The weekend weather continued in the nice vein, the slow slide to winter has begun, let us hope it stays on the slow path. As much as I enjoy the early days of fall, is offset by the usual 5 months of Ohio winter. On Saturday and Sunday football was on the menu, Saturday a 98 point JV game at Spencerville that was decided with 18 seconds left, the home team winning 52-46 over visiting Bluffton. Yesterday not so close, one of the Celina Rec League teams won its final regular season contest 41-0 over Arcanum. The Recreational League playoffs begin this coming weekend.
OSU slips past Wisconsin 20-17.....
I've been a long time Ohio State Buckeye fan(since about 1963), rooted for them even during the John Cooper era. Rooted for the Buckeyes, even while attending other Universities and Colleges. Cooper, hired after a quality career in Arizona, had a great overall record with Ohio State over a 13 year career. The problem for Chicken Coop(er) was...he couldn't beat hated Michigan(2-10-1 career record vs "The Team Up North"), plus his Big Ten championship record and bowl record left something to be desired. Seems Coop always manged to choke a bowl game, to Michigan, or both. Sure he won a Rose Bowl and a Sugar Bowl, but he never brought home the National Championship, and after all, after a win over Michigan, that is the most important thing. Add that to the fact that John Cooper recruited "thugs", not students. So it was a rebirth of Buckeye football when JC got the axe after the embarrassing lost to South Carolina and Lou Holtz in the Outback Bowl on 1/1/2001.
Ohio State turned to clean cut former assistant Jim Tressel, aka: "The Vest". He promised pride and wins over Michigan, he has delivered even more than that. In his first 7 seasons, Tressel has a 6-1 record over the Wolverines, a National Championship win, two Fiesta Bowl wins, including one over hated Notre Dame. Only fly in the ointment has been those 2 blowout losses to Florida and LSU in the 2 latest NC Title games....and that little ass kicking by Southern Cal earlier this season. Seems "The Vest" and his play calling were suspect, and his 6th year Sen
ior QB was part of the problem, or if you would listen to the most rabid of Buckeye fans, Todd Boeckman was the problem. JT, never one to take the blame on himself, tossed the kid, who stuck with the program for 6 years, including a grey shirt and red shirt season, overboard in favor of the highly recruited phenom from Pennsylvania, one Terrelle Pryor. Forget the fact that the main problems for OSU have been an overrated defense and the early season injury to star running back Chris "Beanie" Wells.
ior QB was part of the problem, or if you would listen to the most rabid of Buckeye fans, Todd Boeckman was the problem. JT, never one to take the blame on himself, tossed the kid, who stuck with the program for 6 years, including a grey shirt and red shirt season, overboard in favor of the highly recruited phenom from Pennsylvania, one Terrelle Pryor. Forget the fact that the main problems for OSU have been an overrated defense and the early season injury to star running back Chris "Beanie" Wells.After the USC loss, Pryor was put out in front of fans and media alike as the savior in a 6' 6" 225 lb frame...wins over Troy, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, despite less than stellar performances by Pryor, has fueled the fire of another late season National Title shot.....Let's Hope Not, we don't need another January dissapointment.
Pryor, they say, is another Vince Young. That may be, but let's not crown him the "King of the College Football World" just yet. Ohio State fans, for the most part, me and a few others notwithstanding, are among the most rabid, hate filled, in college football. They are an embarrassment to many. The booing of Boeckman when he returned to field for a couple of token snaps vs Troy is proof in point....and if you dare say anything about Pryor or the direction of the program, you are likely to be called names that I wouldn't even post on this blog. The thing that grates, is not so much the fact that Boeckman has been benched, its the way "The Vest" did it. A area kid that played by the rules, passed his courses, didn't open his big yap to or at the press, was given the boot by a coach, who didn't even confide in his own assistants. Pryor may indeed be what the Buckeyes need, a talented, but over hyped, loud mouth 19 year old, who may, but has yet to show much progress. He can open his pie hole complaining about ESPN and their talking heads, we will see if he can back up that mouth by defeating Penn State and Illinois, then maybe Michigan, if he hasn't had his head handed to him by then.....Guess I should be from Missouri, "Show Me Terrelle, just Show Me".
Yep, I still root for the Buckeyes, but their fans, their new found star, and their coach, all need a lesson in class and humility, so far they have shown none, Todd Boeckman has. In my opinion, both fans and coach are not doing the program or the State of Ohio any favors. Especially considering almost the entire state ties their fall weekends to the doings of Buckeye football in Columbus.
Tomorrow I will head to Waldo and Millwood, to do some genealogy research/photography....in the meantime, check out the Stock Market is down below 10,000 on early losses over 300 points....that bail out seems a little slow in the making.
Back Later>>>>>>>>>>>
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The former starting QB at Ohio State, Todd Boeckman...The New "Savior" Terrelle Pryor, and the Coach known as "The Vest", straight laced Jim Tressel.
7 comments:
I can't stand it when I have to sit in the stands at a game and listen to some "fan" mouth off. Makes you wish someone would knock 'em in the mouth. Particvularly when it's a woman. OK, sometimes it's funny, but some kids mom, screachin' at the ref, is almost too much to bear.
I gotta agree with ya on the OSU fans thing, Pat. That said, Oklahoma fans or Florida/Fla State fans (or "you name it" fans) could give the OSU folks a run for their money when it comes to "obnoxious." A lot depends on which stadium you're in at which time... and where ya sit!
As for the rest? It's a lot of "inside tee-ball" to the non-OSU fan... ;-)
To comment on Boeckman, I think a lot of the frustration there is because of whats happened in big games with him. Buckeye fans expect to win them all and when the QB is a big part of the mistakes in the big games then fans need someone who can make things happen and bring life back into a team.
Pryor has a long ways to go but he's what this team needs right now and fans are responding. While it's gotta be tough on Boeckman the positive results are already showing.
Thanks for dropping in with your comments Bucksinsider, you too Buck!
;)
Well, Pat, my great recollections of early 60s OSU mania revolves around my then-young infatuation with a certain Jerry Lucas and John "Hondo" Havlicek on the basketball floor, leading the Bucks through that string of NCAA titles. Jerry's almost-never-fail hookshot was indeed a thing of beauty. I seldom watch the game any more because of what it has become: as much a "muscle" contest as the practice of finesse that Mr. Naismith intended. And dunking should have never been permitted to enter the game. Sorry to go somewhat off-topic on you, but your remarks brought back fun memories of a better sports era, I think.
Larry, I met and interviewed Jerry while News Director at KGNO in Dodge City, back in 1980....the guy has a photo memory, and can add to memory an entire phone book in a manner of hours.
He was a special Basketball player, more important, he is a great human being.
I lived in Oklahoma for several years. Most obnoxious fans ever. I grew to hate football season there. Now they're #1.
It has been fun watching OU get bitch-slapped by West Virginia and Boise State in the Bowl games though.
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