Mount Buckmore for the 2000s features James Laurinaitis, Troy Smith, A.J. Hawk and Mike Doss.Capping a five part series in which we select the four Buckeyes from each decade that are most deserving of a spot on Mount Buckmore, the final installment examines the 2000s.
Last week, we took a look a the 90s and those that separated themselves from a talent rich pool included the best lineman in the history of college football, Orlando Pace, a Heisman winner in Eddie George, a Thorpe Award winner in Antoine Winfield and a sack master by the name of Mike Vrabel.
The 80s foursome was led by Chris Spielman along with the acrobatic Cris Carter, the steady and curly Marcus Marek and the multi-dimensional Keith Byars.
The disco decade wasn't at a loss for talent with the one and only Archie Griffin joined by John Hicks, Tom Cousineau and the 'seven'-fingered Randy Gradishar.
Finally, the 60s showcased three members of the Super Soph's in Jack Tatum, Rex Kern and Jim Stillwagon plus bruising Bob Ferguson.
Today, we look back on the most recent decade and this one might have been the toughest of them all with so many Buckeye greats to evaluate. Without further adieu..
James Laurinaitis - Linebacker - 2005-08
The OSU media guide sums it up nicely labeling James Laurinaitis as the most decorated linebacker in school history.
One of just eight three-time All-American's in school history, Laurinaitis claimed the 2006 Nagurski Award as the most outstanding defensive player as a sophomore and backed that up with the 2007 Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker.
Little Animal was a two-time B1G Defensive Player of the Year and after leading Ohio State in tackles three straight seasons, he finds himself 7th on the school's all-time tackles list with 375 and 4th in career assisted tackles with 216.
Laurnaitis went 4-0 against Michigan and his 18 tackles against LSU in the 2007 BCS National Championship game are still the most in history.
The St. Louis Rams drafted Laurinaitis with the 35th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and he's started every game since (48), racking up 310 tackles and all-rookie honors in three total seasons.
The owner of Ann Arbor gets his swerve on. Troy Smith - quarterback - 2003-06
While Laurinaitis might be the most decorated, no player was more valuable in the 00s than Troy Smith.
Midway through his redshirt sophomore season, Smith seized the starting quarterback job at Ohio State and proceeded to go 25-3 over the next two and a half years collecting much individual hardware while going 3-0 against Michigan.
Smith's dominance of the maize and blue will forever ingratiate him to Buckeye fans. In his three straight wins, Smith amassed over 1,100 total yards of offense with nine TDs.
Smith was an abolute beast in 2006 winning the Heisman by the 2nd largest margin of all-time (86.7% of vote) behind 2,542 yards through the air with 30 TDs.
Unfortunately, his Ohio State career would end on a sour note as the Florida Gators held him to four completions and two turnovers in an ugly loss.
For his career, Smith ranks the 2nd most accurate passer in school history at nearly 63%, 2nd in Passing Efficiency with a 157.1 mark, 4th in TD passes with 54 and 7th in total Passing Yards totaling 5,720.
A.J. Hawk - Linebacker - 2002-05
The 2005 Lombardi Award winner, A.J. Hawk was one handsome tackling machine in his days at Ohio State. In his stellar '05 campaign, Hawk led the team in tackles in 10 of 12 contests as the Buckeyes led the conference in every major defensive category.
The Kettering, Ohio native led the Buckeyes in tackles three straight seasons and ranks 5th all-time with 394 stops.
Hawk was the 2005 B1G Defensive Player of the Year and Fiesta Bowl MVP and garnered All-American honors as both a junior and senior.
He of the flowing locks, Hawk was the 5th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft and been elected to the Pro Bowl and won a ring with the Green Bay Packers.
Mike Doss - safety - 1999-2002
A John Cooper recruit, Doss arrived in Columbus in '99 and after a earning a starting spot late in his freshman campaign, would go on to solidify the safety position for the next three seasons.
Doss led the team in tackles in both 2000 and 2001, highly impressive for a non-linebacker.
A clutch playmaker, Doss had an interception and picked up Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP honors when the Buckeyes shocked the world turning back the Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime.
For his career, the Canton product stands 11th all-time in tackles and 5th in solo tackles with 228.
He is also one of just eight Buckeyes to win All-American honors three times and was a 2nd round selection in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Oh, and there's that one time when he damn near separated Kurt Kittner's head from his body.
The Notables
What a long and distiguished list when you start breaking down the numbers for guys that didn't make the monument.
Malcolm Jenkins tops my list of those on the outside looking in. Only a three star coming out of New Jersey, Jenkins made the most of his opportunity in Columbus. A four year starter, Jenkins was a 1st team All-American and won the Thorpe Award in 2008.
Beanie Wells was a bone crushing runner putting up 1,609 yards rushing in 2007, the 4th best season in school history. He currently ranks 3rd all-time with 3,382 rushing yards and feasted on Michigan running for a 52 yard score as a true frosh before posting a 222 yard effort as a sophomore. The Akron native was a 1st rounder in 2009.
Ted Ginn Jr. ranks 8th all-time in all-purpose yards and his six punt return TDs are a school record. Santonio Holmes sits 3rd all-time with 25 TD catches and he's 5th in both career receptions and receiving yards.
I could keep going on mentioning studs like Will Smith, Maurice Clarett, Mike Nugent and some other kid who used to wear #2 though his name escapes me.
Comments
The lack of TP makes me a sad panda...
Just kidding (sort of). This had to be about as hard as the 90's in my opinion. Mt. Buckmore could have been about 40 faces deep between those two time periods. Excellent choices here.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
Seriously, Pryor should at least be an honorable mention.
Expect flames in 3.....2.......1......
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
Haha 31-4, the haters can hate, but they can't deny what he did on the field.
Pryor did kind of get a mention.
Ahh missed it.
I absolutely LOVE that pic of Troy! Pure unadulterated joy for "Houdini" Brings tears to my eyes actually
The catch Gonzo made sort of over shadows the absolute disapearing act Troy pulled on the Michigan defense. When he rolled right stepped up and then back, I think he left 2 or three guys in awe\hugging air. In all my years of watching OSU football that ranks as probably my all time favorite single play. Close second\third were Jonathan Wells' long TD against Northwestern (it was my Freshman year and first time in the shoe) or of course Cie Grant lobbing 135 pound Ken Dorsey to the turf....but man that Troy was something.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
It's right up there with the scrambling (to put it mildly) during the '06 PSU game and finding a wide open Robiskie in the end zone. HEISMAN!!
Every Heisman run has that one play. That was hands down Troy's.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
Amen, brother. Don't forget Smith's equally-impressive feat against Penn State, where he backpedaled and spun through two charging linemen to fire off a perfect post route to a streaking Robiskie; a perfect surmization of Smith's career.
*EDIT: Looks like I was a little late! Well played, Pam!
Troy Smith folks.
You gotta get up pretty early to beat me when it comes to my boy Troy.
Definitely the easiest decade to pick. Tons of great players, but it's hard to top a Heisman, two three time All Americans, and A.J. Hawk.
The 2000s were full of studs. Can't argue with who made it to Mount Buckmore but several guys warrant a much larger mountain.
agree, they knew how to beat Purdue.
Saw little animal at the Memorial on Saturday, didn't see any current Buckeyes running from the cops though!
Tough times never last, tough people do
This is a fine Mt Buckmore. I was thinking 2 Offense 2 Defense players would be there. However, since the 2000s were defined by defense - this probably makes sense. To me this the hardest decade to pick. So many greats in the 00s...
We all know why he's not mentioned by name here but TP deserved a little more than this. As far as on field accomplishments he was as good as there ever was at QB at tOSU, tattoos or not.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
In my humblest opinion, Pryor's biggest downfall was that he was a monster recruit that we all expected to eclipse our Heisman-winning guy in Troy Smith. Unfortunately, because of those odds he was never given a real chance to taste true greatness because of the perception of his future and the man he had to best. If Pryor had been a 3 or even 4 star guy, he'd have been much more heralded than the number-one-overall that he was coming out of high school. Sure, it's not fair, but it's life in the big city. Pryor was a helluva player, and a once-in-a-decade kind of athlete (that somehow we managed to score two of when you realize that we got him on the heels of losing Ginn) that was unable to attain greatness because--let's face it--he was a Heisman-or-bust guy in the minds of Buckeye fans everywhere.
It's a damned shame, people forget what a difference maker he truly was. It'd have been a scary thought to imagine him behind center in a Meyer offense; then again, same thing goes for Troy.
Here here to seeing either of those 2 in a Meyer offense. They were fun enough to watch in a conservative offense (with TP the offense seemed to become ultra conservative). Loved to have seen them in an offense built for their skill set!
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
Yes the talent and stats were there. The problem with Pryor was PERSONALTY. He was in love with himself. You have to give yourself to the fans.
You do? I don't think a player owes anything to fans. He played hard, he worked hard. He was immature. But he didn't owe me anything as a fan. Quite frankly, the dude won. That's all he owed anyone. He wasn't likeable because his personalities clashed with the temperment of a lot of Ohio State fans. Give yourself to the fans? Who the hell are we to ask anyone to do anything more than what the school expects of them?
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
TP was all Buckeye. I don't care what anyone says about him, he never showed me that he didn't have heart and a will to win. We don't go to the Sugar Bowl unless he takes the Iowa game over. I never saw anyone put a game on their back like he did in that one.
The third and long conversion he made when he cut back against the grain could have been 4th and 52 and he would have gotten it that game. That one goes on his highlight list for sure.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
I was so dejected right before that I almost turned the game off. You are right, third and forever but he was getting that 1st down
I remember working that night. No one was in the little pet store I was working, so I had the game playing over XM through our store's speakers. I was pacing like a madman--back and forth, back and forth--and when Pryor made that scramble...it was like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders.
My boss (who didn't care for football, or understand my fandom) just stared at me, unable to recognize how my emotions could be indelibly linked to the outcome of that game.
I have no use for anyone who doesn't care for football.
Brewster, maybe "give yourself to the fans" was a poor choice of words. I didn't say he didn't produce on the field. Don't get so defensive. I've coached for many years after my playing days, and the players that are open are just respected more by the public. I didn't say that it is right or wrong, it's just that way. Being arrogant or self centered just doesn't go over well with the media or public.
I see what you are saying. I misunderstood your initial comments.
4-6 seconds from point A to point B and when you get to point B, be pissed off
So, so sad Beanie Wells wasn't on there. I can't disagree with the picks at all though, it's just that Beanie is one of my favorites.
You could make an argument for Ted Ginn too. OSU fans were infatuated with Ginn (including me), it was basically his team for a while!
Land-Grant Holyland
Beanie was a beast, but he was generally regarded on 11W as soft, IIRC.
No Krenzel for honorable mention? Krenzel made some amazing, gutsy plays as well.
^This. Honorable mention is deserved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=julW9Eroqcw
Ok, so terrible with computers. If someone wants to fix that the right way feel free. Always a great watch.
Just click the source button/tab and copy and paste that URL.
It takes more than just gutsy plays though. All the players mentioned were much more decorated and racked up some insane stats.
Krenzel wasn't about the stats. He was about the results.
That's great, but Mt Buckmore is about the stats (or at least appears to be).
I'm not saying he should be on Mt. Buckmore, but an honorable mention for the gritty QB that brought us a national championship is totally feasible.
Amen...Just Win Baby
+1. all he did was lead us to the promised land, which Troy, as much as i love him, couldn't do. (wasn't his fault, mostly, but still)
Troy had his Heisman moment; Krenzel won us a MNC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=julW9Eroqcw
which reminds me of another forgotten hero (evidently). Jenkins? nothing? are you kidding? if getting on Mt. Buckmore is about stats, he's got the yards...
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Beanie is a 2000 yard rusher behind Pace and Stringer. Or more. That isn't disrespect to George, just how good Beanie is. He played behind lines as bad as I have seen in Columbus. Way to go, Walrus.
What about Krenzel or Clarrett?
Mo C. & T.P. are the 2 best I ever saw in my 62 years as a season ticket holder. GO BUCKS!
I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then.
I would put Malcom Jenkins over the Little Animal for defense.
me too. Lil animal was a great LB, but i remember running backs dragging him for extra yards. Doss knocked people backwards; Jenkins liked to hit people too.
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Great Mount
vacuuming sucks
That's what she said.
Dammit, I'm sorry.
Technically there could be three #2s on that Mountain. I personally believe only one # 2 left off should truly be considered, Malcolm Jenkins, but thats just my opinion. Not hating on Pryor. I really cant disagree with the choices. Its just that theres too dang many! Good Picks. Go Bucks!
Shocked Chris Gamble hasn't been mentioned.
Personally, I'd start my team with Troy Smith. My next pick would be Chris Gamble. What a player.
I agree. Why no love for Gamble?
Chris Gamble >>>
CHRIS GAMBLE Perhaps penalized for leaving early? Seriously though, saved our '02 season multiple times.
On the other side of the mountain it has Beanie Wells, Teddy Ginn, Chris Gamble and Malcolm Jenkins:)
I had a minor meltdown that Gamble or Jenkins didn't make it, then I thought, wait, no Pryor? Then it was like, how could you leave off Beanie? But looking at the monument there, who do you leave off? Impossible choices. Although, I think Pryor still has to make it, in place of Hawk, who has the weakest case imo.
"So put 2 on, put 10 on, WHAT DO YOU CARE IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE PAYIN' FOR 'EM!!!!?"
-Doug Heffernan, in regards to Arthur and his stamp needs
I have to agree about Chris Gamble. I was seriously in shock that he wasn't mentioned at all. The guy was a game changer in every facet of the game. He basically won the Penn State game in '02. Without his interception return, we don't play for the NC. I know that can be said about PLENTY of games that season, but aside from "Holy Buckeye", it was the biggest play of the season. Not to mention he played almost 100 plays a game.
With that being said, I'm not distraught about who actually made it. That's about as solid as it gets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fb3Vzf_hpw&feature=related
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Really? Cause if you told me I could only take one on my team it's be Hawk in a heart beat.
Don't get nme wrong, AJ Hawk was a better linebacker than Laurinaitis, but as far as acclaim and what he meant/brought to the program, James is more deserving of Mt. Buckmore. Kinda like Steve Nash winning the MVP, he wasn't the best player, but he was more valuable/important to the SSOL Suns than anyone else was to their respective team.
"So put 2 on, put 10 on, WHAT DO YOU CARE IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE PAYIN' FOR 'EM!!!!?"
-Doug Heffernan, in regards to Arthur and his stamp needs
I think little animal gets over looked due to his lack of the bog hit. He was a tackling machine and covered pass well, just wasn't a head hunter. Think in OSU circles he is underrated. Tough decade to pick, allot of fans have special places on there hearts for members of Nat champ team.
count me in on the terrelle pryor fanwagon bandwagon whichever it is im on it.... I agree with the star rating having a direct effect on his perception.
mark may wins douchebag of the year... again
chris gamble was an importart piece of the the most unreal season of '02. the hard luck 90's were paid back in full in 2002. starting with the cincy game. that one right there almost sunk us. the last 6 games excluding minn were all classics. and of course taking down the u when we had no change according to everyone. i wish a book was written about that season. we'll never see anything like that again.
The way he absolutely SHUT DOWN Andre Johnson in the championshi game was masterful.
Kellen Winslow was the only reason they were able to get anything done through the air.
Pryor only played 2 seasons ('08/'09) in this decade. Didn't contend for a national title like the rest on this list.
2010?
...would be the 2010's...
Not debating what you are saying, but I'm going to say it - Pryor was a better QB than Troy Smith. Troy had Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn, and Anthony Gonzalez to throw to - three first round NFL picks and NFL starters on Super Bowl contending teams (assuming Gonzalez would have been healthy the first time he blew out his knee). Pryor's talent was of mid to low end NFL, at best (and that's assuming Posey improve on Hartline). Take Pryor off those teams and we get have a whole lot of last year's offense.
Heisman > No Heisman
no buying it. let's face it, Ginn is a speedster, but not a great receiver. Gonzalez is a smallish slot-receiver, a la Sanzo. Holmes was gone Troy's Heisman year.
Pryor could have been a better QB had he played another year, maybe the same way Smith pulled it all together his senior year. But that didn't happen, so you have to give Troy the nodd (i think).
Pryor could make more plays with his legs, but Troy was by far the better QB, at least his senior year. Pryor never had numbers anything like that. You're saying Pryor should have won the Heisman his last year? Troy won the Heisman by the second largest margin ever.
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Ginn was a starter for an team in the NFC Championship last season.
Gonzalez was going to be a starter for the last good Colts team until he blew out his knee in their first posession.
Holmes was a Super Bowl MVP.
Compared to:
Posey who is unlikely to be a top level NFL player (in my opinion), but remains to be seen. As a receiver, he should be as good as Ginn though (i.e. not very).
Hartline who is a starter on a bad team. We can call him an average NFL talent.
Robiskie never did much at the NFL level.
Sub-out Robiskie with Holmes, but we're looking at careers here, not just single seasons.
Loving all the feeback for this decade. I knew it would prompt a ton of responses. Trust me, I pour over the media guide, record book, game capsules and such so even if I may not talk about a particular player or a particular accomplishment, I put a lot of research into coming up with the final four.
Obviously, they are all up for debate, that's why I thought this would be a fun series to run with.
The notables section for the 00's couldve gone on forever. In the end, I personally feel like the final four are the most deserving but damn the 00's featured some studs.
Just remembered this one...Vernon Gholston has the single-season sacks record.
No love for Michael Jenkins??
"Jenkins became a three-year starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes, starting 38 of his final 39 games, caught 165 passes for 2,898 yards with a 17.6 avg. and 16 touchdowns in his career. He finished career with at least one reception in 38 consecutive games and helped the Buckeyes capture 2002 BCS National Championship at the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
His 2,898 yards rank eighth on the Big Ten Conference career-record list, while also topping the previous school all-time record of 2,855 by David Boston. Jenkins earned All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention as a senior after leading the team with 55 receptions for 834 yards with a 15.2 avg and 7 touchdowns while adding 178 yards and a touchdown on 20 punt returns. He was also an All-Big Ten Conference second-team choice as a junior after leading the team with a career-high 61 receptions for 1,076 yards (17.6 avg.) and 6 touchdowns."
I hear you. Who would you replace with Jenkins? Hawk, then? Jenkins has fantastic career stats but was never recognized as the best in the country at his position like Hawk.
I'd personally take Santonio over Jenkins. If talking strictly as a Receiver, I might have him ahead of Ginn but with Ginn's special teams add, that put him on the notables ahead of Jenkins on my list.
I get what you're saying, I just don't know how the school's all-time receiving leader doesn't get at least an honorable mention. Jenkins was so valuable to that '02 team with Gamble focusing a lot on his DB duties.
Very fair point on his '02 season. Amazingly clutch catches all season long. He should've gotten an honorable mention.
thanks for looking up the numbers. How is he not even mentioned?
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
No love for Taurian Washington and Mo Wells? Shameful
If Denard Robinson isn't careful with spooning all that food into his mouth, he's going to end up lookin' like Whoopi Goldberg
Matt Wilhelm?????? I know Hawk and Laurinaitis were the most decorated LB's of the 2000's...but lets be honest...who was the most important.
Matt Wilhelm
"Anything less than flagrant is just playing grab ass!"
+1. i like Hawk better, but we were in trouble before we found Wilhelm (just like we were in trouble before Katzenmoyer). I remember Wisky gashing us the year before Wilhelm won the starting job. After that, no more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DIHjDLXZDs
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
The only change I'd make is Malcolm Jenkins over Laurinaitis; decorated as he was, I don't think he lived up to the hype of all the awards he won.
This is the first variation from the two offense, two defense format...but it's hard to know who that second offensive player would be. We couldn't have won the national title without Clarett, but he had just the one year, and there was all the extracurricular and extralegal activity besides. Several receivers approached Glenn/Galloway/Boston territory, but none quite got there. Nick Mangold was far and away the best offensive lineman of the Tressel-Bollman era, but that's a little bit like being the best cross-country skier in Saudi Arabia--I don't know that Mangold's body of work is Buckmore-worthy.
The more I think about it, I wonder if Mike Nugent or Ted Ginn might belong in place of one of the linebackers, to symbolize how important special teams were to Tressel.
The most "loud mouth, disrespect" poster on 11W.
Its a shame to think what clarrett could have become. He had one season, and boy was it a hell of a season. When he chased down sean taylor and took the ball away from him after the int...talk about an unforgettable play. In a season of big time game changing plays it didn't get bigger than that.
That being said...the four on the mountain are the four I was assuming would be there.
Nugent deserves a spot (more so than Hawk). Nugent was money. He fit perfectly into Tressel's system.
136 of 139 on extra points.
72 of 88 on field goals.
352 points.
2x All-America Team
HE WAS A KICKER! Get over it.
Just fast foward to 1:15 if you don't like Santonio Holmes highlights either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgU6u07PHVg
Possible error in article:Troy Smith had 2542 yards in 2006, and a little later it mentions him having 2542 career yards, something like 7th all-time for OSU? I'm thinking his career yards is more. Not being a jerk - just something I noticed.
Yeah, I screwed that up. He did throw for 2,542 in 2006. His career total ranks 7th at 5,720. Thanks! Fixed.
Seriously...no Krenzel? All he did was win a National Chamionship! I mean Laurinaitis was good but the thing I remember about him is watching him get burned time after time against Florida and LSU. I'd rather see Krenzel than Troy Smith. Krenzel won his title game, Smith gave his away.
Huh? Laurinaitis had 18 tackles against LSU. If anything, his play, along with Chris Wells and Malcolm Jenkins kept that game as close as is what is. However, Krenzel does deserve an honorable mention in my mind.
All 18 of those tackles were 15yards downfield.
You'd have to show me a tackle chart before I believed a fallacy like that.
he exaggerating, but that is what it felt like. if i was him i wouldn't talk about that record much. i'm not sure there's a lot of pride in making the tackle after giving up yards...
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Yeah - everything is debatable & the 2000s were ridiculous as far as talent is concerned...but it's indisputable to me at least that James Laurenitis was a damn fine LB. I don't buy any notion that he should shoulder any blame for our NC losses or that all his tackles against LSU were all 15 yards down field...that's just plain horse malarkey right there. The very fact that he had 18 tackles at all speaks volumes about his productivity.
On the other hand I agree Craig Krenzel was an amazing player who did nothing but win. The year after the NC all he did was win 10 games and another BCS bowl without the services of MoC. There are plenty of revisitionists who say Tressel wasn't a great recruiter. The fact that the 2000s had all these players to debate about is proof that the man was as good a recruiter as any in Ohio State history.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
National Championship > Heisman...always will be.
No doubt. But I'd argue that Maurice Clarett was more integral to our championship run and win than Krenzel. Without MoC we don't even make the Fiesta bowl that year.
You could say that about a lot of guys...Mike Jenkins, Chris Gamble, Mike Nugent, etc.
Mike Jenkins maybe, Chris Gamble maybe, Nugent no. Clarett was the offense that year. He carried the team throughout the year. Also look at his performance in that game, without him, there's no strip.
Maybe?? Do you not recall any of those games? And yeah...I guess Nuge hitting everything that year didn't propel us to an undefeated season...you know, winning by single digits every other week and all.
Clarett got a stinger against Purdue and wasn't the same the following 4 games. Hard to say he "carried the team throughout the year" when he didn't play for a portion of the season.
+1. we couldn't have won it without Clarett. but we couldn't have won it without Krenzel, either. he was the leading rusher in the MNC game. And we couldn't have won it without Doss, or Gamble, or Jenkins. That team was incredible, and it was a team.
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Troy spent nearly the entire game vs UF either on his back or running for his life. His protection was decimated by the UF D. They were outplayed and outcoached from the minute Teddy G. went down. Lot of folks are responsible for that nightmare.
Agreed, although Troy looked like he'd been pounding a 12-pack daily when he suited up for that game. Still don't understand why they didn't run the ball more. Pittman averaged 6.2 yards per carry in that game, and even if you factor out his 18 yard rush, he was still averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
I've tried to forget that game completely but I think once we got behind early, Tressel panicked and abandoned the run game plus anytime we did call a pass play, it resulted in a huge sack setting up x-down and long further diminishing opportunties to run. What a freaking nightmare. Pittman was a beast. Very underrated while he was here, imo.
I was in 8th grade when that game took place. I remember how heartbroken I was watching them get so thoroughly dismantled. I just rewatched the game in it's entirety this year, to see how truly bad they were. Having watched that game over, the soft zone that Heacock ran killed them. Also as you said, Tressel panicked and started trying to chuck the ball when the run game was going great. Their ends were killing the tackles, but they were running the ball between the tackles really well. That game wasn't about a level of talent, if anything OSU had more upper-level talent, it was about schemes, coaching, and attitude, all of which Florida outclassed OSU in.
I have and never will watch that game again. Ever.
Neither will I. Campus was in mourning for a while after that game...
+1. all we'd have to have done is blitz Leak from the beginning. nothing you can do about Ginn, but obviously that hurt us, but yeah, we should have run the ball more. and did i say blitz Leak?
their defensive ends worked our fat tackles over. but we could have worked around that, if we weren't playing zone and if we hadn't thought that game was going to be easy. we looked like we thought they were just going to hand us the trophy. then when Tressel saw them on the field he looked panicked, because he wasn't ready for them at all.
such a bummer. if Troy had won that game i think you could make an argument for him being the greatest buckeye of all time. without the MNC though, yeah, the Heisman isn't as important.
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
I agree with the Heisman winner & the two great 'backers. But I'll take Beanie over Doss for the fourth choice. He took over too many games not to be on a rock. I'll never forget that Sparty game. As for there not being any players from the NC Team, well, that's okay. They have their own homage and it's not make believe.
I might actually take the '90s Buckmore over this decade...maybe...
I'll take the 70s...
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
Yeah, I wasn't alive then, but I'd take the 70s over any of the decades, followed by the 90s.