2008 Football Rumblings

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

Ohio State football: False national hope and real revenge hope

by Doug Lesmerises Friday September 19, 2008, 3:49 PM


Hope, even false hope, might be a welcome respite for some Ohio State fans right now.

Marvin Fong/ The Plain DealerWill Ohio State keep Terrelle Pryor on the bench for the rest of this season just to surprise USC next September? Hmm.

We're not of the belief that Troy will beat the Buckeyes on Saturday, though we could see a little scare for a bit, but is this the start of Ohio State's road back to a third national title game?

Doubtful. Let's adjust that. No.
That's the premise here.
Is it possible that a one-loss team ranked No. 13 after the third week of season could reach the national title game? Certainly. Just not this team.
Yes, there are five SEC teams and four Big 12 teams among the 12 teams in front of Ohio State in the AP poll, and they could knock each other around to the point that none of them finish undefeated. Additionally, Wisconsin has to face Ohio State, and figuring South Florida for a loss somewhere is rational.
That would leave USC undefeated and Ohio State with one loss to the No. 1 team in the country, with the earliest loss among all those one-loss teams. But I'm telling you, and most of you know, an SEC team losing once or a Big 12 team losing once is not going to drop behind this Ohio State team.

Continued......

[NightmaresDad]

Originally Posted by Jaxbuck

In a word, yes.

We are seeing a man do what a man is supposed to do, he's taking the heat because he's ultimately responsible and dealing with the troops behind closed doors.

From personal experience, if you are lucky enough to ever serve under a true leader of men and do something that makes your guy look bad, if you have any pride whatsoever you just want to crawl in a hole and die first, then you will walk through hell wearing gas drawers if thats what it takes to keep him clean moving forward.

Motivation aside, I just don't know how capable some of these guys are that have JT in the grease right now.

I guess we'll have something other than recruiting to discuss during the off season, eh?

[BUCKYLE]

Originally Posted by sparcboxbuck

I can't say that I could see a better way of doing things. It would be interesting to know the percent of plays that get called down that don't make it to the field.

I've got to guess that at some point, if the OCs calls are being ignored over and over, an OC would have to get pretty frustrated... and hit the road.

My guess is that it's a pretty high percentage that come down and go out to the field.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Which way, north or south?
Recent history indicates that Buckeyes can rebound from a loss, or tumble
Saturday, September 20, 2008 3:21 AM
By Ken Gordon


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Their national title hopes are all but dead. Their offense is in a shambles.
The Ohio State Buckeyes returned from the West Coast last Sunday morning whipped and humbled after a 35-3 loss to Southern California. The Buckeyes (2-1) soon tumbled from fifth to 13th in the Associated Press poll.
What's done is done. The issue now for the Buckeyes is, where will they go from here?
In 2004, one loss turned into three straight and a season was ruined. A year later, Ohio State rebounded from a 3-2 start to run the table, beating Michigan and Notre Dame and salvaging lost pride.
With a dangerous Troy club coming to Ohio Stadium today, how will Ohio State respond?
"We've got to handle it a lot like that 2005 team handled it," said linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was a freshman that year. "When those guys lost to Texas and Penn State, they came back and they were focused in practice and they were intense and basically acting like nothing happened.
"A lot of us were young when that happened, and we saw how the older guys handled that situation. We have to be an example for the young guys on this team."

Continued...............

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

College football
Rob Oller commentary: Buckeyes can learn from Tiger Woods

Saturday, September 20, 2008 3:09 AM
By Rob Oller


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Suggesting that Ohio State is at a crossroads might be stretching it, but it's no exaggeration to say the program is in need of some answers. Searching for solutions, however, only leads to high anxiety if you don't know where to look.
Do you begin in Los Angeles, home of Pete Carroll and the superior Southern California Trojans?
Do you begin in Dixie, home of the OSU-owning Southeastern Conference?
Or do you begin, as I would, in 1998, where a champion with ties to Los Angeles -- where he was born -- and SEC country -- where he lives -- decided that being really, really good wasn't good enough.
So Tiger Woods changed his swing.
"I felt like I could get better," Woods said of the first of two major swing changes that have occurred during his career. "People thought it was asinine for me to change my swing after I won the Masters by 12 shots. 'Why would you want to change that?' Well, I thought I could become better."
And he was right.

Continued..................

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OSU should set sights on Big Ten title, BCS bowl, Bill Livingston comments


Saturday, September 20, 2008 Bill Livingston
Plain Dealer Columnist

Columbus

- Ohio State football hasn't com manded the same respect since the Florida debacle. Certainly, it hasn't been perceived the same way nationally since the LSU game.
A grateful nation turned its eyes to Southern California a week ago, when the best team in college football turned perception into reality by routing the Buckeyes.
That, however, is only the reality as of last weekend. It can change to some extent.
Everyone knows the criticisms:
Can't win the big one and can only get to it by playing in a conference that amounts to foraging in the pastry cart.
Not the team you would count on to run a sprint relay or deliver the governor's stay of execution in time.
Not the defense to maintain control of the line of scrimmage or of dignity.
Not this, and not that, and not ready - most of all - for prime-time exposure.

Continued...........

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

OHIO STATE FOOTBALL
As OSU struggles, rare position changes possible


Saturday, September 20, 2008 Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter


Columbus- Change is afoot at Ohio State, and not just at quarterback. From the offensive line to the secondary, youth is pushing experience and could spark a team coming off two down weeks.
Competition is at the root of successful practices, and coaches and players talk of ever-present battles for jobs. How often are starting spots really on the line? Lately with the Buckeyes, change has been rare.
In the previous three seasons, the only switch in the starting lineup that wasn't injury related occurred in 2006 as Steve Rehring turned a time-share with Tim Schafer at left guard into his own gig by the middle of the season. Otherwise, the starters at the beginning of the season were the starters at the end. Success - a 34-5 record during that period - leads to stability.
Remarkably, three games into a season that began with 19 of 22 starters returning, the Buckeyes are in flux.

Continued.........

[buckeyes_rock]

It's gameday folks!

O...H...

[BUCKYLE]

Originally Posted by buckeyes_rock

It's gameday folks!

O...H...

I-O!

[leroyjenkins]

Originally Posted by buckeyes_rock

It's gameday folks!


O...H...

I.....O!

[osugrad21]

DDN

Fans calling for Tressel's job? Lighten up, Buckeye faithful

By Mark Gokavi
Staff Writer

Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ohio State football fans are a fascinating breed.
They puff up their chests during the great times, and put their heads in the oven during the still-pretty-good times.
On Overreaction Monday (love that term, I stole it) after Ohio State's 35-3 loss to No. 1 Southern California, I actually heard supposed Buckeyes fans call for coach Jim Tressel's job. After all, his team got pounded by a Pac-10 power after losing the past two BCS national title games to Southeastern Conference powers.
Wow, what a horrible job. Where's John Cooper?
Oh yeah, Tressel also took an underdog team to a national title over Miami (Fla.) a few years ago (decades back in some OSU fans' minds).
After what some would call a less-than-stellar performance against the other Men of Troy, whispers may grow into questions. After all, tickets were sold at less than face value despite Terrelle Pryor's coming-out party.
Look, I'm no Ohio State fan, but if I was I'd like to think I'd be a lot happier than most I see. "National title or bust" is a good way to get busted.
Cont...

[osugrad21]

CPD

Changing priorities: Pryor leads OSU to win

by Doug Lesmerises Saturday September 20, 2008, 9:55 PM


Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerTerrelle Pryor gained 66 yards on the ground for the Buckeyes on Saturday against Troy, but his four touchdown passes set an OSU freshman record.


Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerBuckeyes receiver Brian Hartline runs into the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Columbus -- This was their plan, Mike Brewster snapping, Terrelle Pryor taking it from there, two friends from Ohio State's 2008 recruiting class at the heart of the Buckeyes' offense. "We didn't come here just to sit around and watch games," Brewster said Saturday. "We knew this day was going to come, but we probably didn't think it was going to come in the fourth game, let alone pretty much the whole game. It's pretty surreal."
Twenty-one days earlier, junior center Jim Cordle snapped to senior quarterback Todd Boeckman, who handed off to junior running back Beanie Wells on the first play of the season for the nation's No. 2 team. Saturday, freshman Brewster snapped to freshman Pryor, who handed off to redshirt freshman running back Dan Herron.
New ranking, now 13th. New look. New reason for Ohio State fans to find hope in a 28-10 victory over Troy, hope that had been washed into the Pacific a week earlier after a 32-point loss at Southern California.

Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerBuckeyes tight end Rory Nicol (88) celebrates his touchdown catch with Brian Robiskie (80) during the first quarter.
"It's about moving on," said Cordle, who started at left guard on Saturday. "It's with a different scheme, but [we can be] just as good."
Cont...

[BUCKYLE]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

DDN

Nice that he uses that article to let everyone know he's not a Buckeye fan, then gives tOSU a few backhanded compliments while taking shots at that "fascinating breed, those Buckeye fans". Telling us our one NC was "lucky". I really like how in no point in the article does he mention that the percentage of idiots amongst the fan base that want Tressel gone is miniscule at best. Overall, just [censored]ty. But he did get "lucky" once, and pulled a good point out of his ass when he said "NC or bust", "is a good way to get busted". Clever.

[osugrad21]

CPD

On the clock: USC beating lingers with fans

by Doug Lesmerises Saturday September 20, 2008, 9:00 PM


Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerMore than 100,000 fans attended Saturday's Buckeyes game against Troy, but there were signs that last weekend's beating by USC had a lingering effect on their enthusiasm.
Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerOhio State's Rory Nicol, left, gets a hug from teammate Jake Ballard after Nicol scored a touchdown in the first quarter.
Columbus -- 10 a.m.: The Buckeyes enter the Skull Session, a typically packed pregame pep rally, but today, though the lower level looks normal, the balcony at St. John Arena is maybe 20 percent filled. It's the first sign of a USC loss malaise among the home crowd. After seniors Brandon Smith and Mo Wells speak to the fans, Jim Tressel grabs the mic: "We're back with our band, we're back with our fans, our students are back on campus and now our goal is to show you the Buckeyes are back. Go Bucks." 10:55: Outside the will call window at Schottenstein Arena, tickets are about as valuable as hot dog wrappers. After an inquiry, a $62 face value seat is offered to me for $40. As I walk away, the scalper yells, "What about $30?" 12:04 p.m.: Terrelle Pryor takes the field as the first freshman to start at quarterback for Ohio State since Art Schlichter in 1978. 12:09: Todd Boeckman checks in to throw a specific pass Jim Tressel wants him to work on but is forced to check to a run play. He'll get one more snap the rest of the day.
"I showed him my sheet I had written out and I had a whole column of Todd things that I wanted to be able to do today," Tressel said after the game. We think the column just read, "Sorry."
Cont...

[osugrad21]

Canton

Ohio State notebook: Boeckman has view from bench
Sunday, September 21, 2008
BY MIKE POPOVICH
mike.popovich@cantonrep.com

COLUMBUS Ohio State co-captain Todd Boeckman respectfully responded to a question about how he was dealing with Saturday's game against Troy.

The fifth-year senior quarterback, who took just three snaps, then walked out a door before one-on-one interviews started.

From the sideline, Boeckman saw freshman phenom Terrelle Pryor throw four touchdown passes in his first start, leading the Buckeyes to a 28-10 victory. Head Coach Jim Tressel initially wanted to split the snaps between Boeckman and Pryor, but chose to play Pryor the majority of the game.

"I'm happy for Terrelle. He had a great day," Boeckman said. "He did some great things out there, and he made some great plays out there. I'm excited for this team and for him."

It was obvious that many fans were excited to see Pryor. Some of them also turned on Boeckman in the second quarter and booed when a pass intended for Brian Hartline fell short. It was his last pass of the game.

"I know it's not easy for him, but his biggest thing is how we do," receiver Brian Robiskie said. "You can see him on the practice field, just staying in Terrelle's ear when he's not in and being a part of everything."

Boeckman made 16 straight starts before Saturday, including last year's BCS national championship game. Tressel, however, did not come out and say Pryor was Ohio State's starter from now on.

Cont...