Drew Thurman (9:29 am)

In December when the Big Ten announced that they were pursuing adding more teams, Notre Dame and AD Jack Swarbrick made it clear that they wanted no part of it. Just four months later though, the Irish may be more interested due to trying to stay relevant. The Pac-10 has also announced that they want to add teams as well, which means a massive power shift could be about to happen in college football. So, though Notre Dame wants to stay independent, they could be forced to get over their preference.

“I believe we’re at a point right now where the changes could be relatively small or they could be seismic,” Swarbrick said. “The landscape could look completely different."

Swarbrick and the Irish are worried about the possibilities of seismic changes. This would have huge implications, the biggest being the economics of being part of a power conference. The Big Ten, for instance, may be too lucrative of a deal for the Irish to pass up (not that they aren't now).

"I think seismic is a possibility,” he said. “I don’t know where the spectrum falls out. You have such an interesting media environment here. It’s having such an impact on people. You have two conferences who have separated themselves economically. And you have all the other conferences lined up in successive years for broadcast negotiations. That’s a tough situation for everyone in that position. The bar has been set so high, and the media market is so tepid, that it creates tension.” 

The Big Ten could be totally changing the landscape of college football, will Notre Dame jump on board? Well, it appears things could be slowly heading in that direction.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/10740/bt-expansion-push-could-force-nds-hand

Dave Thurman (7:12 pm)

Evan Turner is the newest media darling.  With college basketball's player of the year award all but conceded to him, the only thing that remains for Evan to do is lead the Buckeye roundballers to the Final Four.  

Of course nobody can debate his greatness this season.  Turner has done everything but sell hot dogs at halftime, and I'm surprised the team hasn't asked him to add that to his list of tasks.  While not the best at any single aspect of the game, I'm not sure I ever remember a college player being more versatile.  So ET deserves all the accolades, the magazine covers, and the hardware that is coming his way. No debate here!

But, while we celebrate a special season by an amazing player, let's not forget the incredible coaching job that has quietly taken place on the OSU sideline in 2009-10. With an impressive resume already at his disposal, Matta has taken his x's and o's to another level this year. 

Think about it.  Lacking a solid point guard, a big man who can post up and be a threat to score, or any depth at all, he has once again led the team to a Big Ten title, their third in five years.  Early entries to the NBA draft, transfers, and defections have cost this squad a long list of players that could still have eligibility including Greg Oden, Mike Conley, DaeQuan Cook, Kosta Koufos, B.J. Mullens, Walter Offut, Eric Wallace and Noopie Crater.  Forced to play a somewhat short center (6-8 Dallas Lauderdale) who possesses hands of stone, and a very small power forward (6-5 David Lighty), the team managed to somehow out rebound the opposition.  And often using but six players, and rarely more than seven, the team stayed remarkably fresh and seemed to finish with a flourish.

Now obviously none of it would have been possible without Turner who played every position except center, while nearly averaging an unheard of 20, 10 and 6 (points, rebounds and assists).  But in case you haven't noticed, Matta was winning big games and upsetting opponents before Evan entered high school.  He did it at Butler, with a group considered too unathletic to compete.  He did it again at Xavier, turning a mid-major program into one of the elite teams in the nation.  And, lest one forgets, he did it at OSU PO (pre Oden) with a bunch of "misfits" inherited from Jim O'Brien.

The unfortunate truth is that most of the nation sees Thad Matta as a brilliant recruiter who wins because he brings in A+ talent.  True, the man can definately lure big time talent.  But this year's team lacked one true 5 star recruit.  Yes, both Buford and Turner were great high school players, but compare the Buckeye roster to teams like Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina and you'll see that Matta got a lot more with less.  In a career marked by excellent coaching I believe this was his finest job yet, as he guided a shorthanded Buckeye squad to a Big Ten title and top ten ranking.

So, give Turner all the praise he deserves.  But don't forget the architect who prowls the sidelines while chewing the flavor right out of his gum.  Thad Matta has made hoops in Columbus more than just a distraction between the bowl game and spring football.  The man can flat out coach!

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.

2) Jack Mewhort - OL

Mewhort enrolled early in the spring a year ago, and was a guy that many expected to contribute as a true freshman. He ended up redshirting in 2009, but was on the bubble according Tressel. It appears as if Mewhort will get his chance this spring though. Cordle has departed, and we all know the major struggles that Shugarts and Adams have had. If nothing else Mewhort will be in the two-deep, but I fully expect him and Marcus Hall to make a major push at the tackle spots (even though he will be the listed as the backup at center). His versatility combined with a year of experience under his belt will pay big dividends this spring, so don't be shock to see some major minutes for Mewhort this fall.

3) Jamie Wood - S

One of the few areas where the Buckeyes took a hit was at safety, as Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell left. Unless something crazy happens Jermale Hines will take over at free safety (as he did for some of '09), but the strong safety position is wide open. Orhian Johnson will be the early pick by many to fill the void since Gant, Oliver and Domicone have proven very little, but don't count out redshirt freshman Jamie Wood. Not only was he a U.S. Army All-American, but unlike Johnson safety is his natural position. He also has better size than Johnson, which will prove crucial down the stretch in the Big Ten. While Johnson has become a message board sensation for his ball hawking skills in practice, it will be hard for the Buckeyes to put a better athlete at SS than Wood. This position will be battle all spring long, but watch out for Wood.

4) Adam Bellamy - DT

The other place the Buckeyes lost some depth was defensive tackle with Worthington, Denlinger and Rose departing. Enter Adam Bellamy. Now obviously, Dexter Larimore is going to take up one of the tackle spots. The early candidate for the other will be John Simon, who was a stud as a freshman. If we learned anything from 2009 though, it's that the staff plans to rotate the defensive lineman as much as possible. That means Bellamy, who I expect to be in the two deep, will get plenty of chances to make a name for himself. He has the size and mean streak to be a great one too. So watch what this kid does in the spring, because he could be a major contributor down the stretch.

5) James Jackson - WR/KR/PR

Wide receiver is maybe the deepest it has ever been in Tressel's era. Not only do Posey, Sanzenbacher and Carter all return, but a hungry group of redshirt freshman and freshman are waiting their turn. What makes Jackson stand out from the pack though is his speed. In the recently time forties in spring practice, Jackson found himself second amongst those who ran. If there is one weakness among the three guys aforementioned it's that they are absent of a true burner, and that is where Jackson could work his way into the rotation (as can Fields, Louis, and Brown). More than that though, Jackson could be the premiere candidate to take over special teams duties. With Ray Small now gone, the Buckeyes are hungry for a speedster to return punts and kicks, and Jackson has the intangibles to fit the job description. As always, Tressel will test the waters on special teams, but when the spring concludes Jackson could be the guy. 

Drew Thurman (7:18 pm)

The NFL combine in Indianapolis didn't produce many headlines for Buckeye players. Some of that can be credited to Kurt Coleman (strained abdominal) sitting out the 40-yard dash, while Doug Worthington sat out a majority of the drills thanks to a strained muscle. Not only that, but Aaron Pettrey under performed, showcasing his inconsistency.

One guy that did build some momentum in Indy was Thaddeus Gibson. He was a top performer in three of the drills, and had the lowest 3-cone drill time of any defensive lineman. Here is what Steve Muench had to say (via Adam Rittenberg):

"Ohio State's Thaddeus Gibson looked smooth and comfortable dropping into coverage, which came as little surprise given how often he dropped into coverage in college. However, his footwork was a little sloppy during lateral bag work. Gibson is so explosive that his momentum often carried him past the bag and forced him to gather himself before redirecting. We've seen this on film as well, and Gibson needs to play more under control.

"Michigan's Brandon Graham is ranked ahead of Texas' Sergio Kindle and Ohio State's Thaddeus Gibson because he's the better player on film in our opinion. However, the combine is the perfect venue for Kindle and Gibson to showcase their talents because they are better athletes than Graham." 

Dave and Drew are making a father and son mission trip to Zimbabwe, Africa, February 15 to March 2.  We will resume blogging upon our return.

Drew Thurman (7:25 pm)

Ratings...

Looking at the Scout 150 or Rivals 250 over the past few months has been nothing short of disappointing. Not only did the Buckeyes fall short of the top five classes they accumulated in '08 and '09, but the whole state of Ohio wasn't that impressive in the 2010 class.

The 2011 class looks like it will redeem both parties though. The state of Ohio is loaded with talent, and the national recruiting services are taking notice. In the recently released Scout 150, the Buckeye state has 13 guys (up from nine a year ago), and that talent is much higher up on the list. Braxton Miller (QB), Trey DePriest (OLB), and Ryan Kelly (C) all come in at No. 1 at their given positions, while Doran Grant is listed as the No. 2 corner. Believe or not, Glenville product Shane Wynn doesn't even make the list! The Rivals 250 also is a good showing for Ohio boys (and Wynn does get some love from them!)

More importantly for those of us in scarlet and gray, it appears as if the Buckeyes will do a better job of keeping the best players in the state this year. Braxton Miller, Trey DePriest, Doran Grant, Eilar Hardy, and the Glenville crew (Sturdivant, Walker, and Wynn) are all showing major interest. It doesn't hurt that the staff has already locked up defensive ends Ken Hayes and Steve Miller (both guys on Rivals and Scout's lists). One has to wonder if the Rose Bowl victory will leave a larger impression for the guys in '11.

Rankings...

Mark Schlabach of ESPN has got the Buckeyes at No. 2, in his recent Top 25 for 2010. Ohio State has found themselves on a lot of lists like this in recent years, but this seems to be the most realistic chance the Buckeyes have had since No. 10 was at the helm. Speaking of quarterbacks, this will be Pryor's team more than ever, and Schlabach understands that as well.

"Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel can only hope quarterback Terrelle Pryor turned the corner with his performance in a 26-17 victory over Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Entering his third season, Pryor is still trying to live up to the hype that made him the country's top high school QB prospect. The good news: Four starters will be back on the offensive line. The Buckeyes will have to replace left tackle Jim Cordle, and junior Mike Adams will be the top candidate to protect Pryor's blind side entering spring practice. Three tailbacks will compete for the starting job, including heralded freshman Jaamal Berry, who missed all of last season because of a hamstring injury."

Things Like That...

Speaking of Pryor, the news broke that Pryor had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee earlier this week. Thanks to our friends at New Mexico State, Pryor had a PCL tear that needed some fixing. It sounds like the left leg of the entire Ohio State Football franchise will be alright though, so we can all take a deep breath and prep for a title run.

"Team spokeswoman Shelly Poe confirmed to ESPN.com that Pryor had a routine arthroscopic procedure and should make a speedy recovery. The team said the surgery was successful and expects Pryor to be back to 100 percent before spring practice, which begins April 1."

It's our tradition here at The Silver Bullet to breakdown the players in each class as things wrap up. Some of you still may be holding your breath for Mr. Henderson, but at this point things seem finalized. So, check out our reviews as we beat the 2010 recruiting horse one last time.

Drew Thurman (2:49 pm)

Yesterday capped off a disappointing month in recruiting for the Buckeyes, with the only positive being the fact that none of the 17 unsigned players backed out. Rather than sit around and complain more about who the Buckeyes didn't get, I want to breakdown the players that the staff did indeed reel in. Obviously, Henderson or Anderson could switch their minds, but at this point it appears that will not happen, so let's go ahead and grade out every position. By the way, I'm not the first to do this (as I found out after writing this), but here is my spin on the class:

Quarterback: Taylor Graham (Possibly Verlon Reed)

The staff made the decision early in the process that they wanted a pro-style quarterback in 2010. I'm not sure why they made that decision, because Tressel has proven he is much better with dual-threat QBs, but they did. They struck out with Nick Montana and Cincinnati product, Andrew Hendrix, and would end up grabbing up Graham. He does have a solid arm and good size, but the injury problems he has struggled with are concerning. I personally wish they would have gone after Devin Gardner or another great athlete here. Honestly, I even think Dominique Brown would have projected as a better quarterback in Tressel's system. Grade: C+

Running Back: Roderick Smith (and technically Carlos Hyde)

I really only count Smith in this class, at least for the grade, because Hyde was recruited in last year's class. Anyways, Smith is a player that should excite everyone in Columbus. At 6-2 220 pounds, he fits the mold of some of the most successful Buckeye runners in Beanie Wells and Eddie George. He joins a stable of runners at Ohio State, which should be the deepest position on the field for Tressel. With that said, I expect him the ascend the ranks very quickly because of the style of running back he is. Grade: A-

Wide Receiver: Corey Brown, James Louis, and Tyrone Williams

For the second class in a row the Buckeyes have stocked up on talent at wideout. As impressive as the Carter, Jackson, and Fields combo was a year ago, I think I like these three guys better. First of all, the Buckeyes brought in a serious possession receiver in Tyrone Williams. At 6-6 215 with a 4.6 forty time, he has all the intangibles to eventually become a big time receiver. The staff also nabbed Louis and Brown, who are very similar in many ways. Not only do both guys have major speed, but each has some unique playmaking ability. It because of that ability that I look for both of these guys to have big impact in their first few years at Ohio State. Grade: A+

Offensive Line: Andrew Norwell

Offensive lineman are a need in every class because you can never have enough depth there. The staff obviously knew that, but made a decision to go after some of the premiere lineman in the country. If you haven't been in hibernation over the last 6 months, you will remember the names of guys like Brandon Linder, James Hurst, Chaz Green, Matt James, and Seantrel Henderson. Not one of those young men decided to come to Columbus, leaving the staff with just one lineman in Andrew Norwell. Now Norwell is an impressive prospect, in fact he is one of the best players in this class, and his attitude will make him into a very solid player at Ohio State. With that said, the staff came up very short here. 2011 isn't a great year for offensive lineman in the state of Ohio, and missing the mark in '10 could come back to bite Tressel and company in the butt. Grade: C-

Defensive Line: Darryl Baldwin, Jonathan Hankins, J.T. Moore, and Jamel Turner (Possibly David Durham)

The defensive line was also an important need for 2010, and the staff did answer the call here. Now it will be interesting to see who actually ends up playing where, because many project Turner as a linebacker and Durham as a defensive lineman. No doubt each guy fits the hybrid role that Bobby Carpenter dominated so well. Anyways, this whole group isn't that flashy, but they all are very solid players. I think Baldwin (pictured) and Hankins project the best at the next level, mostly because of the size they already bring to the table. Don't count out Moore or Durham either though. Each of those guys have played some excellent football, and have had little national respect to show for their efforts. Grade: B

Linebackers: David Durham and Scott McVey (Possibly Jamel Turner)

Like the defensive line, it is hard to give an exact grade until we know who is playing where. I like this group a lot though, and think the staff did a great job adding to an already deep group of linebackers currently on the roster. Getting Jordan Hicks would have been a nice bonus, but there is some major talent here. First, I really like McVey as I stated last week. The guy has a motor that never stops, to go along with his speed and instincts. Add a guy like Turner to outside linebacker, and four or five years down the road we will look back with more respect for this class. Bell, Klein and Newsome were all big grabs at linebacker last year, and the staff looks to have added a few more studs this year. Grade: A-

Defensive Backs: Christian Bryant, Chad Hagan, and Bradley Roby (Possibly Verlon Reed)

It's hard to believe after bringing in four defensive backs last year (Brown, Barnett, Clarke, and Wood) that the Buckeyes needed go grab a few more, but they did. Not only have the Buckeyes been plagued in the secondary with transfers and dropouts, but several years in a row the staff had to settle for projects here. The outlook didn't look that great at defensive back a month ago, with only Chad Hagan committed to the Buckeyes. Then the staff stole Roby from Vanderbilt and locked up Glenville product Bryant. Both guys have a major upside at the next level, and should have fans excited. Bryant is a leader and a guy who just seems to get it done, and has "Tressel kind of player" written all over him. Roby has good size and speed, and was picking up major SEC offers following his commitment to OSU. Don't forget eiter Roby or Bryant's names. Grade: B+

Special Teams: Drew Basil

Most people would overlook the commitment of a kicker, but Basil is an important piece in this class. Not only is special teams a major priority to Tressel, but the depth here is as thin as I remember under in his tenure. There always seems to be a few good kickers waiting their turn, and that really isn't the case right now. Basil is a very solid kicker, and will fill the need the Buckeyes currently have. Grade: B+

Overall Class Ranking: B