Our Honor Defend

The 2010 football season is rapidly approaching, eliciting the excitement that only Ohio State football in the fall can bring.  The third edition of my now 19-part series titled Better Know A Buckeye is wrapping up as well to make proper way for the season.  In this 14th installment, I fast forward to Verlon Reed.  The athlete from Columbus’ Marion-Franklin HS, ended a recruiting lull in an otherwise limited recruiting class with his December 16th commitment.  Holding offers from  in-state MAC snacks like Kent State, Toledo and Bowling Green, Verlon is not your typical Ohio State-caliber recruit.  Ultimately, the coaching staff saw much to like about him personally as well as his athletic potential and extended a scholarship offer.  He was all too eager to take it.  As such, Verlon is typical of the Buckeye recruit in this class.  There is interesting potential and a winning attitude, which is discussed in this feature that follows the regular order.

Height: 6’2
Weight: 185lbs
40: 4.5
High School: Marion-Franklin HS; Columbus, OH

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The addition of Nebraska to the Big(ger) 10 means that most games scheduled for 2011 are now in flux. Some of the implications of the change are not good at all, but some are. As Ohio State is not the only program in college football having to adjust its schedule accordingly, it is has found a BCS program in a similar position: Colorado.  Colorado will be leaving the Big XII to join the future Pac 12.  Its scheduled non-conference game with California now a game in-conference, Colorado contacted Ohio State about the possibility of a one-time visit to Ohio State.  After some wrangling, the two sides have agreed to meet next year on September 24th.

I think that date on the schedule had been previously allocated to Michigan State as a conference game, though that was pushed forward to October 1st.  That date, and October 15th, are open dates on Ohio State’s schedule as the new conference alignment is being finalized.  As it stands, Ohio State will host another BCS opponent shortly after coming back from Miami, Florida for the return leg of the series with the Hurricanes.  Colorado will receive $1.4 million dollars for their troubles, something that will probably go to Dan Hawkins’ buyout.  I can’t imagine he sticks around much longer.

Ohio State and Colorado have a little bit of a history.  The two sides first met in Ohio Stadium in 1971, an ill-fated season for the Buckeyes and the first after the Super Sophomores had all graduated.  They met again in the 1977 Orange Bowl, Ohio State’s first non-Rose Bowl game.  The Buckeyes conceded the first ten points of the game, but scored the next 27 en route to a 27-10 victory.  A home-and-home series was scheduled shortly thereafter, taking place in 1985 and 1986.  The Buckeyes won both games.  I have both the 1977 Orange Bowl and 1985 matchup in my collection.  You can watch them below.

The schedule is still in flux and we’re all praying that the Big Ten does not screw up and put Michigan and Ohio State in separate divisions.  Nevertheless, as Ramzy noted, a 2011 schedule including Miami, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan, Colorado  and possibly Iowa ranks as the most obscenely difficult schedule in the history of college football… of 1990.

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I’ve gathered you all here in the accusing parlor because one of you is a Penn State fan.  Certain clues suggest that the culprit is none other than Penn State blogger Tim, of Linebacker-U.  Oh, it was a brilliant scheme, but you made one fatal mistake: interviewing me a few weeks ago.  Therein, I discussed some points of interest regarding Ohio State for the Penn State fan.  Now, I’ve gathered Tim in the accusing parlor so that he may defend himself against the accusation of being a proud Penn State fan and alumnus.  In this feature, I ask Tim a set of questions regarding Penn State football for the Ohio State audience.  In the process of accusation, hopefully Ohio State fans reading this will be a little more familiar with the 2010 Penn State team they will face late in the upcoming season.

J’accuse, Tim.

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Marcus Hall’s name has been in the rumor mill for some time.  The implication was not good and words of academic concerns continued to fuel discussion that he would be ineligible for 2010 and redshirt accordingly.  Ohio State’s athletic department has announced tonight that this is the case.

Ohio State sophomore offensive tackle Marcus Hall will redshirt the 2010 football season, due to academic problems.

Buckeyes spokeswoman Shelly Poe announced the decision on Friday night.

The 6-foot-5, 320-pound, product of Glenville High School in Cleveland played in nine games last season for the Buckeyes as a true freshman. He was expected to be a backup this season. He will still have three more seasons of eligibility.

In a statement, Hall said he was trying to look at his situation as a way to get better both in the classroom and on the field.

This is an important blow to the offense.  Marcus Hall was supposed to enter his sophomore season, one that carries obvious national title aspirations, as a key component to the team’s depth at offensive line.  He appeared at media day slimmed down and vying to start at left tackle, protecting Terrelle Pryor’s left side.  The loss is important, but it is not crippling.  Quality depth is always good to have.  Hall’s “academic redshirt” simply means that we are asking Mike Adams and JB Shugarts to step up and lead the charge at the bookends through the course of the 2010 season.  Andy Miller will continue to contribute to the position through his final season at Ohio State.  Andrew Norwell, who I thought would redshirt in 2010, moves up to 2nd team right tackle.

I am reticent to put this post up, because part of me wonders if this is all smoke and no fire.  The season-ending Michigan-Ohio State game is the conference’s trademark game, giving us great stretches like The Ten Year War, the slew of mid-90s soulcrushers for Ohio State fans and the 2006 epic showdown.  A conference maligned for much of the past 50 years for being the “Big 2, Little 8/9″ was at least able to tout this game as a classic hatefest deserving of a regular season finale.  So much of college football has advanced beyond the regular season to include conference championship games cash cows.  The Big Ten is now following suit with a divisional format and conference championship game, but common sense dictates that the Ohio State-Michigan series will remain as is.  It will follow the Iron Bowl path.  Both teams will be in the same division, play at the end of the season with only one of the teams, by design, being able to matriculate to the conference championship game.

It only makes sense, right?

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