Ohio State comes in No. 3 in Prestige Rankings

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Ohio State is the third most prestigious college football program since 1936, according to ESPN's Prestige Rankings. 

The top five teams were revealed this morning, and Ohio State came in at No. 3, behind only Oklahoma and USC. The Buckeyes were a solid No. 3, racking up 76 points more than No. 4 Notre Dame, but they finished a good distance behind both the Sooners (1,968) and Trojans (1,897). 

Ohio State owns five national championships since 1936. The team produced tons of  first-round draft picks and seven Heisman Trophy winners, including the only two-time winner, Archie Griffin. The Buckeyes consistently reach major bowl games and have dominated the Big Ten since head coach Jim Tressel arrived in 2001. 

The knock against the Buckeyes, one that likely kept them from the top spot, is the performance in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ohio State didn't win a Big Ten title between 1987-1992 and went 2-13-2 against ranked opponents between Nov. 19, 1988, and Jan. 1, 1993. Though both Oklahoma and USC also had drop-offs, they were more dominant than Ohio State at their respective peaks. 

To recap the Big Ten in the Prestige Rankings:

• No. 3 Ohio State
• No. 8 Michigan
• No. 11 Penn State
• No. 26 Michigan State
• No. 30 Iowa
• No. 33 Minnesota
• No. 34 Wisconsin
• No. 49 Illinois
• No. 50 Purdue
• No. 80 Northwestern
• No. 102 Indiana

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Unfinished business could keep Wells at OSU

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells is the healthiest he’s been all season heading into the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

	Matthew Emmons/US Presswire
	Chris Wells said he felt like he hadn’t “done enough at Ohio State.”

“I’m actually able to wear regular shoes now,” said Wells, referring to the right big toe injury he suffered in the season opener against Youngstown State. “It feels amazing running around in a lot lighter shoe.”

By all accounts, Wells could spend next season endorsing his own shoe as an NFL running back. The 6-foot-1, 237-pound junior is a surefire first-round draft pick, possibly the first running back selected, should he choose to forgo his senior season at Ohio State.

According to Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel, Wells doesn’t have much of a decision to make. Tressel said Wells likely would be a top-5 pick.

“If it were me [deciding], it wouldn’t be tough,” Tressel said last month.

Despite the overwhelming evidence suggesting Wells will turn pro, the back didn’t sound convinced Thursday morning. In fact, he seemed to leave the door quite open for a return to Columbus.

“I personally feel like I haven’t done enough at Ohio State,” Wells said, “the things that I wanted to accomplish here to move on to the next level. … I told [running backs coach Dick] Tressel when I first got here I wanted to be the best to ever come through Ohio State. I’ve said that in the past in the media before.

“I definitely feel I haven’t accomplished that yet.”

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Alumni Association to Host Buckeye Bash in Tempe

The Ohio State University Alumni Association will host a Buckeye Bash in conjunction with the Buckeyes’ Fiesta Bowl appearance against Texas.

The bash will be held from 2:30pm to 4:00pm Mountain Time on Sunday January 4, 2009 at Tempe Beach Park, 54 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, Az.

The event will feature performances by Brutus, the Ohio State Cheerleaders, and the Ohio State marching Band.  Archie Griffin and Jim Tressel will speak along with other special guests.

For the most up to date information about the Bash, visit: http://www.ohiostatealumni.org/osuaa_events/phoenixevents2009.php

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Buckeye Honors

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor was named Sporting News magazine’s Freshman of the Year & All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis was named Defensive Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten Conference.

For details and more Sporting News winners, Click Here!

James Laurinaitis was also named the winner of the 2008 Lott Trophy as college football’s impact player of the year. For full story, click here!

39 Current and Former Ohio State Student athletes received degrees at The Ohio State University’s 2008 Autumn Commencement. Click here for more!

Fans can help vote for Coach Jim Tressel to win the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award. Click here to learn how

Archie Griffin remains the only 2 time Heisman trophy winner  as Sam Bradford takes home that title. Click here for more.

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Archie’s Mark Is Safe….At Least For This Year

Oklahoma Red-Shirt Sophomore, QB Sam Bradford, has won the 2008 Heisman Trophy! This means that Tim Tebow was denied becoming the second player ever to win two of College Football’s most prestigious awards, thus keeping Archie Griffin’s phenominal accomplishment safe. Thank You Ohio Native Bob Stoops and Sam Bradford for keeping Archie’s legend alive! Boomer Sooner!

photo courtesy of ESPN

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Well, That Went Better Than Expected.

After a slow start which featured a Terrelle Pryor interception and three consecutive three-and-outs by the Buckeyes, it appeared that regardless of what some of the other blogs thought about Rich Rodriguez “Getting It,” the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry would remain a relatively even battleground, despite the fact that the Wolverines had come in to Columbus about to wrap up arguably their worst season in school history.  Although Beanie Wells’ third consecutive OSU-UM game with a 50+ yard touchdown run, the offense was unable to sustain any sort of continuity, and as a result could only muster up 14 points in the first half.  The defense played nearly flawless in the first two quarters, but it only took one poor drive late in the second quarter to bring Michigan back within a touchdown.  After a November where the Buckeyes demolished two conference foes on the road by a combined score of 75-30 and the Wolverines converted just 37% of their third downs, a blowout seeed inevitable.  But after one half of football, one thing was clear: Michigan was out to salvage their season and restore order to the rivalry.

And then the third quarter started.

After a punt that pinned the Buckeyes inside their own ten line, the Wolverines returned to their form of old, giving up two consecutive runs of 40+ yards on plays that were designed to pick up no more than five.  The second of the two runs, a 49 yard touchdown scamper by backup Boom Herron, was particulary devastating for the Maize and Blue defense.  From that point forward, the Michigan offense picked up just two first downs (three if you count a roughing the punter penalty), poor special teams play led to two more Buckeye touchdowns, and the defense let a freshman quarterback lead the rivalry’s biggest blowout in over 40 years.  Terrelle Pryor’s numbers were good, but not great (5-13 for 120 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT), but as we have all come to learn over the past nine games, his impact on the game reaches much deeper than the box score.  His ability to keep plays alive and throw on the run have proven to be the perfect antitode to an offense that at times struggled to make plays throughout the season.  Beanie Wells continued his Wolverine dominance, carrying the ball 15 times for 134 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.

Other points of interest.

It’s time for Beanie to go.

Yes, as a fan, I would love to see Beanie Wells come back for his senior season.  He is, in my opinion, without a doubt the most talented running back in the nation, and as Demitrius Stanley pointed out in the postgame show, he’s potentially the most talented running back to ever don the scarlet and gray.  Chic Harley may have made Ohio State football the phenomenon that it is today, and Archie Griffin may epitomize all that it means to truly be a Buckeye, but as far as pure football skills and physical dominance over the opposition goes, there are probably only two running backs in school history that can compete with Beanie.  One is Eddie George, and the other Maurice Clarett.

In three short seasons, Beanie has done more than any fan should expect out of an athlete.  As a sophomore, he singlehandedly carried the offense into the national championship game despite being a walking bodycast.  After battling more injuries as a senior, Beanie has still managed to rush for over 1,000 yards in just nine games played.  Despite only playing one full season as the starting running back, he is the Buckeyes’ fourth all-time leading rusher.  In his brief absence this season, we all saw firsthand just how piss poor the Buckeye offensive line can be at times, and that should only make these achievments more astonishing.  Against archrival Michigan, Wells’ numbers are astronomical: 59 carries for 412 yards (7 YPC) and four touchdowns.  Against ranked teams, Wells has 170 career carries for 901 yards (5.3 YPC) and 11 touchdowns.  Very few football players have contributed so greatly to OSU over the course of their careers, much less three seasons, and it would be selfish of us as fans to beg him to stay another year.   Additionally, his struggles with injuries are no secret, and running backs statistically have the shortest professional careers of all positions.  I think we all want to see Beanie succeed at the next level, and his stock will never be higher than it is today.

Beanie, I’m not about to blame you if you decide to depart for greener pastures, and I don’t think anybody else will, either.  Maybe you’re just like James and Malcolm and you want a championship so bad that you’re willing to come back for one more shot at it, and I’m in full favor of that.  Just don’t think that because you never won a championship or a Heisman that your college career was an unfulfilling one, because it wasn’t.

I’ve decided that the above “point of interest” was enough writing for one post. Stay tuned throughout the week for more.

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A salute to the seniors

I’ve covered better senior classes in my 22 years on the Ohio State beat, but none more successful.

This class enters the Michigan game with a 42-7 record, three Big Ten titles, three wins over Michigan, two trips to the BCS title game and three BCS bowl appearances over the past four seniors. The most wins by an Ohio State senior class — 43, in 1995-98 and 2002-05. So this class could become the winningest with victories in its last two games.

The 19 fifth-year seniors, with All-Americans James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins counted among them, could become the first group to go 5-0 against Michigan. That’s a lot of gold pants, two more pairs than won by two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin, who never lost to the Wolverines (3-0-1) and went to four Rose Bowls.

“Our senior class, we haven’t lost a lot of games in our time here,” fullback Brandon Smith said. “When you’re not used to losing, you never know how guys are going to react. I think we’ve done a good job of just trying to get better each week and coming back and being successful.

“I’d like to be remembered as part of a class that didn’t fold the tent. We lost two (national) championships, guys could have left early (for the NFL) and said, ‘Forget Ohio State.’ I want us to be remembered as a group of guys that were determined to finish strong and make the best of what we have.”

Coach Jim Tressel didn’t want to be drawn into comparisons of senior classes.

“Every group of seniors has been through a different path and you don’t end up liking one group more than another, but you end up appreciating what it was that their travel was and what their contribution was and what their sacrifice was,” Tressel said. “This is a group that’s been here a great deal of time and we’ve had some wonderful things happen and we’ve had injuries happen that have shaken the family and it’s been a group that has worked very hard to represent us off the field and has done very well academically and I think are prepared for the next step in their world.

“Some of them will step into the NFL, some of them will step into the other world. But it’s been a group of great guys that have given a lot to Ohio State. They’ve really given a lot to the community, appreciated being at the university. Their diploma is something that they’re very proud of and they’ve played a lot of good football and sometimes it’s gone for them in football the way they’ve wanted and sometimes it hasn’t, but they’ve marched forward, and that’s been impressive.”

Like former coach John Cooper, who might have won multiple national championships with a few more wins over Michigan, this senior class was on the cusp of unrivaled greatness. It might have had a monument erected in its honor had it been part of national titles in 2006 and 2007. But these seniors still have a chance to be part of just the 10th OSU team to win at least 11 games in a season and the first group of seniors to do it three straight years.

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It’s officially Michigan Week

Bring it on, bitches!

Ohio State, fresh off a 30-20 win at Illinois, now gets to focus on That Team Up North without looking past anybody. The Buckeyes return home for their final regular season game at 9-2, while TTUN comes to Columbus at 3-8.

Today’s game was rather anti-climactic, but any fan of the Buckeyes could see that coming. Ohio State has a long, storied tradition of underachieving in the game before The Game. For example;

• 2007 – Ohio State never got their game plan working, as Illinois tole a big win away from the #1 Buckeyes, 28-21
• 2006 – Ohio State 17, Illinois 10. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Prior to that game, OSU had 7 games of scoring 35 or more points. It was a win, but not at all pretty
• 2004 – A 24-17 loss to Purdue in the final two minutes, one of only two regular-season losses for Troy Smith
• 2003 – A scary overtime win at home against Purdue, 16-13. A missed Purdue FG saved the day.
• 2002 – Overtime win against Illinois (and a serious nail-biter)
• 2001 – A 34-22 loss to Illinois at home, secured by a late INT return for the Illini

Need I go on? We just rarely play well before The Game. The only exception to the rule in Tressel’s tenure is a 48-10 pasting of Northwestern in 2005.

So I expected revenge, but I didn’t think it would be pretty. Still, we looked good enough and got the job done.

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Beanie Wells moved into the #5 slot of all-time rushing leaders at Ohio State, sliding past Pepe Pearson. He cracked the 3,000 yard mark on his first carry, and kept moving all day long. Here’s the current standings;

• #1 – Archie Griffin – 5,529 yards (2,386)
• #2 – Eddie George – 3,768 yards (625)
• #3 – Tim Spencer – 3,553 yards (410)
• #4 – Keith Byars – 3,200 yards (57)
• #5 – Beanie Wells – 3,143 yards

Wells will top 1,000 yards for the season, and move past the legendary Keith Byars against TTUN at home on Saturday, barring injury and any other natural disaster.  Odds are good that he’ll stay at #4 even adding in the bowl game.  Getting another 410 yards against TTUN and a bowl opponent seems unlikely, even if you factor in Wells’ proven ability to rush for over 220 yards against the Wolverines.

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Speaking of Wells, holy f-ing poopbags, did you see him leap four feet in the air to clear an Illinois tackler?  I’ve gotta get video of that posted.  Best hurdle I’ve ever seen.

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Sweet Jesus, are Illinois fans the biggest WATBs you’ve ever seen?  Have you ever heard ANYBODY whine about the refs in a game where they only get flagged four times?  They were still moaning at the end of the game (those that hadn’t abandoned their seats before the game ended, that is).

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Penn State struggled for a half against Indiana, but pulled away in the second half and won 34-7.  This means that their home game next week against Michigan State will determine half of the Big Ten Championship.  Ohio State plays Michigan at Noon, and if the Buckeyes win, they clinch a share of the title.  PSU-MSU is at 330, and if the Bucks win, the Spartans and Lions will do battle for the other share.

Let’s speak hypothetically.

• If Ohio State wins and Michigan State wins, Ohio State goes to the Rose Bowl.
• If Ohio State wins and Penn State wins, Penn State goes to the Rose Bowl
• If Ohio State loses, the winner between MSU and PSU is the outright winner of the Big Ten and goes to the Rose Bowl.

Penn State controls their own destiny.  Both Sparty and the Buckeyes need help.

However, I do believe that Ohio State will secure a BCS Bowl with a win.  More on that after the jump.

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Ohio State stands at #11 in the current BCS Standings.  Ten teams make BCS Bowls. but there are tie-ins involved that could hurt us.

Six teams will guarantee themselves BCS Bowls by winning their conferences.  Let’s make some assumptions here;

• Championship Game – #1 Alabama – #2 Texas Tech
• Big 12 representative – #3 Texas
• Big 10 Representative – #8 Penn State
• SEC representative – #4 Florida
• Pac-10 representative – #6 USC
• Big East representative – #22 Cincinnati
• ACC representative – #24 Wake Forest

This leaves two at-large bids open.  The remaining schools in the Top 14 of the BCS Rankings are;

• #5 Oklahoma
• #7 Utah
• #9 Boise State
• #10 Georgia
• #11 Ohio State
• #12 Missouri
• #13 Oklahoma State
• #14 Ball State

Oklahoma, Georgia, Missouri, and Oklahoma State are ineligible for the BCS, because of the rule only allowing two teams from each conference to play in the big 5 bowl games.  That leaves Utah, Boise State, Ohio State and Ball State as the only possible teams able to get those final two bids.

Utah and Boise State have won BCS bowl games before and will use that in their lobbying efforts.  Ball State can forget it.  No MAC school is getting in, especially in a year when the #5 school will get left out.

If we don’t secure the Rose Bowl, we are left to the mercy of the selection committee.  We’ll need to hope that the Fiesta Bowl remembers our massive numbers at previous bowls and how we travel better than any other team, during bowl season.  But if BYU can do us a favor and knock off Utah, we can consider ourselves in.  Maybe Fresno State can help out more and beat Boise State on November 28th?

So, in this order, let me just say….

1. Go Buckeyes
2. Go Spartans
3. Go…..whatever BYU’s mascot is
4. Go Bulldogs

And yes, I know it’s the BYU Cougars.  Did you?

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Penn State folds, Buckeyes on track for 4th straight Big Ten title

Unreal.  Not only did the Buckeyes have a game in which SO many things went their way, but the chips kept falling into place well after their Noon game ended.

Ohio State’s complete destruction of 24th-ranked Northwestern wasn’t the end of the day’s joy.  The 45-10 win was a constant afternoon of “did you SEE that?” moments, and then the truly unexpected happened when Penn State was defeated by Iowa 24-23 (seriously?  Iowa?  No, seriously?).

The BBC wanted to see Penn State go all the way after they upended us two weeks ago, but the Lions couldn’t handle the success.  Now the Big Ten (and the automatic BCS bowl bid) are up for grabs.

Michigan State stands alone at the top of the conference with a 6-1 record.  Sparty is off next week before traveling to Penn State in two weeks.

Ohio State and Penn State are now tied for second place at 5-1 each.  The Buckeyes play Illinois next week before coming home to face Michigan.  Both teams are sad sacks right now, as Michigan is 3-7 and Illinois just lost to Western Freaking Michigan.  Penn State goes home for their final two games Indiana and MSU.

The Buckeyes should (I said should, not will, in case karma is listening) win out, which will automatically give them a share of the Big Ten title.  But who will they share it with?  The winner of the Michigan State-PSU game will tell us.  If PSU wins, the Lions get the Rose Bowl bid.  If MSU wins, the Buckeyes go west.

It’s that simple.

But we get nothing if we don’t beat Illinois and Michigan.

By the way, the only path for the Buckeyes to outright win the conference is for Indiana to beat PSU in Happy Valley.  Not.  Gonna.  Happen.

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The Big Ten now has six teams eligible for bowl games with a possible 8 teams getting in.  Illinois and Wisconsin have two games each to win one and get in.  Illinois has Ohio State and Northwestern.  I think they blew their bowl bid by losing to a MAC school yesterday.  Wisconsin has Minnesota and Cal Poly left.  Barring another collapse like mid-season, they should get one win there.

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Beanie Wells rushed for 140 yards yesterday, giving him 2,999 yards in his career.  He also went from the 9th-leading rusher in OSU history to the 6th-leading rusher, all in one game.  He passes Antonio Pittman, Michael Wiley and Carlos Snow and looks to move up again at Illinois.

• #1 – Archie Griffin – 5,529 yards (2,530)
• #2 – Eddie George – 3,768 yards (769)
• #3 – Tim Spencer – 3,553 yards (554)
• #4 – Keith Byars – 3,200 yards (201)
• #5 – Pepe Pearson – 3,121 yards (122)
• #6 – Beanie Wells – 2,999 yards

All signs point towards Wells cracking the top 4 by the end of November, should he stay healthy.  Illinois’ defense is average, but Wells should be able to get the 122 yards he needs to take over the #5 slot.  201 total yards in 2 games will put him at #4 over the legendary Keith Byars.  Keep in mind that Wells ran for 229 against Michigan alone last year.

Even with the bowl game, it’d be incredible if he cracked the top 3.  He needs 554 yards to do it.  That’s 185 yards per game.  Possible, but not likely.

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Two-Man Roundtable: What If Edition

1. If you could script the remainder of Ohio State’s season, what would it look like?

Poe McNoe: Beat Michigan and win a bowl game. Northwestern isn’t in Ohio State’s league and this isn’t 2004. Illinois is a toss up for me because bad Juice Williams torched us last year and good Juice Williams has been shining this year. Sure, Illinois isn’t a complete team, but they are athletic and dangerous and could very well beat Ohio State (see 2006 and 2007).

Michigan blows. Their fans know it, our fans know it, and even Toledo fans know it. They should have a singular win, over the MAC’s Miami. Let’s face it. Michigan should be able to line up and gain 3.5 yards every down and beat Toledo.

If Ohio State were to lose to Michigan this year, it would be gloom and doom for Ohio State’s 2008 season. Mass casualties all around. Grey skies and we wouldn’t even be able to remember the seniors’ names. I’m not kidding.

Unfortunately, it could happen unless OSU shows offensive life and learns how to stop the spread-lite. Michigan doesn’t have a bad defensive line (thus greater than Ohio State’s offensive line). Our defense played lights out against Penn State, but everyone forgets how to tackle in big games.

Win the bowl. I don’t care which bowl it is. It doesn’t matter. If you win a bowl game, things are already looking up for next year. You could win the Meinike Car Care Bowl and that earns you respect in this day in age.

Not only does it help the team, but it helps the Big Ten. Michigan’s Capital One Bowl victory over a 4 loss Florida team helped. But then again, hope Penn State doesn’t get blown out in the championship.

Massey: Finish 10-2 and beat an SEC team in a bowl game. The traditional part of me wants to see the Buckeyes travel to Pasadena and win the Rose Bowl, but I also have a strong desire to excise the SEC demons. In some ways, my script would be written for this season, but designe for the future.

I would also script the extra practices during bowl preparations to include convincing Beanie to return for his senior season, searching for new coordinators, and learning to run the read-option offense. There is so much for the OSU offense to work on that they need to run two-a-days for all of December.

Finally, I would leave the recruiting exactly as it stands, which is to say no one de-commits.

2. If you could change one thing about the entire OSU program, what would it be?

M: Coordinators is very close to the top of my list, but what I really want is the swagger to return. My favorite player in the last 20 years is David Boston. Why? Because he talked a good game and played a better one.

Sure, he received taunting penalties and was probably using steroids the entire time, but he made Ohio State mean. With the exception of 2006, I cannot think of one Tressel offense the struck fear in an above-average defense.

I really think Pryor can bring that swagger back. Beanie could not do it, partly because he is always getting injured or sick. Even the wide receivers have lacked it with the exception of Holmes.

The defense held onto the swagger for a longer period but it disappeared after 2005. Do you remember the Texas game in 2005? The defense was totally badass. Take away Young’s big first quarter run and he had about 40 yards rushing! The Ohio State defense hit him so hard that the Longhorns called timeout in the fourth quarter to let Young get his wits together. Now, that was a defense.

The Buckeyes looked great against Penn State last week, but Vince was not in blue and white.

PM: Offensive and Defensive Coordinators. There, I said it. I still hate Jim Heacock even though he’s obviously kicked some ass, made some changes, and woke up the defense.

Call it his swan song and maybe it can continue until after the bowl game, but Heacock is still partially responsible for Michigan’s 39 points, Florida’s 41, Illinois’ 28, LSU’s 38, and USC’s 35.

How do you fire a guy that’s had one of the top statistical defenses over the past several years? Very carefully. You go hire someone better.

Offensively, Jim Bollman needs to go. How do you fire a guy that doesn’t even call the plays? Well, Jim Tressel calls the plays and no one would dare touch him with a 40 foot pole. That leaves Bollman. It’s not that you’ve been bad, it’s just that we’re not sure what it is that you do.

The offense is forgettable, the offensive line is amongst the worst in the country, and you only offer up plays that Tressel might call. If you get the sense you are expendable, it’s because you are. Ohio State needs an offensive coordinator that doesn’t necessarily need to have the final say in playcalling, but can make Tressel better.

Jim Tressel loves calling plays. It’s what he does. But someone needs to come in and kick the offense’s ass. Fans (and especially fans with money called boosters) don’t like not scoring offensive touchdowns in big games. Tressel is best in close games. He should have a ‘close game’ clause that allows him to assume play calling duties in 10-9 games.

3. If you were Beanie’s personal advisor, what would you tell him?

PM: Take the money and run. Beanie, I wish I could tell you to stay, and maybe you should if a new coordinator comes in. But as it stands with the offense (and the offensive line) and the lucrative rookie contracts that could go away after this year,

Beanie has to cash in and hope he’s ready. It’s all about the money. Sure he’d love to leave Ohio State equal to Archie Griffin, but injuries and poor offensive play have changed that.

Beanie may or may not be ready for the NFL. Adrian Peterson was NFL ready when he left college after an injury. I won’t debate who is better at doing what. Beanie might rumble into the NFL and put up 2000 yards, but he’s going to have to learn to fight harder at the line of scrimmage.

There are a lot of 3.0 YPC backs in the NFL that can’t get through a defensive line or linebackers. When Beanie has holes, he is golden, but he will need to run stronger and harder in the NFL every play, all the time.

But what if Beanie comes back? Beanie was out a few games this year. Then his backup, Boom Herron, was out a few games while Maurice Wells and Brandon Saine cause fans’ hopes to fall through the floor.

If Beanie comes back, it will be those mentioned (minus Mo Wells), Jamaal Berry, Carlos Hyde, and Jordan Hall. I know the term ‘Thunder and Lightning’ will be used for Berry and Hyde, but a backfield with Berry, Terrelle Pryor, and Beanie Wells is a Class 5 Hurricane.

Even Jim Tressel couldn’t stop them. Beanie’s touches might go down, but he production might go up. It’s an interesting proposal.

M: Go pro, young man. This is Pryor’s team and as talented as Wells is he is not built for the shotgun/pony/option offense. It’s the I-formation or bust.

Plus, he is injured far too often to insure that his stock will actually rise during his senior season. He was the top rated running back coming into the season, but I am not sure he still holds that distinction with NFL scouts. He will be one of the top-rated rushers in either the ’09 or ’10 draft so his wisest financial decision is to bolt for the League while the money is still big.

From Ohio State’s perspective, it is hard to argue that they would improve with the loss of Beanie but it may allow the new offensive coordinator to open up the playbook. After all, when you have a player as talented as Wells, you tend to play to his strengths.

Unfortunately, Beanie’s strengths are not completely commensurate with Ohio State’s offensive focus. The 2009 offense now needs to be build around Pryor’s abilities—QB draws, rollout passes, and spread rushing plays—and that will not benefit Beanie’s stats or draft stock.

Herron, Saine, Berry, and Hyde can fill the stat sheet (assuming there is an offensive line) and replicate Beanie’s limited production this season.

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