The football team voted to elect leaders yesterday and seniors John Simon, Zach Boren, Etienne Sabino, Garrett Goebel and Jordan Hall will have the honor of serving as Urban Meyer's first captains at Ohio State.
The selection of Simon, Boren and Sabino was not a surprise. After the conclusion of spring ball, Meyer vowed to utilize his veto power if Simon was not picked by his peers and the three players accompanied Meyer to Chicago for Big Ten Media Days in July.
Hall's selection shouldn't be a surprise, either. Despite suffering a foot injury that will sideline him to start the season, the running back has earned rave reviews for his dedication and leadership.
Goebel, on the other hand, is a bit of a surprise. After redshirting as a freshman in 2008, he saw spot duty on the defensive line in 2009 and '10, totaling just 11 tackles before emerging last season as a redshirt junior, earning starts in all 13 of Ohio State's games.
You have to think that the fifth captain spot was Jake Stoneburner's to lose before he was arrested earlier in the summer and charged with obstructing official business.
Regardless of selections, it's nice to have permanent captains. Last year, a team gutted by suspensions was left with rotating captains and it never developed the leadership necessary to win the close games.
THE BTN CREW IS BULLISH ON OHIO STATE. The BTN aired their annual bus tour footage from Columbus yesterday, featuring Saturday's practice and catching up with several coaches and players. The verdict? This is a good team:
Studio host Dave Revsine called the Buckeyes "really good" and "as talented a team as we've seen." Gerry DiNardo raved about the practice and the talent level before going on to say that Braxton Miller could be looking at an invite to New York in his future (Miller returned the compliment by signing the tour bus). Senior writer Tom Dienhart said the session was "as physical a practice as I have seen on our trip."
The episode also featured an interview with offensive coordinator Tom Herman (whom Dienhart called a future head coach). Herman said that growing up as a young offensive coach, he admired what Urban Meyer had done and patterned a lot of his offense off of Meyer innovations. He also pointed out that he's learned more in the last eight months about coaching, managing and teaching than his previous 15 years in the business.
Pressed on what he thought about his receivers, Herman stressed that they weren't quite there yet, but he pointed out Devin Smith and Philly Brown, calling the latter a "War Daddy," which is not only a nice compliment, but one hell of a nickname.
Herman also singled out Carlos Hyde, saying there were questions about how much he wanted to commit himself in the spring, but that he's completely embraced his role on the team and had an "excellent, excellent camp."
Your 2012 captains. [Photo courtesy of Ohio State]KENNY HAYES LANDS IN EAST LANSING. When defensive end Kenny Hayes sat out spring ball because of recurring headaches and was then granted his release from the team, some wondered whether he'd even play football again.
Seven days after his release, Hayes answered that question by transferring to Michigan State, where he must sit out for a year before resuming play in 2013 with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
The headaches are a real issue, but the Toledo Whitmer product was also likely looking for a change in scenery and with Spartan coach Mark Dantonio, he'll find an atmosphere similar to what he experienced under Jim Tressel. The addition of Hayes also somewhat makes up for the flip of Se'Von Pittman and adds depth to an already great Michigan State defensive line.
Hayes's brother, Nigel, a 6-7 power forward, was offered by Thad Matta earlier in the month, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
BIELEMA NAMES STARTER, TRADES JABS WITH BRO ON TWITTER. Bret Bielema has named his starter at Wisconsin and for the second year in a row, the job is going to a transfer taking advantage of an NCAA rule that allows graduates to play immediately upon transfer.
Like North Carolina State transfer Russell Wilson in 2011, former Maryland Terrapin Danny O'Brien1 is a ringer brought in to add another dimension to the Wisconsin rushing attack, which in years past, was capable of hanging 80 on teams with a scarecrow taking snaps.
Unlike Wilson, O'Brien will actually have two years of eligibility, thanks to a redshirt freshman campaign and early graduation. One other notable difference: With division rivals Penn State and Ohio State banned from postseason play, O'Brien, the ACC's Rookie of the Year in 2010, is essentially facing a one game play-in to the Rose Bowl.
Bielema made the announcement on Twitter and if you're not following the Badger coach, do yourself a favor and get some Bielema in your social stream. It will lead to wonderfully conflicted emotions like reconciling the fact that you really dislike the man, yet love it when coaches engage the unwashed masses.
COLUMBUS SWINGS BIG. Ohio State and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission are bidding to become a regional host for the 2015 NCAA men's basketball tournament. Nationwide Arena hosted men's early round games in 2004, '07 and '12, but the city previously lacked the hotel capacity to bid on regionals.
That changes this October with the opening of a swank new Hilton located mere steps from the arena. The $140 million project will add 532 rooms to the area, putting the city in play for future tournaments, championships in other sports2 and conventions. While the competition to host the men's tournament is fierce, Columbus is positioned nicely to be a player for years to come.
While the jury is still out (PDF) on whether hosting NCAA tournament games is actually an economic positive for cities, snagging a regional final would go a long way towards promoting the image of the city as one of the few growing midwestern towns. I mean, Gerry DiNardo has no problems getting dinner reservations in Detroit.
ETC: Chris Fowler's travel advisory for CVG... Nate Ebner is intercepting passes at Patriots camp... Season ticket designs for 38 schools proves Photoshop hasn't made its way to Iowa yet... Mickey Marotti last seen chiseling linebacker Joshua Perry... Angry Iowa Running Back Hating God strikes again... Tennessee fans are feeling it.
