Even Ohio State Band Members Have Football Chops!

See here.

Hey @OSUCoachMeyer @OsuCoachCoombs, you guys need a kicker for Saturday? @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/e1UQWU0Nk1

— OSU Marching Band (@TBDBITL) December 27, 2016

Would selection committee give Houston a chance?

According to a survey of fifteen Power Five Conference ADs conducted by USA Today, yes, the Cougars could have a path to the College Football Playoff. But there are a lot of games to be played yet, including a game against #3 Louisville in Houston on November 17.

The way things look right now, the match-up versus Louisville would be even more demanding than the game the Cougars won in Norman over Oklahoma, which was also ranked #3 on the opening Saturday of college football season when the two teams played. Louisville impressively dismantled Florida State last week; so, they are likely to be a team to be reckoned with.

I'm pulling for the Cougars for a great season, not just because they play in the non-Power Five American Athletic Conference and I love rooting for the "little guys," but mostly because the Cougars' head coach is Tom Herman. Herman was the offensive coordinator for my Ohio State Buckeyes when OSU won the first College Football Playoff championship two seasons ago. His play-calling then was masterful. And he's done an amazing job with all facets of his job with the Cougars.

Houston is rumored to be one of the schools that the Big 12, a Power Five conference, is looking to add to their number. Should the Cougars go 13-0 in regular season play, as seems likely, it would only burnish the case for their admission among major colleges.

Admission into the Big 12 might also entice Herman, who could probably write his own ticket to any available major college program, to stay at Houston. The heightened level of competition and the bigger salary he could likely count on might keep him on. Houston is already a major hotbed for high school football player recruitment and Herman is winning many of them over. He's building something there.

[UPDATE: The likeliest scenario by which Houston could get into the playoffs, I think, is for Oklahoma, now 1-2, to win out the rest of the season as Houston similarly takes care of business in their own weaker conference. This will make their win over Oklahoma a more impressive item on their resume. Houston is still a long shot.]

Of course, if, improbably, Houston gets into the College Football Playoff and faces off against my Buckeyes, who have a great chance to make it to the final four this year, I'll hope that the Cougars just roll over and play dead.

Urban Meyer has done the right thing

Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer has suspended quarterback J.T. Barrett for one game after Barrett was arrested last night on a misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle under the influence. According to Columbus WBNS TV sports director Dom Tiberi, the sanction wasn't mandatory under NCAA or Ohio State athletic department rules, but Meyer levied the punishment anyway.
Meyer, I think, is doing the right thing, even though OSU's offense was just being enhanced by J.T. Barrett as the starting QB and the first CFP rankings are set to come out on Tuesday. 

It's not as if Cardale Jones is a slouch, of course. But Meyer is to be commended. When Barrett is in the game, the Buckeyes run a more diverse and difficult to defend offense, it seems.

This appears to be a classic case of too much free time as this is a bye-week for the Buckeyes. 

I'm hoping that J.T. and all these players for whom the package of a college scholarship, health services, conditioning coaching, first rate training facilities, topflight coaching, academic help, and marketing is such a great deal, especially at OSU, will learn some lessons from this event. 

Go, Buckeyes!

Urban Meyer did not have to suspend J.T. Barrett but still made the decision to do so. OSU Spokesman telling me that...
Posted by Dom Tiberi on Saturday, October 31, 2015

Go, Buckeyes!

Count it on one hand! 5 DAYS! ICYMI: The BTN finale of Scarlet & Gray Days will air again tonight at 9:30! #GoBucks
Posted by Ohio State Buckeyes on Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Go, Buckeyes!

I feel apprehensive as my Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball get ready for their first game in the NCAA Tournament this week.

It's been an up-and-down year for the Buckeyes, marked by the incredible play of freshman D'Angelo Russell, the suspension of Marc Loving, and the difficulties associated with integrating Loving back into play once his suspension was served.

Ohio State is seeded 10th in its bracket, facing 7th seeded Virginia Commonwealth University.

There's no doubt in my mind that Ohio State has the talent to make a run in the tournament. But I'm skittish.

With all that said, Thad Matta is a great game coach and I wouldn't bet against him, if I were a betting person.

And guess what? Next year's team looks to be tournament-worthy too.

Go, Buckeyes!

Aaron Craft is Getting Noticed

Aaron Craft, the former Ohio State point guard, seems finally to be getting some of the notice he deserves from the NBA. Toiling in basketball's D-level, he continues to be a great ball handler, an effective thief on defense, and a spark plug who can ignite his teammates. (Glad a high school friend posted this over on Facebook.)

"Oh come, let's sing Ohio's praise..." (Unabashed Hokiness Alert(

"...And songs to Alma Mater raise"

There's a lot more to The Ohio State University than being champions of college football.

There's the new Brain and Spine Hospital, part of The Ohio State University Medical Center.

And the new John Glenn College of Public Affairs.

And a breakthrough medical technology.

Oh, and by the way, the men's basketball is, as usually happens with a Thad Matta-coached team over the course of a season, improving. They beat two top-25 teams this week and by decisive margins. The victims: #23 Indiana and #16 Maryland. Both wins were decisive.

The Ohio State University, College Football's National Champions

The @EmpireStateBldg is lit up scarlet and grey to celebrate Ohio State's championship. pic.twitter.com/Iicqriqu3q

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 13, 2015

"There. I said it."

Part of my reaction to a photo of Ohio Stadium taken from a friend's drone and posted on Facebook by fellow grad of Columbus West High School.

My exact response: "I want a drone. There. I said it."

I think it would be über cool to own one and put a GoPro camera onboard. No, not to engage in surveillance, but to get great shots of things like Ohio Stadium.

Another classmate, of the female variety, responded to my admission, "Boys and their toys."

This boy would love to own that toy.

"Fraternization"

Post by Dom Tiberi.

WBNS TV sports anchor Dom Tiberi makes a great point.

When bowl season comes around, I always root for all the Big Ten teams. As a fan, I'm loyal to the conference in which my alma mater plays. That's an unnecessary thing for an alum and a fan, I know.

But no Big Ten coach should ever help a bowl opponent of one of the conference schools to prepare for games.

It's not good for the conference as a whole or for the recruiting efforts of individual schools for any of our teams to lose post-season bowl games.

And the stakes are even higher when one member of the conference is in the running for the national championship.

A win by Ohio State over Alabama (an admittedly tall order) will only make teams like Indiana, Michigan, and Penn State, Big Ten teams with whom the Buckeyes struggled perhaps more than they should have this season, look better.

A win will add a gleam to the conference and enhance the entire conference's ability to convince the best players in the country to put Big Ten schools at the tops of their lists.

If Big Ten coaches actually gave Alabama advice on how to beat the Buckeyes, it speaks ill of those coaches. But beyond that, it makes them seem less than smart, failing to see how in the bowl season, conference competitors need to stick together. Maybe there should be a conference policy on such "fraternization."

On the other hand, given the "success" of Big Ten coaches against Ohio State this past season, maybe Buckeye fans should encourage the coaches to keep dishing.

A Story of Giving

May God bless Jacob and Noah.

And commendations to Urban Meyer and the Ohio State football team. But I'm certain that you get much more out of your relationship with this family than you give. Giving does that to us.

Well done, Jeff Heuerman and @OhioStAthletics! http://t.co/S5LhBZQi2b
— Ohio State on BTN (@BTN_Ohio_State) December 14, 2014

Ohio State wins, but...

The Buckeyes won today in Columbus, 42-21.

The defense looked good in the second half, for the most part, although our penchant for giving up the big play was seen again.

The offense played well through much of the game, although it sputtered throughout most of the second quarter. Worse, quarterback J.T. Barrett, the surprise linchpin of the offense, was injured. I feel very badly for this young man, who has been mentioned in connection with the Heisman Trophy, amazing considering that just twelve days before the season began, when Buckeye starter Braxton Miller, who had already figured in Heisman talk, re-injured his shoulder. I pray that Barrett will be feeling better soon and that Miller's recovery and rehabilitation will continue strong.

The Buckeyes will face either Minnesota or Wisconsin in next week's Big Ten championship game. The Bucks already beat Minnesota in a tough away game a few weeks ago. As I write this, the Gophers, called by most experts the underdogs, are up on the Badgers, 17-0.

Either opponent will be tough as it's likely that third-string quarterback Cardale Jones will get the start. He has few real-game snaps this season. (I would expect to see the Buckeyes try the Wildcat formation with greater frequency next week, taking advantage of phenom Jalin Marshall's experience as a high school QB.

Should Ohio State win next week's game and teams ahead of them in the rankings lose, the College Football Playoff committee would have to decide whether, without Barrett, the Buckeyes are a championship-contending caliber team.

There already were questions about the Buckeyes being worthy of the top four spots nationally. Today's game and what happens next week may either answer them...or muddy the waters.

[UPDATES, 11/29/2014: J.T. Barrett's injury, as reported by Dom Tiberi of WBNS 10TV, was a broken ankle. He will undergo surgery tomorrow. Wisconsin beat Minnesota. The Badgers will be the Buckeyes' opponents next Saturday in the Big 10 championship game.]

[ANOTHER UPDATE, 11/29/2014: Here's a link to head coach Urban Meyer's post-game press conference.]

Go, Buckeyes! Beat TTUN

Post by The Ohio State University.

Thad Matta Lands More Great Players for Ohio State Men's Team

Looks like another impressive recruiting class for Ohio State basketball.

Two are from Texas, one from Georgia, and one comes from Ohio.

Go, Buckeyes!

How Far Has Big 10 Football Fallen?

A lot.

I'm rooting for my Buckeyes. But I don't see them beating Michigan State. Two reasons: offense and defense.

Be True to Your School

Devin and Jason McCourty, twins who play in the NFL and played at Rutgers, are predicting that their alma mater's Scarlet Knights will upset thirteenth ranked Ohio State in their game today. My Buckeyes have definite issues and play a weak schedule, but, as good as I think the Knights are, I don't see a Buckeye loss. But I loved reading about their enthusiasm for their school.

Sometimes though, team loyalty can fog our vision.

Just this past week, one-time Ohio State QB Stanley Jackson, who does a great job as a Big Ten Network football analyst, put the Buckeyes at #4 nationally. That spot, if it came to be, would put Ohio State in the national championship playoffs at the end of the season. I suppose the Buckeyes could get to number four. But I definitely find it hard to rank them that high right now.

The big challenge for the Buckeyes right now is to continue to take care of business every week and not be lulled into complacency from looking ahead to their November 8 game with Michigan State. Michigan State is still the best team in the Big Ten, however disturbing the Spartans' penchant for making games they should be winning handily interesting in the fourth quarter.

But I'm true to my school.

What to Say, When to Say It, When to Shut Up

My French instructor at Ohio State once told me, diplomatically, that I was "loquacious." That was his kind way of saying that I needed to shut up and listen during class. I always appreciated the graciousness with which he phrased his criticism.

"Running off the head," as my friends in northwest Ohio style it, has long been one of my deficiencies, though I hope through the years, that I've learned to listen more. This ability--the ability to speak less and listen more, to speak the right word at the right time and nothing more or less--is an especially important attribute for a pastor. After all, we are allowed to "hold forth" for twenty minutes every week when we preach and to do so also for long stretches if we teach classes, as I do. It's only fair to give others more than equal time when we encounter them in hospitals, nursing homes, the grocery store, church hallways, at sporting events, during shared meals, or at the park during other times of the week.

Listening and knowing when to speak the right words are skills some people possess by inclination or patient application or both. I envy them. More than a few of my friends are "naturals" in these ways.

For others of us, those two abilities, if they ever come to us at all, are gifts of the Holy Spirit, acquired by experience, prayer, repentance, and renewal.

I'm not inclined to be silent and when I was younger, I sometimes set off bombardments of words when I was nervous, scared, or ignorant of what to say. It was as though I was trying to build a fortress of words that wouldn't allow the things I feared to touch me. Or, I confess, I wanted to show others how knowledgeable and informed I was.

Not a good strategy for either end.

And not particularly conducive to building relationships or to helping people who could use a listening ear more than they need word bombs. This is why I often pray, "Lord, give me the right words and the right silences."

I still can get in God's way, saying things I shouldn't, neglecting to say words that might be helpful, or forgetting to simply listen. But now, I usually know it when I do so. (More often than I like, this knowledge comes after the fact. But at least now I do see it.) The connection between my brain and my mouth is getting a bit stronger, though not as strong as I want it to be.

In today's installment of Our Daily Bread, based on Solomon's book of Proverbs, there are thoughts on saying the right things at the right times by being attentive to the promptings of God's Spirit. It's worth reading.

I especially like this part:

The Bible says that there is an appropriate time to speak (Eccl. 3:7). Solomon compared properly timed and well-spoken words with golden apples in a silver setting—beautiful, valuable, and carefully crafted (Prov. 25:11-12). Knowing the right time to speak is beneficial for both the speaker and hearer, whether they are words of love, encouragement, or rebuke. Keeping silent also has its place and time. When tempted to deride, belittle, or slander a neighbor, Solomon said that it is wise to hold our tongue, recognizing the appropriate time for silence (11:12-13). When talkativeness or anger tempts us to sin against God or another human being, resistance comes by being slow to speak (10:19; James 1:19).

That passage from James is particularly important for me to remember, I think:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry...

Lord, have mercy. 


 

This Is How Bad Things Are at the School Up North

At a recent rally on the campus of a school in Ann Arbor calling for the resignation of the athletic director, a law student wore Ohio State attire. He said until Dave Brandon is fired, he will not wear maize and blue.

The protests, it should be said, were not as much about the performance of the football team on the field, as about its handling of the concussion of a quarterback during Michigan's loss to Minnesota this past Saturday.

ESPN analyst and one-time OSU QB Kirk Herbstreit said on this morning's Mike and Mike radio show that he thought that some of the criticism falling on head coach Brady Hoke for allowing his QB to re-enter the game after sustaining a concussion, was unfair. He explained that on football sidelines, head coaches are dependent on training and medical staff to tap him on the shoulder and inform him that Player X can't return to the game. Herbtreit says that what happened on Saturday is the fault of the medical staff and of the university itself.

I don't know about that. But I do know that all of this is catching Hoke and his program in a perfect storm. At a moment when we're all growing increasingly concerned about the high incidence of life-altering head injuries in football and when the football program appears to be in an ongoing tailspin on the scoreboard, Hoke and his staff must feel like they're trying to wrestle alligators and shake hands with an octopus at the same time.

The more important issue...more important than winning and more important than saving the revenue stream of college athletics or the jobs of coaches and athletic directors...is first, finding out what happened during the Minnesota-Michigan football game. Who dropped the ball when considering the safety and health of a young man who, even on the field, evidenced not doing well after taking a hit on the chin at the end of a play? Who looked at him? Who certified that he was good to go back into the game and why? What policies need to be in place in such instances?

Secondly, and more broadly, we all need to know what can be done to make football a safer game?

TSUN law student wears #OhioState gear; won’t wear UM stuff until AD Brandon's fired http://t.co/YlpdPfVPN6. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/4zym4X1QLu
— Buckeye Fans Only (@buckeyefansonly) September 30, 2014

President Obama's Next Secret Service Director

Anthony Schliegel...

More Excellence from Ohio State

If you live in central Ohio or nearby, chances are you know how excellent The Ohio State University Medical Center is. But here's a short article that tells you (and other readers) about the Center's strategy for excellence.

As a pastor who has reason to visit the varied portions of the medical center, I can tell you I always come away impressed with the competence and compassion of its personnel and the treatment the entire institution provides.

I'm proud to be a 1975 graduate of the university! Go, Buckeyes!