Ohio State-Northwestern Football at Noon

Courtesy of ohiostatebuckeys.com and Shelley Poe

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State-Northwestern football game on Saturday, November 8, 2008, at Evanston will kick off at noon Eastern, the Big Ten Conference announced today.
The contest will be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2.

Men’s Hockey: Buckeye Dalpe Named CCHA Rookie of the Week

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com and Leann Parker

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Zac Dalpe, a freshman forward on the Ohio State men’s hockey team from Paris, Ontario, has been named the CCHA Rookie of the Week, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced Monday. Dalpe, a second-round draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes, led the Buckeyes to a series split with Lake Superior State over the weekend, posting a team-best four points in the two games combined.

In the Buckeyes’ come-from-behind win Saturday vs. the Lakers, Dalpe was named the first star of the game after posting a team season-high two goals and three points. He tied the game at 1 in the second period with his first career goal and set up Corey Elkins’ game-tying power-play goal in the third. Dalpe sealed the win with an empty-net goal from center ice with 47 seconds left. Friday against the Lakers, Dalpe had his first career point when he set up Hunter Bishop’s goal 14 seconds into the contest.

Dalpe and the Buckeyes return to action with a two-game non-conference series at No. 4 Denver this weekend. The teams will meet at 9:37 p.m. ET Friday and at 9:07 p.m. ET Saturday at Magness Arena in Denver.

Ohio State Football Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Shelly Poe

Outstanding play against Michigan State recognized

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State football coaching staff has selected its weekly award winners for outstanding play in the 45-7 Big Ten win at Michigan State.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis was the Buckeyes’ defensive player of the week; tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells picked up offensive player of the week honors. Linebacker Austin Spitler was the player of the week on the special units.

Scout team champions were: Offense: Ricky Crawford; Defense: Solomon Thomas; Special Units: Joe Gantz. The “Attack Force” award went to linebacker Ross Homan. The Jim Parker offensive lineman of the week was Alex Boone. The Jack Tatum big hit was not awarded.

No. 10 Ohio State (7-1) hosts No. 3 Penn State (8-0) Saturday in an 8:00 p.m. Eastern Big Ten game that will be televised by ABC.

For updated information on Ohio State football, go to www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

Men’s Tennis: Bryan Koniecko Claims Singles Title

Men’s Tennis: Buckeye Bryan Koniecko Claims 2008 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Singles Title
For third-consecutive year, a Buckeye takes singles regional championship title
Author: Alex Morando Ohio State Athletic Communications

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 9 Bryan Koniecko, member of the Ohio State men’s tennis team, won the singles title Monday at the 2008 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships at The Ohio State University Varsity Tennis Center. Koniecko defeated defending singles champion and teammate, No. 8 Justin Kronauge 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 in the final. Koniecko lost to Kronauge 7-6, 6-3 at the 2007 singles regional championship in the semifinal match. The win by Koniecko marks the third-consecutive year a Buckeye has taken the regional singles tournament crown.

Three Buckeyes, 2008 ITA All-Americans Koniecko, Kronauge and Steven Moneke, all won four-consecutive matches in the tournament to advance to the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Koniecko defeated classmate and No. 11 Moneke in three sets 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. After dropping the first set, Koniecko battled back in a second-set tiebreaker 7-6 (12-10) to force a third set. Koniecko, 2008 Big Ten Athlete of the Year, took the third set 6-4, eliminating Moneke, the 2006 ITA Midwest regional singles champion. The two Buckeyes have now faced each other twice in their collegiate careers with Koniecko winning both matches.

In the second semifinals match, Kronauge defeated No. 72 Marek Michalicka of Wisconsin in three sets 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

With their appearance in the singles final, Kronauge and Koniecko both received automatic selections for the singles tournament at the ITA National Indoors, which take place Nov.6-9 at the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va. The ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Tennis Championships are the second of three national tournaments for singles and doubles during the collegiate tennis season.

Up next for Ohio State is the 2008 Big Ten Singles Tournament, Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis.


2008 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships

Hosted by The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 16-20, 2008

Singles Main Draw
Semifinals
No. 2 Bryan Koniecko (Ohio State) def. No. 3 Steven Moneke (Ohio State) – 3-6, 7-6, 6-4
No. 1 Justin Kronauge (Ohio State) def. No. 8 Marek Michalicka (Wisconsin) – 2-6, 6-2, 6-4

Finals
No. 2 Bryan Koniecko (Ohio State) def. No. 1 Justin Kronauge (Ohio State) – 7-6, 2-6, 6-3

Author: Alex Morando Ohio State Athletic Communications

Special Edition of Rich Text

This Is a Special Edition of Rich Text from Rich Hollingsworth
Vice President for Student Life at The Ohio State University. Rich for all intensive purposes likes to smack a little sense into students every once in a while and who can blame him...
- Evan Winkofsky

My wife and I have two cats, Teshia and Sophie, who spend all their time indoors but who nevertheless take an avid interest in what goes on in our yard. They like to lie next to the patio door and keep an eye on things. Birds and squirrels, blowing leaves, me mowing the lawn - everything that moves interests them.

Rarely does another cat enter their turf, but for the past few weeks, we have been visited regularly by a cat who roams the neighborhood, picking up free food like a first-year student at Welcome Week. I’m not sure if the cat has a home or not, but she’s well-groomed, de-clawed and friendly, and she comes right up to the screened patio door. Sophie, frankly, seems to hate and fear her. She arches her back, puffs up her fur, screeches and hisses, and tries to drive her away with what I can pretty confidently say would be profanity if one could translate it into English. The message is clearly, “You are not welcome.”

Teshia, on the other hand, is OK with the visitor. She is slightly wary, but rubs noses with the other cat through the screen and actually seems to enjoy her company. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are friends, they seem to have a level of mutual tolerance and civility, and both end up happier than Sophie.

Watching this little drama the other evening, it occurred to me that it’s not unlike the sportsmanship issue here at Ohio State. When a rival comes onto your turf, you can scream and yell obscenities, or you can be a cool cat. Neither changes the outcome of the game, but one disturbs everyone around you and leaves you looking foolish. Next weekend, as the Penn State Nittany Lions (a cat of sorts) enter our turf, I’m hoping you’ll be more like Teshia. No need to rub noses with any Penn State fans, but keep your fur unruffled and resist the urge to caterwaul!

Yes, sometimes Ohio State fans are not treated well at away games, but let’s not stoop to the same level. Instead, welcome visitors to our city and our campus, and save your energy and vocal cords for cheering for the Buckeyes. See the Ohio State Sportsmanship Council site for more information about the Best Fans in the Land initiative, now in its third successful season.

Many of you are planning parties before, during and/or after the game. I hope you have a great time - sincerely. Just remember that you are responsible for keeping your events safe and legal, and the penalties for letting them get out of control are serious. Limit the size of your party (If everyone won’t fit in your house and porch, it’s too big), know your guests, and moderate the (legal-only) use of alcohol. More info here.

I won’t try to strain this cat metaphor any further, but let me just end on this note: I have a good feline about this weekend!

Go Bucks!

Ohio State vs Michigan State: Keys to the Game

At the beginning of the season, not too many people would've thought that this game would have major Big Ten Title implications, but on Saturday, October 18th, two ranked and undefeated conference teams will be squaring off in East Lansing. The winner will likely be neck and neck with the surprisingly dominant Nittany Lions of Penn State in the conference. Here are what I think each team needs to do in order to be victorious in this game.

When Michigan State has the ball:

MSU: There are a couple of words that I think that would define Michigan State's offense, they would include: old school, smashmouth, and Javon Ringer. There is no surprise that MSU will probably be running the football most of the time, and the aforementioned running back is the main man of the offense. Ringer (5'9" 202lb) is a legitimate man of muscle. Benches 420 and squats over 600, he doesn't possess lightning quick speed that most RB's have at his frame, but he is a tough, scrappy runner who will fight for all the yards he can get. MSU has to establish the run early on against a tough Ohio State front seven if they are to have any chance of winning this game. Last year, they had trouble running the ball as Ringer scrapped together 49 yards on 18 carries (2.7 ypc). However, this year the Spartans have a more experienced offensive line and have been able to bowl over opponents and have helped pave the way for Ringer who has averaged 35 carries for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns per game, and has launched him into Heisman discussions throughout the nation. Through the running game, the Spartans have a very effective play action game that QB Brian Hoyer has enjoyed this season. He has talented receivers in B.J. Cunningham, Fred Smith, and Deon Curry to distribute the ball to. Hoyer will need to have good game management and use the play action to his benefit to possibly exploit the Buckeye secondary. But really, it will all be decided in the trenches.

OSU: As I mentioned above, there are no secrets to Michigan State's offense. In a good game, they will run the ball 30-35 times with Ringer, throw a couple play action passes, and call it a day. Well, OSU's defense will have to make sure this doesn't happen. It is very important that the defense prevents Ringer and Hoyer from getting into a rhythm, because if so, it could translate into a long day for Tressel and Co. Instead, they need to stop the run on first and probably second down, and then set up a long 3rd and 8 situation and make Brian Hoyer try to beat you on his own. He is good at best and an average quarterback most of the time. If the defense takes away Ringer, they will most likely win this game. Laurinitus and the linebacking corps will have to make sure they tackle well so they prevent Ringer from having opportunities to make big plays. MSU will also be calling a fair amount of PA passes, so the secondary can't be caught looking in the backfield or else they might give up a good pass completion. Overall, the defense for the Bucks is more athletic and stronger than the teams MSU has faced over the course of this season, and they need to build off of their showing against Purdue. It will be interesting to see if the defense can overwhelm the MSU O-Line.

When Ohio State has the ball:

OSU: If the Ohio State offense cares to find an identity about what works for them, this would be the game to figure it out. Pryor, Beanie, and the rest of the offense cannot afford to start off slow and let Michigan State jump out to an early lead. If this happens, the MSU run happy offense will melt the clock ever so quickly away and the game will be lost before you know it. Instead, the offense needs to come storming out and jump to a quick 7-0 lead that will put MSU on their heels. They really need to set the tone early and have Pryor get into a rhythm in the hostile environment of Spartan Stadium. The Spartans are a blitz happy defense, and will try to make Pryor display some of his bad habits (holding onto the ball for too long) and turn that into positive plays for them. Pryor needs to exploit these blitzes and find Robiskie, Hartline, Posey, and big target Jake Ballard without delay. This will help the Buckeye offense to get settled in and will help to get rid of the run heavy defense that the Pryor & Co has seen recently. If the Buckeyes have their way passing early on, this will open up Beanie Wells all day and will put less pressure on Pryor to perform the rest of the game.

MSU: Contain, contain, contain....that's the word of the week for the MSU defense. That's what they need to do against the running game of the Buckeyes. They need to prevent Pryor and Wells from breaking big runs that will get them going on offense. So far this season, if OSU can't run the ball, you will have an opportunity at beating them. One thing that will help is if MSU disguises their coverages and pressures Pryor into either A) holding onto the ball for too long in the pocket, or B) make an ill-advised pass. Tressel will probably elect to go with his usual style of conservative football early on, so the Spartans could capitalize and force one or two three and outs to set up the offense with good field position and a good opportunity to score. Either way, it will depend on how Pryor performs, and how well Michigan State can contain the run and if they can make Pryor beat them instead of the other weapons the Bucks have on offense.

Outcome: I think this game will be like the Ohio St-Mich St game last year, I think Ringer will have a tough day running the ball falling just short of 100 yards for the game. Ohio State will get just enough big plays so that they can win a close game.

Prediction: Ohio State 23 Michigan State 16

A slightly different trip to East Lansing this time around

The last time Ohio State ventured to East Lansing in 2006, the Buckeyes had tallied at least 30 points in all but two of their contests. The other two? 28 and 24. Ohio State's defense had allowed no more than 17 points to any opponent and had held four of its opponents to single digits.

So what happened in East Lansing on that October 14 day? The Buckeyes tallied 4 sacks, Troy Smith passed for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells each reached the end zone, and Anthony Gonzalez had 118 yards to go along with a score. The outcome? 38-7.

Now let's fast forward. Ohio State's offense is good enough for 10th place in the Big Ten. That puts them ahead of a Michigan team who only managed 10 points on Toledo. Chris Wells has blossomed into a dynamic running back who is always one play away from a 50 yarder, but the Ohio State passing attack has been nonexistent for nearly the entire season.

Last week we saw what could happen when Wells is held to a mediocre day. Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor looked indecisive and sluggish against Purdue's defense, which is the worst in the Big Ten. It is evident how confident Pryor is in his abilities and he should be. It is not unreasonable to say that as more games are under his belt, he will improve the speed of his decision making dramatically. However, the Buckeyes are challenging for another Big Ten title. Can Ohio State afford another performance like that Saturday? Ohio State's first drive will be crucial. There is always the chance that Pryor comes out looking sharp, poised and ready to have his best game yet, and we will know for sure when he first takes the field amid the thousands of Michigan State fans whose expectations are much higher than last year.

The defense marches forward without its veteran defensive end Lawrence Wilson, who tore his ACL and is out for the remainder of the season. The motif this year has been the absence of a formidable pass rush. It shows promise at times, but more often than not the quarterback has an eternity to find the open man and carve up the Ohio State secondary; a unit which has often been left with little chance for success. However, Wilson's injury means an opportunity for another man on the roster to be impactful. Will Rob Rose step up? Will Curtis Terry be rushing off the end? Will we be seeing more of Etienne Sabino? All possibilities.

One thing is for sure. The defense had its best performance of the season last week against a solid Purdue offensive attack. It was a notable bright spot in a game that lacked them. Hopefully the defense will take that into East Lansing this weekend.

This is a gut check game for the Buckeyes. Michigan State is legitimately in the hunt for Big Ten glory this season and would love nothing more than to knock off one of two conference foes who are currently standing in their way. Ohio State has to show up and play a rugged brand of football if they plan on beating a determined team whose standards have risen significantly this season.

The Finger Pointing Continues

This year the Buckeyes seem unable to shake their bad play from last year’s National Championship Game and it does not seem like the end is in sight. With the switch in Quarterback, after the devastating loss to USC, Ohio State faces a whole new set of problems that a team with this many seniors may not be patient enough to deal with. With so many different things that seem to constantly go wrong for the Buckeyes it is hard to figure out who is to blame. After much deliberation and some luck I have formulated some sort of advice, if you want to call it that, for all you finger pointers…more fingers. The fact of the matter is that there is more than enough blame to go around.
Coaching
At times under this current staff it seems that the play calling just makes you shake your head and deservedly so. Jim Tressel is a great man and an outstanding coach but the fact of the matter is that it is too hard for him to handle his responsibilities as head coach and continue the play calling, just ask Charlie Weis. Don’t give me that crap that he is just a 1-AA coach and he can’t handle his current position. The trust between the coordinators and him are gone. The Buckeyes need some young fresh coordinators that can bring in a new philosophy and scheme. Don’t expect Tressel to pull a Tommy Tuberville and make and changes mid season. There are some rumors flying around Columbus that there will be some “retirements” at the conclusion of the season. I can’t wait. Maybe Marvin Lewis will be free at the end of the season.
Offense
Oh, where should I start? Well let’s start with the protection. The line looks un-athletic and slow. Kirk Herbstreit has been challenging Jim Tressel’s philosophy and has analyzed the difference between Ohio State’s offensive line and offensive lines from SEC and Big 12 schools. They recruit faster more athletic tight ends and turn them into offensive linemen. Ohio State recruits the big uglies and pushes them down the salad bar line. Don’t get me wrong Bryant Browning, Mike Brewster and Mike Adams look like the real deal but will they develop into athletes…we will see.
Chris Wells got injured, period. Then the spiral occurred effecting Todd Boeckman and the wide receivers. Todd did not have a consistent running game to lean on and he was given too much responsibility. He could not handle it against USC and Tressel made the switch before he lost the team for the season. On air I may be the most critical person on the play of WR’s Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline but you can not blame them for everything. Robiskie’s friendship with fellow senior Todd Boeckman has affected his play there is no doubt about it. Tressel was asked when they were going to open up the offense and let Terrelle Pryor throw the ball and he responded in saying that they have called lots of passing plays it just comes down to the quarterback actually deciding to throw the ball. The offense will stay shaky and have to ride the back of Wells. There is no magic pill the offense will struggle until Terrelle Pryor is ready to mature as a quarterback because we all know he is quite the athlete.
Defense
I have two problems with the defense. Ohio State has the best athletes in the Big 10 and the most depth no question. So, please, please stop calling these disguised zone blitzes because the risks far out weigh the rewards. I know College Football is developing and the play on the field is getting more complex and similar to the pro-style but that does not mean Michigan State’s athletes are better than ours. I say start coaching with a swagger and the team will start playing with one. There is one fact of Ohio State’s defense that sums up the last three years they do not have a play maker on the line and together they are unable to make any plays. The D-line is not elite and that puts entirely too much pressure on the blitz to succeed and the coverage to hold.

Its week 8 and the Buckeyes are not fooling anyone especially their fans. It is a long road for this team and plenty of blame to go around. Just don’t hold your breath and wait for this team to pull it all together…I would hate for you to pass out. You may run out of fingers when looking to lay blame and I would hate for you to use a certain choice finger when taking your anger out on the Buckeyes…Speaking of the middle finger just be happy your not a Michigan Fan.

Ohio State @ Michigan State Time Announced

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Michigan State football game on Saturday, October 18, 2008, in East Lansing will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, the Big Ten Conference announced today.

The contest will be broadcast online at www.ohiostatesports.net

For updated information on Ohio State football, go to www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com.

Ohio State @ Wisconsin - An almost preview

With exception to USC (because who feels like recalling that game anyway?), Ohio State plays what could very well be considered its most meaningful away game of the season just a few hours from now. Even with Wisconsin suffering a heartbreaker to Michigan last weekend, this remains an intriguing contest which has the potential to shed some light on some of the mysteries surrounding the Buckeyes.

One such mystery is the highly-touted true freshman quarterback whose name has been uttered incessantly by analysts around the nation, Terrelle Pryor. We're well aware of his high level of production thus far and how he has completely changed the philosophy of the offense, but starting your first road game within the confines of Camp Randall Stadium could intimidate the most confident of quarterbacks. The praise surrounding Pryor has been immense, and an important notion to keep in mind is that Pryor still has only started a pair of games for the scarlet & gray. Though Troy and Minnesota are respectable opponents, Pryor faces a far different challenge in facing a Wiconsin team that is no doubt looking to avenge its loss last weekend. The windows for throwing will be smaller, the time to make decisions will be shortened, and you can expect some more blitzing from Wisconsin's outside linebackers in an attempt to keep him in check.

Which brings us to our next topic. If Wisconsin plans on making the linebackers a focal point of their defensive approach, it could actually wind up making Chris Wells the key to Ohio State's offense. Pryor poses such a threat that in order to keep him contained, Wisconsin may have to consider linebacker help. This could soften up the middle and make the draw play very effective for Wells. It will be interesting to see how Ohio State attacks Wisconsin's defense and what they attempt to exploit.

But I believe the key to this game as a whole is Ohio State's defense; a unit I am still not sold on. Last week they played considerably better and I attribute that to a dramatic raise in intensity and aggression. Through the first four weeks of the season, the Buckeyes looked flat on defense; a complete reverse in trend when we think of the trademarks of past Ohio State defenses. However, last week we saw something from the defense we had not seen all year; pressure from the front four. Putting Thad Gibson at defensive end helped by default. Whenever Gibson has been out there, he has always found a way to be disruptive. Ohio State missed that disruption through the first four games and as a result, the secondary had little chance to be successful. Last week was a step in the right direction in terms of getting back that urgency and pressure, but Wisconsin's offensive line is a mammoth group of individuals. That matchup may be the key to the game for Ohio State. The Buckeyes will have to find a way to keep PJ Hill in check and make Wisconsin try to win the game with their air attack. Keep in mind, though the Buckeyes won considerably last year, PJ Hill was not in the lineup for Wisconsin. He may be a bigger factor in this game than many may be thinking.

You can mark it down, the tougher team is going to win this game. Ohio State has to take the crowd out of the game early and build upon that intensity that they recaptured against Minnesota last Saturday.