tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78267343431107315982024-02-18T18:53:21.325-08:00OH-IO!!Bringing you stories from your favorite BuckeyesOSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-30745406662766723912010-03-15T17:01:00.001-07:002010-03-15T17:03:58.041-07:00Blogs Blogs Blogs Blahh<a href="http://blog.hostbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog_logo.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 306px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 184px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://blog.hostbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/blog_logo.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Over the past ten weeks of updating our blogs, there are many things I learned and enjoyed about blogging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Before entering this class I VERY rarely posted blogs or even followed any because I never really understood them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thanks to English 109.02 blogging has become a very useful way or writing and a great tool for searching for information.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Blogs tend to have a more personal feeling to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While reading others blogs I find myself learning a lot about the author due to the information conveyed through their blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A great way to connect with friend or strangers, who share similar interests, over the internet, is through blogging.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">While writing essays for classes I find myself bored due to the strict guidelines you need to follow when writing essays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>On the other hand, I actually enjoy writing blogs because the information comes straight from my head instead of a text book or a website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Blogging, to me, is like having a conversation with another person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Blogs can be very useful when it comes to asking questions over the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If someone is looking for an answer they cannot find while surfing the web, they can easily post a question on a blog and within a matter of seconds, another blogger can read that post and respond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Unlike a website that just has paragraphs and paragraphs of information, blogging is a form of communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And the best thing is, the topic can be about ANYTHING you want.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">So who can benefit from blogs? Everyone can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Blogs can be useful to anyone because any topic you can think of, I can almost guarantee there are groups of people on the internet discussing that specific topic right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Blogs are also very useful for information because they are updated on a regular basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>New information can be added at any second making blogs a prime tool when looking for information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Another great feature that blogging offers is the comment aspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you find yourself reading a blog topic you enjoy but disagree, or even agree, with the author’s opinions you can simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and respond to the authors post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Your comment will be displayed on the blog post allowing others to see it, giving them a chance to respond to your comment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">If you’re a story teller blogging is a perfect way to tell others about your stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you enjoy movies, you can join a blog, or even <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.com"><span style="color:#ffffff;">start your very own</span></a>, and discuss your feeling with other movie lovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Like myspace or facebook blogging can also be customized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Pictures, videos, songs, animations etc. are just some of the gadgets that can personalize a blog. </span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Rushkoff, Douglas. “The Internet Is Not Killing Off Conversation but Actively Encouraging It”</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span>MA: Perseus Pub 2002. 116-118.</span></span></p></div>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-22474771791347666182010-03-15T15:47:00.000-07:002010-03-15T16:07:18.592-07:00<div><a href="http://photos.upi.com/story/t/89d8fb8075fe11a2595e296392957321/Santonio-Holmes-is-Super-Bowl-MVP.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 439px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://photos.upi.com/story/t/89d8fb8075fe11a2595e296392957321/Santonio-Holmes-is-Super-Bowl-MVP.jpg" /></a><br /><div><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Throughout the month of February, college football fans make their way back to the blogs to post their views on football recruiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is a key month for colleges, as this is when their future football teams are created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For the Ohio State Buckeyes, this year’s <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2010/ohiostate-33"><span style="color:#ffffff;">recruiting class</span></a>, uncharacteristically, did not place in the top 25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And, predictably, Buckeye “fans” made it clear that they are not happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Many bloggers have labeled this class as “soft” and question head coach Jim Tressel’s tenacity and aggressiveness as a recruiter.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">As I read through the multitude of negative posts, the writers’ loyalty as Buckeye fans rarely comes into question, but their knowledge and understanding of the recruiting process is suspect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Matt Barker’s <a href="http://buckeyebanter.com/2010/02/05/looking-back-at-past-recruiting-classes-and-how-the-buckeyes-fared-since-2002/#more-4563"><span style="color:#ffffff;">blog post</span></a>, “Looking Back at Past Recruiting Classes and how the Buckeyes Fared Since 2002”<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> </i>is a well-constructed article that counters the Tressel naysayers and parallels my viewpoint on the subject of OSU recruiting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Barker methodically lays down the facts and lets the reader circle around them to hopefully come to the same conclusion that he and I did:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jim Tressel’s tenure as head coach at Ohio State has consistently produced top-ten rated football teams which are a product of carefully planned and executed recruiting practices.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">In his post, Barker responds to the negativity heard from Ohio State fans with facts and stats, presented in a concise and professional manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His comments are easy to follow, even for a football novice, and he lets the statistics speak for themselves. He highlights the careers of recent Buckeye football recruits and compares their Rivals.com “star rating” to other athletes from the same class.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Without being disparaging, Barker focuses on how college football fans spend too much time worrying about computer analysis and ratings, and ignore “real life” issues such as a college’s coaching strength and the challenge of fitting an athlete into a particular school’s training program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Barker’s arguments are backed up by specific examples of three-star player successes, which arguments quickly dispel the theory that five-star athletes are required to produce winning teams.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">While generally lacking in the typical fan emotionalism, Barker gets his point across in an entertaining fashion which is enjoyable to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Barker does an excellent job of making his points and backing them up with interesting and credible data that I agree with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>His arguments also put it on my list of favorite college blogs.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">The main complaint voiced by bloggers is the lack of five-star athletes (who, according to Rivals.com, Scout.com, and ESPN.com are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">the</i> best players in any given year) in this season’s recruiting field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Bucks typically pull in two or three of these five-star athletes each year, but (so far) the OSU recruiting class of 2010 does not include any.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">To respond to these complaints, Matt draws attention to Santonio Holmes, a player ranked as a three-star by Rivals.com in the year he was recruited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is a brilliant example of a lower-ranked player who proved to be one of the best receivers in OSU history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After his training and career at Ohio State, Holmes was a first-round NFL draft pick and recently won a Super Bowl MVP award.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinatis are other great examples of outstanding football players who could only generate a three-star rating on Rivals.com but matured to become first-round draft picks after playing under Tressel and Ohio State.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Barker next compares this year’s OSU recruiting class to those of recent years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He respectfully concedes that a decrease in the total number of athletes and the number of “five-star” athletes is evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But who is to say Rivals.com is the most reliable recruiting source?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Do you think Tressel, a MAJOR college football head coach, does not know his recruiting better that a website?</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Since Jim Tressel has held the position of head football coach at Ohio State, the Bucks have yet to have a disappointing year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In 2002, Tressel won his first National Championship at Ohio State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In <a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=87745&SPID=10408&DB_OEM_ID=17300&Q_SEASON=2006"><span style="color:#ffffff;">2006 and 2007</span></a>, Ohio State had a combined record of 23-3 and two successive National Championship game appearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Year after year, Ohio State is able to proudly retire their season with ample wins to put them in the top ten in the entire country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are hundreds of college football coaches who would love to be able to say the same for their team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">So where does all this success originate?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Like any football team, OSU’s success starts with its recruitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When looking back at some of the Buckeyes’ best players, it’s true that many of these athletes came into the program labeled as five-star athletes on Rivals.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But it’s the two- and three-star athletes, trained and molded by a talented and dedicated coaching staff and fellow players that make Jim Tressel the successful coach he is today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Because the cases laid out in Barker’s blog are logical and accurate, it is hard to dismiss the success stories which originated in Tressel’s camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Players like Chris Wells and Tedd Ginn Jr. are five-stars who had outstanding years with Ohio State and now play on Sundays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At the same time, three-star athletes A.J. Hawk, Malcolm Jenkins, Brian Hartline, and Brian Robiskie are NFL stars playing on those same fields.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Unlike the recruiting websites who hang random star ratings around a player’s neck, Coach Jim Tressel is able to see the potential that these young athletes have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span><br /><br /></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Barker doesn’t preach in his blog, something I admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I believe a successful, championship team is not simply recruited, but <u>created</u> by your recruitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For Buckeye fans who disagree with this year’s recruiting class, we suggest you carefully examine the Bucks recent recruiting classes and count just how many three-star athletes OSU Coach Jim Tressel has taken under his wing and converted to the skillful and successful players we enjoy watch on NFL Sunday!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span><br /><br /></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="color:#000000;">Ohio State bloggers and writers would be well served to put a little less heart in their posts and a little more research into their heads before they rattle off naive and uninformed exposés on their blog sites. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>But for those fans who continue to express their bitter feelings toward this year’s recruiting class and to denigrate Coach Jim Tressel’s style and effectiveness to the public over the internet, thanks for giving fans like Matt Barker and me an opportunity to share our opposing opinions and justify the decisions made by Coach Jim Tressel and his coaching staff.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 169px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 232px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://americansportsblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/buckeyes-coach-jim-tressel.jpg" /><br /><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><o:p><span style="color:#000000;"></span></o:p></span></p></div></div>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-51896785508221453172010-03-15T14:45:00.001-07:002010-03-15T15:46:52.529-07:00A Game To Remember<a href="http://pictures.replayphotos.com/images/O/lg/Ohio-State-University-Traditions-Fans-Ohio-State-Beats-Michigan-in-Football-2006-O-T-FN-00009lg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 350px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 263px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://pictures.replayphotos.com/images/O/lg/Ohio-State-University-Traditions-Fans-Ohio-State-Beats-Michigan-in-Football-2006-O-T-FN-00009lg.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">For every sports fan, there is that one game they’ll never forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you’re a Florida fan, I doubt you’ll ever forget Alabama spoiling your perfect season, sending senior Tim Tebow to the locker room crying without a Heisman trophy or a National Championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>New York Giants fans will always remember the incredible catch by David Tyree on the game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLII.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For me, a Buckeye fan, I will never forget when first-ranked Ohio State met up with second-ranked Michigan in a grueling battle for a conference title and a trip to the National Championship game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While the Ohio State-Michigan game is always considered one of the biggest rivalries in college football, this game represented the first time in history that these two teams were pitted against each other while they held the number one and number two rankings in the country.</span></span></span><br /><div><div><div><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Game day had arrived, and there was no other Ohio State-Michigan matchup better than this one!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the entire season riding on this one match, I couldn’t imagine a single place I would rather be than in section 9A, row 13, seat 11 in the Shoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had waited all season to attend this rivalry but never imagined it would boil down to a number one, number two matchup like this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The anticipation for this game was agonizing and exhilarating at the same time.</span></span></span> </p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Before Ohio State football games, it’s a ritual that my friends and I get to campus hours before the game to spend time walking around , pushing through the scarlet and gray crowds, snatching food from random tailgate parties, and participating in the Ohio State fan events scattered around the Shoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The wind was bitter cold and the early drinkers spilling beer on my Ohio State jacket made me cringe, but all of that would be forgotten as the growing enthusiasm and energetic vibes coming from surrounding Buckeye fans throughout the campus overwhelmed me.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">After what seemed like an eternity cruising around the Shoe, the eagerness to find my seat had finally gotten to me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>It was time to enter the Shoe for that last game of the 2006 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Little did I know this would this be the </span><a href="http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=263220194"><span style="color:#ffffff;">greatest college football game</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> I would ever witness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As I sat anxiously in my seat waiting for the opening kickoff, my eyes wandered the stadium in amazement at how many fans were here to cheer on their favorite Buckeyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was a sea of enthusiastic OSU fans decked out in their team apparel ready to scream their hearts out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the last few minutes of the countdown ticked off on the massive scoreboard, I couldn’t find a single empty seat in the entire stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had never seen the Shoe this packed with this much energy before!</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">The countdown had reached zero and everyone was on their feet waiting for the teams to run onto the battlefield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Within seconds the entire stadium, myself included, exploded with “BOOO!!!!” as the Maize and Blue stormed on the field, dancing around and taunting the Buckeye fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then, led by quarterback </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Smith"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Troy Smith</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">, the Mighty Buckeyes came blazing through their tunnel and driving onto the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Shoe erupting like a volcano, the blare of the crowd and the band sent chills down my spine and goose bumps up my arms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had never heard the Buckeye nation get this loud before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I bet fans miles away could hear the roar that poured out of the Shoe.</span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">This was it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The kickoff that millions of fans around the world have waited for was finally here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My lungs were already exhausted from all the yelling before the opening kick, but the following four quarters would be nothing but earsplitting cries from every Ohio State fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After every completion, turnover, and touchdown, the mood of the Buckeye nation shifted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ohio State was able to hold Michigan scoreless for quite some time, but it wasn’t long before the Wolverine standout offense powered their way into the end zone, causing panic in surrounding Buckeye fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Troy Smith was able hold his composure and stun the nation with his outstanding agility and athleticism, throwing incredible touchdown passes to Tedd Ginn Jr. and Brian Robiskie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Temporarily at least, the crowd breathed a sigh of relief as we entered halftime with the Buckeyes up 28-14.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the Wolverine offense to find their second wind, putting up two more touchdowns in the second half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After some aggressive running from Ohio State’s Antonio Pittman and </span><a href="http://ohiostate.rivals.com/cviewplayer.asp?Player=63136"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Chris “Beanie” Wells</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">, the Bucks found themselves late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I could barely watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Buckeyes controlled the entire game until the fourth quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The excitement and thrill in the Shoe escalated with every snap of the ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the clock slowly approached 0:00, everybody in the Shoe was on their feet, knowing that each play could make or break the game!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Excitement and apprehension rushed through my body. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>This was it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Everything both teams had trained for all year long came down to this one last play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ohio State’s defense was faced with the difficult task of shutting down the powerful Michigan offense for the last time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A perfect 13-0 season lay in wait for the Buckeyes.</span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Fourth down with just seconds to go, Michigan quarterback Chad Henne drops back to throw his last pass of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My hands clenched my hair as I watched Henne’s pass sail deep over Ohio State defenders towards the end zone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My heart was pounding!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Would Manningham come down with it for a touchdown to spoil the Buckeyes’ perfect season?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s an incompletion!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>My hands shot up in the air as I gave out a triumphant shriek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The field bled scarlet and gray as fans poured out onto the field to soak up the glorious victory.</span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">I couldn’t believe this remarkable game had come to an end so fast but I couldn’t have been any more satisfied with the battle or the outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I looked up at the scoreboard and took a mental image that I’ll never forget:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ohio State: 42 –Michigan: 39.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It will forever be branded in my mind. </span></span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 299px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 208px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.buckeye50.com/2006-11-18_Scoreboard_2.jpg" /></span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman','serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">My heart was pounding with excitement as I rushed the field with the rest of the celebrating Buckeyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I reached down tearing my hands into the Ohio State end zone, ripping up a chunk of turf for a souvenir of this game I will never forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The grass was planted in my front yard where I will see it every day and remember the mind-blowing victory of the great and mighty, the number one team in the nation:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>the Ohio State Buckeyes.</span></span></p></div></div></div>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-42072569772369301252010-03-15T03:36:00.000-07:002010-03-15T13:02:22.215-07:00Big Ten Bosses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmcyKNGxwYNubv2jx019VDnit2Xn88lhCDXU6gSBOs9DpIIUuL4mnNsfrxSHNg8A-xRza4CUn5Y6SunkIdLCMGNFeNLJSL3QWG8XV0e-plhzNQSs1BmhK2fabEtW_xLXIGwdvqZdtzlum/s1600-h/2010-march-madness-odds.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448951450288740242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmcyKNGxwYNubv2jx019VDnit2Xn88lhCDXU6gSBOs9DpIIUuL4mnNsfrxSHNg8A-xRza4CUn5Y6SunkIdLCMGNFeNLJSL3QWG8XV0e-plhzNQSs1BmhK2fabEtW_xLXIGwdvqZdtzlum/s320/2010-march-madness-odds.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">The recent win over Michigan St. and recent loss by Purdue gave the Buckeyes a conference title and the number one seed in the Big Ten tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As I said earlier the Bucks opened the tourney against the Michigan Wolverines, and wow was it a good one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The last second, 37 foot shot by Evan Turner gave Ohio State a second chance to move on to play Illinois.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">The </span><a href="http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/2009-2010/m-baskbl/big10/ill/team-schedule.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Fighting Illini </span></a><span style="color:#000000;">surprisingly defeated the </span><a href="http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/2009-2010/m-baskbl/big10/wis/team-schedule.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Wisconsin Badgers </span></a><span style="color:#000000;">in the first round of the tourney, giving them a shot to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Bucks found themselves down by eleven at one point but Evan Turner and David Lighty quickly turned that around by going on a 20-0 run putting the Buckeyes back on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As the game progressed the Ohio State lead slowly dwindled leaving the Bucks back in another tight game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At the end of regulation the Fighting Illini was given an easy game-winning layup opportunity but lucky choked sending the game into overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Entering overtime Turner had already racked up four fouls along with his thirty one points and eleven boards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After regulation I thought for sure the Buckeyes would easily be able to take care of Illinois in overtime, but I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Illini was had the opportunity to take the last shot at the end of the first overtime with the game tied <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>but the lockdown defense by Even Turner and David Lighty prevented Illinois for even attempting a shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">At the end of the first overtime Turner had fouled out but fortunately Illinois had two starters foul out too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Bucks came out shooting hot and created a lead early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ohio State held onto the lead and outscored the Illini by seven in the final overtime.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">The Buckeyes would next be pitted against the</span><a href="http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/2009-2010/m-baskbl/big10/minn/team-schedule.html"><span style="color:#000000;"> </span><span style="color:#ffffff;">Minnesota Golden Gophers</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Entering this game I figured the Bucks wouldn’t have any trouble with the Gophers since they beat them both times this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Going into the locker room at half time, Ohio State only led by three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I'm not sure what Thad said to his players but whatever it was, it worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Bucks score an unbelievable 54 points in the second half and ended up </span><a href="http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/2009-2010/m-baskbl/big10/osu/team-schedule.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">winning 90-61</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">I very proud of the Buckeyes and happy for their </span><a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&SPID=10421&SPSID=87812"><span style="color:#000000;">seniors</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Hopefully they can repeat their accomplishments next year as well.</span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Congratulations on winning the Big Ten Conference and the Big Ten Tournament!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Good Luck in the NCAA Tourney!! </span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-67959440867664639492010-03-15T01:51:00.000-07:002010-03-15T12:50:58.778-07:00OH-10<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG_J4Wy1ygNq4ARYiXD2ZVjtNseB9KUNX5ZsPUPUpdIq-dfiRPHBTvNmN1WPudcZC3pye4BjkSj_2HkY6MLA8pr2RY2R9ZoCaKkoVgdstKvMVHPRPq5Eqx97W2rJgWuTHAPG8YKGUiX1g/s1600-h/yuuup.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448793113826818082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG_J4Wy1ygNq4ARYiXD2ZVjtNseB9KUNX5ZsPUPUpdIq-dfiRPHBTvNmN1WPudcZC3pye4BjkSj_2HkY6MLA8pr2RY2R9ZoCaKkoVgdstKvMVHPRPq5Eqx97W2rJgWuTHAPG8YKGUiX1g/s320/yuuup.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">It has been three months since the Ohio State football team last stepped on a football field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their most recent win was over the Oregon Ducks in the <a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87743&SPID=10408&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=204863978"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Rose Bowl</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ohio State, led by quarterback Terrelle Pryor, will be back in the Shoe on April 24<sup>th</sup> for their annual <a href="http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-sports/2009/04/ohio_state_claims_spring_game.html"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Spring Game</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Last year Ohio State set a record for the largest attendance for a spring game ever!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>95,722 people showed up to cheer on their favorite Buckeyes for the 2009 spring game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>95,722!!!! That's more than most college stadiums can even hold!</span><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">So what’s the deal for this year? With the return of nine offensive starters and five defensive starters, I can see the Buckeye nation pumped for the start of the 2010 college football season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would love to see Ohio State set the record again for attendance to a spring game, and by the look of last year’s outcome, the Bucks have a very good chance of doing that. </span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Finishing 11-2 last year and returning fourteen starters will place the Buckeyes in the top five preseason for the start of the 2010 season. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>With Pryor back along with his favorite target, Posey, the Buckeyes should have one hell of an offence this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’m excited to see how well the Bucks do this year, especially since the Big Ten will be a much stronger conference. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>One player I’m really looking forward to watching is <a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=3660857"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Jordan Hall</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The high school teammate of Terrelle Pryor didn’t receive much playing time last year but from what I saw of him, he was VERY impressive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He is not that big of a running back but he runs very fast with A LOT of power.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jaamal Berry is another running back I'm looking forward to watching next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Florida native is said to have a ton of speed and is very agile.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">On the other side of the ball the Bucks will have trouble replacing Coleman and Gibson but the early use of their freshman will only make them better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the return of hard-hitting Brian Rolle and Ross Homan at the linebacker positions, the Ohio State defense should be very solid this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Hopefully they are as good as the offense should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p></div>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-38657815751502634702010-03-15T00:22:00.000-07:002010-03-15T01:51:16.008-07:00Mr. Big Shot<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLN_hu3VfH2ZsvzYfobmIgqQfxW4ooFJB5M_ndGFJP4yIhyphenhyphenqJmWaFShBeh-NADCIG1oG2HC6ien54w5_VrfNeTJpAcveNQ5_Jl-rJkol4V6__YEIHJZqog35MDfhj5xY8kBmmI_0Bvexv/s1600-h/turnerr.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 224px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448777307398706178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLN_hu3VfH2ZsvzYfobmIgqQfxW4ooFJB5M_ndGFJP4yIhyphenhyphenqJmWaFShBeh-NADCIG1oG2HC6ien54w5_VrfNeTJpAcveNQ5_Jl-rJkol4V6__YEIHJZqog35MDfhj5xY8kBmmI_0Bvexv/s320/turnerr.jpg" /></a><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">With the recent wins over Michigan St. and Penn St., Evan Turner and the Buckeyes got to take home the Big Ten conference title and a number one seed in the Big Ten tourney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Winner of the Player of the Year award, Evan Turner and his Bucks met up with their long-hated rivals, Michigan, in the first round of the <a href="http://www.bigten.org/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Big Ten tournament</span></a>.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Hosted in Indianapolis, the Big Ten tourney can be a make or break deal for some teams hoping to make it to the NCAA tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Bucks, because of their conference title win, are garneted a spot in March madness, but exactly what seed they will receive is unknown until Selection Sunday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Before playing the Wolverines, Ohio State held a number seven ranking in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Entering the game number eight (Big Ten tourney ranking) Michigan, led by Manny Harris, was considered a bubble team, meaning a win over Ohio State was essential for their entrance to the NCAA tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">From tip off the Bucks seemed very lethargic and carless with the ball on offence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Their defense also struggled to stop <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Harris"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Manny Harris</span> </a>from knocking down deep threes all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Evan Turner also didn’t seem to be playing his best basketball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The constant double team and missed shots frustrated him and eventually got to his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>William Buford and David Lighty were Ohio State’s most productive players during the first half until Evan was able to find his groove in the second half. </span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">During the second half the Bucks seemed to have put the game away but Harris was able to get open and bring the Wolverines back in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Before I knew it Michigan was back in the game and had an opportunity to take the lead. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>With 9.7 seconds left in a game tied a 66 Michigan would get the ball at midcourt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Inbounded to Harris, he would drive to the top of the key, pull up for a shot……..and knock it down with 2.2 seconds to go. 66-68.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Was this it for the Bucks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Out in the first round to a much hated rival?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Matta called a timeout for one last play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>David Lighty, the inbound man, standing under his own basket passes it quickly up to Evan Turner who turns around to gain as much ground as possible before having to heave up a last desperation shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Near midcourt Turner jump stops and lets go a <a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=87805&SPID=10421&DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=204906968"><span style="color:#ffffff;">37 foot shot</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Time expires as the ball slowly makes its way towards the hoop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Turner standing with his arm still in the air in anticipation of the shot falling becomes overwhelmed with excitement with the shot actually falls for the win!!!</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Ohio State wins 69-68 over the Michigan Wolverines<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>and advances to the next game against Illinois.</span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-27171316380073113632010-03-15T00:13:00.000-07:002010-03-15T01:50:43.130-07:00Future Freshman<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtCRFr_bJxUmnu38HBScNu9ziCt6ZLK3yJkBusFUfNZUw3-OXopDlDX8LE87KVAQF_5FStq_mZn5Te2F8tptB7TqksAyntePrJCm0jPnvfFxdEc4rmsa0iCTT_pIEx5UTxTxEaEqHOwzc/s1600-h/jared_sullinger.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 194px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448756368485287282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtCRFr_bJxUmnu38HBScNu9ziCt6ZLK3yJkBusFUfNZUw3-OXopDlDX8LE87KVAQF_5FStq_mZn5Te2F8tptB7TqksAyntePrJCm0jPnvfFxdEc4rmsa0iCTT_pIEx5UTxTxEaEqHOwzc/s320/jared_sullinger.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">The Ohio State men’s Basketball team seems to be on a roll with 20-7 record and 10-4 in the Big Ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They have two tough road games ahead of them (Michigan St. and Purdue) as they look to win the Big Ten conference and hopefully receive a number one seed in the Big Ten tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The hot hands of Evan Turner and sharp shooting from William Buford are key if the Bucks plan on winning their conference and or the tourney.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">With March Madness just around the corner the Buckeyes have a very young team with little recent success in the NCAA tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Without a single starting senior, head Coach Thad Matta hopes to keep his team leader, Evan Turner, for another year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the likely hood that sophomore William Buford will return next year, if the Bucks can keep Turner from entering the NBA draft, I would bet money RIGHT NOW that that Bucks will win a National Championship next year.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Why so sure?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not only will Evan Turner be the best college basketball player next year, without a doubt, with the help from Buford and Deibler PLUS the talent the Bucks are bringing in next year from recruiting, Ohio State would have the best college basketball team in the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">When the name Sullinger comes up most Buckeye fans think of past Ohio State guard JJ Sullinger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well next year when that name comes up hopefully Buckeye fans think of the dominating center <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ohiostate/basketball/recruiting/player-Jared-Sullinger-67216;_ylt=Auu74Tci7M0OLRdXJyC4pUdptJB4"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Jared Sullinger</span></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Already Ohio State has the <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ohiostate/basketball/recruiting/commitments/2010"><span style="color:#ffffff;">number one basketball recruiting class in the count</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">ry</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With commits from five stars Jared Sullinger, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lgFlqX0CNo"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Deshaun Thomas</span> </a>the 2010 Buckeye basketball recruiting class is said to be just as good, if not better, than the 2006 class (Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook class).</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Along with these two five stars, Jared brings two teammates J.D. Weatherspoon (three star) and Jordan Sibert (four star). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>With their experience together as teammates hopefully the class of 2010 can make an impact next year in the Shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">If Matta manages to keep Turner for another year along with Buford the Bucks have a real shot at bringing home a conference title along with a National Title.</span></p></div>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-21289545931327403042010-03-14T23:14:00.000-07:002010-03-14T23:20:05.198-07:00Beanie's Backup??<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnTPEh-uAa_2xCRJTeni25A6KOdlBzO2eGJ0Dyyyk_HDFG0dOXcVt3dO0ppbSwIdrxh8nCb2NhagzF1_7AijK8TOi2YlCT0ZqQw5jbt2-8kbxjMlgFOJHr_yTNr_x_djRogaUMo_LAL0z/s1600-h/rsmith.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 206px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448741526612229762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnTPEh-uAa_2xCRJTeni25A6KOdlBzO2eGJ0Dyyyk_HDFG0dOXcVt3dO0ppbSwIdrxh8nCb2NhagzF1_7AijK8TOi2YlCT0ZqQw5jbt2-8kbxjMlgFOJHr_yTNr_x_djRogaUMo_LAL0z/s320/rsmith.jpg" /></a><br /><div><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Let’s take a more in depth look at Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Buckeyes are known for their heavy running, pro-style offence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Many talented running backs like, Chris “Beanie” Wells, Antonio Pittman, Eddie George, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Archie Griffin, etc., have left their legacy in the Shoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Led by Brandon Saine and Dan “Boom” Herron, the Buckeye running game has taken a turn since the departure of power back Chris Wells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The quick feet of Herron and Saine has allowed Tressel to run a faster, more spread out offence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The most successful run plays during the 2009 season came from plays designed to bounce the ball to the outside where Brandon Saine can use his track speed to burn defenders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Why all the outside run game?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Buckeyes lack a power back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Very rarely will you see Saine or Herron pound the ball up the middle knocking linebackers on their ass like Beanie Wells could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That's just not their style of football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">So when will the Buckeye nation see another Wells in the backfield?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the class of 2010 coming in we could very easily see freshman <span style="color:#ffffff;">Roderick Smith</span> filling that position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The 6-3, 220, Indiana native, in my eyes, could be one of Ohio State’s best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The current High School senior will step foot on Ohio State campus this summer to prepare for the 2010 football season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keHlZQUyX9A"><span style="color:#ffffff;">His soft hands and 4.5 40 time</span> </a>could make an impact on the team next year.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Smith’s height and size are prime for a running back entering college football for the first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His 6-3, 220 frame reminds me of Beanie Wells himself or ever Eddie George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The four star running back currently ranks 6<sup>th</sup> in his position and 65<sup>th</sup> nationally.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">What does this mean for next year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would love to see Roderick Smith on the field next year, but with the number of talented running backs that Ohio State currently has the chances of his starting are rare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This doesn’t mean we won’t see him powering his way over linebackers in the end zone next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His stature is ideal for red zone situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the spring game coming up shortly, I hope to see Smith get some reps along with the many other gifted running backs the Bucks have, including <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ohiostate/football/recruiting/player-Jaamal-Berry-75121;_ylt=Ah4vnHVyWNbcOc9ov1N.RbZztJB4"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Jaamal Berry</span></a>, Adam Holman, and Carlos Hyde.</span></p></div>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-31706492985601795342010-02-17T13:17:00.000-08:002010-03-14T22:07:16.734-07:00Tressel's Talent<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUqlp35u4ntU8rkeSH30kbNUWq_a4evdTfj3QfwxFKgUwMjtGqSl-bo3GLXXREm-aja8zIhsMe-9IDcyCxXPxElcQVKmhE5ohs8Og6up8hHcRQDozJ3O5TCOJKkYRAzGUr9gQloMchqbz/s1600-h/09-09-19-FB-1563-DH.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448722713046163506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUqlp35u4ntU8rkeSH30kbNUWq_a4evdTfj3QfwxFKgUwMjtGqSl-bo3GLXXREm-aja8zIhsMe-9IDcyCxXPxElcQVKmhE5ohs8Og6up8hHcRQDozJ3O5TCOJKkYRAzGUr9gQloMchqbz/s320/09-09-19-FB-1563-DH.jpg" /></a><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">During the month of February college football comes back to life for a short period of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For college football fans, this time of month is huge for their favorite team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>February is know as “college football recruiting month.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Coaches spend years recruiting athletes to their schools and it all comes down to National Signing Day, February 7<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Signing day is where the nation’s top football high school seniors decided where they will play their next four, sometimes three, years of football.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Every February 7<sup>th</sup> is filled with heartbreaks and shocking decisions.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">I personally keep watch on <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ohiostate/football/recruiting/commitments/2010"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Ohio State’s recruiting classes</span></a> year round.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This gives me an idea of how talented the Buckeyes will be each season, and how they stack up against other recruiting classes and future teams.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Since Jim Tressel took the head coaching job at Ohio State, the Buckeye’s recruiting classes have strongly improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With Tressel as head coach, excluding this year’s class, the Buck’s recruiting has always been in the top 25, if not, in the top 10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With commits like Tedd Ginn Jr., <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Smith"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Troy Smith</span></a>, Terrelle Pryor, Chris Wells, Anthony Gonzalez, etc. I would say Tressel is a VERY good recruiter.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">That brings us to this year’s class of ’10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This year was the first time I can remember Ohio State not having a top 25 recruiting class (according to Rivals.com, Scout.com or ESPN.com).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As I read outside blogs about the Buckeye recruiting class of ’10, I find myself reading a lot of negative feedback towards Tressel and his “lack of aggression” in this year’s recruiting.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">The Ohio State University and Jim Tressel would never recruit an athlete that wouldn’t benefit the team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Although the Bucks didn’t draw in any five stars (considered best athletes in the country) in this year’s class, Tressel has created more five stars then he has recruited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">In the <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/commitments/2005/ohiost.-33"><span style="color:#ffffff;">2005 class</span></a>, Tressel used two scholarships on two three-stared athletes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>James Laurinaitis, and Malcolm Jenkins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Both of these underrated football players were drafted in the first round and were HUGE influences on the Buckeye defense. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>A.J. Hawk and Santonio Holmes are more examples of underrated athletes that coach Jim Tressel has turned in to five star prospects.</span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">No matter the ratings or the stars Ohio State recruits receive, I will always trust Tressel’s decision when it comes to recruiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-25071911287712383042010-02-01T10:41:00.000-08:002010-03-14T21:57:43.670-07:00Looking ahead<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwTrgbGFQGbGLUP8X7vet0GEl3-ovt2GT699naYaozcJ1HjXk9ZMqwHyjXOcDXAlk5ys9d2MEIl3omvZ9hXaOEsCg51sXlCTwzpVX1XCl4Fj_ESFDg6NFsOdF83SlTK3ny_dCFAYg7C4/s320/jim_tressel.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 307px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSwTrgbGFQGbGLUP8X7vet0GEl3-ovt2GT699naYaozcJ1HjXk9ZMqwHyjXOcDXAlk5ys9d2MEIl3omvZ9hXaOEsCg51sXlCTwzpVX1XCl4Fj_ESFDg6NFsOdF83SlTK3ny_dCFAYg7C4/s320/jim_tressel.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Over the past thirteen years or so that I’ve watched Ohio State football, I can’t remember the Buckeyes playing on any day other than Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s been a tradition for many years that Ohio State always plays their football games on a Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well to open the </span><a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=87745&SPID=10408&DB_OEM_ID=17300&Q_SEASON=2010"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;">2010 Ohio State football season </span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(September 2<sup>nd</sup>), the Bucks will host Marshal on a Thursday night in the Shoe!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Buckeyes playing on a Thursday night!? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>Yep that's right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Why a Thursday night?” many Ohio State fans have asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In my opinion the decision to play on this Thursday was very strategic benefitting the Buckeyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">September 2<sup>nd</sup> marks the opening day for college football, meaning excited football fans all over the country will tune in on this day to watch the opening games of the 2010 college football season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, in the past, big name colleges (Ohio State, USC, Alabama, Texas, etc.) almost never open their season on this Thursday, leaving the smaller college games on television to bore people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Ohio State Marshal game will, most likely, be the most viewed football game on September 2<sup>nd</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With the Bucks in the top five </span><a href="http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1037628"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#ffffff;">preseason</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"> rankings, this Thursday night game gives Ohio State the stage to themselves to, hopefully, win big and look excellent over the Marshal Thundering Herd bumping them up in the polls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Let’s look forward a week to Ohio State’s second game of the 2010 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span><a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images_root/slides/photos/000/134/273/72539534.jpg.7570.0_display_image.jpg"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Miami of Florida</span>!</span></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Any Buckeye fan can tell you the last time these two football teams met up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With a 13-0 record, during the 2002 season, the Buckeyes entered the National Championship game underdogs to the powerhouse, undefeated Miami Hurricanes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In double overtime the Bucks’ were able to pick off Ken Dorsey’s last pass of his college career sending the ‘Canes home with an L and the Buckeyes home with a crystal ball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>September 11<sup>th</sup>, 2010 will be the first meeting between these two college football teams since the National Championship game in 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Miami won’t forget the upset and will come to Ohio Stadium looking for redemption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Luckily the Buckeyes will have two extra days to prepare for the ‘Canes due to their Thursday night game the week before!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%;font-family:arial;color:#000000;" >Although playing on a Thursday night is not an Ohio State norm, the decision was in the best interest of the football team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The extra practice time and attention Ohio State will receive because of the September 2<sup>nd</sup> game will, hopefully, improve their chances for a win over the bitter ‘Canes and a run at the crystal ball once again.</span><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%;font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';" ><o:p></o:p></span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-67381617883717991812010-01-25T14:13:00.000-08:002010-03-14T22:08:49.036-07:00Turner Factor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVr1Z1bhVeCfzOXS2UF14H9hrZ163YUoOazsRQl7CgUDau8_baF56uIP0x5STyBtsgYUzhcrLPFrpt7Hiz8BjdIGVtLgusIIwNVpqBCDkhggdWlvg9KepTp_nF0es1Jg5XSXvUyEhgG4XE/s1600-h/evan.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 245px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448723166663365970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVr1Z1bhVeCfzOXS2UF14H9hrZ163YUoOazsRQl7CgUDau8_baF56uIP0x5STyBtsgYUzhcrLPFrpt7Hiz8BjdIGVtLgusIIwNVpqBCDkhggdWlvg9KepTp_nF0es1Jg5XSXvUyEhgG4XE/s320/evan.jpg" /></a><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 19.2pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">With a fourteen and six record, (four and three in the Big Ten) the Buckeye basketball team sits at number 20 on the AP poll. With the early return of injured </span><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/evan-turner/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Evan Turner</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">, the Bucks won four of their last six games, including the recent very close, intense road loss to number twelve West Virginia. The sharp three-point shooting from Diebler and the aggressive offence from Buford helps take pressure off Ohio States star player, Evan Turner. On the year Turner has two triple doubles (tying an Ohio State record) and fell one assist short of his third in the Buckeyes most recent win over the Northwestern Wildcats. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 19.2pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Saturday, the Buckeyes traveled to </span><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/west-virginia-mountaineers/"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">West Virginia</span> </span></a><span style="color:#000000;">for a rough battle in the WVU Coliseum. Led by sophomore </span><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/william-buford/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">William Buford </span></a><span style="color:#000000;">(twenty-two points) and Turner, (eighteen points) Ohio State controlled the tempo of the entire first half with incredible dunks by Buford and lights-out three point shooting from Diebler. Entering half time Ohio State had a twelve point lead with the momentum of the game. The Mountaineers, led by Da’Sean Butler, came out to get the crowd pumped and get back into the game. The twelve point deficit slowly crumbled through the hands of Ohio State as West Virginia made a run late in the game taking the lead. The Bucks struggled defensively and had trouble getting their shots to fall in the second half which showed in the final score, 65-71.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 19.2pt; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">During the beginning of the season the Bucks were playing some of their best basketball thanks to the help of Evan Turner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They started with a seven and one record but fell off offensively after a painful fall from Turner putting out of the line up for an entire month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>During his injury the Bucks lost four games, including two in conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Now with Evan back on the hardwood, Ohio State is coming together as a team and starting to play very awesome basketball again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The 6-7 junior is the most complete player on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He simply makes everyone on the court better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He can defend your best player, shoot from the perimeter, and shake you out of your shoes with his astonishing ball handling skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even Turner, in my opinion, is one of the best leaders and basketball players Ohio State has seen since </span><a href="http://search.espn.go.com/mike-conley/"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Mike Conley</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It would be nice to see him stick around another year but his raw talent is superior enough for the NBA. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-85811456809870386652010-01-11T14:08:00.000-08:002010-03-14T22:11:25.573-07:00Rose Bowl Champs!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1x84yE77fb8l6Yp4oRTrCxsEAOBhfAQUK4wCKkRi-d7URusmVqe6e82g8v5FH7iSL5ZNsdBEsOL1Rn_FCGgp4hrYOzzKzX1rwV3gT7hL6NXRvOfdLvheJD-Ocm0ngjyafMbtY3OmBnWA/s1600-h/rose.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 197px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448723847842272514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1x84yE77fb8l6Yp4oRTrCxsEAOBhfAQUK4wCKkRi-d7URusmVqe6e82g8v5FH7iSL5ZNsdBEsOL1Rn_FCGgp4hrYOzzKzX1rwV3gT7hL6NXRvOfdLvheJD-Ocm0ngjyafMbtY3OmBnWA/s320/rose.jpg" /></a><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">The sun was dazzling, the air was crisp and there wasn’t a word to describe the noise that poured out of Pasadena. The battlefield was bright green but the fans were nothing but scarlet. Corso made his pick, now it was up to Terrelle Pryor and the Ohio State Buckeyes to tear through the tunnel and take the field to prove the Lee Corso and the country wrong. They could smell the roses!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">The Buckeyes couldn’t have picked a more perfect place to be on the first day of the new year. The Rose Bowl! Teams fight their heart out for twelve weeks striving to play in a bowl game this remarkable. The stage was set. The Ohio State Buckeyes, led by Terrelle Pryor and Jim Tressel, were pitted against the speedy, agile Oregon Ducks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">Ohio State had not won a bowl game since Troy Smith led them to a victory over Notre Dame during the 2005 season. This was a huge stage for both teams.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">Oregon won the toss and the opening kickoff of the 2010 Rose Bowl was underway. I couldn’t imagine any Ohio State football game I would rather be at than this one. Ohio State’s opening drive was capped off by a thirteen yard completion to Brandon Saine to put the Bucks on the board first. All week leading up to the Rose Bowl, ESPN couldn’t get enough of Oregon’s offence and how they were going to “slice through” Ohio State’s defense. But OSU held their composure and was able to hold them scoreless for the entire first quarter. Buckeye kicker, Barclay, put up three more for the good guys increasing the Buck’s lead to ten.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">After a long, hard-fought second quarter Barclay was able to put up six more but Oregon battled back scoring ten, entering the locker room down 16-10. After the incredible show put on by “The Best Damn Band in the Land,” Oregon came out of half time ready to take the lead on the opening drive of the third quarter. The long, twelve play drive ended with a one yard run by Oregon’s athletic quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli. OSU responded by another Barclay field goal putting the Buckeyes up 19-17. As the last seconds of the third quarter ticked away, every player threw up four fingers symbolizing that “The Grand Daddy of Them All” would be decided in the fourth quarter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">Oregon started the fourth quarter with the ball looking to take the lead over Ohio State, but the Bucks hard-hitting defense was able to shut them down forcing a punt. The Buckeyes took action and slowly drove down the field eating away at the game clock. Late in the fourth, Jake Ballard made a remarkable twenty four yard catch on third down giving the Bucks another life to put the game away. After entering the Duck’s red-zone, Tressel’s aggressive play calling set DeVier Posey up for the game winning touchdown catch from Terrelle Pryor. The Ducks had one more chance to put the game in reach but the Ohio State defense could smell the roses and held Oregon scoreless the rest of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">The Ohio State Buckeyes won their first Rose Bowl since 1998 in a hard fought victory over the very talented Oregon Ducks. Pryor (Bowl MVP) and his team took the stage to hoist the gleaming Rose Bowl trophy above their heads with excitement and honor. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#330000;">I was very pleased with OSU performance in the Rose Bowl and glad that the Ohio State seniors were able to go out with a huge victory in the “Grand Daddy of Them All.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#330000;"></span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7826734343110731598.post-17737276704645040932010-01-06T16:09:00.000-08:002010-03-14T21:55:37.337-07:00What's soon to come??<p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">Hey everybody!</span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Tanks for tuning in to my blog. During the following ten weeks of class you’ll hear a lot about the Ohio State Buckeyes! Every week will be different, whether it’s a story about the Buckeyes on the hardwood or a memorable experience from the shoe, I’ll make sure everyone is caught up with their favorite Buckeyes! Each post will describe, in detail, a story about a Buckeye sporting event that recently happened. Each game I will break down plays and go into detail about each player and their stats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will talk a little bit about the Ohio State football season including the Rose Bowl and some of their recruiting class during the off season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will mainly focus on the Buckeye basketball team along with their players and coaches. I’ll also look ahead to the 2010 basketball season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If there is a specific Ohio State story or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"></span>event you would like me to write a post about just let me know!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Over the past decade, Ohio State has been a dominating team in the collegiate sports world. Since 2000 the Ohio State football team has won six conference titles, including a National Championship along with an undefeated season all under the leadership of Coach Jim Tressel. Ohio State’s most recent victory come over the Oregon Ducks to win the “Grand Daddy of them All,” the Rose Bowl!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">When it comes to basketball the Buckeyes have performed very well in the Big Ten and had a standout season in ’06 when the Bucks made it to the National Championship game but sadly fell short to Florida. Ohio State is able to put together outstanding basketball teams but they struggle to keep their star players from entering the NBA draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This year the Bucks are lead by junior Evan Turner, junior Jon Deibler, and sophomore William Buford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These high scoring stars are sure to help the Bucks fight through their tough schedule and hopefully bring home another Big Ten conference title.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">Stay tuned in to hear more about everyone’s favorite Buckeyes. I really hope you enjoy the many posts that are soon to come!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;"></span></p>OSU PINNEYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08734342662701797298noreply@blogger.com1