TTUN
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Monday, January 12, 2015
Friday, January 9, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
It's Deja Vu All Over Again For Ohio State
Ohio State suffers through a costly loss to an opponent, despite being heavily favored. The quarterback is under tremendous scrutiny. And Ohio State is to face an Oregon team that is supposedly too fast for Ohio State to be able to keep pace.
Yes, I know. We’re all eagerly awaiting to see how Ohio State plays against Oregon in The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T (say that one ten times fast).
Actually, I am talking about the 2010 Rose Bowl.
A quick stroll down memory lane is in order – in 2009, Ohio State opened up against Navy, and had to escape with a close win (Ohio State 31, Navy 27). Despite a close loss to USC in week two, Ohio State fans were optimistic for the season…until losing at Purdue (Purdue 26, Ohio State 18). Ohio State won the remainder of its games to claim The Big Ten championship, only to be faced with an Oregon team that was loaded with speed in The 2010 Rose Bowl. Ohio State won, 26-17.
While impressive remembering the similarities between The 2010 Rose Bowl and this game, I believe the strategies used by Ohio State to slow down Oregon are possibly going to be used once again, this time by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer.
Below are three critical areas I will be paying close attention to when Ohio State and Oregon kick off at 8:30pm EST on ESPN…
1. Will Ohio State Create A Collapsing Pocket Against Marcus Mariota? – Mariota is tremendously accurate as a passer and also blessed with exceptional speed. Instead of allowing Mariota to get to the outside of the pocket, will Ohio State try to contain Mariota within the pocket, and win the game as a pure pocket passer?
2. Ohio State Must Wrap Up Against Oregon – Defensively, Ohio State will be under tremendous physical scrutiny, with Oregon attempting to run plays every sixteen seconds. The defensive line and linebackers will not be able to substitute frequently, nor will the secondary players. A critical area against an Oregon team that has so much offensive speed will be to wrap up and tackle, thus negating the big plays that have been a staple of the Oregon offense.
3. Will Ohio State Control The Clock Against Oregon? – While I respect Coach Meyer’s more aggressive approach on offense, it will be so important for Ohio State to be content to use the clock fully when on offense. Running the ball with Ezekiel Elliott, Curtis Samuel, and yes, Cardale Jones, will help keep the Ohio State defense off the field, and also help to throw a wrench into Oregon’s plans to play at their typical fast-break pace.
As Yogi Berra once stated, “It’s deja vu all over again.”. At some point on Monday night, Ohio State fans will hopefully agree with Mr. Berra’s wise statement.
Yes, I know. We’re all eagerly awaiting to see how Ohio State plays against Oregon in The College Football Playoff National Championship Presented By AT&T (say that one ten times fast).
Actually, I am talking about the 2010 Rose Bowl.
A quick stroll down memory lane is in order – in 2009, Ohio State opened up against Navy, and had to escape with a close win (Ohio State 31, Navy 27). Despite a close loss to USC in week two, Ohio State fans were optimistic for the season…until losing at Purdue (Purdue 26, Ohio State 18). Ohio State won the remainder of its games to claim The Big Ten championship, only to be faced with an Oregon team that was loaded with speed in The 2010 Rose Bowl. Ohio State won, 26-17.
While impressive remembering the similarities between The 2010 Rose Bowl and this game, I believe the strategies used by Ohio State to slow down Oregon are possibly going to be used once again, this time by Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer.
#OhioState Jim Tressel on playing Oregon, then and now. http://t.co/QiV0BpiJVL
— Bill Livingston (@Livy70) January 6, 2015Below are three critical areas I will be paying close attention to when Ohio State and Oregon kick off at 8:30pm EST on ESPN…
1. Will Ohio State Create A Collapsing Pocket Against Marcus Mariota? – Mariota is tremendously accurate as a passer and also blessed with exceptional speed. Instead of allowing Mariota to get to the outside of the pocket, will Ohio State try to contain Mariota within the pocket, and win the game as a pure pocket passer?
2. Ohio State Must Wrap Up Against Oregon – Defensively, Ohio State will be under tremendous physical scrutiny, with Oregon attempting to run plays every sixteen seconds. The defensive line and linebackers will not be able to substitute frequently, nor will the secondary players. A critical area against an Oregon team that has so much offensive speed will be to wrap up and tackle, thus negating the big plays that have been a staple of the Oregon offense.
3. Will Ohio State Control The Clock Against Oregon? – While I respect Coach Meyer’s more aggressive approach on offense, it will be so important for Ohio State to be content to use the clock fully when on offense. Running the ball with Ezekiel Elliott, Curtis Samuel, and yes, Cardale Jones, will help keep the Ohio State defense off the field, and also help to throw a wrench into Oregon’s plans to play at their typical fast-break pace.
As Yogi Berra once stated, “It’s deja vu all over again.”. At some point on Monday night, Ohio State fans will hopefully agree with Mr. Berra’s wise statement.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Ohio State vs Oregon [hype video] ~ Ode To The Hobbit
Listen to the audio, and you'll understand why I wrote that about The Hobbit
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Friday, January 2, 2015
Why UM's Hiring Of Harbaugh = Harbinger Of B1G Positives
Best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year. In the interest of full disclosure, this article is being written on New Year’s Eve, with a publish date of January 2, 2015. I anticipate being up late watching The 2015 Sugar Bowl with hopes of celebrating into the wee hours of the morning…
The news that the University of Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh to be its new head football coach has been largely viewed as a positive on a national scale and by former Ohio State players, but not by all Ohio State fans. An example Twitter dialogue between my esteemed colleague Jeremiah and myself will give you an idea as to what I mean…
Jeremiah’s concerns and viewpoints are understandable. After all, Ohio State has had its way with “The Team Up North” since January 18, 2001, when this speech was made on the day Jim Tressel was announced as the new head football coach at Ohio State…
Winning every game but two in a span since 2001-2014 is very rewarding and satisfying. It has allowed for a full generation of Ohio State fans to forget what it was like to suffer through the agonizing defeats to “The Team Up North”.
I want to emphasize this point – I never want to lose to “The Team Up North”. Let me make that abundantly clear.
However…I have enjoyed winning THE GAME much more so when “The Team Up North” was good, and not bad or mediocre.
Allow me to elaborate. The speech up above by Coach Tressel merely amplified the anticipation for THE GAME on November 24, 2001. The 26-20 victory in Ann Arbor was the first by Ohio State since 1987, and helped to eliminate “The Team Up North” from The B1G championship. In 2002, I was in attendance when “The Team Up North” was ranked twelfth as they entered Ohio Stadium with designs on eliminating Ohio State from the national championship game; Ohio State won on a nailbiter interception by Will Allen…
I was in attendance in Ohio Stadium when arguably the most mediocre Ohio State team of the Jim Tressel era defeated the last "Team Up North" to win The B1G in 2004. Who can forget "The Catch"that helped propel Ohio State over the seventeenth-ranked TTUN to a BCS bowl game in 2005?
THE GAME, and B1G football, has not stood as tall since November 18, 2006. Ranked number one and number two, for the right to go on to play for The BCS Championship. Who did not relish that victory over "The Team Up North" when the stakes were so high?
Yes, in 2007, Ohio State won in Ann Arbor to clinch The B1G and deny "The Team Up North" a trip to The Rose Bowl, but it was not the same. After 2006, the quality of "The Team Up North" has been one of steady decline, and helping to contribute to a national perception that B1G football was not something to be respected, and certainly not feared.
Jim Harbaugh's hiring helps to change that perception. Look at how @finebaum, noted troller of all things north of the Mason-Dixon line, tweeted about the hiring...
Think about the coaches in The SEC West - Nick Saban (Alabama), Dan Mullen (Miss St), Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss), Gus Malzahn (Auburn), Les Miles (LSU), Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M), and Bret Bielema (Arkansas). While not all are impressive, Saban, Miles, and Malzahn have had teams compete for the national championship over the past few seasons.
Now compare that to what The B1G East will have to offer - Urban Meyer (Ohio State), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), Jim Harbaugh ("The Team Up North"), and James Franklin (Penn State). While Meyer is the only one with national championship credentials, all of those men are truly well-respected for their recruiting prowess and abilities to develop teams into championship caliber units. The B1G East's teams and reputation will be able to compete against any team from anywhere.
To put it another way, The B1G used to have men such as these roaming the sidelines thirty years ago (1985 season) - Earle Bruce. Bo Schembechler. Hayden Fry. Lou Holtz. All of those men are in the College Football Hall of Fame. The Harbaugh hiring helps to bring B1G football status back to its historical perspective.
Again - I NEVER want to lose to "The Team Up North". However, I welcome the idea of going into Ann Arbor on November 28, 2015, with a highly ranked opponent in Ann Arbor, helping to propel Ohio State back into its second year of The College Football Playoff, thanks to the return of an old adversary.
The news that the University of Michigan hired Jim Harbaugh to be its new head football coach has been largely viewed as a positive on a national scale and by former Ohio State players, but not by all Ohio State fans. An example Twitter dialogue between my esteemed colleague Jeremiah and myself will give you an idea as to what I mean…
Every time someone says something is "good for the B1G" that is code for.... Bad for Ohio State.
— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) December 30, 2014Jeremiah’s concerns and viewpoints are understandable. After all, Ohio State has had its way with “The Team Up North” since January 18, 2001, when this speech was made on the day Jim Tressel was announced as the new head football coach at Ohio State…
Winning every game but two in a span since 2001-2014 is very rewarding and satisfying. It has allowed for a full generation of Ohio State fans to forget what it was like to suffer through the agonizing defeats to “The Team Up North”.
I want to emphasize this point – I never want to lose to “The Team Up North”. Let me make that abundantly clear.
However…I have enjoyed winning THE GAME much more so when “The Team Up North” was good, and not bad or mediocre.
Allow me to elaborate. The speech up above by Coach Tressel merely amplified the anticipation for THE GAME on November 24, 2001. The 26-20 victory in Ann Arbor was the first by Ohio State since 1987, and helped to eliminate “The Team Up North” from The B1G championship. In 2002, I was in attendance when “The Team Up North” was ranked twelfth as they entered Ohio Stadium with designs on eliminating Ohio State from the national championship game; Ohio State won on a nailbiter interception by Will Allen…
I was in attendance in Ohio Stadium when arguably the most mediocre Ohio State team of the Jim Tressel era defeated the last "Team Up North" to win The B1G in 2004. Who can forget "The Catch"that helped propel Ohio State over the seventeenth-ranked TTUN to a BCS bowl game in 2005?
THE GAME, and B1G football, has not stood as tall since November 18, 2006. Ranked number one and number two, for the right to go on to play for The BCS Championship. Who did not relish that victory over "The Team Up North" when the stakes were so high?
Yes, in 2007, Ohio State won in Ann Arbor to clinch The B1G and deny "The Team Up North" a trip to The Rose Bowl, but it was not the same. After 2006, the quality of "The Team Up North" has been one of steady decline, and helping to contribute to a national perception that B1G football was not something to be respected, and certainly not feared.
Jim Harbaugh's hiring helps to change that perception. Look at how @finebaum, noted troller of all things north of the Mason-Dixon line, tweeted about the hiring...
Jim Harbaugh to Michigan easily ranks with Saban to Alabama and Meyer to Ohio State recently in terms of Mount Rushmore hires.
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) December 28, 2014Think about the coaches in The SEC West - Nick Saban (Alabama), Dan Mullen (Miss St), Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss), Gus Malzahn (Auburn), Les Miles (LSU), Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M), and Bret Bielema (Arkansas). While not all are impressive, Saban, Miles, and Malzahn have had teams compete for the national championship over the past few seasons.
Now compare that to what The B1G East will have to offer - Urban Meyer (Ohio State), Mark Dantonio (Michigan State), Jim Harbaugh ("The Team Up North"), and James Franklin (Penn State). While Meyer is the only one with national championship credentials, all of those men are truly well-respected for their recruiting prowess and abilities to develop teams into championship caliber units. The B1G East's teams and reputation will be able to compete against any team from anywhere.
To put it another way, The B1G used to have men such as these roaming the sidelines thirty years ago (1985 season) - Earle Bruce. Bo Schembechler. Hayden Fry. Lou Holtz. All of those men are in the College Football Hall of Fame. The Harbaugh hiring helps to bring B1G football status back to its historical perspective.
Again - I NEVER want to lose to "The Team Up North". However, I welcome the idea of going into Ann Arbor on November 28, 2015, with a highly ranked opponent in Ann Arbor, helping to propel Ohio State back into its second year of The College Football Playoff, thanks to the return of an old adversary.
Can't get here soon enough. #presentedbyhatred pic.twitter.com/iq3u5DWR15
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) December 30, 2014Jim Harbaugh just declined to guarantee success against UM's rivals. Jim Tressel had no qualms doing that with his 310 days speech in 2001.
— Chip Minnich (@ChipMinnich) December 30, 2014
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