LB Austin Spitler (official thread)

[osugrad21]

CPD

Ohio State linebacker Spitler content to wait his turn


Thursday, November 08, 2007Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus -- Austin Spitler's father is a financial planner, not a former professional wrestler. That's one difference between Spitler and James Laurinaitis. Another is that Laurinaitis is an All-American at middle linebacker for Ohio State, and Spitler is not.
Spitler is his backup, continu- ing the Ohio State tradition of waiting be hind great ness. At least he's biding his time behind one of his best friends.
"If it weren't James in front of me, I don't know how it would be," said Spitler, "but James and I are so close."




Cont..

 

[Tlangs]

It was probably tough on him when JL switched to the middle. He probably felt that the coaches didn't have confidence in him. It is great to hear that he took it as an opportunity to improve and now we have a beast in waiting.

 

[Messi18Man]

i just want to know what in the hell this guy was thinking after he not only whiffs on blocking the punt but completely takes out the punter on 4th and 23!!!!! when we had just got the biggest stop of the game and could've completely changed the momentum of the game, instead they end up getting the automatic first and end up scoring there 31st unanswered point, but what the hell is this guy thinking even going to block the punt when all we needed to do was to just get the freaking ball back for our first possession of the 2nd half.

 

[methomps]

i just want to know what in the hell this guy was thinking after he not only whiffs on blocking the punt but completely takes out the punter on 4th and 23!!!!! when we had just got the biggest stop of the game and could've completely changed the momentum of the game, instead they end up getting the automatic first and end up scoring there 31st unanswered point,

"I have a chance to make a play to help the team"

but what the hell is this guy thinking even going to block the punt when all we needed to do was to just get the freaking ball back for our first possession of the 2nd half.

"The play called by coach calls for me to try to block the punt"

 

[JohnnyCockfight]

Here's a chance to learn from someone wise. Coach Tressel's take on Spitler from the BCS Postgame Press Conference:

Q. Coach, at the end of the first
quarter, [URL="https://admin.xosn.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17300&ATCLID=1059336"]Austin Spitler[/URL], Spitler fell -- he seemed
to fall on top of a muffed punt but he didn't
come up with it and then the missed block punt
later on, did you say anything to him after that,
just maybe boost him around? What do you
say to a guy after that?

COACH JIM TRESSEL: What we say to
all of our guys that we're coaching them is you
evaluate effort first and foremost, and Austin
Spitler gives great effort. And those are the types
of things that you're inches away from maybe
turning a tide in a ball game, whether it's
recovering a muffed punt or blocking a punt.
But we didn't do it. But what I appreciate
is all of what we didn't do had nothing to do with
effort. Our kids played hard. LSU played hard.
LSU made less mistakes than we did. The one
mistake we did force kind of got us back into the
visit our archives at asapsports.com
Ohio State - 01.07.08.doc 3
flow of the game, but then we couldn't capitalize to
bring it even closer. But our kids played hard. And
pretty proud of what they did in 2007.

Though not about Spitler, I believe this partial quote about criticism is also relevant:

I don't worry too
much about criticism because if you're not tough
enough to handle criticism, then you better get out
of this game, because there's a whole lot of people
that have interest in this game. And there's a
whole lot of people that don't really have much
understanding of what it takes to be good at this
game but yet love to have opinions.

 

[NYBuckeye]

Had he blocked the punt everyone would be praising him for a great play that changed the momentum of the game. I'm not sure how he missed it but he was busting his ass to make a play on what I assume was a called punt block. While unfortunate and not a good decision that was far from the most disappointing play of the evening.

 

[Messi18Man]

very true and i agree that he was playing with intensity, but u have to think in that situation, 4th and 23 and your down 24-10 about to get the ball back for your first possession of the 2nd half after LSU scored 24 unanswered points in the first half, here is your chance to get right back in the game and (although cam heyward had a stupid personal foul the very next play for punching the player in the jaw) giving them the automatic first down and ball in OSU territory on there very first drive of the half after your defense finally gets a stop when u critically needed the ball i can't comprehend at all no matter how hard you are going on that play

 

[Pheasant]

very true and i agree that he was playing with intensity, but u have to think in that situation, 4th and 23 and your down 24-10 about to get the ball back for your first possession of the 2nd half after LSU scored 24 unanswered points in the first half, here is your chance to get right back in the game and (although cam heyward had a stupid personal foul the very next play for punching the player in the jaw) giving them the automatic first down and ball in OSU territory on there very first drive of the half after your defense finally gets a stop when u critically needed the ball i can't comprehend at all no matter how hard you are going on that play

punctuation's overrated, yeah?

It was a bad play...didn't lose the game because of it.

 

[sandgk]

When a punt block is called it is always a high risk - high reward play.

Here the Buckeyes got the short end of the risk, and no reward.

I don't fault Spitler on this, these things can and do happen.

 

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

The plain fact is, Spitler was there for the block. He simply wiffed. I can't blame the kid for a penalty like that one. Yes, it turned out to be huge that the drive got an auto 1st D and they ended up scoring. But, a "play hard" penalty is one I can easily stomach.

 

[Bestbuck36]

I cant blame Spitler for that play. Would it have changed the complexion of the game? Quite possibly, and especially if it gets returned for a TD and I think that might've went through his mind when he found himself a foot away from the punter with no one blocking him and the block set there on a platter. He just forgot the most important part: Getting the block first.

Considering the only time he got during this game was on special teams, he was probably really amped up to get this call.

 

[TGinn7]

The game at 24 10 was in need of a major defensive play, and Spitler made a great effort to try and come up with that play, he was the guy that broke the pile and came closest to blocking that ball. He muffed it, but still he was close and the effort was obviously which to a coach like JT appreciates, as he himself said. It was an unfortunate mistake or whatever you may want to call it, but it happens, and that was just the way the game was going. Good luck to the young man I say.

 

[Bestbuck36]

Thats correct. And to add to that if Robo catches that TD, which he normally will do, the score is 24-17 or even 17 all as there is no blocked FG and short field for LSU to work with. A game tied 17 all maybe we dont go for the block. Maybe the ensuing TD doesnt hurt our momentum as much. I honestly think the dropped TD pass was the turning point in the game. How much effect did that have on Boeckman? No one really knows.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

the team committed five personal fouls, spitlers was the only one i would say was an "effort play" it was the only physical mistake of the group, the other four were mental, mental mistakes bugs me, physical mistakes i can live with.

 

[alpo]

Thats correct. And to add to that if Robo catches that TD, which he normally will do, the score is 24-17 or even 17 all as there is no blocked FG and short field for LSU to work with. A game tied 17 all maybe we dont go for the block. Maybe the ensuing TD doesnt hurt our momentum as much. I honestly think the dropped TD pass was the turning point in the game. How much effect did that have on Boeckman? No one really knows.

I agree that THE turning point in the game, as early as it was, was the dropped Robo TD pass. I was thinking the score was 10-10 at the time. Either way, if he scores, there is no blocked FG and, etc., etc,....who knows.

Oh well, my only concern for now, is what, if any negative impact this has on recruiting.