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It was a cool, breezy, November night in Columbus, Ohio. Scarlet clad fans stormed the field after watching the top ranked Buckeyes defeat the second ranked Wolverines.

It was 986 days ago, and it was the last time Ohio State won a “big game.”

It was the last time the Buckeye’s weren’t “outclassed” by equal competition.

It was the last time Jim Tressel was called “The best play-caller in College Football.”

After two National Championship defeats and an embarrassing performance against USC last season, Ohio State’s reputation has taken its lumps. And although the Buckeyes played both Penn State and Texas (top five teams) down to the wire, a loss is a loss, which gains no respect.

The next chance Ohio State gets to repair it’s image is September 12, when the USC Trojans visit Columbus for part two of their non-conference series. And regardless of how much I hate this term (because every game is a must win), this game is as close to a must win for Jim Tressel as he’s going to get.

And it’s not just the Buckeyes reputation that’s at stake; the Big Ten conference is at risk as well. The country has grown weary of watching Penn State, Illinois, and Michigan get blown out of the Rose Bowl. The conferences 1-6 bowl record last year didn’t help the way people view the league.

Not to mention how this game will affect recruiting, momentum, and the perception of the Buckeyes remaining opponents.

The Buckeyes can regain some of the trust from college football fans that they’ve not-so-elegantly lost the last three years with a win against USC.

I’ve put together a list of five things Ohio State must do to beat the Trojans come September 12. Let’s get started!

Protect the Quarterback

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The glaring difference against Florida and LSU in the National Championship games and against USC last season was the Buckeyes inability to protect the quarterback.

The offensive line must do a better job at staying in front of whatever defensive lineman they are responsible for:

If that means Bryant Browning (last year’s right tackle and this year’s probable right guard) has to do the tire drill until he passes out to improve his lateral movement and foot speed, so be it.

If someone has to frame Offensive-Line Coach Jim Bollman for insurance fraud (or any crime, for that matter) so he can finally be fired, so be it.

If Jim Tressel makes all the offensive lineman eat the nails of an alligator and wash it down with a gallon of dragon tears (or whatever Justin Boren does that makes him so angry all the time) to teach them how to play with an attitude, so be it.

Ohio State must do whatever it takes to keep Terrelle Pryor on his feet. I’m tired of seeing Ohio State’s quarterback looking like he wrestled a bear (and losing) after all their big games.

Protecting the quarterback is imperative. If the Buckeyes can do it, it will allow Pryor to get through his reads and move the offense down the field. If the Buckeyes can’t do it, it could be another long night for Ohio State.

Open up the Playbook and Execute

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The look on Jim Tressel’s face in this picture embodies all of the frustration stewing in the hearts of Buckeye fans. You can almost hear the coach’s thoughts:

“Should I put five wide receivers in and let Terrelle Pryor take over the game with his natural ability to run the spread? Or should I send a couple tight ends and a fullback in to run the off-tackle play for Beanie that we just ran nine times in a row?”

A moment’s pause follows as he weighs his options…

“We should just go with the off-tackle play again. I mean, Beanie hasn’t hurt himself in a good three days, and I know that he’s gonna break a big one soon. I just know it.”

All kidding aside, Jim Tressel kept the offensive game-plan simple last year. He created a playbook that would maximize the unique talents that Beanie had and limit any potential mistakes from a freshman quarterback. If I were in his shoes, I would have done the same thing.

Of course, after last year’s OSU-USC game, there were Trojan defenders who said they knew exactly what Ohio State was going to do on offense and that nothing surprised them. I would have an issue with that if it mattered.

You can’t tell me that teams didn’t know what Ohio State was going to do in 2002 when they won the National Championship.

Execution is just as important as, or even more important than, a variety in play-calling.

The Buckeyes will have to mix it up against USC this year. Pete Carroll will be replacing nine starters on his defense. With this being the second week of the season, it would be the perfect time to hit them with some trick plays and a diverse, hurry-up offense. But the priority here is execution. Ohio State must execute whichever offense they choose to run when the Trojans come to town.

Create Pressure up Front

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If you look at the defense for the National Championship Buckeyes in 2002, you’ll notice that they consistently created pressure on the opposing teams quarterback.

As previously mentioned, creating that pressure upfront disrupts everything an offense is trying to accomplish. And since that championship team seven years ago, the Buckeyes have been unable to create such havoc (with a slight exception given to the 2003 team).

It seemed as though the blitz packages, the nasty attitude, and the attacking defenses left when Mark Dantonio did in 2003. Jim Heacock took over as the Defensive Coordinator (in ‘05) and implemented his I-don’t-care-if we’re-getting-picked-apart-we’re-still-sticking-with-this-zone…defense.

But half way through the 2008 season, something clicked. Whether it was Nader Abdallah’s out-of-nowhere realization that he was a man child, Thad Gibson’s opportunity to play after Wilson’s leg injury, or Heacock’s sudden willingness to blitz more often, the Buckeyes started creating that pressure.

Ohio State must continue to get after the quarterback. Buckeye fans are holding their breath, crossing their fingers, and sacrificing small animals (chill out PETA, that was a joke) in hopes that Jim Heacock doesn’t give up on that attacking mentality they displayed late last year.

Whether it’s Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley behind center, this will be the first big game either quarterback will have played in. Pressuring him would be a very good thing for the Buckeyes.

Get Mad

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A recent article pointed out the difference between Marcus Freeman’s reaction to the Texas loss in the Fiesta Bowl to Terrelle Pryor’s reaction.

Freeman’s reaction was one of…relief. As if he was relieved that his team wasn’t blown out of the water by a good opponent. He was happy with the effort, and came away with the moral victory speech that losing teams often defer to.

Terrelle Pryor was upset. He was already looking ahead to the 2009 football season, saying the Buckeyes were going to put more points on the board. He told the media that there were some “teams we owe some stuff to.” He was angry.

The Buckeyes need to take a nasty attitude into this football game.

They need to be-someone just spit in my mother’s face and I’m mad-angry.

They need to be-Samuel L. Jackson, yelling his lines unnecessarily in every one of his movies-angry.

They need to be-Britney Spears strangling a paparazzi photographer with her man thighs-angry.

The key to playing with an attitude is to keep that anger in check. Tim Tebow plays with an attitude, but he controls it and redirects it toward the field and toward his opponents.

If the Buckeyes want to stop being the end of bad “big-game” jokes, they must get nasty. This is THE Ohio State University, and NO ONE comes into our house and pushes us around!

Wear Red and Be Very, Very, Very Loud

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This last one is for the fans.

If you are in possession of a ticket that gives you admittance to this game, you must do two things:

One, you must wear red. The three gentlemen in the middle of this picture are breaking my first rule. This makes me so mad; I could kick a puppy (again PETA… a joke).

There is nothing cooler than seeing the bleachers in Ohio Stadium glowing a florescent red under the lights. If you’re a buckeye fan and didn’t get goose bumps from the birds-eye-view of the Shoe when Ohio State played Penn State this past year, you need to check your pulse.

I’ve sent Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith 318 letters demanding that any Ohio State fan who tries to attend a game wearing anything “not red”, they will be required to wear a scarlet poncho and a matching sombrero. So if you don’t want to look ridiculous for the game…wear red, it’s intimidating and looks cool as heck.

Two, you must be very, very, very loud. “The Shoe” is arguably the loudest stadium in the country, and that is disorienting for the opponent. You already know that Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley will be making their first meaningful start. Your one goal in this game is to make whoever ends up being the starting quarterback to soil themselves.

Scream when they have the ball. Scream when they are in the huddle. Scream when they’re trying to call an audible. Scream during the timeouts. And when your voice is shot, just clap. Give everything you can. Practice screaming with your friends two weeks before September 12 so you will be better at it.

If you have tickets to this game, do not sit on your hands in a white “away” jersey. Wear red and SCREAM!

The fallout from the off-campus fight allegedly involving Michigan State football and hockey players is beginning to take shape. 

Spartans wide receiver Mitchell White pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor assault and battery in connection with the Oct. 19 incident. Both White and teammate Glenn Winston, who faces three counts of misdemeanor aggravated assault, could face jail time if convicted. 

Winston, who served as Michigan State's primary kick returner last season, could face up to a year in jail. 

Both players are still listed on Michigan State's roster, though White was not included on the Spartans' roster for the Capital One Bowl. Winston played in the regular-season finale at Penn State but did not appear in the bowl game. 

Spartans hockey player A.J. Sturges was briefly hospitalized after the fight. 

Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio has not addressed the players' status.

Athletic director Mark Hollis released a statement in December regarding the incident, saying, "The particular circumstances aside, no member of the university community should experience this kind of injury. We have trust in the justice system, and we look forward to A.J.'s recovery."

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Here's a look at what's on tap for head coach Mark Dantonio and the Spartans this fall. 

NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sept. 5 Montana State

Sept. 12 Central Michigan

Sept. 19 at Notre Dame

Nov. 7 Western Michigan

My take: At first glance, Michigan State appears to have softened up its non-league slate after visiting Cal and hosting defending Sun Belt champ Florida Atlantic last year. But this rundown could present some challenges, as Notre Dame will be improved and both Central Michigan and Western Michigan beat Big Ten opponents last year. Michigan State moved the Western Michigan game to East Lansing from Ford Field in Detroit, providing a seventh home game in rough economic times. Facing the Broncos at Spartan Stadium will help, and Michigan State has won a whopping six consecutive games at Notre Dame Stadium. But with new starters at both quarterback and running back, the Spartans could slip up somewhere along the way. 

BIG TEN SCHEDULE

Sept. 26 at Wisconsin

Oct. 3 Michigan

Oct. 10 at Illinois

Oct. 17 Northwestern

Oct. 24 Iowa

Oct. 31 at Minnesota

Nov. 14 at Purdue

Nov. 21 Penn State

Byes: Ohio State, Indiana

My take: The Spartans' league slate sets up favorably for another run to a January bowl game. All four road games are winnable, and the league opener at Wisconsin will be critical as both teams adjust to new quarterbacks. If Michigan State gets through the first three Big Ten games at 3-0 or 2-1, a major bowl push certainly is within reach. The Spartans face league title contenders Iowa and Penn State at home and don't play Ohio State, which embarrassed them last year in East Lansing. Playing archrival Michigan fairly early on likely will benefit the Spartans, as the Wolverines might not fully be settled at the quarterback position. 

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As decommitments, down-to-the-wire decisions and late pledges dominated national signing day, Michigan State quietly inked a recruiting class that head coach Mark Dantonio thinks can elevate the program to the next level.

The Spartans picked up a 23-man group rated by several recruiting services in the Top 25 nationally, and they did it without the drama many programs went through on Wednesday. The depth and location of Michigan State's class stood out, as Dantonio and his assistants addressed pressing and future needs at running back, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive back. They also did so almost exclusively with homegrown players, as 12 recruits hailed from Michigan and all but two from the Big Ten region.

I caught up with Dantonio on Thursday morning to discuss his latest class.

You graded this class an 'A.' Why?

Mark Dantonio: Well, [reporters] asked me. I labeled it an 'A,' maybe an 'A-minus,' basically because in four or five publications, we were ranked in the top 20. And the fact we filled so many needs. And when you really get down to it, we're the biggest evaluators of our players. We've worked with them personally, we've watched them play games in person, we've watched countless films on them. And when I look back, we made decisions to recruit a lot of these guys back in December of [2007] and spent over a year recruiting them. And 16, 17, 18 of these guys, we targeted in January and got 16 early commitments from them. And they stayed strong. I feel very good about them as people — we've got some excellent students — and also some outstanding football players.

You've been pretty realistic about your expectations for where you wanted the program to go: bowl game, New Year's Day bowl and then BCS game, Rose Bowl or whatever. Where does this class fit in to your short-term and long-term plan?

MD: It gives us a very solid foundation. The first class that we brought in here in '07, it was a class we had two or three months to work on. Six of those guys played and continue to be starters for us. This last year's class, six more played as true freshmen. This class will have every bit the numbers of young players playing, and this is the first class that really sets a foundation for us in terms of top to bottom, a full class. It's so balanced in the numbers: three linebackers, three DBs, four defensive linemen, a kicker, a quarterback, two tight ends, two running backs and four offensive linemen. So we sort of hit every position group, and we have excellent players at all of those areas.

When you get so many guys at so many positions, did you go into it with a set of needs, or were you trying to build depth across the board?

MD: No, there were key needs. We're relatively a young football team, graduated quite a few players the last two years. We took big linebackers last year that are growing into defensive ends, so we brought outstanding speed linebackers in this year. We had a need in the secondary for certain players, especially at safety with what we had lost in the last couple years. And next year, we have seven seniors in our secondary, so it's always important to bring in quality players at that position for the future. And then you look at the wide receiver position, we've got a good core back, but we needed to expand on our speed in that area.

We only had two quarterbacks on scholarship last year [Brian Hoyer and Kirk Cousins] that could play. Now again, two quarterbacks [Cousins and Keith Nichol], so it was important that we bring a solid quarterback in [Andrew Maxwell]. Our kicker [Brett Swenson] is a senior, so a guy that can kick off consistently into the end zone or to the goal line and a guy that can take over after Swenson leaves, all those things are important. Offensive line, we're losing players as well. So all these individuals have been recruited for a purpose.

Do you see the two running backs [Edwin Baker and Larry Caper] competing right away for playing time?

MD: They're two extremely unselfish people. One guy [Caper] committed a week later than the other guy was going to commit, and before he committed I went to the first guy [Baker] and asked him if he's comfortable with so-and-so coming, and he was. So that showed an unselfishness on both players' parts, one wanting to come even though the other had committed, and one accepting that commitment. That's how we'll always do things here. I want to empower our players to be decision-makers.

The second thing is they're extremely explosive players. Both guys are track guys. Larry Caper long-jumps over 23 feet. Edwin Baker has run 10.5 in the 100 meters. Change of direction, ball skills, catching the ball, toughness, great vision, both of the guys have that. They'll compete for early playing time and help fill the void that Javon Ringer left.

Does this class remind you of others you've been around at Cincinnati or Ohio State, the type that can elevate a program's profile?

MD: When I look back at Ohio State, after our first year, we had a great class [in 2002]. And it was largely made up of players from Ohio and they were top players from the state, highly recruited players, highly ranked players. And this reminds me of that. You've got Dion Sims, tight end, basketball player. An outstanding athlete, could have gone anywhere in the country, a full 6-5 or 6-6, 232 pounds and can run. You've got the two running backs, a quarterback that went to the Elite 11 camp that we saw as a sophomore.

You've got an offensive lineman in David Barrent who was nationally recruited. Chris Norman at linebacker could have gone anywhere in America. Our first commit, got the ball rolling, Blake Treadwell, who's an outstanding defensive tackle. His father [Don, the team's offensive coordinator] coaches here, and I've known him throughout his entire life. You've got defensive backs, Jairus Jones had all kinds of SEC offers coming out of spring last year and into the fall. So you've got quite a few different players.

We wanted to recruit skilled athletes who could compete on either side of the ball, so we took dual players at every skill position. These defensive backs/wide receivers can go either way. That just means they have ball judgment, they have toughness and they have great skill and size for the position. We didn't take a lot of guys that were smaller players. We focused on big, athletic guys who could run.

It seemed like the trend in the Big Ten seemed to be looking more toward Florida, the south and the southeast. You guys were very, very local. Was that by design, or did you sense opportunities to recruit that area?

MD: Recruiting should be like a celebration. Your whole family's involved in it. But every game should be like a celebration, too. It almost ought to be like a wedding. So when you recruit players from your home state, that happens. There's a natural support system built in for your players so that when there are problems on any side, there's that person that can come up immediately with you. There's more face-to-face time with those parents. We will go a great distance to find players, but when we can get a guy from Michigan or Ohio or the Midwest, we're going to look first there and then expand our recruiting. We're not going to go outside in. We're going to go inside out.

And the natural thing is you know more about those players. And because you know more about 'em, you may see more spots on 'em, but inevitably, you're able to make clearer predictions in terms of how they're going to play. You're able to more thoroughly evaluate a player. Sometimes, you get into recruiting a guy from a distance, you get a different perspective on the type of football they're playing and you're not quite sure the team that has the guy you're recruiting plays the best brand of football in the state. You can name a school in Ohio or Michigan and I can tell you that's a great football team. You don't really have that sometimes in some of these other areas.

The one thing I want to make sure we have here is when players come, we don't really want attrition. We don't want to spend an entire year recruiting a guy and then have him leave after six months or a year because he's not playing or he's homesick. You build a program on somebody being there for a while, longevity and critiquing and getting better. And if you have players from closer to home, they're going to be more successful quicker. There's not going to be as much homesickness, they're going to have more of a support group built in from their family.

A lot of the league's new coaches have strong ties to the southeast, while your staff is more Midwest-based and remained intact this year. Does staff continuity play into where you're recruiting?

MD: There's three reasons we've been successful this year and should continue to be successful in recruiting. One, we've won. We went to a New Year's Day bowl game this year, and we went to a bowl game last year. People perceive our program as being on the rise. When people asked me for a prediction and I said, 'Well, the next step is a New Year's Day bowl game,' I didn't know really if that would happen, but it happened. So winning helps.

The second thing is resources. We have a brand-new facility here. It's state-of-the-art. It's got the 'wow' factor when you walk in here. We have an outstanding stadium and fan support and everything that goes along with playing in the Big Ten. And the last thing is the stability of the coaching staff. The same coaches have recruited players for three years here. We haven't lost a coach on our staff yet. And we have security in the head-coaching position. When you have that, people can look and say, 'Hey, I can go there for five years. That coaching staff's going to be in place.' If you're looking for things as a recruit, you look for those three factors.

Signing day has become so much about decommitment and switching. What was it like for you guys to have almost a drama-less day Wednesday?

MD: Well, we're not going to push on kids and ask them to commit. I just tell them, 'When it's in your heart, that's when you commit to this place. But make sure because I don't want you taking other visits. I don't believe in the term soft commitment. Either you're committed or you're not.' And not that they won't change their mind, but you need to be pretty vigilant because people are going to knock on your door and try to kick your door in, and if you open the crack at all, there's going to be all kinds of people busting in there.

So it's been a process of trust, and that's a positive thing. If you can form that relationship with the player, that will go a long way. It's about having meaningful relationships with your players long into the future, and you don't know if that's going to happen until the time comes, but that's what you hope.

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Arguably no team in the Big Ten made a bigger one-year improvement in recruiting than Michigan State, which comes next in our recruiting review.

Number of recruits: 23

Key needs: Running back, wide receiver, defensive line, linebacker

Highest-rated player (Scouts Inc.): David Barrent (No. 8 nationally among offensive tackles)

The quote: "When you do your work, I guess you get the grade you're supposed to get. You get an 'A,' and I would grade this class an 'A.' I say that because of the quality of player, the quality of academic student that we have here, which will reflect in graduation rates down the line, and the quality of athlete that we have here. We have nine or 10 four-star players." — Head coach Mark Dantonio

Quick take: After improving its victories total the last two seasons, Michigan State got a crucial bump in recruiting this year. The Spartans boast only two ESPNU 150 prospects — Barrent and running back Edwin Baker — but they added quality depth across the board, particularly at offensive line, linebacker and defensive back. Baker and Larry Caper will compete right away to fill Javon Ringer's spot, and tight end Dion Sims should see the field very soon. A class rooted in prospects from the state of Michigan and the Midwest included quarterback Andrew Maxwell and linebacker Chris Norman.

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National signing day is in the books, and dozens of high school prospects have pledged to Big Ten teams. The Big Ten signed only one Top 25 prospect in Ohio State running back Jaamal Berry, but the league had reason to feel good about many of its recruits.

As we begin to digest the day, here are five key developments from the league.

1. Michigan's profits outweigh losses in return to top — The Wolverines had an eventful signing day, which included a few defections but more key additions, and the end result was a top 15 class that keeps Michigan among the nation's recruiting elite. As expected, Michigan added a second quarterback (Denard Robinson) on signing day and also landed top wide receiver Je'Rel Stokes. Though the team lost two defensive tackle commits, Michigan did well in Florida and seemed to build momentum toward signing day. After the worst season in team history, Michigan responded very well on signing day.

2. Illinois breaks even with East St. Louis wideouts — Rumors had increased leading up to signing day that high school teammates and Illinois commits Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton would sign elsewhere. Turns out, Illinois went 1-1 with the East St. Louis, Ill., products, as it retained Hawthorne but saw Appleton sign with Wisconsin, giving the Badgers a much needed boost at the wide receiver spot. Keeping Hawthorne on board and convincing Justin Green to drop Ohio State for the chance to play running back in Champaign offset several decommitments late in the recruiting process. 

3. Minnesota lands cornerback Carter — The Gophers' 2009 class doesn't rival last year's haul in terms of size and overall talent, but Minnesota reminded the Big Ten that it remains a major player in recruiting by landing cornerback Michael Carter. The Florida native had committed to West Virginia but switched Wednesday to Minnesota, giving the Gophers an impact player in a secondary that made major strides last year with takeaways but still had a long way to go. 

4. Ohio State reaffirms recruiting dominance — The Buckeyes have dominated Big Ten play on the field this decade and continue to do so on the recruiting trail. Despite losing Green to Illinois and not landing wideout Marlon Brown, Ohio State welcomed a top-5 class that easily ranks as the best in the Big Ten. Berry and linebacker Dorian Bell headline a group that includes seven players ranked in the ESPNU 150. 

5. Spartans quietly ink stellar class — There was no drama Wednesday in East Lansing, just the affirmation of an excellent recruiting class that should continue to raise Michigan State's profile under head coach Mark Dantonio. The Spartans brought in a Top 25 class and had no late detractors from a group that addresses needs at offensive line, linebacker and wide receiver/tight end. Dantonio is very high on running backs Edwin Baker and Larry Caper, both of whom will compete for the starting job vacated by All-American Javon Ringer. 

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