A bit of a different version of WDYWTSOS, since we all want to see the same thing- Awesomeness and no injuries.

So, we’ve polled our staff of experts for their predictions on the following aspects for “Getting Down At Paul Brown”- let’s see how much everyone’s been paying attention to the Spring Practice Updates:

Bombs Away

What player scores the first points of the game?

WVa: Braxton Miller will score first and it will be on a long run. 

Ken: Devin Smith on a long pass play from The Brax

Jason: Rod Smith. My bet is they limit Hyde and with Brax wearing the black shirt his running is cut out.

Janelle: Devin Smith on a deep ball from Braxton

Eric: Might as well ask what your favorite color of M&M is based on the taste.  I’ll go with Michael Thomas on a nice Brax pass.

Dexter: I’m going to go with Evan Spencer on a Bomb downfield from Braxton Miller. That is my favorite color M&M.

Charles: To be a bit different, I’ll go with Drew Basil

Mali: The obvious answer is Drew Basil.

Who’s the offensive MVP? Read More

Tags: Braxton Miller, Brionte Dunn, Cardale Jones, Carlos Hyde, Christian Bryant, Cincinnati, Curtis Grant, Dave Perkins, Doran Grant, Drew Basil, Evan Spencer, Michael Bennett, Michael Thomas, Noah Spence, OSU 2013 Spring Game, Paul Brown Stadium, Rod Smigh, Ryan Shazier, spring football, Tyvis Powell, Warren Ball, WDYWTSOS
Categories: Ohio State Football

After a weekend filled with excitement and disappointment, it’s a bit of a quiet mood at tBBC headquarters. We like baseball, and know that OSU sports are amazing even if not the “got to be on television” variety, but I’d be lying if I didn’t confess that there’s a bit of a let down these days.  Ah well… only two songs possible for today’s soundtrack. Onward.

Buckeye 411

• Injury Update- As you may have read, Ohio State offensive lineman Antonio Underwood will miss up to 6 months with a torn ACL that he experienced in Spring Practice this week.  There’s significant speculation that he’s going to red-shirt.
• Fired Up- The other “injury” news from Tuesday was Braxton getting blasted as a part of a scrimmage drill, in spite of the fact that he was wearing a black “no contact” jersey. He spent some time on the turf, but then got up and returned to drills later in the practice. There are reports that he tried to lower his shoulder on a run following his return, and that he approached the defense very heated about being knocked to the ground. After practice, Urban talked about the need to have a competitive spirit and to be the kind of quarter back that “want to go get in a street fight and get after it”.
• The Stable- Carlos Hyde sat most of the “team” portion of Tuesday’s scrimmage to get the Young Bucks more opportunities. Rod Smith and Brionte Dunn continue to impress, but Warren Ball seems to have not missed a beat by missing last season with a foot injury, and was a highlight for the second straight week.
• Make Them Pay- Linebacker Armani Reeves took an interception 71 yards in the team portion of practice, but was leveled at the end of his run by Chase Farris.
• Diamonds In The Rough- The Buckeyes showed a bit of the “diamond” formation that the 49ers have made popular since last season (and that Nebraska gashed OSU with in Lincoln two years ago). Today, Hyde was joined by Smith and Dunn in the backfield in a “broken wishbone” look. Woody would be so proud.
• Wither The Slot- Jordan Hall is still recovering this spring, so the “slot” position has fallen to Chris Fields.
• Jonesing- Saturday, Cardale Jones had one of his best practices; enough to make Coach Meyer say that he was confident that Cardale could play Quarterback at Ohio State.  While his accuracy continues to be an adventure, those who saw him in practice said that his running reminded them of a current Raiders QB (No, not Matt Flynn).
• Manning Up- Coach Meyer had good things to say about Patrick Elflein, who saw time at several positions on the offensive line.
• Sparing No XSpence- Noah continues to be the defensive lineman that stands out… man, we need to come up with a nickname for him.
• ‘Preciate It- As you can tell by today’s graphic, something special is in the air for Ohio State Students this week. Here- let Urban tell you about it: Read More

Tags: 'Da U, Antonio Underwood, Armani Reeves, Braxton Miller, Brionte Dunn, Cardale Jones, Chase Farris, Chris Fields, Deshaun Thomas, Ed O'Bannon, Mark Emmert, Noah Spence, Officially Awful, Patrick Elflein, Rod Smith, Rutgers, SBP, Spring Practice, Urban Meyer, Warren Ball
Categories: Humor, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Well, howdy-do, Buckeye nation! Thanks for paying attention to my little neck of the sunshine state… hope it works out as well as last time Ohio State had a team out here.  You know what? Since we’ve already got a visit scheduled to the Bay Area for September, what say we just go for the trifecta and come on back out this way in January. Multiple options for today’s soundtrack- Vintage, Old School, Hippie, Country, Top 40, Hip Hop, Rock. Oh, and I’ve got a great recommendation for a place to stay.

Silver Bullet, Knotts Berry Farm

Buckeye 411

• Big Plays- In today’s scrimmage, both Heuerman and Fields had long receptions for scores, coming on the first play and a fourth down play action (respectively).
• You Rock- Also, we found out today that former DeSales star and one time Michigan defensive end Chris Rock has returned home to Columbus to be a walk-0n third year sophomore at Ohio State. Given the last “walk on” from TTUN, there’s reason to be optimistic regarding his career as a Buckeye. If nothing else, he certainly helped my parenting skills.
• Backup Plans- It seems that Tuesday’s practice was a chance for the staff to look a bit closer at some of the folks who might be called into service if there’s an injury. Kenny G sat out while Cardale took snaps with the second team, and Carlos Hyde gave way to the “young Bucks” in the backfield. Which brings us to…
• A Good Problem To Have- Great reports from the Running Backs thus far; Rod Smith had an amazing practice Tuesday, while Brionte Dunn was singled out by some as a highlight  in last week’s practices. Not to be left out, Warren Ball’s shiftiness and ability to get extra yards seemed to be a constant part of Tuesday’s work. Oh, and there were even passes to a fullback during Tuesday’s drills.  Running Back by Committee ain’t to shabby when all of the Committee are stellar.
• Rising To The Challenge- Coach Withers talked at the end of practice about his wanting to see more from Corey “Pittsburgh” Brown, telling him that he wasn’t playing well enough to keep from being jumped on the depth chart by some of the incoming team.  On Tuesday, Brown seemed to be playing with that edge, making key plays in coverage as well as a crucial stop in the goal-line period.
• Up Front- Coach Meyer talked about how positively he feels about the current offensive line; they’re picking up where they left off, and should be among the best in the conference. Defensively, Michael Bennett has taken a more vocal leadership role for the D, including a firey moment when the Offense managed to score. Bennett, according to Coach Meyer, has graded out as 5/6 “wins” for each practice.
• New Crush Candidate- Since John Simon has chosen to leave me, I’m just going to get on #TeamSpence for the near future. From what we hear in practice, he’s going to be the next in great Ohio State rush ends. Read More

Tags: 2013 March Madness, 2013 West Region, Aaron Craft, Brionte Dunn, Cardale Jones, Chris Fields, Chris Rock, Corey "Pittsburgh" Brown, Everett Withers, Indiana Basketball, Jalin Marshall, Jeff Heuerman, Jim Heacock, Jordan Hall, Logan Stieber, Maryland, Michael Bennett, Nick Saban, Noah Spence, Officiating, Rod Smith, Sammy Silverman, SBP, Spring Practice, Syracuse, Tyvis Powell, Urban Meyer, Warren Ball
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Technically, in Beech Grove Indiana...

Welcome to Hoosier Week… accompanied by a soundtrack from Bloomington’s greatest artist (no, not JCM- although I would have accepted Hoagy).

Buckeye 411

• New Hotness- If you’re on the interwebs much today, you need to take some time and check out these two great Ohio State websites: CoachUrbanMeyer.com is a pretty user friendly insight into the program, while InsideOhioStateFootball.com is a 360 view of the locations that make up Buckeye football… you’ve got to think that recruits and families will appreciate the ability to “visit” campus before they actually get to the 614.
  
• Walking Wounded- We heard Monday that Etienne Sabino would be out for at least three games, having broken his fibula against Nebraska; he’s already had a plate surgically inserted into his leg, and Josh Perry will take his spot in the lineup.  We’re also aware that Jordan Hall will more than likely not be a part of the gameplan on Saturday as he heals from the knee issue suffered against Michigan State.  Otherwise, it sounds as if everyone’s good to go.
• Urb’s Verbs- (Ok, we’re still looking for a catchy title for Coach Meyer’s presser information… we’ll keep looking) In the B1G Presser this week, Coach Meyer talked about his respect for Coach Wilson at Indiana, and how they’d connected early in their careers as “spread to run” gurus.  He also stated the obvious, that Braxton and Harvin are the two most electric athletes he’s ever worked with. He also addressed the “AP National Championships” thing that started bubbling after Saturday’s win, and said that his hope is that his players don’t get caught up in the hype and people telling them how good they are.  Luckily, Michigan State being on the ropes to Indiana was enough to get the teams’ attention.

SammySilv At It Again

• Everyone Gets A Trophy! Nope, not talking about youth league soccer, just the reality of life in the WHAC these days, as each week brings more and more accolades to the Ohio State team.  For the Nebraska Game, Braxton was named the Davey O’Brien Quarterback of the Week, Carlos Hyde was the B1G Co-Offensive player of the week, and Corey Brown was the B1G Special Teams player of the week. John Simon really cleaned up this week, though- following a great showing on The Journey, Simon’s play against the Huskers resulted in being named the Lott Impact Player of the Week, the College Football Performance Award national defensive player of the week, and the Chuck Bednarik Award’s national player of the week. Read More

Tags: 2012 Season, Bradley Roby, Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones, Carlos Hyde, Corey Brown, Derek Dooley, Etienne Sabino, Hawaii, Higher Education, Indiana University, Jerry Sandusky, John Simon, Jordan Hall, Josh Perry, Kevin Wilson, Mark Emmert, SBP, South Carolina, Urban Meyer, West Virginia
Categories: College Football, Humor, Ohio State Football

Much More Successful Than This

As we get closer to Kickoff Week, here’s some quick notes from Ohio State and beyond. Don’t forget to sign up for this year’s “Pick-em” contest!

Buckeye 411

• Injury Report- It’s no surprise to anyone who’s played or followed college football that this time of year is when people start getting dinged up. The body, no matter how well tuned, is not built for two a days and the amount of stress that those can bring- especially with the philosophy of “Make practice so hard that the games are easy”. As such, the Buckeye Walking Wounded are a significant number, but there are no serious injuries. John Simon missed today’s practice, but only as precautionary measures.  Kyle Dodson, Ryan Shazier, and Michael Bennett were all limited today as well, while Zach Domicone continues to heal from his knee scope.
• That Being Said- Jordan Hall was running today, and said the boot comes off tomorrow. Jacoby Boren is back at practice, and is the second string center at this point.
• Snappy- As a former longsnapper, we loves us some Bryce Haynes here at tBBC. So, reports that his already fast delivery has improved the punt timing by around .2 of a second was yet another reason to consume a celebratory cupcake here in the office. To be fair, though… not much of an excuse was needed.
• Weighty Matters- Adolphus Washington has moved inside to tackle, and is having a great camp- Hankins talks about how his presence will definitely improve the pass rush this season.
• Star Light? The team is still trying to find who will fill the “Star” role in nickle defense- Christian Bryant may move down, although Corey Brown is also getting a look.
• Stripes Stripped- Walkon linebacker Joe Burger lost his today, as did QB Cardale Jones.
• Candles- Happy Belated Birthday to Archie Griffin. Read More

Tags: Adolphus Washington, Appalachian State, Bryce Haynes, Cardale Jones, Cleveland Browns, Fall Practice, Iowa, Jacoby Boren, Joe Burger, John Simon, Jordan Hall, Kyle Dodson, Michael Bennett, Ryan Shazier, Southern Cal, Zach Domicone
Categories: College Football, Michigan Football, Ohio State Football

Our friend Josh Winslow has a great set of photos from yesterday’s media day at the WHAC. Unlike past years, the players were only in their jerseys; our belief is that the University is trying to minimize any issues that may have emerged in the past regarding access to players and selling  memorabilia/photos.

At any rate- here are some of the “best” photos that Josh came up with… and your chance to do a bit of captioning for this year’s team.  Let us know what you’d add in our comments section!

#1

#2

Read More

Tags: 2012 Season, Cardale Jones, Corey Brown, David Perkins, Fall Camp, John Simon, Noah Spence, Se'Von Pittman, Urban Meyer
Categories: Humor, Miscellaneous, Ohio State Football

Marion. But of course.

It’s Groundhog Day; February 2, 2012. While it might be tempting to channel our inner Ned Ryerson, reliving the epic signing day yesterday over and over and over again wouldn’t be all that productive (unless you’re Bret Bielema’s therapist). Nope, it’s time to embrace the other side of the festive event and recognize that yesterday was a sign that the seasons were changing. The long, dismal, self inflicted winter of Buckeye Nation’s discontent is moving on, and the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t an oncoming train.

No, Urban Meyer didn’t look for his shadow as he emerged from the Ohio State War Room on Monday, but you can bet that his presence has cast a shadow across the hearts of B1G fans as certainly as it brought sunlight to Columbus and beyond. A new day was here- a day where most of the B1G took yet another step strengthening their position against signing day abuses; a day where the most egregious oversigners had to change their habits and make decisions on NLOID; heck, a day where James Patrick Tressel may have even found a home.

But for Buckeye fans, little of that mattered. Most of them celebrated by quoting the great Mark Twain in reflection of their favorite squadron- “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” As we all know, though, they don’t hand out crystal footballs on signing day so the work continues for the OSU staff and student athletes.  And for those of us who follow and report and reflect on their decisions, there are always questions to be answered.

Who are you most excited to see in the Scarlet and Gray?

Eric- Hands down, I’m the most excited to see what Brionte Dunn can bring to the fold.  Reportedly, Dunn is a bruising power back that will harken back to the days of yore for the Buckeyes. 

Many people have made a big deal about how Dunn won’t fit into Urban Meyer’s system.  That statement couldn’t be further from the truth.  Recall that Tim Tebow was often used in lieu of a power back, being used to plow ahead for yardage.  Florida is not a state known for it’s big bruisers, being better known for it’s speedsters of course, and Urban Meyer was simply not able to get the kinds of running backs he prefers – the big kinds.

Meyer will easily integrate Dunn into the offense, and it should be fun to watch unfold.  As a bonus, Bill Greene commented during his Q&A liveblog yesterday that he believed Dunn would be the starting running back for the Buckeyes next season.  Just as an FYI. Read More

Tags: 2012 recruiting, B1G Conference, BBN, Brionte Dunn, Buckeye House Call, Cardale Jones, Davonte Neal, Jim Tressel, Josh Perry, Men Of the Scarlet and Gray, NLOID, Our Honor Defend, Stefon Diggs, The Buckeye Blog, The Silver Bullet, Urban Meyer
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Football, Recruiting

After a long hiatus, it’s time to jump back in with some recruiting talk.

Adverse circumstances surrounding the program have obviously impacted recruiting for months, but the 2012 class still has an opportunity to be pretty darn good.

The key will be finishing strong, and the Buckeyes look to be in a great position to do just that.

The biggest concern, as it has been for months, continues to be along the offensive line. Regardless of how the ’12 class finishes, the depth issues there may not be resolved until the ink is dry on the ’13 class.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, here is a look at how the 2012 class will wind down. Read More

Tags: Adolphus Washington, Alex Kozan, Bam Bradley, Blake Thomas, Brionte Dunn, Cardale Jones, De'Van Bogard, Deaysean Rippy, Demetrious Cox, Dwayne Stanford, Frank Epitropoulos, Gary Simon, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Jacoby Boren, Joe Burger, Jordan Diamond, Jordan Diggs, Josh Perry, Kevin Mills, Kwon Alexander, Malik Zaire, Mason Monheim, Michael Thomas, Najee Murray, Nick Davidson, Patrick Elflein, Tyvis Powell, Warren Ball
Categories: Ohio State Football, Recruiting