The new Ohio Union at OSU, flashmob style. Pretty sweet digs- looks like a giant shopping mall. Enjoy:

The Buckeyes might be one of the thinner teams in the dance but with Evan Turner, anything is possible. Here’s a sweet vid to get you pumped up for the tourney:

You’re welcome.

Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come next week (and the week after). I present to you the best player in college basketball:

You’re welcome.

Ohio State - 70
Purdue - 66

How’s that taste Boilermakers? Consider Tuesday night a little payback for the football win this season.

Down by 13 and with a little over 7 minutes to go, unranked and reeling Ohio State went into West Lafayette and knocked off one-loss and 6th-ranked Purdue.

The Buckeyes were led by all-everything Evan Turner and his 32 points. If there’s a more valuable player in college basketball than Turner, I don’t know who it is; maybe John Wall at Kentucky.

And the Buckeyes got the win despite lanky white figurine Robbie Hummel nailing 8 first half 3-pointers for Purdue. The eight 3-pointers was a Purdue record, not for a half but for an entire game.

The win doesn’t really equal the damage inflicted from the Purdue football team, but it certainly helps heal the wound. Boilermaker fans- suck on that.

You’re welcome.

I love my Bucks

I’m looking forward to re-watching the Rose Bowl to break down what went down in Pasadena (unlike the last few bowl games), but the bottom line is that Ohio State made the plays when they needed to and Oregon didn’t.

Three stunners stay with me as I sit awash in the post-Rose-Bowl-glow.

First and foremost was how Ohio State came out passing. 37 passing attempts is not something I thought would have been anywhere near the realm of possibility. In my mind, the gameplan was very obvious- ball control run game on offense eventually wearing down a smaller defense and bend but don’t break keep-it-in-front-of-you defense. Maybe the obvious nature of the offensive opportunity was the point and why Jim Tressel and his staff remain smarter than I am, at least when it comes to football.

The gameplan is one thing, but Pryor’s execution of the gameplan was tremendous. He still underthrows some balls but his pocket presence showed marked improvement, particularly his feel for when to run and when to throw. He’s just scratching the surface and assuming his progression takes a linear path, big things are in store for 2010 and 2011.

The second stunner was Ohio State’s special teams. Ohio State’s kick coverage and kick return game was horrible, borderline game changing and not in a good way.

Oregon started six of their ten drives from their own 38 yard line or better. Ohio State started seven of their eleven drives at their own 20 yard line or worse.

Those are stunning statistics when you consider that Ohio State held Oregon to only 17 points. If you told me before the game that Oregon would spend most of the game in Ohio State territory and the Buckeyes would still win, I’d have called you a liar and returned the Christmas gift I bought for you.

And speaking of the defense, the third stunner is the Ohio State D. Not only did Ohio State not allow a single 100-yard rusher for yet another game, but the defense shut down Masoli’s ability to pass and contributed to the Rose Bowl record 42-to-18 minute time of possession advantage.

You can certainly argue that had LaMichael James been able to play the entire game (he missed part in the locker room for x-rays) he might have been able to go over 100 yards, but he didn’t. He finished with 70 yards on 15 carries for a solid 4.0 ypc average.

Jim Heacock is long overdue to be mentioned by college football analysts along with the best defensive minds in the business. The personnel they recruit, the scheme, and the execution puts the Ohio State defense in the top 10 every year.

By the same token, Luke Fickel deserves similar recognition. He’s obviously got coaching chops and having spent several years now getting Tresselized and listening to Fickel in interviews, he’s due for some head coaching opportunities. It will hurt to lose him but he deserves whatever he ends up getting.

The rest of the Rose Bowl is all upside for the Buckeyes- stopping the bowl game losing streak, finding an offensive identity, improving the national perception of the Big Ten, building momentum for next year, and on and on.

Time will tell how good the ‘10 Buckeyes will be, the return of Gibson and Heyward would be a huge lift, but this is clearly a pre-season top five team next year with Miami, Michigan and Penn State at home and only road games at Wisconsin and Iowa as tough tests.

More to follow.

With the dead time between the end of the college football regular season and meaningful bowl games, I thought it might be an interesting exercise to look at Buckeyes in the NFL by position.

The data comes from ESPN and I made one change to it. Because the Jets play a 3-4 defense, Vernon Gholston is technically listed as a linebacker but I changed him back to a Defensive End. Though, if you asked Jet fans, he probably should be listed as on the “unable to perform” list.

Ohio State has 7 players at each of three different positions on active NFL rosters- Linebacker, Cornerback and Wide Receiver. With four players at Safety also, you could argue Ohio State has become Secondary U (insert Michigan joke here).

A bit surprising and at the same time not, is that Troy Smith is the only Ohio State Quarterback on an active NFL roster. Other positions with only one Buckeye include Defensive Tackle, Offensive Guard, Offensive Tackle, Kicker, Tight End and sadly, Running Back.

As for Penn State being “Linebacker U”, while that obviously is more of a historical reference for Nittany Lion fans, the present clearly doesn’t support that claim. PSU has four linebackers on active NFL rosters and two of those are Tim Shaw and Cameron Wake, both of whom I had to look up because I had never heard of them.

Here’s the full list of active Buckeye players for your perusal:

You’re welcome.

Ricordati headed to South Bend?

As heard on the radio show he co-hosts in Columbus in the afternoon, Mike Ricordati indicated he may be interested in taking over the head job in South Bend. The move, despite being a lateral one from afternoon Columbus sports talk show to Head Coach at an independent I-A football program, would be a good challenge for the veteran radio man.

Ricordati would likely use his folksy common sense and moniker of “the Common Man” to shore up recruiting and get Notre Dame back into contention for the EagleBank Bowl and other lucrative post-season swag trips.

A source at Notre Dame would not confirm if Ricordati is in fact a candidate for the vacancy left by Chuck Weis. Randy Edsall could also not be reached for comment.

Buckeye nation- prepare yourself for an infinite array of day-glo yellow and green combinations in Pasadena. And I would suspect the Eugene Back Street Boys will be there as well:

In case you missed the 2nd half, Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount made his first appearance since he got suspended for the season. At the time Blount came in, Oregon was down and Blount was the shot in the arm (or punch in the chin) the Ducks needed. Blount finished with 9 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.

picture credit here

Shame on you if you didn’t stay up for the Pac-10 party Saturday night. Here are your ten (five) answers:

1. Will Ohio State’s offense add another chapter in the bad Michigan defense story?
Ohio State 21, Michigan 10

Damn I hate it when I’m wrong. I called an Ohio State win by 10 and Tress ran up the score winning by 11. Don’t I feel sheepish. I called for a Forcier fumble too, something that was hardly going out on a limb but the timing of that was pretty excellent for the good team.

Had Pryor connected on two bombs to Posey, the game would have looked more dominating, but the outcome never really was in question. Still, the offensive plan for Ohio State has worked to near perfection the last few weeks. It remains to be seen whether or not that success carries into the bowl game, especially because the bowl opponent is TBD at this point.

2. Will the Boren brothers go “Hanson Brothers” on the Wolverines?
Ohio State 21, Michigan 10 (feels good to write that twice)

As it usually is, the action on the field stayed pretty classy. The Michigan fans on the other hand had words for the Borens all game long.

Justin and Zach provided the following statistical rebuttal: 251 yards rushing. Thank you.

3/4. Who’s going to represent the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl?
Oregon 44, Arizona 41 (2OT)
Cal 34, Stanford 28

If you’re keeping score at home, I picked both Oregon and Cal to win.

The more significant of the two games was Oregon/Arizona where the Arizona loss took them out of championship contention (glory of the Pac-10 variety only of course). Oregon now plays Oregon State on December 3rd in Autzen where the winner goes to the Rose Bowl to face Ohio State.

Despite making mistakes in the game, Jeremiah Masoli and the Duck offense would not quit. I was particularly impressed with Masoli’s guttiness and his ability to both run and pass effectively against a decent Wildcat defense (no relation to the Wildcat offense). I don’t know if it’s his diminutive stature (listed at 5′11″) but Masoli reminds me very much of Troy Smith. Funny enough, if you compare Masoli’s numbers to Smith’s numbers from his Junior year, they’re almost identical. If Oregon makes it to the Rose Bowl, let’s hope Masoli hits the buffet table as hard as Troy did post-Heisman.

5. How stoked are you for Florida/Alabama this weekend?
Florida 62, Florida International 3
Alabama 45, Chattanooga choo choo 0

Florida gets Florida State, Alabama gets Auburn, then they get each other in what will result in orgasmic SEC delight. Drink it in college football fans, because there are seldom few opportunities left to use your SEC beer goggles.

You’re welcome.

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

That’s my message to Michigan fans- we’ll always have Delaware State.

Ohio State 21, Michigan 10

As an indication of how far the Michigan program has fallen, all that kept the Wolverines from ending the year on a stunning 7 game losing streak was the win against I-AA Delaware State, and that’s a two game improvement over last year. As it is, Team Rodriguez ends bowl-less again with a 5-7 final record and in a tie for last place in the conference with Indiana.

There’ll be plenty of soul-searching in Ann Arbor this winter and there are no easy answers. Firing RichRod won’t accomplish much except adding another year to the bottom of the bell curve.

They took their chances with two freshman QB’s, neither of which is a complete player in terms of fitting into his system. Tate Forcier is a decent passer and can create with his feet but isn’t nearly sturdy enough to survive loads of run calls over an entire season in the Big Ten.

Denard Robinson is a gifted runner but isn’t a thrower (yet, perhaps ever). If there’s no threat of meaningful passes, Robinson becomes a one trick pony that’s easy to stop when you’ve got the type of defense Ohio State has.

If Michigan Running Back Brandon Minor were healthier today he may have made a difference, but one of the many painful lessons RichRod has learned in his second year in the league is you must have a power running game. You don’t have to use it often, but no matter what kind of offense you run, there will be times in the Big Ten where you must be able to line up and simply overpower your opponent.

Obviously the biggest area of concern for Michigan is their defense. At the bottom of the conference for every statistical category that the NCAA tracks, the defense never got their bearings in conference play. I can’t even imagine how bad the defense would have been had DE Brandon Graham left for the NFL last year. Graham was all that kept UofM from ranking at the bottom in the nation defensively.

And defense is where RichRod has made his biggest miscalculation. I believe he thought he could be good enough on offense with his system to just outscore Big Ten opponents. What else would describe the lack of focus on defensive recruiting. Evidence of this is their piss-poor defense this year and the fact that they only have 8 of their current 20 commitments next year as defensive players, and only 3 of those as defensive linemen.

It should be to raised epidemic levels a la wartime draft status in Michigan. There should be posters in every high school in the state- “We want you to play defense for Michigan!”.

Ohio State - Six in a row
Ohio State now has six straight victories over the Wolverines, a feat which is starting to cleanse the beatings we took in the 90’s. Just in case you want to take a walk down memory lane, here are the scores from the last six:

2004: 37-21 (home)
2005: 25-21 (away)
2006: 42-39 (home, 1 vs. 2)
2007: 14-3 (away)
2008: 42-7 (home)
2009: 21-10 (away)

It’s not all sunshine and roses for the Buckeyes (though Wolverine fans- just remember when you’re shoveling snow on January 1st, it will literally be sunshine and roses for buckeye fans ). Despite getting another dominating rush performance and the defense getting takeways and playing well, there are loads of places for improvement and even some areas for concern.

First and foremost in the “does this thing have a CarFax report” department is the one-dimensionality of the offense. The playcalling and the execution through the stretch run in the Big Ten has been exactly what was needed at this point in what I’ll call the “three year offensive master plan: building a team for Terrelle’s Senior year”.

Terrelle’s greatest development as a player has been in his ability to the manage the game and not make mistakes. You needn’t look any further in how far Terrelle has come than across the sideline in the Michigan game today.

Tate Forcier was throwing the ball around like a drunken sailor and he had four interceptions to show for it, and should have had at least two more. For the first time in four games Terrelle threw an interception, and unlike almost every other interception he’s thrown this year, it wasn’t a poor decision, it was just a bad throw. It’s not sexy, but managing the game is a huge part of the equation that goes into the Tressel Strategy Super Computer (TSSC).

Against good defenses (Penn State, Iowa) our offense has done enough to win while our defense has provided stops and breaks where needed. My concern is against a team like Oregon in the Rose Bowl, they’ll have some success limiting us on offense and their offense is too dynamic to think our defense will be able to flat out dominate the way they have other teams. The OSU offense is going to be relied upon to do more and that’s concerning.

Pryor’s inability to get any level of accuracy on deep throws is also very troubling. I’d like to think if he throws 500 long balls a day in the off-season he’ll get better, but having never played the position I just don’t know. It’s good that he’s at least missing long now as opposed to lobbing ducks that get picked off. His mechanics are clearly still inconsistent, and hopefully that will come with time.

OSU’s performance on 3rd down also is a problem. 18-for-48 to be exact over the last three games and 6-for-16 against the Wolverines. Add to that our sudden poor execution in the punting game and that’s the kind of negative field position that loses games. That will need to be better in order to get a Rose Bowl win.

The positives
A win is a win against Michigan- it doesn’t matter how it comes.

For the fifth game in a row and the eighth time this season Ohio State rushed for over 200 yards. As maligned as the offensive line has been, they’re starting to take over games and open up huge holes. Added to that is the good run blocking from fullback Zach Boren and the powerful back-and-forth combination of Saine and Herron. Put it all together and you have one of the most dominant rushing attacks in college football. 96 yards for Herron Saturday; 84 for Saine.

One of the more entertaining moments of the game came in the 2nd quarter with the Buckeyes up 7-3. Ohio State was supposed to run a rollout pass with a run option to the right. The play they actually ran was an option right counter, something I don’t recall seeing yet this season. It worked perfectly with Michigan getting sucked right and Saine rumbling left for a touchdown. After high-fiving the family I turned to my wife and said “Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.”

That play was brought to Buckeye fans not by Coach Tressel or Bollman but instead by the Student Manager Matt Esselstein. You see, Esselstein is responsible for writing the plays on the whiteboard for the offensive players once the formation has been called. It turns out Esselstein wrote the wrong number on the board and lucky enough, the wrong play turned into the right play.

On the third touchdown for the Buckeyes, I love the call from Tress and the execution from TP on the screen pass. Michigan brought the sellout blitz, Pryor threw the screen perfectly and Boom Herron made a great catch and ran it in. It’s not bells and whistles but it’s the type of solid playcalling and execution that Ohio State must have to be successful.

More on The Game later this week.

Today is kind of like an if, then statement. If Ohio State wins, I’ll continue watching the later games. If Michigan wins, I’ll put a size 10 1/2 through my television and drown my sorrows in barbecue sauce. I know what you’re thinking- consummate professional. Totally.

It will be an emotional game with the usual stakes plus Archie Griffin as honorary captain, a tribute to Stefanie Spielman planned, and the throwback uniforms. Here’s where I’ll be:

High Noon
#10 Ohio State @ Michigan, ABC (watching, recording, hoping that Tim Biakabutuku is nowhwere near the field)
Minnesota @ #13 Iowa, ESPN/360 (scoreboard watching, flipping, fully committing to if the Michigan game turns ugly)

3:30pm
#8 LSU @ Mississippi, CBS (watching, flipping)
#14 Penn State @ Michigan State, ABC (recording, flipping)
#16 Wisconsin @ Northwestern, Big Ten Network (scoreboard watching, flipping)

7:30pm
#25 Cal @ #17 Stanford, not anywhere to be seen on TV which is why I laugh when West Coasters cry about east coast bias. One of the best games of the year in your conference- not on television. Are you the Pac-10 or the MAC? (Scoreboard watching)

8:00pm
#11 Oregon @ Arizona, ABC (watching, recording)

Go Buckeyes!

I spend most of my blogging time making snarky comments and pursuing various tomfooleristic endeavors. Life has a funny way of putting things in perspective for you whether you like it or not.

Buckeye nation lost a true warrior last night after an 11-year battle with breast cancer. Stefanie Spielman was a champion for cancer research earning millions of dollars through her fund the Stefanie Spielman Foundation.

Stefanie, the wife of Buckeye and NFL great Chris Spielman, was an integral part of the Columbus community selflessly giving her time and limited energy to raising awareness and money for breast cancer. Plus, she put up with Chris which has to put her in line for sainthood consideration.

I’m deeply saddened by her loss and want the Spielman family to know they are in our collective thoughts and prayers.

Stay classy Columbus…

The Block O flag is flying all week at Red Renee world headquarters; it’s Michigan week. Before we look forward, let’s take one more look back at the Rose Bowl clincher against Iowa.

**OSU Kicker Devin Barclay is no doubt breathing a mixture of euphoric oxygen with a couple sighs of relief this week. Kicking the game-winner in overtime to earn a share of the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl is the dream for any Ohio State kicker. Who’s breathing a bigger sigh of relief is the New Mexico State player who knocked Pettrey out of the New Mexico State game. If Barclay would have missed that kick and Iowa gone on to win, that Aggie would have had a hard time letting go of his hit.

**After re-watching the Iowa game a couple of times, I was less discouraged with the OSU defensive play and more impressed with the Iowa offensive play. The gameplan team Ferentz put together on offense was outstanding mixing quick strike throws with their usual QB rollouts to keep the OSU D-line in chase mode instead of attack mode.

**For his part Iowa QB Vandenburg played at as high a level as anyone could have possibly expected, even his parents (special shout out to Mrs. Vandenburg whome we saw several times on the tv broadcast Saturday). Considering Iowa’s receivers dropped several passes that were very catchable, the redshirt freshman could have had a historic day in Ohio Stadium. In my opinion, his performance ranks only behind Zach Collaros’ performance in replacement of an injured Tony Pike in the Cincy-South Florida game.

**The play of both Boom Herron and Brandon Saine has to be very encouraging for Buckeye fans. We started the season without having a # 1 at running back and it now appears that we have two. And if something were to happen to either of them, Jordan Hall has more than proven that he can step in if need be. The prospects of the O-Line getting even healthier and getting the opportunity to practice more together in preparation for the bowl game make me feel all tingly inside. How about you?

**Tressel is a genius, I will never question his decisions*. JT took a lot of heat when Pryor was struggling earlier in the season. It turns out Tress really does know his QB best and the patience and faith Tress has shown in Pryor is really starting to pay off. It’s not all sunshine and lollipops with Pryor but he’s definitely maturing and developing into the QB Troy Smith was when he left Ohio State. Pryor might not do anything in the NFL but he can leave Ohio State as one of our most decorated Quarterbacks in our history if he continues to progress.

**Receivers blocking downfield. While the OSU receivers didn’t play a huge role against Iowa catching the ball, they did a fantastic job blocking downfield. It’s great to see guys doing whatever they can to get the win instead of complaining that pass plays aren’t being called.

On to Michigan…

Michigan QB Tate Forcier guaranteed a win over Ohio State, at least by proxy. Here was his exact quote to the Detroit News following another Big Ten loss last weeK:

I am going to get (my teammates) to a bowl game. If it means spending 10 hours in film this week, then I am going to do it. But we are going to get them to a bowl game.

Bad form too on the “spending 10 hours in film…” comment- not exactly the kind of rhetoric you want your starting QB to be spewing in the midst of an NCAA investigation on violating practice time rules.

More to come…

The last time Ohio State left Pasadena in January, they left with a win. Thirteen years later, they’re headed back, hopefully with the same result (though let’s not lose to Michigan this time, mkay?)

I need to re-watch OSU -v- Iowa a couple times but some initial thoughts:

• Whatever people are saying about the offensive line, keep saying it. Whatever it takes to motivate the hog mollys is fine with me. Nothing wrong with a 4th straight 200+ yard rushing performance either. If we were getting consistent special teams play this squad would be down right orgasmic for Coach Tress- pure Tresselball just like the manual reads.
• I’m concerned the D-Line didn’t get pressure on Iowa but I need to re-watch to better understand why. Getting the sack on 3rd down in overtime is all that really matters I suppose.
• Despite the loss and the list of injuries, Iowa is definitely a charmed team this year. Watching another gravity defying pinball reception in their favor tells me Coach Ferentz has some very good karma flowing his way.
• The way Ohio State has run the ball the last four weeks and with a 6′6″ QB, I don’t like the decision to punt on 4th & 1 from the OSU 32 in the 1st half. Besides that, there’s not a whole lot else to disagree with Tress about.
• I don’t like the long completions Iowa had; Devon Torrence in particular struggled a little bit. Giving credit where credit is due though, that’s the most talented set of receivers we’ve played this year and Iowa’s redshirt freshman QB played very well, throwing the ball into some very tight spaces.
• Despite being the kings of 3-and-out on defense this year, Ohio State was only able to force two 3-and-outs against the Hawkeyes.
• Pryor’s stats are pedestrian at best but he took what the defense gave him. Iowa was obviously playing safe zone coverage not allowing Ohio State to get anything deep. Rather than forcing the issue and throwing into coverage as Pryor did earlier in the season, he took what was available and didn’t turn the ball over. That’s a critical part of a QB’s development and it’s good to see Pryor getting there even if he’s not throwing 300 yards per game.
• Whether it’s fear of losing playing time to more injury or other running backs, both Brandon Saine and Boom Herron are playing at a very high level right now. Running, catching, blocking, breaking tackles- these guys are finally playing like every Buckeye fan hoped they would.
• The Buckeyes secured at least a share of a 5th straight Big Ten title. Whether the conference is down or not this year, that’s a remarkable accomplishment.
• For all the recent big game troubles Ohio State has had, they’ve now won consecutive games against higher ranked opponents (though they were favored heavily today).

The Rose Bowl opponent for Ohio State is still very much in the air. As I write this, Oregon is up 14-7 over Arizona State. At the conclusion of that, all Pac-10 teams have two conference games remaining, except Stanford who only has one and Arizona who has three. Arizona was in a tie with Oregon for the conference lead until they lost to Cal today, so that puts Oregon in the driver’s seat as long as they go on to beat ASU tonight.

Stanford looks like the best team in the Pac-10 right now having dropped 50+ in consecutive games on both Oregon and USC, but my money’s on Oregon to be in the Rose Bowl based on where they stand and what’s left. I’ll have a more detailed post later this week but in the meantime here’s what each of those teams has left:

Oregon 7-2 (5-1 in conference)
playing Arizona State tonight
@ Arizona
Oregon State

Stanford 7-3 (6-2 in conference)
Cal
Notre Dame

Arizona 6-3 (4-2 in conference)
Oregon
@ Arizona State
@ USC

Oregon State 7-3 (5-2 in conference)
@ Washington State
@ Oregon

Much more to come on this Sunday or Monday.

A special Ten (eight) Questions for you this week tributing one of the best (albeit little known and slightly raunchy) sitcoms on television- “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”.

It’s spotlight weekend for the JV squads bringing up the rear plus another Weis referendum and of course the final home game in the Shoe with the Big Ten Championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line. Savor the flavor- a long cold winter lays ahead.

1. Is your cat (Bearcat) making too much noise all the time? Try Kitten Mittons:

Cincinnati gets a scrappy 7-2 West Virginia team coming into Nippert Stadium Friday night under the lights. These teams are pretty evenly matched which explains the 9.5 point spread (in favor of Cincy).

The Bearcats have rattled off consecutive wins against two 3-6 teams and a 4-5 UConn squad but will be tested against a West Virginia team that can do things on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati has given up over 150 yards on the ground to opposing teams five times so that obviously bodes well for West Virginia’s hope to get Noel Devine in a position to control the game.

Cincinnati can score quickly and uses the pass to set up the run, so if West Virginia can make a couple plays defensively in the passing game, the momentum could shift. Cincinnati has been very good in the turnover department this year (3rd nationally), the Mountaineers not so much (95th nationally). That will be a key to watch Friday night.

UC Coach Brian Kelly swears he doesn’t have a quarterback controversy, which is a true statement until it turns into a quarterback contoversy. With former Heisman candidate Tony Pike and his flimsy humerus (humeri?) returning from injury and the next coming of Tim Tebow in Zach Collaros starting, a good thing can turn into a bad thing in just a few turnovers.

And speaking of Zach Collaros, I’ve seen him in person and he is the real deal and could very well be the next Tim Tebow, but he’s bound to hit some growing pains eventually. But just in case, children of the third world, keep an eye on your foreskin.

I don’t think Cincinnati is going to win out against their remaining schedule but I don’t think they’re going to lose at home tonight. Bearcats by 5.

2. Mojito me please.

Refreshing, unexpected, sweet, and loaded with Rum. That’s what Ohio State’s win over Penn State was last week.

This week a battered and bruised Iowa team comes into Columbus. They’re not dead yet though. The Hawkeye defense should keep Iowa in the game, at least for a half. Unlike Penn State last week, Iowa plays a more conservative defensive scheme rarely blitzing and preferring to keep things in front of them; the very definition of bend but don’t break. Ohio State was able to take advantage of Penn State’s aggressiveness last week and will have to do things differently this week.

By dropping more in coverage, Iowa will provide tighter spots for Terrelle to throw into, something he’ll have to be very careful with. Another test of TP’s growing maturity will come against a patient, well-coached and disciplined defense. If the Offensive Line can play well and get the running game going, things will go smoothly for the offense. If the running game doesn’t go anywhere, it could be bumpy for the home team.

On offense, Iowa loses some intangibles without Rick Stanzi but should net out about the same. Stanzi has thrown 14 interceptions on the year vs. only 15 touchdowns- chances are redshirt freshman James Vandenberg can match those numbers. What they’ll miss is Stanzi’s ability to make clutch throws on 3rd downs.

Iowa has several excellent pass-catching options in Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Marvin McNutt, and the best Tight End in the Big Ten- Tony Moeaki. McNutt is a converted QB and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him lined up in the Wildcat Saturday both running and passing out of that. Other than that, Moeaki is the key for Iowa. It will be critical for Homan and/or Rolle to stay with Moeaki and keep him from breaking out.

Iowa uses the run to set up the pass and considering they don’t have much of a running game and they’re facing Ohio State’s 3rd best nationally run defense, it doesn’t project well for Team Ferentz. The real problem for Iowa, as is the case for every team Ohio State faces, is dealing with the Buckeye Defensive Line. Northwestern Defensive End Corey Wootton was in the backfield all game long last week against the Hawkeyes. Unfortunately for Iowa, Ohio State has 8 Corey Woottons. Advantage Ohio State.

Ohio State is favored by 16.5 which is a big number, even the way the Bucks have played lately. With the loss to Purdue still fresh, I don’t expect the Buckeyes to take Iowa lightly. I like Ohio State by 10 at home.

3. Splitting minimum wage.

Boise State and TCU are fighting over the BCS at-large spot this week; why not let them both play and split the payout?

TCU has the toughest test with a very good Utah team coming in. TCU is favored by 20 which tells you all you need to know about how good Vegas thinks TCU is. I like TCU to win.

Boise State has 7-3 potato-loving Idaho coming into town to challenge the blue turf. Boise State is favored by 31.5 so consider it a monumental upset if Idaho has it close at halftime.

4. USC’s Spin Class.

Stanford is going to do their best to put on some Stevie Winwood during USC’s spin class this weekend. Stanford and tailback Toby Gerhart have the exact type of physical running game that has given USC trouble in the past. I have no idea where USC’s psyche is after getting blown out by Oregon and barely surviving against Arizona State last week but I know exactly where Stanford’s psyche is- time to kick big brother in the nuts. USC is favored by 10.5.

5. Martina Martinez = Michigan; Green Man = Wisconsin

This one’s pretty simple- Wisconsin is playing to keep their place in a tie for 2nd place in the Big Ten. Michigan is fighting for their program, a bowl game, and potentially RichRod’s job. Rumors about QB Denard Robinson starting or at least playing more mean Michigan is searching for answers on both offense and defense.

With Wisconsin’s ability to run the ball with John Clay and control the clock, and Michigan’s ability to yield gobs of yards on defense, Michigan will need to score quickly because they won’t see the ball much.

Wisconsin is favored by 8.5 and I like them to win.

6. Come out blasting.

Come out blasting. That’s the game plan for all four teams in Northwestern @ Illinois and Michigan State @ Purdue Saturday. All but Northwestern are fighting for bowl eligibility and now’s the time to either show up and play or sit at home for the Holidays, swag-bag-less.

As proof that Vegas has a sense of humor, Illinois is favored by 4.5 and Michigan State is favored by 2.5 at Purdue. I like Illinois and Michigan State to win.

7. Threat level in Eugene this weekend: Yellow.

Or is it orange? Oregon knows Rose Bowl glory awaits if they can win out against their remaining schedule of Arizona State, @ Arizona, vs. Oregon State. The Sun Devils nearly got USC this week but won’t be so lucky this week. It will be interesting to see how the Ducks balance the two LaRunning Backs going forward (LaMichael James and LeGarrette Blount). Oregon is favored by 18.

8. Elbows and Knees; Steve Spurrier = Dee in the yellow pantsuit.

With all the complaining about Navy’s cut-blocking last week, Notre Dame’s coaching staff might do well to go with the “elbows and knees” philosophy this week @ Pittsburgh. If they don’t, Pittsburgh freshman Running Back Dion Lewis will run all over them.

Pittsburgh is also #1 in the nation in sacks so don’t expect Jimmy Clausen to have much time to throw the ball, not that Pittsburgh will allow them to have the ball very often.

Despite all this, Pittsburgh is only favored by 7 at home so maybe Vegas knows something I don’t. Wannstache is bound to do something to cause his team some points, still I like Pitt to win and speed up the spiral for Charlie Weis.

Steve Spurrier is so clearly Dee in the yellow pants suit. Playing with an under-talented team and harboring hopes that coaching can fix everything. In comes Tim Tebow and Florida to claim their Heisman and finally start the Gator locomotive on the way to Pasadena.

As much as I’d like to pick South Carolina at home in the upset, I’ve seen them play too much this year and know that offensively they simply can’t be counted to do anything except go three and out and raise Spurrier’s blood pressure. Gators are favored by 17; they win by 20+.

Go Buckeyes.

Before moving on to Iowa, time to put a bow on the Penn State game with some final thoughts:

• It’s worth reiterating the facets of the spectacular show put on by Junior DT Cameron Heyward Saturday. Heyward led the team in tackles with 11 including 3 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. Any defensive lineman leading the team in tackles is a remarkable occurrence. D Linemen are usually caught up doing the dirty work plugging holes and chasing quarterbacks out of the pocket. It’s such a rare occurrence in fact that the last time a D Lineman led the team in tackles it was Simon Fraser on August 30, 2003 against Washington (7 tackles, 1 sack).
• Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring at 29 points per game. I repeat, Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring at 29 points per game. So much for offensive futility I guess.
• A 4th shutout of the season occurred for the Buckeyes. Though it was called a touchdown on the field, and though the replay didn’t provide enough conclusive evidence to overturn the ruling on the field, Daryll Clark (more specifically the ball he was holding) did not cross the goal line. No matter, a defensive tour de force notwithstanding.
• Despite still missing on several throws, Terrelle Pryor showed noticeable zip on several other short range completions, something that has been lacking this year. Also, the fact that he overthrew Dane Sanzenbacher instead of underthrowing him shows he might be closer to finding some touch on the long ball. Chicks dig the long ball.
• Another look at the defensive statistics post-Penn State are eye-opening. The Buckeyes are now ranked 23rd nationally in sacks, 11th in pass defense, 6th in pass efficiency defense and total defense, 4th in scoring defense and 3rd in rushing defense. That’s top 10 in almost every defensive category. For all of Pryor’s interceptions this year, the Buckeyes still sit at 13th nationally in turnover margin.
• Special teams. Upon further review, I clearly missed the gap in special teams for Penn State. Despite being pretty weak in kicking on the Ohio State side, Penn State sits at 115th nationally in net punting- an issue that was clearly exploited by Ohio State and Ray Small. Players making plays in big games.
• The new-look aggressive secondary for Ohio State is big with me. The corners were much more aggressive on the line of scrimmage Saturday instead of the weak zone crap we’ve seen for much of the last two years. It resulted in only 125 total passing yards to Penn State, 96 of those going to Graham Zug on mostly three plays. The longest of those was 31 yards. That 31-yarder to Zug is in limited company. Since the 85 yard scramble pass to Navy RB Marcus Curry in the opener (85 yards- I’m sure you remember it), the Buckeye secondary has given up only two other passes the entire season of 30 or more yards. 32 yards to Indiana’s Tandon Doss and 33 yards to Wisconsin’s Nick Toon. Thank the D-Line for part of that, but either way that’s solid secondary play.

You’re welcome.

Ohio State 24, Penn State 7.

I expected the defensive lines to dominate the game today between Ohio State and Penn State. Turns out I was only half right.

If there’s a better defensive line in the country other than Ohio State, I haven’t seen them. The Buckeyes front four is nearly unblockable. They’re athletically gifted, they’re fast, they’re nasty, and by going two deep, they are too much for almost any offensive line to handle.

That certainly was the case Saturday against Penn State. The Bucks finished with only two sacks but were constantly in the backfield and kept the running backs and Daryll Clark from getting to the second level, thus freeing up the linebackers to make plays in space behind them.

For me this continues to be the story of the year for the ‘09 Buckeyes. I wrote earlier in the year that this Defensive Line might be as good as the ‘02 championship line with Will Smith, Simon Fraser, Kenny Peterson, etc. The ‘09 version isn’t quite as deep as ‘02 but they have the possibility of ending the year as a better starting four. My guess is we lose the entire line this year (except for John Simon) to either graduation and/or the NFL so enjoy them while you can.

Three huge surprises for the Buckeyes tonight- first was that Coach Tressel and his staff outcoached Team JoePa, particularly on offense. Tressel did a masterful job of taking the pressure off Pryor with quick passes, dump offs and enough variety in formations to keep Penn State off balance. I can’t even remember the last time the end around actually worked and there were at least two successful bubble screens that I saw. It obviously didn’t hurt that Ohio State averaged 6.6 yards rushing on 1st downs in the 1st half alone.

The setup on the bomb to Devier Posey in the 3rd Quarter was also brilliant. Prior to that pass, Ohio State had 17 first down plays, 16 of which were runs. The Penn State cornerback got lulled to sleep with the run game and then the Buckeyes went bomb over the top (and the safety help took a bad angle). Absolutely brilliant.

The second huge surprise of the afternoon was the play of the Ohio State Offensive line. I expected the Ohio State offensive line to get mauled all game long and yet nearly the opposite happened. The Buckeyes didn’t allow a sack, rushed for 225 yards and more importantly got almost 5 yards per carry. A stunning turn of events for a line that has just plain sucked for most of the year. I give a lot of the credit to Tress for the schemes and playcalls, but the O-Line came to play tonight so mega props to them for that.

Third surprise was Ray Small. Small has been the classic story of trapped potential. Flashes of brilliance, various stints in the coaches’ dog house and a verbal tete a tete with the Small family. All of that in the past, Ray single-handedly changed the complexion of the game with an 18 yard average on punt returns giving Team Tress the all important field position edge. He also contributed positively on offense with a catch and run. Well done Ray- keep it coming, we need you.

Here are a few other interesting stats from the game:

*Coming into the game, Penn State hadn’t given up 200 yards rushing to any team this season. The most previously given up was 163 net yards to Iowa.
*Neither Quarterback hit the 50% completion mark. Terrelle Pryor only threw 8 completions on 17 attempts. On the other side, Daryll Clark threw 12 completions on 28 attempts. Both QB’s threw for exactly 125 yards.
*Terrelle Pryor has now gone two straight games without throwing an interception. He has only one other game this season without an interception and that was against Illinois. Baby steps to be sure, but he’s clearly making better decisions.
*Terrelle Pryor has averaged 8.2 yards per carry over the last three games and has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the last four games. I repeat- he has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the last four games.
*Ohio State has now gone 20 straight games without allowing an opposing rusher to get 100+ yards. That’s excellence.

More to follow on this watershed game for both programs.

Here’s where I’ll be Saturday; smoke ‘em if you got ‘em:

Noon
Northwestern @ Iowa, ESPN/360 (watching, flipping)
Syracuse @ Pittsburgh, ESPNU (scoreboard watching, flipping)
Central Florida @ Texas, Ham Radio (scoreboard watching)

2:30pm
Navy @ Notre Dame, NBC (scoreboard watching, flipping)

3:30pm
Ohio State @ Penn State, ABC (watching, recording, hoping to enjoy my spaghetti)
LSU @ Alabama, CBS (flipping, recording)
Oregon @ Stanford, Comcast Sportsnet and FSN (scoreboard watching, flipping)

7:15pm
Vanderbilt @ Florida, ESPN2/360 (scoreboard watching)

8:00pm
UConn @ Cincinnati, ABC/360 (scoreboard watching, flipping)
USC @ Arizona State, ABC/360 (scoreboard watching, flipping out of shear morbid curiosity)

Go Buckeyes

Before getting to the game analysis for Ohio State-Penn State, it’s worth taking a look at how we got here. First, the Nits as prepared by special Guest Contributor Klo (and fellow lover of Pabst Blue Ribbon apparently):

Team JoeJoe of the Paternos
Penn State entered the 2009 season riding the quasi-momentum of a 2008 season that saw the team rise into the Top 5 in the rankings, lose on a last second field goal to a scrappy Iowa team, then get their brains bashed in by USC in the Rose Bowl. I still loathe the thought of Mark “Dirty” Sanchez raising his NFL draft slot by 15 spots on that game alone….not to mention the “matter-of-fact” egotist Pete Carroll with his wee beady eyes and that smug look on his face (see the dad in “So I Married an Axe Murder” - terrible movie, great character.

That aside, 2008 was something of a surprisingly strong performance after what many Penn Staters refer to as the “Morelli Dark Ages”. Much like medieval Europe which after the heights of Roman times fell into a period of plague, infighting, and incest that lasted 1200 years, the Penn State program went from the overachieving days of 2005 and Michael Robinson’s BCS berth to the completely infuriating bad decisions and underachievment of Anthony Morelli.

Even the mere mention of Morelli makes me reach for the nearest intoxicant, whether that be a delectable can of Pabst Blue Ribbon, a bottle of bourbon, or a Zanex. PS Buckeye fans - when Pryor made his now-proven-blessed decision NOT to attend Penn State, I said he was the best QB recruit from western PA since Anthony Morelli. Turns out he’s still trying to fill those shoes, let alone Vince Young’s.

The 2009 Penn State team returned 6 offensive starters and 4 defensive starters, which was none too shabby. Entering the season, these were some thoughts and headlines, mostly remembered by me, which is all that matters when I’m rolling…

1.) There were massive-O questions about the offensive line.

2.) Could the defense recover from the loss of a completely graduated secondary? I stress graduated there, as I pridefully enjoy the glow of Joe Pa’s proper focus on developing men and not athletes.

3.) how on God’s green Earth could Terelle Pryor be voted the Preseason Player of the Year over Daryll Clark? Whether you’re judging by 2008 stats and record, muscle mass, passing accuracy, or eye black politics, it’s not even a contest in favor of Clark’s asskickery of Pryor. That vote should be a Harvard business school case study and proof positive that the media (and by extension, the BCS) are idol-worshiping baby-sacrificing pagans that are just as susceptible to uninformed hype and hyperbole as any fan blog (such as this).

So, 2009 got going like the training montage from Rocky IV, with some confidence-building stompings of non-conference opponents. Music starts playing, no dialogue, Rocky starts doing the Siberian mountain jog in heavy boots and a parka, Ivan Draggo starts doping and bench pressing bulldozers, the feast commences at the Akron/Syracuse/Temple Buffet…….in short, full steam ahead into the conference schedule.

Actually, to the critical eye, there were some causes for concern against those early layups, namely in the O-line’s ability to dominate what was inferior competition and open up running holes. We know Evan Royster is a stud when given room and Stefon Greene is wicked fast, so those early struggles were bonafide reasons for concern. But final scores swept away those concerns as superior talent prevailed.

AND THEN CAME IOWA.

That’s right, time for payback….time for Clark to exercise the demons and drop kick those Hawkeyes like you hoped the priest would do to that brat from the Exorcist. Time for a night game in Beaver Stadium with the compulsory “white out” and 105,000 screaming half-drunken fans to blow a Kirk Herbstreit’s mind.

That was the plan anyway as I sat down in my lucky spot - the tried and true couch cushion that saw such miracles as “The Fumble” (Tamba Hali on Troy Smith, 2005 http), “The Fumble” (Pryor on 3rd and 1, 2008) and “The Drive” (Ben Roethlisburger’s Super Bowl winning masterpiece - props on the catch here to ex-Luckeye Santonio Holmes).

The Iowa game opened up with a bomb TD for Penn State, and the rest of the night was a disaster… Not since Howard Dean have I seen momentum change direction so quickly. I have always wanted to throw a rental car in reverse on the freeway…..just to see what happens. Now I know what that looks like on a football field.

To be fair and balanced a la Fox Opinion News, the Penn State defense did its’ best with the countless short fields and time on the field. That game was much closer than it was later written, owing to 2 fourth quarter picks and a late fumble by Royster on the Iowa 18.

The real problem was the offensive line’s utter submission to Iowa’s pass rush. We gave up the goods the way Detroit surrendered to an outnumbered and ill equipped British army in 1812 (take THAT, middle school teachers who think you can’t sleep through history and get an A).

Penn State was dismissed, JoePa and Co. fell to quasi-nemesis Iowa again, and the Sunday hangover hurt that much more.

Since then, Penn State has rebounded with some solid wins against middle of the road Big Eleven competition.

Against Illinois, a team clearly underachieving this year, PSU handed them their ass in the 2nd half.

A shutout is always a tasty defensive morsel, and Minnesota was no different.. Would have been nice to see PSU put up more than 20 points, but hard to find faults in this game.

More payback the next week in the Big Haus, as PSU dropped Michigan on every drive except the opener which saw the Wolverines O march down the field like Sherman through Georgia.

The Northwestern game concerned me a little as Kafka moved the ball nicely with his arm and feet. Fortunately, no need to worry about OSU moving the ball through the air.

In short, since the Iowa loss, the Blue and White have responded with both the defense and offense turning it up. A Big Eleven championship is possible by winning out and hoping OSU can find some semblance of a passing game against Iowa at home next weekend.

Can’t wait to see which Penn State and Ohio State teams show up on Saturday……too bad it’s not a night game.

Thanks to the literally tens of Red Renee readers who take the time to read the offensively long and partly informed ramblings of a Penn State fan.

Team Tressel


The story of 2009 Ohio State starts before the season actually began. Massive losses to graduation/early entry to the NFL, following a crushing bowl loss to Texas set the stage for the ‘09 Buckeyes.

Though the quarterback position was settled, the quarterback’s performance was far from settled. An offense that struggled for much of 2008, entered 2009 without a game changer at tailback, youth at receiver and an offensive line that has been average at best, and often completely inept.

Despite having to replace stars in the secondary and at linebacker, expectations were that the defense would help soften the learning curve for the offense. Unfortunately the losses on defense were made worse with the loss of linebacker Tyler Moeller who would have likely been a captain this year, and then later Andrew Sweat who would have provided further depth.

The season so far for the Buckeyes can be summarized by five headlines.

Navy
Scheduling Navy as a lead-in to USC, while good for fans, was not what a young Buckeye team needed to start the season. Rather than getting a cupcake in week 1 and being able to gameplan significantly for USC, the Bucks were forced to prepare for a very unique offense and a dynamic team capable of coming into Columbus and winning. Not only did the Buckeyes lose preparation time for USC, but they also lost the continuity of playing similar teams in consecutive weeks.

Constant shuffling on the offensive line
Similar to Penn State earlier in the year, Ohio State has juggled personnel on the offensive line all season long. Between injuries, illness and just plain poor execution, the offensive line has been a patchwork from one week to another and it shows. The running game isn’t consistent (injuries there too) and pass protection has been a disaster. At least half of the crap Terelle has taken this year is attributable to problems with the offensive line.

Offensive collapses (USC, Wisconsin, Purdue)
Staying with the offense, their inability to convert key third downs, control the clock, and ultimately score points is why this team has two losses and should have a third. It will be the offense that will make or break the rest of the season.

Defensive line dominance
The most exciting thing about this football team in 2009 has been the performance of the defensive line. Nothing controls the outcome of a football game more effectively than a strong defensive line. When a team can rush four and get pressure on opposing quarterbacks, it allows six or seven to drop back into coverage and it allows linebackers more space to play run or pass. And when a team gets pressure on the quarterback, it disrupts their offensive timing and puts them into difficult down and distances.

Three defensive shutouts
As young as the defense is in places, three shutouts so far is something to be very impressed with. Even though the shutouts have come against inferior competition (Toledo, Illinois and New Mexico State), it is difficult to shut anybody out. Three in one season is the mark of a special defense.

The tale of the 2009 Buckeyes will be decided in their final three games. The Rose Bowl is still attainable. A 5th consecutive Big Ten Championship is possible, or a berth in the Alamo Bowl is also out there. It will be decided by how Ohio State plays in their final three games starting with Penn State this week.

And for Terrelle Pryor, this game in particular will build upon his legacy, either positively or negatively. There is no doubt he possesses the athletic ability to take over the game, and there’s also no doubt he will be looking to redeem himself after last year’s costly turnover. He’s an emotional guy and redemption will play a big part in his effort on Saturday. Pryor came to Ohio State to play in these games, to be on the national stage, to be a game-changer. Let’s hope he is a game-changer, and in a positive way Saturday.

You’re welcome.

Just announced today, Ohio State is going to honor the 1954 National Championship team by wearing throwback uniforms against Michigan this year. The actual uniforms won’t be shown to the public until 11/15, but here’s the original- Hop Cassady as seen on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1955 (the year he won the Heisman trophy).

You’re welcome.

In preparation for the OSU-Penn State game this weekend, we’ve got some special programming to help get you ready. Kicking things off is a quick intro on the two teams. Leave your opinions in the comments.

Ohio State
This one’s too easy. Ohio State is a Hummer H2. Oversized, defensive in posture, will lose every time in a street race, prefers to simply run over top of other cars, room for plenty of coaches in the cabin (I’m talking to you OSU fans). Overpriced, gas guzzling, but still beats Michigan (hey oh!)

Penn State
Penn State is (of course) a Crown Victoria- the official car of the 70+ set. Bland styling, comfortable leather interior, heavy frame big enough to run over shrubs and fire hydrants or wherever the car gets steered, and a tape player to play the best of “Jock Jams, Volume I” on cassette. Makes frequent bathroom breaks on the open road. Not the kind of car you want to meet in a head on collision.

Occasionally Jay Paterno swaps out his old man’s Crown Vic for a police version with the souped up engine, suspension and brakes. Confused, JoePa eats some pasta, takes a nap and junior swaps the cars back.

Penn State is the early favorite (by 3.5).

You’re welcome.

Several quick impressions from the Ohio State -v- New Mexico State game Saturday.

Domination, as expected
First downs for Ohio State- 24; first downs for New Mexico State- 2. That’s about all you need to know from Saturday. The Buckeyes exploded for 559 yards of total offense while holding a dismal NMSU team to 62. As expected, the game wasn’t competitive, and that’s a good sign considering Ohio State has played down to their competition in similar games of the past.

Tresselball, we have a problem
We’ve got a problem at kicker, or to be more specific, we’ve got a bigger problem at kicker. Aaron Pettrey was already having a shaky year nailing the long balls but missing on the short ones. Pettrey left the game with what is being described as a sprained knee (rumors of an acl tear though), and the 3rd stringer Devin Barclay struggled pretty badly in his place. I would expect Pettrey to at least miss next week which means we’ll need Ben Buchanan to get healthy in a hurry.

Looks like we’ve got a quarterback controversy on our hands, and it’s not Joe Bauserman
At this point in the season, we know what Terrelle Pryor brings to the table- athleticism, brilliance at times, questionable decision making, and plenty of balls that never should be thrown. What we didn’t know is that Drew Brees is playing Wide Receiver for the Buckeyes.

The touchdown throw from Devier Posey on a reverse now stands as the best touchdown pass of the season for the Buckeyes. Not only did Posey throw a perfect strike 30 yards down the field to the end zone, but the throw was to his second read. That’s right, a receiver going through progressions on a reverse, making the right read and delivering a bomb. The play was designed to go to Terrelle Pryor but he since he was covered, Posey threw to Sanzenbacher in the end zone. Freaking brilliant Devier. I sure hope we see that again this year, and with the same level of execution.

Trick plays against a patsy- showing the other team up?
Not at all. The onside kick and the reverse/wide receiver pass and a few other things shown by the Buckeyes are for our future opponents. An opponent like New Mexico State presents the perfect opportunity to get some of these plays on film, have some success with them, and ensure future opponents have to spend time in practice working on those plays- even if the Buckeyes never run them again. That’s less time our opponents will have to spend on our base packages which can only help our chances of winning. Well done Tress.

Positive spin
Ohio State did an awful lot of positive things Saturday against New Mexico State- forced turnovers, pressured the quarterback, opened up huge rushing lanes, converted 3rd downs, limited penalties. All in all a good night. Unfortunately the problems are still there and could spell trouble next week- inconsistent run game, inconsistent special teams and sporadic passing.

More to come on Monday.

With three or four conference games left (depending on the team), the Big Ten race and the race for the Rose Bowl is coming down to three schools. Time to take a look at what’s left on the table as well as some statistical analysis on the Buckeyes. I hope to have some special coverage up for OSU-Penn State next week as well.

Iowa
The cardiac kids (one of many) will spend all but one of their remaining games in the comfy confines of Kinnick Stadium. Iowa has Indiana then a tricky matchup with Northwestern before traveling to Columbus for the showdown with Ohio State. Game time hasn’t been announced yet for the OSU game, but it sure would make sense for it to be a night game in the ‘Shoe.

The Hawkeyes finish the season with Minnesota, who may or may not be fighting for bowl eligibility. It’s hard to believe an undefeated Iowa team would get tripped up in this game, particularly because the Gophers don’t have many teeth, but stranger things have happened.

The formula is simple for the Hawkeyes- win and you’re in. In what exactly remains to be seen, but the Rose Bowl at a minimum. As much as the computers love them, there would be a strong possibility of them playing in the National Championship. With a win over Penn State already, Iowa is in the driver’s seat for the conference championship.

Penn State
At the start of the season, the view from State College was pretty good with both Iowa and Ohio State visiting the roaring Lion. With a loss to Iowa already in the books, Penn State’s room for error is razor thin in two weeks when Ohio State comes calling.

Before Team JoePa can get to the Buckeyes, they have a trip to Evanston to take on a 5-3 Northwestern team. Northwestern has a serviceable defense and a strong passing game which should provide a good tune up, the same of which can’t be said for Ohio State’s opponent.

Following the Buckeyes, Penn State has a home game with Indiana before closing on the road against Michigan State. Just like Minnesota for Iowa (see above), Sparty likely will be fighting for a bowl game as well.

Ohio State
Of the three, Ohio State has the trickiest road to go. The Buckeyes get the scrimmage at home this weekend against a horrendous WAC team before traveling to State College to play Penn State. They return home the following weekend for Iowa before traveling to Ann Arbor for the annual grudge match with Michigan.

Just like Iowa and Penn State, the final game for the Buckeyes is a big time trap. Michigan stands at 5-3 now with Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin before Ohio State. It’s likely they too will be fighting for bowl eligibility heading into that final Big Ten weekend. And nothing salvages a disappointing season better than taking your rival to the woodshed (this applies to both squads).

How I think it will end up:
As things stand now, I think Penn State will beat Ohio State and Ohio State will beat Iowa. That would knock Ohio State out of the race and leave Iowa and Penn State both with one conference loss.

Iowa obviously holds the tie-breaker with the win over the Nits, but the championship will be decided on the final game. In those final games, I think Iowa will beat Minnesota and Penn State will lose at Michigan State, sending Iowa to the Rose Bowl or perhaps the BCS Championship game.

Taking a quick peek at the numbers…
First, the happy news for the Buckeyes. Despite the offense turning the ball over early and often, the defense is forcing enough turnovers that OSU ranks 23rd nationally in turnover margin. The Buckeyes also average almost 3 sacks per game which is good enough for 16th nationally.

Most defensive statistics are very strong, with the Buckeyes ranking 7th in scoring defense, 13th in total defense, 10th in rush defense and 29th in passing D. Pass efficiency defense is also strong ranking 15th nationally.

Not surprisingly, the futility of the offense can be expressed numerically in those national rankings as well. Worst is passing offense which at 182 yards per game is ranked 100th. Rushing offense tempers that somewhat with Ohio State ranked 42nd nationally with 171 yards per game.

Scoring offense is 42nd nationally with 29 points per game (obviously not all from the offense). Pass efficiency, which was a bright spot for Terrelle last season, has declined this year to 63rd nationally (Penn State is 5th for example).

The one bright spot for the offense is that they’ve improved in sacks allowed (hard to believe). Last year they were giving up more than two per game. This year they’ve gotten that “down” to 1.75. While one sack fewer every four games doesn’t sound like much, it’s a lot for a team that can’t run the ball consistently and faces sellout blitzes every down.

You’re welcome.

Opinions on Terrelle Pryor are flowing like debt to China, the latest to weigh in being TP’s High School coach Ray Reitz. Here’s some of what he said in an interview with Joe Schad from ESPN (a man who’s last name is one letter away from what Ohio State did against Purdue last week):

They need Terrelle to run more. They’ve put the reins on him and they need to let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot.

In fairness to robots, I don’t think they’d throw lob balls into triple coverage, but I definitely agree that Terrelle clearly looks uncomfortable on passing downs and the designed running plays aren’t working. I view those issues as 75% coaching and scheming and only 25% on Terrelle’s shoulders.

Coach Reitz went on:

Jim Tressel is a great coach and he’s been running his offense successfully for 30 years. But I’d like to see some zone-read plays where with one mistake [by the defense], he can be gone. With some zone-read plays, they wouldn’t be able to take away all the outside runs because he’d be a threat to go between the tackles.

Reitz may be on to something there, the offense certainly needs to evolve into something else and more zone-read/option type plays would help.

I also agree with my esteemed colleague Klo that elements of the west coast offense need to be integrated. With an excellent pass-catching back like Brandon Saine and decent Tight Ends (or so we’ve heard), and another stud slot receiver (Sanzenbacher), the short passing game needs to be the focal point. 15+ yard pass plays don’t work. We don’t have an offensive line that can block for more than two Mississippi’s and Terrelle simply doesn’t have the confidence right now to see downfield.

Reitz continued:

Give him time to grow. Put the ball in his hands and if there is a breakdown let him run. It doesn’t look to me like he’s relaxed. It doesn’t look like he has rhythm. It doesn’t look like he’s comfortable.

Word.

And then Reitz dropped the “M” word:

There is no question that Rich Rodriguez’s offense, for example, would be more apt to suit Terrelle’s skills, but Ohio State sold him on the idea that they would prepare him for the NFL and that they don’t run ‘zone-read’ in the NFL. Jim Tressel is a great coach. But I can tell you there is more to Terrelle Pryor than what we’ve been seeing.

And that quote gets at the heart of the matter- untapped potential. Tress and Bollman have only tapped 10% of Terrelle’s potential and that is the challenge they have in front of them.

Pryor may never develop into an NFL quarterback but it’s Tressel’s duty to make him the very best college quarterback he can be while giving him the skills to get a shot at the next level. Whether Pryor shines as Steve McNair or flails as Jamarcus Russell in the NFL is entirely up to him. For now, let’s just get college right.

Go Buckeyes.

It always helps to get some perspective from outside of Block O, especially from knowledgeable Penn State fans, of which I only know two. A good friend of mine Klo kicks in with some accurate, albeit painful affirmation-type observations of Ohio State. His wife’s a Buckeye so it’s all good. Enjoy:

>>I think at this point it is obvious that Pryor is long on physical talent and short on a system that he’s comfortable, defensive reads and awareness, and passing fundamentals like squaring shoulders, driving into the throw, and not throwing jump balls into coverage with clear safety help. What’s probably worse, even when he scrambles it’s like he’s uncomfortable…stutter stepping and quasi-drunken slow side-stepping into tacklers. Worse than that, he looks the same way on DESIGNED runs. Didn’t he ever scramble in high school? Somebody needs to pull him aside and fire him up with a little go-bat-shit-crazy-and-run-like-your-life-depended-on-it for those designed runs. Hurdle some tacklers, pull a spin move, do something….because right now he looks like the 40 year old virgin on a bra strap.

>>Tressel ball is not broken, never has been. Ask any coach in the history of football including the Super Bowl losing coach of the Greatest Show on Turf, the 17-0 Patriots, and the Oakland Raiders circa 2002. This is a lead pipe lock of football strategy: 1) Great defense first, preferably by stopping run then a bonus if you have a good pass rush. 2) don’t turn the ball over, and then if you do make sure you clearly win the turnover differential 3) run the ball to set up the pass. An incidental benefit of these 3 is field position, which you will always win if you play good D, move chains with the run, and don’t turn the ball over.

>>What is broken in Columbus is not Tressel ball, it’s Tressel’s lack of recognition, adjustments, or realizations that his schemes, packages, and personnel are not a good mix. Running the ball is a hell of a lot tougher with 8 defenders ready to force your QB to pass. Defenses can’t stack 8 men in the box if you can threaten with the pass.

>>Pryor needs better passing plays with more short routes. See Tom Brady from 2002-2004. I don’t think he threw a pass longer than 8 yards. Everything was a rb screen, wr screen, tight end buttonhook, etc. He won a Super Bowl with that stuff. Two step drop and bang, ball is on target and on time on a frozen rope. And I F’n hate Tom Brady along with that cheater Belichick.

I think a key problem with the OSU offense is the lack of passing schemes that will set Pryor up for success. 17 yard out routes to the far side of the field are difficult for even the best arms. That takes tremendous coordination with your wideout’s pattern timing and knowledge of how long the cornerback can close the distance. 20 yard post routes down the middle require first, enough time to get down field (see 8 men in box, some or all of them coming strong), then a knowledge of safety and linebacker coverages coupled with the cb’s position. Not an easy read. I’m not suggesting a full blown west coast offense, but they need some plays that pick up small chunks of yards….first to build some momentum, second to wind the defenders a little with pursuit, and third to ease the running reliance a little.

>>The OSU defense is very good, might be best in conference if they weren’t on the field for 40 minutes each game. Penn State is so far the best D in the conference, though they have not played enough quality offenses.

>>Somebody also needs to coach the “floater” pass out of Pryor’s game. Stop trying to be a touch passer. He should step up and deliver every pass like he’s trying to dislocate fingers. Instead, he’s heaving shotputs at a 70 degree up angle into double coverage. I can think of at least 3 big plays in the PSU/OSU game that were basically broken play jump balls.

My idea….Put him in a cafeteria with no more than 15 feet of ceiling and have him practice throwing to receivers at the far end. Frozen ropes, every time. Even let them run left to right to help with his timing and leading the receiver.

>>Navarro Bowman might be better than Sean Lee, even when healthy. He’s really coming along in his ability to shed blocks and get after the football. They’re certainly the best LB tandem in the conference, can’t say nationally.

>>Can’t freakin wait to see if Penn State, particularly the defense, is for real at Michigan. Like Iowa, Michigan tends to have our number. Don’t know why or how, but they usually do. RichRod’s team hasn’t played a defense like ours yet, so I’m psyched to see how they handle things if they get down 2 scores and give our pass rushers a chance to pin back the ears and get after it. Then again, we could easily get blown out if the offense can’t sustain drives.

>>This is a weird situation. After the USC loss, I predicted OSU would recover to kill the rest of the conference and give Penn State all they could handle in the promised land. And shortly thereafter, Penn State got their teeth punched down their throats by Iowa at home. In the time since the Iowa game, OSU has gone the opposite direction with the questions backing up like my plumbing on Thanksgiving and the answers filling with a few hope-more-than-fact blurbs from those Luckeye fans who see the program’s legacy on the field more than the results. Penn State on the other hand has rebounded nicely and has put together what might be a better defense than last year.

Go Buckeyes. (Go Buckeyes comment added by editor and may or may not represent the thoughts or beliefs of the guest commentator)