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Cue The Best Damn Band in the Land as we celebrate the NATIONAL TOP RANKING by singing

“(Fight the Team) Across the Field”

Fight the team across the field,

That team is # 18 Wisconsin. The Ohio State Buckeyes are on a winning streak against the Badgers winning at Ohio Stadium last season and (also against an 18th-ranked Wisconsin team) 20-17 two years ago in Camp Randle.

In the weeks before the ‘08 game in Madison, highly recruited freshman Terrelle Pryor replaced senior quarterback Todd Boeckman. With a little over six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Pryor orchestrated a 12 play, 80 yard drive ending in an 11-yard touchdown run to give the Buckeyes a victory.

Show them Ohio’s here.

Ohio State is currently the top ranked team in the nation for the 94^th time in the history of the AP poll ranking third behind Oklahoma (97) and Notre Dame (95).

This match-up marks the ninth time Wisconsin has hosted a # 1 team. Bucky Badger and crew are 3-5 in the previous matchups. Only twice have they welcomed a top-ranked Buckeyes team, winning 17-7 in 1942 and losing 24-0 in 1973.

Set the earth reverberating

“The trenches is where it will be,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. “The run game, certainly. Pass protection, for sure. Both sides. That’s where the game is won and lost.”

The turf will be pounded by a strong running and passing game by the Buckeyes. It is the responsibility of the OSU line to create opportunities for the likes of Dan “Boom” Herron (77 rushes for 355 yds and 7 td’s) and enough rushing talent to accommodate a cross country team to get the ball moving for positive yardage.

The Buckeyes are facing a Wisconsin defense that is encompassed with Louis Nzegqu and J.J. Watt capping the front four and a line that has experienced many position transitions due to injury. Not to say that these massive creatures aren’t a force with which to be contended.

The receiving corps will face a Badgers secondary featuring corners who are about as tall as DeVier Posey’s standing vertical at 5’11. Dane Sanzenbacher (411 yds for 7td’s) and Posey (364/ 3) will need to keep one eye on returning strong safety Jay Valai as he is ‘credited’ with knocking Sanzenbacher out of the 2008 Camp Randle appearance.

With a mighty cheer.
Rah! Rah! Rah!

Traditionally House of Pain song “Jump Around” is played during the 4^th quarter in Camp Randle. This song debuted in 1992, yes 1992; never reaching # 1… much like the Badgers won’t top the current # 1 FBS team on Saturday. Whatever flies your flag Badgers.

Hit them hard and see how they fall;

The 248-pound Badgers RB John Clay definitely has motivation against Buckeyes, who have held him to 59 yards in 2008 and 69 yards last year. This season Clay boasts 692 yds and 9 td’s followed by his protégée James White (485/ 8). A fun trickery play for Wisky is to create a Clay/ James distraction and get the ball to Montee Ball (ah hem) who has reached 201 yds and 3 td’s in 6 games.

The problem with this scheme is that if I am on to them then the Buckeyes are certainly on to them. Wisconsin’s offense is designed to avoid negative plays with their commitment to a power running game. If the running game is shut down then Scott Tolzien will be forced to air the ball. Tolzien has talented receivers and a 70% completion rating but that rating is on 92 completions on 132 attempts… in 6 games against teams that Boise State brags about beating. This match-up is the real deal. Big Ten football much like when they played and lost to Michigan State. Wisconsin is one of only two FBS teams this season that has not yet connected on a touchdown pass of 20 yards or more.

Never let that team get the ball.

Ohio State leads the Big Ten in scoring at 43.2 points per game. Wisconsin’s defense allows roughly 19 points a game. The Badgers are rushing for 240 yards per game and have 21 rushing touchdowns in six games. But considering The Ohio State Buckeyes allow just 78.7 rushing yards per game and have given up only three rushing touchdowns in six games it looks like it will come down to who is more prepared to win this battle.

Ohio State needs a mistake-free performance from QB Terrelle Pryor who has completed 72.7 percent of his passes when forced out of the pocket by pressure. He has committed 3 INT’s on the season.

The other concern is with the Buckeyes steadily improving special teams. OSU must avoid handing Wisconsin any game-changing situations.

So let’s win against Wisconsin now!

Nice work everyone. We will do it again on Saturday.

Go Bucks!!!

BE

When you aspire to become National Champions as the Ohio State Buckeyes vocalize being this season there is no room for a ‘break’.

Of course every team in the FBS wants to hold the Waterford Crystal football high at season’s end but there is a difference between casually dating the idea and really fighting to make the ultimate commitment.

In 2007 the Buckeyes were ranked on top of the country when they proved they were not ready to take the leap and fell to Illinois on Senior Day. Last season a 7^th ranked Ohio State team got cold feet in West Lafayette, Ind. when they lost to a struggling Purdue squad. Both cut deep. The timing wasn’t right.

This season is make or break for OSU. They’ve tasted victory in the Rose Bowl last season and that bouquet brought with it the desire to take it a step further. It is do or die. Commit to taking it all of the way or throw in the towel and head to the Humane Society and adopt an excessive number of cats.

The Ohio State Buckeyes welcome Ohio University to The Horseshoe on Saturday. This weekend will test the Buckeyes commitment to fighting this season to the end.

The Bobcats were a 33 point underdog facing a 3^rd ranked OSU team when the Bobcats last visited Ohio Stadium in 2008. After getting shut out in the opening quarter and trailing Ohio 14-12 heading into the fourth, Ohio State rallied to scored two touchdowns and come away with a 26-14 victory. The victory was hardly pretty and reflected the Buckeyes’ distraction of the following week which resulted in a loss in a major non conference game against USC.

This season the Buckeyes walk into the game ranked #2 in the country facing a team with national rankings such as 111^th in passing yards and 79^th in rushing yards. Numbers like these clearly state that the Bobcats would be better off to not even get on US 33 and head NW to Columbus on Saturday. But those disposable numbers mean nothing if Tressel’s crew doesn’t have heart in the match-up.

Ohio State leads the NCAA in turnover margin, having forced 7 turnovers in two games and committing none. The focus will be on Bobcat QB Boo Jackson, who had some success against the Buckeyes two years ago. Jackson was 17 of 27 for 137 yards and a touchdown but was picked off three times in last weekend’s contest against conference foe Toledo in a 20-13 loss.

Jackson faces a defense playing without Buckeyes starting safety C.J. Barnett, who will likely miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury against Miami. Orhian Johnson, Aaron Gant and Zach Domicone are being looked to in order to fill the void left by Barnett.

The Barnett situation is the least of the Buckeyes worries going in to week three as 21 points were scored directly off of OSU special team mistakes last week against the Hurricanes. Special teams is the weak link in the strong program.

The Vest attributes some of the returns to the lack of hang time and placement that “we enjoyed with (previous kicker) Aaron Pettrey”. The team has gone, thus far, without linebacker Etienne Sabino as they want to maintain his redshirt status. However, Tressel did not say it could not happen in order to boost the lineup. This is a situation of doing whatever it takes because a faulty special teams can and will break team morale as well as a season.

OSU QB Terrelle Pryor was 12 of 27 for 233 yards and a touchdown, and added 113 rushing yards and a score against the Hurricanes last weekend. Pryor led the Buckeyes in rushing but still has an auxiliary of runners lining up to go the distance.

Buckeyes receiving corp. was statistically close in numbers and equally effective in last week’s contest with Dane Sanzenbacher catching 6 times for 150 yds and a touchdown and Devier Posey with 8/ 146/ 2. Posey will face his older brother Julian who is considered to be a standout defensive back for the Bobcats. 

Ohio is 0-14 against ranked teams and 0-6 in the all-time series with Ohio State. With everything to lose the Buckeyes have to look to the weekend remembering a relationship requires a daily commitment. There can be no looking at what happened in the past and no looking too far into the future.

It’s a destination championship but you have to commit to getting to Glendale first.

Buy the ring Buckeyes, the date is set.

Go Bucks!

BE

The University of Miami goes head-to-head with The Ohio State Buckeyes for the first time since meeting in the 2002 National Championship Game at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

The colors are the same, Jim Tressel is still wearing a sweater vest on the sideline and the pigskin is still made of leather. Beyond that there are hardly any similarities to the match-up that resulted in the controversial 31-24 Ohio State victory… except for the ego still encompassing the orange and green population.

Winston Churchill once said “All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes”. The Hurricanes did not get the memo.

Prior to the January 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Miami faithful had distributed flyers to everyone within stiff-arming distance throughout Mill Avenue and the surrounding ASU vicinity announcing the Hurricanes post-game victory party. The arrogant behavior came with a 34-0 record, a national title to defend and repercussions. I am guessing that party did not turn out to be the social event of the season!

Miami is calling this Saturday’s game in Ohio Stadium a rematch and revenge (although the majority of the players on both sides of the ball were between the ages of 11 to 14 in 2003). ‘Actor’ Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a former Miami defensive lineman has even created a YouTube video, ranking right up there with his pathetic film career, in which he promised an “all-day-long, pack-your-lunch, sweater-vest-stomping, ass-kicking Hurricane style”. Yipe!

My recommendation; instead of being inspired by a man who coined himself after petrified matter (or crack cocaine) and who apparently enjoys time in the kitchen, sit down for a good helping of Jerry Maguire.

The moral of the story is that pride and arrogance will get in the way of reaching full potential. Much like Rod Tidwell and Jerry Maguire had to get past their respective egos in order to find moral and literal victories.

Game two:

I will begin my game breakdown by pointing out that heart goes a whole hell of a lot further than smack talking. After missing his entire junior season due to brain trauma inflicted by an ‘man’ from Largo, Florida, OSU LB Tyler Moeller made a statement on the field during last weekend’s 45-7 whipping of Marshall with six tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Moeller along with Cameron Heyward and the rest of a Buckeyes’ D who finished second last season in the FBS in interceptions (24) and fifth in passer rating allowed (95.75), touchdowns allowed (10) and yards per pass attempt (5.4) go up against a Miami offense led by Jacory Harris who’s ego can boast 17 INT’s last season (second most in the FBS).

 The Buckeye’s defense limited Marshall to 44 yards on the ground and 199 total during game one.

Harris’ success will be based upon the effectiveness of his offensive line that includes freshman Seantrel Henderson who had originally expressed interest in OSU before selecting to play at USC and then again changing his mind and heading to Miami.

The Hurricanes were able to shut out a Florida A&M team last weekend 45-0 but Florida A&M hardly has the offense of the 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes.

OSU QB Terrelle Pryor hit eight different receivers in the season-opener against Marshall completing 17 of 25 passes for 247 yards and TDs covering 6 and 11 yards to DeVier Posey and 65 yards to Dane Sanzenbacher.

Even after his Rose Bowl MVP performance, Pryor is showing maturity as opposed to ego. He is learning to play within his abilities and not trying to win the game on his own. It is important for Pryor to maintain his composure against a Hurricane rushing defense coming off its best performance in three years, with eight sacks against FAMU.

It seems that the Buckeyes weakest link is on special teams but Ohio State is simply too strong up front on both sides of the ball and wins the battle at the line of scrimmage and also the football game in the Horseshoe.

“Everybody always says, ‘Oh, Ohio State can win the Big Ten, but they can’t win on the big stage, in an early season game,”’ defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. “Last year we had USC, the year before that we had USC. It’s been rough for us. If we want to make this team make a statement then we have to do it here.” That means check your egos at the tunnel and win the game, with heart, on the field.

Show me the $victory$ Buckeyes!

BE

“I’ve never known anybody to achieve anything without overcoming adversity.”

-Lou Holtz

The Ohio State Buckeyes have experienced plenty of adversity in seasons past. Florida, LSU and Texas in bowl play and falling to big and not so dominate teams (Purdue) in regular season play. The inability to win the big games created nationwide ridicule beyond keyboard fistfights and alcohol induced backyard arguments. The gray on the Buckeye jersey was looking a little bit grayer.

Five consecutive conference championships and the fact that the team was actually making it to the big game had no bearing on the consensus of the sports community. The “Luckeyes” successes were continually overlooked due to the hypothetical tractor beam focus on defeat.

What is the best way to overcome adversity? Get mad. By mad I mean really mad. By really mad I mean pissed! Listen to the nay sayers. Prove them wrong.

And then there was Oregon.

OSU QB Terrell Pryor said during last season that the loss to Purdue was an eye opener. Instead of allowing the defeats to define him along with his teammates, as seemed to be the case until that point, they made a vow to use the negative banter as a motivator.

The Buckeyes D-10ed their way through the remainder of the season with a chip on their shoulder taking that chip all the way to Pasadena. For those of you who need a refresher; that game, the coveted Rose Bowl, ended with an impressive 26-17 victory over the Oregon Ducks.

The good news is the notable victory did nothing to silence doubters. Keep up the good work sacred haters. The Buckeyes will need that motivation to push them straight (back) to the desert this coming January.

Game One:

The Thundering Herd(dle)

Jim Tressell’s Buckeyes kick off the season Thursday evening in the Horseshoe taking on (We are) Marshall. Ohio State has won 32 straight home openers

OSU is bringing back nine starters on an offense that averaged 29 points per game and six starters back from a defense that gave up only 12.5 points per contest.

Not only do the Buckeyes return Pryor for his junior season after throwing for 266 yards and two touchdowns to go with 72 yards rushing, but also running backs Dan “Boom” Herron and Brandon Saine, fullback Zach Boren and receivers Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher. Additionally, four of the five starting offensive linemen return from a year ago.

The biggest concern for the team will be on the O Line at left tackle with senior Andrew Miller and Mike Adams fighting for the job.

Defensively, three of the four starting front needs to be replaced. That didn’t stop co-defensive coordinator Jim Heacock from saying that the Cameron Heyward-led line might be the best Ohio State has ever had.

The linebackers, including returning starters Brian Rolle and Ross Homan, are strong and athletic. The defensive backfield has rock star corners Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence and stellar safeties Ohrian Johnson, C.J. Barnett and Jermale Hines.

Marshall’s main strength against the Buckeyes has nothing to do with players or ability. It is the fact that Marshall will be playing for the first time under new head coach Doc Holliday. A new staff means a new way of doing things.

Regardless of the staff, the talent of Marshall is not up to par with that of Ohio State.

Herd QB Brian Anderson threw for 2,646 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, but he also threw 13 interceptions. If he can avoid defensive All-American candidates Brian Rolle and Cameron Heyward and stay of the grass he must work to get the ball to Andre Booker will start at running back and ahead of bowl MVP Martin Ward. If airing the ball is at all a possibility it will be directed towards tight end Lee Smith or receiver Antavious Wilson.

Marshall lost two defensive starters during the offseason after both were arrested and Holliday dismissed them from the team. The pass rush is weak and keeping Pryor in the pocket will be key to contending. What I am trying to say is the snow ball’s chance will have melted away even before reaching its storied destination.

Adversity can be a good thing. What separates the men from the boys is how they deal with adversity. It’s redemption time Buckeyes!

Go Bucks!!

BE

In the book “The Winners Manual” penned by Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, Tressel discusses in detail “being fully present in each and every moment”. The past is the make-up of who we are today and the future is something to strive for and look forward to. The right now is what we need to focus on in order to fully embrace life and succeed in the time we have.

Learning from past experience will absolutely make one stronger for the future and having dreams and goals to aspire to paves the path to the future an adventure.

The 2009 Ohio State football season has been a whirlwind of just that.

The season began with a goal for the future. That future is now the present and tomorrow the Buckeyes take on the Oregon Ducks in the 96th Rose Bowl Game.

Both teams have faced adversity throughout the season. From the Buckeyes defeats to USC and Purdue and Terrell Pryor’s throwing mental block (if you will) to U of O first year head coach Chip Kelly losing the first game of the season to Boise State which resulted in losing sucka punch champ LeGarrette Blount, a top offensive player, for the season due to a post game fight.  

Both teams maintained mental composure in the difficult times. They left the past in the past and moved forward to the then present task at hand.

Most articles written on the January 1st game cover the past. Ohio State absolutely lost in three consecutive BCS bowl games, two being National Championships. The only way that this information remotely affects the present is if the players read in to the negative banter and shift their focus from the goal to what occurred with a former team. Oregon had some stellar high scoring games to formidable (and some not so remarkable) opponents… but HAD is the operative word.

Ohio State will enter “The Granddaddy of Them All” roughly 24 hours from now anticipating Oregon’s notorious go-go tempo. Tressel said he has been emphasizing conditioning to help the Buckeyes keep up. Ohio State’s size can be considered a disadvantage against the slim and quick Oregon O but it is quite possible the size will eventually wear down Oregon on the defensive front and OSU will get enough pressure on the Duck’s backfield to disrupt the spread.

This is arguably the Buckeyes’ best defensive line since the front four of the National Championship team in 2002. The end result is a defense ranked fifth in the nation in total defense, fifth against the run and fifth in points allowed. DEs Cameron Heyward (5.5 sacks) and Thaddeus Gibson (4.0 sacks) combine to give the Bucks two pass rushing threats that merit double teams. Strong safety Kurt Coleman (64 tackles, 5 INTs) was voted team MVP.

Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli has thrown only five ints in 285 attempts this season, but he has thrown one in each of the Ducks’ last three games. Coleman and Ross Homan should be able to interrupt his stats (Iowa game, anyone?) if they find a way to go quick off the hypothetical block and divert an inferior line.

The OSU defense will have their work cut out for them in stopping the legs of recently returned RB Blount (unless anger management was effective and his demeanor calmed) and his tag team partner LaMichael James who should be tired after totaling 1476 yds this season. Oregon ended the season ranked 6th in rushing offense.

Speaking of legs, OSU QB Terrelle Pryor’s elusiveness can make life miserable for the Duck safeties. They are young and have not faced a player like Pryor. They must guard against his ability to make plays using his legs and his arm. We all know The Vest prefers to run the ball and it is a dang good thing the Bucks have a couple of RB track stars in Brandon Saine and Dan Herron who both made an impact mostly after the mid season situation.

Dan Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey stepped up to the challenge in receiving making big plays to prove the Buckeyes are serious and can win big games with the current offense. During the five weeks after the Purdue game the Ohio State run game averaged 258 yards per game including 310 yards against New Mexico State.

OSU will be without Ray Small (again) and Duron Carter but their cleats will be filled by the army of other offensive beasts that have answered when their name was called periodically during the season. Look for Jordan Hall to make fill in when need be.

One of my most fond memories in my 30 years was watching the 1997 Rose Bowl with my grandmother. My passion for football escalated on that day during our discussion and her reminiscence of attending the 1974 Rose Bowl and watching the Buckeyes “win big” over USC. We sat together and watched as OSU used less than 2 minutes to push down the field and overcome the Arizona State Sun Devils. History in the making! That Buckeyes team had a major hurdle to overcome but did not look back. They motioned forward and walked away with a victory. Here’s to this year’s Buckeyes doing the same.

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal” -Hannah More

Happy New Year (hoot hoot)!

Go Bucks!

BE

The Thanksgiving holiday is rich with tradition. Most all red blooded Americans have participated in and embraced the holiday tradition at some point in their lives. In elementary school we are taught about the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday and as adults we drink to get through the holiday!

Oddly enough, the biggest (and best) rivalry in sports occurs within days of Thanksgiving. Both are full of tradition but the irony in the story is in the definition. During the Thanksgiving holiday we are giving thanks for the harvest and expressing gratitude. In the Ohio State/ Michigan rivalry we are giving thanks for the bloodbath of corn-fed, hard-nosed football dynamites. We are also grateful for the opportunity to utterly despise those in Maize and Blue (or Scarlet and Gray but who in their right mind would do that?!?).  

The definition of tradition is the passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation. A mode of thought or behavior followed by people continuously from generation to generation; a custom or usage. An inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior. A love for the Ohio State/ Michigan game.

OSU coach Jimmy T understands tradition. On the evening of his hiring in 2001 at The Ohio State University he announced to a full Schottenstein Center, “I can assure you that you’ll be proud of our young people in the classroom, in the community and, most especially, in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan.”

Earlier this week, when questioned about his understanding of the importance of this coming Saturday’s game, Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez stated “Just because I did not coach here before, did not play here, I'm not from the state of Michigan, does not mean I don't understand the rivalry. I understand the rivalry as well as any coach could possibly understand it. Trust me, I understand the importance of the rivalry.”

Do you really Dick Rod?

Upon the announcement of his hiring to the University of Michigan RR was handed a blue button with “Beat Ohio State” in maize letters.

Rodriguez said earlier this week he has kept the button on his desk.

After being asked about the button later by a visitor to his office, Rodriguez had to do some searching. He found it tucked under some paper in the top drawer of the desk.

“I put it in there one day when I got mad,” Rodriguez said.

Gasp!

While the OSU/ U of M game is full of importance and passion, it is not the only rivalry Michigan has adopted. Let it be known that under Rodriguez Michigan has won just one rivalry game, compiling a 1-4 record against Notre Dame, Michigan State and OSU.

Most analysts are claiming that this Saturday’s game holds little esteem. Those analysts are probably going to miss Thanksgiving dinner too. The tradition is at the forefront. The passion is there. The desire to win is prevalent.

This will be the last game of the regular season for all seniors. Records won’t be recited decades from now but whether or not that class won the Ohio State/ Michigan game will be remembered by all.  Additionally, past history bares the still seeping wounds of either team being on top of the world going in to the game and falling to the “weaker” rival of that season.

The Vest is always adamant in focusing on the task ahead but still allows daily focus on the big game. Practices allow time for a Michigan focus where intense conditioning is scheduled. While the conditioning prepares the team for all opponents, the real focus is on what is to come in the grand finale. 60 minutes in November of blood, sweat and tears.

Michigan’s record is 5-6. If they can pull off a victory they will become bowl eligible. Ohio State has already secured a spot in THE ROSE BOWL (Oh yea! They prevayled… btw Happy Birthday Mom!) but a victory positions them alone as champions of the Big Ten as well as decades of bragging rights. Stats hardly matter leading up to this game and neither do records. It is tradition and passion that make the game.

Asked if the teams' enormously different fortunes and the Bucks’ recent accomplishments would make it difficult to get energized for Michigan, Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman said, “It's not tough at all. We want to win the championship outright and to beat Michigan. That's a lot of motivation to play well.”

There is still a game to play. Ohio State will make forcing turnovers a priority. Ohio State should have no trouble gaining the advantage against a Michigan team that ranks 102nd in the nation in turnover margin. U of M freshman QB Tate Forcier has struggled through the second part of the season but his stats show he is a BA.

Ohio State excels in not only forcing turnovers but also keeping opponents out of the end zone. The defense has only allowed 10 touchdowns in the last 39 quarters and it ranks sixth in the country with 23 takeaways. This hurts Forcier’s chances to be a big dog on his home turf. Furthermore, star RB senior Brandon Minor is listed as out with a shoulder injury.

The only hope Michigan has on defense will be a huge game from DE Brandon Graham, a candidate for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He is tied for the lead nationally with 18 tackles for loss. His eight sacks rank second in the Big Ten behind Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan. He has forced two fumbles and even blocked two kicks. He IS Michigan’s defense.

Graham cannot do it alone and can only hope Terrell Pryor can make some major miscues in his 1954 throwback uniform (a season in which the Buckeyes won the National Championship). Highly unlikely considering Pryor plays very well under pressure and has stepped up in a big way in the last two, and notably, season changing games.

Dan Herron is taking control at tailback and Brandon Saine is a competent counterpart. The combination, along with Pryor, will likely be too powerful for the Wolverines’ meager run defense. The Buckeyes’ offense will be throwing a nontraditional curveball at the Wolverines by periodically running a wildcat offense. Roar!

Personally, I think Rich Rod sees a game. I think coach Tressel sees an opportunity to distribute the traditional gold pants. Take note RR; the gold pants are a gold charm replica of a pair of football pants given to players and coaches following wins over Michigan. The tradition started in 1934 when first-year coach Francis Schmidt told those wondering how OSU would fare with the Wolverines: “They put their pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else.”

Tradition!

The Grinch stole Christmas. According to my recent trip to the mall, Christmas stole Thanksgiving. Based upon the recent comments and reactions from fans of both teams, Rich Rod is doing his best to take all of meaning out of the biggest rivalry in sports and the most important day of the year!!!

This game always has and always will have a lot of meaning. As a true fan, your heart is still there. As a player, your heart is still there. As a coach, your heart had better figure out a way to get there because this game is marked on every maize and blue and scarlet and grey calendar in the land before any birthday, holiday or anniversary is ever noted. That too is tradition.

Jeffy, I know you’re really good at math. What is 2190 + 365? Ouch!

Go Bucks!

A true champion will continue fighting even when the going gets tough. My mother, Gayle, is that kind of champion. Life has handed her lemons and you should see the batch of lemonade she made. The circumstance tried to break her down and she stood up and towered over the situation. Not only did she not look back, she led the march forward. She has yet to see an obstacle in her effort to accomplish her goals. As her fan club has watched in awe of her ability to take life happenings in stride, she gained a slogan; “Gayle will Prevayle”.

It must be an Ohio thing!

The 10th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 8-2 (5-1) have had a season of adversity… adversity that they chose to overcome.

Beginning in week 2 when a freshman led USC came from behind to win in the 4th quarter and drew attention to the blaring weaknesses of the ’09 Buckeye squad to a shocking loss at Purdue 25 days ago; Ohio State has opened themselves up to more doubt and harsh criticism than any season in the recent past.

Scarlet blood was boiling as the disbelievers spouted such things as “Pryor needs to be moved to a receiving position”, “Tressel needs to hand over play calling responsibilities”, “the offense has too many holes left from the draft”, “the defense is too slow to handle ranked opponents”, and my favorite “they can’t win in a big game”. Not only did the Bucks win the big game but they won big!

“After it’s all said and done, people looking back on this season will say that Penn State and Iowa were turning points of that season, and the Buckeyes really came together.” TE Jake Ballard stated soon after learning that this weekend’s game is essentially a Big Ten Championship game.

Yes, you read that correctly!

The winner of the game at Ohio Stadium will get the Big Ten’s automatic Bowl Championship Series berth in the Rose Bowl and be assured of at least a share of the conference title, which would be the Buckeyes’ 5th in a row.

A Saturday victory in the Horseshoe will smell like roses! Even with an unthinkable loss to Michigan a week later in the regular-season finale (which I would like to remind my favorite Wolverine has not occurred in 2182 days), the Bucks would win any tiebreaker and earn a coveted spot in the Rose Bowl.

The plan to prevayle is simple. You have to want it:

Offense has been the (rose) thorn in the side of Ohio State for the majority of the season. Last week something clicked. “I don’t know why it happened that way but it did and I’m sure glad that it happened that way Saturday night,” QB coach Nick Siciliano said of last Saturday’s transition in Terrell Pryor. “He did seem to be a little bit calmer. He did make great decisions with the football. There were a couple of bad ones here and there (but) that’s part of the deal. But we didn’t turn the ball over and there wasn’t anything even close to a turnover. If we can do that again this week, we’ve got a chance.”

The loss to Purdue was considered by Pryor to be “maybe the best thing that happened to us.” Purdue showed Ohio State could not build an offense around Pryor and since the transition the sophomore QB has totaled 500 yds, 5 tds and (READ)1 int!

Pryor seems to be a lot more comfortable in the pocket and he’s actually running the offense now. With a mistake free (ok, a minimal mistake) game from Pryor and a continuation on the Herron and Saine run, the offense can pluck the feathers of the Hawkeyes D. I would anticipate Jordan Hall and Ray Small will make an impact against a line that is surrendering 291.7 yards per game.

This task will not be easy as the Hawkeyes are ranked 14th in overall defense and boast 19 interceptions, a stat which is tied for first in the nation. With that said, I would assume OSU receivers Devier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher will have fewer attempts at playmaking this Saturday.

Ohio State is third in the nation in rushing defense (85.4), fourth in scoring defense (11.2 points per game) and 11th in pass defense (168.7).Their work load was significantly lightened when Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi went down in the second quarter last week with a badly sprained ankle. He will be replaced by redshirt freshman quarterback, James Vandenberg. Vandenberg enters the capacity filled Ohio Stadium in his first collegiate start after throwing for 82 yards in three quarters against Northwestern on Nov. 7.

That means true freshman RB Brandon Wegher could get 20-plus carries for the second time in the past three games. It should be noted that Wegher has also moved up from second position as he had to fill the shoes of the Hawkeyes’ previous top rusher Adam Robinson. Robinson’s season ended after a foot injury during the Michigan State game in late October.

Good luck baby birds!

The only advantage the Hawkeyes’ offense has over the OSU defense is that the key players Iowa will be relying upon are so inexperienced that the Buckeyes don’t really know what to expect from them. “We just watch as much film as we can since we’ve only got a couple of quarters (of actual play),” DL Lawrence Wilson said. “We try to guess what they’re going to do.”

Part of prevailing is accepting the unknown. Taking chances and making changes. There is a Garth Brooks song titled “Unanswered Prayers”. There are things in life you pray do not happen. There are things in life you wish had never happened. Ultimately, all of those things happen for a reason and for the betterment of the future. All I can say is thank the big guy for Purdue and also for unanswered prayers! Go Bucks and go Gayle!