Just one more?Tressel had his first Fiesta Bowl press conference yesterday and though most of his responses were run-of-the-mill, there were a few nuggets tucked in there.
First, Nathan Williams will likely be making the trip to Arizona, despite his recent trouble with the law. Whether he plays or not is still up in the air:
"From a team standpoint, there is some in a physical nature and there's some in a playing-time nature that the coaches and the seniors all agreed upon. So he'll have some work to do and miss some time and he'll have some constraints on the bowl trip, and so how he handles all of that will determine what exactly happens on the 5th."
As I'm sure most of you know by now, six juniors filed paperwork for the NFL. The six, Hartline, Ballard, Coleman, Russell, Cordle and Washington are nowhere near the 13 that filed paperwork in each of the past two seasons. In 2006, Ginn Jr., Pittman and Gonzalez left early, while Gholston was the only one of the 13 to do so last year.
Of course, Beanie is another junior looking to leave early, though he didn't file the paperwork because there's a pretty clear idea that he's a first round selection. Of the six that did file paperwork, Washington and Hartline are probably the most likely to exit, though Ken Gordon thinks Hartline will be back.
Though I wouldn't be heartbroken to see Hartline leave early, I don't think that move would be wise for him. He needs a bounce-back year to get his numbers up and he could probably stand to gain some maturity if some of the chatter that's out there is to be believed. Regarding Beanie -- just assume he's gone and you'll save your hopes getting crushed in a month. He's ready and it's the right move.
Ballard has the tools even if he wasn't used as much as he would have probably liked, but he would be better served with another year of seasoning. As would Coleman. Cordle and Russell will likely get their rating back, tuck it into their back pocket and work on moving the number up for next season.
On the subject of Beanie's health, Tressel expects to have a fully-operational #28 for the Texas game:
"I would call him right now probably 85% healthy and we anticipate he'll be 100% as we go into the game."
A 100% Beanie isn't something we've seen since 2006 and would be, you know, kind of huge to have against the Longhorns.
Congratulations are in order for Laurinaitis as he becomes the first three-time all-American linebacker for the Buckeyes. Though he didn't earn consensus honors this season, he is believed to be only the 2nd ever three-timer on the AP team. His awards tour may have gone sour outside of the Lott, but that's certainly exclusive company -- whether you might think he's a tad overrated or not.
The University has put out desktop wallpaper for the Fiesta Bowl, if you're into that sort of thing.
Comments
My take on Tressel's comment is that Williams will play, but not start. I guess the big man knows that Williams is most guilty of being stupid and that is not worth suspending him for the game. I am OK with that.
I have to agree. Make him sit a quarter. Cut his curfew back a couple hours or so. Make sure there is a senior with him when he goes out. Simple things like that to keep an eye on him. Hopefully, he is smart enough to tell the judge who this dumb ass of a friend is and maybe he will let him off with probation and some extra community service.
i actually don't like this decision, the whole "covering for a friend" story seemed like utter BS, and even if he was nate was on thin ice to begin with. he shouldn't be going.
Eh....im on the fence with this one to be honest. First time offender should get a slap on the wrist. Its not like he shot someone (or himself PLAX!) On the other hand, your a scholarship athlete that should know better. Sit him for a quarter and get him back in there.
Was Mike Doss a 3-timer?
Do the purveyors of Eleven Warriors know something about the development of flying cars that I don't? Please tell me they will come equipped with a Mr. Fusion or a Flux Capacitor. Also do you have any information on hoverboards? Thanks.
I don't know anything about the situation, other than what's been put in the papers, and come out of Nathan's mouth, but I'm disappointed Tressel didn't drop the hammer on him hard, at the outset.
Nathan's a good kid, but an early sign that he's hanging out with shoplifters - and is stupid enough to cover for them - is really, really troubling.
Oh, and that poll's a hoot. We already have flying cars, so I voted one of the other two options. (I'm in no way disposed toward a playoff, so I voted JoePa.)
Don't you wonder if - down deep - the p*nn st*t* administration was secretly hoping for a 7-5 year out of the Lions? They could have quietly ushered him off the stage, and hired a coach. Methinks they're a victim of their own success.
Definitely not defending Williams, this was the wrong thing to do, period!
But, put yourself in the same position--honestly!! Your best friend may go to jail and he pressures you to take the rap--quick decision for a 19-year old.
Assuming the story is true (and lets assume it is).... he made the wrong choice and I am quite sure he wont make a similar one. 19 year-olds do not have the same experience base or judgement that adults do and they will make the wrong decision as part of their learning curve. Again, assuming his story is true he did not hurt anyone or harm the the public in general. He will pay his price in court and I am sure Tress will have extra community service, drills, work, etc.... I think (again asssuming truth) the penalty will be served.
Now, it his story is not true then you drop the hammer down!
I would bet on that. I get the impression that JoePa doesn't do much coaching anymore. He's kind of just... there.
Anyhow, it's kind of shocking to see that go on for 3 more years. I mean the guy will be eighty-freaking-five by then.
Their unofficial coach in waiting whose name escapes me at the moment... if I were that guy, I'd be pissed and shopping my services elsewhere.
Well, he does apparently coach their kicker the on-side technique!
Sorry to go off tangent a little here, but how about RichRod losing his "can't miss" DC already? Obviously some differences there, but does this lead anyone else to believe RR may be married to the 3-3-5 stack? I love the turmoil and chaos.
I want to see the Program die a slow and painful death, not a quick one. If it's too quick, they will can DickRod and bring in a good coach to rebuild.... DickRod needs to be there as long as possible to preside over a demise so terrible that it will take 5 or 6 years to rebuild.... that is all I want for X-mas.
Doss was -- consensus his senior season.
In 50 years when Midwestern football is looked upon like we view the Ivy League today, two names will be to blame: Chuck Weis and Rich Rodriguez.
Yea, id much rather see Dick there instead of a Brian Kelly or Les Miles. There is a huge difference in Big East and ACC defense compared to B10 defense.
I really think scUM made the hire based alot on OSU/ILL in '07.
My thoughts are that not one person on this board has made every correct decision they've been faced with in life, otherwise you wouldn't have time to post all day. Nathan is a kid that made a dumb mistake, nothing more.
Good riddance to Hartline. We need some of those young receivers to get some more playing time.
I agree, but I take exception to being able to post all day due to incorrect decisions.... I have this blog up on my PC all day at work... I am a productive member of society. I can multi-task and that is how I can blog a few times an hour.......
Yep. John L. Smith didn't help much, either.
jason..if you have a time machine..i would like to borrow it..i would like to fast forward to when the browns actually win a super bowl..i would be forever indebted to you..thank you
m*ch*g*n Boy here at work is walking around with his head down, having watched DickRod lose his defensive coordinator and Kevin Newsome in the same day.
Fabulous.
About the receivers....
There has not been a better receiving corps since Holmes, Ginn, and Gonzo. Next year I want to see a better aerial attack and dangerous receivers out of Small, Posey, and Thomas, even Sanzen-what-is-his-name would be nice to see become good. I hope the receivers can be used more in motion and for running the ball as well as handing it off to Boom or Zoom. Good receivers running good routes and even a sneaky receiver or 2 just like Gonzo was would help us become a different dimension of a team most like 05 and some 06 years.
I agree whole-heartedly. With exception of handing the ball to "zoom". I was a defensive player only, and quite frankly, I truly believe I could run the ball better than Brandon "I look for defenders to run into" Saine. He is the biggest bust since Lydell Ross
Nothing makes me happier than a Miiiiiiiiiiiichigan fan down on their program. I almost feel bad making under the breath comments and growling at the faithful that still rep their team via clothing. LOL......almost
You'd be hard-pressed to find a dial that turns that far into the future.
yes, but there are other ways to get him the ball besides handing off to him... gotta get creative... it took awhile to find ways to get Ginn the ball too. Not seeing he is anywhere near Ginn, but gotta get creative. Creativity is where the Buckeyes are lacking.
I gotta agree, but the one problem I do have with this statement is the credit given to small and the lack given to Sanzenbacher. Dane has shown nothing but being a completely competent and ballsy slot reciever. Small has been inconsistent, with a history of off the field incidents. IMHO Devier, Dane, and Taurian at this point are probably most likely to make an impact. However, if we do get Marlon Brown throw him in there.
It turns out that though JL was not a unanimous AA (he was not selected to the FWAA team), he was in fact a consensus AA as he was selected to 4 of the 5 recognized teams. According to everything I could find, to be a consensus AA you need to be selected to at least half of the recognized teams.
how can Jenkins (Thorpe Winner) not be on the AP All American Team
Dave, thanks for the info. I was always under the impression that consensus in this context was unanimous. But then again, me fail at English.
and Do Not forget Chris Carter's kid.
There'll never be a year in which the Steelers aren't in your division, and dominating you.
Never, ever, ever. :)
Pity about Saine. He's amazing in practice.
Regrettably, that's also something I used to say about Butler By'not'e. AMAZING practice player. Gametime? Meh.
I hope they all stay, especially Beanie.
I have never seen a head coach push a kid to the NFL as much as I have seen Tress lobby for Beanie to make the move. I’m not saying I disagree with Tress at all and I know that Tress feels strongly that if a kid is a first rounder than he should make the move, but does anyone else recall anything like this before? It seems like Tress has commented about it several times since the season ended and has almost said Beanie would be an idiot if he returned.
Do you think that Tress needs Beanie to leave? I know that seems odd to say, however, if Tress told Berry and Hyde that they would see a significant amount of carries next year with Beanie leaving and those two being in the system not just next year (as would be the case with Beanie), but at least the next 3 years – PLUS, the additional scholarship may be needed the way this class continues to grow – is it possible that Tressel needs Beanie to leave?
no way man.
Tressel just wants what's best for "his kids" and frankly, leaving is probably best for Beanie right now. he really doesn't have much of anything to gain, and he's got a whole lot to lose
It is weird. Maybe Tressel knows something we don't. We all know that Beanie's an injury risk, even the NFL people. Whether he stays or goes, that's simply not going to change. Something catastrophic would have to happen for him to get a career-ending injury in college. Just look at Adrian Peterson and Willis McGahee...those guys turned out fine. But maybe it's something like Beanie isn't close to graduating. I don't know if that's true, but it would fit Tressel urging someone to take the money and run if they aren't going to get their degree if they stay.
For those who haven't seen it go check out ESPN's All-American listings. The only Buckeye to crack the list was Malcolm Jenkins. It's absolutely ridiculous that JL and Beanie aren't on that list.
My guess: Beanie's made it clear that he's planning to leave, so Tressel is taking the opportunity to a) make it clear to recruits that he's a guy who looks out for them, even to his detriment, and b) actually look out for Beanie by trying to sell him to the pro teams a bit. I mean, what's he supposed to say, "I think he needs another year before he's ready"? He's completely right: running backs' careers don't last long, and if he's ready, he's ready.
Dean... Tressel never says anything. Even in his pressers he side steps every question thrown his way. So why deliver a quote about Beanie "needing" to go to the NFL over and over again?
A normal quote from Tressel I believe would be for him to simply say ONCE. We understand that Beanie has hard decision to make over the next several weeks and we will support him on whatever he decides to do.
Last year JL and Jenkins could have been top 10 picks, but I don't recall Tress ever being as public with them as he has been with Beanie. I am not saying that Tress is doing anything wrong or that I don't agree that Beanie should leave in the best interest of himself, I just find it interesting that Tress is being as open as he is. That and the fact that Tressel is bringing in the number 1 class of '09 - a class that is HUGE, includes the number 1 running back from Florida (Berry) and that Boyd hit our radar VERY late in the process makes me wonder if there isn't something deeper than Tressel thinking it's the best for Beanies future (Which I'm sure that Tress is telling the truth when he says that...I just feel there is more to it).
I wasn't aware that was the case either, Dave. Great post.
I agree that Laurinaitis probably should have made the list. But I wouldn't put Beanie on there at all. No way. Heck, Shonn Greene has a better case for All-American than Beanie Wells does.
My question to buckeye fans on this site is where do you rank Jenkins on the CB studs from OSU? I think he is the third behind Winfield and Clements. He maybe second ahead of Clements. The thinng i love about Mr. Jenkins is that he plays the run and seems not to ever have a terrible game and does not get hurt.
Winfield and Jenkins are top two, far and away, in my book. Clements was solid, but he wasn't a Jenkins or Winfield if you ask me.
I personally would put Jenkins at the top. I have a mancrush on him. He plays with such passion and intensity, there will definitely be a huge void when he leaves.
Jenkins is tied at the top with Toinne for me. Hard to pick between them, but if I had to I'd go with Jenkins actually. Too good to pass up.
I'd take Springs and Chris Gamble. I can't get the site of Plaxico catching ball after ball over Winfield's head out of my mind.
Winfield is probably a better pure corner than Gamble, but for all-around play and effectiveness/usefulness, I'll take Gamble any day. Springs just flat-out shut people down. I'd rank Malcolm a close third, behind Springs.
I agree with a previous poster that Malcolm might have turned some heads on offense, if utilized more.
Gamble was good Joe, but on Springs i can't get Tai Street toasting him when he fell. I do like Gamble too, espically since he was learning on the fly and played more snaps then any mentioned CB but Winfield layed the wood and Clements minus the mental lapses was a big play corner and Mr Jenkins is flat out solid in every phase. That is my defense but a arguement can be made about aleast 7 CB over the last decade who was the best.
Here's how I'd rank the CBs of the last 15 years:
1. Winfield (my favorite Buckeye ever)
2. Springs
3. Jenkins
4. Clements
5. Gamble
Really good question, JB. I can't think of a moment in Jenkins' career where he was made to look silly in a game-defining moment. He's insanely solid. My future brother-in-law and I made a bet before the Purdue game - I bet that Terrelle Pryor would score OSU's first TD from 20 yards out, and he bet on Jenkins to pick-6 a pass from Painter. Well, Jenkins blocked a punt that went for a TD, so I called it a draw. He's everywhere.
http://sports.espn.go.com/broa...
"Beanie Wells does not like tough hits and running over guys. He will choose to run out of bounds instead of picking up 2 or 3 yards."
-Todd McShay
WHAT!?
*I guess that hurdling guys and stiff-arming them like they're small children means that you're afraid to give/take a hit.
McShay is an ass-goblin
McShay makes me laugh almost as much as Mark Titus. And that's sayin' somethin'
McShay has highlights in his hair. 'nuff said
[...] Tressel first revealed the names of the juniors that had filed paperwork, I thought that Hartline was the only real risk to leave, but word is [...]