Flash Forward: November, 2009—A Brief Look Into the Future

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation



If you haven't seen ABC's new show, Flash Forward, you are missing out. It is very good, so far.

To borrow the premise of the show, let's look ahead past the next three games/wins, and take a peek into the future, sans you having to blackout for two minutes and seventeen seconds.





Ohio State, barring Hell freezing and over, and pigs flying, should all but be guaranteed victories in their next three games, at Purdue in West Lafayette on October 17, then back home vs. Minnesota on October 24, and New Mexico State on October 31.

Some of you might not think it's a good idea to overlook these potential "trap" games, but I'm not a coach or player. I'm a fan with a blog, so those "do not look ahead rules" don't apply to me, so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

A year ago, Terrelle Pryor made two key freshman mistakes and gift-wrapped PSU's first win in Columbus in 30 years.


Flash Forward to November 7, 2009:

Ohio State will be 8-1, and in Happy Valley to face Penn State, who should also be 8-1 by then, unless they slip up in Ann Arbor on October 24, in which case they will be 7-2.

Terrelle Pryor and the Buckeyes will expose Penn State. The Buckeye defense will once again dominate the Nittany Lions, just as they did in 2008.

Pryor will connect with DeVier Posey, Duron Carter, and Dane Sanzenbacher for a total of three passing touchdowns, and look for Pryor and Dan Herron to also add a rushing touchdown apiece. Aaron Pettrey will also add a 38-yard field goal.

The defense will hold PSU to less than 20 points, and the Buckeyes spit in the face of the "white out" with the victory.

Final score in my Flash Forward:

Ohio State 38
Penn State 17


Flash Forward to November 14, 2009:

Ohio State will be 9-1, and back home to face the Iowa Hawkeyes in Ohio Stadium. Iowa will be 10-0, or 9-1 by then.

The only game they may be at risk of losing will be in Madison to face the Wisconsin Badgers on October 17. The rest of the schedule looks to be smooth sailing up until the game in Columbus.

Both teams are solid defensively and this game will be low-scoring because of the stellar defensive play by each team.

Protecting the ball and playing the field position game will be the keys. Therefore, this is actually one time when fans will come to appreciate Tressel-ball, as the Buckeyes win the field position battle, and turnover margin, and ultimately the game.

Aaron Pettrey will end up being the MVP on this day as he boots five field goals. The defense will hold Iowa to less than 17 points, and the Buckeyes will prevail, but close.

Final score in my Flash Forward:

Ohio State 23
Iowa 16


Flash Forward to November 21, 2009:

Ohio State will be 10-1, and in Ann Arbor for THE GAME vs. TTUN, aka, TSUN, aka, Meatchicken, aka Meeechigan, aka scUM, etc...

Michigan will be 7-4 or 8-3. I'm going to go with 7-4 as I expect them to drop two more games before the season finale with Ohio State—October 24 vs. Penn State, and November 14 at Wisconsin will both be losses for UM.

The Wolverines started the year with four home games versus three cupcakes and an OK, but not great Notre Dame team. They went 4-0 over that stretch. Then reality set in.

Tate Forcier came back down to Earth, as UM fans realized he was not Superman. His play was shaky at times in UM's first two road games, and losses, to Michigan State and Iowa.

Losing by two points in Iowa City against a very good Hawkeyes team is nothing to be ashamed of, but the loss to the 1-3 Spartans, aka little brother as UM fans call them, was absolutely something to be embarrassed about.

So now we know Tate is good for a true freshman, but he's not great or perfect. We also know that UM's defense is not very good at all.

Ohio State's top-tier defense will force Michigan into many three and outs, and turnovers. I don't see UM scoring more than two or three times against the stout Buckeye "D".

Conversely, I do see the Buckeyes being able to move the ball, and score often.
Look for Pryor to have two or three passing touchdowns and one or two scores on the ground. Herron and Saine may get in on the act as well, and it will be Deja Vu all over again for the Wolverines.

Final score in my Flash Forward:

Ohio State 48
Michigan 17


In the TV show, the characters that had ominous visions of their futures believe that having this flash forward glimpse may help them change what they saw.

To the players and coaches at Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan, and to the fans of each team respectively, it's just a TV show for crying out loud.

You have no chance of avoiding or changing the fact that you will all lose to the Buckeyes in the coming weeks.

Face it, it is your destiny.


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Photos Copyright of TheOzone.net & ABC.com

Week One Pregame Report: Navy Is No Pushover For Buckeyes In Opener

By HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation



From the moment he arrived at the Naval Academy, Ricky Dobbs was touted as a potential star in the football team's triple-option attack.

This year, he will have the opportunity to live up to those expectations.

After providing a glimpse of his potential last year, Dobbs will be the primary weapon in the Middies attack, as he will be counted on to run the offense and lead the Midshipmen to their seventh consecutive winning season—and their seventh straight bowl game appearance.

Last season, Dobbs finished third on the team with 495 yards rushing and second in scoring with eight touchdowns despite only playing occasionally in relief and starting only one game.

In that spectacular debut as a starter, Dobbs (who replaced injured starter Jarod Bryant) ran for 224 yards and four touchdowns versus SMU.

"There is something special about Ricky. Players, coaches, fans, they just love this kid," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "I think our team will rally around Ricky as our leader."

Dobbs is a fast and powerful runner, and his strong arm makes him a legitimate double threat. Navy has led the nation in rushing for four straight years, but hasn't had a decent passing attack in quite some time. This season could be different.

Offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper wants his quarterback to throw the ball downfield more often to prevent opponents from loading up to stop the run, an idea that Dobbs has readily embraced.

"I would love to throw the ball on every down," Dobbs said.

That might also have more to do with necessity with the personnel losses Navy suffered from last season.

Gone are seven offensive starters including fullback Eric Kettani, who rushed for 1,862 yards and 14 touchdowns, and slot back Shun White, who ran for 1,092 yards.

Many thought that the Navy rushing attack and effectiveness might slip after head coach Paul Johnson departed for Georgia Tech, but that didn't happen.

Niumatalolo, Johnson's longtime assistant and triple-option disciple, guided the Midshipmen to their sixth straight bowl berth, while his team averaged just under 300 rushing yards per game.

The Navy triple-option offense has obviously given many teams a major headache over the past four seasons, but Navy has not seen a defense the caliber of Ohio State's during that span.

This 2009 "no-name" Ohio State defense, as some of the Buckeye players are referring to themselves, has drawn some comparisons to that of the 2002 OSU defense that helped secure the BCS National Championship win over the Miami Hurricanes in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

The game may be close in the early going as the Buckeyes adjust their defense, but ultimately, the Ohio State offense should be able to move the ball and score without too much difficulty.

Then again, the week before the USC game last year, Ohio State nearly overlooked Ohio University in a too-close-for-comfort, come-from-behind-win so never count your chickens before they hatch, as the saying goes.

I'm going with a semi-conservative prediction here and saying the Bucks win 38-20.

With the game just three days away, I'd like to remind everyone about the Take the Field Tribute, and ask everyone attending the game to show these young men their due respect during their pregame entrance.

After the kickoff, anything goes!

Good luck Navy, but go Buckeyes!

In case you missed it:

Toledo, Ohio--AP

The first American to orbit the Earth is joining another select group.

Former Navy fighter pilot and Ohio native John Glenn and his wife, Annie, will dot the "i" Saturday when Ohio State hosts Navy.

The Glenns will get the honor at halftime during the Ohio State alumni band's script Ohio formation.

Only a handful of non-band members have dotted the "i," including comedian Bob Hope and legendary Buckeyes coach Woody Hayes.

Glenn says there's no question he'll be cheering for Ohio State on Saturday even though he was in the Naval Air Corps and then the Marines.

Ohio State's public affairs school is named for Glenn and the retired U.S. senator delivered a commencement speech at the school this past spring.



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Disdain for Gators Comes at Perfect Time for Ohio State

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation


The decline of a rivalry is a rotten thing, which is why Ohio State should be happy to be mocked in Daytona Beach and laughed at in Orlando.

Just as Coke needs Pepsi and Fox News needs CNN, the Buckeyes need Florida to fill the rivalry void momentarily vacated by Michigan, which has been Joe Frazier to OSU's Ali, but is showing signs of becoming Jerry Quarry.

A continuing slide into mediocrity by Michigan would be a shame for both OSU and UM, much like watching Phil Mickelson fail to break 80 against Tiger Woods.

"It's the old saying that there's no rivalry between a hammer and nail," said Robert Carrothers, a professor at Ohio Northern University specializing in sports culture.

Florida, meanwhile, is a wrecking ball to OSU's hammer. The two schools' general dislike of each another is no typical rivalry; the two teams have played only once, but that was enough to set in motion a set of circumstances that has created a current of emotion both swift and deep.

The one-directional anger -- north to south -- and one-directional snickering -- south to north -- began with four numerals and a hyphen: 41-14. That's not only the score of Florida's victory in the 2007 BCS national championship game, but it also reflects a clash of cultures currently dominated by the Sunbelt.

Forget football. How does Ohio, ranked as the 10th fattest state, compete against bikinis, beaches and the 13th disciple, Tim Tebow?

And Florida fans never let Buckeye Nation forget it. It would be one thing if the Gators handled their superiority with grace. They don't. If obnoxious was a 100-meter race, UF fans would be Usain Bolt. And OSU fans would finish a close second.

Of course, Florida has reason to be unbearable, having won two of the past three national titles, not to mention the 2007 NCAA basketball championship (By beating you-know-who). Ohio State returns volley with, "Get back to us when you've done it for 60-plus years."

Now, the Gators are ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls; OSU is No. 6. It's no wonder some among the scarlet-and-gray faithful brought out the pitchforks and torches last week upon learning that linebacker Tyler Moeller was decked in Gators Cafe and Saloon in Treasure Island, Fla. The alleged assailant wasn't necessarily for Florida, but he was from Florida.

That bit of nastiness aside, the overall animosity between the two fan bases is healthy in a deep-fried Oreo sort of way.

"Hate has a way of making people feel alive," said Richard Lustberg, a licensed psychologist in New York who operates the Web site psychologyofsports.com. "Hanging onto a grudge for a long time gives people a feeling of being pumped up and energized beyond a humdrum day."

Lustberg further explained that rivalries are important places "where people can let go of their feelings of anger and frustration and thereby understand the rivalries in their own lives, whether it be boyfriend-girlfriend or whether that guy you play golf against."

I won't pretend to understand all that, but Florida making fun of Ohio State makes the heart beat faster. On both sides.

Carrothers continued the conversation.

"You identify with a team, sometimes because you grew up watching grandpa watching them," he said. "It reaffirms who you are as a person. So an attack on Ohio State is an attack on the whole family. There is a strong emotional component to it."

Knowing that emotional release is an important part of healthy living, Carrothers even does his part to keep OSU fans feeling fit.

"They don't like to be reminded of their losses, so I put Florida stuff up in my office to punk them," he said. "I had a lot of fun that year (2007) doing the Gator chomp."

The Buckeyes desperately want to bite back. Nothing like blood in the water to make a football fan feel alive.

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Original article was written by Rob Oller of THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH and appears here.

10 Questions Swirling Around the 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes - Public Health and Expectations

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation



1) How much depends on QB Terrelle Pryor?

Everything. He’d better be really good, because most of the Buckeyes’ alpha dogs on offense are gone: Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline at receiver, Chris “Beanie” Wells at tailback, a couple of linemen and the reassuring presence of backup quarterback Todd Boeckman.

2) Who’s the tailback?

Dan “Boom” Herron will get first shot at replacing Wells. Former high school sprint champion Brandon Saine is now seen as an uber-back, capable of giving Herron a break but also a distinct threat to catch passes out of the backfield. This looks like a potential platoon position.

3) Any freshmen who’ll play right away?

Despite his arrest on minor drug charges, it appears Jaamal Berry will be in the mix at tailback – particularly if Herron and Saine can’t get a firm grip on the job. It figures that Duron Carter’s bloodlines (he’s the son of legendary OSU and NFL pass-catcher Cris Carter) will get him on the field. Tyler Moeller’s season-ending head injury might open the door for an Adam Homan, Storm Klein or Dorian Bell to show what they’ve got at linebacker. It could also be the case that the injury will be discussed by public health programs around the country as the head injuries caused by playing football are a growing area of concern.

4) What are some problem areas?

The absence of the top two tacklers – linebackers James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman – means that somebody else will have to make up for the loss of 214 of Ohio State’s 901 tackles from a year ago.

5) If Tressel’s right, and the punt is the most important play in football, then how important is the punter spot?

Don’t worry about placekicker because Aaron Pettrey will be a quality replacement for the graduated Ryan Pretorius. Punter A.J. Trapasso is gone as well and he will likely be replaced by the unproven Jon Thoma, who has all of two punts since coming to Ohio State.

6) Will this be a running or a passing team?

Silly question. Unless Pryor has suddenly channeled Dan Marino, he’ll likely fall back on what he knows and does best – run, run and when all else fails, run. Even though he had a fine passing year as a freshman (61 percent, 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions), Pryor was seldom put in a position where he had to complete a pass in order to avoid a defeat.

Tressel looks at his group of tailbacks, his young wide receivers and his big and fast quarterback and knows it adds up to a big rushing attack.

7) What drives this team?

For the vets, it’s the chance to make it five Big Ten titles in a row. Only once has Ohio State done that. Three consecutive Bowl Championship Series losses have moved the focus to taking care of business in their own backyard.

8) When will we find out how good this team is?

That’s easy: Sept. 12, around 11:30 p.m. A year ago, Southern California absolutely bamboozled the Buckeyes, 35-3. If the Trojans do it again, this time in Ohio Stadium, any Buckeye national title aspirations can be put aside immediately.

9) Any trap games to watch out for?

Not really. The schedule sets up really well for Tressel and Co. It may sound funny to say this because of the Wolverines’ record last season, but one game to watch out for is at Michigan on Nov. 21.

10) OK, what’s a reasonable expectation for the 2009 season?

Another BCS berth isn’t out of the question coming out of the mediocre Big Ten, although the 2009 Buckeyes appear to be a year away from making a run at the title game for the third time in four years.

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Link to original article: journalgazette.net/article/OSU

DeVier Posey—Ten Buckeyes You Don't Know About Yet: Part VII

Written by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


Welcome to Part VII of this 10-part series.

As previously stated, I will continue to repost the opening few paragraphs from Part I in all ten segments in the event that a new reader who may have missed a previous segment begins to follow along so if you've been following from the beginning, please bear with me and thanks!

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First off, let me say this article is not for die-hard Ohio State fans. I suspect you will know the players I highlight.

Instead, I wrote this in response to my recent preview article about the OSU/USC football matchup in Columbus this fall. A lot has been made by non-OSU fans of how USC will be reloaded as usual, and thus, many of these people believe that Ohio State will have zero chance of beating the Trojans.

Pretty much everyone who isn't a Buckeye fan seems to believe this, but the problem is, they are overlooking the fact that USC lost far more than OSU and OSU reloads just as well as USC!

They are also making a generalization about how good or how not-so-good the Buckeyes will be based on Ohio State's big-stage losses, starting with Florida in the 2006 BCS title game and culminating with their lop-sided loss in Los Angeles last September.

They are also focusing on the players OSU is losing and aren't looking at the players who are here and ready to start, including a several key guys from the last two highly-regarded recruiting classes, and that's where I come in.

To help educate those doom-and-gloom prognosticators who make those type of general statements about the Buckeyes 2009 season outlook, I've decided to create a 10-part series to spotlight 10 players who will make a name for themselves nationally and step in for Ohio State to sufficiently fill the holes left by the likes of Beanie Wells, James Laurinaitus, Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Freeman, Alex Boone, Brian Robiskie, etc.

Obviously, no Buckeye fan, player, or coach will deny that losing Beanie Wells is a big deal—but remember, Terrelle Pryor is an amazing dual-threat quarterback who will carry the load more often in 2009 if needed.

But he's not the only potential game-breaking playmaker that will see action for the Buckeyes. The Bucks have plenty of them on both sides of the ball and now, the series resumes.

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No. 4—DeVier Posey
WR (6-3, 190)

Coming out of high school in 2008, DeVier Posey was rated a 5-star recruit by Rivals.com.

He was listed as the No. 3 wide receiver (behind only Alabama's Julio Jones and Georgia's AJ Green) and the 21st overall prospect in the nation.

While starring at Cincinnati's La Salle HS, DeVier amassed over 2000 all-purpose yards combined and scored 16 touchdowns during is junior and senior seasons.

During his HS career, Posey was a jack-of-all-trades, playing quarterback, defensive back, punt and kick returner, but it was as a wide receiver that he truly made his mark.

He was named 1st team all-GCL-South, all-Cincinnati, all-Southwest Ohio, and all-Ohio.

Currently, Posey is listed as the No. 2 starting wide receiver for the Buckeyes along side Dane Sanzenbacher, although many consider Sanzenbacher more of a possession receiver and Posey more of a big-play threat.

In 2008 he caught 16 balls for 117 yards and one touchdown as the fourth or fifth man on the totum pole.

With the departure of Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline to the NFL, and with Ray Small in the OSU doghouse, Posey will be sure to garner much more attention from quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

He has enormous potential and is one of the fastest and biggest game-breaking threats that Ohio State will put on the field this season.

If he comes even close to the expectations many have of him based on his potential, Posey will be Pryor's go-to-guy and an 800-1000 yard season could be well within his sights.

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Previous installments in this series:

Sudden Impact Countdown Part I: Brandon Saine

Sudden Impact Countdown Part II: Boom Herron

Sudden Impact Countdown Part III: Justin Boren

Sudden Impact Countdown Part IV: Etienne Sabino

Sudden Impact Countdown Part V: Michael Brewster

Sudden Impact Countdown Part VI: Thaddeus Gibson


Part VIII: Coming soon!


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Southern Exposure: How the Buckeyes Will Reap Recruiting Rewards

by Tim Bielik
BlockONation Analyst



Two weeks into fall camps, the impact of some of the Buckeyes' latest recruits is very palpable.

Multiple freshmen, including Duron Carter, Storm Klein, and Dorian Bell, have worked their way already into the second-team units.

Freshman running back Jaamal Berry has drawn a lot of praise from Jim Tressel for his athletic ability early on in camp.

More so now than in recent years do the Buckeyes have tremendous athletic potential at a lot of positions, some at positions they aren't used to being strong at.

Ohio State appears to be solid with three-deep at running back. They also have a very deep, albeit inexperienced, wide receiver corps bursting with ability.

In addition, the Buckeyes appear to have one of their deepest linebacker corps in recent memory, with almost anyone in their two-deep rotation capable of starting.

The biggest reason for such depth has been dramatically improved recruiting methods.

In the last few years, the Buckeyes have been better at recruiting in the Southern states and landing some elite talent from states like Georgia and Florida.

As of right now, three of their main defensive contributors—defensive end Cameron Heyward, linebacker Brian Rolle, and cornerback Chimdi Chekwa—hail from both of those states.

Starting center Mike Brewster also hails from Florida as one of the major prospects from the South in the past two years.

Sophomore linebacker Etienne Sabino and redshirt freshman defensive back Travis Howard are both expected to fill major roles on the Buckeye defense.

In addition, Berry and Carter both hail from Florida and both have made early impressions on the Buckeye coaching staff.

But Florida is not the only major outside source for Buckeye talent in the past two recruiting classes. Jim Tressel has left a mark on the neighboring state of Pennsylvania, as he has taken the top player in the state to Columbus twice now.

Last year it was current starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor along with linebacker Andrew Sweat.

This year, stud linebacker Dorian Bell and defensive back/wide receiver Corey Brown came from the Keystone State to Columbus.

No one who follows recruiting can deny how much talent the Buckeyes have landed in their last two previous classes. Those classes ranked among the top five, rivaling recruiting titans USC and Florida.

As with any recruiting class, teams start reaping the benefits after the kids have a year under their belt, or even sooner.

If the 2009 season is the rule and not the exception, Ohio State fans are in for some exciting football.

No one outside of the program knows the current position rankings and depth charts of the roster until just before the first game. So it's unclear at this time what type of impact the freshmen and second-year players will have.

No doubt this is one of Tressel's youngest teams. So odds are high that these young guys will be thrust into action.

But if the youngsters hold true to their recruiting hype, Ohio State's new Buckeyes could have several teams that would be among the best in a storied history.


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Confirmed: Ohio State LB Tyler Moeller Will Miss Entire 2009 Season

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


Details are sketchy at this point, but it appears Buckeye linebacker Tyler Moeller could miss part or even all of the 2009 season.

He was seen at the OSU Medical center on Saturday for tests related to a head injury he suffered a few weeks back.

The University isn't being specific but the word is that Tyler was at a bar down in Florida and when another patron found out he was a LB for Ohio State, he sucker-punched Moeller square in the face.

It was mentioned that the attacker may have been a Florida Gators or Miami Hurricanes fan, although that has not been substantiated thus far.

The exact cause of the injuries has not been confirmed either, so as of now, this is all speculative.

Moeller was expected to be the opening day starter at middle linebacker. If he misses part or all of this season, that could definitely cause the coaching staff to scramble for a resolution and open the door for Ross Homan, Etienne Sabino or Brian Rolle.

We here at BlockONation wish Tyler all the best for a speedy recovery and we'll update this story if and when any new information becomes available.

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UPDATE 8/9/09 5:10PM
There is a rumor that was posted on Twitter that Moeller had surgery today to relieve brain swelling as a result of the attack. As of now, that is a rumor and NOT confirmed.

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UPDATE 8/9/09 2:40PM
Posted by SuperBuckFan08 from ScarletBuckeye.com

It's surprising that this was kept under wraps as long as it was. Well, since the cat's out of the bag people need to stop guessing or starting any rumors.

Folks, this is a serious issue as Tyler was admitted to the hospital to reduce the swelling on his brain after suffering a seizure at Ohio Stadium during a team event as a result of his injury that took place in Florida after being "sucker punched" and his head hit the ground as many have stated. The good news is that they know who the assailant is and have third party witnesses. There will be repurcussions from this incident, but it's highly doubtful that Tyler will play this season and that is very unfortunate. He will not report with the team today; kind of hard to do that from a hospital bed after surgery yesterday.

Sure, there will be a lot of assumptions and questions but right now Tyler just needs support and prayers from the Buckeye Nation. Don't start assuming things and starting other rumors about why was he in Florida (he was on a family vacation) and got sucker punched. There are more details available but those REALLY DON'T MATTER right now, but they will come out in time. Don't expect to hear much right off the bat from Ohio State about the details either.

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Michigan Football Forecast 2009: Mostly Cloudy With a Chance of Failure

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


Following what was essentially the worst season ever for Michigan football, the 2009 outlook isn't much better for Rich Rodriguez and his Wolverines in year two of his reign.

Overall, it's been stormy in Ann Arbor for the better part of the last two seasons.

With several embarrassing and/or lop-sided losses—especially those home losses to Appalachian State and Toledo—things have to get better, and soon, right?

Oh, and then there's that little matter of the Buckeyes having won five straight and seven of eight under Jim Tressel.




With the arrival of new quarterback and UM savior Tate Forcier (I am a Buckeye fan so please detect the sarcasm), maybe 2009 will get a little bit better.

But then, it really can't get much worse after a 3-9 season, can it?



2009 UM Schedule and Game Breakdown

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Week One

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Michigan vs. Western Michigan

Prediction: Michigan had never lost to a MAC team before losing to Toledo in 2008. Michigan will wish they had WMU QB Tim Hiller when lightning strikes twice in consecutive seasons and the Broncos pull off the very mild upset, and I do mean mild.

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Week Two

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Michigan vs. Notre Dame

Prediction: Michigan barely showed up for the game in South Bend last year, losing by three scores. It could be closer this year since the game is in Ann Arbor, but Notre Dame will be more improved this year than Michigan and should send the Wolverines to an 0-2 start.

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Week Three

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Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan

Prediction: Michigan makes it rounds across the state for yet another directional school from TSUN (that state up North). This time, they finally found one more pathetic than themselves to play and will get their first win of the season, bringing their record up to 1-2. I'm so confident this is a lock for UM that I'd bet on it, (as long as no money was on the line).

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Week Four

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Michigan vs. Indiana

Prediction: As bad as Michigan has been recently, there is no weaker BCS program in the Big Ten and quite possibly the nation than Indiana. Back to back cupcakes on the schedule should translate into back to back wins for UM and a 2-2 record.

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Week Five

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Michigan @ Michigan State

Prediction: The Spartans spanked Michigan 35-21 in the Big House a year ago. Even with the departure of Javon Ringer and Brian Hoyer, I believe the Spartans will win nine games again in 2009. This years game is in East Lansing and I just don't think Michigan will be improved enough to beat MSU on the road, dropping them to 2-3.

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Week Six

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Michigan @ Iowa

Prediction: The Wolverines didn't face Shonn Greene and Iowa in 2008 but will travel to Iowa City this season. Greene is gone but running back Jewel Hampton and quarterback Ricki Stanzi, along with a crazy-loud crowd in Kinnick Stadium, will prevail. Iowa could actually challenge for the Big Ten title this year. Michigan, not so much. The Hawkeyes victory will drop the Wolverines to 2-4.

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Week Seven

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Michigan vs. Delaware State

Prediction: Michigan looks to avoid another loss to an FCS opponent as Delaware State comes to town. I don't know much about the 2009 Delaware State Hornets other than they went 5-6 in 2008. Another cupcake should equal another win, bringing Michigan's record to 3-4.

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Week Eight

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Michigan vs. Penn State

Prediction: Michigan actually kept it close for a little bit vs. PSU in 2008 but in the end, Clark and Royster were too much and the Wolverines folded like lawn chairs, 46-17. It will be more of the same in 2009 and UM will drop to 3-5.

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Week Nine

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Michigan @ Illinois

Prediction: Quarterback Juice Williams had one of his biggest games of the year in Michigan Stadium as the Illini thumped the Wolverines 45-20 last season. Williams returns along with star wide-out Arrelious Benn and running backs Daniel Dufrene and Jason Ford. The game is in Champaign and UM dropping to 3-6 is all but an absolute certainty.

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Week 10

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Michigan vs. Purdue

Prediction: In the 2008 Big Ten "No-defense Bowl", Purdue out slugged Michigan 48-42 in West Lafayette in Joe Tiller's final season. I'm not sure Purdue has much "Hope" to win four games this season. Even If they do, this won't be one of them and Michigan will improve to 4-6.

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Week 11

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Michigan @ Wisconsin

Prediction: Michigan beat Wisconsin, 27-25 in 2008 but this year, they play in Madison. Camp Randall is one of the toughest stadiums to play in as the visiting team. Ohio State eked out a win over an average Badgers team last season. Wisconsin was the better team, but choked a year ago. They will be better in 2009, while Michigan will be about the same. That fact, and the crowd will be the difference as Michigan will drop to 4-7.

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Week 12

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Michigan vs. Ohio State

Prediction: As noted above, Ohio State has won five in a row over Michigan and Coach Jim Tressel boasts a 7-1 record over the most hated team North of Ohio. This all comes down to Terrelle Pryor. Ohio State won the recruiting battle for him last year and as long as he is running the show Columbus, it's extremely unlikely that UM wins again in this series. If the world truly ends in 2012, Wolverine fans will never see their team beat the Buckeyes again. I was right though: 4-8 is a little better than 3-9.

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Thaddeus Gibson—Ten Buckeyes You Don't Know About Yet: Part VI

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


Welcome to Part VI of this 10-part series.

As previously stated, I will continue to repost the opening few paragraphs from Part I in all ten segments in the event that a new reader who may have missed a previous segment begins to follow along so if you've been following from the beginning, please bear with me and thanks!

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First off, let me say this article is not for die-hard Ohio State fans. I suspect you will know the players I highlight.

Instead, I wrote this in response to my recent preview article about the OSU/USC football matchup in Columbus this fall. A lot has been made by non-OSU fans of how USC will be reloaded as usual, and thus, many of these people believe that Ohio State will have zero chance of beating the Trojans.

Pretty much everyone who isn't a Buckeye fan seems to believe this, but the problem is, they are overlooking the fact that USC lost far more than OSU and OSU reloads just as well as USC!

They are also making a generalization about how good or how not-so-good the Buckeyes will be based on Ohio State's big-stage losses, starting with Florida in the 2006 BCS title game and culminating with their lop-sided loss in Los Angeles last September.

They are also focusing on the players OSU is losing and aren't looking at the players who are here and ready to start, including a several key guys from the last two highly-regarded recruiting classes, and that's where I come in.

To help educate those doom-and-gloom prognosticators who make those type of general statements about the Buckeyes 2009 season outlook, I've decided to create a 10-part series to spotlight 10 players who will make a name for themselves nationally and step in for Ohio State to sufficiently fill the holes left by the likes of Beanie Wells, James Laurinaitus, Malcolm Jenkins, Marcus Freeman, Alex Boone, Brian Robiskie, etc.

Obviously, no Buckeye fan, player, or coach will deny that losing Beanie Wells is a big deal—but remember, Terrelle Pryor is an amazing dual-threat quarterback who will carry the load more often in 2009 if needed.

But he's not the only potential game-breaking playmaker that will see action for the Buckeyes. The Bucks have plenty of them on both sides of the ball and now, the series resumes.

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No. 5—Thaddeus Gibson
DE (6-3, 240)

While the 2009 Buckeye defense will be replacing two defensive backs and two linebackers (Malcolm Jenkins, Donald Washington, James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman), the same can't be said of the defensive line.

Cameron Heyward, Lawrence Wilson, Doug Worthington, Dexter Larimore, Nate Williams, and Thaddeus Gibson all have seen live game action prior to this season.

Gibson will lead an experienced and interchangeable rotation of mean and massive man-movers and quarterback-assassins that will combine to comprise a front four that will undoubtedly be one of the very best in the nation.

Originally recruited as a linebacker, the converted defensive end from Euclid, Ohio took over for the departed Vernon Gholston in 2008 after being red-shirted in 2006 and mostly playing on special teams in 2007.

In his Euclid HS days, Gibson recorded 27 combined sacks in his junior and senior seasons. He was selected to play in the Big 33 Game, named as the Cleveland Touchdown Club’s 2005 Defensive Player of the Year, tabbed First Team All-Ohio twice, and was named to the Cleveland Plain Dealer “Best of the Best” all-star team.

In the 2009 Fiesta Bowl vs. No. 3 Texas, Gibson really began to garner attention when he not-so-politely "introduced" himself to Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy numerous times, including one sack and two roughing the passer penalties—one of which was at the very least highly questionable.

He's hard-nosed and has the desire to improve by spending hours and hours watching game film and working with the coaching staff to do everything he can do to become the best player he can be.

He certainly has the passion, will, and determination to improve individually and become a leader on the Buckeye defense. He also has a mean streak and killer instinct on the gridiron and seeks to destroy everything that moves that isn't Scarlet and Gray.

That kind of fiery attitude seems to have been missing in Columbus the past few seasons and I welcome it with open arms. Let's hope it's extremely contagious.

Heck, I'm fired up and all I did was write this article.

I cannot wait for November 5th.

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Previous installments in this series:

Sudden Impact Countdown: Part I

Sudden Impact Countdown: Part II

Sudden Impact Countdown: Part III

Sudden Impact Countdown: Part IV

Sudden Impact Countdown: Part V


Part VII: Coming soon!


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Ohio State 2009: Deliverance Begins 9-5-09

Kitchel22130 posted the third and final trailer for 2009 Ohio State football tonight—Enjoy!

UpliftingAthletes: OSU Football Charity Video Game Challenge

Members of the Ohio State football team are planning the second annual OSU Uplifting Athletes Charity Video Game Challenge.

Sixteen current Buckeyes will face off against each other in a fun-to-watch college football video game to crown a team champion.

A number of other current players will be on hand to interact with fans, sign autographs and raise awareness for the fight against rare diseases.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students; special VIP passes are available for $50.

Important info:

Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Time: 3:00pm - 6:00pm

Location: Damon's Grille

Street: 3025 Olentangy River Road (just North of campus)

City: Columbus, OH

Email: info@upliftingathletes.org

UPDATE:

A few pics from tonight's event!







Boom Herron


Terrelle Pryor


Most, if not all the players who attended







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