As I pointed out above, Oregon had its advantage at the beginning of the season. They were not in class yet when they played Sparty while Sparty was in class.
Ohio State is on a semester system and does not start 2nd semester classes until Monday. Oregon is on the quarter system and is currently in class. The 20 hr. rule does not apply if classes are not in session. That was true for Oregon's late start of classes to open the season, thus the Oregon advantage vs Sparty.
And Urban is so taking advantage of it that he gave the team the day off today. No practice. No meetings.
"The System" won't change at Ohio State. It's Urban's system and Herman came in and learned that system, terminology and all. Urban hired Herman because he wanted someone who could add the up-tempo package which Urban said Herman was an expert at. Herman's biggest loss will not be as OC. It will be as "QB Whisperer." I'm guessing Urban will elevate Warinner (OL) to OC and hire a QB coach who will call the plays. What Herman did w/OSU's QBs was nothing short of amazing. That will be VERY hard to replace.
Warinner's handling of the OL may have been an even more impressive job. He's only making $365k. Urban will want to make sure he keeps him so elevating him to OC will get him into the $600k range and keep him in Columbus.
CFB fans will be surprised to hear that Bowling Green and Utah are established programs. He took Utah to a 12-0 season. And the Ohio State team he took over was the worst OSU team in 60 years...and he went 12-0 in his first season with the same players who had been 6-7 the year before. Oh, he's the only coach in the history of the B1G to win 12 games in 3 consec. seasons. At least Meyer and Bo were both from Ohio with graduate degrees from Ohio State.
"...he's managed to dodge any significant NCAA investigation into what sure looks like fairly massive and widespread extra benefits being given to his players..."
Very interesting. Your indications of this would be, what, exactly? If "massive" multiple sources would be all over it. If "widespread" even the Chengelis's of the halt, lame and lazy sporting press would be on it. I don't see that happening.
Seriously, I'd like to know what these "massive and widspread" extra benefits are and to whom?
Opposing fans like to throw stuff around about Urban but the fact is he's a young man in this profession. He's only 48 yrs old. As a point of reference, Nick Saban is 61. Les Miles is 59.
The fact is that Urban is exactly where he wants to be, in his home state at Ohio State where he started his coaching career. He's already making $4 million/yr+, he has his health under control, finished 12-0 w/a win over Michigan in his first year and is about to wrap up his second top 5 recruiting class.
The question is not how long to Ohio State fans think he's going to stay. The question is how long before the rest of the B1G just surrenders to him.
1) When he announced that Tressel had a 10.1 NCAA violation he should have then announced that he had fired Tressel. He didn't. He backed him w/o reservation.
2) When the media heat came down on Tressel/OSU Gene The Weak immediately folded and fired Tressel. (Smith's word means nothing).
3) When Gene The Weak started taking heat he didn't have the balls to face the press. So he did a YouTube video and released that.
4) When he announced OSU's self-imposed sactions he said, due to his vast NCAA experience, that he had hit the "sweet spot." How'd that work out Geno?
5) Instead of doing the obvious, self-imposing a bowl ban on a 6-6 team, he challenged the NCAA to do it. They did...on what turned out to be a 12-0 team. Moronic.
6) The guy is nothing but a bureaucratic weasel, exactly what you'd expect of a Notre Dame grad.
Don't doubt for a minute that the B1G will try to move the Ohio State v UM game earlier in the season while keeping them in opposite divisions. Why? That's what's best for the BTN.
With more teams, the inventory of conference games grows and the BTN wants big games earlier in the season. It's one of the few things that the SEC does that's better than the B1G scheme.
DiNardo on BTN has been beating this drum for two years. He makes no bones about it. Ohio State v. UM should be an early season game for two reasons: 1) Huge TV ratings early in the season; 2) Prevents OSU v UM in back to back weeks in the B1G championship game. If you care about the tradition of "The Game" put your attention here.
As for the division names I don't really care at this point. The only reason I dislike the current Leaders and Legends is that they are snark bait for national writers/reporters who like to dump on the B1G and find that the lowest of low-hanging fruit.
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If you check the last 100 yrs, Ohio State has the highest winning percentage too.
As I pointed out above, Oregon had its advantage at the beginning of the season. They were not in class yet when they played Sparty while Sparty was in class.
Ohio State is on a semester system and does not start 2nd semester classes until Monday. Oregon is on the quarter system and is currently in class. The 20 hr. rule does not apply if classes are not in session. That was true for Oregon's late start of classes to open the season, thus the Oregon advantage vs Sparty.
And Urban is so taking advantage of it that he gave the team the day off today. No practice. No meetings.
Yawn.
The OSU defenses in 2011/12/13 were three of the worst Ohio State defenses since the 60s.
"The System" won't change at Ohio State. It's Urban's system and Herman came in and learned that system, terminology and all. Urban hired Herman because he wanted someone who could add the up-tempo package which Urban said Herman was an expert at. Herman's biggest loss will not be as OC. It will be as "QB Whisperer." I'm guessing Urban will elevate Warinner (OL) to OC and hire a QB coach who will call the plays. What Herman did w/OSU's QBs was nothing short of amazing. That will be VERY hard to replace.
Warinner's handling of the OL may have been an even more impressive job. He's only making $365k. Urban will want to make sure he keeps him so elevating him to OC will get him into the $600k range and keep him in Columbus.
CFB fans will be surprised to hear that Bowling Green and Utah are established programs. He took Utah to a 12-0 season. And the Ohio State team he took over was the worst OSU team in 60 years...and he went 12-0 in his first season with the same players who had been 6-7 the year before. Oh, he's the only coach in the history of the B1G to win 12 games in 3 consec. seasons. At least Meyer and Bo were both from Ohio with graduate degrees from Ohio State.
Meyer has only been a head coach for 13 yrs. He's actually younger than Harbaugh. Nice try tho.
Ohio State's had the last three. No need to be greedy.
"...he's
re: Gene The Weak
"...he's managed to dodge any significant NCAA investigation into what sure looks like fairly massive and widespread extra benefits being given to his players..."
Very interesting. Your indications of this would be, what, exactly? If "massive" multiple sources would be all over it. If "widespread" even the Chengelis's of the halt, lame and lazy sporting press would be on it. I don't see that happening.
Seriously, I'd like to know what these "massive and widspread" extra benefits are and to whom?
Enlighten me.
Opposing fans like to throw stuff around about Urban but the fact is he's a young man in this profession. He's only 48 yrs old. As a point of reference, Nick Saban is 61. Les Miles is 59.
The fact is that Urban is exactly where he wants to be, in his home state at Ohio State where he started his coaching career. He's already making $4 million/yr+, he has his health under control, finished 12-0 w/a win over Michigan in his first year and is about to wrap up his second top 5 recruiting class.
The question is not how long to Ohio State fans think he's going to stay. The question is how long before the rest of the B1G just surrenders to him.
The limit is not on the 25 per class. The limit is on the 85 total. In this case OSU is limited to 82 total.
Well, since that hasn't happened in this century it's not much to worry about really.
1)
Let me count the ways;
1) When he announced that Tressel had a 10.1 NCAA violation he should have then announced that he had fired Tressel. He didn't. He backed him w/o reservation.
2) When the media heat came down on Tressel/OSU Gene The Weak immediately folded and fired Tressel. (Smith's word means nothing).
3) When Gene The Weak started taking heat he didn't have the balls to face the press. So he did a YouTube video and released that.
4) When he announced OSU's self-imposed sactions he said, due to his vast NCAA experience, that he had hit the "sweet spot." How'd that work out Geno?
5) Instead of doing the obvious, self-imposing a bowl ban on a 6-6 team, he challenged the NCAA to do it. They did...on what turned out to be a 12-0 team. Moronic.
6) The guy is nothing but a bureaucratic weasel, exactly what you'd expect of a Notre Dame grad.
I wouldn't call 2 losses to #1 seeds, a road loss to a #6 seed and win over a #2 seed weak. But that's just me.
Well, at least he finally had the ball to admit it.
Don't doubt for a minute that the B1G will try to move the Ohio State v UM game earlier in the season while keeping them in opposite divisions. Why? That's what's best for the BTN.
With more teams, the inventory of conference games grows and the BTN wants big games earlier in the season. It's one of the few things that the SEC does that's better than the B1G scheme.
DiNardo on BTN has been beating this drum for two years. He makes no bones about it. Ohio State v. UM should be an early season game for two reasons: 1) Huge TV ratings early in the season; 2) Prevents OSU v UM in back to back weeks in the B1G championship game. If you care about the tradition of "The Game" put your attention here.
As for the division names I don't really care at this point. The only reason I dislike the current Leaders and Legends is that they are snark bait for national writers/reporters who like to dump on the B1G and find that the lowest of low-hanging fruit.
FWIW I like the B1G logo.