2012 Laid Out...Look Out!

Schedule
9/1 - Miami (Oh.)
9/8 - Central Florida
9/15 - California
9/22 - UAB
9/29 - @Michigan State
10/6 - Nebraska
10/13 - @Indiana
10/20 - Purdue
10/27 - @Penn State
11/3 - Illinois
11/10 - BYE
11/17 - @Wisconsin
11/24 - Michigan
12/1 - Big Ten Championship

Our Potential Starting Lineup

Offense -
RETURNING STARTERS (10)

QB - BRAXTON MILLER/Cardale Jones/Kenny Guiton

RB - CARLOS HYDE/JORDAN HALL/Jaamal Berry

FB - ZACH BOREN/Adam Homan

FLANKER - PHILLY BROWN/Chris Fields/VERLON REED

SPLIT END - EVAN SPENCER/Devin Smith/TY Williams

TE - JAKE STONEBURNER/Ried Fragel

LT - ANDREW NORWELL

LG - JACK MEWHORT

C - Brian Bobek

RG - COREY LINSLEY

RT - MARCUS HALL

Defense -
RETURNING STARTERS (10)

LT - JOHN SIMON/Adam Bellamy

NT - GARRETT GOEBEL

RT - JONATHAN HANKINS/Michael Bennett

LEO - NATHAN WILLIAMS/JT MOORE/Steve Miller

SLB - ETIENNE SABINO

MLB - STORM KLEIN/Curtis Grant

WLB - Ryan Shazier

CB - TRAVIS HOWARD/Dominic Clarke

CB - BRADLEY ROBY/Doran Grant

FS - CJ BARNETT/Zach Domicone

SS - CHRISTIAN BRYANT/ORHIAN JOHNSON

STAR - CHRISTIAN BRYANT

Special Teams -
RETURNING STARTERS (6)

K/PK - DREW BASIL

P - BEN BUCHANAN

LS - GEORGE MAKRIDIS

H - DEREK ERWIN

KR - JORDAN HALL/JAAMAL BERRY

PR - JORDAN HALL/Philly Brown


Season Outlook -

The number of returning starters will be a strong point for the Buckeyes as they look forward to a big season. A few of these players, especially on the O-line, are listed as returning starters because they started multiple positions. The only freshman I included on here is Cardale Jones, but only because Kenny Guiton hasn't proven better than Joe Bauserman this year. There will probably be some freshman to break the two deep. Maybe Boren on the OL and Perry at LB will help give us some depth, but that'll work itself out next year. Obviously, at this point there are plenty of unknowns; but it's hard to not be distracted by the future with so much promise in this youthful team. Who will be our head coach, offensive coordinator, O-line, and QB coach? How much of the staff will stay in tact? Will anybody risk a shot at the NFL?

I think our team will stay in tact, and there will be a new head coach and offensive coordinator. I'm assuming if much of the staff is replaced then that will include many of the defensive coaches which I wouldn't be too happy about. The issue is that a head coach has to make sure everyone is on the same page, and that usually means replacing the whole staff. Once again, we'll see how that works out in the future. I'm not going to make predictions as to who the coaches will be, but I do think it'll be an adjustment to what Buckeye Nation's been used to the past decade.

The schedule sets up very nicely as the Buckeyes open with 4 home games. Miami (Oh) and UAB should be gimmies. UCF will be an interesting game. Cal will lose a few players but should return many skill position players including studly WR Keenan Allen. The Golden Bears pulled off an OT win over a Colorado Buffalo team that OSU dominated in the early season. This should be OSU's only thing close to a test before they travel to East Lansing to start the Big 10. Playing at MSU could be tough, but they will also be losing a lot out of their skill positions. Cousins and Cunningham are out, and Worthy will be gone as well. Dantonio is building that program up, so this won't be a push-over; but I would expect whoever is coaching the Buckeyes to have them rolling by this point. Next up, Nebraska will come to Columbus for what could be another big game for the two teams. Martinez and Burkhead will be back. The Bucks will have a shot at redemption, and Columbus will surely be rockin'. Indiana will continue to be Indiana, so even though we play there; I won't worry about this game. We then have Purdue at home, we're at a Penn State team that might be in their own head coach transition, and Illinois at home. If the Bucks can make it through that stretch they will find themselves in the BYE week with a game at Wisconsin in front of them. Wisconsin looks like they'll be sitting toward the top of the Big 10 for awhile. This will be a crucial game for both programs in what has become quit a big rivalry. You'd think that after 10 games this team would be peaking, so this is a good scenario for OSU. The week after that the Wolverines will come to Columbus for the first time under Brady Hoke. I'm sure this game will be heated once again as Hoke looks to take this program in the right direction.

There's still much of this season left, and there's plenty reasons to be excited about what's going to happen on and off the field; but I couldn't resist a glance to the future. I hope this team continues to get better, and I really hope they make smart moves with the coaches. It will be interesting to witness this transition in the Buckeye Football program.

Bringing The Hammer Down

Thud...the sound of Buckeye fan's hopes hitting rock bottom. Those hopes had once again peaked while Braxton Miller started to be the QB that the Buckeyes knew he could be. 9 carries with a 10 yard average, completing over 50% of his passes with an 18 ypc average, and being smart with the ball. It was the best QB performance the Bucks have seen this year. The offense looked in sync. The O-line blocked, the RB's made a few big plays, receivers caught passes, and Braxton led the whole charge.

Then...thud. A silence cast over Buckeye Nation as Miller, who had injury problems in high school, went down with a right ankle injury from an upfield cut he made. Nothing that I saw would lead me to believe it's too serious of an injury, and the word is that he is questionable for this week. Questionable is good to start the week, much better than doubtful. Some said they even saw him walking around on the sidelines after his injury as if he wasn't really hurt but that he was scared to go back in. I call BS on that as he was tearing it up before the injury. Any competitor wants to get back on the field, especially when they're leading their team toward a big victory like Brax was. We'll see what Brax is made of over the next 3 weeks, but one thing is for sure; they need a plan B.

No matter if Braxton's injury is a bad one, if he continues to have injury issues, or if he's back full force this week; we need to have another plan. There is no way that Bauserman is that plan. NO WAY. The obvious choice is the guy who wears #13 and was getting ready to trot on the field at the end of the game last week before the Cornhuskers ran the clock out. Everyone wants to see Guiton get in the game, especially since we've seen that the coaches don't let players show any bit of how effective their mobility can be in practice. I understand that they don't want players to get hurt, but at some point you have to factor mobility into the mix. Guiton, and even Graham, deserve a shot before Bauserman gets back on the field. I would even take Jordan Hall and Carlos Hyde/Boom Herron in the Wildcat over seeing Joe Bauserman piss away another game.

The guy's stats are disgusting, and he has never made a play in a varsity game. Miami, 2/14 for 13 yds 0 td/0 int; Michigan State, 7/14 for 87 yds 1 td/0 int (against a prevent defense); and Nebraska, 1/10 for 13 yds 0 td/1 int. The only thing he has proven is that somebody else deserves a shot. Even as the coaches had continued to rely on the 'he isn't turning the ball over' line Buckeye fans were screaming for something else, but now he has thrown a pick while also tossing the ball into the stands pass-after-pass. Bollman's excuses for Bauserman have continued, and either Bollman wants to lose these games; or he has a serious man-crush. He gave Bauserman credit for completing mulitple passes which he did, but one was to Nebraska. That pick started their game-winning drive. He said Bauserman got really close on the long ball...yeah, the one that was intercepted. Bollman got pass-happy as soon as Bauserman checked into the game as he let Bauserman throw the ball and game away. What reasoning does Bollman have to abandon the run? It just goes to show how good these mobile QB's (T. Smith, T. Pryor, and B. Miller) are making him look, but it might have also been the result that Fickell needed to finally bring the hammer down on Bauserman's playing time and on Bollman's play-calling. Fickell taking charge? That, like Bauserman playing well, has yet to be seen.

Rock Bottom...?

Rock Bottom, a term that I, along with other Buckeye fans, have been throwing around this week. When do you know you've hit rock bottom? Is it only after you've recovered that you realize what or when rock bottom was? I had to laugh to myself because there's tons of D-1A football programs that would love to be 3-2 right now, but the facts are that this is The Ohio State University we're talking about; and going 3-2 in the manner the Buckeyes have is simply unacceptable. There's numerous finger-pointers and still a small population of believers trying to regroup everybody, but the truth is that Buckeye Nation is falling apart at the seams as the football program continues to disappoint on and off the field. Boo's cascade down from the stands serving not as the usual F-you to the refs or opposing teams, but as a symbol of disappointment in our own team and coaches; but honestly, who can blame them? These are the same fans who have been served 10-win seasons, Big Ten Championships, BCS Bowls, and victories over M:ch:gan on a silver platter for the past decade. These fans are like those spoiled kids who whine at Christmas for not getting one of the toys they asked for even though they got everything else that was on their wish-list. OSU has spoiled Buckeye Nation with big gifts year after year; but how can it be made right? Does the parent give in and spoil the child more, does the kid learn to cope and get over it, or do they somehow find a happy-medium? Obviously, the football team isn't trying to perform poorly, but it looks like the they aren't going to be able to get us all of the gifts that we've received in the past; so the Buckeye faithful is going to have to learn to cope with the gifts we're dealt. Hopefully, the team can give us a few good surprises this season; and one of those could happen as early as this weekend as we face an angry Cornhusker team; but the fans have to continue to give positive support to the team even though they're struggling.

Hopefully, you're not the fan who's boxing up all of your Buckeye merch in preparation to jump ship because I see this getting worse before it gets better. I'm not saying OSU can't win, but I'll be surprised if we see a win from the Bucks in the next 3 games as they continue to search for an identity on the offensive side of the ball. The positive is that we have the players to move the ball, but we have to call appropriate plays and execute much better. We also have a pretty good defense, and special teams hasn't been nearly as disasterous as of lately. The Buckeyes have to figure these things out on the fly because this schedule doesn't get any easier. Only the games will determine their record and how the players will develop, but we, the fans, have to continue to support our team. We have to stand strong even if the rest of this year is a downward spiral because we will get better. We are Buckeyes, and no loss, coach, player; or situation should change that. The changes will be made because this is Ohio State, and our program deserves the best coaches. Even when the season started, we had a "shock the world" mentality. Those expectations were very high, and the team isn't playing near the level that was expected; but I also think OSU is severely under-achieving. If you've followed the Facebook page then you know that I put much of the blame on the shoulders of Jim Bollman and Nick Siciliano for awful play-calling and poor development of players. I hate to be one of the finger-pointers, but I feel like we are really getting a chance to see how good these coaches are based on their in-game changes and week-to-week development of our young QB; and it's not looking good. I haven't seen Braxton do a whole lot that he wasn't doing in high school, and he looks too scared to make mistakes which takes away from his play-making ability.

The issues the Buckeyes currently face aren't all on the football field, they're in the locker room and in the stands; but it all stems from those guys on the sidelines and in the pressbox. Changes have to be made by those guys in order to not totally shatter the structure that has been built here, but the fans have to reevaluate their expectations to better suit this team's capabilities. That's how we meet in the middle, and that's how we turn 'are we at rock bottom' into 'remember when'.

I have a few sayings that can be learned here to help our outlook on what's happening. The first is one I've found, and it is, "Happiness is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have". We need to not be the spoiled child, and we will learn to be happy with whatever the team does. This will make wins and bowl games that much more enjoyable, and it'll make losses less depressing. The second quote is one I've used in sports or as a life lesson, and it is one I came up with. That quote is, "Hard times make for good stories"; and we have to realize that if these are the hardest times we have, then we have it made pretty good because we don't have to watch those ugly winged helmets or wear those hideous blue and gold colors every week; so let's do our part to support the team and remember to be proud to be a Buckeye because it's better than being a Wolverine.

The Buckeye Board Breakdown - MSU @ OSU

The Buckeyes will play the Spartans in their 5th game this season as they look to improve their record to 4-1. OSU is 3-0 at home, and MSU like OSU, is 0-1 on the road.

MSU was beaten downfield by the Notre Dame receivers, which could be the role that emerging star freshman Devin Smith plays. The Irish's downfield play was set up by safe sideline passes. The posession receiving game is the key to opening up MSU's defense. The draw play was also very effective against the Spartan defense. This leads me to believe that a scrambling Braxton Miller should have room to run, and it bodes well for OSU's interior running attack. I would expect the Buckeyes to throw the draw and screen into the gameplan. The draw should be used if OSU is connecting on passes, and the screen is typically used to slow a quick pass rush but can also be used if the Buckeyes show they're not afraid to go deep. Only the game's path can depict which will come first, but I bet we see both the draw and screen as OSU tries to get the ball to Jordan Hall.

OSU also features a strong return game where MSU gave up a big early game score to Notre Dame. I expect something big from Hall and Berry when it comes to returns this week.

Defensively, the game plan is similar to when OSU played Miami. The Bucks need to avoid big plays and play strong up front. BJ Cunningham will likely have the company of the lengthy Travis Howard, but MSU has a few other solid receivers; including good TE play; so OSU's DB's need to play solid. MSU has a few good RB's that have the ability to make plays. This will be more of a test than it was facing Miami where OSU was gashed for big yards. The Buckeye DL and LB's have another chance to prove themselves this weekend, and they need to step up to the challenge.

Notre Dame showed how to beat MSU, but this is a different game. Can the Buckeyes step up to the challenge? Can MSU pull off their first win at the shoe since the infamous 1998 upset? Those questions shall be answered this Saturday, but this should surely be a great tip-off to another hard-hitting Big 10 football season.

Can Fickell Gain Buckeye Nation's Trust?

This weekend poses a daunting task for both teams in the Horseshoe as they have wrapped up their weak non-conference schedules and are ready to move into conference play. This season has already included major let-downs for both squads in their only true tests, and with so many questions to answer, one has to think that this game could be a pivotal moment for everyone involved.

MSU has taken precautionary measures by having closed practices and not allowing players to talk to the media this week. Mark Dantonio, who has never beat OSU as a head coach, wants to ensure the focus of his players is only on the game. That says a lot for a team returning 12 starters including experience and record-breaking numbers at skill positions. This could spell danger to a Buckeye defense that not only has given up three straight 300 yard games on defense, but they almost average giving up 300 yards per game defensively after finishing the weak part of their schedule.

MSU has looked solid defensively, but you have to factor in the weak schedule to get a good look at how good they really are. Just as the Buckeyes were smothered by a weak Miami team, the Spartans were whooped by a weak Notre Dame team giving up 31 points. MSU's numbers have been good, but Notre Dame took advantage of them. Notre Dame used draws frequently which were set up by a down-field passing attack. It seems like that would be a blueprint for teams to score on MSU, but the Buckeyes aren't exactly suited for airing it out. This means that OSU will have to either make huge strides in the passing game this week or run the ball very well. It seems that the latter would better fit this Buckeye squad, but the passing game can be critical this week, which is a lot of pressure to put on a freshman QB and a very young group of receivers. Who knows what's going to happen? All I know is that Coach Fickell has an excellent opportunity this weekend, and he has the chance to finally show all of us who this team is. It's time to step up and show us what ya' got. If there's one thing I'm sure of, it is that Mark Dantonio and the Spartans are taking this game seriously; and they will have some tricks up their sleeve. Buckle up because this game is going to be intense.

Regurgitate The Kool-Aid

I went through a phase that many fans live in. Much of my life, including my emotional energy, was centered on the success of OSU Football. This all started because of the timing of that success with my life. The first year I had time to follow OSU Football was the year after I graduated high school due to my involvment with my own short-lived football career. That year was 2002, and I still remember watching some of those incredible games with my father. I remember grabbing my hair with both hands in reaction to the "Holy Buckeye" Michael Jenkins catch at Purdue, and I remember feeling like we had the game won when Willis McGahee went down in the NC with that nasty knee injury. I also remember how I got more and more involved and how I became so emotionally invested as that season went on. The NC game was so amazing, but the continued success through the years really got many of our expectations up. The sense of pride in being a Buckeye and being apart of something so successful allowed me to feel good about myself, but the losses made me depressed as if I could've done something to prevent it.

I reached my peak point when OSU lost to Illinois when they were on the verge of completing back-to-back perfect regular seasons. That defeat made me depressed, and I had to sit back and think about my relationship with Buckeye Football. I had to think about what I have control over and what I don't, and that was a tough time for me since I am so proud to be a Buckeye.

I have drawn back the amount of intrest I take in recruiting, but I still am very much a fan; and I'm constantly reading up and looking for videos to hear and see about other's thoughts on OSU. This has evolved into The Buckeye Board and this blog where my voice can be heard, and I want Buckeye Nation to hear and respond to me. I believe I'm very rational in my outlook of Buckeye Football, but I obviously still have issues as I find it very hard to pick against my beloved Buckeyes.

I'm looking forward to jumping into MSU this week, and it will surely be one of the more intense match-ups on slate. The fact that both OSU and MSU have lost already will provide this game with some fire. These teams haven't played each other for awhile, and they both have something to prove. MSU has been somewhat solid on defense, but their competition has been suspect. OSU has had its obvious issues including a poor passing game and a defense that has been gashed for 300+ yards 3 games in a row.

The match-ups in this game heavily favor MSU, in my opinion. MSU has experience and talent on offense in all of their skill positions. MSU is the team with experience. MSU has a stout run defense which matches up well with OSU's offense. Buckeyes, this is a dangerous game because we can't necessarily play that underdog role yet, so Coach Fick and Coach Bollman have an important gameplan ahead of them. I will jump into what I expect to see in the next post.

Evolving The Buckeye Board Blog

The Buckeye Board, on Facebook, and The Buckeye Board Blog have both been something that I have wanted to do for awhile now due to my passion for Buckeye Football.  I used to be an avid Bucknut's blogger and was scraped off in their recent move to the 247 sports site.  Plus, I get really annoyed at homers; so I couldn't take many of the common Bucknut's bloggers.  Basically, I want to talk about OSU football and love interacting with other fans; but I don't think I should have to pay to do that; so The Buckeye Board has been born.

This site started off right after the first game (Akron) of this 2011 season, and I did two game previews (Toledo & Miami); but I want to talk about more than just previews; so this blog is going to be evolving into more of a blog where I'm going to be writing about my opinions of topics surrounding OSU Football.  I would like to get a following on here, as well as on the Facebook page, so we can all chat and share our thoughts about these topics.  I missed out on the preview of last week's game (Colorado) because I was working on getting this blog updated...and partly because I was depressed about the Miami loss.  The week went really fast, which is very unusual for me during football season.  I am 1-1 this year, and 0-2 against the spread; but I don't feel bad about that because the suspensions and quarterback questions really drug this team down in those two games.  That's another reason I wasn't too rushed to get my Colorado preview up.  I wanted to see what Braxton would do as the starter, and I can now comfortably make some more projections as I know who the quarterback will be.  The big issue is seeing how consistent he will be, but we'll get to that later.

You can send me e-mails or however you want to get ahold of me, I'm happy to hear from other fans; so l look forward to hearing from other Buckeyes.  As for now, we get to focus on Big 10 play.  GO BUCKEYES!!!