Ohio State's Scoreboard Jumbo Screen Highlight Video From Friday Night Lights

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

If you were in attendance in The Shoe for FNL this past Friday, you have already seen this video multiple times.

If you weren't there, you missed a good time and you missed seeing this video on the new scoreboard jumbo screen.

Either way, watching this again and again does not suck!

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Around The Block With Nile Sykes: Have The Buckeyes Found A Friday Night Lights Diamond In The Rough?

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Ohio State's Friday Night Lights football camp the evening of July 27th, 2012, was essentially a high school who's who of all-star-caliber juniors and seniors from all over the country.



Many of the nations top 300 football recruits were in Columbus for the event, which was Urban Meyer's first such gathering as Ohio State head football coach.

While the names of some of those in attendance may resonate with familiarity to even the most casual of recruiting novices, there were plenty of lesser known, lesser-heralded prospects at the camp looking to get noticed, be-it by Ohio State, or perhaps another FBS program.

Nile Sykes, a LB/DE prospect from Oak Park, Illinois (River Forest HS), is one of those players that fall into the lesser-known, lesser-heralded category—or at least he was before FNL.

Although I personally believe he eventually will, thus far, Sykes has not yet received the star ratings and hype that some of his fellow recruits in the class of 2014 have from Rivals, Scout, and ESPN.

I can tell you that it's not do to a lack of size or speed. Sykes is 6-2, 220, and during FNL, the players were divided up by position. Sykes was put with the defensive ends, and when each group ran the 40-yard-dash near the end of the camp, Sykes was the fastest out of his group.

And it's not as if nobody has noticed Sykes. He currently holds offers from Northern Illinois, Toledo, Purdue, and Illinois, as well as rumored interest from Wisconsin, and likely safe to now throw Ohio State into that mix.

After seeing Sykes in action, I was very impressed by him. That continued after the camp, when I was fortunate enough to have the chance to speak with Nile.

HD: Nile, you were great at FNL. Did coach Meyer, and/or any of the other coaches talk with you after the camp?

Nile: Thank you so much. Yes I talked to both coach Vrabel and coach Meyer afterwards and they had nothing but awesome things to say about me.

HD: As of right now, do you have an OSU offer?

Nile: No, I don't have an offer from them (yet, haha) but hopefully after last nights performance, they see that I can play and really like me.

HD: How do you feel about Columbus and Ohio State after coming to FNL?

Nile: I love it up there in Columbus. Awesome community -- awesome education -- awesome football! Just everything there seems to be like perfect.

HD: So no offer yet, but do you have an idea of what to expect between you and Ohio State going forward?

Nile: I got coach Vrabel's info, so I'll will be in touch very soon so they can speak to my parents and stuff like that.

HD: Well, I'm pulling for you to get an offer from OSU soon. I think I speak for all Buckeye fans when I say you will look great in Scarlet and Gray! I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing you as a Buckeye! You blew up last night! Glad I was there to see.

Nile: Thank you so much. I appreciate all the support. It means a lot to me.

HD: Thanks for taking time to do this Nile. I'm confident that Ohio State fans are going to like you and like hearing what you had to say about the possibility of becoming a Buckeye.

Nile: No problem, my pleasure. Go Bucks!

He later Tweeted, "S/O to ALL Buckeye fans. Man, you guys great."

He also posted this image on his Twitter feed shortly after of himself with coach Meyer.



I think the writing is on the wall here.

To me, Sykes sounds like a great kid who happens to be a talented football player that raised his stock in the eyes of the OSU coaching staff, and that if and when he receives a scholarship offer to play for the Buckeyes—and I hopefully assume I'm not putting words in his mouth here—he's all-but ready to commit to play for Ohio State.

Maybe that Ohio State offer never comes, or maybe it does, but Sykes still ends up playing elsewhere.

I hope the offer from OSU does come, and that he jumps all over it, but either way, I think everyone took notice of him at FNL. At this point, you've probably not seen him play unless you were at FNL, so watch this brief highlight video (or this much better full-length one) and I think you'll start to see what I'm already seeing.


I know wherever he plays (cough, coach Meyer, offer him please, cough), I enjoyed getting to chat with him and featuring him in this article.

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Look Away Ann Arbor Fans, Look Away — Braxton Miller Will Outperform Denard Robinson In 2012

By Tim Bielik — BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

The idea of Ohio State's sophomore QB Braxton Miller outperforming Michigan's decorated senior Denard Robinson is a crazy notion on the surface. After all, Robinson has slowly started to develop into a very deadly dual-threat.

When you look much deeper, however, Miller's chance to be better than Robinson is not very far-fetched at all.

Robinson is an amazingly talented runner, but his passing remains somewhat of a hit-and-miss—it improved greatly in his junior year.

Miller showed some struggles through the early part of his freshman year, but grew tremendously as the season went on, including his fantastic four-touchdown night against Wisconsin—three of which were on the ground.

He was very protected in terms of the passing game, and his accuracy needs some work, especially on the deeper throws where multiple times he overshot open receivers down the field.

A spring with Urban Meyer and Tom Herman showed some good improvement in terms of the short passing game and getting his receivers into good spots.

The new Ohio State offense better suits Miller's skills, although he will truly shine when he finds some playmakers that can make his life easier. That's the big advantage Robinson had with some talented skill players like Roy Roundtree and Fitzgerald Toussaint to give him some go-to weapons.

Miller has potentially dangerous players like Corey Brown and Jake Stoneburner, neither of whom have had the big year that fans hoped they would have had by now.

The biggest reason Miller has a chance to have a strong 2012 and probably a better year than Robinson is because of how Meyer can manipulate the offense around Miller. He is an excellent open-field runner that has proven several times he can make great defenders look silly with great moves.

Ohio State is moving to a high-tempo, power-spread attack that will let Miller use his natural talents to their peak.

It's about making him the No. 1 weapon on the ground and using that to not only open throwing lanes in the passing game—from screens to intermediate and deep routes—but option lanes that make him so much tougher to defend.

The important trick for Meyer will be to make sure that he doesn't have what happened to Robinson as a sophomore—where he seemed to slow down as the year went on—happen to Miller.

If Miller takes the quantum leap in passing that fans believe Meyer and Herman can spark, there's a good chance he can surpass Robinson in the passing game.

Robinson's passing numbers declined last season in most categories, where Miller's should skyrocket, especially if OSU's new offense allows them to run more plays throughout the course of a game.

The simple fact that Meyer will allow Miller to throw much more often than he had in the past should mean that Miller will be a much better passer.

The key will be how Miller progresses in the fall and if the offense continues to come together after a slow start in the spring. The offense has come a long way; now the fall is about the finishing touches.

For Miller, that's about improving as a passer whether it be just in the pocket or on the run as well.

If he can do that, there's no reason to think he won't come close to matching or even surpassing Denard Robinson's numbers.

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Leadership From Players Main Key To Success For Ohio State in 2012

By Nick Weaver — BlockONation.com Featured Contributor

Nobody wants to see mugshots of any Buckeye football player, Unfortunately, this article contains a couple, so if you're squeamish, you better look away.

Once again, offseason scandal has plagued the Buckeyes this summer — thankfully on a much smaller scale this time around compared to the Tatgate scandal that led to Jim Tressel's dismissal, a horrifically disappointing 2011 season, and the eventual one-year postseason and bowl ban given to the program by the NCAA.

Only three players thus far have decided to break the law “allegedly”. The latest was senior linebacker Storm Klein, who was potentially in the mix for a starting position this upcoming season, before being charged with domestic violence and assault.

Preceding Klein on the Buckeye blotter were TE, Jake Stoneburner and OL, Jack Mewhort. While Klein decided to rough up his child's mother, Stoneburner and Mewhort publicly urinated during memorial weekend, and then ran from the police.

Klein was dismissed from the team by Meyer on July 8th. Stoneburner and Mewhort lost their scholarships for the summer, and despite the charges being dismissed against them, at last check, they remain suspended indefinitely — for the time being anyway.

I mentioned these incidents to lay a foundation so I could pose a question that has been bothering me since last season when we fell apart late in games.

Where is the player leadership on this team, especially from the upperclassmen?

I know they vote on captains each year, but I didn't see the captains gain control of the team late in games last year, or during this offseason either.

Sure, it's only three players with relatively minor charges compared to last year, and extremely minuscule compared to what happened at Penn State, but exercise your brain and think.

Who was the leader last year on the field? Miller goes down vs. Nebraska and the team completely fell apart.

Was it Fickel? He gets the blame because he was the head coach, but there has to be upperclassmen leadership on the field and in the locker room. Anyone that has played sports knows exactly what I am talking about.

I give props to John Simon because he is a beast and led the defense on the field making a lot of heroic plays, however, I can’t name anyone from the offensive side of the ball that I can say was a clear leader.

Boom Herron gets partial credit for the last two games of the year, but it just wasn’t near enough in my eyes.

The 2012 season will be upon us in no time, and who is going to lead the team this year on (and off) the field and in the locker room?

Urban Meyer will have them ready to play each game — that's a given — but so did Fickell for the most part last year.

Then again, in many games, we looked like we never arrived at the stadium until late in the game.

The Silver Bullets need a leader to emerge with only 48 days until the season kicks off and “Urban Warfare” begins!

Even though I question who will lead come September 1st, I will have my jersey and Buckeye beads on, ready to ride or die, and cheer our Buckeyes to victory!

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Conjecture, Video Evidence Suggest Ohio State's Passing Game Will Improve Tremendously in 2012

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I read an article yesterday about Ohio State sophomore QB, Braxton Miller, which more or less said Miller will flourish in 2012 in Urban Meyer's offense, a fact that most experts and fans would seem to agree on.

There are still doubters out there, however. I read several comments that referred to Miller as overrated, and a plethora of others that implied Ohio State has no WRs for Miller to throw to.

While they aren't exactly nationwide household names yet, to say the Buckeyes have no talented WRs simply isn't true.

Having said that, it still seems that this is a common opinion shared by many outside of the Ohio State family and program. We can call it a basic lack of knowledge about this team and roster, or perhaps a bit of hate from fans of rival teams, or even just plain idiocy. Honestly, it's probably a concoction of all three, and I believe Urban Meyer wants it and likes it that way.

Coach Meyer has repeatedly said that WR is the weakest position on the roster and his biggest area of concern. Meyer is a master of hyperbole, and everyone drinking the "lack of talent at the WR position is alarming" Kool-aid are in for quite a shock come September. Miller and OSU's passing game is a bit of an afterthought to many, and that's just fine.

These opinions are based on past performance, and when taking that into consideration, they are hard to argue against based on the miserable ranking — 115th in passing in the nation — the Buckeyes had as a team last year.

There are a couple things to also remember about last year.

1. Braxton Miller's QB coach was previously Ohio State's video coordinator, and during games, he was not on the field coaching his true-freshman QB, but up in the coaches booth instead.

2. Jim Bollman was OSU's offensive coordinator, and kept the remnants of Tresselball on life-support all season long.

3. The entire staff was one and done, and they knew it, and it showed on the field. They gave up on coaching the players, and the season was obviously a huge disappointment — but those days are over.

Below are a few video highlights to help bolster the claims I have made above.

(I didn't find any recent, individual highlight videos of Corey "Philly" Brown, Chris Fields, or Verlon Reed, but all three are in the two-deep mix at WR for Ohio State this season.)

Braxton Miller 2011 Highlights


Braxton Miller to Devin Smith vs. Wisconsin


Braxton Miller to Evan Spencer: Amazing One-Handed Grab vs. Akron


Senior TE Jake Stoneburner: A WR in a TE Body


Sophmore WR Tyrone Williams:
HS Stud, College Dud? The Verdict Should Come Soon


Incoming Freshman WR Michael Thomas: Spring Game MVP


Incoming Freshman WR Frank Epitropoulos


Incoming Freshman WR Ricquan Southward


2012 Spring Game Highlights


I'm certain the Buckeyes cannot wait to prove that last years passing and receiving stats — some of the lowest totals ever recorded during a single season at Ohio State — were a complete fluke.

With the new offense the Buckeyes will be running under Meyer — and taking into account the great staff that Meyer has assembled — I fully expect Miller and his young but talented WRs — both upperclassmen and conceivably one or two incoming freshmen — to elevate OSU's aerial attack towards elite status in 2012.

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Ohio State's Updated All-Time Head-To-Head Win/Loss Record Vs. Every Big 10 Team

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

I consider myself a fan of history.

Specifically, I'm both a Civil War and College Football enthusiast.

I only read about American History, but I do occasionally write about Ohio State football here on the blog.

I guess that's why I was curious what Ohio State's record was against every current Big Ten team, so much so, that I did a lot of research, compiled the numbers, and posted an article with my findings way back in 2010.

Two years later — and with a new member in the conference — feels like a good time to bring myself and my readers up-to-date.

Here then are the all-time W/L/T records vs. every member of the Big Ten (including former member Chicago) up to, and including, the 2011 season.

10 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties vs. the Chicago Maroons (no longer in DI/B10)

64 wins, 30 losses, and 4 ties vs. the Illinois Fighting Illini

68 wins, 12 losses, and 5 ties vs. the Indiana Hoosiers

46 wins, 14 losses, and 3 ties vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes

44 wins, 58 losses, and 6 ties vs. the Michigan Wolverines

27 wins, 13 losses, and 0 ties vs. the Michigan State Spartans

43 wins, 7 losses, and 0 ties vs. the Minnesota Golden Gophers

2 wins, 1 loss, and 0 ties vs. the Nebraska Cornhuskers

59 wins, 14 losses, and 1 tie vs. the Northwestern Wildcats

14 wins, 13 losses, and 0 ties vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions

38 wins, 14 losses, and 2 ties vs. the Purdue Boilermakers

54 wins, 18 losses, and 5 ties vs. the Wisconsin Badgers

As you can see above, the only team in the conference to have an advantage over the Buckeyes is Michigan, but since 1919, the series is even at 44-44-5.

The Michigan lead in the series was "padded" in the first 15 meetings between 1897 and 1919.

The Wolverines dominated a very young Ohio State program, with Michigan winning 13 of those 15 games — the only caveats for OSU coming in 1900 and 1910, when the teams battled to a 0-0 tie and a 3-3 tie, respectively.

Even with the very lean John Cooper years (2-10-1 vs. UM), Ohio State still leads the head-to-head series 32-28-2 from 1950-2011, a span widely considered as the modern era of college football.

Michigan is the all-time wins leader in college football with 895, so to be trailing only them (by 14 wins) all-time, head-to-head in the conference is nothing to be ashamed of — especially since the Buckeyes have narrowed the gap significantly over the last decade.

I know I went on a bit of a rant there. Instead of the previous five paragraphs, I probably could have just said "I hate Michigan" — the end, but ripping on them and pointing out that they only lead because of their pre-WWI wins against a H.S. level program in its infancy is so much more fun.

In closing, you may be interested to know that the picture above is of Ohio State's 1890 football team, its first ever team.

It's safe to say from 1890-2011, Ohio State has certainly come along way in football.

Here's to the next 122 years of Buckeye football history.

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Ohio State EA SPORTS NCAA Football 2013 Heisman Legends Commercial — Is That Desmond Howard?

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

This commercial is too great not to share, but thank goodness it's only a commercial — Enjoy!



There is also a good one featuring Les Miles with the LSU Tiger mascot, and another one featuring two Georgia fans, full of shame.

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Despite Postseason Ban, Here's How Ohio State Could Still Be Crowned 2012 National Champs

By HD Handshoe — BlockONation.com Founder

Don't laugh haters — seriously, this isn't a joke. You only wish it was.

You may be skeptical now — and you likely believe that I'm a completely delusional Buckeye homer — but read further, and you too will (perhaps) become a believer.

Even if you aren't convinced, it doesn't matter. This could still become your reality in spite of you and your disdain for Ohio State.

Before we go any further, the image to the right of Urban Meyer holding the BCS crystal football is for visual effect only. Clearly, with the postseason ban this coming season, Ohio State has ZERO chance at winning the BCS trophy in 2012.

They do, however, still have a chance at winning the national title in 2012.

How is that possible, you ask? And is this HD guy a crackhead?

It's quite simple really, and no, I'm not.

Once a part of the BCS system, the AP Poll has had no affiliation with, or statistical importance in, the calculations that produce the BCS rankings, and subsequent bowl game pairings since the 2004 season — meaning, the AP voters have no obligations or restrictions on who they rank from 1-25 on their weekly ballots.

Now that you should see a potential championship path beginning to clear for the Buckeyes this coming season, there are still a few other obstacles to be hurdled before Ohio State can stake its' claim as 2012 National Champions.

The biggest obstacle is obviously navigating through the toughest conference schedule in the Big Ten, combined with a decently challenging out-of-conference schedule.

In order for Ohio State to have any chance at the AP title, they MUST win every game — a feat which I'm not guaranteeing WILL happen, but certainly one that I'm suggesting is definitely possible. Winning in blowout fashion isn't a must for a team built on fielding a top-notch defense, and one that will be running a completely new offensive system, but it won't hurt when it comes to impressing the voters either.

For the sake of this article, we are going to assume that Ohio State will indeed win all 12 of its games. Here's a semi-microscopic look at each opponent and my best short-and-to-the-point educated guess on the outcome of each game.

Home vs. Miami (Ohio) — Ohio State hasn't lost a home-opener since 1978, and they own the MAC, posting a 16-0 record against Mid-American opponents since 2000. The Buckeyes will defeat the Redhawks here by at least 24 in this season-opening tune-up.

Home vs. UCF — Ohio State hosts a UCF team coming off a 5-7 season, but a team that will also be one the most improved teams in the nation. That being said, OSU went a dismal 6-7 under a lame-duck coaching staff in 2011, but will also be vastly improved under new coach Urban Meyer and his dream team of assistants. It could be a close game very early on, but the Knights will be no match for Ohio State in the end, as the Buckeyes will win by 17 or more.

Home vs. California — Ohio State is 5-1 all-time vs. Cal. The Golden Bears are returning just 11 starters from last years 7-6 squad. Cal head coach Jeff Tedford has to be on the hot seat, and this game won't do anything to change that. I can see this Cal team going backwards and losing as many as 8 or 9 games, so I'm going with the Buckeyes in this one by 21 or more.

Home vs. UAB — This is the first-ever meeting between Ohio State and UAB, and I don't expect it to be a memorable for the Blazers. Last season, UAB finished a disappointing season with a 3-9 record. Since the program began in 1991, the Blazers are 3-32 vs. BCS conference opponents. Make that 3-33, as OSU will drop the Blazers in this one by 28 or more.

Away vs. Michigan State — Ohio State will face its first true challenge of the season as they visit East Lansing. Not so much because of the opponent but more for the fact that it's their first road game of the year and against a rival on their home turf. That being said, Ohio State is 6-1 in their last seven road games against the Spartans. While MSU will have a solid defense once again, they had huge losses on the offensive side of the ball, and must replace their starting QB and top two WRs. That could hurt them early on in 2012 and will almost undoubtedly be the difference in this game. Despite the Spartan defense, Braxton Miller and the OSU offense should be able to score into the low 30's. In the last three meetings in East Lansing, Ohio State has had an average margin of victory over MSU of 28. I'm going with the Buckeyes, but not quite by that much. I will take OSU by 17-ish.

Home vs. Nebraska — The Cornhuskers are 0-2 all-time in Columbus. Of course, the last time OSU and Nebraska played in Columbus, my Dad was 3 years old, so that doesn't exactly mean that much. Then again, playing Ohio State in Columbus is a different animal than playing them on your home field. Last season in Memorial Stadium, the Buckeyes were dominating Nebraska, 27-6, midway into the 3rd quarter before Braxton Miller was injured. Backup Joe Bauserman then engineered the single-most embarrassing, come-from-ahead, blunder of a defeat that I have ever personally witnessed in all my years as a Buckeye football fan. Assuming Braxton is healthy all game long, and considering that Taylor Martinez's passing motion is dreadfully comparable to Charles Barkley's "turrible" golf swing, I'm picking Ohio State to finish in Columbus, what they started in Lincoln — Buckeyes by 20.

Away vs. Indiana — Ohio State is 68-12-5 all-time vs. Indiana, and let's face it, Indiana is one of the worst football programs college football has ever known. What else is there to say here? The Buckeyes have won 17 straight against IU overall, and 8 straight in Bloomington by an average of 21 points. That margin-of-victory could have been much worse, and Meyer is no Tressel. I'm taking the over in this one — OSU by at least 30.

Home vs. Purdue —Boilermaker head coach Danny Hope has been a thorn in the side of Ohio State in West Lafayette. Ohio State is 0-2 against Hope and Purdue on the road, losing 26-18 in 2009 and 26-23 in OT last season. In 2010 at home, however, the Buckeyes clobbered Purdue, 49-0. Don't think revenge and redemption isn't on the mind of every Buckeye player and even the new staff after losing 2 out of 3 to the Boilermakers. On both sides of the ball and up and down each teams roster, Ohio State is superior. While I don't believe the 2012 meeting will be as lopsided as the 2010 game, it will be a comfortable win for OSU, nonetheless — Ohio State by 27.

Away vs. Penn State — Ohio State has won their last two games over PSU in Happy Valley. With all the distractions lingering over the program and potential for action from the NCAA looming in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky trial and guilty verdict, it's hard to know what to expect from Penn State. Obviously there has been a complete turnover in the staff since JoePa's firing, and sadly, soon thereafter, his passing. Bill O'Brien has never been a head coach at any level before being named Paterno's successor, and he inherits a roster that is a far cry from what he's used to seeing in his career as an NFL assistant. Other than Silas Redd, I really don't see anybody else on the Penn State offense to be concerned about. QB Paul Jones was a highly-touted recruit, but has never taken a snap, but likely will this season, as (former-starter) Matt McGloin is PSU's Joe Bauserman. The Nittany Lion defense will be "roarless" against Miller and company. My gut says to call for a complete blowout, but I'll go semi-modest instead and take Ohio State by about 21, give or take.

Home vs. Illinois — Ron Zook is gone, having been replaced by former-Buckeye assistant Tim Beckman, but the Illini cupboard isn't bare. Zook has always been able to recruit decent players. The problem was, he could never coach them to that next level once he landed them. Quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase is a star. He poses equal threat on the ground or throwing the ball down the field. He amassed over 2,700 yards and combined for 19 total touchdowns. Stopping Scheelhaase will be key for the Silver Bullet defense, and they will be up to the task. In last seasons 17-7 victory in Champaign, Ohio State held Illinois scoreless for more than 53 minutes, forcing two interceptions from Scheelhaase, while limiting him to just 169 yards passing and 49 yards rushing. With top WR target A.J. Jenkins gone, Illinois could be in for a very long day in Columbus. The Buckeyes should be able to easily replicate last years defensive performance and score plenty more points with what should by this point in the season, a much more refined spread-attack. I'm expecting a Buckeye victory in this one by at least 20.

Away vs. Wisconsin — After hosting Illinois, Ohio State has the following week off, giving them an extra week to prepare for the trip to Camp Randall to face the Badgers. The off-week couldn't come at a better time, considering this game is thought of as the toughest on their entire schedule. While Wisconsin will undoubtedly have a good team, playing an average Wisconsin team on the road would still be a huge disadvantage. Camp Randall is one of the most difficult venues for an opponent to play in. Ohio State is 3-2 in their last five trips to Madison, however, so a win in 2012 is definitely not impossible. Star RB Montee Ball returns, but QB Russell Wilson was a one-and-done transfer from NC State, leaving a huge void for the Badgers under center. Top receiver Jered Abbrederis also returns, but may not have a serviceable QB to get the ball to him. I believe the Ohio State offensive and defensive lines will dominate the LOS on both sides. That should limit Ball to less than 100 yards, while the Buckeye offense does the talking on the ground and through the air for Urban Meyer in response to the verbal attack launched by Badger head coach Bret Bielema, who basically called Meyer an unethical cheater after 2012 recruit Kyle Dodson flipped his commitment from Wisconsin to Ohio State. Payback is a bitch, Bret — deal with it. Ohio State pulls off the road win by 14-ish.

Home vs. Michigan — Some folks would have you believe the Wolverines could come into The Game undefeated for a showdown of two unbeatens. While I obviously feel that Ohio State very well could be 11-0 on November 24th, Michigan will have already tasted defeat. Alabama, Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Nebraska are all teams capable of knocking off UM. I believe the Wolverines could lose 2-3 of those games, but when it comes to Ohio State-Michigan, we all know the records mean nothing. Denard Robinson is an amazing athlete and one of the best running quarterbacks in college football, possibly of all-time, but with the defensive prowess Ohio State has on their front seven, scrambling or handing the ball off won't beat the Buckeyes. Unfortunately for Denard, he's a far less talented passing QB. In 2011, Robinson passed for 2,173 yards with 20 touchdowns, but his completion percentage was just 55% and he was intercepted 15 times. In Ann Arbor last season, the best Michigan team in years barely eked-out a 40-34 win over arguably the worst Ohio State team of the past two decades. With the NCAA-levied postseason ban, this will be Ohio State's Bowl game and their statement win that the AP voters will remember when it comes time to cast that final ballot in January. Urban will get his first taste of Wolverine blood as the Buckeyes begin a new win streak against the hated elitists to the North — Ohio State by 17.

So there you have it, a perfect 12-0 season. But wait, there's more!

Phil Steele's College Football Preview magazine is widely considered one of, if not, the best and most reputable sources for preseason college football information in the nation.

While it probably won't be dead-on, when the AP Preseason Poll is released, I expect their top 10 to closely resemble Phil Steele's Power Poll top 10 that I've listed below.

10. Ohio State
9. Georgia
8. Florida
7. Texas
6. Oregon
5. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
3. USC
2. LSU
1. Florida State

Although Phil Steele is my CFB guru and magazine of choice, it is also worth noting that Athlon Sports has Ohio State at no. 6 in their rankings.

This leads me to trust that Ohio State should be either in the top 10, or just a few slots outside of it in the initial AP Poll.

So, how do they move ahead of the 8, or 10, or 12 teams that are ranked ahead of them in the first AP Poll and up to the No. 1 spot in January?

While I am projecting the Buckeyes to navigate through their regular season schedule to a 12-0 record, they will still need some help to earn the top spot in the final AP poll since they won't play again after they turn the Wolverines into roadkill — and by help, I mean that the teams ranked ahead of them have to lose at least once.

No. 9 Georgia — Potential Losses

UGA could lose 1 to 3 games to S. Carolina and/or Florida, and with the best teams in the SEC in the West, also in the conference title game if they somehow make it there again.

No. 8 Florida — Potential Losses

UF has several tough games, with as many as 2 to 4 losses possible against Texas A&M, LSU, S. Carolina, Georgia, and Florida State. Also like UGA, if UF were to reach the SEC title game, it would almost assuredly lose to the SEC West champ.

No. 7 Texas — Potential Losses

I am not so sure the Longhorns will be ranked this high, but Phil Steele is the guru, not me. Looking at their schedule, I could see anywhere from 1 to 3 losses coming against Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Oklahoma, or TCU.

No. 6 Oregon — Potential Losses

I think Oregon will be good, but like Texas, they too might also be ranked a bit high. I could see them dropping 2 to 3 games against Washington, Arizona State, USC, Stanford, or Oregon State, and also a possible rematch vs. USC if they make the Pac-12 title game.

No. 5 Oklahoma — Potential Losses

The Sooners have a pretty tough schedule in my opinion, so less than 2 to 3 losses might not be possible against the likes of Texas Tech, Texas, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Oklahoma State, and TCU.

No. 4 Alabama — Potential Losses

The Tide could find themselves on the losing end at least once or twice as they take on Michigan, Arkansas, LSU, and Auburn. If they make the SEC title game, a loss is always possible, but not that likely against a far-inferior SEC East opponent.

No. 3 USC — Potential Losses

The Trojans are notorious for demolishing OOC foes, but dropping one or two in-conference games to teams they should crush. Teams that could crash USC's BCS party plans and give the Trojans 1 to 3 losses are Stanford, Washington, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Oregon again in a Pac-12 title game rematch if they each make it that far.

No. 2 LSU — Potential Losses

When looking over the schedules, the Tigers have the most landmines to avoid. If they don't, as good as they are expected to be, it's not inconceivable for them to lose 3 to 4 games if they overlook or fail to prepare for Washington, Auburn, Florida, S. Carolina, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Arkansas. Of course there's the SEC title game should they make it, but same goes here as it did for Alabama above — SEC West >>> SEC East.

No. 1 Florida State — Potential Losses

FSU has the easiest schedule of the teams ahead of Ohio State and, therefore, the greatest chance at going undefeated. That doesn't mean they will, however. The Seminoles could drop a game or 2 if they aren't careful against Clemson, Miami (FL), Va Tech, and Florida. There's also the ACC title game, although I would expect FSU to win if they make it there.

A Few Final Thoughts

I honestly believe Ohio State and Florida State could both be undefeated at the end of the 2012 season. If FSU loses a regular season game, the door opens up for the Buckeyes. If FSU goes undefeated, then loses the BCS title game to a 1 or 2 loss team, the door opens.

Obviously whoever wins the BCS title game will be the 2012 BCS champions, but think of it like a trial. If the eventual BCS champ has 1 or 2 losses, compared to a 12-0 Ohio State squad, reasonable doubt would therein lie, and since the Buckeyes can't play past November, and there's no playoff for two more seasons anyway, it's not unreasonable to think that the AP voters could, and should, cast their No. 1 votes for Ohio State.

I mean, the BCS is almost dead, and since the AP and BCS divorced in 2005 and the AP Poll and its' voters were scorned and discarded and seemingly replaced overnight by the Harris Poll, why not just go ahead and vote for a completely different champ in 2012 and 2013 just to spite the BCS pricks like a good ex-husband or ex-wife should do? I urge the AP voters not to conform like sheep, but to instead use your own good sense when casting your final ballots.

I hope you've enjoyed this piece. Call it B.S., subjective fodder, drivel, or one insane man's personal pipe dream if you will.

The reality though, regardless of what you think of me or this article, is that the possibility does exist for this scenario to happen.

Now, I don't have a crystal ball, and I already said earlier that I'm not guaranteeing anything, but I hope everything I've suggested here comes to fruition so we can all see what the AP voters do the next two seasons while the BCS takes its' last and final shallow breaths.

We've wanted a playoff, and we've finally got one starting in 2014. No matter who wins the BCS and AP titles this year or next, we as fans are all winners with the birth of college football's Final Four, and the death of the BCS.

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@BlockONation

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