Down, Set, Hike!

The Ohio State Buckeyes played their spring game in front of 44,276 fans this past weekend. The game was played in honor of Jesse Owens. The Buckeyes suited up with camo helmets and Jesse Owens custom logo on their helmet to recognize his achievements.

Jesse Owens 75 years ago this summer won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics. This at the time was the most medals and individual had ever received. Owens goal was to prove that individual excellence and dedication was what distinguished you from others not race or national origin.

The final score of the game was 59-27 offense beating the defense. The offense would receive points in a typical fashion. Another way the offense could earn points is for each first-and-ten and any play over 20 yards. Defense on the other hand would receive points by blocking punts, forcing turnovers, fumble recoveries, and interceptions.

There were four quarterbacks that had the opportunity to shine. Senior Joe Bauserman was named the started and threw for four completions and attempted 11 passes. The senior threw for 42 total yards. The four quarterbacks combined threw for 249 yards. The team had a steady and balanced rushing game. The team rushed for 120 yards on the ground. The defense also played strong but unfortunately could not take home the gold. Linebackers Andrew Sweat and Jordan Whiting were the catalyst for the defense Sweat having ten tackles and Whiting having seven.

Overall Ohio State seems to have a lot of potential for the upcoming season. Although the football team as a program is going through some troubles, the buckeyes still seem to be giving it their best. The buckeyes played a great game for the great fans of Ohio State. The Buckeyes also played for the great Olympic Champion Jesse Owens who deserves to be recognized as a legend.

With a crowd of 53,000 people, the swamp fills with anxiety and anticipation. The Gators unveiled in the annual Orange and Blue game under new Head Coach Will Muschamp. The team is young and full of great potential with the help of senior leaders acting as catalyst for the Gators.

For the fourth time in five years the blue team beat the orange team with a score of 13-10. The Gators have a couple quarterbacks that look like they do some serious damage on the football field. Redshirt freshmen quarterback Tyler Murphy went 7-for-11 for 68 yards with a long of 22 yards, which was the longest past of the day.

There has been big talk about freshmen quarterback Jeff Driskel. It turns out this young man has some legs under him and can throw the ball as well. Although we have some talented young quarterbacks Senior John Brantley will be the starting quarterback in the fall.

Brantley was 4-for-14 with 45 years but Muschamp seemed to be pleased.

“He’s picked up our offense. He does a great job at the line of scrimmage. We put a lot on the quarterback as far as running, pass-check protections, [in] the run game. I’m pleased with John.

The Gators look excited and look like they are getting comfortable with the new coaches and style of play. Fans are eager to see what the Gators make of the season, from the Blue and Orange debut the Gators look like they will be just fine.

Jim Tressel one of the most well known coaches in college, has been fined $250,000 and has been suspended the first five games of the 2011 season. 

Ohio State has had its share of misfortune since the beginning of 2011. The Buckeye’s star quarterback Terrelle Pryor was accused of selling team memorabilia to a local tattoo-artist which is illegal according to the NCAA rules and regulations. 

Ohio State fans were frustrated and confused with the entire situation but Jim Tressel added fuel to that fire. Tressel sent emails to Pryor’s mentor Ted Sarniak, a businessman from Pryor’s hometown in Jeannette, Pa. The emails included information about the investigation that Pryor was involved in. What Tressel did not do is forward those emails to any school officials. 

Sarniak has been a mentor of Pryors since highschool. Doug Archie, the school’s compliance director said Sarniak was the main contact for Pryor during the recruitment process. “Mr. Sarniak and Terrelle Pryor have been friends for a number of years, and their friendship dates back prior to Terrelle’s enrollment at Ohio State,” said Archie in an email to the Columbus newspaper ” The Dispatch.” 

Tressel put the icing on the cake for Ohio State fans. It was a poor decision to communicate with Pryor’s mentor and he not include any school officials of the subject matter. What Pryor did is seriously frowned upon in the NCAA, and Tressel knows that. Things are not looking up for the Buckeyes. Investigations are continuing so stay tuned in on the consequences for the Buckeyes.  

At the University of Florida, Gators are anxious and excited for the 2011 football season. The new coaches at the swamp addressed the fans and media in a press conference early last week.

Head Coach Will Muschamp said that he is really proud of the team. The Gators just finished up their five week off season program. “I really think in the off season, that’s where you build your football team,” Muschamp said, according to gatorzone.com. Muschamp says he is pleased where the team is. He wants the team to continue to work on leadership on and off the field.

The Florida Gators were pleased to welcome Charlie Weis to the Gator Nation. Any passionate football fan knows who Charlie Weis is. Weis’s track record says enough, from collegiate championships to super bowls wins. When asked what Weis thinks of John Brantley, Weis simply said, “He is a good fit.” Weis emphasized that a win is a win and points simply do not matter. Weis and the rest of the Florida Gator football team want to be back on top and will do whatever it takes.

It is great to see the coaches have an optimistic outlook on the approaching season. As a diehard fan and a new member to the gator nation this years coaching staff looks promising and energetic. The Gators have the athletic talent and the coaching staff to go all the way this year. So as always go Gators! 

To play college football is an outstanding opportunity, but every season at least one athlete forgets that. As a Florida Gator fan, unfortunately, we have seen our share of arrests and accusations in the last five years. I am not sure if it is a NCAA National Championship curse but the most recent NCAA champions (Auburn Tigers) had four of their athletes arrested this past Friday.   

  The four young men entered a house about three miles away from campus, one carrying a handgun. The young men were stopped in a motor vehicle and the Auburn police found stolen property. All the Auburn athletes were charged with five counts of first-degree-burglary which is a felony and one count of third-degree-theft.  

Gene Chizik, Auburn head coach, was very disappointed, but made a swift decision to kick the Auburn football players off of the team. 

“The players arrested in connection with this deeply troubling incident have been permanently dismissed from our football team,” Chizik said in a statement. “While we realize the legal process will run its course and these young men have a right for their case to be heard, playing for Auburn University is an honor and a privilege. It is not a right.”

Coach Chizik has a great point about these athletes. They are supposed to be campus leaders and role models for other students. Behavior like this cannot be tolerated. It is childish and embarrassing for any institution. 

  When college athletes decide to act out and lose their integrity it creates a stigma for the rest of the team and forms an image for the college they are representing. Unfortunately, these four young and talented athletes just lost their shot at playing football at one of the most competitive and successful teams in the NCAA. Incidents like this should be a warning for all the other student athletes. Having the opportunity to be a collegiate athlete is great, if you decide to take the risk to hinder that opportunity there should be harsh punishments. These athletes need to step up and realize the opportunity they have before them.

War Eagle…. 

The Southeastern conference has been the most dominant conference in college football in the last five years. In those last five years, SEC teams have gone on to win the National Championship. 

SEC football championships have been played in Atlanta ,the heart of Georgia, at the Georgia Dome for the last 17 years. A new agreement has extended that contract for five more years until 2017. 

“We are both excited and honored that the SEC wants to keep their football championship in the Georgia Dome and the City of Atlanta,” said Dome General Manager Carl Adkins according to ncaafootball.com. “This event is the most prestigious football championship in all of college football and we are thrilled to keep the game in the Georgia Dome for many years to come.”

This championship game certainly isn’t just “another game.” Southeastern football is always entertaining to watch and definitely keeps fans coming back. In the last 16 out of 17 years the Georgia dome has filled up completely for SEC football. The Georgia Dome can accommodate 1.2 million fans. 

The city of Atlanta does reap some benefits from the SEC championship being played in it’s backyard.  In the last 1o years Atlanta has generated over 702 million dollars of economic impact.

Good move for the Southeastern conference and the city of Atlanta. The Georgia Dome is central for most of the SEC teams and always is a fun atmosphere.

The Georgia Dome will hold the 2011 SEC football championship on December 3, 2011.The game will be broadcasted on CBS. SEC fans look forward to another exciting and engaging football championship. Personally I hope to see some orange and blue on the field.  Get stoked SEC fans, it will be another amusing year!

The two coaches cross paths at Ben Hill Griffin stadium, but have respect for each other while doing so, even under the circumstances.

 Coach Urban Meyer has been the catalyst for the Florida Gator football team but also for the entire gator nation. He was great at what he did, whether it was recruiting or calling red zone fourth down plays.

Does new head coach Will Muschamp have big shoes to fill? Yes. Can he do it? I think so, and so does Meyer.

“Really good coach,” Meyer said of his successor according to Buddy Martin from Gator Country website.

According to Meyer he is just running out of steam but Muschamp seems to be full of it. Muschamp like Meyer is a very “hands on” coach per se.  He gets right to the point and there is no beating around the bush with Muschamp.

Muschamp has big plans as the new head coach. He plans to push the football program in a positive direction on and off the field. Muschamp believes that staying involved and focused with the gator nation is significant.

“I think it’s important to get out and meet the people who fill that stadium on Saturday. I’m very appreciative of their support and I think it’s critical to spend that time with them,” Said Muschamp.

I have respect for Meyer and the job he did as Florida football head coach. I will say that I am looking forward to the 2011 football season under Coach Boom aka Muschamp. I think that he is already stepping in the right direction with his recruiting work and assistant coach picks. Charlie Weis will be either a great decision or an unfortunate decision. It may be like mixing oil and water but let’s hope not. Muschamp seems to be optimistic about the upcoming season.

“It’s all new right now,” Muschamp said. “Everyone is excited. Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

Go Gators!

http://www.gatorcountry.com/football/article/a_tale_of_two_coaches/10880

The Michigan Wolverines recently lost quarterback Tate Forcier, but is it that big of a deal for the Wolveries?

Forcier spent two years in Ann Arbor as a Wolverine before becoming a bench warmer. Forcier started 12 games for Michigan his freshmen season before his classmate Denard Robinson beat him out for the position. 

Robinson was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year which caused Forcier to simply be Robinson’s backup. Forcier realized that behind Robinson he probably will not get much playtime, so he made a decision to move down south. 

Forcier who transferred to the University of Miami finished with 2,647 yards, 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions at Michigan. Forcier, out of high school was a four-star prospect according to Rivals.com and Scout.com. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, Forcier will have to sit out in the 2011 season due to the NCAA rules, but will have two years of eligibility with the Hurricanes.  

Miami currently has three quarterbacks that Forcier will have to compete with. Jacory Harris will be playing his senior year in the 2011 season so that is one obstacle Forcier will not have to deal with.  Overall, the Hurricanes are optimistic about the new transfer. 

http://hurricanesports.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020911aak.html

http://www.ncaafootball.com/NEWS/tabid/1237/Article/220363/forcier-transfers-from-michigan-to-miami.aspx

Jacoby Brissett  is the nation’s top uncommitted recruit and Friday night Brissett announced that he will play football at the University of Florida. 

            Brissett is from Palm Beach Gardens, and is a two-sport athlete. He announced his decision at his senior night basketball game, he heard some boos and some cheers. 

Brissett a 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback was wanted by many schools such as Miami and Wisconson. Brissett also was recruited by Roy Williams, the basketball coach of North Carolina.  

Ellicia Brown, Brissett’s mother was pretty upset about the entire situation. Was it finding out through a text message that her son was going to be a gator, or the fact that she wanted to nothing to do with the University of Florida? 

Brown was disappointed that she never got the chance to meet the new Florida Gators football coach Will Muschamp.  ”I’m very disappointed. I didn’t like the way Florida handled the process. I’ve never been able to meet the head coach I’ve never met  face-to-face and I find that very disrespectful and I’m just hurt with the whole process with the Gators. I was hoping that he would respect me and go to ‘The U’ because ‘The U’ showed respect to his mom,” Brown said.

Brissett completed 63 percent of his passes and threw for 2,743 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2010. Brissett would be a huge asset to the Florida Football team. As a Florida fan myself, I think we need another option under the center. Keep your eyes out for Brissett because this young man has a lot of talent.