The bye week brought relief to Ohio State players and coaches. After more than three months of the constant grind of football, no game is on the schedule for Saturday. But that doesn’t mean it’s a week off.
The unquestioned leader. The Buckeyes have practiced in full pads this week and several coaches, including head coach Urban Meyer, have been traversing the country to see recruits.
Staying healthy and not allowing momentum to stall are the goals of the week. Riding a 10-game win streak, some believed an off week might halt the positive vibes.
Count Meyer among those that don’t believe in such talk. One look at his career record after off weeks – 12-1 – might have something to do with that. Looming for the Buckeyes is a trip to Madison, arguably the toughest game of the season. The following week is Michigan.
If Ohio State is able to finish off its dream season, it will have earned it. And if the record says 12-0, quarterback Braxton Miller will be largely responsible.
The sophomore signal-caller has produced one of the best 10-game stretches ever for an Ohio State quarterback, catapulting up the Heisman watch lists. Miller is just the third Big Ten quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and he has been responsible for 27 touchdowns.
- Meyer said Etienne Sabino has been practicing well this week and that he is working with the first-team defense. Sabino still has a slight limp, but he’s on track to play at Wisconsin.
- Fullback/linebacker Zach Boren will stay at linebacker. When Ohio State is in its base defense, Boren will be one of the three linebackers on the field, according to Meyer.
- Ryan Shazier said Sabino has been a great addition to the defense this week. He added that Sabino still needs to get back in game shape.
- Orhian Johnson has not practiced this week and Storm Klein is still limited because of a disc injury in his back.
- The Buckeyes are not looking ahead to Michigan yet. Meyer said everything is fully focused on Wisconsin.
- Thursday's practice will be a coordinators only practice. Meyer, Tom Herman, Ed Warinner, Luke Fickell and Everett Withers will conduct drills.
- All 10 Ohio State assistants have been or will be on the road recruiting this week.
- On the recruiting trail, players have been positive about Ohio State’s 10-0 record and the offensive and defensive style. Meyer said kids are also aware there are opportunities to play.
- Meyer is going to Atlanta this weekend to watch his daughter, Nicki, play volleyball at Georgia Tech on her senior day. She’s a captain and 3.8 student.
- Meyer said he is a fan of late Texas coach Darrell Royal. Meyer said he likes older coaches much better than the new ones. Meyer said Royal was a great ambassador.
- Asked how long it will take Ohio State to be an “Alabama,” Meyer said he knew the answer would be a headline and moved on.
- Miller said he’s been getting more treatment this week to make sure he’s fully healthy for the final two games.
- This weekend, Miller is going home to spend time with his family. He said he’ll eat his mom’s food and watch football.
- Even though it’s a bye week, Miller said practices haven’t changed.
- The offense has scored 50 points four times this season, but according to Miller, it hasn’t lived up to the expectations.
- Miller said by the third game of the season he was comfortable in the new offense, but he added that he learns new stuff every day.
- Shazier said the biggest focus this week was getting healthy. He said he’ll watch the rest of the top five this week to see how Ohio State stacks up.
- Jack Mewhort said Ohio State will not lose its edge. The coaches won’t allow it, he said. Practice has been just as intense as any other week.
- Mewhort will spend Saturday watching college football and the Discovery Channel.
- When he watches games, instead of just focusing on the defense, Mewhort said he’ll watch other offensive linemen to try to learn new techniques.
Comments
First comment... oh yeah!!!
Love Zach - glad he's staying on the field- eptiome of selflessness. Hope this doesnt impact his draft chances - Kiper had him as #2 fullback on his big board. Will he have enough reps at Mike for NFL talent czars to judge him against other LB's or will he still be viewed as a FB?
I think there will always be a place for a great football player like Zach Boren on any NFL team. Defense, offense, special teams he can do it all.
I bet Jack Mewhort loves him some Shark Week... just sayin'...
It's a toss up: Either The Dog Whisperer or Through the Wormhole.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
I love "Through The Wormhole". Awesome show!
i lol'ed at the discovery channel comment, haha
Sharks have a week of television programming dedicated to John Simon...
"We have a quarterback, obviously, that's kind of ridiculous running the ball." - Urban Meyer
Miller is right, the offense has not lived up to expectations this year, they passed those up a while ago.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
IDK, remember Urban said he wanted to score 100 every week. :)
Speaking of which, I was at the game last weekend which was my first time in the shoe since then new score board and didn't notice the third space for triple digits in our scoring column. I thought Urban spec'd this out, no?
"I'm One Bad Buckeye, and I approve this message."
Obvoiusly we've lived up to and surpassed Ohio State- type offensive expectations, but the players might feel they have not lived up to Urban Meyer-type offensive numbers. Its all good, it will be here soon enough. Look at what we're capable of with just ONE gamebreaker (Miller) and some other serviceable/notable players (mostly Hyde). Wait till '13 when we add Jalin Marshall and maybe a couple other potential gamebreakers. All we need is a couple gamebreakers like Oregon has plus a Braxton miller type qb coupled with a defense that wreaks havoc and a top notch coaching staff with Urban at the helm.... FUHGETABOUTIT! If we can make this happen in the next two years while Braxton is here, all kinds of NCAA records will be broken offensively. The more I think about it, the more realistic it becomes. I mean, who would have thought Urbs (and fellow staff) would get the O-line, WR, TE, RB, QB, etc. clicking this well in so little time? All with Tressel's/Bollman's offensive players. Wait till Urban gets HIS recruits into the fold; every successive recruiting class will make the team exponentially more explosive/powerful.
"Get him a body bag, Yeah!"
You get an upvote do to sheer length of comment
Love to see that Urban is going to spend some time with his family this weekend and attain that balance in his life he was looking for.
*Glad to see he's TRYING to attain it.
I see him on the sideline way too often in the "Hunched over staring at the ground with Your Hands on Your Knees"-Position. I wonder how he's going to handle a loss.
Class of 2008
I don't read too much into hunched over Meyer. It looks to me like he is intently focusing on what is being said across the headset. Nothing stress induced.
Hahaha
Class of 2008
Well hopefully that day never comes...
He used to be a baseball player. That's probably just comfortable.
i believe this is called "urbaning"
I like football
Nice. But when he is really upset he starts pulling on the skin under his chin. Saw this quite a bit at Indiana.
Nothing beats Mack Brown rubbing his lip raw against OSU that year in Texas.
I remember that! It started bleeding!
He wasn't eating pizza anytime soon after that game!
^^^^this
As long as those Freshment D-Linemen continue to progress, I look forward to next season.
This is one of my favorites reads of the week, here's to praying Sabino comes out in Beast Mode.
Pay It Forward!
12-1 coming off bye weeks. After our struggles in years' past after bye weeks, that is really good to hear. Hope to God it continues.
"Woody would have wanted it that way"
Didn't we play Wisky last year after a bye week?
You know Urban is looking for some serious payback against baby Bret's ridiculous tantrum about recruiting and I see him going for the throat immediately and often without taking the foot off the pedal until a minute left in the 4th Qtr! I have a feeling this one isn't even going to be close! Our offense will overwhelm their defense and they are pretty much a one trick pony with Montee so that should be easy to shut down this year! Again, this is just my opinion - I could be wrong!
The best thing about Pastafarianism? It is not only acceptable, but advisable, to be heavily sauced
Regarding the case of Storm Klien. (Hoping his is not a permanent injury)
I wonder what happens to a player that gets a permanent injury during their college career, that affects their NFL opportunities, or any of their future working opportunities?
They will be forever limited by an injury received during their college playing time. How are they protected, insured, compensated?
Boxley
I have heard of families taking out an insurance policy against injury. It has to be done before the injury, but it gives them a couple of mill. It usually is done for the very high draft choices in BB, haven't heard of anyone doing it in football.
Tim Tebow had one his senior year, I'm pretty sure I read that Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford did too.
I was just reading his lost e-mails and was still laughing about the spiral chat when I saw your post that he 'had one his senior year' in the recent comments. I had to click to see what it was about, thinking it was a post about a spiral.
Short answer: They are not.
If the player can personally afford it and the NFL expectations are high enough that an insurance company is interested, a player could choose to pay for insurance covering his future career. I can't imagine an insurance company offering this to anybody but an absolute lock (i.e. maybe Andrew Luck or RG III in their senior seasons). Oddly, this is not something players have ever pursued.
Im glad we are still 10-0 even with all the injuries we had endured. I dont know if its because we are pushing our guys harder than years before or just bad luck. Whatever the case I wish all the Buckeyes a speedy recovery and let us destroy Wisky and TSUN.
"if irony were made of strawberries, we' d all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now."
It should have said
"If Ohio State is able to finish off its dream season, it will have earned it. And if the record says 12-0, quarterback Braxton Miller & Kenny G will be largely responsible"
couple things,
I really like Boren staying put. He's coming on well.
RDS saying Sabino needs to get back to game shape worries me a little. That usualy takes longer than a week once healthy. Guess we'll see.
Boys better mind themselves today at practice. I'd hate to be the student who goofs off while the teacher is absent. #wrathofurban
Mythbusters. We know why he watches. cough, Kari, cough,cough.
I know there's a game saturday, and my ass will be there.
i like potential as a good word for the offense. 50 pts 4 out of 10 games is very good, but just wait. add on elliott in the backfield, and marshall being a revised ted ginn. lets see a game with 7 possessions. 7 td's 49-7 at half. and the subs come in etc
This is why I'm not worried about scoring against Wisky or tTUN defenses. I think that stat for Urban will be 13-1 after next weekend in Madison. Will it be tough...obviously...but I still think OSU prevails (I'm going with 35-21 or 63-21 if Urban does what I think he will and teach Brett a lesson in keeping his mouth shut). However, his first meeting after Lane Kiffin opened up his mouth was a close game in Knoxville. I could see that happening this year considering Wisky's defense is pretty decent.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
Great update and I can't wait to see Urban Assault unleashed next Saturday afternoon.
The future looks so bright for this team! I still can't believe what has transpired in one years time.
We go from the "vest" to.....we need a good nickname for Urban?
The
"general"?
"commander"?
"solution"?
"closer"?
"magician"?
"sorcerer"?
Any other suggestions?