December 11, 7:30 a.m.
Recruiting
Maurice Clarett
Many people have been asking about Maurice Clarett. Here is the first news (that hasn't been of the rumor variety) that I have heard in some time. Click here to read Mike Freeman's piece on the judge that will preside over the the Mo Clarett vs. the NFL case. (Don't worry, it's actually a New York Times' piece that doesn't trash Ohio State.) You will need to register to read the piece. According to the article, the judge is expected to issue her ruling by February 1st.
blb
December 10, 8:30 p.m.
Recruiting
The recruiting page is being updated right now. If you haven't checked it out, Mr. Bucknuts, from Bucknuts.com has produced his monthly recruiting report card, and like always, he has a lot of information in it. Click here to check it out. The recruiting page on this site will be completely updated by this weekend.
blb
December 8, 7:30 a.m.
Jenkins Chosen as MVP of 2003 Buckeyes
Michael Jenkins was chosen by his teammates as the MVP of the 2003 Ohio State football team yesterday. Other award winners included: Will Allen - Most Inspirational award, Will Smith - Defensive MVP award, Shane Olivea - Outstanding Offensive Lineman award, Robert Reynolds - Outstanding Linebacker award, and BJ Sander - Outstanding Special Teams award. Click here for more from the official OSU site.
Kansas State 6 to 7 Point Favorites Over Ohio State
Fresh off their 35-7 spanking of the #1 ranked Sooners, Kansas State is a 6 to 7 point favorite over Ohio State depending on the casino. In the BCS title game, Oklahoma is a 5 1/2 point favorite over LSU. Southern Cal is a 6 to 7 point favorite over Michigan in the Rose.
Home Stretch for Ohio State Recruiting
Ohio State hosted a large group of recruits this weekend. There has been no news publicly about any verbal commitments, but Ohio State may have made some real progress with a few prospects like Jeremy Zuttah, Xavier Lee, Leon Hart, Anthony Reddick, Rory Nicol and Albert Dukes. Xavier Lee is considered by some to be the top athletic QB prospect in the country, so the progress made with Lee is huge. Stay tuned. The recruiting page will be updated this week.
blb
December 7, 7:30 p.m.
Fiesta Bowl and Other Misc. Notes
--Tickets just sold out on the official Fiesta Bowl website. There still may be a chance that a limited number of tickets could be sold through The Ohio State University.
--Kansas State will be appearing in their first BCS bowl since the system was incorporated.
--Kansas State tailback Darren Sproles leads the nation in rushing with 1,948 yards. Sproles' 6.65 yards per carry is also tops amongst those running backs that topped the 1,000 yard mark this year.
--The 33rd annual Tostitos Fiesta Bowl will kickoff at 8:00 p.m. EST, January 2, 2004. Ohio State is 2-1 in their three previous trips to the Fiesta, beating Miami last year 31-24 in double-OT victory to win the National Championship. The game will be broadcast by ABC, who will handle all of the BCS games.
--With OSU headed to a BCS bowl for the second consecutive year, the Big Ten will now send 8 teams to bowl games.
--Michigan State will take on Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl on December 29th. Nebraska will be coached by ex-Buckeye safety Mark "Bo" Pellini who, at a very minimum, is the interim head coach of the Cornhuskers following the dismissal of Frank Solich a week ago. Sources are saying that Pellini may be the front-runner for the permanent head coaching job. Pellini started for Ohio State from 1988 to 1990.
--The Michigan - Southern Cal matchup in the Rose Bowl may be the best Rose Bowl matchup since a certain matchup on January 1, 1997, a game that saw an Ohio State true freshman receiver score the winning TD with less than a minute to play.
--Ohio State's matchup with Kansas State will be the first ever between the two schools.
--Darren Sproles is certainly not the only star offensive player Ohio State will have to contend with in the Fiesta Bowl. KSU quarterback Ell Roberson ran for 943 yards and 13 TD's this year while throwing for 2,251.with 24 TD's and only 11 interceptions. Roberson is 12th in the nation in passing efficiency.
--The OSU-KSU matchup will feature the #1 ranked rush defense in the country (OSU) against the #6 ranked rushing offense in the country (KSU).
--OSU and Kansas state both rank in the top 10 nationally in total defense.
--Ohio State's Louis Irizarry is expected to be eligible to play in the Fiesta Bowl after a suspension ended his regular season in late October.
blb
December 7, 6:00 p.m.
OSU Heads Back to Fiesta
It was just announced on the ABC BCS Championship show that Ohio State will play Kansas State in the Fiesta Bowl. More to come tonight.
blb
December 7, 1:15 p.m.
BCS Shake-up
Kansas State threw a large monkey wrench into the BCS system last night with their 35-7 destruction of the #1 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. But despite this upset, Oklahoma still appears to be headed to the Sugar Bowl to play for (at least a share of the national championship) and Ohio State still appears to be headed to the Orange Bowl for a rematch of last year's national championship, against the Miami Hurricanes. ESPN's Brad Edwards is projecting the BCS polls to look like this:
Nokia Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Oklahoma
Rose Bowl presented by Citi: USC vs. Michigan
FedEx Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Ohio State
Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State vs. Florida State
Rich Tellshow, another BCS analyst, is also projecting a matchup between Oklahoma and LSU should Oklahoma drop down to third in the AP poll released later today. The drop by Oklahoma to third (which has already happened in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll), combined with the SOS drop by Southern Cal and LSU's move jump to 2nd in both human polls will likely leave Southern Cal behind Oklahoma and LSU in the overall BCS rankings.
Click here for Brad Edwards piece on how things are shaking out in the BCS and click here for Rich Tellshow's BCS breakdown.
Two more things to mention. (1) If you are planning a trip to the Orange Bowl to watch the Buckeyes, I would wait until 5:30 before you book any reservations. Nothing is official until then. (2) One other thing could still shake up the BCS ratings and change the matchup in the Sugar Bowl. If the AP voters think it is unfair that Southern Cal is getting left out of the title picture, while an Oklahoma team that lost 35-7 yesterday still gets their shot at the title, they could downgrade Oklahoma in their final top 25 vote. If the AP voters were to downgrade Oklahoma enough so that they slipped below Michigan, Texas and Tennessee, that would likely mean that LSU and Southern Cal would finish 1-2 in the BCS final standings. That probably won't happen, but with this wacky system, who knows.
blb
December 5, 6:00 a.m.
New Prints
We have added some new prints, one of which is shown on the left. If you order now, you can still probably sneak the order in so that it arrives before Christmas. The link to the left now takes you to a new site, but we are still working with the same business that has provided the framed prints in the past. If you have ordered before, I am sure you were happy with the quality and the quick turnaround time. You can expect the same exact quality and turnaround times (save for a little extra time around to complete orders around the holidays.)
About the quality - All prints are mounted to a foam board to eliminate waving and warping and are double matted. A rounded, black high gloss metal frame is used for durability. Premium clear glass protects each framed print, not Plexiglas which will scratch and discolor over time. All prints are expertly assembled, wired and ready to hang.
Which Bowl Will it Be?
It is still uncertain as to which bowl the Buckeyes are going to. If I had to guess, I still think Ohio State is Orange Bowl bound, but again, this is not a certainty. There is still talk that Ohio State could play the loser of the LSU-Georgia game in the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Citrus Bowl) in Orlando Florida, which would be a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff on January 1. The Orange Bowl will be played the same day and will kickoff at 8:30 p.m. ET.
OSU Coaches Candidates for Head Coaching Jobs
Mark Dantonio, Defensive Coordinator for Ohio State, and Jon Tenuta, a former Buckeye Defensive Coordinator, are said to be on the University of Cincinnati's list of candidates for their head coaching vacancy. Also, Buckeye linebacker coach Mark Snyder is thought to be a candidate for the head coaching job at Akron. Stay tuned.
blb
Dec 3, 7:45 a.m.
Capital One Bowl?
The prevailing thought has been that Ohio State is headed to the Orange Bowl with a likely opponent of Miami, but Josh Robbins from the Orlando Sentinel suggests that the Buckeyes may be headed to his town, for the Capital One Bowl. A bunch of hogwash? I don't know. We'll have to wait until the bids come out. Here is a link to Robbin's piece in today's Sentinel.
blb
November 30, 9:00 p.m.
Recruiting
Roll call: Anthony Reddick, Fred Davis, Carlos Feliciano
Marcus Freeman, Ted Ginn, Erik Haw, Charlie Jones, Xavier Lee, Nick Patterson, Rory Nicol, Brandon Underwood, Michael Massey, Leon Hart. This is the group that is currently scheduled to be on the OSU campus for official visits next weekend. Quite an impressive list. I can't remember this amount of talent coming in on one weekend. It should be interesting.
blb
November 30, 1:00 p.m.
OSU vs. Miami Rematch Likely
After yesterday's games, each of ESPN, CBS Sportsline, and Fox Sports updated their bowl projections and all three sources have Ohio State playing Miami in the Orange Bowl. Don't book your reservations just yet, though; the Orange Bowl matchup probably won't be finalized until after next Saturday's games and although it is likely, it is not a certainty that this is where the Buckeyes are headed.
Too Early for a 2004 Two-Deep Projection?
Why not? Here is a look at what the Ohio State two-deep could look like when the Cincinnati Bearcats roll into town on September 4, 2004:
QB: Zwick, T. Smith (Zwick's job to lose; Smith = slash)
TB: Clarett, L. Ross (Clarett back? We'll see.)
FB: B. Joe, Schnittker (Can these two stay healthy?)
FL: S. Holmes, Childress (Holmes = major stardom)
SE: R. Hall, F. Davis (Davis will be a Buckeye, may start)
TE: Hamby, Irizarry (Irizarry will step it up)
LT: Sims, Downing (Douglas' career is unfortunately over)
LG: Olds, Person (Olds needs to stay healthy)
C: Mangold, Datish (Or it could be Person as the back-up)
RG: Kne, Coleman (Both guard positions will be battles)
RT: Schafer, Barton (Schafer drawing rave reviews)
P: Lonie, Huston (Bucks need to land Lonie first)
DE: Fraser, Frost (Keep an eye on future star Frost)
DT: Pitcock, Green (Pitcock is coming of age)
DT: Patterson, Penton (Patterson will eventually be a star)
DE: Kudla, D'Andrea (D'Andrea move probable?)
WLB: Hawk, Lukens (Lukens is still a 'tweener)
MLB: Schlegel, Kerr (Transfers don't get any better)
SLB: Carpenter, Freeman (Bucks loaded at LB)
CB: Fox, Ginn (Ginn will be a Buckeye and could start)
FS: Salley, Guilford (Guilford move imminent)
SS: Whitner, Everett (Whitner hits the big-time)
CB: Youboty, Underwood (tough battle here; Gamble gone)
K: Nugent, Huston (Nuuuuuugggggeeeee!!!!)
blb
November 28, 5:15 p.m.
Recruiting
I have done some touch-up work on the recruiting page. For some reason, I had failed to include South Carolina blue-chip O-line prospect Leon Hart before. OSU has a solid shot at landing Hart. Some other updates were done as well and the 2004 verbal commitments page is now up-to-date.
Please note that, unlike other commitment lists, I have not included Joe Bauserman as an OSU commitment for 2004 and have instead included him as a commitment for 2005. It is still not certain as to what Bauserman is going to do, but the last we heard was that he would not sign with OSU in February, but would instead wait to see where he is drafted in June's Major League Baseball draft. After that, he will then make a decision as to whether to pursue football or baseball. If he does choose Ohio State, he would likely be part of the 2005 class and not the 2004 class.
I have included Todd Boeckman as part of the 2004 class. Boeckman "gray-shirted", by putting off starting classes until 2004. Boeckman did get to practice with the Buckeyes in August and early September due to a loop-hole in the eligibility rules, but had to stop practicing when school began. Sources say Boeckman performed very well during his practice time in the late summer/early fall and is coming along nicely. Boeckman will have five years to play four seasons starting in 2004.
Last note, Ohio State will have a minimum of 25 scholarships to give for 2004. They could go over this limit by sliding some recruits like Marcus Freeman, Steve Rehring and others into the 2003 class because of the fact that they are enrolling in school early. Ohio State could maybe have as many as 28 players in this class (with three of the 28 counting toward 2003.)
blb
November 27, 11:00 a.m.
The recruiting page has been updated and is the most complete that it has been in quite some time.
blb
November 26, 8:15 a.m.
All-Big Ten Teams Announced
Will Smith was named defensive player of the year by both the coaches and sports writers and several other Buckeyes were named first or second team All-Big Ten. Click here (BigTen.org) for more.
Recruiting Kicking into High Gear
The next two months, of course, are crucial for Ohio State in terms of filling out their recruiting class for 2004. We will have more on recruiting over the weekend, but for now, here are some bigger names that Ohio State is looking to obtain verbal commitments from before signing day:
Robbie Reid - One of the top athletic QB's in the nation. Committed to Oklahoma State, but is still visiting Ohio State.
Darius Walker - Athletic running back with a 4.0 GPA will visit the first weekend of December.
Fred Davis - Super blue-chip receiver may commit to OSU very soon and will enroll early.
Rory Nicol - Top 4 TE nationally will visit the weekend before Christmas.
Kyle Mitchum - Blue-chip prospect who could play D-line or O-line at the next level is thought to be an OSU lean.
Carlos Feliciano - Another star on both sides of the O-line and D-line will visit OSU the first week of December.
Chris Rutledge - The sky is the limit for this newcomer to the game of football. O-lineman from Fla may favor OSU.
Leon Hart - Top 5 O-line prospect in the nation and OSU stands a decent chance.
Jacky Claude - Another top notch O-line prospect that OSU stands a decent chance with.
Vernon Gohlston - Top 20 national DE prospect from Michigan has OSU in his top three.
Michael Massey - Top 20 national DE prospect will likely decide between OSU and Michigan.
Ted Ginn - Phenom DB/ATH is almost surely OSU bound and could enroll early.
Anthony Reddick - Top 20 Safety prospect from Florida is giving OSU a hard look.
David Lonie - Top kicker/punter prospect from the land down under like OSU and Michigan.
More soon.
blb
November 25, 7:45 a.m.
New Print - Fiesta Time in the 'Shoe
Several people have asked about Ohio State - Michigan framed prints from 2002. We now have 'Fiesta Time in the 'Shoe' available. The print is pictured to the left. It is not yet set up on the framing page to allow you to order it, but if you are interested in a framed print of 'Fiesta Time in the 'Shoe', send me an email.
Also, if you are ordering prints as a holiday gift, you will need to place your order in the next few weeks to guarantee delivery by Christmas.
blb
November 24, 10:30 p.m.
Misc. Thoughts
--I am not sure I have seen an offensive effort in some time like the one Michigan had Saturday. For an offense to fire on all cylinders like they did Saturday against an excellent Ohio State defense....I mean, I didn't see it coming. I thought the Buckeyes would have their problems with Braylon Edwards, but Chris Perry was sensational. I thought the Buckeyes would hold Perry in check. You have to give credit where credit is due.
--So why was this Buckeye defense this bad? To me, Ohio State looked physically and mentally exhausted. Michigan was so fired up and Ohio State looked a step slow most of the game. I never used to buy into the theory of taking a week off before your big games, but I think the timing of big games and off-weeks were key factors that worked against Ohio State this year. Wisconsin had the break before playing Ohio State and was able to upset the Buckeyes. Michigan had an off-week followed by Northwestern and looked extremely fresh against Ohio State. Ohio State on the other hand, was challenged big-time, mentally and physically, against Purdue a week before the Michigan game. They then looked dead the following week.
--Okay I always try to be as objective as possible when talking about Michigan, which is why I make sure to give credit when it is due, but I can't find many positives about the Michigan game day experience. Well, yes I can. I will say that the Michigan fans were good to us, as always. Ohio State fans could take some lessons on how to treat your opponent's fans respectfully. But, man, there is no comparison between Ohio State and Michigan in terms of atmosphere on game day. There is just nothing around Michigan Stadium. If you haven't been there, you would never believe how dull it is before the big game. The Ohio State campus is hopping on game day with 200,000 fans, only half of which attend the game. There are so many things happening on each and every game day. And folks, there is no comparison between stadiums. Ohio Stadium beats Michigan Stadium in every aspect except capacity.
--Chris Gamble is a mystery. Where was the big play corner we saw last year? Yeah, he had the pick against Michigan, but Gamble seemed to be distracted this year. He lost his punt returning job, saw little time on offense and when he did he dropped passes, and made fewer plays on defense despite playing twice as much as he did in 2002. Many fans chose Dustin Fox as their target for abuse, but Fox didn't give up many big plays this year. Michigan had no fear in going right after Gamble and they really exposed him. Despite the ho-hum season that Gamble had, don't look for Gamble to be wearing scarlet and gray next year. He may be back, but it's more likely that he won't be. Gamble projects as a first rounder based on his athletic ability and excellent size for a corner. With that projection, I would not expect to see him back in '04.
--There has been much fuss about the decision to put Craig Krenzel back in the game after his injury and after Scott McMullen had led Ohio State to a long TD drive. I can see this as a debatable move, but the move had little bearing on the outcome of the game. Ohio State was not sky-high like Michigan was for this one and Ohio State's defense could not stop Michigan's offense. These were the keys to the game. The QB decision was a non-issue in my mind.
--Contrary to comments from many fans, the sky is not falling. Ohio State lost their second game in two years. And that loss was to a top 5 Michigan team in a very tough atmosphere and to a team that was high as they have ever been. It hurts, but the Buckeye football program is still in very good shape and will compete against the top dogs for years to come.
--OSU could end up in the Orange Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Capital One Bowl (formerly the Citrus) or the Rose Bowl. There has been talk about a rematch against Michigan in the Rose Bowl, but that seems very, very unlikely if not impossible. The Rose Bowl does not want the rematch. If Pittsburgh beats Miami Saturday, that could put the Buckeyes in the Fiesta to face the Panthers. If Miami wins, that could mean the Buckeyes head to the Orange to face the Hurricanes. There is also still a possibility that the BCS could take a pass on OSU, which would mean the Buckeyes would end up in Orlando in the Capital One Bowl. There are other possibilities, but it seems probable that the Buckeyes will get a BCS bid.
blb
November 24, 9:30 p.m.
2003 Grades
When I was in school I was taught that an "A" meant "excellent", that a "B" meant "above average", that a "C" meant "average", that a "D" meant "below average" and an "F" meant "failing". I've tried to apply these grades to the expectations level for the Ohio State football team. Click here to check out the 2003 grades, as I see them.
blb
November 24, 7:30 a.m.
Links
The daily links page has been updated with links from today and some catch-up on links from yesterday. We will be cutting back on the link updates now that the regular season has ended, but we will still be doing some here and there after today, depending on how much Buckeye info is out there. The two newest polls are linked today. It should be noted that ESPN's Brad Edwards is projecting Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. His analysis is linked as well. The Buckeyes will at least earn a bid to play in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando (formerly the Citrus Bowl) to play the top non-BCS SEC selection.
The Orange Bowl has a poll to vote for the teams that fans want to see in the FedEx Orange Bowl. They require you to register to vote, but it only takes a second to register. Click on this Orange Bowl website link and vote for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State - Michigan comments tonight along with comments on the season as a whole.
blb
November 23, 4:15 p.m.
Links
The Columbus Dispatch links have been updated on the daily links page. There are also some links to Michigan papers, if you can bear to look at them.
blb
November 22, 10:45 p.m.
Michigan was Better
Congratulations to the Michigan Wolverines. I say this with great pain, but they deserved to win today. They were the better team today and proved today that the 2003 version of their team was better than the 2003 version of Ohio State's team. Life, however, will go on. Many Ohio State fans are probably feeling that the Buckeyes no longer deserve to go to any BCS bowl, but I think they do. Two road losses to teams that wanted Ohio State very badly. The hope is that either the Orange Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl will send an invite to our Buckeyes.
Hats off to Craig Krenzel, Scott McMullen, Michael Jenkins and Santonio Holmes for their efforts today. Yes, Krenzel struggled at times, but this team could have rolled over after falling behind 21-0. They didn't. A much maligned offense was scrappy, but the Buckeye defense uncharacteristically could not get the job done. Braylon Edwards, Chris Perry, John Navarre and the Michigan O-line were too much for this defense to handle today. I "believed" but it just didn't matter today. The ball will be back in the Buckeyes court to hold serve on their home field next season.
blb
November 22, 8:15 p.m.
OSU goes down, but goes down fighting
An early deficit was too much to overcome for the Buckeyes as they went down to UM today 35-21. OSU went down early 21-0, and simply couldn't recover. The team quieted the crowd for a period of time as they fought back to within 7, but a rare defensive letdown prevented the Buckeyes from a chance at defending their national championship. The offense put up more points than anyone expected, but unfortunately, the defense gave up much more than they were expected to allow. Our hats should go off the the team, especially the seniors, who have made the last two seasons very memorable. OSU must now wait to see if they will make it to a BCS game.
jdm/rb
November 22, 7:15 a.m.
Game Day
It has arrived. Had time to update the Dispatch links and the local Michigan links. Santonio Holmes and Troy Smith did make the trip. I am off to the Big House. Next update likely will be tonight (or late afternoon.) It's like Christmas morning. Tresselball. Believe.
bllb
November 21, 1:15 p.m.
Off to the State Up North
Likely no more updates today and maybe none before the game tomorrow. I will try to get to the links tomorrow morning.
Gear up. Less than 24 hours and counting. Tresselball. Believe.
blb
November 21, 10:30 a.m.
Buckeye Notes
--It is unknown as to whether or not Santonio Holmes and Troy Smith will be disciplined tomorrow for their part in Saturday night's incident in which both were charged for disorderly conduct. It has been reported that the two will be disciplined by Coach Tressel, but what that action will be is unknown at this point. It is possible that Holmes and Smith will not make the trip to Ann Arbor, but it is also possible that the action taken will not involve tomorrow's game at all. It should be noted that what they were charged for is less than a $100 fine. I'm not condoning what they did or might have done, but due to the light charge, these two may receive little disciplinary action at all, especially if they are disputing the charges.
--Mark Dantonio has said that it is likely that Robert Reynolds will start at middle linebacker tomorrow for Ohio State with Freddie Pagac and Mike D'Andrea ailing. Bobby Carpenter would then slide into Reynolds customary strong-side linebacker position. Pagac could still play tomorrow, but D'Andrea will miss the game with a shoulder injury.
--When The Game begins tomorrow, look for Adrien Clarke at left tackle tomorrow with Alex Stepanovich at left guard and Bryce Bishop at right guard. Stepanovich may not be completely 100% but he is healthy enough to start. Rob Sims, on the other hand, is not expected to start tomorrow because of an injury he sustained in the Purdue game last week. It is unknown whether or not Sims will be able to play at all. It was reported that Sims was not practicing earlier in the week. If Sims can't go, Mike Kne becomes the 6th man on the line. Kne can play several positions on the O-line, if not all of them.
--The weather is expected to be unseasonably warm for The Game tomorrow with the temperature likely being slightly above 50 degrees at kickoff and rising to 55 by 3:00 p.m. There is a 20% chance of rain.
--If Santonio Holmes does not play tomorrow, his likely replacement is Roy Hall. Bam Childress could see a lot more time as well. It is unknown as to how much time Chris Gamble will see on offense. If the Buckeyes run thin at WR, they have a seldom used, but talented WR in John Hollins, who has been stuck behind some outstanding WR's for four years.
--For those of you thinking about Scott McMullen possibly getting playing time tomorrow, forget about it. The only way that happens is if Krenzel gets injured.
--There is talk that The Game tomorrow will eclipse the all-time NCAA single-game attendance record.
--If you are a Buckeye fan making the trip without tickets and are planning on buying from scalpers, sections 12 and 13 are the Ohio State sections. Sections 26-31 are the Michigan student sections, places you don't want to be if you are an Ohio State fan.
--Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts will be doing The Game for ABC tomorrow.
--TCU lost last night, leaving Oklahoma as the only undefeated team in D1-A. That loss could hurt Ohio State slightly in the BCS standings. If Washington State wins and moves up in the BCS standings, Southern Cal will receive more 'Quality Win' bonus points. Of course, if Ohio State does not upset Michigan tomorrow, the TCU loss is completely irrelevant. And Ohio State is still expected to be Sugar Bowl bound should they beat Michigan.
-ESPN's college GameDay crew will be in Ann Arbor for the 100th meeting between Ohio State and Michigan.
--It doesn't get any better than this.
blb
November 20, 9:45 p.m.
I pinch hit for Rossford Buck this week since RB had a ridiculously busy schedule. I changed his format a bit and got a little long winded, but after all, it is The Game. Click here to go to the Ohio State vs. Michigan 2003 preview.
blb
November 20, 6:45 p.m.
Holmes, Troy Smith Charged with Disorderly Conduct
Just what you want, two days before The Game, huh?
November 20, 3:30 p.m.
Delays
You're probably used to it by now, but no Michigan preview this afternoon; it will have to wait until tonight.
Early X-mas Present for Pac 10 Coaches - Box of Tissues
First quote: "I think it’s a travesty they got dropped below Ohio State in the BCS poll," Arizona interim coach Mike Hankwitz said, referring to Southern Cal's fall to third in the BCS rankings. "We played Purdue (and lost 59-7). Not to take anything away from Purdue, but I don’t think Purdue is a great football team. For Ohio State to eke it out (beating Purdue 16-13 in OT) and then USC to beat us . . . I think USC should still be No. 2."
Okay, let me get this straight. An interim coach of the lowly Arizona Wildcats (2 wins, 9 losses, mind you) loses to Purdue 59-7, which a worse beating than his squad took against Southern Cal, contends Ohio State is inferior to Southern Cal because the Buckeyes just squeaked by Purdue? Is Candid Camera back in business?
You know, since we are allowed to evaluate teams on one performance, I choose Southern Cal's game against powerful California (6-6 on the year.) Since that is the only game I'm going to look at, my vote is that Southern Cal not receive any bowl invitation. Even if the Trojans qualify for the Rose Bowl, they should decline the bid based on their effort against California.
Second quote:"I would clearly say USC (is the better team)," Washington head coach Kevin Gilbertson said. "Offensively they have such diversity and dimensions in their offense, the way that they can attack you with the run and pass. The amount of things they’re able to do against you with their complete offensive package, the depth at receiver, the quality of their offensive line, how many fine running backs they have. They’re just tougher to defend." When asked whether it would be a travesty for Ohio State to make the national-championship game over USC, Gilbertson said "I certainly do. I think (the Trojans) are very deserving of (playing in the national championship)."
So, we have Kevin Gilbertson, head coach of the 5 and 6 Huskies, a team that packed it in very early this season, a team that lost to Arizona two weeks ago and lost 54-7 to California last week, agreeing with his Pac-10 counterpart that Southern Cal "certainly" deserves the chance to play in the title game over Ohio State. This is the same coach whose team never recovered from the 28-9 loss (and if you saw the game, you remember that it was much worse than the score) to Ohio State in the opener. Certainly these comments are indeed part of a Candid Camera show. Allen Funt is around somewhere; has anyone found him yet?
blb
November 20, 9:00 a.m.
November 20, 7:45 a.m.
The daily links page will be updated soon and the OSU - Michigan preview will post later today.
November 19, 5:30 p.m.
Nothing Good Happens....
Nothing good happens when you're out past 10:00 p.m.? Maybe I don't have Coach Tressel's quote quite right, but it's something along these lines. As many as four Buckeye football players were involved in a skirmish outside of Morrill Tower around 3:00 a.m. this past Sunday morning. This morning's Dispatch said "two players" were (legally) cleared of any wrong doing. Whether that means that there were only two players involved, I don't know. The good news, if you can call it that, is that it doesn't appear that the players were doing anything terribly wrong. It has been reported that the OSU players were breaking up a fight between women. The bad news is that the players broke team curfew rules and may be disciplined by Coach Tressel.
Should the players be disciplined Saturday, this could significantly hurt Ohio State. The one player's name that has come up publicly is Chris Gamble. Gamble is obviously very important to Ohio State on Saturday. The other player that I have heard mentioned privately is not a starter, but is a regular on special teams. Maybe the disciplinary action, if there is any at all, will mean that those involved miss just one possession Saturday or maybe the disciplinary action would not call for any payer missing game time Saturday. But if Gamble was involved and is forced to miss more time than a series, that will be a blow to the Buckeyes.
Pressure, Pressure and More Pressure
The Ohio State defense is going to have to apply pressure on John Navarre all afternoon Saturday. Ohio State fans seem to underrate Navarre a bit, because he has rarely come up big in the big games. But Navarre has come a long way and has a cannon for an arm. He is not a QB that you want sitting in the pocket with plenty of time to throw, especially when that QB has receivers like Braylon Edwards, Carl Tabb, Jason Avant and Steve Breaston to throw to. I believe Will Smith will be close to 100%, but I don't believe Darrion Scott will be. Smith, Scott, Fraser, Anderson and the reserves need to bring it.
Flydell versus Perry
Could the rushing yardage battle between the two tailbacks decide the game? It could. Chris Perry, most would agree, is a more dangerous back than Lydell Ross and is capable of running for 150 yards almost every Saturday. But Ohio State has the best rush defense in the country and power offenses have had some success against the Michigan defense. Being able to run the football in this rivalry has always been key. If one back has success and the other doesn't, you probably will see the back with the most yards celebrating a victory come 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
blb
November 19, 10:00 a.m.
RossfordBuck's Prediction
OSU 9 UM 7
Nuge makes 3, national media complains because we're going to the Sugar Bowl and haven't scored an offensive touchdown in 2 games!
Go Bucks!!
November 19, 9:00 a.m.
The daily links page has been updated. A mere 67 links today. Front page update this afternoon. OSU-Michigan preview to post late tonight.
blb
November 18, 8:30 a.m.
Sports Talk Cleveland WKNR - The Game Discussion
The Buckeye 50 Yard Line's Brent Baver will be on "Reality Check" with Ron Glasenapp on SportsTalkCleveland.com (WKNR 850 am radio in Cleveland) tonight shortly past 8:00 p.m. ET to discuss...what else? The Game. You can listen via the internet at SportsTalkCleveland.com or on the radio in the Cleveland area at WKNR 850 a.m.
Keep Me Off the Field? No Chance
Injured Buckeyes Will Smith (hand), Fred Pagac (hand), Darrion Scott (ankle), Alex Stepanovich and Rob Sims (ankle) all said that they are ailing but will play against Michigan Saturday.
Battle on the Field as Opposed to on Paper
I made the comment that Michigan was considerable favorites over Ohio State, but are they really? 6 1/2 points? Yes, that is a big spread for The Game, but when you look at the statistics, it doesn't seem to be a lot. Many people probably don't realize that Michigan's defense has been as stingy as Ohio State's this year. The Wolverines are giving up 15.5 points per game while the Buckeyes are giving up 15.1 points per game. Total yards given up by the defenses are about equal also, with OSU giving up 275.7 yards per game and Michigan giving up 279.1 yards per game. On offense, Michigan is scoring 37.4 points per game compared to Ohio States 24.2. Total offense (in terms of yards)? It's not even close.
So how can Ohio State win this game? First of all, you can throw total yardage statistics out the window. The team with the most total yards in this game loses just about every year. Second of all, Ohio State's special teams are truly that...special. You can thank BJ Sander for the win over Purdue last week. 7 punts inside the Purdue's 20? Are you kidding me?
But I think the biggest advantage Ohio State may have is in the mental aspect of the game. Michigan had this advantage over Ohio State for more than a decade, but that advantage seems to have shifted. Ohio State has more on the line Saturday than Michigan (because of the BCS title game implications) you say? That may be, but Lloyd Carr needs this win more than Jim Tressel. And if this game gets down to the 8 minute mark in the 4th quarter and it's tied up, what team is going to be sweating more? A team that has lost this battle back-to-back years or a team that plays this type of game just about every week?
It hasn't been pretty and it has brought some ulcers along the way, but Tresselball is 24-1 the past two years and his team should have all the confidence in the world heading into this game. This team has defied logic for the second year in a row. Any reasons why they can't do it for three more hours on Saturday?
Every bowl projection I have seen has Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The only way that happens, of course, is if they beat Ohio State. Mark May's comment was, "What happens in Ann Arbor next Saturday? Ohio State gets waxed." Keep the comments coming. Ohio State has made a habit of making the ESPN B-team look silly. Can't wait to see it happen again.
blb
November 17, 9:15 a.m.
November 17, 6:00 a.m.
Buckeyes Projected 2nd in Today's BCS Standings
ESPN and USA Today are both projecting Ohio State to overtake Southern Cal when the BCS standings are released later today. Click here for the ESPN piece and here for the USA Today piece.
November 16, 9:45 p.m.
Michigan Considerable Favorites Over Buckeyes
The early lines are out and Michigan is a 6 to a 6 1/2 point favorite over Ohio State. Just one word Buckeye fans: "Believe". Also, as I said before the Michigan State game, I believe the Buckeyes are Sugar Bowl bound should they beat Michigan. It's not a given, but it's very probable. Believe my friends. Believe.
blb
November 16, 8:30 p.m.
Another Verbal Commitment?
According to Duane Long, Ohio State is about to land another verbal commitment in Riviera Beach (FL) Suncoast's athlete DaJuan Morgan. Morgan missed his senior year with a hip injury suffered in a car accident, but apparently is an unbelievable athlete who could play a variety of positions including WR or DB at the next level. Morgan is said to have a pending scholarship offer from Ohio State and will make the commitment when he receives a call from a Buckeye coach. Morgan goes 6-2, 180 and has incredible measurable's, including a 35-inch vertical and 4.3 speed. Morgan is said to have offers from Florida, Oklahoma, NC State, Auburn, Va Tech, Georgia and others. Click here for the Bucknuts piece on Morgan.
blb
November 16, 5:00 p.m.
The daily links page has been updated. Check out Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel's piece about the Buckeye Phenomenon. Great read. Also, crank up the Lenny Kravitz song Believe every moment you can this week.
blb
November 16, 3:00 p.m.
The daily links will be updated within the next few hours.
Michigan Week
It's here. It's been one unbelievable ride to get here. The last two seasons have been like a dream. The only thing is, so much of the beautiful memories of this season will mean so much less if this team doesn't win in Ann Arbor next Saturday. It's not fair, but it's reality. It's the big-time and it doesn't get any bigger than this.
BJ and the Nuge
Does anything else need said here? BJ, Nuge...we love ya.
Tressel Makes Right Move With Krenzel
Say what you want: "Krenzel hangs onto the ball too long." "Krenzel's accuracy is flat-out poor." "McMullen is a better quarterback." Whatever. Yesterday, Krenzel played against the best defense in the Big Ten not named Ohio State, played without his starting left tackle Rob Sims for most of the game, played with his top O-lineman Alex Stepanovich being far less than 100% for most of the game, but threw for 226 yards and no interceptions and most importantly, came away a winner. Kyle Orton, Purdue's outstanding QB, made a critical mistake fumbling the ball in his own end zone, giving Ohio State their only touchdown of the game. Craig made no such error. It's TresselBall, and he has his man behind center. 24-1 in the last 25 games. I'm not going to second guess him anymore.
Rushing Game Turned the Corner?
I said that I would wait until after the Purdue game to answer this. I have to now conclude that it has indeed turned the corner. Yes, it's true the OSU offense couldn't put the ball in the end zone, but OSU's "true" rushing stats were 34 attempts for 142 yards, if you exclude the QB sacks. That's 4.2 yards per carry against one of the very best rush defenses in the land. Ross ran pretty well (23 carries, 80 yards) considering the competition and the injuries on the O-line. The total number of "lost" yards for Flydell? One yard lost on just one carry. Things have really changed with the run blocking and Lydell's running style. Notice how Lydell seems to keep picking up an extra yard or two after contact and falls forward as he goes down. This was not happening earlier this year.
Hats off to the Boilers
It was heartbreaking for them, but the Boilermakers played a great game. It was good old fashion Big Ten football. Purdue's 92-yard drive in crunch time was unbelievable. I really didn't think they could do it. You have to tip your hat to Joe Tiller and his team.
blb
November 16, 10:45 a.m.
Another close win!
Ohio State pulled out another win in overtime. The Bucks are now 4-0 in overtime games. Much to the chagrin of the national media, Ohio State just keeps finding a way to win. Even without scoring an offensive touchdown. These types of games are not easy to watch, however.
Mike Nugent had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his field goal was blocked to send the game into overtime. The Buckeyes could not muster much offense in overtime, and were forced to try a 36 yard field goal. Nugent came through this time getting the all important points on the board. The Buckeye defense did its job in stopping Purdue and forcing them to try a 36 yard field goal as well. The try went just wide left, giving the Buckeyes the win.
These two teams looked even on paper, and in the end, only a few inches separated them. The win brings up a huge showdown at Michigan next week, with a Big Ten title on the line, as well as National Championship game implications for the Buckeyes. Once again, the game will be huge for both teams. Lets hope for more Tressel magic!! Go Bucks!!
jdm/rb
November 15, 10:00 a.m.
November 15, 8:30 a.m.
Game Day
Senior Day has arrived for a great class. More on the seniors in a moment.
It's currently 36 degrees on the Ohio State campus and the forecast calls for light rain. The temperature should rise to 45 degrees at kickoff. So bring your rain gear and your vocal chords if you are heading to the 'Shoe.
A big thank you goes out to this years senior class:
Will Allen, Tim Anderson, Bryce Bishop, Jason Bond, Bobby Britton, Drew Carter, Adrien Clarke, Bryce Culver, Ivan Douglas, Steve Graef, Ben Hartsock, Michael Jenkins, Craig Krenzel, Maurice Lee, Jamal Luke, Scott McMullen, Shane Olivea, Jim Otis Jr., Fred Pagac Jr., Robert Reynolds, B.J. Sander, Darrion Scott, Alex Stepanovich, Kyle Turano, Will Smith, and Mike Young
Your heart has to go out to Drew Carter and Ivan Douglas, two players that had their collegiate careers cut short. Coach Tressel announced earlier this week that Ivan Douglas would not be able to play football again. And then there's guys like Steve Graef, Maurice Lee, Jamal Luke, Jim Otis Jr., Kyle Turano and Mike Young, players who rarely saw any minutes in real games, but players who busted their butts in practice and workouts every day just like everyone else. Guys, thanks for the effort and commitment.
Now, it's time to take care of business one last time in the 'Shoe.
Go Bucks!
Updates
Recent updates have been made to the depth charts, recruiting page, commitments page and framing pages. This should about bring us up to date with everything on the site. We will take a closer look at recruiting after The Game.
The daily links page will be updated by 10:00 a.m.
blb
November 14, 11:45 p.m.
Recruiting
November 14, 8:45 p.m.
Updates
November 14, 11:45 a.m.
Odds, Ends and Misc. Thoughts
--Purdue is probably the most balanced and best overall football team Ohio State has played this year. If the Ohio State players have any thoughts of Michigan and/or the Sugar Bowl tomorrow, they are in trouble.
--When the pendulum swings, it often swings too far. Earlier in the year, it was, "Ohio State's offense is the worst offense in the history of their program." Now it's, "Ohio State has gotten their offense in gear, so look out." I think we will have a much better idea if OSU has their offense in gear after tomorrow's game. If the offense is successful tomorrow, then Brandon Joe may play a big part in that success. Joe's blocking will be key tomorrow.
--Ohio State may be facing the 2003 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year tomorrow in Shaun Phillips. Phillips has been a one-man wrecking machine as of late, chalking up multiple tackles-for-losses in just about every game. Phillips wears #15; keep your eye on him. He is the only player in the Big Ten with more tackles-for-losses than Will Smith.
--Three keys tomorrow if Purdue is going to upset Ohio State: 1) Having some success on the ground 2) Virtually shutting down the OSU running game 3) Purdue winning the turnover battle. If Purdue fails in just one of these three categories, I feel the Buckeyes win this one.
--Pick your poison? I don't think so just yet, until they can show off their diversity against a top-notch defense like Purdue's, but Ohio State is starting to utilize their offensive weapons. There's Ross, Hartsock, Hamby, Jenkins, Holmes and now Joe for an opponent to potentially be concerned about. It was actually fun watching the OSU offense operate last week. It's not often we've got a chance to say that this year.
--As always, look for Purdue to try to nickel and dime the Buckeye defense tomorrow, a philosophy that really has not worked against the Buckeye defense in the past two seasons. Purdue's top wideouts, John Standeford and Taylor Stubblefield have 124 catches between them. It can get frustrating watching an opponent continue to hit you with 6-yard receptions using their short passing game, but it's extremely hard to put many points on the board this way when facing a defense like Ohio State's.
--Can Northwestern give Michigan a game? The Wildcats are playing much better football this year and Michigan has not been the greatest of road teams this year. This one may be more interesting than some think, but I'd still be surprised if Northwestern could do more than make it interesting. Michigan should head into THE GAME as a top 5 team in the country.
--Should the Buckeyes get the job done against Purdue tomorrow and run their record to 10-1, you may want to tune into the LSU - Alabama game on ESPN at 7:45 EST Saturday night. Ohio State will of course still need to upset Michigan on the road next weekend, but a loss by LSU surely would help the Buckeyes in the BCS rankings. Visiting LSU is a 6/12 point favorite over Alabama.
--If you haven't had a chance to see Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald play this year, try to check him out before the season ends. Early on in the recruiting battle for Fitzgerald a few years back, many thought Ohio State would land the Minnesota blue-chip prospect. Not that Ohio State's receivers haven't been outstanding; they have. But it would have been something to have this Heisman candidate on this year's team. I'm not sure there is a cornerback in the country who can cover him.
--Bottom line: Ohio State gets it done tomorrow on an emotional senior day. Prediction: Ohio State 24 Purdue 14.
November 14, 9:45 a.m.
November 14, 8:45 a.m.
The daily links will be updated this morning with another update to follow before noon.
Buckeye Prints
Are there still Buckeye fans out there who don't have framed prints of Script Ohio in the Shoe, or the final play at the Fiesta Bowl, or Jimmy T singing Carmen Ohio with the championship Buckeyes? With the holidays coming fast, consider beating the rush by ordering Quality Framed Buckeye Prints for fans on your gift list. Prints can be shipped directly to you or those on your gift list. They make great business thank-you gifts for a client's home or office. Order now to avoid depleted stock or shipping delays. Preserve the memory of the championship season, as well as timeless Buckeye images with these framed, ready-to-hang prints. Click here to see all selections.
blb
November 13, 9:30 a.m.
November 12, 9:15 a.m.
November 11, 7:15 p.m.
The Buckeye 50 Yard Line Purdue Boilermakers Preview is available for viewing here.
November 11, 9:15 a.m.
November 10, 7:00 a.m.
Odds, Ends and Misc. Thoughts
--The Buckeyes are currently 3 1/2 point favorites against Purdue (8-2), a game that will kick off just past 3:30 ET on ABC next Saturday.
--I see that a few sources are now acknowledging that Ohio State has a shot at the #2 BCS spot even if Southern Cal does not lose again. I believe Ohio State, should they win their last two, has an excellent shot at the title game. (I posted this BCS scenario page yesterday.) I think the prevailing thought nationwide is, "Ohio State isn't going to win out anyway, so it doesn't matter."
--Hats off to Craig Krenzel who bounced back with a strong performance against Purdue. He still wasn't the most accurate throwing the ball, but he led a great overall effort by the offense and again showed off his ability to gain yards with his feet.
--The only real concern I saw coming out of the Michigan State game that hadn't concerned me all year was the Buckeye pass rush. The D-line picked it up in the second half, but Jeff Smoker had a lot of time to throw the ball early in the game. Hopefully we'll mark this off as the exception, but Ohio State cannot give John Navarre that much time to throw in the big matchup in two weeks. Navarre has a lot more to work with at WR than Michigan State did.
--Nate Salley will be the next great safety at Ohio State. He is already on his way right now.
--Kudos to the Buckeye O-line and an often criticized Lydell Ross. I know I have done quite a bit of criticizing myself, but let's give credit where credit is due. The O-Line and Lydell have made great strides over the past three weeks.
--Speaking of rising stars, there is surely one on the offense side of the ball who wears #4.
--How 'bout Tyler Everett? The backup safety has seen little time this year except on special teams, but really had a great game Saturday. His interception in the second quarter got things turned around for the Buckeyes and they never looked back.
--And how 'bout Mike Nugent and BJ Sander. Amazing, simply amazing. Nugent is now 13 for 15 on the year and is a perfect 5 for 5 from 40 yards and out. Sander is simply the most improved player on the team.
--Now that the praises have been thrown out for the offense, this coming Saturday will be their biggest challenge. The Purdue defense is probably one of the top 5 defenses in the nation. The Boilermaker defense is a big step up from the likes of Indiana, Penn State and Michigan State.
blb
November 9, 2:30 p.m.
OSU likely Sugar Bowl Bound Should They Win Out
blb
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