State of the "Diss" Union

Ohio State is 6-0 (probably 7-0 after this weekend). After this weekend, the Bucks will attempt to navigate the “murderer’s row” section of its schedule.

Understandably, the "IRA-esque" section of the “SEC Fandom” has deemed OSU and the entire B10 conference as garbage. Calls of “Kentucky or South Carolina would dominate that conference of slow northern Yankees” have emanated from below the Mason-Dixon line since January 8th and Michigan’s colossal collapse against App State and trunk-f*cking by Oregon have done the rest of us simple plodding Midwest folk no favors.

I really don’t want to bother with these types of arguments, as it is a simple fact that OSU will most likely make the MNC game in New Orleans if it finishes undefeated. LSU’s home schedule of tough games and away schedule of VMI 5 or 6 times will likely not provide any challenges, until a neutral field contest for the SEC Championship game. Cal still has some tough games, but the preliminary SOS ratings will most likely favor OSU if both schools win out (HT: TellShow).

I have seen some articles making mention of the idea of LSU losing in the SECCG and whether or not they will still deserve to be in the MNC game. Simple Answer: No. There is past precedence for this type of loss and with teams of this caliber. Look no further than Ohio State in 1998. A late season loss (not even the last game of the season) and the team never had a chance to get back in the MNC discussion. Why should someone get a pass now? ESPN will have its say on this topic if it occurs and, of course, no one is allowed to have an opinion that goes against the mighty gauntlet of college football knowledge employed by ABC/ESPN. Ultimately, the SEC could get its way in the polls through public opinion, which is so ass-backwards right now that SEC fans and media could make an argument that the SEC should have a permanent seat in the MNC and Craig James, Rece Davis, and our own Herb Kirkstreit would nod in agreement so quickly that they wouldn’t even know which side of Slive’s scrotum is hitting them, during “ESPN’s Teabag Saturday” in early December.


Winning out for OSU or Cal will not be an easy task. Too bad either school doesn’t have the media on its side in case of a late season loss, which will, in all likelihood, be afforded to LSU, if it stumbles. This is sad…this is SEC homerism. Almost makes you wish that Notre Dame was decent so some of the homerism could rationed to more than one set of schools. Oh yeah…one more thing. How does the entire conference get credit for it’s set of two exceptional teams (UF and LSU)? That would be like the Columbus Blue Jackets taking credit for the Red Wings dominance in the Central Division for the last eleventy-billion years or something. The fact that I have to root for the schools in my conference that I have perennially hated during their OOC schedule makes me want to puke. Fore the love of god, I had to root for UM when they played in the standard “meteor” game against Notre Dame this year. FU SEC…FU for making me stoop down to this level. You make me feel like a Red Sox fan rooting for the Yankees, which is just wrong in so many ways.

DCfW Post Game Review: Youngstown State

It was a typical September OOC game for the Buckeyes against an old friend of Jimmy T. The Youngstown State Penguins were in town and the Buckeyes were a not-so-gracious host. I wouldnt say they were rude to YSU, but they didnt provide level of hospitality afforded up at the Big House(with Kittens and emo).

Things of note...
1. Todd Boeckman is a pretty good quarterback and he throws a pretty deep ball, which we have been hearing from the coaching staff for last 18 years of Todd's college career in Columbus. Good start for him. I read that he missed some check downs (and did not utilize consumate v's when drawing dragons..see below). I didnt see them, but you guys explain icing or delayed offsides? I didnt think so...so BACK-OFF!
2. All of the running backs were fantastic except for one. Unfortunately, this was the running back that has the biggest expectations...Chris Wells. Chris stated that his focus was not there in a post-game interview. I hope this is not a sign of things to come for the perceived leader of the Buckeye backfield. However, Maurice Wells and Brandon Saine were very good. Saine was hitting holes hard and running with authority, while Wells seemed to be a little more comfortable inside of the tackles.
3. You cannot understate the signifigance of the Lawrence Wilson injury. Go watch his sack in Saturday's game about 4 times and tell me that OSU's D-Line will not miss that type of player. Let's hope that true freshman Cameron Heyward can help with the load. All you can really say here is "Thank God it wasnt a defensive tackle.."
4. Youngstown State was no slouch. They had a gameplan to take away the run and stacked the box in doing so. Mostly, their hopes relied on a slow start by Boeckman, which just did not happen. YSU's undersized, yet quick, defensive line caused some issues for the OSU O-Line. YSU's quarterback was efficient, but did not dazzle. YSU did not have any turnovers in this game, otherwise, the score would have gotten out of hand.
5. Youth prevails! There were a lot of freshman that played in this game and made significant contributions to the OSU victory. Brandon Saine, Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington, and Eugene Clifford made some plays that make the loss of playmakers from last year's squad seem a little more palatable. Again, it was YSU, but (in the past) OSU hasnt seemed to have many true freshman step in the early going.
6. Brian Robiskie is a monster. I really cant wait to see him go up against Justin King later this year. Speed against size and strength. Let's hope that offensive line can give Todd some time in Happy Valley to find him.
7. Kurt Coleman & Anderson Russell. Best Safety tandem at OSU since...I cant even think of a good one to compare them to at this point. Coleman was flying all over tha place in this game, and Russell was very disruptive as well.

Other notes...
1. That whole UM fiasco up north...well...I dont think it really means a lot at this point. UM will still have a good season most likely. If they are not motivated by now...they never will be. For some reason, I see them beating OSU and winning their bowl game this year. Too much talent. Unfortunately, most of that talent is on the offensive side of the ball. The coaching is kind of shit-riffic on that side of the ball as well. I mean the "English Majors" smelled that like they had a couple of bottles of "Olde English" spilled on them after Saturday's debacle.
2. Cal is pretty good. Obviously they are very fleet of foot. I mean they cant be SEC fast. Seriously, Mississippi State and Ole Miss would kill them on a neutral field.
3. Speaking of the SEC...How long until Les messes this one up? That defense is fantastic, but that offense is teh suxor. Any team with a competent offense will score some points against LSU, but will LSU be able to score against these teams? To be continued...
4. Tim Tebow can throw a football. Apparently, he threw 12 passes for 300 yards. Still not impressed....yeah I know...it's just me.
5. Jake Locker (from the UW) looks pretty fast. Unfortunately, it was against Syracuse, which is "hella" slow. He looks the part, but let's wait and see how he looks against Boise State before we call him the savior of the Husky Nation. Ok?
6. The trunk-f*cking of the week? Notre Dame. It looks more and more like Charlie cant gameplan his way out of a wet paper bag. Guess who is getting the trunk-f*cking of the week in week 2? Notre Dame. Penn State is going to unleash hell on those guys next week. It could get ugly. From urine on the band to a sieve-like offensive line, Notre Dame is in serious trouble in Happy Valley next week.
7. Can't Read, Can't Write, Kent State. Way to make us Ohioans proud. Taking out Iowa State is no small feat. Honorable Mention to BGSU for it's game against a rebuilding Minnehaha squad in Tim Brewster's head coaching debut.
8. I'm already tired of seeing stuff about the App State-UM game on ESPN or any other sports outlet. Yes, it was a huge and monumental win for a I-AA school, but in typical EPSN fashion...they need to glamorize it to a point of nausea. Thank god I am not a UM fan...otherwise it would feel a lot like the weeks following 1/8/07.
9. Go Tribe! Beat Johan Santana for the fifth time this season. No other team has beaten Santana more than once in any season prior to this year.
10. One other note for the CBJ faithful. Detroit picked up Mark Hartigan this past offseason. This was a quiet move in the grand scheme of things in the NHL, but anyone that knows how Mark Hartigan plays will realize this is a huge get for the Wings. Like the Wings need any freakin' help. I am calling it now. He will be a scoring machine in Detroit's system. He is a 2nd or 3rd center in the Wings' system...and is a farm club call on almost every other team's roster.

Finally...I bring you Strongbad at his finest...enjoy...



Peace...

Herringbone

Wait for it...yeah...Troy Smith is no longer able to throw footballs or walk upright.

According draft gurus Todd Shay and Mel Kiper Jr., Troy Smith has gone from a first day pick to free agent status in the last 18 hours. The basis for this judgement has nothing to do with past performance, which has been basically perfect with the expection of a few hiccups against Penn State in 2005 and the Disaster in the Desert.

The assessment has been accumulated from Todd and Mel tossing Brady's and Russell's salads so much that they forgot what a Troy Smith salad tastes like. Personally, I am not keen to Troy Smith's salad, but most of the draft experts approach a Chester the Molester level with the amount of information and gushing over the flavor of the month talent that can throw a football over a mountain with a set of testicles in his mouth and nine broken fingers.

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay carpooling to a private prospect workout near you

Let's look at the DCfW resumes of the two quarterbacks that are destined to be the first two quarterbacks taken in the draft tomorrow. Of course, this is all conjecture and factless banter, but bear with me...

JaMarcus Dilfer...err...Russell

Accomplishments inlude being able to being throw a football 6,000 yards underhand. I know this because this is all that I heard about when I watched the most ridiculous media "circus-sealing" ever, during this past Sugar Bowl, as JM faced a secondary and overall defense in Norte Dame that rivals that of an average MAC team.

Hey NFL draftniks, just because the guy is the size of a large condominium in the Seattle-area (if you lived here you would understand) that doesnt translate to on field success. JM has had a knack for not showing up in the biggest of games, especially in-conference. Take Auburn in 2006 and UT/UGA in 2005. These are games that a team with the talent of LSU (which is what we hear every year) should not lose at home or not have the ability to score one single freakin' touchdown.



Brady "I'm Notre Dame's QB, so that means I'm great against Coast Guard" Quinn...

Never has there been a QB that has earned more accolades for buckling in his biggest games each year. The best games in his career have been against team like Navy, Boston College, and Stanford. Notice that I did not mention USC, OSU, LSU, or Michigan. Yeah...basically he has not been able to lead his teams to victories in any big games....

And that just simply screams...pick me first!

In Conclusion...

I dont care about where Troy Smith gets drafted this year, but the fact that he is shade under 6-feet shouldnt make him any less of a high draft pick candidate than these other two that have played in the same amount of big games as Trpy Smith, but have lost twice as many games as Mr. Smith.

Makes you wonder when the NFL is just going to admit that they are just drafting like the NBA...for potential...not performance....not intangibles (unless you Notre Dame QA emu-ish

hair) nor leadership ability.

Enjoy the draft. I will be watching it from my high-altitude tent...I've got to start training for all of the games next year that may give me a heart-attack. The Bucks are going to have some problems scoring points...welcome back to 2002...

Pwned...Seriously...Jorts 41 - Land of Coaches 14

I'll be back after I visit the emergency room to get this fork removed from my temple...this could take weeks or it might just take until the next CBJ victory....

Herringbone...in severe misery

Congrats to the UF Gators...Cant argue the ass-whooping....

Florida's Worst Nightmare..and a heckuva Heisman Campaign Video

HT: HeismanPundit and YouTube(Timbuck2)

Calling a Spade...Well....a Spade...

I tend to read Brian's "Upon Further Reviews" over at MGoBlog. They are normally pretty fair evaluations for UM's team performance on Offense and Defense. However, I see that Brian has been sipping some of the excuse "Kool-Aid", which has made its way around the message boards and the blogs over the last two weeks. Here is Brian referencing the field conditions at Ohio Stadium and it's possible effects on the UM offensive performance against OSU.

This will no doubt lead to an assertion that "both teams played on the same
field," but if Michigan installed a field that randomly shot white-clad
players in the kneecap you would agree that this is not a situation that
impacts both teams equally, yes?

Brian. I just wanted let you know that OSU looked into that a while ago. If OSU would have been able to install it, Desmond Howard would be using a wheelchair ramp to get onto the College Gameday set.

Here are some other gems....

Michigan has guys who rely on sharp cuts more often. Manningham's a double move guy. Breaston's entire football usefulness is built around his ability to
change direction faster than anyone else. Hart is a low-to-the-ground, compact
back in a running game that demands wild changes of direction fairly regularly.
Meanwhile, Pittman and Wells are more north-south guys and Ginn just runs
straight past people.

Overall, far more Michigan players ended up face down on the turf than Ohio State players, and though I gave the turf theory little credence in the immediate aftermath of the game I have to say that on replay there's about 8-10 instances where a Michigan player's inability to plant is relevant and maybe 1-2 similar plays for OSU.

The Aftermath...

• Geesh...I guess the excuse we have been waiting to surface has finally reached its critical mass. For the love of all things holy, quit whining. I am sure that when Ted Ginn gets the ball he just runs in a straight line. Yeah...he nevers jukes or cuts or anything like that...whatev.
• I might be mistaken, but UM had this same problem a few years back. I wonder if all of the teams that they played against would like to use the field as an excuse for their losses.
• I also realize that UM had a few minor slips and one major slip (Manningham on the fly). Now you can blame the field one time, but if he is cuttting so hard...he needs to make an adjustment.
• I dont know let's see. *Mario's Brain Processing after slipping on hard cut* Maybe I should keep cutting this hard, because the OSU DBs apparently have stalactites for feet and they wont slip. WTF. Maybe it had more to do with the fact that he was getting his arse physically handed to him on every play in the second half by Jenkins...not a shoddy field that he could have cut on if adjustments were made.
• Dont ever use the words "Steve Breaston" and "speed" in the same sentence. He may have BEEN able to cut and utilize some speed in the past, but I think he is still finishing up his punt return against Indiana.
• As far as slipping 8-10 versus 1-2...let's just call that a wash with some of the terrible penalties that were called on Jenkins and O'Neal. Alright? Or...maybe we can trade one of the biggest slips (Springs in 1996) in the OSU-UM series history for 10 of them.

In regards to rematches, excuses, theories, and such...

I have heard some good ones over the last few weeks in general...

John Q UM Fan: "Man...we just ran out of time."

Herringbone response: More time? You want more time to have the OSU offense get to 700 yards total offense and maybe 60 points?

John Q UM Fan: "A rematch...on a neutral field, we win...no doubt."

Herringbone response: In 1993, 1995, 1996, & 1997, a rematch..on a neutral field, we win...no doubt. You guys can play this game as well....2002...2004. It's fun to speculate. Feel fortunate that there is even a possibility to play OSU again, because there have been plenty of years in this series where these types of statements could be made with regularity

In Conclusion...

It's official. I am done talking about this game. I am sure there will be much rejoicing. The better team won...no matter how anyone wants to spin it.

Update...

sportsMonkey chimes in from the MotSaG. Sounds like a familiar topic.

TCB...Buckeye Style

Ohio State - Iowa Observations

Overall
After watching the the #2 (in one poll) struggle on the road against a converted WR playing QB and the other #2 have a tough time in Pullman, the Buckeyes of Ohio State absolutely trunk-f*cked the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. That's right...a trunk-f*cking that was over after about the first 5 minutes of the game.

OSU Offense

• Antonio Pittman - He is just a tough runner. It helps when the O-Line is making holes on the left side of that Iowa D-Line that you could drive a dump through or around. Hell, I think that Kevin Grady could run through them if there werent any stray Rivas-donuts laying around the field. Earlier in the day, Lee "The ORACLE" Corso stated that he didnt think that Antonio could win a game for the Buckeyes....what an a$$hole.
• Troy Smith - Mr Heisman. I had heard that there were grumblings on some of the message boards (Namely..Oklahoma and Notre Dame) that Troy's stats were not Heisman-worthy. Well, there is only player that can win this year's Heisman with an unbelievable stat-line and his name is Garrett Wolfe...otherwise, it will be the player that makes unbelievable plays for a MNC contender. I mentioned earlier this year that Garrett would be the best back that the Buckeyes face (I dont want to hear about Michael Hart...start gaining your yards against a real defense...not Notre Dame and Vandy). Your Welcome.
• Anthony Gonzalez - Stud. Pretty soon teams will be keying on him instead of Ginn, which should lead to Ginn having some big days.
• Teddy Ginn - Not really understanding why he is having such a tough time catching the ball on punt returns. It is starting to feel like he is playing his way out of the first round, because he is not going be getting the ball from a better quarterback than Troy Smith at this level. His route running is better, but his receiving will not be the reason that he is a first round pick.
• O-Line - Geesh. Probably the most complete game by the OSU offensive line this year. The chemistry is finally starting to come together with this unit, and that is simply scary for opposing D-Coordinators.

OSU Defense

• Tough break with Anderson Russell. Sounds like he is out for the season. Nothing like having your ACL (speculation of course) blown out on a touchback. Looks like Jamario O'Neal is going to grow up in a hurry .
• Gholston is still unblockable...yet...still quite holdable. Did Iowa have a penatly? Ughh...Delaney...our officials reached for Pac-10 ineptitude status in this game. I hope that you dish out some punishments. Phantom PI calls on Iowa's first scoring drive, Drew Taint's Brady-ish fumble, and the ever-present Ginn incompletion on a play where not only did catch the ball and was down, but was speared on a late hit (yeah that wasnt called either)
• Laurinitis - One more interception. They are almost inevitable in every game now. Brian over MGoBlog will tell you that he is the fortunate receiver of a lot of lucky bounces, but I could use the same logic and tell you the entire D-Line for UM is the fortunate receiver of sacks due to an overblown schedule of patsies without a decent O-Line among them, but hey...that's just me.
• Mitchell and Smith - The old guys in the secondary are playing like Tressel always want his seniors to perform...by leading and setting the tone for the young guys.

Iowa Offense

• Drew Tate - He is a great QB. That is never in question, but his attitude has got to get old for the Iowa players...and fans. He is not a good teammate in the "fire of battle." He made up nice in the postgame interviews and pointed the finger at himself, but he needs to be a leader on the field...and keep his young receivers in the game...mentally.
• Albert Young - We didnt get to see him strut his stuff. Not surprising as the Buckeyes were up 14-3 early in the second quarter and Iowa was playing catch-up the entire game. Iowa was able to run the ball, but not consistently.

Iowa Defense

• Slow....really , really, really, slow. Iowa is a good team, but they are not elite. They had a chance on a national stage to make such a statement, but they were in shellshock after the first 10 minutes of the game.

Now OSU gets to play against themselves for the next 6 weeks. Complacency and health issues will give UM its only chance against OSU. Really, I know that UM is humming, but they havent faced a defense with a pulse. I want to see how they react to PSU in a few weeks where PSU will turn this game against UM into a one game season. We saw what Henne looked like as a freshman in the Shoe...he doesnt look that much better...unless he is playing against inferior competition, which has been every game this season, including Notre Dame.

OSU - PSU Game Review

That's more like it...


A win is a win...and against Penn State that is always the case. Games against this team havent been pretty the last 4 years, but one thing always holds true...Penn State will not score more than 10 points in the Horseshoe..even with 9 new starters on defense.

To sum up this game....

• OSU Offense
• Troy Smith made a "Heisman-ish" play on a field reversal bomb to Robiskie.
• Antonio Pittman continues to carry the load (20 carries for 110 yards).
• Chris Wells is a short down back, until he learns how to see a hole. Imagine a Lydell Ross with about 25 more pounds of muscle.
• Maurice Wells - Someday we will use him consistenly on swing passes or utilize his speed OUTSIDE of the tackles.
• Brain Robiskie is turning into a problem for defensive coordinators and Troy isnt afraid to throw to him.
• Teams will be praying for bad weather when OSU comes to town. It is really their only chance. Teddy and Anthony were not effective in yesterday's terrible elements.
• OSU Defense
• James Laurinitis is a tunrover machine, but in a good way.
• Malcolm Jenkins is the most physical corner that OSU has had since Nate Clements, and he keeps getting better.
• Freeman's tackling is getting better with each game.
• The D-Line is getting pressure without blitzing, and isnt that super-cool?
• Vernon Gholston is unblockable. However, he is very "holdable" as shown on many occasions by the PSU O-Line.
• Pitcock and Patterson are anchoring the #1A D-Line in the country. #1B is up north at Michigan. Branch and Woodley are sweet.
• Curtis Terry looked good...just wish we could have seen him for some more snaps.
• Malcolm please return the ball to referee after scoring. Spiking the ball is so cliche.
• Brandon Mitchell quietly played one of his best games as a Buckeye yesterday. He was rarely out of position and seemed to make all of the tackles that came his way.
• PSU Offense
• Anthony Morelli has a great arm, but cant read a defense to save his life. He will be a great QB some day, and knowing the ability of the PSU staff to bring QB along that should about 2 years after he graduates.
• Tony Hunt is a stud. He ran very hard in the second half when the Nittany Lions needed him the most. Cant wait to see him against UM later this season.
• Derrick Williams was a non-factor. See above reason for Ginn.
• PSU's O-line needs to get its shite together. They were very sieve-like on Saturday.
• PSU Defense
• Dan Connor was the best PSU LB on the field yesterday. Shaw came in second (even if he was playing with his hand down).
• Jim Shaw was great on the pass rush. Not so much on the running defense. He pretty much got road-graded a few times, which is to be expected. Moving from LB to DE isn't an easy task, and he wasnt exactly the size of a Bobby Carpenter.
• PSU Secondary = Inc. Elements had a lot to do with this game and the secondary performance on both sides. Nice INT by King though.

This was a good game for OSU, no matter how the media will see it. There was adversity and elements that had some effect on the plays. Next week should be huge, it will be interesting to see how far along this defense has matured against a senior QB in Drew Tate. It is going to be a war.

OSU has proven it can win ugly in a year that was predicated by the offense having to shoulder the load for a young defense. The defense is starting to come around...and man...are they making plays.

Fan Behavior..and the Sea of Scarlet?

There are things that happen which will go unnoticed through the course of a college football season…Garret Rivas’ staggering donut consumption, Lydell Ross’ inability to hit a hole that wasn’t attached to a female freshman or sophomore, urine getting tossed on OSU’s TBDBITL last year at Happy Valley.

Oh wait…that’s right. Nobody in the state of Ohio forgot about the urine tossers in State College. Absolutely nobody. The fact is that this game has shown that no matter how high OSU fans will set the bar for poor fan behavior, we can always count on Penn State to pursue stupidity at a level of excellence with no equal.

Now, there is a contingent in the message board community that attempt to make this event from last year’s game out to be a non-issue (Even though this came directly from a band director, ,who just happens to be a PSU alum…not an OSU fan). Actually, there are a few that will tell you that it never happened. I mean, I will not name any names or anything ( FearandLoathinginWoolrich & Shundo), but this type of thinking has caused quite a stir among those OSU fans who may believe that John Q PSU fan gets off easy because of its lovable teddy bear corpse of a coach that hasn’t spoken a word of English since at least 1974. This has lead to a “Sea of Scarlet” promotion that wants to make a statement in the Horseshoe on Saturday, but also wants to make sure to let the PSU fans off easy who make the trip to Columbus.

Well, do you want to know what I think. Whatever happens…happens.

This “Sea of Scarlet” thingy is not who we are as OSU fans. I commend the students that have attempted to put this together. It is very noble but, WE DO NOT NEED GIMMICKS! If crap happens to PSU fans, then so be it. I am sure there will be cases where some of them deserve it and there will be some cases where they don’t. It is no worse than the treatment that any other fan receives at any other stadium in the Big10. Any of us who have been to a visiting stadium in the Big10 know that it is not a welcoming environment, and it never will be. With exception of Indiana, even the lowest of teams in the conference will have fans that will do their best to ensure that the visiting team is miserable and with the proper amount of “liquid courage” hometown fans will do their best to ensure that visiting fans that came to support their team will be miserable as well.

This is the way that it works. College sports is not youth soccer. It is not intended to have everyone play the game, get along, and share Sno-Cones and Swedish Fish after the game.



Notice that this is a red sno cone? Yellow Sno Cones are only found in Happy Valley...on gamedays

There are many examples of poor fan behavior in the Big10. OSU fans are obnoxious and I am not afraid to admit it, UM fans will tell you that they are above that type of behavior, but that could be the biggest crock of shit that you will ever hear. If you want to see a true “Michigan Man” in action, head down to Yost Arena (Click Here for a PG rated version of some of the activities that happen) and see how sportsmanship at Michigan really works. Head over to Wisconsin and listen to the “Asshole” cheer that most certainly stretches the standard 5 word vocabulary that is possessed by most Wisky fans. Michigan State fans are just like OSU fans, but they suck at football. However, basketball season is a different story, and you can throw Illinois into the same boat. Northwestern fans are generally pretty classy, but they are not your typical Big10 school. Indiana has obnoxious basketball fans…even though haven’t won anything in the last ten years (I am not sure how long it has been, but you would think that it had won the last 40 Big Ten championships if you have ever attended a basketball game in Bloomington).

This brings us back to Penn State. PSU fans have been treated to extreme forms of mediocrity in the Big10 since 1993. PSU had one season where it absolutely kicked the shit out of everyone (1994) and was moderately competitive throughout the the 90s. Then PSU had to suffer the consequences of not dictating its own schedule (It will be a great day when ND has to got through this scenario) and once the conference teams became accustomed to playing them each year…there was a big “UH OH” coming from Happy Valley. This lead to significant downgrade in team performance and it showed with a terrible 5-year stretch where it was just dreadful. I can understand the frustration. Hell, I would be uber-pissed if I had to endure what PSU fans did in the 2000’s. This frustration came to a head in 2005 when they had undefeated team that was taking on OSU, and the game was moved to the evening (1st Mistake…see above statement regarding “Liquid Courage,” as there were many “heroes” in Happy Valley that night.) The hype surrounding this game was ridiculous and I was never able to see it, as I was out in the Utah desert for a week without any access to TV or Radio. However, when I returned to Columbus I found out quicky what had transpired in State College and was not only disappointed with the loss, but was also disappointed when I watched a copy og the broadcast, as our resident Anti-homer Kirk Herbstreit was making statements on the crowd and how the atmosphere was simply electric. Well Kirk, with this type of environment comes consequences. We saw this happen on our own campus, as Texas fans were treated poorly. We had a university president that was willing to take a stand and apologize for the behavior of the fans…whether it was warranted or not. OSU ADMITTED it had a problem with fan behavior. Fast Forward to PSU game…same atmosphere…same behavior if not worse than at the Horseshoe. Were there big articles in the newspaper about it? No. Did the poor treatment of the OSU fans make it into the media’eye? Yes. Was it addressed by PSU? Absolutely not..and this is the problem that PSU is going to put itself into by not acknowledging the behavior that was documented. The university administration is basically stating that it is ok to act like a fucking moron and thow urine on a visiting team’s band, as it is simply part of the game.

By the way:

"With nearly 110,000 people attending the game, Penn State officials say it is possible there were "a couple jerks" among the fans."

This is not an apology.

Well, poor fan behavior is one thing; bodily fluids being thrown on fans or representatives of a fellow conference school is pathetic.

In other words, PSU is pathetic, as a university…as an institution that is attempting to groom another generation of leaders. Where does this start? University President for PSU. The same university president that allows this behavior also allows its head football coach to make derogatory statements about the inhabitants of a rival state/school and its education level on national television without any consequence. I know that there are a section of people that will say that is JoePa being JoePa…well….I think that JoePa has used all of his free passes by now, and what point will he make a Fisher DeBerry-type statement? Let’s face it, JoePa’s speaking ability rivals that of the “Ding! Fries are Done!” guy at this point, and to have him as the figurehead of a major university is probably the most pathetic part of the PSU aura today.


I have no idea where I am at right now. Where is my ice cream?... Is this coming out in english?


Does OSU have its problems? Absolutely. Do we have leaders that are willing to admit it? Yes. Am I proud of the university actions to attempt to fix the problems? Yes. Is there much more work to go into this effort? See Texas game this year.


Dude...like West Virginia is so jealous.

Are we Penn State? No….and thank goodness. So, to all of the fans at the game this weekend, enjoy yourself in the way that you are accustomed to enjoying OSU games. Don’t let the Sea of Scarlet make you go out of your way to make everyone feel comfortable. You take that away from the OSU psyche and the aura of Ohio Stadium will take a downturn with it. Just don’t throw any urine or large cups of “dip” spit or anything else I may be missing…that’s simply not cool.

Go Bucks!!!

OSU 35 - NIU 12 - Missed Tackles, Kickers, and Fumbles...Oh My!

Well....

..it seems to have gone as planned.

Troy and the Wide Receivers...

We finally got to see the offense that we had envisioned from the end of the Fiesta Bowl through Spring and Fall Camp. It was efficient and effective. Troy Smith looked like he could do no wrong, and ...Uh-oh....Ted Ginn learned how to run crisp routes (Sorry Brian). Another bright surprise was the emergence of Brian Robiskie. Robo is first the tall receiver that OSU has had in its stable, since Michael Jenkins was still here in 2003. He replaced Sr. Roy Hall at the 3rd WR spot, due to an ankle injury.

Running Backs...

Antonio Pittman looked solid as usual. It needs to be stated over and over again that we will not see too many 195lb RBs that have the ability pound a defense. This is a strength of Tony and he did not disappoint yesterday. He got his 100 yards and left the field. It was also the debut of uber-frosh Chris Wells. He ran strong and had a very good showing (sans fumble at the goalline). Chris and Antonio pretty much displayed what was expected of them during this game. Now the running back I would really like to talk about is Maurice Wells. This is the guy that Chizik and Mack Brown will be having nightmares about this week. He was finally put into a situation where had some space to work with and not running between the tackles. He took a dump pass and we finally got to see what all of the hype over Maurice was about with a twenty yard scamper. Now only if JT and Co decide to use him a little more. This could possibly happen and might be part of he master plan for next weekend. The offense in general was magnificent, but went very "vanilla" after getting out to the 28-point lead in the first half.

The real test...and kudos...


The defense looked new and inconsistent. There were times that the D-line was in there and causing all sorts of confusion for Horvath and the NIU offense, while there were other times that the intensity was just lacking. From my standpoint, Gholston and Richardson had the best performances on the D-line yesterday. I know that there are a lot of people worrying about the play of the defense, but the fact remains that the O-line that NIU brought into Columbus on Saturday was one of the best it will see all year. It uses a good zone blocking scheme and has NFL-level talent at the tackle and tight end positions. I will admit that it was a bit disconcerting that Wolfe was able to get to the corner a lot on screens and sweeps, but let's give credit where it is due. Wolfe will probably be the best overall running back that this defense will face all year. There may stronger or bigger backs on the schedule, but there isnt a back with better vision and field awareness than Wolfe. When you combine that type of talent with his sheer speed, it becomes awfully hard to stop him. He will have a great year and should be invited to NY for the Heisman ceremony, but it most likely wont be in the cards for the MAC school talent.


Jay Richardson....dreaming of Colt McCoy and bringing the whammy...

I am not even going to talk about the linebacker play in this game. There were too many people rotating into the positions for this game. Larry Grant had a nice interception, but geesh man...wait for your freakin' blockers next time. It was good to see some agressiveness from Homan and Freeman, but there were too many missed tackles. Give credit to Wolfe on this again. He is a very slippery target to bring down. For the Texas game, I just dont see S. Young of Jamaal Charles making the kind of moves that were put on display by Wolfe. No offense to the Texas running backs, but if G. Wolfe was in Austin...Jamaal and Selvin wouldnt be playing very much...IMO.

The secondary...yuck...

Nick Patterson needs to take off the D-Line shoulder pads . Maybe that will make him a look a little faster than Mike D'Andrea. Antonio Smith and Mitchell played pretty well, but, again, missed tackles were the message of the day.

Kicking game....

Trapasso = 1 punt for 43 yards. Could turn into this year's version of Tom Malone.
Pettrey and Pretorious...OMG...We know the conditions were poor, but come on that was too Garrett Rivas-ish for Buckeye tastes...


Donuts are the key....my buckeye friends.

Overall, this was the best way the season opener before the Texas game could turn out. OSU played a team with an experienced O-Line and Backfield and the D played a "bend but dont break" style that we have all come to know and love. We should see a great deal of improvement between week 1 and week 2, as NIU provided a lot of learning material for the coaches this week. The "O" was lights out, but the competition was suspect on the NIU defensive-side of the ball. Regardless, the offense looked solid and will give Chizik and Brown a lot to think about this week in the film room. The offensive explosion in the first half was refreshing and really reminded me of watching a game from the mid-90's where OSU would be up by 35-42 points before the 1st half expired. The best part of the offensive display was that a LOT of players got to play in this game in the second half, which gave the coaches a better chance to the see some of the non-starters show their stuff in a game-situation.