Buckeyes Look To Put Illinois On Ice In Champaign

Game Five: Illinois Fighting Illini

Location: Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) 12pm EST, Big Ten Network

Head Coach: Ron Zook

Illinois Players Recruited By Ohio State: DB Justin Green. LB Justin Staples and RB Bud Golden were on Ohio State's radar, but were not offered a scholarship. Green was originally an Ohio State verbal commitment, but changed his mind the night before signing day because Ohio State wanted to move Green from running back to defensive back - the same position that he is now playing for Illinois. Even Jim Tressel has said something to the effect that Green should be playing defensive back for Ohio State.

What To Look For When Illinois Has The Ball: Illinois will run the ball, then run the ball some more. Illinois is currently ranked 18th in the country in rushing offense, led by RB Mikel Leshoure. Conversely, Illinois is struggling passing the ball, so this will be interesting to see the strategy new offensive coordinator Paul Petrino employs against Ohio State.

Should Petrino try to run the ball against Illinois, only to have his offense shut down by Ohio State's strong defensive front, which has not allowed a 100 yard rusher in 27 games? Or should Petrino have Illini freshman QB Nathan Scheelhaase try to attack Ohio State through the air, risking turnovers?

I am guessing Petrino will try to pound the ball, and look for a lot of play-action passing against Illinois. Nonetheless, I see Ohio State coming out ahead in this little chess match. This is a great test for Ohio State, as they will be facing a power running team in Wisconsin on October 16th.

What To Look For When Ohio State Has The Ball: Ohio State has been averaging 49 points per game so far this season, but that figure is tremendously inflated due to the 73-20 rout of Eastern Michigan last weekend. Even so, QB Terrelle Pryor has been Ohio State's offensive catalyst, leading the Buckeyes not only in passing but also in rushing.

That last sentence regarding Pryor's rushing leads me to again voice concern about Ohio State as it heads into Big Ten competition - Ohio State needs to establish its running game, outside of Terrelle Pryor. Running backs Brandon Saine and Boom Herron are struggling with getting any semblance of a running attack going.

Cases in point - against Eastern Michigan, Saine only ran for 11 yards on 3 carries, while Herron ran for 56 yards on 12 carries, and this was against Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, backup running backs Jordan Hall (4 carries for 26 yards) and Jaamal Berry (4 carries for 74 yards) are not being given opportunities to see what they can do with the first-string offense.

If Ohio State can get its running game going against Illinois, regardless of who the back who gets the majority of the carries, I will be much happier.

Intangibles: Ohio State will not overlook Illinois, as Head Coach Jim Tressel can easily pull out the game film from 2007 when Illinois came into Ohio Stadium and defeated Ohio State 28-21. The seniors of this year's team were true freshmen when that happened, and I doubt Ohio State will be lacking the motivation department on that front. Ohio State has struggled at Illinois over the years (2002, 2006, 2008), so I do not believe the coaching staff is taking this game lightly.

Outlook: I said it before, and I will say it again - I think this is a good test for Ohio State. While I believe Illinois is improving, and could prove to be a spoiler in Big Ten play, I do not believe Illinois will be able to stay with Ohio State in this one. Unlike the last two games Ohio State has played, the starters will be in this one through at least the 4th quarter, but Ohio State comes out on top - Ohio State 35, Illinois 14.

Ramzy of Bucknuts.com ~ Style Points Are The New Scarlet | Football Article

Tuesday Morning Hangover – Style Points Are The New Scarlet Football Article

OSU Football: Buckeyes Hunting Eagles, Improvement In Ohio Stadium

Game Four: Eastern Michigan Eagles

Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio). 3:30pm EST kickoff, ABC

Head Coach: Ron English

Eastern Michigan Players Recruited By Ohio State: N/A

**
There is an old Scottish proverb ~ "Charity begins at home, but shouldn't end there."

Considering Ohio State tickets sell for $70, and Ohio State routinely sells out its games, Ohio State is being extremely charitable to Eastern Michigan for the beating the Eagles will sustain in Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Am I being overly optimistic about Ohio State's chances in this game? Hardly. Eastern Michigan last won a football game back on October 8, 2008, as they enter Ohio Stadium winless in its last fifteen games. Eastern Michigan is currently ranked 174th in Jeff Sagarin's rankings, well below many FCS teams. This is the type of game that opens Ohio State up to well-deserved ridicule by media pundits and rival fan bases across the country.

These critiques are not meant as a slap or putdown to Eastern Michigan's Ron English, who is in his second year as head coach and trying to build a program. Jim Tressel tries to teach his players to respect all of his opponents, but in this circumstance, he may come across a little more like Al Czervik when he tries to deliver a compliment to Eastern Michigan.

What would I concentrate on for this game against Eastern Michigan, as this could be a blowout with minimal effort by Ohio State? If coaching this game, I would focus upon the following areas that need improvement ~

1. Special Teams - Oh vey. How UnTressel-like to have bad special teams at Ohio State. So far this season, Ohio State has had an extra point blocked (Marshall), a kickoff returned for a touchdown (Marshall and Miami), a punt returned for a touchdown (Miami), and a punt blocked (last weekend against Ohio University).

While injuries are a concern for any team in college football, Ohio State needs to develop cohesive special teams over these next few weeks - Ohio State's reserves, as well as many of its starters, need to play well on special teams to improve before Big Ten play begins next week at Illinois.

The Eastern Michigan game is as best a time to start as any - Ohio State will hopefully have spent this week on every aspect of better special teams play. Otherwise, Ohio State fans may be saying far worse when another special teams gaffe occurs.

2. Work The Running Game - Ohio State should be able to rest Terrelle Pryor and its starters after the first half. It may even be the first quarter, but I am hopeful that Ohio State will get a comfortable lead, then focus upon running the ball the remainder of the game.

While Ohio State has been winning convincingly, Ohio State's running game has not been dominant, relying upon Pryor's scrambles far too frequently to keep drives going. Whether Brandon Saine or "Boom" Herron, Ohio State needs to work on running the ball this week against Eastern Michigan.

With the game well in hand in the second half, Ohio State should rest both Saine and Herron, and play Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry. Highly touted Carlos Hyde has not been seen since the opener against Marshall, and this game would be a great opportunity for Hyde to get some meaningful playing time, provided his injured ankle has healed sufficiently.

3. Play Many Reserves - These are not only the type of game that invite criticism, but Ohio State's recent history has not done well with starters playing against lesser opponents. Three examples come to mind - in 2007, Ohio State lost starting DE Lawrence Wilson for the season when playing FCS opponent Youngstown State. The following year, RB Beanie Wells sustained an injury against Youngstown State that essentially ended his Heisman Trophy campaign. And last season, Ohio State lost PK Aaron Pettrey when playing against New Mexico State.

Get the lead, then get the reserves in. Keeping people healthy for Big Ten play is paramount at this point.

More importantly, with next season in mind, here is a good chance to see the future at various positions on the offensive line (Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Andrew Norwell), defensive line (Johnathan Hankins, Garrett Goebel), linebackers (Storm Klein, Jordan Whiting, Dorian Bell), defensive backs (Christian Bryant, Corey Brown, Dominic Clarke), and wide receivers ("Philly" Brown, Chris Fields, James Jackson). Ideally, I would give QB Joe Bauserman the entire third quarter, then give redshirt freshman QB Ken Guiton Jr. the fourth quarter.

Outlook: As I have been suggesting all along, this game is going to be brutal. Any Ohio State fan who has never been to a game, here is your best chance to get tickets, as the sellers will be outnumbering the buyers on this one prior to kickoff.

While not as brutal as the thought of clubbing baby seals or any of those old videos of cheetahs chasing and killing gazelles, this one is pretty close to an analogy on the football field.

I am hopeful Ohio State will get the lead, then focus upon running the ball throughout most of the game to mercifully conclude this one, saving some respect for beleaguered Eastern Michigan coach Ron English. I am saying Ohio State 42, Eastern Michigan 0.

Thoughts From The Ohio Stadium Press Box On Ohio State/Ohio U

09/18/2010

I have had the good fortune of attending many Ohio State games in my lifetime, but this game is a tremendous thrill for me. Thanks to The Cleveland Sports Report, I am attending this game as a member of the media, viewing this game from the Ohio Stadium press box. What a tremendous opportunity - thank you, Greg Antoon.


I am going to write up summaries of the game, quarter by quarter. I think Ohio State will win 40-7, but we'll see if Ohio State comes out flat after a big game against Miami...

***

Pre-Game ~ Walking through the crowd to the stadium, I saw many Ohio University fans wearing t-shirts displaying their Bobcat pride, talking smack about the Buckeyes. I believe those will be collector's items after this one is over...

Riding up on the elevator, Chris Martin of The Big Ten Network is next to me. Introduced myself to Ken Gordon of The Columbus Dispatch, as Gordon is one of the beat reporters for Ohio State and I enjoy his work. Wolfed down a couple hot dogs, a McFlurry, and some Cokes before getting to my seat. Enjoyed watching the Ohio State marching band perform dueling "Script Ohio" performances.

**

First Quarter ~ Ohio University gets the ball, and promptly gives it away to Ohio State with an interception by Tyler Moeller. Ohio State is unable to capitalize in the red zone, coming away with only a field goal. Ohio State 3-0.

Ohio State's kick coverage looks no better than previous weeks, as Ohio University's Julian Posey returns one that is ultimately called back due to a penalty. Ohio State needs to figure their special teams coverage yesterday, or this will cost them a game this season.

Cheer comes up from the crowd as the UMass/Michigan score is announced, with Michigan down 3-0.

Beautiful one handed catch by WR Dane Sanzenbacher - he may not be fast, but Sanzenbacher will be a solid possession receiver for some lucky NFL team next spring in the 5th or 6th round.

RB Brandon Saine is doing nothing running the ball, but catches a pass from Terrelle Pryor to make it 10-0. Maybe the coaching staff should just use Saine as a slot receiver or third-down back, and let Daniel "Boom" Herron be the feature back?

Ohio State goes up 17-0 after Pryor runs one in easily. There are still about 3 minutes left in the first quarter.

**

Second Quarter ~ Ohio State kicks a field goal to make it 20-0 early in the second quarter.

True freshman DT Johnathan Hankins helps to cause a turnover that DE Nathan Williams recovers. Ohio State drives down the field, with Dane Sanzenbacher walking down the sidelines like a tightrope. The drive culminates with a TD pass to TE Jake Stoneburner, making it 27-0 with about 10:26 left in the second quarter.

Another long kickoff return by Ohio, this one by Dallas Brown. Ohio U has a nice run by QB Phil Bates, then they fumble to Ohio State. Ohio State quickly scores with RB Boom Herron to go up 34-0.

Little known fact, until today - Pryor has set a consecutive completion record with 16 straight completions, until he short passes one near the end zone. Pryor concludes the half with an ill-advised deep pass into the end zone to mercifully conclude the half at 34-0 for Ohio State.

**

Third Quarter ~ Ohio State receives the opening kickoff, and comes out running with Boom Herron. Ohio State fizzles offensively, having to punt...which is blocked by Ohio University. Again, the special teams are a glaring concern for Ohio State.

Just as I type it, DB Orhian Johnson forces a fumble by Ohio University, which is recovered by DB Devon Torrence. Ohio University continues to self-destruct.

Very ho-hum offensive performance by Ohio State in the third quarter. LB Ross Homan intercepts for Ohio State, then Pryor gives it right back on a deep pass. Ohio State's Cameron Heyward tackles Ohio's Vince Davidson for a safety to make it Ohio State 36-0.

Attendance is listed at 105,075 for today's contest. Very impressive, considering how lopsided this has been today. Early in the fourth quarter, RB Boom Herron scores to make it 43-0 with about 41 seconds left in the 4th quarter, as most media members begin making their way to the field. Time to follow their lead...

**

Fourth Quarter ~ Ohio University inserts backup QB Boo Jackson into the lineup. Despite many ups and downs, Ohio University averts the shutout, making it Ohio State 43-7 as the clock ends. As I am on the field with other media members, it is something to behold as the team sings "Carmen Ohio" with the fans when standing on the field.

**

Postgame ~ Tremendous atmosphere in the media room. Coach Tressel makes some humorous comments regarding Pryor's record-setting completion day, and some sarcastic comments regarding the special teams play, especially the punt block when asked about why the starters were kept in beyond the first portion of the third quarter.

When given an opportunity to interview specific players, I met Brandon Saine. I asked him about his kickoff return opportunity borne out of a reverse from teammate Jaamal Berry, and he replied that it was something drawn up by the coaches. Very nice young man, for what it is worth.

**

Conclusion ~ Winning 43-7 and finding faults will not make me popular or logical - then again, I have never been either. After the game, Ken Gordon told me that my concerns were like looking for faults in a supermodel.

Two big concerns are the special teams, especially in the light of their importance against Miami. When will, or if, can these be addressed? Returns and punt blocks are tremendously disconcerting.

A second major concern is Ohio State's lack of a running game, outside of Terrelle Pryor's rushes on quarterback scrambles. Neither Brandon Saine or Boom Herron were tremendously effective today. It may be time to give RB Jordan Hall the primary ball carrier's role, as he seems to hit the hole most decisively than the other backs on the roster.

Next week's game against Eastern Michigan is a horrendous joke. Ohio State's walk-ons could beat this team, and Ohio State should be able to beat them easily - I am anxious to see what, if any, concerns I have about their performance against Ohio University have been rectified.

Again, thank you, Greg Antoon. What a tremendous experience.

Jim Tressel - Just Askin' - SI.com

Jim Tressel - Just Askin' - SI.com

OSU Football: Hurricanes Are Forecast For Ohio Stadium

Game Two: Miami Hurricanes

Location: Ohio Stadium, 3:40pm kickoff, ESPN

Head Coach: Randy Shannon

Miami Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: DB Latwan Anderson, WR Leonard Hankerson, CB Brandon Harris, OT Seantrel Henderson, CB Ryan Hill, C Brandon Linder, LB Colin McCarthy, CB Brandon McGee, CB Keion Payne, S Kacy Rodgers, CB DeMarcus Van Dyke

When Miami Is On Offense VS. Ohio State's Defense: Miami scored easily and often in their opener against Florida A&M, winning 45-0. I look for Miami to use multiple wideout sets, to put a great deal of pressure on Ohio State's secondary. If Miami can strike deep for big gains, Ohio State could be in trouble. Ohio State's secondary has experience in starting corners Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence, but Ohio State has not faced a passing attack like Miami.

Ohio State's defensive line will need to apply pressure on Miami QB Jacory Harris. Ohio State DE Nathan Williams will return from injury, but the rest of the defensive line will need to put more pass rush pressure on Miami than they did against Marshall.

Edge: Miami. I do not look for Miami to be able to run effectively on Ohio State, but I do believe Miami's passing game to test Ohio State's secondary.

When Ohio State Is On Offense VS Miami's Defense: Ohio State was able to both run and pass against Marshall in its 45-7 win. One of the key aspects of Ohio State's offense was how QB Terrelle Pryor distributed the ball to various receivers, especially TE Jake Stoneburner.

Miami was able to register eight sacks in its opening win, so a key match-up to watch will be Ohio State OLT Mike Adams against Miami DE Allen Bailey. I will also be curious to see if Pryor takes off for positive yardage more than he did against Marshall.

Edge: Ohio State. While Miami has a fearsome pass rush, I believe Ohio State's running game, led by RB Brandon Saine, will be able to control the clock. Another key area to watch will be if Miami will be able to effectively cover TE Jake Stoneburner. This was an area Wisconsin exploited repeatedly in their bowl win over Miami, and I am guessing Ohio State will try to do the same.

Intangibles: Miami is seeking revenge for its bitter defeat to Ohio State in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State needs this game, to not only gain national respect, but also to stay in the national title hunt. If Ohio State loses this game, it will be out of the national championship race - with Boise State's impressive opening win, as well as other schools highly ranked such as Texas, Nebraska, or Oregon, Ohio State cannot slip up.

One interesting area that may play a factor - the weather. With rain possibly in the forecast, this could play a part on both teams' passing games.

Slight Edge: Ohio State. While I respect Miami's quest for revenge and respect, the reality is none of the key players from that 2002 team (Kellen Winslow, Ken Dorsey, Jonathan Vilma, etc) are suiting up for the Hurricanes.

With a 3:40pm kickoff, the fans are going to have ample time for tailgating and will be ready to make it as loud as possible for the Hurricanes. The home crowd, and possibly the weather, make me give this slight edge to the Buckeyes.

Prediction: I believe this game is going to be lower scoring than most people possibly anticipate. Both defenses are fast and disruptive.

While Miami has the talent to pull out a win, and it would not be an upset in my eyes if they won, I believe Miami has to wait until next season when Ohio State visits to get their victory. I am going with Ohio State 17, Miami 14.

Columbus Dispatch ~ Blogging The Buckeyes: Method behind the madness?

Interesting observation…Hmmm…

**

 

Many observers thought it more than a bit curious that officials from Ohio State and Michigan said nothing publicly to thwart what seemed to be momentum for ending the timing of the Buckeyes-Wolverines annual showdown in late November. Jim Tressel couldn't be coaxed into entering the debate. OSU AD Gene Smith would not even state his personal preference. OSU president Gordon Gee said in Dayton that he was warm to the idea of adjusting the timing of the game. New Michigan AD Dave Brandon went even further, suggesting on Aug. 20 that it'd be preferable to move the date from late November to ensure the arch-rivals couldn't meet in back-to-back games (if both advanced to the Big Ten championship game). Today, Brandon hinted to Michigan reporters that it may have all been a ruse to spark a public outcry to save The Game's final-week status. When asked if he made the comments with such a purpose in mind, Brandon smiled and said, "Would I do that?" Brandon added, "Hey, my sense was that was a jump-ball situation, and I ran a public company for 20 years and learned about managing expectations. It's easier to exceed expectations if you manage them properly. So I wanted people to understand that was a possibility, and the fact we got some reaction to that was helpful. It all worked out." The fact that his comments two weeks ago came a day after Smith told the Dispatch the OSU-Michigan game might be moved? "Totally coincidental," Brandon said, smiling again. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said the notion of moving the OSU-Michigan game was not a trial balloon. He said floating trial balloons isn't his style. But he said he couldn't speak for others. "There were a lot of models being run in the early stages (and) that game was a late game but not the last one," Brandon said. "At one point there was a very real possibility that the game would be moved off the last game of the year, and all I have to say about it is I love the fact we're able to retain it. It's important to our fans, its important to me, and I'm glad we got there."

View article...

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com ~ My take on Big Ten divisions, schedules

After months of anticipation, the Big Ten divisions are official for 2011 and beyond. As colleague Andy Katz reported earlier on ESPN.com, the breakdown goes like this: Division 1: Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Minnesota Division 2: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois Each team will have one protected crossover rival in the opposite division, which it will play every year. The Big Ten will continue to play an eight-game conference schedule through at least the 2014 season. Protected crossovers: Michigan-Ohio State, Penn State-Nebraska, Minnesota-Wisconsin, Northwestern-Illinois, Purdue-Iowa, Michigan State-Indiana. (Moment of silence for the impending interruption of the Land Grant Trophy series ... thank you.) The Big Ten likely will go to nine conference games beginning in 2015, at which time it could add a second protected crossover game and preserve more rivalries. But league commissioner Jim Delany gave no indication on the Big Ten Network that a second protected crossover is coming. The other big news tonight is that the Ohio State-Michigan game will continue to be played on the final Saturday of the regular season. There had been major outcry on both sides of the rivalry about the possibility of The Game being played earlier in the season, but it's not going anywhere. You spoke, and the Big Ten listened. Other games on the final regular-season Saturday in 2011 include: Indiana-Purdue, Iowa-Nebraska, Michigan State-Northwestern, Penn State-Wisconsin and Minnesota-Illinois. So Minnesota-Illinois is the only other cross-division game on the final Saturday of the regular season. Thoughts? I have plenty. OHIO STATE-MICHIGAN Delany might have had to enter the Witness Protection Program had The Game been moved from its spot on the final regular-season Saturday. Athletic directors Gene Smith (Ohio State) and Dave Brandon (Michigan) might have had to join him, too. The Ohio State-Michigan game belongs in late November, period. There's too much tradition there, and both programs consider The Game to be a portion of their schedule, much like the nonconference and the Big Ten slate. Delany talked to me last week about a schedule needing "build," or momentum. Taking Ohio State-Michigan off of the last weekend would have removed the momentum from the schedule. So it's good to see The Game staying put. That said, there are some potential problems of having a cross-division game on the final regular-season Saturday. What if both Ohio State and Michigan have the division titles wrapped up before The Game? Will The Game lose significance if a rematch in the league championship is possible the very next week? And what about the division races as a whole? Ideally, these two races could be decided within the division on the final Saturday of November. I wouldn't have split Ohio State and Michigan, but I understand why the Big Ten did it. This league is in the championship-game business now, competing on the same day with the SEC, Big 12, ACC and Pac-10. You put Ohio State and Michigan on the championship stage together, and you gain a large part of the national spotlight, regardless of what's happening elsewhere. It's a pretty attractive possibility, although as the ACC has shown, dream championship matchups are often just that, pipe dreams. Will there be outcry? Sure. But not as much as there would have been had The Game moved. DIVISION BALANCE Top to bottom, Division 1 looks a bit stronger, but for the most part, the league achieved its primary objective of competitive balance. The Big Ten evaluated its current 11 members plus Nebraska based on their performances since 1993. Looking at the records, it's pretty easy to see that six teams separated themselves: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa. A 3-3 split seemed very likely, and that's what we see here. The Big Ten could have done things geographically and put Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin in one division opposite Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. But as I've been telling you for months, consolidating the three most popular programs into one division is a major mistake. If Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all reached the top 10 in the same season, no one would care about the other division. Tough tacos, that's just the way it is. I would have put Penn State with Nebraska and Iowa, but this setup preserves at least one regional rivalry for the Lions in Ohio State. My main concern with this setup is what happens when Michigan gets back to being Michigan. You've got three potential powers in Michigan, Nebraska and Iowa, alongside two programs in Northwestern and Michigan State that are finding consistency under relatively new coaches. Minnesota needs to step up its game in a hurry. At least the Little Brown Jug rivalry is an annual event again. Division 2 would benefit from Purdue getting back to the level it was for most of Joe Tiller's tenure. If not, there could be a sizable gap between the top three teams (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin) and the bottom three. IOWA-WISCONSIN-MINNESOTA Remember my post about this conundrum back in June. I didn't think the Big Ten would be able to preserve all the annual rivalries between these teams and bring Nebraska into the mix. All three teams want to play each other every year. All three also want to build rivalries with Nebraska. The problem for the Big Ten is none of those games really move the needle nationally like, say, Penn State-Nebraska or Michigan-Nebraska. If any team has a legitimate gripe about the divisions, it's Wisconsin. The Badgers lose their annual rivalry against Iowa, and despite coach Bret Bielema's Twitter efforts, Wisconsin won't face Nebraska every year, either. Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez, a Nebraska alum, is out of town today and unavailable for comment, but I'm interested to see what he thinks of the setup. If anything, Wisconsin is a victim of its own recent success. The Badgers earned the right to be placed with heavyweights Ohio State and Penn State, and they can elevate their national profile by beating those teams on a consistent basis. But I'm sure this is a blow to fans who love the Iowa rivalry and had high hopes for a Nebraska rivalry. Things will get better when the league goes to nine conference games. OTHER THOUGHTS Nebraska has to be pleased with its position. The Huskers get a border rivalry against Iowa that will be huge (Farmageddon, baby), and they renew a regional rivalry with Minnesota. They also face Penn State every year, renewing a great series. Plus, Michigan will be on the schedule each season. The only downside is that Nebraska could go several years without facing Ohio State. Nebraska closes the 2011 season with games at Penn State, at Michigan and against Iowa in Lincoln. Welcome to the Big Ten, Big Red. I doubt Iowa, Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana are thrilled with their protected crossover games, but not everyone comes out of this satisfied. For Iowa fans, you get Nebraska every year and the Floyd of Rosedale game. Michigan State still gets to play archrival Michigan every year, plus a marquee game against Nebraska. Purdue and Indiana have the Bucket game protected through the division. Purdue maintains a trophy game with Illinois, and Indiana still faces the Illini every year in a good regional matchup. I'm a little surprised that the Big Ten didn't go with Penn State-Nebraska ahead of Iowa-Nebraska on the final regular-season Saturday. It speaks to how big the league thinks the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry will be. Given the fervor among the two fan bases on this blog, I wanted to see Iowa and Penn State continue to play every year. But the series lacked an extensive history, so I can see why it was expendable. Here are the trophy games that no longer will be played every year: Iowa-Wisconsin, Minnesota-Penn State and Penn State-Michigan State. You can't save 'em all.

View article...

ESPN.com ~ Jim Delany discusses division alignment

ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg's post on Jim Delany & The Big Ten's division alignment…

**

 

 

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany held a teleconference tonight with media members about the league's new division alignment, which goes into effect for the 2011 season. Here are some of the highlights: As the league examined data from 1993 until now, three tiers of teams emerged, based solely on performance. Tier 1: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Nebraska. Tier 2: Wisconsin and Iowa. Tier 3: Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota. The league went about dividing each tier to form divisions. "We went in the room together, we had differences from time to time, but we came out of the room together," Delany said. Delany said fan input mattered during the process, especially regarding the Ohio State-Michigan game. Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said on the Big Ten Network that he was beginning to take heat from fans asserting that he was destroying the league's top rivalry. "We heard the fans," Delany said. "There's no doubt about that their voice mattered." Athletic directors Gene Smith (Ohio State) and Dave Brandon (Michigan) both looked relieved that The Game is staying put. Delany also shot down the notion that the Big Ten was putting out trial balloons to gauge the reaction to a possible Ohio State-Michigan move. Division champions will be determined by all games played within the league. If two teams tie for the division lead, the head-to-head winner goes to the league title game. If there's a three-way tie, the team with the best record against the rest of the division goes to the championship. If there's still a tie, the Big Ten will use the BCS standings in some form that's still to be determined. Delany said teams were evaluated based purely on performance, not as brand names. "How successfully they were financially didn't factor," he said. Also, he downplayed his ability to sell a potential Ohio State-Michigan meeting in the Big Ten championship to potential TV partners. "I'm convinced that whoever makes it to that championship game is going to do a great [rating]," Delany said. "I'm not worried about repeats for Ohio State-Michigan." The Big Ten still needs to vote on a nine-game conference schedule, but if and when it happens, a second protected crossover is unlikely. Delany seems to favor having shorter gaps between when league members play one another. "That's probably the fairest way to go," he said. I think two protected crossovers solves a lot of problems, but it doesn't seem like they're heading in that direction. Delany admitted that Wisconsin is "geographically stretched" in the new alignment, as the Badgers were split from the Iowa-Nebraska-Minnesota bloc on the western edge of the league. The good news is Wisconsin will play Nebraska in a cross-division matchup to open the Big Ten season in both 2011 and 2012. And the Minnesota rivalry will be preserved. "I think the Badgers are a national college football program in a great conference," Delany said. "[Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez] advocated hard for more regional representation, but he also said, 'Gentlemen, no matter where you are, you have to win games, and we got good by winning games.' He understood you're going to have to beat the very best." Wisconsin definitely has the biggest gripe of any program. The Badgers are victims of their own success. Delany said there were no ulterior motives behind Nebraska's initial Big Ten schedule, which includes road games against Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State, and home dates with both Ohio State and Iowa. But he also acknowledged, "They wanted to be in the league in 2011. We did back flips to make it happen." The athletic directors only recommended one schedule to the presidents, but two ideas were in play. The one they didn't go with called for all rivalry/trophy games to be played in the first seven weeks of the season. The final two weeks would be reserved solely for divisional play. Ultimately, the big wigs felt hamstrung by keeping things solely within the divisions in the final two weeks. "What we're going to see is rivalry and trophy games being played in eight of our nine weeks," Delany said. "We said we wanted to do tradition, we said we wanted to do equal competition. We felt we could do both with this move." Moving the Michigan-Ohio State game to October was never discussed, Delany said on the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten's next steps are to name the divisions, the division championship trophies and the league championship trophy. Delany also hopes to get a logo and a long-term branding identity for the league in place by Dec. 1. The league likely won't examine a long-term plan for the football championship game until the spring, but Delany offered up this little nugget: "We are not closing our door to outdoor football."

View article...

Did Wal-Mart Wisdom Help Save THE GAME?

We are less than 24 hours from the beginning of the 2010 college football season, and the big news is what is on the horizon for the 2011 season with the Big Ten Conference. Beginning in 2011, Ohio State will begin divisional play against Illinois, Indiana, Penn State, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

Most importantly for Ohio State, its annual game with Michigan will remain as the final game of the regular season. Michigan and Ohio State have concluded the season every year since 1935.

Earlier this week, Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel made a comment that I believe is very appropriate to recall when thinking about the new divisions (still to be named) that will comprise the Big Ten ~

"Sam Walton said if you're not listening to your customers, you're not listening and that's not the smartest thing to do."

Thank you, Jim Delany. Thank you, Gene Smith of Ohio State and Dave Brandon of Michigan. And above all, thank you, the fans, who undoubtedly helped to preserve the tradition of THE GAME, with the continual barrage of e-mails and Facebook groups that were mentioned during the announcement this evening.

Different divisions, keeping final-game status?

From The Columbus Dispatch's "Blogging The Buckeyes"…Update regarding Big Ten divisions, and possible status on THE GAME…

**

 

The Big Ten Network will announce the conference's divisional alignment tonight at 7 p.m., and 97.1 The Fan radio station is reporting that Ohio State and Michigan will be in different divisions but play the final week of the regular season. OSU athletics director Gene Smith would not confirm or deny that when contacted, saying he was keeping a promise to keep silent about the matter. An uproar erupted two weeks ago when top officials from Ohio State and Michigan expressed open-mindedness about changing the arch-rivals' matchup from its traditional final weekend spot. Smith received 1,200 emails, most of which were strongly opposed to the change. The schools have played the final weekend of the their regular seasons since 1935.

View article...