Michigan football commit threatens Ohio State fans

The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry has started to take form on the recruiting trail. Over the holiday weekend Michigan recruit Logan Tuley-Tillman  lit a recruiting letter from Ohio State on fire.

Buckeye nation didn’t take too kindly to Tuley-Tillman’s actions and responded by making alleged death threats to Tillman.

Michigan commit Kyle Bosch has jumped into the fire feet first by coming to Tillman’s defense as he lashed back at Ohio State “fans” and made a threat of his own on Twitter.

“OSU fans giving @LoganTillman threats on your way to his house make a stop by mine and I’ll show you what a real death threat is#bringagun”


The message has since been deleted and he has clarified his comments.

Bosch: “I’m just trying to defend my teammate and my friend. Logan is like a brother to me and when somebody threatens his life and his family’s life, I am going to come to his defense. The gun comment has been taken out of context. I’m only saying that if you’re going to threaten my friend and brother that you better bring a gun because if you’re truly threatening his life, you’ll have to take mine too. I should have realized that it may have been misinterpreted, but it’s hard not to be angry when he and his mother have gone through so much.”

Let’s hope that everyone can control their temper and act accordingly.

Ohio State Refuses To List Michigan On Its Schedule

When Brady Hoke took over at Michigan he promised to get back to Michigan roots. Part of those roots are the hatred for Ohio State. Hoke never mentioned the Buckeyes by name always referring to them as Ohio.

After an off year by the Buckeyes which Michigan broke the seemingly decade long losing streak to Ohio State, the Bucks decided to go Woody Hayes on Michigan when they made their schedule.

 It’s vintage Michigan vs. Ohio State. Hoke vs. Meyer. The new faces of the best rivalry in the Big Ten.

Ohio State vs. Michigan….In October?

Wolverine and Buckeye might find themselves on the same side of the fence again in their fight for tradition.

Once again the Big Ten is threatning to move the Michigan/Ohio State game to October, away from their traditonal late November, season ending clash. the reasoning behind it all. To keep the rivals from a possible following week rematch in the conference title game.

It’s only a rumor right now, but according to a report on Bucknuts.com , it may be closer than reality than some think.

That’s right, “The Game” might no longer be the final game of the regular season for both schools. And while we despise the idea of the Buckeyes and Wolverines not playing the last game of the regular season, this move was inevitable when the Big Ten made the foolish decision to put OSU and UM in separate divisions. If “The Game” was kept as the final regular-season tilt of the year, there would be a good chance each season that Ohio State and Michigan would meet exactly one week after “The Game” to play in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Now, is this move official? No. But we have people we trust telling us that it’s eventually going to happen.

I won’t say yay or nay on this, but I say just leave well enough alone, but I’m not the decision maker.

    

Ex-Buckeyes Have Doubts About Pryor Being NFL Ready

Terrelle Pryor has limited his options for his future since he spurned the Canadian Football League and the UFL for that matter. There are some who think he can make it in the NFL like Jon Gruden and some who don’t like Mel Kiper Jr.

There are two former Ohio St. Buckeyes that feel Pryor isn’t ready for the bright lights of the NFL. Chris Spielman and former Buckeye quarterback Greg Frey seem to fall in the camp of those who think Pryor could be a failure.

“I would be surprised if somebody took him before the fifth round in a supplemental draft,” said ESPN college football analyst Chris Spielman, a former All-American linebacker at Ohio State who played 10 years in the NFL, including eight with the Lions. “That’s the obvious statement that you’re not ready to play (but) you’ll maybe have an opportunity to grow into the job. Right now, he’s not close. That’s not to say he can’t get there, but right now he’s not ready to play at all in the NFL.”

“The big question I think everybody wants to know is: Can he play in the NFL? Yes. But there’s got to be some growth, certainly, from a fundamental standpoint and a maturity standpoint,” Frey said.
“From what I can see of the NFL game there are a lot of progression-type reads where you have to see the whole field. And that takes a special quarterback.”

If anyone would know it would be Frey. Considering he tried and failed to make it in the NFL.

I always say all someone needs is a chance. Pryor will get that chance, with who, I don’t know. He plans on entering the NFL’s supplemental draft and there will be a team that will take a flyer on a guy who was MVP in two BCS bowl games.

 

Poking Fun At Tressel’s Expense

Since the black cloud appeared at Ohio State and isn’t leaving anytime soon, it’s been real easy for rival fans to poke fun at Jim Tressel.

First there was the billboard along I-94 up here in Michigan, the minor league promotion, and now from Sportscrack.com is the latest t-shirt for Michigan fans to wear.

I’m a Michigan fan, but let’s get some respect back and some wins over OSU under our belt before we start crowing about anything.  

It Might Go From Bad To Worse At Ohio State

If things were bad at Ohio State now, it’s looking to get significantly worse if the NCAA has it’s way with the Buckeyes.

After Jim Tressel’s resignation earlier today, the NCAA will be starting an inquiry about quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s dealings.

Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch wouldn’t confirm whether Pryor is being investigated.

“The university continues to work with the NCAA as they investigate matters involving our football program, and we will continue to do so until the conclusion of the investigation,” Lynch said. “We are unable to comment on specific players’ situations because of federal law.”

Sounds like a roundabout denial to me.

Pryor has been questioned before by OSU, specifically surrounding the cars that he has been tooling around campus with since he became a Buckeye. Pryor has been linked to Columbus area car salesman Aaron Kniffin.  Kniffin reportedly has sold cars to Pryor’s mother and brother as well.

Right now it looks like Ohio State’s cover up might tumble like a house of cards. If it’s anyhting like what happened to Michigan’s basketball program, not even having Tressel step might not help them.

If Pryor is guilty of more than penny-ante infractions, this will be a bizarre case of what goes around comes around.

Tressel chose to cover up Pryor’s shenanigans, which came to light anyway. Once they came to light, it cost Pryor five games. The only reason he’s here to serve his five games is because he promised Tressel he wouldn’t go pro. But now Tressel is gone, and if anything else comes out, Pryor will probably have to sit out the season. That will hurt his NFL draft prospects.

If Pryor had held off on selling the trinkets, none of this would have happened and he’d either be looking forward to signing a lucrative NFL contract or making an NCAA championship run.

If Tressell had told the truth, Pryor would have served a one- or two-game suspension that wouldn’t have harmed his career, and Tressel would still have a job.

If everyone had agreed to Pryor being suspended for the Sugar Bowl–as he should have been–he could have gone pro after the season. Then he could spend the 2011 season locked out by the NFL instead of suspended by the NCAA. At least he’d have a job when the lockout ends. Instead he stays at OSU out of respect for a coach who won’t be there. And if these reports are right, he’ll wind up with more than a five-game suspension. So his draft stock, if he comes out at season’s end, will plummet.

This is like an Aesop’s Fable with a moral on the importance of truth-telling.

Michigan fans should consider themselves lucky that he didn’t end up with the Wolverines. In a strange way it’s almost like had got two coaches fired.

 

It’s Back On Between Michigan and Ohio State

The Michigan football Wolverines or their fans haven’t had much to talk about lately, especially when it comes to the rivalry with Ohio State.

Now with Rich Rodriguez being blown out of town and Brady Hoke providing a breath of fresh air it looks like the rivalry won’t be as one-sided as in years past. That remains to be seen, but the Ohio State University has been reeling from an NCAA investigation.

Now there is a billboard in Michigan on I-94 poking fun at Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel.  

It looks like it’s on now between these two bitter rivals. For Michigan’s sake lets hope they put together a better effort on the field than they did in the Rodriguez error, I mean era.

Beano Cook Guarantees Urban Meyer Will Coach Ohio State In 2012

With the toruble Jim Tressel is having at Ohio State, there are many predicting his demise. I don’t think he’ll be there much longer but only time will reveal.

One man thinks this year will be his swan song and that there is only one man for the job.

Beano Cook guarantees Urban Meyer will be the coach at Ohio State in 2012.  Here we go again. I hate to say this but Cook comes off as a senile old man.

“I think Ohio State has major problems and I think Jim Tressel has major problems. I’ve said on my Podcast. . . (that) Urban Meyer will be the coach at Ohio State in 2012. That was my prediction and I stick by that prediction. Urban Meyer will be ready to coach somewhere. He said when he was coaching Florida that there were only three schools he would ever coach at – Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame. I think Brian Kelly is going to do the job at Notre Dame and Michigan just hired a new coach, and I think this will be Jim Tressel’s last year. I’m not saying it should be. . . . This is a mess, it isn’t over yet and I think this is his last year coaching at Ohio State.”



“I just think that now that it’s come out that he talked about this problem with an alumnus from Jeannette, Pa., (Terrelle) Pryor’s hometown about selling these jerseys and other things and he did not tell the president or athletic director. I think Ohio State will get hit by the NCAA because they were misled. The worst thing you can do with the NCAA is not tell them the truth right away and that’s what happened. I think Ohio State is going to get hit.


“I just think it’s a mess. … I just think he will resign. That’s my opinion. That’s all. It’s just a prediction and that’s what we do in this business. Predict.”

Ok, more of a prediction than a guarantee, but remember this is the same guy that said Ron Powlus would win two Heisman’s and scores of national championships. So take this how you want. I’m not writing off Tressel, but it would take an act of Houdini like proportions to escape the mess he’s in right now.

Jon Gruden Thinks Terrelle Pryor Can Succeed In The NFL

A few weeks ago NFL draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. came out and said that Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor basically had no chance at being an NFL quarterback. He even went as far as saying that he might want to switch positions for his senior year.

Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden  is singing a different tune about the Buckeyes signal caller. Gruden says that Pryor has “dominated college football” and can make it in the NFL.

“I have met Terrelle Pryor, had a chance to watch him,” Gruden told the media after speaking at the 80th annual Ohio State Football Clinic. “This is a freak of nature. This guy is really something with the ball in his hands.”

I agree and disagree with Gruden. Pryor is an athletic freak and I think he’s been shackled by Jim Tressel’s offensive system. That may be sound harsh, but he should’ve turned Pryor loose a long time ago. I’m sure there are some Buckeye fans that will disagree with me. I think Cam Newton was everything Terrelle Pryor should be. But by no means has he dominated college football. Just check out last year’s Wisconsin game for further proof.

“Terrelle Pryor can run and he can throw and he’s a hell of a competitor,” Gruden said. “You might have to cater your offense, to a degree, towards his strengths, but I think this guy can develop his passing.

I do think Pryor should be given a chance to prove he can be an NFL quarterback. I don’t see any NFL offensive coordinators catering their offense to accomdate Pryor. If they’re not going to do it with Newton, why would they do it with Pryor. He can develop his passing if given chance. He’s not a once in a lifetime talent, but shouldn’t switch positions to make it in the NFL.
If Gruden takes another NFL coaching job, Pryor has someone in his corner.

   

Kiper Says Pryor Will Be A Tight End In The NFL

Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor will be suspended for the first five games of the upcoming college football season. Almost everyone knows that. The question is how much will it hurt his NFL aspirations. If it’s up to draftnik Mel Kiper he would have Pryor switch positions. Maybe moving him to wide receiver while still at Ohio State.

Kiper also thinks Pryor will project to being an H-back or tight end in the NFL, pretty much the same thoughts he had about Tim Tebow.

“I’ve thought all along he was a tight end,” Kiper said on a conference call. “I talked about (former Florida quarterback) Tim Tebow the same way last year.



“I think his best chance to be a very good NFL player is as an H-back. I think Pryor is going to be a projection to tight end.”


Kiper feels that Pryor needs to work on some things, mainly throwing to succeed as a quarterback. I feel Pryor is an athletic wonder but he needed those five games to hone his skills at the position.

“Accuracy,” Kiper said when asked what he could improve on. “Throwing the football is the main thing.

“He has to throw the ball, and he has to be precise with the football, and he has to do the things from a pure passing standpoint.”


“Did he need to play those five games to prove he can be a quarterback? Yeah, he did,” Kiper said. “I think there is going to be some concern whether he is going to be a quarterback or a position change, like I said, to a tight end spot.”

Kiper is not the end all, be all of how a person does in the NFL. Maybe Pryor will surprise his skeptics and prove that he is an NFL worthy talent at quarterback and not tight end or some novelty player. I feel he should get a chance to play quarterback before they try to switch positions.

I think the talk of switching him to a different position might hurt him more than the five game suspension. That will get into the heads of the league executives before he gets a chance to prove he’s worthy of being a quarterback.