1) With the Big Ten season about to be wrapped up, it is a little easier to predict what Bowl games are possible for your school. Tell me what Bowl games would interest you as a fan. Where do you want to go? More importantly, who do you want to play?
Go see what the The Buckeye Blog says about Ohio State, “I can’t believe we are on the home stretch of the Big Ten season already. As for the Buckeyes, we are all looking to New Orleans for the BCS National Championship game. Anything else at this point would be a letdown. As for a matchup? Anybody got a coin for me to flip?”
Black Shoe Diaries (PSU blog) wants to play an SEC team in the Capital One or Outback bowls. However, BSD thinks that PSU won’t make it to the Capital One, and maybe an Alamo Bowl against a Big 12 team will take place. The Nittany Line wants an SEC team as well in the Outback bowl. Lake The Posts (Northwestern blog) wants any Bowl except for a trip to the Motor City. Off the Tracks (Purdue blog) wants to visit the Alamo. The Hooiser Report will take anything since their team hasn’t been to a bowl game in 14 years.
2) In honor of Black Shoe Diaries’ question about the Big Ten Moron Coach of the Year Award. Tell me who is the most disappointing player in the Big Ten this season. Also, tell me who is the most disappointing on your team.
Black Shoe Diaries says, “Aw shucks. Nice to know BSD is leaving a legacy of suck with the Big Ten Bloggers. I am thoroughly unimpressed with Juice Williams. He was supposed to be the next Troy Smith or Vince Young this year. So far he blows.” On PSU he nominates the obvious choice in Austin Scott.
The Nittany Line picks a player from their team - “Most disappointing player in the Big Ten is on Penn State. Without a doubt, it has to be Justin King. This guy was the shutdown corner that teams dream about last year and has become totally unfocused and sloppy.”
LTP says Curtis Painter and he is disappointed in Corey Wooten (and rest of D-line) on NW. Off the Tracks says the entire Minnesota defense and on his team - the Purdue defensive line. The Hooiser Report isn’t impressed with Michigan’s freshman QB Ryan Mallet. The Buckeye Blog goes with a different Michigan QB (Chad Henne - view at your own risk - bad language)
3) Ohio State is rumored to be building a giant buckeye nut outside the football stadium. This will lead to the new tradition of “rubbing the nut.” I’m sure Michigan fans will use that against us. I know it is pretty late to start new traditions in the Big Ten, but pitch me a new tradition idea for your school.
“You serious, Clark? A big nut? The nut-head with arms and legs isn’t enough? IU already has “The Rock” for pregame rubbing purposes. It may sound trite, but I would prefer to add winning games and filling the stadium as IU traditions before adding anything else.” - The Hoosier Report
Off the Tracks on new traditions, “This was actually a discussion on the Purdue football message boards not too long ago. I would love to see us come up with some kind of flashy nickname for Ross-Ade Stadium and get into the tradition of everyone wearing black for a game. I’d love to nickname the place the Depot, the Rail Yard, or the End of the Line. I am a huge fan of the train theme because of its uniqueness. One that I love, but not many people know about is that we put the hat of every team we beat on the cowcatcher of the Boilermaker special during football season. I think we could build this one up more as well by symbolically doing it at midfield after home games.”
Unlike the Cubbies, LTP wants NW to have more night games. BSD wants PSU to sing the fight song after games. The Buckeye Blog likes how coach Tressel added the fight song after games and thought I was joking about the nut. I seriously heard this from a credible source.
BONUS ROUND
- You are a big-fight promoter - Talk up your team’s mascot and how/why they could kick the living crap out of any opposing team’s mascot - inspired by Oregon’s mascot
Lake The Posts says, “We’d kick the heck out of the skunk at Wisconsin, we’d eat Chief Illiniwek if he were still here, but I’d hate to meet Purdue Pete or Sparty in a dark alley.”
BSD- “Are you kidding me? The Nittany Lion doesn’t kick the crap out of other mascots. He kills them.” Great video on his site Black Shoe Diaries
Off the Tracks likes Pete’s chances since he carries a giant hammer.
- Now you’re an agent - Convince me that you have the top 2008 NFL Draft pick on your team -
LTP says that junior DT John Gill is the best NFL prospect on NW. BSD says it’s Dan Conner on PSU.
Overall, no one thinks they have a #1 NFL prospect. Either the Big Ten Bloggers are getting bitter or they just can’t lie.
I’ll go for the latter.
Thanks for all who participated - sorry if I didn’t get your answers in time -
it is Buckeye Lane’s turn to host the Big Ten Roundtable of Bloggers.
I will post my answers soon, but now here are the questions:
1) With the Big Ten season about to be wrapped up, it is a little easier to predict what Bowl games are possible for your school. Tell me what Bowl games would interest you as a fan. Where do you want to go? More importantly, who do you want to play?
2) In honor of Black Shoe Diaries’ question about the Big Ten Moron Coach of the Year Award. Tell me who is the most disappointing player in the Big Ten this season. Also, tell me who is the most disappointing on your team.
3) Ohio State is rumored to be building a giant buckeye nut outside the football stadium. This will lead to the new tradition of “rubbing the nut.” I’m sure Michigan fans will use that against us. I know it is pretty late to start new traditions in the Big Ten, but pitch me a new tradition idea for your school.
BONUS ROUND
- You are a big-fight promoter - Talk up your team’s mascot and how/why they could kick the living crap out of any opposing team’s mascot - inspired by Oregon’s mascot
- Now you’re an agent - Convince me that you have the top 2008 NFL Draft pick on your team -
We have a surplus of Penn State and Ohio State bloggers in the prestigious group that is the Big Ten Bloggers.
I’m taking the lazy way out and stealing their predictions - please visit their sites to see for in-depth breakdowns of this weekend’s game.
I will post my preview of the game soon.
Black Shoe Diaries a Penn State blog has the Nittany Lions beating the Buckeyes by a score of 13-10. “This game could go either way. Both offenses are going to have trouble moving the ball and scoring points. In a low scoring game it always comes down to field position and turnovers. Ohio State doesn’t have anyone seven inches taller than King to worry about. Boeckman will be frustrated all night and eventually the Penn State pressure will get to him. If they can force some turnovers Penn State will win the game.” - Black Shoe Diaries
“Kevin Kelly will kick a game winning 48 yard field goal.” - Run Up the Score another Penn State blog predicts another PSU victory.
The Nittany Line likes PSU as well, by the score of 14-10. However, if you read the site’s breakdown - you have to think the writer is hoping for a win, but really thinks this is OSU’s game to lose.
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers’ roundtable of questions.
This week Black Shoe Diaries, which is a Penn State blog, will be the host of the seventh Big Ten roundtable of the season. Buckeye Lane will play host next week when Wisconsin visits Ohio State (September 29th through the November 3rd).
1) Pretend for a moment you’re the little Japanese guy on Heroes. You can close your eyes, clench your fists, crap your pants and go back in time. If you could go back and change one play for your team this season, what would it be?
WOW! I have never seen the show, but now I want to. Actually on second thought I don’t want to. That sounds like one of those horrible reoccurring dreams I had when I was a child.
Honestly, there isn’t a play I would want go back in time to change. I might want to tell Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman to be careful in that Michigan State game, since the Buckeyes had let the Spartans back in the game. On the other hand, he may have learned something there.
I don’t want to come off as an arrogant Buckeye fan, but like the average football coach Herm Edwards used to say, “you play to win ….
2) We’re now two-thirds of the way through the season. Everyone likes to debate who will be the Big Ten Coach of the Year. I want to know which Big Ten coach is a complete moron that should be demoted back to fullbacks coach on a team that runs the spread offense?
That’s is tough question. Ron Zook could easy be mistaken for an idiot, but his team has overachieved and is 5-3.
The Big Ten Worst Coach of the Year award has to go to Kirk Ferentz
Almost every offseason, ESPN and other national media outlets say that he is one of the best suited coaches to make the jump to the NFL.
Iowa has an overall record of 3-5 and is 1-4 in Big Ten play.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. But the Bible doesn’t say anything about your rival. Which current Big Ten player do you most wish played for your team?
Maybe it is my morals, but I don’t covet any other Big Ten player. However, I would like the Buckeyes to have Illinois’ wide receiver Arrelious Benn.
It is always nice to have a proven true freshman WR. Through eight games, he has 38 receptions for 459 yards. He also has rushed for 109 yards on 23 carries.
Bonus Question
It’s probably too early to start thinking about next year. Well, unless you’re Minnesota in which case you’ve been thinking about next year for a month or so already. Assess your team’s future. Was this year your chance to make a run or is this just a rebuilding year with greater expectations in 2008? Or do you plan to suck in 2008 just as much as you suck now?
In June I wrote a piece on which 2007-2008 Buckeyes would be drafted in the NFL Draft. Many of the key players are junior on this current roster.
This season was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but right now all of the fans’ hopes are on this season and a possible BCS National Championship.
Granted OSU has a tough stretch the rest of the season, even if OSU loses a couple, I still don’t think I would be able to call ‘07 a rebuilding year.
However, you have to think the Buckeyes will be even stronger next year.
OSU will lose senior offensive tackle Kirk Barton, who will be drafted in the 2008 NFL Draft. I’m worried which juniors will leave - cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, linebacker James Laurinaitis, offensive tackle Alex Boone and defensive end Vernon Gholston will all have tough decisions to make after the Bowl season.
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable of questions.
This week Run Up The Score!, which is a Penn State blog, will be the host of the seventh Big Ten roundtable of the season. Buckeye Lane will play host the week of the Wisconsin at Ohio State game (September 29th through the November 3rd).
1. We’re halfway through the season. Practically the entire national media has declared that the Big Ten is having a down year. Is this cyclical, or is the conference actually becoming less and less relevant? What is your team doing to enhance or destroy the conference’s reputation?
After the performance of the Big Ten teams in last year’s bowl season, the media has been ripping the quality of the Big Ten. To make matters worse, then the preseason favorite (Michigan) to win the Big Ten lost to Appalachian State in the first week of the season. Personally, I don’t think the Big Ten is down from last year, however I believe the conference could be better. Last year, the conference was top heavy with Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin. Overall, I think the conference is more competitive. Illinois, Indiana and Purdue are much better. I still believe Penn State and Wisconsin are better teams this year as opposed to last, but the rest of the Big Ten is catching up. While I think the Big Ten could be better, it is truly underrated in 2007.
Ohio State isn’t doing much to enhance or destroy conference’s reputation. The Buckeyes did beat up on Washington on the road and that team played USC down to the wire. The Buckeyes have some challenging Big Ten games to end the season. The last four weeks include a visit to Happy Valley (Penn State), versus Wisconsin and Illinois at home and then an always exciting road game with Michigan. If the Buckeyes win or lose any of those it won’t do much for the Big Ten. It depends how the conference does in the bowl season.
2. Illinois is winning football games. Football games! Illinois! How much longer will we have to put up with this crap?
Illinois is on the rise. Hopefully, it will help out the conference’s reputation.
Its only loss came to Missouri (34-40) in the first week of the season. The last two weeks, Illinois has defeated two top-25 teams over then-ranked No. 21 Penn State and then-ranked No. 5 Wisconsin. Currently, the Illini are sitting atop the Big Ten standings, tied with OSU at 3-0 - Michigan is the only other undefeated team in Big Ten play.
The rest of schedule isn’t that challenging, but they have two really tough games (Michigan, at Ohio State). This week, Illinois should be able to beat Iowa on the road, then has a tough game against Michigan (but at home), should be able to handle a tricky Ball State team, then they have Minnesota on the road, followed by No. 3 Ohio State and wrap up their season against their rival Northwestern.
I think the Illini will be able to go 4-2 to finish out their season at 9-3, which is amazing.
3. I’m a man! I’m 32! For you, fair Big Ten Blogger, where does the line get drawn when, as Sunday Morning QB eloquently states, “second-guessing the split-second decisions of college kids under extreme physical duress”? Hypothetically speaking, would you settle for saying that your underwhelming quarterback “simply isn’t performing well and needs to be replaced”, or would you call him “a functional retard that is one drool cup shy of riding the short bus to practice”?
This is America!
We are allowed to call players on your team bad names for making mistakes. As soon as they graduate high school, then it is fair game.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or your skill level. If someone is blowing the game then you shouldn’t hold yourself back.
For example, I couldn’t kick a football 20 yards if you placed it on a tee, but if your kicker misses a 50-yard field goal with the game on the line than you better let obscenities fly.
4. Finally, a quick two-part question. Which player or players on your team have you been pleasantly surprised with this season, and what is the most important game remaining on your schedule?
Freshman cornerback Chimdi Chekwa was played extremely well. Defensive tackle was a question mark this season. Doug Worthington, Todd Denlinger and Cameron Heyward have been solid. Even though everyone knew wide receiver Brian Robiskie was a solid player, he has become a superstar this year. I really like true freshman Brandon Saine. Of course, I have to mention quarterback Todd Boeckman, who was exceeded expectations.
Every game in the last four weeks should be challenging - October 27 @ Penn State, November 3 vs. No. 19 Wisconsin, November 10 vs. No. 18 Illinois and November 17 @ Michigan.
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable of questions.
This week Black Heart Gold Pants, which is an Iowa blog, will be the host of the sixth Big Ten roundtable of the season. Buckeye Lane will play host the week of the Wisconsin at Ohio State game (September 29th through the November 3rd).
1. You know what? Screw your team. I hate your team right now; I’m an Iowa fan, and I have anger in my heart. Name your top conference rival, and assess their season to date. If you haven’t played them yet (and I don’t think anyone has), how are you going to do when that fateful day comes?
The rival is obvious - the Michigan Wolverines -
Everyone Ohio State fan cheers against Michigan with the same passion as they cheer for the Buckeyes to win. So when Michigan lost to Appalachian State it felt like the Buckeyes won a huge game. Then when Michigan lost to Oregon, we laughed a bit harder, even though the Ducks are a much tougher team than any team OSU has played.
It was a little scary when Michigan beat then ranked No. 10 Penn State, but then the Nittany Lions lost to Illinois, so does that win mean anything.
One thing is for certain no matter what either team’s record is come November 17th, it will always be a huge game that anyone can win.
2. If your season to date was an album (or CD, for all you young hippety-hoppers), what would it be and why?
This is a tough one. I kind of want to say MC Hammer’s Too Legit to Quit (below) or the Who’s Who’s Next, but those would be based on just album names and not the albums themselves.
If somebody knows of an album that has 12 tracks. The first two being boring, the third being a little better, three and four having only a few cords, followed by a surprising seventh track, crappy eighth, decent ninth, catchy 10th, a young party theme for the 11th and overplayed classic on the 12th.
If you didn’t notice - that was the schedule in album form.
3. If you had three minutes alone in a locked room with any coach from your team and you could bring any item along (nothing sexual, tOSU fans), which coach would you choose, what would the item be, and how badly would you pummel Ken O’Keefe why would you choose that item?
This is another tough question. I really don’t know how to respond.
I guess I would bring in a George O’Leary-type of resume and ask the head ball coach Jim Tressel for a job.
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable of questions.
This week Lake The Posts, which is Northwestern blog, will be the host of the five regular season Big Ten roundtable of the season. Buckeye Lane will play host the week of the Wisconsin at Ohio State game (September 29th through the November 3rd).
Buckeye Lane didn’t take part in last week’s roundtable. The questions came out late in the week and Buckeye Lane struck a deal with Lake the Posts to take over my site and BL would take over LTP.
1. Michigan turned to Russell Crowe (successfully). ND went with Regis (unsuccessfully). Imagine your team is in desperate need of a pregame pep talk (no imagination needed at NU). You can bring in anyone in the world. Who do you turn to and why?
For Ohio State, there are the usual suspects.
Jack Nicklaus, Archie Griffin, Eddie George or any Ohio State alum that went on to have success in the NFL.
That is all fine and good, but I would like to bring in Joe Laurinaitis.
I would tell him, that I don’t want my kids getting soft and too cocky about their win over Northwestern.
The former professional wrestler has seen many athletes fall in love with themselves and die at any early age.
Maybe he could scare the Buckeyes enough that they won’t take anything for granted.
2. What perception about your program is perpetuated to the point where it is your pet peeve? Why does it bother you so much (no, the answer does not have to be an alliteration)?
I think many of the Buckeye blogs will talk about how everyone thinks that the Buckeyes are a bunch of ‘cheaters’.
There were rumors that Jim Tressel wasn’t perfect at Youngstown State. And there was that Maurice Clarett guy, Troy Smith wasn’t a model citizen and there was a claim that players got paychecks for jobs that they didn’t have.
The final score was great, but the part that bothers me is the pass interference call.
Every college football with the exception of Ohio State fans believe that it was a bad call.
This video is great - it tries to prove my point and does a great job
I know that I’m not quite the most objective source, however you have to admit that the play was close.
Also, you would have to admit that there was contact.
I just want everyone to watch that play again, instead of using their cloudy memory and then tell me that is was a ‘no doubt about it’ bad call.
3. It is only week 5 of the season, but you’ve been asked to create your team’s highlight reel for the season. You get to choose one song. What is it and why?
This is going to sound terribly wrong, maybe even weird, but I choose the song from the beginning of the show The Wonder Years.
Honestly, I feel as though I’m watching this team grow up before my very own eyes just like how we saw Kevin Arnold.
Take the lyrics - “What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and walk out on me?”
No way, Mr. Joe Cocker.
OSU translation - “What would you do if I (Boeckman) got off to a slow start? Would you stand up and give up on me?”
I almost did, Todd.
However, after his four touchdown passes this week in the Northwestern game, I will continue to watch Boeckman grow. He will also continue to get a little help from his friends. Wide receiver Brian Robiskie caught three TDs last week and Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells is a force at running back.
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable of questions.
This week Michigan Sports Center is hosting the third regular season Big Ten roundtable of the season. Buckeye Lane will play host the week of the Wisconsin at Ohio State game (September 29th through the November 3rd).
So far we have had a roundtable for the first two weeks of the season and a preseason roundtable. You can see my responses at Buckeye Lane.
1. Now that two weeks of play are behind us, what is one encouraging surprise and one downing disappointment from your team? (Easy answer to the latter part of the question for Michigan bloggers)
Honestly, the Buckeyes haven’t really surprised me this year. As expected, they easily beat Youngstown State and their defense shut down the Akron offense. As far as I see it, the Buckeyes start their season this weekend after two preseason games.
So, I’m going to think outside the box and answer the Big Ten Roundtable of Blogger (Week Three) as if I were a Michigan blogger.
One Encouraging Surprise: Even though Michigan keeps losing, the team continues to break records. Last weekend, it was Michigan’s worst loss since 1968. The week before Michigan was involved in the greatest upset in the history of college football, with the loss against Appalachian State. This weekend Michigan plays Notre Dame in a game that has been dubbed as ‘The Sceptic Tank Bowl’ while I have heard it referred as ‘The Shit Bowl’. What’s certain is that these teams shouldn’t play in any bowl. The biggest encouraging thing has to be Mike Hart guaranteed a win - finally!
One Downing Disappointment Surprise:Chad Henne went into the season as a preseason candidate for the Heisman Trophy and now he will be standing on sidelines with a clipboard. Henne has amazing receivers to throw to, but still seems to throw it to the wrong team. What happened? How do you begin to suck so fast? It reminds of Troy Smith in the National Championship game or the comedic career of Chevy Chase (Sorry, Chevy - I’m still a fan). Now that he has led Michigan to their worst start since 1959, he will conveniently be sidelined with a knee injury for 2-3 weeks.
2. A look at the current Big Ten standings shows things dead-locked record-wise for the most part. Once conference play actually begins, which two or three teams pull away from the rest of the pack?
True freshman Ryan Mallett is going to turn this thing around. Just you wait and see - when Michigan plays their fourth-straight home game against No. 12 Penn State; The Wolverines will run the table!
In all truth Michigan is twirling down a gigantic shit spiral - I don’t see anyone running away with the Big Ten, but I do think Penn State has shown that they are the best team so far. Don’t count out Purdue, Wisconsin, Iowa or Ohio State - I think all five teams will battle for the Big Ten title.
3. Has your team ever played in a game that was just downright boring and impossible to watch? I ask this because going into the Michigan-Notre Dame game, looking at it on paper, it is shaping up to be one of the ugliest we may see all year.
Are you kidding? The Michigan/Notre Dame game could be the most exciting game of the week. I know, currently, I’m trying my best to write this as a Michigan blogger, but my Ohio State side is telling me the same thing. I bet a lot of people watch this game - there will be two true freshmen quarterbacks - bouncing fumbles - multiple interceptions - crazy touchdown passes - great touchdown runs - I think it will be the most entertaining game of the early season, excluding the Michigan/App.State game.
Back to my multi-personality - OHIO STATE - The Buckeyes play boring games every week - last weekend OSU trailed 2-0 for most of the first half, until a 37-yard field goal by Ryan Pretorius gave the Buckeyes a 3-2 lead. OSU won 20-2 - Most of Ohio State’s games throughout history are extremely boring - occasionally you will get a high-scoring Drew Brees’ game or a last-second Cincinnati/Wisconsin game, but those games are boring until the last two minutes.
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable of questions.
This week There Is No Name On My Jersey, which is a Penn State site, is hosting the second regular season Big Ten roundtable of the season. Buckeye Lane will play host the week of the Wisconsin at Ohio State game (September 29th through the November 3rd).
So far we have had a roundtable for the first week of the season and a preseason roundtable. You can see my responses at Buckeye Lane.
1. Clearly, Week 1 was a huge week for upsets with Appalachin St. beating Michigan and Clemson beating FSU (though if that really shocked anyone I’d be surprised). What are your upset games for Week 2 and why?
I wouldn’t bet on the favorites of any of these games:
Nebraska (-8) at Wake Forest, Miami (OH) at Minnesota (-9), Bowling Green at Michigan State (-18), Oregon at Michigan (-8), Notre Dame at Penn State (17.5), Kent State at Kentucky (+13), TCU at Texas (-9.5) and Virginia Tech at LSU (-12.5).
Let me pick a big one- #9 Virginia Tech to beat #2 LSU-
I’m not sold on VT’s quarterback Sean Glennon, but I think the Hokies will look like a better team this week. There was a lot of pressure on them to do well because of the tragic events that took place on that campus.
2. What do you think about the BTN? How’d it look? How were the announcers? Did the first weekend change your opinion of the BTN?
I lucked out. The BTN was giving a free preview on Insight Cable. I was able to watch the Youngstown State/Ohio State game and the App. State/Michigan at the same time. Overall, it was good. I have no problem paying the $1.10 to get it.
The BTN is still a baby, but it will grow. Once college basketball starts it won’t have to repeat so much of its programming.
Also, right as I was posting this, I noticed that the BTN is replaying the App. State/Michigan game - you have to love that - unless you are a Michigan fan.
3. Now that we’re a game into the Season evaluate the Big Ten’s strength.
My evalution of the Big Ten’s strength after the first week of the season can be summed up in one word: POOP.
POOP- Minnesota, who I thought would be one of more improved teams, blew it. The Gophers lost 32-31 to Bowling Green.
POOP- Michigan, who was the Big Ten’s top-ranked team this preseason, lost to App. State in the greatest upset of all time.
POOP- Also, you don’t know how good Ohio State or Penn State really are because they didn’t play anyone.
The only positives:
Illinois played a tough Missouri team and almost came back.
-and-
Wisconsin beat up on the Pac-10’s Washington State, 42-21.
Sorry I shouldn’t have used the word- poop- the professional way would’ve been to rank the conferences.
BCS CONFERENCES: (Many had the Big Ten at #2 to begin the season - you have to put them at least fourth)
1) SEC
2) PAC-10
3) ACC
4) BIG 12
5) BIG EAST
6) BIG TEN
Every week this season a fellow Big Ten blogging site will host the Big Ten Bloggers roundtable of questions.
This week Around the Oval, which is a fellow Buckeye site and founder of the Big Ten Bloggers, is hosting the first regular season roundtable of the season. Around the Oval will play host again, but it won’t be until Ohio State/Michigan week (Nov. 12 through the 17th). Buckeye Lane will play host the week of the Wisconsin at Ohio State game (September 29th through the November 3rd).
Normally during the regular season there will be a set of three or four questions a fellow Big Ten Blogger will make up. Usually the questions will have a little to do with the key stories of the week, that depends on who is asking the questions. Overall, this will be the Big Ten Bloggers second roundtable, the first was conducted by Badger Tracker. Here are my answers to his questions, Buckeye Lane’s Preseason Roundtable. Part of the duty of hosting the roundtable is to wrap-up the questions, so here is Badger Tracker’s Wrap Up.
Feel free to comment on my answers, tell me if you agree or disagree. Also, you can go to Around the Oval Original Post, many of the fellow Big Ten Bloggers will comment on this post and the links on those comments will direct you to their answers. Also, feel free to click on one of the Big Ten Bloggers, (links on the right side of this page).
1. Which player from your own team are you most looking forward to watching? Buckeye Lane: I could sit there and give an easy answer like I’m looking forward to watching Chris ‘Beanie’ Wells run over defenses, or Brain Robiskie development into the #1 receiver, or offensive tackles Alex Boone and Kirk Barton dominating opposing defensive linemen, or Vernon Gholston leading this team in sacks, or watching linebackers James Laurinaitis (below) and Marcus Freeman make plays all over the field, and lastly I could say that I want to see cornerback Malcolm Jenkins shut down the Big Ten’s best wide receivers.
That would be too easy. So, I really want to see the players that have a lot to prove and could either breakout or bust. Again easily, I could say the quarterbacks Todd Boeckman, Rob Schoenhoft and Antonio Henton, but I think watching the QBs might be aggravating to watch and not fun.
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing linebacker Larry Grant and wide receiver Ray Small. Small has had injury problems this spring, while Grant will take over one of the starting linebacking spots for the departing John Kerr.
As a true freshman, Small caught eight balls for 68 yards and had only one touchdown. However, he could become the Buckeyes’ best player in this year or the next. Ted Ginn Sr., coach of Glenville, has been quoted as saying that Small is the most talented receiver he has coached. Also, former OSU defensive tackle David Patterson has said that Small would be the next great wide receiver at Ohio State. I expect big things from Small in 2007. In the spring game he returned kickoffs and took one 40 yards.
Grant, who was a big-time junior college recruit last year, is expected to have a breakout season. In the spring game, Grant had two sacks and forced two fumbles (One of those fumbles he recovered and returned 80 yards for a touchdown). Last year, Grant had only 18 tackles.
2. Which player from another Big Ten team are you most looking forward to watching? Buckeye Lane: As of right now, I have to say that I’m looking forward to seeing Illinois true freshman wide receiver Arrelious Benn. There is always something interesting about a starting true freshman. Many sources consider Benn to be the best WR in the entire nation’s ‘07 recruiting class. Every source has Benn is their top ten WRs in the country, he could be special.
Also, would like to see Penn State running back Austin Scott (led the team in rushing as a true frosh in ‘03, but has been backing up Tony Hunt since. Now it is Scott’s job), Wisconsin QB situation (Tyler Donovan and Allan Evridge better play well if this team expects to win the Big Ten or the BCS National Championship), Illinois QB Juice Williams (his name is Juice and played well at times as a freshman last year), MSU RB Javon Ringer (if he stays healthy, Ringer will have a huge year), Indiana’s QB Kellen Lewis and WR James Hardy (Lewis played well at times as a freshman last year, and Hardy is 6-foot-7), Minnesota’s QB Tony Mortensen (he might not play, but his dad- ESPN’s NFL Analyst Chris- will be watching).
3. If your team was an action movie star, who would it be? Buckeye Lane: This was a tough one for me. Arnold Schwarzenegger is all-time favorite movie star. He isn’t just my favorite action movie star, but my favorite movie star. If he wasn’t around when I was growing up, who knows how I would have turned out. Trust me, he is great, go to the video store and rent Commando and if you aren’t on the floor laughing, then you don’t have a heartbeat.
Sly Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme aren’t smart enough to work in the ‘Tressel-Ball System.’ I know the play-calling is simple, but we are talking about possibly two of the dumbest actors of all time. Also, those training montages that both actors use, especially Van Damme’s where he seems to always thinking about his past girlfriend on a roof top somewhere are terrible.
Steven Seagal was ok for a brief time and now sucks. He would be a good fit for other schools in the Big Ten.
I was thinking Bruce Willis, who is a solid actor that continues his work as a badass on the silver screen, but there is somebody better.
Everyday he sports the scarlet (on his kilt) and the grey (which is all over his face). Connery is such a devoted supporter of Ohio State that he has literally made himself look a mascot of The Ohio State University.
Connery’s career has been lengthy and dominating. He won an Oscar for his work on the movie The Untouchables. Also, he is cool enough to win an MTV Movie Award for his role in the The Rock at the age of 67.
Connery turned 77-years-old on Saturday.
The two are very similar, Connery and the Buckeyes have kicked some serious arrsshhhh (like Connery would say) for a long time.
Wisconsin week - and -
3) Ohio State is rumored to be building a giant buckeye nut outside the football stadium. This will lead to the new tradition of “rubbing the nut.” I’m sure Michigan fans will use that against us. I know it is pretty late to start new traditions in the Big Ten, but pitch me a new tradition idea for your school.
I will post my preview of the game soon.
This week 
Ohio State isn’t doing much to enhance or destroy conference’s reputation. The Buckeyes did beat up on Washington on the road and that team played USC down to the wire. The Buckeyes have some challenging Big Ten games to end the season. The last four weeks include a visit to Happy Valley (Penn State), versus Wisconsin and Illinois at home and then an always exciting road game with Michigan. If the Buckeyes win or lose any of those it won’t do much for the Big Ten. It depends how the conference does in the bowl season.
Chad Henne went into the season as a preseason candidate for the Heisman Trophy and now he will be standing on sidelines with a clipboard. Henne has amazing receivers to throw to, but still seems to throw it to the wrong team. What happened? How do you begin to suck so fast? It reminds of Troy Smith in the National Championship game or the comedic career of Chevy Chase (Sorry, Chevy - I’m still a fan). Now that he has led Michigan to their worst start since 1959, he will conveniently be sidelined with a knee injury for 2-3 weeks.
Let me pick a big one- #9 Virginia Tech to beat #2 LSU- 
Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing linebacker Larry Grant and wide receiver Ray Small. Small has had injury problems this spring, while Grant will take over one of the starting linebacking spots for the departing John Kerr.