Pfef's Sports Blog

Moving Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 19:52:00 +0000

Shaq and Kobe, A-Rod and Jeter, Pfef and Sheehan?

Due to the fact that I lost the motivation to run my own blog, but also due to the fact that I love Ohio State football, I have joined Sean Sheehan at Around The Oval. Hopefully this merger of two prospective Buckeye blogging superpowers will lead to the formation of a blog that no man has witnessed before. One that will soon rule the blogosphere, and eventually, the world.

Okay, maybe I shouldn't be tooting my own horn so much, but at ATO, I can promise that my posting will be in a much more consistent manner than it has been in the past months. Consider it the "personal trainer" belief. No one likes to excercise on their own, but when there is a partner or "coach" alongside, the work becomes easier and much more routine.

This site was a blast, but it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

Gone for a bit

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 11:35:00 +0000

I'm leaving today for Indiana University Bloomington to attend the High School Journalism Institute. I'm unsure as to how much internet access I can get there, and even if I can get some, I doubt I will have enough time to post. Hopefully when I come back, I'll be able to use some of the journalistic skills I gain there to help improve my blog.

Hope to post again later in the week.

HBO creating an Ohio State vs Michigan Documentary

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:34:00 +0000

I got an interesting e-mail forward from the world's coolest older sister this morning and thought it was definitely newsworthy.

Apparently, HBO is planning to release a documentary on the Ohio State-Michigan Rivalry. The expected release date is Tuesday, November 13th, the Tuesday before the game itself.

The following is the e-mail received:

For Immediate Release HBO SPORTS BEGINS PRODUCTION ON ITS FIRST-EVER COLLEGE FOOTBALL DOCUMENTARY, EXAMINING THE RIVALRY BETWEEN OHIO STATE AND MICHIGAN, DEBUTING NOV. 13 NEW YORK, July 10, 2007 - HBO Sports has begun production on a documentary chronicling the rivalry of Ohio State and the University of Michigan, one of the most glorious rivalries in college football history, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. Steeped in a rich tradition dating back to their inaugural meeting in 1897, this rivalry extends beyond the pursuit of a Big Ten Title, on both sides engendering team pride and spirit rarely equaled elsewhere. Presented four days before the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines at Ann Arbor this fall, the documentary debuts TUESDAY, NOV. 13 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. Each year, the football programs at Ohio State and Michigan gear up with a common goal: to beat their archrival on the third weekend in November, no matter the rankings, no matter the score. Widely considered college football's biggest rivalry, these two Big Ten powerhouses frequently dominate the standings, and routinely attract game-day crowds exceeding 100,000. On Nov. 18, 2006, more than 105,000 fans watched No. 1 Ohio State defeat No. 2 Michigan by a score of 42-39, with an additional 21.8 million tuning in on TV. "This film will split the viewers right down the middle," said Greenburg. "The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is considered one of the most compelling in college football history, consuming not only the Midwest, but the nation. Spanning more than a century, with names like Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes, Archie Griffin and Desmond Howard, the characters and storylines of this yearly showdown are memorable. So there is no better place for HBO Sports to delve into the college football realm than with these two extraordinary programs." Separated by only 200 miles, Ohio State University and the University of Michigan began their football rivalry in 1897. U of M won that first game 34-0 and dominated the series until 1919, when the Buckeyes turned the tables, winning 13-3. Since then, the two teams have remained fairly evenly matched, with Michigan leading the series 57-40-6. Historically, the match-up has often determined who will win the Big Ten title, a prime bowl spot, and even the Heisman Trophy. Exploring the exuberant personalities of coaches like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, who sat with HBO for his last long-form interview before his death last year, the documentary traces the importance of the game for each university, as well as the larger sports' world. A high-profile list of interviewees will weigh in on the intense rivalry. Unlike many other sports rivalries, the Ohio State-Michigan face-off has not only endured, but is growing. The Wall Street Journal notes, "The game continues to carry the most genuine mark of a great rivalry: The feud between the two schools injects itself into everything from business and politics to an annual blood drive where volunteers from the two campuses vie to see which side can siphon the most plasma." Executive producers of the documentary are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein; produced by George Roy.

Robo's Crew: The 2007 Buckeye Wide Receivers

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 16:26:00 +0000

The three quarterbacks may have to replace Troy Smith, and the defense may need to shoulder the load all season long. In saying that, however, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, and the rest of the wide receivers will be the most pivotal players in determining the amount of success (or lack thereof) that the Ohio State football team will have next season. Two of the best Wide Receivers in school history in Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez have since decided to test their respective games against the world's best in the NFL, and waiting in the wings they have left a number of players that have been playing in the shadows of these two Buckeye giants.

Projected Starting Split End
Brian Robiskie
Junior 6'3"
195 lbs

In the early part of the 2006 season, then Senior Roy Hall had to miss the first two games of the season due to an injury, and as a result, a relatively unknown, inexperienced sophomore by the name of Brian Robiskie was given the starting role. After tallying six catches for 60 yards as the fourth (sometimes fifth) offensive choice for Troy Smith, Robiskie never looked back from that starters role. He went on to have a very solid season, catching 29 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns that, more often than not, came in clutch situations that gave Ohio State the victory. Remember, it was Robiskie -- and not Ginn or Gonzo -- that caught the game winning touchdown pass against Michigan, and it too was Robiskie who was on the receiving end of two of Troy Smith's most magnificent passes all season long: the 38-turned-53 yard bomb against Penn State in which Smith had to reverse field (At that point in the game, Ohio State was only winning by four in the fourth quarter), as well as the less celebrated yet almost equally impressive touchdown he threw against Iowa in which he had little to no space to fit the ball in, yet somehow managed to squeeze the ball to Robiskie anyways. Time and again, Robo showed an innate tendency to be at the right place at the right time. Of course, the one major criticism regarding Robiskie's game is that he was the beneficiary of playing on the same offense as Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, meaning that he often did not have to match up against the opponent's best defensive back on every down like he will have to this year. For one play against Michigan, however, Robiskie managed to ease the souls of all the nervous fans when he essentially made a fool out of Leon Hall (you know, the same Leon Hall that was drafted #18 and the second corner back taken in the draft). You may remember the play as the one where Smith rolled out, Robiskie cut his route back towards Smith (leaving Hall out of position), and then after catching the ball, seemingly without any effort evading the tackle of Hall, managing to take the ball another 15-20 yards upfield (If you can't remember the play...it begins at about the 1:00 mark of this video, but I recommend you watch the whole thing just for old time's sake). Of course, that's only one play, and still leaves a lot of questions regarding his durability as a consistent #1 receiver, but I'm confident that he'll come through this season.

Projected Starting Flanker
Ray Small
Sophomore
6'0" 175 lbs

Ray Small entered last season as a true freshman filled with promise. Everyone had him tagged as the "Next Teddy Ginn" from the day he committed due to his similar size, speed, agility, and overall ability. However, Small didn't have the same type of impact freshman season that Ginn had, mainly due to the fact that he was stuck behind Ginn in the depth chart. He played well early in the season in mop-up time, catching 3 passes for 41 yards against Cincinnati and 1 pass for 11 yards and his only touchdown of the season against Bowling Green. However, once the games began to mean more, Small's playing time diminished, and he only caught one more pass the rest of the season, and it was perhaps his most (in)famous moment of the season. The catch made highlight reels and even made it on SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, but it wasn't for anything that Small would like to remember. The pass went for a loss of three yards, and after he got hit, it looked like he may have been seriously injured, because he didn't move at all. It turned out to be a light concussion and he was fully recovered in no time. This year, however, has much more of a positive outlook to it. Apparently, Small has made huge strides as a receiver this offseason, and is ready for prime time. Aside from being a starting wide receiver, he's also the #1 candidate to be the team's featured kick returner going into the season, and believe it or not, he has the athleticism to make people forget (at least briefly) about Ginn's contributions as a return man.

Projected Starting Slot Receiver
Brian Hartline
Redshirt Sophomore
6'3" 180 lbs

Hartline doing the little things

Hartline is the kind of player that is just filled with good Karma. He's always flying around the field at full speed, giving his full effort whether it be in practice or a game, and he's a constant contributor where ever he is. Case in point: Hartline may be best known as a receiver, but he was awarded the Special Teams player of the week three times (Iowa, Michigan State, and Indiana) for his efforts on kickoff and punt coverage. And let's face it: If he can get Jim Tressel to give him that award three times in one season, the guy is going to get his due. Well, it looks like all of Hartline's commitment and hard work is about to pay off, because he is a likely starter at receiver this season. With his height and athleticism, Hartline should have an easier time replacing Gonzalez in the slot -- the spot where Gonzalez coined the term "mismatch" -- than most would expect. If there is one thing hurting him, it is that he is a tad lanky for his height, which could lead to durability issues, especially when he has to make catches in the middle of the field.

Other Receivers to keep an eye on

Albert Dukes and Devon Lyons
Both Juniors
Dukes and Lyons both entered Ohio State as highly regarded players, but have struggled with depth chart woes and injuries, respectively. However, both players really emerged in the Spring Game, especially Lyons, who seemed to have great chemistry with backup quarterback Robbie Schoenhoft. In the Spring Game, Lyons led all Buckeye receivers with 72 yards on three catches, and Dukes also had three catches for 20 yards.

The Replacements

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:39:00 +0000

College Football News recently published their annual Ohio State season preview yesterday. It's a great, in-depth read, and it does a great job of not only covering the players and stories that we know about, but some of the under the radar guys as well. It's a good thing that CFN can do that, because after having eight men selected in the NFL draft, and seven other starters try and make it as undrafted free agents, there are a lot of holes to fill in that depth chart.

So who will be the new guys stepping it up?

Quarterback
Last year's starter: Troy Smith
Likely replacements: Todd Boeckman, Robbie Schoenhoft, and Antonio Henton

Running Back
Last year's starter: Antonio Pittman, Stan White Jr. (Fullback)
Likely Replacement: Chris Wells, Dionte Johnson (Fullback)

Wide Receiver
Last year's: Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Roy Hall
This year's: Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, Ray Small

Tight End
No key losses

Offensive Line
Losses: TJ Downing, Doug Datish
Gains: Any of Jim Cordle, Ben Person, Connor Smith, Jon Skinner, and Kyle Mitchum

Defensive Ends
Sayonara: Jay Richardson
Hola: Lawrence Wilson, Robert Rose

Defensive Tackles
Aloha: Quinn Pitcock, Doug Patterson, Joel Penton
Aloha: Todd Denlinger, Doug Worthington, Alex Barrow (Barrow could also see time at defensive end)

Outside Linebackers
Good Riddance: John Kerr
Good luck: Ross Homan, Curtis Terry, Larry Grant

Inside Linebackers
No Key losses

Cornerbacks
Hug Goodbye: Antonio Smith
Shaking Hands: Donald Washington, Andre Amos

Safeties
Hasta La Vista: Brandon Mitchell
Welcome Aboard: Nick Patterson, Anderson Russell (Russell started at the beginning of last season, but blew out his ACL and is attempting a comeback)

Clearly, with just about every position having some form of restocking going on in the offseason, the outcome of the regular season and beyond heavily depends on the development of these replacements. Some of these positions (Quarterbacks, Receivers, Defensive Tackles) have such big shoes to fill that it is unfair to ask these players to perform at the same level as their predecessors. However, just like some shoes are too big to fill, some old shoes will be replaced by a pair of flashy new Air Jordans and will be forgotten in a matter of weeks, these "new shoes," of course, are the guys that have been waiting in the wings for quite some time to overtake their former teammates. Beanie, Cordle, Wilson, and whoever ends up winning the final linebacker spot will almost certainly be an improvement from last year just simply due to the fact that coaches, players, media members, and fans alike have had too many good things to say about these players from the moment that they've walked on campus for them to be anything but the next great football players at Ohio State. In the past, it was all a matter of being less experienced that kept these players on the bench. Now, it's their turn, and they will make the most of it. As the old cliche goes, powerhouses like Ohio State don't rebuild -- they reload. The top talent in the country will always flock to Columbus for the shot at being a Buckeye, and that's why such little parity exists in college football today.

One of the two positions I listed on that list as having no key losses very well may be two of the most important positions to the team this year. The tight end position last year was far and away the most under utilized offensive position last year. With Tressel's spread offense revolving around Troy Smith, most of the sets were out of shotgun with multiple receivers on top of the running back(s). When spreading out the offense, the odd man out is almost always the tight end. Well, this year, there will be no spread offense. It will be much more vintage Tresselball for much of the season, which means that the tight end will find it's way into the offense much more often. Troy Smith had a calm demeanor in the pocket. He knew how to check his progressions, and when nothing was open was when he ran. That came with experience. Young quarterbacks always look to throw to the big targets -- the tight ends -- on just about every throw. Do you think it's a coincidence that most mediocre teams have great tight end play? No, of course not. It's because most mediocre teams have young quarterbacks that love to throw to the tight end. There shouldn't be any reason to expect anything different out of whoever plays quarterback for Ohio State this year.

The Backfield

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:55:00 +0000

For the first time since the 2004 season, the Buckeye backfield will be noticeably missing the majority of it's offensive output. That is because after two consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons (the first Buckeye to accomplish such a feat since Eddie George), Antonio Pittman made the jump to the pro ranks where he is now trying to make the Saints' squad. Unlike the quarterback position, however, we actually do know what we're getting out of most of our replacements.

Projected Starter
Chris "Beanie" Wells
6'1" 230 lbs
Sophomore

A beautiful sight

Strengths: Beanie graduated from high school in the Winter of 2006 and enrolled at Ohio State for spring practice the following Spring. Ever since he made that decision, he has taken Columbus by storm. With his fan-friendly nickname and Maurice Clarett/Adrian Peterson-like combination of bruising power with 4.4 speed, Wells became a fan favorite early in the season despite only entering the game to spell Pittman and in short yardage situations. In fact, Wells' greatest strength as a player that he displayed last year was his ability to take a hand off on third and short, and take the ball right up the middle -- even though everybody on the opposing defense knew it was coming -- and move the chains regardless. Despite being a known commodity for his short yardage contributions, Wells showed off one of his traits that one wouldn't be able to readily identify from looking at his 230 pound frame against Michigan: his athleticism. Wells took the second down hand off from Troy Smith out of Shotgun, and was immediately met by a Michigan defender. Instead of taking the three yard loss, however, Wells essentially spun out of his shoes to evade the defender (on the same crummy field that had everyone else falling on their faces), found a hole to run through, then found some Michigan defensive backs to run by en route to a 52 yard touchdown run. Even though it was only one play, it was one of the few opportunities Beanie had all year to show off his nimbleness, and as the play clearly shows, the man is a complete back. As a full time starter with an inexperienced quarterback, expect Beanie to get in the neighborhood of "workhorse" back numbers, probably around 25 carries a game with around 1,200 yards rushing, and probably being in the top 3 or 4 in the Big Ten in touchdowns.

Weaknesses: Beanie really only displayed one glaring flaw in his game last season, and that was his ability to hold on to the football. Wells lost four fumbles on the year, and just about all four of them came in crucial short yardage situations. Fortunately, carrying the football is a skill that can be taught over time, and it is not a physical or mental flaw (e.g. speed, size, maturity, etc.) that is unlikely to be overcome in a football player's college days. Wells did not fumble the ball once in his final 18 carries of the season, despite fumbling twice in his 19 prior carries. That alone shows Wells' development as a football player. Of course, we won't know for sure until next season. Another question mark around Beanie is his durability as an every down back in the Big Ten. It's not necessarily a weakness, it's just something that we haven't seen enough of to make a valid judgment yet. He had 103 carries last season, which is 31 more than Antonio Pittman had in his freshman season (the season before he became the full-time starter). After Pittman's freshman year, he also made comments about wearing down towards the end of the season -- even though he had such a low carry total -- and it raised questions about his durability. Well, he turned out just fine as a running back, and I haven't read anything anywhere about Beanie wearing down towards the end of last season, and he had 31 more carries than Pittman did. I think an offseason of conditioning and practice as the #1 guy on the depth chart is all the preparation that he'll need for the 25 carries a game that he's likely to get.

Projected #2 Running Back
Maurice Wells
5'10" 190 lbs
Junior

Maurice Wells is the kind of player that you absolutely have to love as a fan. Despite being so small, his commitment, heart, and work ethic have made him into a respectable Big Ten running back. His entire life he's been told he's too small to be a solid contributor as a running back to a college football team, but he still managed to get a scholarship to Ohio State. After coming in and playing as a freshman, Wells had to face another harsh reality. As a sophomore, instead of being weaned into the starter's role to take over for Pittman if/when he left for the NFL, Chris Wells, the blue chip prospect from Akron jumped ahead of him in the depth chart. But instead of taking the easy way out and transferring to another school, the elder Wells has taken the high road, and will be a solid contributor out of the backfield this season, even if it is as the #2 guy. It may be a cliche, but Maurice Wells is a great football player and an even better person, and he deserves every carry that he gets this season.

As far as his physical attributes are concerned, MoWells should offer a great change of pace when he enters the game. He's a smaller, speedier back than Chris Wells, and can also catch the ball out of the backfield on a more consistent basis. With his exciting style of play and outlandish dreadlocks, Maurice could be the energizer that this offense needs when it's struggling somewhere down the road.

Projected Backups
Brandon Saine and/or Danny "Boom" Herron
6'1" 205 lbs and 5'9" 198 lbs, respectively
Both true freshmen (one may redshirt)

Saine and Herron both enter the 2007 campaign as true freshmen, and one (if not both) of them will make a serious contribution to the team this season. Saine was Ohio's Mr. Football last season, running for 1,895 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. His YouTube resume speaks volumes by itself, but I'll just let you watch and decide that for yourself. My personal favorite play on the highlight reel is when he chases down the kick returner from about 15 yards back. If he doesn't redshirt next year, which I doubt he will, he could also make an impact as a kick returner.

Herron is a different style of player. He prefers to run right over his opponents (hence the nickname), rather than around them. His size raises some serious question marks for someone of his power style, which is why most feel that he is more likely to redshirt a year until he is ready to handle the load of a Big Ten schedule. However, I won't be overly surprised if he does play, because he appears to have that same aspect of "forget the measurables, I can play" to his game that I mentioned earlier with Maurice Wells.

NBA Draft looms

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:53:00 +0000

Site Management: Blogger finally got around to fixing my sidebar snafu, and I have added multiple links as a result. The first one that needs to be mentioned is another upstart Buckeye blog, this one called Buckeye Lane. The author, Adam Kiefaber, is a great writer and his entries reflect that. Also added to the sidebar are Greg Oden's and Mike Conley's blogs. I'm not sure how much these will be used after the draft tonight, but they're still fun to go back through. Also added to the sidebar is a scrolling news ticker I applied via widgetmate. The ticker will display all of the hottest Buckeye-related news, so that way if I haven't covered a topic on the blog, you can still read about it!

Conflicting Reports: ESPN is reporting that Portland will draft Greg Oden over Kevin Durant with the number 1 pick in the NBA draft tonight. Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., however, claims that Portland told neither he nor Greg about their intentions, and Portland GM Kevin Pritchard told Fox Sports that the article was prematurely published and that, "Nobody has been promised or told anything. Nobody."

Chances are, Oden will be the number one pick, but Pritchard is downplaying the whole situation. I like to compare this situation to the 2004 NBA Draft when the consensus top two players available were can't-miss franchise big man Dwight Howard and UConn superstar Emeka Okafor. Orlando had the top pick, and took Howard simply due to the fact that big men like Howard come around very rarely, and although it may take a few years for him to develop into a consistent offensive performer, he is well worth the wait. Charlotte then took Okafor with the #2 pick, and Okafor went on to win rookie of the year over Howard. However, as both players are preparing to enter their fourth season as professionals, Howard is widely considered the best Center in the Eastern Conference, and has led Orlando to the playoffs far earlier than anyone had imagined. Okafor, on the other hand, has not seen as sharp an improvement as Howard, and although he is still considered one of the premier big men in the league, the disparity between the two is enormous. I kind of expect the same scenario to begin to play out on a much larger scale tonight when Portland takes the can't-miss, franchise player Oden over the exciting Durant. Chances are, Durant will have a better rookie season than Oden. His numbers were just too huge in college, and the transition from high school to college to the professional ranks in just two seasons is a much more difficult adjustment for a Center than it is for a swing man like Durant. However, if both of these players develop into the superstars that we all expect them to, there is an excellent chance that Oden will win more championships. He's just that type of a cornerstone player that you would be crazy to pass up on.

What about the other Buckeyes? Oden is the only ex-Buckeye to have his draft spot secured for him tonight, as the range of possibilities for Conley, Cook, and Lewis is incredibly wide. Although Conley is a surefire lottery pick, he could go anywhere from 3-13, simply based on where teams have him on their boards compared to Acie Law, and if teams decide that their priorities are elsewhere. Conley's destination could be dependent on Kevin Garnett. If the Timberwolves are able to dish out the superstar in a three team trade involving Phoenix and either Boston or Atlanta, the Timberwolves could end up with multiple lottery picks. If that is the case, Conley should be a guaranteed Timberwolf, but if no trade happens tonight, he could go anywhere from Atlanta at 3 to Atlanta at 11.

Daeuqan Cook is a player that should go in the early 20s, but could be taken as high as the Lakers at 19. From what I understand, the Knicks loved him in his workouts with them, but if he were to go there, he would definitely be a project. Cook struggled with the limelight at Ohio State, and in New York, it would only be magnified. He definitely has all of the tools to make it at the next level, but it would probably be to his benefit if he did it in a smaller market than New York.

Ron Lewis will be the most anxious of the three remaining Buckeyes tonight. He won't be drafted in the first round, and he may not even be drafted at all. Apparently, the Bulls liked his defensive ability and athleticism in his workouts, but he is still no guarantee to be picked up by them at the 51st pick. Although he may not be a superstar in the league, his all around ability and more importantly, his will, will carry him far longer than any GM that passes on him expects.

Conley Overrated? In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Luke Winn assesses some of the overrated and underrated prospects in tonight's draft. He states that Acie Law is the underrated point guard, and that Conley is the overrated one. This strikes me as odd, considering every mock draft I've seen has Conley drafted healthily above Law. Winn's main point of argument here is that Law has a better three point shot than Conley. Although that might be true, Conley's impact as a floor general is something that could give him a Chris Paul-like rookie season, and eventually lead him to multiple All-Star games (On a side note, if Conley ends up out West, how cool would it be to see he and Oden play in NBA All-Star games together?). There are tons of shooters in this league. True point guards, however, are a premium. What was the deciding factor in San Antonio's sweep of Cleveland? The fact that San Antonio's point guard won series MVP while Cleveland was a disorganized mess offensively. Steve Nash is bound to win a title here eventually, and Chris Paul nearly led an absolutely awful supporting cast to the playoffs. Meanwhile, some of the featured "shooters" in the league such as Ray Allen, really had no chance from the beginning. I'll take Conley over Law 10 times out of 10.

Buckeye Quarterbacks Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:00:00 +0000

Earlier in the year, I made three posts detailing the individual strengths and weaknesses of the three players vying for playing time at the Quarterback position for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2007 regular season, the three being Todd Boeckman, Rob Schoenhoft, and Antonio Henton. In short, I was one of the few to jump on the figurative Rob Schoenhoft bandwagon, whereas the majority of the Buckeye faithful were supporting Boeckman for his familiarity with the system or Antonio Henton for the inevitable Troy Smith comparisons. Due to those posts, I strongly toyed with the idea of foregoing the quarterbacks part of my preview, but I decided to go ahead and do it anyways for two reasons: One, those previews were written before the Spring game and practices, and two, it would not look good towards my season preview.

So, without any more babbling, here is the post-Spring edition of the 2007 Buckeye Quarterbacks preview, with a complimentary 1024 x 768 desktop background (click to enlarge).

Projected Starter:
Todd Boeckman
Redshirt Junior
6'5" 235 lbs
Despite never starting a game in his collegiate career -- and only getting to play in mop-up time when he did play -- Todd Boeckman has a strong lead on the starter's job that will only be relinquished as a result of injury. This is simply because of the fact that Boeckman has been a part of the team for a longer period of time than his competition, which is more often than not the deciding factor for Jim Tressel in close position battles. In addition to redshirting as a freshman and spending the next two seasons holding the clipboard, Boeckman grayshirted in 2003, enrolling in the winter as opposed to the fall, and gained an extra bit of college-level conditioning and maturity that could pay huge dividends for a quarterback at a major athletic institution such as Ohio State. At this point in time, the only measurement of comparison between Boeckman and his fellow quarterbacks has been the Spring game, in which Boeckman secured a tight lead on the starting job despite not doing anything spectacular in the game. He went 6-14 for 103 yards with, most importantly, zero interceptions. Boeckman was also the victim of numerous dropped balls in that game, including one deep vertical pass that would have been for over 40 yards if my memory serves me correctly. He showed arguably the best arm of the three in that game, and with a summer of practicing and a couple of tune-up games early in the season, Boeckman should be ready for Big Ten play when it rolls around.

The rest
Robbie Schoenhoft
Redshirt Sophomore
6'6" 240 lbs
Back in February, I declared Schoenhoft -- and not Henton -- the player that would eventually overtake the starting job at some point and solidify himself as the team's true starting quarterback. I still believe that, it just may have to happen through a lengthier, more natural process than I had thought (Boeckman's Graduation). I will not shy away from the fact that I believe his mixture of size, scrambling ability, and after watching the Spring Game, his leadership qualities would make him the most viable option for quarterback if he were a year older. However, he is most likely a year away from being ready for the college game on a consistent basis. He has all the tools to be great, but he just needs some more time to put them all together. If he pans out like I truly expect him to, then I think he will remind a lot of people of a stronger-armed Craig Krenzel. And remember, Krenzel won a championship.

Antonio Henton Redshirt
Freshman
6'2" 210 lbs
Despite probably beginning the season as the third man on the depth chart at quarterback, Henton will still get his fair share of licks at the collegiate level, if only because the fans will put an insurmountable amount of pressure on Tressel to play the guy that is already being dubbed as, "the next Troy Smith." However, in the Spring Game, Henton played much more like the freshman that he is than Troy Smith. He threw 3 interceptions on 8-16 passing, and also took three sacks (To Henton's defense, however, the offensive line did play poor in that game). Another lingering question regarding Henton is his maturity. In a newspaper article last January, Henton declared that if he were named the starter for the remainder of his college career, he would win the Heisman trophy hands down. As I pointed out in my pre-Spring evaluation, statements that bold are a big no-no in the world of the sports media, and an especially big no-no when Sweatervest is your coach. Henton's biggest advantage over the other two quarterbacks at this point is his mobility. Although Schoenhoft has the ability to roll out of the pocket and avoid sacks, Henton has the kind of legs that can completely change the structure of the game, which was shown by his 38 yards on 9 carries in the Spring game. Expect Henton to see time early, but when the season progresses and the games get close, chances are excellent that he will be watching with the rest of us.

Joe Bauserman
6'2" 215 lbs
Bauserman was initially a member of the 2004 recruiting class, but opted to try his hand at being a professional baseball pitcher instead. After that career path fizzled out, Bauserman walked on to Ohio State in order to give football one last chance. Most scouts say that he has one of the strongest arms that they have ever seen (hence the pitching), but his extended absence from the game raise a lot of questions regarding just about all aspects of his physical and mental capabilities. I highly doubt Bauserman sees the field this year, but he is unquestionably one of the most intriguing prospects on the entire roster.

If...Then... statements

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 04:15:00 +0000

The way a season turns out is dependent on how some of the more "questionable" links in the system work out. For the most part, we know which players and aspects of the game the Buckeyes are going to be great at next season (kicking, rushing, pass defense, and the always present Tressel-like mental edge in each player's attitude), but it's those things we aren't quite sure about that will tell the tale that is the 2007-08 Buckeye football season. For example, last season, we knew what we were getting out of our offense. Our defense? Not so much. That's why people had us ranked all throughout the top 10 in the preseason polls last season. Unfortunately, there are quite a bit more question marks surrounding the Ohio State football team this season, and I am going to look at the 5 biggest uncertainties in order from least to most critical to a successful year.

5
Not a site you want to see out of your defensive leader

If the team forgets about Florida, then Ohio State will have a successful season

I am not overly concerned that the returning members will be so paralyzed by memories of the debacle in the desert last January that they won't be able to be the same guys that they were for the first 12 games of the season. Jim Tressel is just too good of a teacher to let those thoughts stick with them, and for the defense especially, it could (and should) be used as motivation. I hope that this new group of leaders on the team can be every bit as good of leaders as last year's captains, but it's something that we may not know until midseason, when Ohio State is losing a game on the road to a Big Ten opponent. Then, will this team do what all the other Jim Tressel teams in the past have done and rise to the occasion, or will they go fetal at the slightest hint of adversity? Again, this may not even be a question at all. After all, it takes a special kind of person to play football for Jim Tressel at Ohio State, and I'm almost positive that this new group of leaders are every bit as mentally strong as past Tressel players. I just need to see it to be certain.

4
If Doug Worthington gets knocked down this easily in a game, he won't be playing long

If the defensive tackles can step up, then Ohio State will have a great defense

Quinn Pitcock, David Patterson, and Joel Penton have all moved on. Those two captains, and the three top guys on the interior defensive line are no more than just very big shoes to fill. The first man that needs to step it up is Todd Denlinger. Denlinger is the only true defensive tackle that was part of the two-deep last season, and he will be expected to be a workhorse defensively. From what little I have seen from him, he seems to have the motor and motivation to be a great defensive lineman, but whether or not he can do it on every single play remains to be seen. The other defensive tackle spot will almost certainly go to a converted defensive end, which means two things: First, whomever it is will have exceptional athleticism for a defensive tackle, but will be raw at the position. The first candidate is Doug Worthington, a blue chip redshirt sophomore that has had to battle through injuries and being buried on the depth chart to earn his spot. He was listed last season at 274 pounds, a solid 10 pounds lighter than David Patterson, an already undersized defensive tackle. However, he has most likely bulked up in the offseason and could be a monster by the first game. Other potential defensive tackle contributers include ends Alex Barrow and Robert Rose, although Rose will most likely see quite a bit of time as a defensive end. True freshman Cameron Heyward could see some time due to the lack of depth.

3
Sometimes the easiest catches are the most important ones...But diving catches are always the fun ones to watch.

If the receivers can catch balls, then Todd Boeckman/Robbie Schoenhoft/Antonio Henton will have a much easier time

Let's face it, none of these quarterbacks coming in are going to be the second coming of Troy Smith any time soon. The success that Smith had last season was absolutely remarkable, and he was the closest thing Ohio State fans will see to a perfect quarterback in a long time. These guys are all going to force unnecessary throws into double coverage, get picked off, take sacks, and all the usual inexperienced quarterback stuff. One thing that can make their transition into the college game much easier, however, is having a solid group of receivers to have to throw too. Unfortunately, Ted and Anthony are gone, which means that Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, and Ray Small will be the receivers that are relied on for the most part this season; not exactly names that take your breath away. I'm not asking for those three players -- or any receiver on the team -- to be like Ginn or Gonzo, it's unrealistic to ask. However, what I am asking, is that they do what they're getting their college paid for to do: catch the football. Dropped passes can kill a quarterback's confidence, especially one as inexperienced as the three coming in. If the receivers can get open, make catches, and move the chains without making the highlight reel plays that Ginn and Gonzalez did last year, I will be more than pleased with these players.

As the saying goes, "every possession should end in a kick," whether its a field goal attempt, an extra point, or a punt

If the special teams is 2002-2005 good, then Ohio State will win close games

Let's face it, the kicking game last year took a bit of a hit when Huston graduated. Of course, the return game seemed phenomenal, but if you throw out Ginn's return against Florida, the team only averaged about 19 yards per kickoff return. Of course those numbers are skewed slightly due to the opposition's tendency to kick away from Ginn, but the low average does speak volumes about the overall return team's coverage. However, the real surprise in the special teams department last year was, of course, the kicking game. A 69% field goal percentage is nearly unacceptable from a Tressel coached football team. Remember the good ole' days of Mike Nugent and Josh Huston when, as long as the ball got inside the 35 yard line, you were guaranteed at least 3 points? That wasn't the case last year, it's just that Pettrey and Pretorious had one of the country's most dynamic offenses to bail them out and just score touchdowns every time they crossed the 50. Much of the struggles could have been due to the fact that they were both in their first years as a starting kicker for one of the country's premier football teams. Remember, Nugent and Huston weren't all that great when they split kicking duties back in 2001. A near guarantee of getting points on the board when driving down the field will take loads of pressure off of whichever quarterback is leading the way.

1
Tressel's teaching ability will be paramount in the development of the season

If Jim Tressel settles on a quarterback, then Ohio State will be in a January Bowl game.

Looking back over the past 20 years of college football, it is incredibly rare to find an instance when a carousel of quarterbacks led a team to a successful season (Remember, although Tim Tebow and Chris Leak both played a lot last season, it wasn't like having two separate QBs, Tebow had his own offensive packages designed for him). When a new quarterback comes in in the middle of the game, the whole offense has to adjust to his playing styles. There is no chance for a crew to build a sense of chemistry and camaraderie when the captain of the ship is changing every other possession. We saw what happens when multiple quarterbacks are juggled in 2005 against Texas. Everything just seems out of sync. That is why it is imperative that Tressel settle on a quarterback as early as possible. He'll be able to get away with juggling offensive sets against the inferior out of conference schedule this season (By the way, this is a great season to have a weak schedule, it will really help the quarterback grow for a Rose Bowl run in 2008), but when Big Ten play rolls around, he better have his man. Even if it's the wrong man, I'd much rather have the second best quarterback playing all game long rather than having all three different quarterbacks rotating time all game long.

An introduction to the most complete and in-depth Buckeye preseason analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:38:00 +0000

It has been a rather slow summer so far. With the end of the Cavaliers' season, there is really a limit to what can be discussed on this blog without being redundant or even worse, boring. So, I decided to look back to last summer to see what I posted about to help pass the time. The answer? A series of in-depth Buckeye football previews. So, this year I have decided to one-up myself, going for writing the most complete Buckeye football preview known to mankind (slight exaggeration). Like last year, I will still write a preview of each position every week, but I will attempt to further expand my previewing abilities by also giving additional previews of opponents, other Big Ten teams (with an emphasis on Michigan, of course), and any other topics that come to mind.

For now, this is a preliminary agenda for this preview. Dates and topics are subject to change. If you don't know what something means, you'll just have to wait to see what it is:

Week of 6/24 - Quarterbacks overview, 5 "Ifs" to a successful season, Northwestern and Indiana previews
Week of 7/1 - Backfield, the replacements, Wisconsin and Minnesota previews
Week of 7/8 - Receivers/Tight Ends, the redshirt freshmen, Penn State and Michigan State previews
Week of 7/15 - Out of town
Week of 7/22 - Offensive Line, Underrated and overrated, Purdue and Illinois previews
Week of 7/29 - Defensive Line, players that need to take their game up a notch, Iowa preview
Week of 8/5 - Linebackers, 5 reasons why OSU will flourish, 5 reasons why OSU will flounder
Week of 8/12 - Secondary, the most important player to the team's success, general offensive/defensive expectations
Week of 8/19 - Special Teams, 5,4,3,2,1
Week of 8/26 - Predicting OSU's schedule/How the Big Ten will look, Michigan preview, Youngstown State game preview

Rule 76: No excuses, play like a champion

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:17:00 +0000

For as long as I can remember, every time that I have seen a dramatic game come down to a questionable call by an official, there is always an immediate uproar by fans, players, coaches, and media members alike going to such extremes as calling for said official's head. And, after every time that I've seen this, I always find myself thinking about how petty it is that people can not accept the bottom line that their team did not rise to the occasion, and that they have to blame their team's under-achievements on the refs that, for the most part, did their job and did it pretty damn well. Fortunately for me, the majority of my life has not had a team in a situation like this.

That is, until last night.

With approximately 5 seconds left in game 3 of the NBA finals, the Cavaliers were down three points to San Antonio, and were inbounding the ball at mid-court. Everybody in attendance, everybody watching on TV, everybody in black jerseys, and everybody in white jerseys knew what was coming. Mr. 23 himself, LeBron James, had a chance to be the hero again. The shot was coming, and the Spurs had a foul to give. I mean, it is a logical move, right? With such little time on the clock, a foul would force LeBron to make one free throw, miss his next, rely on someone to get an offensive rebound, and put the ball in the hoop. Bruce Bowen thought the same thing, and when LeBron got that inbound pass, he went straight for the foul. LeBron, seeing this, picked the ball up and began his shooting motion while Bowen fouled, fully expecting to head to the line with a chance to tie the game. But there was a problem for our supposed hero. After jacking up that wild three, there was nothing but the cheers of the crowd, the clinging of the ball against the rim, and the sound of chaos as the outcome of the game died in the hands of a scuffle for the rebound. There was no shrill blow of the whistle, and there were no free throws. The game -- and essentially the Cavaliers' championship hopes -- over.

But you know what? This loss isn't the officials' fault. The foul may have been in plain sight, and it may have been a blown call, but no team that misses as many opportunities in one game (much less an NBA Finals game) as the Cavaliers did last night should expect to win. That missed three pointer can be argued, but what about the other 15 missed three point field goals? Or the fact that San Antonio shot 52.6% from beyond the arc? For such a defensive struggle, you would think that somebody, anybody would stick a hand in Bruce Bowen's face.

This isn't meant to take anything away from the Spurs, however. Parker's jump shot was in rare form, and nobody could have seen Bruce Bowen coming. Of course, the Spurs D was yet again tenacious. This post isn't meant to be a shot at the Spurs, but rather a call to the Cavaliers to -- at least once in this series -- play like they deserve to be here. That's why I titled this post with the famous Wedding Crasher's line "Rule 76: No Excuses, Play Like a Champion." Anybody can blame an outcome on the officiating, that's easy to do. Any team in the NBA can do that. In fact, it's essentially the standard of professional basketball these days. But the Cavaliers are the Eastern Conference champions, and to be on this big of a stage and continue to make excuses puts them on the same level as all the teams sitting at home right now. I'm not asking that this team come back and win the championship, because that's a lost cause at this point. The Spurs have it in the bag and every one knows it. However, what I know that this team is capable of, is turning back into that old Cavalier team that we saw just a couple weeks ago. You know, that team that took an entire city on it's back, and despite being in an 0-2 hole to a much more experienced team, kept their heads on their shoulders and played like a group of professionals that gave a full and complete effort for four straight games? In that series against Detroit, one team displayed the utmost maturity as the other one self-destructed before our eyes. Had you told anyone before this season that the latter would be the Pistons, you would be mocked and laughed at. After that series, I was never more proud to say that I was a fan of that team. Not even when the Buckeyes won the championship in 2002, or when Troy Smith won the Heisman trophy last year.

This series may be a lost cause, but it's never too late to rekindle your pride. I just hope that the Cavs realize that between now and Thursday.

Congratulations

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 02:39:00 +0000

Not much to say tonight, I just want to make a public congratulation to my friend and schoolmate Jason King, who was drafted in the 48th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB draft this past week. He will play his college ball at Kansas State if he doesn't sign with the Cardinals. Despite being primarily a shortstop in high school, he was drafted as a right fielder.

My favorite memory of watching Jason play happened in the first game of this past season. I stopped by towards the end of the game, and my beloved Celtics were down a run. In the bottom of the seventh (High School baseball games are only seven innings long), the leadoff hitter got a single, and the next batter got out, sending Jason to the plate with a chance to win it. As he was up, I leaned over to one of my teachers and said "how insane would it be if he went deep here?" to which my teacher replied something along the lines of "Two home runs in one game...a walk-off shot...the guy would be a legend." The next pitch, Jason ripped the ball and immediately threw his arms up in the air celebrating his game winning blast.

The bottom line is, this kid was a born baseball player, and he will be in the show one day. There is no doubt in my mind about it.

Greg Oden: Super Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 15:13:00 +0000

Oden: Dunker, defender, writer?

As Greg Oden anxiously awaits his big payday (actually, his second big payday), it turns out he has a little time to kill. He is no longer taking class at Ohio State University, so I'm assuming he only has two responsibilities in life at the moment: Don't fall flat on your face in front of NBA Scouts, and don't die.

Of course, that first one is easier said than done, but it looks like at the moment he is making the most of his visit at the NBA Combine in Orlando. Multiple league sources have noted that Oden's biggest challenger for the #1 overall pick, Texas phenom Kevin Durant, performed more than sub-par in his initial workouts in the combine. Based solely on workout performance, Durant was the 78th ranked player out of 80 total. The article does not mention Oden's overall rank, but Oden did finish better than him in multiple drills, including the vertical leap (34 inches to Durant's 33.5), agility drill (11.67 seconds to Durant's 12.33) , and three quarter court sprint (3.27 seconds to Durant's 3.45). Oden very well may have been the big winner at the combine, considering most of his numbers are relatively unheard of from a Center, whereas Durant was the big loser with his aforementioned performance. However, don't expect this combine workout to solidify Oden as the #1 pick or even drop Durant down a few. It doesn't work quite like the NFL Combine. As one scout said about Durant, "No one will care, he's a basketball player. But if you're comparing him to Oden, then yes, Oden is the big winner." Essentially, the NBA comes down to the factor of "Can the kid actually play?" much more so than the NFL Draft, which often times relies on potential to determine one's draft spot.

That other somewhat sarcastic "responsibility" of Oden's that I mentioned? The don't die one? Well, it turns out, with all of his extra time, Greg is taking after yours truly (Okay, so he's not actually taking after me, I just happen to be the experienced veteran in this field), and has started his own blog. How much of this blog is actually original Greg Oden material beats me, but as Sean at AroundTheOval points out, much of it seems to be written by a college freshman, filled with grammatical errors, slang terms, etc. The blog is filled with more than just Oden's (or whoever it is') writings, too. There are multiple Oden highlight reels, which I got much satisfaction from looking back on, with my personal favorite being the block against Tennessee. Needless to say, I'll be adding this to my Blogroll on the sidebar.

Update: Blogger is undergoing some maintenance at the moment, and I am unable to update my sidebar. I will try it again this evening.

Buckeye Recruiting Catch-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:11:00 +0000

Fortunately, during my hiatus, I only missed out on covering the commitment of one future Buckeye. That prospect is the newest future Buckeye, linebacker Andrew Sweat. His commitment, undoubtedly, will be cause for many signs and slogans such as "Making the opposition Sweat," or something along those lines.

Despite being from Pennsylvania, most people considered Sweat a Buckeye lock for some time now. As a matter of fact, Jim Tressel's recruiting "fence" that he has had around the state of Ohio for some time now could soon expand into Pennsylvania. Many of the top prospects in the Keystone state list interest in the Buckeyes, and most feel that a number more could commit to Ohio State before it is all said and done. Not only is Terrelle Pryor widely considered the #1 football player in Pennsylvania, but many have him tabbed as the #1 quarterback and #1 overall player in the entire country. He wants to play both football and basketball in college, and with Florida's basketball coaching situation in limbo and most of the other schools in the running being dominated by one sport, one has to like Ohio State's chances with both Jim and Thad recruiting him. Another Blue-Chipper from Pennsylvania, Linebacker Shayne Hale, also has an excellent chance of being a Buckeye before it's all said and done.

Back to the guy that we know is going to be a Buckeye, though, Andy Sweat has the potential to be the next great linebacker at Ohio State. He has great speed and athleticism for his size (6'2" 233 lbs), and oddly enough, his biggest weakness is listed as his ability to shed blocks. If you're wondering why I find that odd, his scouting report is incredibly similar to AJ Hawk's, the only difference is Sweat has a lot more hype coming out of high school. I don't know too much about this kid, but what I do know is that if he is even half the player that Hawk was, Tressel & Co. got a hell of a guy. He also has a 4.3 high school GPA, making him that much more of the perfect recruit for Tressel.

And just for the hell of it, I might as well break out the Photoshop while I'm still here.

I'm back, and hopefully I'm here to stay (so is LeBron)

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:14:00 +0000

Today officially ends my posting hiatus. I really shouldn't have to explain why I went so long without posting. After all, this is my blog, and I created to discuss sports as I please. Of course, I also had no idea the popularity that this site would gain when I started up a year ago. To rationalize my posting (or lack thereof), it was simply a fact that I wasn't inspired to write anything. School was winding down, so end of the year projects, final exams, and AP tests were bearing down on me. Track had begun to take over my life for a couple of weeks in May, and my newly appointed role as editor-in-chief of my high school's student newspaper was a lot more responsibility than I had originally expected. This also goes without mentioning the curse that has happened to every student, regardless of age, since the beginning of time: the curse of the calendar. I saw summer on the horizon, and as a result, my priorities became jumbled. Having fun in the sunny Ohio weather became a daily goal of mine, and this site became lost in the mix. But now, I have become re-inspired to post again. The excuses end at the end of this sentence, and hopefully, this site will once again prosper.

In literature, a Bildungsroman is a type of novel in which the young protagonist has a coming of age experience, and is forever changed by the events that unfold within the story. If the Cleveland Cavaliers ever have a book based off of their season, that young protagonist will of course be LeBron James. James' development and maturity as a basketball player from the end of the regular season to this point has been one for the ages. Ever since he entered the league, people have tried to refute the inevitable comparison of LeBron to Michael Jordan, but watching him in the playoffs, it seems as if we actually do have the unthinkable on our hands: The second coming of the greatest basketball player in the history of the league. Sure, it may seem rash to make such a statement after just one series, but looking back on what transpired in the six games of Detroit versus Cleveland, the writing is on the wall of a strikingly similar career path for LeBron to be "Like Mike".

In 1989, Michael Jordan hit perhaps the most famous shot in basketball history when he seemed to defy gravity and put up an off balance jump shot over Cleveland's Craig Ehlo that went in the basket as the buzzer went off, sending Chicago to a dramatic game seven victory over the favored Cavaliers. In game four of that series, Michael Jordan missed a key free throw, causing Chicago to lose, and allowing Cleveland to stretch the series to a deciding seventh game. Of course, no one remembers how Michael "choked" in game four, because the only image that anyone remembers from that series was the game winning shot. It took Jordan a matter of one series to go from hero, down to zero, and back to hero for good. When the words "victory" and "Michael Jordan" are put together in a sentence, there is one scene that should go through everyone's mind, and then send shivers down their backs.

Two shots, two completely different scenarios, equally important.

Back to the present, in game three, LeBron had perhaps an equally career-defining play against Detroit. Although it wasn't as dramatic as Michael's shot, they both sent exact messages of a mix between "This is the new me, and you're going to see a lot of it for the next 10+ years," and "How you like me now, Biatch?" The play I am talking about came with the game tied at 68 in the fourth quarter, with 7:24 seconds remaining. LeBron took the ball at the three point line, found a lane in the Pistons defense, and drove to the hoop with only one thing standing in the way of himself and yet another thunderous dunk to add to his highlight reel: the 6'11" Rasheed Wallace. When all was said and done, LeBron found himself at the free throw line, looking to finish off a three point play. Although he missed the free throw, he gave the Cavaliers a lead that they would never relinquish, and the momentum it provided stretched into the next three games afterwards, and led the Cavaliers to a dramatic come from behind series victory.

That play led all of his critics to instantly start thinking, "maybe this guy isn't the choke that we all thought he was." Of course, despite essentially defying the laws of physics and making the series interesting again, most of these critics were still left unsatisfied.

Then came game six.

In Detroit.

With a chance to give his team a 3-2 lead.

That night (and early morning), was perhaps the climax of this young protagonist's Bildungsroman. It was the point where, despite being an established star in the league, he went from being "One of the best." to, "The best." After racking 48 points, including the final 25 and 29 of the team's last 30, his performance was eerily similar to MJ's 63 point performance against Boston in 1986. Both players were essentially the only offensive producers on their teams, and both were up against one of the best teams in the league (that Boston team featured the likes of Bird, Walton, Parrish, McHale, Johnson, and Ainge among others). The only difference? LeBron won the game, and pretty much the series, with his show. Jordan didn't.

But what does it all mean? Of course, we won't know for years to come. But if LeBron can manage to upset the Spurs on his own in the NBA Finals, then perhaps it could mean that not only were all the comparisons of himself to MJ true, but he could potentially even surpass Jordan. If LeBron wins a title this year, he will do so at the age of 22. Michael didn't get the proverbial monkey off his back until he was 28. Although he still would have a long way to go, and predicting the distant future in professional basketball couldn't be further from an exact science, maybe -- just maybe -- he'll go from the "Next MJ" to the "First LeBron."

As always, comments, critiques, and questions are appreciated. Just make sure to relate it to LeBron and NBA-like issues.

Buckeyes in the NFL Draft: Ginn soars, Smith falls

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 13:36:00 +0000

The 2007 NFL Draft was held this past weekend in New York. As usual, the annual event was filled with plenty of drama and hype that was induced primarily as a result of Mel Kiper talking about any given player's "long length" and "fast speed." Of course, there were plenty of Ohio State players that nervously anticipated their name to be called, including the current holder of the Heisman trophy, one Troy Smith.

First Round, 9th Pick
Ted Ginn Jr., Miami Dolphins
The speedster at wide receiver was long considered the best pro prospect to come out of Ohio State in this year's draft. What wasn't expected, however, was that he would be taken in the top ten of the draft. When the pick was made, head Dolphins coach Cam Cameron was met with a plethora of jeers from the Dolphins faithful that were gathered at the team training facility. Quite simply, everyone this side of Nick Saban expected the Dolphins to do what they considered was the logical thing and draft Brady Quinn. After all, Daunte Culpepper's days are about dumb, and you don't see too many people anxiously awaiting the beginning of the Cleo Lemon era in Miami.

So where does Ginn fit in on the Dolphins? Well, with the praise that coach Cameron was giving Ginn's speed and return ability after they selected him, one would have to imagine that he is already a lock as the team's #1 returner. Chances are, he will be a Devin Hester-like player this year, with his only true impact coming on special teams. However, one thing he does have that is different from Hester is NFL caliber ability at wide receiver, it just may take a year or so for him to completely adapt offensively. Due to the losses of Randy McMichael and Wes Welker, the Dolphins are not very deep at receiver, so Ginn will get his chances to make plays early and often. Chances are, if he doesn't get those chances, the pressure from the ownership and fanbase will launch him up the depth chart, just so everyone sees if he was really worth drafting over Brady Quinn.

First Round, 32nd Pick
Anthony Gonzalez, Indianapolis Colts
This was another surprising pick on the Colts' part. After losing Cato June, Jason David, Nick Harper, Mike Doss, and Montae Reagor, the Colts decided it was best to add another arsenal to Peyton Manning's repetoire. Anthony Gonzalez adds yet another nonexistant ego to Marvin Harrison and the passing game, an absolute rarity nowadays. Giving Gonzalez the chance to learn under Marvin Harrison for the next few years should greatly contribute to his development. Not to mention, he has a pretty good quarterback throwing to him also.

So where does Gonzalez fit in on the Colts? In all likelihood, Gonzalez will be given the task of replacing Brandon Stokely as the slot receiver on the offense. Considering that Gonzo was one of the premier slot receivers in the entire country last season, the transition should be easier for him than others. His speed and route running ability should help him adapt to the game at the next level, and he could progress to one of the team's top receivers if age ever decides to catch up with Marvin Harrison. As for next season, he should be a solid contributer, probably getting somewhere around 30-40 catches as he gets acclimated with the system and fights off some other guys for the slot receiver spot.

Third Round, 98th Pick
Quinn Pitcock, Indianapolis Colts
Honestly, I do not understand why so many draft analysts are not that high on Pitcock. He was the second best defensive tackle in the Big 10 last year, behind only Alan Branch, and he backs up his performance on the field with solid "measurables" (Height, weight, 40-time, etc.). His 40 time at the combine was the third fastest of all defensive tackles, and he has a good 15 pounds on the two guys that were faster than him (For what it's worth, each of those players were drafted ahead of Pitcock as well, so 40-times do have to matter somewhat for defensive linemen). Regardless, I think Pitcock will turn a lot of heads throughout the duration of his career in Indianapolis.

So where does Pitcock fit in on the Colts? If he works hard during training camp, Pitcock has an exceptional chance to make an impact early and often for the Colts. It's no secret that the Colts had one of the worst run defenses in the entire league last season, and stopping the run just so happens to be Pitcock's forte. He probably won't start over the much more experienced Anthony "Booger" McFarland and Raheem Brock, but he can very easily rise to the #2 spot on the depth chart before it's all said and done next season. There isn't a whole lot of depth on the interior of the Colts line, either, so it's kind of surprising that they didn't take a defensive tackle earlier in the draft.

Fourth Round, 107th Pick
Antonio Pittman, New Orleans Saints
Antonio Pittman was widely considered to be one of the top running backs in the third tier of backs behind Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch. However, when draft weekend rolled around, the oft-injured Kenny Irons, the workout warrior Chris Henry, the constantly overrated Lorenzo Booker, the pea sized Garrett Wolfe, and the currently injured Michael Bush all heard their names called before Pittman did. The biggest concern surrounding Pittman at the next level is his durability, as most doubt his ability to get 20-25 carries a game. But outside of that, he is a real solid overall player. He is a fast, aggressive runner that is capable of breaking tackles. Considering teams that draft running backs in the middle rounds are usually looking for guys to spell the team's premier back, taking Pittman makes a lot more sense than going with larger risk guys such as Garrett Wolfe or Michael Bush.

So where does Pittman fit in on the Saints? Pittman was not drafted to be the type of running back that would carry the load on any given offense, and considering that he'll be the third option out of the backfield on this Saints team, he won't have to. He should expect to be the team's third running back behind Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush, and chances are, he won't see a lot of snaps this season. However, Deuce has been a bit injury prone over the years, and he'll be 29 at the end of next season, meaning his days as a Saint could be numbered. If Pittman is still around when Deuce is no longer on the team, he could see a significant number of carries with Reggie Bush also sporting some durability concerns himself.

Fifth Round, 138th Pick
Jay Richardson, Oakland Raiders
Oakland can be a black hole for young talent, and I'm not talking about the stadium there, either. When people think of Oakland Raider football, they think of overpaid troublemakers that have terrible work ethic. It won't be an easy situation for Richardson to blossom out of, considering he also has to battle his way up a decent depth chart (contrary to popular belief, Oakland actually was good at defense this past year). Richardson lacks the speed of today's prototypical end, and his pass rushing skills have left much to be desired.

So where does Richardson fit in on the Raiders? Chances are, the Raiders drafted Richardson solely because he still has quite a bit of upside as an athlete. He has the chance to be a consistent run-stopping defensive end in the near future if he puts his mind to it and continues to work hard. However, as I mentioned earlier, Oakland isn't exactly an ideal place for developing young talent, so the odds are against him. His size and potential makes him a very intriguing prospect, and could see some situational duty as a rookie.

Fifth Round, 169th Pick
Roy Hall, Indianapolis Colts
Roy Hall was the third and final Buckeye drafted by the Colts this weekend. However, Hall was drafted much more based on potential rather than pedigree. Hall was injured in the early part of the 2006 season, and when he came back, got lost behind Robiskie in the Wide Receiver shuffle. At the end of the season, chances were good that Roy Hall would get picked up as an undrafted free agent, and never see the field for much of his career. Then came Ohio State's Pro Day. On a day when all eyes were on Troy Smith and Ted Ginn, Hall stole the show -- and saved his career -- by running a 4.41 40 yard dash. This caught the eyes of scouts all around the league, and suddenly, Hall went from a guy lucky to be drafted, to an early second day pick. With 4.4 speed and size (6'3" 238 lbs), Hall is a Scout's dream. However, Hall was a Scout's dream coming out of high school, too, and that didn't exactly work out like it was planned.

So where does Hall fit in on the Colts? Hall is going to be a project player his first couple years in the league. The Colts very well may want him to bulk up and move him to tight end, or they could keep him at receiver. His upside will definitely keep the Colts interested in him long enough for him to get his licks in the pre-season, but he may not see much time when it counts during his rookie season. Even if he does turn into the next Marques Colston, he still has to outperform his college teammate Anthony Gonzalez, and considering he wasn't able to do that in college, chances are good he won't be able to in the pros, either.

Fifth Round, 174th Pick
Troy Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Troy Smith was the only reason I bothered to turn on the draft on Sunday. I watched just about every pick up until the Ravens selected him, and then I got up and did something with my day directly afterwards. Perhaps there has been no second day selection more eagerly awaited than Troy Smith. After all, it's not often that guys that win the Heisman trophy in a landslide fall all the way to the fourth round, but in today's world of combines and 40 times, actual playing ability is pretty far down on most scouts' priority lists. Regardless, this won't be the first time in his life that Troy Smith will have to overcome odds. Considering the kid was orphaned as a child, given the last scholarship offer, recruited as an "athlete," began his collegiate career returning kicks, got suspended, fought his way back on the field, completely rebuilt his image, beat Michigan three times in a row, and completely beat up pretty boy Brady Quinn on the field as well as on the Heisman front, this should be pretty easy for Troy.

So where does Smith fit in on the Ravens? Troy probably won't play much as a rookie. He'll be behind both Steve McNair and Kyle Boller, and will only play in garbage time, or if one of those two guys gets hurt. However, Boller's contract is up at the end of the year, so this draft selection very well may signal Boller's last season as a Raven. Next year will also be Steve McNair's 13th in the NFL, and no quarterback in league history is as famous as McNair for playing through injuries, so one would have to imagine that his days are numbered as well (Chris Mortensen estimated that McNair only has two good years left in him, a fair prediction). Then, Smith will get his shot at beginning his quest towards league domination once again. Troy is in a very favorable situation in Baltimore. He gets to sit and learn his rookie year, then will be a backup in his second season, learning from a player that is very similar to him as far as playing style is concerned in Steve McNair. Maybe this late selection will be a blessing in disguise for Troy, I guess we'll find out in a couple of years.

Sixth Round, 198th Pick
Doug Datish, Atlanta Falcons
Last, but not least, Datish was the final Buckeye to be drafted this year. One of the team's captains, it was Datish's job to replace Nick Mangold on the offensive line in 2006, not an easy task by any means. However, Datish did a very serviceable job as the anchor of the offensive line, being one of the most consistent blockers on the team all season long.

So where does Datish fit in on the Falcons? Datish played just about every position on the offensive line during his tenure as a Buckeye, but will most likely stick to the three interior positions while he is in the pros. He's a very athletic lineman, something which has become a very trendy pick in the NFL over the past few years, so he could climb up the depth chart relatively fast as a rookie. Much of the Falcons offensive line is inexperienced as well, which means he should get every opportunity to play as a rookie, even if it's not in a starting role.

Buckeye recruiting continues to roll

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 14:09:00 +0000

Don't have much time to talk, as I am currently between classes. However, today offered some incredible news on the Buckeye recruiting front. The kid considered by many to be the best offensive lineman in the entire state of Florida, Michael Brewster, announced his commitment to play football for Ohio State earlier today. Over the past year, Brewster has become good friends with the man who has been the best Buckeye recruiter in recent memory, '08 commit Mike Adams.

Also expected to commit either later today or tomorrow is Texas lineman JB Shugarts. Shugarts, like Brewster, is one of the top O-Line prospects in his entire state, and he too has become good friends with Mike Adams over the past year. Essentially, these two commitments with addition to Mike Adams, will give Ohio State the top offensive line recruiting class in the nation, regardless of how the rest of the recruiting season plays out.

4/24/07 Update - Shugarts committed today, making him the seventh member of the '08 class and third player ranked in the top 30 nationally (Shugarts is ranked 29th, while Brewster and Adams are ranked 26th and 10th, respectively). If all of these linemen pan out like they're expected to, I could be the Buckeye's feature back in 2010.

4/25/07 Update - It turns out the Buckeyes picked up yet another commitment yesterday -- this time on the defensive side of the ball -- in Washington Court House defensive end Nathan Williams. I was blinded so much by the excitement of "Block O" coming together, that I completely overlooked Williams. Williams is a 6'5" 245 lb. monster that has been clocked in the mid-40s (4.67 to be specific), and is ranked 13th in the state of Ohio.

Pfef's Ultra DVR-Enhanced Spring Game Analysis

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 19:50:00 +0000

Yes, I am still alive.

Today was the annual Ohio State Football Spring Game, which pitted two split-squads against each other in what are the first competitive downs of football that the Buckeyes have played since November 18th.

Obviously, the hot topic of the day was the quarterback race. Today was the first chance that OSU fans got a good look at the three candidates to attempt the impossible task of replacing the legendary Troy Smith. The three guys, of course, are the front-runner Todd Boeckman, the unknown Rob Schoenhoft, and the young, flashy Antonio Henton. Of course, this game is only a scrimmage, so making bold statements based solely on this preseason game is about as logical as claiming a baseball player the next Babe Ruth because he hit two home runs in Spring Training. However, the game is definitely worth paying attention to, because it helps the fans get an idea of how the players are progressing, and it also shows who the new key players are.

This year's edition of the Spring Game was a tad different than past years. The quarterbacks were not limited by the black, "hands only," jerseys, and as a result, passing plays were given a much greater chance to develop, and it also allowed the quarterbacks to showcase their running abilities. The game was much more aggressive than in seasons past, as the defenses seemed much more aggressive and were always flying to the ball.

As for the actual game, the Scarlet team was in control for just about the entire game. Antonio Henton threw an interception on the first drive of the game, which Marcus Freeman took all the way for a touchdown. The pickoff would be the first of three for Henton, two of which were the result of extremely ill-advised passes, with the third coming off of a tipped pass at the line. Late in the third quarter, Scarlet led 9-0 with the game seemingly at hand. However, an extreme momentum shift came from the most unlikely of sources. On 4th down, AJ Trapasso took the snap for a fake a punt, and he began to run for the first down (for those of you who didn't know, Trapasso played running back in high school). He got the first down, broke a tackle, and then steamrolled over Zach Willis. The Gray team then drove down to the five yard line, and eventually lost the ball on downs. However, on Scarlet's third play, Alex Barrow tipped an Antonio Henton ball into the air, turned around, and then intercepted it, giving Gray another shot. The turnover eventually led to a 40 yard Aaron Pettrey FG, cutting the score to 9-3. Gray then went on to hold Scarlet to a punt, and once again had the ball with another chance to score. With Schoenhoft at the reigns, everything on the drive worked in fluency. The blocking, for a change, was excellent, as was the running and receiving. Eventually, Schoenhoft hit TE Brandon Smith on a play-action touchdown to put the Gray team up 10-9. The Scarlet team seemed poised for a comeback, when on 4th and 1, the coaches (whether or not it was the actual coaches or Conley & Co. beats me), showed some guts and did a play-action pass down to about the 10 yard line. However, when Scarlet was trying to run the clock out to set up a game-winning Ryan Pretorious Field Goal, Larry Grant came in off the edge unblocked (think Cie Grant in the Fiesta Bowl), and forced a Boeckman fumble. Then, Grant managed to pick up the fumble and return it 87 yards for the final dagger, which put Gray up 17-9, and they would hang on to win by that score.

The following is a much more detailed analysis of some of the more notable aspects of the game:

The ultimate display of class
Everyone in the game yesterday featured a Virginia Tech logo on the left side of their helmet. This is, of course, a tribute to the horrendous shootings that occurred earlier in the week. When Jim Tressel was asked about it mid game, he said that when he talked to VT head coach Frank Beamer about it, Beamer was honored that the school was attempting to reach out to them. I'm sure that just about every other school in the country has made a similar effort to honor the lives of those who died, but I'm not sure if anyone went as above-and-beyond as Ohio State did.

Now, on to the on-the-field issues...

Players not participating/limited due to injury:
OL Kirk Barton
RB Chris Wells
OL Jon Skinner
WR Brent Ullery
CB Andre Amos
S Anderson Russell
S Jamario O'Neal
LB Kyle Libby
OL Scott Sika
S Aaron Gant
LB Thaddeus Gibson
LB Curtis Terry
WR Brian Hartline

Players that impressed
Rob Schoenhoft
Although none of the three quarterbacks did anything spectacular to strengthen their position in what is sure to be an ongoing position battle throughout the season, Schoenhoft did the most to help his cause. He finished the game with 5-10 passing for 75 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions, and only two stacks. In the fourth quarter, he orchestrated the drive that led to the go-ahead touchdown pass. Throughout the game, and on that drive in particular, not only did Schoenhoft display uncanny leadership skills for a kid who has hardly ever played in an actual game, but he also had some real nice throws that, even if they fell incomplete, showed his true potential. Perhaps what was most surprising about Schoenhoft was his ability to scramble out of trouble when protection broke down. He finished the game with six carries for 30 yards, giving him the highest yards per carry of anyone who played yesterday, given that they carried the ball more than one time. In all honesty, the entire time I saw the kid play out there, the one name that kept on ringing in my head was Craig Krenzel, Craig Krenzel, Craig Krenzel. The only difference between Schoenhoft and Krenzel at this point may be that Schoenhoft's ceiling is so much higher than Krenzel's ever was. Schoenhoft is a little bigger and has a bit of a stronger arm, and will only get better with experience. Time will tell if Robby is anywhere near as good as Krenzel was when it counted the most, but with Tressel coaching him, I'm confident that he'll be able to pull through.

The Linebackers
Lets face it, the last two games that the linebackers actually showed up to play last season were at Northwestern and Illinois. I know this because, when someone comes to Ohio State to play linebacker, they do not allow 144 yards and 3 touchdowns to Mike Hart on their home ground, and they definitely do not allow what transpired in Glendale to happen. Well, it looks like Laurinaitis and his collective gang of head hunters agreed with me, because watching all of the linebackers play yesterday, I couldn't help but be impressed at the progression that each of these kids have made since last season. Last year, the linebackers fooled everyone into thinking that the defense was good, until they got truly exposed in the final two games. This year, everyone knew that the defense would be experienced (the only linebacker to graduate was John Kerr, and you guys know how I feel about him), but the question of "will these guys actually be good?" was completely up in the air. A lot was made of these guys' speed last season, but it seems as if this year they have added some strength and smarts on to that speed, and have made themselves a group to be reckoned with. Larry Grant probably had the best game of any of the linebackers, finishing with four tackles, two sacks, one pass break up, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered, one 87 yard touchdown, and three tackles for loss. If Curtis Terry continues to struggle against the pass, Grant could very quickly overtake his spot. Other linebackers who played well include James Laurinaitis (6 tackles, 3 solo, 1 TFL), who looked much stronger than the end of last year, and he also was clearly the defensive leader on the field yesterday. He may not be a captain since he's only a junior, but I have a good feeling that just about everyone on the defensive side of the ball is going to be answering to him come the season. Marcus Freeman took an interception to the house, and in the process he looked very, very fast. Austin Spitler was one of the surprises on the day, finishing with six tackles, including one very sure-handed solo tackle on the highly evasive Ray Small.

Maurice Wells
With Beanie Wells out of the game due to a bum ankle, Maurice Wells was the only experienced tailback playing. Before he even took a carry, I was immediately impressed with how much he actually looked like a running back this season, in contrast to that quick little guy with dreadlocks we've gotten so used to. He has clearly put on some muscle, and his running style is changed to a much more aggressive, down field style. His final stat line on the game was a modest 14 carries for 48 yards, but I am no longer as worried as I previously was about our running back situation. When Beanie needs to be spelled, it really shouldn't be all that big of a problem.

Devon Lyons and Albert Dukes
It seems like every year for the past couple of years these two players have been highly anticipated, only to either get lost to injury or lost in the shadow of other receivers. Well, with the recent loss of Ginn and Gonzo, these two guys are going to get their fair share of licks out on the field, and it looks like each of them has worked hard in order to embrace his role. Lyons in particular was impressive, mainly because he brings a big, over the middle target to the field. He stands at 6'4", 214 lbs, and made a real big target for the young quarterbacks to throw to. He finished the game with 3 catches for 72 yards, all the while showing incredible ability to get open, make the tough catch, and move with the ball. Dukes, on the other hand, looked like he had been playing with Schoenhoft since Pop Warner. He too only had three catches (20 yards), but he was thrown to a lot more than that. Granted, getting thrown at so often could simply be a failure on the quarterback's part to make his progressions, but often times, Dukes was open and the throw just wasn't there.

Players that need to do more
Antonio Henton
Henton was by far the player that the fans were most anxiously awaiting to see play the most. And I'm not going to lie, I was anxious, too. I would love to be wrong about this guy, I really would. But seeing him play today only strengthened my argument that there isn't a snowball's chance in hell that this guy comes in as a freshman and instantly becomes the next Troy Smith. He has all the potential to do it, but like most freshman quarterbacks, he really only has the physical attributes, and still has a lot of learning to do. He threw three interceptions on the day, two of which were just the kind of throw that an inexperienced kid is prone to making. He didn't completely analyze the defense, and someone popped up and made the interception. On the first drive of the game, he was about to set the world on fire, too. He had made some nice runs (Troy Smith comparisons began roughly .4 seconds after the play ended), and also had a real nice throw over the middle to Devon Lyons that was both strong and accurate. However, he then made a throw right to Marcus Freeman, who went on to score a touchdown the other way. There are still plenty of positives to take from his game, however. When he runs with the ball, he does it like a scrambling quarterback should: He looks for holes, runs through them, and then makes some guys miss. He doesn't run around like a chicken with his head cut off. He is incredibly quick and agile, perhaps more so than Troy Smith. He also has a rocket for an arm, which means that if he can ever put all of these tools together, he could be a special player.

Both offensive lines
The pass protection, especially in the first half, was absolutely horrid at times. Granted, likely captain Kirk Barton was injured and did not play in the game, but one person is not responsible for an entire line. None of the quarterbacks really had any time to throw whatsoever, which could have played a role in their mistakes throughout the game.

Dexter Larimore and Nader Abdallah
These guys are going to have to step it up this year, there is really no way around it. Doug Worthington and Dexter Larimore (Both on the Scarlet team) are the likely starters at defensive tackle this year, but due to the fact that the team lost it's three top interior linemen from last year, two of which were team captains, depth is a huge issue. Abdallah has waited his turn for quite some time, and seems to be finally getting down to good playing shape, but when he and Larimore were lined up side by side yesterday, they just seemed to get tossed around by the interior offensive line, especially on running plays. There were way too many holes in the middle of the line for the running backs to go through, and they're just fortunate that the linebackers had their backs all game. The only problem with the linebackers cleaning up after the defensive tackles, is that it usually happens about five yards down field. Now I'm no math major, but five yards without getting touched is a whole heck of a lot for a walk-on running back to be getting in a scrimmage.

Other Game Notes:

Although Schoenhoft played well, and Henton wasn't so hot, Boeckman will still almost definitely be the opening day starter. Boeckman showed a great arm, and with his experience on the team, he will get the first chances at quarterback. However, all three guys will get their licks.
The kickoffs were moved back as part of the new clock rules. Ray Small handled most of the returning duties, and he was really impressive when he got a chance to run it back. The kickoff coverage gave him plenty of lanes to run through, and his speed/athleticism did the rest. Don't be surprised if he takes a couple to the house this year.
Chris Wells was interviewed during the game, and he said his ankle was at about 90%. Benching him was pretty much a precautionary measure, and he will definitely be ready to go in no time.
Some of the basketball players were "honorary coaches" during the game today (whatever that means). Mike Conley and Daeuquan Cook were Gray coaches (Jim Tressel's efforts to get them to stay?) and David Lighty and Jamar Butler coached the scarlet team.
I'll give a grade of "incomplete" to the entire secondary. Three key members, Anderson Russell, Jamario O'Neal, and Andre Amos did not play due to injury. Reshirt freshman Chimdi Chekwa got a lot of playing time, but during one drive, he got burned by Brian Robiskie on the same exact route twice within a span of three plays. Both times, however, ex-linebacker turned safety Tyler Moeller bailed him out by hitting Robo a la Mike Doss.
On the second of those hits, Robiskie limped off the field with a bruised knee. Initial reports say that he is fine, but this is a condition that, if there are any developments, I will mention.
Official game Box Score, as well as the O-Zone's analysis can be found here and here, respectively.
Other spring game reviews: Buckeye Commentary, the Columbus Dispatch, Eleven Warriors, Scout, Rivals (if you can dish out the cash, I know I can't), and BuckNuts
Game photo gallery, as well as the source for all pictures used in this post, from the premier source for Buckeye imagery, the O-Zone

2008 Recruiting class off to a hot start

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 22:28:00 +0000

This will likely be my last post for over a week. I am leaving on vacation early Saturday, and will be too busy with pre-vacation stuff as well as school tomorrow to post.

The 2008 Buckeye football recruiting class is already shaping up to be one of the top classes in Jim Tressel's tenure. Despite having only 13 scholarships to give out (that number may rise depending on early NFL entries, transfers, etc.), the Bucks have already gained five commitments, all of whom are regarded as some of the top prospects in the state of Ohio.

The commits:
Player rankings via Rivals

Mike Adams, Offensive Tackle, Dublin Coffman (#1 in state)
When this class officially signs on next February, Mike Adams will probably considered the "star" player in this class; the guy who is the most well-known and highly anticipated by the fans. He's considered by many to be not only one of the top linemen in the state, but the entire country as well. At an overwhelming 6'7" and 308 lbs, Adams has already drawn comparisons to the likes of former great OSU linemen Orlando Pace and Korey Stringer.

DeVoe Torrence, RB/LB, Massilon (#3 in state)
The younger brother of 2007 recruit DeVon Torrence, DeVoe brings a bit different style of play to the table than his speedster brother. However, despite being 215 lbs, DeVoe has been clocked in the 4.4 range in the 40 yard dash. As a junior, DeVoe had over 1,600 total yards, while tallying 17 touchdowns. Defensively he may have even been more dominant, with 127 tackles, six sacks, three recovered fumbles, and one interception. However, the Ohio State coaching staff recruited him primarily as a running back, promising that if he committed, they would not recruit another tailback in this class.

Jake Stoneburner, WR/TE, Dublin Coffman (#5 in state)
See below.

DeVier Posey, WR, Cincinnati LaSalle (#6 in state)
DeVier Posey is every bit as good a person as he is an athlete. And he's a great athlete, too. At 6'3" 190, Posey is a prototypical wide receiver that will be a perfect fit as a Buckeye. His 1,900+ all-purpose yardage gained him All-Ohio honors and a serious look from the coaching staff. His GPA, a perfect 4.0, is icing on the cake. We've seen what strong students (Krenzel, Gonzalez) capable of, especially in crunch time. His athleticism on top of those academics could make him a great one.

Ben Buchanan, P/K, Westerville Central (#15 in state)
It's sometimes odd for a kicker to receive a scholarship so early in the process, especially when scholarships are already so tight. Buchanan has spent plenty of time working with numerous kickers that you may remember, including a guy named Nugent. There's no denying the importance of a solid kicking game in Tressel's system, as Nugent, Huston, Groom, and Sander have all become celebrities despite small roles. Buchanan could easily be the next in line of great Buckeye specialists.

Other top players with offers that could commit:
OL Michael Brewster, Edgewater, Florida
OL J.B. Shugarts, Klein, Texas
OL Kyle Long, Charlottesville, Virginia
QB Terrell Pryor, Jeannette, Pennsylvania
WR Cordale Scott, Cleveland Glenville
LB Shayne Hale, Monroeville, Pennsylvania
LB Andrew Sweat, Washington, Pennsylvania

Exclusive Interview with a 2008 commit
Jake Stoneburner is one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. He's tall (6'6), big (223 lbs), and fast (4.53 forty). Essentially, his versatility makes him any coach's dream. There has been much debate as to whether Stoneburner will be used primarily as a tight end, or as a Roy Hall-type receiver that will create mismatches in the secondary. Jake recently took the time to discuss this and a few other things with me, the interview is posted below.

Pfef: You're being recruited as a wide receiver, but most would consider you a tight end in the long run with your height/weight. Where do you expect to be lining up when you're playing on a consistent basis?

Jake: I think i will end up as a Flex TE, because I think that I can get up to about 240 in weight, but be able to keep my speed.

Pfef: What's the best part about being a Buckeye?

Jake: Best part of being a buckeye is getting to play at the shoe.

Pfef: Everything is bigger at the college level: The players, the fan base, the media exposure, and perhaps most importantly, the pressure, are just a few. How do you plan on handling the transition from High School to College?

Jake: I plan on handling the pressure by asking fellow teammates for help, asking my parents for help when I need it. Its going to be tough, but I'll have to stick through it because it will only get me ready for the NFL.

Pfef: Do you expect to make an immediate impact on the field, or do you think you'll redshirt?

Jake: I think that I can make an immediate impact because they really don't have any players like me on their team.

Pfef: Tell us all a bit about Mike Adams. He's widely thought of as the top prospect in the state. What makes him such a great player?

Jake: Mike is one of my great friends and he is just a huge monster. He is very big, yet very agile for his size and really has unlimted potential.

Pfef: Of course, you still have one more season of high school before you don the Scarlet and Gray. With you, Adams, WR Trey Fairchild, and LB Steve Gardiner all having major D-I offers, the talent on the Coffman team is unquestionable. How realistic is a state championship for you guys?

Jake: The State Championship is our #1 goal. We all seem to think it is very achievable especially with what we have coming back from last year's team that made the regional finals.

Football is back!

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 01:55:00 +0000

That's right, folks. While the OSU basketball team is in the midst of a Final Four run, the football team is quietly preparing for the Spring Game set for later in April. The official spring depth chart has been released, and despite the fact that this very well may be a "rebuilding season," the very sight of a two-deep, much less some early previews from coach Tressel himself, makes me weak in the knees.

Initial Depth Chart overview:
note: This depth chart does not include any incoming freshmen

Boecking the trend
It makes sense to begin with the one area that will undoubtedly be the most heated topic of discussion to hit the Buckeye nation since last November: the Quarterback battle. Some of you may remember, but I took a brief look at all three of Boeckman, Schenhoft, and Henton shortly after the season ended. In short, I voiced that "my guy" in this race was the oft-overlooked Schoenhoft, while the general public would vouch for Henton due to his Troy Smith-like talents, and the coaching staff would almost unquestionably give Boeckman the first shot at quarterback because he has been with the team the longest. Well, as the depth chart unsurprisingly reveals, the man at quarterback is none other than Mr. Boeckman, followed by Robbie Schoenhoft. The depth chart does not venture any further than that, but it can be assumed that Henton is third in the pecking order and Joe Bauserman, a 2004 recruit that opted for professional baseball but is now walking-on, is buried at the end of the bench.

The real Block-O
The offensive line has three familiar names taking up starting roles: junior Alex Boone (LT), junior Steve Rehring (LG), and senior Kirk Barton (RT). It is especially important to note that two of the returning starters will be on the left side of the line, the side that has the responsibility of protecting the quarterback's blind side. The less an inexperienced quarterback gets sacked, the more confidence he will have, so the importance of the overpowering talent of Boone and Rehring on the left cannot be emphasized enough (whether or not Boone can learn to pass block consistently is a matter for another time, as of now I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt). One of the two new guys penciled in to start is center Jim Cordle, a man who for a couple years now has been referred to as an "heir apparent" to Nick Mangold, but a mix of injuries, inexperience, and being buried in the depth chart has postponed his chance to truly prove himself until now. The new right guard, junior Ben Person, is thought of very highly by Jim Tressel. In fact, Tressel admits that Person was pushing former Buckeye T.J. Downing extremely hard for the right guard position towards the end of last season.

No Small Task
Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez accounted for roughly 54% of all receiving yards by Buckeyes last season. Now that both of them are on to bigger and better things (although nothing is better than being a Buckeye, right?), it is up to three underclassmen to help fill that offensive void. Those three are Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, and...Ray Small? Of course, Robiskie and Hartline come as a surprise to nobody, as Robiskie went from a relatively unknown to a guy scoring touchdowns in the fourth quarter against Michigan in less than a season, and Hartline's "100% effort, 100% of the time" attitude didn't go unnoticed from fans and coaches alike. However, Ray Small is currently listed as the starter at flanker over the likes of the more experienced and long-time-waiting-for-their-chance players Albert Dukes and Devon Lyons. True, Small was a top receiver prospect, posting consecutive 4.38 40 times and drawing comparisons to another ex-Glenville Tarblooder speedster, but he played very sparingly last season as a freshman, and was much more raw a receiver than Ginn was as a freshman (and Ginn was pretty raw, too). He must have done quite a bit this off-season to jump over more experienced players at the same position, something Tressel rarely does.

The Bottom Line on the Defensive Line
The area that was hardest hit by graduation this offseason was by far the defensive line. Three starters (Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson, David Patterson), as well as the most reliable backup (Joel Penton) all completely exhausted their eligibility last season, leaving junior Vernon Gholston the old man of the line. Lawrence Wilson, a man who most thought would emerge as a premier defender last season, will finally get his chance to be a full-time player, and not a guy that spelled Gholston a year ago. In limited time, Wilson has drawn comparison to Ohio State's last great pass rusher and current NFL Pro Bowler Will Smith. Backing up Gholston and Wilson at the ends will be Dublin Coffman-native Alex Barrow and the highly-touted Robert Rose. If Rose and Wilson are ever in the game at the same time, it will probably be in short yardage sets, as both are now well over 275 lbs. and could be used interchangeably as a DT or DE. The DT position will probably be the biggest question mark this season for the Buckeyes, with Doug Worthington (a converted DE), and Todd Denlinger being penciled in as starters, while the mammoth Nader Abdallah and the unproved RS-Fr Dexter Larimore are both in the two-deep.

Linebacker U. is back
There really aren't any surprises at Linebacker, but the depth at the position is once again beginning to look quite scary (for the opponents, that is). Laurinaitis will be on preseason All-American teams in no time, and if Marcus Freeman can continue where he left off in the championship, he'll be in contention for All-Big 10 honors. Ross Homan really shouldn't be considered a "backup" because he'd be starting at a ton of other major colleges around the country. Larry Grant and Curtis Terry very well may go back and forth between 1 and 2 and the strong side linebacker spot all season, and I have no problem with that, because all it means is that their competition would be making each other a better player. Even though just about all of the same names are back from last year's good (but not as great as made out to be) group, the extra year of experience should help escalate this group from good to great.

Monday roundup: It's Georgetown

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:53:00 +0000

As some of you may have heard by now, Ohio State is heading to Atlanta to take on Georgetown in the Final Four. Ohio State took care of Memphis on Saturday, led by great offensive performances from all of the usual suspects in Ron Lewis (22 points, six rebounds), Greg Oden (17 points, nine rebounds), and Mike Conley Jr. (19 points). Oddly enough, it was Conley, and not Ron Lewis who was named the MVP of the South regional, which comes as a shock to me considering Ron Lewis has arguably been the entire tournament's most outstanding player ever since the comeback against Xavier began late in the second half. He's been about as close to a complete player as it gets this entire tournament, averaging 21.75 points per game (only one game under 22 points), while at the same time being one of the team's best man defenders. This all goes without mentioning his clutch performances against Xavier and Tennessee, in which he was the catalyst for the comeback in both games.

However, lets not dwell on what didn't happen, and instead look ahead to what could happen. It was known that the final four opponent would be a rematch of some sort when Georgetown went up against North Carolina, whether it was a rematch of last year's second round tournament debacle against Georgetown or one of the season's most exciting regular season games when North Carolina topped Ohio State by 9 in Chapel Hill remained to be seen. The showdown between UNC and Georgetown looked like it was going to be a classic, until overtime rolled around and it seemed like North Carolina just got tired of trying. The Tar Heels only made one basket in the extra session en route to a 96-84 loss.

So there it is. Ohio State vs Georgetown. For the second straight year. This time, for a shot at a championship. Last season, Georgetown walked up and down Ohio State, winning by a score of 70-52. As I mentioned before, Roy Hibbert was the dominant force in the game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, both of which were game highs. However, there should be no reason to believe that this version of the game will not be as one sided -- if even the same result -- as last season's. There will be a total of six people starting this Saturday's game that did not start last season's. Of those six, four will be lacing it up for the Buckeyes, and it's not a stretch to say that three of them (Conley, Lewis, Oden) are our three best players, and each of whom will have quite large weekly paychecks come next year.

Of course, it would be incredibly naive of me to assume that Ohio State has improved dramatically since last season's meeting, while also denying Georgetown any credit whatsoever. There's an excellent reason why Georgetown is in the Final Four, and it's because of that frontcourt. Last season, Roy Hibbert was a "project" player with tremendous upside that he showed off in that second round game. This season, he is an established force in the paint and is one of the premier centers in the nation. Also joining Hibbert down low is Big East POY Jeff Green, the dynamic 6-9 player that can do a bit of everything. Green, as you may remember, was the guy who hit the controversial travel-shot with 2.5 seconds left in the Sweet 16 game against Vanderbilt. Also part of that frontcourt is the always dangerous DaJuan Summers, who despite averaging only around 9 ppg, is quite capable of exploding for 20, as he exhibited against North Carolina. And we're going to hear his name and see his dad about as much as we did with Laura Quinn in the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, so I might as well mention another formidable forward, Patrick Ewing Jr.

One player that isn't a member of the Hoya frontcourt but will be just as important in determining the outcome of the game is point guard Jessie Sapp. In just one year's time, Sapp has more than doubled his minutes played, more than tripled his point output, and more than quintupled his assists per game, all the while improving his assist:turnover ratio from 1.05:1 a season ago to 1.85 this year. Although none of his statistics are stellar by any means, his improvements from year 1 to 2 and his increasingly smart play makes him just as key a member of the Hoya team as anyone else I've mentioned.

Wow.

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 04:32:00 +0000

Un-freakin-believable.

At halftime, I was ready to come here and make a post expressing my sheer disappointment in how a team with so much talent and potential could just not show up.

Needless to say, I'm glad I bit my lip.

Thank you, Ron Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 19:34:00 +0000

My original plan for today was that, after Ohio State would easily handle Xavier, I would make a post along the lines of Who should take the last shot for the Buckeyes? where I would analyze all of the likely candidates that coach Matta could trust to take one final shot. I had also planned on naming Jamar Butler as the person who I would give the ball to if I were coach.

That's why I don't coach.

And things don't always go according to plan, either.

I always expected today to happen. I just didn't expect it to happen today. I knew that somewhere along the line, Ohio State's knack for playing down to the level of their competition would result in the Buckeyes trying to pull out an improbable miracle. The end result of this hypothetical run, of course, would be a Buckeye missing a shot, most likely a three pointer, in the final seconds. The city of Columbus would go into a state of depression, while the rest of America would rejoice at the arrival of the tournament's first "Cinderella." After all, it is March, the tournament isn't the same without upsets, and a #1 seed is going to have to lose eventually. Can't you just smell it in the air?

Well, for about 39 minutes and 51 seconds in basketball time, it appeared that that was going to happen. Then, when it seemed all hope was lost, Justin Cage's free throw rolled off the rim, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ron Lewis entered the game as a good, but not great player with an effective three point shot and the athleticism that allows him to drive to the hoop at will. He left as a never to be forgotten component of Buckeye basketball history. And it wasn't just because of that one shot, either. His performance that entire game epitomized what every Buckeye athlete should be about: Whether you're destined to be great like Greg Oden, or will bounce around from bench to bench in the NBA like Lewis very well may do, you're all part of one team, with one goal, and if you don't do everything in your power to achieve that goal, then you're no more of a help than the man across you. When it seemed like everyone else on the roster had given up, Lewis was the one guy who refused to quit. He was the one guy who gave his all. He was the one guy who fought for the win like there was no tomorrow. And when push came to shove, he was the one guy who put his team over the top. Will he be remembered as a legend like Fred Taylor, Jim Jackson, and Michael Redd? Of course not. But regardless of how the rest of this post-season plays out, he will be remembered as a guy that gave 100% effort 100% of the time. Everyone on the team can learn something from Lewis' performance today, especially the youngsters on the team. Because this time next season, Conley & Co. won't have guys like Lewis to clean up their messes.

Okay, that's enough gushing for one day. Now, it's time to get down to the somewhat "objective" part of this post. Ohio State's performance today was, obviously, far from ideal. The Greg Oden that we all came to know and love during the latter part of the Big Ten Tournament and then in the CCSU game was completely non-existent. The dynamite post moves, the thunderous dunks, the intensity on the boards, all of these things were noticeably absent from Oden's repertoire today. He shot just 41.7% from the field, a number which is pretty abysmal coming from the guy that led the entire Big Ten conference in field goal percentage during the regular season (61.4% in case you were wondering). He did, however, finish with 14 points and 12 boards, and did not play in the overtime due to fouling out. His supporting cast outside of Lewis was not much better. Mike Conley played the role of The Invisible Man in the second half, with the exception of one key steal off of an inbounds pass. He did clean up his act in overtime however, when it seemed like he just decided he was tired of playing bad, scoring 11 points in the extra session. Jamar Butler's impact on the game didn't stretch much past his 13 points, Ivan Harris didn't record a single point, and the Buckeyes didn't get a single bench point until Daequan Cook hit a three pointer in Overtime.

It seems like I say this after every game, but the Buckeyes were lucky today. There's no two ways around it. If they put up another performance like this one in the tournament, you can bet that there will be another team cutting down the nets.

Game Notes:

Greg Oden, what in heaven's name were you thinking with that last foul? Of course he had to foul there, he had no other choice, but the way he did it (shoving the guy to the ground) was far too violent, and he was lucky to not be called for a flagrant foul in that situation. Please, just wrap your gigantic arms around him the next time you're in that sitation.
Why did Matta not put in Hunter and/or Terwilliger after Oden fouled out? Without any of those three guys in the game, the biggest guy on the court was Daequan Cook, who was ineffective enough as it was. Ron Lewis took the jump ball at the start of the Overtime, also. I know that neither Hunter nor Terwilliger are the best offensive performers, but they're good enough to exploit mismatches.

Bring on the Blue Devils

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:14:00 +0000

No, not those Blue Devils. The Central Connecticut State Blue Devils, of course!

Just one complaint
The NCAA Tournament Brackets were released this evening, and after Ohio State's thumping of Wisconsin earlier today, it came as a surprise to no one that the Buckeyes were named a #1 seed. However, the Buckeyes missed out on the overall #1 seed to Florida. I do not understand how a team that backed in to their conference tournament, going on a streak in which they lost 3 of 4 to the likes of Vanderbilt (6 seed), Tennessee (5 seed), and LSU (sitting at home); none of which were close games in the least bit. Ohio State's only losses this season came at Florida (1 seed, injured Oden), at North Carolina (1 seed, no Oden), and at Wisconsin (2 seed, have beaten them twice since). This goes without mentioning that Ohio State also has the nation's top RPI, and Florida wasn't even ranked in the top 5 at season's end in either of the two major polls. I suppose I will give the selection committee the benefit of the doubt here, however. In all likelihood, they gave Florida the overall top spot, because the Big 10 Championship game today finished so late, and it would have been too late to reshuffle everything at the last minute.

Bracket Forcasting
But instead of getting wrapped up in what didn't happen, lets look at what could happen. When I filled out my bracket, I couldn't help but think that the Buckeyes seem to have the easiest route to the final four of all the top seeds. Central Connecticut should, by all rights, hardly be a blip on the Bucks' radars (but, of course, they aren't to be overlooked). The Buckeye's likely second round opponents, BYU and Xavier, are both teams that can be handled. We squeaked past Tennessee earlier in the season, but it is also worth noting that we are playing much, much better than at that time. The bottom half of this regional, however, does have some potential for terror. Memphis is a team that, despite their strength of schedule, is very capable of making it all the way to the Final Four. Teams that just benefit from easy schedules don't win 30 games two seasons in a row like Memphis has, they are definitely legit. Texas A&M plays some of the best defense in not just the Big 12, but in the entire country. They also sport college's version of Gilbert Arenas in Acie Law. Every time he throws up a shot, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, it has a chance to go in, especially in crunch time. Louisville is an energetic young team with a great coach in Rick Pitino, and Nevada has a Naismith award candidate in Nick Fazekas.

However, it appears that the road to the Final Four will be much easier than a team like Florida, which will potentially have to play Arizona, Maryland/Butler, and Wisconsin/Oregon. Maybe losing the overall #1 seed was a blessing in disguise.

Most likely 12 over 5 upset
Every season, it seems, at least one 12 seed upsets a 5 seed. This year, I like Illinois over Virginia Tech. No team out of the ACC really impresses me this season, and allegiances to the Big 10 were the deciding factors. Watch out for Arkansas against USC, though. If the Trojans play in that game like they did in the Pac 10 championship, then I have no trouble seeing the Razorbacks win it.

3 potential Cinderellas
#12 Illinois - I have them in the Sweet 16 of my bracket, beating Va Tech and So Illinois.
#6 Louisville - I don't know if a 6 seed counts as a Cinderella, but I forecast them to upset a worn-down A&M team, as well as Memphis in reaching the Elite 8.
#11 Winthrop - Honestly, I think they'll lose to Notre Dame in the first round, but they seem to be the sexy pick this year.

2 Final Four match-ups
Kansas over Oregon
Ohio State over Georgetown

1 National Champion
Ohio State over Kansas, of course

By the way, it turns out that I actually liked the uniforms OSU was sporting this weekend. I hope they make a permanent comeback sometime soon.

Someone tell Billy Packer...

noreply@blogger.com (Pfef) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 21:23:00 +0000

...that Jamar Butler is only a junior.

That game, especially the second half, was unquestionably the best basketball this team has played all season. The importance of entering the NCAAs with strong momentum is undeniable. Remember how bad Ohio State played in the Big Ten championship game last season, and how that sluggish play continued in the tournament?

Bracket analysis and other tournament-related stuff coming later.