Knock on wood before you read this

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!

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.....

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

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!)

Bobby Carpenter!

43 days left

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

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

44 days to go......




















The man that Wisconsin fans loooooove to hate, Robert Reynolds

Ohio State's greatest player ever days to go.....

When I was a boy, my dad had a bumper sticker on his car that read "Thank you, Mrs. Griffin". I didn't understand it at first (I was 6 years old).

But my dad would sit me down in front of the TV with him every Saturday morning to watch the game. Back then, channel 25 would re-broadcast the games at 1030pm the same night. I still recall how happy he was when he and my mom came home from date night to find me watching the re-broadcast in the living room. Soon after, I became formally introduced to Ohio State when dad took me to see my first game.

I never got to see Arch play, but the memories of watching him are among the first in my bank.

46 days to go....

Again, tomorrow will be an easy choice. 45 is kind of a big deal.

photo credit - Gary Housteau

What would you do?

OK, here's the deal....I just scored a pair of tickets to Ohio State-Illinois on November 15th. I paid 200 bucks for the pair (which I feel is a bargain, considering I spent 175 for a pair to see Ohio State-Indiana in 2006).

The game is in Champaign, Illinois (a 7-hour drive), so it'd be a nice little road trip. I've never seen a game at Memorial Stadium, mind you.

This game is in the 11th week of the season. It's entirely possible that the winner of this game will be the champion of the Big Ten.

Illinois has a tough schedule (Missouri, Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin - all on the road), but could be anywhere from 7-3 to 10-0 by the time this one gets played. I call 8-2.

If they're having a good year again, Illinois fans will be foaming at the mouth to get tickets to this game. The price on ebay could easily top 300 bucks.

Ohio State has it a bit easier, but still tough (USC, Wisky, MSU on the road, Penn State at home). They look to be 8-2 minimum, 10-0 possibly. You know what I think they'll be at this point in the year.

So I ask you, what would you do if these tickets were in your pocket?

A) Keep the tickets, make a road trip, enjoy the game
B) Cheer for both teams to be 10-0, sell 'em on ebay and save the money
C) Cheer for both teams to be 10-0, sell 'em on ebay and go to the OSU-UM game with the profits
D) Give the tickets to a Michigan blogger so they can see an actual football game once this year

Feel free to elaborate in the comment section on what you'd do.

Chic Harley/A.J. Hawk days to go....

This is Chic Harley. He wore #47 a long, long time ago ("back in the day"). Without Chic Harley, Ohio State would not be where they are today.

- In his three years at Ohio State, the Buckeyes went 21-1-1, including their first-ever win over Michigan
- He was named first-team All-American three times
- He was named first-team All-American for the first half of the 20th century (Red Grange was second-team)
- He was a triple-threat, playing halfback on offense, safety on defense, and was the kicker AND punter on special teams. Rumor has it he also used his self-invented time machine to be an advance scout for the next week's opponent
- He spearheaded a fundraising drive that raised 1.3 million dollars (imagine what that would be worth in today's dollars) to build Ohio Stadium
- He also lettered in baseball, basketball, and track at Ohio State

Oh, and DURING his college career, he also went to fight in World War I.

In other words, the guy got laid a lot.

In 2004, Ohio State retired his number 47 (which he only wore in one game...players didn't wear numbers at Ohio State until late in his career).

One year later, the jersey saw it's final game with Ohio State, when this guy beat the living hell out of his brother-in-law with millions watching on national TV.

48 days to go

Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a good action photo of a Buckeye wearing number 48?

























Fortunately, tomorrow won't be so hard. #47 was a pretty active number a few years ago, I'm told.

God to Cubs fan - "Don't waste your life, kid"

Dominic DiAngi of suburban Frankfort was sitting behind the Cubs dugout Thursday afternoon during a game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds when a foul ball off the bat of Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly struck him in the head.

On Friday, the boy was in serious condition. Children's Memorial Hospital spokeswoman Julie Pesch says the boy regained consciousness on Friday and doctors said he was steadily improving throughout the day.

The game was the first major league game the boy had ever attended.

Dad takes kid to his very first Cubs game. Kid gets hit in the head with foul ball. Kid's head is fractured.

No, there's no message from God involved here, now is there?

And before you get pissy with me, the kid is fine and will live to see the Cubs blow it again another day.

49 days to go....

The often unsung hero of Ohio State, Dionte Johnson. Kid gave his heart and soul on every play, but never got a single headline. Here's to you, Dionte.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.....

Video footage of a USC recruitment weekend;



That might be the gayest thing I have ever seen.

I watched it twice and became concerned that it might have turned me gay, so I just called my girlfriend. Apparently, I'm still heterosexual.

Phew.

(terrorist fist jab - Eleven Warriors)

50 days before kickoff '08!

Cue the music, boys...it's time to make el Kaiser and the rest of the gang at MotSaG very, very happy!

51 days to go.....

Ah, the memories that Anthony Schlegel brought back.

Just a reminder for everyone....tomorrow will be day #50. The boys at MotSaG should have a multiple Ghol-gasm

Photo credit - Jim Davidson (O-Zone)

DeVoe Torrence acquitted of statutory rape charges

From the Canton Repository;

A Massillon teen has been acquitted of a rape charge involving a 12-year-old girl.

Stark County Family Court Judge David E. Stucki said he didn't find enough evidence to convict DeVoe J. Torrence, a one-time Ohio State University football recruit, of the juvenile charge.

Torrence testified today and denied a sexual encounter took place.

The girl initially testified that she didn't remember what happened between her and Torrence after she went to his bedroom in the early morning hours of Sept. 23.

But she later said the two had sex and detailed their condom use for the court.

On cross examination by defense attorney Jeffrey Haupt, the girl admitted she has a tendency to lie.

Torrence, now 18, was charged with rape because the girl was 12 at the time. The trial was held juvenile court because Torrence was 17 at the time.

Jim Tressel withdrew this kid's scholarship a few months back, and it was speculated that these charges were the primary reason. Torrence has often been rumored of this type of behavior.

Having grown up in Stark County, home of both McKinley and Massillon, I can tell you one thing....if you play football in this town, you get away with a LOT of nefarious activity.

I'm still divided on whether or not this kid was actually innocent, but at least he isn't going up the river over a possible encounter with a girl who lied on the stand.

Battle of the dim-witted now taking place on ESPN.com

ESPN's weak-ass version of a Big Ten blog has recently posted the story about a settlement between West Virginia and Rich-Rod.

But the hilarious part comes below the "story". Fans of both schools have begun the attacks on each other, both bringing the weakest smack-talk I've seen in a long time.

Some examples.....

WVU would destroy UM this year if they played, but UM wont play any non-conf BCS schools, only D-1AA

Apparently this guy thinks that Villanova, East Carolina, and Western Michigan is a good non-conference schedule. Glass houses, WVA fans....glass houses.

There isnt a DIAA team on our schedule this year. Good trash talking bud!!!!

Seriously? You're hyping the fact that you DON'T play a 1-AA team this year?

OSU looks rediculous every year because they lose the national championship annually

I love it when people attack us and can't spell the multi-syllabic words in their diatribes.

Pat White did not see playing time until the 7th game. Slaton was the stud and continued to carry the team the rest of the season.

Dude, you are aware there is a thing called "the internets", and that we can fact-check your bullshit? Pat White had 1,276 yards of offense and 14 touchdowns in the first 6 games.

I just love these types of idiots...here's hoping they breed less, though.

52 and counting....

Former linebacker Jim Kerr, providing his lone highlight for Ohio State....looking good in his stance. That's about it.

Photo credit - Jim Davidson (O-Zone)

Previewing the 2008 Buckeye schedule

We've still got a long way to go before the 2008 season opens up, and there's plenty to talk about. Lots of numbers to break down, and I've still got a season preview video to create and post...yeah, I think I'll get back into the video biz this year. 2006 was WAY too much fun!

But today, I'd like to take a look at the schedule, and do a REALLY short preview of all the games, from toughest to easiest.

So, Step One....here's the schedule!

Sat.	8/30	Y'TOWN STATE	NOON
September
Sat.	9/6	OHIO	NOON
Sat.	9/13	at USC	8 PM
Sat.	9/20	TROY	NOON
Sat.	9/27	MINNESOTA	TBA
October
Sat.	10/4	at Wisconsin	8 PM
Sat.	10/11	PURDUE	TBA
Sat.	10/18	at Mich. St.	TBA
Sat.	10/25	PENN STATE	8 PM
November
Sat.	11/1	Bye
Sat.	11/8	at N'western	TBA
Sat.	11/15	at Illinois	TBA
Sat.	11/22	MICHIGAN	TBA

Best case scenario - 12-0 and a fourth National Championship game in 7 years.

Worst case scenario - Going 1-4 on the road. Seriously. Losing to USC and Wisconsin are easily possible, Illinois will never be overlooked again, and Michigan State still scares me with Dantonio at the helm.

The upper echelon - best of the best
There are three of these, and fortunately, they're spaced apart far enough. The bad news is that two of these games will be on the road, in some of the worst places for a visiting team to win.

USC - September 13th - L.A. Coliseum
It'll be called, rightfully so, as the game of the year. Two teams in the Top 4 (maybe even Top 2). Two legendary coaches. All-Americans at every turn. What more do you need?

Wisconsin - October 4th - Camp Randall Stadium
The only team in the Big Ten to have a winning record against Tressel, having knocked off the Senator in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Don't let last year's 38-17 blowout fool you, the Badgers were playing without any RBs. They'll all back this time.

Michigan - November 22nd - Ohio Stadium
Yes, I know. No Hart, no Henne, no chance in hell. It's Michigan, though. And if the Wolverines are 0-11 headed into the game, I'm still worried. And if you're not scared too, then you don't understand The Rivalry.

The second tier - potential upsets
Three more games that could spell trouble, and again two of them are on the road.

Michigan State - October 18th - Spartan Stadium
Tressel's never lost to Michigan State, and the Spartans have never been closer than a 7-point fluke in 2006. But Mark Dantonio knows this team and is a hell of a coach. He'd be immortalized with a win over a team that could be #1 by the time they roll into East Lansing.

Penn State - October 25th - Ohio Stadium
The Lions are no slouch this year, and they're hungry for that one win that will give them a crack at a BCS bowl. Winning in Columbus would do it....just ask Illinois. Plus, dammit, we don't get much time to rest up after a tough road game at MSU.

Illinois - November 15th - Memorial Stadium
They lost Mendenhall, but they gained a world of confidence. The game between Illinois and Ohio State used to be legendary, then it got kinda boring. It's back to being a battlefield again.

Pitfall games - Don't take it for granted
These are the teams that are nowhere near good enough to make a BCS bowl, but could put together a game good enough to beat a BCS-Bowl team.

Troy - September 20th - Ohio Stadium
It's worth pointing out that last year, Troy was down 7 points midway through the 4th quarter to Georgia. They'll sneak up on you if you're not paying attention. Plus, we play them right after the big game at USC. Watch out for this one.

Purdue - October 11th - Ohio Stadium
Joe Tiller's Farewell tour, and Purdue is always a tough game for us.

The dregs - not a chance in hell
Hey, Terrelle Prior. Here's the playbook. Learn it and practice against these teams!

Youngstown State - August 30th - Ohio Stadium
Ohio - September 6th - Ohio Stadium
Minnesota - September 27th - Ohio Stadium
Northwestern - October 8th - Ryan Field

We'll get into much greater detail with all these games in the coming weeks.

53 days to go....

The legend, Randy Gradishar. I had to go with him for #53.

Plus, here's the list of players who have worn the same number...which one would YOU have selected?

Adamle, Anthony ................................1946
Armstrong, Billy J. .........................1960-62
Barnes, Ronald ....................................1955
Brown, Edmund ..............................1998-99
Buie, Ceasar ........................................2004
Chancey, Mike .....................................1989
Colosimo, Sean ...................................1997
Donovan, Brian P. ................................1969
Douglas, Ivan .................................1999-02
Gradishar, Randy ............................1971-73
Graf, Campbell ....................................1939
Hester, Darren .....................................1995
Horvath, Leslie ....................................1940
Howe, Patrick ......................................2006
James, Daniel A. ............................1957-58
Kelley, Dwight A. ...........................1963-65
Licker, Adam ........................................2004
Lininger, Raymond J. ......................1946-49
Long, Paul .......................................1987-88
Lynch, Scott ....................................1992-94
Merrell, James ....................................1951
Mezgec, Mike .....................................1992
Morris, Rich ....................................1983-86
Muhlbach, John L. .........................1966-68
Pack, Craig .....................................1981-82
Porter, Douglas ...............................1974-77
Schmidlin, Eric ....................................1993
Seach, Bill ......................................1990-91
Sharp, Scott ..................................1988, 90
Slicker, Richard ....................................1954

Incidentally, the answer is "yes". As in, "yes, I am going to do this countdown every single day until kickoff." I may have some trouble when I take a four-day vacation to California with my girlfriend, but I'm going to stick with this.

Tough love, aka "get outta my locker room"

Last year, just prior to the BCS National Championship game, we had a bit of bad news. It was referred to as "a violation of team rules" and was never fully explained. Needless to say, Eugene Clifford was suspended for the game.

In my world, missing out on the biggest game of the year would certainly grab my attention. I'd make sure I was on the straight path after that.

Clifford, though....ehhh, not so much. The backup safety has been charged with two counts of misdemeanor assault and by the time you read this, he will have been arraigned on both counts.

Even if it were his first offense, I'd have a tough time with this...assault is not an accident. But it's not his first offense, so the Lllllloyd Carr method of ignoring it will not stand here.

Now is not the time to sit back and hope Clifford learns. Now is not the time to make him run the steps at the stadium. Now is not the time to make him sit out the first series of a game.

Now is the time to show him the door. It's obvious the kid has issues and he needs to deal with them. But do it on someone else's dime. We could open up another scholarship for 2009 by dumping what is an almost guaranteed head case.

Jim Tressel has shown forgiveness in times past with other players, but he has also cut them loose when they do not show appreciation for the position they are in.

Most people point to Maurice Clarett as the perfect example of lawlessness at Ohio State. I point to him as an example of the coaching staff appropriately removing a cancer BEFORE it spreads. Keep in mind, dear readers, that Clarett was immediately suspended from the team when his car was discovered with all the goodies inside. He never saw the field again. The dude was NOT a Buckeye when he decided to play Tony Montana.

Troy Smith is an even better example. He made a dumb mistake and paid his dues for it. And you can bet your bottom dollar that Tressel told him he had no more chances left. And look how he handled it.

Sorry, Eugene. When you wear the scarlet and gray, I'll support you. But we can't have any repeat performances of trouble like this. I hope you get things back on track and are able to play college football again soon.

But not in my town. Beat it, son.

54 Days To Go.....

Cleveland trades CC Sabathia to Milwaukee for Michael Redd

Well, that's mostly true. Michael Redd wasn't part of the deal, but it'd be cool if he had been.

However, CC is gone, according to ESPN.

We got a ton of minor-league prospects, including Matt LaPorta. LaPorta has 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in just over 80 games....in AA ball. We'll see how that transfers to the show.

Immediately after hearing of his trade to Cleveland, LaPorta reportedly turned down a huge contract, claimed he wanted to stay in Cleveland for a long long time, then left in a big limo with Boston Red Sox bumper stickers.

55 days to go

Breaking news - Ohio State football existed before 2001

Browsing through my fellow Big Ten blogs, I came across a new article at Buckeye Commentary entitled "Ohio State's Greatest Games".

It's one of the finest blogs I have ever written, but this article just irks me to no end. Amongst it's awards include "Greatest Regular Season Game", "Greatest Bowl Game", "Greatest Comeback", and a few other prizes. Unfortunately, NONE of the awards are given to a single game prior to Jim Tressel's head coaching debut. **Update below**

In my honest opinion, this is insulting. It's insulting to Woody Hayes, to Earle Bruce, and even to John Cooper. It's insulting to every player who donned a uniform in the 20th century, and it's insulting to me, a fan of the Ohio State University.

I commented on the thread, and I took umbrage with "Greatest Comeback" being given to the 2005 Michigan game. We came back from 9 points down with 8 minutes left....yeah, cool. But greatest ever? No, not even close.

Here's what I wrote in my comment.....

I'm sorry, but I can't agree AT ALL with the "greatest comeback" award going to the '05 Michigan game.

Take two other examples, and tell me I'm wrong here.....

1) Ohio State vs. LSU - September 24, 1988 - Ohio Stadium

LSU leads the Buckeyes 33-20 with just over two minutes to play. Greg Frey leads the team down the field, and Carlos Snow bursts into the end zone from five yards out. The extra point closes the deficit to 33-27.

Rather than try an onside kick, the Buckeyes kick it deep and try to pin back the Tigers. With only two timeouts left, this is risky. But it works out. Two negative-yardage plays and an incomplete pass force LSU to punt after having possession for only 17 seconds. Rather than punt the ball away, LSU takes the safety on the punt, and Ohio State trails 33-29 with just over 90 seconds left.

On the free kick, freshman walk-on Bobby Olive (who had fumbled away a punt earlier in the game) raced down the middle of the field and cut left at the perfect time, taking the kick all the way back to LSU's 33-yard line. Four plays later, Olive was on the receiving end of a Frey TD pass that gave the Buckeyes the lead for good. Ohio Stadium went into pandemonium, and LSU didn't know what hit them. The Buckeyes led 36-33 with less than 30 seconds left.

The Tigers had one final drive, as Ohio State had scored 16 points almost TOO fast. But four failed plays came and went, and Ohio State held on for the improbable victory.

2) October 28, 1989 - Ohio State vs. Minnesota - The Metrodome

Minnesota led 31-0 on a cavalcade of Buckeye errors. A TD (and 2-point conversion) by Carlos Snow near halftime made it 31-8 at intermission, but nobody could have believed that it would lead to victory for Ohio State on that day.

Everything the Bucks did wrong in the first half, they turned around in the second. But it didn't look like it would be enough, as Minny still led 37-26 with just over 5 minutes left. With three minutes to go, Ohio State failed on a 3rd-and-18 play deep in Gopher territory. John Cooper went for it, and Frey scored on an option (seriously) on 4th-and-short. Another 2-pointer, and Ohio State trailed 37-34 with two minutes left.

When Ohio State got the ball back, there was very little time left. Starting at their own 27 yard line, Frey went to work. 18 yards to Snow. 19 yards to Brian Stablein. a 14-yard sack hurt a bit, but then Jim Palmer grabbed a pass and raced down the sideline for 35 yards to Minnesota's 15. On the next play, Jeff Graham was so wide open, he could have eaten a sandwich before the defender found him. Ohio State scored and led 41-37 with seconds left.

Again, the defense held strong and Minnesota could not score the necessary TD to seal what once was a 31-point lead. Final score, Ohio State 41, Minnesota 37.

There is no way 2005 Michigan tops either of those games.

I'm really hoping this was a minor oversight by BC. Even they should know that better games were played before Tressel, and that every category cannot be answered by repeating the Senator's name.

UPDATE - As my first two commenters have noted, the post at BC does say they expanded on the Big Ten Network's idea, and instead "looked at the entire Tressel era". This does create room for forgiveness, and it does create the need for an apology from me. However, I do hope that BC adds to their list and includes other games from the past.

Flashback - when Notre Dame was a great team, and how Ohio State started the Irish demise

10 weeks from today, college football will have all eyes focused on two teams, Ohio State and Southern Cal. OSU/USC will officially kick off just after 8pm EST on September 13th, and unless you're a diehard Mormon who is anxious to see how Utah/Utah State turns out, you'll be watching the action in Los Angeles.

It will be referred to (over and over) as "the most highly-anticipated regular-season game in years". Both teams will likely be undefeated and ranked in the top 3 (Ohio State has easy home games with Ohio U and YSU, while USC takes a bit of a chance in facing Virginia on the road before a bye week).

Bloggers around the nation will hail it as "the first time Ohio State plays anybody out-of-conference, ever", conveniently forgetting when the 2-game series against Texas (the Longhorns were ranked number 2 in the nation both times). But who can blame the haters? After all, those games were alllllll the way back in 2005 and 2006. Who can remember that long ago?

But if you're old enough to remember the hype and excitement, this 2-game set with USC should remind you a lot of the series Ohio State had with Notre Dame in 1995 and 1996.

Forget the Notre Dame teams of Charlie Weis. This was a MUCH different team back then. The Irish still had Lou Holtz in command, a man who was so tough that he coached the 1995 game from the freakin' sidelines less than three weeks after having spinal surgery. That's pretty damn badass if you ask me.

In 1995, both teams spent most of the season in the top 10, and in 1996 both teams had serious aspirations of a national championship. In each instance, this game would effectively end the season of the loser (and it did).

Compare this year's USC team to that of Notre Dame's back then, you'll find some remarkable similarities.

- The brilliant coach who brings wins over and over again.
- The new highly-touted quarterback
- The track-star in the defensive secondary

I could go on, but you see where I'm getting, right?

1995 - Ohio State punishes Notre Dame 45-26. Eddie George rushes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns, and uses the game as his springboard to the Heisman Trophy. Regis Philbin seals the victory for the Bucks by doing a live interview on ABC, proclaiming "We've got a lock on this! We're gonna win!". During the interview, WR Terry Glenn scores on an 82-yard TD pass. Philbin still doesn't shut up.

1996 - At South Bend, Ohio State continues their ownership of the Irish. Dimitrious Stanley takes the opening kickoff for 85 yards, and Ohio State never looks back in a 29-16 win. Row Powlus self-destructs in the fourth-quarter and tries to fight four members of the Buckeyes defense by himself. Nobody engages him, and he is later seen on the sideline with tears in his eyes. Lou Holtz resigns at the end of the season.

Notre Dame has not won a single bowl game since they played Ohio State in the 1990s.

56 days to go....

Bartender, cut me off at 16 and a half drinks. I gotta drive tonight.

Details are coming out now about Michigan RB Kevin Grady's DUI arrest Tuesday night.

WYOMING -- A vehicle driven by University of Michigan running back and former East Grand Rapids High School football standout Kevin Grady was pulled over early Wednesday, and he was arrested for allegedly having a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.

According to the ticket issued to Grady, he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.281. Michigan's legal definition of drunk is 0.08.

Seriously? 0.281? Do you have ANY idea how much a guy has to drink to get that kind of a blood-alcohol level? Let's delve into that, shall we?

Michigan's official football site lists Kevin Grady as a 5'9", 224 lb RB. To calculate what one drink does to your blood alcohol level, you divide 3.8 by your body weight. (source - www.dui.com)

Therefore, one drink will give a guy like Kevin Grady a blood alcohol level of 0.017. Extrapolate that out, and it will take SIXTEEN AND A HALF DRINKS to get a level of 0.281.

Something tells me this isn't Jim Harbaugh's definition of a "Michigan Man". Gary Moeller, maybe.....but not Harbaugh.

One other interesting point in the article....

Wyoming Police pulled over the 22-year-old as he drove south on Byron Center Avenue SW near 44th Street in a 2007 GMC Yukon Denali just before 2 a.m.

Someone want to explain how a college kid can afford a $40,000 dollar car? How does he have that kind of money? I'm sure his scholarship pays for school and all, but he'd better have a kick-ass campus job (one that even pays for some pretty hefty bar tabs, too)

Let's start the countdown, boys!

"Borrowing" an idea from MotSag here....

57 days until kickoff!


Photo credit - David Maxwell/Getty Images

Somewhere, Jim Harbaugh is laughing

Why? Because "Michigan Men" wouldn't do this sort of thing...at least not when he was a player up north.

Michigan RB Kevin Grady, about to enter his fourth-year junior season, was arrested for DUI on Wednesday.

Grady's been kind of a bust since hitting campus three years ago.
- He's never had a 100-yard game, despite getting ample playing time while Mike "H-2-Oh-and-four" Hart was nursing hangnail injuries.
- He tore his ACL and missed all of 2007.
- Now this.

It'll be interesting to see how Rich Rodriguez handles this. But then again, nobody will really notice much anyway.

However, let's give him some credit. At least he didn't smack a bitch around on the night he got arrested. And there's still no evidence that he was baked out of his mind while playing in an actual game.

Private party with LeBron James

OK, so this is blatant "look at me" blogging here.....and I know it, but it's too cool to not let you in on it.

This Saturday afternoon, LeBron James will be hosting the "King For Kids" charity bike-a-thon. It's pretty cool and I'm excited to see it all unfold.

But what I'm most excited about is that the after-party will be held in my restaurant, Damon's Grill/Ohio Brewing Company. No crashers allowed, so don't get any bright ideas. Akron Police will be at each door (and they'll be locked anyway).

We made the final preparations for it today. I don't have the full list of celebrities that will be in attendance, but we're looking at some pretty cool names. I'll keep that list to myself for now, but I'll be sure to pass it all on (with pictures, if they'll let me) after the event. Needless to say, the roster of the Cavaliers will be there. That's what I'm most excited about.

If you're in the area, stop by the bike-a-thon and cheer on everybody. It's a great cause, and it'll be a wonderful day. And no, I won't tell you which door they'll be entering/leaving the building from either.

Beanie Wells meets his new #1 fan

OK, so it's time for me to fawn a little.

Most of my readers know that I'm now managing a downtown Akron restaurant (Damon's/Ohio Brewing Company, if you wanna stop by). Today, thanks to an awesome server of mine, I got a little visit in the restaurant. None other than #28 stopped by.

Yes, Beanie Wells was in for a couple of minutes. Here's your humble blogger with the guy who rushed for 229 yards against Michigan last year;

And I think I took a big chance with this, but we broke out the stepladder and asked him to sign a mural on the wall that features some of Akron's greatest athletes....

Yeah, I know...what if he had fallen? Well, what you cant see in the picture is the two people who are propping him up at the small of his back.

There were about 30 people at the bar behind him, and the murmurs began when he stepped up on the ladder. As he signed it, the applause broke out. It was a pretty cool scene for one of Akron's finest.

The murals will get additions next weekend, as LeBron James will be hosting a private party with some of his friends in attendance....all of the current Cavaliers, Jason Kidd, Kenny Lofton, Lance Armstrong, and many more. Details on that will come forward soon.

The BBC, officially removed from the MIA list

Yeah, yeah, I know. I've been gone a long time.

Since I feel you deserved an explanation weeks ago, I first must apologize. But here's the recise reasons for my departure.

When we last spoke, I was leaving to begin training new employees for my restaurant in downtown Akron. About three days into my mission, I was offered management within the store. Soon after, it became an even bigger position.

Presently, I am putting between 60-80 hours a week at work, and I do still have that adorable 9-year-old daughter that I'm raising. So between work, family, and a potential new girlfriend, blogging has become a bit of a trial to accomplish.

I will be on the scene full-time here at The BBC when college football season resumes. But in the meantime, expect the blogging to be sporadic (look it up, Michigan fans)

Thanks,
Jeff

The Cavs have much more class than I do

So now it's over for the first round. Cavs win 4 games to 2 and advance on to face the.....?

After watching the Washington Witnesses run their mouths and throw punches for six straight games, I so desperately wanted to see some back-talk from my Cavaliers. Seriously, I wanted to see Dwayne Jones come in off the bench, kick Brenda Haywood's knee from a side-angle, and stand over him doing that obnoxious "can't see my face" bullshit.

The league would have suspended Jones, but he's our 14th or 15th option off the bench. That's why God made the Scot Pollards of the world.

Alas, my Cleveland Cavaliers have way too much class for all that. They did their damage on the court, and while some fat guy kept getting shown on TV wearing a crybaby shirt, all Clevelanders could do is laugh at the perennial bitches we have made the Washington Witnesses into.

This morning, I was happy that LeBron and the rest of the Cavs took the high road. Leave the sorry attitude in DC and move on to the elite teams of the NBA. But last night, I wanted to see some REAL payback (and you KNOW I wanted that....hell, I'm the guy who makes videos based entirely on mocking Michigan, Texas, Michigan, Iowa, Chad Henne, Michigan, and Michigan). My emotions were running high and I wanted vengeance. But like the title says, the Cavs are much classier than I am. Kudos to them for proving it.

About the game itself, the Cavaliers put together a beautiful performance. Any NBA team that puts together a stat sheet like this....forget it, you won't beat them on that given night.

- 50 percent shooting from the field (40 for 81)
- 46 percent shooting from 3-point range (11 for 24)
- 29 assists
- 6 turnovers
- 32 points off the bench (to Washington's 16)

Eight Cavaliers played meaningful minutes in the game. Six of them shot 50 percent or better. The other two players? Delonte West, who did what point guards are supposed to do....7 assists, 0 turnovers, and LeBron James. Yeah, he shot under 50%. He scored 27 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, and dished out 13 assists. But he only hit 47 percent of his attempts. What a jerk, huh?

In the end, the Cavaliers are a great team. Washington ran their mouths, hoping somebody would mistake them for a good team. They are not.

I wonder if Gilbert Arenas regrets the following statement;

“I think everybody wants Cleveland in that first round,” he said. “They’ve
been a .500 team ever since they made that trade and everybody wants a chance at that matchup. We want Cleveland for our own reasons, we don’t think they can
beat us in the playoffs three years straight. It’s hard to beat a team three
years straight. We want to try our luck.”

No, Gilbert....maybe it's hard for YOU to beat a team three years in a row. It's not so difficult from our perspective.

So thank you Gilbert Arenas for waking up the Cavaliers. Thank you for reminding us that it is playoff time, and you are merely worthy of being the answer to our annual trivia question.

Thank you Brenda Haywood for consistently trash-talking and not backing it up with anything but a closed fist. Dude, you're 7 feet tall and you barely got 6 rebounds per game. 27 boards for the whole series? LeBron had 35 rebounds in the past three games. Remember that.

Thank you eShawn Stevenson. Thank you for showing us what an overrated player can do when he's challenged. The guy just AVERAGED 29.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists against you. Thank you, eShawn (yes, I said eShawn....because there's clearly no D).

But Arenas was right about one thing. The Cavaliers, after the trade that brought Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith to our building, were a struggling team. Prior to the playoffs, they were 14-13 with the new players in uniform. This was a team that you could have knocked off, based on our record.

But have you forgotten, Gilbert? Have you forgotten that it was YOUR Washington Wizards who faced us the day before those players got into uniform?

Four players in street clothes, having arrived during the game. Three more shipped off to other teams. Hell, we had to sign two players from the NBA developmental league just to keep from forfeiting the game. Eric Snow was in the fucking starting lineup.

And we BEAT you.

So maybe we were only .500 down the stretch. But YOU certainly were not going to be the team capable of pulling off the series win.

But you did wake us up. Boston or Atlanta might want to have a word with you about that.

Im back...briefly....

First, the personal information, then the business of blogging.

The past few weeks have been very busy. I'm preparing to leave the comforts of home and go do a mobile training session for my company. I apologize for the lack of posts, but as always, I leave you in the more-than-capable hands of my fellow bloggers listed to the right.

Recently, I've been promoted and have spent a lot of time learning an entire new system of service at my restaurant. We are doing an opening of a new building (complete with a new menu) in Akron, and I have to train about 165 new employees. There's 10 of us doing the training, but my share actually boils down to about 25 trainees by myself.

So sometime after Monday the 12th of May, if you're in the downtown Akron area, come to 222 South Main Street and visit the grand opening of my new restaurant, Damon's Grill/Ohio Brewing Company. It's freaking huge, and you will love it. I've never seen so many huge plasma screens in my life. It's gonna be a blast to be there for Buckeye Saturdays!

On Sunday, I leave for the spacious layout of the Stow Marriott, where I will bask in luxuriousness in between 12-hour work days. Oh, and i'll be bringing several cases of alcohol, the DVD player, and the Nintendo Wii. Plus, wait til you see my fellow trainers, Alicia and Clare. Seriously, don't cry for me, Argentina.

Maybe, if you're lucky, by the time I get back I might even have a few new SBF photos to share with Boiled Sports.

On to the topic of sports;

Everything I can tell you, you've read elsewhere. The Indians are underperforming three to four times a week, the Browns didn't draft anybody (but didn't need to draft anybody), the Buckeyes held their spring practice, and Chad Henne is still a joke, and so is the team he has to play for.

But the Cavaliers....ah, yes, it's playoff time. You know the storyline, so I'll spare you the details, but let me ask this one question;

Washington Wizards.....what the hell were you thinking? You decided that it would be wise to taunt LeBron James? You actually thought it was a GOOD idea to try and piss off the best player in the NBA?

Get this straight....LeBron James is going to score 29 points a game. You do not have the consistent talent to prevent that from happening. Taunt Daniel Gibson or Delonte West or Wally Szczerbiak. Get THEM off their game, and prevent LeBron's assist numbers from going way up. But you cannot stop LeBron James, you can only hope to contain him.

But it may be too late now. You officially became our bitches two years ago, but thanks for reminding us WHY you're our bitches.

The best things about April

It's finally April. In my household, it means two things.

1) The Spring Game is fast approaching!
2) It's my birthday!

Let's get this out of the way...the birthday is Monday, so get off your damn asses and say something. A guy gets lonely, you know. Gratuitous plug over.

We are less than 2 weeks away from the annual spring game. It takes a special kind of fan to get into the Scarlet-Gray game, and most of those people have their own blog named after a lyric from a fight song. We here at the BBC are no exception. So if you know somebody on the Ohio State Lacrosse team, tell them to NOT go into overtime that day, or they'll get a punch to the noggin. We gots football to watch!

The excitement for the 2008 season has technically already begun (Terrelle Pryor kinda kicked that off strong), but the Scarlet-Gray game is the non-official-official beginning of it all. And with 20 returning starters to a 11-2 squad...well, that's pretty damn thrilling.

Meanwhile, we can take quick looks at what 2008 will bring us.

First, there's the news that Beanie Wells' junior season will NOT be his last. He told the Dispatch that he's staying four years. Folks, THIS is what you get with Jim Tressel at the helm. He has made this University a place where players WANT to finish their careers, no matter what their prospect may look like. Sure, we get the occasional loss (or three like 2006), but this is the exception, rather than the rule that prevailed in the late 80s and all through the 90s.

Did I mention that I hated John Cooper?

Also, if you haven't heard, your Cris Carter jersey is in style again. Mike Doss made it fashionable, and now Terrelle Pryor will do the same thing.

Meanwhile, the Michigan blogs are getting all excited about 3-star recruits, just because they're from Ohio. Yeah, that proves you still have the elite stuff. Justin Boren and Pryor? You didn't want them anyway.

Bo Schembechler is crying in his grave. And Lloyd Carr is snickering at you....just wait and see, you'll plead for the days when you only lost three at home.

So it'll be VERY hard to sleep the night before each game this season. But I've got Ambien if anybody needs it. Let's get it started, baby!

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

Finally, tomorrow night's game for the National Championship? Meh.

I'll take Kansas, but only because there's this cool guy who comes into the restaurant for every Kansas game (even if it's on ESPN at his home), and he deserves some happiness.

But if Memphis wins, we can say we were the only team in 2 years to beat them in a tournament.

Like I said, meh.

"This is what happens when you put an NCAA team in the NIT"

Yes, that's right. Ohio State won the NIT last night with a 56-point explosion in the second half. Final score - Ohio State 92, UMass 85. You can read excellent recaps of the game at Eleven Warriors, Around The Oval, Buckeye Commentary, and tons of other Buckeye blogs.

But the best line I heard all night came from the throat of Jamar Butler after the game, as he unleashed his attitude on the press.

"This is what happens when you put an NCAA team in the NIT," Butler
said. "Write that down and send that to the committee."

Truly brilliant, Jamar. Brilliant. We'll miss you, buddy. Thanks for all the fish.

As for the notion that Ohio State is now the 66th-best team in the NCAA, I take exception to that.

We would beat the fuck out of Coppin State. Bring 'em on!

200,000 - thanks!

A quick update - Thanks for pushing "Ohio State Owns Michigan" over the 200,000 view mark! It currently stands at 200,334 views. I couldn't have done it without you. And you. And you.

And also...I love that YouTube has given me a place to show my creations, but damn I hate their system for counting views. It only updates everyonce in a while, and my number sat at 199,991 for a LONG time. Last night when I got home around 3am, it was still at that number. This morning, it leapt to the current stat. I with it updated more frequently, but whatcha gonna do?

Oh, and to the anonymous Michigan fan who left a comment calling me names for deleting anti-OSU comments and blocking users from my YouTube videos.....hell, yeah I do that! My video, my admin abilities. I'm not letting it become a playground for Buckeye-bashing. Suck on it.

69, dude!

So far, a total of 199,931 people have viewed one of my classic videos, "Ohio State Owns Michigan". Honestly, I'm honored that anybody has seen it or commented on it. But I see that it is very very close to having 200,000 views.

So, yeah, I'm asking for you to push it over 200,000.

That means we need just 69 people to go watch it. Click on any one the links I've put up in this posting, and it'll take you to the right video.

Incidentally, YouTube doesn't count off-site views, so go watch it there to have your view added to the total.

Also, "Chad Henne Is A Joke" has had 184,549 views. Sometime in June or July, we'll have a push for 200K (which would be hilarious if it comes right around draft day).

SEC currently shitting the bed

Entering tonight, college basketball enthusiasts saw two interesting possibilities.

1) Florida vs. Ohio State in a re-re-rematch of championship games.
2) Florida vs. Ole Miss in an All-SEC NIT title game.

Then the SEC realized that they suck. Florida choked and Ole Miss looks like a team that couldn't beat a barely-.500 squad in their own conference tournament....

Ohio State leads by 23 points late in the first half, and shows no signs of slowing down.

It should be a good final on Thursday night.

By the way, I agree with Eleven Warriors...playing for three extra weeks was MUCH better for these kids than a first-weekend exit in the NCAAs (which would have been their fate).

"Those who stay will be champions - Hey, where ya going? Please stay!"

As mentioned earlier today, at least one Michigan offensive lineman has left the football team. Justin Boren has quit the Wolverines, and he was their best lineman for the upcoming season.

The Michigan offense is going to be filled with holes (and laughter) all season. They lost their only QB, their only RB, their best WR, several key members of the offensive line, and they have to learn a new system with a QB that has never taken a snap. Oh, and they failed to recruit the guy who was "made for Rodriguez' system".

Rumor also has it that Boren's departure may not be the last one of the spring.

At this point, it's not looking pretty for Michigan. Appalachian State may cancel their game against Michigan to open the 2008 season to look for tougher competition (OK, that part is satire)

We at The BBC couldn't be happier at Michigan's current incompetence.