Former Ohio State Receiver DeVier Posey Drafted By Texans

Posey was the 2nd Buckeye drafted on Friday

Despite only playing three games as a senior due to two five-game suspensions, DeVier Posey was drafted Friday night with the fifth pick in the third round by the Houston Texans. 

The Texans were obviously looking for someone who could really get down the field to help get some pressure off of Andre Johnson.

Posey's draft status doesn't appear to have been too negatively affected by his challenges with Tatgate or the Bobby DiGeronimo scandal that followed. 

He arrived at Ohio State in 2008 and played right away, finishing with 136 catches for almost 2,000 yards despite that abbreviated senior season (in which he almost took the team lead for season receptions in just those three games).

His 18 career touchdowns rank seventh all-time in school history, and his game-sealing touchdown catch in the 2010 Rose Bowl will always be a treasured moment in Buckeye football history.

Posey enters the NFL with a nice opportunity after many thought he might be going much later in the draft. Now he has a chance to really show what he can do as a play maker. 

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.

Let's Go Bowling

So.Much.Football.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! College football is set to embark on yet another bowl season which means games on almost every night starting next week. I’m not going to bore you with another BCS rant because we all know how I feel about the matter… it sucks!

This system is the most un-American way to decide a national champion that I can think of. This country, which was built on the sweat and blood of great men, still lets the BCS get away with this travesty after 13 years. A system that is decided by computers and sports writer/AD opinions is no system at all. I can’t even begin to tell you how lame it is. Would getting ready for a 16 or 8 game playoff this week be any fun?

Would a playoff bracket make any money or cause any excitement? Am I laying on the sarcasm enough? The answer is a resounding YES to all of those questions but apparently my bitching and moaning here at ITS for the past 2 seasons has fallen on deaf ears. I guess some dude in NW Ohio screaming into cyberspace hasn’t made that much of a difference. Oh well. Since we have to live with this unfortunate system for now, I wanted to cover the best of this year’s bowl games. Every year there are intriguing matchups that you wouldn’t have otherwise seen during the regular season.

Those oddball games are great entertainment and a spectacular reason to stop talking to your co-workers and family during holiday gatherings! That reason alone is worth its’ weight in gold. So plant your ass in a favorite recliner, grab a cold one and get ready for the last of college football until next fall. Disclaimer #1- This is an Ohio St. blog (if haven’t already noticed). I will not include the Gator Bowl because it is obvious that contest is the best game to watch. There will be tons of pre game coverage on this blog and others so I don’t want to attack this one just yet.

Even though 6-6 wasn’t what we had in mind, the Gator Bowl offers a rare opportunity for retribution and revenge against those swamp rats from Gainesville. You don’t often get opportunities for a rematch when over 100 teams play in your sport so let’s hope the Buckeyes can get that monkey off their back. I really want this win even if it is on a slightly smaller stage than in 2006. Disclaimer #2- I refuse to include the MNC because it is bullshit that Alabama got another shot at LSU. Not only did the Tide not win their conference, they failed to even win their own division. While LSU was busy earning their way in the SEC championship, Bama was at home resting in preparation for the game they already knew they were going to. How on earth is that fair? If I were an Oklahoma St. fan I would be irate with anger.

The SEC bias in this country (ahem.. ESPN) is totally nuts. Alabama had their shot and they lost. Nobody can tell me otherwise. This year’s game is a sham. OK, without further adieu, I give you the best 3 bowl games this holiday season in no particular order.

3 Burning Questions About The Big Ten And College Football

This combo is dangerous.

The Big Ten wrapped up its' inaugural Championship game this past weekend in Indianapolis as the Wisconsin Badgers squeaked by the Michigan St. Spartans in a thriller. The game was a classic back-and-forth contest that featured numerous lead changes, stellar running back play and some big hits that are commonplace here in the Midwest. I thought it was a great showcase game for the Big Ten which allowed our great conference to remain in the discussion one precious week later than years past. I believe that extra exposure was instrumental in getting the conference 2 BCS bids for yet another year even when it appeared the Big Ten was a little down this season. It didn't hurt that the game was a barn burner as well.

As I sat watching the game unfold in the Mandalay Bay sports book in fabulous Las Vegas on Saturday, I pondered some questions to discuss for Inside the Shoe. Is Wisconsin the right team to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl this year? Did Michigan deserve to get a BCS bid? Does Monte Ball deserve to be a finalist for the Heisman? Finally, why did I bet football parlays instead of just sticking to the Blackjack table? I have definitive answers for the first three but am still dumbfounded by putting my hard earned Blackjack money on College Football. Lesson learned I suppose so let's get back to football rather than discuss my foolish betting practices. Early on this season Wisconsin looked as if it could waltz into the National Championship game with ease. They were destroying opponents with the running game and signed..err gained access to a stud quarterback without having to wait a year.

Is Ray Small Really To Blame?

Under surveillance indeed.

Saturday, ESPN launched a story that Ray Small was misquoted, and that the Lantern added things that Small never said. In the actual interview, Small says that he never said to the Lantern that "everyone did it" at Ohio State, talking about selling rings and other Ohio State memorabilia. Also in the interview, Small explained that "It was either break the rule or get evicted,". "That was the best thing I could do. It was the smartest plan I came up with to pay my rent." 


Small, whose senior season with the Buckeyes was in 2009, said he sold the rings midway through his Buckeye career because his regular scholarship check for room and board didn't cover his year-round costs of living in Columbus. He also felt compelled to unload them because he lacked the funds to afford a car he was driving at the time, a 2007 Chrysler 300 that carried a $600 monthly payment.

Terrelle Pryor: The Enigma

Unstoppable.

(Ed. Note: This post was written before the suspension, etc.)

Coming out of high school Terrelle Pryor was the most sought after and heavily recruited quarterback that the country had seen in some time. His freakish 6’6” 240lb frame could withstand a heavy pass rush while still getting the ball away with a defensive linemen barreling down on him. He could take on linebackers and defensive backs for a ride at the end of long runs. His speed seemed almost impossible considering the size of his body. It never quite looked like he could outrun a defender but those gazelle-like strides and sub 4.4 speed told a different story. Expectations and excitement in Columbus couldn't have been higher when the super frosh decided to don the scarlet and gray.

Unfortunately national titles have eluded him thus far in his career at OSU. Assuming he returns for his senior season (and all signs point to him doing just that), many Buckeye and Big Ten records are likely to fall but this column isn’t about record books. It is about showing up when all the cards are on the table and TP has had his share of problems in big games to this point. Last year’s Rose Bowl was a great performance but I would argue that the defense and running game had just as much, if not more, to do with the Buckeye victory than Pryor. Sure, TP ended up with his greatest statistical game and had some big runs to propel that OSU victory. However he still had the tendency to deliver his throw high or at the feet of open receivers.

After so much time in Jim Tressels’ system, myself and many fans had hoped his Junior year would be the coming out party for Pryor. The numbers were good this past season but do you feel he has reached his full potential? Has TP reached his potential plateau? Can we count on a solid performance on Jan. 4th and beyond? These are some of the questions that popped in my head during the college football lull over the past few weeks.

Why Terrelle Pryor Is Not Overrated

Is he really overrated?

All Buckeye fans have heard the same story, over and over. "Terrelle Pryor is a bust, he's not even that great." "If he's so good why haven't the Buckeyes won the past 2 championships, and why hasn't he had a Heisman?" Even some Buckeye fans weren't too thrilled to hear he's coming back for his senior year. We have Braxton Miller, who's apparently much better than having a senior QB in Pryor. I personally don't think it's right to think this way.

When Terrelle Pryor stepped onto the Ohio State campus, people expected him to be like Troy Smith and Vince Young from Day 1. It's been said and repeated many times, but it's true. It's also not realistic for a freshman, no matter what kind of talent the kid has. So we gave the reins to the #1 recruit in the nation after fans were starting to worry that he may not be as good as we thought, since we didn't see him starting against Youngstown State. Yet, we still held on for the ride, and when Todd Boeckman and the offensive line got blown up in Los Angeles, the fans had had enough. Tressel heard the call, and decided to start the freshman QB. His first ever start came against Troy University, and lead to a share of the Big Ten title, a Freshman of the Year award (Thanks to a 60.6 completion %) and a berth in the Fiesta bowl against Texas. Things got ugly as Pryor struggled to find a rhythm against a tight defense from the Longhorns. Eventually Todd Boeckman got in to open up the passing game, and even found Pryor for a score. Fans were not too worried about the loss, Terrelle would only improve from here.

Surprisingly, Pryor remained the same, if not even regressed a little. During the off-season, Pryor claimed he had been working on his throwing motion, his footwork, and his reads, and that he was getting to be where he needed to make this team succeed. Ohio State had an early test against USC again, and this time the game was actually close. Pryor again was ineffective most of the game, sans a couple of good passes to Posey and Sanzenbacher. This time OSU fans blamed Jim Tressel and his play-calling, and also fired a storm for trying to get Jim Bollman fired. Pretty soon, though, things got calmed down, and Pryor was on his way again. After leading his team to 4 straight wins, the Buckeyes were back up to #7 in the country. Then, Purdue Harbor happened. Yes, the infamous day in Terrelle Pryor history which will always be remembered for his 4 turnovers, low completion rating, and just overall terrible performance. People were literally calling for Bauserman to step in. Joe Bauserman. Nothing could be done, our year was over, here comes the Little Ceasers bowl!

Eventually, the Buckeye's bounced back, winning all the games in November (including huge wins against Penn State and Iowa) to move up and take another pair of Gold Pants and another Big Ten title. Oh, and something like a Rose Bowl. Oregon was the opponent, and the sexy pick for national media pundits. Why not, Oregon has the flashy offense, high scoring, high flying, unstoppable. Terrelle Pryor has been average thus far, and the defense is slightly overrated (again, according to media). Then something amazing happens. Jim Tressel finally figures out what makes Terrelle Pryor's abilities click with his type of offense. The Duck's offense gets force fed a lesson about defense and overratedness. Then Pryor earns MVP status, and suddenly the Buckeyes are not only National Championship contenders for next year, but Terrelle is looking to become the school's 7th Heisman, and only the 2nd Big Ten QB ever.

The BCS Bowls Are All But Set

With yesterdays much expected wins by Auburn, Oregon, and Virgina Tech, the BCS bowls have finally shaped up for good. Barring anything insane happening the BCS Bowls are set, and ready to go. Here's what they look like right now:

BCS Championship: #1 Oregon vs. #2 Auburn

Rose Bowl: #3 TCU vs. #4 Wisconsin

Sugar Bowl: #6 Ohio State vs.#8 Arkansas

Fiesta Bowl: #9 Oklahoma vs. UConn

Orange Bowl: #13 Virgina Tech vs. #5 Stanford

At first glance, these are pretty decent match-ups. Oregon vs. Auburn is going to be a fun one to watch, because of the no defense policy they strictly enforce there. I honestly think that Oregon wins because they have a slightly better defense. TCU gets the first "At Large" bid for the Rose Bowl and will get a true test against Wisconsin (please, god Wisky, don't screw this up). Obviously the Sugar Bowl has been looked at, but it's still a very nice game. I might be a little of a homer, but this one should be a Buckeyes win as long as they can do what they have done in November.

The Fiesta Bowl this year is a scrub, and UConn literally has little to no chance against Oklahoma. The Orange Bowl to me seems like a very good match-up. Virgina Tech isn't someone to sleep on, but Stanford is obviously going to be the favorite in this game. The Cardinal have Andrew Luck and a stout defense. I want to see how these play out.

Of course, nothing is set in stone, until the BCS Countdown tomorrow. After that, we're going bowling!

No Rose Bowl? No Problem!

Very small chance

Obviously, the goal every year at Ohio St. is to win the Big Ten and ultimately a national championship. The Buckeyes are easily one of the top 5 programs in the nation and 1 or 2 loss seasons are often deemed as a failure. Short of a MNC appearance, the Rose Bowl is the next best post season destination for the Scarlet and Gray. Historically, Pasadena has been THE destination that all Big Ten/Pac Ten schools would aspire to be at. The BCS has changed that somewhat but a trip to sunny southern California is still considered to be a great accomplishment.

This year, it appears that the only way the Buckeyes are going to Pasadena is if they can somehow pass Wisconsin in the BCS standings by Sunday night. This seems to be a pipe dream at best because of Ohio St.’s head to head loss to the Badgers in Madison back on Oct. 17. To be honest, I don’t think OSU deserves it over a Wisconsin team this year. They beat the Buckeye’s up and down the field in that fateful first half and deserve to be slated higher in the standings. In reality, it looks like the Buckeye’s will have to settle for a trip to Miami to face an ACC team or New Orleans to face an SEC team. Is that really a bad option for the team this year? I don’t think it is.

Jim Tressel's Milestone

Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel notched his 99th win last Saturday against Illinois. That means that Ohio State's next victory (lookin' at you, Indiana) will make The Senator only the 3rd coach in Buckeye history to reach the 100 win milestone, joining Woody Hayes and John Cooper as the only other members of that club. Tressel has his fans and detractors, but nobody can say he has not been successful during his tenure. Whether you are in love with Tressel-ball (as I am) or you cringe when you see the "Run, Run, Pass" offense that is so often employed by Ohio State, Jim Tressel is approaching legendary status as an Ohio State coach, and I think it is time to take a look back on his career and some of his accomplishments, and to show some appreciation for the man that reminded us what it is like to beat Michigan.

A look back in Buckeye History.

Last BH post

Every now and then, we will look back to great moments in Ohio State history and recap what happened. Today we will be looking back to the 1984 game against Illinois.

Ohio State - 45 Illinois - 38

Many people will remember this game as the game that Keith Byars broke a ton of rushing records, and at the same time, lost his shoe doing a 67 yard touchdown run. In front of the second largest crowd in history (back then), 89,937, the Buckeyes had rallied from a 24 point deficit to win it out. Byars, led the attack, rushing for 274 yards on 39 carries. He also added 5 touchdowns for the day. This broke a record held by Archie Griffin, who had rushed for 246 against Iowa in 1973. Also, the 5 touchdowns resulted in a tie for most touchdowns scored which was held by Pete Johnson. This win was a marquee win for the Buckeyes, as it moved them into a tie for the Big Ten with Iowa, Michigan, and Purdue. It all started in the second quarter, when Byars led his team to a 91 yard, ten play drive that resulted in Byars scoring on a 16 yard run. On the next possession, quarterback Mike Tomzack threw a 30 yard pass to freshman receiver Cris Carter, and Byars jumped into the endzone on a 4 yard run. In Ohio State's fourth scoring drive, Byars did it all. He had all 26 yards of their offense, and put tOSU ahead 27-24.

Chris White, for the Illini, then boomed a kick deep from 46 yards, to put the teams at a tie. The game then became tied again, this time at 35. Illinois's offense then had a chance to take the lead again, and maybe secure a win, but they stalled which resulted in Ohio State's ball. Byars and Ohio State's other running back, Wooldridge, alternated in the last drive, which started at their own 20 yard line. On second and goal, Byars took a pitch left and went around the pile, and ran into the endzone for the 5th, and game winning, touchdown for Keith Byars. The 1984 Buckeyes would proceed to win against Michigan 21-6, which would propel them into the Rose Bowl to face USC. Earle Bruce led the team to the Rose Bowl, but couldn't pull it out, as Mike Tomzack threw 3 interceptions, and Byars was used sparingly, as Tomzack threw 37 times, resulting in USC winning 20-17. As an endnote, Keith Byars did not win the Heisman trophy, although many thought he should have. Maybe if Doug Flutie hadn't thrown that Hail Mary, it might have been Byar's name on that trophy, and not Flutie's.

Final Thoughts: Oregon

Well, that was pretty freaking’ awesome. Ohio State and Jim Tressel came out with a plan on offense. Pass, when they expect run. It’s a really simple concept, but Tressel hasn’t really gotten that until now. Speaking of Tressel, did you see his face once it was over? I haven’t seen him that happy since the 2002 National Championship game against the U. Terrelle Pryor came out looking to prove he is a QB, and not just a running back that has good arm strength. He threw for career highs in attempts and more importantly, yards. I know that Thad Gibson is a man, as is Cam Heyward, but if we get them back next year as well, I don’t see why we couldn’t take it to the BCS Championship game. That’s not an opinion really, they will have so much talent next year.

You may not remember, but last year’s loss to USC, before the game, all the experts were talking about the stable of running backs that they had. Hmm, Brandon Saine, Boom Herron, Jaamal Berry, Carlos Hyde, Jermil Martin, and finally Jordan Hall. Out of all those RB’s only one is not on the team at this moment due to academics, and that is Hyde. It would not surprise me to see Brandon Saine or one of the other smaller backs be moved to a WR spot. We could use a 4th option in there, as we will have Sanzenbacher, Posey, and Duron Carter. I hope to see T Wash in the mix, but there is no word yet. Laamar Thomas is in the same situation, unfortunately.

On defense, we come back reloading, depending on some NFL decisions. If, in fact, we do happen to get Heyward and Thad back, that would leave Jermale Hines, who really has a legitimate shot at the pros, and Chimdi Chekwa. I highly doubt Chekwa would go, simply because he has a lot to learn, and he has simply not lived up to expectations so far. If we keep all of those, which leaves a free safety spot open in place of Anderson Russell, who really shouldn’t be TOO hard to replace.

Oregon played a heck of a game, but we had our way upfront. I don’t know if you all noticed, but every one of our guys was so much bigger than theirs. Look back to the only sack of the game, and Heyward barely shoved him, and Masoli went down without another thought. That’s ok; I would have done the same thing if I saw all of that steam-train coming at me. I tip my hat to Oregon’s third option, Barnes. Inside The Shoe did not really mention him during the preview, or the Matching up posts. He defiantly earned a mention.

Bowl Week 3 (part 2)

I won´t really give an introduction, other then after part 1, Inside The Shoe is now 21-13.

Today

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl - Air Force vs Houston - 12:00 PM EST - ESPN

In a re-match of last year´s bowl game, Houston´s best passing attack in the nation, will take on Air Force´s best passing defense in the nation. Houston will be led by quarterback Case Keenum, who was in the top 10 Heisman voting. Houston´s ability to run up the score has helped them, and their offense get even better. Meanwhile, Air Force has the 4th ranked rushing attack, while Houston is terrible at defending the run. With that being said, Houston will be to much for Air Force, 31-20.

Brut Sun Bowl - No. 21 Stanford vs Oklahoma - 2:00 PM ET - CBS

If your a Sooner fan, your probably feeling a bit down, not being ranked, not in a BCS bowl, and playing in El Paso. If your a Cardinal fan, you are ranked, you have one of the best backs in the nation, and your playing a former Big 12 powerhouse. Nevertheless, look for this to be a good game as Toby Gerhart and Sam Bradford lead their offenses. I see Stanford winnnig a competieve game, 28-17.

Texas Bowl - Missouri vs Navy - 3:30 PM ET - ESPN

Buckeye fans got a nice look at the triple option aganist Navy, as Navy came very close at the end to upsetting the Buckeyes. We know that Missouri is in the process of rebuilding, and that Navy fights for a whole 60 minutes, without rest, as the Buckeyes learned. So in this situation, I really like Ricky Dobbs and that crazy option attack, as Navy gets the win, closing a fantastic season, 24-10.

Insight Bowl - Iowa State vs Minnesota - 6:00 PM ET - NFL Network

After a little persuasion, and some outcrys by their fans, Iowa State fought their way into the Insight Bowl to take on the Golden Gophers. Minnesota brings in a mixed attack, with wideout Eric Decker being out to injury. Adam Weber has had a mixed season, along with the offense, as they can score points, but not many. The key is stopping ISU´s rushing attack, which Minnesota is actually good at doing. I see the Big Ten going to 2-0 after this one, 17-10

Chick-fil-A Bowl - No. 11 Virginia Tech at Tennessee - 7:30 PM ET - ESPN

With the losses to Georgia Tech, and Alabama, Va Tech will look for it´s first win in Atlanta this year, and they have to do it aganist Lane Kiffin´s Volls. Tyrod Taylor leads the attack, and I have to say, Tennessee won´t be able to stop him, or running back Ryan Williams. Virgina Tech wins a close one, 24-17

New Year´s Day

Outback Bowl - Auburn vs Northwestern - 11:00 AM ET - ESPN

Even after dropping it´s last 5 of 6 games, hopes are high at Auburn, the reason being they almost upset Alabama. Northwestern, on the other hand, has won four of it´s last 5 games, and they look to continue winning. With an SEC vs. Big Ten game, expect a bit of mouthing off to each other, but look Northwestern to pull the upset and unbelivably, the Big Ten going 3-0, 35-31.

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl - No. 16 West Virginia at Florida State - 1:00 PM ET - CBS

In Bobby Bowden´s last game as a head coach, a lot will be said about his storied career. He faces his old WVU team, and looks to go out with a bang. I hate to say they will have a tough time stopping the 3rd ranked rushing attack. WVU gets the win, 38-24.

Capital One Bowl - No. 12 LSU vs No. 13 Penn State - 1:00 PM ET - ABC

LSU wanting another 10 win season under Les Miles, looking to take care of a PSU team that lost to the Buckeyes, 24-7. Oh, I didn´t have to add that, did I? PSU´s Darryl Clark will want to go out with a win aganist an SEC opponet, but will just fall short, 24-21.

Rose Bowl

Inside The Shoe will cover this game the day of it.

Allstate Sugar Bowl - No. 3 Cincinnati at No. 5 Florida - 8:30 PM ET - FOX

A game in which both head coaches are new, due to the old ones having health problems, and getting a new job at Notre Dame. Cincy comes in looking for it´s first BCS bowl win, while Florida, looking to send Tebow on a rainbow to the NFL, where he will be, umm, no one really knows. Florida has an outstanding defense, while Cincy has a high powered offense. Florida will take this because Cincy has no defense, and Florida has one of the best. 42-21.

Part 3 will come the day after the Sugar Bowl, keep it here folks! Enjoy your New Year.

Matching Up: Defense

With 2 days until the Rose Bowl, Inside The Shoe is diving deeper into the match up between Oregon and Ohio State by looking at the three main points of the game, and choosing who has the advantage. With Oregon having the advantage on Offense, we now look at Defense.

Defensive Line

Advantage: Ohio State

Gibson/Heyward/Wilson/Larimore: I mean, do you really have to ask? These guys are about as studly as they come. All of the following linemen can pass rush, and of course, stop the run. Thad Gibson is a definte pass rusher and has great agile speed. Heyward and Wilson are similar, they both bring great run coverage and Larimore can do a combination. The D Line really showed their stuff aganist supposdly the best offensive line in the nation, USC. After a lackluster effort at Navy, it looked like the Silver Bullets were back.

Tukuafu/Bair/Ferras/Rowe: Although they all give pretty good pass rush, the defensive line for Oregon was porous when it came to the running game this year and to add on to that, their pass rush fell below expectations this year as well, as Oregon's opponets had a good time running and passing all day long to score a lot of points.

Linebackers

Advantage: Ohio State

Spitler/Rolle/Homan: When the Ohio State Buckeye linebackers took the field aganist Navy, they were filling big shoes, in Marcus Freeman, and James Laurinatis. Spitler was the only one who had game experince, although Ross Homan had quite a bit of playing time whenever the score was run up. As you know, Brian Rolle made an entrance by making the game sealing INT for 2 points aganist Navy. The season has been very good for the Buckeye linebackers, even if they had their downs. At some points they seemed to under achieve, or didn't seem to play all out. This was the closest match up, and the only reason they won this was because overall, they were better.

Matthews/Paysinger/Pleasant: At the beginning of the season, hopes were high for the linebacking core at Oregon, and they should have been. Casey Matthews, The son of former NFL star Clay Matthews, with Paysinger and Pleasant were hoping to carry this defense to a national championship. Overall, they did their jobs, but sometimes just doing your job means giving up big points to the opposing offenses. That will not win games for your team either, but you can't put it all on the linebacking core.

Secondary

Advantage: Oregon

Coleman/Torrence/Chekwa/Russell/Hines: Although very talented, Ohio State's cornerbacks really kill them, otherwise, they would have won. As you saw aganist Iowa, a quality WR gives them trouble. They also tend to leave a lot of space, which means big plays off of bubble screens, and slants. With that being said, Kurt Coleman, Jermale Hines, and (ugh) Anderson Russell have to pick up some of the slack. Russell started out awful, giving up the majority of the passing TD's, but has settled down, and is now a solid contribuitor. Kurt Coleman is, in one word, studly. Jermale Hines does his job effectivly, and likes to bring a big hit up every now and then.

Oregon: They get some players back from injuries, and coming off a huge 2008 season, Oregon's secondary has stepped up, but not to expectations. The secondary looks to correct it's final mistakes, but should worry about run defense more, as Ohio State said it would focus on the run.

Overall

Advantage: Ohio State

Ohio State: If you look at the Silver Bullets this year, they really stepped up, pitching a couple of shut outs at Toledo, Illinois, and New Mexico State. They held Penn State to 7 points, and USC to 18. In my life time, beside the 2002 national championship team, this is the best defense i've seen. That, is my opinion, but i like it, and support it. They will look to stop this crazy Oregon offensive attack, and will hope to have their final great performance.

Oregon: Focus: Stop the run. If you can force Ohio State to throw the football, you have a wayyyyy better chance to put this game under the win column. They have had an underwhelming season, giving huge points up, but it could have to do with always being on the field, because of the quick pace and up-tempo offense Oregon brings to the table.

Matching Up: Offense

With 5 days until the Rose Bowl match up between Ohio State and Oregon, Inside The Shoe will delve deep into the match ups of the game, as well as deciding who has the advantage point. First up is the Offense. The way this works, we will look at each key point in the offense\defense, and compare it with the opponent´s.

Quarterback

Advantage: Oregon

Terrelle Pryor: First off, this guy is a sophomore at Ohio State, just finishing up learning all the reads and plays. Then you look at his progression from last year, and you see it is definatly noticable, but not as much as expected. He has learned to throw the ball away more when he needs to instead of trying to make a play.  The descion making is not yet there, as well as overall accuracy. Descion making wise, just look at his INT´s this year. You can´t really say he has regressed from last year, because he wasn´t throwing as much when you had Beanie in the backfield. As far as accuracy goes, if you take a look at the Penn State game, he had a couple of deep bombs to Posey that would have been 6 both times, but resulted in an overthrow. Again, he is still young, and tends to get excited. If he can keep his arm under control he should be ok.

Jerimah Masoli: Building off of last year´s success, he lead his team to a 10-1 record (10-2 actually, but he didn´t play in the loss to Stanford) and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Masoli has been said to have one of the best fake handoffs in the game today, but he will need all of his talents to outsmart the Buckeye defense, with his uncanny ability to make a big play whenever need be. Masoli has proved himself capable of throwing in the pocket, and taking off with quick, agile speed. In the USC game, he seemed to know exactly where the defense was looking, and thinking, and would provide the sufficent play. Masoli understands the defense and all of the surrounding players abilitys to make sure the play goes smoothly.

Running Back
Advantage: Oregon

Brandon Saine\Daniel Herron: The Ohio State University is known for it´s power running game, and this year, you look at Boom and Zoom, you don´t really see that big power I-formation back. The closest to being that is Zoom, but the running game this year has been a bit confusing. You can´t replace a Beanie so says Jim Tressel, and that what this season has truly been about. Saine has started to come more into the role of an every down back, but Boom is trying to make his case, this could lead to some switching of the 2 during the Rose Bowl, and leading into next season, with the addition of Carlos Hyde(?) and Jaamal Berry.

LaMichael James\LeGarrette Blount: At the beginning of the season, Oregon fans probably were thinking something along the lines of "What happend to LeGarrette Blount?" After a 1,000 yard rushing season last season, he was held to -5 yards on 8 attempts aganist Boise State. And oh yeah, this. The result led to a year long suspension, but after further review, got taken back, and played his first game since then aganist Oregon St, in which he had 51 yards on 9 attempts with a TD. Enter LaMichael James. James burst on the scene as a true freshman and ended up with an outstanding 1,476 yards on 215 attempts. He is sure to be a great RB someday, and could look forward to a Heisman running in the next couple of years.

Wide Recevier
Advantage: Ohio State

Posey\Sanzenbacher: There´s not much you can say about either team´s receivers, although Ed Dickson for Oregon provides a bit of a knockout punch. Posey and Sanzenbacher are more than sufficant when it comes to making big plays, and more importantly, getting open. Sanzenbacher has deceiving speed, and doesn´t mind going over the middle and\or taking a hit. Posey always runs a good post or even better, a fade route. With the loss of Ray Small and Duron Carter, it looks like Laamar Thomas will finally get his chance. Taurian Washington will also join the mix of WR out on the feild, and it will be intresting to see what he can produce.

Ed Dickson\Jeff Mahel\D.J. Davis: The talented tightend in Ed Dickson is their main receiving threat, and looks to have a great career ending game. As for Mahel and Davis, they provide speed and talent, and will provide Masoli more options to go to. Don´t go counting out the running backs as a passing threat either, James had 13 receptions for 143 yards.

Offensive Line
Advantage: Depends.

Ohio State\Oregon: The offensive line is hard to judge. Both these teams amounted for just about as many rushing yards as each other, with Oregon having more on 2 more attempts. The reason I put depends is merely because the Ohio State line is complicated. On one hand, you can have the USC\Penn St. game line, or the Purdue game. If the USC one shows up, i would have to give it to Ohio State, but Oregon has done such a great job up front, I almost gave this one to them, seeing as they had the better stats, and have put forth a USC effort all year long. So this is for you to judge and decide.



Overall Offense
Advantage: Oregon

So Oregon is the winner of Offense. The Oregon offense has blown up this year, creaming teams like USC, Arizona, etc. Remember there is more to a football game then offense, and the defense and special teams play just as an important part. We here at Inside The Shoe have looked over some film, and decided that Oregon was better on offense..Ohio State, has growing pains at the moment. So, let us know your thoughts.

Speed is Key for Defense.

In my eyes, speed is a factor that is a luxury to have. Speed can define your team, or kill it. Oregon has speed, in both their running backs and our course, their QB Jerimeiah Masoli. Masoli is a reason Oregon fans are sort of glad that they didn´t land Terrelle Pryor. I mean, he can throw way better then Pryor can, by far. The dude can run, and has a the nastiest fake handoff in the book. That is where Jim Tressel and Buckeye nation hopes the defensive line can come in.

Jim Tressel has used the big brain and has decided to use 3rd string quarterback Kenny Guiton as their "Masoli". If you look at the game aganist Texas last year, Colt Mccoy led an offense, not similar to Oregon´s, but ran a hurry up offense. Thad Gibson was arguably Ohio State´s main pass rush threat, and yet he lined up offsides due to the fatigue of the hurry up twice. If Ohio State´s defense can keep up with the speed, they can most certainly have a huge impact. I can argue that this is one of, if not the best, defensive line in the country. They tend to be at their best aganist the "big" teams (See USC, Penn St). They do have a tendancy to slack a little bit, (Purdue, Navy) but that is overcomable.

The secondary is what worries me the most. Although Oregon lost Jamere Holland, they still have some pretty decent deep threats. This secondary is home to some corners that are young, Torrence, under acheiving, Chekwa, and just plain bad, Russell. Their is one star that will have to have a huge game, and I expect him to. That man is Kurt Coleman. Kurt Coleman looks to make a lasting impression by leading the Buckeyes to their first bowl victory since 2005. Ouch. He will also most likely want to make a good showing for the NFL scouts bound to be there. As Yogi mentioned, our corners like to give a little space to the receivers. NOT ALLOWED. Oregon likes throwing the quick little hitches and slants. Of course, look out for the bubble screen to the James.

Once again, please remember. Speed is Key.

Go Bucks.

BCS Bowl Breakdown by Inside The Shoe.

Rose Bowl Presented by Citi - No. 7 Oregon vs No. 8 Ohio State

This is one of the BCS Bowl match-ups that almost everyone is looking forward to. It is sort of intresting in the plot. Here we have Oregon, looking to prove that the Pac-10 is not a one man team, and is trying to earn national respect. Ohio State, on the other hand, is trying to convince the nation that they still belong in that national spotlight. Oregon has a small defense, but will be facing a talented, big, but a very inconsistent offense, headed by sophomore Terrelle Pryor. On the offensive side of the ball, Oregon has one of the top 10 rushing games and faces the 5th ranked rushing defense in the Buckeyes. All very intresting. With all of this going on, Oregon is a 3 point favorite.

Allstate Sugar Bowl - No. 3 Cincinnati vs No. 5 Florida

In what many people view as a pretty big mismatch, the Big East champions look to take down the defending national champions. Florida comes in looking very strong on D, and a little blustered on offense. Alabama pounded them to the point it seemed like they didn't really want to seem to play anymore. On the other side, Cincy comes off a huge win over Big East rival, Pitt. After a long TD special, the Bearcats won by an extra point, showing they once again, have almost no defense. Giving Illinois 36 points is quite an amazing feat.

Tostitos Feista Bowl - No. 4 TCU vs No. 6 Boise State

I have to say, I am one of many that agree that the BCS voted for a cop-out. Instead of trying to prove a point that these confrences deserve BCS bids, and that they should have national respect, they will just be beating each other up in the face. The big key to this game is TCU's amazing defense aganist the best scoring offense, Boise State, in the NCAA. I would look out though, TCU has a pretty darn good offense.

FedEx Orange Bowl - No. 9 Georgia Tech vs No. 10 Iowa

Iowa got the 2nd BCS bowl for the Big Ten and Georgia Tech is feeling confident as they just won a close game aganist Spiller and the Tigers. GT's bread and butter is the triple option, though unfortunatly for them, Iowa's inside linmen are built for stopping the run. Just ask Ohio State. Right? Right?

CITI BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - No. 1 Alabama vs No. 2 Texas

People are already wanting to give the crystal, when Texas had to use every second they had to beat the good defense of Nebraska. After Alabama crushed the defending national and SEC champs, who would argue? I think it was read into to much about the Big 12 champ game, but I would defintaly say it's never to early to start watching film.

Now We Know.

Well, now we know who to prepare for. The Ohio State Buckeyes will be facing the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, for all the Roses in it. Jim Tressel and Co. need to learn how to shut down freshman running back LeMichael James, and Jermiah Masoli. This is a great game to watch, and for OSU to try and get their respect back, little by little. Ok Ohio State, let's see what you got.

National CFB Games This Weekend.

It's time again for the weekly games to come. This is really the last regular season week, and to look back on it, this has been the fastest year of college football of my life.We the Buckeyes have had our ups, (Penn St. Iowa) and our downs (USC, Purdue). Overall though, most Buckeye fans realized that we would be headed to the Rose Bowl, due to losing to Penn St. and USC, just like last year. Well, USC came and went, but we lost to Purdue, but won out. So really, expectations were met this year. Now for the rest of the BCS, it really counts tonight and this weekend. After last week, we at Inside The Shoe are now 10-4. So! Let's get to it.

National Games

Today – #14 Oregon State at #7 Oregon – 9:00 p.m. (ESPN)

This match-up will deciede who Ohio State faces in the Rose Bowl. Oregon comes in off a double overtime win @ Arizona, with QB Jermiah Massoli, and running back(s) LeMichal James and LeGarette Blount(?). Oregon State will look to win the Civil war, although most Buckeye fans agree Oregon would be the "sexier" opponet. I think that Oregon faces trouble ahead, but will eventually come up victorious 37-21.

Saturday - #5 Cincinnati at #13 Pittsburgh – 12:00 p.m. (ABC)

After last week's debacle aganist WVU, I lost a lot of faith in Pitt. They don't seem to be very consistent, and Brian Kelly and Co. won't have any of it as UC will take this one, and try to head to the BCS, 28-13

SEC Championship Game: #1 Florida vs. #2 Alabama – 4:00 p.m. (CBS)

This one is being dubbed as the defacto BCS Championsip game. That's terrible. I honestly believe that Florida is overrated, and Alabama is a national title contender this year. As long as the Defense holds up for Bama, then they will win this thing fairly easily, 24-10.

ACC Championship Game: #10 Georgia Tech vs. #25 Clemson – 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Georgia Tech's triple option is one of the best I have seen in a long time, but i have to go with Clemson and my man, C.J. Spiller, 17-6.

Big XII Championship Game: #3 Texas vs. #23 Nebraska – 8:00 p.m. (ABC)

All i have to really say about this game is, Welcome to the NC since 2005 Texas, 35-14.

Rose Bowl Future at stake.

The time has come to decide who we will play in this years Rose Bowl. Tommorow on ESPN, #7 Oregon will take on Oregon State for the invitation to the Rose Bowl. at 9:00 est. Everyone who is a Buckeye fan will most likely watch. Oregon is Inside The Shoe's favorite, although Oregon State has almost nothing to lose, except the Rose Bowl. Enjoy you viewing needs.