ICYMI is busy this week working on these 2011 season previews. The defense is mostly done. We’ve looked at the defensive line (it’s gonna be GOOD), the linebackers (they’re gonna be GOOD, too) and the defensive backfield (I sure hope they’ll be good). So this may be shorter than usual but here are a few stores that have caught my eye recently.

Hands are overrated. Speaking of those linebackers, everyone’s favorite recruit, Etienne Sabino has decided that something as insignificant as a broken hand isn’t going to stop him from seeing the field against Akron. In fact, he may just challenge the rest of his defensive teammates to play with one hand behind their backs. It’s only sporting.

The heart of it all. You already knew this, but it’s still fun to brag about: Ohio high school football produces a lot of college talent.

Ohio had 741 players on FBS rosters in 2009, according to a Tulsa World report. That ranked fourth nationally (behind Texas, California and Florida) and exceeded the combined totals of Michigan and Illinois (709). Pennsylvania was second in the Big Ten with 401.

Sure, Miami’s situation might be bad but: TATTOOS. USED CARS. EMAILS! You also already knew this, but it’s another drum that needs to be beaten down the streets of Bristol. From Ben Koo: ESPN And Traditional Media Have Apparently Swallowed Their Whistles

All this attention is going to go to his head. When has a third round draft pick ever received the kind of attention Terrelle Pryor has?

Humblebrag? And to finish up, Bob Hunter’s piece about the differences between Pryor and Ohio State freshman Braxton Miller is revealing.

The last full week before College Football’s blessed (cursed?) season is upon us. We are chomping at the bit (literally. We had to put one on SYR to calm him down.) for the season to start. This is our way of dealing with the wait: writing previews.

So this week we’ll roll out our defensive previews and follow those up with previews of the offensive side of the ball. This year, I’ve asked the writers to come at the topic from the point of view of a new coach, particularly one Luke Fickell (Man, how many times have I already typed Luck Fickell?). I imagine each writer will take a different approach. All I’m asking is “What would Luke Fickell do?”

Of course interspersed throughout the coming couple of weeks we’ll have some other goodies as well. Rest up, get all those household chores and honey-do lists done. It’s time for some football!

It’s a good time to be a Buckeye.

Starting on Monday, we will begin to preview the upcoming 2011 season and all the challenges that face first-time Head Coach Luke Fickell. Think about that for a couple minutes — Fickell is a first-time head coach taking over arguably the most high-profile job in college football. He literally has ZERO EXPERIENCE POINTS as a head coach. The word daunting is daunted by that challenge.

So for this week’s open thread, let’s discuss Coach Fickell’s future. This week’s poll is “How long do you think Luke Fickell’s Tenure” as the Head Coach of THE Ohio State University Football Team. How long do you think it will be? What season outcomes have to happen for him to be coaching OSU in 2012? I’m firmly in camp “Waiting For Urban” but if it turns out that Coach Fickell isn’t a long-time fit, who do you want and why? Or why would you like to see Fickell stick around?

Let your thoughts be known!

[poll id=”9″]

So around 4:30 this afternoon, I was busily minding my own business, trying to get work done when two instant messenger windows pop up simultaneously. Fellow MotSaG’ers SYR and Kade saw it fit to interrupt my unbelievable streak of productivity to let me know about the latest missive from ESPN’s Pot Feardy:

As Ohio State heads into its Friday meeting with the NCAA Committee on Infractions, it appears the university’s dealings with the NCAA over problems within its football program will not end there.

The NCAA notified Ohio State by letter last week that it is still investigating other issues involving the program.

The result could be a second notice of allegations and a second trip through the NCAA justice system.

The thing is… Look at that URL and then look at the title of the article.

I share the link with sportsMonkey who later asks me, “didn’t that title mention something about a notice of allegations? That would be rather surprising (and heart-stopping for some of us). But, in their overzealous glee, ESPN just threw that headline out there — a “second notice” of allegations. That initially may have been a stretch.

What I love about this article (that has been updated numerous times, with ABSOLUTELY NO indication of what was changed or when (something we bloggers are fastidious about)) is that initially it said that Ohio State officials were not going to comment on these new “rumors.” Truth is, Ohio State did plan on commenting on them. Just not to ESPN…

Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch told 10TV News on Wednesday that the school has not been notified by the NCAA of an investigation into “other issues” with the university’s football program.

(from 10TV)

ESPN is wearing its bias on its sleeve (this is not news) but it’s really starting to get ugly. They are kicking a hornets nest and Ohio State is starting to buzz a little louder.

The yearly (and to me, a skosh creepy) bonanza of watching the future Ohio State football team check into the hotel for fall camp happened over the weekend.

Also, this happened:

MotSaG did not have anyone on the scene, but 11W did and they have video (Freshman here, everyone else here). The Ozone has the pictures you are looking for, as does FotB, Josh Winslow, who brings both freshman check-in and the rest of the team.

One person notably absent was WR James Louis, who, according to Twitter, is looking to transfer to a Florida-based school. That’s a shame. Two of the always-entertaining Buckeye Twitterers (Jonathan Newsome and James Louis) will not be in camp this fall and will be missed.

This also marks the beginning of our coverage of the season. Our content will be ramping up from here on out.

We’ll be looking at the units and players we think we’ll be taking the field this year, what the season will hold and we’ll make fun of ESPN’s College Gameday the only way we know how. We’ll also have an update of our Social Network exploits and all the ways you can interact with us.

And I am in the process of overhauling the Twittering Buckeyes page, with all sorts of incoming freshmen on the “Current Buckeyes” list. Coming up next: actual Twitter lists that you can follow.

[The informant] said that Davis loves Terrelle Pryor and is willing to use a 3rd round pick in the Supplemental Draft to secure the former Ohio State signal caller.

Via Fan Phooey

For what it’s worth, Al Davis also “loved” JaMarcus Russell.

I’m testing the WordPress iPhone app and showing off a recent purchase I picked up at the Hartville Flea Market (in Ohio).

Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road is one of my all time favorite arcade games. I never played the SNES version so I am definitely looking forward to firing this one up.

Why this game hasn’t had a remake recently boggles my mind. I would buy this on any and all platforms: XBLA, Steam, iOS. You name it, I’d buy it.

What are you playing this weekend?

Update: WHOOPS. This was so supposed to be posted at my other site (where I mostly talk about video games). I thought I had the right blog selected in the iPhone app but apparently I didn’t. I’m leaving this up anyway. I’m not ashamed to profess my love for A) video games and B) Ivan “Ironman” Stewart’s Super Off Road.

Per the Dispatch:

An “embarrassed” Ohio State University is wiping its stellar 2010 football season from the record books as self-imposed punishment for major NCAA violations.

But it is not suggesting that the team lose scholarships or be banned from postseason play.

In a response submitted today to the NCAA, Ohio State admits allegations that then-coach Jim Tressel lied and allowed ineligible players to compete by failing to report that they had sold OSU-issued memorabilia to a tattoo-parlor owner.

Ohio State concedes major violations of NCAA regulations but says it should not face harsher punishment, because no OSU official other than Tressel was aware of player violations, according to the response that was obtained by The Dispatch.

What 2010 season?