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

Your weekly update from the Ohio State press conference as well as notes from around the world of college sports- this week, we take a pointed look at the NCAA after the jump.

Usually we reserve soundtracks for TWTW, but someone emailed me a song today that I thought I’d share. They described it as “a warning to South Beach re: Mr. John Simon“… enjoy.

Buckeye News

• Injury Updates- At the presser today, Coach Fickell mentioned that one of the reasons Braxton didn’t play on Saturday was that his prep was impacted somewhat by being dinged up last week. Today, though, several Buckeyes reported that Brax seemed healthy and ready to go.  They also reported that Nathan Williams practiced healthy, so it would be difficult to imagine him missing out on Saturday.  Jamaal Berry is back on the kick off return team, which must mean that his hammy is better.  At this point, though, there’s no word on how “Philly” is after leaving the game with a leg injury- although Coach Fickell said that he “didn’t look good”.
• Captain, My Captain- Only two captains this week; Florida native Mike Brewster and sixth hear senior Tyler Moeller will serve as game day leaders.
• Read More

Tags: 'Da U, Akron, Boise State, Braxton Miller, Brian Kelly, Conference Expansion, Corey Linsley, Drew Basil, Economics, Evan Blankenship, Florida State, Luke Fickell, Miami Hurricanes, Mike Brewster, NCAA, Nike, Notre Ame, Oklahoma, SBP, Seantrel Henderson, Southern Idaho State, TBPU, Texas, Tyler Moeller
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Football