Ohio State Football 2012

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

There are issues with the Big 10. I will leave OSU out of the discussion because for the most part they have been a top 5 program in the country since Cooper left. It helps that that Ohio has been a decent bed for college recruits.

Now to the main issues. If I were to rank programs I would say that Michigan, PSU, and Nebraska are all big time programs. The Rich Rod hire set Michigan back 5+ years. Guy was over his head, pissed too many UM people off, and recruited the type of player that made WVU successful in the Big East. PSU's issue was Paterno holding on for too long. Prior to the scandal they were a marquis destination but no one knew how long Paterno was going to stay and coaches used that against him. Paterno also wasn't on the front edge of innovation. He was Woody Hayes coaching in the 21st century.

Nebraska is struggling for an identity. I don't quite understand what direction they are going.

I think you can consider MSU and Wisconsin success stories over the past 5+ years. They don't have the big names like OSU or UM but have been rather successful in the B1G. For the most part other than OSU and Oregon (which I have a feeling the hammer will come down shortly) no team outside of the south or USC has been able to build a sustainable program.

I'd say it'd be a rare event where a major conference goes through a period where it has no teams in the Coach's Top 25 but that's where the B1G is today

[Revering4Blue]

Originally Posted by bucksfan2

There are issues with the Big 10. I will leave OSU out of the discussion because for the most part they have been a top 5 program in the country since Cooper left. It helps that that Ohio has been a decent bed for college recruits.

Now to the main issues. If I were to rank programs I would say that Michigan, PSU, and Nebraska are all big time programs. The Rich Rod hire set Michigan back 5+ years. Guy was over his head, pissed too many UM people off, and recruited the type of player that made WVU successful in the Big East. PSU's issue was Paterno holding on for too long. Prior to the scandal they were a marquis destination but no one knew how long Paterno was going to stay and coaches used that against him. Paterno also wasn't on the front edge of innovation. He was Woody Hayes coaching in the 21st century.

Nebraska is struggling for an identity. I don't quite understand what direction they are going.

I think you can consider MSU and Wisconsin success stories over the past 5+ years. They don't have the big names like OSU or UM but have been rather successful in the B1G. For the most part other than OSU and Oregon (which I have a feeling the hammer will come down shortly) no team outside of the south or USC has been able to build a sustainable program.

I agree with your general assessment of Big Ten Football for the most part. That stated, I'd like to address a few points.

Michigan/RichRod-The commonly accepted story line regarding RichRod's tenure at Michigan is that RichRod was a horrible hire from the start because his offensive scheme was a disaster and never had a chance of succeeding in the Big Ten. Therefore, Hoke is a better coach because he'll run a Pro-Style offense.

Bottom line: Frankly, I believe that ponying up 750,000 to pry DC Greg Mattison away from the NFL--RichRod was only alloted 250,000 for a DC-- is a much bigger factor in the Wolverines' resurgence, if you wan't to call it that, than Hoke as a head coach.

Heck, Alabama wanted RichRod in '06, and I guarantee that the Tide certainly would have ponied up enough to hire a quality DC, knowing full well, that with the right personnel, RichRod's offense, much like Urban Meyer's, is much tougher to stop than most, if not all, cookie-cutter NCAA Pro-Style Offenses out there. The man didn't become an idiot overnight.

Nebraska-How ironic it was that the former doofus Nebraska AD Steve Pederson fired Frank Solich and hired Bill Callahan as HC in '04 because he felt that Nebraska needed to run a Pro-Style offense to "keep up" with Texas. Well, we all know how it played out... Callahan's tenure was an unmitigated disaster and Texas merely won a National Championship running virtually the same offensive system that Nebraska currently utilizes--a multi-faceted smash-mouth approach.

That is Nebraska's identity, and that shouldn't change. Whether or not Pellini is the long-term answer is a fair question.


As far as Big Ten Conference Recruiting as a whole is concerned, I do not believe that there is a discernible difference, compared with the SEC, in speed at the skill positions, but rather a speed difference between the opposing OLs and DLs, where most games are won and lost.

[*BaseClogger*]

Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

I agree with your general assessment of Big Ten Football for the most part. That stated, I'd like to address a few points.

Michigan/RichRod-The commonly accepted story line regarding RichRod's tenure at Michigan is that RichRod was a horrible hire from the start because his offensive scheme was a disaster and never had a chance of succeeding in the Big Ten. Therefore, Hoke is a better coach because he'll run a Pro-Style offense.

Bottom line: Frankly, I believe that ponying up 750,000 to pry DC Greg Mattison away from the NFL--RichRod was only alloted 250,000 for a DC-- is a much bigger factor in the Wolverines' resurgence, if you wan't to call it that, than Hoke as a head coach.

Heck, Alabama wanted RichRod in '06, and I guarantee that the Tide certainly would have ponied up enough to hire a quality DC, knowing full well, that with the right personnel, RichRod's offense, much like Urban Meyer's, is much tougher to stop than most, if not all, cookie-cutter NCAA Pro-Style Offenses out there. The man didn't become an idiot overnight.

Nebraska-How ironic it was that the former doofus Nebraska AD Steve Pederson fired Frank Solich and hired Bill Callahan as HC in '04 because he felt that Nebraska needed to run a Pro-Style offense to "keep up" with Texas. Well, we all know how it played out... Callahan's tenure was an unmitigated disaster and Texas merely won a National Championship running virtually the same offensive system that Nebraska currently utilizes--a multi-faceted smash-mouth approach.

That is Nebraska's identity, and that shouldn't change. Whether or not Pellini is the long-term answer is a fair question.


As far as Big Ten Conference Recruiting as a whole is concerned, I do not believe that there is a discernible difference, compared with the SEC, in speed at the skill positions, but rather a speed difference between the opposing OLs and DLs, where most games are won and lost.

This is a really good post...

[Hoosier Red]

Turning it back to tOSU, interested to hear Buckeye fans thoughts on the 3 point victory over Indiana?

I realized that's about as close as Indiana will likely come to beating OSU, but I'm trying to sort out whether I feel good about IU's direction or if tOSU played poorly.

I'm sure it's a bit of both.

[bucksfan2]

Originally Posted by Hoosier Red

Turning it back to tOSU, interested to hear Buckeye fans thoughts on the 3 point victory over Indiana?

I realized that's about as close as Indiana will likely come to beating OSU, but I'm trying to sort out whether I feel good about IU's direction or if tOSU played poorly.

I'm sure it's a bit of both.

A little bit of everything. I fell asleep on the couch to wake up to see Philly Brown recover the second onside kick.

OSU's offense is clicking right now. Its fun to watch.

OSU's defense is the worst I have ever seen it. I think quick strike offenses are hard on a defense. I also think injuries are devastating the LB corps and the secondary isn't up to snuff. When Boren is playing LB you have issues.

I am disappointed that the DL isn't dominating. I thought they would be beasts this year but not so much.

[Redsfaithful]

It's really weird to watch an Ohio State team score so much and defend so little. I don't really know what I'm watching.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I wasn't able to watch Saturday's game, so I can't give any educated opinion. It is surprising though to both score 52 points and give up 49 points. It seems as if they may have eased up a bit late in the game after they took a bigger lead and let IU back in it, but like I said I wasn't watching.

[Hoosier Red]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27

I wasn't able to watch Saturday's game, so I can't give any educated opinion. It is surprising though to both score 52 points and give up 49 points. It seems as if they may have eased up a bit late in the game after they took a bigger lead and let IU back in it, but like I said I wasn't watching.

That could be. Although they scored to go up 52-34 with about 6:26 left. Perhaps a bit of prevent to keep IU from scoring quickly, which did work as it took 10 plays and just about 5 minutes to score the first touchdown. But after the first onside kick, IU went 48 yards in 5 plays.

The last two scores were really just icing on the cake as I was pretty proud of the effort when it was 52-34. I don't think I'd ever seen IU score that many even against Ohio State.

[LoganBuck]

Indiana was abusing the injury depleted linebacking corp. They went toward Boren late. Indiana has a good base to build, I think this game comes down just how shoddy Ohio State's lb play is. Boren was undressed in the last five minutes. Some people will point to his tackles, they were mostly pile jumps.

[Revering4Blue]

Despite giving up a ton of yards/points, both defenses actually made some big plays, preventing a Baylor/WV type of outcome.

Nevertheless, IMHO, the Buckeyes are still head-and-shoulders above the rest of the conference. Unless the Buckeye offense becomes a turnover machine on the road against Penn State and Wisconsin--the latter, I'm still not sold on--the Buckeyes will go undefeated.

As for I.U, , as they say, this isn't your Father's I.U football program. They've actually ponied up enough to lure an actual Coaching Staff comprised of Coaches/Coordinators from National Championship caliber programs. The Air-Raid offense that I.U employs will be even more dangerous next year when QB Tre Roberson returns from injury. IMHO, Roberson is as good of an athlete as Miller or D.Robinson, and has also shown that he can complete the type of mid-range passes that this offense requires.

[Revering4Blue]

Originally Posted by Hoosier Red

Turning it back to tOSU, interested to hear Buckeye fans thoughts on the 3 point victory over Indiana?

I realized that's about as close as Indiana will likely come to beating OSU, but I'm trying to sort out whether I feel good about IU's direction or if tOSU played poorly.

I'm sure it's a bit of both.

I'm not going that far.

Even though it sometimes seems like a lifetime ago, I remember full well I.U defeating OSU twice ('87 and '88) in a row. Granted, OSU was transitioning from Bruce to Cooper--Sorry, I mentioned his name, Buckeye fans--and I.U was actually a respected program under Bill Mallory at the time.

[Hoosier Red]

Originally Posted by Revering4Blue

I'm not going that far.

Even though it sometimes seems like a lifetime ago, I remember full well I.U defeating OSU twice ('87 and '88) in a row. Granted, OSU was transitioning from Bruce to Cooper--Sorry, I mentioned his name, Buckeye fans--and I.U was actually a respected program under Bill Mallory at the time.

And Earl Bruce referred to it as the "darkest day in school history" as I recall.

I really like what Wilson's done, but quite honestly IU's best hope to being a consistently decent program is for a Big 2/Little 10 dichotomy in the conference.
IU basketball went through this about 2 years ago when the B1G Ten had no great teams but 9 teams that were about a step and a half ahead of Indiana.

IU basketball recovered of course, but there are a lot more structural issues that make it hard for IU football to take a similar trajectory.

So I'll settle for never coming within a touchdown of THE Ohio State University if it also means that IU is between 6-6 and 8-4 every year.

Enough IU talk.

[BuckeyeRed27]

Ohio State was supposed to open next year with Vanderbilt. However Vandy has just backed out of the game and apparently didn't even make a call, rather just sent a letter to OSU telling them they weren't coming. Classy.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27

Ohio State was supposed to open next year with Vanderbilt. However Vandy has just backed out of the game and apparently didn't even make a call, rather just sent a letter to OSU telling them they weren't coming. Classy.

Don't feel bad. We did it to Northwestern too.

Vandy's AD way over scheduled for next year. If it had gone as planned, they'd have played @OSU, @UMass (in Gillette Stadium), Northwestern at home and Wake Forest at home plus the SEC schedule. That wasn't happening.

As to how it was done... Who cares?

[sonny]

Zach Boren is now my favorite Buckeye. To play 3 years as a starting fullback to switch to linebacker to fill a need. Total unselfish move.