Ohio State to Tangle with Tigers in Orange Bowl
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JJan.an. 22,, 22014014 SSeasonSeasoneason FFinaleFinaleinale OOhiohio StateState ToTo TangleTangle WithWith TTigersigers IInn OOrangerange BBowlowl 2 BSB Quickly Jan. 2, 2014 This Week At OSU Fla. Not So Sunny For Adversity-Laden OSU By Ryan Ginn shirt freshman Tyvis Powell will team up with C.J. Barnett at safety, while true When it rains, it pours. freshman Vonn Bell will start at nickel The Ohio State Buckeyes are certainly back. Armani Reeves will likely replace QQuicklyuickly now aware of that, having experienced Roby, who will leave for the NFL after this just about everything short of a plague of season. Jan. 2, 2014 locusts since Tyvis Powell secured a vic- Fielding an inexperienced secondary tory in The Game against Michigan with missing arguably its two best players Publisher ........... Frank Moskowitz an interception of Devin Gardner’s two- is not exactly how Ohio State wants to Asst. Publisher .....Becky Roberts point conversion attempt. head into a contest against Clemson. The Editor ...........................Jeff Svoboda And so the Buckeyes found them- Tigers boast two of the most dynamic selves practicing in a downpour at offensive players in the country in senior Nova Southeastern University in Fort quarterback Tajh Boyd and junior wide Staff Writers Lauderdale, Fla., on Wednesday, just receiver Sammy Watkins. The person call- Ben Axelrod hours after it was announced that sopho- ing the plays for that tandem will be Chad Ryan Ginn more defensive end Noah Spence would Morris, the highest-paid offensive coordi- be suspended for three games. nator in the country. Marcus Hartman “It was a monsoon!” OSU coach Urban Even so, Meyer is hopeful that his Meyer said. defensive unit – especially the younger Designer/Staff Writer In more ways than one. players – can get it done against a group Matthew Hager Following the harrowing win against that ranks among the best in the country the Wolverines, OSU has experienced a in both total offense and passing offense. deluge of injuries, poor play, sickness and “We recruited a lot of them. We’ve Photographers the suspension of its leader in sacks. coached a lot of them. And I’ve got a lot of Sonny Brockway Its national championship hopes slipped respect for our players,” Meyer said. “I’m Kevin Dye away in a 34-24 loss to Michigan State in anxious to see Tyvis Powell and Vonn Bell the Big Ten title game, a contest in which with the safety positions. We’ll primarily Josh Winslow junior cornerback Bradley Roby sustained be a nickel team that day. Josh Perry is a knee injury that will likely keep him one of the most improved players on our Editorial Offi ce from playing in Friday night’s Orange team. We’ve got (junior linebacker Ryan) Columbus Sports Publications Bowl vs. Clemson. Shazier. We’ve got some pretty good play- “I don’t think Roby is going to make it,” ers.” 1350 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 30 Meyer said on Wednesday. As if missing Roby weren’t enough, the P.O. Box 12453 That news didn’t necessarily capture defense will also be without Spence, who Columbus, Ohio 43212 the attention of Clemson’s offensive play- leads the Buckeyes with eight sacks. After (614) 486-2202 • (800) 760-2862 ers, however. Spence didn’t fly with the team to Miami “You still have to go out and play hard for what OSU called “personal issues,” whether (Roby) plays or not,” junior wide the defensive lineman was suspended On The Cover: receiver Martavis Bryant said. “I’m still Wednesday for a violation of Big Ten rules. Urban Meyer will lead his Ohio going to go out and play my game and do The Columbus Dispatch reported that the what I’ve got to do. I’m confident regard- suspension stemmed from the use of a State football team against Clemson less. No disrespect, but we’ve just got to banned dietary supplement, something in the Orange Bowl. (Photo cour- go out and play. I’m not really worried sources confirmed for BSB. tesy of Sonny Brockway) about who’s playing and who’s not. I don’t When asked about the suspension, really pay attention to stuff like that.” Meyer indicated that he had expected The absence of Roby adds yet another the appeals process to rule in favor of Check Out Our Premium Website dimension to the musical chairs in the Spence. www.BuckeyeSports.com OSU secondary, which owns the nation’s “I really wasn’t (planning to play with- 102nd-best pass defense, allowing 259.5 out him),” Meyer said. “I was just disap- The next print edition of yards per game through the air. The pointed that the appeal didn’t go through. Buckeyes appear poised to shuffle senior Noah is one of my favorite players – great Buckeye Sports Bulletin (Jan. safety Corey “Pitt” Brown out of the rota- family, great person – so we’ve got to 18 cover date) will be mailed tion after his struggles in replacing injured move forward. Jan. 14. senior Christian Bryant. In his place, red- “He is one of my favorite guys. This Week At OSU Jan. 2, 2014 BSB Quickly 3 This Week’s BSB Reprints Friday night’s Orange Bowl marks the first meeting between Ohio State and Clemson since one of the most famous games in OSU football history – the 1978 Gator Bowl. The game not only resulted in a 17-15 Clemson victory but also resulted in the end of the career of legendary coach Woody Hayes, who struck a Tigers player in the waning moments of the game. In this issue of BSB Quickly, we reprint a recap of that game written by BSB managing editor emeritus Mark Rea marking the 30th anniversary of that infamous contest and published in the Jan. 24, 2009, issue of Buckeye Sports Bulletin. ready to play. He was one of their better defensive players over there so I know it’s a loss for those guys, but it’s about us going out there executing the game plan and beating the guy in front of you.” On top of the defensive absences, the Buckeyes have also spent the week battling an intestinal illness. Despite all attempts to keep the players in quaran- tine, the illness lingered from Monday through Wednesday, when it struck junior tight end Jeff Heuerman and kept him out of practice. Previously, it had also affected junior quarterback Braxton Miller and senior right guard Marcus Hall, although neither missed practice. Senior center Corey Linsley painted a vivid picture of the fast-acting illness when asked just how sick some of his stricken teammates were. “Oh my gosh,” he said. “Marcus Hall, I think, caught a little bit of it (Monday) night, and it wasn’t even bad (compared to others). We saved a seat for him at dinner, so he was sitting there and then he was gone, and then he came back and then he was gone for a long period of time SONNY BROCKWAY and I was like, ‘Where’s Marcus?’ So we ROUGH WEEK – Ohio State junior quarterback Braxton Miller (5) was one of several walk out of dinner and he’s sitting there Buckeyes to deal with illness leading up to Friday’s Orange Bowl. in a full sweat outside of our dinner and Sometimes things happen in life that called upon to replace Spence, and the I’m like, ‘Marc, are you all right?’ and he’s you’ve got to move on, and football teach- fifth-year signal caller anticipates a chal- like, ‘Bro...’ and just looks at me. es you that. A lot of things teach you that, lenge from the OSU defensive line regard- “He didn’t even get it bad because he so you’ve got to move forward. I love that less of any missing players. was fine later that night.” guy though. That’s a great kid.” “They are Ohio State for a reason,” The Buckeyes, hit with injuries and For Boyd, the absence of Spence won’t Boyd said. “They recruit the best year-in suspensions, can only hope that their change the Tigers’ approach on offense. and year-out. I’m sure the next guy that recovery from every conceivable distrac- Jamal Marcus and Steve Miller will be they have got is going to step up and be tion possible will be just as quick. 4 BSB Quickly Jan. 2, 2014 Staff Predictions BSB Staff Predictions Matthew Hager Ben Axelrod Ryan Ginn Designer/ Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer There’s a negative energy that’s been I picked Ohio State in each of the 13 con- Bowl games are notoriously difficult to permeating the Ohio State football team tests in 2013, and I had planned to for the predict. Some teams are excited to play that I can’t seem to put my finger on. Buckeyes’ first game of the 2014 calendar one more game and perform very well, Between Noah Spence’s suspension, the year, as well. That has changed, however, some are disappointed with their postsea- stomach bug that seems to have bitten with each passing malady that has seemed son destination and lose to lesser squads. half of the Buckeyes and an injury that’s to affect the Buckeyes as they prepare for an This contest is no different. expected to keep Bradley Roby out of the Orange Bowl matchup against Clemson. One can argue Ohio State could be lineup, it’s just been hard to find positives Make no mistake – I think Ohio State the latter. Most OSU fans – and prob- for OSU since it arrived in South Beach.