Wow! What an amazing comeback!

 

ESPN Box Score: OSU 29 - PURDUE 22  Final/OT

 

It looked like the Buckeyes would get upset in the Shoe by the Boilermakers.  The Bucks were down 22-14 in the fourth quarter.  QB Braxton Miller got knocked out of the game.  Then backup QB Kenny Guiton engineered a 7-play, 61-yard drive with only 47 seconds left and no time-outs.  He threw a 2-yard TD pass with only 3 seconds remaining in regulation.  Then threw for a 2-point conversion to send the game into overtime.  The Buckeyes scored on their OT possesion and stopped Purdue on their possesion to win the wild comeback and stay undefeated (8-0) for the season.

KENNY NINJA GUITON!

I'm somewhat in shock.  What a ballgame.  They didn't deserve to win, but I'll take it!  I want so badly for this team to win out and cast some doubt on the Big Ten and perhaps even the National Championship picture. 

 

Go Buckeyes!

KENNY NINJA GUITON!

 

Now that's a nickname!

I'm somewhat in shock.  What a ballgame.  They didn't deserve to win, but I'll take it!  I want so badly for this team to win out and cast some doubt on the Big Ten and perhaps even the National Championship picture. 

 

Go Buckeyes!

 

Not sure what you mean considering the bucks are not bowl eligible.  Or are you trying to say, since they are not bowl eligible, the BCS will have an asterisk year considering one of top teams is not competing?

I hardly would consider OSU one of the top teams in college football this year.  Have they even played a team that is currently ranked?

I'm somewhat in shock.  What a ballgame.  They didn't deserve to win, but I'll take it!  I want so badly for this team to win out and cast some doubt on the Big Ten and perhaps even the National Championship picture. 

 

Go Buckeyes!

 

Not sure what you mean considering the bucks are not bowl eligible.  Or are you trying to say, since they are not bowl eligible, the BCS will have an asterisk year considering one of top teams is not competing?

 

They can win their division, but are not eligible to play in the league championship game.  Also, while they are not bowl eligible, they can still win the AP poll.  Surely, they are not up there (this year) with the top few teams.... but they are clearly a top 10 team, the cream of the B10, and can beat any team if they show up with their A game.  If they can improve their passsing offense and cut out the big plays given up on defense, they will be in it for the NC next year and probably the year after too

I'm somewhat in shock.  What a ballgame.  They didn't deserve to win, but I'll take it!  I want so badly for this team to win out and cast some doubt on the Big Ten and perhaps even the National Championship picture. 

 

Go Buckeyes!

 

Not sure what you mean considering the bucks are not bowl eligible.  Or are you trying to say, since they are not bowl eligible, the BCS will have an asterisk year considering one of top teams is not competing?

 

That's what I was implying, though obviously there won't really be an asterisk next to the BCS champion.  I just want Ohio State to continue playing well enough to cast some doubt on the national picture. 

I hardly would consider OSU one of the top teams in college football this year.  Have they even played a team that is currently ranked?

 

Michigan St and Nebraska were ranked until tOSU beat em'

So OSU dropped from #7 in the AP poll last week to #9 this week?  Wonder why.

I smell an upset for OSU tonight.  Night games in the Big Ten are brutal for visitors.  OSU has barely scraped by the last two weeks against marginal opponents and Penn State has been improving every week

I smell an upset for OSU tonight.  Night games in the Big Ten are brutal for visitors.  OSU has barely scraped by the last two weeks against marginal opponents and Penn State has been improving every week

 

I was thinking the same thing.  Time for a loss before the Michigan game.

Night games in the Big Ten are brutal for visitors.

 

Yet Ohio State schedules as many home games as they can at noon. They can't get off this noon game stuff that leads to a quiet stadium and half empty, sleepy student section.

I know for a fact OSU schedules noon games due to safety concerns.  The amount of drunk driving, fighting, disorderly conduct, etc skyrockets when OSU has games past 4pm and fans have had a full 6-8 hours to pregame...

Road game in front of 106,000 + "White-out" game + a resurgent Penn State team that has won 5 straight after losing their first two + Miller getting knocked out of the previous game + decimated OSU linebacking corps = "Pick-em" betting line all week that has evolved into a one point favorite for Penn State.

I know for a fact OSU schedules noon games due to safety concerns.  The amount of drunk driving, fighting, disorderly conduct, etc skyrockets when OSU has games past 4pm and fans have had a full 6-8 hours to pregame...

 

I know that's true and I hate it. It's a scaredy-cat move. While I realize that tOSU and Columbus in general are a lot "beerier" than these small/midsize palatial towns that most of the other Big Ten schools are located in, I still find it disappointing and even somewhat insulting that the school makes people lose interest in the games and might even jeopardize the success of the team because something really bad "might" happen.

^it's the smart move.  Having 50,000 rowdy fans and hooligans that just come out to be part of the posse after a big late game win or loss can easily overwhelm the local police.  Anyone remember the riots in the late 90's after the home Notre Dame game and a few others?  I do...  they were late games too.

Impressive game for the Buckeyes.  Going into the heart of whiteness and coming out with a win.  OSU is now 9-0.

 

Braxton Miller showed no ill effects from last week's hit and just takes over the second half.  Two rushing TD's and one passing TD (that game clinching 72 yarder to Stoneburner).  Miller's zone read handoffs just bamboozled the Nittany Lion defense in the third quarter.

 

ESPN Box Score: Ohio St 35 - Penn St 23

It did take Miller a while to get going this time, but he got done what he needed to get done.

 

But once again, our special teams (particularly the kicking team, not so much the kick return team) are proving to be a severe liability.  It's hard to argue with a 9-0 start, of course, but this can't last if we don't start protecting our kickers and tackling their kick returners a bit better.

I'll say this much, I'm glad OSU isn't eligible for a bowl this year.  The way the season is unfolding, they could very well finish undefeated and end up ranked in the top 6 or 8 teams in the nation which would guarantee a major bowl or BCS bowl.  Either way, they'd be shredded by a PAC or SEC opponent in such a game and it would ruin my holiday season and have the pundits commenting in droves about how sad the Big Ten is.

I'll say this much, I'm glad OSU isn't eligible for a bowl this year.  The way the season is unfolding, they could very well finish undefeated and end up ranked in the top 6 or 8 teams in the nation which would guarantee a major bowl or BCS bowl.  Either way, they'd be shredded by a PAC or SEC opponent in such a game and it would ruin my holiday season and have the pundits commenting in droves about how sad the Big Ten is.

 

Yea shredded by Alabama maybe, but not by anyone else.  They could play with ND, Oregon, and K-St...Giving Urban a month to game plan against any opponent could be dangerous.  Remember OSU vs Fla.  UGLY!

Yea shredded by Alabama maybe, but not by anyone else.  They could play with ND, Oregon, and K-St...

 

OMG you are high out of your mind.  Oregon would beat up OSU by 50 at half.  They score so fast our defense wouldn't know what happened.  No way could our offense keep up.  I think ND would smoke OSU as well.  I haven't watched K-state yet.

 

As for the comment about Urban Meyer having a full month to game plan, that may be true, but this isn't his team yet.  He didn't draft any of these guys and for the most part it shows.  Very few explosive playmakers on either side of the ball. 

No let down for the Buckeyes going into their bye week.  OSU goes to 10-0 and moves up to #5 in the AP.

 

ESPN Box Score: Ohio St 52 - Illinois 22

The Buckeyes face the first of their last two games of the season.  These last two games look to be their toughest of the season.  The first is at Wisconsin this afternoon.  If they can emerge from Madison with a win, it would set up a final game against Michigan in the Shoe for a bid to finish the season undefeated.

The Buckeyes can't hold off a late Wisconsin score to tie the game and send it to overtime.  But OSU scores on their OT possession and stops the Badgers on their possession to win it in OT.  11-0 and one to go.

 

ESPN Box Score: Ohio St 21 - Wisconsin 14 - OT

 

Argh, want to see how this team does in postseason but can't.

Did you see the bench during the Wisconsin's last drive?  Was it just the team making all the "Oh-OOOO-Oh" noise, or were there a bunch of Ohio State people there.

(My bar in NOLA did not put on sound until the LSU game was over)

I am glad they won, but this team still has serious flaws and would be exposed in a bowl game.

^agreed.  The stuff at the goal line was tremendous though.  With Monte Ball lined up needing inches to get a first or a TD, FBS record on the line, then he fumbles....  it was high drama. 

 

The game against Michigan next week will be interesting.  Essentially nothing on the line except bragging rights.  I'm not sure who has the better team at this point.  I'm inclined to say OSU, but they've scraped by against some really average opponents.  Basically got shut out the 2nd half of yesterday's game.

The game against Michigan next week will be interesting.  Essentially nothing on the line except bragging rights.  I'm not sure who has the better team at this point.  I'm inclined to say OSU, but they've scraped by against some really average opponents.  Basically got shut out the 2nd half of yesterday's game.

 

Well, there is a little something on the line because they have a shot at slamming the door on Michigan's slim chance of getting to the Big Ten title game.  That alone is good enough for me.  Although in all likelihood Nebraska will probably crush Iowa at home to clinch the Legends Division championship, I wouldn't mind seeing the Buckeyes make it a moot point.

The game against Michigan next week will be interesting.  Essentially nothing on the line except bragging rights.  I'm not sure who has the better team at this point.  I'm inclined to say OSU, but they've scraped by against some really average opponents.  Basically got shut out the 2nd half of yesterday's game.

 

Well, there is a little something on the line because they have a shot at slamming the door on Michigan's slim chance of getting to the Big Ten title game.  That alone is good enough for me.  Although in all likelihood Nebraska will probably crush Iowa at home to clinch the Legends Division championship, I wouldn't mind seeing the Buckeyes make it a moot point.

 

I don't think you went to Ohio State.  NOTHING in the OSU football season matters more than a win over Michigan.  NOTHING!  OSU could lose every game in the season, but if they beat Michigan it's a successful season!

The game against Michigan next week will be interesting.  Essentially nothing on the line except bragging rights.  I'm not sure who has the better team at this point.  I'm inclined to say OSU, but they've scraped by against some really average opponents.  Basically got shut out the 2nd half of yesterday's game.

 

Well, there is a little something on the line because they have a shot at slamming the door on Michigan's slim chance of getting to the Big Ten title game.  That alone is good enough for me.  Although in all likelihood Nebraska will probably crush Iowa at home to clinch the Legends Division championship, I wouldn't mind seeing the Buckeyes make it a moot point.

 

I don't think you went to Ohio State.  NOTHING in the OSU football season matters more than a win over Michigan.  NOTHING!  OSU could lose every game in the season, but if they beat Michigan it's a successful season!

 

I didn't go to Ohio State, but I am a huge fan.  I was not at all downplaying the game or the rivalry, my comment was just kind of building on what was said in the post before mine.

 

 

The game against Michigan next week will be interesting.  Essentially nothing on the line except bragging rights.  I'm not sure who has the better team at this point.  I'm inclined to say OSU, but they've scraped by against some really average opponents.  Basically got shut out the 2nd half of yesterday's game.

 

Well, there is a little something on the line because they have a shot at slamming the door on Michigan's slim chance of getting to the Big Ten title game.  That alone is good enough for me.  Although in all likelihood Nebraska will probably crush Iowa at home to clinch the Legends Division championship, I wouldn't mind seeing the Buckeyes make it a moot point.

 

I don't think you went to Ohio State.  NOTHING in the OSU football season matters more than a win over Michigan.  NOTHING!  OSU could lose every game in the season, but if they beat Michigan it's a successful season!

 

I didn't go to Ohio State, but I am a huge fan.  I was not at all downplaying the game or the rivalry, my comment was just kind of building on what was said in the post before mine.

 

 

 

I'm only busting your chops!  >:D

More importantly (unfortunately), preseason ranking next year is on the line.  Since where you start has a significant impact on just how high you can rise (even if you go undefeated), and this is our "bowl game," this is a huge game for us leading into next year.  In addition, Braxton might not win the Heisman this year, but starting position in the Heisman race for next year is in large part determined by how one finishes the previous year.

 

And, of course, as has already been said, it's M*ch*g*n.  Even if the Mayans turn out to be correct and there is no next season, we have enough to play for.

As has been the case for the past few OSU/Michigan games, the Buckeyes will be donning special unis designed by Nike.  Past designs harkened back to Paul Brown's 1942 national champion team and Woody Hayes 1954 national champion team.  This year's model hints back to the uniform style worn by the 1968 national champion team. 

 

SB Nation: Ohio State unveils 2012 Rivalry (e.g. Pro Combat) uniforms for the Michigan game

 

NBC4 News (video): OSU Nike Pro Combat Uniforms Revealed

Time for the pregame analysis & predictions.  I see both teams being relatively even.  OSU has shown flashes of brilliance on both sides of the ball but has been terribly inconsistent as well and we all know the Big Ten competition is down this year.  Michigan has improved steadily as the season went on and I think they're playing at their highest level.  If Denard Robinson is healthy enough to play, at QB or wherever they put him, it could be a game changer.  I think the matchup to watch will be OSU D-line vs Michigan's O-Line.  If OSU can get pressure on the passing game & effectively shut down the running game, it'll force some turnovers.  I'm confident OSU will generate some points one way or another, possibly enough to win.  To me it's all about OSU's defense making enough plays.

I watched last week's Michigan-Iowa game just to scout Michigan for this week's game.  Michigan's offense looked great against the Hawkeyes - but then most teams have against Iowa.  So here's my takeaway from that game:

 

- Devin Gardner looks like Michigan's QB of the future.  Accurate passer, decent runner.  But more of a pass first option then Robinson.

- Denard Robinson will likely play at RB for "The Game".  He didn't attempt any passes last week or even hold the ball in his right hand while running last week because of nerve problems to his right arm.

- Starting RB Fitzgerald Toussaint suffered a season-ending leg injury in last week's game.  Big loss because he was getting more touches after Robinson went down.

 

But I tend to agree that if the OSU defense can play like they did against Wisconsin, they can limit Michigan's offense.  It might come down to the OSU secondary making some one-on-one plays - as Michigan likes to isolate receivers for a long throw.

I think Gardner has the physical size & arm strength to be a better QB than Robinson, but he throws an ugly ball.  Something weird about his release.  He doesn't have good touch either - seems like he either floats it or rifles it, little in between and often at the wrong time.

 

Shazier & John Simon need to continue having big games.  They both made some big plays against Wisconsin, forcing turnovers and tackles for loss.  I think Denard will definitely be throwing.  He's been throwing the ball in practice. 

The first half was back-and-forth offensively.  OSU would have long sustained drives for scores - while Michigan had two long TD plays and a short field off an OSU turnover for a 21-20 Michigan lead at halftime.

 

The second half was a battle of defense and miscues.  The Buckeyes defense shut down Michigan's offense and forced three turnovers.  OSU had chances to put the game away with two first-and-goals, but only came away with one made FG on those two chances.  But the two Drew Basil field goals for the Buckeyes in the second half was enough.  And Ohio State wins 26-21 to finish the season undefeated.  Carlos Hyde had his best game of the year with 26 carries for 146 yards and 1 TD.

 

ESPN Box Score: Ohio St 26 - Michigan 21

 

Hoke will be heavily criticized for not having Denard on the field for the last drive.  He was the only effective option they had up till then.

 

Overall, very sloppy game, penalties,turnovers, missed FG, OSU should've won by 14 or more. 

First time I didn't watch this game and I glad I didn't!

Hoke will be heavily criticized for not having Denard on the field for the last drive.  He was the only effective option they had up till then.

 

Overall, very sloppy game, penalties,turnovers, missed FG, OSU should've won by 14 or more. 

 

Very ugly game.  I was just waiting for OSU to pull away and it never happened.  Basil had a huge game for a guy that had four field goals made TOTAL in the 11 games prior to today.

Ohio State finished #3 in the final AP poll.  Which gave Urban Meyer a bonus of $150,000!  Although Meyer missed out on an additional $100,000 when Oregon edged out the Buckeyes for #2 in the poll.  Ah well - win some, lose some.

 

ESPN: Urban Meyer, other coaches cash in

Senior running back Jordan Hall was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA and will be returning for another season.  More about this from the link below:

 

ESPN: Ohio State's Jordan Hall to return

Today is National Signing Day.  So in another look to the future, here's a report about ticket pricing for the upcoming football season.  Be prepared to pay $79 for "non-premium" games, $110 for the "premium" Wisconsin game, and possibly as much as $175 for the "super-premium" Michigan game.  And that's face value, not some price from a ticket broker.

 

Ohio State trustees OK higher ticket prices

By Jeff Bell, Staff reporter

Business First - Feb 1, 2013, 1:17pm EST

 

Ohio State University football fans will pay 13 percent more for tickets next season – and a lot more than that for some top-tier Buckeye match-ups in the future.  OSU trustees on Friday approved a list of ticket prices recommended by the athletic department.  As we previously reported, the cost of a ticket for the 2013 season will rise to $79, up from $70 last season.

 

In addition, the trustees signed off on the premium pricing plan we told you about last week that calls for $125 to $175 a ticket for one or two games a season.  The first is expected to be the Buckeyes’ Sept. 28 game with the University of Wisconsin, according to multiple reports, with a lower premium price of $110.

 

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/blog/2013/02/ohio-state-trustees-ok-higher-ticket.html

It appears that The Urb nabbed two more big-time recruits today.  One of them - Vonn Bell - might end up being the prize of the entire class.  He is a safety from Georgia and has a top rating from every scouting service I have seen.  The other, James Clark, is a WR out of Florida who is also highly regarded.  Earlier this we go a Texas speedster - Dontre Wilson - to switch his committment from Oregon to us.  He reconsidered his decision after Chip Kelly bolted for the NFL.  I suspect that Clark and Wilson committing might be a signal that some earlier verbal might be going elsewhere (EDIT - suspicion confirmed now that I notice that Taivon Jacobs has switched to Maryland).

^Tavion Jacobs is now going to Maryland.  He was the poor man's version of Clark.  BTW my man crush for Urban Meyer is getting stronger. 

With the two new commits today, we are now ahead of TTUN in the team rankings for all of the major recruiting services, and #1 overall on Scout.com

Word is that Carlos Hyde has been kicked off the team.  He allegedly punched a girl in a nightclub.  That sucks because I thought he was going to have a big year, but if the allegations are true, I'm glad Meyer immediately dismissed him.  The saving grace is that we are ridiculously deep at tailback with Rod Smith, Brionte Dunn, Warren Ball Jr., and a frosh who I think is gonna be a stud - Ezekiel Elliot.  There also is Jordan Hall returning from injury, but I think the coaching staff had plans for him to play in the slot.

It was being reported earlier in the day that Carlos Hyde had been dismissed from the team.  It turns out that he's suspended indefinitely pending the outcome of the assault charges against him.  Though he might get dismissed eventually if the charges hold up.  Violence against women is particularly bad news.  The alleged assault occurred at the site of the formerly infamous Red Zone in downtown Columbus, now called Sugar Bar 2.

 

It was a bad weekend for Buckeyes in bars.  Senior cornerback Bradley Roby was arrested in Bloomington, Indiana as a result of a disturbance involving a scuffle with the bouncers at a bar.  Roby hasn't been suspended, but he was disciplined pending further information about the incident.  Two incoming freshman were also disciplined.  One was suspended for the season opening game, the other was suspended for the entire season.  More below from the Eleven Warriors website and the OSU official website.

 

MORE: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2013/07/23859/ohio-state-football-carlos-hyde-suspended-indefinitely-bradley-roby-freshmen-disciplined

 

MORE: http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072213aaa.html