I did not post an observations thread last week, but I did start one. Given my philosophy that a good post is a matter of quantity rather than quality I have elected to include those comments here rather than simply let them slide.
TROY OBSERVATIONS (written prior to the Minnie game)
A. TRANSITION
This OSU team is in a transition that is unique in my experience.
We have 39 returning upper classmen. At least four returning seniors who were candidates for the draft. A sixth year QB who was first team all Big Ten, led us to both a conference title and an NC game and was mentioned on some Heisman candidate lists. We lost nobody who should have pulled the rug out from under this team.
By all rights this team should have hit the ground running and never looked back. Any loss in LA should have been closely contested and our other token opponents should have been dispatched in short order. A record third straight solo The Big Ten title should be clearly in our sites - the rest of the conference quaking in its respective boots.
That it is not is one of the wonders of College Football that make the sport so fascinating - particular when it is happening in Lincoln or South Bend or Ann Arbor. A mystery of coaching and motivation and chemistry.
So instead, we have yet to play a full game against any other Div 1A school. Our All Big Ten QB and Heisman front running RB are both on the sidelines. We are searching for an identity and playing like a team that could lose 3-4 Big Ten games.
But I'm pumped.
I mentioned last week that sometimes the boss has to make changes. Has to fire people. Well, it didn't take long. And JT now has a challenge on his hands.
Losing to USC - losing the way we did - had to lead to a let down. Bench your popular sixth year QB in favor of some kid and you could start a rebellion. There are two ways a team in this mode can go. And during the first half against Troy - particular after watching our star receiver almost nonchalantly let a pass roll off his one extended hand - I was very concerned.
Perhaps it is wishful thinking - but it looks very much like it took just over one half of football to get past the worst of that transition.
OSU was called for 9 penalties in the first half. The only penalty of the second half was a false start with the scrubs on the final drive.
Troy had 289 yards (and we had an equal number of missed tackles) on their first 8 drives. We held them to 26 yards on their last four.
Even Trapasso's punting game was at best mediocre before the half.
The effort was there. The focus was there. We didn't fall apart - we came together.
Post game comments were encouraging. Players were upbeat despite a game that statistically was not much better than OU.
And we were led - and "led" is the right word - by a true Freshman QB in his first start. A QB who - while he will see worse results - as likely as not played the worst game of his career.
It genuinely saddens me to see a kid like Boeckman lose his spot. I wanted this season to be about the returning players. But given in particular the debacle in LA this is as close to a "Do Over" that you will ever see four games into the season.
This team still has a long way to go. But their problems have nothing to do with talent. It is completely irrational to suggest that essentially the same group that won the Big Ten last year - with another year of growth under their belt - isn't good enough to do it again. If coaching is the problem, everything indicates the coaches are stepping up. If the chemistry is bad the smart thing to do is mix in a new element. Pryor appears to be that element.
B. QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSEY
Pryor set at least two records on Saturday:
1. Most TD passes by a Freshman in OSU history. (And perhaps the highest percentage of TD passes to completions in school history as well).
2. Most pump fakes by a quarterback in NCAA history.
Of course, Schlichter set a record in his first start as well. Four picks. Pryor will get credited with one - but as a Hail Mary it needs an asterisk (perhaps two asterisks as it was his biggest mistake of the day that made the pass necessary).
He takes hits he doesn't need to take - and he can't continue to take them. His passes are often telegraphed and have too much air (he will put half a dozen receivers on the DL quickly if this doesn't change). He still has High Schoolitis and thinks every play can be turned into a TD.
But it was his first start. All of these problems are fixable. And you can see him growing before your eyes.
Somebody in the Big Ten is going to exploit his rookie mistakes - and we are likely to lose. Hopefully this will only happen once. (One loss should be good enough for a title this year. Shared perhaps - but a title just the same.) At the same time his incredible athleticism will win games that Boeckman might not have.
His pocket presence is reminiscent of Troy Smith - as a senior. He keeps plays alive as well as any QB who has worn the colors. And if there is a play on Tressel's chart designed to exploit his strengths we either haven't called it or haven't executed it (our attempts at the option were weak - whoever's fault that might have been).
And his supporting cast will get better as well. Boom Herron made enormous progress. We may never see nine penalties in one half again (four of those were against the Offense). Our Frosh center was making his first start. Other Frosh are waiting their turn as well. And somewhere - lurking in the background - is Beanie. A threat who, if Herron does not, will create lanes that enable Pryor to really showcase his athleticism.
Football is a team game and I have always gone to the Shoe to watch the Ohio State team play. There have been players who stood out, but never players who threatened to overshadow the team. Pryor may be such a player. Pryor alone is worth the price of admission. I am not comfortable saying that. But it is true. I grossly underestimated how good this kid can be - and I thought he would be great.
C. PLAY OF THE WEEK
Trapasso's "foot pass" to Lane on the crossing pattern. Lane ran am excellent route on that one.
Wouldn't it be an interesting rule change to make it a legal forward pass if the punting team could catch the ball in the air? Not like it is easy.
D. MY VERY EDUCATED MOTHER JUST SERVED US NACHOS
It's the planets - in order.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Now you will never forget.
BTW these have not been served with peppers since it was determined Pluto does not "dominate" its neighbors. (Dominance being one of the rules for being a planet.)
E. BOOING
This has been beaten to death in other threads. I have posted my position numerous times. Everyone has an absolute right - guaranteed by our beloved constitution - to stand and boo members of their chosen college team.
And doing so makes you a capital "A" capital "H" Ass Hole.
Of course, I am wrong. Our "boos" are more nuanced than I give credit for. When OSU fans boo they are challenging coaching decisions - not players. Any player worth his salt can clearly tell from the short, sharp "buh" sound and the quickly rising and falling "ooooo" that these particular boos are not directed at him personally. Like a bird call each inflection has its own specific meaning.
I call shenanigans.
But wait, there's more.
When the band comes on the field we all stand and clap and sing along. After that it is hit and miss. When the PA does the new "And that's another Ohio State"... what follows is an indistinct mumble that only the trained ear can interpret as "First Down". When the opposition wants to audible they simply turn their head and whisper the new play - confident that even their coaches on the sideline will hear. When there is a great play we, as fans, react. Otherwise, unless it is UM or some other headline opponent, the crowd tends to drift in and out. We wait for the team to bring us into the game - rarely the other way around. If the opponent is supposed to be a cupcake and we happen to be struggling the odds are increased that we will be having a Zen moment.
I know it is tough. There is the replay board to watch. And you can't both holler for the team and whine at the same time. And if you are listening on the radio or whining to your buddy on the cell phone the noise can be downright annoying. And to holler at all requires we lean back and open up the diaphragm - even stand on occasion. (And of course, there are those luscious nachos that clog the throat and spill everywhere when you stand too quickly.)
I have been watching this go on for over 40 years. But NOT ONCE have the players - even when they badly need the boost that so many teams (can you spell SEC) take for granted - turned their backs to the field, addressed the stands and booed OUR pitiful performance.
So if you are one of those who were booing Todd Boeckman on Saturday, all I can say is - get over yourself Ass Hole.
F. TRESSEL'S DILEMMA
Does anybody remember John Cooper? You could count on 9-3 and a bowl. He even put together some teams that were NC caliber - but never quite got over the hump. Most importantly he couldn't beat Michigan.
So like Woody and like Earl we fired his sorry ass.
Now we have a coach who has beaten Michigan SIX times in seven years. He has had more than two losses ONCE in the past six years. He has taken us to the NC game THREE times and won our only NC in the past FORTY years.
And it isn't good enough. He needs to make changes. I'm smarter. You are smarter. We know what needs to be done.
The next two years are going to be either the most successful or most painful in Jim Tressel's career.
His reward for landing Terrelle Pryor is the expectation of a National Championship in 2009 or 2010 - or both. The pieces have fallen from the sky and if he can't put them together we need somebody who can call the right plays at the right time (although "play calling" per se - as opposed to play design and execution - is clearly a red herring).
Sure. Nobody is calling for his head - well, only a handful. But mark my words - the same fans who booed Todd Boeckman are fully capable of transferring their own inadequacies to any part of this program. The expectation that a team improve on a two loss season and NC game appearance is pretty extreme.
I will never feel sorry for anyone whose troubles can be solved simply by walking away from a 3.5 million a year job. But I do appreciate his challenge.
OBSERVATIONS - MINNIE
G. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT
I recall a fan back in the late 1970s who was a row in front of me. Older gentleman who was quiet during the entire game - Northwestern I believe. Late in the third quarter OSU scored to go up by 35 or so. Suddenly he stood, put his hands beside his mouth, and hollered "Pour it on".
Five seconds into the fourth quarter on Saturday fans were leaving in mass. THAT is what OSU football is all about.
Unfortunately we did lose a bit of focus late. Penalties out the wazoo. Fourteen points on two drives that totaled 26 plays and included three successful 4th down conversions. Sloppy on both sides of the ball. A clusterf*** of a 4th quarter if there ever was one. But nobody really cared.
It was a good old fashioned butt whipping. Much more satisfying than YSU despite the final score. And it underscored a point.
This is a team that has completed its transition. The new QB is firmly installed. The team has lined up behind him. The Heisman RB is back in the lineup. The line is stepping up on both sides of the ball (although the DL is far from what we would need to avoid an embarrassment in Miami).
We are loaded for bear and the Big Ten championship is again squarely in our sites. Win out and we travel to the Rose Bowl - to play BYU.
Sorry. No way we get a third straight pass to the NC. The pollsters do not want us in that game. A dozen teams in front of us and a handful behind have to lose. At least five teams ahead of us must lose twice. And USC IS going to take one of the two spots. And all while we keep our slate clean with a Frosh QB, a potentially fragile RB, and warriors in the trenches who have yet to clearly define their performance level.
Not gonna happen.
But however it does work out there is nothing that will make this anything less than a remarkable season.
H. SORRY GOPHERS
I know we have some visiting - and respectful - Minnie fans this week. So please don't take offense. I know you came in four and zero. But you are - and shall forever be - Minnesota. A new stadium will not offset such forces as air conditioning, integration, and media market growth that have taken hold since your last glory years and forever changed the face of college football. You don't have the in state talent and you don't have the leverage or the marquee to bring in out of state talent at the pace required to build a serious program. (Of the handful of 4 and 5 star athletes from the state in the past three years you have landed two.)
The new stadium will help. (Unless you issue invites for official visits to a November home game - you were in a dome for a reason after all). You might have a season or two under a young and brilliant coach where you challenge for a conference title. Enjoy it. Then wish him well as he moves on to the latest vacancy in the South, in a major media market, or in some other talent rich state.
I. PART TIME JOB
I am retired. But I do supplement my income by pumping gas at the local BP station. This week my pay check was a little short.
I asked the boss and he told me that it was necessary to take a little something from all employees. Seems one of our regular customers bought a new Hummer a few months back and is struggling with the payments. If he can't pay for the car he can't buy our gas, so we are helping him out.
Oh well. We all gotta do our part to keep the economy rolling.
J. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
TV announcer in the Big House commenting on how quiet the crowd was in the first half:
"There never is much noise in here anyway."
K. COOKING THE GOLDEN GOOSE
Remember all of those great 4th quarter comebacks we have seen through the years? They never would have happened given current clock rules.
USC could have beaten Oregon State - would have beaten Oregon State. Wisky had a chance against UM. Florida? No problem with just one more series.
Who knows how many outcomes (whether we liked them or not) could have changed with the handful more plays that could take place in the 4th quarter alone. (OSU is averaging 9 fewer plays through 5 games this season.)
College football is the most perfect sport in television history. Why must we tweak it? Why must we try to fit it into a three hour time slot by reducing the quantity of the game itself when the so called "problem" is a product of excess commercial placements put there by the very networks who now want to shorten it?
It is not just an increase in the amount of time the leading team can burn, but even more so limits on the trailing team's ability to conserve the clock. And couldn't your average moron (no offense BUCKYLE) have seen that simply stopping the clock at two minutes would have removed one of the silliest inequities - that a runner going out of bounds at 2:01 can take up to 40 seconds off the clock while the same play at 1:59 takes none?
To be clear, there will be comebacks. Teams will march the length of the field to go ahead by 3. But those drives will not leave the 1:28 on clock that allows the now trailing team to return the favor. The new pace and rhythm of the 4th quarter are palpably different. It is the NFL pace. And NFL 4th quarters have never approached the drama of the college game.
The last two minutes of close basketball games seem go on for ever - and I hate it. Free throws and commercials - might as well watch chess.
But I could watch the fourth quarter of a good college football game for eternity.
Can we PLEASE fix it?
And then get rid of that damned designated hitter.
L. QUARTERACK CONTROVERSEY
Still something a bit odd in the delivery - but what an upside. He already has better pass/run judgment than Smith did as a third year RS Soph. (Of course, Pryor's third year could well be the last we see.)
I recall watching his HS films and thinking how wonderful they were. But we all understood that nothing like this would happen at the college level. Well, think on this.
OSU has 196 rushing attempts for the season. Pryor has 47 of those and has scored 3 of our 6 rushing TDs. He is the leading rusher on this team.
OSU has completed 81 passes - Pryor 29. Yet of our 8 passing TDs Pryor has 5.
This kid can flat find the end zone.
Do you like the way he leveled Sharpe with an elbow? (That was not a safety as I first thought - it was a 226 pound linebacker.) Then you should love that on at least one of Beanie's long runs he was downfield blocking. Not standing-in-the-way blocking - delivering-the-blow blocking.
We all think of Troy Smith as a dual threat QB. In his entire senior season Troy Smith rushed for 204 yards. Right now Pryor has 292. (In the interest of full disclosure Smith did have over 600 yards as a junior.)
And for the first time this season we saw a couple of reasonably well executed option plays. (Imagine if we could run a solid screen.)
His biggest upside may be his caution. He can keep plays alive forever but still does not throw into coverage. Rarely have I seen him pass to an area where the ball was not well protected. He misses safe.
His biggest downside may be his caution. He can keep plays alive forever - but his reluctance to pull the trigger reduces the downfield threat. Until he proves he can do so consistently game planning for that dimension will not be an issue for opposing DCs. (Which seems only fair - nightmare that he makes it now.)
Tressel was clearly frustrated that he only threw 13 times. His return to the game in the 4th quarter was specifically to get more passing reps (he got two - including a play where he threw the ball away when any mere mortal would have been sacked).
And I still can't believe he is starting. Who could have predicted it before the season began? What were the odds? How could you even calculate such a thing? They must have been like - I don't know - twenty ... maybe even thirty to one. Yet here he is.
As for Boeckman - his passing could not have better highlighted the weaknesses in Pryor's game. Alternating QBs? Naw. But a change of pace off the bench? A pocket passer who can put a defense that is well prepared for a running QB on its heels? I can see Todd getting the chance to save our hiney before the season is out. Wouldn't that be sweet?
M. RUNNING BACK CONTROVERSEY?
Two fumbles in two games? Both in one four play stretch. And just what sort of foot injury let's you do what Beanie did Saturday after he couldn't play at all the week before? And injuries of one sort or another seem to be part of the package with this guy.
On the other hand you have Herron. Steady as a rock - and holds onto it. Fifty yards on 10 carries is not bad at all for a kid still climbing the learning curve. One has to ask - are we better off sticky with a reliable kid like Boom and just cutting Beanie loose?
OK, I'm screwin' with ya.
There is nobody like Beanie. Even running in lineman's cleats and oversized shoes he can leap tall defenders in a single bound. But ain't it great to see the backup stepping up? On one play in particular Boom showed a burst of speed I had not seen before. And especially with Saine struggling and Mo Wells .....uh, has anybody seen Mo Wells?
N. MISGUIDED POLITICAL OPINIONS
It has come to my attention that some folks have been offended by my political forays in these threads.
After thinking it over I realized that they are correct. I recognize that we have a political forum for exactly that purpose. I understand that no matter how long I have been posting here I am not above the rules.
Then I found out the only ones pissing and moaning were liberals.
Which leads me to this question:
If Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd were on a rapidly sinking ship who would most likely be saved?
Answer: The Nation.
(And if anyone is genuinely offended I sincerely hope it is the first time you have read one of my posts.)
O. RETURN OF THE MACE
Ron Maciejowski was always one of my favorite QBs. Played behind Kern and although he was never a regular starter he played very well when Kern was hurt and was even drafted into the NFL. I don't often root for our opponents, but it was nice to see him complete the two point conversion for Minnie.
P. PLAY OF THE GAME
The Beanie leap was special. Pryor leveling a linebacker was awesome - as were his long runs, his evasive maneuvers, his downfield blocking - hell, the whole human highlight film.
But I will go with the 17 yard option pitch to Herron for what it portends of the future.
Q. KUDOS TO DADDYPHASTICS AND THE REST OF THE CROWD
It was not the level of a Happy Valley, but the energy in the crowd was markedly up from our first three games.
I like the new Block "OO" - one in the North and one in the South stands. The interaction between the two raises the energy level and makes it easier for others to get involved (or should I say, more difficult to stay complacent).
I was even motivated to get the gray hairs surrounding me to join in a cheer of our own. We do it every third down when the crowd is urged to come to their feet. It has the cadence of "Let's Go Bucks" and goes "Down In Front - Down In Front"! When the folks in front turn and wave their arms for us to also rise we respond with "We Were Here First - We Were Here First"!
It is the nature of the stadium. The nature of the fans. And the nature of the seating policy that always has and always will be driven by cash.
But keep trying guys. You are young and frustration builds character.
(I might also mention for the students benefit that game time is noon. Keep that in mind and the huge backup to get into the south stands (visible from my C-Deck seats) could be avoided.)
R. NACHO REPORT
You may recall that the last time I stopped for nachos I hooked up with a fine little "nacho babe" who helped me forget all about the "nacho bitch" After a bit of fun she left me with a phone number and a wooden stick, which she "notched". I promptly called that number and met yet another nacho hottie:
http://www.nachosrule.com/images/Canada_Waitress.jpg
Not only did she hook me up with some super-fine nachos:
http://www.lifeisgrand.org/images/CA_BC_Nachos.JPG
But she educated me on the rich and varied history of nachos in America:
http://marciasart.com/Images/Waters/nachos.jpg
Then, following a few drinks:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/1095940333_25b6f090a4.jpg?v=0
We went for a roll in the hay:
http://mistupid.com/pictures/images/rollinthehay.jpg
Followed by some fun in the sack
http://media.seattleweekly.com/1108134.47.jpg
After she had finished with me
http://jameswagner.com/mt_archives/postcoital.JPG
She sent her friends home
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/520130865_0c196e6326_o.jpg
And prepared herself a post coital snack
http://image53.webshots.com/753/3/33/41/2696333410044404404bmijNF_ph.jpg
I was full so I passed.
http://popwatch.ew.com/photos/uncategorized/1735__nacho_l.jpg
She then pulled a knife from one of those hiding places only women share
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/109271725_a102cf93c7.jpg?v=0
And asked to see my stick.
http://www.myspaceantics.com/images/funny/penis-rock.jpg
No, no. My wooden stick - the one I got the week before.
When I presented it she proceeded to add a notch.
http://www.desiredcreations.com/images/HowToPics/beadBakingTools/rackNotchesCU.jpg
She then gave me TWO phone numbers and sent me on my way.
More to follow. (?)
S. ANOTHER ROLLER COASTER FOOTBALL SEASON
It still amazes me how we parse games and describe teams as being this or that as a result of one outcome as though a team was some sort of static entity. A constant from one week to the next.
Yet every season we are reminded that this is far from the truth.
If there was any team in the past 10 years who I would argue was incapable of losing to a team outside the top 5 it would have been this year's USC squad. They are deep and athletic at every position. They are extremely well coached. But there it was. The latest #1 to crash and burn almost before the sportscasters could utter the phrase "Greatest team ever. (The Nancy Pelosi pre-game pep talk may not have helped.)
Florida gives up 31 points to Mississippi. Georgia down 31 at halftime.
USC, Georgia and Florida. Those aren't just three of the top five ranked teams coming into the season. They are three of the top teams in the nation even now. They just weren't... this week.
It happens. And if it didn't happen CFB would be pretty boring.
I love being a Buckeye. But there is one thing Jim Tressel has denied us - that our history has largely denied us. While JT is here we will never get to be the Oregon State of last Thursday or Mississippi in the swamp. Historically OSU is far more likely to be the favorite receiving the blow than the underdog delivering it.
So the great upsets that season our history are games like UM in 1969, MSU in 1998 and Illinois last season. It comes with the territory.
Part of my point is not to read too much into the USC game. Nor to our mediocre performances against OU and Troy.
The talent is there (come on DL - prove me correct). If the chemistry is right the motivation high and the preparation by both players and coaches at the level it needs to be this OSU team - on any given Saturday - is still as good as it gets.
Whether we will get a chance to prove it is another question.
T. FUTURE OBSERVATIONS
FWIW I have no idea when I will post another Observations thread.
No health issues. No big personal problems. No disillusionment with the program. No falling out with fellow posters - even liberal posters so far as I know.
Just rLife and its time constraints and priorities getting in the way. I don't want to post anything half-ass (for me it has always been whole ass or nothing). Mix that with a little writer's block (I swear I have read all this before) and the window for churning these out (along with the fun quotient) gets smaller and smaller.
To be honest, what has kept me going so far this season is largely the vicarious pleasure I get from reading my own exploits with the mythical nacho babes. My real sex life looks more like this:
http://www.bloggerheads.com/images/tim_yeo_nude_afterglow.jpg
So if my thread is missing in the future no need for PMs or expiatory threads. I am just off living in the wretched rWorld.
GO BUCKS
TROY OBSERVATIONS (written prior to the Minnie game)
A. TRANSITION
This OSU team is in a transition that is unique in my experience.
We have 39 returning upper classmen. At least four returning seniors who were candidates for the draft. A sixth year QB who was first team all Big Ten, led us to both a conference title and an NC game and was mentioned on some Heisman candidate lists. We lost nobody who should have pulled the rug out from under this team.
By all rights this team should have hit the ground running and never looked back. Any loss in LA should have been closely contested and our other token opponents should have been dispatched in short order. A record third straight solo The Big Ten title should be clearly in our sites - the rest of the conference quaking in its respective boots.
That it is not is one of the wonders of College Football that make the sport so fascinating - particular when it is happening in Lincoln or South Bend or Ann Arbor. A mystery of coaching and motivation and chemistry.
So instead, we have yet to play a full game against any other Div 1A school. Our All Big Ten QB and Heisman front running RB are both on the sidelines. We are searching for an identity and playing like a team that could lose 3-4 Big Ten games.
But I'm pumped.
I mentioned last week that sometimes the boss has to make changes. Has to fire people. Well, it didn't take long. And JT now has a challenge on his hands.
Losing to USC - losing the way we did - had to lead to a let down. Bench your popular sixth year QB in favor of some kid and you could start a rebellion. There are two ways a team in this mode can go. And during the first half against Troy - particular after watching our star receiver almost nonchalantly let a pass roll off his one extended hand - I was very concerned.
Perhaps it is wishful thinking - but it looks very much like it took just over one half of football to get past the worst of that transition.
OSU was called for 9 penalties in the first half. The only penalty of the second half was a false start with the scrubs on the final drive.
Troy had 289 yards (and we had an equal number of missed tackles) on their first 8 drives. We held them to 26 yards on their last four.
Even Trapasso's punting game was at best mediocre before the half.
The effort was there. The focus was there. We didn't fall apart - we came together.
Post game comments were encouraging. Players were upbeat despite a game that statistically was not much better than OU.
And we were led - and "led" is the right word - by a true Freshman QB in his first start. A QB who - while he will see worse results - as likely as not played the worst game of his career.
It genuinely saddens me to see a kid like Boeckman lose his spot. I wanted this season to be about the returning players. But given in particular the debacle in LA this is as close to a "Do Over" that you will ever see four games into the season.
This team still has a long way to go. But their problems have nothing to do with talent. It is completely irrational to suggest that essentially the same group that won the Big Ten last year - with another year of growth under their belt - isn't good enough to do it again. If coaching is the problem, everything indicates the coaches are stepping up. If the chemistry is bad the smart thing to do is mix in a new element. Pryor appears to be that element.
B. QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSEY
Pryor set at least two records on Saturday:
1. Most TD passes by a Freshman in OSU history. (And perhaps the highest percentage of TD passes to completions in school history as well).
2. Most pump fakes by a quarterback in NCAA history.
Of course, Schlichter set a record in his first start as well. Four picks. Pryor will get credited with one - but as a Hail Mary it needs an asterisk (perhaps two asterisks as it was his biggest mistake of the day that made the pass necessary).
He takes hits he doesn't need to take - and he can't continue to take them. His passes are often telegraphed and have too much air (he will put half a dozen receivers on the DL quickly if this doesn't change). He still has High Schoolitis and thinks every play can be turned into a TD.
But it was his first start. All of these problems are fixable. And you can see him growing before your eyes.
Somebody in the Big Ten is going to exploit his rookie mistakes - and we are likely to lose. Hopefully this will only happen once. (One loss should be good enough for a title this year. Shared perhaps - but a title just the same.) At the same time his incredible athleticism will win games that Boeckman might not have.
His pocket presence is reminiscent of Troy Smith - as a senior. He keeps plays alive as well as any QB who has worn the colors. And if there is a play on Tressel's chart designed to exploit his strengths we either haven't called it or haven't executed it (our attempts at the option were weak - whoever's fault that might have been).
And his supporting cast will get better as well. Boom Herron made enormous progress. We may never see nine penalties in one half again (four of those were against the Offense). Our Frosh center was making his first start. Other Frosh are waiting their turn as well. And somewhere - lurking in the background - is Beanie. A threat who, if Herron does not, will create lanes that enable Pryor to really showcase his athleticism.
Football is a team game and I have always gone to the Shoe to watch the Ohio State team play. There have been players who stood out, but never players who threatened to overshadow the team. Pryor may be such a player. Pryor alone is worth the price of admission. I am not comfortable saying that. But it is true. I grossly underestimated how good this kid can be - and I thought he would be great.
C. PLAY OF THE WEEK
Trapasso's "foot pass" to Lane on the crossing pattern. Lane ran am excellent route on that one.
Wouldn't it be an interesting rule change to make it a legal forward pass if the punting team could catch the ball in the air? Not like it is easy.
D. MY VERY EDUCATED MOTHER JUST SERVED US NACHOS
It's the planets - in order.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Now you will never forget.
BTW these have not been served with peppers since it was determined Pluto does not "dominate" its neighbors. (Dominance being one of the rules for being a planet.)
E. BOOING
This has been beaten to death in other threads. I have posted my position numerous times. Everyone has an absolute right - guaranteed by our beloved constitution - to stand and boo members of their chosen college team.
And doing so makes you a capital "A" capital "H" Ass Hole.
Of course, I am wrong. Our "boos" are more nuanced than I give credit for. When OSU fans boo they are challenging coaching decisions - not players. Any player worth his salt can clearly tell from the short, sharp "buh" sound and the quickly rising and falling "ooooo" that these particular boos are not directed at him personally. Like a bird call each inflection has its own specific meaning.
I call shenanigans.
But wait, there's more.
When the band comes on the field we all stand and clap and sing along. After that it is hit and miss. When the PA does the new "And that's another Ohio State"... what follows is an indistinct mumble that only the trained ear can interpret as "First Down". When the opposition wants to audible they simply turn their head and whisper the new play - confident that even their coaches on the sideline will hear. When there is a great play we, as fans, react. Otherwise, unless it is UM or some other headline opponent, the crowd tends to drift in and out. We wait for the team to bring us into the game - rarely the other way around. If the opponent is supposed to be a cupcake and we happen to be struggling the odds are increased that we will be having a Zen moment.
I know it is tough. There is the replay board to watch. And you can't both holler for the team and whine at the same time. And if you are listening on the radio or whining to your buddy on the cell phone the noise can be downright annoying. And to holler at all requires we lean back and open up the diaphragm - even stand on occasion. (And of course, there are those luscious nachos that clog the throat and spill everywhere when you stand too quickly.)
I have been watching this go on for over 40 years. But NOT ONCE have the players - even when they badly need the boost that so many teams (can you spell SEC) take for granted - turned their backs to the field, addressed the stands and booed OUR pitiful performance.
So if you are one of those who were booing Todd Boeckman on Saturday, all I can say is - get over yourself Ass Hole.
F. TRESSEL'S DILEMMA
Does anybody remember John Cooper? You could count on 9-3 and a bowl. He even put together some teams that were NC caliber - but never quite got over the hump. Most importantly he couldn't beat Michigan.
So like Woody and like Earl we fired his sorry ass.
Now we have a coach who has beaten Michigan SIX times in seven years. He has had more than two losses ONCE in the past six years. He has taken us to the NC game THREE times and won our only NC in the past FORTY years.
And it isn't good enough. He needs to make changes. I'm smarter. You are smarter. We know what needs to be done.
The next two years are going to be either the most successful or most painful in Jim Tressel's career.
His reward for landing Terrelle Pryor is the expectation of a National Championship in 2009 or 2010 - or both. The pieces have fallen from the sky and if he can't put them together we need somebody who can call the right plays at the right time (although "play calling" per se - as opposed to play design and execution - is clearly a red herring).
Sure. Nobody is calling for his head - well, only a handful. But mark my words - the same fans who booed Todd Boeckman are fully capable of transferring their own inadequacies to any part of this program. The expectation that a team improve on a two loss season and NC game appearance is pretty extreme.
I will never feel sorry for anyone whose troubles can be solved simply by walking away from a 3.5 million a year job. But I do appreciate his challenge.
OBSERVATIONS - MINNIE
G. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT
I recall a fan back in the late 1970s who was a row in front of me. Older gentleman who was quiet during the entire game - Northwestern I believe. Late in the third quarter OSU scored to go up by 35 or so. Suddenly he stood, put his hands beside his mouth, and hollered "Pour it on".
Five seconds into the fourth quarter on Saturday fans were leaving in mass. THAT is what OSU football is all about.
Unfortunately we did lose a bit of focus late. Penalties out the wazoo. Fourteen points on two drives that totaled 26 plays and included three successful 4th down conversions. Sloppy on both sides of the ball. A clusterf*** of a 4th quarter if there ever was one. But nobody really cared.
It was a good old fashioned butt whipping. Much more satisfying than YSU despite the final score. And it underscored a point.
This is a team that has completed its transition. The new QB is firmly installed. The team has lined up behind him. The Heisman RB is back in the lineup. The line is stepping up on both sides of the ball (although the DL is far from what we would need to avoid an embarrassment in Miami).
We are loaded for bear and the Big Ten championship is again squarely in our sites. Win out and we travel to the Rose Bowl - to play BYU.
Sorry. No way we get a third straight pass to the NC. The pollsters do not want us in that game. A dozen teams in front of us and a handful behind have to lose. At least five teams ahead of us must lose twice. And USC IS going to take one of the two spots. And all while we keep our slate clean with a Frosh QB, a potentially fragile RB, and warriors in the trenches who have yet to clearly define their performance level.
Not gonna happen.
But however it does work out there is nothing that will make this anything less than a remarkable season.
H. SORRY GOPHERS
I know we have some visiting - and respectful - Minnie fans this week. So please don't take offense. I know you came in four and zero. But you are - and shall forever be - Minnesota. A new stadium will not offset such forces as air conditioning, integration, and media market growth that have taken hold since your last glory years and forever changed the face of college football. You don't have the in state talent and you don't have the leverage or the marquee to bring in out of state talent at the pace required to build a serious program. (Of the handful of 4 and 5 star athletes from the state in the past three years you have landed two.)
The new stadium will help. (Unless you issue invites for official visits to a November home game - you were in a dome for a reason after all). You might have a season or two under a young and brilliant coach where you challenge for a conference title. Enjoy it. Then wish him well as he moves on to the latest vacancy in the South, in a major media market, or in some other talent rich state.
I. PART TIME JOB
I am retired. But I do supplement my income by pumping gas at the local BP station. This week my pay check was a little short.
I asked the boss and he told me that it was necessary to take a little something from all employees. Seems one of our regular customers bought a new Hummer a few months back and is struggling with the payments. If he can't pay for the car he can't buy our gas, so we are helping him out.
Oh well. We all gotta do our part to keep the economy rolling.
J. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
TV announcer in the Big House commenting on how quiet the crowd was in the first half:
"There never is much noise in here anyway."
K. COOKING THE GOLDEN GOOSE
Remember all of those great 4th quarter comebacks we have seen through the years? They never would have happened given current clock rules.
USC could have beaten Oregon State - would have beaten Oregon State. Wisky had a chance against UM. Florida? No problem with just one more series.
Who knows how many outcomes (whether we liked them or not) could have changed with the handful more plays that could take place in the 4th quarter alone. (OSU is averaging 9 fewer plays through 5 games this season.)
College football is the most perfect sport in television history. Why must we tweak it? Why must we try to fit it into a three hour time slot by reducing the quantity of the game itself when the so called "problem" is a product of excess commercial placements put there by the very networks who now want to shorten it?
It is not just an increase in the amount of time the leading team can burn, but even more so limits on the trailing team's ability to conserve the clock. And couldn't your average moron (no offense BUCKYLE) have seen that simply stopping the clock at two minutes would have removed one of the silliest inequities - that a runner going out of bounds at 2:01 can take up to 40 seconds off the clock while the same play at 1:59 takes none?
To be clear, there will be comebacks. Teams will march the length of the field to go ahead by 3. But those drives will not leave the 1:28 on clock that allows the now trailing team to return the favor. The new pace and rhythm of the 4th quarter are palpably different. It is the NFL pace. And NFL 4th quarters have never approached the drama of the college game.
The last two minutes of close basketball games seem go on for ever - and I hate it. Free throws and commercials - might as well watch chess.
But I could watch the fourth quarter of a good college football game for eternity.
Can we PLEASE fix it?
And then get rid of that damned designated hitter.
L. QUARTERACK CONTROVERSEY
Still something a bit odd in the delivery - but what an upside. He already has better pass/run judgment than Smith did as a third year RS Soph. (Of course, Pryor's third year could well be the last we see.)
I recall watching his HS films and thinking how wonderful they were. But we all understood that nothing like this would happen at the college level. Well, think on this.
OSU has 196 rushing attempts for the season. Pryor has 47 of those and has scored 3 of our 6 rushing TDs. He is the leading rusher on this team.
OSU has completed 81 passes - Pryor 29. Yet of our 8 passing TDs Pryor has 5.
This kid can flat find the end zone.
Do you like the way he leveled Sharpe with an elbow? (That was not a safety as I first thought - it was a 226 pound linebacker.) Then you should love that on at least one of Beanie's long runs he was downfield blocking. Not standing-in-the-way blocking - delivering-the-blow blocking.
We all think of Troy Smith as a dual threat QB. In his entire senior season Troy Smith rushed for 204 yards. Right now Pryor has 292. (In the interest of full disclosure Smith did have over 600 yards as a junior.)
And for the first time this season we saw a couple of reasonably well executed option plays. (Imagine if we could run a solid screen.)
His biggest upside may be his caution. He can keep plays alive forever but still does not throw into coverage. Rarely have I seen him pass to an area where the ball was not well protected. He misses safe.
His biggest downside may be his caution. He can keep plays alive forever - but his reluctance to pull the trigger reduces the downfield threat. Until he proves he can do so consistently game planning for that dimension will not be an issue for opposing DCs. (Which seems only fair - nightmare that he makes it now.)
Tressel was clearly frustrated that he only threw 13 times. His return to the game in the 4th quarter was specifically to get more passing reps (he got two - including a play where he threw the ball away when any mere mortal would have been sacked).
And I still can't believe he is starting. Who could have predicted it before the season began? What were the odds? How could you even calculate such a thing? They must have been like - I don't know - twenty ... maybe even thirty to one. Yet here he is.
As for Boeckman - his passing could not have better highlighted the weaknesses in Pryor's game. Alternating QBs? Naw. But a change of pace off the bench? A pocket passer who can put a defense that is well prepared for a running QB on its heels? I can see Todd getting the chance to save our hiney before the season is out. Wouldn't that be sweet?
M. RUNNING BACK CONTROVERSEY?
Two fumbles in two games? Both in one four play stretch. And just what sort of foot injury let's you do what Beanie did Saturday after he couldn't play at all the week before? And injuries of one sort or another seem to be part of the package with this guy.
On the other hand you have Herron. Steady as a rock - and holds onto it. Fifty yards on 10 carries is not bad at all for a kid still climbing the learning curve. One has to ask - are we better off sticky with a reliable kid like Boom and just cutting Beanie loose?
OK, I'm screwin' with ya.
There is nobody like Beanie. Even running in lineman's cleats and oversized shoes he can leap tall defenders in a single bound. But ain't it great to see the backup stepping up? On one play in particular Boom showed a burst of speed I had not seen before. And especially with Saine struggling and Mo Wells .....uh, has anybody seen Mo Wells?
N. MISGUIDED POLITICAL OPINIONS
It has come to my attention that some folks have been offended by my political forays in these threads.
After thinking it over I realized that they are correct. I recognize that we have a political forum for exactly that purpose. I understand that no matter how long I have been posting here I am not above the rules.
Then I found out the only ones pissing and moaning were liberals.
Which leads me to this question:
If Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd were on a rapidly sinking ship who would most likely be saved?
Answer: The Nation.
(And if anyone is genuinely offended I sincerely hope it is the first time you have read one of my posts.)
O. RETURN OF THE MACE
Ron Maciejowski was always one of my favorite QBs. Played behind Kern and although he was never a regular starter he played very well when Kern was hurt and was even drafted into the NFL. I don't often root for our opponents, but it was nice to see him complete the two point conversion for Minnie.
P. PLAY OF THE GAME
The Beanie leap was special. Pryor leveling a linebacker was awesome - as were his long runs, his evasive maneuvers, his downfield blocking - hell, the whole human highlight film.
But I will go with the 17 yard option pitch to Herron for what it portends of the future.
Q. KUDOS TO DADDYPHASTICS AND THE REST OF THE CROWD
It was not the level of a Happy Valley, but the energy in the crowd was markedly up from our first three games.
I like the new Block "OO" - one in the North and one in the South stands. The interaction between the two raises the energy level and makes it easier for others to get involved (or should I say, more difficult to stay complacent).
I was even motivated to get the gray hairs surrounding me to join in a cheer of our own. We do it every third down when the crowd is urged to come to their feet. It has the cadence of "Let's Go Bucks" and goes "Down In Front - Down In Front"! When the folks in front turn and wave their arms for us to also rise we respond with "We Were Here First - We Were Here First"!
It is the nature of the stadium. The nature of the fans. And the nature of the seating policy that always has and always will be driven by cash.
But keep trying guys. You are young and frustration builds character.
(I might also mention for the students benefit that game time is noon. Keep that in mind and the huge backup to get into the south stands (visible from my C-Deck seats) could be avoided.)
R. NACHO REPORT
You may recall that the last time I stopped for nachos I hooked up with a fine little "nacho babe" who helped me forget all about the "nacho bitch" After a bit of fun she left me with a phone number and a wooden stick, which she "notched". I promptly called that number and met yet another nacho hottie:
http://www.nachosrule.com/images/Canada_Waitress.jpg
Not only did she hook me up with some super-fine nachos:
http://www.lifeisgrand.org/images/CA_BC_Nachos.JPG
But she educated me on the rich and varied history of nachos in America:
http://marciasart.com/Images/Waters/nachos.jpg
Then, following a few drinks:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1095/1095940333_25b6f090a4.jpg?v=0
We went for a roll in the hay:
http://mistupid.com/pictures/images/rollinthehay.jpg
Followed by some fun in the sack
http://media.seattleweekly.com/1108134.47.jpg
After she had finished with me
http://jameswagner.com/mt_archives/postcoital.JPG
She sent her friends home
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/520130865_0c196e6326_o.jpg
And prepared herself a post coital snack
http://image53.webshots.com/753/3/33/41/2696333410044404404bmijNF_ph.jpg
I was full so I passed.
http://popwatch.ew.com/photos/uncategorized/1735__nacho_l.jpg
She then pulled a knife from one of those hiding places only women share
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/47/109271725_a102cf93c7.jpg?v=0
And asked to see my stick.
http://www.myspaceantics.com/images/funny/penis-rock.jpg
No, no. My wooden stick - the one I got the week before.
When I presented it she proceeded to add a notch.
http://www.desiredcreations.com/images/HowToPics/beadBakingTools/rackNotchesCU.jpg
She then gave me TWO phone numbers and sent me on my way.
More to follow. (?)
S. ANOTHER ROLLER COASTER FOOTBALL SEASON
It still amazes me how we parse games and describe teams as being this or that as a result of one outcome as though a team was some sort of static entity. A constant from one week to the next.
Yet every season we are reminded that this is far from the truth.
If there was any team in the past 10 years who I would argue was incapable of losing to a team outside the top 5 it would have been this year's USC squad. They are deep and athletic at every position. They are extremely well coached. But there it was. The latest #1 to crash and burn almost before the sportscasters could utter the phrase "Greatest team ever. (The Nancy Pelosi pre-game pep talk may not have helped.)
Florida gives up 31 points to Mississippi. Georgia down 31 at halftime.
USC, Georgia and Florida. Those aren't just three of the top five ranked teams coming into the season. They are three of the top teams in the nation even now. They just weren't... this week.
It happens. And if it didn't happen CFB would be pretty boring.
I love being a Buckeye. But there is one thing Jim Tressel has denied us - that our history has largely denied us. While JT is here we will never get to be the Oregon State of last Thursday or Mississippi in the swamp. Historically OSU is far more likely to be the favorite receiving the blow than the underdog delivering it.
So the great upsets that season our history are games like UM in 1969, MSU in 1998 and Illinois last season. It comes with the territory.
Part of my point is not to read too much into the USC game. Nor to our mediocre performances against OU and Troy.
The talent is there (come on DL - prove me correct). If the chemistry is right the motivation high and the preparation by both players and coaches at the level it needs to be this OSU team - on any given Saturday - is still as good as it gets.
Whether we will get a chance to prove it is another question.
T. FUTURE OBSERVATIONS
FWIW I have no idea when I will post another Observations thread.
No health issues. No big personal problems. No disillusionment with the program. No falling out with fellow posters - even liberal posters so far as I know.
Just rLife and its time constraints and priorities getting in the way. I don't want to post anything half-ass (for me it has always been whole ass or nothing). Mix that with a little writer's block (I swear I have read all this before) and the window for churning these out (along with the fun quotient) gets smaller and smaller.
To be honest, what has kept me going so far this season is largely the vicarious pleasure I get from reading my own exploits with the mythical nacho babes. My real sex life looks more like this:
http://www.bloggerheads.com/images/tim_yeo_nude_afterglow.jpg
So if my thread is missing in the future no need for PMs or expiatory threads. I am just off living in the wretched rWorld.
GO BUCKS
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