Congress Wants to Fix the BCS?

Congress has been dealing with the worst economic crisis in our time. Today they took timeout to tackle one of the President’s extra curriculum ideas, changing the BCS bowl system to a playoff system. Representative Joe Barton of Texas is introducing a bill to say that the BCS cannot claim a champion without it coming from a playoff system. Congress held hearings on Friday, May 1^st discussing the current BCS bowl system with several members on both sides of the debate.

As much I appreciated congress tackling steroids in baseball and putting professional athletes to a character test to be held accountable for destroying the integrity of the American past time. I don’t think it is appropriate for congress or the President to intervene in sports to change the rules. The Mountain West Conference has hired a lobbying firm to lobby Congress for changes to the BCS system. I am not sure how much money each college of the conference has contributed to this effort, but I think there are more productive areas that the money could be contributed to and be more beneficial to the student-body of the MWC.

The big boys do own the BCS, the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big Twelve, the SEC and Pac Ten have automatic bids to the five BCS Bowls, the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, the Orange Bowl and the National Championship Game. Selections are made According to computerized polls and the Associate Press Bowl and the Coaches’ Poll creating a score that fills the automatics bids. I don’t appreciate computers trying to decide by the numbers what people can decide by using history and experience, but it doesn’t bother me that in this case that the BCS system has tried to compare the two to create competitive games for not only the opportunity to make money, but also to provide the fans with an exciting experience. I probably come off as being bias being a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. That has participated in the last 2 out of 3 national championship games and has made numerous BCS appearances that to popular opinion have been because of the university’s reputation to sell tickets not always providing for a competitive game.

The system works. The BCS does the best it can to create a competitive game and the most competitive games are going to come from where the best players go. That is going to be to the biggest conferences because that is where the best athletes are going to find the biggest showcase of their talents to furthering their careers in professional football. On the outside it looks like there are only a select few schools that get the most money, but if you look at recruiting and the players involved the best players go to the biggest schools that are in the biggest conferences. You can’t make everyone happy, there are going to be schools and players in smaller conferences that always feel left out in a bowl system where there are approximately 36 bowls for schools with a .500 record or better can play in and get a share of money from the sponsors involved or a playoff system that pools more money together eliminating several bowls that could not compete against the viewership of a playoff.

Another part of the argument is what would happen to the exciting regular season which in many ways is a playoff for the teams competing in the toughest conditions. Playoffs often don’t go down to the wire deciding on when matchups are decided. Once the winner of a conference is declared the spot is filled. This will lead to some of the most historic games in history being played noncompetitively. Imagine the Ohio State vs. Michigan game being played by their third and fourth string players to preserve the first string for the playoffs. Conferences and coaches alike are going to be challenged how to play the student athlete in a longer season that could create more opportunities for injury to amateurs trying to further their careers.

Gene Bleymaier, Athletic Director for Boise State, noted that his school’s football team went undefeated several times , yet never got a chance to play for the national championship under the BCS. I understand the argument, but have little sympathy for a team that doesn’t play a top twenty five team except for maybe once or twice every other season. Boise State is a good football team and they did put together one team that beat a good Oklahoma team, but they will not do this on a regular basis. It is pure numbers. The 16, 925 undergraduate students Vs. Ohio State University’s 34, 479 undergraduate students (numbers provided by www.yahoo.com/education) cannot always bring in the top high school athletes in the country. This is not only about money, but also the student athlete. The larger universities benefit more students and this is going to decide for most football players where they are going to play football. The current bowls not only work for the market and sponsors involved, but also for the exposure of the football players involved. The undefeated seasons for Boise state has let them play in a bowl game each of those seasons. If there was a playoff the possibility that they would compete with other undefeated teams for a much more limited opportunity and increased pressure to win more than just one playoff game exist. You can beat Oklahoma once, one time in a season. Can you do it three times in a row? In a playoff it will become much harder for those schools to compete. In the current bowl system you can have the satisfaction that you collimated your winning season with the opportunity to win your final game against a school that on-paper you could beat or competitively play against in a highly publicized game. In a playoff a small school will eventually meet someone that outweighs them by a lot and though David might slay Goliath some-of-the-time it doesn’t happen enough to justify them getting the opportunity every time.

The BCS should stay the way it is. They can always tweak the computers and the polls to accept the current trend to create the best opportunity for everyone involved that can competitively play against each other. The worst thing about the argument is that everyone is forgetting the players that are involved on the field. Everyone is just squabbling over their piece-of-the-pie and since the little brother feels like it is only getting table scraps they are crying. This isn’t an argument that our President should be trying to get involved in. There are much more important matters that require his attention. We should just continue to let the players decided this on the field.

The Big Ten: Why We Suck

I worked very diligently on crafting a title for this this article but ultimately, this was the one thing that kept coming around. Our fall from grace as a dominant NCAA Division I power conference has been fast and painful. The fall has been different for every team in the conference. Like most conferences we have our less relevant football programs (stupid Northwestern so concerned with actually GRADUATING players) but the fact remains that, in the past, when our power teams came to play your school, it was time to break out the Icy Hot because a severe beating was nothing short of imminent.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Where do we currently stand? Iowa players are telling their own fans to be quiet. Minnestota forgot there were more than 4 games in the season. Wisconsin did too. Michigan decided to field their understudy ballet students instead of actual football players. Both Penn State and Ohio State had the unfortunate mishap of checking their talent on the airplane to L.A. rather than carrying it on and somehow it wound up on a plane headed for Pewee Valley, Kentucky. Oh, and Ohio State can’t seem to beat the SEC even if the referees would let them bring crowbars on the field. I mean, in what sane world does tOSU go nearly undefeated on the season only to have the entire college football world question, not whether they should go to the National Championship or not, but whether they even deserve to be CONSIDERED?!

No doubt we’ve all thought and thought about this and I would imagine you’ve come to the same redundant conclusion that I have: We suck because we suck. No doubt we’ve all read that iron sharpens iron. That’s what we used to be for each other. The Michigan-Ohio State game was such a vehement battle to the death, that any competitor after was like playing in a pick up game at the park on Sunday afternoon. The rivalries so legendary that watching the game for the 5th, 6th or 95th time still gets you on the edge of your seat and out of your chair. Now the rivalries are harder fought in the stands and after the game than they are on the field. We’re just not good enough to make each other better anymore.

One of the problems is that the decline happened for all of the teams at a quick pace simultaneously. The conference has not adapted to a more modern style of football, one that relies somewhat less on braun and more on strategy and speed. This is made evident when we play schools like USC who have more strategy than 70% of the NFL teams out there. When we play the SEC, they run away like we’re standing still because, regardless of the attempts we’ve made as a conference of teams to get out of our concrete boots and into the new style of warfare, we just haven’t caught up. They’re shooting smart bombs and laser guided missle systems while we’re reloading our muskets with paper patch bullets and screaming hateful chants in olde english. We just aren’t that relevant outside of our own conference. People look at us like that fighter going into the ring when he should have retired. Yeah, they respect his history and the amazing things he’s done, but they’re not afraid of him anymore. They’re not afraid of us anymore.

In the end, our games are still hard fought battles in the trenches. Our sense of tradition and honor is greater than anyone else’s. We hate each other but we hate them more.

I, for one, am tired of this. I’m ready to read a USC writer talk about how Michigan or Ohio State is more than likely going to ruin Pete Carroll’s season. I’m ready to be confident in saying that no matter who goes into the national championship game against us, the Big Ten will ride out of town with a tan and a crystal football. Every other conference should be complaining and making excuses about why we slaughter them year in and year out. It’s time for this trend to stop and it has to stop quickly.

We are the greatest conference in the NCAA. It’s time to remind everyone else of that fact.

Do Big Ten football loyalties run deeper?

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
If you haven't read it already, check out Mark Schlabach's piece about Michigan fans rooting for rival Michigan State in tonight's men's basketball national championship game in Detroit.
It seems as though the Spartans' effort to embrace Detroit and a state down on its luck, in addition to their underdog status against North Carolina,…
Continue reading at ESPN.com – Big Ten – Blog

Seven Ways Big Ten Football Can Resurrect Itself

After two laughable national championship efforts by Ohio State, and two awful Rose Bowl appearances by Penn State and Illinois, Big Ten football is a joke in the world of NCAA Nation.

And the pundits haven’t even a Big Ten winner factored into next year’s national championship game—or in the country’s top 10.

Here’s seven ways the Big Ten can better.

1. Ohio…
Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Big Ten Football

Friday Big Ten mailbag

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Jake from Indianapolis writes: Adam, I recently moved to Indiana from Michigan, and the love for football in the Hoosier State clearly lies in the NFL. However, I still love my college football. I've adopted IU as my in-state team to watch and cheer for. Given their past and present situation, what does IU football have to do to become a contender in the Big10? Could they ever become the Kansas of their conference?

Adam Rittenberg: Always root for the underdog, Jake. Indiana has taken a few steps toward becoming a contender, though 2008 was a big step back. The stadium renovations certainly should help, but Indiana must upgrade its recruiting and make some improvement on defense. I've harped on this even after the bowl run in 2007. Indiana won't be a relevant Big Ten program until it consistently fields a decent defense. The numbers for the last decade have been really poor. There's talent on that side of the ball with Greg Middleton, Jammie Kirlew and Matt Mayberry, but they've got to put it together.

As far as recruiting, Indiana has recruited the state decently, even though the talent might not be as strong as other states. The other thing is continuity in coaching. As new AD Fred Glass noted in our conversation last month, there has been way too much fluctuation on the Hoosiers staff.

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Jason from Unionville, Mo., writes: I don't know if you're a draft person or not but I have a question about Shonn Greene and Scouts, Inc.'s analysis. They give him average at elusiveness and center of gravity. My question is were they not watching the Wisconsin or Purdue game? Greene spun a defender out of his shoes against Purdue and ran for a 75 yard touchdown. And only average at Center of Gravity? Come on. I just wanted to know if you had any thoughts on this. Thanks for the blog, I really enjoy reading it and think you do a great job!

Adam Rittenberg: The guys at Scouts Inc. are much stronger evaluators than yours truly, but having watched Greene for much of the season, I tend to agree with you, Jason. He runs slightly upright but has the ability to juke defenders and maintain his balance on tough runs. Loyal Big Ten blog readers know all about my man crush on Greene, and my only concerns with him are things that Iowa didn't ask him to do, like catching the football out of the backfield. I think he could improve his stock with a strong performance at the combine.

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Joe from State College, Pa., writes: You did a great job with the blog this year, Adam. Do you think with Ohio State having the top recruiting class and Penn State coming in at number 10, along with a weak Michigan team coming in at number 13 (according to Scout.com), that the Big Ten is on the upswing? Ohio State was seconds away from beating a team that many believed deserved to be in the National Championship game, and with Penn State holding USC to 7 points in the second half of the game, while scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, I feel like the Big Ten is highly underrated. What will it take for the Big Ten to finally get some recognition?

Adam Rittenberg: Thanks, Joe. The consensus on Big Ten recruiting this year seemed to be the league did a solid job despite not landing many of the super elite prospects. Michigan's recruiting class coming off the worst season in team history certainly was encouraging, and Ohio State brought in an excellent group. Penn State also answered needs with its class. Getting recognition is simple: win your bowl games. Though Ohio State regained some national respect in the Fiesta Bowl, playing Texas tough or, in Penn State's case, limiting damage against USC doesn't win too many points nationally. The Big Ten desperately needs a bowl season of .500 or better this year.

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Penn State’s 2009 schedule finalized

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

There are two ways to look at Penn State's 2009 football schedule, which was released today. 

The slate sets up very well for the Nittany Lions to repeat as Big Ten champions, as fellow league title contenders Ohio State and Iowa must visit Beaver Stadium, where Penn State has won eight straight games. Penn State's conference road tests aren't easy — Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern and Michigan State — but the Lions should be favored in each one of those contests. The Lions were the last team to defend its home turf against Ohio State, which has won 15 consecutive Big Ten road games.

But Penn State fans wanting to see their team make a run for a national championship should be extremely disappointed in the 2009 slate. To call the Lions' nonconference schedule soft does an injustice to the term. Penn State's non-league portion consists of home games against Akron, Syracuse, Temple and FCS member Eastern Illinois. All four teams had losing records in 2008 and boasted a combined mark of 18-30. Yippee. 

The only way Penn State makes it to Pasadena for the Citi BCS National Championship Game is if it goes undefeated, period. The Big Ten simply isn't strong enough in the minds of most voters to justify a one-loss team being put in the title mix with such a pathetic non-league slate.

There had been some rumblings that Penn State was going to replace Eastern Illinois with an FBS team, possibly one from the ACC. Penn State didn't get nearly enough credit for pounding a good Oregon State team last year, but the Lions won't get any credit for trouncing any of these teams.

Several Big Ten teams (Minnesota, Purdue, Iowa, Illinois) boast solid non-league schedules for 2009, but Penn State's slate will only reinforce the belief that the Big Ten doesn't play anyone.

Here's the full Penn State schedule:

Sept. 5 AKRON

Sept. 12 SYRACUSE

Sept. 19 TEMPLE

Sept. 26 IOWA

Oct. 3 at Illinois

Oct. 10 EASTERN ILLINOIS

Oct. 17 MINNESOTA

Oct. 24 at Michigan

Oct. 31 at Northwestern

Nov. 7 OHIO STATE

Nov. 14 INDIANA

Nov. 21 at Michigan State

Home games in CAPS

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Sooners deserve same treatment as Buckeyes

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Fairly or unfairly, Ohio State has become the national whipping boy for its recent struggles in big games, especially the BCS championship.

Well, the Buckeyes have some company in the basement of blame.

Oklahoma deserves the same treatment Ohio State has received in recent months. The Sooners' 24-14 loss to Florida in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game on Thursday marked their fifth consecutive loss in a BCS game and their third straight in the championship. Last I checked, Ohio State has a more recent BCS bowl win (2006 Fiesta) than Oklahoma (2003 Rose).

The biggest reason why Oklahoma likely won't receive the same backlash as the Buckeyes is the nature of its losses. Three of Oklahoma's BCS losses came by 10 points or fewer, two in the title game (2009 and 2004), while Ohio State dropped the last two championship games by a combined score of 79-38. More people were entertained by Thursday night's championship than they were in each of the past two years. It's easier to lash out at Ohio State than Oklahoma. 

But sorry Sooners, a loss is a loss. Oklahoma has lost its ability to win big-time bowl games, and head coach Bob Stoops should be treated exactly like his Ohio State colleague, Jim Tressel. My guess is if the Big Ten had a championship game like the Big 12, Ohio State would win its share, just like Oklahoma.

Make no mistake, there are dozens of programs and coaches around the country that would give anything to be like Oklahoma, Ohio State, Stoops and Tressel. Those two programs have repeatedly found a way to reach the national spotlight. 

But both teams haven't achieved their final goals, and both should be viewed equally. 

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Obscure Northwestern game resonates for Meyer

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

A game that wasn’t even supposed to happen had a profound impact on Florida head coach Urban Meyer and holds sigificance in tonight’s FedEx BCS National Championship Game.

On Nov. 17, 2001, Meyer brought his Bowling Green squad to face Northwestern at Ryan Field in Evanston. Northwestern’s schedule originally didn’t include the Falcons, but after a game against Navy was postponed becaues of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Wildcats needed a game and landed one with Bowling Green. 

As Pete Thamel writes in The New York Times, the 43-42 shootout won by Bowling Green on a two-point conversion in the final minute left a mark with Meyer. It also introduced him to the offense Florida will face in tonight’s game. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson held the same position at Northwestern in 2001 and employed a no-huddle spread that piled up points. 

“‘It was the most damnedest thing you’ve ever seen,’ Meyer recalled with a smile. ‘I don’t know if I’ve been part of a better game.’ … 

“As quickly as Meyer can recall the wild final sequence that allowed Bowling Green to erase a 14-point deficit in the final 80 seconds, he can also break down his defense’s ineptitude. Bowling Green allowed 624 yards on 97 offensive plays. Northwestern never punted.”

Bowling Green’s offense wasn’t bad, either. As a student reporter covering the game, I remember how impressive Meyer’s team looked as it moved the ball down the field. His decision to go for the win and make a gutsy call — a reverse to wide receiver Cole Manger — showed a lot about the rising star in the coaching ranks.

The game eliminated Northwestern, the 2001 preseason favorite, from bowl contention. Bowling Green finished 8-3 but missed a bowl. 

So the game didn’t really mean much at the time, but Meyer and his assistants didn’t forget their first brush with Wilson’s offense.

“[Offensive coordinator Dan] Mullen said that while boarding a plane to Starkville, Miss., to be introduced as the head coach at Mississippi State, he called Meyer and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong to remind them again.

“It was the fastest thing that I’ve ever seen,” Mullen said. “I don’t mean the fastest players, I mean the fastest offense, how fast they snap the ball. I wanted those guys to remember how fast that it actually goes, that’s what’s important to remember.”

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Bet your house on Florida, and other things to discuss;

Lots to discuss, wasting no time here…..

Let’s start off with the big event in sports.  Tomorrow night’s BCS National Championship Game, Florida vs. Oklahoma.

There’s only one way to put this.  Bet everything you have on Florida right now.  It’s going to be a massive blowout.  I have about thirty reasons why this will happen, but here’s just the best reasons;

1) The Big 12 has been exposed as EXTREMELY overrated this year

Say what you will about the Big Ten and the ACC and the Big East all sucking, but the Big 12 should be VERY embarrassed with their overexposure and underwhelming bowl performances.

At one point, there were multiple teams from the Big 12 ranked in the Top 10.  It was getting ridiculous, and the AP voters and TV announcers ate it up like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  “Every week is like a bowl game in the Big 12″ they would say.  Bullshit, I say.  They were all pretty average.  Here’s how their bowl games turned out;

Texas 24, Ohio State 21 – In a game that EVERYBODY said would be a 20-point blowout, it took a miracle drive, bad tackling, and some questionable officiating to put Texas in the end zone to win the game.  Somehow along the way, hitting a Longhorn QB in the shoulder pads became a 15-yard penalty.  In the end, the team that cried their eyes out claiming they were robbed out of the title game proved that they did not deserve any titles at all.  Texas went in thinking they would run up the score and pick up some first-place votes found themselves without a TD (and only 3 total points) for the entire first half.

Overrated?  Texas was ranked #1 in the nation at one point this year, Ohio State was given a 9% chance to win the game.  Yes, Texas was overrated.

Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34 – Ole Miss is an average SEC team, always finishing in the middle of the pack.  Texas Tech was another team looking to destroy their bowl opponent, this time to prove that they should have gotten in a BCS game.  Mission failed.  Badly.  After getting off to a fast start, the Red Raiders proved that they deserved absolutely nothing when they allowed Ole Miss to go on a 38-7 run and blow out their Big 12 foe.

Overrated?  Texas Tech was ranked #2 in the nation earlier this year.  Ole Miss lost to Vanderbilt and South Carolina…both at home.  Yes, Tech was overrated.

Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT) – Despite the wishes of the Big 12’s most popular brother-sister team (otherwise known as Chase Daniel’s parents), Missouri looked like crap against the Big Ten’s 8th-best pass defense.  Northwestern should have won this game, but some late miscues handed the game to Mizzou.

Overrated?  Missouri was once ranked #3 in the NCAA.  Northwestern lost a game by 35 points this year.  Yes, Missouri was overrated.

Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31 - Okie State started off fast, but couldn’t maintain themselves against a rushing attack from the Ducks.  Two Oregon players would break the 100-yard mark on their way to 307 yards team rushing.  Oregon also racked up a total of 565 yards aginst Okie State.

Overrated?  Oklahoma State was once ranked #7 in the nation.  Yes, Okie State was overrated.

Nebraska 26, Clemson 21 – In the Gator Bowl, Nebraska was trying to recapture some of their historic greatness, and their prospects were large, playing against a team that only won 7 games in the pathetic ACC….a team so bad, they fired their coach mid-season.  And they barely escaped with the win, when a Tigers TD was overturned by instant review.

Overrated?  Well, Nebraska was never rated.  But they barely beat a bad, bad team.

Kansas 42, Minnesota 21 – The lone bright spot for the conference so far, Kansas doubled up on Minnesota, who were bowling to the shock of everyone not in a Gopher uniform at the start of the season.  As the season wore on, Minnesota’s weak schedule was exposed by the Big Ten, and the regular season ended mercifully with a 55-0 Minny loss.

Overrated?  Kansas was actually ranked as high as #13 this year.  Minny lost a game 55-0.  Yes, Kansas was overrated.

The point of all this is simple – the Big 12 was NOT the meat-grinder that the media told us it was over and over and over again.  Oklahoma’s not ready for this game.

#2) Florida IS ready for this game

A bad performance by Tim Tebow once this year nearly cost Florida a shot, but they came back in a dominating way.  Since their loss in Week 4, they have been unstoppable.  Take a look at this;

• Week 5 – 31-point win against Arkansas
• Week 6 – 30-point win over then-#4 LSU
• Week 7 – 58-point win over bowl-bound Kentucky
• Week 8 – 39-point win over then-#6 Georgia
• Week 9 – 28-point win over bowl-bound Vanderbilt
• Week 10 – 50-point win over bowl-bound and then-#25 South Carolina
• Week 11 – 51-point win over The Citadel
• Week 12 – 30-point win over bowl-bound Florida State
• Week 13 – 11-point win over then-#1 and BCS-Bowl bound Alabama

Yeah, they’re ready.

3) The Heisman Curse

Sam Bradford won the Heisman this year.  Heisman winners usually suck in bowl games, especially National Championships (we know, we know).  Only twice in the past 30 years has the Heisman winner gone on to win a National Championship.  No, Tebow didn’t win it the year Florida took the title (Troy Smith won it).

4) Oklahoma pretty much sucks at BCS bowl games

For all the whining and crying you hear about Ohio State’s recent bowl losses, you just don’t hear those kind of attacks leveled at the Sooners.  And believe me, they’re much worse.  In their last 4 BCS bowls, they are 0-4 and have been blown out more than once.

• 2008 – Lost to West Virginia 48-28
• 2007 – Lost to Boise State 43-42
• 2005 – Lost to USC 55-19
• 2004 – Lost to LSU 21-14

If they make it 0-5, we’d better NEVER hear about our own shortcomings again.  Especially since they’ll have lost two national championships in that time frame.

Convinced?  Call Vegas ASAP.

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Last night, the Cavaliers overtook the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference when Boston lost.  The Cavs now have the best record in the NBA.

Tonight, the Cavaliers beat the living daylights out of Charlotte, 111-81.  Boston’s loss last night?  It was to that same Charlotte team.

The Celtics come to The Q Friday night.  It should be insaaaaaane!

——————–

Speaking of the Cavaliers game, there were many highlights to go over.  But the best was watching former Michigan Fab-Fiver Juwan Howard get tossed from the game while sitting on the bench.

By the way, did you know that the Fab Five never won a single title in college?  No national titles, no Big Ten titles, nothing.  Just thought I’d mention that.

———————

In the “what the hell” category, Boobie Gibson also got a technical foul tonight.  For having an untucked shirt.  No, I’m not kidding.

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The Cleveland Browns hired their new coach tonight.  Eric Mangini, former Jets coach, and former ball boy for the Browns, will call the plays next year.

Makes sense to me.  Hell, there were CURRENT ball boys that could have done better with the Browns this season.

———————–

Last week, it was announced that Michigan’s only offensive threat, Sam McGuffie, has left Ann Arbor and will enroll at Rice next year.  McGuffie was rumored to have been struggling with depression and on medication.  Being closer to home will be better for the kid.

Also better for him will be not having to deal with decapitation at the hands of Ohio State special teams players.

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Finally, in the most laughable news you’ll ever hear, Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriquez recently said he has “always taken the approach that you should look at each job as your last.”

Yeah, he actually said that.  With a straight face, no less.

Story By The Buckeye Battle Cry

1Q update: Ohio State 3, Texas 0

Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Once again, Ohio State has an early lead in a big game.

Can the Buckeyes hold it?

The second quarter has doomed Ohio State in recent showcase games and will be crucial against Texas, which is showing some life on offense. Colt McCoy and the Longhorns have accelerated their pace on offense and marched inside Buckeyes’ territory after two punts.

Ohio State has controlled the tempo so far, though the Buckeyes don’t have much to show for it.

They didn’t waste any time unveiling their much-discussed two quarterback plan.

Senior Todd Boeckman took the game’s first snap with Terrelle Pryor lined up wide and found Brian Robiskie for a 17-yard gain. Boeckman left the field but re-entered three plays later and threw a beautiful deep fade that Robiskie dropped. The veteran seems on his game and could be a weapon later in the game.

Ohio State has moved the ball decently, but pass-protection problems are already surfacing. Texas All-American rush end Brian Orakpo is schooling Buckeyes left tackle Alex Boone, and Pryor took a sack that nearly took the team out field-goal range.

Pryor looks decent so far, though twice he has curiously run out of bounds when he easily could have gained more yards.

Ohio State was outscored 55-7 in the second quarter in its two national championship game losses and a Sept. 13 setback at USC.

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