Bleacher Report - Articles by Buckeye Commentary

What to do in Columbus when you pass for 93 yards

Buckeye Commentary — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:42:05 -0500

I am not going to declare this a big deal . Seriously, I’m not. Why would I? Because there are photos of Ohio State’s 20-year old quarterback hanging out with his 19-year friend and teammate in a bar?

Psshh. That proves nothing.

Then man should allowed to celebrate after the biggest win of his young career, right? This is America and… but, shouldn’t he know folks want to take his picture and put it on the Internet? That is College 101, no? Kind of like knowing not to throw late and across the middle while on the run and throwing off your back foot. Everyone knows that.

Oh, god. This sarcasm is not working.

Please don’t let anything bad come from this. Something tells me Bauserman is not capable of pulling of Krenzel-esque heroics.

[ht: busted coverage ]

NCAA Football BlogPoll: Week 11

Buckeye Commentary — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:02:36 -0500

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	PREVIOUS	SOS	NEXT GAME
1.	Texas	10-0	2	50	v. Kansas
2.	Alabama	10-0	1	22	v. Chattanooga
3.	Florida	10-0	3	34	v. Florida International
4.	Georgia Tech	10-1	4	12	v. (25) Georgia (Nov. 28)
5.	TCU	10-0	5	48	at Wyoming
6.	Cincinnati	10-0	6	65	Idle
7.	Ohio State	9-2	11	49	at Michigan
8.	Stanford	7-3	24	11	v. California
9.	Oregon	8-2	8	6	at (22) Arizona
10.	Boise State	10-0	12	91	at Utah State (Nov. 20)
11.	LSU	8-2	7	29	at (21) Ole Miss
12.	Iowa	9-2	13	33	v. Minnesota
13.	Pittsburgh	9-1	15	57	Idle
14.	Oklahoma State	8-2	17	60	v. Colorado (Nov. 19)
15.	Virginia Tech	7-3	22	3	v. N.C. State
16.	Clemson	7-3	23	25	v. Virginia
17.	Wisconsin	8-2	21	54	at Northwestern
18.	Penn State	9-2	18	84	v. Michigan State
19.	Oregon State	7-3	25	14	at Washington State
20.	North Carolina	7-3	NR	44	at Boston College
21.	Mississippi	7-3	NR	61	v. (11) LSU
22.	Arizona	6-3	14	13	v. (9) Oregon
23.	Miami	7-3	10	8	v. Duke
24.	USC	7-3	9	5	Idle
25.	Georgia	6-4	NR	15	v. Kentucky

This may be the hardest piece to write each week. I have an opinion but it is compulsory in many ways. I believe in my ranking but I also know they only live for one week. Instead of attempting to justify this slop, I am just going to talk about it.

Best of a bad lot: Stanford is a the best 7-3 team. You could make an argument for Virginia Tech or Miami, but you would be wrong. I can hear you saying, “So, that makes them the eighth best team in the country right now?”

No, but their back-to-back offensive clinics against Oregon and USC gives them a seriously impressive streak.

If they polish off California and Notre Dame in the same fashion, they will definitely be the best 9-3 squad and deserving a ranking higher than No. 8.

Worst of the best: Boise State continues to excel in the not-that-impressive department. Raise your hand if you think the Broncos are the fourth, fifth, or sixth best team out there. (I have both hands up right now.)

And, yes, I think Oregon would dispatch of them at this point by more than seven points.

Uno: Does anyone else think it is weird that there are only two teams with only one loss?

Midweek Mierda: Life Support Edition

Buckeye Commentary — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:40:12 -0500

This blog is nearly flatlined. I have all the same excuses that everyone else does—work, life, additional commitments, work—which is to say that I do not have any excuse at all. I intend to write each night when I am on my way home, but circumstances consistently conspire against me. I hate it, but I seem powerless—or at least sufficiently unmotivated—to combat it.

I do not have any plans to quit writing, however. It does not cost me anything but time, and I am bound to stumble onto the free version of it at some point. So, for the three of you that bother to check this site once every four weeks, just know that there may be new content showing up at some point.

Now, no sooner do I make that statement, than I need to mention that I will be out of the country for a while starting Saturday. Yes, I will miss the Game. That is a painful admission.

I am flying to Shanghai early Saturday morning. By the time the Buckeyes score the first of their seven touchdowns, I will be gaining on the Arctic Circle at 40,000 feet (the flight path from Chicago is close to the north pole ).

Rose Bowl Rap Dept.: Ohio State’s Rose Bowl opponent will remain unclear for another couple of weeks but if it were to be Oregon, they appear to have an early lead in the rap department .

[HT: SHall ]

Buckeye Commentary Blog Poll: College Football Week 10

Buckeye Commentary — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:28:13 -0500

RANK	TEAM	RECORD	PREVIOUS	SOS	NEXT
1.	Alabama	9-0	1	25	at Mississippi State
2.	Texas	9-0	2	52	at Baylor
3.	Florida	9-0	3	42	at South Carolina
4.	Georgia Tech	9-1	5	12	at Duke
5.	TCU	9-0	9	47	v. (20) Utah
6.	Cincinnati	9-0	7	67	v. West Virginia
7.	LSU	7-2	8	17	v. Louisiana Tech
8.	Oregon	7-2	4	6	v. Arizona State
9.	USC	7-2	11	7	v. (24) Stanford
10.	Miami	7-2	18	11	at North Carolina
11.	Ohio State	8-2	19	46	v. (13) Iowa
12.	Boise State	9-0	13	82	v. Idaho
13.	Iowa	9-1	6	39	at (11) Ohio State
14.	Arizona	6-2	14	16	at California
15.	Pittsburgh	8-1	15	70	v. Notre Dame
16.	Houston	8-1	16	94	at Central Florida
17.	Oklahoma State	7-2	20	68	v. Texas Tech
18.	Penn State	8-2	12	72	v. Indiana
19.	Tennessee	5-4	25	32	at Ole Miss
20.	Utah	8-1	24	99	at (5) TCU
21.	Wisconsin	7-2	22	44	v. Michigan
22.	Virginia Tech	6-3	21	4	at Maryland
23.	Clemson	6-3	NR	23	at N.C. State
24.	Stanford	6-3	NR	15	at (9) USC
25.	Oregon State	6-3	NR	9	v. Washington

Let’s Start at the End(zone): The bottom half of this thing is regoddamndiculous.

Once you get past Pittsburgh, it is essentially arbitrary selection.

As soon as you hit the mid-teens all teams look the same: hideously inconsistent, burdened with multiple defeats (one inexplicable), and aiming for a season that will ultiamtely be crowned by a post season appearance sponsored by company that you would not work for.

Am I being too hard on Virginia Tech? Almost certainly, as two of their losses are to my No. 1 and No. 4 teams, respectively.

Oh yeah, they lost in Chapel Hill along the way.

Ick.

Meanwhile, a team they throttled resides at No. 10.

I know. I am an idot.

Seriously, Tennessee at #19? They are only 2-3 in the SEC and played the worst really close game in recent memory against Alabama. How can they even be ranked?

While we are in the neighborhood, should Penn State even be ranked? What is their best win? Temple? Northwestern? Could they really beat Wisconsin?

Thank God for 1-3: Eventually, this triumvirate will have to change. Or, maybe not.

These are the best three teams around, easily. Could GT really rush for their customary quarter mile against the top dogs? Will you on TCU, Cincinnati, or Boise State against the Tide or Gators or Longhorns?

The Best of the (2-loss) Rest: The Tigers have lost close games against Florida and Alabama, a distinction they share with Tennessee. That does not necessarily make them the best 2-loss team, just the least offensive.

And, yes, Boise State is #12. Does that defense look any good to you? Not me. They need to be nuking their competition and, to the contrary, they are struggling for large parts of their games.

I don’t want to hear about the Oregon game from 2 months ago. One game does not make a ranking.

Ohio State To Wear Alternate Uniforms? (They Better Not.)

Buckeye Commentary — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:10:46 -0500

Alternate uniforms have been en vogue for quite some time, from the NFL to the NBA , from college basketball to college football; North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Georgia and Tennessee all wore them in the last two weeks to varying degrees of success.

But there are teams that appear to be immune to the fads of sports fashion and impervious to the pressures of hulking apparel sponsors. Oregon is not one of those teams . But Ohio State appeared to be.

Until now.

Oh god! Please, no.

Pat Forde mentioned it earlier this week and some brief scouring of message boards revealed the above image.

Are the Buckeyes about to break out new jerseys to help their mojo? It bears mentioning that other than pictures on an Ohio State-related site, there is no evidence to suggest that it was designed to be worn by THE Ohio State University, say, during a game against Penn State, in early November, three days from now. None. It could belong to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for all I know.

Is that a "Block O" at the bottom of the neck? [/sigh]

Let’s just assume that this is, in fact, the “alternate” road uniform the Buckeyes are going to trot out on Saturday afternoon. It’s bad, to be sure. But what about the pants? Are those going to be red?! That could be a pure disaster.

I have already pontificated about the meaningless, derivative, and largely uncool “red” end zones . If these uniforms happen, I may lose it. Is anyone at Ohio State paying attention? How would this get past the people that it has to get past?

This is not to say that I oppose all things outside the bounds of the norm. I think retro uniforms could be amazingly cool, perhaps even inspirational for the team. And there is plenty for the program to draw from (see below). What about the 1954 unis, with some appropriate updates (like a face mask, for example)? I think Tressel would go for that and it would not look like a rejection from a UFL trunk sale.

Evolution of Ohio State Uniforms

Update (3:15pm): 1460 just read a statement from Nike that did not confirm or deny the possibility of alternate uniforms. Apparently The Fan contacted Nike for a comment and the following was provided: “We are always looking for ways to innovate and inspire - so stay tuned.”

So, I Have This Buckeyes Theory…

Buckeye Commentary — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:44:10 -0500

Now, bear with me a for a moment after what I’m about to say. Terrelle Pryor has been pretty good passing the ball the last two games. I mean good to the tune of 24/48 (50 percent), 374 yds, three TDs, and only one INT. While the completion percentage doesn’t look quite like Colt McCoy’s, the TD:INT ratio is where I like to see it.

Want to hear something more surprising than those numbers? In the past two games, Pryor has only been sacked once . Now, granted, one of these games was against New Mexico State, but that doesn’t mean that the starting 11 doesn’t have to go out there on Saturdays and do their jobs right.

Does anyone else see a correlation between the two stats? Well, compare those numbers for the past two games with the Oct. 17 loss at Purdue. Pryor was 17/31 (55 percent), 221 yds, one TD, and two INTs. In addition, Pryor lost two fumbles. And as for the offensive line that game? They gave up five sacks. Yeah, I’m starting to see a pattern here.

It may be elementary that passers who get better protection are going to pass better, but Pryor has been taking heat all year for his throwing, and the fact of the matter is he’s been under pressure all year behind an offensive line that has been more porous than swiss cheese.

Now this doesn’t absolve Pryor from all the blame, but surely it at least covers some of it. I would love to have some numbers on the amount of times Pryor has had from the snap of the ball until he throws, or is forced to scramble/roll out because of pressure. But as a college kid who lives off of $60 every two weeks for groceries, I’m not really in the market for a DVR.

However, what I will be doing this weekend as I’m downing Budweiser’s watching the game from the comfort of my living room is taking the time, and effort, to calculate that exact stat for examination.

Make a mental note of it yourself, if Pryor is given ample time in which to make a decision about where he should throw, or whether he should tuck it and run without being chased from the backfield by a defensive lineman, or a blitzing linebacker, he should have games comparable to his last two, and the team will have a greater chance of coming out of Happy Valley with a Happy W.

NCAA Football BlogPoll: Week Eight

Buckeye Commentary — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:04:40 -0400

Rank	Team	Record	Previous	SOS	Next Game
1.	Alabama	8-0	1	27	Idle
2.	Texas	7-0	2	52	at (22) Oklahoma State
3.	Florida	7-0	3	39	v. Georgia
4.	USC	6-1	4	12	at (8) Oregon
5.	Iowa	8-0	6	15	v. Indiana
6.	Georgia Tech	7-1	8	11	at Vanderbilt
7.	Oregon	6-1	9	10	v. (4) USC
8.	Virginia Tech	5-2	10	4	v. North Carolina (Oct. 29)
9.	Oklahoma	4-3	7	43	v. Kansas State
10.	Cincinnati	7-0	11	76	at Syracuse
11.	LSU	6-1	12	26	v. Tulane
12.	TCU	7-0	19	40	v. UNLV
13.	Penn State	7-1	13	79	at Northwestern
14.	Boise State	7-0	20	54	v. San Jose State
15.	Miami	5-2	5	13	at Wake Forest
16.	Houston	6-1	14	97	v. Southern Mississippi
17.	Oklahoma State	6-1	21	100	v. (2) Texas
18.	Notre Dame	5-2	23	17	v. Washington State
19.	South Carolina	6-2	18	36	at Tennessee
20.	Ohio State	5-2	24	46	v. New Mexico State
21.	Arizona	5-2	NR	5	Idle
22.	Pittsburgh	7-1	NR	55	Idle
23.	Ole Miss	5-2	NR	65	at Auburn
24.	Utah	6-1	NR	44	v. Wyoming
25.	West Virginia	6-1	NR	77	at South Florida (Oct. 30)

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

My top 10 this week is comprised of nine of the same 10 teams as last week, with Miami disappearing and Cincinnati making an entrance.

At several times yesterday, however, that possibility appeared to be in serious jeopardy. Alabama needed divine intervention in the shape of Mt. Cody to beat the visiting Vols. Florida and USC had moments of trepidation.

And, then, there is Iowa. The Hawkeyes needed something much more powerful (and predictable) to stay undefeated: the Sparty anti-clutch.

Speaking of things changing and staying the same: The coaches, players, and opponents can change all they want in East Lansing, but there is always one constant, Michigan State’s ability to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.

Little Guys

TCU and Boise State get a bit of a bump this week, and rightfully so. Their previous rankings have surely seemed low to anyone reading this blog, but placing either team inside the top 10 is a little hard for me to stomach.

If TCU wins out—meaning an undefeated season with wins over Clemson, BYU on the road, and Utah—they will earn a place in the top 10. Maybe. No promises. Same goes for BSU.

Mr. Bold Trophy

This is the bad kind of award, right? I took a bit of a ribbing a few weeks ago in Brian’s weekly treatise other’s rankings of others, for a couple of reasons. But before I get to that, let me say that this is simply a response and not a retaliation. I have plenty of respect for Brian and his extremely comprehensive blog and without him I would not have the opportunity to vote every week. So, consider this my reply brief.

For a little while, I was the only voter to place Oregon ahead of Boise State, a team who—say it unison—“beat them the opening week!” Blah, blah, blah. If voters were not able to rank one team ahead of a team that defeated them, the poll would stop making sense after the midway point of the season.

Simply put, I believe Oregon is a better team than Boise State right now, and would beat Boise State if they played this weekend. I don’t think that is such a big deal.

But he had a real problem with my placement of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, relative to one another, for which I was awarded Week Six’s Mr. Bold:

"This week the top spot goes to Buckeye Commentary , forcing me to remember my vow not to taunt Ohio State fans for as long as they can put a FOR SALE sign at Michigan Stadium. This is extremely difficult when 3-2 Oklahoma finds itself the No. 8 team in the country, up eight, and previously No. 10 Oklahoma State falls 13 places. Oklahoma beat Baylor by a lot. Oklahoma State squeezed by A&M. Did Buckeye Commentary confuse the two? Don’t make fun. Be respectful. Don’t make fun. Yes. Yes, it appears so. Why would you have either team in the top ten? I don’t know. Sir."

Well, if Brian did not like that ballot he is certainly going to hate my new—dare we say, bolder—one. OU is hanging out at No. 9 while the Cowboys are still partying in the late teens.

Why do I have it that way? Because my ballot is not a meritocracy and my vote does not matter. The Coaches and Harris polls play a major role in selecting the teams that play for the MNC.

Essentially, their ballot is always a referendum on who deserves to play for the MNC, not a listing of the two best teams at that point in the season. And, if my ballot carried that weight, I might alter my voting style. It doesn’t, and I don’t have to.

The Sooners’ three losses are by a combined five points. If you believe in Texas, then you need to believe in Oklahoma, who played the Longhorns toe-to-toe with their ersatz quarterback.

It was virtually the exact same outcome against Miami (the good version). I watched those games and thought OU looked like a top 10 team. It seems most folks disagree. And, while we are on the topic, why is OU ahead of Miami?

Because the most sacred tenet of my voting philosophy is to rank the teams based on how they are performing at the moment (I ask myself who would win on a neutral field this Saturday) and the Hurricanes cannot be trusted week to week.

They were great against OU and GT, but their defense took a nap for 60 against Clemson. That loss eroded some trust for me, while OU’s loss to Texas did not. But I digress.

Oklahoma State has been playing an easy schedule without much to show for it. The opening week show against Georgia was nice, but suspensions and injuries have robbed the offense of any rhythm and reduced the once feared passing game to the likes of Nebraska, Indiana, and Stanford.

Finally, it should be noted that any perceived chasm between spot No. 10 and No. 20 is not very large in my world. The parity-flavored icing is pretty thick on this cake, and if I could group the teams in tiers, I would. But the laws of the Blog Poll universe demand that I put one team next to each number.

So, yeah, Oklahoma is still in the top 10 with three losses and eight spaces in front of their in-state rival, but that does not mean I would expect that game to be a blowout this weekend. On the contrary, I would expect a Sooner victory by a TD or so, with an over/under of about 43.

Pledges

There are some new faces in the poll this week: Pittsburgh, Arizona, and Utah are making their first appearances. Let’s see how long that lasts.

Buckeye Commentary's Blog Poll: Week Seven

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:13:52 -0400

That one is No. 2

Shell game: This week, Texas jumps in front of Florida for the No. 2 spot. Honestly, I would pick Texas on a neutral field right now.

Texas and Florida are clearly part of the three-team top tier. So, why is it that both offenses have not looked right? The statistics certainly do not back that up .

Tebow sustained the king of concussions three weeks earlier and Brandon Spikes was out of the lineup, but the experts in the desert had the Gators pegged as 24-point favorites.

Meyer and Co. barely survived what would have been, in wagering terms, twice the upset Ohio State suffered.

In many ways, Texas is just as puzzling on offense. Whether it is slow starts or lots of turnovers , it does not look crisp to the naked eye.

What has not changed is Bama’s crippling dominance? Did you see Saban switch to the Wildcat in the fourth quarter to kill off South Carolina? A smart, quick, low cost solution.

I had to do it: When I watch Iowa play all I see is the other team screwing up. I just cannot see the Hawkeyes playing well, but that is clearly not the case.

I know the Big Ten stinks, but they have played a top-20 schedule and despite some close calls, they appear to be improving while sporting the top turnover-forcing defense in the country .

I couldn’t do it: I was super tempted to omit the Buckeyes from my ballot entirely. Ohio State is the single most baffling team when you consider my self-proclaimed philosophy of ranking .

It is possible to make completely opposite arguments regarding the Buckeyes ability to defeat other teams in front of them. That defense gives them the ability to beat anyone .

Conversely, that offense prevents them from having the opportunity to beat anyone .

They get to hang around this week, but it will take some increased marksmanship for them to advance.

Is that…Oklahoma? That's correct.

OU advanced one spot to No. 7 this week armed with a 3-3 record after their loss to Texas. I am not sure how I feel about that ranking but if you believe in Texas and Miami, then you should believe in Oklahoma.

I don’t think they will lose again this season because of that defense. Unlike certain other teams with tremendous defenses, the Sooners have a strong offense, even without former Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford.

Buckeye Commentary's poll:

RANK TEAM RECORD PREVIOUS SOS NEXT GAME

1. Alabama 7-0 1 26 v. Tennessee 2. Texas 6-0 3 56 at Missouri 3. Florida 6-0 2 46 at Mississippi State 4. USC 5-1 4 11 v. Oregon State 5. Miami 5-1 6 16 v. Clemson 6. Iowa 7-0 14 20 at Michigan State 7. Oklahoma 3-3 8 45 at (25) Kansas 8. Georgia Tech 6-1 11 7 at Virginia 9. Oregon 5-1 12 15 at Washington 10. Virginia Tech 5-2 5 2 at UNC (Oct. 29) 11. Cincinnati 6-0 10 71 v. Louisville 12. LSU 5-1 13 22 v. Auburn 13. Penn State 6-1 15 106 v. (22) Michigan 14. Houston 5-1 21 80 v. SMU 15. Texas Tech 5-2 NR 68 v. Texas A&M 16. Nebraska 4-2 9 37 v. Iowa State 17. Arkansas 3-3 18 6 at Ole Miss 18. South Carolina 5-2 19 24 at Vanderbilt 19. TCU 6-0 16 53 at BYU 20. Boise State 6-0 17 38 at Hawaii 21. Oklahoma State 5-1 23 108 at Baylor 22. Michigan 5-2 24 90 at (13) Penn State 23. Notre Dame 4-2 25 13 v. Boston College 24. Ohio State 5-2 7 35 v. Minnesota 25. Kansas 5-1 22 112 v. (7) Oklahoma

Ohio State Buckeyes: Heads Will Roll

Buckeye Commentary — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:57:54 -0400

I said in my last post that we were definitely going to beat Purdue, and there was no chance of an upset. But that is just the game that college football is. The intangibles mean more to college football than any other sport: turnovers, momentum, home/away.

So now many of you are asking: now what? I read comments saying that it's only a matter of time before we as Ohio State fans realize that Tressel is only a glorified version of John Cooper, that he’ll never win the big game (Cooper’s being Michigan, Tressel’s being Top Five opponents obviously).

Ohio State is no longer the highest rated team from the state of Ohio, and that is something that some of us never dreamed we’d see.

Terrelle Pryor seems to be taking two steps forward and three steps back, week after week. So that leaves many of us scratching our heads and wondering where does the Ohio State program go from here?

Forward. As a fan base, as a team, as a coaching staff. I know we can still win the Big Ten this year, and it could still realistically happen.

And if we do, we’re going to the Rose Bowl, where maybe, just maybe we’ll be able to beat a big name team for the first time in a long time. And if that happens, hallelujah, all is saved.

But in all reality, if this team plays every week like they did last weekend at Purdue, they’re not going to come close to winning the Big Ten. But there’s still hope for this team.

I know you’re saying that this team has a lot of potential, and a lot of talent, and that a lot of it is being wasted. But there’s still a lot of growing left to do on this team. Hell, Terrelle Pryor is younger than I am.

Some people have said that Pryor should be benched, or maybe he should be moved to wide receiver. Doing either of those, in my opinion would be a big, big mistake.

Pryor is not the only guy on this team who has not stepped up this year. There’s the offensive line, which hasn’t provided an adequate blocking game in what seems like my lifetime.

There’s a young wide receiver corps from which no go-to guy has really emerged yet.

But I think worst of all is the fact that the stigma that is haunting this team is really starting to get to the players. Tressel would never say it and neither would any of his players, but I think this Ohio State team is really feeling like they’re in a make-or-break situation in terms of national perception.

So maybe the best thing for this team would be to finish third in the Big Ten. Maybe they should try their luck in a bowl game in which they don’t have to play a Top Five team, where there’s not a large national audience watching them, and try to build some momentum for next year.

I feel like this year is starting to become comparable to 2004, an 8-4 year ending with a trip to the Alamo Bowl, but one that culminated with an offensive explosion against both Michigan and Oklahoma State (even without Troy Smith).

What happened the year after that? A Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame. And the year after that? A trip (albeit a forgettable one) to the National Championship Game.

So maybe it takes a step-back year to provide real progress for the future. Hell, it worked for the 2004-2006 teams.

And knowing Tressel, he’s not going to let guys quit this year or any year in the near future when things look bleak. Eventually, he will find a way for this offense to truly click on all cylinders with the guys he has now, the guys he will get in the following years, and without those who are leaving.

He’s done it before, but college football is a team game that can take a year or two to perfect with personnel.

Even I’ll admit that a loss to Purdue last weekend was unacceptable.

But if it helps take this team to a more positive place with a more determined work effort, then it was a good loss.

McKnoe Awards – Purdue Belly Flop

Buckeye Commentary — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:53:46 -0400

The Purdue Defense

SEC Call of the Week Award

Kurt Coleman is the Big Ten’s Public Enemy No. 1

Why He Was Nominated: Just a few weeks removed from a conference sanctioned suspension, Kurt Coleman again decides it’s his duty to make others pay by forcing a fumble on a strip. Coleman has been playing at a first team All American level all season and added to his resume…for about 30 seconds. No whistle but the play is dead? How dare he play hard! This is the Big Ten, you know .

Why It Won: The Big Ten officials must have been warned about this trouble maker and his dirty play. If he doesn’t win All Conference at safety, it’s a conspiracy.

Also Nominated: Marginal Holding Call on Bryant Browning on Saine’s TD run makes fans think we were playing at USC

Some Things ARE Improving Award

Ohio State Scores an Offensive TD against Purdue

Why It Was Nominated: Sure, Ohio State lost but at least they put up a touchdown on offense, which is more than can be said about last year against Purdue . That cannot be overlooked. Ohio State went three games last year with an offensive touchdown, but this year? Zero. Talk about offense!

Why It Won: Purdue’s defense has been a flowing river for opponents, but unsurprisingly always plays Ohio State tough. Todd Boeckman perfected the art of the arm punt in 2007 and Terrelle Pryor accounted for 61 yards rushing on 35 carries against in two years against Purdue.

Also Nominated: …

Offensive Coordinator Need Not Apply Award

Final Score: Purdue 26 – Ohio State 18

Why It Was Nominated: The worst thing that could have happened would have been Ohio State pulling out the victory. At least now we can’t brush it under the table and pretend the OSU offense is marginally average. It’s not. In reality, the only thing that can save Ohio State football is a real live offensive coordinator , preferably not from Northeastern Ohio. OSU isn’t a pro-style offense and at this point, it’s a stretch to call it an offense.

Why It Won: It wasn’t a problem that OSU didn’t score offensive touchdowns in three games last year, so why will it change this year? Asking an average offense to score more than 26 points against Purdue’s defense is like asking the sun to rise every morning.

Also Nominated: The offensive line’s inability to block anyone, Terrelle Pryor, the rushing attack.

Not Bigger Than the Program Award

Jim Tressel, Jim Bollman, and Jim Heacock

Why They Were Nominated: Change is a scary thing. Luckily, change for the trio in charge of Ohio State football is non existent. There’s been some awfulness, especially on offense, over the years but there’s also been a lack of willingness to even attempt change. After masterminding one of the worst losses in Buckeye history (Florida still ranks at No. 1), the trio has some explaining to do. When the going gets tough, the defense gets soft, the offense can’t execute questionable play calls, and you get what you saw on Saturday.

Why They Won: They didn’t build Ohio State football, but they helped resurrect it . But now they are a crossroads. It’s not fan overreaction. The pieces are in place for a dominate defense and electric offense, but can these guys put the puzzle together?

Also Nominated: Nick Siciliano’s lacking resume, Playing Not to Lose

Purdue-Minnesota: What Did We Learn?

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:23:21 -0400

Last week, if you remember, I said that we’d learn a lot about the Buckeyes' next two opponents, Purdue and Minnesota, because the two were to play each other that Saturday. So, what did we learn?

Purdue

Pretty much…this is a bad team. Now 1-5 with no hope of becoming bowl eligible this year, the Boilers will probably find themselves looking up from the bottom of the Big 10 standings come year's end. I don’t really know what else to say about this team; they do still like to throw the ball and did so to the tune of 299 passing yards last week. But then again, there were also two interceptions by Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott.

Also, there is still some quick offensive production available as evidenced by the fact that Purdue jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead last week. But then there’s the defense which took that 10-0 score and managed to give up 28 points to the Gophers over the next three (in reality, two) quarters.

So is there anything to worry about this weekend’s game?

Nah, Elliott will be facing off against one of the best secondaries he’s seen all year, and the pressure that the defensive line is going to put on him will probably end with him throwing up to four INTs.

Minnesota

People don't give this team the credit I think they deserve. Granted, every bit of analysis I may have to offer may be skewed by the fact that Purdue is not a good football team, but there are still some things this team can do right…and wrong.

Minnesota, unlike Purdue, favors the ground game, and it showed last week as they racked up 207 yards on 44 carries last week.

The D will have to show up in a major way in two weeks, in order to limit this ground game. For as good as the gophers are at running the ball, they aren’t that great at throwing it. Adam Weber threw for just 75 yards last week with two interceptions and only five completions. Derek Anderson-esque numbers.

The win did allow Minnesota to run their record to 4-2 and they have a real good shot to make a decent bowl game.

Ohio State’s biggest advantage in this game might be the fact that it will take place in Ohio Stadium. I feel like Minnesota is looking for a marquee win to mark the opening season of its new outdoor stadium, but that won’t be us.

Will Ohio State win this game? Yes, but it could be a lot closer than you think.

What To Do While You Drink: Week 6

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:21:12 -0400

Seriously, we are almost halfway finished with this season. That would normally be depressing, but this season seems to have taken a while to get warmed up. There have been a handful of injuries that have shaped the early action as much as anything.

The Top 10 is largely in place, while the major upset (BYU over Oklahoma) was as much the result of shell-shocked Sooner squad as anything the Cougars did.

With two huge SEC games plus a Big Ten balancer in Iowa City, I think the season is about to turn the corner. The best part of that scenario is that this weekend’s schedule is far more balanced than before.

THURSDAY, OCT. 8

Nebraska v. Missouri
ESPN, 9:00pm
Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews

Am I the only one who thinks the Big 12 has been a disappointment since Texas’ national championship? I feel like the entire conference is soft now, which is probably from all of the spread offenses.

It seems like any physical team takes it to a Big 12 team these, although Nebraska seems to show early signs of becoming physically imposing.

Oklahoma has been horrible out of conference but dominate in conference. Texas recruits as well as anybody but seem to lack playmakers on offense.

Texas Tech reminds me of Houston and their run-and-shoot in the 1980s; they destroy terrible teams and get exposed against good ones.

Baylor is hysterical, even with that QB, and Texas A&M is irrelevant. I am excited for tonight's game as I think Missouri pulls off a close one at home.

I am not sold on Nebraska’s secondary, which got exposed against Tyrod Taylor, the worst passing QB in the country. Nebraska’s front seven is downright scary. They can really shut down a running attack.

SATURDAY, OCT. 10

(17)Auburn v. Arkansas
ESPN, 12:00pm
Dave Pasch, Bob Griese, Chris Spielman

This is go-to game for the noon slot. No questions asked.

Sure, Fayetteville is the site of horrifically poor offensive battles in 2007 (9-7) and 2003 (10-3), but there is no way that happens this time around.

Meanwhile, the Tigers are 3-1 in Fayetteville since 2000. Gussy Gus returns to the scene of his first college “success.”

While recognized as a top-flight coordinator in his lone year in Fayetteville, Malzahn left within days of the end of the season.

Now, he has native son and Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett slinging it around. Arkansas’ pass defense is awful, and Auburn has been clicking in every way early on. Depending on your view of the SEC, this game may make you a believer in Auburn.

Georgia v. Tennessee
SEC Network, 12:00pm
Dave Neal, Andre Ware, Cara Capuano

It is not often that you get one decent SEC game at noon, much less a pair of totally watchable ones.

If you are more of a traditionalist, you may tend towards this game as a mainstay instead of a flip. Of course, you may not get the SEC Network, in which case you will be relegated to flipping to …

Boston College v. (5)Virginia Tech
Gameplan, 12:00pm
Tim Brant, Rick Walker, Mike Hogewood

If you would asked me before the season, I would have told you that BC would win three games total. But after an emotional weekend with FSU in town, you have to wonder have much the Eagles have left.

This is the fifth meeting between these teams in just more than 24 months, which has to be some kind of record.

The series is 2-2, and the last time these two met in Lane Stadium, the Eagles walked out with a miracle 14-10 victory behind Matty Ice (followed by one of those most awkward coaching celebrations).

You do not need to worry about the coverage maps this weekend, but here they are anyway.

Wisconsin v. (9) Ohio State
ABC/ESPN, 3:30pm
Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, Holly Rowe

This is an example of great time slot distribution. You will be watching the Buckeyes, of course, but you cannot get much better on the flip spot.

You cannot miss any plays from this game and you will not feel like you are missing the other game of the day as CBS mercifully placed the Florida v. LSU game on at night. The Bama game is nice but …

(3)Alabama v. (20)Mississippi
CBS, 3:30pm
Craig Bolerjack, Steve Beurelein

… the way these teams have played so far, there is little reason to believe that the Tide will not punish the Rebels as badly as they have everyone else.

That fact makes the Ohio State game that much more enjoyable. And, SEC games on CBS typically run a little long so you should have some extra football watch after the Buckeyes get done with Wisky.

(1)Florida v. (4)LSU
CBS, 8:00pm
Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson

Do we have another earthquake game on our hands? I am not sure if there are any seismographs on campus, but if the Tigers are able to pull this off, you can sure the ripples will be felt across the college football landscape.

Along with the USC/Ohio State game, this has to be considered the other great game of the season.

This game is rife with storylines and good football players, so you have no excuse to miss it. Your conference biases may lead to watch more of the Big Ten night cap, but there is no way I can recommend turning away from this one until it is decided.

Michigan v. (12) Iowa
ABC, 8:00pm
Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters

Unlike last week, your preferred flip game is actually available in HD on regular television. I am stunned that Iowa is a 8-point favorite. Am I the only one who thinks the Hawkeyes are ripe for a loss?

Barely squeaking by Northern Iowa in week one is an aberration, putzing around with Arkansas State is cause for alarm. Even against a suspect Michigan defense, don’t look for the Hawkeyes to light up the scoreboard. First team to 20 wins.

P.S.: You have to give the schedulers at ABC a lot of credit for selecting this game for prime time. I am not sure how many fans outside of Ann Arbor and Iowa City believed this would be a serious elimination game in the Big Ten.

Previewing Ohio State's Schedule as the Weather Turns Frightful

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:06:03 -0400

Ohio. It's getting a tid bit nipply outside in Columbus these days, but that’s not going to keep the action and the competition from heating up in Ohio Stadium (and Happy Valley) for the rest of the season.

Here’s my look at the rest of the Big Ten schedule for the Buckeyes from where they stand right now.

Wisconsin, Oct. 10, 2009: Home

The Badgers are coming into this Saturday’s game a rather impressive 5-0, including a win over an always dangerous Fresno State team, even if it was only by a field goal. A three-point victory over Minnesota, coupled with that OT victory against Fresno State, is probably the only reason why the Badgers aren’t ranked in the (AP) Top 25.

And some people thought Bret Bielema’s job was in jeopardy; psh.

One thing we always know about the Badgers: They like to run the football, and they do it well. They’re currently 14th in the nation in rushing and will be facing off against Ohio State’s 10th-ranked running defense.

This is gonna be a good ol’ fashioned Big Ten grind 'em out kinda game. Look for Terrelle Pryor’s ability to scramble and make plays with his feet to be the difference maker in this game.

Purdue, Oct. 17, 2009: Away

Yours truly was personally in attendance for the drubbing that was laid down on the Boilers in 2007; 365 days later, it was the polar opposite as Ohio State struggled to move the ball on offense and was “saved” by Malcolm Jenkins’ blocked punt.

Gambler’s fallacy would tell you, “Well, we’re bound to break out for a big game then this year.” Eh, probably, but don’t count your chickens before they hatch. While Purdue is only 1-4 and an abysmal 1-3 at home, they did come close to beating both Oregon and Notre Dame.

Watch out as always for the Boiler offense—they currently average 30.2 ppg and over 400 total yards/game. Yikes.

Minnesota, Oct. 24, 2009: Home

I really don’t know what to think about this Gopher team. They win a close one on the road against Syracuse, win their home opener against Air Force, and then proceed to drop two out of their next three (vs. Cal, vs. Wisconsin).

They’re only averaging 96 yards/game on the ground and 25.4 ppg, but I still have this nagging feeling that somewhere inside of them they have a breakout, once-a-season game. Let’s just hope it's not on Oct. 24.

We’ll definitely learn a lot more about the two aforementioned teams this weekend, as they meet in Minny.

New Mexico State, Oct. 31, 2009: Home

Ah, how college kids love Halloween (probably more so than five-year-olds, and that might be a little creepy). On a day just fit for an upset, I just don’t see it happening. The Aggies are 2-3 and are looking up from the bottom of a very bad WAC standings sheet. Plus, they only average 15.2 ppg.

Add in the fact that most of the crowds these kids will play against this year will probably total what they’re going to see in the ‘Shoe, and we may just have a third shutout on our hands.

Penn State, Nov. 7, 2009: Away

Now it's starting to get good. Happy Valley, eight o’clock kickoff, white-out—yup, smells like Penn State/Ohio State.

After an early loss to Iowa, Penn State will be looking to re-insert itself into the Big Ten Championship discussion, and a win against the Buckeyes would go a long way in doing so, even if it would be hoping for a co-championship at best.

Forget the stats and the teams; this game is probably going to come down to pure heart. Can Daryll Clark look like the one that won last year in the ‘Shoe? Can Pryor forget his fumble that changed last year’s game? Can Joe Paterno stay on the sidelines for the entire first half without having to run to the locker room?

All these questions and more will be answered on the first Saturday in November.

Iowa, Nov. 14, 2009: Home

Assuming Ohio State can come away from Pennsylvania with a win, this will be the game of the year in the Big Ten (assuming, of course, Iowa doesn’t lose twice between now and then). Kirk Ferentz is a marvelous coach who has done wonders with the Iowa program over his tenure, making sure they are competitive in each and every big game they play in.

Iowa boasts a very balanced offense along with a staunch D that is only giving up 13.4 ppg. Couple in the fact that there could be some hangover after a potential win in Happy Valley, and this game has all the makings of a classic.

M*chigan, Nov. 21, 2009: Away

A roommate of mine recently told me that Michigan no longer looks at The Game as the biggest game of the year; instead, they’d rather beat Michigan State. I think that may have something to do with Jim Tressel’s record against the Maize and Blue over the years.

Believe me, there would be nothing better for the University of Michigan, Rich Rodriguez, the fanbase, and the rivalry than a victory over the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor...just not this year. Call me in two years—we’ll talk then.

Again, throw out the stat books and the standings; this is The Game.

Overall

The path between October and November is certainly going to be a long one for the Buckeyes. After this weekend’s clash with Wisconsin, I think the team could ease off the accelerator and still be undefeated in conference play going into the Penn State game.

But that three-game stretch is going to be as brutal as any that any team will play this year; yes, that means even you, Florida.

Wiper left? Automatic 6? The Buckeyes need some of that.

Buckeye Commentary — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:23:37 -0400

The object of affection for many Ohio State fans had a big night on Friday. Lamarcus Joyner scored two touchdowns, including a 93-yard kickoff return, in front of a national audience as top-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas beat No. 2 Byrnes (S.C.).

His play on the field was spectacular but it is perhaps the interview after the game that is my favorite part. Highlights include this self-proclamation: “Man, I consider myself as a freak of nature, man.” His highlight reel confirms that statement. The interview also includes the first time I have heard a player reference the return formation called - Wiper Left.

He is consistent in the post-game department as well:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I am not sure if you call this swagger, confidence, or honesty. Whatever it is, the Buckeyes could use his skill set at the corner next season.

Indiana Preview: Abridged Version

Buckeye Commentary — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 12:43:31 -0400

Click me to see me go crazy

Intro: Work and life circumstances have conspired against these past two weeks and kept me from doing any thing else on time. As a result, the preview is only getting up now. It does not help that this is Indiana week and the anticipated threat level is green.

Factoids: Ohio State has won 15 straight Big Ten road games, 2 short of the all time league record. The last loss was the 17-10 loss at Penn State in 2005.

Michigan owns the record of 17 straight road wins from 1988-1992 … Ohio State has won 14 straight over the Hoosiers dating to 1988 … The Buckeyes have back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1996 … Indiana hasn’t been within single digits of Buckeyes since 1993, a span of 12 games … Hoosiers run defense ranks second in the Big Ten, trailing only Penn State, at 94.2 yards per game.

What the Internut is saying:

Mr. Sassy Ballot gives you some players to watch tonight.
Indiana has a lot of work to do if they are going change history tonight.
The Crimson Quarry gives us a brief look at tonight’s matchup.
Today is the biggest day in Big Ten Network history. If they say so.
Other, more punctual, blogs have previews: 11W, WWAHT, O-Zone

Weekly rant: It may come as surprise to you, but I tend to think highly of Ohio State’s football program. And that goes for the entire program - the team, coaches, and stadium. Especially Ohio Stadium.

The problem is, it does not appear that it is getting the respect it deserves. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. So, why is the field painted like a high school stadium (or Indiana’s Memorial Stadium)?

I dislike the synthograss, but I can live with it. But why not paint the plastic so that it looks good? Like Florida State, with color up to the 25-yard lines? If it is good enough for the Rose Bowl, it should be good enough for Ohio Stadium.

And, is it true that there is no gray on the field because it cost extra? So all we get is red, white, and black trim? Ick.

Ohio State athletics generate revenue in excess of $100M. Take a little extra and give the field a paint job worthy of the best college football stadium in the country and a building on the NRHP. I will save the horrific scoreboard announcing for another week. [/rant]

Ohio State offense v. Indiana defense: Don’t be fooled. The Hoosiers are currently 4th in the league in total defense, but their average is actually closer to the 10th place team than the first place team. While it is certainly possible that Indiana is better than usual, they didn’t exactly crush their way through a horrendous non-conference schedule. They struggled in each game against Eastern Kentucky, Western Michigan, and Akron. Pryor should have no problem throwing against an IU defense that gave up 4 pass plays of 25+ yards last week (that is half of Michigan’s season total). If the receivers are as available as the statistics suggest, Saine should have plenty of room to roam. If he gets 17 or more carries, he will be the first Ohio State running back to gain 100 yards rushing this season (I cannot believe I typed that before week 5!). Indiana did allow four scoring drives of 60 yards or more last week.

Indiana offense v. Ohio State defense: The Hoosiers are getting a lot of credit because of their close, high-scoring loss to Michigan but things were not good before that game. The Hoosiers scored on 7 of their 14 possessions last weekend with another ending in a missed FG. Not bad, but there were too many field goals mixed in. In fact, Indiana is last in red zone touchdown percentage.

IU has a semi-veteran offensive line, but Chappell will still get tons of pressure all night. Even without Kurt Coleman, Ohio State’s nickel package will be more than enough to slow down Indiana’s spread attack. Ohrian Johnson has been elevated to the nickel back although do not be surprised if you see three cornerbacks (Chekwa, Torrence, Amos) in there at the same time.

(Quick) Key matchups: Adams & Shugarts & Miller v. Jammie Kirlew & Greg Middleton. I am thinking the same thing you are: how good could Indiana’s DEs be? Well, these two are supposed to be decent and this is the first conference road game for Ohio State’s first-time starters.

Why Ohio State will win: Chappell is statue in the backfield and redshirt freshman Darius Willis is not keeping Heacock and Fickell awake at night. Ohio State will get an early lead and force the Hoosiers to throw more often. Even down a defensive captain, that should be a task the Buckeye can handle.

“Have to have it” factor: 5 out of 10. It only gets half up because I really want the all-time road wins records, which is totally achievable with Purdue up next.

Final thought: If you are looking for an fun and easy football road trip, Bloomington is your destination. The drive is easy, the likelihood of a win is high, there is a small percentage of asshole fans, and the girls are generally regarded as high caliber. Really, it is a no-brainer.

Buckeye Commentary Roundtable: Hoosiers

Buckeye Commentary — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:55:02 -0400

We are at the quarter pole of the 2009 season, and, while Ohio State is not setting a record pace, the Buckeyes are not far off the lead. We have learned a little, but there is a long way to go.

What are the odds the defense blanks Indiana for their third shutout in a row? Have the Buckeyes ever done that?

Poe McKnoe: They either score points or they don’t, so I’m going 50-50.

Indiana hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown against Ohio State since 2004. That’s five years (even though they aren’t on the schedule every year). They’ve put up three field goals and an interceptions return for a touchdown in 2005 and 2006.

I, for one, do not respect IU’s offense and expect them to get blown up in the trenches, sending Ben Chappell into a tailspin. They will probably throw a trick in there, capitalize on a Pryor turnover, or have one good drive and come out with 10 points.

Massey: Not good odds, I imagine. The last time the Buckeyes had three consecutive shutouts was in 1973, when they blanked Northwestern, Illinois, and Michigan State.

Honestly, I could not care less if they hold the Hoosiers scoreless. In fact, when Ohio State is involved with accomplishments like that, they only serve as self-perpetuating prophecies for Big Ten haters.

"The Big Ten totally sucks, bra! OSU has shut out three straight and we know they suck! Let’s watch Cincinnati,” resident B10 hater says as he opens another Natty Light.

Despite some big plays against Michigan, Indiana has not been an offensive juggernaut so far. That was actually the first game in which the Buckeyes amassed 400 or more yards, and their competition has not been stiff. They will most likely score, but I am not sure I want to predict an offensive touchdown.

After four games, which is better: Ohio State’s running or passing game? Has either met your expectations?

P: I’m still waiting for OSU to rush for 200 and pass for 250 each game, per Jim Tressel’s "goals." The passing game has been better than the rushing game, and that’s scary.

Terrelle Pryor doesn’t look like a running quarterback and doesn’t look like a passing quarterback, but some unbalanced combo of both. Hopefully the recent "adaptations" of the offense will help move the ball.

Posey and Pryor have yet to have a real connections and there's a lot of hands not getting balls. Boom has been even less effective, rushing for just over three yards per rush. Now he’s hurt, and Saine looks strong, but the remaining backs are Jordan Hall and Jemil Martin. Let’s hope the passing game explodes.

M: If either one has impressed someone, they have been watching highlights from 1995.

I think the passing game is closer than the rushing game. I know that sounds weird considering some of Pryor’s decisions, but he has made some throws that I did not think we would see this season.

He still does not trust himself all the time, and I do not always think he is put in the best position, but there have been times where I see the potential for a Troy Smith epiphany. I have yet to see anything from Herron or Saine that makes me excited or that would make a defensive coordinator worry.

The heavy dose of the read-option looked promising, but I heard Tressel say that was more a reaction to Illinois than an actual game plan (ugh). I may feel differently if Pryor was allowed to run more than 10 times per game, but he isn’t and he never will be.

Now that you have had a chance to watch everyone play, what is the most difficult remaining game on Ohio State’s schedule?

M: Michigan. Seriously.

The Wolverines seem to be the only Big Ten team not afraid to score points. Their defense looks bad, because it is, but I expect an inspired performance from them on Nov. 21.

The Game has taken a few years off, but it is going to get back on track sooner rather than later. Penn State appears to be thin on offense, and another loss before OSU visits would confirm our suspicions.

Iowa looked good, but you know it will crumble against the Buckeyes. If the Hawkeyes are undefeated on Nov. 14, I hear the pundits saying “This was the game we were hoping for in 2002!” No, it’s not. That team had NFL-caliber players on offense.

Michigan is the only team that appears capable of coming up with points when it needs them.

P: Iowa. I’ll buy the hype. Michigan is No. 2. Michigan plays two-hand tap on defense but can score on offense. Iowa beat an overrated Penn State team and now the Big Ten Network has turned on the hype, especially since the Hawkeyes were the only Big Ten team to win a bowl game last year (and an SEC team to boot, woooweee).

Iowa will probably drop its next game, because it is Iowa. The whole Big Ten is underwhelming, and while the Buckeyes may drop a game, can I say their bowl game?

Herron is out against Indiana and Saine will get the start. Do you think Boom will regain his starting spot?

P: Unless Saine goes all Lydell Ross against IU (check it, Ross’ only good game), I fully expect that the order of things won’t change. And by order, I mean that they’ll keep splitting carries 45-45 with Jordan Hall taking the rest.

There’s also no plan to redshirt Jamaal Berry, which means he doesn’t want to be redshirted and wants to be in the NFL Draft in 2011. It’s a running back by committee, and it’s effective.

M: God, I hope so. Herron runs to contact. I don’t care if it is a defender, an Ohio State blocker, or a downs-marker. He will run directly toward it.

I simply cannot figure it out. By any measure, Saine has been the better tailback this season. He looked far better last week despite Herron’s two scores.

I don’t have a horse in this race, either. I just want one of them to step up and play like an Ohio State starting running back.

Ohio State Football: What to Do While You Drink (Week 5)

Buckeye Commentary — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:49:09 -0400

This is getting up late as usual. If I did not have to work for a living so I can eat, heat, and drive (to that job of all places), blogging would be a lot easier. Alas, I can assure you I wrote the game vignettes in chronological order.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1

Colorado v. West Virginia
7:30pm, ESPN
Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews

Is there any team that needs a win more than Colorado? Getting that much-needed win will not be easy at West Virginia as a 16-point underdog. This is a slightly disappointing penultimate weekend tilt. The worst of the season, probably.

VT/ECU on 11/5 is bad, too. Anyway, Noel Devine is a top 15 running back but he seems to have lost the shine he had when he showed up as the Deion Sanders project.

Against the Colorado rush defense, he should leap back into some CFB fans consciousness.

FRIDAY, OCT. 2

Pittsburgh v. Louisville
8:00PM, ESPN2
Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore

Has any team risen and fallen faster than Lousiville? From 2000-2006, the Cardinals went 70-20 and was a top 10 program in terms of winning percentage. Likewise, has a rising star gone black hole as suddenly as Steve Kragthorpe?

Of course, he was only 29-22 while coaching Tulsa and won only a single Conference USA title so maybe he should have been a lessor target.

Alas, fans everywhere have it in for him. Louisville has not defeated a D-I team yet this season and it is doubtful they will get it on Friday.

SATURDAY, OCT. 3

Can anyone tell me why College Gameday is in Boston this weekend for the Florida State vs. Boston College game? Sure, Boston is a top-5 city but BC recently gained approximately half a field in one game and FSU had a total meltdown last week. Thankfully, there is a reason and very good one too boot.

ESPN’s College GameDay has been all over the country since they took their show on the road, literally, in 1993. Until this coming weekend, though, the show had only been in Boston once, parachuting into Chestnut Hill in 2005 for Boston College’s first ACC game.

The reasoning for going to a matchup of two unranked teams in a town where college football may be the fourth or fifth passion?

Well, at least on its surface, it likely has something to do with the story of Mark Herzlich, the BC linebacker who was 2008’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year and diagnosed with cancer in March.

However, at the risk of sounding crass: Does this really require moving the entire production to Boston?

ESPN’s offices, it is impossible to forget, are in Bristol, Conn., and their crews are more than capable of driving to Chestnut Hill or Pennsylvania, where Herzlich may be with his family, and putting together a moving piece with or without GameDay in town.

Nuf said.

Michigan v. Michigan State
12:00pm, BTN
Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Charissa Thompson

I am actually excited about this game. Why, you ask? Because it is the only reasonable game starting at noon and I do not have the fortunate task of attending a home Ohio State game.

Moreover, the Buckeyes kick off at night so I get to watch a full two games before I have to devote all of my energy to pounding the Hoosiers in submission.

What better to start with than a semi-major rivalry game where at least one team cheats every time?

Wisconsin v. Minnesota
12 noon, ESPN
Dave Pasch, Bob Griese, Chris Spielman

These teams are 2-0 in the Big Ten and 7-1 overall. So, why don’t I respect either one? Each team had to go to overtime to defeat an overmatched opponent, and each team won their conference opener in a relatively high-scoring, defense-omitting game.

I promise that I will take the winner of this game seriously…until they revert back to their same ol’ selves.

Let’s talk about coverage maps. While they are not really important for the afternoon slot, they become very important later on, kinda. I never really articulated this before, but I want every Ohio State game to start at noon.

That way, I can watch the marquee SEC matchup or the big Big 12 battle at 3:30 p.m. This weekend, the Buckeyes get slotted in the weirdo 7 p.m. zone. That is pizza pick up time most weekends.

(4)Louisiana State v. (18)Georgia
3:30 p.m., CBS
Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson

This will be an entertaining game (read: main game). No questions asked. They may be 3-1 but they have played the most compelling schedule to date. Even their loss to Oklahoma State was fun.

When you combine that with LSU’s lack of assertive play, you get a classic SEC battle in the teens.

(15)Penn State v. Illinois
3:30 p.m., ABC/ESPN2
Mike Patrick, Craig James, Heather Cox

It is difficult to make an argument for watching this game and I actually picked Illinois and Penn State to finish second and third, respectively in the Big Ten. Why I ever bet on Ronnie is beyond me.

Illinois is 0-1 in the league but there are virtually no signs of life as the Illini appear incapable of getting the ball to Arrelious Benn. They say he is a first-round pick but you would never know it.

Washington v. Notre Dame
3:30pm, NBC
Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Alex Flanagan

I simply cannot recommend this as the No. 1 flip game because I hate ND and I need to see them lose.

They have won two straight games because Big Ten teams (and coaches) have totally blown it. I don’t want to talk about it. Just know that the Huskies will win.

(9) Ohio State v. Indiana
7:00 p.m., BTN
Craig Coshun, Glen Mason, Rebecca Haarlow

Ohio State football is a blessing at any time of day but I would prefer this game be the nooner. There are three good games on opposite this one but you will not see a down of them if you are like me.

You will watch every brutal head shot delivered by the Ohio State defense and curse Bollman’s name every time the Buckeyes go 3-and-out. Indiana put up a fight last weekend but for all of their improvements, Michigan’s defense is still sorry.

Auburn v. Tennessee
7:45 p.m., ESPN
Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Erin Andrews

This is a worthy flip game and not just for the 15 minutes before the nightcaps start Auburn did something incredibly novel, they hired an offensive coordinator in an effort to gain more yards and score more points.

How has that worked out for them? They are averaging 525 yards/game and 45 points/game.

During a commercial after Thoma has punted one out of the stadium, flip over and watch what a little coaching can do.

(7)USC v. (24)California
8:00 p.m., ABC
Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham

Boy, the shine really came off this one. This was a Top 10 matchup until California was pantsed by Oregon.

So, in true Pac 10 fashion the Bears will win and totally muddy the waters. Is that good for Ohio State? Is it wrong that I want to play USC in the Rose Bowl this season?

(8)Oklahoma v. (17)Miami
8:00pm, ABC
Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters

Another mega matchup botched by a rising team who potentially looked ahead. Still, I am almost 100 percent certain Miami is going to win.

Not because they are better, not because they are at home, and not because Bradford is out. Just because.

BlogPoll: It's Week Four and Alabama Takes the Top Spot

Buckeye Commentary — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:43:31 -0400

RANK	RECORD	PREVIOUS	SOS	NEXT GAME
1.	4-0	3	70	at Kentucky
2.	4-0	1	95	Bye
3.	4-0	2	101	Bye
4.	4-0	6	48	at (15)Georgia
5.	3-1	7	36	at (24)California
6.	3-1	8	42	at Indiana
7.	2-1	9	81	at (16)Miami
8.	4-0	12	84	at Miami(OH)
9.	3-1	14	4	at Duke
10.	3-0	NR	79	at UTEP
11.	3-1	13	104	Bye
12.	4-0	19	35	v. UC Davis
13.	4-0	NR	11	v. Arkansas State
14.	3-1	5	83	at Illinois
15.	3-1	16	6	v. (4)LSU
16.	2-1	10	1	v. (7)Oklahoma
17.	2-1	11	117	at Vanderbilt
18.	4-0	15	105	at Michigan State
19.	4-0	17	91	Bye
20.	3-0	20	47	v. SMU
21.	4-0	22	107	at Tennessee
22.	3-1	25	78	Bye
23.	3-1	NR	3	v. Washington State
24.	3-1	4	28	v. (5)USC
25.	3-1	NR	16	at Mississippi State

At the top: The only thing that seems certain at this point is that Alabama, Florida and Texas are the best teams, but I am unsure of the order. Of course, if Tebow cannot go for any period of time that analysis becomes much easier. For my money, Alabama has been the most impressive team with their increasingly impressive win against Virginia Tech as well as a domination of Arkansas that Georgia can only dream of.

Is LSU the fourth best team in the nation? Who knows, but based on what I have seen, I imagine them perfectly capable of beating the teams listed below them. And, if it seems like Southern Cal and Ohio State are too highly ranked, well…I don’t know what to do about it. This is the hand (blog) pollsters have been dealt at the moment and we hopeless to play these cards in any meaningful order.

Mid-major upstarts: I guess Houston and Boise State are deserved of some basic recognition at this point. If I cannot make heads or tails of the best teams, who am I too demote the little guys based on my ignorance.

Is Boise State the benefactor of a Oregon team that could not get out of its own way or did they cause the Ducks early spiral? Is Houston living off the classic letdown week from Oklahoma State? Seriously, I am open to arguments either way on these teams? Should they be ranked in the Top 10 or should they be hanging out with the bottom five?

Our beloved: I am not sure where the Buckeyes will turn up in this week’s BlogPoll, but I think they are worthy of a higher ranking than the more well-regarded pollsters.

We will find out how they stack up with Iowa and Penn State; and I really do not believe that Boise State would score more than eight points on the OSU defense. Could Oklahoma best the Buckeyes? Absolutely, but I hardly think that is a foregone conclusion. Are Virginia Tech, Houston, Cincinnati better? Pssshhhhhhh. See you in Pasadena.

Three-Man Roundtable: Previewing Ohio State-Illinois

Buckeye Commentary — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:15:36 -0400

We do this thing every once in a while. This time we’re talking about the Fighting Zookers' chances on Saturday in the ‘Shoe.

The juice is good? The juice is rancid? Which version of Juice Williams do you expect to see on Saturday: the one that surgically dissected OSU in 2007, or the guy that finished 2008 going 1-4 (54 percent completion rate, six TDs, eight INTs, and 11 sacks)?

Poe: Juice is as hot and cold as either side of the pillow. At any moment, he can explode over teams like Missouri and Michigan but then be ineffective against Western Michigan. The thing that Juice doesn’t like is good defense, and it showed last year against Ohio State.

OSU should be worried that the Juice could get loose (I had to do it), but he was injured against Illinois St. two weeks ago. His game against Ohio State in 2007 was a product of missed calls, picks made on defenders, and a soft Ohio State scheme made worse by soft tackling. So far, this OSU defense hasn’t had problem getting pressure or tackling.

Things could change, but coach Ron Zook hasn’t been able to coach in a decade and won’t start Saturday.

Cassius: I echo Poe’s comments about the inconsistency of Juice. But Ohio State has had a recent track record of having trouble with running quarterbacks. While Juice has toned down his straight-up runs, he is still a mobile quarterback who could provide problems for a still inexperienced secondary and linebacker corps.

I expect Juice to have a rather poor outing this Saturday, mainly because of the explosiveness of the defensive line. Expect Thaddeus and the boys to pin their ears back and repay Juice for the 2007 debacle in the ‘Shoe.

Massey: Well, aside from the four touchdown passes, Juice had a rather mediocre game against OSU in 2007. In fact, it was hardly one of his statistical gems.

The thing is, whenever Juice had a big game last season, his team lost. I am not wishing for a big game by Isiah, but I think this game will be decided by a lot more than Juice and his production. Big plays on special teams and timely stops are more likely to make a difference than Williams bombing away for 350 yards.

So, no matter what version shows up on Saturday, Juice is going to need help. Perhaps lots of it.

What did you make of Jim Tressel’s approach against Toledo, specifically his decision to allow Pryor more freedom to run and the QB sneak on third and short? Was it a reaction to fan criticism, coincidence, or something in between?

C: Say whatever you want about Tressel, but one thing he has never done is give in to fan criticism. I think the decision to allow more QB sneaks on third and short was a matter of game plan.

Tressel probably knew that USC would be ready for the QB sneak on most third and shorts and so stayed away from it. Since Toledo watched the USC film and saw the reluctance to run Pryor on third down, they were probably more prepared for a handoff, which is why Tressel kept it in Pryor’s hands.

I think football is a game of trying to do what the other team doesn’t expect you to do, and I think that’s what Tressel was doing these past two weeks.

M: Something in between, probably. The sneak on third and short seemed like an obvious concession. I know it is ridiculous to think that a major D-I coach listens, and even succumbs, to criticism from his fanbase, but it certainly seems like he was paying some attention.

Tressel is conservative. We all accept that, although more begrudgingly than others. But he seems to get more conservative when the spotlight is on him.

Maybe that is the reason his teams perform so well in the games when they are favored and not as well in the games where OSU is not a clear-cut favorite. Tressel seems to take the wraps off in games where he knows it is unlikely to backfire, while he plays it close to the vest when there is serious opposition.

P: His approach against Toledo was the same approach used against most teams not ranked in the top 10. Toledo’s defense is bad bad bad, and the outcome was actually lower than I expected, but I figured Toledo would at least score a few points in the beginning. It’s a good approach that should be expanded to teams with good defense.

The sneak showed Jimmy T has a sense of humor, plus Boom Herron has proven to be as effective as Maurice Wells in short yardage situations.

Arrelious Benn has four catches for 72 yards against Ohio State in two games. Do you think he will eclipse those numbers on Saturday?

M: Actually, no. I have been wanting to call out Benn as overhyped for two years now, and I suppose now is as good a time as any. Of course, this may jinx the Buckeyes as Benn blows up in the Horseshoe, but he has had only one impressive game against a major defense, and that was last year at Penn State.

I know he has been banged up in ‘09, but I liked the way the Ohio State secondary played Damian Williams and then the entire Toledo passing attack. I do not expect a repeat performance from last weekend, but I do not think the Buckeyes will let Benn beat them. Unless he breaks a big one, I think he ends up with less than 75 yards.

P: It’s a fair pick if Juice is on and Benn isn’t knocked out. It really depends on the Ohio State defense and if they choose to sell out to stop the pass or stop the run.

The Illini shouldn’t be as bad on offense as they are. Juice was hurt two weeks ago and no one really exploded through the air, but they won 45-17.

Benn has one catch for nine yards this year and will have to explode at some point if he’s going to be a first round draft pick. Maybe Juice will realize his real position in the NFL and steal some catches from Benn.

C: No, I don’t think he will eclipse his career mark in this game. This isn’t because Benn isn’t a good target; he is in fact Juice’s go-to guy. But I think it's because of the pressure that will be put on Juice by the defensive line.

He may have more than four catches on Saturday, but I don’t think Juice will have enough time to get the ball to him downfield. Unless he somehow manages to make a catch and break a few tackles and get downfield on his own, as Massey says, I think he will end up with around 50 yards.

Finally, Ohio State has not passed for more than 150 yards against Illinois since 2005 (only 49 in 2008). Tell everyone why the Buckeyes will blow past that number on Saturday.

P: It was actually 156 in 2007 (coupled with three Todd Boeckman INTs in his Interceptapalooza), and I know that because I looked it up. Pryor’s been good for 200-plus yards per game on average this year and has no signs of slowing down unless he starts Boeckmaning them into the secondary.

The Illini have been blown up through the air this year, and OSU might have to pass if Boom continues to get the bulk of the carries at three yards per carry. Vontae Davis may really have been that good because no one else on the Illini knows how to play defense. If Pryor is clicking and the game is close, he could easily surpass Toledo numbers.

C: Psh, Pryor will easily pass 150 yards, probably in the first half. In fact, I expect Pryor to eclipse his career-high passing game (set last week at 262 yards) and have his first career 300-yard passing game.

Believe it or not, the kid is getting more and more confident in his passing abilities and is still developing as a passer. Couple that with the fact that Illinois simply does not play pass defense, and Pryor could go off...big time.

M: Terrelle and his receivers will blow past 150 yards in the first half. Illinois is 119th in pass defense. Yes, that is the penultimate position.

The Illini are giving up 340 yards/game (Yikes!), which leaves more than enough room for Pryor to get his first 300-yard passing game. They actually surrendered more passing yards to Illinois State than Missouri. Ouch.

We may see a lot of different routes this weekend—more screens, quick slants—but the result will still be copious yards for Pryor.

What to do while you drink: Week Four

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:08:24 -0400

Last weekend, the 3:30pm time slot was totally epic. Each of the featured games was decided by 10 points or less. Three of those games came down to the final minute. In the words of Ferris Bueller, “so choice.” It is okay to exhale at this point.

This weekend cannot possibly be as great as last weekend, right? I am not so sure. Last weekend was not looking so hot halfway through the afternoon games. Then VT decided to pull a miracle comeback, Tennessee did not roll over, MSU made it interesting, and the Huskies pulled the thinkable only once per year. When you look at the last weekend in September you will see a lot of last weekend. Let’s get to it.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

(4)Ole Miss v. South Carolina
7:30pm, ESPN
Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews

This may be the best Thursday night game of the season. (Did I say that last week?) Are Ole Miss for real? We will find out tonight. Aside from the Florida blowout last season, the Gamecocks have played virtually every ranked opponent down to the wire. The Rebels will need to stay Norwood and the rest of the defensive line away from Snead, which is no easy task considering South Carolina is currently in the Top 10.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Missouri v. Nevada
9:00pm, ESPN
Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore

This may not be a big time matchup on Friday night but if you find yourself at home for any reason it is not the worst thing that could happen to you. Missouri has looked surprising good so far, while Nevada has looked awful. Kaepernick has been underwhelming to say the least as the Wolfpack has started 0-2. Think of it this way: It is a scouting mission of a team that recently dominated OSU’s opponent the following day.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Let’s take a look at the noon slot … gulp … sorry, I just threw up in mouth. This totally sucks. I know I lose my mind every weekend over this but how am I supposed to get out of doing anything around the house with this crap on television. Am I really supposed to respond with, “Honey, I am trying to watch UNC/GT on ESPN 360” or “The Minnesota/Northwestern game is important!” It makes me angry to look at the listings.

Michigan State v. Wisconsin
12:00pm, ESPN
Dave Pasch, Bob Griese, Chris Spielman

The Spartans are coming off a heartbreaking loss while Wisconsin just kind of sucks. Dantonio is trying to build the Michigan State program up to a perennial contender. Wisconsin fans are hoping Bielema does not burn the program to the ground before he is fired after the season. Seriously, what are the odds that Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly is the coach in Madison next season?

Minnesota v. Northwestern
12:00pm, Big Ten Network
Wayne Larrivee, Chris Martin, Charissa Thompson

I am really struggling to come with a reason why you should flip to this game; because it is a Big Ten Conference game? Because the Buckeyes will play Minnesota later this season? Because you simply cannot tolerate another Home Depot commercial?

Typing that was horrific. Predictably, an overloaded mid-afternoon slot makes up for the early deficiencies … as usual.

Moving on. Here are your 3:30pm coverage maps. This is relevant as described below.

Illinios v. (14)Ohio State
3:30pm, ABC
Ron Franklin, Ed Cunningham

The obvious main game, but it is not without distraction as there are at least three other intriguing games on in this time slot. You probably will not do a lot of flipping, however, as Ohio State and Illinois have been playing some decent games in Ohio Stadium recently with Illinois winning too many. One nice part about the Buckeyes landing at 3:30pm is the assignment of Ron Franklin. His voice still reminds me of those Saturday Night games back in the day.

(9)Miami v. (11)Virginia Tech
3:30pm, ESPN
Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, Holly Rowe

I will nominate this as your flip game for a couple of reasons: 1) It is the only matchup of ranked teams all day. 2) Ohio State fans would be wise to keep an eye on a rising Hurrican program that will hit the Horseshoe next fall.

There are a couple of noticeable problems with this one, however. Firstly, due to the weird mirroring procedure that ABC and ESPN engages in this game will only be available in the Midwest on ESPN standard def. Ick. Secondly, Sean McDonough and Matt Millen are annoying.

I admit, I appear to be the only college football fan that dislikes McDonough but I find him super condescending. On balance, though, this should be the best game opposite Ohio State and makes for a worthy flip. I tend to think Miami will run away with this one but VT manages to hang around and even win some of these tough games.

Arkansas v. (3)Alabama
3:30pm, CBS
Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson, Tracy Wolfson

This is certainly a tempting flipper and CBS games tend to start a little later than ABC game, which creates a nice offset in viewing times. Plus, as I have mentioned, Verne is gold standard and Danielson is always good for a couple of great lines.

Again, this is a pure viewer’s guide column but I think this game has the best possible chance to create an upset this weekend. Arkansas looked good against Georgia last weekend until the Dawgs owned time of possession in the fourth. And, you will get to check out the type of talent the Wolverines ran out of town when you see Ryan Mallett play, if you are into that sort of thing.

(6)California v. Oregon
3:30pm, ABC
Terry Gannon, David Norrie

Objectively speaking, this game should not be on the list. Oregon is surviving on a humongous helping of return TDs (punt, fumble, and interception) and their QB play has been atrocious. Still, the Pac-10 has a way of eating its young (see USC v. Washington).

Just as the Bears seem primed for a big breakthrough the Ducks may actually play like the team many forcasted (including moi). The line is not monstrous (Cal -6) and Eugene can be wild so if this is a close game in the second half it will be worth a cursory viewing during commercials.

Drive-bys include (15)TCU v. Clemson, where the Tigers are favored at home to upend the Horned Frogs. The mid-majors have been dropping like flies. Clemson made a valiant comeback against GT and then completed stopped BC last weekend (the Eagles only gained 55 yards, total).

If you are looking for a night to take your significant other out, this is the weekend to do it. Even though the Big Ten is front and center on Saturday night, these two games are hardly marquee matchups.

Iowa v. (5)Penn State
8:00pm, ABC
Brent Musburger, Kirk Herbstreit, Lisa Salters

Perhaps I am still colored by the near-disaster against Northern Iowa, but I have a hard time seeing this as close game. Beaver Stadium will be relatively wild and Ricky Stanzi will have plenty of opportunities to mess himself in front of 107,000 or so. If Royster can get the running game going this should be a long night for Ferentz’s squad.

Texas Tech v. (17)Houston
9:15pm, ESPN2
Mike Patrick, Craig James, Heather Cox

You already know this is going to be a shootout. You know each QB will throw for a bazillion yards. You also know this game will take four hours because of all the first downs, scoring, and lack of running plays.

This could be one of those games where you show up to work on Monday and say, “Man, did you see that Houston game?” Or, more likely, you say, “I fell asleep in the third quarter.” Go ahead, chug a couple of Coke Light’s and try to stay up. As they say, you can sleep when your dead.

Notre Dame v. Purdue
8:00pm, ESPN
Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge, Erin Andrews

I suppose Purdue could rise up and take out Irish but it is hardly a must-see game. If you find yourself with some free time and the above games are blowouts this is your only/best alternative.

Between the lines: Illinois week

Buckeye Commentary — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:48:43 -0400

Every Tuesday at lunch, Chef Tress sits down with the media and holds his weekly press conference. There are a lot of questions and answers, and a lot gets said. Here is our weekly look at what was “unsaid” by both reporters and Tressel. We try to read Tressel’s mind … er, between the lines.

Tressel [referring to the defensive effort and the pressure on Opelt]: I’ve probably not seen more throwaways in a game than I saw in that game and obviously the young man was well coached. If there’s nothing there, don’t just throw it up for grabs, and he didn’t. He threw it out of bounds a number of times[.]

Reading between the lines: God, I hope Terrelle was watching that because the next time he gets pressured, gets shuffle feet, and throws a jump pass for an interception, I am going to body slam the nearest headphone holder. I mean, Jesus, what is that move? It is not all that often that he receives enough pressure that he needs to throw the ball away so it should be easy for him to recognize that moment. Obviously, we need to practice that and whatnot.

T: We didn’t have a Jack Tatum hit candidate this particular week and we had some guys do a good job on the scout team.

BTL: They barely had enough plays down field downfield for our guys to make plays. Seriously, I think their longest play was about 28 yards. You can imagine how hard it is to get a big hit when the other team averages 1 yard per carry. Our defensive line was gobbling those muthas up so fast that Jermales, Kurt, and B-Rolle barely had a chance to warm up those shoulder pads. I am not complaining, though. It is nice to get a gimme every now and again.

T: And then Chris Fields, wide receiver from Painesville Harvey, I think Chris is going to be a good player. I told Darrell Hazell and those guys more than once that Chris reminds me of the way that Santonio looked as a freshman. I think Chris Fields is going to be a good football player and we’ll see if he gets to the Santonio Holmes level. Santonio obviously climbed, but at this moment, I’ve got a lot of good feel about what he’s going to become.

BTL: This kid is going to be sick. Remember, when I almost played Santonio against Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl? Well, I did. And, then by the end of the next season against Kansas State he was clearly our best player. Man, those were the good old days. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, as long as Chris can manage to not get arrested until after he is drafted, we will be cool.

Let’s take some questions…

T [regarding the offensive line play and false starts]: Well, we’ve got to go off on the count, but I thought J.B. did some good things. He’s a young guy playing a tough position. These ends, as we head into Big Ten play, are going to be good ones, but he’s got to progress, as does Mike, as does Andrew. We’ve probably still, in our minds, are thinking that Corey Linsley and Marcus Hall may redshirt, but we’ll just have to keep playing along, because we think that we can be contributors as we go, but they’ve got to keep getting better.

BTL: If they are getting anxious against the Rockets, they are going to be eaten alive in Happy Valley. I don’t care how many injuries they have. Do you remember Tamba Hali in 2005? I guarantee you that Troy does. Ouch! Man, he blew right past Kirk Barton on that play. Whew, bad times.

REPORTER: Did Jordan Hall impress you in his late game running there and how much will that earn him more playing time?

T: You know, Jordan’s been impressive since he’s been here. He’s a hard-nosed kid, studies the game, has done well running the football every chance he’s gotten, so now that we’ve seen him in a game, obviously it makes it easier to put him into a game, but, no, he’s going to be a good player. He’s a tough oh he’s a tough kid.

BTL: Seriously, I just want one guy to step up and play well at tailback. I don’t care who it is or what year he graduates. We thought Boom was that guy this season but I think he is barely averaging 2 yards a carry. It just seems like he runs to contact, like he is looking to engage the defender. It is weird. I will not even mention all the short yardage runs he has failed on. Ick. Obviously, that is upsetting. So, yes, Jordan Hall; step right up and take as many snaps as you can handle. We’re dying over here.

REPORTER: As honorary captain, will Coach Bruce give the pregame speech?

T: Yes. Our honorary captain always addresses the squad at the pregame meal because it’s too late once we get to the locker room.

BTL: Yes, he will address the team and, yes, he will likely scare them and reinforce all stereotypes of the elderly in society. Have you heard him speak recently. Whoa! This is going to be hilarious…I mean, inspirational.

Ohio State Poll Talk: It's Really Not So Bad

Buckeye Commentary — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:27:05 -0400

For the past 36 hours, many Ohio State fans have become overly concerned about the polls, specifically the Associated Press Top 25. Hell, even super even-keeled Adam Rittenberg felt compelled to write an opinionated piece.

But, as it is every year, the reaction is more overreaction than justified righteousness.

The fans’ consternation is the product of the Buckeyes’ demotion from No. 11 to No. 13 in the most recent writer’s edition. (Ohio State remained No. 11 in the (assistant) Coaches Poll.)

So, every voter thinks the Buckeyes suck and actually believe they are worse after the throttling of Toledo, right? Nope.

Here’s the deal: Despite all outward appearances, Ohio State actually improved in the eyes of a majority of AP voters. (Check out this spreadsheet for the complete AP College Football Poll voting breakdown for weeks three and four.) In fact, the overall “stats” from this week’s AP Poll are better than you may suspect.

• Total votes lost by Ohio State from week three to four: 30

• 34 out of the 60 AP ballots actually ranked the Buckeyes higher after their victory over over Toledo.

• Ohio State’s highest ranking: No. 6, by Joe Rexrode, Lansing State Journal, East Lansing, MI

• Ohio State’s lowest ranking: No. 22, by Doug Lesmerises, Cleveland Plain Dealer

• Biggest upswing: four spots (18 to 14), by Kirk Bohls, Austin American Statesman, Austin, TX

• Biggest downswing: 10 spots (6 to 16), by Glenn Guilbeau, Gannet Louisiana News Service, Baton Rouge

• Median Ohio State position: 12

• Mean Ohio State position: 12.5

• Total votes gained: 50

• Total votes lost: 80

• Average rise on improving ballot: 1.5

• Average drop on disimproving ballot: 3.0

• Top 10 percent negative ballots: -37 points

About 57 percent (34 of 60) of the voters improved Ohio State’s position this week. That is not a super-majority, but it is hardly the condemnation that OSU fans perceive to be the case.

Moreover, if you average out the number of votes lost by voters, Tressel and Co. only dropped an average of 0.5 spots in the poll.

Also, OSU’s drop can be attributed to jumps by other teams and not necessarily a dim view of the program. Miami, Oklahoma, and VT—jumps of 10, two, and two spots, respectively—all made jumps over Ohio State. This is not a huge deal.

What may be a bigger deal, is that the voters who did drop Ohio State did so more vehemently than those that raised OSU.

If a voter placed Ohio State higher in Week Four, they did so by an average of 1.5 positions. If the voter placed Ohio State lower in Week Four, they did so by an average of 3.0 positions.

That may speak to the perceived universal dislike of the Buckeyes, by fans and media alike.

It is, perhaps, the first and last bullet points that create the most interesting story when considering Ohio State’s poll position. The Buckeyes lost a total of 30 points despite their blowout win, but their six largest ballot drops (10 percent of the poll) account for a 37 point drop.

In the top 90 percent of the ballots, the Buckeyes actually gained votes. (The top five percent of negative votes—the aforementioned Guilbeau, Jake Schaller, and Tom Hart—equal 23 of the Buckeyes’ 30 lost points.)

No fan base likes to see their team slip in the eyes of the tastemakers. And although the AP Poll does not directly influence the BCS race, it would be foolhardy to think that the Harris Poll and Coaches Poll voters do not have one eye on the writers' opinions.

Still, this is not something that should take up too much energy. For all teams in the poll, it’s easy come, easy go.

So, That Just Happened: Week Three

Buckeye Commentary — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:22:26 -0400

Michigan 45, E. Michigan 17
Michigan Stadium

What we knew: Michigan is drastically improved and Eastern Michigan is terrible, losing to Army and Northwestern in previous weeks by identical 27-14 scores.

What we learned: Forcier and Robinson still have plenty of work to do as passers. Sure, they did not need to do a lot of throwing but I am sure the Michigan coaching staff would have liked a bit more balance and fewer interceptions, especially ones occurring within the final two minutes of the half.

Still, the Wolverines scored on their first four possessions and really put the clamps on in the second half. The development of a second running must be encouraging.

What we think: This may be a legitimate Top 15 team. I keep waiting for the freshman bungles to kick in but these kids are pretty cool under pressure. We will not learn much more this coming weekend but Michigan State and Iowa loom the first two weeks of October.

California 35, Minnesota 21
TCF Bank Stadium

What we knew: This was the game for Minnesota’s inaugural season in their brand new stadium—Ohio State and Penn State are on the road. The crowd was going to be a boost for the Gophers, even if the University was determined to make them quieter.

What we learned: Minnesota looked a lot better than their first performance through 9 quarters had signaled. Through one quarter yesterday Minny was down 14-0 and Cal had amassed 170 yards of offense. The Gophers fought back valiantly but they were undone by turnovers on the final three possessions, the first of which gain Cal a short field to seal the game.

What we think: Without a legitimate running game Minnesota is going to struggle all season. When your longest rush of the day is 12 yards opposing defenses are 100-hundred positive there is no damage to be done there.

Penn State 31, Temple 6
Beaver Stadium

What we knew: The Nittany Lions have played their traditional wretched non-conference schedule and it is impossible to discern much from it. It is easy to imagine the players going through the motions, piling up some early yards while gaining big leads on overmatched opponents.

What we learned: The flu bug was going around in central PA but it did not seem to affect Evan Royster. The conference’s best back finally got on track.

What we think: Start paying attention this weekend as Iowa comes to Happy Valley for a night game. Penn State’s offensive line needs to continue improving this week because the Hawkeyes’ defense will be different (and better) animal than Akron, Syracuse, and Temple. Otherwise, Daryl Clark and his new receivers may feel too much pressure.

Iowa 27, Arizona 17
Kinnick Stadium

What we knew: Iowa was the luckiest team in country the first two weeks, taking advantage of Northern Iowa’s ineptitude and Iowa State’s propensity for turnovers. There was a real question about whether they could win a game where the other team actually played well.

What we learned: At least one Big Ten team can beat someone from the Pac 10. Based on the first two weeks, it seemed like Iowa was a sitting duck, but they dominated time of possession and Stanzi proved capable of leading the Black and Gold on big drives when they needed them.

What we think: Despite the improved performance against the Wildcats, a night game—a probable white-out—in Beaver Stadium seems like a tall order. It is hard to trust Stanzi in that environment.

Notre Dame 33, Michigan State 30
Notre Dame Stadium

What we knew: The Spartans were coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Chippewas and were trying to live up to the standard set by their in-state rivals. Despite the 1-1 start, Michigan State had received surprisingly good quarterback play from Kirk Cousins, who had separated himself from Keith Nichol after two weeks.

What we learned: I am not sure if the Spartans confirmed that Notre Dame’s pass defense is horrific or if they have an offense on par with the Wolverine neighbors. The Spartans are going to need a more dependable running game as it will not be as easy to slice through the defenses of the upper echelon in the conference.

What we think: The Spartans clutch defeat from the jaws of victory as well as any team in the league. Will this tough two-game losing streak cause the team to come unglued? We will find out quickly as they travel to Madtown this weekend.

Northern Illinois 28, Purdue 21
Ross-Ade Stadium

What we knew: Even though they were only 1-1, Purdue appeared to be able to score in bunches posting 52 against Toledo and 36 at Oregon. They were doing it with balance, too. Danny Hope appeared to be off to a decent start.

What we learned: That semi-positive start may have evaporated in a loss to Northern Illinois. The Huskies are improving but the Boilermakers defense was unable to stop the run on the drive where NIU bled the clock down.

What we think: Despite two close losses, the Boilermakers are staring a 1-3 start in the face. Their Big Ten schedule is favorable but their penchant for overall turnovers belies their -0.5 TO margin. Three turnovers per game in league will net a team about six losses.

Indiana 38, Akron 21
Rubber Bowl

What we knew: IU squeaked by a couple of directional teams to start the season and won each game in unspectacular fashion.

What we learned: The Hoosiers are not a good team but they were able to take advantage of Akron without their starting quarterback. The third quarter began with a tight game but the Hoosiers turned four second-half interceptions into short-field scores to blow it open.

What we think: Indiana may play a little smarter and harder this season but they are unlikely to make any noise in the absence of a playmaker like James Hardy.

Wisconsin 44, Wofford 14
Camp Randall Stadium

What we knew: Wisky was lucky to be 2-0 after holding off the same N. Illinois team that took out Purdue. As usual, the Badgers have a multi-headed rushing attack with opposing styles to choose from.

What we learned: Scott Tolzien has been a pleasant surprise for the Badgers currently sitting at second in Big Ten passing efficiency. If he can keep it up it would be a big boost for a team that has not had a quarterback with a completion percentage above 60-percent in six years.

What we think: This program is giving off a bad vibe these days and barely beating MAC and WAC teams is not the way to invoke fear in the hearts of your opponents. The Michigan State game this weekend should go a long way towards deciding which of those two teams will have a decent season.

BlogPoll: Week 3

Buckeye Commentary — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:08:23 -0400

RANK	RECORD	PREVIOUS	SOS	NEXT GAME
1.	3-0	1	144	at Kentucky
2.	3-0	2	104	v. UTEP
3.	3-0	4	79	v. Arkansas
4.	3-0	5	82	at Oregon
5.	3-0	6	148	v. Iowa
6.	3-0	7	59	at Mississippi State
7.	2-1	3	21	v. Washington State
8.	2-1	8	35	v. Illinois
9.	2-1	9	88	at (11)Miami (10/3)
10.	2-0	12	1	at (14)Virginia Tech
11.	2-0	10	177	at South Carolina (9/24)
12.	3-0	18	71	v. Fresno State
13.	2-1	13	87	v. Grambling State
14.	2-1	14	25	v. (11)Miami
15.	3-0	20	118	v. Indiana
16.	2-1	16	28	v. Arizona State
17.	3-0	17	111	at Nevada (9/25)
18.	3-0	21	154	v. Southern Miss.
19.	3-0	23	54	at Bowling Green
20.	2-0	24	135	at Clemson
21.	2-1	NR	3	v. South Florida
22.	3-0	NR	78	v. Ball State
23.	2-1	22	61	at Purdue
24.	2-1	NR	13	at Stanford
25.	2-1	19	73	v. Louisiana-La.

Annual USC Letdown Spectacular: One Day Only in the Pacific Northwest! It seems like every year the Trojans take it on the chin from a mediocre conference team, and heavy underdog. And, that loss is increasingly taking place in Oregon and/or Washington (four of their last six).

No one wins in this scenario, except for the heavy underdog. USC is ostensibly eliminated from the National Title chase unless and until every team in front of the loses. A team like Ohio State receives collateral damage because their hard fought loss is now view as something less than a last minute defeat to the nation’s premier program. Fans will now say, “USC lost to a team that just ended the nation’s longest losing streak one week prior.”

So, why do I have them in the Top 10? Because history has shown that this is a one-time deal. USC will likely win the majority, if not all of their games, go to the Rose Bowl, and many college football pundits will declare them worthy of a berth in the national champion game. Whether they deserve to be there or not is a different debate.

Room at the top?: There were not a ton of impressive performances at the top this weekend. Florida played well in fits and starts against an outmanned Tennessee and Jahvid Best, I mean, Cal looked pretty good during their breakfast battle with Minnesota. Otherwise, Penn State, LSU, Alabama played Sallys and went through the motions. Ohio State actually remains in the same spot despite USC’s loss. There is no real argument that can be made to place Ohio State ahead of them.

Other comings and goings: While Miami rounds out the Top 10, Cincinnati makes the biggest move of the week and Michigan has climbed back into the Top 15. Mercifully, BYU legged an egg and removed themselves from any BCS discussion. Utah did the same but we had not bothered to rank them in the interim. Boise, are you listening?

Toledo Preview: A Week in The Life

Buckeye Commentary — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:00:18 -0400

Intro: Let me walk you through the past week of my life, sponsored by Kubler Ross.

SUNDAY MORNING - MONDAY MORNING
Denial: “This is bullsh*t! We stopped them on fourth and goal! Surely, they are still going to review that play, retroactively revoke the touchdown and provide Ohio State with a first-of-its-kind, ex-post facto win, thus ushering in a new era of college football where every team has an assistant video assistant and a lobbyist. Didn’t we block a punt and kick a 53-yard FG?! Arrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!!!”

MONDAY EVENING - TUESDAY AFTERNOON
Anger: As I scribbled “I hate everything” on a spreadsheet during an early morning budget meeting on Tuesday a member of the marketing team shot me an odd look and scooted her chair an extra 6 inches away from me. It was that moment I realized my natural bodily scent had shifted from musk to rage. I also heard murmurs around the office that I had changed my email signature to “They need an F@#*ing offensive coordinator”; I can neither confirn nor deny that statement. By Tuesday’s drive home, though, I was feeling better. Hence…

TUESDAY EVENING - WEDNESDAY MORNING
Bargaining: “Okay, as long as Ohio State wins their remaining games, gets back into the title hunt, and builds towards a huge 2010, I can live through this. That and Pryor learns to pass. Oh yeah, and Tressel realizes that he wants to spend more time with his family and hires an offensive coordinator. In fact, who wouldn’t make this deal? Yeah, 2010 is going to be sweet!” [Stage right (voice): Honey, are you okay? You have been arguing with an open refrigerator for a couple of minutes now. "Beer me!" Exit stage left (me)]

WEDNESDAY EVENING - THURSDAY EVENING
Depression/Acceptance: These really came on together. You know, “This sucks, I guess I am always going to feel this way.” “Is it only Wednesday? It feels like Cooper’s first season.” The depression mercifully waned sometime during my sleep Wednesday night. Thursday’s unopposed “Acceptance” arrived wrapped in purple euphoria (sans glitter) and involved my delivery of many unannounced fist pumps accompanied by the extremely descriptive “Rock!“ I felt 10-years old again (in a good way).

By the time I exited stage 5 on Thursday evening I was lucky to have a job, my right shoulder hurt from the aforementioned fist pumping, but I was totally calm about this game. Think about it. The atmosphere will be sterile as it is not on Toledo’s campus (inexplicably), and Buckeyes’ fans are not traveling in droves to attend what they most likely view as a crappy away game on one the few remaining nice Saturday afternoons. I bet, “I’m playing golf instead” is a common response to inquiries regarding game attendance this week. Ohio State may be mentally exhausted and thinking ahead to Illinois and revenge on the Juicer. Meanwhile, the ghost of the undead Tom Amstutz will be patrolling the Toledo sideline, and taking up most of it by the way, while the new TU head coach is looking to prove himself against his friend and former boss. Many are saying the Buckeyes are ripe to get picked off this weekend! That cannot happen.

What the world wide internoodle is saying:

These teams have played once before when the greatest Buckeyes’ team I have seen won 49-0
Orson and Holly are taking Toledo and the points
Doug Lesmerises attempts to wear his voice-of-reason hat for once; he also ranks Ohio State 25th. Really?
Other previews: Ozone, 11W, The Rocket Report

Weekly rant: I am so sick of fans managing expectations before every single game. When did every Ohio State fan turn into a Lou Holtz? Last week it was “I just hope we don’t get blown out.” Ick. This week I am hearing people, “Toledo is pretty good. Have you seen that quarterback? They run the spread!” Bull and shit.

I even saw one blog said that Toledo “brings it” on defense. Oh really? They bring it to the tune of allowing 500 yards per game against below average competition. They surrendered 315 rushing yards to Purdue (not a typo). Remember Purdue? Basketball on grass? Do you know the last time Purdue gained that many running yards? Too long ago for stats. They turned around and gave up 356 passing yards to Colorado. Nice.

Listen everyone, Toledo lost 52-31 to the Boilermakers and were down 45-14 in the third quarter. This is Ohio effing State. You need to expect to beat Purdue 52-21, let alone Toledo. I know the Vegas line is only Ohio State -20, but that does not mean the Buckeyes should not be up by 35 at some point in this game. I don’t care what the final score is, it’s the total destruction that counts. It is time for the Buckeyes to start breathing fire. It is time for them to start decapitating opposing teams. It is time for them to impose their will on the other team.

I am not sure where and how this attitude from fans developed but I swear it is beginning to permeate the team. Expect to win! Expect to dominate! Stop setting the bar so low. [/rant]

OSU Offense v. Toledo Defense: This should be like shooting putty in a barrel. Herron and Saine should look like LDT. Pryor should look like Vince Young. Even the tight ends should catch passes. I don’t care if Cordle is out the offensive line can never struggle, not for one play. 250 rushing yards is a must. Pryor’s completion percentage needs to hover near 70-percent.

If the Buckeyes do not gain 500 yards this weekend, the entire university should be embarrassed.

Toledo Offense v. OSU Defense: The defense looks like it may be top 5 by the end of the year. Heyward is gaining on unblockable. The front four was crazy good against a very talented USC offensive line. Even Chekwa, who I have dogged, looked good as he bottled up Damian Williams most of the night. Tootsie Rolle is on fire. Sure, these dink and dunk spread attacks have given Ohio State some minor heartburn in the past and the defense did poor its soul onto the field last Saturday night, which would suggest the opportunity for a letdown. I don’t see it.

There is no point in talking about matchups or schemes in the game. Ohio State should win every single battle tomorrow. No questions asked.

(Quick) Key Matchups: Pryor v. his shoulder pads. Unless he is unable to get into his uniform for some reason this should be his greatest statistical game by far. Nothing else even makes sense.

“Have to have it!” factor (a.k.a. Alarmist factor): 1 out of 10. I fully expect a thrashing in the CBS.

Final line: Ohio State will be mentally ready but Pryor needs to engineer some easy points and the defense cannot rest on their laurels. He will and they won’t.

Ohio State Football: Cordle Injured, Shugarts to Start

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:52:11 -0400

Coach Tressel announced today that Jim Cordle will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks, which mean Shuggy Bear will get his chance.

If Shugarts shines, or merely plays well, it is likely that he will remain in the lineup all season. Cordle is the most versatile lineman on the squad so he will be able to come back and play right guard ahead of Browning.

This is hardly a good development but the offense is in need of a jump start (as usual) and perhaps some young blood on the offensive line will help. Also, Toledo and Illinois respective defenses couldn’t hurt either.

What To Do While You Drink: Week Three Teaser

Buckeye Commentary — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:36:04 -0400

Overwhelmed by work and laziness this week, today I present to you the teaser version of your weekend viewing guide. Rest assured, it will be updated for this weekend, which incidentally offers a very nice slate of games.

(14) Georgia Tech vs. (20) Miami
7:30pm, ESPN
Chris Fowler, Craig James, Jesse Palmer, Erin Andrews

Thursday night college football used to be the exclusive province of also-ran leagues like the WAC and MWC. You could still make that argument now, as it is relatively dominated by the ACC. The league will have six Thursday night games this season if you count N.C. State’s season opener.

Tonight’s game features two of the league’s “best” teams and the winner will have a leg up in the Coastal Division race. Each team has played a tough game, although GT was probably not expecting such a stern test from Clemson, so you would expect each squad to have worked some kinks out.

The weird thing for Miami is that they have not played a game in 10 days and could oddly be rusty only two weeks into the season. In fact, after tonight, these teams will have only played one out of five of their collective games on Saturday.

The oddsmakers like the Hurricanes tonight at home, and if they can get off to a fast start tonight, you have to like their chances as Tech QB, Josh Nesbitt, is having a horrific passing season—9-for-25 for 224 yards and two interceptions.

It is hard to imagine that the Yellow Jackets could come from behind. Roddy Jones has to get more than five touches tonight if GT is going to win.

Buckeye Haiku: After USC Loss, Keep Pushing Up That Hill

Buckeye Commentary — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:20:42 -0400

I know what you are thinking, “One week and you are already straying from the proclaimed format.” Well, guess what. Haikus are not always befitting of a college football blog, especially after another knife twisting defeat. But, as luck would have it, the lyrics of a wistful, nocturnal Australian glam-pop band are extremely fitting. Enjoy.

We are always running for the thrill of it thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill searching for the thrill of it
On and on and on we are calling out and out again
Never looking down I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me

- Walking on a Dream, Empire of the Sun

(Ed. note: Watch that clip. It is as baffling as the OSU offense.)

BlogPoll Roundtable: Freshman, Tradition, and Scandal

Buckeye Commentary — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:00:10 -0400

It took me a few weeks to jump onboard the BlogPoll Roundtable but we have two feet firmly planted from here on out.

1. Which freshman impressed you more last weekend: the California dream Matt Barkley who quarterbacked USC over OSU or white lightening Tate Forcier who slashed through Notre Dame? Which one would you like to have on your team? Feel free to write in another worth candidate.

Tate Forcier was more impressive on Saturday, but if the overall hype regarding Barkley is true, then he has to be your long-term choice. He beat out a celebrated run-pass option who was great in spring ball and a 9-game winner from an SEC program. While super impressive, Forcier was ostensibly sharing time with another freshman quarterback before last Saturday. I don’t doubt that Forcier is going to have a great career at Michigan it just feels like Barkley has a clear path to Heisman Trophy in front of him.

2. Let’s play a game of pretend the unthinkable happened. Commissioner __________ of your conference has been forced to resign after he was caught canoodling with some harlots. Great news, you’ve been chosen to succeed him. To make your mark you decide to make a big change. What is it going to be?

Round Robin scheduling. It has to be done in the Big Ten. I could be living in a cave but I do not sense that much desire amongst to get Notre Dame in the league. And, if not them, who? Let’s stick with 11 teams, play 10 league games, and preserve all the traditional rivalry games, i.e., Ohio State and Michigan play the last week of the season. With the 10-game conference game schedule the issue of the league calendar becomes a bit more pressing. Part of the draw of the expanded conference run, we would mandate that teams not schedule cream puffs in the middle of the conference schedule so teams are going to need at least one—and probably two—bye weeks tucked into the slate. That means the season will end in the first of December, which will finally bring the weather into play for the Big Ten.

3. This week the quality of games is kicked up a gear. Other than your own, which game are you most looking forward to?

For me, it’s Tennessee/Florida and FSU/BYU. The first important SEC game of the year is always a worthwhile occasion, especially when it is laced with the type of drama that comes with the inaugural Kiffin v. Meyer showdown. I cannot say that I expect a competitive game but I do expect a timeout to called so one last FG can be kicked.

As far as the nightcap, I want to see if BYU can play with a target on its back. If I were a gambling man, I would place a wager on Old Man Bowden. Something tells me he knows how to handle an upstart acting a little too big for its britches.

4. What mascot and/or tradition would you thieve from another school if it was socially acceptable.

Um, Song Girls?!?

BlogPollin': Week 2

Buckeye Commentary — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:38:18 -0400

RANK	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	2-0	-
2	2-0	-
3	2-0	-
4	2-0	-
5	2-0	3
6	2-0	1
7	2-0	-1
8	1-1	2
9	1-1	2
10	1-0	3
11	2-0	2
12	1-0	2
13	1-1	8
14	1-1	1
15	2-0	1
16	1-1	3
17	2-0	5
18	2-0	7
19	2-0	2
20	2-0	6
21	2-0	1
22	2-0	10
23	2-0	-
24	1-0	-
25	2-0	8

Shameless homer: I know Ohio State’s ranking looks bad and it looks even worse when you consider that I moved them up after a loss. But, vigilant readers know rankings are not always subject to a draconian win-loss analysis. So, when a team hangs blow for blow with the best program in the country, it stands to reason that they should be viewed as a very good team.

Up top: That static top four is deceiving. USC was a tempting choice to be placed at No. 2 but I tend to think Texas’ early struggles against Wyoming were nothing to be worried about. Has Florida played a game yet? Let’s just assume they are 2-0.

Mid-major explanation: “You hate the non-BCS conferences! You need to give them more respect!” I hear that all the time. So, let me respond. “Yes and no.”

BYU clocks in at No. 15 based on a once-in-a-lifetime victory against a team that was shell shocked after losing the Heisman Trophy winner. And, before you say it I know they were playing OU tough in the first half while they had Bradford. But the Sooners were starting to find a groove as the half ended averaging more than 10 yards/play over their final 9 plays. I have no doubt that Stoops’ staff would have made adjustments at the half that would have resulted in a comfortable OU win. Instead, the entire offense was stunned into awfulness. It happens to college kids. At this moment, I truly believe that if a Landry-led Oklahoma team played BYU this weekend they will would win comfortably. If BYU can take out Florida State this weekend (and they are 7.5-point favorite) I will take it all back.

RANK	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	2-0	-
2	2-0	-
3	2-0	-
4	2-0	-
5	2-0	3
6	2-0	1
7	2-0	-1
8	1-1	2
9	1-1	2
10	1-0	3
11	2-0	2
12	1-0	2
13	1-1	8
14	1-1	1
15	2-0	1
16	1-1	3
17	2-0	5
18	2-0	7
19	2-0	2
20	2-0	6
21	2-0	1
22	2-0	10
23	2-0	-
24	1-0	-
25	2-0	8

RANK	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	2-0	-
2	2-0	-
3	2-0	-
4	2-0	-
5	2-0	3
6	2-0	1
7	2-0	-1
8	1-1	2
9	1-1	2
10	1-0	3
11	2-0	2
12	1-0	2
13	1-1	8
14	1-1	1
15	2-0	1
16	1-1	3
17	2-0	5
18	2-0	7
19	2-0	2
20	2-0	6
21	2-0	1
22	2-0	10
23	2-0	-
24	1-0	-
25	2-0	8

RANK	RECORD	PREVIOUS
1	2-0	-
2	2-0	-
3	2-0	-
4	2-0	-
5	2-0	3
6	2-0	1
7	2-0	-1
8	1-1	2
9	1-1	2
10	1-0	3
11	2-0	2
12	1-0	2
13	1-1	8
14	1-1	1
15	2-0	1
16	1-1	3
17	2-0	5
18	2-0	7
19	2-0	2
20	2-0	6
21	2-0	1
22	2-0	10
23	2-0	-
24	1-0	-
25	2-0	8