3yardsandacloud
Administrator Emeritus
Who Is the Next Ryan Brewer?
written by LordJeffBuck (5/28/2004)
With memories of the Spring Game fading fast, and fall practice still over two months away, most Buckeye fans are now focused on recruiting during these summer doldrums. Ohio State already has verbal commitments from four excellent players (DB Jamario O'Neal , OL Alex Boone , OL Jim Cordle , and DL Ryan Williams ), and appears to lead for at least two others (DB Adam Myers-White and DL Todd Denlinger ). OSU's summer camp should produce a handful of offers to rising stars, and maybe even a commitment or two. By the time the season begins on September 4th, the Bucks could have nearly half of their 2005 class filled, and should be well on their way to another top 5 recruiting haul.
I personally believe that Jim Tressel and his staff do an excellent job of identifying high school talent, and then recruiting those talented players to Ohio State; I feel that the same should be said for John Cooper and his staff. However, despite the extraordinary prowess and tireless efforts of Ohio State's talent evaluators, every year, without fail, the fans manage to locate a player who simply must become a Buckeye, and then bombard message boards and other public fora with repeated demands that said player immediately be offered a scholarship to attend The Ohio State University. The fans' arguments are rarely based on the player's talent or potential, but rather more often on his stated "love for the Buckeyes" or the fact that he "bleeds scarlet and gray".
Last year, the supporters of Chauncey Incarnato, an offensive lineman from Dover, waged a very vociferous campaign on his behalf, alternately imploring and impugning Tressel & Company, and ultimately predicting the utter devastation of Ohio State football if their man did not receive an offer forthwith. Alas, the prophets of doom were crying in the wilderness, for Mr. Incarnato never received an OSU offer, and he ended up signing with Notre Dame. A smaller, more civilized, but equally dedicated contingent promoted Scottsdale, Arizona QB Darren Mougey, whose father had actually attended Ohio State; their pleas were also ignored, and Darren signed with San Diego State instead.
However, the poster child of fan favorites has to be Ryan Brewer, a running back for the Troy Trojans who was Mr. Football in the state of Ohio in 1998. Even though Ryan rushed for over 2800 yards as a senior, and over 7600 yards for his career, Ohio State, under the direction and control of head football coach John Cooper, refused to tender him an offer (neither did Notre Dame, by the way). All Buckeye fans were offended and outraged; many went into fits of apoplexy or paroxysms of fear; some even whispered that this would be the end of Ohio State football as we once knew it.
Well, it turned out that the fans were right, sort of. On January 1, 2001, the Ohio State Buckeyes played in the Outback Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by former OSU assistant Lou Holtz, who had possessed the wisdom and foresight to sign none other than ... Ryan Brewer. Then a sophomore, Ryan was the star of the show that day, gaining 219 all-purposes yards and scoring three touchdowns while spearheading the Gamecocks' rout of the listless Buckeyes, 24-7. Ryan had vengeance. Cooper was fired the very next day. The fans were vindicated!
So, my question to you is this: Who is this year's Ryan Brewer? The player has to be someone with Division I talent; who is academically eligible; who is from or has connections with the state of Ohio; who wants to be a Buckeye; but who will never, under any set of circumstances, no matter how loudly we scream, how humbly we beg, or how menacingly we threaten, ever receive that cherished and coveted offer from The Ohio State University. Please give me your thoughts by replying below.
written by LordJeffBuck (5/28/2004)
With memories of the Spring Game fading fast, and fall practice still over two months away, most Buckeye fans are now focused on recruiting during these summer doldrums. Ohio State already has verbal commitments from four excellent players (DB Jamario O'Neal , OL Alex Boone , OL Jim Cordle , and DL Ryan Williams ), and appears to lead for at least two others (DB Adam Myers-White and DL Todd Denlinger ). OSU's summer camp should produce a handful of offers to rising stars, and maybe even a commitment or two. By the time the season begins on September 4th, the Bucks could have nearly half of their 2005 class filled, and should be well on their way to another top 5 recruiting haul.
I personally believe that Jim Tressel and his staff do an excellent job of identifying high school talent, and then recruiting those talented players to Ohio State; I feel that the same should be said for John Cooper and his staff. However, despite the extraordinary prowess and tireless efforts of Ohio State's talent evaluators, every year, without fail, the fans manage to locate a player who simply must become a Buckeye, and then bombard message boards and other public fora with repeated demands that said player immediately be offered a scholarship to attend The Ohio State University. The fans' arguments are rarely based on the player's talent or potential, but rather more often on his stated "love for the Buckeyes" or the fact that he "bleeds scarlet and gray".
Last year, the supporters of Chauncey Incarnato, an offensive lineman from Dover, waged a very vociferous campaign on his behalf, alternately imploring and impugning Tressel & Company, and ultimately predicting the utter devastation of Ohio State football if their man did not receive an offer forthwith. Alas, the prophets of doom were crying in the wilderness, for Mr. Incarnato never received an OSU offer, and he ended up signing with Notre Dame. A smaller, more civilized, but equally dedicated contingent promoted Scottsdale, Arizona QB Darren Mougey, whose father had actually attended Ohio State; their pleas were also ignored, and Darren signed with San Diego State instead.
However, the poster child of fan favorites has to be Ryan Brewer, a running back for the Troy Trojans who was Mr. Football in the state of Ohio in 1998. Even though Ryan rushed for over 2800 yards as a senior, and over 7600 yards for his career, Ohio State, under the direction and control of head football coach John Cooper, refused to tender him an offer (neither did Notre Dame, by the way). All Buckeye fans were offended and outraged; many went into fits of apoplexy or paroxysms of fear; some even whispered that this would be the end of Ohio State football as we once knew it.
Well, it turned out that the fans were right, sort of. On January 1, 2001, the Ohio State Buckeyes played in the Outback Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by former OSU assistant Lou Holtz, who had possessed the wisdom and foresight to sign none other than ... Ryan Brewer. Then a sophomore, Ryan was the star of the show that day, gaining 219 all-purposes yards and scoring three touchdowns while spearheading the Gamecocks' rout of the listless Buckeyes, 24-7. Ryan had vengeance. Cooper was fired the very next day. The fans were vindicated!
So, my question to you is this: Who is this year's Ryan Brewer? The player has to be someone with Division I talent; who is academically eligible; who is from or has connections with the state of Ohio; who wants to be a Buckeye; but who will never, under any set of circumstances, no matter how loudly we scream, how humbly we beg, or how menacingly we threaten, ever receive that cherished and coveted offer from The Ohio State University. Please give me your thoughts by replying below.
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