The Buckeye Blog

I’ve been meaning to get to this one for a while but so far, Michigan Coach Rodriguez’s arrival at Michigan has been nothing short of successful. So successful in fact that the BuckeyXtra (Columbus Dispatch) recently reported that former Michigan offensive linesman Justin Boren visited an Ohio State practice and is seriously considering a transfer to Ohio State. Boren has been released by Michigan leaving Michigan with only one returning offensive linesman.

The Detroit Free Press, in an article about the void created by the loss of Boren, said that Boren said that it had nothing to do with the challenge of playing center in a spread offense without an quarterback. Instead, he cited the lack of “family values” in the Michigan program.

Family values? Why would he think that? I mean, the entire coaching staff that recruited him and coached him for the past two years has been tossed and replaced by a coach who left his old school with nothing but the ashes of player records and a healthy lawsuit to boot.

On top of everything else, the Free Press reports Boren has a talented little brother Zach who had talked with Michigan recruiters. Dad says he will probably follow his big brother.

I’m just glad we have USC on the schedule this year because at this rate, Michigan may not even be able to field a team come November.

This about says it all about Ohio State and Michigan: The last Ohio State coach who couldn’t beat Michigan was fired and replaced by Jim Tressel, a man of dignity and character who pretty much owns Michigan and has taken us to three BCS Championship games. Michigan fired a coach who couldn’t beat Ohio State and replaced him with…well…they replaced him with Rich Rodriguez.

At least they still have a rivalry with Notre Dame.

I received the following comment on an old post and heck, why not:

“I ran into a thread on the actor Keanu Reeves, which led me to a Wikipedia entry that said he played quarterback for Ohio State - as a matter of fact and not related to his role in The Replacements. I don’t believe this is true. I can’t verify it on-line. Can you help?”

You’ve got to love Wipikedia. The beauty is that it is only as accurate as the last person to modify the post. By the time I got to the entry for my favorite fictional Ohio State quarterback (”You’re goin down Bohdi”), the entry no longer said that Reeves was an actual quarterback but it did say that he went to Ohio State in 1983. I’m afraid that 1983 is before my time at OSU and I have never heard any reference to Reeves as a Buckeye other than in Point Break and The Replacements.

If anyone has heard different, please leave a comment to let us know. I wouldn’t want to put up false information on Wipikedia.

The Michigan State Riot Team held their first spring practice with that annual tradition known as Cedar Fest. This year’s recruits showed their potential coming in with approximately 52 arrests and 48 tickets. Most impressive, however was the front line and their ability to pelt police with rocks and garbage while sucking down a healthy dose of tear gas. All in all, with as many as 4,000 students on hand, the riot team managed to stay out of foul trouble until late in the game.

“All in all, we’re pretty excited about our performance,” stated a member of this year’s squad. “This was a great warm up for the fall season. We’ve got some young talent eager to play and with a number of returning upperclassmen 2008 should prove to be a great year.” He went on to say that with a number of 8th year seniors, the Michigan State Riot Team should be unstoppable. “It will take a tank to stop these guys and they only had 50 or so police on hand. They will know better next time.”

What I find most amazing about the entire Cedar Fest is that it is still in full swing. I won’t say how many years ago I witnessed Cedar Fest but I will tell you this: They were building the McDonald’s at the end of the Cedar apts. and somebody started a bulldozer that was sitting at the construction site and drove it right into the middle of the festivities. I didn’t know a bull dozer could be destroyed so quickly. I was staying at an apartment about a block away and when we took a morning after tour, I saw at least four cars that had been turned over, destroyed or burned.

To see that the police haven’t shut this down completely is beyond me.

After watching the Buckeyes lose three championships in a row, it sure was good to see Ohio State wrap up the NIT — even if it isn’t the championship we all wanted. Mid way through the first half however, I was imagining the headline for this post would read, “Always a bridesmade…”

But it wasn’t to be. The Buckeyes came out of the halftime taking a quick lead and never looked back. Once the Bucks learned to guard the corners and slow UMass sophomore Ricky Harris, who was on fire from the three point line, control shifted back to the Buckeyes.

Although at first look, the NIT invite would seem a disappointment, but it is just what the young Ohio State players needed. Midway through the season, this basketball team almost appeared to sleepwalk through their games. The experience and confidence gained from a near rout of the NIT has got to give them a jump on next year’s season. Add a strong group of freshmen coming in and the Buckeyes should be contenders for the big show come March 2009.

At first I was disappointed to see Florida fail to hold up their end of the deal in an OSU/Florida rematch, it was good to see a team as exciting as UMass and just as good to see Florida watch this one from home.

It’s too bad that Jamar Butler couldn’t have extended his Ohio State career one more weekend but he needs to be commended. He knew the talent on this team and instead of sitting out angry, he stepped up and lead this team to the NIT championship. He played the role of the leader well this season and he will be missed.

It’s been a tough season but Ohio State is one of only two teams in the country that will end their basketball season with a win. I guess I can live with that.

The Boss may have been at the Schott but the show was at St. Johns as Ohio State dominated Cal during the second half to move into the quarter finals of the NIT tournament. Maybe it was the old hardwood, maybe it was the ghosts of great games past, whatever it was, the Buckeyes were on fire and St. Johns was rocking. While the Schott may be nice, it was good to see a return to a classic arena built before the days of naming rights and corporate owned “club level” seating.

After the game, the ESPN commentators were quick to point out that the Buckeyes were a NCAA Tourney caliber team and it is somewhat frustrating to say the least. Considering the Buckeyes beat Michigan State only a week before tournament selection. Meanwhile, a fifth seeded Michigan State advances to the Sweet Sixteen while an overrated Duke gets to watch from the sidelines.

So what…bring on the NIT. More important, bring on a rematch with Florida. An Ohio State/Florida NIT final would be the biggest game the NIT has seen in years.

It’s official. Terelle Pryor announced today that he is going to Ohio State. After holding up his decision because daddy wanted him to give Penn State a look, in the end it was all Buckeyes.

That should about do it for the preseason rankings. The biggest hurdle standing in the way of a Buckeye #1 ranking next fall is a general sense of amazement from those outside of Buckeye Nation who just can’t stand the fact that the Buckeyes are set and in position for another run at the BCS Championship game. If the Buckeyes can beat USC at USC in the second game of the season, there should be no question about where they belong in the rankings. The best thing Ohio State has going for them in that game is that it doesn’t take place six weeks after the regular season.

As for next year’s team, think this past season’s Buckeyes with Vince Young at the helm.

As good as seeing Pryor come to Ohio State is seeing him not go to Michigan. At one point, the Wolverines had pretty much banked everything on Pyor and they as are about to find out, it can be pretty difficult to run a spread offense without a quarterback. I’m going to love watching Rodriguez fall flat on his face in his opening season.

As for Pryor, he said he felt a little bad for Michigan. The Columbus Dispatch reported today that he told those gathered at today’s announcement, “It makes me feel bad that they had their hopes on me.”

Isn’t that nice…don’t worry Terrelle, those feelings will pass.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo may have summed it up best when he told the AP that it’s not a bubble the Buckeyes are sitting on, it’s a rock. When asked if he felt Ohio State deserved a tournament bid, he continued, “Hands down.”

Say what you will but something has happened to the Buckeyes during the past week. After a four game loosing streak, one of the longest in coach Thad Matta’s tenure, Ohio State has come to life the last two games playing great basketball against two top 20 teams. What I want to know, can they carry the momentum into the Big Ten tourney.

There is no question that big wins over both Purdue and Michigan State have got to help. If nothing else, the confidence has to be up and they know that the Buckeyes can keep up with the top teams. Actually, it’s probably more important to know that they can keep up with Michigan as they open the Big Ten tournament next Friday (2:00p.m.) against the Spartans.

Earlier in the season, the Buckeyes looked dead. Suddenly, during the last two games, they have come to life. If they can keep it up and score a much needed win against MSU, they belong in the NCAA tournament.

It took an overtime to do it but the Buckeyes came from behind at the half to put an end to Purdue’s Big Ten Championship dreams. If ever there was a game Matta’s boys needed to win, this was it. A loss to the Boilermakers and the tournament dreams would have been about dead. However, with a win over the #15 team, the Buckeyes place themselves firmly on the tournament bubble. A win over Michigan State would pretty much secure the spot.

Aside from tournament hopes, there was a lot on the line tonight. Purdue hasn’t won a game in Columbus since 1998 and have never won a game in the Schott. The game also brings an end to a painful four-game losing streak for the Buckeyes. Coach Matta has never lost five in a row with the Buckeyes.

Purdue wrapped up the first half with a four-point play to take the lead. Any momentum was killed as the game was delayed for almost 20 minutes due to a problem with the shot clocks. By the time the game got back underway, the Buckeyes recovered quick, exchanging leads but trailing Purdue for most of the second half.

Toward the end of the second half, OSU stymied Purdue forcing three consecutive turnovers. After forcing Purdue to use their last time out on the baseline, the Buckeyes recovered the ball with the score tied and the shot clock turned off. They failed to convert forcing overtime.

Getting more than a little help from the crowd, the lead changed back and forth until finally, the Buckeyes got on top to hold on for the win, 80-77.

The Buckeyes will have a chance to prove that this wasn’t just a flash in the pan as they take on Michigan State Sunday to wrap up the regular season. A win over the Spartans would probably put a look at an at large position in the NCAA Tourney. After seeing what the Spartans did to Indiana however, it looks like the Buckeyes have their work cut out for them.

(Well, there’s always X-box)

So far, this year’s Buckeye basketball team has been anything but exciting. One minute they look good the next, their struggling against Michigan. Personally, I thought last year’s recruiting class looked like they had the potential to bring the Buckeyes deep into the Madness. Unfortunately, half the time, they just look like their not even there.

At this point, a little dancing time in March is still up in the air. They still have some big games to wind out the season but according to the Columbus Dispatch, the Buckeyes are 0-7 against teams rated in the top 40.

So what do you think? If not this year, will this team mature into a team that can bring us back to the big game?

So with baited breath we all waited yesterday for the big announcement. Just after the crack of noon, we were going to find out if once again, we had defeated Michigan by signing the long sought after Terrell Pryor. But before anyone could break out the new Ohio State hat and sing a round of Hang on Sloopy, Pryor announces that he wasn’t going to announce.

Apparently, while Pryor was dreaming sweet visions of scarlet and gray, his father had been kidnapped by an aging coach with a bladder problem. Before you know it, dad is in love with his captors and suddenly Penn State is in the running. Or was that Oregon.

Ok, so Oregon is out and Penn State is back in but Ohio State and Michigan are still top contenders. Before I go any further, we need to realize that this could go on until sometime in April. And again, while it would be great to see the Buckeyes with a quarterback the likes of Vince Young at the helm, it won’t be the end of the world. The Buckeyes picked up three good offensive linemen in Micheal Brewster, Mike Adams (a homegrown boy out of Dublin Coffman…and the school where I did my student teaching) and J.B. Shugarts. Add to that a couple of good linebackers and a very strong returning defense and I don’t care what they rest of the world says — the Buckeyes will come into the season ranked high and if they get past USC at USC, good luck keeping them out of a fourth national championship game.

Terrell Pryor would just be icing on the cake.

So here’s his choices at this point:

1) Penn State

Sure, he’ll get to play and he’ll be welcomed as a saving grace for a program that wants way more than it can produce these days. The biggest problem with going to Penn State — Sure, you may play for Joe Paterno today but who do you think will be coaching the team when he really comes of age during his junior or senior year. It’s anybody’s guess.

As for going pro, he has a pretty good chance of going pro early with Penn State. I mean really, it’s not like he would be sticking around for a national championship shot or anything.

2) Michigan

Would you want to walk into that mess? At UM, he’ll have a coach wrapped up in a whole world of legal troubles, an entirely new coaching staff that is trying to make sense of a brand new program, an offensive style completely unproven in the Big Ten and the absolutely unrealistic expectations of the entire Michigan fan base.

Sure, Michigan sounds like a good choice.

3) Ohio State

With Ohio State he gets a team that will enter the year high on the national rankings. And while yes, they will need to overcome the BCS losses of the past two years, he will have the chance to play on a team that will be in the national championship hunt his freshmen year (and probably again in the years to follow). He’ll play for one of the best coaches in college football in some of the nicest facilities and finally, he will be walking into what is basically a pro football training ground. Ohio State produces professional football players and if he is looking for a NFL career, he can’t do much better then Ohio State.

In the end, I’ll be happy as long as Pryor doesn’t go to Michigan. Oh, the joy of seeing Michigan struggle next year without a quarterback…it just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.