College Football Midweek News and Views: Ohio State Buckeyes

1) The lineup for the Big Ten media has been announced. The Buckeyes will be represented by seniors Jake Ballard, Kurt Coleman, and Doug Worthington. It seems most likely that all three will be captains for the Buckeyes in 2009.

These three are a safe bet, but the decision to not have Pryor at the media is already taking flack. Adam Rittenberg wants to know when Tressel will quit protecting Pryor and admit that he is a leader.

2) Ohio State has officially announced some staff changes for the upcoming season. The most notable for fans is that Nick Siciliano has been promoted to quarterbacks coach. There are mixed reviews on how well he can replace Joe Daniels, and Pryor's development could make or break the critics.

3) Two ESPNU 150 Watch List players from Florida are showing interest in the Buckeyes. The first is linebacker Jeff Luc from Treasure Coast High School, who would be a incredible steal if the Buckeyes could reel him in. The other is offensive lineman Brandon Linder from St. Thomas Aquinas. Keep an eye out for both names.

4) How big would a win over the USC Trojans be for the Buckeyes? Well, some believe it will not be big enough to shut up the critics. Rittenberg of ESPN quotes Bruce Feldman as saying this on his blog:

"I'm not sure this game is as much a proving-ground battle as last year's at USC was for Ohio State. My sense is that if the Buckeyes handle the Trojans here, it'll still be a big win, but not monumental in the pollsters' eyes. It'll be too easy for critics to write it off, saying that this was the first road game the Trojans' new QB ever played."