2007 tOSU Football Season Discussion (merged)

[osugrad21]

Lima

OSU hopes to leave different mark in '07Jim Naveau | [email protected] - 11.10.2007[FONT=Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif]COLUMBUS ? It?s been a big month for asterisks.
First, Barry Bonds said he wouldn?t show up for his Baseball Hall of Fame induction sometime in the future if the Hall displayed his home run record-breaking baseball, which has had an asterisk imprinted on it by its current owner.
Then former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula was reported to have said he believes if the New England Patriots finish the season unbeaten, there should be an asterisk stamped on that accomplishment because of coach Bill Belichick breaking NFL rules about taping opponents.
The New York Daily News reported Shula said it. He says he never explicitly said one should be attached to a perfect Patriots season.
So, what exactly is an asterisk, other than one of the most commonly mispronounced words in the English language, along with ?cavalry,? ?mischievous,? and ?nuclear??

Cont...
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[osugrad21]

MJ

Suprised? Not OSU
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
11/10/2007




COLUMBUS -- The fact that they're here, that they're one of the most talented teams in the nation isn't much of a surprise to Brian Hartline. The fact they did it without slipping on a banana peel along the way -- well that has surprised at least one starter on the No. 1 team in the nation.


''I kind of had a gut feeling we would get this good at one point,'' Hartline said. ''But on the way to getting this good, we might have slipped up at least once and that would have knocked us out of contention. We haven't yet.''

As the top-ranked Buckeyes prepare to host Illinois today, they are inching tantalizingly closer to another berth in the national championship game. The only opponents keeping Ohio State from New Orleans now are the Illini and, of course, Michigan.

To get so far, so fast, given how last season ended and all that was lost has been fairly remarkable. When Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman all left early for the NFL, any thoughts of even a Big Ten title seemed remote. Dreams of a national championship seemed folly.

''You don't get chances like this the rest of your life,'' senior Kirk Barton said. ''You only get one golden opportunity in your life, and we had one last year and blew it. For some reason we're getting another opportunity right now. We're trying to take advantage of it.''


Cont...

 

[1926Buckeyes]

So how good is OSU?

Ok, I'm reading posts on this message board along with visitin gother message boards and I'm getting mixed messages.

After the loss while I was walking out of the stadium, I thought to myslef that OSU played a poor game against a team that played a near perfect game and the Buckeyes had a good chance at 12-1, but only a smalle shot at the NC game again.

Many are acting as if this OSU team isn't nearly as talented or as well coached as some have beleived. Being an optimist, along with understanding the bi-polar mentality of OSU fans, I think that this team is still very good and could compete with any other team in the nation. This game exposed many different problems, one of them being major youth on both sides of the ball. Also, I do believe that there were coaching problems, but I laugh at those that want Heacock fired already.

It seems that OSU fans are spoiled to the extent that when OSU finally loses a game, fans think that coaches should be fired and that players and defenses are extremely overrated. I have a hard time believing that the players or coaches are really that bad, especially since the memories of fans wanting to bench Smith are still fresh in my mind.

Anybody have thoughts on this?

P .S. Chris Wells=the awesome

 

[Mike80]

Look at how many teams around the nation would like to be 10-1 right now and who had a shot to be 11-0.....

They were good enough to be 10-0 and #1 in the nation. Others will have other opinions, but remember, there are some out there that still think Iowa was better than Ohio State in 2002. Screw 'em.

 

[1926Buckeyes]

No I agree. I think this is a very good team, I just want to stay balanced in my view of this team.

Far too often, fans will hype a player up, like JL or Boeckman, and then when OSU loses, they are burned at the cross becasue they did not metamorphisis into Jesus Christ and shitstomp the opponent. These guys make mistakes too, it's just the fact that fans have very unrealistic expectations. Too many fans seem to be expected their PS2 dynasties to come true.

 

[Mike80]

No I agree. I think this is a very good team, I just want to stay balanced in my view of this team.

Far too often, fans will hype a player up, like JL or Boeckman, and then when OSU loses, they are burned at the cross becasue they did not metamorphisis into Jesus Christ and shitstomp the opponent. These guys make mistakes too, it's just the fact that fans have very unrealistic expectations. Too many fans seem to be expected their PS2 dynasties to come true.

Ok....I guess I don't understand the point of the thread (although now merged)......

You say the above, yet I guess you are asking for some sort of confirmation of what you say? Am I seeing this right?

 

[3074326]

Ok, I'm reading posts on this message board along with visitin gother message boards and I'm getting mixed messages.

After the loss while I was walking out of the stadium, I thought to myslef that OSU played a poor game against a team that played a near perfect game and the Buckeyes had a good chance at 12-1, but only a smalle shot at the NC game again.

Many are acting as if this OSU team isn't nearly as talented or as well coached as some have beleived. Being an optimist, along with understanding the bi-polar mentality of OSU fans, I think that this team is still very good and could compete with any other team in the nation. This game exposed many different problems, one of them being major youth on both sides of the ball. Also, I do believe that there were coaching problems, but I laugh at those that want Heacock fired already.

It seems that OSU fans are spoiled to the extent that when OSU finally loses a game, fans think that coaches should be fired and that players and defenses are extremely overrated. I have a hard time believing that the players or coaches are really that bad, especially since the memories of fans wanting to bench Smith are still fresh in my mind.

Anybody have thoughts on this?

P .S. Chris Wells=the awesome

This is me trying very hard to be objective and not rant. Apologies if it makes no sense. I was at the game, and it was a tough loss.

We're still a very good team on both sides of the ball. They made some key mistakes tonight and Illinois made the plays that they needed to make to win the game. This could be dissected and blamed on both coaches and players, but the bottom line is that Illinois played the better game.

I think Illinois needed a perfect game to win. They played a perfect game and we played a terrible game, yet we kept it close. What if we had not dropped a possible pick-six? What if Boeckman had hit Ballard for the TD? What if Illinois did punt, rather than going for and succeeding in the key, late, fourth down try?

If any of those plays had different outcomes, the game's outcome would have been affected. The fact that we were still in this game shows a lot about this year's team. If you look at the stats, Illinois had 250 yards rushing, four passing TDs, no turnovers. We had three INTs, no passing TDs, and no defense.

The defense showed weakness in certain games this season. We gave up some rushing yards to Kent State, but it was overlooked because of the score. Penn State moved it down the field a few times, but the defense stepped up. We just didn't get the big plays that we usually get.

 

[bukIpower]

well I've been saying since the Penn State game that something looked "off" when I watched our defense play? It really became apparent when we gave up a good bit of yards to wisconsin and it came front and center against a good Illinois team.

I think this team is definatly talented, and I hate to do it but "wait till next year" haha...

I think our schedule gave us false hope to be honest. We are definatly a top 10 team but not top 1-3 IMO. We're just not there yet thats all... I mean did any of you guys see a loss in the first 9 games? I know I didn't... the schedule set up perfectly for a very inexperienced and young team. a weak non conference, a lot of down Big ten teams, a not as good PSU team, and a banged up Wisconsin team to finish it off.

I don't agree with the media "the big ten is slow" etc etc... but I do agree that our schedule was a bigger reason why we're 10-0. Look at the defensive numbers when we were playing bottom of the pack big ten schools/shit non conference they were staggering to be honest... Once we played teams with a pulse it to me felt like they were moving the ball at will (although they weren't, but I wasn't use to seeing teams get first downs etc). I think the sudden jump in competition was a bit much for us thats all.

If we play an early big game and win then I think its a different story..

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

Well...

A few weeks ago, in this very thread among other places, several of us drew comparisons between this season and 2002.

While those comparisons have not survived the month of November, allow me to offer a different season for comparison: 2001

Waddaya say we follow up a home loss to Illinois with a Road Win in the Big House, just like 2001. But how about we just skip the whole losing-the-bowl-game extravaganza this time just to spice things up.

Then 2008 can fill in for '02.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

I mean did any of you guys see a loss in the first 9 games?

Uhhhh, Penn St.? :2004:

 

[Bobby Hoying]

I think we all started off the '07 season with "moderate" expectations. We knew we had talent, but we also knew we were young.

As we went through the '07 season two things happened:
1. We won
2. Other teams lost

Suddenly we were sitting pretty at the #1 spot and sure the upset bug wouldn't strike. Well it happened today to us against a team that played nearly perfectly and we lost by one touchdown.

I think we have a fantastic team, but is it one of the best teams in CFB, no. But what team is? An LSU team that lost to Kentucky? An Oregon team that gives up 37 points per game?

Let's be realistic no CFB team is perfect, but there a few that are nearly perfect and we have a team in that category.

 

[kartaron]

I think we all started off the '07 season with "moderate" expectations. We knew we had talent, but we also knew we were young.

As we went through the '07 season two things happened:
1. We won
2. Other teams lost

Suddenly we were sitting pretty at the #1 spot and sure the upset bug wouldn't strike. Well it happened today to us against a team that played nearly perfectly and we lost by one touchdown.

I think we have a fantastic team, but is it one of the best teams in CFB, no. But what team is? An LSU team that lost to Kentucky? An Oregon team that gives up 37 points per game?

Let's be realistic no CFB team is perfect, but there a few that are nearly perfect and we have a team in that category.

Exactly. We played a game where we seemed to let off the gas a little, be it strategy, plays or execution, and the opposition played as well as they could and we lost by 7. All things considered this has been a successful year from a team considered a contender for the Big 10 title but by no means a shoe-in for the title and by no means a shoe-in for the NC. By some of the comments you would think we were fumbling about at the bottom of the conference struggling with other fumbling teams.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Back in late April, in the What Will Be the Buckeyes' Record in 2007? thread, I predicted we'd go 11-2 with a bowl win...in other words a 10-2 regular season. Had you told me that we'd be 10-1 and tied for first in conference going into The Game, and that we had also broke the conference consecutive wins record (which was held by scUM) and destroyed our own consecutive regular season wins record, I would've taken that in a heartbeat. Yeah, yesterday's loss hurt like a kick to the groin, but, hey, the season has been a helluva ride so far regardless...and a win at scUM this Saturday would make this season one of the best in many years.

 

[hawaiianbuckeye]

I had us going 10-2 and 8-4 at worst! A 11-1 season with a Rose Bowl berth is GRAVY!

HAYN

 

[MD Buckeye]

Back in late April, in the What Will Be the Buckeyes' Record in 2007? thread, I predicted we'd go 11-2 with a bowl win...in other words a 10-2 regular season. Had you told me that we'd be 10-1 and tied for first in conference going into The Game, and that we had also broke the conference consecutive wins record (which was held by scUM) and destroyed our own consecutive regular season wins record, I would've taken that in a heartbeat. Yeah, yesterday's loss hurt like a kick to the groin, but, hey, the season has been a helluva ride so far regardless...and a win at scUM this Saturday would make this season one of the best in many years.

Great post. I think people tend to overlook how young this team is. I'd be very proud of the Bucks with a 11-1 regular season record & a win in the Rose Bowl. As "crazy" as this year has been in college football, I don't think we could ask for much more than a 1 loss season. To think we're going to win the NC every year, is just not realistic. Sure, yesterday's loss hurt, but lets move on and BEAT MICHIGAN.