Happy Wednesday, Buckeye fans. It’s only the second day of the offseason and I already miss college football, despite the dud of a national championship game we witnessed on Monday night. The “Rematch of the Century” may have turned some viewers off, as the game received better TV ratings than only two other national championship games (Miami-Nebraska in 2002 and USC-Oklahoma in 2005).
If you were looking for a sports fix on the first night of the college football offseason, the Buckeye basketball team was on the court last night in Champaign, Ill. It was a very tough game for the Buckeyes, as the Illini shot the ball extremely well. Brandon Paul had a career game for Illinois, scoring 43 points on 8-10 shooting from three-point range, leading the Illini to a 79-74 upset of the Buckeyes.
Urban Meyer will be B1G’s highest paid coach. The Lantern did an excellent job of tracking down the salaries for Ohio State’s coaching staff and it showed that Meyer will be making $4 million next year. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is the second-highest at $3.785 million. Last year’s head coach, Luke Fickell, will be the highest paid assistant in the Big Ten, sharing that honor with Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison at $750,000.
On the day he was hired, Urban Meyer said that he wanted to get the best coaches in America to come to Ohio State, and it appears the university is willing to shell out the cash to get them to Columbus. The Lantern calculated that the average salary of the 10 coaches that have officially been hired at $321,500.
On the day he was hired, Urban Meyer said that he wanted to get the best coaches in America to come to Ohio State, and it appears the university is willing to shell out the cash to get them to Columbus. The Lantern calculated that the average salary of the 10 coaches that have officially been hired at $321,500.
Four Buckeyes will play in Senior Bowl. Three of the four invited were members of the “Tat Five”, as running back Dan Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey and offensive tackle Mike Adams will join center Mike Brewster in Mobile, Ala., as they look to impress the NFL scouts. CBSSports.com has Herron ranked as the 11th best running back, Posey as the 14th best wideout, Adams as the 5th best tackle, and Brewster as the 3rd best center eligible for this April’s draft. The 2012 Senior Bowl will be played on Jan. 28.
BTN visits with Urban Meyer. On the Big Ten Football Report last night, Gerry DiNardo visited with Coach Meyer and took us behind the scenes to get a look at Meyer’s new office in Columbus. Next Tuesday on the same program, they will have a full interview with Meyer starting at 6:30 p.m. The family aspect of his life is clearly playing a big role, as he has an entire wall of his office dedicated to them, including a framed copy of the contract his daughters made him sign before he could take the Ohio State job.
Top 25 rankings…for 2012? Mark Schlabach put together his top 25 for next season already, and the Buckeyes are nowhere to be found. I’m not sure if he isn’t ranking them due to the postseason ban or if he simply thinks that they aren’t one of the best 25 teams, he doesn’t clarify. I would have to hesitate to not put them in the top 25 if they are eligible. There is a lot of talent on this team, coupled with an excellent coaching staff, the Buckeyes could be in for a breakout year, even if they are ineligible for a bowl or the B1G Championship.
That’s all I’ve got for you guys this morning. Hope you guys will enjoy this new segment we’ve got here at Inside The Shoe.
