The Buckeye Battle Cry

The last post ever on this blog

2008-09-10T22:08:00.002-04:00

Most of you already know, I've moved The Buckeye Battle Cry to a new domain. It's been running over there for more than a week now, and the reviews all seem to be positive.

Here's that address again - http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com - put it in your bookmarks!

I've been writing truncated posts here and linking to the new site for the past week for one big reason - this blog is part of the Big Ten Bloggers, and we have a feeder (it's in the right column, a little bit down from this post). The new domain was not yet added into the Big Ten Bloggers feeder, but the old blog was. So I double-posted and remained in the feeder that way.

The new domain is now in the BTB feeder, so this old blogspot blog has no further use.

Therefore, this is the final posting on this specific blog. Come join the New BBC at http://thebuckeyebattlecry.com

And thanks for staying loyal to me. The BBC is what you make of it, and I appreciate all your support.

Big Ten Bloggers Pick’Em - Week 3

2008-09-10T13:46:00.000-04:00

The Big Ten went a perfect 11-0 last week, the first time that has happened in….well, it was the first time ever. The Big Ten is actually 18-3 right now, but don’t get too excited…we were 18-4 last year, and they didn’t give us any credit for it. I’m not sure why, it’s not like any of us lost to a Div. 1-AA school….ummm, never mind.

However, the 11-0 record for week 2 was not entirely unexpected. We were favored to win in 10 of those games, so we must all pay tribute to Minnesota for pulling off a HUGE upset on the road. Congrats, Gophers!

This week’s games….not so easy. It’ll be tough for us to go 11-0, but we’ll give it a crack. Here is what The BBC is hoping to see in each Big Ten game this week.

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Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable, Week 3

2008-09-09T15:55:00.001-04:00

This week’s host for the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable is Dave from Maize and Brew, who doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his blog. His team blows but his words rarely do.

Here’s what Dave wants to know this week;

1. We’re two weeks in and everyone in the Big Ten, minus the two Michigan schools and Illinois, are unbeaten. This week marks the end of your early “tune-up” or serious OOC play. Are you satisfied with the way your team has played against the cupcakes on your schedule, or happy with the way they’ve competed against serious competition?

No. Any Ohio State fan who is satisfied right now didn’t see the first 35 minutes of the game on Saturday.

However, we are 2-0. I believe the only way we will get into the BCS National Championship Game is by going 12-0, and therefore we are on track to do that.

I’ll be satisfied when we are 13-0. But I’ll be happy and temporarily content if we go 3-0 first.

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Michigan players/fans overreacting to Weis comment

2008-09-08T22:41:00.000-04:00

Courtesy Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com’s Big Ten blog, we hear that the war of words between Michigan and Notre Dame (or “Cripple Fight ‘08″, as Brian from MGoBlog lovingly calls it) is heating up fast.

Apparently, Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis riled up the maize and blue as he was overheard saying “to hell with Michigan”.

We Ohio State fans recognize the complete redundancy in Weis’ supposed comment, but the words are not very popular in that state up north.

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The Nonsensical Ramblings of a Lunatic Mind

2008-09-08T17:33:00.000-04:00

Here's what's rattling around the old brain at the moment;

Tom Brady

He played for the enemy in college, and he plays for the enemy now. Despite that, it was unsettling to hear that Tom Brady's season is finished after suffering a knee injury that will require surgery.

Best wishes on your recovery, Tom Brady.

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Should Terrelle Pryor have played more?

2008-09-08T12:37:00.000-04:00

It didn’t take long after the game on Saturday for the text messages to start coming in on my cell phone. A couple of my friends were agitated, and believed that we should have played Terrelle Pryor a lot earlier (and a lot more) once the offense showed signs of trouble.

I wrote it off as anger and frustration. But then I started to see more signs of it. Later, a relative of mine said the same thing, then I saw a message board flare-up over Pryor’s minimal playing time.

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Ohio State drops to #5

2008-09-07T15:07:00.001-04:00

The AP and Coaches polls have just been released. Ohio State has dropped to #5. Yes, I'm pissed about it.

Ohio State did not play like the #1 team yesterday, and nobody in their wildest dreams expected them to rise in the polls. But the talk for three straight months has been "whoever wins between Ohio State and USC will be #1". Now the voters have given themselves an out should the Buckeyes win this weekend. I have no reasonable expectation that they will allow us to leapfrog three other teams if we knock off the Trojans, and the voters will puss out by saying just that.

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Did you see what you wanted to see on Saturday?

2008-09-07T12:30:00.000-04:00

Neither did I.

But let’s take a look back at The BBC’s weekly feature and see what we were hoping to see in the Ohio game.

1) A touchdown on the very first Ohio State possession - Fail. A quick three-and-out to start the game was a nasty foreshadow for what we were going to witness the entire first half.

2) A stop on the very first Ohio University possession - Success! OU got a first down on the drive, but we kept the Bobcats in check, allowing 17 yards on 6 plays.

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Trends (aka “grasping at straws”)

2008-09-06T23:54:00.000-04:00

While stepping back and looking at today’s 26-14 win over Ohio University, I was reminded of 2007’s battle against Akron last year. We won that game 20-2, but looked bad for most of the game.

Is there a reason why Ohio State played poorly in both these games? They were both against weaker in-state opponents, and in neither game should we have had to sweat the eventual outcome. Perhaps there is no true theory behind why Ohio State looked bad today, besides the simple conclusion that we were overlooking the Bobcats towards next week’s USC game.

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Week 2 (so far) - quick random thoughts

2008-09-06T18:57:00.001-04:00

Stuff that The BBC is thinking about right now;

Ohio State

Since he became head coach, Jim Tressel’s all-time record against teams ranked #1….go ahead and take a quick guess. We’ll tell you the answer in a few seconds.
Looking deeper at the game, our defense is NASTY. We held the Bobcats to 35% in the air. A few nice Bobcat broken runs was the difference between this game and a MUCH bigger win.

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Completely unacceptable

2008-09-06T15:32:00.002-04:00

I’ll do a more in-depth look at this game later on, which I’m sure will have a slightly scarlet-colored look to it, but for right now I’m not quite sure what happened…all I know is I’m not pleased with what I saw for the first 35 minutes of the game.

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In case you're wondering why I'm still using the blogspot page and linking to my own domain, Ithe new domain is not yet linked into the Big Ten Bloggers feed, so I am putting fragments on the old page so the stories get more exposure. Cheap ploy, but it works.

Dude, where's my defense?

2008-09-05T13:04:00.003-04:00

Penn State’s defense is in a little bit of trouble now. And it’s not because the store is closed and they ain’t got no more Doritos in the house.

Tuesday night, police investigated a noise complaint at the apartment of four Penn State players, and detected a “strong smell of burning marijuana”. Hours later, a serach warrant was delivered and marijuana was confiscated from the apartment. Charges are being filed against some of the party-goers in attendance that night, but no further information about that is known at this time.

----------READ MORE OF THIS STORY--------------

This blog has moved to The New BBC. I'll post pieces of stories here until the Big Ten Bloggers feeder file is updated with the proper linkage.

The BBC has officially moved!

2008-09-02T16:59:00.003-04:00

We've gone pro, sorta. This URL has been good to us, but we've outgrown it and have moved to a new domain.

The new site can be found at http://www.THEbuckeyebattlecry.com

Yes, it's our own domain. Hell, yeah.

Change your bookmarks and come visit the new site!

Big Ten Roundtable Week 2

2008-09-02T11:18:00.003-04:00

Each week, all of the owners of sites from the Big Ten Bloggers get together and answer questions about their own team, the league, whatever.

This week's Roundtable leader is Black Heart, Gold Pants. Adam's come up with five questions, and here they are. Let's get going!

1. Week 1's in the books. What surprised you about your team? Are you optimistic? Disappointed? (NOTE: Purdue does not apply here, so these fans must talk about Wake Forest instead)

The coaching surprised me a lot. Normally in a warm-up game, coaches put their starters in for a while, then bench everybody in favor of the second team, then the third team towards the very end. It usually means you're watching two JV teams go at it in the fourth quarter.

Not here. Tressel sat Beanie Wells after his first drive to give Boom Herron some work against starters, then pulled the entire first team for the third drive of the game, going with Terrelle Pryor and a slew of freshmen linemen. Wells, Todd Boeckman, and most of the starters saw more game time throughout the contest, but the backups saw plenty of time against YSU's starting lineup, and that will only serve them well individually and as a team down the stretch.

Yes, I'm optimistic, but obviously that optimism will balance with the news on Beanie Wells' health. Fortunately, that appears to be leaning in favor of the Buckeyes having him back for the Ohio or the USC game.

I must say that I was very disappointed in our punter's complete lack of punts inside the 20-yard-line. You've got to win the battle of field position, and we never pinned them back with a punt. That's inexcusable.

2. Beanie Wells' right foot is definitely the top story in the conference. What's #2?

The #2 story is that late at night, while everyone else is asleep, Beanie Wells' LEFT foot has been hard at work at the Ohio State University Medical Center, harvesting it's OWN stem cells. By tomorrow morning, we should have completed the process.

We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Beanie Wells will be that man. Better. Stronger. Faster.

3. Admit it: you loathe DickFraudROFL (né Rich Rodriquez), but when Michigan scored that last touchdown, you were rooting for them to make the 2-pt. conversion.

Sorry, but I can't admit what I didn't do. I wasn't rooting for that 2-pointer, mainly for two reasons. One, my girlfriend went to the University of Utah. She cheers for my team, I cheer for hers. Two, it was SO much more cathartic pointing out that the only quarterback who could have led Michigan to victory that day had already signed with The Ohio State University.

4. Is this weekend's slate of games actually less interesting than last week's?

MUCH less interesting. Here's a chart to prove it, sort of;

Team	Last week opp	This week opp	More exciting?

Indiana	W. Kentucky	Murray State	no
Illinois	Missouri	E. Illinois	hell, no
Iowa	Maine	Florida Inter	no
Michigan	Utah	Miami (OH)	hell, no
Michigan State	California	E. Michigan	hell, no
Minnesota	N. Illinois	Bowling Green	yes
Northwestern	Syracuse	Duke	yes
Ohio State	YSU	Ohio	no
Penn State	Coastal Carolina	Oregon State	yes
Purdue	n/a	N. Colorado	yes
Wisconsin	Akron	Marshall	no

5. Don't you hate pants?

Why, no. I LOVE PANTS!!!!

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FYI, in the next 48 hours, The BBC will move to it's own domain. Stay tuned for the news and the official launch.

Deep thought of the day

2008-09-01T17:30:00.002-04:00

Deep thought of the day;

Michigan lost their first game of the 2008 season 167 days before the season even began.

What? How do you mean?

Michigan's loss to Utah on Saturday can be traced back to a complete lack of leadership on offense. Their two quarterbacks struggled at best (50% completion rate combined), and their running game was downright awful (36 yards on 25 carries). Their longest drive of the entire day was 45 yards, ending with a fumble. Their longest scoring drive was 33 yards.

If they had one go-to guy on offense, there would have been some semblance of hope, and confidence in that huddle.

Unfortunately for Michigan, that go-to guy signed with Ohio State 167 days earlier.

Terrelle Pryor rushed for 52 yards (16 more than all of Michigan), and completed 4 of 6 passes for 35 more yards. And he did it in only three offensive series for Ohio State. Oh, and he led his team to 10 points, scoring a TD on a brilliant scramble for the end zone.

Is it fair to say that Pryor's talents would have led Michigan to victory? Absolutely. His talents are made for that offensive scheme, and RichRod's failure to sign him was certainly worth a field goal more. With Pryor, Michigan wins. Without him, they lost.

Buckeye Hotspots review - Winking Lizard

2008-09-01T11:03:00.002-04:00

In an attempt to find the best Buckeye bar in the Akron/Canton area, The BBC is visiting a different location each week during the 2008 season. Each Monday, a review of the location will be posted, rating the following features; quality of food, quality of drinks, game visibility, and atmosphere.

10 different locations will be graded, and the best spot will become the place where we watch our bowl game.

Week 1 location - Winking Lizard, Canton, Ohio

Quality of food - The menu is loaded. Tons of different appetizers, including the basic staples of apps. 15 different ways to order wings is always nice. Ribs, steaks, sandwiches, and a nice salad menu. They had to have had between 10 and 15 different burgers to choose from, plus all the menu items that makes for a good gameday hangout.

Special note - this is the type of menu you'd expect for a place to watch a game. I don't need creme' brulee with my football.....we're looking for "sports food" here!

I went with potato skins, and they were pretty damn good. Plus, they didn't get stingy with the sour cream, a major bonus. Later, I ordered a chicken caesar salad. Again, it was awesome. Although when the server asked me if I wanted the dressing on the side, I should have said 'yes'. That's my fault, though. The chicken was perfectly cooked. A guy near me got the steak caesar salad, and it looked incredible.

Quality of food - yes, I would recommend Winking Lizard.

Quality of drinks - In three words....oh, hell yes. They've got over 120 different beers to choose from, including their 100-beer World Tour. Ask the bartender for a recommendation, and they'll offer you samples to taste before you order.

You can go with a cheap domestic, or you can try an expensive import. They're all over the map on this feature, and if you're a beer drinker, you already knew about WL.

I tried a Hoegaarden because a cute girl two seats down said to try it. She was right. It was also kinda cool to hear her say "Hoegaarden".

Quality of drinks - yes, I would recommend Winking Lizard. Highly.

Game visibility - Above the bar is a full bank of flat-screens, which were perfect. Two large-screens on the corner walls, and a few other well-placed sets surround the area.

I took a stroll around the place prior to kickoff, and I couldn't really find a spot where I didn't have a decent view of at least one screen. If you're there and you didn't see the game, it's because you didn't want to see the game.

Game visibility - yes, I would recommend the Winking Lizard

Atmosphere - Here's the part where the review gets ugly.

When I arrived, things looked good. All the staff was wearing Ohio State shirts, and the TVs were all tuned to various sports shows (ESPN GameDay, LSU/Appy State, Big Ten Channel preview, golf channel, etc). The house sound was on Kirk Herbstreit, discussing how Bowling Green would upset Pitt. Nice call, Herbie!

Unfortunately, that was as good as it was going to get.

A couple minutes before Noon, each TV slowwwwwwwly changed channels. Just after kickoff, every other set was tuned to the Buckeyes game. The house sound, which was at a decent level when I arrived, could no longer be heard over the din of the crowd. They never bothered to turn it up.

Basically, what I determined from the experience is that Winking Lizard doesn't really get it. They just turned the TVs to a channel and called it a day. There was no real atmosphere for the Buckeyes in the place. They had the game on the screen? Congrats....so did my living room. Give me a reason to come spend money in your place if you want me to watch a game there.

They have a sound system in the place....they should have used it to play TBDBITL before kickoff. No "Sloopy" during halftime, nobody yelling out "O-H", no nothing.

When Beanie scored on the first drive, a fan took the initiative and did an "O-H". Twice. That was about it, though.

The building was between half and three-quarters full, and I think the atmosphere was the reason why. It's entirely possible that Buckeye fans in the area may already know that there are much more fun places to see Ohio State games.

I was so disappointed that I left at halftime and went home to watch the game there.

Atmosphere - No, I wouldn't recommend Winking Lizard in the slightest.

Overall grade - I think this was a great place to eat and have a drink. If you want to go out and meet your friends at a fun place on a Friday night, try Winking Lizard.

The BBC is dedicated to finding the perfect spot to watch an Ohio State game, and this is not the place to do that. If they take advantage of an opportunity and start doing more to fire up the crowd, maybe. But they didn't appear to be interested in giving people anything more than a seat in front of a TV set. Not good enough.

It's safe to say that the Winking Lizard will not be the location for our bowl game this year.

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Week One in the Big Ten

2008-08-30T22:51:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since I got see a full Saturday of college football (having worked in a sports-themed restaurant for the past 2+ seasons, it was impossible). Today was a real treat for me. I got to see large portions of more than a handful of games.

Thoughts on how the Big Ten performed today? OK, since you asked;

- Ohio State 43, YSU 0
You've seen my initial thoughts, but I'll elaborate more over the next couple of days.

- Penn State 173, Coastal Carolina 10
CC was getting clobbered from the moment they fumbled the opening kickoff. I don't think I can get a full assessment of how good PSU is from that game, but I did see a lot (and I mean A LOT) of broken tackles by Lions players. It looked to be a combination of good PSU play and bad CC effort.
Penn State had 334 yards of rushing, and they were not running up the score. 8 different players carried the ball, and nobody had more than 10 carries. Also, 13 different receivers made the box score. Yes, I said 13.

- Northwestern 30, Syracuse 10
The Wildcats have the potential and they could be a bowl team. The issue is, nobody really knows what kind of damage they can do. Since they played a lousy Syracuse team today, we still don't know what they are capable of, but I've gotta give them an "A" for playing with heart. They were losing to the Orangemen in the 3rd quarter, and they turned it up a notch. You didn't see much of that from this squad the last couple of seasons when they were down in the second half.

- Indiana 31, Western Kentucky 13
Kellen Lewis is a monster. Dude had 144 yards and 2 TDs in the air and 185 yards and 2 TDs on the ground. Those 185 rushing yards came on 9 carries. Yeah, that's correct...he averaged 21 yards a carry.

- Iowa 46, Maine 3
Kirk Ferentz needed a big win after a summer of being beaten to death by police blotters and bad news. He got it.
I didn't get to see this game, and I don't think this game was actually broadcast anywhere. It might have been kept off the air because of some obscure part of Megan's Law. I'll have to look into that.

-Wisconsin 38, Akron 17
The Badgers used a bruising run attack (404 rushing yards) to jump out to an early lead, then got a little scare thrown into them in the second quarter when Akron came back to within 7 points. It didn't last long.
The team that can slow down Wisky's running game will probably be able to beat them. Their passing game is going to struggle (they know it, too, only attempting 10 passes on the day).

-Utah 25, Michigan 23
Don't let anybody fool you. Michigan was in this game only because Utah let them stay in it. The Utes committed 15 penalties on the day, and made stupid mistakes all day long. A pass interference took away a Utah interception and gave Michigan their first TD. Then in the 4th quarter, Utah thought they had won and decided to stop playing. Plus, if somebody doesn't teach Utes QB Brian Johnson when to throw the ball away (and to actually throw it NEAR somebody when he does), they're in big trouble.
Michigan was downright awful on defense, and they have no go-to people anywhere to be found on offense (203 total yards, only 35 yards rushing, and 3-14 on third down). Johnson had over 300 yards passing against Michigan, and because he refused to throw the ball out of bounds, he had negative-66 yards rushing.
Penn State and Michigan State saw this game and are salivating.

-Minnesota 31, Northern Illinois 27
The best game of the entire day. It stayed close all game long, and when the Gophers found themselves down by 3 with 5 minutes to go, they put together a bruising drive for the game-winner (then held on against a near-miracle finish).
Minnesota won't win more than 5 games this year, but their fans found a new love. head Coach Tim Brewster sent his offense onto the field at the 4-yard line on 4th-and-2 with 30 seconds to play in a 3-point game. He could have gone for the easy tie and sent it into OT, but he wanted to send a message to his offense. the offense responded and got the first down and the win. Brewster could have been a major goat if his Gophers had failed that play, but this team needs confidence, and Brewster gave it to them. Kudos.

-Cal 38, Michigan State 31
This was a really exciting game, and MSU nearly won it. The Spartans are on the verge of being a great team. Right now, they are a good team and they will beat you because they take advantage of breaks when they go MSU's way. Sparty needed one more break tonight and couldn't seem to get it. The only problem is see with Michigan State right now is they lack defensive speed. It'll hurt them down the road, but they have the weapons on offense to make up for it.
Side note - ever seen any team thump their chest so much over basic plays like Cal did tonight? Outside of Miami, circa 1980s, of course.

-Missouri 52, Illinois 42
Damn, but I was having a tough time flipping back and forth between this game and MSU. I need a new remote control now.
Like offense? You'll love Illinois this year.
Like defense? You'll hate Illinois this year.

By the way, I think Purdue had a great weekend too. They didn't do anything wrong at all!

What are your thoughts on the Big Ten this weekend?
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The new Michigan tradition

2008-08-30T19:16:00.000-04:00

Bookend losses. One at the beginning of the regular season, one at the end.

I'd say to tell Rich Rodriquez about this other Michigan tradition, but he's just going to have to learn it for himself.

Seriously, dude....Mormons?

Did you see what you wanted to see?

2008-08-30T17:15:00.003-04:00

Putting aside the scare we have going on with Beanie Wells, was the game what you expected it to be? Obviously the score indicates a blowout (and it could have been MUCH worse than that for YSU), but what about the intricacies of the game....were they good enough for you as a Buckeye fan?

Mid-week, I posted 8 things I wanted to see in the game. Here's what happened with them;

1) A touchdown on the very first Ohio State possession
Success. We made it interesting, but Wells ripped off a big run on 4th-and-1 for the score.

2) A stop on the very first YSU possession
Success. We got a three-and-out. YSU actually only got one first down in the entire first half, on a penalty.

3) Beanie Wells needs 100-120 yards in the first half
No, but with good reason. Tressel mixed up his game plan, giving second-and-third stringers early action, then putting starters back in throughout the second and third quarters. Beanie, had he played the entire first half, would have easily accomplished this.

4) FG kicking must be perfect on the day
Success. I'm impressed, too. We connected on a 51-yarder and a 54-yarder.

5) 4 to 6 sacks on defense
Not today. We got two, but it should be noted that we forced so many 3-and-outs that YSU didn't get an opportunity to try enough pass plays for us to sack them a lot. OK, so that's a weak argument.

6) 65%+ passing from Todd Boeckman
Success. 74 percent passing for Boeckman. He looked good.

7) At least three possessions for Terrelle Pryor
Success. He got three possessions, and led us to 10 points. His TD was really nice, too.

8) A TD pass for Joe Bauserman
Let's be honest, Hartline got his foot down in the end zone. But it doesn't count, so this one wasn't a success. He'll get one against Ohio.

For the day, I'd say I saw plenty of the stuff I was hoping to see. I'm happy with the 43-0 win. Now it'll be complete when I hear that Beanie's OK.

How about you?

X-Rays negative on Beanie, and oh yeah...we won

2008-08-30T15:19:00.004-04:00

First of all, the news you're really wondering about;

Beanie Wells had x-rays taken, and they came out negative. No broken bones, and the immediate diagnosis is that we can eliminate the deepest fears about his right foot. Jim Tressel is giving a press conference now and is upbeat about him. Just said that they'll monitor him and it's a day-to-day thing.

As for the game, some things that stand out for me;

- I LOVED the fact that we mixed in a lot of backups early in the game. Boom Herron was the featured back on our second drive, Terrelle Pryor was the QB on the third drive, and we had three freshmen linemen in on offense (a LOT) in the first quarter.
- Tressel was determined to not let our punter play, wasn't he? Going for a 54-yard FG in the 4th quarter, and having Pryor go for it on 4th-and-7 in YSU territory late showed he was giving everyone (but the punter) a good look.
- Pryor is the real deal. I know he was playing against substandard competition, but he's got some game.
- The Penguins never their deepest penetration on the final play of the game...to the Ohio State 46. They only had one snap on our side of the field the entire day.
- The defense was so good, it was almost boring.
- Total rushing yards, Ohio State 251, YSU negative-11

Nice.

A full review later.....

(as I'm typing this, Michigan is running onto the field for their game. OOOH, Vernon Gholston just got another sack against them)

Gameday excitement has arrived

2008-08-30T09:27:00.003-04:00

OK, so the excitement has been around for a long time, but you know what I mean.

If you're in the area, come on down to Winking Lizard in Canton. I'll be there watching the game for my "Buckeye Hotspots" week 1 review.

Later tonight, we'll talk more about the game at The BBC, and in the next couple days, I'll let you know if Winking Lizard is a worthwhile place to watch an Ohio State game.

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By the way, if you're still frantically looking for channel 333/334 on your Time Warner Cable list, you won't find it. It's not been added yet. TWC has an automated announcement waiting for you when you call to ask about it. It says that the channel will not be added until kickoff.

As I mentioned yesterday, I have no faith that TWC will be able to add the channel at exactly the right moment. Plus, this shows that TWC knows absolutely nothing about the average college football fan.

We as college football fans ALWAYS turn the channel on AT LEAST 15 minutes before the show starts. In my 3 decades of watching the sport, I have NEVER once waited until the start of the game to turn to the right channel. But because of TWCs last-second maneuver, there will be tens of thousands of households that will have to wait until the last second, then find the channel to turn to it.

And that's IF TWC does the job right.

I just can't imagine what benefit this move has and why TWC would do this.

Anyway, I'll be out and since the channel will not be added until the last second, I can't possibly DVR it for later viewing. Somebody let me know if they added it on time.

Go Buckeyes!
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Getting nervous before Game 1

2008-08-29T17:45:00.003-04:00

Heading into tomorrow's kickoff against Youngstown State, I must admit I'm a bit nervous. About the game? Oh, HELL no.

I'm nervous that Time Warner Cable will screw the pooch.

If you haven't noticed yet, the channel isn't yet activated on your TWC cable box. Hell, the channel doesn't even EXIST yet. 18 hours before kickoff, if you try to go to channel 333, nada.

This morning, I called TWC and asked when the channel would be activated. The operator had no idea, so I asked her to please check. After being on hold for a while, she returned to say that her supervisor said "sometime just before kickoff". I don't know about you, but that's just not good enough.

If any of you actually trust a cable company to do something on time, I've got this great piece of real estate. Be at home between Noon and 4pm and I'll stop by to sell it to you.

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Last year, if you remember (and I'll bet you didn't), the beginning of the OSU/YSU contest was not seen by Big Ten Network subscribers. The BTN forgot to flip a switch for the right channel, and we were all watching an alternate game for quite some time. Ohio State scored a touchdown before anybody got to see a down of Buckeye football on the new network that day.

So my fears were somewhat justified last year. I'm just not confident enough. TWC should have made today the target date and have 24 hours to fix any potential glitches or problems that arise.

Are you ready?

2008-08-29T13:38:00.001-04:00

These guys clearly understand the history and the intensity of their jobs over the next four and a half months.

Let's do this!

Marcus Freeman to go!

2008-08-29T11:33:00.001-04:00

The final day of the countdown. Tomorrow we'll all wake up and put on the scarlet and gray.

Enjoy your day, Marcus!

Michael Phelps to play for Michigan?

2008-08-28T15:36:00.004-04:00

Well, not really, but ESPN's Ivan Maisel draws a scenario for it to happen. Michigan head coach Rich Rodriquez feeds into it as well.

Since Phelps trains in Ann Arbor, surely Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has dropped a hint. He is starting five freshmen in the Wolverines' debut of his no-huddle spread Saturday against Utah. One more novice -- one who would challenge Tiger Woods on the competitive spectrum -- couldn't hurt.
"Oh, I would put him at wide receiver," Rodriguez said. "With those long arms, he'd be perfect."

How do you think Michigan's current wide recievers feel, knowing that their coach would bench them if a guy who shaves his chest showed up to practice?

I think it's cool that Michigan will be honoring Phelps at halftime of their game this weekend.

At the very least, somebody in the stadium will know what it's like to win 8 times this year.
.

What do you want to see on Satuday?

2008-08-28T14:46:00.002-04:00

Game 1 of the 2008 season is less than 48 hours away, but nobody that I know of expects anything less than an Ohio State win. Hell, nobody expects anything except a blowout (except for the 80 people wearing Youngstown State clothing on the sidelines).

Whenever a lower-echelon team takes on a Top 5 squad, it's their game of the year. If they knock off one of the elite, their name will be sung throughout the land. So believe that YSU is taking this one seriously. But thanks to Appalachian State (and the eternal wisdom of Jim Tressel never letting his team look ahead), Ohio State will not be shocked by anything on Saturday.

But there are plenty of questions about the '08 version of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and we can start answering those slowly with a few steps on Saturday. Here's what I want to see from the Buckeyes as they take on the Penguins at Noon.

1) A touchdown on the very first Ohio State possession - The Buckeyes cannot start slow. There can be no questions about this team early. Be it a quick strike or a long sustained drive, they must begin their season forcefully.

2) A stop on the very first YSU possession - The Penguins do not have much of a chance and they know it. They'll fire out of the locker room with great enthusiasm, and the longer they get to stay energetic, the tougher it'll be on us. Push their hopes down fast and get inside their heads from play one. A three-and-out is not entirely necessary, but it'll help.

3) Beanie Wells needs 100-120 yards in the first half - Wells isn't going to see much game time in the second half, so getting his numbers early is important. Plus, if he gets to the century mark fast, it'll allow more time to see our backups in action. Give Boom Herron the ball and see what he does.

4) FG kicking must be perfect on the day - Our kicking unit has been the biggest weakness during pre-season. Ryan Pretorius' leg might make the difference in a big USC game, and the more confidence he has in Games 1 and 2, the better he'll be in Los Angeles.

5) 4 to 6 sacks on defense - I want to hear the talk about "no dropoff in talent" from the Big Ten announcers. There will be plenty of "how will the defensive line play with Vernon Gholston" discussion, and that'll squish it like a bug fast.

6) 65%+ passing from Todd Boeckman - The more accurate he is, the quicker he'll get to the bench, which leads us to;

7) At least three possessions for Terrelle Pryor - Let the kid see the field in Game 1 and he'll get at least a few jitters out of his system. He'll need it when he inevitably sees the field at USC for some trickery that Tressel has in store.

8) A TD pass for Joe Bauserman - He's going to be the forgotten QB, barring injury, for his Ohio State career. Let's give him some glory and put him in the scoring books for all eternity.

What do you want to see on Saturday? Add your points in the comments.

2 more days/3 more awesome Buckeyes!

2008-08-28T11:07:00.005-04:00

Three of the best Buckeyes ever occupy the space today. It's completely unfair to even decide who gets to go first, so we'll go with the coolest picture!

Canton, Ohio's own Mike Doss. He won a state championship at McKinley, and wanted that feeling again so badly that he delayed applying for the NFL and returned to Ohio State for his senior season in 2002.

Risky? Hell yes. Did it pay off? Hell, yes!

Next up is our current owner of the #2 jersey, the incomparable Malcolm Jenkins....

(speaking of guys who came back to win it all their senior year....don't let us down, Jenkins!)

Finally, the master. The first Ohio State jersey I ever owned was this guy's number. The greatest pair of hands ever to don a Buckeye uniform, Cris Carter;

So with two days before kickoff, The BBC salutes you, Mike, Cris, and Malcolm. Enjoy your day!

Channels 333, 334 - BTN on Time Warner

2008-08-27T12:15:00.003-04:00

Just announced - the channel for the Big Ten Network will be channel 333 on Time Warner Cable. The alternate feed will be on channel 334.

If you do not have a cable box, you still can see the game! It's on channel 77.

The above information, courtesy Time Warner Cable pre-recorded message.

UPDATE - High-def feeds supposedly will be on Channel 757, but they "might" not have the HD set up until Monday, too late for Game 1, but cool for the following games.

Pre-season All-Americans? We've got four

2008-08-27T11:16:00.002-04:00

ESPN just released their pre-season All-Americans list.

Florida's got two, both on offense
USC's got two, both on defense
LSU's got two, one on each
Oklahoma's got two, one on each

Those are the elite teams on the NCAA, agreed?

Ohio State's got four players on the team. Beanie Wells and Alex Boone on offense, James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins on defense.

Hell, yes.

If you're playing a down against Ohio State this year, be it offense or defense, there's two All-Americans on the other side on that line of scrimmage, waiting for you.

3 more days! 3 more days! 3 more days!

2008-08-27T00:04:00.002-04:00

We're reaching back into history (just a little bit) for our Buckeye player of the day today.

That's Dimitrious Stanley to the left, one of our speedsters from the 90s.

And here's the highlight I remember the most from his days in scarlet and gray, the opening kickoff from the Notre Dame game in South Bend;

Buckeye Hotspots begins

2008-08-26T16:43:00.003-04:00

Throughout the 2008 season, I'll be setting up camp at a different location each Saturday, in my search for the best place to watch a Buckeye game (Stark/Summit counties). I'm calling it "Buckeye Hotspots" unless I think of a cooler name.

We'll visit ten locations* during the season, and we'll revisit the best location for our bowl game.

The main criteria that we are going to be judging is food quality, drink prices, game visibility (does the location have enough televisions to give everyone a good view), and atmosphere (does the location get involved with the spirit of Buckeye football, or did they just turn the TV to the right channel).

The BBC is proud to announce that the first Buckeye Hotspot will be the Winking Lizard in Canton. Come and join me at 5710 Fulton Dr NW. Click here for directions, and Go Buckeyes!

* = It's only ten games because I will be in San Diego visiting my girlfriend for the Minnesota game, and I will be attending either the Illinois game or the Michigan game)

Time-Warner loves the Big Ten again....maybe

2008-08-26T13:01:00.005-04:00

Lots of stuff to discuss, so here goes.....

The Big Ten Network

Last night, Time Warner Cable announced that it had reached an agreement with the Big Ten Network. Thankfully, Ohio State fans will get to see every game from the comforts of home.

UPDATE - Some of my readers have pointed out that the BTN is supposed to be part of a sports package that many people will already have. This of course, lessens my fears of an overloaded customer-service system at TWC. Here's hoping they are right. They probably are.
Quoted below is what I originally wrote, but it looks as if it's all just me getting paranoid.

As of now, no details about the agreement are available, and any calls made to TWC are met with a pre-recorded announcement praising the upcoming broadcast of Buckeye games. But TWC is not accepting any orders to add the channel yet. They claim that the channel will be added "in time for Ohio State's first game", but will it be ready in time to accept all their suscribers' calls, and add the channel to that many people's packages.

If you called up Time Warner Cable last week and asked them to add HBO, you would have that channel within five minutes. No problem. But the anticipated number of callers last week was relatively low. Your request could be completed fast because there wasn't a backlog of callers waiting.

When you call to add BTN, you'll be one of (at least) tens of thousands of people trying to do the same thing.

Time Warner Cable still has to do a LOT before you can see the game on Saturday. The biggest task at hand is finding enough hours in the day and enough customer service representatives to handle the crush of people who will want to add the BTN.

They only have 95 hours to get all these people added in time, and they're not even taking calls for it yet. Cross your fingers, and do NOT wait until Friday or later to call them.

In the meantime, I'm excited to see BTN show up on my channel listing.

The Cleveland Indians

Who the hell do these guys think they are? Less than three weeks ago, they were 16 games under .500 and cruising towards the offseason. No hope in sight, just 25 players battling for spots on the 2009 squad.

A week ago, I posted a quick blurb about how they had a relatively easy schedule in the near future and that they could regain some respect with a late-season surge.

The Indians have won 8 of their last 11 games and have a pretty easy schedule down the stretch. If you're asking me if I think they'll make up 15 games in the final 6 weeks, my answer is hell no...but they could make it fun.

Last night the Tribe won their 8th straight game, and are 14-3 in their last seventeen games. They stand at 11.5 games back of Chicago, and a win tonight will put them in third place. Cliff Lee (18-2) takes the mound against a guy making his first pitch ever in the big leagues.

I still don't believe the Indians are playing past Game #162, but at least they're making it fun for us down the stretch.

Of course, now that I've mentioned it, the odds of Lee winning have decreased.....

Troy Smith

He was all set to start last week and capture the top QB role for Baltimore, but a virus derailed it. Baltimore is left with more questions than answers as they head into Thursday's pre-season finale. Apparantly, the job is Smith's if he's healthy. But that is in doubt, as he is still missing practices while taking antibiotics.

Here's hoping Troy gets healthy fast and gets on that field. He's a good guy and I'd like to see him get the starting job.

Chad Henne

The Miami Dolphins have chosen their starting QB for the 2008 season opener (and beyond). Chad Pennington gets the job.

Chad Henne is not the best quarterback in Miami. Hell, he's not even the best quarterback in Miami whose name is Chad.

No further comment necessary.

Michigan Football

Following up on Michigan RB Kevin Grady, who was arrested for DUI a few weeks ago (he blew a 0.271 in the breathalizer), Rich Rodriquez did the right thing and suspended Grady for at least the Utah game.

But I'll be honest with you....I'm thinking he's still too drunk to play anyway.

The BBC

I want to thank all my readers. I started this blog in the early stages of the 2006 season, and a prominent blogger told me that he liked my writing and to "keep writing, and people will notice." Thank you, BBC readers for noticing.

August 2008 will be the most popular month in BBC history. We will have topped our all-time highs in both visits and page views before the Buckeyes even take the field on Saturday. If this blog is getting personal bests in the amount of visitors before the season, I can't wait to see the traffic once things get underway.

I'm truly honored by your continued visits, and I promise to keep improving this site for your enjoyment.

4 days left

2008-08-26T12:41:00.007-04:00

Once again, there are SO many greats to choose from when it comes to wearing #4 at Ohio State. Let's start off with the current owner of the jersey, Ray Small;

Next up, our beloved Santonio Holmes, before he went all yucky on us in a Squeelers uniform;

From the National Championship team of 2002, here's Chris Vance;

And finally, how could we ignore Herbie The Great?

And for a bonus, here's video of Kirk taking it 72 yards. On a freaking option.

Can't wait til Saturday!

The Herbie Awards have arrived

2008-08-25T18:22:00.002-04:00

Former Buckeye quarterback (and current top-10 reason for sterility in college-age women) Kirk Herbstreit has released his annual list of Herbies.

Face it, the guy's so cool he gets his own awards list. Anyway, there's a full list to be found on ESPN.com, but The BBC would like to cherry-pick a few awards and take it from there;

- Beanie Wells is listed as the Top Running Back. Damn right, he is. Knowshon Moreno, who has the stupidest name in college football this year, is a close second. Herbie gives a nice shout-out to Javon Ringer at MSU, which just proves he knows what he's talking about.

- Best WR? Can't argue with Michael Crabtree at Texas Tech. The guy is likely to get more yards per game than a lot of QBs will. Special note - Brian Robiskie is the highest-rated B10 WR.

- Travis Beckum gets his due at tight end, as he should. The biggest question is whether or not anybody will be able to throw it to him.

- Tebow and Stafford at Georgia get top honors for various QB honors, and Todd Boeckman gets #2 in the "What a difference a year makes". Not bad that they give awards for future improvement to a guy who got to the BCS title game.....

- Top honors go to Buckeyes in multiple categories, including OL, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and cornerback. Yeah, true dat Herbie. True dat.

It isn't until late in the awards presentation before I get a little bit peeved. Under "Coaches that will exceed expectations", he's listed Charlie Weis. Sorry to say it Herb, but Charlie Weis will ALWAYS live up to his expectations, because NOBODY ever faults him when his team sucks. He's always considered a God, and he's never done anything at ND. Until Irish fans get their heads out of their asses and stop blaming Ty Willingham for everything Charlie Weis can't do, it'll never end. Weis sucks, end of story.

The preceding paragraph was written without use of the words "heavy", "fat", or "gargantuan buffet-devouring man-boy". I deserve props.

Finally, it's worth noting that Herbie selected his "All-Uni Team -- What A College Football Team Should Look Like". 20 percent of the entire list wears scarlet and gray.

Damn right.

I'm bored. Here's some facts about the Tressel era

2008-08-25T14:47:00.002-04:00

While I'm doing some finishing work on the new site (like that fancy new logo, do ya?), I'm taking a little break to post.

Let's be honest. This Saturday is a warm-up game. We're fine-tuning what we can in expectation of an easy win over Youngstown State. How many different ways can you preview that?

I'll leave that to the rest of the blogosphere. Me, I'm going to give you cold, hard facts about the man inside the sweatervest, Jim Tressel.

Since joining the Buckeyes, Tressel is 73-16, for an .820 winning percentage.

When Tressel's team takes the field on Saturday, it'll be his 90th game as a head coach here.
- His team has been ranked in the Top 25 an incredible 77 times out of those 90 games.
- 62 of those games, the Buckeyes have been ranked in the Top10.

When Ohio State is the higher-ranked team, they are 63-10
When Ohio State is the lower-ranked team, they are 5-3
When neither team is ranked, Ohio State is 6-3

During the regular season, Ohio State is 69-13
During Bowl games, Ohio State is 4-3
In BCS Bowls, Ohio State is 3-2

In 86 of Tressel's 89 Ohio State games, the Buckeyes have either won, or had the ball with a chance to win in the 4th quarter.

Under Tressel, the Buckeyes score 28.8 points per game
Under Tressel, the Buckeyes allow 15.6 points per game.

There ya go. Time to get back to building a website!

We could count the hours now, if you'd like

2008-08-25T10:34:00.003-04:00

We have only 5 more days until college football returns!

Here's Chimdi Chekwa, preparing to make a lot of hits in 2008. He's going to have a great chance to shine early, and The BBC is putting stock in the kid, if only so we can hear Musburger scream "Chimdi Chekwa picks it off" on national TV.

Got your plans made for Saturday? Where will you be watching?

I'll be announcing my plans tomorrow or Wednesday (The BBC is going bar-to-bar in search of the best place to watch a Buckeye game in Stark/Summit counties)

Next up in the picture tour, to the left is Michael Wiley (notice how soooo many of the pictures of running backs have a half-dozen Michigan players WAY in the background?)

Wiley is currently #7 on the all-time rushing leaders at Ohio State (but only 785 yards ahead of Beanie Wells, so we expect Wiley to slip down a spot around mid-season).

Wiley's biggest claim to fame? He's the only player in Ohio State history to take the opening kickoff of a SEASON all the way back for a touchdown.

So, Michael and Chimdi, enjoy your day!

Go Bucks!

Cie Grant's two most wonderful moments

2008-08-24T10:52:00.002-04:00

It doesn't matter that you can't see the #6 in the picture....you know damn well who it is yanking around Ken Dorsey to win the National Championship.

It's Cie Grant, #6 in the program, #1 in your heart.

Grant was always a strong defender, and he had a moment to remember in the Fiesta Bowl on January 3rd, 2003.

Facing 4th-and-goal in the second overtime, the Miami Hurricanes came to the line with three receivers. Add Kellen Winslow Jr into the mix (and the fact that star RB Willis McGahee was finished with a nasty injury), and you just knew this was a passing situation.

Cie Grant showed zone coverage, and then slipped to the line of scrimmage, blitzing past the Miami line just as the ball was snapped. Dorsey never had a chance, and his desperation toss to Winslow didn't get within 10 yards of him, and the Buckeyes won their first National Championship since 1968.

And if that moment wasn't enough to bring tears of joy to your eyes, there was this a week later, when Grant took the microphone at the ceremony to honor the Buckeyes;

Damn.

Cie Grant, enjoy your day!

Big Ten Pick'ems - The reigning champion speaks

2008-08-23T12:44:00.005-04:00

In 2007, the Big Ten Bloggers had a friendly little game of prognostication. A Pick'Em contest, run admirably by Tom, (the Blogger Formerly Known as Gopher Nation) who has a nifty new site over at The Daily Gopher.

Last year, there was a two-way tie for the championship between the aforementioned Tom and yours truly. I'm back this year to defend my title.

So with the season opener bearing down on us, I bring you my picks for Week 1 of the BTB Pick'Em contest;

The games

- Syracuse vs Northwestern
- W Kentucky vs. Indiana
- Youngstown State vs. The Ohio State University
- Coastal Carolina vs Penn State
- Akron vs. Wisconsin
- Maine vs. Iowa
- Utah vs. Michigan
- Northern Illinois vs. Minnesota
- Michigan State vs. Cal
- Illinois vs. Missouri

My picks

- Northwestern over Syracuse
- Indiana over Western Kentucky
- Ohio State over YSU
- Penn State over Coastal Carolina
- Wisconsin over Akron
- Iowa over Maine
- Utah over Michigan
- Minnesota over Northern Illinois
- Michigan State over Cal
- Illinois over Missouri

Why?

Northwestern over Syracuse
- Not many people give Northwestern their due. Despite being 10th in the Big Ten last year, they were almost bowl-bound, finishing at 6-6. I look for them to be improved this year and get to play in December. Syracuse? They suck.

Indiana over Western Kentucky
- The Hoosiers shocked a lot of teams last year and they have the most underpaid head coach in league history. QB Kellen Lewis is dying to explode on the field after some off-season problems. Western Kentucky is actually a good squad, and their RB is looking to have another 1,000-yard season. Unfortunately for WKU, he's all they've got this year.

Ohio State over YSU
- You don't really need me to explain, do you?

Penn State over Coastal Carolina
- The only stat in question is how many fans will post their own pre-game crimes on YouTube. I vote for three. But this game will give a LOT of opportunity for Penn State to answer the "pretender/contender" questions. I still think they are contenders.

Wisconsin over Akron
Akron has the 88th-best run defense in the NCAA. Wisconsin likes to run the ball (and may be their only offensive weapon this year until they find a QB good enough to carry Travis Beckum's jockstrap). Easy enough to predict the outcome of this game.

Iowa over Maine
- By the end of the season, Iowa might have more players in county lockup than they will in the stadium. But this is the first game of the year, and it's Maine. Look for a lot of pent-up frustrations to be released on the (whatever Maine's mascot is).

Utah over Michigan
- Really, would it be an upset if it happened? Not really. Utah is expected to have a ten-win season and Michigan still doesn't have their two-deep chart set up. The Utes had the 18th-best defense in the NCAA last year and they're looking for that breakout win to show the country they are for real. Michigan's been plagued by the injury bug the past few weeks and no matter how good RichRod was in WVA, there are no Slatons, Whites or Devines anywhere near Ann Arbor.

Northern Illinois over Minnesota
- Minnesota doesn't have much going for it, and second-year head coach Tim Brewster desperately needs something for his kids to build upon. Anything to build confidence in his team. A game against 2-10 NIU should do the trick.

Michigan State over Cal
- This should be one hell of a game. Big Ten vs. Pac-10, on prime-time TV. ABC's first big Saturday Night Game. Most years, it'd be a nasty scene for the visiting school, but I've got confidence in Mark Dantonio. He's gots himself a good football education (he was an assistant at Ohio State, nudge nudge wink wink). I'm calling the upset, which should help defray some of the anti-Big Ten screams

Illinois over Missouri
- A lot of the BTB is down on Illinois, thinking perhaps 2007 was a fluke year. That may be, but the Illini don't know it yet. I expect to see them fly high into Missouri and knock off what I think was an overrated Tiger squad last year. Plus, I really need them to be 10-0 when Ohio State visits them. I have tickets to sell to that game, and I'll get more money for them.

Day #7 - the discovery of who God is

2008-08-23T11:47:00.008-04:00

It's a fact....there is truly no way to determine the best player to honor on some days. Day #7 is by far the toughest day to choose. So we won't even try. But here's a BEVY of photos for you to enjoy, all of players who wore #7 during their career at Ohio State;

First up is Ted Ginn Jr. He once ran so fast down the field, that the earth began to reverse rotation. Warner Brothers Studios slapped an immediate Cease And Desist on him for violating copyright.

Now comes Chris Gamble, the man who could play 120 plays in a game and ask for more. He once shot a man just to watch him die.

Along comes Joey Galloway, one of the best receivers of his generation. On NFL Draft Day, HE called up teams and told them whether or not they could draft him. He also called Al Davis a pussy.

Joe Germaine, who led the 1998 team right down the field on the winning drive. It was later discovered that Germaine scored the final TD with 17 Arizona State defensive players on the field for the entire drive. Also, during the season, he allowed Stanley Jackson to co-QB, but only when he "grew tired of playing the game with you mere mortals".

Cornelius Greene, QB-extraordinaire from the early 70s. This photo was shot with a color camera, but Greene's speed was so intense that cameras could either decide to accept a blurry image or accept a black-and-white image. Nobody could explain it until Joe Germaine used his enormous brain to calculate the reasons why.

Greene went on to host "Soul Train" for 5 years, and he also gained a reputation as a private dick who's a sex machine to alllll the chicks. Damn right.

While writing this post, I had an epiphany.

All the great players who wore #7 at Ohio State have their last names begin with the letter G.

Therefore, God loves Ohio State and wants to wear #7 for us.

I report, you decide.

Roy Hall brings us down the home stretch

2008-08-22T12:15:00.003-04:00

It's Roy Hall day! 8 days left!

Pictured left, Hall scoring an early TD against Iowa from 2006.

Both teams were 4-0 heading into the game and there was a lot of concern among Buckeye fans about playing a Top 15 Iowa team on their home field at night.

Yeah, that didn't last long. Ohio State 38, Iowa 17. Lots and lots of sad faces in the crowd that night....here's a few;

BHGP is gonna be pissed.....

Site improvements/milestones

2008-08-21T22:48:00.002-04:00

I'm working on a whole new domain and several site changes. I'm hoping to have everything finished by the end of the weekend, but my official goal is opening day.

I believe that a better look, coupled with the start of the season, will increase the amount of visitors and generally be a huge stepping stone for The BBC as we approach our second birthday. I have plenty of reason to believe this, and in fact our traffic is already increasing dramatically from last year's numbers.

August 2008 (which still has 10 days left in it) has the potential to be the highest-traffic month in the history of the BBC. It's in 5th place right now, rightfully so....Nov of '06 and '07 are the two tops, because the site really heats up during Michigan week, and the two months leading up to National Championships are also near the top.

I'd be pretty damn proud if The BBC's biggest month came in which most of the month was pre-season.

Incidentally, today marked the 100,000th page view that we've received since Day One. Not the biggest of milestones, but I'm happy.

There, have I talked enough to push the USC shirtless wonders below the fold? Phew.

News from USC - now it's just getting uncomfortable

2008-08-21T18:11:00.007-04:00

Seriously, I wish I were making this all up....but I'm not.

Most of us who love college football enough to blog about it are guys. And most of us have been in the prototypical-yet-moronic "nuh, uh, YOU'RE gay" argument with other sports-loving guys. It's a rite of passage and we've all been there, except most of us don't actually give the other side EVIDENCE.

If you're a fan of USC, and you're reading this blog, please tell your favorite team to stop rolling around with other half-naked men. It's just making all of us snicker.

Here's the latest piece of evidence - USC starting wide receiver (note - not a tight end, snicker) Vidal Hazelton and his "friends" at a "party" recently;

Yes, there was lots of posing. LOTS of posing.

The only thing missing is....well, girls.
Hmmmmmm....

These curious pictures are just the latest in a serious of confusing details about the USC football program.

About a month ago, we were treated to a FAB-U-LOUS little video from a USC recruiting weekend. Take special note of the 50+-year-old men taking their shirts off with the 18-year-old boys so everyone could be a party to the FUN!

Then came the "he looks way too at-ease in those" photos of USC LB Rey Mataulaugugageaga;

This was followed shortly by a barely-mentioned story out of USC training camp that included guys placed on the injury list with.....ummmm, jock itch.

"It burns," receiver Travon Patterson said.

Yeah, I bet it does.

Looking over all the evidence, this goes WAY past the "tee-hee Matt Leinart is SO ghey" territory. We're entering Pride Parade material now.

Sports Illustrated's Top 10 players in the Big Ten

2008-08-21T14:12:00.002-04:00

You're going to love this list, and I have no reason to quarrel with it;

10) Curtis Painter, QB - Purdue
9) Greg Middleton, DE - Indiana
8) Alex Boone, LT - Ohio State
7) Javon Ringer, RB - Michigan State
6) Maurice Evans, DE - Penn State
5) Travis Beckum, TE - Wisconsin
4) Vontae Davis, CB - Illinois
3) Malcolm Jenkins, CB - Ohio State
2) James Laurinaitis, LB - Ohio State
1) Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB - Ohio State

These guys would certainly make my personal list (although Middleton is a surprise). It is interesting to note that no WRs are on the list (and it's widely accepted that Brian Robiskie is the B10s best at the position....I wonder if he is #11?).

Any objections/additions/changes to this list in your mind?

Joe Paterno - Creepy-Old-Guy, or Pants-Pooper?

2008-08-21T11:05:00.002-04:00

This is the Big Ten Network's latest promo commercial, featuring all 11 coaches of the league.

Watch it and tell me if Paterno doesn't creep the Holy Bejeezus out of you;

I honestly think he did push a loaf out during that last line. Or, at his age, maybe I should just say "lose the ability to keep a loaf inside"

Someday I'll have to post the video from the 2006 game where Paterno actually DID make a boom-boom in his pants. He went racing off the field unexplained during the first half, and returned later in the game wearing different colored trou. You make the call.

Three amazing Buckeyes days to go!

2008-08-21T09:45:00.006-04:00

Folks, we're into single digits finally....there's only 9 days left before kickoff!

The countdown we have been running has been a lot of fun, but there are days that you have to make a decision on who to post. A lot of times, when we have more than one player we could post, we'll put up pictures of multiple Buckeyes, and then highlight one of them.

We're doing that again today.

We have three potential Buckeyes to post as our #9 day. Let's start off with the current player!

Brian Hartline has been a wonderful surprise. He's got amazing speed and soft hands. There are some who compare him to Anthony Gonzalez, and I have no problem agreeing with that. Teams who focus on Robiskie this year will have to contend with getting burned by Hartline.

Also, his cousin is a close friend of mine, and she's smokin' hot.

Next up is a recent Buckeye, 2006 graduate Donte Whitner.

There's not much you can say about this kid, except that he was a monster if the ball came anywhere near him. Either you were leaving your feet or the ball wasn't getting to you if Whitner had anything to say about it.

But the guy we're going to highlight today comes from the previous decade.

10 years ago, David Boston played on one of the greatest Ohio State teams ever to take the field.

He was the primary receiver on an amazing offensive squad, and he knew it. Going into the Michigan game, he had two things on his mind, victory and revenge.

In the 1997 game, Boston and Michigan's Charles Woodson went at each other all day long, even throwing hard slaps at each other's heads for a few seconds. There was no doubt that the two players didn't like each other very much.

But later in the game, Boston up for a pass that sailed high over everybody's head, and Michigan DB Marcus Ray took advantage of it and laid a cheap shot into the back of Boston.

Boston didn't forget that moment, and he got both his wishes in the 1998 game. He got the victory, and he got his revenge on Ray;

Yes, Boston got a flag on the play. It meant we had to kick the extra point from 15 yards further away (oh, no....not that!) The Buckeyes won that day 31-16.

David Boston, here's to you! Enjoy your day!

Early evening wrapup

2008-08-20T18:48:00.003-04:00

As we get closer and closer to opening day, you will see a lot of blogs increase their output. The BBC is no exception. College football may be the #1 priority of the specific blog, but it's not the only sport in town. With that, here's a few other subjects rattling around the BBC braintrust.

NFL preseason

...or, as ESPN calls it "Brett Favre and a bunch of other teams that might play against Brett Favre this year."

If you're new to the BBC (and judging by the increased page visit numbers from 2007, you are), it should be pointed out that we're based in Northeast Ohio, and are therefore fans of the Cleveland Browns. However, on Monday night for a span of about 3 hours, I disavowed any knowledge of the Browns, because they apparently were nowhere to be found.

The bad news is that against the Giants Monday night, they looked like the least-disciplined team I'd ever seen in the NFL. Stupid penalties, horrible ball-handling, confusion all around.

The good news is that it was pre-season. Nobody cares.

Last year, the Browns had a first quarter similar to the opening fiasco against New York....the only difference is that it was in a meaningful game, the season-opener against Pittsburgh. Let's just put that behind us and hope that the 2008 Browns learn their lessons as fast as they did in 2007.

Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn

Prior to the 2007 season, Brady Quinn held out of camp in a contract dispute. I have no qualms in saying that his dispute cost him the starting job. If he had been in camp on Day One, he would have been better prepared and may have been given the starting nod when Charlie Frye fell flat on his face.

BQ, meet your second chance in life.

Derek Anderson suffered a mild concussion against the Giants and will sit out this Saturday's game against the Lions. It is believed that he will miss the final preseason game, but that's not yet been determined. Quinn gets the starting nod in his place, and is expected to take snaps into the third quarter.

Granted, one pre-season half of play will not automatically give him the full-time gig, but the benefits of getting reps with the first team all week in practice can only increase his chances. If he shines on Saturday, we've got ourselves a quarterback controversy.

Troy Smith

Considering this is his day on the BBC, this is a nice piece of news. Smith will start at QB for Baltimore in this weekend's pre-season game against St. Louis.

Smith started last weekend's game, but the Ravens only called five pass plays with him on the field. On the ground, TS picked up 35 yards in only three carries.

Smith is in the same boat as Quinn...he's not being given the job, but he has an extraordinary opportunity to steal it away for himself. A bevy of reps with the first-team offense in practice, and an extended stay on the field in the game might get him the nod in Week 1 at home against Cincinnati. (note to Troy - Leon Hall plays defense for Cinci. You already own that little bitch. Whip his ass. Oh, and Carson Palmer said some stuff about your college team. Ask to play defense and whip his ass too)

Kyle Boller came into the year as the shaky frontrunner for the job, but has clearly lost his foothold, especially after turning the ball over twice last week and three times in the Ravens two games. ESPN is reporting that Boller may not even play against St. Louis.

Step it up, Troy and get that job.

The Cleveland Indians

This season was doomed early on, with the injuries to four key players, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook. Two of our best offensive weapons and two of our top three pitchers were gone early. Add in the misery of an April for CC Sabathia, and it was all but over.

So there hasn't been much joy at the Jake (yes, I'm calling it the Jake, dammit). Until now.

The Indians have won 8 of their last 11 games and have a pretty easy schedule down the stretch. If you're asking me if I think they'll make up 15 games in the final 6 weeks, my answer is hell no...but they could make it fun.

But then again....22 of their next 25 games are against teams below .500. Could it be?

Nah, I'd better not get carried away.

YouTube

College football must be fast approaching. I have my own special way of telling. It's when Michigan fans start barraging my YouTube videos with negative comments, and pounding their chests with how "awesum teh Wolverines are gonna B". They especially like to play Keyboard Kommandoes on my "Ohio State OWNS Michigan" and "Chad Henne Is A Joke" videos (with a combined 432,000 views, than you).

Last year, they disappeared quickly (losing to 1-AA schools tend to do that to a fanbase), but I expect them to stay hyperactive through most of the season in '08. They'll keep hugging RichRod's nutsack until his failures become their own, same as Carr. Then, just before they can begin to scream for Rodriquez to be fired, he'll weasel out of his contract to coach somewhere else. You know it, I know, even THEY know it.

But in case you're wondering why you don't see any anti-OSU comments on the YouTube vids....I delete them and block the user as soon as they pop up. YouTube gives the video author that power, and dammit I'm gonna use it. It's especially funny when they re-register and try to post the same comment. Dude, I push two buttons ('Block User' and 'Remove Comment') and you're gone again. Don't waste your time.

News on my dad

Hey, thanks for all your nice comments and e-mails last week.

Dad's doing much better, and is back on track for rehab/physical therapy. His problems did indeed stem from steroids. he wasn't getting enough to control everything following his brain surgery (there's a message, kids. Make sure you get enough steroids!). He's going to be in the hospital recovering for at least another week, maybe 2 or 3. He's not happy about it, but he's even more upset that the hospital doesn't have the Big Ten Network, and he'll miss the opener against YSU.

Attaboy, Dad. Priorities.

An open letter to Coach Tressel

2008-08-20T12:30:00.004-04:00

Eleven Warriors points out that Jim Tressel is in tune with the blogosphere (especially Buckeye ones), and that he's a bit upset over some online discussion about a closed practice on Sunday.

“Some of our people brought in little blog sites [that said] ‘We saw this’ and ‘We saw that’ and ‘We saw this,’ ” Tressel said. “I guess you’re just trying to lower the percentage of that going on. Our coaches work hard on what we’re trying to prepare and would rather not have their thoughts and ideas and game plans out there kicked around until they get to showcase them.”

A few thoughts on this, coach;

1) I've just scanned through some of the best-known blogs that follow Ohio State. Eleven Warriors had nothing on Saturday, nor did MotSaG, Our Honor Defend, Around The Oval, Buckeye Commentary, Dotting The I, or yours truly, the Buckeye Battle Cry.

But I did find one site online that told a LOT about the practice....it was a local print newspaper, the Canton Repository. Writer Todd Porter wrote plenty about the practice, including the results of the scrimmage, who stood out, and some details about Pryor.

I've been able to locate plenty about this year's Ohio State team, and the info is readily available all over the internets. But the only info I got on the closed scrimmage from Saturday came from a guy who had the credentials. Perhaps all of his words were approved by you, but the point is, that was the only place that I located any info about the scrimmage.

2) We at the Buckeye blogs are your friends, coach. We are also your most avid supporters and defenders. When things go wrong, we will go into great detail to dissect what we saw and what we would like to see in ways of improvement. When things go right, we are the first ones to pour on the praise and speculate on what it means for the future.

When the vultures start showing up (and believe me, they show up anonymously on our sites constantly), we are the ones who defend you night and day.

Sportswriters have editors and advertisers and media consultants and filters and everything that forces them to stop and re-think every word they write. We bloggers have none of those barricades. We get to publish our thoughts, and our readers are the only ones who give us guidance and further insight.

Lest you think that we bloggers can turn into a wild pack of insane asses, think again. There are so many of us out here, that the cream does indeed rise to the top, while the blogs which feature insane ramblings get shunned right into minuscule page view numbers.

Reach out to us, coach. Invite us into the press conferences and the practices. We can and will follow the rules of proper journalism, and we can do it quicker and more frequently than the 20th-century form of journalists. If you have something you want pushed, tell us about it. We don't have a three-article-per-week limit on what we can publish. We can hit the site as much as needed and write as much as we can about the team we love so very much.

Talk to the AD. Find three press passes for Ohio State bloggers and give us a chance at the Ohio State/Ohio game this year. We'll make sure that three respected bloggers show up and do their job as good as or better than any local newspaper. We'll prove to you that we can and will do the job admirably.

There are thousands of college football blogs out here now. You can help us evolve into a more accepted form of journalism by providing better access. Give us that chance, and I assure you we won't let you down.

Only three amazing quarterbacks left to go!

2008-08-19T22:56:00.010-04:00

There are only ten days left before college football returns to Columbus, Ohio.

Let's say you have your choice of who to post a picture of, representing Ohio State in a #10 jersey....you have a tough choice to make.

Do you choose......

Art Schlichter, a four-year starter (under Woody, who HATED starting freshmen), and finished in the Top 10 of Heisman voting in three of those years?

When the guy left college, he was Ohio State's career leader in total offense. Pretty impressive....

Do you choose......

Rex Kern, Mr. All-American, who won two National Championships and led his teams to a 27-2 mark over a three-year span?

The guy was the leader of the Super Sophs, and you cannot deny his historical place at The Ohio State University.

Well, if you're me, you can't deny either player their rightful spot to #10. But I'm going with the guy that most of you would select.....

Troy Smith. Who else?

Let's look over the brilliant history, shall we?

- Heisman trophy winner, 2006
- As a starter, he was 25-3 overall
- Won his last 15 Big Ten games
- 58 career TDs, only 13 INTs
- Went 3-0 against Michigan
- Gained 1,051 total yards in three games against Michigan by himself. The Wolverines total yards as a team in those same games? 1,051 total yards.

Fact is, the guy had a wheelbarrow full of amazing plays and highlights. You can't find one play that sums up Smith, you need a dozen or so.

My favorite, though is the play against UM with Gonzalez shown in yesterday's post, tied with a similar play against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl (shown at the 2:04 mark of my Troy Smith highlight video here;

That Notre Dame play was on third-and-long, and broke the backs of the Irish.

Tell me, what was your favorite all-time play by Troy Smith? Put it in the comments, I'd love to hear about it!

My friend Troy Smith....enjoy your day!

This one goes to 11

2008-08-19T10:30:00.003-04:00

11 days left! I do love these countdowns.

Anthony Gonzalez first showed up on a Buckeye highlight reel when Ted Ginn Jr and Santonio Holmes were the star receivers at The Ohio State University. He could have easily faded into the background, but talent like AG doesn't stay hidden long.

As a freshman, he quickly found Buckeye fans clamoring to own a #11 jersey (especially after a 68-yard TD catch against Michigan in the first two minutes of the 2004 game, pictured here).

But it was Gonzalez' sophomore game against Michigan that OSU fans remember the best.

November 19, 2005 - With only 7 and a half minutes to play, Michigan fans were in celebration mode after their team took a commanding 21-12 lead over the Buckeyes. But Ohio State was prepared to show Wolverine fans that the party wasn't started yet.

It took just 5 plays and barely over a minute of the game clock for QB Troy Smith to go down the field for a TD strike to Holmes, cutting the deficit down to 21-19. The ensuing Michigan drive stalled quickly, but a punt pinned Ohio State at their own 12 with just over 4 minutes left in the game.

The Buckeyes never even faced a third down on that winning drive, as Smth, Holmes and Ginn sliced through the defense in 6-to-11 yard chunks.

And then it happened.

At the Michigan 31 yard line, the Buckeyes lined up for first down. Ten seconds later, nobody could believe what they had just witnessed;

Smith dancing away from a tackle was a work of art, and Gonzalez' catch was pure magic.

Being down two points and having a deadly placekicker, the game was all but over. But Tressel didn't want to leave much time on the clock, so he ran Smith off right tackle to burn some clock (and force Michigan to use their final time out). With under 30 seconds to play, RB Antonio Pittman blasted through a demoralized Michigan squad for the winning score, and the celebration shifted from 105,000 fans in blue to the 5K wearing scarlet.

For that amazing catch, Anthony Gonzalez, enjoy your day!

Oh, and because I love countdowns.....

.....days until Michigan

Holy Buckeye! Only 12 days until kickoff

2008-08-18T14:19:00.005-04:00

You can watch hours of highlights from Ohio State games of the past, and you will never find a moment better than the one pictured to the left.

November 9th, 2002 - Ohio State visits Purdue, and although the Boilermakers were not ranked, they were viewed as a formidable threat to the Buckeyes' perfect season.

The Buckeyes were not going to be known this season as an offensive juggernaut, but they always seemed to score the points when necessary. On this day, that was in serious doubt.

Leading rusher Maurice Clarett left the game with a stinger in his shoulder and was unavailable for any late heroics. Trailing 6-3, Ohio State got the ball back on offense with just over 2 minutes to play. Facing third-and-13, QB Craig Krenzel found TE Ben Hartsock on the left sideline. Hartsock's catch and run was valiant, but it left the Buckeyes with a 4th-and-1 at Purdue's 37-yard-line.

What followed is what legends are made of;

Love him or hate him, Brent Musburger's call will bring tears of happiness to any Buckeye fans on that day.

Purdue had a shot at winning the game following this play, but Chris Gamble made an outstanding interception on his own 10-yard-line to seal the deal (it was kind of like the USA Hockey Team in the 1980 Olympics. Everybody remembers beating the Russians...nobody recalls that we had to beat Finland to get the gold medal aferwards).

I had to work that gorgeous Saturday afternoon (but the work was being done in my home office). I had the TV on next to my computer, and grew increasingly frustrated as the game wore on, spending more and more time glued to ABC and less time concentrating on my job.

I grew up on Woody Hayes and Earle Bruce, so when Krenzel dropped back to pass on 4th down, my heart skipped several beats as I freaked out. When Jenkins cradled the ball, I leapt so high into the air that I actually slammed my skull into the ceiling. I didn't feel any pain for hours, but the indentation in the ceiling remained.

So here's to you, Michael Jenkins. Today's your day. But tomorrow, you should help me fix that dent. I've been meaning to get to it.

Bob Saget raped and killed a girl in 1990

2008-08-17T23:28:00.001-04:00

Almost forgot to post Day #13....here's Andre Amos!

AP has the Buckeyes at #2

2008-08-16T13:28:00.004-04:00

The poll just was released. Georgia is #1, barely ahead of Ohio State.

Other Big-Ten teams ranked include Wisconsin (13), Illinois (20), and Penn State (22). The two schools from the state north of us got votes too, Michigan would be 32nd, MSU 35th.

USC is a close third. The case is currently laid out to place the winner between OSU and USC to vault into the #1 slot, with such a thin margin separating all three squads.

SEC brown-nosing continues with four teams in the Top 10.

It's Bobby Hoying Day!

2008-08-16T00:34:00.002-04:00

14 days left!

Holy crap, there's only two more weeks until kickoff!

Today, on this special day, call the wife and kids into the room. Sit them down and calmly explain to them that the whole family should make plans for a nice day next Saturday. Make it a great weekend. Because it's the last fucking time they'll see you on a Saturday for 3 whole months. Maybe longer.

It's Mike Tomczak Day (also with update on my dad)

2008-08-15T13:38:00.002-04:00

15 days until college football!

Mike Tomczak was so fast....("how fast was he?")......he was so fast that by the time we snapped this picture of him, he was GONE, leaving only his uniform behind (which was not nearly fast enough to keep up with him).

OK, an update on my dad. First, thanks for all your comments and e-mails. I appreciate it.

Dad's better. The cause of the effects he was feeling have been whittled down, and it looks as if he wasn't being given enough steroids to counter the swelling and leftover tumor fragments. As a result, he was confused and agitated. They're still doing tests, hoping to rule out any hematoma potential, and surgery might still be necessary. But for now, he recognizes everybody, knows the date and all the vitals, and seems happier.

We're not out of the woods yet, but at least we're no longer headed in the direction of Rustin Parr's house*.

I'll keep you updated. Til then, at least we can breathe a small sigh of relief.

Thanks,
Jeff

* - Bonus points if you get that reference.

-

Needed - prayers and positive thoughts

2008-08-14T20:01:00.002-04:00

Occasionally, I sneak in an entirely personal posting. This is another.

My father, the man who raised me to be a Buckeye fan, is in a hospital bed tonight and he's not doing well. Last Friday he had brain surgery to remove a tumor, his 9th one in the past 23 years (the tumors have always been benign, but they've always grown back).

Usually he has the operation, the family rallies around him, and he recovers after a few months of rehab and physical therapy. Yes, the toll of multiple surgeries has left him weakened and on several medications, but he's still fighting and is still one of the sweetest guys you could ever know.

Yesterday the doctors at University Hospital in Cleveland sent him down here to Canton (Mercy Medical Center) to begin rehab/therapy. But when he woke up from a nap in his new room, he wasn't the same person. He was confused, very paranoid, and downright angry about things which he could not properly explain.

In the middle of the night last night, he was transported back to University Hospital and they have begun more tests to figure out what is wrong. The diagnosis has gone from a hematoma to overmedication to "undecided". They don't know what's wrong. But in the meantime, my father is behaving as if he had a stroke, and my mother is a wreck, wondering what has happened to her husband. 24 hours ago, we were planning his return after a week of intense physical therapy....now, we have no idea what the next moment will bring.

Many times, The BBC is cathartic to me. It gives me the opportunity to reach out to fellow sports fans and dig into what we love so much. Tonight, I wouldn't know where to begin writing about the Buckeyes or anything else.

Do me a favor? Whatever it is you do when you need a little help from above, do that for my dad tonight. A little positive energy might go a long way towards figuring out what's wrong, and fixing it....and that'd be nice to have now.

Thanks,

Jeff

It's Craig Krenzel Day!

2008-08-13T23:59:00.003-04:00

Back in 2001, not too many Buckeye fans loved having Steve Bellisari as our quarterback. He was unpredictable and prone to turnovers. But his backups were not likely to make it big either, so we just had to gut it out until new coach Jim Tressel could get his own recruit in the system in the next couple of years.

9 days before the Michigan game of '01, Bellisari screwed up big time with a DUI. He was replaced as the starter (by Scott McMullen) for the Illinois game, but most people expected to see him start the always-important TTUN game.

However badly Tressel wanted to win the Michigan game, he did not want to do it by starting Bellisari, so fresh from his arrest. he gave the reins of the team to a very green QB named Craig Krenzel.

Krenzel didn't throw the ball much against UM (Jonathan Wells single-handedly crushed the Wolverines that day), but the experience he gained in beating Michigan 26-20 was enormous. It led to a much more confident signal-called behind center as we started 2002, and....well, you know the rest.

Craig Krenzel will never be known as a world-beating QB. But for fourteen glorious games, nobody in the world was able to beat him.

Here's to you, #16. Enjoy your day!

Buckeye notes (and other stuff)

2008-08-13T15:25:00.006-04:00

Some thoughts circulating in the brain of The BBC;

There's been some discussion lately about Ohio State and how their opponents are the least penalized team for the past three consecutive years. A lot has been written about psychological studies, breaking down of the numbers, and occasional bias from the officials. Across The Oval has an excellent piece about it.

One of the main sticking points of the theories being targeted is that nearly every opponent we face gets flagged far less than they do in their other games. It's enough to upset even the most calm Buckeye fan.

My theory is quite simple...almost too simple.

Ohio State has been ranked in the Top 10 EVERY week for nearly three years, an a great deal of those weeks were spent at #1. When Purdue, or Illinois, or Penn State goes up against a team like Ohio State (or any team with a dominating history like the Buckeyes), you can bet that their coaches are on them all week in practice about one thing...discipline.

I believe that these teams are simply showcasing a bit of that discipline when they play us. It's much more likely than any other scenario.

---------------------------------------

Anybody else had enough of the nationwide circle-jerk over Michigan coach/supposed savior Mike Barwis? Yeah, the whole thing smacks of hype and bullshit. For further proof, go research the nationwide circle-jerk surrounding Michigan coach/supposed savior Ron English, circa 2006.

Fact is, when the chips were down, English was run-of-the-mill and couldn't hack it against a real team like Ohio State. Barwis is no exception.

----------------------------------------

Seriously, Brian at MGoBlog just posted the following;

There was another open-ish practice yesterday. It was significant for two events. Event #1 was Mike Shaw smoking guys.

Smoking guys?

Are we sure that this type of activity should be done in public? Not that there's anything wrong with that.....but maybe Shaw is trying out for a spot on the "lifestyle-friendly" USC squad?

Someday, Shaw is going to wonder why all the Buckeye blogs call him "Mike Shaw, famous Guy-Smoker".

Stay in school, kids

2008-08-13T14:57:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Vico over at Our Honor Defend, I now can back up my claims whenever I tell people I was there for Earle Bruce's final Michigan game.

<---- this is me, not Cris Carter

As a freshman at The Ohio State University, I was offered the chance to go to the Michigan game that year (my seats were in Block O, so we took a group trip up north). When we purchased our tickets, we had no idea how important the game would be.

You know the story...four days prior to The Game, Ohio state abruptly fired head coach Earle Bruce. We had lost to Iowa the game before on a fluke 4th-and-23 play that dropped our record to 5-4-1. It was Bruce's first bad season at Ohio State, and the administration reacted too harshly. Athletic Director Rick Bay resigned in solidarity with Bruce, and the campus was incensed and outraged.

I recall hearing the news in my dorm room, and how there was an almost immediate freak-out feeling around campus. Later we would see footage on the news of TBDBITL showing up on Bruce's lawn to play and sing to him. The coach and his family joined them, tears streaming down the hard-as-nails leader's cheeks.

So heading up to Michigan, we felt (nay, we KNEW) it was a bigger game than usual. And we were fired up.

The team gave everything they had that day, but you knew before the game it would be special. The players all willingly violated a team uniform rule, wearing headbands with the word "EARLE" on them. The mere sight of those headbands during warmups fired us all up, and we gave every last ounce of strength in our vocal cords that day.

The above image is from the live ABC broadcast, following Ohio State's first TD, cutting the Michigan lead to 13-7 late in the first half. The Bucks would score on the opening play of the third quarter and never look back in a 23-20 victory.

We stormed the field and celebrated our asses off in Michigan Stadium that day. On the way back to the bus, three of us swiped a maize-colored parking horse. I still have my third of it, which I carved the date and score into. I hope the statute of limitations is less than 21 years.

Exhausted, I slept on the bus ride back to Columbus. When I woke up, we had defeated Michigan in my first year in college....but we had lost a legend. I was there to see it, and thankfully I have more than stolen property to prove it.

It's Todd Boeckman Day!

2008-08-13T09:44:00.002-04:00

Only 17 days until college football returns to us!

Selecting the player to represent us today was easy. Boeckman may not be the top-billed star on the team, but he's our leader. (Hell, when you have Beanie Wells and James Laurainitis on your team, you're never going to be considered the top performer)

For 2008 to be what we need it to be, Boeckman must wear two hats. First, he must be a good quarterback (obviously), but second, he must be an excellent mentor. We need this kid to show Terrelle Pryor the ropes.

Honestly, I have every confidence in the kid.

Todd Boeckman, enjoy your day today! But fear not, there'll be plenty more days to enjoy in the next six months!

File under "W" for "What were you thinking?"

2008-08-12T18:56:00.006-04:00

I give to you Spain's Olympic basketball team photo;

Yes, all the players are slanting their own eyes, much like the "Chinese, Japanese, Dirty Knees, Look At These" chant you heard when you were 7.

No word on whether or not any suspects have been named in the latest Olympic scandal, "The Mystery of the Pee-Pee in the Coke"

Deep thoughts....

2008-08-12T13:10:00.001-04:00

When Buckeye fans begin the echoes of "O-H-I-O" around the stadium on September 6th, will Bobcat fans join in?

If they don't, does that mean the terrorists win?

It's Andy Groom Day!

2008-08-12T11:32:00.003-04:00

18 days until college football returns to Columbus, Ohio!

Today we pay tribute to Andy Groom, the man who pinned opponents deep with his booming punts. Imagine what it must have been like to play against us in 2002...not only was our defense incredible, but we also forced you to start drives from deep in your own territory.

I suppose that's why teams went 0-14 against us that year.

Sometimes the jokes just write themselves......

2008-08-11T22:31:00.003-04:00

From The "M-Den", the University of Michigan's official merchandise store online....on the page entitled "Championship Merchandise", it reads "Sorry, No Products to Show For This Department". (click the picture for a larger version)

Go ahead, try and write a funnier joke than that.

terrorist fist jab - "The Only Game That Matters"

And if you think I'm posting this just once and moving on, you don't know me very well, do you?

Hey, it's Derek Harden day! (and Tom Tupa!)

2008-08-11T12:03:00.003-04:00

Hey look! Vico at Our Honor Defend found us a Tom Tupa picture!!!!
<----------

MIA from the Big Ten Bloggers

2008-08-10T23:03:00.002-04:00

By now, the majority of my readers at The BBC know all about the Big Ten Bloggers (let's be frank, a majority of my readers come here because they see my link from OTHER BTB sites). We're a close group of enemies, we are.

The Big Ten Bloggers are seriously overloaded with sites from Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State...but that's to be expected. Here are three schools with large fan bases, so it's to be expected that a lot of blogs would come from there.

But I was looking over the blogroll this evening, and I was struck by a rather glaring omission - the lack of quality output from Wisconsin and Illinois bloggers.

I have links to three sites from these two schools, and I'm seriously disappointed by them. Illinitalk hasn't been updated in 6 weeks, Wisconsin Badger Sports has gone four weeks dry, and Badgers Blog is just an online blog from an established print-media company (so I hardly give them credit for passion-based sports writing, like most of the BTB).

What gives, Badger/Illini fans?

Wisconsin has been an upper-echelon team of the Big Ten for a long time now, so I would expect some mild forms of hysteria expressed online for Badger football. As for Illinois, a BCS bid and some serious national spotlight should have driven some Illini fans from the internets (remember, it's not a truck, it's a series of tubes) out of hiding.

But yet, some slim pickings are still coming from two of our prominent teams, both favorites to see bowl action, most likely in January.

The grandfather of Big Ten Blogs, MGoBlog has a few other links to sites from these two, but again there's either no updates, or it's a non-football blog. But then again, MGo also is flawed in their lack of a link to The BBC (can't blame 'em though....I've picked on them before).

So does anybody out there have a good Illinois or Wisconsin blog they read? I'd love to hear some hype from these schools.

You got Barack-rolled

2008-08-10T19:42:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while, I post something non-sports related. This is one of those times....

Too classic!

Down the home stretch!

2008-08-10T12:07:00.003-04:00

20 days until we get to play some college football!!!!

(oh, but sorry Donald Washington, it'll be 34 for you. Straighten up and fly right now. We need you!)

It's Nate Salley Day!

2008-08-09T09:39:00.001-04:00

Officially 21 days until kickoff!!!!

It's Les Horvath day!

2008-08-08T08:17:00.002-04:00

22 Days until kickoff!

OK, now I really don't want to do this, but I've gotta. While scanning for pics of Horvath, I came across this biography at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com. This is how the piece begins;

While on vacation in Hawaii in 1974, Les Horvath was walking along the beaches of Waikiki and came across Ruby Aylor, whom he just had to meet. He decided to walk over to her and introduce himself. He said his name was Les and asked if he could stroll along the beach with her. She politely declined.
Horvath didn't give up easily. He tracked her down later that day and finally charmed her into going out with him. During their conversation, Horvath mentioned he had played football at Ohio State and won the Heisman Trophy in 1944. She had no clue what he was talking about. She knew nothing about football, let alone what the Heisman Trophy was. As the conversation went on, Horvath and his buddies were having no luck convincing her he was a pretty popular guy. Though Ruby didn't believe him, she still thought he was quite charming and they started dating.
Horvath, who lived in California at the time, flew to Hawaii almost every week for his Saturday night date with Ruby. After dating for about five months, the couple married in February 1975. But it was not until she accompanied him to New York City later that year that she was finally convinced about who he really was.

Now, re-read that and pretend that you hear the story being read to you by Stone Phillips.

Sounds a whole lot creepier, doesn't it?

Sorry Les. Enjoy your day!

Sweet Jesus, Braylon Edwards is good

2008-08-07T20:06:00.002-04:00

Of course, he sucked balls four years ago, but I'm willing to forgive him for being so obviously drunk on the day he signed his college commitment letter of intent.

The Cleveland Browns are playing their first pre-season game, but currently it's stopped due to heavy rain. Apparently the NFL instituted a new rule today mandating that Brett Favre may not get wet under any circumstances.

Usually about 30 minutes into the first pre-season game, the starters are all pulled anyway, and that will be the case when the storm ends. But if you were watching the game up to this point, then you know the Braylon Edwards catch that inspired this posting. If you weren't watching it live, get thy self in front of a TV when Sportscenter is on later.

I'll post the video if I can later, but it was incredible.

QB (for now) Derek Anderson went back to pass on second-and-goal at the 2, and threw a quick out pass in the direction of Edwards. Braylon turned to the inside, and was forced to stretch hard to his own left to haul in a one-handed catch in the end zone. My feeble words will not do it justice, so you'll have to see it for yourself.

Seriously, it was sweet. I'm glad he saved these catches for the years he played for the Good Guys, and dropped a shitload of them when he stepped on the grass about 2 hours southwest of Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Paging Josh Huston, your day has arrived!

2008-08-07T10:29:00.003-04:00

23 days to go, kiddies! Can you feel the excitement???

An interesting trend

2008-08-06T22:39:00.003-04:00

College football must be getting near. There are several ways you can determine the near-arrival of America's Greatest Sport.

-The calendar says "August"
-Pre-season polls are almost all completed and published
-Tommy Tuberville finds the keys to his waaahmbulance
-Traffic on Big Ten Bloggers sites begin to spike
-Michigan fans start to attack my YouTube videos en masse.

I want to focus on that last one because...well, it's easy to make fun of Michigan fans when their noses are knocked out of joint. And trust me, those noses get whacked hard when any of them see the video for "Chad Henne Is A Joke".

It's also relatively easy to tell what argument Michigan fans are going to use when they post a response on my YouTube vids. They go with one of two hissy-fits.

Hissy fit #1 - "Fuck you, Chad Henne will be starting for the Dolphins on Day One. What's Troy Smith doing, getting water for the team?"

Well, actually, Smith is projected to start for the Ravens, but with a new coach in Baltimore, all three QBs are going to get plenty of looks in the pre-season (Kyle Boller, Smith, and John Flacco, whose college team wore the ugliest helmet ever). But if you really want to know what Troy Smith is doing, just ask him. He'll tell you after he takes off his four pairs of gold pants, his four Big Ten Championship rings, and his National Championship ring (yes, he was on the team in 2002 and got a ring)

As for Henne, he might start for the worst team in the NFL, but the fact is that he started for one of the better NCAA teams and still went 0-4 against his biggest rival. That's something he will never be able to change.

Hissy fit #2 - "Oh yeah, well Michigan holds the all-time lead 57-41-6. Who owns who now?

Listen, from my experience, Michigan fans are the first ones that will tell you of their early National Championships and the head-to-head totals between UM and OSU.

What they kindly forget is the time period in which most of those wins took place, especially the one where "back in 19-ott-eight, Phineaus Q. Rosenblatt ran for over 80 lengths in a match against the scallywags of Wesleyan College, giving them their second relegation of the Midwestern Football Amalgamation. He had the ladies blushing in their bloomers, he did."

Most football historians will tell you that the sport took a great evolution around the mid-thirties and became the sport you know today. Major changes took place in that era, and most of them still exist today. Pop Warner threw the first forward pass in 1933, and by the next season, the entire league quickly adapted to it. College football was now more of an official nationwide sport, and it's rebirth was complete. This is when the sport you know today took shape.

Also, this was around the time frame that Ivy League schools stopped winning the NC every other year, and balance began to form amongst the great teams.

So let's look at the records from 1934-2008, shall we?

1934-1940

1934	Michigan	0	Ohio State	34	Columbus
1935	Michigan	0	Ohio State	38	Ann Arbor
1936	Michigan	0	Ohio State	21	Columbus
1937	Michigan	0	Ohio State	21	Ann Arbor
1938	Michigan	18	Ohio State	0	Columbus

1939	Michigan	21	Ohio State	0	Ann Arbor
1940	Michigan	40	Ohio State	0	Columbus

Ohio State 4, Michigan 3

1941-1950

1941	Michigan	20	Ohio State	20	Ann Arbor
1942	Michigan	7	Ohio State	21	Columbus
1943	Michigan	45	Ohio State	7	Ann Arbor
1944	Michigan	14	Ohio State	18	Columbus
1945	Michigan	7	Ohio State	3	Ann Arbor
1946	Michigan	58	Ohio State	6	Columbus
1947	Michigan	21	Ohio State	0	Ann Arbor
1948	Michigan	13	Ohio State	3	Columbus
1949	Michigan	7	Ohio State	7	Ann Arbor
1950	Michigan	9	Ohio State	3	Columbus

Michigan 6, Ohio State 2, ties 2
Total - Michigan 9, Ohio State 6, 2 ties

1951-1960

951	Michigan	7	Ohio State	0	Ann Arbor
1952	Michigan	7	Ohio State	27	Columbus
1953	Michigan	20	Ohio State	0	Ann Arbor
1954	Michigan	7	Ohio State	21	Columbus
1955	Michigan	0	Ohio State	17	Ann Arbor
1956	Michigan	19	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1957	Michigan	14	Ohio State	31	Ann Arbor
1958	Michigan	14	Ohio State	20	Columbus
1959	Michigan	23	Ohio State	14	Ann Arbor
1960	Michigan	0	Ohio State	7	Columbus

Ohio State 6, Michigan 4
Total - Michigan 13, Ohio State 12, 2 ties

1961-1970

1961	Michigan	20	Ohio State	50	Ann Arbor
1962	Michigan	0	Ohio State	28	Columbus
1963	Michigan	10	Ohio State	14	Ann Arbor
1964	Michigan	10	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1965	Michigan	7	Ohio State	9	Ann Arbor
1966	Michigan	17	Ohio State	3	Columbus
1967	Michigan	14	Ohio State	24	Ann Arbor
1968	Michigan	14	Ohio State	50	Columbus
1969	Michigan	24	Ohio State	12	Ann Arbor
1970	Michigan	9	Ohio State	20	Columbus

Ohio State 7, Michigan 3
Total - Ohio State 19, Michigan 16, 2 ties

1971-1980

1971	Michigan	10	Ohio State	7	Ann Arbor
1972	Michigan	11	Ohio State	14	Columbus
1973	Michigan	10	Ohio State	10	Ann Arbor

1974	Michigan	10	Ohio State	12	Columbus
1975	Michigan	14	Ohio State	21	Ann Arbor
1976	Michigan	22	Ohio State	0	Columbus
1977	Michigan	14	Ohio State	6	Ann Arbor
1978	Michigan	14	Ohio State	3	Columbus
1979	Michigan	15	Ohio State	18	Ann Arbor
1980	Michigan	9	Ohio State	3	Columbus

Michigan 5, Ohio State 4, 1 tie
Total - Ohio State 23, Michigan 21, 3 ties

1981-1990

1981	Michigan	9	Ohio State	14	Ann Arbor
1982	Michigan	14	Ohio State	24	Columbus
1983	Michigan	24	Ohio State	21	Ann Arbor
1984	Michigan	6	Ohio State	21	Columbus
1985	Michigan	27	Ohio State	17	Ann Arbor
1986	Michigan	26	Ohio State	24	Columbus
1987	Michigan	20	Ohio State	23	Ann Arbor
1988	Michigan	34	Ohio State	31	Columbus
1989	Michigan	28	Ohio State	18	Ann Arbor
1990	Michigan	16	Ohio State	13	Columbus

Michigan 6, Ohio State 4
Total - Michigan 27, Ohio State 27, 3 ties

1991-2000

1991	Michigan	31	Ohio State	3	Ann Arbor
1992	Michigan	13	Ohio State	13	Columbus
1993	Michigan	28	Ohio State	0	Ann Arbor
1994	Michigan	6	Ohio State	22	Columbus
1995	Michigan	31	Ohio State	23	Ann Arbor
1996	Michigan	13	Ohio State	9	Columbus
1997	Michigan	20	Ohio State	14	Ann Arbor
1998	Michigan	16	Ohio State	31	Columbus
1999	Michigan	24	Ohio State	17	Ann Arbor
2000	Michigan	38	Ohio State	26	Columbus

Michigan 7, Ohio State 2, 1 tie
Total - Michigan 34, Ohio State 29, 4 ties

2001-present

2001	Michigan	20	Ohio State	26	Ann Arbor
2002	Michigan	9	Ohio State	14	Columbus
2003	Michigan	35	Ohio State	21	Ann Arbor
2004	Michigan	21	Ohio State	37	Columbus
2005	Michigan	21	Ohio State	25	Ann Arbor
2006	Michigan	39	Ohio State	42	Columbus
2007	Michigan	3	Ohio State	14	Ann Arbor

Ohio State 6, Michigan 1
Total - Ohio State 35, Michigan 35, 4 ties.

Average score of those games - Michigan 16.4, Ohio State 16.0

The point is, once this sport actually became football as we know it, these two teams have been as even as it can get. Your little domination when nobody really knew how to play the game only exists in your ego. Get over it.

Michigan doesn't own Ohio State, Ohio State doesn't own Michigan.

But Jim Tressel? He's 6-1 against you. Bow down, bitches.

The return of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable!

2008-08-06T15:24:00.001-04:00

Last year, The Big Ten Bloggers all got together every week and discussed the issues of the week. a series of questions was posed, and we all used our own blogs to fess up to what we felt. It was fun for us involved, and it was very popular, based on the traffic we saw.

It's baaaaaaack.

One of the BTBs best, Tom at Minnesota blog Gopher Nation, has asked the questions this week. Here they are, followed by The BBCs answers. Enjoy!

1. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg recently ranked the top 5 rivalries in the Big Ten and there were some controversial results (Illinois v Ohio State as #3?). Clearly Ohio State vs. Michigan is the #1 rivalry in the Big Ten, but give me your next three. Your school does not have to be included in this list, but regardless of who you choose defend your picks.

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is the best in the Big Ten. As a matter of fact, it's so awesome that it's also the #2, #3, and #4 rivalry in the Big Ten (it also occupies the top spot in the Big 12, Pac-10, Sun Belt, and baseball's American League West division.

But since I've gotta give three other rivalries, I will.

2nd-best rivalry - Ohio State-Penn State
When the Lions came into the league, we were all told to be vewwwwwy scared, because Penn State would win the league every year (funny how everybody thinks they can go unbeaten in the Big Ten). That hasn't worked out so well for Penn State, but the rivalry between PSU and OSU has been forged, thanks to some really exciting games (see '95, '97, '01, '02, '03, '05, '06, etc). The Buckeyes lead the series 10-5 since the Nittany Lions joined the league.

3rd-best rivalry - Purdue-Indiana
I'm gonna catch some grief for putting this one so high, but you have just got to love in-state rivalries. Plus, you don't have to win national championships or league trophies a lot to have a good rivalry. These two teams go at it HARD every time out. Last year's thriller was a perfect example. With Indiana experiencing a mini-resurgence, and Purdue having a farewell tour for Tiller, this year's game will be another barnburner (word used with the expressed written consent of Keith Jackson)

4th-best rivalry - Michigan-Michigan State
Another in-state rivalry. There's a lot of hatred on the field when these two meet up. But Sparty's been dry in this game since the infamous clock incident of 2001 (and Michigan hasn't shut up about it since). With MSU looking up and Michigan looking down this year, Sparty's gotta get a win this year or it's not looking much like a rivalry anymore.

2. Obviously winning every game is important and beating really good teams sends a stronger message than beating Minnesota. Assume every team is .500 this year and the outcome of your next two games means nothing outside of pride and a year's worth of bragging rights. Give me the two schools you would want to beat (in order) and why. What makes beating School's A and B significant?

School A - Michigan - If you don't know why, then you're on the wrong blog.
School B - Penn State - Because owning Joe Paterno is just fun, dammit.

3. Take the two teams from above that you claim are your biggest rivals and give me a new mascot for them.

The Michigan "Tressel's Bitches"
The Penn State "Third-Placers, unless Wisconsin is having a good year"

4. There are some new rules in college football this year. My favorite is the Big Ten experimental rule which states that after every win this year you get to pluck one player off their roster and bring them back to your campus. Looking at your schedule give me two players you would pluck (assuming a win), why you would take them and what would you do with them?

Assuming we beat them both, here's my two selections;

-Wisconsin TE Travis Beckum. Kid's a blocking beast and can catch anything thrown within a two-time-zone radius of him.
-Illinois QB Juice Williams. So we can have him whacked and not have to see or hear from him ever again. Fucker.

Honorable mention - USC's Rey Maulaugualaugau. We should really have him on the team in case a female cheerleader gets hurt and we need a replacement, or if they ever do an update of the classic "Buckeye Babes" video.

5. Brian at MGO was kind enough to post a diary entry which gives us and new coach Rich Rodriguez a list of Michigan traditions that maybe we were not all aware of. This has inspired two final questions...

5A - are there any Michigan traditions that he missed? (here is your chance for some Michigan cheap shots)

5B - Are there any traditions of your school's rival that we should all be aware of?

I'd post the most obvious Michigan tradition, but it'd just be throwing gas on the fire. Instead, see 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, etc etc etc.

Or you could just watch this;

or this....

ESPN Power Rankings are out

2008-08-06T11:14:00.006-04:00

ESPN has released their power rankings for the pre-season, and they are what you would expect, complete with a heapin' helping of ass-slurpin' on the SEC;

1	Georgia (7)	0-0	356	How will the Bulldogs handle lofty expectations? Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford certainly help, but the alarming player suspensions don't.
2	USC (3)	0-0	350	USC fans have Sept. 13 circled on the calendar. That's when Ohio State visits, and we'll know more about these Trojans -- and QB Mark Sanchez.
3	Ohio State (4)	0-0	349	Depth, talent and experience. The Bucks seem to have it all, but the road to the BCS title (at USC, at Wisconsin, at Illinois) won't be easy.
4	Florida (1)	0-0	331	Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin are back, and that means the Gators will find the end zone -- a lot. But will their young defense grow up in 2008?
5	Oklahoma	0-0	322	Barring a sophomore slump from Sam Bradford, the Sooners should be the class of the Big 12 South. They've got bigger goals in Norman, however.
6	Missouri	0-0	295	Can Mizzou duplicate -- and surpass -- last season's success? We'll find some answers right out of the gate when the Tigers play Illinois in Saint Louis.
7	Clemson	0-0	273	This could be Clemson's year. Stop us if you've heard that before, Tiger fans. We get your skepticism, but the hype -- and team -- are for real.
8	West Virginia	0-0	241	A healthy Pat White and Noel Devine form a dynamic duo in the backfield. Will it top White and record-setter Steve Slaton? Don't bet against it.
9	LSU	0-0	240	The offense returns seven starters, but QB Matt Flynn isn't one of them. Andrew Hatch (two passes attempted in '07) will likely get the call vs. App. State.
10	Auburn	0-0	230	The Tigers have averaged 10.5 wins in the last four years, but with two new coordinators and a new offensive scheme, will it be too much to ask?

One thing I believe I can guarantee....the winner between USC and Ohio State on September 13th will be the new #1. Georgia doesn't have much of a lead on either team, and doesn't play anybody worth writing home about for their first three games.

By the way, Michigan is ranked #36, and is apparently the sixth-best team in the Big Ten (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, and Michigan State are all ranked higher). Notre Dame has the same amount of votes (go ahead and laugh out loud at that one if you want to).

The bravery of Buckeye days to go....

2008-08-06T10:05:00.004-04:00

I wanted to post a pic of Shawn Springs for Day 24, but I just can't pass up the opportunity to put of a picture of another #24.

Tyson Gentry, ladies and gentlemen.....

Best of luck, Tyson. Keep fighting!

Oh, what the hell...here's Springs too.

Carlos Snow/Antonio Pittman day has arrived!

2008-08-05T11:44:00.007-04:00

25 Days until kickoff!

It was hard to pick between two of our best RBs of all time.

Carlos Snow and Antonio Pittman both wore #25, and they both tore up defenses across the Big Ten, each finishing their careers with just a shade under 3,000 yards. Snow stands as the #6 rusher in Ohio State history, Pittman holds camp at #8.

My favorite memory of each player happens to be against Michigan, and both of them are YouTubed for all of us to share.

First, let's look at 'Los.

1987, Michigan Stadium. Four days earlier, Head Coach Earle Bruce was shockingly fired. The man's WORST season before '87 was 9-3. As the team prepared to play that state up north, they were angry, and they were going to take it out on the maize and blue.

Michigan came out firing and jumped on the scoreboard early. The Wolverines pulled out to a 13-0 lead, and looked tough. But somewhere in the second quarter, they just lost all the momentum.

All season long, the third quarter had not been kind to Ohio State. Most of the 4 games they lost had fallen apart in front of their eyes in the second half. They were determined not to let that happen again. They put the ball in Snow's hands on the first play of the third quarter;

Ohio State took the lead for the first time, and didn't look back. Their 23-20 win over Bo Schembechler may have been Bruce's finest victory, but it also may have cost Ohio State a LOT more than it won. Ohio State administrators were so ravaged by the premature firing of Bruce, that it led to a LOT of cold feet on future firings. John Cooper may have been kept for 5 years longer because the administration was afraid to pull the trigger too quickly again.

Game #2 - Pittman

2006, Ohio Stadium. You know the day....#1 vs #2. Brent Musberger wet his pants at least thirty times in the week leading up to it.

Ohio State had dominated the entire game, leading by 14 points most of the way. It was obvious who the better team was. But two third-quarter miscues allowed Michigan to get back into the game. The ABC broadcast team found their voices rising as they discussed "Michigan's valiant comeback." Their sideline reporter began talking about Troy Smith saying goodbye to the Heisman (never mind the fact that he was 21-31 with 252 yards, 3 TDs and one INT to that point). On second-and-1 from their own 44 yard line, they gave the ball to Pittman.

The game still had a quarter and a half left in it, but it was as good as over at that point. Ohio State proved that they would not fall short today.

Here's to you, Carlos Snow and Antonio Pittman. Today's your day!

Boy, the evidence is really piling up

2008-08-04T12:05:00.004-04:00

First, there was this video of shirtless guys in a locker room. It was kinda.....well, you finish that sentence. Here's a look;

And yes, the coaches took their shirts off too. It always adds to the creepiness factor when 50-year-old men join in when they tell the room full of 18-year-old boys to go topless.

But now this picture surfaces. It's of USC linebacker Rey Maualuga. Again, no explanation necessary here.....

Not that there's anything WRONG with it.....

Somewhere, Matt Leinart is smiling.

terrorist fist jab - Eleven Warriors and With Leather

Thank God for Will Allen. Today's your day!

2008-08-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

26 Days to go before opening day at Ohio Stadium!

Wearing the uniform of the day today is none other than Will Allen. Back in 2002, he made a TON of great plays for the Buckeyes that helped his team win the National Championship. But two plays will always stand out, and to be perfectly honest, without Will Allen, we may not have won either of those games.

Play #1 - September 21, 2002. Cincinnati suproses everyone in Ohio by giving the Buckeyes a major scare. The Bearcats led for nearly the entire game, but Ohio State scored with under 4 minutes to play, taking a 4-point lead. But Cincinnati marched right down the field. Facing 4th down at OSU's 15-yard-line, Allen saved the day by picking off the Bearcats' final chance in the end zone.

Play #2 - November 23, 2002. No need to describe it, just watch it for yourself!

Thanks, Will Allen. Enjoy your day!

Eddieeeee, want to talk to youuuuuuuuu

2008-08-03T17:01:00.004-04:00

27 days to go.

Here's a personal hero of mine. Grandma brought him up right, kept him out of a potentially troubled life, and turned him into one of the most honorable men you could ever hope to meet.

Eddie George, it's your day!

"No Eddie. YOU da man"

Social networking 101 - "How not to turn out like Iowa"

2008-08-02T14:03:00.002-04:00

I saw this article while I was on vacation over the weekend, and I must admit I stored it in the memory banks for later discussion.

We all know the stories of what's happening at Iowa. To be honest, there's FAR more than one story, but the university is being ripped apart right now by an underbelly within the athletic department and an administration that was unwilling (and at times defiant) to police behavior.

Let's be frank here....these situations are easy to find. College kids are going to have a tendency to run wild. I did it, you did it, we all did it. But you put a pack of 18-to-22 year olds on national television simply because they know how to play a game, and you're going to boost some egos to a point of danger.

So a college kid is going to find trouble occasionally. What happens next will determine whether or not the next "incident" is worse. And here's where Iowa comes into the story. I'll spare you the gory details of the Hawkeyes issues (but my friends at Black Heart Gold Pants can give you a LOT of detail). It ain't pretty.

If you have an administration that keeps a close eye on these kids, and provides guidance and discipline properly, you can knock the strays back into line (while at the same time removing the lost causes entirely). This is where Iowa went horribly, horribly wrong.

Which brings me to the article I read. Over at USA Today, they had a piece regarding universities creating guidelines for social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, etc).

At first, I was prepared for the worst, especially when I discovered that one of the 27 schools USA Today studied was The Ohio State University. I was happily relieved to read the following;

Ohio State: Athletes "shall not post or contribute any content to any social networking or other internet site that reflect negatively … on yourself, your team. …" The university may monitor sites, and athletes may not block coaches or staff members from viewing. Coaches are given discretion of how to monitor their team.

Now, that may not sound like much....but I am thrilled to hear that a watchful eye is kept on our boys. No random pictures of WRs flashing gang signs and wads of cash are likely to surface with a policy like that. Actually, with that policy, it's less likely that such behavior will even take place.

Other schools policies?

-- Miami: Monitor at the beginning of every academic year and take appropriate actions.
-- LSU: Warns athletes to use websites responsibly.
-- Florida: Sends a letter to athletes at the beginning of the academic year warning them of social networking issues.

Seriously? They send a letter out? Wow, there's administrative quality. And how the hell does ANYBODY have worse social monitoring than the University of fucking Miami?

Cue the first SEC or Michigan fan* to scream "Maurice Clarett!"

Go ahead. I welcome the insult. You know why?

Maurice Clarett is the perfect example of a school taking ACTION on a bad seed. Clarett first found trouble with Ohio State when he was found with several dozen high-value items that probably weren't his.

You know what Ohio State did? They kicked him out.

Jim Tressel saw the cancer in the organization and he cut it loose. It was much LATER that Maurice went off the deep end and tried to go all Henry-Hill-meets-Tupac on the world.

But where the policy went RIGHT at Ohio State? Troy Smith. The kid did wrong, and he was yanked to the corner for it. His transgression cost us the Texas game in 2005, but it was FAR more important to get the kid back in line. Tressel got him back in line, doing the right thing by a stupid college kid who was capable of learning from his mistakes.

You know the rest.

So for all the issues we see with college football players these days, I give a little hat tip to Tressel and the entire administration at OSU. Because without these policies and good men and women upholding the policies, it could be a LOT worse.

Just ask Iowa.

* - easiest way to tell the difference between anonymous Michigan fans writing hate mail and anonymous SEC fans writing hate mail? Grammar.

Beanie Wells Day is here!!!!!

2008-08-02T00:13:00.008-04:00

28 days until college football! See if you can figure out what all these pictures have in common....

Rivals gives us the full college football rankings

2008-08-01T13:28:00.003-04:00

Rivals has finally completed their rankings. I first spotted them last night during a particularly nasty bout of insomnia. But I had just taken an Ambien, and based on the type of texts I send my girlfriend when I'm fading on Ambien....well, just trust me, you don't want me blogging while on those things.

So now that I'm slightly less insane, I can bring you Rivals.com and their pre-season college football rankings.

First, the Top Ten;

1. Southern California - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 2nd
Mark Sanchez and the rest of the offense will have to jell before Sept. 13, when USC plays Ohio State in a potential national title elimination game.

2. Georgia - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 6th
The Bulldogs face lofty expectations and the not-so-small matter of getting through perhaps the nation's toughest schedule.

3. Ohio State - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 6th
This edition of the Buckeyes may be better than the previous two. But unlike the 2006 and 2007 squads, this team may finish the job.

4. Oklahoma - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 8th
Yes, the Sooners are in the national championship picture, which would have locals going loco at most places. But that's status quo in Norman.

5. Missouri - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 5th
With a Heisman-contending quarterback, a big-play receiver, an experienced defense and a favorable schedule, Missouri has a legitimate shot at the national title.

6. Florida - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 20th
It's a title-worthy offense. The defense has some issues, though, and those issues could keep Florida from playing for its second national championship in the past three seasons.

7. Auburn - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 15th
Auburn hasn't won the SEC West since its undefeated season of 2004, but that could change in '08. Despite a new QB and two new coordinators, the Tigers the talent.

8. West Virginia - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 4th
If the defense can play a little better than average, the Mountaineers have enough offense to advance to the BCS title game they came so close to reaching last season.

9. Clemson - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 29th
Clemson still hasn't reached the ACC Championship Game despite having one of the league's top talent bases each of the past three seasons. If not now, when?

10. LSU - Final 2007 Rivals.com ranking: 7th
LSU's QB situation and a demanding road schedule make it difficult to predict a repeat national title, but the Tigers have enough talent to merit a spot in the top 10.

Really, I can't see much to get riled up about. I've never really seen pre-season polls as too necessary, but these look about right. But I'm not too fond of the S-E-Circle Jerk going on again.

The next set...

11. Kansas
12. BYU
13. Wisconsin
14. Texas Tech
15. Texas
16. Arizona State
17. Virginia Tech
18. Illinois
19. Tennessee
20. South Florida

My thoughts;
-I'm still thoroughly unconvinced that Kansas is worthy of a top 20 slot, let alone 11th.
-I don't know enough about BYU to debate a 12 ranking, but I'm happy to see the Mormons up there.
-How pissed off are Texas fans right now? They aren't even #1 in their own state?
-I'm still thinking that Illinois should be higher. Their first five games will tell me if I'm wrong.
-Seriously, didn't we all learn a lesson about over-reaching in South Florida?

Next up;

21. Oregon
22. Penn State
23. Fresno State
24. Wake Forest
25. Pittsburgh
26. Cincinnati
27. South Carolina
28. Utah
29. Alabama
30. Michigan

-Well, now we know that Rivals thinks Michigan will be the 5th-best team in the Big Ten. I'm agreeing with their view on that one.
-Add to that the fact that there are FIVE teams on Michigan's schedule ranked higher than them, and that their weak parts of the Big Ten don't come until just before season-end....this is a team that could potentially be 3-4 heading into Michigan State.
-Anybody else shocked (and a bit happy) to see Wake and Pitt crack the Top 25?
-More Mormons! Utah at 28 is cool.

Let's see the rest of the Top 50;

31. California
32. Michigan State
33. TCU
34. Colorado
35. Boise State
36. Oregon State
37. Florida State
38. Purdue
39. Rutgers
40. Notre Dame
41. Miami
42. Oklahoma State
43. UCLA
44. Boston College
45. Nebraska
46. Louisville
47. North Carolina
48. Mississippi State
49. Central Michigan
50. Connecticut

-Notre Dame in the Top 40? How does a team gain 44 places in the polls without playing a game? Oh, right....they're ND.
-Miami's ranked behind Notre Dame. LOL.
-Central Michigan's in the top half of college football. Michigan's AD is breathing a sigh of relief for not scheduling them this year.
-I think Rutgers might be too low, and Colorado might be too high.

Next up, let's go to 75;

51. Washington
52. Tulsa
53. Maryland
54. Arkansas
55. East Carolina
56. New Mexico
57. Northwestern
58. Ball State
59. Houston
60. Iowa
61. Southern Miss
62. Arizona
63. Kansas State
64. Kentucky
65. Texas A&M
66. Bowling Green
67. Ole Miss
68. N.C. State
69. Central Florida
70. Nevada
71. Virginia
72. Stanford
73. Georgia Tech
74. Florida Atlantic
75. Vanderbilt

-Northwestern's ahead of Iowa. Interesting. But based on Kirk Ferentz's off-season, that could be a school waiting to fall apart.
-Notre Dame fans are now chirping about being ahead of Ty Willingham's WEashington squad. That won't last long in my eyes.

The top 100;

76. Washington State
77. Miami (OH)
78. Navy
79. Indiana
80. Iowa State
81. Hawaii
82. UTEP
83. Wyoming
84. Western Michigan
85. Marshall
86. Toledo
87. Syracuse
88. Air Force
89. Troy
90. Louisiana Tech
91. Buffalo
92. Baylor
93. Minnesota
94. Memphis
95. Temple
96. Colorado State
97. Louisiana-Lafayette
98. Ohio
99. Akron
100. Middle Tennessee

-I'm willing to argue that Indiana is FAR better than where Rivals has them ranked. I'm even willing to wager they make another bowl game.
-All the Big Ten teams are in the Top 100? Usually one or two slip below the line.
-Akron cracks the Top 100. My, how they have fallen.

The rest;

101. Duke
102. San Diego State
103. New Mexico State
104. San Jose State
105. UNLV
106. Arkansas State
107. Tulane
108. SMU
109. Northern Illinois
110. Rice
111. Army
112. Louisiana-Monroe
113. Kent State
114. UAB
115. North Texas
116. Western Kentucky
117. Eastern Michigan
118. Utah State
119. Idaho
120. Florida International

-Kent State brings up the rear of all Ohio-based teams. At least there's a Michigan school below them.

Posts that have no sports-based theme at all

2008-08-01T13:02:00.004-04:00

Like this one....

Sorry, I had to do it. Too funny not to.

But while I'm here, it's down to 29 days! Here's Pepe Pearson doing what he always did....

Manny being a Dodger

2008-07-31T21:25:00.002-04:00

Breaking news, I guess.....

Manny Ramirez was traded to Los Angeles (the Dodgers, not the good team in LA) this afternoon.

Basically, the trade involves a few minor-leaguers and the Pittsburgh Pirates (boy, isn't THAT redundant). But there's a kicker....

Boston is still going to pay Ramirez through the end of the year, a total of 7 million dollars. How badly does a team want to get rid of you if they trade you AND pay you?

Lydell Ross days until football season

2008-07-31T00:40:00.001-04:00

Sweet Jesus, I love that picture.

Fired! Ref who blew OSU-Ill game is removed

2008-07-30T12:59:00.003-04:00

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that the Big Ten has declined to renew referee Steve Pamon's contract for this season. Thus far, there is no "official word" as to why Pamon's been dismissed, but Buckeye fans have their own reason.

I take you back to November 10th, when Ohio State was playing Illinois;

It was Pamon's crew who missed the call to begin with, and Pamon's crew that should have called for an instant replay review. Word now is that Dave Parry, Big Ten coordinator of officials, was in watching the game and was livid at the lack of movement by the replay booth team.

"It was not a happy command center at that moment."

The fact remains that if the officiating crew had been at least competent, Ohio State would have wound up with the ball and a 7-0 lead. Instead, the Illini scored on that possession and went on to a 7-point victory. Say what you will, but that blown call cost Ohio State a win. And now the Big Ten has agreed with hundreds of thousands of Buckeye fans, and they have dismissed the ref who blew the call. I tip my hat to the Big Ten.

Oh, and by the way, Pamon was also revealed to have had "a history of bankruptcy, casino gambling, child abuse and allegations of sexual harassment".

These are the guys that the Big Ten allowed to officiate a game between two schools who both got into the BCS. I think perhaps a declined contract renewal isn't enough. Parry may have been angry at the crew that day, but he's the guy who put them there. Someone needs to take responsibility for putting a scumbag like Pamon on the field to begin with.

terrorist fist jab - The Buckeye Blog

It's Vic Janowicz day!

2008-07-30T10:32:00.003-04:00

Only five players have ever worn #31 in the history of Ohio State football. Odds are pretty good you've never heard of four of them.

But if you're a fan of Ohio State, you've heard of Vic Janowicz. In 1950, Janowicz broke through as a triple-threat player, playing halfback, safety, and placekicker. He even punted, and he would be known to run wide on a sweep and throw the ball deep.

As a junior in 1950, he won the Heisman Trophy, OSU's second player to win the award.

After his graduation in the summer of 1952, the university retired his number and no player has worn it since.

Following college, he chose a baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. A few short years later, he went back to football and played in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. Unfortunately, he only saw one year in the NFL after suffering a brain injury in a car accident. He survived another 40 years after the injury before succumbing to cancer in 1996.

Hats off to Vic Janowicz, one of the all-time greats at The Ohio State University.

Return to the routine

2008-07-29T17:28:00.002-04:00

In case you missed me for the extra day I stayed away......I'm back at the computer in mom's basement, eating cheetos and typing in my underwear. I was supposed to arrive yesterday at about 830pm, but I had a little extra fun.

The girlfriend and I went to a casino in northern California on Sunday night (I won 100 bucks at blackjack), and retired early to our hotel room in Eureka. Woke up WAY too early Monday morning to catch our 6:20am flight to Salt Lake City. Along the way, we joked about how we wanted more time together and "wouldn't it be great if we could get bumped from our flights" and make another day of it.

We landed in SLC and she quickly made her way to her flight to San Diego (home of her latest business trip). She got on, and I had about an hour before my plane to Atlanta boarded. Once at my gate, I figured I had very little going on except a lot of time on airplanes before I got home to Canton. So, I asked if they needed volunteers to give up their seats.

They took me up on it.

They offered me 400 dollars (in flight money), a meal voucher worth another 12 bucks, and booked me on a later flight that would get me into Cleveland at 9pm. So I wandered around, got a Cinnabon and a smoothie with my meal voucher (I had just eaten), and made my way to my next scheduled flight. Once there, they asked for more volunteers to bump.

Cha-ching.

They gave me another 400 dollars in airline money, put me up for the night for free in SLC, and another 20 bucks in meal vouchers.

Woke up this morning for a 7am flight, but unfortunately the flight wasn't full, so I boarded it and came home. However, I didn't miss a day of work, and I now have 800 bucks to spend on flights within the next 12 months.

Oh, and did I mention that flights to Miami from January 6th-January 12th are now only 265 dollars? Honey, if you're reading this, you know what I'm saying, right?

Oh, and everybody else....32 days to go. Here's one of my favorites, Na'il Diggs.

Weekend vacation awaits.....

2008-07-23T23:32:00.006-04:00

Thursday morning, I board a plane and head off to meet the girlfriend in California. I doubt I'll get the chance to post while I'm away, but you never know.

So in case I miss my chance to post, here's a continuation of the countdown (you didn't think I'd blow it off, did you?)

Thursday, 37 days to go....here's Dustin Fox

Friday, it'll be 36 days left. Any doubt about who I'd put up next?

I was there for Earle Bruce's final game in 1987, at Michigan Stadium. Pre-game, I was against the wall when the players unveiled their "Earle" headbands. It was awe-inspiring. We reached out to slap the shoulder pads of every player that came near us during pre-game....except Spielman. He had a look in his eyes that afternoon, so fierce that even Buckeye fans didn't want to fuck with him.

Saturday, it'll be 35 days left....here's another National Championship hero, Matt Wilhelm. Wilhelm stuffed Miami at the line on 3rd-and-goal at the 1-yard-line in the second OT. Miami would have scored on that play against any other LB in the nation.

On Sunday, we will have reached 34 days. Don't ask why, I just love this picture of Rob Harley.

My plane lands Monday at 8pm. Might as well take the day off and post that day's countdown pic too. Here's The Little Animal.....

Have a great weekend, and enjoy yourselves. I know I will....

Nobody could have ever predicted violence in Detroit....

2008-07-23T12:02:00.005-04:00

I don't often discuss the WNBA (this is my first time, be gentle with me), but I caught a glimpse of an article today about last night's game between the LA something-or-others and the Detroit whatevers.

Let me set the stage, and see if you can figure out what happened.

A) The game was being played in Detroit

B) The home team, who plays in Detroit, was about to lose the ball game.

C) Detroit, who was about to lose, is coached by Bill Laimbeer.

D) Detroit's assistant coach is Rick Mahorn.

Five bonus points to the first person who can figure out what happened next.

Yep, you guessed it.....a brawl erupted. Here's some quick video of the brawl....

Look, the sports broadcasters are talking about it left and right today, and about how terrible and awful it is, and "what can we do to prevent this sort of behavior?"

I hate to tell you this, but this is your bed. Lay in it, dammit. This type of activity comes from the NBA allowing, nay, PROMOTING the "Bad Boy" mentality that the Detroit Pistons used to win ball games in the 1980s. Now only the thugs aren't playing anymore.....they're coaching a new generation of thugs.

The hilarious part of the whole incident is the quote from Laimbeer regarding Mahorn;

“Rick Mahorn is known as a peacemaker, from even the brawl we had here with Indiana,” Detroit coach Bill Laimbeer said. “He went out there to get people off the pile, and to get people to stop the confrontation. That’s who he is, that’s what he does.”

Ask any Cleveland Cavalier fan from the late 80s what he/she thinks about Mahorn as a "peacemaker". Hell, ask Mark Price himself.

Rick Mahorn of the Pistons has been fined $5,000 by the National Basketball Association for elbowing Mark Price of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the head in a game Detroit won Tuesday, the league announced yesterday. ''Throwing an elbow can be just as damaging as throwing a punch, and if it is deliberate, the penalties will be just as severe,'' said Rod Thorn, a league vice president.

The game in which Mahorn threw the elbow? Price was lighting it up from outside, and he was always tough to defend against. On one possession, Price was trailing behind the play. After he crossed halfcourt, Mahorn (who was an inside player), came out from the paint to the midcourt. As Price (6'0") turned around, Mahorn (6'10") threw an elbow at his temple, and floored him for the rest of the game (and if I recall, three weeks beyond). The Pistons went on to win against the Cavs, who had trouble recovering without their go-to shooter that night.

Mahorn a peacemaker? No, far from it. Hell, watch the video again. He shoved a woman in it. Yeah, nice guy that Mahorn.

Sorry WNBA. This is what you get when you put thugs in charge of people in a thug city known and praised for thug behavior.

38 more days until

2008-07-23T10:49:00.000-04:00

"That's right, BITCH. I got the ball!"

39 to kickoff

2008-07-22T10:41:00.002-04:00

Kind of an appropriate title, don't you think?

Knock on wood before you read this

2008-07-21T17:22:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I wrote a brief piece about Keith Byars and I posted the numbers of all-time Ohio State RB greats. Here they are again, for your enjoyment;

1. Archie Griffin - 5,529 yards
2. Eddie George - 3,768 yards
3. Tim Spencer - 3,553 yards
4. Keith Byars - 3,200 yards
5. Pepe Pearson - 3,121 yards
6. Carlos Snow - 2,974 yards
7. Michael Wiley - 2,951 yards
8. Antonio Pittman - 2,945 yards
9. Raymont Harris - 2,649 yards
10. Calvin Murray - 2,576 yards
11. Jim Otis - 2,542 yards
12. Howard Cassady - 2,466 yards
13. Jonathan Wells - 2,381 yards
14. Lydell Ross - 2,339 yards
15. Pete Johnson - 2,308 yards
16. Chris Wells - 2,185 yards
17. Bob Ferguson - 2,162 yards
18. Ron Springs - 2,140 yards
19. Don Clark - 2,116 yards
20. Cornelius Greene - 2,066 yards

Take special note of where Chris Wells is located. After just two seasons (one in which he was far from a featured back, playing behind Antonio Pittman), Beanie finds himself at #16 all-time.

Here's the part where you can knock on wood.....

Barring major injury or leaving early for the NFL, Beanie Wells should end his collegiate career and find himself in the top four of Ohio State's all-time leading rushers. And dare I say it....if he has himself a couple of years slightly better than his 2007 campaign, he could pass Archie Griffin and finish with more yards than the 2-time Heisman Trophy winner.

Taking a closer look;

Wells is now 3,344 yards behind Griffin for the top spot. If he plays his senior season, and the Buckeyes reach a bowl game both years, he'll have 26 games to get that goal. If he averages 129 yards per game, he'll pass Griffin by 10 yards.

In 2007, in 13 games, Wells racked up 1,609 yards (that's just under 124 yards per game).

Yeah, it's a lot to ask, but Beanie has shown he can rack up big yards on good competition....the last six games of 2007 were all against teams that made bowl games, and he averaged 161 yards per game in those.

OK, so it's a lot to ask for....then let's shrink it down a bit. 460 yards will get him into the Number 9 slot. Let's work on getting him there before the Big Ten season opener. Can Beanie get 460 yards against YSU, Troy, Ohio, and USC?

Stay healthy Beanie, and we shall see.....

It's Hopalong Cassady day!

2008-07-21T01:26:00.003-04:00

Very few players in the history of Ohio State have worn #40, and none were as great as Howard "Hopalong" Cassady. No player ever wore the number 40 after Cassady, and none ever will.

Some say that Cassady saved Woody Hayes' job, and I'm not one to argue that point. Hayes' job was teetering on the edge after lackluster seasons in 1951, 1952, and 1953. But Cassady's first season in '53 was a good preview of what the kid had in store for the Buckeyes, and Hayes knew it.

Hayes gave Hopalong a lot more playing time on both sides of the ball, and Cassady became the leader of the team. The Buckeyes went undefeated and won the 1954 National Championship.

Cassady's senior season, the Buckeyes went unbeaten in the Big Ten, and the reward was a Heisman Trophy, earning it by the largest margin in the award's history (to that point).

So here's to #40. He brought us greatness on the field, and thanks to him, Buckeye fans were treated to decades of greatness on the sideline.

Keith Byars and counting.....

2008-07-20T00:03:00.003-04:00

On the list of all-time great running backs at Ohio State, this name gets overlooked a lot, surprisingly. But #41 Keith Byars stood alone. On one shoe sometimes.

But then, when you have a history of incredible backs like we do at the Shoe, it's forgivable. After all, there's WAY too many great names on that list! Hell, four Heisman Trophies belong to running backs on this list!

Here's the list of all-time rushing leaders at Ohio State, and their total yardage on the ground;

1. Archie Griffin - 5,529 yards
2. Eddie George - 3,768 yards
3. Tim Spencer - 3,553 yards
4. Keith Byars - 3,200 yards
5. Pepe Pearson - 3,121 yards
6. Carlos Snow - 2,974 yards
7. Michael Wiley - 2,951 yards
8. Antonio Pittman - 2,945 yards
9. Raymont Harris - 2,649 yards
10. Calvin Murray - 2,576 yards
11. Jim Otis - 2,542 yards
12. Howard Cassady - 2,466 yards
13. Jonathan Wells - 2,381 yards
14. Lydell Ross - 2,339 yards
15. Pete Johnson - 2,308 yards
16. Chris Wells - 2,185 yards
17. Bob Ferguson - 2,162 yards
18. Ron Springs - 2,140 yards
19. Don Clark - 2,116 yards
20. Cornelius Greene - 2,066 yards

What's in store at Buckeye Battle Cry

2008-07-19T16:31:00.002-04:00

Most of the time, the only people who really care about changes at a blog are a) the blog owner, and b) the most die-hard readers.

I'm the former, you are the latter, so here's what is in store here at The BBC.

First of all, we're going to be moving. Our new address will be www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com and it will be ready before the start of the season. It's time to advance past this free blogging stuff, and even though I love the accessibility of blogger.com, it's time to take ownership of my "hobby".

One of the first things I'll need for this new site is a cool logo, and my creative skills are limited. So if you'd like to provide any of your graphic design abilities, we can make it a contest. The top three entrants with a quality logo for the site will get a cool prize to be determined later (maybe a guest blogging spot, or some Buckeye apparel, but it'll be a neat little prize).

Go look at the logos of my faves for good ideas...here's MotSaG, Eleven Warriors, and Our Honor Defend. Not too elaborate, but very much Buckeye-specific.

You can e-mail me your work at jeffseemann at yahoo dot com

Next up, our new weekly feature. Every week, I'll be going to a different location to watch Ohio State play. That night, I'll post a review about the restaurant/bar/whatever and give a grade to the place. I'll base my final grade on several features, including atmosphere, food, drinks, value, and whether or not the place caters to Buckeye fans (or did they just merely turn the TV to the right channel).

At the end of the season, we'll select the best spot and we'll throw a Buckeye bash there for the bowl game!

If you have suggestions on places for us to visit during games, let me know ASAP. I'm building a schedule right now. The location must be in the Canton or Akron area. Five of the 12 locations are already selected. The other seven are all up for grabs. The location will be randomly selected for each game.

Potential issue with the 12-week plan....I have tickets to see Ohio State-Illinois. We'll adjust the plan if I go to that game (or if I sell the tix and go to the TTUN game instead).

Michigan State blog The Enlightened Spartan has done this before, and they did a fine job of it. We'll go into much greater detail than they did, but it's a nice idea and they did it well.

So there's a brief glimpse into the future here. By the time our second anniversary rolls around, this place should be a much nicer blogging experience.

Thanks!

42 days left (really....only 6 weeks to go!)

2008-07-19T00:35:00.002-04:00

Bobby Carpenter!

43 days left

2008-07-18T22:41:00.003-04:00

Brandon Schnittker, who was the key player in one of my favorite plays of the magical 2002 season.

Ahainst Michigan, the Bucks were down 9-7 midway through the fourth quarter. On the first play of their go-ahead drive, Craig Krenzel stepped back to pass, and fired it to Michael Jenkins across midfield. But Schnittker came out of the backfield as a fourth-option dumpoff, and his route was between Krenzel and Jenkins. Schnittker snagged the pass as if he were intercepting it from the intended receiver, and took it 15 yards down the field into Michigan territory.

Several plays later, the Buckeyes scored and held on for the 14-9 victory.

Krenzel only threw one pass all day that ended up being grabbed before it got to the intended receiver...thankfully, it was a guy wearing scarlet and gray who picked it off.

photo credit - Gary Housteau, Bucknuts

Big Ten teams that are going to have a fun September

2008-07-18T12:03:00.003-04:00

A couple of years ago, I did a semi-controversial thing on my blog....I looked ahead.

It was the 2006 season, and Ohio State's schedule was much tougher in the first half of the season than it was in October and early November. After defeating #2 Texas and #13 Iowa (both on the road, both by 17 points), we stood at 5-0. Our next six games were against Bowling Green, Michigan State, Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois, and Northwestern. None of these opponents were particularly good, and so I asked the question "Are We 11-0 Already?"

Buckeye fans are taught from birth to NOT treat the game before Michigan Week lightly. Look past that team at your own risk. And here I was looking past a month-and-a-half of teams prior to Michigan Week? Yeah, it wasn't my brightest moment, but I ended up being right.

So let's do it again, shall we?

Which teams in the Big Ten have the best chance at being undefeated at the end of September? You might be shocked by the answers.....

Easiest path to October

Wisconsin - Their schedule is light, and if they're not 4-0 by this point, they will be the team most responsible for the "TEH BIG TEN SUCKS" catcalls from our southern friends. Their schedule;

8/30 - Akron
9/6 - Marshall
9/13 - @Fresno State
9/20 - bye
9/27 - @Michigan

Akron and Marshall are warm-up games at best, Fresno State doesn't have a defense to hold down Wisconsin's rushing attack, and Michigan lost 38 of their 22 starters on both sides of the ball.

Northwestern - Yeah, you heard me. They have a legitimate shot of being 5-0 (but 6-6 at the end of the year). Their schedule;

8/30 - Syracuse
9/6 - @ Duke
9/13 - Southern Illinois
9/20 - Ohio
9/27 - @ Iowa

Syracuse and Duke had a combined 3 wins last year (and trust me, Northwestern is drooling over the chance to redeem themselves at Duke). Southern Illinois lost their entire offense from last year. Ohio will be a challenge, but Northwestern's better suited in this game at home. Iowa will be the toughest game of the bunch and might be the thorn in my prognostication

Which brings me to....

Iowa - Another team that may find their season ending in the lower regions of the Big Ten standings, but only after plummeting there due to a rough stretch starting in October. Their early schedule;

8/30 - Maine
9/6 - Florida International
9/13 - Iowa State
9/20 - @ Pittsburgh
9/27 - Northwestern

Maine and FIU - riiiiight. Iowa State will be the big challenge, since the Cyclones are the bane of Hawkeye fans' existence every other year. Pitt shouldn't be tough this year (but that's what WVU thought last year), and that will bring us to Northwestern.

I'm thinking Iowa-Northwestern will have a pair of 4-0 squads facing off, and the winner will be ranked at the end of September.

Should be, might be, maybe

Ohio State - Four games that should be easy wins, and one beast of a road game. Their schedule;

8/30 - Youngstown State
9/6 - Ohio
9/13 - @ USC
9/20 - Troy
9/27 - Minnesota

There's not much debate on whether or not they'll win four of these games. YSU and Ohio are only on the schedule because Tressel likes in-state rivalries and wants to foster them. Troy and Minnesota will also not be enough to topple a Top 5 team in their home stadium. But USC....in Los Angeles....yeah, what more do you need to say?

Purdue - The only team without a conference game before October. Their schedule is not easy, but not too difficult either. Two potential traps, so it'll depend on how much pride the Boilers have. Their schedule;

8/30 - bye
9/6 - Northern Colorado
9/13 - Oregon
9/20 - Central Michigan
9/27 - @ Notre Dame

Northern Colorado, a 1-AA school that went 1-11 last year, is a joke. Oregon will be the biggest challenge here, but the question of a Dixon-less Ducks team still lingers. Central Michigan is another cupcake, and then it'll be the in-state rivalry that everyone forgets is an in-state game. It'll be Joe Tiller's final Notre Dame game at Purdue....will it be Charlie Weis' final Purdue game at Notre Dame?

Penn State - The Lions have two potentially tough games, but both are at home. Their schedule;

8/30 - Coastal Carolina
9/6 - Oregon State
9/13 - @ Syracuse
9/20 - Temple
9/27 - Illinois

CC, Syracuse, and Temple are cupcakes. Oregon State thinks they will knock off Penn State and are coming in with an attitude. That could be a tough game, but Happy Valley is not easy to capture. Which is why the Lions should be very happy they face Illinois there to open the Big Ten season. One key statistic that Lion fans will HATE to be reminded of....the Lions have lost five of their last six Big Ten openers.

Michigan State - I might take this one back after one game, but they could do it. Their schedule;

8/30 - @ Cal
9/6 - Eastern Michigan
9/13 - Florida Atlantic
9/20 - Notre Dame
9/27 - @ Indiana

That opening game on the road against Cal is ABC's game of the week, and it should be. Get past the Golden Bears, and it should be smooth sailing for Spartytown. EMU, FAU, and ND are not going to impress anyone on the road. Indiana is experiencing a resurgence and could be tough, but so is Michigan State. That game will actually be a damn good one.

Which brings me to.....

Indiana - the Hoosiers lost their coach Terry Hoeppner prior to the 2007 season. Hoeppner fought like hell to bring honor and tradition to Indiana football, and his death may have actually bonded his team with the one element it was missing - a purpose. Their schedule;

8/30 - Western Kentucky
9/6 - Murray State
9/13 - bye
9/20 - Ball State
9/27 - Michigan State

Western Kentucky, Murray State, and Ball State shouldn't be too difficult, but Indiana will use them to gel as a team. Kellen Lewis should pick them all apart with ease. If they do knock off Michigan State, it'll be their ticket.

Illinois - Two of the toughest road games you can play will be on the early schedule for the Illini. How they handle the first one might determine their whole season. Their schedule;

8/30 - @ Missouri
9/6 - Eastern Illinois
9/13 - Louisiana Lafayette
9/20 - bye
9/27 - @ Penn State

Mizzou not only has a Heisman candidate at QB in Chase Daniel*, but they also have an energized fan base again. Granted, so does Illinois. Eastern Illinois and Louisiana Laugh (followed by a bye week) will provide enough rest for the huge conference opener against PSU. I'll be surprised if the Illini are unbeaten at this point, but if they are, they're on track for a second straight BCS bowl game.

Miracles do happen. Yeah, but probably not here.

Michigan - Having lost more than half their starters (38 out of 22 was a joke, if you drifted here from MGoBlog), Michigan will spend the first half of the season trying to find out who they are. Even having a semi-cupcake schedule will not be enough to give these guys a 4-0 trimester. Their schedule;

8/30 - Utah
9/6 - Miami (OH)
9/13 - @ Notre Dame
9/20 - bye
9/27 - Wisconsin

In years past, I'd write off Utah and Miami as easy wins for the Wolverines. I still will for Miami, but the Utes are coming off a 9-4 season and want this to be the year they return to glory. Is their defense tough enough to shock the nation with a win in the Big House? If not, then there's no way they'll beat Wisconsin. And the Michigan-Notre Dame game? Might be the worst version of this rivalry ever.

Minnesota - You've gotta feel bad for the Gophers. They fired Glen Mason, and it might take five years to get over it. There's no end in sight for Minnesota misery. Their schedule;

8/30 - Northern Illinois
9/6 - @ Bowling Green
9/13 - Montana State
9/20 - Florida Atlantic
9/27 - @ Ohio State

Four games that would be cupcakes on any other Big Ten schedule to open the season. Yeah, they could be 4-0 after those, but we doubt it. FAU and BGSU both won these games last year. But even if they are 4-0, Ohio State at The Shoe lingers. There's no way they escape September without a loss, and they might have five of them.

--------------------------

My actual prediction - five Big Ten teams will be undefeated going into October.

* corrected for stupid math - Chase Daniel is still at Missouri, despite what I thought.

Barely made it before the day ran out

2008-07-17T21:21:00.002-04:00

44 days to go......

The man that Wisconsin fans loooooove to hate, Robert Reynolds