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Post by incognitoman on Apr 27, 2010 8:34:20 GMT -5
I figured if IU, Illinois, MSU, and MD can have a thread, why not OSU. This way, I don't have to infiltrate those threads to talk about the Bucks. I don't think there is a need to separate into sports, but now whenever Ron Artest makes his rare appearances, he can share his thoughts. I also feel that there is another Buckeye fan around here.
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Post by incognitoman on Apr 27, 2010 10:18:14 GMT -5
About the Spring Game from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Not all questions find answers as Ohio State completes spring drills with annual scrimmage COLUMBUS -- The crowd for Ohio State's spring game dropped by 30,000 from a year ago, a record 2009 turnout at Ohio Stadium fueled by sunshine and curiosity. With showers in the forecast and drizzle at halftime and 16 starters back from a Rose Bowl winner, the crowd of 65,223 Saturday was searching more for reassurance.
A lot of people are looking at the Buckeyes as potential national title contenders. That makes sense, doesn't it?
"I have no concerns," senior linebacker Brian Rolle said after the Gray's 17-14 win over the Scarlet, fueled by a late touchdown pass from third-string quarterback Kenny Guiton to Taurian Washington. "Everyone projects us as being the best team in the country or whatever. I think we made steps toward that rather than thinking we're already there."
The minds of the faithful should have been eased early by the one touchdown drive conducted by quarterback Terrelle Pryor in his only quarter of action. Coming off the previous Saturday's scrimmage, when he unofficially completed five of 15 passes for 45 yards on a windy day behind a shaky offensive line, Pryor looked much more in control on this Saturday. He was 8-of-12 for 108 yards and one touchdown, a 12-yard strike to Dane Sanzenbacher in the corner of the end zone. On that drive, which should have countered any overreaction to the previous week, Pryor completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Jake Stoneburner over the linebackers; rolled left and lofted a 33-yarder to Sanzenbacher on the sidelines; hit Sanzenbacher for a quick 10 yards and then finished the four-play drive with the touchdown.
Still not allowed to run by the special rules protecting him, Pryor was at least able to find a rhythm.
"I think he played a good game," OSU coach Jim Tressel said. "He knew that he wasn't going to play too much and he know he couldn't go live on the run part. So he focused on what he could do, which is work on his footwork and his coverage recognition and decision-making."
Pryor didn't play after the first quarter. Always more of a show than a contest, the spring game also serves as the final of 15 spring practices, during which time some things became more clear and others did not.
Three things we learned this spring
• 1. Kenny Guiton has closed the gap on Joe Bauserman as the No. 2 quarterback: Bauserman has more experience, but he seemed reluctant to let some passes go Saturday, while Guiton clearly showed what he learned during his redshirt season. Guiton finished 11-of-21 for 167 yards and two touchdowns for the victorious Gray, while Bauserman was 6-of-15 for 75 with two interceptions playing for three quarters behind Pryor on the Scarlet side.
A last-minute, emergency quarterback recruit a year ago, Guiton has proven he's a factor and may have already exceeded some expectations.
"I feel like I had a good spring," Guiton said. "As you know, I was the last recruit, so I don't think very many people expected a lot out of me. So this was more about showing people what I can do."
• 2. Mike Adams clearly leads for the starting left tackle job: Fifth-year senior Andrew Miller had a tough day Saturday, while junior Adams, who looked much leaner this spring, translated his weight room progress to the field. The battle will go through August, but it's not a tossup.
"Mike was more physically strong, so all that time and effort he put into the weight room helping that tall, long body has paid off," said OSU tight ends and tackles coach John Peterson. "He's confident and is understanding more of what is going on and he has the ability to fix a problem after a play without having to wait until you go back to the film room."
• 3. Brandon Saine should be headed for a breakout year: The senior running back was hampered by injury much of camp, and he carried just four times Saturday. But on one run, when he broke right, stutter-stepped corner Devon Torrence and then exploded again, he showed why he should get more carries than anyone in a crowded backfield.
Three things we won't know until September
• 1. What's up with the kicking game? The kick scrimmage earlier in spring left some questions open, and Saturday didn't answer them. Ben Buchanan, expected to take over from Jon Thoma as the punter, averaged only 35.7 yards on seven punts with one 16-yard effort in there. It was incoming freshman Drew Basil, who reported early for spring ball, who made the day's only field goal, a 47-yarder. He should continue to push Devin Barclay, who took over when Aaron Pettrey was hurt last season but doesn't have Basil's leg.
• 2. The third receiver spot: Duron Carter, who missed spring ball because of academic issues, was in the stands and jumped up when Washington made his game-winning catch. A spring star in the past, Washington had three catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
"I'm just hoping I can transfer that over to the fall," Washington said.
Throw in Harvey's Chris Fields, a redshirt freshman who caught two passes for 17 yards, and Carter will have some guys ready to fight him for time when he returns.
• 3. How much will they throw to their running backs? The Buckeyes have seemed to work on that more in practice, throwing to their tailbacks, but we've seen that before and it hasn't happened in games. But watch out for sophomore fullback Zach Boren, who caught four passes for 44 yards Saturday and hurdled and threw off tacklers in the open field.
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Post by incognitoman on Apr 27, 2010 16:34:15 GMT -5
Columbus Dispatch's breakdown of the offseason:
Spring wrap: Questions and answers As we sail into three months of calm OSU football seas, I wanted to look back and share some thoughts and observations about spring ball.
This is not based just on the spring game -- in fact, I'd say it's not based much at all on the spring game. It's from watching 7 practices, the kick scrimmage, the jersey scrimmage AND the spring game.
I'm going to go position by position:
QUARTERBACK
-- Terrelle Pryor has improved significantly. Mechanically and mentally, he appears to have taken a big step forward. I was very impressed that the coaches allowed him to make calls at the line, and he seemed to thrive when doing so.
-- If Pryor is hurt, I want Joe Bauserman in the game if OSU is winning or playing an overmatched opponent. He's probably the safer choice as backup. If OSU is losing or playing a game where they need the QB to make some plays, give me Kenny Guiton.
RUNNING BACK
-- Boom Herron looks energized. He's always been a between-the-tackles type, but he showed some swerve and speed several times this spring in bouncing to the outside. Between he and Brandon Saine, it could be a huge year for Buckeye backs.
-- I was impressed with Jaamal Berry's nifty moves, but I want to see what happens in live action. When he stops in the hole and tries to cut on a dime and gets whacked by a 250-pound Wisconsin linebacker, how will that affect him?
-- Yes, what little bit I saw of Carlos Hyde reminded me of "Beanie Lite." Same style.
RECEIVER
-- Throw out DeVier Posey's drops in the spring game. I think the man has done enough to consider that one bad game.
-- If OSU uses Jake Stoneburner and Saine in the passing game -- and it would be a crime if the Buckeyes don't -- then who really cares who the No. 3 receiver is? If you ask me would I like to see Stoneburner or Duron Carter catching 30 passes a year, I'm going with Stoneburner, because he's going to come at a defense from a different angle and add a dimension that a normal third receiver cannot.
OFFENSIVE LINE
-- Who's kidding who here, really? Coach Jim Bollman started the spring by saying four guys would get equal time at left tackle, but in the end, it was all Mike Adams and Andrew Miller. I never once saw Marcus Hall or J.B. Shugarts with the first team at left tackle. And let's be realistic -- a tie goes to Adams, because he's got another year after this one, and Miller is a fifth-year senior. If it's close, you're going to invest in a 2-year starter.
-- I liked what I saw of Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley, a pair of second-teamers. I think you're looking at next year's starting guards when Boren and Browning are gone.
DEFENSIVE LINE
-- John Simon, future All-American. Wow.
-- OSU still needs to find another effective defensive tackle to back up Simon and Dexter Larimore.
-- Can Nathan Williams be an every-down defensive end, or will he continue to be a situational pass-rusher and someone else (Fellows? Wells? Thomas?) shares snaps?
LINEBACKER
-- I'm not sure how this comes about, but I saw enough potential out of Storm Klein and Andrew Sweat last year that I think they need to get some playing time this fall.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
-- The panic button is within reach, until we see if Chimdi Chekwa can rebound from his late-2009 slump and Devon Torrence shows us that his spring game (like Posey's) was a fluke. Right now, it's hard not to be a bit nervous about those two, and that's supposedly the strength of the secondary.
-- This team could get a huge boost from Tyler Moeller. They could use his blitzing ability and he could be an inspirational leader, as well.
KICKING GAME
-- I liked what I saw of Devon Torrence and Jordan Hall in the the return game. I'm still not a fan of using my starting RBs on kickoff returns (Saine and Herron).
-- Devin Barclay is the short-range FG guy, and he's good at that. Drew Basil is the kickoff guy, and he's good at that. Ben Buchanan was consistently good at punting until the spring game, but he's still the guy there. Long-range FGs? Basil or Buchanan. And how important is this? OSU has attempted 80 field goals in the past three years, and the number keeps going up --- 23 in 2007, 27 in 2008 and 30 in 2009. Better find your long-range guy, or start practicing those fourth-down conversions!
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Post by incognitoman on Apr 29, 2010 9:06:53 GMT -5
From ESPN:
ESPNU 150 Watch List OG Michael Bennett of Ohio, who is being recruited as a DT, his position of preference, is down to his home-state Buckeyes and Northwestern. ESPN.com's Bill Kurelic posted on ESPN affiliate Bucknuts.com: "I will be surprised if Bennett does not end up playing for the Bucks."
However, the site also reports that Bennett is a great student (advantage: Northwestern) who wants to be a doctor (advantage: Ohio State, though don't tell that to former OSU RB Robert Smith). The Wildcats' have a trump card, though: Bennett's girlfriend reportedly wants to attend Northwestern. She is still a junior and hasn't even applied yet, but NU is her first choice.
What a huge get for the Wildcats if Bennett follows his heart, so to speak.
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Post by Kyle Feller on Apr 29, 2010 14:02:40 GMT -5
Young man needs to dump that girl and make his own path. I think he'll find one of the benefits of playing football at OSU is the power to forget about your ex girlfriends all together.
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Post by ronartest on Apr 30, 2010 20:04:54 GMT -5
I love it incognitoman. I have been busy teaching/coaching/taking 6 grad school credits/selling a house....but now that most of those are about to end I hope to be on here more.
I have not been following the recruiting this year mainly because of my busy schedule. However I have been telling all my friends (I live near Tuscaloosa, AL) that if OSU is ever going to beat an SEC team in a bowl game, it will be this year. I love how low-key this team is right now. I love TP's development from the UM game o the Oregon game and I love the fact that he is a team leader who by all accounts is making good judgements off the field. I like our schedule, and if we can get by Miami (which is no guarantee by any means), I think the chances that we find a way to go undefeated is pretty good. That would set up a matchup with an SEC team for the National Championship.
I am going to Columbus for a week this summer and hope to get some quality OSU time!
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Post by huisrealgood on May 1, 2010 10:05:07 GMT -5
OSU will always choke and lose a Big Ten game they shouldn't (Purdue last year, Illinois in '07, etc). They will most likely win the conference, but I doubt they'll go undefeated.
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Post by ronartest on May 1, 2010 10:32:56 GMT -5
Haha last year's OSU team was inconsistent and the Purdue loss was not a huge upset when all was said and done. Now that we know now what we know, that loss was not all that shocking. Purdue has a great coaching staff, they were looking for a break-through win. That loss convinced Tressel to open up the offense, which led to them beating a very good Oregon team in the Rose Bowl that 87% of the country thought they would lose.
The loss to Illinois in 07 was not a bad loss either. Illinois went to the Rose Bowl and as we all know, OSU slid into the National Championship game. That OSU team was probably about the 15th best team in the country that year. However because of an easy schedule and everyone else having 2 losses they slipped in. I was shocked that they only lost to LSU by 21......
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Post by incognitoman on May 2, 2010 18:55:35 GMT -5
An article from the Dispatch about no love for Tress:
Where are all Tressel's awards? They just gave OSU coach Jim Tressel a lifetime achievement award, and he's A. alive, and B. still coaching.
Tressel on Thursday accepted the Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award, given for his contributions to college football. It's the first time in the award's 17-year history it has been given to an active coach.
By comparison, they gave it to Woody Hayes once....11 years after Woody died.
In contrast, as ESPN.com Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg pointed out today, Tressel has never been honored as the Big Ten's coach of the year.
He did win national coach of the year once, for the 2002 national title, after Iowa's Kirk Ferentz was deemed the Big Ten's top coach.
I say Tressel better get used to it -- winning "lifetime achievement" type awards, but not for any given year.
That's mainly because of the ridiculously high expectations put on OSU's program. In Tressel's nine years, his teams have finished the year ranked significantly higher than their preseason ranking only once -- 2002, when the Buckeyes started out 12th and finished first.
In five other years, OSU has finished roughly where expected.
And twice, the Buckeyes underperformed, at least compared to preseason ratings -- 2004, when they started out 9th and finished 19th; and 2008, when they started 2nd and finished 11th.
Fairly or not, this is a big part of the criteria for the writers and broadcasters who vote on the Big Ten award.
Looking at who won the Big Ten awards in Tressel's time, it's hard to argue with Ferentz's three awards. The man is coaching in a state of 3.5 million people, compared to Tressel's 11 million. He consistently takes mid-level Division I players and turns them into fundamentally sound, cohesive, championship-caliber clubs. I'm a Ferentz fan.
Some of the others were flashes in the pan that seem laughable now -- Ron Turner of Illinois in 2001? Ron Zook of Illinois in 2007? And the kicker, John L. Smith of Michigan State in 2003, for finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the league?
How have those guys turned out?
I'll also take a small poke at Joe Paterno. I believe he deserved the award in 2005, the start of a program resurrection after some awful seasons.
But overall, Penn State has been in the Big Ten now for 17 seasons, and the Nittany Lions have won one more league title (3) than Northwestern (2) in that span. I believe he gets a lot of "crazy uncle" sympathy votes.
My point here is that Tressel is a victim of his own sustained success. It would be very hard for the Buckeyes to over-achieve, which grabs COY votes. It's relatively easy to underachieve. When Tressel gets great recruiting classes, he's expected to win titles. When he doesn't get great classes (like 2010) people ask how could he not get a top-10 class at a place like OSU?
Six titles in nine years, and three appearances in national championship games, speaks for itself. A winning percentage better than Woody speaks for itself.
Maybe a Ferentz or a Bret Bielema is judged as a better coach in an individual season. But really, if there were such an award, who else in the Big Ten would deserve Coach of the Decade?
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Post by huisrealgood on May 3, 2010 11:07:18 GMT -5
Haha last year's OSU team was inconsistent and the Purdue loss was not a huge upset when all was said and done. Now that we know now what we know, that loss was not all that shocking. Purdue has a great coaching staff, they were looking for a break-through win. That loss convinced Tressel to open up the offense, which led to them beating a very good Oregon team in the Rose Bowl that 87% of the country thought they would lose. The loss to Illinois in 07 was not a bad loss either. Illinois went to the Rose Bowl and as we all know, OSU slid into the National Championship game. That OSU team was probably about the 15th best team in the country that year. However because of an easy schedule and everyone else having 2 losses they slipped in. I was shocked that they only lost to LSU by 21...... That may be the bill of goods you OSU fans have been sold but the Buckeyes have no excuses for losing those games. A BCS team shouldn't lose to a team that doesn't make a bowl (ala Purdue) and an undefeated #1 team shouldn't lose on senior day to an unranked team. Sorry buddy.
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Post by incognitoman on May 3, 2010 12:07:12 GMT -5
HIRG, Ron isn't saying OSU should have lost those games. He is saying those losses aren't as bad as people make them out to be. As you can see from the article I posted last night, the expectations for this team is astronomical. You are putting way too much emphasis on this BCS stuff. Should we have lost to Purdue? Absolutely not; however, Ron and I believe that the loss actually helped right the ship for the rest of the season. However, if this play www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNWVKk7J5z0 is called correctly, we may not be having this conversation right now. As for the Illinois game, give your team more credit. If you really think the Big Ten's champion losing to the runner up is choking, I don't know what to tell you. Everybody will tell you that was our 2nd worst team (behind 2004) since our championship. We were nowhere close to a championship caliber team.
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Post by huisrealgood on May 3, 2010 12:38:38 GMT -5
My position stands that OSU will lose a game it shouldn't in conference this year. I used the Purdue and Illinois losses to illustrate that point and I'll stick to them. My best guess is it will come from one of these 3 games: @ Wisconsin, @ Minnesota, or home vs. Penn State.
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Post by incognitoman on May 3, 2010 12:55:51 GMT -5
Why not say on the road to Iowa? We may not even be favored to beat Wisconsin. Is that really a game we SHOULD win? Penn St. finished in the top 10, and the away team has won the last 3 meetings. Once again, it might be favored, but not by much. minnesota is definitely a lot more bold than those other two. We haven't lost to Minnesota this decade. I don't expect it to happen, but I won't say it can't or won't happen. It is right before Penn St, so hopefully they don't overlook the Gophers.
What I'm getting at is... when you are the favorites to win the conference (and thus supposedly expected to win every game), it's really easy to sit back and say they'll lose a game.
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Post by huisrealgood on May 3, 2010 13:15:26 GMT -5
Oh come on! Are you really saying that you won't be favored against Wisconsin?? REALLY?!?!?! You come on here pronouncing them as national title contenders and then they won't be favored against a team that's not projected to be in the top 3 in the conference? Really? As for Penn State, they lost most of their defense and their QB. They should be solid but they're not top 10 in the country any more. Plus that's an OSU home game which should bump up the spread a bit.
What I'm getting at is my boy Ron Ron said he thinks if they get past Miami, they'll go undefeated to the title game. I'm saying I doubt it. They'll get up for the big game at Iowa (who should be the #2 team in the conference next year) but I think they'll lose to another Big Ten opponent that they should beat.
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Post by incognitoman on May 3, 2010 13:26:30 GMT -5
Wisconsin is ranked in the top ten in all of the polls so far. Not sure why you think they won't be top 3 in conference.
Obviously, you didn't read what I wrote about Penn St. Playing on the road has actually been an advantage in that series.
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