On Its Way

This week, Ohio State faces a Purdue coach that’s undefeated* against them, and seeks to rebound from a horrible defensive showing at Indiana.  So, yeah- our soundtrack is something that should be harped on, even if it seems a little paranoid.

Buckeye 411

• Think Pink- Well, I guess this is a thing now, as this week’s game against Purdue is a “Pink Out” for breast cancer awareness.  Personally, I’d rather try to approximate the color by doing alternating shades of red and white, but no one ever asks me.  More on this event later in the program…
• Getting Defensive, Part One-  Our friends over at Men of the Scarlet and Gray have taken to defending the Buckeye defense, first in looking at the state of affairs at this point in the season, and second highlighting the real culprit for the scoreboard woes- Special Teams Play.
• Meyer’s Musings- In today’s B1G coaches teleconference, Coach Meyer talked about his role with the defense and that he was there to support the staff as they helped work on the fundamentals: 4-6 seconds of effort, Great leverage (positioning), and making tackles.  He sang the praises of Kenny G, and talked about how his attitude and effort had changed significantly than the winter where he was in line for a one way bus ticket back to Texas.  Coach said that Purdue will be a challenge for the Buckeyes, and that defensively they are two or three missed tackles from being great on the season.
• Getting Defensive- Want stats and so forth? Check out where the Buckeyes rank nationally at Football Outsiders, who have Ohio State as the 27th rated team in the country. Argue away…
• Hope Quotes- Also in the B1G teleconference, Coach Hope agreed with Coach Meyer that tackling has been an issue for the Boilermakers over the past two weeks, and that Wisconsin’s game compounded things with poor alignment.  He praised the Ohio State offensive line while remarking that Braxton can “do everything.  The Boilers expect their running back to play much more effectively this week; as you remember Bolden is recovering from knee issues suffered against Indiana at the end of last season.
• Not So Fast- Several Buckeye fans have reminded us that the Purdue team that heads to Columbus on Saturday just got pounded by Wisconsin, and to expect an easy game.  We remind you merely that last year’s Wisconsin team did the same to Purdue, and the Buckeyes ended up with “Purdue Harbor 2″.  No easy games in conference play.
• This Week In SammySilv- Great effort from El Guapo leads to this week’s poster:

Commentary- Awareness

Ok, this one is probably going to get me into some hot water.  Critiquing the very fabric of the “Student Athlete” mythos seems to float past most of our loyal readers (Hi, Mom!), as does my questioning whether the Buckeyes (And Longhorns, Lions, Crimson Tide, Trojans, etc.) have nothing to do with the educational endeavors at their various institutions. But this time, we’re stepping on toes for sure.

Ahem.  I’m suffering from “Awareness Fatigue”.

Yup, when I see fliers for “Pink Out Purdue”, or watch Monday night football and catch all the pastel colors, I can’t help but ask myself- What difference does it make?

I know that the NFL and other organizations are doing great work raising money for cancer research and treatment, although I seriously wonder who’s interested in a game worn pink sweatband from a third string offensive lineman. And, as someone whose life has been impacted by cancer with numerous loved ones, I’m not saying that it’s not an important issue.

I just can’t for the life of me figure out if there’s not a better way to go about things.  Raising funds is amazing- it’s one of the several reasons that Eat Too Brutus is a great event. But the idea that someone will walk away from a game wanting to seek more information about any issue- becoming more aware, if you will- seems to be missing the boat.

Making Friends Everywhere

This is particularly true for the cause most associated with October- breast cancer awareness.  Prostate cancer has been linked to similar genetic predispositions and unfortunately has a similar fatality rate, with much less publicity. This isn’t a “well, what about us?” question from a male seeking equal time, just a larger question: If “Awareness” is our goal, wouldn’t it be more important to gear our focus on something that’s lesser known?

But, you see, my issue isn’t with the cause, it’s with the goal.  Look at it this way- Currently, the Ohio State defense seems to have a problem.  If Coach Meyer or Coach Fickell merely said, “Yup, we’re aware of what’s wrong…”, we’d be less than chipper about that response.  We want action- and action that’s real and tangible (more raw meat for Simon, for instance) rather than symbolic.

Bumper stickers are great, ribbons on our lapel or helmets are fantastic, pushing “like” on facebook or passing on the Kony2012 video is a good start, but are often more about us feeling good about doing “something” rather than actually making significant changes in our lives. Slacktivism is rampant, and will probably impact our November 6th decisions as well- we’ll pull a lever, but won’t leave the voting booth any more committed to making a direct impact in our communities about things we feel passionate about. We did something important, but that’s only the first step.

So, if you’re headed to the game this Saturday, by all means wear pink and support the cause. There’s amazing work being done with your donated dollars.  But also ask if there’s something more that you can do- is there a way that you can, in the words of a great man “Pay It Forward”.  That’s what makes a difference that lasts far past the time that the shirt is somewhere on the bottom of the laundry bag.  And, it’s what it means to be “Buckeye Nation”- making an impact wherever you find yourself.

Ok, back to the sports and stuff.

Here- Here’s a cute picture of a cat doing funny things. Are we friends again?

Across The NCAA

•  Just Wait Until You See The Turf- Southern Idaho State isn’t allowed to wear all blue against their blue turf in conference games. So, the next logical step would be to… you guessed it… wear all black, since that’s totally not one of their colors.
• What A Great Idea! The NCAA should allow schools to have majors in “athletics”, similar to the ones institutions have in “vocal performance” and so forth. If only someone else had been suggesting that… oh, wait.
• One Of The Good Ones-  Great story about Michael Ferns, Michigan commit, and his decision to honor a teammate. He may end up in Ann Arbor, but this is the heart of a Buckeye.
• Instead- They’re focused on important things, like whether or not Tyrann Matheiu’s persona was used to advertise a party. Yup, groundbreaking stuff there.
• Political? Yup. Problem? Also Yup-  Rumor has it that this tweet is from a GA at West Virginia.  And you thought what Torg said was bad…
• This Item Cancelled- Well, not really, since it didn’t have a scheduled game with Minnesota, who cancelled future contests with Navy and North Carolina today. Wonder what the Gophers have up their… uh… fur.
• Well, There’s Your Problem- Kentucky spent more money on lights and effects for Midnight Madness than they spend on football recruiting.  And you call your coach the Joker…
• Cast Your Vote- Round two of the Great Gif Battle starts Wednesday, and my personal favorite (#TeamFreek) lost the first matchup by a nose.  Given that the Aggies are long known for their ability to landslide online polls and contests, your vote is necessary.

And Finally

• ‘Tis The Season- Here’s a little something to get you in the Halloween mood:

Tags: 2012 NCAA Tournament, Carlos Hyde, Danny Hope, Defense, Kentucky Wildcats, LSUFreek, Michael Ferns, Minnesota Golden Gophers, NCAA, Pay It Forward, Southern Idaho State, Tyrann Matheiu, Urban Meyer, West Virginia
Categories: College Football, Miscellaneous