Troy Smith Sees Greatness In Ohio State Quarterback Braxton Miller

The sky is the limit for Miller

Since first stepping onto the field in a game against the Akron Zips in the 2011 season, sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller has drawn many comparisons in his style of play. 

It's a common thing college football fans do. Terrelle Pryor was Vince Young, Carlos Hyde is/was Eddie George. When Miller took the reins at quarterback, he instantly was the next Troy Smith. 

Out of many comparisons, I think this one in particular is spot on. Both quarterbacks aren't the tallest in the game (Smith is 6'0" while Braxton stands at 6'3"), but the athletic ability surpasses any type of weakness. Whether it's making plays with their feet or dancing around would-be tacklers to buy time to throw, Troy and Braxton have a lot in common.

Now, Troy Smith himself is calling out the comparison. Only thing is, he's taking it one step even further: 

“I see a lot of myself in him, all of myself,” Smith said. “I solely believe he has a chance to be 10 times better than I was. He’s a lot faster. He’s a much better athlete.

“I’m extremely excited about his future. I want to see him take off.”

Smith said he is impressed with how Miller handles himself off the field, as well, something he learned more about when he said the two quarterbacks met for the first time recently. Smith said Miller and other players today have increased media coverage and social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook, which put standouts such as Miller under more of a microscope than Smith was under during his OSU career.

To not only be compared to Troy Smith by Smith himself, but to also be told that he can be ten times better than what Smith was in college is a pretty damn good compliment. Smith, as you know, won a Heisman trophy in 2006 while on the way to the biggest stage in college football. The Buckeyes hadn't been to the championship game since 2002, when Smith was a freshman (he later red-shirted). The ending wasn't as sweet as anyone wanted it to be, but Troy had led his team to the promised land. 

Former Ohio State Running Back Daniel "Boom" Herron Drafted By Bengals

Boom Herron is headed to the Bengals

While Daniel "Boom" Herron missed the first six games of the season in 2011, he was still able to make a big impact on the team by rushing for 678 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry (135 total carries).

Today, Boom Herron's hard work at Ohio State paid off as the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Herron in the 6th round with the 191st overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

His total career at Ohio State (4 years) he had 32 touchdowns and 2,872 yards on 593 carries. He once played backup to fellow former Buckeye Beanie Wells and also split time with backs such as Brandon Saine and Jordan Hall.

Herron was also named one of the 2011 team captains by Luke Fickell. He leaves the Buckeyes ranked eighth in TDs and was a first-team All-Big Ten performer his junior season.

Boom gets to stay in the great state of Ohio, near his friends and family. Herron will get to learn from current running back Cedric Benson has been given a opprotunity from the Bengals to come in and compete right away. I think Boom's tenacity and hard work will pay off with some minutes this fall.

This leaves Mike Brewster from Ohio State as the only other Buckeye prospect that is expected to be taken in the NFL draft this year. With the draft winding down, time is running out for Brewster who's stock fell after a lackluster senior year.

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

The 2011 Ohio State Team Awards

Herron has come a long way

It was announced over the weekend that the annual team awards for the football team were given out. Daniel "Boom" Herron was the head-liner this year, getting the team's MVP status.

After leading the Buckeyes in rushing last season with 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns, Heron was suspended the first five games of the 2011 season for his involvement in the tattoos-for-memorabilia scandal.

He was suspended an additional game by the NCAA for the overpayment he received from now-dissociated booster Bobby DiGeronimo, but returned to run for 596 yards and three touchdowns over the final six games of the season. The Buckeyes won their first three games with Herron back in the lineup, including a 33-29 upset of Wisconsin in Columbus. Herron ran for 160 in that game, but Ohio State then slumped with a three-game losing streak to close out the season. They will now play in the 2011-2012 Gator Bowl, against Florida.

Here are some past MVP Award Winners:

2001: Jonathan Wells

2002: Craig Krenzel & Chris Gamble

2003: Michael Jenkins

2004: Mike Nugent

2005: A.J. Hawk

2006: Troy Smith

2007: Beanie Wells

2008: Beanie Wells

2009: Kurt Coleman

2010: Dane Sanzenbacher

5 Star Defensive End Noah Spence Commits To Ohio State

Spence is ready to rumble

Urban Meyer has done it again. This time the Ohio State Buckeyes landed their 19th commitment in the 2012 class, landing 5-star defensive end Noah Spence. Spence took an official visit yesterday, the 17th. The official visit was Spence’s first and last. He picked Ohio State over scholarship offers from LSU, Florida, Maryland and Penn State, his other finalists.

Braxton Miller, Curtis Grant and Chase Farris played host to Spence and Spence made the trip to Columbus with his father Greg and mother Helen.

The 6'3" and 235lb Noah Spence has been a varsity starter for one of the top prep football programs in the country since his freshman year. He made 42 tackles including 8.5 sacks that season, and then made 55 tackles with 8 sacks his sophomore year, before a spectacular junior season. In his junior year, he made 102 tackles and had a whopping 22 sacks last season.

This season, as a senior, he led Bishop McDevitt to the state championship game. Although they lost the title game 52-0 on Friday night to finish with a 13-3 record, Spence was still dominant all season long. Urban Meyer was even on hand for the contest.

In addition to being the country’s No.1 weakside defensive end, Spence is the No. 1 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania and the country’s No. 15 overall prospect. His list of dozens and dozens of scholarship offers includes the five schools mentioned as well as USC, Notre Dame, Michigan, North Carolina State, Michigan State, Iowa, Illinois, Pitt and Rutgers.

See him in action in video highlights after the jump.

Quarterback Taylor Graham To Transfer From Ohio State

Tim May has reported that Taylor Graham was granted a release from Ohio State, freeing up a scholarship and leaving Ohio State with only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.

Graham is without a doubt a pocket-passer and was not a good fit for what Urban Meyer wanted in a QB for the spread offense. During the spring and summer of 2011, it appeared that Taylor Graham was making some noise in the QB department to try and take that #1 spot from Joe Bauserman. As camps went on, Braxton was moved into the #2 spot, while Bauserman retained that top spot. Since then, things have been quiet with Taylor Graham.

Obviously with the new hire, Graham is looking to take his talents somewhere he will fit the offense better. The redshirt freshman stands at 6'4", 230 lbs and is from the state of Illinois. Taylor's father played quarterback for Ohio State (1990-91) and 11 seasons in pro football. We haven't seen any of Graham in games, other than the Spring game. 

On a side note, as I mentioned above, this also opens up another scholarship for Urban Meyer to use on the recruiting front, and will certainly be put to good use. 

Wherever Taylor happens to end up, we wish him the very best in the future.

Official: Ohio State Will Play Florida In The Gator Bowl

Greg Smith, Chairman of the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl and Jacksonville & NE Florida President of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, announced today that the Ohio State University will play the University of Florida in the January 2, 2012 TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl.

The last meeting between these two storied programs was in the 2007 BCS National Championship game, which Florida prevailed in a 41-14 victory.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the Big Ten representative, and this match up will mark Ohio State’s second appearance in the Gator Bowl. Their first and only other appearance was in 1978 Gator Bowl (You might remember that game). Ohio State has appeared in 12 different bowl games and the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl will be their 42nd bowl game in their history. 

This is widely considered the "Urban Meyer Bowl" because Buckeye coach Urban Meyer will be coaching against his former team, which he led from 2005-2010. Ohio State is 1-9 vs. the SEC (0-8 if you're not counting the vacated win over Arkansas last year)

The game between the Gators and Buckeyes will be played on January 2nd, mentioned above, at 1:00 PM EST in Jacksonville, Florida. 

If you want to buy tickets, they are going on sale Monday, December 5th (tomorrow) starting at $60 per ticket. 

We'll have all the coverage and info here at ITS, so stay tuned for analysis and news. 

Recruiting: 3 Star Wide Receiver Ricquan Southward Switches Commitment To Ohio State

Coming to Ohio State

3 Star wide receiver recruit Ricquan Southward has decommitted from Miami (Fl.) and has verbally committed to Ohio State. This is a pretty good get for Ohio State, as they recently missed out on Dwayne Stanford to Oregon. Southward, who is 6'2'' 190 lbs, was committed to Miami until his official visit to Ohio State, which took place on November 20th. From then on, rumors and whispers occured about Southward perhaps changing his mind on the Hurricanes, in favor of Ohio State.

When Dwayne Stanford committed to Oregon, that left the door wide open for Ricquan, He was recruited primarily by Stan Drayton, who is expected to remain on Meyer's staff next season. In addition to OSU and Miami, Southward had interest from Ole Miss, USF, Florida State, Mississippi State, Maryland, Florida, Texas Tech, Georgia, and others.


This might be the first recruit that had influence from Urban Meyer coming to Ohio State. Stan Drayton and Urban Meyer are normally after wide receivers of Southwards talents, and could come into Ohio State knowing that Urban is the man at the helm next year. This is the 16th recruit to join the 2012 Ohio State class. 


Video highlights after the jump.

WR Michael Thomas Official Commitment Gives Ohio State #13 In 2012

Game face

A week ago, we told you that wide-out Michael Thomas was just about set in stone to come to Ohio State. Now, that's been confirmed after his official visit to Ohio Stadium when the Buckeyes hosted the Badgers in a 33-29 upset win. After the game, Thomas said that he was going to announce his commitment officially sometime this weekend. Michael is currently enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy, with fellow Buckeye commit Cardale Jones.

Christian Bryant and Braxton Miller were the ones that hosted Thomas on his stay at Ohio State, and Thomas said that there were many reasons for staying,  as he was noting the tradition OSU holds with the country, and he knows there's a great opportunity to come in and start right away next year. Thomas is 6'4'', 200 pounds who runs great routes, and has outstanding explosiveness.

Ohio State's 2012 class of recruits is already a fantastic bunch, and Thomas is the 13th commit, with that number expected to rise to 18 by National Signing Day.

Live Blog: Ohio State vs. #15 Wisconsin

Join us at 7:45 PM EST when the Buckeyes host the #15 ranked Wisconsin Badgers on ABC!

WR Michael Thomas "Commits" To Ohio State

Dude's got hops

According to Bucknuts, Michael Thomas, a 6'4'', 203 lb wide receiver has committed (Ed. Note: Sounds like Thomas hasn't officially committed, but it HAS been said that his mind is made up, and that it's "just a formality") to Ohio State as a part of the class of 2012. He was originally a part of the 2011 class, but due to poor academics, Thomas chose to go to Fork Union Military Academy (FUMA) to help out his grades, and show more of his talent on the field. Ironically enough, Cardale Jones is currently at Fork Union for the same exact reason. Jones came into this class as a nice combo with Braxton Miller, but with the QB situation playing out like it has, Jones next season could be the #2 guy behind Miller.

The nephew of NFL star Keyshawn Johnson originally visited Ohio State back in the summer of this year, and will be taking an official visit to Ohio State on October 29th, when the Buckeyes host the Badgers of Wisconsin. This is a huge get for Ohio State's recruiting staff, as the wide receivers are thin, and very young and inexperienced.

Coming in next year, Thomas could have a chance to play right away, and I'm sure that appeals to his nature. Thomas has fantastic hands, and a very strong route runner. He has very good awareness, and is good at catching the ball at its highest point while catching in traffic as well. While he doesn't have break-neck speed, Thomas does have some above-average speed, and can still get around most corners or safeties, and his hands make up for what his feet can't do.

If The 'Shoe Fits: Podcast #4

We're back in action for our podcast, "If The 'Shoe Fits". This is only our 4th podcast, but we promise to have one every week from here on out! It's now a weekly feature, along with some of new ones, and we hope it can be as successful as the rest of the blog-o-sphere's.

This week, Brady and I discuss our thoughts and feelings regarding the Akron game, as well as give you guys a preview of what's to come on Saturday when OSU takes on the Rockets of Toledo. We also talk Heisman contenders (or pretenders), some BCS teams that fell hard, or played better than we thought they would, and much more! Tune in after the jump. Be sure to give us your thoughts and feelings on how we can make it better and more enjoyable for our readers/listeners.

Luke Fickell Gets First Win As Head Coach

After much speculation and waiting, the 2011 season finally started. Start it did, as the Buckeyes rolled to a 42-0 win over the Akron Zips. Luke Fickell was coaching in his first game as the main man, and Joe Bauserman and Braxton Miller were impressive in their season debuts. More in the recap, which will go up tomorrow. Go Bucks!

Preview: #14 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Akron Zips

Fickell In Charge In 2011

The Ohio State Buckeyes are without head coach Jim Tressel for the first time in 10 years. Luke Fickell has taken over a program that continues to hold the headlines with the NCAA, and that's not good news for any football program in America. Yet, despite all this the Buckeyes are still ranked fairly high with some decent expectations. 


The departures of Tressel and Pryor aren't the only absences which may plague the Buckeyes. Although the team returns top rusher Boom Herron and brings back receiver DeVier Posey, they are among four players who were suspended the first five games for taking part in the exchange.

Also sitting out will be starting tackle Mike Adams, backup defensive end Soloman Thomas, starting running back Jordan Hall, starting corner Travis Howard, and 2nd string defensive back Corey Brown. The last 3 came with the release from Ohio State yesterday, when we reported that they had received a combined total of $300 in a supposed gift basket from a Breast cancer charity event. 

We Are The Ohio State Buckeyes And You Are Buckeye Nation

Forever Changed The Internet

YouTube is a great place online to remember and recall plays of the past, to watch the world react to a soccer goal and find things that keep you distracted for hours at work.

This week, as we approach the first game of the season, the first game of a new Era of Ohio State Football...a YouTube video was posted, with messages from this year's team to Buckeye Nation. It is a video including players comments on why they came to Ohio State, what they want out of this season and also a reassurance that we are in this 'together', against the world and together, we will shock the world!

As I watched, I was filled with an enormous sense of pride and passion...some of which I honestly lost on Memorial Day...it has been a long, hard summer for us fans, but now it is time to get back to doing what we do best...cheering on our Buckeyes! 

ITS's Preseason Blogpoll Ballot

Happy Monday to you, and welcome to the first week of the 2011 College Football season. How awesome does that sound? As we told you yesterday, Inside The Shoe has been given the honor of being on the staff of the prestigious Blogpoll, presented by SB Nation. Look at us all grown up, using big words. The way the ITS Blogpoll Top 25 works, is that our 5 writers all send in their own personal Top 25, and I average them out into the "final" ballot that gets turned into SB Nation. So while I might have put Western Kentucky at #1, the rest of the writers might have them at #2 or #3, ultimately pulling them down to #2 or #3. We are very excited about this opportunity, and we hope you give us your thoughts on how the poll turned out, so we can adjust it in the future polls.

This is as much as our poll as it is yours. We will take all comments into consideration, and nothing gets overlooked. With that, our rankings are after the jump, so we'll see you there!

Recap: Day 2 of Fall Camp

Poised to start?

Let's jump right in:


- Jaamal Berry and Jordan Hall were featured as wideouts in many different formations, which is obviously to help the speed front and spread-type offense. Both of course are still mainly running backs, with the exception of Hall who might be a hybrid this year.


- Rod Smith and Carlos Hyde are looking pretty good running the football, making this stable not only great, but harder to determine who will get the majority of the snaps while Boom Herron is suspended.


- The QB play was "meh" again yesterday as Braxton had a couple of really nice throws, but also threw an interception and had trouble completing shorter passes, much like Pryor did. With it being only his second practice, it might have been nerves, so we won't look too much into it.


- Taylor Graham and Joe Bauserman both played decently, with Bauserman probably getting the nod in this situation. Bauserman was throwing bombs all day, and only overthrew Posey on one of them. I'm not on the Bauserman bandwagon, though. 

Are The Buckeyes Going To Win The Big Ten?

How far can Fickell take this team?

Phil Steele in his latest predictions, has Ohio State winning the Big Ten Leader's division despite the losses of Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel. This isn't too surprising, and he obviously has a lot of faith in what Luke Fickell can do. I do as well, but I can't tell if they can win a B1G championship just yet. I have to be able to see Nebraska, Wisconsin, etc. The B10 is very deep this year, with Wisconsin (along with getting Russell Wilson), Michigan State, an interesting Illinois team, Nebraska, and some early underdogs that could step up with some pretty big upsets.

While I think it is possible, I think the first 5 games are going to be the real test for Braxton Miller (who's been rumored to be the starter, based off subtle notes in the Big Ten media day) and how he plays, along with our stable of running backs, will decide how the rest of the season plays out. Michigan State, Miami, and Nebraska are going to be some real tough tests, not just for Miller, but the defense as well. After the jump, look what Phil Steele has to say about his latest predictions on the Buckeyes.

Kyle Kalis Commits To Michigan

Kyle Kalis left OSU for TTUN

Brady Hoke has taken serious advantage of Jim Tressel's resignation as he has grabbed another Ohio recruit from under the Buckeye's nose. Kyle Kalis, a 6'5", 305 lb lineman,  is a tough, strong lineman who dominates consistently. He plays the game hard and is an excellent run blocker and drive blocker. He plays with good leverage and finishes his blocks strong. He shows the ability to pull and lead, and is coordinated and athletic in the open field. He has good feet all around, which is also evident in pass pro. 


If there's a downside, it's that he may not be long enough for left tackle. Kalis is considered a five-star recruit by Scout and is ranked as the No. 6 offensive tackle in the nation. Rivals, which gives him four stars, ranks Kalis fourth at his position and 18th nationally. ESPN and 24/7 Sports also give Kalis four stars, and the latter has Kalis ranked eighth at offensive tackle and second in the state of Ohio.

According to Rivals, Kalis' offer list includes Michigan, Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin, among others.

With Kalis committing to Michigan, Hoke's recruiting class for 2012 is shaping up to be one that finishes in the top five in the nation. Not only has Michigan added a big talent at offensive tackle, but his commitment could provide a lot of momentum for the Wolverines going forward.

Mike Vrabel Accepts OSU Job, Headed Home

Much to our expectations, Mike Vrabel has accepted the job to Ohio State. That job title is assistant coach, and could be a great find for the Buckeyes. Not only does this help out current players trying to get to the NFL, but think about the recruiting it could bring Luke Fickell's staff. A just retired NFL player that was outstanding at what he did could be a serious attention grabber for some big time defensive recruits. Simply because he has been there and knows what NFL scouts are looking for and what teams will treat them like, etc.

Vrabel will bring some serious intensity to this team and get them fired up. I'm truly excited about this pick up, because if anyone is going to motivate this team into doing things no one thought possible it's Mike Vrabel. An impressive NFL career that included 4 Super Bowls, Vrabel knows how to win. This is a refreshing choice by the Ohio State office, and I think we're in for a treat.

11 Former Players Inducted In OSU Hall of Fame

Mike Doss reaches another goal

The Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame will grow by 11 members this year, as six men and five women will be inducted the weekend of Sept. 9 and 10 the Men's Varsity O Alumni Association and the Women's Varsity O Alumnae Society announced Wednesday. The class will be officially inducted Sept. 9 during a ceremonial dinner and introduced to the public at halftime of the Ohio State home football game against Toledo Sept. 10.


The 2011 class includes: Didi Albrecht (rowing), Raj Bhavsar (men’s gymnastics), Mitch Clark (wrestling), Katy Craig (women’s track and field), Mike Doss (football), Jessica Marshall (pistol), Orlando Pace (football), Leo Raskowski (football), Stacy Roth (softball), Bobby Watkins (football) and Kristen White (women’s golf). If you'd like to attend the OSU Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner and Ceremonies, you can for a price of $50 for the women's event and $75 for the men's event. Both dinners will be held September 9 in the Archie Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union. The women's event will start at 5:30 PM and the men's event will begin at 6:30 PM. For more information contact VarsityO@osu.edu.


Mike Doss was one of the hardest working people on the team, and said he came back to win a national championship his senior year. Most people laughed, but then found out later Ohio State would make history by being the first team to ever go 14-0 and win a National Championship. What he had to say: “I’m very humbled to have this opportunity to be inducted at such an early age. To be inducted in the first place is great, but for it to happen this soon is an honor and a privilege.” 


Orlando Pace, a two-time first team All-American and two-time All-Big Ten selection, started in every game for the Buckeyes between the 1994-1996 campaigns. During his time at Ohio State, Pace became one of the most dominant offensive linemen ever to play the game. Playing one of the most challenging positions in football, Pace did not allow a sack in either of his last two years. He was known for his famous “Pancake Block” his junior year, finishing the season with 80 of those (knocking his defender to the ground and on his back). The mountain of a man went on to the NFL and earned a Super Bowl ring 2 years after being drafted.