National Champions, New Perception

Well, I've had a week to process it and I still have a huge smile on my face! The Ohio State Buckeyes...the team that many said didn't belong in the College Football Playoff, won the whole damn thing!

They went up against the #1 team in the nation from the mighty SEC, and knocked them off! Ezekiel Elliot ran all over Alabama to the tune of  230 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Then against the Oregon Ducks, he ran all over them for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns.

But what impressed me the most in the National Championship, was the defense. The Buckeyes were facing the team that scored quickest, and scored the most in all of college football. The Ducks averaged almost 50 points a game, and their touchdown drives averaged just over two minutes.

Would the defense be able to get a stop or two? Would they be sucking wind by the fourth quarter, allowing Oregon to just gash them?

The Buckeyes held them to 20 points, and forced the Ducks to punt more times in a single game than likely any time in the past three years.

The Buckeyes have changed the perception of their team. People now call them an "SEC team in the North," Urban Meyer has made this team into what he wanted them to be. Physical, fast, tough. They are mentally tough...losing Braxton Miller, then having JT Barrett come in and lead them to the brink of the Playoffs and losing him in the *ichigan game...third string QB Cardale Jones leading them through the Big Ten Championship, Sugar Bowl, and then caping it off with a National Championship.

There has always been a target on Ohio State's back in the Big Ten. They have won 7 conference championships in the past 13 years. If you include their vacated share of the Big Ten championship in 2010. that gives them 8 of 13. They've won a total of 24 Big Ten championships, second only to *ichigan's 42.

Now that they're the National Champions, that target is only going to be bigger.

The Buckeyes are expected to run the table this upcoming season, win the Big Ten, and be a top two seed in the College Football Playoffs.

They were there a year earlier than Urban Meyer expected. The perception of the Buckeyes now is that they could be a dynasty in the making.

I'll take that perception any time! O-H! I-O!

B1G Champs/College Football Playoff STATEment

Last night, the Buckeyes made an Ohio STATEment with a 59-0 clobbering of the Wisconsin Badgers to win the 2014 Big Ten Championship.

The Buckeyes did it without the quarterback that they originally thought would be starting the season, a player who was considered a Heisman Trophy front runner: Braxton Miller. They did it without their second string quarterback, who became a Heisman Trophy candidate and broke Big Ten and Ohio State records throughout the season: JT Barrett.

So then who did they do it with? Their third string quarterback, Cardale Jones, who was the MVP of the Big Ten Championship Game after tossing three TD passes.

I guess the Buckeyes just stockpile talented quarterbacks.

Ezekiel Elliot ran for a Big Ten Championship Game record 220 yards and added another couple of touchdowns.

They did all of this against the #2 defense in college football. They put up a brick wall against the NCAA's leading rusher, Melvin Gordon, who they held to 76 yards on 26 carries and no touchdowns. Gordon had seven consecutive 100 yard games coming into this one. On top of that, as mentioned before, Elliot broke the record for most rush yards in a Big Ten Championship Game...a record that was held by Gordon. I think it's safe to say that Gordon has a really bad night.

Urban Meyer won his first Big Ten Championship as Ohio State head coach. This was the type of game everyone expected Meyer's teams to put up.

Now the question is, was it enough to put the Buckeyes in the one of the four College Football Playoff spots?

The three teams that are definetly in: SEC Champion Alabama, Pac-12 Champion Oregon, and ACC Champion Florida State,

The battle for the fourth spot is between Big 12 Co-Champions TCU and Baylor, and Big Ten Champion Ohio State.

It's been said that conference championships are going to play a big role in choosing the four teams to make the Playoff. And if that's the case, I don't see how you can leave Ohio State out. They have a conference championship, the Big 12 doesn't have a conference champion, they have co-champions. You can't put two teams in one playoff spot.

If the College Football Playoff committee wants to put the best four teams in college football right now in the Playoff, then I don't see how you leave Ohio State out, especially with what they just did to Wisconsin.

It's obvious the committee doesn't respect Baylor's head-to-head win against TCU, seeing how they've had the Horned Frogs ahead of the Bears and even put them in the top four last week.

So if that's the case. how can you hold Ohio State's week two loss against Virginia Tech against them? This is a completely different Ohio State team than back in week two, literally and figuratively.

If they leave Ohio State out, I think they will have failed at putting the four best teams in college football in the playoff. If they put them in, I still think they should expand the College Football Playoff to eight teams.

Buckeyes beat *ichigan, but suffer a big loss

On Saturday, the 29th of November 2014, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the *ichigan Wolverines 42-28....but also suffered a big loss.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Quarterback J.T. Barrett took off running and was tackled awkwardly, his right leg crumpling underneath him. He was carted off the field, leg in an air cast. It was announced later in the evening, the redshirt freshman sensation who was a candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, broke his ankle and would miss the Big Ten Championship Game and any bowl game(s) the Buckeyes would play in.

Before the injury, Barrett threw for one touchdown and ran for two more scores. That gives him an Ohio State record of 34 touchdown passes in a single season, and when you add the 11 rushing touchdowns a Big Ten record of 44 touchdowns responsible for in a single season (former record holder: Drew Brees, Purdue).

Cardale Jones replaces Barrett, and lead the Buckeyes to a TD on a long run by Ezekiel Elliot. The defense also returned a fumble for a touchdown to give you the final Buckeyes total.

It was Meyer's third consecutive win against That Team Up North, still undefeated in The Game.

Jones is now the QB for the remainder of the season, and nobody knows what to expect from him. He doesn't have a lot of experience, this year he is 10/17 for 118 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. Last season he was 1/2 for 3 yards, 0 touchdowns and interceptions, he did have a rushing touchdown last season.

Coach Meyer says that Cardale Jones can throw it and throw it well, and he can run too. A lot of people expected Jones to replace Braxton Miller, mostly because many in Ohio knew who he was in part because he played at Glenville High School in Cleveland...the same school that gave the Buckeyes players like Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., and Donte Whitner.

Jones knows the playbook and has been practicing. Nobody knew what to expect from Barrett and many people thought this would be a 3-4 loss season without Miller on the field. Instead, Barrett would have been in New York for the Heisman Trophy Presentation and was likely going to lead the Buckeyes into the inaugural College Football Playoff.

The Buckeyes take on the Wisconsin Badgers next week in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Buckeyes win this game, they win an outright Big Ten Championship and with that, should be in the College Football Playoff with Mississippi State losing to Ole Miss yesterday. They might not be in the top four this week, but they should be no worse than 5th with TCU in as the fourth team. But an outright conference championship, especially if the offense stays hot with Jones at QB, should give them the edge over TCU to make the final four in the final CFP standings.

Honestly, all the Buckeyes have to do to get into that final four is just....win!

CFP: Should Indiana game keep Buckeyes out?

On Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) played conference foe Indiana (3-8, 0-7 Big Ten) at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeys had a tough time against the Hoosiers, not taking control of the game until the third quarter, and at one point even being down 20-14 after Indiana opened the scoring in the second half with a 90-yard touchdown run by RB Tevin Coleman.The Buckeyes ended up winning the game by a score of 42-27, a difference of 15 points.

So now the question is, should a game against an opponent as bad on paper as Indiana that wasn't a 52-7 pasting keep the Buckeyes out of the College Football Playoff?

The Mississippi State Bulldogs beat a football team that might end up not bowl eligible, and there's talk about UAB ending it's football program by 13 points. I don't see anyone holding that against the Bulldogs as they make a case for them to be in the top four.

The mighty Oregon Ducks beat a Washington State team that is 3-8 and won't be seeing a bowl. I don't see anyone holding that against the Ducks.

Florida State also sqeaked by a team that may not be bowl eligible after next week when next the season is done. They won this game by only six points. 

As matter of fact the Seminoles beat Virginia (5-6) by only 14, Miami (6-5) by 4, and Boston College (6-5) by 3 points. If not blowing out lesser teams, much less almost losing to them should keep you out of the College Football Playoffs, then if Florida State loses against either Florida in the regular season finale or Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game...then the Seminoles shouldn't be in at all. The only thing keeping them in it right now is being undefeated, if they lose that, then by the argument(s) against Ohio State, Florida State shouldn't be in it either.

A week ago, the Horned Frogs, the team that would be "first left out" of the College Football Playoff,, almost lost to a really bad Kansas (3-8) team. That same week, Ohio State played a close one against Minnesota (an AP Top 25 team) and ESPN made it sound like TCU had a gutty performance against a good team and the Buckeyes almost lost to a team that was without a win.

So don't tell me there isn't a bias against the Buckeyes or the Big Ten.

The fact of the matter is, close games happen, especially in conference play where teams see each other often every year.  Maybe you overlook an opponent. Ohio State is facing their big rival in *ichigan this week, maybe the players figured they'd roll Indiana and were looking at The Game.

Maybe Indiana looked at this as their bowl game, and gave their all. After all, their best offensive weapon was their RB and they saw how much trouble the Buckeyes defense had against Minnesota.

What I do know is, that most of the other teams in front of Ohio State have had a close game against teams that on paper they should have beaten by no less than 24 points. 

QB Conundrum 2015: JT Barrett or Braxton Miller?

I know this season isn't over yet, we still have two regular season games, the Big Ten Championship Game, and then either the College Football Playoffs or a regular Bowl Game.

But right now, I want to look at what's ahead after this season.

As far as anyone knows, Braxton Miller is planning on returning to Ohio State for his senior season in 2015. When he first made this announcement after it was announced that he would miss the entire 2014 season with a shoulder injury, Buckeye fans were very happy.

None of us envisioned that JT Barrett would become one of the best quarterbacks in Ohio State history. And after that loss to Virginia Tech...

9/29 for 219 yards, 1 TD, and 3 INT...sacked seven times

I think after that game Buckeye Nation felt it would be a long season and couldn't wait for Miller's return in 2015.

But Barrett took that game and used it as fuel, he learned from it. And since then, he's been unstoppable.

Against Minnesota, JT Barrett broke two of Braxton Miller's rushing records, longest run ever by a quarterback (86 yard TD run) and most rushing yards in a single game by a QB (189). Barrett also surpassed Braxton Miller's total TD pass mark in a season (29 for Barrett, 24 for Miller).

Also, JT Barrett is one touchdown pass away from tying Troy Smith's school record of touchdown passes in a season of 30 (in 2006), with two games left that record should be broken.

This is Barrett's stat line for the season after the win at Minnesota:

165/258 2365 yards 64.0% completions 29 TD 8 INT

136 rushes 771 yards 5.7 yards per carry 9 TD

That's a season for many QB's around the country, and Barrett still has two games to improve on that!

Miller's best single season stat line:

162/255 2094 yards 63.5% completions 24 TD 7 INT (2013)

227 rushes 1271 yards 5.6 yards per carry 13 TD (2012)

Both are pretty damn good stat lines that most schools would take from their starting quarterback.

So if Braxton Miller stays true to what he said, and returns in 2015 to the Buckeyes fully healthy, what the hell is Urban Meyer going to do?

Before becoming the head coach at The Ohio State University, he spent a season working for ESPN/ABC calling games. I remember listening to him just gush about Braxton Miller, and I still think that Meyer feels the same way.

I believe that part of Meyer would want to stay loyal to Miller. An old sports adage is that you never lose your job to injury, and that's why Miller isn't on the field this season. Nothing academic, no off the field scandals. Braxton Miller, from everything I have ever read or heard, is a great guy. Goes to class, does well in his classes, doesn't draw un-needed attention to himself or the school, stays out of trouble.

However, he got to watch Barrett blossom right before his eyes. Can you bench the quarterback that is likely going to hold some school records when this year is over?

Barrett holds four of the top 9 total offense outputs in Buckeye football history:

There is a chance that he could own the top spot in this list by the end of the season. 

Miller is a weapon. He's the better runner, and likely a better overall athlete. 

However, I think Barrett is the better QUARTERBACK. And honestly, I don't think anyone (including the coaches) saw this coming from him.

I think it's going to be a hard choice to make going into the 2015 season. But if I had to make the choice, Barrett would be my starting quarterback because I feel he's better at that specific job, throwing the football.

Also, Miller has proven to be injury prone. He's missed games before this season due to injuries. There's no guarantee that he can stay on the field. 

And what a nightmare would it be for defenses if both Barrett and Miller were in the backfield together? A handoff to Miller? A motion where Miller takes the snap? A read-option where one or the other ends up with the ball? Miller motioning to the slot or out wide and catching a pass as a receiver? I think Miller could play a "slash" roll wonderfully. 

The only thing I am absolutely sure of, is that I am glad it's not my job to make this decision. When the time comes, I won't envy Urban Meyer one bit.

Moves Will Be Made in the Polls This Week

The Buckeyes were off this week, but that doesn't mean they won't be moving in the polls after the #5 Stanford Cardinal beat the #3 Oregon Ducks on Thursday night.

So the question is, where do the Buckeyes go?

Before this week of college football, it looked like this:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide
2. Florida State Seminoles
3. Oregon Ducks
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
5. Stanford Cardinal

Now you would think that with the Ducks losing, the Buckeyes would move up to #3. However, Florida State recently jumped the Buckeyes to get into the Top Three, leaving the Buckeyes at #4.

Stanford is 8-1 while the Buckeyes are 9-0. Stanford lost to a 4-5 Utah Utes team, the Buckeyes have lost to nobody since they lost to Florida in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

However, the Buckeyes started at #2 this season, hasn't lost a game, and has slipped to #4 in the rankings. So I wouldn't he shocked if Stanford were to move ahead of the Buckeyes, leaving them at #4 and a one-loss team moves ahead of them, because that's the team that beat the Ducks.

Should the Buckeyes move up to #3? That depends on who you ask. Personally, I think they should have never been removed from the #2 spot without a loss. But a lot of people look at Ohio State's schedule and well, they laugh.

However, the Buckeyes did have an SEC foe on the schedule originally, they had the Vanderbilt Commodores scheduled. Yes, they aren't Alabama or LSU, but those teams aren't big on leaving the SEC footprint for Out-of-Conference games. Vandy is 5-4 with wins over Georgia and Florida in the SEC. They are probably a second tier SEC team.

But they cancelled at the last possible minute, and the Buckeyes had to scramble to find a team to replace them. By this time, you can't get a big time school. Most teams have their schedules set. So the Buckeyes ended up playing Florida A&M, a team that they ended up beating by a score of 76-0. And people blame Ohio State for scheduling such a weak school. Did the Buckeyes want to schedule such a weak opponent? I doubt it. But they had to fill the void in the schedule, and this was the school that would agree to come to Columbus. The Buckeyes were painted into a corner on this one, and the scheduled who was available.

The Buckeyes also cannot help their conference schedule. They don't choose who or where they play these teams. Everyone says every single one of the Buckeyes "hard games" are home games this year. However, the Buckeyes played Cal in California last year, the Golden Bears were playing their road game in the home-and-home agreement. Last year, the Buckeyes played Wisconsin in Madison, per B1G scheduling, the Badgers played in Columbus this year. And Northwestern, probably the most difficult game for them so for, was played on the road.

Ohio State still plays Michigan on the road, and even though That Team Up North isn't as good as people expected this year, you throw the records out when these two teams meet. There is a true dislike there, and these teams live to beat each other. With Michigan looking at a second tier bowl game this year, they'd love nothing more than to end the Buckeyes undefeated streak, especially with the game being in Ann Arbor.

And then you have the B1G Championship Game, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Buckeyes will likely be facing Michigan State, who will be in their second B1G Championship Game in three years. They have one of the best defenses in college football, and they have an offense that is tough and focused on controlling the clock. And their quarterback, he seems to make big plays when they are needed. This will be the toughest game Ohio State plays before their bowl.

However in the end, they'll likely be on the outside looking in at the National Championship as long as Alabama and Florida State don't lose a game. But the Buckeyes have the longest win streak in the nation. They'll likely go two straight seasons without a loss. The Buckeyes would have likely been playing Notre Dame for the National Championship last season if not for a bowl ban handed down by the NCAA.

So it's looking like the Rose Bowl for the Buckeyes. Where they will end this season without a loss. In the last year of the BCS, will the AP once again split the National Championship and give theirs to Ohio State? Looks like we will have to wait to find out.

How long will Tom Herman stay at Ohio State?

I woke up this morning to a link to an Eleven Warriors article, The Rise of Tom Herman, from the TeamMash email list.

For those of you who don't know, Tom Herman is entering his second year as Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a Wide Receivers Coach at Texas Lutheran), graduate assistant at Texas (1999-2000), Wide Receiver Coach at Sam Houston State (2001-2004), Offensive Coordinator at Texas State (2005-2006), Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Rice (2007-2008), and Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Iowa State (2009-2011) before being offered and accepting the same position at The Ohio State University.

Urban Meyer wanting to bring him to Ohio State because his football philosophies are very similar to his own and because he is an excellent recruiter with strong roots in Texas, a very fertile recruiting ground. His offenses are fast paced, which Urban Meyer likes. While at Iowa State, he was the QB Coach for one of the  best quarterbacks in school history.

The article brought up the question, how long will Tom Herman remain the OC for the Buckeyes. Because successful programs, especially ones with highly successful offenses, often lose assistant coaches at quite a high rate. And at the top of the list of coaches that could be poached from Ohio State, I would put Tom Herman. He's young, only 38 years old. He's got one of the best young minds in college football according to Urban Meyer. Another year of success, especially a National Championship, would bring other programs who have fired their head coaches to at least want to interview Herman.

In the Eleven Warriors article, the very first comment was this:

"Herman hopefully can be coaxed into staying a long time with well timed, large raises along the way. He is the type of coach who can take a large load off Urban's plate and extend Meyer's career for extra years. Lets keep Herman happy."

While money is very, very nice, nobody gets into coaching with dreams of simply being an offensive coordinator as the highest level the achieve. Every single graduate assistant wants to one day be a head coach. Herman has climbed the ladder from grad assistant to offensive coordinator, the final rung he must climb is taking over a program himself as the Head Coach.

I don't see this happening at Ohio State, simply because I think Urban Meyer is hear for the long haul, he won't be leaving after the 2013 season. Matter-of-fact, he won't be leaving anytime soon, so there won't be an opening in Columbus, OH in the near future if I am right.

Now, I don't think that Tom Herman would jump onto any offer of a HC job. I don't think he'd take over a program that hasn't been good in decades, if ever, just to be a head coach. I think he would wait for what he would feel is the right opportunity. One that he feels he could come in, and wouldn't be gone in three years if it's a rebuilding project for the next coach to reap the rewards of all his hard work.

That chance might not come after the 2013 season. But don't be surprised to see him interviewing for jobs, to at least prepare himself for the next offseason. I really feel that's when he will leave for a head coaching job in one of the big time conferences. I just hope it's not a Big Ten school, I wouldn't want to have to face one of his teams on even an almost-every-year basis.

Buckeye Nation, be ready. This coaching staff could change dramatically over the next few seasons as position coaches leave for coordinator positions and coordinators get head coaching gigs. But I trust Urban Meyer to bring in coaches just as good to replace those who leave.

And remember, if coaches are constantly being interviewed and offered promotions at other schools, that's a good thing. It means we are winning a lot of games, Big Ten titles, and hopefully Nation Championships.

O-H! I-O!