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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BCS Deja Vu: 2010 is Starting to Look a lot Like 2007

It may not be the Buckeyes that reap the benefits of all these supposed (fraudulent) top 10 teams losing, but another Big 10 team, Wisconsin is potentially in line for a national title shot if a few more stars align just right.

That being said, if Wisconsin stumbles in their last three games, then maybe 2007 really does replay itself this season and finds the Buckeyes playing for the title unexpectedly. It COULD happen, however unlikely it may seem.

By the end of the season, some combination of Oregon, Boise State, Auburn and TCU should be No. 1 and No. 2 respectively based on SOS in combination with the human polls.

Assuming that holds true and after watching several teams drop in week 10, here is an updated list of the things that could and would have to happen that could ultimately allow Ohio State to play in the 2010-2011 BCS title game.

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1. A loss by Auburn to either Georgia, Alabama, or the South Carolina/Florida winner in the SEC Championship game, or, a loss by TCU to San Diego State or New Mexico.

2. A loss by Oregon to either Cal, Arizona, or Oregon State.

3. A loss or even an ugly win or two by Boise State against Idaho, Fresno State, Nevada, or Utah State. However, the SOS factor itself may take BSU out of the picture even if they win them all big.

4. A loss by Nebraska to either Kansas, Texas A&M, Colorado, or in the Big 12 Championship game.

5. A loss by Wisconsin to either Indiana, Michigan, or Northwestern.

6. A loss by LSU to LA-Monroe, Mississippi, or Arkansas.

7. A loss by Stanford to either Arizona State, Cal, or Oregon State.

8. Lastly, three wins by the Buckeyes to finish the season over Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan.

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Since a team doesn't have to be No. 1 to play in the BCS title game, not every scenario above HAS to happen, but most of them [probably at least six of the eight listed, with number eight being the most important] do.

The least likely of them to happen is TCU losing, but that's OK.

vs.
???

Ohio State vs. TCU for the title would be a huge draw as Buckeye fans would all assume the title would be a lock, while the haters would tune in hoping to see the Buckeyes get embarrassed on the national stage to a non-AQ team.

It's a dream come true for the BCS and a win-win for everyone, so to all the teams ahead of Ohio State who are not TCU, do your part and lose over the next three to four weeks.

That is all.


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My New, Improved Top 25 Running Backs For 2010: Well, According To SEC Logic Anyway...

Please SEC fans, I implore you—please forgive my transgressions against the elite, unmatched running backs from your sacred, mighty, and impeccable conference.

I have seen the light!

I have been baptized in SEC holy water, and I now repent my sins (my previous top 10 running backs for 2010 article linked above) as I present to you my new and improved, and SEC approved, top 25 running backs in the nation ranking—which by the way, also inadvertently doubles as the Top 25 Heisman Contenders for 2010, of course...


25—David Oku—Tennessee (94 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

24—Rodney Scott—Ole Miss (138 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

23—Stevan Ridley—LSU (180 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

22—Robert Elliott—Mississippi State (221 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 2009)

21—Mario Fannin—Auburn (285 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns in 2009)

20—Christian Ducre—Mississippi State (263 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

19—Dennis Johnson—Arkansas (342 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns in 2009)

18—Roy Upchurch—Alabama (299 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns in 2009)

17—Brian Maddox—South Carolina (307 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns in 2009)

16—Bryce Brown—Tennessee (460 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

15—Randall Cobb—Kentucky (447 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

14—Kenny Miles—South Carolina (626 rushing yards, 1 touchdown in 2009)

13—Zac Stacy—Vanderbilt (478 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

12—Charles Scott—LSU (542 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

11—Ontario McCalebb—Auburn (565 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

10—Chris Rainey—Florida (575 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns in 2009)

9—Caleb King—Georgia (594 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns in 2009)

8—Broderick Green—Arkansas (442 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns in 2009)

7—Brandon Bolden—Ole Miss (614 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns in 2009)

6—Washaun Ealey—Georgia (717 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

5—Warren Norman—Vanderbilt (783 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns in 2009)

4—Jeffrey Demps—Florida (745 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns in 2009)

3—Derrick Locke—Kentucky (907 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns in 2009)

2—Trent Richardson—Alabama (751 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns in 2009)

1—Mark Ingram—Alabama (1658 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns in 2009)


That's it, that's the SEC friendly, and real (wink) top 25 tailbacks in the nation for 2010.

By the way, can I interest you in the tropical island in the middle of Lake Erie that I own?

Hopefully if you're a fan of an SEC team and someone read this to you since you dropped out of school in Kindergarten, you were able to detect and identify the satire and sarcasm located within the article above, as it was chock full of each!

Yours sincerely,
HD


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So, About That Whole "The Big Ten Is Slow, Weak, Ancient, Etc." Thing....

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



A funny thing happened on the way to the Big Ten embarrassing itself in the 2009-2010 bowl games.

It didn't even come close to happening.

Even the three "worst" teams repping the conference played well overall.

Seven Big Ten teams were invited to play in a bowl game this year, and four of those seven played in top-tier bowls, vs. four opponents all of whom are/were ranked in the top 15.


Close, But Not Quite

Minnesota, a perennial doormat, lost by one point to Iowa State of the Big 12 in the Insight Bowl. It's not like there were high expectations placed upon them, and hey, at least they were in the game.

Then there's Michigan State—who despite suspending something like 15 players before their Alamo Bowl matchup vs. the Leech-less Texas Tech Red Raiders, actually held a fourth quarter lead—only to falter and lose in the end, like they always seem to do, in and out of conference. That's what happens when you have a terrible defense.

Northwestern gave a strong showing against SEC foe Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Trailing 38-35, Coach Pat Fitzgerald called a fake FG in overtime, and tried for a touchdown that could have won the game, but fell just a few yards short of the endzone.

Sure, they lost in the end, but I still give him props for having the marbles to make that call to try and win the game. Auburn is a decent team and they had wins over West Virginia, Tennessee, and Mississippi this season, so there's no shame in losing a hard fought game to a good SEC opponent.


And The Trophies Go To...

No. 25 Wisconsin, the Big Tens' fourth place team, surprised No. 15 Miami, and most of the rest of us in all honesty in the Champs Sports Bowl. The Badgers out gained the Hurricanes 430 to 239 in yardage, and outscored the Canes 20-14 to set the tone for the Big Ten as they etched the first big win of the bowl season for the conference. During the season, Miami had wins over then-No. 18 FSU, then-No. 14 Georgia Tech, and then-No. 8 Oklahoma.

No. 13 Penn State finished third in the conference this season which earned them a trip to the Capital One Bowl to face the No. 12 LSU Tigers. LSU beat then-No. 18 Georgia, Auburn, and Arkansas during the regular season.

On a rainy, muddly, sloppy field in Orlando, the Nittany Lions and the Tigers played a near even game, but in the end, Penn State was able to move into field goal range for the game-winning 27-yard kick with just :57 seconds left on the clock, and ultimately send the Big Ten to a 2-0 mark in the top-tier bowl game matchups with their 19-17 victory.

QB Ricky Stanzi returned from an ankle injury after missing the final two games of the regular season for No. 10 Iowa, and helped lead the Hawkeyes to the Big Tens' third top-tier bowl game win over No. 9 Georgia Tech.

The Hawkeyes held the Yellow Jackets, who average over 300 yards rushing per game, to just 32 total yards in the first half, 155 total yards for the game, and one offensive touchdown that came in the fourth quarter, as they coasted to the 24-14 win.

Georgia Tech had several key wins during the season including two wins over Clemson, as well as victories against then-No. 22 North Carolina, and then-No. 4 Virginia Tech.

Last, but certainly far from least, my our Big Ten Champion, No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes, made their first trip to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl since 1997 quite a memorable one.


Photo Copyright-Cleveland.com

Ever since No. 7 Oregon squeaked by Oregon State on December 3 to win the Pac-10, everyone and their brother, and their brother's wives brother, and all the "experts" were all predicting an easy, probable blow-out win for the Ducks over the Bucks.

Even on this very blog, on my Rose Bowl preview article, Oregon fans found their way here and posted some of the rudest, and cockiest comments I've just about ever read. Of course, now I'm actually glad they did so I can read over them again and get a good laugh!

Oregon had only lost to No. 6 Boise State (who just beat No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl and completed a perfect 14-0 season) to open the year in the now infamous "sucker-punch" game on the blue turf, and to Heisman runner-up stud running back Toby Gerhart and Stanford in Santa Clara.

Despite the two losses during the regular season, they did have several big wins over ranked opponents, including Utah, Cal, USC, Arizona, and Oregon State.

As for the game with Ohio State, billed as the unstoppable offense of Oregon vs. the bend-but-not-break vaunted defense of Ohio State, something had to give, and contrary to popular belief, it did not end up being Ohio State's "D".

The Buckeyes held Oregon to 260 total yards and 17 points, both well under their season averages. Only once did Oregon briefly lead in the third quarter when they took a 17-16 lead after a Jeremiah Masoli one-yard touchdown run with 11:03 to go.

Five minutes later, OSU took the lead back for good on a 38-yard field goal from Devin Barclay, and added a little insurance in the fourth when Terrelle Pryor hooked up with favorite target DeVier Posey for a 17-yard touchdown with 7:02 left on the clock.

Posey had a career best performance, and Pryor had one of his best performances as well, and certainly his best on the "big-stage" outside of the Big Ten.

On the year, the Buckeyes accomplished a feat, that so far, I have not been able to confirm has ever been done before in college football by any other team in one season.

They defeated five teams (Navy, Wisconsin, Penn State, Iowa, and Oregon) that all had 10-win seasons, and that will all likely be ranked in the final AP top 25 poll of the year.

I wrote an article in May, well before the 2009 season began, in which I claimed the Big Ten was back. As you might expect, it was met with much criticism, ridicule, and people calling me a homer and a clueless moron.

FYI: I also predicted the Buckeyes would win the Rose Bowl 24-17. The actual final score was 26-17.

I'm kind of getting tired of always being right...!!!




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Week Nine Top 25 Ballot For TBDPITL

by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation




You may have noticed, there were numerous upsets this week. This top 25 ballot was the hardest one for me so far this season, especially from 16-25. Feel free to comment below.

1. Texas (8-0)

2. Florida (8-0)

3. TCU (8-0)

4. Boise State (8-0)

5. Cincinnati (8-0)

6. Iowa (9-0)

7. Alabama (8-0)

8. Oregon (7-1)

9. LSU (7-1)

10. Penn State (8-1)

11. Georgia Tech (8-1)

12. Houston (7-1)

13. Pitt (7-1)

14. Ohio State (7-2)

15. Utah (7-1)

16. USC (6-2)

17. Wisconsin (6-2)

18. Notre Dame (6-2)

19. South Florida (6-2)

20. Miami-FL (6-2)

21. California (6-2)

22. Oklahoma State (6-2)

23. Rutgers (6-2)

24. Arizona (5-2)

25. Boston College (6-3)



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Dead Men Walking: Buckeyes Still Alive in the BCS Championship Game Hunt?

By HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation



In a word, ABSOLUTELY.

At 5-1, Ohio State still has their fair share of detractors that believe they shouldn't be ranked in the top 10, let alone be in line to play in another BCS bowl game, or Heaven forbid, the BCS title game.

"Who wants to watch the Buckeyes embarrass themselves again in another big game on the national stage," they say.

It's true that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but recent history clearly suggests that the Buckeyes are on the cusp of breaking through on the national stage.

Take for example the respective three point losses in the final minutes against USC this season, and to Texas in the 2008-2009 Fiesta bowl. Ohio State played stride for stride with then-No.3 USC, and then-No. 3 Texas and held late leads, only to lose to each on the final drives.

It appears that those who are not fans of Ohio State prefer to ignore those games and the fact that OSU nearly won them both.

Instead they prefer to live a bit further in the past and dwell on the 2006 and 2007 BCS title games that Ohio State lost to Florida and LSU, or the 2008 regular season loss at USC.

That's no real surprise though since the Texas and USC games from 2009 are more of an indicator of where the Buckeyes truly rate among other elites nationally.

Contrary to the popular belief of so many of these ill-informed Ohio State haters, and much to their dismay, the Buckeyes can still make a run at the 2009 BCS Championship.

Here's how.

First, and most importantly to the BCS powers that be, and the BCS conference presidents, the BCS bowls are about one thing—money. To make as much money as possible, the bowl games need to sell tickets.

Ohio State is the largest public university in the country and they have more Alumni, and fans nationwide than any other school.

That means, unless they lose at least three games, or lose in the last week or two of the season, they are going to get a BCS invite.

Look at the Orange bowl last season. Cincinnati and Boston College played in front of a crowd that resembled that of an NAIA football game. Like it or not, this is the system we have for now, and the Buckeye put bodies in seats.

Secondly, with the season being half over, the Buckeyes could lose another game and still receive a BCS bid, but will need to win out to secure a possible chance at the BCS title game.

The first BCS standings will be released on October 18. As of right now, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Virginia Tech, USC, and Boise State are the teams ranked ahead of Ohio State.

Even if Boise State wins out and ends up 12-0, their strength of schedule will be their downfall, and Ohio State among others can, and will jump ahead of them. The Broncos should be a BCS at-large bowl team, but they have zero chance at the BCS NC game.

USC beat Ohio State 18-15 in week two. That makes jumping them slightly more difficult, but not impossible. USC lost in week three to Washington so they are essentially only ranked ahead of OSU by a measly three point win.

Another loss, or a couple of unimpressive and/or close wins for USC would allow the Buckeyes to sneak ahead of the Trojans by season's end. I believe USC will lose one, if not two more games, so there's the open door for the Buckeyes to step on through.

Virginia Tech has upcoming games with Georgia Tech, North Carolina, NC State and possibly the ACC Championship game. At least one loss is not out of the question. I personally feel it could come this week at Georgia Tech. That would move the Buckeyes up to No. 4.

The Longhorns have not looked like a top three team and they haven't even played a decent team yet. Call me crazy, but I believe Texas will lose to Oklahoma and either Missouri or Oklahoma State. One loss might be enough for Ohio State to move ahead of Texas. Two will be enough for sure.

That leaves Alabama and Florida. It looks like Florida will likely go 12-0 and play in the SEC title game. Alabama has to play South Carolina and LSU so a loss is possible but I wouldn't bet big on it happening.

So, it looks as if these two teams are on a collision course for the SEC title game which means one of them will lose in the final week of the season. Which means, you guessed it, Ohio State slides up to No. 2 in the final BCS standings, and if you're not a Buckeye fan, your nightmare will have come true.

In the 2007 Ohio State-LSU BCS Championship game I mentioned earlier, LSU was ranked No. 7 going in to that final week of the season. Several upsets later, the Tigers found themselves jumping from No. 7 all the way up to No. 2. Ohio State is currently No. 7 with six games to go.

No, I'm not making any guarantees or promises here. I'm simply letting all college football fans that read this know how and why Ohio State is not out of the 2009 BCS title chase just yet...


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ESPN's Resident Biased Hater Pat Forde Ripping the Big 10 Again—What's New?

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation


On the January night in 2003 when Ohio State stunned Miami and won the national title, the Big Ten seemed poised for a renaissance.

The Buckeyes were back under Jim Tressel, and that wasn't all.

Michigan and Penn State were their usual selves, rolling up 10 and nine victories, respectively.

Iowa went 11-2 that season. Wisconsin and Minnesota each won eight games.

Surely, those schools and others in the league would rise to meet the Buckeyes at or near the summit.

Six humbling seasons later, Ohio State is still waiting for backup.

Yes, there have been high points for the rest of the conference: Iowa's 20 victories in 2003 and '04 combined; Penn State's 11-1 mark in 2005; Michigan's 11-2 and Wisconsin's 12-1 records in '06; Illinois' 2008 Rose Bowl berth; Northwestern and Michigan State each winning nine games last year.

But beyond the Buckeyes, every single program in the Big Ten has had at least one big bust of a season.

Ohio State has not ranked lower than No. 21 in the Sagarin computer ratings in any of the past six seasons. The other 10 teams in the league have ranked in the lower half of the FBS nationally at least once during that time.

Michigan had its 3-9 train wreck last year, finishing 95th.

Wisconsin threw in a 7-6 clunker last season against a soft schedule to finish 61st.

Iowa was 79th in 2007.

Penn State was 71st in 2003 and 63rd in '04.

Purdue slid in its final years under Joe Tiller, finishing 62nd in 2006 and 78th last year.

Michigan State had a couple of rough seasons under John L. Smith, ranking 66th in 2004 and 80th in '06.

Minnesota cratered in 2007, winning one game and finishing 123rd.

Northwestern is justifiably proud of earning three Big Ten titles since 1995, but it was No. 93 in the Sagarin ratings in 2006 and No. 86 in '07.

Illinois has been higher than 68th only once in the past six years.

And Indiana -- where they're now selling league home games to the highest bidder -- has failed to crack the top 70.

Compare that to the other leagues, and you'll see a consistency problem.

Five schools in the Big Ten's nemesis league, the Southeastern Conference, have ranked in the top half of the FBS nationally all six years: Florida, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina.

Three of them -- Florida, LSU and Georgia -- have done what the Buckeyes have done, ranking in the top 30 every season.

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I'd just like to add:

During his hateful rant against the Big Ten, I absolutely love how Pat slurps several SEC teams, yet conveniently doesn't mention the fact that the Big Ten has a winning record vs. the SEC this decade and all-time.

I suppose that's not really that important when your employer has a $3 Billion TV deal with the SEC though, huh...

Just focus on those lowly season end rankings and not the fact that many of those "terrible" Big Ten teams went on to beat an SEC team in a bowl game that same year.

Spun like a true ESPN anal-yst.

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Here's a video of Forde's take, in case you want to see and hear what he has to say about the top five conferences and how he ranks them 1-5.



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This article was written by Pat Forde and posted on ESPN.com

Five Top 10 Teams— Five Pathetic OOC Schedules

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


This isn't just a Buckeye site.

We follow the college football scene across the board and when something catches our eye and we believe it's worthy of bringing it to you, that is what we do!

After researching the 2009 out of conference schedules of several of the top teams in college football, I have compiled a list of what I believe to be the top five weakest, most pathetic OOC schedules for 2009.

The teams I have selected are all teams that will be in, or very near the top ten of the AP poll to open the 2009 season.

I think I speak for many, if not most, college football fans when I say teams need to start "manning up" and stop playing I-AA or DII teams and start playing other top teams on the road, during the season!

Follow the example set by Ohio State and USC last year and this year. Hopefully, they do it again soon because the big time games during the season are amazing!

They can be high-risk in terms of a BCS title run, but with high risk comes high reward for the team that wins!

Now, on with the show!

No. 5: Texas Longhorns

Texas has a great coach in Mack Brown and a Heisman contender at QB in Colt McCoy. They also have loads of talent on defense so they could probably beat just about any team in the top 25, but scheduled these OOC games instead:

9/5/09—vs. University of Louisiana Monroe

9/12/09—@ Wyoming

9/26/09—vs. UTEP

11/7/09—vs. Central Florida


No. 4: Penn State Nittany Lions

It's not Lewis & Clark, it's Royster and Clark! JoePa has another talented squad one year removed from a Big Ten title and a near miss at a trip to the BCS title game.

Penn State's schedule got even weaker in 2009 so will we really know how good they are before the bowl season? Not against these OOC opponents we won't, and they're even all home games of course.

9/5/09—vs. University of Akron

9/12/09—vs. Syracuse

9/19/09—vs. Temple

10/10/09—vs. Eastern Illinois


No. 3: LSU Tigers

Charles Scott should be the best back in the SEC and the Tigers should be improved over last years team.

They don't dodge the bullets in the SEC, but they play these teams out of conference, so they're another team we may not know much about outside of the SEC until their bowl game.

9/5/09—@ Washington

9/19/09—vs. Louisiana

10/31/09—vs. Tulane

11/14/09—vs. Louisiana Tech


No. 2: Ole Miss Rebels

In their defense, Ole Miss hasn't been a top team since Eli Manning left in 2004 so the reason they have a weak OOC schedule is acceptable.

But, it still ranks at No. 2 on my list because they are very good now even if they, or nobody else saw it coming!

The OOC opponents they will be facing however; not so much!

9/5/09—@ Memphis

9/19/09—vs. Southeastern Louisiana

10/17/09—vs. University of Alabama Birmingham

11/7/09—vs. Northern Arizona


No. 1: Florida Gators

It was tough narrowing this list down to the top five.

It was not tough putting Florida at No. 1.

They have arguably one of the best coaches in the game in Urban Meyer, a two-time BCS Championship and Heisman winning quarterback in Tim Tebow, and they have all eleven defensive starters and all eleven back-ups to those starters back from last years SEC and BCS championship team.

I didn't think it was possible for their OOC games in 2009 to be even more pathetic than 2008, when they played a down and rebuilding Miami Hurricanes team along with home games vs. Hawaii and The Citadel.

Then, I looked at 2009 and realized I may have thought too soon:

9/5/09—vs. Charleston Southern

9/12/09—vs. Troy

11/21/09—vs. Florida International

11/28/09—vs. Florida State

All four of these games are home games and even though it's a traditional rivalry game, Florida State is not what they once were.

I wanted to address that in case anyone tried to defend UF's OOC games by saying FSU is a good team.

No, they are not!

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

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Is Ohio State Football Still Among the Elites?

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com



These days, when you think of elite programs in college football, several teams that immediately come to mind are the USC Trojans, Florida Gators, Oklahoma Sooners, LSU Tigers, Texas Longhorns and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Since 2001, only USC and Pete Carroll has more wins than Jim Tressel's Buckeyes and both equally have one BCS title. USC also haa an AP title from 2003 when LSU won the BCS title, but the AP still voted the Trojans #1 for some odd reason.

It's no secret that Ohio State's recent losses vs. the other elite teams previously mentioned have taken away some of the luster of the program and led many to believe Ohio State is not elite and in fact, overrated simply because of the history and tradition of the program.

Here are Ohio State's last eight losses, all since 2005. I'm not sure why this resume is the reason they have been dragged through the mud over the past several seasons, but nonetheless, it is.

2005 Regular Season vs. eventual BCS National Champions Texas

Team AP Rank on gameday:

Texas was ranked No. 2
Ohio State was ranked No. 4

Final Score:

Texas 25
Ohio State 22

Looking back:

Vince Young should have won the Heisman and he led Texas (13-0) over USC (12-1) 41-38 in one of the best BCS title games ever played.

Ohio State (10-2) should have won this game and literally, they were one dropped touchdown catch away from beating Texas, but fell short in the end.

2005 Final AP Poll Rank:

Texas No. 1
Ohio State No. 4


2005 Regular Season vs. eventual Big 10 & Orange Bowl Champions Penn State

Team rankings on gameday:

Penn State was ranked No. 16
Ohio State was ranked No. 6

Final Score:

Penn State 17
Ohio State 10

Looking back:

The 2005 Nittny Lions (11-1) were one of Joe Pa's best teams ever and if not for a fluke loss at Michigan (7-5), they may have won the BCS title against either Texas or USC.

So, while a loss is a loss, Ohio State (10-2) had chances to win this game, which by the way, was played in Happy Valley at night in the "whiteout" where very few opponents ever come away victorious.

2005 Final AP Poll Rank:

Penn State No. 3
Ohio State No. 4


2006 BCS National Championship Game vs. SEC and eventual BCS Champions Florida

Team rankings on gameday:

Ohio State was ranked No. 1
Florida was ranked No. 2

Final Score:

Florida 41
Ohio State 14

Looking back:

Sure the score was lop-sided and Ohio State (12-1) was favored but Ted Ginn going out after the opening kickoff was a major blow not to be overlooked, and let's not forget...

For 50+ days straight, all Ohio State heard was how great they were and how all they needed to do was show up and pick up the trophy and all Florida (13-0) heard was how much they didn't belong, and how Michigan deserved to be there more than them, and that they had no shot to beat the Buckeyes and they only got in because UF coach Urban Meyer, aka Urban Cryer, told his sob story about how the SEC is just so tough and there's no way an SEC team can go undefeated and that's why his team deserved to jump UM...which they did in the final poll.

It's no surprise why UF won. They had more motivation and more to prove and Buckeyes were told that they couldn't lose. No excuse though in this game in the end because the Bucks rolled over and got rolled by UF in embarrassing fashion as the heavy favorites so I get why OSU took a hit nationally after this game and deservedly so.

2006 Final AP Poll Rank:

Florida No. 1
Ohio State No. 2


2007 Regular Season vs. eventual Big Ten Runner-up and Rose Bowl representative Illinois

Team rankings on gameday:

Ohio State was ranked No. 1
Illinois was unranked

Final Score:

Illinois 28
Ohio Stare 21

Looking back:

I guess this was Ohio State's "hiccup" game, kind of like when Stanford beat USC in 2007 or when Ole Miss beat Florida in 2008.

I won't go overboard on excuses but there was a clear fumble by Illinois (9-4) out of the end-zone that the refs missed which would have given the Buckeyes (11-2) the ball. Instead Illinois scored a touchdown a play or two later.

I'm not saying the Buckeyes would have won, but we'll never know for sure now.

The bottom line is Ron Zook is a good coach and he has fared well vs. Ohio State since he's been in Champaign.

2007 was a very strange year in college football anyway because every week that a new team took over the No. 1 ranking, they seemed to lose their very next game.

The Buckeyes followed that trend, just like all the others.

2007 Final AP Poll Rank:

Ohio State No. 5
Illinois No. 20


2007 BCS National Championship Game vs. SEC and eventual BCS Champions LSU

Team rankings on gameday:

Ohio State was ranked No. 1
LSU was ranked No. 2

Final Score:

LSU 38
Ohio State 24

Looking back:

This game pushed the Buckeyes record all-time vs. teams from the SEC in bowl games to the now infamous and pathetic record of 0-9.

In fairness, Ohio State was never expected to even play for the title in 2007. Not by the fans, the media or even the players and coaches. It was widely viewed as a stepping stone season to a legit title run in 2008.

They overachieved all year and in the end, teams like Kansas, Missouri and West Virginia choked in the final week or two of the season, allowing both LSU and Ohio State to move up to the top two spots essentially by default.

The title game was played in New Orleans, a mere 80 miles or so from Baton Rouge. It's not quite like playing USC in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena 910 miles from USC's campus), but pretty damn close!

It was a "neutral field" home game for LSU and the inept and immobile Todd Boeckman, and Ohio State O-line, gave the ball and the game away by consistently killing OSU drives with costly unforced turnovers and by not throwing it away instead of allowing the LSU defense to sack him repeatedly 5 and 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage.

There were also at least two personal foul penalites called on OSU that kept stalled LSU drives alive and eventually led to more points for the Tigers.

By my count and if my memory serves me correctly (which it does), the penalties and turnovers resulted in a four touchdown swing in favor of LSU, meaning had Ohio State not killed themselves with these stupid mistakes, they would have won this game 42-10.

But, they did kill themselves and they didn't win. LSU had a good team and I'm suggesting that they didn't, but Ohio State was just as fast and just as talented.

Even at "home", the Tigers were very beatable and the game could have and should have went the other way.

2007 Final AP Poll Rank:

LSU No. 1
Ohio State No. 5


2008 Regular Season vs. eventual Pac-10 and Rose Bowl Champions USC

Team rankings on gameday:

USC was ranked No. 1
Ohio State was ranked No. 5

Final Score:

USC 35
Ohio State 3

Looking back:

Again, I'm not trying to make excuses here but when a team is without their best offensive player, the game outcome is going to be affected.

Stud running back Beanie Wells didn't play in this game and unfortunately, Todd Boeckman did.

True freshman phenom Terrelle Pryor saw very limited action in the first quarter only and he ran circles around USC's vaunted defense, but Tressel didn't want to throw him to the wolves in such a huge game so, once OSU was behind 10-3, Pryor didn't see the field again and Boeckman buckled under the pressure as usual and the game was swiftly out of reach.

Now, if there is a the silver lining, it's that USC is great, especially at home and they were the then No. 1 ranked team in the nation and as mentioned, Wells was out for OSU.

The bad news is, the media and college football fans didn't seem to think Wells would have made any difference. I disagree 1000%!

All I'm saying is, take away the best offensive threat from any team in the country and then have them go play USC in L.A. and let me know how that turns out...

2008 Final AP Poll Rank:

USC No. 3
Ohio State No. 9


2008 Regular Season vs. eventual Big 10 Co-Champions and Rose Bowl Representative Penn State

Team rankings on gameday:

Penn State was ranked No. 3
Ohio State was ranked No. 10

Final Score:

Penn State 13
Ohio State 6

Looking back:

This game came down to true freshman Terrelle Pryor trying to make a big play and instead he fumbled the ball late in the game on Ohio State's side of the field.

Ultimately, that led to the games only touchdown and Penn State's first win in Columbus in 30 years.

There's really not much else to tell. It was a close, defensive battle and unfortunately, Pryor made a freshman mistake and that was the difference.

The game really could have went either way. Had Pryor simply ran the play up the middle for a first down (it was 3rd and 1), the Buckeyes very well may have won.

2008 Final AP Poll Rank:

Penn State No. 8
Ohio State No. 9


2008 Fiesta Bowl vs. eventual Big 12 Co-Champions and Fiesta Bowl Champions Texas

Team rankings on gameday:

Texas was ranked No. 3
Ohio State was ranked No. 10

Final Score:

Texas 24
Ohio State 21

Looking back:

Texas (12-1) beat Oklahoma (12-1) 45-35 during the regular season, but because of an odd tie-breaker, Oklahoma played in the Big 12 Championship game and eventually against Florida in the BCS Championship game instead of the Longhorns.

Without doing a full game recap, Texas started out strong but the Buckeyes (10-3) came back to take a 21-17 game with close to two minutes left in the game.

Colt McCoy engineered the Longhorns to a game-winning touchdown with only a few seconds on the clock.

Ohio State was given no chance to win this game and even less of a chance to keep from being blown out.

Ironically, this actually was one of the best bowl games of the entire postseason and essentially, the Bucks lost the game by a couple inches when they almost forced a turnover on downs on Texas's game winning drive.

But in the end, this was just another game where the Buckeyes could/should have won, but came up just short, literally this time by inches.

2008 Final AP Poll Rank:

Texas No. 4
Ohio State No. 9


In hindsight, other than the Illinois loss, none of these other defeats were so-called "hiccups".

All eight teams that Ohio State lost to finished that season ranked in the top twenty.

Seven of the eight finished ranked in top ten.

Six of the eight finished ranked in the top five.

The final AP Poll is the most important because it is after the season, when all the games have been played, and when we truly know how good or how overrated teams were.

Can Ohio State win every big game vs. every elite team they ever play?

Of course not and it's extremely unlikely that any other team in the nation would have won all eight of these games.

Does that mean Ohio State is not elite?

If winning 10 games or more practically every year and being ranked in the top ten at years end almost every season means a team isn't elite, well, then yes but we all know better than that.

Does Ohio State have to start winning some of these games on the "national stage" to reaffirm and maintain their status as one of college football's elite?

Absolutely and unequivocally YES—Without question!

It all has to start this season when the Buckeyes host USC.

A win solidifies the program as elite, while a loss, particularly one comparable to last seasons in L.A. will further erode the fading memories of the Buckeyes previous greatness from yesteryear's of old.

It's unrealistic to expect any team to win every game, every year.

The Buckeyes can't and don't have to win do that, but they have to start winning some of these OOC games vs. the other elitesm—and fast.

For that reason, the USC game is more or less a must win game for the Buckeye program.

After all, there's no free pass when it comes to being in the discussion as one of the nation's elite programs.

Just ask any Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, or Florida State fan.

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Public Enemy No. 1—Espn's Pat Forde At It AGAIN

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com




In his most recent story on Espn.com, Forde writes about UNC's easy victory over Michigan State in the 2009 Mens' NCAA Basketball Championship game.

In it, he invokes an analogy comparing MSU's performance vs. UNC to Ohio State's recent BCS failures on the gridiron.

How (and more importantly why) is it that this CLOWN always finds a way to take cheap shots at the Ohio State Buckeyes, even when they have absolutely nothing to do with the event he was writing about...?

Here's the excerpt:

It was the perfect night for the Tar Heels, whose defensive deficiencies wound up being the most overrated story line of the season. They won another title -- the program's fifth -- while simultaneously leaving hated Duke in the record books for biggest margin of championship-game defeat at 30.

For a while, that record appeared to be in serious jeopardy as the Spartans performed like Ohio State in a BCS National Championship Game. This could have been a 40-point bomb if Michigan State had submitted and North Carolina had kept the hammer down.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Forde!

We get it Pat....

You wanted to come to tOSU (much like your evil brother from another mother Mark May) but we didn't want you (or him) so you settled for Missouri and he settled for Pitt, and you both, will now forever be biased Espin taking heads that take cheap shots at Ohio State as long as you have a forum to be heard...

I, for one, hope you and May both quietly and conveniently go away—and soon, a-la get fired, a-la Trev Alberts.

I have a strong feeling that you're going to REALLY hate OSU over the next two to three years Pat when they win the title, Pryor wins the Heisman and you get you SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE!

In the meantime, here's some free advice for you Mr. Forde:

DON'T POKE A SLEEPING LION WITH A STICK!

Whoops, too late........

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