Do Not Expect A Happy Homecoming For WMU's P.J. Fleck Against Ohio State

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

**

Western Michigan Broncos (Game 4)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking:  11 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State:  N/A.

Game Date:  September 26, 2015

Kickoff Time:  TBD

Location:  Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking:  Western Michigan had a solid 2014 season, with an 8-5 season that concluded with a loss to Air Force in The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (38-24).  Western Michigan did not have a game against a ranked opponent in 2014, and one could argue that Western Michigan played well in several losses (at Purdue; at Virginia Tech; versus Toledo in overtime, and versus Northern Illinois).  In many instances, Western Michigan has been able to land recruits that other B1G institutions such as Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

Prediction:  P.J. Fleck is widely considered one of the up and coming head coaches in college football, and it will not surprise me if Fleck ascends to a head coaching position within a Power 5 conference very soon.  After a challenging start in 2013 (1-11) in his head coaching career, Fleck has been able to make Western Michigan a highly competitive team within the MAC.  For those Ohio State fans who may not be aware, Fleck served as a graduate assistant on former Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel's staff, back in the 2006 season, helping to coach the tight ends and special teams units.

Among the highly-touted players on Western Michigan's team this year are QB Zach Terrell, RB Jarvion Franklin, WR Daniel Braverman, OL James Kristof, DB Ronald Zamort, and KR Darius Phillips.

Why, then, am I ranking Western Michigan eleventh out of Ohio State's twelve opponents?

As stated up above, my rankings and rationale are highly subjective.  While Western Michigan has been able to secure talent that other B1G teams recruited, it is worth noting that none of these players held offers from Ohio State.  I believe the talent differential will become noticeable as the game progresses.  Ohio State fans will have an opportunity to gauge Western Michigan's talent, as the Broncos open up the 2015 season on September 4th in East Lansing, Michigan, versus the Michigan State Spartans.

How do I believe it will wind up?  Below are some Twitter exchanges between Mark Cerimele (@RealMarkCerimel) and myself that will give you an idea as to what I believe will transpire on September 26th in Ohio Stadium...

@RealMarkCerimel Mind if I use this tweet in an article re: this game?

— Chip Minnich (@ChipMinnich) May 28, 2015

@RealMarkCerimel I will include both tweets, as I expect OSU to put this away by the half. Thanks.

— Chip Minnich (@ChipMinnich) May 28, 2015

Hawaii Will Want To Say 'Aloha' Quickly To OSU In 2015

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win.  West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult.  This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy.  As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

**

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (Game 2)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking:  12 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State:  N/A.  Former Buckeye QB Taylor Graham, who transferred to Hawaii in 2012, has used up his eligibility.

Game Date:  September 12, 2015

Kickoff Time:  TBD

Location:  Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking:  Hawaii went 4-9 in 2014 under Norm Chow, with wins over Northern Iowa, Wyoming, at San Jose State, and UNLV.  All of those teams except Northern Iowa had losing records; Northern Iowa is a FCS school.  Even the Northern Iowa victory was close, with Hawaii winning 27-24.  The best team Hawaii played in 2014 was Colorado State; Colorado State defeated Hawaii 49-22.

Prediction:  Norm Chow is one of the most respected offensive minds in college football, with legendary accomplishments as an assistant at Brigham Young and USC.  While an accomplished offensive coordinator, the results as a head coach have not been favorable, lending credence to the old football adage that sometimes the best assistants do not necessarily make the best head coaches.  Chow is on the hot seat at Hawaii, entering the 2015 season with a 8-29 record after three seasons.  Considering this is Ohio State's home opener, the significant travel distance Hawaii has to make, and the simple talent discrepancy between the two teams, let me just state that this will probably get out of hand very quickly.  

Hawaii opens up the 2015 season with a home game versus Colorado, while Ohio State opens up on the road at Virginia Tech.  As I stated up above, this is Ohio State's home opener.  It is difficult to see Ohio State coming out flat in Ohio Stadium, in front of its home crowd, in the first home game of the season.

How bad do I think it might be?  I am going to allow Travis Scarangello (@ElChibo), a Hawaii native, to give you an idea as to what he believes may happen...

@RivalsJeremy I'm gonna go crazy when Ohio State, Wiscy and Boise beats Hawaii by 100+

— Travis Scarangello (@ElChibo) May 15, 2015

Look for Coach Meyer to begin substituting liberally before the half.  This is the kind of game where Ohio State can and should rest its starters once the sizable lead has been gained, and give the backups considerable playing time experience that will be of benefit for the future.  This is also the kind of game that Ohio State critics will point to as the 2015 season progresses, with accusations that Ohio State does not play enough quality opponents.

In Hawaiian culture, 'aloha' means both hello and goodbye.  My prediction is Hawaii will be wanting to say 'aloha' to Ohio State very quickly on September 12, 2015.

Recruiting Rankings Are Great, But Give Me The NFL Draft For Results

Before getting too deep into the main subject of my post, I want to express some public support and sympathy for former Buckeye and current Denver Broncos tight end Jeff Heuerman. You may recall in last week’s article that I mentioned how I had hoped that my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, would have possibly drafted Heuerman in the 2015 NFL Draft. Only one day after I published my article, news spread quickly about Heuerman sustaining a torn ACL during his first practice that will sideline him throughout the 2015 NFL season.

Denver BroncosVerified account ‏@Broncos

Rookie TE Jeff Heuerman (3rd-Rd pick) tore his ACL in Saturday afternoon practice & is expected to miss season: [http://dbron.co/6pf ]

Jeff Heuerman ‏@JHeuerman86 May 11

Thank you for all the support recently, you don't know how much I appreciate it. God has a plan for us all. I'll be back stronger than ever.

159 retweets 696 favorites

Chip Minnich ‏@ChipMinnich

@JHeuerman86 Best wishes for you going forward. #GoBucks

0 retweets 0 favorites

 

Good luck to Jeff as he prepares for his surgery and subsequent rehabilitation. In case you have not sent a tweet already, Jeff Heuerman is on Twitter at @JHeuerman86.
**
What I am going to write about is not new news, for anyone who truly knows me. As a matter of fact, I have written articles like this before, but as the NFL Draft is so relatively fresh in everyone’s mind, I thought I would just reiterate some points that seem to get overlooked or lost in the shuffle.

Yes, I follow recruiting, especially as it relates to Ohio State. After all, I did assist back in 1995 with recruiting for Ohio State’s 1996 recruiting class, long before social media was the dominant force it is today. Yes, I want Ohio State to secure the top talent in the country, knowing that having top talent is a necessary component in order to contend for the national championship.

But do I really care if one player is ranked as a five-star versus a four-star, or if Ohio State is ranked first in one recruiting service but second in another? Not really.

And the reason why is very simple – Nobody, including the coaches, truly knows what they have until the players arrive on campus, and compete against the other players on the roster.

Here is where the NFL Draft comes into play. Three, four, five years after a recruiting class has been signed, and the NFL Draft rolls around…now you see what you truly had, in terms of players being valued and coveted, when they are picked in the NFL Draft. No matter where Rivals, Scout, 247Sports, ESPN, etc, had these players ranked, you get to see how good a job the coaches not only evaluated, but developed, the talent that they had on hand, and what the NFL thinks of them.
Let me give you some quick examples. Below are some names who were in the top twenty recruits for 2011, based on Rivals.com ~

Curtis Grant of Ohio State. George Farmer of USC. Ray Drew of Georgia. James Wilder Jr of Florida State. Trey Metoyer of Oklahoma.

All were five star recruits. None were selected in the NFL Draft; all were signed as free agents by NFL teams.

Now does that mean that recruiting rankings are useless? Not at all. Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina was ranked the number one recruit in the nation in 2011, and wound up as the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Other top recruits in that top ten list are names such as Cyrus Kouandjio of Alabama, De’Anthony Thomas of Oregon, and Hasean Clinton-Dix of Alabama. All were picked in the 2014 NFL Draft.

My point is that when it comes time for NFL teams to make their best educated decisions on investing a draft choice and considerable money into a player, do you think the team is truly considering where the player was ranked by a recruiting service, or by what the player did on the field in games? That is where player development is so crucial.

The players Ohio State had selected in the 2015 NFL Draft are a testament to the development and coaching of Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and his staff, not by any recruiting rankings. It does not matter to me that the players who signed in February 2011 (or in Darryl Baldwin’s case, 2010) have now been evaluated years after the fact – the fact that NFL teams have made their evaluations have given me a solid idea as to how talented these players are in the eyes of NFL evaluators.

Maybe I am the only Ohio State fan who feels this way, and that is fine. Put it this way – the 2016 NFL Draft is about a year away, and I am already anxious to see how the NFL evaluates the tremendous talent that Ohio State will be sure to offer the professional ranks.


 

Why Can’t The Browns “Steel” Some Buckeyes In The NFL Draft?

Congratulations to Devin Smith, Jeff Heuerman, Doran Grant, Evan Spencer, and Michael Bennett on being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft.  This weekend will be the first rookie minicamp for these players with their respective NFL teams.  It is challenging to refer to these players as "former Buckeyes", but they will all be moving forward in their quest for (hopefully) lengthy NFL careers.  Good luck also to Darryl Baldwin, Curtis Grant, and Steve Miller, who all were signed as free agents to NFL teams.  Jerry Emig of Ohio State had an impressive tweet that summarizes the good fortune of these players as they enter into the NFL...

All eight senior starters on Ohio State's '14 national championship team are heading to National Football League camps ... Soon!

— Jerry Emig (@BuckeyeNotes) May 5, 2015

Former Buckeye Rod Smith is also getting a free agent opportunity, with the Seattle Seahawks...

Former Buckeye RB Rod Smith, who was dismissed from team in October. https://t.co/Bt0QRWT3WI

— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) May 2, 2015

Remember Verlon Reed?  This former Buckeye, who left Ohio State for Findlay, is getting a free agent opportunity with the Detroit Lions...

Remember Verlon Reed? The former OSU WR-turned-Findlay-QB signed a free agent contract with the Lions today. http://t.co/L1YEwczv8T

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) May 4, 2015

According to Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch, former Buckeye Kyle Clinton is also getting a free agent tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers this coming weekend...

#OhioState kicker Kyle Clinton will participate on a tryout basis at Steelers rookie minicamp next weekend. Handled kickoffs for OSU in '14.

— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) May 3, 2015

At least Clinton and Grant will have some company while in Pittsburgh - over the last six years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted six players from Ohio State.

How to get drafted by the Pittsburgh #Steelers - An in-depth study of Ohio State football players http://t.co/pnH9lkNffj

— Neal Coolong (@NealCoolong) May 5, 2015

Hey highschool recruits commit to Ohio State and become a Pittsburgh Steelers one day! #GoBucks

— RecruitNUT (@Zona_Buckeye) May 2, 2015

Prior to the NFL Draft, I held out hope that the Cleveland Browns, the NFL team I have rooted for my entire life, would pick two Buckeyes - Jeff Heuerman and Evan Spencer.  Both would have fulfilled position needs on the Browns, and had the skill set that would allow them to succeed in Cleveland's run-oriented offense.

I was happy for Jeff Heuerman that Denver picked Heuerman in the third round; that was a little higher than I anticipated the Browns would show interest.  I thought maybe the Browns would be interested in Heuerman in the fourth round.

As for Evan Spencer, I woke up on Saturday morning and tweeted out the following.  My man Shannon Sommers agreed with my line of thinking...

@smsommers84 @osugirl47 Hoping for Evan Spencer later today to Browns. Dependable possession WR, great blocker, and selfless.

— Chip Minnich (@ChipMinnich) May 2, 2015

Do you know who the last Ohio State player the Cleveland Browns selected was?  Brian Robiskie, back in second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.  Prior to Robiskie?  2002, when the Browns picked Darnell Sanders in the fourth round.

Don't get me wrong - I am happy for all of these Buckeye players to have NFL opportunities, even if it is with the Cleveland Browns' biggest rival.  I just do not understand how the Browns, a team that has long been mired in the basement of its division, and is always trying to close the gap between itself and the division leaders, cannot look into scouting players from a powerhouse program only two hours down I-71.  The Pittsburgh Steelers are located further away, and have had no problem with the longer commute to scout out Buckeye talent.  Even the comments of Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer made me think the Browns would be picking at least one Buckeye...

Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer says Cleveland Browns are 'fantastic' in doing due diligence on draft… http://t.co/CzqxNheQLS

— Ohio State (@Ohio_State) March 31, 2015

Even Bill Rabinowitz agrees with me...Below is a tweet sent before the NFL Draft concluded regarding Darryl Baldwin, a Cleveland native, that somewhat mirrors my line of thinking ~

C'mon, Browns. Take Darryl Baldwin, your local guy.

— Bill Rabinowitz (@brdispatch) May 2, 2015

The 2016 NFL Draft is a year away, and I am looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2015 Ohio State football season.  I can only hope that with a crop of players that will be heavily abundant in Buckeye talent in the 2016 NFL Draft that the Browns will "steel" some Buckeyes going forward.

Post-2015 Ohio State Spring Game: Reranking Concerns

Throughout the weeks leading up to the 2015 Ohio State spring game, I had written ten articles where I ranked my concerns about Ohio State heading into the 2015 season. These articles were written from lowest concern to highest concern, primarily based upon players lost to eligibility or injury.
A couple weeks have passed since the glorious spring game, allowing me to contemplate and reflect upon what I saw during the spring game, as well as what I had written prior to the game. Were my concerns warranted?

Here are my top three concerns as Ohio State prepares for the influx of freshman talent in their 2015 recruiting class to arrive upon campus in June, gearing up for the all-important summer workouts that will be key to the Buckeyes’ 2015 national championship hopes…

3. Wide Receiver: Corey Smith had a terrific spring game, and Michael Thomas was sidelined due to a surgery procedure. Why am I ranking this wide receiver position higher than my earlier concern? Quite simply, losing Devin Smith as a consistent deep threat is something that will need to be demonstrated in true game competition. Corey Smith had some moments in the spring game, but I am skeptical about the consistency aspect that has plagued him in the past. We shall see if Corey Smith becomes the deep threat that is necessary for Ohio State’s passing offense to flourish.

2. Tight End: Nick Vannett is the listed starter, and could be primed for a big senior year, provided he stays healthy throughout the season. Marcus Baugh would have to be considered the second-string tight end heading into summer workouts. Why am I ranking this position higher than my earlier concern? Plain and simple, Baugh did not play in the spring game, due to a stomach virus that sidelined him. The lack of experienced depth has me concerned, but incoming freshmen Rashod Berry and A.J. Alexander may have opportunities to get playing time in the early portion of the season.

1. Defensive Tackle: Yes, my earlier concerns about defensive tackle heading into spring practice remain my top concern heading into the summer and fall. Ohio State did not truly emphasize the run in the spring game, so it would be difficult to gauge how effective the interior defensive linemen are at shutting down the run. Tommy Schutt did not play in the spring game, so there is another factor in not being able to accurately see the position group at full strength. With the Virginia Tech game on September 7th, Ohio State fans such as myself are going to have to be in a true “wait and see” mode as to how strong the defensive tackles are for the 2015 Buckeyes.