On a wacky, upset-filled weekend, Jim Tressel kept things pretty boring for Ohio State. He had a little help from an outclassed Minnesota team and its uninspired fans. But more than any active coach, Tressel seems to find a way to meet expectations in these undercard games. Boring in these games is good. Boring means another workmanlike win.

Unfortunately, though, boring doesn’t mean unnoticed. With 4 of the top 10 teams losing and Ohio State dominating its soft schedule, the Buckeyes suddenly find themselves at #4 this week. I’m not sure we’re the fourth best team in the country right now. And I’m not sure that we need additional locker room motivation material for the rest of the Lilliputians on the schedule. I liked it better when we were able (as much as an OSU team could) to fly under the radar. It would’ve been nice if we could’ve carried an undefeated 7 or 8 spot into the Michigan game, and then slingshotted into the top 4 with a victory. So much for that.

There’s still a lot of football to play this season. But as long as Coach Tressel continues to keep things boring, Ohio State should find itself in a pretty exciting January bowl game.

My thoughts on the Minnesota game:

• The Opponent - C. It looks like Tim Brewster has the Minnesota ship pointed in the right direction. He doesn’t quite have the athletes to run the styles of offense and defense he favors. But give him a few years and he’ll be able to field a competitive Big Ten team. That’s assuming, of course, he can be successful in recruiting outside of the state. I watched Glen Mason struggle up there for years with limited talent, and he was a great coach. Recruiting is at least half of the battle at the college level. Maybe more.
• The Defense - A-. Minnesota’s freshman quarterback wasn’t sharp, and his quasi-spread offense sputtered for most of the game. So that’s 5 games without a true, high-octane test of the Laurinaitis-led defense. But anecdotal evidence of greatness continues to pile up, and limiting opponents to less than 14 points a game-regardless of who they are-is pretty impressive. I especially like 2 characteristics of this defense: (1) the intensity level is exceptionally high; and (2) the guys always seem to be in the right spot, suggesting that they really understand the defense scheme.
• The Offense - B+. I like long-ball offenses. Nothing sews doubt into the minds of defensive players as much as a deep threat capability. Even when a defense thinks it has the running game and horizontal passing attack under control, going vertical unsettles them. And if it’s successful a few times, it demoralizes them. That’s where we are now. The long-ball offense is clicking. The offensive line looks solid. Boeckman’s making good reads and delivering the ball well. And Robiskie is getting behind defenders and making plays. Add a very competent power runner, and any team watching OSU game film has to be concerned.
• The Special Teams - C+. If the season gets interesting, it’ll probably be because of our special teams. The punt and punt return teams seem to have things under control. But the kicking game is definitely not boring. This week it was a missed PAT and suspect kick coverage. A close game will shine the spotlight on the kicking team..
• My Favorite Play. As time was winding down in the first quarter, Ohio State was inside Minnesota’s 10 yard line threatening to score. Minnesota’s defense stuffed Beanie Wells on a weak east-west move. And then, on the next play, Wells went north-south on defensive back Dominique Barber for Ohio State’s second touchdown. I saw Keith Byars crush a few db’s back in the day, and it was always a beautiful thing to see. Beanie’s pasting of Barber reminded me of Keith.
• Game Ball. Brian Robiskie.

Popularity: 34% [?]

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Popularity: 51% [?]

Check out the New Legends that have recently joined us. We are proud to welcome new members:
• Richard Marcucci (Baseball 65-66)
• Jamie Holland (Football & Track & Field 84-86)
• Timothy Duffey (Swimming/Diving 73-77)
• Nick Cheney (Swimming/Diving 00-02)
• Dick Hoover (Lacrosse 55)
• Brett McCutcheon (Pistol 85-87)
• Tom Walsh (Soccer 71-75)
• John Zeisler (Track & Field 59-63)
• Don Corrigan (Lacrosse 52-56)
• David Ridenhour (Soccer 00-04)

Popularity: 50% [?]

The following is an excerpt from the book, “Then Tress Said to Troy…The Best Ohio State Football Stories Ever Told.” Author Jeff Snook, who also wrote “What It Means To Be A Buckeye,” is a Buckeye Legends.com blogger. For information on how to purchase either book, visit our online store.

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

That same season, Joel Kessel was the Buckeyes’ starting punter. His journey to the starting lineup was even more remarkable:

“I grew up in Massillon and all I wanted to do was play football at Ohio State. What boy in Ohio didn’t? My senior year of high school I was fortunate to be a team captain and win MVP honors as the quarterback, free safety, and I handled all of the punting/kicking duties. Because I wasn’t strong enough, fast enough or big enough, I ended up at Dayton, a Division III football program. For two years, I rode the bench as a third-string punter and free safety. Then two weeks before I was to report to two-a-day camp going into my junior year (1990), I received a letter from the head coach informing me not to report to camp, but to report to the team once classes had begun.

“Clearly, I was not in his plans to be a part of the program. As hard a pill as it was to swallow, I knew I was a good punter and felt I hadn’t been given a fair shake. The day after receiving the letter, I dropped out of Dayton and began searching for a Division I school that would be in need of a punter in two years, because I had to sit out a year after transferring. My high school coach made several calls to coaches he knew, trying to find out who had a need and who would be interested in me. It was Kent State, Ohio University, Kansas, and Ohio State among others. I thought, ‘Wow! Ohio State, are you kidding me?’

“Ohio State’s punter, Jeff Bohlman, would be a senior the year I would have to sit out, and then I would have two years of eligibility. By the time I had enrolled, after filling out the paperwork and transferring transcripts, I was granted a try-out with coach Bob Palcic, who was handling the special teams at the time. My tryout was at 3:15 p.m., September 18, 1990. I remember this date because it was my 21st birthday.

“While I was on the practice field at 3 p.m., stretching, waiting for coach Palcic to come out, players were coming out for practice and I thought, “Holy s–, I have to do this in front of the team?’ I felt awkward and nervous beyond belief, because I didn’t know anyone, and coach Palcic was suddenly my best friend. Then he emerged and asked, ‘You ready to go?’

“He called over Jim Borchers, the starting long-snapper, and had the return guys catching my punts. There I was, catching long snaps from the starting OSU long-snapper and punting to guys like Bobby Olive and Robert Smith. I needed to be pinched!

“The entire time, coach Palcic stood there with his stopwatch tracking hang time and timing how long it took me to get the ball off. I admit to this day, I had never punted the ball that good up in my life. After about 10 minutes, coach Palcic said, “Okay, that’s enough.’

“I walked over to him and his first words were, ‘Yeah, we could use you.’ I felt like I had won the lottery, but I couldn’t outwardly show how elated I was. The next day I was in an Ohio State uniform, practicing as a Buckeye. I spent the remainder of the 1990 season practicing with the team, but I was not allowed to dress for games since I had transferred. The next season, I was the back-up punter. The first time I ran onto the field in Ohio Stadium, I was smiling from ear-to-ear.

Coach Palcic had left to go to the NFL and Mike Stock came in as the new receivers and special teams coach before the 1992 season. After punt-team practice a week before the season-opening game against Louisville, coach Stock pulled me aside and asked, ‘Do you think you can handle this next week?’

“I wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t think I could,” I told him

“Well, you’re the guy next week,” he said.

“I went back home to Massillon after practice since we had Sunday off to spend some time with my family. I pulled into the driveway and my dad was working in the garage. That is when I told him I was going to be the starting punter. The look on his face, and in his eyes, was pride, disbelief and more pride. It stunned me for a second and made me realize how big a deal this was, not just for me, but for my family and many of my close friends. I’ll never forget, and will always cherish, that moment with my dad.”

During the Buckeyes’ 20-19 win over Louisville that next week, Kessel’s dream came true. He was wearing an Ohio State uniform, handling the punting.

“My second punt that day was one of my most memorable,” he said. “We were on the Louisville 44-yard line, on the right hash, when I got off a nice one - a tight spiral with the nose turning over.

“When I looked downfield to see where it was heading, I saw the orange pylon on the goal line. I started hopping up and down, willing the ball to go out of bounds and not into the end zone. It landed at the three-yard line and bouncing directly out of bounds! The roar of the crowd was incredible to me. All I remember is sticking my arms straight up in the air and running off the field to a lot of high-fives and pats on the back. It was such a rush!”

Kessel finished the season with 54 punts for a 35.5-yard average and never had a punt blocked, with a longest of 53 yards.

“I never did get a scholarship, but I believe I was the only non-scholarship player to start in all 12 games that season, including the Citrus Bowl,” he said. “And even though I didn’t break any records or earn any All-Big Ten or All-American honors, I’m proud of the fact that I didn’t give up when I received that letter from Dayton. It made my boyhood dream come true.”

Understandably, walk-ons enjoy any playing time they can get and only a few plays can provide memories to be cherished for a lifetime.

Take Jim Otis Jr., for example. His father is the legendary fullback who rushed for 2,542 yards in his career and was one of Woody Hayes’ favorite players. Jim Jr., who was held by Hayes the day he was born, walked on and spent four years as a Buckeye quarterback deep on the depth chart from 2000-03.

“My junior year (2002), we were playing San Jose State (at Ohio Stadium) and we are winning 50-7 late in the game,” Otis explained. “Craig Krenzel was the starter and played real well that day. And then Scott McMullen came in and played a lot of the second half.”

On the Buckeyes’ final possession that day, coach Jim Tressel turned and looked at Otis.

“Oates, you’re in,” he said.

“It was one of the most exhilarating times of my life,” Otis recalled. “As I was running out there, I can remember (receiver) Bam Childress meeting me halfway and he was real excited for me. Getting to be out on that field…it was kind of surreal. I loved every minute of it.”

Otis handed off twice, carried on a quarterback sneak for two yards and a first down and then took two kneel-downs to end the game.

He never played another snap during his career. His career totals: Five plays, one carry, two rushing yards and one lasting memory to cherish. Now it can be stated that the Otis family combined to gain 2,544 yards during their Ohio State careers.

“Coach Tressel didn’t have to do that,” Otis said. “That just shows you how he looks after all of his players, not just his star players.”

Popularity: 34% [?]

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Ohio State trailed Minnesota, 31-0, but staged an incredible comeback and defeated the Gophers 41-37, tying the record for the largest deficit overcome by a Division I-A team.

October 29, 1989 (AP) - Even the Ohio State Buckeyes knew they had no business becoming only the second team ever to win after trailing by 31 points.

“Things like this, they can’t happen,” said Jeff Graham, who caught Greg Frey’s 15-yard touchdown pass with 51 seconds to play as the Buckeyes beat Minnesota 41-37.

“People call it luck. People call it a miracle,” Graham said. “That’s OK. I believe in luck and miracles.”
Said Minnesota’s Eddie Miles: “When you’re up 31-0, you think there’s no way possible they could come back. No way. No way.”

Only on Nov. 10, 1984 — when Maryland rallied from a 31-0 deficit to beat Miami of Florida 42-40 — had an NCAA Division I-A team ever finished such a comeback.

“It definitely was a great comeback. Had to be the greatest,” said Carlos Snow, who caught two TD passes.

“It certainly was the greatest game I’ve ever been a part of. I’m proud to have been in it.”

The Buckeyes had to overcome six turnovers to beat the Gophers for the eighth straight year and the 20th time in 21 meetings since 1969.

Even though it blew a lead of historic proportions, Minnesota still had a chance to win. But Steve Rhem could only get one hand on Scott Schaffner’s 22-yard pass into the end zone as time expired.

Apparently, the Buckeyes had used up all the miracles allowed for one game.

“He had a chance for it,” Gophers coach John Gutekunst said. “It would have been a great catch, but miracles don’t happen all the time.”

In the first half, Frey completed two of eight passes for 35 yards, and his two fumbles and an interception led to 17 Minnesota points.

But in the second half, he was 18 for 23 for 327 yards. He also scored a touchdown and completed two of his three two-point conversion passes after intermission.

“Things happened so quick in the second half, I didn’t have time to worry about anything but throwing the ball,” Frey said. “I’m glad I played the way I did. I had something to make up for.”

Frey sandwiched two TD passes to Snow around a 32-yard field goal by Minnesota’s Brent Berglund, pulling Ohio State within 34-26.

It appeared the Buckeyes’ final turnover — with 7:25 left, center Dan Beatty’s shotgun snap never reached Frey and Sean Lumpkin recovered, leading to Berglund’s 42-yard kick — might do them in, but Frey led two quick scoring drives.

First, a 17-yard pass to Graham on third-and-18 set up Frey’s 1-yard, fourth-down TD run to make it 37-34.
Then, the Buckeyes’ defense forced a punt and OSU went 73 yards in five plays, as Frey survived a 15-yard sack to complete four passes for 88 yards. Graham scored the winner after getting behind Les O’Hara in the back right corner of the end zone.

“It was man-to-man coverage with the free safety,” Graham said. “He was 8 yards off me. I came off the line real hard and he bit for an inside move.”

Ohio State stopped Minnesota’s first offensive series, but a short punt hit the leg of OSU blocker Rich Huffman and the Gophers’ Scott Streiff recovered on Ohio State’s 28-yard line. Four plays later, Darrell Thompson scored from 12 yards.

Thompson rushed for 133 yards to become the first Minnesota runner ever to eclipse 4,000 career yards.
The Buckeyes’ second possession ended as Frey fumbled when sacked by Miles, with Minnesota’s Bob Coughlin recovering at OSU’s 22. Berglund’s 30-yard field goal made it 10-0.

Popularity: 30% [?]

There are currently forty-six former Ohio State football players on rosters in the National Football League. Each week we will provide updates about how these former Buckeyes performed in the previous week’s action compliments of OhioStateBuckeyes.com

Baltmore Ravens - 26, vs. Arizona Cardinals - 23
Smith, Troy (QB): Substitute QB

Buffalo Bills - 7, at New England Patriots - 38
Anderson, Tim (DT): 2 tkl
Whitner, Donte (S): 5 tkl and 6 ast
Youboty, Ashton (CB): 3 tkl and 2 ast

Cincinnati Bengals - 21, at Seattle Seahawks - 24
Schlegel, Anthony (LB): 2 tkl
Stepanovich, Alex (C): Starting C

Cleveland Browns - 24, at Oakland Raiders - 26
Bentley, LeCharles (C): Physically Unable to Perform
Fraser, Simon (DE): 1 tkl and 1 fum rec

Indianapolis Colts - 30, at Houston Texans - 24
Gonzales, Anthony (WR): 2 rec for 39 yds
Hall, Roy (WR): 1 tkl on special teams
Pitcock, Quinn (DT): Not active

Miami Dolphins - 31, at New York Jets - 28
Ginn, Jr., Ted (WR): 1 rec for 15 yds, 3 KO returns for 80 yds and 2 PR for 6 yds

New England Patriots - 7, vs. Buffalo Bills - 38
Vrabel, Mike (LB): 3 tkl and 3 ast

New York Jets - 28, vs. Miami Dolphins - 31
Clarke, Adrien (G): Starting LG
Mangold, Nick (C): Starting C
Nugent, Mike (PK): 1-1 FG (21 yds) and 4-4 PAT

Oakland Raiders - 26, vs. Cleveland Browns - 24
Richardson, Jay (DE): 3 ast

Pittsburgh Steelers - 37, vs. San Francisco 49ers - 16
Holmes, Santonio (WR): 3 rec for 49 yds

San Diego Chargers - 24, at Green Bay Packers - 31
Olivea, Shane (OT): Did not play
Wilhelm, Matt (LB): Not active

Tennessee Titans - 31, at New Orleans Saints - 14
Hartsock, Ben (TE): 1 rec for 2 yds
Nickey, Donnie (DB): Substitute S

Arizona Cardinals - 23, at Baltmore Ravens - 26
Bailey, Rodney (DE): 1 tkl

Atlanta Falcons - 20, vs. Carolina Panthers - 27
Datish, Doug (C): Injured Reserve
Jenkins, Michael (WR): 6 rec for 76 yds

Carolina Panthers - 27, at Atlanta Falcons - 20
Carter, Drew (WR): 1 rec for 17 yds
Diggs, Na’il (LB): Substitute LB
Gamble, Chris (CB): 2 tkl ans 1 ast
Salley, Nate (S): Injured Reserve

Dallas Cowboys - 34, at Chicago Bears - 10
Carpenter, Bobby (LB): 1 tkl and 1 tkl, 1 ast on special teams
Glenn, Terry (WR): Not active

Green Bay Packers - 31, at San Diego Chargers - 24
Hawk, A.J. (LB): 5 tkl and 6 ast
Pickett, Ryan (DT): 1 ast
Walter, Tyson (OL): Injured Reserve

Minnesota Vikings - 10, at Kansas City Chiefs - 13
Doss, Mike (DB): Substitute S
Scott, Darrion (DE): 1 tkl
Winfield, Antoine (CB): 3 tkl

New Orleans Saints - 14, vs. Tennessee Titans - 31
Houser, Kevin (FB): Starting LS
Smith, Will (DE): 4 tkl and 1 ast

St. Louis Rams - 3, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 24
Pace, Orlando (T): Injured Reserve
Pittman, Antonio (RB): Not active

San Francisco 49ers - 16, at Pittsburgh Steelers - 37
Clements, Nate (CB): 4 tkl, 2 ast and 1 PD

Seattle Seahawks - 24, vs. Cincinnati Bengals - 21
Sims, Rob (OL): Starting LG

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 24, vs. St. Louis Rams - 3
Allen, Will (S): Not active
Galloway, Joey (WR): 4 rec for 42 yds

Washington Redskins - 14, vs. New York Giants - 24
Springs, Shawn (CB): 6 tkl

In Season Transactions:
Boston, David (WR): Released/injury settlement by Tampa Bay Buccaneers (09/12/2007)

Popularity: 40% [?]

The following is an excerpt from the book, “Then Tress Said to Troy…The Best Ohio State Football Stories Ever Told.” Author Jeff Snook, who also wrote “What It Means To Be A Buckeye,” is a Buckeye Legends.com blogger. For information on how to purchase either book, visit our online store.

Like most walk-ons, Deron Brown wasn’t a blue-chip recruit. He didn’t have 4.4 speed nor was he big by fullback standards, standing 5-foot-10 and weighing 215 pounds. In 1988, he was a freshman student at Ohio State and one of quarterback Kirk Herbstreit’s former high school teammates at Centerville High.

“Growing up as a Buckeye, as an Ohio State kid, I knew what I wanted,” he said. “My dad had refereed basketball in the Big Ten for 15 years and I had been in every Big Ten basketball arena as a kid. So I had been around athletics, but I went to Ohio State first just to get an education.”

Once in Columbus, his desire to be a Buckeye football player only intensified. First, Brown asked Herbstreit and Kirk’s father Jim, who played at OSU 1958-60, if they thought he possessed what it took to make the team.

“Yes, but you just have to go to a whole new level,” Kirk told him.

“If you keep your expectations in the right place and work hard, you can make the team,” said Jim, also was an assistant under Woody Hayes 1961-62.

When he finally asked his own father, he said, “Deron, concentrate on your education. If you go out there and try to play among those men, you will get your butt kicked!”

When the Ohio State coaches held walk-on tryouts following his freshman year, as they have every winter, Brown spent nine weeks enduring the four-day-a-week workouts, most before sunrise.

“I did not test very well,” he said. “I ran a 4.9 in the 40. Finally, they told me that I wouldn’t make the cut in order to make it to spring ball. I was so depressed after I got cut…”

Afterward, Brown met with John Cooper.

“I told him it was my lifelong dream to be on the team,” he said. “Coach Cooper said, ‘Well, we always need good managers.’”

“With all due respect, Coach, that’s not what I had in mind,” he replied.

A year passed. When Dave Kennedy became OSU’s strength and conditioning coach, Brown tried again. This time, walk-on testing sessions, consisting of the 300-yard shuttle run, the 40-yard dash, agility drills and vertical jump, were held before the nine weeks of workouts. This time, Brown tested much better.

“I had worked real hard in the off-season,” he said. “I went back the next day and they listed 13 names that were to continue on to spring practice and then one name was listed under: ‘See Coach Kennedy.’

It was Deron Brown’s name.

“Coach Kennedy said, ‘Look Deron, I know how bad you want this, but your times are still a little off, but I will give you a chance to test with the varsity.’”

During winter conditioning, the coaches then asked Brown to stay through spring practice, when the scholarship running backs took a real liking to Brown. He worked and worked and worked and finally, assistant coach Jim Colletto put him on the kickoff return team.

“During that spring, I had the equipment on for the first time and I actually thought to myself, ‘I can survive out here. I can do this,’” he recalled.
In the 1990 season-opener, a 17-10 win over Texas Tech, Brown wore an Ohio State uniform for the first time.

“I remember going out to warm up and there weren’t that many people in the stadium,” he said. “Then we went into the locker room and lined up in the tunnel to run out there and I can hear this big roar and every seat was filled. I will never forget that roar as long as I live. I thought, ‘I am here, wearing the scarlet and gray and all of that hard work has paid off.’”

As August camp came to a close leading up to the 1991 season, Cooper made an announcement before practice one day: “Deron Brown is now on a full football scholarship.”

“I will never forget all of those guys jumping on me in celebration,” he said. “Raymont Harris, Scottie Graham, Kirk…man, what a feeling. It was a surreal moment. That afternoon, I called Dad and just said, ‘You don’t have to send me the money for tuition anymore.’

“He thought I had quit school. Then I told him, ‘They just put me on a full-ride. Oh by the way, we get four tickets per game and the option to buy two more.’ I remember him telling me how proud he was of me.”

That season, during a 34-3 whipping of Northwestern at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, Brown entered the game at fullback for the first time.

“We ran a ‘22 Iso’ (isolation running play) and I think (tailback) Eddie George was behind me … I took off and I smacked the living crap out of that Northwestern linebacker,” he recalled. “He said, ‘Dude, you guys are killing us, what are you trying to do to me?’

“I told him, ‘Look, I don’t get a chance to play much, so strap it on, I am coming back.’”

At the end of that season, Brown was sure he had played enough to earn a varsity letter, but he was not given one. He met with Cooper and voiced his displeasure. The coach replied that he would check the film and get back to him.

Three days later, as Brown was lifting weights, Cooper walked by.

“Browny, I checked the film and you didn’t play enough,” the coach said. “And when you did play, you weren’t worth a damn.”

As Brown dressed in silence after the workout, Cooper sat down next to him in the locker room. After a short conversation, the coach told him to go down to the equipment room where equipment managers John Bozick and Danny Swain were working.

“Tell them I said you lettered this season and they will give you a lettermen’s jacket,” Cooper told him.

“Coach, are you serious?” Brown asked.

“I walked down there and John and Danny were sitting there with big smiles on their faces. One of them unlocked the door and I tried on all the jackets until I found one that fit. I left and as I was walking down the hall wearing it just feeling like a kid in a candy store as Coach Cooper walked by.”

“Looks good on you, Browny,” Cooper said. “By the way, I never did look at that film.”

During the 1992 season, Brown even got to carry the football, but never scored a touchdown. On one passing play, he released out of the backfield and was open for what could have been a touchdown, but quarterback Joe Pickens was sacked.

In the 13-13 tie with Michigan at Ohio Stadium, Brown sustained a stinger when blocking Wolverines All-American defensive back Ty Law. Then as Ohio State practiced for the Citrus Bowl against Georgia, he sustained a serious neck injury while blocking the late Jason Gwinn, requiring a vertebrae fusion at the base of the neck. His playing career was finished before the bowl game.

In the end, he earned two varsity letters.

“I set my goals in increments, I guess,” he said. “My first was to make the team. Then to play some. Then to get a scholarship. Then to earn a varsity letter. Fighting against the odds like that, you never know if you can make it but you keep trying with all you have with each step.

“I can’t tell you how many times in my life that being associated with Ohio State football has helped me in every day life. I am very proud of it. It would have been very easy to give up and forget about my dream after getting cut that first time. As the years have passed, some people have even called me ‘Ohio State’s Rudy,’ but I think I played more than he did at Notre Dame. I will always be a Buckeye and I take a great deal of pride in that.”

TO BE CONTINUED….

Popularity: 33% [?]

Make a prediction for the score of the Ohio State vs. Minnesota Game.

If you guess the score of game correctly, you win a Buckeye Tailgate Package consisting of a 4 piece OSU BBQ set, a package of pennant flags, an OSU seat cushion w/ tote., and a Set of 2 Car flags.

If more than one participant guesses correctly, then the first one to submit their score wins.

I’ll start this off with a few submissions already received by BuckeyeLegends.com

Katie Bernal - Director of Buckeye Legends predicts Ohio State 45; Minnesota 10
Jim Karsatos - Buckeye Legend predicts Ohio State 45; Minnesota 17
Mike Lanese - Buckeye Legend predicts Ohio State 42; Minnesota 14
Mike DeGaetano - Buckeye Fan predicts Ohio State 38; Minnesota 17

To submit your answer simply submit a comment in the comment section of this blog. Winner will be announced on Sunday. Please make sure you have a valid email address in your submission, for notification of the winner. Don’t worry, your email address won’t be displayed.

You must be 18 years old or older to participate in the contest.

Only 1 prediction may be submitted by each participant.

The contest will close with the game’s first kickoff.

Happy Guessing, Good Luck and Go Bucks!

Popularity: 52% [?]

Watching the game on Saturday reminded me of the good old days when the Northwestern game was over early and the Bucks got a chance to see some of the young guys.

It was great to see the offense come out with the peddle down and the play calling didn’t let up until late in the game. The coordinators found the weaknesses and exploited them early and often. The Wildcats didn’t have an answer for Brian Robiskie and TBoeck hit him in stride every time. Beanie ran with some aggressiveness and I bet his ankle will be fine. It was nice to see Ray Small make a play - although it was very poorly covered, it will help his confidence. I would like to see Tress continue to get Maurice Wells into the short passing game. Once he gets the ball in space and starts to head down field, he is very dangerous.

Defensively, what can you say. Even though they weren’t really challenged, they continue to get after the ball and put lots of pressure on the QB. Gholston’s TD was a big boost and the DB’s were definitely ball hawking.

The only hiccup in the mix was the kick coverage to start the second half. That will be fixed first thing.

So, much like the old days, we’ll quickly forget about the Wildcats and move on to a mediocre Minnesota team. The Golphers have always been able to run the ball and now it looks like they can throw it a little too. If the Bucks continue to improve, I don’t expect an upset but I used to hate going up there and playing in that arena.

We’ll talk more about them as the week goes on.

GO BUCKS!

Popularity: 34% [?]

BuckeyeLegends.com, a website dedicated to Ohio State sports, is taking serious sports fans to the polls. Voters selected Archie Griffin as the all-time OSU MVP.

Columbus, OH (PRWEB) September 24, 2007 — BuckeyeLegends.com, a popular OSU sports website, keeps as busy during the off-season as it does during the football season. In the months leading up to the 2007 OSU football season, BuckeyeLegends.com conducted online football opinion polls of fans and former Ohio State athletes. This “Greatest” poll series hit on topics such as the Greatest All-Time Ohio State punt returner to the Greatest All-Time Ohio State Team.

Highlights from the 2007 poll series include:

• Archie Griffin was named as Ohio State’s all-time MVP with 55% of the vote.
• The 1968 Buckeyes were selected as the greatest Ohio State team ever.
• Bo Schembechler was picked as the greatest Ohio State assistant coach.
• Chris Spielman secured the top spot for linebackers over AJ Hawk
• Troy Smith received 62% of the vote for best quarterback.
• Cris Carter came out on top as the best wide receiver.
• Other than Michigan, voters selected Notre Dame as the team they most like to hate.

In addition to the 2007 “Greatest” poll series, BuckeyeLegends.com is continuing to conduct pre- and post-football game polls throughout this OSU football season. The current poll asks fans, Which OSU player should receive this week’s game ball vs. Northwestern?

While visiting BuckeyeLegends.com to cast votes, fans can also read posts by genuine Buckeye Legends. Contributors include Archie Griffin, Jim Karsatos, Mike Lanese, and noted sports author Jeff Snook. Fans may also shop for OSU memorabilia, read current bios on nearly 300 past Buckeye heroes, and even sign up to have a Buckeye Legend speak or sign autographs at business or social events. Also, every week, fans can win a prize from the Buckeye Legends store by correctly guessing the score for the upcoming game.

About BuckeyeLegends.com
BuckeyeLegends.com allows Buckeye faithful to reconnect with their favorite Buckeye sports Legend. There are over 350,000 OSU alumni and millions of fans in Ohio, across the country and around the world. BuckeyeLegends.com provides them with an inside look at their favorite Legends, special moments of the past and the Legends thoughts about the Ohio State teams of today. Fans can also find OSU merchandise to fill their “basement shrine” in the new Buckeyelegends.com online store. To learn more about Buckeye Legends visit www.buckeyelegends.com or call Katie Bernal at 614-487-9806.

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