Eleven Warriors

The defense will don scarlet

So while the annual Spring Jersey Scrimmage is usually closed to the public and press, this year was a little different as The Senator opened today's event up to some media and a fortunate group of others to get a first look at the 2009 Buckeyes before they take the field for next week's Spring Game. I was one of the fortunate people to be in attendance this morning at The Horseshoe and figured I might as well share my observations from my first row, 50-yard line seats with all of our loyal 11W readers.

For those of you who are not familiar with the event, every spring the offense battles the defense in a scrimmage to see who will get to wear the coveted scarlet jerseys during summer practices. The losers have to wear the gray jerseys, which are actually white for whatever reason. JT gets to choose the starting ball spot for each possession as the first team, second team, and third team offenses square off against their counterparts. Each team stays on the field until they lose possession. Points are earned in a systematic way to level the field, as the scrimmage is solely offense against defense. 1 point is awarded to the offense for every first down they get, 2 points for a big play, 3 points for a field goal, and 7 points for a touchdown. The defense earns 1 point for stopping the offense on four downs, 2 points for a negative yardage play, 2 points for a safety, 5 points for a turnover, and 7 points for a defensive touchdown.

In this year's scrimmage the defense looked very impressive and came away with a 56-55 victory at the end of the contest, earning the scarlet jerseys. The game was not as close as the score indicates though, as the defense dominated early and the offense struggled to get things going. LiC finally got things moving though and with a little help from The Vest spotting the ball for the offense, the scarlet team was able to come back and make things close before Aaron Pettrey's game winning field goal attempt went wide right.

Some of the notable things to mention from the game include:

• Terrelle Pryor ended the game going 8-14 for 89 yards and an interception. Pryor started out slow, but I came away very impressed with how much he has notably improved over the off-season. Pryor is sharper in terms of having less air under his throws and clearly goes through his progressions much quicker than in his freshman year. There is still a ways to go if TP is going to be one of the nation's elite QB, but things are looking good right now.
• Redshirt Sophomore defensive end Solomon Thomas notched seven (yes, you read that correctly) sacks. The defense had 13 as a team, but Thomas made some noise on the second and third team defense today.
• Speaking of other defensive stand outs, Doug Worthington and Andre Amos really impressed me today. Worthington finished with 3.5 sacks and looked to be much quicker off the ball than in the past. Amos got the start with the first team defense and looked impressive, including an interception off a Joe Bauserman deep ball intended for Flash Thomas. Amos looks to be the answer opposite Chimdi Chekwa at corner back.
• Joe Bauserman did throw an interception, but his arm is looking strong. Most of his reps came with the second team, but as mentioned above, he did get some work in with the first unit. There won't be many better back ups in college football than Joe B.
• The offensive line looked sluggish in pass protection in the beginning of practice, but as the scrimmage wore on they stepped it up. Justin Boren seemed to be a vocal leader on the sideline and is really going to bolster the line this season.
• Finally, the offense didn't show much of a spark or any new tricks (JT may be saving them for next week), but one thing that I noticed was that Brandon Saine looked to have his burst back. Saine was hitting holes quickly and rally putting a licking on the linebackers and defensive backs. B-Saine finished with 77 yards on 15 carries and if he keeps this up there will certainly be a place for him on the field come September 5.

Overall, the scrimmage was a success and it was exciting to see the players on the field for the first time since the Fiesta Bowl loss to Texas. There is certainly some exciting things going on within the program this year and it will be interesting to see how the team performs once the black jerseys are taken off the QBs next weekend and LiC can run around a bit more to make some plays.

Studying video from Practice #11--listening to Young Jeezy--and getting ready for Practice #12 tomorrow morning. Update a little later. →

And we always thought State College was too country.

First a word on language: We love to curse. We talk like sailors out on the street and there's not likely anything you could say to offend us. Saying that, we're a little concerned with the flippant f-bombs and especially the use of the word "faggot" in some of the comments on this site. On the former, we're not one to censor -- we don't delete comments and even let you comment anonymously -- but we are trying to keep 11W accessible to as many fans as possible, so if you could please use discretion on some of the more colorful language, we'd really appreciate it. Regarding slurs, they will not be tolerated in any form. It's 2009, not 1957 -- homophobia is no longer acceptable. Thanks! And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

For some reason, the thought of a benched Dukie joining the Michigan football team has been burning down the internets the last 40 hours, so we figure we ought to address it -- if only to drive some more daggers into our eternal nemesis from the wasteland above us.

The news of Greg Paulus potentially heading to Ann Arbor to compete for the quarterback position broke last Wednesday night when FOX Sports reported on a visit Paulus made to Michigan's practice on Tuesday. The former Gatorade National Player of the Year hadn't thrown a football in a competitive situation since his senior year of high school, but Rodriguez was interested and had him over to check things out.

Kind of funny on the surface, but with Sheridan on the shelf and the quarterback battle raging between David Cone and freshman Calista Forcier (with another frosh, Denard Robinson arriving in the fall), if there's an extra schollie, it makes sense to take a flyer on a guy that could possibly help out right away.

But then things got weird.

Paulus showed up on the Dan Patrick Show and PTI basically insinuating that he already had an offer from Michigan and that he was strongly considering becoming a Wolverine. Not so fast, said Forcier, who was off to a good spring start (albeit by increasingly lowering standards) and appeared to be a little blindsided by the news:

From what I’ve heard, I’ve been talking to coaches all morning, my position coach, Coach (Rod) Smith, he told me specifically that they have not offered him. They don’t know why he would lie. They don’t know the kid. They haven’t offered them. They said we’ll let you’ll know what’s up, because right now, their specific words were, they haven’t offered them.

I want to believe my coaches, I committed (to) them. Why would a kid like him lie to national media? So to me it’s still up in the air.

Awesome. Say what you will about Rodriguez's merits on the field, but it's becoming quite clear that he lacks the other set of skills vital to any coach of a big FBS program: that of a manager. Setting aside whether or not Paulus would be effective after so long away from the gridiron, is hanging your freshman quarterback out to dry like that a good idea? Would you do that to someone that reported to you in the workplace?

We're convinced that Tressel is out to destroy us. How else do you explain the parade of open practices and the accompanying avalanche of quotes and tidbits provided by those worthy enough to attend (or lucky enough to have press credentials). What we learned from Thursday's session:

• Pryor is "a ripping ball of muscles" and the staff is working more on his foot and hip techniques instead of the perceived weirdness with his throwing motion.
• The year under his belt is showing up in his swag as he made comments about how disgusted he was when he watched tapes of last season and how there were some teams the Buckeyes "owe stuff to".
• LeBron in Cleats also excels in the classroom: his GPA was above 3.0 for winter quarter.
• ESPN's Adam Rittenberg took in his first practice and brings news of Boren dominating Larimore and Garrett Goebel. Winning hearts quickly, Boren is.

Speaking of academic quarters, Doug Lesmerises of the Plain Dealer does a fantastic job of breaking down how the move to semesters will benefit the athletic department. Some highlights:

• Hoops: Players testing the NBA draft waters will now be able to work out for teams without worrying about having to be in class. This is an APR+.
• Football: The NFL has a rule limiting players to one minicamp while school is in session. Players from other schools on semesters have had a leg-up heading into the draft.

Rude fan baby cannot be permitted to win this auction

Once again, the Ohio State Athletic Department is auctioning off what they're calling the "ultimate spring football game experience", which entails hanging out on the sideline of the Spring Game with a headset on and other perks.

As the visiting team honorary assistant coach you will join the home team on the field for their pre-game festivities in Ohio Stadium. Prior to kick-off you will head over to the visiting team sidelines to watch the game. Throughout the game you will have the option to put on a headset and listen in as the coaches on the field communicate with the coaches in the press box. You will join the visiting team in the locker room during halftime and listen in on all of the halftime adjustments. You will return to the sidelines for 2nd half action. Following the final whistle you will join the visiting team in their locker room for post game comments from the coaching staff which will mark the conclusion of this Ultimate Spring Football Game Experience.

The auction runs through the 21^st and though the action is trailing the jack raised last season (recession much?), the current high bid of $650 is a tad steep for not even getting the chance to call a flea-flicker or two.

At any rate, they've pretty much got all of the Buckeye fans we know screened with the small print:

Winning bidder must be an Ohio State fan and supporter and must dress and act accordingly and in a professional and courteous manner while participating in this experience.

Ohio State fan and supporter? Check. Dress accordingly? Check. Promise that you won't complain about blocking or play selection? Uhh...

Ken Gordon captured a dandy of a quote from secondary coach Taver Johnson after Wednesday's practice. Speaking on the rare luxury of having three skilled cover corners last season, Johnson remarked on how aggressive the unit will be this year:

"I think if we can get back to that (having three cover corners), I think you'll see a defense that will stay aggressive," he said. "But I'll tell you what -- having the front that we have right now, and even with some of our young linebackers, we have some guys up front that can get it done. So you can do some things to hide some corners when you have a front like that that can get after people."

We're all trying to temper enthusiasm but it's hard not to get excited about Gibson, Wilson, Williams, Heyward and crew right about now. It's been too long since the Buckeyes have had a dominant defensive front and defense wins...

The only way OSU could stop Maybin last year.

Next Saturday is huge. Not only do the common folk finally get a chance to see the young Buckeyes in action at the Spring Game, but there's also all of the grub and sodas to be had at the 11W Spring Game Social later that night. Oh, and there's the NFL draft, which could see your favorite team welcome a Buckeye to the fold.

Where the former Buckeyes may end up will come next week, but there are some other Big Ten teams and a few of them actually have some players that could hear their name called on Saturday.

In most mock drafts around the internets, the Big Ten should produce 5 first round picks, with 3 of them coming from Columbus. Of course, it's an absolute crap shoot when it comes to mock drafts, but they do provide a source of heated debates during the dreaded off-season.

Potential First Rounders

Aaron Maybin absolutely destroyed the Ohio State O-Line last season, on his way to first team All-Conference and perhaps the first Big Ten player taken in this year's draft. He is a little undersized for a DE, but might be a great fit for a 3-4 scheme.

Maybin has hovered around the top 10 the entire time, with the most popular picks being Green Bay, San Francisco and Buffalo at 9-11. He has a quick burst off the ball and at the age of 21, will continue to develop, but may not make an immediate impact. The tackles last year in the conference were young, his numbers at the combine were not that impressive for his group and he only played 2 seasons at Penn State. For me, this is a risky pick for a player who may not have a defined position yet, but the NFL coaching ego is powerful and potential is always the rage.

Vontae Davis of Illinois shot up the charts after he put up great numbers at the combine, arguably the best of the corner position. He lead all corners with 25 reps on the bench and tied for fourth with a 4.49 in the 40. With Malcolm posting some lower numbers, questions started surrounding him about his future position and Davis quickly became the favorite for the first corner drafted.

Now that most experts have come to their senses, Davis has dropped to the later half of the round, which is better for him. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a solid player and will make an immediate impact, but he shouldn't be drafted ahead of Malcolm based off better combine stats.

The early mocks had Davis going to the Saints at #14, but it looks like he will fall to a team like Minnesota or New England at 22 and 23 respectively, if they pass on him, he won't get past Tennessee or Pittsburgh.

Second and Third Rounders

The second round may be a long one for the other Big Ten schools, but I think their are some hidden gems that will slip in or hang around til the 3rd. Shonn Greene of Iowa ran for over 100 yards in each of his games this year and has a chance to slip into the late second, possibly at Arizona with the 63rd pick. Even though he is 24, there isn't much wear on his body and he would be a nice compliment to an established back. Derrick Williams of Penn State has been mentioned for a potential late 2nd rounder as well, after posting 44 catches for 485 yards and 4 touchdowns in his senior season. He caught 161 balls in his career and showed his versatility by returning kicks and rushing for 250 yards in 2008.

Two linemen, AQ Shipley and Gerald Cadogan of Penn State could also hear their name called on the first day. Shipley, the 2008 Remington Award winner has been the best center in the Big Ten over the last 2 seasons, while Cadogan earned All-Conference honors at the tackle position. For me, Shipley is going to be a steal for who ever drafts him, but don't be surprised to see Cadogan go first due to his position.

Luckily for Ohio State's offensive line, they didn't have to face Mitch King of Iowa over the last couple of seasons. Most drafts have him projected in the third round, but this kid is going to be a stud. Norm Parker has churned out some solid NFL D-Linemen over the last 6-7 years, including Jared Devries and Aaron Kampman. The B10 defensive lineman of the year will work his tail off to become better and as a Bears fan, I would love to see them snag him in the 3rd round, but something tells me he won't last that long.

Another hidden gem could be Travis Beckum of Wisconsin, a forgotten man with all of his injuries this past year. After posting back to back 900+ yard seasons on 136 catches, he slipped to just 23 catches for 264 yards and zero touchdowns. Most mock drafts have him going towards the end of the 3rd round.

Javon Ringer could slip into the first round, but I think he is a bit under sized. What do you think? Is there anyone else that could get a first day phone call? I know one thing, it is going to be interesting to see if Ohio State can have more players drafted on Saturday than the rest of the conference.

The A, B's and C

April 25th really can't get here soon enough (and as a kicker, the 100% accurate, never wrong 10-day forecast for the Spring Game is calling for a high of 73°). Spring is a time for plugging new pieces into different parts and seeing what you have to work with heading into the summer, and does this Buckeye squad ever have a shiny array of new parts to play with.

Some of those shiny new parts are starting to emerge as potential starters as the offensive line has now featured the same group of starters for the last three sessions: Adam, Boren, Brewster, Browning and Cordle. Boren has been running with the ones since the start of spring camp and has alternated between impressing and injuring teammates. It's kind of weird to think that a former Wolverine is the one bringing toughness to the unit, but hey, we'll take it. Mike Adams has finally appeared to nudge ahead of Andrew Miller at the left tackle spot in what you have to imagine was the staff's way of trying to light a fire under the behemoth. Brewster is no surprise at center, but it's at least a bit reassuring to see him back where he played all of last season instead of at the other line positions where he lined up earlier in camp. Cordle at right tackle is interesting and moving Browning inside to guard probably gives him the best shot of playing well, but Shuggarts is still injured and Marcus Hall could make a push later, so the group is by no means set. Still, I can get with this line as it stands now.

Flash Thomas has worked his way into the ones at receiver and Tressel went out of his way at Tuesday's teleconference to point out the strides he has made in the first seven practices of spring. If the Buckeyes can develop him to the point where he's contributing significant minutes this fall, he'll join a paradoxically proven, but green group that includes Small, Washington and Sanzenbacher (who's currently injured).

Of course the other big news to come out of the teleconference, and the first question asked, no less, was the status of Pryor's sore throwing arm. It's what most of us thought it was -- just tender from throwing a shit-ton off balls. Which is a good thing. The more spirals #2 zips this spring and summer, the better off all of our stomachs will be come the fall.

Hate Michigan Month
November is the month identified with hating our friends from the North, but with the Blue Jackets taking on the Red Wings and the Cavs facing the Pistons in the opening rounds of each league's playoffs, I certainly won't have any trouble ratcheting-up my distaste for all things Mitten State. The Wings should roll the Jackets (though if Mason gets hot...) while King James and the Cavs will likely return the favor on the hardwood. I do have to admit to being surprised to hear that five former Buckeyes will be skating in the NHL playoffs, however.

How Not to Use Twitter as a College Football Coach
Late last night, Gopher coach Tim Brewster (@Play4Brew) dropped a curious one on all of his tweeps:

How would you like to wake up in the morning and look in the mirror....... if your Fat Pat??

Huh? We immediately rebroadcasted that nugget hoping to give his philosophical waxing a wider audience, but soon after, Brewster (or the SID) deleted the tweet. Probably out of fear of losing recruits from the Houston area that are down with lousy rhymes.

With a wealth of depth returning on the defensive front, big things are expected from a group comprised of ends Thaddeus Maximus, Cameron Heyward, Lawrence Wilson, Nathan Williams and Rob Rose joined by interior returnees Doug Worthington, Dexter Larimore and Todd Denlinger. Throw in names like Garret Goebel and Willie Mobley and you've got some live bodies competing for playing time. From my perspective that just leaves two simple questions.

One, can this group overcome existing injuries and avoid new ones to be a standout unit?

Two, are we safe in assuming this group can achieve great things, if healthy, considering we had the same high expectations for last year's offensive line only to watch them perform a sieve impersonation on a fairly regular basis?

There's obviously no way to know if this group will avoid the injury bug but they are certainly due to catch a few good breaks on the health front. Goebel and Rose have been nicked up recently and I know we're all rooting for Lawrence Wilson to stay on the field after back to back seasons cut short due to major injuries and not just because we're all softies but because he's shown skills worthy of starting, at least in my eyes.

A healthy Wilson also gives the Buckeyes impressive depth at the end spot. The spring three-deep doesn't list #87 since he's not participating in drills but you have to think he'll challenge and possibly reclaim his starting spot awarded to Ironhead's Boy last year. At worst, Heacock has what appears to be a nice four-man end rotation with Thaddeus Maximus a clear starter on one side and Wilson, Heyward and Williams playing hungry in search of extended snaps. And what of Rob Rose? I don't think he's going to separate himself from the rest if he hasn't by now but who knows.

On the interior, Larimore and Worthington appear to have a firm grasp on starting spots but Garrett Goebel has caught Heacock's eye thanks to significant improvement from last season and I still think Heyward is a bigger asset inside as opposed to the edge.

Even with all this depth and experience, the question as to whether or not this year's defensive front will be a strength is still a valid one after being burned by last season's o-liners. As we learned, just because guys are coming back with experience, that's no guarantee they've improved or have the hunger to be great. The fact that the success of this year's defense will hinge largely on how effective the guys up front perform enabling the development of some green players at linebacker, corner and nickel seems like deja vu all over again -just on the opposite side of the ball.

Luckily, I'm an optimist and think the actual returning talent is greater than what we saw from last year's o-line and I'm certain more leadership will be provided from guys like Wilson and Maximus.

So what do you think? Do you agree this group might have the largest influence on the outcome of the season? And do you think they'll live up to the hype?

The Vest beats The Kirk in our rankings

After reading an article by Rivals.com's Tom Dienhart that ranked the Big Ten's football coaches, I could not be more apalled by what I have seen, even as Buckeye Grove has tried to rectify Dienhart's analysis. In case you're too lazy to click the link in the last sentence, Dienhart has listed Kirk Ferentz and Rich Rodriguez above The Vest in his list of the top coaches in the conference.

While I understand, but don't agree, with the decision to put a guy like Ferentz first on his list, how can Dienhart possibly justify putting Joe Tiller's good buddy before JT? First off, looking at the numbers, RR is 63-35 as a head coach at the FBS level, while The Senator's mark stands at 83-19. Secondly, Dick Rod has 4 conference titles (all Big Least) in his 8 years at the FBS level, while going 2-3 in bowl games (Bill Stewart coached WVU's 2008 Fiesta Bowl win), with 1 BCS victory. Tress has 5 conference titles (in a real conference), is 4-4 in bowl games, 3-3 in BCS games, and oh yeah, has a National Championship.

As I could continue to steam off more and more stats and other pertinent information as to why I am so angered that Dienhart has in all seriousness listed Dick Rod above Tressel in his coach rankings, I would much rather show Tommy how the rankings should fall when it comes to coaches in the Big Ten. Tom take notes, here's how it goes:

1. Jim Tressel, The Ohio State University
While you can say I am completely biased, I think the above statistics and continued dominance in the conference speak for themselves. Four straight outright or shared conference titles, four straight BCS games (6 in 8 years), double digit victory seasons in six out of eight seasons, and the best built program for success on the national level give Jim the upperhand over Kirk, Joe Pa, or any other coach that people want to argue should hold the number one spot on this list.

2. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Not to take anything away from Ferentz, as he is a great coach, but he is number two in my book behind JT. Kirk has done a great job with an Iowa program that went 1-10 in his first year, and holds a 82-74 record with the Hawkeyes headed into his 11th season with the program. He has taken Iowa to seven bowl games during his tenure, winning four of those. Year in and year out he makes the more out of less and has even tallied two Big Ten titles during his time in Iowa City. Looking at the numbers, Ferentz doesn't pop out at you, but there is a reason his name is continually brought up for big time college openings and in the NFL every year.

3. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
It was a tough call whether to put RR or Joe Pa in this slot, but I do have to give credit where credit is due, even if it pains me to do so. Dick Rod did do a very good job with his alma mater at WVU, bringing them to the top of the Big Least and putting them on the national map with a big Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in January of 2006. We're not completely sure how his time up north will pan out, but now that he is starting to get some players that are made for his system it's time for old Dicky to put up or shut up. If he doesn't have the results on the field in the next couple of years he may find himself on the open market.

4. Joe Paterno, Penn State
You can make the argument that Joe Pa doesn't even really coach the Nittany Lions anymore, but as far as we know he's still whipping up genius from his seat in the press box. Happy Valley has enjoyed a revival of the program the last few years, with two conference titles in the last four seasons, including last year's surprising 11-1 record and appearance in the Rose Bowl. Joe Pa is 383-127-3 in his 43-year stint as head of the PSU squad and holds the record for most wins, bowl wins (23), and bowl appearances (35), among other marks for FBS coaches. At age 82, he's still hanging in there and whether he's calling the plays or not, he remains a very important person to Penn State football and tradition.

5. Ron Zook, Illinois
After getting the royal treatment by Gator Nation after a 23-14 run in his three years at Florida, Zook has bounced back strong and made the Fighting Illini a legitimate Big Ten Contender. The Zooker is 18-30 in four years in Champaign-Urbana, but don't let numbers fool you as Illinois made the Rose Bowl in January 2008 after a 9-3 season which included an upset of our beloved Buckeyes in Columbus. Zook has done an excellent job of recruiting and while Illinois had a disappointing 5-7 season last year, expect the Orange Crush to bounce back strongly in Juice Williams' senior season. Illinois may be a basketball school, but Ron Zook is not letting football be forgotten.

6. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
The man who lead the OSU defense to the 2002 National Title is working his magic again, this time in East Lansing. After resurrecting Cincinnati football, Mark D. is 16-10 in his two years leading the Green and White. He's brought Sparty to two consecutive bowl games and has taken advantage of Michigan's fall by having tremendous success with in-state recruiting, putting his team in a position to be successful for many years to come. Dantonio may one day be JT's successor in Columbus, but it may be awfully hard to leave MSU if the program continues its success under his lead.

7. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Fitzgerald has done a very nice job since taking over for the late Randy Walker a few seasons ago. He has improved the Wildcats every year he has been the head coach, going 19-18 in his three seasons at the helm and lead NU to the Alamo Bowl last season. The future is bright for Fitzgerald in Evanston and with Mike Kafka behind center this year, his spread offense should be even more lethal than ever before.

8. Bret Bielema, Wisconsin
I am not a huge fan of Bielema's and he has regressed the last two seasons after going 12-1 in his first year taking over for Barry Alvarez. Bielema clearly has had a problem bringing in his own players and developing talent, but the prestige and success of the UW program, coupled with three bowl appearances in three seasons puts him above Tim Brewster in the eight spot.

9. Tim Brewster, Minnesota
Brewster is another Big Ten coach on the up and the Gophers impressed many by going 7-6 last season, just one year after their embarassing 1-11 campaign in 2007. Brewster not only had Minny bowling last year, but has put the Gophers on the recruiting map on the national level. The program in the twin cities has turned around quickly and it will be interesting to see what progress the Brew Crew can make this season.

10. Bill Lynch, Indiana
Lynch is lucky that there's a new coach in town, otherwise he'd be at the bottom of this list. Lynch has not been able to complete the rebuilding project that late coach Terry Hoeppner started and faltered with a 3-9 record last year after making a bowl appearance in his first season with Hoepp's players. This season Lynch is shaking things up on offense in Bloomington, including moving QB Kellen Lewis to wide receiver and using more spread and pistol in his schemes. If the changes don't lead to more wins, Lynch can't expect to have a job much longer.

11. Danny Hope, Purdue
Unfortunately for Hope, he is the new guy in town and is inheriting a team that went 4-8 last season. Bringing experience as a former head coach at Eastern Kentucky and as offensive coordinator at Louisville, Hope also had a stint as an offensive line coach in West Lafeyette during the Drew Brees era, and was brought on by Joe Tiller a couple seasons ago with it being known that he would succeed the long time coach. Hope has a lot of work to do and he falls last on this list because he first has to prove himself in the ranks of the Big Ten's quality stable of coaches.

Pettrey is looking to regain his 2007 form.

On Friday, the Buckeyes held their Tressel-invented kick scrimmage at Ohio Stadium, an annual event showcasing the importance of special teams. Both sides exchange punts until one is in field goal range and each half contains scripted punts and FG attempts.

The Scarlet won 30-27 on Aaron Pettrey's 34 yarder, his 10th on the day in 11 attempts, a kick that was set up by Devier Posey's 25 yard punt return.

Pettrey's only miss was from 53 yards, although he connected on a 57 yard bomb later in the scrimmage. He did have 2 kicks blocked, but the protection was jumbled, so you can't be too concerned.

While it seems to be Pettrey's job to lose, with no platooning, the Vest's 2 back-ups held their own for the Gray team and will be capable replacements if Pettrey should get injured. Redshirt freshman Ben Buchanan is competing for all 3 kicking spots and drilled 4 of 5 attempts, with the miss getting blocked, while averaging about 40 yards per punt. Devin Barclay, the former MLS player and 26 year old walk-on, was 5 of 6 with his miss also getting blocked.

Jon Thoma is the veteran punter, who also has done an admirable job of holding for FG attempts the last two seasons. He is going to be in a battle with Buchanan for the right to becoming Tressel's favorite player, after averaging over 41 yards on his punts.

I'm interested to see if any of these speedy returners make an impact April 25th, gaining an edge in the starting nod heading into fall. The kick-off return stats have been putrid the last 2 seasons, but Lamaar Thomas showed some Flashes late last year, while Posey, Devon Torrence and 4.4 freshman James Jackson will compete to fill the other spot.

The other big news to come out of camp this weekend was the status of LiC's bum throwing arm. Ken Gordon had reported at Thursday open practice TP looked to be wincing after a few throws. He was taken out mid way through Friday's practice and we won't know any type of report until they return to practice tomorrow. If he's unable to play, the spring game tickets just went down to $4 in value

Jared first brought it to our attention in the 11W Spring Game Social comments, but Donte Whitner was tasered by an off duty cop outside the House of Blues in Cleveland over the weekend, after police had to break up a "near riot" after Ted Ginn Jr's birthday bash. No charges have been filed yet, but after this and his 2006 brush with the law, the NFL maybe keeping a closer tab on Donte.

Vintage Tressel on this newfangled Twitter:

And, coach, we'll all be monitoring Pete Carroll's stream the week of the game.

(Shameless plug)