Ohio State's Secondary Rated #1 Overall In Big Ten

Roby is ready for a break-out year

The Ohio State secondary was rated as the best overall secondary in the Big Ten according to Tom Dienhart of the B1G Network. Dienhart goes one step further, continuing his praise for Ohio State's secondary unit by calling it "one of the best secondaries in the nation."

Here's how he looks at the secondary:

"1. Ohio State - All four starters are back for what should be one of the best secondaries in the nation. Cornerback Bradley Roby was a freshman sensation in 2011. His next stop: stardom. Travis Howard forms the other half of this strong corner tandem. 

Christian Bryant (strong) and C.J. Barnett (free) are a stout duo at safety. Barnett is one of best safeties in the Big Ten. In fact, he may be the top safety, flashing instincts, tackling ability and coverage skills."

The rest of the top 5 include Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Illinois. He ranks the rest of the B1G, but here are the explanations for the top 5.

"2. Michigan State - Losing star safety Trenton Robinson hurts, but this still shapes up as a strong secondary. Johnny Adams rates as one of the top corners in the Big Ten—and the nation. He’s a legit Thorpe Award candidate and likely first-round draft choice. Darqueze Dennard is the ying to Adams yan, a corner with size and coverage skills who often is tested with Adams on the other side. 

Strong safety Isaiah Lewis came into his own as a premier talent with All-Big Ten ability last season. Kurtis Drummond is penciled in at Robinson’s strong safety slot. Coaches like his potential."

"3. Nebraska - The Cornhuskers are strong at safety even with the loss of Austin Cassidy. Strong safety Daimion Stafford should be one of the stars of the secondary and maybe the best player on the defense. He’s a big hitter who covers a lot of ground. Free safety P.J. Smith is a veteran who knows the defense and rarely is out of position. There is talent at cornerback but little experience. Standout Alfonzo Dennard is gone, which hurts. Mohammed Seisay arrived from a junior college in the spring and looks like a potential star as the No. 1 corner. Andrew Green and Ciante Evans—among others–also figure in at corner. Former running back Braylon Heard could an asset as a nickel or dime back."

3 Suspended Buckeyes Reinstated, Ready For Miami

Jordan Hall, Travis Howard and Corey "Pittsburgh" Brown are back in action starting against Miami, after being suspended for the first two games of the 2011 season for taking a total of 200 dollars each at a fundraiser event from a booster. With the return of starter's Hall and Howard, the Buckeyes will get more depth and speed to compete with the Hurricanes on Saturday. From the release:

"The reinstatement staff determined the nature and scope of the violations, particularly the provision of cash benefits a booster, merited a two game suspension. When a school discovers an NCAA rules violation has occurred, it must declare the student-athlete ineligible and may request the student-athlete's elighibility be resinstated. The NCAA staff reviews each student-athlete's reinstatement request indivdually based on it's own merits and set of specific facts."

Ohio State Suspends Hall, Howard, And Brown For Opener

Hall was the starter going into Akron

Ohio State has suspended starting running back Jordan Hall, starting cornerback Travis Howard, and 2nd team defensive back Corey Brown for the opening game of the season against Akron. The 3 combined had received a total of $300 in benefits, but as a part of the promise from the compliance office to better themselves and make them more aware of situations such as these, they have already suspended the 3 for this game.

Athletic director Gene Smith said, "We take this matter seriously. Our commitment to institutional integrity is steadfast, and we must hold everyone associated with our athletics programs accountable for lapses in judgment. We believe in transparency with the NCAA, all regulatory bodies and all of Buckeye Nation." 

We also have word that Ohio State plans to make an immediate appeal to the NCAA for reinstatement after the opener. 

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.