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Ohio State's Evening Notes: President's Day Edition
David ThurmanFeb 21, 2011
Hail to the Chief: With it being President's Day (which has kind of become a neglected holiday in our nation), and with Ohio State football on my mind (which is always the case), I thought it might be fun to compare Buckeye coaches to US presidents. There have only been four OSU head coaches in my lifetime, so that is as far back as I'll go:
Woody Hayes - Although his middle name was Woodrow, Hayes bore no resemblance to Woodrow Wilson. Truth is he probably compared more to General George Patton than anyone else. But I have to pick a past president I'll go with Richard Nixon. Both were smart, volatile, likely to use profanity and both had to step down in disgrace but managed to greatly restore their tarnished image before their deaths.
Earle Bruce - I think Earle reminds me most of Harry Truman, because both told it like it was and didn't mince words. While Truman will never go down as the best head of state in history he usually made you smile and did a solid, if not spectacular job. I think the same goes for Earle, whose popularity grew after he left "office".
John Cooper - Got to go with Jimmy Carter here, and not just because they were both southerners. Actually, I think Jimmy Carter is one of the nicest men to ever sit in the oval office, but wound up in over his head and wasn't too effective. I guess I feel the same way about Coop, though he did have a couple of years when he came real close. In the end, though, he never seemed like the right fit for the job.
Jim Tressel - What if the Senator were instead the President? You guessed it - he would be Ronald Regan...conservative, solid, effective, likable, and with the ability to move you through his speeches. And some day we'll look back and say, "Man, I wish we had a guy like Jim Tressel at the helm again!"
Hoops Concerns: It isn't time to push the panic button just yet Buckeye fans. Sure, it would have been nice to hold onto the lead at Wisconsin, and to beat a Purdue team we massacred a few weeks ago, but I can't say I was surprised with either loss. Most good teams have a hiccup at some point, and often it is towards the end of February. Besides, it took nearly superhuman play from Jordan Taylor and E'Twaun Moore to defeat the Buckeyes. But there are a few concerns, in my opinion.
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First and foremost is the perimeter defense of Ohio State in recent games. Maybe it took great shooters to expose this flaw, but when a guy gets hot, you have to make someone else beat you. How many open looks did the Buckeyes give to Taylor, Moore, and other outside shooters in the two losses?
In addition, I think Deshaun Thomas has hit the wall like so many freshmen do, and he isn't making any positive contributions of late. Think back to how he played at Illinois. It is easy to figure that game would have been a loss, too, if he was missing in action like he has been the past few games. Ohio State needs to get him back active on the glass and shooting with confidence. It is hard to win with only five guys contributing, so it is vital that both Thomas and Lauderdale provide some quality minutes.
One more thing - I have not been overly impressed with David Lighty of late, especially on the defensive end, which is his forte. My guess is that he will step up his game come tournament time, so I am more worried about the first two concerns, but would like to see number 23 get his mojo back. .
What is the hold up? The Ohio State offensive line woes are well documented, and were only highlighted by the "excitement" over landing Graham Glasgow as a preferred walk on. So it all makes you wonder what is the hold up on guard Chris Carter Jr. signing his letter of intent. He was supposed to have been exonerated in regard to the charges of sexual imposition, and we've been told for a couple of weeks that his signing is imminent. But at last report it still has not happened. One can only wonder if the coaching staff still has concerns. Hopefully that isn't the case, because the Bucks are desperate for bodies on the offensive line.
An Apology from TSB: Drew and I apologize for our lack of timely updates the past couple of weeks but it has been a busy time for us. Part of this is due to the fact that Drew is getting married this Friday in Mesa, Arizona. As the father of the groom I would have to say he has landed the National Championship of brides, and I'm not sure how he pulled it off. Anyway, cut us a little slack at this exciting, but crazy time.
In addition, I think Deshaun Thomas has hit the wall like so many freshmen do, and he isn't making any positive contributions of late. Think back to how he played at Illinois. It is easy to figure that game would have been a loss, too, if he was missing in action like he has been the past few games. Ohio State needs to get him back active on the glass and shooting with confidence. It is hard to win with only five guys contributing, so it is vital that both Thomas and Lauderdale provide some quality minutes.
One more thing - I have not been overly impressed with David Lighty of late, especially on the defensive end, which is his forte. My guess is that he will step up his game come tournament time, so I am more worried about the first two concerns, but would like to see number 23 get his mojo back. .
What is the hold up? The Ohio State offensive line woes are well documented, and were only highlighted by the "excitement" over landing Graham Glasgow as a preferred walk on. So it all makes you wonder what is the hold up on guard Chris Carter Jr. signing his letter of intent. He was supposed to have been exonerated in regard to the charges of sexual imposition, and we've been told for a couple of weeks that his signing is imminent. But at last report it still has not happened. One can only wonder if the coaching staff still has concerns. Hopefully that isn't the case, because the Bucks are desperate for bodies on the offensive line.
An Apology from TSB: Drew and I apologize for our lack of timely updates the past couple of weeks but it has been a busy time for us. Part of this is due to the fact that Drew is getting married this Friday in Mesa, Arizona. As the father of the groom I would have to say he has landed the National Championship of brides, and I'm not sure how he pulled it off. Anyway, cut us a little slack at this exciting, but crazy time.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
