As always, presented without comment. (Now with 4th Down Conversions!)

Stats are grabbed from cfbstats.com

Tajh Boyd’s college football career comes full circle this Friday, when the stellar QB will lead Clemson against Ohio State in the Orange Bowl.

A little over four years ago, Boyd committed to Clemson, a decision that shocked Jim Tressel and the Buckeye coaches. Boyd had always been transparent about his Buckeye plans. He had grown up rooting for Tressel and the Buckeyes, and OSU was first on his list. The high school phenom even chose to wear a #10 jersey to honor his favorite football player, Ohio State QB Troy Smith.

In 2009, Boyd saw Tressel’s committment to Pryor and realized that he’d have a tough time competing for the starting position. At the eleventh hour, a new opportunity arose at Clemson, and Boyd took advantage.

He hasn’t looked back since. Boyd has spent the past four years tearing through his ACC competition like tissue paper, setting 58 team records. He also holds conference records for touchdowns (127!) and passing efficiency.

OSU fans are more than content with Braxton Miller. But it is interesting to realize that, had Boyd chose Ohio State, he likely would have inherited the starting job after Pryor’s suspension and the failed Bauserman experiment. Boyd had even established a solid rapport with future WR Philly Brown, having thrown a TD pass to him in the Army game.

And yet, as impressive as Boyd’s college career has been, it is fair to note a few caveats: He is frustratingly inconsistent. CFB fans have turned “Clemsoning” into a verb – one week, he appears formidable; the next, he’s completely befuddled and throwing panicked interceptions directly into the arms of defenders. This is the main reason for Boyd being left out of most national QB conversations and award lists. And you more cynical detractors might note the fact that his stats are padded against the weaker ACC teams that Boyd has spent a career playing against.

But enough background – let’s get to the analysis.

When OSU has the ball
One-sentence summary:

Run El Guapo often, run him hard, and complete short passes.

OSU fans are still smarting from the coaches’ puzzling decision to not properly utilize Carlos Hyde in the fourth quarter of the B1G title game. For this analysis, we’re going to assume that they saw the tape and realized that was the stupidest gameplan that ever stupided.

(If they haven’t, then hopefully they’re reading this post and realize it now. Stupid. You don’t score 24 unanswered points and come from behind to take the lead in the fourth quarter, and then deliberately decide “hey, you know what? We took the lead with Hyde; maybe we should stop using him from now on.” Stupid.)

Sorry, digressed there. Back to Clemson…

Clemson’s rush defense is rather pathetic (52nd), and this includes the fact that they only faced teams with rather pathetic rush offenses. Only Georgia Tech’s gimmicky offense is decent numbers-wise, and they easily ran for 5.5 ypc against Clemson. On paper at least, Clemson’s defense should not present much of a challenge to OSU’s two-headed rushing attack.

The biggest defensive threat comes from the Tiger DE Vic Beasley, a Hendricks finalist for the nation’s top defensive end. The OSU offensive line will have to keep him at bay if they expect to have any success with a run-first gameplan.

The Tigers tend to favor man coverage when facing spread teams. If OSU establishes the run, Clemson will likely bring a strong safety into the box to guard against it. From there it’s up to Miller. Late in the season, for some reason, he abandoned the middle routes that had been so successful for a combination of deep passes and screens. Deep passes work well to keep a secondary honest, but they are such low-percentage plays that they are not worth it against a team like Clemson. The risks outweigh the costs – it’s more important to keep the clock running and keep plugging away for manageable second & third downs.

If Miller can manage a solid rushing attack and midrange passing game, the drives will be long, points will come easy, and most importantly, the clock will keep running, keeping Clemson’s offense off the field. This is important because:

When Clemson has the ball
One-sentence summary:

The OSU defense made the trip to Miami, as well.

Bryant is out. Spence is out. Roby is out. Grant is injured and may see limited time. Cue sad trombone.

In an act of desperation, Fickell is revamping the lineup and starting Vonn Bell, hoping for a spark. But any benefit that Bell may bring will be negated by the crushing loss of Noah Spence. If ever there was a game where having your leading pass rusher was critical, it was against the best quarterback your team has seen in years.

There may be a silver lining. Unlike the Buckeyes, Clemson’s gameplan ought to be rather one-dimensional. They aren’t likely to have much success running against OSU’s front seven, even considering the loss of Spence. As easy as Boyd should theoretically have it, one-dimensional teams can often be exploited. Should Boyd have one of his off-days, as he has tended to do against decent competition, Clemson’s offense could suffer.

Prediction
Predictions are based upon experience gained during similar circumstances. But we’re on completely uncharted territory, here. We’ve never seen how a Meyer-led OSU team reacts to a big loss. While Meyer is 4-0 in BCS games, the ability of this OSU team to give him a 5-0 BCS record is in question.

The closest we can come to empirical comparisons (and this is a huuuuge stretch) is this: Both OSU and South Carolina beat Wisconsin in very similar games (although Wisco had an injured QB when playing SC). This may suggest that OSU and South Carolina are at least as good as one another; and SC had no problem whatsoever dispatching Clemson just a few weeks ago. Yes, transitive analyses are terrible, but if you’re looking for optimism… well… there it is.

On paper, it seems like one of two scenarios is likely:

• Clemson’s offense makes a few mistakes and shoots itself in the foot, leading to a dominating victory by the Buckeyes. OSU, 56-24.
• The teams engage in a shootout for the ages, and it comes down to one team’s final possession as the fourth quarter expires. Clemson, 63-59.

What say you?

Obviously not great news about Spence but to have a resolution allows the team to move on and get whomever will start in his place ready to play. That player is most likely Jamal Marcus a Sophomore from North Carolina.

We will have more once info is released by OSU or the B1G.

***UPDATED***

I am hearing from a reliable source that the cause of the suspension is due to a performance enhancing drug that he may have ingested from an over the counter drug or supplement as this web site reports. The family has argued it was not on purpose and was taken on accident.

This has been confirmed to me by multiple sources now. You can never rule out they may be wrong but multiple sources within the OSU community have confirmed the story I have been told.

****Updated****

Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch is confirming what I have been saying…

Ohio State sophomore defensive end Noah Spence has been suspended three games – including Friday’s Orange Bowl — because of what the Big Ten ruled was the use of an unapproved dietary supplement, a high-level source at Ohio State told The Dispatch today.

Happy New Year! It’s time once again for the Big Ten/SEC football challenge. Since the mid-90s, both Capital One Bowl and the Outback Bowl have matched up the two conferences, and the Gator Bowl joined in the fun with their 2011 game. The overall record is SEC 25, Big Ten 17. Last year, the SEC went 2-1 in these games, with a combined score of 98-93. All three of the Big Ten representatives this year won their most recent appearance in their bowl.

So far this bowl season, the Big Ten is 0-2 (0-4 if you count incoming B1GGIES Rutgers and Maryland) so the conference could use some good fortune today.

Wednesday
Noon

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs. Georgia. Interestingly, this is a rematch of last year’s Capital One Bowl, which Georgia won by 14 points. In each of the past five seasons, Nebraska has lost exactly 4 games. Since they’ve already lost 4 this year, they are scientifically required to win this game. Congrats, Huskers! (ESPN2)

Heart of Dallas Bowl: North Texas vs. UNLV. In three attempts, North Texas has been unable to beat UNLV. However, they’ve never played in a bowl and their last game was in the year 2000. (ESPNU)

1:00p

Capital One Bowl: Wisconsin vs. South Carolina. Wisconsin’s three losses are by a combined 16 points to teams who have lost an average of 3 games each. South Carolina’s two losses are by a combined 13 points to teams who have lost an average of 5.5 games each. Wisconsin also has the clear advantage on paper, and is a slight favorite in the game. South Carolina is ranked #9. Wisconsin is ranked #19. There is no SEC bias though. (ABC)

Outback Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU. The Hawkeyes beat the Tigers 30-25 in the 2005 Capital One Bowl. Obligatory Program Cover Art (with fish). (ESPN)

5:00p

Rose Bowl: Michigan State vs. Stanford. In the past seven years, the Rose Bowl has featured either Wisconsin or USC six times. The Big Ten lost all six of those games. But in the one game that featured neither of those teams, the Big Ten won! You can’t argue with that! Sparty YES! (ESPN)

8:30p

Fiesta Bowl: Baylor vs. UCF. In keeping with this year’s tradition of finishing the night with a stinker of a game, here’s this thing. It’s almost physically impossible for this game to be intriguing. Even if it is competitive, it’s still not that interesting. This drawing of a bear fighting a knight is pretty cool though. (ESPN)

Ohio State(14-0) remained unbeaten on the year and got the B1G off to a good start in defeating Purdue(10-4) 78-69 in front of a rowdy crown at Mackey Arena. This game showed you both the blueprint for a run at the B1G title and a deep tourney run as well as the manner in which the season could end earlier than expected. LaQuinton Ross led the Buckeyes with 25 points and 12 rebounds while Shannon Scott added 18 points and Lenzelle Smith 14. In addition to that, Marc Loving provided a much needed spark off the bench with 8 points. While the balanced attack is what will provide Ohio State what is needed to meet expectations this year, the lack of depth at the Center spot will almost certainly be the Achilles heel the rest of the season. Ohio State had no answer for A.J. Hammonds down low as he kept Amir Williams in foul trouble and rendered Trey McDonald a non-factor off the bench. The 7-0, 251 pound Sophmore scored a team 18 points for the Boilermakers using his raw skills to create space and rebound the basketball. He also added 5 blocks and 4 assists. Purdue also had a balanced effort with Ronnie Johnson, Terone Johnson and Basil Smotherman adding 16, 13 and 9 points respectively. The big difference between Ohio State and Purdue is the Buckeyes have Aaron Craft and Purdue doesn’t.

If the Ohio State Buckeyes are a mint 1969 Camaro SS, then Aaron Craft is the 396 cu in V8 engine. While he only scored 7 points, he had 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals and didn’t turn the ball over once. But most of what Craft does not show up on the stat line. From blocking passing lanes on defense to making sure his teammates are in position on offense, Craft is the clear quarterback for this team. During one stretch in the first half, with the game tightly contested, Craft raced to get a piece of Ronnie Johnson 3 point attempt as well as hustle down the rebound after it hit off the side of the backboard and finish the play with a layup. Craft’s play is infectious for his teammates as they try to hustle as hard as their team leader. While Thad Matta is certainly lucky to have Craft, it will be as equally as tough to replace the Senior next season.

With two High School All-Star bowl games this week there is a lot of Buckeye recruiting news. There are current commits playing in both games with the US Army game having the vast majority of OSU commits. There are several targets in both games as well. Again the US Army game probably has the majority of the most likely to become a Buckeye target list. So myself and @RonnieGlickman will take a look at both games in separate posts. Here is the link to go see Ronnie’s post on the Under Armour bowl game.

BUCKEYE COMMITS

Dante Booker Jr.- Dante is a 6’4″ 220 lbs 4 star LineBacker from Akron, Ohio. Booker is one of the top LB prospects in the country and was chased by schools like Notre Dame, TTUN, Penn State, and Nebraska. Dante brings a real nastiness to the outside LB spot combined with his top notch speed and power he could move to a hybrid of DE/LB at OSU depending on his body growth. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 65th best prospect in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the no. 6 OLB ion the country. 247sports ranks him a 5 star and the no. 13 prospect in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the no 7 OLB in the country.

Johnnie Dixon- Johnnie is a 6’0 200 lbs 4 star WR from West Palm Beach, Florida. Johnnie is a big time recruit from the South Florida hotbed known for producing NFL caliber WRs. Johnnie is a burner with great hands but will out muscle you for a ball when he needs to. He has decent size but is already hulked out as you can see in his picture above. I hate to be cliche but he does remind me of Percy Harvin… a strong and physical WR who can take the Jet Sweep and scoot a ton of yards for TDs. 247Sports ranks him a 4 star and the 106th best recruit in the country. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 39th best WR in the country. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 39th best recruit in the country. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 109th best recruit in the country.

Jalyn Holmes- Jalyn is a 6’5″ 235 lbs 4 star DE from Norfolk, Virginia. Jalyn is a freak of an athlete ranking high on both weak side Def End and Tight End. As a Sophomore Holmes had 60 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He made all-district and all-region as a sophomore. During his junior season, Holmes had 75 Tackles, 40 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. He also caught 24 passes for 352 yards and seven touchdowns on offense. He projects to be a Def End at OSU and will play on the weak side. 247sports ranks him a 4 star and the 92nd best prospect in the country and the 5th best WDE. Rivals ranks him a 4 star and the 57th best in the country and the 4th best DE. Scout ranks him a 4 star and the 98th best prospect in the country and 13th best DE. ESPN ranks him a 4 star and the 160th best in the country.

Marcelys Jones- Marcelys is a 6’5″ 325 lbs 4 star OT from Cleveland, Ohio. Marcelys is a giant recruit who will bring strength and power along with a nasty side that OLmen need to be successful. He will need to work on his foot movement and speed and turn some of his “baby fat” into muscle but with the help of Coach Marotti and his S&C program he will get in shape very quickly. I am not sure he will stay a OT or move inside to OG depends how much he grows height wise in the next year to fit the type of body Coach Meyer wants in his OTs.

Demetrius Knox- Demetrius is a 6’4″ 290 lbs 4 star Offensive Lineman from Fort Worth, Texas. Knox brings to the OL a lot of speed and athleticism. He was once committed to Texas but decommitted months ago and right away he became a target for OSU and the fans. He has proven to be a guy who can be a leader and will help recruit for OSU.

Curtis Samuel- Curtis is a 6’0″ 185 lbs 5 star RB/WR/Safety/Athlete from Brooklyn, New York. Curtis is a blazer of a football player running a 4.36 40 yard dash. He projects to play WR at Ohio State but has the versatility to move all over the place he could play RB or WR depending on how his body develops. He also could play defense but he is a playmaker so expect to see him on the offensive side in the Percy Harvin type position. Where Coach Meyer will do everything he can to get the ball in his hands to let him make plays.

Damon Webb- Damon Webb is a 6’0″ 180 lbs 4 star DB from Detroit, Michigan. Damon is a shutdown corner who isn’t afraid to hit a guy and help on run defense. He comes from a school that has had a lot of success in Michigan. Damon had offers from the likes of LSU, Michigan, Michigan St., and a host of other schools.

BUCKEYE TARGETS

Solomon Thomas- Solonon is a 6’3″ 260 lbs 5 star DE from Coppel, Texas. Thomas brings a great motor along with good speed and strength. He would be icing on the cake for Coach Herman who has been dominating the Texas HS scene the last 3 years.

Erick Smith- Erick is a 6’1″ 190 bs 4 star Safety from Cleveland, Ohio. Erick has long been considered an OSU lock and the safety should be committing to OSU during the game. The safety has become a better prospect as time goes on. He will be a great addition to the 2014 class.

Marshon Lattimore- Marshon is a high 4 star recruit best recruit in the country kind of recruit. He is a game changer and can play either side of the ball. He projects to play CB at OSU but could move around a lot from offense to defense to special teams. He also like his HS teammate Erick Smith will commit to OSU during the game.

Myles Autry- Myles is a 5’9″ 175 lbs 4 star Athlete from Norcross, Ga. Myles brings a lot of speed and athleticism to the table. Unfortunately he was injured most of his SR. year but has come back with a strong showing in the state playoffs and is impressing early on at this bowl game practices. He can play both offense and defense exceptionally well and would most likely end up at the Slot if he goes to OSU.

Derrick Nnadi- Derrick is a 6’2″ 305 lbs 4 star DT from Virginia Beach, VA. Nnadi is a behemoth of a kid who will eat up blockers in the middle. He has enough speed to rush the passer but he is a run stopping DT at its truest example. Derrick is a Va Tech lean but grew up a Buckeye fan so if OSU wants him they can probably land him when he visits.

Malik McDowell- Malik is a 6’7″ 290 lbs 5 star DE from Detroit, TSUN. This kid is a giant and has the skills to be a dominant player for years to come. He was considered a TTUN lean by its fans for a long time but he has never really shown that to be the case. In the end I think it will come down to MSU vs OSU for his services. I will never doubt Coach Meyer’s ability to close so look for the full court press down the stretch.

As you can see by this long list of commits and targets the Buckeyes are well represented and Coach Meyer and his staff have put a premium on getting players from all over the country who are the best at their positions. Coach Meyer is building a dynasty at OSU and it starts with recruiting. Needless to say the cornerstone has been placed and the rest of the building will be built very soon.

The 2013 Ohio State Buckeyes provided Buckeye Nation with several memorable moments. On this final day of 2013, I provide you with the top 5 plays of 2013. Leave a comment below with your top 5 plays of 2013.

5. Smooth Jazz to Mr. Smith
Buckeye Nation took over California Memorial Stadium on the Buckeyes first road trip of 2013. Shortly after kickoff, Smooth Jazz Kenny Guiton hooked up with Devin Smith, for a 90 yard bomb, to begin the full take over of the Golden Bears home field.

4. Braxton’s Return
Braxton Miller’s return from injury came with a bang, as he lit up Wisconsin’s defense for four touchdown passes. The most brilliant and exceptional of those passes was Miller’s 40 yard touchdown pass to Philly Brown, at the end of the first half. That throw was a showcase of Miller’s natural arm strength and his improvement as a passer. It also sent a message to the rest of the Big Ten, Braxton Miller is back.

3. Guiton to Miller
Almost every Buckeye, including Coach Meyer, had thought of some way to get Braxton Miller and Kenny Guiton on the field at the same time. The opportunity came against the Hoosiers and neither Guiton nor Miller disappointed. Miller added another highlight to his already deep and abundant highlight reel.

2. Run and Hyde
Carlos Hyde ran like a grown man this season. Nobody was able to stop Hyde, his power, and also his new and improved agility and speed. Hyde showed off all three of these tools on this electric run against the Iowa Hawkeyes. A run that was worthy of a Heisman moment.

1. The Game Winner
The Game this year provided Ohio State fans with every range of emotion from incredible rage to incredible joy. Tyvis Powell helped save the Buckeyes hope of an undefeated season, and also destroyed any hope of the Team Up North having a bright spot in their season. Here is our top play. Enjoy it Buckeye fans.

While bowl season has begun and is in full swing, the top high school players in the nation prepare to showcase their talents in their respective All American games. In this post I’ll cover the Buckeye recruits and remaining targets participating in the Under Armour All American Game on January 2nd at 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

Buckeye Commits

Jamarco Jones,OT, De La Salle Institute- Jones is a promising tackle prospect out of Chicago. He already has a good size frame at 6-5, 290 pounds and should be able to add even more mass once Coach Marotti gets his hands on him. Jones is currently better suited as a run blocking tackle in his young progression. He has good lower body strength which helps him drive defenders back, and has that nasty streak to finish off defenders. Jones is not a primary candidate to play early, but he should develop nicely in a couple years.

Jones will to need to improve his pass pro technique in order to deal with faster defenders at the next level. He has nice feet, however he struggles at times to have them in the right place. Once Jones gets in with Ed Warinner, Jones will be able to clean things up in his footwork and punch. That should lead to the Buckeye developing a solid starting tackle by his second or third year.

Raekwon McMillan, MLB, Liberty County High School- I really like McMillan’s game. He is a very fundamentally sound linebacker. He does not necessarily jump out at you on tape, but he is consistently around the football and in proper position. McMillan excels in shedding blockers and closing gaps in run support. He is a strong, consistent tackler who can punish opposing backs in the hole. He already has great size at 6’2, 250 pounds, which make coaches think he can be a day one starter.

In order for McMillan to become a complete three down linebacker he must improve his hip fluidity in space. McMillan functions well in zone schemes, understanding depth and closing on receivers, however he can get too stiff when going one on one with running backs. McMillan should battle Curtis Grant for a starting job at the middle linebacker spot when he gets to campus. He has the makings of another Buckeye great at linebacker. I believe the consistencies in his fundamentals and football IQ will set him apart from

Targets

Tony Brown, CB, Ozen High School- Tony Brown is a game changing corner. He has a ball-hawk mentality that encourages coaches to leave him on an island and shut down the oppositions best receiver. He has an incredible mixture of size, speed, and length, three attributes that every program needs in a shutdown corner. With a little more size, and some polishing to his press technique, Brown will become a Richard Sherman type corner.

Ohio State seems to be a bit of a long shot with Brown as LSU seems to be the favorite. However, some rumors out of Texas this week, according to our guy Jeremiah Sharpe, have said Brown has changed his mind to the Buckeyes. I would not count out Meyer until Brown puts on the hat, but again LSU seems to be the leader. If Brown does decide to go with the Buckeyes, expect Brown to play safety at Ohio State. Brown’s size, speed, and ball hawk ability would make him a great fit playing the star or strong safety. If Brown dons the scarlet and grey, expect him to be an early contributor.

The rumor floating around is 5 star DB from Texas Tony Brown will pick OSU at the UA game next weekend…. Would be astronomic if true.

— Jeremiah (@SYRmotsag) December 29, 2013

John “JuJu” Smith, Safety/Wide Receiver, Long Beach Poly High School- John Smith is one of the best athletes in the country. In my opinion he will be better suited at the next level as a safety. While his vision and deceptiveness running after the catch are some of the best in the country, his natural instincts seem to shine through on the defensive side of the ball at safety. Smith does not shy away from tackling, he can even at times be somewhat of a head hunter. He also is extremely fluid in coverage and will be a tremendous asset to whichever team lands him. Again, he is projected as a long shot to the Buckeyes as Notre Dame and USC seem to be the top two favorites. But with about a month left of recruiting Meyer and company could pull anything off.

This was posted earlier today by Beau Bishop, and it’s just bad news all around:

The while the Buckeyes have sufficient reserves to absorb a blow like this, the defensive line takes a massive hit losing Spence.

More on this as it develops.