Field conditions at Ohio Stadium

[rocketman]

Wouldn't it be tough to get turf to grow in this kind of weather?

Kind of sucks that our speed advantage is at its lowest at home...

 

[CleveBucks]

You could replace it 3 times for 300.000! Probably 7 times for what fieldturf would cost.

At the current rate, we'll be replacing it 7 times in the next year or two. And still stuck with a crappy field when it's replaced each time.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

you guys missed what was said. the turf replacement was a temp fix. this isnt the long term solution...

theyll either go back to the mix, or field turf. but two words, state playoffs

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

If indeed Tressel is in favor of Field Turf, as has been reported, this will only help his position. I will speculate here that the primary faction pulling for Grass is the crew that cares for it. They have the most skin in that game. They have very few "credibility points" to bargain with at this point.

I must admit that in all the football I've watched, the places I know to have Field Turf seem to have a consistently good playing surface. Some on here who have played on it have begged to differ, but this makes me wonder if Field Turf isn't available in a range of qualities. In other words, maybe the top-of-the-line stuff is better than what people have experience with. Just wondering out loud...

 

[coastalbuck]

At the current rate, we'll be replacing it 7 times in the next year or two. And still stuck with a crappy field when it's replaced each time.

I believe the field has been natural grass since 1990. It still is possible to have a natural grass field that is playable.

 

[smitty03]

but two words, state playoffs

Why do you mention the state playoffs? The finals are being played in Canton and Massilon, just curious?

 

[BuckBackHome]

You could replace it 3 times for 300.000! Probably 7 times for what fieldturf would cost.

What are the maintenance costs for the fake stuff?

 

[Mike80]

Why do you mention the state playoffs? The finals are being played in Canton and Massilon, just curious?

Because if they had an all-weather field turf field, the High schools could play all of their playoff games at Ohio Stadium instead of Massilon....

 

[DaytonBuck]

This is the first year in recent memory that we've had such problems with the grass. Prehaps this is just a one year thing?

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

I have always been against Field Turf. Its no where close to real grass. Nothing is. It gets extremely hot.

We had a player at my HS that went to play for Bowling Green. He said he played at Michigan Stadium, which has that field turf. It was 115 degrees on the field because of the heat that the turf puts off.

A lot of players swear by the top-end FieldTurf. It's a fast surface which gives as well as real turf/ground and causes no more injuries than a grass field. And natural fields give off a lot of heat on direct sunny days, too, albeit it not quite as much as a dark artificial surface (which could to our advantage with or conditioning program).

 

[tedginn05]

I must admit that in all the football I've watched, the places I know to have Field Turf seem to have a consistently good playing surface. Some on here who have played on it have begged to differ, but this makes me wonder if Field Turf isn't available in a range of qualities. In other words, maybe the top-of-the-line stuff is better than what people have experience with. Just wondering out loud...

I assume the stuff OSU has on their practice fields is top of the line.

I just like grass better. Nothing compares to it.

 

[coastalbuck]

What are the maintenance costs for the fake stuff?

The costs are there, anti-bacterial, anti-static, periodic brushing and cleaning. Certainly not as expensive as real grass.

 

[Mike80]

This is the first year in recent memory that we've had such problems with the grass. Prehaps this is just a one year thing?

well maybe....

when they switched the turf back in late September, what happened? It got unseasonably cold right afterward.

By and large, the grass just stopped growing. By now it would've anyway, but those two weeks before the Bowling Green game were crucial.

 

[BurgBuck52]

Maybe tOSU Grounds Crew should hire this guy:

Carl Spackler: This is a hybrid. This is a cross, ah, Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff. Here, I've got pounds of this.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

COLLEGE FOOTBALL OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
New Ohio Stadium turf not making the cut
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ken Gordon and Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH



A few weeks ago, it was out with the old, beaten turf in Ohio Stadium and in with the new. But after a couple of games on the new grass, it?s the same ol? same ol?.
Several Ohio State players complained about the field conditions for the Indiana game Saturday.
"It was slippery, wet, soft," receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said. "I didn?t really like it. It didn?t look like real grass."
Coach Jim Tressel said, "It wasn?t as good as we?d like it. But don?t get me in trouble. I?ve got groundskeepers that work their rear ends off doing their best, but it wasn?t as good as we?d like it."
The grass was replaced after a game Sept. 23 with Penn State. The new, thick runs of sod were expected to enhance footing for the last four home games, at least. Two more remain, against Minnesota on Saturday and Michigan on Nov. 18.
Because of troubles maintaining the grass surface, athletic department officials are considering replacing it with one of the new-generation artificial surfaces in the offseason.
About the Browns

On his weekly radio show yesterday, Tressel seemed to close the door on speculation he might consider leaving for the Cleveland Browns, should a opening occur at season?s end.
After one caller implored him not to go, he said: "There?s nobody here other than a couple of our players that?s going to be heading to the Browns."
Homecoming hype

Saturday is homecoming, and Tressel said there is a different feel to the week and the game atmosphere.
"It?s something about it?s the day, it?s your stadium, a lot of alumni, if they don?t get a chance to get tickets for every game or have the time to get back for every game, they make it back for homecoming," Tressel said. "You have a little bit more festivities going on, with the parade and the pep rally and those types of things, and there?s just an increased energy."
His players, though, don?t seem to pick up the vibe.
"I never noticed the difference in it" compared with a regular game, center Doug Datish said. "We?re never around for the various activities associated with homecoming, except for, of course, the captains? breakfast, which is something special that happens this week. But other than that, I don?t know."
Running back Antonio Pittman said, "It?s not like there?s a dance for us or something like that."
As for the captains? breakfast, all former football captains can take part. Former Ohio State linebacker Marcus Marek is the honorary captain this week.
Spreading the love

Seven players have caught touchdown passes this season: Ginn (seven), Anthony Gonzalez (six), Brian Robiskie (three), Rory Nicol (three), Roy Hall (one), Ray Small (one) and Jake Ballard (one). Compare that with last season, when only three Buckeyes players caught touchdowns passes: Santonio Holmes (11), Ginn Jr. (four) and Gonzalez (three).
"That?s something (opponents) have to really take into consideration," quarterback Troy Smith said. "If they try to take away half the field or one guy off the field, we have other guys who can make plays. That?s a tremendous credit to our (coaching) staff; they?ve brought marquee guys in here."

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