Taylor Graham To Transfer To Hawaii

Gone

It has been rumored for a while now that Taylor Graham would be transferring, but now that rumor is reality. Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Graham is transferring and taking his talents to the Warriors of Hawaii.

Graham was released from his Ohio State scholarship when Urban Meyer became the new head coach. At 6'4, Graham is a tall, immobile passer who would not fit in Ohio State's new offensive scheme, so a change was best for both parties.

Newly crowned Hawaii head coach Norm Chow is known as a quarterbacks guru and will get the most out of Graham. Chow recruited Graham two years ago when he was UCLA's offensive coordinator, but Graham elected to come play at Ohio State, his father's alma mater.

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.

Terrelle Pryor's Career Comes To A Close

"In the best interest of my teammates, I have made the decision to forgo my senior year of football at The Ohio State University," 


- Terrelle Pryor on leaving Ohio State


Terrelle Pryor, the once coveted recruit in all of the country, has decided to leave Ohio State after his junior year. 
Asked whether Pryor -- under investigation by the NCAA and Ohio State for possible more instances of receiving improper benefits -- planned to apply for the NFL supplemental draft, James said, "I think so". 


The overlooked part of all this is that Terrelle now doesn't have to cooperate with the NCAA, meaning he doesn't have to talk to them, or even acknowledge their existence. He is free to do what he wants and now he has protected his teammates in doing so.
OSU athletic director Gene Smith said in a statement released by the school, "We understand Terrelle's decision and wish him well in this next phase of his life. We hope he returns to The Ohio State University one day to finish his degree."


Interim head coach Luke Fickell added, "I was notified this evening that Terrelle has decided to pursue a professional career. I wish him the best in his pursuits."


This comes a week after 10-year Ohio State coach Jim Tressel resigned under pressure, the culmination of a situation that started when he failed to pass along information to the OSU compliance officials in April 2010 that Pryor and some other players might be receiving improper benefits from a tattoo parlor owner.


Terrelle Pryor finishes with a record of 31-5 as a Buckeye with a 3-0 mark vs. Michigan and ends with 6177 passing yards 57 TDs, and 26 INTS. No QB in Ohio State's history has ever finished 4-0 vs the Wolverines. 


Now the question has to be asked: Who will take over the reins of QB for Ohio State?


We will have more on this story tomorrow.

Are The First 5 Games Resting On Braxton Miller's Shoulders?

Ready to take the reins?

Bill Carey may just have a man crush, but does Buckeye Nation need to? My guess would be yes, simply because I think Miller is the guy to get us through the first 5 games of the season. Here's what he had to say about #5:

"If things break right for the Buckeyes, Miller will start the first five games of 2011 and then not see the field again until 2012. But the freshman's play could have a big impact on the national championship chase.

Miller, who was 7-for-12 with one touchdown during Ohio State's spring game, made big strides in the four-way battle to start while Terrelle Pryor serves a five-game suspension for his role in the trophies-for-tattoos scandal that has engulfed the OSU program. If the dual-threat quarterback from Huber Heights, Ohio, gets the nod to take snaps while Pryor is out, he and the Buckeyes will face two major obstacles: Miami in the third game of the season and defending co-conference champion Michigan State in the Big Ten opener. 

The Buckeyes are dreaming big this year, but the season could come down to how Miller plays early. If Pryor returns to a team carrying two losses, he won't be competing for a national title."

While it's important that we realize Joe Bauserman may be the front runner for the starting job, we can always go back to the fact that if Miller shows significant improvement between now and the first game, then Braxton Miller may be the man to lead the charge into the 2011-2012 season. With a stable full of talented running backs, we need strong leadership, and I think Miller can step up to the challenge. 

Tressel Announces New Format For 2011 Spring Game

Buckeye fans tuning in to the annual Ohio State spring game will get a new experience from previous years.  An offense versus defense scrimmage has taken the place of the normal split squad game that has been the norm for Ohio State spring games.

The spring game will be Tressel's last on the sideline until Oct. 8 in Lincoln

The new format will provide more competition in the game with the potential for both first-teams to square off against one another, as opposed to previous years where the best offensive and defensive players may have been on the same squad.  With the winner of the spring game awarded the right to wear the scarlet jerseys in practice, the stakes will be raised even further.

Another reason for the format change, according to Coach Tressel, was the lack of depth on the offensive line and at wide receiver.  Keeping the split squad game would have left each team short on numbers in those positions with possibly no substitutions if any injuries occurred.

The new format will bring some new scoring changes; the offense can score by putting the ball in the end zone (who’da thunk it?) and the defense can score by getting stops and turnovers.

Staying the same from previous years will be the lacrosse game prior to the spring game as the Buckeyes will face off against Fairfield in an 11 a.m. start with the spring game set to kickoff at 1:30 p.m.  Coming off an 8-4 victory over Air Force, the Buckeyes will look to improve on their 7-6 record against the Stags.  Both games will be available on the Big Ten Network.



Braxton Miller will look to shine in Saturday's spring game.



This new format will allow the fans to see the quarterbacks vying for the starting job against one of the best defenses in the country.  Joe Bauserman, Kenny Guiton, Taylor Graham and Braxton Miller will all get their shot at showing Buckeye Nation why they should be given the reins come fall.

Join us here at Inside The Shoe on Saturday for a live blog covering the spring game, maybe some lacrosse and whatever other shenanigans we get in to.

So, Who's Got That QB Spot?

Props to Guiton for showing why he CAN be #1

Well here we are, almost at the end of Spring Practice and unfortunately as of today there is no real answer to the quarterback question. The most apparent thing is that it is no longer just a three-man race with Bauserman, Guiton, and Miller. Taylor Graham seems to want the job also. If you read the reports and go by Jim Tressel’s track record for starting experienced players (not including benching Boeckman for Pryor) over younger, less experienced players, all signs seem to be pointing towards Bauserman starting the first game of the season. In a recent Saturday scrimmage, it was reported by the Dispatch that Bauserman, Graham, and Miller all had “some” spectacular plays, but Guiton appeared to struggle. 

Later in the same article, it stated that during a weekday practice Guiton performed the best. Tressel’s response to questions regarding the #1 quarterback: “We don’t have a game tomorrow, so we don’t have to make the decision.” Frankly, that is not inspiring. I know it is only spring practice, and there is a long way until both summer camps, and the opening of the season, but I was hoping for a little more surety or confidence on the quarterback front. 

Spring Practice Update: Defense Dominates, Offense Struggles

John Simon and the defense dominated 

With the annual Scarlet-Gray spring game just a week away, the Buckeye defense seems ready for the games to begin.  The offense may be hoping for a few more weeks of practice after struggling in the storm-shortened 42-16 defeat to the defense.

The four quarterbacks fighting for the starting job for the first five games of 2011 had very below average days, combining to go 7-22 for 69 yards and multiple interceptions.  Cornerback Bradley Roby led the defense with two interceptions, while Dorian Bell had another interception and John Simon had a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery all on the same play.

Reed makes 14.

Quarterback Verlon Reed became the 14th member of the 2010 Ohio State recruiting class today. The man from Marion-Franklin High School chose the Buckeyes over teams like Toledo, Bowling Green, Syracuse, and Kent State. Verlon has great speed and versality and could become one of the people who comes out of nowhere i.e. Malcom Jenkins, Troy Smith. Ohio State might move him to WR if Guiton doesn't pan out, or if Taylor Graham's injury is worse then what we think.