2. An in-state MAC school is better than FCS team, a Sunbelt team, a WAC team, etc. Ideally I would like eliminate two non-conference games and play all the teams in the Big Ten and then play two non-conference games – one big one and one semi-big one. A powerhouse and a mediocre BCS school is my preference. But that will never happen so bring on the Rockets! Hopefully in 2010 we can contain Boo Jackson.

3. I think Corey Brown will be a starting CB. But a 5* is not low hype. I think Carlos Hyde will have a bigger impact on the running game than Berry and Hall since he is built like a Mack Truck.

4. I think my answer to number 4 can be found in number 3. I think Hall redshirts and Berry doesn’t do anything special. I am a little worried that Berry is the next Mo’ Wells. I am also a little worried that Carlos Hyde is the next Lydell Ross. What can I say – I am a worrier. Whatever it may be, Hyde should not be allowed to wear #30 or visit strip clubs in Columbus and Berry shouldn’t be allowed to wear #34 or grow dreads.

5. Donnie Evege wears number 30 and I’m just not ready to see that number on the field again.

2) I’m on the fence about MAC flavored cupcakes; I’m all for keeping the cupcake money in-state, but I’d also like to see college football move away from cupcake filled schedules (though I doubt this will happen). I’m OK with 1 MAC-rifice a season, but NO MORE I-AA (err…FCS) teams on the schedule, ever.

3) I’m with El Cab, a breakout at DT would be awesome because I think that’s our weakest position on the field. So I guess the most likely candidate there would be Simon.

4) Brandon Saine where the fuck are you? On paper this kid should be nothing short of frightening, unfortunately he’s turned out to be far too much of a track star in pads thus far. I REALLY hope he can turn the corner and become a serious contributor all over the field–in theory this kid could be a threat at RB or in the slot (he’s shown that he has decent hands in the past). So I guess I’ll go with Saine and hope that he finally has a breakout season.

5) Viva la dirt-stache!

2.) I am also sick of beating up on the MAC and god help us if we lose one of those games. Mark May would lick his chops for soemthing like that. Here is what I suggest: The SEC/ACC/Big 12/Big East Gridiron Challenge-Every season each conference leaves one weekend open and they get a good non-conference game on the schedule. They line it up like the ACC/Big 10 challenge in hoops. This prevents the SEC and the Big 12 from scheduling high school teams and it keeps the Big Ten from scheduling more than one Mac School. Look at our schedule in the late 80’s. In one season we played Oregon, WVU and LSU! Nothing good ever comes from those small games (see Yompton State this year and Beanie’s Toe).

3.) 2009 Recruiting Class breakthrough-This is tough because a lot of these guys have been hyped up pretty well-the only guy that nobody is talking about is Jordan Hall. I know Ohio State is stacked at RB-but if you get asked to play RB at TOSU, you must have the ability to tote the rock better than others.

4.) Brandon Saine is still on the roster-he still ran the 100 in HS faster than Teddy Ginn-he still weighs over 200lbs. Saine was hurt all last year-did we forget about him?

5.) I’m interested to see the new faces in the secondary. We’ve had all these recruits come in and heard nothing from them because we’ve had the same guys in the secondary. I’m interested to see the open competition. Watch for Jamie Wood.

As for playing other in-state schools…I-AA teams should be off the table for all I-A teams. They don’t play in the same post-season so why the hell are they even allowed to play each other. Trust me, I enjoyed watching TSUN lose to App. State, but it shouldn’t have been allowed.

Other states schools (Toledo, Miami, BG, OU, etc.) would be ok every once in a while. Everyone needs a break.

2) Unless it is Cincy. I would love to see a rivalry started with Cincy now that they are a legitimate (using the word loosely) BCS contender. That could only help our SOS.

3) Jordan Whiting on special teams. He works hard and is focused to do whatever it takes to help the team……I look forward to him laying some BIG HITS on special teams.

4) I’m going to agree that it will be Carlos Hyde. He offers something different than Herron. He is a big guy that will come in on 3rd and short and redzone situations the way Beanie did as a freshman. (In no way am I comparing him to Beanie, I’m just saying he will be used in a similar way as Beanie was as a freshman.)

5) What are you trying to do?!? Cause a worldwide panic?!? Quick, tone down the Donnie Evege before someone gets hurt!

Bonus) How could the Jeff Logan pictures not be the best……women fainted the world around!

2) Having just completed my 31st season as a season ticket holder means I have sat through some miserable blowouts. Whats the difference between blowing out Utah by 60 or Houston (and their ridiculous cowboys in full length dusters in 90 degree heat) or Rice, and blowing out our little brothers at Kent? I’d rather we help the in state school. The exception to that is the nimrods down in Northern kentucky who think they are going to surpass tOSU as THE football power in the state. Screw ‘em. If they have so little respect for tOSU, let find a juicy payday somewhere else.

3) MEH. Nathan Williams is the poster boy for exactly why I pay NO atttention to recruiting. For every Terrel Pryor theres an AJ Hawk who when he was signed the “experts” criticized Tressel for wasting a spot in the class on a nobody LB when we signed all those studs like Carpetner and D’Andrea and White. No one, not even St Jim, knows who will make an impact next year out of this class. There will be busts and breakouts. Just sit back and cheer them on.

4) I’d like to think it will be Brandon Saine, but I wonder if he isn’t too fragile. Therefore, since I love speed, Mr Berry excites me. But remember my answer to question 3.

5) All American towel waver baby.

Bonus 1) Tony Reed. Dude’s hat is smoooth.

Bonus 2) Prince Valiant was brave, but never pretty.

2. I’m of two minds on the games vs. Ohio schools – I love keeping that payday in-state rather than having it go to schmucks like San Diego St. and Troy, and the (oxymoron alert) sentimental logic of giving these kids the chance to play in the ‘Shoe makes sense to me. On the other hand, simple mathematics dictates that, one of these days, Ohio State WILL lose one of these games – and that’ll be a day of Appy St.-style rejoicing for the haters.

But what I think doesn’t matter; the University and Tressel seem set on continuing the practice. Given that, I suggest the following:
- No more Penguins. Sure it’s nice to throw a bone to the people who gave us The Senator, but the real and perceived drag on schedule strength from playing a 1-AA team makes this unacceptable.
- No Cincinnati. They’re just getting too good, and the bitch of it is that when/if they ever did beat us, the perception of it would just be too damaging (even though they’re in a BCS conference, have a different regional recruiting focus, etc., it would still be a David-Goliath thing w/ the media), and the other side of that coin is that we get no credit for beating them no matter how good they are.

What does that leave? A four-year rotation of Toledo, BG, Ohio and Miami. I can live with that, I guess – it gives every kid at those schools their one shot at the Buckeyes, and that’s enough.

3. Johnny Simon. DT is still a position of weakness for us, and his mix of size, STRENGTH, attitude, and smarts should mean that he can contribute meaningfully this fall.

4. Hyde is probably the #2, if for no other reason than size in short-yardage and goal-line situations. I’m gonna be pissed if all they ever do with Berry is what they did with M. Wells – i.e., run him off-tackle as if he were twice the size he is.

5. I like Evege in his current role of hype man on the sidelines. Dude gets more TV time now than he ever would if he was actually on the field.

BONUS: First, Jeff Logan is not pretty at all. Second, Ray Griffin definitely is the smoothest, and with that background he looks ready to bust out with “I’M ON A BOAT!”