One of the most hyped up games of the upcoming college football season is now just less than a month away.
Yes, football fans, grab those foam fingers, wash that jersey, and fill that fridge with cold ones, because Ohio State and USC are meeting at “The ‘Shoe” on September 12th.
While many prognosticators see the Trojans rolling through Columbus with reckless abandon, this writer sees it a little differently – and there are a few reasons why Ohio State knocking off the Trojans isn’t such a far-fetched idea…
The Lucky Horseshoe
Let’s start with the obvious, shall we? Home field advantage. Let’s face it, it’s a nightmare for opponents to play at the ‘Shoe. Just ask anyone that’s had to go in there and deal with the noise. In fact, Vince Young once referred to Ohio Stadium as “the loudest place I’ve ever played.”
If the Trojans are going to have trouble traveling to a place like Corvallis—sporting its capacity crowd of just over 45,000—try dealing with Ohio State’s humble abode, chock-full of electricity, an “unwelcome mat” and a crowd of 100,000 plus.
On top of all that, the Buckeyes are 46-1 at home against non-conference teams, with the only loss being against Texas in ’05 (a close 25-22 game). This is the same Texas team that eventually won the National Title (eventually defeating… yep, you guessed it…USC). And, oh yeah, the Bucks beat Texas on the road the following season. The Big Ten Entrenched
Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes play a style like most of the Big Ten, focusing on the trenches, preaching solid defense, and controlling field position via a solid special teams group. While the Buckeyes return only 12 starters, this team does bring back some big weapons on special teams as well as its entire defensive line.
Included on this defensive line are four returning starters, two seniors and two juniors—all have the experience to help try and wreak havoc on Aaron Corp, the talented but inexperienced USC QB that has been tabbed as Mark Sanchez’s successor.
Last year’s OSU defense was consistent, ranking 18th in rush defense and 25th in pass defense. This D-line can plug up the running game, forcing Corp to try and beat them through the air while dealing with the crowd noise.
Having “Pryor” Experience
Terrelle Pryor may only be a sophomore entering this season, but he will be the QB with experience in this game. While Pryor made his share of freshman mistakes, he most certainly will be a better player in ‘09.
The former top-rated recruit has a ton of talent, both throwing and running. Pryor’s mobility is what is going to be key here, because with Ohio State’s question marks in the running game, having Pryor as a dual threat should at least help in keeping USC’s defense honest.
With a number of its offensive weapons departing, including WR Brian Robiskie, WR Brian Hartline, and RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, Pryor is not only going to need to put this offense on his back, but a number of other talented players are going to need to step it up.
“Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better…”
Recent football chatter has been how when a handful of Trojans depart for the NFL, it never matters because Pete Carroll and his staff just restock and reload. Yes, USC stockpiles talent but critics need to take a step back and look at the big picture. USC is not alone in this department.
In fact, the Buckeyes (under Tressel) have recruited exceptionally well. In fact, according to the 2009 class rankings on Scout.com, the Buckeyes are the No. 1 class, with USC landing in the No. 9 slot.
Sure, the Trojans managed ten players from the Top 100 and four five-star recruits, but the Buckeyes were not far off, landing seven Top 100 players and three five-star recruits. On top of that, the Buckeyes also rated ahead of the Trojans in 2008.
So while both teams are in need of some retooling, Ohio State is reeling in as much talent as USC. While recruiting is an inexact science, both teams will likely feature emerging young stars in 2009 and going forward. Just don’t be so fast to say that USC is the only team restocking with ease.
“Coach Klein” That Playbook
We all know how Coach Tressel likes to try and control a game. But with USC, the Buckeyes really need to open up the playbook more—say, in “Coach-Klein-like” fashion, as in the coach from The Waterboy, who loved to call some borderline absurd trick plays. But the fictional Klein gets pushed as a reference because he was far from vanilla.
Vanilla won’t fly with the Trojans, as USC just has too much talent, coupled with Carroll’s experience. So instead, catch USC a little off guard, maybe with a fake punt, a fake field goal, or a few trick plays that help open up Pryor for a big play or two.
It can work against USC—just look at Penn State in last season’s Rose Bowl. Fine, the Trojans put a hurting on Penn State in the first half, but the Nittany Lions did move the ball and score on a USC defense that was significantly more lethal than its 2009 unit, which still lacks experience (the Trojans lost eight defensive starters).
With Penn State, it was the “Spread HD” offense, and Tressel needs to pull a few tricks from that sweater vest sleeve, or this game could possibly get out of hand.
In Conclusion
The game is a month away, yes. But with names like Ohio State and USC, the hype should begin now.
I’m not here this soon to toss out plays and techniques, but I’m here to tell you a few basic reasons why the Buckeyes could leave that September night with a tally in the win column. The homefield advantage, the talented QB with a year under his belt, the defensive line experience, the special teams weapons, maybe a few trick plays, and the Buckeyes could be driving USC “nuts” and setting the stage for another off-the-wall college football season.
** Original version of this blog posted by KP on May 31, 2009
John Hughes was a genius, a one of a kind talent who blessed the world with comedic gems such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, National Lampoon’s Vacation, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Mr. Mom, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Home Alone, Uncle Buck and more.
Sadly, Hughes left the world prematurely after dying of a heart attack at age 59 just a few short days ago. The writer/producer/director had ties with the city of Chicago, and the people who lived there loved him like they love deep dish pizza, the Wrigley Field ivy, Ozzie Guillen’s potty mouth and Big Ten football.
That’s where this piece comes in – to provide a Big Ten football tribute to the passing of John Hughes, by providing a list of famous quotes from many of his movies, and providing the Big Ten football personality that fits the quote the most… “A: You can never go too far. B: If I’m gonna get busted, it is not gonna be by a guy like that.” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Justin Feagin (Ex-Michigan WR) – cut from the team after news of him arranging a cocaine deal. “Two hits. Me hittin’ you, you hittin’ the floor.” – The Breakfast Club
Jammie Kirlew (Indiana DE) – 10 ½ sacks in 2008, tied for 2nd in Big Ten behind Maybin (PSU) Corey Wootton (Northwestern DE) – 10 sacks in ’08 – also had 16 tackles for a loss last year
“The guy’s a predator and you’re his prey.” – Uncle Buck
Greg Jones (Michigan St. LB) – 127 tackles in ’08, tops among Big Ten returnees Sean Lee (Penn State LB) – returns from injury in ’09, had 138 tackles during ’07 season Brandon Graham (Michigan DE) – 10 sacks in ’08, led Big Ten with 20 tackles for a loss Clark Griswold: “Burn some dust here. Eat my rubber.” Rusty Griswold: “Dad, I think you mean burn rubber and eat my dust.” Clark Griswold: “Whatever, Russ. Whatever.” – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Stephfon Green (Penn State RB) – 4.29 speed and the compliment to teammate Evan Royster Brandon Saine (Ohio State RB) – 4.35 speed the main reason he’s known as “Zoom”. Hayo Carpenter (Minnesota WR) – JuCo with 4.37 speed a nice compliment to Eric Decker
“Was that seat hot or what? I feel like a Whopper. Turn me over, I’m done on this side. I’m afraid to look at my ass. There’ll be griddle marks.” – Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Rich Rodriguez (Michigan Head Coach) – If there are no signs of improvement this season, the hot seat could be a lot toastier for Rich Rod after ’09.
“Look, we’ll just go with the situation okay? And I’m sure by Sunday you’ll think of something. You’re a very bright guy. I have a lot of faith in you okay?” – Weird Science
Danny Hope (Purdue Head Coach) – Many critics think Purdue could be in the cellar by the end of the season, but the Boiler faithful have confidence in Hope and the daunting task he has of replacing Joe Tiller.
Andie: “May I admire you?” Duckie: “If you wish.” – Pretty in Pink
Juice Williams (Illinois QB) – Plenty to admire, as Juice is already 5th in total passing yards in school history, plus he led Big ten in total yards per game last season (324.3). Jim Tressel (Ohio State Head Coach) – Say what you want about the big losses in the National Championship, Tressel has the Buckeyes to BCS games in 6 of 7 years and at least a share of the Big Ten title for the last four seasons.
Rusty Griswold: “Dad, you must’ve jumped this thing 50 yards!” Clark Griswold: “That’s nothing to be proud of, Russ.” Clark Griswold: whispering to himself…“Fifty yards.” – National Lampoon’s Vacation
Daryll Clark (Penn State QB) – Can sling the ball down the field, and in ’08, put up nearly 2,600 yards passing, while throwing for 19 TD’s and only six interceptions Adam Weber (Minnesota QB) – Often not mentioned in the mix of elite QB’s in the Big Ten, Weber had 410 pass attempts last year – his arm is relied upon heavily in Gopher country.
Long Duk Dong: “Very clever dinner. Appetizing food fit neatly into interesting round pie.” Mike Baker: “It’s a quiche.” Long Duk Dong: “How do you spell?” Grandpa Fred: “Well you don’t spell it, son, you eat it.” – Sixteen Candles
Good luck spelling it, but also good luck getting the pronunciation correct as well… without proper coaching, of course… Mike Hoomanawanui (Illinois TE), Chimdi Chekwa (Ohio State CB), Derrell Johnson-Koulianos (Iowa WR), Louis Nzegwu (Wisconsin DE) and Derrick Onwuachi (Minnesota DE)
And finally… “OK forget Rocky. The point is… when you’re down, not exactly out… I mean, I mean you gotta hang tough… I don’t know.” – Mr. Mom
Michigan football – streaks ended last season include: non-losing year (40 years), bowl appearance (33 years) and winning Big Ten year (40 years)
R.I.P. John Hughes… and here’s to college football, less than a month away until kickoff!
Take a look around - it's true. Look at Jon Gosselin's love life, Lindsay Lohan's driving record, or Kevin Federline's waistline.
Nobody's perfect.
The Big Ten is no different as the 2009 football season steadily approaches. On one end, there's a Buckeyes team that owns a share of the Big Ten title over the last four seasons. On the other, an Indiana team, who according to head coach Bill Lynch, spent time traveling to sororities and fraternities attempting to find ways to get more students to attend football games.
But as a whole, each team in the Big Ten is similar. Each has its Achilles' heel - some more than others. Here's what could end up hurting each team's chances in 2009:
Achilles' Heel of Each Big Ten Team Entering 2009
Indiana - Offensive Line
Coach Lynch has mentioned returning 84 total starts on the offensive line - but it's still a group that allowed 2.33 sacks per game last season. That will need to improve - and that's also likely why Lynch is switching to a pistol offense, which will allow QB Ben Chappell to get the ball out of his hands much quicker.
Michigan - Inexperience at Quarterback
The coaching staff loves freshman Tate Forcier, but hey, Notre Dame loved Jimmy Clausen when he showed up in a stretch limo to announce he was going to run the Irish offense. Forcier will face growing pains and adversity, similar to what Clausen faced as a true freshman - especially when playing in a bruising Big Ten that will send countless big bodies at him play after play.
Purdue - Recruiting / New Staff
The Boilermakers have a number of holes as the team attempts to rebuild under a new coaching staff that has to deal with the stress of replacing arguably the most successful coach in school history. When Danny Hope was asked about replacing Joe Tiller he simply said, "You have to be your own man." True, but the departure of Tiller has also put a hit on recruiting, as per Rivals.com, the Boilermakers only have one four-star recruit (or higher) in each of the last two recruiting seasons.
Illinois - Defensive Line
The Illini lost their two top sack leaders from last season in Brit Miller and Derek Walker. Last year's team was in enough shootouts as it is, and with an inexperienced d-line, Illinois could find themselves struggling to get pressure on opponent QB's - thereby leading to - you guessed it - more shootouts.
Wisconsin - Linebackers
Jaevery McFadden is the only member of the Badgers to return with significant starting experience at the linebacker position. Culmer St. Jean and Blake Sorensen, the other two projected starters, only have a handful of starts between them. On top of that, the Badgers lost three D-linemen (all starters) from last year's team.
Minnesota - Strength of Schedule
The Golden Gophers will be proud to open the new TCF Bank Stadium, but don't be surprised if there will be adjustments playing outdoors in the cold as opposed to indoors on the turf. On top of that, Minnesota has one of the toughest schedules in the country (#5 according to Phil Steele), which is an even bigger roadblock. Included in the list of opponents are Cal and Air Force as non-conference foes, plus back-to-back road games against Penn State and Ohio State.
Northwestern - Offensive Inexperience
Sure, new QB Mike Kafka set a Northwestern record by rushing for 212 yards in a game last year, but this Wildcats team, fresh off its nine-win season, returns only five starters on offense. Among the departed include QB C.J. Bacher and RB Tyrell Sutton, and there are sure to be some growing pains heading into the season. Having Michigan and Ohio State off the schedule may help to some degree, but matching last year's record could be a tough feat.
Iowa - Road Schedule
The Hawkeyes are going to miss workhorse back Shonn Greene, who put last year's team on his back before leaving for the NFL. But the departure of Greene won't be Iowa's biggest roadblock - the Hawkeye road schedule will be, featuring away games against in-state rival Iowa State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Ouch.
Michigan State - Running Back Position
The Spartans lost Javon Ringer's 1,600+ rushing yards and 22 TD's. Dantonio reported that true freshman Edwin Baker (four-star recruit with 4.4 speed - Rivals.com) will play. Baker may be talented, but he has a history of knee injuries. Andre Anderson is the individual on the roster with the most returning yards on the ground from last year - a measly 97 over 26 carries.
Ohio State - Inexperience of Wide Receivers
Everyone knows that the Buckeyes have retooled with new weapons on both sides of the ball, but it still takes time for players to adjust to the college game. With the departure of Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline to the NFL, Ohio State should feel some growing pains at the receiver position. Senior Ray Small (18 catches in '08) was the slated returnee with the most experience, but there have been issues with him, as he was suspended late last season. Players like DeVier Posey and Lamaar Thomas will have to step up their game quick with USC on the schedule a few weeks in.
Penn State - Non-Conference Schedule
Yes, losing the talented receiving trio of Williams, Butler, and Norwood stings. Losing most of the secondary will cause growing pains, too. But this is a reloaded Penn State team that many expect to challenge for another Big Ten title. What really could bite this team is its non-conference schedule, featuring home games against Akron, Syracuse, Temple, and Eastern Illinois. When BCS time rolls around - if the Nittany Lions are in the picture, this schedule could be what keeps them from a dream.
It’s a broken record… the movie Groundhog Day in football form.
The SEC owns the Big Ten.
The SEC owns college football.
Big Ten fans respond by grabbing a dull spoon and making a twirling motion towards their chests.
If you’re a die-hard Big Ten football fan, then you likely dabbled in watching the Media Day coverage a number of days back. Yours truly did. And if you noticed, there was an intruder in the back room, with a southern accent, occasionally peppering questions that were borderline toying with that naughty three-letter word…
S – E – C.
If it wasn’t for those Iowa Hawkeyes last season, the Big Ten would have laid the proverbial bowl goose egg.
Look forward to the future, a day where the Big Ten can become relevant again. Instead of barking about how the conference has good teams, instead let the play on the field do the talkin’.
First off, get rid of the cupcakes. Michigan not just scheduling Appalachian State, but losing to them, was a major hit for the Big Ten. The Penn State 2009 non-conference schedule is one of the more popular topics of the year.
To some degree this is a work in progress. The Nittany Lions have Alabama in the very near future, plus Nebraska down the road. Ohio State has USC again this season. Heck, even Indiana had South Florida on schedule this year, but it had to be moved to a few years down the road. But this needs to be more consistent – go out and flex your muscle, Big Ten.
Flex your muscle, and recruits will come. There has to be a counter to the Sun Belt phenomenon. Let’s face it, a lot of kids feel the lure of sun, warmth, and girls. I’m just sayin’. But it’s a known fact that recruits get excited by big time matchups and national TV audiences. The Big Ten needs to schedule these conference powers, get on TV, and pepper it in with some history and tradition.
Focusing on the recruiting, I want to see the Big Ten focus more and more on bringing in the marquee quarterbacks. Sure, the Terrelle Pryor’s and the Tate Forcier’s are here, but in this case, there needs to be quantity and quality. Look at the quarterback position – it’s the sexiest, most talked about position.
What do fans talk about? Quarterback.
Who ends up the top pick more often than not in the NFL Draft? Quarterback.
The Big Ten needs to focus on recruiting more big-time quarterbacks. Heck, there hasn’t been a Big Ten QB first rounder in nearly a decade and a half. It’s a joke.
And what’s worse, the Big Ten needs to focus on giving its players the best possible chance to win the big-time bowl games in January. This was the most popular topic at Big Ten Media Day – the schedule dipping into early December.
The majority of Big Ten teams feature a bye-free schedule that not only tires out its players, but also sends them on a six-week hiatus leading into Bowl week.
Teams like Wisconsin and Illinois have already began to adjust this schedule to give its players more of a fighting chance. For example, the Illini have two bye weeks during the season, an open date on September 19th before traveling to Columbus and an open date on November 21st before its final two games, both non-conference, at Cincinnati on November 27th and vs. Fresno St. on December 5th. The result – a shorter break.
Stemming off the early December games, Big Ten, let’s close the door and work on the conference expansion. What’s the big holdup… seriously? Can you not come up with a good enough design to have a sneaky image of a “2” within the words “Big” and “Ten”?
Plain and simple: Conference championship equals more national exposure. More national exposure equals more recruits, more visibility to the voters that matter, and so on.
The writing is on the wall. The Big Ten still has talent, but it can have so much more.
C’mon Big Ten – your bark has always been there. Rip off that muzzle and let’s see that bite.
Prognosticators across the country are all taking a similar stance in this year's Big Ten race, with Ohio State or Penn State hoisting up another championship banner and a BCS bowl berth.
Don't get me wrong, the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions both are loaded with talent, but if I may borrow a Lee Corso gem for a moment...
"Not so fast, my friends."
Slowly step away from the Buckeye kool-aid... hands off the Nittany Lion nectar. Rummage through the Big Ten fridge... Sunny D, purple stuff... nothing beats a nice big glass of "Juice".
Juice Williams, that is. The Illinois senior quarterback, with school passing records in reach, is back for another go at it, and he's accompanied by an offense that's loaded.
Coming off a 5-7 bowl-free campaign in '08 (3-5 in Big Ten), Illinois is flying a little under the Big Ten radar, taking a backseat to not just Penn State and Ohio State, but also Michigan State - and heck, in some cases, the Golden Gophers, too.
But there are plenty of reasons to like Ron Zook and Illinois this year, first, starting with a veteran-laced explosive offense. First, there's Williams, the senior QB who averaged nearly 325 yards of total offense per game last season, which was 80+ yards a game more than Northwestern's CJ Bacher, who was second in the Big Ten. Don't forget WR Arrelious Benn, arguably one of the best receivers in the country.
In fact, college football guru Phil Steele has Benn, who had 1,055 receiving yards in '08, ranked as the top WR in the nation. The Fighting Illini are not just a 1-2 punch however, as the team returns eight starters on offense. Other impact players include senior TE Michael Hoomanawanui, who was recently named to the 2009 John Mackey Award watch list.
There's plenty of additional senior leadership on the offensive side of the ball, including WR Jeff Cumberland, WR Chris Duvalt, RB Daniel Dufrene, RG Jon Asamoah, and C Eric Block. The offense was not the issue last year, for a team that was second in the Big Ten in YPG differential - and this season, they'll be even better.
One of last year's question marks was the defense, which ended up being on the sour end of a number of shootouts, including a 52-42 defeat at the hands of Missouri, 38-24 loss to Penn State, and a 30-20 loss to Ohio State. In fact, Indiana was the closest Illinois came to holding a team to single digits, allowing 13 points to the hapless Hoosiers.
Many critics may be quick to point out the team's two sack leaders (Brit Miller and Derek Walker - each with 6) have moved on, plus that fact that Illinois only returns five starters on defense, but there are plenty of positives with this young unit. Zook and his staff have beefed up the defense by adding six four-star recruits (according to Rivals.com) over the last two recruiting seasons. Included in that mix is talented sophomore DT Corey Liuget, who will look to replace some backfield presence left by Miller and Walker. FS Donsay Hardeman, a JuCo recruit in 2008, should be in the mix despite missing the spring with a neck injury.
Early projections have three senior starters on defense (including Hardeman), therefore this is a team that will gain confidence and experience as the season progresses. If the pieces fall into place, there's enough talent present for this Illini defense to frequently get the ball into the hands of the explosive offense.
Finally, offense and defense aside, take a look at the Illinois schedule for 2009. The Illini open up the '09 campaign at a neutral site, taking on a Missouri team that has lost significant talent, including QB Chase Daniel and WR Jeremy Maclin, who are off to the NFL. The second non-conference game is against Illinois St., a team that went 3-8 last season. Chalk up a 2-0 start right there.
Following that, Illinois gets a bye week before a brutal trio to open the Big Ten schedule. A rested Illini team will open at Columbus and follow that roadblock with Penn State and Michigan State, both of which are home games. It's very possible that Zook and Co. could escape with two wins in this stretch, and then follow with five "easier" conference games, with the biggest challenge potentially being a trip to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers, a team Illinois has struggled against in the past.
One more bye week, and it's two more non-conference games, with the headliner being a trip to Cincinnati to take on Brian Kelly's Bearcats, a team that made a BCS appearance in '08. Looking back on the schedule, Illinois has two well-placed bye weeks against two schools that were a part of the BCS last season. On top of that, Illinois has a favorable home schedule, facing the Nittany Lions, Spartans, Wolverines, and Wildcats all at home.
While an undefeated season is highly unlikely, there's no reason to believe Illinois couldn't finish the season on December 5th with two losses, enough for a possible share of the Big Ten title and a BCS berth.
All in all, the football critics need to take a step back and look at Illinois when thinking of the cream of the crop in the Big Ten. Ignore last year's 5-7 record - this is a team that won nine games and played in the Rose Bowl in 2007. Illinois is loaded with talent, specifically on offense. The Illini are going to cause headaches for Big Ten teams that are not comfortable w/ a run and gun style of play.
If a team is going to beat them, it will first have to attack the two-headed monster in Juice Williams, then follow up by trying to put an air assault on a defensive unit that lacks experience, but doesn't lack in talent. The key to this team's success is going to lie in the hands of Juice, who is just 2,300+ passing yards from eclipsing Jack Trudeau's record at Illinois.
Toast 'em up Champaign, grab a glass of "Juice", Zook and the boys are back.
Send Message
Add Friend
Block User
MVP