THE SHOE

IT IS FINALLY GAME TIME

COACH LETTING THE TEAM HAVE THEIR MOMENT

GETTING CHILLS BY THIS TIME

THE RINGING OF THE BELLS

GETTING JACKED, GAMETIME BABY

THE BEST LOOKING FANS IN THE HOUSE!

TEDDY G

QB'S WARMING UP

TROY SMITH SPOTTING

JIMMY T DOWN IN THE RED

DOESNT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS

GO BUCKEYES

OHIO STATE VS GARRETT WOLFE(NORTHERN ILLINOIS)

ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2ND, THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES OPENED THEIR SEASON BY BATTLING THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES IN FRONT OF A SOLD OUT CROWD IN THE HORSESHOE. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE AT THIS GAME AND I WILL POST PICTURES FROM THAT EXPERIENCE SHORTLY. THE BUCKEYES DID PRETTY MUCH WHAT EXPECTED BY BEATING THE HUSKIES 35-12. I DONT THINK ANYONE IN THE WORLD THOUGHT THAT NIU COULD POSSIBLY BEAT THE BUCKEYES, BUT SOME THOUGHT THEY COULD GIVE THEM A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. NORTHERN ILLINOIS IS USUALLY ONE OF THE BETTER MAC TEAMS OUT THERE, BUT THEY JUST DONT HAVE THE ATHLETES TO MATCH UP WITH A POWERHOUSE DIVISION ONE SCHOOL. I DO TAKE THAT BACK, HOWEVER, THEY DO HAVE ONE ATHLETE THAT CAN. PEOPLE HAVE SAID THAT GARRETT WOLFE IS ONE OF THE BETTER BACKS IN THE COUNTRY. I WASNT SO SURE UNTIL I WATCHED HIM LIVE ON SATURDAY. GRANTED WE HAVE A NEW AND INEXPERIENCED DEFENSE, SO I AM NOT DEFENDING OHIO STATE TOTALLY BY SAYING HE IS THAT GOOD. OUR DEFENSE MADE HIM LOOK GOOD ON A QUITE A FEW OCCASIONS, BUT HE REALLY IS A GREAT FOOTBALL PLAYER. HE IS VERY SMALL WITH A BARRY SANDERS KIND OF STYLE TO HIM. HE IS EXTREMELY QUICK AND HE JUST FINDS A WAY TO SNEAK THROUGH THE OPENINGS AND HE IS TOUGH TO CATCH IN THE OPEN FIELD. NEEDLESS TO SAY I THINK HE ENDED UP WITH ABOUT 150 YARDS RUSHING OR SO AND HAD SOME BIG PLAYS ON A FEW SCREEN PASSES, SO HE HAD A GREAT GAME. LETS NOT BEAT AROUND THE BUSH HERE. HE IS THEIR WHOLE TEAM. THEY WERE NEVER REALLY IN THE FOOTBALL GAME, BUT HE MADE IT SEEM AS IF THEY WERE AT TIMES. ENOUGHT ABOUT HIM, BUT HE IS FOR REAL. I DONT THINK HE SHOULD BE PLAYING IN THE MAC, BUT ANYWAY HE STILL HAS A FUTURE IN THE NFL. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO TAKE FROM OUR DEFENSE AFTER THE FIRST WEEK. THEY REALLY ARE QUICK AND THEY PLAY HARD, BUT IT DOESNT SEEM THE SAME. THE FRONT FOUR ARE WHAT THEY NEED TO CARRY THEM THE REST OF THE WAY. THEY ARE EXTREMELY GOOD AT GETTING PRESSURE ON THE QUARTERBACK, BUT IF THEY DONT GET HIM, THEN WE COULD BE IN TROUBLE THE REST OF THE WAY. WE GOT TO SEE THE DEPTH THAT WE HAVE. TRESSEL PLAYED 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT GUYS AT LINEBACKER AND IN THE SECONDARY, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HE HAS. WE WONT KNOW HOW THE CORNERS AND SAFETIES WILL BE UNTIL THEY GET TO PLAY SOME BIG TIME RECEIVERS, WHICH THEY WILL SEE NEXT WEEK. I MUST SAY I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH FRESHMAN LINEBACKER ROSS HOMAN. MARK MY WORDS, HE WILL BE A STARTER BEFORE THE SEASONS' END. I KNOW THESE GUYS NEED SOME TIME TO DEVELOP THEIR PERSONALITY AS A DEFENSE, BUT UNFORTUANTELY THEY HAVE TO TAKE A PLANE TO AUSTIN NEXT WEEK TO PLAY THE DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, SO TIME IS NOT SOMETHING THEY HAVE BEING AN OHIO STATE FOOTBALL PLAYER. IT IS TIME TO MAN UP BOYS. NOW ON TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALL. THE OFFENSE PRETTY MUCH DID WHAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD DO. A FEW TURNOVERS COST US FROM PUTTING UP 50 ON THEM. THE BUCKS ALMOST AMASSED 300 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE IN THE FIRST HALF. TROY SMITH LOOKED PRETTY GOOD THROWING THE FOOTBALL. HE WENT 18-25 FOR 298 YARDS AND 3 TOUCHDOWN PASSES. HIS HEISMAN BUDDY TEDDY GINN CAUGHT FOUR BALLS FOR 123 YARDS AND 2 TD'S. PEOPLE KEEP ASKING IF THOSE TWO CAN HURT EACH OTHERS' CHANCES FOR WINNING THE HEISMAN. AFTER YESTERDAY MY ANSWER IS NO. PEOPLE CRITICIZE GINN'S ABILITY TO RUN PRECISE ROUTES, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, WHEN HE TAKES OFF DOWN THE FIELD ON A GO ROUTE, THERE ARENT TOO MANY CORNERS IN THE COUNTRY THAT CAN STOP THAT. TROY UNDER THREW HIM YESTERDAY AND HE STILL HAD ABOUT 6 FEET SEPARATION WHEN HE CAUGHT THE BALL. WE ALSO GOT TO SEE SOME YOUNG RECEIVERS PLAY IN BRIAN ROBISKIE AND HARTLINE. HARTLINE ACTUALLY HAD THE FIRST CATCH OF THE BALL GAME, WHICH I DONT THINK ANYONE EXPECTED. ROBISKIE ENDED UP WITH 3 CATCHES FOR 32 YARDS. THE THIRD DOWN ASSASSIN HAD A SOLID GAME WITH 4 CATHES FOR 53 YARDS AND A TOUCHDOWN. ANTONIO PITTMAN WAS CONSISTENT ON THE GROUND BY GAINING 111 YARDS ON 19 CARRIES. HE ALSO HAD ONE SCORE, SO WE DONT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WEEK 7 THIS YEAR TO SEE HIM GET INTO THE END ZONE. I SAID IT A LOT LAST YEAR, BUT I LOVE THE WAY PITTMAN RUNS. HE JUST HAS PATIENCE, SEES THE HOLE, AND HITS IT QUICK. HE RUNS HARD AND HE IS NOT EASY TO BRING DOWN. EVERYBODY IN COLUMBUS WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE HOW MUCH PLAYING TIME THE NEWCOMER CHRIS WELLS WOULD GET. IT THIS GUY THE FUTURE OR WHAT? HE IS A BEAST, AND YES HE IS AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED. I CAN SAY THAT AFTER 1 GAME. HE ENDED UP GETTING 10 CARRIES FOR 50 YARDS AND HIS FIRST COLLEGIATE TOUCHDOWN. HE DID FUMBLE ONCE INSIDE THE 5, BUT MAYBE THEY WENT TO THE WELLS ONE TOO MANY TIMES. GET IT? WOW HE IS EXPLOSIVE AND HE JUST RUNS OVER PEOPLE. I REALIZE THESE WERE NORTHERN ILLINOIS LINEBACKERS HE WAS RUNNING OVER, BUT I DONT CARE, I LIKE THIS KID. I AM NOT SURE IF HE IS READY TO TAKE OVER FOR PITTMAN QUITE YET, BUT HE WILL GET TO PLAY EVERY WEEK. MAURICE WELLS IS PRETTY MUCH DONE AT OHIO STATE I AM SORRY TO SAY. WE HAVE PITTMAN FOR 2 MORE YEARS AND CHRIS WILL BE THERE ALSO, SO YOU MAY WANT TO TRANSFER. ANYWAY WHAT SHOULD WE TAKE FROM THIS WEEK? DONT LOOK INTO IT TOO MUCH. IT IS THE FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR, AND COACH TRESSEL DIDNT WANNA SHOW EVERYTHING. THE DEFENSE IS STILL A QUESTION MARK AND HOW THEY WILL PERFORM NEXT WEEK IN FRONT OF THE BIG STAGE. THE SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR THE OFFENSE. WE ARE SO LOADED AT EVERY POSITION AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO SCORE AT WILL. I AM NOT GONNA THROW OUT ANY PREDICTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK, CAUSE I JUST DONT KNOW. BOTH TEAMS WON IN WEEK ONE, DOING WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. I DEFINITELY SAY WE PLAYED THE BETTER OF THE 2 TEAMS SINCE I THINK NORTH TEXAS PLAYS DEFIANCE COLLEGE NEXT WEEK, BUT ANYWAY NEXT WEEK IS GONNA BE FUN. I CANT WAIT. I KNOW THE OFFENSE IS READY TO PLAY, BUT IS THIS DEFENSE READY? TIME WILL TELL.. GO BUCKEYES.