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

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

Welcome to the calm before the storm… unless you’re an NIT junkie, then your Madness has already started.  In honor of Coach Calipari’s fantastic coaching job on Tuesday night, today’s soundtrack channels the thoughts of Wildcat fans as they get to watch the rest of the tournament. Hey… you think they’ll have time to join our Bracket Challenge?

It’s What We Do

Buckeye 411

• We Talkin’ About Practice? Tuesday was a return to the WHAC for the Buckeyes after Spring Break, and it sounds as if it was a bit of a “rusty day” for the Scarlet and Gray. No need to panic, though- this is typical for teams the first time they put the pads on in the spring or in the fall.
• Injury Update- Barrett, Shazier, Wood, and Bogard were in “orange” jerseys today, although JT was taking mental reps behind Braxton as the practice went along. Jordan Hall had a hamstring strain as well, but Coach Meyer said that there was nothing to be overly concerned about with his progress.
• TP Again- Tyvis Powell seems to, at least for now, locked in on the #1 Star position, with Roby and Doran Grant at corner.
• Committee- Rod Smith and Warren Ball ran the ball really well Tuesday, although Smith caught the ire of Coach Drayton with his nonchalant flip of the ball in the endzone.  Anything to help break the fumble-itis, right?
• Caffeinated- Apparently Kerry Coombs is in mid-season form, screaming at what he perceived to be a horrible call by an official helping monitor the scrimmages.
• los ‘Los- After practice, Carlos Hyde talked about his decision to return, and his desire to help Coach Meyer get his first 1K yard runner. He also was honest about the fact that he had some work to do in order to be NFL ready, a sentiment that his coach agreed with. Read More

Tags: Aaron Craft, B1G Conference, Carlos Hyde, Devin Smith, Dontre Wilson, Frank Epitropoulos, Jack Mewhort, Jim Delany, Jim Foster, Jordan Hall, Kerry Coombs, Mekka Don, Men's Hockey, Rod Smith, SBP, Spring Practice, Tyvis Powell, Warren Ball
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football

Quick reflections on the Ohio State Spring Game…

• I’ve Solved Your Problem- You know how the NFL is worried about lawsuits concussions and keeps monkeying with the kickoffs? Well, what if we just got rid of the kickoff and did the Hoot And Holler between five position players on each of the two team; most “victories” gets possession at the 25 to start the game/overtime. It used to be that the NBA did a jump ball after each basket; now there’s just the one at the beginning of the game- this would be like that. Sure, it’s a little XFL, but who’s to say we can’t all learn from each other? You’re welcome.
• Whereforeart Thou Woody?  Saint Hayes of the Clouds Of Dust would have certainly been less than excited to watch yesterday’s action, as the teams focused primarily on the passing game. Given the desire to protect the quarterbacks, a true “zone read” look was off the table and Coach Meyer seemed to be most interested in assessing the play of the wide receivers. Michael Thomas continued the connection that he built with Braxton at the Under Armor game and during the spring, with 12 catches and 135 yards total (More catches than the total leader for last season). For the Gray team, Corey Brown’s 7 catches were good for an additional 90 as well. Braxton ended up taking every snap for the Scarlet and went 24-31 with one INT and and 258 yards passing; Kenny G was 17-26 with one pick, one TD, and 191 yards passing. Read More

Tags: Braxton Miller, Brionte Dunn, Chris Carter, Corey Brown, Corey Linsley, Hoot And Holler, Jake Stoneburner, John Simon, Kenny Guiton, Kerry Coombs, Michael Thomas, Rod Smith, Spring Football 2012, Spring Game 2012, Tyvis Powell, Urban Meyer
Categories: College Football, Ohio State Football

Tuesday’s update from the Ohio State press conference and the rest of college football news…

Don't Need No Stinking Badgers

Buckeye 411

• Getting Deep- Interesting notes from the depth chart this week: Boom is #1 with Hall/Hyde behind him. Miller is QB1, with Guiton OR Bauserman, although Fickell said that Kenny G has been getting more of the snaps in practice. Curtis Grant is now in the 2 deep at LB; there’s speculation that Ohio State will be running more of the traditional 4-3 look due to Wisconsin’s running attack
• Fickell Speaks-Historically, Ohio State has struggled the week after a bye. Coach addressed this,

Yeah, I think we did. We got a lot of work done. Our guys did a heck of a job on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. You look back in the years past, ask around how people handled their bye week, you still have to look at your team and figure out what you guys need as opposed to how everybody else does it. I think we did a very good job with the attitudes and getting the work done we needed to get done.

• Captain, My Captain- Brewster, Sweat, and Simon.  I think we’ve found our permanent captains, folks.
• On Wisconsin- Coach Fickell spoke about the big upset in East Lansing, and confessed that he’d gone to bed before the game went final. He spoke at length about the impact that Russell Wilson has had on the Badgers, and how he’s fit into the system from early on. Of course, Wisconsin’s success starts up front, and their line play dictates every aspect of their offensive game plan.
• The Future- As usual, Luke Fickell said that he focuses on the things he can control, and hasn’t given much thought to the pending NCAA sanctions or what benchmarks he might need to meet to be given another year at the helm of the Buckeyes. Interesting that he was asked these questions with Gene Smith in the room; others in attendance said that Smith didn’t flinch during this line of questioning at all.
• Fickell Funnies- When he wasn’t talking about slinging the ball around with his kids, he joked regarding his “to do” list to keep his job for the 2012 season, saying, Read More

Tags: Andrew Sweat, Braxton Miller, Carlos Hyde, Curtis Grant, Dominic Clarke, Eddie George, Jamaal Berry, John Simon, Kenny Guiton, Luke Fickell, Mike Brewster, Missouri, NCAA, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rich Rodriguez, SEC, Southern Cal, Tyvis Powell, Uniforms, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Categories: College Football, Conference Expansion, Humor, Michigan Football, NCAA Investigations, Ohio State Football

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

All Smiles

Finally, some good news this week.

Earlier today, Bedford HS junior Tyvis Powell gave his verbal commitment to be the next member of the 2012 Ohio State recruiting class.

A 6′ 4″ (Seriously!) defensive back, Powell has been long rumored to be a Buckeye lean, including this amazing quote from him last week-

I’m ready to be a Buckeye and won’t let you down. We’re going to have some fun and I’m going to give you your money’s worth! Get the popcorn ready.

Also holding offers from Michigan State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Minnesota, and Cincinnati, he has been adamant that the situation with Coach Tressel would not sway his enthusiasm about being a part of the Ohio State team-

It is very unfortunate for coach Tressel but it doesn’t affect my decision at all. I didn’t hear anything about the business school going down or falling apart and college is college, you go for an education and to play football. Ohio State is Ohio State and it always will be no matter who is wearing the headphones. I want to send a message to everyone that I’m still on board and everyone else should be as well.

If nothing else, it’s exciting to hear student athletes talk about their commitment to the program in spite of all that might be going on- this class will certainly be made up of young men who want to be Buckeyes and love the program.

Mr. Powell is the 8th member of the 2011 class… check out his junior highlights after the jump:

Read More

Tags: Tyvis Powell
Categories: Ohio State Football, Recruiting

OH DB Tyvis Powell received on offer after camping in Columbus over the weekend. I like his sense of style already.

There are plenty of things to go over in this update, including new offers in the 2012 and 2013 class, so let’s jump right in.

While it initially seemed like there was no way that Alabama QB Jameis Winston was going to leave his home state, after visiting Columbus over the weekend he had some very positive things to say about the Buckeyes and he would like to set up another official visit for the Wisconsin game. With CA QB Shane Dillon out of the picture, it looks like Ohio State may still be in on a QB prospect in 2012 after all.

While I don’t think the Buckeyes are the favorite at this point or even close to it, Winston is clearly very interested in the Buckeyes and it could turn into an interesting recruitment to say the least. Could we get some revenge for Trey DePriest?

GA WR Jaquay Williams is scheduled to announce his college decision this weekend. He will likely be choosing between Ohio State and Auburn. Players that wait until the end of the recruiting process usually don’t gravitate towards Columbus, but Tressel and company have a much higher success rate with players who commit early.

The Buckeyes have been one of Williams’ favorites since the beginning, so fingers crossed. One thing worth noting is that if he is choosing between Ohio State and Auburn, you have to assume that any possible future sanctions aren’t a concern for him.

As expected, there are some new camp offers to go over on the 2012 Big Board, and they will likely keep coming in over the next few days so stay tuned. I have also finally gotten around to going over the very earliest offers on the 2013 Big Board, two for the price of one! Read More

Tags: Billy Price, Cameron Burrows, Henry Poggi, Herbert Waters, Jameis Winston, Jaquay Williams, Jarron Jones, Ondre Pipkins, Richard Benjamin, Tyvis Powell
Categories: Ohio State Football, Recruiting