First Look '09: Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State is the early favorite to win the Big Ten. Again. The losses are severe on both sides of the ball, and the schedule is tougher than nails. But it's Ohio State, and there is always more elite talent waiting on the bench.

No team has dominated the conference more so than Ohio State this decade. The Buckeyes are led by an elite coach. And their closest challengers -- the Nittany Lions -- have their own issues going into 2009.

So, what do we really know about the 2009 Buckeyes? Let's find out, in today's First Look.

The Senator - Jim "The Sweatervest" Tressel has rolled up an 83-19 record in Columbus, including five Big Ten championships (co-champs in '02, '05 and '08), three BCS bowl wins, and the 2002 National Championship. His style of using defense and special teams to win games has gone a bit by the wayside, particularly since 2004, when QB Troy Smith took over the offense, leading the Buckeyes to a new era of wide-open offensive football.

As you would expect with any elite coach, Tressel's coordinators have had a lot to do with his success. OC Jim Bollman and DC Jim Heacock have been with Tressel from the beginning. Heacock, the 2007 Broyles Award winner, was actually a holdover from John Cooper. Since 2005, Heacock has worked with co-DC Luke Fickell, but Heacock still calls all the plays.

Hype, thy name is Pryor - Ohio State must reload yet again. After 2003, 2005 and 2006 the Buckeyes had to rebuild on both sides of the ball, but ended up just fine. This offseason's project could be the toughest yet, as the Buckeyes lose nearly every elite talent from last year's championship team. LBs James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman, CB Malcolm Jenkins, RB Chris Wells, and WRs Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline all depart.

You wouldn't know Ohio State lost all those guys, not by the chatter coming from Buckeye fans. QB/Superman Terrelle Pryor returns this season, making everything alright in the land of nuts. After all, he can throw the ball 350 yards on a rope, run the 40 in 2.3 seconds, and has proactively won three Heisman Trophies.

USC or bust - Ohio State has the talent to win the BCS National Championship. They did much more with much less during their actual title run in 2002, so anything is possible this season. But unless the Buckeyes win at home against USC, there will be nothing more than another trip to the Arizona desert.

Ohio State has a tune up game hosting Navy before the Trojans visit, followed by a recoup game against Toledo in Cleveland. The Big Ten season opens with Illinois coming to Columbus in a showdown that could set the stage for the rest of the conference race. The middle of the slate includes a trip to Indiana, hosting Wisconsin, away at Purdue, then hosting Minnesota for homecoming. The Buckeyes take on the last-third of the schedule by hosting New Mexico State, which should amount to a rest for the starters before the brutal trifecta of a trip to Happy Valley, home against Iowa, and then up to Ann Arbor.

From enemy territory: This week, Jeff from the Buckeye Battle Cry was kind enough to talk a bit about Ohio State.

What's one positive about this year's Buckeyes?

BBC: Three-quarters into the 2008 season, if you had told me that Beanie Wells would leave early for the NFL, I'd have been genuinely scared for our outlook at RB. In the past, we have always had one great RB and one more waiting in the wings. The years we don't have that scenario are often ugly. As a matter of fact, the only year we lost to Michigan in this millennium, our leading RBs were Lydell Ross and Craig Krenzel. Yeah, I know.

But late through last season, we didn't appear to have anybody waiting in the wings. Brandon Saine wasn't living up to potential and Boom Herron had one TD in six games and was injured for another three.

The more dedicated Buckeye fan will tell you that having a monster game against Michigan will be the pathway to great things at Ohio State the following year. Boom Herron must have known that as well. He ran for 80 yards and two touchdowns (in only 8 carries) as a backup to Beanie.

So, yes....a relatively new superstition is what has me excited about Herron.

What's one negative about this year's Buckeyes?

BBC: The linebacking crew is new. James Laurinaitis is gone. So is Marcus Freeman. Now we lose Tyler Moeller to a bad head injury, thanks to the stupidity of some drunken Florida fan, and things look slim in the middle of the defense.

Austin Spitler, Ross Homan, Brian Rolle, and Jermale Hines. Do any of you Penn State fans know who these guys are?

That's what has me worried.

Our LBs have always been a major strength for us, and all of the aforementioned names have had playing time in games. One or two will step up strong for us this year, but as of this moment, we don't know which ones will be the leaders.

Name something most casual fans might not know about this year's Buckeyes.

BBC: There is not a single player on this year's team....even the fifth-year and sixth-year seniors....who have ever lost a single game to any team from the entire state of Michigan. Yes, that includes both the Wolverines and the Spartans.

Also, nobody on this team has lost to any team that did not make a BCS bowl later that season.
2005, Texas and PSU made BCS bowls.
2006, Florida in the BCS NC game
2007, Illinois made a BCS bowl, LSU in the BCS NC game
2008, USC and PSU made BCS bowls, and Texas in the Fiesta

For more on Ohio State:

Ohio State 2009 Schedule
Complete Spring Game Coverage
First Look '08: Ohio State

More from First Look '09:
Northwestern Wildcats
Michigan Wolverines
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Eastern Illinois Panthers
Illinois Fighting Illini
Iowa Hawkeyes
Temple Owls
Syracuse Orange
Akron Zips

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Review: 2009 Fiesta Bowl

Well, it was definitely more painful than the Rose Bowl. But we as a conference should be proud (even if for only a day) of Ohio State and the effort the Buckeyes put forth last night against the Longhorns. It took a miracle play by Texas to pull out the win, similar to the Michael Crabtree catch to down the Horns on Nov. 1. But let's not get away from what the Fiesta Bowl really meant.

The Bad - The Big Ten still sucks. Yup, I said it. 1-6 in bowl games this season will earn us that distinction. Sure, one loss was in overtime, one to the latest "best team" in USC, and the other on a miracle in Glendale. But we still suck. I have a strong inkling that it's been really just bad luck for most of these woes. But we still suck. Terrelle Pryor still needs a lot of work on passing, since that's what a quarterback usually does. Penn State and Ohio State couldn't hack it in the end, though the outcomes were a bit different. Were they really? Didn't Ohio State lose by a larger margin to USC, in the same city? Doesn't matter. We still suck.

The Good - The bowl season is over. Lost in a horrid representation by the Big Ten in bowls (except you, Iowa), was the fact that it was a very exciting conference race, and regular season. When was the last time Penn State and Michigan State met, in the last game of the year, with the winner assured a Big Ten championship? Never, actually. Ohio State was still in the thick of things, making the 13-6 win in Columbus even more special for Penn Staters. Let's just hope the bowl committees don't plug ANY Big Ten teams into those at-large slots in 2009. Best to just let us play a normal lineup.

Overall - Jim Tressell can still out-coach your head man. Texas was obviously exposed–as was the entire Big XII this bowl season–as a great team, but not a national champion by any means. But were they really? I think Ohio State just came to play, and could have done that to USC, if all the cards fell right. The Buckeyes will lose a ton of talent this off season, but are they ever really out of it? This game was a good stepping stone out of the Big Ten dark ages. Thanks, Buckeyes.

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More on Coach of the Year

I really don't think Joe Paterno will be named Coach of the Year for 2008. Does he deserve it just as much as anyone? Sure. Will anyone care? Nope. So with that I've pretty much narrowed it down to a few "true finalists" for the award.

Bob Stoops, Chris Petersen, Kyle Whittingham and Urban Meyer.

Stoops and Meyer: It's relatively easy to explain these two. Their teams are in the national championship game, and have been media darlings almost all season long. On the Florida front, between Tim Tebow, and the fact that the Gators play in the SEC–even if it is down this year, no one cares–will give the head coach there a boost. In Oklahoma, well, the Big XII is the newest SEC, and rightfully so. The Big XII South race was one of the more exciting in recent memory, even though its climax left much to be desired by fans. Oklahoma has scored more points this season than any other team in the history of college football. Now, yes, it was a 13 game schedule, but 700 freaking points is a lot.

Whittingham and Petersen: I think these two guys should get more consideration, particularly Whittingham. Boise State has put together a nice undefeated run under Petersen, but the Broncos' resume this year is less than steller. Utah, on the other hand, has beaten Michigan in Ann Arbor (still impressive, regardless of how bad UM sucks this year) and almost-Pac 10 champ Oregon State. Utah also beat TCU and BYU. Now, I know neither of these teams play a slate like the Big XII or SEC, but remember that these coaches don't have the resources or players that Meyer and Stoops have.

So there's the short and sweet argument for both sides. I still think Joe Paterno has done the best true coaching job in America this year, after what this program, and Joe personally, have had to deal with.

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JoePa, Coach of the Year finalist, again

Yup, looks like Joe Paterno is still one of the best coaches in college football, even though many would want you to believe otherwise... (cough)Mark(cough)May(cough, cough).

"Penn State coach Joe Paterno has been selected as a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, as announced by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Archie Manning, chair of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Paterno is among a field of 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I-A) coaches nominated for the honor, which is presented to the person who best exemplifies excellence in coaching - on and off the field... The other FBS coaches under consideration for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award are: Mack Brown (Texas), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), Brady Hoke (Ball State), Urban Meyer (Florida), Chris Petersen (Boise State), Nick Saban (Alabama), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Jim Tressel (Ohio State) and Kyle Whittingham (Utah)."

Will JoePa win it this year? No. But it's nice to know he's technically in the running. I'll have more on this, particularly the other finalists, Wednesday (tomorrow).

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Preview: No. 3 Penn State at No. 9 Ohio State

Kickoff: Sat., Oct. 25. 8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN
Weather Forecast: Cool, showers.

Host: Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: 7-1 (4-0 Big Ten)
Last Game: Won at Michigan St., 45-7
Injuries: RB Dan Herron (head - probable), CB Chimdi Chekwa (shoulder - probable), OT J.B. Shugarts (shoulder - out), DE Lawrence Wilson (knee - out), WR Dane Sanzenbacher (head - no report), OL Mike Adams (ankle - out), CB Andre Amos (knee - out)
Key Players: (offense) RB Chris Wells, QB Terrelle Pryor; (defense) LB James Laurinaitis, DB Malcolm Jenkins
Head Coach: Jim Tressel, 8th season at Ohio St., 80-17; 22nd year overall, 215-74-2
Season Statistics:
Offense - 130.7 rush/140.1 pass/26.9 points per game
Defense - 97.1 rush/168.2 pass/13.4 points per game
TO Margin - (+12)

Why Ohio State will win -- The Shoe hasn't been kind to Penn State. Well, really it hasn't been kind to many teams at all. Ohio State will host the biggest game of the Big Ten season, it's at night, and could be considered the Big Ten championship game. Jim Tressel's reputation as a "big game coach" has taken a hit recently, but don't expect for one minute that he won't use the atmosphere and the rabid fan base to his team's benefit. I don't think these Buckeyes will come out flat in their own house. Chris "Beanie" Wells is back, and is ready to carry this team to a win over Penn State. The Nittany Lions had tons of trouble in the first half with Michigan's zone-read option, and Steven Threet is no Terrelle Pryor and Brandon Minor is no Chris Wells. Ohio State can spread the Penn State front with misdirection, keeping the Lions' offense off the field.

Visitor: Penn State Nittany Lions
Record: 8-0 (4-0, Big Ten)
Last Game: Won vs. Michigan, 46-17
Injuries: S Anthony Scirrotto (head - probable), DE Devon Still (ankle - out), S Nick Sukay (foot - out), LB Sean Lee (knee - out), C Doug Klopacz (knee - out), DE Jerome Hayes (knee - out)
Key Players: (offense) QB Daryll Clark, RB Evan Royster;(defense) DT Jared Odrick, LB Navorro Bowman
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 43rd season, 380-125-3
Season Statistics:
Offense - 234.6 rush/247.5 pass/45.4 points per game
Defense - 103.9 rush/159.4 pass/11.8 points per game
TO Margin - (+7)

Why PSU will win -- Penn State got its wake up call last week against Michigan. I've been saying all week that the best thing to happen to Penn State before this Ohio State game, is Michigan smacking the Nittany Lions right in the mouth. If there's one thing Penn State can do well, it's adjust to its opponents game plans. Had Ohio State gone up 17-7 over Penn State, it would have gotten ugly in a big hurry. But by playing Michigan, Penn State was given the chance to adjust on defense and offense. Ohio State won't sneak up on Penn State this week. Terrelle Pryor hasn't had to lead his team in a comeback against a good team yet. You could say the same thing about Daryll Clark, but Pryor doesn't have the surrounding cast Clark does. Penn State's defensive front should be able to put pressure on Pryor, while preventing him from taking off. Should this game boil down to a quarterback battle, I'd take Clark in a heartbeat.

What will happen -- Penn State has never brought a team this good to Columbus, while Ohio State brings a very unimpressive resume. Games aren't played on paper, and neither team will let the odds makers or the pundits convince them of anything prematurely. I fully expect each team to battle from the first whistle to the final gun. Ohio State has a fine defense, on the same level as Penn State, but I don't think they will be able to keep the Lions down for too long. It will be up to the Ohio State offense to win this game, and I don't think they can do it. I'm not going to guess which one, but I wouldn't doubt if Penn State or Ohio State led the other team by only one score at the half. The last time Penn State went to Columbus, in the rain, Ohio State was down 3-0 at halftime. It took the eventual Heisman winner, Troy Smith, to make the play of the season to spark Ohio State to the win. Of course, Anthony Morelli's two pick-six's had something to do with the 28-6 final score. Lucky for Penn State, Daryll Clark is definitely NOT Morelli.

Prediction: No. 3 Penn State, 30 - No. 9 Ohio State, 24

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Buckeye Battle Cry stops by Zombie Nation

Ok folks, Jeff from the Buckeye Battle Cry is here with some fantastic–and lengthy–answers to a few questions I threw to him. I also answered a few of his questions. Check that out at the BBC. It's great when the Big Ten bloggers can reach across party lines and unite the Big Ten conference nation. This is a time when partisan bickering will only harm our great conference, when our sworn enemies in the SEC are not only out to destroy the Big Ten, but the college football world. This is our time to unite against the real enemies... wait, what the hell am I saying? I hate the Buckeyes! Enjoy.

1. Ohio State's gotten a lot of criticism for it's performance in the "Big Games," like the BCS title game and the trip to USC. How much of that is legitimate, and how much is just bull?

BBC: 50/50. The Buckeyes have had three massive failures on the big stage, and there is plenty of blame to go around. I do have my ways of white-washing it all, though. If I may;

Florida, 2007 - Play #1 of the entire day changes everything. Ted Ginn breaks his foot and cuts a big part of our offensive scheme out. The Gators begin keying on Gonzalez and force us to change everything dramatically. We did a horrible job of adjusting, and before we knew what hit us, we were down 20 points at halftime. I think that injury set us back deep in our mindset, and we never recovered.

LSU, 2008 - Straight up, we got beat. The Tigers were just the better team. But in that game, LSU was favored to get to the National Championship from day one, and Ohio State was supposed to be experiencing a "rebuilding year". To be 11-1 was a shock to all of us, but on that day, we just got beat by a better team.

USC, 2008 - Beanie's injury killed us. I don't know what the outcome of that game would have been with Beanie in the lineup, but the USC defense only had to force Boeckman into making mistakes (which he did). Beanie would have taken a LOT of pressure off the QB, and certainly the game would have been a LOT closer. By halftime, we were trailing 21-3 (thanks to a Boeckman pick-six). I'm thinking it would have been 14-14 with Wells in there, and the second half would not have been an afterthought. Still, we stunk on ice.

But the "Buckeyes suck in big games" drama is mostly fed by selective memory. The people who say that about us tend to forget that in 2006, the Buckeyes beat the #2 team in the country....twice. Week 2, we manhandled #2 Texas 24-7 on the Longhorns own field, and in Week 12, we won what most people called "the real National Championship", besting #2 Michigan 42-39. Tell me that wasn't a great, great game.

Fact is, you put us on a big stage with a healthy lineup, and I'll take my chances with the Buckeyes any day.

2. What's the mood of your readers/the OSU fans, going into this game as a Vegas underdog?

BBC: I can't presume to speak for my readers. I know that they are mostly rabid, bleeding-scarlet supporters, and I would assume they'd laugh off an underdog-at-home situation, but I don't know for sure. As for myself, I'm surprised that a Top-10 team isn't favored at home.

But I'm not shocked.

Except for an average performance against Purdue and an embarrassing first half against Michigan, Penn State has been unstoppable. They've buried teams that were supposed to give them their toughest challenges (Illinois and Wisconsin). Meanwhile, the oddsmakers still recall the USC game. I think the dismantling of Michigan State made this a closer game in Vegas. I have a suspicion that the point-spread was going to be 7 or 8 until that 45-7 game in East Lansing.

3. If there's one battle (like WRs vs. CBs) that Ohio State absolutely has to win, what is it? How and Why?

BBC: Tressel vs. Paterno. Both coaches have an excruciating tendency to go conservative in the Ohio State/Penn State game. The coach who takes more chances and mixes up the playbook more frequently will be victorious on Saturday, even if the uncommon plays are not successful. If Tressel uses every three plays to run Beanie off-tackle twice and Pryor around end once, it'll work for the first quarter. After that, defensive adjustments will end up forcing us to go 3-and-out a LOT. But if we open it up more....throw it 20+ yards downfield, quick-hitters, using the tight end more....the Penn State defense will not be able to focus on a smaller playbook and Ohio State will have more success.

Feels strange to say it, but it's going to come down to which one of the Big Ten's best coaches has the better gameplan.

4. Has Terrelle Pryor looked as good as everyone made him out to be? Would you like to see Todd Boeckman play at all?

BBC: To listen to Ohio State fans, you would swear that Pryor could escape a blitz, turn the corner, race up the sidelines for a TD, go into the stands, cure a man of his leprosy, feed section 7A with a small basket of bread and fish, then reverse the earth's axis to go back in time and prevent Lois Lane from being crushed by that car.

True, Terrelle Pryor (known as "LeBron in Cleats" around the Buckeye blogs) has been better than I expected him to be in his true freshman season. But I don't believe it's fair to fully assess his capability yet. He's still learning the game at this level, and the coaching staff has kept him from being TOO involved in the passing game. Take a look at the number of passes he's thrown in each of his 5 starts in 2008....16, 13, 19, 14, and 11. Against Michigan State, Ohio State had 63 plays on offense, and 52 of them were running plays. With the coaches sending in a heavy diet of ground plays, we can't get a complete grasp of what LBiC's full abilities are.

Plus, he's got Beanie Wells on the field, so we haven't had the need to rest our chances on Pryor's shoulders yet. Beanie's been the workhorse while Pryor learns, thankfully.

Is Pryor a good player? Yes, and he has the chance to get even better each week.
Is he a future Heisman candidate? I'm not ready to say that yet, but if he continues to learn and get better....he will be.

As for Boeckman.....no. I don't want to see him play. Pryor is on schedule and Boeckman's tendency to get "happy feet" when under pressure has led to one too many huge mistakes. I would have hoped that a 11th-year senior could handle a linebacker blitz, but Boeckman never seemed to get better at handling such a situation. Keep him on the bench, please.

5. What aspect of Penn State has impressed you the most so far this season? What's the least impressive?

BBC: Most impressive - Clark's leadership. Penn State has a bevy of talent on the field, and yet there hasn't been any public in-fighting over who should get the bulk of the load. That boils down to Clark's leadership. On any given day, a number of Lions could be the hero. Granted, Royster and Clark have been the top beneficiaries of the hero tag, but nobody gets left out in the offense. And when you consider the fact that Clark didn't even have the starting job secured until the season began, well that's doubly impressive.

Least impressive - Running up the score. PSU entered the 4th quarter against Wisconsin with a 34-point lead, and had 16 offensive plays in the final quarter. 9 rushes and 7 passes. I'm of the mind-frame that you don't pass the ball late in the game when the winner is clearly decided. Also, with 2 minutes to go against Michigan, you had an 80-yard TD pass? I didn't see it, so maybe you threw a dump-off behind the line and every Michigan player fell down (which would surprise exactly nobody), but I'm wondering if it was unnecessary and possibly unsportsmanlike.

6. Any other feelings or thoughts about the game or the season so far you need to get out?

BBC: Oh, yeah. Here it comes. This is the red meat that your fanbase wants to see from a Buckeye. OK, deep breath.

Your cupcake schedule ends on Saturday night, and so do your chances at anything worthwhile for the end of Old Man's career. The best team you've faced until now has three losses (two, if you don't count the game Oregon State lost to Stanford. Penn State neglects to mention that one, probably because the defense was too high to watch the game on ESPN). Last time JoePa was in Columbus, he had to run to the locker room in the middle of a play, and he came out with different pants on. Expect more than one coach to shit himself this weekend.

By Sunday night, the Nittany Lions can go back to gang-stomping students and pretending to be Snoop Dogg's personal dealer. And their fans can go back to being the classless, bottle-chucking, piss-throwing morons that they are accustomed to being. ESPN will camp out on your campus, and occasionally turn on a camera, always managing to catch a student-athlete violating at least three federal laws each time.

And then Jay Paterno will be your 2009 Head Coach. Welcome to Happy Fucking Valley.

There. Think that fired up the fans of Zombie Nation?

7. Winner?

BBC: Come on, Mike....you really wanna ask me, the sole propietor of The Buckeye Battle Cry, who's gonna win the game? Obviously, I believe the Buckeyes will continue their home dominance of the Lions. But you wanna know who the REAL winner will be come Sunday morning?

The Big Ten Conference.

Having an epic battle between two Big Ten greats will only do the conference good. The south can do whatever the hell they want while ignoring the fact that all the teams in the SEC (except Florida) have struggled with weak opponents (Bama barely beating Ole Miss, Georgia nearly losing to South Carolina, Tennessee and Vandy). But the rest of country will have to recognize that the B10 remains in the spotlight no matter how hard they wish us into the cornfield.

Best of luck, Lions. Should you win Saturday night, do us proud in the National Championship game. Because if you do win, I'm confident you'll get to the promised land.

Ed-Tomorrow, the PSU/OSU game preview.

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Thursday, March 20, 2008 PPD (Post-Pryor-Decision)

There you have it folks. It's done... finished! I know, I sound way too excited considering Ohio State just got the top-ranked recruit in the nation yesterday, a top recruit hailing from Pennsylvania, no less. But it's not all that horrible. I'm not going to go into a big long rant about how he's overrated and a criminal. No, I'm going to actually give you two reasons why we Penn State fans shouldn't view this as the end of the world.

Pat Devlin/Daryll Clark... I realize that a kid like Pryor is always worth nabbing, but with two very good quarterbacks on the roster, ready to start, what is there to worry about. I'm not necessarily saying the Devlin/Clark route is a better one than Pryor. But how does anyone know that Pryor will win a national championship in year one? How many NCs did Vince Young win? But that's besides the point. When Devlin de-committed from the Miami Hurricanes--remember, at the time, they were three years removed from a NC appearance and four away from a NC win--to play at PSU, we were cheering it as a major coup, and that he would lead this program to the next level. I'm still standing by that. I believe that you will see Devlin on the field this September. That's not to say Clark won't be there with him, though. The coaches have finally figured out how to use two quarterbacks, even if it was against a fair Texas A&M team. Trust me, until PSU plays OSU in 2009, you'll forget about Pryor quicker than you think.

Pryor wouldn't have played... And he sure wouldn't have been good in the slash role Michael Robinson played in his first three seasons. If Pryor didn't start as quarterback right away, you wouldn't have seen him until 2010--as a junior. You can't tell me that he wouldn't have been redshirted and then sat behind Devlin/Clark. I'll take this so far as to say OSU will even redshirt him in 2008. If you have a talent like Pryor, you want to keep him around your program as long as possible. Todd Boeckman will get his AARP card next week, and played better than Troy Smith did in his junior year. Sweatervest won't waste Pryor as a backup or "change-of-pace" quarterback in 2008.

I might want to add more to this later, or not. I'm not sure yet. But for now, that's all I have to say. Good luck, OSU--not against PSU, however. Kick some Wolverine ass this season, and every season. Let's hope PSU can finally do the same.

"AP Story On Pryor's Decision:

JOE MANDAK
The Associated Press

JEANNETTE, Pa. - Oregon was too far away. Penn State was too rural. Michigan was a close second.

Terrelle Pryor, the highly touted western Pennsylvania prep quarterback, announced Wednesday that he will play for Ohio State next season.

The 6-foot-6, two-sport star , flanked by his parents, two younger siblings and some of his coaches , made the announcement on the auditorium stage at Jeannette Senior High School near Pittsburgh, where Pryor had one of the greatest prep careers in Pennsylvania history.

"If everyone's here," Pryor said to start the news conference, "University of Ohio State." He then unzipped his windbreaker to reveal an Ohio State T-shirt and donned an OSU hat. His parents, Craig and Thomasina, also revealed Ohio State shirts.

Pryor, considered by many scouts to be the top-rated unsigned high school recruit in the country, said he couldn't go wrong with any of the four schools he considered.

But he said the car trip for his family to games in Columbus, Ohio, is shorter than the flights they would have to take to Oregon. Penn State was too "countryside." And, despite a last-minute push by new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, Pryor decided Ohio State is best for him, even though senior Todd Boeckman is the entrenched starter and Pryor felt he would have a chance to start as a freshman at Michigan.

"I can learn from a senior," Pryor said. "And whenever I can get in on some plays, I can make something happen."

Pryor said he didn't make a final choice until Wednesday morning.

When he told Tressel, the coach said, "Welcome to the family."

As for his final call with Rodriguez: "He was still recruiting me, giving me lines," Pryor said. "Coach Rod did his job. He's gonna be a great coach; he is a great coach. He'll make stuff happen (at Michigan)."

Pryor called a Feb. 6 news conference to announce his choice, but then said he hadn't chosen a school after all.

Tressel said he was impressed by that, given that Pryor was trying to help his high school basketball team to a state championship and was mulling conflicting advice from his friends and family.

Tressel said Pryor felt like "there's a whole bunch of people that are very important in my life who think I should give this some more thought. He respected them and he loves them. So I think he's grossly misunderstood."

Pryor's advice to other recruits: "Pick early, you don't want to go through it."

Asked about advice from his father and others, Pryor said simply, "I'm an 18-year-old kid and I feel like a man. I gotta make choices for myself."

One person noticeably absent Wednesday was Charlie Batch, the backup Steelers quarterback and family friend who advised Pryor. Pryor said the former Detroit Lions starter, who played at Eastern Michigan in college, was pushing Michigan.

Batch was in Hawaii during the announcement.

"He's up right now, texting me actually. I mean, he's cool with my decision," Pryor said. "He's just trying to see which one would be, for me, better to get in the NFL."

Pryor brushed off local talk show criticism about his image stemming from his nonannouncement last month, and a scuffle earlier this month between some Jeannette players and another team after a recent state playoff game.

"I'm not worried about none of that," Pryor said. "I think the football field will speak for itself. I mean, that's why you are here, right? Whether I was a bad kid or not, you are still here."

Pryor said he doesn't seek attention. "Ask my teammates, ask anybody around here. That's not how I am. I don't like being in the spotlight at all. I didn't ask to be number one in the country."

Ohio State signed 19 players last month and had been holding a 20th scholarship for Pryor.

Pryor is the only Pennsylvania player to both rush and pass for at least 4,000 yards in football. He also scored 2,285 points in basketball. Pryor doesn't plan to play college basketball because he said it will interfere with his goal of becoming a top-flight quarterback.

"I mean, we just want to work hard and do whatever we can to help Coach Tress get over that little hump he got , that little championship losing two years in a row," Pryor said."

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Article of the day

While you know my position on the SEC, this is rather interesting to read. I found today's article on SEC Sports Fan:

Ohio State vs. the SEC: 0-8

Ohio State is 0-8 vs the SEC in bowl games. Chalk up one for the SEC. Heck, chalk up eight for the SEC. 0-8 is 0-8. It can't be defended. But in this case it can be explained.

The mounting second number after the dash is brought to the forefront each year around bowl time when the Big Ten vs the SEC, which is the best conference, debate rages at its most fierce. That second number reached eight when Ohio State was unexpectedly humiliated by Florida in the National Championship game.

As a Buckeyes' fan it seemed as though 0-8 was plastered all over every ESPN family of networks' graphic for the ensuing 24 hours. My co-workers who love to debate college football picked up on the newly adjusted record and quickly used it as bullet number one in the battle over best conference.

For weeks we had been punching and counter-punching Big Ten vs SEC. Starting on January 9th, I would've thought the Buckeyes' lost eight games to the SEC this year. My pro-SEC debaters would boldly proclaim SEC superiority followed by their most convincing argument: Ohio State is 0-8 vs the SEC. It was used so many times against me I started to doubt what I'd seen for the past three months. I checked the Buckeyes' schedule for that shocking defeat to Vanderbilt at the Horseshoe and what about that embarrassment at Scott Field in Starkville, MS?

In reality, what I did was first explain in a most sarcastic tone that they could only use 0-1 as part of their argument for best conference. I took even great joy in asking them when this streak started. I knew no one had a clue.

The streak started under Woody Hayes. Most of my debaters know the name; know about the famous tantrums, but if they've ever seen the man stroll the sidelines it was on Zibrudor film quality on ESPN Classic.

On January 1, 1978, one year prior to winning their first of two consecutive national championships, Alabama whipped Ohio State 35-6. I watched that Sugar Bowl in horror. But my first two seasons as a Buckeyes' fan were also Woody Hayes' final two as Buckeyes' coach. Never a tactical genius, Woody had obviously lost the edge that drove his teams to outwork and out-will their opponents. Penn State, Oklahoma, Purdue, Michigan and Clemson in his last game. Woody lost all the big games in his final two seasons. That Alabama team finished 11-1 and # 2 in the country.

Earle Bruce succeeded Hayes and went 81-26-1 over nine seasons. He won four Big Ten Championships, finished in the Top Ten four times, went 5-4 vs Michigan and 5-3 in bowl games. Bruce never faced the SEC in a bowl game, losing to Alabama in the 1986 Kickoff Classic 16-10 and tying LSU in Baton Rouge in 1987. The Bama game was a hard fought clash between top ten teams. In '87 LSU and Ohio State faced as top five teams, but OSU stumbled to a 6-4-1 finish. LSU went 10-1-1.

Now we talk the John Cooper factor. Despite a number of accomplishments on paper, Buckeyes' fans look back on those 13 years with disappointment and disgust. Cooper coached 157 games in Columbus. Change the result of just a few of those contests and Cooper is now a legend. Despite winning 11 games three times and 10 games twice Cooper's legacy is losing the big game.

The SEC beat Cooper five times. But Cooper was an equal opportunity whipping boy. Michigan beat him 10 times out of 12 decisions and he lost 8 of 11 bowl games. Cooper lost the 1990 Liberty Bowl to Air Force as a 17 point favorite. He lost that game with Robert Smith in the backfield, three NFL receivers and a defense stocked with more pros. Some coaches know how to find a way to win. Cooper found a way to lose.

That said, Cooper's best teams didn't play the SEC in the postseason. The 1996 and '98 squads finished # 2 in the country after winning the Rose and Sugar Bowls against the Pac Ten and Big 12.

Before the current format of bowl slotting, prestigous programs like Ohio State were elevated to bowl games they didn't deserve. The 1989 Buckeyes finished 24th in the country, but played a top five Auburn team in the Hall of Fame Bowl. The '92 edition lost on a late touchdown to Georgia in the Citrus. UGA finished 8th. OSU finished 18th.

In 1994, 12-1 Alabama scored a touchdown in the closing minute to beat four times beaten Ohio State. Buckeyes' fans should credit Cooper with re-establishing OSU as a talent factory. But those teams routinely underachieved against everybody. Matching them up against higher rated SEC teams skews the equation greatly.

Following two paragraphs of Cooper bashing, I let the embattled coach exit this article with a blaze of glory. His first team at OSU; that terrible 4-6-1 group, beat a top five LSU team 36-33. Thank you Greg Frey and Bobby Olive. Go Bucks!

On the dawn of January 8th Jim Tressel was nearing sainthood. A few hours later such talk had been silenced. The Buckeyes were demolished. I've watched the game three times and each look makes it even less believable.

For as badly as the players were beaten, Tressel was outwitted ten times over. The man with a velvet touch in the big game served up a ragged game plan. He left his offensive tackles to fend for themselves well after it was proven that help was needed. He called three straight pass plays after his running game accounted for a touchdown to close the game to 21-14.

And worst of all, he refused to let the defense loose. He never challenged receivers and never forced Chris Leak to make a difficult throw. Florida's offense somehow thrived by running for 3.4 yards per carry and throwing the ball downfield once.

Buckeye defenders missed few tackles. It simply took an eternity to close on the ball. I never saw an OSU cornerback lineup on my TV screen. I begged Defensive Coordinator Jim Heacock to force Leak to make an NFL throw. Just one, please?

Tressel's glossy big game record has picked up two smudges courtesy the SEC. His first team lost on a last second field goal to South Carolina 31-28. That team lost five games. That game could've gone either way. Those two teams could've won or lost against forty other teams in American on any given day.

The next year the Buckeyes jelled, navigated a rugged schedule and beat the unbeatable Miami Hurricanes to win the national championship.

Even the most ardent SEC supporters can't tell me that their conference champion, Georgia, would've won that game. Same thing for the '05 season, Tressel's second best team finished 4th in the country. SEC champ Georgia was ripped for 38 points by West Virginia. Give OSU that matchup too.

Penn State is 5-2 vs the SEC since 1990. Michigan owns the same mark. OSU's 0-6 record against the Southeastern Conference during that time would point to disaster against its two most competitive conference rivals, but we know better. The Buckeyes own the Big Ten's best record during that time and have won 15 of 27 against Joe Pa and the Maize and Blue.

The SEC argument is simple. 8-0 means we're better. Careful examination shows that timing can distort the meaning of eight games spread over 30 years. Reasoning doesn't change results, but it should change rationale.

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This article was submitted by Mark Rogers. Mark has worked in television for 16 years...9 years as a sportscaster...6 years covering the SEC (mostly Alabama, MSU and Ole Miss). For the past five years he has worked at ESPN in Network Operations.

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No. 22 Penn State vs. No. 1 Ohio State, Preview

School: Ohio State University (OSU), Buckeyes
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Jim Tressel, 69-14 overall
Last Game: Defeated Michigan State, 24-17
Record Last Five Years (sans 2007): 55-9 overall; 5-1 in bowls; 19-1 non-conference

Key Players, Defense: LB James Laurinaitis, DE Vernon Gholston, LB Larry Grant

Key Players, Offense: RB Chris Wells, WR Brian Robiskie, QB Todd Boeckman

What to look for: D – This is the best defense in college football, no doubt about it. OSU essentially shut out MSU last week, with only three points coming off a late FG. Had OSU not given up the TDs off turnovers, they would be giving up less than 6 ppg. Laurinaitis is having an AA-caliber season, even if his stats aren’t out of this world. He’s always in the right place at the right time. OSU will need every bit of Laurinaitis and his fellow ‘backers, Grant and Marcus Freeman. While Grant has been the least publicized, he’s been more productive than anyone on the defense, racking up 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks and an INT. Between the LBs and the line, led by Gholston, OSU has to make stopping the PSU run game priority No. 1. Forcing PSU QB Morelli to win the game will allow the OSU secondary to roam free, without stacking the box.

O – This is not the best offense in college football, though some would make it seem that way. Yes, I know 415 ypg is great, but working with a defense like theirs, OSU never has to worry about making mistakes. OSU hasn’t faced a defense as good or consistent at PSU, or an environment like Beaver Stadium at night this season. Boeckman almost lost the game last week, and if he commits any bad turnovers this week, OSU may not be able to cover it up. Look for a healthy dose of Wells to keep the clock moving and the PSU offense off the field. If OSU can hit a few deep ones to Robiskie or WR Brian Hartline, it can keep PSU off balance. The problem is, PSU plays much better against conventional attacks, like OSU’s, and in hostile territory, OSU will have plenty of communication problems to deal with. OSU will have to avoid stupid penalties, especially in long down situations, as it will only encourage the PSU crowd.

ST – This is Tressel’s forte, but turned out to be less of a factor in 2007. But in a place like Beaver Stadium, OSU will need every point it can muster, which is where K Ryan Pretorius comes in. He’s 13/16 on the year and can’t afford to miss any against PSU. The return game hasn’t been the same since Ted Ginn departed, and in a big game like this, OSU may need a spark from a big return. Field position hasn’t been a problem either, as P AJ Trappasso should win the Ray Guy award, and can keep PSU pinned deep all night.

C – Tressel is the man recently in the Big Ten. Next to USC’s Pete Carroll and Texas’ Mack Brown, not coach has been more consistent. However, PSU has played OSU tough every year, and this week at PSU will make things even worse. Tressel is 1-2 when playing at PSU, with the one win by a single point (21-20, 2003). He failed to unleash his offense in 2005 until the final drive, and it cost OSU the game. If Tressel pulls a “Paterno” and goes conservative on the road, PSU could spring the upset.

Interesting Stat: The buckeye confection, made to resemble the tree's nut, is made by dipping a dollop of peanut butter fudge in milk chocolate, leaving a circle of the peanut butter exposed. These are a popular treat in Ohio, especially during the Christmas and NCAA college football seasons. How gay, if you ask me!

School: The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Nittany Lions
Conference: Big Ten
Head Coach: Joe Paterno, 42nd Year, 369-123-3
Last Game: Def. Indiana, 36-31
Record Last Five Years (sans 2007): 36-25; 1-1 in bowls; 7-4 non-conference

Key Players, Defense: LB Dan Connor, CB Justin King, DE Maurice Evans

Key Players, Offense: QB Anthony Morelli, RB Rodney Kinlaw, WR Derrick Williams

What to look for: D – There’s something wrong with college football is Evans isn’t selected lineman of the year. His 10.5 sacks and 17.5 TFL leads the conference, and he’s poised to set school records left and right. PSU will need him on every play against OSU. PSU held Kellen Lewis in check pretty well last week until the last TD run. But Boeckman doesn’t have that run threat for PSU to worry about. So look for more blitzes with Connor and Lee coming as a fifth rusher. OSU’s line is much stronger than IU’s, but even a diluted pass rush should be effective against a stationary Boeckman. James Hardy hosed King last week, but OSU doesn’t have a Hardy. If King can lock down Robiskie, PSU can get more pressure on stopping the run. With DLs Odrick and Hayes out, the line has to step up and forget about being tired. There’s no reason for a poor showing from this unit in Beaver Stadium, unless…

O – The offense puts them in holes. I must say that this unit is night-and-day better than the first half of 2007, but haven’t faced a team like OSU yet. Morelli had one really bad throw last week on the INT, but it wasn’t critical or deep in PSU territory. Regardless, PSU can’t afford any turnovers this week. Morelli did a super job finding the hot receivers and recognizing coverage/blitzes last week, and OSU is sure to try to confuse the living hell out of him. But PSU can avoid relying on Morelli to win the game if the offensive line can get a good push. Kinlaw has been a huge surprise this season, and when he’s not going, RB Evan Royster has shown his youthful brilliance. Like in the 2005 edition, this game could come down to a few pick plays, one of them being when Williams took a pitch in for a TD run, outrunning AJ Hawk in the process. Get Williams in the open with some blockers, and he’s gone to the races.

ST – Special teams bailed out the offense last week, as K Kevin Kelly hit all of his FGs. Hopefully for PSU, this unit won’t be needed as a difference-maker. The biggest focus for PSU should be on kickoffs and punts coverage. If OSU is forced to start drives deep in its own territory, PSU has the defense to make a 90-yard drive nearly impossible.

C – Paterno has to let his coaches do their thing again. It worked great at IU, and can work at home just the same. Let Morelli throw some deep, and don’t be afraid to call some shots to the middle of the field. In 2005, Paterno opted to go for it on 4th-and-2 on PSU’s first scoring drive. PSU needs that sort of confidence in their coaching staff to win in 2007.

Interesting Stat: PSU has only hosted a No. 1 team once, Notre Dame in 1989 (PSU loss 34-23). Paterno is 4-7 all-time against No. 1 teams.

GAME PREDICTION (assuming it rains): This will not disappoint fans. Beaver Stadium will once again live up to its “Greatest Show in College Football” moniker. OSU will take its first drive and move the ball well, scoring a TD to make the PSU fans uneasy. But PSU will come back, kicking a FG to come within four, midway through the second quarter. A tipped Boeckman pass will be picked off by DE Josh Gaines and returned to the OSU 20. PSU will get a quick score from Royster, 10-7 PSU. OSU will get one last possession before the half, with just enough time to tie it on a FG. 10-all at halftime. Neither team will score in the third quarter, exchanging turnovers and punts in a boring stretch. OSU’s Wells will rip off a 25 yarder in the fourth, but a missed handoff will force OSU to settle for a FG. 13-10 OSU. PSU will get the ball back with less than 6 minutes to go, and facing third and very long, get a pass interference call to continue the drive. Morelli will capitalize and on the next play, hit WR Deon Butler inside the five. Three straight runs will result in a Kinlaw TD. OSU will turn it over on downs inside the PSU 35, and PSU runs the clock to less than a minute. Three hail mary’s later… PSU 17, OSU 13. I just can’t see PSU losing at home. I know, UM did it, but his is OSU. PSU’s actually beaten them this century.

PSU 17, OSU 13

VEGAS:

PSU (+3.5) OSU

ACTUAL SCORE:

PSU 17, OSU 37

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Evans, Paterno and the sweater-vests

Okay, so Joe Paterno once again downplayed how he feels during the week leading up to a big game. Sorry, but we know you're lying out your 80-year-old teeth, Joe. If you're not, and telling the truth, then why are you even coaching? Isn't it supposed to be fun and exciting?

I'm surprised Paterno hasn't made more of a push for DE Maurice Evans' case for Defensive End of the Year accolades. I know, the season is still far from over. Evans may not register a sack the rest of the way, but that's not likely. There are four games left, and all he needs is one sack in each of them to break Michael Haynes' single-season record of 14. In 2005, Paterno lobbied hard for Tamba Hali's national recognition, eventually being named consensus All-America and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.

I don't know about you, but Jim Tressel should be pretty pissed off right now. I wasn't around this program when Tressel took over at Ohio State, so I never heard the whole "little Jimmy Tressel" story before. Although it was really freaking funny, I thought it was a bit rude, even for Paterno, to bring something like that up. I know, the reporter asked about their relationship, but Paterno didn't have to seeminly stress that story.

Overall, it's been a quiet week, outside of Pennsylvania that is. Even the message boards have been pretty low-key, abeit a little stiff. It seems like everyone is afraid to just come out and say "we have a great shot this week to win." I'll be the first one to admit that I'm practically taking a Kool-Aid bath this week, but if we don't what chance are we really giving them to pull it out?

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