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Dave Thurman (11:22 am)

In this ongoing series TSB has already ranked the ten greatest receivers in Buckeye history...now on to the linebackers.

There have been so many great linebackers at Ohio State through the years that it might be easier to have a Top Twenty at this position, and even then we'd be forced to leave out some good ones.  But here, in my opinion, are the best of the best:

10. Pepper Johnson - An extremely big, physical linebacker, Johnson was a star at Ohio State and also in the NFL.  He was such a fine leader that he was chosen as a captain as both a junior and a senior.

9.  Steve Tovar - Good enough to work his way into the starting lineup as a true freshmen, Tovar totaled over 400 tackles in his career, leading the team three straight years.

8.   Matt Wilhelm - Wilhelm played middle linebacker on probably the best Buckeye defense of the post-Woody era, and not only led the team in tackles, but registered 19.5 tackles for loss for the National Champions in '02.

7.  Marcus Marek - Though undersized, Marek was a heat-seeking missile who always found his target, and wound up his career with 572 tackles to sit atop the list...more than any Buckeye in history! 

6.  James Laurinaitis - Baby Animal was a three-time All American who brought home as much hardware as any linebacker to play at OSU.  It is a testimony to how many great ones have worn the Scarlet and Gray that he is only sixth on this list.
 
 
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Drew Thurman (1:19 pm)

In this series of profiles, we are taking a look at some of the under the radar Buckeye players who play a vital role in a championship run. Everyone knows the importance of players like Pryor, Saine, Posey, Brewster, Boren, Heyward, Homan, and Rolle. This series is not about those big names players, rather the indispensable guys that get looked over. Check out #9 Devon Torrence...

Why he is important:

Torrence is an important piece to puzzle for multiple reasons. First, playing cornerback in college football these days makes you an automatic asset. With the emergence of the spread, if you aren't deep at corner, you're dead. Lucky for the Buckeyes, they return Torrence along with fellow senior Chimdi Chekwa. Together they should help anchor the defensive secondary in 2010. The Buckeyes will need strong corner play with the departures of Coleman and Russell at safety, and the experience the departed with them.

Secondly, Torrence has a vital role on this team because of his raw athleticism. Those skills helped him win out the starting job early in the season in 2009, and led him to 35 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack. It was fun to watch Torrence as the year unfolded, because his understanding of the game continued to progress, which combined with his athleticism made a lethal combination. Maybe the best example of the strides he made was in the Michigan game, when he intercepted a pass in the endzone to seal the victory.

Finally, Torrence could find a role in the special teams as well. He was one of handful of guys returning kicks and punts this spring, and has made it very clear that he wants to be used in multiple capacities in 2010.
 
 
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Drew Thurman (9:41 am)

linch·pin or lynch·pin

1. A locking pin inserted in the end of a shaft, as in an axle, to prevent a wheel from slipping off.

2. A central cohesive element
So what does a linchpin have to do with Ohio State football? Well, I just got done reading Seth Godin's latest book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? In it he describes people in organizations who are indispensable and cannot be replaced. They might not have the flashiest role, but are vital to the overall success of the organization. I think the analogy also makes sense for the Buckeyes this season.

Everyone knows the importance of players like Pryor, Saine, Posey, Brewster, Boren, Heyward, Homan, and Rolle. These guys will get most of the preseason press, and we all know how crucial they are to a national championship run. What often gets overlooked is the impact of some of the less flashy guys. The players who don't put up the best stats or have the most Buckeye helmet stickers, but are vital to the team. For some of these guys it's their play that makes them indispensable, coming up with the right plays at the right time, while for others its just the role they find themselves in. Regardless, I want to focus on 10 players who are linchpins for the Buckeyes in 2010. Let's start at No. 10 with Ben Buchanan.
 
 
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Dave Thurman (8:41 pm)

During college football's dreaded dead period, while starving Buckeye fans fight for table scraps, I've decided to feature a series of Top Ten lists.  Over the next few weeks we'll look at the greatest to don the Scarlet and Gray at a few positions, beginning with wide receiver.  Before we rank the best pass catchers of all time, let me confess that for this position I am only considering players from 1979 on, since Woody used the forward pass about as often as today's coaches employ the Single Wing Offense.  Consider that even the great Paul Warfield never caught more than 22 passes in a season!  So, with the ground rules in place, here are the Top Ten Greatest Ohio State Receivers in history:

10. Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr.  I can't separate these two receivers who played so well together.  Gonzo ran precise routes and was unafraid to cut across the middle.  His catch against scUM in 2005 is reason enough to put him on this list.  Meanwhile, TGII relied mostly on his speed, but you can't overlook his numbers or the fear he struck in the heart of defensive coordinators.

9. Dee Miller - Although overshadowed by David Boston, all Miller did was have back-to-back seasons of 58 and 59 catches, each for over 900 yards.

8. Gary Williams - A lot of Buckeye fans have forgotten about this smooth receiver from Wilmington, but he was the picture of consistency, hauling in at least one pass in 48 straight games.

7. Doug Donley - White Lightening was not only fast, he could catch the ball, and led the team in receiving three straight seasons.

6. Santonio Holmes - Long before his Superbowl winning catch or off-the-field problems, Santonio was a stud in Scarlet and Gray with great speed and excellent hands.
 
 
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Look for Evan Spencer in Scarlet and Gray next year
Dave Thurman (9:36 am)

With a fabulous start to the class of 2011, Buckeye fans are hoping for a top five finish come signing day next February.  So who exactly will complete this class?  Let's look position by position at who is already "in the house," and who TSB thinks will eventually join them in what promises to be a special class.

Quarterback: 
Verbals - 0
Possibilities - Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones, and Jarrard Randall
Who they get - Braxton Miller, maybe the next great one in Scarlet and Gray

Running Back:
Verbals - 0
Possibilities - James Wilder and Erick Howard
Who they get - Erick Howard (after a year to get his grades in order at Fork Union)

Wide Receiver:
Verbals - 0
Possibilities - Phillip Dorsett, Shane Wynn, Evan Spencer, and Ju'Juan Story
Who they get - Shane Wynn and Evan Spencer
 
 
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Drew Thurman (3:32 pm)

It's not a new revelation that the Buckeyes have struggled on the offensive line under Jim Tressel and Jim Bollman. While Tressel's squads consistently provide the defense and skill position players to contend for a national championship every year, the big guys up front have been the source of much frustration in Columbus. At times they appear out of shape, while at other moments they just look terribly coached. That may sound a bit harsh, but with the amount of big name recruits that have amounted to nothing in recent years, you have to start to wonder what is going on behind the scenes.

All that aside though, there does appear to be hope in 2010.

That hope stems from the way the offensive line played to close the season. If you remember, it was a huge turnaround from how things started. Just go back to the first half of the season, starting with the Navy game. The offense sputtered, much of which can be contributed to the offensive line. It was the defense that really was in a groove, while Pryor was throwing for 100 yards a game and Saine and Herron struggled to get going.

The breaking point happened in back-to-back games against Wisconsin and Purdue. Many forget the Wisconsin game because the Buckeyes won, thanks to defensive and special teams play, but it was a dismal offensive performance. In fact, the Badgers outgained OSU 368 to 184 yards that afternoon. The following week the offense followed up this spectacular performance with a defeat in West Lafayette to Purdue. Don't get me wrong, these games were probably two of Pryor's worst, but the offensive line was awful too. They looked outmatched, lazy, and there seemed to be very little hope that Buckeyes would be able to handle the upcoming schedule.       
 
 
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Drew Thurman (12:01 pm)

ESPN has started this project to find out which NCAA school is the best pipeline to the NFL. They scored teams based on the 1979-2009 NFL Drafts, and the Buckeyes came in at a No. 12 seed. I was a little shocked at the low ranking, especially considering the amount of players the Buckeyes have put into the draft the last two decades. I was especially surprised to see the Buckeyes third in the Big Ten, and also behind teams like Arizona State (sorry that is garbage).

The Buckeyes face No. 5 seed Tennessee in their first round matchup. Rather than letting the general public vote (like with the helmet contest), ESPN has wisely left it up to experts. Personally, I think UT versus OSU in terms of NFL talent is not even close, and it was nice to see the experts back that up. Matt Williamson of Scout Inc. (former NFL and college scout):  

"The Buckeyes win on sheer volume. Peyton Manning is an extremely formidable opponent, but he can't do it alone. Clearly, Ohio State cannot compare at the quarterback position, but its offensive linemen are extremely impressive. The Buckeyes just bring more to the table on a position-by-position overview. I will contend that Tennessee has a little more NFL upside based on the past handful of draft classes. If these two meet again a few years down the road, the results might be different. For this battle, it is just too difficult to go against Ohio State's volume in favor of what is pretty much a one-man show for the Vols."

So, I'm still not sure how the Buckeyes got the No. 12 seed. Anyways, this is just something fun to watch this week since there isn't a ton of news coming out. The Buckeyes will next face No. 4 seed Florida State...
 
 
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Drew Thurman (9:44 pm)

No doubt, September 11th will be the date most Buckeye fans will have marked on their schedules. Many believe if Pryor company can get through Miami (FL) that afternoon, they will be well on their way to a date with destiny in Glendale, Arizona. The problem is that the Big Ten will most likely provide it's toughest test in recent memory. It would be easy to write that off, due to the Big Ten domination under Tressel, but the Buckeyes will have to once again rise to the occasion to survive. Let's take a look at a few of the games that could cause problems.

Challenge #1 - October 16th at Wisconsin:

This night game at Camp Randall Stadium will be the first major road game for the Buckeyes. The Badger fans always make it an electric atmosphere up there, especially when Ohio State comes to town. Not only that, but they return a lot of talent from last year's 10-3 squad, including 10 offensive starters. Maybe the most deadly of those starters will be running back, John Clay, who rushed for 1,517 yards a season ago. The Buckeyes held him to his second lowest output of the season last year, and will need to duplicate their effort come October.

Two years ago, Pryor entered manhood with his late game heroics in Camp Randall, so he should have good memories there. Hopefully his second trip to Badger country will be just as kind.  
 
 
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Dave Thurman (4:11 pm)

One thing is certain as Ohio State prepares for the 2010 season: there is big-time depth in the offensive backfield.  I have never seen as many quality backs on one team as the Buckeyes boast this year.  While there may not be one superstar, there are a lot of bodies to trot out on the field.  Let's take a look at each, consider what we might expect from them this season, and then for fun, compare them to an Ohio State runner from the past.

-Brandon Saine: Now a senior, Brandon has progressed nicely, featuring a package of good size and great speed.  He is not a particularly instinctive runner, but has made strides in regard to running style, no longer dancing around behind the line of scrimmage like he used to.  The bonus is that Saine is an excellent receiver.  If he and the line stay healthy I look for him to have a big year, possibly approaching the 1000 yard mark. 

Compares to: Maybe Robert Smith because of his speed, though Smith was more of a long strider.

-Daniel "Boom" Herron: Neither big nor fast, Boom makes up for those deficiencies through determination, hitting the hole with a purpose.  He does all the little things well, and the coaching staff loves him, especially near the goal line.  Although there is plenty of competetion this year, I still look for Boom to get his carries and have a solid season.

Compares to: His build reminds me of Vince Workman but I think Vince was faster.  Honestly, his running style, dare I say it, is a lot like Mike Hart.

-Jordan Hall: A pleasant surprise as a freshman, Hall looked great this spring, and will earn playing time.  He is quick and shifty, and may be the most instinctive runner the Buckeyes have.  He can catch the ball out of the backfield, and should return some kicks this year as well.  Jordan will have an impact one way or the other.

Compares to: Pepe Pearson, another smallish back who wasn't jet fast but was quick and smart.
 
 
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Drew Thurman (3:02 pm)

The news has been pretty slow this week, after what has proven to be an exciting spring. There are a few things that have caught my eye or ticked me off though...

1) Ohio State recruit, Braxton Miller, is going to get a chance to show what he is made of on ESPN. Right of the gate Miller and the guys from Wayne High School play Moeller and McKinley in weeks one and two. The game against Moeller is part of the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown, while the McKinley game is part of Herbstreit Varsity Football Series at Ohio Stadium. If Braxton wasn't in the limelight enough already, he will have lots of talk surrounding his play in both games.

2) Everyone is looking to break the pipeline between Ohio State and Cleveland Glenville High School. Outside of a few prospects giving the Buckeyes the cold shoulder, the staff has pretty much gotten who they have wanted there. The latest attempt has Michigan and Michigan State chasing QB Cardale Jones. Jones has yet to get an OSU offer, thanks to the aforementioned Braxton Miller, but this is story is still noteworthy. Both the Wolverines and Spartans are hoping this is a way to break in with the Tarblooders, and hopefully steal some of the talent from the Buckeyes. Obviously, there is nothing to worry about with Rodriguez, but Dantonio has proven his recruiting pull the last few years. In fact, the Buckeyes are battling the Spartans for several other prospects in Ohio currently.

3) Cameron Heyward is getting lots of love in the mock drafts for 2011. SI's latest mock draft has Heyward going fourth to the Detriot Lions, while McShay at has him fifth to the Browns. I thought Heyward really didn't get the respect he should of last season, and it is nice to see some experts noticing his dominance. 

4) I have made it clear that I already sick of expansion talk, but this topic is only going to gain more momentum over the next few months. The latest chapter in this story is that the SEC is looking at expanding if others do. As many have predicted, this will be a battle that will have all the major conferences trying to outdo each other. SEC commissioner Mike Silve said this:

"We've always been known to be a creative league, be on the cutting edge," Slive said. "We're not going to allow ourselves in any way, shape or form, to be anything less than what we are now."

In other words, get ready for a war when the Big Ten expands. When the dust settles, college football will have a much different look and feel.