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Home > Blogs > Buckeyes Beat > Archives > 2008 > November
November 2008
Laurinaitis, Jenkins, Ringer in running for major awards
Ohio State defensive stars James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins, along with Michigan State running back Javon Ringer, are finalists for major national college football awards.
The Home Depot College Football Awards Show will be aired live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m.
Finalists in the major categories:
Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player)
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
Ray Maualuga, USC Aaron Maybin, Penn State
Biletnikoff Award (best receiver)
Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech (2007 winner) Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
Lou Groza Award (best kicker)
Josh Arauco, Arkansas State Graham Gano, Florida State Louie Sakoda, Utah
Ray Guy Award (best punter)
Matt Fodge, Oklahoma State Pat McAfee, West Virginia Louie Sakoda, Utah
Maxwell Award (best all-around player)
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech Colt McCoy, Texas Tim Tebow, Florida (2007 winner)
Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback)
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma Graham Harrell, Texas Tech Colt McCoy, Texas
Outland Trophy (best interior lineman)
Michael Oher, Ole Miss Duke Robinson, Oklahoma Andre Smith, Alabama
Jim Thorpe Award (best defensive back)
Eric Berry, Tennessee
Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
Taylor Mays, USC
Doak Walker Award (best running back)
Shonn Greene, Iowa Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
Javon Ringer, Michigan State
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OSU-Michigan: Postgame chatter
Now that Ohio State has humbled Michigan — an outcome that has become as predictable as traffic jams on I-75 — it’s time to look ahead.
What’s next for the 10-2 Buckeyes?
We’ll know more when the sun goes down tonight. Three big games to monitor:
• Penn State-Michigan State, 3:30, ABC — An upset by the Spartans would put Ohio State in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1997. If Penn State wins, as expected, the Buckeyes would still have a shot at a BCS at-large berth.
• Boise State-Nevada, 4, ESPN2 — If Boise State goes undefeated ,the Broncos could grab an automatic BCS bid. If Utah also goes undefeated and locks in an automatic berth, there will be a lot of support for Boise taking a second at-large bid, which would knock Ohio State down to the Capital One Bowl. But Boise faces a tough test today.
• Utah-BYU, 6, the mtn — Utah, the highest-ranked non-BCS conference team, could lock up an automatic big-bowl bid with a win. If the Utes lose, the Buckeyes look like a possible BCS team (although Oregon State could push Southern Cal into the at-large pool). BTW, nobody gets this channel, so don’t look for the game.
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OSU-Michigan: Fourth quarter
The fourth quarter begins. Michigan’s bus driver inserts key into ignition.
2:40 — Boom Herron scores easily on a 2-yard run after a near-interception in the end zone by Michigan. Great play by Wolverines’ DB. Almost good enough to have the play overturned. I doubt Woody Hayes called too many play-action passes on first-and-goal from the 2.
2:45 — Good to see Todd Boeckman in the game. We were talking in the office about what kind of reception he’d get, and it was positive. “Who knows, if he’d have played against Penn State that loss might not have been there,” Bob Griese says, giving a strong opinion.
2:46 — Boeckman hits Brian Hartline for a TD. Great stuff, and the OSU seniors love it.
2:52 — Rich Rodriguez has to be wondering what he got himself into. GameDay had an interesting pregame interview with RichRod, during which UM’s new coach admitted to not doing his homework before taking the job in Ann Arbor.
“I didn’t research and see there would only be one starter back on offense,” Rodriguez said. “I thought … go in there, line up and it’ll be OK. I should’ve known better.”
So what was he saying? That he wouldn’t have taken the Michigan job if he knew the Wolverines would be bad this season?
3:01 — In case you were wondering, Ohio State’s largest margin of victory against Michigan is 38 points (38-0 in 1935). … On the other hand, Michigan’s most decisive win was an 86-0 thumping back in 1902.
3:09 — There’s some salt in Rodriguez’s wounds. ABC just mentioned that West Virginia QB Pat White today became the top rushing quarterback in Division I history.
3:13 — Game over. Ohio State wins 42-7. One of the Buckeyes’ most decisive victories against Michigan. Also OSU’s fifth straight win over the Wolverines. And Jim Tressel now is 7-1 vs. Michigan.
Big Ten records since 1993, when Penn State joined the Big Ten:
Ohio State, 99-28-1
Michigan, 93-35
Penn State, 79-48
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OSU-Michigan: Third quarter
As I pop my second Diet Coke of the day, it looks like we might have us a ballgame.
1:58 p.m. — Last year, Michigan couldn’t even hit 100 total yards against OSU. And that game was in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines just went over 100 yards today. That’s something to build on, I guess.
2:03 — Introducing Boom Herron, ladies and gentlemen. Franco Harris would be proud of Chris Wells stepping out of bounds without making contact with the DB.
2:13 — Love the Dr. J commercial. My kids have no idea how good Julius Erving was. The Allstate commercials are always good, too. Anybody want to weigh in on good/bad commercials? … I’ve moved on to pretzels.
2:19 — Bob Griese, aka Mr. Obvious, just pointed out that Terrelle Pryor is not having a great day. With OSU up 21-7, what would it hurt to insert Todd Boeckman for a series or two? It would show some respect, and there would be plenty of time to repair any damage done to Pryor’s ego.
2:22 — Our first Trotwood alum sighting. UM running back Michael Shaw gains 13 yards on a nice run, then follows up with a 5-yard loss.
2:25 — The Buckeyes have the spread covered. OSU was favored by 20 1/2 points today, the largest spread of any OSU-Michigan game. I believe the line went up this week, too, which means a lot of cash was bet on the Buckeyes. Who says Vegas never loses?
2:34 — Third quarter ends. OSU up 28-7 and going in for more.
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OSU-Michigan: Second quarter
Let’s talk about the second quarter:
12:55 p.m. — Brian Hartline’s TD catch gives OSU a commanding 14-0 lead. Hard to believe that Hartline had only 19 receptions coming into the game. Terrelle Pryor is into the game and Michigan’s defense can’t get off the field. Any predictions on the final score? I’ll say 38-0.
1:05 — Is there any doubt that Chris Wells will enter the NFL draft next spring? As injury-prone as he is, that is the only logical move.
1:08 — I had no idea that Michigan’s band was the first to do “Script Ohio.” And — with all the goofy Paul Maguire cut-ins — it’s obvious ABC was anticipating a blowout.
1:11 — For the record, Michigan’s first first down comes on a 10-yard pass with 8:21 left in the second quarter. The Wolverines’ streak of 3-and-outs is halted at five. Congrats, UM.
1:19 — Michigan did a nice job of running down the clock once it had first-and-goal at the 1. Wow. Give ‘em credit, though. Brandon Minor is running hard, and his 1-yard TD run with 2:51 left in the quarter makes me think that I’ll skip that nap I had planned for the third quarter.
1:33 — The first half is over. Buckeyes up 14-7. Ohio State had it in the bag, but let the Wolverines back in it. As odd as it sounds, Michigan has the momentum heading into the locker room. Just the fact that UM tried to move the ball into field-goal range in the final minute says a lot. And punting was a smart move. That prevented any chance of a late OSU field goal.
1:35 — Ah, the on-field interview. Biggest waste of time since scrap-booking was invented. Jim Tressel second-guesses himself for going for it on fourth down (why?) and mentions how hard Michigan is playing. “Michigan never stops playing. They’ve done that for 125 years or whatever,” Tressel tells Stacey Dales.
I miss Lloyd Carr. Remember the time he ripped into an ABC sideline reporter at halftime? It was a guy, Todd Harris, I think — before you had to be hot to hold a microphone on the sidelines. I wonder what Lloyd is doing today.
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OSU-Michigan: First quarter
I’ll be updating this blog throughout the OSU-Michigan game, a new entry each quarter, so hit “Refresh” and post a comment if you’ve got something to say (and who doesn’t?).
Let’s kick it off …
12:06 — What’s with the pregame scuffles? Last year I was in Michigan Stadium when little Mike Hart jumped over the 50-yard line in an attempt to provoke the Buckeyes (or get his team fired-up or impress the cheerleaders, I’m not sure). Show some class, guys. The Game is between OSU and Michigan, not Miami and Florida State.
12:12 — Dan Sanzenbacher, Dane Sanzenbacher … Brad Nessler needs to look at his roster … Whoa, Terrelle Pryor with the first big mistake, an interception. Not a problem. We’ll be seeing a Michigan field-goal attempt shortly.
12:16 — Michigan missed field doesn’t bode well for the Wolverines. Pryor threw the INT, but his tackle saved a touchdown. Good to see he didn’t go sulk on the bench like he did against Penn State. And do you think Nick Sheridan will be any kind of factor after James Laurinaitis planted him in the turf? Ouch.
12:22 — Wow. Michigan was looking like it would make a game of this until Michigan botched that punt return. Nice head’s-up play by Wayne grad Marcus Freeman. This changes field position, of course. Jim Tressel’s favorite thing.
12:33 — Time for a salami-and-cheese sandwich. And time to wonder if Michigan will get a first down today. The Wolverines defense is showing some spunk, but they won’t be able to hold off a tentative OSU offense all day.
12:35 — Another Dayton kid makes a big play. UM DB Brandon Harrison (C-J) makes a sure sack of Pryor on a blitz. Do you think OSU will pass on first down just once?
12:38 — Finally, some offense. Chris Wells’ 59-yard TD run looked a lot like the one he ripped off against LSU in the first quarter of the BCS title game back in January.
12:41 — Austin Spitler (Bellbrook) pounds Sam McGuffie on the kickoff. The Dayton kids are all over the field. Nessler with a nice one: “That’s a McGuffie sandwich.”
12:47 — The first quarter is over and I think Michigan’s offense would have a tough time moving the ball against Alter. Two big questions:
1) Will Michigan set a record for most 3-and-outs in a game? 2) How long will it be before Stacey Dales interviews Cris Carter, because ABC will be looking for filler material pretty soon.
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OSU-Michigan: Pregame chatter
What we learned by watching ESPN’s College GameDay:
• It doesn’t look good for Michigan today (surprise). Some crazy stats Chris and the boys rolled out: The Wolverines have had 98 plays for negative yardage; 48 3-and-out series; and 36 fumbles (16 lost).
• Penn State coach Joe Paterno is going to have hip-replacement surgery next week. And he sips Old Grand Dad to dull the pain.
• Texas coach Mack Brown is going to watch tonight’s big Oklahoma-Texas Tech game as a fan. Good to see. Most coaches don’t admit they do anything but break down film 24/7. Mack seems like a good guy.
• For the final time today, Illinois and Northwestern will play for the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk. They have to find another trophy because the current trophy is too politically incorrect. Ridiculous.
• Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is the anti-Tressel. Loved the segment of Leach doing the weather on TV. The guy has a few screws loose and will talk about anything. Just the opposite of Ohio State’s “senator.”
• And, finally, Rich Rodriguez just doesn’t get it. When asked if a win today against Ohio State would save Michigan’s season, he said: “It’s just one game. … I don’t know how one win could salvage (the season).”
RichRod has a lot to learn.
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Scouting report: Ohio State-Michigan
The scouting report for OSU-Michigan, courtesy of Scripps Howard News Service:
MICHIGAN (3-8) at No. 10 OHIO STATE (9-2), Noon, ABC
FAVORITE: Ohio State by 21. COACHES: Rich Rodriguez (first year at Michigan) and Jim Tressel (82-20 in 8th year at Ohio State). LAST WEEK: Michigan lost at home to Northwestern, 21-14. Ohio State won at Illinois, 30-20. SERIES HISTORY: Michigan leads, 57-41-6. LAST MEETING: Ohio State won, 14-3, last year. STAT THAT MATTERS: Having won last four over Wolverines, Buckeyes have never beaten Michigan five consecutive times in rivalry that dates back to 1897. GAME FACTS: Having already clinched worst season in UM’s 129 years of football in Rodriguez’s debut that also saw nation’s best 33-year bowl streak ended, Wolverines really have nothing to lose. Only bright spot is that four of the losses were by combined total of 17 points. QBs Steven Threet, Nick Sheridan floundered again last week (combined 12-of-36, 83 yards, int.) giving them 11 TD passes vs. 12 ints. for season. Threet likely won’t play after separating shoulder last week.
Expected romp would give Buckeyes share of Big Ten title, good shot at BCS at-large bowl bid. Senior RB Chris “Beanie” Wells had 143 yards rushing and freshman QB Terrelle Pryor added 110 as OSU bulled its way to 303 yards on ground last week. Defense gave up season-high 454 yards but considering way they stifled Michigan last year (91 total yards, 8 first downs), OSU should have no problem punishing downtrodden Wolverines. Tressel’s 6-1 mark vs. UM would make Woody Hayes more than proud.
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Buckeyes will win, but not in a blowout
Rivalry games are supposed to be close, right? But nobody is expecting a thriller Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State, looking for another Big Ten title and BCS bowl berth, is a big favorite to send Michigan back up north with another loss in a series that is becoming very one-sided.
The line — for entertainment purposes only (wink) — is a whopping 20 1/2 points. That’s a big number, reportedly the biggest ever in the OSU-Michigan game.
The last time the Buckeyes beat the Wolverines by more than 20? Forty years ago, a 50-14 pasting in 1968.
The last time either team won by such a wide margin was in 1993, when Michigan hammered OSU 28-0. It was the Buckeyes’ only loss that year.
So what do we make of that huge spread? True, Michigan is bad. But I’m leaning toward Alex Boone’s assessment of the game. OSU didn’t make the motor-mouthed senior tackle available on Michigan Week Media Day (didn’t want to risk bulletin-board material), but Boone does write a kind of blog for Sporting News Today.
In today’s edition, he mentions how OSU hates Michigan and Michigan hates OSU. He also writes, “It’s not going to be a blowout.”
The only problem with buying into the close-game theory is what Jim Tressel said on his radio show Thursday. He made Michigan sound like USC, which means the Wolverines must really be bad.
“When they’re doing the things they need to do, they’re as good as anybody,” Tressel said, perhaps not knowing how ridiculous he sounded.
He also said that he came away impressed with the Wolverines after watching them lose to Utah in the season-opener.
“That’s when I knew they were made of the right stuff,” Tressel blathered on.
That “right stuff” has Michigan at 3-8 … with a loss to Toledo! Still, I think the Michigan team that beat Wisconsin and Minnesota might show up Saturday.
Other factors that might keep the score respectable:
— It will be cold and Tressel will play it safe — especially with a freshman QB who didn’t respond well in his last big game (Todd Boeckman would’ve been a better choice than Terrelle Pryor against Penn State).
— OSU (and Michigan) are at the bottom of the Big Ten in total offense. Woody and Bo would love this matchup.
I think Ohio State will win handily, and would feel better about taking the points if the spread were 21. Even though I’m feeling snake-bit from last week, I’m saying take the points. OSU 28, Michigan 10.
LAST WEEK: Our advice was to take Illinois and the 9 1/2 points. So, of course, OSU won by 10 (30-20). Depending on when you made your decision, you might’ve won with the Illiini, since the line opened at 10 1/2. But we have to chalk it down as a loss.
THE SEASON: We’re a very mediocre 5-5 against the spread in OSU games this season. Two of those losses would make you reach for the Gamblers Anonymous number: the Illinois game and the Minnesota game, which we lost on the last play.
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No, Javon Ringer will not cheer for Michigan
Michigan State: Pasadena can still happen. All the Spartans have to do is beat Penn State (as 14.5-point underdogs on the road) and get a Michigan win against Ohio State (as 20.5-point underdogs on the road).
But root for Michigan? Get real:
“Um,” running back Javon Ringer sighed when asked if he could root for U-M. After a 10-second pause, he continued.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I know the whole thing — if we beat Penn State, we need Ohio State to lose to Michigan — but, man … I don’t know, man. I don’t even know if I can get that out of my mouth. I’ll just try not to pay attention to them and try to focus in on our game, and whatever happens with that game happens.”
The Big Ten situation is actually quite simple.
Penn State beats Michigan State, Penn State goes to Rose Bowl.
Ohio State beats Michigan and Penn State loses, Ohio State goes to Rose Bowl
Zeus touches Beaver and Ohio stadiums with thunderbolts, Michigan State wins and Ohio State loses, Michigan State goes to Rose Bowl.
Not only does Ringer need 438 rushing yards to beat the Nittany Lions, the Spartans need Terrelle Pryor to switch uniforms and play for Michigan for the Wolverines to beat Ohio State.
Still, it’s a good question, and even steel-jawed Mark Dantonio got a quip in.
“I’m not rooting for Michigan,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said Tuesday. “I’m going to focus on our task at hand here and worry about the things we can control here. I have too many good friends and too many people that would not let me back into their house if I did that, so, uh, you know… go Bucks.”
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Missed this Pryor dissing of Michigan
I don’t recall this anecdote from John Heuser of The Ann Arbor News when it first happened:
It was a mid-January night, and the nation’s No. 1 high school football prospect entered Crisler Arena to chants of “We want Pryor! We want Pryor!”
After Terrelle Pryor settled into his seat, a cheerleader at the University of Michigan-Iowa men’s basketball game handed him a yellow T-shirt. Later, when the quarterback from Pennsylvania left Crisler through the arena tunnel, he tossed the shirt to a man nearby and indicated he didn’t want it back.
Perhaps Pryor’s action on his recruiting visit was a sign of things to come.
Of course, that was back when everyone was throwing attention Pryor’s way. Maybe he was trying not to show favortism by wearing the shirt from one school. Or, maybe the visit to Ann Arbor sitting with Rich Rodriguez really did change his mind on the spot.
Either way, it has been Ohio State’s gain, and Pryor has big shoes to fill against Michigan. Troy Smith left the Buckeyes as arguably the best Wolverines battler in Buckeyes history. He went 3-0 as a starter in the game, and he could be called the MVP in all three games he played.
Todd Boeckman continued the win streak to four games last year, but it wasn’t quite as impressive (granted, the conditions were horrible. Rainy, cold. No one did well. Oh, sorry Beanie Wells.)
Talk has centered this week on how different Michigan’s fortunes would be if Pryor had gone to Ann Arbor. It’s on Rodriguez’ mind, too, as much as he wouldn’t like you to know it.
Some Wolverines — including a Chaminade-Julienne High School product — are even saying it.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said that after Pryor signed with Ohio State, he stopped thinking about the recruiting loss. But when senior safety Brandon Harrison was asked if he had pondered how Michigan’s season might be different with Pryor at quarterback, a grin crossed his face.
“Well, you never know,” he said, pausing. “Yeah.”
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Poll: How much will Ohio State win by?
With Michigan’s abysmal record coming into this Saturday’s rivalry game, it’s easy to predict an Ohio State victory. So we want you to tell us, will it be a blowout or a close game?
[an error occurred while processing this directive]After voting, check out photos from past Ohio State vs. Michigan games and take our OSU-Michigan trivia quiz
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Ginn has no sympathy for ex-Wolverine teammates
Ohio State fans are feeling pretty confident about Saturday’s game against Michigan. So are former Buckeyes.
Ted Ginn Jr., now with the Dolphins, was asked this week if he was saddened by Michigan’s 3-8 record. He told Sporting News Today: “I’m not sad at all. I went 3-0 versus them. Only people who are probably sad are (Miami teammates and former Wolverines) Jake Long and Chad Henne.”
I’ve heard talk that tickets to The Game will be easy to get this year. I’m not so sure; it’s still OSU-Michigan. I just checked StubHub and there were hundreds of tickets for sale, ranging from $145 to $899 each.
So, here’s a couple of questions for you:
1) Are you trying to buy or sell tickets, and what kind of luck are you having?
2) Do you think the game will be competitive? Give us a final score.
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Ohio State numbers dump
Some numbers, stats and records to consider leading up to Ohio State’s meeting with Michigan on Saturday …
Jim Tressel is 82-18 in his first 100 games as Ohio State’s head coach. That’s good for a 81.9 percent winning clip.
The Buckeyes have a 49-6 home record in Tressel’s tenure.
This is the 105th meeting between Ohio State and Michigan. The Wolverines lead the series 57-41-6.
Ohio State, though, leads the series 29-26-2 since 1951.
Just 18 teams nationally have at least nine wins so far this season. Ohio State is 9-2.
Three of the five biggest crowds in Ohio Stadium history have arrived for the Michigan game. They are No. 5 (105,456 in 2004), No. 4 (105,539 in 2002) and No. 2 (105,708 in 2006) on the list. The other two biggest crowds came for the Buckeyes’ 2005 game against Texas (No. 3 on the list, 105,565) and this season’s matchup with Penn State (No. 1, 105,711).
The 28-member Ohio State senior class has a record of 42-7. The school record for wins by a senior class is 43, set by the groups from 1995-98 and 2002-05.
Running back Beanie Wells enters the game with 3,142 career yards, which ranks fifth on Ohio State’s career list. Ahead of him: No. 4 Keith Byars (3,200), No. 3 Tim Spencer (3,553), No. 2 Eddie George (3,768), No. 1 Archie Griffin (5,589).
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has accounted for 16 of Ohio State’s 30 offensive touchdowns this season passing and rushing.
Some current Buckeyes’ career stats against Michigan: Chris Wells (44 rushes, 278 yards, 6.3 yards per carry, 2 touchdowns). Brian Robiskie (9 catches, 110 yards, 1 touchdown). James Laurinaitis (16 tackles).
In last season’s dismal offensive game, Michigan gained just 15 yards rushing on 24 attempts and 91 yards overall.
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Rodriguez set to join short list
The man you see above is Harry Kipke, and he holds the distinction of being the only first-year Michigan coach to lose to Ohio State, which he did 7-0 in 1929.
With the current Wolverines somewhere near three-touchdown underdogs on Saturday against Ohio State, we expect Rich Rodriguez to join Kipke on that list. So far, though, the first-year UM coaches have gone 10-1-1 against the Buckeyes. The list:
1897: Gustave Ferbert, 34-0 win
1900: Biff Lea, 0-0 tie
1901: Fielding H. Yost, 21-0 win
1924: George Little, 16-6 win
1927: Tad Wieman, 21-0 win
1929: Harry Kipke, 7-0 loss
1938: Fritz Crisler, 18-0 win
1948: Bennie Oosterbahn, 13-3 win
1959: Bump Elliott, 23-14 win
1969: Bo Schembechler, 24-12 win
1990: Gary Moeller, 16-13 win
1995: Lloyd Carr, 31-23 win
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Heading into the OSU-Michigan vault
Since you’re wasting time anyway on Ohio State-Michigan this week, you might as well head to the historical site set up by the Ohio State library dedicated to the rivalry.
I just spent the past half-hour snooping around the site, and I’m not nearly through the interesting pieces and photos available.
My favorite part, so far, is the “Rival Reporting” tab. It contains old stories from the student newspapers and alumni magazines from both schools. Here’s a taste of coverage from the 1897 tilt:
From the Michigan Daily:
Michigan had no trouble in defeating the Ohio State University representatives in Saturday’s game. Two halves of 20 and 15 minutes respectively were played and the score was 34-0. It was not so much Michigan’s strength as Ohio’s weakness that brought about the score. the visitors lined up with three of their best players absent, while Michigan put her best team on the field. while the form of the varsity team was not on the championship order it showed an improvement over the Saturday before that was most encouraging.
Now, from The Lantern:
The representatives of the Scarlet and Gray met the husky young men of the University of Michigan for the first time on the gridiron last Saturday, and when the dust had cleared away from the first half a score of 34 to 0 had been placed against O.S.U. In the second half U. of M. tried some new men and neither side succeeded in scoring. The game was hard fought from start to finish and entirely free from slugging and objectionable features. Michigan played a kicking game almost entirely in the second half of fifteen minutes and it was plainly seen that O.S.U. was much stronger on offensive work. In the second half Coach Edwards’ men managed to carry the ball far enough back after each punt to keep the Wolverines from scoring.
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RichRod gets plenty of advice from UM fans
Just got off the Big Ten teleconference, which led off with Jim Tressel and had Rich Rodriguez batting second. (That’s probably how things will play out at Saturday at Ohio Stadium, too.)
No good bulletin-board material, but Rodriguez — Michigan’s rookie coach who has taken plenty of heat for his team’s dreary 3-8 record — did show a pulse when he was asked if he’s been coached-up on the rivalry he’s about to dive into.
“Yeah, I’ve had about 480,000 alumni coaching me up,” Rodriguez said. “If I’m on vacation or wherever, if I see a Michigan fan they’ll say, ‘Good luck — and beat Ohio State.’ “
A stat thrown out by one of the writers on the conference call: The past six Michigan coaches have won in their first try against Ohio State.
That streak is likely to end. The Wolverines are three-touchdown underdogs — a shocking line. Rodriguez faces the tough job of trying to honor the rivalry while not making too big a deal out of the game, should his team get thumped.
“Our players should feel the intensity, but I think our focus when the game starts should be on the next play,” he said. “That’s going to be my talk to them today.”
THE PRYOR QUESTION: It was mentioned to Rodriguez that OSU freshman QB Terrelle Pryor had his dad call the new Michigan coach to turn down a scholarship offer earlier this year.
Rodriguez did not offer up any specifics as to how that went down, only saying, “You like to get that last call (before a player commits). We had a good relationship in the recruiting process and got to know him well, and obviously he’s doing some remarkable things for the Buckeyes this fall.”
DID YOU KNOW: Michigan defensive coordinator Scott Shafer is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace. The Painesville, Ohio, native played quarterback for B-W. Jim Tressel also played at Baldwin-Wallace. He was an all-conference QB in 1974.
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Soaking in some OSU-Michigan nostalgia
This year’s Ohio State-Michigan matchup doesn’t look like it will go down as a high point in the storied college football series. Face it: You need some help getting psyched for this year’s game.
Well, you can always relive the “good old days.” The Big Ten Network (Channel 78 on Time Warner digital cable) has the following plans for its Greatest Games feature this week:
1969 — Ohio State at Michigan Debuts: Tuesday, Nov. 18, 4:30 p.m. Replay: Tuesday at midnight ET Synopsis: Woody Hayes and top-ranked Ohio State went to Ann Arbor with a 22-game winning streak only to be upset by Bo Schembechler and a tenacious Wolverine defense 24-12. This game marked the start of what became known as the “Ten Year War.”
1974 — Michigan at Ohio State Debuts: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2 p.m. Replay: Friday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m. Synopsis: After the 1973 classic between the two powerhouses ended in a tie, both teams wanted to leave no questions as to who deserved the 1975 Rose bowl berth. Archie Griffin notched his 22nd straight game with at least 100 yards rushing and the Buckeyes came away with the 12-10 victory when Michigan missed its third field goal of the day as time expired.
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Coleman named OSU defensive player of week
Northmont grad Kurt Coleman was named Ohio State’s defensive player of the week for his performance in the Buckeyes’ 30-20 win Saturday at Illinois.
The junior strong safety recorded a career-high 11 tackles and an interception. Coleman has a team-high four INTs this season.
Other award-winners: Terrelle Pryor, offensive player of the week; Aaron Pettrey, special teams player of the week.
The “Attack Force” award went to linebacker Tyler Moeller. The Jim Parker offensive lineman of the week was Alex Boone. The Jack Tatum big hit was not awarded this week.
Scout team honorees: Offense: Joe Bauserman; Defense: Nate Oliver; Special Units: Joe Gantz.
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Remember the Dead Schembechlers?
Well, they’re still around. (Above photo of the band’s new album, courtesy of its Web site.)
As a brief reminder, this is the pro-Ohio State punk band that gained headlines for using the name of former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler in its name. It got even more press on the 2006 day Schembechler died the day before Ohio State played Michigan. The band announced it would change its name.
But, the members did it in graceful Dead Schembechlers style:
On New Year’s Day 2007, they announced that their new name would be The Bastard Sons of Woody and that they are direct genetic descendents of Woody Hayes himself. Apparently the group members were the product of radical scientific experimentation with DNA manipulation, cell altercation and gene splicing transmogrification. They were each born in a test tube as part of a renegade off campus OSU lab experiment.
As the story goes on the band’s Web site, lead singer Bo Biafra was put into a mental asylum a few months after Ohio State lost the national championship game to Florida.
But all was not lost.
Then on September 10th 2008 the band dropped the bombshell that they would reform as the Dead Schembechlers with a new record and multiple Hate Michigan Rally appearances. Shockingly, the first salvo fired by the rejuvenated group was not at Michigan but at USC with their single “USC Don’t Mean Nuthin’ to Me” …
The band even has a new album out, and it’s updated. It’s called “Rodriguez to Ruin,” and it includes songs like “O-H-I-O,” “Rodriguez is A Weasel,” “You Lost to Appalachian State” and “I’m So Bored with the SEC.”
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Losing teams not common in OSU-Michigan
On Nov. 24, 1951, in Woody Hayes’ first season coaching Ohio State, the Buckeyes took a lackluster 4-2-2 record into its matchup with Michigan. The Wolverines, though, were worse. They stood 3-5.
The final score, in Ann Arbor, was Michigan 7, Ohio State 0. It was a milestone in the Ohio State-Michigan series.
The 1951 game was the only time in series history a team with a losing record has won, although the scenario hasn’t happened often. Only 12 times in 104 meetings has either Ohio State or Michigan entered the game with a losing record. That number will increase on Saturday, of course, when the 3-8 Wolverines visit Ohio Stadium at noon.
Just one time, in 1959, did both teams enter with a losing record. In that game, 3-5 Michigan beat 3-4-1 Ohio State 23-14.
The other years:
1928: Ohio State (2-0) def. Michigan (0-2), 19-7
1934: Ohio State (4-3) def. Michigan (1-6), 21-0
1936: Ohio State (4-3) def. Michigan (1-6), 21-0
1943: Michigan (7-1) def. Ohio State (3-5), 45-7
1947: Michigan (9-0) def. Ohio State (2-5-1), 21-0
1951: Michigan (3-5) def. Ohio State (4-2-2), 7-0
1958: Ohio State (6-1-1) def. Michigan (2-5-1), 20-14
1959: Michigan (3-5) def. Ohio State (3-4-1), 23-14
1962: Ohio State (5-3) def. Michigan (2-6), 28-0
1965: Ohio State (6-2) def. Michigan (4-5), 9-7
1967: Ohio State (5-3) def. Michigan (4-5), 24-14
1988: Michigan (7-2-1) def. Ohio State (4-5-1), 34-31
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Scouting report: Ohio State-Illinois
Your Ohio State-Illinois scouting report, courtesy of our friends at Scripps Howard News Service (more previews on Page B7 of your Saturday DDN):
No. 10 OHIO STATE (8-2) at ILLINOIS (5-5), Noon, ESPN
FAVORITE: Ohio State by 10.
COACHES: Jim Tressel (81-18 in 8th year at Ohio State) and Ron Zook (18-28 in fourth year at Illinois).
LAST WEEK: Ohio State won at Northwestern, 45-10. Illinois lost to Western Michigan, 23-17.
SERIES HISTORY: Ohio State leads, 60-30-4.
LAST MEETING: Illinois won, 28-21, last year.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Since October, 2004, Buckeyes have won 14 straight Big Ten road games including eight by 20 points or more.
GAME FACTS: Needing win to stay alive in race for third straight Big Ten title, Buckeyes also want revenge for last year when, ranked No. 1, they fell at home and never had the ball the final eight minutes of the game. After hardly being accurate as passer all season, freshman QB Terrelle Pryor found big-play groove last week (9-of-14, 197 yards passing, 3 TDs) with RB Chris “Beanie” Wells doing his usual heavy-lifting with 140 yards, 2 TDs. Defense (7th in nation in total defense, 269.8 ypg, second in Big Ten with 24 turnovers forced) has given up only 5 TDs in last five games.
With 2-3 skid that has put bowl hopes in jeopardy, Illini really fell hard last week with humbling loss to MAC member Western Michigan as offense was dismal 1-for-13 on third-down conversions. QB “Juice” Williams threw for 328 yards and a TD but also tossed pair of crucial ints. that set up WMU scores as he leads Big Ten with 14 ints. Williams has much better memory of last year when he completed only 12 passes but four that went for TDs as UI beat No. 1 team for first time in 48 years. LB Britt Miller leads Big Ten with 110 tackles.
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Illinois will be ready to play against Ohio State
Illinois went to the Rose Bowl last season, but has returned to Earth in 2008. But the Illini are still a dangerous bunch and always seem to get up for Ohio State.
Maybe that explains their stunning loss last week to Western Michigan. What was that?
Anyway, the Buckeyes are 9 1/2-point favorites this week at newly remodeled Memorial Stadium in Champaign. (If you’re going, I recommend the Esquire downtown; cold beer and free peanuts in the shell.)
This line has been moving down all week, which means a lot of money is coming in on Illinois. I agree, although I’d feel more comfy with the opening line of 10 1/2 points.
The home team has been terrible in this series, but I think Juice Williams has enough talent to keep it close. Illinois is averaging 447.6 yards per game, so I don’t expect a repeat of last week’s dismantling of Northwestern.
On defense, Illinois has 32 QB sacks this season and OSU coach Jim Tressel says the Illini “do a good job of mixing up what they do.” So maybe Terrelle Pryor hesitates a little, but pulls out a victory.
The Buckeyes have a lot to play for — a BCS bowl bid remains a tasty possibility — but I’ll take Illinois and the points.
LAST WEEK: Our advice was to take OSU and lay 10 1/2 at Northwestern. Bingo. The Buckeyes ran away with an easy 45-10 win.
SEASON: That much-needed win brings us to 5-4 on the season with two games to play.
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Buckeyes should tame Wildcats in Chicago
The Buckeyes are well-rested, and hopefully you are, too, because Saturday’s game at Northwestern begins at noon on ESPN2. No staying out all night and sleeping in.
Ohio State is a 10 1/2-point favorite on the road. Both teams are a respectable 7-2, the Buckeyes coming off a tough loss to Penn State and the Wildcats coming off a crazy win at Minnesota.
I like OSU to cover in this position. Some reasons why:
• Ohio State has won three straight against Northwestern by a combined score of 160-24. This series has not even been competitive since the Wildcats’ shocking overtime win in 2004.
• OSU held Northwestern to zero yards rushing in last year’s 58-7 thumping.
• OSU is 10th in the nation in turnover margin at +1.1 per game.
• Northwestern lost to Indiana couple weeks ago. Indiana!
• Northwestern’s head coach, Pat Fitzgerald, can’t suit up. Fitzgerald was a fantastic linebacker in the mid-90s for the Wildcats. If he could take the field, the Buckeyes might have some issues.
LAST GAME: Our advice was to take OSU and 2 1/2 points against Penn State. Things were looking OK until Terrelle Pryor’s unfortunate fumble at midfield. The Nittany Lions went on earn a tough 13-6 victory at Ohio Stadium.
THE SEASON: We stand at 4-4. Not good enough. A win Saturday gives us some momentum as the season winds down.
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Freeman honored for academics; Ballard to start at TE
Buckeye senior linebacker Marcus Freeman (Wayne) has been selected to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA academic all-district team for District 4. He is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration.
Freeman is joined on the team by wide receiver Brian Robiskie.
Freeman, a graduate student in education with a 3.35 grade-point average, is the Buckeyes’ second-leading tackler with 56 stops and a nominee for the Bobby Bowden, ARA Sportsmanship and Wuerffel trophies.
OSU players named to the all-district academic second team were receiver Brian Hartline and offensive linemen Bryant Browning, Andrew Moses and Andrew Miller. District 4 includes all colleges in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama.
The Academic All-America teams will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 25.
GAME NOTES: Some nuggets to chew on as OSU (7-2) looks to get back in the win column Saturday at Northwestern (7-2):
— Springboro’s Jake Ballard will get his fourth start of the season at tight end.
— Chris Wells needs 141 yards rushing to reach 3,000 for his career.
— Jim Tressel’s Buckeye teams are 15-2 after a loss.
— ESPN2 will televise the noon game. Dave Pasch will handle play-by-play. Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware will provide commentary. It’ll be interesting to hear Ware break down Terrelle Pryor’s game.
