Coleman Suspended for Indiana; Other Rumblings
Coleman Suspended for the Indiana Game
Kurt Coleman was given a suspension for his late hit on Eddie McGee. This is bad, but it’s not invariably bad. Fortunately, Indiana is one of the meekest opponents the Buckeyes will play this season, so his absence will not be missed as much as it would be if we were talking about playing Iowa, Penn State or Michigan. However, his suspension means that Anderson Russell is back in the starting 11 on defense, joining Coleman’s replacement Jermale Hines. This will surely be a source of consternation to Buckeye fans, who remember Anderson Russell’s run of play of late. Other ill effects of Coleman’s suspension involve losing a game as an addition to a resume of an all-conference safety and whatever postseason accolades he may be in the running for in December, though this a minor point.
Again, we’re losing him for Indiana, and not one of the bigger challenges left on Ohio State’s docket. Still, I’m a little curious why this is a suspendable offense. The official reason given by the Big Ten is:
In the 2009-10 NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations, Rule 9-6, Article 2, states “When there is a foul called for initiating contact/targeting an opponent (Rule 9-1-3) that does not result in a player disqualification, there shall automatically be a video review by the conference for possible additional sanctions before the next scheduled game.”
Rule 9-1, Article 3.a., states in part that “No player shall initiate contact and target an opponent with the crown (top) of his helmet.” Rule 9-1, Article 3.b., states in part that “No player shall initiate contact and target a defenseless opponent above the shoulders.”
After consultation with NCAA National Coordinator of Officials Dave Parry and Secretary-Rules Editor Rogers Redding and a review of relevant video by Big Ten Coordinator of Officials Bill Carollo, the conference has determined that a one-game suspension is appropriate.
But I don’t recall him ever really targeting the crown of McGee’s helmet. I remember Coleman going in for what was in all likelihood an excessive hit when the Buckeye defender in question had all but wrapped up McGee. This merited the 15 yard penalty that he got. However, the way by which the Buckeye defender spun McGee around left McGee’s head exposed to contact that was forthcoming before either party could do anything about it. In short, hitting McGee’s helmet may have been unavoidable for a decision for contact that was avoidable. 15 yard penalty? Absolutely. Suspension? Not convinced (but I may need to see the play again). I haven’t read that McGee has been concussed either, so it just seems like one of those artifacts of football for which there’s no reason for an overreaction by the Big Ten brass. For the meantime, this policy seems to mirror the carding policy in soccer, which conflates intent with outcome.
Now, Kurt Coleman is the third suspension given by the league, joining two other players (Michigan, Purdue) who were suspended for throwing punches. Is that appropriate company?
Again, his suspension will be served against an opponent that Ohio State should not expect too much difficulty from, provided the Buckeyes come to Horseshoe West focused. Coleman’s suspension is unfortunate, but it’d be more unfortunate if the reaction from the Buckeyes was to come out against Indiana playing defense like cowards. No names, no blames, no worries, right? Play madder, if anything.
Be it Coleman’s suspension, or the histrionics from some regarding Taylor Wyndham knocking out the Great White Hope and Friend of Jesus Tim Tebow, it’s a little worrisome that we may be even starting down the road of what many in the NFL fear is the legislating away of good defense1. Granted, what Coleman did was not good, or smart, defense, but, mind you: this is football, not diplomacy. If legations from Champaign and Columbus could convene in Chicago to seek arbitration from the league office on the matter of whether or not Eddie McGee on a given play, could be “downed” short of any outbreak of hostilities, then… well, fine. They will have successfully negotiated the termination of a play with no physicalities involved. It would be solving the matter short of the outbreak of conflict between both sides (pending ratifications from each side’s respective assemblies), and that’s generally a good thing in the diplomatic world. But that’s not football. Football is more interesting.
Tressel and Gene Smith Got Me On This One
Tressel and AD Gene Smith evidently had the same reaction I did.
“Obviously, we will abide by the one-game suspension from the Big Ten Conference, but we feel as if there was poor judgment throughout.
“We concur that Kurt’s hit was late and a result of poor judgment; he was thus penalized and removed from the game by his coaches. We do not agree that it was ‘pre-meditated’ or that he was ‘targeting a defenseless’ player.
“The decision to suspend points to the Conference office’s feeling as if there was poor judgment by the game officials for their decision not to eject at the time.
“In our estimation, the final ‘poor judgment’ is in levying a one-game suspension in this particular case. We will abide by the decision, learn from it, and move forward.”
No Names, No Blame, No Worries
The above is the official motto of the defense. I would’ve gone with something a little more anti-social, perhaps Thaddeus Gibson’s motto, Ezekiel 25:17, or the acronyms FTW or DIAF. Then again, I’m a bad person. Still, “no names, no blame, no worries” is catchy and has been an appropriate motto for a carefree, but still brutally effective defensive mentality for the Buckeyes.
“We just say that we’re gonna be scrappy,” said junior Brian Rolle, who took over for Laurinaitis at middle linebacker this season.
“A defense that’s going to run around and not worry about making mistakes; no names, just going out and having fun.”
Illinois Award Winners
Lineman Doug Worthington was the Buckeyes’ defensive player of the week, with six tackles and a sack. Placekicker Aaron Pettrey, with three field goals and 3-3 on PAT, was the player of the week on the special units. Tailbacks Dan Herron and Brandon Saine were the offensive players of the week, rushing for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The “Attack Force” award went to safety Jermale Hines. Jake Ballard was the Jim Parker lineman of the week. The Jack Tatum Big Hit of the week was not awarded.
Scout team champions were: Offense: Jermil Martin; Defense: Adam Bellamy; Special Units: James Georgiades.
I would’ve given the Jack Tatum award to Doug Worthington for jumping over Illinois’ right tackle and sandwiching Juice Williams with the field turf (see: animated gif). Hell, give it to Kurt Coleman. What’s the league office going to do? Suspend Jack Tatum?
No Real Changes in the Depth Chart
…Not according to the game notes released today. Expect for Kurt Coleman’s name to be redacted, but there are no big shakeups this week. Mike Adams and Andy Miller are still listed as co-starters at left tackle, as are Amos and Torrence at corner. Those were the positions of interest last week. The only shakeup, if you will, is Andrew Sweat and Ross Homan. Both are listed as c0-starters at weakside linebacker, which is an artifact of Homan getting shaken up early against Illinois (no word yet on the extent of the injury) and Sweat filling in as the second-teamer.
Opponent-Relevant YouTube of the Week
We’re going all the way back to 1978 for this one. In 1978, as in 2009, the Buckeyes are following an impressive win over Illinois at home (45-7) with a road game against the Hoosiers the following week. This game was much closer than the experts would’ve thought. I have no idea what the “experts” were thinking at the time, but this is mostly an allusion to Lee Corso, coach of the Hoosiers for this game.
I don’t have a lot to add to the game, other than noting that Ron Springs and Calvin Murray were injured during the course of the game and were substituted by Ricky Johnson and Joel Payton. Ric Volley carried the Buckeyes on the ground for the meantime. and Ricky Johnson’s long touchdown run in the 4th quarter was essentially the backbreaker.
Oh, and early in the first quarter, the Buckeyes opted to go for it on a 4th and short on their own 30 yard line. The commentators were curious why Woody would do that, with one even openly asking “Who’s coaching the Buckeyes? Lee Corso?”. Ouch.
In a series that was hilariously one-sided in Woody Hayes’ tenure as coach, this 21-18 victory over Indiana stands out as probably the most exciting in a series where Woody lost only once (his first season). It was also Woody’s last victory. He lost against Michigan, lost the Gator Bowl against Clemson, and was fired shortly thereafter for the obvious incident at the end of the Gator Bowl.
There’s a few things about this game that I’d like to know more about, but if I send an e-mail to Art Schlichter (don’t look at me that way, it’s there on his website), I’m not sure I’d get a response.
Anywho, game is below:
- Though in a sport that cannot fine its athletes, this discussion may be premature. [↩]
Written by: Vico | 
No 1996 against Indiana???? When we clinched the Rose Bowl and our fans stormed Memorial Stadium field and tore down their goal posts??? Or one of them??
Weren’t you the same guy that was expressing an interest in the older games of my collection a week ago?
Besides, I don’t have that 1996 game. Indiana games are hard to come by precisely because there’s no real TV interest in watching the Buckeyes beat someone by anywhere from 28 to 42 points. 1978 is the only Indiana game I have before 2002. I don’t have a lot of games from 1995 or 1996, but I am on the lookout.
I hope we don’t overlook the Hoosiers too much……………I mean this has been a weird season. But I am pretty confident that our Defense will manhandle Indiana’s QB alot better than Michigan did.
I want another shutout!!!!!!!!
Not that I don’t love you, Vico, but I agree with the suspension. I don’t think Kurt started the play thinking, “I am going to injure someone this play.” But a play like that is bush league. A senior captain and 3 year starter knows better.
I do feel bad for Al Toon, or Garret Graham, or Kyle Jefferson, or Scott Gilreath, as whatever WR goes over the middle first in 2 weeks will feel his wrath.
Oh come on. Coleman merely dove a little late on an overpursuit. Just doing his job. Now, what would be interesting to me is to see if that assclown who came up swining at TP got suspended. I’ve not looked into Illinois blogs (nor will I expend the energy), but that was MUCH MUCH more deserving of a suspension. He pulled late out of bounds, got the deserved flag, and then came up swinging. Nothing like overpursuing a run with a (barely) late hit.
I’m w/ FtE on this one, V. We just need to look at the plain text of 9-1-3: There really can be no question that Coleman violated 3.a; he lowered his head and led with it – what we used to call “spearing”. 3.b is a LITTLE bit muddier; McGee was definitely “defenseless”, Coleman definitely “initiated contact…above the shoulders”, the problem arises with the “AND TARGET” part of it – this would seem to imply that a determination of SPECIFIC intent on the hitter’s part to hit a defenseless player’s head with his own lowered one needs to be made both by the game officials at the time and the conference officials during their review. I don’t know if this is actually the case or whether 3.b is just poorly written, but it does raise the question of how such intent is to be divined – I rewound and rewatched the hit 4 or 5 times right when it happened, and again a few times later that night, and the end of that play was far too “fluid” (for lack of a better word) for even the most ungenerous observer to say without question that Coleman INTENDED to hit McGee’s head with his own. BUT: He unquestionably committed a clear – and pretty blatant, in my opinion – violation of 3.a, and demonstrated pretty poor judgment in doing so; that pile he was driving his helmet into included a couple of his teammates as well as McGee, and the aforementioned “fluidity” of the play means that he could easily have injured one of his own players, not to mention himself. It’s not strictly relevant, but it bears mentioning that it probably didn’t help Coleman’s case in the conference’s eyes that he was laughing as he came off the field. If I were Tressel, that would have merited some steps or gassers in and of itself.
So I really have no problem with the suspension, although all things considered it would have been better for the game officials to have ejected him at the time and saved us all this foofaraw.
FWIW, I’m gonna post the bulk of the above in the thread on this topic @ 11W just to see how long it takes somebody to call me a “Buckeye-hater”. I’ll say it again: the threads at that place have become an embarrassingly stupid place.
One more thing: I don’t think the question of whether he’s in “appropriate company” with the other 2 suspendees thus far is relevant either – there’s really no reason to lump them together other than they all happen to have been suspended. My own sense of things is that the Purdue player’s actions are the most egregious of the 3 and Coleman’s are the least, but everybody knew going into this season that this review/suspend policy was going to be in effect. There are some valid concerns about the larger/long-term effects of this policy if it sticks beyond this season, or if it induces game officials to develop a quick trigger finger on ejections – your “legislating away of good defense”, Vico – but just on the terms of the policy itself, we don’t have to think that all 3 players’ actions are EQUIVALENT to say that all 3 suspensions are LEGITIMATE.
El Caballo de Sangre-
Anybody that would call you a “Buckeye Hater” is not a follower of the regular Buckeye blogs themselves, and could be called much worse in my opinion. I agree that KC should serve the 1 game suspension for a bad judgement call on his part, but if the B11 doesn’t suspend the Illini player for the late hit out-of-bounds on Pryor and the half-assed punch he threw, then its a clear case of a double standard. But for the record, as far as I am concerned, your homerism was never in question kid.
‘Ski: Thanks for having my back. It’s only happened once or twice, but it’s only EVER happened in the 11W comments.
On the subject of the Illini player, well, I have to plead ignorance – I know what play we’re talking about here, but don’t remember/didn’t see the punch. Is there a video of it you can point me to?
IIRC, there was quite the little melee going on for a second or two after that play, given that it happened deep into the Buckeyes’ sideline. I remember thinking at the time that the staff/coaches/officials did a super job of calming everything down quickly.
If there was indeed a punch, well, then, there ought indeed to be a suspension – but I don’t think it has any bearing on Coleman. If anything it’s more analogous to Jonas Mouton’s situation, and we should probably let DickRod bitch and moan about double standards (not that I think you’re bitching and moaning – I just am uncomfortable making the argument that because an Illinois player got away with one it means that Coleman should be given a pass).
First reply! If he led with his head, spearing, then hey, 15 yards and suspension?? Well I guess that the price for using your head these days. Super Tebow used his head and look what happened to him! I hate him yes, but as a fan of sports, you don’t want to see major life threatening injuries, wich there werent, wich is why it was good for those damn gator fans to FINALLY realize that Tebow, is in fact, 100%, not a super-duper-hero.
Sorry, I went off topic. Tends to happen when I speak of Super Tebow and anything USC. I’m stuck out here in El Ciudad de Troy, Los Angeles, CA. Yuk.
AWESOME site and blog. Been viewing for 3 days now and will be for many more to come!
GO BUCKS!! MICHIGAN SUCKS!!
El Caballo de Sangre,
If you recorded the game you should review it on the noted play because there was a better angle directly overhead of the players getting up and you could easily see the extened arm. But here is a youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPN7Sqy-sHc) and if you look closely, you see #32 for the Illini getting up off of TP and throwing a punch at #72 of Ohio State, pause the video around the 3:41 minute mark of the video. It is a quick jab to the right chest or shoulder. The ESPN score ribbon on top of the picture and #28 (Hicks) for Illinois is blocking the view of the arm extension . But you can see Supo Sanni arm extended and white sports medical tape around the wrist area making contact with Scott Sika of Ohio State. Like I said the game coverage actually shows a better angle than this Youtube video angle, durring the game if you recall, they used a few different agnles to show T.P. getting tackled.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPN7Sqy-sHc
I don’t know if I would call the Purdue hit a punch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-SAV1U8Hl4&feature=player_embedded
It seems to me all three incidents were different but pretty egregious.
Yes I was Vico! You got me on a craze with all these old Buckeye games! I understand about not having a lot of interest in Indiana. Can’t blame you for that!
I have it on very good (a player on the sideline) that the supposed “laugh” was NOT a laugh…it was a grimmace. He knew he had screwed up and was grimacing, since he knew it would be an issue for later discussion with coaches or a possible league reaction.