Buckeye Blogger NetworkWe’re excited to welcome Janelle to tBBC family- she’ll serve as our ‘on campus’ correspondent, and starts her official tenure off with some pre-season news.
For those of you who don’t know, I recently transferred to OSU and have been taking advantage of all the free events there are here for students- including last night’s Buckeye Kickoff, a student-only event put together by the Department of Athletics and Block “O” our official student section. It was great to be back in the ‘Shoe again, and now, I really need Saturday to get here so we can see some football.
The event began with a tailgate outside the ‘Shoe by Buckeye Grove. Each of Block “O”‘s affiliates (i.e. The NutHouse, The Knucklebucks, etc.) had a table at the event, and a few thousand students gathered to see just how they can get involved in the organization and the sports it supports (or maybe it was the free food that drew them in…put an event together for college students, say you’ll have free food, and you are sure to get a crowd).
Corn?
*Side note* The free food last night was interesting to say the least. It was the debut of the “Ohio” dog (pictured), which had onions, BBQ sauce, mashed potatoes, shredded cheddar, bacon, and corn on it. Honestly, when I eat a hot dog, I don’t want all sorts of crazy toppings on it, but that’s just me. I would have much rather preferred the free Cane’s chicken that was at last year’s event…and I’m actually quite annoyed it wasn’t an option (Cane’s is one of my favorites).
After the tailgate, we proceeded to go into the ‘Shoe to take our seats. The program began with a few games involving students on the field, and then, Coach Fickell and our five football captains took a few minutes to speak to us. Each captain told us what his favorite new tradition is this year and while I don’t remember all five, the following two stuck out to me. John Simon told us that his favorite tradition is the Champions’ Dinner, where after so much time, the players who have gone to every workout and achieved every goal they set for themselves get to go and have a dinner with steak, lobster, and all sorts of wonderful food while the others have to go eat hot dogs and hamburgers. Etienne Sabino got up to tell us about the concept and new tradition of “JUICE.” Now, for those of you who will be in the ‘Shoe this season for games, whenever the players make a hand motion like they’re turning the volume dial up on a stereo, get loud….in other words….”TURN UP!” Read More
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
| Since you’ll certainly be out doing awesome things for Dad this weekend, here’s a quick update of the happenings around Ohio State Athletics for Saturday and Sunday. Look at it this way; you can use this information for Father’s Day dinner conversation, when the monosyllabic grunts turn to awkward silence (or is that just in my family?). |
Stoneburner, Mewhort plead guilty, suspension continues. Per the OSU athletic department and Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Doug Lesmerisis, Jake and Jack both plead guilty to lesser charges (disorderly conduct rather than “obstructing official business”), which resulted in a fine of $299 and court costs.
Their sanctions don’t end there, though, as the University has announced that they will be removed from their athletic scholarships effective immediately, including their ability to train with their teammates this summer. In a statement released tonight, Coach Meyer said,
“We are disappointed with the decisions made recently by two of our football players. Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort will each be removed from athletic scholarship beginning with the summer term, and they will continue to be suspended from team activities until stipulations are successfully met. They will have an opportunity to return to the team in good standing following the summer session.”
While I have no doubt that they’ll be back in good standing at the end of the summer, I love the fact that this statement indicates that they need to earn their way back onto the team… that it’s a privilege, and not a given, even though both are anticipated starters for the fall campaign.
While you can argue that this response is pretty significant given the apparent pettiness of the offense, I think that this will go a long way toward setting the tone that Coach Meyer is looking for in Columbus. Given the ridiculous questions that some have asked about his ability to maintain discipline, this certainly is indicative of the expectations that wearing the scarlet and gray brings. Read More
All The Better To Hear You With
Buckeye 411
Today, Ohio States’ full coaching staff was available for interviews, including the newest members of Coach Meyer’s staff, Ed Warinner and Tim Hinton. These last two, most recently at Notre Dame, have been working with Buckeye recruiting over the past several days, but were only officially introduced and named today- they will also be a part of Coach Meyer’s introduction opportunity at halftime of the Hoosier Basketball game this Saturday.
Coach Hinton is a former Ohio State coach who’s career includes the following (from the press release):
Coach Hinton
Hinton’s 30 seasons of coaching experience includes 16 seasons in the collegiate ranks with positions at Ohio State, Wilmington, Ohio, Cincinnati and Notre Dame, and 14 years as a head coach at three Ohio high schools: Zane Trace (1987-88); Van Wert (1989) and Harding (1993-2003).
“I have always felt it would be an honor to have an opportunity to coach for and to represent Ohio State,” Hinton said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to work with great people and great coaches at such a wonderful place.”
Coach Hinton will be working with the Tight Ends and Fullbacks- I’m sure Boren and Stoneburner are more than excited.
Coach Warinner doesn’t have previous Ohio connections, instead:
Coach Warinner
Warinner, who is 50, has coached at seven different schools: Akron, Michigan State, Army, Air Force, Kansas, Illinois and Notre Dame. In addition to his nine years in coordinator positions, he has spent 15 of the past 20 seasons coaching the offensive line. He has coached on teams that have won four national rushing titles, and earlier this season Rivals.com named Warinner one of the Top 20 “hottest assistant coaches” in the nation.
“I’ve always strived to coach in positions where I have a lot of responsibility,” Warinner said. “Serving as a coordinator goes beyond just coaching what my guys are doing. It is a thought process of attacking and moving the ball, and strategies and reading plays. There is a big picture as a coordinator that I am into and really enjoy, and it’s a position from where I think I can make a significant contribution to the success of a team.”
Coach Warinner will serve as co-offensive coordinator and work with the offensive line. Read More
