We're officially one week away Tom Osborne first taking the stage with his soon-to-be peers in Chicago and everything that comes with that. Delany will take to the podium and tell us all once again why Nebraska was such a good fit, he'll discuss divisions, the championship game, and everything else that's great. It will be smiles all around, and thanks to the league's bowl success, every third question won't have a subtle (or not-so subtle) SEC angle to it.
Pat Fitzgerald will impress the crowd (again), Tim Brewster will give the motivational speech of the summer, and we might even get Joe Paterno to discuss Twitter again.
We'll also get to talk to three Buckeyes that are not Terrelle Pryor. And that's where you come in. We'll be in attendance (plotting to ice Danny Hope) and thought it would be cool to poll our audience for questions ahead of the event. Not only are Bryant Browning, Dane Sanzenbacher, and Cameron Heyward amazing players and frontrunners for captainships, but they're also three guys with interesting things to say. So in the spirit of crowdsourcing sports interviews, we'll take the best questions you submit in the comments below and pass them on to the guys in Chicago. Make them count -- we're looking for stuff that isn't your run of the mill beat question like "Describe Terrelle Pryor's growth as a leader."
If you have questions for Tressel, Delany or any other coach, feel free to leave those below and we'll try to get around to the best of those as well. With Tressel, we'll want to find out about the status of Rod Smith, Tyler Moeller, and what, if anything, he knows about Jamel Turner's status. I know a lot of us are looking forward to hearing what Delany has to say about divisional realignment and the conference championship game. I guess I was kind of hoping we'd be surprised with announcements on each front next week, but this interview with Barry Alvarez leads me to believe the powers-that-be will be discussing those issues next week instead of finalizing them (Alvarez also throws out the notion of more than two divisions, FWIW).
Lambeau Field and Soldier Field were the latest two entrants to toss their hats into the ring in hopes of hosting a Big Ten championship game. Both outdoor sites, they join Indianapolis (indoor), Cleveland (outdoor), Detroit (indoor) and Minneapolis (indoor), all looking to for a piece of the coin that would come with hosting what will be a heavily-hyped event. My heart is pulling for Chicago (for both selfish and practical reasons), but my mind is saying Indianapolis right now. I imagine the league will have something in place for at least the first couple of games before we get too deep into this season, so we'll have a little more time to debate the weather and rotation angles.
ESPN 150 linebacker Trey DePriest took visited Columbus on Friday, but capped his weekend off with a three-day trip to Tuscaloosa, to visit pimp-hating Nick Saban. Fickell and company have made a solid push as of late to lure the Springfield product (and good friend of commit Braxton Miller) to Ohio State, with other sites going so far as to proclaim DePriest an Ohio State lock earlier last week, but everything we're hearing indicates he'll be suiting up for Alabama next season and may have even offered a silent verbal over the weekend. If this does come to pass, the staff, despite their top-notch haul this year, has to step back and evaluate what could have caused the state's best linebacker in back-to-back classes to slip through their grasp.
It rankles our southern friends when we rightfully take pride in pointing out the academic differences between the Big Ten and the SEC. They have some excellent institutions down there (Vandy and Florida, just to name two) and take their schoolwork seriously. Just not as seriously or as well as we do. That's just science. And just when we didn't need our point reinforced any further, along comes this gift:
Can anybody tell us why UCF, a thriving, up-and-coming program committed to building a big-time football program, is stuck in Conference USA while Vanderbilt — just because it was fortunate enough to join a major conference during the Great Depression — still gets to reap the financial and ancillary benefits of being in the SEC?
Mike Bianchi, the author of that clearly important question is also the same guy that brilliantly predicted the outcome of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl a week before kickoff:
Mark my words: The Buckeyes players will get hit in the mouth so hard and so often, they'll think Woody Hayes still is coach. These simple, poor, plodding people are getting ready to step into another realm beyond their comprehension. Maestro, cue the Twilight Zone music, please: There is a sixth dimension beyond that which is known to Buckeyes. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the sunlight of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area that might be called the . . . Hurricane Zone. The Buckeyes will find out in the Fiesta Bowl this season what Nebraska found out in the Rose Bowl last season. They will learn that there is college football, and then there is Miami football. They will learn that there is intensity, and then there is angry, ratcheted-up, wild-eyed Miami intensity.
I guess we could cut him some slack. We were 14-point dogs, after all. But that.. that Vanderbilt question. Seriously?
Comments
The last two big LBers thing is really not a big deal. Hicks was from Texas and it was just returning home for him. DePriest has his head coach steering him to Bama. We have lots of talented LBers already on board and any new recruits will be outstanding prospects.
I will say I do get bitter when we lose a recruit to a Saban-coached team.
I would ask those guys if they've ever eaten a horse.
unfortunately i will not be in attendance. i think last year i suggested that someone ask danny hope if he thought he was wearing a joe tiller costume or if joe tiller was wearing a danny hope costume and i don't think that was ever asked. :(
Haha denny hit the books. Definitely a thought provoking question though.
I also agree it's not that big of a deal. Hicks was a long shot from the get go, and DePriest has liked Bama a lot the whole time. This class isn't in major need of LB's and they have a good shot at landing a very talented LB from Pennsylvania anyway. It would hurt much much worse to not get Grant or Miller in my opinion.
Disagree and think we need DePriest. Hopefully, he sees what Bama already has with LB recruits this year and that factors into his decision process... hopefully
OSU will have a solid 2011 recruiting class wheter DePriest signs with the Buckeyes or not.
Is it true that Coach Tressel has taught himself how to sleep standing up like horse?
http://www.thedailytube.com/vi...
Ask whats Jamal Berrys status and whether he is in line to get some playing time this year? Possibly Reggie Bush style? It kinda sucked not seeing him play in the spring game judging from his high school tape he seems like a awesome speedy type back that we havent had in a while
I don't think losing Hicks and DePriest matters at the present, but it will matter in the future. We've whiffed on major in-state LBers for two years in a row. Homan and Rolle are seniors, Sabino and Sweat are juniors. Dorian Bell will be a gamer but Durham likely will outgrow the LBer slot and switch to LEO. We will feel these misses in 2012 and 2013. Under Tressel, we aren't used to having holes in the roster. One need only look at Michigan to see how bad things can get when you miss on recruiting; for all of Rich Rod's screw ups, Lloyd Carr did his part when he left the recruiting cupboard somewhat bare for DickRod when he arrived, as Brian at MGoBlog has documented.
5 months from a PhD, son.
Someone should ask Danny Hope how it felt to go on all those USO tours back in the day.
I saw a lot of early recruiting buzz said this class would have 0 or 1 linebacker. I don't think it's that big of a deal. Not to mention, there is a very talented LB from Pennsylvania interested in becoming a buckeye, so if he is signed there is not a problem with future depth at LB. This to me is the same worry people had last year about only gettin 1 O-lineman. What happened this year? We've signed a slew of them. If they see a need at LB, next year a bunch of them will be signed. I don't see the urgency of getting DePriest.
Who is likely to return kicks this year? Do we risk injury to a starter or are there some incoming freshmen or younger guys that are explosive enough to handle the responsibility?
i'd love to hear about the return game, as well. It's something we've really missed since ginn left (ray ray was good, but VERY inconsistent)
Ask him this:
Does he and his staff have the drive and fire to be the best in the nation? A lot of his stoicism and professionalsm paint a different picture than what is common in college football. We rarely see him get fired up and a lot of football is about riding that emotional wave.
Does he feel the desire to pulverize a SEC opponent the way that the OSU faithfull want to?
Then we have the all too common questions:
Are we going to see more screens to Boren and more passes to the TE, ala Pryor-Stoneburner connections?
The Rose Bowl was a decent showing and the passing game looked drasticaly improved but the running game was anemic on YPC. Should we expect one or the other this year? Does it look like our offense is clicking on all cyclinders ala 2006?
I am curious about Berry too. Does he look to be a contributor and if so does seniority have it's priviledges? I was impressed with Jordan Hall. How has he looked so far this year?
Status on depth chart at QB? KG number 2 yet?
Hicks was a bigger loss than DePriest. TDP is a physical specimen, but he struggled against bigger teams in HS. He will be good, but is a work in progress like most 5 star players.
I am also curious why our special teams were so bad down the ending stretch, defending returns. It wasn't typical OSU football. Barner was single handedly keeping Oregon in the game. Iowa's return got Iowa more points than they should have had and fueled a come back.
With a depleted secondary, Id like to know the status of players like CJ Barnett and Travis Howard, and will Tress work these guys in?
The depth at linebacker is not what it has been these last few years. A lot of these guys - Sabino, Sweat - are getting older, and the guys behind them have either not seen or barely seen the field.
This is a good one. I am also very curious about the secondary and what kind of depth do we have there. Everyone knows the names of the younger guys but what do the coaches think. I understand that fall camp will be the time we find out for sure but what are their early impressions.
1. Ask Browning if the O-Line has done anything different this off season to improve cohesion and avoid another slow start to the season.
2. Ask Dane if he thinks they have settled on an offensive "gameplan" for the year or are they still tinkering with their philosophy like last season?
3. I would be interested to see who Dane thinks will be 3rd in receptions this year behind himself and Devier.
4. Any surprises from the freshmen who arrived over the summer?
5. Now that Duron is gone, who is the best at XBOX?
What names will appear on the backs of the jerseys of the Corey Browns? Will one be "Corey Brown 2009" and the other "Corey Brown 2010"?
Ask Dane if he gives Pryor a hard time for hanging him out to dry on his passes over the middle. Poor guy takes more shots than anyone I've seen.
I'd second the question about what happened with the special teams coverage, and what is being done to address that.
Ask Browning whether he or Boren would win a hot-dog eating contest.
Maybe ask Browning about the move to guard last year, and how it was different from playing tackle. How he likes the change. (I am remembering this right that he played RT the year before, right?)
Ask Cam Heyward which big 10 offensive lineman he faced last year gave him the most trouble, and who he is most looking forward to facing off against this year.
Maybe a similar question for Browning about defensive linemen.
Another for Heyward - which quarterback made the most satisfying "thunk" when you sack him :)
For Dane - how are the new receivers coming along, and what role do the older players have in bringing them up during summer workouts?
Ask Sanz if Posey got himself some contact lenses this offseason. I heard somewhere, maybe during the spring game, that his eyes aren't very good, and he has trouble seeing the ball. Might explain the dropsies.
If that's the case, then we need to get a fundraiser going here for Posey so we can purchase him some zoom in crystal clear night vision goggles for Miami on the 11th.
I'd like to know what redshirts from last year might see the field this year and is any significant impact expected.
I always wondered about this. It always seemed like he was far sighted. No problem catching the long bombs but a 5 yard slant and it's as if he is blind. If he could just get those short passes into his overall body of work he would be top 5 in the nation.
I'd rather that Tressel just lets Posey borrow his transition lenses. That'd look baller as shit, and I can see it now -- Posey streaking on a fade route to the corner of the endzone, oh no the sun is in his eyes, wait, i think i'm seeing the lenses of his old-man glasses start to darken, could it be, could it be, yes, it's true, he's wearing transition lenses, the shade effect has accuated and blocked out the sun, Posey catches the ball inbounds, the Buckeyes win, that hot girl that Matt always stares at on the metro sees him and starts to make out with him and Matt wins the lottery, it's the greatest day in the history of days!!!
Question for the players:
Do any of them play the NCAA 2011 video game and what do they think of the attributes they're given?
Which player has a hidden talent that most would be surprised (who can really sing, play the piano, etc...)?
Which coach (besides tOSU staff) did you respect the most during your recruitment?
I was so confused at this...thought '09 was delaying enrollment due to grades or something. like carlos hyde. similar stats and one of them played WR and DB.
its not necessarily having bad vision...Some people are just faster or slower to react to what they see. I can't catch at all, but its not really bad hands, its that the ball is coming so fast I don't get my hands in the right place and it will hit one before the other or off my finger tips.
ive heard that some players (larry fitzgerald and colston)have done drills where they practice catching the ball with the seams up...think how hard that is to do when someone zips a spiral at your head.
the article referenced, written by Mike Bianchi, absolutely made my Monday...awesome
Yeah, and they're both from Pennsylvania (though different cities, so they're definitely two different people), listed at 6'0", and around 185 pounds. I think the 2010 version is definitely going to be WR, while the 2009 one could be a DB.
totally agree. We have depth when you look at the hype, but not when you look at experience.
Awesome questions, so far, guys. Please do keep them coming.
In my best Larry King impersonation, "Coach Tressel, how important is the sweater vest?"
I think these linebackers are not much of a concern. Perhaps they are seeing many top recruited LB'ers sit on the bench at OSU and are concerned about the # of years of PT they will get? Dorian Bell was the #1 LB, and through two years will see marginal time at best because of depth...
"Which do you cherish more, B10 titles or Golden Pants?"
"How much gun powder do the Boren brothers consume during _ichigan week?"
"Ever hide Tressel's vest, just for kicks? Or is it under lock & key until Saturday?"
"Are you still scared of Jack Tatum like the rest of us?"
"Baller as shit." Cool lingo. I shall use it.
Ask JT if he made Zach Boren apologize to Sean Lee after what he did to him in the Penn State game. (See: http://www.elevenwarriors.com/...)
I second the need to ask Dane who he thinks will be numbers 3 and 4 in total receptions behind himself and Devier.
Uhh, link broke:
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/...
I think it's laughable that we say we don't need some of the highest ranked LBs in the country. If Hicks and DePriest have the ability to start in the next four years, that means they are better than who we are getting. That may mean one extra tackle behind the line of scrimmage, one more deflected pass, one more explosive play stopped. There is so much parity in football, every advantage counts.
After last years shutout in H.V, does TP still think State College is "Too Country"
Coach Tressel: "Well, Larry, you know I've never really given much thought to that. I don't sit there and say, 'now would it have made a difference if I had worn the gray one, or would Terrelle have made that pass if I wasn't wearing a tie,' and so forth. I just wear what my wife sets out for me."
This is kind of random, but I just picked up Buckeye Battle Cry yesterday, and it was another great issue. I'll add it to the other 2 ;P. Keep up the good work guys!
Yeah, but how often does one linebacker make that big of a difference on his unit? If you are recruiting the golden egg all day, you are forgetting the rest of the unit. Ross Homan wasn't as praised as TD or JH, but learning to play within the unit has given him many opportunities for big plays, and he has capitalized. You must recruit with continuity in mind, and this year there was only room for one really good LB, if we get him great, if not we have great players ready to step in. Besides, using your logic Ettienne Sabino and Dorian Bell should be the starters right now.
Ask Cam why he dominated in Happy Valley and seemed to disappear in the Iowa game? Was it fatigue or is Iowas o-line really that good? What has he done to improve his consisitency?
You may want to phrase the question in a more polite manner, heyward is a big dude.
I'd ask Coach Tressel if he believes that Nebraska's addition to the Big 10 makes it more likely, or perhaps less likely, that Bo Pelini one day becomes head coach at Ohio State.
Would you be so nonchalant had DePriest stuck to his childhood favorite team, Michigan, and gone north? Ohio isn't a talent-laden state like Florida, Texas, California; so missing one in our back yard hurts.
Ask, "since the offense is mostly upper classmen, will we see more of the 2005 or 2006 offense?"
Well, I think Ohio Falls next right after those 3 so it is a pretty talent laden state. Just because Hicks and Depriest are 5 star recruits doesn't mean they are going to turn around and be major stars. Look at some of the linebackers that have come through recently. They weren't all 5 stars or top 2 or 3, but they contributed early and often. It's not that I don't care at all if Depriest goes elsewhere, but it's not that big of a deal, and I believe that a guy they bring in can be just as good.
Recruiting services and their lists are often over rated, and let's not forget, the guy hasn't played a snap of his senior season. There's no guarrenttee that the kid from Pennsylvania won't end up ranked higher than Trey in the end anyway.
OUR DEPTH AT LB IS NOT THAT GOOD OR NOT AS WHAT IT HAS BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SMOKING, CAUSE DAMN IS MUST BE SOME GOOD SH*T!
hence your hiatus from awesome photoshop craftsmanship.
Leave Kiffykins alone!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/...
I might be in the minority on this one, but can we see the 1950's classic uniforms for the Miami game that the Buckeyes wore against Michigan?
I love 'em!
What could Ohio State due to get a 5th year of eligibilty for Dane?
He actually has a system - he wears the opposite color from the uniform for that day so he stands out and the players can find him easily.
Yeah Rolle, Sabino, Homan, Bell, Klein all suck. None of those guys will be good at all.
me: Hey chad, can you stop yelling at me?
chad: NO I CAN'T STOP YELLIN' 'CAUSE THAT'S THE WAY I TALK!!!
Kidding. We're stacked at linebacker right now. Depriest don't want to sit on the bench for a few years. Of course he'll probably have to in Alabama so I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.
Official: Clarett is back on campus for 2nd half of summer quarter.
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/201...
I'm sure there are those who will disagree with me, but I think that's awesome news. I hope he redeems himself. Here's guessing that Jim Tressel had a hand in making this happen.
Im right there with ya
make that three
i would argue that we have tons of depth, but not that elite (hawk, laurinaitis, wilhelm) guy that we typically have. dont get me wrong homan and rolle are solid and well above average, but neither are national hype machine guys, which we are used to. do you watch our games or just pretend?
i hope he is in one of my classes lol
I'm rooting for the guy so make that four.
Yes, but does HE know that?
Is Homan really a step down from Laurinaitis? I think he might actually be better, although it probably helped that last year's defensive line was better than any unit Laurinaitis played behind during his years at OSU.
But is there any area of his game were Homan is clearly behind Laurinaitis? I'm not sure about that, although I'm in the camp that thinks that Laurinaitis was a bit overrated during his time at OSU (don't get me wrong, he was very good, but I don't think he was one of the all-time greats).
All I've heard is how Sabino is going to be a star and it's an outrage he's not playing etc etc etc. No we don't have quality depth. I guess maybe some people just aren't ever going to be completely content with tis team and its recruiting and coaching.
Not to be a smartass but I had no idea he was out of prison. I also think Tressel had something to do with this, and I'm happy for the guy. Maybe he can turn his life around and be an example to others in his situation.
LOL Poop.
Our depth at LB is as good as it has ever been. Sabino is going to shine this year, and I will take Homan over Lil Animal anyday. Animals tackles came 7 yards downfield. Homan attacks more at the LOS. Of course, Animal had Heacock's horrible play calling, and Homan now has Fickell involved more with the D so that is a factor too!