USC Knows "Expected" Win Over Terrelle Pryor, Buckeyes Won't be Automatic

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor is a dual-threat quarterback in the mold of Vince Young—exactly the type who gives Trojans fits—forcing them to make tough choices to defend both pass and run.


Jethro Franklin has seen it before.

As an NFL defensive line coach for eight seasons, he schemed against some of the most prolific dual-threat quarterbacks of the last decade.

Michael Vick and young Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper were among those who tested his players, not to mention his patience.

And in his first tour of duty at USC, Franklin was on the Rose Bowl sideline when Texas quarterback Vince Young carried the Longhorns to a victory over the Trojans in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series title game.

On Saturday, third-ranked USC will play eighth-ranked Ohio State, which features quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a Young-like 6 feet 6 inches of speed and elusiveness.

Asked if the sophomore merits comparison to Young, Franklin did not miss a beat.

"Ask me after the game," the Trojans' defensive line coach said, breaking into a hearty laugh.

Coach Pete Carroll does not need to wait. He describes Pryor as "almost un-tackle-able."

That sounds a lot like Young, who ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 267 yards in Texas' 41-38 victory over the Trojans nearly four years ago.

To return to the BCS title game, once again at the Rose Bowl, USC probably will have to contain Pryor and get past Ohio State.

"He can do whatever he wants to do," Carroll said of Pryor on Monday. "You think you're going to keep him in the pocket and then he just scoots up and gets back out again.

"You can holler at guys for not containing and it doesn't matter -- you contain-rush and he just dips and goes."

Whether Pryor is the second coming of Young remains to be seen. But there is no doubt Pryor has come a long way since last September, when he split time with senior Todd Boeckman in a 35-3 loss to the Trojans at the Coliseum.

Pryor rushed for 40 yards and completed seven of nine passes that day. He moved into the starting lineup a week later.

He finished the season as a 60% passer, throwing for 12 touchdowns with four interceptions. He also ran for more than 600 yards and six touchdowns.

Against Navy on Saturday, Pryor completed 14 of 21 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He rushed for 30 yards in five carries.

"He's faster than he looks and then he's so big and strong, guys bounce off him and slip off him all the time," Carroll said.

But Pryor now appears capable of winning games with his arm as well as his feet.

Steve Clarkson, a private quarterback coach whose proteges have included USC's Matt Barkley, Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart among others, has witnessed the change.

Pryor attended two camps run by Clarkson, one before his final season at Jeannette High in Jeannette, Pa., and one before his freshman season at Ohio State.

"You could see he had tons of talent, and the thing you liked about him more than anything was he wanted to learn," Clarkson said. "Physically, he was undeniably a beast."

Pryor, Clarkson said, has grown dramatically as a passer since arriving in Columbus.

"They've done an unbelievable job with him over there," Clarkson said. "Rarely do you see a kid get better mechanically when he goes to a program like that. This kid clearly got better.

"He throws the ball more accurately -- he looks like a quarterback. I think he's a much better passer than Vince Young was."

Pryor's running ability, though, remains his calling card. And running quarterbacks have caused trouble for USC in the Carroll era.

Kansas State's Ell Roberson, Virginia Tech's Bryan Randall, Oregon's Dennis Dixon and, of course, Young gave the Trojans problems.

Now comes an improved Pryor, running an offense tailored to his talents.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio State ran the option five times against Navy and averaged 7.4 yards per play.

"I think that we definitely feel really comfortable doing it, and Terrelle makes real good decisions out there, so hopefully we'll see it a lot more," tailback Brandon Saine told the newspaper.

Pryor also ran four quarterback draws, the Plain Dealer reported, and a bootleg for a two-yard touchdown. He scrambled once for seven yards.

"He's a playmaker . . . so this is a week where the emphasis for us has to be on tackling," USC middle linebacker Chris Galippo said. "No arm tackles. Forceful hitting has to occur or it could be a long game."

Franklin sees it the same way, so he is stressing that his charges remain disciplined in their pass-rush lanes while keeping an eye on Pryor.

"He's hard to bring down," Franklin said, "so we've got our hands full."


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Original article written by Gary Klein of the L.A. Times

All Eyes on Starting QB Terrelle Pryor for No. 6 Buckeyes as Season Opener Nears

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation



Everywhere he goes, the eyes are on him.

He would stand out anywhere because he stands 6-foot-6, a willowy athlete’s body replete with tattoos.

But in a city of more than 750,000 football-mad people—in a state that reveres its Buckeyes, and particularly the guy who directs the Ohio State offense, no one takes their eyes off Terrelle Pryor.

When he goes out, he wears dark sunglasses to avoid the swarms of Buckeyes fans.

“I try it but it doesn’t work,” he said.

During the team’s recent open scrimmage at Ohio Stadium, several thousand fans showed up. There wasn’t much question about who they came to see. The flashbulbs fired every time Pryor took a snap, made a run or threw a pass.

Pryor has become accustomed to the attention. He fed off of it as the nation’s No. 1 quarterback recruit out of Jeannette, Pa.

He dealt with it last year when he took over as Ohio State’s starting quarterback four games into what would be a 10-3 season, including a share of a fourth consecutive Big Ten title and a third straight Bowl Championship Series appearance.

Now, as one of the few recognizable names on a talented but not well known sixth-ranked Buckeyes squad, Pryor is a rock star in shoulder pads.

“I think he accepts that,” offensive lineman Andrew Moses said. “If you’re a quarterback at a university like this you’re going to know that’s going to be a part of the deal.

Terrelle just wants to be the best player he can be for his team. I don’t know
if he’s really nervous about it. He doesn’t show it.”

A year ago, Pryor came to campus as the school’s most acclaimed quarterback recruit since Art Schlichter in 1979. He watched Todd Boeckman, a first-team All-Big Ten player who led the Buckeyes to the national championship game the season before, direct the offense for three games.

But after the Buckeyes were throttled by Southern California 35-3, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel stunned many by benching the fifth-year senior starter and replacing him with Pryor, who had yet to attend his first day of college classes.

The results were mixed. Pryor’s numbers were good—631 yards rushing and six touchdowns, a 61-percent completion rate with 12 TDs and four interceptions, and an 8-1 record as a starter (he was at wide receiver for the first play of the bowl game, even though he played most of the game at quarterback).

But he came up short against the two toughest opponents left on the Buckeyes’ schedule. He failed on a short fourth-down run while trying to lead a fourth-quarter comeback at home against Penn State and then had a mediocre outing against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State lost both games.

He seldom threw the ball farther than 15 yards all season, leading some to question whether he could throw it far and accurately. He often disdained the pass to break out of the pocket on a run.

Tressel said he believes there’s a natural progression for a young quarterback, and compares Pryor’s maturation with that of the Buckeyes’ 2006 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Troy Smith.

“He’ll evolve every year from that standpoint, not unlike Troy,” Tressel said. “Troy’s first year, he was a 700-yard rusher. Then he was a 500, and his last year around 175 because he got more experienced and he knew more about coverage and knew more about checking down and all those things.

Terrelle has a lot more experience than Troy had at the outset, so I’d like to think he’ll grow into that mold.”

Pryor often is compared to Vince Young, the tall and lanky ex-Texas quarterback now with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

Pryor has tired of the comparisons. Young also was considered a run-first quarterback, even though he hit several memorable passes while leading his team to the national championship as a senior with a stirring win over USC.

“I have to play my game, play Terrelle Pryor’s game,” he said.

“I’m not trying to be someone I’m not. (I’m) trying to be better someday. I don’t strive to be Vince Young. Because I’m not Vince Young. I won’t be Vince Young.”

One reason Pryor is such a focal point this year—for opposing defenses as well as Ohio State fans—is that the Buckeyes are without most of their top weapons from a year ago.

Leading rusher Chris “Beanie” Wells, top receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline and three starters on the offensive line are gone.

During a preseason scrimmage, with the defensive line bowling over lineman and applying heat on Pryor, it was clear that he was frustrated.

“Yeah, he was,” defensive tackle Doug Worthington said. “He’s just somebody who wants the best for his offensive line, his running backs and the team as a whole. When we pressured him a few times he got really, really flustered and a couple of times I just told him to calm down and keep playing and whatnot. But he’s a competitor. You’ve got to love it.”

If the fans’ massive expectations are weighing on him, he’s not showing it.

Asked about being selected as the Big Ten’s preseason player of the year, he swatted aside the question like an off-balance, undersized tackler.

“It’s one thing to be an All-American and All-Big Ten and the player of the year at the end of the season. Before it, it doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “It’s great to have that before the season, but it means nothing. I didn’t do anything yet.”

Whatever he does, a lot of people will be watching.


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Original article written by RUSTY MILLER--AP Sports Writer

Pardon the Pun—Injury to USC WR Ronald Johnson is "Bone-Crushing"

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—BlockONation


LOS ANGELES -- Just when freshman quarterback Matt Barkley made another stride forward, the USC offense took a big hit.

Starting receiver Ronald Johnson will be out six to eight weeks after breaking his collarbone during the No. 4 Trojans' mock game Saturday at the Coliseum, depriving Barkley of one of his top targets until at least mid-October.

Johnson was the Trojans' third-leading receiver last season with 33 catches for 570 yards and eight touchdowns. Coach Pete Carroll said the injury was "the hit of the hit of the weekend," and called Johnson's absence "just a crusher."

Johnson was hurt during the second series of the mock game when he was tackled after catching an underthrown 34-yard pass from Barkley, who went 10 for 17 for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception on a tipped pass against the Trojans' scout-team defense.

Johnson dropped to the turf while running off the Coliseum field, and X-rays later revealed the break.

"We'll be OK," said Damian Williams, the Arkansas transfer who led the Trojans with 58 catches for 869 yards last season. "We've still got great guys there. We'll keep pushing, but we're definitely going to miss him."

Williams will take Johnson's spot at flanker, where Williams played last season. Carroll said junior David Ausberry will move into the starting lineup at split end, while promising freshmen Brice Butler and De'Von Flournoy also will move up the depth chart.

"I'm ready for it," said Butler, a Georgia high school star who had a team-leading four catches for 66 yards in the mock game. "Last year I wasn't ready. I thought I was, but I wasn't. But now I feel like I'm ready and more mature."

Although Barkley tripped and fell to the turf on his first snap in the mock game, he looked cooler and more collected in his second run-through with the first-team offense at the Coliseum, where he had a forgettable debut scrimmage earlier in the month.

Carroll selected the freshman to be his starting quarterback Thursday, pre-emptively ending his training camp competition with Aaron Corp before the mock game.

"It's a great feeling, but it didn't change the way I'm approaching anything or how I play the game," Barkley said. "It's great that the team supports me and they're behind me."

Barkley played a controlled, steady mock game, regularly finding empty spots in the defense and rarely making risky plays. Despite his opening-snap slip, he managed to pitch to tailback Joe McKnight for a 6-yard gain -- but he threw an interception on a tipped pass to end the first drive.

Barkley eventually threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score before giving way to Corp. Running back Stafon Johnson rushed for two scores, and Williams had two catches for 36 yards.

"I think I've seen every trick in the book from our defense," Barkley said. "I think we're better prepared than a lot of offenses are from what we see in practice, all the looks and fronts our defense can give you."

Corp also looked sharp for the Trojans in his late-game work, going 5 for 7 for 89 yards and moving smoothly on his left leg just three weeks after getting a small break in the bone below his knee. Easily moving inside and outside the pocket, Corp proved himself ready to play next week in the season opener against San Jose State.

"I said to him, 'When you finally take off and hook-slide, I'll know you're ready," Carroll said. "He did that, and he kind of turned and looked at me. He showed he's ready to play, and he's available for Saturday."


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This article was posted on ESPN.com
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

How Matt Barkley Being Named USC's Starter Changes the OSU/USC Matchup

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BREAKING NEWS

---

by Tim Bielik
BlockONation Analyst



ESPN reported just moments ago on College Football Live that true freshman QB Matt Barkley has out-seated redshirt junior Aaron Corp for the starting job at USC.

This comes as a mild surprise due to Corp's recent fibula injury and Barkley's rapid progress in the spring and fall camps.

However, starting a true freshman at QB is an unprecedented move in the Pete Carroll era at USC. But no mistake, Carroll has not misfired much when it comes to starting certain personnel.

The early reports are that Barkley will start against San Jose St. in USC's opener, but it did not confirm whether he would start also in the September 12 rematch against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

So what does this mean if Barkley makes his second start in Columbus?

Alot of it has to do with the stable of running backs USC has in CJ Gable, Joe McKnight, and Stafon Johnson.

Expect USC to run the football early in games to give young Barkley some confidence and open up USC's great play-action offense.

And with a great offensive line anchored by Kristopher O'Dowd and Jeff Byers, they should give him plenty of time to get the football out to skilled playmakers Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson.

With the playmakers and offensive linemen the Trojans have at their disposal, Barkley might just be asked to play smart, simple football and just distribute the ball to let the playmakers do what they do best.

This now means that Barkley will be the starter for Saturday's mock game in USC along with the opener on Sept. 5. And unless he fails against the Spartans or is injured, expect his second start to come in the Horseshoe, not the most hospitable of stadiums in college football.

This no doubt is an interesting move by Pete Carroll, but if he thinks his freshman QB, the top prospect by many recruiting services in 2009, gives him the best chance to win, that is who he is going with.

So what does this mean for the Buckeyes if Barkley does indeed start at the Shoe in Week 2?

Ohio State features one of the best defensive lines in the country and a young, but fast and hard-hitting linebacker corps ready to fight for playing time.

Look for them to try to get to Barkley early and confuse the freshman in order to force turnovers.

More, no doubt, will be revealed after the scrimmage in Los Angeles this weekend and USC's opener.

But now, there is more than enough significance that both the top QBs from each of the past two recruiting classes, Barkley and OSU's Terrelle Pryor are on a collision course in Columbus.

OSU fans, be warned that just because Barkley is a freshman doesn't guarantee anything whatsoever. The fact that he beat out two upperclass QBs at one of the top schools in the country for football says a lot in itself.

Barkley has potential to be the next top pick from USC, and he is getting his indoctrination right away. But he has a lot of great talent that will help take a lot of pressure off of him with the USC offense.


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Musberger and Herbstreit: Big Ten Conference Championship Comes Down to November 7th

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation






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USC Quarterback Aaron Corp Out With Fractured Fibula

BREAKING NEWS
(pardon the pun USC fans)

Quarterback Aaron Corp has a small crack on the head of his left fibula.

It was originally thought that he would be out for one to two weeks. Recent reports however have suggested that Corp could miss up to three weeks. If that's the case, it's unlikely that he will be the USC starter on opening day.

The redshirt sophomore, who entered camp as the starter, was rolled onto by a lineman during Monday's practice. Team doctors determined he has no ligament damage and will not need surgery.

"This is an unfortunate setback for Aaron but we're encouraged by the diagnosis and that he's going to return quickly," Coach Pete Carroll said.

Corp said he was thankful the injury is fairly minimal.

"It's the best-case scenario for this situation," Corp said. "I'll keep rehabbing and hopefully be back soon."

Corp has been competing with freshman Matt Barkley for the starting quarterback position. Barkley will take all the first-team reps during Corp's absence, Carroll said.

"Matt's going to try and make the most of this opportunity," Carroll said.

Said Corp: "While I'm gone, Matt and Mitch [Mustain] will do a great job. They're going to compete and make the team better."



Article originally published at WeAreSC.com

USC's Taylor Mays Talking About Ohio State, Terrelle Pryor

Mays drops a nice little sound bite near the end.

I hope you have seen this or are watching this now Terrelle!

Ohio State—USC 2009: Position by Position, Who Has the Advantage?

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com

With the start of the 2009 season only 35 days away, I thought it would be fitting to repost a couple of articles that were originally published during the off-season, back when the season seemed so far away.

I'm sure there are new visitors to the site that have not read these stories and now they won't have to go digging through the archives.



Let me say this right up front.

I'm a Buckeye fan but I have done my damnedest to provide my absolute objective view on the game, all bias aside.

I've researched both teams and have previously written a couple of articles about them and this game so I feel pretty confident in what I'm about to post.

---

OSU backfield vs. USC backfield

Pryor is in year 2 and has vastly improved his passing skills. Boom and Zoom will be just fine taking over for the departed Beanie Wells. Aaron Corp will make his 2nd career start in front of 105,000 fans and against one of the nation's best season to season defenses...

You can bet that OSU loads the box to stop the USC trio of backs and challenges Corp to beat them....I'm not sure he's ready to step up to that just yet....

Advantage - Ohio State (slightly)


OSU WR's vs. USC WR's

Both teams have fast WR's. Individually, Williams is the biggest name on both teams but as far as depth, OSU has just as much, albeit young.

Advantage - USC (slightyly)


OSU O-line vs. USC O-line

The Bucks O-line will be much better than last years group (especially now that dead-weight overrated Alex Boone is gone), but USC's guys have all played together for a full season so and are probably the best unit in the nation.

Advantage - USC


OSU D-line, LB's and DB's vs. USC's D-line, LB's and DB's

OSU is stronger on the front line, OSU & USC are pretty even at LB and USC gets the nod in the defensive backfield, primarily because of Taylor Mays!

Advantage - Push


OSU Special Teams vs. USC Special Teams

The Buckeyes have a solid kicker in Aaron Pettrey and they get a lot of practice kicking FG's. He has a powerful leg too and can kick from distance.

In the return game, I think both teams will have speed guys and are pretty even so only b/c of the kicker....

Advantage - OSU (slightly)


Tressell vs. Carroll

These are the top 2 winningest coaches in College Football since 2001 but Pete has more big wins and an AP title to go along with his BCS title and Tressel has more to prove, hopefully starting with this game...

Advantage - USC


X-Factor: The Shoe at Night



Just like last year in L.A., the Buckeyes defend their home turf just as well.

In the last 47 home games vs. OOC opponents, the Buckeyes are 46-1

Advantage - OSU

---

Overall, it looks pretty even to me. OSU has the talent to compete vs. USC and they have the home field this time.

USC is extremely talented and they always reload and always shows up in bigtime national stage games.

Something has to give, but it's really too close to call IMO...

I hope for and expect a battle and for this one to live up to the "Game of the Century" hype!


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Huge News to Share With Ohio State Football Fans

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com


I have been selected to blog as an Ohio State football blogger by PhilSteele.com for the 2009 season!

If you're a true college football fan, then you know who Phil Steele is and you realize this almost makes me kind of a big deal!

In addition to the articles that myself and my contributors post here at BlockONation and on BleacherReport.com, I, HD Handshoe will be blogging about the 2009 Buckeyes over on PhilSteele.com

This is an amazing opportunity and a chance to gain even more exposure for this blog, as well as for myself, Kristofer, Tim, Michael, Jeremy and Kyle!


Here's the link to the Ohio State team page blog on PhilSteele.com where my season-long articles will appear!

I'll be sure to let everyone know when my articles appear on PhilSteele.com

Thanks to every Buckeye fan that has visited this site and told others about it.

You've already helped me in making BlockONation more than I ever imagined it could be in such a short time.

Thanks for your continued support! It is greatly appreciated!

HD
Founder
BlockONation.com

Becoming a Legend: What Terrelle Pryor Must Do

by Tim Bielik
BlockONation Analyst



For as much disappointment as Buckeye fans witnessed in 2008, they saw just as much promise in the nation's most hyped recruit, Terrelle Pryor. Now he returns for his sophomore season with a year's worth of experience under his belt.

With the senior class of James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins gone, the burden falls on Pryor to be a leader for this young batch of Buckeyes ready to begin a new era in Columbus.

Many feel this will be Pryor's breakout season and possibly a Heisman year for the young gun from Jeannette, PA.

Sophomores have won the Heisman in the past two years, so the trend bodes well for Pryor heading into 2009.

Though he came into Columbus raw as a passer, fans saw tremendous progression in the then-freshman week after week.

He quickly showed little fear of the spotlight, and actually little fear of anything on the field, as evidenced by his verbal tussle with USC safety Taylor Mays.

Pryor's fearless attitude serves as a new mentality for the Buckeyes, looking to inject new life into a program that has seen a failure to win big games in recent years.

He hopes to lead the charge to change perceptions and bring Jim Tressel his second FBS title in his tenure at Ohio State.

But for Pryor to succeed, he must continue to improve certain facets of his game.

Most crucial are his overall passing skills out of the pocket.

Pryor's main focus for coming to Columbus was to learn how to become a pro-style QB, and that means being a threat with the arm and legs.

He showed he could make deep throws but really lacked velocity and a fluid throwing motion last season. But over the course of this spring, he has improved the velocity and accuracy of his medium-range passes.

Critics want to know if he can make all the throws, short and long. With an offense where Pryor is surrounded with potential playmakers at receiver and RB, he just has to put the ball in places where they can make plays.

Pryor must also make sure he improves his decision making.

In some situations, he was indecisive about whether he wanted to run or pass, and that led to sacks or impossible escapes out of the pocket.

If he has a safety valve on offense such as a RB dumpoff, Pryor's life will be much easier knowing he has someone to get the ball to if protection breaks down.

No doubt he has the speed to blast through holes in the pocket and run for yardage, but he will soon learn to make safe plays and protect his body for future situations.

Going along with that is learning that sometimes the best play is just throwing the ball away and not losing yardage.

Finally, he will have to learn to manage being the team leader on and off the field.

Last season, he had the comfort of the seniors being the focal points of the team. Now the dynamic shifts, with Pryor as the face of the Buckeyes.

He might not be a captain this year, being a sophomore, but he has as much a leadership role as anyone on the team and will have to push them as hard as he can to get back to the level the Buckeyes have been at for the past several years.

Few doubt that Pryor won't work as hard as possible to be the best he can be, and possibly the best Buckeye in history, which would be an illustrious distinction.

If Pryor can lead Ohio State to an upset win over USC, there is no contention his legend will rise to new heights. If he also becomes a more complete passer, he can be one of the greatest of all time.

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Ohio State--USC: Apples to Apples, Who Has the Advantage?

by HD Handshoe
Founder
BlockONation.com



Let me say this right up front.

I'm a Buckeye fan but I have done my damnedest to provide my absolute objective view on the game, all bias aside.

I've researched both teams and have previously written a couple of articles about them and this game so I feel pretty confident in what I'm about to post.

---

OSU backfield vs. USC backfield

Pryor is in year 2 and has vastly improved his passing skills. Boom and Zoom will be just fine taking over for the departed Beanie Wells. Aaron Corp will make his 2nd career start in front of 105,000 fans and against one of the nation's best season to season defenses...

You can bet that OSU loads the box to stop the USC trio of backs and challenges Corp to beat them....I'm not sure he's ready to step up to that just yet....

Advantage - Ohio State (slightly)


OSU WR's vs. USC WR's

Both teams have fast WR's. Individually, Williams is the biggest name on both teams but as far as depth, OSU has just as much, albeit young.

Advantage - USC (slightyly)


OSU O-line vs. USC O-line

The Bucks O-line will be much better than last years group (especially now that dead-weight overrated Alex Boone is gone), but USC's guys have all played together for a full season so and are probably the best unit in the nation.

Advantage - USC


OSU D-line, LB's and DB's vs. USC's D-line, LB's and DB's

OSU is stronger on the front line, OSU & USC are pretty even at LB and USC gets the nod in the defensive backfield, primarily because of Taylor Mays!

Advantage - Push


OSU Special Teams vs. USC Special Teams

The Buckeyes have a solid kicker in Aaron Pettrey and they get a lot of practice kicking FG's. He has a powerful leg too and can kick from distance.

In the return game, I think both teams will have speed guys and are pretty even so only b/c of the kicker....

Advantage - OSU (slightly)


Tressell vs. Carroll

These are the top 2 winningest coaches in College Football since 2001 but Pete has more big wins and an AP title to go along with his BCS title and Tressel has more to prove, hopefully starting with this game...

Advantage - USC


X-Factor: The Shoe at Night



Just like last year in L.A., the Buckeyes defend their home turf just as well.

In the last 47 home games vs. OOC opponents, the Buckeyes are 46-1

Advantage - OSU

---

Overall, it looks pretty even to me. OSU has the talent to compete vs. USC and they have the home field this time.

USC is extremely talented and they always reload and always shows up in bigtime national stage games.

Something has to give, but it's really too close to call IMO...

I hope for and expect a battle and for this one to live up to the "Game of the Century" hype!

---

6-03-09 EDIT/UPDATE:

I received an email from what I gauge to be a USC fan, although he does say he is from Ohio.

What he had to say about this years game is, I'm sure, similar to what most of the nation probably believes as well.

The perception is that USC, even with their in-conference failures the last several seasons vs. teams that most fans and analysts believed have no business beating them like Oregon, Oregon State and Standford twice, is still going to come to Columbus and crush the Buckeyes.

Here's the email:
=================

Read your post on USC-Ohio St. matchup. Nice analysis. I grew up in Ohio, so I may be biased as well, but here goes.

Having attended the last year’s game in L.A. I have to tell you: USC is going to wipe the floor with Ohio St. this next September. The kids at USC live to wreck other people’s days in their house. I’ve seen this in Nebraska, Fayetteville Arkansas, Auburn Alabama, Provo Utah, Champaign, Illinois, South Bend Indiana…the list goes on an on. Check it out 36-6 on the road their last 42. Indeed, USC hasn’t lost a non-conference road game since 2002.

The scouting reports from people I trust advise me that USC’s defense is even faster than last year’s version. Believe it. The Trojan D-line is actually upgraded and its linebackers are all blue chippers who saw extensive playing time last year. Time to reload.

My prediction: USC wins by two touchdowns – minimum.

USC has much more depth at wide receiver than for which you give them credit. The Trojans lost one senior – Patrick Turner – who, from a talent perspective, should have been 4th on the depth chart last year. The truth is he was always a great “practice” player, but underperformed in the game. His dropped balls ended many a Trojan drive the last few years. The word was that he got much of his playing time by virtue of his senior status and hard work in practice. The WR who was 4th on the chart – Vidal Hazelton – transferred out because the kids below him were even better than he was. In short, USC will field 6 receivers that could all start at 119 other programs.

USC’s problem isn’t a lack of depth – it’s managing all the talent and spreading the ball around.

USC quarterback Aaron Corp will likely have all day to do so: all 18 USC offensive linemen return from last year. Moreover, Corp is in his 3rd year of the system (same as Matt Leinert when he won the Heisman) and is fresh off of having beat out the #1 ranked QBs from the high school classes of 2005 and 2008 (Mustain and Barkley). Did you know that there are 5 USC quarterbacks collecting paychecks in the NFL right now? They may not be All-Pros, but it shows you the type of kids that go to USC. The Buckeyes would be making a big mistake if they’re counting on Aaron Corp to be intimidated by a road game.

I was at last year’s game. 35-3 with 3:00 minutes left – in the 3rd quarter. I’ve been watching Ohio St. football for a fair number of years. I recall only one beating that was worse – by Penn St. a good while back. In all honesty, USC took its offensive foot off of Ohio St. ’s throat at the end of the 3rd quarter or else the Trojans would have scored 50 had they been so inclined.

The only difference this year is a new quarterback. Whether it’s Corp. or Mustain or Barkley; Ohio St. didn’t show me anything to suggest that one of them won’t be able to get the job done – not with every running back, every linemen and 6-8 returning WR’s back.

Personally, I’d like to see the Buckeyes make a game of it, but I don’t see it happening friend.

---

First of all, I am being objective and unbiased in this article so I'm not sure why he starts with "I may be biased as well but here goes."

Anyway, moving on....Is he right?

Is USC going to wax the field with us?

I'm fairly confident he is way off but I get why he believes what he is saying.

The absurd national perception of Ohio State is they are a punching bag from the weak Big 10 that NEVER wins big games.

Ohio State has lost some big games vs. some great teams but over the past few seasons, they've also won a few too.

Michigan State in 2008, Penn State in 2007 and both Texas and Michigan in 2006 were all National stage games where OSU was predicted to lose by some of the so-called experts—Mark May, Trev Alberts, Pat Forde among others, and Ohio State won them all!

Of course, afterwards, those same "experts" then declared MSU, PSU, Texas & UM were all overrated. How else could they explain away the fact that they were wrong?

It couldn't be because Ohio State was good, but rather the other teams weren't.

Everyone likes to blast us for beating lesser OOC opponents and the "supposed weak" teams of the Big Ten b/c we have then went on to lose to some of the nation's top teams.

The Bucks last 8 losses (since 2005) have all come against top 20 teams.

Seven of those 8 were in the top 10 and 6 of those 7 were in the top 4.

Also of those 8 teams, 3 went on to win the BCS title the year the beat tOSU....

So the perception of OSU is skewed as you can see.

That's fine though.

I'm sure USC thought they could travel to Corvalis last year and thump the Beavers.

I'm sure they expect to travel to Columbus and thump the Buckeyes this year.

If Sanchez couldn't beat Oregon State in front of a whopping 45K last year, how in the world do these people seriously believe that it's a given, that Aaron Corp, in his 2nd career start, can come to OUR HOUSE, Ohio Stadium, aka the Shoe, in front of 105,000+ and beat the Buckeyes?

USC is a great team and of course they could and maay win the game but it's not a lock, it's not a given and it WILL NOT be a blowout if USC does win.

Just because last year in LA, without Beanie and sadly for us, with Boeckman instead of Pryor, it was a beatdown doesn't mean this year will be as well.

Again, USC may win, but they'll have to earn it and it won't be easy like so many seem to think.

Fight on in your dream world, I guess..........

---

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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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