A. EVERYBODY GOT THE MEMO
In over 40 years of attending OSU home games I don't believe I have ever seen such a perfect sea of red and white at the start of a game. Sure, it helped that YSU is also red. But from where I was sitting there were no garish purple and green outfits. Nobody who wore UM colors because their wardrobe advisor told them they were a "springtime". None of the pink "I love the Buckeye's" tee shirts. And no discernable empty seats (something you will never see at kickoff once the students return to school).
I am sure the flaws were there. But from any distance it looked simply perfect.
B. JAUNDICE - AKA QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY
My wife insisted that I visit the Doctor this week. Looking a bit yellow around the gills she said. Might be something serious.
You can imagine our relief when he told us I had no serious illness. Only enough egg on my face to make an omelet.
"Have you been making any bold predictions"? he asked.
All I could think of were my posts that 1) UM would win at least 9 games, 2) Illinois had enough athletes on that side of the ball to play some very serious Defense, and 3) that it would take Pryor several games to work his way up the depth chart. That Pryor would not pass Bauserman any time soon. That at first we shouldn't expect Pryor to look that much different than any other QB fresh out of HS.
OK, he isn't ready to run the O just yet. It is Boeckman's team and there was no evidence that would change any time soon (despite yet another jump ball and his failure to find either of two wide open receivers prior to his incompletion to end our second drive). And I would still argue that Pryor and Bauserman are really pretty much 2A and 2B.
But that said, he looked as good as any true Frosh QB at OSU in the almost 50 years I have been following the program. In fact, he looked as good or better than most Sophs and a few Juniors. And he showed as much poise and athleticism - if not judgment - running the ball as pretty much any OSU QB I can name.
He is all that. And a bag of chips.
C. POLITICS
I know that we have a political forum. I know that it is best to keep discussion of politics in that forum. But by the time this season ends this nation will have a new President. And there is something that I feel compelled to say - something I have never felt compelled to say before. And I wish to say it here.
There have been 10 Presidents in my lifetime. I have never been compelled to say this about any of those Presidents nor their Vice Presidents. I have never been compelled to say it about any Presidential candidate or Vice Presidential candidate. Not Kennedy or Johnson. Not Agnew or Ford. Not Carter or Clinton. Not Kerry or McGovern. I have not felt compelled to say this about either Bush. Not even Geraldine Ferarro.
But with the announcement of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP I am compelled to say it now.
I'd hit it.
D. NEW TRADITIONS
The start of the season is the time to establish new traditions. OSU has a couple. One is the entrance with the band where the band first blocks the player entrance with a block O and then separates to let the team on the field. Pretty damn cool.
The other is a hesitation from the PA announcer on first downs - "And that's another Ohio State........ First Down."
The idea is for the crowd to shouting First Down with him. Cool enough idea. Problem is that it requires the fans to pay attention AND to participate. This is not always our strong suit - particularly in games like YSU where minds wander and there are 24 opportunities to drift off.
E. BAD STUFF
Six penalties. Of course, with so many young kids. Still...
Shaun Lane's drop. Remember the new mantra - No more dropped picks!
FGs in the red zone. Tough to complain when you score on 9 of 10 drives, but failing to convert on 5 of our first 6 third down conversions is a habit we need to break. (All on passing plays and spread across three different QBs.)
Oh, and that other thing that happened in the third quarter. That was bad stuff.
F. GOOD STUFF
The kicking game.
Playing three QBs and none of them looking like total stiffs.
Dominance in the Trenches.
Seven true Frosh - in the first quarter. And nobody dropped their pants.
No interceptions. No punts. Scoring on 9 of 10 drives.
Other than a handful of penalties, some failed 3rd down conversions and that one gut wrenching, drive stopping, unforced fumble - a perfect game on both sides of the ball. And an opener at that.
G. OLYMPIC FOOTNOTE
Word is that the US is recruiting former astronauts for the 2012 badminton team due to their familiarity with at least some of the equipment involved.
H. AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Wow. The Big Ten was dominant Saturday. Simply dominant.
Well, other than the games where we were actually asked to play someone.
Thank goodness we weren't matched against any SEC teams. Sure, I am tired of hearing it. Particularly now that ESPN has renewed their lease on the conference for a price equal to the combined economies of the Balkan nations. But weren't Davis and Spiller supposed to win the first ever joint Heisman - not gain 20 net yards rushing in a game Clemson was favored to win? Didn't Hawaii play in a BCS bowl last year? (Oh yeah, the SEC kicked their ass then also.)
We showed some spunk in all three of those losses (although UM's comeback attempt should have left them 20 points behind - not 2). But we will continue to hear the abuse - and hear praise heaped upon the SEC - until we make a statement as a conference.
At least we aren't the ACC. You know, the league that sold its soul to cherry pick the Big East so they wouldn't just be a BBall conference anymore. The league that ESPN dubbed the next big thing back in 2004.
I. NACHO REPORT
As you may recall, last season ended with a bit of a falling out with the Cheese Bitch. This made it awkward to visit my regular concession stand to get my fix of tasty chips smothered in melted cheese food product. So I visited another just a few gates down.
Well, not only was my jalapeno drenched purchase a culinary delight, but I met a young lady who can only be described as the Cheese Babe.
J - A - W - T - as in Jalapeno hot.
At first she tried to ignore me - gave me that look like I was just another aging couch potato looking for a cholesterol fix. But when I put my hands behind my back, picked up a nacho, dipped it in the cheese, and topped it off with a pepper slice - all using only my tongue - well, I had here attention.
I'll keep you posted.
J. UM
I want the Big Ten to do well. I really do. But this is just too much fun.
Their O was horrid - but I expected that - at least early in the season. But the D was positively putrid. Even with the superior athletes in the best Barwisian condition of their young lives. And perhaps that 4th quarter comeback did have a taste of Barwis in it. Or perhaps they were motivated by RR calling them a bunch of cocksuckers at halftime. The question is, why was a comeback needed at all? This is Michigan. At home. A team full of highly recruited athletes not yet depleted by injuries.
And no matter how you try to slice it - Utah is just the latest in a long chain of pretenders to BCS level prominence. This year's Hawaii (SORRY mILI). UM had every reason and every opportunity to be ready to play this game. And they were not.
And my favorite part? RR declining an on camera interview at half time.
To be clear, I think those interviews should be banned. Leave the coaches alone while they are on the clock. But everybody does it. Even coaches who are getting their hats handed to them grit their teeth and talk to the bimbos. Ron Zook had a mike in his face literally seconds after his team gave up a crushing score and he handled it with dignity.
Come on Dickwad - we are looking for reasons to hate you. Can't you make it a bit of a challenge?
Here's hoping ND has a comparable opener and we get to watch one more classic clusterfuck as a warm up to our 13 September show down.
K. WORST CHANGE TO CFB
The new clock rules suck suck. Yeah, I am a confirmed curmudgeon. I don't like change. I liked the rhythm of the game the way it was. But beyond that, when you go out of bounds the clock stops. Starts again on the snap. Use of the sideline is part of a coaching strategy the entire game - not just the last two minutes. That is the way it has always been. That is the way God meant for it to be.
Other than the inconsistency in the time that runs off the clock to get the ball set (a certain OSU-MSU game comes to mind) college time rules were perfect. Put 'em back and quit screwing with the game to accommodate TV and their interminable commercials.
And more to the point, there were 12 fewer plays run in this year's YSU game than last year. The game was over before 3:00 and I was home in time for the 3:30 kick offs - first time ever.
Any rule change that gives us less football is a bad rule change.
L. BEST CHANGE TO CFB
Is it just me, or does Erin Andrews have a new nose?
M. FROSH ON THE OL
I was so focused on Pryor when he first came in that I didn't notice his OL. BB73 can double check me on this one, but I am pretty confident OSU has not played three true Frosh on the OL in the first (or perhaps any) quarter since at least 1932. (That was the year a group of Chinese female gymnasts made an appearance at Dock Side Dolls and two of our starters didn't show up for the game and the other three had thrown out their backs. It's all in Jack Park's encyclopedia - you can look it up.)
And they were tough. OK, I have Time Warner so I have to wait until Wednesday when the BTN gets around to replaying the game to confirm my observations. But I definitely saw Shugarts pushing one of the YSU players around like he was one of the aforementioned gymnasts.
YSU or not - that was cool to see.
N. DEFENSE
YSU had two first downs in the first three quarters. The first was on a PI call that looked like a foot tangle. The second came in the third quarter on a drive that started at the YSU 27. Despite getting a first down they ended up punting from their own 15.
Seven drives for five yards or less. No drive longer than 5 plays. Not allowing YSU to cross the 50 until the final drive of the game.
YSU or not - that is some serious D.
And it was great to see folks like Moeller, Hines (both of whom IIRC made tackles through defenders), and Gibson making big plays.
O. STAT OF THE WEEK
In the average persons lifetime a person will eat 8 spiders while sleeping.
Pleasant dreams.
P. INJURY REPORT
The housing market is strong.
The world is at peace.
I am not getting older - I am getting better.
And we had no serious injuries.
Shit, shit, shit.
Silver lining time. First, as of the moment the extent of the injury is still unknown. And we have to have Beanie for USC. Have to! Don't we?
If there is any one player on this squad that the team looks towards for that game changing play it is Beanie. But is it good to have any such players? Perhaps there is an advantage to circling the wagons and looking for everyone to step up. Don-t be looking out of the corner of your eye to see what the "hero" is going to do. Be the hero.
Let the spotlight focus on USC. Let them come into the game reading their press clippings and knowing they are the heavy favorite. Anything that gets us focused on the challenge in front of us can be a positive.
Besides, Beanie isn't going to beat USC. Nor is Boeckman. Nor Pryor. Nor our stable of receivers or our depth at running back. Not even our LBs and shut down secondary can get it done.
It is all about the trenches. And YSU or not - we had some very serious trench play Saturday. Keep those kids healthy and show up loaded for bear and we have a chance in LA - Beanie or no.
All that said - Get well soon Beanie. We want you in LA.
Q. OLYMPIC FOOTNOTE
Nice Snatch.
That's all for now. I am going to grab some tissues and hand lotion and head on over to the Michigan boards.
In over 40 years of attending OSU home games I don't believe I have ever seen such a perfect sea of red and white at the start of a game. Sure, it helped that YSU is also red. But from where I was sitting there were no garish purple and green outfits. Nobody who wore UM colors because their wardrobe advisor told them they were a "springtime". None of the pink "I love the Buckeye's" tee shirts. And no discernable empty seats (something you will never see at kickoff once the students return to school).
I am sure the flaws were there. But from any distance it looked simply perfect.
B. JAUNDICE - AKA QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY
My wife insisted that I visit the Doctor this week. Looking a bit yellow around the gills she said. Might be something serious.
You can imagine our relief when he told us I had no serious illness. Only enough egg on my face to make an omelet.
"Have you been making any bold predictions"? he asked.
All I could think of were my posts that 1) UM would win at least 9 games, 2) Illinois had enough athletes on that side of the ball to play some very serious Defense, and 3) that it would take Pryor several games to work his way up the depth chart. That Pryor would not pass Bauserman any time soon. That at first we shouldn't expect Pryor to look that much different than any other QB fresh out of HS.
OK, he isn't ready to run the O just yet. It is Boeckman's team and there was no evidence that would change any time soon (despite yet another jump ball and his failure to find either of two wide open receivers prior to his incompletion to end our second drive). And I would still argue that Pryor and Bauserman are really pretty much 2A and 2B.
But that said, he looked as good as any true Frosh QB at OSU in the almost 50 years I have been following the program. In fact, he looked as good or better than most Sophs and a few Juniors. And he showed as much poise and athleticism - if not judgment - running the ball as pretty much any OSU QB I can name.
He is all that. And a bag of chips.
C. POLITICS
I know that we have a political forum. I know that it is best to keep discussion of politics in that forum. But by the time this season ends this nation will have a new President. And there is something that I feel compelled to say - something I have never felt compelled to say before. And I wish to say it here.
There have been 10 Presidents in my lifetime. I have never been compelled to say this about any of those Presidents nor their Vice Presidents. I have never been compelled to say it about any Presidential candidate or Vice Presidential candidate. Not Kennedy or Johnson. Not Agnew or Ford. Not Carter or Clinton. Not Kerry or McGovern. I have not felt compelled to say this about either Bush. Not even Geraldine Ferarro.
But with the announcement of Sarah Palin as McCain's VP I am compelled to say it now.
I'd hit it.
D. NEW TRADITIONS
The start of the season is the time to establish new traditions. OSU has a couple. One is the entrance with the band where the band first blocks the player entrance with a block O and then separates to let the team on the field. Pretty damn cool.
The other is a hesitation from the PA announcer on first downs - "And that's another Ohio State........ First Down."
The idea is for the crowd to shouting First Down with him. Cool enough idea. Problem is that it requires the fans to pay attention AND to participate. This is not always our strong suit - particularly in games like YSU where minds wander and there are 24 opportunities to drift off.
E. BAD STUFF
Six penalties. Of course, with so many young kids. Still...
Shaun Lane's drop. Remember the new mantra - No more dropped picks!
FGs in the red zone. Tough to complain when you score on 9 of 10 drives, but failing to convert on 5 of our first 6 third down conversions is a habit we need to break. (All on passing plays and spread across three different QBs.)
Oh, and that other thing that happened in the third quarter. That was bad stuff.
F. GOOD STUFF
The kicking game.
Playing three QBs and none of them looking like total stiffs.
Dominance in the Trenches.
Seven true Frosh - in the first quarter. And nobody dropped their pants.
No interceptions. No punts. Scoring on 9 of 10 drives.
Other than a handful of penalties, some failed 3rd down conversions and that one gut wrenching, drive stopping, unforced fumble - a perfect game on both sides of the ball. And an opener at that.
G. OLYMPIC FOOTNOTE
Word is that the US is recruiting former astronauts for the 2012 badminton team due to their familiarity with at least some of the equipment involved.
H. AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Wow. The Big Ten was dominant Saturday. Simply dominant.
Well, other than the games where we were actually asked to play someone.
Thank goodness we weren't matched against any SEC teams. Sure, I am tired of hearing it. Particularly now that ESPN has renewed their lease on the conference for a price equal to the combined economies of the Balkan nations. But weren't Davis and Spiller supposed to win the first ever joint Heisman - not gain 20 net yards rushing in a game Clemson was favored to win? Didn't Hawaii play in a BCS bowl last year? (Oh yeah, the SEC kicked their ass then also.)
We showed some spunk in all three of those losses (although UM's comeback attempt should have left them 20 points behind - not 2). But we will continue to hear the abuse - and hear praise heaped upon the SEC - until we make a statement as a conference.
At least we aren't the ACC. You know, the league that sold its soul to cherry pick the Big East so they wouldn't just be a BBall conference anymore. The league that ESPN dubbed the next big thing back in 2004.
I. NACHO REPORT
As you may recall, last season ended with a bit of a falling out with the Cheese Bitch. This made it awkward to visit my regular concession stand to get my fix of tasty chips smothered in melted cheese food product. So I visited another just a few gates down.
Well, not only was my jalapeno drenched purchase a culinary delight, but I met a young lady who can only be described as the Cheese Babe.
J - A - W - T - as in Jalapeno hot.
At first she tried to ignore me - gave me that look like I was just another aging couch potato looking for a cholesterol fix. But when I put my hands behind my back, picked up a nacho, dipped it in the cheese, and topped it off with a pepper slice - all using only my tongue - well, I had here attention.
I'll keep you posted.
J. UM
I want the Big Ten to do well. I really do. But this is just too much fun.
Their O was horrid - but I expected that - at least early in the season. But the D was positively putrid. Even with the superior athletes in the best Barwisian condition of their young lives. And perhaps that 4th quarter comeback did have a taste of Barwis in it. Or perhaps they were motivated by RR calling them a bunch of cocksuckers at halftime. The question is, why was a comeback needed at all? This is Michigan. At home. A team full of highly recruited athletes not yet depleted by injuries.
And no matter how you try to slice it - Utah is just the latest in a long chain of pretenders to BCS level prominence. This year's Hawaii (SORRY mILI). UM had every reason and every opportunity to be ready to play this game. And they were not.
And my favorite part? RR declining an on camera interview at half time.
To be clear, I think those interviews should be banned. Leave the coaches alone while they are on the clock. But everybody does it. Even coaches who are getting their hats handed to them grit their teeth and talk to the bimbos. Ron Zook had a mike in his face literally seconds after his team gave up a crushing score and he handled it with dignity.
Come on Dickwad - we are looking for reasons to hate you. Can't you make it a bit of a challenge?
Here's hoping ND has a comparable opener and we get to watch one more classic clusterfuck as a warm up to our 13 September show down.
K. WORST CHANGE TO CFB
The new clock rules suck suck. Yeah, I am a confirmed curmudgeon. I don't like change. I liked the rhythm of the game the way it was. But beyond that, when you go out of bounds the clock stops. Starts again on the snap. Use of the sideline is part of a coaching strategy the entire game - not just the last two minutes. That is the way it has always been. That is the way God meant for it to be.
Other than the inconsistency in the time that runs off the clock to get the ball set (a certain OSU-MSU game comes to mind) college time rules were perfect. Put 'em back and quit screwing with the game to accommodate TV and their interminable commercials.
And more to the point, there were 12 fewer plays run in this year's YSU game than last year. The game was over before 3:00 and I was home in time for the 3:30 kick offs - first time ever.
Any rule change that gives us less football is a bad rule change.
L. BEST CHANGE TO CFB
Is it just me, or does Erin Andrews have a new nose?
M. FROSH ON THE OL
I was so focused on Pryor when he first came in that I didn't notice his OL. BB73 can double check me on this one, but I am pretty confident OSU has not played three true Frosh on the OL in the first (or perhaps any) quarter since at least 1932. (That was the year a group of Chinese female gymnasts made an appearance at Dock Side Dolls and two of our starters didn't show up for the game and the other three had thrown out their backs. It's all in Jack Park's encyclopedia - you can look it up.)
And they were tough. OK, I have Time Warner so I have to wait until Wednesday when the BTN gets around to replaying the game to confirm my observations. But I definitely saw Shugarts pushing one of the YSU players around like he was one of the aforementioned gymnasts.
YSU or not - that was cool to see.
N. DEFENSE
YSU had two first downs in the first three quarters. The first was on a PI call that looked like a foot tangle. The second came in the third quarter on a drive that started at the YSU 27. Despite getting a first down they ended up punting from their own 15.
Seven drives for five yards or less. No drive longer than 5 plays. Not allowing YSU to cross the 50 until the final drive of the game.
YSU or not - that is some serious D.
And it was great to see folks like Moeller, Hines (both of whom IIRC made tackles through defenders), and Gibson making big plays.
O. STAT OF THE WEEK
In the average persons lifetime a person will eat 8 spiders while sleeping.
Pleasant dreams.
P. INJURY REPORT
The housing market is strong.
The world is at peace.
I am not getting older - I am getting better.
And we had no serious injuries.
Shit, shit, shit.
Silver lining time. First, as of the moment the extent of the injury is still unknown. And we have to have Beanie for USC. Have to! Don't we?
If there is any one player on this squad that the team looks towards for that game changing play it is Beanie. But is it good to have any such players? Perhaps there is an advantage to circling the wagons and looking for everyone to step up. Don-t be looking out of the corner of your eye to see what the "hero" is going to do. Be the hero.
Let the spotlight focus on USC. Let them come into the game reading their press clippings and knowing they are the heavy favorite. Anything that gets us focused on the challenge in front of us can be a positive.
Besides, Beanie isn't going to beat USC. Nor is Boeckman. Nor Pryor. Nor our stable of receivers or our depth at running back. Not even our LBs and shut down secondary can get it done.
It is all about the trenches. And YSU or not - we had some very serious trench play Saturday. Keep those kids healthy and show up loaded for bear and we have a chance in LA - Beanie or no.
All that said - Get well soon Beanie. We want you in LA.
Q. OLYMPIC FOOTNOTE
Nice Snatch.
That's all for now. I am going to grab some tissues and hand lotion and head on over to the Michigan boards.
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