Behind The Box Score

After an 11-year battle with cancer, Stefanie Spielman passed away today at the age of 42. Wife of ex-Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman, Stefanie had been fighting cancer since she was first diagnosed on July 11th, 1998. Her cancer had come and gone three times before the final time she learned the cancer had come back in March 2007. She was the face of breast cancer awareness for millions of women from all walks of life.

LIVESTRONG founder Lance Armstrong had this to say about her passing today.

“Today we have lost a leader in the fight against cancer. Stefanie was a living example of courage and strength to everyone around her. Her perseverance was unmatchable. While the cancer community marks her passing, my family and I will keep the Spielmans in our thoughts as they say goodbye to their beloved wife and mother. For her sake, we will continue the battle she fought against a disease that claims too many women all over the world.”

Her husband, Chris, played at Ohio State from 1984-’87, and played high school football in Ohio at Massilon Washington High School.

On a day where the Ohio State offense had Terrelle Pryor complete 82% of his passes, Brandon Saine and Boom Herron both rush for a combined 200 yards and a backup quarterback making his first career start in a stadium ten times the size of his hometown, many would think the Buckeyes would roll. This was the opposite today as it took an overtime goal, I mean field goal from the former MLS pro Devin Barclay in a game where Ohio State defeated #10 Iowa 27-24 in front of 105,455 frantic fans. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m back!!! After a long and grueling two month period without an internet connection at my house, I am back on reporting duty for Behind The Box Score. To start my process back, I would like to talk about the Ohio State Buckeyes, a team led by a sometimes hated quarterback, a heavily conservative coach and a defense that would even make Arnold Swartzenegger cringe. Ten games into the season, it looks as if this team is going to another BCS Bowl Game, no not the Fiesta Bowl, this time the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Another good part of the situation, the Buckeyes, with a win on Saturday, are likely to play the newly re-instated LeGarette “KO” Blount and the Oregon Ducks, no, not the USC Trojans.

Fresh off a 24-7 victory over Penn State in Happy Valley, the Buckeyes (8-2, [5-1]) face an Iowa team coming off a shocking loss at home to Northwestern, which the Hawkeye faithful sa Kirk Ferentz’s team lose not only their undefeated season but clutch quarterback Ricky Stanzi to an ankle injury that will have him sidelined for the rest of the season. A team that had been so great in the fourth quarter behind the calm and collected Stanzi, now face a tough rest of the season, with sophomore Ryan Vandenburg behind center and a trip to Columbus. The complete opposite was the case for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes ACTUALLY won a big game Saturday. Behind the arms and legs of Terrelle Pryor, the Ohio State offense found a groove, roaring out to an early lead behind a seven yard scamper from Pryor, getting the Buckeyes into the endzone. By halftime, Tresselball had paid off and Ohio State led 10-7. Going into the second half, to the average Buckeye fan, the situation looked all too similar. Throughout the past three big games, Ohio State had played well the entire game and then faltered late to lose the game. This wasn’t happening on Saturday, as late in the third quarter Pryor and DeVier Posey hooked up for a 62 yard touchdown pass on first down noless, really shows that Hell can freeze over. Holding a 17-7 lead, this Buckeye defense would not relent. Behind the mercilessness of Cameron Heyward, who had two sacks and was wrecking havoc on any lineman the Nittany Lions put on him, Ohio State limited Penn State to 201 yards of total offense, well below their normal average. Grinding out the final fifteen, Ohio State scored again on a six yard pass from Pryor to Brandon Saine that put any comeback virtually out of reach. Leaving Beaver Stadium unscathed, a showdown in the ‘Shoe was eminent to happen.

The game Saturday against Iowa is one that could either make or break Ohio State’s season. Favored by 17 points, it’s very likely that the Buckeyes will once again win with defense and have a few spectacular plays sprinkled in from Pryor. If TP can cut down on his mistakes, and keep the defense guessing with his superior blend of athleticism, there is no reason Ohio State won’t roll. Vandenburg completed a measly nine of 27 passes on a Wildcat defense that saw the Buckeyes drop 45 on them in Evanston last year. With that said, this game is Ohio State’s and there is nothing the Hawkeyes can do to take it away. Allowing only 14 points the past three weeks, Hawkeyes RB Brandon Wehger will need to have a great game for this one to swing Iowa’s way. Shutting down star back Evan Royster last week, Wehger, who lacks the athletic ability of Royster, will be another name on the long list of running backs to not reach the 100 yard milestone against this defense. When it’s all said and done, Ohio State wins 28-7.

For the Michigan game this year, you can expect something different in the look of the game. As it seems every single football team from college to the NFL has done so far in 2009, Ohio State is donning retro uni’s for the 106th installment of The Game. Ex-Buckeye Brandon Smith placed pictures on his Twitter feed of the new jerseys and helmet. The only other time that Ohio State wore throwbacks were in Read the rest of this entry »

After another loss in a big game against a top five team, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has now made it a habit for the Buckeyes to falter in these games. While many Buckeye fans will object to any such coaching change, after thinking thoroughly for the past five days, note zero posts in that time period, Jim Tressel may not have the superior job security he boasted only three years ago. Tressel’s predecessor, John Cooper, was fired because he couldn’t beat Michigan, something  Jim has made a habit in his nine year tenure. But with losses to primetime non conference foes in bowl games and early regular season matchups, Tressel’s fate may be going down the same path. Lacking a true play calling ability and an overly conservative gameplan in the games that matter most, the Baldwin-Wallace grad has upset many fans with his inability to coach and win the game the past three seasons. Now, I will go into why Tressel and Cooper may be similar with the end of their careers on the horizon. Read the rest of this entry »

Once upon a time the Ohio State Buckeyes were heavily respected within college football circles. Winning big time games against non conference foes, Ohio State was one of the most feared teams in America. Winning BCS bowl games, matching up athletically on both sides of the ball and game planning correctly, the Buckeyes were a version of this year’s Floridas, Texas’ and USC’s. Read the rest of this entry »

In Terrelle Pryor’s first game of his highly anticipated sophomore season, the former number one player in the country showed the potential and talent that was expected out of him from Jeanette, Pennsylvania. With all this said, the 6′6″ 235 pound burner didn’t do it alone. In the post Beanie Wells era, the Buckeyes featured Boom Herron and Brandon Saine, both who had quality games, and in my opinion, Saine looked the best, on each carry the junior was impossible to bring down on first contact. The Buckeyes featured a trio of new receivers, with Duron Carter impressing making spectacular catches similar to the ones his father made. As the offense moved efficiently, the defense had troubles of their own. Read the rest of this entry »

With Ohio State Football comes success, big victories and massive paychecks following collegiate careers. This upcoming 2009 season looks much the same as the Buckeyes feature a dual threat quarterback in Terrelle Pryor, a stockpile of talented running backs and receivers and a defensive line that could be one of the best in college football. With the big names come big expectations, but for Ohio State this year, there are a talented pool of skill players that will make an impact this season and here is the list of the top impact players unknown to the average fan. Read the rest of this entry »

There used to be a time where Michigan Football was prominent among the nation and the Wolverines actually won games. The Maize and Blue used to beat Ohio State, win bowl games, and compete for the Big Ten title. Nowadays, under the direction of Rich Rodriguez, the program that holds the title as the winningest program in college football history, is under scrutiny for multiple accusations of wrongdoing and NCAA violations. Even after going 3-9, Read the rest of this entry »

With the USC Trojans on the schedule this season, it seems that this is the last marquee non conference game for the Ohio State in a few years as this has been a trend for the Buckeyes. After facing off against Texas in 2006, it took two years before USC was on the schedule. Well, the Miami game next season willl be better than this year’s USC game as many have predicted the matchup in The Horseshoe will showcase two of the best teams in the country. Read the rest of this entry »