In a week that was seen as a “meh” on the national scene, it was nonetheless a great Saturday for football.  Here’s today’s soundtrack, inspired by Coach Meyer’s comments following the clash with Michigan State.

Well, it may have been the weekend before October, but it certainly was another chance for folks to show off their new costumes.. some for better and some for worse. Let’s start in Lincoln.

"O" Was Otherwise Occupied

Proving yet again that they’re better geared as a soccer kit provider, Adidas decided that the game between Nebraska and Wisconsin would be a great opportunity for all the children of the world to bone up on either their periodic table or their consonants.  Huge thanks to our friend Grant at Buckeye Empire for the in-game screencap that you see on the right… it wasn’t quite that bad, but pretty close. Watching the game was pretty traumatic, to be honest… way too many flashbacks… and it shows that this week’s matchup will be another major test for both teams.  We’ll obviously have much more on the Cornhuskers this week, but if that’s what “skipping rocks” looks like, it might be a long night in Columbus.

Also in B1G play, the “Meandering Illini” were outfitted with some new duds as they welcomed Penn State to the wind tunnel that is Memorial Stadium. I’m torn on the “matte” helmet look- I really like it, until it gets scuffed. Then? It looks pretty junior varsity… and as a lineman, I can’t imagine a non-scuffed helmet. In the days leading up to this game, you just knew there’s be a lot of paint being traded on both sides; Illinois looking to rebound from their embarrassment against Louisiana Tech, and Penn State looking to rebound from… well… everything. Add the “Illinois sent assistant coaches to Happy Valley” angle, as well as two coaches looking to make a statement in their first conference openers, you’ve got to figure that these teams would look for every opportunity to put a lot of points on the other. Unfortunately for Coach Beckman, that ended up being pretty one sided 35-7 loss. Read More

Tags: 'Da U, Arkansas, aTm, Baylor, Cincinnati, Clemson, Geno Smith, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Jim Bollman, Minnesota, NC State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon Ducks, Oregon State, Penn State, Stanford, TBPU, Tennessee, Texas, TWTW, Uniforms, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Categories: College Football, Humor

The weak that was and I pulled an 0′fer and am 3 and 12 on the season! Atleast Im doing a little better in the Pick ‘em pool!!! Anyone want to replace me as the the picker for these contest games?  Here are the results of my worst weak week ever!!!

Will I ever get a weak week right?!

Safe Bet.  VTU over PITT 31 to 6; Role reversal and WRONG! PITT 35 to 17 (Some other time Fat Urkel)

Points Plus. Mizzou over Arizona St. 43 to 39; wrong on points Mizzou 24 to 20

Defensive Struggle.  Navy over Penn St. 9 to 7; WRONG AGAIN!! PSU 34 to 7

Best Match-up. USC over Stanford 34 to 28; Glad I was WRONG Stanford 21 to 14

Best B1G Game. MSU over Notre Lame 24 to 17; Sparty WRONGED me! ND 20 to 3

Ok… here’s what you’ve got for this week:

Safe Bet.  Maryland @ WVU. I’ll take WVU and the points here. Now that  the Heisman front runner Geno Smith and his streaks in shoes Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey are firing on all cylinders in that high powered offense, they’ll take care of business quickly. Edsell’s Terp’s are still learning the ropes and have little chance of competing in this game. I was wron about my safe bet last week, but not this week. WVU 47 to 13

Best Mountaineer leading the way for Heisman front runner

Points Plus. Fresno St. @ Tulsa. The Bulldogs hung 69 points last week on Colorado and the Golden Hurricanes blew through Nicholls St. for the tune of 66 points. The last time these two teams met in 2005 they combined for 55 points. I’d say the over in this match up is close to double that. Basketball on turf for sure. Fresno St. 54 to 49

Defensive Struggle. Rutgers @ Arkansas. I honestly am not too sure there is much left of John L. Smith and the Razorbacks after the Tide dismantled and blanked them last week. There isn’t  help on the way in the form of the Scarlet Knights thoughas they are undefeated on the season and atop the Big Least standings. I’m not sure any of that means anything. Going with the gut feeling here. Arkansas 16 to 10

Best Match-up. Clemson @ Florida St. In my ACC preview I pretty much said it would come down to the man that beat the man that beat the . . , and here we go. If the home team holds pat, which I don’t believe they will, then FSU will become a front runner to possibly play the winner of the SEC championship for the national title. That being said, the ACC has a habit of beating up on each other in these types of games and ruining each others seasons. Its a tough place to play for sure but I still like Clemson to play for it in the end. Clemson 21 to 17

Sammy Watkins and the gang win on the road

Best B1G Game. TTUN @ Notre Lame. It’s killing me that I have had to use these guys three weeks in a row and it’s even worse now that I have to chose between them and TTUN. Now that Notre Lame is finally leaving the B1G . . , oh wait . . , the Big Least . . , no . . , whatever, they’re headed to the ACC and good riddens! Two things I will never do, pick a TTUN team to win anything, nor will I ever root for them. Notre Lame 24 to 23

Good luck with this week’s picks and Go Bucks!

Tags: Arkansas, Clemson, Florida State, Fresno St., Gambling? Us?, Geno Smith, Heisman Front Runners, Maryland, Notre Lame, Picks for the Weak, Rutgers, Sammy Watkins, Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, TTUN, Tulsa, WVU
Categories: Analysis, College Football

Lurking, Waiting to be stepped on

Midweek review of all things Buckeye and from across college sports, including thoughts on the newest in controversial rule changes.

Buckeye 411

• Injury Update- According to coach Meyer, Jordan Hall is still not expected to be ready to participate this weekend, but was up and running on the treadmill earlier.  Also a probably scratch- Sophomore Michael Bennett, who re-injured his groin in pregame of Saturday’s contest: the depth chart lists he and Nathan Williams behind J.T. Moore at end, although the depth that OSU has in the defensive front makes this less than troubling.
• Dark Knights? In his comments thus far, Coach Meyer was candid about his respect for Central Florida, calling them a team with a B1G type defense. He commented that they’ll be looking to establish the run significantly more than Miami did (Duh), particularly with a mobile quarterback. Central Florida announced today that their starting running back would miss the game in Columbus, but will most likely be replaced by a stellar transfer from ‘Da U and former Georgia prep star.
• Bitter much? Interesting moment from today’s B1G media conference was a phone call from the Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi, who called in to ask if Meyer thought that Gator fans would be pulling for the Knights out of anger that Meyer left the University of Florida.  Meyer’s response, which you can listen to here, was essentially that Bianchi’s “facts are, not surprisingly, incorrect.”.  Given that Bianchi has been playing the part of scorned lover for the past six months, his actions are not really all that surprising.  Oh, how times have changed.
• Coach ‘em up-  Ohio State “added” a new member of the coaching staff this past week, as Kenny Guiton has been given the nickname “coach” by Ohio State’s head man.  You’ve got to wonder what he could do with a whistle around his neck, given the circumstances.
• Luddites beware- We’ve talked before about the new Ohio State iPad program for all of its athletes: Yahoo! has a great article regarding the impact this is having for student athletes.  Nice to have a Yahoo! story that doesn’t involve Charles Robinson for a change, amIrite? Oh, and John Simon is still breaking down film the way he always has- he stares at the footage until it relinquishes the information he requires. Read More

Tags: Auburn, Central Florida, Clemson, Helmets, Jordan Hall, Kenny G, Kenny Guiton, Michale Bennett, Nathan Williams, North Carolina, Our Honor Defend, SBP, Southern Cal, TBDBITL, UCF, Uniforms
Categories: College Football, Humor, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Football

As we get closer and closer to kickoff, we’ll be looking across the nation at other (read “inferior”) conferences. This way, you’ll have just enough information to argue with that guy in accounting. Today we take a look at the Atlantic Coast Conference- nope, FSU and Clemson haven’t left yet.

Where does the conference fall in the national rankings. How likely are they to have a team in the Title game?

It’s not that the ACC hasn’t been able to compete on a national stage over the years or the fact that they don’t get ranked teams. They haven’t been able to finish at the end of the season. The only BCS National Champion they’ve produced is Florida State in 2000 as they beat a then Big East Virginia Tech. As a conference, the ACC is 2-13 overall in BCS bowls they have participated in and 1-2 in the Title game. They double dipped in the BCS last year and everyone knows how both of those turned out.

Who’s the best team in the conference? Who will play for in the conference title game (if there is one)?

Clemson has the best talent in the conference with several players returning on the defense that didn’t show up for their bowl game against WVU last season-  They are a team on a mission and the offensive firepower to do it. The conference race will take care of itself more or less as FSU plays at VTU late in the season, Clemson will play at FSU, and VTU has to go to Death Valley. It could boil down to the home team winning out and there not being a clear-cut champion and either Clemson or FSU will play VTU in the ACC Championship game.

I am of the belief that Clemson will hold pat on the road at FSU and finish the season undefeated and take on the Hokies. This isn’t a surprise as Virginia Tech has played in five of the seven conference title games winning three of them and losing last years’ to Clemson.

Who are the worst teams in the conference? Read More

Tags: ACC, Boston College, Clemson, David Amerson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Million Dollar Baby, NC State, North Carolina, Randy Edsall, Sammy Watkins, UCONN and Rutgers move to ACC?, University of Miami, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forrest
Categories: Analysis, College Football

A couple of quick news stories from the OSU Athletic Department today we wanted to bring to your attention. Think of it as “Silver BBs”.

First, APR Scores are out, and OSU football is number three in the country, behind only Northwestern and Duke/SISU.  The 988 score is better than Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, and Vandy.

As for “The Harvard Of The West”- tied for next to last in the B1G (thank you, Minnesota!) with their “little brother” in East Lansing.

Second, there’s a possibility that the 2013 Spring Game might be played in Cincinnati. From the press release:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State Department of Athletics officials and those from the Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County are in discussions regarding the 2013 Ohio State LiFE Sports Spring Game, presented by Nationwide, being played at 65,535-seat Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Ohio Stadium will be under renovation next year, prompting the move to another location.

“We are very appreciative to be in discussions with the Cincinnati Bengals,” Director of Athletics Gene Smith said. “We look forward to continuing our discussions and look forward to an opportunity to bring the Buckeyes into Cincinnati and closer to our Southern Ohio fans.”

The work on Ohio Stadium includes stripping and replacing 1922-era coating and concrete off portions of A and C decks. These are areas that were not restored as part of the Ohio Stadium upgrades project between 1998-2001. Sand and water blasting will commence this December with the resurfacing portion of the project scheduled for the warmer spring and summer months next year.

While this is certainly a move due to the logistics of renovation, it should be remembered that the 2oo1 Spring Game stayed in Columbus, and was in Crew Stadium. This possible relocation to Cincinnati may be the start of a larger outreach to that area; I wouldn’t be surprised if future Spring Games would also include Cleveland as a locale, to connect deeper with the state’s fan and recruiting bases.

Rumors- Things to be watching for in the coming days… Huge camp weekend in Columbus; we’ll keep you up to date on that as the events warrant. Also, there’s some buzz regarding B12 Expansion news being released this weekend, including Florida State and Clemson heading to the conference in all sports, with Notre Dame (!) joining for their Olympic events (similar to the agreement they had previously with the Big lEast).

Stay Tuned!

Tags: Academics, APR, Big Twelve, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida State, Paul Brown Stadium, The Horseshoe
Categories: Conference Expansion, Michigan Football, Ohio State Football, Recruiting

Just a friendly warning that there are only four more days to borrow money from your pops so you can buy him a gift. If you’re looking for ideas, check our friends at The Buckeye Room… And now, the news.

Buckeye 411

• 

  For The Guy Who Has Everything

  We Hardly New Ye- Well, it wasn’t news to us, as we’d heard for a while that Brian Bobek was looking to transfer, but earlier this week the University made it official. Potential landing spots could be the University of West By God Virginia, and a B1G program yet to be named. Brian’s got family across the conference, so we wish him luck in all of his games except one. A bit of a sad note, since he was supposed to be “next up” after Brewster graduated; however he was jumped on the depth chart in the spring, including being passed up by the latest in the Boren Legacy (just an incoming freshman). Again, godspeed!

• Now That’s What I Call Trolling- News early Tuesday was that Urban Meyer and the staff were going  to… Michigan? Seems that the staff at TTUN was being a bit slow in responding to requests to be a part of a clinic in the Southfield area, an event that has had the tenor of a UM/MSU pep rally in the past. When the staff of the event reached out to Coach Meyer, he jumped at the opportunity and will bringing the entire coaching staff with him to work with the campers on drills and build relationships with the folks in Hoke’s backyard.  Great move, if you ask me… although I’m certain that he’ll refrain from purchasing any gas in that god-forsaken state.
• Check Out The Big Brain On Brad!  Coach Smith took to the twitters on Tuesday and gave love to the receivers who had excelled in the classroom… and we found out that, for Spring Quarter, Philly Brown managed to achieve a 3.9.  Heck, that’s practically Krenzel-esque.
• Congrats!- First and foremost to our own Joe Dexter (and apologies to his bride) who tied the knot on Tuesday.  Second, Buckeye Mark Titus was betrothed over the past weekend as well… Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at the reception, which was sure to be a “who’s who” of OSU hoops.
• And Condolences- Go out to Jake Ballard, who saw his breakout season with the world champion New York Giants end with an injury and a release from the team this week. Obviously, his recovery is not going as quickly as the team wanted… He landed on his feet, though, and was picked up by the Patriots on Tuesday. It’s uncertain what this means, as they’ve extended Gronk’s contract long term and have Aaron Hernandez as well… but it’s good to have another person in Foxboro to ensure that this continues to happen. Oh, and since we’re talking about the G-Men… imagine lining up on the opposite side of the line from this.
• Try And Beat This! Tuesday night, our friends at OSU Rugby were able to surpass 2000 followers on Twitter, and will “occupy” the Michigan Rugby Twitter page for one week.  Be sure to give them a follow, if you’re of the tweeting kind.
• Luke, I Am Your Father… Where’s My Card?- Well, it’s with great fanfare that we welcome the Buckeye Empire into the BBN- be sure to check out their daily take on Ohio State sports and coverage with a bit of a sideways twist.  I’m excited for this new project, but hope the guys don’t go and get a big head.

Read More

Tags: Alabama, Big 12, Big East, Brady Hoke, Brian Bobek, Buckeye Bloggers Network, Clemson, Dabo Swinney, Florida State, Jake Ballard, Jerry Sandusky, Mark Emmert, Mark Titus, Mike Leach, Missouri Tigers, North Carolina, Penn State, Philly Brown, Playoffs, Rugby, TCU, Tennessee, Urban Meyer, Zach Smith
Categories: Conference Expansion, Humor, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football, Recruiting

SBP gets the ol’ bumperino this week to accommodate life. It happens, right?

Ooooh! Shiny!

Buckeye 411

• Well, Frick- The Lantern tonight released a story regarding 11-12 pending violations being processed by the NCAA. After the “46 violations and various raffle rigging” story from last week, you’ve got to think that the folks in Columbus are just about tired of this type of coverage… I know that Buckeye Nation certainly is. The story doesn’t clarify which sports might be impacted or what the specifics of the situations are, so it could be that the NCAA decides that these are not “violations” after all, or we could find out that we’ve got a bunch of scofflaws on the OSU fencing team. Either way, we’ll find out as soon as it hits the front page of ESPN.
• This Week In Comedy- In the article linked above, we’re reminded of the following regarding current AD Gene Smith:

Smith said multiple offenses by individual teams is a concern of his, especially if the violations committed are in relation to recruiting.

Smith was cited for breaking NCAA recruiting policy despite his distaste for recruiting infractions in particular.

• Speaking Of Gene- Earlier Wednesday, the Lantern also had another interview with the current AD, where he referred to Ohio State as being in the midst of the “Glory Years”.  Not sure whether or not that “l” was a typo, though. The article concludes with this quote-

“I intend to retire here as a Buckeye. You can never say never that you won’t do something else, but as far as athletic director or athletic administration, this is my last stop.”

I’m sure there are alumni and fans who have an opinion regarding that timeline.

• That’s A Steele- Phil Steel’s Preseason All-B1G was released today. Some things made sense (Hankes, Simon on the first team), while others were just mind boggling. Braxton behind Captain Jump-ball? Roby on the 4th team? Just wow.
  
• On The Road Again- The B1G released the conference schedules for 2015-16 on Tuesday, and UnScripted Ohio hosted a really good round table with BBN folks to get their take.  My initial thought- No Nebraska on the schedule outside of the CCG? My marriage thanks the scheduling gods…
• Scoring in Bunches- Shout out to the Baseball Bucks, who continued along in B1G play by scoring 11 runs in the 8th and 9th innings on their way to a 12- 5 come from behind victory over #3 seed Penn State.  Next up? Purdue.
• Yes, I Love Technology- Pretty cool news today regarding Ohio State’s partnering with University Digital First to provide student athletes with iPads for scheduling, coursework (avoiding potentially embarrasing situations and saving trees!), and playbooks.  Several schools in the conference have also done this, including That School Up North (didn’t know that iPads had modem adapters) and Wisconsin, which even has them in team colors.
• Shooty Hoops For Money- In the NBA playoffs, you’ve got to enjoy watching Evan Turner’s consistency and rebounding against the Celtics, and give kudos to Daequan Cook still alive with OKC in the Western Conference Finals. Oh, that’s right- Ohio State is a football school… silly me. Read More

Tags: Academics, Baseball, Clemson, Daequan Cook, Evan Turner, Football Schedules, FSU, Gene Smith, George Dorhmann, Georgia Tech, Joe Paterno, Longsnapper love, Notre Dame, Olympics, Penn State, Phil Steele, Playoffs, Purdue, SPB, Uniforms, West Virginia
Categories: College Football, Conference Expansion, Humor, Michigan Football, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Baseball, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Money!! Err...I mean...Yeah, Big 12!! Oh, and I'm still a little offended.

Once the B1G had added Nebraska as their twelth member in the Summer of 2010, the conference expansion discussion found itself quietly simmering in the other room – out of sight, but not entirely out of mind. Every once in a while, not surprisingly, someone has to get up and stir the pot a little.

We’ve watched the Big East scramble to find partners, seeing their own demise written on the wall with the loss of Syracuse and Pitt to the ACC. We’ve seen the SEC poach Missouri and Texas A&M off the Big 12. And we’ve seen the Big 12 pick up WVU and TCU to boost their flagging numbers.

In the last two weeks that simmering pot just had to go and boil over onto the floor and force us to really pay attention to it again. This time though, the B1G fans and bloggers get to sit back and watch someone else clean up the mess.

Word passed down this weekend, reportedly from very high up sources at FSU, that the Seminoles will indeed be leaving the ACC for the Big 12. With this move Clemson will very likely follow right along behind, as has been speculated for the last week or so.

This is a major shift in the nature of conference powers. A conference that many of us wrote off as dead a little over a year ago, having lost 33% of their composition to the SEC, B1G, and Pac-12, is now potentially a surging power in College Football again. With the inclusion of WVU and TCU the Big 12 will again be at 12 member institutions.

And there’s always the chance this could grow into something bigger.

Read More

Tags: B1G, Big 12, Clemson, Conference Expansion, Florida State, PAC-12, SEC, Seminoles, Tigers
Categories: Analysis, College Football, Conference Expansion