After last Wednesday's media availability contained a ton of useful nuggets, things weren't as exciting last night as Urban Meyer and company entertained the assembled press.
Though he looked a bit tentative in the run game early against Wisconsin, Braxton Miller noted he was 100% and is absolutely clicking on all cylinders, and potentially driven by the fact he missed out on some stat-padding non-conference games.
A healthy Miller would obviously go a long way in turning back the upstart Northwestern Wildcats considering they've given up a ton of yards through the air so far this season. Also, once again, Urban Meyer reiterated that Jordan Hall needs to realize increased touches so it will be interesting to see how the carries are split between Carlos Hyde and Hall, knowing Miller will also get his fair share of carries either by design or off broken pass plays. Maybe this is the week Hall sees increased snaps at the H and in the slot?
Other key news came in the form of Jamal Marcus' expected return. I'm not sure we'll see much of him in the defensive line rotation but he's been a beast on special teams coverage so his return is meaningful. I also found it interesting that Devan Bogard has been moved from the secondary to weak-side linebacker on the heels of Josh Perry having a strong game at that spot against Wisconsin.
Finally, Kyle reported Ryan Shazier came off the practice field donning Christian Bryant's #2 jersey instead of his usual #10. Ohio State has not yet confirmed what number Shazier might wear on Saturday but how sick would it be if he paid tribute to a fallen captain by sporting his number? I love this team. I'm not sure – yet – that they are worthy of all the national championship talk based on what we've seen on the field but man are they a classy, tight-knit group.
PROFESSOR GRIFF SPEAKS. The only two-time Heisman Trophy winner and current President and CEO of the Ohio State Alumni Association, Archie Griffin, sat down with Campus Union and had some interesting things to say about all things college football.
As classy as they come, Archie was particularly reflective when asked whether or not there will ever be another two-time Heisman winner and if that bothers him at all:
I’ve said for a long time that there is going to be another two-time Heisman winner. Since they have started giving it to freshmen and sophomores, it’s possible there could be a few two-time winners. It’d be very difficult to do, but I know there will be another two-time winner. There’s no question about that. I won it twice, so I know there’s somebody else out there that can win it a second time.
The next question for me is usually, “Does it bother you?” No, it doesn’t, because I don’t mind company. I can always say I was the first one to do that, and that’s a compliment to the teams that I played on at Ohio State. I was lucky enough to play with some great athletes that made me look good enough to win two Heisman Trophies. I always felt like I was in the right place at the right time with the right team.
Archie did say, however, that while the overriding factor in voting should be the person's play on the field, his character and the way he represents the game can also part of the evaluation process:
It is an on-the-field award for me, mostly. But I do look at other things. I look at how the person represents the Heisman, or the character of the person and how he represents his school and his family and things of that sort. There’s no question that’s part of it. But the main part is certainly how they perform on the field of play.
Finally, and sorry for the barrage of block quotes but when Archie speaks people should listen, Griffin commented on the great debate on whether or not players should receive any type of stipend/compensation:
Firstly, I work at Ohio State, but I’m not speaking on behalf of Ohio State. But personally, as a former player, I do think they should be paid a stipend of some sort. I think they should get at least [the full] cost of [going school].
I think this train’s already [in] the station. The NCAA and college athletics and universities need to recognize that these young people see what’s happening. They see the million-dollar contracts that coaches are receiving. They see the big sports contracts universities get because of their college programs and the athletes in these programs. They see these jerseys being sold with the number of the player on the back of them, and they know that the school is going to say, “Well, we own the numbers.” But the fact of the matter is, the player that wears the number is what sells the jersey. They see all that stuff, and they feel that they deserve more. Quite frankly, my personal opinion is that they do. When you see colleges charging as much to see a college football game as the pros charge for a game … [Players] see those types of things.
Let’s face it, college players are under the same risk as pro players are. They’re not getting the compensation pro players get for that risk, but they’re the same risks. You get those injuries — knees, necks, concussions and things like that — just like the pros. But it’s a new day. The universities and the NCAA need to recognize that.
Well said, Mr. Griffin.
Hopefully, Fitz will be ready to poke his eyes out SaturdayFUN WITH NUMBERS. Though this week's tilt against Northwestern is receiving tons of hype based on the Wildcats' rise and Ohio State's position as a potential national championship caliber squad, historically, as you know, this matchup has been a yawner. Things actually got out of hound right from the jump with the Buckeyes winning the first game 58-0 exactly 100 years ago.
Teddy Greenstein took a look at the game's history and provided a few interesting nuggets – just don't let them go to your head as the 2013 edition of Wildcat football should not be mistaken with most of their squads over the past 100 years:
- Gary Barnett, who will be on hand Saturday, never beat the Buckeyes
- OSU is won of two B1G schools Pat Fitzgerald has never beaten as head coach (0-3) along with Penn State (0-5)
- Fitzgerald, however, was the linebackers coach in 2004 when Randy Walker's squad nipped Ohio State 33-27 in primetime, causing Fitz to get his swerve on:
"My job was to get those linebackers to play. Afterward, yeah, I partied like a rock star. But I do that after every win."
- In response to the upset in 2004, the Buckeyes went on a four-year binge outscoring Northwestern 205-34.
- In the 29 meetings since 1973, "Northwestern has outscored Ohio State one time. Once."
- "During the Dark Ages of NU football (1974-93), the series produced some slapstick scores: 60-0, 55-7, 63-0, 70-6, 55-7 and 52-3."
After last week's closer-than-it-should've-been defeat of Wisconsin, a statement win would be outstanding to watch but I have a feeling the oddmakers are right and we'll have a shootout on our hands that will likely be decided in the 4th quarter. What say you?
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE. The venerable Adam Rittenberg compiled a lengthy, yet outstanding, piece digging into the B1G's revenue stream and how those funds have had zero correlation in the league's effort to win the crystal football.
It's no secret the SEC has dominated the football landscape, winning the last seven titles, while the B1G hasn't captured a national championship since 2002, however the B1G has had no problem competing with the SEC in generating big bucks:
The Big Ten generated more than $315 million in revenue in its latest reported tax return (fiscal year ending June 30, 2012). The league is expected to distribute $25.7 million to most of its members for fiscal year 2012-13. The SEC was fourth in revenue (approximately $270 million) for fiscal year 2011-12, according to Forbes, trailing the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC.
As David Brandon accurately notes, money simply doesn't win titles, ""It would be really hard to buy a national championship in college football. There are a lot of other things that drive success in football. There's tradition and culture and momentum and luck and skill in recruiting and consistency. There's a whole bunch of things that don't necessarily always trace back to money."
I found it compelling, though I don't believe it has any bearing on football titles, that B1G schools, on average, do boast a greater number of NCAA sports programs:
The Big Ten's median number of varsity sports (24) is higher than the ACC's (23), SEC's (20), Pac-12's (19.5) and Big 12's (18). No Big 12 or SEC school sponsors 24 or more sports, while six of the 12 Big Ten squads do.
Taking on all those non-revenue programs hasn't hurt the B1G's bottom line too badly based on the stats above including that $315 million in total revenue and the fact member schools (most, anyway) will receive nearly $26 million from the league. Also, six B1G schools ranked in the top 20 nationally in both athletic revenue and athletic expenses in 2012.
Though I admittedly don't pay a ton of attention to the non-rev sports, I admire the league's collective stance on supporting as many programs as possible while still putting the most emphasis on the two big dogs, football and men's basketball, that essentially foot the bill for all those other programs. I think most of us would agree that simply dumping more money into football wouldn't translate into guaranteed crystal football's anyway. It would likely take a host of nefarious tactics and significantly lower admission standards to move that needle at a seismic rate.
QUICK CLICKS. The playoffs are here so I'm trotting out this slightly-NSFW MLB gem again; I plan on it once per quarter... 7 reasons why I boycott the ocean... BTN to air 67 B1G hoops games; adds Seth Davis to team... A simple map of the Tokyo metro... The History of CTRL + ALT + DELETE... 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About The Cast Of “Homeland”... I'd be in a lot better shape if I had one of these... Application for the USC Trojans Head Football Coach Job... The 10 Most-Watched Series Finales Ever... BOOM! Land Grant Brewing set to open in Grandview... Ohio State v. Wisconsin Timelapse video... This skully sponsored by the vinyl stylings of this, this and this.
