Eleven Warriors

Tim will quickly learn, 22 tight ends doesn't win ballgames.

We're counting down the days until kickoff by profiling a different Big Ten team each week. Today, the Golden Brewsters are up.

Tim Brewster wasn't interested in any type of rebuilding project following Glen Mason's termination, ensuring the Gopher faithful before last season that anything short of a Big Ten championship was going to be a disappointment. Unfortunately for tight end Tim, the Gopher season turned out to be a half-ass re-enactment of Brewster's Millions, as Tim was the highest paid coach per victory in the 2007 season, earning a million dollars per victory.

COACHING: I have to believe Tim Brewster's seat is a little warm heading into this season. There is no doubt the Big Ten conference as a whole is down and when you go 1-11 in a season, there is going to be added pressure the following year. Timmy better produce this year or the Gophers may look for another coach to open up thier new outdoor stadium next fall.

OFFENSE: Brewster has implemented a spread offense and sophomore Adam Weber is back to build upon his team leading passing (2,895 yards) and rushing (617 yards) from last season. Weber is joined by seven retuning starters on offense, including leading receiver Eric Decker, who caught 67 passes for 909 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Minnesota will have to replace starting tailback Amir Pinnix, with sophomore Duane Bennett, who will look to improve upon his 4.7 yards per touch last year. Even though Weber's leading receiver is back, the Gophers don't have much returning in terms of depth and the loss of Ernie Wheelwright is going to hurt.

Ralph Spry, Tray Herndon and Jack Simmons each caught 20 or more passes for 200+ yards last year and each one will be looking to make their mark during the Metrodome's last Big Ten season.

DEFENSE: The lowly Gophers lost their leading tackler and sacker from last year, in Dominique Barber (100 tackles) and Mike Sherels (2.5 sacks), which is huge considering they lead the defense to a Division I worst last year. Senior linebacker, Deon Hightower will have to step up and lead seven retuning starters towards last place redemption.

KEY GAME: I would venture to say that every game on Minnesota's schedule is important this year. The Gophers are one of a rather large group of Big Ten teams that aren't doing much to help the conference's reputation. This team will need to win all of their OOC games against Northern Illinois, at Bowling Green, Montana State and Florida Atlantic to help their overall record.

BEST-CASE: The best case for Minnesota is 7-5, with a 3-5 Big Ten record. To go along with the aforementioned OOC victories, Minnesota could win home games against Indiana, Northwestern and Iowa.

WORST-CASE: The worst case scenario is another last place finish. Brewster may have 15 starters back and a top 25 recruiting class, but I don't see Minnesota having an above .500 season, which is going to cause some major rumblings, remember Glen Mason lead the Gophers to five straight bowl appearances before being canned.

I will give the Gophers all four victories OOC, but I see a 1-7 Big Ten record, pushing Timmy's conference record to 1-15. I still think Minnesota made a horrible mistake letting Glen Mason go and they are going to be paying for it for years to come. The spread offense is a great concept, but it takes a few years to get the talent up to par and Minnesota could be opening their new stadium next year having lost 19 conference games in the last three years.

Minnesota will be the doormat of the Big Ten this year, as I think they will struggle once again on both sides of the ball. Tim Brewster didn't have any head coaching experience before his hiring in Minneapolis and his team comes in riding a ten game losing streak.

He may know how to coach tight-ends, but the overall game concept is still a challenge to Brewster and I think Minnesota will finish last in the Big Ten, going 1-7 in the process.

OG: Over Gold

Lock up the liquor as it was announced yesterday that Bob Huggins and his WVU Mountaineers will visit Value City Arena next year with a return trip to Morgantown the following season.

I know many in Buckeye country are fond of the old slickster from his days as Eldon's assistant but I've always found him smug and slimy and hated his UC teams that featured thugs like Danny Fortson, Kenyon Martin, Ruben Patterson and my personal favorite, Donald Little. Remember him, he's the one who taped his roommate to a chair, burned him with a coat hanger, launched free weights at his dome and hit him with a whiskey bottle before stabbing him in the leg. Damn, Capone.

That said, I can't argue with how Huggy Bear turned around UC, put Kansas State on the map and now he's got WVU in the upper tier of the Big East.

Am I in the minority in my feelings towards Chuggins?

In other news, former Cyclone forward Wesley Johnson will visit Ohio State in the coming weeks. The 6'7" Johnson is also heavily considering Syracuse, WVU and Pitt and will have two years of eligibility remaining starting with the 2009-10 season.

Matta likes Johnson as a sorta-power forward that can step out on the wing and hit the three. He averaged over 12 points a game last season despite playing on a bad wheel.

Ever since it became clear that the Buckeyes had a good shot at getting Pryor, we've been wondering about the fate of sophomore-to-be Antonio Henton. After getting off to a great start (in limited duty) last season, some naughty stuff went down. He was later reinstated and supposedly had climbed his way back into a position to be rumored as a change-of-play option in the MNC. He never saw the field that night and the next time we had a chance to see him on the field, he was outplayed by Bauserman.

There were rumors of a possible transfer to Georgia Southern back in late January, but today they kicked up again. And in earnest:

Ohio State quarterback Antonio Henton has reportedly told his Buckeye teammates he’s headed for GSU, an ESPN writer confirmed to the Statesboro Herald Wednesday. Georgia Southern’s B-term for summer classes begins next week, and second-year GSU coach Chris Hatcher said he couldn’t discuss transfers until then. Henton could not be reached for comment.

Henton, a 6-foot-2, 232 pound Fort Valley native, already has Georgia Southern ties - Eagle offensive coordinator Rance Gillespie was Henton’s high school head coach at Peach County. Henton was tabbed the 2005 Georgia Offensive Player of the Year as a senior when he helped his team to the Class AAA state title, the first in Peach County’s history. He threw for 2,117 yards and 30 touchdowns his senior year and was touted as one of the best multi-threat quarterback prospects in the country coming out of high school.

Then, this:

If Henton is headed South -- and the Facebook never lies, we wish him the best of luck. He made a simple mistake hundreds of miles away from home and a change in scenery and some home-cooking should be just the thing to give him the best chance of furthering his football career beyond college.

And to the droids without any feeling besides Buckeye pain and joy, yes, that means one more scholarship for the '09 class.

Columbus based Victoria's Secret is about to roll out a collegiate line of cooter covers, sweats and tank tops but Les Wexner's own Ohio State Buckeyes will not be a part of the original 33 schools to go Pink.

According to the Dispatch, Wexner's role as head of Limited Brands coupled with his spot on the OSU Board of Trustees has made striking a deal for some Buckeye booty britches a bit of a chore considering OSU is a state university leading to potential conflict of interest issues.

Maybe I'm just a perv, but can't we all set aside our differences in an effort to get more coeds and cougars into some Buckeye based undergarments?

Time Warner is in deal-mode

With the announcement earlier this week that a deal between Comcast and the Big Ten Network is imminent, Buckeye fans living in Columbus are hoping their local cable television monopoly follows suit.

Time Warner was quick to put up a statement after word of the Comcast deal leaked:

We are hopeful that Time Warner Cable and Fox can reach a fair and reasonable agreement prior to football season.

We appreciate your patience as talks continue and want to assure you that we will do everything possible to achieve a positive solution for all our customers.

Translation: We have nothing new to report, but we know you're getting pissed, considering fans of your fiercest rival will now get the network.

The Comcast deal is supposedly worth between $0.70 and $0.80 per subscriber, which is well short of the network's initial asking price of $1.10. That's good news on two fronts: a framework is in place to achieve similar deals with other carriers and the lower price shows that the network is willing to negotiate.

Time Warner Columbus definitely took a hit last year heading into football season. I'm sure every one of you know at least someone that ditched the network in favor of satellite service. You can bet the YSU and OU games will be broadcast on the BTN, just like the YSU and Akron games were last season. With the opener fast approaching, how much longer will holdout fans give the network?

I think Francis Schmidt nailed this one 75 years ago: They put their pants on one leg at a time, the same as we do -- only their undies are prettier!

(Thanks to Michigan Sports Center for the unintended hilarity on this one. And yes, the new Adidas logos look nice.)

Diggs was a rising soph in '98

We conclude our look at the 1998 Buckeye football team by examining the team's legacy and trying to figure out what most of that team is up to these days.

There's certainly a strong argument to be made that the 1998 team was the most talented Buckeye squad of the past quarter century. True, the 2002 squad closed the deal, but stop for a minute and think of what Tressel would have accomplished at the helm of the 1998 team. Take nothing away from Cooper -- his recruiting operation took the program to a new level -- but he's no Tressel.

1998 was not only Cooper's best team, but it was his last good team for that matter. The 1999 opener would see his 9th ranked Buckeyes soundly beaten by Butch Davis and the Hurricanes in the Kickoff Classic. The defining play came on the Buckeyes' first possession when Michael Wiley was run down from behind by Miami linebacker Al Blades.

The Canes would go on to earn a 23-12 victory, but the score wasn't even that close. Miami was back on the map and used that game as a springboard to three years of dominance, while the Buckeyes sputtered to a 6-6 finish. Sixteen months later, after an 8-4 season and an Outback Bowl embarrassment, Cooper was jobless.

Today, some coaches and players from that 1998 team are still involved in football, while others are off the radar. Cooper never coached again but will be formally enshrined in the College Football Hall of fame in four weeks. Offensive coordinator Mike Jacobs served a stint at Oklahoma State and is now the interim head coach at Mesa Community College. Defensive coordinator Fred Pagac parted ways with Ohio State upon Tressel's arrival and spent time with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2006 where he's still employed as the team's linebacker coach. Upper Arlington native, John Tenuta, the defensive backs coach on the 1998 team is currently the assistant head coach at Notre Dame after a successful run as the defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech.

Quarterback Joe Germaine is lighting up the AFL for Danny White and the Utah Blaze. He had the misfortune of going to the Rams right when the Kurt Warner Experience was coming online, but will probably be an AFL first-ballot Hall-of-Famer if such a thing even exists. Michael Wiley spent three years with the Cowboys and is now something of a nightclub impresario in Columbus.

Wide receiver David Boston left after his junior season and was an Arizona Cardinals' first-round selection in 1999. He would lead the NFL in receiving in 2001 and greatness appeared to be around the corner until a rash of injuries and the steroids bug landed him out of the NFL. He's currently attempting a comeback with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, but injuries may be throwing a curve into his plans once again.

Wide receiver pipes?

Dee Miller has his own insurance agency in Hilliard and does analyst work for 1460, while Ken-Yon Rambo is making somewhat of a name for himself in the CFL as well. Tight end John Lumpkin is currently a Chase branch manager in the Dayton area and wants to add you to his network.

Left tackle Tyson Walter was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL draft, but is now out of the league. He's most famously remembered for suing former teammate LeCharles Bentley for $2 million dollars for punching him in the face in 2000. He was awarded $6,000. Rob Murphy is another former Buckeye playing in the CFL and was recently named the league's top lineman for the 2nd consecutive season.

Defensive end Rodney Bailey was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 6th round of the 2001 NFL draft. He's currently listed as a backup defensive tackle with the Arizona Cardinals. Ryan Pickett is a Packer and end Brent Johnson is playing with Rob Murphy on the BC Lions of the CFL.

Andy Katzenmoyer, the guy most thought was the can't miss prospect on the '98 defense is currently coaching at his alma mater Westerville South after a neck injury forced his early retirement from the NFL. He recently launched a fitness website and had his first child in April. Meanwhile, fellow backer Na'il Diggs has enjoyed a productive career at the next level and is currently playing for the Carolina Panthers. Jerry Rudzinski is currently working as an analyst for Bucknuts and "still maintains his relationship with the Ohio State program and staff."

All five members of the 1998 team's nickel package went on to play in the NFL, cementing the unit as one of the finest in school history. Nate Clements, or Lockdown 22, earned a couple of Pro Bowl selections in Buffalo before signing a fat contract with the 49ers. Antoine Winfield is still doing his thing for the Vikings -- leading the team in tackles by a defensive back despite missing six games last season and Ahmed Plummer spent five years with the 49ers before injuries forced his retirement. Strong safety Damon Moore spent fours years in the NFL, three of them with the Eagles and may or may not be selling cell phones in Grove City these days.

Ten years removed, the 1998 team still holds up. The talent collection on that team rivals any to have come before or after, and although they were part of one of the saddest days in Buckeye football history, time and a decade of excellence has helped heal old wounds. If anyone has additional updates on the whereabouts of members of that team, we'd love to hear them.

UPDATE: Reader Allen writes in to let us know that we forgot about Joe Montgomery, a 2nd round draft pick of the New York Giants.

Related Posts:

1. Looking Back: The 1998 Buckeye Football Team (Intro)
2. Looking Back: The 1998 Buckeye Offense
3. Looking Back: The 1998 Buckeye Defense

According to Scout, former Buckeye Eric Wallace is about to become a Blue Demon.

The 6'5" swingman from North Carolina will be eligible for the '09-10 season and will have three years of eligibility left.

The well documented log jam on the Buckeye wings made this move inevitable and I wish Wallace the best. I know some felt he might see the court more this year with all the defections but his lack of polish made PT a dream unless Matta opts to go with a 4 guard offense next season.

Of course, I probably shouldn't say that so tongue-in-cheek considering the state of the front line and the glut of perimeter players on next season's roster. If Mullens and Lauderdale get in foul trouble it could be Madsen time, which is swahili for we're screwed unless Nikola Kecman is eligible and can, in fact, help on the glass.

I admittedly know very little about Kecman but even if eligible, I struggle to think he'll help much on the boards considering his style of play and skinny frame. What you say?

I gotta imagine Thad is gonna have this team running, gunning and pressing to compensate for the lack of inside depth and to utilize the 2.3 million perimeter players.

The-Ozone photo

The-Ozone shares a somewhat creepy story about Terrelle Pryor getting rigged up for some motion caption video at the new Ohio State Sports Medicine Center.

Using a technology inspired from video game production, Pryor had "anatomical landmarks" attached to his body and was then filmed executing various movements and motions.

The motions are recorded, but the only images recorded are those of the markers which are strategically placed on joints such as the ankle, hip, pelvis, knee, etc. The motion of the markers as the athlete executes the movements is then analyzed to determine just how an athlete moves.

...

The goal is to try to determine if an incoming athlete has any sort of biomechanical weakness and then address that weakness with a customized strength and conditioning routine in the hopes of preventing injury.

I'm all for preventing injuries, but this is probably the last photograph of Pryor like this that I need to see.

It's mid June and that can only mean one thing: pre-season ranking time. Magazines are hitting the news stands and diligent bloggers everywhere are analyzing and debating the predictions -- the Great Steele likes Georgia only slightly better than Penn State, you say?

The media will assemble in Chicago next month to vote on the conference favorites and likely award winners, but we have you covered for now. The fine Northwestern blog Lake the Posts has compiled the prognostications of fellow conference bloggers and released the first ever Big Ten Bloggers preseason rankings.

According to guys that write in their mothers' basements, the Big Ten should shake out like this (11W ballot rankings in parens):

1 (1)		No shocker here. LTP notes that Wolverine blog Maize & Blue Nation turned in the only ballot that didn't have the Buckeyes at the top. Cute.
2 (4)		Conference bloggers (and Steele) both like the Nittany Lions a little bit more than we do. They have a lot of talent coming back and the Morelli curse is lifted, but Joe Pa (and staff) get a no-confidence vote out of us.
3 (2)		We're so conflicted. On one hand, Wisky should be tough in '08, but on the other hand we're convinced that Bielema will destroy everything that Barry built.
4 (3)		Buckeye fans probably have good reason to be a little more bullish on the Illini than the conference at large.
5 (6)		As much as we're Dantonio believers, it's hard to escape that "Little Brother" bit.
6 (5)		The rest of the conference bloggers seem to agree with us that year one of the Rodriguez era may be a little bumpy.
7 (9)		Our colleagues think a little higher of Iowa than we do, which is basically that Ferentz has lost the program.
8 (7)		Painter is back for his 9th season, but that's about it in terms of returning talent.
9 (8)		Bachér and Sutton are poised for big seasons. We're not sure they'll go 8-4 as LTP insists, but they'll be dangerous.
10 (10)		With the loss of Hardy, the Hoosiers' season hinges on whether or not Keller returns from suspension.
11 (11)		Mmm.. Tight ends. But seriously, those loaded (by Gopher standards at least) classes will pay off some year. Just not this year.

So, not too much divergence from our peers. How does your top 10 11 look?

Iowa is starting to recover from the devastating flooding of last week, but help is still needed in the area. I'm embarrassed to admit that I had underestimated the scope of the issue until reading about it at BHGP. The Iowa City video that they link to is jaw-dropping: residence halls and power plants underwater.

Since it's fashionable these days to think of Buckeye fans as knuckle-dragging baby-eaters, I can't think of a better way to help dispel that notion than to take up Hawkeye State's request and make a donation to the American Red Cross that serves the region.