Oooooh! A Summit!

If you think the “Final Verdict” segments of College Gameday are amazing places for rhetoric and logic, you’re probably excited for the beginning of the Presidential Debates tonight.  Me? I’d rather argue about college sports… compared to politics, the BCS makes sense.

Buckeye 411

• Clothing, Part One- Never ones to miss the obvious, the Athletic Department has declared that this week’s game will be a “Scarlet Out”, similar to last year’s homecoming event.  Although it’s nice to do one of these “all color events” on nights where the opposing fanbase will unwillingly be assisting (looking at you, Indiana), I’ve got to wonder if this might take a bit of the “home field” advantage away and inadvertently help a team known as “Big Red”.
• “And So Forth”- I wonder if I can get WKYC on my cable provider, just so I can enjoy the wisdom and wit that will be the “Off The Vest Show” starring former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.  As someone who was regularly lauded for his ability to say nothing for twenty minutes, it will be interesting to see what he comes up with as a part of this opportunity. Seriously, though- I’m really looking forward to seeing these segments, even if it’s only on the YouTubes.
• Clothing, Part Two- An article in this week’s Dispatch pointed out that sales of Ohio State jerseys were again on the rise, after faltering last season.  The article talks specifically about certain numbers being more popular than others… but it’s not about the “amateur” players who won’t see a penny of that revenue, right?

Courtesy SammySilv Designs

• Getting Ready For Nebraska- In the B1G presser today, Coach Meyer talked a little about what they might see against the Huskers, particularly from the Blackshirt Defense.  He spoke about Coach Pelini’s “pattern match” secondary philosophy, and how that will create problems for the still developing Ohio State passing game.  Coach Pelini addressed the obvious, and said that Braxton will get his yardage, but they’ve got to minimize the scoring opportunities.
• Important Reminder- If you’re looking for a way to get involved in Jason Winrow’s memorial, more details were made public about the fund that has been established by Raymont Harris to help his wife and children.
• Brotherhood- Former Buckeye Santonio Holmes is likely done for the season, but a touching moment from his injury was captured in photography this weekend. After getting hurt and fumbling, the 49ers recovered the loose ball and were in the process of taking it back for a TD… all of them, that is, except for Donte Whitner, who stayed behind to make sure his former teammate in Columbus was OK.
• Clothing, Part Three- Buckeye Nation was abuzz this morning with rumors of the 2012 “Pro Combat” design, which was soon debunked as a mock-up from 2009 and a helmet idea that had been on the internet for the entire summer.
• Little Sister, Hits The Stage- The real news today was the announcement that Ohio State and Texas Christian have agreed to a home and away series beginning in 2018.  The initial game is scheduled for Ft. Worth, but don’t be surprised to see it moved to Dallas and “Jerryworld”- TCU’s stadium holds about 45k in it’s current configuration.  Of course, President Gee’s “Little Sisters Of The Poor” comments were dredged up by lots of lazy journalists, who fail to realize that TCU will have been in the B12 for 5 seasons by the time this series begins. If you didn’t think that Gene Smith’s comments about bolstering the schedule were serious, here’s what you can look forward to in the near future: 2013- Vanderbilt, Cal; 2014- Navy, VaTech, Cincy; 2015- VaTech, North Carolina; 2016- Tulsa, Oklahoma; 2017-  North Carolina, Oklahoma; 2018- TCU, Cincy; 2019- TCU Read More

Tags: 'Da U, Academics, Alabama, Bo Pelini, BYU, Donte Whitner, Jason Winrow, Jim Tressel, Mark Dantonio, Mike McQueary, Nebraska, Nike, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Penn State, Santonio Holmes, SBP, SEC, TCT, Texas Christian, The Horseshoe, Uniforms, Urban Meyer, William Gholston
Categories: College Football, Humor, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Football

Gotta have the right ammo

If you’re reading this, you’ve survived Bloody Tuesday… don’t you just hate corporate bonding retreats?  Here’s some happy music to get you through the day.

Buckeye 411

• Seeking Hyde- Tuesday, Coach Meyer indicated that all signs pointed to Carlos Hyde being cleared to play this weekend against Michigan State, but admitted that they’d know more after Tuesday/Wednesday’s practices.  We’ll keep you updated, but I’m excited to see some of the personnel groupings if Carlos can go- Hall at “Flex” back? Multiple TEs?  The mind, it is boggled.
• Things That Go Bump In The Night- I’m not the only one excited about what weapons abound for the Buckeyes; in Tuesday’s B1G teleconference, Coach Dantonio stated that the weapons and playmakers that Ohio State had frightened him.
• Getting Defensive- Also in the teleconference, Coach Meyer said that Ohio State’s distinction as the last team in the conference defensively was something that needed to change in a hurry.  If you would have told me in August that OSU would be last in defense at the beginning of conference play and that Wisconsin would be at the bottom offensively, I would have asked you to reevaluate your medicinal regimen.
• Running Silent-  As they did last year prior to the OSU game, Michigan State’s assistant coaches and players have been declared “off limits” for the media this week. Interestingly, though, this is also the week that Gameday will be on campus, doing pre-game interviews and all that.  You’ve got to wonder, given what Ohio State’s local media experienced this summer, if ESPN has asked the school to give them an “exclusive” of sorts.
• Saying Goodbye- There’s a great article at NJ.Com about our friend Jason Winrow- well worth the read. Also, the memorial service is Thursday at 4:00 pm in the Fawcett Center on campus.  Additionally, Dom Tiberi reported this evening that a fund has been established in Jason’s honor in order to assist his wife and kids; donations can be made to the Jason Winrow Memorial Fund at any Chase Bank.
• The Dark Meyer Rises: Tuesday’s “What in the heck just happened?” internet moment that I’ve watched waaay too many times now: Read More

Tags: 'Da U, 2012 Season, Academics, ACC, Andy Katzenmoyer, B1G, BCS, Carlos Hyde, Duke, ESPN Gameday, Jason Winrow, LSUFreek, Mark Dantonio, Michigan, Michigan State, NCAA failures, Nevin Shapiro, North Carolina, Notre Dame, SBP, TBDBITL, Urban Meyer
Categories: College Football, Humor, Ohio State Football

Win/Win Scenario?

Yup, it’s that week again- we find ourselves looking to the skies and hoping for an astronomical event to head toward… let’s see… this year the game is in South Bend, so that will do just fine. Just think, if Notre Dame’s previous coach was still on the sidelines, there just might be enough gravitational pull between the two head men to facilitate this.

Buckeye 411

• Injury Update- Not much new on this front this week: We know that Carlos Hyde won’t be participating this Saturday, and there’s been no update on John Simon’s shoulder. That’s not totally true: the best thing to come out of Coach Meyer’s Monday press conference was commentary that Simon’s shoulder was a long way from his heart… meaning that he could work though the pain. Meyer then went on to comment that Michael Bennett was still injured, and that “He’s got to play some time. So I don’t know how far that groin is away from the heart.” If you needed proof that Urban Meyer understands the Ohio State legacy- his paraphrase of Woody Hayes’ famous quote regarding what his ’74 class should use to think with should seal the deal.
• Bombs Away- One thing that Coach Meyer is concerned with against the Blazers of UAB is the deep ball. Several times over the past week, he’s talked about the strength of quarterback Jonathan Perry’s arm. This has to be a point of emphasis for the Buckeye secondary, who have given up their share of big passing plays during the first two games of the season thus far.
• Good Hands, People- When the season started, Ohio State was looking for “playmakers”, and it seems that they’ve found a few. Corey Brown has shown flashes as a dependable “pivot” player in the new offense, and receiver Devin Smith continues to shine as a reliable option for the big play.  Wonder how long it is until he earns Cris Carter’s moniker of “only catching touchdowns”.
• Bloody Tuesday- From what we’re hearing, Tuesday’s emphasis for the defense was… you guessed it… “Tackling”. And not just on the field, but in the weight room and film room as well.  In talking with a couple of folks, and in looking at the game again, the “chicken and egg” argument of “was it poor scheme or poor execution?” on Saturday is answered by “Yes”, although there are a number of clearly missed assignments on the big touchdowns that made everyone’s nightmare list Saturday afternoon. So, in at least the big play categories, it seems to be execution that was at issue.
• On To The Next One- If you’re not following Samuel Silverman on twitter, you’re missing out on great Ohio State graphics- like this one: Read More

Tags: 2012 Season, Academics, Corey Brown, Devin Smith, Duron Carter, Economics, ESPN, John Calipari, John L Smith, John Simon, Kentucky Wildcats, Michael Bennett, NCAA failures, North Carolina, Oregon, SBP, Schott, SEC, Texas Tech, UAB Blazers, Urban Meyer
Categories: Analysis, College Football, Humor, Michigan Football, Ohio State Football

Well... uh....

So here’s the thing.

The story of the day yesterday was the first episode of All Access, a behind the scenes look at the Buckeye program under the new regime.

The problem? It was on one of the ESPN channels… and you know how we feel about those fine individuals.

But… in a moment of weakness, I DVR’d it And watched it.

And loved ever second.

How can you hate quotes like “Abso-smurfly”, “Bozo the freakin’ clown”, “I’m glad you’re a Buckeye, bro…”, “I like coaching you…” and other admonitions to play “hungry” and “angry”.

And the precision of the offensive staff’s work, the pride that Coach Mariotti puts into his time with the team, and the focus and plan that Coach Meyer is instilling into the team… it’s a really good piece. If you missed it and don’t mind the spoilers, the gang at LGHL have a really good review with picture pages and everything.

I’d be really excited about this, to be honest, if all things were equal. Given the bad PR that my favorite program received over the past few years for numerous self inflicted wounds, it’s great to get excited about OSU football again- and to see a national response (including Southern Cal and Clemson recruits commenting on it) that was pretty positive.

But, I’ll be honest- It’s still hard for me to not be wary about this series. You kick a dog and reach to pet him, he’ll wince and cower even if he lets you stroke his head again. Given what we know about ESPN’s agenda (Entertainment Sports Programming Network), it safe to see that they are interested in a narrative of redemption up until the point that they bang the drums marking a fall from grace.

Just watch the history- 2002 upset their narrative, and then the 2003 Clarett story was a bottom. The 2006 season’s coverage was the apex of good vibes, and then this past year seems to be yet another trough in their coverage- again, a story that Ohio State wrote for itself, but one that got presented over and over and over again on the largest stage while others were way way off Broadway in Coral Gables and Columbia and Chapel Hill.

So- we’ll watch (yup) and see. And, if nothing else, this will give us the chance to celebrate the splendor and power of an Ohio State team on a very particular mission.  Buckle Buckeye up.

Buckeye 411

• Earning Your Stripes- Or, more correctly, earning their removal. Today Tommy Schutt became the next defensive player to have his rite of passage and his “newbie stripe” taken off his helmet by his big brother. He joined Noah Spence and De’Van Bogard as the first three who were “welcomed” to Buckeye football. This afternoon, their numbers grew as Taylor Decker was the next first offensive rookie to cross the line into “Buckeye manhood”.  Really excited about this process, and it sounds like it’s something that everyone has really bought into. Read More

Tags: 2012 Season, Academics, Alabama, Auburn, B1G, Brady Hoke, Cheerleading, Costumes, De'Van Bogard, ESPN, Fall Camp, Fall Practice, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Frank Clark, Jerry Sandusky, Julius Peppers, Mark Emmert, Michigan, NCAA, Noah Spence, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, Punting, San Diego State, SBP, Scandal, Taylor Decker, Tommy Schutt, UCLA, Urban Meyer, Virgina Tech
Categories: College Football, Humor, Michigan Football, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Football

It’s your regularly scheduled look around the world of college sports- a bit more in depth than the tidbits we’ve got after practice. Following Tuesday’s notes, be sure to check the latest on “reform” from the NCAA and thoughts on Penn State’s constant appeals processes.

Buckeye 411

• 

  Always. Forever.

  Not So Fast…  Any speculation about Roby playing offense and defense was shut down by the coaches today. He made a spectacular play on an overthrow today, though- he’s going to be special. However, Corey Brown said that Roby wasn’t the fastest guy on the team, and called him out saying that he (Corey) wasn’t able to run during testing but that he could beat Roby in a race.

• Dunn Update- Brionte spent much of the day with the second team offense. He will be a part of this year’s successes offensively.
• Granted- Curtis Grant was back at practice after spending time in Virginia with his ill grandfather Josh Perry was back as well.
• That’s Nate!  Also out today in helmets and shoulder pads was Nathan Williams, who did some contact drills without a brace on his leg. It should be noted that the contact was only 3/4 speed, working technique with tackling sleds and dummies.
• Abandon Hope, B1G QBs- Shazier is now up 25 pounds and is actually faster than last year, although he’s honest that he played too fast last season. He talked about being able to let the play happen rather than rushing past it.
• On The Blocks- Orhian Johnson blocked a field goal attempt in today’s competition.
• Tackle Football- Reid Fragel and Taylor Decker split time at tackle today, with Decker working with the #1s during the final segment. This may be due to hydration issues from the heat today.
• And So, It Begins-  The “We still love you, can we be besties?” between the Buckeyes and ESPN kicks off with this coverage from ESPN The Magazine Read More

Tags: Academics, Adidas, APR, BCS, Bradly Roby, Brionte Dunn, BTN, Corey Brown, Curtis Grant, ESPN, Joe Paterno, Louis Freeh Report, Maryland, Nathan Williams, NCAA failures, Nike, Orhian Johnson, Penn State, Reid Fragel, Ryan Shazier, SBP, Taylor Decker, Television Revenue, Uniforms, Urban Meyer
Categories: College Football, Conference Expansion, Humor, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Football

Pointed to the coming storm?

The quiet of this week around Buckeye Nation provides a moment of peace prior to August’s chaos of fall camp and Olympic dreams. It’s completely different than July of 2011… and I don’t hear many complaining.

What I do hear, though, are the thunder and raging winds still swirling from last week’s Freeh Report. Both the national news coverage and the responses from Lion Faithful and PSU alums are clamoring- and, like what passes for dialogue these days, neither side are really listening to the other. Civility seems to be yet another casualty of this situation- although, it can be argued that this merely highlights the fact that it’s been dead for a long while.

So, this week’s SBP will take a look at some of the interesting articles and reflections on this almost indescribable set of circumstances. The view we’ll be taking will be a bit farther out- looking not at the particulars but at the “culture” that’s seems to have been on everyone’s mind lately… although, I’m not sure we’re looking deep enough.

If you’re tired of this story, I hope you’ll at least stick around for the commentary after the jump- there’s a lot to learn and think about from this, even if you’re not Nittany.

Responses to  the Freeh Report

• It doesn’t get any better than this- The OZone’s Tony Gerdeman had some pointed words for the shadenfreude that many B1G fans were experiencing-

Everything about the crimes and the cover up is horrific, so please keep that in mind while you are celebrating Penn State’s coming reckoning. When you pop the champagne tonight in jubilation, try to remember that children were raped and grown men in charge of leading young men allowed it to happen. Then try to think of any reason why a human being should ever be happy that this could happen to a child, let alone children.
…
Don’t let football blind you, because that’s what Penn State did. They willingly let themselves lose sight of of what actually happened to these children, and then somehow found a way to ignore it. Hate Penn State for what happened here all you want, but don’t forget why you feel the way you do. And it should have nothing to do with football.

• Gregg being Gregg- CBS’ Doyel made a simple request of Penn State fans/staff, just say you’re sorry. Of course, since Gregg is somewhat of a hack at times (taking easy shots and controversial positions in order to gain pageviews, IMHO), the response on twitter was pretty well aimed-

The Greggster must have gotten what he was looking for, because his next comments on the matter were… get this.. a complete change in tone that went against what others were saying. Read More

Tags: Academics, E. Gordon Gee, Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, Louis Freeh Report, Mark Emmert, NCAA Investigations, NCAA penalties, Penn State, Penn State Nittany Lions, Scandal
Categories: Analysis, College Football, NCAA Investigations

May be vacation, but feels like home

Salutations from our nation’s 48th state, where I currently find myself vacating on the same road that I live by several hours to the west. Yup, this is as close to Rich Rod as I’ll ever get… probably for the best.  Knowing that we were headed this way the wife let me plan our trip around two sacred OSU sites, although she did boycott one of my musical selections for the journey. Ah, well… at least she let me watch the 2002 game on the BTN this evening.

Buckeye 411

• Rolling In The Deep- An updated depth chart was released today, with a few interesting things of note. First, unsurprisingly, Storm Klein is no longer in the two deep, being replaced by Connor Crowell. Also of note, though, was that Jake Stoneburner, Jack Mewhort, and Jordan Hall were still listed as starters; we know that the first two have had their scholarships removed for the time being, and that Jordan will miss time due to injury recovery. Also of note- Chase Farris is still listed as a defensive end, even though news out of the WHAC has him being moved to offensive line for the fall campaign.

This “update” seems to be merely a reflection of Coach Meyer’s decisions regarding Klein’s actions, and there may not be any more to read into it. Again, Urban stated at the end of spring practice that the chart would be set- fall camp was about preparation and not position battles.

• Watching The Watchers Who Watch Watchlists- Several Buckeyes are on national award watchlists this pre-season, including Stoneburner’s place on the Mackey list for the nation’s best tight end. Others to keep an eye on include John Simon and Jonathan Hankins for the Bednarik award (Nation’s best defensive player), while Braxton is one of only a few sophomores on the Maxwell list (Nation’s outstanding player). We’ll keep a… uh… watch on these as they develop. UPDATE- Drew Basil has been listed on the list for the Groza Award for the nation’s best place-kicker.
• Sully, Making Friends And Fools- With his 20 point performance against OKC in Monday’s D-league game, Jared Sullinger has won the praise of Celtic Homer ESPN Grantland editor Bill Simmons, while making the GMs who chose to pass him by look really really stupid. On the twitters today someone posted (help me out in the comments) that Sully’s back issue and work ethic made him drop in the draft, while DHoward’s back issue and work ethic are making him a key free agent this summer.  Yeah…
• Happy Landing! While regular readers of tBBC will recognize our love/hate/water-under-the-bridge with the gang at SBN, I can’t be more excited than when I saw one of our favorite “independents” join their newest Ohio State offering. Hats off to Ian… and give him a follow on twitter as well.
• Belated- Happy Birthday to Urban Meyer, who turned “still lower cholesterol than Brady Hoke” on Tuesday.

Read More

Tags: Academics, Boston Celtics, Braxton Miller, Chase Farris, Connor Crowell, Depth Chart, Jack Mewhort, Jake Stoneburner, Jared Sullinger, Jerry Sandusky, Joe Paterno, John Simon, Jonathan Hankins, Jordan Hall, Penn State, SBP, Silver Bullet Points, Storm Klein
Categories: Analysis, College Football, Ohio State Football

A bit of a damper on the July 4th celebration, as Andy Griffith passed away on Tuesday. Since he represented a slice of America for so many folks, it only makes sense that he’d leave us this close to America’s birthday.

Not enough firepower for Urban

Buckeye 411

• Hall no!! We hope it’s not true, but a number of reports on Tuesday speculated that Jordan Hall’s foot injury might keep him sidelined until much later than the 10 weeks that were initially reported. While some discussed the possibility of a red-shirt, others pointed to Hall’s own comments about his willingness to work beyond those limitations. As a fan, though, you’ve got to want what’s the best for him over the best for the program… It’s good to be loaded at Running Back.
• iPad Pushback- The OZone’s Brandon Castel has a pretty good summary of Ohio State’s new iPads For Athletes program, including discussion of how they’ll be used in the classroom and in the locker room. He also points out that these are similar to the laptops that Buckeye Student Athletes were given in the past, particularly in that these are loaners to be checked out and back in. Hopefully this will go a ways toward mitigating some of the “privileged athletes get even more perks” critiques that the program initially received. Again, these are not the property of the recipient… in a good way.
• Sully The Celtic- Introductions all around earlier this week, with additional news that Kevin Garnett will be staying, Jason Terry might be joining, and Ray Allen is in limbo for Jared’s new team. Still gonna’ take a while to get used to the green and white uniform, though.

Read More

Tags: Academics, Auburn, Conference Expansion, ESPN, Jared Sullinger, Jordan Hall, Miami, Nike, Notre Dame, Oregon, Recruiting, Scandal
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football