Instant Classic - The Legendary LSUFREEK Does Terrelle Pryor

Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Writing on the Wall: Terrelle Pryor Leaving Ohio State Not Really Unexpected, or Upsetting

Just like his buddy LeBron, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is "taking his talents" elsewhere, and the state of Ohio is better off for it.

Just 8 days after Jim Tressel resigned for the greater good of Ohio State, according to his lawyer, Pryor has followed suit.

This really is not a huge surprise for several reasons:

1-- Tressel made Pryor and the Tat-5 pledge to return if he allowed them to play in the 2011 Sugar Bowl. With Tressel gone, there's nobody left to hold Pryor and the gang to that commitment.

2 -- Last week, the NCAA and Ohio State launched a new investigation into Pryor's use of several "loaner" cars and other potential extra benefits he may have received.

3 -- Missing 5 games of his upcoming senior season with no guarantee that he would return as the starting QB after his suspension ended could only hurt his draft stock next April.

4 -- If you have to sell MVP trophies and gold pants, etc, for tattoos and rent money, it was time for you to go make what you can, while you can.

5 -- Most of Buckeye Nation has turned on Pryor and blame him for the departure of coach Tressel -- and so -- another domino had to fall.

6 -- Braxton Miller

Personally, Pryor will NOT be missed and this is another fine example of addition by subtraction. Terrelle was a me-first guy who has tarnished the school and the program by putting himself ahead of both.

A couple weeks ago, I may have been alone in feeling good about Terrelle leaving, but it looks like I was right about him all along.

Don't worry, there's plenty of room for the rest of you on my "Good Riddance Terrelle" bandwagon...


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

MUST SEE: Hitler Reacts to Jim Tressel's Resignation

Whoever it was that first came up with this idea of having Hitler react to all sorts of current events was a genius!

Some are better than others, but practically every single one is funny and worth the few minutes it takes to watch. This one is no exception -- Even us Buckeye fans have to have a sense of humor!





Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Looking Ahead to 2012—Ohio State's Top 5 Head Coach Candidates Are...

Ohio State has already announced that previously-named interim coach Luke Fickell will guide the team for the entire 2011 season before the University evaluates the position going forward into 2012 and beyond -- assuming the Mayans are wrong.

At the end of the day -- despite the NCAA sanctions that the program is facing -- this is still THE Ohio State University and you can rest-assured that should the school decide to conduct a national coaching search post-2011, there will be no shortage of big-name candidates willing to accept the job if offered.

Here are the top five coaches that are most likely to comprise tOSU’s want-list.


Number Five - Mark Dantonio

The Michigan State head coach was the defensive coordinator at OSU before taking the gig in East Lansing.

Under Dantonio, the Spartans have closed the gap on Michigan as the state’s premier college football program, but Michigan may finally be back on track and coming back to Columbus to run the Big Ten’s best team over the past decade would be hard to pass up.

Considering what he was able to do at MSU, the sky is the limit with the resources and recruiting advantage Ohio State over practically every other Big ten school.


Number Four - Bo Pelini

Pelini is from Ohio and was a team captain of the 1992 Buckeyes football team, so it’s obvious that he’s a guy who will value the tradition of Ohio State football and, especially, the rivalry with Michigan.

He is, however, a complete contrast from Tressel, in that, he seems to be a bit of a hot-head, and if he thinks there’s pressure to win in Lincoln, he ain’t seen nothing yet.

Yes, he played here, but coaching here and trying to meet the expectations of the rabid Buckeye fanbase is a whole different animal.


Number Three - Luke Fickell

Fickell is a Buckeye through-and-through. He is a Columbus native and was a four-year defensive starter for Ohio State in the early to mid-1990’s.

He’s been an assistant coach for nine seasons and the assistant defensive coordinator since Dantonio headed north to MSU. He tops Pelini and Dantonio on the list as of right now because each of them are already head coaches in the Big Ten that may not be as available as Fickell is at the end of the 2011 season -- and, Fickell has a full year to audition for the job.

If he can lead these players to another Big Ten title in the face of all the adversity and against the mountain of turmoil the team must overcome, he will be considered a legitimate top-five candidate .


Number Two - Jon Gruden

The ESPN Monday Night Football commentator and former Super-Bowl-winning coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs has recently been rumored to be “getting the itch” to coach again.

The Sandusky, Ohio native played his college ball at Dayton and has been quoted as saying he is immensely proud of his Buckeye roots. It just feels safe to believe that Gruden would run a clean program with the right kind of players.

A lot can change in nearly a year and a half, but according to Sports Illustrated, Gruden, who would absolutely deny any and all rumors linking him to Ohio State until something was official, would almost definitely take the job too, if offered.


Number One - Urban Meyer

Health issues and family commitments aside, practically all speculation about who might take over as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2012 is centered on former Florida/Utah/BGSU head coach Meyer.

Meyer currently works as a college football analyst for ESPN and stated he isn’t looking to leave the network for the sidelines -- not this season, anyway.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Meyer’s family moved to Ashtabula, Ohio when he was just a child. He played football at the University of Cincinnati and was on Earle Bruce’s OSU staff in the mid-1980’s as a graduate assistant -- making Meyer the one coach that makes the absolute most sense to the pundits and the fans of Buckeye Nation alike.

One issue that does create some concern is the number of player arrests during Meyer’s tenure at Florida. With Ohio State looking to salvage and rebuild their image, that issue could be a deal-breaker if and when Meyer shows interest in what he has been quoted as saying is one of his all-time dream jobs.


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

BREAKING NEWS: Jim Tressel Officially Out as Head Man at Ohio State

Memorial Day, 2011—A day that will live in infamy for every fan of Ohio State football.

It's the day former-Buckeye head coach Jim Tressel's resignation from THE Ohio State University became official.

Yes, you read that correctly. Jim Tressel is no longer the head coach of Ohio State.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, after nearly three months of speculation and multiple reaffirmations that he had no intention of stepping down, it seems apparent now that Jim Tressel has been forced to tender his resignation.

Perhaps the school had finally had enough of the daily revelations and ESPN lead-ins of more news of potential violations swept under the rug by coach Tressel.

No immediate information has been released on a coaching search, but the general consensus for now seems to be that Luke Fickell, whom had previously been named the coach for the first five games of the upcoming season, may very well coach the entire 2011 season before the position is evaluated and a national search begins.

Let the Urban Meyer and Jon Gruden to Ohio State rumor-mill start spinning....


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

CFN.Scout.com: 5 Thoughts on B1G Quarterbacks From CFN's Big Ten Bloggers

CFN's Big 10 Bloggers put the conference's quarterback position under the microscope


H.D. Handshoe: On who will be the conference’s next first round NFL quarterback?

Honestly, probably no one in the 2012 draft.

There could be several big names from other conferences that go in the first round - names like Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, Landry Jones, Nick Foles, and Robert Griffin – just to name a few.

Still, if a Big 10 quarterback were to land up into the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, it would most likely be one of three guys:

---

---

Click here to read the full story on

Partners in the Scout.com/FoxSports.com Network

---

---

Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

College Football Live: ESPN's Roundtable Discussion on Ohio State Football

I've been getting lots of hateful, venomous comments recently directed at me personally in response to one of my latest CFN.Scout.com articles, regarding the 2011 OSU quarterback situation. It's not uncommon as a blogger to receive such feedback, but usually it's from SEC fans or fans from Michigan or Wisconsin.

Somewhat surprisingly however, these recent comments have been from other Buckeye fans on the Scout.com HineyGate message boards—all for saying exactly what Herbie and Urban Meyer said on Monday during the College Football Live "Roundtable" segment about Ohio State.

I just happened to say it first, which apparently makes me a pariah for not wearing my Scarlet and Gray homer glasses when it comes to Jim Tressel, Terrelle Pryor, and the rest of the Tat-5.

Clearly, the truth hurts, and it upset many a Buckeye fan on the aforementioned forums when I spoke it. I'm sure many of them will say ESPN hates Ohio State so it's no surprise that Herbie and Meyer agreed with me.

To that I reply that yes, ESPN does have a certain negative agenda more often than not when it comes to the Buckeyes—for which I have called them out on more than one occasion in the recent past—but anyone with any common sense and objectivity knows that the roundtable segment was done tastefully and truthfully. Three of the four roundtable members are from Ohio with direct ties to Ohio State. so I do not want to hear how it was unfair and biased!

In case you missed it, here is the video of the segment.


If the Buckeyes are 4-1 or [especially] 5-0 before the Nebraska game, do you believe it is a given that Braxton Miller, Jaamal Berry, Jordan Hall, or whomever it was that filled in for Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron, DeVier Posey, and Mike Adams, should have had to work so hard and play so well the first half of the season, only to lose their starting jobs to players who knowingly and carelessly broke the rules and put themselves before the team over the past two to three years?

Contrary to what many believe, I'm not a Pryor hater—he is a great college player—but I sure as hell don't believe the players who go into fall camp and earn those starting jobs should lose them in week six solely because Pryor and the rest of the Pawn Stars come off of their suspensions.

Let me know what YOU think via email, below in the article comment section, on Twitter, or on Facebook.


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Scout.com: BlockONation's Buckeye Blog - The Ohio State QB Situation

What's the Ohio State quarterback situation for the first half of the year without Terrelle Pryor?

From the moment he committed to Ohio State, freshman phenom QB Braxton Miller knew what his undeniable destiny would be—to succeed Terrelle Pryor as the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes beginning in 2012 after taking a redshirt season his first year....

---

---

Click here to read the full story at

Partners in the Scout.com/FoxSports.com Network

---

---

Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Ohio State "Car-gate" Situation Real News or Overblown Sensationalism, Plus, and More Importantly, The 2011 QB Situation

Is there really a story here and real reason for concern, or is the media just overplaying every little blip and milking Ohio State for all they can get, plus are we really going to have to watch Joe "the career backup" Bauserman lead our Buckeyes this fall?

These are the articles that are coming very soon from BlockONation over on CollegeFootballNews.com.

Links will be forthcoming -- Just wanted to give a heads-up to BlockONation readers and all Buckeye fans.

HD


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Ohio State Spring Football 2011: 5 Questions And 5 Answers On What to Watch For

Ohio State's annual spring game -- one of the last to be played among FBS schools -- takes place this Saturday afternoon at 1:30 PM in Ohio Stadium, and can be seen on the Big Ten Network if you can't make it to the stadium. This annual spring scrimmage is taking on a new format -- offense vs. defense -- instead of a split-squad scrimmage as is the norm.

And for fans and the media that have been hungry from some spring practice updates that we haven't gotten much of, this is a good chance to get an early look at the team we will see during the 2011 season.

But what exactly should Buckeye fans be watching for?

How Much Will The Weather Affect Play?

For the third time in the past four springs, rain is in the forecast, along with a flash flood watch for the Columbus area. The amount of rain can certainly have an effect on how Jim Tressel wants his offense to operate, as they may run the football more than throw it.

And in a situation where the battle for the starting job at QB, at least temporary, is the biggest question mark around the Buckeyes, this is the worst type of weather to have.

Wet weather affects the grip of the ball from everyone to the center to the QB throwing it, and the receivers that need to catch it.

It might not be a downpour, but consistent rainfall would certainly have an impact on the playcalling of the offensive coaches in the game.

Which Running Back(s) Will Get The Most Carries?

The starting job at RB may or may not be a lock for Dan Herron starting October 8 at Nebraska. The first five games, however, will have quite an interesting playing-time battle.

All eyes will be on the two young studs in the elusive Jordan Hall and lightning fast Jaamal Berry.

The two young backs anchored the No. 5 kickoff return average unit in the country, and saw plenty of carries as well last year.

Some conjecture that the starting job will come down to those two due to experience, but redshirt freshman Roderick Smith has drawn rave reviews from the coaches, his teammates, and other media members.

Whoever gets the most carries between Hall, Berry and Smith, and whomever takes the most advantage of those opportunities will certainly have the inside track to starting the season as the No. 1 back.

How Will The Running Backs Fit Into The Passing Game?

New WR coach Stan Drayton, formerly the running backs coach at Florida, was brought in to help make the passing game more explosive.

His biggest contribution to date would be something that Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid would be proud of -- the screen pass.

The OSU offense has rarely used screens, but the lack of depth at the WR position and the strength at the RB position makes this an intriguing addition to the passing game.

If Drayton has high hopes for any player in the screen attack, it's Hall, whom Drayton likens to a poor man's Percy Harvin, quite a high praise for the elusive back.

While Hall lacks the overall pure speed of Harvin, his elusiveness and burst do make him a formidable target out of the backfield. A la Brandon Saine last season, Hall may also line up on occasion in the slot.

Hall's versatility might mean that the OSU offense can have a back in the backfield and another out wide as a receiver. In year's past, the Buckeyes have been called predictable but these additional wrinkles in the offensive game plan will provide some much-needed punch to start off the 2011 season that will begin without Terrelle Pryor and three other offensive starters.

Who Will Emerge As The Seven New Defensive Starters?

The concern most Buckeye fans have pushed slightly aside due to the suspensions from Tattoogate is the fact that the defense must replace seven starters.

While most of the players vying for starting gigs have some experience on the field, some battles are still very much worth your attention.

The thing that should be noted most is who comes out with the first-team defense and who are the first players off the bench. Those players will be among the most likely to be inline for a starting role on the OSU defense this fall.

The new starters will have earned the job because of the tough competition. That competition is why most people say the OSU defense doesn't rebuild -- it reloads.

Be sure to keep a close eye on the LB and CB positions where four of five starting jobs are up for grabs.

Which QB (If Any) Shines In Pryor's Absence?

The biggest storyline of Saturday's spring scrimmage is which of the four QBs vying for the starting job -- Joe Bauserman, Kenny Guiton, Taylor Graham and Braxton Miller -- makes a statement?

By various accounts, the competition has been interesting to watch, as the early favorite to start (Bauserman), has been shaky at best -- throwing multiple interceptions in the spring practices.

In addition, Miller has reportedly turned out to be worth the praise given to a five-star recruit and has grown through every practice as he continues to grasp the offense.

But don't discount Guiton and Graham just yet as both have done pretty well at times for themselves. Guiton was strong in the spring game a year ago and Graham has quietly impressed the staff throughout the 2011 spring session.

While the depth chart at QB is expected to likely be Bauserman, Guiton, Graham, then Miller, any one of the four could be named the starter come the fall. With a strong showing on Saturday, Miller will have the fanbase buzzing more than they are already. Unfortunately for them, they don't get the final decision on who starts, or it would almost undoubtedly be Miller.


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page




Original article by Tim Beilik - BlockONation Featured Contributor

Reload Overload: Ohio State Stacked With Young Talent AND Depth

To all you casual college football fans and/or Ohio State haters outside of the great state of Ohio—specifically those who have no idea what goes on along the banks of the Olentangy in Columbus—just thought you may want to know that those nasty rumors forecasting the demise of Buckeye football have been greatly exaggerated.

No, in fact, surely much to your chagrin, it's quite the opposite actually.

Despite the skewed and misleading "breaking news" and "inside info" you hear and read on ESPN, ESPN.com, and CBSSports.com, just to name a few culprits, Buckeye football is alive and well, and the Buckeyes are STILL the big fish in the Big 10 pond.

But you heard that Jim Tressel cheats and that without Terrelle Pryor and the rest of the Tat-5 thugs, the Buckeyes are going to be horrible, and now the program won't be able to recruit anymore, etc, etc...Sorry kids, but you are grossly misinformed.

Whether or not QB Braxton Miller is named the starter at some point during the 2011 season makes no difference since originally he would have been a definite redshirt this season. He's here, and now he gets to learn on the job early this season which will prepare him to lead OSU in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

The general consensus on Miller is that he is already a better passing QB than Pryor, while also possessing the same dual-threat capabilities that will give opposing defenders night terrors. If you somehow don't know who Miller is, come out from under your rock and watch this:



Of course, every great quarterback needs a running game to set up the pass. With Dan "Boom" Herron suspended until October, Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry, Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith will all be called upon to carry the load in his place.

Four reasons NOT to worry in 2011:

Jordan Hall


Jaamal Berry


Carlos Hyde


Rod Smith (also pictured top right)


And as if those guys weren't enough to excite you or scare you to death (depending on your team affiliation), check out these running backs / 2012 Buckeye commits:

Warren Ball


Brionte Dunn


Yes, but without DeVier Posey, who is also out until October, Ohio State has no wide receivers....right?

WRONG.

Corey Brown


Chris Fields


James Louis


T.Y. Williams


While many of you are in the club that was hoping for the Buckeyes to crumble in the wake of recent events, they instead continue to thrive—much to your dismay—and FYI, that won't be changing anytime soon as you can see.

In the words of Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan, "DEAL WITH IT."


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Big 10 Blogging: 5 Thoughts on Tressel Saga

CFN's Big 10 Bloggers give you five different perspectives on the current state of Tressel's troubles. What this means for Tressel, to the University, the Big 10 and OSU fans. Oh yeah, and some folks up in Michigan.


HD Handshoe: On what this means for Buckeye fans

One word—Division.

Tressel has always had his detractors because of his conservative coaching style and his failure to win several of the biggest games in which his teams have played. So a divide amongst fans and their support of the coach is nothing new—just now, the division and lack of support is even greater.

Before learning that Tressel knew ....

---

---

Click here to read the full story at

Partners in the Scout.com/FoxSports.com Network

---

---

Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Still "In Tressel We Trust?" — Plot Thickens as Concerns Rise Over Latest on Tressel Emails

Until recently, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel had been given the benefit of the doubt (mostly) by the majority of loyal Buckeye fans. The general thinking inside the Horseshoe was that outsiders who despise Ohio State for its on-field success this past decade under Tressel were on some fruitless witch hunt....

---

---

Click here to read the full story at

Partners in the Scout.com/FoxSports.com Network

---

---

Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Attention eSECpn, Dennis Dodd, and All OSU Buckeye Haters

Yes, we get it already.

You hate Ohio State and you're running with this story faster than a fat kid runs to the buffet at Golden Corral.

In the words of former Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez, "Get a life."

Jim Tressel received several emails in early April, 2010 that stated that two of his players were involved with a somewhat less-than-reputable tattoo shop owner who was currently the subject of a federal investigation.

The emails suggested that the players may have sold or traded personal items (trophies, rings, etc) to the shop owner in exchange for money and tattoos, but Tressel did not confirm his knowledge of the situation until December.

Here's where we separate people of my ilk from the clueless dolts who have nothing better to do than assume they know everything that transpired and that Tressel indeed knew what was going on the minute these emails arrived in his email inbox.

The problem here for you haters is that just because Tressel received those emails does not mean he needed to pick up the phone and call the NCAA to inform them that violations had occurred.

Ever hear of due-diligence, or did you just expect Tressel to assume the emails were written by Jesus, so they are 100% true?

If you know anything about the lawyer who penned said emails, then you know he's about as believable as George H.W. Bush when he said and I quote, "Read my lips, no new taxes."

He has his own legal issues and has even had his license to practice law suspended on at least one occasion, so forgive coach Tressel if he wanted to look into the allegations before sounding the alarm.

Tressel and Ohio State could face further sanctions from the NCAA once they conclude their investigation, but don't believe the ridiculous "hammer-to-come-down" hype being spread by CBS college football "analyst"/resident Buckeye hater Dennis Dodd—This isn't the second coming of SMU, I promise.

And as for this talk of Ohio State being repeat offenders and how they should be punished as much or more than what USC was...

Talk about blowing this entire situation completely out of proportion.

USC bought OJ Mayo for their basketball team and knew that Reggie Bush and his family had been given cash and a free condo on "Slippery" Pete Carroll's watch.

The players and coach Tressel broke various rules (not to say that makes the rules in question right), but nobody at Ohio State gave these players money or houses to come to Columbus.

Instead, the players sold their own items for money that they needed/wanted.

The coach was informed of the situation but he could not just assume at the time that it was true beyond a reasonable doubt.

Then, of course, the haters like to ignore that whole ungoing federal investigation that Tressel could have unraveled all in the name of NCAA bylaw 10.1, which bans "unethical conduct."

Where I'm from, interfering with a federal investigation is much worse, and far more punishable that not telling your A.D. or the NCAA that you "think" some of your players "might be" involved in certain activities deemed unacceptable for the standards set forth upon student-athletes.

Just remember, these kids aren't allowed to have jobs and the stipend they get does not allow them to do much of anything other than eat. And most of them aren't from well-to-do, upper-middle class, or upper-class families.

Since when does being a college athlete mean you're supposed to be poor and never have money to enjoy college life, or to be able to afford to go out with your friends, all while you make MILLIONS for the university you attend and the TV network that hates you so much?

Apparently since right now...


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page

Jim Tressel and Ohio State Admit Wrongdoing—It's a Sad Day For Buckeye Football

The news that first broke on Yahoo Sports is true—Coach Jim Tressel knew about the violations that at least two of his top players had been / still were committing as early as April, 2010.

Originally, Tressel and the University said they knew nothing prior to December, after the season, and before the Sugar Bowl.

Sadly, they lied.

I'd like to believe that Tressel and Ohio State are above this, but alas they are not. In fact, similar situations very likely exist in almost every big-time DI college football program, but it should not have happened here, period.

Tressel is facing a two-game suspension to start the 2011 season and a $250,000 fine. These are self-imposed sanctions. The NCAA will get involved, and could also increase the punishment for Tressel and the program.

Further sanctions may include more suspension time, loss of scholarships, and probation. A bowl ban, however, would seem excessive at this point, but perhaps we don't know everything yet. Hopefully we do, but there's no way to be sure as of now.

Here is video from ESPN about the story and the press conference Ohio State held Tuesday evening.




Personally, I have got to be honest...I am surprised and very disappointed in Tress.

Obviously he didn't give the players money, but he knew they did this and basically said nothing...

That being said, this is nothing like the USC situation, which I only mention because I have already been hearing comparisons to USC in terms of what violations were committed and in terms of what punishment OSU should receive.

That is beyond absurd. Ohio State / Tressel did not pay the players or buy them hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gifts (cars, homes, etc...)

They turned a blind eye to what THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES DID, and that was wrong, but many people (fans, haters, and the media) are way overstating the "crimes" committed and the punishment that should and will be handed down by the NCAA.

I'm embarrassed and ashamed of the black eye this has given to our program, but I am also optimistic that this will not happen here ever again, at least as long as JT is at the helm.

Lesson learned?

Let's hope so.


Tweet



Click For The Block Nation Front Page


Photo Copyright: Terry Gilliam/AP
Video Copyright: ESPN/ESPN.com