SB Nation - Dexter Larimore

A Friday Consolidated Preview of Denver Hockey and Ohio State Football - October 23 and 24, 2009

JG2112 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:17:13 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

Say Pete, have you heard about our Buckeye leaves?

The Gopher sports world is still absorbing, digesting and getting over the news that Brook Dieter has left the Gopher womens' volleyball team. TDG always attempts to keep a balanced perspective on life and move on despite bad news, so on to this weekend's major revenue Minnesota sports tilts.

First, hockey. The Gophers salvaged one point in Grand Forks last weekend, and return home to play preseason number one ranked Denver. Way to ease into the season, Minnesota. In the interests of time and a hat tip to a well-done piece of e-prose, Gopher Puck Live has a writeup of last weekend and a preview of this weekend that I find covers anything I would have written.

Second, football. Minnesota travels to Columbus this weekend to face the 19th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. We're the Homecoming opponents. Again. The Buckeyes are doing an amazing amount of navel gazing after Purdue upset them 26-18 last Saturday, while Terrelle Pryor did his best Chris Rix impersonation. Believe me - there has been a lot of ink spilled and keystrokes wasted trying to figure out what is wrong with Terrelle Pryor. Even Pryor's HS coach decided to weigh in with some painful comments directed at Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel. Well, only somewhat painful comments.

Despite all this quibbling, there is a game to be played tomorrow, and again, thanks a lot to Purdue for ticking off the Buckeye beast. Any thoughts that Minnesota could sneak into Columbus and get a result are mostly shot. This is Ohio State's last chance to play a meaningful game (no, New Mexico State on Halloween does not count) before they play what has turned out to be the toughest three-game Big Ten stretch this season (at Penn State, v. Iowa, at Michigan). Also, like I stated earlier this week, Tressel has had exactly ONE losing streak at Ohio State (a three-game losing streak in 2004). So, a 7-5 season is not out of the realm of impossibility for Ohio State now - this is despite having around 10 five-star level recruits on their roster.

Some statistical information:

First off, this is another nauseating series for Gopher fans. The Buckeyes have won 41 of the teams' 48 meetings. Minnesota's last victory against Ohio State was a 29-17 decision in 2000 in Columbus.

Moving on, I find Pat Forde to be a college football rip-off of Gregg Easterbrook, which is probably unfair to both of them. However, I did find one very interesting morsel in Forde's column this week. Minnesota is dead last in Division I-A in plays from scrimmage per game, averaging only 57 offensive snaps. I did some quick research and found out that in 2008, Minnesota averaged 64 offensive snaps per year.

There are a couple things that could be contributing to this lack of snaps. One, obviously, can be who Minnesota is playing. Air Force ran 83 offensive plays and controlled time of possession because of their run-dominant attack (which, BTW, is top 5 nationally). Minnesota only ran 53 plays from scrimmage against AFA and that is understandable.

Last week, Minnesota only ran 40 offensive plays against Penn State. That was a combination of Nittany ball control and the Gophers' abysmal play selection and execution.

A second reason Minnesota may be getting so few plays is due to the offensive transition. The prior system used by the Gopher QBs was to use a wristband, get the quick sign in from the sideline, read the play off the wristband and get into formation (either that, or stay in the spread no-huddle). Now, Jedd Fisch utilizes a system of hieroglyphics the Egyptians would have found difficult to decipher. Weber is required to wait for the playcall to come in, then translate it in his head, then make the playcall to the team, and then set everything up. If this extra level of interpretation takes 2-3 seconds, there by itself is where a couple plays a game can be lost.

The last paragraph proves, BTW, that college football is doing itself and its fans a disservice by not allowing QBs to utilize radio in their helmets like the NFL. But, college football proves every year (BCS, disgraceful refereeing in the SEC, commentators openly politicking against teams based on their television contracts Gary Danielson) that as long as the money keeps rolling in, it could really care less if the average fan or scholarship athlete is screwed or not.

/rant.

Some quick hits about Ohio State and Minnesota:

Minnesota's passing offense is 10th in the conference. They are playing the only one that is worse tomorrow.

Adam Weber's 2009 stats: 106/190, for 1,325 yards, 6 TDs, 9 INTs. And, uh, -27 rushing yards including sacks.

Terrelle Pryor's 2009 stats: 89/159, for 1,169 yards, 10 TDs, 8 INTs. And, uh, about 377 rushing yards and 4 TDs.

A problem for tomorrow: Minnesota has the worst rushing offense in the Big Ten (103 ypg). Ohio State has the second-best rushing defense in the Big Ten (87.86 ypg). They would probably have the best had Penn State not played....Minnesota last week.

Injury news for Ohio State: RB Boom Herron is questionable, and junior DL Dexter Larimore remains sidelined with a knee injury. Brandon Saine, a speedster, is in for the BOOM, and Todd Denlinger fills in for Larimore. While Larimore is injured, however, this is how he will "soothe" himself:

Larimore is also succeeding off the football field as an accomplished ceramics artist. His work was selected to be shown at an exhibition during the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.

His apartment in Columbus includes an area where he keeps clay and a small kin.

"To be able to go in there after football -- it kind of relaxes me down and kind of soothes me from all the stress I deal with (during football)," Larimore said.

Joyous.

Here are the keys for a Gopher Victory:

(1) Figure out a way to make Terrelle Pryor a liability - this can be done by either (a) putting a quick LB on him (Keanon Cooper hello?) as a spy, by (b) forcing him to be a pocket passer, which he does not have the greatest proficiency at at this point, or by (c) causing a few three and outs in the first half, which could stir the Buckeye faithful and lead to more arguments between Pryor and his coach on the sidelines. At that point, Bauserman may become an option at QB, and if so, the Gophers have a fighting chance. Unfortunately, however, Minnesota fans can probably expect a lot of spread-read and a lot of Saine and Pryor getting the edge with their superior speed.

(2) Be cautious about taking the Purdue approach to victory - good teams correct mistakes (cliche ding). So, the expectation would be that Ohio State will be supremely focused upon stopping any sort of short passing game that the Gophers would try to copy from last week's game. In this sense, I disagree with our Buckeye brethren, who wrote:

I can personally guarantee that Minnesota is looking almost exclusively at Purdue game tape right now, and that Tim Brewster - say what you will about his coaching, he's probably not retarded - is emphasizing the quick release to Adam Weber more than ever this week.

The Buckeye defensive staff can undoubtedly self-scout, and they'd know what to address in the midweek. Sure, SOME short passing routes would be useful early to find out exactly how the Buckeyes plan to compensate for the Purdue debacle, but I'd be watching USC v. Ohio State game tape if I were the Gopher staff, because our offense is pretty similar in style to the Trojans' and will likely be able to attack the Buckeyes in a similar manner. Regardless, this is a game where the Gophers have NOTHING to lose. The expectation in Vegas is an 18-20 point loss. So, this is a perfect opportunity for:

(3) More MarQueis Gray, Hayo Carpenter, etc. - it's time to break open the playbook. Maybe the low number of plays the Gophers get each week is cutting into Gray's playing time. However, Gray is not allowed to do much other than the controlled QB keeper or misdirection play. It's time to get him some snaps in a hostile environment, that way he can be an effective weapon when the Gophers really need him - the games against Michigan State, Illinois, South Dakota State (what - they're 5-1 and beat NDSU? Great.) and Iowa which will decide the Gophers' bowl eligibility. Those teams won't be fooled by anything the Gophers have done so far this year. Inserting Gray into the game for 10 plays, mixing the pass and run, even in a losing effort, will give those Sparty fools in East Lansing more to game plan for, which may provide Weber a little more flexibility in his offensive sets (more time preparing for Gray = less time addressing Weber's playcalling tweaks).

(4) Maybe this game they should just spread it out - Ohio State's front four is every bit the behemoth Penn State's was. Both teams' combination of speed and strength were/are too much for the Gophers' offensive line. Last week, the loss of the center-playing Tow-Arnett was felt, as nothing was established in the rushing game. Perhaps spreading the Buckeyes out, utilizing Carpenter on Ohio State's nickelback, trying to create mismatches with Decker in the red zone? Anything - more imagination, and less NFL-style Fisch predictability, is necessary for the Gophers to succeed offensively tomorrow and pull the upset.

(5) Beware special teams and turnovers - Ohio State defeated Wisconsin by 20 even though they were outgained by about 200 yards. For years the trademark of Jim Tressel teams is: I'm going to pin you inside your 20 with my punter, I'm going to get good field position, I'm going to kick field goals, and then I'm going to get a third-quarter INT for a TD and beat you. Brewster has to break this tendency - a surprise onside kick, a fake punt, a blocked punt, something quirky in the special teams (in addition to Stoudermire's excellent returns) has to happen tomorrow to flip Tressel's script.

Weather? It should be cloudy and about 50 tomorrow at gametime. Good.

Prediction? The overriding theme here is that the Buckeyes had their worst loss in the Jim Tressel era last Saturday and has had one losing streak under Tressel. The Gophers are going to pay for the Purdue loss last week, because I think Brewster will try to copy Purdue's gameplan, and Tressel will be ready with a counter.

Ohio State 27 - Minnesota 10.

Badger Bits: Flu reaches Columbus

Jbharris87 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:43:33 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

2 months ago: FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2009, file photo, Wisconsin's Scott Tolzien (16) throws as pass during the first half of an NCAA football game against Michigan State in Madison, Wis. Tolzien waited four years for his first collegiate start. Now he's facing his greatest challenge so far, taking his 5-0 Badgers into Ohio Stadium to face No. 9 Ohio State on Saturday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

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Reports out of Columbus indicate that the flu bug has been making its way through the Ohio State football team. With defensive tackle Dexter Larimore already ruled out of this week's showdown with the Badgers due to a knee injury, don't be surprised if the Buckeyes' short-handedness presents some challenges for them Saturday. Andrew Miller and Mike Adams, the two players who have started at left tackle for Ohio State this season, both have the flu and could be out. Head coach Jim Tressel said there were "at least five or six names" on the flu report.

But if Tressel is following the same approach Bret Bielema took when the Badgers went through their own saga with the ailment a few weeks ago, that number could be much higher in reality. Following their 34-31 double-overtime win over Fresno State, Bielema confirmed what was first reported here on Bucky's 5th Quarter, that over 40 players were affected by the flu in the week leading up to the game. During the week, Athletic Department officials were tight-lipped about the actual number of sick Badgers and wouldn't confirm that any more than ten were ill.

It doesn't sound like the outbreak in Ohio is nearly as serious as the one in Madison in September. Still, expect Tressel to continue to give conservative estimates as to the number of players impacted so that Wisconsin will not be able to plan on attacking the weakened personnel. If, indeed, two starting left tackles are held out of this game, the defensive end trio of O'Brien Schofield, J.J. Watt and Louis Nzegwu could have a big day.

Here are your Badger Bits for Thursday:

UWBadgers.com - First & Goal: Oct. 8

UWBadgers.com - Five things to know about David Gilreath

UWBadgers.com - Badgers hold teleconference

JSOnline.com - Mental errors need fixing

JSOnline.com - DT Butrym getting back his mobility

JSOnline.com - UW assistant Cooks looking for consistency from Henry

JSOnline.com - Motivational speaker visits UW players

BadgerBeat.com - Badgers' balancing act bodes well

BadgerBeat.com - Inside the Big Ten: Rare bye a boon amid bumps and bruises

BadgerBeat.com - Around the Big Ten: Rush hour traffic slow against Iowa

BadgerBeat.com - Blog: UW men's hockey tries to keep flu at bay

BadgerBeat.com - 16 UW men's hockey games on TV

BadgerBeat.com - Tight bond persists between Badgers' Henry, Buckeyes' Rolle

BadgerBeat.com - Lucas: Borland 'going to be a special player,' ESPN's Spielman says

BuckeyeXtra.com - Caught in throws

BuckeyeXtra.com - Of knees and running backs (Blogging the Buckeyes)

BuckeyeXtra.com - OSU notebook: Offensive line's depth gets tested because of illness

BuckeyeXtra.com - Wisconsin's Clay filling Dayne's outsized shoes

BuckeyeXtra.com - College football notebook: Decision on Tebow likely to come late

BuckeyeXtra.com - College football schedule

ESPN.com - Big Ten blog: Wisconsin's Clay grows up fast on the field

ESPN.com - Big Ten blog: Big Ten picks: Week 6

ESPN.com - Big Ten blog: What to watch in the Big Ten: Week 6

ESPN.com - Big Ten blog: Gophers can't let emotions linger

ESPN.com - Big Ten lunch links

Oh noes, the flu!

Sam @ WWAHT — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:00:40 -0000

It appears that the dreaded flu going around the college football landscape (and landscape in general, I guess) has finally hit our beloved Buckeyes, and it couldn't come at worse time. According to the internets, at least the following players are known to have, or have had the flu:

Mike Adams

Jake Ballard

Andy Miller

Michael Brewster

and Jon Thoma, of course, started it all off the week after the USC game. All in all, "five or six" players are sick, and it may result in JB "False Starts" Shugarts as your starting LT. Shugarts will be working against Badger pass-rushing terror O'Brien Scofield, so this should give pause to any blowout thoughts you might be having. Brewster and Ballard are apparently healthy enough to play, but I'd expect them to be getting spelled more often than usual. Fortunately, most of the attrition outside of the tackle spot is happening at positions at which we can afford a temporary loss or two, and even at tackle, Marcus Hall can provide competent depth if and when Shugarts gets winded. But even with everyone healthy, Wisconsin was going to be a tough game. Now, missing the top two left tackles as well as the injured Dexter Larimore, it's positively scary.

The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 6

Law Buckeye — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:54:25 -0000

Is this an easy week, or a hard week? You tell us.

1. PURDUE at MINNESOTA, 12:00 p.m. EST (10/10), ESPN 2

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts MINNESOTA by 7

I have a vendetta against the Gophers which is slowly being whittled away. I love TCF, I respect the originality of the offense as the OC Fisch is trying new things, and Eric Decker is the best wide receiver in the Midwest. All reasons I should pick the Gophers here against the stumbling Boilers. Buttttt I doubt, I doubt. Purdue has to win a Big Ten game sometime right? Not yet.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MINNESOTA by 7

I picked Purdue last week, and it bit me in the ass. I also watched Minnesota give away a comeback at home against Wisky. The Boilermakers haven't been able to plug their leaky secondary. I think Mini is the next team to exploit the best 1-4 squad in the FBS. Take comfort Purdue fans, after this week, I'll be confident calling you the best 1-5 team in the history of college football.

2. MICHIGAN STATE at ILLINOIS, 12:00 p.m. EST (10/10), Big Ten Network

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts MICHIGAN STATE by 14

Oddly enough, Vegas gives the 2-3 Spartans a four point edge here. I would think the news of Eddie McGee starting would give Vegas a bit more confidence in a win for Mark Dantonio's troops. However, McGee is a better thrower than Juice Williams, plus you could feel the pressure of expectations for Juice weighing down the Illini program. MSU needs to be less conservative overall - the Spartans should have won by 20 points over Michigan last week.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts MICHIGAN STATE by 7

The Illini are thankful that they finally have an opponent they can beat. Unfortunately, the Spartans now have a pulse in the wake of their second consecutive triumph over "Big Brother." I say the most efficient quarterback in the Big Ten puts up big quarter returns against a JV Illinois secondary. Even if the Spartans struggle to pass, they'll be able to run against the worst rush D in the conference. Benching Juice Williams is a temporary solution at best. The Spartans pick up a win on the road against a piecemeal home crowd.

3. WISCONSIN at No. 9 OHIO STATE, 3:30 p.m. EST (10/10), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts OHIO STATE by 10

Vegas gives the Bucks 14, which seems a bit high. Wisconsin has talented wide receivers and Garrett Graham, plus an effective quarterback in Scott Tolzien. Obviously the oddsmakers have a strong belief in a Buckeye defense that is the best in the Big Ten. Law Buck respects the Badgers for always playing Ohio State tough, but toughness won't be enough to overcome the resurgent Terrelle Pryor and the crazies at Ohio Stadium.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts OHIO STATE by 10

Wisconsin always plays us tough. At 5-0 the Badgers are the only perfect BCS team to be unranked in the AP poll. Then again, they haven't beaten an FBS opponent by more than 8 points. I'm impressed with the run/pass balance Wisky has been able to strike under second-string quarterback turned savior Scott Tolzien. The Badgers are 14th in the country in rushing. The Buckeyes are No. 10 in the country in rushing defense. My biggest concern here is the loss of nosetackle Dexter Larimore. The loss of this chokehold is something bruiser John Clay will strive to exploit. I think Ohio State compensates by stacking the box, forcing Tolzien to beat us through the air. He won't be able to. The Buckeyes hold down the fort with a shotgun centered run-attack, leaving just one undefeated team in the conference.

4. No. 1 FLORIDA at No. 4 LSU, 8:00 p.m. EST (10/10), CBS

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts FLORIDA by 10

The Tigers are primed to be blown out after two wins that could be best described as "lucky." The offense is uninspiring and not cohesive enough to score 30 on Florida. Whether ManGodChild plays or not, the Gators talent is going to make LSU a Blue Bayou. Ooo here's some Roy Orbison lyrics from his epic, Blue Bayou:

I'm going back someday
Come what may
To Blue Bayou
Where the folks are fine
And the world is mine
On Blue Bayou
Where those fishing boats
With their sails afloat
If I could only see
That familiar sunrise
Through sleepy eyes
How happy I'd be

LAW BUCKEYE predicts FLORIDA by 14

LSU is No. 1 in every computer poll at present. What the machines don't know is how abysmally mediocre they've looked to date. The Tigers should have lost two weeks ago against Mississippi State. The Tigers should have lost last week against Georgia. This week, lady luck runs out when this reptile with lipstick proves it can get by on more than good looks alone. Whether its Tebow or Brantley, the Gators roll on the road -- avenging their 2007 defeat in the valley.

5. MICHIGAN at No. 12 IOWA, 8:05 p.m. EST (10/10), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts IOWA by 10

Vegas makes Iowa an 8 point favorite and if we learned anything from last week (MSU-3 over UM), it's that Vegas reads Michigan pretty well. The Tate Forcier zone read run proved ineffective against both Indiana and Michigan State. Those defenses don't hold a candle to Iowa's bullies, so RichRod is going to have to adapt. I can't, in good faith, pick Michigan here. This Wolverine defense has shown no ability to stop the passing offenses of even mediocre Big Ten teams.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts IOWA by 10

What Graham won't tell you is that Michigan is still premature. Their best win is a squeaker over Notre Dame, a team that will be put in its place next week when USC stages another slaughter in South Bend. The biggest blip in this matchup is Tate Forcier's ability to move in space. Scrambling quarterbacks have frustrated the Hawkeyes on more than one occasion this season (see Northern Iowa's Pat Grace and Arkansas State's Corey Leonard). I think Iowa's defense will wear out the little engine that could. Ricky Stanzi lights up the night and the Hawks fly to 10 in a row.

Pride And Dignity

Sam @ WWAHT — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 04:18:51 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

3 months ago: Ohio State wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher (12) runs for a 56-yard gain after a reception, between Southern California defenders Malcolm Smith (6) and Josh Pinkard (36) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)

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Alright, we didn't pull it out. We dominated the proceedings for about three quarters. We didn't quite choke, but we didn't win. I'm not pissed. I'm not calling for anyone's head. For the most part, Jim Tressel called an excellent ballgame. Congratulations to the Trojans. Outside of some early chippiness, they were all class.

Still, we're left with basically what we had entering the game: a prolonged losing streak to the best of the best. What's worse, it's not like USC played the game of their lives. Barkley was far from perfect, it took McKnight three quarters and ten minutes to wake up, and Damian Williams was mostly pulling a disappearing act in between the occasional jaw-dropping catch. But we had a whole freaking lot to do with all that.

The Good

- Let's start with the obvious: the defensive line. On every USC drive but the two most critical ones (the field goal before the half and the TD at the end), they were phenomenal. Lights out. That USC line is still a collection of five first rounders, and Thaddeus Gibson, Nathan Williams, Cameron Heyward, Dexter Larimore, even Rob Rose, all gave them everything they could handle. For an extended period of time, USC's makeshift strategy to slow them down was to just hold them. The Trojan running game never got untracked, and Barkley never got comfortable. Simply the best performance I've seen out of the front four since 2002, hands down.

- The secondary. Yes, there were big plays here and there, but Damian Williams never went ape like I thought he would. I think a lot of this had to do with the presence of Jermale Hines, and the non-presence, outside of some nickel packages, of Anderson Russell. Big ups to Chimdi Chekwa for locking down Williams most of the night.

- Brian Rolle. Brian freaking Rolle. Studmundus. Plays with speed simply unheard of the past few years at OSU at the LB position, and hits like a ton of bricks. He's already the next great Ohio State LB.

- Daniel Herron. USC's defensive front was swarming, but when there was a hole, Herron found it. No, his stats aren't eye-opening, but if you watched the game, you know he ran with vision and toughness, especially on 3rd down.

- Brandon Saine. While the FB looks seemed to go away after a while, when it was deployed, it worked beautifully. Saine just has excellent hands and will be a bona fide weapon at the end of the season.

- The playcalling. Let me explain myself: much of what Jim Tressel did broke all sorts of tendencies, and consistently kept the USC defense off balance. It was aggressive, it was varied, and in general, it was far from the vanilla stuff we're used to seeing. More on this later.

The Bad

- The execution. This isn't just coach-speak. This is also why the offense's numbers aren't the sexiest. Pryor was staring down receivers, Bryant Browning still cannot pull to save his life, and the downfield blocking was non-existent. This makes Herron's day all the more commendable, but makes Tressel's playcalling, which I thought was mostly great, look a whole lot worse than it actually was.

- One really, really bad defensive playcall - putting Ross Homan one-on-one with Joe McKnight. This single brainfart basically cost us the game. I hope Heacock isn't given too hard a time for it, because it was one missed note in what was otherwise a symphony of aggressive looks, blitzing and stunting.

- Towards the end of the game, I noticed OSU reverting to some softer looks on the outside, which made some of USC's shorter stuff work. The press had been excellent up to that point, but I imagine Heacock made this decision because he didn't want that fullback wheel burning us again.

- Settling for a field goal in the 2nd quarter. God almighty, our QB is 6'6", 240 pounds, and on the one-yard line we're taking a five step drop and handing it off to a 190-lb tailback? Cue my smarmy Denis Leary-from-the-Direct-TV-commercials incredulous face. I love Boom and all, but I'm never going to rely on him to pick THAT up against THAT defense.

The Downright Confusing

- Uh, Pryor? Dude, you got off to such a hot start. I mean, after that pick and everything, but... settle down, man. There were times when he wasn't even getting pressured and the Todd Boeckman Happy Feet came out. I give him a solid B-minus on the day - that 3rd down conversion on the ground was magnificent, as were his passes to Dane Sanzenbacher, DeVier Posey and Brand: Insaine. But he's just not a consistent quarterback right now. The arm-punts have mostly gone away, but he's still overthrowing 6'7" guys like Jake Ballard and tossing prayers off his back foot. He's just a sophomore, so I'm not even close to worried about his progress yet, but seeing such greatness trammeling itself with boneheaded mistakes is heartwrenching.

- The offensive line. Periods of surprising dominance interspersed with "here we go again" flopping and lollygagging. Overall, I think they did well too; it's USC, and that they didn't have 7 sacks at the end of the day is partially a testament to both Cordle and Miller for limiting the Trojans' bevy of pass rushers just enough to keep the offense intermittently functional. However, a lot of their success can also be attributed to Pryor's ability to scoot once he feels pressure. As surprisingly decent as the pass-blocking was, the run blocking was tough. They simply could not move the Trojans backward, and really, most teams can't, but tonight was especially brutal. The defense gave these guys all sorts of chances to score, and they just couldn't do it.

- This isn't an Ohio State thing, but where was the fullback wheel for USC? The way OSU was loading up against the run, it would have worked for at least a good 15 yards. Instead, Havili got one touch on the night that I can remember off the top of my head.

All in all, I'm proud of this team. They came out and fought. They didn't lie down and take it like many in the media wanted them to. For those of you out there currently in despair at what you'll hear from Cowherd, Mark May et al. this week: calm down. Turn the radio off. Turn the TV off. Read a few blogs where people usually know what they're talking about. Anyone who watched this game tonight will know that it was an epic battle between two talent-stacked teams. USC preserved their OOC win streak. Ohio State preserved something else, even if no one outside of Ohio is willing to admit it: its pride. Its dignity. It played with a passion and a fire I haven't seen from this team in years. It actually looked like it wanted to be on the field. Like it wanted to prove its detractors wrong. The knowledgeable detractors will probably look at this game and at least make some changes to their criticisms. The idiots... well, they'll always be there. Screw 'em.

I'm not "settling" for keeping it close. I'm frustrated and tired. I've got a headache that probably won't go away for a few days. But I simply won't deny that I'm glad we made them earn every single yard.

Our boys fought. Like fucking warrior poets. That's more than can be said for what we saw in Glendale, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. I am damn proud of my football team tonight.

Go Bucks.

Bucknotes used the googles, got a good LOL to start the day

Sam @ WWAHT — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:45 -0000

When you google "Trojan running backs", expecting to get intimidated, and yet you get some solid LOLverines material, you know it's gonna be a good day

Stopping the Run, not Barkley, key for OSU defense
Jim Heacock has done his homework: over the past three years, USC is 2-4 when held under 100 yards rushing. Unfortunately, both of those victories came against Big Ten squads: Penn State in '08 and Michigan in '06. Of course, in those games, USC had upperclassmen quarterbacks going berserk on iffy secondaries. USC will not have that advantage this time around.

Offensive line's struggles just 'miscommunication' that can be fixed: Ohio State Insider - cleveland.com
That means we'll be seeing massive improvements this weekend, then, yes? It's true though; while the line struggled last week, only once do I genuinely recall someone getting physically beat, and it was Andy Miller in the midst of an extended drive. Of course, he was still getting beat by someone from Navy.

'11 FL DB Lamarcus Brutus (Official Offer) - BuckeyePlanet Ohio State Forums
Florida DB was born to be a Buckeye.

Ohio State's loss is Kansas' gain
Remember Bradley McDougald, the 6-2 safety from Dublin who originally committed to Ohio State before the staff backed off? Well, he ended up at Kansas, and is now playing receiver. He caught 2 passes for 49 yards in his first game. Scuttlebutt says Tress wanted him at safety and only safety.

Deconstructing: Setting Terrelle Pryor free against USC's new D - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports
Chris Brown from Smart Football's Ohio State O/USC D preview drinks my preview's milkshake

The Buckeye Battle Cry | 5 reasons Ohio State will beat USC
Optimists out there: read this for more ammo: Pessimists out there: read this if you need some talking down from the ledge.

Ohio State's Pryor faces defining game - Big Ten - ESPN
Ack, God. Why is his defining game the 2nd game of his second year on the field? I know this game means a ton for the program as a whole. But how can one know this is Terrelle Pryor's watershed game? How do we know his coming out party (cue gay jokes) won't be against Penn State in Happy Valley? Or in the bowl game? What if he has 500 yards of total offense against an improved Michigan? Why does it have to be USC? Can he not have a breakout game after this?

Twitter / Jake Stoneburner: @pryor2two
This isn't news, but a couple days ago, apropos of nothing that can be seen on the internet, Jake Stoneburner called Terrelle Pryor a bitch. Pryor's response:

@JStoney11 pussy u better go of on sc when I get u the ball I need six seven yards a pop from u

about 9 hours ago from TwitterFon in reply to JStoney11

To which I say: lol.

Also, here's Pryor to Troy Smith a little less than a month ago:

@TroySmith10 what up my nigg

9:23 PM Aug 18th from TwitterFon

I think it's safe to say our beloved quarterback raises the conversational bar wherever he goes.

Dee Miller: Look For Pryor-to-Posey This Season
This isn't quite news either; more of an analysis from ex-Buckeye receiver Dee Miller. I link it because this site's kind of a cool concept; a lot of well-known ex-college players have been brought together to share their insight on their teams, as well as others.

Three Big Ten coaches make top recruiters' list - Big Ten - ESPN
Fickell is one of them. You're telling me Bollman, with that hat fashioned from pure sex, isn't on this list? Outrage!

BuckeyeXtra - The Columbus Dispatch : OSU notebook: Hines might replace Russell at safety
Dispatch states what everyone's been thinking the past two days.

OSU getting healthier, or not? (Blogging the Buckeyes)
DeVier Posey, Orhian Johson, Travis Howard, and Dexter Larimore should all be good for this week's game. JB Shugarts, however, has a boot on his right foot, and Taurian Washington has a brace on his right wrist. Both were probably only seeing occasional relief duty as it stands. Also: Ray Small is back in the line-up, and will see time at WR.

A Brief Look at the Trojan Offense

Sam @ WWAHT — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

Chex better check himself before he wrecks himself against Damian Williams this time around.

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Breathe a sigh of relief, Buckeye fans: Matt Barkley is still the quarterback of the USC Trojans. If there is anything we're all hanging our collective hat on heading into this game, it's that USC's signal caller is a true freshman making his first road start in one of the 5-most hostile environments in college football. If Ohio State hangs tough with the Trojans for a quarter or two, the 'Shoe is going to rock for the whole game. Barkley comes into the game as one of the most polished freshman passers we've seen in the last five years, but he goes up against one of the top-3 pass rushes he'll play in the regular season. USC will probably be able to get its running game going, but it'll have to move the ball through the air consistently if it wants to beat Ohio State. Can they do it?

How they might beat us

USC's offense is an admirable one. It doesn't have a whole lot of bells and whistles, as they say, and it excels primarily based on exceptional amounts of talent. Similar "West Coast" offenses have failed to take flight at other schools recently - Nebraska and Miami immediately come to mind - but at USC, it's literally just about plugging in the right QB and watching him work wonders. Usually, a solid running back needs to be found, but at SC, it's tougher to find a bad running back than a good one. As you have undoubtedly heard, the Trojans run five-deep at running back - Stafon Johnson, CJ Gable, Joe McKnight, Marc Tyler, and Allen Bradford each. I had this to say about two of the Trojan tailbacks in my previous USC Early Look:

Well, if you watched last year's game and didn't immediately drown your sorrows afterward, you probably remember a darting, shifty little bastard by the name of Joe McKnight. McKnight carried the ball 12 times for 105 yards against Ohio State last year, but ended the year with just 89 carries for 659 yards. Stafon Johnson actually ended up being the Trojans' leading rusher last year in their surprisingly-effective committee approach to the ground game.

The Trojans will be relying even more on this committee approach as they attempt to shepherd along a true freshman in a rowdy environment. Expect Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford both to see a carry or two as USC tries to feel out the Ohio State front seven, seeing what works and what doesn't.

USC might have four first-round draft picks on its offensive line. You know they're going to run the ball between the twenties. Last year, the Trojans could not close the deal in the red zone on the ground, so they went to the air. That's where Barkley comes in, and here's how the Trojans might get Ohio State: play-action. This is where those of you who watched Anderson Russell struggle so mightily against play-action in Ohio State's last two games might start getting antsy. USC runs the play-action like no one else in college football. What they really, really do well: the play-action boot.

I personally expect to see this play on at least three separate occasions come this Saturday, and it scares the bejesus out of me. Kurt Coleman will probably be able to come up and make that tackle if it goes right, but can you say with any confidence that Austin Spitler - last seen getting burned by the Navy FB - can cover Blake Ayles or Anthony McCoy? Chris Brown from Smart Football chimes in on this play, and others, over on Dr. Saturday:

The other trends in the offense, evident under Chow but omnipresent once he left, were the rise of misdirection passes -- i.e. bootlegs, half-rollouts, and the like -- and an increased use of vertical pass patterns. Now, some of this was to take advantage of the fact that USC had suddenly become a talent juggernaut: Why not get vertical when all your receivers, running backs, linemen and quarterbacks are headed to the NFL? But this still was a change from Norm Chow's more measured, methodical style of playcalling. The best way to observe this is to simply watch USC play and get a feel for it.

Play-action with the talent USC has at RB can be particularly brutal, especially with Ohio State's inexperienced RBs.

How we might beat them

Most would expect the clear-cut answer to be "with the pass rush" here, but with USC's talented OTs, I'm not sure how easily Ohio State will be able to bring pressure with four. Obviously, blitzing is going to play a major factor, but last year, Ohio State was blitzing aplenty and the blitzing guys were simply getting blocked. There are two reasons for this:

1) Mark Sanchez proved to be excellent at diagnosing blitzes, manipulating the pocket and throwing to his checkdowns. Whether Barkley is uncannily good at this too remains to be seen.

2) USC is a well-oiled machine when it comes to using its tight ends in RBs in blitz protection

This year, Barkley has such an excellent line that pressure with four won't be a concern. However, when Ohio State brings the pressure - and its strategy against redshirt freshman Colt McCoy leads me to believe it will - Barkley is going to have to do all the things Sanchez did as a junior to avoid taking the sack. Thaddeus Gibson is improved. Brian Rolle is faster that James Laurinaitis. This is Ohio State's one great hope to stop the USC aerial assault, because honestly, I don't have much faith in the secondary to contain someone like Damian Williams. But duh, of course Ohio State has to blitz if it wants to win. You knew hat.

The real way Ohio State might throttle the Trojan offense is simply by occupying its guards. If USC's guards can't get to the second level with any consistency, even Joe McKnight will have trouble moving the ball. Personally, I'm hoping Cameron Heyward sees a lot more time on the inside this weekend, because it's clearly his best position and he's a rock against the run in ways that Doug Worthington and Dexter Larimore are not. On USC's first few offensive possessions, watch this battle closely. If Ohio State is consistently getting a push on the interior of the USC offensive line, it should be able to keep the score manageable, which means the offense may only have to put up three or four touchdowns at the most to win.

Speaking of the Ohio State offense and, by association, the USC defense, I'll be going over that tomorrow.

Bucknotes' Totem Animal is Brian Rolle

Sam @ WWAHT — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:26 -0000

by Terry Gilliam - AP

Attack... Force!

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OSU announces football award winners from Navy game
Justin Boren snags Jim Parker OL Of The Week award, while Brian Rolle won the dweebily-named "Attack Force" award.

Tale of the tape: Navy (Blogging the Buckeyes)
Someone evaluated the Navy game tape and came away with the conclusion that the line a) made more good plays than bad ones (!) and b) the pass pro was better than the run blocking (!!) Keep in mind that whoever wrote this (either May or Gordon) isn't actually a scout, but rather a beat reporter. A couple other notes: Boren the Younger played like a frosh, Dexter Larimore looked solid (something I definitely agree with), and Tressel was unusually balanced in his first-down playcalling; 15 runs to 12 passes.

Inside the Beat: Questions loom as USC showdown nears
Ken Gordon and Tim May break down the Navy game, look ahead to USC. Gordon questions the team's leadership in letting the 2nd-half lead slip away, while May points out that Navy's unique slanting/shifting style of defense gave the offensive line many different looks, and may not be the best "barometer of progress" for the young unit. USC, on the other hand, will try to kick this line's ass in a much more straightforward manner.

Football > NCAA > Game Odds & lines at BetUS Sportsbook
USC-Ohio State line has swelled to a touchdown.

Ohio State Buckeyes football team might run option more with Terrelle Pryor - Cleveland.com
Hey, it did work on Saturday, and the line blocked well when it was called. Not sure I want to put Pryor at risk with Taylor Mays lurking in the defensive backfield.

Live from Ohio State: Tressel said passing up field goal try was a mistake: Video - cleveland.com
You know, I admit, I liked the call when it happened, as did approximately 70,000 of my fellow idiot fans. You take the points. You don't listen to your sophomore quarterback. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that. That kick would have iced the game.

Ohio State football: USC depth chart and Navy awards - cleveland.com
Anderson Russell and Austin Spitler both listed as starters. Dane Sanzenbacher listed as the #1 punt returner after a solid day against Navy.

The Buckeye Battle Cry | Looking back – Ohio State/Navy
Jeff isn't buying into all the negativity.

Stopping run USC's Pryor-ity - The Daily Breeze
Carroll again:

"He's getting more comfortable and sure of himself," Carroll said of Pryor. "He's an accurate thrower. He's really fast but doesn't look it because of his long stride, like Vince Young. He's hard to tackle." Carroll said even during Saturday's 56-3 rout of San Jose State, the Trojans' tackling left something to be desired. That's even more worrisome with Pryor the opposing quarterback. "We missed some tackles. More than I'd like," Carroll said. "The quarterback is almost untackleable, if that's a word. We have to work on tackling."

USC's Matt Barkley to face a tough crowd next at Ohio State -- latimes.com
Carroll again:

"It was a great crowd then and it's even better now," Carroll said Sunday. "Their fans are loud and awesome. If they get it going, it's really hard."

Here's an encouraging thought from the above article: USC has yet to face a premier non-Notre Dame OOC opponent on the road immediately following a game under Pete Carroll. Auburn, Virginia Tech (on a "neutral" field in Landover, Md.) and Arkansas were all season openers, while the trip to Nebraska came after a bye week. This will probably end up being the loudest stadium Matt Barkley will ever have the privilege of playing in. I think it'll be louder than the Texas game if the Buckeyes stick around for an extended period of time.

The 1974 Rose Bowl: An Exercise in Redemption | Our Honor Defend
Another look at a previous Ohio State-USC game, this one a Buckeye victory. The last victory Ohio State has had in the series, too.

Flashback: Ohio State vs. USC, 1990 | Eleven Warriors
I was still in diapers when this game happened. Cooper called for a suspension of the game down 9 in the second half on account of a thunderstorm, but only if the Buckeyes failed to recover a late onside kick. They did not, and the game ended. People did not like this. I'm surprised people were this patient with Coop, but their patience ended up paying off.

The pads... they are a poppin'

Sam @ WWAHT — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:00:12 -0000

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am"

Today heralds the coming of the real most wonderful time of the year: fall practice is in session, starting spots are up for grabs, and football season is mind-bogglingly close, like a hobo waiting to shank you in the night. Only, an awesome hobo whose shank brings countless hours of watchable sports television. I wouldn't watch an hour of a Cleveland Indians baseball game if you put a gun to my head, but San Jose State-Fresno State at two in the morning? SIGN ME UP, HOSS. Bid adieu to your significant others for about four months or so, ladies and gents: football is officially here.

At Ohio State, it's a season of renewal. Camp should be an interesting one; Ohio State replaces all of its skill position starters, breaks in two new linebackers, as well as at least one corner, and will be looking to find a DT that can approximate the consistency of Nader Abadallah. The legends - James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins, and Marcus Freeman, are gone - and they will be missed. But the Terrelle Pryor era is just getting started, and competition in camp is pretty damn fierce with so many spots up for grabs. Let's briefly review some of the key position battles heading into fall camp.

Left tackle - This one is coming down to Mike Adams and Andy Miller. Miller has got seniority on Adams as a redshirt-junior, and as a converted tight end, he's probably the more athletic of the two. However, Adams is the one who came in with the all-world recruiting hype, and an inability to secure a starting spot over a former TE is a bit worrisome, to say the least, for a kid who was considered the next Orlando Pace coming out of high school. Both are expected to bring a bit more of a "finesse" approach in pass pro, as opposed to Alex Boone, who blocked with all the finesse of elephant sex.

Right guard - While left tackle is probably the most important battle on the line, right guard might be the most interesting. It's possible that the most experienced player on the line - Jim Cordle - may get crowded out. I don't think that's likely, however, as his main competition is none other than Bryant "El Matador" Browning. Browning has been mercifully moved over from tackle to a position he's probably better suited for with his size and speed (or lack thereof on the latter). That this is even a competition, however, shows that Browning may have made some offseason strides. Ohio State does have the luxury of some veteran Plan B's here; both Connor Smith and Evan Blankenship could provide some quality depth at all three interior positions.

Right Tackle - In the spring, Cordle moved over to right tackle, but apparently, JB Shugarts is now the frontrunner to start. The other star tackle prospect in the '08 class, Shugarts may be the most athletic lineman Ohio State has, and he apparently plays with a bit of an edge - something this line needs. Shugarts' backup just might be Jim Cordle, who'll probably rotate over in the event of an injury.

Wide Receiver - After DeVier Posey, things get eeenteresting. I'm going to assume, for simplicity purposes, that if Ray Small remains on the team, he'll find a starting spot in the slot. But he sounds like he's in pretty deep this time. My guy, Dane Sanzenbacher, is probably the frontrunner at split end. If Ray Small is truly done, then Taurian Washington will battle with the younger guys: James Jackson, Duron Carter and Lamaar Thomas, all of whom could be dangerous weapons at that particular position.

Left cornerback - Most have Andre Amos penciled in as the starter, but apparently Devon Torrence is making the senior corner's life interesting. Amos has overcome constant bouts with injury to get where he's at, but Torrence is a converted wide receiver and two-sport athlete with very soft hands who showed more flashes in the spring than what's expected of a back-up. This isn't quite the fiercest of battles, but Torrence is definitely someone to keep an eye on throughout camp.

Defensive tackle - The main competition here is to see who's going to complement Doug Worthington. Worthington has his spot locked up as a big, quick, and most importantly experienced interior guy, but Todd Denlinger and Dexter Larimore are in a fight to the death. Or, at least to the Navy game. I personally think Larimore has the upper hand, as he was pretty solid backing up Nader in the latter stages of 2008.

There are other minor positions up for grabs - nickelback against non-spread teams (Hines has it locked down against the Penn States and Illinoises of the world, but against Wisconsin et al., they might be looking for someone else), and punter has a bit of a battle between John Thoma and Ben Buchanan, but that's really it as far as the most important positions go. Personally, I'd expect at least two of these rotations - corner and defensive tackle - to end in some form of rotation.

Position Outlook : Defensive Tackle

Sam @ WWAHT — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:13 -0000

Dougie Smooth (image courtesy cleveland.com)

Even with arguably the heaviest rotation on the entire team the past two seasons, defensive tackle is still a bit of a question mark heading into the '09 season following the graduation of Nader Abdallah. Abdallah developed into an adequate run-stuffer in 2008, after spending a few seasons either injured our out of shape. With Cameron Heyward's move back outside, the question marks are proliferating. Early in the season last year, the defensive tackles were, to put it kindly, lackluster. Against Ohio and USC the run defense got shredded, but by the time the Texas game rolled around, the unit had solidified. Perhaps Texas isn't the best example, however:

Name	G	Att	Yards	Avg.	TD	Att/G	Yards/G

36	Northern Illinois	13	501	2226	4.44	22	38.54	171.23
37	Nebraska	13	487	2210	4.54	27	37.46	170.00
38	Illinois	12	460	2034	4.42	17	38.33	169.50
39	UAB	12	435	2027	4.66	19	36.25	168.92
40	Troy	13	449	2178	4.85	23	34.54	167.54
41	Texas	13	508	2177	4.29	33	39.08	167.46
42	Indiana	12	445	2003	4.50	19	37.08	166.92
43	LSU	13	495	2168	4.38	27	38.08	166.77

As most of you probably already know, Colt McCoy was the 'Horns' leading rusher on the season, and the Bucks held them to an astonishing 54 yards of 29 attempts. Of course, it could be argued that Texas didn't need to run the ball when McCoy was dicing the secondary to the tune of 414 yards. So what is a good example of the unit solidifying? How about Penn State? Ohio State held Penn State 90 yards below its average for the season in their October meeting, and when combining that with the unbelievable amounts of pressure Ohio State applied to Daryl Clark, I think it's safe to say the entire line had jelled by that point in time. But now, Nader Abdallah, the most consistent guy on that line, is gone. In his place will be Dexter Larimore, possibly the strongest guy on the team. Larimore hasn't quite found his way yet, but if he's ever going to become a star, the time is now.

His fellow nominal starter will be Doug Worthington, a converted DE who, just using the eyeball test, still appears out of place in the center of the Buckeye defensive front at 6'7" and 276 pounds. I always worry when I see him out there, because any opposing interior lineman worth his salt will know to get under his bads and escort him into the secondary. Worthington hasn't been Pat Massey levels of bad, but the potential is at least there, against the better offensive lines on the schedule (*cough* USC *cough*). At least he knows how to pose for badass pictures in the middle of a game.

Todd Denlinger will probably be the first guy off the bench once the rotation kicks in. This is Todd's senior year, and he's probably hoping for a Nader-style breakout season after three years of frustrating inconsistency. The fierce beard and piercing stare are quite impressive, but his numbers are not. In 27 career games, he has notched 24 tackles and one sack, against Wisconsin.

Garrett Goebel will be the next guy in. A touted recruit two years ago who redshirted last year, Garrett is also quite large at 6'5" and 280 pounds but more of a wide body than all but perhaps Larimore. This kid's the future, though; if anyone's poised to be the Nader Abdallah type who actually carves out a consistent niche for himself, it'll probably be him,

A couple caveats: Both redshirt freshman Willie Mobley (seen here in the Pryor tat photo) and Cameron Heyward have the size and versatility to rotate between the inside and the outside, and the spring depth chart listed the oft-injured Mobley at DT. Mobley is basically a carbon copy of Heyward in terms of size and athleticism. I didn't include Mobley in the defensive end discussion, because I think - assume, rather - that this is where he'll stick. Now that Shawntel Rowell is apparently an academic casualty, freshmen John Simon and Adam Bellamy are going to have to play bigger roles. Whether that means field time for any of them is up in the air, but my gut says yes. Big Ten teams will work this interior hard, because it's the closest thing the front seven will have to a weakness. Thus, guys will get tired out and fresh legs will be needed. Simon and/or Bellamy will probably see late-game and mop-up action, at the very least. Watch out for Simon though - word is he's a physical freak, but the disparity in the Rivals and Scout ratings (3-star to Rivals, 36th-best DT, 5-star to Scout, fifth best DT) are a tad troubling. Nevertheless, I'm optimistic for the future of both, as both are large, and most of all wide - not bamboo sticks like Worthington, who plays his heart out but can't overcome his physical limitations in his current position.

Overall, this should be a unit that is merely good. Not exceptional. The experience and depth simply aren't there for an elite unit, and there isn't an experienced, consistent run-stuffer in the entire crop. One could develop, but until that happens, this will be the area to watch when the other guys have the ball for at least the first few games of the season.