Boren Transferring to Ohio State
In what Jack Park says is an unprecedented decision, former Michigan o-liner Justin Boren is transferring to play for Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes.
I’m sure the Michigan faithful will downplay the move but it has to sting a bit to see a legacy transfer to the Evil Empire. Justin sounds excited to have a chance to win:
“It’s exciting to be coming back home to central Ohio,” Boren, who just finished the spring semester at Michigan, said in a statement through Tressel. “I am looking forward to the chance to help the Buckeyes continue their excellence in any way I can.”
Even with the Brew Crew in the house, there’s always room for proven linemen.
What’s your take now that the decision is final?
picking up the guard helps, but in order to win me over, he has to publicly renounce all things Michigan. As Malcolm Jenkins noted
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/04/09/osufb_notes09.ART_ART_04-09-08_C2_MH9SIVS.html?sid=101)
he’s at Ohio State now. not Michigan. He’ll be adding to our legacy and, hopefully, undermining theirs.
whoopsies, a little help with formatting in that last one to make the link clickable? danke.
Awesome. Even if he never contributes (he will) it’s a great little pimp slap to our children up North. It will give OSU depth on the O-line for ‘09-’10 and will probably allow the staff to use a scholarship on somebody besides an O-lineman. Also, I’m assuming that all but guarantees that his brother will end up at OSU as well.
Okay, I’ll bite. Since I’m already unpopular with my 9-3 prediction, allow me to be even less popular than Obama in Bucks County, PA and say that I think taking on Boren is bad luck.
Hey, the British got a proven, talented, charismatic general from the Americans…. and promptly squandered their successes in the North, and lost the Revolutionary War in the South. Benedict Arnold, anyone?
I wouldn’t have taken him on. I’ll support him at the games, but I don’t like this move at all. Not one bit.
Joe,
I support your comment to a degree. I’ve also been a little skeptical of this move – I don’t feel like we need their sloppy seconds to win but at the same time it is kinda fun to shank them with constant victories then twist it a little by having a core player transfer. Plus, like G.O.T. noted above, this pretty much guarantees his bro will be a Buckeye…I hear you, tho…I’m definitely conflicted.
Joe – Do you like anything??
Boren will need to be deloused and undergo a battery of reversal therapy which a year sitting out will allow for a complete recovery from his “bad decision.” If we lose to scUM while he is here we will need to sacrifice him under the rotunda to reverse any curse he may bring.
It’s certainly reasonable to have some objections to the move. When word first broke that this could happen, I really wasn’t interested in having him given I expect all Buckeyes to be 100 percent completely sold on the Buckeye metanarrative. Given that Boren did not burn down any hospitals or middle schools when he left Ann Arbor, I wasn’t sure he could really buy into the program’s lore. So much of Ohio State is built on Michigan in a true dialectical Self-Other conflict. That is, to be a Buckeye is basically synonymous with hating Michigan with every aching muscle in your tired body. Naturally, being a former player for Michigan (and legacy) can’t help on that regard.
More tangibly, though, I was curious over what truths there were to the “Boren just didn’t want to run that hard” rumors as he left. Could be some sour grapes, or could coincide with what we know about the tail end of the Carr regime: they were soft.
That said, if Boren hangs out with the more nationalist elements of the Buckeyes (like the incoming class, for example), I don’t see where the move could be a total disaster for the Bucks (unless this is some evil Wolvereenie plot to destroy us from the inside… I won’t put it beyond them). Remember, he won’t ever be in the conversation for a scholarship, so the Buckeyes get one more scholarship to play with if we can assume Boren will serve us nicely in the interior for the future.
as long as he kisses jt’s ring and vows undying loyalty to all that is scarlet and gray i think it is a good move. he has a great pedigree and has proven himself good enough to be a starter. no schollie used and bolsters our position with the little bro.
I haven’t heard anyone mentioning that we might possibly have taken Justin
because we want a crack at getting his brother (non-scUM-tainted, by the way). Might not this angle have had some play??
NorthernBuckeye
Northern- My understanding is that Justin is significantly better than his brother, so I am not sure we are using that angle, but my knowledge on the subject is limited
Brotherbuck wrote:
“Joe – Do you like anything??”
I like puppies, late walks in the moonlight, a decent orchestra and the wishbone offense.
All aside, I don’t think I’ve been “down” on Ohio State at all. I love them dearly, but don’t think this season will be the cakewalk some imagine, or see it as a “one-game season” (USC). I hope The Vest runs the table and wins the big one at the end, but I simply don’t see that happening, for a variety of reasons.
“Boren will need to be deloused and undergo a battery of reversal therapy which a year sitting out will allow for a complete recovery from his ‘bad decision.’ If we lose to scUM while he is here we will need to sacrifice him under the rotunda to reverse any curse he may bring.”
I thought Vico’s take was very incisive, but I would like to add that your comment, quoted above, demonstrates exactly why I don’t like bringing Boren into the program. He’ll never be a Buckeye, will he? He needs “delousing,” he made a “bad decision” before coming to OSU, and we’ll throw him under the bus if he brings us bad luck. Show me a recruit that picked Ohio State from the outset about whom you’d say the same things. Oh, you may want to skin Boeckman alive for throwing the errant pass, or wonder why our safeties get beat deep so often, but they’ll always be “our” players, and “our” Buckeyes, because they always belonged to us, grew up here, learned the ropes here, starred here, and (in a perfect world) graduated here. We politely applaud Art Schlichter and shake his hand when he walks through the stadium, because – regardless of his sins – he’s a Buckeye, and belongs to us. Boren was a Wolverine, and came over to us. There’s a difference.
There’s a loyalty thing to college athletics – romanticized and overplayed, I’m sure – but it’s still very much there. Old Ohio State players are forever Buckeyes; folks who venture north are forever “m*ch*g*n men.” This transfer is unprecedented, and I just don’t know what you gain by bringing in someone who couldn’t – after starting on the line, mind you, not riding the pine – be true to his initial decision. This guy didn’t pull a Mallett, and transfer to a different conference – he transferred to his program’s mortal enemy, and most hated rival. Who can do that? Why did he do that? What does it say about OSU as a program?
Benedict Arnold served the British faithfully, and was roundly reviled by them because of it. The British never accepted him into polite society, and he was always viewed as suspect. I wish Boren well, but he’ll never quite fit in at Ohio State, and I wonder if our fortunes don’t suffer a bit because of it.
But I’m a superstitious fellow, so….
I should have placed an empty line between paragraphs. Sorry. It reads like a tenth-grade term paper.
Then again, I shouldn’t have *needed* paragraphs. :)
I think you guys are nuts. As highly touted as guys like Adams, Brewster and Shugarts may be, there’s still no guarantee that they will ever turn into starters. Here you’re getting a guy who is proven to be a Big 10 starter.
As for Vico’s concern that he might soft or lazy. These are more valid concerns, but if they turn out to be true the worst that happens is that Boren never sees the field and this incident turns into a footnote in history. One bad attitude won’t sink the entire team. Need I remind you that in 2002 the Buckeyes won the Natinal Championship with one of the worst attitudes in recorded history on the roster.
I think Boren is a good fit here, especially since we missed out on Josh Jenkins for this fall. He was honorable mention all conference last year, so the kid can play some (hopefully). If he went to any other school, we probably aren’t having this discussion, I also like the “free scholarship” idea.
“Will he ever be a true Buckeye?” Sure he will. He left UM because he didn’t like RR and the new coaches, so Ann Arbor has left a bitter taste in his mouth and I am sure he is ready to prove all the haters up there wrong. Also, you can quickly become a “true Buckeye” when you win a couple of conference titles and play in at least one NC game, that should erase all previous memories.
Yeah, I’m gonna jump in with the “I don’t like it” group because I think he is lazy and couldn’t take being worked to hard…..that’s a much better fit with one of Cooper’s old teams.
Also, remember that he may be more highly rated than his brother…..but his brother is being recruited as a FB….a position we are REALLY thin at right now.
Boren is primarily a Center….we have a 2nd year junior starting there right now and a stud freshman recruit coming in this year.
I swear I am in the f-ing twilight zone. These posts are stuck somewhere between naiveté, immaturity, paranoia, and outright delusion. This isn’t war, treason, or national security. I am really hoping this is all completely tongue in cheek, and I have missed the joke.
Boren is a proven athlete. As Corey said, he will replace Josh Jenkins’ position as part of a stellar O line. Yeah, I am sure his teammates will forever tease him, but after a couple days of working together and of hitting, he will be one of them.
The only ones who won’t will be the lunatic homer fans amongst us, who need to get a grip on multiple levels.
Boren grew up in central Ohio and was probably always a Buckeye in heart but he had to go to scUM because his old man went there out of spite. I actually knew Mike Boren when he was younger (showing my age here) because he lived just around the block and down the street. He was a helluva player who got away because of miscommunications that he viewed as a snub. Getting his son here will help heal old wounds, even if it did come a little later than it should have. I’m all for it. He’s a Buckeye now.
Dan- Amen.
If Boren still loved Um, HE WOULD STILL BE PLAYING THERE! The disdain he has for Um, to the point that he would leave and endure the national scrunity tells you everything you need to know about the kid.
Dan, feel free to rip on the people who don’t want him simply because he is coming from UM, that is petty……however, it’s not in good taste to rip on those who don’t want him because of questions about his character based on the questionable way he left UM AND the questionable manner in which he made it a public manner. Those are educated opinions from fans that are cautious because of recent players; they just don’t happen to be the same opinions that you share.
The better question is this: Why do we WANT Zach Boren?
Here is a possible LB depth chart for 2009:
LB: Ross Homan, Jermale Hines, Dorian Bell (Fr.)
LB: Austin Spitler, Andrew Sweat, Storm Klein (Fr.)
LB: Etienne Sabino, Tyler Moeller, Brian Rolle, Jordan Whiting (Fr.)
That’s 10 super-hyped LBs with AA type athleticism and potential. Why do we want to spend a scholarship on a 6′1 255 pound LB with suspect athleticism? (think Anthony Schlegel, but less mobile)
According to the message board over at Scout, we have 20-22 scholarships to give out in this class and we have given 11 out already.. THREE to linebackers.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of who we still want:
RB: Carlos Hyde, Jamaal Berry
WR: Shaquelle Evans, Duron Carter
OL: Marcus Hall, Chris Shrive, Chris Watt
DL: Melvin Fellows, Craig Drummond
DB: Brandon McGee, Corey Brown, EJ Banks
That’s 12 recruits right there and most of them are need positions going forward. Assuming we bat a little better than .500 and pick up 7 of the guys above, we won’t use our remaining scholarships to give out charity to a talented but non-elite LB from Pickerington. Keep in mind that we have not offered the young Boren yet.
I guess my point is that we’re loaded at LB and have needs elsewhere. We need every last scholarship in this class to go toward helping at need positions and there are always a few wild cards you don’t see coming. We’re already given out one ‘legacy scholarship’ in my opinion in this class (Adam Homan) and I HOPE we won’t give out another.
I think they are looking at Zach to be a FB.
Wil, I see your point, and agree that it is valid in that we have a right to question why Boren left UM. But there weren’t any posts that directly referenced Boren’s character in terms of how/why he left. The above posts all focused on “bad luck”, “Benedict Arnold,” and other ridiculous crap.
Sure, we all want to see if Boren is a lazy slug who doesn’t have a work ethic–and we are hoping that is NOT why he left UM. But I have a feeling he won’t last very long under Tressel if this is the case. And to my point: if he is NOT lazy, a couple days of hard work and hitting, and he will be part of the team.
So, G.O.T., we’re giving out scholarships to THREE fullbacks in TWO years?
I just can’t see this happening.
But on that note, I love the photo that Bucknuts uses, of Boren “blocking” Heyward by way of his jersey…
http://www.bucknuts.com/news/story.php?article=3460
I’ve got to go with Dan/Corey on this one. I’m surprised the homers, myself included, are questioning why he left…wow. First, we all love Lloyd and so did he. Second, we all hate RR and so did he. Third, we love winning and so does he. I can probably go on for days and days as to why he left AA. Welcome home, Justin. You can still go 3-1 in the greatest rivalry in all of sports.
The dude isn’t Babe Ruth. There is absolutely no risk is accepting a proven offensive lineman without a scholarship.
Check that…2-2 in the rivalry…I thought he was a freshman last season.
Dan, my post directly above your post stated that. (But considering it was posted in such a close time frame as yours, you may not have seen it.)
Brian E, actually yes I do see us giving out 3 scholarships at FB in a 2 year period considering we had 0 scholarship FB’s in this years’ spring game.
@ Brian-
Can you see us having 3 kickers on scholarship? It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I like the results.
Thank you for taking in an abused skunkbear. I will call PETA and let them know of your kindness to animals.
Corey, I hope you aren’t still secretly hoping Eric Wallace will be a star…..1460 the fan just announced that he will be transferring.
yeah, I just heard about that too. Dammit. But it does clear up some of what I thought would be the mother of all logjams at the 2-3 positions for the hoops team.
I dont think Wallace was projected to see the court next year with the existing/incoming wings so it’s probably best for his future…(sorry, Corey)…
I assume Wallace will finish out the term and not hurt the APR…that’s all I care about…
He’s a crazy athlete, but I’ve never seen anyone damage backboards and rims with jumpers and then throw down a “dunk” without touching the rim?
Eric Wallace was the Gun Show version of OSU basketball.
I love it. I heard someone say that it doesn’t really count as a rivalry now, but that’s nuts. This thing just escalated to WWF level.
When Hogan turns evil and Tress smashes a chair over Rodriguez’s head, you can say you were there.
ooooh! If Justin Boren levels RichRod with a chair, he has to turn him onto his belly, rip his shirt off, and spray paint “OSU” on the back. That would sell me on Boren’s Buckeye credentials.
OSU 4 Life.
(Okay, I’ve outed myself as having watched way too much of the stuff as a youth. Carry on.)
Pro wrestling is the new black.
I’d be lying if I said I’ve never dreamt of seeing Hacksaw Jim Duggan on the field at linebacker for the Buckeyes.
the fun part was that Duggan was actually recruited by the Buckeyes coming out of Glen Falls, NY before ending up with Southern Methodist.
If we’re talking about illegal foreign objects, sign me up for The Mountie or The Model. Not only did The Mountie always get his man, and not only was The Model actually a model as his ginormous pin on his blazer noted, but the ’shock stick’ and Arrogance spray were, are, and forever will be the best illegal foreign objects ever (”foreign object” is probably the most underutilized term in the English language. I’m doing my best to bring it back in my daily discourse).
College football and pro wrestling make for excellent stories. If only there was a way to combine the two. Perhaps in 2009 (Boren’s first season with the Buckeyes), we could play The Game in a steel cage?
I heard Adorable Adrian Adonis is a Michigan fan. Go figure.
I have to admit, I’m becoming a fan of Justin Boren. He has singularly caused more harm and grief to that school up north than all the rants of all the Buckeye fans, ever, combined. For that, I am grateful. Each cry of “Traitor!”, “Pussy!”, and “Fat ASS!”, from the fans of scUM brings joy to my heart.
Thank you Justin Boren, Jim Tressel, and the entire OSU Athletics Department, for the off-season bitch-slapping of the entire m*ch*g*n conspiracy.
It’s good to be a Buckeye!
“Justin, I know there is good in you I can sense it.”
My god, why on Earth would we possibly take accept a walk-on who was a starter on the same Oline as the #1 pick in this years NFL draft? What an obvious mistake!
Give me a break, guys. This costs us nothing. NOTHING. Not even a scholarship. And he might end up a starter. How can this be anything OTHER than awesomeness?
Worst case, he is a lazy slob, and can’t handle the workouts. So what? Our net loss would be the same as if any other walk-on doesn’t succeed in the program. There isn’t even an opportunity cost here.