Ohio State's "Marshall Plan" Is To Corral The Herd

Game One: Marshall Thundering Herd


Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, OH) 7:30pm EST, Big Ten Network


Head Coach: Doc Holliday


Marshall Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: N/A. Marshall LB George Carpenter is the younger brother of former Ohio State LB Bobby Carpenter, but was not offered a scholarship by Ohio State.

When Marshall Is On Offense VS Ohio State's Defense ~ Talk about a plunge into the unknown. Marshall hired Doc Holliday last winter, but it is truly anyone's guess as to what kind of offense Marshall will unveil against Ohio State in the season opener. Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel has even made public statements that the Ohio State defense needs to be prepared for just about anything.

Based purely on speculation, I believe Marshall will use a spread offense, as Holliday is a former assistant to Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer. I look for Marshall to try to attack Ohio State through a short passing game, to try and control the clock and minimize mistakes.

Edge: Ohio State. Even though Ohio State's secondary is arguably the weakest part of its overall defense, the strongest and possibly deepest area on its defense is the defensive line. Ohio State DE Cameron Heyward will be someone to keep an eye on throughout this contest.

When Ohio State Is On Offense VS Marshall's Defense ~ Ohio State returns numerous starters from last year's Big Ten championship team, and QB Terrelle Pryor supposedly has had a very strong fall camp, building upon his stellar performance in the Rose Bowl. All Ohio State fans are anxious to see if this is the year that Ohio State finally throws to the TE, with the emergence of converted WR Jake Stoneburner at the position. Look for backup quarterback Joe Bauserman to get some early playing time, as Jim Tressel likes to insert his backup quarterback when the game is in doubt.

Key defenders from Marshall to be aware of are LB Mario Harvey and DE Vinny Curry. I will especially pay attention to the match-up between Curry and Ohio State OLT Mike Adams. Harvey has excellent speed, and has been called the leader of Marshall's team by Doc Holliday.

Edge: Ohio State. Even though Ohio State traditionally starts out slowly offensively, I believe Ohio State will be able to keep Marshall off balance through both the pass and the run. Look for RB Brandon Saine as a viable receiving option out of the backfield.

Intangibles: Ohio State has not lost a home opener since 1978, and this is a night game in Ohio Stadium, meaning the fans will be well-revved up after a day of tailgating. Throw in the fact that this is Marshall's first game under new head coach Doc Holliday, and I like Ohio State big here in this department.

Edge: Ohio State

Prediction: Ohio State is a preseason favorite to contend for the national championship. Opening up on a Thursday night, while sacrilegious to most Ohio State fans, will provide fans across the country an opportunity to see how good Ohio State truly is as a contender.

I am sure everyone will be reminded of how close the 2004 contest between Ohio State and Marshall was during the various pre-game shows. I look for Ohio State to start out slowly, but the crowd and Ohio State's superior team speed and athleticism will be the difference in this one by the beginning of the 4th quarter. I am going Ohio State 35, Marshall 10.

New device added for the blog ~ Facebook gadget

With college football season almost upon us, I thought I would add a new tool that will allow people to share blog postings to Facebook if they so desire. Just look for it on the right side, and I think it will take you directly to Facebook...

Blogging The Buckeyes ~ Quick thought on Tressel's OSU-Michigan stance

From The Columbus Dispatch's Blogging The Buckeyes ~

From what I've seen, many people appear disappointed that Jim Tressel is not taking a strong position on the controversy over moving the OSU-Michigan game. All I can say is that from listening to him today, he sounded like a kid who doesn't want to go to the dentist, but doesn't feel he has any power to rebel against his parents. Clearly, he does not like where this is headed. But Tressel values "team" and loyalty above almost everything else. In this case, he is subverting his opinion -- publicly, at least -- to go along with what his bosses feel is best. Most of us would do the same thing, in principle. Behind the scenes with Gene Smith or Jim Delany, might Tressel have been more blunt in his opinion? Maybe. But he's not going to dissent and cause a huge flap by going against what a commissioner, his president and his athletic director have decided to do. Our columnist, Bob Hunter, is writing about this for tomorrow's paper, so I don't want to go further and risk stepping on what he's doing. But from watching Tressel for six-plus years now, I wanted to point out that he is all about "team" and unity, for better or, in this case, even for worse. He is not one to rage against the machine.

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The OZone.net: Time for Tressel to Take a Stand

The-Ozone, Ohio State Football, Wrestling, Softball, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball and More

Ohio State AD Gene Smith: Video Clip re: THE GAME

Brent Musberger & Kirk Herbstreit on ESPN: Big Ten preview video clip

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN ~ Momentum builds for Michigan-OSU split

CURSES! I hope this does not happen, but we will see in the coming weeks…

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For years, we heard that Michigan and Ohio State never would regularly play The Game after Thanksgiving. That will change this fall. When the Big Ten added Nebraska in June and a divisional split seemed imminent, most folks (including me) thought there was little chance the Wolverines and the Buckeyes would end up on opposite sides of the league. This, too, has changed as we anxiously wait the division pairings to be announced. If you're paying attention to the words coming out of both Columbus and Ann Arbor, you shouldn't be surprised if Michigan and Ohio State are placed in opposite divisions. Athletic directors Gene Smith (Ohio State) and Dave Brandon (Michigan) both are preparing their respective fan bases for the Buckeyes and Wolverines to possibly move their rivalry game earlier in the season. The only reason this would happen is if the teams went in opposite divisions, creating the potential for a rematch in the Big Ten championship game. They would meet every year in a protected crossover game. Brandon weighed in Friday morning on WTKA radio in Ann Arbor, and the blog MVictors has a good breakdown of theinterview. When asked if he were making the decision, would he put Michigan and Ohio State in the same conference division, Brandon paused and then answered, "No." He continued: "We're in a situation where one of the best things that could happen in my opinion in a given season would be the opportunity to play Ohio State twice, once during the regular season and once for the championship of the Big Ten." On the Michigan-Ohio State game, Brandon said: "I think there's a distinct possibility that that game will be a later game in the season, but not necessarily the last game of the season. And that's simply because … I don't think the coaches, or the players, or the fans, or the networks or anyone, would appreciate that matchup to happen twice within the same seven-day period." More from Brandon: "What you're really going to want is that last game of the regular season to really determine, often times, the championship -- who's going to be the champion of that division and go to the championship game and play for all the marbles. So from a scheduling/timing perspective, it's a new ballgame, and although I love playing Ohio State in the last game of the year, I don't think it's necessarily a slam dunk that that's going to continue. Translation: Get ready for Michigan-Ohio State in late October. Probably. Smith was a little less direct in his comments this week to The Columbus Dispatch. "I know one thing for sure -- that we're going to play [Michigan] every year," Smith said. "We may end up playing the last game of the year, or not. I just don't know that yet." Smith said his one unshakable objective at the start of the realignment discussion was to assure that Ohio State and Michigan would play every year. There is no danger of that being threatened. Beyond that, Smith said it's wise to let the process play out, step by step, without trying to insist on further requirements. Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel added this at Big Ten media days when asked about The Game: "Where it will be in the future, I'm not sure. But I don't think it will ever change in its importance to the people that are involved in it, especially, what it means to all of them and all of us." There are some obvious pros to splitting Ohio State and Michigan into two divisions. Penn State could be paired with Ohio State or Michigan instead of Nebraska to keep a 2-2 split with the league's four biggest brands, which I believe is imperative no matter what the Big Ten decides. There could be more of a geographical division split, which many fans seem to want. Michigan and Michigan State could go "West" and be in the same division with Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. An Ohio State-Michigan clash in the Big Ten championship would be huge, regardless of what happened in the first meeting. The big negatives relate to tradition and the importance of the first game. Will it mean as much in mid October as it does in late November? Also, splitting Ohio State and Michigan could actually decrease the number of blockbuster games that could be enhanced through protected crossovers. I'm all for being more open-minded in the Big Ten, but I'm concerned about the potential ramifications here. Just be prepared for this to happen. When asked if he were making the decision, would he put Michigan and Ohio State in the same conference division? Brandon paused then answered. "No."

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Hey Nike! Quit Messing With The Uniforms For The Michigan Game!

Late this afternoon, I received an e-mail from my friend Steve Seymour, who sent me this link and information that Ohio State would again be wearing special uniforms for the Michigan game on November 27th. He added, "I know you won't like this".

I replied very quickly ~ "You are right. I do not like it. At all."

What is it with Nike having Ohio State adjust their uniforms for THE GAME? Here are Ohio State's athletic director Gene Smith's words last season, when describing why Ohio State adjusted for the Michigan game in Ann Arbor...

"They offered us a chance to try a new uniform product featuring cutting-edge fabrics and technology; participation in the program also offered us a one-time opportunity to salute one of those great championship teams that have built the Ohio State football tradition."

- "Again, this is a one-time opportunity to honor a great championship team. We have no plans to make any changes to the traditional Buckeye uniform for the foreseeable future."

So Gene, what happened to the "one-time opportunity"? What happened to the "no plans to make any changes to the traditional Buckeye uniform"?

If you want to make changes...BRING BACK THE GRAY STRIPE ON THE SCARLET JERSEY!

You know, kind of like the one that this guy who won the Heisman Trophy twice wore?!?

FW: Smith says no OSU-Michigan decision reached

Update regarding Ohio State/Michigan rumor, from Blogging The Buckeyes (Columbus Dispatch)…

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The Ohio State football blogosphere was abuzz today after a bucknuts.com message board post claimed that OSU athletics director Gene Smith told some students at a seminar that he "expects" the Ohio State-Michigan game to be moved to early November and that the OSU and UM would be placed in opposite divisions once a 12-team Big Ten begins play next year. Not so, Smith told the Dispatch this evening. He said his comments were misconstrued. He said the Big Ten has not reached a decision about divisional alignment or the timing of the OSU-Michigan game. All he was doing was laying out the possible scenarios involving the future of the OSU-Michigan rivalry -- that the schools either would be in the same division or wouldn't and that that would still play the final regular-season week or not. He said when he answered a question about the possibility of OSU and Michigan being in different divisions and playing earlier, the student must have misinterpreted that as being the scenario that had been settled upon. Smith said he had "no clue" which scenario will be adopted and that a decision is expected to be reached by the end of this month or early September. School officials had a conference call last Friday and are still in the data-gathering stage, Smith said. He said his overriding concern involving the Ohio State-Michigan game is that the game be played every year. That is unlikely to be an issue. It's virtually a given that the Big Ten's biggest rivalry will be played every year. "All I know is I went into this thing (insisting) we've got to play every single year," Smith said. "I was going into the meetings open-minded to ensure we do what's best for conference from that point on." He said the school officials dealing with realignment have been working together smoothly. "I'm highly confident that in the end we'll all be happy," he said.

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Ramzy of Bucknuts.com: 2010 Ohio State Football SWOT Analysis

Ramzy calls in the SWOT team, as in Strengths, Weaknessess, Opportunities, and Threats, on this year's Buckeye football team.

A couple of years ago I hastily eschewed my customary outlook-plus-jokes Ohio State preview in favor of formally SWOTing the season. Basically the only difference between a preview and that SWOT exercise were a few bullet points that are easier on the eyes and the the ability to falsely appear prescient after the season ended. Regardless of how the season turns out, a SWOT always seems to look frighteningly prophetic after the fact. Plus, I was taking a graduate-level marketing strategy class at the time and had SWOT analyses on the brain.

Predictably, hindsight was kind to that 2008 column as well as its Bucknuts the Magazine predictions - which I used to correctly predict the season record for the second consecutive year - so I SWOTed the 2009 season again last year in lieu of going back to the reliable outlook-plus-jokes preview model. Studying that SWOT again one year later, the Weaknesses and Threats were horribly exploited in both how Southern Cal and Purdue games went down, and it looks prescient all over again. There were no secrets revealed: This is an exercise in winning the game or knowing the reason why before the game is even played. These MBA people are onto something: SWOT swings the big bat of predictive clarity quite well; better than an outlook-plus-jokes Ohio State preview would, anyway.

So for the third year in a row, I’ll be eschewing a customary season preview column. Besides, adding yet another contribution to the stack of countless Ohio State season preview columns already available on the Internet would be like having your great grandmother’s tubes tied. Yes, granny is still a freak, but it’s always important to be mindful of overkill.

Strengths

You can refer to that stack of countless Ohio State season preview columns, which overwhelmingly focus only on what keeps short attention spans engaged. That hyperactive blather begins with the enigma under center: Ohio State’s offense features a quarterback that is impossible to describe accurately. Terelle Pryor is very tall. A lot of quarterbacks are like that. He’s also very fast – again, not terribly uncommon. His field vision is, well, um, he’s very tall. His arm strength is, well, um, he’s very fast. He’s got a stiff arm that is eerily reminiscent of Beanie Wells, if Beanie had gotten the Gattica surgery to make him five inches taller.

He was the 2009 Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and he promptly took the field and atrophied last season in several key quarterbacking statistics from efficiency to passing yardage. After the Purdue game, the square quarterback/round playbook futility was partially abandoned and more emphasis was placed on exploiting what was known of Pryor’s skills rather than what was still untapped, namely his size and his speed. Passing attempts evaporated, and when he was allowed to pass, it was a decidedly conservative - and effective - passing sequence. The 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year is never just a steady game manager, not in any year. Yet Pryor - who did not come close to winning the postseason award or setting any relatively meager Ohio State passing records ablaze - still finished the season as the Rose Bowl MVP. He still managed to shock and awe. Tall, fast dudes have a tendency for doing that.

It’s almost as though the idea of a fully-functioning and prodigious Pryor makes the Ohio State offense intangibly more frightening than it is in reality, with merely mortal, fleshy Pryor under center. The degree to which the marquee carrying PRYOR as one of the must-see centerpieces of the entire 2010 college football landscapes cannot be understated: Pryor, who was not the first, second, third, fourth or fifth-team All Big Ten in 2009 at quarterback, repeated as Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. His legitimate athletic ability has taken on a decidedly mythical perception. With the unfortunate events of NBA free agency this summer, Pryor can no longer be referred to as LeBron in Cleats. He can, however, be Achilles in Eyeblack (as long as nothing is written on it).

Strength: Fear Factor

Weaknesses

During the Southern California and Purdue offensive implosions that saw the Pryor-led Buckeyes muster 15 and 18 points respectively against defenses that were absolutely shredded by lesser teams, the state of Jim Tressel’s Ohio State empire was called into question: What kind of football coaching incompetence could produce such abject failure with what is widely seen as some of the best talent around, not only in the conference but in the country? Mid-October 2009 was a significant crossroads for the Ohio State program: The team had lost three consecutive BCS games, two of the title variety, both of its home-and-home matchups with Southern Cal, they had choked away the Big Ten road winning streak record at 1-5 Purdue and the most sought-after quarterback prospect in years was faltering in an offense that did little to inspire the prospect of attracting similar high school superstars to Columbus.

The creeping death of the 2004 season which featured three consecutive, bad losses began to erode the Midwestern dynasty that the Buckeyes had enjoyed since that distasteful October five years earlier. A couple of layups and some significant wagon-circling later, Ohio State graciously provided for the more palatable and enjoyable half of the lose-lose proposition, the “oh what could have been” running of the table that the 2005 team delivered after mustering 10 points in Happy Valley with an offensive roster that still features numerous NFL players to this day.

Normally weakness is diagnosed by a missing or lacking asset. You may be worried about the lack of a returning, rocket-legged punter, game-changing kick returner or the third shift in the defensive back seven. Um, don’t be. It would take a nearly impossible, catastrophic decimation to ply the Ohio State roster depth down to unsustainable levels. You worry about depth on the 2010 Buckeyes the same way you worry about coming down with scurvy at a citrus orgy, i.e. you don’t. It should be a pick-your-poison task for each of the opposing 12 coaches to diagnose when they play Ohio State this year, and the bad news is that the better option for them is still poison.

This 2010 team would have little problem with the 2009, 2008 or 2007 Big Ten. Granted, each of those respective Ohio State units finished no worse than tied for first in any of those years. But this year’s team is facing similar elevated expectations that are tinged with an additional challenge: Its predecessors have all rolled up double-digit wins against what was acceptably seen as a no-better-than-mediocre Big Ten. This team is expected to do the same, only cleaner (no Purdue-like episodes allowed, not with this roster) and against a very strong Big Ten that will provide at least 20% of the top 15 ranked teams every week this season. They have the most stability, depth and talent in the conference. A couple of road games at Wisconsin and Iowa are noticeably challenging at a glance of the schedule, but most slates have at least a couple of scrums built into them and in a historical sense, very good Ohio State teams barely ever lose in Madison or Iowa City. Three losses in 22 years in Madison. Three losses in 48 years in Iowa City. Somewhere between elevated expectations and mythical perception is the inexplicable.

Weakness: Tactical Enlightenment (again)

Opportunities

A sixth-straight conference title, the final Big ‘Eleven’ championship ever, a seventh-straight win over Michigan, a chance to re-infect the 7.5-year old unhealed scab on the Miami Hurricanes psyche, a fourth BCS title game appearance and the Heisman Trophy are all within very reasonable grasp. Every year is brings elevated expectations, but we haven’t seen an accumulation like this in our lifetimes. Both 1998 and 2006 came close but lacked the unprecedented streak against the Wolverines.

Opportunity: Immortality

Threats

The schedule features four victorious bowl teams that return with expectations of being significantly better this season. The two bowl teams that lost their games actually lost tightly contested games to two of the other teams on the schedule. Only Eastern Michigan is a layup in the truest sense of the metaphor; in every single other game the opponent should require complete submission on behalf of the Buckeyes’ top 40 players. Ohio State has lost three straight home night games while winning several road night games in a row over four seasons; this schedule features both flavors. Speed bumps and potholes abound, but there’s nothing that this team shouldn’t be able to maneuver around, over or through.

Twelve teams separate Ohio State from what should be once again a crowded field of BCS title game candidates. The Buckeyes have lost to exactly one truly bad team - Purdue - since 2004. That fresh reminder from last October has and should continue to go a long way toward vanquishing last season’s top threat of Entitlement. Top to bottom, there isn’t a team in the country that is clearly superior. If this team is going to falter, those cracks will likely be self-inflicted.

Threat: Pressure

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Blogging The Buckeyes news feed ~ Williams' knee: What it means

From Blogging The Buckeyes ~ Info on DE Nathan Williams' knee sprain, sustained on Sat afternoon…

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The sight of Nathan Williams hopping off the field Saturday -- literally, not putting any weight on his left leg -- had to be a bit unsettling for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has four good-to-very-good starting defensive linemen: Williams, Dexter Larimore, Cameron Heyward and John Simon. But among those four, only Heyward has proved himself as a durable, every-down player....Simon played in spurts last year, Larimore has struggled with injuries and Williams has never been counted on to play as much as he is in line to this season. And beyond those four, it gets sketchy. Nobody can reliably say what Solomon Thomas, Melvin Fellows, Garrett Goebel or Adam Bellamy (the next four on the two-deep) can do on the field, they just haven't played enough to judge. Freshmen such as David Durham (at Williams' spot, pass-rushing end) and Jonathan Hankins (at tackle) may end up contributing, but again, that's a "may," not a "will." So the extent of Williams' injury is important. Tim May reported in today's Dispatch that it is a sprain. By definition, a sprain is an injury to a ligament. A grade 1 sprain would mean the ligament is simply stretched and it's a matter of pain and swelling. Grade 2 would involved a partial tear. We don't know the grade of Williams' sprain. That's why there is a wide range of estimated recovery times -- one to four weeks is the initial diagnosis. Terrelle Pryor last year suffered a partial ligament tear -- a grade 2 sprain -- against New Mexico State. He was clearly limited for a few weeks, and even three-plus months later, it bothered him enough that he had arthroscopic surgery. One might argue that a sprained knee hampers a defensive lineman more than a quarterback -- the lineman needs to push off and drive, putting more strain on his knee. One or two weeks is no big deal -- Heyward had a high ankle sprain in camp two years ago, and it didn't seem to bother him a bit once the season started. But four weeks takes OSU right up to the Miami game, when the Buckeyes will need all hands on deck. Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock likes to rotate 8 or 9 guys on the line, but until the backups prove themselves a bit more, it's imperative that OSU's starting four remain healthy.

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A Look Back At Ohio State's 2007 Recruiting Class

The last few years, I reviewed Ohio State's recruiting classes of 2005 and 2006 when those classes were the current seniors. With the 2010 season almost upon us, I felt it was time to review those players who are now seniors to see what impact, if any, they have had upon Ohio State football since they signed on the dotted line for the Buckeyes in February 2007.

The 2007 recruiting class was relatively small, with only fifteen players signed. Scout.com ranked Ohio State's class as the sixteenth best class, behind Michigan in Big Ten rankings. Rivals.com ranked Ohio State's class fifteenth overall, again behind Michigan in the Big Ten rankings. Both services ranked Florida's class as the top overall, with both services ranking QB Jimmy Clausen as the top high school football player in the nation.

Generally, I believe that any recruiting class operates by a rule of thirds ~ a third of the players will become starters, as the coaches would hope for at some point in their career. A third of the players will contribute in some fashion, possibly as dependable backups or special teamers. And a third will not contribute, possibly transferring, having academic issues, or other off the field issues.

Looking at Ohio State's 2007 class, you will see that Ohio State's coaching staff again have done a very good job of maximizing the contributions of this fifteen man class they signed back in February 2007. The coaching staff completely nullifies the rules of thirds with this class - an impressive job of talent evaluation and talent development, as you will read.

I. The Starters (7 players)

DL Cameron Heyward - Heyward surprised many by returning to Ohio State for his senior season, when he could have left for the NFL. Heyward was thrust into action in his first game, against Youngstown State, when his teammate Lawrence Wilson sustained an injury. Heyward is a preseason All-American and could be a captain for Ohio State this fall.

RB Daniel "Boom" Herron - I struggled listing Herron as a starter, when I believe Brandon Saine may be the starting tailback against Marshall in the opener. Regardless, Herron splits carries with Saine, and was arguably the starter for most of the 2008 season when Saine was injured. Herron reminds me of former NY Giants RB Joe Morris, with his physical style and deceptive speed. Herron was redshirted in 2007, and could return for another season in 2011.

DB Jermale Hines - Hines contributed as a freshman on special teams, and has been a consistent performer for Ohio State in the secondary. Hines was not a starter at the beginning of last season, but is expected to man one of the safety positions this season.

LB Brian Rolle - Like Jermale Hines, Brian Rolle made his impression primarily on special teams his first two seasons. Last season, Rolle filled the Mike linebacker position, coming up with a critical interception in the season opener against Navy. Rolle may not be as tall as other linebackers, but he has certainly been productive when in the lineup for the Buckeyes.

RB Brandon Saine - Saine contributed as a true freshman in 2007, while battling injuries as a sophomore in 2008. Saine rebounded last year, leading Ohio State in rushing while sharing carries with Daniel "Boom" Herron. Saine has tremendous speed, and I will be curious to see if Ohio State uses him more as a receiver out of the backfield this coming season.

WR Dane Sanzenbacher - Sanzenbacher actually scored the first touchdown of Ohio State's 2007 season against Youngstown State, on his first career reception. Sanzenbacher is a dependable possession receiver who has better speed than opposing defenses realize.

CB Devon Torrence - Torrence played sparingly as a freshman at wide receiver and on special teams in 2007. Torrence moved to the secondary, and will start at an opposite corner with 5th year senior Chimdi Chekwa.

II. The Contributors (5)

OL/DL Evan Blankenship - The lone offensive lineman of this class, Blankenship reportedly moved to the defensive line during spring football. Blankenship redshirted in 2007, and could potentially return for a fifth season in 2011.

DB Donnie Evege - Evege redshirted in 2007, and battled injuries in 2008. Evege made a mark as a solid special team performer in 2009, and could return for a fifth season in 2011.

DB Nate Oliver - Oliver was the very first verbal commitment for his class. Oliver redshirted in 2007, but has been a letterman the past two seasons with his contributions on special teams. Oliver could return for a fifth season in 2011, and should also see playing time as a backup in the secondary.

DE Solomon Thomas - Thomas redshirted in 2007, and could return for a fifth season in 2011. Thomas has played sparingly, but should see more game action this coming season on the defensive line.

WR Taurian Washington - Possibly the most enigmatic member of his class, Washington has usually performed well in the spring game, but has not been able to translate those performances into live game action. Washington actually played in the opening 2007 game against Youngstown State, catching a touchdown pass. It truly is a case of now or never for Washington this season, as he is out of eligibility after this season.

III. The Departures (3)

DB Eugene Clifford - Arguably the highest rated player in the class, Clifford played for Ohio State during the 2007 season. Clifford had repeated off the field issues, and transferred to Tennessee State.

DB Rocco Pentello - Pentello was a late addition to the recruiting class, and transferred to Ashland this past February due to a lack of playing time. Pentello supposedly is playing both quarterback and wide receiver for Ashland.

DB James Scott - Scott played as a true freshman in 2007, but left the team in 2008. Scott transferred to Ole Miss, but never played.

CONCLUSION: Out of 15 players, Coach Tressel and his staff have 7 starters, 5 contributors, and only 3 players who are neither playing or contributing. As I wrote up above, to have 12 of 15 signees playing or contributing, a 80% success rate, is a tribute to Coach Tressel and his staff's talent evaluation and talent development.

Ranking The 2010 Ohio State Schedule

In 2008 and in 2009, I ranked Ohio State's opponents for that season as I viewed them, from the toughest opponent to the least challenging opponent. While Ohio State's 2010 schedule is not the most difficult I can recall in team history, I will suggest that Ohio State has arguably six games that will certainly challenge the Buckeyes. As always, I am open to discussion and debate as to which game(s) should be toughest or easiest.

Category 1: Ohio State could be beaten, and may be an underdog ~

1. @ Wisconsin, 10/16/2010, kickoff 7pm EST, ESPN or ESPN2 televising: Talk about a game that Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema has circled on his calendar. In 2008, Terrelle Pryor ran an option keeper into the end zone, and Ohio State escaped Camp Randall with the win. In 2009, a game I attended, Wisconsin outgained Ohio State in essentially every statistical category, except the point total.

I will be surprised if ESPN GameDay does not make an appearance at Camp Randall for this game, as it should be the game of the week. This game will be under the lights, and the fans will be out in full force with a day's worth of tailgating behind them.

2. @ Iowa, 11/20/2010, kickoff and telecast TBD: In 2009, this game went into overtime and determined the conference championship. Iowa played Ohio State down to the wire, and that was with James Vandenberg playing for the injured Ricky Stanzi.

Kickoff has not been established yet, but I will be surprised if this is not a 3:30pm kickoff (no night games in November for the Big Ten, remember?) for ABC. This game could determine the Big Ten championship again in 2010.

3. Miami (FL), 09/11/2010, 3:40pm, ESPN telecast: How often do you think this topic will come up prior to kickoff?

Throw in the Latwan Anderson and Seantrel Henderson recruiting sagas, plus the fact that head coach Randy Shannon's Hurricanes are highly ranked, and this game should be a great one.

Category 2: Ohio State will be favored, but an upset is possible ~

4. Penn State, 11/13/2010, kickoff and telecast TBD ~ In 2008, Terrelle Pryor's fumble was the play that allowed Penn State to defeat the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium for the first time since they joined the conference in 1993.

Penn State may struggle out of the gates with a new quarterback, as well as other new starters, but should be ready to battle Ohio State when they come into town in November.

5. Purdue, 10/23/2010, 12pm EST, telecast TBD ~ Arguably the worst game of Terrelle Pryor's Ohio State career last season, Ohio State will be out for revenge in this game. Something to remember is Ohio State unimpressively defeated Purdue in 2008 in Ohio Stadium.

Purdue lost several games last season in the final minutes. I believe Purdue will be a bowl team this year, and could give Ohio State a good game this season.

6. Michigan, 11/27/2010, kickoff and telecast TBD ~ THE GAME will be played in Ohio Stadium during Thanksgiving weekend, and Ohio State will be going for its seventh straight win in the series. This could potentially be a job saver, or job killer, for Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez.

Even when the teams are not evenly matched in terms of talent, this rivalry seems to bring out something special in both squads. I believe Ohio State wins, but like the 2009 game, this will come down to the 4th quarter.

Category 3: Ohio State should have the game won by the end of the 3rd quarter ~

7. @ Minnesota, 10/30/2010, 8pm EST, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 telecast: This will be the first time since the 2005 season that Minnesota has hosted Ohio State, and this is the first appearance by the Buckeyes in Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium.

The last few seasons, Minnesota has not been competitive with Ohio State; Ohio State defeated Minnesota 38-7 in 2009. Considering this is a night game, Halloween weekend, and Ohio State's first visit to the new stadium, I think this game might be close until the end of the 3rd quarter.

8. @ Illinois, 10/02/2010, kickoff and telecast TBD: Yes, I know Ohio State defeated Illinois easily last year. Yes, I know head coach Ron Zook is on the hot seat.

Something about the ghosts of the 2007 season loss to Illinois, as well as how challenging it was for Ohio State in 2008 when they last visited Illinois, makes me think this game will be tough until the end of the 3rd quarter.

9. Indiana, 10/09/2010, kickoff and telecast TBD: Ohio State handled Indiana easily in 2009, and should do so again in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium. I rank this Big Ten contest the easiest of Ohio State's schedule, as this game is at home.

Category 4: Ohio State should substitute backups early and often in these blowouts ~

10. Ohio University, 09/18/2010, 12pm EST, Big Ten Network telecast ~ In 2008, Ohio State escaped with a victory over Frank Solich's Bobcats. This was the first game that season without Chris "Beanie" Wells, who had sustained an injury against Youngstown State in the season opener.

While I have respect for Solich and what he has done with the Ohio University program, I believe Jim Tressel will be showing his Buckeyes the film of that game, preaching to them how dangerous it is to allow an opponent to be within striking distance.

11. Marshall, 09/02/2010, 7:30pm EST, Big Ten Network telecast ~ In 2004, Ohio State needed a Mike Nugent field goal on the last play of the game to escape the Thundering Herd.

Considering this is the first game for new Marshall head coach Doc Holliday, and a night game in Ohio Stadium, I believe Ohio State comes out and takes care of business against Marshall in the season opener.

12. Eastern Michigan, 09/25/2010, kickoff and telecast TBD ~ I have tremendous respect for head coach Ron English, and believe he will eventually make Eastern Michigan competitive in the MAC. This is the type of game that will be sacrificed when Nebraska joins the conference in 2011 for a nine-game conference schedule.

Ohio State should be able to have their starters resting right after halftime. I truly hope to see all of last year's redshirt freshmen playing in this game, as Ohio State will be favored by about thirty points.

(Columbus Dispatch) ~ Big Ten picks Lucas Oil Stadium for first title game

By TIM MAY As many had expected, the Big Ten picked Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis as the site of the conference's first football championship game, to be staged in December 2011. That is, pending the approval of the administrators of the dome, home of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts and host to the NCAA Final Four back in April. The following was the release from the Big Ten moments ago: "The conference office will begin a 30-day period to negotiate a one-year agreement with Indiana Sports Corp and Lucas Oil Stadium to host the game. Once the 2011 agreement is in place, the conference office will conduct a thorough process over the next year to determine the location of the Big Ten Football Championship Game in 2012 and beyond. " 'We are excited to work with Indiana Sports Corp and Lucas Oil Stadium to finalize an agreement to hold the inaugural Big Ten Football Championship Game in the city of Indianapolis,' said Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany. 'We felt at this time it was important to identify a site for the first championship game and then spend more time with other cities and venues with respect to both our basketball tournaments and the football championship games in the future. The city of Indianapolis has been an outstanding host for our basketball tournaments, and we look forward to holding our first Big Ten Football Championship Game in Lucas Oil Stadium.' " Ohio State coach Jim Tressel issued a statement showing his approval. "Indianapolis is the capital city of college athletics," said Tressel, whose Buckeyes have won or shared the past five Big Ten title. "It will be an honor to aspire to compete in Lucas Oil Stadium." OSU athletic director Gene Smith indicated the choice of Lucas Oil Stadium, at least for the first title game, was logical. "We're excited about the partnership with Indianapolis, because the city and its organizations have consistently demonstrated the ability to host these types of premier events," Smith said. "I'm certain Indy will do a great job hosting the Big Ten football championship."

View article...

Brandon Castel of The OZone.net ~ Best and Worst of 2009 Ohio State Football

Two good articles from The OZone.net for the blog ~ Enjoy!

The Five Best of 2009

The Five Worst of 2009

Ramzy of Bucknuts.com ~ THE GAME Is Not Going Anywhere

Good article from Ramzy of bucknuts.com on THE GAME. Enjoy - fall camp officially begins today for Ohio State.

(Columbus Dispatch) Blogging The Buckeyes ~ Tressel dismisses criticism of his conservatism

Found this feed, and thought it was worthwhile to be posted to the blog. Enjoy... ** For the second time in less than two years, coach Jim Tressel reacted a bit on the edgy side when discussing fans' criticism. Who could forget the aftermath of the 2009 Southern California loss, when Tressel was asked about angry fans e-mailing him: "The thing when I read some of them is I feel terrible for them because there's no way they're happy," Tressel said. "They've got to be some of the most unhappy people in the world, and I feel bad because we just made them less happy, and I hate to be part of making someone less happy. I mean, they're already miserable, and to make them less happy, I'd feel bad." There was some truth to that, but it came off sounding very condescending. On Tuesday at the Big Ten meetings, a reporter asked Tressel about his reputation for being too conservative at times. First, he gave a long-winded explanation that basically was unapologetic for his play-calling. He said he considers his job is to protect Ohio State's ball, and if someone had something of his, he would want them to be very conservative with it. He said there is always a "risk versus reward" in every call. Fair enough. But then he added this: "I also know some people aren't using the word as a compliment, and they think we're overly conservative," Tressel said. "Most of the people that have that type of comment have no investment in the situation. So whether we're conservative or risky or whatever, it's really not going to affect them the next day, other than how they feel about us." Personally, I don't think that was necessary. For one thing, many fans do have something tangible invested in the team -- money, lots of it. Tressel is taking a shot at people who he and his bosses are asking to shell out more and more dollars for tickets, not to mention all the merchandise people buy, concessions, etc. Secondly, even if it's just, as Tressel put it, "how they feel about us," fans have a huge emotional investment in the team. Tressel makes it sound as if you're not employed by the OSU football program, you have no right to criticize his play-calling. This statement, coupled with the "miserable" comments from last year, reveal to me a different side of Tressel we rarely see. It's a side of him that believes so strongly in what he does and how he does it, that he is downright dismissive of anyone who disagrees.

Rob Oller of The Columbus Dispatch: Article on THE GAME and a 12 team Big Ten

Found this article today and thought everyone who reads the blog would enjoy it. Here you go.

Ramzy of Bucknuts.com: Oh Stewardess, I Speak Jive

Ramzy: Oh Stewardess, I Speak Jive
By Ramzy ramzy@bucknuts.com Posted Aug 03, 2010 Email This
There was plenty of coachspeak to be had at Monday's Big Ten media days session. What did it all mean? The Big Ten football spaceship has descended yet again on the Windy City for its annual media days and football luncheon, and yesterday the coaches took turns at the dais at McCormick Place to provide the famished public with words of wisdom before taking requests from the journalists in the crowd. Unfortunately for the masses, coaches are very cryptic, enigmatic creatures who prefer to communicate in their native tongue of coachspeak which as we all know is a Germanic dialect of bulls***, a tough language to decipher, let alone master. Fortunately I’ve dedicated much of my life to digesting and processing this tricky brand of jargon, which is deliberately constructed in a way that the answer to all questions is the hole in the middle of a bagel while the words are the bland, doughy matter to be chewed on. Rosetta Stone: [ENABLED] Bret Bielema, Wisconsin “It’s great to be here.” [This media event is a job requirement. Unfortunately I’m required to be here.] “I don’t know if I like to be the opening kickoff. I would have deferred this one if I could.” [If you’re familiar with my late-game decision-making, you are laughing harder at this joke] “…one of the things that first jumped out at me…all 16 guys that were in the first two rows (of a team meeting) had all started a game.” [If I were to mumble LOUDER we would have more good players.] “With that I’ll open it up for any easy questions.” [Please remember that I played football for the University of Iowa] “…one of the first things I tweeted was if Nebraska is coming into our league, it would be neat to have them maybe as an end-season rivalry game.” [My boss graduated from Nebraska.] “…in addition to the ability to recruit more into Minnesota and the Dakotas and Nebraska itself, it might open up more channels into the West.” [Our roster plans are geared toward being as white as possible.] Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern “It’s great to be back here.” [I live 11 miles from here. I say the same thing to my dry cleaner.] “I’m not going to kill you with kindness; I’m just going to give you the facts and we’ll go from there.” [I’m going to kill you with kindness.] “We have 17 wins over the last two years.” [I can’t believe it either.] “We’ve got six guys that have started football games in the secondary.” [Our pass defense was ranked in the bottom-half of the conference.] “Academically we had a tremendous year last year.” [Unlike another allegedly reputable school in our conference that hired a stammering hillbilly to run its football program into the ground, we have maintained our academic standards.] “We had 171 players above a 3.0 (GPA).” [We actually field two football teams here at Northwestern.] “It’s going to be pretty neat to run out (at Wrigley Field vs. Illinois) where Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus and George Halas were on that field. That’s going to be really special.” [Wrigley Field is the home of the most notoriously futile sports franchise in America, and Northwestern has the fourth-most losses in college football history, so if you don’t see the obvious synergy then you’re not looking hard enough.] “(QB Dan Persa) is chomping at the bit.” [I have a bet with Bielema over who could slide in more clichés today, and now one of us just won the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack so I’m chomping at the bit too. And that also doubles as a vampire pun. Damn it, we should have had a pun contest too. Bielema probably doesn’t know what a ‘pun’ is.] Ron Zook, Illinois “Sorry if my voice is a little raspy, took in a little too much water yesterday.” [Apparently I have never actually listened to myself speak.] “Got a new quarterback that I think everyone will enjoy watching.” [He hasn’t been on campus long enough to be ruined yet like Juice was.] “My wife had me buying appliances this summer, which I’ve never done in my life.” [Once Illinois fires me after this season, I’m looking into a second career as a personal shopper.] “I think on paper we’re probably every bit if not better a football team than we were (in 2007).” [All of my teams are better on paper as a matter of principle and poor coaching.] Rich Rodriguez, Michigan “Good morning, everyone. Thanks for coming.” [I’m under the false impression that journalism is a volunteer job] “We have some questions, certainly, on both sides of the ball.” [Despite the fact that we’re returning 18 starters.] “Offensively we should be better up front.” [How was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?] “I was taking an informal poll for how long the quarterback question would (take to) come up. Didn’t take long.” [Once Michigan fires me after this season, I’m looking into a second career as a pollster.] “Certainly Tate (Forcier) and Denard (Robinson) both got a lot of experience...as true freshmen…(they’ll) also get a challenge from (true freshmen) Devin Gardner.” [I am purposefully trying to get fired.] “I’m excited about Greg Robinson taking over the linebackers.” [His career trajectory has him tearing tickets at the stadium gates by 2013.] “Well, I don’t know much about what’s going on in the summer (re: voluntary workouts).” [Since I’m not under oath.] “…we really feel confident in the guys we signed that they’re smart guys, they’re tough guys. If they can learn quickly in camp, they may be able to help us in the secondary.” [Who says you can’t play freshmen every single year and stay employed?] Mark Dantonio, Michigan State “…we’re very, very excited as we enter our fourth season as a staff at Michigan State.” [I have to emphasize verbally this because my natural aura is more “just got a 25-to-life sentence” than “I get to work in college football.”] “But (I) feel good about our defense now.” [I haven’t had to suspend a dozen players yet this season.] “When you combine (our veteran players) with the recruiting class coming in, and what we’ve seen from our recruiting classes is about six guys getting on the field every year, should be very, very exciting for us.” [Eight-win ceiling, four-win floor and the colors are green and white once more.] Bill Lynch, Indiana “Like the other guys, (I’m) excited to be here.” [Two of us have our jobs because our bosses died unexpectedly. I’m the one who hasn’t done well, yet I’m still employed. You’d be excited too.] “So it’s that time of year.” [Despite the past several years, IU is still somehow a basketball school.] “In the last three years we’ve only played six true freshmen.” [When we recruit, we specifically target projects, ‘tweeners and sleepers.] “We were about 12 plays away from playing in a really good bowl game.” [If you magically eliminated 12 touchdowns that opposing teams scored against us, anything is possible.] “We spent more time in spring practice than ever in third-down situations.” [And it was a comedy of errors.] “(Our coaches) have mapped out our camp all the way up to probably game week to make sure that we get all that work in.” [We play Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron and Arkansas State in the first half of our schedule. Bowl eligibility means winning two games.] Danny Hope, Purdue “Obviously we open up with Notre Dame and that’s exciting.” [We lost four of five during the Charlie Weis era; boy, are we glad to get that gameday mastermind out of there.] “(Robert Marve) is the most talented quarterback I’ve been around from a total package.” [I’ve coached at Wyoming, Louisville, Eastern Kentucky and here.] “Obviously a big win against Ohio State and a big win up at Michigan, we were fortunate to beat Illinois which is our arch-rival right next door in Indiana.” [We also beat Toledo. Just don’t ask me to talk about the other seven games from our schedule last year.] Joe Paterno, Penn State “I’m all set, I hope. It’s good to be here.” [Does anyone else hear ticking? I hear ticking.] “We’re just going to hopefully have a decent year this year.” [I can’t wait to meet the players we’ve recruited.] “Well, you know again, what did Mark Twain say, the rumor of my death has been over-exaggerated or something.” [I’m so embarrassed I cannot remember the actual quote since I was in the room when he originally said it.] “Eddie Robinson is one of the great people I’ve known in coaching.” [I should give him a call and see how he’s doing. WHAT? When?] “I would hope there would be some kind of dialogue, but there’s no commitment.” [It may sound like I’m talking about my successor, but this also describes my current role in our recruiting efforts.] Tim Brewster, Minnesota “We’re bigger. We’re stronger. We’re faster. We’re more athletic than we’ve ever been.” [We’re finally back to where Glen Mason left the roster when I took over.] “What an amazing experience for our players to be on the practice field with players like Larry Fitzgerald and another local man, James Laurinaitis, those type players in the National Football League, rub shoulders with them and learn from them. [Guys from Minnesota who decided against going to the University of Minnesota are very inspiring to our players.] “I think we’ve done a great job of reaching out to the students and really trying to create a home field advantage.” [I was hired well after plans for an on-campus stadium were already in the works.] “I’ve told the story of Wally Pipp to our team quite a bit.” [Only because he played during an era when Minnesota won championships. I’ve also told them about the New Deal, the Nuremberg Laws and the birth of Elvis Presley. Same reason.] Kirk Ferentz, Iowa “First statement is I’m not used to getting dressed, apparently.” [My contract at Iowa was underwritten by the Kingdom of Zamunda and calls for royal bathers and dressers, none of whom could be here today.] “Christian Ballard…really has played well for us four straight years, going into his fourth straight year.” [He’s going to have a great year. I’ve already seen it.] “You know, Rick Stanzi is with me.” [And I am with America.] “I think everyone’s excited about the addition of Nebraska.” [Everyone except Iowa State. If they didn’t realize that they sucked before, they do now.] “I just think the Big Ten is fantastic in all regards. I don’t think we have to defend ourselves to anybody. And let the results speak as they may, and that’s really what football’s about anyway.” [Listen jerks; I’m 3-1 against SEC teams in bowl games. You might want to save that question for the next guy.] Jim Tressel, Ohio State “Our 2010 Buckeyes are a little older group than what we’ve had. Twenty-five seniors.” [Last year we were in rebuilding mode and are hoping to bounce back this season. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA] “I know we’ll be a team that’s targeted. And we’ll always get everyone’s best shot. And with that in mind, we better make sure our best shot’s ready each Saturday.” [Yeah, I can’t believe we lost to Purdue either.] “That’s the beauty, if you have an opportunity to earn a bowl, getting that extra practice and guys come along, and I thought (Terrelle Pryor) was able to focus in on what he needed to do better and he knew his place amongst the group and all that.” [Michigan’s QB situation is bad because it can’t get bowl-eligible. Michigan can’t get bowl-eligible because its QB situation is bad. It’s a big, vicious, delicious circle.] “I was sitting over there in the ESPN truck. (Pryor) called and had an idea. So I let Herbstreit answer the phone, let those quarterbacks talk to each other.” [Herbstreit provides me with shoe shines and secretarial services during the offseason to compensate for his over-the-top neutrality when discussing the Buckeyes in the national media.] “I’m not sure we didn’t play as good a game (as in the Rose Bowl) the year before when we played Texas and lost in the last second.” [Keep in mind that I’m no different from any other Buckeye fan in that I’ve completely blocked out my play calling from the third quarter of the Texas game.] “I know us with 36 sports, and we need to raise quite a bit of money to fund an athletic program like we have, it’s really important to have home games.” [Our women’s field hockey team is known internally as the Zips, wrestling is the Redhawks, swimming is the Bobcats, fencing is the Rockets, women’s soccer is the Golden Flashes and volleyball is the Penguins. Thank you, state of Ohio.] Rosetta Stone: [/DISABLED]