Hmmm… I wonder if Woody was onto something heroic?
News and notes from today’s open practice:
- Three Yards… And Then Some- Good news coming out of the backfield today; Boom is continuing to run with purpose and “leveling off” in ways that would make Coach Hayes proud. Berry is showing flashes of his ability and tenacity, while Boren is a handful as a runner and a blocker. Elsewhere, no Rod Smith sighting as of yet; a red shirt seems to be inevitable.
- Passing Fancy? Lots of people have snickered at Coach Tressel’s comments that the Buckeyes would throw the ball more this season, especially with the embarrassment of riches that exists in the backfield. But several people are reporting that the running backs (!) are a big part of what has been happening at practice thus far.
- Pryor Focus- According to Ken Gordon, Terelle’s ability to throw the ball has been impressive. Today,
Pryor had a nice long completion down the sideline to Taurian Washington, then read a blitz correctly and quickly flipped it to Dane Sanzenbacher on a hot read, and later dropped one in over Jake Stoneburner’s shoulders. Three different throws, all very nice.
- Ice and Ibuprofen- Lots of walking wounded today, including Nathan Williams. No news yet on his situation, but teammates seem to believe he won’t be out long. Melvin Fellows, Carlos Hyde, Devon Torrence, and others also were limited today; pretty typical as bodies get re-acclimated to the wear and tear of the game.
- Tackling the Issue- Mike Adams has seemingly locked down the starting nod at left tackle, with Marcus Hall at third string. Rumors still persist that Hall will be redshirted this season, most likely due to academics.
- Getting Defensive- Eleven Warriors’ coverage was impressed with what they saw on defense, particularly Tyler Moeller’s ability to stay with Ohio State’s elite receiver corps. They also joined the chorus of the “Big Hank” fan club, and said that the D-line overall looked solid (even with injury issues). Speaking of that:
- Define “Cruel and Unusual”- Today’s practice ended with drills while “The Victors” blared from the loudspeakers. No word on whether or not the coaches were waving keys.
Other Buckeye News
- Phil Knight Needs More Money- Last year, we let you in on the Pro Combat uniforms that Ohio State wore in their clash against Michigan. This year, they’re doing it again; and many people think we’ll see them at a home game(s). What we don’t know, though, is if it’s a one game “tribute/throwback/abomination” (depending on your perspective) thing or if the Buckeyes will be wearing a new “system of dress” (fabric, cut, etc) for all of their contests. Count me among those who think it’s the latter, of only because that’s what Nike did with the basketball unis.
- “B” for Blasphemy- Speaking of things that the interwebs get their panties in a wad about, Gene Smith today had to do some backpedaling regarding comments that implied that The Game may be moved to an earlier date and could see a rematch in a conference championship game (read: different divisions).
- It’ll Probably End Up Between The Couch Cushions- Former Buckeye QB Kirk Herbstreit will be receiving the key to the city of Jacksonville in a couple of weeks. Of course, it was just under the “Welcome” mat that was left over from the Super Bowl, but still.
Around the Big T1e1n
- News From Up North, “Not So Fast My Friend” part one– Remember how TTUN’s helmets have “wangs”? Yeah, that doesn’t apply to everyone, it seems. Coach Rodriguez seems to be sending a message here. We talked about this before, but it looks as if the writing’s on the wall. Gosh, I wish there was a Vegas line on “Forcier Transfer Dates”.
- News From Up North, “Not So Fast My Friend” part two– This year, much has been made of the decision by the Wolverines to move to a 3-3-5 defense, theorizing that this would best utilize their personnel. Well, given that they’ve had transfer issues in their secondary, it’s probably really bad news that the leader for this unit went down today with what may be a season ending injury. It should be noted that this is the same student athlete quoted earlier; no word on where wingless quarterbacks were at the time of injury. We wish him well in his recovery.
- News From Up North, “Imitation is the something something something”– This summer, there was much speculation that Missouri would be joining the Big T1e1n along with Nebraska. It’s now theorized that a lot of this confusion may have been due to Michigan’s new logo, which should look familiar in Columbia.
- What Else It There To Do In Iowa City? Ohio State’s night game in Iowa will be a highlight of this year’s college football season. Good news? Everyone will remember it, given the new guidelines regarding tailgating and alcohol consumption. Bad news? Hawkeye fans will have to wait ’till they get home to cry in their beer if history continues. The Wizard of Odds has a better look at this situation.
General Awesomeness
- Please God, Pair Him With Pam Ward- Mike Leach, in the booth.
- Sure, Why Not? Weezer doing Coldplay
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
