Eleven Warriors

Preview: #12 Michigan State at #3 Ohio State

Joe — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Green is making his case for B1G POY honors.

#3 Ohio State 21-3, 9-2 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

February 11, 2012 6:00 PM ET - ESPN —— The Schott Columbus, OH

#12 Michigan State 19-5, 8-3 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

Tonight the eyes of the nation (and especially of Big Ten fans) will be focused on Columbus as Thad Matta's Buckeyes welcome the 12th ranked Spartans of Michigan State. The showdown of the 1st and 2nd place teams in the Big Ten has been much anticipated, including by the players involved. Both Ohio State and Michigan State appeared to be looking ahead to this game when they played lesser opponents earlier in the week.

For the Buckeyes, the game is important because a win puts them two games up on their nearest competitor, and also because they have to go on the road for their next two games. Going out on a winning note will give the young team confidence as they face hostile environments in Minnesota and Michigan. Also, they have to play MSU again in the regular season finale in East Lansing, and it would be good to have a 2-game cushion before playing that game.

For Michigan State, a win would propel them into first place in the conference before they head home to host Wisconsin. If they get past the Buckeyes and the Badgers, they would have the inside track on a regular season conference championship, which would give them a number 1 seed in the B1G tourney. It's not a must-win for MSU, but they would dearly love to steal a victory in Columbus before hosting the Buckeyes in the season finale.

#	Name	YR	HT/WT	PTS	REB	ASST	P	#	Name	YR	HT/WT	PTS	REB	ASST
4	A. Craft	SO	6-2/190	8.1	3.0	4.8	G	11	K. Appling	SO	6-1/190	11.8	3.3	3.9
32	L. Smith Jr.	SO	6-4/205	6.3	4.7	2.0	G	13	A. Thornton	SR	6-5/205	4.5	3.5	1.1
44	W. Buford	SR	6-6/220	15.5	4.8	3.1	F	22	B. Dawson	FR	6-6/220	8.9	4.7	1.1
1	D. Thomas	SO	6-7/225	14.6	4.5	0.9	F	23	D. Green	SR	6-7/230	15.2	10.6	3.6
0	J. Sullinger	SO	6-9/265	17.4	9.0	1.0	C	5	A. Payne	SO	6-10/240	7.0	4.1	0.3

Opponent

Draymond Green came to Michigan State already advanced in rebounding but understanding that he would have to improve his shooting range. Having worked hard over the years to extend it, he is now a threat to score from beyond the arc just as much as in the paint. Last season he led the Spartans in both rebounds and assists, and this season is the scoring and rebounding leader while still dishing out 3.6 assists per game (just behind Keith Appling's 3.9 for best on the team). The senior is not only a strong presence on the court, but is also an emotional leader off the court.

Beyond Green, the Spartans tend the spread the wealth quite a bit. Appling is the only other teammate who averages double-figure points, while no one else on the team gets half as many rebounds as Green. Tom Izzo likes to use a lot of players; there are 8 Spartan players who average more than 17 minutes per game, and there are another 3 who average at least 5.6 minutes per game.

Michigan State also has a few big bodies, and you can expect to see them banging on Jared Sullinger for much of the game. Green is 230 pounds, center Adreian Payne goes 24, and reserve center Derrick Nix tips the scales at 270. This kind of bulk in the middle will make it difficult for Sullinger to get position in the low post. As a result, I expect to see OSU move the ball around a bit more than normal and look for open shots rather than just dumping it down to Jared every time down.

The Spartans have been turnover-prone at times this season, and they average 14 per game. When they get a chance to shoot, they do it well, as they are hitting almost 48% from the field on the season. Besides Appling, there are very few players in the main rotation who have the ability to drive in the lane and dish out assists, which makes it imperative that the sophomore not get into foul trouble. MSU is not a huge 3-point team, but there are some players who can hurt you from out ther so OSU will need to be careful when they're double-teaming in the post.

What the Spartans are mostly known for is their rebounding. They average over 40 rebounds per game, almost a third of them on the offensive glass. The big bodies of Green, Payne, and Nix make the Spartans a tough group inside, and not giving up second shots helps their defense quite a bit. OSU will need to avoid quick shots if they want to keep Michigan State from launching rapidly into transition opportunities.

Buckeye Breakdown:

Obviously, Ohio State will want to play better defense than what we saw from them on Tuesday night. Tom Izzo's teams are always well-disciplined and prepared. They will certainly see on the film how OSU struggles against ball screens, especially when the screener is guarded by Sullinger. The surest way to have success against OSU's suffocating pressure is to attack with lots of pick-and-roll plays similar to what Kansas did against them. Otherwise, Ohio State has been very solid on defense for most of the season, and it has been a hallmark of their succes.

End of the slump or just one good game?

Most teams will not be able to make as many 3-pointers as Purdue did on Tuesday, but MSU can hurt you from distance if they get open looks consistently. More likely, they will exploit mismatches with large bodies like Green and Nix and use lots of penetration from Appling to set them up. Pick and roll, low-post direct entry, and high-low will probably be the order of the day for MSU.

On offense, Ohio State established Jared Sullinger early against Wisconsin and attempted to do the same against Purdue, but ran into foul trouble. Sullinger averages only 28.6 minutes per game, some of which is due to the injuries he suffered early in the season and some of it to fouls. One goal for Thad Matta will be to coach Sully on how to avoid cheap fouls and get the most of his hacks in the lane. If a guy has an uncontested layup and you cannot block it, then it's good to foul. But trying to take a charge from 20 feet or so is a bad idea.

William Buford appeared to come out of his slump just in the nick of time, at a moment when his team needed him most. My suspicion is that the coaches told him to focus on the things he does well (shots from a set position and drives to the hoop) and not attempt so many mid-range jumpers on the move. I believe that better shot selection will help Buford to maintain his consistency and build his confidence in the run up to the tourney. His scoring is desperately needed and I do not think OSU can advance very far in the NCAA's without it.

I expect this to be a rough-and-tumble game, with lots of pushing and shoving and maybe a few tempers flaring. The tempo will most likely be slow, and the few rebounds that become available will be highly coveted. I'm not sure how to call this one but the advantage has to go to the home team, and so I expect the Buckeyes to win, but I believe it will come down to the very end. It would not surprise me to see overtime or a winning shot in the last minute. Should be fun.

Etc

Ohio State leads the nation in wins vs. opponents ranked in the Top 25 with five victories in seven tries this season.
For the 3rd game in a row, the broadcast team for the game will be Dave O'Brien (play-by-play) and Dan Dakich (analysis).

Crab Cakes and Football

Alex — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:40:00 +0000

Link:

http://eye-on-recruiting.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26895818/34787562

Crab Cakes and Football, that's what Stefon Diggs does.

The five star, Army All-American from Olney (MD) Good Counsel, decided to stay home and help rebuild a struggling Maryland program, committing to the Terrapins moments ago.

Diggs chose Randy Edsall and the hometown school over other finalists consisting of Ohio State, Florida, and Auburn. His decision was delayed from Signing Day after he made late trips to Columbus and College Park, the latter of which may have sealed the deal after students showed him "much love", chanting his name at the UMD-UNC basketball game and making "Wanted" posters with his name on it.

Joining teammates RB Wes Brown and OL Mike Madaras, Diggs goes to play for head coach Bob Milloy's alma mater where he immediately gets labeled the "savior" of a program that went just 2-10 overall and 1-7 in the ACC in Edsall's first season. Diggs is expected to start from day one on campus and should be a high impact player to watch in 2012.

This loss definitely stings a bit as Urban Meyer and his staff gave Diggs their best chance, but we won't be losing sleep over this one as it gives another scholarship towards the count in an excellent 2013 class. Diggs could have been a fascinating player for the Buckeyes this upcoming season, but now focus shifts to next year's group of starts, which is extremely talented in their own right.

Depth Chartin' 2012: Offensive Backs

Jason — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Stay healthy, young man.

For the second time in the last four years, Ohio State turned its offense over to a true freshman quarterback and although in each case the quarterback oozed talent, learning on the job at the FBS level comes with its ups and downs.

In 2008, when Terrelle Pryor took over for Todd Boeckman, he had Jim Tressel guiding him as a coach, a supremely talented running back in Beanie Wells, veteran wide receivers and a defense featuring several future NFL starters. The result: a 10-3 season that ended in the Fiesta Bowl.

Last season, Braxton Miller took over for Joe Bauserman in the fourth game of the season, but had a first year coach at the top, his two best running backs suspended to start the year, an inexperienced receiver corps and a bend-and-LOL-break defense. The result: the team's first seven-loss season since 1897.

Given the transitions and turmoil surrounding the team, it's no surprise that the offense struggled as much as it did in 2011. Thanks to the aforementioned suspensions to Boom Herron and Jordan Hall, the rushing attack was woeful, with Miller the quarterback leading all rushers.

Things were so bad in 2011 that fullback Zach Boren earned the team's Rex Kern award as outstanding back. Now Boren is a human wrecking ball and a fan favorite for plowing running lanes, but his last rushing attempt came in November 2010.

But as is the theme with any preview of the 2012 season, optimism running rampant in Columbus these days. Urban Meyer has completely reinvigorated the program and has assembled a staff that features a real quarterback coach in the form of Tom Herman. Stan Drayton has moved from coaching wide receivers to his more natural position as a running backs coach and both groups will benefit from the strength and conditioning program of Mickey Marotti.

We have an idea of how Urban Meyer will run his offense and how the position battles will go down, but with a new regime comes new opportunities (paging Rod Smith).

One thing I feel comfortable saying with a certainty is that Braxton Miller will be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes when Miami rolls in to town for the opener. Meyer has barely been able to contain his glee at the prospect of coaching the dynamic sophomore and the only thing keeping him out of the starting spot will be injuries.

Departing
#	POS	Name	Notes
14	QB	Joe Bauserman	Graduated
4	RB	Jamaal Berry	Kicked off team
33	FB	David Durham	Transfer
19	QB	Taylor Graham	Transfer
1	RB	Boom Herron	NFL-bound

Returning
#	POS	Name	HT/WT	YR
44	FB	Zach Boren	6-0/252	SR
13	QB	Kenny Guiton	6-2/195	R-JR
7	RB	Jordan Hall	5-9/195	SR
49	FB	Adam Homan	6-2/248	JR
34	RB	Carlos Hyde	6-0/238	JR
5	QB	Braxton Miller	6-3/210	SO
2	RB	Rod Smith	6-3/230	R-SO

Incoming
POS	Name	HT/WT	YR	Rivals
RB	Warren Ball	6-2/210	FR	★★★★
RB	Br'onte Dunn	6-2/215	FR	★★★★
QB	Cardale Jones	6-5/217	FR	★★★

As a true freshman, Miller started 10 games for the Buckeyes and really blossomed late in the year on his way to capturing the Big Ten's Thompson-Randle El Award as the league's freshman of the year. He finished 85/157 for 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions through the air and also led the team in rushing with 751 yards and seven touchdowns.

His first half against Nebraska was a thing of beauty before he left the game with an injury, he was part of a three-headed 100-yard rusher performance against the Hoosiers in which he set a school record for a quarterback with an 81-yard touchdown run and set career marks for passing completions, attempts, yards, and touchdowns on the way to racking up 335 yards of offense against the Wolverines in a very Troy Smith-like coming out party.

He is absolutely electric, finishing the long runs that Pryor only tempted us with and should flourish in Meyer's offense with its focus on easy reads and leveraging numbers.

But, oh, those injuries. Miller missed part of his junior and senior seasons in high school with various injuries and was knocked out of the Nebraska game, leading to a 2nd half of Bauserman throws into the stands and a gut-wrenching come-from-ahead loss. He took plenty of hits as a freshman, though, so you can't knock his toughness. He just has to avoid the type of injuries that will knock him out of games.

Should Miller get injured, Meyer will likely turn to redshirt junior Kenny Guiton. Guiton is not nearly as talented as Miller, but he's been in the program for a while and I have full confidence in Meyer and his staff to have Guiton prepared to play should Miller get hurt. Incoming freshman Cardale Jones has the frame (6-5/217) to trigger Tebow dreams for Meyer, so keep an eye on him as they may utilize him in a similar manner near the goal line (though with Braxton's shakes, that may not be needed).

The team will miss Boom Herron for his off the field leadership as much as it will for his on the field ability. Though he was suspended for the first six games of the season, he returned with a vengeance, sparking a three game winning streak against Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana in which he rushed for 114, 160 and 141 yards, respectively.

In the upset over the Badgers, he outplayed Wisconsin star Montee Ball, behind 33 punishing carries and the image of Herron standing on the field with tears streaming out of his eyes will not soon be forgotten by Buckeye fans that came to appreciate his rushing style that seemed to always produce positive yards.

He leaves Ohio State as the school's 10th-leading rusher with 2,869 career yards and should surface somewhere soon in the NFL.

Depth Chartin' 2012
01/06 - Defensive Line
01/13 - Linebackers
01/20 - Defensive Backs
01/27 - Offensive Line
02/03 - Receivers & Tight Ends
02/10 - Quarterbacks & Running Backs

Vying to inherit Boom's role as the team's primary rusher will be senior Jordan Hall, junior Carlos Hyde, redshirt sophomore Rod Smith and two very talented freshmen: Canton GlenOak's Bri'onte Dunn and Columbus DeSale's Warren Ball.

Hall would seem to be the best fit, given the personnel on hand, for Meyer's offense. He lacks high end speed and won't be mistaken for Percy Harvin anytime soon, but he's dependable, smart and busts his ass giving effort.

Though he was himself suspended to open the year, he wound up starting three games during Boom's prolonged suspension and finished with 408 yards on 100 carries including a gutty performance in his first game back, coming against the Hurricanes (14/87). Hall also served as the team's primary return guy, both on punts and kickoffs and he finished first on the team and second in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards.

Hyde started three games in 2011, finishing 3rd on the team with 577 yards and six touchdowns on 106 carries. His average of 5.44 yards-per-carry was good enough to lead the team and the six rushing touchdowns were second-most on the roster.

When Boom and Hall were both out against Akron for the opener, Hyde finished with 93 yards on 19 carries and followed it up with 18 rushes for 74 yards and a touchdown the next week against Toledo. He exploded for a 63-yard touchdown in the first half in Lincoln (finishing with 104 yards on 13 attempts that night) and topped 100 again against Indiana with a 15 carry, 105-yard performance.

A fan favorite, for his output in limited opportunities, Hyde may have set himself back by taking playing time grievances to Twitter, but with the new staff comes somewhat of a clean slate, so expect him to compete for the starting job.

You may remember Rod Smith as the guy that elicited the "OMG, LIKE JIM BROWN BUT BETTER!!1!" praise coming out of fall camp last season. While he certainly has the talent, he needs to get his head right and cut down on the fumbles. Compounding his problems is that he missed the team's flight to the Gator Bowl and that was after Urban had already taken the job, so he has one huge strike against him already.

Dunn and Ball, the two hyped freshman should be in the mix and with a new staff comes a suspension of loyalty. If either one of them is the best choice at running back, they will play.

Zach Boren and Adam Homan, the team's top two fullbacks are both back and thought there's been talk of utilizing Boren as an H-back in Meyer's offense, we'll have to see what shakes out. One thing is almost guaranteed: Boren won't repeat as the team's Kern Award winner.

Friday Skull Session

Elika — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:13:27 +0000

Good morning, Buckeye Nation! You know what to expect by now, right? My craving of the moment (are you sick of this yet?)... City BBQ.

I won't even be picky, as long as there is pulled pork involved. Go crazy and come up with your own order. Since I don't have a City BBQ within driving distance, if you go... post a picture for me, please!

And now, let's get started...

DIGG-ING FOR ANSWERS. I'm going to start this off by saying that I was quite possibly one of the biggest brats in the world when it came to making my college decision. Nobody cared about my 40 time, but I was legitimately torn up until the last minute, and ultimately let my parents know through a mass email. The people who gave me life, and just about everything else for 17 years, found out in an email (that their friends were copied on) that I wanted to move 2,500 miles away from them. What happened next is a story I won't bore you with, but it's always served as a reminder to me that even the most level-headed teenagers, are still just teenagers.

I try to keep that story in mind, as we roll our eyes at some of the bizarre things we see in the wonderful world of recruiting. And, among those that follow that world, many were rolling their eyes at Stefon Diggs this week, as he seemingly taunted everyone with his apparent inability to decide where he's going.

The five-star WR Diggs, who has narrowed his choices down to Ohio State, Maryland, Florida and Auburn, seemed to be debating with himself on Twitter on where he should go to school. At one point, Stefon said, "Never been this nervous my whole life. Football games I've never once got nervous ... Footballs easy just about the work you put in .. But making a decision that'll impact your life for the next 40 to 50 years .. Like I'm actually nervous .."

Later, he tweeted some of the reasons he felt this was such a big decision. He followed that up by saying, "Floridas hot I love weather and people ...Umd hometown ... Ohio state great place.. auburn a family... Can't go wrong with my decision .." So, either this kid really doesn't know where he wants to go, or he loves teasing a bunch of grown adults with a questionable obsession with high school boys. Either way, the circus should finally end at some point today.

He was originally scheduled to announced his decision on Comcast SportsNet at 10pm tonight, but later it was announced that he's backed out of announcing with them. Following that announcement, it was reported that its been rescheduled for 6pm at a pub in College Park, MD. Shortly after the change in venue, various outlets started posting the strong possibility that he'll be committing to Maryland.

Those writers, however, were likely fast asleep when Stefon tweeted shortly after 2am EST, "Just had a dream I was in the swamp time to go back to sleep ." So, while you all ponder the benefits of a Friday Skull Session writer who lives in PST, I'll just keep repeating the words "mass email" to myself and wait for 6pm EST.

THE ODD COUPLE. Maybe there's hope for peace in the Middle East, after all. Despite their differences in their long-gone SEC pasts, Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin seem to have buried the hatchet. Perhaps the cruel ways of the NCAA can actually serve to make enemy coaches kiss and makeup... can sanction-adversity make the heart grow fonder? (That may be the most Carrie Bradshaw thing I've ever written, please forgive me. And if you know who Carrie Bradshaw is, please turn your man card in, on your way out.)

Meyer and Kiffin, who are now being called the Big Ten and Pac XII counterparts of one another, both turned heads this week when referring to each other in interviews.

First up, Lane Kiffin talked to the AJC about all the "gentlemen's agreement" drama that had gone down in the Big Ten last week. Though their aggressive recruiting styles are not all that different, his defense of Urban Meyer was surprising, given the things he's said about him in the past. Here's what Lane Kiffin had to say:

I just had someone call me about things being said about this ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ in the Big Ten, how Urban came in there and shouldn’t be recruiting guys who were committed.

For me, as a head coach, I work for the school and the athletic director. I’d hate to ever go to my athletic director and say ‘Hey, there was a great player that hadn’t signed his LOI [letter-of-intent] yet and we might have a chance at … but we’re not going to recruit him because he’s committed somewhere.’ I would think that there are some athletic directors that would fire you for that. I know some coaches over there were upset about him going after their kids but I think that just shows what a great competitor he is.

The love was being spread all around this week, apparently, as Urban gave Lane Kiffin and his staff some props as well. On Thursday, during his appearance on "The Hooligans," Urban was asked about how coaching through a bowl ban might affect his approach this upcoming season. His response was also surprising, given how he felt about Kiffin, back in the day. Here's what Meyer had to say:

"I really don't know. I'm going to actually do some research. There's a program, USC, who has done a good job. They're dealing with a real severe bowl ban, three years. And I thought that staff has done a good job, so at the appropriate time I might reach out there. I don't know that answer, we haven't spent much time on it, at some point I will.

It should be noted that USC actually has a two year bowl ban, not three, but the question still remains... is this real life?! Are Pete Carroll and Jim Harbaugh going fishing together next week? (Though maybe Jim Harbaugh getting along with anybody would be the appropriate baby-step.)

It looks good on him. Will he choose to wear it again, in the fall?

BULL, FOX AND URBAN. Urban made the radio rounds yesterday. In addition to his interview with The Hooligans, he also stopped in to chat with Bull and Fox. They covered a variety of topics, here are some of the highlights.

On what went into his decision to come to Ohio State: "There was no decision. This is my home."

On recruiting, and how difficult it was having 2.5 months: "If you're at a place that you really don't believe in, or if you don't really know the school that you're representing, I imagine it would be difficult... Being at a place like Ohio State, where you can sell, that's easy. The hard part was trying to squeeze a year and a half of relationship into two weeks and three weeks."

On the bowl ban, and how it affected recruiting: "When it hit, yeah that was awful. It was a two to three week... just paranoia, just as hard as we possibly could to have constant communication and tell [the recruits] exactly what that meant."

On Bielema's comments last week: "I was very angry. You know, whenever you use those terms, something like "illegal" which couldn't be farther from the truth, that doesn't happen here. And if it did, we would make a change with whoever did it... To have that make the press, especially when it's not accurate, legally you can't do that."

On if the SEC is that much better than the B1G: “I don’t know, I don’t think it’s that far off. I think that it’s cyclical. They’ll be a time when the Big 10 will go get that crystal ball back. I’m hoping sooner rather than later... You look at the recruiting rankings, not that they mean a lot, but it does, and there’s a lot of SEC teams right now in the top 25 where I think in my opinion the Big Ten has to get up in there. If you want to go have great great teams and win some of these bowl games, you have to go get some of those players.”

On THE GAME and what it means to him: “It's an honor to be a part of it. We don’t use their name. I’m a huge Woody Hayes fan, I’ve studied everything I possibly could about him. I grew up watching him and got to meet him one time. I was here when he passed away and that is the greatest rivalry. We will absolutely ready for it and our kids will have a clear understanding of what that game means. Obviously Coach Tressel did a fantastic job of that as well."

SPARTANS HEAD TO COLUMBUS. Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News wrote about Tom Izzo and the Spartans heading to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. Tom Izzo, who during the preseason said he thought Ohio State was the best team in the conference, gave the Buckeyes props yesterday, saying, "They've got a shooter, a point guard who defends, wing guy who is an offensive rebounder and a hell of a post man. They've got a little bit of everything."

When discussing the Spartans' game plan for the Buckeyes, Izzo said, "We've got to guard Sullinger. But we've got to make him guard us. … We've got to make sure we're getting the ball to the right people."

It's always interesting to see how Ohio-born players, who cross state lines, feel about returning for a big game. Charboneau got into that as well, as Adreian Payne and Travis Trice are from Dayton and Huber Heights, respectively. Apparently, neither of them really cared to go to OSU. Trice elaborated, "I was really never an Ohio State fan for the simple fact that everyone around likes them. I wanted to be different." Well, way to be unique... as apparently no kids in the Midwest grow up wanting to play at Michigan State. I mean, do they even have a basketball program there? Game on.

HAPPY FRIDAY! This might be my favorite healthy tweet of all time... Butch Davis is headed to Tampa... Ummm, ok... A trip down Mad Hatter Lane... Giving all female sports fans a bad name... Another Urban interview, with his daughter.

I've Sold My Soul to the Devil, & I Think I Like It

DJ — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:43:00 +0000

For whatever reason, this picture no longer enrages me.

Last week, because I'm a fan of his work, I read an article by Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples, regarding "Operation: Bratwurst". In it, Staples imagines Urban Meyer as "Urbantor 1000", a robot programmed by an ominipotent Mike "Sliveborg" Slive to send Ohio State into SEC-football-like eupohoria and to further assimilate the country to SEC football culture.

Staples uses comedy to leverage a very truthful point: Ohio State fans have begun to sing a different tune regarding their worldviews of college football in a very short span of time. I certainly am not above it. Hypocrisy is the price of human existence, and in this case, I have chosen to accept it with open arms. A mere five years ago, Urban Meyer dismantled my favorite Ohio State team and reduced me to a drunken husk of humanity.

But best believe I whistled dixie as I walked past the Florida-plated luxury cars, some with "This is Gator Country" license plate protectors, as I walked into the Les Wexner Football Complex at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center last week to cover Meyer's National Signing Day presser. In my darkest dreams, I can still see Tebow blasting into a Scarlet and Grey-clad defensive line like a hot battering ram into butter, but even those thoughts do little to deter the feeling I get when I envision the power spread offense coming to Ohio State.

With Ohio State fans claiming their won the "right way" before mentioning Urban's Florida players' brushes with law enforcement, Ohio State recruited Terrelle Pryor in 2008 to (as Pryor even admitted) finally "get Ohio State over the hump." Fast forward to February 2012: Jim Tressel is employed in Akron and Terrelle Pryor wallows in Oakland, the SEC-bowl monkey only slewn in memory. After the unceremonious departures of two of its programs pillars sent Ohio State tailspinning to their first losing season 1988, Ohio State fans were all too willing to grab the ring-encrusted and SEC-proven lifeline which Fortune had left swinging above their groping hands.

There was an audible sigh from Ohio State fans when Gene Smith announced Ohio State's coaches would "have the resources he needed" to secure the services of the assisstant coaches he desired. We then cheered as our new champion went and taught not only the likes of Bret Bielema, but the understudy of our last champion in Mark Dantonio, the definition of "committed" in 21st century football. A few years ago, Ohio Stately fans largely mocked Southern message board recruitniks as pedophiles, and now we find ourselves googling things like "Jamal Marcus Highlights".

These are all figurative bullets I'll willingly bite. As for the overall transformation of Ohio State fans' opinions, nobody has ever accused large groups of people of behaving rationally.

Where I am forced to take issue with Mr. Staples' work, however, is this notion SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, even through the lense of comedy, is some omnipotent cyborg pulling the strings behind the curtains of college football. As the head of college football's most influential, if not toughest, college football conference, he certainly has his fair share of power; but I don't believe he is the commissioner also moonlighting as college football's shotcaller. (Besides, why would he be interested in increasing the competitive level of a competing conference?) No, I think one would have to turn their eyes to Chicago, Illinois, to find the smartest man in college football.

DELANEY'S EYES HAVE NEVER LEFT THE PRIZE

To take a page out of Urban Meyer's syntax devices, "To say 'I'm excited about Urban Meyer coaching Ohio State' is to understate how excited I am about Urban Meyer coaching Ohio State." The effects it will have on Ohio State football and the conference are obvious. Another reason for excitement is because the hiring will ripple through an athletic conference Jim Delaney has poised to adapt and thrive to whatever changes the 21st century is bringing to college sports.

It's a fine job done despite trends of Americans fleeing his conference's physical footprint. While the SEC, a conference allegedly made up of academic institutions, allows callous uses of loopholes in NCAA recruiting rules to ensure their top football teams stay competitive, they have also anchored their conference to ESPN, (who in turn is bound to the monstrosity known as the "BCS", a corrupted system which just earned its lowest ratings yet).

Jim Delaney has probably been snickering to himself this entire time.

After ESPN tried to lowball the Don DaDa himself in 2009, Delaney took his football home and built his own television network, eliminating an unnecessary middleman, and giving the Big Ten its own platform to broadcast its games. (Including the rights to such money windfalls created by airing said games.)

Years later, it's a move competing conferences are still trying to replicate. Texas for example, who has a football team worth $129 million, got caught with their pants down, and in a rush to catch up, created the "Longhorn Network" with ESPN, which has been a disaster.

Why do you think the Big Ten has been silent while other groups of institutions of higher learning have been torching their previously-touted "tradition" in the name of making sure their "schools" don't get cut out of the money that will be coming to the superconferences left standing? Delaney peeled Nebraska, one of the most tradition-laden and academically respected schools in the Big 12, before the whole money rush began.

While the SEC has chose to gobble up teams like a pill addict let loose in a pillmill (and will likely continue their consumption until they've overdosed or reached 16 teams), Delaney has been careful to "manage the brand". (Though not in the way Penn State executives use the phrase.)

And while the SEC continues to feast on its golden goose of football, Jim Delaney made these moves with other fronts in mind. In 2013-2014, the Big Ten will launch its own hockey conference, which of course, will be broadcast by the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten, one of the most competitive conferences year-in and year-out (or at least that's what people who watch college basketball tell me), will also have more of its games broadcasted on the Big Ten Network as time goes forward.

The only thing Jim Delaney was behind on was the concept of conference championship games, which are an easy financial windfall for a league. He rectified once he swooped Nebraska up, and because Jim Delaney is a Boss Hogg, he then played that championship game on his own network. These are good resources to have in place and in-house as Media continues its rapid proliferation going forward.

THE SOUTH'S STYLE SADLY WILL LIVE ON

Remember how the irrelevancy of newspapers would have been completely unimaginable as little ago as 1995? Well, we're moving into an era where not only are younger people watching less TV but it's becoming easier to broadcast things on television and the internet. "The Pac-12 Network", which debuts this fall, it's subsidized by a $3 billion marriage between the Pac-12, ESPN and Fox. (The members of the Pac 12 shared the wealth, extending their commissioner's contract until 2016.)

Make no mistake, it was a W for the Pac-12 conference. Each member school gets $20 million a year for outsourcing their broadcasting and propaganda rights to the professionals of Fox and ESPN. Even in an era of sports where millions and billions of dollars are usually thrown around with the grace of a toddler rejecting their supper, that's quite the yearly cash infusion to the bottom line. Especially so when one considers the elite schools with the highest operating costs have people like Les Wexner who are willing to cover the incrued overhead to questions like, "How are we going to pay Urban Meyer $24 million dollars, including potential six-figure bonuses?"

However, nobody thought about Fox and ESPN willing to shell out $3 billion over the next 12 years for the rights to broadcast Pac-12 football and basketball games (especially considering most of those games would be kicking off anywhere between 4PM and Midnight EST) beyond "GEE WILLICKERS THAT'S A LOT OF CASH."

People forget, ESPN and Fox have a whole bunch of calculations which back those numbers up. I can't speak from experience, but I assume the rate of return on a $3 billion 12-year investment is very nice for proven business entities like Fox and ESPN.

Yet Jim Delaney leans back in his recliner and relaxes. He leaves the shilling to the money sharks to the likes of the Pac-12 and the Big Sky Conference (who just did a less-monied, similarly structured TV deal with a Fox/DirecTV affiliate even though the conference website looks like this.) The academic traditions of Big Ten schools ensure most of its institutions are financially well-off. So, they'll pass on the petty millions in the present and in turn harvest the billions (plus change) in a little over a decade.

The icing on the cake for Delaney, though, has to be the fact that all of these billions are being committed to a structure which is coming under increasing scrutiny. The TV contract numbers have already ballooned to a point where people are not only beginning to question the BCS, but also the entire structure of elite college athletics. Why not broadcast the games yourself, build up the needed infrastructure needed to do so, and maintain flexibility and lack of future paymasters going into the uncertain seas of future college football?

This is what Delaney did, and now that his Ark is operational, he has begun to intentionally churn the waters of college football. First, he pushed four-year scholarships for Big Ten Athletics, a move adopted by every member of the Big Ten except Indiana, Purdue and Minnesota. (Shame on them, BTW.) It was not only a move which should have been adopted a long time ago, but it was also a thinly veiled move to shed light on the practice of "oversigning", a practice which the SEC has been a beneficiary of in years past. (That's probably why an issue which should be mundane rankled the superior minds which lead Southeastern football programs.)

Then there was Delaney's sudden about face on the issue of a playoff. This coming from a man who voiced his opinion against the same idea in December, as if he woke up one morning and suddenly changed his mind on the issue.

No, this is a calculated move, and again, it makes sense. Why should Delaney, who has always held national clout, push for change until he and his team were in place to capitalize off such change?

The exact changes may still be unclear to him, but Jim Delaney is obviously smart enough to know change is coming to college athletics. He has not only preserved the Big Ten's flexibility but also has also secured a financial future without rushing to hawk the conference to TV giants who have millions tied up archaic institutions like the BCS.

In Urban Meyer and Brady Hoke, I'm sure Delaney is quite confident with the future of his two prize fighters. This will mean only good things for the Big Ten on and off the gridiron. The Big Ten won't even have to institute pro-style cuts to their program either. (I'm not even sure if Urban Meyer's involvement could rationalize that practice in my mind.)

I'm not predicting the end of Southern football, but I certainly don't think the SEC is going to win every national title for eternity. (Especially if they have to start coming north to play in colder climates during playoffs.) Eventually though, whatever superconferences are left standing are going to castrate not only the BCS, but the NCAA as well. Jim Delaney will probably be the commissioner who spearheads it.

And when colleges are squabbling over the money once again at stake, there will be Jim Delaney, smoking a cigar and sitting naked on a stack of his own cash, because his vision earned him that reality.

A Look at 2013: Offense

Alex — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Jalin Marshall is a good start for 2013 to say the least

Now that the Ohio State recruiting class of 2012 is basically signed, sealed, and delivered (sans one Stefon Diggs), it is time to shift focus onto the next crop of stars, the recruiting class of 2013.

Like 2012's bunch, the 2013 group is very talented and Urban Meyer and the staff have wasted no time in going after not only the best players in Ohio, but also the entire nation.

Things will definitely be done a little bit differently under Urban, as at this point the Tressel regime was a bit more conservative in handing out offers, while Meyer has already dished out over 50 offers for a class that will number somewhere between 15-20 players.

Regardless of how they go about it, Ohio State is in line to land a recruiting class that will challenge for the top spot in the nation come next Signing Day. In this first segment of "A Look at 2013", we take a glance at some of the offensive players the Buckeyes are targeting in the early going, how they can fill needs based on the current roster outlook, what the latest buzz is and much more.

Join us after the jump to take a look at some of the recruiting class of 2013's rising stars on Ohio State's big board. We will be back next week with a look at the defensive stars in the class.

QUARTERBACK

Heading into the 2012 season, the Buckeyes appear set at quarterback with Braxton Miller, Kenny Guiton, and Cardale Jones behind center. Miller will be a second year quarterback and likely has two years left after this one, Guiton will be a redshirt junior with a year left, and Cardale Jones will either be a true freshman, but more likely will redshirt, giving him four years of eligibility remaining.

Zaire is first in line to be a Buckeye

Jones is a talented player, but it is unknown if he will be able to take his raw ability displayed at Glenville and then Fork Union Military Academy and translate it to the BCS level. That, coupled with a natural need for depth, leaves Urban Meyer on the prowl for at least one, but more likely two quarterbacks in the class of 2013.

The top target as of today and the most likely to be a Buckeye in my opinion, is Malik Zaire of Kettering Alter. Zaire was offered by the old staff, but is still not completely sure his offer has been confirmed by the new regime despite a lot of contact already. Because Zaire plays in a triple option offense, I think the staff may want to see him throw in person before confirming that offer, but at the end of the day I expect Malik to be a Buckeye and that could happen by the end of this coming summer.

Other players in the mix include two others offered by the old staff and one by the new staff in Ellenwood (GA) Cedar Grove's Jonathan McCrary, Seffner (FL) Armwood's Darryl Richardson, and the recently offered Georgia commit, Brice Ramsey of Kingsland (GA) Camden County. Meyer and Mark Pantoni should be familiar with McCrary and Richardson from their days in Florida, but there has been very little chatter if Ohio State remains in the mix to sign these star signal callers. Ramsey is likely a long shot with his current pledge to Mark Richt, but OSU is just getting into this one and could make it interesting.

Finally, the next group of players are on the radar, but evaluation is still needed and you can expect a lot of buzz about these names over the next few months. Toledo St. John's Brogan Roback and Bolingbrook's (IL) Aaron Bailey are both set to visit Columbus this weekend and we should know more after those trips, while Kent Roosevelt's Tra'Von Chapman, Whitewright's (TX) Tyrone Swoopes, and Virginia Beach (VA) Salem's Bucky Hodges have also garnered Ohio State interest.

If I had to guess at this point, I would say Malik Zaire will be a Buckeye and then either Chapman or one of the national quarterbacks will come to Columbus as well. I think there will be almost double the names on the quarterback list in about a month or so, as Mark Pantoni continues his evaluations and sets Urban and Tom Herman on the trail to find Braxton Miller's successor.

RUNNING BACK

The Buckeyes brought in Bri'onte Dunn and Warren Ball in the 2012 class, but that won't stop them from pursuing another back or two from an extremely talented group in the 2013 class.

Ty Isaac is one of the nation's best backs

Ty Isaac is probably ranked as the highest player on Ohio State's board right now. The Joilet (IL) Catholic Academy star can do it all, including catching passes out of the backfield, something Urban Meyer and Stan Drayton love employing in this offense. Isaac has offers from some of the top programs in the country, including Michigan, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and USC, among others and will definitely be tough to win over. The good thing for OSU is that Isaac is planning what will be his third trip to Columbus in the near future and with Urban Meyer, you always have a shot with a player of his caliber.

The other players with offers that are definitely in the mix are longtime Buckeye fan Derrick Green of Richmond (VA) Hermitage, Howland's DeVeon Smith, McDonough (GA) Eagles Landing's Keyante Green, St. Petersburg (FL) Catholic's Ryan Green, Greensboro (NC) Northern Guilford's TJ Logan, and Delray Beach (FL) American Heritage's Greg Bryant. Two other players visiting this weekend are Kendrick Foster of Peoria (IL) Richwood and Ezekial Elliott of of St. Louis (MO) John Burroughs.

I think the Buckeyes end up with two backs in this class and I think they will come from the group of Isaac, Green, Smith, and Logan. Obviously things can change as it is very early in the process, and as the summer draws near things should begin to get less cloudy on the running back front.

WIDE RECEIVER

The Buckeyes added a good group of players at receiver this past year, but Urban Meyer is always looking for play makers and it looks like in 2013 he will grab a couple of those from the wide receiver position.

There is a good chance Gibson is a Buckeye

Jalin Marshall is already in the bag and will be playing receiver at Ohio State, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for two to three other big time pass catchers in this offense.

The consensus top target on the radar is Monaca (PA) Central Valley's Robert Foster. At 6-2/190, Foster has good size to go along with excellent speed and ability to change direction, making him the shift yet strong play maker this offense has been lacking. Foster is garnering interest from the top programs in the country, but visited Columbus a few weeks back, really enjoying his time and hitting it off with current quarterback Braxton Miller, as well as potential future quarterback, Malik Zaire.

Joining Foster with offers at this time are Cleveland Heights' Shelton Gibson, Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek's Marquez North, Matthews (NC) Butler's Uriah LeMay, Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School's Jordan Cunningham, Tampa (FL) Jesuit's Travis Johnson, Jacksonville (FL) Bishop Kenny's Ahmad Fulwood, Crete (IL) Monee's Laquon Treadwell, Dallas (TX) Jesuit's Jake Oliver, Nokesville (VA) Kettle Run's Michael Parker, and Tampa (FL) Middleton's Richard Benjamin. Other players of interest, but without reported offers include Shaker Heights' De'Niro Laster and South Bend (IN) Clay's Wesley Thomas.

This crop is hard to predict right now, but if I had to call it, I would say Foster and Gibson will be Buckeyes, with maybe one other player joining the class.

TIGHT END

When the 2013 class are freshman, Ohio State will have Jeff Heuerman as a junior, Nick Vannett as a redshirt sophomore, and Blake Thomas as either a sophomore or redshirt freshman. The need for tight end in this class really isn't great, but there will likely be at least one brought in, if not two.

Mike Heuerman is hoping for an Ohio State offer

Most recruitniks are aware of Camp Hill (PA) Cedar Cliff's Adam Breneman, regarded as the nation's top tight end in the class. Breneman has offers from Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Florida State, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, Stanford, Tennessee, and many others in addition to the Buckeyes, so winning over his services will not be easy. While he grew up a Penn State fan, he has said that will not play a huge factor in his decision, and the good news for Ohio State is that he will visit some time in the near future.

The other player at tight end that OSU has offered is Wyatt Shallman of Detroit Catholic High School in Novi, Michigan. Shallman is being looked at by many schools as a defensive lineman, but Urban Meyer has told Shallman he wants him at the "H-back" position and will utilize his athleticism on the offensive side of the ball. Many think Shallman will end up at Michigan, but a visit to Columbus on January 29 turned his head and he will definitely keep the Buckeyes close to mind while he deliberates his decision.

After Breneman and Shallman, no other tight ends have been offered, but the list of potential targets include Naples (FL) Barron Collier's Mike Heuerman (brother of Jeff), Bishop Hartley's Jacob Matuska, Riverside (CA) John W. North's Marcus Baugh, and Millersburg West Holmes's Brock MacCaulay.

It is too early to tell how things will play out here, but I think OSU has a very good chance to land Breneman, a solid chance with Shallman, and a very good chance with Heuerman if he ends up receiving an offer.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Last, but certainly not least is the offensive line. The Buckeyes reloaded a bit in 2012 with Taylor Decker, Kyle Dodson, Pat Elflein, Jacoby Boren, and Joey O'Connor, but the need for more linemen is still great in 2013, especially at the tackle position.

An offer to Lisle may be coming at any moment

Ohio State has offered six tackles already and they are some of the nation's best. The lucky bunch includes Peoria (IL) Manual's Logan Tuley-Tillman, Parker (CO) Ponderosa's Chris Fox, Lemont's (IL) Ethan Pocic, Washington DC Dunbar's Derwin Gray, Owensboro's (KY) Hunter Bivin, and Lake City (FL) Columbia's Laremy Tunsil. Landing any of these players would be an absolute home run for Ohio State, but until things develop further I wouldn't hold your breath on any of them committing anytime soon.

The next group of players who could be in line for an offer include Centerville's Evan Lisle, Huber Heights Wayne's Lovell Peterson, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller's Alex Gall, Springboro's Sean Welsh, Canton GlenOak's Steve Mathie, Lakota West's Kyle Meadows, Hamilton's Ben Flick, Thornville Sheridan's Tate Leavitt, Cincinnati Walnut Hills' Isaiah Johnson, Wexford (PA) North Allegheny's Patrick Kugler, Wheaton (IL) St. Francis's Kyle Bosch, and South Bend (IN) Clay's Shakir Carr.

Once again, it is too early to tell how things will play out here, but if I was a betting man, I would put good money down on Lisle and Peterson to be Buckeyes if offered, which I think will eventually happen down the road. There is a good chance the Buckeyes will land a couple of other names from this list, or some new names that may emerge, but right now there is no real clarity in the offensive line situation and probably won't be until after summer camps.

Eleven Dubcast: 138th Episode Spectacular

Johnny — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I also write for "Damnation!" and "Johnny Reb"

Sometime in December of 2010, Luke and I decided that maybe we should try and get a podcast started for Eleven Warriors. I mean, hey, all the cool kids were doing it, and it seemed to be a logical step for a website that was starting to really take off. Luke has and had way more experience and knowledge of podcasts than I did and do, so his overall goals were something along the lines of a combination of Edward R. Murrow and Jordan, Jesse, Go! whereas my personal goal was just to make fart jokes and trick people into listening to them.

In any case, a Dubcast was born, and from the outset it was a pretty big learning process. Interviewing people over the phone or through Skype about college sports is a weird (and fun) experience, but I'd like to think that over time we've gotten better and have been able to earn the listeners that we have today.

Unfortunately this week Luke had a scheduling conflict and I'm still fighting off whatever kind of disease turns your snot some combination of brown and yellow, so instead of your regularly scheduled Dubcast we bring to you a blast from the past as I subjected myself to "The Detail," our second episode ever which we broadcast to the internet on December 23rd, 2010. I jotted down some Exclusive Commentary Notes. Follow along and enjoy!

0:33 Horrible radio voice me attempts to sound suave in a misguided stab at appealing to da ladies but instead I end up actually sounding like Brady Hoke whispering sweet nothings into an Arby's drive through speaker because I'm using my 250 dollar laptop's embedded mic.

1:24 Our first guest, 11W's own Alex Gleitman, is apparently doing great. Luke jokes about the apparent awfulness of Kent State academics in the process of asking a Darrell Hazell question. I cackle like an idiot in the background.

3:25 I comment about Hazell being hard to replace, because, you know, it's difficult to replace assistant coaches sometimes. Thank God Ohio State never went through anything like that ever again.

5:04 Luke makes a backhanded slam on Nick Siciliano, which I will get and laugh about about 4 hours after we stop recording.

6:45 Alex gushes about incoming freshman Ryan Shazier, and pretty much goes completely Nostradamus about him, predicting correctly that he'd be able to see the field immediately and help the team in 3rd down situations.

8:17 Me: “It's interesting that we picked him up as a decommit from Florida, rather than someone we kinda pursued from the very beginning. OR DID WE, I dunno, heh, I didn't really follow our pursuit of him” Luke: this face.

11:40 After this episode Jason sent me a nice snowball mic and I think it's because throughout the entire podcast my questioning interruptions of guests makes the whole thing sound like a conversation between two sane people and one drunken psychopath cheering them on from a block away.

18:40 Chris Driver joins us on the phone to talk Razorback football in preparation for the OSU/Arkansas bowl game. Luke makes a joke about Driver being a serial killer, which I follow up by blurting out “there's a lunar eclipse tonight” which itself is followed by a long, awkward pause while Chris and Luke search for meaning in my complete non-sequitur. In my defense, Chris Driver is not a serial killer but there WAS a lunar eclipse that night. Johnny-1 Luke-0

No, Luke does not wear pants. Ever.

27:15 Driver briefly impresses by calling for a margin of victory of around four points, which he then follows up by saying he expects Arkansas to win. This is of course a terrible prediction overall, because the 2011 Sugar Bowl in fact never took place.

31:40 It's interesting to see how Luke and I handle our first “pro” guest, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's sports editor Matt Jones. Matt is humble and self-effacing; Luke responds by asking smart and insightful questions. I respond by rambling for 30 seconds about the 4-2-5 before finally asking a question about kickoffs.

37:45 “Joe Adams is a guy who has been very electric...” Sure, whatever Matt.

39:09 I want to take time out here to point out that Luke had been down on OSU's secondary since about October of the 2010 season. He'd never been particularly impressed by Travis Howard or the safeties, and pretty much called his shot when he said they'd be an area of concern in 2011. Naturally, I assumed he was full of shit.

41:20 This is the first mention of Ryan Mallett, which is significant only because when he was a high school senior, I was working in an auto parts store in Springboro with an insane Michigan fan. We inevitably argued about football, and his ace in the hole was Mallett's high school stats, which to him were irrefutable proof of how screwed OSU was going to be for the next four years.

47:19 Kind of amazing how dismissive OSU fans in general were of Knile Davis prior to the game. Here's Matt Jones, laying down some really devastating stats about how effective Davis had been in the previous six games, and here's Luke and I giving a collective “Eh!” and shoulder shrug to it.

53:10 I really hope Luke was able to fulfill his dream of rocking out to Darius Rucker at the Sugar Bowl fanfest.

In all seriousness, both Luke and I really appreciate everyone who follows the Dubcast and tunes in every week. I honestly was shocked that we were even getting a couple of hundred listeners in the beginning, and that something like 1500+ people are now listening on a regular basis is both mind-blowing and humbling. Thanks so much for all of your support, and if anyone has any ideas, comments, questions for our ask us anything segment, send them on over to elevendubcast@gmail.com. We love listener input and would like to hear from you, especially those fans with private jets and a bevy of bikini supermodels at their beck and call. See you all next week.

Not All Spreads are Alike

Ross — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I will take a side of 'power' with my spread...

Taking a step from the theoretical to the practical, I wanted to look at why Urban Meyer's offense is different from other spread offenses.

As I alluded to last week, not all spread offenses are created alike. The differences arise from the most basic question -- what is your offensive goal and what are your base plays to accomplish that goal?

I will put aside spread passing offenses to focus upon spread to run teams. The most obvious foil to Meyer's Florida teams is the Oregon offense.

Chip Kelly predicates his attack upon the QB read, namely in conjunction with the outside zone. The Oregon offense is therefore a descendant of Rich Rodriguez and the original zone read offenses. The zone read is Oregon's bread and butter and will be run a majority of plays.

The other plays run by Oregon are implemented with the idea of countering a defense's steps to stop the zone read, such as reading the defensive tackle rather than the end with a midline read (see also here).

Meyer's base offense, by contrast, is largely inspired by the original, one-back pro-style offenses that currently flourish in the NFL. Meyer's run game reflects this.

Of course, the read and QB run threat is everpresent and crucial to the offense's success. But unlike Oregon, the offense is not completely centered around the read.

Instead, the offense puts more emphasis on the inside run game, including the use of angle and power blocking. Hence, you will see an emphasis on plays like counter-trey and inverted veer, which uses the same power blocking but adds a frontside option.

As Meyer himself stated, then, they may run the plays from different formations, but the base run plays are the same as a pro-style run team, with the added dimension of the QB as run threat that the defense must account for.

These distinctions have corresponding results. For example, Meyer will feature more H-backs and tight ends, becasue it permits the type of angle blocking necessary to run the above-plays. Meyer also employs heavy amounts of motion, moving tight ends and backs to and from the slot.

Meyer can also run power plays by using the halfback as lead blocker and quarterback as the ball carrier. This allows Meyer to run one-back power concepts from the spread.

The differences between an Oregon and Urban Meyer are not vast, but rather shades of gray. Nonetheless, these distinctions are crucial, for everything else these offenses do are built off the base scheme.

Thursday Skull Session

Jeremy — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Morning boys and girls and welcome once again to your Thursday morning Skull Session with me, your humble host, Jeremy Birmingham. If I can be honest with ya, I've missed you. And You. I hope you've been thinking about me as much as I've been thinking about you.

We have had our close shave of the week, our "Oh my gosh I can't wait until September" moment of the week, and our "if I paid more attention to girl's hoops that would be awesome" moment of the week.

Oh yeah, we also had our "nana-nana-boo-boo, stick your head in doo-doo" moment of the week, and as usual, that moment refers to Bret Bielema. Overall, it's been a good week in a time when most of us are, admittedly, mourning the removal of football from our day-to-day thought process.

Today is February the 9th, and we have 205 days until Ohio State begins its 2012 football season, but who's counting? (570 days until kick-off on a season that counts for something, thanks NCAA)

BALLARD GOES HARD. I know that Sarah touched a bit yesterday on Jake Ballard and Jim Cordle's involvement in the NY Giants Super Bowl win, but I felt compelled to touch a bit more on Ballard's role for the Giants this year, and his lack of usage in his time at Ohio State.

Hypothetically speaking, if you had a torn PCL in your right knee, it should be easy to get yourself motivated to play in the Super Bowl, and of course Ballard was able to do that. The former OSU TE, who was criminally underutilized in Jim Bollman's hyper-complicated offense, tore the PCL in his right knee in week 15 of the regular season against the Washington Redskins. He fought off the injury and got back on the field for the NFC title game in San Francisco.

In that title game, Jake contributed minimally, hauling in two catches for 10 yards on three targets. His longest reception was nine yards, but his effort and willingness to be there for his team despite his injury is worth noting. He was hell-bent on being ready and productive come Super Bowl Sunday, and 5 weeks after his injury in week 15, he and Jim Cordle lined up as ex-Buckeyes playing in the 46th edition of the Super Bowl.

In Indianapolis, in the Super Bowl, Jake Ballard had two catches, for ten yards, on three targets; with a long reception of nine yards. It was exactly what he contributed two weeks before on the left coast, when he was nursing his torn PCL. In the Super Bowl, in a gut-wrenching sequence captured on replay screens in a bajillion homes throughout the world, this former Buckeye was seen running as hard as he could on the sidelines of Lucas Oil Stadium, mere minutes after tearing the ACL in his LEFT knee. That sprint ended in Jake collapsing in a heap into the arms of a trainer on the Giants' sideline and it was obvious that Ballard was not going to be available to his team for their crucial fourth-quarter comeback.

We all know the G-Men came back and defeated the hated New England Patriots, but as Buckeyes, it's important to note the contribution of Ballard to what the Giants were able to do this season. In his four years at Ohio State, Ballard was on the receiving end of 34 receptions, for a total of 377 yards and three touchdowns, without a TD in his junior or senior seasons. Yes, we remember him for his (perhaps) game-saving catch against Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl, but his offensive abilities were ignored wholesale by the Walrus, and by proxy, the Senator.

In his first full NFL season, the 6'6", 280 pound "block first" tight end with the 5.1 forty went out and became a vital part of the offense for the eventual Super Bowl champion, recording 38 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns as Eli Manning's primary target in the clutch. Twenty four of Ballard's catches and all four of his scores happened when the Giants trailed, along with 421 of his yards.

"Do you have a point, Jeremy???"

The point is that Ballard's a tough SOB and great ex-Buckeye, but even more so, it's this: Jake Stoneburner is going to benefit more than any single Buckeye from the change to Urban's offense, one that actually recognizes the value of having a weapon at TE. In Urban's time at Florida, his most valuable and dangerous TE weapon (Aaron Hernandez) caught 111 passes for 1382 and 12 scores in three seasons. In Hernandez's junior and final year in Gainesville, he had 68 catches for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Compare that to Ohio State's offense in which, during the same three-year span (2007-2009), saw 66 total receptions from the TE position for a combined 618 yards and four trips to the endzone, all from three different players.

It's not hard to understand why Stoneburner came back for his senior year, and why he's excited to play for Meyer and the offense we could potentially see this upcoming fall.

WILLIE, OR WON'T HE? In Tuesday night's showdown with the Boilermakers, senior William Buford passed another Toledoan, Jim Jackson, on Ohio State's all-time scoring list, slipping past JJ into 6th place. Buford scored a career-high 29 points, including a vital stretch in the second half of the second-half that included him scoring seven straight points to push the Bucks ahead of Purdue for the duration.

That stretch was notable not only because it could potentially buoy Buford's waning confidence, but also because it happened with Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft both on the bench with four fouls. Buford and Deshaun Thomas were sharing the court with three guys who absolutely were not going to shoot, meaning the Purdue defense was honed in on the only two potential scorers on the floor. It was "Big Time Buford", when the Buckeyes needed some senior leadership the most, and Buford came up huge.

The frustration for Buckeye fans is knowing that Buford has those sort of moments in him, but that he is so regularly plagued with wild inconsistency that there are many times when he's the last guy Joe Schmoe at home wants with the ball in a clutch situation.

It will be very curious to see which Buford comes out Saturday night against Sparty, in a game that will mean as much as any game this season for the Buckeyes and for MSU.

Big Buford

ELI, OR HE TELLING THE TRUTH? Alex told you last weekend that the Buckeyes would be hosting four-star CB Eli Woodward from Voorhees, New Jersey this weekend in what could be the last visit that he takes before making his college choice known.

It's widely assumed that Woodard will choose the Buckeyes as his eventual landing spot, due in large part to admitting that Ohio State is, and has been, his favorite. While he has gone on the record to deny that he will be committing to Ohio State this weekend, don't be surprised if his tune changes by the time he's back in the armpit of America.

If Woodard were to pull the trigger for Ohio State, he would be the third commitment in what's already becoming a very good 2013 recruiting class for the Buckeyes. He would be the second of what's likely to be a three-man haul at cornerback, joining Trotwood-Madison's Cameron Burrows (already committed) and Hilliard's Caleb Day (who we assume will end up as a Buckeye barring something significant changing). Of course, the 2013 class is headlined by Jalin Marshall, of Middletown, Ohio.

DIGG-ING A CHANGE OF SCENERY? Tomorrow night at 10pm, Olney, Maryland WR/ATH Stefon Diggs will be announcing (finally) his college choice between an assumed final four schools of Auburn, Florida, Ohio State and Maryland. I say "assumed" final four because Diggs has played his recruitment so close to the vest that it appears everyone who is anyone in the recruiting world is simply guessing what the electrifying star is thinking.

Is that because Diggs is so unsure of his choice, or because Diggs is really enjoying the "game" of recruiting and the attention that it's brought him?

According to Scout.com's Kristen Kenney, who is a field reporter for the network, it's likely because of the latter.

I will not go into full detail of her comments, but suffice it to say, she believes that Stefon is a tremendously talented athlete, yet one that suffers from a bit of the ol' immaturity bug and she thinks that he would thrive in an environment where he is surrounded by other great players as well as a strong personality-havin' leader to help him grow up.

From that perspective, it would appear that Ohio State could be the perfect place for Stefon. The Buckeyes offer top-notch talent, world-class facilities and one of the strongest personalities in the coaching profession to serve as a "molder" of Diggs as a person. It's also "close" to home in Maryland, which matters to his mother.

Of course, if he's immature and needs to grow up, doesn't that mean he's more likely to make a choice for all the wrong reasons?

QUICK SLANTS. Crazy ending to the Duke-UNC game last night... This is how you'd respond if you were the 3rd pick in the 1987 NBA draft... Oh the sadness of not being able to discern parody... That ankle must have been hurting real bad.... TV's signature dance steps.... Raise your hands if this has happened to you... Jeremy Lin, defying stereotypes.

Kids Say The Darndest Things

DJ — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:14:00 +0000

Duron Carter wouldn't have considered this Twitpic-worthy.

If there's one thing I'm truly thankful in my life, it's that Twitter didn't exist when I was a teenager. Not to carbon date myself or anything, but back in my day, you had to take to a "blog" to voice the ludicrously crude and asinine opinions which typically befall a teenager. That was quite the task compared to what it takes for today's teen to instantly publish their opinions to the world.

I can only imagine what linguistic monstrosities my stream-of-conscious would have construed on Twitter back when I was still learning very basic things about the way the world works. I probably would have a black bag over my head for 23 hours a day in Guantanamo Bay right now.

That isn't to say I've figured the world out now, I haven't, but I think most people would concede they're more knowledgeable about the world's workings presently than they were as a teenager. Granted, I don't know half as much now as I thought I did when I was a teenager, but I feel this change is inevitable. Some people call call this process "maturity", others call it "personal growth" and others yet might call it "an inevitable process due to time."

That's why, when confronted with cases like the extraordinary adventures and musings of Will Hill, I take a time to not only laugh, but to also reflect on some of the things I've learned about life since I was in Will Hill's shoes. Not that I was ever really in Will Hill's shoes (my version of the picture to the right would probably have included two pock-marked hookers) but I wouldn't presently put my name on a lot of actions, let alone opinions, that made up my teenage years.

The trouble for today's youth, is the fact we now live in an era where your stream-of-conscious opinions can be instantly shared with the world via Twitter, a potential problem compounded by the proliferation of smartphones. Given that teenagers have been saying dumb things for centuries, I feel it shouldn't surprise anybody when the obtuse and unrefined thinking processes of today's youth comes in the form of an 140-character tweet. It was inevitable, after all.

So naturally, as somebody who wishes Michigan spends an eternity with players like Jordan Kovacs, I chuckled to myself as I saw news of Brady Hoke crumpling up his scholarship offer to four-star cornerback Yuri Wright over the content of some of his tweets. Hoke's train-of-thought was as obvious. He chose to an arbitrary (but convenient) opportunity to grand-stand on the issues of "No man being above the ideas of Michigan" and "character above talent" as if he were simultaneously applying Yuri Wright's standards to every recruit or player under his command. (It's the classic pop psychology bullshit I've come to love about the man already.)

Granted, he's got the whole "Michigan Unicorn-Man" myth to perpetuate, but he probably wouldn't have a very good team if he applied Yuri Wright's requirements to every incoming recruit. (Neither would any other coach for that matter, and they all know it, which is why I suspect so many of them handpick the players which interact with the media.)

Yet, some folks continue to be fascinated by the simplest concepts. Kids say the darndest things. I thought this was a universal truth since God ordained a TV show hosted by Bill Cosby under the same name. Well, thanks to some people apparently willing to troll through thousands of Tweets by teenagers, an impressive feet of mental fortitude/masochism in its own right, ChatSports.com has used the tweets of incoming Michigan recruits to "expose" the already obvious hypocrisy. And guess what? Yuri Wright wasn't the only highly-touted prospect talking crudely or borderline-offensively on the internet.

Oh, and Michigan is just the first stop in a 7-stop tour "exposing" the likes of Notre Dame, LSU, Oregon, Ohio State, and Alabama. (I bet the writer of the article blindfolded himself before throwing darts at a map of the continental United States to choose his targets.)

I was laughing until I realize they were actually serious about this.

In all honesty, I'd first like to stand up and applaud "ChatSports.com." They definitely won this round. Their article appeared multiple times in my timeline today, they got me to click their link and they got me to link to their article. That was probably the entire game-plan for whoever is behind ChatSports.com. (And really, that's all it about for most sites these days.) If they came at this in a comedic way, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Instead, it's adults (physically, if nothing else) stalking 18 year-olds on the internet and then hanging them with their own words on a forum where the kids usually don't have a chance to defend themselves or offer explanation, context or apology.

I guess this is what happens when Charles Robinson gets away with using the cooked books of a convicted felon to get a bunch of kids in trouble, and people consider it "investigative journalism." The ground-breaking results of Robinson's Herculean efforts? Financially insecure kids will take money and gifts from rich people who are offering it to them for free. With ChatSports.com, the resulting thesis of their labors seems to be, "highly touted teenage recruits speak crudely, especially when provoked, and they may also think too highly of themselves."

I'm not sure why they had to stalk high school kids on the internet to learn this piece of information. You shouldn't need to drag teenagers through the mud (while making money off doing so) to know Brady Hoke was being hypocritical in his dealings with Yuri Wright. Really, this is the perfect anecdote to go after the hypocrisy the NCAA and its "student-athlete" fabrication are built on, but I guess articles like that don't garner as many clicks as cynical uses of a young black man making an off-color joke about society's views on his dating of a white woman since the Martin Luther King Jr. Days. (Never mind that the crux of the joke was true, I guess.)

ChatSports.com reacts to their findings.

For example, and I know this will shock a lot of readers, but teenagers are fond of use of the word "fag." I know this, because once upon a time, I used to also fancy the word "fag." Not because I inherently hated homosexuals, but because it was simply a word which was used when I grew up. It's a word which was so ingrained in my vocabulary, it still slips today from my tongue in moments of frustration, even though I know it's wrong. I'm not proud of it because it was as wrong then as it is now, but I had yet to learn the ramifications of using the word.

That's why somebody like Ondre Pipkins using the word "fag" isn't inherently offensive to me. To breach that line, Ondre Pipkins would at least need to be using the slur while advocating violence against homosexuals. To me, it's more tragic that a five-star athlete got this far in life without an adult who actually cared about him corralling the behavior or teaching him about the eyes in the forest which are always watching.

But hey, why teach lessons to our nation's youth when you can "expose" them? That way, the lesson learned is "don't say vapid shit on the internet" rather than "why you shouldn't use the word 'fag' as a slur." Why fix the hole in the drywall when you can just hang a picture over it?

That's why I laughed at Brady Hoke's grandstanding with Yuri Wright. It was never about Yuri Wright actually saying those things, because if they were, then Brady Hoke would be losing a lot of stars from his recruiting class. He was never prepared to do that, which is why he made the statement without going through other recruits' social media lives (or having done so before he recruited them.) Instead, Brady Hoke used the media-generated opportunity to posture with Michigan Morality.

But to take the ruminations of an 18 year-old, especially from a venue like Twitter, to garner page views and notoriety for your own personal gain while pasing it off an an "exposé" is as callous as it is pathetic; and if somebody is willing to be the parasites feeding off the sewage by-product created by the monetized college recruiting and talent development process in elite college athletics, then they're the ones who have to figure out how to sleep at night.

On March 6th, ChatSports is set to "expose" Ohio State. I have a hankering it will feature tweets about women, sex with women, mind-altering substances, probably the use of the word "fag" and a modern interpretation on a word used to slur black people. They will be, all hype and Buckeye leafs stripped from them, teenagers piping off dumb things on the internet. In other words, it will be just another day on the internet. I don't think it's something to sound the Beacon of Morality over. Besides, aren't there bigger moral scoundrels to chase and to shame?

It's darkly humorous to observe how much delight some internet typers take in "exposing" and throwing stones at 18-year old kids over things which have been going on since the beginning of recorded human history. I'm not going to throw any stones because, if nothing else, I understand some of the trappings of youth. Hopefully when these kids mature, and most of them certainly will, they will have not only learned it's wrong to degrade women or use the word "fag" on Twitter because anonymous people might shame you on the internet, but also because they truly came to understand some of the wrongs they were willingly perpetuating.

By that time, maybe society will also get lucky, and some of the actual adults involved will grow up with them.