On December 14, 2013, after the Heisman Trophy presentation, ESPN will televise its “30 For 30” series, focusing upon the story of former Ohio State stalwarts Maurice Clarett and Jim Tressel, in “Youngstown Boys”. Linked is a trailer previewing the episode…

On December 9, 2013, a buddy of mine named Jay Kimball, an Ohio State alum living in New Jersey, had the opportunity to meet Maurice Clarett at an advanced screening of the program. Jay e-mailed me during the day, asking me if I had one question for Maurice Clarett, and I had a very obvious, but important question ~

What Is Your Biggest Regret?

Below are Jay’s comments from an e-mail reply he sent to me. I hope you enjoy Jay’s comments, and I am looking forward to watching “Youngstown Boys” at 9pm EST on ESPN on December 14th. Go Bucks!

“This was a screening of the ESPN 30 for 30 called “Youngstown Boys” which premieres on Saturday night after the Heisman show. It was at my high school Paramus Catholic just for the kids. I got a call this afternoon to stop by. He did a Q&A after. His answers were not scripted and seemed honest. I think he has great potential as a public speaker but he needs a little work on his delivery. I asked him about his greatest regret. I prefaced it by stating that he was Mr. Football in Ohio 2001, Big Ten Freshman of the Year 2002 and National Champion 2002. I graduated in ’89 and but for my Freshman year we were in the woods until Tressel came in, then Clarett, etc. So he was a great source of pride and then to hear about a robbery occurring in an alley right behind the bars on High Street and then prison was a great source of shame. He had the opportunity to set himself and his entire family for life with an NFL contract. What is your biggest regret?

His answer was something to the effect that he didn’t have any regrets. That when he was involved in drugs and robbery he thought he was doing what he should be doing. Was he in the right frame of mind, absolutely not. I thought that response was a little off but he went on to talk more about how he came around in prison and what he was doing with his life now. So it wasn’t a bad response but I think he needs to work on it. Again, I thought he was being honest and the obvious message of trying to get kids to avoid people places and things that will get you in trouble resonates and he speaks from experience. “

The Spartans and Buckeyes put on a great show for us on Saturday night. The Spartans jumped out to a 17-0 lead that left the Buckeyes shell shocked, but the Buckeyes had a trump card for their slow start which was Braxton Miller. Miller, accompanied with Hyde and Philly Brown, helped to chip away at the lead and got the Buckeyes within seven by half.

The Buckeyes then came out in the second half guns a blazing, scoring two touchdowns and playing dominantly on defense. The game looked to be over and the Buckeyes, with one more score, looked bound for Pasadena. However, the grit and never quit in the Spartans helped them to dominate Ohio State in the 4th quarter when it mattered. Their early jump, and late dominance helped earn the Spartans their first Big Ten conference title in 25 years, and also a trip to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes 24 game win streak was snapped, but more importantly their national title dreams were shattered.

While that may be a pretty good summary of what happened Saturday night, we all know there were a lot more factors that went in to what transpired on the field.

Too Much Lightning

Saturday night was just the second time all season that Braxton Miller led the team in rushing attempts with 22. According to offensive coordinator Tom Herman, the Buckeye coaching staff struggled to find formations for Hyde to successfully run. Therefore, the Buckeye run game stuck with Miller, which was part of the offensive downfall. The Buckeye run game became very predictable, for example, when Miller was left alone in the backfield it felt like everyone in Lucas Oil knew Miller was running a quarterback draw. Not only was the run game predictable, but the majority of Miller’s success did not even come on designed runs, it was when Miller escaped the pocket and created something out of nothing.

While Miller was successful scrambling, it was a cover up for the Buckeyes more troubling issue. The Buckeye wide receivers could not get separation from the Spartan corners. When they did get a chance to make a play, the receivers did not help Miller out by dropping the ball. Miller threw the ball fairly well. He hung up a couple of deep balls, but they were still catchable balls and plays Brown, Smith, and Spencer should have made.

With the passing game not working, Miller and the play calling became extremely inefficient. Herman and Meyer decided the offenses best bet was to keep it on the ground with Miller. That decision led to defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi dialing up his exotic blitzes, and successfully slowing down the Buckeye high octane offense.

Empty Chamber

The Silver Bullets of the Buckeye defense flashed at times on Saturday night, but came up shooting blanks frequently. The young Buckeye defensive line played extremely fast and powerful throughout the majority of the game. Freshman standout Joey Bosa played like a man on fire, constantly harassing Connor Cook in the backfield and providing the Buckeyes with big tackles for loss. His effort alone held Sparty at bay on some drives. It was late in the game where the Buckeyes young line began to get gashed by the Spartan run game.

Since the Buckeye offense could not sustain drives, and the Buckeye back seven had to lay off the line of scrimmage, the Buckeye defensive line was left alone to stop the run late in the game. Credit to Michigan State for sticking with their run game even if it was unsuccessful, because it constantly deceived Buckeye linebackers and defensive backs throughout the game.

The undisciplined nature of this Buckeye secondary reared its ugly head again on Saturday. Senior safety Corey Brown attempted to intercept a pass that was clearly thrown over him, which led to a 72 yard touchdown pass. That was followed by fellow senior safety C.J. Barnett getting burned on a double move for another long touchdown pass. Barnett got burned again on the Spartans third touchdown pass, as he lost is man in man coverage, on a throw back to the tight end in the corner of the endzone. The same issues that plagued the Buckeyes against Michigan, that Coach Meyer said would be fixed, were exposed again on Saturday.

Room for Improvement
The Spartan no fly zone exposed a big problem this Buckeye program has, that they will only face when they play quality secondaries, but needs to be addressed none the less. The Buckeyes do not have a receiving force outside. Devin Smith is the only receiver who is built to play on the outside, but his route running is not very crisp, which makes him what Dontre Wilson was early in the season, a novelty. Philly Brown and Evan Spencer are slot receivers. Brown has the hands and speed to play on the outside, but not the size or ability to win a jump ball. Spencer is physical, but his hands are inconsistent, his speed is average, and is not great in jump ball situations.

To beat corners like the Spartans, Seminoles, and Crimson Tide all possess, the Buckeyes will need receivers who can create separation with their speed, physicality, and route running. They will also need a guy who the QB can trust in jump ball situations. Right now, I see Buckeye receivers who constantly catch balls with their bodies not their hands, tip off their routes, and lack the overall ability to beat good college corners. Michael Thomas will help to provide future Buckeye quarterbacks with a big time target on the outside. However, you can tell that Coach Meyer is searching for big targets on the outside with the recruitment of Noah Brown, as well as the several other receivers he has brought in since taking over the program.

The second part of this issue for the Buckeyes is solving the safety issue. Joshua Perry is pretty competent in coverage, which makes me more comfortable about the linebackers. I expect him to continue to improve in that are of his game with more game experience. Safety is the huge issue for the defense. Without Bryant, C.J. Barnett’s weaknesses in coverage continue to be magnified. Barnett and Brown are both nice safeties, but they do not excel in any area really well. Barnett is good in run support, but even Brown struggles there.

In my opinion, Vonn Bell is desperately needed at free safety. His instincts would be welcomed in the secondary, as well as his athleticism. The only game these safeties have gone out and played ball instead of constantly pressing, forcing, and thinking about everything was against Penn State. Barnett has the ability to play at a high level, but needs a competent counterpart in order to allow him to play at his full potential. I believe Bell provides him with that confidence better than Brown would.

These changes will not likely come by the bowl game. I would expect some improvement against Clemson, but Clemson’s quarterback Tajh Boyd as well as the best receiver in the nation, Sammy Watkins, are both licking their lips. The Buckeyes have a lot to get done in the next few weeks of practice.

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” ranks as one of my all-time favorite holiday traditions. Not only was I partial to reading the book as a boy, but I have grown to enjoy watching the various versions of the story with my wife and children. We enjoy all of the versions, from the cartoon of Mister Magoo, to the serious and somber George C. Scott version (that was my Dad’s favorite). Probably our favorite is the Albert Finney musical version, titled “Scrooge”.

Central to the Dickens story are the three ghosts who visit miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge – the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future visiting Scrooge, to get Scrooge to change his ways and embrace the true meaning of Christmas. Scrooge is transformed upon the conclusion of the story after the visits. (I truly hope I did not commit a literary spoiler there for anyone who may not be familiar with the story, in all sincerity.)

As I viewed the B1G conference championship game last evening, I felt somewhat like Ebeneezer Scrooge in the sense that I was visited by a ghost from the past. This ghost was the Spartan Ghost Of 1998.

Congratulations to Michigan State for winning the B1G in deserving fashion last evening. Below is a tweet I sent out, primarily directed to my co-worker friend Eric, who is a Michigan State fan ~

Ohio State’s secondary was the victim early, contributing painful penalties at the onset (what were you thinking, Doran Grant and Ryan Shazier, on that opening Spartan drive?). Ohio State fell behind 17-0 early, and it seemed like it was going to be a blowout.

Ohio State rallied in the second half, scoring twenty-four points to take the lead. No matter, as The Ghost Of Spartan Present was aided by curious Buckeye offensive play-calling, as well as a return by the Buckeyes to lackluster defensive play, and The Ghost Of Spartan Present won the game, 34-24.

And yet…I feel this loss to Michigan State is not as deep, or painful, as the 1998 loss.

Am I disappointed that Ohio State did not win? Absolutely. Would I have liked to have seen Ohio State contend for The BCS National Championship? Without a doubt. (More than likely, Ohio State seems headed for The Orange Bowl, versus Clemson, on January 3rd, 2014, from projections I have read.)

Yet 1998, The Ghost Of Spartan Past, haunts me more in comparison. Maybe it was because Ohio State lost at home, in the friendly confines of Ohio Stadium, versus Lucas Oil Stadium. (Yes, I will concede most of those fans in Lucas Oil Stadium were Ohio State fans.)

Maybe it was because The Ghost Of Spartan Past was an unranked Michigan State team, while The Ghost Of Spartan Present is ranked #10 in the country. Probably by the time you read this, the ranking of Michigan State will be higher, and deservedly so, after last evening’s results are analyzed by the voters.

I believe this is the reason, and this is painful to admit ~ the 1998 Ohio State team should have won the national championship that season. Ohio State fans know it, and so do other true college football fans who remember that season, and that Buckeye team.

And while this year’s team is good, and worthy of a quality bowl game, do you truly believe in your heart of hearts that Ohio State was capable of winning the national championship?

Because deep down, and maybe it is just me, I do not. And I have not throughout the season. And I also believe others feel the same way…

The Ghosts Of Spartan Past And Present, haunting Ohio State fans yet again. What about The Ghost Of Spartan Future, you ask? Ohio State’s next visit is scheduled for November 8, 2014, at East Lansing. The last time Ohio State visited, it was the Buckeyes’ turn to haunt the Spartans. Ohio State fans can only hope it will be like that 2012 visit, and unlike the unwanted visits of The Ghosts Of Spartan Past and Present.

It’s finally time to settle up all the conference scores and find out what the last installment of the BCS will look like. Some conferences don’t have championship games, of course, so here is your guide to every game that will have an impact.

Sun Belt Championship

Saturday, 8:00p: Louisiana-Lafayette @ South Alabama. The Cajuns just need to win here for sole ownership of the title. Even if they don’t, they still have the head-to-head win over second place Arkansas State, which I guess could come into play for a bowl or something. Here’s a treat for anyone still reading this. (GamePlan/espn3)

Conference USA Championship

Saturday, Noon: Marshall @ Rice. Marshall lost in three overtimes to Virginia Tech back when Virginia Tech was still maybe good. Rice beat Kansas, which I guess isn’t really that impressive. (ESPN2)

Mountain West Championship

Saturday, 10:00p: Utah State @ Fresno State. Utah State kind of rode an easy conference schedule to a division title that should probably be Boise State’s. If this is a good game, I’ll be stunned. Still, it will make a nice nightcap if nothing has happened to make you not want to watch more football. (CBS)

AAC Championship

Thursday, 7:30p: Louisville @ Cincinnati. The winner has a shot at a split title with UCF, who only holds a head-to-head win over Louisville. That means there could be a mess if Cincy wins and UCF loses. (ESPN)

Saturday, Noon: UCF @ SMU. UCF just needs to win and they get the BCS bid. If they lose, they’ll still get it over Louisville, but if the Cardinals lose to Cincy, the bid would probably go to the higher-ranked team. Cincy is sitting just outside the top 25 right now while UCF is at #15, so it’s hard to say who would come out on top in this scenario. (ESPN)

MAC Championship

Friday, 8:00p: Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois. That other undefeated team has one more hurdle before busting the BCS for the second straight season. Bowling Green got shredded by Indiana, but has been on a hot streak lately, giving up just 17 points in 4 games in November. (ESPN2)

Big 12 Championship

Saturday, Noon: Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State. The Sooners can’t capture the league title for themselves, but a win here opens the door for the Texas/Baylor winner. If Oklahoma State wins, they hold head-to-head wins over both the Longhorns and the Bears. (ABC)

Saturday, 3:30p: Texas @ Baylor. There’s nothing to add here; the winner will take the BCS bid if Oklahoma can beat Oklahoma State. (Fox)

Pac-12 Championship

Saturday, 7:45p: Stanford @ Arizona State. There’s nothing on the line here besides the Rose Bowl bid, which of course is huge. That game is likely to be against Michigan State, whether they win the Big Ten or not. (ESPN)

SEC Championship

Saturday, 4:00p: Auburn vs. Missouri. I’m taking the Tigers in this oneHAHAHAHA HAHAHA HAHAHA HAHA HA HA. Ahem. Anyway, maybe it’s just the schadenfreude talking, but I’m more impressed with Missouri this year than I am with Auburn. I’m wondering if the “Kick Six” attention and national title arguments might distract Auburn this week and cause one of those post-upset stumbles we see so much.

This game has national title implications if Florida State or Ohio State loses. (CBS)

ACC Championship

Saturday, 8:00p: Duke vs. Florida State. Has anyone ever heard a sweeter phrase than “Beat Duke at football and you’re in the national title game?” Probably not. I’m not even sure if overlooking the Blue Devils would make a difference. I mean no offense, it’s just that these two teams seem light years apart. (ABC)

Big Ten Championship

Saturday, 8:00p: Ohio State vs. Michigan State. Easily the most important game of the week. If Michigan State wins, about a hundred teams (including the entire SEC) will be clamoring for that national title spot. (Fox)

The Spartans and Buckeyes will enter Saturday’s game after very different performances in their previous outings. Ohio State needed an interception, on a two point conversion, to hold off arch rival Michigan in the final seconds. The defense put in its worse outing of the season, allowing the Wolverines to gain 603 yards and score 41 points, while the offense had one of its more successful days rushing for 393 yards, and scoring 42 points. As the Buckeyes were fighting off the Wolverines, Sparty was busy putting in a poor offensive performance and good defensive performance against the Minnesota Gophers. Both teams survived their respective games, and will meet in Indianapolis in what appears to be another street fight type game, similar to the one that was played last year in East Lansing. The Buckeyes are fighting for a trip to the national title game, while Michigan State is fighting for a shot at the Rose Bowl. This game will come down to who can minimize their weakness and play the most mistake free football. Allow me to explain.

What Ohio State has to do on defense

The Spartan offense matches up favorably for this Buckeye defense. The Spartans will run the ball to set up the play action for their intermediate passing attack. Ohio State bolsters one of the best, most athletic, defensive front sevens in college football. They thrive off stopping the run and should have a lot of success doing so Saturday night. Ryan Shazier and Michael Bennett are tackle for losses machines and should have a great deal of success against this Spartan offensive line that has, at times, seemed a bit slow. The Spartans like to run off tackle, so the Buckeyes will need to maintain gap integrity and not over pursue the play to prevent cutback lanes. Michigan States Jeremy Langford is an all purpose back who has good vision, and once he gets moving downhill he is tough to stop. The Ohio State front four will need to minimize arm tackles against him and fill gaps quickly to prevent him from gaining momentum. Stop the run and this Spartan offense becomes a whole lot less complicated to defend.

When the Spartans pass it, it is generally to their running backs in the flat, or on quick curls or slants to their receivers on the outside. The offensive coaching staff like to move the pocket and get the ball out of quarterback Connor Cook’s hand quickly. On those short quick throws, the pass rushers will most likely be unable to get home, so they must get their hands up and bat down a couple of passes. Joey Bosa and Noah Spence are perfect athletes to do so. That will lead to Cook lofting the ball more to get it over the lineman, which will provide the corners a chance to jump routes or make a big hit. When the passes are complete in the flats the Buckeyes must swarm to the ball. Roby and Grant are quality tackling corners, but they do have a tendency to miss at times, so Shazier, Perry, Barnett, and Brown must be close by to clean up any mistakes.

Cook will rarely take shots down field. Even when he does, it is almost always off of play action and you will notice there are only two receivers running routes, which means the Spartans like to max protect on their play action plays. It will be important for Roby and Grant to not bite on play action, and stay disciplined on the routes as they may be left in coverage for longer than 4 to 5 seconds, if the Buckeye front is unable to generate pressure. The corners will also have to stop the tendency of face guarding their receivers. That is leading to a lot of jump ball situations being won by the opposing receiver. 5’8 Jeremy Gallon won a jump ball last Saturday against 6’1 C.J. Barnett because Barnett had his back to the ball and face guarded Gallon.

The Buckeye linebackers will not have to worry about a Devin Funchess type at tight end. Their main goal for Saturday will be to keep everything in front of them and when they need to make tackles, do so.

What Michigan State has to do on offense

The Spartans keys to success on offense will take them away from their traditional play calling. Connor Cook will need to have the game of his life on Saturday. While running the football will need to remain the staple for Michigan State, Cook will need to take advantage of the Buckeyes miscues and lack of discipline in the back seven. The Spartans can still run two man routes off of play action, however they need to ask their receivers to implement more double moves to get the Buckeye corners to jump on the short route, like they did against Wisconsin.

The Spartan receivers are not an elite group, but on Saturday they will need to take advantage of the one on one match ups they will face. Ohio State will drop safety C.J. Barnett in to the box to help stop the run which will leave the Spartans all alone on the outside. Bennie Fowler is the major deep threat for Michigan State and he will need to win against Roby veritcally to help the Spartan run offense out. Tony Lippett and Macgarrett Kings Jr. are the other two receivers who will need to have big games for the Spartans to exploit the Buckeyes weakness on the back end.

What Ohio State has to do on offense

The Buckeyes will face their toughest match yet this Saturday. While their rushing offense has been playing at a very high level this season, they will need their passing offense to show up Saturday as well in order to beat this Spartan defense.

In order to get Miller and Hyde going on Saturday the Buckeye coaches will need to rely on extra blockers against the Michigan State front. The Spartans initially will not play with 8 guys in the box as they will have confidence in their front seven, which they should. Heuerman will be key on Saturday for Hyde’s success, as he will need to occupy the Spartan linebacker in his gap. Expect to see several pulling guards when Hyde runs as well. The Spartans play their linebackers extremely close to the line so guards Marcus Hall and Andrew Norwell, as well as center Corey Linsley, will need to play their best games of the year. When Miller runs, the Buckeyes can use Hyde as an extra blocker to spring him to the next level. If the Buckeyes can get Hyde and Miller to the next level, that is where they can do their most damage. That will also force both safeties to cheat up more, which will leave the no fly zone a little more open.

Michigan States corner back, Darqueze Dennard, has declared the Spartan secondary a no fly zone. On Saturday night Philly Brown, Devin Smith, Evan Spencer, Jeff Heuerman, Dontre Wilson, and Chris Fields will have to operate in that restricted air space. The Spartans possess one of the best corner combinations in the country and play some of the best man coverage you will see in college football. Their corners can press and run with most receivers. However, their safety play is where the secondary is vulnerable. Both safeties are hard hitters, but neither really excels in pass coverage. Philly Brown and Jeff Heuerman will be the keys to the Buckeyes success Saturday night. Both present match up issues for the Spartan safeties and linebackers. Browns speed in the slot has been an issue for all teams this year, and Heuerman’s combination of speed and size should prove to be successful against slower linebackers and shorter safeties. If the Buckeyes can get these two guys going, then it opens up down the field shots for Smith and Spencer, which will stretch this Spartan defense beyond its capabilities.

One more key for the Buckeyes. Herman needs to put the pedal to the medal against this defense. Go up tempo as fast as the offense can go. Against Indiana the Spartan defense looked on their heels at times against the Hoosier tempo. The Spartans depth, and Hoosier’s inability to link drives together, is what won Michigan State the game. However, this Buckeye offense is much more efficient and could really hurt this Spartan defense with their tempo.

What Michigan State has to do on defense

One word- contain. Stopping this Ohio State offense is nearly impossible. However, what teams like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Northwestern were able to do was force the Buckeyes in to long drives. Force the offense to get in to third down and convert multiple times on a drive. That limits big plays, and also limits further possessions.

The Spartan defense does not do much special. They will most likely stay in a base package the majority of the game. They do not sub often unless they play against tempo. They like to stunt defensive lineman inside, bring double A gap pressures with their linebackers, and blitz with their outside linebackers and corners. The key to their pressures is forcing the Buckeye offense in to long passing situations. While Miller is an improved passer and pocket navigator this year, he still has a tendency to revert back to old mechanics. The Spartan defense will have to get him back to his old ways this Saturday. They will have to force Miller in to mistakes. The Spartans can win this game with Hyde running for 150 yards. They will not win it if Miller gets loose running and throwing. Containing Miller, forcing long drives, and forcing turnovers are the Spartans keys to slowing down this Ohio State offense.

The Chase is real. Spartans vs Buckeyes. Buckle up, this is gonna be a wild one. Prediction: Ohio State 34 Michigan State 23

Thanks to the Big Ten Network show The Journey we get an in depth look at what happens at The Game from a point of view we seldom ever get to see.