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That's right. A picture of Jonathan Newsome. (Photo via daylife.com)
Drew Thurman (12:26 pm)

As the Buckeyes look ahead to a title run in 2010, there don't appear to be many question marks lingering. Outside of the departures of Gibson and Coleman, this year's squad should improve at most positions on the field. What's really scary though, is that the Buckeyes have a young crop of talent ready to make a name for themselves, even at positions of depth (thanks to great '08 and '09 classes).

This creates an interesting dynamic, and a good problem for the staff. It also means as fans, we should get a chance to watch some position battles take place, especially this spring. So let's take a look at a few guys I feel could surprise fans, and find themselves with some serious playing time. Each of these players is a bit under the radar, but they may not be come September.

1) Jonathan Newsome - OLB/DE

Not many fans expected much of Newsome when he signed with the Buckeyes, me included. It appeared Tressel went after a hard working kid from Glenville to keep the pipeline going. Maybe the 101 tackles and 17 sacks he put up as a senior should have clued us in that he had a higher ceiling than we perceived. In fact, he found himself playing in five games as a freshman (three-deep at OLB), and would have played in more without the leg injury he suffered. I look for Newsome to build on that success, and continue to utilize his versatility in the "Leo" role. It's that versatility that will make him stand apart from the pack of talented linebackers and defensive ends, and the reason you should watch his name this spring. He has a great work ethic, and appears to be one of those guys that excels in Tressel's system.
 
 
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Posey had eight catches in the Rose Bowl
Dave Thurman (5:10 PM)

By all accounts DeVier Posey had an excellent sophomore season.  Not that much of anyone outside of Ohio noticed, as he failed to receive even honorable mention All Big-Ten recognition.  After being a huge recruit out of Cincinnati LaSalle, Posey had a quiet freshmen year backing up a number of upperclassmen.  But he really came on in 2009, gaining steam throughout the year and winding up with 60 catches for 829 yards and 8 touchdowns. 

So what can he do for an encore?  I think he just might become Ohio State's first 1000 yard receiver in nearly a decade.  That is, of course, pretty rarified air for a receiver at a school known for running backs.  Consider that in the history of OSU football only four players have ever had 1000 yards receiving in a season, and each only did it one time.  Those four are: Cris Carter (1127 in 1986); Terry Glenn (1411 in '95); David Boston (1435 in '98); and, Michael Jenkins (1076 in 2002).  Such notables as Doug Donley, Gary Williams, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn Jr., and Anthony Gonzalez never had 1000 yard seasons.  Interestingly, at that school up north, a receiver surpassed 1000 yards every season from 1998 until 2005 (that is eight straight years if you are counting).  So even though we are spanking the Wolverines every year like a rented mule we do have some catching up to do in this area.

The good news is that I think DeVier Posey surpasses that barrier next year if he stays healthy. When you think about it, he might have passed the 1000 yard mark this year, but for two factors.  One was a slightly slow start.  He was injured against Navy and only had 2 catches for 14 yards, then only caught 2 for 22 in week four versus Illinois.  The second factor was the deep freeze Tressel put on the passing game in the final weeks of the Big Ten season.  DeVier simply didn't see the ball much in those important cold weather games, which included only 2 catches for 17 yards in the Iowa game.  So just the time Posey was really heating up, JT took the air out of the ball.  Thankfully the passing game was resurrected for the Oregon contest, and Posey closed with a huge game of 8 catches, 101 yards and a touchdown.
 
 
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Drew Thurman (3:02 pm)

I don't know if I remember a more turbulent offseason when it comes to big name coaches. In the matter of a few weeks the college football world has been rocked as names like Brian Kelly, Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll and Lane Kiffin have shaken things up with their comings and goings. While the news has been exciting and surprising, it goes to show how much college football has become centered around the head coach rather than the players. Even worse, these men have become CEOs, many times leaving their players in the dust. Forget their promises or even their talk about the importance of education, these guys are out for number one.

At what point will fans and players finally have enough?

I personally feel for the players and families that bought into the promises from these egotistical guys. Cincinnati players had to watch a dream get flushed down the toilet as Brian Kelly decided to head to Notre Dame. He didn't even have the dignity to finish out the season and coach them in the bowl game. I wonder how many times he told his players they needed to buy into the team and give 100 percent? I think he needed to listen to his own advice.

Maybe the biggest smack in the face to the Bearcat players was the words Kelly left them with. He thanked them for how they had put him in a position to go to Notre Dame. Sounds great huh? I am sure every college football player wants to be used as a pawn so their coach can get a promotion.  
 
 
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Drew Thurman (5:28 pm)

For the first time in three years, Buckeye fans finally have something to cheer about in the offseason. After the 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl Friday night, we all can finally start putting the big game blues behind us. It would be easy to get so caught up in redemption and finally shutting the media up, that we lose sight of how impressive of a victory it really was for the Buckeyes. For the first time this season, maybe since 2006, Ohio State finally showcased their big three; quarterback play, defense, and coaching. Let's take a look...
 
Quarterback Play: 

Pryor finally showcased the maturity that had been lacking all season long, especially in his decision making. He completed 22 of 37 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns, while only throwing one interception. He also added 72 big rushing yards, showcasing his dual-threat ability. What was even more impressive was the wide array of throws he was able to make. He completed everything from deep passes to short slants, and of course extended plays in a way only he can. Maybe the most impressive play of the game was his 13 yard touchdown pass to Saine on the opening drive. Pryor scanned the field, moved slightly away from the pressure, and delivered the ball to Saine on the sideline for the touchdown. It was the start of something great in the Rose Bowl, and it showed patience and maturity in Pryor. That sort of play had been missing all year long.    
 
 
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Mascot: Ducks
Stadium: Autzen Stadium (54,000)
Coach: Chip Kelly (1st year at Oregon and overall, 10-2)
2008 Record: 10-3 (Defeated Oklahoma State in Holiday Bowl, 42-31)
2009 Record: 10-2
Base Offense: Spread
Base Defense: 4-3
Letterman: Returning - 49; Lost - 20
Returning Starters: Offense - 4, Defense - 5, Specialists - 1
Returning Stars: QB Jeremiah Masoli; DE Will Tukuafu

Notable Alumni:

- Ann Curry: Anchor, The Today Show
- Steve Prefontaine, long distance runner
- Norm Van Brocklin, Hall of Fame quaterback
- David Ogden Stiers, actor of MASH fame
- Norv Turner, Head Coach, San Diego Chargers
- Mary Decker, long distance runner
- Mark Few, head basketball coach, Gonzaga
- Peter Jacobson, pro golfer
- John Madden, former football coach and TV color commentator

Cheerleading Scouting Report:
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Oregon Overview:

After a slow start out of the gate, the Ducks have become one of the hottest teams in college football. Their quick paced brand of offense combined with the explosive talent of Masoli and James, have made the Ducks a media favorite this year. Everyone enjoys seeing a team that can put up points, and Oregon can definitely do that.   
 
 
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Drew Thurman (11:57 pm)

There has been a lot made of the matchup between Oregon's offense and Ohio State's defense, but unfortunately that leaves out many other storylines in the Rose Bowl. One of those that is important to watch is the progression of Terrelle Pryor. Most college football fans will be watching Masoli closely on the other side of the ball, but Pryor has the potential to grab all the press clips when the clock hits zero. In fact, I think it is time for Pryor to show that he has taken the next step forward for the Buckeyes. Fans have waited for his coming out party and the Rose Bowl will provide the national exposure for him to have a breakout moment, much like what Troy Smith and Vince Young experienced.

Pryor has taken a ton of criticism this season for his decision making and leadership, and many in the media have been disappointed in his progress as a quarterback. It's hard to blame them. He has had his fair share of turnovers, struggled to show consistency as a passer, and has worn his emotions on his sleeve for everyone to see. Not hard to understand why Masoli has been the focus, and Pryor has been a mere backstory. 

There is reason for hope though.
 
 
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David Thurman (9:43 am)

Winston Churchill said, "The farther back you look the further forward you are likely to see."  As 2009 comes to a close let's look back at the past season to help us get a glimpse of what 2010 holds for the Bucks.  We'll do this by analyzing each position group:

QB: Needless to say this position wasn't as good in 2009 as most OSU fans envisioned.  Considering that Pryor is a true sophomore it seems most of us were looking through Scarlet and Gray glasses when we dreamed of a Big Ten MVP season from him.  Of course the media made the same mistake!  It did seem that he progressed as a leader this year, and began to cut down on turnovers, particularly after the disaster at West Lafayette.  Pryor still needs to work on mechanics, and improve his completion percentage, but that should happen if: 1) He gets good coaching; and, 2) He continues to dedicate himself. 

As for backups, there is a feeling that Kenny Guiton might supplant Joe Bauserman as the number two guy, and certainly his skills more closely resemble those of TP.  Still, the Bucks are in trouble if Pryor goes down next year.  Incoming freshmen Taylor Graham and Verlon Reed will obviously not be ready for action.

2010 prediction: Marked improvement if Pryor remains healthy

RB: What started off as a liability came on to be a strength this season, when Herron and Saine were both finally healthy and running behind an improved line.  Neither of the two is Beanie Wells, but they both bring some unique talents to the table, and both return for 2010.  In addition Jordan Hall was a pleasant surprise and shows the ability to be a fine back at OSU.  If that's not enough, the uber talented Jamaal Berry was unable to play and redshirted, but the coaches love his skills and hope to get him on the field in 2010.  And, with bigger backs Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith coming aboard next year this may be the deepest Buckeye backfield ever.  And I didn't even mention Jermil Martin who looked like a hardnosed runner when he got the chance. If there is any negative it may be that there still isn't one Eddie George or Beanie Wells to be the bell cow. 

Fullback should be better, too, as Zach Boren and Adam Homan learned on the job, and improved as the year went on.  Boren may even become a stud.

2010 prediction: Marked improvement.  This should go from a "B" backfield to a solid "A"!
 
 
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Drew Thurman (6:21 pm)

I was enjoying a nice breakfast when I happened upon Lisa Horne's Top 10 storylines of bowl season to read this about Ohio State:

"The Buckeyes are in a BCS bowl for the fifth consecutive season. They are also facing: A. the usual six-week layoff after their last regular-season game and B. a team riddled with speed. Will we hear the travel and rust excuses if they lose? The bigger question is whether the Buckeyes will completely open the playbook when facing speed, or will Jim Tressel talk up again the most important part of the game -- punting? Tressel is a class act, but a loss here might cause the Senator to be impeached by the scarlet and gray faithful."

Needless to say, my Frosted Flakes haven't sat well since reading this. Horne  exaggerates the relationship between Tressel and Buckeye Nation greatly, and even worse, she just has to throw the "speed" jab at the Buckeyes. Not only is that argument incredibly cliché, as is the rest of her article, but quite frankly it is pretty negligent. You have to wonder if these self proclaimed college football experts actually watch the games.

Now I realize that Ohio State has brought some of the criticism on themselves with their recent big game blunders, but you would think that the analysts would be able to pinpoint the real problem(s) for the Buckeyes. I think talking about speed is a cop out for Horne and the media, and the reality is that speed hasn't been the real issue. Anyone who has watched the Buckeyes full body of work this decade knows that.
 
 
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Drew Thurman (2:56 pm)

It's exciting to hear that the Big Ten has opened itself up to expanding, and why wouldn't they? Not only is the conference an afterthought the last few weeks of the regular season, but the 18 million people that watched the SEC Championship or 12.7 million for the Big 12  Championship this year could be watching the Big Ten too. The conference is already the richest in the sport today, so why not take things to the next level?

Of course all of this talk about expansion means that the media has jumped on the idea of the Irish finally joining the conference. I mean it sounds like a great marriage right? The Irish have been irrelevant since 1993, as Kirk Herbstreit so nicely reminded everyone a few weeks back, and well we all know the Big Ten is hurting in perception points. So the two finally coming together could have both parties headed in the right direction.

Well, they don't see it that way in South Bend. Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick had this to say to the Chicago Tribune: 

"Our strong preference is to remain the way we are. Independence is a big part of the tradition of the program and our identity. We'd sure like to try to maintain it."

So yes, that is another rejection from the Irish, just like back in 1999. This time it has a little bit less sting though, especially because they are in worse shape than they were 10 years ago. Don't get wrong, Kelly has the capability of turning things around in South Bend, but I still think it is the Irish that need the Big Ten. Not the other way around!
 
 
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Family Feud is a feature where Dave and Drew throw their opinions in on various Buckeye football subjects, which many times are quite opposite. This edition takes a look at some of the hot topics in Buckeye Nation including Oregon, 2010 recruiting, and a 12th Big Ten team.

1) After watching the Oregon-Oregon State game, what were your thoughts? Did the Ducks impress you as much as you thought they would?

Dave: Absolutely.  Their offense is downright frightening.  Masoli is the key in my mind, and he is smooth at running the spread option and powerful when he tucks the ball and runs it.  But he can also throw the ball (Love his tight end), and doesn't turn it over much.  James is explosive out of the backfield and looks like a threat to take it to the house at any time.  And the return of the potent Blount gives them one more threat.  I don't see any major weaknesses on offense.  I'm not sure how well the line pass blocks, so if Ohio State could get a lead that might be the achilles heel. 

Obviously the Oregon defense is not nearly as good as the offense.   I think the Bucks can score plenty of points if they 1) Attack; and 2) Hang on to the ball.  I don't think Tresselball will put up enough points against an opponent with such a high quality offense.

Drew: I actually was a lot less impressed than I thought I would be. Don't get be wrong, Oregon can flat score points. With that said, I thought Oregon State looked every bit as good, especially considering they were on the road. I also disagree with the statement about Tresselball, because I think it is a good strategy against the Oregon offense. Sure I think the staff has to open things up some, but getting into a shootout will result in a loss for the Buckeyes (just as it did for Oregon State). They instead need to run the ball in sustaining drives to limit the amount of touches the Oregon offense gets. Not only does this have the potential to frustrate Masoli and company into forcing things, but it also keeps the game lower scoring. Tressel and the staff should not be thinking of how to score with Oregon, rather how to keep the game on their terms.  

2) The matchup everyone wants to watch is Oregon's offense against Ohio State's defense. How do you feel the Buckeye defense will handle the spread?

Drew: The "spread" is such a loose term, especially considering all the different types of spread offenses there are. Oregon will spread the Buckeyes out to actually run first rather than throw first, which is not how most fans typically envision the spread. Stopping that is no easy task, as many of the opposing defenses in the Pac-10 have found out, but I think that helps the Buckeyes. The secondary has shown they can be picked apart at times, so a run first offense is actually good. With all that said, stopping it will be a challenge. Oregon will try to isolate defensive lineman with the spread option, especially the defensive tackles (which is rare, most teams try to iso the ends). That means the Buckeye DT's have to be smart and not over pursue. I think the Buckeyes defensive line will be up for the task though, and will challenge the Ducks in a way they haven't been all year.  

Dave: Stopping the run is the key, no doubt. I think the Silver Bullets are up to the challenge of slowing down James and Blount, but fear that Masoli may be the wild card.  It is tough to stop a running QB as people have found out with Pryor.  I think it is imperative that OSU plays Hines from the get go.  He, Rolle, and Homan have the speed and pursuit ability necessary to keep Masoli from gouging us.  It would seem advantageous to spy the QB and yet that can open more lanes for the running backs.  If OSU sells out against the run, the defensive backs need to do a good job covering, which I think they are cabable of doing, with the exception of Anderson Russell.  Tress may have given him the DB award at the banquet but we all know he can't cover his mother!   One more concern: Dickson is a great TE, and it will be tough to stop the run, cover the wideouts, and still find a way to keep him from coming open in the middle of the field.  This is a huge challenge and forcing turnovers seems crucial!