Duane: Why isn't anyone connected to Bucknuts asking the question to Bollman or Peterson? They asked them a bunch of questions in the ask the coach series, but no one addressed this issue. Maybe they should try again. Ask Steve to do it.

Duane you certain have a good point in your scrutny of our OL over the past years. Their performance supports this. However your refusal to give proper credit to OL recruitment over the past 2 classes and in the present class leads me to believe that your true contention is with Jim Bowman. If it is indeed Bowman then would it not be prudent to explore the matter from the perspective of its cause? Is it that we do not recruit quality at OL or is it we do but our present coaching is not able to develop it? And are you so myopic as to single the OL out as the single reason we have not established ourselves as annual NC contendors? I would hate to think so. I have come to value your insight and opinion however on this one I think you have present your case and now are insisting on kicking it to death.

Another great blog DL. OSU is not bringing in enough offensive linemen and we certainly are not developing them under Jim Bollman. OSU has a rich history of great offensive linemen and Bollman has thrown that in the trash. OSU is not looked at as a pipeline to the NFL anymore (in regards to the OL). His inability to effectively coach our OL has been talked about for years, but JT refuses to do anything about it. I like JT, but in my opinion, he will go down with the ship if he can't get past the buddy system for choosing his coaches.

so OSU is a sinking ship now?....what a freakin joke

However your refusal to give proper credit to OL recruitment over the past 2 classes and in the present class leads me to believe that your true contention is with Jim Bowman...... I think you have present your case and now are insisting on kicking it to death.

AMEN!!! just another day over here with the OL critisism and kicking that horse over and over and over

I don't think OSU is a sinking ship. I do think we're continually coming up short, and that's frustrating. When that happens you have to look back and ask why. I think most of us believe the OL hasn't been where it's needed to be. And I think that affects what kind of playcalling you can do. There's a reason TEs that come here block 99% of the time, and I don't think it's because Tressel forgot they're eligible receivers.

DK makes a good point regarding recruiting the last two years. We need to see how they develop. However, I think the recent Bollman/OL frustration posts stem from this year's recruiting, which looks like a return to old ways, ie. not like the last two years. We'll see I guess... it's still too early to make a judgment either way imo.

DL does not have a problem with the level of talent, but with the amount of OL. Everyone agrees, OL is one of the most difficult positions to project. Why would you want to limit yourself in terms of numbers? It doesn't make sense that we have 3 FBs on scholarship, but refuse to hand out more for OL.

During Jim Tressel's tenure, he's Antonio Pittman, Mo C, and Beanie Wells yet we have never had a dominant OL. Imagine how good we would have been if we had an OL that was even the best in the Big Ten. "3 yards and a cloud of dust" is no longer applicable to OSU. No dominant OLs in almost a decade at Ohio State of all schools.

Stating the facts about the OL situation is not being pessimistic. Buring your head in the sand and doing nothing about it is. We can talk about all of the great things Tressel had done for OSU (there are many), but that doesn't change the performance of the OL during his tenure.

Duane....your website will suffer....and already is...as you keep beating this horse.

You want Bollman gone? Then lead the charge...Grass roots effort buddy.

I have lost a ton of respect for you...stick to watching video and giving your two cents.

To add some fuel to the fire. Take a look back at last years game against Youngstown State. There is a few plays, I believe were in the secong quarter, where our right guard ends up on his ass five yards deep in the backfield. TOTALLY UNACCETABLE. There seems to be talent at the starting positions, but no depth. Eventually, whether it be late in a big game or late in the season, this will biote us in the ass. As I said yesterday, I don't live in Ohio any more so I am not familiar with everyone, but I am a big beleaver that if you want to be the best, you have to get the best. Or change your plan to minimize your weakness. If your offense line can't block well, don't make them do it for slow reacting plays. The Big 12 has been criticized the last few years for their lack of defense. It might also be that Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska don't ask their teams to do what they can't do. Block for extended periods of time. Change the personnel or change the plays. Both are coaches decisions.

:0 I can't see why you cant see the writing on the wall Duane. JT is trying to do exactly what you are asking him to do. NOT DOING WHAT HE HAS BEING DOING! Recruiting all the big fat corn fed Ohio boys that everyone has been bitching about not performing under Bollman's regime although we have produced nothing but 1000 yd rushers and all big ten QBs every year.
He is now in on National Caliber talent. He has decided to move down Fragel. So do we really need 3? So lets say we only need 2 since the whole depth chart is rather young. Cordle and Moses are the only seniors. And Boren, Browning, Smith, Miller, and Kerr are Juniors. 4 are Soph., and 4 are Red.Fresh.
So say we have Norwell and Fragel counts as what we would have needed as 2, now we really only need one more. I believe Kouandjio is more than a realistic chance of signing with his family connections here, and now his brother wanting to play with him too. So that is 4. James is better ours the longer he holds off ND. And Henderson is not visiting USC, and is looking for a Business and Communications School and the best Facilities. He should fall in love with this place and the Brew Crew.
JT is no dummy and knows what he is during.

:0 I can't see why you cant see the writing on the wall Duane. JT is trying to do exactly what you are asking him to do. NOT DOING WHAT HE HAS BEING DOING! Recruiting all the big fat corn fed Ohio boys that everyone has been bitching about not performing under Bollman's regime although we have produced nothing but 1000 yd rushers and all big ten QBs every year.
He is now in on National Caliber talent. He has decided to move down Fragel. So do we really need 3? So lets say we only need 2 since the whole depth chart is rather young. Cordle and Moses are the only seniors. And Boren, Browning, Smith, Miller, and Kerr are Juniors. 4 are Soph., and 4 are Red.Fresh.
So say we have Norwell and Fragel counts as what we would have needed as 2, now we really only need one more. I believe Kouandjio is more than a realistic chance of signing with his family connections here, and now his brother wanting to play with him too. So that is 4. James is better ours the longer he holds off ND. And Henderson is not visiting USC, and is looking for a Business and Communications School and the best Facilities. He should fall in love with this place and the Brew Crew.
JT is no dummy and knows what he is during.

:0 I can't see why you cant see the writing on the wall Duane. JT is trying to do exactly what you are asking him to do. NOT DOING WHAT HE HAS BEING DOING! Recruiting all the big fat corn fed Ohio boys that everyone has been bitching about not performing under Bollman's regime although we have produced nothing but 1000 yd rushers and all big ten QBs every year.
He is now in on National Caliber talent. He has decided to move down Fragel. So do we really need 3? So lets say we only need 2 since the whole depth chart is rather young. Cordle and Moses are the only seniors. And Boren, Browning, Smith, Miller, and Kerr are Juniors. 4 are Soph., and 4 are Red.Fresh.
So say we have Norwell and Fragel counts as what we would have needed as 2, now we really only need one more. I believe Kouandjio is more than a realistic chance of signing with his family connections here, and now his brother wanting to play with him too. So that is 4. James is better ours the longer he holds off ND. And Henderson is not visiting USC, and is looking for a Business and Communications School and the best Facilities. He should fall in love with this place and the Brew Crew.
JT is no dummy and knows what he is during.

Why am I being cut off again?

The longer James does not commit to ND is in our favor.
And I think Henderson could fall in love with our Facilities and the Fisher School of Business and the Communications School. Let him meet Eddie George, Kirk Herbstreet, Robert Smith, Clark Kellogg, Jerry Rudzinzki, Archie Griffin, etc.; if he wants to talk about Communications here and after.

The OL and our O schemes/playcalling. Who is poisoning both of those areas? Where did Tress have to step in last year and help out? Tress is as much to blame because he will not make the change.

Duane you certain have a good point in your scrutny of our OL over the past years. Their performance supports this. However your refusal to give proper credit to OL recruitment over the past 2 classes and in the present class leads me to believe that your true contention is with Jim Bowman. If it is indeed Bowman then would it not be prudent to explore the matter from the perspective of its cause? Is it that we do not recruit quality at OL or is it we do but our present coaching is not able to develop it? And are you so myopic as to single the OL out as the single reason we have not established ourselves as annual NC contendors? I would hate to think so. I have come to value your insight and opinion however on this one I think you have present your case and now are insisting on kicking it to death.

Yes, my problem is with the offense and the offensive line play specifically. Are we recruiting the right players? Are we developing players as well as they can be developed? I don't know if there is a clear answer to that. What we do know is the line has not been a strength of the team and we know who coaches, and recruits, the line.

The past 2 classes are why I am so bothered by what is happening this year. We don't want to lose the momentum. They can shut me up about numbers with another great class. You have to feel good about getting more contributors, quality contributors, out of the last 2 classes. Put another one together and we could see quality depth for the first time in far too long, and they would do it in the way that they want to do it, with a lower number of scholarships committed. We need one more like this. Andrew Donnal. Was he not Ohio State caliber in your mind? I would like to hear from anyone that cares to chime in. I don't know about Dennis but they sure asked him back again. That doesn't happen often. We had an opportunity to get another really good class. Put it away early. Have them go into their senior year with the confidence that comes from knowing your a Buckeye caliber player. Start thinking like a Buckeye player which brings living like a Buckeye player. Extra in the weightroom, less at the dinner table. I am that impressed with Donnal. I saw him as underrated insurance for James, and a great extra if we did get James. It was a win-win.

Duane

This is like a holdum game.
They have two down cards. One is Norwel.
We do not know what the other is. It must be good because the flop tuned up tree good players.( Dennis, Donnal were two)

It did not phase them. What is te other down card. Is Henderson more of an OSU lien than we know? Is James?
Is one of the others? Is there someone we do not even know about? An OG from Tenn?

The turn comes at the USC game. Many of them will be at the game. If we do well, we will be set for the river. This could change how the game is played and who could get offers.


They are going all in and we do not know the down card. Since they talk to the players more than us they may have more insight as to whats on the river.(Signing day)

Its hard to read their hand but if you play poker, you got to love it.

Duane....your website will suffer....and already is...as you keep beating this horse.

You want Bollman gone? Then lead the charge...Grass roots effort buddy.

I have lost a ton of respect for you...stick to watching video and giving your two cents.

The numbers say different. Poll Bukceye fans. I think you will be surprised at how many agree with me. Some don't want to hear it. I don't think you are one of them. I think you are just tired of hearing it. There really is nothing more to say until something more happens. The big kid from Maryland supposedly has family here. I really like Schofner. He needs to play to the whistle but he has some serious tools and a great frame. Very explosive. Comes off the ball well. James hasn't said no yet. Going back on a player has been highly effective. Maybe they aren't done with him yet. We will see.

:0 I can't see why you cant see the writing on the wall Duane. JT is trying to do exactly what you are asking him to do. NOT DOING WHAT HE HAS BEING DOING! Recruiting all the big fat corn fed Ohio boys that everyone has been bitching about not performing under Bollman's regime although we have produced nothing but 1000 yd rushers and all big ten QBs every year.

The fact of the matter is Ohio is and has been fertile recruiting grounds compared to most of the nation for OL. Taking nothing but 5 star OH kids and getting the rest out of state probably isn't feasible or even necessary to have an above average or possibly even dominant OL.

I'm gonna take a wait and see approach I think. They're passing up a lot of good local players to play the waiting game on some other names. Perhaps they feel better about some of these guys than the general public--that's certainly possible. I think we honestly won't know for sure until after the season, when the bigger names decide to commit. But it definitely feels like a boom or bust situation from the peanut gallery.

Duane is dead-center on target. We don't have the numbers for any injuries or misfire evaluation/developers.

Sure we were happy with most of the talent we picked up in the last 2 OL classes. Hopefully Adams and Shug show up as dominant line anchors that are there every down. However, they haven't stayed healthy or been anything near very good yet. And perhaps we shouldn't expect that from incomming Sophs...but we have to because we've got NOTHING but true (unproven or even practiced) freshman, guys who'll have to play out of place or "warm bodies." That's DL's point.

Keep after it Duane...you're dead right.

Sure we were happy with most of the talent we picked up in the last 2 OL classes. Hopefully Adams and Shug show up as dominant line anchors that are there every down. However, they haven't stayed healthy or been anything near very good yet. And perhaps we shouldn't expect that from incomming Sophs...but we have to because we've got NOTHING but true (unproven or even practiced) freshman, guys who'll have to play out of place or "warm bodies." That's DL's point.

It's easy to call some of our past lineman projects after they didn't have as successful careers as most thought they might. sI am not so sure 2009 looks a whole lot different recruiting talent-wise than previous years. 3 and 4 stars with the occasional 5 star mixed in. Most of the 2009 class hasn't even arrived on campus so time will tell the tale but I think it is premature to label the 2009 recruiting class as different compared to what occurred in the past. For sure 2008 was a much different year with three national 5 stars that have pretty much immediately stepped into the 2 deep or better.

how come we cant read the whole post? if a post contains quotes it pretty much eats up the whole box

I'm listening to today but not going to jump into sandbox and join in. Only question I have is how long has this scrutiny over Coach Bol's been going on ?
Where-ever I go - its a continued theme. I just do not recall this from before 2008 season.

how come we cant read the whole post? if a post contains quotes it pretty much eats up the whole box

I'm unsure why, but one temporary workaround I've found is just to hit the quote button, then read the post inside the comments box. It's annoying, but until it gets fixed it works for now.

Only question I have is how long has this scrutiny over Coach Bol's been going on ? Where-ever I go - its a continued theme. I just do not recall this from before 2008 season.

I can say with certainty it's been picking up steam since the 2006 NC game. There were grumblings prior to the 2006 season, but were largely ignored since we were still winning the big games, even if we squeeked by a lot based on defense. But since the Florida loss we've really kind of lost our big game mojo, and that's left some of more glaring issues open to criticism. After eight seasons with only one real offensive exception (2006) I think a lot of people are just starting to openly ask now, whereas when we were winning those BCS games and marquee matchups I think people just largely gave it a pass.

Again, thanks for staying on this topic Duane. It's a very big piece, if not THE piece, of why we continue to struggle in big games. I also doubt Duane's site struggles because he calls it like it is. I do wish someone from Bucknuts would ask the tough questions of JT/Bollman.

so OSU is a sinking ship now?....what a freakin joke

No, OSU is not a sinking ship jackass and I certainly did not imply that it was.

Where are all these great linemen coming out of Florida and LSU? Florida has Zero OL Drafted in the last five years and just 3 in this decade while LSU has 2 in the last five years and 5 this decade. Ohio State meanwhile has 4 OL drafted in the last five years and 9 this decade.