Ohio State Buckeyes (6-6) v. Florida Gators (6-6)

• Arbitrary Sponsor: TaxSlayer.com (previously Progressive Insurance)
• Time: Monday 1:00pm EST January 2nd, 2012.
• Location: Jacksonville, FL
• TV: ESPN2, ESPN3.com
• Announcers: Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Jeannine Edwards
• Jerseys: Ohio State visitor White on Gray, Florida home Blue on Blue
• Line: Florida -2
• Over/Under: 44

The last time the Buckeyes and the Gators played it was the 2007 BCS National Championship game. Urban Meyer’s Florida team put the smack down on the undefeated Buckeyes 41-14, where everybody who watched it saw the SEC speed was the difference, turning “SEC Speed” into a cliche. Heisman winner Troy Smith did not have to time throw or escape the Florida pass rush and Ohio State looked awfully slow on both sides of the ball.

Now we have Luke Fickell head coaching his final game for Ohio State as their fans salivate the approaching Urban Meyer era in Columbus. Fickell will be kept as an assistant, but Urban will not be on the sidelines for the bowl game.

After decades of three yards and a cloud dust, Buckeye fans are dreaming of a glimpse into the future on offense in Jacksonville. But it is seriously a coin flip if offensive coordinator Jim Bollman calls an aggressive game plan like they had against Michigan or if they attempt FOUR passes and run every other down like they did against Illinois, especially considering Urban is claiming he is focused on recruiting, not the Gator Bowl game plan. The fact that they are ineligible for a postseason next year leads me to believe they will go the aggressive, more entertaining route on offense.

Florida has made their living by taking their SEC speed and running a horribly slow and drawn out pro style offense under Charlie Weis this year. They did so well that they achieved a 102nd rank in yards (334.2) per game in the FBS (Ohio State is nipping at their heels at 107).

Weis was hired by Kansas as their new head coach so they will turn to running back coach Brian White to call plays. This may lead to a strong emphasis on the run and expectations are an unwatchable game that should actually be played on a worthless December bowl date. The thing that will save fans from this is Florida and Ohio State hate each other in athletics and the SEC versus B1G pride makes this an important postseason game for two rebuilding programs.

This is a good match-up because Florida and Ohio State are very similar teams in strengths and weaknesses. Despite the low stakes, it could still be one of those very entertaining bowl games that we like to see as college football fans. The athleticism is there even if the wild Xs and Os may not.

I expect a very close one with this year’s winner of the Gator Bowl making a big game changing play in one of the last possessions of the 4th quarter. Chances are it will be one of the defenses since both Fickell and Muschamp emphasize that side of the ball.

Prediction: Ohio State 33 | Florida 28

The loss plunged the Buckeyes out of the AP Top 25 for the first time in nearly seven years. They came in to the game ranked #17 after a close game against Toledo, but the loss to Miami was enough for them to drop out of the rankings.

The game was one that Ohio State fans will like to forget soon. Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller combined for a 4-18, 35-yard performance. Miller was brought in to provide a spark, but he was not able to get anything going.

The running backs had a great game, as Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde combined for 141 yards on 26 carries, but their effort was not enough. When the team needed to get a first down via the pass, they were simply not able to do it.

Most OSU fans are not able to comprehend a team that is not a national title contender, and some may begin to look for a scapegoat. A popular choice may be head coach Luke Fickell. This is unfair for Fickell, who was thrust into a position that he was clearly unprepared for.

A college coach needs an entire year to prep his team for a season; this includes time to recruit and to prepare the team in the spring. Fickell was given the reigns just after Memorial Day, and this is just not enough time to prepare a college football team. If the team goes on to have a bad season, which by OSU standards would be 7 or 8 wins, Fickell might be out as coach in favor of a high profile coach such as Urban Meyer.

The problem with the offense is one that should be no surprise to OSU fans. The team lost their starting quarterback to the NFL and their top two playmakers, Dan Herron and Devier Posey, to suspension. Both will return in Week 6, but their rhythm will definitely be off.

With the new division system being used in the Big 10, the Buckeyes will still have a chance to make something of this season. The best team in their “Leaders” division is Wisconsin, while Michigan, Michigan State, and Nebraska are all in the “Legends” division. The only problem is that the Bucks still have to face all three of those teams.

As a fan of the Bucks, I would like to say that they could pull off a few upsets against these teams, but it is just not a realistic possibility. The Bucks do not have a dynamic quarterback, which is the driving force behind most dominant teams. Bauserman is average at best, and Braxton Miller is still in the learning stage.

A more realistic possibility is a season in which the Bucks go to a late-December bowl game after a 7-5 or 8-4 season. OSU fans must accept this fact, and not be devastated after an inevitable loss to a dominant Nebraska or Wisconsin team.

As long as they don’t lose to Michigan.

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* – Luke Fickell image credit: CollegeStadiums.com

Already top Buckeye recruits who would have normally gone to Ohio State are now deciding to play football elsewhere.  This is only the tip of the iceberg for Ohio State when it comes to top recruits shunning the Buckeyes.  Ohio State’s turmoil has now opened the door for every Big Ten team to get recruits who would have normally gone to Ohio State.

Here is an early look at Ohio State’s top recruits who have decided to play somewhere else.

Ejuan Price

Price signed his letter of intent in February to play football at Ohio State this season, but according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Price has asked to be released from his scholarship.  Price is one of the top linebackers in Pennsylvania.  Before he chose to play at Ohio State, his second choice was the University of Iowa.

Se’von Pittman

Pittman is from Canton, Ohio and is considered one of the top defensive ends in the 2012 class.  Before Ohio State got into all this trouble he would have probably been headed to Columbus.  Instead of playing for the local team at Ohio State, Price has now committed to Michigan State.

Kyle Kalis

Kalis is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the class of 2012.  He is an Ohio native who had a strong commitment to Ohio State but now has decided to jump ship.  He has not decided where he is going to play next fall but it won’t be for the Buckeyes.

Bri’onte Dunn

The rumor mill is still spinning around Dunn and if he has reopened the recruiting process.  Many reports say that he is sticking to his Ohio State commitment, while other reports say that he has no desire to play for Ohio State.  Dunn is one of the best running backs in the class of 2012.  If he does decide to officially withdraw from Ohio State there will be a lot teams going after this kid.

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* – Ejuan Price photo credit: Tom Lemming via MaxPreps

The first was Mike Fish’s piece on ESPN.com about the ties between A-HOPE, the Indiana Elite AAU program, and IU basketball, which interests me as both an alumnus and a native Hoosier.  The other was George Dohrmann’s Sports Illustrated report on Jim Tressel’s pattern of willful ignorance and potential violations within the Ohio State football program, which I follow as a condition of my residency in Ohio.

Whatever your feelings are about either of these schools or teams, what struck me most was the contrast in both the quality and factual content of the reporting as well as the conviction of each writer in the aftermath of their stories.

Fish’s series of pieces on A-HOPE and Indiana Elite was the result of five months of research and investigation.  While Fish drew connections between Mark Adams, who founded A-HOPE and is the director of Indiana Elite, and a recent string of verbal commitments to IU, the net result of his research could generally be labeled as circumstantial evidence.  Fish insinuates that Adams’ connection to the players and his son Drew’s brief employment as an entry-level member of the Indiana staff led to a pipeline of recruits heading to Bloomington.

Many pro-IU sites have taken the time to poke holes in Fish’s argument by pointing out the relatively low number of A-HOPE and/or Indiana Elite players who have committed to IU in the past, and the reality is that even some of the current Indiana Elite players don’t have lengthy ties to the program.

Most fans are most concerned with potential illegal benefits Adams provided to 2012 commit Hanner Perea, namely an iPod, a laptop and plane tickets to his native Colombia.  Depending on what you read, Adams may be Perea’s legal guardian in America, which has a significant bearing on the magnitude of potential violations.  It’s unclear what the final punishment might be for accepting these benefits, although you could use the case of Josh Selby from last season as a potential barometer.  Regardless, Mark Adams doesn’t deny having given the items in question to Perea, so while the eventual outcome of the case is unknown, there is no contention as to the facts surrounding it.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about what to make of this as both a fan of the program as well as college basketball, and I think the findings are neither as damning as Fish had hoped nor as innocent as most fans want to believe.

It strikes me as very little concrete information tying Adams or the university to any misdeeds, but given the recent history of violations at IU in the Kelvin Sampson era, it concerns me to see the program potentially wrapped up in something unscrupulous.  In the end, you are the company you keep, and if Adams’ motives are not as altruistic as he wants us to believe, IU is leaving itself open to this type of criticism and insinuation whether they’ve done anything wrong or not.  Beyond the IU landscape, the potential influence of boosters through non-profit organizations is a loophole the NCAA is behind the curve in closing.  Adams himself has stated that the parameters governing organizations like A-HOPE are a work in progress.

Ultimately I have no doubt that Fish put a significant amount of time and effort into uncovering something during those five months, but the number of concrete facts and associated violations or illegal activities is less than most would expect after that kind of time investment in researching and interviewing.

That, along with what has surely been a vicious backlash from IU fans, may explain why Fish came off the way that he did during a recent interview with JMV of 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis.  During the roughly 15 minute interview, Fish came off as defensive and at times argumentative.  He ultimately appeared thin-skinned and didn’t project an air of confidence related to what his eventual findings proved.

At one point he denied any provocation from Baylor to investigate A-HOPE without the subject even coming up, which struck me as odd.  The Bears’ recruitment of Perea earned headlines based on text messages from an assistant coach claiming that they would have Perea deported if he didn’t commit to Baylor.  Whether they tipped Fish off on A-HOPE or not, the volunteering of this information while not even being questioned about the source of the investigation was puzzling to say the least.

Another interesting claim by Fish was that the only notable history of A-HOPE and Indiana Elite was within the last couple years, and anything preceding that could be and should be ignored.  Given that Mark Adams has been involved with both over a relatively lengthy period of time, it seems foolish to willfully ignore the overall track record of the players associated with both organizations over that time span.  If a basketball player had a 10-year career, you wouldn’t look only at the last two years to formulate an opinion on their legacy.  You’d look at the entire body of work.

In contrast, Dohrmann researched the Ohio State situation for roughly six weeks according to a chat he held on Twitter using the #sichat hashtag.  Despite spending a week of that time on vacation and spending roughly six or seven days in Columbus, the amount of detail and the number of different sources referenced created a significantly more compelling story than the one Fish portrayed despite having spent roughly four times as long compiling information.

A review of Dohrmann’s article shows a series of violations that followed Jim Tressel over the span of about 25 years.  He publishes statements from at least 10 people associated with Tressel and the various players associated with at least half a dozen separate issues.  While you can certainly question the moral credentials of some of those he interviewed, Dohrmann managed to confirm their accounts of the situation through additional sources or research.  In the end, he produced significantly more specific evidence to support his case, and his writing relied far less on the reader’s ability or willingness to draw their own conclusion.

I would argue that by the end of Dohrmann’s piece, some of those who vehemently supported Tressel had seen another side of him and potentially softened their stance.  Some may still see him as ultimately a good guy who made bad choices in the interest of looking out for his players, but it’s tough to completely exonerate Tressel from any wrongdoing in light of the mountain of evidence presented.

With Fish’s article, I tweeted last week that it would do little to change people’s mind about Tom Crean and the overall direction of the IU program.  Those who question Crean’s ability to return the program to glory were given ammunition to question his integrity, while those who support him were given no explicit facts that would force them to reevaluate their stance.

As you would expect, Dohrmann made the rounds on the ESPN shows (Mike and Mike, The Herd, and The Scott Van Pelt Show) as well as Jim Rome in the wake of his article’s release.  In the interviews I heard, Dohrmann spoke confidently about the facts he and his colleague David Epstein had compiled for the article and was steadfast in his indictment of Tressel and his history of using plausible deniability as a defense.  He seemed poised to receive the venom and backlash from those who wanted to discredit his reporting of the events but ultimately hung his hat on the facts compiled during his investigation.

While I don’t fancy myself to be the caliber of either Fish or Dohrmann as a writer, there is much to be learned from the reaction to these investigative pieces.

It’s not easy to undertake a barrage of criticism about a piece you worked hard on, and if you don’t believe that, try writing a sit/start article for fantasy football.  People won’t always agree with what you have to say, but the dialogue that ensues after an article posts is one of the best parts of writing.  That’s one of the reasons I have always made it a point to respond to any email or comment readers have passed along.  Two-way conversations are always more rewarding than the one-sided ones, and in the end, embracing the positive and negative feedback from what you write only enhances your perspective and builds credibility with readers.

The fanbases for these two programs are among the most passionate, proud, and intense in the country, so naturally many questioned whether either Fish or Dohrmann had an axe to grind against their respective teams.  In both cases, that’s an absurd argument, but if that was, in fact, the case, it’s clear to see who spent more time sharpening their blade.

Feel free to leave comments below or message me on Twitter.

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* – Hanner Perea photo credit: Inside the Hall

I suppose I don’t really have a great answer to that question, except to say that, well, I just care – whether I “should” or not. And I always will care. From the moment I was born, college sports were an integral part of my life, and they have remained an integral part of my life to this day. So I am naturally curious about this story in myriad ways, both for how it will affect things on the field and, more importantly, what it says about college sports on the whole.

It is way to early to tell how Tresselgate will affect the college football season next year, but if I were to whittle down my complicated gut reaction to what this says about college sports as a whole into one sentence, it would be this: the gray area in big time college athletics has never been grayer, and it gets more shaded (shady?) by the year.

As it relates to Tressel, this gray area was no more apparent than earlier today on Mike & Mike.

First, Bob Knight was interviewed and gave a pretty strong defense of Tressel. In a nutshell, Knight said (with the caveat that he did not know all the details*) that even God himself would not know every rule in the NCAA rule book and that “Jimmy Tressel” was the quintessential example of what a college coach should be. Hmm…okay.

* – Quick aside: Coach, you know I appreciate and respect you for all the great times in Assembly Hall in the ’70s, 80s, and early ’90s, but…surely you knew that you’d be asked about Jim Tressel this morning. Don’t you think it might have been a good idea to read up on the details before being offered up as an expert opinion? (What was it you always used to say about preparation?) Not that you’ll care, but your biased agenda was pretty obvious.

Next up was Chris Spielman, a certified Ohio State and college football legend. He was much more harsh in rebuking Tressel, stating that the coach was unequivocally wrong both in what he did and in how he handled it. Spielman said that Tressel should have volunteered to double his fine and add an extra game onto his suspension.

So Knight and Spielman had decidedly different judgments about Tressel’s conduct. What was most interesting to me, however, was that they both capped their statements by essentially giving Tressel the same ringing endorsement: they would want their son to play for him.

And this is one of many spots where the gray area becomes really, really, really gray.

Let me state that I do not think Jim Tressel is a bad man, per se. Without knowing him personally, my guess is that he’s generally a good man, maybe even a very good man. I am sure that if he were my father or my uncle or my coach, I would probably be strongly in his corner and he in mine. And I also think he’s a good football coach – actually, an excellent and damn near legendary football coach. Remember, when he took over in Columbus the Buckeyes were not the annual Big Ten powerhouse and Michigan vanquishers that they are now. But Tressel promised Buckeye fans that they’d be proud of their team the next time they faced Michigan, and he has not gone back on that promise yet.

I say this because it is important to note that in so many ways, Jim Tressel is the perfect man to be roaming sidelines for Ohio State, which is obviously why he is currently being retained despite the storm clouds of controversy. And to make sure we have everything in its proper perspective, the “crimes” he is being accused of committing are not actually “crimes” in the legal sense of the word (well, who knows…) but rather crimes against our general sense of ethics and honesty within the context of the somewhat arbitrary and obtuse world of NCAA rules, regulation, and enforcement.

The problem here is that the current environment of college athletics makes it damn near impossible for a guy like Tressel to do it all. His primary task, above all else, is to win football games – with at most one loss allowed per year, so long as it isn’t to Michigan. Tressel could graduate every player, recruit only the most upstanding citizens to suit up on Saturdays, and cross every t and dot every i by the letter of NCAA law, but these are mere luxuries. If Tressel were to start finishing second in the Big Ten to Michigan, he’d be run out of Columbus so fast it would make Gordon Gee’s bowtie spin. Think that’s hyperbole? Not at Ohio State it’s not.

And yet, Jim Tressel is the highest paid and most high profile employee of The Ohio State University. So should winning football games really be his #1 priority? Interestingly, here is the Ohio State University’s purpose and core values, taken directly from their statement of vision:

Purpose

To advance the well-being of the people of Ohio and the global community through the creation and dissemination of knowledge.

Core Values

Nowhere in there does it say “set an example for honest and integrity” or “pursue the moral high ground in all instances, even if success or achievement could be compromised.” While I’m sure Ohio State would state publicly that they want everyone associated with the university to act with honesty and integrity, it is clearly not their primary purpose. Ohio State is here to “advance the well-being of the people of Ohio and the global community through the creation and dissemination of knowledge.” So within this context, allow me to play devil’s advocate here for a second. If winning football games creates financial and exposure windfalls that improve Ohio State’s ability to “advance the well-being of the people of Ohio and the global community through the creation and dissemination of knowledge” then what is Ohio State really sacrificing by rationalizing the actions of Jim Tressel and allowing him to continue leading its most visible group of students and one of its most powerful recruiting tools? Isn’t it reasonable to argue that Ohio State would be undermining its own mission by getting rid of Tressel?

Do you see what I mean about gray area?

I am only a couple of chapters into the new book Scorecasting by Tobias Moskowitz and L. Jon Wertheim. The tagline of the book is “The hidden influences behind how sports are played and games are won.” One of their basic premises is that to explain why things happen the way they happen in sports, we have to look at the way individuals are incentivized. To illustrate, they cite the example of why football coaches do not go for it on 4th down despite clear statistical evidence that doing so will improve their overall chances of winning. The reason is that coaches are not second guessed for punting on 4th down the majority of the time, but they would be second guessed if they started going for it every 4th down. Just look at the heat Bill Belichck, a 3-time Super Bowl champion, took when he went for that infamous 4th and 2 against the Colts.

Why do I bring this up? Because I think the same basic premise lies right beneath the surface in college sports.

Coaches like Jim Tressel have to make tough risk/reward decisions every day. In specific regard to this current Tresssel story, he took the risk that by sweeping the emails under the rug the negative ramifications would never surface, he would not have to suspend his best players, and the team’s chances of winning would not be jeopardized. He then later took an additional risk by not disclosing what he knew and when. The result? Ohio State beat Michigan, won another Big Ten title, and beat an SEC team in a BSC bowl game using players who otherwise would have been ineligible based on the information Tressel had in April. Those are the facts.

Was Tressel wrong? Absolutely. He was wrong in many, many ways. He was also wrong yesterday in offering up a half-hearted and disingenuous explanation that only the most blinded Buckeye fan could accept as realistically true. But in the end, Tressel has delivered what fans wanted and what his university tasked him to do: win, and win big. From his perspective, and clearly from the perspective of the Ohio State president and Athletics Director, the most unfortunate part of this whole story is that Tressel got caught red handed.

Let me digress now for a moment. I am not writing all of this to defend Jim Tressel. He is and was wrong, and he needs to be punished. Personally, I think if Dez Bryant could be suspended for 10 games for lying to the NCAA about having lunch with Deion Sanders, then Jim Tressel should be suspended for at least that length of time for doing something far more egregious in the grand scheme of things. However, I do think we need to be quick not to just tar and feather Jim Tressel while missing out on the bigger picture here.

What we are seeing now at Ohio State is simply the latest, most obvious manifestation of just how broken major college athletics are. As I said above, do I think Jim Tressel is a good man? Yes. Do I think he’s a good coach? Yes. Are either of those two qualities what has made him a successful football coach? No. What has made Jim Tressel successful at Ohio State is the same thing that made him successful at Youngstown State and the same thing that makes other big time college football and basketball coach successful: his his ability to selectively apply ethics, integrity, and a commitment to the rulebook all while publicly attempting to stay on the moral high ground. What is becoming more and more apparent in big time college sports is that being able to walk this extremely tricky high-wire is a virtual necessity for success. Auburn somehow did it without punishment and are national champions because of it. Ohio State and Jim Tressel got caught, and now they’ll pay a price because the NCAA will, reluctantly I’m sure, have no choice.

Personally, I hate what college sports have become. I hate that I legitimately think it’s damn near impossible to win big consistently without breaking the rules or compromising your program’s integrity. And I’ve had to watch first hand as the university I love made a deal with a devil and got burned by it. Three years later, Indiana basketball and its fans continue to pay the price for hiring a known cheater and then watching him cheat and lie again. But you know what? We got exactly what we deserved.

Here is what I have learned from that experience: never again. I can honestly say, without even a shred of disingenuousness, that I would rather win three Big Ten games every year doing the things the “right” way and with integrity than root for a team that compromises on rules or ethics but competes for championships (are you listening Coach Crean?). I suppose I’m still foolish enough to believe that I can have my cake and eat it too – a program that does things the right way and wins consistently – which is why I’ve never lost my passion for college sports even if my respect for them erodes more and more with each passing year.

Ironically, a part of me feels a weird kind of sympathy for Jim Tressel. He has undoubtedly done many good things for a lot of people and has brought thousands upon thousands of Ohio State fans untold joy and incredible memories. Certainly there are coaches out there who have done less good and more bad than Jim Tressel, but who will never have to endure the public flogging Tressel is currently getting. The reality is that these black marks on Tressel’s record will never totally erase or overwhelm the good he’s done, nor should they. Jim Tressel didn’t write the rules of the game; he has just played the game a lot better and with much more cunning than the majority of his peers. With that has come some good and some bad. How much of each you see just depends on your perspective.

What we love about sports is that at the end of an exciting, entertaining matchup on the field of play, there is a winner and a loser. It’s black and white. The problem is that we are able to delude ourselves into thinking that the result was determined by the competition we watched, but the associated irony is that so much of what ultimately determines the black and white result of winning and losing is not black and white at all. It’s gray. Very gray. Today our view of it all just happens to be shaded with a hint of scarlet, but the problems run much, much, much deeper than just Jim Tressel and Ohio State.

I’ll say it again to ensure the point is made: the Sweater Vest and Ohio State deserve to be punished, and harshly; but, it would behoove us all to redirect some of our vitriol and indignation towards the institution of major college athletics itself, where rarely is anything more important than winning and money. In college sports, winning begets money which begets more winning which begets more money, and so on and so forth, and any obstacles to either be damned. Somehow, some way, don’t we need to at least try find a way to put the toothpaste back in the tube?

Look, I don’t have any great solutions for how to fix the problems that I think ail college sports, and I recognize that college athletics have been rife with cheating and lying for a long, long time; but what gets to me is that it at least used to feel like college sports had a soul. For me, that was part of what separated college sports from professional sports and made them special. Maybe I was just naive, and maybe I still am, but I’ve always believed that there was a higher purpose to college sports than pursuits like winning and money. Unfortunately, it’s really hard to see those higher purposes these days, and that’s sad.

I think that somehow, as we move forward, college sports have to decide what they are. Are they amateur athletic competitions with a higher purpose than the pursuit of winning and making money? Or are they no different than the professional leagues, where nothing trumps the bottom line? Right now, major college sports dwell in the gray area between the two – and so the rest of us are forced to do the same.

Update: After publishing this article, I came across an article by Bruce Feldman at ESPN that echoes many of these same sentiments and includes a pretty revealing interview with an unnamed college coach.

Excerpt:

“My buddy Seth Wickersham, who has covered just about every sport for ESPN The Magazine but has an emphasis on the NFL, texted me Monday night after Yahoo! Sports went with its Jim Tressel story. He wrote: “Is it just me or is college football coming apart?”

My immediate response was that there have always been big scandals in the sport (the SMU Mustangs and the old SWC, the Miami Hurricanes pell grant scandal, Albert Means, etc.), but now with Twitter you can hear about almost everything, and rumor and innuendo often gets “reported” and digested as if it’s fact. Plus, there are more rules players and teams can get caught up in and there’s much more money involved.

But the more I thought about his point, I wondered if he was on to something.”

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What are your thoughts? Use the comment section to give your opinion on Jim Tressel and Ohio State or major college sports in general. As always, my goal for this post is simply to start a conversation with my own thoughts and feelings as a jumping off point, and I encourage you to agree or disagree with candor.

For the college sports fans, the last thing you ever want to see is the phrase “Yahoo Report” anywhere near your team’s name. Ask USC and UCONN, among others, how that usually works out.

The latest high profile sports program to come under the investigative eye of Yahoo Sports is the the Ohio State Buckeyes football program and its seemingly untouchable coach Jim Tressel. If the latest Yahoo report proves true – and Tressel knew that Terrelle Pryor and other players were selling gear eight months before the university claimed it first knew – we’ll get a true test of just how Teflon the Sweater Vest really is.

You should go to Yahoo to read the entire report by Charles Robinson and Dan Wetzel, but here are a couple of key passages to whet your appetite with the overall flavor:

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was informed that several Buckeyes players were selling memorabilia more than eight months before the school claims it was made aware of the scheme, a two-month Yahoo! Sports investigation has found.

Tressel received information that players were selling items to Edward Rife – the owner of Fine Line Ink Tattoos in Columbus – as early as April 2010, according to a source. However, neither Ohio State nor the NCAA investigated the transactions or the players’ relationship with Rife until December 2010, when the school claims it was informed of the situation by the local United States Attorney’s office.

…

If Tressel failed to inform Smith or the Ohio State compliance department about the players’ dealings with Rife, he could be charged with multiple NCAA violations including unethical conduct, failure to monitor and a failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance. In general, a coach is required to act on, or pass along reasonable information about possible rule violations for further investigation.

Ohio State declined comment this evening, and even this caused a bit of controversy. Initially, tweets were posted by numerous sources that the university received only a 30 minute heads up before the story was posted. Later, a tweet from the @YahooSportsNFL account said that the school, in fact, received a three hour heads up.

Regardless, the school knows about it now, and everyone will know about it in the morning, so we’ll see what their first official response will be. Here is a quick piece of advice to OSU and Tressel: be honest. Bruce Pearl and Jim Calhoun just found out the hard way that the NCAA is not playing around anymore when it comes to being lied to.

Also, when power programs like USC football and UCONN basketball are going down, it’s pretty clear that even the most sacred of cows are no longer being protected when smoking guns make enforcement unavoidable. And with Yahoo’s track record, a detailed report based on a lengthy investigation is about as close to a smoking gun as you can get when it comes to malfeasance at major college sports programs.

This tweet by Clay Travis pretty much sums it up:

I love that the 12 man Yahoo Sports department is more effective at uncovering major violations than the entire NCAA.

It is too early to say “stick a fork” in Tressel or the Buckeyes football program. We need to hear their response first, and then see what happens after that. But make no mistake: if I were a Buckeye fan, I’d be very, very nervous right now. Yahoo’s investigative team deserves that kind of respect.

The best advice for Buckeye fans is to get ready to throw yourselves wholeheartedly into March Madness, as there is no better way to deal with serious negatives issues for one team than to have a potential champion in another sport. That’s why when Indiana basketball went through it’s NCAA issues a few years back, I was so thankful to have our powerhouse football team to turn to. Err, wait a minute…

Anyway Buckeye fans, what say you? On a scale of 1-10 how worried does the Yahoo report make you? Interested in your initial thoughts. Comment section awaits.

Update: Assuming this Yahoo report has legs, and I think that’s a safe assumption to make, talk like this from the aforementioned Travis is going to intensify over the next few weeks and months while we wait to see what kind of trouble, if any, awaits Tressel:

Credit to @danshanoff who dm’ed me two seconds after my @danwetzel retweet to begin Urban Meyer to OSU talk.

Just a thought…

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Jim Tressel photo credit: AP Photo/Mark Humphrey via Scout.com

Darrell Hazell (bucknuts.com)

He has been coaching as an assistant for 25 years now and this will be his first head coaching gig. Darrell Hazell is leaving the assistant head coach and wide recievers title at Ohio State. His track record proves he can coach up NFL talent like Santonio Holmes, Teddy Ginn, Brian Hartline, and Brian Robiskie.

Kent State made the move over a month after head coach Doug Martin resigned earlier in the year. The interim head coach was interviewed but they waited for Hazell to become available for an interview. That is an opportunity Coach Tressel will never get in the way for his assistants, even if they are preparing for their 6th straight BCS game. I have not heard if Hazell will continue at Ohio State but I imagine he will, considering Kent State (5-7) does not have a post season game right now and KSU has retained some assistants to continue recruiting. Also any possible replacement might be preparing for a bowl game at their respective program.

The only rumor I have read is speculation on Bucknuts.com that P.J. Fleck, the receivers coach at Rutgers will be a candidate but Hazell’s replacement is sure to be done in a very thorough process. Rutgers (4-8) on the other hand is not bowling this winter. Darrell Hazell himself was an assistant at Rutgers from 2001-2003.

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The Ohio State University has never played Eastern Michigan University of Ypslianti, Michigan of the MAC football conference. (Had to be clear with that one since you probably think they are maybe a D-2 school. Though some say they might as well be)

This matchup is actually brought to you by “Nebraska not being in the Big Ten yet.” But you can eliminate these lopsided meetings for your favorite team in the Big Ten starting in 2011 and beyond!

Now to the game data:

Ohio State-Eastern Michigan Primer:

• Ohio State-Eastern Michigan Location: Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH
• Ohio State-Eastern Michigan Kickoff Time: Saturday September 25^th, 2010 – 3:30pm EST
• Ohio State-Eastern Michigan TV: ABC Regional or ESPN if not in your region.
• Ohio State-Eastern Michigan Announcers: TBA
• Ohio State-Eastern Michigan Line: Ohio State -44, Over/under 56 (via Betus.com)

EASTERN MICHIGAN (0-3):

• Ron English (0-15 career, 2^nd year)
• Last Week: 52-14 loss against Central Michigan

You probably remember head coach Ron English as Lloyd Carr’s defensive coordinator at Michigan before Carr was forced out errrr- retired. English took the same role at Louisville for one year before obtaining his first head-coaching job last year at EMU. But in week 4 of 2010 he is still looking for his first career win.

Eastern Michigan kept it close in their first two games against Army (31-27) and at Miami of Ohio (28-21). But then they proceeded to look just as awful as last year losing to one of the best MAC teams in Central Michigan (52-14) last week. Needless to say, if they are still one of the worst teams in the MAC then their 118^th (out 120) Congrove Computer Ranking is about right.

EMU has been outplayed in every statistical category this year, except penalties, which they impressively have only 7 through three games. Unfortunately, they don’t have enough talent to make this only about penalties deciding the outcome.

If they do have a shot of at least at making it close, it will be creating points off any turnovers and making some plays against Ohio State’s porous 2010 special teams. Who knows? Ron English is a Michigan man with some history against the Buckeyes. And last week’s tilt with the high-powered Central Michigan offense may have tested them enough defensively…though the Eagle defense failed that test giving up 523 yards to the Chippewa offense.

#2 OHIO STATE (3-0):

• Jim Tressel (232-78-2 career, 97-21 at Ohio State, 10^th year)
• Last Week: 43-7 win over Ohio University

Ohio State was impressive again last week against Ohio U, but if you want to be a perfectionist there are still things to look for in terms of improvement before Big Ten play starts.

The special teams had a punt blocked and gave up another kick return for a touchdown, though it was called back on a penalty. Coach Tressel understands the need for improvement but had this to say:

“There’s no way to rush it; you can practice things all you want, but you certainly don’t spend all afternoon in practice running down full-speed on kickoffs and smashing into each other.”

Maybe they can get a special teams score of their own (see Jordan Hall to the right)? By the way, no team in the Big Ten has a special teams touchdown this year.

That brings up injuries. Back up running back Carlos Hyde is back and plans on getting some rushes Saturday as well as covering kicks on special teams (which is apparently he is good at). You’ve heard starting safety CJ Barnett had knee surgery and is likely out for the year. Include CB Donnie Evege (dislocated elbow) on that list but starting CB Travis Howard is only out this Saturday, maybe next. Other 2-deep guys have been pretty banged up but none of them will miss the game against EMU.

Again only the perfectionists will come out and say things like, “Ohio State needs more out of its running backs in the rushing attack”…which has been voiced on sports radio and in the media throughout Columbus. Again, those critics are obviously grasping for something to be concerned about. They don’t look at Pryor’s productivity running and ignore Ohio State’s 25^th nationally ranked team rushing stat.

The criticism is mostly boredom after the Miami (FL) win and before anybody significant in the Big Ten comes up until Wisconsin on October 16^th. The Buckeyes are on a mission this year and will be ready to dominate on ABC in the afternoon contest.

Ohio State-Eastern Michigan Prediction

Ohio State 48 EMU 10

To lay money down on a ridiculous -44 point spread for Ohio State just means you have way too much money. Or a problem. Or both. Either way I see Jim Tressel giving a lot of time to back-ups and resting the starters early, especially since the defense has gotten pretty nicked up so far and they start Big Ten play on the road against Illinois next weekend. Then again the 2010 trend is to pick against my spread pick for Ohio State football games.

KVB is 2-0 straight up and 0-2 against the spread on Ohio State this year.

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* – Ron English photo credit: Paul Sancya AP photo via MLive.com

* – Jordan Hall photo credit: Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer via Cleveland.com

Ohio State Defense: Overview

Because of an inconstant offense last year, Ohio State relied heavy on their defense. The defense stepped up to the task and played some of their best games during the biggest games of the year.

They only allowed 7 points to the 11th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, and held star running back Evan Royster to 36 yards. Michigan’s QB Tate Forcier is still having nightmares after his 4 interception game versus the Bucks.

Then, during the Rose Bowl, they contained a seemingly unstoppable Oregon offense, holding them to 17 points.

But enough talking about last year, let’s see what this year’s Ohio State’s Buckeyes look like.

Ohio State Defense: Defensive Line

The defensive line in large part led Ohio State to victory in the Rose Bowl, because they were able to slow down Oregon’s incredible rushing attack. This caused the Ducks to pass more, and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli struggled throwing the ball only completing 9 out of 20 passes for 81 yards with one interception.

Unfortunately, DT Doug Worthington and DE Lawrence Wilson, two key players from last year’s D-line, won’t be returning next year.

Luckily Cameron “Ironhead” Heyward, who had six sacks last year, will be returning this year, and so will DT Dexter Larimore. Number 43 Nathan Williams will be replacing Wilson at defensive end and John Simon will be starting at DT.

Last year, Ohio State’s defensive line was the heart and soul of the defense. This year they will have another good year but take a back sit to the linebackers.

Ohio State Defense: Linebackers

Ohio State has a strong linebacker core this year, as starters Ross Homan and Brian Rolle will be back and highly recruited junior Etienne Sabino will be starting too.

Homan who had five interceptions last year, pretty impressive for a linebacker, looks to have another stellar season.

Rolle is an interesting type of  linebacker, mostly because he is pretty small. Being only 5’11 and weighing 215 pounds, Rolle doesn’t seem to intimating on paper. But he is what you call a hybrid linebacker, someone who is big and strong enough to stop the run but also quick enough to guard the slot receiver.

Speaking of coverage lets move to the cornerbacks and safeties.

Ohio State Defense: Cornerbacks/Safeties

Star corner Chimdi Chekwa will be leading the secondary after the departure of safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell. Replacing Coleman and Russell at safety will be sophomore Orhian Johnson and Jermale Hines, who played a lot last year and recorded two interceptions.

You may also see a lot of  senior safety Tyler Moeller if Orhian Johnson struggles in his first year at safety.

After seeing the offense and defense I think Ohio State has a great chance of winning the National Championship, so long as:.

• A) Terrelle Pryor has a constistent season.
• B) Jim Tressel isn’t afraid to let Pryor loose.
• C) The defensive backs have another solid season.

If all these things come together you will see Ohio State bring the National Championship Trophy back to Columbus.

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* – Cameron Heyward photo credit: Carolyn Kaster, AP Photo via Cleveland.com

The Buckeyes stunned many critics when they beat a much quicker Oregon team. Ohio State won that game in large part because their defensive line destroyed a smaller Oregon O-Line. This halted Oregon’s spectacular running game and forced Jeremiah Masoli to pass. Masoli struggled, only completing 9 out of 20 passes for 81 yards with 1 INT.

Ohio State’s offense also surprised critics, especially quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Pryor took home the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP after he led the Bucks in rushing with 72 yards and completed 23 of 37 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns.

Is the 2010 National Championship in the Buckeyes future also? In Part 1 of our Ohio State season preview we analyze the offense, led by the junior Pryor, and the special teams.

Ohio State Offense: Overview

Ohio State’s offense had a solid season last year. They averaged 29 points a game, finished 18th in the nation in rushing yards per game, and have eight returning starters.

They have a great rushing attack returning with the three headed monster of Pryor, Daniel “Boom” Herron, and Brandon “Zoom” Saine. The Bucks have struggled in the passing game, however, mostly because coach Jim Tressel didn’t give Pryor full control of the passing game until the Rose Bowl. That could change after Pryor’s great performance.

Ohio State Offense: Quarterbacks

This is Terrelle Pryor’s year to make a name for himself as a complete quarterback. In the Rose Bowl, Pryor finally showed that he has the ability to lead and pass with accuracy. His performance showed that he has the skills to become a Heisman Trophy winner and SI has named him their Preseason Heisman favorite.

In fact, Terrelle’s 2010 season is starting off pretty similarly to how Troy Smith’s 2006 season started. You may recall, that is the year he won the Heisman Trophy.

• Both won their previous bowl games and both played excellent in them. Smith beat Notre Dame 34-20 and passed for 342 yards and two touchdowns in ’05.
• Both have core wideouts and running backs returning. Pryor’s RBs Herron and Saine are joined by WRs DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher. Smith had Antonio Pittman returning as his RB plus freshmen Beanie Wells, and had Ten Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez both back as his wide outs.

I believe Terrelle will have a great year, but I don’t have him as my Heisman favorite. (My favorite is either Alabama’s Mark Ingram or Boise State’s QB Kellen Moore, who has 10 players returning on offense!)

Ohio State Offense: Running Backs

Last season the running game carried Ohio State’s offense as they accounted for 195 yards a game.  OSU’s leading rusher was Terrelle Pryor who rushed for 779 yards. “Zoom” Saine followed close behind with 739 yard and “Boom” Herron totaled up 600 yards.

Boom and Zoom’s numbers didn’t jump out because they split carries three ways (I’m including Pryor) and they were also nicked up last year. Herron missed three games and Saine had five games with less then 10 carries.

Expect red shirt freshman Jaamal Berry to get some action this season as well. He was a top recruit two years ago.

Ohio State Offense: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Terrelle Pryor’s top two wideouts DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher will be returning this season. Both had superb games in the Rose Bowl, as Posey had 8 catches for 101 yards and 1 touchdowns while Dane pulled down 9 catches for 64 yards.

Sophomore wide receiver Duron Carter will not be joining the Buckeye this year. Carter (son of Cris Carter) showed glimpses last season of possibly being a talented receiver. However, Duron enrolled in Coffeyville Community College, which is located in Kansas. Carter also mentioned on his Twitter account that he would love to come back to OSU if his academics improved.

Three year TE starter Jake Ballard has graduated, which makes Jake Stoneburner the next probable starter. Ballard never lit up the box score, but he was an excellent blocker and he made one of the biggest plays in last years Rose Bowl.

(Wait, I mentioned that Ohio State won the Rose Bowl right?)

You can expect Stoneburner to be more of a recieving threat then Ballard was.

Ohio State Offense: Offensive Line

Ohio State’s offensive line struggled during the beginning of the year but improved later on. Key starters Michael Brewster, Bryant Browning, and Justin Boren will be the leaders of this year’s line. Browning and Boren are the lone seniors on the line. (If you remember, Boren was the offensive linemen who transferred from that state up north to play with the Bucks.

One player I’m keeping my eye on is Mike Adams. Adams was a top recruit three years back, but has not played to the best of his abilities.

Ohio State Special Teams: Kick/Punt Returners

Boom and Zoom will be handling the kick returns and DeVier Posey will be returning punts. Neither Herron nor Saine had any kick returns for touchdowns, but Saine had an impressive 54 yard return versus Navy.

This is Posey’s first year as the premier punt returner, as last season Ray Small was the starting punt returner.

I’m pretty happy seeing Small gone; he was 2nd least favorite Buckeye (first being Maurice Clarett of course). I have never seen any punt returner drop as many punts as Small did. He sucked as a wideout, and he thought that because he was an athlete he didnt have to go to class.

Ohio State Special Teams: OffKicker/Punter

Devin Barclay will be returning for his senior season. You may remember him from the Iowa game where he hit a 39 yard game winning field goal. Devin had a solid year in 2009, making all his extra points and hitting seven out of ten field goals.

Ben Buchanan will be starting at punter this season, replacing Jon Thoma who graduated last season.

Keep an eye out for part 2 of our OSU season preview, where we will be looking at Ohio State’s defense.

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* – Terrelle Pryor photo credit: AP via Boston Herald

* – Ohio State offensive line photo credit: Marvin Fong via Plain-Dealer

Email me at onda2531@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter at @OndaMSF

Every Midwest fan has the pleasure of looking toward the, err, the MAC Championship? Ohio Bobcats vs. Central Michigan Chippewas? And on a Friday night?

I’d rather go on a bar crawl with friends, see a movie, gouge an ice pick straight into my eyes…anything but watch that game.

(Not that I don’t try. The 11:00am contest last Friday between Ohio and Temple had its one viewer before I changed the channel immediately at noon when better games kicked off. I will say the first hour of Ohio-Temple was way better than standing in line waiting for a Black Friday sale item in the freezing cold. But sorry, you can’t trick me with your lone game this upcoming Friday night as if it is anything special before the REAL championship games on Saturday.)

Thinking about this obviously led me to fantasizing about something I have been dreaming about since high school.

No not my true high school crush Alyssa Milano, I’m actually talking about a BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP game! (No homo.)

There are some pretty straightforward answers to the questions that inevitably are raised whenever the topic of a Big Ten Championship game comes up:

1. They could play it in the Indianapolis Colts’ conveniently located and incredibly well-built Lucas Oil Stadium.
2. It would obviously occur this last weekend in college football.
3. Hell, Wisconsin could still go to Hawaii this year since they lost too many Big Ten games to be in the title game (I’m sure you were wondering this aloud).
4. It would also help the champion on the BCS stage and level the playing field with opponents who play in their conference championship game.

Of course the “ifs” are much more interesting to discuss.

• How do you split the two divisions?
• What school should be added as the 12^th team to the conference?
• Do you really need a 12^th team to have a championship game?
• Is Cincinnati the team most likely to get a final spot?
• How would the graphic artist sneak the number “12” into that “BIG TEN” symbol?

The two division split is hard even before you add a 12^th team. East and West divisions seem logical and easy. But I don’t always like the easy way out.

Is a Woody and a Bo division a good idea? Separating Ohio State and Michigan seems like a good idea for the conference commonly called the Big Two. But I can hardly make that argument after the last two years have seen Michigan generate one of the worst conference records at 3-13, tied with the “mighty” Hoosiers.

Will Michigan ever be relevant again? Almost for sure, but let’s move on, and I will contradict myself by saying let’s take the easy way out.

The records are from this year. The name of each division is a tribute to the previous year’s divisional champ:

2009 PATERNO EAST

1. Ohio State (7-1)
2. Penn State (6-2)
3. Michigan State (4-4)
4. Purdue (4-4)
5. Michigan (1-7)
6. Indiana (1-7)

2009 FITZGERALD WEST

1. Iowa (6-2)
2. Wisconsin (5-3)
3. Northwestern (5-3)
4. Notre Dame (2-1, projected 4-4)
5. Minnesota (3-5)
6. Illinois (2-6)

For argument’s sake, let’s add Notre Dame as the 12th team since they are the most talked about potential 12th Big Ten team that I know of. Though they were 2-1 versus the Big Ten this year, it is hard to believe they would not have lost their share of games against teams like Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. It was either Purdue or Notre Dame in the FITZY WEST (as I like to call it) and this way Indiana and Purdue stay in the same division.

All that being said, had this been the alignment for this year, we would have had a re-match of the awesome November 14th Iowa-Ohio State game in Columbus that had to be concluded in overtime. This time, however, the game would take place on a neutral field.

Sounds like an intriguing Big Ten title game right? Sounds like Ohio State might not have had at least a “share” of the Big Ten title the last five years if there was a title game? For all these “what ifs” let us refer to whatifsports.com to get some simulated answers. They do not create simulations for 2009 college teams until after the bowl games so let’s go backwards five years:

Darryl Clark

2008 SIMULATION

Ohio State (7-1) shared the Big Ten title with Penn State (7-1) even though the Bucks lost head to head, which perturbed many Nittany Lion fans. Rightfully so.

In the above division separations, Penn State would have won the Tressel East while Northwestern would have come out on top in the Zook West. The simulation includes play on a neutral field so that is how all these outcomes are calculated.

It didn’t matter as Penn State won 10 out of 10 simulations by an average score of 38-13. Not too exciting. Still want that championship game? Let’s look deeper and decide.

Todd Boeckman

2007 SIMULATION

Ohio State out of the Tressel East with Illinois from the Bielema West. At the time, this would have been an intriguing matchup on paper since weeks earlier Illinois upset Ohio State in Columbus.

But I think we’ve seen many rematch games turn out the way the simulation did. Ohio State won 8 of 10 simulations by an average score of 27 to 19.

Would fans still have seen LSU beat the Bucks in the national title game with less time off and a championship game? Probably. Moving on.

2006 SIMULATION

PreGame WarmUps

This was one of the most interesting simulations…or the most backwards simulation I haven’t decided yet. Ohio State beat Michigan in that awesome #1 versus #2 game, moving on to play Wisconsin out of the Weis West.

The simulation? Wisconsin winning 6 out of 10 games by a definitive average of 29-14!

Would Troy Smith still have won the Heisman (and gotten fat during the layoff)?! Would Florida have destroyed their opponent in the title game if it was not Ohio State? Who would it have been, Michigan, USC, Boise State, Louisville?! We will never know but it shakes so many things up.

2005 SIMULATION

This year would have been another Penn State thrashing of Northwestern from the Ferentz West by an average score of 50-13. Wow.

Let’s give Notre Dame (9-3, BCS Sugar Bowl loss to LSU) a chance. They were arguably better this year than the following senior season with Quinn and his mates. Penn State and Notre Dame were tied after 10 simulations, with Notre Dame winning an eleventh sim. The averages were tied at 24 as well, so needless to say this could have been one of the best conference titles that we have seen so far.

Looking at other conferences with title games, they can only expect one really close game and one major upset every five years.

2004 SIMULATION

Yes this was a long time ago…Michigan was actually competitive! Iowa comes out of the Ferentz West for this year’s title game, with Michigan getting 6 out of 10 victories by a simulated 21-16 average.

Yes, this would have been consecutive years for the title game match-up so I’m sure you get the point.

All these simulations should be taken with a grain of salt of course, but it is a fun way to show the potential results if the Big Ten split into two divisions and played a championship game. It would obviously be exciting for Midwesterners but wouldn’t shake up the national scene that much.

That is also why this is a simulation and can’t be compared to reality. Heck, maybe the national media would respect the Big Ten more if they had one. Maybe recruits would pay more attention to these teams if they competed in a finale game.

All that said, would it be the greatest dream in the world to see a Big Ten conference title game? Or could it just delay the inevitable? Could it help the winner by giving that school less days off as the BCS gets extended further and further into January because of TV networks? I do believe that is the true advantage for the current conferences with championship games.

And as for the games themselves, it is certain that we would get match-ups at least as exciting as Ohio-Central Michigan or Texas-Colorado in 2005 (70-3).

Wrapping things up all I can say is I would be in favor. Forget Notre Dame if they are too self-absorbed to join a conference in football. They are in shambles anyway and I don’t think even Super Stoops can save them. Also, forget making an argument and pulling teams from another conference (i think we’ve all heard cases from as far East as Syracuse to as far West as Iowa State).

Get a conference championship game going with the current league of eleven and see who wants in after that.

Breaking Update: It was reported late last night that Beanie Wells has decided to skip his senior season at Ohio State and turn pro. Good decision Beanie.

Chris “Beanie” Wells is, without question, one of the best players in college football and easily one of the most complete running backs in America. It has seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Wells would forego his senior senior season and enter the NFL draft after this year.

Beanie Wells, however, says that is not necessarily the case.

As reported by Doug Lesmerises in the Plain-Dealer, Beanie Wells has regrets that could keep him going pro and compel him to stay in Columbus. From the Lesmerises story:

“It’s not really big enough for my satisfaction yet,” Wells said of his Ohio State legacy, speaking Thursday at length about his unmade NFL decision.

“I have so many more things I would like to accomplish. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen.

“I feel like I wanted to be the best running back to ever come through Ohio State, and I said before I feel like I haven’t done that.

“I personally feel like I haven’t done enough at Ohio State to move on to the next level.”

Despite Wells’ statement to the contrary, however, I think the safe money is on Wells leaving Ohio State to go pro. A few reasons why are even cited in the Plain-Dealer article:

1. Jim Tressel has already said that he thinks Beanie Wells should go pro.
2. Wells has 11 brothers and sisters, and helping to support his family is a pressing need.
3. Injuries, injuries, injuries.

This last was one, for me anyway, is the biggest reason why Wells will be going pro after this season. In the article, Wells says that he wants Ohio State fans to know that they have never seen him at his best because of injuries. I think injuries, or more specifically the fear of a big injury, is why Ohio State fans will have to watch Beanie Wells in the NFL next year.

For running backs, if you are going to be a 1st round draft pick, how do you not go pro? All staying in college would do is add another season of wear and tear to the short lifespan of a running back. Most NFL running backs experience a sharp decline after age 30. Beanie Wells needs to get into the NFL as quickly as he can and get an extra year before that 30-year old running back finish line. Plus, Beanie Wells is already developing a reputation for being injury prone. If he has another season slowed by injuries next year, it will only hurt his draft stock.

And what more could Wells do to show off his talents to the NFL? All he can do is provide more questions about himself. He needs to make the best decision for his professional future, which is going pro ASAP.

However, I think the Cleveland Browns organization should hope that Beanie Wells stays in school. Otherwise, the Browns will have to deal with the pressure of choosing Beanie Wells high in the draft; and the potential backlash for not doing so.

The Cleveland Browns will have a top 5 draft pick in this year’s NFL draft. I have already seen several mock drafts that have the Browns picking Beanie Wells. I have also had a few friends who are Browns fans ask me, “So, who do the Browns take? Wells or Laurinitis?” As if there are no other options.

With the way the Browns basically pissed all over their tremendous fan support in 2008 by going 1-7 at home and falling waaaay short of preseason expectations, I am sure that Randy Lerner and anyone associated with the Browns would love to find a way to build goodwill with the fans in the offseason. Choosing one of the hometown favorites like Beanie Wells would certainly do that. And the Browns need a running back with Jamal Lewis getting up there in age and losing a step or two or ten.

So then Beanie Wells should be the perfect choice for the Browns if he goes pro right?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I say no. History in the NFL has shown that you don’t choose running backs in the top 5 or top 10 unless they are just transcendent talents like Adrian Peterson or Barry Sanders or LaDainian Tomlinson. Just look at this year. Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Kevin Smith were all very productive runners. None was a top pick. How often have we seen late round or even undrafted runners became stars? It happens a lot.

However, a lot of running backs picked him in the draft have fizzled. One reason is that guys are often drafted based on their college production. But more production in college can also mean more wear and tear, especially for a bruising-style runner like Beanie Wells. Or, the production can be more a function of the team around a player. I am not saying that Beanie Wells is not tremendously talented — he is — but he also has a great offensive line, a good offensive scheme, and Ohio State plays in the Big Ten.

You could argue that Ohio State only played two bona fide top 25 teams this season: USC and Penn State. Chris Wells did not play against USC, and was pretty ineffective against Penn State, running 22 times for 55 yards. I realize that Wells had good games last season against Michigan and some of Ohio State’s other good opponents; but Wells is right when he says he has unfinished business, especially against the better teams on Ohio State’s schedule.

If I am a Browns fan, this concerns me. It actually reminds me of another running back from a big-time college program who ended up being a top-5 NFL pick: Cedric Benson

Let me say right off that I think Beanie Wells is better than Cedric Benson, and I think Wells be better in the NFL than Benson, and without all of the off-the-field crap Benson has brought to the table. But Cedric Benson was a guy during his college career that played much better against the lesser schools on Texas’ schedule than against the top teams the Longhorns played. This is one of the reason why Benson slid on many draft boards (though obviously not the Bears): he fattened up on the cupcakes, but did not have the skill or competitiveness to bring it when Texas needed it most. Luckily for Benson he played with a transcendent college QB in Vince Young who brought it every weekend.

I think Chris Wells has actually played better than Cedric Benson did against the best teams on the schedule, but there has been some inconsistency. And if you say the inconsistency is due to injury, that is even worse. No NFL team wants to draft a running back high who cannot stay healthy in college, where the players are slower and the hits are less severe. Additionally, Beanie Wells is a tough runner but lacks top-end speed. He can run away from some college defenses, but will not be able to do the same against NFL defenses. Running backs who are going to be drafted in the top-5 need to threaten a defense as an inside runner and as a home run threat. This is not who Beanie Wells is. He is certainly worthy of a first round pick, and I think could have many productive years and be a guy like Michael Turner circa 2008, but the Browns have way too many holes to be rolling the dice on a running back that high in the draft.

So for the Cleveland Browns, the best outcome might be Beanie Wells just staying in school. Despite Wells’ recent statements, this is pretty unlikely however. What is more likely is that Wells will come out and the Browns will have to deal with the pressure of needing a running back and having the hometown favorite available to them. Obviously if the Browns pass on Wells and he turns into the next Earl Campbell, Browns fans will never forgive the team for passing on Wells.

If the Browns are smart, however, they will use history as their guide and wait until rounds 2-3 to pick a running back. With a slew of good defensive lineman and linebackers likely to be available to the Browns, and harder to get later in the draft, this is a more valuable direction for the Browns to go in than running back. And hey, if they really want to appease the Buckeye faithful, they can always take James Laurinitis.

But let another NFL team choose Beanie Wells. His Ohio State fans can continue to watch him and root for him, just in a city other than Cleveland.

Update: Immediately after this item, I noticed that our friends over at Waiting For Next Year posted a similar article regarding the recent comments by Beanie Wells about his NFL future. It’s a good read and they have a great blog, so check out their story.)

This time around Ohio State officials are hoping the faithful will wear all red for the themed “Scarlett Fever.” God knows the Penn State Nittany Lions have thrown the “White Out” at us enough times.

First place in the Big Ten is on the line as they are the only undefeated teams left. If Ohio State (7-1, 4-0) wins they could position themselves as the Big Ten champion which could mean a rematch against USC in the Rose Bowl. A Penn State (8-0, 4-0) win would put them on the inside track to their first BCS championship appearance.

Not that Joe Pa would even think about retiring after a BCS win since going off in style is, well, not his style.

To set this game up, both Ohio State and Penn State are coming off smack downs of the Michigan teams and I wouldn’t be surprised if ESPN’s College Gameday set up shop in Columbus for this one. Historically speaking, this game has a rich history especially since they play each other every year in the last week of October.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 12-11 and they have a 10-5 advantage since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993. Joe Paterno bucked the losing trend against Michigan last weekend but he has another this weekend against Ohio State. Joe Paterno has NEVER won in Ohio Stadium in Big Ten play. Joe Pa won in Columbus in October of 1929 but he insists a historic stock market crash is not the reason for victory then or now.

In all seriousness (despite the photo of James Laurinaitis), I believe the most important match ups are the run defenses and ball control. Last week Penn State had a tough time stopping the Michigan spread run offense giving up 202 yards on the ground, a 4.4 average per carry. Most of that was given up in the first half. Last week Ohio State took on the supposedly best running attack in the Big Ten and held the Fighting Izzo’s to 52 yards rushing, a 2.5 yard average. So whichever defense can keep the other team’s dual running threats off the field longer should win this game because I don’t see a lot of turnovers occurring.

Prediction: Ohio State 27 Penn State 21

Ohio State currently has a stamp on them that they cannot win a big game. Some people think it is a big tattoo that will never be removed, but after last night in Madison it is just a stamp to me. An ugly stamp you haven’t washed from the club the night before, but it only took a true freshman Quarterback to rub the stamp off for now.

Playing under the lights in Madison is a tough task. Ask the 2003 Buckeye squad who was undefeated and defending their national championship when they floundered in the Wisconsin elements and lost 17 to 10 on a late bomb to Lee Evans. Jim Tressel’s only career losing record to a Big Ten team was Wisconsin before last night’s victory (3-3). This was a big game win and don’t let any Jim Rome, Skip Bayless, or Mark May tell you otherwise. Not to mention Tressel’s 5-1 record versus the Wolverines who’s rivalry is called “The Game.” Is that yearly dominance not BIG enough for you? P.S. Not afraid of the “Bitch Rodriguez Era.”

The stigma that Ohio State cannot win a big game is still there since nobody respects the level of play out of anyone in the Big Ten but there is an X-factor now. We saw him come of age last night on his game winning drive and 11 yard touchdown option run. I haven’t seen a successful option run to the short side of the field against a good defense in college football history, but I saw Pryor turn on the jets and do it last night. On the road, down 17-13, 4^th quarter clock running against them, and Pryor did it throwing and running. A healthy Beanie Wells doesn’t hurt his maturity process either. Beanie finished the game with 168 yards on 22 carries (7.6 avg) and an awesome touchdown run in which he stiff armed the only defender he had to beat 10 yards backwards into the end zone.

Next week I am going to Columbus for the Purdue game (3:30 kickoff) and I can’t wait to watch the new big game X-factor Pryor with a healthy Beanie.

by KVB

Often I read my college friend’s Off The Tracks Purdue blog and he has gotten the attention of the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable for his site on the Boilermakers. If I’m not mistaken he got slammed last year by readers for crossing the line in a rant about Notre Dame Football, but otherwise he’s a great writer and Notre Dame still sucks.

Soon maybe Midwest Sports Fans could have some writers in the Big Ten Bloggers Roundtable (even though I got rejected by the MAC Conference Bloggers) but until then below I answered their preseason questions. Keep in mind I’m wearing a sweatervest with no pants right now….

1. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently ranked the top 5 rivalries in the Big Ten and there were some controversial results (Illinois v Ohio State as #3?). Clearly Ohio State vs. Michigan is the #1 rivalry in the Big Ten, but give me your next three. It is obvious the Illinois upset over the undefeated Buckeyes last year made that a sexy pick at #3; as well as the game being in Illinois this year and probably on ESPN/ABC. But the ugly wooden “Illibuck” turtle trophy and Ohio State’s 60-30-4 all-time advantage make this not so sweet. The Wisconsin-Minnesota Paul Bunyan Axe gets the award for best trophy. Also, if you are a Big Ten fan you love every stadium in conference except the house that Kent Hrbek built, so be glad for the new outdoor Gopher football church set to be used on Saturday’s in 2009. Anyway…

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Michigan-Michigan State – Some players say these inter-state rivals mean a lot more to them than any others (i.e. Florida-Florida State, Alabama-Auburn, Texas-Texas A&M, USC-UCLA). This is definitely attributed to those same in-state players feeling they got shafted in the recruiting process by “the bigger school” or players at said bigger school feeling embarrassed if they lose to the “weaker program.” Especially at the states big on high school football like Texas, Florida, and California.

Penn State-Ohio State – The Buckeyes took the all-time advantage (12-11) in this one after last year’s beat down in Crappy Valley, 37-17. Before joining the Big Ten, Penn State beat Earle Bruce’s squad 31-19, in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. Compared to Joe Pa’s 7-12 career record, The Nittney Lions got 4 wins against Ohio State before Joe was the man, obviously pre-leather helmets era. I myself have a “Michigan Sucks, Penn State Swallows” t-shirt. Going through my head: I hope I don’t get reamed by the editor for mentioning a state outside of the cornfields.

5. Brian at MGO was kind enough to post a diary entry which gives us and new coach Rich Rodriguez a list of Michigan traditions that maybe we were not all aware of. This has inspired two final questions…

Similar to the succulent Buckeye candies (a peanut butter ball dipped in hot fudge to look like the buckeye tree nut); there is the lesser known, Michigan Cookies! Easy to make too! Put them in a big Bowl and beat them for three hours. Note: Despite the first game on January 1^st, the Outback Bowl in not a big bowl.

KVB