OSU is going high-tech in helping its 1,100 student-athletes in all sports improve their performances and stay plugged in academically. The athletic department budgeted roughly $400,000 to supply all of them with iPads. About 500 have been distributed with the rest to be purchased over the next two years.
“That’s something guys utilize a lot now — whether we’re bored or have some down time,” said Fragel, who also has an application on his iPhone that can perform the same function. “It’s something we can just pull out, and they send us the practice film or the game film within hours after it’s done. It’s up, and we have easy access to it. It’s great.”
In years past, Buckeye players usually didn’t have a handle yet on that week’s opponent when they met with reporters on Tuesday. Their weekly time with the media has been pushed up to Monday under first-year coach Urban Meyer, and most already have some familiarity with their foe by then because of the instant access.
But the electronic method isn’t for everybody.
“I think there are some old-school guys,” defensive line coach Mike Vrabel said. “John Simon likes to come in and watch it on the screen and have a notebook in front of him and have a game plan in front of him. Then we have some guys who are the new-age tech guys that like to have the iPad and go home and work on it and find out all the nuances.
“It goes both ways. I don’t think the old-school film-and-paper game plan is going to give way to the iPad, but it’s certainly going to enhance our preparation.”
About UCF: The Knights have been playing football only since 1979 and became an FBS program in '96. They've won two straight games against teams from BCS conferences, beating Georgia in 2010 and Boston College last year.
Their last win over a Big Ten team came against Penn State in 2004, but they’ve never beaten a non-league ranked opponent. In an informal poll of the media, UCF was picked to win the Conference USA East Division.
Of all FBS schools, only Wisconsin had more rushing touchdowns (81) than UCF (70) last season. Running back Latavius Murray, who had 108 rushing yards on 14 carries in a season-opening win at Akron, may miss the game with a shoulder injury. But back-up Storm Johnson, a transfer from the University of Miami, had a pair of TDs last week, and third-stringer Brynn Harvey was once a 1,000-yard rusher for the Knights.
Buckeye country: The Miami Valley loves its Ohio State football, and the region is big on college football in general. ESPN released its TV ratings for all games for the 2011 season, and Dayton was the 11th-ranked market out of 56 nationally in viewership. Birmingham, Ala., was first, while Columbus was tied for second. Cleveland was 20th and Cincinnati tied for 25th.
Young blood: Fourteen true freshmen played for the Buckeyes against Miami, including defensive linemen Noah Spence, Adolphus Washington and Tommy Schutt.
“Usually, D-linemen don’t play as a true freshman, but that is the confidence we have in those guys … and they played well,” Meyer said.
Moving up: Sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller has tied Cornelius Green's record for 100-yard rushing games for Buckeye QBs with four. Green played on three Rose Bowl teams from 1973-75.
Looking the part: OSU is staging a "Scarlet and Gary" promotion for the game, encouraging fans to dress in either color. Not sure they needed to be told.
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