Eleven Warriors

So, I've caught a little bit of feedback for labeling this team an "underachieving disappointment" in the game recap.

I feel I tried to clarify how I feel about this team and I truly don't feel the comment was an emotional knee-jerk response as I tried to summarize the game that ended hopes of a national title. Clearly, I'm aware of what this team accomplished by winning the regular and postseason conference titles. In no way am I trying to diminish the accomplishments of this team. I have stated on a few occassions that they are my favorite collection of players in hoops ever since I started following the Buckeyes. I'm 37.

For me, I guess maybe I get too caught up in the end result of sport. I stand behind my comment, though it was beyond without malice, because I felt early in the year this team was capable of winning it all. Then as the season unfolded, it became clear they were the best team in the land. Finally, they were awarded the #1 overall seed by the committee and nobody in America questioned that distinction.

So, the question is, considering what the team accomplished versus what they didn't - failing to get out of the Sweet 16 as the #1 overall seed - do you feel this team underachieved? Do you feel the end result was a disappointment? Do you think both? Do you think neither?

Why do you feel the way you do? I'm extremely curious to see what some well thought out responses to this look like.

First posted at Inside The Shoe

Ed. Note: This is part 1 of Danny's response to Brady. Part 2 will come next week and will cover more of the financial part of it all.

Moving to a playoff system in the Division formerly known as 1-A is all the rage these days.  Everyone, from U.S. Senators to NBA owners (of all people) has thrown their ideas out into the open.  Now, while the BCS is not a perfect system by any means, I think it has taken some unnecessary heat.  All I would like to do is defend the current system a little bit, so people can stop complaining and whining for a playoff system, and just enjoy the great game of college football.

To everyone that thinks the BCS is the worst thing that has ever happened to college football, what did you think of the pre-BCS years?  There was no designated National Championship Game.  The conferences were very tightly bound to certain bowl games.  Now, bear with me, because conference names have changed a bit, bowl affiliations basically amounted to the Big Ten champion (see: Ohio State or Michigan) playing the Pac-10 champion (also known as USC) in the Rose Bowl, the SEC champion playing an at-large bid in the Sugar Bowl, the former Big Eight champions meeting an at-large in the Orange Bowl, and the South West Conference champions playing another at-large in the Cotton Bowl.  The ACC as we know it now (with Florida State, Miami, and Boston College) was not intact yet.  These at-large teams were either second place teams in major conferences or independent teams that may have played a very weak schedule (PENN STATE).
Under this system, the top ranked teams rarely played each other.  If the Big Ten and the Pac 10 were both down during a season, but USC ran the table and won the Rose Bowl, they could have been crowned national champions easily, even though another conference, say the Big Eight, might have been stacked with great teams and their conference champion had only one loss.  If the teams that were ranked #1 and #2 in the polls met in any bowl game, it would have been considered the game of the decade.  Fast forward to today.  There are still bowl games, and conferences are still affiliated (although much more loosely than before), and the top two ranked teams play in the final game, every single year.

           
Now, getting to those top two teams, that is a completely different story.  There is the AP Poll, the Coaches Poll, the Harris Poll, ESPN Power Rankings, etc, etc, etc.  Everybody ranks teams.  What the BCS decided to do was take the two biggest polls and average them out with a computer generated ranking to cancel out any bias.  On paper, does that not sound like fantastic idea?  You can’t just take the human polls, because people will vote for who they think is best.  If a reporter covers the Big Ten, how many Pac 10 or SEC games do you think he or she watches every week?  If I was given a choice between Ohio State and a team with completely identical statistics, I would think Ohio State is better every time.
 

People have bias, whether it is intentional or not.  Computers can’t decide the champion on their own, either.  There is a difference losing a game on a blown call by a referee or losing the game because your team made mistakes.  Humans can judge that, computers can’t.  All computers can do is look at your record and at the records of the teams you beat, to determine if your wins are really all that meaningful.  But, by combining the two you can determine the two teams that the majority  of people think are the two best teams in the country, and then let those two teams settle it on the field.

Again, I want to reiterate that I do NOT think the BCS is the solution to all our problems.  It won’t cure diseases or create world peace.  But what it does do is produce a national champion in college football that more people can agree on than in any other time period in the history of the sport.  And how Ohio State fans, of all people, can complain about the BCS is just beyond me.  The BCS has been kinder to the Buckeyes than it has to any other institution.  Ohio State has appeared in three national championship games and eight BCS games overall.  There are also immense financial implications of switching to playoff system, but that is another post for another time. 

I believe the idea here is that Brady will respond to my post, and then I, in turn, will write another beautifully crafted article with superior arguments to his.  Which is fine with me; the financing of major college football is more than enough for a post of its own.

First posted at Inside The Shoe

Ed. Note: The first in a series of posts between Brady and Danny on what system is better: The BCS, or the Playoffs.

The NCAA basketball tournament is at full throttle and our Ohio St. Buckeyes have been as good as advertised up to this point. George Mason hardly stood a chance on Sunday with OSU’s onslaught of 3 pointers and the physical presence of Jared Sullinger on the inside. The Buckeye’s move on to Newark, NJ to face the Kentucky Wildcats on Friday night. With any luck, and continued hot shooting from the outside, OSU will move to the regional finals against the winner of North Carolina/Marquette for a chance to head down south for the Final Four.

Without a doubt, March Madness is this country’s greatest sporting event. The excitement and revenue that is generated from this tournament is astronomical. There are upsets and buzzer beaters every year that get your heart pumping no matter what team you root for personally. Nothing can compare to the drama that Cinderella teams such as Butler and George Mason create when they beat the odds and take down national powers. I am not a huge Basketball fan by any means but am gripped annually by this event.

With all the success and excitement that Basketball creates in this country every March, I wonder what football could do with a similar format. The ridiculous, unfair and laughable way the NCAA decides to crown its’ champion on the gridiron still dumbfounds myself and the population at large. Tournament brackets are so easy and obviously fair to set up one can lose their mind trying to figure out why a computer formula is in charge of crowning a champion. This is America! We decide things on the field.

My colleague Danny at ITS seems to think that the BCS is a fair and objective way to decide the NCAA football champion. Over the next few posts we will explore some of the issues and have an ongoing back and forth… like a virtual argument. Feel free to add your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below as this is always a hot button topic sure to bring out some interesting opinions.

My first, and most obvious argument, is that every other sport in this country (including lower divisions in college football) have a bracket style tournament where things are decided on the field. Many against a college football playoff have said that loss of class time and damage to bowl tradition are adverse effects to this style. I want to address both of those.

Losing school time due to travel and extra games is laughable in my opinion. The end of the football season comes towards the winter break for most schools and allows ample time for scholarly activities during the week. As I mentioned, all other divisions of college football have figured out a way to play these extra games without damage to the student athlete. What about the 4-6 weeks of down time between conference championships and the bowl games? You’re telling me there isn’t a way to fit an 8 game playoff in that time?
The other major issue is what to do with the bowl games. There is a rich and long history with the major bowl games that many don’t want to mess with. I kind of understand that point of view but if we want a playoff, collateral damage is unavoidable.

The man with the plan

There are many suggestions on how to incorporate the bowl games into a playoff system but they would never be the same. I can live with that if only to see the fat cats on bowl committees lose their six figure salaries. These men, and the college presidents, are the one standing in the way of what most of the country wants. Why? Money… it’s always money. These men are very powerful and don’t want to lose the easy payday that comes every year. Until this problem is dealt with, it is going to be an uphill battle.

Well Danny, the first shot has been fired across your bow. What say you?

A: The NCAA, his bosses, The University he represents, his players and their families.  That is it, case closed. 

He is famous, appears on TV and makes loads of money.  He is human.  He made a mistake.  He made his successes by virtue of his character.  He will now have to overcome scrutiny of his mistake, relying on those same virtues.  History will tell the story.  Tressel's good deeds done should not be wiped away due to one instance, though it is an odd one, seemingly for him, since we all, as Buckeye fans, feel as if we know him. 

In the past few days I have read/watched local and national news outlets commenting on Tressel's mistake.  I have seen on ESPN (Around the Horn, PTI, Jim Rome, Sportscenter) talking heads commenting on the Tressel situation and chastizing his lack of public apology.  Tressel and Gene Smith addressed the media during their Press Conference. Information was given, a public apology was not.  A public apology in this situation isn't necessary.  Let's not blow this out of proportion, we're not out for ratings, filler material or agendas.  This was a college football coach telling a lie to NCAA investigators.

Does Tressel owe an apology to: me a paying fan? A Notre Dame fan watching some sports report show?  A UCLA basketball fan tuning into a TV show to watch basketball bracketology?  The mayor of Cleveland?  An electrician in Piqua?  ESPN?  What would his public apology really mean to me?  Tress is smart, if he was truely sorry down deep in his heart, he wouldn't have done it in the first place.  A public apology would be hollow and shallow.  I'm sure he is sorry he got caught.  A public apology would as hollow and shallow as Bill Clinton's Mike Vick's, Bruce Pearl's or Rich Rod's. 

Pete Carrol, Lane Kiffin, Jim Calhoun, Florida State (academics), Auburn years back, Oklahoma(how many times), Alabama (how many times) never apologized publically for NCAA violations....instead, they get P.O.ed at the NCAA for reprimanding them.  If Tressel lied to gain an on field advatage, you know what, as a fan I'm glad.  The players were eligible in 2010.  OSU had a great year, and a superb Sugar Bowl Win.  As a fan, I just hope his mistake doesn't hurt the future of the football program.  Other than being a caring fan, emotionally invested in fall Saturday Scarlet and Grey, as a tax paying Ohioan, a sports watcher and a human, Tressel's situation has nothing to do with me.  He doesn't owe me a damn thing.

Did Jim Rome apologize to Tressel for getting punched by Jim Everett back in the 80's? Did Mike Wilbon apologize to Tressel after calling OSU fans pathetic for showing up 80,000 strong for a Spring Game? 

I admittedly have no idea where a post like this goes, but I didn't want to hijack a basketball thread for a separate topic...and needed to vent.

My buddy writes for WFNY and they just posted this (from the Dipatch) - http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2011/03/kirk-herbstreit-moves-out-of-o...

This bothers me more than the Tressel situation. I've lived in Cleveland all my life outside of the 2yrs I lived in Columbus and Herbstreit is the Bernie Kosar to Cleveland. Hands down. I know everyone knows that or had drawn that comparison, but while I appreciate and love our passionate fans, they can be too much sometimes. I understand that that Columbus doesn't have pro teams and I understand that OSU football is a religion much like it is in Texas, but this is too much. Collectively, we drove one of OSU's greatest hero's out of his own flipping city. Yes, he helped create this mentality and embraced it, but this is now a national embarrassment. When this hits the national media, on top of this Tressel stuff, OSU will be one of the biggest mockery's out there. And to know that we as fans helped create this is absolutely disgusting.

We can all step back and say we weren't a part, and we may not have been individually. We may also not have been sending Herbie emails questioning his loyalty, but collectively, the voice of THE Ohio State fanbase has driven out a guy that we respected, loved, and always pointed to as someone who is a great figure-head of tOSU.

This may be over the top - but in my eyes it isn't. It's one thing to question his loyalty and roots, but it's entirely another situation when he is pushed out of his own hometown by the exact fanbase that heaved him on the pedestal.

Cameron Heyward appeared on PFT Live earlier today and was asked about the Tressel situation (7:25):

Transcript:

It's been a rough process up here. I just got up here Sunday, but you know I'm a Buckeye through and through and I'm with Coach Tressel to the very end. Coach Tressel is a great guy and a great guy with great morals and you know, people make mistakes and I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone else, but it's how you deal with mistakes and how you bounce back from adversity that really shows the type of person you really are. I'm wishing the best for him. It's a tough process, you know, Ohio State is being looked upon very differently now and it's almost about the way we build it right back up. I mean, everyone knows at Ohio State, we don't rebuild, we reload. I think through all of this adversity, it's only going to make us stronger and they're going to do some amazing things next year.

The initial email from the concerned attorney is sent to Tressel on April 2nd. He warns Tressel about Edward "Eddie" Rife, saying the feds raided the tattoo parlor's house and that they seized "a lot of Ohio State memoriabilia; including championship rings." Tressel replies four hours later saying he will "get on it ASAP".

The attorney follows up two weeks later, specifying some of the awards and memorabilia in the possession of Rife. Tressel again responds within hours, saying he will "keep pounding these kids hoping they grow up."

The unnamed attorney replied later that day (4/16) indicating he was advising Rife on his defense options and Rife was looking at 10 years. Tressel is advised to keep his players away from Rife and his tattoo parlor and to avoid calling Rife on the phone as the feds would have access to those records.

Tressel initiates contact with the attorney on June 1st, saying "our rings arrive this week for 2009 Big Ten ...any names from our last discussion ?? I would like to hold some collateral if you know what I mean." The attorney responds, stating the investigation was wrapping up and there were "no more names".

ESPN's Eamonn Brennan says it's time to put an end to the silly "no great teams" line this season:

If we needed further evidence to this effect, see Sunday’s insane offensive effort against Wisconsin in which Jon Diebler and the Buckeyes only put on the single greatest long-range shooting display in Division I hoops history. (Ohio State shot -- get this -- 14-of-15 from beyond the arc. They scored 1.63 points per possession. Their effective field goal percentage was 83.0, which is as historically insane as anything we’ve seen in the past five years, and probably longer.)

Thing is, we didn’t need further evidence. We certainly didn’t need one of the greatest offensive performances in college hoops history to convince us. Why? Because even if the Buckeyes had merely beaten Wisconsin by, say, 10 points -- even if Thad Matta’s team had simply added another win to their docket -- that was enough. Ohio State would still have finished the regular season 29-2 and ranked No. 1 in the nation. Those two losses would still have come at two of the toughest places to play in the country versus two top-10 teams. In other words, they were the kind of losses that even a “great” team can suffer without losing much of the sheen of its greatness. Short of an undefeated regular season, the Bucks did just about everything right. 

Bartender, get that man a drink.

First posted at Inside The Shoe

You may have heard of Tyler Moeller, the 6'0" 210 lb senior from the Queen City. One of the fan favorites on defense, Moeller started to get some recognition in the 2008 season when he earned his first start against Illinois, recording seven tackles, two TFL, and forcing an Illini fumble. In 2009, Moeller was prepared for a break out year after a very impressive spring game. About a month before the season began, though, Moeller was attacked, suffering a severe injury to his head, and taking him out of the college football world. Some thought he wouldn't be able to play again, but he recovered well enough to garner attention for the 2010 year.

Finally, fans got to see Tyler Moeller step into a sort of lead role on the defense, with his flying to the ball on every play, never taking a break. Moeller was able to account for 19 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and a sack on the year. Then came Illinois. During the game, Tyler felt something "rip in his chest" and once again, Moeller would sit the rest of the year out. Now, being granted a 6th year of eligibility, Moeller will come in to lead a new look Silver Bullets for the Buckeye squad. We got a hold of Tyler to talk to him about the upcoming season, and a little bit about himself.

Do you think the Michigan rivalry has been diminished at all?
No I do not, If anything the change at Michigan is only going to intensify the rivalry.

What has really motivated you to keep playing through your injuries?
My love for football and Ohio State has motivated to play through my injuries. There is no better feeling than playing in the "Shoe" in front of 100,000 people.

What's Tressel really like during a game?
Tressel Is very calm most of the time during the game but you can feel the intensity he has built up inside of him, If that makes sense *laughs*

You own your own site, TylerTime26 and it's obvious that you love trains. Where did you get that from?
My grandpa has a train layout of his own and I have always wanted to build one and finally one day just started building my own layout and became obsessed with it! One of the reasons I have created TylerTime26 was to show my grandpa what I was doing with my train layout.

Next year you'll be a leader on the linebacking core again. What should we expect from that core?
I am officially a saftey now but the linebackers will be very good with Sweat and Sabino leading them.

How does playing with past injuries effect your mindset on the field? Does it ever cross your mind in the heat of battle or do you only know one way to play... fast?
You cannot play football double thinking about what could happen or past experiences. I made up my mind a long time ago that If I came back and played I could only play one way and thats fast or I wouldn't play at all.

Out of the younger guys on the team that most have not heard of yet (besides recruiting and depth charts), who are you most excited to see get on the field from what you witnessed in practice?
My favorite player is Christian Bryant, That may be a little biased because he plays my position but I love the mindset he has for the game and his ability to make plays.

Winn has worked magic with these this season and it will be sad to see them end, but we can at least take pride knowing our Buckeyes topped the final list:

Ohio State is my final No. 1 team because the Buckeyes are most deserving as of right now ... and because I think they're going to win the national championship.

Winn's Ohio State breakdown with awesome Diebler chart:

Jon Diebler is the most prolific three-point shooter in the history of the Big Ten, having made 348 treys in his 13-year career (or maybe four-year career) with the Buckeyes. Inspired by his 10-trey game at Penn State on March 1, I decided to plot out Diebler's 97 Big Ten three-point attempts from this season in the same style as the "Who's Feeding Jared?" graphic, to see what we could learn. I found 94 of the treys in Synergy's individual-game shot chart data (three were mysteriously missing, but the sample is solid), and made a 17-game, conference composite, then divided it into five floor zones:

 

 

Some of you will recall that Diebler is also Jared Sullinger's best post-feeder, and it's not shocking that Diebler is most accurate from the portion of the floor (zones 4 and 5) where he plays his two-man game with Sullinger. What is surprising is just how lethal Diebler is (a 71.4 percent shooter!) from the right corner. Leaving him open is never a good idea, but when he's in that zone, it's a death wish.