#9 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. #3 Texas Longhorns

January 5th is finally here, so its time to get your game face on. So, put on favorite jersey, grab some Tostitos, and get ready to yell (hopefully there will be more cheering than complaining). Live blog starts at 8 PM ET with Drew...

11:53 PM: Final score 24-21...my heart is officially broken.

11:46 PM: Heartbreak...Texas touchdown 24-21.

11:36 PM: Drop two point conversion! 21-17 Buckeyes!

11:33 PM: TOUCHDOWN HERRON!!!!

11:26 PM: Three and out for Texas. 6:41 left...come on offense!

11:21 PM: Failed two-point conversion, 17-15 Texas...

11:20 PM: BOECKMAN TO PRYOR!!!! TOUCHDOWN

11:10 PM: Big stop again from the defense. Let's hope the offense can get the confidence to put together a drive. It's now or never...Go Bucks!

11:05 PM: That fumble would have been huge to get, that was the momentum break we needed. Let's at least hope the loss of yards can force a punt, and the Buckeyes can get the ball back!

10:58 PM: Thanks to the Boeckman-Robo bomb, the Buckeyes survived to move down the field. A terrible throw from Pryor almost came back to haunt us though. We get the field goal and the score is now 17-9. Still it was a fast drive and I feel like I am beating a dead horse, but the defense looks super tired.

10:52 PM: Things could get ugly...the offensive play calling is horrendous, and we look inept. Our poor defense has been on the field the entire half!

10:48 PM: The guys looked gassed, and they just aren't getting off blocks like the first half. Add to that the fact that Heacock looks like he has never seen the hurry up! OPEN UP THE PLAYBOOK TRESSEL...EVERYONE IS SICK OF THE CONSERVATIVE CRAP!!!Texas leads 17 -6!

10:42 PM: Another three and out, and some of the worst play calling I have seen. I am officially very mad at the lack of adjustments and creativity we have come out with in the second half. Tressel yet again has tightened up. Texas is starting to put things together, and what more can we ask from the defense???

10:37 PM: Give the defense some love, they clamped down when they needed to. We now have some nice field position...the offense needs to capitalize. Tressel has to throw the ball down the field, and open things up!

10:31 PM: Three and out was the worst thing here. Our defense is tired, and we have lost the momentum. For the first time for awhile I am a little worried, we need a turnover or a big stop.

10:24 PM: The defense was on the field way too long, and it came back to haunt us. Touchdown by the Longhorns...10-6 lead for them. We need to put together a consistent drive here.

10:22 PM: Another 4th down conversion. Killer!

10:17 PM: 3rd downs are killing us. We have got to stop them on third and long...our defense needs that confidence boast! Then they get us on fake punt. Our poor defense has been on the field forever.

9:51 PM: Halftime...OSU leads 6-3. The Buckeyes outplayed Texas most of the half in my opinion, but have very little to show for it at this point. The defense has done it's job, and the offense needs to pound it in the endzone. Touchdowns are needed!

9:47 PM: Texas moved down the field pretty easily in the no huddle, and a personal foul penalty from Gibson didn't help the matter. With three seconds left, Russell got a huge interception at the one yard line. Anderson Russell has not caught anything in his whole career, and just made one the biggest interceptions of the year.

9:37 PM: We got a big sack on 4th down to stop the Longhorn drive, but did nothing with the good field position. Missed opportunity again!

9:25 PM: Shaun Lane is down on the field after a big hit on Shipley. It's hard to watch him being down, he has shown so much heart this entire season!Also Beanie has MIA after grabbing his hamstring...let's hope he is alright as well!

9:20 PM: Another good drive where we established the run and took a lot of time off the clock. Another penalty kills us, and Browning is just trying to start early so he does not get burned. We need to capitalize on opportunities like that, otherwise they will come back to haunt us! Field goal though...OSU leads 6-3.

9:03 PM: Texas exploited the Buckeyes on short passes and screens, but you cannot complain with the effort. Especially on the goal line, where Texas was held to a field goal. 3-3 tie!We need to come back with a solid drive now, and give Pryor more time to throw!

8:55 PM: We got a Texas stop, then put together a good drive with Pryor and Beanie running the ball well. We didn't finish though, and tried another long field goal. There was a bad hold this time, and ugly miss by Pettrey!We have to finish!

8:41 PM: Pettrey's field goal is good!!! 3-0 OSU

8:38 PM: Pryor gets a stupid sack after trying to extend a play...throw it away! Now we have a 50-yard field goal!

8:29 PM: Three and out!

8:22 PM: Pryor doesn't finish the play, and then we get a stupid penalty. Then perfect pass by Boeckman and Robiskie drops the pass. Should have been pass interference...but the ball should have still been caught!

8:19 PM: Boeckman comes out at QB with Pryor at wideout. Completion to Robiskie. First down!

8:14 PM: Well we lost the toss and will be receiving. I blame it on Tony Stewart...are you kidding me? That's the best they could get?

8:08 PM: The Buckeyes take the field in the white uniforms. I will say they look focused, not much celebrating.

8:06 PM: Here we go guys! The game is finally here, and I am as nervous as ever!

Drew Thurman (11:01 am)

Rivals has a new video that really highlights the personality of Bell during practice for the Army All-American Bowl. There are two things that are evident from watching the video, Bell loves to talk trash to the opposition and he loves Ohio State. Check it out:

Drew Thurman (4:02 pm)

Final Score: East 30 West 17

Jamie Wood: Wood was around he ball all day, and made a couple nice tackles in pursuit along the sideline. Jamie Wood has always impressed me with his nose for the football, and he backed that up in this game.

Justin Turner: Turner, who committed to Michigan, had a solid game in my opinion. He made some athletic plays early the game, but I was not blown away with his tackling ability. He did come up with a nice interception late in game, and he will be a good one.

Justin Green: I was actually really excited to see Green in this game, but I was pretty disappointed. He really did not demonstrate the speed we have come to hear about, and struggled a couple of times in man coverage against larger wideouts. The other interesting thing was that Green did not appear with the other four Ohio State commits that appeared in the game (video bit that NBC showed). I am not sure if something else was going on that he could not appear, but I know that will fuel some rumors that he is still looking around.

Craig Drummond: Some of you might not remember Drummond, but the Illinois commit looked great on the defensive line. He made some big plays in the first half, and I have a feeling that we will hear his name quite a bit over the few years.

Corey Brown: Brown might have silenced the debate on whether he will play defense or offense with his play in this game. He had been a practice standout at wide receiver this last week, and made what was probably the catch of the game. Boyd threw a bomb to the endzone, and Brown got way off the ground to snatch the ball away from to of the West defenders. I think this young man his a very bright future at wideout with the Buckeyes.

Marcus Hall: Hall passed the "looks test" in this game, and appeared to be one of the biggest offensive linemen out there. Though he is large, he displayed quick feet in this game, which had been a criticism of him at times this season. I thought he looked good playing right tackle, and the Buckeyes need to snatch him up. Hall is the real deal!

Dorian Bell: Bell made a couple of nice plays in the game. He did let a interception slip though his hands, but he was shielded from the pass by another defender. His best play probably came at the end of the first half when he stopped a hook-and-ladder play from having real success. I was very impressed with his recognition of the passing game and his tackling. The only negative is that it looks like he needs to add some size, and at times looked more like a safety than a linebacker.

Johnny Simon: Simon did not get his named called for anything by the announcers, but was in the backfield on a few occasions in the game. The reviews were very positive about him in the practices, and I saw him pursuing the quarterback a couple of times.   

Tajh Boyd: Tajh was maybe the most impressive player on the whole field, and was the Co-MVP in the game. The coaches from both sides kept putting in pro-style quarterback that had limited success, and Boyd came in a provided a huge spark for the East team. He struggled a little throwing in the pocket early on, but settled down and made some huge throws (7-9, 188 yards, 3 total TD). He made throwing the long ball look easy, and his bomb to Corey Brown made be drool. I am hoping that is something that we see in the future, because the Buckeyes need to scoop up Boyd!

Kevin Newsome: Many thought Newsome was slightly better than Boyd, but Boyd had the edge in this game. With that said, Newsome did have a very solid game. Newsome showcased the best running ability of any of the quarterbacks, and made a few really nice throws. At times he really reminds me of a larger Troy Smith, and it is very clear that Penn State has a good one on their hands.

Dave and Drew Thurman (3:26 pm)

Mascot: Longhorns

Stadium: Texas Memorial Stadium (93,553)

Coach: Mack Brown (11th year at Texas 114-26, Bowl Record 9-5)

2007 Record: 10-3 (Defeated Arizona State 52-34 in Holiday Bowl)

2008 Record: 11-1 (Tied for 1st in Big 12 South)

Base Offense: Ace (3 Wide Receivers)

Base Defense: 4-3

Lettermen: Returning - 47, Lost - 17

Returning Starters: Offense -7, Defense - 4, Specialists - 2

Returning Star: QB Colt McCoy, DE Brian Orakpo

Notable Alumni:

-Laura Bush - Wife of President George W. Bush
-Roger Clemens - Seven time Cy Young Winner
-Michael Dell - Founder of Dell Computers
-Mary Lou Retton - Olympic Gymnastic Gold Medalist
-Matthew McConaughey - Actor
-Vince Young - NFL quarterback
-Earl Campbell - Heisman Award Winning Running Back
-Janis Joplin - Rock and Roll Singer

Cheerleading Scouting Report:

Texas Overview:

The discussion on Texas has to start on the offensive side of the ball, because the statistics are pretty overwhelming. The Longhorn offense averages 476.4 yards a game, and puts up a jaw dropping 43.9 points a game. A lot of this can be credited to their Heisman candidate at quaterback, Colt McCoy. First, McCoy has the ability to pick apart a defense with his arm. On the season he completed 77.6 percent of his passes for 3,445 yards with 32 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Second though, McCoy is the leading rusher on the Texas team with 576 yards and 10 touchdowns.

McCoy has a whole host of targets at wideout that he can throw to. The two primary receivers McCoy looks to are Jordan Shipley (982 yards, 11 TD) and Quan Cosby (952 yards, 8 TD). Both young men will also play a factor on kick returns, and Shipley is a major threat as a punt returner (10.7 avg, 1 TD).   

In the backfield the Longhorns do not feature a primary back, but instead rotate between no less than four runners. None have put up spectacular statistics, but together they are forminable force. The main ones to watch for are Vondrell McGee (376 yards, 4 TD), Cody Johnson (336 yards, 12 TD), and Chris Ogbonnaya (331 yards, 4 TD). Ogbonnaya is also a threat catching the ball coming out of the backfield, and has 484 yards and three touchdowns.

On defense, the Longhorns feature a unit cloaked in anonymity, but are nonetheless talented. Outside of Brian Orakpo, there are no big names, maninly because they have played some spectacular offenses. They did play in the Big 12, which was a passing first league, but they still led the nation in rushing defense allowing only 73.6 yards a game. That starts up front with a defensive line that features four experienced seniors. Besides Brian Orakpo, they also have a very solid defensive tackle in Roy Miller, who has 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and four and a half sacks.

The linebacking core is very underrated, and features a couple of fierce competitors in Roddrick Muckelroy (106 tackles, 4 TFL) and Sergio Kindle (50 tackles, 13 TFL, and 9 sacks). They also have four year starter in Rashad Bobino (36 tackles, 1 TFL), who has seen less time due to their nickel scheme in the Big 12, but will see much more time against the Buckeyes.

The secondary is adequate, but is probably the weakest link in the Longhorn defense. The young man to keep an eye on will be safety Earl Thomas who has 63 tackles and two interceptions on the season.  

What must happen:

Listed as an 80%-20% underdog according to ESPN.com, the Buckeyes are going to need to get confidence early. A lot of this rests on the shoulders on the offense, who has struggled in some of the biggest games this season. First, the run game has to be established. With Beanie as the leader, this offense is designed to feature the run. If he averages anything under three yards a carry, it will be very difficult for the offense to getting anything going against the Longhorns.

Also Pryor needs to get in rhythm early in this game. This will not happen with him throwing 50 yard bombs, but instead with an array on short slants and screens. There are a lot of experienced wideouts on the team, and they have to step in this game. Missed opportunities killed Ohio State in the National Championship last season, and that cannot happen again. The Buckeyes also need Pryor to be able to run the ball as well. Texas features very good defensive ends, and if they over pursue, it will give him the green light to head down field.

Even more than the offense though, the defense needs to prove the doubters wrong. Especially the back seven who have beeen gashed by big time quarterbacks under the tenure of Jim Heacock. A lot of this does start with the front four for the Buckeyes. If they come out with the tenacity they did against Penn State, the Buckeyes will be able to blitz less and have more guys in coverage. McCoy has ripped apart blitzing schemes all year long, and while some blitzing needs to happen, the front four need to get pressure on their own.

Early stops and turnovers will be the name of the game for the defense. If the Longhorns walk down the field and score the first few times they have the ball, we could have another terrible bowl game on our hands. Instead, they need to come out, be physical, force turnovers, and make a statement to themselves early in the game. Doing this will provide confidence, and hopefully rattle the Longhorn offense a bit. This will be no easy task though, and they will have their hands full all night long!

Father vs. Son Prediction Battle:

Dave has it: Texas 31 Ohio State 20
Drew has it: Ohio State 34 Texas 31 

Drew Thurman (11:27 pm)

I just noticed that Rivals has posted a list of the guys that have been performing well for both squads in the U.S. Army All-American practices. Corey Brown and Johnny Simon both make it for the East squad, and that should give you a little more to be excited about this weekend.

East Hot 11
West Hot 11

Drew Thurman (7:39 pm)

There has been a lot of news and games to start the new year, let's look:

1) Billy Tucker of Scouts Inc. has written up a nice report of some of the things going on at the Under Armour All-American Game. He gives Duron Carter great reviews, and makes mention of how great his hands are. What surprised me was the review on C.J. Barnett. According to Tucker, Barnett has really struggled in Cover 2 schemes, and looks to have some work to do.

2) I know that no one in Buckeye nation respects Mike Farrell after his bold predictions about Pryor going to Oregon last year, but he now is saying that Boyd is an Oregon lean. I don't have quite as strong a feeling about Boyd coming to Ohio State as many out there, and I am interested to see how things pan out!

3) Well the day has been pretty rough for the Big Ten. The one bright note was that Iowa got the first win for the conference in a beating of South Carolina 31-10. Outside of that it has been rough. Michigan State looked all one sided with its anemic passing game, and lost to Georgia 24-12. My father and I have said on multiple occasions that we would have loved to have played the Bulldogs in the Capitol One Bowl, and after watching the game, we feel even more that way. The Buckeyes could have finally got the SEC monkey off their back! 

4) It's the end of the third quarter, and I can hardly stand to watch the Penn State-USC game anymore. Not only is Penn State looking awful against the Trojans (one has to wonder how OSU could not pass on their secondary they way they look tonight), but I can't stand to listen to Herbstreit and Musberger brag on USC anymore, especially ex-Buckeye Kirk (emphasis on the ex). His airtime has been filled with Big Ten bashing and Pete Carroll loving, and I wish I had the time to list all of his memorable quotes. I will list my favorite though:

Kirk: "That was perfect execution by the Trojan offense"
Brent: "Well there is a flag on the field"
Kirk: "Well it was perfect execution besides the penalty"

In Kirk's eyes USC does no wrong, and he says he wants to be unbiased. Funny joke! Anyways, the Rose Bowl looks like it will be rough perception wise on the Big Ten. Let's hope the Buckeyes can at least redeem themselves on Monday night (I am getting anxious). Go Bucks!