Archives for November 2013

Luke Fickell interviews with Florida Atlantic?

November 5, 2013 by 2 Comments

There is a report out today from the Broward County/Palm Beach Sun Sentinel that says Luke Fickell was interviewed today for the Florida Atlantic Head Coaching job that was made vacant last week when Carl Pelini was fired.

Here is some of the report…

FAU Athletic Director Pat Chun is wasting no time in going after his top choice to replace Carl Pelini.

Sources close to the situation tell the Sun Sentinel that Chun flew to Columbus, Ohio Tuesday to interview Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell for FAU’s vacant head coaching position.

The 40-year-old Fickell is Chun’s top target for the FAU job, which is being held in the interim by Owls offensive coordinator Brian Wright.

Chun’s secretary confirmed that Chun was not at the school’s facilities today. Chun said Saturday that he would not have any comment on the Owls’ coaching search until a hire has been made. That stance was reaffirmed by the FAU athletic department’s spokeswoman Tuesday.

Chun knows Fickell well, having spent 15 years in the Ohio State athletic department before accepting the FAU AD job in July 2012.

also…

Moments after announcing Pelini’s resignation last Wednesday, Chun said that he had many friends in the coaching profession from his time at Ohio State, and that he planned on aiming high with his hire.

and…

For Chun, Fickell is aiming high. Fickell’s 2013 salary at Ohio State is $600,000, roughly $100,000 more than Carl Pelini made as FAU’s head coach, though Chun said earlier this year he believed it would be possible for FAU to raise its coaches’ compensation after the season.

The question is is this the kind of job that could pull Fickell away from his home and dream job? FAU offers a lot to be honest in weather, recruiting, distance away from OSU footprint, and a fresh start as the head coach of a College Football Team. Time will tell how serious he is about this job. I doubt he would do anything prior to the season ending. Coach Fickell is a polarizing figure for fans with some loving him for being a Buckeye at it’s truest meaning and the rest disliking his defensive play calling the last 2 years. What do you think should he stay or should he go?

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

B1G Power Rankings- Week 10

November 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

1.) Ohio State (9-0)- Beat Purdue 56-0. They took the lead early in the game on a Doran Grant Pick 6 and never looked back. Purdue was every bit as bad as we thought they would be. Ohio State is peaking and becoming a dominant team at the right time.

2.) Michigan State (8-1)- Destroyed TTUN 29-6. Once again the Spartan defense proved they are a dominant force to be reckoned with. They collected 8 sacks on Devin Gardner. Held the Wolverine Offense to -48 yards rushing… yes that was a NEGATIVE sign. The offense is blah at best but that doesnt matter the defense is this teams identity.

3.) Wisconsin (6-2)- Beat Iowa 28-9. Wisconsin defense was on their A game this week even without star LB Chris Borland. The offense was just effective enough to win the game.

4.) Minnesota (7-2)- Beat Indiana 42-39. Minnesota is playing great football. The team has really turned around and is on their way to a bowl game this year.

5.) Nebraska (6-2)- Beat Northwestern 27-24. In a game that will go down in history for Nebraska fans the Hail Mary that saved the day probably should have never been needed. Nebraska is still woefully underperforming.

6.) Penn State (5-3)- Beat Illinois 24-17. It took OT for the Lions to get the victory but they needed it badly after the beat down they suffered to OSU last game out.

7.) Iowa (5-4)- Lost to Wisconsin 28-9. The defense played extremely well in fact they held B1G leading rusher Melvin Gordon to 68 yards his lowest output of the season. The offense was inept as usual.

8.) Northwestern (4-5)- Lost to Nebraska 27-24. They played well enough to win a big game on the road but fell to the Cornhuskers on a last second Hail Mary play.

9.) Michigan (7-2)- Lost to Michigan State 29-6. Thoroughly dominated in this game. The offense couldn’t do anything against MSU. The defense was set up to fail all game long. The coaching for this team is questionable at best. Time to stop living off their past success and fix their current failures.

10.) Indiana (3-5)- Lost to Minnesota 42-39. Made a furious comeback to take the lead after being down 30+ points but came up short at the end. The offense is great. The defense is awful.

11.) Illinois (3-5)- Lost in OT to Penn State 24-17. You can see real improvement in this team. It hasnt translated to many wins yet but you can sense that they are coming.

12.) Purdue (1-7)- Lost to Ohio State 56-0. The Boilermakers were dominated in every aspect of the game. They are going to need to get back to basics if they hope to improve at all next year.

Filed Under: B1G Football

OSU Basketball: A look at the Guards

November 5, 2013 by 2 Comments

My favorite sports is starting and I couldn’t be more excited to be writing about it this year. I have a love for football and anything Scarlet and Gray but I truly have a passion for basketball and March Madness is my favorite time of year. The last two years I was able to watch all of the games being unemployed but since I finally have a job it looks like this year I’ll be missing some until I can catch up on them on DVR haha. Anyways enough about me and lets talk Buckeye basketball specifically the guards that will be playing for Ohio State this season.

First player I will discuss with you is someone you might have heard of. He is 6 ft 2 inches tall and will be playing his final season for the Buckeyes. Wow that was hard to say. Aaron Craft who is one of the best defensive guards in the nation will be leading the Buckeyes into the 2013-2014 season.

Craft currently isn’t the major offensive threat but he does average 10 points per game, hes a decent passer averaging 4.6 assists per game and has a knack for getting some rebounds averaging almost 4 a game.

Aaron’s strength is his defense and his hustle and man is he good at it. He can take an opponent’s best guard out of rhythm and make him have a long night. Craft averages 2.1 steals per game but will have to adjust his game defensively because the NCAA has put into place the Hand Check Rule. He is definitely athletic enough and smart enough to overcome this obstacle. During an off season camp it was reported that Craft was doing a great job shut down the Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving:

For those of you that don’t know who Kyrie is well lets just say you are about to hear more and more of him he is going to be one of the best point guards in the NBA and Aaron Mr. Shutdown Craft made him realize that he thinks Craft can play in the NBA.

Craft has proven this last season in the NCAA tournament he isn’t shy from taking the last shot and nailing it or dishing it off to a teammate to win the game. This is the guy you want on your team when the game is close and it is so much fun watching him play for a purist like myself its a thing of beauty.

Next Guard on the roster is 6 foot 1 inch Shannon Scott. Scott is a junior who is another defensive gem for the Buckeyes.

Scott who is a junior is averaging close to 5 points and 4 assists per game.

Neither Scott nor Craft are flashy offensive players they are very good at defense and when Craft needs a breather Scott is great at filling in for Craft and the Buckeyes defense doesnt loose a step for their backcourt.

Lenzelle Smith Jr is a senior also this season, the 6 foot 4 inch guard has been improving his game. The hard work he has been doing really showed up in the NCAA Tournament last year with Smith avearaging 17.5 points per game. During the regular season he averaged 9.2. Smith’s game has continued to improve each and every year so look for another jump this year, he has the ability to hit the three or take it inside and “throw the hammer down”.

Smith is also very good on defense and an excellent rebounder probably one of the best rebounding guards in the B1G.

Fan favorite Amedeo Della Valle is looking to be more involved for the Buckeyes this year. Look for the 6 foot 5 sophomore to get a lot more playing time and making his presence known.

Over the summer, Della Valle starred for his home country, Italy, in the Under-20 European Championships. In the event, which took place in Tallinn, Estonia, Della Valle led the Italians to the gold metal at the event. After averaging 13 ppg and 3.7 rpg, he was named the tournament’s most valuable player. In the fourth quarter of the championship game he took over scoring 13 points and a 3 to seal the victory.

The last upper classman to discuss at the guard position is walk on Andrew Goldstein. The 6 foot 3 junior will get to play this season after having to sit last year due to his transfer. o be honest couldn’t find much on him other than he was a pretty good high school player so it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table this year for the Buckeyes.

Last but not least is the freshman Kam Williams. The 6 foot 2 4 star recruit out of Baltimore Maryland. The knock on this kid is he is to skinny and needs to put on some weight. Hopefully since he made the right choice coming to Ohio State he will be able to bulk up in their new multi-million dollar facility and learn how to play defense from the best that are in front of him this season.

Its going to be another exciting year for the Buckeyes and the guard play is just one of the key components needed for another deep run into the tourney and the Scarlet and Gray have the talent to be able to do that. This is an extremely hard working team and their hard work will hopefully be rewarded this season.

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

B1G Week Ten Review: Staying in Contention

November 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

There was something on the line for pretty much every team in the B1G. Ohio State wanted to keep its undefeated season going and stay in contention for a possible BCS National Championship game appearance. Wisconsin needed to win to remain in contention for a possible at-large BCS bowl game shot. And several teams were looking to stay in contention for the Legend’s division title and a chance to play Ohio State for the B1G Championship in Indianapolis. Who stayed in contention and who fell out of contention? Let’s take a look.

Penn State 24 Illinois 17 (OT)

This was a tight game throughout and it basically came down to who made one less mistake. And that team was Penn State. Penn State drove into the end zone with ease in overtime, capping off the drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass from Christian Hackenberg to Kyle Carter. Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase then threw an interception on Illinois’ first play of overtime and sealed the loss for the Fighting Illini. Illinois has now lost 18 straight conference games and the heat is certainly on head coach Tim Beckman and his coaching staff to whip the program into shape. It was a nice bounce back win for Penn State after their huge loss to Ohio State and will be something to build on as they head into their upcoming game against Minnesota.

Minnesota 42 Indiana 39

Speaking of Minnesota, they continue to surprise everyone. Many expected Indiana (not me) to roll over Minnesota with their offense, but that wasn’t the case. The Gopher defense held Indiana in check until the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarters when the Hoosiers went on a 28-0 run. Trailing by four late in the game, Gophers quarterback Philip Nelson threw a 50 yard touchdown pass to receiver Maxx Williams and it proved to be the game winner for Minnesota. Nelson played the best game of his collegiate career, completing 16 of 23 passes for 298 yards and four touchdowns with zero turnovers. Running back David Cobb had another great game too, rushing for 188 yards and a touchdown. It was a tough loss for Indiana and their bowl chances. With three wins, they will need to win three of their remaining four games to be bowl eligible. While they should be able to defeat Illinois and Purdue, they will have to pull off a big upset against Wisconsin or Ohio State to hit six wins. Minnesota now has seven wins and a fighting chance at winning the Legend’s division. Even if they don’t win the division, this is a pretty great season for the Minnesota football program.

#24 Wisconsin 28 Iowa 9

This game was close through three and a half quarters and featured what both teams do best: a power running game and smash mouth defense. In the end though, Iowa’s defense just couldn’t stop the Wisconsin running game. Badgers running back James White, not Melvin Gordon, led the way for Wisconsin. White carried the ball 19 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns, which won the game for Wisconsin. Give a lot of credit to the Wisconsin defense too, which held Iowa to only 110 yards rushing and zero total touchdowns. Star running back Mark Weisman only rushed nine times for 15 yards. This forced the Hawkeyes to rely heavily on their passing game, something that really isn’t a strong suit for them. Quarterback Jake Rudock completed 12 of 24 passes for only 109 yards and an interception. Backup C.J. Beathard was even worse (4/16 passing, 70 yards, one interception). There is good news for you Iowa fans out there. Your next opponent is Purdue, which everyone in the B1G has taken turns at beating down. Wisconsin will have a rare November non-conference game against BYU, which should be an interesting match-up.

Nebraska 27 Northwestern 24

One play not only changed the outcome of this game, but really the season’s for each of these teams. Facing a three-point deficit with a few seconds left on the clock and the ball at midfield, Nebraska needed a miracle Hail Mary touchdown pass to win. And they got it. With Taylor Martinez injured, backup Tommy Armstrong Jr. started the game, but was pulled after throwing three interceptions. This forced the Huskers to turn to third-string quarterback and fifth year senior Ron Kellogg III. Back to the final play, Kellogg scrambled around the pocket and heaved a long pass towards the end zone. After bouncing off a few Northwestern defenders, the ball landed in the unlikely hands of true freshman wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp. I watched this happen live and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Nebraska turned the ball over four times and they still found a way to win. It was a huge win for Nebraska and keeps them alive in the Legend’s division race. This gives them a much-needed momentum boost heading into a pivotal two weeks that features games against Michigan and Michigan State. On the flip side, the misery continues for Northwestern. This was a must-win game for the Wildcats to reach bowl eligibility. It appears their game against Michigan will determine if they go to a bowl, as I see them losing to Michigan State and beating Illinois.

#22 Michigan State 29 #21 Michigan 6

23 points. That was the margin of victory for Michigan State. But if you watched this game like I did, you know it felt more like 50. The Michigan State defense seemed to play at even higher level in this game. They basically bludgeoned the Michigan offense to pieces. Let me list some stats regarding the destruction the Spartans’ defense did to the Wolverines on Saturday. Turn away if you’re a Michigan fan. The most impressive stat: Michigan State held Michigan to -48 yards rushing. Seriously. Michigan only had 168 total yards of offense. The Spartans’ defense racked up seven sacks and treated Devin Gardner like their own personal rag doll. I could go on and on about the defensive performance of Michigan State. Their offense wasn’t too shabby either. Spartans quarterback Connor Cook threw for 252 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a touchdown. Running back Jeremy Langford ran for 120 yards and a touchdown. As for Michigan, they were an absolute mess all around. Wolverine fans are livid, confused and disappointed about the whole season. Just go to any Michigan blog and fans are freaking out. Many are questioning the coaching staff’s game planning and the passion of head coach Brady Hoke. All I know is they have problems. Michigan State is the clear favorite to win the Legend’s division and many are pondering a match-up between them and Ohio State in December. I certainly am. We’ll see if the Spartans can keep it up.

Filed Under: B1G Football

Three Yards and a Cloud of Links

November 5, 2013 by 1 Comment

Good morning Buckeye Nation.

Big Boy Tournament: Last week Thad Matta confirmed that the Buckeyes will be playing in a tournament that will have Kentucky, UCLA, and North Carolina. This is exciting news for the Buckeyes basketball program and since it looks to be a 3 year tournament currently it will allow the incoming highly rated (still a big short) 2014 recruiting class to be a part of it and should help Matta even more recruiting wise. I know Matta has stated he doesn’t want to have a tough non conference schedule because of the B1G play but it looks as if the Buckeyes are getting more meaningful non conference games that will be prime time and that’s a huge get for the kids wanting to be on playing in prime time.

Semifinalist: Seems that missing what almost 3 games isn’t hurting Braxton Miller. It was just announced that Miller was selected as a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. Miller is currently fourth nationally for his completion percentage and seventh in passing efficiency. Goes to show all that hard work to become a better pocket passing QB over the summer has been working. Keep up the great work Miller!!

Just Missed it: Aaron Craft was voted sixth for the preseason All American team. That’s OK don’t worry Craft you are All American to us and that’s all that counts. Lets see at the end of the season where this all shakes out and Mr. Rosy Cheeks dominates the landscape of college basketball with his shut down defense.

Until next time Buckeye Nation…

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Ohio State vs. Purdue 2013 Highlights

November 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

OSU Basketball: A look at the Forwards

November 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

LaQuinton+Ross+NCAA+Basketball+Tournament+r0nrc95oS2Xx

LaQuinton Ross shoes are pretty big, but the shoes he is about to step into are even bigger. One of the main storylines we are going to look at for at the Forward position this year is that of Ross trying to fill the huge void left by 2012-13 Big Ten scoring champ, Deshaun Thomas. Thomas was selected in the second round of the 2013 draft by the San Antonio Spurs and leaves behind his 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 35.4 minutes a game. Ross showed he is plenty capable of stepping into the premier scoring role for the Buckeyes, highlighted by his game winning 3 pointer as time expired against Arizona in the Sweet 16. In addition to that, Ross averaged 8.3 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game while only averaging 16.9 minutes a game. Expectations will be high for Ross coming into the year based on his averaging the 4th highest points on the team while only getting the 6th most minutes and coming in off the bench. Ross will be counted on to take Thomas’ spot in the lineup this year. Like Thomas before him, Ross can score with his back to the basket in the post, shoot the 3 and create his own shot off the dribble. Perhaps one being left handed and the other being right handed is the only real difference between these two scorers.

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In addition to Ross, another Forward expected to contribute mightily to the team’s success is Slam….err, I mean Sam Thompson. Known for his ability to rise above any defender and throw down some unbelievable dunks, Sam came on strong towards the end of the year as a serious scoring threat. In fact, Thompson led the Buckeyes in 3 point percentage at 40.4 % for the year. He is going to be counted on to expand on his 2012-13 stats of 7.8 points a game and 3.5 rebounds a game. Thompson started all 37 games last year and is expected to be a constant starter on this squad as well.

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Also expecting to contribute as a Forward for the 2013-14 Ohio State Buckeyes is incoming freshman Marc Loving out of Toledo St Johns. Hoping to follow in fellow Toledoans Neshaun Coleman and Jimmy Jackson’s footsteps from Toledo to Columbus is the 6-7 215 pounder. He was the Associated Press player of the year in the state of Ohio in both 2012 and 2013 as well as a 2013 Parade All American and a 4 star recruit per most prep basketball sites. He averaged 21.3 points and 8.2 rebounds a game as a senior. Going into the season, Loving is expected to see some action as a reserve backing up either Thompson or Ross provided he can pick up the defensive schemes Matta has been so accustomed to using.

Filed Under: Ohio State Basketball Tagged With: , ,

OSU Basketball: A Look At The Centers

November 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

OSU Logobasketball_iconA huge problem for the Buckeyes basketball team was the lack of an inside presence. There was no type of production down in the paint. Matta has his two main centers returning. Amir Williams and Trey Mcdonald. Amir Williams will be the starter with Trey being his backup. This year, there needs to be trust in Amir Williams. The Buckeyes need to get him going and going early in the season. I have read that Williams and Mcdonald have both shown improvement this off season. OSU has known to go small, time will tell to see what the production of the big guys are.

Amir Williams:

Amir Williams, Baye Keita

Amir has been a productive shot blocker for the Buckeyes. Everyone would like to see some more rebounds and a little offensive spark in him. If he could average a couple points a game, be a shot blocker and have a big man presence on defense, the Buckeyes are looking good down low. I read an article from http://www.cleveland.com/ talking about how Amir looked very improved. Also stating that he is handling the ball well. Amir is a huge factor for the Buckeyes, it is important to have that big man factor when teams prepare for OSU. I believe fans will see a more developed big man considering last year there was no big man factor.

Trey Mcdonald:

Trey-McDonald

Trey Mcdonald has had the role of being the backup center. We did not see him much last year because Evan Ravenel who played PF for the Buckeyes would usually replace Amir. Trey certainly has the size to be a dominant center. I think he will get solid minutes due to Ravenel’s absence. Trey really hasn’t played in any big time minutes. This year he will be needed as another center. I do not really see the Buckeyes playing with both Trey and Amir. Matta likes to go small, so this leaves usually at most one center on the floor.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Purdue Beat Down Recap

November 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Finally the Buckeyes got to get the West Lafayette monkey off their backs!

So many positives for the Buckeyes and a few negatives to take away from the shutout they handed the Boilermakers. Lets start with the negatives shall we since there were I would say two of them. The first one was the interception that Braxton threw. What the heck man I mean come on this is Ohio State we don’t do those things its not like we are TTUN. OK seriously though the major negative was the injury to Decker which it seems he will be out for a few weeks with a MCL sprain.

Before we go into the positives of the game I would like to apologize for I feel I short changed our readers on Thursday in my preview of the game. No where did I mention that Purdue had a hell of a punter. Cody Webster had averaged almost 50 yards per kick and he seemed to be the best player on the field Saturday for the Boilermakers.

Defense

Man did they come out strong getting the Buckeyes on the board first with Grants pick six (first of the year for Buckeyes). The Buckeyes defense was pestering Danny Etling all day sacking him 6 times. Maybe the fire Fickell fan club can keep getting quieter. The Silver Bullets defense only surrendered 116 yards total to Purdue’s offense and kept them out of the end zone pitching their second shutout of the season.

Offense

I pointed out in my preview that we would see fireworks and lots of them. The Buckeyes offense rolled up with 49 points, 6 for 6 in the red-zone, 640 yards of total offense. That’s 424 more yards than what the Purdue offense amassed. Urban said during the week the Buckeyes wanted to get the tight ends more involved against Purdue but Purdue must not of heard that cause they did get involved. Both Heuerman and Vannet both had touchdown catches together they had seven receptions for 137 yards. Heuerman had the same amount of recieving yards as what the whole Purdue offense could muster together.

The 345 yards rushing by the Buckeyes to me was even more impressive by the fact that Braxton had only 7 yards rushing himself. He stayed in the pocket more and was just lighting up Purdue until he was yanked and replaced by Kenny G. Yes Miller was so bad that he threw for 4 touchdowns and 233 yards. Sorry I couldn’t even type that with a straight face, Miller only missed on 4 passes and had that 1 INT on their second possession. Braxton was very very good Saturday for the Scarlet and Gray he seems to get better each week and its getting scary watching him. He is either going to burn you with his accuracy which is so much improved or his legs which are always deadly to defenses.

The way the buckeyes are playing and they way they keep getting better each week is great for Buckeye Nation. I’m tired of the “They have a weak Schedule” babble that everyone is spewing. How many teams has the Buckeyes face this year when that team is coming off of a bye week and getting 2 weeks to prepare for them? I believe the answer to be four teams in a row have had an extra week of preparation. Northwestern, Iowa, Penn State and Purdue. While theses teams might not light it up and be sexy to the national media theses coaches and kids are giving their all to try and beat the Buckeyes who have a large target on their back each week. These teams want to say they are the ones to stop the streak but the Buckeyes are proving they are better. Championship caliber teams keep winning and the Buckeyes are at 21-0 in the Urban Meyer era.

Filed Under: B1G Football, Ohio State Football

MotSaG Top 25- Week 10

November 4, 2013 by 1 Comment

1. Florida State
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Baylor
6. Stanford
7. Clemson
8. Oklahoma
9. Michigan State
10. Missouri
11. Auburn
12. Oklahoma State
13. Fresno State
14. Northern Illinois
15. Miami of Florida
16. UCF
17. Louisville
18. Texas A&M
19. LSU
20. Wisconsin
21. Arizona State
22. UCLA
23. BYU
24. Texas
25. Minnesota

– Why can’t it be 2014 already? Can you imagine how awesome and fun a playoff would be with Bama, OSU, FSU, and Oregon? The truth is it would be epically awesome and would solve the problem of this years issue of having to many good undefeated teams fighting for 2 spots. It is still early though and I think it will still play out to 1 or 2 undefeated teams only.

– Outside of the top 5 which are the only undefeated teams with a chance to make the NCG (sorry Fresno St and No. Illinois) the rest of the top 25 is a convoluted mess that changes constantly it gets very murky. The question is which conference has the better teams because that will determine how the top 25 is laid out.

– The B1G is getting a ton of grief this year but I do believe that OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin could beat 99% of the teams in CFB on a neutral field. I think Minnesota could beat 66%. Nebraska and PSU 50%. TTUN would struggle to beat 40% of the teams in CFB.

– The good news is we are now in November and this is when most of the tough games are played on everyones schedule. The contenders and pretenders will be sorted out really soon.

– What says you? How would you rank these teams? Let us know in the comments.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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