Happy OSU v. Michigan

I say this with 100% genuine sincerity: The Ohio State Buckeyes versus University of Michigan Wolverines Football Saturday is an observed holiday in my household. I will go to my grave recognizing this day.

So as Jim Tressel led our Buckeyes to his 8th win in 9 years as our head coach today, I learned many things about this day and my life in general. I would like to share them with you.

1. I cherish this day.

2. It makes the day so enjoyable when OSU wins and the weather is a balmy 50 degrees and sunny.

3. I have some really cool friends who come to my house despite the prospect that our Bucks may lose and I may make everyone uncomfortable.

4. My dude, Chad gets it.

5. I love my wife. I had some where around 10 friends and colleagues come to my house to share in the festivities and she was nothing but cordial and welcoming. Never once did she balk. There would be a mess. Our carpet would be walked upon. Plenty of boisterous ruckus would take place. And never did she complain. She took care of the baby and I got to socialize and watch football.

6. I wish I could have joined Rob's bonfire.

7. I got to experience the phenomenon that is The Baddness and it was well worth the price of admission. His friends are very cool and I hope to hang out with them again.

8. Oregon will most likely be our opponent in the Rose Bowl. Maybe now, we can gain some respect int he eyes of ESPN and the national media. But the defense BETTER show up and somehow, someway, Pryor needs to learn how to pass in the next month.

9. I don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan 'cuz I'm from OH-IO.

10. I really wish I could have had my oldest daughter with me today. I mean it when I say I consider this day a holiday. Just like Thanksgiving and Christmas and her birthday, I want to share this day with my girl. I want her decked out in her scarlet and gray cheering with me and getting frustrated with the bad plays. I want her to form memories of these games with her dad. While so much was good about today, there is still this missing piece in my heart. I would trade the times with my friends for the time with her in a hear beat. I have before and would have today. Of course, today I could have had both. But this is reality. Maybe next year.

11. I did get to share the day with my youngest. Most of the day she was with her mom. But she had her Buckeye gear on. She watched pregame with me and listened to the marching band. Most importantly, she was her to experience the experience. When she is up walking and talking, I anticipate her contribution to the future holidays to be significant.

12. I like my life the way it is. I witnessed numerous things tonight. But after it was all said and done, I was very happy I am living the life I am living. I am happy I have my family as it is, my house, a job, my friends, my personality, attitude, way of living, values and general lifestyle. I can't do what some can but I am happy with watching them. I don't do what some do and I am extremely pleased I don't.

13. I am excited to see family and old friends this coming weekend for the holiday. I have plenty to be thankful for and I look forward to acknowledging it!

On this day when we beat Michigan....LIFE IS GOOD!

I Love It.....

...when I come home from work and open the garage door to the sounds and coos of my baby girl upstairs.

...when I walk up those stairs and see my oldest anxiously greet me with a hug and plenty of excitement.

...when my wife makes sure I don't proceed without giving her a kiss.

...that my wife looks as beautiful as she does.

...that my wife can carry and contribute to a conversation about anything I have on my mind and initiates conversations that intrigue me.

...when I play night softball games under the lights. I fondly remember when I did it for the first time in high school and was struck by the feeling that rushed over me as I trotted out to the outfield. Now, almost twenty years later, I still enjoy that experience.

...that I get to pitch at some of my games. There is something to the control and constant involvement in the game that I enjoy. It is really fun when I am pitching well. I love the satisfaction of contributing to the win.

...when I meet friends to watch any particular team I support. The more the merrier.

...when the leaves begin to change colors and air cools. This time of year is easily my favorite. It means something when it trumps the time of year when I didn't have to work. But once the shock of returning to school wears and I get into the routine, this time of year is great. Even cloudy cool days are nice. Football is in full swing. Playoff baseball is going on. The basketball and hockey seasons are about to commence. There is a feel in the air that I love. Holidays are right around the corner and the traditions that come with them are a joy. Trick or treating with the girls. Lots of turkey and football on Thanksgiving. The Michigan game. Christmas and all that comes with it. Ahh yeah.

...that I have numerous positive relationships with coworkers. As difficult as my job is day in and day out, enjoying the people I work with make it more tolerable.

...that Shaq is a Cavalier. I am eager to watch a season with LeBron and O'Neal playing together nightly.

...that Braylon Edwards is no longer a Brown.

...that I genuinely enjoy the company of my in-laws and even my brother's in-laws.

...that my nephews are very cool. Being "uncle Beau" is nothing but fun and watching them bond with their cousins is awesome to watch.

...that I have so many good friends. I also love that I have such a diverse set of friends. The diversity has added plenty of spice to my life.

...that I do not have any long standing grudges or estrangements with family members or loved ones.

...that I am paying off my debt....slowly but surely.

...that I have all girls this year. I am enjoying it as much of a roller coaster ride that it is.

...that I have so many fond memories of several periods of my life.

...that I got to be a part of 85. And that every time we are together we all acknowledge it and mark it with pictures. It is a tradition and an experience that I cherish to this day and always will.

...that I got to throw the tire.

...that I know what glasshouse party means to a select group of people. And I got to experience it multiple time.

...that at least Ohio State has won a a championship in my lifetime and it was a football one at that.

...that Cleveland was able to get back our football team and its essence unlike every other city out there.

...that I have been able to go to a Rose Bowl. And it was an epic game.

...that I can turn the channel when I see Ann Coulter is on CNN.

...that I can rake at "Beer Money" on STO.

...when All Bets Are Off is on TV and I can enjoy Bruce rant about things I care about just like the old days on the radio before he was in trouble with the law.

...that I got to witness Bernie Kosar play for the Browns.

...that I was around for the birth of the Dawg Pound and sat in it during its glory days.

...that I was able to attend games in the Grand Old Lady on the Lake before it was demolished for the new Cleveland Browns Stadium.

...that the Browns stadium is named just that and not some sponsor like Progressive Field.

...that I was able to enjoy the Indians in the mid-90s.

...that know what it is to be loyal and die hard no matter what, to something.

Thank God For Football!

Turn a new page. Tear the old one out. And I'll try to see things your way.
"How We Operate" by Gomez

I try to be a man of my word. And my word has been that I am done being held prisoner to the Huey Karma. No longer will Negative Huey dominate my life.

It is a new day. The day of positive Huey is now.

But the Karma still won't let me go. It refuses to let me live my life in the positive manner I want to live it.

It started in the sports realm of my life an it will end in the sports realm.

This weekend the Karma has beaten me down, bloodied me up and dragged me down the street in a victory parade on the way to a dirty lake where it dumped me and left me there to die.

But I refuse to lose.

I will scratch and claw with every fiber of my being to crawl out of the murky lake and have my day. I will not allow this to keep me down.

USC beat my Buckeyes in heartbreaking fashion. The usual outcome for my beloved teams. There seems to be no other possible outcome these days. I was led to believe there was a chance. I allowed myself to live in the moment and enjoy the lead as we had it in the second half. But, as usual, the offense shut down and couldn't ice the game. I left the stadium heart dragging ten feet behind.

But I maintain my composure and look back on this experience with fondness. The evening was electric. The crowd was intense. The atmosphere was like little I have ever experienced. It ranks at the top of my list with the 1997 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. There were numerous moments of joy and elation.

It was that good.

I choose to stick with that memory despite the loss.

The Browns clocked in with the usual poor performance this afternoon to top off a losing weekend.

I choose to quickly forget this and focus on the words of my good friend who shares my pain: "It's so good to have football back."

In the midst of losing and despair, he still knew that football is good. It is back.

Thank God for football!!

The Huey Karma Won't Die

Not long ago I swore off the Huey Karma. It was part of a greater effort to be more positive. I openly acknowledge my tendency to be a pessimist and look at things from a negative point of view even though I have always felt it was more of a realistic point of view.

I want to change that habit. I understand I am wired a certain way and sometimes there is need for pessimism to keep my head on straight, but I believe I can stay true to myself and my "wiring" while leaning in a more positive direction. I believe I can have a more positive outlook and in turn enjoy myself more.

Therefore, the Huey Karma had to go.

But not without its last kicks. It is like kicking an addiction. Relapse may be inevitable. But it is not reason to quit quitting.

Allow me to explain the Huey Karma to those of you who are new to the concept. It is not exactly like the conventional karma we are used to hearing about within Buddhism or other Eastern belief systems. No, the Huey Karma is more like Murphy's Law. What can go wrong, will go wrong.

The Huey Karma would state: If you don't expect it to go wrong, it will go wrong.

One rule of combating the Huey Karma is to never take anything good for granted no matter how inevitable it may seem. Expect the bad and it won't happen. But assume you have something before you have it and you will lose it. The Karma preys on your unsuspecting moments.

If you ever think you have something prematurely, the Karma will strike and take it from you.

It began with sports and then generalized to my life overall. I quickly noticed in my little league games that when I assumed we would win, we would lose. As I watched countless heartbreaks at the hands of John Elway, Micheal Jordan, Art Modell, the Florida Marlins, Michigan Wolverines and even the Michigan State Spartans, my fears were reinforced.

The greatest example would be the opening game of the Browns season not long after they returned. The clock said 0:00 and the Browns had more points. They lost that game. Dwayne Rudd was called for a penalty that I never saw called before or since that game. He took off his helmet.

Huey Karma.

The examples are endless. Those of you who know me have heard them all.

My driver's license. Countless girls I tried to date. College Graduation. Endless lists of more minor shortcomings.

I have a good friend, Chad who understands the Karma and warned me against swearing it off. He knew the ramifications I would be facing. If there was a school of Huey Karma, Chad would have his Master's Degree. He would be close to finishing his doctorate as we speak.

We both attended the Ohio State versus Navy game this past Saturday. We both had high expectations for the game. That was our first mistake.

As the days before the game drew near, we set up our plans to meet before the game and head to campus to enjoy the pre game atmosphere. Then we would proceed to the game to watch a good game against a good opponent that would end in relatively easy win.

Then the Karma arrived.

First, I realized I couldn't make it to the game early. I had more important duties as Daddy. So that was out.

Secondly, my brother was in town for a reunion the night before. I was excited to visit with him and my sister-in-law. But that fell through as it made no sense for them to show up late at night and deal with the cats of whom my brother is allergic just for 5 minutes of bed prep and and a goodbye in the morning.

We did manage to see them and two mutual friends before the game for a couple of minutes but nothing near the kind of valuable, meaningful visit we had hoped for in our plans. (Plus, it hurts my argument here)

Through it all, I maintained my positive attitude and enjoyed what I did get to enjoy. The few minutes were better than nothing. The walk through campus was nice. The conversation with Chad was pleasant.

But the Karma doesn't go that easy.

We finally made out way tot he stadium and began the trek that was the climb to our seats.

When we came to rest at our seats, it was the second to last row. The steep climb almost made my nose bleed if not my ears. The seats themselves were directly next to the wall of the press box and a pole was right in front of us.

Take a look at the seats we had after we moved to better seats. BETTER SEATS:


Then, an easy win turned into an ugly escape as the Buckeyes blew a 15 point 4th quarter lead right on cue. If it weren't for a questionable two point conversion play call that led to a pick two for my Bucks, I could have been singing a different tune that this last paragraph will.

I was never scared.

Really.

I predicted a 26-23 Buckeye victory. It was a 31-27 Buckeye victory. A four point win instead of a three point win.

So the Karma keeps kicking. I anticipate more stories to tell. It won't go without a fight.

But I promise I am determined. I can be as stubborn as this dreaded Karma.

In the words of my dear departed grandmother, B: "If it's gotta be you or me....dammit, it's gonna be me!"

2009 Fiesta Bowl Recap

Ohio State and Texas thrilled Fiesta Bowl viewers last night with an exciting football game. All indicators leading up to the game led us to believe the Buckeyes were in over their heads and had no business being in the same stadium as the Texas Longhorns. I, too, wrote how the Longhorns would cruise to an easy 37-6 type of game. But to my delight that did not happen. The Buckeyes went blow for blow with Texas demonstrating that they belonged on the same field with the Big 12 powerhouse.

They hung in there through the first half. They were able to go in the locker room with a 6-3 lead. Nobody expected the powerful Longhorn offense to be held to a field goal for 30 minutes. Ohio State then weathered a Texas storm in the third quarter and answered with a 15 point run of their own to take a 21-17 lead with 2 minutes left in the game. That alone impressed me. I thought the Buckeyes were dead to rights after the two third quarter TDs, but when it was gut check time, they responded.

But as my brother said and I thought...."TOO MUCH TIME!!!!!!" The Buckeye offense scored too fast. They left Colt McCoy 2 minutes to score. That is just way too much time for the potent offense from Texas. Despite being inches from a 4th down stand, the defense of Ohio State could not hold McCoy. An aggressive play call to blitz McCoy left the slant open over the middle and Anderson Russell couldn't make the stop allowing Texas to score and clinch the nail biting victory.

I wrote six things that needed to happen for Ohio State to win and they came up just short delivering on 5 of them. That perfectly translated to the game in which Ohio State came up just short of winning.

I wrote Wells had to have a big game. He did until he suffered a concussion in the second half. He needs to go pro because he can't go more than 2 games without getting hurt. He needs to get his paycheck while he still can. Back to the game, Wells rushed for 106 yards averaging 6.6 and breaking several big, important runs. his success kept the ball out of the Longhorns' hands. It allowed for the Bucks to control the clock and the game in the first half and was a big reason they had a lead.

I also said the defense HAD to show up and they did. Again, they held the explosive Longhorns to a field goal in the first half and earned a critical three and out in the 4th quarter as well. Unfortunately, in the third quarter the offense sputtered which resulted in little time to rest for the defense. The Longhorns capitalized with a hurry up offense and were able to get two big touchdowns.

I wrote the coaches needed to avoid the same old stagnant game plan. They came through to a certain degree. The Boeckman/Pryor alternating was different and done well from my point of view. It would have been nice to see Boeckman throw underneath a bit more instead of going deep almost every time he was in there, but it was a departure from the same old play calling. They definitely went away from the classic Tressel ball school of conservative power I over and over. But there were two drives in the third quarter where they relapsed. That hurt.

Defensively they were much more aggressive and I think that was good. The zone blitz crap they used against Florida and others was annoying and unsuccessful. This time around they were able to get pressure on McCoy and they were able to stuff the run for the most part. The one problem, and it killed us, was sticking to the blitz on the game winning play and leaving the middle of the field wide open for the slant. McCoy saw it and abused it. Many people will call into AM radio and complain, but hindsight is 20/20. We all begged for more aggression from the defense and we got it. you can't have it both ways. Maybe that one time though????

They did play with heart and they did play physical. Even though Gibson was called for costly penalties for hits to the QB (one of which was a bad call), I liked idea behind it. I liked the effort to hit the QB hard and make him think.

I said the Buckeyes couldn't make more mistakes and had to win field position. They had no turnovers and forced one. Their penalties were more costly though. Field position was a wash.

Finally, I said Terrelle Pryor had to have his best game. Not only did he NOT have his best game, I feel he had his worst game. This is not to say I blame him for the loss, but he made a number of freshmen mistakes running out of bounds before th first down marker despite having a clear path beyond it. He also made some bad throws and still isn't throwing it away and taking big sacks. The big thing was that it was glaringly obvious the offense had no passing game whatsoever when he was in there. They relied solely on his legs. Granted they are pretty darn good legs and are able to gain plenty of yards but as the game proved, you can't score consistently with it.

Overall, I feel better than I did after the last two BCS Title games. They were over matched in those two games and it was embarrassing. This time, the Buckeyes hung in there well and after going down, they manned up and fought back. Really, they were inches away from winning this game despite the loss of their star running back and lack of a passing game. They played with passion and showed great effort. Programs like Ohio state don't have moral victories. The bar is set too high for those. We expect National Titles here. There is a lot of work to be done. Next year could be ugly. But as for this particular game.....I am proud of my guys even if the loss hurts.

Fiesta Bowl

For the 5th time in 7 years my Ohio State Buckeyes are in the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona. This year they are matched up with the University of Texas, a fellow heavyweight in college football lore, success and tradition. These same two teams matched up in a home and home in 2005 and 2006, each team winning on the road. So this could be considered a grudge match. A rubber match if you will.

This season Texas is far and away the better team. In some circles they are considered a better representative in the BCS title game than their Big 12 brethren, Oklahoma. Meanwhile, Ohio State solidified its reputation as an overrated, over hyped program that can't win the big game. They had feasted on inferior competition in the Big Ten (1-5 in bowl games this year as a conference) but blew two opportunities to earn notable victories against USC and Penn State (the one Big Ten team that could be considered competitive). In fact, they were dominated by USC on the national stage in all aspects of the game.

So the task is monumental for my Buckeyes of Ohio State. For the record, I see this game as a 37-6 victory for the Longhorns of Texas. But I have been horrible at predicting anything recently. Secondly, the Buckeyes were in a similar position in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl against the Miami Hurricanes and came out victorious. The reverse occurred against Florida in 2007. Also, nobody saw Alabama's loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl this year (except my friend Chris who called it along with upsets in every other BCS bowl game). Speaking of Alabama, they also stunned the college football world when they won the national championship against Miami after the 1992 season. My point is, upsets happen. It could happen here despite my doubts.

IF it were to happen though, here is what would have to happen to make it happen:

1)Chris Wells needs to have a big game. This is three pronged.

First, the Bucks need to control the game. Texas and Heisman Trophy runner up Colt McCoy (by the way, how perfect is it that the Longhorn QB is named Colt McCoy and comes from a small town deep in the heart of Texas?) have an explosive offense. The more the ball is out of their hands, the better for OSU. Running Wells can control the clock.

Second, there is a debate out there that the Big 12's defenses are weak. The games were so high scoring that, while many looked at the offenses as explosive, others wondered out loud if the defenses were just bad. You won't hear ESPN say that, but dig further. Regardless, the front four of Texas IS really good. The Buckeyes' offensive line has had all kinds of trouble pass blocking good, fast defensive lines like that of Texas. So how do you combat this? Run. They have had an easier time run blocking than pass blocking, so they need to run it.

Finally, Wells is good. He can run with success. When he runs with success, it opens things up for freshman QB Terrelle Pryor to run as well. The double threat of Pryor and Wells could wreak havoc for the Longhorns if they can keep them guessing like the former Longhorn, Vince Young used to do on a routine basis with much success.

2)Terrelle Pryor needs to have his best game.

As I mentioned in the first point, the Buckeyes' offensive line is terrible when it comes to pass blocking. This is one of several reasons Tressel pulled senior QB Todd Boeckman for the true freshman Pryor. This is against the "Tressel Rule." He is loyal to his seniors to a fault. He'd prefer red shirt all of his freshmen and allow them to grow before he throws them in the battle. But it became glaringly apparent that Boeckman was not going to be able to succeed with so much pressure in his face. Pryor and his "escape-ability" and athleticism needed to get in there if they were to salvage any kind of season after the humiliating loss to USC. Pryor delivered. He made some outstanding plays. He also made some freshmen mistakes, but these will reap benefits next year as he learns. If Pryor was able to take this past month to work on his faults and tweek some things and learn some things, he could have a coming out party in the Fiesta Bowl like Troy Smith did against Michigan and then Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl of 2006. If Pryor can get out of the pocket and make smart decisions like throwing it away, hitting his 2nd or 3rd options or running when it is there, the Buckeyes will score more than the 6 I predicted.

3)Somehow, some way, the defense MUST show up. The defensive line played better later in the year but we don't know if that is a function of improvement or weak competition. I still feel the linebackers are extremely overrated. Texas' offense is AWESOME. If the Buckeyes are able to pull off an upset, the defense HAS to somehow play out of its mind. If they give McCoy enough time to throw and they are unable to stuff the run consistently, Texas could drop 60 on them. It could be ugly.

4)The coaching staff can't play the same old schemes. It was quoted all over ESPN and local radio. USC players all said the Bucks played exactly how the film showed. There was nothing surprising, nothing new. There were no wrinkles. It is difficult enough to beat a team as talented and successful as Texas. If they are going to go into Arizona thinking they can play another predictable game plan, they are dead wrong. You can't show you hand hand and think you are going to win the pot.

5) They are going to have to want it more. The Bucks need to play with passion. They need to come out and hit hard. They need to bully Texas around. The Bucks still don't have much speed. The Big Ten as a whole has shown this bowl season that they are lacking in speed away from the skill positions. But the Big Ten never has been known for speed. The Big Ten is known for toughness and size. So they need to use that to their advantage. They need to beat up and beat down the Longhorns in the trenches and everywhere else. Make the hits hurt. Push them around. Don't be afraid to mix it up a little. Like I wrote before, pound Wells down their throat repeatedly. Be mean. I'm tired of getting beat. They should be too. Take it out on Texas!

6) Don't lose the obvious stuff. Field position, turnovers and special teams. As always with any team that isn't the runaway favorite, they need to win the battle of field position and turnovers. Mistakes need to be limited because there is no margin for error and field position slants the field in their favor. Special teams are always the "X" factor. If they can block a kick (field goal or punt) or run one back, things can quickly tilt in their favor as well. This is pretty much a given for any underdog anytime.

Six things that MUST, absolutely MUST happen if there is any, slight chance for Ohio State to pull out a much needed victory. It would be a victory that could begin the journey back into respectability.

Wait, no. The haters will come up with some excuse about how they were lucky and didn't deserve the win and are still a joke. That we can count on.

Year In Review 2008...Part One

As we wrap up another year, I am taking some time to reflect on the happenings on both a macro and micro scale. There were historic events we all experienced together and there were some personal occurrences that shaped who I am individually. There was the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully, I can accurately review them here.

WINTER
I began 2008 with the genesis of this blog. I played around with the blog section of my myspace profile prior to 2008. After following my buddy's blogs a bit and following the encouragement and lead of my sister-in-law who also entered the blogosphere, I began this enjoyable experience of sharing what goes on in my head. While I used Comoprozac's Living in Misery and my sister-in-law's DailyLiving (now Nurturing Self) as models, I wanted to keep this true to myself and my personality. I enjoy variety so I have intended to keep my topics on this blog varied. It is focused and may seem to be all over the place, but I am very pleased with what I have done here. I have thoroughly enjoyed the conversations generated through this blog without having to bother people with mass email threads.

I began with numerous philosophical observations and views but it didn't take long for me to voice my opinion on my true passion: sports. January began with my beloved Ohio State Football Buckeyes losing another BCS Title Game to an SEC team in embarrassing fashion. Chants of "overrated" rang across the nation. But that's ok. We had a ton of returning seniors and a match up with USC in the beginning of the year to shut everybody up. Sigh.

Fresh off that depressing loss, I felt the realization of opportunity lost. My teams has just finished an exciting 2007 with no championships to show for it. The Buckeyes has two title appearances in the span of a calendar year for football. The men's cagers were in the championship. The women's basketball team had success, the men's soccer team was in the final four. The Columbus Destroyers were in the Arena Bowl. The Cleveland Indians were one game away from the World Series. Even the Cleveland Browns were a smoke and mirrors 10-6. The Cleveland Cavaliers were in the NBA Finals.

But no trophies or rings.

So I figured 2008 would mark the beginning of the descent. The Browns followed through on their part. So did the Destroyers and Indians. The Buckeyes were able to get the men's basketball team a NIT Title (which means 66th place) and the football team into another BCS game (the Fiesta Bowl surprise, surprise) but both are considered disappointing in Columbus. We have set higher standards. But the Cavaliers are ending 2008 with real evidence that their descent may only be a dip before the rise. We still have too much season ahead to make any claims of success and a band of Celtics in the way.

But my blog began with more than opinions on my sports interests. I spent much of the early posts reflecting on my stances and thoughts on my spirituality and different moral topics. I used this venue as an arena to work on myself and express my thoughts in an effort to initiate discussion and acquire varying points of view to shape and reshape my own. It has definitely been a success as I continue to develop my ideas of the metaphysical.

The winter months brought plenty of snow days which was a joy. I thought about how Exxon made record profits in the earlier year and how Snoop Dogg was suddenly appearing on Larry King to discuss topics so far removed from what made him famous. He would speak of pimpin', using and selling drugs and glorified the trashy treatment of women to sell millions of dollars worth of records. Now he is speaking to Larry King about fatherhood and politics and what not. Meanwhile, gas prices continued to skyrocket and lead these oil companies like Exxon to record profits. But that was just the beginning of the frustration we would feel in regards to the economy in this country.

SPRING
Spring brought The Master's, March Madness, Spring Training and Opening day, The NFL Draft, a big Cavs trade with a run at the playoffs, an NIT championship, and improvement in the weather. The Cavs made a monster trade ridding themselves of Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes et al to acquire Delonte (Delmonte Best) West, Wally Szczerbiak, (Big) Ben Wallace, and Joe (Hard Hat) Smith. The major component of this trade was the expiring contracts of the new guys along with the potential of West. Plus, it was nice to get rid of the inconsistency that Gooden and Laura Hughes brought to the table. After the season ended and I began to look towards the future, I was well aware that any number of those four would be gone sooner than later but I was curious how things would have been or could be if that group had a whole season to build chemistry and find their role on the team. More on this later.

I also took a trip to Chicago to visit my brother and sister-in-law and nephews. My brother and I headed downtown to the United Center to check out our Cleveland Cavaliers as they lost a game to the Chicago Bulls. Despite the loss, it was a good time. We took a couple shots outside before the game to win some prizes.

I was also able to get some one on two time with the nephews allowing the parents some time to go shopping for the boys. I may have father experience but not with twins. PHEW! God bless them! But it was very cool. I look forward to more chances in the future to hang out with the EZ brothers.

My wife and I settled into her pregnancy. And looked forward to ending another school year. The push for the OAT hit full speed and our students made their way through another standardized test that would ultimately determine our success as teachers. Once again, they failed miserably. My grade level managed to make gains yet again (every year since 2004), but not enough to make AYP or average yearly progress requirements set by the Bush administration within No Child Left Behind to rid ourselves of the "YOUR TEACHER SUCKS" label. So despite our efforts and stress, we both ended the 2007-2008 as bad teachers, failures of teachers.

Nice. I love this job.

Softball began and I thought I would share my progress with you all but quickly decided to pass on that as I stunk it up. I was never able to get it going in either league I played in. Unfortunately, my Westerville team had much of the same problem as a whole. Our bats were silent throughout most of the season. In Hilliard, we were much more competitive despite a move to a tougher league. We managed to stay .500 and snuck in the playoffs just to go out in the first round....again. But playing in two leagues was fun. I hope to do it again.

May brought the passing of my grandmother. She was ready to go. The time was right. She lived a long, fruitful life. While it was hard to say goodbye, I felt very good about my time with her. I looked back on my dad's trip to Europe with my brother and sister for his birthday two years earlier. During that time I spent a good bit of time with my grandmother. I would check in for my dad since he couldn't. I was able to take my daughter a couple times as well. This was a very valuable time for me because I knew it was my chance to "say goodbye" without the sadness of really watching her leave. At the time of her death, I drew on this experience to help me say goodbye. It still hurt, but I think I was able to avoid any feelings of disappointment or opportunity lost.

The day I heard of her death I was in the middle of negotiating my neighbors' acquisition of my garden bricks with tears pouring from my eyes. I quickly packed up my car and drove up to my dad's house to be with him for the initial grieving. Part of my trip was for him, but most of it was for me. I recalled my divorce when he came down and said he would be there to do whatever I wanted to feel better whether it was drink as much beer as I wanted and have him drive me home or just peak in on my daughter at school and take her trick or treating. We chose the trick or treating. I thought I would do the same for him this time.

So we made our way to the nearest local bar for some comfort food and foreign beers. We made it home long before last call but spent the night reliving our time with and memories of B, my grandmother. We looked at old pictures, we read her numerous works of literature and poetry. We sang, listened to music, laughed, cried and made our way across the whole spectrum of emotion. I think it was good for both of us.

The trip to Alabama was sad as we mourned the loss of B, but comforting as we were able to see the places of her early life and spend time with family we hadn't seen for a long time and sadly may never see again. We were able to get a true peak into her life before we came along. We also met people who had so much admiration for my grandmother. So many people showed up and paid their respects to this articulate, funny, energetic, kind, warm, intellectual and strong, independent woman at a time that was hard for women to be so. The trip was a bonding experience for me with my father, sister, brother, uncle Paul and Aunt Gina. It also gave some satisfaction towards that part of my life. I first thought to write closure, but that wouldn't be accurate. Alabama and my heritage will always be a part of me. I would like to keep Alabama safely in a place in my heart.

I will review more of 2008 in my next post.

Luckeyes They are Not

An infamous jab from the Buckeye haters is calling the Buckeyes a clever name, Luckeyes. You know, Luck as in you don't earn anything you get it from luck and if you substitute a L for the B it spells that. Yes, very ingenius I know. Must have been a Michigan Man that came up with that, they are so stinkin' smart aren't they?

Well, listen to this stat haters (I heard it on Shark on Sports 103.9 FM by Jeff Logan). In every season since 2005, the ones where OSU has been very successful, Ohio State has ranked 119 out of 119 schools in opponents penalty yardage. Let me spell this out for you. The teams that play Ohio State get called for penalties when they play OSU less than EVERY OTHER SCHOOL'S opponents. This means that OSU is NOT benefiting from their opponents mistakes. This benefit would fall under the category of luck. If the other team is making mistakes that you benfit from and it's not directly as a result of your effort, you are lucky. Well OSU is not getting that luxury.

I am not claiming this is a result of bad officiating or a conspiracy against my beloved Bucks, what I am saying is that teams bring their A game when they play OSU. EVERY team, EVERY week, regardless of who they are, play OSU well. At the very least, OSU is not getting bonus yards from their opponents that other teams, eh hem, EVERY team is getting from their opponents.

On the flip side, Ohio State ranks in the top third of Division I's schools in least amount of penalties called on them. So all those frustrating false starts and penalties that make us so mad are not that much worse than 2/3 of the whole DI group of schools. Therefore, we aren't killing ourselves in the greater scheme of things either.

So here is one more reason you can stop using that ridiculous name. You are wrong. It is not luck that has gotten our Bucks to the title game the past two years. It has been athletes, coaching and hard work.

Monday Morning QB on a Sick Day

Today is a scary day in my household. A doctor's appointment is at hand that is requiring I take a whole day off of work. The emotions behind this appointment are probably justifiable enough to take a day off. So with a couple of minutes to spare here, I would like to share my thoughts on several happenings in the world of sports this past weekend.

1. Ohio State (9) v. Penn State (3).......

This game confirms what I have been saying for awhile: This Buckeye team is just not very good. My preseason optimism was quickly crushed after the abysmal showing against USC and once again, this weekend's game was more of the same.

The defense has been in the cross hairs of my criticism most of the season but I am beginning to come around with them. Their showing against Michigan St. impressed me. It was a road game against a good if not great RB in Javon ringer (Ohio Product) and they shut him down. The defensive line which I have been most disappointed in, played great. This led me to an optimistic feeling for the big showdown against border state rival, Penn State.

The defense held their end of the bargain. They were able to contain QB Daryl Clark (Ohio Product) and his potent PSU offense who were averaging around 45 points per game coming in. I still feel good about that. But true freshman Terrelle Pryor (PA product...yeah baby) wasn't able to get in the end zone and in the end, his mistake lost the game for us.

Before you are up in arms over that last sentence, read on. I am NOT about to pile on 19 year old Pryor playing under the lights in a nationally televised game for a top ten team with a fan base as rabid as any. NFL like expectations and pressure pour from the residents of Columbus, Ohio and alumni across the country and even the world. This kid is 19 years old without a full off season to practice, without a full season behind him, with a full course load during the week, only 5 months or so removed from his senior prom. Please, I am not expecting him to be perfect. But the fact is, that fumble lost the game.

It's ok though. It was a freak fumble. A good play by the defender. Pryor was hustling, trying to get a big first down. I can live with that. Like Tressel said, penalties are bad but sometimes a hustle, aggressive penalty is not AS bad. You'd rather a guy get flagged for something that was caused by hustle and effort than a lazy, stupid, mistake. Pryor was looking to win the game. The middle was clogged up. A quick bounce to his right could be free.

It wasn't.

That set up the PSU offense for their only TD of the game. And Pryor still had another shot to tie it. But fell short. Chalk this up to a learning experience. It is hard to say that for Ohio State who's expectations year in and year out is National Championship. In college football today, you can't live with mistakes and maintain those expectations. One loss and you are pretty much out. It is a playoff from week one. So it is very difficult to type those words out. But I need to stick with what I said earlier in the year.

I felt Todd Boeckman, a senior QB who led the Buckeyes to an outright Big Ten title and national title appearance last year and even fielded some Heisman talk from national media types for a week or two, should be benched for Pryor. I fully understood what that meant. It meant we were going to deal with mistakes. It meant there would be freshman, rookie errors that Boeckman wouldn't have. But my reasoning was Pryor's athleticism and ability would outweigh his mistakes. I felt our offensive line is mediocre at best. I felt our WRs were overrated. I felt we needed something else to compensate and Pryor had that.

I also knew this was a risk. With the national title hopes dashed after the USC loss, I felt it was worth it. I didn't foresee Penn State's success though. I thought we would cruise through the weak conference schedule. I am not going to be one of these Sunday morning Johnny come lately's who call in to the radio shows (I am going to be one of the smart ones) and says whatever happened the past game was bad after it failed even though they were calling for it the whole week prior.

Example: "Put Pryor in . Put Pryor in. ....Why isn't Boeckman the QB????!" Hypocrites.

Also, I didn't realize we would have to resort to Tressel ball. Although I respect Tressel ball and I trust Tressel ball (see: 2002 BCS title season), it only works with a shut down defense. Now that the defense is beginning to fulfill that requirement, I was ok with playing that style against PSU. It seemed to be working too. But the sneaky problem with Tressel ball control game plans is that there is very little margin for error. Pryor made that error and it cost us.

I still love Pryor. I still think we will reap the fruits of this season next year. But I am not going to be positive about it anymore. I am going to be rotten, hard-to-watch-games-with Beau again. I know my role. I let you all down this week. I won't let it happen again.

2. Browns v. Jaguars.....

So I was back to my normal self Sunday morning swearing off the Browns and how much they suck. I had no reason to believe they would do anything worth watching later that afternoon and just as it should be, they win. See? I learned my lesson. How do I feel about this win?

Horrible.

That win was probably the worst possible thing that could have happened. Yes, it was a road win. Yes, it was against a legit team. Yes, it brings us to one game under .500 with Baltimore at home next week. Yes, we have a 4-4 record at the half way mark in sight. That win Sunday was better than any win last year. And the Giants game two Mondays ago was the biggest win in several years. Yes, the offense moved the ball. Yes, there were no penalties on the Browns. Yes, D.A. looked good. Yes, they got Lewis the ball. Yes, the offensive play calling of Chudzinski remains a positive. Yes, the defense showed more improvement against the run. Yes, the defensive backfield somehow contained the passing game JUST enough.

But it is all bad.

Derek Anderson had a good game. So that means he will remain the starter and come out next week sucking like he should. Romeo gets another week as coach meaning that will take more to fire him even though he truly isn't that good. Kellen Winslow is watching the team succeed without him and will become more disenchanted causing locker room strife. That will eat away at the team. And most of all, it keeps me coming back hoping on hope that maybe they are really as good as they looked that one game.....even though we all know they really are not.

3. Mike Singletary's Tirade........

Hell yeah!!! It is about time we see a coach take his team by the (expletive) and get control. Vernon Davis slapped an opponent disrespectfully in the face mask after a tackle and received a flag. Davis is one of very few "stars" on the San Fransisco 49ers this year. Even that title could be debated for him as he has under produced for a first round pick receiving millions of dollars for unproven talent. Singletary was ticked off. Not only did he bench Davis, he sent him to the locker room and told not to come back. Then in the post game press conference, he didn't let up. You could see the fire in his eyes and you could see he was determined to create the type of team atmosphere that needs to exist and he wasn't about to bow down to a player because of the money he made or his status on the team.

YES!!!!!!

The NFL is beginning to see more of this and it needs to continue. Kellen Winslow is the type of player that needs a strong kick in the ass like this to be honest, but I am not so sure his recent incident in particular this past week called for it. I am speaking more of the Terrell Owens type of stuff. That guy deserves a Mike Singletary boot up his you know what more than once. Can you imagine how Singletary would have dealt with T.O. when he was chewing out the offensive assistant coach on the 49er sideline several years ago? Oh, I would love to see that. But all these premadonnas need a wake up call.

Here's to people in authoritative positions like coaches (and teachers and principals and parents) taking off the kid gloves and taking back control. The inmates are running the asylum in sports and other arenas. I would love for that to stop.

Sigh

Ohio State 6 Penn State 13

I just saved a profane laced tirade post. I intended on publishing it but thought better.

Let me just say I am very mad. The Huey Karma is real. And I am done with sports.

I hate this.

Being negative worked so much better for me than this positive crap I tried.

I may be a negative, "what if" catastrophic thinker but it worked. This doesn't.

There. That was clean. If you want the other post ask me for it. But don't be faint of heart. My emotions right now are not right.

Ohio St. vs. Wisconsin

Thank God for local AM sports talk radio. Here in Columbus, we have WBNS 1460 The Fan. We also have Mark the Shark and former Buckeye Jeff Logan on FM 103.9 in the afternoons with "Shark on Sports". There are more local sports talking heads but The Fan's Jim Hooley, former Buckeyes QB (and ESPN darling) Kirk Herbstreit and LB Chris Speilman as well as 103.9's duo are my preferences. Without these guys to get me home in the afternoon, I don't know what I would do.

Today's topic, as with any football season Monday was Saturday's Buckeye football game. I was surprised at the reviews I heard. Actually, I was not the least bit surprised that Hooley's was different than mine, but it seemed as though everyone was disappointed in upset with the close, hard fought win. This struck me as odd because I am usually the pessimist. Ask comoprozac. I actually feel pretty darn good about the victory.

Here is my rationale. I have seen Tressel ball for enough seasons now to get a good feel. Personally, I have grown to like it. He wins with it. It may not be pretty but he wins. Can't we understand that by now? This past Saturday's game was another game in which we won ugly. In 2002 we went 14-0 that way and earned a National Championship. At that time, Tressel was in his second year and I wasn't sure what to make of it. I didn't know if I liked it. But now, as I have seen Tressel play several different styles, I actually prefer we go back to that conservative style. Back to my point, Saturday was not pretty but we won in a hostile environment against a team that has won 16 in a row at home and more than 10 night games consecutively as well. They are a solid team. They are not a great team but good enough to feel like we earned a good win in their house. I have more positives from this game later.

The problem is this. The Tressel formula relies heavily on a shut down defense, excellent special teams and a ball control offense. So if we go back to my preferred Tressel ball then we need these components. Unfortunately, this defense is the most poorly coached defense ever. There is supposed to be a ton of talent but they are in the wrong places. They "play" slow. In addition the defensive line needs to be stout and they are not. The Badgers were able to run all over that line. The line couldn't get any pressure on the QB either leading to Wide Receivers being open all game. It was very frustrating.

Despite this, the defense managed to hold just enough to keep in the game. Then Jenkins sealed it with a key interception. Also, the coming out party for Terrelle Pryor continued as he added to his resume a clutch, fourth quarter, game winning drive capped by a beautiful option run for a TD. I tell you what, this kid is smooth. He just glides across the field. That drive alone was big time. It was critical. He is learning so much this season and growing so much that I can't wait to see what he has in store. There are obvious problems. He holds onto the ball like Charlie Frye. He takes big sacks. He still hasn't learned the Krenzel special of throwing it to cracker jack vendor in row 15. Some throws are way off. But he has still brought more positive than negative.

Overall, I woke up Sunday morning feeling really good about the victory. I still do. I am not surprised or let down by the close game. I predicted a 23-20 Wisconsin victory. Apparently, I know this team better than the "experts." I know better than to think it would be 31-17 Buckeye win like Hooley and his fellow radio guys thought last week. That Michigan game didn't fool me. So I am not disappointed in the 3 point margin. I still get angry about this defense that everybody loves. The schemes just flat out stink like old cheese. I will not deny that. But a win is a win. And if it is gonna be close victories all year...so be it. 2002 was fun. And I don't need to have them in the BCS Title game again.

MARK MAY SUCKS!
Mark May is know for discrediting the Buckeyes. He is public enemy number one in Columbus, Ohio. For that reason alone I try to avoid trashing him. He is doing his job and these hillbillies here feel like he is out to get us. The same ones that get mad when Herbstreit wears a blue tie or yellow tie. Supposedly that means he is a traitor. Or if he doesn't defend Buckeye nation regardless of how they played. I like to think I am better than them. I like to think I can respect the objectivity and professionalism of national broadcasters.

But after hearing how much May loves how Vanderbilt "finds a way to win" and fights for victories even though their stats don't back it up, or how they are a legit top 15 team, I can't take it anymore. He is quick to overlook this traits while TRASHING the '02 Buckeyes all year that season for the same attributes. To him OSU didn't deserve to be there because of the stats not backing up their high ranking. Granted, I agree Vandy should be ranked high. But so should have the Buckeyes in 2002. That contradiction has lost any respect I had. Now I'm jumping up to the front seat of that anti-May, Columbus bandwagon. That just isn't fair.

Once again, the only thing as powerful as the Buckeye nation is the anti-Buckeye movement of hate.

Observations on an average football Saturday

I attended the Ohio St. versus Troy game today with a friend of mine and enjoyed it thoroughly. Once again, I was able to take in the sights and events of gameday on OSU's campus. I still love the sound of the band, the electricity of the crowd, the annoying OH-IO cheer, the radio stations broadcasting live, the flags waving atop the stadium, the roar of the crowd, the ringing of the victory bell after we won, the traditional singing of "Carmen Ohio" at the end of the game and all the stadium food and snacks.

One thing I learned today was that Terrelle Pryor is the future of this football team and shows a ton of promise. Granted, that is probably the kiss of death coming from my lips but he looked pretty darn good. There were numerous freshman mistakes mixed in with some Houdini like escapes and nice throws, but nothing he can't learn from after some tutoring and film study. A couple calls to Craig Krenzel may help too so that he can learn how to throw the ball away at certain times.

What impressed me the most is how he was able to escape pressure and maintain his view down field to get to the open receiver. Obviously he can run well, we already knew that. His leadership and the uncoachable ability to get your players to rally behind you (A trait that separated Troy Smith from Justin Zwick from the get go), are things that I was curious to see. Also, I wanted to see how strong of an arm he had and how accurate he would be with it. Accuracy is still a question mark but arm strength isn't. These are things that can be shored up as he plays out this year and learns on the job. Playing through the Big Ten season will be invaluable as he works on reading defenses and making adjustments. Mistakes will come, but I can deal with these growing pains this year.

I mean would that be much different than Todd Boeckman making mistakes back there?



My brother and I were talking this evening about the LSU v. Auburn game taking place as I write this. The atmosphere of a SEC night game is phenomenal. We thought back how every Saturday night there is a great SEC game on tv. How awesome is that conference? I hate them for dominating my team but that doesn't mean I can't respect and appreciate what they have down there. Man, to be at a game like that. You just don't get that in the Big Ten that often. OSU v. Michigan is the closest the Big Ten has to this type of game I suppose, but even that is cold and in the early afternoon. I do recall the OSU v. Texas game which was early in the year and at night was similar too. But over the whole Big Ten? It doesn't really happen.


I am recovering nicely from the USC embarrassment I think. It is like having your balloon burst as a little kid. The initial shock sucks. We knew this was coming, but I was hoping it wouldn't come yet. Let's face it, this defense is overrated and the offense, especially with Boeckman, is not very good (Beanie or no Beanie). But now that the balloon has burst and reality has set in, I kind of feel relieved. I can relax now. I can just sit back and enjoy football without the nervous anxiety over my team. The reality has been for a good two or more seasons that watching Buckeye games has been hard work. The fun was gone. I mean it was a no win situation really. Think about it. We needed the Buckeyes to win EVERY game. If they lost it was disaster. Shoot, even if they won sometimes you felt like we lost when the win wasn't convincing enough. The optimal result, a convincing win, wasn't even that satisfying because it was what was supposed to happen. It was like shooting par. All it meant was we lived to see another day. That is hard to do for two plus seasons. Now we can just sit back at 13 and quietly go about our season while the national media hones their ultra critical, anti-Buckeye spotlight on other programs out there. (Well, maybe. They still enjoy poking fun at us any chance they get) We can still play for another Big Ten title and a BCS bowl which is cool. Like my brother said, maybe we could get a shot at another SEC team and an opportunity to shut up all those fans. Then next year, a seasoned Pryor and fresh defense (hopefully new defensive coordinator) can come out and put the rest if our demons to rest with some big wins.



Here is another annoying pet peeve I have: girls that say "Ohhhhhhh my God you guys." Or sometimes it may go, "Oh my Goooooooood, you guys."


Have you noticed a negative tone in my posts of late? I have not been feeling positive at all. That is probably a really bad thing. I am only making things worse but I swear I am just ticked off. Sigh.

Open Letter to the Haters

As I read the articles aiming "told you so's" at me and my Buckeyes and skim the comments from college football fans around the country, I see some things that need to be cleared up. So anyone who loves to hate the Buckeyes and their fans let me clue you in on a couple of things.

First, we KNOW our team is overrated. We watched that game too. As a matter of fact, we already knew before the game started. The amount of phone calls into local AM sports talk radio here in Columbus were overwhelmingly siding on the side of "We are going to lose. We are not as good as our ranking." OVERWHELMINGLY! Can I say it any louder. So when people like Mark Kriegel write that "...everyone but the fans who root for Ohio State" were giving Tressel and the Buckeyes alto of heat, he is wrong. (Mark Kriegel MSN.com linked right here) Tressel has been getting heat from Buckeye fans for at least this past week if not the whole off season after the second weak showing at the BCS Title game where our presence was questionably deserved in the first place. No Mr. Kriegel, Buckeye fans understand the over hyped misranking as well.

Secondly, we also know the Big Ten is not very good. We understand that our schedule has been weak. But guess what? Your team does it too. Yes LSU fan for instance. Your team's schedule is poor. At least we played USC and will again next year. Things go in cycles. Take a look at Florida St. See Nebraska. Think about Miami. Don't forget the beloved Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. In fact Miami has come and gone and come again and is now gone again just in my lifetime. They'll be back too. The Big Ten is weak right now. This conference will be back soon enough. In the meantime, OSU will have to hear about it, but don't think as a fan base we are ignorant to the obvious. We are not. Oh yeah, and let's not forget USC was not exactly killing people back in the 90s. They were down for awhile as well. Of course OSU was in the mix back then as they have been for the past several years overrated or not. So while you bask in the limelight of Mark May, ESPN and Hollywood in your backyard, don't forget that OSU consistently finds itself in the top 20 even during down years. Nebraska, Florida St., Miami can't say that. Shoot, I'm not sure Oklahoma and USC can. My facts may need to be checked, but outside of Michigan, not too many teams have more overall wins that OSU.

But I'm getting off my point. Right now, we are not that good. I, and many other Buckeye fans get that. The true fans don't wear blinders and scarlet and gray sunglasses. We see and understand the reality of college football.

Next, not everyone of us digs that overexposed OH-IO thing. We didn't realize it was going to go this far. It is fun for the kids and the fringe fans. But seriously. Those of you getting absolutely sickened by it, same here. We all have our unique college chants, catch phrases, fight songs, mascots and traditions but this one is getting blown out of proportion. I agree it needs to be put to rest for about a decade. Or kept within the confines of Ohio Stadium or whatever bowl game we play in....maybe a tailgate or two.

Finally, your little nicknames for us like "suckeyes" or "luckeyes" are not that clever. Just because you can switch one letter to make a different, derogatory name doesn't make you smart. Much like the OH-IO thing, it is getting old. Whatever positive coolness you got out of it has worn out. It is just sad now. But I guarantee it is going to be thrown about a whole lot over the next couple months so go ahead and get your use out of it but know when something has run its course please. Move on. You can come up with something better. I know you can. Go get 'em haters!

I know you all love to put down other programs. I know how much the common college football fan loves to talk smack and kick a team when they're down. I know it is getting boring to kick Nebraska, Notre Dame, Florida St. and Miami around so you have switched your focus on us, we are fresh and much more "new" and trendy, but understand this: We aren't blind or foolish enough over here not to realize the same things you do. So don't act like we are stupid.

******************
For the local readers, Bruce Hooley of WBNS 1460 The Fan is a good journalist and see,s like a perfectly nice, intelligent guy. But I rarely see eye to eye with this guy and this morning was no different. After reading an article that stated Mark Sanchez felt as though the Buckeye defense was predictable because they played the same looks they saw in practice and it made things easier on them to score against us, I get in my car and listen to Hooley complain that Tressel didn't stick with the game plan he has used the past 8 seasons or so. What the?!

Granted he was speaking more of the offense but.... For real, what did he think was going to happen if we just ran over tackle all day! Didn't he himself say that last week's vanilla, predictable offense was the reason we struggled with OU? He was really ticked off about constantly switching QBs and blamed that for Boeckman's unending turnovers.

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is my take:

1)Heacock needs to be fired yesterday. The defense's game plan sucks! Ask Sanchez.

2)When Tressel was switching QBs, the offense moved. In fact it managed to score. With that scheme, the offense marched down for a field goal. Scored a TD taken back by a penalty. And marched down for a missed FG by no fault of the offense.

3)Where I have a problem with Tressel's decision was when HE WENT CONSERVATIVE like Hooley wanted. The second he left Boeckman out there and did that off tackle crap we went nowhere. What was that Hooley?!

4) I have to bring up that 2nd and 22 play call when he ran Boeckman on an option for the third time in the game. I get the decoy, change it up thing but not the thrid time. Not in that situation. What did he really think we were going to get out of that? Either do it with Pryor or don't do it at all. Go with a mid range pass that was usually open at that point in the game. Give yourself a manageable 3rd down play.

5) I don't blame the QB switching for Boeckman's problems at all. He did the same things before when he wasn't switched out. This is just par for the course.

6) I do put some of the blame on the offensive line. T.B. had no time in the pocket. He deserves alot of blame but the additional reasons were not the switching is and out as much as the lack of protection from an overrated line in front of him.

7) I really like Pryor and can't wait to see him as he learns the offense more and begins to mix in more passes. He showed some arm strength that lit up my eyes.

Thank you sir can I have another!

@#$%^&*&^%$#@!@#$%^&*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And here I am again. Wait, I should say here WE are again. Buckeye nation and I stand before our peers with our heads down and ready to take another lashing for being overrated and over hyped and we have nothing left to say. It was hard enough before this game but at least we had this game to look to for redemption. Now the sword is even deeper in our hearts and we have no reason for hope of redemption anywhere on the horizon.

Yes, the loss today to the USC Trojans will set us and our beloved football program back even further. What it will take to earn national respect again may be insurmountable. It will takes years and probably numerous championships to get any credibility back. I just pray Jim Tressel can continue to go into the living rooms of the best high school football players out there and look them and their parents in the eye and tell them Ohio State is still as good as any other program for their kid.

My fear is that the same Jim Tressel won't be able to coach his way back to national prominence. I have been a big, big fan of his. He won me over in '02. Actually he won me over before he got the job. The resume he brought with him from Youngstown State and his passion for Ohio State and his class pushed him to the top of my wish list after John Cooper was fired. But now I have watched him get out coached by guys I thought he never would, Les Miles. I have seen questionable play calling. I have seen horrible defensive schemes and lack of adjustments. What has happened?

Today's game was horrible. After last week and careful reflection, I knew it was going to happen this way. Check my earlier posts. Even when I tried to be positive in my preseason prediction I referenced this possibility. The offensive line was over matched. They tried to play physical but when you are getting called for holding penalties like they were, you know you are not able to do what you want. Those are signs of lack of discipline or inability to maintain a block. Todd Boeckman was horrible. He continues to be a turnover machine in big games. The defense couldn't do anything. They were also over matched and outplayed. The fire was there. They were aggressive and gang tackling but there wasn't enough pressure and they couldn't tackle McKnight before he was 5 yards or more down the field.

I am thoroughly embarrassed, demoralized and deflated. I have had to hear everyone around the nation hate on my team and my team's conference. I wanted to be able to counter their attacks with something but I got nothing. Their side has been fortified tonight.

Maybe this is a good thing though. We knew this was coming. Maybe we have now finally reached our bottom so to speak. The days of being overrated can now end. Everyone obviously sees our deficiencies. we will now be ranked lower. Nobody is going to think we have a chance. Not so many people are going to pay close attention to us. There won't be so much hype surrounding the program for awhile. We can kind of fly under the radar for awhile. We can lick our wounds. Other fans can forget about us. Turn their disgust and spiteful feelings somewhere else for awhile like.........Florida! How about Georgia! Maybe Oklahoma!

This senior class can finish out this season with their eyes now on winning the Big Ten and getting in the Rose Bowl. That is still pretty cool and respectable. They can then go on to the NFL and underachieve there. Then we can focus on this new crop of Buckeyes talent. We can start fresh next year without all the eyes and expectations on us. We can start the season ranked in the teens and slowly creep up. We do get USC again next year and you know they will still be Mark May and ESPN's darling. We can sneak a win against them at home. Maybe the Big Ten will be a bit more respectable. Penn State and Wisconsin can do their part and Hot Rod Rodriquez may have Michigan up and running better. Throw a couple big wins against those squads in '09 and quickly we could move up to that coveted #1 or #2 hole and get another shot at it. This time we may have a better chance with Pryor, Small, Posey, Sansabacher, a revamped offensive line and defense. I think we'd have a new kicker too.

This is probably what we need. No more questions. No more excuses. There was no 30day layoff this time. There was no way Wells would have made enough of a difference to win this game. There were no bad calls that cost us the game. No fluke plays. We got beat and beat bad. Everyone saw it. There are no two ways about it.

Take a deep breath. Take it like a man. Lose with dignity and pride and move on. I must write before I end this that Tressel and the players did lose with class tonight. I was proud of that. Each interview was handled with respect. You could see the anger and disappointment in their eyes and demeanor but they answered the questions with frankness and class. Tressel sat at the press table and answered each question the same way he always does. Nobody blamed anybody or made excuses. They admitted USC was the better team. They admitted they made mistakes. They admitted they wanted to win bad. They admitted they were hurt. They said they still had plenty to play for. They said they were not finished with the season. They handled themselves like men.

And I thank Jim Tressel for that. I may begin to question a whole lot else but I won't questions the man's dignity and the class of his players. We can be proud that our Buckeyes can at least do that.

Watch Me Spin This

I just heard the good news today. Not able to detect tone over the written word I will make it clear that first sentence was written with sarcasm. The good news is that the Buckeye's star running back, Chris Wells is now doubtful for the big match up against USC in sunny southern Californi-a this Saturday night at 8pm on ABC.

Wonderful. This game wasn't going to be difficult enough already WITH Wells. But of course did we really buy that he was going to play anyway? Didn't we all know this was Tressel's standard, textbook procedure? You know, use the media as your ally to throw out smokescreens, keeping the opponent in the dark regarding their upcoming game against you. This is what he does. He answers questions with long series of sentences that answers nothing. He is the professor at that. It is to the point that I actually love that about him. He does not have quite the angst of Bill Belichick, former Cleveland Browns head coach and current "coaching great" (uuuuugh) in New England whose fans have been just so torchered, but he comes from the same school of vagueness and not showing his hand.

So now the battered Bucks go into the hornets nest to take on the mighty Trojans. But I still think the Wells injury is good. No, I'm not going to bash Wells for his newest display of his lack of manliness. I mean I am sitting here whining about a bump and bruise in my leg, so who am I to question one's toughness? I have a reason independent of him.

My reason to be glad Wells is out begins here. We were not going to win this game against USC in my mind with or without Wells. Conventional wisdom says Wells presence makes a difference, my wisdom says he doesn't. This is a lost cause. My reasons were already laid out here in my earlier post after the Ohio University game. If you watched the last two BCS title games you should be able to gather your own evidence.

The only way the Bucks were going to pull this game out would be if the defense somehow had a game plan that worked (you listening Heacock?). One that abandons the zone read crap that got us burnt against Florida and LSU. A defense that attacks and takes the game to USC instead of having the game taken to them. They are not going to get by on pure talent this time despite having so much. Regardless of a good running game or not, Boeckman has to play Krenzel like and operate the offense effectively and efficiently. I don't trust that he can. But even with Wells there, he would have to do that to a certain extent to win.

Getting to the reason why I am looking at Wells' absence as a good thing.... If we (deal with the "we." I know I don't play for them. I get that. But I paid....errrr still paying, a ton of money to get my degree there and I am a tax paying citizen of the state that the university represents so I can say we. Not to mention the heart and soul I put into this team and money I spend on tickets and merchandise) somehow pull off an upset like the '03 Fiesta Bowl and "shock the world," a term used way too often these days, we can now look every stinking, SEC fan, general college football fan, USC fan and Big Ten, OSU haters in the eye and say.....we just went into the house of the #1 team all the way on the west coast, obviously overmatched, without our best player and KICKED THEIR ASS!!!!!!! Now what do you have to say?!

The only thing better would be if we really did kick their ass.

But I don't see it happening.
USC 48 OSU 6

How Much More Wrong Could I Have Been?

I take back 99.999999% of what I wrote in an earlier post about the Ohio St. Buckeye's 2008 Football Season. The only part that had a splinter of truth was the part about whether the defense will be able to adjust to good offenses like they could NOT in the past two BCS title games. I stated that if they couldn't in the USC game they would be in trouble.

"if the same old defense comes out and lays and egg despite the abundance of talent and cannot seem to make the in-game adjustments that former coordinator Mark Dantonio would flourish with when he was here, the game will get out of hand and USC will pull away in the second half winning by 10 or more. This will determine the season." (Huey, www.hueyistheone.blogspot.com)

The season is already determined. It will be a failure.

I loved Jim Heacock as the defensive line coach but ever since he became the defensive coordinator we have been slaughtered by spread offenses. You would think he would have figured it out by now but he hasn't. This defense is supposedly loaded with talent and I believe it is. But it cannot seem to stop spread offeenses at all. Florida and LSU and Illinois killed us. It looked like the players were always in the wrong place at the wrong time. That is coaching. They will not let go of this zone style defense and it is killing us.

Ohio University, with all do respect (many friends and relatives attended that fine school and I have had many good times there over the years myself), is a middle of the road MAC team. They should not hang with a supposed National Title contender in their (OSU's) own house!!!! Granted, the Bobcat offense only had one scoring drive. The other touchdown came on a turnover by the Buckeye offense in their own endzone, but it was a backup QB!!! Of a middle of the pack MAC team!!!!! They kept converting third down after third down. If it wasn't for the 5 turnovers that were mistakes on OU's part more than good plays by OSU, the game would have been a blowout. If I have to watch another pathetic attempt at a tackle by our defenders I will personally walk to that stadium and light a fire under their meathead asses myself. Like Lou Holtz said, read the fine print on your scholarship son! (I really don't know what that meant but it sounded good when he said it) What is this defense going to do against the likes of USC or even the weak Big Ten schools? Or Troy?!

It will be ugly.

The offesne didn't look much better. The front line was dominated by smaller, less skilled players from OU. They were pushed around. THey had the game taken to them instead of taking it to the defense. Maurice Wells is just horrible. He runs TO tackles. God forbid he breaks one every now and then. When Boom Herron was starting to get on a roll he goes to the bench. Boeckman STILL holds onto the ball for too long, ala Charlie Frye. The WRs missed balls that hit them in the hands and the passion was nonexistent.

We will get shutout.

Even the kicker got in on the action. Pretorious missed a PAT for crying out loud! What the????????

Heacock is in my doghouse. He needs to go! maybe I have been wrong about Tressel. Maybe he isn't as good as I thought. Maybe the whole country is right. Maybe the Buckeyes ARE overrated and weak.

Whatever the case. We are in big trouble and we will get blown out next week. THe college football fans around the country are going to get what they have wanted for so long. The supposed almost dynasty of Ohio State football will come to an end. Opponents have found the solution to beat OSU. The spread offense. We will becaome the laughing stock of college football and a joke around the country. We won't be able to recruit. Michigan will be ready with their WVA spread offense that was pretty damn awesome these past years under Hot Rod Rodriquez and we will lose that game for a decade straight if not more.

GOOD NIGHT NOW!!!!!!!