Pittsburgh Panthers To Become 12th Big Ten Team?

Posted by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation




Pitt TRUE Freshman Phenom Dion Lewis was one of the nation's best RB's in 2009

Rumors have been swirling around the internet over the weekend, particularly on message boards like Pantherlair.com and PantherDigest.com, that Pittsburgh will become the 12th member of the Big Ten Conference.

Supposedly, Pitt’s athletic department officials held closed door meetings with all student-athletes this past week to speak with them abut the impending move to the Big Ten. That led to Panther athletes posting this information on there Twitter pages and was quickly erased.

From everything I am hearing, or reading, is that Pittsburgh will formally announce that they will accept an invitation to join the Big Ten on Thursday, February 4.

This does come as a surprise since it was just back on December 15 that the Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors said “that the timing is right for the conference to once again conduct a thorough evaluation of options for conference structure and expansion. As a result, the commissioner was asked to provide recommendations for consideration by the COP/C over the next 12 to 18 months.”

That was just over a month ago. That would lead me to believe that school officials from the University of Pittsburgh, in a preemptive strike, sought out an invitation to join the Big Ten fearing that the COP/C might select another Big East member, which only has eight schools that compete in football. The Big East has already been raided once when the Atlantic Coast Conference snatched up Virginia Tech and Miami in 2004, followed by Boston College in 2005.

Another thing worth noting is that there is a small window of opportunity from when expansion talks began in December until the Big Ten could get a 12th member into the conference in time for the league to conduct a championship football game for 2012. And it’s clear that the main reason for expansion is to have a Big Ten championship game in football.

Also something I like to point out is that the University of Pittsburgh is a member of the American Association of Universities, a prestigious group of leading research universities that all 11 current Big Ten members are a part of, though they really are not outside of the current footprint of the conference which really doesn’t bring any new television markets.

If this rumor is true, does the Big Ten stop at 12?

There have been several schools thought of as other viable candidates to be conference members. The list seems to be quite long, too, and it includes: Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas just to name a few.

Does the Big Ten expand to 14? 16? Only time will tell.

If Pittsburgh moves to the Big Ten, this will definitely make the Big East the Big Least in football, if it isn’t already. The Big East would have to look to add a member from Conference USA or possibly Temple to give the league eight members again just to keep their status as a BCS conference.

As for Pittsburgh joining the Big Ten, they will give a boost to the two big revenue generators, football and men’s basketball, though Panther fans say that leaving the Big East to join the Big Ten in basketball is a huge drop-off. I don’t see it that way. Sure, it’s easier to get 16 teams ranked as oppose to 11, but from top to bottom, the Big Ten is as good as any other conference in hoops.

Just have to wait and see.

Article written by Matt Barker
BuckeyeBanter.com


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How Has The SEC Gotten Away With Not Playing Meaningful OOC Road Games For So Long?

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



Seriously, can anyone answer this question, with at the very least, a semi-cognizant thought?

Since 1991, I think most people would agree the best team from the SEC has been the Florida Gators, and Alabama has arguably been a close second, just edging out LSU and Georgia in my opinion.

Over that span, Florida has won three national championships (1996, 2006, 2008) and Alabama has won two (1992, 2009).

Now, I know that basically every Florida, Alabama, and SEC fan in general will try to defend their pathetic out-of-conference road schedules until the death, but facts are facts, and they cannot be ignored any longer.

If UF, Bama, and the rest of the teams from the SEC do not start playing at least one true OOC road game per year during the regular season versus a decent team from a BCS conference, instead of some hopeless and weak FCS cupcake (examples: Charleston Southern, Memphis, Hawaii), then I say the entire conference should be banned from playing in the BCS title game indefinitely.

(I fully expect to, and cannot wait to hear from the likes of Le Roi, Larry, Carson, Sean, etc. after that last paragraph!)

I'm not just shooting my mouth off without the facts to back up my statements here. To further strengthen my stance, let's compare the OOC road games played by Florida, Alabama, and,—oh I don't know,—how about Ohio State—say from 1991, through 2009.


Florida Gators (1991-2009) OOC Road Games (0-1)

1991 @ Syracuse, a 38-21 loss

Sadly, that's it--that's the entire list of OOC road games for UF.


Alabama Crimson Tide (1991-2009) OOC Road Games (4-3)

1991 @ Memphis, a 10-7 win

1992 @ Tulane, a 37-0 win

1996 @ NC State, a 24-19 win

2000 @ UCLA, a 35-24 loss

2002 @ Hawaii, a 21-16 win

2002 @ Oklahoma, a 37-27 loss

2003 @ Hawaii, a 39-27 loss

2004-present, no OOC road games for the Tide (and no, "neutral site" games do NOT count as true road games).


Ohio State Buckeyes (1991-2009) OOC Road Games (10-3)

1992 @ Syracuse, a 35-12 win

1993 @ Pitt, a 63-28 win

1994 @ Washington, a 25-16 loss

1995 @ Pitt, a 54-14 win

1996 @ Notre Dame, a 29-16 win

1997 @ Missouri, a 31-10 win

1998 @ West Virginia, a 34-17 win

2000 @ Arizona, a 27-17 win

2001 @ UCLA, a 13-6 loss

2004 @ NC State, a 22-14 win (NFL star Phillip Rivers was the NC State QB)

2006 @ Texas, a 24-7 win (Colt McCoy was the UT QB)

2007 @ Washington, a 33-14 win (a healthy Jake Locker was the UW QB)

2008 @ USC, a 35-3 loss


Over the past two decades, you can plainly see, UF has played one OOC road game outside of the state of Florida, Alabama has played seven true road games away from the state of Alabama (excluding neutral site games), and Ohio State has played 13 OOC road games outside of Ohio—and not against the likes of Memphis, Tulane, and Hawaii either.

I know a lot of the responses will include references to UF and LSU beating the Buckeyes in 2006 and 2007, and that's fine. I won't dispute that, but I will say this.

If the teams of the SEC are so great, why not step up and play at least one real OOC game per year lke the Buckeyes do, instead of relying on the totally false "our conference schedule is too tough, so we need a break in our OOC games" excuse / crutch?

Florida beat Ohio State after they has nearly 60 days off, and LSU beat OSU essentially at home in 2007 in New Orleans.

Forgive me if I want to see just how well UF, LSU, or Alabama would fare against the Buckeyes in Columbus—and no, not just because of the weather.

That could be a factor depending on when played, but I'm more interested in seeing how those teams would deal with playing on the road, after living out of a hotel for three days, and then playing in front of 105,000+ Buckeye fans in a hostile environment behind enemy lines instead of always in the SEC backyard...


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ClubTrillion's Mark Titus CAN Play Basketball, And Here's The Proof!

Most of us Buckeyes know all about Mark Titus and his blog exploits over at ClubTrillion.

But many Buckeye fans really don't know much else about "The Shark", and most probably believe he can't play basketball worth a hooey.

Well, Mark posted this video yesterday to all the doubters and I thought it was 1000% worth sharing with all of you!

Mark can blog, and ball, and he's just a funny guy no matter what he seems to be doing. Enjoy!




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With NSD Looming, Ohio State Looks To Add Icing To Their 2010 Recruiting Class Cake

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



Five months ago, Ohio State had 11 players already committed to their 2010 recruiting class.

As of now, that number sits at 16, with as many as four to six slots still open before this class is full.

The Buckeyes are still hoping to land the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation, offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, as well as top linebacker Jordan Hicks, among a few others currently not committed elsewhere, including o-lineman Matt James and safety Christian Bryant.

If the Buckeyes somehow find a way to land at least two, if not all four, of those kids, they could crack the top 10, and likely the top five if they do land all four.

As we enter the final stretch leading up to national signing day on February 3, here is the current list of OSU commits for 2010 (listed in order of star-rating via Rivals.com from top to bottom), and a link to their respective Rivals.com recruiting profiles.


4-Stars Corey Brown—ATH/WR

4-Stars Andrew Norwell—OL

4-Stars Rodrick Smith—RB

4-Stars Taylor Graham—QB

4-Stars Carlos Hyde—RB (pictured above)

4-Stars James Louis—WR

4-Stars Jamel Turner—DE

3-StarsDarryl Baldwin—DE

3-Stars Tyrone Williams—WR

3-Stars David Durham—DE/LB

3-Stars Scott McVey—LB

3-Stars J.T. Moore—DE

3-Stars Chad Hagan—LB/S

3-Stars Johnathon Hankins—DT

3-Stars Verlon Reed—QB/S

2-Stars Drew Basil—K


For what it's worth, WR Tyrone Williams would likely be at least a 4-star recruit on both websites, had he not suffered a serious knee injury during his junior year (2008).

Also of note, Rivals has Ohio State's current class for 2010 ranked at No. 24, while Scout.com has the Buckeyes at No. 19.

Scout also has every OSU recruit listed as either a 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star caliber player, so depending on which site you prefer, OSU has fives, fours, and threes, or fours, threes, and a two, and is in the top 20 for now, or barely in the top 25.

No matter how you slice it, you can count on the Buckeyes adding a few more quality ingredients to their 2010 "cake" before they finish it off.



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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?

BlockONation's Ridiculously Way-Too-Early Top 10 For 2010—Number 10

by HD Handshoe
Founder—Block-O-Nation



Welcome to our 10-part series highlighting our picks for the way-too-early top 10 preseason teams in the nation for 2010.

One at a time, our top 10 will be revealed, leading up to No. 1.

As always, we want to know what you think as well, so please post your thoughts in the comment section.

Bookmark the site if you haven't already and feel free to tell all your friends about us too!



Number 10—Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers proved me wrong in 2009. I thought seven wins would be about the best they could hope for, but after treading on thin ice for the past two so-so seasons, Bret Bielema has Wisconsin back on track.

To almost everyone's surprise, the Badgers beat Miami 20-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl to finish the season 10-3.

With running back (and Big Ten Offensive POY) John Clay coming back, and quarterback Scott Tolzien exceeding the output I foresaw for him, the Badgers could be scary good on offense in 2010.

Tight end Garrett Graham is the only offensive starter leaving. Five defensive starters will have to be replaced, but that unit wasn't exactly the Badgers strong suit in 2009, so they should be just as good defensively in 2010—whether or not that is saying much, or not, remains to be seen.

Much like 2009, the Badgers' out-of-conference schedule isn't exactly full of challenges. UW will travel to Vegas to take on UNLV, and they will host San Jose State, Arizona State and FCS foe Austin Peay.

In conference, Wisconsin will travel to Michigan State, Iowa and Michigan, but will host Ohio State at Camp Randall in what should prove to be their toughest game of the year.


2010 Regular Season Projection

Probable / Possible Losses
Ohio State, Iowa / Michigan, Northwestern

W/L Record
For my money, 10-2 is possible and the most likely record for Wisconsin in 2010, but 8-4 is also possible. I believe UW will win nine or 10 games, and finish third in the Big Ten, likely behind Ohio State and Iowa.


Number 9, coming soon!


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