As an OSU fan, I could not agree with him more.  Rodriguez has been an important pipeline of talent for OSU’s offensive line.  Justin Boren, a Michigan recruit, and a fellow who started on the offensive line for U of M as a true freshman (and playing well in the victory over Florida in 2007), left Big Blue last year and enrolled at OSU after he found Rich Rod’s coaching atmosphere to be less than family friendly when compared to Lllllloyd Carr’s.  We will need a guy with playing experience next year given the graduations on the OSU O Line this year, and thanks to Rich Rod, we will get one just in time.

Further, Rich Rod has shown an alarming (if you are a Michigan fan) grasp of the fundamentals of coaching.  Little things like not getting the plays in to the defense in the game against OSU were obvious even to the likes of Bob Griese, who commented on the fact that seniors on the Michigan defense were yelling at their coaches for not getting the play calls in.  As a coach, an argument can be made that you can’t improve the talent on a team that you have just taken over.  But you certainly can get your play calls in in time to have your players attempt to execute them. 

This may have been going on all year, but we would not have known it because the Michigan players were afraid of getting benched or kicked off the team if they expressed such outrage in earlier games.  But this being the last game that these seniors would ever play for Michigan (there being no bowl game in sight for teams with 9 losses), they likely felt free to exercise their rights to free speech.

So I say keep paying the man for the product he has put out.  I say keep doing it for at least 11 years, or at least however long John Cooper was at OSU.  Go Blue is right on this one.

So I think we can all rest assured that the defense is not the problem.  The real problem is the offense.  This should be a bit galling for a team who thought that they had hired an offensive genius.  It is, of course, too early to judge Rich Rodriguez as he has yet to recruit any players into the system and is stuck with Llllllloyd Carr’s talent.  But some of the problems are of his own making.  Let’s take two big name transfers.


Michigan has one offensive lineman starting for this team who started for the team that beat Tim Tebow and Florida last year.  Some of that is due to graduation.  But some of it is due to bringing in a culture that pissed Justin Boren off enough to transfer to arch rival OSU.  Whenever you see a Michigan QB flushed out of the pocket this season, you should be thinking about the loss of experience and leadership that went south (literally) to Columbus.  It is all the more surprising given that Justin Boren’s dad was a stand out linebacker at the U of M during the 1980s.  To hear Boren tell it, the “family values” atmosphere is no longer part of the U of M culture.

While QBs are only as good as their offensive lines, Michigan’s top QBs this year Threat and Sheridan, aren’t very good at all.  Threat is injured right now, so it isn’t fair to judge him by his recent performances.  But Sheridan is abysmal.  In the loss to Northwestern last week he was 8 for 29 for 61 yards.  That’s less than a one third completion rate, and on some pretty short passes.

Oh for the likes of Ryan Mallett, who transferred when he saw Rich Rodriguez coming.  A drop back passer, he assumed he had no role to play in a spread offense.  But there is always something to be said for a guy who can throw down the field and over the middle.  If your QBs are limited to short passing and screens, it is just too easy to defend.

That leaves Michigan’s hopes centering around the running game.  They have some good running backs, Brandon Minor is a proven commodity (though banged up right now) and Sam McGuffie shows a great deal of promise.  But you can’t be one dimensional and beat OSU.  You have to come at OSU from all angles and not make mistakes.  You also can’t have turnovers.  And Michigan’s QBs throw a lot of footballs to the wrong areas.

Looking at Michigan’s schedule this year, they have only played one team with a really good defense, and that is Penn State.  They will not have seen a defense like OSU’s yet.  OSU’s defense isn’t built like PSU’s.  They are built around strength and great defensive line play.  Our defense has a good defensive line, but the real blend of talent and experience is in the Linebackers and the secondary.  With three top cornerbacks like Malcolm Jenkins, Chimdi Chekwa, and Donald Washington, there aren’t going to be many openings for Michigan’s QBs to throw into.

Well for the first 10 games of every year, Cooper built up huge expectations in Buckeye fans. So much so that it became an annual event to hype up OSU’s national championship chances in late July or perhaps even as early as the Spring game. It was almost as if Christmas was now on the third Saturday in November for Buckeye fans. But as you all know, each third Saturday in November Buckeye fans received a lump of coal. But hope springs eternal in Columbus and like the Bad News Bears, the Buckeyes would get them next year.

Tressel has managed to surpass Cooper in building even higher expectations and in futility. For the last two years, Tressel has moved Buckeye Christmas to the Monday in January following New Years Day. Tressel has been able to make OSU fans and players believe that they deserve to be in the National Championship game. And for two years straight, Tressel has laid an egg once they’ve gotten there. It must be like getting that BB gun for Christmas and having it ripped out of your hands two years in a row. You begin to question whether you really deserved that BB gun, whether you were really as good as your parents said you were, and, now, whether it was all just a dirty lie. And guess what? Now you know you won’t get a BB gun next year.

Now that OSU is finally playing someone challenging prior to the Big Ten season, Tressel has moved Buckeye Christmas to mid-September. And guess what, Buckeye fans got another lump of coal. Will they ever learn?

In this era of record mortgage foreclosures, with families being forced from their homes and onto the streets, the Big Ten Network will be taking food from the mouths of hungry Central Ohio families who will now be turned away from the mid Ohio Food Bank when the supplies run out sooner rather than later.

The squalid irony of the situation is that you might see these unfortunate people in the dumpters behind certain restaurants showing the OSU Spring Game on tape delay.  These families are not a priority of the Big Ten Network.  They are the victims of it.

It is time for reporters to ask hard questions of the Big Ten Network’s representatives.  It is time for the fans of Big Ten Football to question the moral costs of loyalty to their teams.  It is time for fans, even of rival teams, to come together and ask whether they want to be further associated with this rancid cabal of bottom feeders known as the Big Ten Network. 

There are 11 institutions holding the key to returning things to the way it was.  You remember the way it was, right?  Just a few years back when you could watch almost every single OSU football and basketball game from the comfort of your own couch?  Sadly, the 11 schools in the Big Ten stand silent.

The Big Ten Network spokesperson Elizabeth Conlisk said: 

“We have distribution partners in Columbus in Insight, WOW!, Direct TV and Dish TV.  To put that on over the air in Columbus, that is one of the key issues.  Then Time Warner would get that (as well) and they’re not a partner.”

The Big Ten Network is so concerned about the welfare of its partners that it will not allow those partners to show the game live.  Rather, it will be available only on tape delay to be played later that night.

The Ohio State University would rather the game be shown live.  OSU Administrator Steve Snapp asked the Big Ten Network to show the game live, but this request was denied.  Thus the welfare of the Ohio State University does not appear to be high on the list of the Big Ten Network’s priorities either.

Big Ten Network Spokesperson Conlisk explained:  “There’s eight games going on at exactly the same time and if we made the decision to broadcast the Ohio State game live and not any of the other ones…?” 

Apparently no one at the press conference asked why the Big Ten Network was so ill-equipped with television broadcast technology that they could not air the eight games on different channels, allowing the consumer to choose.  No one asked why the games could not be shown locally in the geographic areas in which the universities are located.  No one asked what will happen when Michigan plays at the same time as OSU this fall.  Will both games be shown on tape delay?  Perhaps the Big Ten Network might pull the press passes of such reporters.

With such bumbling leadership at the Big Ten Network, it is unclear what its priorities are. 

But it has become crystal clear exactly what the Big Ten Network’s priorities are not.  They don’t care about the fans; they don’t care about their distribution partners who for some strange reason would like to show athletic events live; and they don’t care about the universities in the Big Ten.

And they don’t care about the homeless and hungry either, as you will see in the next article.

So you Wolverine fans who so fondly recall that one cutback run up the middle in the second half last year that went for about 60 some yards and a touchdown may see that move again in the 2009 season when The Game comes back to Ann Arbor.

If he elects to step down to Division IAA like Schoenhoft’s move to Delaware, he won’t get the national tv exposure necessary to make him a top draft pick.

Further, while Henton’s talent won’t diminish in stepping down a level in competition, the talent supporting him certainly will.  It’s hard to throw the ball when you have defensive linemen and linebackers all over you.  It’s also more difficult to get completions when you aren’t throwing to top rated receivers.

But look at the advantages of staying:

 1)  Everybody is saying that Todd Boeckman is a shoe-in for the starting job this year as a fifth year senior.  It is true that Tressel values game experience in a QB.  But while Boeckman had a good season last year statistically, his last four games saw four really big steps backwards.  Even the games he won showed chinks in his armor.  Remember the three interceptions at Purdue?  These last four games were also at a time when Henton was impressing the OSU coaching staff so much that he passed Robbie Schoenhoft and grabbed the number 2 spot even though Henton was out most of last year with legal troubles (now a distant memory). 

So Henton has been coming on hard for quite some time and impressing people who were (because of his suspension from the team) not inclined to be impressed by him.  Since Jim Tressel is most impressed by a QB’s decision-making rather than his athletic ability, I say Henton has a solid chance to be the starting QB this year, not the back-up.

2)  Even if Henton is the back-up QB this year, he is one helmet to Todd Boeckman’s knee away from being the starter.  Tougher guys than Boeckman have gone out for a season after just one play.  Look at Lawrence Wilson during the YSU game last year. 

I don’t care how impressive Terrelle Pryor is athletically, there is no way that he beats Henton out for the number two spot this year.  Jim Tressel may use him in an ‘X’ type role to shake up defenses 10 to 15 plays per game, but that does not make him the second string QB.  Rather, it makes him a specialist.

Henton has had a full year of games and practice here now, and knows the OSU playbook from back to front.  There is no way that Terrelle Pryor or any other incoming freshman QB prospect can learn enough of OSU’s playbook from June until September to displace Henton.

3)  Let’s say that Pryor is so good that after a season of learning behind Boeckman and Henton, he challenges for the role of starter in 2009 and beats out Henton (Boeckman having graduated at the end of 2008).  That still leaves Henton in the role of second string QB for his junior and senior years. 

If Pryor outshines Henton, it will be in running the ball; his passing skills being roughly comparable to Henton.  No one can debate that scrambling QBs twist knees and ankles,  they pull hamstrings (ask Justin Zwick after the OSU v. OSU Alamo Bowl game about that), they get concussions.  They might even get into a coach’s dog house by being young and impulsive with the football or missing a class here or there.  If Henton keeps his cool and his nose to the grindstone, he will be there to take back the starting job.

4)  If any of the above sounds unlikely to you, then you have forgotten the lesson of Troy Smith.  You remember him, right?  He lost the starting job to Justin Zwick.  He even went to former Coach John Cooper and asked his advice about staying or transferring.  Cooper may not have been able to beat Michigan, but he sure gave Troy Smith some good advice:  Stay at OSU, work hard, you’ll be the starter before you know it.  Sure enough, after a few bad games by Zwick and a shoulder injury at Iowa, Smith took over the reigns and (but for the end of the season two game suspension) never looked back, and then won the Heisman Trophy. 

People may compare Henton to Smith because they are both African-American QBs, but that is a shallow comparison.  Henton is a much better runner than Smith was, and Henton has about three inches on Smith in height which helps out when one is trying to see downfield. 

In the end, the only legitimate comparison between Smith and Henton may be that they both faced the decision to transfer, both stayed, and both were very successful at OSU despite competing against highly touted QBs with magical high school numbers.

So, Antonio Henton, if you are listening, staying at OSU is your best bet.  As good as Terrelle Pryor may be, I have the nagging feeling that you are better.

“I wore the winged helmet with pride, whether we won or lost, whether things were going well or times were tough. Michigan football was a family, built on mutual respect and support for each other from Coach (Lloyd) Carr on down. We knew it took the entire family, a team effort, and we all worked together.

“I have great trouble accepting that those family values have eroded in just a few months. That same helmet, that I was raised on and proudly claimed for the last two years, now brings a completely different emotion to me, one that interferes with practicing and playing my best and mentally preparing for what is required. …

“I wish my teammates the best and will always be proud to have been a part of Michigan football over the past two years.”

You can read the story at:http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/football/stories/2008/03/27/osufb_notes27.ART_ART_03-27-08_C1_EI9OQ98.html?sid=101

Now I am predicting it again.

The OSU Offensive Line, the most important component of any football team, lost only Kirk Barton to graduation this year. He will be easily replaced with the talent coming up, like Sophomore Bryant Browning (who was getting a lot of reps last year) and incoming freshmen Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, and J.B. Shugarts, all over 300 pounds, and all of whom are highly mobile.

At RB, we have Chris Wells coming back for his junior season. He ran for over 1500 yards last year, and it looks like there are even more in store for this year as he will be one year bigger and one year more experienced at finding the holes. He will be backed up by senior Mo Wells, a change of pace type runner with a knack for throwing key blocks during blitzes, and Brandon Saine, a sophomore RB who did great things until he suffered a knee injury in the third game v. Washington and then made some big plays in the Nat’l Championship Game v. LSU, albeit in the passing game.

Fullback is a question mark with Dionte Johnson, Trevor Robinson, and Tyler Whaley all graduating (as opposed to getting certificates of attendance like one gets for going to Michigan for four years). But Aram Olsen is going to get a lot of playing time this year, and he was highly recruited out of South Carolina two years ago.

At WR, Robiskie and Hartline are back, along with Ray Small for their junior seasons. Dane Sanzebacher will be a sophomore and is very talented at possession receiving. Devier Posey is a highly rated freshman out of Florida to keep an eye upon.

At TE, Rory Nicol and Jake Ballard are each one year bigger and one year more experienced. Both have continued to improve in blocking along the edge, a skill sorely missed during the Florida Game two years ago. Mike Stoneburner from Dublin will present size match ups as he has tight end size with WR speed (with a 4.6 in the 40 and at 225 pounds and 6’6, he is a Kellen Winslow type). OSU sees him as a WR though, not a TE.

The only question on offense, and it’s a big one, is at QB. Todd Boeckman has the experience after one full season at the helm with only two losses, but his last four games saw him take four big steps backwards, wherein the team one in spite of his performance, rather than because of it. Those who know Jim Tressel know that he places great emphasis on experience as a starter. Thus at this point, much as I dislike to write it, the job is Boeckman’s to lose.

But lose it he might. Waiting in the wings is QB Antonio Henton, who played well in third string duty until his mid season trouble with the law (now ironed out) and who displaced the second string QB, Robbie Schoenhoft (who has transferred). The book on Henton is that he is athletic, but uses his footspeed to gain time to throw, rather than to take off running and gain yards rushing. He completed a very nice TD pass over the middle on a crossing pattern to Taurian Washington last year before his off the field troubles put him in Tressel’s dog house. He will give Boeckman a run for his money this Spring and Fall.

On the defensive side of the ball, everyone on the second most important component of the team, the Defensive Line, is back except Vernon Gholston, a junior who left early to go pro. While losing Gholston sucks, it is the one position where OSU could afford to lose a star player. He will be replaced by Lawrence Wilson, a better player than Gholston who could not prove it last year since he broke his leg in the season opener (ah but how nice it would have been to have both of those guys coming in off the DE position on each play).

Filling in for Wilson all last year were Cameron Heyward (who unforgiveably lost his temper during the LSU game and got the Tigers a 15 yarder) and Robert Rose. These will share time at one DE position while Wilson covers the other. A freshman to watch out for will be Keith Wells out of Florida, a speed rusher at DE who is presently a little undersized, but with the type of body that will put on the necessary weight.

Up the middle at DT will be Doug Worthington and Todd Denliner, back for their junior seasons. Worthington at 6-7 will be putting on size in the weight room and both will have the enhanced technique experience gives. They will be backed up by Senior Nader Abdallah (a great run stopper) and Sophomore Dexter Larrimore.

The only loss at LB will be Larry Grant to graduation. But he will be replaced by Curtis Terry, who is just as good but out most of last season with an injury. Also returning from injury will be Ross Homan to join up with seniors James Laurinatis and Marcus Freeman. Look for Sophomore Brian Rolle to have put on some weight and to make an impact as well. He did some really nice things last year in kickoff and punt coverage, and that is where Jim Tressel expects his future linebackers to make an impact.

A curiosity at LB will be true freshman Etienne Sabino. Reports are that Sabino can throw a football 80 yards in the air. Not much use for a linebacker, but it is indicative of overall athleticism, even for those Michigan fans who were wowed by Tom Brady firing a similar pass in the waining moments of this year’s Superbowl.

At CB, Junior Donald Washington and Senior Malcolm Jenkins will both be back as starters. These two were arguably the best CBs in the Big 10 last year, and are definitely the best now. In the nickel they will be joined by Chimdi Chekwa and in the dime package I think you will see a lot of Eugene Clifford or Donny Evenge.

At the Safety position, you will see more of Juniors Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell, backed up by Senior Jamario O’Neal.

At Punter, which Jim Tressel considers the most important position on any team, we will have senior A.J. Trapasso back. Not only a consistent 45 yards per punt man with good hang time, Trapasso is always a threat to fake it as he rushed for 1100 yards in his senior year as the starting RB at Pickerington HS.

At Kicker, both Junior Aaron Pettrey and Senior Ryan Pretorious will be duking it out for the starting job. Both have legs good from 50 yards out.

One area the Buckeyes need improvement on is special teams. Coverage on punts and kickoffs was good last year, but too many field goals were blocked by people going right up the middle. We had no runbacks for touchdowns on either punts or kickoffs last year, despite having very talented KRs like Brandon Saine and Mo Wells.

If OSU can beat USC in its third game of the season, I don’t see anyone beating OSU from then on. Michigan is always a threat, but they play us in Columbus this year, and without Chad Henne or Mike Hart or Jake Long or Mario Manningham or Lavar Arrington. They will have some pretty ugly girls on the team as a result of open tryouts announced by new coach Rich Rodriguez who may need the scholarship money for those slots to pay West Virginia the $4 million for leaving early.

Even if OSU loses to USC (at USC), a close loss may be one of those early losses that gets overlooked, especially if USC has a good season (unless their football team gets the death penalty for all the money that Reggie Bush and his family allegedly took from his agent while he played there).

So look out again, world of college football. You may not like it, but the Buckeyes are going to be the team to beat next year, and few, if any, will. Don’t let your hatred of the Buckeyes get in the way of proper analysis. You did it last year. I predict you’ll do it again.