A new Bucknuts destination, Hyde rising the charts, Devin Smith praise, and lots of recruiting talk in this week's Bucket.
Last week, in the Bucket, I announced that we have left the ESPN network of college sports sites and fired up a new independent affiliation that promises bigger and better things for Bucknuts and for Bucknutters worldwide. We wanted to be part of a more hyper-local and customer-oriented effort that enhanced our ability to offer Buckeye Nation the intense news and recruiting coverage that they have come to demand.
It took us a few months to analyze what we felt our current and future users really wanted. As Wayne Gretzky defined the difference between himself and the more mortal hockey players: “They skate to where the puck is. I skate to where the puck is going”. We want to get you to where you are going!
So, how do we get there? What’s the vehicle for such a journey? Well, Bucknuts now shifts once again with technology and the incessant demand for “bigger, better, faster”. We are shifting, actually, into fourth gear and picking up speed. We welcome you to come along for the ride!
What was our first gear at Bucknuts? It all started when we – as Buckeye nuts - couldn’t get the recruiting info or daily news coverage that a true citizen of Buckeye Nation needed and deserved. We created the independent Bucknuts website back in 1998. We felt that the old iconic OSU sports sites had gotten way too print-oriented and stale. Or both.
Second gear: Some eight years ago, we became part of the formation of Scout, a network dedicated to competing with Rivals and trying hard to pull together recruiting resources on a national basis. After four years, we weren’t satisfied with the slap-dash and amateurish approach to national coverage and the off-putting treatment of the publishers. It was obvious that their mojo had run aground and when the network was sold to Fox as an experiment in “social media”, we got off the bus (out of the laboratory?). Scout “replaced” us with the previous print group that Rivals had terminated. Two of our 17 Bucknuts guys swung over to try to make a statement that the old-time cyber-journalism could survive and thrive. That wasn’t our bet…
Third gear: We created the concept of TEAM, a cooperative network of some of the biggest and best sports sites from across the nation. Thirty publishers – over time – got together and shared technologies, ideas, expenses and resources. We affiliated with ESPN, which was to promote the sites, sell advertising, and enable to us use their actual Insider resources as well as their recruiting databases. It worked for a while but the approach was slow and ponderous and so many Bucknutters truly hate ESPN that we probably lost as many users as we gained from all the new good stuff that the four-letter word delivered.
So what is fourth gear? It’s “24/7”.
It’s news coverage that never stops. It’s a national presence from dozens of inside guys at dozens of sites all collated to get you exactly what you want; faster and more professionally than has ever been attempted in this still-nascent industry.
24/7.
And who exactly is 24/7? Well, that’s where a compelling story gets even more interesting.
24/7 is a new effort of which Bucknuts is on the ground floor along with another 20 or so of the industry’s largest web sites. It is headed by Shannon Terry, previously the founder of Rivals.com. Terry served as Rivals’ Chief Executive Officer, overseeing the corporate strategy, new product development and day-to-day management. He was named to the Sports Business Journal's Forty-Under-40 in 2006 and 2007, and the Forty-Under-40 Hall of Fame in 2008. Terry was also named to the trade publication's 20 Most Influential People in Online Sports list in 2007 and 2008.
When the deal was concluded to found the new network, Terry gave this quote to a national media outlet:
“We are extremely excited to add Bucknuts to the 24/7 Sports network. Bucknuts is a cornerstone team site for the network, with reach far beyond the Ohio State market.”
“Bucknuts is easily one of the top five college team sites on the Internet, along with BamaOnLine.com (Alabama), OrangeBloods.com (Texas), TheWolverine.com (Michigan), and Warchant.com (Florida State). When you consider the depth of the team coverage, recruiting scoop, community and its massive subscriber and user base, you could easily make a case that Bucknuts is the No. 1 team site in the college market.”
“Through award winning features, breaking news, recruiting coverage and a vibrant message board community, Bucknuts has established itself as the de facto source for Ohio State team and recruiting coverage.”
And who are we to disagree? The new network of 24/7 sites is taking the best of the past efforts to gather and feature hyper-local college sports content and then combine it with the cutting edge technologies that are now available to internet and mobile users demanding faster and better and more professional. They call it “combining the best in local content and community with cutting edge social media technology to build the next generation of college team and affinity properties.”
Finally, what’s in it for you? There has been a huge sum of money invested on our part to introduce the next generation of coverage, social media and responsiveness in recruiting. Starting in mid-August, with the informal launch, we are building a network of total BCS team coverage that will include more than 40 recruiting experts sharing real-time data and news. Additionally, there will be national gurus and state-of-the-art technology applied to this traditional media model. It might be the first innovation(s) in this industry in the past decade!
In the next weeks, we will be announcing all the exciting parts and pieces and new services. Stay tuned as we take you from the twentieth century to infinity – and beyond!
Yes, we do indeed have high hopes and expectations. 24/7…
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Tressel can’t close…Or so it goes. There have been years when the recruiting classes seemed largely done and the difference between a “good” and a “great” class was left to 4-5 national names that wanted to express their egos all the way to Signing Day. Those hits or misses begat the worst of the “Tressel can’t close” crises.
But like all gross generalities and time worn clichés, it is worth examining the criticism that baldly states that a coach of a major program, a coach that has won 94 games and six straight Big Ten titles in just nine seasons, can’t “close the deal” with recruits and/or can’t “close out a season” of recruiting.
There are innumerable and comparable clichés, some of which are also worth examining here. To wit:
- Tressel can’t close
That’s the thesis we are about to examine now…
- Sol can’t dance – A John Fogerty (Credence Clearwater Revival) reference. Also see “"Zanz Kant Danz"” after which his publisher (Sol Zaentz) sued Fogerty for plagiarizing himself *
- Debbie Does Dishes – A reference to a film we later discovered was simply Jewish pornography
- Tressel can’t coach – The Technician, our self-described “Blatant Apologist” for Tressel countered that uber-criticism with: “Apologist?.......You don't have to apologize for 94-21”
- White men can’t jump – A better movie than a cliché; later disproved as an all-encompassing generality by Dick Fosbury, amongst others…
- Tressel can’t recruit out-of-state – Mack Brown of Texas takes 90% of his annual Top Five teams from his home state and everyone waxes, “Genius”. When we lost one guy last year to Mack, the JT criticism was then turned into the opprobrium that “Tressel can’t keep the good ones in-state”. Pick your poison…
- The check’s in the mail; I will respect you in the morning; I’m from the government and I’m here to help - These sorry plaints preceded the now-familiar refrain of “I’m from the NCAA and we plan to investigate this mess”…
- “No generality is worth a damn, including this one” – A quote lifted from George Bernard Shaw and that’s what we’re talking about…
* I have also been accused of “plagiarizing myself” (amongst others). You cite one source without recognition and it is plagiarism – you cite multiple sources and it is “research”…
Let’s look at the latest evidence running contrary to this cynical Jim Tressel recruiting thesis and bask in the conclusions. Here are the witnesses as we know them so far in 2010. Has he “closed” with them? Are we “close” to full already in July?
Quarterbacks
Braxton Miller
Maybe one more (1)
Running Backs
None
Done
Wide Receivers
Devin Smith
Evan Spencer
Maybe one more (2)
Tight ends
Jeff Heuerman
Nick Vannett
Done
Offensive Linemen
Chris Carter
Antonio Underwood
Tommy Brown
Brian Bobek
Maybe two more (3)
Defensive Linemen
Steve Miller
Kenny Hayes
Michael Bennett
Chase Farris
Joel Hale
Maybe done
Linebackers
None
Maybe 1-2 (4)
Defensive Backs
DerJuan Gambrell
Jeremy Cash
Ron Tanner
Maybe 1-2 more (5)
That’s 17 in the barn with maybe 6-8 still out in the wild. Let’s look at those openings (there’s still six months to go until “closing”, fans!) and see how we might eventually close.
First, let’s look at the intriguing “pivot” that is Glenville. There are four potential stars there that impact a few of the closing issues. In a perfect world (one with just Bucknutters and blue sky and no clouds…), here’s how I see the Tarblooders playing out for the Buckeyes, Class of 2011:
- Aundrey Walker – We want him, we need him, we get him.
- Andre Sturdivant – Could be a fabulous linebacker (needed) or a fabulous DE (not so much). Reminds some of a bigger better Thaddeus Gibson. I say, with his academic concerns and out lack of numbers, let’s hope that he goes to Fork Union and he comes in the following year.
- Shane Wynn – We are being told that he is even smaller than most observers thought (and that’s real small to begin with) and not quite the talent level that they thought (don’t think Ray Small…). Thus, he might be encouraged to go with his “new #1” – Miami. He can play with Latwander and try to keep him out of trouble!
- Cardale Jones – Wow. How can you “pass” on him? My preference (previously asserted…) is to gray-shirt him a la Todd Boeckman. That gives him an extra year to develop great QB habits and two years separation from Braxton – if he proves out…
Thus, that’s only one of four expected ‘Blooders filling the “6-8 breach”. Where do he rest come from (and you know if I have these multiple theses, then Tress is multiple more theses ahead of me!)? Here’s how I break it down:
(1): If Cardale will wait, he’s the 1…
(2): We wanted JaJuan Storey which would have been “end of story”. There’s a chance we will stand pat or go with an up-and-comer Ohioan.
(3): Aundrey Walker fills one huge spot on the line and either Angelo Mangiro or a fast-closing local talent fills the other. Or we hang with “just” five…
(4): The linebackers have been a sore thumb issue now two years in a row. We lost the best-in-the-state last year in Jordan Hicks and are 50-50 to lose the best this year in Trey DePriest. I say we get Trey and we will either bring on Sturdivant or maybe Ejuan Price or a Crowell or a not-yet-disclosed applicant. If JT doesn’t get DePriest, we will hear the Tress-can’t close tune even if he has a Top Three class in the country!
(5) We want and need and will get Doran Grant. After that? Depending on if we take Cardale or another LB, there could be room for one more safety. And if either Wayne Lyons or Jabari Gorman still wants in, you take them regardless!
Thus, think these thoughts as we thrash through the theses:
- Tressel can close. He has closed nine super seasons and already closed on 17 sought recruits with seven months still to go.
- JT will close 5-7 more recruits in the next seven months. I hope they are the ones you thought he should get!
- By being so far ahead of the curve in 2010, he will be equally ahead of the curve in 2011 for the Class of 2012. In Ohio, that class appears to be as good as the great class of this year. Call it the “Mack Attack”: get them in early and get started on next year!
The results are thusly in. Tressel can close. It’s never perfect but it is perfect enough.
Case closed.
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The Boarding House…here we come again with warning labels and explanations!
Where five stories are blowing up and rumors are flying!
The Bucknuts beat boys bring you what they hear and see and are loathe to write about as facts. The House is a place for rumors and gossip and innuendo. We don’t treat it is if it’s “inside information”, like some people do. Yet – you guys love to hear the good stuff. To do that, we have to:
- Disclaim that we don’t know if any of it is true
- Not attribute it to any particular source
- Not attribute it to any particular reporter!
We hope it’s interesting and it’s all fairly entertaining and some of it might even turn out to be actually, well…true! So, forewarned is forearmed. Don’t write me and tell me that we shouldn’t publish rumors. We already know that!
| **Somewhere to Hyde: We ask. They tell. We tell you.
And when we ask those in the know who is impressing as the season beckons, one name comes up again and again: Carlos Hyde.
We continue to hear the "true" freshman tailback has to see the field this season despite the depth chart logjam.
Recently, we asked a veteran player who has been the most impressive incoming freshman so far during summer workouts. He said Hyde, not knowing we meant guys in the 2010 class who weren't here in the spring. The player in question said it's too early to tell on the guys that just arrived -- everyone looks good running around and lifting weights. But this particular player continues to be “blown away” by Hyde's blend of power, speed and - perhaps even more encouraging - work ethic.
Yes, Hyde is ostensibly fourth on the depth chart now, behind Brandon Saine, Boom Herron and Jordan Hall. Could we be headed for a talent vs. seniority debate? Hopefully not. Saine and Herron are clearly going to get the first crack at carrying the mail.
But there will be precious little time to waste. Expectations for this season are high. Sky high.
We can’t Hyde from that.
**Injured and out … Bill Kurelic let us know on Friday that Dondi Kirby is longer on the Bucks radar. The Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway defensive back suffered a serious knee injury at a camp in Michigan (We’re just sayin’) and will miss his senior season. The Bucks told Kirby his offer was still good but the class was filling up and he needed to make a decision soon. Kirby said he wants to take all of his visits so Ohio State was no longer in the mix.
Hmmmm. Kirby had always planned to take his five officials. Did the Bucks squeeze the timetable knowing it would push them out of the race for a damaged DB? Who knows? But what is the protocol once a potential recruit suffers an injury like Kirby did? We asked a college scout with many years in the biz just this. Here is what he said:
“It depends on the severity [of the injury]. If he just needs a scope and some cartilage shaved, it probably won’t make much of a difference. If he has to be reconstructed, it will probably drop his recruitment down a notch.
“Most teams will try to get him on campus and get him evaluated by their trainers and in some cases even their team doctors. If it is severe, top tier schools like the Buckeyes will probably drop him. Scavenger schools like West Virginia or Syracuse might then try to scoop him up. Ultimately, it will all come down to how severe the injury is.”
Wanna bet Kirby’s injury falls in the severe category?
**No doubting Smith - now … Several Ohio scouts we routinely chat with were perplexed early on. Each brought up the same question: “Why have the Bucks not offered the best Class of 2011 receiver in Ohio?”
The receiver in question was Massillon’s Devin Smith. During early looks at Smith on film, we hear “most” of the Bucks brass was sold. Most, not all. The vocal dissenters put the offer on hold.
Fast forward to the OSU senior elite camp. Whether he knew it or not, Smith was competing for an offer. Whether he knew that or not, Smith “put on a show,” according to one scout in attendance.
Once he did, the vocal dissenters became enthusiastic Smith supporters. Smith was offered and he is now a member of the Class of 2011, which is looking so good you hear ’02 and ’08 comparisons bandied about.
As one scout put it: “[Ohio State] was patient and in the end got it right” on Smith.
**Hurricane brewing … When the Miami game was put on the schedule, it was an immediate head turner. Sure, the ‘Canes are not what they once were. But they do appear to be on the way back and Miami-Ohio State just sounds good.
Now, add the intrigue – namely Latwan, Seantrel, LeBron – and the Miami-Buckeye state interest sends the mercury skyrocketing.
Ol’ Latwander seems quite interested in the game. Quite. And he has shared his thoughts. Can Latwan compete on the field with the Bucks? We’ll see. Can Latwan compete in a Twitter showdown with Mastertweet Theater master thespian Jonathan Newsome?
Uhhh … no. We present to you a recent Twitter trash-talking tryst between the two Glenville grads. Some of the language has been ‘edited’ to protect the faint of heart.
Anderson: If its not all about the [this is a family site]...Then what the hell is it about! <UM#6>
Newsome: u bouta get yo ass flamed boi
Anderson: you sound crazyy...we gon beat the [stuffing] out yall aha...cant nobody on that roster check me..or catch a pass on me!!!!
Newsome: u was scared 2 come here and get yo ass drilled
Interesting to note that track star Latwander does not know which side of the ball he’ll be on yet. Anyway, this is just a prelude. Imagine how loud the hype machine will be by kickoff.
Note to sun drenched out-of-towners: Sport your ‘U’ gear at your own peril in C-bus unless you are bringing Sapp and Ray-Ray as protection.
**Nit worth … New Jersey offensive lineman Angelo Mangiro appears headed for the Big Ten. But where?
We hear the interior mauler has essentially whittled his list down to Penn State and Ohio State. And we also hear the Nittany Lions are in front. No! A burly guard named Mangiro from New Jersey signing with Penn State? Outlandish!
One might assume the Buckeyes' advantage is their 2011 recruiting class compared to the Nittany Lions’ current haul. The Bucks have 17 commitments and one of the country’s top five classes. The Nits have just three commitments and will not finish with a top 5 or even a top 10 class as they have only 14 or 15 scholarships to give this cycle.
However, one of the things the Nittany Lions told Mangiro is they brought in a very good 2010 recruiting class, and when paired with the class they bring in this recruiting season, Penn State should be in good shape. And despite all we wring our hands about, the Nits have more holes to fill on the offensive line than the Bucks.
If Tressel gets a ‘yes’ from Mangiro, it will be among his most impressive gets yet. Considering the roll the Senator is on, we remain cautiously optimistic.
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Re: Porter and the Class of 2012; the quarterbacks… July was once the time to start summarizing the prospects and promises for the recruiting class that was to commit the following February – some seven months out. But even Ohio State – traditionally slow to fill their classes – is nearly finished with that particular class, the Class of 2011. So we decided to stay ahead of the curve, and ahead of everyone else, and to move on to…the Class of 2012!
No one knows the state of Ohio and the inherent recruiting possibilities better than the Bucknuts Beat Boys. I asked our super-scout, Mark Porter, to “represent”, to weigh in on each position group for this way-upcoming class by finding for me the best of the best – by position – in the state of Ohio. Remember, these are players that were just sophomores in high school last season.
And here is the roll call for the best quarterback prospects from the Buckeye state for guys that are going to be juniors in high school next season. Their links (to videos on Scouting Ohio) and a brief description accompany each player. If you want to see the top running back prospects from last week’s discussion, click here…
The quarterbacks
When it comes to recruiting, one of the hardest positions to evaluate is QB, because so many factors can come into play - like arm strength, ability to read coverages, timing, leadership, accuracy, athletic ability, moxy, and even the player’s height. When looking at 2012 sophomore QB prospects, one has to take into account the fact that these kids are still only 15-16 years old and have some major development ahead of them, both physically and mentally. The idea here is to assess a few top QB's in the class of 2012 that are showing early skill sets worth evaluating and have the possible skill set to be a college QB. From experience, we know that this list will probably look different a year from now; but to kick things off, here are a few quarterbacks to follow for the Class of 2012:
Collin Michael - Lexington – The first thing you notice about Michael is his size and how much more he can fill out as he grows over the next few years and enter into college. Package that with a very live arm for such a young kid and you have a QB with a very bright future. We got a chance to see Michael work out this summer and he put on a very impressive show driving the ball through a 15-20 mph wind with great accuracy and velocity. Lexington Head Coach BJ Payne will put Michael in charge of a very explosive offense this season and good numbers are expected for Collin Michael during his junior season.
Maty Mauk - Kenton - Maty Mauk had those gaudy numbers, leading Ohio with almost 3,000 yards and 31 TD's last season. Mauk has intangibles like timing, accuracy, reading defenses, the intelligence to run a complex offense, and great touch on deep balls. His best asset may be his ability to buy time in the pocket with his feet and make plays down the field with his arm. Expect an all passing assault in Kenton this season and for Mauk to have the best numbers (again) by season’s end. He holds a verbal offer already from Cincinnati.
Tyler O'Conner - Lima Central Catholic – We got the chance to see Tyler at a few camps this summer but have not seen him in game action yet. He showed us enough in those camps to land on this list. O'Conner has a strong arm for a sophomore, coupled with a smooth throwing motion and quick release. If these same skills show up on tape his junior season O'Conner will be a name you hear more about in the future.
Will McCollister - Rock Hill - McCollister is a very big and strong QB with plenty of upside for colleges to evaluate. Shows pretty good athletic ability on film and uses his feet to make plays when needed. Attended an OSU elite camp this summer and drew plenty of attention from evaluators on hand. Will has the ability to be one of the best QB's in the class and we will be back to you after we break down his junior game films.
Austin Appleby - North Canton Hoover - With a combination of JV film and camps this summer, Appleby has put himself on the map and become a name to follow. Hoover handed the ball to Mr. Ohio Football (Eric Howard) as often as possible over the past few seasons but may have to change gears on offense to take advantage of their big-armed QB. Austin may not end the season with huge passing stats but he has a skill set that will attract college coaches.
Seth Rosenbauer - Lima Shawnee - Rosenbauer has the build of a college linebacker already and throws the ball well enough on the film we have seen. He needs to be evaluated as a junior on size alone and could develop into a very strong-armed passer by the end of his senior year. His brother Zach was recruited to play LB at Toledo last year.
Michael Simpson - Chaminade Julienne - Simpson is the athlete of this group and possesses a big arm. He reminds us some of a young Troy Smith but has much work to do before he will live up to that comparison. With teams running their QB's out of the spread offense these days, Simpson becomes attractive because he can throw it over you or run by you on any play. Michael will be one of the more exciting QB's to watch down the road.
Outside of Ohio, we have come across a few QB's in 2012 that will be worth noting and may eventually show up on OSU’s radar:
Gunner Kiel – Columbus, Indiana - Already holds about 10 offers and that list will expand dramatically over the next year.
Gray Crow – Clearwater, Florida - Rivals is reporting that Notre Dame has already offered.
Zeke Pike – Edgewood, Kentucky - Holds early offers from Cincinnati and Purdue, among others.
Remember, click on the hyper links and check out the films, courtesy of ScoutingOhio!
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Fabulous football factoids…Stolen from the 2010 edition of Lindy’s. Enjoy if you are into the minutiae:
- Player rankings nationally: Pryor #5 QB, Posey #19 WR, Boren #3 OG, Heyward #4 DE, Homan #8 OLB (I think Posey’s a bit better than that)
- Unit rankings nationally: OSU #4 offensive backfield; OSU #4 OL; OSU #4 DL; OSU #8 LB
- B10 projections: 1) OSU 2) Wisconsin 3) Iowa 4) PSU 5) MSU 6) Michigan 7) NW 8) Purdue 9) Indiana 10) Illinois 11) Minnesota
- All Big Ten: First team Buckeyes: Pryor, Posey, Boren, Heyward, Homan, Chekwa, Hines; Second team Buckeyes: Saine, Browning
- B10 Honor Roll (Buckeyes): Best scrambler: T. Pryor; Best run blocker: J. Boren; Best cover corner: C. Chekwa.
- Big Ten MVP: T. Pryor; Offensive POY: J. Clay; Defensive POY: G. Jones (MSU); Newcomer of the year: R. Marve (Purdue)
- Top NFL talent: #1 Gabe Carimi (Wis – OT), #2 Adrien Clayborn (Iowa – DE), #3 C. Heyward, #7 J. Boren, #8 T. Pryor
- Top NFL factories by position, the last decade: QB’s: #1 USC, #2 Georgia; RB’s: #1 USC, #2 Auburn; WR’s: #1: Ohio St, #2 LSU; O-line: #1 USC, #2 Iowa; D-line: #1 Georgia, #2 Texas; LB’s: #1 Ohio St, #2 Miami; DB’s: #1 Miami, #2 Ohio St
- NFL DraftScout.com’s early 2011 NFL top 32 selection: Heyward 2nd overall, no other Buckeyes; North Carolina with 5 defensive players in the top 32.
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For our old friends…And older readers:
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Questions and Answers from AARP Forum
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Q: Where can men over 65 find younger, sexy women who are interested in them?
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A: Try a bookstore, under fiction.
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Q: What can a man do while his
wife is going through menopause?
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A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you're done you'll have a place to live.
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Q: Someone has told me that
menopause is mentioned in the bible. Is that true? Where can it be found?
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A: Yes. Matthew 14:92:
"And Mary rode Joseph's ass
all the way to Egypt..."
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Q: How can you increase the
heart rate of your 65-plus
year old husband?
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A: Tell him you're pregnant.
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Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly wrinkles?
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A: Take off your glasses.
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Q: Seriously! What can I do for these Crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?
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A: Go braless. It will usually pull them out.
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Q: Why should 65-plus year old people use valet parking?
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A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.
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Q: Is it common for seniors to have problems with short term memory storage?
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A: Storing memory is not a problem, retrieving it is the problem.
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Q: As people age, do they sleep More soundly?
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A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.
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Q: Where should seniors look for eye glasses?
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A: On their foreheads.
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Q: What is the most common remark made by seniors when they enter antique stores?
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A: "Gosh, I remember these!"
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If you can remember what you planned to say about any of the foregoing, jot your thoughts down here or e-mail Mr. Bucknuts personally at MrBucknuts@yahoo.com
