Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington Make Playoffs

It is finally over. As predicted a while ago the four selections for the 2016 season's playoffs are in and everyone is happy except for those who are not. Only one Big Ten team made it but it was not a team that won its division let alone the league title. No one is unhappy with Alabama and Clemson but the selections of OSU and Washington are the more controversial. Penn State beat OSU, won their division and won the conference title and, while happy with the Rose Bowl berth, have to be disappointed that they are on the outside looking in. Michigan is pissed too but they did not have enough good wins. As for the Washington Huskies they are being hammered for their out-of-conference schedule but that just kept others in the running because they are champs of the second or third best conference and only had one loss. They also pass the dreaded eye test as they excel in each facet of the game. Without specific rules this type of controversy will continue to flourish. I am okay with the four teams selected, although would have been okay with PSU getting OSU's spot, and am hoping for some good playoff football.

Ohio State to Honor 1916 Team With Throwback Jerseys

Although we still await official confirmation, Ohio State has picked a replica of the school's 1916 jersey, complete with vertical gray stripes, as their alternate for this year. The game in which they will be worn has not been named. Coach John Wilce led that squad to a 7-0 record and Western Conference championship, riding star back Chic Harley. Ohio State football would look very different without the success that team had as Harley a local athlete, became hugely popular. The three time All American led the Buckeyes to the first-ever win over Michigan (they did not play annually back then) and when he left, having lost only his final game, the Buckeyes were so popular that Ohio Stadium was built and dedicated to him. Harley's story is an important one to always remember as soon after he graduated he began dealing with mental illness. Harley, and it is not known definitively today whether his illness was as a result of a sports wound, war injury or genetic, would spend the rest of his 50+ years suffering from the debilitating effects of mental illness. He died in 1974 and some members of the contemporary Buckeyes squad, including Archie Griffin, were pallbearers.

He's Baaaaaaack

I am not sure what to make of Urban Meyer's return to the coaching ranks. I am not a big fan of the guy as a person, as I do believe the moniker Urban Liar is an appropriate one, but he is a good coach. Not a great coach, but very good. He will do well at OSU where he will get first crack at many talented local players while grabbing a few top-notch players from around the country. He will get full support from all involved and the probation and losses of scholarships is not too bad. Considering he is now in the same conference with Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota, etc, he should be okay. Ohio State is a top 5, maybe top 3, program.
But there is more to it than that. At the heart of the recent OSU scandal was law breaking followed by a cover up by coach Jim Tressel. While we have no reason to believe Meyer would keep any NCAA rule violations to himself, he has a woeful record in recruiting the kind of kid who would break the laws in the first place. It took more than 20 arrests of Florida players before it became a school embarrassment (Meyer never seemed to notice)--how many in Columbus where there should be a zero policy for that type of behavior? And I believe the way he walked out on Florida was more cowardly than some legitimate move for his health and family. His coaching staff had been ripped to shreds by guys getting head coaching jobs, Tim Tebow graduated, his offense had been figured out and he was no longer the big guy in the conference with Nick Saban's success at Alabama. Suddenly he loved his family? The only way he could have proved me wrong was to stay away as how could a return be legitimate when you said you were leaving for health reasons and your family? He talks of working less, but that is impossible. Meyer won because he out-worked guys. Buckeye fans will expect nothing less than excellence even with probation.

View From Bennett Avenue

When I opened the college football page for ESPN this morning, I was presented with more negative crap about certain college football programs. Items 1 and 2 of their "Headlines" dealt with the ever-changing Terrelle Pryor situation, number 3 concerned the stripping of USC's 2004 national championship by the BCS, the fourth item was about Mike Hamilton's stepping down as Tennessee's embattled AD (his problem go beyond football, but he would have survived if his football program was in good shape), number 5 featured the West Virginia continuing situation with head coach in waiting Dana Holgorson, etc, etc.
Now I am not blaming ESPN--and I usually do--for presenting us with bad news but I must say that the continued state of affairs is depressing. The season cannot start soon enough. But until then expect more stories about what school did what wrong and which player slugged which innocent bystander. After all, not only are there more cameras than ever before, the number of coaches and players willing to flaunt their rule breaking seems to increase with time. All you had to do was take a picture of the players only parking section at Ohio State to know they had a problem. The investigation of USC football was reaching its end when they hired Lane Kiffin who was the head recruiter during part of the investigated time and then brought watchdogs to Tennessee. The situation now is that programs, coaches and players think they are above the law. Dump them all.

View From Bennett Avenue

Jim Tressel blew it. Yes he was trying to address the reality that one or more of the players penalized for selling merchandise and receiving improper benefits could easily play in the Sugar Bowl and then enter the NFL draft--and therefore go unpunished--by passing on his right to disallow them from suiting up for the bowl game in exchange for a pledge that they return next year. And, of course, they all made that pledge. But he should suspend players for the bowl game if he feels they deserve it, or not suspend them if he feels it is not justified. Using the chip of playing in New Orleans to encourage these players to return is unseemly. And it is wrong. As soon as he heard about what they did he should have suspended them immediately. Then the NCAA would have added 1-3 games next year on top of it. Instead we have a circus.
Let me also address the notion that the rules the players broke are light ones as they owned the items they sold. And yes this is not as bad as their breaking into someone's apartment and selling stolen material. But, like the Cam Newton situation, if you do not crack down on this behavior you are encouraging other student-athletes to do the same and encouraging boosters from loading up prize athletes with money. And selling items they earned from football is making them quasi professional athletes. And, finally, the lack of respect they showed OSU football was a disgrace.

Remember When

Big game tonight in the Big Ten, which inspired this look back to October 27, 1962 when Wisconsin was the higher-ranked team entering this match-up, as recapped in The USA TODAY College Football Encyclopedia.

OHIO STATE 14 Wisconsin 7

Before 85,640, Ohio State (3-2) elbowed way back into Big 10 race. Buckeyes scored 1st on QB Joe Sparma's 21y pass to HB Paul Warfield (pictured). Wisconsin (4-1) tied it in 2nd Q with surprise maneuver. After DB Jim Schenk's INT, Badgers ran plunge, then quick pass without huddle: QB Ron VanderKelen's 47y TD to HB Jim Smith. Trio of Ohio FBs combined to take advantage of personal foul on 57y 4th Q drive. FB Dave Francis appeared to be punched, and officials walked off PEN to Badgers 29YL. FBs Dave Katterhenrich and Bob Butts alternated driving to 1YL, and QB John Mummey sneaked over.

Loss chased Wisconsin out of nation's top ten, but Badgers recovered to win conference.

Remember When

Illinois’s hopes for the season may rest with a good performance this Saturday versus Ohio State as a loss will send them into their game next week against Penn State with a 1-2 record. The Illini can fall back on solid play against the Buckeyes the past three years, including an upset win in Columbus two seasons ago. With the Illini struggling out the gate, Remember When will look back on a glorious day in the history of the rivalry when Illinois and Ohio State knocked heads for an exciting game.

1963 was a memorable season for Illinois. After combining for a 2-16 record for the previous two seasons, the youthful boys from Champaign unleashed two stars on the rest of the Big 10: bruising FB Jim Grabowski and C-LB Dick Butkus, for whom the word bruising does not do justice. They entered the Ohio State game with a surprising 2-0 record after shutting out a QB Craig Morton-led Cal team 10-0 in their opener and then stunning in-state rival and no. 4-ranked Northwestern in their conference tip-off, 10-9. Ohio State entered the 1963 season hungry for another Big 10 title after slipping to a third place tie in ’62. The Buckeyes had shut out both Texas A&M and Indiana to move up to no. 8 in the AP poll. The game promised to be a good one and in delivered as our recap from The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia makes clear:

OHIO STATE 20 Illinois 20: Record crowd at Ohio Stadium saw 52nd renewal of series provide 4th Q heroics by both Ohio State (2-0-1) and Illinois (2-0-1) and questionable conv decision by Illini coach Pete Elliott. Illinois scored 1st on HB Sam Price’s plunge and led 7-3 at the H. Concentrating on power ground attack (209y) that was keyed by FBs Matt Snell and Willard Sander, Buckeyes built 17-7 lead. Illini QB Mike Taliaferro (10-23/148y, TD, 2 INTs) passed 2y on 4th down TD to E Eddie Russell that trimmed deficit to 17-13, but instead of kicking conv, Taliaferro was sent on pass-run option rollout that was stopped. With Illini trailing by 4 pts, Taliaferro launched 56y pass to Price, who, although overhauled at the Ohio 3YL, still set up HB Jim Warren’s 4y TD run. This time, Elliott brought about 20-17 lead for Tribe by ordering x-pt kick to follow TD. But, K Dick vanRaaphorst booted to-date Big Ten record 49y FG to tie with 1:53 to go, and vanRaaphorst had another chance on a 56y FG try, which he missed on game’s next to last play.