Edge of Despair: 11W on The State of Buckeye Football
In an effort to help provide more general Big Ten coverage, here are two interesting (and schadenfreude-laden) items posted on Eleven Warriors today:
1) The Edge of Despair, on the State of Buckeye Football. Long story short, it's not good. I was at the first two games of Ohio State's current season, and a dramatic last-minute finish versus Toledo--Toledo!--is not in the Ohio State modus operandi. His description of the game environment, when corrected for OSU Tatgate bias, is accurate in many details.
2) Highlights from OSU-Toledo. The choice of song and tone is hilarious. Not pictured: Turnovers, throws to Tacopants, missing starters, repeated booings of Bausermann's throws to Tacopants. /notsayinjustsayin
Edit: Star Trek : Star Wars :: Denard Robinson : Notre Dame
September 12th, 2011 at 11:58 PM ^
My uncle runs an Ohio sports blog and he and all of his readers have already lost faith in Luke Fickell. They complained about predictibility on offense and no in-game adjustments by FIckell. They also think that Braxton Miller should start. They justify it by saying they are "going to lose games anyway this year might as well get the kid some expirience."
September 13th, 2011 at 3:59 AM ^
Playing miller would not be a good idea at all, the reason being is the state of the offensive line. Their line isn't bad right now, but with walk-ons as back ups you don't want your QB of the future taking a beating jimmy clausen style every game. Also how many games would they lose before the fans started calling for him to replaced? They don't want him beaten up physicially and mentally.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
Sounds like your uncle runs a ND blog. OSU is 2-0 last I checked. Until Fickle starts losing games, no one has any right to lose faith. I mean, we didn't LOSE to Toledo, right? Now THAT would be embarassing.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:01 AM ^
This post is written as if the author is surprised that they would reach a point where OMG they can lose a game.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:03 AM ^
My dad literally just texted me this:
"Did you hear they're moving the Ohio State game to Colombus?"
Me: "No, pretty sure I would have heard that one."
My dad: "Yeah. They don't think Ohio State can get by Toledo again."
Oh, Dad....
September 13th, 2011 at 12:09 AM ^
Priceless. I don't care who you are. That was funny!
September 13th, 2011 at 12:58 AM ^
What's the Original.
<br>Something like "did you hear the Michigan- OSU game was cancelled" "Michigan couldn't get past Toledo"
September 13th, 2011 at 2:13 AM ^
I heard they kept it in Ann Arbor because they knew Michigan already couldn't get by Toledo the first time.
/wishes it was 2008 again.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:03 AM ^
Nothing screams "redemption" like a powerhouse football program beating up on a MAC opponent and barely edging out another one.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:06 AM ^
I think it is a little early for them to start burning the Fickell bandwagon as they still are 2-0. That being said, the offense was very predictable and Toledo was quite effective at shutting them down at points. Also Toledo seemed to move the ball really easily, especially since they moved between 2 quarterbacks almost seamlessly.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:09 AM ^
I really hate the fact everybody is looking at Toledo as a poor little mac school. I go there so I just want to defend them and say what becks is doing down here is amazing and I can't wait till Friday Night vs Boise. I don't expect a win but I do expect a great showing on national tv to get a little interest generated in the program again. Toledo was an Elite non AQ in the late 90's and early 00. NCAA problems really screwed them there. ( Not defending Ohio, Just defending my poor little mac school lol)
September 13th, 2011 at 12:30 AM ^
Look, I hate OSU as much as any Michigan fan, but isn't it slightly ironic that people on this board are making fun of OSU for barely beating the only MAC team that beat Michigan just a few years ago?
Just sayin, glass houses, blah blah blah.
September 13th, 2011 at 3:44 AM ^
When we lost to toledo it was the worst season we ever had and everyone knew we were terrible. This buckeye team was expected to compete for a B1G title, add that with everything going on in columbus in the last few months and it is more significant than you think.
September 13th, 2011 at 7:11 AM ^
I am sure that OSU fans had a few laughs at our expense after the Toledo game (which I had the misfortune of attending). Just sayin, what goes around, blah blah blah.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:47 AM ^
...That your analogy is tremendous.
September 13th, 2011 at 12:59 AM ^
Hahahahahaha!!! I can't believe OSU almost lost to Toledo!!! Hahahahahahaha...
...
...
...
Wait, what?
September 13th, 2011 at 4:33 AM ^
I think Hoke has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people in Ohio are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
I nominate this as dumbest post of the season to date. He has turned the tide in the rivalry? What if he, let's say, doesn't beat OSU? Details!
September 13th, 2011 at 8:47 AM ^
I'm not ready to write OSU off because of a poor non-conference showing against an overmatched opponent. I can recall (well, look up) several similar games that took place when St. Tress was there:
2002 vs. Cincinnati (23-19, UC player dropped go-ahead TD late) [OSU won the MNC that year]
2003 vs. San Diego State (16-13) and 2003 Vs. Bowling Green (24-17) [OSU went 11-2];
2004 vs. Marshall (24-21) [OSU "only" went 8-4 that season]
2008 vs. Ohio (YTO) (26-14--OSU pulled away late) [OSU went 10-3]
2009 vs. Navy (31-27) [OSU went 11-2]
Moral of the story: OSU is not immune to playing down to weaker opponents especially out-of-conference. Add in the fact that they have a LOT of starters/contributors suspended right now and I think it is a little premature to begin celebrating OSU's downfall because they struggled against Toledo (who is supposed to be the best team in the MAC this year, btw) this past weekend.
/Buzz Killington
September 13th, 2011 at 9:35 AM ^
I'm not saying that I expect a 3 win season by any means, but I am hearing a lot of the same things that I remember hearing about us in '08. ie; "Yes a lot of people have left but this is still Michigan. They will still have more talent than most of the teams that they play this year." I just really have to wonder if Fickel will have the ability to right the ship the same way that Tress was. Every year Tsio had one or 2 games that they were somewhat pedestrian. Typcally the next game they would come out on fire and light up the rest of the season. Only time will tell how good Fickel is at rallying the troops.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
"Just a giftbag?" "Captives of tatgate?"
Gosh, I feel soooo sorry for all of those "victims" at THE Ohio State University. At least it sounds like the poster is willling to admit that some of the allegations may be true, but he still has the "Ohio State never does anything wrong" mentality.
I hope his team gives him more reasons to agonize as the season goes on. Most of all, though, I hope the NCAA gives him reasons to crawl into a fetal position and cry.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
As others have mentioned, OSU has a number of players suspended. My dad mentioned that because of their suspensions, their 2 deep rosters are super young. Their 2 deep on offense right now has a total of 4 seniors listed. Defensively, it's not much different. There's been plenty of talk on this site the last year or two about how young UM's 2 deep has been the last couple of years and the impact it's had.
September 13th, 2011 at 11:20 AM ^
The 11W blog article kept getting back to some deep, dark secret that would explain the sudden non-involvement of the Three Charitables, plus Miller not playing, plus one other guy suddenly not being eligible. Repeated it like 3-4 times.
Is there some suggestion that tSIO is holding back Miller -- he of the Huge "O" Tat for which Bucknuts hope he has a valid receipt -- because there is a possible eligibility problem? That's how I read the article. Otherwise why lump him in with the Three Charitables?
Or, was the author just saying, Fickell is in over his head. (Shocker! And, uh, Brian Ellerbe is probably available, if they need some advice.)
September 13th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^
I am perplexed by the notion that Hoke has changed the tide in the OSU rivalry (or any rivalry, for that matter). Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We beat Western and a team with serious turnover-itis. As Coach Hoke has said repeatedly, we're not even close to meeting the expectations our staff has for our players.
Nose to the grind stone, fellas.