What Went Right/Wrong: The Game

Brown showed some improvement

There's something very deceiving about the 6-6 record that Ohio State holds for the 2011 season. A lot of these losses came down to either the final couple of minutes in the game, or were within striking distance the entire day. We lost to Michigan 40-34. Before that margin, Michigan was at first and goal, leading with only a couple of minutes left in the game. Then some magic took place, allowing hope to enter my head.

That magic, came in the form of some very stupid mistakes by Michigan. A holding call, and then a personal foul against the Wolverines pushed them all the way back to around the 20 yardline. In turn, they had to kick a field goal, leading to the final score. Of course, Ohio State had an opportunity to get things going and to win the ballgame with a last minute drive once again.

With that, let's get onto what went wrong and right for the Buckeyes on Saturday.

Live Blog: Ohio State vs. #18 Michigan

The Rivalry is finally here. Ohio State hasn't had the season Buckeye fans had hoped for, but with this group of freshman, hopes are high for the coming years. Right now, nothing else matters. Urban Meyer? Psh. Luke Fickell? It's his time to leave a legacy. Go Bucks.

Join the Live Blog at 11:45 to cheer on the Buckeyes as they head to Ann Arbor.

Hate Week!

Let's sing some songs

Hate week is officially upon us! The Ohio State-Michigan series continues to be one of the greatest rivalries in all of sport. It was just a short five years ago that The Game featured #1 vs. #2 and vaulted Ohio State into the National Championship game against Florida. Obviously that season didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to (thanks banquet circuit) but that game will live in Buckeye lore as one of the greatest games ever played.

This year’s contest has quite a different feel to it than years past. Over the last 5 seasons it has been Michigan sporting the underdog label. Not this year.

Ohio St. is reeling from a 2 game losing streak and is struggling to find its’ way on both sides of the ball. Early lines on this game favored Michigan by 8.5 and that will probably only go up as the game nears. The Buckeyes are being lead into battle by a first-year interim coach and everyone’s favorite (NOT) offensive coordinator, Jim Bollman, is still calling the plays. The Buckeyes will have to be on top of their game to escape Ann Arbor (is a whore) with a victory and continue its’ ridiculous streak of 2,900+ days of dominance.

Ohio State And TTUN: My Thoughts

"The Game" is back

Here we are, at a week like no other on the calendar. There are other big weeks in the sports world. The first weekend on the NCAA Tournament, the Final 4, the Super Bowl, maybe even the Indianapolis 500 are all great weekend. However, each of these weeks pales in comparison to the week that is Michigan Week.

Michigan Week (this is the last time I will refer to that school by name) is more then just the end result a Saturday football game. It is a week of activities, hype, and anticipation. The campus is alive, the sports radio shows are dominated by talk of the game, and social media full of OSU vs TSUN talk. 

Jim Tressel Is A Buckeye For Life

The Senator is here to stay in our hearts

On Saturday evening, after a well planned Facebook group started, a pack of about 200 people that were fans/students of the Ohio State University, surrounded Coach Tressel's house and started to sing "We Don't Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan" in which he replied with a quote that will forever define The Vest:

"Don't forget: Nov. 26th we're going to kick their ass!"

This, beyond anything else, shows his true dedication and love for the Buckeyes of Ohio State. While his play-calling may be soft and boring, he has changed his mild mannered ways as of lately, along with the rumored cuss word sounded at the 2011 Sugar Bowl. We will always stand behind Coach Tressel and his ways, and of course will always be welcome in Buckeye Nation.

Also, this is pretty classic:

Jim Tressel Resigns

We'll miss you, Coach

The start of the whole Ray Small, "everyone is doing it" quote with the Lantern, really had me concerned on how OSU would handle it. Coupled with the fact that an SI "investigative" journalist was coming out with a story on Tressel a day or two after, and the pressure must have been too much for the Vest. 


From Gordon Gee:

" I write to let you know that later this morning we will be announcing the resignation of Jim Tressel as head coach of the University's football program. As you all know, I appointed a special committee to analyze and provide advice to me regarding issues attendant to our football program. In consultation with the senior leadership of the University and the senior leadership of the Board, I have been actively reviewing the matter and have accepted Coach Tressel's resignation.

My public statement will include our common understanding that throughout all we do, we are One University with one set of standards and one overarching mission. The University's enduring public purposes and its tradition of excellence continue to guide our actions."

Hoke Getting Wolverines Fired Up For The Wrong (Or right) Team!

Coming Soon: Losing to another small school

Watch out Athens, Brady Hoke and that School Up North are setting up for a big rivalry with you!

On January 13, 2011 Hoke was hired as the successor to Rich Rodriguez as the University of Michigan football coach. During his first press conference as head coach, he let it be known that the rivalry with Ohio was important to him, and it was going to be important to his players.

Hoke grew up in Kettering, OH, the same hometown which gave us great Buckeye Linebacker and current Green Bay Packer AJ Hawk. John Hoke, Brady's father, played football at the University of Miami (OH) under Woody Hayes and with Bo Schembechler. After high school, Brady attended Ball State University and was a 4 year letter winner in football and served as a captain his senior year (1980).

With the history of Hayes in his background and growing up in Ohio, you would think he would be an Ohio State man. Instead he is now and seems has always been...a Michigan man.

Thank YOU, Jim Tressel

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Jim Tressel making one of the most famous speeches in Ohio State history. "In 310 days..." has been used over and over with OSU fans, and no Buckeye fan will ever forget the moment. All Ohio State fans are Tressel fans. Jim Tressel has brought Ohio State a national championship, an overall record of 106–22 at Ohio State, including seven Big Ten Conference championships, a 6–4 bowl record, a 5–3 mark in BCS bowl games, and an 9–1 record against the arch-rival Michigan Wolverines. Tressel's nine wins against Michigan place him second in school history to Woody Hayes, who had 16. Considering Hayes had a much longer tenure, Tressel may just surpass Woody at some point.

Tressel is such a big influence on the game, as a head coach should be, that constant articles are being written about him, like this, and this. He has a contract through 2014, but early speculation is that after that, he will retire after that. Honestly, I don't think he will. I'm not saying he's going to be the next Joe Paterno, but Tressel might stick around for whoever may come after the Braxton Miller era. We will see. 

For now, I'm glad we have Tress behind the sweatervest, on the sidelines with the conservative "Tresselball". He continues to win big games, and is an upstanding person off the field. His students have done mostly well, and don't get in trouble too often. He has a good grasp of these kids, and knows how to bring them together, which is why their results on the football field are fantastic. 

Happy 10th, Tress.

Ohio State Seniors Shut Down Michigan

Boom led the way with big runs
AP Photo/Amy Sancetta

Some say the Buckeyes take the rivalry more seriously than do the Wolverines. Obviously Michigan players would say that because they've now lost 7 straight to Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Terrelle Pryor had TD passes covering 7 yards to Dane Sanzenbacher and 33 yards to DeVier Posey and Dan "Boom" Herron finished with 175 yards on 22 carries. Herron also tied a record for longest run from scrimmage in 88-year-old Ohio Stadium when he went 89 yards in the third quarter. He actually raced 98 yards untouched, but the touchdown was called back because Sanzenbacher held a defender as Herron was heading into the end zone. 


Pryor completed 18 of 27 passes for 220 yards with one interception. Once Ohio State was in complete control of the game, the game ceased to be exciting. Tresselball had taken effect, but the crowd didn't mind. They were too busy singing "We Don't Give A Damn, For The Whole State Of Michigan" 


Ohio State's defense, with backup cornerback Travis Howard intercepting one pass and recovering two fumbles, controlled a Michigan offense that came in averaging 37 points and 515 yards per game. The Wolverines ended up with 351 yards, and the second half was only held to 100. The defense really proved they are one of the best in the nation.


Now the question remains for the Buckeyes who earned a share of the Big Ten Title, what bowl will they land in. The Sugar Bowl seems likely, but who will they play? LSU lost to Arkansas last night, and Auburn is undefeated. TCU is most likely headed to the Rose Bowl, so who's left? We'll be discussing this tomorrow in our podcast.

Live Blog: #7 Ohio State vs. TTUN

It's time for the last regular season game against That Team Up North. The Buckeye's are in the 'Shoe for the last time this season, and the seniors are ready to go out with a bang. On the line is a BCS bid, and bragging rights. Join us at 11:45 to get this show started!

THE Game: What It Means To Me

The man with the plan was right

This week we are running a feature where each of the writers tries to describe what the annual Ohio State vs. Michigan game means to them. Here's SBB's take:


There are a lot of games I could write about that I was at. 2002, 2004, 2006. For me, it all starts with a game in 2001 in A.A. and a promise that was given a few months before.

Let me give you a little back story. I grew up in Columbus in what many would call the dark ages. The Cooper year. Oh F*** it happened again. I miss Earl Bruce, Etc. I had perfectly good school years, elementary school even when you're not supposed to have a care in the world RUINED by the likes of Tim Biakabatittykaka and Anthony 8th year of eligibility Thomas. The first and only time I had to bite down on a bar of lava soap was after the 1995 game. It's not that I don't swear, it's that those were things that an 11 year old shouldn't say. Entire teams worth of NFL talent for not, wasted by the last game of the year. David Boston v Charles Woodson, Desmond the turd burglar, Lloyd Carr, before there were three L's in LLLoyd. This probably explains a lot of my general disposition, right?

I could even say that the 2000 game was the best because it got Coop fired, but I'd be lying and I think Coop gets enough of the blame even though a decade has passed and the ultimate cure, winning, has been given to we who have suffered long and hard. For me the 2001 game was the start of a new era, when sun light would break through the grey Ohio sky and start to make up for the awful 90's.