Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans! It’s a bit weird writing this knowing it’s the first time in a long time that there hasn’t been a basketball game to look forward to, but nevertheless we shall overcome and look towards spring football! Urban, you guys.

But I will backtrack to basketball just a little for a couple of bits.

Thomas, Sullinger headed to NBA?  While it would be nice for both Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger to return to Ohio State for their junior seasons, it’s highly unlikely that both will.  Thomas is the more likely of the two to come back to Columbus, while Sullinger says he hasn’t made a decision yet, but will likely take his talents to the professional ranks. 

Sullinger should be a lottery pick if he decides to enter June’s NBA Draft.  The deadline to enter the draft if you want any chance at withdrawing is April 11.

Mock draft: Adams to the Texans? In a recent mock draft by Russ Lande of The Sporting News, he has the Houston Texans taking Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams with the 26^th pick.  That would be an interesting selection for the Texans, who would likely give Adams a shot at winning a starting tackle position after they lost starter Eric Winston to free agency.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  It’s a big day for The Ohio State University on multiple fronts. 

The football team begins its first spring practice with Urban Meyer as head coach and the basketball team leaves later today on a flight to The Big Easy.

Meyer promotes competition.  Urban Meyer’s first spring practice will have plenty of competition, even if we are almost five months from the first game.  Meyer and his staff will not sit for any slacking in any practice or drill.  This article gives a little peek into what Buckeye fans can expect from Urban Meyer, and so far, so good.

Sullinger ready for Kansas.  It’s clear Jared Sullinger is a great competitor and a better teammate.  He put the blame on himself for the early season loss at Kansas, but is ready to redeem himself on Saturday evening. 

Sullinger was already ruled out by the time the Buckeyes arrived in Lawrence, but wanted to play after getting caught up in the pregame festivities.  He’ll get his shot this weekend, and he’ll be ready to fire.

Big men highlight Final Four.  Three first-team All-Americans lead the field into New Orleans.  Thomas Robinson of Kansas squares up against Jared Sullinger of Ohio State in one national semifinal, while Anthony Davis of Kentucky is the lone All-American in the other national semifinal.

Although not an All-American, Davis will go up against a talented big man, Gorgui Dieng, a sophomore for Senegal.

Enjoy today, Buckeye fans!  Urban Meyer is officially running his first spring practice and we’re just three days away from the Final Four!

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans! 

We are one day away from the all-Ohio Sweet 16 matchup we all have been looking forward to since the Bearcats took down Florida State in the Round of 32. 

The winner of the Ohio State/Cincinnati game will take on the winner of the early game in Boston, No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 4 Wisconsin.

Also playing tomorrow are Michigan State/Louisville (7:47 p.m. ET) and Marquette/Florida (10:17 p.m. ET).

Buckeyes, Bearcats unlikely to meet outside of tournament.  Ohio State and Cincinnati will have met just one time on the basketball court in the last 50 years, an Ohio State victory in the 2006 Wooden Classic, before squaring off in Boston Thursday night. 

Many fans of both teams have called for an in-season game between the two schools, but it remains highly doubtful that they will meet any time soon.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  The 2012 NCAA Tournament kicked off last night and I couldn’t be more excited for the next three weeks!  In the first game in Dayton, Western Kentucky stormed back from a double-digit deficit with five minutes remaining to defeat Mississippi Valley State 59-58. 

The Hilltoppers’ reward? They get to play No. 1 overall seed, Kentucky. Good luck. 

In the second game, BYU defeated Iona 78-72 as Iona collapsed after running out to 55 points in the first 16 minutes and will face Marquette in their next game.

Now onto the Bits!

Fab Melo ruled ineligible.  The path to New Orleans possibly just got a little easier for Ohio State.  Syracuse’s star center and Big East Defensive Player of the Year, Fab Melo, was ruled out for the entire NCAA Tournament yesterday. 

This is a big blow for the Orange. Melo missed three games earlier this season with academic issues and it seems this is along the same lines. In the games he was out, Syracuse was 2-1, but was outrebounded by nearly 10 per game, when they were about even in the games he played in.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  I’m happy to announce this is the first ever post on Inside The Shoe on February 29!  Happy Leap Day!

However, I’m getting tired of writing about Ohio State having to bounce back from a weekend defeat against an inferior opponent on the road, but that’s exactly what I have to write again today. 

The Buckeyes face off against Northwestern tonight at 8:30 Eastern Time, needing a win to keep any shot at a share of the B1G title alive.

Hoosiers take down Sparty.  Ohio State needs to send a big thank you down to Bloomington after Indiana knocked off Michigan State 70-55 at Assembly Hall last night.  With wins tonight against Northwestern and at Michigan State this weekend, the Buckeyes would clinch a share of the Big Ten regular season title. 

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  I certainly hope this version of the basketball Buckeyes left a better impression than the one that faced TSUN over the weekend.  The Buckeyes welcomed Brandon Paul and the Illini into Columbus, and quickly sent them on their way, cruising to a 83-67 victory. 

After Paul went for 43 against the Buckeyes in Champaign, he was held to just 9 points on 2-9 shooting this time around.  Deshaun Thomas and William Buford led the Buckeyes with 19 and 17, respectively.  Next up for Ohio State is Wisconsin on Sunday in Columbus.  The Buckeyes beat the Badgers in Madison earlier this month, 58-52.

Now, on to the bits!

Zach Smith a good fit in Columbus.  Smith, the new wide receivers coach for Urban Meyer, has plenty of ties to Meyer and the Ohio State football program.  This is a nice article about how Smith shares his passion for Ohio State with his grandfather, Earle Bruce.  Yes, that Earle Bruce.  The 27-year-old has worked with Meyer for five years and has also spent time coaching at Marshall and Temple.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Depsite being seven months away from the first game of the 2012 season, today is one of the most important days in college football. It is national signing day, the day where recruits can officially sign a Letter of Intent to play at their school. 

Urban Meyer has added several high-profile recruits since his hiring in November, and is looking to add at least one more today in Kyle Dodson.

At least 23 will commit the next four years to Ohio State.  As of this morning, Ohio State had 23 commitments, with 15 players being from Ohio.  The Plain Dealer made an interactive map where you can see where the recruits are from.  In a landmark move, all players signing with Ohio State will be given four-year scholarships, rather than the renewable one-year scholarships that had been handed out in the past. 

B1G Commissioner Jim Delany encouraged all conference schools to offer the four-year scholarships. The four-year grants were made possible in October by a rule change by the NCAA, but are not required.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

Good morning, Buckeye fans!  It’s Wednesday.  This is a good thing.  It means the week is almost half over, and, of course, the basketball Buckeyes take the court again tonight, taking on Penn State in Columbus.

Mike Adams Impresses at Senior Bowl.  Mike Adams was one of the top prospects at offensive tackle for the upcoming NFL Draft before Senior Bowl practices started, but it seems that he is doing even more to help his cause.  The 6-foot-8-inch Adams has the height to be a successful left tackle in the NFL, but scouts would like to see him add a few pounds to his frame. There is a good chance he will be a first-round pick in April.

Thursday's Buckeye Bits

Happy Thursday, everybody.  It is one day closer to the weekend and, more importantly, one day closer to Buckeye football.

David Perkins is a Buckeye.  The Class of 2012 added more firepower on Wednesday as the Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes got another commit, this time a four-star linebacker/running back from South Bend (Ind.) Washington.  Perkins was originally committed to the Fighting Irish, but changed his mind during the season before picking Ohio State.  Perkins was a key member of the Washington team that went to the 4A state finals for the first time in nearly 40 years.

The Fall Continues for the Hoosiers.  This time, Indiana lost on the road to Nebraska 70-69, despite leading 63-52 with about six minutes remaining.  I can’t say I feel bad for the Hoosiers, especially considering some of the recent comments by Tom Crean.  Crean went on a rant on his weekly radio show, making statements seemingly aimed at the Ohio State coaching staff, as well as the players.

“We don’t have a team of guys that are out wearing their Beats headphones as they’re warming up,” Crean said, “Our guys are out there working with them.”

I really do not understand that quote from Crean. Are you saying that your team is working before the game, the other team is just fooling around, and you still got manhandled by a closer-than-it-looked 17 points? Do the B1G a favor, Tom Crean, and just keep your mouth closed. It’s better for you, it’s better for your school, and it’s better for us, so we don’t have to hear you.

Wednesday's Buckeye Bits

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.

Gator Bowl Live Blog: Ohio State vs. Florida

The 2011-2012 Gator Bowl is finally upon us. Jim Bollman is coaching in his final game. 'nuff said. Enjoy the game, as Ohio State will not be attending a bowl game next year. Join us down below!

The live blog starts at 12:45 PM EST. We hope to see you there cheering on the Buckeyes!

Urban Meyer Is Finally Home

Meyer is officially back in Columbus.

On a rainy afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State got its man.

Urban Meyer was announced as the 24^th head coach of The Ohio State University at a press conference Wednesday.  After a tumultuous eleven months or so, Buckeye fans finally had a reason to smile, as Meyer said all the right things to make you believe that Ohio State football will be national title contenders again sooner rather than later.



Athletic Director Gene Smith gave an opening statement before handing the podium over to the former Bowling Green, Utah and Florida coach.  Smith said many good things about Meyer, calling him a great football coach, but more importantly, a great person.  Smith thanked Luke Fickell for all that he has done for the team, adding that Fickell will stay on the staff under Meyer.  “This is the right time,” Smith said, “for Urban Meyer to lead our football program.”

While Meyer’s name had been thrown around the Ohio State job for months, both Smith and Meyer confirmed that the first contact they had was on November 20, 2011.  They first met in person to talk about the opening on Wednesday, Nov. 23, Meyer was presented with an offer to become head coach on Sunday, Nov. 27, and he accepted the offer this morning, Nov. 28.

Braxton Miller: Proving Himself

Miller showed poise in the Purdue game

In an otherwise very ugly game for Ohio State against Purdue, Braxton Miller showed at times what has made him so special.  Miller escaped pressure time and time again to make a play, none seemingly more important than on 4^th down on what should have been the game-winning touchdown.  Miller was pressured, but showed great composure to keep his eyes downfield to find Jordan Hall behind the defense.

Miller definitely was not perfect on Saturday, but at this stage in his career, you cannot expect him to be.  He overthrew several open receivers deep down the field throughout the game.  His accuracy is something that needs to improve.  Miller was 8-18 against the Boilermakers for a career-high 132 yards, but the low completion percentage brought his season average to exactly 50 percent.

One has to wonder if this stage is getting to Miller, as he was hailed out of high school as being a “true dual-threat that is advanced as a passer in comparison to most,” according to ESPN.  His accuracy has been off almost all season, but his legs and his ability to make the big play have overshadowed this a bit.  Hopefully this is just a result of growing pains, coming from high school to college football.

Carlos Hyde: Stepping Up

Hyde exploded for the first five games

At the beginning of the 2011 season, someone needed to step up and lead the Ohio State running backs with Boom Herron and Jordan Hall suspended.  Jaamal Berry was expected to become the starter but injuries sidelined him.  That someone to step up was Carlos Hyde.

Hyde lead the team in rushing against Akron and Toledo before Jordan Hall returned against Miami.  He had his first 100-yard rushing game in Lincoln against Nebraska that was helped by the 63-yard touchdown run.

However, since the return of Boom Herron after the Nebraska game, Hyde had seen little time on the field against Illinois and Wisconsin.  That changed in the Indiana game.  With Jordan Hall nursing a sore ankle that he injured on his big kick return that set up the game-winning touchdown pass against Wisconsin, the Buckeyes needed someone to step up again.

Holy Buckeye, Part Two

Devin Smith stunned Bucky

What a game.  What a finish.  What an effort.  The Ohio State Buckeyes showed tremendous poise under pressure after surrendering a 12-point lead to Wisconsin with less than four minutes on the clock.  Braxton Miller did not play like a freshman, he played like a man who knew he had a job to do, and that job was to win a football game.  Much like Terrelle Pryor did back in 2008 against Bucky, Miller led a late 4^th quarter drive to win the game for Ohio State.

The second half of the game was the Braxton Miller show, rushing for two touchdowns and, of course, throwing a 40-yard strike to Devin Smith to win the game.  Miller showed excellent composure on his first touchdown run to give the Buckeyes their first lead of the game early in the 3^rd quarter.  On 4^th-and-goal, Ohio State needed a touchdown to cap their opening drive of the half, a drive kick-started by Boom Herron’s 57-yard dash.  A fake to the running back, a nifty move on a Badger defender and Braxton Miller walked into the end zone.

Miller’s second touchdown run of the game seemingly put the game out of reach when Braxton kept an option play and ran 44 yards untouched to the house.  However, two Russell Wilson touchdown passes to Jared Abbrederis gave Wisconsin a 29-26 lead with 1:18 left in the game. 

Bad Bauserman

What, me worry?

It’s just starting to get sad for Joe Bauserman.  He’s clearly not at the right level to play quarterback for The Ohio State University.  The offense finally seemed to be clicking on Saturday at Nebraska while Braxton Miller was in the game.  Once Miller went down with an injury, everything went kaput.

Joe Bauserman came in to protect a two-touchdown lead, and could not do it.  I think his passing chart pretty much sums up the night. 

Jordan Hall: The Next Big Thing

Hall looks to improve even more in B1G play

In his second game of the season, Jordan Hall once again proved he was the real deal, dominating the Colorado defense on offense and special teams.  Hall scored a rushing touchdown, although he had just 84 yards on 18 carries.

There were not many yards to be had for anyone on the Buckeye offense since their average starting field position was in Colorado territory.  Hall set up Carlos Hyde’s 5-yard touchdown run with a 90-yard kick return in the 3^rd quarter.  He also returned the opening kick past midfield but it was called back for a holding penalty.

In just two games this season, Hall has rushed for more yards (171-161) than he did all of last season.  He showed last season that he was a dangerous return man, and he proved that all three times he got the ball on kick and punt returns.

Quarterback Battle: Miller Time?

QB controversy?

Update: Braxton Miller has been named the starter for the OSU-Colorado game. Let's see what he's got.

A disappointing performance in Miami has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many Buckeye fans.  One of the hottest topics has been whether or not Joe Bauserman will continue to get the majority of the snaps under center.  Bauserman certainly did not look like a starting quarterback on Saturday against the Hurricane defense.  The 25-year-old senior was 2-14 for just 13 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.  Simply put, that is terrible.  There is no other way around it.  I thought Braxton Miller would give the Buckeyes the best chance to win this season, and while he was not great against Miami, he at least provides a spark to the offense.

Braxton Miller was given limited opportunities against the Miami defense, throwing just four passes, completed two for 22 yards.  Miller also had an interception and a fumble lost, but he was trying to make plays happen.  He also rushed for 34 yards.

To say Bauserman struggled vs. Miami would be an understatement

Joe Bauserman often looked scared and hesitant to throw the ball.  One play, for example, was a third down from the 7-yard line where Bauserman double-pumped before throwing the ball behind Jake Stoneburner that would have been a touchdown.  One could make the argument that Stoneburner should have made the catch anyway, but it was a simple pass that should have been made, especially if you are the starting quarterback for The Ohio State University.

Miller has the ability to make big plays at any given time, but he must be reminded constantly to protect the ball, especially when scrambling.  Miller may have been lucky to only have one fumble with the way he loosely carried the ball.  If Miller can protect the ball, there is no doubt that he gives the Buckeyes the best chance to win.  Bauserman had a three game audition and he got progressively worse after a stellar performance against a poor Akron team.

Bauserman’s psyche has to be damaged.  He was booed in the Toledo game, and only got worse against Miami.  If Luke Fickell sends Bauserman out to take the first offensive snap against Colorado, I fear the worst from 105,000 in the Horseshoe. 

If you think this week’s game has a familiar feel to it, you are not alone.  This game against Colorado reminds me an awful lot of the 2008 game against Troy.  In 2008, a senior, Todd Boeckman, was the incumbent at quarterback, while there a freshman phenom, Terrelle Pryor, waiting in the wings.  The senior was widely criticized for his poor play in the first few games of the season and many fans were calling for the freshman to step in and save the day.  In this year’s play, Joe Bauserman reprises the unenviable role of Todd Boeckman, while Braxton Miller takes the role of the highly-recruited mobile freshman.



Boeckman's poor performance vs. USC led to Terrelle Pryor taking over

Both games will follow embarrassing road losses, coming home to face an opponent that Buckeye fans will expect to defeat.  That September day back in 2008, Terrelle Pryor got his first start for Ohio State and went on to throw four touchdown passes.  Todd Boeckman made it on to the field for one play, and boos rained down on him from the 102,989 that were in attendance that day.  On that one play, Boeckman threw an incompletion and never saw the field again the rest of the day.

Giving Braxton Miller the starting job will benefit the Buckeyes most, both for this season and in the future.  Giving Miller simple decisions and continuing to run the ball will make life easier for the freshman, allowing him to become more comfortable in the college game.

Joe Bauserman will continue to play a crucial role in the development of the young freshman, but there is one thing Buckeye fans should know: it is Miller Time.

Akron Rewind

Fickell had success on his debut in the 'Shoe

Luke Fickell’s first game as head coach of The Ohio State University is in the books.  The result was a dominating 42-0 victory over Akron.  As with any season opener, there were some impressive moments and some not-so-impressive moments. Let’s get started.

What I Was Impressed With

1. Luke Fickell.  Despite all the offseason talk that Fickell would just be Tressel 2.0, he showed that he is a completely different coach.  There were times were the Buckeyes were being extremely aggressive, on both sides of the ball, at moments in the game when Tressel would not have been.  On a 4^th-and-1 inside Akron’s 20 in the 2^nd quarter, Fickell went for it, got it and scored a touchdown a few plays later. 




That would have been a time in Tresselball where the field goal unit would be on and the Buckeyes would take the points.  Fickell was also aggressive on defense throughout the game, never taking his foot off the gas.  It showed as the Silver Bullets held the Zips to 90 yards of offense.

2. Dominic Clarke.  The sophomore cornerback started in place of the suspended Travis Howard and was one of the most impressive Buckeyes on defense.  Clarke had multiple pass breakups and seemingly shut down every receiver on his side of the ball.  This experience will help the secondary down the road if Ohio State is going to be in nickel as much as they say.

3. Kick Coverage.  After all of the struggles this unit had last season, it was refreshing to see good coverage downfield and, most importantly, actually bringing down the kick returner.  Yes, it was Akron, but you have to start somewhere.  Doc Tressel has done an excellent job so far with this group but it will get tested in the coming weeks, especially against Miami.

4. Jake Stoneburner.  What was there not to be impressed with? He caught some touchdowns, blocked, caught some more touchdowns, blocked some more, and then caught some more touchdowns.  Stoneburner was the first Ohio State tight end to catch three touchdowns in one game on Saturday. 

Stoneburner scored not one, not two, but three TDs vs. Akron

His size makes him difficult to cover for defensive backs and his speed makes him too fast for most linebackers.  Stoneburner could have a field day in a couple weeks against Miami as they looked rather soft over the middle against Maryland this week.

5. Both Quarterbacks.  Joe Bauserman shocked most Buckeye fans when he came out and led the team down the field to a touchdown on his very first drive.  Perhaps even more shocking was the 15-yard touchdown run he had to cap off that drive.  The 5^th-year senior didn’t seem fazed by the fact that he hadn’t started a game at quarterback since 2003 and came out to throw three touchdown passes, all to Stoneburner.  Bauserman certainly looked the part, playing all but one series in the first half.  Give credit to Bauserman for playing well enough to keep Braxton Miller off the field for all but three plays in the first half.  A poor snap and a drop cut Miller’s first drive as a Buckeye short, but he would rebound in the second half.  Miller finished the game 8-12 for 130 yards and his first touchdown pass of his career, a pass that was caught by fellow freshman Devin Smith. 

Things I Was Unimpressed With

1. Drew Basil. The kicking game could be a point of weakness this season for the Buckeyes.  Especially if Basil kicks the ball the way he did in the first game.  Basil missed both of his attempts, one from 40 and one from 45.  He was only credited with the miss from 40 since the 45-yarder was wiped out by an offside call on Akron.

2. Rod Smith, Inside the 5.  In his first collegiate game, there was plenty to like about Rod Smith.  The redshirt freshman rushed 18 times for 74 yards and a touchdown.  He could have had two touchdowns if he had not fumbled inside the 5-yard-line on the Buckeyes’ second drive of the game. 



Smith's fumble cost the Buckeyes 6 points early



If not for the fumble, Smith may have made the other side of this list, but turnovers can change a game.  Luckily for the Buckeyes, this one did not come back to haunt.

Normally, we will try to find an even amount of things we are impressed and unimpressed with.  But this was Akron.  Akron went 1-11 last year, and for good reason.  If there was much to be unimpressed with after this game, we would be in for a long year.  The weeks ahead will present the Buckeyes with greater challenges, allowing us to nitpick a little more.  All sides of the ball were very good on opening weekend.  The defense didn’t force many turnovers, but they did their job and kept Akron off the scoreboard.

Five Things To Look For: Akron Edition

Buckeye football is back!

Today is the day! College Football starts today, with kickoff between Murray State and Louisville at 6. The real college game is at Madison, where the UNLV Rebels take on #8 Wisconsin Badgers at 8 PM EST. Of course, all this means..

Is that Buckeye football is mere hours away from being back! Are you excited? Because I sure am.  If you’re not, then this video definitely will get you pumped up. After all the offseason drama, getting back on the gridiron in the Horseshoe will be sweet for the players and the fans.  I will be going through five things that I am looking forward to from this game and my prediction for the game.