^They are mismatches.  The Bowls love the Big10 teams because their fanbases travel as well as any in the country.... which leads to them being selected ahead of their on-the-field value.

 

agreed, 100%.  Which leads to further discussion that Big 10 is inferior...

I hadn't even seen that LSU is playing Iowa and Nebraska is playing Georgia.  Wow.  The Big Ten's bowl schedule is usually tough (in the sense that we usually get matched upward), but that's really rough, especially Iowa-LSU.  I'd love to be surprised, but I agree with gottaplan.  Those are going to be tough matchups.

Iowa beat LSU the last time they met in a bowl game and the Hawkeyes are 3-1 against the SEC in bowls over the past 10 years, including blowout wins over Florida & SC.  Nebraska played Georgia well for 3 Qtrs last year before losing, and Georgia is nowhere near as good as they were last year.

 

I'm predicting at least 4-3 for the BIG this year.

There is the other side of the SEC that's not really all that good but winds up in bowl games anyway because they're in the SEC.

^They are mismatches.  The Bowls love the Big10 teams because their fanbases travel as well as any in the country.... which leads to them being selected ahead of their on-the-field value.

 

The only time this "selection" really happens is for BCS games, which is partially why the B1G has made more BCS bowl game appearances than any other conferences.  The B1G has negotiated bowl tie-ins with the Capital One Bowl, the Outback Bowl, the BWW Bowl, and the Gator Bowl, so no matter what the B1G MUST send a team to each of those bowls.  This was a down year for the B1G by any measure, so no matter who went those bowls the matchup was bound to "look" bad on paper.  That said, while Iowa is decent, they don't have the same name recognition that an 8-4 Michigan or Penn State squad would have heading into that bowl.  I bet though that if the Wolverines or Nittany Lions were headed for a matchup with LSU, even with four losses, B1G fans would "feel" better about that game.

A guy from Columbus who covers the Buckeyes was just on the radio up here saying that he has heard strong indications that Vonn Bell will start in the bowl game.  I wish they had listened to me prior to MSU ;)....

 

Pitt Brown has been a liability.  I didn't realize how big of a loss Bryant would be, but should have been clued in by Urban's reaction.  I wouldn't be surprised to see the true frosh, Von Bell, in there next game. 

Senior safety Christian Bryant, who broke his left ankle against Wisconsin in week five, won't be ready for the Orange Bowl.  But he is trying for a medical redshirt so he can return for 2014.  He just misses the threshold for this, so OSU filed an appeal with the NCAA.  They're basing the appeal on Bryant missing 62% of this season, 42% of his true freshman season in 2010, plus missing 13 games due to two separate medical issues in 2011 and 2012, and because Bryant did not take a healthy redshirt year.

 

It would be great if he would get granted an additional season.  He wants to come back and the defense could really use him.  More about this from the Plain Dealer at the link below:

 

Christian Bryant hoping for a fifth season at Ohio State, as Buckeyes wait to hear about redshirt appeal

This orange bowl game is awful, officiating is the worst, sloppy play on both sides

Why did OSU not use their timeouts at the end?  After the knew, it was 3rd and 30, 30 seconds left and OSU had two timeouts left.

I take it they lost?  I see nothing posted on my FB feed.

I was just looking at the Ohio State schedule. How do they expect a team to be at their top after being off almost a month????

I think they should have put Guiton in late. Miller was getting really beat up and it affected his play. I don't care what they shot him full of.

I was just looking at the Ohio State schedule. How do they expect a team to be at their top after being off almost a month????

 

That's how the college bowl season works. At least it gives some extra time to recover from injuries, which plague a lot of teams towards the end of the season.

Well, that stunk, but I'm very optimistic about the future.  Ohio State landed two more top recruits today (both defensive backs! and both from Glenville) and Miller is rumored to be returning.  Next year will be the first time that Meyer has some upperclassmen on the roster that he actually recruited.  This program may not have climbed to the top of the pile this season, but they're in great shape to compete for a national title in the coming years.

Are there any rumblings in Columbus about changes to the defensive coaching staff? It was painful to watch the pitiful defense try to stop Watkins, and it looked like there were no adjustments made throughout the game.

Yes, the Columbus media has been asking about it since the MSU game and Meyer says personnel changes are a possibility.

I wouldn't be too quick to get rid of the defensive staff (although I think the co-coordinator - not Fickell - may be in line for a head coaching job at a smaller school).  Let's look at things with some perspective:

 

- We have the worst LB corp we have seen at tOSU in my memory.  Add on that Shazier had a very quiet game against Clemson for him.  I suspect he was one of the players who had the flu (the team got hit with the bug pretty bad during the week leading up to the game).  I have no idea why the Orange Bowl color commentator was fawning all over Josh Perry...... other than being a big hitter, I don't think he brings much to the table.  He's a strong side backer who can't cover in the flat and doesn't get after the passer.  We have some good youngsters coming up and coming in, so hopefully this can be fixed.

 

- Bradley Roby was hurt and did not play.  I'm not sure if he was truly 'injured' or if he was banged up enough to not want to face Watkins and see his draft stock fall.  He wouldn't have stopped Watkins, but he would've held him well under the total he ended up with.

 

- Our best pass rusher (Spence) was suspended and our second best pass rusher (Bosa) received two injuries in the early part of the game which probably would have caused him to get pulled out of any non-bowl games.  Our D-line, overall, was extremely green with the exception of Bennett.

 

The bottom line is that I'd expect our defense to improve next year without a switch in staff.  I also look around the landscape and see a lot of points being put up...... hell, even Bama gave up nearly 40 in their bowl loss. 

Except that the problems with this defense existed all season when the players that were sick/injured/suspended were actually on the field at their best.  I mean they were giving up lots of points to even mediocre offenses.

 

FWIW, I'm pretty sure that Luke Fickell interviewed for the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic earlier in the year.  Not sure if that's still a possibility for him, but if it were to happen I think that would be the best way to part ways and bring in a fresh perspective to the defense while still allowing Fickell to land on his feet.

FWIW this is a very high scoring era of college football.

^^true..... But nothing was going to fix the problems at LB and our line was even greener to start the year.  We also lost our defensive captain before really getting into the Big 10 schedule.  My point was that I don't think the problems were schematic or bad coaching.  I hope that Fickell and Vrabel are back, at least.  They are great sideline guys.  The DC in the booth (Withers?) I don't have much of an opinion of one way or another.

i see Fickell moving on & Vrabel taking over as D-coordinator.  I was watching pregame & it showed both of those guys talking to the players & they seemed to ignore Fickell but Vrabel had their attention 100%.  The guy has a ton of credibility after playing in the NFL for TWELVE years and winning 3 super bowls.  I'd pay attention to him instead of Fickell too.

i see Fickell moving on & Vrabel taking over as D-coordinator.  I was watching pregame & it showed both of those guys talking to the players & they seemed to ignore Fickell but Vrabel had their attention 100%.  The guy has a ton of credibility after playing in the NFL for TWELVE years and winning 3 super bowls.  I'd pay attention to him instead of Fickell too.

 

Fickell was damaged as the DC by his tenure as head coach, IMNSHO.  There's a reason why when an NFL head coach gets fired yet is in demand as a coordinator, he almost never stays with the same team.

^^Fickell and Vrabel are best friends, iirc.  I doubt Mike would agree to supplant him as DC.

 

I still don't understand how the defense operated.  There were two coordinators, no?  Withers and Fickell, right?  The way I understood it, Fickell had the front seven and Withers had the coverage schemes.  If somebody has to go, I would say it would Withers.

^^Fickell and Vrabel are best friends, iirc.  I doubt Mike would agree to supplant him as DC.

 

I still don't understand how the defense operated.  There were two coordinators, no?  Withers and Fickell, right?  The way I understood it, Fickell had the front seven and Withers had the coverage schemes.  If somebody has to go, I would say it would Withers.

 

AH!  This I did not know, and it explains much.

 

The problem with the defense often seemed to be the coordination of the passing game, specifically between the LBs and DBs.  if Meyer was the point at which such coordination had to be done, something was wrong.

Sounds like Spence was suspended for going on a date with "Molly"

Vrabel is leaving OSU to join the new coaching staff of the Houston Texans.

 

And it looks like Christian Bryant's medical redshirt appeal was denied.  Plus Roby and Shazier are declaring for the NFL draft.  Some tough losses for the defense.

It looks like Withers had actually already slipped quietly out the back door even as those earlier posts above were being written.  He announced in December that he was leaving to take the head coaching job at James Madison University, an FCS school in Virginia.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/24383326/ohio-state-assistant-everett-withers-takes-james-madison-job

 

Surprised to find that, because not only was it not particularly widely reported, but this is the rare case in which a bowl-bound coach accepts a head coaching job before the bowl his team is playing in.

Vrabel is leaving OSU to join the new coaching staff of the Houston Texans.

 

And it looks like Christian Bryant's medical redshirt appeal was denied.  Plus Roby and Shazier are declaring for the NFL draft.  Some tough losses for the defense.

 

Vrabel going to the NFL will hurt the most with recruiting.  He was Urban's secret 'living room' weapon.  Having a Super Bowl champ who most of these kids watched growing up certainly helped make the sell.

 

There is still an outside chance for Bryant, no?  I thought he had one more appeal left.

 

No one ever expected Roby to stay.  I'm a bit surprised about Shazier.  I thought he would stay another year to try and add a few more pounds, but perhaps he has already hit his limit.  If he doesn't absolutely smoke the 40 at the combine, his draft stock could tumble.

 

It's a good thing last year's and this year's recruiting class were so high quality and deep in the back seven of the defense.

Reports are that OSU is replacing their defensive coaching vacancies with a couple of experienced Big Ten hires:  http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/10292726/chris-ash-larry-johnson-sr-join-ohio-state-buckeyes-coaching-staff

 

Wisconsin's former defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who followed Bret Bielema to Arkansas, would be replacing Withers and joining Fickell as co-DC.  Longtime Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr. would be replacing Vrabel as d-line coach for the Buckeyes.

Signing day was yesterday.  Another top recruiting class for OSU.  The Buckeyes 2014 class was ranked as high as #3 by Rivals and as low #7 by ESPN.  Alabama and LSU were the consensus #1 and #2 classes.  Florida State got multiple #3 rankings along with OSU.

 

Here's the full class of OSU recruits listed at http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/commitments/2014/ohiostate-33.  They are led by Raekwon McMillan, a five-star LB from Georgia.  One surprise yesterday was the signing of 3-star DE Darius Slade from NJ.  He originally committed to Nebraska, then Michigan State.  He credits former Penn State defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr., who now coaches at OSU, for signing with OSU instead.

 

 

We need McMillian to be "the man" from day 1.

 

I've heard some rumblings that Hubbard's best position may be SS.... which I assume would make him the "Star" position at OSU.  That would be insane to have a 6'6 safety.

 

I hope Erik Smith was not part of a package deal for the other two Glenville recruits.  I saw him play a few times and he didn't seem like OSU material in terms of on field ability.

 

The recruit who impresses me the most on tape is Curtis Samuel:

 

 

Noah Brown also looks good and already has NFL WR size:

 

 

In other news, Christian Bryant's final appeal for an extra year of eligibility was denied.

^I like Erik Smith A lot.  He was the only tarblooder that showed up in the state championship.  Here's what one writer had to say about him:

 

Rated as the 2nd most impactful defensive player. #1 was McMillian. 

 

2. S - Erick Smith

It's a luxury to have a safety that covers like a cornerback, and as of Wednesday, that luxury now belongs to the Buckeyes. Smith can cover like a cornerback and hit like a linebacker, which is exactly what every coach wants out of their safety. Even though he won't be enrolling until this summer, Urban Meyer said Smith would step right into the depth chart. If we are to assume that Cameron Burrows is now the starting nickel back and Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell are the safeties (this is not yet a sure thing), then that is three jobs that will be handled by entirely new starters. Smith could end up at any of those three spots, and play.

 

http://www.theozone.net/recruiting/Football2012_14/Defense_InstantImpact.html

I hope I'm wrong.  But I don't think I am.  Lattimore is the far superior player out of the two.  I would be shocked if Smith made it into the rotation before Lattimore.  There are also quite a few players who will start out ahead of Smith on the depth chart not mentioned by the above analysis - - Devon Bogard (assuming he can get and stay healthy, he might actually start), Ron Tanner, Jayme Thompson, Eli Apple, Gareon Conley, and a few LB/S hybrids in Chris Worley and Daron Lee.

I think you're going to be wrong on this one.  This kid is a flat out player.  UM said he's going to play in his presser on Weds.  Alabama was another team that offered Erick, so there's that.  I'm not a big ranking guy myself but one site had him listed as the 5th best safety in the country, while another ranked him as the 2nd best.  He sees time before Lattimore.  I'd bet on that. 

 

http://rivals.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Erick-Smith-143554;_ylt=Ag2LY7hHfwBAhTicD8ink3VGPZB4

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7whIyKz0ho#t=112

BTW Smith won't be competing against Apple and Conley as they are CB's.  With TWO ACL tears I wouldn't count on Bogard too much.  The other guys you named (Tanner, Thompson, Worley) are special team type guys. 

You're assuming that Apple and Conley stay at corner.... and Smith stays at S.  UM moves guys around to get the best 11 on the field.  That includes special teams.  Roby was on special teams.... so was Hyde.  If you make one of UM's kick coverage teams, you are one of his favorites and are going to see the field with the defense as well.  That is why I brought up Bogard, because he was on the kick coverage team as a true freshman under UM.

 

Tanner was on the field this past year at safety quite a bit.  He played mostly because of injury, but the coaches like him.  He's a hitter.

 

I have no idea how you relegate Jayme Thompson to special teams at this stage.  He was a four-star prospect in last year's class who broke his ankle in practice before the season even started and took a medical redshirt as a result.  He was every bit the recruit Smith is and has an inch or two on him in height.

 

Same goes for Worley.  He redshirted last year.  Sure, he might have been a 3-star recruit.  So was AJ Hawk, Troy Smith, James Lauranitis, and Malcolm Jenkins.  Give the kid a chance before burying him on the depth chart.

 

As for Smith's Alabama offer...... ehhhhhh, I don't want to say it, but SEC recruiting can be extremely shady.  I have the strong feeling that Lattimore was really the target and Smith would've washed out like 1/3 of their recruits do every year.  Is it a coincidence that every school that offered Smith also had an offer out to Lattimore?  The only ones I can tell who offered Lattimore but not Smith were Oregon and USC (and, for whatever reason, Toledo).  Take from that what you will.....

Also, it's kind of funny to me that you mention the state championship game, because I was really down on his performance in that game (minus the kick return).  Loveland gameplanned for Lattimore..... double covering his side of the field most of the time while on defense and not running or throwing his way too often on offense.  Smith should've had a huge game.  He didn't.  A 2 minute highlight tape of him tackling the ball carrier (a lot of times arm-tackling) beyond the first down marker doesn't help the argument.

 

Here is a longer video, which I only watched the first half of prior to posting it here.  I can tell you that he will have a hard time finding the field at tOSU if he shows the effort and ability on display at 2:00 and 2:50 and 6:40 and 7:00.  That #27 for Loveland, BTW, is a HS freshman..... an exceptional freshman, but a freshman nonetheless.....

 

Good thing you guys don't have access to Columbus TV news.

Well I think you're going to be surprised when Smith plays over Lattimore.  EVERY scouting site ranks Smith over him.  They can't all be wrong, right?  Also I know a guy (knew more when Tress was there) currently on the OSU coaching staff.  I can tell you they are in love with this kid.  Sorry man, I'm going with what Im hearing from my source over anything I hear on an internet forum.  He'll be in the two deep at the beginning of Fall camp. At least, thats what's expected.   

Just giving my opinion.  Not trying to upset you.  BTW, not every site has Smith ahead of Lattimore.  Lattimore is still #1 in the state on a few, including ESPN and 247Sports.  Smith must've got a late season bump on rivals and scout, because he was always behind Marshon.  But no.... obviously they are not all wrong.  In fact, I think two of them are right ;)

 

As for Smith's Alabama offer...... ehhhhhh, I don't want to say it, but SEC recruiting can be extremely shady. 

 

There's no need to be shy about saying it.  Another thought is that schools like Alabama are starting to play games with Meyer in targeting OSU's midwestern recruits so that he has to spend more time and resources on defending Northern turf rather than going after top Southern players like he wants to do.

Looks like someone made a little improvement to Ohio Stadium:

 

Looks like someone made a little improvement to Ohio Stadium:

 

 

LOL

UC is like the Winnipeg of the Ohio public university system.  When they do something, it's like "awww, they tried!," pinch their little cheeks, and then everybody goes back to life.  But seriously, if you're going to write your name in snow, you'd think they'd actually make a C and not an E without a middle.  It's not that hard, man!  Just curve the body and shovel!  At least the "U" looks decent.

^LOL. UC needs to chill with this OSU 'rivalry' thing.  They are a secondary university in the state system, and it's silly to think that they are on the same plane as OSU.  They've got a handful of really great programs, and their basketball legacy is probably the best in the state, but that's about where it ends.  It's a great university in its own right, but they need to really check themselves with all the bUCkeye state shit. 

^LOL. UC needs to chill with this OSU 'rivalry' thing.  They are a secondary university in the state system, and it's silly to think that they are on the same plane as OSU.  They've got a handful of really great programs, and their basketball legacy is probably the best in the state, but that's about where it ends.  It's a great university in its own right, but they need to really check themselves with all the bUCkeye state shit. 

 

UC had nothing to do with this. A couple of 20 year old kids did this. And the "secondary" language is silly. UC is a major top 25 public research University.

Ohio doesn't have primary and secondary state schools. All 13 state schools from OSU through SSU are the same tier as far as the state is concerned.

^LOL. UC needs to chill with this OSU 'rivalry' thing.  They are a secondary university in the state system, and it's silly to think that they are on the same plane as OSU.  They've got a handful of really great programs, and their basketball legacy is probably the best in the state, but that's about where it ends.  It's a great university in its own right, but they need to really check themselves with all the bUCkeye state shit. 

 

UC had nothing to do with this. A couple of 20 year old kids did this. And the "secondary" language is silly. UC is a major top 25 public research University.

 

Why does it seem like everyone in CIN has little man's complex?

Ohio doesn't have primary and secondary state schools. All 13 state schools from OSU through SSU are the same tier as far as the state is concerned.

 

Yes, I know this, but UC was started as a city college and has grown up into a state university.  OSU was the state's premier land grant university from its founding. 

^LOL. UC needs to chill with this OSU 'rivalry' thing.  They are a secondary university in the state system, and it's silly to think that they are on the same plane as OSU.  They've got a handful of really great programs, and their basketball legacy is probably the best in the state, but that's about where it ends.  It's a great university in its own right, but they need to really check themselves with all the bUCkeye state shit. 

 

UC had nothing to do with this. A couple of 20 year old kids did this. And the "secondary" language is silly. UC is a major top 25 public research University.

 

Why does it seem like everyone in CIN has little man's complex?

 

Hey, if Cincy has a 'little man's complex' because of UC, what does that leave Cleveland with? Does Cleveland State even have dorms or division 1 athletics? It's essentially a community college, right? Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones...

 

 

^LOL. UC needs to chill with this OSU 'rivalry' thing.  They are a secondary university in the state system, and it's silly to think that they are on the same plane as OSU.  They've got a handful of really great programs, and their basketball legacy is probably the best in the state, but that's about where it ends.  It's a great university in its own right, but they need to really check themselves with all the bUCkeye state shit. 

 

UC had nothing to do with this. A couple of 20 year old kids did this. And the "secondary" language is silly. UC is a major top 25 public research University.

 

Why does it seem like everyone in CIN has little man's complex?

 

Hard to believe that a harmless prank would even register to all mighty OSU fans (maybe this demonstrates who the little guys are)