Fourth Annual OSU vs
_ichigan Tri-blog
This year our
OSU Memphis Bloggers (Luckybuck, TBDBITL John, and Sports and the City) all
answer the same seven questions below.
Enjoy the pregame discussion and predictions for “The Game.” GO BUCKS!
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Luckybuck |
TBDBITL
John |
Sports
and the City OSU 17 _ichigan 14 |
1. What are your thoughts on interim Coach Luke Fickell
and who would you like to see coach the Buckeyes in 2012?
Luckybuck: I
believe Fick was put into a "no win"
situation from the beginning. Although the early part of the schedule
has been shaky, the wins over
TBDBITL John: Luke has done a very good job overall with the crummy hand he was dealt. He has made no major gaffes on the field except for taking time outs into the locker room with him. He also has done great with holding the 2012 recruiting class together for the most part.
Luke should get the job full time for a couple of reasons. He will be as capable as anyone of holding it all together when the final NCAA sanctions come down. More importantly, he is a Buckeye through and through. We don't need someone else's castoff as coach (read Gene Smith and Notre Dame here). I would require that he hire a new Offensive Coordinator as a condition of employment however.
I'm coming around to the idea that it's not all about wins and losses. Honor and dignity have a place in the conversation as well and that points to Luke Fickell. He is a class act.
SATC: The Buckeyes went through some turmoil last spring, and Coach Fick was thrown right into the middle of it all when he was named the interim coach. As sad as I was to see the end of the Tressel Era, I liked the choice of Luke Fickell. He had played for the Bucks and brought in his former teammate & buddy Mike Vrabel as the linebacker coach. All these factors seemed like pluses, in my opinion.
As the season has progressed, however, I've had my doubts about Fick. He has had a few questionable time clock management decisions, where the Buckeyes had potential chances to put some points on the board but didn't attempt to do so. And I know we ended up winning, but 4 passes against the Illini? Seems just a little unbalanced to me. He seems to be a little more comfortable & confident lately on the sideline, but I'm not completely won over. If I were on the hiring committee, I would probably be looking elsewhere.
But where, that's the question. The Urban Meyer name keeps
getting tossed around, which I am completely against. If he couldn't handle the
pressure at
2. How will Braxton Miller react to playing for the
first time in the "Big House?"
Luckybuck: Braxton
is night and day from the
TBDBITL John: Braxton has shown that he is not awed by the bright lights of college football so I'm not worried about him. The Tinker Toy offense he has to work with however is a major concern. Braxton Miller will be fine in the Big Outhouse - I wish I could say the same for the other 10 who will be on the field with him.
SATC: I know I've mentioned Miller's "deer in the headlights" look in my blog before. Going up to the Big House, as a freshman, is surely an overwhelming feeling. I would imagine we will be seeing his "deer in the headlights" look a few times during the Game. It's only natural when a kid that young is put under such intense pressure.
Having said that, I think Miller has a great chance to show off during his debut in the Big House. All season, everyone keeps going on and on about Denard Robinson and how great he is (cough Desmond Howard cough cough). With the spotlight on the opposing quarterback, I think Miller has a great opportunity to come out strong, throw some solid passes as well as show what he can do with his feet. I hope he takes this opportunity to lift the Buckeyes over TSUN!
3. In 2005, James Laurinaitis
launched his career in the _ichigan game when Bobby Carpenter fractured his
right leg. Who do you predict might have a breakout game this year?
Luckybuck: Bradley Roby. Roby has been outstanding as a R-Freshman playing CB. He has a nose for the ball and holds his own out there on the gridiron. Replacing Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence wasn't easy but Roby's play has Buckeye Nation confident that he'll be another elite CB.
TBDBITL John: Ryan Shazier. His blocked punt against Bucky is just the beginning. He has all the tools and is gradually becoming more of a force on the Silver Bullet defense. He will be one of our really big stars during the coming years.
SATC: I'll
be looking for #34 Carlos Hyde to have a good game. He's been playing off and
on, and was given the chance to show what he's made of while Herron served his
suspension. Hyde performed decently in the first few Buckeye games. I think the
Wolverines will be looking out for Posey, in his return to the gridiron, giving
the running game an opportunity to succeed. Obviously, Herron will be the go-to
guy, but I'd look out for Hyde. Hyde is taller & bigger than Herron, and
surely Herron will take a breather here and there.
4. What
kind of performance do you expect from Denard
Robinson and how many interceptions will he throw?
Luckybuck: Denard will make some plays via air and ground but it won't be enough to derail the "Silver Bullets".
TBDBITL John: My money is on 2 picks. One will be a "Pick 6." Robinson will be pressing as _ichigan tries to break their losing streak against the Buckeyes.
SATC: When googling, you need only hit d-e-n-a before Robinson comes up as the #1 suggestion for what you are typing. Obviously, he's a high profile player. Just ask Desmond Howard (my #1 nemesis). In 2011, Robinson has thrown 13 TDs. Miller has thrown 6. Robinson has also, however thrown 12 interceptions. That's almost the same about as TDs! Ouch. I would imagine that Denard is under the gun to have a stellar game. I hope that this pressure causes him to force the ball down the field, resulting in some Buckeye turnovers.
I don't get the whole hype around Robinson. I feel as though he has completely failed to live up to expectations. He's decent, I guess, and has set several records at TSUN. But their overall record says a lot more about Robinson's abilities. The wolverines went 5-7 in 2009, slightly better at 7-6 in 2010, and are 7-2 so far this year. Regardless of what personal stats and records a QB accomplishes, the main goal is to win the football game. And Robinson has yet to prove he can do so against all odds.
5. Boom (Dan) Herron boosted the Buckeyes in a much
needed win against
Luckybuck: If he plays, Posey is the deep threat that is much needed to keep the _ichigan defense honest. Devin Smith, Philly Brown, Evan Spencer and Chris Fields are good but not as talented as Posey. If Posey has that attitude about the team first, then the offense should thrive.
TBDBITL John: His
biggest influence will be during practice the week leading up to The
Game. Like him or not, Posey knows how to prepare and how to beat
TSUN. His experience will rub off on Devin Smith and Evan Spencer - and
one of them catches a significant pass later on during the game.
SATC: Anyone
that looks at the Buckeye's receiving stats thus far cannot help but notice the
gaping hole. Just for fun, I compared the Buckeyes passing numbers to those of
another OSU, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and is my
husband's alma mater. Cowboy QB Brandon Weeden is one
of the nation's finest, and the
I realize that it might not be fair to compare freshman QB Miller with senior Weeden, who has one of the country's best receivers in Justin Blackmon to throw to every week. But, it certainly illustrates my point perfectly. The Buckeyes have been almost non-existent in regards to passing. Surely the return of DeVier Posey will light a spark for the Buckeye offense. Miller will now have an experienced receiver on the field, eager & ready to make plays. I expect Posey to have an outstanding game, as he has a lot to prove after serving his suspension. He only has a few games to make his mark, and I think he will cap off his season with a stellar performance against an improving Wolverine defense.
6. Additional sanctions against OSU from the NCAA might
be announced prior to the _ichigan game? How might this impact "The
Game?"
Luckybuck: The sanctions could be devastating for the psyche of the players that have worked so hard to make the 2011 season successful. They could say the heck with it and defeat the Wolverines anyway or they can fold up the tent and could care less about _ichigan. The sanctions would have a trickle down effect in terms of new coaching staff as well as recruiting.
TBDBITL John: As of this writing it looks like the NCAA ruling won't happen until December at the earliest. That said, a bowl ban (should that be the ultimate decision) would be deadly for the maize and blue. If this turns out to be our bowl game I expect the Buckeyes to come out smoking.
SATC: As I
write this blog, the NCAA has already handed
7. What player's performance against _ichigan is the
most memorable for you?
Luckybuck: Any TD run that Beanie Wells had vs _ichigan in 2006-2008. Each year, Wells had a TD run of 50+ yards. He was an absolute beast.
TBDBITL John: There
are so many modern day options to choose from here. And they're all
Scarlet and Gray heroes. So I'm going to turn the clock back to my
sophomore year of 1975 before our other two bloggers were born. Ray
Griffin punched our ticket to
SATC: Troy Smith's 2006 4 TD performance is the the one that first pops into my head, but after thinking about a little more, the game in 2002 overall stands out more in my memory. So, I'll go with good old #13 Maurice Clarett. Just kidding! Too soon? Not ready to joke about it? Okay, okay. Sorry.
I'll go with Craig Krenzel, final
answer. He led the Buckeyes with his powerful arm and smart choices throughout
the entire 2002 season, which, as I'm sure you remember, had its fair share of
close calls. Krenzel wasn't the type to get rattled,
however, and he stood confidently on the field, ready to take the Buckeyes to
GO BUCKS!! BEAT BLUE!!