...a tradition of hope, passion, and misery
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Kyrie sat down with David Jacoby of Grantland.com to give a little insight into his strategy for tonight’s 3-point shootout and his love for video games.
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
“Braxton Miller’s 2012 was more than nice as he led the Buckeyes to a perfect 12-0 season on the way to capturing the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year award and the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football as the league’s MVP.
But the franchise isn’t resting on his laurels. Via Twitter comes news that he’s currently working with renowned quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. in San Diego.
The Massillon native, through his training programWhitfield Football, has worked with some of the best quarterbacks in the game today, a list that includes Andrew Luck, Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel, Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones, and Tajh Boyd.” [Priestas/Eleven Warriors] [Read more...]
The son of Chris Carter never made it past the practice field at Florida Atlantic University:
The son of former NFL wide receiver Cris Carter, Duron transferred to FAU prior to the start of the season but the NCAA didn’t grant his petition for immediate eligibility. He worked with the scout team for part of the season but in the final weeks of the season was given permission to miss practice to concentrate on school work. At that time he was still part of the team, attended meetings and was still listed on the roster.
However, FAU coach Carl Pelini confirmed that Carter was no longer with the program.
It is believed that Carter will make himself eligible for the upcoming NFL draft.
Academic problems plagued Carter at Ohio State and kept him out of uniform at Alabama. Carter caught a total of 13 passes (one TD) in 2009, his lone season as a Buckeye. FAU was Carter’s fourth, and looks like final, stop in college.
[Related: Leaders, Legends, and Balance: A Look into Big Ten Division Realignment]
Well, the undefeated season for the Ohio State Buckeyes is officially over. All we are left to deal with are articles about what could have been, what should have been and what the NCAA or Ohio State could have done differently to avoid this debacle. Somewhere along the line you will find articles tying all of those pieces together in an effort to claim to know what would have been best for each situation. Put me in the camp where I think the Buckeyes got what they deserved. It is extremely unfortunate considering what came out later for other schools, but it is the bed they made regardless of the seasons’ outcome.
Given all of that, somehow the season does not really feel like it’s over to me. I get that there are no more games to be played by the Buckeyes this year, but finishing the season the way they did with two huge wins, it feels as though the ending was more of a springboard for this team than a true conclusion. The Buckeyes were not supposed to go undefeated this soon. Urban Meyer was supposed to come into this season to assess players that he largely had no hand in recruiting prior to, realize the talent and start building a winning program with his guys that fit his system under his coaching style.
Instead, he came right in and led this team to an undefeated, 12-0 season in his very first year. What the heck? How do you build on that?!
With confidence and an influx of top tier recruits, that’s how. [Read more...]
Doug Lesmerises of The Cleveland Plain Dealer chimes in this Sunday morning on the latest from Urban Meyer and the Buckeye recruiting trail.
“At 10-0 — now one of just four unbeaten teams in the nation after losses Saturday by Alabama and Louisville — with 17 oral commitments and a 2013 class currently ranked No. 6 in the nation by ESPN and No. 7 by Rivals,” writes Lesmerises, “it’s not a bad time to be selling the Buckeyes. Or as Meyer said on his radio show last week, ‘Ohio State is kind of hot right now.’”
The Buckeyes, per Lesmerises, presently have 76 active scholarship players, with 13 seniors leaving after the season. With an 82-scholarship limit thanks to Jim Tressel-based NCAA sanctions, this means 19 slots will be open.
“And while Ohio State is spreading its message around the country after a year of transition,” Lesmerises continues, “the Buckeyes are still playing to the interested parties at home as well. Of the 17 oral commitments, seven are from Ohio.”
[Related: Perfection in reach for Ohio State]
Well, as I said last week, our little run-in with Purdue in 2002 took several years off my life and this past Saturday only aided in yet another subtraction. While the expectations are much different for this season, it was still Purdue in spite of the fact that we knew they would give our defense trouble. The thing is, the defense was actually what stood tall for the most part.
Each and every week we are learning something about this team which is great, but instead of me droning on about the same topic, there are a handful of things that stood out to me in which I thought were worth addressing.
“I’m still trying to figure this bad boy out,” Meyer said. “We won, right?”
First and foremost, the obvious star of the weekend, backup junior quarterback from Houston, TX: Kenny. Freaking. Guiton. I still cannot believe what we witnessed on Saturday afternoon given how the game had progressed. Normally I would say that Ohio State had no business winning that game and if Purdue had any sort of reasonable play-calling, I would, but they fought for that win. And somehow they did it giving up an opening 83-yard touchdown pass, a 100-yard kickoff return and 4 turnovers along with several injuries that continue to plague this team. Kenny G came into the game late in the third quarter after Braxton Miller went down and assumed a role that nobody thought he was ready for. Well, apparently not nobody: [Read more...]
2002. A successful national championship season for the Ohio State Buckeyes led by Mr. Conservative himself, Jim Tressel and his trusty accomplice, Jim “Walrusball” Bollman. Both Jim’s had the same goals as any coach would – score more points than the other team and do not lose that lead. I know, real John Madden insight there but the processes involved as we all know are not the same for each coaching staff. Neither were known for taking chances offensively so when the team did take the lead, it became absolutely maddening to watch because a new playbook appeared that put the team on cruise control instead of their foot on the opponents throat. The team clearly had a lot of offensive talent. While Craig Krenzel was not exactly a top-tier quarterback, the demand for him to be was not pressing when he had surrounding talent such as Maurice Clarett, Santonio Holmes, Michael Jenkins and Chris Gamble. The team was more than capable of putting up 30+ points each game and with the incredible defense they had, winning games by a comfortable margin should seem somewhat effortless.
Yet, when you look at their schedule you find this: a 4-point win against a terrible Cincinnati team; a 5-point win against a poor Wisconsin team; an overtime win against a weak Illinois team and finally another 4-point win over Purdue that took exactly 8-years off my life (I did the math). This same team, loaded with ugly wins, won the national championship.
Was there an identifiable theme throughout all of this madness? There sure was – winning. [Read more...]
Let me get this out of the way: Coming into the game, I thought the Buckeyes were going to lose Saturday night. Yes, in the ‘Shoe, in Urban’s first home night game with all of the recruits looking on in front of a packed house. I did. I thought that Ohio State’s banged up line-backing corps did not match up well with a very mobile quarterback in Taylor Martinez in tandem with a very shifty and quick running back in Rex Burkhead. For the most part, I was wrong. Martinez was held to 40 yards rushing and aside from Burkhead’s 73-yard run, he too was held in check.
But 63 points!?!? Though I cannot remember the source, there was a comment on Twitter that made me laugh out loud: “After seeing the score, Jim Tressel woke up wondering how in the world Ohio State kicked 21 field goals.”
As hysterical as the comment was, it really made me think about the new era that this program has entered. Good, bad or indifferent, there is no arguing what Tressel did for this university over the past decade but his coaching style is the antithesis of Urban Meyer’s. A fundamentally sound team that was capable of hanging 63 on Nebraska would have never happened under Tressel’s watch. Though under that same watch, the holes in the defense would never happen either. Buckeye Nation is now staring at a very talented and exciting, young team in the face. We all have the joy of watching this team grow up before our eyes, but remember what comes with youth – stupidity. I am not talking about the tweet from Cardale Jones, but taking chances as a football team. So the growing pains will be there and for some of the impatient, it can be quite a roller-coaster complete with pictures at the end.
With great risk, comes great reward and as Andy Staples put it so eloquently in his article following the Buckeyes win in East Lansing “You are completely screwed.” He of course is talking about the Big Ten as a whole and Urban’s innate ability to previously recruit such talented individuals in a conference much superior to the Big Ten.
There is not a time that this site really captures its own name like it does right now when it comes to Ohio sports. If you are wondering, yes, I am completely aware of how cliche that sounds but look at this: the Browns are holding 15 rookies on their 53-man roster, the Cavs are the third-youngest team in the NBA and the Indians continue to be the farm system that every MLB organization has grown to love.
The same is true for the Ohio State Buckeye football team…partially for different reasons. Of course, ESPN did a great job of finding a way to constantly remind the nation of the sanctions that came down on the university, so we are all aware of how that affects the program this year. Now, not only are we all looking forward to next season for bowl eligibility reasons, but because of the promising young talent that is currently being sculpted for when it counts. To reinforce that point, 14 true freshman saw playing time on Saturday afternoon. I get that it was a blowout win over a disheveled Miami team, but take a look at the depth chart and you will quickly see how many underclassmen either start, or see significant playing time.
That said, I think it would be a great idea to not only point out a few key guys that are worth keeping an eye on, but hear differing thoughts on this topic from you guys as well (Adolphus Washington and Bri’onte Dunn excluded as obvious 5-star recruit choices).
Via press release, Ohio State fans will get a close-up on the 2012 football season with new head coach Urban Meyer when ESPN debuts a series of All-Access specials beginning August 14 on ESPNU and additional ESPN platforms. ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days will showcase the Buckeyes as they train under Ohio native (Ashtabula, Ohio) Meyer who has returned from a coaching hiatus to lead the team.
| Date | Time (ET) | Show | Network |
| Tue, Aug. 14 | 5 p.m. | ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days | ESPNU |
| Wed, Aug. 15 | 5 p.m. | ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days | ESPNU |
| Thu, Aug. 16 | 5 p.m. | ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days | ESPNU |
| Fri, Aug. 17 | 5 p.m. | ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days | ESPNU |
| Sun, Aug. 19 | 4:30 or 11 p.m. | SportsCenter | ESPN |
| *Mon, Aug. 20 | 3:30 p.m. | College Football Live Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods | ESPNU |
| *Tue, Aug. 21 | 3:30 p.m. | College Football Live Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods | ESPN |
| *Wed, Aug. 22 | 3:30 p.m. | College Football Live Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods | ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | ESPN All-Access: Ohio State Training Days | ESPN | |
| *Thu, Aug. 23 | 3:30 p.m. | College Football Live Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods | ESPN |
| Fri, Aug. 24 | 3:30 p.m. | College Football Live Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods | ESPN |
The father of Alex Anzalone, the recruit who recently withdrew his commitment to Ohio State after coming into contact with an Ohio State fan who is a registered sex offender, has clarified his comments about Ohio State.
Sal Anzalone’s original comments understandably set off an internet firestorm:
“There’s a disconnect between what Alex thought was there (at Ohio State) and what is actually there. Something’s just not right at Ohio State. It’s not for him.”
His new statements make clear that he’s not blaming the university or program for this incident.
“I want people to understand, I have no beef with Ohio State, at all,” Sal Anzalone said. “My issue is not with Ohio State: It’s a great institution, they have a phenomenal president, Urban Meyer is nothing but a class act to me.
“There’s nothing wrong with Ohio State; it’s a great institution. When I said there was something wrong with Ohio State, I was talking about the visit – there was something wrong with the visit, not with Ohio State.”
Sal Anzalone said that Meyer called Friday evening, but did not wish to provide any details about that conversation.
“We can’t implicate Ohio State for what happened (during that visit),” Sal Anzalone said. “That’s wrong. That had nothing to do with the university itself. I don’t hold them accountable; they’re not responsible for what fans do; it’s not their fault.”
[Related: A Disturbing Situation]
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
A cruel look back at how the year began: “The day started out great; after all, it was Opening Day, and the built-in optimism of the day was reinforced when Justin Masterson began to dominate a good Toronto offense. Justin combined strikeouts with economical pitching, and if the game had taken place in June, he probably would have finished the game off.” [Ryan/Let's Go Tribe]
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Tribe rolls in 8th to beat Twins: “The Tribe’s lineup went dark during Masterson’s time on the hill, but an eighth-inning rally helped the Indians pull off a 3-2 victory over the Twins in the opener of this three-game set. That had Masterson smiling in the wake of what marked the 14th win this year for Cleveland in its last at-bat at home.
“They’ve shown that they’ll score runs at some point in time,” Masterson said. “Hey, I’ll take it whenever they come. A ‘W’ is a ‘W’ for the team.”
And, right now, the Indians need as many as possible. The win over the rival Twins allowed the Indians (59-57) to hold their position within the American League Central standings. The first-place Tigers defeated the Orioles on Friday, leaving Cleveland’s deficit fixed at three games for the time being.
“We have to control our own destiny,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “That way we don’t have to be worrying about what the other clubs are doing. We have to take care of what’s in front of us.”
After being handcuffed for seven innings by Twins right-hander Carl Pavano, the Indians broke through for two critical runs in the eighth. Travis Hafner singled off of Pavano, ending the pitcher’s evening with one out in the frame. Carlos Santana and Matt LaPorta followed with run-scoring doubles off of lefty Glen Perkins to put the Tribe up for good, 3-2.” [Jordan Bastian / MLB.com] [Read more...]
This morning, ESPN’s Tom Farrey and Outside the Lines updated their reporting on the great Ohio State memorabilia scandal of 2011. The report focuses on the the market for NCAA athlete signed memorabilia. It paints the OSU autograph seekers as particularly intense and aggressive.
It also claims “Ohio State ceded the marketplace inviting fans to public events…where they could obtain signatures.” OTL quotes former AD Andy Geiger as saying they “created this monster” by backing autograph events and promoting a market for memorabilia.
There was nothing earth-shattering or revealing in the new report. Jim Tressel continued to take a beating for much of the clip but it was really nothing new. The OSU beat reporters and journalism community implored that it changed nothing and took some shots at ESPN. And they’re right – it does little to alter the NCAA’s investigation, which is where Ohio State’s attention is focused. This is now a pretty antagonistic relationship so I would imagine ESPNers will continue to see what they can dig up.
[Read more...]
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com
Feature on Michael Symon and his Cleveland fandom: “Symon isn’t just a fan; many of the Browns players are regulars at his restaurants. He says he was never concerned about the lockout because he had inside info. Nevertheless, he’s ecstatic that no games will be missed. He’s ready for Colt McCoy and company to hit the field again. Speaking of the young quarterback, Symon is drinking the Kool-Aid. ‘I’m in. I’m pot committed,’ he says. ‘I don’t know if it’s cause I’m a Browns fan, but McCoy has that spark and swagger. I think we’re gonna go good places with him.’” [Adam Watson/ThePostGame]
Yesterday, Ohio State introduced it’s 23rd head football coach. The University has had varsity football since 1890. One hundred and twenty one years, 23 head coaches.
Luke Fickell is a Buckeye. He grew up in the area, played High School football at DeSales. He was recruited by John Cooper, and played nose tackle for the Buckeyes from ’93-’96. He started in a record 50 straight games for Ohio State during that time. He was part of the ’97 Rose Bowl team which beat Jake Plummer and the Sun Devils on a late drive.
Full disclosure- I want Luke Fickell to succeed as much as anyone. I was a huge fan of those defensive lines anchored by Finkes, Fickell and Vrabel. When Tressel resigned, one of my first thoughts was how excited I was for Luke to get his shot. [Read more...]
The “he” that Terrelle Pryor’s attorney Larry James is referring to is Terrelle Pryor.
These soulless “people” standing around this hypothetical pond, unwilling to get their Mitch Buchanan on as Pryor theoretically struggles to swim out, are Ohio State fans according to James.
Larry James went on to tell the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Saturday that his client has had a pretty rough go of it since the departure of Tressel:
“Can you imagine, given how the atmosphere has been, how he will be received when he walks into that stadium?” he said. “The young man is distraught. (His mother, Toni) is very distraught. Terrelle made mistakes, but his mother doesn’t deserve anything like she’s been subjected to.”
James said every allegation about Pryor that has been reported is accepted “as if it’s gospel.”
“(The fans) turn against him on a dime,” he said. “If he was drowning, I’m not sure how many people would want him to live.”
Maybe a little overly dramatic from Larry James, no? In any case, he does make it sound like Terrelle Pryor isn’t coming back to OSU. The NFL Supplemental Draft is in July, and maybe that’s where Pryor’s headed at this point. [Read more...]
(Note: WFNY doesn’t have a singular editorial voice. Today we will obviously have a lot of Ohio State posts as it is such big news. Remember that each writer’s opinion is their own.)
Terrelle Pryor will probably go down in history, at least in some fans’ minds, as the guy who ended Jim Tressel’s career at Ohio State. Fact is, Pryor was one of a few whose actions were the catalyst for this whole mess. Being the catalyst isn’t really a reason for blame as much as it is just bad luck, though. Being the catalyst will end up causing Pryor to go down in history as “the guy,” but putting all or even most of the blame on Pryor is far too simplistic.
Obviously, blaming Pryor relieves Jim Tressel of his part in lying to the NCAA. That is unacceptable all by itself, obviously. Tressel made his bed by how he reacted to the situation. I want to focus on Pryor though.
Like many things, I have been on a journey with the Terrelle Pryor situation. I have learned over the years not to always trust my most reactionary of thoughts, especially when something makes me angry or sad. Over time, my opinions become far more substantial when they are firmly planted in between intellect and emotion rather than swimming exclusively in the latter. [Read more...]
The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that Jim Tressel has resigned as the head football coach at Ohio State. The Dispatch is reporting that it was a situation where the University forced or encouraged the resignation, after scandalous headlines continued to pile up. Luke Fickell, who was named interim coach for the first five games of the 2011 season while Tressel served a suspension, will now serve as interim coach for the duration of next year.
The Dispatch also obtained a memo school President Gordon Gee sent to OSU trustees:
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
More on the Cavs draft: “If the [trade exception] is going to be used, I continue to think that will happen on Draft Night. So what does all this trade talk mean at this point for the Cavaliers? To me it’s exactly what I thought the night Nick won the lottery. The Cavaliers are good with Irving at 1, as they should be. Beyond that, they are exploring every - and I mean each and every single - trade opportunity out there with respect to both the TE as well as that 4th pick overall. I continue to think they will not pick 4th on Draft Night. All the smoke that appears to be coming off the keyboard of Chris Grant’s blackberry seems to support this too. Cavs don’t look too content at that position.” [Bowers/Stepien Rules]
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