Eleven Warriors

Another week, another dose of BCS chaos. Seriously, is there any confidence that the BCS will pick the two most worthy teams at the end of this mess? I see about 10 teams with an argument to play for it all.

Because of the way the Big 12 is likely to play out, the Mountaineers look to have the best shot at LSU in the championship game, but I wouldn't be surprised to see each of those teams suffer another loss in the coming weeks.

USF and BYU are newcomers to the ballot while Michigan and Kentucky go tumbling off. We like Illinois a lot more than at 14 and think Florida could realistically be in the top 7, but we have to show some restraint.

1		Ole Miss hung around a little, but the Tigers were too much. Will Miles have a wandering mind these next few weeks?	1
2		The Jayhawks waxed Iowa State and now prepare for the huge showdown with Missouri in Kansas City this weekend.	1
3		See above, but replace Jayhawks with Tigers and Iowa State with Kansas State.	2
4		It's a shame that part of the equation is when you lose. Defend that facet, playoff haters.	2
5		The Mountaineers won a tough roadie in Cincinnati, but continued their fumblin' ways. UConn this week.	2
6		The hottest team in America right now took care of Kentucky and must win and hope for Tennessee loss to meet up with LSU.	2
7		The Sun Devils had a bye before welcoming the Trojans into town for a huge game this weekend.	2
8		Losing Dixon is a heartbreaker. The Ducks will put their trust in a Leaf this weekend at UCLA.	7
9		Oklahoma also had a quarterback go out in a loss this weekend. Still, if they win against Okie State this weekend, they're in the Big 12 Championship.	5
10		The Hokies are the latest team to put a hurting on the "U". Damn, that's great to see. Winner of the game with UVA this weekend in Charlottesville goes to the ACC Championship game.	--
11		Joining Wells on the all-soph team is Tim Tebow. The 20/20 club is sick. He may be the charter member of the 25/25 club after playing FSU this weekend.	1
12		The Trojans had a bye before heading to Tempe to face Arizona State this weekend.	1
13		The Longhorns also had a bye before heading to Texas A&M this weekend. Revenge for Colt's treatment last season will be a high priority.	--
14		The Illini may be playing the best ball in the country right now. Don't think Zooker isn't looking forward to that potential matchup with the Gators in Capital One bowl.	1
15		Virginia playing for a chance to go to the ACC Championship? Folks rip on the Big Ten, but the ACC is easily America's wackest conference.	1
16		Ever since the opening loss to the Huskies, Boise State is rolling. They head to Hawaii this weekend to void them from the BCS formula.	1
17		Gutty comeback against Vandy -- if they can win at Kentucky this weekend, Fulmer will be in another SEC Championship game.	2
18		Huge win at Clemson to lock up a trip to the ACC Championship. Beating down hapless Miami this weekend will be the icing on the cake.	2
19		The Gophers looked like they had life for the first time all season. Alas, not enough life.	3
20		After losing at home to BC, the Tigers visit the OBC this weekend.	6
21		Hawaii needed a late field goal to win at a pretty lousy Nevada. That was their last game as an unbeaten.	--
22		UConn took care of Syracuse this weekend and travel to West Virginia this with a Big East championship on the line.	3
23		After destroying Louisville, the Bulls are back on our ballet.	NR
24		The Cougars have quietly won 7 straight. LaVelle Cooper is pleased.	NR
25		The Bearcats were game, but the Mountaineers were a little too much. Pick-me-up game at Syracuse this weekend.	7

DROPPED OUT: Michigan (#23), Kentucky (#24).

With many readers hedging on a Buckeye rout or at the very least, a high scoring affair, Andy came in with the closest prediction with his 9-3 call for The Game.

He was one of the last dozen or so to get his pick in, so his fastidious study of Ann Arbor weather patterns proved worthwhile. Congratulations Andy, but be careful. They use our shirts to film the AXE commercials.

Since the last installment of Buckeye Seedlings, Tressel and his coaching staff have landed another top rated player, bringing the total to 14 for next year's reload. Etienne Sabino is a 6'3" 223 lb inside linebacker from Miami Fl., who is rated by most as the top at his position. He will join his high school teammate, Travis Howard in snubbing all three Florida schools and playing for the Buckeyes. Ohio State could have a class upwards of 18, with the last commitments coming on and around February 2nd, national signing day.

Local Columbus products Jake Stoneburner and Mike Adams of Dublin Coffman continued their undefeated season with a 42-35 win over Hilliard Darby in state playoff action, setting up a semi-final with nationally ranked Cincinnati St. Xavier. Stoneburner used his size and speed to haul in 4 catches for 110 yards, including 2 touchdowns. Coming into the game, Jake had 67 catches for 1,159 yards and 13 touchdowns. His 6'6" 223 lb. frame is coupled with 4.46 speed and as long as he can keep his weight in this range, he should be able to continue playing WR at Ohio State.

Tressel was not the only Buckeye coach making recruiting waves recently. Thad Matta continued his recruiting success since arriving in Cbus and landed another top 5 class for 2008. The class is lead by 7 foot center, B.J. Mullens of Canal Winchester, who is ranked as the top center nationally. Mullens has impressed Matta from first sight and had a scholarship offer on the table before he even started high school.

William Buford is another 5 star recruit in this class. The 6'5" shooting guard out of Toledo is ranked amongst the top 5 shooting guards in the nation. Walter Ouffitt, 6'3" 180, is the defensive stopper of the group. Ouffitt becomes the third player Matta has been able to pluck out of Indiana and while he may not be the scorer Buford is, he has a defensive mentality and could defend multiple positions on the floor.

Rounding out the class is Anthony "Noopy" Crater, a 6'1" point guard, who is set to replace Jamar Butler. Crater is a top ten point guard who played on the King James AAU squad over the summer and may look to fit the mold of Mike Conley Jr. as a pass first guard.

The New King of A2 Dominates in Pain
As a freshman backup last season, Beanie popped a 52-yard touchdown run to give his Buckeyes the lead for good in the huge stakes battle in Columbus. After nearly being stopped in the backfield, Wells spun through a Shawn Crable tackle and outran the rest of the Michigan defenders to the endzone.

Yesterday in Ann Arbor, he iced the Wolverines again. Immediately after a Ray Small punt return touchdown was nullified, Wells got it right back by breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage before juking the shit out of Michigan safety Brandon Englemon and finishing the 62 yard score. On the day: 39 for 222 and both of Ohio State's touchdowns. Money.

Going all the way back to the Washington game, Wells has been there to bail the team out all season. His 200+ and the way he ran out the end of the game against Michigan State, his 169 and 3 quick touchdowns to turn a close Wisconsin game into a rout and finally, when it mattered most, his performance against Michigan yesterday.

We've heaped love on the new receivers, given Boeckman his two weeks of crazy Heisman talk, but through it all, the Buckeyes have had one of the top running backs in the country chugging away through injuries and putting up monster numbers. His 1463 rushing yards on the season already put him at 7th on the OSU single season list. With a 100 yard performance in a bowl, he'll move into 5th behind Eddie, Byars and two Archie seasons. Not bad.

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Defense Thankful to Just Get After It Again
Following the loss to Illinois, Gholston and Laurinaitis were critical of the defensive game plan used against Juice Williams and the read option. Give the coaches points for listening at least.

Several of the players expressed that the key to neutralizing Michigan's already limping attack was just lining up and playing with speed. Gholston expressed as much after the game:

"Sometimes, you run different schemes where you have to (lay back), do this and do that. This week, our game plan was just to go in there and play fast, and that's what we did today."

The Buckeyes will have to face an even better Juice-lead Illinois team next season in Champaign, so it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff learned their lesson from this season.

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Mike Hart Goes Out Quiet
After saying the Buckeye defense was nothing last season and saying he'd rather lose another game to Appalachian State than lose a game to the Buckeyes earlier in the week, Mike Hart was relatively quiet after being held to his lowest rushing total of the season.

He had the following to say about the OSU defense:

"Give credit to the (Ohio State) defense. They came up with a great game and had a good scheme against us. The defense did a great job."

Huh? Where's the H20-4 we all know and who is this imposter? Mike's easy to despise, but he can ball when healthy and is one of those guys that makes the rivalry so great. He'll be missed.

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Put on Your Favorite UConn Cap
With the Buckeye season over and the team needing some help to get back into the BCS Championship picture, we can look forward to a holiday weekend full of rooting for upsets. Lots and lots of upsets.

With Oklahoma expected to take care of the Kansas/Missouri winner in the Big 12 title game, and the very real possibility that if Georgia gets into the SEC Championship and dumps LSU, they could jump the Buckeyes in the BCS rankings, West Virginia is the team to actively root against. They have end the season with games against UConn (medium chance for an upset) and Pitt (near 0 chance for an upset).

If ever there was a time to get behind UConn football, it's right now. Go Huskies!

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Speaking of Kings
He may be a Yankee fan, but there's no doubt where LeBron's college allegiance lies. I knew it was a great early sign when the celebrity introduction matchup was LeBron James against.. Braylon Edwards. Edwards is eating the NFL up this season, but seriously. Was Derek Jeter too busy?

Any chance LeBron's introductions planted a seed in a young stud hoopster's mind?

Beanie Wells left no doubt as to who is the Big Ten's best back this season with a 39 carry, 222 yard, 2 TD performance leading Ohio State past an outmanned Michigan team in what was most assuredly Lloyd Carr's last beatdown at the hands of Jim Tressel.

Tressel became the first coach in OSU history to wax the Wolverines 6 times in 7 tries as the Buckeyes clinched the outright Big Ten title for the second consecutive season, winning at least a share of the conference crown three years running.

Even sweeter, the loss moved Mike Hart, Chad Henne, Jake Long and Shawn Crable to 0-4 against OSU, capping their careers in grand style while Lloyd dropped to 1-6 against The Vest.

Michigan looked like they might have a chance taking a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter capping a 49 yard drive with 33 yard FG behind Mike Hart's 5 carries for 31 yards but the Silver Bullets allowed just 42 yards of offense the rest of the afternoon behind a dominating defensive line that held Mike Hart to 44 yards on 18 carries while forcing Chad Henne into an 11/34 performance through the air.

With rain falling throughout the game and Todd Boeckman looking like a deer in headlights, Tressel opted to wear down the Michigan front with a steady dose of Beanie on the ground. Wells etched his name in the history of the rivalry chewing up the most yards by a Buckeye back in 104 years of The Game and put the game on ice with a 62 yard TD run giving OSU a 14-3 lead on their first offensive play of the 3rd quarter. Beanie's career day pushed his season total to 1,463 giving him a realistic shot at a 1,600 yard season.

The win secured at least a Rose Bowl bid although OSU still has an outside shot to get back into the national title hunt. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are left with a 4 loss regular season that began and ended with 2 game losing streaks. Most likely, they'll also be coachless with Carr expected to announce his retirement at a Monday news conference. See ya, Lloyd. It was fun kicking your ass while it lasted.

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OFFENSE:

Beanie Wells is a freaking madman. His 222 yards represented 80% of the Buckeye offense on a day where Tressel was not going to let Todd Boeckman have a hand in determining Ohio State's fate. With the big boys up front dominating the line of scrimmage in a steady rain Tressel called 59 running plays (229 yards) to just 13 pass plays, two in the second half. Even though Michigan knew the run was coming, they couldn't get a big play when they needed it allowing OSU control the ball for 38 minutes compared to just 22 for the Wolverines.

Early footing problems for Beanie combined with Boeckman's panic stricken play (slips, 2 fumbles, INT) stalled 6 of OSU's 7 first half drives but Beanie's 1 yard TD plunge capped a 44 yard drive giving OSU a 7-3 lead with 10 minutes left in the 2nd quarter.

After the Buckeye defense forced a 3-and-out to start the second half, Beanie took OSU's first offensive play of the 3rd quarter 62 yards to paydirt providing a 14-3 lead paving the way for another methodical Tresselball win.

With the defense shutting down the helpless Michigan offense, Tressel called 30 runs and 2 passes the rest of the way chewing up 19 of the last 27 minutes including 12 of the final 15. It wasn't pretty but it got the job done and that's all that matters against Michigan.

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DEFENSE:

The Silver Bullets proved too much for Michigan's beat up offense allowing just 15 yards rushing amongst 91 total yards.

As usual, Mike Hart was stricken with diarrhea of the mouth in pregame and during the opening quarter as he rushed for 37 yards on his first 6 carries but became increasingly quiet as his final 12 carries produced just 7 yards. His 44 yards marked a career low for a game in which he had at least 17 carries complementing a horrific passing attack that connected on just 12 of 37 attempts.

Like Boeckman, Henne struggled with grip under consistent pressure from the Buckeye front four. Vern Baby, Vern was unstoppable registering 5 tackles (4 TFL) and 3 sacks while linemates Dexter Larimore (sack), Cameron Heyward (3 tackles, 1 TFL) and Todd Denlinger (sack) helped dominate the Michigan offensive line without the aid of many blitzes.

With the big boys clogging the line of scrimmage, the linebackers were able to roam free. Marcus Freeman led the Buckeyes with 9 stops while fellow LB James Laurinaitis recorded 6 tackles.

The secondary did their part however they didn't need to do much with a banged up Henne floating ugly incompletions on half his passes with WR Mario Manningham dropping the other half.

Overall, the defense held Michigan to just 3-18 on third down and forced 12 punts. The 3 points allowed marked the 4th best defensive effort ever by the Buckeyes against the Maize and Blue and the 91 yards allowed was the worst performance by a Michigan offense since 1962. Sure, the Wolverines were banged up but today's effort is firmly entrenched in the record books.

One more quick nugget - Vern's 3 sacks gave him 13 to tie Mike Vrabel's single season record set back in 1995.

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SPECIAL TEAMS:

A.J. Trapasso booted a career high 11 punts but put just 2 inside the 20 averaging only 37.4 yards per kick. That said, the punting unit should be commended for getting off all 11 punts without a low or bobbled snap and holding Michigan to 5.3 yards per punt return.

The Buckeye return game showed signs of life for the first time this season with Ray Small contributing several nice returns including a touchdown off a Michigan punt to start the 3rd quarter, although the play was negated due to a blocking penalty.

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NOTES:

The outright title gives OSU 32 conference crowns including back to back outright titles for the first time since '54-'55...The Buckeyes are now 57-3 when leading at the half under Tressel...OSU has now beaten Michigan 4 straight times marking the 3rd time that's happened in school history...Robo has at least one catch in 24 consecutive games.

Mike Hart	18 Carries	42 Yards	0 Touchdowns	0-4 in The Game
Chris Wells	39 Carries	222 Yards	2 Touchdowns	2-0 in The Game

Just when Michigan fan thought he was in the clear with the departure of Troy Smith, a new Wolverine destroyer has emerged. And he's only a sophomore. Eagerly awaiting H20-4's postgame comments.

The notion about a talent gap was proven true. Michigan couldn't block, run, tackle, catch or throw.

If the Gun Show is gone after this, his junior season, he went out with a bang. The defense as a whole -- 91 yards of total offense for Michigan -- wow.

That's also three straight Big Ten championships if you're keeping track.

Time to cheer for some upsets.

Props to WBNS for their piece on 103 year old Buckeye fan Opal McAlister and her recent meeting with Jim Tressel and the OSU football team. (Check the video segment on the story link)

Opal used her time at practice to preach clean living to the players and to get cozy with Coach Tressel. She said Tressel is the "third most important" person she's ever met behind FDR and war hero George Marshall. Love it.

Besides celebrating her 103rd by hanging with the Buckeyes, this legendary lady celebrated her 100th by cruising in a hot air baloon before taking a 135mph spin in a Laborghini on her 102nd.

Is it weird for me to say I've now got a crush on a 103rd year old?

Here's to 4 straight:

And still a classic:

Your favorite teams this weekend: Ohio State, Kentucky, Kansas State, Ole Miss, Iowa State, Texas Tech and the UC Bearcats. Also, don't forget to get your numbers in.

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Game Preview: #7 OSU @ #23 Michigan

The fine folks at Bleacher Bloggers conducted a quick interview about The Game with yours truly earlier this week and it's running on their site.

Check it out if you want to know what line of work Lloyd will get into after he's done in Ann Arbor.

We've tried to stay away from the hypothetical scenarios that had the Buckeyes getting back into the hunt for the big one, but things keep happening to get us thinking those crazy thoughts.

First and foremost, Ohio State must take care of business in Ann Arbor this weekend, but assuming they can do that, there's really no telling what's going to happen over the next few weeks.

Buckle up and ready yourself to root for teams you've never even given a passing consideration to in the past.