Monday Skull Session

Beat Arkansas. Welcome to the first Skull Session of 2K11. Here's hoping you had a joyeus and incredibly rewarding New Year's celebration and now can firmly focus all of your energy and attention on defeating Arkansas. I know, I know, in upwards of two whole work days in front of some of us. But that certainly doesn't mean you can't wear Scarlet & Gray to the office both days as well as sign every sentence and end every conversation with Beat Arkansas now does it? Oh and by the way: Beat Arkansas.

 There are a hundred ways to cover your Redneck Past Think the co-workers giving you a hard time are the only one's who remember Ohio State's long standing post-season struggles against the Southeastern Conference (and their legion of trolls posing as quasi-legitimate columnists and radio personalities)? Guess again. Ohio State players and coaches alike are well aware of what's on the line and, believe it or not, want every bit as badly as you to get this incredibly fast, Trindon Holliday-sized monkey off their backs too:

 It started in Columbus soon after the pairing against the Razorbacks was announced, when Tressel, who is 0-3 against the SEC in bowls, shared with his players an outside e-mail that reminded the Buckeyes of that record.

"It was something that maybe most people would have shrugged off. But me, I took it personally, having been here in '07 and not faring too well against LSU," linebacker Brian Rolle said. "I just took it to heart and I am taking it into the game with a chip on my shoulder."

The record followed the Buckeyes to New Orleans. After a walkthrough at the team hotel on Sunday, return man Jordan Hall said Tressel hung stories on the 0-9 record outside the team's meeting room at the Marriott when the Buckeyes arrived.

"This is big right here," Hall said. "We want to prove we can play."

The article goes on to mention a Buckeye alumnus already pre-emptively planning a sardonic "ESSS-EEEEE-CEEEE" chant. That might be taking things a bit too far; let's just worry about getting the W first and then let whatever comes what may dictate the appropriate response. Lose? Pass me the hemlock.

 You can easily dispose of your Redneck Past Did I mention Ohio State's staff and players really want to send this whole "can't beat the SEC in bowls durrrrrrr" meme up in flames, like badly? While it's an easy story for regional and national media alike to garner interesting quotes on, nothing gets me pumped up personally for a grudge match quite like reading those doing the heavy lifting echoing the sentiment I'm sure many of us have keep bottled up internally for, oh, the last 36 months or so:

"You don't let it bother you," Buckeyes fullback Zach Boren said. "I know a lot of these guys haven't been in an SEC game. Some of the older guys have, but we are just excited for the challenge. Arkansas is a great team and we're excited to just go out there and play. We know we just have to go out and play our game and whatever happens, happens."

The drought has definitely been a point of motivation for Tressel. Last month, Tressel read an e-mail to his players that he said was sent to him by an SEC football fan. The e-mailer suggested the Buckeyes weren't good enough to be on the same field with an SEC team.

"I think the thing we've got to do -- really focus in on -- is what it's going to take to play Arkansas, who we didn't play in any bowl games in our history and not get too caught up in irrelevant things," Tressel said. "But on the other hand, you do like to accomplish things and a great performance in a bowl game the magnitude of this, against a team who's very, very good and happens to be in a very, very good conference, of course you use that as a tremendous goal."

You can pretty much avoid the rest of that specific article as it's ripe with the usual cliches and banal talking points that'll only make you tackle somebody in line for the coffee pot. Point still stands: the players know what's up but that's not going to stop them from handling business. Should everything play out the way it has 11 times out of 12 this season, Wednesday morning is going to be pretty freaking top of the mountain.

In related news, no word on whether the e-mailer was Clay Travis or not either though we'll just error on the safe side and assume the obvious (yes, duh.)

 Let's dance/for fear tonight is all From the 'if it ain't broke' department: A year removed from weather forcing an audible and requiring the Bucks to regather in a hotel ballroom to go through a pre-Rose Bowl walk through, Ohio State's coaches elected to go through the same... *puts on sunglasses* song and dance (*YEAAAAAAAAAAAAH!*) again this go around:

"The coaches were saying they were really happy with how everyone prepared and practiced the last couple days in Columbus and at the Superdome, so they thought they'd give the guys' legs a break," long-snapper Jake McQuaide said.

According to safety Orhian Johnson, not wearing down was no small consideration. "In the dome it's a different experience," Johnson said. "They want us to have as fresh legs as possible, because it gets real hot. Coach said it was best for us to have fresh legs."

Definitely not averse to the fresh legs strategy going into a major contest like this one. The article also goes on to mention an interesting strategic wrinkle the Bucks may find themselves going to during Tuesday evening's contest:

The Buckeyes like to go into their nickel defense on passing downs against passing teams, taking out a linebacker and putting in an extra defensive back. But strongside linebacker Andrew Sweat, the linebacker typically removed in those situations, said Sunday he thinks he'll play a lot against Arkansas.

Sweat said the Buckeyes found success with what they call their "penny package" in the second part of the season, especially against Iowa. The alignment applies nickel defense principles with the base personnel, keeping Sweat in the game. That helps against a team that might spread out with three receivers and then run the ball.

If Sweat (or any other capable linebacker) has the speed to keep the likes of D.J. Williams honest, the extra bulk he brings to the table could more than offset the potential shortcomings the likes of Christian Bryant would have in the same matchup.

 “I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive.” If Ohio State fails to show up for whatever reason Tuesday evening, it won't be because of any kind of talent shortcomings against the Razorbacks. The O-Zone's Brandon Castel did the leg work and went back and looked at how the assets accumulated by the two schools starting on each side of the ball measured up relative to one another:

Ohio State # of 5-stars: 4
Arkansas # of 5-stars: 2

Ohio State # of 4-stars: 11
Arkansas # of 4-stars: 9

Ohio State # of 3-stars: 7
Arkansas # of 3-stars: 9

Ohio State #of 2-stars: 0
Arkansas #of 2-stars: 2

The number of 4-star prospects is nearly equal between both teams, including running backs Boom Herron and Knile Davis, but the Buckeyes pull away with double the amount of 5-star prospects and zero 2-star guys in their starting lineup.

Ohio State Total (Avg. Stars): 3.86
Arkansas Total (Avg. Stars): 3.5

I'm sure the counter argument would be that Bobby Petrino hasn't had the time to get a full recruiting cycle of "his guys" through yet, and there's probably certainly some merit to that point. However, Ohio State still remains in a low occupancy threshold of national power breakers who's talent is only matched by each others. If Ohio State lays an egg or fails to execute for any wide variety of hypothetical reasons, it's not going to be because they didn't bring enough thoroughbreds to the race track. So let's go ahead and Beat Arkansas, shall we?