Ohio State Buckeye Football Conspiracy

The Ohio State Buckeyes played Ohio last Saturday, a MAC team at home. The Buckeyes were expected to win by a large margin. Halfway through the third quarter, Ohio was beating the Buckeyes 14-6 and on the move. The announcers were chirping in saying perhaps the #3 ranked Buckeyes were looking ahead to next Saturday’s showdown against #1 ranked USC at California or that perhaps the Buckeyes were not deserving of such a ranking. The Buckeyes went on to win the game but many doubts remained about this years team and their quest for the BSC championship.

The line for Saturday’s game (USC vs OSU) is 11. The Buckeyes are huge underdogs, as every sports reporter in the country has told you, USC are giant killers in the month of September. The Buckeyes don’t have a chance against USC, especially the way they played against Ohio last week. To pile on, Heisman trophy candidate Beanie Wells, OSU’s star running back, is doubtful for the game.

What is really on the line for this game?
If USC defeats the Buckeyes, it will solidify their #1 ranking and more than likely propel them into the BCS championship game. If the Buckeyes win, it will move them up to at least #2 and solidify them as a serious contender for the BCS championship game. A loss by any of these teams, and the BCS championship game is gone.

Coach Tressel is no stranger to big games. His team has played in three BCS national championships in the new Millennium winning one going a perfect 14-0 for the season. He knows what it’s like to win and to lose the big games. He has also set the stage for this game on Saturday.

Watching the Buckeyes against Ohio, I noticed that the offense was very vanilla. Standard trap running plays. No misdirection. No long bombs. No roll outs. Simply the old 3 yards and a cloud of dust offense favored by legend and former coach Woody Hayes. I mention this because of film study. Or lack of film study. USC has no real film on Terelle Pryor, the Freshman quarterback, (6′ 6″ – 235 pound) who will see plenty of action this season, especially against USC on Saturday. He played very little in the first two outings, and always played with the second and third team unit. Never with the starting cast.

Speaking of keeping things close to the sweater vest, Beanie Wells is listed as doubtful for Saturdays game. This makes USC prepare and spend more time working on their defense with and without Wells. All USC has seen so far is Senior quarterback Todd Boeckman in a pro set with Wells in the backfield. Imagine USC’s surprise if Pryor comes out under center in the second series. With the starting offensive line. In the spread offense with Wells in the backfield. Pryor’s strength is his power and speed. Imagine him rolling out forcing the linebackers and safties to commit. Imagine Pryor either taking the lane to move the chains or flipping the ball back across field to Wells with the defense flowing away from him.

Coach Tressel realizes the magnitude of this game so early in the season. He realizes it’s a good thing that the Buckeyes are huge underdogs, double digit points, and that every sports beat writer have written them off for this year. It brings the team together, binds them with one goal and purpose. He realizes that the powers that be the BCS coalition are hoping for a Buckeye loss although they won’t come out and say it, but want to avoid a three peat at the BCS championship game. He also realizes that USC may be overconfident while the Buckeyes are backed into the corner with nothing to lose but with something to prove.

The Grassy Knoll Institute believes Tressel is playing a little game of cloak and dagger, a ruse, subterfuge if you will by not showing USC any usable film footage, or whether or not Pryor will see considerable action, and keeping a wrap on the supposed Wells injury.

The Odyssey of the Buckeyes trials and tribulations over the past three seasons have fortified and strengthened their ranks. Several star players (Who are considered gods) could be playing in the NFL but opted to stay one more year for King and country. Saturdays game will be a hard fought contest, with many fierce battles. A contest leaving no weapon unused, and to the victor, the spoils.

As for USC, Greek mythology speaks of the mighty Trojans falling to an invading army from the East, succumbing to a ruse, a Trojan horse, a gift to pay homage to all that is Trojan. The Trojans were overconfident then, and overconfident now.

Hell, even Goliath took one on the chin now and again.

Go Buckeyes!!

O.H.I.O

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Thee Ohio State Buckeye Logo

With Thee Ohio State Buckeyes football season starting up in just a few weeks, it was time to purchase my new jersey.

Guess which one I picked out?

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ESPNU Flexes Muscles

ESPN television sports cable network is flexing it’s sport muscle using top collegiate football games to force cable networks to add the channel to it’s lineup. Doesn’t sound like a conspiracy to you? Well, let’s look at some facts.ESPNU is the weakest of 5 channels in the ESPN conglomerate plus the powerful ABC television completes a formidable sports network second to none. All but the ESPNU channel is doing well and ESPN has found a way to almost immediately make the channel in demand. I don’t want to use the word extortion, but since it’s already printed here, and I don’t feel like applying another word, we’ll let extortion stick.

Several weeks ago ESPN opted to televise the Ohio State Buckeyes verses the Indiana Hoosiers football game on ESPNU network instead of it’s flagship channel ESPN. Thee Ohio State Buckeyes are undefeated and the number one ranked team in the nation. This game demanded a national audience but instead it was shown in less than 10% of the nations homes.

As the news spread that the game wasn’t going to be televised nationally, the phone lines and emails heated up to the local cable providers demanding why ESPNU wasn’t on their list of channels. Thousands of complaints were logged to the cable companies, (And this time the fault did not fall upon the cable companies on this one) but they did not have any control over what ESPN decides to air and what not to.

In one swift motion, ESPNU was on the map and became a buzz word that weekend. To complete the deal, ESPNU announced the rules of regional coverage (engagement) stating they have the legal right not to air a particular game or games if they so desire. In fact, the possibility was implied that more top rated games could wind up on ESPNU putting even more pressure on the cable networks to pick up ESPNU on their lineup.

ESPNU had a very successful test and the Grassy Knoll Institute will wager that with the final weeks of the college season upon us, another major game will find it’s way on the fledgling ESPNU network which will pave the way for next year with ESPN announcing an expanded schedule of game for 2007. A perfect conspiracy theory indeed.

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University Of Michigan Bloodhounds

After the 14-3 loss to “Thee” Ohio State Football team this past Saturday, University of Michigan faculty released bloodhounds in hopes of sniffing out a victory.

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