A B1G Change

Due to COVID this year the B1G season has been delayed and now that it is starting back, it has been decided there will be an 8 game season after which they will play a championship game.  With 7 teams in each division that means they will play 6 divisional opponents and 2 cross-division opponents.  This is not too different than usual.  

What will be different is what happens in the 9th game.  It's going to be December 9th and usually, this would be the league championship game.  Because of the shortened schedule, they've decided to let every team play that weekend with the 1st place team in each division playing each other, then the 2nd place team, and so on down to the 7th place teams.

This is such a good idea that it's something I really think they should consider doing on a permanent basis.  Ostensibly you'd get some really good matchups but the best game might be watching the 7th place teams play each other.  It would be a bowl of sorts for teams who haven't qualified for a bowl and a way to end a season on a positive note.

Last season would have had 2-10 (0-9) Rutgers facing 3-9 (1-8) Northwestern.  I'm pretty sure I would have watched this instead of the 2nd place game of Penn State vs Minnesota.

This got me to thinking as definitive crowning a league 'cellar dweller' could add a bit of excitement to the league with the addition of relegation.  I've seen people joking that the B1G would trade their 14th place team for the MAC champ but that's fantasyland.  There's too much money passing hands in the conference and they can't just boot someone to a league that makes $50million less a year.

What you could do is create two divisions that relegate back and forth but if you do that then 14 teams aren't enough.  Seven teams would play each other one time and leave you with another six games to fill out a schedule.  Of course, teams will want to 3-4 out of conference games and you might want to protect an interdivisional game in case Michigan gets relegated but they are Ohio State's traditional rival. :P

I'd see it like this: 

3 - Out of conference games
2 - Protected Rivals 
7 - Conference Games

* Note - If your protected rival hasn't been relegated then the league scheduler will match you up against a team in the other division based on league finish the previous season.

What this would mean is the B1G would need to add 2 teams to give them two divisions of 8 for a total of 16 teams.

Who might be good candidates?  Virginia has always been a school I'd like to get academically, Virginia Tech is a better fit football-wise.  Missouri is a good fit geographically.  Texas/Oklahoma would be great but I doubt they'd leave the Big 12.  Notre Dame probably won't come either but we should ask.  Two other schools that fit into the footprint as research institutions would be Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh.

Let's assume we get Missouri and Virginia.  These aren't perfect fits but they should be representative.

Both newcomers would be added to the bottom league as part of their 'initiation' (this clearly wouldn't be the case for Texas, Oklahoma, or Notre Dame).

Based on last years results we'd have a league that looks like this

Upper
Ohio State
Penn State
Michigan
Iowa
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Indiana
Michigan State

Lower
Nebraska
Illinois
Rutgers
Northwestern
Maryland
Illinois
Purdue
Missouri
Virginia

The beautiful part of this is the best teams in the league get more matchups meaning games that ESPN, Fox, etc, and up the value of the league's media rights.  A side benefit is the teams in the lower league aren't stuck in purgatory forever with annual losses to perennial powers.  A traditional school like Nebraska could really turn around the program with a year in the Lower Division.  A school like Rutgers is facing lesser competition and allowing the program a chance to gain some pride.

Of course, increasing the difficulty of the schedule means you wouldn't do something like this without an automatic bid to the college football playoffs for the B1G.  After all, Alabama has Arkansas on their schedule every year and this league would have no padding which will make it harder to get into the playoffs.

There's another catch too.  If the top teams in the B1G play each other every year then that will mean more losses and a possibility of fewer bowl appearances for teams better than their record might appear.  This is where the league needs to flex its TV muscle and insist teams from the Upper-Division that finish in the top 6 get a bowl bid.  The teams in the lower division that finish in the top 4 get a bowl bid.  That would give the league a guarantee of 10 bowl bids.  They got 9 in 2019.

Assuming all this happens, this is where things get fun.  Can you imagine the matchups?  Every week of the season would be a battle.  There'd be no ducking good teams from the other division to pad your record.  That would happen in the lower division by design and that's ok.  It breaks up the monotony and gives every team a chance to shine while giving increased competition in the upper-division that should be attractive to any recruit hoping to get to the NFL.

We'd still have the matchup games during championship week.  Using last year as a guide, Indiana would have played Michigan State to see who would get relegated.  Nebraska would have played Illinois.  Can you imagine the tension in Lincoln during that game?  A win by Indiana to stay in the upper-division would be talked about for generations.

The tension and interest in those games would almost surely outstrip the championship games and fetch a pretty good payday.

It will probably never happen but it would be amazing.

2018 college football playoffs using the Australian NRL Finals System

I saw a twitter post by Dan Wetzel that mentioned the NRL finals system.  The system seems complex at first but after studying it I really started to love it.  Granted, this will never happen but it is fun to dream about doing something like this.  Here's the 2018 college football final standing with first-round matchups in parenthesis.

1. Alabama (home vs #4)
2. Clemson (home vs #3)
3. Notre Dame
4. Oklahoma
5. Georgia (home vs #8)
6. Ohio State (home vs #7)
7. Michigan
8. Central Florida

I think in real life the system would put Washington in since they won the Pac 12 and also keep Central Florida since they were the highest finisher of the Group of 5.  That would mean Michigan would be eliminated but I'm going to keep the standings as determined by the current system. 

Here's the games and the final score from one iteration at College Football Sim.com.  The home team is the one listed first:

41 Alabama (Alabama was projected winner in 57% of all simulations)
13 Oklahoma

41 Clemson (Clemson was projected winner in 56% of all simulations)
17 Notre Dame

35 Georgia (Georgia was projected winner in 88% of all simulations)
17 Central Florida

23 Ohio State
30 Michigan (Michigan was projected winner in 64% of all simulations)

Just imagine a weekend with these games.  The next weekend would pit the losers of the 1-4 and 2-3 matchups vs the winners of the 5-8 and 6-7 games.  Home teams listed first.

19 Oklahoma (1-4 Loser) (Oklahoma was projected winner in 52% of all simulations)
24 Georgia (5-8 Winner)

10 Notre Dame (2-3 Loser)
19 Michigan (6-7 Winner) (Michigan was projected winner in 64% of all simulations)

The visitor won in both simulations though both would be great games.  That would set up the semifinals with the winners from the 1-4 game in week 1 playing the winner of the opposite bracket from week 2.  The 2-3 winner from week 1 would play the other winner from week 2.

24 Alabama (Alabama was projected winner in 66% of all simulations)
15 Michigan

10 Clemson
20 Georgia (Georgia was projected winner in 70% of all simulations)

I know this seems confusing but it's not too bad once you see it in action (check out the NRL wiki as it explains it well).  Here's the final game played on a neutral field.

24 Alabama (Alabama was projected winner in 55% of all simulations)
30 Georgia 

Wouldn't this be amazing?  I'm not a big SEC fan but this would allow the 5th team a shot at redemption from their championship.  It also reward teams who had the best regular seasons.  The teams that finished #1-#2 would be guaranteed 2 home games.  The teams that finished #3-#6 would get 1 home game.

Just look at the matchups this system created:

• Ohio State - Michigan
• Alabama - Oklahoma
• Clemson-Notre Dame
• Oklahoma - Georgia
• Notre Dame - Michigan
• Alabama - Michigan
• Clemson - Georgia
• Alabama - Georgia
• UCF - Georgia

Can you imagine a season that ending like this?  There is not a dog game among them (except maybe UCF) and I'd bet all these games would get a 10+ share.

Here's the ratings for last year's games bowl playoff system:

• Peach: 4.6
• Cotton: 5.3
• Orange: 6.3
• Fiesta: 5.7
• Sugar: 11.7 (Semi-final)
• Rose: 13.7 (Semi-final)
• Championship: 15.6

ESPN is currently paying $470 million / year for these 6 bowl games plus the championship game.  How many of these games do people actually want to watch?  What would ESPN pay for 9 games that actually matter?  Would the number double?  I'd bet you could easily figure it at an extra $300 million in revenue and college football would own the month of December.

While this would add 3-4 games for the teams involved, the money would also help them head off a looming issue for the NCAA.

128 teams in Division 1-A x 85 scholarships = 10,880
$300 million / 10,880 = $27,574

My preference for this fund would be to enable the NCAA to make sure all schools can afford to allow their student-athletes go back to school to finish their education if circumstances force them to leave for some reason.  It would also enable the NCAA to pay a stipend for college football players  who graduate based on every year they were on scholarship.  Play football for four years, graduate, and get $100,000 to start the next phase of your life?  You could even add additional for the players that made it to the playoffs and played in these games.  Win - win - win.

I know there are Title IX issues along with a myriad of other things that make this impossible but it's fun to think about.

What if national champions - 2010

So I couldn't stop with my last post.  There's a website that simulates game results of past teams based on an algorithm.  I thought it might be fun to play a couple of these playoffs out with a seven game series like baseball (only with home/neutral field restrictions).  Here's 2010:

Boise State (10) at Auburn (1)
Oklahoma (7) at Oregon (2)
Ohio State (6) at TCU (3)
Stanford (4) at Wisconsin (5)

Boise State at Auburn:

Game 1 - BSU 23 : Aub 20 - Kellen Moore throws for 401 yards.
Game 2 - BSU 41 : Aub 21 - Doug Martin runs for 83 while making 5 catches for 58
Game 3 - BSU 56 : Aub 23 - Kellen Moore throws for 423 yards with 4 TDs
Game 4 - BSU 42 : Aub 31 - Kellen Moore throws for  339 and 3 TDs

This was a shocker.  I don't know much about the website's algorithm but I'm sure it wasn't made by an SEC fan.  I ran this another 4 times and Boise won 3 of them.

Oklahoma at Oregon:

Game 1 : Ore 38 : Okl 10 - LaMichael James goes for 209 and a TD
Game 2 : Ore 48 : Okl 17 - LaMichael James goes for 350 and 4 TDs
Game 3 : Okl 27 : Ore 22 - DeMarco Murray runs for 102 and a TD
Game 4 : Okl 24 : Ore 21 - Landry Jones throws for 303 and 2 TDs
Game 5 : Okl 41 : Ore 21 - DeMarco Murray runs for 129-2 TDs and 122 receiving with a TD
Game 6 : Ore 41 : Okl 23 - LaMichael James and Kenyon Barner combine for 258 yds rushing
Game 7 : Ore 58 : Okl 27 - LaMichael James goes for 192 and 4 TDs

Tight series.  James was a beast.

Ohio State at TCU

Game 1 : TCU 28 : OSU   9 - Andy Dalton with 148 yards and a TD in the air.
Game 2 : TCU 23 : OSU 15 - Andy Dalton with a group effort.
Game 3 : TCU 30 : OSU 17 - Andy Dalton with 256 yds passing and a TD.
Game 4 : TCU 38 : OSU 31 - Andy Dalton throw for 220 and 3 TDs.

I can't say this result is especially surprising.  Those last Tressel teams relied on Terrelle Pryor to hide a lot of holes.  TCU had a good defense and a future NFL QB running the offense.

Stanford at Wisconsin

Game 1 : Wis 31 : Stan 6 - Scott Tolzien throws for 253-2 TDs.  John Clay runs for 100-1 TD.
Game 2 : Stan 41 : Wis 33 - Andrew Luck throws for 375 and 2 TDs
Game 3 : Wis 37 : Stan 36 - John Clay and Montee Ball run for 207 yds and 3 TDs
Game 4 : Wis 29 : Stan 28 - Scott Tolzien throws for 20-23-257-1.  Clay and Ball combine for 179.
Game 5 : Wis 22 : Stan 20 - Clay goes for 111.  Ball for 94.

Andrew Luck had a lot of yards but the balanced attack of Wisconsin won out.

Boise State vs Wisconsin

Game 1 : BSU 26 : Wisc   7 - Kellen Moore throws for 28-40-382-2 TDs
Game 2 : BSU 38 : Wisc 22 - Kellen Moore throws for 24-40-264-3 TDs
Game 3 : BSU 43 : Wisc 35 - Kellen Moore throws for 26-35-398-2 TDs
Game 4 : Wisc 38 : BSU 31 - John Clay runs for 172 and 2 TDs
Game 5 : BSU 54 : Wisc 21 - Kellen Moore throws for 28-38-387-7 TDs

Kellen Moore was a beast in college.  If he actually had done this in a college playoff he might have gotten a better shot in the pro's.

Oregon vs TCU

Game 1 : Ore 38 : TCU 22 - LaMichael James runs for 150 and 2 TDs.
Game 2 : Ore 42 : TCU 39 - Darron Thomas throws for 20-26-230-4 TDs
Game 3 : TCU 33 : Ore 28 - Matthew Tucker and Ed James combine for 212 and 3 TDs
Game 4 : Ore 37 : TCU 33 - LaMichael James runs for 141 and 1 TD.
Game 5 : TCU 27 : Ore   9 - Ed Wesley runs for 136 and 2 TDs.
Game 6 : TCU 37 : Ore 27 - Ed Wesley runs for 141 and 2 TDs.
Game 7 : TCU 59 : Ore 14 - Waymon James runs for 141 and 2 TDs.  Dalton passes for 3 TDs.

TCU relies on its running game to come back for the win.

Boise State vs TCU

Game 1 : BSU 45 : TCU 31 - Doug Martin goes 98-2TDs on the ground and 86 receiving with a TD.
Game 2 : BSU 43 : TCU 20 - Doug Martin runs for 108 with 2 TDs.
Game 3 : BSU 34 : TCU 32 - Kellen Moore throws for 352 with 4 TDs.
Game 4 : BSU 42 : TCU 24 - Doug Martin runs for 66 yds with 3 TDs.  Catches 5-68 and a TD.

This certainly wasn't what I expected when I started.  There's no doubt the TV executives would be crying with a Boise State - TCU championship game.

A perfect playoff is almost in our grasp

This season shows us one more time that the college football playoff just isn't big enough.  The main cause is combination of 130 teams, all who have the ability to cherry pick their schedule and so we are left to eye test who should be in the final four.

The ideal number for a playoff is 6 as it gives you 1 team from each conference and a wildcard.  The thing is bye week's are stupid especially when you consider we really don't know who is really deserving.  I do understand the complaints of those that say expanding it that far will harm the regular season but 4 hasn't done that and neither will 8.  After that, I will join the ranks of that reject expanding the playoffs.  College football has the most important regular season of any American sport.  We can't lose that.

The process to get the teams is simple and I've kept my same idea for years as it is the only one that really could work.  The playoff is one week after the college football championship games.  The rules are simple.  The five conference champions get in - One 'Group of Five' team gets in if they are ranked in the top 15 - The remaining teams are pulled from the final College Football ranking - you have to be a conference champ to get home field in the first round.

This year would look like this:

UCF (12) at Clemson (1)
USC (8) at Oklahoma (2)
Wisconsin (6) at Georgia (3)
Alabama (4)  at Ohio State (5)

Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio State, and USC are conference champs.
Home field is assigned from this group based on final ranking.

UCF gets in because they are the top ranked group of five team.
Alabama and Wisconsin are the two highest ranked teams remaining.
Visiting teams assigned based on final ranking.

Under this system Auburn (7) gets left out and I'm sure there would be complaints as they'd beaten Alabama and crushed Georgia.  They have a valid argument but they'd lost in their conference playoff.  While Wisconsin did the same, the committee ranked them higher.  Bottom line - don't lose in the championship game.

Based on what we know from the bowl games these December matchups would have been fun to watch.  My picks are UCF, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Ohio State (call me a homer but the Buckeyes would have played Alabama at home in 20 degree weather).  Ohio State vs UCF would have been interesting but I'd pick the Buckeyes.  Georgia beat Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl setting up a Buckeye-Bulldog final.  I'd love to see that game.

Here's the playoff from 2016:

Western Michigan (15) at Alabama (1)
Oklahoma (7) at Clemson (2)
Michigan (6) at Washington (4)
Ohio State (3) at Penn State (5)

The biggest complaint here would be the rematch between OSU and Penn State.  Other than that it looks pretty standard.  I'd pick Alabama, Clemson, Washington, and Ohio State.  This happens to be the exact final four from that season and we know how it turned out.

Here's 2015:

Notre Dame (8) at Clemson (1)
Ohio State (7) at Alabama (2)
Stanford (6) at Michigan State (3)
Iowa (5) at Oklahoma (4)

This is a much more standard playoff though I'm sure there'd be a push to put Houston (18) in place of Notre Dame (8) for a Group of Five representative.  I'd pick Clemson, Ohio State, Stanford, and Oklahoma.  Clemson and Ohio State in the final and the Buckeyes to win it all.  That team was beastly though the first round matchup at Alabama would be a tough one.

Here's 2014:

Michigan State (8) at Alabama (1)
Mississippi State (7) at Oregon (2)
TCU (6) at Florida State (3)
Baylor (5) at Ohio State (4)

I'd pick the home teams to set up the eventual playoff we got though TCU might beat Florida State.

The question from critics of expansion is whether these games would hurt the regular season.  I think it wouldn't as these people are underrating the value of getting a home field game in the first round which means 1) the conference championship games are important and 2) finishing in the top 4 is important.  One unexpected loss in a conference championship game will scramble everything and fans from other leagues want to know their next opponent.

Let's use 2014 as an example.  Ohio State needed a convincing win vs Wisconsin to be ranked ahead of Baylor/TCU and get the home field.  They got it.  If they didn't they end up on the road at Baylor or Florida State.  But lets assume they somehow lost this game.  Here's the new matchup.

Wisconsin (10) at Alabama (1)
Michigan State (7) at Oregon (2)
Mississippi State (6) at Florida State (3)
TCU (5) at Baylor (4)

That's an entire new set of matchups with only one unexpected loss.  (I love some of these matchups - TCU and Baylor get a rematch to determine their conference champion plus Jameis vs Dak).  The final in this world would probably end up with Alabama and Oregon in the finals with Alabama winning.

You can do the same thing with any conference championship and most of the games at the end of the regular season.  This playoff wouldn't lessen the regular season it would enhance it.

The title of this article calls this a perfect playoff.  I realize there are still people that could complain but of the 4 seasons I reviewed only 1 has a real gripe (Auburn) and they lost in their championship game, which I consider part of the playoffs.

It would be great if we moved to a system like this but until then I will just be happy in my belief that there's an alternate universe where the Buckeyes have won 3 of the last 4 national championships. :P

-----------------

I had to do a couple more because it was fun to consider:

2013:

Central Florida (15) at Florida State (1)
Ohio State (7) at Auburn (2)
Baylor (6) at Michigan State (4)
Alabama (3) at Stanford (5)

This looks like a lot of fun.  Ohio State gets a shot at redemption after failing in the B1G championship game.  As punishment they have to face the SEC champs at home.  My picks - Florida State, Auburn, Michigan State, Alabama.  Same final game.

2012:

Wisconsin (NR) at Notre Dame (1)
Florida State (11) at Alabama (2)
Stanford (6) at Oregon (4)
Florida (2) at Kansas State (5)

This is one of those seasons that shows anything can happen.  Wisconsin was 4-4 in league play but due to NCAA violations neither Ohio State or Penn State could play in the B1G championship game.  Then Wisconsin beat Nebraska making them champions.  It probably would have been Notre Dame, Alabama, Oregon, Florida with Florida and Alabama in the final.  We would have ended up with the same result but with a lot more fun on the way.

2011:

Virginia Tech (11) at LSU (1)
Wisconsin (10) at Oklahoma State (3)
Oregon (5) at Stanford (4)
Alabama (2) at Boise State (7)

This year is a beautiful mess.  The group of Five representative is ranked higher than the B1G or ACC champs so they get the 4th home game.  Can you imagine the furor if #2 Alabama had to travel to Boise?  I'd love that.  The results most likely would be LSU, Oklahoma State, Oregon and Alabama with an Alabama - Oklahoma State final.  That was much better than the LSU-Alabama SEC lovefest we actually got.

2010:

Boise State (10) at Auburn (1)
Oklahoma (7) at Oregon (2)
Ohio State (6) at TCU (3)
Stanford (4) at Wisconsin (5)

This year was pretty straight forward.  The team on the bubble was Arkansas at 8.  It's been a while but I'd pick Auburn, Oregon, Ohio State, and Stanford.  Auburn and Oregon in the final with Auburn winning.  No one was beating Cam that year.

The Three Commisioners of College Football

In 2010, three college commissions met in a secret underground bunker to discuss the future of the game.  This is their story.

Commissioners:
Dan Beebe – Big 12
Mike Slive – SEC
JIm Delany – Big Ten
Larry Scott – Pac 10

Delany and Slive at the same time: I’d like to thank you both for coming to the nation’s capital to meet with me.

Scott: *Shakes his head at the other two*  Look guys, if this is going to work, we have to work together.  The Mountain West and the WAC are stirring the pot and Congress may force us to have a true college playoff on our hands if we don’t do something.

Delany and Slive nod their heads and answer together:  Yeah, no one wants that.

Scott: Exactly, that would cut into our profits.  The Big East is taking too much already and we can get it all back but we have a small window and need to act fast.  My conference is in 4 states on the west coast, Jim, you are in 8, and Mike you are in 9.  That’s only 21 total states and while we dominate our respective areas, the politicians are going to kill us in congress if we don’t take drastic action. Jim, you started the ball rolling with your statement that you are ‘looking to add a team’.  What’s your plan.”

Delany: We are doing a thorough investigation and….

Slive:  Cut the bullshit Jim.  Who do you want?

Delany: Texas and Notre Dame.

Slive and Scott:  Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! *catches breath*

Delany: The metrics make……..

Slive and Scott: Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!  *eventually they stop laughing*

Scott: Notre Dame hates you and Texas isn’t going anywhere without Oklahoma.

Delany: We are the Big Ten!

*An awkward silence fills the for a few seconds*

Slive:  You can have Nebraska and Missouri.

Delany: Nebraska and Notre Dame?

Scott: If you can convince them.  The state of Texas is mine.

Slive: Not so fast.  I want A&M.

Delany: I want Texas.

Scott: It’s not going to happen Jim but do your best.  Let’s get Beebe in here.  I need to tell him.

Beebe: Hey guys!  For some reason the door was locked.

*The others smile*

Scott: Sorry about that Dan.  I just wanted you to know I’ve sent an offer to Texas that I’d take them, Colorado and 4 others of their choosing to join the Pac 10.

**Delany, Slive, and Beebe look shocked**

Beebe: Aren’t we supposed to these these things in advance?

Scott: That’s what we are doing right now.  I need you to get Texas to agree to my deal and you can be my special asst commissioner in Austin.

Beebe:  *gulp*  Um sure Larry.

Scott: I hear the pizza guy outside.  Can you go get it?

Beebe:  Sure Larry.  *Beebe leaves and Scott locks the door behind him.*

*Slive and Delany look angry*

Scott: I want Texas.

Delany and Slive: Obviously.

Slive: Texas won’t come.

Scott: If you want someone take A&M.  I don’t need them.  Jim you take Nebraska.

Slive: Who’s taking Missouri?

Delany smiles: You are.

Slive looks angry:  You win this round Jim but you should remember that I have a long memory.

--------------------------------------

In 2012,  they reconvene.

Slive starts the conversation by asking Scott:  How’d Texas work out for you?

Scott: Fuck off.  We did get Utah.

**Delany and Slive snicker while Scott glares at them both**

Scott:  Look you assholes.  This isn’t about getting the best football teams or creating good matchups.  We are getting votes.  The congressmen in Utah were talking too much and I took care of it.  Have you heard a peep from them since?

**Delany and Slive nod and answer in unison** Thanks Larry.

Scott:  With Colorado and Utah, I’m up to 6 states in the west and most of the votes west of the Rockies.  There isn’t much else I can do so the ball’s in your court.

Delany: What about BYU and Boise State?

Scott: The hippies in Berkley won’t let the former happen and do we really want to share our money with a bunch of potato farmers?  It’s not many votes.  You guys have better options.

Delany:  I added Nebraska and Mike added Texas A&M and Missouri.  That gives us 26 states though I’d say our hold on Texas, Georgia and Florida is tenuous.

Scott turns to Slive: Can you make A&M look good this year?  Whatever we can do to make the Longhorns look bad should help us get them in line.

Slive:  I see you still hold a bit of a grudge but it’s doable.  Saban owes me big time but we still need more votes. *He looks at Delany and smiles* You get Rutgers.

Delany: Fuck that!  I crawled out of that hell hole as a boy and said I was never going back.

Slive:  Do you remember remember Missouri?  *Slive laughs* I can sweeten the deal to give you your alma mater North Carolina too.

Delany:  Don’t you think I haven’t already tried?

Slive: How about this?  You take Rutgers and Maryland.  I’ll follow by taking NC State and Virginia Tech which will cripple the ACC.  You should then be able to easily get Virginia and your precious, North Carolina.  It even fits with your CIC BS of wanting only AAU members.

Delany brightens: That might work.  I’ll do it.

Scott pats them both on the back:  That’s great.  That will give us 30 states.  We will even be filibuster proof.

The three begin to laugh maniacally.

Delany: Then can I have Notre Dame?  I’ll take Georgia Tech too to ensure our hold on that state.

Scott and Slive at the same time: Only if I can have Texas……. 

**shouting ensues**

….. to be continued …..

Have we missed anyone in the Buckeye Ring of Honor?

Any fan of Ohio State that has been to the stadium notices the names surrounding the field below C deck.  These are the players and coaches who have been inducted into the Ring of Honor.  As of this writing they are:

Chic Harley (47)
Vic Janowicz (31)
Hopalong Cassidy (40)
Archie Griffin (45)
Les Horvath (22)
Eddie George (27)
Bill Willis (99)

To these, the names of 2 Hall of Fame coaches have been added:

Paul Brown
Woody Hayes

Last year Gene Smith announced the school would no longer retire jerseys as there are too many people that need to be honored and not enough numbers. That is a smart policy and frankly I think they should 'unretire' the above but only give out sparingly (more on the later).

This has opened the field to see if any players have been ignored as this practice started in the 1990s and memories are short. I put together a list of names I think should be considered:

Wes Fesler - 3 time All American led the powerful Ohio State teams of the late 1920s and an All-American in Basketball in the 1930-31 season. He probably won't ever be considered because the way his coaching career ended at Ohio State. He led the school to their first Rose Bowl victory after the 1949 season but left the school in ignominy after the upset at the hands of Michigan in the 1950 Snow Bowl.

Gomer Jones - The linchpin on both the offensive line and the defense at middle linebacker of teams that routinely beat that team up north in 1934-36. Twice named All American, his teams cemented Ohio's love of the Buckeyes and set the stage for college football's greatest rivalry (started as the last game in 1934). Asst Coach at both Ohio State and Oklahoma before transitioning to Athletic Director at Oklahoma.

Don Scott - He was the quarterback in the single wing for the 1939-40 teams and named All American both years. He died in a training accident in World War Two and the school named their airport after him.

**** Note - College players went both ways from 1954-1964

Jim Parker - Parker was a unanimous All America selection in 1955-56 and won the Outland Trophy in 1956. That year Parker himself finished eighth in the Heisman vote. 8 time Pro Bowler in the NFL and many consider him the best linemen ever.

Jim Houston - All American and team captain that played both ways (end/linebacker) in 1958-59 and named team MVP both years. Played for the Browns in the NFL and named to the Pro Bowl 4 times as a linebacker.

Bob Ferguson - One of the best fullbacks in Ohio State history. Led the team's rushing attack that position from 1959 to 1961 and finished with the 2nd highest rushing total to that point. He was named Team MVP in 1960-61, All American both years, and finished second in the voting to Ernie Davis in a vote that some feel was making up for Davis' snub the previous 2 years.

Jim Stillwagon - Stillwagon was a three-year starter with the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1968 - 1970. He was a consensus All-America selection as a junior and senior, and won the Outland Trophy and was the first-ever winner of the Lombardi Award. He also won the 1970 UPI Lineman of the Year.

John Hicks - During Hicks' three years, Ohio State posted a 28-3-1 record, and each year (he missed the 1971 season with a knee injury), Ohio State won the Big Ten Championship and went to the Rose Bowl, making Hicks the first person from OSU to play in three Rose Bowls. Was named All American/All Big Ten in 1972-73. Hicks won the Lombardi Award as the nation's most outstanding lineman and the Outland Trophy as the nation's best interior lineman in 1973 along with being named 2nd in Heisman voting.

Randy Gradishar - Started a trend of Linebacker U that continues to this day. Twice All American in 1972-73, Woody Hayes called him 'the best linebacker I ever coached'. Went to the NFL and was a perennial All Pro and already in the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

Chris Spielman - He was a two-time All-American, intercepted 11 passes, and won the Lombardi Award as the best college football lineman or linebacker in 1986. In the NFL he played for 12 seasons and still leads the Lions as in career tackles.

Mike Vrabel - Two Time Defensive Lineman of the year in the Big Ten and All American in 1995-96. Followed that with a productive NFL career and now is an assistant coach at Ohio State.

Orlando Pace - Two time Outland Trophy winner in 1995 and the best linemen I've ever seen in person.

Antoine Winfield - A homer pick on my part but I love this guy. Two time All American in 1997-98 and still making hits in the NFL after a dozen years in the league.

Mike Doss - Three time All American and an all time hero to Buckeye Nation when we returned for his senior season to lead the team to a national championship in 2002.

AJ Hawk - Twice All American at Middle Linebacker in 2004-05. Now in the NFL for the Packers.

James Laurenitis - Three time All American at Middle Linebacker from 2006-08 and Pro Bowler in the NFL.

Troy Smith - Won the Heisman in 2006 and almost led the Buckeyes to a national championship. There are rumors there are rifts between Smith and the school which need healing before this will ever happen.

Jim Tressel - It will take a few years but he belongs up there with the other two coaches that won national titles. I hope it happens before 2020 but I know some still hold a grudge.

People left off the list - Cris Carter, Art Schlitchter for off the field reasons. I'd love to include both but they had incidents after their OSU careers ended that make it impossible for them to be put in the highest honor at the school. I'd be ok with Carter getting in. As much as I loved Art as a kid there's no way it will ever happen.

Post note - I'd love for certain numbers to be permanently retired as a nod to the past and given to deserving players in their junior/senior years.  Only the best would get them after proving their worth.

Quarterback - 10 for the last two National championships - Rex Kern and Troy Smith
Running back - 27 / 45 / 31 / 22 / 47 - Already retired and used on a rotating basis
Wide Receiver - open
Lineman - 75 - Orlando Pace's number
Defensive Line - 99 - Already retired for Willis
Linebacker - 36 for Spielman among others
Corner - 11 for Winfield though there are others like Springs, Gamble, Jenkins, that would work.
Safety - 2 for Doss

This would replace the retirement process and allow older numbers to be reserved/honored.

Great recruiting class–What’s next

It’s always great to finish off a recruiting class strong and the next question the coaches need to figure out is what do we need next year.  I’d bet they already know this but I thought I’d give it a quick shot.  Here’s our current list of scholarships:

Current Roster (Already Enrolled) – 63 (5 Early Enrolled)

QB (4) – B.Miller (Jr.), K.Guiton (Sr.), C.Jones (rFr.), J.Barrett (Fr.)
RB (5) – C.Hyde (Sr.), J.Hall (rSr.), R.Smith (rJr.), B.Dunn (So.), W.Ball (rFr.)
FB (0)
WR (6) – C.Brown (Sr.), D. Smith (Jr.), E.Spencer (Jr.), M.Thomas (So.), C.Fields (Sr.), F.Epitropolous (rFr.)
TE (3) – J.Heuerman (Jr.), N.Vannett (rSo.), B.Thomas (rFr.)
OL (12) –J.Mewhort (rSr.), A.Norwell (Sr.), C.Linsley (rSr.), M.Hall (rSr.), T.Decker (So.), K.Dodson (rFr.), A.Underwood (Jr.), J.Boren (So.), C.Farris (rSo.), D.Baldwin (rJr.), P.Elflein (rFr.), T. Brown (rSo.)
LEO (3) – N.Spence (So.), S.Miller (Jr.), T.Lewis (Fr.)
DT (4) – M.Bennett (Jr.), J.Hale (Jr.), T.Schutt (So.), C.Carter (rSo.)
SSE (4)- A.Washington (So.), J.Moore (rJr.), S.Pittman (rFr.), T.Sprinkle (Fr.)
LB (7) – R.Shazier (Jr.), J.Perry (So.), C.Williams (So.), D.Perkins (So.), J.Marcus (So.), C.Grant (Jr.), L.Roberts (rFr.)
CB (7) – B.Roby (rJr.), D.Grant (Jr.), A.Griffin (rJr.), A.Reeves (So.), N.Murray (So.), E.Apple (Fr.), C.Burrows (Fr.)
S (6) – C.Barnett (Sr.), C.Bryant (Sr.), C.Brown (Sr.), D.Bogard (So.), R.Tanner (rSo.), T.Powell (So.)

K (1) – D.Basil (Sr.)
P (0)
LS (1) –  B.Haynes (rSo.)

Incoming Freshmen (Not Enrolled) – 19

QB (0)
RB (1) – E.Elliott
FB (0)
WR (4) – J.Marshall, C. Smith, J. Clark, D. Wilson
TE (1) – M.Baugh
OL (2) – E.Lisle, T.Gardner
LEO (0) –
DT (3) – M.Hill, B.Price, D.Munger
SSE (1) – J.Bosa
LB (2) – M.Mitchell, T.Johnson
CB (1) – G.Conley
S (3) – J.Thompson, D.Lee, C.Worley, V. Bell
K (0)
P (0)
LS (0)

P (1) – J Townsend (one player currently enrolled will drop out to make room for him)

Here’s what I expect to lose by position:

QB (1)
RB (2)
WR (2)
TE (0)
OL (4)
LEO (0)
DT (0)
SSE (0)
LB (1)
CB (1)
S (3)
K (1)
P (0)
LS (0)

That’s 15 recruits and that’s assuming both Roby and Shazier leave early.   That’s means they will need to be very picky this year.  I’d expect a recruiting class of about 20 as some kids will leave school to various issues including playing time.  This is what I’d expect next year:

QB (1)
RB (1)
WR (2)
TE (1)
OL (4)
LEO (1)
DT (1)
SSE (1)
LB (1)
CB (2)
S (2)
K (1)
P (0)
LS (0)

That’s 18 with the extras mostly on the defensive line as we have no seniors.  I could see them take a few less defensive backs but they are important on special teams.  After that it is just a matter of what players are making progress letting the coaches focus on other positions for 2014 when the sanctions come off and which players leave the school.

One other thing that is obvious is the 2014 team is going to be stacked if the younger players step up on the offensive line and at running back.  If Roby and Shazier come back the defensive will be nasty.