Another year and more BCS controversies to disect, hash-out, and haggle till’ the cows come home. BCS is definitely good theatre and I heard Todd Blackledge singing it’s praises during his broadcast last Saturday night. Many university presidents and coaches support the system and balk at a true D-I playoff, citing educational and logistical problems with that type of schedule. Really? You mean the kids will miss class because their athletic comittments will conflict with class and/or exam schedules? Who has ever heard of such travesties?! I think any red-blooded, die-in-the-wool college football fan knows that this is about money, right? One walk through the Les Wexner-Woody Hayes Football Training Facility at The Ohio State University will help you understand the kind of money involved in big D-I programs in this country. How about taking a tour of Nike HQ South out in Eugene,OR? Samey-same.
The point is that big-time college sports, mainly b-ball and football, make a lot of money for their respective schools, endorsers, and media outlets who promote the events. It is common knowledge and it is the way it is. And it is the way that it will always be.
Unless someone comes up with an idea that puts as much money in the coffers of the big schools and the business partners therein, then this is the system we have and this is what we will always have. The BCS may change and reinvent itself, but some variation of a system that provides the type of income to advertisers, manufacturers, referees, coaches, schools, and networks will remain in place indefinitely.
But playoffs would enable teams to add games at their home venues and networks would get more opportunities to air an increased number of quality games. What is the problem here? Sounds good on paper, but the bottmline is that the bowl payouts could not be garnered in a playoff system managed by the NCAA. The current deals are with the conferences, not the NCAA. I suppose each level of the playoff grid could be rewarded with ever increasing payouts, but it is doubtful that is allowable under NCAA guidelines. The network deals would be with the NCAA, and not the conferences, and therefore not with the schools directly. The crystal given away to the Division 1 “National Football Champion” each year doesn’t have NCAA wrtten anywhere on the hardmare. Most people just agree to acknowledge that trophy as the property of the national champs. Too many people make too much money in the current arrangement, and therefore it will not change.
So, this year we will see Ohio State play in one of the BCS bowls with two losses, while an undefeated Boise State team does not. Ohio State has an alumni base the size of Idaho’s entire population! Ok, that is not exaclty true, but I bet 440,000 equates to a large percentage of the Idaho state population. The perception by the bowl organizers is that the OSU fanbase will bring more fans and more money than the Boise State contingent. That is a safe bet. Also, Hawaii did the WAC no favors last year when they didn’t show up against Georgia. Well that was last year, and two years ago Boise did more than show up against Oklahoma. It doesn’t matter. Boise was Utah two years ago. The non-BCS conference schools get one in and that’s that.
I hope I’m wrong. That has to sound crazy coming from an Ohio State dieherd, but I think that Boise deserves the shot. It won’t happen, but it should.
Yeah, UGLY, that is all you can say. Well, no I think I can think of a few more things to say. Putrid, disgusting, lackadaisical, awe-inspiring (NOT), ridiculous, constipating, flatulent, foul odorous emanation, Big-to-the-suck, and don’t forget erroneous perpetration of a Division I College Football power. I could break out more impressive adjectives to describe the Buckeye’s performance, but you all know it will take me wayyy to long to look up all those big words. The Buckeyes crapped the bed right before the biggest regular season game of their 2008 slate. I bet the ESPN folks are happy about this one. Let’s dig in to this enormous pile of dinosaur dung in an effort to understand how this could have happened.
Twenty returning starters…check. Heisman candidate and future first round RB…check. Senior starting QB with veteran offensive line…check. Two future NFL receivers…check. A much underused future NFL TE…check. Senior laden, dominating defense, with several future NFL candidates…check. Veteran coaching staff led by none other than best selling author and future senator Jim Tressel…check. Well now that we have run down a brief checklist, which could easily be expanded, of the positives that this year’s Buckeye squad has to offer we should be able to easily see how they could barely handle a MAC team at home, right? This will be harder than I thought.
There is no excuse for the way the offense played. The O-line looked like they were running in quicksand, and the receivers acted like the ball was a giant salmonella-covered tomato. Ewww, don’t throw that thing at me! The running game was pathetic, mainly due to the line play, until the fourth quarter when they finally realized they were about to lose at home to a bunch of kids that OSU didn’t want. Brian Hartline described the effort as “pathetic”. You got that one right Brian. If the Bobcats, excuse me, if the Mighty Bobcats hadn’t turned the ball over FIVE times, OSU would have lost this game. As it stands, they only lost their dignity. A few brave Buckeyes offered up the old “a win is a win”, but most knew better than to go there. Hell, Tressel didn’t even drop that old line. He came fairly close to actually blaming people on the team for the failure, but went Tresselesque with some “everyone could have done a better job” type statements.
I don’t claim to be a football expert. Hell, I can’t even tell you what some basic formations are when the boys line up for a snap. I can’t even say I played the game. However, I have watched enough football in my time, and know WAY more than I should about the Buckeyes, to the point that I can say with absolute certainty that the Buckeyes did not play their best football Saturday. Really? Gee, thanks for the update Captain Obvious! What I mean is that the Buckeyes are a team that could pound a team like OU without too much trouble and definitely were underprepared for this game. However, the offense is obviously a work in progress and that doesn’t make any sense. It is the same group they had last year sans one FB and one lineman. If anything they should be improved…unless they are as good as they are going to get. They could not protect Boeckman in the Illinois and title games last year, and they did a horrible job again on Saturday versus the Mighty Bobcats. One thing all three of those opponents had were lighter, quicker d-lineman (not including Big daddy Dorsey). You would think 323 pounds versus 275 pounds would be a mismatch every time, but it doesn’t work like that. In my opinion, Tressel needs to get at least two of the new freshman (Adams and Brewster) in the starting line-up right now, and don’t look back. Pryor needs to be utilized more immediately if the current lineman at the team’s disposal cannot give the lead-footed Boeckman an adequate amount of time to throw (and that assumes that the receivers actually catch the ball). This at least gives the offense a chance on broken plays. Boeckman is only good if he has time to throw. He makes very poor decisions when pressured. Many QB’s make poor decisions when pressured, so the key is to provide top o-line talent that can provide the necessary time for the QB to make a good decision when he unloads the rock. Not rocket science, but the whole concept comes crashing down when the supposed blue-chip lineman you have in the game look more like buffalo chips. It all starts and ends with line play, and right now the Trojans will win that battle based upon what we have all seen to date.
The defense is better and closer to “as advertised”, but the tackling on Saturday was horrendous. And let’s not forget that OU had their second string QB in the game from midway through the 1st qtr. until the final gun. He was, big shocker here, an elusive, running quarter back. The Buckeyes have traditionally had their problems with running QB’s and this was no time to break with tradition. Boo Jackson must not have been told that he was supposed to be tackled for losses and committed to three-and-outs like every other cupcake opponent QB who dares to enter the Horseshoe (in sinister, deep James Earl Jones tones). Many times the Buckeye defenders had him in their grasp, only to end up grasping at air and watch helplessly as he converted several third downs. It seems a lot like the Juice Williams disaster from last season, only Mr. Jackson was kind enough to throw four completions to the Buckeye defense. So, it would have actually been better if the defense had not driven the starting QB from the game in the first place. Regardless, MAC quarterbacks aren’t supposed to upset the Buckeyes at home…period.
The only optimism I can muster as the Buckeyes head toward their destruct…er I mean date with USC this weekend, is that maybe they were just looking ahead and did not game plan and/or prepare for OU. Other points the Buckeyes may need to cling to would include the possibility that OU played way beyond their abilities and were fired up because many of those guys were spurned by OSU coming out of high school, therefore they were super-motivated to play OSU. Combine that with OSU looking ahead and you get the stink bomb that was Saturday’s game. No Beanie. And this should not have mattered, but Beanie offers an intimidation factor that the other backs do not. Virginia beat lowly 2A Richmond very unimpressively, so one could gather that USC didn’t beat an average ACC team, but a really crappy ACC team who may not be much better than Ohio University or just about any other DI program. It remains to be seen, so it is a mute point really. Even if Virginia is equal or worse than OU, USC had no problems with Virginia, while it took OSU every bit of four quarters and five turnovers to beat OU. Last year OSU only beat Akron 20-2 and a week later b*itch slapped Washington when they finally woke up in the second half of that game. Obviously the Buckeyes will not be b*tch slapping USC, but maybe the Buckeyes will put it all together and at least be competitive this Saturday. Not much o####olden lining I’m afraid, so it doesn’t look good for the Buckeyes however you want to slice the cheese. Stinky cheese would be an improvement over the Buckeyes at this point me thinks.
So, on the record I will hold out some hope that OSU will work hard this week, get Beanie back at close to 100%, and play a competitive game at USC this Saturday. Considering those things, and because I am hard-wired not to intentionally make the Buckeyes a certified wood-shed loser, I am going with USC 28 OSU 20. Now if Beanie does not play or comes out early and it is obvious that USC can move the ball easily on the Buckeye defense, then it will be more like the debacle in the desert in terms of a final score. More like a 24 point margin of victory. The only way the Buckeyes beat the Trojans is if the defense plays the game of their lives and keeps the Trojan offense off the field. Or half the SC starters eat bad tomatoes and miss the game. Bad fish tacos anyone?
Why do I suddenly feel like watching Apocalypse Now…..Oh the horror of it all.
As the 2008 CFB season kicks off, the journey towards redemption for the Buckeyes also begins. Obviously making it to the title game two years in a row (and three out of the last six) isn’t good enough. Sure, actually winning the title games would be more impressive, and not losing so…well…ungraciously would have been better. However, three title game appearances in three years are impressive. Before the haters begin to spout forth their typical “weak conference” and “backed in” nonsense, try to focus on just the accomplishment of getting to a title game. The current system makes the journey one-part luck, one-part clout, and one-part performance for any would-be contender. Oklahoma has lost four of their last five bowl games, yet nobody is saying they will be eliminated from the equation if they show up for the party in December with one loss. Ohio State HAS to win every game this year, and do it convincingly, in order to be considered for another NC game berth. Why? Is it because the last two years they were less than victorious? Or is it because it is just time for somebody new to enter the fray?
The system is what it is. If Ohio State wins all of their games, or loses one along the way and is one of a handful of one loss teams (example) vying for one of the spots in a title game, why shouldn’t they be considered? Oh, the Big Ten is weak you say? Great, let’s punish a team for their conference affiliation. Wait, I know…teams should be able to switch conferences every year to the perceived “strong conferences” so they will have enough clout by selection time to be considered. No, I think a team’s conference, for better or worse, is a team’s conference. So let’s not include the Buckeyes because they can’t beat an SEC team, who will always be in the title game by default from now on apparently. I’m sorry, where was the line to receive magic crystal balls? I am certain mine would have shown the 2008 Buckeye team losing again to another SEC team in a title game, right? As much as people would like to chalk that one up, the reality is that the 2008 team is not the 2006 or the 2007 team. Do I need to offer proof? Time marches on and although I will readily admit that the SEC is a tougher conference top to bottom than the Big Ten and that the Buckeyes have lost convincingly to SEC opponents in back-to-back title games, I must ask the haters to admit that this year is a new year and has nothing to do with the last two. Additionally, they lost to the best SEC teams, not some middle of the pack squads.
Ohio State, USC, Texas, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, and all the other perennial football powers all recruit the same athletes and the parity is only getting stronger. The winning programs must adjust to the times in order to compete. Ohio State has recruited more speed, athlete/DB position types, and slimmed down their linebackers and D-lineman in the past two recruiting seasons. Gee, do you think they might be making some adjustments in order to compete with fast, spread offense type teams? Nah, Tressel and his staff are a bunch of morons! They lost two title games and backed into another title because a ref couldn’t throw a flag fast enough. The program is second rate and should probably be disbanded or at least drop down to Division II. I can become a Columbus Destroyers fan no problem. Fire sale on Buckeye gear!!!
Sarcasm aside, the Buckeyes will be in the mix every year for a long time. Everything is cyclical and the Buckeyes are due. The USC game will be the measuring stick early on, but regardless of the outcome of that game, the Bucks will be lurking around for a third straight title shot come December. My request of the Buckeye hating world is that this year’s team be given the chance to prove on the field that they do or do not belong among the elite teams THIS season. Nobody is going to throw LSU down the well if they lose a few games this year and don’t repeat as champions. In fact, it is deemed a “re-building year” for LSU, so a title game berth seems a little far fetched. A bunch of their guys were drafted and they lost their starting QB du jour in Perriloux. So, if LSU has a miraculous season and “backs in” to the title game this year, will they be unworthy? Hell, they probably aren’t even favored to win their own conference.
It seems to me that I have heard that story before……
The Buckeyes have an enormous fan base and some well connected alumni in the sporting world. You can find a large fan base and alumni gathering spots in every major city in this country. The Buckeyes are good for business, so they get forced down a lot of throats. How many people hate the Cowboys or the Yankees? People despise success, especially when it is not occurring for their team. That is the real reason there is an anti-Buckeye groundswell in CFB. The 2006 team was super-hyped and got waxed by Florida. If that team had not been so heavily favored, the loss would not have been such a big deal. Bad timing last year, in that a young Buckeye team with a first year starter at QB has to play a veteran LSU (who they out gained in total yardage BTW) team IN New Orleans, contributed to another title game let down. The point is that last year’s squad wasn’t even supposed to win their own conference, let alone contend for a national title. If other teams had handled their business, then we aren’t even discussing an OSU v. LSU title tilt!
Well, trying to make a case for national respect with regard to the Buckeyes is akin to #### Cheney running the Boston Marathon (or around the block for that matter)…it just ain’t happening. My guess is that even with a victory over USC, the Buckeyes will still be odd-man out if the final choice comes down to three or four teams from the SEC and/or Big 12. It is unfortunate, but at this point it is all speculative as well. I intend to enjoy another roller coaster ride from August to January on board the best coaster in all of sports…College Football.
See you on the gridiron ladies.
Oh, and for all you _ichigan fans out there, I thought you might like a little shot to get the ball rolling.
Now that the less serious blogs about the big game are out of the way (link) and (link), it is time to assess the actual match-up on the field. Most non-OSU and Big Ten pundits out there in the CFB analytical world have it “no chance” for OSU. The ESPN Confidence Poll has it 78% for LSU. Perhaps a sample of the “confidence” would be prudent at this point:
“The BCS system isn't set up to give third chances, but the Tigers won't need another opportunity after they beat Ohio State in New Orleans.” – Chris Low, ESPN
“And when LSU beats Ohio State for the national championship, and that sense of finality sets in, you'll already be longing for the chaos of next season.” - Heather Dinich, ESPN
Well, we already know that the folks at ESPN are the authorities on who is better than who when it comes to anything related to competitive sports, so I guess the Buckeyes are wasting good booster cheese vacationing in the Crescent City. I will take a stand here and beg to differ. I waited until the outcome of the Capital One Bowl and Outback Bowls were known, so all the “conference comparing addicts” out there would have something to chew on that was tangible: on field performance. Michigan obviously put the SEC “speed” advantage folklore to bed with their domination of Florida. The same Florida team that limited a healthy LSU offense to 147 passing yards. They did allow 247 rushing, but Michigan just put up 373 passing & 151 rushing (Total 524). Just in case you’re wondering, OSU held Michigan to 91 yards…..TOTAL….FOR THE GAME! Granted, it was a wet field and Henne was ####ed up, but Mallet is no slouch and Hart was 100% for that game. Oh and by the way, that game was AT the Big House with all 100,000 plus screaming when the Buckeyes had the ball. I guarantee that the Super Dome will not be any louder than the Big House, Happy Valley aka The Beav, or Autzen Stadium in Washington. I have been to Death Valley for a game or two and it definitely tops on the decibel meter, but the game isn’t in Death Valley Monday night. My guess is there are at least 30,000 Buckeyes sitting in the dome at kick off. Further more, I recall LSU having more than a little trouble with UT a few weeks back in the SEC title game. Everybody keeps talking about how Flynn didn’t start and Dorsey was ####ed up, well if Dorsey is the whole defense than it is game over already. Last time I checked Highsmith, Steltz and the rest of the Tiger’s defense may take exception to that perspective. In terms of Flynn, I think it is quite obvious that Perrilloux is the better QB anyway. He is the type of QB that OSU has had trouble with, and he is the QB I expect OSU will see more of on Monday night. Back to the point: UT needed all of their magical powers to beat a Wisconsin team that OSU dominated. Maybe it means nothing…maybe it means everything.
The OSU defense has been stellar this year. They are ranked number one in total and scoring defense. LSU is ranked #3 and #21 respectively in the same categories. From what I’ve seen this year in SEC match-ups, with the exception of LSU, Auburn, and Georgia, the SEC has not played much defense this year. The scores have been a little more WAC than SEC in my opinion. LSU was lights out defensively in the first five games of the year. I assume this is when everyone was healthy, but it was also versus less than impressive teams. Virginia Tech is the obvious exception and a case could be made for Mississippi State too since they ended up in a bowl game. Florida came into Baton Rouge and ran for 156 and Ole Miss (currently ranked #83 in team rushing) dropped 201 on the Tigers. Of course D-Mac and the Arkansas unit blew up the Tiger run D for 385, but it was D-Mac after all. The same D-Mac that went for 105 in the Mizzou loss. To their credit, the Tigers limited the rest of their 2007 opponents to moderate or very impressive run totals, and only D-Mac broke 100 individually on the LSU defense. Impressive to say the least. OSU was similar, in that four opponents cracked 100 on the Bucks, with their most noticeable melt down coming versus Illinois when they allowed 260 yards. Ironic that both teams lost games where their vaunted run defenses #### the pooch. OSU also held Akron to 20 yards, Purdue to 4, and Northwestern to zero in the rushing department. The most formidable rushing attacks that the Buckeyes faced this season would be Illinois (R.Mendenhall, D.Dufrene & Juice Williams) 260 yards, Michigan State (Javon Ringer and J.Caulcrick) 59 yards, Purdue (K.Sheets) 20 yards, and Michigan (Mike Hart) for 44 yards. It is notable that Mike Hart ran behind the same line last year against the Buckeyes for 150+ yards and three scores.
The bottom-line is that both defenses are top notch. The Tigers may have a little more depth in the secondary and their tackles are better, but OSU holds the edge in linebackers and defensive ends.
The obvious epicenter of the match-up is the trenches. Can the OSU line provide enough protection for Boeckman to look down his progressions? Most of Boeckman’s 12 interceptions this year were caused by the QB trying to force the ball into coverage, and not by pressure. The LSU line is not the speed unit that OSU faced last year, but Dorsey and Favorite power their way into the backfield on almost every play.
Flynn tends to make bad throws under pressure. He has become much better in terms of either running the ball if all his reads are covered or throwing the ball away. However, Mr. Gholston arrives in the backfield shortly after the snap on most downs, so I expect a few mistakes will be made. Much like it is pick your poison between Dorsey and Favorite, the same choice exists with Gholston and Little Ironhead Heyward.
Of course you can’t pass if you can’t run, so the defense that is most effective versus the run will give their team the advantage. Beanie is a load and he has six 100yard and two 200 yard games in the garage already this year. The only games he was truly contained were the Akron and Illinois games. Almost every back on the team got carries in the Akron game, so it is not a good barometer for evaluation purposes. Illinois is the only team to limit Beanie under 100 in a competitive contest, and OSU was behind and throwing a lot in that game. Against Wisconsin and Michigan, OSU rode him to victory on 169 and 3 TD’s and 222 two TD’s respectively. No team that he has run against this year has provided the same challenge as the LSU defense. It will be tough sledding, but the LSU D-line has not seen an O-line like this one yet either. Three senior fullbacks and two excellent blocking tight ends pick up opposing linebackers if Beanie gets through the line. I know the LSU pundits are saying that it is highly improbable that Beanie hits that second level of the defense…they better hope they’re right.
I have heard at least 1 million and one times that LSU is the more talent laden team. Perhaps that is true from top to bottom on the roster based upon recruit rankings and evaluation methods derived from such rankings by the “experts”. If you consider only the starters and/or the players that will be playing the majority of the snaps in this game, then OSU has the same if not superior talent at many positions. There are three top twelve picks starting on the OSU defense right now (Lauranitis, Gholston, and Jenkins). LSU has only Dorsey in the top 12. I think if you go position by position, it breaks down like this:
QB- Edge: LSU
RB- Edge: OSU
FB– Edge: OSU
WR-Edge: LSU
TE – Edge: OSU
OL- Edge: OSU
DE- Edge: OSU
DT- Edge: LSU
MLB- Edge: OSU
WSL- Edge: OSU
SSL- Edge: OSU
SS- Edge: LSU
FS- Edge: LSU (Except in the nickel when Jenkins slides to FS)
CB- Edge: OSU
K- Edge: OSU
P- Edge: OSU
PR & KR- Edge: LSU
I think the special teams play, not including Holiday as a returner, is fairly even. I doubt that OSU will kick to Holiday. I know I wouldn’t!
I have it advantage OSU 11 – 7 on the position breakdown. Now this doesn’t project how the units match-up versus each other, so this is how it would look.
OSU O-Line v. LSU D-Line – Edge: LSU
OSU RB v. LSU LB’s – Edge: OSU
OSU WR/TE v. LSU Secondary – Edge: LSU
LSU O-Line v. OSU D-Line – Edge: OSU
LSU RB v. OSU LB’s – Edge: Even
LSU WR v. OSU Secondary – Edge: LSU
Special Teams:
Return Game – Edge: LSU
Kicking – Edge: OSU
So LSU wins this breakdown 4-3, with one category listed as a push. Just one man’s opinion obviously, but I have seen every OSU game this season, and replays of the Illinois, Washington, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Michigan games. Additionally, I have seen LSU play VT, Mississippi State, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, and Ole Miss. I have seen replays of the Florida and Auburn games. Oh yeah, and the Kentucky game. I have watched many other SEC games as well and I must admit that the brand of football is very exciting. The big difference for me, when contrasted with Big Ten play, is that the SEC plays a lot more man-to-man and therefore the big play is more frequent. The zone schemes of the Big Ten prevent the big play more often than not, and create the “three clouds…” stereotype. The speed theory is not correct. It is based upon one game and I think (it bears repeating) that Michigan dispelled that myth a few days ago. So, basically I am saying that when these teams lock up on Monday night, I think most people will be surprised by the outcome. I expect OSU to win the game (shocker!). If LSU completely stuffs the run and OSU turns the ball over more than once, then it will be hard to beat LSU. Playing from behind in front of a pro-LSU crowd is not where the Buckeyes want to be. If they can move the ball effectively in the ground and control the clock and the tempo of the game, then they have a legitimate shot at winning the title.
Good luck to both teams and I’ll see you in New Orleans!
Just a little fun “speed” comparison somebody sent me to finish this one off.
Go BUCKS!!! BEAT LSU!!!
Oh, and maybe just one more:
Truth hurts sometimes.
I will be soaking it all in in The Easy for a few days, and will return to eat crow or serve it on Wednesday.
Now that the bowl match-ups have been decided by people much wiser than anyone who hangs out in here, we might as well talk about the games.
Obviously, I am going to talk about one game. The BCS National Championship Game between THE Ohio State Buckeyes and the Louisiana State Bayou Bengals. Perhaps you have not had to pleasure of reading any of my previous scribble, so I will reiterate that my mother is from Shreveport, LA. Thus, a good portion of my family pays tribute to the Purple & Gold. Amazingly some were even able to graduate from that very school. Growing up in Ohio has warped my mind and the Buckeye Nation swayed me to their side long ago, however I still pull for the Tigers from time to time.
This will not be one of those times.
Let me refresh the listening audience regarding all the reasons OSU will be beaten like an English school- teacher in a Muslim country….
OSU is a team from the Big Ten conference that doesn’t have a single athlete that can run anything faster than a 6.2 forty. LSU, on the other hand, is from the most masterful college football conference of all time…The Ssssss Eeeeeeee Cccccccc (ominous James Earl Jones echo).
Every player in the SEC, including the punters and long snappers, can run a sub 4.5 forty. Ok, forget it, put us in the Holiday Bowl and let The Greatest Team of All Time w/ 2 losses, USC, play LSU for the title. Give the people what they want!!!! Right, %#@& the people, give Pete_Nice what he wants, OSU in the title game.
Ok where was I…oh right… OSU has never beaten an SEC team in a bowl game (O fer 8 y’all!). Well it ain’t happenen this year either. As I mentioned before, their long snapper can out run our fastest guy, so why show up? Well the gumbo and the ####’s are real nice in Nawlins , for one thing. Hopefully the Buckeye receivers and defensive backs can crack 5.0 on their forty times by game day, and might have a chance to make at least three tackles if the LSU players trip or something.
Les Miles will out coach Jim Tressel…..ok, I can’t even say that tongue-in-cheek. Better chance of him coaching the Wolverines next season than out-coaching The Senator. I just swallowed my gum.
The game will be played in Louisiana. Well that sucks. I sure hope at least a couple of hundred Buckeye fans make the trip. Nothing like spending thousands of dollars and travelling hundreds or thousands of miles to watch your team get spanked like a Bill Clinton intern. Thank you sir, may I please have another!!!???
They have already engraved the trophy with LSU’s name and this game is just a formality. Gee, that sounds familiar….
Glenn Dorsey will be healthy again by game day, and he can tackle the entire OSU offense by himself! WOW, now that will be worth the price of admission.
The super-fast, diminutive Trindon Holiday will run so fast, you will hear a sonic BOOM when he returns akick or punt for a touch down. Chris Leak might show up and throw one more TD pass for old times sake too. The LSU offense may never have to see the field.
And the number one reason OSU has no chance of winning the title game this year is….
They lost to Florida last year.
Stay tuned for a more serious blog concerning how crucial this game is for the Buckeyes.
Until then, enjoy the season, enjoy the sports, and enjoy each other.
*The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the views of anyone else, nor do they really mean I think the Buckeyes will lose the NCG. Actually, I am pretty sure they will win. I was pretty sure they would win last year too. I was also pretty sure that K-Fed would go platinum, Britney would graduate from high school, Barry Bonds could read, Howard Stern goes to church, and Don Imus would be the next president of the NAACP. What's the line?
Ahhhh yes, my favorite time of the year. Times have been good lately for the Buckeyes, in terms of their annual grudge match versus The Team Up North (TTUN). I have a lot of names for TTUN, but I will refrain from using most of them since little kids like Hoit, Flying Pig, and Blue 37 might read this post. I wouldn’t want them to get their mouths washed out with soap (or something worse) if their parents catch them repeating the unsavory names I could come up with for the University of _ichigan’s football team.
It seems like a thousand years have passed since the Buckeye nation had to endure the "Cooper" years, when OSU couldn’t buy a win in The Game. No offense to John Cooper or Tennessee (where Mr. Cooper was bornified!), but it takes a Buckeye to understand The Game and what it means to be a Buckeye. Enter "The Senator" aka Coach Jim "I Own You LLLLLoyd" Tressel, and it has been a flippin Mardi Gras ever since!!! Granted, a lot of that had to do with Troy Smith and his ability to slay wolverines at will. However, the tide has turned and OSU has the better players, and lets face it, the better coach right now. Sad little LLLLLoyd. Somebody give that guy a hug!! Hey , look somebody is giving LLLLLoyd a hug…and what looks to be a bit more! Nothing like a little Aussie man-love before the big game, eh Russell? I’m sure they are working on a "back door" trap play as we speak. Smoochie-wooooooochie Russell-poo. Please. Make it stop!!!!
I actually have a lot of respect for the _ichigan football program…er I did have respect, this just in:
Q: Where was O.J. hiding right before the famous white Bronco chase?
A:On the University of Michigan campus. That's the last place you would find a football player.
Amen.
Everybody knows that the only good football players the skunkbears ever have come from Ohio. Why do these kids go to scUM? I have no freaking clue, but I know they were probably brain washed by the _ichigan coaches or OSU just didn’t want them. Desmond and his pose??? Obviously he needed the attention. Chuckie Woodson and his stolen Heisman (everybody knows Peyton should have won that year)??? He’s from Fremont…if you’ve been there, you would want to leave the state too. Both these guys were recruited by Cooper….nuff said. Oh wait something else:
Q: What do you get when you cross a University of Michigan fan and a pig?
A: Nothing. There's some things that a pig will not do.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I love that one!!!
Now the scUM program does have it’s highlights….hold on I’m looking for something…####, ok check this out while you wait:
Q: Why don't University of Michigan fans let their kids play in sandboxes?
A: Because cats keep covering them up.
OK, here it is….The University of _ichigan football program has the most wins all time. Impressive. Now here is the asterisk: *Most of these wins happened before Custer messed with the wrong bunch of native Americans (hell yeah I’m P.C.). Another interlude:
Q: What do Michigan and pot have in common?
A: They both get smoked in bowls!
How many wolverines does it take to win an UNDISPUTED national Title?? How the %$#@ do I know, they’ve never done it!!! Ok, that’s not true, but it sounds good to me!! Need a break? Me too:
Q: Why did Michigan change their field from grass to artificial turf?
A: To keep the Michigan cheerleaders from grazing at half time.
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!!! That is awesome!!
As you can see, I really don’t like _ichigan. Not just the football team, but the whole state. The perfect invention would be a saw large enough to cut through the earth between lakes _ichigan and Erie, so the whole thing just drops in the soup. Thus, creating Lake Ohioisbestofall, which is an old Native American saying that states:
LLLLLoyd holds Tressel’s jock.
Other notable facts about the football program that we shall mention in memoriam after the stench filled peninsula formally know as "Michigan" fell into Lake Ohioisbestofall:
Buckeye Football will always be better than the half-#### football program formally occupying the now under-water part of _ichigan known as #### Arbor.
2- They were known for losing games they should have won.
This is a team that had to replace six starters on offense and four on defense, for a team that went to the National Championship. The easy start to the schedule enabled the young offense to find it’s rhythm and develop for the stretch run. When I saw the schedule in the spring, I expected them to be undefeated when they played Penn State. I also expected them to lose to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Well. They’re one and one heading into The Game. Everybody has been calling this team overrated. Although I understand where this type of opinion originates, it is hard to say that about OSU without being hypocritical. The overrated label stems from one-part weak OC (Out of Conference), and one-part weak in conference schedule. Both are exaggerated.
I already broke down the perceived "cupcakes" in another blog entry, so check it out if your curious. You will see that most top programs play "cupcakes".
In terms of conference rankings, and where the Big Ten ranks therein, that argument is as subjective as they come. So how can anyone make an argument for the Big Ten? Other than the subjectivity of individual perception regarding the teams people think played a tough schedule this year, the only way to determine this is by record.
This year the top conference is considered by many to be the SEC. No argument from me. The teams play in a competitive conference and rely on tough conference match-ups to offset their weak OC schedules. Why schedule tough OC opponents if your own conference provides tough, preparatory match-ups week in and week out? The teams beat each other up all season and the middle of the pack teams rely upon 1-AA and non-BCS schools to make up the difference toward bowl eligibility.
The popular-opinion second place ranking goes to the PAC10. These guys play less OC opponents, but they do step up and play some quality teams from other BCS conferences, as well as every team within their own conference. Again, beating each other up during the season, but the lack of weak OC schedule fodder prevents as many teams from becoming bowl eligible. The conference is stronger this year and the parity is nice to see, with some teams finally beating USC.
I won’t bother ranking the rest of the BCS conferences and pointing out the same things. I am not even going to argue that the Big East, the Big 12 and/or the ACC are better, more competitive conferences than the Big Ten. Instead, I will reiterate the title of this post:
Buckeye Loss Helps Prove Big Ten Legitimacy
So why does the loss help the Big Ten? It shows that the Big Ten isn’t so top heavy anymore. No more "Big 2 and the Little 11". Illinois is legit. Just ask Missouri. Michigan had a lot of trouble with the Illini too, and then were summarily destroyed by the Badgers last week. The Big Ten is tough. My earlier points about the SEC hold true with the Big Ten as well. The teams beat each other up during the season and play weak OC schedules to pump up their win totals for bowl eligibility. Is this nonsense? Well, as this is written the SEC and the Big Ten both have 10 teams that are bowl eligible. The SEC would have 11 if Vandy can win one of its two remaining games. What’s the difference? If the point remains that the SEC conference has better teams in conference, then the point is moot. Teams in both conferences beat each other up during the conference slate, but it doesn’t prove one is better than the other. Both play weak OC schedules, at least this year, but the opponents are rarely common between the conferences, so that proves nothing as well.
Both teams have the same amount of bowl eligible teams this year and that is the best indicator of conference success. Therefore, if the SEC is considered to be the cream of the crop this year, then the Big Ten must be considered to be as good based upon bowl eligibility.
The parity seen throughout the college landscape has made the sport more fun to watch. As much as I like Ohio State to win, it isn’t much fun if everybody else in the conference is below average and the only competitive match-ups are the last game of the regular season and the bowl game. Illinois proved that the Big Ten is balanced and the overall winning records for 10 of the 11 teams proves that the conference is good.
Now, sit back and wait for the bowl games, After all, the only true determination regarding the gridiron fortitude of one conference versus another conference are the on-field results in head-to-head competition.
The question has to be asked: Is this year’s Buckeye squad better than the one that went 12-1 last season?
If they reach the title game the answer had better be…GOD I HOPE SO!!!!!!!!!
In all seriousness though, I think it is.
Todd Boeckman is not Troy Smith. Is he a better QB and/or leader? Probably not at first glance, but in terms of what’s best for this current Buckeye team…he might be. Troy Smith was the unquestioned leader on last year’s team. He made the plays, got in the faces, and willed the team to victories. He did what great athletic leaders do… he found a way to win (with one notable exception of course). Troy Smith threw 30 touchdowns last year. Halfway through the 2007 season, Boeckman has 14. He has thrown as many interceptions (6) as Troy threw all of last season, but three of those were against Purdue double coverage and too far down the field to be of consequence versus the OSU defense. Boeckman is still learning, but he has an advantage over the Troy lead Buckeyes from last season: A light’s out defense.
The defense last year looked good on paper, and seemed to deliver on the field. Then the implosion, 80 points in two games and just under 1,000 yards of offense. When you look back at the defensive stats for last year’s defense, it becomes clear that while they held people out of the red-zone, they gave up monster yardage in between. Great, better than allowing scores, but when they played really good offensive Florida and UM teams….well we all know how the story ends. This year’s squad is not only holding people out of the red-zone, but nobody is moving the ball period! They have forced 42 three&outs in six games and 42 yards is the highest rushing total allowed. I don’t care who you are playing, that is great defense.
I will beat you to the punch nay-sayers: Who have they played and the Big Ten sucks again this year.
I say: Not so fast my friend.
Say what you want about the Big Ten, it is better than last year. The true barometer regarding the defensive fortitude of the 2007 Buckeye defense will be the last four games of the season. However, the coaches have created a defensive two-deep that is paying dividends. The schemes change week-to week and new people step up with great performances. It isn’t just the James Lauranitis show anymore. He had one solo tackle in the Purdue game. The defense is fast, relentless, and only getting better.
The coaching staff made some key personnel errors last year, during the season and in the championship game (a blog for another day perhaps). The secondary starters should not have included a 5th year, walk-on senior, and an underachieving SS. Specifically Antonio Smith and Jamario O"Neal. Both were burned repeatedly and everybody that is currently starting in the secondary was available last year. It would have meant starting true freshman over upper classmen and in Jamario’s case, an under-achieving star. Regardless, it is obvious that Kurt Coleman, Chimdi Chekwa, Donald Washington (last year’s nickel back), and Anderson Russell are far superior compliments to a lightning quick secondary, led by future first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins. This unit reminds me of the 1998 Winfield-Berry-Plummer-Moore unit. Most of the time Tressel & Co. do a good job getting the best players on the field, but last year they did not.
Back to Boeckman and the offense. This defense allows Boeckman and a young offense room for error. As I mentioned earlier, he threw three interceptions in the Purdue game,and Purdue didn’t even cross the OSU forty until late in the fourth quarter. A Purdue team that was averaging almost 500 yards of offense per game!! Granted, the Purdue sked is no murderer’s row, but 500 yards a game? That is a lot of offense.
The verdict is still out on the 2007 Buckeyes. There is much football left to be played and it is hard to tell just who is good anymore. Everybody seems to lose to teams they shouldn’t lose to. I can’t predict the future, but I can compare the past.
This year’s Buckeye squad wasn’t ranked number one from the gun and isn’t taking anything for granted. Too often I felt that last year’s team did. This year’s squad is flying around the field and takes it personally if an opponent lasts more than three downs in a possession. Last year’s defense gave up lots of first downs to everyone, including 15 to Northern Illinois, plus 343 yards of offense. This year they have something to prove on the heels of the "Debacle in the Desert". This year they look hungry.
Will it be enough? Maybe against the competition they will face in the Bug Ten for the remainder of the regular season, but probably not against the LSU’s and USC’s of the world. But there is still time to improve.
No one gave the Buckeyes a chance to beat the Hurricanes in 2002. The wins during the regular season were offensively unremarkable and some downright ugly, but defense ruled the day. Still the critics said it was against teams that paled next to the Hurricane offensive juggernaut. Well, we all know how that story ended too.
Defense wins championships and speed kills. Both, frequent cliches in the world of football. Both, very true.
The bottom-line is that I think this year’s defense makes this year’s team better than last year’s team. Both sides of the ball are loaded and deep. Deeper than last year. Sure the offense was awesome last year, but it couldn’t get it done against a great defense. They scored one offensive touchdown in the title game last year, and the defense could not hold the Gators. This defense would have made that game more competitive.
This defense might win the Buckeyes another title.
UPDATE:
As of yesterday afternoon, after LSU and Cal both lost on Saturday, the Buckeyes have taken over first place in both polls and in the initial BCS rankings. Hey, in the immortal words of William Munny..."deserved got nothing to to with it."
So, wether they played "anybody" or not, they have the inside track to the National Title game. Win out and go. Will it happen? Probably not, but the whining is priceless.
Good luck to the contenders, pretty much anybody ranked in the top ten at this point, and may the best teams play in January.
I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and I still reside there today. I work for, root for, and defend the Scarlet and Gray. I love all things Buckeye and most things Big Ten. However, I am not above rationality when it comes to sports and would never be a complete "homer" who has no disregard for other opinions and/or viewpoints regardless of the topic....oh who am I kidding, unless you love the Buckeyes you don't count!!!
Go Bucks!!!!!!!! !!
