If you've been paying attention, you're likely aware that the BCS commissioners overwhelmingly voted against a playoff system in college football. The question of why has already been addressed in a lot of places, and boils down to two answers:

1. Tradition - We've had bowl games for decades now, and there's all sorts of history there. Why blow it up?
2. Money - Schools make a ton of money on the BCS. You think they'll make as much when their teams have to travel to neutral sites for several weeks to play playoff games?

Now, I'm in the minority here, but I'm with the (non-SEC) commissioners on this one. And I have Gordon Gee on my side, which means I'm right.

Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee calls the issue of a college football playoff his Maginot Line -- a final, heels-in-the-dirt resistance to what he views as the ruination of the sport.

The reference is to the line of fortifications France built on its border with Germany in the 1930s.

"We will not cross that line and get onto the slippery slope -- the professional-ization of college football and a furthering of the arms race," he said. "We simply have to say no. If we don't say no to this, the horse has left the barn totally. I will vote against it under any circumstance."

A bit later in the article:

Gee has proved he's not afraid to be a maverick, to blow up a system he views as broken. Look at his radical restructuring of the athletic department when he was chancellor at Vanderbilt.

So a case can be made that Tressel and Gee might be more open than most to the playoff possibilities.

Instead, they shoot down the idea, for the following reasons:

• Adding more games is bad for the players' welfare, particularly those who plan to try their hand at pro football.
• Shortening the regular season to make room for playoff games in December won't work, because schools need all the home-game revenue they can get.
• You can't ask fans to travel to neutral-site playoff games two or three weeks in a row.
• If you have home-site playoff hosts, you crush the bowl system. And bowls are worth preserving.

The easy hole to poke in Gee's argument against playoffs is that the game has already been professionalized. Bob Hunter makes that very argument in the Dispatch, matter of fact. Hunter argues, essentially, that "hey, the game is already commercialized, and that's not going away. Why not at least get a playoff out of it?" But then, there are two arguments against that:

1. Just because the games is commercialized, doesn't mean it should be. True, it's somewhat hypocritical for the president of a school boasting one of the highest-revenue athletic departments in the country to argue against commercialization, but if we believe this is a game that should be played by amateurs and not run primarily for profit, then any action taken toward those goals is a step in the right direction, even if there's a long way to go. Look at it this way: if you want a PB&J sandwich, but you have no peanut butter, you don't have to say, "Screw it, then, I'm going hungry." You can hop in your car and drive to the store, even if it's a long drive. Or you could at least crush up peanuts, sprinkle them over some butter bread, and hope for the best. That doesn't represent any part of the playoff argument, I just wanted to work in the chance to warn you all: peanut butter is not peanuts + butter.
2. The rest of Gee's points remain valid: the current system places fewer demands on players and maintains at least some semblance of tradition.

It's that second point that fits better with my view of playoffs. For starters, I don't think playoffs will solve all the problems with crowning a national champ. I mean, how often can you say you're sure the team that wins the NCAA tournament in men's basketball was the best in the country that year? If they get hot at the right time and catch a few lucky breaks, a pretty mediocre team can make a run through the playoffs and win it all, while a team that crushed the competition throughout the year can fall victim to a bad call and be out in the first round. True, those are the extreme cases, but c'mon, we're all college football fans here: I have argued extensively, with a complete disregard for logic, that Archie Griffin is the best athlete ever, simply because he won two Heismans. You think the Buckeyes losing a close game in the semi-finals is going to stop me from arguing that they're the best team in the country? A playoff won't settle these arguments. It'll give the fans of the winners some pretty good evidence, but then the little crystal balls the BCS hands out are also pretty good evidence.

Of course, this assumes we can even get the best teams in the playoffs. A four-team playoff will definitely leave out a potentially deserving team from time to time. An eight-team playoff (or Brian's six-team playoff, my favorite of the playoff proposals I've read) is better, but will still leave out some deserving teams (e.g., is the #3 SEC team that barely won its last few games more deserving than the #2 ACC team that finished strong?). We'd have to expand to quite a few teams to be sure of capturing all the teams with legit shots at winning a national championship, at which point we're adding considerably to the length of the season, which is not in the best interest of the players (again, stipulating we're still buying into the myth that college football players are and should be amateur student-athletes).

And who says crowning a national champion is something worth trying to do anyway? Can we really take one team from 119 and say, "Okay, we are absolutely certain this is the best team in the country"? It seems like an exercise in futility, designed to drive us all crazy. So why even try? Let's go back to the old system. Every year, the Big Ten champ plays the Pac-10 champ in the Rose Bowl, the 2nd place Big Ten team plays in the Citrus Capital One Bowl, and so on. It won't give us the best team in the country, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there's no way we can conclusively determine that. So instead, we get the tradition back, and a system that at least makes college football less of a blatant cash-grab.

Plus, one potential side-benefit: better non-conference games. Right now, losing a non-conference game seriously impacts a team's chance at a national championship shot. If OSU loses to USC this season, for example, perfection the rest of the way might not be enough to get them into the national championship game. It's a high-risk, moderate-reward situation. But if the conference championship was all that mattered, losing a non-conference game wouldn't mean near as much, just the cost of a tie-breaker or two. In that case, why not play big opponents? More exposure, higher attendance, more revenue - all good things. True, I'm not sure how often it happened in the pre-BCS days, or how changes to the college football landscape since then would impact things, but it seems that if non-conference games were relatively insignificant games designed to bring in revenue and prepare the team for the conference schedule, then a game against a quality opponent would seem to make sense.

Of course, a return to the pre-BCS system is even less likely than a playoff, so this all is probably irrelevant. But one last thing: Stewart Mandel recently remarked that most polls seem to have about 70% of the nation in favor of a playoff. He thought, though, that the split among die-hard college football fans, not sports fandom in general, would be closer to 50-50. Well, we're all die-hards, right? Which side of the debate do you come down on? Vote in the poll, leave a comment, and let me know. I'm kinda curious myself.

Since last posting about three weeks ago (apologies), the Buckeyes have hauled in perhaps the most high profile recruits in such a short time period since recruiting became a major point of interest to fans.  Including the exodus of one-time Wolverine Justin Boren to Columbus, Jim Tressel has brought in six total future Buckeyes, only one of whom (RB Jordan Hall) is ranked outside of the top 10 nationally at his position.  Here's a quick look at the newest Buckeyes, and an outlook for the rest of the 2009 recruiting class which is sure to rival last year's as the best in the Tressel era:

Darrell Givens, #9 CB Nationally
* * * *
The stunner of all the Spring game commitments, Givens actually pulled the trigger shortly before the kickoff.  As it stands now, this may be the biggest upset that the Buckeyes pull all year in terms of recruiting, as it appeared that Miami (FL) held a tight lead over the Maryland product, and just about every program in the country sought after his attention.  He has good size and speed for the likely cornerstone of the secondary in years to come, standing at 6'1" with a sub-4.5 40 time.  It may have been his close friendship to 2008 signee and fellow Maryland native Lamaar Thomas that sealed the deal for Givens, and his commitment very well may have opened up a new pipeline for Jim Tressel in the Old Line State.

Jordan Hall, #18 RB
* * * *
Although Hall is lowest ranked recruit of the newest bunch of Buckeyes-to-be, his verbal to Ohio State may prove to be invaluable considering the glaring need at the running back position.  Hall, a Jeannette, PA native, played his high school ball with Terrelle Pryor, so it's hardly a surprise that he followed his teammate to Columbus.  At 5'9" and 185 lbs., Hall's build is very similar to that of a young Antonio Pittman.  His stature, speed, and chemistry with Pryor all make Hall a perfect fit for the spread offense that should hopefully find its way to central Ohio pretty soon, but he will likely be one of at least two running backs in this recruiting class.

Dorian Bell, #1 SLB
* * * * *
Dorian Bell was the bona fide blue chip stud that the 2009 recruiting class lacked prior to his verbal.  Sure, watching John Simon's film screams "sure thing" along the defensive line, but many recruiting services have offered mixed reviews toward the Youngstown product.  Bell, on the other hand, is a consensus 5-star player that will be viewed as the cornerstone prospect of the class.  Everywhere you look, Bell's name is followed by five shiny stars and either a "1" or "2" (as in, his position ranking).  Bell seemed to be a heavy Buckeye lean for quite some time, and his commitment really came as no surprise.  He will be a linebacker at the next level, but he's as athletic as a safety and as aggressive as a pass rushing defensive end.  No matter how you slice it, Bell is the star of this class.

Melvin Fellows, #10 Defensive End
* * * *
It can be argued that Fellows was the "must-get" prospect in this class.  He has been considered by many to be the top prospect in the state of Ohio, and after his early commitment to the Illini, many Buckeye fans were panicking and beginning to believe that Illinois could get any kid out of Ohio at will.  Shortly after the commitment, though, Tressel extended a scholarship offer to Fellows (Gentlemen's agreement, you say?), and he reopened his recruitment, despite remaining committed to the Zooker.  A couple of visits to Columbus later spelled the end of the Illinois chapter of Fellows' recruitment, as he officially switched over to his original love.  Fellows is the second defensive line prospect in 2009 (John Simon being the other), but is the first true rush  end in the class.

Corey Linsley, #4 OG
* * * *
The most recent of the commitments, Linsley gave Tressel a call just this morning to officially become a Buckeye.  Although only given three stars by Scout.com, Linsley is likely to skyrocket in the rankings after racking up scholarship offers from Michigan, Notre Dame, and Miami Florida in recent weeks.  Also, it's hard to imagine that any recruiting service's #4 player at a given position being ranked anything lower than four stars.  Instead of getting caught up in rankings, though, it's important to see the type of player that Ohio State is getting in Linsley.  For starters, he projects as a guard at the next level, but his 6'4" frame could allow him to move to the outside if need be.  He is incredibly quick off the line, and adds impressive strength to that quickness to create some nasty explosion.

Justin Boren, #7 OL Nationally, Honorable Mention All-Conference
* * * * * (2006 rankings)
Although Boren was actually a high school senior three years ago, he will not be able to suit up in Scarlet and Gray until the fall of 2009, so I'm considering him a member of this recruiting class.  After controversially defecting from Michigan to archrival Ohio State after Lloyd Carr departed Ann Arbor, Boren has (and will continue to have) a bullseye on him with every step he takes.  Michigan fans no longer want anything to do with him, Ohio State fans aren't sure what to think of him, and you can't help but wonder: if he left Michigan because the spread offense was too difficult to work, then how effective will he really be when Pryor and Saine are the primary weapons in '09? Fortunately, Boren did not redshirt at Michigan, so this season will not be considered one of lost eligibility, and he will begin his Ohio State career as a fourth year junior.  Other than that, Boren will have to make a name for himself before we hand him a starting spot.  He was, after all, a Wolverine for quite some time.

_____

With 13 total commitments to date, the 2009 recruiting class is shaping up to be perhaps the deepest in memory.  Currently, there are 9 scholarships remaining, but when Beanie jets off for greener pastures at the end of the season, that will open up a tenth spot.  Right now, the word on BuckeyePlanet is that at least three Florida-based studs are on the verge of committing after visiting Columbus for the spring game: DB Vladimir Emilien, RB Jaamal Berry, and DB Brandon McGee.  Additionally, WR Duron Carter -- Cris Carter's son -- could also commit in the near future.  All four seem to posses that ever sought after "Southern Speed," which of course means Jim Tressel will lose two BCS Championships over the next four years, instead of just one.  If all four commit, which appears to be a legitimate possibility at the moment, that leaves six spots for the rest of the class.  You have to imagine that Zach Boren (Justin's younger brother) and Marcus Hall (One of the premier OT prospects in the country) will almost certainly nab two of those slots, with the remaining four up for grabs.  Of course, this is all speculation, but considering the information all comes from reliable sources, it's worth speculating about.

The first half of the Men's NCAA National Championship game isn't even complete yet, and I've already managed to bore myself watching players that I don't really care about and have forced myself to blog a second time this evening.

"I talk, you listen.  Got it?

Perhaps the most pertinent Buckeye news this Spring is anything that comes out of the mouth of Heisman hopeful Beanie Wells.  The 1,600+ yard back has become "the" guy on a team featuring a guy who has won both the Nagurski and Butkus awards, and is about to bring in the most highly touted prep player in the Jim Tressel era.  Last week, in separate, stories, Beanie had a couple of interesting tidbits of information.  We'll begin at the top, which has already been addressed by a couple of Buckeye blogs.  In a recent article (previously linked), Beanie had a comment that surely created a castle in the air to many a Buckeye fan in stating that he planned on staying in Columbus for four years.  

"No, it's not going to be my last year," Wells said. "I plan on being here for four years."

Sorry, Buckeyes, there is absolutely no way that this happens.  It doesn't matter that Wells himself is saying it, because if Antonio Pittman, Gonzo, Vince Young, and Big Vern taught us anything, it's that any announcement of a return or departure before the actual announcement cannot be taken seriously.  Beanie Wells is the surefire Adrian Peterson/Darren McFadden stud running back in the 2009 NFL Draft that will be taken by the first team without any other glaring need and a halfway decent group of scouts.  Not many running backs get compared to Jim Brown, Eddie George,AND  Eric Dickerson, and those who do are smart to take the money while they still can.  Enjoy this year with Beanie, folks, because it will be our last.  You can count on it.

In other Beanie news, when asked about the play of the quarterbacks this Spring (sans LiC, mind you), Wells was particularly adamant with his analysis of current second stringer Antonio Henton.

"Henton, his passing ability is incredible," Wells said. "He is just so much more efficient and accurate."

Efficiency and accuracy out of a mobile quarterback?  Hm, that sounds kind of familiar.  I don't know, I guess that guy was alright.  I mean, it's not like he has his number retired or ever beat Rich Rodriguez, so he couldn't have been that great.  Of course, with all comparisons come the disclaimer that Antonio Henton is in fact NOT Troy Smith, and instead his own person who will forge his own path, good or bad.  If Henton really is slowly morphing himself into a Troy Smith-like player, then the quarterback situation come this fall will only become much more intriguing, and maybe Henton won't be so ready to yield his backup slot to Pryor so quickly after all.

Additionally, both Wells and Tressel have had good things to say about Joe Bauserman, the 22 year old redshirt freshman who tried his hand in baseball before returning to the Buckeyes as a quarterback.  Personally, I don't view him as a threat in the quarterback battle this season.  He has rocks for legs, has been out of the game for too long, and his arm isn't significantly better than what Boeckman, Henton, or Pryor have to offer.

As a result of Beanie's comments, Todd Boeckman has been moved a notch to the left on the Boeckman watch.  He's still smiling and in the green, but the more positive comments we continue to hear about the backups, and the less people talk about the actual starter does not sit well.

The final piece of Beanie-related news really shouldn't be news in the least bit.  As it turns out, Beanie has goals beyond a championship that he would like to accomplish this season, which includes winning the Heisman trophy.

"I didn't come here just to be a part of the team and just to say I played for Ohio State," Wells said. "I want to leave a mark, and that's something I work hard every day for."

Some may view Wells' words as questionable, and that they hint that Beanie is in fact only playing  for his own glory, but I look at it just the opposite.  He's well aware that he's probably right behind Tim Tebow on everybody's preseason Heisman ballots after blowing up in the National Championship game, and the fact that he is striving for a personal plateau only means that he's trying to become a better player.  As Massey points out, football is the ultimate team sport, but personal goals and individual competition is what makes players better.  Since Beanie has so few people to compete with at his position around the country, he can really only look to make himself better than the likes of Tebow.  Beanie isn't content with being just one of the best, he wants to be the best, and if he wants to make that public, I have no problem with it.

The season better get here quick, because talking about somebody talking is going to get real old, real quick.  Even when it is Beanie.

Orlando 2.0 is bound to play early and often...or so we thought

You know, for comparison purposes, the 2008 class wasn't half bad.  The commitment of Vince Young's estranged step brother, better known as LiC, sent visions of fallen USC defenders dancing in the heads of Buckeye fans, and Orlando Pace and Korey Stringer's lovechild seems poised to bring the pancake back to Columbus.  The only problem is that the former is buried on the depth chart and the latter has a bum shoulder.  Yep, that's right: Mike Adams, ranked as high as #3 in the nation by some recruiting services and an early enrollee that was expected to compete for the right tackle job will now miss all of Spring practice and a chunk of the regular season because of shoulder surgery.

Fortunately, the injury appears to be minor for the talented freshman that would have certainly seen the field early on.  According to offensive coordinator Jim Bollman, had Adams suffered the injury midseason, he likely would have played through it.  Since this is April of his freshman year however, the coaching staff will likely take the most cautious route possible in order to ensure a full recovery.

Although Adams is certainly out of the running for the right tackle spot vacated by Kirk Barton, there may be a silver lining to this otherwise dark cloud.  Adams' absence will give fellow stud prospect JB Shugarts an opportunity to either beat out Bryant Browning for the position, or (much more likely) work into a rotation with the Glenville product.  Then, if Adams must return with the right tackle position already solidified, he will be put in a perfect opportunity to move to the other side of the line and become groomed as Alex Boone's replacement at left tackle.  With an influx of right handed quarterbacks suiting up in scarlet and gray, I don't think anybody would argue that the blind side tackle is the most important position on the offensive line, and having Adams start from his sophomore year on (in addition to Shugarts lining up directly opposite him, and speculatively Justin Boren somewhere in between) would make the offensive line the group most likely to put through a thorough effort on a week to week basis.

Everybody loves to see the stud freshmen see action right from the get-go, and this year will unquestionably be the most true from that perspective, but perhaps for Mike Adams, a guy who has been ready to play college ball since his junior year of high school, it's best if his first serious bit of action not come until 2009.  Not because of lack of talent, but rather because of circumstance.  Sure, this injury sucks, but it's hardly the end of the world to see a kid who has never played a snap of college football and would likely begin the year as a backup miss a couple of games, even if it is only out of caution.

I've been out of town for the past week, so I was unfortunate enough to miss the opening of Spring practice, but fortunate enough to enjoy Spring Break under the Caribbean sun.  For a quick summary of Tressel's annual Spring presser, go here.  In doing my part in contributing towards a topic I'm probably unqualified to discuss, I've thrown together a list of the "big" storylines to keep an eye out for this Spring, which will be discussed throughout the next month or so.  The first topic is perhaps the most pertinent to Buckeyes: How will Todd Boeckman overcome last season's struggles, lead the preseason favorite to win the conference, and most importantly, hold on to his job?

The Boeckman Watch

The last time we saw Todd Boeckman play how a starting quarterback at a decent school should play, Ohio State enjoyed an exceptional 38-17 victory over conference foe Wisconsin.  The offense followed the basic formula that led them to a conference championship: Boeckman would not lose the game, while Chris Wells would win it.  From that point forward, Boeckman failed to put up his end of the bargain in two of the final three games, and in that lone positive outcome against Michigan, his only real job was to turn around and give the ball to Wells.  Overall, against Illinois, Michigan, and LSU, Boeckman threw three interceptions for every touchdown, was completing a significantly less number of his passes, and for all intents and purposes looked like the Todd Boeckman everybody expected to see in September, not January.

Heading into the Spring, Boeckman must work to block out the memory of last season's late debacle, as well as handle the pressure of being the starting quarterback on a likely top-3 team in the country.  He has already been guaranteed the starting slot barring any unforeseen injury, and will have to play at a very low level against all levels of competition in order to lose it.  However, the facts that LiC (LeBron in Cleats) is on his way and Antonio Henton hasn't picked up any discounted entertainment lately should still send beads of sweat down the senior's forehead.  According to Jim Tressel, he and his staff have vowed to try to bring the 2005 offense back (the most spread-like offense Ohio State has had in the Tressel era), and quite frankly, there are many aspects of that offense that LiC and Henton are much more capable of handling than Boeckman.  Tressel knows it, Boeckman knows it, the fans know it.  The only question that remains is if Boeckman can make enough plays with his arm to fend off his much more fleet-footed and dynamic counterparts.  The only guarantee that Todd Boeckman will be given this season is the opportunity to gain control.  He can't afford to play in Beanie's shadow, and will have to emerge on his own if he has any prayer of lasting.

Thus, with the opening of spring practice, I am introducing the unofficial "Boeckman Watch."  It's a simple gauge of where Tressel stands with his starting quarterback.  If Boeckman is in the green, everything is good: the Bucks are winning, Pryor is learning underneath him, the starting quarterback is playing like a 5th year senior.  If Boeckman is in the red, all hell is on the verge of breaking loose: Tressel's heart will want to keep the senior on as a starter, but his head (as well as millions of Buckeye faithful) will be screaming for his rear to take a seat on the bench.  Essentially, Green Boeckman means that there will be no worries this season, yellow Boeckman means not much will have changed from last season, and red Boeckman will mean 2004 all over again.

Right now, as you can see, Boeckman is happily sitting in the green.  Why, you ask?  Well, a new year means a clean slate, and when you're an incumbent 5th year senior in Jim Tressel's system, you're made in the shade.  There's no reason to state that Boeckman's job is at risk...yet.

Four Canton-area residents were charged with the rape of minors during an 11 month period today.  Of those four was former Ohio State football prospect Devoe Torrence, one time ranked as high as the #1 player in the state and a consensus 5-star athlete.  Torrence, as many know by now, originally committed to Ohio State, until his offer was rescinded for undisclosed reasons.  Rumors as to why began flying everywhere, but the most recurrent rumor involved a sex scandal with minors.  As it turns out, that is exactly what happened to Devoe, and the reason that he is no longer a Buckeye and that Jermil Martin is.  Also, this probably puts to rest any of the rumors that Torrence may eventually walk-on at Ohio State when his legal situation clears up.

Since AtO is a public forum for discussion, feel free to leave comments regarding this highly controversial issue.  However, Sean and I reserve the right to remove any comments that we feel cross the line of appropriateness in any way, shape, or form.  Remember, this is a highly sensitive issue, and it should be handled as such.

In case you haven't already heard, Terrelle Pryor, the nation's #1 prep quarterback (and arguably the best overall high school athlete) ended his recruitment by committing to the Ohio State Buckeyes today.  The commitment itself was rather anticlimactic, as it became increasingly clear throughout the week that Ohio State was his team of choice.

The commitment itself elevates the 2008 recruiting class from great to dominating, and the Buckeyes have probably only had one commitment ever that challenges the magnitude of this: Greg Oden.  Oden & Co. only stuck around for one year and forever changed the face of Buckeye basketball.  Pryor will be in Columbus for at least three years, but he will need the help of Adams, Brewster, Posey, and the rest of the '08ers to take Buckeye football to a higher level (in other words, erase the stereotype that Ohio State football is for old men).

As if that load weren't enough, Pryor may also be the man to bring the Big Ten out of it's recent mediocrity (in addition to Rich Rodriguez).  It won't happen immediately, considering that the Buckeyes return 20 starters and the only time Pryor will see the field next season will be in the second half of the Youngstown State and Troy games.  By the time Boeckman graduates and Henton realizes he can't compete, however, the offense will be as dynamic (if not moreso) than anything Urban Meyer ever threw together.  Assuming the class of '08 studs pan out as expected, the offense will have at least three guys capable of taking over a game at any point (Pryor, Adams, Brewster) and at least two additional gamebreakers (Saine, Posey) in two seasons.  Quite frankly, lack of freakish athleticism is no longer an excuse for not winning championships in Columbus.  It will come down to the players' mental fortitude/physical development and coaching that adapts to the talent (the former remains to be seen, the latter I have no doubt will occur).

As far as immediate impacts, however, people will have to be patient.  People tend to forget that Todd Boeckman is still this team's starting quarterback, and Antonio Henton is a third year sophomore backup, both of whom have much more expansive knowledge of the system than Pryor.  In saying that, though, there's no way Pryor doesn't see the field next season, and he very well may get snaps in specific games.  Teaching Pryor as a freshman by forcing him to sit would be about as ridiculous as the Cleveland Cavaliers having LeBron James come off the bench as a rookie; both have (had) the talent to play immediately, and sitting them would be detrimental to the team.

I don't like to make overzealous statements, but it's hard not to believe at this point that Terrelle Pryor will forever change the face of Buckeye football.  He's not necessarily a savior, because the program is far from needing saved, but his presence will definitely change Buckeye football for the better.

By the way, if you have not listened to Coach Tressel's teleconference on the Pryor signing, do so now.

I've been working on this for a week or so now in my computer graphics class.  I'm glad it didn't go to waste.  I'll admit it's not perfect, but it's the first of Pryor I've seen.

More analysis of the signing after my practice.

Woooooooooooooooo!!!

Terrelle Pryor is a Buckeye. And there was much rejoicing.

Everybody's favorite ESPN personality with a voice too deep for his body, Ivan Maisel, had a nice little piece recently on the immediate effects that new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez has had -- namely, a renovated workout facility/program.

Quite frankly, as a Buckeye, I have to say I am not impressed.  Although the remodeled weight room is undoubtedly more modern than what the team had to work with in the Carr days, it still has a ways to go to match the state-of-the-art Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Yeah, it's alright, I guess

On a serious note, maybe a more valid explanation for that team up north's recent embarrassments had much more to do with the lack of a modern training program and less to do with "outdated" or predictable playcalling?