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Ohio State A.D. Gene Smith announced today that further violations have been discovered and that three college football players have been declared ineligible for this weekend’s game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Those players are Marcus Hall, DeVier Posey and Daniel Herron. The university has submitted a request for reinstatement on behalf of each student-athlete, but it is anticipated that each will sit out at least the game this weekend.
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One of two things had to happen in the first five games: Joe Bauserman step up because of experience, or Braxton Miller step up because of sheer athletic ability. Neither happened. Now, Columbus is on edge. The Ohio State University has a full-scale, deeply troubling issue at quarterback. And five games into the season is an unpleasant time to be questioning a signal-caller.
But despite the quarterback issues that are key to Ohio State’s disappointing fall from grace and 3-2 record, there are a multitude of other problems that need fixing before the Buckeyes will be able to put another tally in the win column. [Read more…]
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The NCAA is set to determine the fate of the Ohio State football program on August 12 and while no one knows exactly how hard the Committee on Infractions will come down on the Buckeyes, it is safe to say a number of sanctions are well within the realm of possibility. Couple the upcoming hearing with the fact that Ohio State will be headed into the 2011-2012 season without their head coach of the past decade, their former starting quarterback headed to the NFL (CFL UFL?), and their No. 1 wide receiver, running back and starting offensive tackle gone for the first five games of the season and you have what we in the biz like to call uncertainty.
By: Jeff Beck
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As important as it is for Northwestern to win games this college football season, it’s maybe even more important they sell tickets this season. Attendance at Ryan Field has been a big issue in recent years, and the University’s athletic department sought to remedy that with the new “Northwestern: Chicago’s Big Ten Team” ad campaign in August.
Although they’re still not selling out, the campaign is working. Through the first three home games, Ryan Field attendance was up 51.1% over the first three in 2009. And today’s heartbreaking 35-27 loss to #7 and undefeated Michigan State drew 41,000+, the largest crowd of the year. What’s more impressive, is that they’ve drawn better despite the weather often working against them.
There’s quite a few reasons to attend a Northwestern football game: Chicago Bears tickets cost about as much money as the annual GDP of a nation within the European Economic Union, and NU is much better competing within their level of football than the Bears are in their league.
And the ‘Cats have an exciting, fun-to-watch, extremely pass-happy offense.
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Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio was hospitalized with heart attack symptoms last night shortly after the Spartans’ extremely dramatic overtime victory over Notre Dame last night
State called a news conference for this afternoon, and the sports information department said Dantonio had a stent put in a blocked blood vessel leading to the heart.
According to the statement, Dr. Chris D’Haem commented
“The procedure was successful and blood flow to the heart muscle was restored. I’m very pleased with the outcome of the procedure. Coach Dantonio is resting comfortably following his procedure and is expected to make a full recovery.
“He is young, in excellent shape and the damage to his heart was minimal.”
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Check out that snazzy graphic above. Study it. Love it.
And then realize that this is the last year that it will be relevant and current.
Much like the conference expansion dominated the news after the NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Big Ten’s expansion to add Nebraska was the dominant topic of Big Ten Media Day on day 1.
It got a little tiresome, quite frankly. [Read more…]
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