Stanley Jackson Offers Insights On Playing QB For Ohio State (Part Two)

August 21, 2015 by 2 Comments

The battle between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones for the starting quarterback position will be the most scrutinized area by both the fans and the media as the Buckeyes prepare for the 2015 college football season. Everyone has an opinion on how it will turn out, but I thought I would go straight to a source who is as well-versed on the subject as anyone.

Stanley Jackson (@Jacksonville8) is a former Ohio State quarterback who knows a thing or two about what it is like to go through a quarterback battle, having experienced it himself with former teammate Joe Germaine during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Mr. Jackson is an analyst for the Big Ten Network and WTVN 610 radio in Columbus, Ohio. Married with four children, living in Marion, Ohio, Mr. Jackson was kind enough to participate in a telephone interview after a work day at Buckeye State Bank, where he is owner and vice-president. The first part of the interview dealt more upon Mr. Jackson’s career, where part two focuses more upon the impending quarterback battle between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones.

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CM: What if J.T. Barrett winds up as the starter? Just from my perspective, could you see maybe Cardale Jones getting the second half?

SJ: Coach Meyer has a history of platooning guys, with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow. Here’s the problem with that. Both of these guys have the talent to possibly win the Heisman Trophy or be an All-American. They are both special. I don’t like platooning. I think you have to make a choice. I think back to when Joe and I were platooning, and neither one of us were picked as All-Big Ten; the year Joe was the starter, Joe was All-Big Ten. I would love for them to say that this is an open competition; whoever comes out on top is going to be the guy. As good a run that Cardale Jones had, Cardale became the starter because J.T. Barrett was injured – I don’t think a player should ever lose a job due to injury. I like both kids. I think they are both very worthy, they both deserve it, I think it is going to be a hard fought battle. I would hate to see a platoon system. I hope Coach Meyer picks a guy, and goes with him, no matter who it is. You can sometimes run two different offenses, and that can become confusing for the group as well.

CM: How surprised were you with the news that Braxton Miller was changing positions? Was that something you anticipated?

SJ: I am not very surprised. It was a tough decision for Braxton. My gut tells me that the arm has not healed enough for Braxton to be able to make all the throws. Very rarely do you see a kid make a decision like that when they can still play quarterback and switch; they have a love for the position and they want to prove everyone wrong. You look at Denard Robinson, who has emerged as a good running back in the NFL; everyone knew just from his pure stature that he was not going to play quarterback in the NFL. It took him losing his shoulder at Michigan before he made the position switch. I grieve with Braxton that he had to make the choice, and Coach Meyer is telling everyone to pump the brakes, but I think it is more about Braxton’s health than about a possible NFL career. If Braxton goes out and runs a 4.3, benches well, runs a tremendous shuttle time, the NFL will look at him for sure, because they want athletes. I think Braxton would like to go out with a bang, but I think it is difficult to win the Heisman as a wide receiver or an H-Back. The last wide receiver to win the Heisman also returned kicks (Notre Dame’s Tim Brown in 1987). Also, all of the talent at Ohio State is working against him – are you stealing touches from Mike Thomas, Jalin Marshall, Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson, Ezekiel Elliott? All of those players are special football players. It is a tough thing.

CM: You mentioned earlier about your career and how you had a period of growing up, needing to mature, and things you may have done differently. Ohio State recruited two quarterbacks in Joe Burrow and Torrance Gibson. What kind of advice would you give to those players as a former Ohio State quarterback as the season gets closer, as someone who has been down the path they are currently following?

SJ: That’s easy, whether you are redshirting or not. That’s another very interesting battle, because Braxton has moved to the H-Back, so you have to find the third quarterback. Two five-star quarterbacks coming in, both had outstanding high school careers. One of those guys is going to compete to be the third guy. Not that it means whoever wins the battle this year is going to keep that pole position, but that could put you in the catbird seat for when J.T. Barrett graduates. That’s an important race there. Either way, redshirting or not, what I would tell both of those guys is don’t waste a year. It is very easy to waste this year and lay back, not watch film like you’re a starter, not throw balls like you’re a starter, not be attentive at practice like you’re a starter. Then if they take you and have you run the scout team it can make it even easier for you to check out. Don’t check out on these minutes; this is your foundation year. You are building a foundation for the rest of your career at Ohio State. The reality for me is I was in a situation where I was the third string guy behind Bob Hoying and Bret Powers. Tom Hoying, Mark Zban, and I all competed for the third string spot all fall camp, and it was exciting then, but once the battle was over, it was not exciting anymore. Tom and Mark were running scout team, and they were getting more reps than I was because I was the third string guy, and I was watching most of the time, and it lost its luster for me. There were a lot of days when I wasted time, I checked out, and I wasn’t learning or getting better. I wasn’t throwing balls, and I didn’t stay extra after practice; a lot of times, I was probably the first guy off the practice field, so I wasted the year. Don’t waste the year. Every moment is vital. Get better every play.

CM: Last question, and this is more of a personal request. You work for The Big Ten Network as an analyst – I love when they show these Ohio State classic games, but they never show Ohio State defeating Alabama in The Sugar Bowl, or Ohio State defeating Oregon for the national championship. Anyone you can talk to at BTN about playing those games?

SJ: Don’t worry; they are chomping at the bit to play those games. Those are probably the two most watched games in the history of Ohio State football, maybe even The B1G with the beginning of the playoff run. I am not 100% sure, but as we were working those games, we could not show all of the clips. Those games were shown on ESPN and Fox Sports. I am not sure what the deal is with ESPN and how long they get that stuff, but eventually the license will run the course and BTN will be able to show those games. BTN will love to show those games. Those games are still being shown on ESPN. I will certainly go on BTN and ask that question for you.

CM: Do you know if you will be an analyst for BTN at any Ohio State games, like maybe the Hawaii game on September 12th?

SJ: I think they are trying to keep me away from doing any Ohio State games; I have about five games this season. This is my second year providing color commentary. Glen Mason is also a Buckeye, and he is the main guy. He will get to do most of the Ohio State games on BTN.

CM: Your BTN duties begin soon?

SJ: BTN Live, then Big Ten Football And Beyond on Wednesdays, and I will be scattered across the network on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays.

CM: You will also be working with Coach Bruce, right?

SJ: That is fair to say. We have a podcast, and we are presently in negotations with WTVN 610.

CM: It is so great to hear you speak about all of the positive things that have come about after your career at Ohio State.

SJ: Thank you. Please be sure to send me a copy of the article when it comes out.

CM: Will do. Thank you, sir.

I cannot thank Mr. Jackson enough for his time and patience with participating in this interview. Please be sure to follow him on Twitter @Jacksonville8, as well as Mr. Jackson’s media opportunities via The Big Ten Network and WTVN 610 AM in Columbus, Ohio.

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Stanley Jackson Offers Insights On Playing QB For Ohio State (Part One)

August 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The battle between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones for the starting quarterback position will be the most scrutinized area by both the fans and the media as the Buckeyes prepare for the 2015 college football season. Everyone has an opinion on how it will turn out, but I thought I would go straight to a source who is as well-versed on the subject as anyone.

Stanley Jackson (@Jacksonville8) is a former Ohio State quarterback who knows a thing or two about what it is like to go through a quarterback battle, having experienced it himself with former teammate Joe Germaine during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Mr. Jackson is an analyst for the Big Ten Network and WTVN 610 radio in Columbus, Ohio. Married with four children, living in Marion, Ohio, Mr. Jackson was kind enough to participate in a telephone interview after a work day at Buckeye State Bank, where he is owner and vice-president. The first part of the interview focuses more upon Mr. Jackson’s career, where part two will focus more upon the impending quarterback battle between J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones.

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CM: How does one become the owner of a bank?

SJ: You’ve got to have a lot of money, Chip. (Chuckling) I didn’t play in the NFL, I played in Canada. I made a good living, but nothing that you retire on. To make a long story short, when I moved back to Ohio, I went into banking. I met a few entrepreneurial bankers, they hired me as a business development officer, and I began to learn banking. I went into broadcasting, and we became good friends, and we went out and raised the money to buy a bank. We received the approval from the regulatory committees, and we were able to buy a bank. We were able to purchase the bank on January 2013. We’re not majority shareholders and founders, but the three of us work at the bank also. It’s funny – when you think of banking, you think of a Wells Fargo or Huntington, but the majority of the banks are community banks. All communities that you live in have banks like this, and we just have a small part of that small bank community.

CM: I enjoy all of the media that you do, on The Big Ten Network and WTVN in Columbus, especially with former Ohio State head coach Earle Bruce.

SJ: Thank you, I love it. If I could do it full-time, I would. I get to talk about football, with guys like Earle Bruce. Playing quarterback at Ohio State has created some unique opportunities for me, and the reality is the banking opportunity came about because I was able to go out and raise the capital for it because people want to do business with former Buckeyes. I served on the Ohio state board of education for six months, as Governor Kasich appointed me. Those things are rare to come by, and if you do a good enough job at Ohio State, you can put yourself in some unique opportunities afforded to you in this state.

CM: You mentioned how you just came back from New Jersey with your brother from the quarterback camp you both run. What led you to Ohio State, after your successful high school career at Paterson Catholic? Were there other schools?

SJ: There were. I was looking at other schools, based on their history and the type of offenses they ran. I looked at Syracuse, North Carolina, Kansas all because of Glen Mason. I was pretty heavily recruited by a lot of schools. Luckily for me, my high school coach had played at Ohio State, so he knew some things about it and was able to impart some information to me, and coming to Columbus and seeing the Horseshoe was kind of a game changer. The Carrier Dome was nice, but there’s nothing like the Horseshoe.

CM: You redshirted your freshman year, and you came in with Tom Hoying and Mark Zban in 1993. You all redshirted. Hoying eventually moved to tight end, Zban eventually transferred. You had to sit behind Bob Hoying in 1994 and 1995. What kind of patience was required to get through that, after being so heavily recruited?

SJ: It was very difficult, because I was still a kid. I was eighteen years old. When you are recruited by schools like Ohio State, you are not only the best player for your team, but also from your state. When you arrive at Ohio State, you find out everyone is just like you, if not better. Bigger, faster, stronger – I am no longer king of the roost anymore. You always believe you can play, and it is easy to become disgruntled. Bob Hoying made it easy, helping to mentor me and help me grow my game. Quite frankly, I was a good athlete with a good arm. I had to learn how to become a quarterback, how to watch film, how to break defenses, what to look for, how to have command of the playbook and the huddle. I never had to do that in high school. There was a learning curve that helped. I wanted to play a lot, but I am sure there were guys like Bob or Joe Germaine who felt that way, and I am sure Joe Burrow feels that way right now as he watches Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett work its way out at Ohio State.

CM: How much do you wish you could be playing for Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer with the offense that is in place now?

SJ: It would be great, especially from a numbers standpoint. We went from a heavy run, lots of play action, working the ball into the boundary, to more of a West Coast pro-style offense, lots of slants and shallow crosses. It changed the Ohio State offense forever. Bob Hoying set passing records that now have been dwarfed, based upon the system. A guy like me would have fit well, with the zone read and being able to move the pocket. I sometimes joke with Coach Cooper that we should have been more innovative and running the spread back then. I am more of a traditionalist – if Ohio State is going to run the spread, I like the way Coach Meyer runs it, as a run spread. What Ohio State did in the last three games of the 2014 season, with the way Ezekiel Elliott ran, it allowed the quarterback to have a lot of one on one coverage and that would have been a lot of fun to have played in that type of system.

CM: You mentioned the transition to the West Coast offense, and I saw the BTN special on your 1996 team. What was your relationship like with Walt Harris, who was so instrumental in changing the offense at that time?

SJ: It was a little rocky. Obviously, he didn’t recruit me; Mike Stock had recruited me and had left for the NFL. I don’t think Coach Harris was thrilled with us. Bob Hoying graduated in 1996, and Coach Harris called a meeting of the quarterbacks; I was there with Tom Hoying and Joe Germaine. I had expectations that it was my job, as I backed up Bob Hoying for the last two years. I can remember the meeting just like it was yesterday. He looked at us, square in the eye, and told us that none of you are good enough to play quarterback at a prime time program like Ohio State, we’re not satisfied with where you are, and we’re bringing in a JUCO transfer with Mark Garcia. Coach Harris stressed that it was going to be an open competition, and if one of you rises to the occasion, it will be your job, but that was a wake up call for me. So our relationship was rocky, but he was always honest. He knew quarterback play like nobody else, and if you go back and look at Bob Hoying’s numbers from 1994 to 1995, Bob transformed as a quarterback under Coach Harris. I would like to believe as I continued to buy into what Coach Harris was trying to teach that I had some good years. Not great years, because I split time, but I had good years.

CM: I am glad you brought up Mark Garcia. I was in Ohio Stadium for the 1996 Ohio State spring game, anticipating to watch a battle between you and Mark Garcia. By the end of that spring game, what was a two man race had become a three man race, with Joe Germaine emerging. What were your thoughts heading into the summer of 1996?

SJ: It began to materialize in the spring, because Joe had a pretty good spring. It was almost impossible to get three guys equal reps. Even though Joe had an outside shot, it was still kind of difficult to get Joe reps until Mark Garcia tore his meniscus in fall camp. That created an opportunity for Joe to show them a lot more. Joe was probably the most accurate quarterback to ever play at Ohio State. It was just two entirely different guys playing the position for them, and the reality is if you go back and just went with one of us, you probably would have had a guy who could have set records. When Joe played quarterback by himself as a senior, Joe set a lot of records at Ohio State. I felt the same way about myself. It was tough for them at times. I am not a big fan of platooning quarterbacks; I believe it catches up with you eventually. I think it caught up with us against Michigan. I think you wind up with a quarterback who is not prepared to play a full game. A lot of fun times, great memories, but if I could go back and do a few things differently earlier in my career, maybe I never would have split time. There was a lot of maturing I needed to do, a lot of growing pains that I experienced that impacted how much I played at Ohio State.

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A Spartan Invasion In November Looms Large For Ohio State

August 7, 2015 by 1 Comment

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

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We are getting into the stretch of games that I believe will be challenging for Ohio State. Not impossible, not insurmountable, but the type of games and opponents that Ohio State fans would be wise to not overlook or be overconfident about as the games approach. I am willing to bet that Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff will be on guard against any overconfidence with the players.

The countdown to the most difficult Ohio State opponent is over. By process of elimination…

Michigan State Spartans (Game 11)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 1 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: DL Malik McDowell, DE Lawrence Thomas, DB Montae Nicholson, DB Demetrius Cox, OL Dennis Finley, RB L.J. Scott, OL Noah Listermann. There are many players from the state of Ohio on Michigan State’s roster (more on that later), but did not receive offers from Ohio State. A shout-out to Avon Lake freshman FB Collin Lucas, from my hometown. I am more than willing to bet I may have inadvertently missed on some players; please let me know and I am happy to correct my error(s).

Game Date: November 21, 2015.

Kickoff Time: TBD

Location: Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: In 2012, Ohio State held on for a one point victory at Michigan State, 17-16. In 2013, Michigan State crushed Ohio State’s hopes for a BCS Championship berth, 34-24. Last season, Ohio State traveled to East Lansing to face the Spartans, and prevailed 49-37. With a roster full of Ohioans who have felt overlooked and snubbed, and a coaching staff of assistants that has extensive ties to the previous Jim Tressel regime, these games have been epic since Urban Meyer has become Ohio State’s head coach. Anyone truly thinking this game won’t live up to the other recent battles?

Prediction: Think of this game as the B1G Eastern Division elimination game. The winner will be in the driver’s seat for the division championship, and could possibly be angling for seeding in The College Football Playoff. If Michigan State is undefeated heading into this contest, as many/I believe Ohio State will be, and Ohio State defeats Michigan State in a close one? Don’t be surprised if Michigan State gets another shot at the Buckeyes in The College Football Playoff. Remember where you read it, folks.

Previous Posts In The Series:

12 – Hawaii
11 – Western Michigan
10 – at Indiana
9 – at Illinois
8 – Maryland
7 – Northern Illinois
6 – at Rutgers
5 – Minnesota
4 – Penn State
3 – at Virginia Tech
2 – at Michigan AKA That Team Up North

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

With Harbaugh At The Helm, THE GAME Looms Large In 2015 For Buckeyes

July 31, 2015 by Leave a Comment

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

**

We are getting into the stretch of games that I believe will be challenging for Ohio State. Not impossible, not insurmountable, but the type of games and opponents that Ohio State fans would be wise to not overlook or be overconfident about as the games approach. I am willing to bet that Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff will be on guard against any overconfidence with the players.

Michigan Wolverines, AKA That Team Up North (Game 12)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 2 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: DB Jabrill Peppers, DE Henry Poggi, LB Mike McCray, S Jarrod Wilson, RB Ty Isaac, DE Taco Charlton, RB Wyatt Shallman, TE Chase Winovich, RB De’Veon Smith, RB Derrick Green, DB Dymonte Thomas, LB Ben Gedeon, DL Chris Wormley, DE Tom Strobel, OT Mason Cole, OL David Dawson, OL Kyle Kalis, OL Logan Tuley-Tillman, DT Maurice Hurst Jr., WR Brian Cole, DE Lawrence Marshall. Ohioans from this group are McCray, Wilson, Charlton, Smith, Thomas, Gedeon, Wormley, Strobel, and Kalis. Derrick Green’s recruitment was ended after Ohio State began actively recruiting Ezekiel Elliott in 2013. I am more than willing to bet I may have inadvertently missed on some players; please let me know and I am happy to correct my error(s).

Game Date: November 28, 2015.

Kickoff Time: TBD

Location: Michigan Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: THE GAME. ‘Nuff said.

Prediction: Anyone who says Ohio State can go into Ann Arbor confidently must not truly know their history of this rivalry. Look up at that list of players who were recruited by both programs, especially the players from Ohio who decided to spurn the Buckeyes in favor of That Team Up North. Do you think any of them want to halt a three year losing streak to Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer? Do you think any of them remember how close they were to victory the last time Ohio State was in Ann Arbor?

Throw out the record books. This one usually comes down to the wire. Jim Harbaugh will have the Wolverines ready to go, as Coach Meyer will have the Buckeyes ready also. More than likely a noon kickoff, this is a great way to conclude Thanksgiving weekend.

Previous Posts In The Series:

12 – Hawaii
11 – Western Michigan
10 – at Indiana
9 – at Illinois
8 – Maryland
7 – Northern Illinois
6 – at Rutgers
5 – Minnesota
4 – Penn State
3 – at Virginia Tech

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Minnesota May Not Be A “Min”or Contest For Buckeyes

July 10, 2015 by 1 Comment

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

**

We are getting into the stretch of games that I believe will be challenging for Ohio State. Not impossible, not insurmountable, but the type of games and opponents that Ohio State fans would be wise to not overlook or be overconfident about as the games approach. I am willing to bet that Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and his coaching staff will be on guard against any overconfidence with the players.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (Game 9)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 5 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: OL Jonah Pirsig. To the best of my knowledge, Pirsig is the only player on Minnesota’s roster that had an Ohio State offer. There are a few Ohioans on the roster, but I do not believe any were extended offers by Ohio State. As always, please let me know if I am mistaken, and I will correct my error.

Game Date: November 7, 2015

Kickoff Time: 7pm or 8pm EST. ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 telecast TBD.

Location: Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: It would be so easy to look at this game on the surface and believe Ohio State will be a prohibitive favorite. It will be a night game, it is at home, and Ohio State will have had two weeks to prepare for Minnesota.

While all of those factors should be considered, something else weighs on my mind ~ how Ohio State struggled against Minnesota in 2014, winning 31-24. Yes, the weather was a factor, but give credit to Minnesota for continuing to battle against Ohio State. Minnesota Head Coach Jerry Kill and his staff have a fundamentally sound, physical, tough team that refuses to be intimidated. Night game in Ohio Stadium or not, Minnesota will be ready to play on November 7th.

Prediction: The best thing Ohio State can possibly do versus Minnesota is to get out to a good lead early, forcing Minnesota to adjust or possibly abandon its offensive focus, which is to run the ball. Minnesota will hope to improve its passing game this season, but will it be enough to keep pace against what should be a tenacious Ohio State defense.

Former Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel used to preach to his Ohio State teams that “November is for contenders, we always say that,”. The arrival of a solid Minnesota squad on November 7th into Ohio Stadium will be a tremendous opportunity to see if Ohio State is at that status.

Previous Posts In The Series:

12 – Hawaii
11 – Western Michigan
10 – at Indiana
9 – at Illinois
8 – Maryland
7 – Northern Illinois
6 – at Rutgers

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

Buckeyes Cannot Be Complacent Against Northern Illinois Huskies

June 26, 2015 by 5 Comments

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

**
Northern Illinois Huskies (Game 3)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 7 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: N/A

Game Date: September 19, 2015

Kickoff Time: 3:30pm EST. ABC/ESPN telecast.

Location: Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: Last season, Northern Illinois went to Northwestern and defeated the Wildcats, 23-15. In 2013, Northern Illinois went to Iowa and Purdue, and was victorious in both contests (30-27 over Iowa; 55-24 over Purdue). The point I am trying to raise with you is that Northern Illinois is the type of team that thrives on being the underdog, coming into a hostile environment, and playing well enough to win over a higher-ranked opponent.

I can already hear the disbelieving commentary and can see the eyes rolling from the skeptics. “Minnich actually believes that Northern Illinois can play with Ohio State…”

Here is another reason why I am concerned ~ where Northern Illinois falls on the schedule.

Do not forget who Ohio State will play the week before – Hawaii. The same Hawaii that I am predicting will be little to no contest at all for Ohio State.

Hence my reasoning – after what should be a considerably easy win for Ohio State, it may be challenging to keep the players properly focused and not become too complacent. It kind of reminds me of a classic quote from the character Tony “Duke” Evers, who played the part of Apollo Creed’s trainer in the first Rocky ~ “He doesn’t know it’s a damn show. He thinks it’s a damn fight.”.

Prediction: Ohio State will be a considerable favorite over Northern Illinois, and may not come out with guns blazing against the Huskies. The longer this stays in this category, with Ohio State possibly just going through the motions, the more Northern Illinois will believe the upset is possible. Ohio State has the superior talent and potential to end this quickly, but it will be interesting to see if my fears were warranted on September 19th in Ohio Stadium.

Everyone loves an underdog. It will be interesting to see how Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer prepares his Buckeyes against a team that thrives on the underdog role.

Previous Posts In The Series:

12 – Hawaii
11 – Western Michigan
10 – at Indiana
9 – at Illinois
8 – Maryland

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With:

Buckeyes May Not Be Kind Homecoming Hosts For Maryland

June 19, 2015 by 1 Comment

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

**

Maryland Terrapins (Game 6)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 8 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: OL Derwin Gray, OL Damian Prince, WR Taivon Jacobs, RB Wes Brown, DL Adam McLean. Jacobs actually gave a verbal commitment to Ohio State back in 2013, but decided to sign with Maryland to be closer to his young daughter.

Game Date: October 10, 2015

Kickoff Time: 12pm EST. Telecast TBD.

Location: Ohio Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: Last season, Ohio State traveled to play Maryland for the first time as a B1G conference opponent and won in quite convincing fashion, 52-24. Maryland could start off the non-conference portion of its 2015 schedule undefeated, with three winnable games at home (Richmond, Bowling Green, South Florida), as well as a road trip to West Virginia. Maryland gets Michigan at home before the Terrapins make their trip to Ohio Stadium. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Maryland is undefeated coming into Columbus.

Why the low ranking, then?

The aforementioned blowout win from last season, for starters. Ohio State was not truly pushed by Maryland last season, and that was when Maryland had Stefon Diggs that the Buckeyes had to account for defensively. Diggs is now gone, after declaring for the 2015 NFL Draft. Last season, Ohio State led Maryland 31-10 at the half; I am guessing it could be more of the same in Ohio Stadium on October

Prediction: Ohio State traditionally does not have a difficult time motivation-wise as it relates to homecoming games. The home crowd, plus Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer’s exceptional skills for motivation, lead me to believe that Ohio State will come out for this game fired up and ready to go. Maryland might be able to make it a game for maybe the first half, but I have difficulty seeing the Terrapins keeping pace with the Buckeyes for long.

Maryland Head Coach Randy Edsall is trying to position the Terrapins as one of the better teams within The B1G. Playing Ohio State tough as a homecoming opponent might be a step in that direction.

Filed Under: Ohio State Football Tagged With: ,

OSU At Illinois May Result In Tim Beckman Being ‘Bye, Bye-Man’ In 2015

June 12, 2015 by Leave a Comment

“The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.” ~ Ulysses S. Grant

Leave it to a native Ohioan to spell it out what needs to be done in order to win. West Point graduate, Civil War general, and former United State President, I am willing to bet Ulysses S. Grant would have given football coaching a shot if it had been around in his day.

While counting down the days until the 2015 college football season begins, I thought I would pass the time by ranking and reviewing the upcoming 2015 Ohio State opponents, from least difficult to most difficult. This ranking system of mine will be highly subjective, prone to possibilities of injuries, transfers, or other unforeseen events that could dramatically impact its accuracy. As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.

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Illinois Fighting Illini (Game 10)

2015 OSU Opponent Ranking: 9 out of 12

Players Recruited By Ohio State: DB Caleb Day. Day played his high school ball at Hilliard, and turned down a scholarship from Ohio State to play for Illinois. There are other Ohioans on Illinois’ roster, but to the best of my knowledge and research, none of them were offered scholarships by Ohio State.

Game Date: November 14, 2015

Kickoff Time: TBD

Location: Memorial Stadium

Rationale For The Ranking: Remember how I wrote up above, “As always, I encourage comments and critique about what I have projected.“? I am truly anticipating my man Jeremiah Sharpe letting me have it on this one. But I will try to lay out my thinking on this.

I recognize how Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL, has often been a challenging venue for Ohio State through the years, with Ohio State’s last visit to Champaign resulting in a 60-35 victory in 2013. That game was more representative of the poor defensive approach of the 2013 Buckeyes, more than the talent of the 2013 Fighting Illini.

Looking at Illinois’ 2015 schedule, I see a team that may be teetering on the brink of implosion when Ohio State comes into town. Illinois’ non-conference schedule should have them well-positioned at the beginning of B1G conference competition, but games that precede the Buckeyes (Nebraska, at Iowa, Wisconsin, at Penn State, at Purdue) may make them ripe for a knockout punch from Ohio State.

This could be the game that will end the Tim Beckman era at Illinois, based upon how possibly dominant Ohio State performs in this one. With all of the offseason turmoil Beckman and the program have experienced, the offseason injury to wide receiver Mike Dudek, and just the general sense of the program not moving forward competitively, it could possibly be a breaking point in Beckman’s career at Illinois.

Prediction: Right now, Illinois can point to this game as the highlight of their season, as the Buckeyes are the toughest team on the 2015 schedule (Aren’t the Buckeyes the toughest team on everyone’s schedule? But I digress.). Another key factor to remember is Ohio State plays Michigan State the following week, so it may be challenging for Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer to keep the players focused upon Illinois, and not looking ahead to Michigan State.

Can Illinois pull off the upset? The last Illinois victory over Ohio State in Champaign was October 12, 1991 (Illinois 10, Ohio State 7). Yes, there have been some notable close calls in Champaign since then that Buckeye fans remember (2002, 2006, 2011), but most Ohio State fans have come to dread Illinois for the upset in Ohio Stadium like in 2007. For all of the difficulties throwing the ball due to the bizarre wind conditions, Ohio State has been pretty solid in Memorial Stadium.

Will Tim Beckman be able to pull off some magic and trickery against the Buckeyes on November 14, 2015? His team’s bowl eligibility, and his job, may depend heavily upon it.

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Recruiting Rankings Are Great, But Give Me The NFL Draft For Results

May 15, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Before getting too deep into the main subject of my post, I want to express some public support and sympathy for former Buckeye and current Denver Broncos tight end Jeff Heuerman. You may recall in last week’s article that I mentioned how I had hoped that my favorite NFL team, the Cleveland Browns, would have possibly drafted Heuerman in the 2015 NFL Draft. Only one day after I published my article, news spread quickly about Heuerman sustaining a torn ACL during his first practice that will sideline him throughout the 2015 NFL season.

Good luck to Jeff as he prepares for his surgery and subsequent rehabilitation. In case you have not sent a tweet already, Jeff Heuerman is on Twitter at @JHeuerman86.

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What I am going to write about is not new news, for anyone who truly knows me. As a matter of fact, I have written articles like this before, but as the NFL Draft is so relatively fresh in everyone’s mind, I thought I would just reiterate some points that seem to get overlooked or lost in the shuffle.

Yes, I follow recruiting, especially as it relates to Ohio State. After all, I did assist back in 1995 with recruiting for Ohio State’s 1996 recruiting class, long before social media was the dominant force it is today. Yes, I want Ohio State to secure the top talent in the country, knowing that having top talent is a necessary component in order to contend for the national championship.

But do I really care if one player is ranked as a five-star versus a four-star, or if Ohio State is ranked first in one recruiting service but second in another? Not really.

And the reason why is very simple – Nobody, including the coaches, truly knows what they have until the players arrive on campus, and compete against the other players on the roster.

Here is where the NFL Draft comes into play. Three, four, five years after a recruiting class has been signed, and the NFL Draft rolls around…now you see what you truly had, in terms of players being valued and coveted, when they are picked in the NFL Draft. No matter where Rivals, Scout, 247Sports, ESPN, etc, had these players ranked, you get to see how good a job the coaches not only evaluated, but developed, the talent that they had on hand, and what the NFL thinks of them.

Let me give you some quick examples. Below are some names who were in the top twenty recruits for 2011, based on Rivals.com ~

Curtis Grant of Ohio State. George Farmer of USC. Ray Drew of Georgia. James Wilder Jr of Florida State. Trey Metoyer of Oklahoma.

All were five star recruits. None were selected in the NFL Draft; all were signed as free agents by NFL teams.

Now does that mean that recruiting rankings are useless? Not at all. Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina was ranked the number one recruit in the nation in 2011, and wound up as the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Other top recruits in that top ten list are names such as Cyrus Kouandjio of Alabama, De’Anthony Thomas of Oregon, and Hasean Clinton-Dix of Alabama. All were picked in the 2014 NFL Draft.

My point is that when it comes time for NFL teams to make their best educated decisions on investing a draft choice and considerable money into a player, do you think the team is truly considering where the player was ranked by a recruiting service, or by what the player did on the field in games? That is where player development is so crucial.

The players Ohio State had selected in the 2015 NFL Draft are a testament to the development and coaching of Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer and his staff, not by any recruiting rankings. It does not matter to me that the players who signed in February 2011 (or in Darryl Baldwin’s case, 2010) have now been evaluated years after the fact – the fact that NFL teams have made their evaluations have given me a solid idea as to how talented these players are in the eyes of NFL evaluators.

Maybe I am the only person at menofthescarletandgray.com who feels this way, and that is fine. Put it this way – the 2016 NFL Draft is about a year away, and I am already anxious to see how the NFL evaluates the tremendous talent that Ohio State will be sure to offer the professional ranks.

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Why Can’t The Browns “Steel” Some Buckeyes In The NFL Draft?

May 8, 2015 by 2 Comments

Congratulations to Devin Smith, Jeff Heuerman, Doran Grant, Evan Spencer, and Michael Bennett on being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. This weekend will be the first rookie minicamp for these players with their respective NFL teams. It is challenging to refer to these players as “former Buckeyes”, but they will all be moving forward in their quest for (hopefully) lengthy NFL careers. Good luck also to Darryl Baldwin, Curtis Grant, and Steve Miller, who all were signed as free agents to NFL teams. Jerry Emig of Ohio State had an impressive tweet that summarizes the good fortune of these players as they enter into the NFL…

Former Buckeye Rod Smith is also getting a free agent opportunity, with the Seattle Seahawks…

Remember Verlon Reed? This former Buckeye, who left Ohio State for Findlay, is getting a free agent opportunity with the Detroit Lions…

According to Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch, former Buckeye Kyle Clinton is also getting a free agent tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers this coming weekend…

At least Clinton and Grant will have some company while in Pittsburgh – over the last six years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted six players from Ohio State.

Prior to the NFL Draft, I held out hope that the Cleveland Browns, the NFL team I have rooted for my entire life, would pick two Buckeyes – Jeff Heuerman and Evan Spencer. Both would have fulfilled position needs on the Browns, and had the skill set that would allow them to succeed in Cleveland’s run-oriented offense.

I was happy for Jeff Heuerman that Denver picked Heuerman in the third round; that was a little higher than I anticipated the Browns would show interest. I thought maybe the Browns would be interested in Heuerman in the fourth round.

As for Evan Spencer, I woke up on Saturday morning and tweeted out the following. My man Shannon Sommers agreed with my line of thinking…

Do you know who the last Ohio State player the Cleveland Browns selected was? Brian Robiskie, back in second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Prior to Robiskie? 2002, when the Browns picked Darnell Sanders in the fourth round.

Don’t get me wrong – I am happy for all of these Buckeye players to have NFL opportunities, even if it is with the Cleveland Browns’ biggest rival. I just do not understand how the Browns, a team that has long been mired in the basement of its division, and is always trying to close the gap between itself and the division leaders, cannot look into scouting players from a powerhouse program only two hours down I-71. The Pittsburgh Steelers are located further away, and have had no problem with the longer commute to scout out Buckeye talent. Even the comments of Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer made me think the Browns would be picking at least one Buckeye…

Even Bill Rabinowitz agrees with me…Below is a tweet sent before the NFL Draft concluded regarding Darryl Baldwin, a Cleveland native, that somewhat mirrors my line of thinking ~

The 2016 NFL Draft is a year away, and I am looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2015 Ohio State football season. I can only hope that with a crop of players that will be heavily abundant in Buckeye talent in the 2016 NFL Draft that the Browns will “steel” some Buckeyes going forward.

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