People from Big Ten country have been a little miffed lately about the bad rap that the Big Ten has been getting the last few years. Big Ten fans say, "So what Ohio State lost to Florida, LSU and USC - so would 110 other teams, and badly. Fair enough. But it is more than just the Buckeyes biting it in the big games. It is things like what happened on Thursday evening.
Indiana opened their season against perennial powerhouse ... Eastern Kentucky??? Quick, name where the Eastern Kentucky University (had to look up if it was EKU or UEK) is located. Quick, name their mascot. (Richmond, KY and the Colonels, if you are curious.) There's nothing innately wrong about playing Eastern Kentucky to open the season. Florida has Charleston Southern. But when you open with Eastern Kentucky the goal is to blow them away. So how did Indiana do?
Indiana didn't blow out anyone, Colonels or otherwise. In fact, it took an Eastern Kentuckky fumble early in the 4th quarter at IU's 5 yard line to preserve a 19-13 win over the Colonels. Yep, the Hoosiers almost got fried.
You know why the Big Ten stinks? Because Indiana stinks. And Michigan stinks. And Purdue stinks. Heck, the fourth and fifth best teams in the conference last year were .... Northwestern and Minnesota??? Wait, they stink too.
The Big Ten needs a big boost from teams like Michigan and Wisconsin to make it respectable again. The Indianas and Purdues of the Big Ten will never be amazing. The conference needs Ohio State, Penn State, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin to be rock solid, and they are not.
That is why the Big Ten stinks. Come on, Indiana. That's sad.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
No Excuses for Buckeyes vs. USC
A starting cornerback is now out. A true freshman will start at QB for the first time ever. They lost a load of NFL talent. If the Buckeyes don't beat USC in the Shoe on September 12th, there are no excuses. The Buckeyes just stink. If there was any Pete Carroll team that the Buckeyes could beat, it would be a team led by a true freshman QB - and that is what they will (likely, barring injury or a total flop vs. San Jose State) see in two weeks time.
I think Pete Carroll wants to play the freshman just so he can show that he can win the big games with anybody. True freshmen. It doesn't matter. Pete Carroll wants to show that any players he puts out on the field can beat San Jose State, Ohio State, or anybody. His program is just that good.
Jim Tressel has been talking up his team big time. Pryor is going to be better. The O-line is nastier. The defense will still be tough. The wideouts are talented. The Buckeyes will have to prove it on the field. Talk is cheap. Can they beat the big boys from Troy on September 12th? We'll see.
I think Pete Carroll wants to play the freshman just so he can show that he can win the big games with anybody. True freshmen. It doesn't matter. Pete Carroll wants to show that any players he puts out on the field can beat San Jose State, Ohio State, or anybody. His program is just that good.
Jim Tressel has been talking up his team big time. Pryor is going to be better. The O-line is nastier. The defense will still be tough. The wideouts are talented. The Buckeyes will have to prove it on the field. Talk is cheap. Can they beat the big boys from Troy on September 12th? We'll see.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Can the Buckeyes win it all in 2009?
Some big names are gone from a team that was co-Big Ten champs and went to the Fiesta Bowl, only to lose a heartbreaker to Texas 24-21. Chris Wells, Malcolm Jenkins, James Laurinaitis, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline and a slew of other great players are now either in the NFL or are on to other things. Can this Buckeyes team, with sophomore Terrelle Pryor at the helm, win it all?
The 2009 schedule for the Buckeyes is below:
9/5 - Navy
9/12 - USC
9/19 - Toledo (in Cleveland)
9/26 - Illinois
10/3 - @ Indiana
10/10 - Wisconsin
10/17 - @ Purdue
10/24 - Minnesota
10/31 - New Mexico State
11/7 - @ Penn State
11/14 - Iowa
11/21 - @ Michigan
Clearly the two games that pose the biggest problems will be the September 12th game vs. USC, ranked in the top 5 in almost every preseason poll, even though they lost a ton of talent as well, and November 7th at Penn State.
A lot will ride on the arm of Terrelle Pryor, whose running skills are obviously off fthe charts, and they were as a freshman, but whose passing game needs a lot of work. It wasn't that Pryor wasn't accurate last year, because he led the Big Ten in passing efficiency, but the majority of those passes were short passes. Pryor did show improvement near the end of the season with some long bombs against teams like Michigan State and Michigan, but for the most part, Pryor did not scare secondaries.
Once again, the receiving corps will be there for Pryor with the likes of DeVier Posey, Ray Small, Dane Sanzenbacher and company, Pryor will have plenty of talented receivers to throw to. The question will be whether the line can give him enough time and whether he can deliver downfield passes in pressure situations. If that is the case, this Ohio State squad could hang with anybody in the country.
The loss of Tyler Moeller for the season is a big loss. How good the defense will be is a big question mark. Pundits have the defensive line being a force, but the back seven - who knows? Can Ohio State stop USC? Can they stop Penn State? The season will be an exxciting one, that's for sure. I certainly look forward to it!
The 2009 schedule for the Buckeyes is below:
9/5 - Navy
9/12 - USC
9/19 - Toledo (in Cleveland)
9/26 - Illinois
10/3 - @ Indiana
10/10 - Wisconsin
10/17 - @ Purdue
10/24 - Minnesota
10/31 - New Mexico State
11/7 - @ Penn State
11/14 - Iowa
11/21 - @ Michigan
Clearly the two games that pose the biggest problems will be the September 12th game vs. USC, ranked in the top 5 in almost every preseason poll, even though they lost a ton of talent as well, and November 7th at Penn State.
A lot will ride on the arm of Terrelle Pryor, whose running skills are obviously off fthe charts, and they were as a freshman, but whose passing game needs a lot of work. It wasn't that Pryor wasn't accurate last year, because he led the Big Ten in passing efficiency, but the majority of those passes were short passes. Pryor did show improvement near the end of the season with some long bombs against teams like Michigan State and Michigan, but for the most part, Pryor did not scare secondaries.
Once again, the receiving corps will be there for Pryor with the likes of DeVier Posey, Ray Small, Dane Sanzenbacher and company, Pryor will have plenty of talented receivers to throw to. The question will be whether the line can give him enough time and whether he can deliver downfield passes in pressure situations. If that is the case, this Ohio State squad could hang with anybody in the country.
The loss of Tyler Moeller for the season is a big loss. How good the defense will be is a big question mark. Pundits have the defensive line being a force, but the back seven - who knows? Can Ohio State stop USC? Can they stop Penn State? The season will be an exxciting one, that's for sure. I certainly look forward to it!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Texas 24, Ohio State 21
We were so close.
As a Buckeye fan, I was shocked that our defense, normally our strength, let Colt McCoy lead the Longhorns to score the winning touchdown. As Eddie George said during halftime of the Fiesta Bowl, the 2008-09 Buckeye senior class will be known as a good team that never won the big game (unless you count the 2006 Fiesta Bowl win over a good but not great Notre Dame, which I don't).
This team could never get over the hump, but played their hearts out to make what many thought would be a blowout into a very good game.
As a Buckeye fan, I was shocked that our defense, normally our strength, let Colt McCoy lead the Longhorns to score the winning touchdown. As Eddie George said during halftime of the Fiesta Bowl, the 2008-09 Buckeye senior class will be known as a good team that never won the big game (unless you count the 2006 Fiesta Bowl win over a good but not great Notre Dame, which I don't).
This team could never get over the hump, but played their hearts out to make what many thought would be a blowout into a very good game.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
The 2006 Fiesta Bowl: #4 OSU 34, #6 Notre Dame 20
In a bowl that was promoted as the game to decide the 2006 Heisman frontrunner, the game did not disappoint, with Troy Smith completing 19 of 28 passes for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns with no INT's. Brady Quinn also had a good day (29-45 for 286 yards), but it was not enough as the Buckeyes marched to a dramatic victory sealed by Antionio Pittman's 60 yard dash for the final touchdown to put the game out of reach.
hio State's Regular Season
Opening the year ranked #6 and with high expectations, Ohio State defeated lowly Miami of Ohio 34-14 in the first game of the season. The second week's tilt was huge, facing #2 Texas in columbus, but coming out with a disappointing 25-22 loss in a game that could have easily been a victory for the Buckeyes had not Ryan Hamby dropped what could have been the winning touchdown pass from Justin Zwick. The Buckeyes only other loss of the season was a disappointing 17-10 loss in Happy Valley to 16th ranked Penn State. The Buckeyes capped the season with a close shave at #17 Michigan, winning on the final drive as Troy Smith led the Buckeyes down the field. The most impressive play was a roll-out pass to Anthony Gonzalez, which put the Buckeyes in supreme position at Michigan's 4-yard line and eventually Antonio Pittman plunged into the endzone for the game-winning score.
The Bowl Game
Notre Dame took the ball at the opening drive and Darius Walker ran the ball in from 20 yards out to shock the Buckeyes with an easy 7 points. then Troy Smith hit Ted Ginn Jr. with a 56 yard pass in which he was wide open and the game was tied at 7-7. Neither team did much until the second quarter when Ted Ginn Jr. took a reverse 68 yards for a 14-7 Buckeye lead. Then with just over 2 minutes to go in the half, Smith hit Santonio Holmes for an 85 yard TD pass to make it 21-7 Buckeyes at half.
In the second half, Darius walker scored his second rushing TD to make it 21-13. The Buckeyes then added 2 field goals to make it 27-13. With 5 minutes left to go, Darius Walker scored his thirdrushing TD to make it 27-20. Troy Smith then put on a Heisman moment or two as he converted two key third downs to keep their final drive alive. After making the second third down play, Antonio Pittman took it the distance to seal the victory, which helped the Buckeyes vault into an impressive 2006 season (although I won't mention what happened in the end ... we all know what happened).
hio State's Regular Season
Opening the year ranked #6 and with high expectations, Ohio State defeated lowly Miami of Ohio 34-14 in the first game of the season. The second week's tilt was huge, facing #2 Texas in columbus, but coming out with a disappointing 25-22 loss in a game that could have easily been a victory for the Buckeyes had not Ryan Hamby dropped what could have been the winning touchdown pass from Justin Zwick. The Buckeyes only other loss of the season was a disappointing 17-10 loss in Happy Valley to 16th ranked Penn State. The Buckeyes capped the season with a close shave at #17 Michigan, winning on the final drive as Troy Smith led the Buckeyes down the field. The most impressive play was a roll-out pass to Anthony Gonzalez, which put the Buckeyes in supreme position at Michigan's 4-yard line and eventually Antonio Pittman plunged into the endzone for the game-winning score.
The Bowl Game
Notre Dame took the ball at the opening drive and Darius Walker ran the ball in from 20 yards out to shock the Buckeyes with an easy 7 points. then Troy Smith hit Ted Ginn Jr. with a 56 yard pass in which he was wide open and the game was tied at 7-7. Neither team did much until the second quarter when Ted Ginn Jr. took a reverse 68 yards for a 14-7 Buckeye lead. Then with just over 2 minutes to go in the half, Smith hit Santonio Holmes for an 85 yard TD pass to make it 21-7 Buckeyes at half.
In the second half, Darius walker scored his second rushing TD to make it 21-13. The Buckeyes then added 2 field goals to make it 27-13. With 5 minutes left to go, Darius Walker scored his thirdrushing TD to make it 27-20. Troy Smith then put on a Heisman moment or two as he converted two key third downs to keep their final drive alive. After making the second third down play, Antonio Pittman took it the distance to seal the victory, which helped the Buckeyes vault into an impressive 2006 season (although I won't mention what happened in the end ... we all know what happened).
Friday, January 2, 2009
Let's face it, the Big Ten stinks ...
I've been trying to defend the Big Ten ever since Ohio State lost to Florida in the 2006 national title game. Being a Michigan native and a huge Ohio State fan, I love the Big Ten and I hate to see Big Ten teams lose in bowl games. I have been defending my beloved conference in the state where I live, Georgia, to a slew of SEC fans who rightly brag about how great their football conference is.
No more. The Big Ten stinks.
Wisconsin gets drilled by Florida State. Florida State?
Northwestern should have beat Missouri but of course found a way to lose.
Minnesota gets whacked by 7-5 Kansas.
Michigan State maybe plays the worst game of all time against Georgia. Georgia did everything but give them the game ball, and they still found a way to get doubled up.
Penn State gets steamrolled in the Rose Bowl.
Our lone ray of hope is Iowa, who did beat a team they should beat, South Carolina who can't pass the ball and probably couldn't even with a gun pointed at their QB's head.
Ohio State of course has yet to play. But even if they beat Texas ... then what? Will it really make that much of a difference for the conference? Not really. Folks will say, "Hey, Ohio State has their mojo back!" But even then, the Big Ten stinks. The fact of the matter is that the Big Ten needs desperately for Michigan and Wisconsin to be great. Teams like Northwestern and Michigan STate are just not going to get it done in big bowl games. The traditional powerhouses need to be powerhouses for the Big Ten. If Michigan and Wisconsin continue to dive bomb, then it could be a miserable few years for the Big Ten in bowl season.
Let's face it, Big Ten fans, the Big Ten stinks.
No more. The Big Ten stinks.
Wisconsin gets drilled by Florida State. Florida State?
Northwestern should have beat Missouri but of course found a way to lose.
Minnesota gets whacked by 7-5 Kansas.
Michigan State maybe plays the worst game of all time against Georgia. Georgia did everything but give them the game ball, and they still found a way to get doubled up.
Penn State gets steamrolled in the Rose Bowl.
Our lone ray of hope is Iowa, who did beat a team they should beat, South Carolina who can't pass the ball and probably couldn't even with a gun pointed at their QB's head.
Ohio State of course has yet to play. But even if they beat Texas ... then what? Will it really make that much of a difference for the conference? Not really. Folks will say, "Hey, Ohio State has their mojo back!" But even then, the Big Ten stinks. The fact of the matter is that the Big Ten needs desperately for Michigan and Wisconsin to be great. Teams like Northwestern and Michigan STate are just not going to get it done in big bowl games. The traditional powerhouses need to be powerhouses for the Big Ten. If Michigan and Wisconsin continue to dive bomb, then it could be a miserable few years for the Big Ten in bowl season.
Let's face it, Big Ten fans, the Big Ten stinks.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Up Next: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl
Next up will be a recap of the Ohio State - Notre Dame tilt, which featured Troy Smith and Jim Tressel facing off against Brady Quinn and Charlie Weis in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl!
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