SECOND
ANNUAL _ICHIGAN GAME TRI-BLOG
featuring OSU Memphis Bloggers: Luckybuck, TBDBITL John, and Sports and the
City
TBDBITL to Luckybuck: Which 3 players from either
team throughout history have had the biggest impact on The Game?
Troy Smith is the first name
that comes to mind. He was 3-0 as the starting QB for OSU (2004-2006). In
'04 and "05, his feet did much of the work. The pass he made to
Gonzo in the closing minutes in '05 was a thing of beauty.
Chris Spielman certainly made his presence known in "THE GAME". In a
losing effort in 1986, Spielman was a one man wrecking crew with 29
tackles. These days, getting 10 or 11 tackles is amazing, but 29? Spielman was
also a big contributor in Earle Bruce's final game as coach in 1987. Spielman
went 2-2 against _ichigan.
The last person on my list is Charles Woodson. His performance in 1997
was simply legendary. Not only does he pick off a Stanley Jackson pass in
the end zone, had a 37 yard pass reception that set up their only offensive
TD and just before halftime with the Buckeyes punting, he takes a
punt back 82 yards for a score that ultimately would seal the Heisman Trophy
for him a couple of weeks later.
TBDBITL to Luckybuck: Who was (or is) the most overrated player in
_ichigan history?
Chad Henne;
not only did he go 0-4 against OSU, but was part of the most humiliating loss
of his career at _ichigan to the hands of Appalachian State. Henne, along with Mike Hart and Jake Long, came back for
their Senior year for one reason: Beat OSU.
Sadly, they failed miserably.
TBDBITL to SATC: The 14-9 victory over _ichigan in 2002 sent
the Buckeyes off to
Rushing the
field, by far. I had seats in Block O with my football friend Mandy and
as soon as the clock hit 00:00, the whole student section began pouring onto
the field. Mandy and I took one look at each other and joined into the stream
of Scarlet and Gray. We leapt a few rails, and soon found ourselves at the
20-yard line in the crushing crowd. Somewhere along the way, we got ourselves a
Tostitos Chip Hat and wore them with pride as we sang Carmen Ohio, right there
on the field with Tressel, Craig Krenzel, Mike Doss,
and the whole team.
TBDBITL to SATC: What is
the one thing the Buckeyes should worry about most in preparing for the
2009 edition of The Game?
The success of the offensive line in allowing Pryor enough time to make
solid plays. The Buckeyes need Pryor to be “on” for this game- big time. They
key to Pryor’s success lies in the hands of the offensive line. They’ve had
some difficulties this season, with various injuries and line-up changes. They
need to get in synch with each other and protect Pryor while he’s in the
pocket. Pryor’s got receivers out there that want to make big plays, and he’s
also got the skill and talent to make those plays, but without the protection,
he’s sunk.
Luckybuck to SATC: What player from OSU contributed more in your
eyes when he had to travel to
Four years ago, in 2005, Ohio
State QB Troy Smith sealed his legacy when the team traveled north and came out
victorious. Of course, Smith had played well at home in the Shoe all season
long, but if you can’t travel to TSUN and win, the rest of the season is almost
irrelevant. The 2007 game proved Smith had what it takes to defeat the
Wolverines in their own stadium. Smith not only passed for 300 yards, he scored
both a passing and rushing touchdown. This year, Pryor looks to follow in
Smith’s footsteps, leaving his imprint in the history books of this storied
rivalry. Buckeye Nation will watch with baited breath this Saturday, and hope
the Scarlet and Gray can continue in the decade-long domination of the series.
Luckybuck to SATC: Now that Terrelle Pryor
has a signature win over a highly ranked team, is there more pressure for him
to duplicate the feat vs _ichigan (a team he turned
down late in the recruiting process)?
Regardless of any Ohio State QB’s record or recruitment history, the pressure to beat
_ichigan remains constant. Granted, I have never played football for the Bucks
(or any team, really), but I would imagine that entering the Big House strikes
a chord with any Buckeye player, despite how well or poorly they have played up
to that point. That said, Buckeye Nation will indeed put Pryor in the spotlight
and expect him to step as a leader on this Rose Bowl-bound group of young men.
But the expectations would be the same had the Buckeyes not found success in
Luckybuck to TBDBITL: We know the '75 game was unanimous for both of
us last year when we answered each others question. Is there another victory @
I'm going to offer up the 1981
game as my second favorite. Lori (carrying yet-to-be-born daughter
Cheryl) and I were in the first row of the end zone in the
Luckybuck to TBDBITL: If I gave you the choice of 3 QB's to lead OSU vs
_ichigan, which one would you take and why: Joe Germaine,
With apologies to Craig Krenzel and his run in 2001-2002, I'll take Troy Smith
going away. His last two games against the School Up
North were classics. Troy beat them with his head, arm and feet,
and he really had LLLLoyd Carr's
number! A joy to watch!
SATC to Luckybuck: In your opinion, which Buckeyes have had the most memorable
performances during Jim Tressel's years as head
coach?
There
are two players in general that come to mind. 1) Troy Smith going 3-0 as a
starting QB over _ichigan and 2) Beanie Wells. I don't think that we
will ever see one RB perform like he did in a course of 3 years. He had a
60 yard+ TD run in each game he was involved in and his 222 yard performance in
the 2007 game was simply amazing. He was a beast and a thrill to watch.
SATC to Luckybuck: How well
do you think Pryor & Posey will connect against the Wolverines?
I think
they will perform very well. It's not impossible to predict a 3 TD
performance from Posey. He has really come on this season as the #1 WR and his
progression from the Purdue game has defenses taking more notice of him and
freeing other people to make contributions.
SATC to TBDBITL: What is
your favorite memory of traveling to TSUN during your TBDBITL years?
My
finest moment in the so-called Big House was at the end of the 1975
victory. We played a spirited version of "California Here We
Come" in honor of our Rose Bowl berth and left a stadium filled with
stunned silence. That game had a down side, however, as it was played
right before finals week. Not so good for the old GPA.
SATC to TBDBITL: What do you
think has played the biggest factor in the turnaround of momentum since the end
of the Cooper Era?
Jim
Tressel deserves all the credit for this. Unfortunately, Coop never got
it; we must beat _ichigan almost every time. That is our season. JT
understands and embraces the rivalry and knows what it takes to prepare the
team for whatever the hated Wolverines throw at them.
TBDBITL to Luckybuck and SATC: Often in a rivalry game someone who you
don't expect to be much of a factor steps up and makes the big play(s) of the
day. Who will that player be this year and why?
Luckybuck: Although he has shown some flashes early this
season, I expect Duron Carter will have a breakout
game against _ichigan. This will be the game that people will remember for
years. Carter certainly has the bloodlines since his daddy (Cris)
was a superstar at OSU. Posey and Sanzenbacher will
draw plenty of attention leaving Carter open for plenty of looks from Pryor.
SATC: Before I make my prediction, I would like to declare
a disclaimer: I understand that Tressel has been using the tight end position
as a blocker, not a receiver. Jake Ballard makes a great blocker. He has
received the Offensive Lineman of the Week several times and clearly
understands his role. I expect he will continue to do well with this aspect of
the game. I also see him breaking out against _ichigan and scoring some points.
As a senior, Ballard has got to be chomping at the bit to get a piece of the
action in his last Gold Pants game. The Wolverines will most likely be ready
for the Big Guns (Posey, Saine, Herron), leaving Ballard poised for the end
zone.
Luckybuck to TBDBITL and SATC: What
makes Jim Tressel so successful against _ichigan?
TBDBITL: Jim Tressel owns _ichigan because he
understands and appreciates what the rivalry means. He respects the
Wolverines. After all, he learned it right from WW Hayes. And who
can forget The Vest virtually guaranteeing his first
SATC: Tressel understands the importance of the Rivalry. He knows it means more than the average victory or loss, and treats it with care. He leads the Scarlet and Grey with a quiet confidence, and instills the same confidence into his team. In true Tressel style, I’m sure he will rely on solid, conservative play calling (almost to a fault!) and find success in consistently achieving first downs all the way to the end zone. Paired with an outstanding defensive front, Tressel’s signature style will once again result in a Buckeye victory.
SATC to Luckybuck and
TBDBITL: Which high profile players will
prove their talent during this year's matchup, and which up & coming
players will begin to pave their way into the history books?
Luckybuck: I think it's a no brainer
that Terrelle Pryor will have a great game in
TBDBITL: I'm expecting Terrelle Pryor to have a great
game this week. He'd like nothing better than to hang another loss on the
team that was runner-up for his services. I'm hoping for a break out game
by #9 Duron Carter. He's had glimpses of fine
play this season and I see him ready to hook up with TP for a
game-changing TD sometime next Saturday.
Predictions:
Luckybuck: OSU 34
_ichigan 6
TBDBITL: OSU 35
_ichigan 10 (in what I hope
won't be RRod's final game as Wolverine coach)
SATC: OSU 28
_ichigan 17
Twiggy, the Wonder Pug: OSU 27
_ichigan 3