2/12/2011 – Jared Sullinger is spit on multiple times by wisconsin fans rushing the court at the end of the Badger’s upset of then number one Ohio State. Asked afterwards about the disgusting behavior of some of his team’s fans, Bo Ryan was quoted as saying:

“All I know is we won the game, deal with it, our end, their end,”

3/6/2011 – Ohio State dominates Wisconsin and wins 93-65. Fans subsequently ask Bo Ryan that he “deal with it”.

(Unfortunately, Bo Ryan is a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Terminator. He senses injuries. The data could be called “pain.” But he is unable to “deal with it.”)

Sad news for us Vernon Gholston fans out of ESPN New York:

As for Gholston, the Jets waited three years for him to show something — anything — but their patience went unrewarded and they finally said goodbye to a disappointing draft bust.

Gholston, chosen sixth overall in the 2008 draft, went three seasons without a sack. It became apparent during the playoffs that the Jets were ready to move on, as Gholston was inactive for all three games.

In three years, Gholston played in 45 games, including five starts, producing only 32 total tackles. He made $21 million in guarantees from his rookie contract, which breaks down to $636,000 per tackle.

That’s sad in and of itself (the whole draft bust thing) but what really gets me is this little tidbit:

Gholston had a $9 million escalator clause in his contract for one sack or forced fumble or fumble recovery, but never got it.

OUCH.

So who knows where the man-beast will land next. Hopefully he has received some good advice for managing his money and it will be interesting to see if another team will take a chance on the freak of nature.

But as for us MotSaGers, well, we’ll always have this. (And I’ll always have Northwestern)

Chris Carter the OL recruit who ran into some legal issues on Signing Day has finally signed his LOI. As is being reported in the Columbus Dispatch Carter signed his letter this evening as is being welcomed with open arms by The Ohio State University.

“We are excited Chris will be a Buckeye,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. “He has had a great support system at home, as well as at his high school with the likes of his principal Maryum Sims, his athletic director Velma Pettiegrew, and his coach Scott Wodtly. They truly believe that Chris will have great success on and off the field at Ohio State.”

I for one will refrain from giving my opinion on this young man as no matter what you say you will upset some group of Buckeye fans. I will say I fully trust Coach Tressel to make the best decision for OSU and the player. I wish him well and hope he becomes a great Buckeye lineman and an even better citizen of the Columbus community.

Man, you’d think I could keep up with this blogging thing but these news stories never stop! Don’t these people know it’s the off season?

Anyway, here are the old stories from the past couple of weeks. I’d like to do these posts more than once a week. I’ll do better in the future.

Poor Art Schlichter and even more so for the old lady he swindled. I don’t have a ton to add to this story but it kind of bums me out to see someone continually fall from grace after having so many chances to right the ship. I can only fathom the grips that this gambling addiction has on this guy.

It’s probably not politically correct to admit this, but the first thing I thought after I heard the news of Buckeye recruit Chris Carter‘s trouble was, “you have to give the kid credit. He is creative!” Then I lamented the fact that we may not see the mammoth of a man play football for Ohio State. Luckily for him (and sort of for us) it looks like he won’t be charged.

Look, we love A.J. Hawk and his Cro-Magnon chin more than most people. We also FIRMLY believe that all babies are cute, even newborns.

BUT.

But we are willing to make an exception. That baby has to be the ugliest baby of all time, right? Like a baby cavebaby? Just consider the source.

At least he’s got a Super Bowl ring.

Can you actually take your talents to South Beach if your talents include pouting?

It’s never too early to start thinking about all the new faces joining the Buckeyes this fall, especially Roderick Smith, who Bruce Feldman ranks the #1 redshirt freshman ($$$) of 2011. (ESPN Insider required)

This is not Buckeye-related, but it is human being related and we must share: Eric LeGrand Makes First Public Appearance At Believe Fund Event

Finally, I’ve made a huge update to the Twittering Buckeyes page to include a bunch incoming Buckeyes from the 2011 class. Stalk them even after signing day!

There are not very many teams that can, year after year, recruit and reload like the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes will have another top 5 class. Let’s take a look at the Buckeye’s best offensive recruit and defensive recruit.

Braxton Miller-QB

Miller is regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects to EVER come out of Ohio. I’ve watched 3 or 4 of his games and I haven’t been this excited about a prospect since… Terrelle Pryor.

He is a different animal than Pryor. Braxton is not as big as Pryor at 6’2 200lbs, but he is every bit as fast as Pryor and has much more jitter-bug quickness when compared to Pryor. In other words he can make people miss… badly.

He also has an absolute cannon for an arm. He is also much further ahead of Pryor as far as throwing the ball when compared at the same stages in their careers. Both came from spread option offenses out of the shotgun, but Miller threw the more than Pryor. Pryor has become a pass first nightmare for defensive coordinators, Miller could rewrite every passing record OSU has when it is all said and done. That is how good he is.

There is one thing that could hurt his chances to be a long term success at Ohio State and that is injuries. Miller has had a history with getting hurt. Something that Tressel will have to protect him from by making sure he doesn’t run it too much.

To me, Miller is a cross between Troy Smith and Michael Vick with a lean towards Vick. Smith could run the ball well, but is no where near as fast as Miller. Oh, and one other thing — he is enrolling at OSU early which means we should be able to see him at the Spring game!

Curtis Grant-LB

The 6’3 220lb linebacker from Richmond, Virginia will be patrolling the middle of the field in the future for the Buckeyes. Next year it should be red-shirt junior MLBer Etienne Sabino in the middle for the Buckeyes with Grant learning the ropes until he is ready to go.

Grant leads an impressive LB haul for the 2011 class. A few months ago the Buckeye’s were close to not getting a single linebacker in this class. Instead they poached Ryan Shazier, the 5th ranked OLB in the class from Florida (a tip of the cap to Urban Meyer for stepping down). Ejuan Price, who will play OLB opposite Shazier. Price was ranked 14th in the country and nearly went to Pitt before making the right decision. Then came the #1 LB in the country in Curtis Grant. Grant is a great mix of speed and power. He will want to work on his tackling as at the next level, he won’t be able to get away with standing too tall while trying to bring down ball carriers.

Roderick Smith-RB

Okay fine, he’s not a recruit for 2011 but a red-shirt from 2010. I want people to get excited about this guy. Rumor has it that during bowl practices he nearly had his red-shirt pulled. With a stable of Herron, Saine, Hall and Berry why on earth would the Buckeye coaching staff think about that for 2 seconds? Apparently he was the best player on the field and couldn’t be stopped. He has been compared to Chris Wells and Eddie George. He is a big, tall running back that had nearly 7000 yards rushing in his high school career.

With Boom Herron to sit 5 games to begin the 2011 season, look for Rod Smith to see a lot of action. Smith could very well take away carries from Herron, who proved himself a dangerous full time back in 2010.

Ohio State had another great recruiting class in 2011. Top 5 in the nation. Quick run down of all the new recruits(HS position ranking/name):

QB’s
#2 Braxton Miller
#24 Cardale Jones

WR’s
#19 Evan Spencer
#29 Devin Smith

TE’s
#14 Nick Vannett
#24 Jeff Heuerman

OL
#83 Tommy Brown
#22 Antonio Underwood
#1 Brian Bobek

DL
#8 Michael Bennet
#10 Chase Farris
#30 Joe Hale

DE
#9 Steve Miller
#14 Ken Hayes

OLB
#1 Curtis Grant
#5 Ryan Shazier

MLB
#14 Ejuan Price
#24 Connor Crowell

S
#11 Ron Tanner
#30 Jeremy Cash

CB
#5 Doran Grant
#22 Dejuan Gambrell

Long Snapper Bryce Haynes

Welcome aboard guys!

The Offensive Line:

Three parts Brew Crew, one part Browning and one part crazy Boren brother. This group was a veteran group and the soul of the Buckeye offense. They helped the Ohio State offense to the 14th best rushing output in college football and during the Sugar Bowl didn’t allow a sack against quarterback Terrelle Pryor. All year long the running game was consistent and Pryor was kept clean for the most part. Mike Adams, Mike Brewster and Justin Boren were 1st Team Big Ten offensive lineman. Brewster, Adams and Shugarts will return next year to form another formidable OSU offensive line.

Grade: A rock solid A

Wide Receiver:

Devier Posey:

Posey had another solid year. He was 6th in the Big Ten in receiving yards and  was on the  Big Ten’s honorable mention list for wide receiver. Posey is a big play type ball snagger that from time to time had issues catching easy balls. Something I’m sure he will work to improve his senior season. Posey lead Ohio State in receiving in the Sugar Bowl and hauled in a beautiful 43 yard touchdown from Pryor in the 2nd quarter.

Grade: B-

Dane Sanzenbacher:

Terrelle Pryor’s security blanket. He was named the Buckeyes MVP in 2010 and rightfully so. He was also a 1st team Big Ten receiver. Chances are that on Saturdays if you were watching an OSU game, Sanzenbacher was flying through the air making some kind of ridiculous circus catch, keeping drives alive and making heads up plays. Like the one he made in the Sugar Bowl after Pryor fumbled and 3 razorbacks missed an opportunity to seize momentum. Dane was there to seize it back. We all saw the play and that is just the type of player Dane was. He will go down for many as a Buckeye all time favorite and he will be sorely missed.

Grade: A+

Tight End:

Jake Stoneburner and Reid Fragel made for an outstanding 1-2 punch at tight end. One is known as a pass catching threat and the other is known for being an overpowering run blocker. Stoneburner was 3rd on the team in receiving yards and that was after missing multiple games with an ankle injury. His production out of the tight end position was the best output since 2003 when Ben Hartsock had 33 grabs. Fragel and Stoneburner both and a hand in the Ohio State win vs. SEC foe Arkansas as they combined for 4 catches and 81 yards. While Stoneburner is not a pure tightend and more of a flex end, Fragel is the real deal. He is an outstanding blocking and a surprising weapon on playaction.

Grade: B

Running Backs:

Brandon Saine: was supposed to be THE guy for Ohio State in 2010 and after a monstrous first half vs. Marshall in week one, all indications were that Saine was set for a huge senior year. However after the 1st game Saine just wasn’t right as the lead back and a change was made. Saine took a back seat to Herron and switched to more of a pass catching threat. Saine had 7 total touchdowns and was 4th on the team in receiving. He proved to be a valuable offensive threat out of the backfield and a serviceable runner in the tail end of the year.

Grade: D+ as a running back and a B- as a utility weapon.

Boom Herron:

The man turned into a BEAST when he was made the full time running back and helped the Ohio State offense become one of the most potent offenses in school history. Herron ran for 1155 yards (good for 4th in the Big Ten) and 16 touchdowns (3rd in the Big Ten). Herron was also a 1st Team All Big Ten running back. His games against hated rivals Penn State and Michigan totaled 365 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. Oh, and one more thing… Boom has NEVER lost a fumble in his Buckeye career.

Grade: A

Backup Running Backs:

Jordan Hall, Jamaal Berry, Rod Smith, Carlos Hyde… there just aren’t enough balls to go around. Hall was the primary backup behind Herron/Saine and both Hall and Berry were given the duties of being return men. Hall returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Michigan and Berry averaged over 8 yards a carry (32 attempts). I mentioned Rod Smith because the buzz around bowl practice was that Smith may have had his red shirt pulled because he was THAT good. While Boom sits out his suspension next year I believe Jordan Hall will get the start, but Rod Smith will see a lot of playing time and could be the full time starter next year by seasons end. Just not enough balls to go around.

Grade: B+

Quarterback:

Terrelle Pryor:

In 2010 the Ohio State Offense averaged 38.8 points per game. The offense lead by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith averaged 34.6. Terrelle Pryor was a different quarterback in 2010. He was a pass-first nightmare to deal with for opposing defensive coordinators that has rewritten the Ohio State quarteback record books. Is he at times overly emotional? Yes. Does he at times act his age? Yes. Do we all at times wish he would shut down his twitter account and stop talking to the media all together? Yes. Do I want anyone else quarterbacking OSU right now? HELL NO.

A lot of comparisons have been made between Terrelle Pryor and Cam Newton. Both are HUGE quarterbacks and both are AMAZING athletes. Both have commanded successful offenses and both have been in the spotlight for off the field mistakes. Yet, there are differences — a couple come to mind. Cam Newton is leaving Auburn for the paycheck of the NFL, Terrelle Pryor is staying to finish what he started. Cam Newton doesn’t want to talk about the hundreds of thousands of dollars he and his daddy took to play football at Auburn, Terrelle Pryor after being named the MVP of the Sugar Bowl apologized to his coaches, teammates and all Buckeye fans for what he did…and he did so on national television. It was a stand up move and a glimmer of maturity. Still waiting to hear from Cam Newton…could be a long wait.

I’ve often wondered what OSU’s record would be without Pryor at the helm…scary thought.

Grade: A+

Overall:

This offense was fun to watch, no doubt about it. A multifaceted offense that could not be stopped. You want to stop the run, fine — deal with Pryor slicing up the defense throwing to Dane, Posey, Saine or Stoneburner. You want to shut down the pass, fine — deal with Boom Herron and Terrelle Pryor running the ball all over the field.

Play calling did at times get in the way of this juggernaut unleashing the full fury onto college football. Please see the entire second half of the Sugar Bowl. Ugg. Evil Tressel needs to be in full effect EVERY gameday.

Grade: A-

As my wife and I were sitting at Voo Doo BBQ in the Garden District of New Orleans enjoying a couple beers and some bad-ass pulled pork, beef brisket and all the trimmings, we realized that Ohio State fans would be out numbered by at least 4 to 1 and it was probably worse than that.

This was a problem for one reason and one reason alone. The Arkansas Razorback “pig sooie” call they repeated before the game and during the game. It was done in restaurants, bathrooms, ATM machines, Bourbon Street, trollies, inside the stadium, outside the stadium….EVERYWHERE!

Here is a sample:

The above video, coupled with the fact that Arkansas fans were taking so much pride in the SEC’s 9-0 record vs. Ohio State in bowl games had us Buckeye fans craving hog blood. For the most part Ohio State fans were very quiet. It may have been do to being intimidated by larger numbers or the threat of yet another loss to an SEC football team. I think it was more of a quiet confidence. I think most Buckeye fans knew this team was different.

Our hatred of Arkansas and their fans only grew Monday night at Mr. B’s Bistro. As I’m knee deep in a bowl of piping hot gumbo ya-ya our table is passed by countless Arkansas fans. Some had painted faces, others had feather boas and all of them were doing “pig sooie.”

After dinner we headed to Bourbon Street and encountered more of the same. We started asking the hog fans what the meaning of the call was. Here are some of the responses we received:

(imagine these with very thick southern drawls and chewing tobacco leaking from their mouths)

“I don’t know”

“It’s just terdition”

“It’s cawl’n the hawgs….I don’t know”

“F__k Ohio State”

Their explanations of “pig sooie” left us more confused and irritated than before.

Bourbon Street was great for people watching and that was really it. The smell of vomit and urine wafted through the air. I felt like I was back in old Shea Stadium again or at least in El Kaiser’s cubicle. It was awful. We trekked over to Frenchmen Street where the heart of New Orleans music lives. Unreal music and people, we had a great time and the entire area was lacking pig sooie shouting hillbillies. Here is my father-in-law representing The Ohio State….what a trooper I tell ya!

After a cramped taxi ride back to our hotel it was an un-restful night of sleeping at our hotel. Morning was upon us as we shook off the New Orleans flu and went on our grave yard tour. This was a cool tour and gave us a ton of insight into the culture of New Orleans, we had a great tour guide. Below is a picture of a section of the grave yard.

We also met the voodoo priestess of New Orleans and wow. She came out to greet us and babbled on and on for about 15 minutes stringing together the most ridiculous incoherent babble I’ve ever heard since watching a recent Gary Busey interview. I was just happy she didn’t do evil on me.

After a much needed nap, 2 bloody mary’s, more self righteous Arkansas fans and a long walk to the stadium we were at the Super Dome. Game time!

The stadium was PACKED with Arkansas fans. There were only a few pockets of Ohio State fans  and we were drowned out by excited Hog fans. I honestly think they thought this game was a layup for them, simply because they are part of the SEC. Their confidence was unreal.

First half thoughts:

The Ohio State offense employed a no huddle hurry up offense, something they have done here and there with great success in the regular season. The Buckeye offense and Terrelle Pryor were almost unstoppable. There were many times the Razorback defense was out of position, winded and totally confused. Anytime Reid Fragel goes for over 40 on a simple jumper pass you know the defense has real problems. On the other side of the ball Arkansas also was able to move the ball, but thanks to their WR’s dropping balls and great pressure by the OSU front 4 the Hogs could only muster 10 first half points, to OSU’s 28. This one looked like a blowout. Hog nation got real quiet real quick. At the half Pryor had 255 yards total offense and was well on his way to another huge bowl performance.

Second half thoughts:

Yuck.

The safety was literally the worst call I’ve ever seen in a bowl game. I’ve never once seen a play like that called that way EVER. I was waiting for a booth review, sure it would be overturned….but nothing.

The unstoppable no huddle offense that was so successful in the first half was put on the shelf do to terrible field position the rest of the way. To me the most valuable Razorback was their punter as he continued pinning OSU in horrible field position all game long. The OSU offense only managed 3 points and had to rely on it’s defense to hold of the hard charging bacon offense.

The Razorback offense gutted out 14 pts on a touchdown, a two point conversion and two field goals in the second half. And the blocked punt heard around the world set them up for the go ahead score with just over a minute left. Ohio State went to a familiar play call on defense What looks familiar in these two videos:

Arkansas and Ohio State fans went through an emotional minefield during the Sugar Bowl, especially the last minute of the game. I was drained after the punt block and in shock after the INT. All I could think about was the following:

1. The drive home the next day would be MUCH better with the Buckeye win

2. We were DONE hearing that stupid cheer Arkansas did

It was nice to finally get the SEC monkey off OSU’s back. The MVP could have gone to Dane or Cam but OSU doesn’t win that game without Terrelle Pryor. He made huge plays the entire night, with his arm and legs and deserved another BCS bowl MVP trophy.

It was a great ride this year and I can’t wait until it starts all over again.

The 21st recruit for the 2011 Ohio State football recruiting class is a Linebacker and it probably should not be a surprise since it seems like this class is loaded with linebackers. Woodland Hills High School Ejuan Price chose OSU over Iowa during an In-Home visit from Jim Tressel and Luke Fickell this evening. The 6’0″ 235 lb ILB is an absolute stud and projects really well at the next level. He is good against the run and pass and has the kind of football intellect you look for from a guy who plays ILB. He is the 3rd LB in the class with OSU still waiting to hear from 5 star LB prospects Curtis Grant and Stanford recruit James Vaughters who is wavering on his commitment.