, Shugarts and Brewster all look to be solidly embedded in the two deep already.

A name that needs be mentioned is that of sophomore Evan Blankenship. Check-in photos show that Evan is in tremendous shape, and an absolute wide body. He is listed as a guard, but in the latest depth chart, he is slated in as a left tackle.

Evan was the only offensive lineman in the 2007 recruiting class, so that fact in itself speaks volumes. Being a pass blocker, he can be of great value to this team, but will need to shine in the upcoming weeks to grab hold of any opportunity that may be there.

Bottom Line:

The offensive line group is one of the better units in the country. The skepticism has been that they can’t match up with speedy, athletic defensive fronts. In big games last year, they seemed to have their problems, only fueling that skepticism.

The key here is consistency. The left side is solidly anchored behind Boone and Rehring, and Cordle at center provides a good technician blocker. The right side is where players need to step up and make a difference.

With the incoming freshmen who are determined to get on the field as soon as possible, look for the upperclassmen to feel a sense of urgency. If they fail to do so, the line should be in good hands with the hard-working young bloods.

Overall, the most impressive part of these position groups is that of depth. If someone is unable to step up, someone else seems poised to make a contribution. The offensive line is seasoned, yet loaded with very talented youth.

The wide receiving corps has several options, but is looking for a speed threat to complete the ensemble. The tight ends do the dirty work, but look for a bigger role in the offense. This offense as a unit will be difficult to slow down for any defense in ’08.

Look for part three upcoming in the next few days where I will preview the defensive front seven. Part One can be found here.

Ohio State Football: 2008 Team Preview (Part One)

Cody Blubaugh — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:20:04 -0400

So here we are, nearing the start of the College Football season, and everyone is getting anxious. I hope to provide a fix for you fanatics and get you acquainted with the 2008 Buckeyes and what may ensue this upcoming year.

This walk-through guide offers up the offensive preview in parts one and two, while the defense and special teams will be analyzed in parts three and four.

In Part One of my team preview, I will take a look at the 'Backs of this anticipated high power offense. Two of the three starters at these positions return including Heisman hopeful Chris 'Beanie' Wells, Maxwell and O'Brien Trophy candidate Todd Boeckman, and super frosh Terrelle Pryor.

Quarterbacks:

Key Returnees:

Todd Boeckman, No. 17—6’5”, 235 lbs., Sixth Year Senior
Joe Bauserman, No. 14—6’2”, 220 lbs., Red-Shirt Freshman

Key Additions:

Terrelle Pryor, No. 2—6’6”, 225 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Departures:

Rob Schoenhoft (Transfer to University of Delaware)
Antonio Henton (Transfer to Georgia Southern)

2007 Statistics

	Attempts	Completions	Comp. %	Yards	TD’s	INT’s	Pass Rating
Boeckman	191	299	63.9%	2379	25	14	148.9
Bauserman	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Todd Boeckman returns for his senior season and leads a rather inexperienced group into the 2008 campaign. In fact, neither Joe Bauserman nor Terrelle Pryor has taken reps in a college game. The transfers of both Robbie Schoenhoft and Antonio Henton have obviously put Ohio State in a bind as far as depth is concerned.

Bauserman looks to be second on the depth chart heading into 2008 after a quality spring game. Not to fret Buckeye fans, Pryor being third on the depth charts will not prevent him from seeing the field. Tressel and his coaching staff will design special packages to get Pryor’s talent on the field, providing wrinkles to this offense.

Having said that, if Boeckman happens to go down to injury, look for Bauserman to replace him, with Pryor still playing a “situational” role.

Boeckman provided about as good of a first year starting performance as you can find. He cruised through most of the season before a shaky outing against Illinois. He seemed to develop happy feet, often “feeling” the pressure when there was none. This is to be expected with an inexperienced quarterback, but look for him to improve in 2008.

Boeckman did show some ability with his legs against the Illini, and should be able to implement this into his game to slow down the pass rush at times.

Todd then went on to deliver another sub par performance against Michigan, granted the conditions weren’t quite ideal. He had a hard time holding onto the ball, often lost his footing, and was inaccurate.

Contrary to what is believed, Boeckman was more than capable in the National Championship game. He delivered some very nice throws, and showed his toughness by hanging in the pocket and taking some shots on more than one occasion.

Was he perfect? No, but quarterback play was the least of Ohio State’s concerns in the loss to LSU. Nevertheless, there are issues to address with Todd, such as his under-throwing of deep balls, as well as his ability to stay composed under pressure.

With the experience gained from a championship run in ’07, look for Boeckman to not only improve his play this season, but also emerge as a leader of this entire team.

Joe Bauserman was an original Buckeye commitment in 2004, but was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and passed on attending Ohio State. He has since given up his baseball career to pursue football opportunities as a walk on at Ohio State in 2007.

As aforementioned, Bauserman had a solid spring game this year, showing off a canon of an arm, but has much more work to do to keep Terrelle Pryor at bay in future seasons. Joe has all of the tools to become a successful quarterback at the college level, but most Ohio State fans hope that any playing time he sees is in mop up duty.

This is not a slight against Bauserman, rather Joe getting substantial playing time means Boeckman is either ineffective or injured, and neither of those options is going to equal success in 2008.

Then there is the phenom Terrelle Pryor. Here is a kid that is being hailed as the next Vince Young. He has a certain aura about him that just screams superstar. I think everyone knows about Pryor and his strengths, but his throwing mechanics is the area in need of improvement.

Terrelle’s form looks to have improved by quite a bit, and now with coaches able to counsel him, look for him to continue the dramatic jump. Arm strength has never been an issue, but he is far from a finished product. Nevertheless, the kid is going to be a weapon immediately and in the future.

Wild Card:

The choice for a wild card at the QB position is all but obvious: Terrelle Pryor. Much has been said of Pryor, and the pressure on his shoulders is unimaginable.

The uber-talented freshman will get his chances this upcoming season, whether it is as a decoy, or putting the ball in his hands. Most expect a Tim Tebow like role for Pryor, but look for more versatility rather than a power running role like Tebow.

Numerous options exist, such as splitting him wide, or lining him up in the option. Any way you slice it, Pryor being on the field will cause defenses to become a little more wary.

Bottom-Line:

Reports are that Boeckman has been absolutely money in 7-on-7’s. While that doesn’t necessarily transfer to on field success, it shows that Todd is feeling confident in his abilities. If Todd can cut down on the turnovers and manage the offense, the numbers don’t HAVE to be as good as they were last season.

When you have a plethora of weapons that Ohio State currently has, it is not necessary to try to make the big play with unwarranted throws, which may result in limiting possessions. Look for Boeckman to play smarter, not be a liability in big games, and have a very successful year.

Running Backs:

Key Returnees:

Chris "Beanie" Wells, No. 28—6'1", 237 lbs., Junior
Maurice Wells, No. 34—5'10", 196 lbs., Senior
Brandon Saine, No. 3—6'1", 217 lbs., Sophomore
Daniel "Boom" Herron, No. 1—5'10", 193 lbs., Redshirt Freshman

Key Additions:

None

Key Departures:

None

2007 Statistics

Carries

Yards

YPCarry

TD’s

Receptions

Rec. Yards

Rec. TD’s

C. Wells

274

1609

5.9

15

5

21

-

M. Wells

103

367

3.6

3

10

47

1

Saine

60

267

4.5

2

12

160

1

Herron

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Talk about absolutely loaded. The running back corps is obviously a luxury position for Ohio State in 2008, bringing not only quality but quantity as well. The frontrunner is clearly Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells, who is a Heisman hopeful and looking to climb up the ranks of all-time leading rushers at Ohio State.

Wells brings a rare blend of size, speed, power and vision, and is an absolute chore to bring down. Add to that a victimizing stiff arm, as well as his absolute will to carry this team at times, and you have a recipe for one of the greatest backs to ever step into The ‘Shoe.

Here is a little visual proof of what a talent he is. Need a little more? Here you go.

Beanie has a legitimate shot at 2,000 yards, and no, that was not a typo. Chris was never really healthy last year, playing through ankle sprains and a wrist injury which required off-season surgery, and still put up a savory 5.9 yards per carry and over 1600 yards. He has all but indicated this is the best health he’s been in and the Heisman Trophy is on his ‘to do’ list.

How impressive is Beanie? Case in point: the National Championship game against LSU. The Tigers loaded up the box and went one-on-one with the receivers on the outside, and Wells still went off for 150 yards. Granted, he did have two long runs, but for the time he was toting the rock, Wells still ran with a purpose.

Unfortunately for the Buckeye’s, they fell behind and had to go away from the running game. Look for USC to execute the same strategy, daring Todd Boeckman to beat them rather than Beanie. No matter the strategy, when Wells wants his yards, he usually gets them.

The biggest snagging point in Beanies quest for 2,000 is perhaps having so much depth at the position, as well as overall talent of the offense. So while it is very possible for 2K, look for Beanie to eclipse last year’s totals, but not by a substantial amount.

Daniel ‘Boom’ Herron looks to make an impact after sitting out for a red-shirt year, and the super senior Maurice Wells has always gotten a steady dose of carries.

Brandon Saine is not your prototypical back, and will probably play a hybrid role of receiver and runner. He only got 60 carries last season, but a knee injury dramatically slowed his freshman production. His numbers look to increase in 2008, but I would expect him to be heavily involved in the receiving game as well.

Maurice Wells is a guy who is unspectacular, yet steady. He provides another option when Beanie or Herron need to come off the field.

Another name to keep an ear out for is that of incoming frosh Lamaar Thomas. The chances of him getting reps at the running back position are slim, but he is very shifty and has speed aplenty.

Some feel a redshirt is necessary to allow Thomas to add some bulk to his frame, but his talent would sure come in use to add more unpredictability to this offense. If Lammar doesn’t get a look in the backfield, he would be a prime candidate for a return man on special teams.

It’s a nice problem to have when you have a Heisman candidate and still MUST find playing time for the talented players behind him.

Wild Card:

Dan Herron seems to be the dark horse in all of this, as the coaching staff feels very strongly about him. Herron is a hard, tough nosed runner, who seems poised to step up. While undersized, Herron runs with the same style that Beanie employs, making him the ideal fit to spell Beanie during games.

Bottom Line:

The only reason for concern with this bunch would be injuries. None of the running backs on the roster have had major injury problems, but rather injuries of the lingering ilk.

Beanie is a top running back even playing less than 100%, but to ensure the best chance for success, he must stay healthy. It seems the ankle problems have subsided, but the wrist has not been put through the rigors of contact drills.

Brandon Saine had the knee operation provided an obstacle to hurdle, but the big question is: how will his knee hold up and respond to a hefty work load?

If the injury bug doesn’t rear its ugly head, big things are in store for this unit.

Full Backs:

Key Returnees:

None

Key Additions:

Jermil Martin, No. 4—5’11”, 220 lbs., Incoming Freshman

Key Losses:

Dionte Johnson (Exhausted Eligibility)
Aram Olson (Medical Release)

If there is one area of concern on this offense, it would be at fullback. The only true fullback on the roster this upcoming season would be that of incoming freshman Jermil Martin.

Aram Olson was to be the starter but injuries have forced him out of football altogether, leaving Ohio State in a bit of a conundrum.

In light of this problem, Jim Tressel and his staff are turning to run-stuffing outside linebacker Curtis Terry to fill the void.

While Terry’s abilities will be missed at outside linebacker, the line-backing corps is absolutely loaded with talent, making him expendable at that position. He may have had the inside track to a starting OLB spot in 2007, but a high ankle sprain ended those aspirations.

There is still the possibility of Terry getting reps at his natural position in the upcoming season, but for the time being, it seems his is exclusively at fullback.

Terry is a physical specimen with quite the mean streak, making him an ideal lead blocker for Heisman hopeful “Beanie” Wells.

Being a linebacker himself, Terry should have no problem meeting the opposition's linebackers head-on. Honestly, the biggest collision of the year may be when Terry and USC's Rey Maugula meet, in what may result in California finally breaking away from the west coast and floating away into the Pacific.

If Curt Terry can grasp the offensive playbook smoothly, he should spell problems for any defense. Chris Wells is hard enough to bring down as is, now pairing him with Terry will only make the task that much more difficult.

Also look for seldom used 5th year players to spell terry ala Tank Whaley and Stan White of 2007. Don't count out Jermil Martin getting playing time either, as it all depends on how fast he can transition into the offense; it would be ideal for him to gain valuable playing time to prepare for 2009.

Wild Card:

This is a hard one to identify, as Curtis Terry would fit this mold if it wasn't the plan to make him the fullback. If one had to skim the roster, a name such as listed redshirt senior fullback Ryan Lukens jumps out as a guy who could contribute at this position.

Bottom Line:

Wth the Buckeyes lacking a true fullback, coupled with the fact that Chris Wells can often handle single back sets, the staff may be forced to open up the playbook this season.

Look for a less predictable offense, with a decrease in the Power-I set. Not to say they will dramatically stray away from power running formations, but if Terry, or any of the other candidates don't grasp the playbook and technique fast enough, there may not be many other options.

If Curtis Terry is ready to go, the running game will benefit drastically.

The overall felling for these three position corps is that they have a chance to be one of the most lethal in College Football. There are other questions such as how the coaching staff will utilize certain players, and if the playbook opens up. Depite those concerns, the potential for these positions is extraordinary.

Look for Part Two of the series upcoming in the next few days where I will preview the rest of the offense: Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, and Offensive Lineman.

Mike Coolbaugh: One Year After His Death

Cody Blubaugh — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:39:21 -0400

I was browsing around today on ESPN, bored out of mind, trying to pass the time on a hot and steamy day here in southern Missouri.

I came across an article that reawakened a sad and tragic story. It was the story of career minor-leaguer and AA coach, Mike Coolbaugh.

One year ago today, Tulsa Drillers coach Mike Coolbaugh headed out to do what he did in the 18 previous games, on an inning-to inning basis: coach first base. It was the top half of the ninth inning, signaling the end of another road game, meaning it was one game closer to getting home and seeing his family.

With a man on first, Coolbaugh’s focus turned to keeping his player from getting picked off, and delivering those coaching quips all baseball players are familiar with: “Freeze on a line drive”, “Make sure it gets through”, etc. Fellow Driller Tino Sanchez stepped up to the plate, and subsequently scorched a foul ball up the first-base line.

What happened next was beyond anyone’s wildest nightmares.

Mike was drafted in 1990 by the Toronto Blue Jays, starting a journeyman’s career through the minor leagues. He bounced around with nine different organizations throughout his 17-year baseball career, reaching the major leagues on two separate occasions with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers.

I had personally seen Mike in action some 10 years ago. It was in 1998 and Mike was currently playing with the Colorado Rockies' AAA affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. I grew up in Colorado Springs, and my father resides there, making summer trips possible every year.

One of my favorite things to do while visiting is going to watch the Sky Sox play, whose stadium is located not five minutes from my father’s home. Tickets are extraordinarily cheap, and the atmosphere of minor-league baseball is unlike anything else.

I was only 11-years old at the time, but I distinctly remember one player: Mike Coolbaugh. Not because of his play, or anything spectacular that happened on the field. Rather, the similarity between his last name and mine.

I would get excited every time I heard his name announced, hoping he would have a big night. My father and I must have attended more than a handful of games that summer.

I recall that unique atmosphere of minor-league baseball, particularly Sky Sox Stadium. The locker rooms are located at the top of the bleacher terraces, and the players must walk parallel to fans on the concourse, and then down a long set of stairs to get to the field.

As a kid, I often waited to get autographs or maybe even a high five. I never even realized it until years later, but Mike Coolbaugh has graciously signed a baseball for me, and currently sits on a shelf in my father’s home.

My permanent home is located in Missouri, about an hour south of St. Louis. I had since forgotten about Coolbaugh and my excitement for him. That was until 2002, when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals.

While watching a Cardinals broadcast, out came the introduction: “Now batting, Mike Coolbaugh”. All I could do was let out a joyful laugh and think of Sky Sox baseball with my dad.

He quickly disappeared back to the minors, but he would always be one of my sentimental favorites.

In his 17th and final season, a fastball rode in on his hands, shattering his wrist, ending his playing career, and turning him down the road to coaching.

Throughout his life, Mike was always a family man. He had a wonderful wife, Mandy, and had two kids, Jacob and Joseph. A third was on the way, and he was beginning his new found life as a minor-league baseball coach. Life looked good after his playing days were done.

Players adored him. He was a down to earth guy who really connected with the players. His family roots were apparent in the way he handled his fellow Tulsa teammates.

So there he was, on a mid-July night, doing what he was born to do: share his baseball wisdom and guide the young, minor leaguers through their journey to the big leagues.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it was all over.

Tino Sanchez got around on an inside pitch and put a nice swing on the ball. Sanchez got every bit of it, and unfortunately for Mike Coolbaugh, who was busy counseling the baserunner, he never saw it coming.

The ball struck Mike in the neck, just below his ear, rupturing an artery.

Not one hour later, Mike was taken from the world.

This whole situation was ironic you see, as Mike Coolbaugh was always concerned with the dangers of foul balls. Not so much with the players, but more so the fans. He knew that it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt.

Mandy Coolbaugh cries everyday that her husband is gone. Tino Sanchez walked away from baseball after the trauma he had to experience. Teammates, friends, family all wondered the proverbial “why him, why Mike?”

Here we are one year later, to the day.

I didn’t write this article to talk about the widespread impact Mike’s death has had in the world of baseball, which has since required base coaches to wear helmets.

I didn’t even write it in light of seven-year-old Dominic DiAngi being struck by a foul ball, which fractured his skull, but it is a constant reminder of what Mike Coolbaugh feared.

I’m writing this to remind people that sometimes we get too caught up in something so simple as sport. Next time someone presents a petty argument over what college football conference is superior, don’t let it get to you.

I’m writing this to remind you that at any time it could be over. Not even Mike could prevent his untimely passing with his ever substantial concerns of foul balls.

I’m writing this to remind people to tell those close to you that you love them every single goodnight, goodbye, or for no reason at all. Mike never met his third child, Anne, and left behind the family he loved so much.

I’m writing this in memory of a man who takes me back to summers with my dad; a man who lived his life the right way, being a loving husband, father, friend, and teammate; a man who was gone far too soon.

I’ll never forget you Mike Coolbaugh.

To read more on the Mike Coolbaugh story, I highly suggest this article: A Death in the Baseball Family

Denver Nuggets: Tailspin Back to Inferiority? (Part Two)

Cody Blubaugh — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:12:04 -0400

After weeks of trying to decipher the baffling decisions made by the Denver Nugget’s front office in my first first article of this two part series, they threw perhaps the biggest curve-ball to date: the trade of Marcus Camby to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wednesday morning came much the same as it always does: Wake up, turn on the TV, and flip to the series of ESPN channels. It was then when I caught a teaser informing the viewers that Marcus Camby was no longer a Denver Nugget.

The possibilities were racing through my head, both good and bad, as to what the Nuggets front office might have pulled off. Then I got to thinking, what could the Clippers really offer for Camby? My hopes were fading fast, and rightfully so.

The Denver Nuggets received no players in the deal. They received no future draft picks.

So what exactly made this deal so enticing? It was a salary dump to the tune of 20 million dollars, in addition to a trade exception totaling 10 million dollars.

Color me unimpressed.

The upside of the trade is obviously getting rid of Camby’s contract, providing some much needed salary cap relief. That was one of my keys to a quick rebuilding process. This will allow without a shadow of a doubt that the Nugget’s will retain J.R. Smith.

Now the Nugget’s can build around a young core of Carmelo Anthony, Linas Kleiza, Nene, and J.R. Smith.

The trade exception is what is mind-boggling to me. If a team were looking to get rid of contracts, why ask for a trade exception? Now the Nugget’s must find 10 million dollars worth of a player to use it on. So in essence they got rid of a bad contract to take in another?

Case in point, the New Jersey Net’s reportedly offered a package of Nenad Kristic, Josh Boone, & Marcus Williams for Camby, and the Nugget’s rejected it. If that’s the case, Denver obviously didn’t want to take back salaries, making the trade expense perplexing, as stated above.

There exists one alternative to all of this. Denver seems to have a loaded gun involving the ever so enticing expiring contract of Allen Iverson, three draft picks in 2009, as well as the rather large trade exception.

Is there a scenario out there to satisfy that sort of deal? I’ll leave that to you readers and arm-chair GM’s to come up with ideas and dreams.

Another option would be not to use the exception at all. If that were the case, why not ask for at least a draft pick while you’re at it? That makes for more alluring trade packages when you have four draft picks to work with in 2009.

If the front office is choosing to strictly travel down the salary dump road, they must prove it and send Allen Iverson on his way. If they do not, I’m not quite sure what the thought process is here.

To make matters worse, the trade left Denver pretty thin in their front-court, after the Nuggets chose not to draft a big in this year’s draft when plenty were available at pick No. 20.

Who was available at pick No. 20? Kosta Koufus, DeAndre Jordan, or Alex Ajinca all would have been assets and made dealing Camby more tolerable.

So what are the options now? Chris “Birdman” Anderson and Francisco Elson. No, really, that is not a joke. What’s next? Are they to re-acquire Earl Boykins and lure Voshon Leonard out of whatever rock he is hiding under?

One would think that the front office wouldn’t be dumb enough to just sit on their hands while other Western Conference teams pass them by. I’m not holding my breath though.

So the jury is still out on whether or not this trade was worth it. Several opportunities exist, and the next move should provide what direction the Denver Nugget’s front office is taking the team.

In the mean time, Nugget’s fans remain pessimistic, hoping that the team does not revisit the nightmares of a downtrodden past.

Denver Nuggets: Tailspin Back to Inferiority?

Cody Blubaugh — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:50:02 -0400

*Note: This article was written on Sunday, July 13, three days prior to the Marcus Camby Trade, but I was unable to load it into Bleacher Report due to poor internet connections*

I was skimming through various Denver market news outlets recently, and I came across an article in the Denver Post that summed up exactly how I was feeling:

“The Nuggets front office is insulting their fans' intelligence.” Spot on.

I have waited patiently, as have other Nuggets fans, for this team to break out—and we are all still waiting.

After yet another first-round exit, their fifth in the last five season, the Denver Nuggets brass is showing no desire to design a plan to put a stop to that—unless that plan is to avoid the playoffs altogether.

Chalk up another underachieving season, as well as a dismantling sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. Most assumed that the Nuggets would opt to go in another direction, perhaps a step toward the next level? Not the case thus far.

Instead, the first decision to be made was the announcement that George Karl would remain as Head Coach. Excuse me, come again?

First, I want to make it clear that I have nothing against Karl. I thought he was a great hire, and has done an above-average job during his tenure. He has also had to deal with off-the-court dilemmas that included cancer scares to both him and his son, Coby Karl. Nothing but respect here for Mr. Karl.

But in the end, this is a business, and George is just not getting it done. He has a new outlook on life after fighting cancer, and it is one that any person should strive for. In fact, I hope to one day to heed his advice and to live without the pessimism and emphasis on success.

That outlook though, is not befitting for a professional coach who is paid to win. He has lost his fire, passion, and intensity on the court—and it shows.

Karl had stated in a telecast this past season that fast-paced teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns are the most entertaining in the league, as well as his favorite style of play.

One thing those teams don’t have in common? They have not, nor will they, win any championships.

So while Karl essentially backs the run-and-gun style with little defense, and virtually no shot at a championship, the front office endorses the notion and re-ups his contract?

Better options had existed on the market, such as former Dallas Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson, a man who demands the respect and dedication of his players. Johnson took a team running a similar system and took them to the NBA Finals with a new emphasis on defense.

It would have been worth the try, no? At least it would have sent the message that they are trying to improve.

Then came the NBA Draft, a night in which the Nuggets could have bolstered their frontcourt with youth—or perhaps, if in position, traded up to nab an impact point guard.

The Nuggets' front office instead saw fit to end any speculation before it began, as they traded the 20th pick prior to Draft Day, ending any excitement and anticipation the Nuggets faithful might have had.

In what seemed to be a trade just to make a trade, the Nuggets picked up shooting guard Sonny Weems, out of Arkansas. Weems may be a talented player who may pan out, but better players were available at No. 20.

So while the frontcourt remains aging and susceptible to injuries, the offense remains stagnant without a true point guard, all is well—the team picked up a backup shooting guard.

The first news out of the Nuggets camp was positive—the extending of a qualifying offer to shooting guard JR Smith. With the way the free agent class has thinned out, though, I would not be all that surprised to see a team come with a frontloaded offer to pry him away. I will hold out hope that the front office will match anything thrown at JR.

Then came the disappointing news that the Nuggets answer to their point guard problem is—drum roll, please—Anthony Carter. Yes, that’s right, the same player from last year’s squad—the same player that can’t create for himself, let alone those surrounding him. If Carter is to get meaningful minutes, there is absolutely NO chance this year.

It now appears as if grit-and-hustle man Eduardo Najera is headed to New Jersey. The one player on the roster who offered what the Nuggets lacked, who openly stated he wanted to stay in Denver, and who would have been a bargain.

Instead, he was not even offered a contract.

This also has a domino effect, as it lessens the chance of using Marcus Camby as a trading chip due to lack of frontcourt depth.

What’s left for this club? They have proven they cannot win with their current roster, which is now minus a key bench player. They have a coach who doesn’t mind if he loses. They are well above the salary cap, leaving them with the mid-level exception to fill positions. Trade possibilities are limited, with Carmelo Anthony and perhaps Linas Kleiza now being the only viable options.

Most importantly, they have a front office that does not seem to have any idea in which direction they are headed.

Can this team pull out of the nosedive they are currently in? Yes.

They must first admit that the AI-Melo experiment did not work, and let AI walk after this year. Second, a coach must be found who can demand more commitment out of his players, as well as not be afraid to enforce discipline.

Third, they should package their picks to move up in next year's draft for an impact rookie, preferably a big. Fourth, they should hire a damn financial advisor so as to avoid any more occurrences of the contract hell-hole currently presiding itself in Denver.

I will not give up on this team due to an inept front office. Denver missed a window of opportunity, but now must look to open another. Players need to grow up, contracts need to come off the books to free up cash for free agency, and successful player drafts and development will be needed.

I know, I know, easier said than done.

Now fans must now wait even longer, longer than they should’ve—but if done right, the Denver Nuggets can quickly be rebuilt rather than having an extensive down period.

Now the golden question—by a show of hands, who has confidence for the Nuggets brain trust to do so?

Look for the Post-Camby Trade Edition by the end of the week.

Ohio State Recruiting: Football, Basketball Squads Add Verbals

Cody Blubaugh — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:06:32 -0400

It has been two weeks since Ohio State’s eventful Senior Advanced Camp weekend in which they landed six recruits in the span of four days.

I covered that in my previous article, in which I jumped the gun a day too early and left out Cleveland Glenville’s Jonathan Newsome.

Newsome gave Ohio State his verbal commitment and is the 23rd to do so far this recruiting season. The defensive end prospect hails from the aforementioned Glenville High School, continuing the strong relationship, or “pipeline,” between the two establishments.

Jonathan looks to move from linebacker to defensive end at the college level, using his quickness and strength to make a difference as a pass rusher off the edge. Some have questioned Newsome’s performance on film as well as his measurables, but he put those concerns to rest with an impressive performance at an OSU Camp. His junior year highlights and photos can be seen here.

Commitment No. 24 comes by way of offensive lineman Sam Longo out of Bellbrook, Ohio. Sam issued his commitment before the start of the weekend but kept things quiet until Monday, as to inform all other schools pursuing him that he had made his choice.

Longo, much like Newsome, was not overly impressive on film, but was turning heads at the Advanced Camp, enough so that Ohio State couldn’t take a pass on him despite being considered leaders for two other five-star offensive line prospects, Marcus Hall and Chris Watt.

There was only one problem: the current shortage of scholarships available. Sam’s offer more than likely came at the expense of Florida prospect Vlad Emilien, who was unfortunately put on a timetable and wasn’t ready to make a decision. That is the sad reality of the numbers crunch currently presenting itself at OSU.

Longo is another strong O-Lineman who moves surprisingly well for his size. At a listed 6’5” and 260 pounds, Sam’s 40 time measured out at 4.7, which means he is quite explosive. To top it off, he is very aggressive and has a high motor. His junior year highlights can be seen here.

Switching gears to Thad Matta and the basketball team, it has been quite the rollercoaster ride over the past of week.

The recruiting class of 2010 saw shooting guard out of Georgia, Trae Golden, de-commit over the weekend. While Ohio State is still being looked at as an option, Trae assured that he was wide open in his re-opened recruitment. The schools being considered are all Southern-based schools, leading one to believe he wants to stay closer to home.

Ohio State may now turn to Anthony Johnson, a shooting guard out of Chicago, if the staff isn’t confident in Golden to re-commit.

While the loss of Golden was fresh in fans' minds, it didn’t take long for the sting to recede. Super-talented forward DeShaun Thomas out of Indiana re-affirmed his commitment to the Buckeyes.

Thomas had verballed to Ohio State over one year ago but fell under heavy criticism from home-town folks, such as John Decker. DeShaun quickly stated that he would consider other schools, but OSU was his favorite at the time.

Decker, an Indiana Scout.com writer, even went as far as to insinuate that “something was afoul” about the whole situation. Ironically, the Kelvin Sampson incident took place thereafter at Indiana University.

Adding to an already stellar ’10 class, Thomas joins top prospect Jared Sullinger out of Columbus, Ohio to give the Buckeyes a tremendous one-two punch. Here are some of Thomas’ highlights, as well as a look at Jared Sullinger.

I look to add more extensive coverage on the ’09 and ’10 classes, as well as the upcoming season, and other news regarding Ohio State basketball in the near future.

Thad Matta and Jim Tressel are doing a tremendous job of keeping Ohio State at the forefront of the athletic horizon, and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight.

Ohio State Recruiting: Flurry of Commitments Add to Impressive ’09 Class

Cody Blubaugh — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:55:19 -0400

Ohio State football has seen its peaks and valleys over the past two seasons.

Troy Smith winning the Heisman Trophy, the signing of phenom quarterback Terrelle Pryor, and key players returning for another National Championship run in ’08 highlight those peaks.

On the other hand, back-to-back shellackings in successive years for all the marbles provide the low-lights.

This hasn’t deterred prospective recruits from giving Ohio State some serious attention. In fact, it has had quite the opposite effect.

In the 2008 recruitment period, the Buckeyes arguably netted the top recruiting class of the season, and perhaps Jim Tressel’s most talented group during his tenure as head coach.

The 2009 class is bringing much of the same. With a full allotment of 25 scholarships believed to be available, coupled with anticipated early enrollees to count against the ’08 class, the magic number has been pegged at 27, and could possibly be as high as 30.

The Buckeye coaching staff has a method to the madness known as recruiting. Any prospect worth garnering a verbal or written offer from this staff before the season starts is considered a high impact and high priority athlete. The coaches also tend to hold a few schollies for late bloomers and surprise players for later in the process.

This year? Not so much.

Any other year, Ohio State may have, at most, a handful of verbal commitments by this time. Taking a look back to 2003, only one player had committed pre-camp. In ’04 and ’05? A total of five per year. In ’06 and ’07? Only three. In the '08 class? A total of eight.

Fast forward to the '09 class and the morning of June 20, and the Buckeyes already had 17 verbal commitments—and that was BEFORE the Senior Advance Camp held this past weekend.

Let’s take a glance at who’s in the fold already, as it includes some very gifted players:

Dorian Bell, WLB, Monroeville, PA - Arguably the top linebacker in the nation. Is considered a complete player who has all the tools necessary to play any of the three linebacker positions. A true impact player.
Jordan Whiting, MLB, Louisville, KY
Storm Klein, SLB, Newark, OH
Johnny Simon, DT, Youngstown, OH - Explosive interior lineman who has exceptional strength for his age. May have reached his cap in terms of physical maturation, but has more than enough athleticism to downplay any concerns.
Adam Bellamy, DT, Aurora, OH
Melvin Fellows. DE/LB, Garfield Heights, OH - Coveted athlete who de-committed from Illinois. Will most likely be groomed as a Vernon Gholston type, a pass rusher who can drop into coverage.
Jamie Wood, S, Pickerington, OH
C.J. Barnett, CB, Clayton, OH
Dominic Clarke, CB, Frederick, MD
Jack Mewhort, OT, Toledo, OH
Corey Linsley, OG, Youngstown, OH
James Jackson, WR, Grand Ledge, MI - A true burner with the ability to run right by defenders. Fearless for his size as shown by blocking and willingness to go over the middle.
Chris Fields, WR, Painesville, OH
Reid Fragel, TE, Grosse Pointe, MI
Jordan Hall, RB/WR, Jeannette, PA
Zach Boren, FB, Pickerington, OH
Adam Homan, FB, Coldwater, OH

As the dust settled from the advanced camp, the Buckeyes made out like bandits. Physical wide receiver out of Florida Duron Carter, son of Buckeye Legend and surefire Hall-of-Famer Cris Carter, followed in his father’s footsteps and became commitment No. 18.

While he isn’t the flashiest wideout, a phrase once coined for his father best describes Duron: “All he does is catch touchdowns."

Fellow Floridian Carlos Hyde also pulled the trigger, giving the Bucks a running back in the mold of current player Chris “Beanie” Wells. That is quite a lofty comparison, and if Carlos can convey half of what Beanie brings to the table, smiles will abound in Columbus.

Verbal No. 20 came somewhat out of left field, as versatile Kentucky athlete Justin Green, younger brother of former Ohio State player Marcus Green, shocked the Buckeye faithful and threw his hat into the ring.

Green had said he wanted to take his time with the process and would not let Ohio State’s crowding class speed up his decision. But speed is Justin’s game, as he proved by pulling a fast one.

Defensive back Corey Brown held a press conference today to become commit No. 21. Corey hails from Pennsylvania and joined high school teammate Dorian Bell as a future Buckeye. He adds to the glut of DBs in the ’09 class, but also brings the versatility to play on offense as well.

Rumors are also swirling that Bradley McDougald, an athlete out of Ohio, has decided on Ohio State as well. McDougald had many people talking with his performance at camp and may be one of those proverbial “diamonds in the rough” that Ohio State has had so much success with in the past.

That's five verbals within a four-day span. Jim Tressel and Co. are making it evident that they are approaching this year with a different game plan. They want this class filled as quickly as possible as to focus on the upcoming season with minimal distractions.

All I know is that room is running out. Any recruit that wants in better not blink, because this train will roll right on through. This sort of success for recruiting is unprecedented in Ohio State history, and added to the 2008 class, it seems as if the Buckeyes will be near the top of the college game for many years to come.

Ohio State Recruiting: Buckeyes Reloaded, Ready to Fire

Cody Blubaugh — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 04:40:59 -0500

Ohio State capped off another season with a disappointing championship loss.

However, the Buckeyes chalked up a win off the field with their 2008 incoming class.

While the Buckeyes don’t have the quantity of a Miami or an Alabama, they have the quality to match-up with any team in the nation.

Let’s start in the trenches with the “Big Uglies”...

Mike Adams, OT, Dublin, Ohio

Five-star tackle with striking similarities to Orlando Pace. Experts are calling Adams the most dominant offensive lineman they have seen in years. He should compete for playing time this year, and as the year progresses, has the potential to start. Mike will be an anchor on the left side for as long as he says.

JB Shugarts, OT, Klein, Texas

Five-star tackle who has enrolled early as to partake in spring practice, and compete for playing time. Although a starting spot is unlikely, JB should be able to see playing time in a rotational situation.

Michael Brewster, C, Orlando, Florida

Five-star center who has an absolute mean streak. Like Shugarts, Mike had enrolled early to get in on spring practice. Chances are he won’t start, but don’t be surprised if he does. The leader of this recruiting class (the notorious BrewCrew) has captain written all over him in the future.

Nic DiLillo, TE, Madison, Ohio

Three-star tight end who will fall in the long line of tight ends who have become glorified tackles on the line. Nic is apparently satisfied with that roll, and with studs like Beanie Wells, Brandon Saine, and Boom Herron running behind him, another blocker may not be a bad thing.

Jermil Martin, FB, Cleveland, Ohio

Two-star fullback who fills a position of need, as the Bucks are very thin at the position. Most likely will be redshirted, but with limited bodies, he may get thrown into the fire.

Moving on to the skill positions on offense...

DeVier Posey, WR, Cincinnati, Ohio

Five-star wideout who brings smooth routes, great hands, and the ability to position himself to get the ball a majority of the time. He could easily crack the three-deep and may even push for the number two spot. Currently Brian Hartline is the number two, but DeVier would allow Brian to move to the slot.

Lamaar "Flash" Thomas, RB/WR, Fort Washington, Maryland

Four-star back whom many recruiting gurus tabbed as the steal of the Buckeye class. Lamaar is an absolute burner, and it would be very difficult to keep him off the field. Expect to see him on kick/punt returns (where OSU ranked 117th in the nation last year), or even getting some looks on five-wide sets on offense. A redshirt could also be a possibility with the players ahead of him at his positions.

Jacob Stoneburner, WR, Dublin, Ohio

Four-star tight end who will make the transition to wide out. Jacob will be an absolute nightmare of a matchup for opposing defenses, particularly in the red zone, with his 6’5” size and 4.4 speed. He could easily share time in the slot with Hartline this year.

Switching sides to the defense, where the Buckeyes picked up a plethora of defensive linemen...

Garrett Goebel, DT, Lombard, Illinois

Four-star defensive tackle who will reinforce the most questionable position on this Buckeye team. Garrett certainly has the tools to be a dominant lineman, and the opportunity is there for him to pull in significant playing time.

Willie Mobley, DT, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Four-star defensive tackle who, like Goebel, will have his opportunity to net playing time. Willie and Garrett will provide much needed depth at the position, and that will only help the Buckeyes late in games.

Shawntel Rowell, DT, Cleveland, Ohio

Three-star defensive tackle who will most likely be issued a red shirt. Rowell worked his tail off to get an offer, and still has a long way to go, but his work ethic is certainly not in question.

Keith Wells, DE, Gainesville, Georgia

Four-star defensive end who was a late steal akin to Cameron Hayward last recruiting season. Keith has an incredible head on his shoulders and shows great explosion off the edge. He may need to red shirt to bulk up, but no one expected Hayward to do the things he did this year, so Keith could sneak into the Two-Deep.

Nathan Williams, DE, Washington Ch, Ohio

Four-star defensive end who will be playing the Viper position, similar to Bobby Carpenter. Nathan will most likely red shirt, but could very well be in the mix next season.

Anchoring the middle of the Defense are...

Etienne Sabino, LB, Miami, Florida

Five-star linebacker who is an absolute beast. Etienne sheds blockers well and has good closing speed, but will most definitely either play special teams or redshirt due to the log jam at the position. Expect to hear his name frequently in the future, as he will continue the great tradition of linebackers at Ohio State.

Andrew Sweat, LB, Washington, Pennsylvania

Four-star linebacker who, as with Sabino, will resort to special teams play, or redshirt. Andrew is very talented and should find his spot as an outside linebacker in he near future.

The Last Line of Defense...

Zach Domicome, S, Beavercreek, Ohio

Three-star safety who was a surprise offer, but has special athleticism. Zach will most likely take a red shirt and may see action in the later years of his career, but don’t underestimate his abilities.

Orhian Johnson, S, Gulfport, Florida

Three-star quarterback who was brought in as an athlete. He will try his role at safety, but has versatility to fit in at numerous positions. A redshirt is most likely for Orhian, but has plenty to offer in terms of speed.

Travis Howard, CB, Miami, Florida

Three-star cornerback who many feel is very underrated. Howard could see playing time this year, as his talent may be too valuable to redshirt, even if it means contributing on special teams.

And last but not least, special teams...

Ben Buchanon, K, Westerville, Ohio

Three-star kicker—but if five stars were available for kickers, Ben would receive them. Buchanan made 14 of 16 field goals, missing only two kicks from longer than 50 yards. Tressel’s special teams will be in good hands for years to come.

Totaling the numbers, the Buckeyes landed five Five-Stars and seven Four-Stars, which included a very balanced mix of top Ohio Talent (nine players) and Out of State talent (ten). Ohio State is also in the fold for prized recruit Terrelle Pryor, and no explanation is needed about that young man.

In the end, Ohio State addressed every position of need (excluding quarterback) while filling them with quality players. This may be the most talented group that Jim Tressel has brought in while at Ohio State, and while we won’t be able to assess it until four to five years have passed, the future looks bright for The Ohio State University.

Crystal Clear: Ohio State No Match For LSU

Cody Blubaugh — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:51:07 -0500

As I sit here in disappointment for a second straight year, I must admit, Ohio State didn't deserve to be in the National Title game.

Did you hear that America? I agree with you.

Let me make one thing clear: I'm as big of a Buckeye fan as you can find, so getting this admission out of me is some feat.

Where was the urgency? The Buckeyes came out early and played like they had something to prove, and after 10 points they obviously felt that they had proven enough.

LSU didn't get the memo.

Don't get me wrong, the Buckeye players gave effort the whole game. For that, I am EXTREMELY PROUD, but after watching the likes of Kansas and West Virginia, where was that kind of emotion?

With all that was riding on this game (pride and self-respect most importantly), I thought I would see some young men playing possessed—that was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps, that emotion was there, but channeled improperly. OSU lost composure in many key situations with penalties and personal fouls.

The one thing most Buckeye fans feared was the thought of Todd Boeckman having to make crucial plays and LSU forced him into doing just that.

I was disappointed in the game plan presented by Ohio State as I expected much more of Chris Wells. He was very effective early on and it seemed once Ohio State fell behind, the coaching staff panicked.

Boeckman made some bad decisions and didn't seem to have that internal clock that quarterbacks must possess.

Boeckman was not the only one to blame—his receivers dropped key passes in critical situations. The offensive line did a good job handling Glenn Dorsey and company, but Boeckman was eating too much time. The OSU offense became very bland and predictable and Bo Pelini was licking his chops.

On the other side of the ball, the thing that could not happen indeed happened. Ohio State found themselves playing in a zone quite often, sending repetitive blitzes off the edges.

To make things even worse, those aforementioned personal fouls were aplenty, keeping LSU drives alive and kicking. You would have thought the hole was deep enough, but uncharacteristic missed tackles put the icing on the cake.

Jim Heacock was yet again out-schemed, caught off guard, and controlled for most of the game. LSU won the game of "Tressel Ball" as Mr. Heacock played right into the strengths of an opponent's quarterback and offense.

The turning point in the game was obviously the blocked field goal, correct?

Technically, yes, but I thought it was one play earlier when Brian Robiskie dropped a sure touchdown. At that point, I gritted my teeth and prepared for the worst.

It's like in a baseball playoff game: The opponent's best hitter is up, there are two outs and men on in a key situation, and the pitch is popped up into foul territory for an easy out...except the catcher drops it. The batter than proceeds to launch a game/series changing homerun. That was the exact feeling I had and then it all unfolded in front of my eyes. The momentum had shifted into LSU's favor and it was very evident.

From that instant on, the game never had a sense of control for Ohio State, even after the Malcolm Jenkins interception. It was a surreal sentiment knowing that the game was over long before the clock indicated so.

I want to congratulate the LSU Tigers and their fans. Your team is first-rate and you deserved this title. The Tigers were too much for my Buckeyes to handle, and for that I applaud them.

Lastly, I will say it again: I am proud of my Ohio State Buckeyes and the season they had. It was yet again another rough way to close the season, but after all, this is just a game. The sun will rise tomorrow, life will go on, and THE Ohio State University will continue to compete at the pinnacle of college football.

O-H!

Bayou Battle: Ohio State looks for redemption against LSU

Cody Blubaugh — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:28:04 -0500

Here we are at the end of an unparalleled season—one in which we saw coaching dilemmas, unbelievable plays, and improbable upsets.

Now we cap it off with two teams with an unprecedented opportunity of winning their second outright BCS National Championship: the Buckeyes of Ohio State, and the Tigers of Louisiana State.

LSU is the favorite heading into the Superdome, with the Buckeyes national perception soiled by last year's title game against Florida.

Don’t be confused, though—this is not the same Ohio State team which rolled over the previous year.

In fact, it’s a completely opposite scenario altogether. From favorites to underdogs; from the comfy confines of their “Second Home” in Arizona to LSU’s backyard; from media darlings to punching bags.

One thing is for certain: If OSU loses focus of what is at stake here, you better believe it will be another head-hanger in Columbus. With all that being said, I would expect the Buckeyes to come out firing with everything they’ve got. This is going to be a good one, folks.

I am going to examine this game from an Ohio State point of view as objectively and fairly as possible, trying to acquaint those of you unfamiliar with the Buckeyes.

Playmakers:

#33 MLB James Laurinaitis #50 DE Vernon Gholston #2 CB Malcolm Jenkins

#20 CB Donald Washington #97 DT/DE Cameron Heyward #6 LB Larry Grant

#17 QB Todd Boeckman #28 RB Chris Wells #80 WR Brian Robiskie

#9 WR Brian Hartline #74 OL Kirk Barton #75 OL Alex Boone

Players to Watch:

#4 WR Ray Small #3 RB Brandon Saine #7 QB Antonio Henton

TE Position #5 DB Chimdi Chekwa #21 DB Anderson Russell

Keys to the Game:

The Battle Within

Ohio State must run the ball, then run some more, and then run it again. Chris “Beanie” Wells is an absolute beast with a rare blend of size, power, and speed. Brandon Saine and Mo Wells provide a nice change of pace.

The Buckeyes MUST establish the run, and take it to Glenn Dorsey and that D-Line early. No need to give Dorsey momentum and confidence early on to couple with his extraordinary talent.

It all starts up front with the big men. The Buckeyes yet again face an above average D Line, but will they be able to contain them?

On the defensive side of the ball, Gholston and Heyward have come on strong late in the season, both making there case for double teams. If they play as they have been, Matt Flynn and/or Ryan Perriloux better be ready to move around a bit.

The question here has been and will be the production of the DTs. They have been solid, but not spectacular. They need to make some plays—especially on third down—to get their defensive teammates off the field, and let Tressel-ball take effect on offense.

Coverage Units

It’s been feast or famine with this year’s unit. Freshman LB Brian Rolle has been a star on special teams, but if he and a select few can’t get to their man, look out.

LSU has very capable return men, so this is going to be an integral cog in the machine. OSU can ill afford to give LSU good field position all game—let alone special-team points.

Keep Em’ In Front

LSU loves their trick plays, and have speed to go around, so the Buckeyes secondary better be ready. They must play aggressively—but at the same time, not allow LSU to get big plays over the top. This doesn’t mean to sit back in a soft zone and get chewed up underneath akin to the Florida game, but rather to stay disciplined, and use their heads.

Michigan provided a good blueprint with which to attack a spread/speed offense: Come with a plethora of blitz packages, and bring them often, while trusting your secondary to match up in man coverage. If they do this, and make LSU alter their game plan—advantage, Buckeyes.

Hungry Man

The Bucks must want it. Prove the nay-sayers wrong. Punish with every hit, fight for every yard.

Last years unit did not do this. They played without inspiration and took everything for granted. This year's team must have a collective chip on their shoulders, using all of the media's negativity and turning it into motivation.

Ohio State only needs to look back at 2002 to see what all of this bulletin board material can do for a team. Even LSU has provided some verbal ammunition for the Buckeyes, and if OSU can channel that into on-field performance, they could be very dangerous.

The Vest vs. The Hat

Jim Tressel is widely considered one of the best game-day college coaches in the country. Les Miles leaves something to be desired—at least that’s what I hear from some LSU fans. No doubt Les can coach, as evidenced by his team playing in the National Championship.

But it seems the ridicule comes from untimely or questionable play-calling. I haven’t watched enough LSU games to confirm or deny that, but if true, he can ill afford to make such errors in a game of this magnitude.

Prediction:

As an OSU fan, I don’t have a ton of confidence in Todd Boeckman. He looked good early on but has fallen off lately. This is why it is so important that OSU establishes the run, to take some pressure off of Boeckman. I expect Chris Wells to battle and keep this team in it, offsetting the Boeckman factor, and Tressel has enough tricks up his sleeves to pull out a victory against a very talented LSU team:

OSU 34 LSU 31

With all that's been said and with the season as unpredictable as it has been, only one thing is certain: We're in for one hell of a night. That my friends, is why college football is the greatest sport of all!

	Carries	Yards	YPCarry	TD’s	Receptions	Rec. Yards	Rec. TD’s
C. Wells	274	1609	5.9	15	5	21	-
M. Wells	103	367	3.6	3	10	47	1
Saine	60	267	4.5	2	12	160	1
Herron	-	-	-	-	-	-	-