Drew Thurman (11:52 pm)
A week ago Buckeye Nation was chattering about the possibility of still winning a B1G Championship and Fickell saving his job. Now the discussion has officially shifted to what is happening on the hardwood and when, not if, Urban Meyer will be signing on the dotted line. It's been a long time since November has seemed this bleak for the Silver Bullets. With rivals Penn State and Michigan still upcoming, though, there is still a lot of headlines to focus on, so let's take a look...
DeVier Posey's Impact?
The biggest news this weekend has to be the return of DeVier Posey to the wide receiving core. With the Buckeyes currently ranked 118th out of 120 teams in the nation in passing offense, getting a veteran back in the mix like Posey has to help. The question is how big of an impact will he make? We all know Bollman's offense is horrendous, Braxton's mechanics seem to be digressing, and let's face it, Posey has missed 10 games this season. Is No. 8 the caliber of player to overcome all of these factors?
Brandon Castel of The Ozone answers some of these questions in his latest piece on Posey. As he puts it, Posey may not be Justin Blackmon or Robert Woods, but defensive coordinators will have to respect his ability. The current core of Buckeye wideouts have been getting jammed at the line all season and most of the time they have struggled to create separation down field. Both of those problems Posey helps to correct. Not only does he free up other receiving targets, but could be the difference in teams packing it in or not against the Buckeyes.
Another positive note is that Corey "Philly" Brown will be back to face the Nittany Lions. He proved himself as the most consistent option at wideout in Posey's absence, and having both lining up together could be a huge boost for a stagnant offense. Before you get too excited though, remember who is calling the plays.
A week ago Buckeye Nation was chattering about the possibility of still winning a B1G Championship and Fickell saving his job. Now the discussion has officially shifted to what is happening on the hardwood and when, not if, Urban Meyer will be signing on the dotted line. It's been a long time since November has seemed this bleak for the Silver Bullets. With rivals Penn State and Michigan still upcoming, though, there is still a lot of headlines to focus on, so let's take a look...
DeVier Posey's Impact?
The biggest news this weekend has to be the return of DeVier Posey to the wide receiving core. With the Buckeyes currently ranked 118th out of 120 teams in the nation in passing offense, getting a veteran back in the mix like Posey has to help. The question is how big of an impact will he make? We all know Bollman's offense is horrendous, Braxton's mechanics seem to be digressing, and let's face it, Posey has missed 10 games this season. Is No. 8 the caliber of player to overcome all of these factors?
Brandon Castel of The Ozone answers some of these questions in his latest piece on Posey. As he puts it, Posey may not be Justin Blackmon or Robert Woods, but defensive coordinators will have to respect his ability. The current core of Buckeye wideouts have been getting jammed at the line all season and most of the time they have struggled to create separation down field. Both of those problems Posey helps to correct. Not only does he free up other receiving targets, but could be the difference in teams packing it in or not against the Buckeyes.
Another positive note is that Corey "Philly" Brown will be back to face the Nittany Lions. He proved himself as the most consistent option at wideout in Posey's absence, and having both lining up together could be a huge boost for a stagnant offense. Before you get too excited though, remember who is calling the plays.
Washington and Stanford Decision Date
The two biggest names on the recruiting scene currently for the Buckeyes are defensive end Adolphus Washington and wide receiver Dwayne Stanford. The Cincinnati Taft duo have set their announcement date yet again, and this time it sounds like it will happen. All the drama should come to end next Tuesday at 10 a.m.
The big news is that according to Washington's father (via Bill Kurelic), the Buckeyes will be getting a commitment from his son. While that's great news, it really isn't totally unexpected. Washington struggled through the early allegations and the firing of Tressel, but has been very open about favoring the Buckeyes over the last several months. The bigger question is what Stanford will do, as he has been much less open about his recruitment. The hope from Buckeye fans is that the desire for these two guys to play together in college will pull him OSU's way. Maybe the fact that they are announcing together is a good sign!
B1G Crapfest
Phil Miller of the Star Tribune gives some interesting assessment of where the B1G currently stands.
"The highest-ranked team in the latest BCS standings released Sunday is Michigan State at No. 15, the lowest the conference has ever fallen. That's behind three Big 12 teams, two Pac-12 teams, two from the ACC and an amazing five teams from the SEC."
Two from the ACC? Woof. Not exactly a fact that gives anyone conference pride. Between the scandals that have rocked Ohio State and Penn State and the disappointing seasons from Wisconsin and Nebraska, the conference is in shambles this season. While 10 teams could possibly be bowl eligible at the season's end, the conference will probably only send one team to a BCS bowl, something they haven't done since the 2004-05 season.
Hankins Will Play
The Buckeyes got huge news tonight as Paul Haynes confirmed that Johnathan Hankins will be a go this weekend against Penn State. Hankins, who has arguably been the best defensive lineman this season for the Buckeyes, will be a valuable asset in slowing down Silas Redd and the Nittany Lion rushing attack. Much like Ohio State, PSU has lived off of defense and a potent running game. They have held opponents to 12.9 points a game, so the strategy has paid off. So yes, Hankins role will be vital Saturday afternoon.
The Silver Bullets will be missing Andrew Sweat though. He's definitely been the most consistent linebacker for the Buckeyes this season, and facing Penn State's offense would really have showcased his strengths. I also hate that he can't start on Senior Day. That being said, Ryan Shazier will finally get to start. He's the most athletic linebacker on the roster and he constantly is making explosive plays. He had his coming out party against Purdue, much like Laurinaitis did his freshman year against Michigan, and could be the difference this weekend.
Pick Sixes
Need something to cheer you up for this weekend? Check this out.
The two biggest names on the recruiting scene currently for the Buckeyes are defensive end Adolphus Washington and wide receiver Dwayne Stanford. The Cincinnati Taft duo have set their announcement date yet again, and this time it sounds like it will happen. All the drama should come to end next Tuesday at 10 a.m.
The big news is that according to Washington's father (via Bill Kurelic), the Buckeyes will be getting a commitment from his son. While that's great news, it really isn't totally unexpected. Washington struggled through the early allegations and the firing of Tressel, but has been very open about favoring the Buckeyes over the last several months. The bigger question is what Stanford will do, as he has been much less open about his recruitment. The hope from Buckeye fans is that the desire for these two guys to play together in college will pull him OSU's way. Maybe the fact that they are announcing together is a good sign!
B1G Crapfest
Phil Miller of the Star Tribune gives some interesting assessment of where the B1G currently stands.
"The highest-ranked team in the latest BCS standings released Sunday is Michigan State at No. 15, the lowest the conference has ever fallen. That's behind three Big 12 teams, two Pac-12 teams, two from the ACC and an amazing five teams from the SEC."
Two from the ACC? Woof. Not exactly a fact that gives anyone conference pride. Between the scandals that have rocked Ohio State and Penn State and the disappointing seasons from Wisconsin and Nebraska, the conference is in shambles this season. While 10 teams could possibly be bowl eligible at the season's end, the conference will probably only send one team to a BCS bowl, something they haven't done since the 2004-05 season.
Hankins Will Play
The Buckeyes got huge news tonight as Paul Haynes confirmed that Johnathan Hankins will be a go this weekend against Penn State. Hankins, who has arguably been the best defensive lineman this season for the Buckeyes, will be a valuable asset in slowing down Silas Redd and the Nittany Lion rushing attack. Much like Ohio State, PSU has lived off of defense and a potent running game. They have held opponents to 12.9 points a game, so the strategy has paid off. So yes, Hankins role will be vital Saturday afternoon.
The Silver Bullets will be missing Andrew Sweat though. He's definitely been the most consistent linebacker for the Buckeyes this season, and facing Penn State's offense would really have showcased his strengths. I also hate that he can't start on Senior Day. That being said, Ryan Shazier will finally get to start. He's the most athletic linebacker on the roster and he constantly is making explosive plays. He had his coming out party against Purdue, much like Laurinaitis did his freshman year against Michigan, and could be the difference this weekend.
Pick Sixes
Need something to cheer you up for this weekend? Check this out.
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