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.