Behind Enemy Lines—What It's Like To Be a Buckeye Fan Living In SEC Country

By Brad Washington —BlockONation.com Special Contributor

Ever since November 22, 1997, I’ve been hooked on Ohio State Football.

Every Ohio State fan and every Michigan fan should always remember that day.

For Michigan fans, Charles Woodson sealed the Heisman Trophy. For Ohio State, it was a blown chance to go to the Rose Bowl and even possibly compete for the national title.

For me, it was the beginning of a lifelong fandom and dedication to Ohio State football.

Unfortunately, I live in Columbia, South Carolina—The home of the South Carolina Gamecocks. There wasn’t much room for me to express my love for my favorite team at first, but I made room anyway.

The life of being a Buckeye fan in SEC country is, well, rough.

In elementary school, I let my fandom be known, and was called a traitor, idiot and all sorts of names routinely for not succumbing to liking the USC Gamecocks.

They didn’t understand that beating Michigan was more important than their rivalry with Clemson.

And without a doubt, it was.

As Jim Tressel came and succeeded in winning Big Ten titles as well as a national title, I was always the target of jokes whenever we had an embarrassing loss or whatever the case was.

Because I live in South Carolina, everyone expects that if you aren’t a USC or Clemson fan, you must like another team in in the SEC.

For me, how I saw an SEC fan: An SEC fan wouldn’t let you live down that infamous bowl record. And I mean that literally.

I could recall in high school not wanting to go to school the day after both national championship games,because I knew I would be brutally teased by the Florida and LSU fans respectively.

Any Ohio State football fan can tell you that those two years were the hardest. Being reminded that your team can’t compete with the speed of the SEC stings a bit.

I knew better. I knew Jim Tressel wasn’t being aggressive enough. I knew he came in thinking Tresselball would be successful. But to them that never mattered.

In the midst of that, I had to deal with USC fans who didn’t know their place.

I can’t remember a time when a USC fan didn’t bring up how Ohio State lost to the Gamecocks twice in the Outback bowl.

Yes, the two games held in the 2000 and 2001 bowl seasons.

All of that ended whenever I would ask how many conference/national titles they won though.

Although it was a burden, I never backed down from my pride in Ohio State.

If Ohio State was the brunt of jokes in America after those national title losses, the state of South Carolina convinced me it was the chairman of the board, assisting the charge.

Everyone else lead behind Florida and continued to add insult to injury to every Buckeye fan imaginable. Including me, of course.

But, that wouldn't last forever. The greatest, most recent great memory I have is our win versus Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.



When I heard that Ohio State was to battle Arkansas that January, the jokes and SEC criticism started coming back slowly but surely.

Had I lived in Columbus or anywhere in Ohio, I would have been able to celebrate with fellow Buckeye fans and join in their optimism and hopefulness. We would have all believed that this game would finally end the streak against the SEC.

But I wasn’t, I was in South Carolina being reminded that my Ohio State Buckeyes couldn’t compete with Arkansas because we’re too slow.

I knew we had the potential to win, but wasn’t allowed to believe it.

But when Ohio State did actually beat Arkansas, I had a tear come down. Finally, there was no more "too slow" or "not good enough to compete" talk. It was finally over and so were the jokes.

Being an Ohio State Buckeye fan in Columbia South Carolina is like being the black sheep of a family. After the win over Arkansas, the SEC jokes died down, but USC didn’t forget to tell me about their success the past two seasons.

I more than likely will be a Buckeye fan for life. The love is that strong. But growing up a Buckeye in South Carolina, more specifically SEC country isn’t an easy thing to do.

Buckeye fans from Ohio to California go through the same thing, except for me, it's worse than for most. I’m in the heart of the criticism, and it's not always an easy thing to swallow.

I'll still be here in South Carolina for the time being, representing Ohio State football on Saturdays, during every off season, and come bowl time (after this season).

It doesn’t matter where I am. My allegiance to Ohio State will remain. Yes, even here in SEC country.

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@BlockONation


Brad @theGURO15

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College Football 2009: How the North Conquered the South Once Again

Written By BT
BleacherReport.com Senior College Football Writer / Featured Columnist


The War Between the States, also known as the Civil War or the War of Northern Aggression, has been over for 145 years.

Still, there are those in both geographic areas who continue to follow the adventures of only schools in a specific state, conference, or region.

Fans do take issue with teams across the state or throughout conference affiliation, but any criticism of league or region brethren is often met with resistance.

Less than two weeks ago a friendly discussion erupted among several Bleacher Report writers concerning the projected outcome of the Miami-Wisconsin bowl game.

Ohio State and Penn State fans rose to champion the Badger cause and a long time Florida State supporter rose in defense of the Hurricanes.

The conversation ended with each side claiming the other doesn't understand the skill and coaching ability available in the region they live in.

Fascinating to read, but what causes this sudden "Mother Hen" feeling during the bowl season? During the year no Buckeye or Nittany Lion fan would bother to speak on behalf of the Badgers, and no Seminole fan would ever rise up in defense of Miami.

Could it be that all too often the Bowls pit the "North" versus the "South"? Thus generating a territorial conflict among supposedly separate allegiances?

Perhaps that is the intent of the match-makers when they schedule so many intersectional battles with the conference tie-ins to a specific bowl game.

Southern football fans are an interesting lot. Many feel it is their duty to support the teams of their region against opponents from other areas.

For those unfamiliar with the terms being used, let's explain that "the South" is the 11 states of the old Confederacy stretching from Texas to Virginia.

In addition, since Maryland and Kentucky are below the Mason-Dixon line, they account for the remainder of the region.

The South is a multi-BCS conference region with a dozen teams from the SEC, 11 of the 12 in the ACC, four of the Big 12, and two from the Big East in the form of USF and Louisville.

Those are 29 BCS programs to choose from, not to mention the two in the BCS Title Game.

Add to this several teams from the Sun Belt, Conference USA, Mountain West(TCU), and WAC (Louisiana Tech), and the Southland is well represented in the pigskin market.

It seems Southerners do not consider Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, or Tulsa as "northern". In fact, no one seems to know what to call them.

So, how well did this avalanche of southern schools perform in the 34 bowls?

In six bowls both teams were from the south so they do not factor in this equation. These clashes include the BCS Title Game along with the Independence Bowl, Music City Bowl, Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Liberty Bowl, and the New Orleans Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl found Ole Miss beating Oklahoma State, the Sun Bowl provided the opportunity for Oklahoma to defeat Stanford. As stated earlier, there is really no logical way to approach the Oklahoma teams, so let us put them aside for the time being.

In all, 15 Bowl games matched southern teams directly against those from outside the South. The following is a specific listing of those bowl games, along with the outcome.


Bowls Won by the South

Gator—Florida State over West Virginia

Alamo —Texas Tech over Michigan State

Sugar—Florida over Cincinnati

Outback—Auburn over Northwestern

Hawaii—Southern Methodist over Nevada

International—South Florida over Northern Illinois


Bowls Won by the North

Papa John—Connecticut over South Carolina

Capital—Penn State over LSU

Champ—Wisconsin over Miami

Orange—Iowa over Georgia Tech

Fiesta—Boise State over Texas Christian

Meineke—Pittsburgh over NC

St. Petersburg—Rutgers over Central Florida

Armed Forces—The Air Force Academy over Houston

GMAC—Central Michigan over Troy


That is a 9-6 win for the North over the South.

A case could be made for Ole Miss in some corners but, that would certainly require dismissing the Oklahoma win.

The best the South can come out of this scenario is a wash for the Cotton and a win in the Sun or eliminate Oklahoma and count Ole Miss as a win.

Nine to six or nine to seven, the South loses again.

You don't believe we had the wrong teams in the BCS Title Game, do you?

With Four Games In The Books, Just How Good Is This Ohio State Defense?

Written by Michael Periatt
B/R Ohio State Featured Columnist—BlockONation Contributor


Ever since Matt Barkley's heartbreaking drive, the Ohio State defense hasn't allowed a single point.

Not one.

I don't know if they're carrying a chip on their shoulder or just hitting their stride, but the two game shut-out streak is the first in thirteen years.

I can't attest for a long Buckeye history (I'm 17 years old), but when I think of classic Buckeye defenses, I think of the 2002 championship team and the 2005 defense.

Amazingly, neither of these legendary defenses ever recorded a shut-out.

Now, both of those defenses were stacked with talent. The 2002 team had Chris Gamble, Mike Doss, Matt Wilhelm, and Will Smith just off the top of my head and the 2005 team had one of the best line backing cores in Ohio State history (Hawk, Carpenter, Schlegel.)

But the current defense really has no identifiable player. Brian Rolle seems to have emerged as a clutch play maker, Coleman seems to have established himself as the leader, and Cameron Heyward seems to be a super-stud. But there are no preseason All-Americans and no upperclassmen predicted to go in the first round of the draft (possibly Heyward).

It's really unbelievable they have been this solid.

So how have they done it?

I think it all goes back to the defensive line. The unit is clearly the strong point of the team and is arguably the best in the nation.

USC might have a stable of running backs, but Ohio State has a stable of defensive lineman. And unlike running backs, you can play more than one at a time.

Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward, Dexter Larimore, and Doug Worthington are the starters, but to have quality replacements like Nathan Williams, Soloman Thomas, Lawrence Wilson, Todd Denlinger, John Simon, and Garret Goebel is something that you just don't normally see.

Chances are, many of these guys would be starting on any other team in the nation. These guys are not just big "space fillers," but athletes ready to make plays.

By getting pressure on the quarterback without having to constantly blitz (a luxury OSU hasn't had in forever), it automatically takes a load of pressure off the rest of the defense.

Even against USC, the Buck's defense was only really responsible for one touchdown (the other was on TP for throwing an INT that USC returned inside the five yard line).

The lone sub-par performance was against Navy which is really baffling. It could have been the first game jitters, the corky triple-option offense, or a case of the look-aheads, but the fact remains they gave up 27 points to a service academy.

Following the USC game, the Bucks shut out a Toledo team that has put up at least 31 against every other team they played (including Colorado and Purdue).

They then replicated the feat against a supposed high powered Illinois offense that could very well turn out to be a joke.

So three excellent performances and one semi-flop.

The verdict?

I think this defense is really, really good, but I'm not ready to anoint them as a legendary defense just yet. A legendary defense finds a way to make that stop against USC and they sure as hell shouldn't give up 27 point to a service academy.

One thing that seems very promising is that, with the exception of the USC game, the defense made big plays when they had to. They were bent, but didn't break.

In the Navy game, Rolle got the pick-two to save the game.

Against Toledo, they stripped the ball inside the ten yard line to secure the shutout.

And against Illinois they got a clutch interception when the Illini were driving and a sack at the end of the game to push them out of field goal range.

I need to apologize to Jim Heacock. For a while there, I, like many others, was calling for his head, but he seems to have gotten it all together.

Then again, maybe the defense is more stable now that Luke Fickell is in charge of it more than we know...

As a fan, you can really see the development of the young guys and their readiness to replace their NFL predecessors.

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If You've Seen One Buckeye Hater, You've Seen Them All—But Check This Ridiculous Trash Out Anyway

Written by Lisa "The Whiny, USC Homer, Pot Meet Kettle, I'm a Hypocrite" Horne


"Not everybody’s the perfect person in the world. I mean everyone kills people, murders people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever."

You would think whoever said that quote has a warped view of life and is pretty uneducated, wouldn't you? Maybe it's just a line from a gangsta rap song?

Hold on to your Buck nuts, football fan.

Terrelle Pryor said this in response to why he liked Michael Vick.

Are you kidding me?

I would expect that response from Vick—before he was busted for torturing dogs, of course—but not from the Ohio State Buckeyes' sophomore quarterback.

Classy stuff there, Terrelle.

You pay a tribute to him with your eyeblack in the game against Navy. And after the game, when asked about why you like Vick, you come up with this nutty, inane, and utterly classless remark.

You admire a dog torturer. A dog killer.

Indeed, we all deserve a second chance. So why not go with Charles Manson as an idol? Ted Bundy? Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold? Were they not available for your eyeblack? They must be okay dudes in your book, because after all, everyone kills.

I checked my agenda books from the last decade, and so far, I haven't lived up to Pryor's proclamation. Nope, haven't killed anyone. Haven't murdered anyone. And believe it or not, haven't stolen from anyone either. Someone ripped off my favorite pen, would that count? I'll go yell at my kids.

I'm getting warm fuzzies just knowing that the future of America is in the hands of students like these who are allegedly receiving a higher education. It's good to know that people like Terrelle Pryor choose their role models because of what "everybody does." They choose a role model like Vick because he deserves a second chance, even though he's shown in the past he has no compassion for living things.

Here's a thought Terrelle—how about putting Vick on your "naughty" list, and if he doesn't screw up in the next 10 years, then put his poster above your dorm bed. Until then, Vick deserves no role model status.

Tila Tequila might be more your style.

More importantly, someone needs to keep a microphone away from your mouth.

This is embarrassing for Ohio State.

Adding insult to this disaster of a public relations crisis was their coach, Jim Tressel. Yes, the Senator.

Any elite coach in Division I football knows that the University of Southern California does not like being called "Southern Cal." It's in their press guides. It's in Wikipedia. It's a well-known fact.

Except in the Midwest.

Tressel referred to USC no less than three different times as "Southern Cal" in a recent press conference. We get that it's USC vs. Ohio State week. We get there is some trash-talking going on. What we don't get is your continued disrespect of the school that has made it clear what its name is.

Perhaps Pete Carroll should start calling Ohio State, "O State"? Or just "Ohio"?

How would that go over in O-H-I-O?

Final thought: USC 37, OSU 17.

Fire up that hot seat in Columbus.

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My response:

The saddest part of the article is that Lisa Horne is a Senior Writer on Bleacher Report, and she was hired last year by FoxSports and publishes a blog on their website.

Being a Senior Writer and employee of FoxSports, one would think Lisa could and should be unbiased and neutral, but obviously, she is anything but.

Then, there's a supposed Alabama fan who goes by the handle Lee Roy Jordan, who never posts on any Alabama articles, trolls the Ohio State articles, and constantly verbally assaults the Buckeyes, and their fans.

His comments towards Ohio State on B/R are always horrible and hateful, and he didn't pull any punches in the comments section of this article on B/R.

He has been asked on many occasions about sanctions versus Alabama, wins taken away, and Tide players beating their girlfriend's to a pulp. He never addresses those issues.

Anyway, it's funny he has such harsh words for Terrelle Pryor and Buckeye fans on an article entitled stay classy and then I discovered this little gem featuring a redneck Alabama fan.

Check out this pathetic, offensive, racist video:
(Warning: video includes very offensive language)



I'd like to go down to Alabama and personally knock out his tooth.


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Miami Mitch's Apology To Ohio State Fans

So there's a guy named Mitch, who's kind of a geek and not a very good writer I might add, yet somehow is a senior writer on the Bleacher Report's College Football section and he is obsessed with hating on Ohio State.

His recent Mitch's Apology to Ohio State Fans article is riddled with sarcasm, jealousy and venom.

It makes sense though since he is a Cryami Hurricanes fan.

He and I do not like each other but I couldn't help myself. I just had to repost this.

It is yet another priceless article in which he drags our beloved Buckeyes, and fans, through the mud with personal attacks, all for the sake of hit and comment counts.

For the record, whenever someone on a sports forum launches personal attacks, it's because they, their writing, their team, and their pointless and baseless points are inferior to those of whomever it is they are attacking.

Let me preface what you are about to read by being the bigger man here and reaching out to Mitch:

Mitch, I'm sorry your sad excuse for a double-digit favorite (aka 2002-2003 Cryami) in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl BCS title game couldn't convert for a touchdown on four tries with the ball inside the 2-yard line in the third and final overtime!

Without further ado, here is the hatred and jealousy that a great program like Ohio State inspires!

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I'm sorry some of you aren't better at reading comprehension and can't differentiate between an article tagged opinion or history from one tagged with breaking news or the like.

I'm sorry you feel the need to use vulgarities, racism, bigotry, and other unacceptable behavior to dispute facts about your football team.

I'm sorry your athletic department has the most violations since 2000.

I'm sorry that no one in the Ohio State Athletic Department or Football Program has even a shred of accountability.

I'm sorry your team continues to restock itself with players who have run-ins with the law and most recently a drug addict.

I'm sorry your coaches can't figure out that there is a pretty big difference between a kid getting caught with 20 grams of marijuana and a guy who took a hit of pot at a party.

I'm sorry that you are forced to think that a reduction to a misdemeanor from a felony means it isn't illegal.

I'm sorry you think selling tickets and showing up in other cities is a more fitting criteria in determining the most deserving team than actual wins.

I'm sorry a portion of your fan base is an embarrassment to your once fine and proud institution.

I'm sorry that you are so delusional to think that winning one National Championship in 40 years is the mark of an elite program.

I'm sorry your football coach has no memory of what happened five minutes ago, if it was something negative.

I'm sorry you have been forced into a situation where winning a few football game and generating money from sports far supersedes your desire to be an elite academic institution.

I sorry you feel the need to make things up about other people.

I'm sorry you are too lazy to look up words like slander in the dictionary before using them.

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So, after reading his tribute to OSU and Buckeye fans everywhere, what do you think of Mitch?

Please, add your comment(s) and let us know!

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Buckeye Banter: Tressel Quietly Assembles Yet Another Monster Recruiting Class

by Kristofer Green
BlockONation Columnist



The recruiting talk in the Big Ten has centered primarily around Joe Paterno and the impressive group of 13 verbal commitments he and his staff have assembled.

The talk then usually turns to Rich Rodriguez who also has one of the top recruiting classes in the Big Ten.

But don't forget about Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The past two seasons Tressel has signed the top recruiting class in the Big Ten and those classes have ranked in the top five nationally.

This season the man with the sweater vest is quietly on his way toward signing another very talented class.

First came commitments from ESPNU 150 Watch List offensive tackle Andrew Norwell (Cincinnati) and ESPNU 150 Watch List linebacker Jamel Turner (Youngstown, Ohio).

Then in recent weeks, Tressel and Ohio State have landed oral commitments from one of the Midwest's top running backs—Roderick Smith (Ft. Wayne, Ind.), the top kicker in the state of Ohio—Drew Basil (Chillicothe), and a talented quarterback in Taylor Graham (Wheaton, Ill.).

Last week, Tressel added a commitment from ESPNU 150 Watch List defensive end Darryl Baldwin (Solon, Ohio). Penn State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Michigan, and many others were also in the mix for Baldwin.

Tressel now has nine verbal commitments, including five ESPNU 150 Watch List prospects and four of the top six prospects in the state of Ohio.

The Buckeyes are still in the mix and could still land several outstanding uncommitted prospects from the state of Ohio, including Under Armour All-American linebacker Jordan Hicks (West Chester) and ESPNU 150 Watch List offensive lineman Matt James (Cincinnati).

The Buckeyes are also locked in on the nation's top prospect—offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson (St. Paul, Minn.) as well as a number of other top uncommitted prospects from outside the state of Ohio.

Tressel is assembling another outstanding class for Ohio State—one that could potentially be another top 10 class nationally.

7/29/09 UPDATE:

Florida WR James Louis has decommited from the University of Florida and has made a verbal commitment to play for Ohio State.

Louis (5-11, 178) is the No. 31-ranked receiver in the country according to Rivals.com and is the 12th-ranked player in the Orlando Sentinel's Florida Top 100.

This brings Ohio State's 2010 commit list to ten players thus far.

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Jim Tressel: The Grace Period Is Over

by Michael Periatt
BlockONation Analyst


Every Buckeye fan remembers the 2002 Championship.

It was the fulfillment of our dreams. Like McLovin getting with that girl in Superbad. No one thought he could do it, but when it happened, it was the underdog story of the year!

Then the Bucks won two more BCS games in three years. They were labeled a top tier program and Jim Tressel was an elite coach.

The following year all the hype and excitement was thrust upon the 2006 season. The 2006 Bucks were pre-ranked No. 1.

They had not one, but two Heisman candidates and a seemingly unstoppable offense.

The Bucks went through the season unscathed and made an appearance in the Championship where they preceded to get flattened by Florida.

I was upset, devastated actually. But I put my hopes into next year's team.

Well, different team, different opponent, same result.

That's when things started getting dicey. The inevitable questions came to mind, but I decided to block them out.

After all, they did win in 2002.

Next year's team put up a fight against a heavily favored Texas team, but fell in the end.

And, yet again, I found myself making excuses.

They fought hard.

One missed tackle.

Heacock couldn't make a good defensive play call if someone pointed a gun to his head. (Partially true.)

But bottom line, I was blaming anyone and everyone but Tressel.

So I spent some time wondering "Why?" Why was I so hesitant to blame the man in charge?

Then it hit me.

The grace period.

What's the grace period you ask?

Here's how I'll define it...

An amount of time following a notable event in which a person or group is exempt from criticism or penalty.

It's like when George W. Bush after September 11th, even though he pushed through one of the most unconstitutional laws in the history of the nation (The Patriot Act).

Or when a kid gets out of chores for a couple extra days after he's sick because he's still "recuperating."

In this case, it was Tressel. He was in a grace period after he won the championship. For some OSU fans, that time is long gone and for others, he may never leave it.

Not for me.

LET THE RECORD SHOW my Tressel Grace Period is officially over as of June 25, 2009.

I'm no longer making excuses for the man in the sweater vest.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want Tressel to be fired (or anything close to that), but he's officially open for criticism.

No more excuses for repeatedly losing big games.

No more immunity when his team is completely out-coached.

No more looking the other way when he runs on first and second down, then attempts a desperation third down pass four times in a row.

And no more defending that hideous Spring Game Hawaiian Shirt.

It's all open now.

I'm not going to go back and nit-pick previous mistakes, but from this point forward I encourage all Buckeye fans to watch with a more critical eye and stop making excuses for Tress.

He is human, and he does make mistakes.

Let's put it this way...If I know Tressel is going to run up the middle on first down 80 percent of the time (I made that number up, but Buckeye fans no what I mean), then you can sure as hell bet the other coach knows.

And he can get away with it against inferior opponents where the Bucks are straight up bigger, faster, and stronger, but against other big time opponents (Florida, LSU, USC, Texas) it just doesn't work.

There are certain people Buckeye fans just can't criticize, the untouchables.

Woody Hayes, Archie Griffin, Eddie George, Craig Krenzal, etc...

Right after Tress won it all, he was in that group and I have no doubt he'll be in that group when he retires (hopefully a long time away), but for now, I think we have to temporarily make a withdrawal.

I'm not saying Tressel is a bad coach. Tressel is the perfect guy to run any program because the only thing he knows how to do is win.

If you think about it, it's not really fair to criticize him. OSU was good with Cooper, but Tressel raised the program to another level.

And now the expectations are through the roof every single year.

He's a victim to his own success.

You see, times have changed.

Teams used to have their goals like this...

1. Win your Conference championship (Big Ten)

2. Beat your arch-rival (Michigan)

3. Win your bowl game (Rose Bowl)

Then if you were really feeling good about yourself and had the guts you put..

4. National Championship

But coaches were always really wary of putting that down. Some felt it took away from the focus on those top three goals.

And if you look at it, Tressel has done the top two things on that list better than any Ohio State coach ever as far as consistency goes.

He's won five Big Ten championships in seven years and beaten Michigan an unprecedented five times in a row and seven out of eight.

So why am I done going easy on this obviously successful coach?

Because times have changed.

Like it or not the BCS has completely changed the landscape of college football.

Teams have the pressure to go Championship or bust.

Then, if that fails, they sure as hell better win their bowl game.

Conference championships have become secondary goals.

Today, coaches for elite programs are judged on the following things IN ORDER.

1. National Championships

2. BCS wins

3. Conferences Championships

4. Rivalry wins

And really if you look at it, Tressel is still in the top tier even with the new hierarchy of priorities, but today's world is all about one thing...

What have you done for me lately?

And since 2006, the answer is zero for the top two categories on the list.

Ohio State is a finely oiled machine.

As evidenced by the past three years, OSU can cruise through the season and win nine or more games without winning any marquee games.

Reaching that point is an accomplishment in itself. Most teams would kill for that consistency.

But just because other programs would be happy with it, doesn't mean we should be.

To avoid complacency, the Buckeyes should be pushing to get even better.

By ending Tressel's grace period, it pushes him and therefore, pushes the team to get better.

It can and hopefully will elevate them to another level.

So don't chase Tressel out of town just yet, but let's not be afraid to offer some "constructive criticism."

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Five Top 10 Teams—Five Strongest 2009 OOC Schedules

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


This is the follow-up to my "vastly popular" Five Top Teams—Five Pathetic OOC Schedules.

Now the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak.

These teams I have selected here, once again must be a projected top ten to fifteen team heading into the 2009 season.

There were some other teams close but that just did not quite make it.

You can't do a worst-of, without a best-of can you?

Of course not!


No. 5: Oklahoma Sooners

9/5/09—vs. BYU
9/12/09—vs. Idaho State
9/19/09—vs. Tulsa
10/3/09—@ Miami-Fla

BYU, Tulsa, and Miami are all better than average teams, so despite Idaho State, OU ranks No. 5.

I'm not sure that OU will score as much as they did last season and Miami is the x-factor.

If Shannon has them prepared, they certainly have enough talent to possibly pull an upset at home.


No. 4: Oklahoma State Cowboys

9/5/09—vs. Georgia
9/12/09—vs. Houston
9/19/09—vs. Rice
9/26/09—vs. Grambling State

The Cowboys check in at No. 4 on the top five.

Obviously, Grambling State is no match for OK State, but even in a retooling year, Georgia could surprise the Cowboys and make it close, but I do expect them to win their home opener.

Houston and Rice from Conference USA, are teams that may not impress the casual fan but they are teams that both can score a lot of points so the Cowboys can't overlook them!

I still expect OK State to win both of these games by two touchdowns or more.


No. 3: Ohio State Buckeyes

9/5/09—vs. vs. Navy
9/12/09—vs. USC
9/19/09—@ Toledo (in Cleveland)
10/31/09—vs. New Mexico State

Navy is no Youngstown State and will provide an opening day test for the young Buckeyes.

The Midshipmen have led college football in rushing the past two seasons and could give the inexperienced Buckeye defense trouble early.

I really don't have to say anything about USC other than they will be reloaded as usual and the Buckeyes will need to pressure and force new USC starter Aaron Corp into mistakes, as well as have an A+ effort on offense to come away with a win.

Toledo is a borderline cupcake that should be improved from last year, when they did become the first MAC school to ever beat Michigan in of all places, Michigan Stadium. Don't look for a Rocket victory at Cleveland Browns Stadium though!

New Mexico State is a true cupcake, but overall this schedule still earns OSU the No. 3 slot.


No. 2: Oregon Ducks

9/3/09—@ Boise State
9/12/09—vs. Purdue
9/19/09—vs. Utah

Because of the round robin, the Pac-10 teams only play three OOC games, but not one of these three that Oregon scheduled are cakewalks.

Purdue, from the Big Ten, and the only BCS team of the three, looks to replace QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets, but could still win as many as 7-9 games and could keep it close.

Boise State and Utah are the Kings of BCS busting and a year ago, Boise went 12-0 during the regular season, including a win over the Ducks in Eugene, and all Utah did was go 13-0 and finish No. 2 in the final AP poll.

Even with only three OOC games, Oregon is easily in this top five at No. 2.


No. 1: Virginia Tech

9/5/09—vs. Alabama
9/12/09—vs. Marshall
9/19/09—vs. Nebraska
10/31/09—vs. East Carolina

Va Tech's 2009 OOC schedule brings to mind thoughts of hidden landmines, just waiting to blow up in your face!

There are no cupcake, warm-up games to ease into the season this year for the Hokies.

Right off the bat, they kick off in Atlanta vs. the Crimson Tide. Alabama is a top 10-15 team that could derail the Hokies season before it ever gets started.

Marshall should pose little threat but they aren't from the FCS either!

Nebraska, another team that should appear in the top 20-25 could also be the downfall for the Hokies. I would lean towards saying I doubt it though.

Skip Holtz can coach and his East Carolina Pirates are no cupcake! Va Tech lost at home to ECU last year and will have to travel to Greenville for this one! The Hokies better watch out once again!

Every season, Va Tech seems to always get national recognition in the polls early in the year, but then falter somewhere along the way and fade from our collective memories.

With this schedule it could happen once again, but I absolutely applaud them for their 2009 OOC schedule and award them the No. 1 spot on this list!

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I really wish all the top teams in the nation would schedule this way, but I won't hold my breath, well, because I like breathing and being alive!

Thanks for reading and as always, feel free to agree or disagree in the comments section!

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Buckeye Banter | From 12 to 1—Breaking Down the 2009 Ohio State Schedule

by Kristofer Green
BlockONation Columnist



The Ohio State football team is still about 100 days from taking the field, but it is never too early to take a hard look at the Buckeyes schedule.

Instead of just listing the games and giving generic team descriptions I have ranked the Buckeye's opponents from the easiest game to the toughest.


12. New Mexico State (Oct. 31)

With the Hal Mumme era over, the addition of new head coach DeWayne Walker has brought a new attitude and a feeling that things may finally change, but the Aggies are still light years away from competing for the WAC title.

The team will go from trying to out-bomb everyone to trying to win with defense and a strong running game. Sound familiar Buckeye fans? Walker could see some success in time, but on Halloween the Aggies will have a very difficult time trying to beat the Buckeyes at their own game.


11. at Indiana (Oct. 3)

When Indiana still had Kellen Lewis—its most dynamic player—the Hoosiers were still considered by many to be the 11th best team in the Big Ten. Now that coach Bill Lynch has dismissed Lewis from the team, Indiana's doormat status seems to be all but confirmed.

The Buckeyes will make their first trip to Bloomington in several years and will almost certainly build on their current win streak against the Hoosiers. In the Jim Tressel era alone the Buckeyes are 6-0 against Indiana and have outscored the Hoosiers 221-57.


10. Toledo at Cleveland Browns Stadium (Sept. 19)

The Rockets have as much talent as any team in the MAC (including Central Michigan) and they have experience with returning starters at nearly every position. It will be up to new head coach Tim Beckman to get the talent to perform on a consistent basis, something former coach Tom Amstutz couldn't do.

Toledo will run an up-tempo spread offense that could prove to be difficult for the Buckeyes to get a handle on. But for all Toledo's talent, the Buckeyes have more and no other Ohio team has beaten the Buckeyes for nearly 100 years.


9. Navy (Sept. 5)

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo not only has best name in coaching but the Midshipmen boasted the best rushing offense in the country the last two seasons. The Buckeyes rush defense slipped last season (to 18th nationally) and will be tested early and often by the Midshipmen.

The last time the two teams met was in the 1981 Liberty Bowl where the Buckeyes held on for a 31-28 win. I suspect the Buckeyes will feed off the energy of an opening day crowd of 105,000 rabid Buckeye fans who just waited 8 long months to see their team win.


8. Wisconsin (Oct. 10)

The Badgers might be tremendously flawed and if they played like they did last season they can be beaten by anyone, but the Buckeyes and the Badgers always seem to be in close battles.

Bret Bielema gets seven starters back on offense, while the defense returns three starters in the secondary, but the Badgers have huge question marks at quarterback and on the lines.


7. at Purdue (Oct. 17)

Purdue is in a state of change. The Boilermakers must replace eight starters from an offense that didn't really do anything anyway. First year coach Danny Hope must incorporate his first recruiting class into an offense that lacks experience and depth.

But, the Purdue proved last season in Columbus that they could keep it interesting with defense. The bad news for Buckeye fans is that the Boilermakers return the entire secondary from a defense that held the Buckeyes without a touchdown in last season's meeting.


6. Minnesota (Oct. 24)

Everyone is back for coach Tim Brewster including QB Adam Weber, WR Eric Decker, and eight others on offense, as well as, nine starters on defense. The thing is the running game has become non-existent.

There was a time when Minnesota had one of the nation's most feared ground attacks, but injuries, a change in offense, and the lack of a steady back have dropped the Gophers to last in the Big Ten in rushing offense. While Weber and the passing game will be fine, there is a ceiling on what the team can do without an improved run game.


5. at Michigan (Nov. 21)

Let's face facts Buckeye fans, the winning streak is eventually going to come to an end. The Wolverines are young, but so are the Buckeyes. The Rich Rodriguez era got off to a bumpy start, but things are starting to smooth out a bit for the embattled coach. This season could be as good a time as any.

If this game was earlier in the season I would feel more secure about the Buckeyes getting their sixth straight victory, but as it stands, late November in the Big House is never easy.


4. Illinois (Sept. 26)

The Illini have as much talent at the skill positions as anyone in the conference. Juice Williams has matured into an efficient passer and a pretty good all-around playmaker and he has all his key parts back.

The knock on Ron Zook's team has been consistency and starting fast. Illinois has played the Buckeyes tough the last few seasons and has all the parts in place to challenge the Buckeyes again in the 'Shoe. Will Zook be able to get his players to perform?


3. Iowa (Nov. 14)

The offensive line that was so strong last season loses guard Seth Olsen and center Rob Bruggeman, but the tackles are back along with emerging quarterback Ricky Stanzi and top receiver Darrell Johnson-Koulianos.

Replacing Shonn Greene will be difficult, but Jewel Hampton looks to fill in and should give the Hawkeyes enough of a threat to keep defenses honest.

Iowa is aiming for their first Big Ten championship since the 2002 season and by mid-November the Hawkeyes should be clicking on all cylinders. The Buckeyes will have to be on their "A" game for this one.


2. at Penn State (Nov. 7)

Darryl Clark had a great 2008, but he wasn't able to come through in the fourth quarter against Iowa and wasn't on the field for the key final drive in the win over the Buckeyes last season. Motivation for 2009?

Clark was ultra-efficient last season, but will need an even more spectacular year in 2009 when he will work behind a retooled line and have new receivers all over the field.

That being said, Beaver Stadium is one of the toughest stadiums to play in and the Penn State faithful will surely be revved up for this one.

Not to mention the fact that Sean Lee returns from his knee injury to join Josh Hull and Navarro Bowman, forming one of the nation's best linebacking corps, while the offensive backfield of Clark, Evan Royster, and Stephon Green is scary good.


1. Southern California (Sept. 12)

USC coach Pete Carroll has practically written the book about how to compete for championships in this age of parity. In fact he has. His new book, Win Forever, is coming out soon.

Still, every year fans and pundits alike wrack their brains trying to figure out how the Trojans will replace the number of stars it loses to the NFL. It can't be fun losing a Rey Maualuga or Mark Sanchez every year, but Pete Carroll always has players waiting in the wings and 2009 will be no different.

The Trojans are hardly starting from scratch. Eight starters will be missing from one of the nations top defensive units, but that only means the guys who thought they should have been starters—and are good enough to be starters at most other schools—will get their chance to break into the starting lineup.

The secondary is unbelievable, while defensive end Everson Griffen is almost unstoppable and offensively the Trojans return the entire line and a stable of running backs that are arguably the best in the nation.

USC returns enough experience to scare anyone and the Buckeyes will need to be more prepared than they were last season if they hope for a different outcome.

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