Game Thread Game One: #1 Ohio State 35, Northern Illinois 12 (9/2/06)

[NIU007]

More talk of Garrett Wolfe being able to start at Ohio State. Hmmm. We just can't seem to put these misguided thoughts to bed. G-force, since you insist on saying pretty much the same things over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, I'll just have to do the same thing. The following is a repeat of a post I submitted back on page 46 of this thread. If you could be so kind as to try to pay attention this time your masters here in Ohio would greatly appreciate it.

Quote:
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No he wouldn't. He would be your starter, and he will prove it in September.


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Originally posted by spadukins:
"Seems like we've been through this all before but what the hell?

Garrett Wolfe would never be able to be the starter at tOSU. He would have had to walk on to get here. The starter? Never! Garrett Wolfe is way too small for a top Big Ten team to burn one of their precious 85 scholarship on. If you are only 5-7 175 lbs, don't hold your breath for a Buckeye offer.

Consider this. Tyrell Sutton, a good running back, an Ohio kid, probably a pretty good student since he was able to get into Northwestern, and winner of Ohio's Mr. Football award for 2004. All this and he didn't get an offer to play for Ohio State. Why do you suppose he didn't? I can only speculate why he didn't. Umm, let's see, is it because he was thought to be too small to carry the ball against the likes of scUM in late November in the biggest rivalry game in sports with the entire nation watching and with the Big Ten title and a possible National Championship on the line? Hey, maybe I'm on to something here.

Now, according to what he's listed at, Garrett Wolfe is a couple inches shorter and is about 15 lbs lighter than Tyrell Sutton. G-force, your perspective is all out of whack! Buckeye fans know football. Please don't insult our intelligence by coming on here making delusional claim after delusional claim about a running back that just isn't big enough to play here.

Garrett Wolfe, more power to him. He's the underdog because he just doesn't have the physical stature that most major college football powers or, for that matter, NFL teams are looking for. He's possibly NIU's best player ever. That's great! He will likely be drafted into the NFL next year if he can stay healthy. First round? Nope. I doubt that any NFL team sees Garrett Wolfe as an every down back for Sunday play. Too much money to invest in a back that small! Second round? Do they draft kick returners that high? Third round? Now we're in the ballpark. Maybe. Second day pick? I can hear it now. Good value on the second day they'll all say.

Please refrain from putting forth any notions of Garrett Wolfe being the best running back on the field this September. I've said before in this thread and I'll say it again. There is not one, I repeat, not one facet or positional matchup in this game where NIU has an advantage. Not one. Not even running back! I wouldn't trade Pittman for Wolfe on any day especially not September 2nd.

Pipe dreams can be fun but there is a real world out there to discover. A loss in the MAC championship game and now you're a bunch of world beaters and Garrett Wolfe is a Heisman contender. Fire up another one dreamer."

There are 2 different questions here, maybe three. Yes, Wolfe is too small to have gotten a scholie for OSU. If he WAS at OSU and the coaches could compare him to the other players on a level playing field, would he start? Not sure. Like our coach, they would prolly think he was too small to carry the load. Even so, Wolfe could still be a better player than Pittman, the same way that some top NFL players got picked in the late rounds - coaches guess wrong on a player's potential sometimes.

I'm not sure we'll find out even when they play in September. It's likely that Pittman will get more running room then Wolfe will, so he may look better, and his stats may be better, without necessarily being the better RB. Our defense won't be able to key on Pittman to the extent that OSU can key on Wolfe. As far as the NFL, it seems unlikely that Wolfe would go in the first couple rounds due entirely to his size, like you said. I'm guessing round 4 or 5. He has all the skills you want in a top-notch running back, just doesn't have the size.

 

[spadukins]

There are 2 different questions here, maybe three. Yes, Wolfe is too small to have gotten a scholie for OSU. If he WAS at OSU and the coaches could compare him to the other players on a level playing field, would he start? Not sure. Like our coach, they would prolly think he was too small to carry the load. Even so, Wolfe could still be a better player than Pittman, the same way that some top NFL players got picked in the late rounds - coaches guess wrong on a player's potential sometimes.

I'm not sure we'll find out even when they play in September. It's likely that Pittman will get more running room then Wolfe will, so he may look better, and his stats may be better, without necessarily being the better RB. Our defense won't be able to key on Pittman to the extent that OSU can key on Wolfe. As far as the NFL, it seems unlikely that Wolfe would go in the first couple rounds due entirely to his size, like you said. I'm guessing round 4 or 5. He has all the skills you want in a top-notch running back, just doesn't have the size.

You NIU guys keep comparing Wolfe to Pittman. I like Pittman alot and he has proven he can start at tOSU. I've got a funny feeling however that even given Pittman's production and experience he is no longer the best running back that Ohio State has on its current roster. The best RB on the field September 2nd will probably be the one appearing in his first college game.

I'm sorry. I just don't believe that playing running back in the MAC is quite the same ordeal as playing running back in the Big Ten. As for your above questions and comparisons of Wolfe and Pittman, I don't see it quite the way you do here. If "Wolfe vs Pittman" is important or means anything, I think playing for Ohio State will put Pittman at a disadvantage as far as head to head stats.

Garrett Wolfe will play the entire game. Pittman likely will not. If the Buckeyes go up big all the starters including Pitt will come out and it'll be Chris Wells time most likely. This is NIU's Super Bowl. This is Ohio State's tune up prior to their Super Bowl with Texas. NIU will hold nothing back. Ohio State will hold back as much game plan as possible. Ohio State has other alternatives on offense of the heisman caliber variety. NIU doesn't have any options better than Wolfe. If NIU is gonna go down it won't be because they didn't give their best offensive player enough touches.

Wolfe is likely to get more carries than Pittman. I don't expect the Buckeyes to completely shut Wolfe down. NIU will probably spring him for a handful of big gainers. For NIU to be successful, Wolfe has to be successful. For the Buckeyes to be successful, it doesn't hinge totally on Pittman's performance.

Wolfe is a senior in college and he is 5'7" and 174 lbs. If he could have bulked up a little he probably would have by now and maybe those are his bulked up numbers. You are right. There are alot of top NFL players that were picked in the late rounds. Quick question though. How many top NFL feature running backs are 5'7" and 174 lbs? Pretty short list I'm willing to bet. Not saying it's impossible. Not saying Wolfe won't atleast get his shot at it. Just saying it's unlikely to pan out that way.

I bet you that Wolfe will get to return alot of kicks in the NFL. His career kick return yardage may even exceed his career rushing yardage. Wolfe has some talents that NFL teams will be interested in. He's just not the total package. Not by a long shot. Again, I wish him the best and if he ever ends up on the Browns roster I will root as hard for him then as you and G-force root for him now.

One more thing. If Wolfe vs. Pittman is the only thing you NIU guys are interested in or care about in this matchup, if Wolfe outperforming Pittman is all you guys need to feel like you've acheived some type of victory here, I pity you and G-force both. What a miserable existence it must be to be a fan of such an underdog in a matchup like this where you are reduced to searching for any small victory you can find.

As an Ohio State fan I can assure you I've never watched the Buckeyes get beaten and turned to a friend and said "It's ok that we got beat because our MLB got 5 more tackles than their MLB and our RB got 37 more yards than their RB so all is well with the world". Remember, those are the things that losers say. I would hope that you and G-force, in the face of certain defeat this September, will try to avoid being losers!

If it means that much to you guys, I hope Wolfe does out rush Pittman. After all, everybody needs a little sunshine in their lives.

 

[NIU007]

You NIU guys keep comparing Wolfe to Pittman. I like Pittman alot and he has proven he can start at tOSU. I've got a funny feeling however that even given Pittman's production and experience he is no longer the best running back that Ohio State has on its current roster. The best RB on the field September 2nd will probably be the one appearing in his first college game.

I'm sorry. I just don't believe that playing running back in the MAC is quite the same ordeal as playing running back in the Big Ten. As for your above questions and comparisons of Wolfe and Pittman, I don't see it quite the way you do here. If "Wolfe vs Pittman" is important or means anything, I think playing for Ohio State will put Pittman at a disadvantage as far as head to head stats.

Garrett Wolfe will play the entire game. Pittman likely will not. If the Buckeyes go up big all the starters including Pitt will come out and it'll be Chris Wells time most likely. This is NIU's Super Bowl. This is Ohio State's tune up prior to their Super Bowl with Texas. NIU will hold nothing back. Ohio State will hold back as much game plan as possible. Ohio State has other alternatives on offense of the heisman caliber variety. NIU doesn't have any options better than Wolfe. If NIU is gonna go down it won't be because they didn't give their best offensive player enough touches.

Wolfe is likely to get more carries than Pittman. I don't expect the Buckeyes to completely shut Wolfe down. NIU will probably spring him for a handful of big gainers. For NIU to be successful, Wolfe has to be successful. For the Buckeyes to be successful, it doesn't hinge totally on Pittman's performance.

Wolfe is a senior in college and he is 5'7" and 174 lbs. If he could have bulked up a little he probably would have by now and maybe those are his bulked up numbers. You are right. There are alot of top NFL players that were picked in the late rounds. Quick question though. How many top NFL feature running backs are 5'7" and 174 lbs? Pretty short list I'm willing to bet. Not saying it's impossible. Not saying Wolfe won't atleast get his shot at it. Just saying it's unlikely to pan out that way.

I bet you that Wolfe will get to return alot of kicks in the NFL. His career kick return yardage may even exceed his career rushing yardage. Wolfe has some talents that NFL teams will be interested in. He's just not the total package. Not by a long shot. Again, I wish him the best and if he ever ends up on the Browns roster I will root as hard for him then as you and G-force root for him now.

One more thing. If Wolfe vs. Pittman is the only thing you NIU guys are interested in or care about in this matchup, if Wolfe outperforming Pittman is all you guys need to feel like you've acheived some type of victory here, I pity you and G-force both. What a miserable existence it must be to be a fan of such an underdog in a matchup like this where you are reduced to searching for any small victory you can find.

As an Ohio State fan I can assure you I've never watched the Buckeyes get beaten and turned to a friend and said "It's ok that we got beat because our MLB got 5 more tackles than their MLB and our RB got 37 more yards than their RB so all is well with the world". Remember, those are the things that losers say. I would hope that you and G-force, in the face of certain defeat this September, will try to avoid being losers!

If it means that much to you guys, I hope Wolfe does out rush Pittman. After all, everybody needs a little sunshine in their lives.

Oh C,mon! My life doesn't revolve around whether Wolfe gets more yards than Pittman. The discussion was already out there so I made a few points related to it. On paper we don't stack up against OSU, and although there's a small chance we can win, we'll have to play really well and OSU has to make some mistakes. NIU's facilities and funding are nowhere near OSU so we're at a huge disadvantage in recruiting talent. We talk about Wolfe a lot because he's fun to watch. He's not the best pro prospect we have, but I hope to see him get some playing time in the NFL, in whatever capacity. We don't use him much on kickoff returns because we use him too much already, but I think he would be good at that. And I'm not concerned whether Wolfe gets more yards than Pittman or any other OSU RB. It's just that, until recently, people that haven't seen him play figured he was just a good MAC running back, when in fact he really is one the best running backs in the country, in terms of college football more so than pro potential. And no, playing OSU is not a Superbowl for us. It's a big game, but doesn't really get us to a bowl game, we have to win our conference to assure us of a bowl game, as we've found out to our dismay.

 

[Zurp]

You're contradicting yourself a little bit here:

You NIU guys keep comparing Wolfe to Pittman. I like Pittman alot and he has proven he can start at tOSU. I've got a funny feeling however that even given Pittman's production and experience he is no longer the best running back that Ohio State has on its current roster. The best RB on the field September 2nd will probably be the one appearing in his first college game.

I'm assuming that you're referring to Chris Wells? But then you start your next paragraph with this:

I'm sorry. I just don't believe that playing running back in the MAC is quite the same ordeal as playing running back in the Big Ten. As for your above questions and comparisons of Wolfe and Pittman, I don't see it quite the way you do here. If "Wolfe vs Pittman" is important or means anything, I think playing for Ohio State will put Pittman at a disadvantage as far as head to head stats.

Wells can't be considered to have played running back in the Big Ten because he hasn't played in a Big Ten game. Until he plays against a Big Ten team, he's on par with someone in the MAC, WAC, or Mountain West. But maybe you were shifting the conversation back to Pittman.

Anyway, I personally believe that if Wolfe were on Ohio State's roster, even if he's as great as I've heard he is (I'm not arguing his abilities - I just haven't seen him play), he'd never be the go-to guy. A sub-200-pound guy would get floored too many times against a big defense for me to have any confidence in his ability to make the next big play.

 

[NIU007]

You're contradicting yourself a little bit here:



I'm assuming that you're referring to Chris Wells? But then you start your next paragraph with this:



Wells can't be considered to have played running back in the Big Ten because he hasn't played in a Big Ten game. Until he plays against a Big Ten team, he's on par with someone in the MAC, WAC, or Mountain West. But maybe you were shifting the conversation back to Pittman.

Anyway, I personally believe that if Wolfe were on Ohio State's roster, even if he's as great as I've heard he is (I'm not arguing his abilities - I just haven't seen him play), he'd never be the go-to guy. A sub-200-pound guy would get floored too many times against a big defense for me to have any confidence in his ability to make the next big play.

Talk about arrogance. If he hasn't played a down of college football yet, then he's only on a par with somebody that has run for about 1600 yards each of the last 2 years, and a lot of yards against Big 10/11 teams like Michigan and Northwestern. Yes, those aren't teams with good defenses, but OSU gets to play them too, in addition to Illinois and Indiana.

 

[Zurp]

Talk about arrogance. If he hasn't played a down of college football yet, then he's only on a par with somebody that has run for about 1600 yards each of the last 2 years, and a lot of yards against Big 10/11 teams like Michigan and Northwestern. Yes, those aren't teams with good defenses, but OSU gets to play them too, in addition to Illinois and Indiana.

Show me him beating Wisconsin or Penn State or some other tough Big 10 defenses, then I'll consider putting Wolfe at starting TB at tOSU. As it is, we're talking about three running backs: Wolfe, who has played Michigan and Northwestern (Michigan was a loss, I don't know about Northwestern), as well as a gaggle of MAC teams; Wells, who is one of the most sought-after running backs in the country coming out of high school, and is actually more than a true freshman, since he participated in spring practice; and Pittman, who rushed for 1300+ yards last season, most of those against Big 10 teams. I'd put Pittman at the top of that list every time, regardless of height, weight, and speed stats (which also seem to favor Pittman).

 

[buckeyeboy]

I'm not sure we'll find out even when they play in September. It's likely that Pittman will get more running room then Wolfe will, so he may look better, and his stats may be better, without necessarily being the better RB. Our defense won't be able to key on Pittman to the extent that OSU can key on Wolfe.

The excuses begin already...

 

[OregonBuckeye]

Hey NIU fans, if you think Wolfe would hold up for a season with the Buckeyes then take a look at Antonio Pittman in his freshman year. He was even bigger than Wolfe yet took a beating and needed to gain 20 lbs. in the offseason just so he could last a full season as a starter. No matter how good Wolfe is there's a difference between playing a Big-10 team twice in a year and playing a Big-10 team week in and week out.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Hey NIU fans, if you think Wolfe would hold up for a season with the Buckeyes then take a look at Antonio Pittman in his freshman year. He was even bigger than Wolfe yet took a beating and needed to gain 20 lbs. in the offseason just so he could last a full season as a starter. No matter how good Wolfe is there's a difference between playing a Big-10 team twice in a year and playing a Big-10 team week in and week out.

Bingo. Look at Michael Hart at Michigan. He's also bigger than Wolfe (5'9", 192) but a tad smaller than Pittman, and missed quite a bit of PT last year due to injuries after having that banner year as a true freshman in 2004.

 

[spadukins]

Oh C,mon! My life doesn't revolve around whether Wolfe gets more yards than Pittman.

Sorry that was directed more at G-force than you. You did however quote one of my posts where I was talking to G-force and you (NIU007) chimed in a bunch of crap about Wolfe and Pittman so there you go.

 

[spadukins]

Talk about arrogance. If he hasn't played a down of college football yet, then he's only on a par with somebody that has run for about 1600 yards each of the last 2 years, and a lot of yards against Big 10/11 teams like Michigan and Northwestern. Yes, those aren't teams with good defenses, but OSU gets to play them too, in addition to Illinois and Indiana.

Arrogance or reality? Yes Chris Wells has yet to play a game for Ohio State. However, when picking who the best RB on the field September 2nd, Chris Wells is my clear choice. If I was starting a team and I could only have one of the following players to play RB for me, Garrett Wolfe, Antonio Pittman, Maurice Wells, or Chris Wells, my choice would be Chris Wells.

I want to have a football team that can lineup and simply ram the football down the opponents throat. Chris Wells is the best RB in question to accomplish that goal. I still like Pittman and Mo Wells but Chris Wells is just a little more appealing to me as a RB. Chris Wells is a man-child. He is 6'1" 230 and runs a 4.5. He has the body to play on Sundays right now and yippee skippee the Buckeyes got him for atleast the next three seasons!

The best RB on the field September 2nd? Which one is the total package. Only one that I can see. Of these RB's which is likely to have the best overall college career? Of these RB's which is likely to have to most success down the road in the Sunday league. Hmmm. Hmmmmmm.

You know what! I think I'm right. I think the future will prove me right! Barring any misfortune, Chris Wells will be THE BEST RB to appear in the September 2, 2006 contest at Ohio Stadium.

Think of it this way. It's NFL draft day and Garrett Wolfe, Antonio Pittman, and Chris Wells are all eligible to be drafted. Who's gonna get picked first? Chris Wells hasn't played a college game and I bet he'd go to the combine, out perform both Wolfe and Pittman and get picked before either of them.

Maybe that's arrogance and reality both.

 

[jwinslow]

Arrogance or reality? Yes Chris Wells has yet to play a game for Ohio State. However, when picking who the best RB on the field September 2nd, Chris Wells is my clear choice. If I was starting a team and I could only have one of the following players to play RB for me, Garrett Wolfe, Antonio Pittman, Maurice Wells, or Chris Wells, my choice would be Chris Wells.

ball security and pass protection are crucial duties of any RB, and Chris has not shown the ability to do either consistently... yet. Hopefully he will be a quick learner, but your QB would be getting punished if you chose CWells today.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

I'm getting so sick of Buckeye fans disregarding Antonio Pittman and how good he actually is.

 

[spadukins]

ball security and pass protection are crucial duties of any RB, and Chris has not shown the ability to do either consistently... yet. Hopefully he will be a quick learner, but your QB would be getting punished if you chose CWells today.

Just like Craig Krenzel got punished in 2002 with a freshman RB starting most of the games?

Gee I wonder how that season turned out?

 

[spadukins]

I'm getting so sick of Buckeye fans disregarding Antonio Pittman and how good he actually is.

So you really and truly think that Antonio Pittman will have a better college and pro career than Chris Wells?

Whatever.

Look. I said that I like Pittman and Mo Wells. They just don't have what I prefer in a RB. It's a question of physics. Force=Mass*Acceleration!

The Mass of Chris Wells tips the scales in his favor. No pun intended!