368 Days & Counting...

Till THE GAME resumes in Columbus on November 27, 2010. I just wanted to send this quick note to let you know I officially adjusted the clock (bottom of the page) so all of you who follow the blog can be as up to speed as I try to be.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Chip

Ohio State Will Wear "Throwbacks", Then Will Throw Away Michigan

Game Twelve: Michigan Wolverines


Location: Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, MI) 12pm EST, ABC


Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez


Michigan Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: CB Donovan Warren, WR Greg Mathews, WR Junior Hemingway, TE Kevin Koger, OT Patrick Omameh, CB J.T. Turner, and DB Vladimir Emilien. OL Elliott Mealer and TE Brandon Moore were on Ohio State's recruiting radar but were not offered scholarships by Ohio State.

When Michigan Is On Offense VS Ohio State's Defense ~ Michigan's spread offense has become much better in year 2 of the Rodriguez era, led by true freshman QB Tate Forcier. What Forcier lacks in terms of stature (Forcier is listed at 6'1", 188 lbs., but is probably shorter and lighter than that), Forcier compensates with a tremendous poise and understanding of finding open receivers. Due to Forcier's slight build, he has taken a pounding over the course of The Big Ten season, something that usually happens to quarterbacks in Rodriguez's system.

Michigan's running game is led by senior RBs Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown. Both Minor and Brown have had injury issues this season, and Minor is not expected to play against Ohio State. Other RBs who may be given carries against Ohio State include Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith.

The "X" factor for Michigan is true freshman QB Denard Robinson. Robinson has tremendous speed, but is not the passing threat Forcier is, having struggled throughout the season when throwing the ball. Even knowing that Robinson is not going to pass does not mean it will be easy to stop Robinson from gaining positive yards, due to his speed as a runner.

Ohio State's defensive line is fast and deep enough to give Michigan's struggling offensive line fits. If Brandon Minor is definitely out, it only serves to further handicap Michigan offensively. An interesting match-up to keep an eye on will be how Michigan uses TE Kevin Koger, who could cause problems if Ohio State tries to cover him with a linebacker.

Edge: Even. I believe Michigan will be able to run the ball on Ohio State early, but I look for Ohio State to clamp down by the beginning of the third quarter. I also look for Ohio State's pass rush to cause Michigan problems when Michigan tries to throw the ball.

When Ohio State Is On Offense VS Michigan's Defense ~ Ohio State has seemingly found its rhythm offensively running the ball in the last few games of the season, rushing for over 200 yards against teams such as Penn State and Iowa. While neither RB Brandon Saine or RB Daniel "Boom" Herron are the traditional Ohio State power backs such as Keith Byars or Chris Wells, both have had solid seasons and should get many carries against Michigan.

QB Terrelle Pryor has also become more of the traditional Jim Tressel caretaker QB in the latter part of the season, ever since the Purdue loss on October 17th. Pryor suffered an ankle injury against New Mexico State that has bothered him since, so it will be interesting to see how effective Pryor is as a runner against Michigan.

WRs Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey are both having solid seasons as Pryor's go-to receivers. While Sanzenbacher is more of a possession receiver, Posey can serve as both an intermediate and deep threat catching the ball.

Michigan has arguably the best defensive end in the conference in Brandon Graham, who could cause problems for Ohio State's offensive line. Graham will need to be double-teamed by an Ohio State TE such as Jake Ballard or chipped by a running back in passing situations.

Michigan's secondary has a tremendous CB in Donovan Warren, whom I believe Michigan will try to isolate on DeVier Posey. Warren is the bright spot in Michigan's secondary, which I believe Ohio State will be able to exploit.

Edge: Ohio State. Even though Brandon Graham and Donovan Warren are great players who could and would start at Ohio State, they are pretty much it when it comes to the Michigan defense. Michigan has benched linebackers, alternating players due to inconsistency or ineffectiveness. Michigan is starting walk-ons at linebacker and safety, and it shows as Michigan has struggled in Big Ten play this year.

Intangibles: Michigan has lost five straight in this rivalry, and the game is in Ann Arbor. Michigan needs a win in order to become bowl-eligible, while Ohio State has already clinched a share of The Big Ten championshp and a Rose Bowl berth. Justin Boren makes his return to Michigan Stadium, after accusing Rodriguez of "eroding family values".

Rumors are swirling that Rich Rodriguez could be fired with a loss. With the death of Stefanie Spielman, the wife of former Ohio State stalwart LB Chris Spielman, I wonder what kind of focus Ohio State has coming into this contest.

Edge: Michigan

Prediction: Ohio State is wearing "throwback" uniforms in tribute to its 1954 national championship team. While I believe Ohio State should honor its former team, I also believe it is far-fetched to honor a team 55 years after they won the national title - why not on the 50th anniversary? This is nothing more than a Nike marketing ploy, plain and simple. Ohio State sold itself out for some extra money for its athletic department.

But I digress. Michigan has the intangibles in its favor, but I do not believe they have the depth to stay with Ohio State for four quarters. I look for this game to be close, but for Ohio State to wear down Michigan's defense in the second half to take a closer than expected victory for the sixth straight year, giving Ohio State the undisputed Big Ten championship. I am going to say Ohio State 27, Michigan 17.

Why Chris Spielman Is My All-Time Favorite Buckeye

Ohio State football fans admire and respect players for various reasons. Attend any Ohio State game and you will see jerseys of current players such as Terrelle Pryor and Dane Sanzenbacher, as well as former players such as Archie Griffin or James Laurinaitis.

My favorite Ohio State player, past or present, is Chris Spielman. Spielman played linebacker for Ohio State from 1984-1987, and is arguably considered to be the best linebacker in the history of Ohio State football.

Chris Spielman's passion and intensity on the football field was something to behold. Even though Spielman was not the biggest or fastest linebacker, few could compare to Spielman's natural football instincts to find the ball and make the play.

While Chris Spielman's football talents are something to continue to admire, my respect for Chris Spielman has nothing to do with football whatsoever. The reason why Chris Spielman is the Buckeye I admire the most is because of his devotion to his wife and family.

In 1998, Chris Spielman took the year off from playing for the NFL's Buffalo Bills to care for his wife Stefanie and his young children. To show his support for his wife Stefanie, who was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, Chris Spielman shaved his own head.

Following his retirement from the NFL in 1999, Chris Spielman became a radio talk show host for 97.1 The Fan FM in Columbus, Ohio. Spielman also is a college football analyst for ESPN, and has become one of my favorite analysts due to his insightful commentary.

Stefanie Spielman lost her battle with cancer on November 19th, dying at the age of 42. My sincere condolences go out to Chris Spielman and his family on the loss of his wife.

While I have immense respect for Chris Spielman's athletic accomplishments, my admiration for Chris Spielman for what he did for his wife and family is somewhere beyond the stratosphere. Chris Spielman is truly an athlete that I consider a role model for myself as a husband and father, by virtue of what he did for his wife and family.

OSU/Michigan: It Will Definitely Be A "Boren" Week

There are going to be so many interesting storylines leading up to the Ohio State/Michigan game this week. Ohio State has clinched a berth in The Rose Bowl, but has an opportunity to become outright Big Ten conference champions with a defeat of Michigan. Or maybe people will want to talk about how Jim Tressel has defeated Michigan seven times in eight attempts, and will be trying to make it eight out of nine.

Another storyline to keep an eye on could be how Ohio State has defeated Michigan five straight times, and will be trying to make it six. Michigan is now 5-6 on the season, needing a victory to become bowl eligible.

All of these are worthwhile storylines. For what it is worth, I believe all of them will pale in comparison to Justin Boren returning to play against Michigan.

It happened so early on in the spring of 2008 that it is possible people may have dismissed it from memory. Boren, an Ohio born player with a love of Michigan football from his parents, cited an erosion in "family values" in his reasoning for leaving Michigan during spring football of that year.

While many Michigan fans and players were quick to label Justin Boren a malcontent and quitter, among other derogatory terms, the fallout was exacerbated when Boren decided to become a walk-on at Ohio State , taking the intense rivalry between the two schools to another level.

Younger brother Zach Boren , who like his brother grew up a Michigan fan, became an Ohio State commit and signed with Ohio State last February. Zach Boren starts at fullback, while Justin starts at left offensive guard.

One of Justin Boren's quotes regarding this whole incident is something to keep in mind for this game: "I think about (that game) almost every day. It will be the happiest day of my life. It's going to be crazy. That's what I'm looking forward to, and it's all the better it's in Ann Arbor."

I have a feeling cameras are going to be watching the line of scrimmage with a little more attention than usual this coming Saturday. I know I will be curious to see how Ohio State's # 65 is handling this unusual homecoming.

Ohio State Will Turn Iowa Into "I Wanna Go Home"

Entering Ohio Stadium for the first time since 2005, Iowa looks to defeat Ohio State to earn no worse than a share of The Big Ten championship and clinch a trip to the Rose Bowl for the first time since the 1990 season.

Iowa is led by Kirk Ferentz, who has consistently delivered quality offensive lines in his tenure at Iowa. Iowa's running game is solid, albeit with several talented players on the sidelines due to injury. Iowa's receivers, led by Ohioans Trey Stross and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, are solid. Iowa's defense is ranked 14th in the country in total defense, and was essential in Iowa's 9-0 start.

Before November 7th, Ohio State fans looked forward to this challenge against Iowa, as native Ohioan Ricky Stanzi, arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the country at rallying his team, was going to have an opportunity to come into Ohio Stadium and defeat Ohio State.

With the loss to Northwestern last week, and Stanzi's severe ankle injury, Iowa is now reduced to starting ...

James Vandelay?

James Van Der Beek?

No, his name is James Vandenberg, and he has the unenviable task of coming into Ohio Stadium at 3:30pm EST to face an Ohio State defense that is ready to feast upon him.

I can already anticipate Iowa fans writing, "This kid set Iowa high school passing records!". My argument to those people is simply this - if James Vandenberg was the best quarterback on Iowa's roster, Vandenberg would have been starting instead of Ricky Stanzi.

Here are Vandenberg's statistics last week against Northwestern: 9 of 27 for 82 yards, and 1 interception.

Yes, Vandenberg had to come in cold off the bench. It had to be tremendously difficult to come into a game to rally Iowa when the team was deflated due to the loss of their on-field leader.

Iowa fans will say, "Vandenberg will get all of the practice reps this week.". True - Kirk Ferentz will design a game plan around Iowa's solid running game to make it easier on James Vandenberg.

Here is the reality that Iowa fans already know - Northwestern is a good team. Ohio State is a better team.

Ohio State, playing its last home game of the 2009 season, with a crew of seniors such as Kurt Coleman and Doug Worthington playing their last home game in Ohio Stadium, will play with an intense passion to win the first trip to The Rose Bowl in Jim Tressel's tenure.

Look for Ohio State to play conservatively on offense, and rely on its strong special teams and speedy defense to clinch The Rose Bowl berth. I am going to predict Ohio State 24, Iowa 10.

Will Penn State Make It An UnHappy Valley For Ohio State?

Game Ten: Penn State Nittany Lions

Location: Beaver Stadium (State College, PA) 3:30PM EST, ABC

Head Coach: Joe Paterno

Penn State Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: CB A.J. Wallace, QB Kevin Newsome, LB Navorro Bowman, FB Michael Zordich, LB Chris Colasanti, DE Devon Still. Other Penn State players who either had interest in Ohio State or Ohio State had shown interest in are S Andrew Dailey, QB Daryll Clark, and RB Brandon Beachum (all three are Ohio natives). A special good luck for WR Ryan Scherer from my hometown of Avon Lake, OH.

When Penn State Is On Offense ~ Penn State's offense is built around the talents of senior QB Daryll Clark. Clark is a solid 6'2", 232 lbs. quarterback with the versatility to run the ball as well as effectively throw it.

Penn State has relied upon RB Evan Royster to spearhead its running game, while being complimented by other players such as Brandon Beachum and the sometimes-injured Stephfon Green. Daryll Clark's talents as a runner allow Penn State the ability to use Clark for called quarterback runs in short yardage situations, when Penn State can bring in multiple wideouts to spread the field and allow Clark room to gain yards.

Penn State has been able to use WRs Derek Moye, Chaz Powell, and Graham Zug to offset the loss of talented players to graduation and/or the NFL. Another dependable receiving option for Clark is TE Andrew Quarless, who is a typical mismatch defensively when the opposition tries to cover him with a linebacker.

Penn State's offensive line lost three starters from last year's team, and this is where Ohio State needs to capitalize in this match-up. Ohio State's defensive line is probably the strength of Ohio State's overall team, and Ohio State needs to focus on shutting down Penn State's run game while also forcing QB Daryll Clark into mistakes in order for Ohio State to win this game.

The key match-up will be to see how Penn State OLT Dennis Landolt handles Ohio State DE Thaddeus Gibson. Ohio State likes to move Gibson around, so another Ohio State defender to watch will be DE Nathan Williams.

When Ohio State Is On Offense ~ Ohio State's offense is a snapshot of inconsistency and incoherence. Similar to QB Daryll Clark, Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor is also the linchpin of the offense, yet there seems to be a grab-bag approach week in and week out as to how Ohio State will function offensively.

Ohio State's RB corps does not have a solid down after down, play after play, running back. The starting RB, Brandon Saine, played poorly last week against New Mexico State when given opportunities. True freshman RB Jordan Hall has impressed me with his quickness and intensity; I hope to see Hall get the ball against Penn State.

Unfortunately for Ohio State's maligned offensive line, they are going up against arguably the best defensive team they have faced all season. Penn State's Jared Odrick and Jack London could cause fits for Ohio State.

If I was Ohio State's Jim Tressel, I would spread out Penn State with multiple wide receivers, forcing them to play single coverage on Ohio State's wide receivers. This will force Penn State to play more conservatively defensively than they would prefer, while also allowing QB Terrelle Pryor the option of running the ball for positive yardage at the onset of virtually every snap of the ball. This will also relieve some strain on Ohio State's inconsistent offensive line.

While Penn State's defensive line and linebackers are excellent, the weakest part of Penn State's defensive unit is the secondary. Again, by forcing Penn State into playing man-on-man coverage, this helps Ohio State to gain the advantage in this chess match-up.

Special Teams: Ohio State lost its starting placekicker Aaron Pettrey to injury, leaving relatively inexperienced Devin Barclay as Ohio State's best option for field goals as well as kickoffs. Penn State's Collin Wagner is a dependable short-yardage kicker but not a long-ball kicker.

Penn State has the advantage for punting with Jeremy Boone, who averages 40 plus yards on his punts. Ohio State's Jon Thoma seems to have a rough spot lately, so I would give the advantage to Penn State in this area, especially due to Pettrey's injury and Barclay's inexperience.

Intangibles: Penn State's Beaver Stadium is traditionally one of the rowdiest and toughest places to play. Considering this is an opportunity for Penn State to reassert itself in The Big Ten conference race, how Terrelle Pryor spurned Penn State for Ohio State two years ago, I have no doubt the Penn State fans will be fired up in support of their squad against the Buckeyes. Penn State has won 31 of its last 34 home games.

Prediction: I want to pick Ohio State badly, as Ohio State needs this win desperately to regain some semblance of respect of being able to beat a top team in the eyes of the national media. The lack of offensive consistency in every area just will not allow me to do it.

I think this one will be low scoring, as both defenses will force both teams to earn every yard they can get. I think the Penn State home crowd will be enough to push Penn State over the top. I am saying Penn State 14, Ohio State 10.

Can Terrelle Pryor Silence The Roar Of Penn State's Nittany Lions?

Ohio State fans anticipated the November 7th contest against Penn State to be a night game, until The Big Ten announced its clause of no night games in the month of November. While Ohio State fans may believe that having a 3:30pm EST kickoff will make it easier, I would argue that any time Ohio State goes into Beaver Stadium it can be a challenging experience.

Now let us throw another gasoline-soaked log onto the proverbial fire. When QB Terrelle Pryor signed with Ohio State instead of Penn State in 2008, the following were Pryor's quoted comments that "Penn State isn't the place for me. It's just not. I don't like the area. It's country-looking. I just don't like that place.".

Considering the struggles Terrelle Pryor has had on the field this season, one would think Jim Tressel will do what he can to restrict media access to Pryor going into what is the biggest game for both teams. Pryor has already provided bulletin board material for this season and seasons beyond against Penn State- there is little reason to keep stoking that fire between now and Saturday afternoon.