It’s a new day Buckeye fans. The start of a new era. Today is the day that we put the dark times behind us and once again rise, stand proud and proclaim “I am a Buckeye.”
I write this morning from the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville. Let me just say this, Buckeye Nation is here in force. After all we’ve been through this past year, an outsider might think that Ohio State fans would have given up on their team. That this might be a year to sit back and watch the bowls from the sidelines. I assure you that this is not the case. Although it may be that the locality of the Gator fans means many will be arriving today, at this point, the Buckeyes have them seriously outnumbered — not only in numbers but in spirit.
I will go into a much deeper analysis of the differences between these two schools at a later date but let me just say this, there is much more to a great university than a football program.
But that is for another time for today is the day that our young men reclaim what is our and and show the world once again that we are Buckeyes. That we are The Ohio State University.
Follow for @Gator_Bowl for live updates
For those of you whow don’t know, I’m the voice behind the Gator Bowl twitter feed. Although I will be assuming a role of neutrality, I will be posting throughout the day on Twitter @Gator_Bowl. I’ll also be helping with the Gator Bowl Face Book page so be sure to “like” us over there also.
Here’s to a great game and GO BUCKEYES!!
Reporting Live from The Gator Bowl
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
For the record, I never stopped proclaiming “I am a Buckeye”.
Go Bucks!
stunned again!! thank God the house will be cleaned—and Meyer is here to build a real tough creative team!! the Bucks looked like a bollman/heacock team with little to play for—unprepared—half asleep on special teams—miller stuck in the pocket looking too long for a WR—OK a few screens—big deal—no adjustment to pressure—miller could have created much more with (play action/short pass)—option fakes and his ability to run—mix that with boom & hall and we score more points—D played OK—but it seemed like the “coaching” was being phoned in—like “who cares”—Meyer is coming, so we will just go through the motions—we gave a real effort against the “wolves”–and played tough with an injured D—today we were flat as a pancake—and bollman was the cook—too bad for fick—he’s a buckeye but caught in the middle of politics—glad it’s over—I welcome the Meyer era!!!!
Glad this mess of a season is finally over and that those selfish seniors resonsible for tarnisihing the image of OSU for all of us fans will finally be gone for good. They all should of been kicked from the team IMHO two years ago. Shame on Tress for putting up with these prima donna a’holes and letting this happen. About time for Gene Smith to hit the bricks too!
Bottom line ……. JT put tOSU in a very difficult situation. It was very obvious from the start of the season that Fickell was way over his head and not ready to be the chief. tOSU has a roster full of talent and I am sure that Urban Meyer will be able to get your program back on track (still don’t like Urban though). If it is any consolation …… all those gators on the field tonight were recruited and coached by Meyer. Time to put your nose to the grind stone and muscle through this coming season much like USC has had to do. After the 1 year Bowl Ban …… you are back in business looking for another NC.
Side note ……. The Ducks won the Rose Bowl tonight. As you know, we are also under investigation for recruiting violations. My biggest nightmare is that they are able to tie any recruiting violations to tonights win ……. and we have to forfeit the Rose Bowl. Our last Rose Bowl win was 1917. We were ranked #2 (people poll) in 1992 but not selected by the BCS to go to the NC and ended up demolishing Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl. I really don’t want to lose this victory ……. over the BIG10.
I don’t get this. Oregon has already admitted to paying $25k to Texas-based trainer Willie Lyles for his “recruiting services” to land Lache Seastrunk. Lyles then steered Lache to Oregon. How exactly is this legit? Actually, it’s not. We all know what happened. Oregon wanted this kid and retained Lyles to get him, period. If that’s not buying a player, in a round about way, then nothing is.
@stevebuck – Oregon has NEVER admitted to paying Willie Lyles for his “recruiting services”. Please get your facts straight and quit being a flamer. The amount of money that Oregon has paid for “scouting services” pales in comparison to what many other programs spend. I think that we should wait until the NCAA completes its investigation before you assume that this program is guilty of any major violation. For all I know ….. Oregon got duped by Willie Lyles.
As info – Lache never played in a single game for Oregon. So, you can’t say that any of this “scouting services” mess gave us an advantage on the field.
“Oregon athletics department spokesman Dave Williford confirmed to ESPN.com on Thursday (March 3, 2011) that Oregon paid Lyles $25,000 for his recruiting services. Oregon’s payment to Lyles was made shortly after Seastrunk signed a national letter of intent in February 2010 to play football for the Ducks, choosing them over California, LSU, and USC. Williford supplied the information after ESPN.com requested a copy of the check under state open records laws.”
ESPN.com article, March 4, 2011 by Joe Schad and Mark Schlabach
Sorry Steve …… I just don’t like the term “recruiting services” when they are actually “scouting services”.
The exact quote that ESPN is referring to is: “Yeah, we made the payment,” Williford said. “Everybody does it. This all has been run through our compliance office. We have nothing to hide.”
Your post states “Oregon has already admitted to paying $25k to Texas-based trainer Willie Lyles for his “recruiting services” to land Lache Seastrunk …..” I probably should have been more clear on my objection. YES, Oregon has admitted that they use scouting services. This is no different than almost every other college (Alabama has spent $218,000 over the last three years for “scouting services”). I don’t know what tOSU has spent ….. but, I’m sure it is in the budget. I object that you tagged on the “to land Lache Seastrunk”. Please show me anywhere that a representitive of Oregon has admitted to paying Lyles to steer Lache to the Ducks. You won’t find it. Even Willie Lyles has admitted that Oregon never had a quid pro quo agreement. Your entire post is supported by the lie that you created with those 4 extra words. I will hold all speculation until the NCAA completes its investigation.
A fitting end to a terrible season, just when we thought maybe the coaching staff had begun to figure out how to utilize Braxton’s strengths, we find ourselves watching him being swarmed over because the ridiculously predictable play calling relied on running the ball up the middle and throwing screen passes. Running the ball up the ball was even working until the florida coaching staff (gasp!) made adjustments. For any of the coaching staff that was using the game as a job audition, I believe they may just have landed themselves a middling high school job.
Special teams can be pointed at as the weak point of the game, but I would argue that had the offensive play calling even contained a bit of creativity, the special teams gaffs would have only served to make the game artificially close.
Bring on the Urban Era! Please god.. bring it on.
BTW.. nice win for the Ducks Tony.. in lieu of playing actual defense, they successfully outscored wisconsin. If it weren’t for a little time management issue at the end, it may have been a little more exciting.
right on the money Dave! I think the “coaches” just wanted to get this over and it showed in how the Bucks played—very little emotion—flat & unprepared—the gators were pumped and wanted to send a message to Meyer—their D line played faster than expected and the DB’s covered well—they play a better schedule and have more speed than we expected—I think the D made an effort—but coaches, special teams and offense looked uninspired and very unprepared—the O-line looked like they bought a ticket to watch Miller get pounded—and the play calling—no creativity or real adjustments—was the “easy way” out for “bollman”—a lack of effort for being “dumped”—proof is that Miller continued to get pounded “waiting” in the pocket (usually 3rd & long)–and the run up the middle was our game plan on 1st & 2nd down—so much more we could have done with our talent—but no adjustments ever came—it was like watching paint dry!! OK—the Meyer era has begun—time to wait & see—GO BUCKS!!!
So, we lost the game on 2 special teams plays and Miller missed a wide open receiver for an easy TD. Just super. Now Urban is going to come in a save us. Well, maybe, maybe not. I have no doubt we’ll improve until Meyer needs to take time away for new “health” and “family” issues. Face it, he bailed on UF because they stunk last year and he knew they’d be worse this year. He knew, quite frankly, that the Gators were done for many years to come. I know he’s a good coach but I just don’t trust the guy and, judging how Gators fans hate him, it seems I’m not alone. Sorry it’s just how I feel.
A bad end to a bad season, it’s over, done, finished, and what ever else you want to call it. SteveBuck your a little late on your input about about Mr. Meyer. Jim and I were the first to
call him out, but now it’s time to give him a chance and see what happens.
Tony Congrats on your win, it’s about time the Ducks win a Big Game.
Thanks Carl …… Although we have had our fair share of Big Game wins, the Rose Bowl is very special. Oregon is now 2-2 in BCS games since 2000. If I look at other “Big Bowl Games” against top 10 ranked opponents we are at 4-2. Although we finished out 2002 ranked #2 in the country ….. this Rose Bowl win is much more important.
1. 2000 Holiday Bowl Oregon 35 #5 Texas 31
2. 2002 Fiesta Bowl Oregon 38 #3 Colorado 16
3. 2008 Holiday Bowl Oregon 42 #10 Ok ST 31
4. 2010 Rose Bowl Oregon 17 #4 Ohio St 26
5. 2011 BCS TITLE GAME*** Oregon 19 #1 Auburn 22
6. 2012 ROSE BOWL Oregon 45 #10 Wisconsin 38
Hope you had a good New Years …..
Can”t argue with your numbers. I don’t consider the Holiday a big time win. I was basicly talking of the last three games. I’m glad you won the Rose Bowl, being a Big Ten fan I was pulling for Wisconsin. You have a whole year to enjoy the win, make the most of it. I was going to say we could meet you in next year Rose Bowl , but remembered were not going anywhere.
Carl, Here is how the same numbers break down for tOSU. I don’t really care about what Bowl Game (Holiday, etc) it is …… the deciding factor here is that your opponant must be ranked in the top 10. I would say that anytime you play a bowl game against someone in the top 10 it would qualify as a “Big Game”. This is from 2000 to present.
2002 Fiesta #1 Miami w
2003 Fiesta #10 Kansas State w
2005 Fiesta #6 Notre Dame w
2006 BSC Champ #2 Florida L
2007 BCS Champ #2 LSU L
2008 Fiesta #3 L
2009 Rose #7 Oregon W
2010 Sugar #8 Arkansas W
5 wins and 3 losses. Pretty impressive run of BCS bowl games.
Way to go TPB
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=303101726400447&set=a.131532210224067.11232.127589453951676&type=1&theater