Hines could capitalize (M. Fong / Plain Dealer)Though the university has yet to confirm Tyler Moeller's status, Rittenberg reported last night that the projected starter at weakside LB is likely out for the season following a procedure to reduce swelling on the brain this past weekend. Other unconfirmed reports address the rumor that Moeller was indeed sucker punched forcing hospitalization in Florida before a complication led to Moeller's admission to OSU Medical Center in recent days. Tressel is scheduled to meet with the media later this afternoon and hopefully he'll provide some clarity on Moeller's situation. Bottom line, this is sad news for a great kid. Senseless.
A portion of our readership took the news with a grain of salt but after what Moeller showed us when given the opportunity last season (see Illinois, for example) combined with a strong spring showing, I think it's safe to say his absence will be felt.
Having said that, the good news is the hybrid linebacker/nickel Star position he was expected to fill features what appears to be strong depth. In fact, other than DE, I can't think of another position where OSU could more easily absorb such a meaningful personnel hit.
Depending on the opponent and what type of scheme Heacock chooses to employ week to week, LB Brian Rolle and safety Jermale Hines seem to be the obvious benefactors of Moeller's misfortune. Against more traditional offenses, Rolle would most likely see increased snaps with Homan and Spitler forming a conventional 4-3 look whereas Hines would be the first choice in the nickel package.
One particular facet I liked about Moeller's game that will be missed is his versatility. Though he wasn't a goal line stopper in run support, he was still an effective tackler in space, he got the job done off the blitz and was fairly effective in pass coverage. Hines projects as the most similar player to what Moeller brings to the table and I agree with Lesmerises, Hines could be ready to blow up. With experience and trust earned last season, expect Heacock to lean on him heavily.
As for Rolle, he's eager to prove himself and will get plenty of chances to do so but likely only when Heacock expects the run. Etienne Sabino will also get some looks as many think he's got the skills to not only stop the run but also cover a TE or RB out of the backfield. Long shots include guys like Storm Klein and Dorian Bell but I can't see either of those two having an impact unless something of Nancy Kerrigan proportions unfolds outside the WHAC.
Assuming Moeller is gone for the year, who will see the most minutes in his place? If you were Heacock, how would you approach the situation?
Small Talk
The latest twist in History-Gate was provided from Ray's daddy Ken yesterday when he informed us his son plans on joining his teammates in the coming days. The delay is solely the result of a Ray completing a paper that will favorably impact his grade in the history class but the new grade has yet to post.Gordon's blog had a great quote from papa Small. I almost teared up:
He's standing there, shaking, anxious, walking back and forth," Ken Small said of his son's mindset. "He just left to go to the counselor's office to try and push the coin a little faster."Don't you just feel terrible for all this professor is putting Ray through? Me neither. Even if Small eventually rejoins his teammates, I wonder if he'll ever get out of Tressel's doghouse?
Though unlikely, if Small is punished for an extended period or gets in to more trouble later in the season (highly likely), who fills his shoes at receiver and punt return? Certainly, his loss is easier to absorb at WR with Posey and Sanzenbacher slotted as starters while Washington and Flash hope to take advantage of increased reps and opportunity. Personally, my wild card longshot is Duron Carter. Sure, he's a true frosh with lots of bodies in front of him on the depthchart but he's got the pedigree and he's impressed his teammates early and often. Biddle and Long are also on board.
By far, the biggest concern in a sans Small world is punt return. Small fielded 24 punts last season with Posey being the only other returning player to snag a punt last season. His total? One return for four yards. I'm sure you all have your favorites to replace Small but none of them are proven and none stood out in the spring game. Small, on the other hand, averaged 15.2 yards per return proving a lethal weapon in Tressel's game of field position. Seriously, is it within Tressel's right's to lock Small up in the broom closet of the WHAC in between games to keep him out of trouble?
Comments
Now, the wisdom of this can be argued, but I believe both Tressel and Heacock will now go experience > raw talent. Hines getting almost 75% of Moellers playtime. I'd be pretty okay with that really, and if our offense is getting the job done, i expect we'll see a lot of the young guys in the late 3rd quarter through the end of the game.
Hines is straight Beast Mode, so Im cool with him getting more PT. I actually thought he deserved more last year, Im just not sure who he would have played over. I think I like all of these options and the D shouldnt miss a beat really
and I dont mean to say that losing Moeller is no big deal, it is. We just have a ton of athletes.
Hines is a killer on the field. Love the kid. Was expecting to see him alot anyways, but now that is a guarantee.
OU starting QB still has nightmares about #7, hell so does half of the B11 QB's.......
Incredibly sad news, but the only thing to do is be positive. Good news is, he should be Okay in the end and we'll probably see him on the field next year. We have a ton of talent at LB and there are other guys who can have the same effect when given the opportunity.
Im sure Hines will absorb the minutes that Moeller would have seen, and I for one am not upset to hear that. Come on September!
I'm already reading some vile crap on the interwebs, morons from SEC and TSUN, etc., joking about Moeller getting hit, joking about how Florida knocked the Buckeyes on their ass again. I hope the Buckeyes can rally around Moeller and his injury and play with a nasty chip on their shoulder this season.
Would love to see Ray back 100% this early in the fall camp. His play making ability is needed on the offense this year.
Man i hate seeing one of my cincinnati boys go down like that.
Nice to see the average IQ of an SEC fan is that of a house plant. But then again, I pray for Tebow to break a leg.
Wishing Moeller the best.
word. the colerain kids seem to have a tough time at the college lever.
I'm extremely pissed at the whole situation. Because this didn't have to happen. ESPN had to repeatedly bash Ohio State and how bad our team is, that it started this whole national media orgy against Ohio State. and Tyler Moeller was attacked because of it. Its way past F-ing ridiculous, It was basically a hate crime. Now I know people in the SEC country hate Ohio State and the Big Ten, But this wouldn't have even happened if it was a player from Northwestern, or Purdue, Minnesota etc. The media doesn't understand the power they have, and this just proves that they went way to far for to damn long, and it makes me sick. If this was to happen to Tim Tebow in Columbus ESPN would say it was a tragedy. I fell horrible for Moeller and his family they had to be the but of a joke from some uneducated inbred, Who just wanted to be an asshole because its ok and accepted. I know we all Buckeye Football and im sure the South Loves there (Jerk Me off SEC football) But these kids aren't professional athletes. There college students. an an attack like that could seriously effect the kids academics and could have serious health problems down the road. Its uncalled for.
Has it been confirmed he got clocked because of his connection to the team? If it was, does that mean we can start a Jihad against mullets and jorts?
Note to Ray and his daddy:
1. Go to class
2. Do your homework
3. Go to the free tutoring made available to you
4. Study
5. See 3 and 4
6. Make an effort to hang around with solid citizens
7. Shut up
The idea that this happened solely because he was an Ohio State football player is preposterous, and blaming the media for perpetuating this incident is downright wreckless. Hell, just a few years back a UF student sucker punched a UF baseball player outside a bar leaving him temporarily paralyzed. These incidents happen. There ARE morons out there. However, I will have to admit that the fact that Moeller was a big time football player probably made him more of a trophy "buck" to take out for this poor sorry sack of a human being.
Yes, it is true that the media likes to bash you. It gets ratings because most of the country dislikes OSU. Instead of blaming the media why don't you ask yourself why does so many people dislike OSU? Maybe, it's because a lot of your fans are disrepectful and downright buligerent drunk for a noon game, and the whole no holds bar attitude doesn't help. I lived in Ohio for many years and have witnessed all sorts of outlandish behavior during OSU games. I've been to a UM vs. OSU game in the shoe and watched several fans flip off and cuss at younger kids because they wore the UM colors. I'd start looking at yourselves before you start pointing fingers at others.
The whole SEC is better than Big Ten thing shouldn't be taken so seriously. In 2006 the Big Ten had the two outright #1 and #2 in the country. It's only been 3 years. This here isn't permanent and I don't know why everyone gets so caught up in it. From the words of many great men SEC! SEC! SEC!
Oh and I hope this kids alright. I'd rather beat the Buckeyes full stength.
This whole holier than thou argument is ludicrous. I've been to plenty of stadiums and plenty of games to witness this very behavior at each university. That problem isn't exclusive to The Ohio State University, it's fans, or it's student's.
I've heard horror stories from Camp Randall. I've been accosted at Michigan. i've been heckled in East Lansing. Heck, I've been given shit at a University of Toledo home game against Iowa State for wearing an OSU cap.
The country resents Ohio State much for the same reasons that there is resentment towards USC, Florida, and others. Success. Sans 2004 Ohio State has been the class of the Big Ten the past 7 seasons having played in the BCS title game three times and 3 more BCS games in those 7 seasons.
So drop this whole asinine look at yourselves before you look towards others meme. It's tired, old, and frankly untrue. The 'Shoe is filled with 105,000 fans for 7 games a year and only about 5% of those attending are fans of the other school. The stories get out of hound from the media and fans telling grandiose stories of how they survived their day in the 'Shoe. Fact of the matter is this ... I've had as many fans of other schools tell me they were treated fairly as I have heard that they were treated unfairly.
So please, get a little trim on the party in the back there and sharpen your scissors to complete your next jorts masterpiece on your Jordache.
Amen
The insiders on Bucknuts are reporting that it was OSU related, that it was football related; a drunk moron in a bar found out Moeller was a College LB at a major program, then wanted to test his manhood against Moeller, telling him you're too small to be an LB, I can take you, etc. Moeller avoided him, and then the dood went off and sucker punched him. At this point it doesn't seem to be OSU related at all, just wrong place, wrong time. You couldn't pay me a bajillion dollars to live in the South.
Ergh, that it WASNT OSU related.
Most of the country doesn't hate OSU. That statement is further proof that SEC fan doesn't realize life exists outside of the SEC. Using that logic, then most of the country hates Florida and Texas and USC, etc.,etc. Every school has its "asshole" fans, college kids get drunk and act like fools, fact of life. True, some ESPN analysts seem to "bash" OSU, but this is usually more of a reaction to OSU being overrated, and it's true, OSU has been a tad overrated the last few years. ESPN's love affair with the SEC isn't out of love for the SEC at all, its a love affair with ratings and money. Ten years ago CFB wasn't as big as it is now, but with the increase in popularity came the increase of ESPN's interest in the sport, leading to its new partnership with the SEC. The avg SEC stadium seats more fans than the avg. B10 stadium, hence a larger fan base, hence more dinero.
I got drilled at a Tampa Bay Rays spring training game in Port Charlotte Florida, for wearing an OSU hat. BY A FRIGGIN EMPLOYEE OF THE TEAM!!!!!
OSU doesn't need Ray Ray.
"If this was to happen to Tim Tebow in Columbus ESPN would say it was a tragedy"
yeah, but if it happened to TP they'd be calling it a tragedy too, you can't compare moeller to tebow
Hmmm.... Most true OSU fans could care less about what ESPN says.
We make them money each year, because we are revelant.
Because we are a powerhouse program, that holds tradition and current
sucess. Honestly, people want to be known like us, i could care less
about what people say, i think more OSU/Big Ten fans should do the same.
LoL.....
The funniest thing about all this is that half of florida's population
is people from up north....!!!!
I lived in Florida for 2 years in St.Petersburg...
In clearwater the guy who owns the Buffloa Wild Wings, is a huge
Ohio State Fan, he never plays the florida games. Makes people mad.
Also, there is a resturant called JUGS (similar to Hooters)
There is buckeye stuff everywhere....
FLORIDA FOOTBALL WAS NOT SOMETHING PEOPLE TALKED
ABOUT BEFORE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP....
Ohio state football is talked about 24/7 365 days a year.
Just like we are talking about it now!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I posted and went to lunch and thought about it and knew this would be the statements I read when I got back. True, it does happen everywhere, but OSU has a black eye from a lot of outrageous behavior and it'll take time before anyone can view them differently. I guess for the normal fan across the country who hasn't lived in Ohio for much time probably dislikes the Buckeyes the same reason I used to dislike the Yankees (Now I find myself rooting against the Red Sox). Who wants to watch the same teams play for a title year after year?
No, if it happened to TP they'd imply he started it, they'd cite back to that game during highschool basketball when the fans taunted him, they'd paint him as a thug, trot out the Troy Smith punch against the douche SJJ-Toledo player in basketball, dredge up the obligatory #13 reference. I don't think ESPN hates OSU; they could give a crap. But they know that knocking OSU right now pays the bills, generates clicks, generates revenue. If Tebow got hit, they'd run stories about his missionary ways and his inspirational character. And not for nothing, but I happen to think Tebow's an exceptional guy; just don't say they'd treat TP the same way.
IS THAT GREG PAULUS STORY-AUTHOR ON DRUGS?!??! He does understand that Paulus is playing FOOTBALL, not basketball, correct? And he writes for a Big 10 blog? We should be afraid of Syracuse. In football. Now I've heard everything.
You forgot the old "Sorgi Special" (sp?) that Reynolds pulled up in Wisconsin back in '03.
Dirty plays happen for every team. It's a fact of life. Hell, look at recruiting in the south (hah).
As far as the criminal aspect, the Gators should be keeping their mouth's shut whenever it comes up, or do we need to drag out the fulmer cup board?
Sorry, I'm with you but I know that SJJ "douche" personally and first off he isn't a duche. Secondly, that was a cheap shot by Troy Smith. If it wasn't he wouldn't have gotten kicked out of his high-school.
Its sucks because he was going to have a good year. Hines would have been on the field with him vs passing teams. Still we have alot of depth. I wish Tyler well. My friend had the same thing happen to him which caused him alot of health problems.
On a side note Pryor is looking sharp in practice according to bucknuts.
You are forgetting that in 2006, the "outright #1 and #2" teams from the Big 10 got crushed in both of their bowl games.
tOSU has been the exception to the weak Big 10, although they still haven't performed at the level of the tops of the Big 12, Pac-10, or SEC.
I doubt this has anything to do with ESPN.
I knew Floyd as well, from Toledo myself, many friends at SJJ, and yes, he is a douche. It was about more than just a punch, it was about a poor black kid from Cleveland playing on a rich white kids team, who hit another racist kid from another rich white kids team, and that's a big no-no.
No, that's not what it was about at all. It was about a human punching a human during a high-school basketball game. Race and all this stuff doesn't matter. Calling Floyd a racist is beyond me since I've known him since he was young, and growing up his best friend was black. His black friend lived with the Floyd's for years. So, get your facts straight before calling someone racist. Sounds like you went to SJJ and maybe missed the cut on the basketball team. Maybe, feeling a little resentment towards SJJ's star b-ball player (at the time).
"tOSU has been the exception to the weak Big 10, although they still haven’t performed at the level of the tops of the Big 12, Pac-10, or SEC."
While I tend to agree with the former, the latter is just your crazy anti-OSU bias seeping through. OSU has as many or more BCS bowl wins (4) than every single team in the B12, SEC and Pac10...except USC (6). Other than USC, OSU has more BCS wins than every team in the Pac10 combined. If you combine the only relevant B12 teams, OU and UT, there record in BCS games is 5-5 as opposed to OSU's 4-3. Again, I agree that the rest of the B10 is not helping the situation (at all) but OSU losing 3 BCS games in a row isn't as bad as, you know, losing 5 in a row. Clearly, OSU has in fact, performed as well if not better over the course of the BCS than nearly every team in the country. Look at the records and outside of SC and their BCS game bonanza and LSU/UF and their multiple BCS trophies, what school's record would you rather have? I guess it is semantics if you claim you would have rather not lost BCSMNCG's but that, for lack of a better term, "is what it is". Had OSU not gone to the MNCG in 07 and 08, the Buckeye's would have lost their first BCS game in January of this year, making their record 4-1 in BCS games, the same as Florida. Again, while I cannot disagree with the B10 being a one team show (although not as bad as the Pac10) OSU as a team has performed on par (or better) with "the tops" of other conferences, just not so much in 07 or 08. I am chalking up 09 as a reasonable loss considering the circumstances (strong UT team, 10 pt dogs, froshqb etc.) So, 4-3 in BCS games, would you take it? I am.
Also, if someone orders a Tom Collins, see Chris Rock's rule on tongue rings.
Brian Rolle was reppin in the middle on first team.
I love Brian Rolle. That guy is a hitting machine.
Okay, so I actually live here in the Sunshine State. I have been here since 1998 and have the general (dis)pleasure of living in the area affectionately known as 'The Redneck Riveria' AKA 'LA'--Lower Alabama once also known as The Spring Break Captial of the World. You guessed it, Panama City Beach. Let me tell you what I have found about Florida football fans in general.
When I first moved here, you could not escape all the maroon and gold (uh, so maybe they also have some fancy-scmanzy maize-ish name for maroon, who knows). All anyone talked about was the Seminoles. Even the folks in central Florida were all about the chop--no one even spoke about the chomp. After the Disaster in the Desert, there were more Gators than roaches, and believe me, there are a lot of roaches down here. My point--fair weather doesnt just describe the, you know, weather.
Secondly. let us not talk about fan-bases. Just for the sake of argument, lets ignore my first point (and the implication that not only are most people here band wagon jumpers, they are so new to the team they are ignorant about players, records, coaches--you name it) but they are beyond classless. Forget how fans get treated at games--you know where there is a reasonable expectation that if you are the opposing team's fans, you may just get heckled and someone other than your family may hurdle an occasional obsenity your way. Instead, lets focus on the normal everyday go-about-your-business routine of life.
As a Buckeye enthusiast I endure the following:
**daily ridicule normally to the tune of the ever eloquent 'suckeyes,' the equally articulate t0-9SU, normally followed by the esteemed encore of 'SEC, SEC, SEC.'
**the repeated theft and destruction of my Ohio State magnets and other various automobile decor with the added bonus of those things being replaced with Gator garb(age).
**and then there is my personal favorite.....
41-14 etched in my new car's paint.
I mean, I understand there is not much to do when shirts only come with two sleeves--after you cut them off, how else will you fill your day? I mean honestly you WON, I know its the south, but ding-dang ya'll, how do you treat the teams who beat you? (Guess I'll dial up Ole Reb and ask him). But I digress.
You hate us because we are loyal and you have no concept.
You hate us because its fashionable.
You hate us because we are successful over decades--not leap years.
You hate us because no matter what you say, chant, text, blog, etch in the dirt of your bubba-truck or inscribe on the side of your stadium, it will take you eons to even scratch the surface of the tradition and honor it is be a Buckeye.
Yeah. Its the fans. Right on.
My anti-OSU bias? I am a lifelong Buckeye fan.
The last 4 years have been embarrassing. Getting blown out by Florida, LSU, and USC in 3 straight years is NOT competing with the best of the best. It's not just the losses, but the absolutely humiliating nature of the games, where it didn't look like they belonged on the same field. I was impressed with the almost-win against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl, and that has been our closest sign of almost making it to that top level. Then again, I think the Big 12 has been overrated a great deal (look what happens every time Oklahoma makes a BCS game).
Yes, we did beat up on KSU and Notre Dame recently in BCS games, but they were far from elite teams. '03 was the last time we beat a team with any relevance on a national level. You could argue that '06 Texas was relevant, but they were definitely not an elite team.
It's quite difficult to achieve the level of success of teams like USC and Florida. It's a lot to ask for. 10 years ago, I couldn't have dreamed of actually being close to the elite of the elite. I don't think we should be happy with just beating up the little 10. It's a nice accomplishment, but we should dream big. It CAN be done, and it's silly to be content with it.
Not as bad as the Pac-10? Yes, USC has dominated the conference, but their 2nd tier teams have all been quite good- much better than the 2nd tier Big 10 teams.
That was very well said. I know its a bit outlandish, but there is also a sense of the South vs. the North in the SEC v. Big 10 thing. It sounds ludicruous to us from the North, but spend some time off the beaten path in the Deep South. The Civil War is alive and well then, those ghosts need not be awakened.
US Grant was from Ohio. Phil Sheridan moved from New York to Ohio. And Billy Sherman himself, who burnt the South to the ground, was from Lancaster, just an hour outside of Columbus. As a percentage of state population, more Ohio men served in uniform for the Union during the US Civil War than any other state. And my favorite: President Lincoln had a habit on the eve of a battle of asking how many Ohio men would participate. When someone inquired why, Lincoln remarked, "Because I know that if there are many Ohio soldiers to be engaged, it is probable we will win the battle, for they can be relied upon in such an emergency."
So yes, the 0-9 deficit stings, even if it largely stems from substandard Buckeye team facing better SEC teams because of Big 10's influence in bowl-tie ins. But rest assured that the roots of the conflict run far deeper than just football.
The perception problem is an interesting one, just because it seems to be better to fall off the map than to stay nearly at the top for so long.
LSU had a horrible season last year, but from what you hear you'd think ours was worse.
Florida had four losses and lost to Michigan in a non-bcs bowl, but you'd think that season was as successful as their other two.
Everyone said that Georgia's blowout of Hawaii in a BCS bowl showed that maybe they should have been in the championship game, instead of showing that Hawaii was completely overrated by their weak schedule. Similarly, Georgia doesn't get the crap we do for being a bad team in a bad conference because they beat Michigan State in a bowl game this year - a team that we destroyed as well...
I hate these high profile losses. I hate how badly we've played in some big games. But the perspective of things drives me nuts. How is losing two national championships give you a worse reputation than winning one and getting trashed in a no-name bowl the next year? I get that people are sick of us, but jeez.
Kudos. Well said.