Buckeyes-Gators, One More Time



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WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN!

Not so long ago, Ohio State played Florida in the National Championship Game.  Florida and their coach, Urban Meyer, had us for lunch.  The game started out great as every Buckeye would remember.  Ted Ginn Jr. returned the kickoff for a touchdown and the Buckeyes were off to an incredible start.  That was pretty much the highlight for Ohio State as Ginn was injured in the celebration that followed his touchdown run. 

This time around there is no national championship at stake.  Urban Meyer is now the Buckeyes coach, although he will not be coaching them in game.  Both teams had lackluster seasons and did not perform anywhere near their potential.  The Gators were blown out numerous times during the course of the year.  The Buckeyes were in almost every game they played and did upset Wisconsin. 

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The Buckeyes want nothing more than to beat another SEC team and the Gators are licking their chops at the opportunity to knock off the team that stole their former coach.  It should be an interesting match-up of the two young football teams.  One has to wonder if Luke Fickell, Ohio State's interim coach, will light it up as Jim Tressel did occasionally in a bowl game.  Tressel would go great guns in the first half and then do his best to hang on for dear life.  Fickell played conservative all year long not letting his freshman quarterback, Braxton Miller, throw the ball.

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Fickell did let Miller air it out some against Michigan and I suspect that we will see just a little more throwing against the Gators.  There will also be some designed quarterback runs to keep the Florida defense honest.  All in all, it should be a good game.  Florida is the underdog by two points.  Not sure I agree with that.  I almost hate to say it but any SEC team right now has the advantage over a Big Ten team.  The one advantage the Buckeyes may have is wanting to win one for their coach who next year will be in charge of the defense. 

I look for a high scoring affair with the Buckeyes winning it late by a field goal.  This will be Braxton Miller's breakout game and a foretaste of what Urban Meyer will unleash with the young quarterback in 2012.  My early pre-season prediction of next year is that the Buckeyes will indeed run the table and be sitting home in January when one other undefeated team will wonder if they could handle the bowl-less Buckeyes. 

Go Bucks!

Finally, An NBA Season

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NBA Commissioner David Stern always knows what sells and NBA on Christmas Day has become one more staple of the Christmas season.  In danger for all of the summer and well into the Fall, the NBA opens up tomorrow, Christmas Day.  All along and throughout the labor negotiations, Stern's end game was for play to open up no matter what on Christmas Day.  Lose Christmas day and you might as well lose the season. 

Tomorrow's games are good as they get with the New York Knicks opening up against Boston, Chicago taking on the Lakers, Orlando playing Oklahoma City and finally, the Miami Heat trying to avenge their championship lost of last year to the Dallas Mavericks.  The Knicks, Celtics game opens up the television viewing with The Heat and Mavericks finishing up the day. 

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Like many folks, it's been years, or maybe since Michael Jordan's days, the NBA has held little interest for me.  That all changed last year as The Heat came together as a team and held my interest into the playoffs.  Although it was disappointing to watch Lebron James' performance in the championship series, it was a great playoff run and clearly set the stage for many exciting NBA seasons to come. 

One has to believe that all the money is on James and Dwayne Wade to capture all the marbles this year for Miami.  Apparently, James has developed a mid-range jumper to go along with every other part of his game.  The short season should also play to their advantage as long as everyone on The Heat stay healthy.  Clearly, the aging Celtics and Lakers will have something to say about that as will the defending champions, the Mavericks.

It just seems impossible to bet against The Heat in 2012.  So much talent and a whole year's experience to go with it, they will be remarkably difficult to beat.  It seems unlikely that Dallas will be able to repeat.  My guess is that Lebron has spent the entire off-season working exceptionally hard to improve his game focused on one thing, a championship season.  While other players were looking to play overseas and involve themselves in the labor negotiations, James was working on his game. 

I believe we will see a whole new level of play in 2012 from Lebron James.  This will be an MVP year with him winning the championship, the MVP and he might even throw in the All-Star MVP for good measure.  My best guess is that The Heat may only lose a handful of games in 2012 given the shorter season.  Even though it will be a short season, the NBA has some good story lines this season with Chris Paul going to the Clippers.  The Lakers may struggle having some competition from the sorry sister of the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Teams will be playing on back to back nights and even in some instances, three in a row.  Younger teams will have the advantage while the Lakers and Celtics with their seasoned rosters will be at a disadvantage.  Hang on to your hat, the NBA is back and it should be a fun ride.         

BROWNIE'S BOWL PICKS

Time to pick winners and losers for this year's bowl season.  I tried waiting even longer to make my picks thinking that I could eliminate a number of games not worth picking.  Unfortunately, this year's bowl season is packed full of teams with less than great seasons.  There are some good games with my favorite one being the Stanford-Oklahoma State game. 

 My picks:   

 Hawaii Bowl                Southern Miss over Nevada    

Independence Bowl     Missouri over North Carolina

Little Caesars              Purdue over Western Michigan

Belk                             Louisville over N.C. State

Military                       Air Force over Toledo

Holiday                      Texas over California

Champs Sports          Florida State over Notre Dame

Alamo                        Baylor over Washington

Armed Forces            BYU over Tulsa

Music City                 Mississippi State over Wake Forest

Insight                       Oklahoma over Iowa

Meineke Car Care     Texas A&M over Northwestern

Sun                             Utah over Georgia Tech

Kraft Fight Hunger    Illinois over UCLA

Liberty                        Vanderbilt over Cincinnati

Chick-fil-A                 Auburn over Virginia

TicketCity                   Houston over Penn State

Capital One                South Carolina over Nebraska

Gator                          Ohio State over Florida

Outback                      Georgia over Michigan State

Cotton                         Arkansas over Kansas State

BBVA Compass         Pittsburgh over SMU

GoDaddy.com           Northern Illinois over Arkansas State

Rose Bowl                 Oregon over Wisconsin

Fiesta Bowl               Stanford over Oklahoma State

Sugar Bowl               Virginia Tech over Michigan

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Orange Bowl            Clemson over West Virginia

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THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE ROLLS OVER THE LSU TIGERS 21-17

 

    

No Joy In Columbus - Penalty Flag Finally Flies

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The long awaited and dreaded penalty flag was finally thrown at the Buckeyes today as the NCAA striped official  announced that all self-imposed penalties by Ohio State have been accepted.  Added on for good measure by the NCAA is a post-season bowl ban for the 2012 season along with additional loss of scholarships.  The review flag has not been tossed in Columbus and by most estimates Ohio State will not appeal the penalties. 

Also announced was that Jim Tressel, former Ohio State coach, will carry with him a boat load of baggage for any school that might be thinking of employing him.  He will carry with him to any future employment, sanctions that would be onerous to any program of note.  Good thing that Tressel latched on to the Indianapolis Colts as his days of coaching college football are long gone.  What a pity.  Part of me feels sorry for Coach Tressel but then I think of the players of Ohio State who will be unable to fully participate in 2012 and my sorrow ebbs. 

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As I have written before, I really believe the right penalty for any school violating NCAA rules should be a stiff monetary fine.  Had Ohio State received a $5,000,000 fine for the infractions, you get bet the farm that President Gordon Gee would make sure nothing of the sort would happen again.  Coaches must be getting the message by now as the severe penalty for Tressel all but ends his coaching career.  Why should next year's players be penalized for the mistakes of former players.  I still don't get that. 

Who will succumb to NCAA violations in 2012?  It is anyone's guess but rest assured, some team will.  Every year, year in and year out, a program is singled out and finds itself under the NCAA microscope.  My best guess is that LSU and Alabama will see their programs investigated by somebody.  Hope they are clean.  If not them, some other school will have a disgruntled employee, a malcontent non-playing student athlete or a booster who didn't get what he wanted, report some type of rule violation.  All it takes is one person who has a case of "sour grapes" and the whole bubble bursts. 

I continue to believe that penalizing players for past violations is not a fair way to penalize schools.  My hope for 2012 is simply that Ohio State runs the table.  We beat everybody but can't play in the Big Ten Championship nor the National Championship Game.  Had USC had their act together early in the year, they might have done it this year.  I would not be surprised at all if Ohio State makes a run next year.  They'll be playing for experience and pride next year.  I can't imagine anyone who would like to have them on their schedule. 

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I keep thinking about "The Game".  I sure hope Michigan savors their recent victory because next year, Ohio State has nothing to look forward to other than "The Game".  I do not envy the Wolverines.         

Have Fans, Will Travel - The Buckeye Nation

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When the opportunity presented itself for me to catch the Ohio State, South Carolina college basketball game on Saturday, I jumped all over it.  It had been years since I attended a college basketball game.  As a child growing up in Ohio, my family's basketball loyalties were enjoyed by the University of Dayton Fliers and the Wright State Raiders.  We had season tickets to both programs.  Ohio State was our third team to cheer for and the Bearcats of Cincinnati came in a close fourth. 

Growing up with two parents who both played college basketball made the round ball king in our household.  I remember fondly the runs to national championships that both Ohio State and Cincinnati made in the late 1950's and early 1960's with the likes of Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and of course, The Big O, Oscar Robertson.  I still remember traveling to tournament games with the Dayton Fliers in 1966 when they took on the UCLA team in the NCAA Championship game.  Losing that game and returning two years later led by Donnie May and winning the NIT Championship over Jo Jo White's Kansas Jayhawkers. 

I was reminded of how much I enjoyed those experiences yesterday traveling to Columbia to watch my Number Two ranked Buckeyes take on South Carolina.  It seems not to matter what sport it is, if Ohio State is playing, the fan base will show up.  Yesterday's game at the Colonial Life Arena was packed with Ohio State fans.  The OH-IO chant took over the venue at yesterday's game as Scarlet and Gray-clad fans were noticeable everywhere.  It was clear that the Buckeyes were in town as all one heard was shouts of "Go Bucks".

It has long been known that an invitation to some college teams across the nation result in a huge fan turnout.  When you hear broadcasters say that a school travels well, they're speaking of teams like Ohio State, Michigan or Notre Dame and other powerhouses like them where huge numbers of fans follow their team's exploits.  It's not so much that fans travel from Columbus, Ohio or Ann Arbor, Michigan or even South Bend, Indiana to watch their favorite team play; more to the point, the fan base is already within the community, they just show up to support their team.

A safe guess for yesterday's crowd was that 50% of the people in attendance were Buckeye fans.  Not much of a home court advantage for the Gamecocks.  The OH-IO chants of the Buckeye faithful outperformed the Gamecock fans throughout the game.  Although the game was closely contested, the Number Two ranked Buckeyes pulled out a good win against South Carolina. 

We actually gave up great seats in the lower section when we were invited to a suite where we watched the game in its entirety.  The Colonial Life Arena is a great venue for college basketball and for one day, it was home to many memories of my earlier years.     



All Awful - Major League Baseball

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Anyone who knows me is well aware of my love-hate relationship with Major League Baseball.  I grew up loving my Cincinnati Reds and especially The Big Red Machine of the 1970's.  I still remember fondly when the Reds including Pete Rose traveled to Dayton before the season started to hold clinics for all the youngsters playing little league baseball.  Fond memories including numerous trips to old Crosley Field, Riverfront and many of our other baseball stadiums across America. 

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Then the strikes, free agency and runaway contracts came into play. I became disenchanted with the game.  After the third work stoppage and A-Rod's $25 million a year contract, I swore off all allegiance to Major League Baseball.  Then came the steroid era and the lack of testimony by the likes of Mark McGuire.  Sick to my stomach over what happened to the game I loved.  I vowed never to support the game again, in any way, shape or form.  Every once in a while, a glimmer of what I used to love about this great game comes to life.  Once again, Major League Baseball has done its best to lose me again. 

What a week for all things baseball.  Ryan Braun, Mr. Milwaukee Brewers, Most Valuable Player of the National League tests positive for performance enhancing drug use.  Albert Pujols signs a contract for $250 million.  Barry Bonds is sentenced to 30 days house arrest, 2 years probation for his conviction of federal obstruction of justice.  Just the stuff that you want your ten-year old son who loves baseball to see and hear. 

They have destroyed the game that so many of us have loved for so long.  It never stops.  Major League Baseball is a joke.  The money, the drugs and the preponderance of crap has destroyed what was once a beautiful sport.  I have no idea how the game can ever win back fans like me.  I just don't think it is possible anymore. 

There will be more to come for sure.  The Ryan Braun story and his MVP will linger for months to come.  We still have the Roger Clemons story and his lies to deal with.  What happens with the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown?  What records will be counted?  Will the sportswriters do the right thing and keep the likes of Barry Bond out of the Hall?  I'm sure they will! 

Once again, I bid farewell to the game I absolutely love.  Maybe someday, Major League Baseball will find the right course again and turn it around for the millions of fans like me who are so disheartened and discouraged.  I can't even bring myself to return to Cooperstown, one of most favorite places in all of America.    

Cincinnati Bearcats - Need To Decide, Athletes or Gangsters

Anyone who managed to watch the Cincinnati-Xavier basketball game over the weekend saw one more example of a college sports program gone awry.  These two teams are cross-town rivals and heated and very competitive games are the norm for these two programs when they face off.  Unfortunately, over the last fifteen years or so, these games have turned into brawls rather than basketball games. 

Saturday’s game was all about Xavier having their way.  Cincinnati’s frustration boiled over at the very end of the game and an actual fist fight broke out.  Cincinnati has had the reputation for years of brawling on the court and more specifically, just being a bunch of undisciplined bullies on the court.  Saturday’s game was one more example of it.  Bob Huggins, former Cincinnati coach, loved his team’s reputation as being tough and aggressive.  He nurtured the type of environment that encouraged players to play with a chip on their shoulder. 

Xavier’s key players haven’t always helped the situation with their trash talking too.  Both programs deserve some level of culpability for allowing incidents to mar what is usually a very competitive, fun-to-watch basketball game.  These players refer to themselves as gangsters.  That in and of itself tells you something is wrong with these programs.  They should be student athletes, not gangsters.  Both teams always play hard but there is always an undercurrent to these games.  I believe it is encouraged by universities, the coaches and the fans. 

Occasionally, a player might lose his cool in a big, important and very competitive game.  It happens.  Everyone understands.  This game is different.  The players, coaches and fans go into the game knowing that something might happen.  It really is unacceptable in today’s college game and both programs need to step-up and make sure that such a display between their two teams never happens again.  Either fix it or take each other off each other’s schedule. 

If I was a member of the NCAA discipline group, I would hit both programs pretty hard.  I would send a loud and clear message letting them know that they run the risk of losing eligibility for such a display of poor sportsmanship.  I would suspend players who threw punches.  I would suspend players who came off the benches.  The result of such suspensions could render both teams without enough players to play their next two-three games.  I would be okay with that.  Automatic forfeits seem in order to stop this type of behavior. 

It must be stopped.  If not, at some point someone is going to get hurt.  Then college basketball will spill over into the courts and the legal system will find a way to stop the violence. 

HOORAY FOR HEISMAN

Tonight at 8 pm, a new Heisman Trophy winner will join the likes of Eddie George, Marcus Allen, Jim Plunkett and Archie Griffin.  Heisman Trophy winners all.  Joining this elite group of special players is indeed an honor.  Recognized as the most valuable award a college football player can earn, who will be special player that will join this great group of outstanding college players?

Being a Big Ten fan, you might think that Montee Ball, Wisconsin's great running back would get my vote.  (If I had one).  He scored 38 touchdowns this season leading the Badgers to the Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl berth against Oregon.  One might think I would recognize the awesome talent of Robert Griffin III from Baylor who threw for 36 touchdowns this season along with nine rushing touchdowns.  Then of course is Tyrann Mathieu, a defensive backfield start and return specialist who leads the number one LSU Tigers.  Mathieu leads his team in tackles, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and has returned two punts for touchdowns. 

Just a few years back Trent Richardson of Alabama was the backup to the eventual winner of the Heisman Trophy, Mark Ingram Jr.  Richardson has carved his own path with 23 touchdowns averaging 164.7 all-purpose yards a game.  Then, there's Andrew Luck, Stanford's all-everything quarterback.  Luck finished second in last year's Heisman voting to Cam Newton of Auburn.  Luck, destined to be the number one draft pick in the NFL, threw for 35 touchdowns, over 3,000 yards with a passing rating of 167.5. 

Each player performed magnificently this season with each of them leading their teams to post-season bowl games.  I like Trent Richardson, Tyrann Mathieu and Montee Ball and the special seasons they had.  I can remember highlights from each of their big games this past season.  I suspect we will see even more highlights as they perform in their respective bowl games.  For me, the Heisman comes down to the two quarterbacks, Robert Griffin III from Baylor and Andrew Luck of Stanford. 

Both are juniors.  Luck is definitely coming out to the NFL in 2012 whereas Griffin may stay at Baylor for one more season.  My heart would like to see Andrew Luck win the Heisman but my head keeps telling me to choose Griffin.  It would be a shame to see Luck come in second a second year in a row.  Then, of course, the selfish part of me doesn't want Griffin to win this year because then he would be eligible to win it a second time next year and join only Archie Griffin of The Ohio State University as the only two-time recipient.  Not something I have ever been excited about happening.  I was especially concerned when Tim Tebow had the opportunity three years ago but ended up finishing behind Sam Bradford of Oklahoma.   

What's it going to be?  Griffin or Luck.  This year, I'm going with my heart and choosing Andrew Luck to be the 77th  winner of the Heisman Trophy.  My head keeps telling me that it will be Griffin.    

LSU versus ALABAMA

The foregone conclusion of this year’s college football season is that LSU and Alabama are the two best teams in the nation.  We are basing that opinion on all the sports pundits, our own personal observations and of course, the dreaded BCS formula.  Once again, we are relegated to the archaic and profoundly flawed BCS system.  In the end, who’s to say that Alabama deserves to play in this game rather than Oklahoma State, Stanford or maybe even Boise State. 

What’s sticking in my crawl with this, other than the BCS, is that Alabama gets in this game without having won their conference championship.  For that matter, they’re not even in their conference championship.  Somehow, that just doesn’t seem all that fair to me.  I remember back a few years ago when Ohio State was undefeated and ranked number one.  Michigan was undefeated and ranked number two.  They played what most folks at the time considered the greatest college football game of all time with Ohio State barely winning 42-39.  There was considerable opinion at the time that Michigan should have received a rematch in the Fiesta Bowl with Ohio State for the National Championship.  That did not happen.  Ohio State faced a big underdog, Florida, in the championship game and got clobbered. 

For that matter, everyone is saying that no matter whether LSU loses to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, they still will be number one in the nation and will play for the National Championship.  Now, wouldn’t that be something to have two SEC teams playing in the National Championship Game, both with one loss and neither one champion of their own conference.   Crazy isn’t it.  Now, it’s unlikely that Georgia can pull off the upset but it is college football and stranger things have happened in this great game.  I actually am pulling for Georgia to pull off the great upset just so the BCS gets one more black eye. 

My picks for this weekend’s conference championship games are as follows:

Oregon manages to beat lowly UCLA for the PAC 12 Championship. 

Georgia upsets LSU by three in regulation.

Wisconsin runs all over Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. 

Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in a shoot-out but Oklahoma hangs on at the end to win the Big Twelve Championship. 

Finally, Virginia Tech has Clemson for lunch winning by three touchdowns. 

Just maybe we’ll get lucky this off-season and the powers to be will decide on some level of playoff for the 2012 season.  There’s lots of talk right now and it looks like it just may happen on some level.  Any playoff scenario is better than what we currently have with the BCS.  I think an eight-team playoff would be great but much too lofty for the BCS folks.  Looks like maybe two games at the most. 

Urban Meyer Now At The Hallowed Shoe

Love them or hate them, Urban Meyer has joined an elite group of men who have coached The Ohio State Buckeyes.  The group is illustrious and well-known in football circles.  Paul Brown, Woody Hayes, Earle Bruce, John Cooper, Jim Tressel and now Urban Meyer.  Just ask John Cooper who has one of the best winning percentages of all time in college football.  Coop could not beat Michigan; was fired for not being able to win "The Game".  Earle Bruce, Hall of Fame Coach, was fired by the university.  Bruce had a good record against Michigan. 

Jim Tressel, the best of the best records against Michigan, was forced out because of NCAA violations which Meyer will now inherit.  Then, there's the legend of Woody Hayes.  Woody built the fierce rivalry with the team "up north" with his colleague and friend, Bo Schembechler.  Two national championships at Florida and great performances at both Bowling Green and Utah will not account for much if he can't match-up to the likes of Hayes, Brown, Bruce and Tressel.   

Soon, the other shoe will drop on Ohio State Football when the NCAA announces either acceptance of the self-imposed penalties for violations committed at Ohio State or adds to them.  Most believe there will at least be some additional  sanctions placed on the Buckeyes, perhaps losing additional scholarships and even a bowl game for the 2012 season.  It is believed that the announcement will come as early as December. 

In some ways this might be a break for Meyer.  Expectations will not be as high immediately given the sanctions.  He still will have to beat Michigan and beat them right away.  Losing the game this year was not only expected but not nearly the disappointment given all the talk of Meyer taking the Ohio State job.  Now that he has taken the job, beating Michigan will be an immediate expectation.  He will be given a year, perhaps two, before the expectation is winning the Big Ten Championship and the National Championship.  No matter what, beating Michigan outweights everything else he might want to accomplish. 

Fortunately for Meyer, the cupboard is not bare.  He has a quarterback that he can live with in Braxton Miller.  In fact, most Buckeyes are excited about Miller's future with Meyer in place.  Running a spread offense will fit nicely with Miller's skills and there is no question that Meyer will recruit the right quarterback coach to develop Miller's passing ability.  Recruiting will be priority one for Urban Meyer as he will do his best to erect a fence around the State of Ohio keeping every top prospect in state and in Scarlet and Gray. 

Most Buckeye faithful are hopeful too that his recruiting reach from his days as Coach of the Florida Gators will influence many of Florida's top prospects to brave the colder temperatures and choose Ohio State over Florida, Florida State and many of the other top-notch southern schools.  Meyer clearly understands what it means to be the Head Coach at The Ohio State University.  On paper, it's the perfect fit.  According to Meyer, it's his dream job.  Most Buckeye fans suffered all season with a bad case of indigestion thanks to the loss of Jim Tressel.  Those same fans feel today that Urban Meyer is just what the doctor ordered.

The Big Game - A Dog For A Change

This Saturday in November has always filled my being with anxiety, joy, turmoil and absolute delight.  All year long I patiently wait for the arrival of this fourth Saturday in November when my Ohio State Buckeyes meet the Wolverines of Michigan for the "The Game".   Like many Buckeye fans, the evening before is a sleepless night as so much always rests on "The Game".  For seven consecutive years now, the Ohio State Buckeyes have had the upper hand.  We have won this game 9 out of last 10 times it has been played.  Today, the game is at "The Big House" in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  It is really tough to win at The Big House.

One walks through the tradition and storied past of this incredible rivalry and they will find some of the greatest college football games ever played.  They would see upset again and again where the rival Wolverines took away the Buckeyes national championship dreams.  Same goes for Michigan with Ohio State ruining more than just a few seasons for the vaulted Wolverines.  Today's game has the Wolverines significantly favored to win for the first time in years.  Ohio State has only had troubles this past year and Michigan has rebounded from three years of awful.  At the same time, the season goes out the window, favorites are cast aside, this is the "Big Game" and none of those things mean anything on this Saturday. 

Today's game is everything for these two programs.  No matter what the record, beating Michigan if you are Ohio State is the season.  It wasn't all that many years ago when Ohio State fired their head coach, John Cooper, for not being able to beat Michigan.  Cooper was able to beat everybody else and is still one of the most successful coaches in all of college football.   Wasn't good enough at Ohio State.  Rich Rodriguez was Michigan's coach for the last three years and he could not beat Ohio State even once.  He received his walking papers too.  It's just the way this game is.  You must win it and you must win it at least half of the time if not more to be considered among the greats. 

This has always been a tough day for me filling the clock until kick-off.  This year I have managed better than most as I have had other issues to contend with.  However, with only thirty minutes to kick-off, the butterflies are in full force as I prepare to take my seat and root on my Buckeyes.   It actually feels good today to be the underdog.  Maybe we will surprise everyone once again with a mighty upset and improve our recent record one more time.  If not, looks like we will have a new coach next week and I have a sneaky feeling that we won't be losing many more games to the Wolverines for years to come. 

Just received another text message from a fellow Buckeye.  He just said the same thing.  Urban Meyer is on his way to Buckeye Nation.  We just hope Luke Fickel's last game as the Ohio State Football coach is a great one.  Good Luck Luke. 

BEAT MICHIGAN-GREAT WIN; LOSE-WIN URBAN MEYER

"The Big Game", as it is known to everyone in Michigan and Ohio, pits the improving and favored Wolverines against the sanctioned and struggling Buckeyes this Saturday. The Buckeyes visit the Big House with seven straight wins and nine out of last ten. For the Buckeyes, beating Michigan is like a season unto itself. This Saturday's game unlike most "Big Games" does not feature either program as the prominent football team vying for a Rosel Bowl berth or one of the other BCS games. This year's game may come down to Ohio State wanting to hire a new football coach.

It's a foregone conclusion that Urban Meyer is going to be the next Ohio State football coach. The question is, when will they ink the deal? If Ohio State loses to Michigan, all bets are on a deal being signed by Sunday with an announcement as early as Monday. However, if Ohio State defeats Michigan, they most certainly will accept a bowl invitation and play on into December. If that happens, this will push back Urban Meyer's hiring.

So the real question becomes, beat Michigan this Saturday and end up in a lesser bowl game or lose Saturday and hire Urban Meyer on Sunday. The advantage of hiring Meyer so quickly is all about recruiting and not missing out on even one prospect. Arguably, the 2012 season will be all about installing his own system and 2013 will be his run for the national championship.

So there it is Buckeye nation, take the win over Michigan on Saturday and a lesser known bowl game in December or lose to Michigan, hire Meyer on Sunday and play for a national championship in 2013. Although no Buckeye fan would ever admit to wanting to lose a game to Michigan, I suspect there are many who are thinking that way. Give up a loss to Michigan in order to play for a national championship in 2013. An option worth consideration.

More To Come At Penn State

It seems impossible to believe that the Penn State story of alleged sexual abuse by Jerry Sandusky could get worse but I'm afraid we're only at the beginning of this terrible tragedy.  So far, Penn State's President has been fired, Joe Paterno has been fired as well as several others.  There will be more names that we won't be as familiar with getting gone in the days, weeks and perhaps months ahead.  There are so many unanswered questions and only a thorough, transparent investigation will reveal them

How many more victims will come forward?  How many more folks on staff at Happy Valley will be found to be part of the group that stood idly by while young boys were being violated.  Questions around the football team and Joe Paterno are many and answers will be found out.  Why did Jerry Sandusky, one of the most successful defensive coordinators in the nation,  resign from the program in 1998?  Was there a coverup with his resignation?  Was there an agreement?  Did the university settle any kind of issue with a family of an abused child? 

Was there any complicity on the part of the administration?  Questions abound and as each one gets an aswerd, there will be ten more. That's how these stories unfold.  We are only at the beginning of the process and State College is now filled with reporters, investigative reporters who know how to ask questions, solicit answers and dig for the truth. 

One must also ask why Jerry Sandusky was allowed to continue to use Penn State facilities and be involved with a youth program that utilized Penn State facilities when there were questions about his pedophia-type behavior all the way back to 1998?  None of it makes any sense. 

I suspect that the soon to be had answers to all of these questions and many more will become apparent in the days ahead.  The trustees obviously hope to kill the story or at least get it off the front page with the firings of the key administrative staff and coaching legend.  This story will not go away and will be reported on day in and day out going forward.  It's being reported the FBI is now involved on some level and they bring a whole new level of investigating to this terrible crime. 

This tragedy will overshadow all the other storylines of 2011 college football.  As it should.  Not reporting this type of criminal behavior when you are in a position of authority and respect is indeed a serious matter and needs to be brought forth in a significant fashion. It isn't hard to believe that more criminal charges will be filed against Jerry Sandusky and just maybe some other Penn State faculty. 

Penn State University needs to wrap it's arms around this in a big fashion and be forthwright, transparent and communicative.  Ultimately, how they respond to the issue now is largely going to determine how quickly the university can regain some of its credibility with the people of the nation.  They do not want to fail this part of the process.  It will determine how much long term damage the university will suffer.  Not so much even with athletics but also with academics.

The university needs to make sure that their internal investigation is as independent as possible.  A statewide well-respected leader would be a great starting point.  Maybe even a few former Penn State football players to help restore the football program through the creation of some type of charitable foundation that supports and helps sexually abused children.  All of this of course will be caught-up in the university trying to protect its flank as well.  Civil suits will certainly be coming their way.  Penn State needs to get in front of this story and work it hard. 

For now, we only have questions that we expect answers to.  How could this go on for all these years and no one took it seriously enough to stop it.     

Rumors Have It

The Ohio State Buckeyes once again lost a close one at home to the Penn State Nittany Lions today.  It was a good game to watch as both teams actually had some offense to go with their stubborn defenses.  However, the talk in Buckeye nation is not so much about this year's team as it is about Urban Meyer becomming the next Ohio State football coach.  Rumors starting flying earlier in the week when word leaked out that there had been some discussions. 

Both Meyer and Gene Smith, Athletic Director of Ohio State, deny that there have been any talks or job offered.  On both counts, both Meyer and Smith did not emphatically deny anything.  Generally, when you hear this type of narrative between two parties, expecially coaches and universities, experience tells us that a deal is coming.  There is still one more game to play on this year's schedule plus the potential for a lesser bowl for the Buckeyes.  Of course that game is "The Game" next Saturday against the Wolverines of Michigan. 

Everyone in Columbus knew the opportunity was there for Meyer to take the Buckeye job when he relocated to the greater Columbus area over a year ago.  Although an Ohio native, by all accounts, it seems strange that he move would into an area of Ohio without potential interest in taking the job. 

Some Buckeye fans may be relunctant to see Meyer hired for the prestigious position as he was the Florida coach who defeated the Troy Smith-led Buckeyes in their second championship game in the early 2000's.  Others are chomping at the bit thinking that an Urban Meyer-led Buckeye team would light it up for a change with a whole brand new way of playing football in Columbus. 

Urban Meyer would make them forget about Woody Hayes and his three yards and a cloud of dust.  Urban Meyer would make them forget about Jim Tressel and his defensive, field position style of play.   Meyer would actually have the team go offensive in a big way which most Buckeye fans would love to see. 

The timing is right.  Only a week left and "The Game".  They could have him signed, sealed and delivered in plenty of time to be able to hit the ground running with recruitment.  Eager Ohio State fans can only think of what he might be able to land out of the State of Florida where speed is king. 

Others are concerned that Urban Meyer will refuse the position because the Buckeyes are going to be sanctioned in some fashion or another by the NCAA for the infractions of this year.  The self-imposed penalties may be added to including non-appearance in a bowl game for 2012.  That actually might work to Meyer's advantage being able to build, shape and mold a team in his own fashion not having to worry about being competitive right away for a national title shot. 

My guess is that Ohio State will bid farewell to Luke Fickel and welcome in Urban Meyer as early as a week from Sunday, the day after the Buckeyes beat Michigan.  It's a shame for Fickel as he has done a credible job in a very difficult situation.  However, the Buckeyes expect to win the Big Ten every year; compete for the national title every year.  They know with Urban Meyer, they have a far better shot at doing both.   

No Joy At State College

 No one will forget the 2011 College Football season now.  One can fondly remember how College Football not all that long ago was about the games, the kids playing them, the rivalries and the great coaches.  This year has revealed that College Football is subject to the same deep, dark and ugly realities of life in the 21st Century.  The weekend revelations of Jerry Sandusky and his alleged sexual abuse of young boys is as troubling as it gets.  The game's most revered coach, Joe Paterno, finds himself in the incredibly unsustainable position of having to explain away why he didn't take one, two or three additional steps to protect these young boys.  Clearly, he reported as required under the law.  However, this is Joe Paterno, a man beyond reproach and undeniably holder of the highest ground that any man can stand on.

Later this morning, Joe Paterno will take center stage at Penn State University and have to explain to a world watching why he felt it was enough to report the potential abuse to his employer.  Why, when no actions were taken on Jerry Sandusky, he did not follow-up with other reporting to additional university leaders or the legal authorities.  The 84-year old iconic coach won't be answering questions about spreads, linebacker play or how he feels about coaching from the sky box.  These will be questions unlike any he has ever been asked in his 47-year coaching career. 

What does Joe Paterno say to those young men who were victims of these crimes.  To their families.  These stories of our leaders falling and failing have happened throughout all of time.  It should never come as a surprise as each and every person is but a moment away from making a right or wrong decision.  This year has seen two great leaders of our young men in College Football make bad decisions.  Joe Paterno of Penn State and Jim Tressel of Ohio State, two leaders at great universities with storied football programs.  It is true, they are held to much higher standards than the likes of you and me. 

We expect only the best from our leaders.  We expect them to win and win with honor always.  When they fail us, for some of us, it feels like we have failed.  We placed our belief and loyalty in these individuals of honor.  We use words like character, integrity and class to describe them.  Others chime in with ugly words of joy that these respected men have fallen from their pedestals and places of high-standing.  There is no joy for me in this.  There is no joy in State College, Pennsylvania in this.  There is no joy for Joe Paterno in this. 

Hopefully, we learn from this.  We learn to be balanced in our respect and love of our leaders.  We recognize the human condition for what it is.  Fragile and unforgiving.  This will be the end of Joe Paterno's career at Penn State University.  There are no words that he can communicate to recover the moment.  There are no trick plays, no Hail Mary's  and no review flags to throw.  His career at Penn State is now over. 

He will be remembered as one of true champions of College Football.  His fans, the alumni of Penn State and many of us throughout the nation will remember him as a truly great leader of young men.  Unfortunately, like the great Woody Hayes of Ohio State who made one wrong decision, there will always be an asterisk to his accomplishments.  The fanfare, the celebration and all the accolades for an incredible career will forever be tarnished by this one failure on his part.   Watching Joe Paterno for 45 years now, being the man of character that he is, he would not wish for the anonymity of his players and their nameless jerseys when he steps on stage this morning.          

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD - NCAA NEEDS A NEW PLAN

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD

  ...NCAA needs a new plan

As I watching the triple overtime Stanford-USC Game last night, Stanford 56 - USC 48, I was thinking how disappointing it must be for Matt Barkley and his teammates of the University of Southern California to know that this was their only bowl opportunity of the year.  The game was great, bowl-like atmosphere, and unlike most bowl games, it didn't disappoint.  However, for Matt Barkley and his comrades, how heartbreaking it must be to know that they will be sitting at home when significantly less-talented teams will be playing on New Year's Day and all the days leading up to it. 

Not USC.  No bowl game for Barkley and his teammates.  The NCAA made sure of that by sanctioning the university for the errors of several players from 2004 and on.  Everyone agrees that the penalties passed down by the NCAA have historically penalized the wrong people.  Isn't it time for the NCAA to finally try to get it right.  I know as an Ohio State fan, a big one, I am very concerned about what they may choose to do to us.  Two months have passed now and there is no clear idea of when the penalties will be coming down.  Will they choose to accept Ohio State's self-imposed penalties or will they add to them.  Should Braxton Miller, Ohio State's freshman quarterback, have to suffer the same heartbreak that plagues the likes of Matt Barkley. 

The time has come for the NCAA to create penalties that will not hinder the playing opportunities of young people who haven't broken any rules.  Let's hurt the schools who break the rules by hitting them where it counts.  In the pocketbook.  How about fining Ohio State University $3.2 million for the violations that they allowed to occur by not paying attention.  How about fining Southern Cal a similar amount and letting Matt Barkley and his teammates get a chance to compete in January. 

Hit the university presidents and their schools where it really matters.  Clearly, the present system only penalizes the new players who haven't done anything wrong.  Start fining the universities and watch how quickly they all become rule followers.  Take it one step further and do the same with the coaches but for them, make it not only a financial fine but game suspensions.  Ohio State employed this strategy with Jim Tressel in fining him and suspending him.  When more information became available, they just ended up cutting him loose. 

The NCAA almost has it right with the coaches when they place the "tag" on the coach and it follows them no matter where they might end up. The "tag" being that they are cheaters.  Universities will not employ coaches who have the "tag" on them.  I have a feeling that the compliance teams at the big schools would really start taking their jobs seriously if they knew that the university could be fined a million bucks should one their players accept a free meal, a round of golf or receive a tattoo for a sweaty, grass-stained, uniform jersey. 

The idea of paying college athletes is a whole separate issue and column.  This is about being able to compete and not be penalized for something you didn't do.  What makes this so egregious is that they are penalized through no fault of their own.  It's time for the NCAA to get serious about the real rule breakers and fine them, not the Matt Barkley's of college athletics.