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Feast Your Eyes On This AWESOME Ohio State 2012 Football Schedule

2012-02-08T04:03:00.016-05:00

Willie from ScarletBuckeye.com created this 2012 Ohio State Football schedule. This is likely not the finished product, but it was just too full of win not to share it now.

When it is finished, it will likely have another player or two added in addition to Miller, Simon & Stonebuner, and we'll post it then too!

(Click on image to view full-size)

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Ohio State Post-Signing Day — 2012 Buckeye Commit, LB Camren Williams

2012-02-06T03:23:00.008-05:00

One by one, we will be video-profiling each member of the Buckeyes 2012 recruiting class.

Coach Meyer said the linebacker position was the team's biggest area of need.

In West Roxbury, MA 4-star linebacker Camren Williams, that need was addressed.

Williams joined his HS teammate, CB Armani Reeves, as a package deal in pledging to play for the Buckeyes.

Both had previously been committed to Penn State, before the Jerry Sandusky scandal and Joe Paterno's dismissal.

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Ohio State Post-Signing Day — 2012 Buckeye Commit, CB Armani Reeves

2012-02-04T02:09:00.011-05:00

One by one, we will be video-profiling each member of the Buckeyes 2012 recruiting class.

Coach Meyer said the linebacker position was the team's biggest area of need.

That may be true, but with only three returning cornerbacks on scholarship — Travis Howard, Bradley Roby and Doran Grant — after the release of both Dominic Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell, Reeves was a significant addition to this class, and he'll have a legit opportunity to find himself in the two-deep of Ohio State's defensive backfield sooner, rather than later.

Reeves, a 4-star CB and kick returner from Catholic Memorial in Roxbury, MA joined his HS teammate, LB Camren Williams, in pledging to play for the Buckeyes.

Both had previously been committed to Penn State, before Hurricane Urban made landfall in Columbus.

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Ohio State Post-Signing Day — 2012 Buckeye Commit, OT Kyle Dodson

2012-02-02T20:27:00.005-05:00

One by one, we will be video-profiling each member of the Buckeyes 2012 recruiting class.

Coach Meyer said the linebacker position was the team's biggest area of need. That may be true, but the needs on the offensive line had to be a close second.

The future of the O-line was shored up with the commitment from 4-star lineman, Kyle Dodson.

His commitment video was pretty cool, but his highlight video is even better!

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Ohio State Post-Signing Day — "Ridiculous" 2012 Buckeye Commit, LB Jamal Marcus

2012-02-01T17:03:00.010-05:00

One by one, we will be video-profiling each member of the Buckeyes 2012 recruiting class.

Coach Meyer said the linebacker position was the team's biggest area of need, and they certainly made a significant pick-up with today's commitment of 3-star LB Jamal Marcus from Durham, NC.

Feast your eyes on him below, and scratch you head as I did while trying to figure out just how the recruiting services "only" rate him as a 3-star prospect.

Of course, we've all seen this before — AJ Hawk or James Laurinaitis anyone?

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Urban Meyer Interview With BTN's Gerry DiNardo (Part I)

2012-01-25T22:24:00.002-05:00

A few days ago here on BlockONation.com, we posted part I of Coach Meyer's interview with BTN's Gerry DiNardo.

Here is part II of the interview.

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Ohio's Top Recruit, Cameron Burrows, Becomes First Member of Ohio State's 2013 Recruiting Class

2012-01-22T08:43:00.016-05:00

by Nick Weaver - BlockONation Contributor

Buckeye Nation, welcome Cameron Burrows to the class of 2013. He has announced that he is “taking his talents to Ohio State”.

Burrows is the No. 1 player in the state of Ohio, and he hails from the city of Trotwood where he plays cornerback plays for Trotwood-Madison H.S. He helped lead the Rams to a state title last season.

Burrows is a solid first recruit, rated as the overall No. 7 junior in the country.

He is 6'1 and a 190lbs. He has good speed, and he has a 3.5 grade point average.

He plans on enrolling early so he can jumpstart his chance to win playing time. He spoke about growing up as a Buckeye fan, and for him to get an offer it was “just an honor”.

The last player offered a scholarship from Trotwood was Will Allen from the class of 2000. He currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This is a good first signing for Urban and the class of 2013. It will show the other potential recruits that Urban isn’t just getting lucky this year, and that he has already started the 2013 campaign.

Burrows bringing his 5-star status to the Buckeyes and announcing early should convince others to follow suit -- and sooner than later -- since OSU is only expecting to sign around 15 players in their 2013 class.

His committment may also open up a renewed pipeline to Trotwood's rich talent pool -- something Jim Tressel did not have, or seem to want during his OSU tenure.

Burrows is a good friend of Trotwood senior safety Bam Bradley.

Bradley holds an OSU offer, but is also seriously considering Pitt and Stanford. Trotwood coach Maurice Douglass wonders if the Buckeyes may already have too many safeties, and his input might lead Bam elsewhere.

Junior linebacker Mike McCray doesn't have an offer from Ohio State yet, but the No. 9 junior in Ohio is hoping for one and said Thursday that the Buckeyes would immediately jump into his top three.

McCray visited Ohio State in December with Burrows and Bradley.

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The Urban Effect: LB David Perkins Latest OSU Class of 2012 Commitment

2012-01-18T07:45:00.024-05:00

And then there were 22...

Ohio State's 2012 recruiting class is nearing capacity fast.

Since coach Urban Meyer began recruiting in late November, Ohio State has received verbal commitments from WR Ricquan Southward, TE Tommy Schutt, DE Se'Von Pittman, DE Noah Spence, OT Taylor Decker, OG Joey O'Connor, and now Perkins (pictured at right).

Ohio State's class — which was barely ranked in the top 20 — is now currently rated as the No. 4 overall class in the Scout.com team rankings.

With the recent dismissals of Dominic Clarke and DerJuan Gambrell, there are approximately four to six slots, max, left before this class is full (remember, this is NOT the SEC where oversigning is the "in thing" to do).

Camren Williams and Armani Reeves could be the next two dominoes to fall, and there's still room (for now, anyway) for a couple more elite O-linemen like Jordan Diamond and Kyle Dodson to join the fold.

Jim Tressel was often criticized in his recruiting efforts for not being able to close as NSD came and went.

As of now with two weeks to go until NSD 2012, Meyer appears to be the anti-Tressel, and as much as Buckeye Nation loved Tressel, finishing his recruiting classes on a high note was his Achilles heel — as much or more as his neglect for being honest with the NCAA when it came to issues of compliance — but those days are in the past, thus, I digress.

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Urban Meyer Interview With BTN's Gerry DiNardo (Part I)

2012-01-18T07:00:00.005-05:00

As you may have read a couple days ago here on BlockONation.com, Coach Meyer gave a tour of his new office and sat for an interview with BTN's Gerry DiNardo.

The tour was aired (and posted here) on the 16^th.

Here is part I of the interview.

Meyer's comments on Fickell might surprise you a bit -- but then again, given the 2011 season -- maybe not.

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Urban Meyer Introduces New Football Coaching Staff During Men's Basketball vs. Indiana (1/15/12)

2012-01-16T21:47:00.010-05:00

At halftime of the Ohio State-Indiana basketball game Sunday, Urban Meyer introduced his completed coaching staff to the capacity crowd at a sold out Schottenstein Center.

Check out the video:

One thing was for sure in addition to the excitement over Meyer taking over the program -- the crowd loved them some Luke Fickell!

The 2012 Spring game can't get here fast enough, although, our basketball team is filling the void extremely well.

Let's hope they make a very deep tourney run -- i.e. win it all -- come March and pave the way into a great Spring!

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Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer: BTN Interview and Office Tour

2012-01-12T04:59:00.019-05:00

During the 2011 regular season, the Big Ten Network aired a show titled, Step Into My Office, where the coach at each Big Ten school gave the Network a tour of his actual office and then sat for somewhat of an informal interview.

The BTN's Mike Hall visited with then-head coach Luke Fickell for a segment that aired during the season.

With the hiring of Urban Meyer at Ohio State -- Meyer officially took over on January 3^rd, 2012 -- the network recently aired a special segment along those same lines on their Big Ten Football Report where Meyer offered a tour and sat for an impromptu interview (the full interview will air on Jan. 17^th) with BTN's Gerry DiNardo.

Buckeye fans that may have missed it can watch below.

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College Football Bowl Season Proves That It Really IS All About The Benjamins

2012-01-03T06:43:00.013-05:00

by Nick Weaver - BlockONation Contributor

Since it is bowl season, I figured would show a summary of what the Buckeye football program does for the rest of the athletic programs.

The Ohio State football program brought in $60,837,342 last year alone.

The program spent $34,373,342 last year, meaning the University banked $26,463,498!!!

That put them 17th on the most profitable list out of 50. That revenue includes media, ticket sales, and memorabilia (individual player memorabilia sales and tattoos-for-autographs excluded).

The Big Ten Network pays $19.3 million annually for football and basketball games combined. This figure is a few million less because the Buckeyes had one less home game this year than last year.

The football program supports 36 sports programs. It is broken down by 17 women’s programs, 16 men’s programs, and 3 coed programs. Each of those programs is fully funded by scholarships that are allowed by the NCAA. That is 1,076 student athletes who reap the benefits of the football program.

When it is all said and done, the athletic program only shows a $93,678 profit. This profit doesn’t even cover all the other expenses associated with the athletic programs.

Operations cost another $40 million, with over $5 million going back to the university to pay for the athletic department’s share of overhead, which includes insurance, payroll services, purchasing and accounting.

Where does the rest of the money come from? The university gets grants, endowments, and the money given to the “Buckeye Club”.

This is why bowl season is so important to college football and the universities.

The bowl payouts range from serious money (tens-of-millions) from the BCS games combined, down to "chump change" (one million or less per) in the nobody bowls.

That is why it will be a hard sell to ever see a playoff system in lieu of bowl games.

There are 35 bowl games this year with 70 teams in the competition and a lot of money to be earned, whereas a playoff system would likely only involve four, or eight, or 12 or 16 teams at most.

As they say, money talks -- always.

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Ohio State vs. Florida 2012 Gator Bowl — Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2012-01-01T21:28:00.021-05:00

Ohio State/Florida—A Few Opening Thoughts...

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators would both probably like to forget their 2011 regular seasons and head into the off season on a high note with a win in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

This will be the final game for the current Buckeye coaching staff. As you may have heard, Ohio State hired some guy by the name of Urban Meyer to take over their program next season.

While Luke Fickell and his staff have been focused on their final game, Meyer has been focused on catapulting the Ohio State 2012 recruiting class from barely in the top 25, up into the top 10.

Team Overview / Players of Note

Florida

The Florida Gator offense ranks 102^nd nationally at 334 yards per game. They are 9^th in total defense, allowing an average of 299.6 yards per game, and rank 9^th in points allowed per game (20.6).

Quarterback John Brantley -- who has passed for 1,912, yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions -- is expected to start for the Gators, while freshmen Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel could also each play. Both have struggled, however, combining for just 354 yards and two touchdowns, with six INTs.

Running backs Chris Rainey and Jemps Demps split carries and combined for 1,329 yards and eight touchdowns.

Andre Debose and Chris Rainey were the top two receivers for Florida with 15 catches for 423 yards and 28 catches for 350 yards respectively. Debose caught four passes for scores while Rainey added two touchdown catches.

Ohio State

Ohio State is 107^th in total offense (320 yards per game) nationally. They are 24^th in total defense, allowing an average of 328.6 yards per game, and rank 27^th in points allowed per game (20.8).

The Silver Bullets had 23 sacks and 12 interceptions during the regular season.

QB Braxton Miller passed for 997 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for another 695 yards seven rushing touchdowns.

Tailback Dan Herron finished second on the team with 596 yards and three scores, followed closely by Carlos Hyde with 549 yards and six scores.

The Buckeye passing game was very inconsistent and the receiving statistics reflect that. Devin Smith led the team in yardage with 247 yards on 12 catches, including four for scores. Corey Brown was second with 14 catches for 205 yards and tight end Jake Stoneburner finished the regular season with 14 catches and 193 yards.

Ohio State—Florida History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 0-1 all-time vs. Florida.

• Ohio State is 20-22 all-time is bowl games.

• Ohio State last played in the Gator Bowl in 1978.

• Ohio State is 1-10 in bowl games vs. SEC opponents.

• Ohio State is making their 11th straight bowl games appearance, a streak that will end next year.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just nine 100-yard rushers in their last 48 games.

• Ohio State has held 67 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Florida is 6-2 all-time in the Gator Bowl.

• Florida is making their 21st consecutive bowl game appearance.

• Florida went 0-5 during the regular season vs. top 25 teams, while Ohio State went 2-4.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

The 2012 ~~Urban Bowl~~ Gator Bowl features two of the top programs in college football despite each having an atypical .500 regular season.

Something has to give and it's not likely going to be Ohio State's defense.

The Gators lost six of their last eight games to end the season and in those games, they averaged less than 225 yards and 12 points.

Look for the Silver Bullets to ramp up the heat on Brantley -- who was picked off three times in the season finale by Florida State -- and to score or at least set up an easy score or two for Miller and the OSU offense.

This meeting feels like it's going to be close throughout with moderate scoring, unlike the 41-14 loss Ohio State suffered at the hands of their new coach and his 2006 Gators team, but Miller and the Buckeye defense SHOULD be the difference.

Ohio State 27
Florida 20

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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A Closer Look at Everbank Field, Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

2011-12-30T07:40:00.012-05:00

Ohio State and Florida will face off Monday, January 2^nd in the 2012 Gator Bowl, and in case you are going to the game, our friends at Stadium Journey dropped us a link to their review of the stadium in Jacksonville which you may find useful.

Jaguars’ Half-Empty House: A Good Bargain
Official Review by Jack Harver, Stadium Journey Correspondent

Ten weeks into the 2009 season, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium has been one of the NFL's most buzzworthy facilities. Not for being big and flashy like the Dallas Cowboys' new billion-dollar home—it isn't—and not because it's on a farewell tour like Giants Stadium. (Not yet, at least.)

Instead, "The Jack" has been a hot topic for the national media because it's practically empty for Jaguars games.

There are over 67,000 seats in the stadium, not including almost 10,000 in the upper corners that remain covered—like training wheels for drawing a "sellout" crowd. But Jacksonville sold less than 46,000 tickets on average for each of the team's first three home contests this year, with reported attendance figures closer to 40,000 per game.

The upshot? Walk-up ticket buyers can score seats that would be prime real estate in other NFL stadiums.

Lower-level tickets were available on the team's website less than a week before the game, including one in the corner of the north end zone that provided an excellent view of the Jaguars' 24-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Inside the Jack, Section 118, Row H

With Jacksonville residents spending their Sunday afternoons elsewhere—in one of the many churches within walking distance of the stadium, perhaps—the Jaguars have won three of their four home games.

At 5-4 on the year, they're dark horse playoff contenders despite bidding good-bye to over half of last year's 53-man roster and starting four rookies from their 2009 draft crop.

Factor in top-tier superstars like running back Maurice Jones-Drew and cornerback Rashean Mathis, and Jacksonville's on-field product figures to be respectable for years to come. Like the team, the fan experience at The Jack isn't mind-blowing, but it has its pluses.

View and read the article in its' entirety at StadiumJourney.com

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NCAA Issues Ohio State One-Year Bowl Ban

2011-12-24T09:00:00.018-05:00

Graphic Designer Gary Finkler of 7thInningSketch.com dropped us an email sharing his latest sports cartoon -- a depiction of Ohio State and the NCAA regarding the announcement of the Buckeyes 2012-2013 bowl game ban.

I grew up watching Seinfeld, so I get it, but I'm guessing not everyone -- especially younger fans -- watched the show and thus, they do not understand or appreciate the illustration as I do.

Hopefully this will help.

I must admit, while the ban seems excessive and I do not agree with the NCAA decision, the cartoon is humorous. The decision is final and Ohio State apparently won't appeal.

As much as I hate the ruling and as bitter as I was about it right after hearing it, I have to say -- Thanks for the laugh Gary!

Ohio State - NCAA Sanctions article from Nick Weaver coming later today.

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Urban Meyer, Ohio State Land Nation's Top Defensive Lineman

2011-12-19T20:39:00.014-05:00

by Nick Weaver - BlockONation Contributor

The recruiting genius that is Urban Meyer has done it again!

Urban landed 5-star recruit Noah Spence today (both pictured at right), bringing his total to three 5-star prospects in as many weeks.

Spence is the No. 1 rated DE in the country and for those keeping track, that is yet another highly-touted defensive lineman to join the Buckeyes since Meyer was hired.

Spence is 6'4 and weighs in at 245 lbs. He is a defensive end from Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He will be joined on the ends by Adolphus Washington and Se’vone Pittman.

Spence was recently considered a Penn State lean -- as recently as two to three weeks ago Ohio State wasn't even on Spence's radar -- but with the Jerry Sandusky sex-scandal still in the news, it looks like the Nittany Lions troubles (and Urban Meyer) may have pushed Spence to OSU.

Noah was impressed with the guys as much as the coaches on his recent visit to Columbus. He blessed his twitter followers with the news. Here are some of his comments:

“I wasn’t really into them a whole lot, and as I got to learn about the staff and what they’re trying to do and how close it is to my home, it felt right.”

It feels right to us to Noah, welcome aboard the championship train!

He also said, "everyone was talking about their families and everything like regular people, everything wasn’t about football." He said that made him feel comfortable.

Noah, wait until September when you get to meet the rest of the Buckeye family we like to call, “Buckeye Nation”!

Since November, this is Ohio State’s 4th ESPN top 150 recruit.

TE Jake Stoneburner also acknowledged Meyer’s recruiting prowess on his twitter. “I guess our coach can recruit, huh”.

I did say earlier there would be more presents under the tree for Buckeye fans!

Wonder what we will get to unwrap next?!

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Since We Have Florida's Old Coach, Maybe It's Time That We Get On The Bandwagon Of Their Old QB, Tim Tebow

2011-12-18T08:46:00.015-05:00

Today, the New England Patriots face the Broncos in Denver in the pre-Super Bowl Super Bowl and the Golden Boy, Tom Brady, takes on the Godly Boy, Tim Tebow, in what is sure to be a huge ratings draw, but enough about the actual game!

If you haven't seen this .GIF image, or these videos yet, you're missing out — I'm sure if current-Buckeye coach and former Florida/Tebow coach Urban Meyer has seen these, he was cracking up too!

All I can say is WOW and LMAO — Enjoy and God bless.

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Urban Meyer Landing Some Big Fish In The Ohio State Recruiting Net

2011-12-15T13:14:00.026-05:00

by Nick Weaver - BlockONation Contributor

Urban Meyer is doing what he does best — setting fire to the recruiting trail.

A great movie phrase comes to mind here -- “If you build it they will come”.

Urban has built a great reputation with Florida and it has carried over to tOSU. I have to insert my props to Coach Tressel for building a super foundation that Urban can just step in and run with.

I know what you are thinking, what about Luke? I know many think he did a good job, but me, I am not so sure.

I believe with the structure that was set up anyone could have went 6-6 with this Buckeye team. Let me get back on point, however. Urban has swooped in and made an impact in recruiting in just a couple weeks.

Meyer has been robbing the cradles of the other power house B1G teams.

With the verbals received from Tommy Schutt and Se'von Pittman (pictured at left), both Penn State and Michigan State have already felt the intoxicating effects of Urban, while Wisconsin is next up to get robbed. I can't wait to hear Biliema's remarks afterwards.

Running back Bri'onte Dunn realized his future will be better at Ohio State instead of going up north to scUm, and reassured the Buckeye Nation that he is 150% Buckeye!

Meyer has been able to do all that along with staying in tune with the fight going on over the baby bearing Urban as his middle name in Florida. Urban has developed a simple pitch that he tells the recruits -- “Not a Big Ten championship, not a national championship, but multiple championships”.

I really believe there are several top-notch guys yet to change their allegiances out of the top 150. Urban has now locked in his coordinators and the two-week Christmas break could see a couple other Christmas presents under the tree for Buckeye fans.

The Meyer camp has already started to turn down WRs because the team is practically overloaded at the position -- Urban recently added a couple of height and speed guys to our already fast receiving core.

While many complain that it is unfair for tOSU to have two separate coaching staffs, I say rubbish! It's an NCAA rule that many other schools have been granted use of.

Over a few thousand dollars in tattoos, the NCAA launched an investigation that has almost totaled one-million dollars (in my Austin powers voice) in costs.

I didn’t hear those critics feeling sorry for OSU during the season, amazingly enough. I can’t imagine the bill to investigate the “U” when that gets going.

The way I see it, the NCAA owes Ohio State this much, seeing as how they came in and took our lunch and ate it right in front of us, i.e. Hall, Howard, Herron, and especially Posey (excessive) suspensions.

I know everyone is as excited as I am to see what will happen the next couple months right up until NSD in February. I have already talked to many folks that wish it were Spring, 2012 NOW!

It can't get here soon enough.

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Ohio State—Ann Arbor Highlights (Week 13, Game 12 - 11/26/2011)

2011-12-12T05:42:00.017-05:00

In the midst of all the Urban Meyer to Ohio State news, we inadvertently overlooked posting the Ohio State @ Ann Arbor highlights.

Despite the narrow defeat to Ann Arbor -- Ohio State's first (and last for a while) since the 2003 season -- the young Buckeyes, led by true freshmen QB Braxton Miller, fought hard and were never out of the game -- unfortunately coming up just a little bit short in the end, 40-34.

Ann Arbor fans better enjoy this one, because the young, yet talented Bucks are trending upwardly and with Urban Meyer taking over at Ohio State, the talent pool is only going to get deeper -- meaning Ann Arbor can expect another long Buckeye winning streak to commence in 2012, 349 days from today.

Now, without further delay, here are the Ohio State-Ann Arbor game highlights.

This Ohio State-Purdue highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.

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BlockONation.com / @BlockONation College Football Bowl Mania ESPN Pick'em League

2011-12-10T15:51:00.015-05:00

Hey all -- It's that time of year again!

It's time to create your entry for the 2011-2012 BlockONation.com / @BlockONation College Bowl Mania League!

The league is public and open to anyone (even State Penn fan @NittanyNation88).

League winner will receive an autographed football card of former Ohio State and 2002 BCS championship QB, Craig Krenzel.

Entries must be submitted to the league on ESPN.com by the posted deadline.

Have fun and good luck to everyone!

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Ohio State New Head Coach Urban Meyer's Full Press Conference

2011-11-29T14:19:00.011-05:00

Among various topics, Urban discusses his new gig, his family, his health, his goals for the program, his excitement over his new QB, and a little about who will be on his TBD staff.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Videos by ElevenWarriors

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Urban Meyer Named "New Coach of Ohio State" Announcement Seemingly Just a Formality Now...

2011-11-28T06:46:00.019-05:00

With the 2011 regular season having just ended rather unpleasantly in Ann Arbor for Ohio State and Buckeye fans, the news that Urban Meyer has -- or at least will -- formally accept the position of head football coach at Ohio State later today (rumor has it a 6PM presser is lined up) is a much-welcomed distraction from what has been one miserable year.

Let's see...

The Tressel emails.

Tatgate.

DeGernoimo's overpayments.

Jim Bollman.

Losing to TTUN.

According to NevadaBuck, a program insider on the BSB message boards over at Scout.com, Meyer to Ohio State has been in the works for at least a full month.

NB also stated in October that Meyer would make an appearance at halftime of the Ohio State-Duke basketball game (a la Jim Tressel) Tuesday night -- a prediction that seems very likely to come to fruition once the ink dries on the reported 7-year, 40-million dollar contract.

This move is crucial for Ohio State regarding recruiting. National Signing Day is a mere three months away and Meyer's hiring should preserve the statuses of the current recruits, and perhaps sway a few others to come aboard.

Already, there are rumors that QB Jeff Driskell, a freshman at Florida this past season, might consider transferring to Ohio State if indeed Meyer is named coach.

Ricquan Southward, a 6'3" WR from Lakeland, Florida has changed his mind and decommitted from Miami (FL) and is now verbally committed to the Buckeyes.

~~Nothing is official until it's officially official, but Meyer to Ohio State is about as close as it gets to being official, prior to officially becoming official~~.

UPDATE -- 7:27AM -- IT'S OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL!

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Ohio State-Michigan Recap: Buckeyes Winning Streak Over TTUN Ends at Seven

2011-11-28T05:23:00.014-05:00

By Special Contributor Chris Holloway

They say all good things must come to an end. It sure would have been great if this wasn't one of them, but alas, it was.

It only took 60 minutes out of a year to define the entire Buckeye season.

60 minutes for a lifetime of memories.

60 minutes of immortality.

The Buckeyes and the Wolverines met for the 108th time, and for the first time that I can remember since Ohio State Football became my religion, the Wolverines were favored to win by 8.5 points.

It’s been a bittersweet season for the men of the scarlet and gray, but nothing that had transpired over the last 12 months meant a thing as they took the field against their hated rivals.

It was a chance for the outgoing Seniors to add to their collection of gold pants. It was an opportunity to silence the critics, and an audition for Coach Fickell to remain on Urban Meyer’s staff going into 2012. It was also, thankfully, Jim Bollman’s swan song.

The offense, led by Braxton Miller, showed the world why Ohio State never rebuilds, but only reloads as he connected on 14 of 25 passes for 235 yards and 2 TDs with 1 interception. Miller added another 100 yards on the ground with a touchdown, while Boom only managed 37 yards on 15 carries, but added a touchdown.

DeVier Posey finally got in his own touchdown celebration, his first and only of the season, but it was not enough to overcome the Michigan offense led by Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint.

The past three weeks, the Buckeyes had fallen into a 10-0 hole, and were unable to dig themselves out against Purdue and Penn State. This Saturday, however, saw the polar opposite.

Whether it was that Urban replaced Bollman’s bucket of salt cod with an actual playbook, or whether Michigan came out with a little too much swagger, it didn’t matter as the Buckeyes came out aggressive and bombing the football all over Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines won the toss and deferred to the second half. As the teams lined up for the opening kickoff, the Big House crowd of more than 114,000 whipped themselves into a frenzy.

Ohio State was determined not to fall into a hole against the hated rivals from up north, and it was evident on just the first drive as Braxton Miller completed passes to three different receivers, the last a 54 yard floater to a wide open Corey “Philly” Brown for quick touchdown.

The Silver Bullets, much maligned the past few games for their flat play, came out swinging, forcing Michigan into a three and out on their first drive. The offense came back on the field after the punt was not returned by Jordan Hall, but were forced into their own three and out with Ben Buchanan punting from out of his own end zone.

After a run by Toussaint picked up 6 yards, Robinson showed why he is probably the most hated Wolverine since Mike Hart as he broke through the line on a QB keeper for a 41 touchdown run. The TD knotted it up at 7.

Someone must have replaced Jim Bollman as the offensive coordinator before the game, because Ohio State fans finally saw some play action fakes, coupled with throws on first down.

But the penalties were what doomed the Buckeyes from the get go as on the next drive Zach Boren was flagged for holding, Jack Mewhort false started, and Mike Adams was flagged for holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety, giving the Wolverines their first lead against the Buckeyes since 2007.

After the kickoff was fair caught at midfield, the teams got a little chippy, as these two teams are wont to do. Something in the scrum gave the Wolverines some life, as they marched the rest of the field and Denard hit Junior Hemingway for a touchdown to give UM the 16-7 lead.

Fumbilitis was the story of the first quarter, as the ball squirted out of Jordan Hall’s hands on the kickoff return, only to be tipped and recovered by Posey. After a three and out by the Buckeyes, Denard fumbled as he was hit by Orhian Johnson, but quickly fell on the ball.

After the Michigan timeout due to equipment malfunctions (apparently in addition to not tying his shoelaces, Denard has problems with his helmet), John Simon showed why he’ll be the beast on the D-Line next year as he got into the back field for a coverage sack.

The field position game was swinging back and forth, as the ensuing punt was fair caught by Hall at the 45, only to be pushed back an additional 15 yards due to an unnecessary roughness penalty on Dominic Clarke.

Two plays later, Braxton Miller demonstrated why people compare him to Terrelle Pryor as he broke tackles and ankles on his way to a 24 yard pickup on third and 7. His efforts went largely for naught, as the Buckeyes settled for a 47 yard field goal from Drew Basil to but the lead to 6.

Denard’s case of the fumbles struck again, as he lost the ball on a designed run. The recovery went to Travis Howard, but the elation of the Buckeye faithful was short lived as Ryan “Beastmode” Shazier, starting in place of the injured Andrew Sweat, had to be helped off the field.

The cheers came back in short order for the Scarlet and Gray, as just three plays after the fumble recovery, Braxton ran in for his only rushing touchdown of the day, once again making insane cuts and jukes on his way to the end zone. The Buckeyes regained the lead, albeit a single point, with the TD run.

The Ohio State defense, led by Simon and Shazier, faltered mightily on the next drive, allowing Toussaint and Robinson to gobble up 56 yards on the ground en route to Robinson’s second QB keeper touchdown of the day. Once again, the lead had changed and the Buckeyes were back down by 6.

The Ohio State fans watching from the unfriendly confines of Michigan Stadium and at home had to have mixed feelings at the offensive play calling from Jim Bollman. On the one hand, the Bucks were coming out much more aggressive than they had in any previous game other than Wisconsin, but on the other hand we all wondered where the play actions, bubble screens, and outlet passes were the last month.

But checkdowns and passes the flat were the order of the day for Miller and the Buckeyes. The true freshman quarterback showed tremendous poise in registering only the 4th 200/100 game in Buckeye history. The other three came from Troy Smith (1) and Terrelle Pryor (2). That’s pretty elite company for a Buckeye QB to be included in.

The “basics” of football passing had eluded the Buckeyes for the better part of 2 months, but against That Team Up North, they worked wonders as Miller hit Posey in the flat for a gain of 9, hit Boom with a checkdown for 5, and Hall for another gain of 5 on a screen. All of this set up the streak toss to Posey, a 43 yard beauty that Posey fell into the end zone with. The Buckeyes retook the 1 point lead after the Basil point after, 24-23.

On the final drive before halftime, Denard was shaken up as he got a chalk pebble in his eye and Devin Gardner had to enter the game in a non-wildcat formation. Gardner handed off to Toussaint for about 2 yards before the clock wound down to zero in the first half.

At halftime, Braxton Miller was already having his best game of the year so far with two passing touchdowns on 127 yards and a rushing TD with 59 yards.

If fumbles were the story of the first half, then injuries were the story of the second. Just three plays into the second half, safety Orhian Johnson was rolled up by Jonathan Hankins, and had to exit the game. Untested safety Zach Domicone came in for the injured Johnson.

The depleted secondary turned out to be no match for the starting Michigan offense, as Denard completed passes to Koger and Odoms, the second a touchdown to give the Wolverines the lead back. Not even a massive tackle by Bradley Roby in the backfield could negate the porous Buckeye defense as they fell back into a 6 point hole.

The Ohio State offense felt deflated after that, the 5th lead change of the game. The ensuing kickoff was returned by Hall to the 24, and Miller got the team to the 36 yard line when 4th and 4 came up. This decision is where you could see the chasm of differences between Tresselball and Fickellball.

Tressel, in this rivalry, with the game within reach, would have either sent Basil out there with confidence that he could hit the FG, or would have gone for it and given up little field position. Instead, Fickell opted to punt, putting his faith in Buchanan’s ability to pin the Wolverines. And pin them he did. His kick was high, booming, and went 27 yards to go out of bounds at the 9.

In just a few plays, the field position was erased, but the defense found the second wind and forced a punt. Hagerup muffed the snap and instead of punting the ball when he picked it up, tried to make a play. He was taken down at the 32 yard line and just like that the Buckeyes had picked up 4 yards from the questionable punt call.

Just before the end of the 3rd quarter, Braxton Miller continued to show flashes of why he was considered the #1 dual threat quarterback in the nation just a year ago, as he broke ankles on his way to the 5 yard line. Had he not slowed up as it appeared he did, he might have found the end zone once again.

As it was, the end of the quarter may have taken some of the momentum from the offense, as they came back from the break to settle for another field goal by Basil to make it 30-27 in favor of the Wolverines.

Just 8 plays later, Denard found Tight End Kevin Koger in the end zone after a nifty play action to push the lead back to 10. A touchback brought the ball out to the 20 for the Buckeyes, who marched down the field in 83 seconds for another touchdown, aided by Miller passes of 36, 17, and 20 yards to Stoneburner, Hall, and Fragel, respectively.

A late hit out of bounds by Michigan (their first penalty of the game) cut the yards needed for a touchdown to 4, and Boom immediately broke through the line to pick up the six.

The lead was cut back down to 3. This is when all hell broke loose. After a keeper by Denard and a snazzy run by Toussaint got them down in the red zone, the UM running back punched it into the end zone once again.

However, the play was reviewed and the officials overturned the TD run and placed the ball at the 1 foot line. The touchdown seemed an inevitability at this point. Robinson rolled out to the right and got back into the end zone, but a flag for holding on Omameh and a personal foul flag on Steve Watson negated the TD and brought the ball back to the 26.

Denard tried to get it done through the air, but the pass fell incomplete and Michigan got the easy points to put them up by 6. The Buckeyes were left with just under 2 minutes to win the game. The fans were thinking Wisconsin redux. But it was not to be.

An overthrown pass by Miller to Posey would have given the Bucks a 76 yard TD with seconds left on the clock. Posey had created a good yard of separation from his defender, but the pass just sailed over his outstretched arms.

A questionable spike on third down gave way to the Buckeyes’ only turnover of the game, a Miller interception to end the game. The Wolverines came out and assumed the victory formation for the first time since 2003, dropping Ohio State to its first 6-6 season since 1999, well before Jim Tressel set up shop in Columbus more than a decade ago.

The Buckeyes now head home to Columbus and patiently await the NCAA’s ruling, and hope that their performance this season – and the sure to be riveting storylines – garners them an invitation to the Gator Bowl to face off against Meyer’s old Florida team.

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Ohio State—Penn State Highlights (Week 12, Game 11 - 11/19/2011)

2011-11-22T06:59:00.012-05:00

If there was any doubt remaining that Luke Fickell and the Ohio State coaching staff sealed their fates with the pathetic effort and loss at Purdue, the home loss to Penn State removed any and all of that remaining doubt Saturday -- and then some.

It seems as though something has been agreed to in principle but there will be no official announcement until there's something official to announce -- thus, the Urban Meyer official announcement clock is still ticking, for now...........

I've been saying all along (since NB from Scout.com posted as such) that halftime of the Ohio State vs. Duke b-ball game on November 29^th and the (top secret) Urban Meyer to Ohio State announcement can't get here soon enough!

Recently, Jody aka BuckeyesGirl33 suggested to me that the job apparently must be posted for two weeks before an announcement can be made?

I am unaware of the NCAA particulars regarding what a University must do in regards to posting and filling a coaching position, but if true, all that does IMO is delay the inevitable.

BOTH sides (Urban & tOSU) want this and it will happen, even if it's mid-December before it can be official.

Anyway, here are the OSU-PSU "highlights" if you can stand to watch them....

This Ohio State-Purdue highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.

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Ohio State vs. Penn State— Week 12 (Game 11) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-11-19T14:52:00.004-05:00

OSU/Indiana—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Somehow, the Buckeyes let destiny and fate perhaps slip through their hands last week in an unexpected 26-26 overtime loss to Purdue.

This week, Penn State comes to town off a home loss to Nebraska, and still realing from the Jerry Sandusky molestation case, and on the heels of the news that Joe Paterno has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

This game today could play out just about any way imaginable given the whirlwind these two programs have faced recently, and for the Buckeyes, since last December.

The higher ranked team usually wins when OSU and PSU battle, but PSU has only scored three touchdowns against Ohio State in Columbus, EVER. A low-scoring defensive game is most likely -- although every we all think we know what to expect, the opposite happens -- so don't be shocked if both teams break into the 30's or 40's -- or not.

The Wisconsin-Illinois game just went final and with the Badgers win, Ohio State's run of Big Ten titles is officially over -- but, a win today and of course next week vs. "them" will still count as a decent season given everything these players and this program has been through over the last year.

Team Overview / Players of Note

Penn State

The Penn State offense ranks 88^th nationally at 359 yards per game. They are 8^th in total defense, allowing an average of 287 yards per game, and rank 3^rd in points allowed per game (12.9).

Penn State quite frankly has no decent quarterback, but Rob Bolden and Matt McGloin have shared the duties. McGloin seems to be the guy now, but both pretty much suck so it really doesn't matter who starts. McGloin has 1,386 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Bolden has 526 passing yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions.

Running back Silas Redd, PSU's only real offensive threat, leads the team with 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns.

Derek Moye and Justin Brown are one-two in receiving for the Nittany Lions. Moye has 34 catches for 592 yards and three scores, while Brown has caught 32 balls for 423 yards and one touchdown.

Ohio State

Ohio State is 108^th in total offense (317 yards per game) nationally. They are 15^th in total defense, allowing an average of 317 yards per game, and rank 16^th in points allowed per game (18.9).

The Silver Bullets have 22 sacks and 11 interceptions through 10 games.

On the season, QB Braxton Miller, has 679 passing yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 490 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns. His current passer efficiency rating is 134.

Carlos Hyde still leads the team in rushing with 525 yards and six touchdowns, while senior starter Dan Herron, who will play his final home game today has 477 yards and a two scores.

Devin Smith leads the team in yardage with 241 yards on 11 catches, including four for scores. Tight end Jake Stoneburner, who has not caught a pass in the last three games, is still second on the team with 150 yards, and still leads in receptions and touchdowns, with 12 and six respectively.

Ohio State—Penn State History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 14-12-0 all-time vs. PSU.

• Ohio State is 69-8 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 18-2 in November games since 2005.

• Ohio State has won 4 of the last 5 meetings against PSU.

• Ohio State is 183-78-11 all-time in November home games.

• Ohio State is 2-2 against ranked teams under coach Luke Fickell this year.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 28 games at home.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just seven 100-yard rushers in their last 46 games.

• Ohio State has held 66 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has lost just three games in the month of November since their last loss to Michigan on November 22^nd, 2003 (Purdue 2004, Illinois 2007, Purdue 2011).

• PSU has only beaten Ohio State twice in Columbus since 1978.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

There's really not much else to say. I believe it was all covered in the opener.

This game feels like a toss-up so the home team gets the edge.

The score is anyone's guess.

Here's mine -- literally a gut-feeling guess.

Ohio State 20
Penn State 12

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" (you also have to beat Purdue, but I digress) - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State-Purdue Recap: Buckeyes Upset by Boilermakers in West Lafayette AGAIN

2011-11-19T14:08:00.011-05:00

By Special Contributor Chris Holloway

Author’s note: I apologize for the lateness of this recap. I was sick to my stomach for most of the weekend, and not just from the outcome of the game. HD was kind enough to not pester me once about it, and for that I am eternally grateful. Next week’s recap of the Penn State contest should come in on time and with a lot more emotion. -- Chris

The #7 ranked Buckeyes headed into Ross-Ade Stadium on a four game winning streak, their unbeaten season already dashed by the Trojans of USC. Ohio State fans had every reason to believe that this game was a gimme, as the last time they had lost to a team with a losing record had been Jim Tressel’s first season, way back in 2001.

Upon leaving the stadium, the Buckeyes felt deflated. They had just endured a game that saw QB phenom Terrelle Pryor fumble the ball multiple times. They had just seen their second loss of the season, one that was almost unconscionable. They were beaten, bruised, and battered.

Two years later, Ohio State traveled back to Purdue University, eager to show that the 2009 game was a fluke, an aberration. Yet, just as they had two years previous, the Buckeyes left with another stunning loss. The main difference between this one and that was not the turnovers – the Bucks actually won the turnover battle in this game – it was the effectiveness of the defense.

One shining spot of this season had been Jim Heacock’s crew, yet for the second week in a row, the Silver Bullets seemed flat. The normally stingy defense, ranked 16th in the country coming into the game, could do almost nothing to prevent Purdue’s offense from moving down the field.

Just as they had last week against Indiana, the Buckeyes permitted their opponents to jump out to a 10 point first quarter lead. The outcome, however, would be immensely different.

Ohio State fans watching from the stands and at home could see from the very beginning that this would be a replay of the Indiana game. Their first drive lasted only 1:07, a three and out. Purdue took the Buchanan punt on their own 41 yard line, a rare short punt for the normally lethal team MVP. The Boilermakers proceeded to march down the field, only to settle for a field goal from the Ohio State 2 yard line.

Another three and out by the Buckeyes, and another below average punt from Buchanan gave TerBush and crew the football at their own 40. The Purdue QB took his team down field once again, and with the help of Akeem Shavers, put it in the end zone for the 10 point lead after the Wiggs PAT.

WalrusBall reared its ugly head once again, as for the third straight drive; the Buckeyes could not muster a first down and were forced to punt again. The first quarter came to an end with Purdue at their own 48 yard line, and threatening once again.

Whether it was the players or the coaches that got the team fired up, one can only wonder. But when the second period started, the Buckeye defense came out hungry and stopped the Boilermakers, forcing a punt to the Ohio State 32.

Determined to give the Silver Bullets more than a minute of rest, Miller came out firing, hitting Boom Herron for a 20 yard strike followed by a nifty 7 yard run of his own. 5 plays later, Braxton showed that he has the ability to pass the ball as well as run it, as evidenced by the 38 yard touchdown toss to Jordan Hall across the middle. After a Basil PAT, the Bucks were only down a measly 3 points.

Three plays into the ensuing drive, TerBush hit Justin Siller, who promptly fumbled the football and then recovered it himself. Buckeyes fans knew that the team had to create turnovers, but also realized that creating and actually recovering are two different things altogether. After a false start put Purdue into a third and long situation, an incomplete pass by TerBush forced another punt.

Kawann Short, who would be named B1G Co-Defensive Player of the Week, got to Miller in the backfield for a sack that cost the Buckeyes 5 yards. Two more plays could not produce a first down, and just like that, the Bucks were back into three and out mode. Buchanan boomed his best punt of the day thus far, and even though Gravesande fumbled the kick, the Buckeyes could not recover.

Robert Marve, the transfer from the University of Miami, came out as the Purdue QB on the next drive and promptly led his team 88 yards down the grass, capped by a 7 yard rush by Ralph Bolden for a touchdown. The Boilermakers were up by 10 again after the Wiggs point after with a little over 3 minutes left in the half.

Carlos Hyde, back in the return game, delivered a good runback to the 28 yard line and Miller & Company went back to work. A completion to Hall for 7 yards gave the fans something to be excited about, until Tackle Bruce Gaston sacked Braxton for a loss of 5. Buchanan punted yet again and Ohio State was aided by a holding penalty on Purdue to pin the Boilermakers at their own 11.

Danny Hope was content to run the clock down, perhaps confident that Coach Fickell would forget his timeout signal again. Fickell did not oblige, and the Bucks managed to get the ball back with under a minute left in the half after forcing their own three and out.

Starting at midfield, Miller tossed a pass to his new favorite receiver, Devin Smith for a 14 yard gain, and added another 2 on the ground before Drew Basil came out to attempt a 50 yarder that ended up no good. The Bucks went into the half down 10, but looking like a team that should have been down by three scores or more. The offense had no spark, the offensive line was not protecting Miller, and the usually stout defense was flat.

The second half saw the Boilermakers gain possession of the kickoff, and apparently something that Jim Heacock had said in the locker room resonated with the defense, as they forced their second consecutive three and out.

Taking over at their own 42, Miller turned and handed the ball to Hall, who took it 25 yards to the Purdue 33. Just 2 plays later, Hyde got the offense into the red zone with a ten yard gain, and after a Purdue timeout, Miller added 14 of his own to get his team down to the 6. After El Guapo lost a yard, Miller once again found the end zone with his legs, sauntering in to bring the Buckeyes within 3 points once again.

A massive kick by Basil was all but negated as Raheem Mostert brought the ball back 27 yards to the Purdue 30. An 18 yard strike from TerBush to Antavian Edison gave the Boilermakers a first down, but Ryan Shazier entered beast mode and found his way into the backfield to put TerBush on his back and force a fumble. But, as was the story of the day, Ohio State could not recover the fumble and were instead forced to return a punt.

Both offenses remained stagnant throughout the remainder of the third quarter and the team entered the final quarter of regulation with Purdue still up by three, 17-14. A quick incompletion from Miller forced Buchanan to trot out once again, kicking from his own 8 yard line. Purdue fair caught the punt and started the last quarter at their own 45. Marve was back in for the Boilermakers, and behind the rushing attack of Bolden was able to get his squad down to the 27 yard line for a 44 yard field goal from Wiggs. The game was still within reach, a manageable 6 point deficit.

After yet another sack, this time by Short – his second of the game – Miller showed why he’s a dual threat by taking the rock himself for a 17 yard scamper. TY Williams saw his first catch in a dog’s age, a 13 yard reception to put the team at midfield. Facing another third and ten, Braxton ran to his left for 11 yards to breathe new life into the team.

It was all for naught as two incompletions and a meager rush from Hyde forced the Bucks to perform the most important play in football. The defense, with a rare extended rest, came out fighting, forcing a three and out once again.

With just over 6 minutes remaining in the game, it appeared that Braxton Miller would need to perform some last minute heroics once again. And once again, the QB of the future delivered, driving his team 66 yards down field, ending with a 13 yard strike to Jordan Hall for Hall’s second touchdown reception of the game. It appeared that Miller had once again put this team on his shoulders and delivered another improbable win in the waning moments.

All that was needed was the PAT, the most routine of plays. But as all fans of the program know, nothing this season is routine. The Boilermakers came through the line and blocked Basil’s attempt, sending the Buckeyes to their first overtime game since 2009 against Iowa, the game that determined the Big Ten Champion that year. This game held similar importance to the Buckeyes, as they desperately need the win to stay in the chase.

The Bucks managed to convert their only turnover in the game in what was essentially garbage time, a badly thrown ball by Marve, intercepted by Orhian Johnson. It mattered very little, as Fickell was perfectly fine with letting the clock run out and going into overtime.

In the first overtime, the Buckeyes lost the coin toss and therefore had the ball on offense first. After 3 plays yielded all of 9 yards, Fickell was forced to settle for the easy points and put his season, and perhaps his long term job prospects on the defense.

Unfortunately, the normally stout Silver Bullets permitted Marve to push his way into the end zone after the completion to Bush was reviewed and the ball placed at about the ½ yard line, giving the Boilermakers the 26-23 win in OT.

The road to the Rose Bowl is all but lost to the Buckeyes at this point. While they got the help they needed from Nebraska, they failed to take care of business and are now looking up at both Penn State and Wisconsin in the Leaders Division. At this point, it would take a miracle for the Buckeyes to be able to punch their tickets to Lucas Oil Stadium.

They would need to win their remaining games against Penn State and Michigan, coupled with an additional loss by Wisconsin to clinch another Big Ten Title. Wisconsin closes out their season at Illinois and against the Nittany Lions and both games are thought to be manageable wins for the Badgers.

While the Rose Bowl, is all but out of sight for the Bucks – which would end a streak of consecutive BCS bowl games -- they still have a decent shot at a second tier bowl game, perhaps the Capital One Bowl or the Gator Bowl. In a season filled with distractions, suspensions, and an anemic offense, all can agree that the Buckeyes need those extra three weeks of practice, just to get ready for next season.

In all likelihood, we have witnessed the death knell on Luke Fickell’s tenure as Head Coach of the Buckeyes. Whoever comes in as The Big Nut next year has a lot to work on, but will be blessed with a ton of talent. Most agree, and I am one of them, that the Buckeyes suffer from a lack of adequate coaching on the offensive side of the ball.

My personal opinion – which does not necessarily reflect the views of BlockONation or the management – is that whoever comes in needs to clean house. But only up to a point.

Fickell, Vrabel, and Heacock are very, very good at what they do. Fickell alone is an outstanding recruiter. Vrabel keeps the defensive fires burning white hot, and Heacock is probably one of the top 3 defensive minds in the college game today.

A new head coach would be wise to keep these three on staff, but throw the remaining bums out onto High Street with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

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Ohio State—Purdue Highlights (Week 11, Game 10 - 11/12/2011)

2011-11-15T15:57:00.004-05:00

If there was any doubt remaining, Luke Fickell and the Ohio State coaching staff sealed their fates with this pathetic effort and absolutely clueless and ever-predictable game strategy.

Ohio State isn't going to beat even the worst of teams when your offensive coordinator thinks run, run, run/incomplete pass/QB sack, and punt is a successful four-down-series.

Halftime of the Ohio State vs. Duke b-ball game on November 29^th and the (top secret) Urban Meyer to Ohio State announcement can't get here soon enough!

Here are the "highlights" if you care to be disgusted all over again....

This Ohio State-Purdue highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.

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A Full-On Review of Ohio Stadium, aka The Mecca of Buckeye Football—Special Contribution From StadiumJourney.com

2011-11-15T15:21:00.016-05:00

Thanks to Paul from StadiumJourney.com for allowing BlockONation to share this with our readers and fans on Facebook and Twitter.

On the banks of the Olentangy River in Columbus, Ohio, 200,000 people gather for six Saturdays every fall to come together as one to cheer on their beloved Buckeyes.

Whether the team is playing for a national title or only looking ahead to the big rivalry of the year, fans will brave the unpredictable Ohio weather to get loud for the Scarlet and Gray.

Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team, was constructed in just over a year and held its first official game on October 7, 1922, against crosstown Ohio Wesleyan University in front of a crowd of 25,000.

Very fittingly, later that season, the first-ever Michigan game held in Ohio Stadium drew an amazing crowd at the time of over 72,000 of the 90,000 available seats.

Since the opening, many renovations have been conducted to update and expand “The Shoe” which now comfortably seats 102,000, the fourth-largest college football stadium in the country.

In addition to Buckeye football, Ohio Stadium has also been home to the Columbus Crew, before they built their own stadium, and various concerts such as Pink Floyd, Elton John, Billy Joel, U2, and the Rolling Stones......

To read the full Ohio Stadium article and review from our friends at StadiumJourney.com, click here.

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Ohio State vs. Purdue — Week 11 (Game 10) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-11-11T04:29:00.039-05:00

OSU/Purdue—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Ohio State visits Purdue this Saturday for the first time since the then-seventh-ranked Buckeyes left West Lafayette, a 26-18 loser in 2009.

2010 Flashback: Dan "Boom" Herron stretches for the goaline vs. Purdue.
In the last five meetings, the Buckeyes are just 2-3 against Purdue -- a recent trend they most certainly want to reverse this weekend -- especially if they hope to preserve their chances of playing for the 2011 Big Ten crown in December.

Team Rankings / Players of Note

Purdue

The Purdue offense ranks 83^rd nationally at 367 yards per game. They are 74^th in total defense (43^rd vs. the pass, 92^nd vs. the run), allowing an average of 400 yards per game, and rank 58^th in points allowed per game (26.4).

Quarterback Caleb TerBush has thrown for 1,386, with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 130. He also has 183 yards rushing and one touchdown.

At running back, Ralph Bolden leads the team with 469 yards and three touchdowns, followed closely by Akeem Shavers, who has gained 338 yards on the ground and scored five times.

The Boilermakers have a trio of wide receivers with over 25 receptions and 300-plus yards. Antavian Edision has 26 catches for 367 yards and two touchdowns -- Justin Siller has 34 catches for 342 yards and one touchdown -- and O.J. Ross has 29 catches for 326 yards and three touchdowns.

Ohio State

Ohio State is 106^th in total offense (319 yards per game) nationally. They are 16^th in total defense (29^th vs. the pass, 27^th vs. the run), allowing an average of 312 yards per game, and rank 14^th in points allowed per game (18.1).

The Silver Bullets have 21 sacks and 10 interceptions through nine games.

On the season, QB Braxton Miller has 547 passing yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He also has 447 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns. His current passer efficiency rating is 132.

Jordan Hall may play this week after missing the Indiana game. In his absence, team rushing leader Carlos Hyde broke the 100-yard barrier and now has 513 yards and six touchdowns. Dan Herron also broke the 100-yard barrier (as did Braxton Miller) and now has 415 yards and two scores.

Devin Smith leads the team in yardage with 227 yards on 10 catches, including four for scores. TE Jake Stoneburner is second on the team with 150 yards, and still leads in receptions and touchdowns, with 12 and six respectively. Neither had a reception against Indiana, but the fact that the Buckeyes had well over 300 yards rushing in the game is directly attributable to that.

Ohio State—Purdue History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 38-13-2 all-time vs. Purdue.

• Ohio State is 18-1 in all November games since 2005.

• Ohio State is 108-54-8 all-time in November road games.

• Ohio State is 12-7 all-time vs. Purdue in West Lafayette.

• Ohio State is 9-0 on the road in November games since 2005.

• Ohio State is 2-3 vs. Purdue in the last five games at West Lafayette.

• Ohio State is now 4-2 with Braxton Miller as their starting quarterback.

• Ohio State is 21-1 when running back Dan Herron rushes for at least 55 yards.

• Ohio State has won 13 of their last 16 games against Purdue, dating back to 1989.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just nine 100-yard rushers in their last 59 games.

• In the last 10 meetings between Ohio State and Purdue, the visiting team is just 2-8.

• Ohio State has held 67 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State's defense has held their opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State has lost just two games in the month of November since their last loss to Michigan on November 22^nd, 2003 (@ Purdue 2004, vs. Illinois 2007).

• Purdue is 11-4 all-time on games played on November 11th.

• Purdue is 1-1 against Ohio State under head coach Danny Hope.

• Purdue has outgained Ohio State in seven of the last 10 meetings.

• Purdue has won three of the last five meetings at home against Ohio State.

• Purdue is third nationally and first in the Big Ten in kickoff return average (27.3).

• Purdue has not had a 100-yard rusher since 9/03/11 (Ralph Bolden) vs. Middle Tennessee State.

• Purdue's defense surrendered 605 total yards to Wisconsin last week (11/05/11), including 223 yards on the ground and three touchdowns to RB Montee Ball.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

It would seem obvious to me that another big week for the Buckeye running game in on tap.

Nothing personal against Jordan Hall, but I kind of hope he misses again this week so we can all see more of Carlos Hyde. I love this kid -- he's the next Beanie Wells!

Carlos Hyde has a mean stiffarm and he just looks the part of a brusing-Buckeye-back, don't you think?
The defense must play better -- Purdue is most definitely better than Indiana -- but Ohio State has plenty of motivation in this game.

What, with revenge for the 2009 loss in Ross-Ade Stadium, not to mention, a shot at the 2011 title game and a potential Rose Bowl berth hanging in the balance.

Something tells me it could be close into the third quarter, but the Bucks will get separation in the end, and a win for the good guys should be in order this time in West Lafayette.

Ohio State 41
Purdue 20

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State—Indiana Highlights (Week 10, Game 9 - 11/05/2011)

2011-11-08T11:19:00.008-05:00

Well, it wasn't pretty -- and this week, the defense looked the worst they've probably looked all season, but they made some plays in the end to preserve the victory -- and as they say, a win is a win!

This Ohio State-Indiana highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.

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Ohio State-Indiana Recap: Buckeyes Escape Hoosiers Upset Bid; Keep Big Ten Hopes Alive

2011-11-06T03:28:00.015-05:00

By Special Contributor Chris Holloway

For the past 10 years, the month of November has brought unbridled joy and success to the Buckeyes.

They have lost just twice in November since 2003, and closing out the season with four consecutive wins has been the hallmark of this program since that day in 2001 when Jim Tressel took over as head coach.

Since 2005, the squad has lost just a single November game -- a Juice Williams powered Illini victory in 2007 -- that marred an otherwise perfect regular season.

The tradition of winning games in the weeks before Thanksgiving did not falter on Saturday as Kevin Wilson brought his 1-8 Hoosiers into the Horseshoe. Indiana had not won against the Buckeyes in 16 straight tries -- their last win coming in 1988.

There was not a single pundit that believed that Indiana could break this losing streak, especially after the abrupt dismissal of DeMarlo Belcher -- the team's leading receiver -- for violation of team rules.

With Belcher gone, the receiving corps for Indiana looked even bleaker than that of their opponents, as they were without their top two receivers.

The Buckeyes were not without their missing pieces either. Jordan Hall, the do everything back, injured his ankle during the last kick return against Wisconsin, and missed the game.

Jamaal Berry was involved in an altercation before the contest against the Badgers. During the week, he was officially charged with several counts and was suspended indefinitely. In the backfield, they would not be missed, but where their absence would be most felt was in the kick return game.

In normal situations, with Hall out, Berry would be in the mix to return kicks. Since his suspension, there was speculation as to who would be returning punts and kickoffs. Thoughts drifted to anyone from Chris Fields to Dan Herron to Rod Smith, who had been practicing with both the linebacker corps as well as the running backs. In the end, it was Devin Smith, the receiving hero from a week ago, that would end up with kick return duty.

Neither team figured to throw the ball all that much in this game, given their shortcomings in the passing game. Braxton Miller may have saved the day with his arm a week ago against the Badgers, but most would agree that it was an anomaly.

We all know that Miller has the potential to be a finesse passer, but so far he has not been given the chance as the Ohio State coaching staff has opted for a more conservative style of play.

On the opposite sideline, true freshman quarterback Tre Roberson was showing glimpses of greatness in the opportunities that have been presented to him. A dual threat QB in his own right, Roberson had the ability to make plays with not just his feet, but his arm as well. This would become evident to the Buckeyes early on.

Taking the field for the coin toss, the Hoosiers won and elected to receive. Drew Basil, with shades of his last kickoff against Wisconsin, booted the ball out of bounds on the opening kickoff to give Indiana the ball at the 40-yard line. After a run-heavy drive that took the Hoosiers to the Ohio State 18, Indiana was forced to settle for a field goal to give them the early lead at 3-0.

Devin Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 17 yards to the Ohio State 26. The decent return was marred by a drive that only gained 20 total yards, with 15 of those coming on a penalty. A collective groan was heard as the drive ended in disaster when Braxton Miller fumbled the ball at the 46, with Indiana recovering.

A Tre Roberson pass for 11 yards to Kofi Hughes and a 16-yard run up the gut by the true freshman QB set up a five yard run by Stephen Houston for the first touchdown of the game. The Bucks now trailed 10-0 and horrible thoughts of Purdue 2009 and Illinois 2007 began to creep into the minds of the Buckeye faithful.

Those thoughts were quelled for a moment as on the very next drive when Miller broke free and in just a few strides, set the school record for longest rushing TD by a Quarterback -- scampering 81 yards to the house and cutting the Indiana lead to three.

The Silver Bullets recorded the first of their three and outs after the kickoff, assisted by an Indiana penalty, and Ohio State took back over on their own 41. As they began their next march down the field, the offensive line showed some weakness in the trenches. In all, the Buckeyes allowed six sacks on the day, two of which came on this drive.

Miller did show some shades of passing acumen when he hit fullback Zach Boren for a 22 yard strike, only to be sacked again. The Buckeyes settled for three to tie the game when the second quarter began.

If the fourth quarter of the Wisconsin game was the Clash of the Passing Games, then the first half of the Indiana game was classic Tresselball.

The kickers for both teams were the story in this half, hitting their field goals and MVP Ben Buchanan pinning the Hoosiers deep within their own territory on seemingly every punt. Basil and Ewald combined for three field goals in the second quarter -- the only scores in the period -- and at halftime the teams went to the locker room tied at 13 apiece.

Just before the break, there was shock and confusion at the tactic that Coach Wilson employed, calling successive timeouts with little time on the clock, only to kneel the ball down and let the clock run out. Given that Ohio State would take the ball in the second half, the decision by the first year head man was a head scratcher. Perhaps he feared the pick six, or perhaps communication was an issue.

Whatever the reason, the Buckeye coaching staff had to feel a little underwhelmed at the outcome of the first half, and the choruses of boos did nothing to dispel the notion that they had to come out stronger in the second half.

They were not expecting to be tied going into the break, much less being exposed on defense as they had been. Indiana seemingly had the middle of the field occupied on short routes, and were able to connect on just about every short or mid-range crossing route they ran.

Ohio State took the ball to start the second half, and Boom Herron promptly broke off a 40-yard run. The celebration was short lived, however, as Braxton was sacked yet again and then intercepted by Webb, the second turnover by the freshman QB.

It seemed as if the Bucks could not get anything going unless it was a breakaway, big play. The defense, porous at times, found their real steel and managed another three and out. Pines punted, and Ohio State took over at their own 48, giving them magnificent field position.

On their first play, Braxton took off for a 13-yard gain, followed by runs of 20 and 15 by Herron -- the latter ending in the endzone to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game at 20-13.

Indiana responded in-kind on their next drive, with Roberson hitting Hughes for with a 34-yard strike, and just like that, the game was knotted again at 20.

Miller and crew then had their most sustained drive, going eighty yards down the field, using the rushing attack that everyone figured them to use almost exclusively.

Carlos Hyde, who was complaining on Twitter about his lack of carries and playing time after the Illinois game, provided the bulk of the yards on the drive -- even though his longest run of the day to that point was negated by a holding call on Corey Brown.

After another breakdown in protection led to yet another sack, Braxton responded by taking the rock to the house on a 20-yard run that saw him waltzing into the end zone. Ohio State was back in the lead, 27-20, and they would not relinquish it again.

The Hoosiers had control of the ball when the final period started, and took it down the field to the Ohio State 18. On 4th and 9, the Indiana field goal unit came out, only to have a false start penalty levied against them. Ewald, whether shaken or just frustrated, pushed the football wide left with just nine minutes and change left in the game.

All Ohio State would need to do was eat away at the clock to secure their third consecutive Big Ten win. Those hopes were nearly dashed briefly however, as Herron fumbled on the first play, with Miller recovering.

Boom came off the field, apparently shaken up a bit, and El Guapo came on. Hyde and Miller joined up to grab the first down at the OSU 35, only to have Miller sacked once more, and the drive stalled. Buchanan came on to punt, and booted the kick to the Hoosier 28.

Coach Heacock's defense looked for another three and out, only to be stymied by a Roberson pass to Hughes that kept Indiana's hopes alive.

Roberson rushed for another first down to the Ohio State 44, but on the very next play, was intercepted by Travis Howard. Howard read the route beautifully, stepped up to the ball, and returned it 15 yards to the OSU 42 yard line.

After a 4-yard gain by Hyde, he broke through the middle of the defense and steamrolled his way down to the Indiana 7.

Boom came back onto the field, rushed right for five, and Hyde showed why he should be the short yardage bruiser by punishing his way through the Hoosier defense for a two-yard score.

The Buckeyes ended the game with three 100-yard rushers on the day -- just the fourth time in school history that feat was accomplished. The last time this had happened was in 1989 against Northwestern when Dante Lee, Scottie Graham, and Carlos Snow each eclipsed the mark.

The lead was now a more-comfortable 14 points with just two and a half minutes remaining. All of the Buckeye touchdowns had been on runs. Braxton posted two; Boom found the end zone once after having his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown snapped against Wisconsin, and of course, Hyde and the final nail in the coffin for Indiana.

Ryan Shazier and company produced their last three and out, with big #10 coming through the line to sack Roberson and Michael Bennett recording his own sack just two plays later to force the turnover on downs.

With a minute and 40 seconds left on the clock and Indiana out of timeouts, the Buckeyes lined up in the victory formation for three consecutive kneel downs, and the clock ran out to give Ohio State a hard fought win -- one that kept the hopes of an appearance in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game alive.

The Buckeyes continue to need a bit of help to make it to Indianapolis, but you have to figure that the scandal currently swirling around University Park will have an effect on the Nittany Lions as they prepare for the most difficult stretch of the season.

A loss against either Nebraska or Wisconsin, coupled with Ohio State winning the rest of their games would see the Buckeyes in the Promised Land.

Iowa showed what we already knew -- Michigan can be beaten -- as the gave the Wolverines another Big Ten loss.

As long as Ohio State can avoid looking past Purdue as they almost did Indiana this week -- which isn't exactly a guarantee this season (remember 2009?), they nearly control their own destiny.

While the game wasn't even close to being the blowout that many expected (and yes, that HD predicted), and the team kept the fans on a razor's edge the entire game, what matters at the end of the day is the win.

Now, with six wins in the regular season and three left to play, the Buckeyes are officially bowl eligible. Where they end up come bowl season is almost entirely up to them.

Prepare, execute, and limit mistakes, and this team could be headed to the Rose Bowl for the second time in 3 years.

After an offseason of scandal, strife, and a sea of change in the locker room, nothing could be sweeter than smelling roses on January 1st, 2012.

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Ohio State vs. Indiana — Week 10 (Game Nine) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-11-04T06:35:00.029-04:00

OSU/Indiana—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Coming off last weeks' huge upset win over the then-No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers, the Buckeyes host Indiana this Saturday at noon in Ohio Stadium.

As predicted, it was a Braxton Miller coming out party of sorts, as Miller had his best game as a Buckeye with 89 passing yards, 99 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns -- none bigger than the game-winning, 40-yard TD toss to Devin Smith with just 20 seconds left on the clock after Wisconsin had stormed back from 12 down to take the lead with 1:18 left.

The Buckeyes kept their Big Ten title hopes alive with the win, and have instilled renewed excitement across Buckeye Nation. Conversely, Indiana is probably just hoping their nightmare season ends soon.

The hapless Hoosiers are just 1-8 on the year. Having just booted their top WR, DeMarlo Belcher, from the team this past week won't help their struggling offense either.

The Buckeyes need to avoid the classic let-down performance here that so often follows a big win for many-a-team. Indiana is obviously not a good team, but they've played a couple of halfway-decent teams (Virginia, Penn State) closer than might have been expected, and they'll come to Columbus with a nothing-to-lose mentality -- fair warning to the Bucks not to overlook them -- any given Saturday...

Team Overview / Players of Note

Indiana

The Indiana offense ranks 75^th nationally at 378 yards per game. They are 112^th in total defense (62^nd vs. the pass, 117^th vs. the run), allowing an average of 458 yards per game, and rank 114^th in points allowed per game (36.2). In a word, the IU defense (especially against the run) is woeful.

Quarterback Tre Roberson has thrown for 524 yards, with 2 touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 125. He also has 267 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

Wide receiver Kofi Hughes has 20 catches for 298 yards, with two touchdowns. He's the only receiver on the roster that has made any significant contribution with Belcher gone and Duwyce Wilson injured and out for the year.

Running back Stephen Houston leads the team with 577 yards and six touchdowns. He also has 12 receptions for 125 yards.

Ohio State

Ohio State is 110^th in total offense (310 yards per game) nationally. They are 17^th in total defense (27^th vs. the pass, 26^th vs. the run), allowing an average of 310 yards per game, and rank 16^th in points allowed per game (17.9).

The Silver Bullets have 17 sacks and nine interceptions through eight games.

On the season, last weeks hero QB Braxton Miller, has 492 passing yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 342 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns. His current passer efficiency rating is 143.

Devin Smith made his single reception against the Badgers count in a big way when he caught the game-winner with 20 seconds left on the clock last Saturday. He leads the team in yardage with 227 yards on 10 catches, including four for scores.

Despite another week without a catch, TE Jake Stoneburner is second on the team with 150 yards, and still leads in receptions and touchdowns, with 12 and six respectively.

With Jordan hall set to miss the Indiana game due to injury, Carlos Hyde will get another chance to see the field along with Dan Herron. Hyde still leads the team in rushing with 408 yards and five touchdowns, while Herron -- who rushed for his second straight 100-yard game in as many starts -- has 274 yards and a score.

Ohio State—Indiana History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 67-12-5 all-time vs. Indiana.

• Ohio State is 68-8 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 17-1 in November games since 2005.

• Ohio State has won 16 straight games against Indiana.

• Ohio State is 43-10-4 in Columbus all-time vs. Indiana.

• Ohio State is 182-78-11 all-time in November home games.

• Ohio State's defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 27 games at home.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just seven 100-yard rushers in their last 45 games.

• Ohio State has held 66 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has lost just two games in the month of November since their last loss to Michigan on November 22^nd, 2003 (Purdue 2004, Illinois 2007).

• Indiana is 42-85 overall since 2001.

• Indiana last defeated Ohio State in 1988.

• Indiana last beat Ohio State in Columbus in 1987.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

In their last two games, the Buckeyes have upset Illinois and Wisconsin. In those games, they averaged 135 yards passing and 239 yards rushing. It's a safe bet that the gameplan for Indiana will be to run a lot, and then run some more.

Sorry to any Hoosier fans out there, but even you know that the Bucks could completely overlook Indiana and still gain 200+ on the ground while posting a win in convincing fashion.

The final outcome really shouldn't be a mystery, so me picking the Buckeyes is a given here.

Wisconsin crushed IU 59-7, so since Ohio State beat UW by 4, Ohio State will win by at least eight touchdowns -- or I'll never-ever count on that damn transitive property when making my weekly pick again...

Ohio State 48
Indiana 0

Yeah, I was joking about the eight TDs and the transitive property -- I am not kidding however on that final score.

I definitely can see OSU scoring close to 50 AND pitching the shutout -- Believe it!

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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The REAL Big Ten Power Rankings, Minus the ESPN Anti-Buckeye Sentiment

2011-11-01T13:00:00.038-04:00

Adam Rittenberg and Brian Bennett posted their Week 10 Big Ten Power Rankings yesterday, and the list makes practically no sense at all -- especially when they have one team that was crushed by another team four spots higher in their rankings than the team that crushed them.

Surely you can figure out the two teams being referenced when you look at theirs.

Here are the real power rankings as they should be, based on how each team is performing on offense, defense, and special teams at this point in the season -- not just on who has beaten who, or overall number of wins, as that doesn't reflect each team's strength of schedule -- or lack thereof.

12.

Indiana (1-8, 0-5), is still Indiana, and they just booted their best WR off the team -- not good.

11.

Minnesota (2-6, 1-3) finally got their first Big Ten win, but Iowa is not much higher in the rankings, so it's not really a big deal outside of Minneapolis.

10.

Illinois (6-3, 2-3) has lost three straight games, and web traffic to the Fire Ron Zook websites has most certainly increased steadily in the past three weeks.

9.

Iowa (5-3, 2-2) has good players and what we thought was a decent coach, although some fans in the Hawkeye Nation are beginning to question if they have a JoePa situation on their hands...

8.

Northwestern (3-5, 1-4) is a much better team than their record indicates, especially with a healthy Dan Persa, but if this program is going to ever turn the corner, they have to consistently win the games they're supposed to win.

7.

Purdue (4-4, 2-2) has been hard to figure out at times this season, but now that they have settled on QB Caleb TerBush, count on a few more wins out of the Boilers before all is said and done.

6.

Michigan State (6-2, 3-1) has shown almost no consistency -- losing to a middle of the road Notre Dame squad, beating Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, and then getting dominated by Nebraska -- talk about hard to figure out.

5.

Penn State (8-1, 5-0) managed to escape defeat last week against the Illini, but they have played exactly one good team, and lost. This week they are off, then will host Nebraska before travelling to Ohio State and Wisconsin -- all opponents who could very possibly hand PSU three losses to finish off the season.

4.

Nebraska (7-1, 3-1) has played pretty well nearly every week, other than their trip to Madison, and before Braxton went down and Black-Death-Bauserman came into the game for the Buckeyes. With games remaining against Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan, and Iowa, 10-2 or 11-1 and a Legends Division title seems a very likely probability.

3.

Wisconsin (6-2, 2-2) hasn't dropped far in the rankings as far as I am concerned despite losing back to back games in heartbreaking fashion -- one on a Hail Mary to Michigan State, and the other to Ohio State on a veteran-like touchdown pass by freshman-phenom Braxton Miller with less than 30 seconds left. Unfortunately however, their dream season may be over as they look to be the odd man out should a three-way tie occur between themselves, Ohio State, and Penn State in the Leaders Division.

2.

Ohio State (5-3, 2-2) is playing as well as anyone in the conference in all facets of the game -- not to mention, the Buckeyes have won 10 Novemeber games in a row and have lost just two games in the month of November since 2003. It just really sucks that several great defensive efforts were wasted before the coaches finally realized that Braxton Miller needs to be on the field, every possible second of every game. Maybe it's not too late though as the Buckeyes have a real chance at yet another Big Ten title.

1.

Michigan (7-1, 3-1) is improved on defense (although there was really nowhere to go but up) and has one of the most dynamic and athletic players college football has seen recently in Denard Robinson. Too bad he's not a very good QB, and he still has at least two strong defensive units to face in Nebraska and Ohio State. 9-3 would be a great season in AA after what that program has endured recently -- but it won't mean as much if coach Brady Hoke can't lead his team to their first victory over "Ohio" since 2003...

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Ohio State-Wisconsin: Anatomy of a Game-Winning Touchdown Throw and Catch

2011-11-01T12:06:00.011-04:00

We often here the expression Heisman Moment, but have you ever wondered what does that really mean or what kind of play does that refer to exactly?

Well, scroll down and wonder no more...

(I'm not suggesting that Braxton is a Heisman candidate (not this year anyway), but this exactly the type of play that gets labeled as a Heisman Moment).

The Game-Winner—Braxton Miller to Devin Smith, frame-by-frame.

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Ohio State—Wisconsin 2011 Highlights (Week 9, Game 8)

2011-10-31T02:50:00.009-04:00

Once again, we saw how great the Ohio State defense is and how good the offense can be running and throwing (when needed), as the Buckeyes gave the Badgers another last-second, heartbreaking loss.

This Ohio State-Wisconsin highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.

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Ohio State Upsets Wisconsin: Buckeyes Shock The World And Keep Their Big Ten Title Hopes Alive In One Fell Swoop

2011-10-30T17:53:00.030-04:00

By Special Contributor Chris Holloway

Just a year ago, the Buckeyes were in the BCS driver’s seat. They had climbed the polls to #1 and winning out would have seen Jim Tressel in his fourth National Championship Game, tying him with Bob Stoops of Oklahoma.

Ohio State simply had to go into Camp Randall and dismantle the Badgers of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, Scott Tolzien and the Bucky offense had other plans. Tressel, Pryor, and company left Madison disheartened, beaten, and out of the National Championship picture.

Wisconsin found themselves in a similar situation on October 22nd against Michigan State. And just like the Buckeyes, Bret Bielema and crew left the stadium -- their hopes of a National Championship run behind the skill of Russell Wilson and Montee Ball -- all but dashed on a last second Hail Mary.

They came into The Horseshoe with a chip on their shoulder and a point to prove. They set out to show that they are the new premier team in the B1G, even though they were looking up at Penn State in the Leaders division.

Bielema had said during the week that he missed Terrelle Pryor, if only because he wanted to shove Pryor’s words back down his throat. Pryor may have left Ohio State -- a trail of devastation in his wake -- but Daniel “Boom” Herron picked up his words and tossed them back to the Wisconsin sidelines.

Coach Fickell may have tried to downplay the revenge aspect of this game, but apparently nobody informed the team, least of all freshman phenom quarterback Braxton Miller and All-Everything tailback Boom Herron.

The previous game against Illinois saw just one completed forward pass from Ohio State. The Buckeyes were determined not to have that happen again. Not in a stadium filled with high profile recruits such as Bri'onte Dunn, among others.

Not during Homecoming Week.

Not on the night that Heisman Winner Eddie George was being honored at halftime for his contributions and being recognized for getting elected to the college football Hall of Fame, to which he will be inducted next summer.

And most definitely not on the night that the Buckeyes honored the 1961 championship team with their Nike Pro Combat Uniforms.

Ohio State was a perfect 2-0 in games in which they had worn the throwback alternate jerseys, and the sheer awesomeness of the uniform (I personally love the hell out of it, especially the helmet) would hopefully carry some luck into the game against the 15th ranked Badgers.

If you consider Jim Bollman to be an inept offensive coordinator, then Jim Heacock is the polar opposite. All season long the major bright spot of this team has been the extraordinary defense. This time would be no different. They swarmed the ball carriers, determined to contain the legs of Ball, White, and Wilson. And contain they did.

It wasn’t until about 5 minutes into the game that Ball caught a bullet from Wilson over the middle. Christian Bryant had read the play beautifully, and just missed the interception, and a probable pick-six.

Ball grabbed the pass and scampered into the Promised Land to give his team an early 7-0 lead. The defensive slugfest continued into the second quarter and culminated with a sack by Adam Bellamy, with a little help from defensive juggernaut John Simon to end the first half.

Ohio State took the second half kickoff and immediately came out swinging. Starting from their own 25 yard line, Braxton and company went to work. They reeled off 75 yards on seven plays during the march down the fiel.

Herron broke loose for a 57-yard run down to the Wisconsin 18, and then continued with another 18 yard run to put the ball on the 1. Initially, the call on the field was a touchdown, and would have given the Buckeyes a 9-6 lead, but upon official review, the call was overturned and the ball set back at the one-yard line.

Braxton punched it in for his first rushing touchdown of the night. On the very next drive -- after a three-and-out forced Wisconsin to "attempt" to punt -- Ryan Shazier came flying in from the left side and blocked the punt.

Ohio State recoverd on the one-yard line and three plays later, Jordan Hall skipped and pushed his way to the end zone to make the score 17-7.

The Badgers responded with an 11 play drive that ate up over five minutes of game time and 43 yards, culminating in a Montee Ball 1-yard touchdown run that closed the gap to three. Neither team would score the remainder of the quarter and Ohio State was set to start the final quarter with the ball, clinging to a slim three point lead.

One wrong move -- one false start -- or one stalled drive could end their Cinderella run. The first drive ended in a field goal, giving the team some breathing room, but not enough to to solidify their comfort level, or the eventual victory.

They led by just six, and desperately needed to stop the vaunted offense -- that had been averaging 47 points a game -- that Bielema brought to Columbus.

It wasn’t until their second drive that Ohio State got the cushion they were looking for in the form of a 44-yard run by Miller to record his second TD on the ground. The two-point conversion failed, but the Buckeyes still held a two possession lead, at 26-14.

But, as often happens -- even to a great defense in the latter stages of a supremely physical game -- the Silver Bullets gave up two huge plays that put the victory in jeopardy.

In just the span of two and a half minutes, Russell Wilson heaved TD passes of 49 and 17 yards to Abbrederis, giving the Badgers a one point lead. Bielema wisely chose to go for two, which the Badgers converted when Wilson tossed a clean shovel pass to Ball, who went virtually unmolested into the end zone, to give his team a 29-26 lead with just under a minute and a half left in the game.

Ohio State got the ball back with about a minute and 18 seconds on the clock after a fantastic return from Jordan Hall, all the way out to the 48 yard line.

From there, Buckeyes took over and finally showed the balanced offense that the coaches were talking up all week. After a 3 plays that garnered 12 yards, Miller took the snap, eluded a blocker -- or five, rolled to his right, and right as it appeared that he was going to take off running once again.

When he stopped short of the line of scrimmage and heaved the ball down the field, the collective breaths of 105,110 faithful also stopped short. It wasn’t until fellow true freshman Devin Smith came down with the ball in the end zone that anyone dared to breath. But when they did, it was to let out the loudest celebration yell the stadium had heard all night.

The Buckeyes had done the improbable. With 20 seconds left on the clock, the phenom had put his team on his back and delivered the go ahead touchdown. Wisconsin was out of timeouts. They had no way to effectively stop the clock.

Perhaps fearing a kickoff run back, Basil kicked the ball out of bounds and let Wilson take over at the 40. After two tosses that fell incomplete thanks to Bradley Roby and C.J. Barnett, Wilson heaved another desperation pass into double coverage.

The clock ran down to zero, but then, the yellow death came flying onto the field.

The Buckeyes were charged with two penalties, one declined, but the other, a facemask personal foul, was accepted -- giving the Badgers the ball in Buckeye territory for one, final, untimed down.

Wisconsin had one last chance. Wilson took the snap, had a decent pocket, and stepped up to the right. And just as he was about to unleash his own desperation Hail Mary, LB Andrew Sweat hit him from behind, sending the pass lazily to the turf.

It was done. The ongoing mission to shock the world and every sports pundit out there had finally come to fruition.

The fans began to rush the field for what was clearly an emotional win, given the past year for the squad. But tattoos, money, charities, and suspensions mattered not on this night.

This night, Ohio State showed the world that they can face severe adversity and punch it directly in the nether regions.

With Penn State unbeaten in, and atop the Leaders division, the Buckeyes nearly control their own fate from here on out. They face Penn State at home in three weeks, and Penn State also has to face Nebraska and Wisconsin.

If OSU wins out, and Penn State loses to either the Cornhuskers or the Badgers (a very distinct possibility), the Buckeyes will have their spot reserved in Lucas Oil Stadium for the inaugural B1G title game on December 3rd.

Buckeye Nation has renewed optimism and fervor for this team -- one that has been cobbled together by some members of its' own fanbase as a roster full of so-called misfits, thugs, and cheaters.

There was no inkling of that on the field last night, however -- and the scene for the post game rendition of Carmen, Ohio was nothing less than truly emotional.

The Buckeyes won't get to rest again the remainder of the season. They must ride this high into next week’s game, and through the season finale' in Ann Arbor on 11/26/11, if they have any intention of continuing this once improbable run towards yet another Big Ten Championship.

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Ohio State-Wisconsin: Braxton Miller to Devin Smith For The Win!

2011-10-30T01:14:00.018-04:00

As predicted by BlockONation, the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin in a close, thrilling game that came right down to the final untimed down!

For the game, Miller ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and went seven of 12 through the air for 89 yards, including the game-winning 40-yard touchdown pass with just :20 seconds left that put the Buckeyes up for good.

Deal with it, Wisky!

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Ohio State vs. No. 15 Wisconsin - Week Nine (Game Eight) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-10-26T18:12:00.070-04:00

Here's this week's feature. Sorry it's a day or two later than usual -- been under the weather -- enjoy!

OSU/Wisky—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Upset-minded Ohio State welcomes in the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers this Saturday night at Ohio Stadium in what is being projected as a Scarlet Out.

There are a multitude of reasons why the Buckeyes need to win:

Primetime, national stage game (8:00PM, ESPN) vs. a top 15 ranked opponent, in front of 105,000+ scarlet-clad fans.

This is Ohio State's 90^th Homecoming game. OSU is 65-19-5 in the previous 89.

1995 Heisman winner Eddie George is being honored at halftime.

The Buckeyes are 2-0 (2009 and 2010 vs. Michigan) when wearing their Nike Pro Combat Jerseys. This year's uniforms are a tribute to the 1961 national champion Buckeyes.

A win will close the gap and keep the Bucks on pace in the Big Ten and Leaders division standings.

As @BlockONation follower Angie from Twitter tweeted -- It's about Revenge. Losing last year to Wisconsin in Madision as the then-No.1-ranked team in the nation is almost the best reason, only outdid by the classlessness displayed by Badger basketball fans and their head coach.

Bo Ryan's elitist and condescending "Deal with it" response when asked about Badger fans spitting on Jared Sullinger as they stormed the court after the 71-67 upset win over the Buckeyes in the Kohl Center.

Despite all of these motivating factors, beating Wisconsin may prove even more difficult than already previously expected as the Badgers are coming off a heartbreaking road loss, via a last-second Hail-Mary-Prayer to the Spartans of Michigan State.

The outcome in The Shoe could hinge on if Wisconsin comes in fired up and focused, or down and dejected off of the MSU loss.

Brief Game Outlook / Players of Note

Having had two weeks to prepare, one would expect that regardless of whichever psyche the Badger football team shows up with, Ohio State will themselves come out fired up and focused. There's no reason this team should not perform like a well-oiled machine on BOTH sides of the ball.

Wisconsin

The Badgers are ninth in the nation in total defense, allowing 121 yards rushing and just 165 yards passing per contest.

They also rank sixth nationally in fewest points allowed per game (13.6). Through the first seven games, the Badger defense has 18 sacks and seven interceptions.

Quarterback Russell Wilson, a leading Heisman candidate, has thrown for 1,780 passing yards, with 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 205.

Leading wide receiver Nick Toon has 27 catches for 505 yards, with six touchdowns. Jared Abbrederis is second with 30 receptions for 482 yards and two scores.

The running back duo of Montee Ball and James White are a powerful and dynamic one-two punch out the Badger backfield. Ball leads the team with 768 yards and 17 touchdowns, while White has added another 458 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Ball also has 190 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.

Ohio State

The Buckeye defense is currently 16^th in the nation in total defense, allowing 116 yards rushing, and 188 yards passing per game. They rank 12^th in fewest points allowed per game (16.3). The defense has 14 sacks and nine interceptions through seven games.

Two weeks ago against then-No. 14 Illinois, Ohio State attempted just four passes the entire game, with one completion -- a 17 yard touchdown pass from Braxton Miller to TE Jake Stoneburner -- in a 17-7 upset over the previously unbeaten Illini.

That won't get it done this week against the Badgers.Quite the opposite effort will likely be needed for the Buckeyes to pull out a win over a Wisconsin team averaging mover 47 points per game.

Ohio State will, and must still do what they do best -- run the football -- but this is going to have to be Braxton Miller's coming-out party as a passing QB. If not, Buckeye fans could be in for a long night, and a huge letdown and a blowout loss.

On the season, Miller has 403 passing yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He has 243 yards rushing and a current passer efficiency rating of 142.

Devin Smith has been quiet lately, but still leads the Buckeyes in receiving yardage with 187 yards on nine catches, including three for scores.

TE Jake Stoneburner is second on the team with 150 yards, but leads in receptions and touchdowns, with 12 and six respectively.

Even though Carlos Hyde now appears to be sitting third on the depth chart behind Dan Herron and Jordan Hall, he leads the team in rushing with 408 yards and five touchdowns. Hall has 321 yards rushing and a touchdown in five games, and Herron -- who made his return to the starting lineup at Illinois -- ran the ball 23 times for 114 yards and a score.

Ohio State—Wisconsin History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State is 67-8 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 247-64-20 all-time in October home games.

• Ohio State is 35-17 vs. opponents ranked in the top 25 since 2001.

• Ohio State has won three of the last four meetings against Wisconsin.

• Ohio State is 53-18-5 all-time vs. Wisconsin, including a 29-7-3 mark at home.

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 31 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 25 games at home.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just seven 100-yard rushers in their last 44 games.

• Ohio State has held 66 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• This is the first meeting since 1963 where Wisconsin is ranked and Ohio State is unranked.

• Wisconsin is 1-3 against Ohio State under head coach Bret Bielema.

• Wisconsin is 28-2 under Bielema when holding opponents to under 300 total yards.

• Wisconsin has won three of the last five meetings against the Buckeyes in Columbus.

• Wisconsin is 50-6 under Bielema when scoring at least 20 points and 37-2 when allowing 20 points or less.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Ohio State and Wisconsin both play traditional Big Ten football -- they like to run the ball -- but in Wilson, a seasoned fifth-year-senior transfer (NC State), the Badgers have the definitive edge in the passing game.

That being said, the defensive focus needs to be on containing Ball. He is the key to the Badger offense. If he has success, Wilson will in turn find it as well.

Last week, Wisconsin faced the best defense they had seen to date in East Lansing, and they left with a stinging loss.

The same fate could befall Bucky this week as they travel away from Madison to face another one of the top defenses in the Big Ten, especially if the Buckeyes abandon the conservatism on offense and incorporate the forward pass successfully into this weeks playbook.

On paper, almost everything suggests that the Badgers are the team to pick.

I was leaning in that direction, but then I saw the bad-ass, 1961 throwback helmets the Buckeyes are wearing and that changed everything...

Here's spit in your face Badger Nation -- DEAL WITH IT!

Ohio State 27
Wisconsin 24

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Luke Fickell Talks About The Ongoing NCAA Investigation, Wisconsin at Home, Recruiting, and His Own Future

2011-10-25T15:07:00.020-04:00

There is also a couple of brief appearances by DT John Simon.

Video courtesy of BuckeyeGrove.com

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Could Ohio State be Poised for a HUGE Upset Win Over Wisconsin on 10/29/11?

2011-10-20T05:13:00.020-04:00

Not sure it has quite the same ring to it as "whiteout" or "blackout", but next weekend, the Buckeyes expect a capacity crowd for their home battle with the Wisconsin Badgers in what is being framed as a "Scarlet Out".

There is no doubt the crowd of 105,000+ will be pumped and the atmosphere will be electric inside the shoe next Saturday night. The 12th man can (will) be a nightmare for opponents (Wisconsin), as long as the Buckeyes keep themselves (and the fans) in the game.

The bye week and the fact that Ohio State is 7-3 vs. UW in the last 10 meetings in Columbus bodes well for the Buckeyes.

Not to mention that, this Saturday, Wisconsin has a tough game against Michigan State, while the Buckeyes are off.

The extra week of preparation is a benefit to the Buckeyes and gives them much better odds of actually pulling the upset next Saturday in prime-time, than if they were also playing this week.

Depending on what happens in CFB this weekend, AP No. 4 Wisconsin (currently No. 6 in the BCS rankings), could be very close to that No. 1 spot when they come riding in to Columbus on their high-horses -- a very familiar scenario for the Buckeyes, who themselves went to Camp Randall last season as the top-ranked team in the nation, only to come home after a bitter defeat.

Every part of my being believes that last week at Illinois (only four pass attempts the entire game) was all a smokescreen to mask what lies ahead for the Badgers.

The Bucks will come out firing on all cylinders, and they WILL successfully pass (and run, of course) the ball against Wisconsin.

With the Badger defense focused on, and well-cognizant of the return of, Dan "Boom" Herron to the OSU backfield, QB Braxton Miller could be ready to have a breakout game, both rushing and passing the ball!

The Buckeye defense will face its' most difficult task yet in stopping -- or at least attempting to stop -- one the the best offenses in CFB this season. The very prolific Badger offense is led by QB Russell Wilson, WR Nick Toon, and RB Montee Ball -- but, Ohio State's defense will embrace the challenge.

They don't call them the Silver Bullets for nothing!

An upset win won't be a gimme, but it's not unrealistic to want it, nor to believe it just might happen...

The Buckeyes are 2-0 when wearing their Pro-Combat "throwback" uniforms, which they will donning this year against the Badgers instead of against the Wolverines, so there's that...

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Ohio State-Illinois—Week 7 Game Highlights

2011-10-18T13:56:00.004-04:00

Finally, we see just how great the defense is and how good the offense can be pounding the rock, as the Buckeyes handed the Illini their 1st loss.

Woody would be so proud.

This Ohio State-Illinois highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.com

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Ohio State vs. No. 14 Illinois: Week 7 Game Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-10-14T04:00:00.025-04:00

I have been super-busy this week at home and in the Pharmacy, but fear-not my loyal BlockONation posse', for here is this weeks feature (well, part of it anyway).

The rest should be finished sometime Friday evening/night.

I at least wanted to post the History and Trends ASAP as I know many of my blog and Twitter followers look forward to that section immensely!

Chew on this for now gang -- the rest will be updated with links posted on Twitter and Facebook tonight when it's 100% done -- thanks!

OSU/Ill—A Few Opening Thoughts...

Gameplan: You play, to win, the game...

Brief Game Outlook / Players of Note

Three yards and a cloud of dust.

O-line, Boom Herron, Jordan Hall

Ohio State—Illinois History Lesson And Trends

• Ohio State last lost to Illinois in Champaign in 1991.

• Ohio State is 114-64-8 all-time in October road games.

• Ohio State is 34-17 vs. opponents ranked in the top 25 since 2001.

• Ohio State is 0-2 in the Big Ten for just the second time since 1993.

• Ohio State is 62-30-4 overall vs. Illinois and 33-12 all-time in Champaign.

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State defense has allowed just seven 100-yard rushers in their last 40 games.

• Ohio State has held 65 of 79 opponents to 21 points or less since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State has won 5 of the last 6 overall meetings, and has won 8 games in a row on the road vs. Illinois.

• Since 1990, the visiting team is 14-5 in the OSU-ILL series.

• Illinois is just 1-5 against Ohio State under coach Ron Zook.

•.Illinois is 18-32 vs. Big Ten opponents since 2005 under Zook.

• Illinois has 1,357 rushing yards through 6 games while holding opponents to just 478 yards rushing.

• Illinois, is 9-4-1 vs. Ohio State and have won the last 5 meetings against OSU when ranked in the AP top 25.

• Illinois is 6-0 for the first time since 1951, when it finished 9-0-1 to earn a share of the national championship.

• Illinois has won 7 games in row dating back to 2010, their longest winning streak since the 2001 season -- The last time an Illinois team won 8 games in a row was 1983.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Low scoring, defensive battle was expected, and that's exactly what happened.

Pre-game prediction would have been:

Ohio State 23
Illinois 16

For the record, BlockONation guaranteed an Ohio State win over Illinois via Twitter at 11:13AM Saturday morning -- more than 4 hours before the game...

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State-Nebraska—Week 6 Game Highlights

2011-10-10T04:31:00.010-04:00

It sure was a tough ending for our beloved Buckeyes Saturday night in Lincoln, but there were several positives worth a second look from the game (pre-Miller-injury/Bauserman meltdown).

This Ohio State-Nebraska highlight video was produced by lednerk and is brought to you exclusively by BlockONation.com

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A Few Post-Nebraska-Game Thoughts on the State of Ohio State Football...

2011-10-09T12:41:00.040-04:00

Ohio State Shocked the World -- if only for 2 & 1/2 quarters in Lincoln, Nebraska last night -- then, they got shell-shocked as the Cornhuskers came back from a 27-6 third-quarter deficit to defeat the Buckeyes 34-27.

Ohio State was an 11-point underdog, so in a lot of ways, this performance was above and beyond what many expected from the Bucks. That being said, we don't play for moral victories at The Ohio State University -- this ain't Ann Arbor people -- it's still a loss.

Why/How OSU Imploded and Ultimately Lost

1. Braxton Miller injured his ankle midway through the third and he was unable to return

2. The coaches brought in the incapable Joe Bauserman -- to replace the injured Miller -- who has proven he is, well, incapable.

3. After having success running the ball most of the game and with the previously noted incapable Bauserman in under center, the coaches mind-blowingly decided to pass more than run (10 passing plays vs. eight running plays). Bauserman proceeded to go 1 for 10 for 13 yards with a sack and an interception. Several of his passes looked like they would have been over the head of the Jolly Green Giant.

4. For the game, Jordan Hall had 17 carries for 49 yards (2.9 ypc) and no touchdowns. Carlos Hyde has 13 carries for 104 yards (8.0 ypc) and two touchdowns. So why in the world did Hyde only get two more carries than Hall (nine to seven) in the third and fourth quarters? Have our coaches never head of "going with the hot hand"? And again, why were we passing more than running with the lead and with Bauserman in at QB? Bauserman isn't the one who must shoulder the blame for the loss. He's not a good QB, which is painfully obvious to everyone not named Fickell or Bollman, but he didn't put himself in the game when Miller came out, Luke Fickell and Jim Bollman did, and that's where the real blame falls.

To Sum Everything Up

The Buckeyes had this game in the bag, had Miller not gotten hurt. After that, our chances of winning evaporated because of a lack of planning by the coaches. There's no excuse for not planning ahead for just this type of situation, period.

Simply put, Ohio State was owning Nebraska until the Miller injury, and the appearance of Bauserman instead of Kenny Guiton or Taylor Graham deflated the team and stole the momentum.

It would be nice to have answers to all of these questions and explanations on these repeatedly unwise coaching decisions -- not to mention how nice it would have been to get a huge win in what can be justifiably deemed as a very winnable game

Too bad the coaches got in the way.

Important memo to the OSU coaching staff:

NO MORE BAUSERMAN...
WE'RE TALKING NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...
GOT IT? K, THANKS!

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Braxton Miller image copyright of Eric Francis / Getty Images

Ohio State vs. No. 14 Nebraska—Week 6 Game Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-10-07T05:00:00.011-04:00

Understatement Alert in 3,...2,...1,...

Ohio State is coming off one of their absolute worst performances in years.

With a mere 10 seconds left in regulation and trailing Michigan State 10-0, the Buckeyes narrowly avoided being shutout at home for the first time since 1982 (a 6-0 loss to Wisconsin) on a touchdown pass to Evan Spencer from backup QB, and sack-taking-artiste' extraordinaire, Joe Bauserman.

MSU sacked Miller and Bauserman nine times and held OSU to just 178 total yards (143 passing, 35 rushing) for the game.

It can't get worse for OSU this Saturday night -- as the Cornhuskers welcome the Buckeyes in their inaugural Big Ten conference home-opener and Ohio State's first-ever trip to Lincoln -- but it may not get much better either.

While the Nebraska defense has given up points and yards aplenty, everything will depend on if this team and these players were able refocus this week and mentally move past last weeks pathetic effort. The same goes for the coaching staff, particularly offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.

Bollman has come under intense fire from Buckeye Nation fans all across the Interwebs on forums, message boards, blogs, and Twitter.

It seems as if 10 years of frustration stemming from the lethargic, non-creative, and completely predictable offensive play-calling of the Tressel/Fickell-ball era has finally come to a head, and Buckeye fans have had enough.

Urban Meyer holding on line one.....

Whoops, daydreaming again -- Let's get back to the game.

Brief Game Outlook / Players of Note

Ohio State and Nebraska are both looking to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play after the Buckeyes struggled-mightily in a 10-7 home loss to MSU and the Cornhuskers were welcomed to the conference rather unceremoniously by the Badgers, losing 48-17 in Madison.

This season, each team has had more success on the ground and both are going to want to establish the run, and then mix in the pass when the defenses aren't looking.

Ohio State hasn't been able to do that very often. They must stop reading like an open book to opposing defenses with their personnel use and formations if they are to have a chance in this game, or any other for that matter.

Offensively, Nebraska is averaging nearly 38 points and 418 yards per game. Their defense is allowing 27 points and 377 yards per contest.

Quarterback Taylor Martinez has thrown for 823 passing yards, with four touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has 482 on the ground and 8 rushing touchdowns. His QB rating is 118.

Jamal Turer and Quincy Enunwa are the top two receivers for Nebraska. Turner has 13 catches for 223 yards. Enunwa has 9 catches for 140 yards and has scored once.

Rex Burkhead leads the Husker ground-attack with 81 carries for 516 yards (6.4 ypc) and is tied with Martinez with eight rushing touchdowns.

The Ohio State offense is averaging just over 300 total yards and just under 24 points scored per game, while the Silver Bullet defense is currently 13th in the nation in total defense (285 yards per game) and ranks 11th in points allowed per game (16.4). They have have six interceptions and 10 QB sacks through five games.

Braxton Miller looked lost last week. He played a lot like a true freshman and made some bad decisions. At times, he definitely had that deer in the headlights look. Most of the blame for that lies on the staff for seemingly never coaching him up on the sidelines. That is inexcusable and if it doesn't change, this staff may just ruin the kid for the 2012 incoming staff.

Miller has 291 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 118 yards rushing and a current QB rating of 129.

Wide receiver Devin Smith leads the Buckeyes with eight receptions for 183 yards and three scores but is not listed on the two-deep depth chart this week.

With Smith not listed, DeVier Posey suspended yet again for taking money for work not performed, and Verlon Reed out for the season with a torn ACL, the Buckeyes must rely on youth over experience.

Evan Spencer, Chris Fields, and Corey Brown, who may return from an ankle injury that has caused him to miss the last three games, will be asked to get open and make plays to help move the Buckeye passing game forward through the air, instead of backwards on the ground via the sack.

Tight end Jake Stoneburner has been deafeningly quiet lately and the Bucks desperately need him to be more involved in the offense.

Rumor has it that RB Carlos Hyde spoke out at halftime against the poor playcalling and as a result, did not see the field at all afterwards, despite averaging over 6 yards per carry in the first half.

Hyde is listed as the No. 2 back behind Jordan Hall who gets the start this week. Dan Herron, who was also slated to return this week, will join Posey in missing at least one more game before possibly returning.

Hall has rushed for 216 (4.3 ypc) yards with one touchdown, while Hyde has 295 (4.8 ypc) yards rushing and three touchdowns.

The ground-game and pass protection should each get a boost this week with the return of OL Mike Adams. Unlike Posey, Herron and OL Marcus Hall, Adams has apparently been following the rules that he had previously broken as part of the Tat-5 scandal that landed him on suspension earlier this year.

Nebraska may be new to the Big Ten this year, but they are a perfect fit in the conference. Just like Ohio State, they play traditional, smash-mouth football. The Cornhuskers have been more dynamic on offense than the Buckeyes, but the edge on defense goes to Ohio State.

Something has to give. In order for that something to give in favor of the Buckeyes, here's what has to happen.

The Buckeye offense had better stop being so vanilla and change it up this week in order to score enough points to win.

The Buckeye defense should do to Nebraska what MSU did last week to Ohio State. Load the box and stop Martinez and Burkhead and force Martinez to beat them with his arm.

Ohio State—Nebraska History Lesson and Trends

• Ohio State is 2-0 all-time vs. Nebraska.

• Ohio State is 21-4 in their last 25 Big Ten games.

• Ohio State is 198-78-10 all-time in Big Ten road games.

• Ohio State last started 0-2 in Big Ten conference play in 2004.

• Ohio State defense is second in the Big Ten with 6 INTs through five games.

• Ohio State defense has allowed just five 100-yard rushers in their last 39 games.

• Ohio State is 61-32-5 in Big Ten road openers since joining the conference in 1913.

• Ohio State is 114-63-8 on the road all-time in the month of October (360-127-28 overall).

• Ohio State has held 65 of 78 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State is 31-9 in conference road games since 2001, including a stellar 21-3 mark since 2005.

• Ohio State has not lost to a member of the Big Ten Legends Division since a 33-7 defeat at Iowa in 2004.

• Nebraska is the 4th winningest program in college football history with 841 wins; Ohio State is 5th with 834 (822 counting vacated 2010 season).

• Nebraska is 84-13-4 all-time in conference home openers.

• Nebraska has started 0-2 in conference play just once since 1968.

• Nebraska is 17-5 at home under under coach Bo Pelini (2008-present).

• Nebraska is 17-10 in conference games (Big 12 and Big Ten combined) under Pelini.

• Nebraska has lost it's last three conference home-openers (2008 Missouri; 2009 Texas Tech; 2010 Texas).

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

The OSU defense has played very well most of the season and seems to be improving each week, with the emergence of young players such as Bradley Roby, Ryan Shazier, and Christian Bryant.

It would certainly be nice to see the offense follow suit one of these days -- hopefully sooner than later -- and play at least somewhat closer to level we all thought they could play when the 2011 season began.

For the record, it would be great -- very much preferred, actually -- is this prediction is totally wrong, but the Buckeyes are a double-digit underdog in this one with good reason, when considering how average they have looked in every game other than in week one vs. perennial doormat, Akron.

Ohio State is capable of winning this game if they fix what's broken.

It's not too late to right the ship, but this just might be too tough a week to do it...

Nebraska 24
Ohio State 20

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Image (top right) copyright: Marvin Fong / The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ohio State: Just a Few Thoughts Going Forward...

2011-10-04T09:38:00.021-04:00

This weeks "Preview, History, and Prediction" feature article will be up later tonight or tomorrow, but the prediction shouldn't be much of a mystery, even to the most-guilty of Buckeye homers.

Nebraska was obviously overrated, but despite that, they are still WAAAAAAAAY better than tOSU.

Tack on the fact that now Boom Herron and DeVier Posey won't be back this week after accepting impermissible benefits while on suspension for the same offense (it could be argued that perhaps they shouldn't be allowed back ever again), and it's easy to pick Nebraska.

Don't be shocked if the prediction, and ultimately the reality, both go in favor of Nebraska by two to three scores, minimum.

In the meantime, a few thoughts...

The time has come for Buckeye Nation to stop drinking the Kool-Aid and to take off our Scarlet and Gray glasses...

As of right now, the Buckeye offense is completely inept, and the coaches are completely incompetent -- and neither is likely to suddenly improve.

It's clearer than ever just what a great coach Tressel was, just in case anyone still had doubts.

How a player (especially one who is a true freshman QB) can come off the field after making a mistake and not have the coach -- or at least his position coach -- come talk to him to tell him what went wrong, and/or what went right and what adjustments need to be made going forward is absolutely incomprehensible...

It seems that nobody on this entire staff ever coaches Braxton, or any other offensive player on the team for that matter, in between series' on the sidelines.

That is inexcusable.

It's a safe bet to suggest that this entire staff will be gone come December, and the way this season has gone so far, don't expect more than six or seven wins at best.

Let's not kid ourselves at this point -- December can't get here soon enough, and we all know why:

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Ohio State vs. No. 25 Michigan State -- Week 5 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-09-27T05:36:00.061-04:00

The Buckeyes officially began the Braxton Miller era last Saturday in Ohio Stadium -- and in a way -- hit the reset button on their 2011 season.

Better late than never as they say...

After three weeks of indecision that culminated with an embarrassing loss in Miami to the now 1-2 Hurricanes, coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman finally pulled the plug and took the failed Joe Bauserman, starting-quarterback-experiment, off of life support in favor of Miller.

The week five depth chart no longer lists the starting QB as Joe Bauserman OR Braxton Miller -- but just Miller. After his showing against Colorado, the coaching staff has finally made it official -- This is his team now.

Miller's debut against the Buffaloes was far from perfect, but the offense moved the ball -- often literally on the legs of Miller -- and scored 37 points -- which could have actually been 45, but unlike Miami against OSU the previous week, Ohio State instead showed class and ran out the clock rather than going for a touchdown to run-up-the-score in the final seconds.

Buckeye fans got a promising glimpse into the future (and the present) as Miller hooked up with wide receiver, and fellow true freshman, Devin Smith for two touchdowns in the win.

Miller needs to play within himself, protect the football, and do a lot less of this, and a lot more of this and this instead -- and the Buckeyes should definitely be in the mix for the Leaders division crown and another Big Ten title.

Brief Game Outlook / Players of Note

Ohio State and Michigan State have each lost their only road games so far this season -- both to teams they probably should have beaten (Miami-Fl and Notre Dame respectively) -- but, those losses are in the past, and there's no time to dwell on those defeats as the two rivals kick off inter-divisional conference play this week in The Horseshoe.

The Spartans currently lead the nation in total and pass defense, giving up just 172 yards per game and 101 yards through the air (albeit against a fairly weak OOC schedule).

They also rank eighth in fewest points allowed per game (11.0) and the defense leads the Big Ten with six interceptions in four games.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown for 935 passing yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer efficiency rating is 148.

Wide receiver and Biletnikoff Award candidate B.J Cunningham (pictured at left) leads the Big Ten with 29 catches for 428 yards and has scored once.

The running back duo of Le'Veon Bell and Edwin Baker have combined for 433 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Ohio State is currently 16^th in the nation in total defense. They rank 18^th in fewest points allowed per game (15.8). The defense has four interceptions and 10 QB sacks through four games.

In a little over two games, Miller has 235 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also has 145 yards rushing with a current passer efficiency rating of 147.

Smith appears to be everything Duron Carter was supposed to be at wide receiver. He leads the Buckeyes with eight receptions for 183 yards and three scores.

TE Jake Stoneburner has been quiet the last two weeks, but is still second on the team with eight catches for 94 yards and four touchdowns.

Carlos Hyde leads the team in rushing with 263 yards and three touchdowns, but Jordan Hall is close behind with 171 yards rushing and a touchdown in just two games since coming off a two-game suspension to open the season.

Ohio State and Michigan State both play traditional Big Ten football -- they like to run the ball and mix in the pass. Bell and Baker vs. the Buckeye defense and Hyde and Hall vs. the Spartan defense could decide this game.

Both defenses will be challenged, but the team whose defense can best limit and contain the opposing running backs (and the occasional dual-threat QB) will likely win the game.

Ohio State—Michigan State History Lesson

• Ohio State is 67-7 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 27-12 all-time vs. Michigan State (14-7 at home).

• Ohio State has won the last seven meetings against Michigan State.

• Ohio State is 70-23-4 in Big Ten openers since joining the conference in 1913.

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just five 100-yard rushers in their last 38 games.

• Ohio State has held 64 of 77 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 25 games at Ohio Stadium.

• Michigan State is 10-10 on the road since 2007 under coach Mark Dantonio.

• Michigan State is 20-12 overall vs. conference opponents since 2007 under Dantonio.

• Michigan State last beat Ohio State in Columbus over the then-No. 1 Buckeyes in 1998.

• In the most recent meeting, then-No. 12 Ohio State dominated then-No. 20 MSU, 45-7, in East Lansing in 2008.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

In the 24-6 loss at Miami, Ohio State didn't have a passing game or a quarterback -- now, all indications are that they do (even if he is a work-in-progress).

In the loss at Notre Dame, Michigan State did have a passing game and a quarterback (Cousins threw for 329 yards and a touchdown) -- but, they still lost 31-13.

The Spartans could only muster 29 rushing yards against ND, while their own defense yielded 114 rushing yards to the Irish.

The Ohio State defense all-but-NEVER gives up 100 yards rushing at home, and the Buckeye "O" is averaging 184 yards rushing per contest. Those trends should continue on Saturday.

So, what do you get when you put together everything you just read?

This.

Ohio State 34
Michigan State 20

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Ohio State vs. Colorado -- Week 4 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-09-22T21:41:00.011-04:00

After the debacle in Miami last Saturday -- which included a 2 for 14 passing performance from starter Joe Bauserman -- it's finally Miller Time -- as in Braxton Miller.

Coach Luke Fickell confirmed Miller, the true freshman QB, will get his first career start against Colorado, but much to the dismay of most Buckeye fans, added that Bauserman will also see action.

If the Buckeyes can survive the next two games (CU, MSU), this team will still have a chance to be pretty good, and yes, still compete for the Leaders Division crown and the Big Ten Championship -- but it's time to pick a starting QB (not named Bauserman) and stick with him (Miller) for the remainder of the season.

There will be growing pains, so Buckeye fans will need to show some patience with Miller if and when he makes freshman mistakes, but just remember, this move will allow Miller to gain invaluable experience, which should pay huge dividends for OSU in 2012.

Brief Game Outlook

Ohio State is now 2-1, while Colorado is 1-2.

In 2008, freshman-phenom Terrelle Pryor replaced senior Todd Boeckman after an ugly road loss, and led the Buckeyes to a 10-2 regular season record and the Big Ten title.

We can only hope, with Miller replacing Bauserman, that it's deja-vu all over again.

Besides QB Miller, RBs Carlos Hyde and Jordan Hall, and TE Jake Stoneburner are the players to keep an eyes on when the Buckeyes have the ball.

To date, Miller has seen limited action, but thus far has completed 10/16 passes for 152 yards with one touchdown and one interception and has also gained 62 yards on the ground -- Hyde and Hall have rushed for 223 and 87 yards respectively and Hyde has two scores -- and Stoneburner has eight catches for 93 yards and four touchdowns.

The Buckeye defense and the O-line are the team co-MVP's at this point and each unit should shine once again this week -- the defense in limiting Colorado's offensive output and scoring opportunities -- and the O-line in giving Miller time to pass and the running backs wide-lanes to run through.

Ultimately, the end-result will depend on how well Miller settles in and protects the ball once he gets past the anxiety and the butterflies he's sure to feel as he makes his first career start in front of 105,000 insane Buckeye fans.

Ohio State has better athletes across the board and is by far the superior team on paper on both sides of the ball.

That being said, there's no denying that this team is very young and while 2011 is not a complete rebuilding year, Colorado could keep it close and make a game of it -- well, for awhile anyway...

Ohio State—Colorado History Lesson

• Ohio State is 3-1 all-time vs. Colorado.

• Ohio State is 66-7 in Ohio Stadium since 2001.

• Ohio State is 42-8 vs. non-conference foes since 2001.

• Ohio State is 55-26-2 all-time vs. current Pac-12 member schools.

• Ohio State is 7-2 at home all-time vs. non-conference foes in the BCS era.

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just five 100-yard rushers in their last 37 games.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in the past 24 games at Ohio Stadium.

• Ohio State has won 56 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25.

• Colorado is 1-3 all-time vs. Ohio State (1971-Win, 1977-Loss, 1985-Loss, 1986-Loss).

• Colorado is 0-6 in road games vs. non-conference BCS opponents since 2005.

• Colorado is 1-5 in road games the week after facing CSU since 1997.

• Colorado is 14-36 against BCS conference teams since 2006.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Miller has been compared to both Terrelle Pryor and Troy Smith for his ability to scramble when pressured, like Pryor, and deliver the ball accurately down field when under pressure, like Smith.

Miller is no-doubt a talented dual-threat quarterback that could potentially surpass the accomplishments of both Pryor and Smith, but if he wants to remain the starting QB for Ohio State, he must make protecting the football priority No. 1.

Priority No. 2 is getting the ball into the hands of his backs and receivers.

Priority No. 3 is to tuck the ball and run if the receivers are covered, or just do as Bauserman did all-too-often and aim for B-deck -- but please, please, please, whatever happens -- hang on to the football!

Ohio State 33
Colorado 10

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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No. 16 Ohio State vs. Miami (FL)—Week 3 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-09-14T06:03:00.018-04:00

A fter opening the season with a convincing 42-0 win over hapless Akron, it seemed fairly reasonable to believe the Buckeyes (2-0) would not have too much trouble dispensing the Toledo Rockets in week two.

Toledo, an experienced and veteran squad, returned 18 starters from their 2010 team -- including superstar WR Eric Page -- yet, the Buckeyes were favored to win by 19.5 points.

In reality, the game was much too close for comfort. Toledo was not intimidated, and fully expected to compete, and win the game.

In the end, the Big Ten's top defense bent, but did not break, and stopped Toledo's final -- and potential game-winning -- drive in the final two minutes, securing the 27-22 victory/escape.

In 2002, on their way to 14 wins, including a BCS national title, the Buckeyes won seven games by 7 or less points. Winning close, and sometimes winning ugly, is better than losing any day of the week.

As for Miami (0-1), the Canes had an off-week to lick their wounds and prepare for Ohio State after opening the season in defeat on the road at Maryland, 32-24.

On a kind of cool/kind of hideous side note:

Seeing the Maryland "state-flag" jersey was like seeing two Arena League teams merge, and then not be able to agree on which jersey to keep going forward, so instead, they decided to take half a jersey from each team to form the new team's jersey -- OR -- Perhaps they resemble a CFL team sponsored by a taxi-cab company?

Brief Game Outlook

As programs go, there are a lot of similarities between Ohio State and Miami.

Both have at least five national titles (OSU 7, Miami 5).

Each school boasts a who's-who list of national award winners, and both programs have sent multiple players to the NFL.

Oh, and you may have heard something this off-season about both schools being under investigation by the NCAA regarding players that have received improper benefits.

While the off-the-field infractions that occurred at Ohio State are very serious and are likely to warrant additional sanctions from the NCAA on top of those already self-imposed by the university, those at Miami could include a lack of institutional control charge, and all-totaled, could potentially be deemed as death-penalty level violations.

As for the game this Saturday night, it's a bit of a toss-up.

Last week, freshman QB Braxton Miller was expected to play against Toledo, but never saw the field. Instead, senior Joe Bauserman played the entire game, and while Bauserman didn't turn the ball over, he also did little-else to help lead the Buckeyes to victory.

This Saturday, against a speedy and athletic team like Miami, Coach Fickell might want to strongly consider playing Miller. Not only can Miller move well in the pocket and scramble away from pressure if needed (a la Terrelle Pryor), but he also possesses excellent passing mechanics and a strong, accurate arm (a la NOT Terrelle Pryor).

Jordan Hall (RB), Travis Howard (DB), and Corey Brown (DB) will be reinstated by game time. Miami QB Jacory Harris has also been given the all-clear and will start for the Canes. In all, the Buckeyes still have four players (including 3 starters) out due to suspension -- certainly an edge in favor of Miami.

Last season in Columbus, Miami scored two special teams touchdowns, but the Buckeye defense pressured Harris into four costly interceptions, and held the Canes offense to just 10 points en route to a 36-24 win.

Harris will look to improve upon his poor performance and breath some life into the Canes passing game that was somewhat lacking in their opener.

Miami RB Lamar Miller played well in the losing effort against the Terps, rushing for 119 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.

For the Bucks -- running back Hall may have to earn his spot back -- so expect Carlos Hyde to start his third straight game. Rod Smith or Jaamal Berry should also get some touches, although Smith has had two untimely fumbles in two games -- generally a sure-fire way to find yourself on the sidelines more often than not.

Freshman receiver Devin Smith leads OSU with 119 yards on 5 catches and has one touchdown reception. TE Jake Stoneburner has been the Buckeyes' most consistent and reliable receiver so far this season with eight grabs for 93 yards, including four for touchdowns -- two more than he had all of last season. Converted high school QB Verlon Reed is third on the team with five receptions for 89 yards.

Ultimately, look for the 2011 game to be decided much the same as the 2010 contest -- by turnover margin and in the trenches. The team that best protects the ball and the quarterback, and opens up the running lanes for their tailbacks should come away with the "W".

Current FBS Team Rankings

Ohio State—Miami History Lesson

• This will be the 5th all-time meeting between Ohio State and Miami.

• Ohio State is 3-1 against Miami (including the vacated win from 2010).

• Ohio State is 15-7 all-time vs. ACC opponents.

• Ohio State is 32-16 all-time in night games, including a 17-6 mark on the road.

• Ohio State is 42-8 vs. non-conference opponents since 2001.

• Ohio State has held opponents to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just four 100-yard rushers in their last 39 games.

• Ohio State has 821 wins all-time, the fifth-most among FBS teams.

• The last Buckeye head coach to win his 1st first road game was Earle Bruce, a 21-17 win at Minnesota in 1979.

• Miami is 23-2 in home openers since 1986.

• Miami is 1-3 vs Big Ten opponents since 2001, having lost their last three.

• Miami is 49-15 overall at home since 2001.

• Since joining the ACC in 2004, Miami is 14-1 at home vs. OOC opponents.

• Miami is 5-14 overall against ranked teams since 2006.

• Miami is 3-5 at home vs. ranked teams since 2006.

• Miami has won four straight home openers (2007-2010) by an average of 34 ppg.

• Miami coach Al Golden is 1-12 vs. BCS teams in his career.

Final Thoughts and Score Prediction

Both teams need a win -- Miami, to avoid an 0-2 start, and Ohio State, to prove last weeks scare against Toledo was a fluke and that they are deserving of their top 20 ranking.

The Canes rarely lose in home openers, but the 23 wins in 25 games since 1986 have mostly not been against teams the caliber of the Buckeyes.

Both teams have question marks on offense, but defensively, Ohio State gets the edge.

If there is an area of concern for OSU, it's the young secondary of the Buckeyes, however, Jacory Harris has yet to prove he can consistently play well and protect the ball -- see 2010 in Columbus -- and there are several up-and-coming defensive backs (including Bradley Roby and Dominic Clarke) on the rise for Ohio State.

Expect the Buckeye defense to contain Miller and the running game and to pressure Harris into a repeat of last years meeting -- and a similar game result.

Ohio State 31
Miami 16

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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No. 15 Ohio State vs. Toledo—Week 2 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-09-05T05:21:00.049-04:00

Week one is in the books and it was finally nice to see Ohio State get back to football with a convincing 42-0 win over Akron.

While week two also provides an opponent from the MAC, beating Toledo, who defeated New Hampshire 58-22 in their 2011 opener, could prove to be a bit more of a challenge for the Buckeyes.

The 2011 Rockets are not your typical, early season, cupcake opponent the big schools like to play in a confidence-building tune-up game. A win over this Rockets squad may not come as easily as it has in the previous meetings of the series.

Brief Game Outlook

It goes without saying that the Buckeyes have far more talent across the board than do the Rockets, but, UT is an experienced team with 18 returning starters, and an offense that can -- and will expect to -- move the ball and score a lot of points.

Akron had the worst offense Ohio State will see all year—Toledo may have one of the best.

Much like Ohio State, UT will also play two quarterbacks. Austin Dantin should start, but Terrence Owens will also play. Against New Hampshire, Dantin went 15/21 for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Owens was 10/13 for 122 yards and 1 score.

Adonis Thomas is a very solid tailback. Last week, he rushed nine times for 115 yards (12.8 ypc) and a touchdown.

And then, there is receiver Eric Page. Page was tabbed as a Walter Camp 1st-team All-American selection (as a kick returner) in 2010. He was also named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list for 2011.

While he didn't light up the stat book last week with only five catches for 60 yards and a score, there is no denying that the guy is a stud, period. The Buckeyes have a lot of young talent at WR to appreciate (this season and especially over the next couple), but imagine if Page were wearing Scarlet and Gray this week instead of Blue and Gold.

The Buckeye secondary better be ready for Page and Toledo's "other" WR, Bernard Reedy. Reedy had five receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns in the opener.

For the Buckeyes, QBs Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller can both expect to play once again. Bauserman raised some eyebrows with his impressive performance against Akron and may have stolen away some of Miller's thunder and playing time, but Miller also played well, so that remains to be seen for now.

There's been no official word yet on the status of RB Jordan Hall, however, with what both Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith did out the backfield, nobody should be too worried about that position.

With DeVier Posey out until week six, the biggest concern for OSU entering week one had to be the lack of experience at wide receiver.

Several of the Buckeye's young wideouts stepped up last week, including Verlon Reed, Devin Smith, T.Y. Williams, and Evan Spencer, but the biggest impact was the breakout game had by TE (/WR) Jake Stoneburner -- who became the first Buckeye TE ever to score three TDs in a game.

Make no mistake, the Rocket defense is going to be have a hard time matching up with and containing all of the weapons Ohio State has at their disposal.

Ultimately, this game will be won with defense and by controlling the clock. The Toledo offense will be a much better gauge to measure the quality of the OSU defense than Akron was.

Toledo has big-play ability, and the Buckeyes will have to limit those big plays and win the time-of-possession battle. Ohio State's size advantage on the O-line and punishing running game should be able to pound UT's D-line and tire out their defense in the second half.

Ohio State is the better team on paper on both sides of the ball, but games aren't played on paper, and the gap between Ohio State and Toledo isn't as big as it might normally be, so just showing up on Saturday won't be enough.

Current FBS Team Rankings

Ohio State—Toledo History Lesson

• This will be only the 3rd all-time meeting between Ohio State and Toledo.

• Ohio State won both previous meetings with Toledo (49-0 in 1998 and 38-0 in 2009).

• Ohio State defense has held opponent to fewer than 10 points 30 times since 2006.

• Ohio State is 65-7 at home since 2001.

• Ohio State is 43-0-1 vs. in-state schools since 1922.

• Ohio State is 41-8 vs. non-conference opponents since 2001.

• Ohio State last lost to an in-state school in 1921 (Oberlin, 7-6).

• Ohio State is 28-1 all-time vs. MAC schools (lone loss came in 1894 vs. Akron).

• Ohio State has won 55 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just three 100-yard rushers in their last 36 games.

• Toledo is 6-8 all-time vs. ranked opponents.

• Toledo is 6-14 all-time vs. Big Ten opponents.

• Toledo is 3-3 on the road vs. Big Ten opponents since 2000.

• Toledo is 6-6 in road games under 3rd year coach Tim Beckman.

• Toledo is 0-2 against top 25 teams under Beckman with losses to #11 Ohio State in 2009 and #4 Boise State in 2010.

Final Thought(s) and Score Prediction

ESPN college football analyst and perennial Buckeye-hater Mark May ripped the Buckeyes last week when they were only leading 21-0 over the Zips at the half.

Coincidentally, he did not do the same to Alabama (for obvious reasons, cough..., the SEC's, cough..., huge TV contract, cough..., with ESecPN) when they too were also only winning 21-0 at the half over their MAC opponent, Kent State.

Well, Ohio State isn't going to score 60 or more points, and a shutout of UT seems very unlikely this week, so you can expect Mark May to be at it again -- but it's only because of his total ignorance of the fact that Toledo is a solid team -- unlike Pitt in 1996 (or any other year for that matter) -- but I digress.

This week, the score prediction could be construed as a bit conservative, but Toledo is no slouch, so let's just call it cautious but confident, shall we?

Ohio State 44
Toledo 13

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

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Must-See, Ridiculously Amazing, One-Handed Catch by Ohio State Storm-Trooper, er, uhm, WR, Evan Spencer

2011-09-04T03:09:00.012-04:00

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Video: We Are THE 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes and You Are Buckeye Nation

2011-09-01T07:19:00.018-04:00

Future Buckeye Frank Epitropoulos posted a link to this video via Twitter in which he gives a S/O to his uncle for making and uploading it to YouTube.

Thank you Frank Epitropoulos's uncle!!!

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Ohio State—Akron: Week 1 Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

2011-08-29T11:41:00.062-04:00

The bad news may not be completely behind Ohio State, but with the start of the 2011 season just a mere 5 days away, the ongoing NCAA investigation, and possible additional pending sanctions the committe on infractions may still levy on the University and its football program are, at least temporarily, on the back burner for now.

After a tumultuous off-season for the ages -- [/understatement] -- the season is finally set to kickoff this Saturday, September 3rd, 2011, as the No. 18 Buckeyes host in-state foe Akron at Noon. The game can be seen on ESPN or online at ESPN3.com.

These aren't your Dad's Buckeyes...given how much has changed from just one season ago, they're barely even your Buckeyes.

Head coach Jim Tressel and starting QB Terrelle Pryor are both gone.

Tressel was essentially fired for his post-email/tatgate cover-up, and Pryor decided to leave OSU and enter his name into the NFL supplemental draft once Tressel "resigned".

Enter interim new head coach, Luke Fickell.

Fickell is a true Ohio State man. He's from Columbus and was a 4-year-starter for the Buckeyes in the mid-1990's. He has been on the Ohio State coaching staff since 2002 as the linebackers coach and then as the co-defensive coordinator.

The biggest decision looming for Fickell early on this season will be who to start at quarterback. The first handful of games are sure to feature both sixth-year-senior Joe Bauserman and true freshmen Braxton Miller under center, though Bauserman has been given the nod.

Is Fickell right to go with an experienced but average veteran, over a promising but young and inexperienced potential superstar?

Ultimately, Miller could take over in his first season, just as Pryor did as a true freshman in 2008.

Once the QB issue is resolved, the Bucks still have to overcome the five game suspensions of three starters — WR DeVier Posey, OL Mike Adams, and RB Dan Herron.

But remember, despite the various changes and suspensions, THIS IS STILL OHIO STATE, with a roster that's chock-full of blue-chippers ready to step in.

The old cliche' we always hear is "Any Given Saturday", but realistically the first five games of the 2011 season (starting with the Zips) shouldn't provide that much in the way of underdog theatrics, so rest (somewhat) easy until week six, Buckeye fans.

Oh, and no worries, this isn't Michigan, so don't expect any Appalachian State shockers!

Brief Game Outlook

Second year coach Rob Ianello and the Zips are replacing eight starters (five on offense and three on defense) this season. It might have actually been a bigger blessing if they were replacing 22, considering the 1-11 season Akron suffered through in 2010.

The good news is there's nowhere to go but up. The bad news is they must start the season in Columbus at "The Shoe".

Offensively, Ohio State will treat this game as a glorified scrimmage, looking to find which QB, RB, and WRs appear ready to assume the full-time starting roles, respectively.

In the QB battle, as previously mentioned, it's going to either be Bauserman or it's Miller time.

Backup running backs Rod Smith and Carlos Hyde will be looking to increase their chances of (temporarily) being named the No. 1 tailback while Jaamal Berry just hopes to get healthy. He too has his sights set on the starting job, at least until Herron returns in week 6.

Jordan Hall is expected to start against Akron, but Berry is the front-runner to take over if he can overcome the injury bug that has continually bitten him. Smith and Hyde aren't far behind.

At receiver, Corey Brown and Verlon Reed, along with Hall, Chris Fields, and T.Y. Williams will look replace Posey (5-game-susp.) and offensive POY Dane Sanzenbacher (NFL). Bauserman and Miller need someone to make plays for them if either is going to separate himself from the other as the clear No. 1 QB.

Even though OSU lost seven starters from their defense that was ranked in the top 5 statistically in most every key category, that's nothing new here.

The Buckeyes are constantly sending defensive playmakers to the NFL, and then consistently replacing them with a new crop of future NFL draftees on the defensive line, the secondary, and at linebacker.

If Akron gains more than 150-200 total yards, both sidelines might likely be surprised. In fact, as far as expectations go, most will be surprised if this game doesn't get ugly for the Zips.

However, there are a couple silver linings for Akron. First, their players are getting the experience of playing in front of 102,000+ fans and on national TV, and second, there's that nice payday for their trip down I-71.

So, despite what happens on the field, it's not all bad news for the kangaroos...

Ohio State—Akron History Lesson

• This will be the 8th all-time meeting between Ohio State and Akron.

• The last 20 Ohio State coaches are 19-0-1 in their debuts.

• Ohio State is 6-1 all-time vs. Akron, with the lone loss coming in 1894.

• Ohio State has won 32 straight home openers, by an average of 21 ppg.

• Ohio State has won 54 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25.

• Ohio State is 108-8-4 all-time in home openers.

• Ohio State's defense has allowed just three 100-yard rushers in their last 35 games.

• Ohio State has allowed their opponent to fewer than 10 points 29 times since 2006.

• Ohio State is 27-1 all-time vs. MAC schools.

• Ohio State is 40-8 vs. non-conference opponents since 2001.

• Ohio State is 64-7 at home since 2001.

• Akron is 10-28 vs. non-conference opponents since 2001.

• Akron is 16-49 in road games since 2001.

Final Score Prediction

The bottom line in this one is Akron just isn't very good on either side of the ball right now, and the Buckeyes are overloaded every year with talent no matter their personnel losses.

Given the high level of motivation these coaches and players undoubtedly have from endlessly dealing with the negative headlines and doomsday predictions leading into this season, the following quote comes to mind:

"To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when no one else will" - Sugar Ray Robinson

Ohio State 42
Akron 7

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Buckeye Breakout Kings—Fresh Faces for Ohio State in 2011

2011-08-14T22:14:00.022-04:00

Despite the stormy seas the Ohio State football program (and Buckeye fans) have had to navigate this offseason, there will indeed be football played in Columbus this year.

Gone are seven defensive starters from a year ago, plus quarterback Terrelle Pryor, while several other key players are suspended for nearly half the season.

Those losses and suspensions have....

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BlockONation's Win/Loss Record Predictions For Every Big 10 Team For The 2011 Season

2011-07-30T08:12:00.028-04:00

Scout.com affiliate CollegeFootballNews, a site which I am an occasional contributor, recently released their Big 10 win/loss predictions for each of the conference's 12 teams.

I did not partake in those predictions, but after looking them over, I disagree with several of their team forecasts and decided to post my own in contrast.

Here are the predictions from CFN.

LEADERS DIVISION

Illinois
2011 CFN Pred. 7-5

Sep. 3 Arkansas State W
Sep. 10 South Dakota State W
Sep. 17 Arizona State L
Sep. 24 Western Michigan W
Oct. 1 Northwestern W
Oct. 8 at Indiana L
Oct. 15 Ohio State L
Oct. 22 at Purdue W
Oct. 29 at Penn State L
Nov. 5 OPEN DATE
Nov. 12 Michigan W
Nov. 19 Wisconsin W
Nov. 26 at Minnesota L

Indiana
2011 CFN Pred. 4-8

Sep. 3 at Ball State W
Sep. 10 Virginia L
Sep. 17 South Carolina State W
Sep. 24 North Texas W
Oct. 1 Penn State L
Oct. 8 Illinois W
Oct. 15 at Wisconsin L
Oct. 22 at Iowa L
Oct. 29 Northwestern L
Nov. 5 at Ohio State L
Nov. 12 OPEN DATE
Nov. 19 at Michigan State L
Nov. 26 Purdue L

Ohio State
2011 CFN Pred. 10-2

Sep. 3 Akron W
Sep. 10 Toledo W
Sep. 17 at Miami W
Sep. 24 Colorado W
Oct. 1 Michigan State W
Oct. 8 at Nebraska L
Oct. 15 at Illinois W
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Wisconsin W
Nov. 5 Indiana W
Nov. 12 at Purdue W
Nov. 19 Penn State W
Nov. 26 at Michigan L

Penn State
2011 CFN Pred. 7-5

Sep. 3 Indiana State W
Sep. 10 Alabama L
Sep. 17 at Temple W
Sep. 24 Eastern Michigan W
Oct. 1 at Indiana W
Oct. 8 Iowa W
Oct. 15 Purdue W
Oct. 22 at Northwestern L
Oct. 29 Illinois L
Nov. 5 OPEN DATE
Nov. 12 Nebraska W
Nov. 19 at Ohio State L
Nov. 26 at Wisconsin L

Purdue
2011 CFN Pred. 5-7

Sep. 3 Middle Tennessee W
Sep. 10 at Rice W
Sep. 17 SE Missouri State W
Sep. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 Notre Dame L
Oct. 8 Minnesota L
Oct. 15 at Penn State L
Oct. 22 Illinois L
Oct. 29 at Michigan L
Nov. 5 at Wisconsin L
Nov. 12 Ohio State L
Nov. 19 Iowa W
Nov. 26 at Indiana W

Wisconsin
2011 CFN Pred. 10-2

Sep. 3 UNLV W
Sep. 10 Oregon State W
Sep. 17 NIU (in Chicago) W
Sep. 24 South Dakota W
Oct. 1 Nebraska W
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 Indiana W
Oct. 22 at Michigan State W
Oct. 29 at Ohio State L
Nov. 5 Purdue W
Nov. 12 at Minnesota W
Nov. 19 at Illinois L
Nov. 26 Penn State W

LEGENDS DIVISION

Iowa
2011 CFN Pred. 8-4

Sep. 3 Tennessee Tech W
Sep. 10 at Iowa State W
Sep. 17 Pitt W
Sep. 24 ULM W
Oct. 1 OPEN DATE
Oct. 8 at Penn State L
Oct. 15 Northwestern W
Oct. 22 Indiana W
Oct. 29 at Minnesota W
Nov. 5 Michigan W
Nov. 12 Michigan State L
Nov. 19 at Purdue L
Nov. 26 at Nebraska L

Michigan
2011 CFN Pred. 9-3

Sep. 3 Western Michigan W
Sep. 10 Notre Dame L
Sep. 17 Eastern Michigan W
Sep. 24 San Diego State W
Oct. 1 Minnesota W
Oct. 8 at Northwestern W
Oct. 15 at Michigan State W
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Purdue W
Nov. 5 at Iowa L
Nov. 12 at Illinois L
Nov. 19 Nebraska W
Nov. 26 Ohio State W

Michigan State
2011 CFN Pred. 8-4

Sep. 3 Youngstown State W
Sep. 10 Florida Atlantic W
Sep. 17 at Notre Dame W
Sep. 24 Central Michigan W
Oct. 1 at Ohio State L
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 Michigan L
Oct. 22 Wisconsin L
Oct. 29 at Nebraska L
Nov. 5 Minnesota W
Nov. 12 at Iowa W
Nov. 19 Indiana W
Nov. 26 at Northwestern W

Minnesota
2011 CFN Pred. 5-7

Sep. 3 at USC L
Sep. 10 New Mexico St W
Sep. 17 Miami University W
Sep. 24 North Dakota St W
Oct. 1 at Michigan L
Oct. 8 at Purdue W
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 Nebraska L
Oct. 29 Iowa L
Nov. 5 at Michigan State L
Nov. 12 Wisconsin L
Nov. 19 at Northwestern L
Nov. 26 Illinois W

Nebraska
2011 CFN Pred. 9-3

Sep. 3 UT Chattanooga W
Sep. 10 Fresno State W
Sep. 17 Washington W
Sep. 24 at Wyoming W
Oct. 1 at Wisconsin L
Oct. 8 Ohio State W
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 at Minnesota W
Oct. 29 Michigan State W
Nov. 5 Northwestern W
Nov. 12 at Penn State L
Nov. 19 at Michigan L
Nov. 26 Iowa W

Northwestern
2011 CFN Pred. 6-6

Sep. 3 at Boston College L
Sep. 10 Eastern Illinois W
Sep. 17 at Army W
Sep. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 at Illinois L
Oct. 8 Michigan L
Oct. 15 at Iowa L
Oct. 22 Penn State W
Oct. 29 at Indiana W
Nov. 5 at Nebraska L
Nov. 12 Rice W
Nov. 19 Minnesota W
Nov. 26 Michigan State L

And here is how I see the season results for each team.

LEADERS DIVISION

Illinois
2011 BlockONation Pred. 8-4

Sep. 3 Arkansas State W
Sep. 10 South Dakota State W
Sep. 17 Arizona State W
Sep. 24 Western Michigan W
Oct. 1 Northwestern W
Oct. 8 at Indiana W
Oct. 15 Ohio State L
Oct. 22 at Purdue W
Oct. 29 at Penn State L
Nov. 5 OPEN DATE
Nov. 12 Michigan L
Nov. 19 Wisconsin L
Nov. 26 at Minnesota W

Indiana
2011 BlockONation Pred. 5-7

Sep. 3 at Ball State W
Sep. 10 Virginia W
Sep. 17 South Carolina State W
Sep. 24 North Texas W
Oct. 1 Penn State L
Oct. 8 Illinois L
Oct. 15 at Wisconsin L
Oct. 22 at Iowa L
Oct. 29 Northwestern L
Nov. 5 at Ohio State L
Nov. 12 OPEN DATE
Nov. 19 at Michigan State L
Nov. 26 Purdue W

Ohio State
2011 BlockONation Pred. 12-1

Sep. 3 Akron W
Sep. 10 Toledo W
Sep. 17 at Miami W
Sep. 24 Colorado W
Oct. 1 Michigan State W
Oct. 8 at Nebraska L
Oct. 15 at Illinois W
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Wisconsin W
Nov. 5 Indiana W
Nov. 12 at Purdue W
Nov. 19 Penn State W
Nov. 26 at Michigan W
Dec. 3 vs. Nebraska W (Big 10 Championship Game)

Penn State
2011 BlockONation Pred. 6-6

Sep. 3 Indiana State W
Sep. 10 Alabama L
Sep. 17 at Temple L
Sep. 24 Eastern Michigan W
Oct. 1 at Indiana W
Oct. 8 Iowa W
Oct. 15 Purdue W
Oct. 22 at Northwestern L
Oct. 29 Illinois W
Nov. 5 OPEN DATE
Nov. 12 Nebraska L
Nov. 19 at Ohio State L
Nov. 26 at Wisconsin L

Purdue
2011 BlockONation Pred. 4-8

Sep. 3 Middle Tennessee W
Sep. 10 at Rice W
Sep. 17 SE Missouri State W
Sep. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 Notre Dame L
Oct. 8 Minnesota W
Oct. 15 at Penn State L
Oct. 22 Illinois L
Oct. 29 at Michigan L
Nov. 5 at Wisconsin L
Nov. 12 Ohio State L
Nov. 19 Iowa L
Nov. 26 at Indiana L

Wisconsin
2011 BlockONation Pred. 10-2

Sep. 3 UNLV W
Sep. 10 Oregon State W
Sep. 17 NIU (in Chicago) W
Sep. 24 South Dakota W
Oct. 1 Nebraska W
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 Indiana W
Oct. 22 at Michigan State L
Oct. 29 at Ohio State L
Nov. 5 Purdue W
Nov. 12 at Minnesota W
Nov. 19 at Illinois W
Nov. 26 Penn State W

LEGENDS DIVISION

Iowa
2011 BlockONation Pred. 7-5

Sep. 3 Tennessee Tech W
Sep. 10 at Iowa State W
Sep. 17 Pitt W
Sep. 24 ULM W
Oct. 1 OPEN DATE
Oct. 8 at Penn State L
Oct. 15 Northwestern L
Oct. 22 Indiana W
Oct. 29 at Minnesota W
Nov. 5 Michigan L
Nov. 12 Michigan State L
Nov. 19 at Purdue W
Nov. 26 at Nebraska L

Michigan
2011 BlockONation Pred. 7-5

Sep. 3 Western Michigan W
Sep. 10 Notre Dame L
Sep. 17 Eastern Michigan W
Sep. 24 San Diego State W
Oct. 1 Minnesota W
Oct. 8 at Northwestern L
Oct. 15 at Michigan State L
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Purdue W
Nov. 5 at Iowa W
Nov. 12 at Illinois W
Nov. 19 Nebraska L
Nov. 26 Ohio State L

Michigan State
2011 BlockONation Pred. 9-3

Sep. 3 Youngstown State W
Sep. 10 Florida Atlantic W
Sep. 17 at Notre Dame W
Sep. 24 Central Michigan W
Oct. 1 at Ohio State L
Oct. 8 OPEN DATE
Oct. 15 Michigan W
Oct. 22 Wisconsin W
Oct. 29 at Nebraska L
Nov. 5 Minnesota W
Nov. 12 at Iowa W
Nov. 19 Indiana W
Nov. 26 at Northwestern L

Minnesota
2011 BlockONation Pred. 2-10

Sep. 3 at USC L
Sep. 10 New Mexico St L
Sep. 17 Miami University W
Sep. 24 North Dakota St W
Oct. 1 at Michigan L
Oct. 8 at Purdue L
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 Nebraska L
Oct. 29 Iowa L
Nov. 5 at Michigan State L
Nov. 12 Wisconsin L
Nov. 19 at Northwestern L
Nov. 26 Illinois L

Nebraska
2011 BlockONation Pred. 11-2

Sep. 3 UT Chattanooga W
Sep. 10 Fresno State W
Sep. 17 Washington W
Sep. 24 at Wyoming W
Oct. 1 at Wisconsin L
Oct. 8 Ohio State W
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 at Minnesota W
Oct. 29 Michigan State W
Nov. 5 Northwestern W
Nov. 12 at Penn State W
Nov. 19 at Michigan W
Nov. 26 Iowa W
Dec. 3 vs. Ohio State L (Big 10 Championship Game)

Northwestern
2011 BlockONation Pred. 10-2

Sep. 3 at Boston College W
Sep. 10 Eastern Illinois W
Sep. 17 at Army W
Sep. 24 OPEN DATE
Oct. 1 at Illinois L
Oct. 8 Michigan W
Oct. 15 at Iowa W
Oct. 22 Penn State W
Oct. 29 at Indiana W
Nov. 5 at Nebraska L
Nov. 12 Rice W
Nov. 19 Minnesota W
Nov. 26 Michigan State W

You may or may not have noticed that I also included a prediction for the 2011 Big 10 Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Dec. 3, with Ohio State getting revenge against Nebraska for their mid-season loss to the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.

Who do you agree or disagree with more?

Let me know and please feel free to post your own predictions in the comments section.

HD Handshoe is founder of BlockONation, a part-time Big 10 Blogger with CFN, and your LEADING SOURCE for all things Ohio State Buckeyes Football.

Email HD at HD@BlockONation.com and follow HD @BlockONation on Twitter

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Despite Distractions/Tattoos/Doomsday Predictions, OSU's 2012 Class Shaping Up Nicely

2011-07-03T13:50:00.022-04:00

National Signing Day 2012 is over 7 months away, meaning a lot can still happen in terms of which prospects commit to or decommit from Ohio State in the coming months, but don't expect the worst, because it's not going to happen.

Regardless of where the OSU 2012 class ends up in the national rankings, the cupboards are far from bare in Columbus.

The Buckeyes have brought in a top 5 class in 3 of the last 4 years and have had a top 25 class every year since 2002 -- a trend that will likely live on when the dust settles next February.

5-star Lineman Kyle Kalis (6-5, 305), Ohio's top-rated player in the 2012 class recently retracted his verbal commitment to tOSU but is still considering the Buckeyes.

Personally, I believe he will ultimately become a Buckeye, but if he does go elsewhere, he's just one guy, and it's not like he's a QB, RB, or WR -- he's an offensive lineman -- a position that Ohio State isn't in dire need of filling at the moment.

Before Kalis decided to look at other programs, 4-star LB Ejaun Price (5-11, 230), a member of the 2011 class for the Buckeyes asked to be released from his LOI. His release was granted and he will be playing football for Pitt instead.

Again, Price is a good player, but not a skill position game-changer. Not to mention, Ohio State always has stud linebackers on the roster, so alas, the Buckeyes will be fine moving forward without him.

While Kalis is on the fence, the other 9 talented players should all be considered moderate to solid verbal commits that are still heading to Columbus in 2012. Here are video highlights of each.

5-Star RB Brionte Dunn (6-1, 215)
Glen Oak HS (Canton, OH)

4-Star RB Warren Ball (6-2, 200)
St Francis Desales HS (Columbus, OH)

4-Star LB/WR Joshua Perry (6-3, 225)
Olentangy HS (Lewis Center, OH)

4-Star S Devan Bogard (6-1, 175)
Glenville HS (Cleveland, OH)

3-Star TE Blake Thomas (6-4, 225)
St Ignatius HS (Cleveland, OH)

3-Star WR/ATH Frank Epitropoulos (6-3, 195)
Upper Arlington HS (Upper Arlington, OH)

3-Star OL Jacoby Boren (6-2, 275)
Pickerington HS (Pickerington, OH)

3-Star S Tyvis Powell (6-3, 180)
Bedford HS (Bedford, OH)

3-Star CB Najee Murray (5-11, 175)
Steubenville HS (Steubenville, OH)

All 9 guys are from Ohio and 5 of them are "only" 3-Star prospects. Critics like to allude to those facts as a sign of some impending apocalypse.

Ever heard of AJ Hawk, Santonio Holmes, or James Laurinaitus? They too were also once considered "lowly" 3-Star recruits. For the record, I love the Epitropoulos kid. He is VASTLY underrated IMO.

As for none of these recruits being from out of state -- This really shouldn't have to be pointed out to anyone, but apparently it needs to be said, so in closing:

OHIO IS ONE OF THE MOST FERTILE GROUNDS IN THE ENTIRE NATION WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AND FUTURE D-I COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS, SO HAVING A CLASS FULL OF OHIO-GROWN PLAYERS IS NOT A BAD DEAL...

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BlockONation.com EXCLUSIVE: A Different Take on Pay-For-Play at Ohio State

2011-06-08T17:54:00.020-04:00

A very reliable source relayed some information directly to me today that I found very interesting given the current situation at Ohio State involving players and cars, memorabilia, autographs, tattoos, alleged money-handshakes, and the like.

The term pay-for-play has been mentioned this offseason -- not just in discussions pertaining to Ohio State -- but across the entire college football landscape more times than Tiger Woods lied to his ex-wife in the past 2 years about which hole his club was really in during his multiple Las Vegas "exploits".

Here's a twist none of us saw coming -- Reverse pay-for-play. What does that mean you might be asking yourself? It is just what it sounds like.

Cheryl Krueger, co-founder of Cheryl and Co. sold her company to 1-800-FLOWERS in 2005 for millions. In the words of one of the coaches (who remains anonymous), she has been a big-time donor and philanthropist to the University for well over 20 years. She is also a board member for Bob Evans restaurants.

Here's the meat of the story -- Her son Cavin Green, a redshirt freshmen from New Albany, Ohio is a member of the Ohio State football team. He is listed as a DL and wears #94.

So what's the problem?

Well, the problem is that there is no record of Cavin Green ever playing prep football, or any sport for that matter during his high school days at Columbus Academy -- so how and why is he on the 85-man roster at Ohio State, one of the nation's most elite DI football programs?

From Krueger's Wikipedia Profile

In January 2003, when The Ohio State University won the national football championship, Krueger teamed up with OSU coach Jim Tressel to raise money for cancer research through sales of a commemorative, autographed cookie jar. Tressel lost both of his parents to cancer.

"We’ve now donated over a quarter of a million dollars to the Tressel Family Fund," Krueger says. "For a company our size to donate that kind of money, that’s a big deal. It’s a very big deal. We’re really proud of it."

It's unlikely that Green is on scholarship (hopefully not), but it seems very clear as to why and how he "earned" a roster spot -- Thanks to his Mom.

Coincidentally, Krueger and Green were listed and invited guests of Ohio State for the 2008 BCS National Championship Game against LSU -- Thanks (again) to his Mom.

Also according to my source, how Green "made the team" ($$$) isn't exactly a secret around the program among those in the know behind closed doors, but apparently, he and his situation are not to be talked about.

Whoops...

I looked on Ozone, ESPN, CBS, Yahoo, and Google among other sites, yet couldn't find 1 lousy picture of him anywhere online, and although he is listed as a member of the roster on the Buckeyes official site, there's no picture or bio for him.

Looks like who you know (Tressel) and having a few million to spare can get your son a jersey and a position on the team at OSU -- and the clout and prestige that brings to you on campus and around Columbus -- even when you have never played a day of competitive football in your whole life.

Wonder if he will lose his bought-and-paid-for roster spot now that JT is gone and the story has been uncovered...

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Instant Classic - The Legendary LSUFREEK Does Terrelle Pryor

2011-06-08T15:17:00.005-04:00

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CFN.Scout.com: Big Ten Bloggers - 5 Thoughts on WRs

2011-06-08T06:11:00.007-04:00

CFN's Big 10 Bloggers put the conference's wide receiver position under the microscope

H.D. Handshoe: On who will be the conference’s next first round NFL wide receiver?

There are several excellent wideouts around the Big Ten, but three names that almost instantaneously come to mind as potential first rounders next April are DeVier Posey from Ohio State, Marvin McNutt from Iowa, and Damarlo Belcher from Indiana.

At 6-2, 213, Posey has decent size and speed (4.52 40-yard-dash). He also possesses excellent hands -- not to mention some very nice body art courtesy of Fine Line Ink (I kid...still too soon?). But seriously, he’s a legit baller.

The problem for Posey won’t be a lack of big-play ability. In two seasons as a starter he has proven his worth in that department, having caught 113 passes for 1,676 yards and 15 touchdowns -- a handful of which that have made ESPN’s Top Plays. Missing the first five games of his upcoming senior season, however,.............

Click here to read the full story on

Partners in the Scout.com/FoxSports.com Network

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Writing on the Wall: Terrelle Pryor Leaving Ohio State Not Really Unexpected, or Upsetting

2011-06-07T19:37:00.018-04:00

Just like his buddy LeBron, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is "taking his talents" elsewhere, and the state of Ohio is better off for it.

Just 8 days after Jim Tressel resigned for the greater good of Ohio State, according to his lawyer, Pryor has followed suit.

This really is not a huge surprise for several reasons:

1-- Tressel made Pryor and the Tat-5 pledge to return if he allowed them to play in the 2011 Sugar Bowl. With Tressel gone, there's nobody left to hold Pryor and the gang to that commitment.

2 -- Last week, the NCAA and Ohio State launched a new investigation into Pryor's use of several "loaner" cars and other potential extra benefits he may have received.

3 -- Missing 5 games of his upcoming senior season with no guarantee that he would return as the starting QB after his suspension ended could only hurt his draft stock next April.

4 -- If you have to sell MVP trophies and gold pants, etc, for tattoos and rent money, it was time for you to go make what you can, while you can.

5 -- Most of Buckeye Nation has turned on Pryor and blame him for the departure of coach Tressel -- and so -- another domino had to fall.

6 -- Braxton Miller

Personally, Pryor will NOT be missed and this is another fine example of addition by subtraction. Terrelle was a me-first guy who has tarnished the school and the program by putting himself ahead of both.

A couple weeks ago, I may have been alone in feeling good about Terrelle leaving, but it looks like I was right about him all along.

Don't worry, there's plenty of room for the rest of you on my "Good Riddance Terrelle" bandwagon...

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MUST SEE: Hitler Reacts to Jim Tressel's Resignation

2011-06-07T01:12:00.011-04:00

Whoever it was that first came up with this idea of having Hitler react to all sorts of current events was a genius!

Some are better than others, but practically every single one is funny and worth the few minutes it takes to watch. This one is no exception -- Even us Buckeye fans have to have a sense of humor!

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Looking Ahead to 2012—Ohio State's Top 5 Head Coach Candidates Are...

2011-06-01T15:51:00.022-04:00

Ohio State has already announced that previously-named interim coach Luke Fickell will guide the team for the entire 2011 season before the University evaluates the position going forward into 2012 and beyond -- assuming the Mayans are wrong.

At the end of the day -- despite the NCAA sanctions that the program is facing -- this is still THE Ohio State University and you can rest-assured that should the school decide to conduct a national coaching search post-2011, there will be no shortage of big-name candidates willing to accept the job if offered.

Here are the top five coaches that are most likely to comprise tOSU’s want-list.

Number Five - Mark Dantonio

The Michigan State head coach was the defensive coordinator at OSU before taking the gig in East Lansing.

Under Dantonio, the Spartans have closed the gap on Michigan as the state’s premier college football program, but Michigan may finally be back on track and coming back to Columbus to run the Big Ten’s best team over the past decade would be hard to pass up.

Considering what he was able to do at MSU, the sky is the limit with the resources and recruiting advantage Ohio State over practically every other Big ten school.

Number Four - Bo Pelini

Pelini is from Ohio and was a team captain of the 1992 Buckeyes football team, so it’s obvious that he’s a guy who will value the tradition of Ohio State football and, especially, the rivalry with Michigan.

He is, however, a complete contrast from Tressel, in that, he seems to be a bit of a hot-head, and if he thinks there’s pressure to win in Lincoln, he ain’t seen nothing yet.

Yes, he played here, but coaching here and trying to meet the expectations of the rabid Buckeye fanbase is a whole different animal.

Number Three - Luke Fickell

Fickell is a Buckeye through-and-through. He is a Columbus native and was a four-year defensive starter for Ohio State in the early to mid-1990’s.

He’s been an assistant coach for nine seasons and the assistant defensive coordinator since Dantonio headed north to MSU. He tops Pelini and Dantonio on the list as of right now because each of them are already head coaches in the Big Ten that may not be as available as Fickell is at the end of the 2011 season -- and, Fickell has a full year to audition for the job.

If he can lead these players to another Big Ten title in the face of all the adversity and against the mountain of turmoil the team must overcome, he will be considered a legitimate top-five candidate .

Number Two - Jon Gruden

The ESPN Monday Night Football commentator and former Super-Bowl-winning coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs has recently been rumored to be “getting the itch” to coach again.

The Sandusky, Ohio native played his college ball at Dayton and has been quoted as saying he is immensely proud of his Buckeye roots. It just feels safe to believe that Gruden would run a clean program with the right kind of players.

A lot can change in nearly a year and a half, but according to Sports Illustrated, Gruden, who would absolutely deny any and all rumors linking him to Ohio State until something was official, would almost definitely take the job too, if offered.

Number One - Urban Meyer

Health issues and family commitments aside, practically all speculation about who might take over as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2012 is centered on former Florida/Utah/BGSU head coach Meyer.

Meyer currently works as a college football analyst for ESPN and stated he isn’t looking to leave the network for the sidelines -- not this season, anyway.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Meyer’s family moved to Ashtabula, Ohio when he was just a child. He played football at the University of Cincinnati and was on Earle Bruce’s OSU staff in the mid-1980’s as a graduate assistant -- making Meyer the one coach that makes the absolute most sense to the pundits and the fans of Buckeye Nation alike.

One issue that does create some concern is the number of player arrests during Meyer’s tenure at Florida. With Ohio State looking to salvage and rebuild their image, that issue could be a deal-breaker if and when Meyer shows interest in what he has been quoted as saying is one of his all-time dream jobs.

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BREAKING NEWS: Jim Tressel Officially Out as Head Man at Ohio State

2011-05-30T08:58:00.014-04:00

Memorial Day, 2011—A day that will live in infamy for every fan of Ohio State football.

It's the day former-Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel's resignation from THE Ohio State University became official.

Yes, you read that correctly. Jim Tressel is no longer the head coach of Ohio State.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, after nearly three months of speculation and multiple reaffirmations that he had no intention of stepping down, it seems apparent now that Jim Tressel has been forced to tender his resignation.

Perhaps the school had finally had enough of the daily revelations and ESPN lead-ins of more news of potential violations swept under the rug by coach Tressel.

No immediate information has been released on a coaching search, but the general consensus for now seems to be that Luke Fickell, whom had previously been named the coach for the first five games of the upcoming season, may very well coach the entire 2011 season before the position is evaluated and a national search begins.

Let the Urban Meyer and Jon Gruden to Ohio State rumor-mill start spinning....

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Another Former Buckeye / Teammate of Ray Small Refutes Small's Claims - Small Changes His Tune

2011-05-27T15:22:00.016-04:00

Former Ohio State Football player Ray Small gave an interview with The Lantern (Ohio State‟s Campus Newspaper) on May 26, 2011 which ended up at numerous media outlets. In the interview, Ray Small made claims that he sold memorabilia for cash and received car deals while at Ohio State, and that “everyone was doing it.”

Current Merrill Lynch employee and former Ohio State Football player Harrison Till responds to Small‟s allegations.

Adam Jardy of BuckeyeSports spoke with former Buckeye Harrison Till today and what he, along with multiple other current and former Buckeye players, had to say completely exposed any and all previous claims by former Buckeye Ray Small, and not surprisingly, Small has now changed his story in an interview with Columbus station, 10TV.

Here's the story from Jardy

As far back as I can remember, every single Saturday during the Fall months in Northern New Jersey were dedicated to watching the Ohio State Football Buckeyes march up and down the field in Ohio Stadium. My father was a varsity letter winner for The Ohio University men‟s track & field program and my Mother, a member of a sorority who appreciated the wholesome life of the mid-west while enjoying the culture of Ohio State. Bottom line, they both bled Scarlet and Gray.

After meeting at Ohio State and eventually getting married, they have spent the last 41 years maintaining their friendships and all of their memories from Ohio State.

As children, my older and younger brother and I were diehard Buckeye fans. Our parents would take us on trips to see Ohio State football games and they would often point to the success of the football program, and with great pride would sing the Ohio State fight song in our home, certainly encouraging us to sing along. The Ohio State football program represented an environment which we had no exposure to in New Jersey. The passion and sense of pride that the people of Ohio felt for Ohio State football impacted us in a positive and permanent way. The idea of watching Joe Germaine throw a touchdown to Dave Boston, Eddie George running for a touchdown, Orlando Pace pancake blocking, or Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson sacking a quarterback allowed me to dream of one day becoming one of those student athletes, wherever I might end up in college. Seeing these players run out of the Ohio stadium tunnel each and every week inspired me to dream of playing college football at Ohio State and to never give up on that dream.

To say that I was sad and beyond disappointed to see a former Buckeye teammate and Ohio native provide false information to a media outlet this week about how he spent his once lifetime opportunity as a member of the Ohio State football team along with the rest of his teammates is an understatement. With all of the current controversy surrounding Ohio State‟s football program, I knew that there would be several players mentioned in numerous articles, but I never thought that someone would make such a regrettable and defaming comment as did Ray Small. I personally witnessed countless moments when Jim Tressel supported Ray Small in times of adversity when others were prepared to throw him under the bus. I cannot comprehend the lack of appreciation for the man who is Jim Tressel – who would do anything to ensure his athletes get an education and have an impact on his student athletes‟ lives.

My experience of being a student athlete for Jim Tressel was a very unique road that not many have traveled. My parents made every possible sacrifice to provide my brothers and myself with the best education possible with no ceiling above our heads. This mindset is significant and is part of our tradition of having the privilege of living in America. There are so many who do not have the ability to live in a free country and chase their dreams with no regrets.

After graduating from high school, I earned the once in a lifetime opportunity to attend Duke University. At Duke, I lettered in football and track & field, and was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll for maintaining a 3.24 grade point average. After my Redshirt Sophomore seasons in football and track & field, it was brought to my attention by a mentor of mine that I was in a position to graduate with my undergraduate degree in three years. More importantly, there was an NCAA rule that allowed student athletes who graduated early with their undergraduate degree to attend a different division one University retaining all of their remaining athletic eligibility, as long as the student athlete pursued a graduate school degree that was not offered at the previous university.

After receiving my release from Duke University to contact other schools, I met with football coaches from Stanford, Northwestern, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. After meeting Jim Tressel on my official visit to Ohio State, he was by far the most honest, ethical, and open minded coach I encountered on my journey and my decision was made. Almost every division one football coach that I spoke to during this time period had never heard of this NCAA rule and would not give me a chance. Jim Tressel saw something in me and gave me the opportunity to accomplish my childhood dream of playing football for The Ohio State University.

After graduating from Duke University in the Summer of 2005, I moved to Columbus, Ohio to start summer workouts and my matriculation of coursework in the Masters of Labor and Human Resource Management program at the Fisher College of Business. All of my teammates at Ohio State; black, white, latino, and arabic reminded me of an army that would go to war and compete against each other every single day for the best coach in college football. I will never forget the work ethic and the commitment that AJ Hawk dedicated to Jim Tressel at our 5:30 a.m. workouts. I will always remember Anthony Gonzalez being interviewed as a potential Rhodes Scholar. I will always cherish the experience of competing in collegiate athletics as a graduate school student with Stan White II and Brandon Mitchell. Most importantly, I am a better person because I had the opportunity to learn about life from Jim Tressel.

It is insulting and ignorant to suggest that men like AJ Hawk (NFL), Bobby Carpenter (NFL), Justin Zwick (Medical Sales), Anthony Gonzalez (NFL), Stan White II (Investment Banker), Rob Sims (NFL), Jay Richardson (NFL), Malcolm Jenkins (NFL), and many others “sold memorabilia for cash” and received improper benefits while being a member of the Ohio State football team. To say that “everyone was doing it” just because Ray Small says so, is ludicrous. All of the former Buckeye players are extremely proud to say that they played for Jim Tressel because of the obvious influence he had on our lives both on and off the field.

The opportunity to accomplish my childhood dream of running out of the tunnel in Ohio Stadium, to receive a Masters Degree from The Ohio State University and to maintain lifelong friendships that I made in my two years on the team will be cherished forever. The many Ohio State alumni that I have been privileged to meet over the years are a constant reminder of how special my two big ten championship rings and my two pairs of gold pants are.

Jim Tressel gave Ray Small the opportunity to receive a free education and then use that education to improve his life and to help others who need assistance. After being mentored by the legendary Ted Ginn Senior of the Ginn Academy Charter School and the Glenville Football program; a man who has made a difference in so many peoples‟ lives, it is apparent that Ray does not understand and never did grasp his place in the World.

Part of being an adult in this World is making decisions every day and then dealing with the consequences of those decisions. If someone offers you money for a Big Ten championship ring or a car deal that violates the NCAA rules, you have the option of saying yes or no. In the grand scheme of life, there is no one forcing you to break the rules and the most successful people will embrace adversity and grow from experience.

Obviously, I am proud of my Ohio State championships, my Masters degree, and all of my Student Athlete teammates that I had the privilege to practice and play with. Most importantly, I am proud of the relationship that I still maintain with Jim Tressel and that we never lost to Michigan. Nevertheless, I pray that Ray Small may be able to one day restore the bond he has shattered with the Ohio State family and most importantly, I wish him good luck with his journey in life and certainly hope that he can one day be as proud of his family and accomplishments as the student athletes that I am.

GO BUCKS!

Harrison Till
Merrill Lynch (San Diego, California)
The Ohio State University "07"
Duke University "05"

And here's the story from 10TV

Former Ohio State wide receiver Ray Small said on Friday that he was mischaracterized this week in an interview he had with the university's newspaper.

Small, who said he and "everybody" on the team sold memorabilia and received discounts on cars while playing football, told 10 Investigates' Paul Aker that he was misrepresented in an article that was published this week in The Lantern.

"It's hard being an athlete," Small said. "That was basically what I was saying. (The Lantern author) just flipped my words around and make the whole Buckeye Nation hate me."

Small went on to say that The Lantern got the majority of the story wrong.

The Lantern denied Small's allegation, Aker reported.

"We, 100 percent, stand by our story," said Lantern Editor Zach Meisel. "Everything (Small) said was recorded."

Small was quoted in The Lantern article and said that some players "don't even think about NCAA rules."

He told the newspaper that he sold his Big Ten championship rings to cover the cost of living. He also said that the "best deals" came from car dealerships.

Several Ohio State football players spoke out against Small through their Twitter accounts.

"Show me a coward and I will show you Ray Small," center Mike Brewster tweeted. "He isn't part of the sacred brotherhood anymore. Never on time, never accountable, never sacrificed for the team. Can you trust his word?"

Five Buckeye players are suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for selling memorabilia to the owner of a local tattoo parlor. That is considered an improper benefit under NCAA rules.

Coach Jim Tressel was suspended and is under investigation by the NCAA for knowing about his players' involvement and not telling his superiors for more than nine months.

On Friday, the tattoo parlor owner whose relationship with the players led to suspensions and the NCAA investigation will plead guilty to federal charges, including drug trafficking, according to court documents filed in U.S. District Court.

Edward Rife faces a possible sentence of up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine, according to documents detailing terms of the plea agreement.

During a federal drug investigation, authorities raided Rife's home and west side tattoo shop. Among the items seized were several pieces of Ohio State football memorabilia.

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Ray Small photo courtesy of BuckeyeFanPhotos.com

CFN.Scout.com: 5 Thoughts on B1G Quarterbacks From CFN's Big Ten Bloggers

2011-05-24T04:42:00.013-04:00

CFN's Big 10 Bloggers put the conference's quarterback position under the microscope

H.D. Handshoe: On who will be the conference’s next first round NFL quarterback?

Honestly, probably no one in the 2012 draft.

There could be several big names from other conferences that go in the first round - names like Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Nick Foles, and Robert Griffin – just to name a few.

Still, if a Big 10 quarterback were to land up into the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, it would most likely be one of three guys:

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College Football Live: ESPN's Roundtable Discussion on Ohio State Football

2011-05-17T12:23:00.029-04:00

I've been getting lots of hateful, venomous comments recently directed at me personally in response to one of my latest CFN.Scout.com articles, regarding the 2011 OSU quarterback situation. It's not uncommon as a blogger to receive such feedback, but usually it's from SEC fans or fans from Michigan or Wisconsin.

Somewhat surprisingly however, these recent comments have been from other Buckeye fans on the Scout.com HineyGate message boards—all for saying exactly what Herbie and Urban Meyer said on Monday during the College Football Live "Roundtable" segment about Ohio State.

I just happened to say it first, which apparently makes me a pariah for not wearing my Scarlet and Gray homer glasses when it comes to Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor, and the rest of the Tat-5.

Clearly, the truth hurts, and it upset many a Buckeye fan on the aforementioned forums when I spoke it. I'm sure many of them will say ESPN hates Ohio State so it's no surprise that Herbie and Meyer agreed with me.

To that I reply that yes, ESPN does have a certain negative agenda more often than not when it comes to the Buckeyes—for which I have called them out on more than one occasion in the recent past—but anyone with any common sense and objectivity knows that the roundtable segment was done tastefully and truthfully. Three of the four roundtable members are from Ohio with direct ties to Ohio State. so I do not want to hear how it was unfair and biased!

In case you missed it, here is the video of the segment.

If the Buckeyes are 4-1 or [especially] 5-0 before the Nebraska game, do you believe it is a given that Braxton Miller, Jaamal Berry, Jordan Hall, or whomever it was that filled in for Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, and Mike Adams, should have had to work so hard and play so well the first half of the season, only to lose their starting jobs to players who knowingly and carelessly broke the rules and put themselves before the team over the past two to three years?

Contrary to what many believe, I'm not a Pryor hater—he is a great college player—but I sure as hell don't believe the players who go into fall camp and earn those starting jobs should lose them in week six solely because Pryor and the rest of the Pawn Stars come off of their suspensions.

Let me know what YOU think via email, below in the article comment section, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

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Scout.com: BlockONation's Buckeye Blog - The Ohio State QB Situation

2011-05-12T13:16:00.001-04:00

What's the Ohio State quarterback situation for the first half of the year without Terrelle Pryor?

From the moment he committed to Ohio State, freshman phenom QB Braxton Miller knew what his undeniable destiny would be—to succeed Terrelle Pryor as the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes beginning in 2012 after taking a redshirt season his first year....

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Scout.com: BlockONation's Buckeye Blog - OSU, Cars, & Controversy

2011-05-12T13:08:00.000-04:00

The hits just keeping coming for Ohio State as yet another issue has popped up.

Saturday, the Columbus Dispatch reported that the Ohio State compliance department is looking into upwards of 50 transactions at two local dealerships over the past several years involving at least eight student athletes and various athletes’ relatives to determine if any improper benefits were received......

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Ohio State "Car-gate" Situation Real News or Overblown Sensationalism, Plus, and More Importantly, The 2011 QB Situation

2011-05-10T06:59:00.007-04:00

Is there really a story here and real reason for concern, or is the media just overplaying every little blip and milking Ohio State for all they can get, plus are we really going to have to watch Joe "the career backup" Bauserman lead our Buckeyes this fall?

These are the articles that are coming very soon from BlockONation over on CollegeFootballNews.com.

Links will be forthcoming -- Just wanted to give a heads-up to BlockONation readers and all Buckeye fans.

HD

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Despite ESPN's Biased Tressel Coverage, There's Nothing To See Here Folks...Well, Not Yet Anyway

2011-04-27T14:06:00.010-04:00

NEWSFLASH (not really): The latest news on the NCAA's investigation involving Jim Tressel isn't anything new.

Everything that the NCAA is now "officially" accusing Tressel of had already come to light and Tressel has copped to his crimes—and all before Monday's "breaking news" as it was so-coined by the ESPN bottomline.

We already knew that he didn't come forward last April, and that he didn't contact OSU's compliance department at any point before Yahoo ran their story about the emails, and that he notified Terrelle Pryor's mentor, and that he knowingly signed the compliance report with no mention of the violations he had been made aware of.

It's no secret that ESPN continually recycles the same negative reports as if there is something new in its' crusade to bring down Ohio State, but there really is nothing new here, period.

As of now, the majority of Ohio State fans still support Tressel as does the University. If the potential NCAA penalties will be the same regardless of Tressel staying or going, he will without-a-doubt remain the head coach at OSU.

The only way Tressel's job security changes is if the NCAA (essentially) forces Ohio State to fire him by basing the severity of additional penalties they could decide to levy against OSU on whether or not Tressel is retained.

Then, and only then, will a real story worthy of this ridiculous amount of coverage by ESPN and CBS (coincidentally both $EC bedfellows) exist.

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Video Highlights From Ohio State's 2011 Spring Game / Scrimmage

2011-04-27T06:30:00.004-04:00

These Hi-Def highlights were produced by lednerk exclusively for BlockONation.com.

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BlockONation | Ohio State Football Lives Here™

Feast Your Eyes On This AWESOME Ohio State 2012 Football Schedule

Ohio State Post-Signing Day — 2012 Buckeye Commit, LB Camren Williams

Ohio State Post-Signing Day — 2012 Buckeye Commit, CB Armani Reeves

Ohio State Post-Signing Day — 2012 Buckeye Commit, OT Kyle Dodson

Ohio State Post-Signing Day — "Ridiculous" 2012 Buckeye Commit, LB Jamal Marcus

Urban Meyer Interview With BTN's Gerry DiNardo (Part I)

Ohio's Top Recruit, Cameron Burrows, Becomes First Member of Ohio State's 2013 Recruiting Class

The Urban Effect: LB David Perkins Latest OSU Class of 2012 Commitment

Urban Meyer Interview With BTN's Gerry DiNardo (Part I)

Urban Meyer Introduces New Football Coaching Staff During Men's Basketball vs. Indiana (1/15/12)

Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer: BTN Interview and Office Tour

College Football Bowl Season Proves That It Really IS All About The Benjamins

Ohio State vs. Florida 2012 Gator Bowl — Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

A Closer Look at Everbank Field, Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars

NCAA Issues Ohio State One-Year Bowl Ban

Urban Meyer, Ohio State Land Nation's Top Defensive Lineman

Since We Have Florida's Old Coach, Maybe It's Time That We Get On The Bandwagon Of Their Old QB, Tim Tebow

Urban Meyer Landing Some Big Fish In The Ohio State Recruiting Net

Ohio State—Ann Arbor Highlights (Week 13, Game 12 - 11/26/2011)

BlockONation.com / @BlockONation College Football Bowl Mania ESPN Pick'em League

Ohio State New Head Coach Urban Meyer's Full Press Conference

Urban Meyer Named "New Coach of Ohio State" Announcement Seemingly Just a Formality Now...

Ohio State-Michigan Recap: Buckeyes Winning Streak Over TTUN Ends at Seven

Ohio State—Penn State Highlights (Week 12, Game 11 - 11/19/2011)

Ohio State vs. Penn State— Week 12 (Game 11) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State-Purdue Recap: Buckeyes Upset by Boilermakers in West Lafayette AGAIN

Ohio State—Purdue Highlights (Week 11, Game 10 - 11/12/2011)

A Full-On Review of Ohio Stadium, aka The Mecca of Buckeye Football—Special Contribution From StadiumJourney.com

Ohio State vs. Purdue — Week 11 (Game 10) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State—Indiana Highlights (Week 10, Game 9 - 11/05/2011)

Ohio State-Indiana Recap: Buckeyes Escape Hoosiers Upset Bid; Keep Big Ten Hopes Alive

Ohio State vs. Indiana — Week 10 (Game Nine) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

The REAL Big Ten Power Rankings, Minus the ESPN Anti-Buckeye Sentiment

Ohio State-Wisconsin: Anatomy of a Game-Winning Touchdown Throw and Catch

Ohio State—Wisconsin 2011 Highlights (Week 9, Game 8)

Ohio State Upsets Wisconsin: Buckeyes Shock The World And Keep Their Big Ten Title Hopes Alive In One Fell Swoop

Ohio State-Wisconsin: Braxton Miller to Devin Smith For The Win!

Ohio State vs. No. 15 Wisconsin - Week Nine (Game Eight) Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Luke Fickell Talks About The Ongoing NCAA Investigation, Wisconsin at Home, Recruiting, and His Own Future

Could Ohio State be Poised for a HUGE Upset Win Over Wisconsin on 10/29/11?

Ohio State-Illinois—Week 7 Game Highlights

Ohio State vs. No. 14 Illinois: Week 7 Game Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State-Nebraska—Week 6 Game Highlights

A Few Post-Nebraska-Game Thoughts on the State of Ohio State Football...

Why/How OSU Imploded and Ultimately Lost

To Sum Everything Up

NO MORE BAUSERMAN...WE'RE TALKING NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...GOT IT? K, THANKS!

Ohio State vs. No. 14 Nebraska—Week 6 Game Outlook, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State: Just a Few Thoughts Going Forward...

Ohio State vs. No. 25 Michigan State -- Week 5 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

Ohio State vs. Colorado -- Week 4 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

No. 16 Ohio State vs. Miami (FL)—Week 3 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

No. 15 Ohio State vs. Toledo—Week 2 Game Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

Must-See, Ridiculously Amazing, One-Handed Catch by Ohio State Storm-Trooper, er, uhm, WR, Evan Spencer

Video: We Are THE 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes and You Are Buckeye Nation

Ohio State—Akron: Week 1 Preview, History Lesson, and Prediction

Buckeye Breakout Kings—Fresh Faces for Ohio State in 2011

BlockONation's Win/Loss Record Predictions For Every Big 10 Team For The 2011 Season

LEADERS DIVISION

LEGENDS DIVISION

LEADERS DIVISION

LEGENDS DIVISION

Despite Distractions/Tattoos/Doomsday Predictions, OSU's 2012 Class Shaping Up Nicely

BlockONation.com EXCLUSIVE: A Different Take on Pay-For-Play at Ohio State

Instant Classic - The Legendary LSUFREEK Does Terrelle Pryor

CFN.Scout.com: Big Ten Bloggers - 5 Thoughts on WRs

Writing on the Wall: Terrelle Pryor Leaving Ohio State Not Really Unexpected, or Upsetting

MUST SEE: Hitler Reacts to Jim Tressel's Resignation

Looking Ahead to 2012—Ohio State's Top 5 Head Coach Candidates Are...

BREAKING NEWS: Jim Tressel Officially Out as Head Man at Ohio State

Another Former Buckeye / Teammate of Ray Small Refutes Small's Claims - Small Changes His Tune

CFN.Scout.com: 5 Thoughts on B1G Quarterbacks From CFN's Big Ten Bloggers

College Football Live: ESPN's Roundtable Discussion on Ohio State Football

Scout.com: BlockONation's Buckeye Blog - The Ohio State QB Situation

Scout.com: BlockONation's Buckeye Blog - OSU, Cars, & Controversy

Ohio State "Car-gate" Situation Real News or Overblown Sensationalism, Plus, and More Importantly, The 2011 QB Situation

Despite ESPN's Biased Tressel Coverage, There's Nothing To See Here Folks...Well, Not Yet Anyway

Video Highlights From Ohio State's 2011 Spring Game / Scrimmage

NO MORE BAUSERMAN...
WE'RE TALKING NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER...
GOT IT? K, THANKS!