This has been a relatively quiet week but there are chunks of Buckeye centric items to pass along. I'll yield the podium for your comments:

James Laurinaitis and Kirk Barton were named First Team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association. Brian Robiskie was named to the academic All-America team. Hard to argue with the selections though one could say Laurinaitis was relatively quiet the second half the season. His Washington game, however, was perhaps his finest as a Buckeye.

Miami coach Randy Shannon granted an 'exclusive' interview with the Miami Herald. The topics were wide ranging but when it came to player misconduct at Miami and off campus housing, Shannon somehow drug Ohio State into the conversation. We've apparently had all kinds of recent trouble with our players - like "bar fights" and such. The outburst was bizarre - and wrong - and now the Herald has edited the interview and removed the Ohio State references. Luckily a few good souls saved the passage before being scrubbed away in cyberspace. Here's the excerpt:

Q: Obviously, though, there are kids that live off campus. What do you tell parents about that?
A: We show them the neighborhoods. Everybody else in the country lives off campus and they still have the same problems. But their newspaper don’t beat them up about it. Like our newspaper beats us up about it. I know you guys are doing your job, you got to beat us up about it. But then understand we just want a fair shot. At Ohio State, do you realize you had more things happen at Ohio State more than anything. You think we’ve been bad? Go check out Ohio State, guys who have been arrested, bar fights. Look at everything at Ohio State and you’d think the University of Miami was angels. Florida, the same. There’s going to be two guys let back on that team because of a gun charges and one who unloaded it in a club. What would happen if I do that?

When you get past the awful grammar, one has to decide whether to give the benefit of the doubt to Shannon. Maybe he meant to single out Penn State.

Fat and outshape is no way to play football, at least according to current members of our football team. What has been widely speculated has now been confirmed - some (many?) players didn't take conditioning as serious as they should have last year leading to the BCS Championship game. The long layoff didn't help either but compounding that problem was a logistical error on Ohio State's part leaving too soon for the desert. Apparently provisions have been put in place for it to never happen again.

Who has permission to take the lid of the basket? In Ohio State's two losses this year on the hardwood, they've suffered mind-numbing droughts from the field. Against Texas A&M, a 6 point halftime deficit quickly grew to 30-ish because the Buckeyes missed 17 of their first 18 shots of the second half. An almost identical stretch happened Wednesday night against #2 North Carolina. Leading 35-31 early in the second half, Ohio State went more than 10 minutes without a field goal. During that span, they missed 17 straight. On the bright side, Jon Deibler broke out of his slump hitting five 3s including one at the hash. No, really. The hash. He's a streaky player and more of a scorer than a shooter. Eleven Warriors has some excellent commentary, too.

Bill Willis, an Ohio State football legend, passed away tonight at the age of 86. He was recently honored a few weeks ago in Ohio Stadium during the Wisconsin game where his #99 jersey was retired and his name permanently installed in the ring of honor. Willis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. That was followed up with the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 1977. One of the all-time greats.

Jim Tressel's team is exactly where we thought they'd be in the newest BCS Poll. Our hope is squarely on the shoulders of the Sooners as no rational person can expect, let alone think, Pitt will upset West Virginia. It should be pointed out that it's always more difficult beating an opponent twice in the same season and Missouri did hold the lead going into the 4th quarter. Then again, Missouri scored a meaningless touchdown with 12 seconds left to trim the final deficit to 10 points. As I suspected, Vegas has Oklahoma as an early favorite. The beauty in all this is we are guaranteed a fantastic bowl and matchup no matter what happens.

Ed Orgeron was fired at Ole Miss. I found this particularly ironic for me because I just finished the book Meat Market, written by Bruce Feldman. It focuses on major college football recruiting but not at a powerhouse. Feldman chose Ole Miss and (former) head coach Ed Orgeron who gave him complete access to all their recruiting meetings, evaluations, phone calls, offers, etc.

The book is recommended and there is an Ohio State angle. Both Cameron Heyward and Rob Gronkowski are mentioned along with how Orgeron feels about recruiting in the north. If that doesn't interest you, there's the in depth discussions on player evaluations and what a staff looks for (ie: ankle flexibility, "pop", stiffness or lack of, etc.) when determining whether to offer a scholarship or not.

Big Ten Wonk is no more and he's now at Basketball Prospectus, as we've mentioned before. John cranked out great stuff and, not coincidentally, soon after I started linking his stuff here - those same links started popping up on all the 'major' Ohio State sites. I'd like to think I was some small part of that. Now, I want to pass along a new college basketball site called StatSheet.com. No only does it focus on all just about every college team, it also includes cool charlets for bloggers like myself to embed in their site. Stuff like baseline stats for each game so you can compare great outings with horrific ones, such as:


While we may experience some growing pains this year, Matta is in a class by himself at Ohio State in terms of winning percentage:
Matta's boys are back in action as I type, up 43-29 at the half vs. VMI. Live play by play is here. OSU Student Radio has the call. Othello Hunter of the game it's suspected because of injury and/or cramps?

MGoBlog is reporting that Kirk Ferentz has been offered the Michigan job. UM fans are generally up in arms carrying pitch forks and torches which is puzzling to me. Ferentz is a superior choice to Les Miles in my mind simpy because, well, he knows how to coach a game and manage crucial junctures. Miles does not.

Last week, the path to New Orleans was outlined after our convincing win at Michigan. That path was further cleared today when LSU lost at home to Arkansas - or, as Les Miles says, ar-Kansas - in triple OT. We still must ask for more help from Oklahoma in the Big 12 Title game. If Oklahoma wins (in a game I believe they'll be favored), Ohio State, barring any poll wackiness, is all but assured a return trip to the BCS Championship game.

In case you were wondering, the odds have been calculated for you math types. As of games which ended today, Ohio State stands a 59% chance of getting to the BCS Championship game which is second only to West Virginia's 83%. So, the probability of our return to the national title game has quickly gone from longshot to on the cusp. Maybe ending the regular season before Thanksgiving isn't so bad after all?

Somewhere in the decrepit visitors locker room on Saturday, Beanie Wells stepped up big time even before the game started. The usually quiet phenom was heard imploring his team (yes, his team) to leave it on the field during an emotional speech. There are no do-overs. There's no reset button. There's no second chances to beat your arch rival four years in a row. That was the message.

Simply put, Wells delivered the message and then delivered on the field. The performance was so good that it deserves to be spelled out: thirty-nine carries and two hundred and twenty-two yards. He scored the game's only touchdowns and nearly punched in a third as time ticked off. It will go down in Buckeye lore and it mattered little that Michigan knew he was getting the ball almost every down, they still couldn't stop him - especially UM safety Brandent Englemon. Some of you may only know Englemon by number - 31 - because it was he who was stepped over, run over and brushed aside on several of Wells' most successful carries. It was enough to make Michigan fans cry:

Yeah, we've been there before, in darker times. The victory isn't sweet because it brings pain to Michigan fans. It's sweet because the roles have been reversed and now Michigan's in the quicksand of repeated defeat. Consider this was a Michigan team which included their all-time leading passer, all-time leader rusher and, if Manningham stays, all-time leading receiver. Yet, they managed 91 total yards and 66% of their plays went for a loss or no gain. Mike Hart is the 'heart' of their team, and that just may be one of the problems. Not that I'm giving advice or anything.

It should be noted that injuries played a factor. Chad Henne, if it was any other opponent, would not have been playing. Hart wasn't full go but this isn't a one-sided story. Beanie played with a severe bone chip in his ankle the last half of the year, plus a sprained right thumb and also, we come to find out, a broken left wrist. Warrior. I'll reiterate on the defensive side of the ball, we played the entire year without two starters (Lawrence Wilson, Curtis Terry) but this never, ever gets pub in the national media.

Surprsing to some, there were no special plays, formations or tactics this year from Coach Tressel. The weather dictated a ground attack and we obliged lining up in double tight-end formation often. We also ran the ISO probably more in this game than any other all year. I think it was pretty evident the staff didn't think the Michigan linebackers could fill properly and there seemed to be little worry over usually-tough-to-handle Terrance Taylor. Full game analysis here.

Anyone else think something spiritual was in play when Woody won the coin toss?

Todd Boeckman made one bad throw which goes against almost every evaluation I've read since Saturday. Let me be clear, I'm not saying he played good but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as some lead you to believe. Consider Boeckman started the game 6 for 7 passing, three of which went for first downs and another he picked up scrambling. The lone incompletion was the intermediate ball to Hartline which could have been called pass interference. The team did draw a pass interference on a very well thrown ball to Brian Robiskie later in the first quarter. At least 3 of his incompletions were throwaways. The lone poor throw was the interception late in the half. Not a good day, not terrible either when you factor the conditions and the slip 'n slide field.

Enjoy Thanksgiving and the weekend. I'll be off for a few days, so blogging will be light if not nil. I am still working on a highlight video of The Game. We'll also be devoting our attention to basketball as well. By the way, Bucks and the Cuse tip off tonight at 9pm, ESPN2.

If you're a Time Warner Cable (TWC) customer, hope for the addition of the Big Ten Network this year is fading at a rapid rate. Mark Silverman, president of the Big Ten Network (BTN) addressed media members (I'm not sure how I was invited but I was) during a teleconference today and provided an update on cable negotiations. During the call, Silverman spoke specifically about Time Warner and gave this cold water quote:

"With Time Warner, we have not have conversations of any substance for several months now."

Lovely. We knew this weeks ago, but we didn't know it hasn't changed one iota. Good to also know that my cable company, Time Warner, is so vested in my interest that they either don't have the time to chat with the BTN or they bring such ridiculous offers that they're termed, in so many words, unsubstantive.

It was clear during the call that Silverman thought the BTN and TWC were the furthest apart of all the major cable operators. Even Comcast, Charter and Mediacom are in active talks and recently. Perhaps things will change but it will have to happen fast as mid-December is the soft date for deals to be finalized to carry the network this year.

The regular season is over so the accolades begin to roll in. The all-Big Ten teams were released today and James Laurinaitis has been selected as the conference Defensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and media. The linebacker led the Buckeyes in tackles with 103, collected 5 sacks, 8.5 TFL's and two interceptions. Joining him on the first team were fellow Buckeyes Vernon Gholston and Malcolm Jenkins. Marcus Freeman was a second team selection on the coaches team.

On the offensive side of the ball, Beanie Wells was a first team selection on both ballots. Kirk Barton was the other unanimous choice and a few folks remembered Todd Boeckman led the B10 in passing efficiency by a wide margin as he was a 1st team pick by the media. Alex Boone was second teamer. Brian Hartline was singled out for his sportsmanship.

The nature of all-conference selections usually opens a firestorm of critique. A quick glance with my scarlet color glasses yields no glaring omissions but one could say Anderson Russell deserved more than Honorable mention. On the other hand, Penn State fans will be livid that Dan Conner was not the POY rather than JL. They may have a valid point.

Play of the Week is up: See Beanie Run. Also, should you be so kind, our online store has Big Ten Championship merchandise ready for purchase.

Weird how college football works. The Rose Bowl is guaranteed for Ohio State but, if possible, we'd just rather bypass it altogether. Not that the Rose Bowl is some second rate option but Ohio State still harbors title hopes and rightfully so. That goal became a touch easier following our win in Ann Arbor and because of two important losses from teams ranked ahead. Oregon lost earlier in the week to unranked Arizona and Oklahoma went down to Texas Tech late Saturday. The shake up allowed Ohio State to move up to #5 in the latest BCS Rankings.

To state the obvious, there is still work to do. A lot, in fact, and the downside of this is our hope rests on the shoulders of others. We lost the opportunity to control our own destiny last week but we'll feel no shame battling another one loss team for the championship (unless Kansas wins out and even then, we still won't feel bad). In order for that to happen, there are some key points to remember:

• We only need to get to #2 in the BCS.
• Kansas and Missouri play each other this coming weekend.
• The Big Twelve and the SEC have Championship games.

Before we move on any further, it's important to look at the schedules:

• LSU: Arkansas, at SEC Championship Game
• Kansas: Missouri, Big 12 Championship Game
• WVU: Connecticut, Pitt
• Missouri: at Kansas, Big 12 Championship Game
• Ohio St: In the Clubhouse

Like I said earlier, either Kansas or Missouri will be out of the picture next week. The winner will advance to the Big 12 Championship game to face, hopefully, Oklahoma. I say hopefully because the Sooners present the best chance of knocking off the opponent, be it Kansas or Missouri. And, Oklahoma will almost certainly have QB Sam Bradford back after missing most of the Tech game with a concussion.

This is relevant because it gives basis for what needs to happen following Ohio State's rise to #4 in the BCS. In a nutshell, the Buckeyes need any two of the following three (HT: Chris Stassen):

• Big XII out. Oklahoma wins at Oklahoma State to get to the Big 12 Championship game, and then beats the Kansas-Missouri winner.
• Louisiana State Loss. LSU loses in the SEC title game, or to Arkansas the week before the title game.
• West Virginia loss. West Virginia loses to either UConn or Pitt.

Admittingly, the probability on this is low but it's not all that absurd. In fact, I think it's quite likely at least one will happen. There has been talk by some (Mark May) that if Arizona State wins out, they could find themselves back in the thick of things. To squash this from happening, we probably should root for USC to win their remaining games.

It's a lot to process and whatever the case, we're off the a BCS bowl for the fifth time in seven years on JT. More on Michigan tomorrow.

The constant cold rain kept handcuffs on any possible aerial attack so Ohio State turned to Beanie Wells. Michigan was in the same predicament and they turned to Mike Hart...or tried to anyway. It sounds trivial but it came down to which team could run the ball? Who has the best back? And the emphatic answers were Ohio State and Beanie Wells.

Indeed, Wells was the man of The Game. His 222 yards on 39 totes came largely against a sold out run defense from Michigan. Move over Troy, Beanie is the new Michigan assassin.

The 14-3 victory was more than just Wells, though. On the other side of the ball, Michigan was harassed and beaten by a swarming Silver Bullet defense. The numbers are strong if not staggering: 91 total yards for blue, Vernon Gholston with 3 sacks and additional TFL and - for good measure - two more dropped interceptions. The Buckeyes are Big Ten Champions and hope is still alive for a trip to New Orleans.

Still so much on the line, for both teams. Some might remember this picture because I used it last year. Let's get it done. Game thread below.

I'm finding it incredibly difficult to get a feel for this game. We've already talked enough about Carr's retirement and its possible effects. Beyond that, specifically what will happen on the field, is damn difficult to forecast. Michigan's last outing was as listless as I've seen from a Michigan team in a long time. Sure, Henne and Hart didn't play but Wisconsin was without major contributors themselves. Ohio State lost to another read option team. Thankfully, Michigan does run the read option.

Tressel has been exceptional devising gameplans for the Wolverines. These gameplans usually don't deviate much from our identity but are varied just enough to mystify any bead Michigan thinks they have on our tendencies. In 2001, we saw the use of the throwback screen. The following year, the Clarett "wheel route" was 'the play' in the game and in '04 Troy and the spread were unleashed. The following year saw minor tactical changes to counter Michigan's advantages like substituting an extra tackle in Andre Tyree so he could workover Alan Branch time and time again. And, last year we saw the overload formation that Michigan jumped because we ran a different play from the same set the week prior.

But, what about Saturday? Rather than special plays, there are key points that help put a team in position to win:

The Gameplan:

• Remember our Identity. This specifically references the Wisconsin game where the staff became entirely too pass happy and let Beanie collect dust. They rediscovered him in the 4th quarter and the rout was on. Let's not have to rediscover him again.
• Beanie's Health. Establishing the run is all great and stuff but it isn't going to happen with Mo Wells or Brandon Saine. Beanie needs to stay healthy and when I say healthy, I mean missing zero plays because of bumps and bruises. If he aggravates the ankle or thumb and cannot continue, say goodnight to our chances.
• Playaction and Boots. Michigan will come with pressure and Shawn Crable will draw a personal foul with a shot to the head. These are givens. To help alleviate the Michigan pressure, I'd like to see us roll the pocket with bootlegs which will give Todd the choice to scamper for 5 yards or hit the primary route. When we don't boot, carry out playaction because it will be there.
• Where's 86? From a defensive prospective, Mario Manningham needs to be pointed out on every play like the center points out the Mike linebacker. And, for crying out loud, stay patient in coverage and don't bite on the double move. Watch the slant, too.

Most of these, as you can tell, focus on our offense because if Henne and Hart play, as I believe they will, we'll need to score points. We simply cannot think the defense will hold the Michigan offense to 14 points. And, just because I don't list something doesn't mean it's not important like the defensive needs to get pressure and all happy stuff. They do and I'd be delighted if Vernon Gholston gets to flex for the camera while those behind him actually catch some interceptions for a change.

The Concerns:

• Defensive Trust Waning. I'm not so much concerned about Michigan's run game as I am with our secondary. Everyone just assumes Malcolm Jenkins will follow Manningham around but I don't think that happens because it didn't last year and Jenkins now plays safety in our nickel package. We had major issues last week covering.
• Turnovers. I know it's cliche but it's true. The last two years, the three games we've had problems (Michigan, Florida, Illinois), we are minus 8 in turnover margin. We cannot have Beanie putting the ball on the ground because of his thumb and Todd cannot be throwing punts.
• The Carr Factor. Nothing more needs to be said.
• The Senior Factor. Hart, Henne, Long - 0/3.

On top of this, I fully expect the human landfill - otherwise known as Michigan Stadium - to be as loud as it ever has been. The students are all excited, planning special chants and getting all 'creative' with the Maize Out. I do not envision, however, the place to be any louder than Beaver Stadium where Ohio State used a silent count which led to almost no false starts and generally the best performance of the year from the guys up front.

In keeping up with the enemy, Brian gets some answers to his OSU questions though many of the answers look awfully familiar. I think it's an oversight not mentioning Jenkins' position switch. Elsewhere, 11W and BuckeyePlanet have their excellent previews up.

While the Big Ten office continues to swallow their collective whistles and while we wait for them to make decision on the midfield machismo match, we are only days away from The Game. The emotional backdrop of this year's contest is different in a least two ways and they both favor Michigan: the Wolverine seniors have never beaten Ohio State and it's their last time to do so with Coach Carr at the helm.

Combating that emotional edge will be perhaps the toughest challenge for Ohio State. There is already talk of the team coming out flat having suffered a severe setback in achieving their goal of returning to the BCS National Title game. I cannot think of a worse combination than an amped up Michigan team facing an Ohio State club that's still wishing they can have a do-over against Illinois. But, the Big Ten Title is still at play as is the chance to validate the quality of this defense.

It was with Michigan last year who put up substantial yardage and 39 points on an OSU defense that previously had made every team work just to get into double-digits. We still won and as the team was celebrating the victory, Mike Hart was telling anyone who would listen about 'next year':

"You want to beat Ohio State. I got one more year left. I'm going to get them next year."

This was said on top of other rich commentary and declarations such as:

"There's nothing special about that defense."

and

"You know, but if we played them again, it would be a whole different game. Guarantee that."

This final quote is actually more about the rematch which was a possibility for a few days following last year's Ohio State win. Nevertheless, the words grated on Ohio State players and, if nothing else, they'll be rekindled by Ohio State coaches in an attempt to galvanize and focus the team. Just maybe it'll somewhat help offset the emotional edge for tsun.

By the way, the OZone scrapped together some baseline stats for each team and did a quick comparison. No surprise Ohio State is ahead in nearly every category - unfortunately, the game isn't played on paper.

Other stuff...
HBO Documentary: Last night was the public premiere for the new HBO documentary on the Ohio State - Michigan rivalry. I watched it even missing most of the second half of the men's basketball game against Columbia to do so. The hour long special is well done with a decent background of the rivalry, excerpts from past players and alumni and, I can confirm, it does seem to slightly 'favor' (not that right word, but you know what I mean) Ohio State. If you have HBO, you need to watch. Mandatory.

Henne - Hart: Why the charade from Michigan staff regarding the status of Mike Hart and Chad Henne? Both will play in the game, all game provided they don't re-injure themselves.

Remember 1998?  The Buckeyes were cruising along at No. 1 until unranked conference opponent wandered into the Horseshoe and stole the Ohio State's thunder.  Kind of like this season.  

Let me stop you here.  I know you are cursing me under your breath, wondering why I would bring up one of Ohio State's darkest hours at a time like this. (And, you are probably wondering why I linked to that picture at the start, too.)  

If you take a deep breath and remember the conclusion of that season you will find something beyond the beat down of Texas A&M.  Something far more very precious.  Hope.  

Hear me out on this one.  Ohio State had been the consensus No. 1 all season and was atop the BCS standings.  Yet, after the Michigan State loss, Ohio State had fallen from 1st to 8th when the 3rd edition of the BCS standings came out on November 7, 1998.  Tennessee, UCLA, and Kansas State were each undefeated and ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.  Florida State, Florida, Texas A&M, and Arkansas (also undefeated) were all in front of the Buckeyes. It was hopeless, the pundits said.  There was no way Ohio State could make it to the title game with multiple teams from the same conference in front of them.  Sound familiar?  (By the way, Michigan was ranked 19th in those same BCS Standings.)

But a funny thing happened on the way to the Fiesta Bowl (that season's championship game).  The teams in front of the Buckeyes started dropping out of the way while the Buckeyes finished the season in dominating fashion.  

Arkansas lost the very next week.  Ohio State moved to 7th.  The next week Florida lost.  Now the Buckeyes were sixth.  Then the real fun started.  The Aggies lost the last week of the regular season, but were still guaranteed a spot in the Big12 Title Game.  Ohio State moved up to 5th in the BCS Standings.  

With one week to go the Buckeyes were finished playing with no foreseeable chance of playing for the BCS Title.  Then, at noon, on the last Saturday of the year, No. 2 UCLA lost a heart breaker to Edgerrin James and Miami.  A few hours later, Texas A&M beat previously undefeated, No. 3 Kansas State in overtime.  By 8:00 p.m. that evening, two of the four teams ahead of the Buckeyes had fallen.  

If somehow, some way, Mississippi State could beat Tennessee in the SEC Title Game, Ohio State would most likely play Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl for the national title.  Sure enough, midway through the fourth quarter, Tennessee was b ehind 14-10.  Unfortunately, Tennessee scored two late touchdowns to hold off a tenacious Mississippi State squad, and Ohio State was forced to  pummel Texas A&M.  

What does this all mean?  The point is that Ohio State is not done yet.  Was that a crazy finish to the 1998 season?  Yeah.  But, was it crazier than the 2007 season?  Nope.  Could that one last team fall this season?  Absolutely.  So, don't despair Buckeye fans.  

Of course, it will all be for naught without a win this weekend.  Once again, The Game is for more than just a Big Ten Championship.  It is for Hope, too.  

Plan B: Of course, if you find the preceding too much to believe in, just go to PoorSportz to relieve some stress (and exact some Internet revenge).  

Rank	Team	Delta	Comments
1	Oregon	1	I am not as convinced of this ranking as I once was.  Justify yourselves, Ducks, by blowing out Arizona on Thursday night.
2	LSU	1	This weekend should provide very little challenge.  Ditto the following week.  We will have to wait for the SECCG for their next live opponent.
3	Oklahoma	1	If they win out I will vote them in the Top 2, which is all that really matters (if this poll mattered, which it doesn't). They may already have the most impressive pair of wins this season (Missouri and Texas).
4	Missouri	1	They have a tough finishing kick @ Kansas St. and @ Kansas, with a potential Big12CG after that.  If they win out, how can you not vote them No. 1?
5	Kansas	1	See Missouri.
6	Ohio State	5	The Buckeyes need to win at Michigan to win the Big Ten, prevent a trip to Orlando, and retain a thread of hope for the BCS Title Game.
7	Georgia	2	They need some help to get to the SECCG where they could give LSU a game.  Their rejuvenated offense could be scary next season.
8	West Virginia	1	They play 3 of the top 4 Big East teams to finish the season.  You can decide if you think that is worth anything.
9	Arizona State	1	They are off this week preparing for a Thanksgiving showdown with USC.  I do not think they can afford to take the first quarter off in that one.
10	Southern Cal	3	I thought they would defeat California more soundly.  A big win on against ASU might make me believe in them.
11	Florida	4	Hello Citrus Bowl.  Unless they screw it up and lose to Florida State.
12	Texas	2	It was nice of the offense to show after their season was over.  At least they can send Franchione into retirement in style.
13	Virginia Tech	5	Not in a million years would I have guessed that the 11/24 game @ Virginia would be more meaningful than this week's game v. Miami.
14	Tennessee	3	By my calculations, with wins over Vanderbilt and Kentucky (a combined 5-8 in the SEC) the Volunteers go to the SECCG.  How did that happen?  They have lost 3 games by an average of 26 points/game.
15	Illinois	6	They are going to finish 9-3 (6-2).  And, without the aberration against Iowa this is a 10-win team.  Don't forget, they played Missouri to the bell without Juice Williams and a banged-up Mendenhall.
16	Clemson	3	Two weeks ago I was really looking forward to this week's game against Boston College.  It is still a nice game on paper, but BC's free fall has made it less attractive.
17	Virginia	7	I reluctantly admit that this team is good.  How?  I have no idea.  I guess I have to watch them play VT now.
18	Penn State	5	I could be overreaching on this one.  But there is no way I am ranking Boise State or Hawaii in the Top 20.
19	Wisconsin	6	Sure, Penn State slaughtered Wisky.  But the Badgers beat Michigan, something PSU never does.
20	Boston College	10	BC took the express elevator from 2 to 20.  The loss to Maryland was horrible.  They are staring a 3-game losing streak in the face right now.
21	Michigan	10	I should have dropped them out of the poll for mailing it in last week versus Wisconsin.  Resting Hart and Henne was pathetic.
22	Cincinnati	4	This will be the last that you see of them after they get crushed by West Virginia this weekend.
23	Boise State	3	This is purely a vote for nostalgia.
24	Hawaii	2	Mercy vote.
25	Auburn	13	What happened last week?  They have two weeks to regroup for the Iron Bowl.

The Game just got a little shot of adrenaline. MGoBlog reported earlier today that Lloyd Carr will announce his retirement after Saturday's Ohio State-Michigan game. I have no reason to doubt the accuracy of the report as Brian has three independent sources and his track record of inside info is excellent. Plus, it's been hinted the entire season this would be Carr's last at Michigan. So, it should go without saying, the atmosphere this weekend will be charged.

Beanie's Brace: Wells was injured early in the Illinois game causing him to miss several series before coming back. The injury was to his right wrist or thumb, the hand he usually uses to tote the ball. New pictures today by Jim Davidson from OSU's Monday press conference shows Wells in either a soft cast or brace that extends around the wrist and thumb. I don't expect him to miss the game.

Henton Suspension Lifted: Backup QB Antonio Henton wrapped up his legal issues today by pleading to a lesser charge of loitering. He was fined $156 and reinstated to the team, having been suspended since September 24th. Tressel issued this statement:

"After serving a seven-game suspension, Antonio is a member with full privileges of the Ohio State football team. Antonio has handled the situation properly."

Apparently, the audio tape from the police actually helped Antonio's defense.

Other Stuff: No word on the Maurice Wells injury. If post game reports are accurate, he was seen walking in a boot and limping considerably. Speculation would seem to indicate he will not be available for the game. I repeat that is only speculation at this time. Brandon Saine suffered a concussion on Saturday but should be ready to go for Michigan (Thanks to reader Matt D for this tip). Also, no game analysis from me because I can't bear to watch that game again.

I'm not one for full out game previews. I did, however, late Thursday night, write a few words about expectations for Illinois and they now haunt me:

J Leman is an outstanding player (as is Vontae Davis) but the most concern for me when I look at Illinois is their offensive attack. Mendenhall is a fine back but the occasional zone-read and option can cause any defense problems especially one too anxious to make the big play. And, when there are two and sometimes three choices per play, the defense has to mind responsibilities.

and...

Don't be shocked either to see a little bit of hurry-up to throw off our defensive substitutions.

Ugh. Not that this is terribly specific but it does bring to light a few questions for our defensive coaches. If a casual fan like myself can predict what Illinois is going to do, why can't our coaching staff? Or maybe they can but the scheme implemented was woefully inadequate? This is all the more perplexing because at some point we knew how to stop the read option attack (Texas '05) but more recent read option teams (Florida & Illinois) have largely toyed with our defense. Perhaps an answer is found in personnel weakness along the interior as I wrote about last night.

I'm Just Sayin: This doesn't take anything away from Illinois but in case anyone is unsure whether Daniel Dufrene fumbled the ball:

Instead he was ruled down and, for the record, the whistle did blow before the Buckeyes recovered in the endzone. It's one thing to miss a call, it's worse when you prevent replay from working as designed. In the you-can't-make-this-up-file, this is the same crew that's already facing suspension and possible termination for their egregious performance during the Purdue/Penn State game just last week. Compare names with the boxscore. Again, not that it would have made any difference, just a factoid worthy of mention.

Scoreboard Operation: I have to join Ramzy's bandwagon in suggesting for a major change in the scoreboard operation at Ohio Stadium. There's been a longstanding policy not to show controversial plays on the video board. That is, until last week when they decided to show a close play in the favor of Wisconsin. Who's the home team here, Mr. Scoreboard operator? Which brings me to my point: Jim Tressel said the coaches in the box don't have television monitors to know whether he should challenge a ruling on the field. Yet, we have 10 million dollar scoreboard with the biggest replay screen in Ohio that does nothing more than to show goofy OSU animation.

Polls Somewhat Kind?: The loss to previously unranked Illinois dropped Ohio State to #7 in the Coaches, AP and BCS Polls. I expected us to come in around #9 based off of the seemingly default #1 status according to so many pollsters. If you are eternally optimistic, I guess it is still possible to make it the the BCS Championship game but it's a long shot. The Game will still determine the Big Ten Championship and the winner is off the Rose Bowl.

The spread this, the spread that. If the loss isn't enough, listening to these announcers reason our defeat is brutal. For the record, it was not "the spread" that was the problem, but rather the read option. We have faced a bazillion spread teams under Tressel and have fared very well. We have faced spread teams this year. Purdue practically re-invented the spread years ago - basketball on grass - all that garbage. We, for crying out loud, run the spread on occasion.

The difference is a team can run the spread but not the read option. And, the read option was the difference in this game because it forced our defense to take a wait and see approach. Juice Williams was extremely effective carrying out fakes or keeping the ball if he saw the defensive line/defensive end react in a particular way. This permeates to the second level and defensive backs because they cannot read run too quickly, else be sucked up into the wash only to have playaction strike deep.

We really have no better illustration of the defensive problems than the last first down Illinois picked up. With Illinois bleeding clock, the entire nation knows they will not pass the ball. Can't risk an interception or incompletion which would stop the clock. So, it's run all the way and they did but the read option froze Marcus Freeman. For a split second he wasn't entirely sure which player had the ball simply because of the handoff fake by Williams. It sounds so elementary but the execution was perfect. By no means am I picking on Freeman because the entire defense struggled which is stating the obvious since we. could. not. get. off. the. field. in the 4th quarter.

So, this is a high level view of what went wrong. When you drill down to pinpoint the root causes you have to begin with the interior of the defensive line. All year we have done a great job covering up our deficiencies in this group. Almost no playing experience across the board among players who are undersized. Todd Denlinger, in my opinion our best defensive tackle, has played a handful of snaps in the last 5 or so games. So we have a long, lean Doug Worthington at one spot and Nadar Abdullah, normally a backup, at the other. Doug lacks weight and Nadar for all his intensity lacks strength and push. Behind them we throw in true freshmen Dexter Larimore. Dexter will be a fine player but these three don't scare any offensive line. We miss Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson in the worst way.

That doesn't mean there weren't other problems. The read option alone would have been a challenge but not insurmountable. Tack on a bevy of plays and choices that make you sake your head in disgust and it becomes a loss. Things like the missed fumble and Buckeye recovery on the Illini's first drive. Beanie hurting his hand. Beanie hurting his left leg. Maurice Wells spraining his left ankle. Illinois, the 3rd most penalized team in the Big Ten, flagged once. Todd Boeckman throwing three picks - one of which came in the endzone and the other two being horrific throws. And, then the timeout that made Ron Zook reevaluate his original choice to punt. The timeout was a result of having too many men on the field but from several accounts of folks at the stadium, our players made it off in time. We still called timeout. First down picked up. Main problem is back in play again and Illinois runs out the clock. Over 8 minutes worth of clock.

And yet it all started so well. Two plays; touchdown. Illinois spotted us 7 and we still lost. They deserved this win and that makes it a little more bearable. Just don't tell me we lost because of "the spread".

The Battle of the Illibuck takes place today when Ohio State and Illinois lock up at 3:30pm ET. Senior Day will also provide the stage one last time for sixteen mostly unsung Buckeye seniors. Pepper Johnson - Buckeye great, father of Dionte and current Patriots assistant - is the honorary captain.

As always, there are several game previews by those who do them best: BuckeyePlanet, 11W, Around the Oval and Ten Pressing Questions from BuckNuts. Game thread below.

Some Illini fans have latched onto this notion that Ohio State will be looking past their team this Saturday. Forgotten is the fact this is the rallying cry every year for the fanbase of whichever team precedes our Michigan game. It's natural but it's rarely the case - even in years where we've actually lost the week prior to Michigan (ie: 2004 Purdue). The loss wasn't because we were looking ahead, the loss was because we simply got beat, sans excuses. The fans might be looking ahead - slightly - but not the team nor would Tressel let them.

The distinction here is this: though some fans may be looking ahead, doesn't mean the team is. In fact, in a recent Dispatch article, it's quite clear they are doing everything but looking head. The resolve and focus is apparent:

All I care about is beating Illinois this week, to be honest with you. We just want to get back to where we want to go and make some amends for what happened last year.

That quote comes from Kirk Barton, a senior who, along with several other Buckeyes, will be playing his final home game on Saturday. This game represents a lot and an important step in advancing.

But, what about Illinois? Distill Zook's club and you're left with essentially a four-headed crew. LB J Leman, WR Arrelious Benn, QB Juice Williams and the shredded RB Rashard Mendenall are the pulse of the team. Mendenhall, in particular, has quietly put up outstanding overall numbers this year including a gaudy 6.8 yard/carry avg - which is actually down from last year. He is the engine of the team and as he goes, so does the Illini offense. So, it's not surprising that, in their 3 losses, Mendenhall's numbers were fairly pedestrian. In none of those games did he gain more than 85 yards which suggests may struggle against the Buckeyes who are 3rd nationally against the run.

J Leman is an outstanding player (as is Vontae Davis) but the most concern for me when I look at Illinois is their offensive attack. Mendenhall is a fine back but the occasional zone-read an option can cause any defense problems especially one too anxious to make the big play. And, when there are two and sometimes three choices per play, the defense has to mind responsibilities.

Of some help is the fact we faced Jake Locker earlier in the year, who is a stronger, faster player than Williams. However, despite Williams' horrific struggles last year throwing the ball, he is probably the better passer. I would not be surprised if the Illinois tries to attack vertically initially to alleviate some of the pressure of the running game as we may walk a safety in the box for run support. Don't be shocked either to see a little bit of hurry-up to throw off our defensive substitutions.

Etienne Sabino, the top rated inside linebacker in the country, verbally committed tonight to Ohio State on ESPNU. He makes the 14th commitment of the 2008 class which is rocketing up the recruiting charts and building as one of, if not, the best recruiting classes under Jim Tressel.

Sabino's brings prototypical linebacker measurables being 6'3", 228lbs. He has been clocked in the 4.6 range and received scholarship offers from USC, Florida, LSU, Miami, Georgia Tech and a host of others. Recently, he had narrowed his list to Ohio State and USC. For on the field highlights, InsideTheU.com has a single video though of shoddy quality.

Sabino's ESPNU segment (higher quality version here):


It's not hard to see why Sabino chose the Scarlet and Gray. On top of a great program, the linebacker position at Ohio State will soon see an exodus of talent. Larry Grant is finishing his short but productive career and both James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman are juniors set to leave next year, if not sooner. There are some young, talented players behind but infusion of new talent (especially of the 'southern speed' variety) is always welcome.

Although often times accurate, I don't rely a lot of player rankings from the various services. Rather I feel it's best to first look at a player's offer list and Sabino's really is second to none as outlined above. The major powers all thought he's a player worthy of an early offer and not simply someone they'd offer late in the recruiting cycle if room permits. And Sabino joins his high school teammate, CB Travis Howard, who committed to the Buckeyes about two weeks ago.

My Wisconsin game analysis is posted for all. Those who are a little resourceful probably already saw it as I uploaded it last night. This wrap up is much like Penn State in that it was written completely from memory since I don't have the Big Ten Network (and thus, no game tape). Typically I review each game at least once the day after and many times it's reviewed more than that with copious note taking and my best attempts to wear out my slow motion and rewind features. Even without those luxuries, I still have stuff to say, particularly in regards to our vapid special teams play which ranks near the bottom in at least one category.

On a more positive side, Thaddeus Gibson has reappeared from the doghouse. Although 'only' a backup, his on the field return isn't to be discounted based on the defensive injuries we've sustained. And now that we are in the final two games of the regular season, his reemergence couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. He doesn't get many snaps yet when he's on the field he almost invariably makes impact plays, like his one-arm tackle-discard and sack of Tyler Donovan in the second half. Many people didn't see this play but a person using the screen name 81alum snapped a few sequence photos that capture the essence. Below is one and the others are in the thread.

Clearly you can see the tackle (#78) to the far left after being flung by Gibson and then, of course, Gibson about the drop the hammer on Donovan. I don't know why but I love the arm position of Thad, like he's mere moments from enveloping his prey. The result was not only the sack but fumble and recovery by the defense.

While we prepare for Illinois, Wisconsin has to move on to Michigan without PJ Hill and potentially three players who left the Ohio State game injured. That's not to say Brett Bielema is completely focused on the Wolverines because he's now complaining about what he thought was an illegal block by Brian Hartline. Bielema has sent the tape of the play to the Big Ten offices for review because that's what he does, apparently. Bielema says he sends about a 'half a dozen' plays a week to the B10 offices.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	--
2	Oregon	--
3	LSU	1
4	Oklahoma	2
5	Missouri	3
6	Kansas	1
7	West Virginia	2
8	Arizona State	5
9	Georgia	1
10	Boston College	5
11	Michigan	--
12	Auburn	1
13	Southern Cal	2
14	Texas	--
15	Florida	1
16	Alabama	4
17	Tennessee	--
18	Virginia Tech	1
19	Clemson	2
20	California	--
21	Illinois	5
22	Connecticut	--
23	Penn State	3
24	Virginia	2
25	Wisconsin	7

Watching some Ohio State games these days is a story in and of itself. If you're like me, you fall into the category of fans who cannot get WOW Cable or Insight or DirecTV. This leaves you cursing all parties involved and heading off somewhere, anywhere the game is shown. For me, I found myself this week at Chubby's Sports Bar on Smokey Row and Hard. They unlike, BW3s in Dublin, weren't turning people away at the door so I got in even though I didn't have a seat. Forty-five minutes later and just after kick off, I found myself with seat at a table of people I've never met before. Interesting but better than standing.

What I've noticed about myself is I act completely different when around a group of people I don't know. My language is much better and I'm more positive about what's happening in the game. This was especially hard to do though when Wisconsin came out and ripped off back to back touchdowns to take a 17-10 lead in the 3rd quarter. I just got quiet and muttered to myself: "Why the hell does Beanie only have 7 carries in the game?" or simply "Where's Beanie?" Then, I got my answer in movie like fashion as Beanie Wells emerged from the clouds and shimmering crepuscular rays to rip off three runs of 20 yards or more, each ending in a touchdown. The staff had rediscovered Beanie and he had enough of this thing called a deficit.

The 38-17 victory over Wisconsin marked a record 20th consecutive conference win (photos). As we know, PJ Hill did not play and physical nature of the game resulted in three other Badger players leaving because of injury. No question this changed the tactics of coach Brett Bielema and it wasn't all that surprising to see his team pull out just about every gadget play (2 fake punts and a trick play) to keep Ohio State uncomfortable. Wisconsin carried no kryptonite but even if they did, one can help but think it would have proved ineffective with the way Wells was running and Vernon Gholston was getting to the quarterback (4 sacks for VG, 10 for the team). Behind that, James Laurinaitis recorded 19 tackles, a sack, 2 TFLs and a fumble recovery for good measure.

Other stuff:

• Tressel said on his coaches show Wisconsin, on the first possession, lined up defensively as they thought they would. The Buckeye scored easily to take a quick 7-0 lead. In particular, Todd Boeckman picked up corner Allen Langford before Langford left with an injury. After Langford left, Wisconsin switched up their defensive scheme which forced Ohio State to adjust (slowly).
  
• The score was 10-3 at the half but Ohio State dominated the play. We had basically doubled up Wisconsin in first downs, total yardage, etc. The field goal to end the half was particularly disappointing.
  
• Mega Props to Brian Hartline for gutting one out. Dinged his left ankle/leg more than once in the game. You can tell he was hurting but he worked through it. Probably the same injury he first tweaked at Minnesota.
  
• Front seven really got hammered on Wisky's power running play. You would think we see it enough in practice (since we run almost the exact same play frequently). This success made Zach Brown - who sported a 3.4/carry avg coming in - look like Jim Brown.
  
• Two of the better corners in the game - who happen to be clones of each other - both had mediocre performances. Badger corner Jack Ikegwuonu was juked by Brian Robiskie on our first touchdown and later victimized again on another TD by Robo (unfortunately called back). Malcolm Jenkins, on the other hand, let a 400lb fullback leak by him for a score and a poor tackle attempt allowed Wisconsin TE Travis Beckum to break free for a long gain.
  
• Speaking of Beckum, he is a stud. For anyone who questions if a TE can block, who cares - look at what a guy like Beckum can do for an offense. That catch in the back of the endzone was exceptional. However, by the middle of the second half, Beckum was all that the Badgers had. We had them figured out.
  
• What's with Beanie's odd reaction after tying the score at 17? I understand wanting to be all business in finishing out the game. I don't understand running away from teammates who helped you get to the endzone.
  
• Thaddeus Gibson's sack and forced fumble was delicious. He Reggie Whited the right tackle with a simple one arm get-the-hell-outta-my-way move. He really is an impact player when on the field.
  
• Count me in the group who is okay with neither Todd nor Beanie getting much Heisman love. I know Todd's name has popped up on a few lists but I'd rather we play as much under the radar as humanly possible for a No. 1 ranked team.

Game video from ESPN is in the sidebar. Additional video can be found in the libraries of the Big Ten Network. I hope to have my game analysis up in the next day or so. Lastly, a big round of applause for Bill Willis, who had his number officially retired and his name placed in ring of honor inside Ohio Stadium. A two time All-American and near unblockable defender, Willis broke the color barrier into the NFL.

Jerk(noun): slang; a contemptibly naive, fatuous, foolish, or inconsequential person.

Illinois (7-3) at Minnesota (1-9)
Score: 44-17 Illinois

A few stats: Juice Williams (Ill.): 14-21, 207 yards, 2 TD’s, Rashard Mendenhall (Ill.): 17 carries, 201 yards, 2 TD’s, Jason Reda (Ill.): 3 field goals (37, 47, 51). Adam Weber (Minn.): 18-31, 208 yards, 1 TD.
A couple words: Illinois rolled up 655 total yards on the Gophers including 448 yards rushing…Juice Williams played very well so Eddie McGee didn’t see the field a whole lot…Arrelious Benn(#9) was held to 4 catches for 17 yards but you better believe he is going to be looking to do a little more in the Shoe next weekend…Illinitalk usually offers a recap and later in the week you can look for a game preview…Mendenhall(#5) must be stopped because unlike P.J. Hill, he will be healthy and excited.
Game Changer: Rashard Mendenhall

Michigan (8-2) at Michigan State (5-5)
Score: 28-24 Michigan

A few stats: Mike Hart (UM): 15 carries, 110 yards, Chad Henne (UM): 18-33, 211 yards, 4 TD’s, Mario Manningham (UM): 8 catches, 129 yards, 2 TD’s
A couple words: Same ‘ol story, Michigan plays poorly, rallies late, Mike Hart laughs the media eats it up…Congrats to Michigan on turning their season around but I don’t blame sites like mgoblog for calling for a coaching change.
Game Changer: Mario Manningham

Purdue (7-3) at Penn State (7-3)
Score: 26-19 Penn State

A few stats: Anthony Morelli (PSU): 22-35, 210 yards, 1 TD, Derrick Williams (PSU): 10 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD.
A couple words: Please click on the link to get an appreciation for why Penn State fans are jerks…Derrick Williams had a big day for the Lions on senior day…Dorien Bryant returned the opening kick for a touchdown for Purdue…It was senior day for Penn State, I wonder how loud the cheers were for Morelli when his name was announced?
Game Changer: Derrick Williams.

Quick update just as I head out to find the Big Ten Network. No official word on PJ Hill but Wisconsin has other weapons we must be concerned about anyway. They'll try to zone us upfront and run power behind it, sorta like we do. The front four need to have one of their better games today and rather than simply trying to hold the point of attack, it would be nice to see some TFLs. That's not to say we can pin our ears back and key on the run because the Badger's use gifted TE Travis Beckum very well. He's on the lighter side but it allows him to run by linebackers and safeties.

When we have the ball, things are little more simplified. Because I think we are the better team, the goal here is to take care of the ball like the Hope Diamond. The offensive line should be frothing at the mouth to duplicate their performance last week. More than anything, three straight losses in our house should provide an emotional edge.

The status of big, talented running back PJ Hill is still unclear. The official diagnoses according to cheeseland newspapers is a deep bruise on a leg he previously broke. He tried to practice on Tuesday but was seen limping noticeably. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal is already on record saying barring signficant improvement, Hill 'won't be healthy enough to play' and if that's the case, his replacement is likely to be freshman Zach Brown. Quincy Landingham is another option but he's coming off an injury of his own.

They're still other alternatives. The staff could also shuffle up things and invert the attack, choosing to use fullbacks more than tailbacks. Whatever the case, Wisconsin staff is exploring all avenues. In some ways, a healthy PJ Hill would have made game planning easier for Ohio State based on fewer unknowns. But again, this is all based on Hill not playing or being limited in doing so - two scenarios I fail to accept as legitimate possibilities. Wisconsin may not be trying to dupe or hoodwink the Buckeyes but they are keeping information purposefully scarce. I just can't see Hill skipping this game - against this defense.

Elsewhere, Gonzo clone Luke Swan talks about his hamstring tear which has sidelined him for the season.

Update (10:01pm): Bielema says Hill hasn't practiced but is improving each day:

"All week he has gotten better every day, and hopefully he will continue to get that way. Saturday will be a game-time decision in his hands whether he can go or not."

There you have it.

Flag Conspiracy: Obviously said in jest but what the hell is going with the officiating of Ohio State football games? I know, I know, my good blog buddy John Gasaway, formerly of the Big Ten Wonk and now with Basketball Prospectus, taught me long ago that complaining about the refs is a tired pastime left best alone.

But, I can't help it.

The opponents of Ohio State are the least penalized of any Big Ten team...for the third straight year. Conversely, we've had the most flags against us (flags, not penalty yards). Nothin' to see here. Carry on.

Major Award: AJ Trapasso has been named a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award which goes to the nation's top collegiate punter. Brian Robiskie made the semi-finalist cut for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the top receiver.