It just goes to show how sports, and breaking sports news can get blown way out of proportion on Twitter. I’m not so sure that people understand that until Gene Smith or Tressel himself talk about it, there is no truth. Two recruits as “sources” don’t exactly add up to enough to pack his bags himself. Why can’t he name the recruits? Not sure why not if he claims he will stand by his sources.

All has pretty much ended well and died down, which started with Gene Smith himself on Twitter saying the rumors are “not true”. Until ESPN or Ohio State releases a real statement about this, which probably won’t happen, things in Buckeye Nation will be all calm and we can live as much peace and harmony as possible after this crazy week.

Jimmy Ros, the 6’1″ 285 lb defensive tackle from Franklin Heights decided on Wednesday to return to Columbus West, the school he had a stellar junior season with after the failure of the South-Western City School operating levy. After racking up 73 tackles, 30 for a loss and four sacks in 2009, it had been rumored to return to Franklin Heights all summer long, the school where he played his first two seasons with. Garnering Honorable Mention All-District in ’09 with West, the decision was made to return to the Cowboys when it became known that Franklin Heights coach Rodney Hopkins wouldn’t let him back on the team. Hopkins decision made Ros’ even easier to make.

After receiving an offer from Ohio State over the summer, Ros was very adamant when talking about what he needs to improve on to make it to the Division I level and excel. “First, I need to improve on my grades. I need at least an 18 or higher to go D1.” Outside the classroom, Ros reflected on what he excels at on the field. Ros, a very strong pass rusher, admitted that he needs to, “stay lower on the ball, and get out of blocks easier.” What was clear to see throughout the entire ’09 season was the way Ros was able to get to the quarterback, sometimes at ease. But for the defensive front to truly be effective, they must stop the run gain and Ros was key to West’s run defense last season. “I’m very good with my pursuit angles and good with my hands once I get off a block.”

Clearly, Ros has something going good for him at the moment. Already in a system that he has excelled in historically, the 2010 season should only continue his ascent to the top of recruiting boards. Ros, who plans on racking up 100 tackles this season, had bigger goals when asked about what he wants to accomplish this season, “I want to be first team All-City and All-State.” If he can stay on the field and increase his level of production from last season, there’s no reason why we won’t see Ros in scarlet and gray down the road.

Ros will begin his senior season on the road as West takes on Centennial, a team who currently has a 31 game losing streak. For more on Ros, contact him at http://www.scoutingohio.com/index.php/view-profile.html?task=userProfile&user=3673&name=jroc76

The Big Ten Network has just released the new conference divisions that will take place in solely football for the 2011 season and on. Included in this change is the separation of arch rivals Ohio State and Michigan. In the new alignment, the first conference includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. In the other division is Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern. Building up to the realignment was speculation whether or not the protected rivalries would retain their place on the schedule. According to Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany, these rivalry games will keep their place on the schedule, so fans in Columbus and Ann Arbor will no longer fear losing the “Game,” which has lost some of it’s importance since Rich Rodriguez arrived on the scene. The heavily anticipated Big Ten Championship Game will take place on December 3, 2011 at Lucas Oil Stadium, marking the first time the 115 year old conference has had a championship game in football. This is what Delany had to say on the change;

“We focused on competitive equality, traditional rivalries and geography. We considered multiple models and countless permutations in an effort to achieve the most competitively balanced divisions while at the same time respecting our traditions, preserving existing rivalries, and creating opportunities for the establishment and growth of new rivalries. We have listened to the feedback from our institutions, alumni and fans, and while we understand that no final alignments could possibly satisfy all of our constituents, we believe that we have achieved a very exciting result.”

Fresh off a Rose Bowl victory and arguably his best performance thus far in his career at Ohio State, Terrelle Pryor has fans around the Buckeye State confident in his performance. Initially coming out of Jeanette High School in Pennsylvania, Pryor looked as if he was the best QB commit the Buckeyes had received in recent memory. With the signing of Braxton Miller, who according to ESPN is the no.2 signal caller in the nation, it’s clear to see that Jim Tressel found his replacement to TP, or did he upgrade? For Pryor, his running ability is what set him apart from the rest of the quarterbacks in his class. But for Miller, his legs are only an add on to an already superb passing game. And what makes Miller a more intriguing prospect is the fact that he has been clocked various times in the 40 running 4.4′s. Scary. It has been expected since he came onto campus that Pryor would be gone after his junior season, and if this does happen, it will clearly open the window for Miller to come in and take the job, with Kenny Guiton being the only reasonable competition for the spot. The thing Miller has over Pryor in this situation, is that Miller is well advanced for his age when it comes to the passing game. This is what ESPN Scouts had to say about Miller.

“ He has a big arm and can make every single throw. This offense provides him opportunities to stretch the field both outside of the numbers and between the hashes. Shows good velocity on his deeper throws. Can fit the ball into a lot of tight spots. He does a very nice job surveying the field and goes through his progressions.”

“Shows ability to change velocities and throw catchable balls underneath. He also shows good accuracy and touch in the short-to-intermediate passing game. Release mechanics are compact, but can be about 3/4. He is in the shotgun most of the time and needs more reps from under center to develop as a drop-back passer reading on the move. Possesses good lateral movement and shows the ability to slip pressure and create second-chance opportunities. He has very good speed for the position. He is elusive and quick for his size and displays some start and stop ability.”

For all of Buckeye nation, this scouting report is very promising. Not since the days of Troy Smith have the Buckeye had a consistent passing game. But with Miller, it seems that the Ohio State offense will be able to expand the spread offense, as this is what he has ran in all three years at Huber Heights Wayne. Dangerous once he is in open field, it’s very clear that the Buckeyes won’t lose anything in the ground game from their quarterbacks once Pryor is gone.

What will hurt Miller once he is on campus is the expectations that will be waiting for him. In two very solid seasons under center, Pryor has been criticized heavily, despite winning 18 of 21 games as a starter, including wins over Oregon in the Rose Bowl, at Penn State and home against Iowa, the defending Orange Bowl champions. Compiling 3405 yards and 30 TD’s through the air, the job Pryor has done thus far in his career is quite astounding. Considering the pressure that was thrust upon him upon arrival, there isn’t much to knock on Pryor. Going into the last three games of ’09, the inability to win “the big one” is what hurt Pryor the most. But after defeating the aforementioned Penn State and Iowa, and winning on the road against Michigan, the Rose Bowl victory only put those notions to rest. When Miller comes into the starting role, I expect his expectations to be much higher, as only two days after he committed to Ohio State, most analysts and fans are concluding that he will be better than Pryor. For now, I see him as a mere replacement to Pryor, but not yet an upgrade. For that to happen, Miller must improve the passing offense his freshman year, along with equaling the things Pryor has done on the ground. Either way, the quarterback position for the Buckeyes has been solidified for the next five years.

First was Pete Carroll, who left a good USC team and a program that had it’s first non conference championship season in seven years to coach the Seattle Seahawks. What was more puzzling was why Carroll would leave such a prestigious program for the Seahawks, come on the Seahawks. After a few days of speculation it was highly rumored that USC will soon be under investigation for improper benefits given to former players, cough cough Reggie Bush. What we have here was a coach who wasn’t going to pay for his mistakes and leave a group of very young men to pay the price. Integrity? I think not.

When we thought that whole debacle with USC was over, the Trojans  made another splash. This time with the hiring of Lane Kiffin, who less than a year ago was hired at Tennessee to turn around one of the more successful programs in the nation. When Kiffin, who by the way has a career record of 12-22, real impressive, told Vols fans that when they “beat Florida, they would be singing ‘Rocky Top’ all night” bolted out of the Smokey Mountains as fast as Chris Johnson’s 40 time. Kiffin, who is entering his third job in four years, is the epitome of what we have at hand in college football.

Many coaches no longer have integrity and commitment to their respective schools, essentially using their current job as a way to move up in the ranks. Case in point, Brian Kelly, who abandoned an undefeated Cincinnati Bearcat team to take the job at Notre Dame, which is arguably the top job in the country. Three decades ago, this move would have never happened. First, Kelly would have been expected to not only build the Bearcats up but stay there until he decided to retire. Although there have been many coaches that have used lower schools as pit stops, the problem has increased as many high profile jobs have been available the last several seasons. How can you expect a player to remain committed to a university when the coach he has decided to play for, isn’t so sure about his own future? The other argument that has been raised is whether a player who decides to transfer should have to sit out an entire year if the coaches are allowed to leave on demand. When you sit down and think about it, the debate makes sense. Why are these coaches allowed to leave 100 men depending on them, but the players can’t leave without a price? When you break down the numbers, the salaries of college coaches are much higher per year then say tuition for a student athlete. If this is the case, I think players should be allowed to leave and play the following season, if the burden put on the school is much less than the departure of a coach. Whether this gets done or not, the problem still exists. College coaches nowadays are less dedicated as in years past and with the Bobby Bowden era ending at Florida State, and Joe Paterno close to retirement in Happy Valley, the new revolution is about to take over, and as of now, nothing is stopping the trend.

As the Florida Gators head to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game to face #2 Alabama, this will be Tim Tebow’s final game in the almighty conference which everyone fears. With a victory, Tebow could truly go down as one of the greatest college football players of all time. A second straight win against Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide would give Tebow his third conference title, a spot in his third national championship game and presumably his second Heisman Trophy.

Accolades such as these are hard to come by nowadays for college football players and success has been Tebow’s mantra.  Although many would like to argue that he is overrated and not fit for the quarterback position, the numbers bear to differ. Playing in college football’s toughest conference, Tebow has done it all. Passing, rushing, bull dozing over defenders and most importantly, winning, the overly soft spoken quarterback is history right in front of our eyes. Hated most by America, Tim is football’s version of Derek Jeter. Going out and doing his job year after year, both players are scrutinized all across the country. As Jeter won his staggering fifth World Series title early last month, Tebow has a chance to make the same impact Saturday in Atlanta.

So far in his career, #15 has accounted for 8,556 yards and 84 touchdowns just throwing the ball! On the ground, where Tebow makes more of an impact, the quarterback has ran for 2,833 yards and 56 touchdowns respectively. Throughout four years, this young man has went out and done the job right and effectively. In an era that is marked with player arrests, failure to graduate and dirty play, Tebow is the alter ego. Many people will argue that he is not fit for the NFL and that his personality is everything but real, but when it comes to football, this man is a college football god. Playing against the tough defenses of LSU, Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia and South Carolina year after year, Tim has been extremely efficient and is a key reason the Gators are 47-6 when he has been on the field.

After analyzing Tebow’s success and the path of his career, I have come to a distinct conclusion. If this young man didn’t have the media hype and love he gets throughout the nation, I truly think he would be a celebrated star in the United States, similar to what Matt Lienart and Vince  Young experienced during their college careers. With all this said, there really isn’t a reason to hate on the young man other than jealousy for the fact that your team doesn’t have him. As an Ohio State fan, it has been hard at times watching Terrelle Pryor under center. Inconsistent performance game after game and a lack of a true passing game has made many Buckeye fans want another option at the position. But with Florida, this has never gone into question. In Tebow’s first full year as  a starter, the sophomore then in 2007 only racked up 3,286 yards and 32 TD’s through the air to go along with a staggering 895 yards and 23 TD’s on the ground which complemented his Heisman Trophy honor. This season, the stats aren’t nearly up to par as two years ago but due in part is the stellar rushing game Tebow has behind him and the loss of Percy Harvin, the do it all wide receiver who is currently starring with the Minnesota Vikings. But back to Saturday, the widely hyped matchup against Alabama will be a game for the ages and with Tebow calmly leading a Florida team that has looked unstoppable this season when it matters most, it seems impossible that any team can break the trend that Tebow helped create, winning.

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.

Already without the effective Aaron Pettrey at kicker, many thought Ohio State wouldn’t need Barclay, as with just over 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes led the Hawkeyes by two touchdowns, 24-10. Everything including myself, with exceptions to Kaeli Parcel, thought the Buckeyes had the victory and the Rose Bowl in the bag. But with College Football, anything can happen. And anything and everything did happen, as after a 49 yard touchdown run by Boom Herron put the Buckeyes ahead two scores, the Hawkeyes struck back, with a 99 yard kick return coming at the legs of Darrell Johnson-Koulianos.

 Good teams play good football in the clutch and Kirk Ferentz’s squad did just that, stopping the Buckeyes on their next possession and with all of Hawkeye nation riding on his shoulders, fill in Ryan Vandenburg conducted a near perfect drive capping it off with a ten yard strike to Martin McNutt, which tied the game with less than three minutes remaining. Running an offense that’s not exactly built for the typical two minute drill, the Ohio State offense played Tresselball, running two consecutive run plays then throwing a short dump pattern to Saine on third and eight, which caused Ohio State to punt. When many Ohio State fans thought the Hawkeyes would attempt to drive down the field and win in the fourth quarter for the fifth time this season, Kirk Ferentz took a page out of Tressel’s book and decided to run the clock out. Going into overtime, the game was destined to go in Ohio State’s favor.

 Blessed with an extremely athletic bunch of athletes on defense, the Silver Bullets played their best ball of the night, causing Vandenburg to throw it away on first, then Ross Homan’s stop of Adam Robinson set up a third and 15 that decided the game. Looking like a proven veteran the entire night, Vandenburg made the worst decision he possibly could have made. As the pocket broke down, Vandenburg tried to scramble out of the pocket, being forced backwards and refusing to get rid of the ball, Doug Worthington brough him down 11 yards in the backfield and put Iowa well out of field goal range. With fourth and 26, the Hawkeyes’ chances of scoring were diminished. Sending it deep and hoping for a prayer, Vandenburg threw his third pick of the night as Anderson Russell grabbed his second on Saturday, this time an overthrown bomb that had no chance of being caught, well at least for Iowa.

 Now with the ball at their own 25 and an inexperienced kicker waiting on the sidelines for his chance, most of Buckeye Nation wanted Tressel to be a little more aggressive and get better field position. Well with the good ole Sweater Vest Jim running things on offense, the expected never happens, as three run plays later, the Buckeyes had the ball in the middle of the field at the 22, a 39 yard attempt for Barclay who coming into the kick was 2-5 in attempts longer than 30 yards. On an extremely mild night in Columbus, a town where the weather changes more than President Obama’s stance on the War in Iraq, the kick seemed like it hung in the air forever.

 But in the end, the kick was good and the Buckeyes had punched their ticket to Pasadena. Having not played in the Rose Bowl since 1997, Ohio State was once again BCS bound and free from playing USC again as the Trojans were romped by the Stanford Cardinal, 55-21 in Los Angeles. With Oregon and Arizona as the likely suitors for Ohio State’s opponent, each scenarios look good. Both teams are beatable and with the way the defense has been playing, it seems like nobody can bring down this Buckeye team when things are clicking. But for now let’s celebrate this win and focus on Michigan next week, a team that is tied for last in the Big Ten after a loss to Wisconsin where the terrible Wolverine secondary was exposed yet again. With their postseason plans already settled, it is a must that this team stayed focused for next week’s game. If so, this fifth straight Big Ten title will be even more rejuvenating as Tressel’s squad will have defeated Michigan for the sixth straight time. As another Senior Night ended in a win, this victory over Iowa was benefitial to Ohio State fans who finally witnessed the Buckeyes coming up clutch when it mattered most and leaving the field victorious.

 Enter Tony Pike. Dubbed as an early Heisman candidate until injuring his left arm during the South Florida game, Pike, a fifth year senior, came in briefly to save the day for the Bearcats. On his first pass in his return back, Pike fired a strike to Armon Binns for a touchdown with just under ten minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Tied at 14, Pike came in again, this time delivering a perfect pass between mulitple defenders to DJ Woods that put the Bearcats ahead by a touchdown.

 Coming into tonight’s game, the Bearcats were the only team in FBS football to not surrender a fumble. The streak ended tonight, when Adrien Robinson coughed up the pigskin after catching a pass in the first quarter. Things got worse for Kelly’s club when Robinson later dropped a touchdown pass that would have put Cincinnati ahead. Columbus Eastmoor Academy product Isaiah Pead ran for a career high 175 yards and a touchdown, in a game where Cincinnati’s prolific passing offense was reduced to 221 yards, a season low.

 Pead’s breakout performance isn’t just another case of Friday the 13th oddities, Pead was a standout back at Eastmoor, a prestigious football program on Columbus’ east side which has produced such players as Archie Griffin among others. During his senior season, Pead rushed for over 1,700 yards and was a big part in the Warriors’ resurgence among the best in the state, a trend that continued into 2008, when Eastmoor made it to the State Championship Game on the legs of Ron Tanner and Touche Hopkins.

 Back to the Bearcats, riding a nine game winning streak where the best team in Ohio hadn’t trailed since the Oregon State game on September 19th, Cincinnati found themselves in trouble in the second half. Under the direction of Pike, who was 2-4 for 16 yards and 2 TD’s, Kelly’s team fended off Bill Stewart’s squad who had a chance late in the fourth quarter but any hope for a victory was squashed after turning over the ball on downs at the Cincinnati 24 with roughly five minutes remaining. Aside from Pike, fill in QB Zach Collaros continued to perform at a high level, compiling 205 yards through the air and 40 on the ground.

With two reliable options at football’s most important position, winning looks to continue along the Ohio River, as the Bearcats roll and the Bengals rule. With Illinois coming to town next week hot off victories over Michigan and Minnesota, this could serve as a trap game for the Bearcats as the presumable Big East “Championship” Game looms on December 5th, in Pittsburgh against a Panthers team led by Dion Lewis and off to one of their best starts in recent memory. With all the tools to make a run to a perfect season, odds are that Kelly’s team can do it. With players like Pead, Pike and Collaros stepping in when it matters most, we could see this team lobbying for a spot in the BCS Championship Game and in a position that this town isn’t used to, PERFECTION.

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.