Position Preview: Centers

November 8, 2012 by 2 Comments

The biggest question surrounding the Buckeyes basketball team this season will be how the team will replace Jared Sullinger’s historic production in the paint. Although Sullinger’s career was plagued by back problems, he will go down as one of the most dominant post players in Buckeye history. Sullinger’s departure to the NBA will hurt the Buckeyes on the scoring end but they will get better defensively in the paint with a true center and his name is Amir Williams.

Amir Williams, a 6-11 sophomore who is a former McDonald’s All- American will be counted on to hold down the paint defensively, rebound the basketball and work on his raw offensive game. In limited, yet important action last year, Williams showed he could be counted on defensively by altering and blocking shots down low. He played very well in the Elite Eight versus Syracuse when Sullinger went to the bench early with foul trouble. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla noted that Williams had a 14% block rate (14 blocks per every 100 shots when he was on the floor,) and Fraschilla even named him to his list of Eight Breakout Players of 2012-13 (ESPN Insider.) In the exhibition game against Walsh, Williams blocked 5 shots and made a huge impact defensively. Even though Thad Matta will miss Sullinger’s offensive production, he will welcome Williams defensive and height advantage down low. With Aaron Craft locking down defensively on the perimeter and Williams locking down the paint, expect this Buckeye team to look much better defensively this season. Maybe Amir Williams will give his teammate competition for B1G Defensive Player of the Year.

 

Trey McDonald, a 6-8, 240 lb sophomore will give depth to the front court and is built more like Jared Sullinger than Amir Williams. He only made 13 appearances last year, recorded 2 points and averaged 2.9 minutes per game, mostly in mop up duty. Not much has been said about him this off season, but McDonald could get his number called if Williams gets into early foul trouble. He will most likely be asked to do the same as Williams when he enters the game, which would be to play solid defense and rebound the basketball.

Filed Under: Ohio State Basketball

Position Preview: Shooting Guards

November 6, 2012 by 1 Comment

It isn’t easy to follow in the footsteps of guys like Evan Turner and Jon Diebler. Those guys were prolific scorers and really good shooters. This years group of Shooting Guards includes a cagey Junior and a sharp shooting true Freshman. One of them brings defensive intensity and the other brings a true deep threat from behind the ARC. So lets get to know these guys a little bit better and see where we are at for the 2012/2013 OSU shooting guards.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. is a 6’4″ 210 lbs Shooting Guard from Zion, Illinois. The former 3 star recruit is entering his 3rd year with Ohio State and his 2nd year as a starter. Last year Lenzelle was at best the 4th option on offense and played more of a utility role and focused on defense. His stats weren’t exactly gaudy but they were consistent at 6.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Where Lenzelle made a name for himself was in the NCAA tourney where he was named to the NCAA All-East Region Team after averaging 17.5 points and 4.5 rebounds through games vs. Cincinnati and Syracuse. When the other teams focused on the OSU stars he stepped up and provided a real scoring threat and gave us a glimpse into what he can be for this years team. Thad Matta will need Lenzelle to step up even more this year not only on the offensive side but with his leadership. He will need to help groom his future replacement and the next guy on our SGs list. Below you can see a highlight video of Lenzelles.

Amedeo Della Valle is a 6’5″ 185 lbs 3 star Shooting Guard from Las Vegas, Nevada via Italy. Amedeo comes to OSU from National High School powerhouse Findlay Prep where he honed his skills as a 3 point specialist. He is a work in progress but with his size and speed and ability to hit jump shots from anywhere on the floor he fills a need for OSU that they so dearly have missed since Jon Diebler left last year. A 3 point specialist and a guy who can hit it consistently on spot up shots. There wont be a lot asked of Amedeo this year as long as Lenzelle can stay healthy and out of foul trouble. Ohio State has a short bench this year though so he may play more then was expected. His ability to hit the 3 ball will be needed and he can come in to snipe some shots when needed. Below you can see some highlights of Amedeo.

Filed Under: Ohio State Basketball

2013 OSU recruit stats week 11

November 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The season is coming to a close for more and more members of the 2013 class. Once all the guys are done completely I will add a season wrap up post with all their stats. Until then some of the players are still playing and working their way towards championships.

Jalin Marshall– Jalin Marshalls season is over.
Eli Woodard– His team Eastern suffered a 19-18 loss to Lanape. A tough loss for Eli and his team.
Cam Burrows– His team Trotwood-Madison beat Mount Healthy 48-0. Cam had a fumble recovery.
Joey Bosa– His team St. Thomas Aquinas beat Cooper City 53-0. Joey had 6 tackles and 2 sacks.
Marcus Baugh– His team John W North enjoyed a 28-6 win over Arlington. Marcus had 3 catches for 63 yards and an INT on defense.
Evan Lisle– Evan Lisles season is complete
Ezekiel Elliott– His team John Burroughs HS enjoyed a 56-13 win over John F. Kennedy. Zeke had 13 carries for 119 yards and 5 total TDs.
Billy Price– His team Austintown Fitch suffered a 35-26 to St. Ignatius. Ending his teams season.
Jayme Thompson– His team Toledo Central Catholic beat Midview 50-7. he helped advance his team to the next round of the playoff.
J T Barrett- His team Rider beat Denton 40-7. Unfortunately JT is out for the season with a knee injury.
Michael Hill– His team Pendleton beat Prosperity Mid-America 9-6. His season is over due to a hand injury.
Taivon Jacobs– His team Suitland enjoyed a 49-7 win over Eleanor Roosevelt. Taivon had 3 catches for 74 yards and a TD.
Darron Lee– His team New Albany enjoyed a 25-6 victory over Beechcroft. No stats were available.
Tracy Sprinkle– Tracy Sprinkles season is over.
Tim Gardner– His team Lawrence Central enjoyed a 21-7 win over North Central. Tim helped his team make the Regional Championships.
Johnny Townsend– His team Boone enjoyed a 35-7 win over Cypress Creek. Johnny had a muffed punt recovery and an INT and 5 tackles.
Tyquan Lewis– His team Tarboro HS enjoyed a 53-13 win over Beddingfield. Tyquan had 4 tackles and 1 TFL.

Ezekiel Elliott continues to show Buckeye Nation why Urban Meyer and his staff choose him over more highly touted RBs. The guy is just flat out a baller. He has speed like we have prob never seen from a RB and elusiveness that will fits the system Coach Meyer is implementing. If he lives up to the hype that he is producing with his game play he could be something very special for years to come at OSU.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

B1G Power Rankings: Ninth Edition

November 6, 2012 by 1 Comment

With a couple of teams on the bye week and the top of the conference teams playing against some of the bottom feeders of the conference, there were no upsets to shake up this weeks power rankings. The only notable loss in the conference was Sparty losing at home once again to Nebraska. With the Buckeyes on the bye this week, there are a couple of notable match-ups with Leaders Division implications.

1. Ohio State (10-0)- The Buckeyes dominated the worst team in the conference and head into the bye week undefeated.

2. Nebraska (7-2)- Taylor Martinez led the ‘Huskers to a late touchdown to defeat the Spartans at East Lansing. They take on Penn State this weekend at home in hope to extend their winning streak to 4 games.

3. Northwestern (7-2)- The Wildcats had an extra week to prepare for Michigan and a win would put them into second place for the Legends Division. Pat Fitzgerald’s squad will also be rooting for Penn State to knock off Nebraska.

4. Michigan (6-3)- Michigan took care of business versus Minnesota without Denard Robinson, as backup quarterback Devin Gardner tallied three total touchdowns. They’ll need Robinson back this weekend though as they clash with Northwestern at the Big House.

5. Penn State (6-3)- The Nittany Lions rebounded from their loss versus Ohio State in convincing fashion. They hope to shake up the Legends Division this weekend when they take on Nebraska.

6. Wisconsin (6-3)- Wisconsin got the week off and now travel to Indiana to take on a rising Hoosier squad. The Badgers cannot overlook Indiana as they can score with anyone. Yes, it feels very odd saying that.

7. Michigan State (5-5)- Sparty loses another game at home, this time to Nebraska. It seemed as though their schedule was set up for them to succeed this year with most of their big games coming at home, but the Spartans are not who we thought they were.

8. Indiana (4-5)- Indiana is looking to become bowl eligible for the first time since their story book 2007 season.

9. Iowa (4-5)- The Hawkeyes fell to the Hoosiers in the Mediocrity Bowl. They are now in the basement of the B1G.

10. Minnesota (5-4)- Minnesota had their chance to get a marquee win versus Michigan with Shoelace out of the lineup but failed to do so. But on the bright side, they should take care of business versus lowly Illinois this weekend.

11. Purdue (3-6)- It seemed as though Penn State took out their aggression on the Boilermakers. Purdue looks to jump Iowa in next weeks power rankings as the two square off this weekend.

12. Illinois (2-7)- Not much to say here as the Illini are putting up a good case to be recognized as the worst team in the country.

Filed Under: College Football

Blogpoll – Week 10

November 5, 2012 by 2 Comments

Bama and Notre Dame survived close games. Oregon won in a shoot out. Kansas St. lost its Heisman candidate QB in the 3rd Qtr. Ohio St. Blew out a horrible Illinois team. That is how your top 5 teams did yesterday. Notre Dame looked like a bad team for most of their game versus a really bad Pitt team in South Bend no less. So I dropped them. Ohio State has a bye this week to get healthy and get ready for their two toughest games this year on the road at Wisconsin and at home against Michigan.

I won’t lie I don’t want to see an SEC team in the NCG. I am just like every other non-SEC team fan I want their reign to end. I would love to see what a game between Oregon and Notre Dame would look like or Oregon and Bama. Just to see what great offense vs great defense would look like.

Filed Under: Blogpoll

The Spread, Week Ten: O Bracket, Where Art Thou?

October 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

END GAME

College football may be on the verge of something that I never thought I’d see. An undefeated Notre Dame could find itself locked out of the national championship chase. Notre Dame. The school for whom the system has bent over backward might be this year’s version of The Team Looking In as we wait for the BCS to finally die its slow, slow death.

And they don’t even deserve it.

Right now, the Irish are at #3 in the BCS rankings and before you rage against the machines, it’s not the computers’ fault. In that component, Notre Dame is actually tied for first place. With Kansas State. (Okay, now you can rage.)  In the human polls, however, they  sit at #4. Now, I think those other three teams are great too, but is Notre Dame really the worst of the four eligible, relevant unbeatens?

Excluding fellow independents Navy and BYU, the Irish do not have a single team on their schedule that is not in an BCS-AQ conference. Kansas State has two. Bama has three. Oregon played three to start the season, and that was their entire non-conference schedule. Granted, two of those teams will have to play a conference championship game, but that still doesn’t quite even the scheduling score.

In terms of common opponents, Notre Dame’s impressive schedule offers opportunities to directly compare performances with the other three (inasmuch as that can be considered a direct comparison, but let’s not get into that). Notre Dame and Oregon share two quality teams (Stanford and USC) that will allow us to make a pretty good judgment between them, but the only game that has taken place so far is Notre Dame/Stanford, so the jury’s still out on this one.

Both the Irish and Alabama played Michigan, with the Tide ripping out Brady Hoke’s gravy-soaked soul in prime-time on opening weekend. Brian Kelly took it easier on the school that should have hired him when they had the chance, but Manti Te’o and the Domer D picked off 5 Wolverine passes and pretty much made Denard Robinson look like the worst QB to ever not know how to tie his shoes. While I think each team dominated Michigan in its own way, I wouldn’t fault you for giving Bama the edge.

Notre Dame and Kansas State each played Miami (FL) and Oklahoma and the Irish come out the clear winners here. Notre Dame snuffed out the Canes 41-3 in a Catholics vs. Convicts revival that left Miami looking for some fresh thugs. The Sooners were supposed to expose the Irish last week but instead got whipped 30-13. While Kansas State similarly abused Miami 52-13, they had a much tougher time with Oklahoma, the better of the two opponents, edging the Sooners 24-19 thanks to a fourth quarter outburst from an offense that hadn’t reached the end zone in the first three.

I’m honestly not sure why this team isn’t being mentioned right along with Alabama as the best in the nation. They may not be “dominating” teams in terms of margin of victory, but the truth is they just might be this year’s equivalent of the ’02 Buckeyes, with the presumed-repeat-champs Crimson Tide slipping nicely into Miami’s role.

Okay, I’m done praising Notre Dame. I need a shower.

FRAUD UPDATE

Four weeks ago, I nailed my list of Six Fraud Teams to the door of college football and then probably took a nap. With about four weeks left in the regular season, it’s time to see how things are shaping up.

Louisville: The Cardinals were at the top of the list thanks to a poor schedule and several close wins. Guess what? They’re still winning ugly while their competition has elevated to mediocre (three opponents since first list are 11-12). While there’s still technically a chance to go Full Fraud if they lose all remaining games and their bowl, it appears that Louisville will escape this fate.

Texas Christian: TCU was my pick for sure-fire fraud on the initial list and they have not disappointed so far. The Frogs went 1-3 since opening 4-0 and their remaining games are: @West Virginia, Kansas State, @Texas, Oklahoma. So yeah.

Northwestern: I think the Wildcats are a decent team and picked them to survive Fraudacity mostly because the Big Ten just isn’t that great this year. Still, they’ve dropped 2 of 4 since starting 5-0 and have a bye week before the season-defining Tour de Michigance. They finish at home against Illinois who is Illinois. I’m still in the Nerds’ corner, but they’re not out of the woods yet.

Rutgers: Like Louisville, the Scarlet Knights benefit from being an okay team in a terrible conference. They lost to Kent State last week and have road trips to Cincy and Pitt before taking on the Cardinals in the season-ender. All three of those games could easily be losses.

South Carolina: I plucked the Gamecocks (and Mississippi State) out of the vast collection of unbeaten SEC teams at the beginning of October because they were the two most suspect and something had to give. Unfortunately for SoCar, that something was everything inside of Marcus Lattimore’s leg. Notice how there’s no link. If you haven’t seen it, consider yourself lucky. If you really think you still want to, go find it yourself. The Cocks did manage to still pull out the win over Tennessee and that will keep them out of Fraudville. Their remaining schedule is Arkansas, Wofford, @Clemson. We’ll see how they respond to the loss of Lattimore, but those are all winnable games.

Mississippi State: Their only loss so far is to Doc Saban’s Elephant Football Death Machine, but they still have Texas A&M, LSU and Ole Miss upcoming.

MAKE WEEKEND PLANS

Thursday night‘s big ESPN game is Irrelevant Virginia Tech @ Afterthought Miami (FL), a game that couldn’t be more meaningless this late in the season. Expect lots of SEC-related tangents from the booth starting about halfway through the opening kickoff.

Saturday night finally brings us Oregon @ USC, Alabama @ LSU, and Oklahoma State @ Kansas State which will probably all end up something like 66-13, but at least those games will have two good teams playing at the same time, a phenomenon you’ll be hard-pressed to find the rest of the day without picture-in-picture.

Filed Under: College Football, Miscellany

B1G Power Rankings: Eighth Edition

October 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The B1G Conference is about as up and down as a conference can get. Every team has looked beatable and numbers 2 through 7 in the rankings are just about equal. Ohio State took care of business at Penn State, while a Denard Robinson injury fueled Nebraska over Michigan. Sparty defeated Wisconsin at Camp Randall for their first home loss in 21 games as the two teams continue to be up and down each week.

1. Ohio State (9-0)- The Buckeyes got a huge win at Happy Valley against one of the hottest teams in the B1G. They get rewarded by playing the worst team in the conference at home this weekend.

2. Nebraska (6-2)- A hard fought victory against Michigan propelled the ‘Huskers up to number two in the power rankings. Nebraska travels to East Lansing this week in what should be another tough game.

3. Northwestern (7-2)- Kain Colter tallied 4 touchdowns against Iowa as the Wildcats now have the second best winning percentage in the conference.

4. Michigan (5-3)- The Wolverines showed that they have no real back up plan for when Denard Robinson goes down. They hope to bounce back against Minnesota this week.

5. Michigan State (5-4)- The Spartans defense held Montee Ball in check (22 carries/ 46 yards,) and scored an upset at Camp Randall. The road does not get any easier for Sparty as they welcome Nebraska into town this weekend.

6. Penn State (5-3)- The Nittany Lions fell apart after half time against the Buckeyes and now get to bounce back against a reeling Purdue team.

7. Wisconsin (6-3)- Not sure what to think of this Wisconsin team. One week they are a mess, another week they look unstoppable. The Badgers get a bye week after Michigan State snapped their 21 game home winning streak.

8. Indiana (3-5)- In the battle of the B1G basement, the Hoosiers proved that they are much better than Illinois this year. They play Iowa this week and hope to win another conference game.

9. Iowa (4-4)- Iowa fell to Northwestern as they continue their up and down season.

10. Minnesota (5-3)- It looked like the Gophers took advantage of Purdue’s Buckeye hangover by hanging 44 points on the Boiler Makers. They’ll be keeping an eye on Denard Robinson’s injury this week.

11. Purdue (3-5)- Purdue seems to play down (Minnesota) and up (Notre Dame, Ohio State) to their competition. We will see if that trend continues this week against Penn State.

12. Illinois (2-6)- The Illini let up 30+ points once again and they hope to keep the Buckeyes under 60 this week.

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

2013 OSU recruit stats week 10

October 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Sorry I missed last week with this post and sadly we are on Week 10 which means the season is over for some of our recruits and others will be playing in their respective states playoffs. Once the season ends I will try to put together a comprehensive look at each recruits stats for the year.

Jalin Marshall– His team Middletown Middies defeated Cincinnati Princeton 41-14. Jalin rushed 12 times for 168 yards and a 3 TDs and went 3 of 7 for 91 yards and 2 TDs.
Eli Woodard– His team Eastern enjoyed a 55-38 win over Winslow Township. Eli and his team clinched a playoff spot with the victory.
Cam Burrows– His team Trotwood-Madison beat Vandalia Butler 27-3. Cam had 2 tackles.
Joey Bosa– His team St. Thomas Aquinas beat Plantation 24-20.
Marcus Baugh– His team John W North beat Poly 38-0. Marcus had 2 TDs.
Evan Lisle– His team Centerville enjoyed a 41-6 win over Springfield. As an O-lineman he helped his team gain 323 yards on the ground.
Ezekiel Elliott– His team John Burroughs HS enjoyed a forfeit over Confluence.
Billy Price– His team Austintown Fitch enjoyed a 49-7 win over Cardinal Mooney. Billy had 6 tackles and 2 sacks.
Jayme Thompson– His team Toledo Central Catholic suffered a 49-0 loss to Toledo Whitmer. Jayme had 3 tackles.
J T Barrett- His team Rider lost 21-10 to Guyer. Unfortunately JT is out for the season with a knee injury.
Michael Hill– His team Pendleton beat Landrum 38-21. His season is over due to a hand injury.
Taivon Jacobs– His team Suitland enjoyed a 29-12 win over Bowie. Taivon had an INT and a TD reception.
Darron Lee– His team New Albany enjoyed a 38-14 victory over Mt. Vernon. Darron helped his team gain 422 yards of offense.
Tracy Sprinkle– His team Elyria suffered a 31-21 loss to Mayfield. Tracy had 19 tackles and 5 TFL and 1 sack and 3 QB hurries.
Tim Gardner– His team Lawrence Central enjoyed a 21-14 win over Warren Central. Tim helped his team make the Sectional Championships.
Johnny Townsend– His team Boone enjoyed a 28-12 win over East River. No punting stats could be found.
Tyquan Lewis– His team Tarboro HS enjoyed a 34-0 win over Beddingfield. Tyquan had 3 sacks.

This class is loaded and we all know it. The stats don’t lie that’s for sure. Tracy Sprinkle continues to prove the recruiting experts wrong by putting up monster numbers. Ezekiel Elliott and Jalin Marshall are the kind of playmakers OSU needs for Urbans offense. The question will continue to be asked until signing day who else will join this already impressive class and how many more guys can they take. Also look for 2014 class to start taking shape soon.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Blogpoll – Week 9

October 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Bama and Oregon are the two best teams in the nation if you ask me but it is hard to argue that Kansas St and Notre Dame dont deserve to be in the discussion. All 4 of those teams are worthy of a title shot and if it was 2014 they would all have a shot but alas it is not so some of these teams need to lose or their will be some serious CHAOS at the end of the year.

Ohio State oh how people continue to doubt you each and every week and each and every week you dont let your fans down and are 9-0. If for some reason all these undefeated teams lose a game they have a legit shot at an AP title if you keep on winning. No matter what though you have got your hands firmly wrapped around the Leaders division title and a whole lot of happy fans.

The rest of the top 25 is a hot mess. Lots of 1 loss teams and a few 2 loss teams. No 3 loss teams yet sorry Arizona but thanks for beating Lane Kiffin.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Filed Under: Blogpoll

Getting to Know Bill O’Brien

October 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It will be strange on Saturday to look across from the Ohio State sideline and not see Joe Paterno, the man who patrolled the Nittany Lions football squad for 46 seasons. Instead, there will be a stern, younger looking man with a fiery personality and modern offensive mind. His name is Bill O’Brien and he will be a fixture on the sidelines for Penn State for a long time.

O’Brien came up through the coaching ranks relatively quickly compared to others. He started at his Alma Matter, Brown University, then went on to become offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech for seven seasons, left there to go to Maryland for two years to coach running backs, and then went to Duke for two seasons to coach their offense.

After 14 years as a relatively unknown college coach, he made the jump to the NFL with the New England Patriots in 2007. Working under legendary head coach Bill Belichick, O’Brien started out as an offensive assistant to Josh McDaniels and helped engineer the most explosive offense in NFL history. McDaniels left after the 2008 season and the keys of the offensive were given to Bill O’Brien. The Patriots sputtered in 2009, but went 14-2 in 2010 and 13-3 in 2011 before losing in the Super Bowl. He became more well known across the country after his verbal spat with Tom Brady on the sidelines in which the two had to be separated after a Brady interception. After Paterno was let go in midst of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, O’Brien interviewed and accepted the offer to become head coach at Penn State the week before his Patriots took on the Giants.

O’Brien was the focal point of scrutiny in their losses while he was offensive coordinator, but he changed the offensive from when McDaniels was there. Bill O’Brien’s offensive philosophy starts from the inside-out and McDaniels was opposite. Meaning that O’Brien wants his quarterback to focus on his tight ends, crossing routes and check downs. His offense rarely goes outside the numbers and he needs a smart, patient quarterback like the one he had in New England to run his offense to perfection. Quarterbacks that understand his system will have a high completion percentage and will be looking for the open receiver.  Not to say that O’Brien is against going down the field, but he feels there is no reason to force a ball down the sidelines into coverage when the tight end is open to check down to and gain five yards.

O’Brien befriended Chip Kelly, the offensive wiz at Oregon, and the two have been known to meet up in the off-season with Belichick and Urban Meyer to share offensive philosophies. Obviously the personal and the play calling is different between Oregon, Penn State and the Patriots, but their NASCAR package is very similar. After this weekend’s game versus the Buckeyes, really focus on Penn State’s fast pace, no huddle offense. Then on Sunday, watch the Patriots game versus the Rams and the similarities will jump out at you. It is no coincidence that these offensives are the best coached in their respective divisions or leagues.

NFL teams have been calling O’Brien after his team’s surprising 5-2 start to the season but his agent has stated that he is committed to Penn State. He may not be a fixture on the sidelines in Happy Valley as long as Paterno was but that does not happen as much in this era of coaching. Even with the harsh sanctions, expect O’Brien to use his NFL credentials to lure recruits to Happy Valley. It will be a tough order but do not count out Bill O’Brien.

Expect a chess match between Meyer and O’Brien this weekend and take advantage of seeing two of the most well coached offenses in the country go at it until the final whistle blows.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football
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