Archives for July 2013

The Best of the B1G, #13 Venric Mark

July 31, 2013 by 2 Comments

b1g_iconSo who is Venric Mark?

Venric is a shifty little tailback/punt returner that burst on the scene last year after a couple electrifying games. Specifically, in his first career start, he took Syracuse out behind the woodshed, setting a school record with 134 punt return yards, including an 82-yard punt return (don’t watch the rest of that Marknado video, it will scar you for life) for a touchdown that was NU’s first punt return TD since forever (2005). No big deal, he just amassed a mere 281 all-purpose yards, rushing for 82 yards tacking on a a 21-yard touchdown pass.

Venric_Mark

More electricity? He did this to Penn State, this to Iowa and then treated Michigan like the red-headed step child it most certainly is, gashing them for 260 all-purpose yards (104 rushing, 156 return yards) and a TD. He led the Big Ten in all-purpose yardage with 166.6 yards per game. That was also enough to rank 12th in the country in that category.

Great, so what’s a guy like him playing with a bunch of nerds at Northwestern? Venric was considered a 2-3 star by most recruiting services, and he attracted a little attention from a few bigger schools and a lot of mid-range schools. He was initially recruited to play a slot receiver and as a punt returner. He decided to go Northwestern over, among other teams, Iowa State, Vanderbilt and Arizona. He put on a little weight and has become the featured back in Northwestern’s spread attack.

So while Mark is listed at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds he certainly doesn’t play that small. He isn’t afraid to mix it up with the big boys in the middle and he’ll get to the corner just as easily. Throw in a soft pair of hands and his return skills and you’ve got an extremely dangerous player. Break away speed and moves to spare. Oh, and he once played linebacker in 2011 against Michigan to mirror Denard Robinson.

Northwestern is poised for another year, some calling it their break-out year. Between Mark and the soon-to-be-discussed two-headed monster at QB, Northwestern has the potential to make a lot of noise this year in the B1G, starting with their conference home opener against the Buckeyes on October 5th.

Previously on MotSaG’s Best of the B1G
#14 Devin Gardner
#15 Kenny Bell
Best of the B1G, #20-16
Best of the B1G, #25-21

Filed Under: College Football

MotSaG Chat with Eric Glover-Willams

July 31, 2013 by 2 Comments

I recently interviewed 2015 standout Eric Glover-Williams from McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. Eric is currently 5″11 and 165 lbs. Eric received the nickname Superman after his performance at Friday Night Lights which is very appropriate for anyone that went or read about how well he performed. Eric is considered the best player in Ohio for 2015 mainly due to his ability to play numerous positions and excel at each of them. This camp he really got to show off his skills against some of the best dbs in the country, including our very own Damon Webb.

Eric is rated as the # 87 overall player in the country and the # 10 cornerback by 247

Q: How do you feel you performed at Friday Night Lights?

A: Good, but i could have done better!

Q: Did you get a chance to work with any of the former Buckeye greats?

A: No they just watched us compete

Q: Did you personally speak with any of the coaching staff? If so what was discussed?

A: Yes i did, Coach Meyer wants me to be the face of the program for the 2015 class

Q: How do you feel about being the face of the 2015 class?

A: Im thinking about it!

Q: Describe the atmosphere at Friday Night Lights, is it what you expected?

A: It was amazing and I loved it

Q: What was your favorite part of the camp?

A: The one on ones

Q: What was your favorite one on one matchup?

A: Damon Webb because I love to compete

Q: When you think of Ohio State what comes to your mind?

A: A bigger Mckinley, because of the rivalry games

Q: If you could let Buckeye Nation know one thing what would it be?

A: That the fans are great, and that it is an amazing program


You can also follow him on twitter @LastKing_Glover

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Women’s Basketball Program New Coach, New Recruits

July 31, 2013 by 6 Comments

Let’s face it, the women’s basketball teams under Jim Foster underachieved in the NCAA Tournament year after year and this last season not even making it caused him to be removed. You look back on Foster’s numbers and they were kind of impressive: winning the Big Ten regular season title six times and the B1G tournament title four times. He had a regular season record of 278-82 (136-46 in Big Ten). Foster, however, failed to make it past the Sweet Sixteen. Last season the Buckeyes finished 18-13, the first time in 11 seasons he failed to make tournament.

Ohio State was the top job open because one, it’s Ohio State and, two, top players do come here to play. Surprisingly the Buckeyes received a lot of “No Thanks” from potential coaches but one who was under a long term contract wanted the job. As he put it a “Dream Job”. Kevin McGuff was coaching at the University of Washington for the past two seasons before he accepted the head coaching position for the Buckeyes. McGuff said the only job he would have left Washington for was Ohio State and he jumped on the chance to come home. Kevin coached at Xavier for 9 years before he went to Washington. His record was 213-73 which was the most wins by any woman’s head coach there. The Musketeers made the postseason each of the 9 years under McGuff, last five being the NCAA tourney. The best year was 2010 where they lost in the Elite Eight by 2 points to Stanford.

Kevin McGuff won a National Championship as an assistant coach at Notre Dame in 2001. He knows what it takes to win and what kind of players he wants. McGuff has a bunch of positives going for him being the new head coach for the Buckeyes, have newly renovated practice gyms and weight rooms, once again it is Ohio State (honestly who needs more than that). The coach recently announced his team non conference schedule and the Buckeyes are playing the top teams, teams that have made the tournament and done well in it. He understands with Maryland (2006 NCAA Champs) and Rutgers (2007 NCAA Finals) coming into the league next season the Big Ten is going to become a powerhouse and he is poised to lead the Buckeyes in front of everyone.

The coaching staff has been busy on the recruiting trail and yesterday they received three commitments for the 2014 season. All three recruits are Ohio natives and two of them are twins. The twin sisters will be joining their dad who is one of the assistant coaches for the Buckeyes. Their father was the head coach at Taft before he joined the Buckeyes staff in May.

The Mitchell sisters, Kelsey and Chelsea are coming from Princeton High School in Cincinnati. Kelsey (5’7″) was named the Enquirer player of the year last two seasons, she is an elite point guard that is ranked number one overall and number one at her position by prospectnations.com. Kelsey is a lefty that can pass well, has the ability to create, has quick hands and can anticipate well, she isn’t a lock down defender but maybe Aaron Craft could help her. Chelsea (5’11”) is a forward that can shoot from long range (25%), solid rebounding and passes very well.

Alexa Hart (6’3″) comes from Afrcientric High School in Columbus. She is one of the top post players in the country. prospect nation has her ranked fifteenth overall and number two at her position. Hart is the best shot blocker in her class and has tremendous length in the paint.

The addition of these women is going to be great for the Buckeyes and it shows that coach McGuff and his staff is out there working hard and the results are starting to come in. The Ohio States Women’s Basketball team is about to be on the rise.

Filed Under: Ohio State Basketball Tagged With: , , , ,

Carlos Hyde suspension announced

July 30, 2013 by 4 Comments

As we have since the beginning we will post all of the happenings and it is official Carlos Hyde has been suspended for at least the first 3 games of the season and will have to meet other obligations to be put back on the team full time.

As was reported by Doug Lesmerises, of The Cleveland Plain Dealer just moments ago…

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has suspended senior running back Carlos Hyde for at least three games for his actions in an event at a Columbus nightclub last weekend.

Meyer announced his decision after Columbus police earlier Tuesday announced that no charges would be filed against Hyde. Meyer said that Hyde will also have to fulfill other obligations before he can return to the team.

Carlos Hyde was not charged with a crime but Coach Meyer determined that his transgressions violated the team and University code of conduct. Let’s hope this ends this saga for good and Carlos takes the necessary steps to get back on the team.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Surveillance Video Posted, Appears to be Much Ado About Nothing

July 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

610WTVN has posted the surveillance video of the “altercation” between Carlos Hyde and his accuser that fateful night a couple weeks ago.

Carlos Hyde enters the picture around the 2:25 mark and the “spat” happens at 3:17.

Carlos Hyde is not being charged with anything. Urban Meyer will handle this as he deems appropriate (which the Nation of Mouthbreathers will deem insufficient 30 seconds after) and we can move on to being five days away from camp opening for the 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes.

(If the video does not load, you can view it at 610’s site here)

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Carlos Hyde will not face Charges

July 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

As you all know by now last week Carlos Hyde faced allegations of hitting a female in a bar. The saga has been long and arduous to understand with lots of media members getting false leaks and bad info. Today it was finally announced by the Columbus Police Department that in fact Carlos WILL NOT face any charges…

It was first reported by @10tv of Columbus, Ohio…

The Columbus police department on Tuesday said no charges will be filed after an investigation into an alleged assault involving Ohio State running back Carlos Hyde.

The investigation is officially closed, according to a police media release on Tuesday.

This is not to say that Hyde is completely cleared to play though he will still need to talk to Coach Meyer and get reinstated for that to happen.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

The Best of the B1G, #14 Devin Gardner

July 30, 2013 by 5 Comments

b1g_iconDevin Gardner Jr. Quarterback University of Michigan

Devin officially takes over being the starting qb of the Wolverines this year. Having started the final 5 games for the Maize and Blue last year for an injured Denard Robinson, Gardner inherits the full time leadership role due to Robinson’s departure. Gardner changed the dynamics of Michigan’s offense running Brady Hoke’s pro style offense. While Robinson was pretty much a pure running QB Gardner is a dual threat but more of a passer.

Devin showed in the final five games he has a strong arm, completing 75 passes out of 126 attempts,passing for 1,219 yards and accounting for 22 touchdowns (threw for 11 td’s). Giving him a QB Rating of 161.7 percent averaging 243.8 yards passing a game. He also threw 5 INTS one in each contest. Gardner only ran for 100 yards in those 5 games averaging 2.1 yards per carry. If he played in all 13 games he would have had over 3000 yards passing easily.

Gardner is projected as the third best quarterback in the B1G behind Ohio State’s Braxton Miller and Nebraska’s Taylor Martinez. Devin is going to be facing a tougher B1G schedule than those two QB’s. Having to face 5 of the B1G’s projected top secondaries out of his 8 conference games. Miller and Martinez only have 2 match-ups against those same projections.

Devin Gardner is going to be the key to Michigan’s chances of being a championship caliber team as he states they are. His touchdown/interception ratio for the five games he started were good being 11/5 but he has a problem holding on to the football. He showed last season against Ohio State’s defense, which should be better, he struggled only throwing (season lows) for 171 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. If Devin cuts down on his turnovers he could be inserting his name into the Heisman talk. He is lucky in having his LT Taylor Lewan (one of the best in the NCAA) coming back to protect his blind side.

Devin Gardner’s best College Game:

Previously on MotSaG’s Best of the B1G
#15 Kenny Bell
Best of the B1G, #20-16
Best of the B1G, #25-21

Filed Under: College Football Tagged With: , , ,

MotSaG Chat with Justin Hilliard

July 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

justin-2015I recently had the chance to interview the top prospect in Ohio for 2015 and one of the top LBers in the entire country. Justin Hilliard is a High 4 star Linebacker from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is one of the best players in the country and holds offers from Ohio State, TTUN, Notre Dame, Miami of FL., Texas A&M, and many others. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 43rd best recruit in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 145th best recruit in the country for 2015. This kid is being recruited hard by many of the top schools and his skill set is one that is coveted by everyone. Based on his interview below though you can argue he has no favorite at this point and that his recruiting is wide open. Being an Ohio resident doesn’t seem to give Ohio State the inside track as he has moved all over. Most experts are predicting him to follow his brother to Iowa which sounds crazy but could very well happen. Here is the interview I had with him and I want to thank him for taking the time to do this interview with us.

SYR- If you could please tell us about your home life… Parents, brothers and/or sisters, where you were born, Have you always lived in in the same place?

Justin- I have one brother, CJ, committed to Iowa, and I live with my mom and dad. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio. I moved 5 different places.

SYR- Can you give us your current stats such as height, weight, 40 yard time, bench press, etc?

Justin- 6’2”, 225, 4.6, bench 365

SYR- Tell us a little bit about your HS FB team such as record and defensive style.

Justin- I go to St. Xavier, been to state championship 3 out of the last 8 years, we run a 3-3-5 and a run stopping defense

SYR- What are your goals for the upcoming season?

Justin- To win state

SYR- What college football team did you grow up being a fan of and why?

Justin- I really never had a dream team or favorite team since I moved all over the place

SYR- You have offers from all over the country which one was the most exciting for you to get and why?

Justin- My first offer was from Iowa and was my most exciting because it started my recruitment

SYR- Who would you say is your personal hero and why?

Justin- Reggie white, because he was an amazing player on and off the field

SYR- If you were going to die tomorrow what would your final meal be?

Justin- Lobster tail

SYR- Who do you think you compare to most in the NFL or College right now?

Justin- Levonte David or cj mosley

SYR- Who is your favorite College player of all time? And favorite NFL player of all time if different from College?

Justin- Tim Tebow, and Reggie White/ Lawrence Taylor

SYR- Do you have a top 5 yet and if yes who are they?

Justin- Not yet

SYR- Do you currently have a leader?

Justin- Not yet

SYR- Do you know when you would like to announce your commitment, if yes, when?

Justin- When I’m positive I’m making the right decision, when I commit, its set at that point

SYR- What would you like Buckeye Nation to know about you that they most likely don’t already know?

Justin- Ive never been to a game, my first one will be in october

If you want to follow Justin on Twitter here is his twitter profile…

Below you can see his sophomore highlights…

Filed Under: College Football Recruiting Tagged With:

Three Yards and a Cloud of Links

July 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Good Morning Buckeye Nation.


Summer Class: During the BiG Media Days in Chicago last week Urban Meyer talked about leadership. Meyer said he felt the reason the Buckeyes went undefeated last season was due to their leaders in players like John Simon and Zach Boren. He also felt that losing those senior left a void in the leadership for this upcoming season. Meyer met Tim Knight and has him teaching a weekly class to originally 19 Buckeye players but has since grown by a few.


Law Professor: Gordon Gee and Ohio State have agreed to a 5.8 million dollar contract that will run for 5 years. Gee will be a professor in the universities College of Law. His contract includes his new office, assistant and a premium parking pass along with health benifits and pays him a nice salary.


Uh Oh: Seems the CEO of Twitter, Dick Costolo who is a Michigan alum, has committed an NCAA violation by contacting Michigan recruits who are not officially signed through his social media site. This is a secondary violation and likely nothing but a slap on the wrist will come out of this. By slap on the wrist my guess is they say please don’t do this again.

Boss Hog: Looks like our buddy Bret Bielema the new head coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks took a swipe at the Buckeyes on twitter.


Seems they recieved a verbal offer from junior college offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor the other day and this has gone to his head. He might not have realized what the Buckeyes are amassing in offensive line talent for next season. Demetrius Knox became another recent commitment for Ohio State’s offensive line there might be 1-2 more added to complete
The Great Wall of Scarlet and Gray.


Relive Perfection: The Big Ten Network will be airing all of the games from the 2012 season starting tomorrow. Four games a night for the next three nights should help squence that thirst for watching Buckeyes football.

Until next time Buckeye Nation…

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ohio State adds a Hooker

July 29, 2013 by 2 Comments

OSU FootballAs shocking as the title is for this post is as shocked as I am that OSU landed another recruit in 2 days and this one I think surprises most of the fans and media alike. This young man wasn’t really on the front pages as far as recruits go for fans or the media but the coaches clearly knew what they wanted and they went and got him. He becomes commit no. 16 for the 2014 class.

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Malik Hooker committed to Ohio State as was first confirmed by Kyle Daugherty of D6 Sports Network…

Malik Hooker is a 6’3″ 185 lbs 4 star Athlete from New Castle, Pennsylvania. Malik is exactly the kind of commit that Urban Meyer loves he is versatile and fast. He can play both sides of the ball at WR or Safety or even CB. He is tall and has a good frame to work with. His speed is top notch which allows him to make plays on the ball on both sides. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 10th best recruit in PA. Rivals ranks him a 3 star and the 42nd best athlete in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 46th best WR in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and 5th best prospect in PA. Below you can see his highlights….

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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