Eleven Warriors

Uniform FAIL

Not that the thought excites you, but...

Alex Boone will get another crack at showing NFL scouts that he's worthy of the next level when he hits the field in the East-West Shrine Game today at 4PM on the Deuce. These types of games don't typically do much to shape a prospect's overall profile, but if you enjoy seeing a Buckeye in action, this is one of your last chances until April. Even if it is the guy that basically never grew past his sophomore season.

Boone will be playing for the East which is packed with elder statesman of the Big Ten: Greg Orton, Brian Hoyer, Tyrell Sutton and Morgan Trent. Other notables on the East team include Chase Daniel, and well, that's about it.

The West roster features Keith Ellison of USC and a bunch of dudes I've never heard of. Full rosters are here.

Next Saturday brings us the Senior Bowl, which typically features more talent (and thus, more NFL scouts). It's still a decent game, but nowhere near what it was in the past. To my knowledge, Freeman is the only Buckeye playing in this game. There are reports that Tressel told Laurinaitis and Jenkins that it wouldn't be worth their time to attend, which is most likely the case, if true.

Finally, we get the appropriately-named Texas vs. the Nation game on Saturday the 31st. Nader Abdallah will join a contingent of 11 Big Ten players participating, when he lines up for team Texas (guess Louisiana was annexed). The good news for him is that Curtis Painter will be playing for the other team, thus almost guaranteeing Nader's side a victory in the affair.

Ohio State 12-3, 2-2 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

January 17, 2009 8:00 PM ET - BTN —— Crisler Arena Ann Arbor, MI

#24 Michigan 13-4, 3-2 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

At least this time, RichRod won't have to deal with rowdy Buckeye fans.

Ohio State and Michigan renew their hardwood rivalry tomorrow, the first of two meetings in the next 11 days. The Buckeyes will try to avenge last year's 10 point loss in Ann Arbor, when Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims combined for 49 points in an 80-70 Wolverine victory.

Both teams come in with 2 conference losses, but Michigan has played one more game and OSU could tie Wisconsin for fourth with a win.

Opponent

Michigan enters the game scoring 71.7 points a game, good for fourth in the league. The Wolverines specialize in the three point shot, attempting 165 more than the Bucks thus far. Overall, UM is shooting 43.4 percent, including 33.8 percent from deep.

Beilein will run 10 players at Thad's depleted squad. Stu Douglass and CJ Lee lead the way off the bench, but neither one will be a threat to score big points. The Wolverines are coming off a 68-51 loss at Illinois on Wednesday, so they will be hungry for a win at home.

Michigan is well tested, splitting two meetings with Duke, beating UCLA and losing to Maryland and Wisconsin. Michigan's ability to change defenses on the fly is going to be key if they are going to pull off a victory. OSU lacks a true point guard and Simmons has proved a bit vulnerable when picked up full or half court defensively.

Buckeye Breakdown:

OSU has taken advantage over the last two weaker opponents, moving up to fifth in conference FG percentage, at 45.6 and scoring almost 68 points a game. We will see if they can keep those numbers up during the two road tilts this week.

Ohio State has shown improvement in their driving the rock and getting it inside. BJ Mullens is 20 of 29 over his last 4 games and leads the conference in FG percentage during league play. I think the team has also done a better job of shot selection. The quick three isn't going up as often and the shot fake has even made an appearance.

William Buford has his season average up to double digits, giving the Bucks 3 of the conference top 9 scorers during the early part of B10 play. If he keeps his recent trend up, Diebler should have another big game in Ann Arbor, before cooling at Illinois.

Etc

• Simmons has 16 assists over the last 3 games.
• Turner has hit 10 of his last 12 shots.

After flirting with taking a position at Notre Dame running the defensive line, Buckeye co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Luke Fickell has decided to stay in Columbus.

This is pretty huge news as many see Fickell as the guy that will be running the show (and unleashing the bullets again) once Heacock leaves.

Though the thought of working for Tenuta, his old defensive coordinator from his playing days who he's coached with before, must have been intriguing, Fickell is a Buckeye through and through. And here's hoping that he got some more cheddar to stick around.

----

(Thanks to Vico for the tip.)

In a move that didn't surprise too many people around Columbus, Donald Washington has decided to forgo his senior season and make himself available for the NFL draft.

I’m very excited to take the next step and pursue my dream of playing in the National Football League, but it has been a difficult and emotional decision.

What are your feelings about Washington leaving? This leaves just one corner returning that has significant playing experience, but there are plenty of youngsters chomping at the bit. We wish Donald nothing but success and hope he continues the great OSU corner tradition in the NFL, currently being upheld by Clements, Springs, Winfield and Gamble.

We took a look at the '09 defense earlier this week and today we're peaking ahead to the offense. Just like the look ahead to the defense, incoming freshman are out of the conversation for now, regardless of how fresh Duron Carter might be.

One thing I think we'll see is an offense similar to the high-scoring team we saw in 2006. Losing Wells sucks beyond the most miserable thing you can imagine, but his departure will force the offense to diversify a bit. I'm not faulting Tressel for the smashmouth approach we saw the last two years, because if you coached Beanie Wells, you'd want to run him 200 times a game as well, but if nothing else, he adapts to his personnel.

Line: Adams, Cordle, Brewster, Boren & Shugarts

Usually when a line loses three starters, the next batch is thought to be in rebuilding mode. If you caught the Buckeyes the last handful of times they've been on in primetime, you realize that might not be the case. And let's not forget, the play of said veteran unit is the number one reason Todd Boeckman lost his job.

DO WANT

So we head into 2009 relishing the thought of actual position battles¹ and the excellence that is nurtured by competition. Sure, there's that small problem with the guy that coaches the line -- and I've come to terms with the fact that Bollman will be around for at least one more season -- but look at it this way: if this line fails to live up to expectations as well, we can definitively say that, yes, it is the coach. And march on his house with torches.

But back to the line... Brewster and Cordle will be returning and it excites me to no end that Brew will form a battery with Pryor for the next two years. Cordle has struggled at times in his career, but showed promise in some guard play this season. A senior-to-be (unless he springs the mother of all surprises on us today), he has good size for a guard and will provide some leadership to the group.

Adams is healthy and ready to go and should slide into Boone's vacated left tackle spot. After sitting out a season, Boren is ready to start at the other guard spot. It's always a good thing when one of your new starters has two seasons of Big Ten play under his belt (including an all-conference honorable mention nod his sophomore year). And in the unlikely event the Buckeyes lose two centers in a game, Boren is the third member of this line with starting experience at that spot. Because you never know.

Right tackle is where things get interesting. Shugarts should be able to edge the incumbent Browning here, but he just went under the knife and will be missing spring ball. If he's healthy and has a good fall, however, the job will most likely be his. If the injury bug lingers, then Browning could step in with his dozen career starts. He was embarrassed at times this year, but he was only a sophomore and I continue to hold out hope that he'll grow into a good player².

Providing depth on the line will be Moses, Smith and Blankenship. And though I'm excluding future Buckeyes from this exercise, Jake Mewhort looks kind of beastly.

Receivers: Posey, Sanzenbacher, Small & Ballard

With the graduation of Robo and the Hartline's early exit, the receiving corps is losing two guys with a ton of game experience. Though the passing game as a whole had a down year, it's hard to account for all the two of them did beyond just catching balls.

That said, this is another area of the offense that has a chance to improve a bit over 2008. The receivers should naturally benefit from a more polished Pryor throwing the ball to them and his feet will create many, many big play opportunities for wideouts breaking deep on plays that appear to be broken. Vince Young and Limas Sweed killed defenses on plays like this.

If Small can stay out of the doghouse, he brings a lot to the field. At times early in the season, most notably against USC, he was the Buckeyes' best receiving option. Dane actually finished the year with the same amount of catches as Hartline, and he's the possession guy with the ability to get decent YAC with another year of strength training. And then there's Posey. A hybrid of Sanzenbacher's clutch and Small's burners, he should be Pryor's #1 target for the next two years in Columbus. His feet are wet and '09 should be a breakout.

Flash Thomas and Stoneburner will be there to provide depth and should the Bucks roll five-wides, that's a formidable set.

Ballard is back at tight end and his shoestring grab against the Longhorns has me thinking good thoughts. Assuming the offensive gameplan decides to utilize him, that is. Backing him up will be DeLillo, who has great size as well, and J.D. Larson.

Backs: Pryor, Herron & Martin

Pryor will be entering his 2nd year as a starter at quarterback and many of us, myself included, hope that he adds a potent passing game to match the magic of his feet this season. Granted there were rumblings about injuries, but at times he looked pretty awful throwing the ball in the Fiesta Bowl. He will put it all together, it's just a matter of how soon. If he comes out in the opener slinging the ball, it could be a long season for Buckeye opponents.

Big shoes to fill

Losing Wells at tailback is huge, but I think most of us have enough confidence in Boom's abilities to at least get some sleep this summer. He started the season strong, but got popped at Wisconsin and missed a few games. I think what's most encouraging to me is the fact that he finished with a bang, torching Michigan and then breaking off a few solid runs against the Longhorns. Not a bad ending to a redshirt freshman season at all.

Fullback is anyone's guess, but I like Jermil Martin. There are Saine-to-fullback rumors, but he's going to need to bulk up a bit more before making that move. Marcus Williams is another possibility, but he's a bit undersized. Regardless, the winner of this battle won't see as many snaps as the fullbacks did in 2008 and if they're looking to tote the rock, they'll be disappointed. Buckeye fullbacks had all of two carries and seven receptions in 2008.

Conclusion

As already stated, the offense will be a more wide-open affair in 2009. It's almost impossible to think the team will be any worse than it was at times this year, what with Pryor's evolution and all. If things click early, this group has a chance to do some damage.

¹ Yes, I realize that technically Browning won a job in 2008, but with the injuries to Shugarts and Adams early in their careers, who exactly did he beat out?
² I am completely aware of the fact that I might be alone on this one.

As expected, Brian Hartline has opted to try his luck in the NFL and will forgo his senior season at Ohio State. He released a statement announcing his decision today:

“I am thrilled to declare my eligibility for the National Football League draft.

“Everyone involved within The Ohio State University football program has done a tremendous job for me. I want to thank all of them, particularly Coach Tressel, for helping me to succeed as both a student and an athlete during my time here.

“I would especially like to thank the media and the fans of Ohio for being great to me and to my family throughout my career.

“I have had an outstanding experience at OSU and am thankful for the support I continue to receive. I now look forward to testing myself against the top competitors in the National Football League.”

While you never want to see anyone leave early, this move probably won't surprise anyone with Hartline getting married in May and graduating in June.

Another junior announced his intentions for 2009 today and this time, the Buckeyes got some good news as safety Kurt Coleman is returning for his senior season.

“After a lot of thought and study, I have decided to remain at Ohio State for the 2009 season to complete my degree and my college football career.

“I am extremely blessed to be in the position where these opportunities are possible, and I’m very grateful for the support of my family, my teammates and the Ohio State community.

“My decision to come back is a lot about helping this team. I feel we can do anything next year. We have a lot of great leaders coming back and an excellent group of underclass talent. For me personally, my family and I felt this was the best decision for me, to make my career at Ohio State even better than it has already been.

“I have a lot to prove to myself and a lot of things I want to accomplish. With one more year here, I can attain all those goals.

Amen. And now we wait on Washington.

BJ: Shooting 69% in last 4 games (20/29)

Ohio State improved to 2-2 in conference play thanks to a balanced attack that saw five Buckeyes notch double figures in a 77-53 demolition of a stripped down Hoosier squad. Seriously, the Indiana roster is such a clunker they should consider switching to primer gray uniforms until Tom Crean's improved parts begin to arrive next season.

This one was basically over after the Buckeyes unleashed an 18-0 run midway through the first half turning a 15-10 lead into a 33-10 bulge with just over eight minutes until intermission.

Ohio State shot 4/4 from downtown and 7/10 overall while assisting on six of the seven field goals during the blitz.

The barrage of threes and excellent ball movement were themes throughout the half as OSU took a 44-28 lead into the locker room on the strength of 11/16 shooting (69%) from deep allowing the Buckeyes to assist on an amazing 15 of 16 first half field goals.

Though the Buckeyes struggled a bit defensively toward the end of the half allowing 18 points over the final seven minutes they did hold Indiana without a field goal for over eight minutes during what turned out to be the decisive 18-0 run.

Sporting the big lead, Ohio State coasted in the second half allowing Indiana to get no closer than 13 at 49-36 with the lead swelling to as many as 25 in the final minutes.

Wil Buford went off again scoring a team high 19 points on 7/15 shooting along with seven boards, three assists and two steals against zero turnovers. Buford has now reached double figures in seven of the last eight games and he's averaging 14.3 during the stretch. Equally impressive, he's turned it over just seven times in those eight contests and he continues to improve his rotational awareness on the defensive end. Big Ten Freshman of the Year?

Jon Diebler snapped out of a two game shooting slump in which he shot 4/14 with a 17 point performance - all in the first half - on 6/11 from the floor including 5/8 from downtown. Diebler's first half barrage not only fueled the big run but also offset the fact Evan Turner watched the last 13+ minutes on the pine with two fouls.

Turner still managed 13 points (4/5 FG) and five boards in a season low 23 minutes. The foul trouble is a blessing however in that Turner has logged just 29 and 23 minutes the last two games after playing at least 39 minutes in the previous four. With road tilts at Michigan and Illinois upcoming similar rest won't be available in the foreseeable future.

Even with the big nights from Buford and Diebler the clear bright spot tonight was the play of much maligned point guard Jeremie Simmons. The inconsistent juco put together a 12 point, eight assist night giving him 13 dimes in two games after recording only 10 in the previous five contests combined.

Rounding out the double digit scorers was B.J. Mullens. The big man finished with 14 points on a hot 7/8 from the floor while snatching a team high eight boards. His four turnovers weren't fun to watch but I love the confidence he's showing at the offensive end.

Even though the competition wasn't much tonight, Buckeye fans should still be excited about the improved ball movement contributing to a 54% shooting effort including 13/24 from deep. Of course, sometimes the shots just fall causing a false inflation of assists but to see that OSU assisted on 23 of 28 buckets is an amazing stat especially for a team known for standing around watching Turner try to make something happen for long stretches.

If nothing else, nearly everyone should be riding on a full tank of confidence heading into Saturday night's showdown in Ann Arbor.

Don't be surprised to see 20 points soon. (D.Harker: The O-Zone)

Ohio State 11-3, 1-2 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

January 13, 2009 7:00 PM ET - ESPN —— The Schott Columbus, OH

Indiana 5-10, 0-3 Big Ten Roster | Schedule

What a difference a year makes. Just a season ago, Indiana was on top of the Big Ten cruising towards a title and I took some heat for calling out Kelvin Sampson in the first preview.

Two weeks later Sampson was fired and Dan Dakich came in to oversee the season-ending-drug-induced-FAIL that lead to Tom Crean being hired to turn things around. Crean was a great choice and there is little doubt he will have the Hoosiers back in the next couple of years.

Indiana took both games from Ohio State last year and lead the all-time series 99-68, but OSU holds a 47-34 in Columbus. This will be the first time both teams come in unranked since the 2004-2005 season.

Opponent

Indiana comes in scoring 60.9 points a game on 42.8% shooting, both good for last in the B10. With all the defections from last year the Hoosiers start 4 freshmen and a senior and making matters worse, their leading scorer Devan Dumes may be out with an ankle injury. If you'll recall, Dumes was offered a scholarship by Thad, but decided to stay close to home, opening up the spot for Jeremie Simmons. I was looking forward to comparing the two tonight.

If Dumes doesn't play, the Hoosiers may go only 7 deep, 6 of which are freshmen. Malik Story, a 6'5" freshmen will lead Indiana off the bench, scoring 5.9 points and grabbing almost 3 boards a game.

They have lost 8 of their last 9, including 6 straight, but had Michigan on the ropes last week before blowing a 20 point lead. Other recent losses include Kentucky, Northeastern and Lipscomb.

Buckeye Breakdown:

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the Houston Baptist game due to a combo of traveling and being a dumb-ass with the DVR, but it sound like the Huskies were so bad, it would be hard to determine anything good or bad from the tape.

A couple recent trends have been encouraging though. I think the Bucks have started to make a better effort of getting the ball toBJ Mullens, as he hit 13 of 21 shots in the last two games. Also, Will Buford has scored 36 in his last two, creeping his per game average to almost 10.

The negative trends continue to be the lack of three point defense and Diebler's streaky shooting. The Bucks have fallen to 9th in the conference in 3-point FG defense, allowing 43 over the last 4 games. Diebler's scoring the last eight games is: 14, 16, 3, 5, 27, 15, 7 and 5. He would be guaranteed double figures every game, if he would give a shot fake and drive on a threeball every now and then. It was good to see him lead the team with 8 assists against Houston Baptist.

Etc

• Evan Turner is fourth in scoring and fifth in boards amongst B10 players.
• OSU doesn't have a player ranked in the top 15 for assists in the conference.

Thaddeus Maximus is back

As a quick update to the question on juniors that might be considering an early departure, Ken Gordon spoke with Hartline Sunday afternoon:

I just spoke with him, and he's still in the process of making up his mind. He said he has a few things he needs to bounce off his family and his fiancee before making a decision.

Not much to take away from that, but he is approaching a couple of events that may tip his decision:

In any case, the man redshirted in 2005, so he's been at OSU for four years. He is getting married in May and will graduate in June, so he may view this as a logical stepping-off point for the next phase of his life.

For what it's worth, Hartline is the only one of the juniors that Gordon thinks will opt for the draft.

Assuming he's correct, let's take a look at what the 2009 Buckeye defense might look like¹.

Line: Wilson, Heyward, Worthington & Gibson

The only loss in this group is Nader Abdallah and on paper, it appears to be the saltiest unit Tressel's had since 2002. If these guys put in the work, they could even eclipse that fabled group.

Gibson should be damn near unblockable and once teams realize that, the doubles he'll get will only help the rest of the line. Lawrence Wilson (knock on wood) will play opposite Thaddeus with Nathan Williams and Rob Rose providing depth. With four very capable ends, the Buckeyes should have no issues getting pressure late into games all next season.

The interior of the line is in the same boat. Heyward, Worthington, Larimore and Denlinger, all guys that have been in town for what seems like 10 years, are all back for another go. Add the experience with some more time spent in the weight room and you can see why I'm probably more excited for this group than any other heading into 2009.

Linebackers: Homan, Sabino & Spitler

With Laurinaitis and Freeman graduating, the Buckeyes will need to replace two starting linebackers to play alongside Homan, who saw considerable time this season and proved effective as a run-eater.

Etienne Sabino and Austin Spitler look to be the most likely to step into those huge shoes, but luckily, having incredible size and instincts is often enough to make a great backer. Sabino should be a lot of fun to watch I can't wait to see what another year of the strength program will do to him. Spitler is still best remembered for his roughing call on a punt block last January, but he'll be a senior with good size. Look forward to a Schlegel-like season out of him with anything better as a bonus.

Other possibilities include Brian Rolle and Andrew Sweat. Don't rule out Hines or Moeller could grow into one of the outside spots as well.

Secondary: Chekwa, Washington*, Coleman* & Russell*

There are a lot of question marks with this group as the three noted above with asterisks are still making decisions about whether to move on to the NFL. Assuming they all stick around, that's a very veteran group that should be one of the better units in the nation next season.

However, I still think there's a chance Ohio State loses both Washington and Coleman and if that happens, the secondary will be a little green -- especially at corner/nickel. Coleman would certainly be missed, but Hines or maybe even Moeller are ready to step into the strong safety spot.

When you start thinking about who would replace Washington or who would step into the nickel against vertical teams (Hines/Moeller assuming that role against spreadish types), things get a little scary. Andre Amos and Travis Howard would probably battle for the open cornerback slot with the loser of said battle moving into the nickel. Other names to keep in mind are Donnie Evege, Orhian Johnson and Nate Oliver.

Outlook

The line is going to be fantastic -- best we've seen in years and the linebackers should be fine, but if the secondary gets ravaged by early departures, the defense may have to lean on a fierce pass rush for a while. The flip side is that the rush should put the Buckeyes into more man coverage situations and that's easier for younger defensive backs to pick up at this level.

It may be crazy optimism, but I actually think the defense will be better next season assuming no more than one of the three juniors in the secondary leave. Jenkins, Laurinaitis and Freeman are huge losses, but the line overcomes that and then some and the talent in the wings is pretty solid.

¹ The forecasted lineup doesn't include any of the incoming freshman because, technically, none of them have even signed.

Remember when D-Wash was but a pup?

Thursday's deadline is fast approaching and six Buckeye juniors that filed evaluation paperwork have likely been very busy weighing that heaviest of decisions: do you make a run at captain and one final year of college football and the special atmosphere (and perks) that it provides, or do you get paid?

Though none are likely to be first day selections -- that junior declared last week -- you can make a case for each of them being drafted, which means guaranteed cash and a step up from the grub of the training table.

When Tressel first revealed the names of the juniors that had filed paperwork, I thought that Hartline was the only real risk to leave, but word is starting to swirl about others. Based on what I've heard and some hunches, here's what I think happens:

Gone: Washington, Coleman & Hartline

Washington has been in town for four years and has three years of significant playing time under his belt already. Though he didn't do much to distinguish himself this year, he should still go in the middle rounds. Coleman, on the other hand, probably did the most of any of the juniors to improve his stock this season. He led the team in interceptions and will likely be one of those guys that moves favorably after the combine.

Out of those two, a Washington departure hurts the worst. With Jenkins graduating, the returning corners would be Chekwa, Andre Amos, Donnie Evege, Travis Howard and Orhian Johnson. Or a guy that plays, a guy that's always hurt and three guys that haven't sniffed the field. Not exactly what you want to see with USC coming to town in nine months.

The loss of Hartline would be less of a blow as the team is stacked at wide receiver for the next decade or so. I'm not ruling his return out, but based on the chemistry rumors that were floated earlier in the season and the fact that he's best buds with Todd, I'll be surprised if he sticks around for another year. He didn't have a good season by any stretch, but then again, no receiver did with Pryor cutting his teeth.

Staying: Russell, Ballard & Cordle

Russell could bolt -- he's another guy that's already been with the program for four seasons, but I think he comes back to try to improve his stock. The last play of the Fiesta Bowl certainly won't define where he's taken, but it doesn't exactly help that much either.

Ballard, with great size and hands, would probably get taken in the middle rounds, and NFL scouts are smart enough to know when a guy is underutilized, but I think he comes back for his senior season. Cordle would probably be the only one of the six that wouldn't be a lock to be drafted and settling for the free agency route when you don't have to yet makes little sense. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him have an excellent senior season that could possibly push him up into the 3rd round or so next year.

Wildcards: Small, Taurian Washington & Bauserman

Though Small didn't turn in paperwork to be evaluated, he could still declare for the draft and given the amount of trouble that seems to follow him, you kind of have to wonder whether or not he'll take off. I'd love to see him stick around and put it all together next year. After all, the guy quietly led the Big Ten in punt returns this year.

Taurian Washington and Joe Bauserman aren't draft eligible, but both are prime transfer risks. Washington has somehow mastered the art of catching bombs for six when the coaches aren't looking. That has to be frustrating. Depending on what Hartline and Small do, he could get a shot next season, however. Bauserman, on the other hand, is looking at two more seasons of backing Pryor up before finally getting a crack as a 26 year-old senior in the fall of 2011. And that's assuming Tajh Boyd or some other dual-threat wonder doesn't sign.

What about you? Who do you have leaving early?