Pitcock retires after one year

July 30, 2008 by Leave a Comment

FootballQuinn Pitcock, ex-OSU captain and All American defensive tackle (the one with the Wolverine blood on his thigh to your left), has announced his retirement from the NFL, after only one season with the Indianapolis Colts.

“After much deliberation and careful thought, Quinn resolved to retire from the NFL… Quinn is grateful for the opportunity the Colts gave him, and he wishes his teammates and the whole organization nothing but the best going forward.”

As of now, there are no reasons being given. However, rumors indicate that Pitcock simply lost his desire to play football, and didn’t want to mislead the team, where he was expected to be instrumental in the four-man rotation at DT this season.

 

Filed Under: Ohio State Football, Pro Football

LOLBucks

July 30, 2008 by 1 Comment

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

We cry, we cry…on the 28th of July

July 28, 2008 by 2 Comments

We are a few weeks away from the beginning of fall camp and you can see that the mainstream college football writers are starting to get back in the swing of things. Obviously, there can only be so many Barwis articles written before you want to stab yourself in the face with a rusty butter knife.

So, we went from Barwis puff pieces to this…

“At the same time are you tired of seeing Ohio State get beat in the championship (that) bad? It’s not fair.“

The man that I tend to refer to as “The Crazy Uncle” of college football writers, “Dennith Dodd,” decided to layout the idea that the voters are sick and tired of seeing our beloved Buckeyes lose to SEC teams in the BCS Championship each year. Original thought…I know.

The “Let’s give someone else a chance” stance by Dodd is a bit ‘re-donk-ulous’ and ultimately is something that I would expect to see out of a biased SEC Blog. You do have to give “Dennith” some credit though. I mean, he did ask someone from the Birmingham News (ahem…lookie me…no bias) if they thought OSU should be given the opportunity again. The answer (above) from the Birmingham News columnist was reserved (afterwards quietly under his breath saying “Roll Tide…SHESH-SHEE-SHEE”), but you could tell from the statement that he was being as PC as possible in his reply. I really dont have too many issues with the article itself, but…

I am not understanding how the SEC media became the “end all, be all” sources for hard-hitting journalistic college footbaw information. You may say “YNBA, why the angst with an opinion piece..within your opinion piece?” Call me “old-fashioned,” but I think an unbiased source (outside of number-crunchin’ Jerry Palm) would be a nice touch. Hell, give us Phil Steele. His information and opinions are at least researched and genuine.

This type of stuff always revolves around the SEC now, which is pretty much the norm at this point. I think most of us have graciously accepted that the SEC is a very good conference with an assortment of “damn strong football teams.” Regardless, it gets a little stale that all of the media wants us to believe that Atlanta is the NHL-equivalent of Toronto and that all communiques originating from the ‘404’ are to be treated as the “golden bible” of college football prognostication. Any attempts of obtaining opinions from other locales is borderline heresy and could result in high-treason. Digressing…digressing…

Bottom line…

Look, all of us Northerners realize the tough stretch of any SEC schedule (which any god-lovin’ SEC fan will argue to no end, inlcudes Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt) is equivalent to the yearly sherpa marking of the Khumbu Icefall. However, any BCS team that can navigate it’s own schedule (regardless of BCS conference affilation) to an undefeated regular season deserves to be in that MNC game. It is that simple. If OSU goes undefeated this year along with two other teams, it would be better to evaluate the situation at that point. Not in July or August (I’m looking at you Dennith). I’m just sayin’…

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Clifford free to pursue “other schools”

July 24, 2008 by Leave a Comment

The Dispatch has the story that “reserve safety Eugene Clifford has been granted a release that would allow him to pursue his football career at another school.”

It’s always sad to see someone with such talent waste such golden opportunities. Regardless, he made his bed and now he’s sleeping in it. It’s good to see Tressel Law in full effect.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Senator Vest does Clouseau

July 21, 2008 by 1 Comment

…and talks some OSU football.

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

Bengals’ QB hates the Buckeyes

July 21, 2008 by 8 Comments

Carson Palmer hates Ohio State, and wants you to know it.

“I just can’t wait for two years from now when SC comes to the ‘Shoe and hopefully we’ll have a home game that weekend and I can go up there and watch us pound on them in their own turf… I’m really getting sick of it and I just can’t wait for this game to get here so they can come out to the Coliseum and experience LA and get an old-fashioned Pac-10 butt-whoopin’ and go back to the Big Ten.”

Fair enough… you’re an SC grad, makes sense that you’d root for your alma mater. Classless? Yes. But then:

“I cannot stand the Buckeyes… It’s amazing to hear what those guys think about that university and what they think about that football program and Tressel and all the crap I gotta put up with being back there.”

Uh, Carson? C’mere. I know you’ve been here in Ohio for a few years now, but maybe you don’t understand something. You’ve gotta be out of your mind to quarterback an Ohio football team and then complain about Ohio State. Your team shares the exact same fans.

There are certain realities about Ohio, and one of them is that Buckeye football resides at the top of the heap. I’m sure that’s a shock from LA, where the spotlight is split between the Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, Clippers, Kings, Ducks, Bruins, and Trojans; not counting the teams from the rest of the state.

But here in Ohio, it’s all about the Bucks. Even Braylon Edwards, who’s opinion on Ohio was forged into his DNA in Ann Arbor, is classy enough to love and respect the football fans here.

So there are three options:

  1. If you have a radical opinion, at least be good enough of a player to have it respected. Being the QB of Ohio’s third best football team doesn’t count, especially when OSU pulls in more attendance for its spring game than you do when you play your cross-state rival.
  2. Shut.
  3. Up.

Thank you.

H/T: Fanhouse

— UPDATE —
Palmer is backpedaling faster than a cornerback covering Ted Ginn, Jr.

“I really do respect the Buckeyes, and I know their fans are passionate, too. I hope they all understand I’m just looking forward to a big game for my school against a very tough opponent, and that it’s all in the good fun of a rivalry. You don’t have a real rivalry unless both sides are great teams.”

Carson, you’re not talking your way out of this. It’s over. Your legacy is set. This isn’t LeBron wearing a NY hat, pulling for his favorite team. This is you making fun of your own fans, and badmouthing another team’s coach. Go on, win the Super Bowl, it won’t matter. Beat Favre’s passing yardage mark, it won’t matter.

Oh, and by the way: “Rivalry?” Kinda strong, don’t you think? OSU and USC haven’t had anything resembling a rivalry for over 30 years.

Maybe Chad Johnson is the one who’s been right all along, eh?

Filed Under: Cincinnati Bengals, Ohio State Football

OSU Blue Ribbon Preview

July 15, 2008 by 3 Comments

The MTV of the sports world has published the Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook‘s 2008 Ohio State Team Preview.

It’s a must read. It contains enough scary language to shake the knees of Big Ten offensive/defensive coordinators – mostly stuff we already knew, like:

“The talent and depth is amazing. Traditionally, quarterbacks make big improvements in their second full year of starting, which bodes well for Boeckman. With a horse like Wells at his disposal, experienced receivers, and a veteran line in front, he doesn’t need to try and do too much… The addition of Pryor and emphasis on using backs such as Saine in the passing game will be interesting to watch.”

However, the Yearbook’s research revealed some interesting changes to the Buckeye offense that we may see this season:

“His workload is not likely to increase this year, however, mainly because the Buckeyes are trying to diversify their offense a bit. As part of that effort, OSU spent much of the spring working on a formation that features two tailbacks on the field at once, a so-called ‘pony formation.’ The reason behind that effort is to get more out of sophomore Brandon Saine (6-1, 217), Ohio’s Mr. Football in 2006 and a high school track star.”

Pony formation? Wow. I’ve said it before: could you imagine the possibilities for this offense if Pryor replaced Boeckman in near-goal-line situations, with Saine and The Stiff Arm of JusticeTM in the backfield, and the Brians and Nichol on the line?

Defensively, the analysis gives the Buckeyes the following kudos:

“Defensively, the front needs to step up. But with all four tackles and three experienced ends returning, that should happen. Laurinaitis, Freeman and Jenkins are All-America caliber, and again, the defense has incredible depth. No question, this is the favorite to win the Big Ten, which would be the first time a team has won three straight outright league championships.”

It’s a bit odd that the review talks up the superiority of the OSU defense but then gives them a grade of ‘B,’ but that seems reasonable to me, if for no other reason than no other defensive squad dropped 15 interceptions last year (which is also mentioned). Still, if this year’s team can get the butter off its hands… they could easily control most Big Ten offenses — just like they did last year, but more consistently.

Enough! I’m getting sucked into analysis already, and we’ll have enough of that over the next month or so. For now just be sated with the Yearbook’s Preview.

H/T: Sean @ ATO

Filed Under: College Football, Ohio State Football

Start stocking up on antacids

June 25, 2008 by 7 Comments

The preseason hype is starting already.

So it could be the Big 10 versus the SEC for the third year in a row. Power and speed versus just speed. The good guys versus the bad. 73-16 Tressel versus 72-19 Richt. The Stiff Arm of Justice and Tackling FailTM versus Knowshon Moreno. Boeckman’s wounded ducks versus Stafford’s overthrows. The North versus the South – CFB’s metaphorical civil war may continue.

I hope hope hope hope this happens. Not only because it’ll mean another chance at redemption, but also because, if Georgia’s involved, we might be able to recycle all of our Waterboy jokes again.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football

Once a Buckeye

May 30, 2008 by 2 Comments

I wanted to highlight a couple articles that have piqued my interested lately.

The first is a little bit old, but it was ESPN’s first mock draft for the NBA that had the Cavaliers somehow ending up with Kosta Koufos (h/t The Sports Diva Magazine). I think Kosta will eventually become a solid NBA performer but he needs to get mean first. He needs to get to the free throw line a little more frequently for a big man. But the Cavs have a need to start developing the next Zydrunas and he could fit that bill nicely. Another part of the article mentioned the possibility of the Bucks wanting to trade Michael Redd away in their efforts to rebuild. I know it’s a long shot and pipe dream, but I would love to see Redd in the Wine and Gold.

One can dream.

The other is about a MotSaG hero, our favorite #10, Troy Smith (h/t The Silver Bullet):

With a big arm and even bigger chip on his shoulder, Smith has outplayed the other quarterbacks during this spring’s minicamps, backing up his claim there is “no doubt” he can go from a fifth-round pick to a starting quarterback in one season.

Everyone in Buckeye Nation wants to see Troy prove all the non-believers wrong. Even if he is a Raven, we are all rooting for him to take over his team and succeed.

The coaching staff, though, has been just as impressed with Smith off the field as on it. He has perfect attendance in the weight room and the classroom.

This is what four years under Jim Tressel will do. When Smith was a freshman, a quote like this would have surprised me. Four years later, not so much.

He proved himself to the team when he showed poise despite being pushed into starting the final two games last season. It seems veterans respond to Smith more than the other quarterbacks.

Looks like the Ravens are starting to see what Buckeye fans saw at the end of the 2004 season and the beginning of 2005. The Buckeyes just played better when Troy came in. It was a noticeable difference in the way the other players responded when he came into the huddle. It was his team and everyone played that way.

So good luck, Troy. Just not when you play the Browns.

Filed Under: Blogging, Cleveland Cavaliers, Ohio State Basketball, Ohio State Football Tagged With: , , ,

Congrats, Big Guy!

April 26, 2008 by Leave a Comment

All of us (including you, our faithful readers and fellow Gholston man-crushers) at the Men of the Scarlet and Gray congratulate Vernon Gholston on his selection as the 6th pick in the 2008 NFL draft, traveling down the Columbus — East Rutherford pipeline.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football, Pro Football Tagged With: , , , ,
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