Let me first apologize for not covering the basketball Buckeyes' trip to the Final Four. I have no other reason than just being too busy with the rest of life to do much in the way of blogging. But I think the Buckeyes did a fantastic job in the NCAA Tourney, and despite the way it ended, they have nothing to be ashamed of this season. With the return of starters Lenzelle Smith Jr (who was amazing in the first several rounds of the tournament), DeShaun Thomas (who became one of the tournament's leading scorers), several bench players, and the ultimate defensive talent of Aaron Craft, I think the Buckeyes could put together another great run next season.
And speaking of next season, the Football Spring Game quickly approaches! Can you believe it? I expect record numbers to flock to the Horseshoe next Saturday, April 21st, to witness the installment of Urban Meyer's new offense and get a glimpse of the new Ohio State Buckeyes.
There has been a lot of speculation about how next season will go, and I hear a lot of people claiming that next season we (meaning OSU) will return to our former glory and reclaim a spot at the top of the Big Ten, which would be a championship if not for that nasty little post-season ban.
I have seen a lot of things about Urban Meyer in the news, but can I just make one quick observation about Coach Meyer:
I don't believe he has ever worked as a magician.
I have great confidence that Coach Meyer will elevate the play of the Buckeyes throughout the season, that the Buckeyes will find the leadership and continuity they were sorely missing last season, and that eventually they will become a dominant force in the Big Ten, if not the nation.
But let me also point out that the offense that Urban Meyer is installing is so drastically different from the traditional offense that Ohio State has employed for so many years that you are likely to see a lot of growing pains in the play of the Buckeyes when they begin to implement this new system. Remember that TTUN tried to adopt a spread offense years ago and never really recovered until firing Rich Rodriguez and hiring Brady Hoke, who essentially restored the traditional offense to get the Wolverines back on track.
Now, I know that Urban Meyer is a far superior coaching talent than Rich Rodriguez. But I feel obliged to note that so far, observers of the Buckeyes practices have not been too impressed with their grasp of the new offense. There have definitely been some hiccups, and Coach Meyer hasn't been shy to admit this. There have also been some bright spots, one of whom is Jordan Hall, the leading tailback. The offensive line is looking better with the adjustments that Meyer has made, and the return of Jon Simon on the defensive line, in combination with the anticipated return of the injured Nathan Williams, definitely speaks volumes for the defense as a whole.
But in the spread offense, there is a large need for speedy and effective receivers, and that was something the Buckeyes certainly lacked last season. Meyer hasn't been shy about his doubts in the receiving corps.
So while I am eager to see this new, explosive offense -- especially given the offensive woes the Buckeyes suffered last season -- I have to say I am not one of those Buckeye fans who thinks that Urban Meyer is the next David Copperfield, who will magically transform the offensively challenged, i-formation, power football Buckeyes into a high-speed, spread formation, scoring-at-will team.
I know they will be better, but I also think it might end up being a good thing that we aren't working toward the post-season this year. We have a lot to work on through the season. Because I do know that once this offense does take hold (and I have no doubt that it will in the next few seasons), Buckeye fans are going to be spending a lot more money on bowl tickets!
And speaking of money, i was just reading about the new scoreboard renovations set to occur April 23rd. Apparently they are increasing the size of the scoreboard from a measley 30-by-90 feet to 42-by-124 feet, with high-definition, increased speakers, and LED ribbon boards that will flank the South stands. As if it weren't exciting enough to go and see Urban Meyer coach the Buckeyes this season, now you get a more visually stimulating scoreboard experience to boot. I wonder how much that will increase ticket prices altogether? I will have to ask my mom...
And speaking of next season, the Football Spring Game quickly approaches! Can you believe it? I expect record numbers to flock to the Horseshoe next Saturday, April 21st, to witness the installment of Urban Meyer's new offense and get a glimpse of the new Ohio State Buckeyes.
There has been a lot of speculation about how next season will go, and I hear a lot of people claiming that next season we (meaning OSU) will return to our former glory and reclaim a spot at the top of the Big Ten, which would be a championship if not for that nasty little post-season ban.
I have seen a lot of things about Urban Meyer in the news, but can I just make one quick observation about Coach Meyer:
I don't believe he has ever worked as a magician.
I have great confidence that Coach Meyer will elevate the play of the Buckeyes throughout the season, that the Buckeyes will find the leadership and continuity they were sorely missing last season, and that eventually they will become a dominant force in the Big Ten, if not the nation.
But let me also point out that the offense that Urban Meyer is installing is so drastically different from the traditional offense that Ohio State has employed for so many years that you are likely to see a lot of growing pains in the play of the Buckeyes when they begin to implement this new system. Remember that TTUN tried to adopt a spread offense years ago and never really recovered until firing Rich Rodriguez and hiring Brady Hoke, who essentially restored the traditional offense to get the Wolverines back on track.
Now, I know that Urban Meyer is a far superior coaching talent than Rich Rodriguez. But I feel obliged to note that so far, observers of the Buckeyes practices have not been too impressed with their grasp of the new offense. There have definitely been some hiccups, and Coach Meyer hasn't been shy to admit this. There have also been some bright spots, one of whom is Jordan Hall, the leading tailback. The offensive line is looking better with the adjustments that Meyer has made, and the return of Jon Simon on the defensive line, in combination with the anticipated return of the injured Nathan Williams, definitely speaks volumes for the defense as a whole.
But in the spread offense, there is a large need for speedy and effective receivers, and that was something the Buckeyes certainly lacked last season. Meyer hasn't been shy about his doubts in the receiving corps.
So while I am eager to see this new, explosive offense -- especially given the offensive woes the Buckeyes suffered last season -- I have to say I am not one of those Buckeye fans who thinks that Urban Meyer is the next David Copperfield, who will magically transform the offensively challenged, i-formation, power football Buckeyes into a high-speed, spread formation, scoring-at-will team.
I know they will be better, but I also think it might end up being a good thing that we aren't working toward the post-season this year. We have a lot to work on through the season. Because I do know that once this offense does take hold (and I have no doubt that it will in the next few seasons), Buckeye fans are going to be spending a lot more money on bowl tickets!
And speaking of money, i was just reading about the new scoreboard renovations set to occur April 23rd. Apparently they are increasing the size of the scoreboard from a measley 30-by-90 feet to 42-by-124 feet, with high-definition, increased speakers, and LED ribbon boards that will flank the South stands. As if it weren't exciting enough to go and see Urban Meyer coach the Buckeyes this season, now you get a more visually stimulating scoreboard experience to boot. I wonder how much that will increase ticket prices altogether? I will have to ask my mom...
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