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Post Game Commentary

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"There will be those who accept it with joy because they knew it was true all along, and there will be those for whom it will bring pain, for it exposes the inadequacy of their world view."  –Leon Festinger

The media put in our collective minds the notion that all the Beavers had to do was show up, and Louisville would bow to our superior talent, resulting in a three touchdown victory for simply taking the field. What that idea was founded on, it's hard to fathom, since Louisville actually had better athletes than the Beavers. It seems that the media was lazy in analyzing this game; nobody knew much about Louisville, and nobody cared enough to investigate. Vegas said the Beavers win big, so that's what went to print.

Fans were told to expect a drubbing; instead, they were given a one score victory. The aftermath of the dupe is interesting. Fans, being irrational, were more disappointed after the win versus Louisville than after the loss to TCU. All this does is showcase the absurd, and somewhat schizophrenic, nature of emotion, or "fandom."

Let me inject "Beaver Nation" (hackneyed phrase alert) with a dose of reality:

1. We all expected the Beavers to be 1-2 after their first three games.

2. We expected that win to come against Louisville.

3. The defense is not good. It has been in decline for three years, and performed badly during fall camp.

So why is today's outcome a surprise? If you've observed the team objectively–that is, without emotion–since camp began, then today's outcome should be exactly what one would expect. It's hard to understand fans who are (figuratively) jumping off cliffs today; those who are, only after this game, willing to admit "hey there may be problems with the defense"; and, those who truly expected a convincing victory.

I'd like to propose this paradigm to the fanbase: curb your emotion.

The optimistic, emotional fan, while believing he is good, helpful, loyal, and doing his duty, is in reality a cancer to the program. To approve of a flaw or hindrance [toward a goal] is a disservice to yourself, fellow fans, the recipient of the accolade.

Next week the Beavers head to Boise State. The team, taking their cue from the head man, will show up even-keel, and hence will be down three scores shortly after stepping off the bus. It gives me great displeasure to document such probabilities.

This season has great importance. Not because of Rose Bowl aspirations, but because of the underlying agita and mounting frustration within the fanbase. What you're seeing after the Louisville win, is that even the optimistic, disillusioned fan is asking that the bar be raised. 2010 could go down in Beaver history as the season of mutiny, where the most loyal finally turn on their beloved coaching staff and demand excellence rather than hope for it. The fact that we today witnessed disappointment after a victory is a sign that these forces are indeed in motion.

58 COMMENTS

    • I’m saying it’s a positive sign the optimistic, loyal, disillusioned fan is more disenchanted after this win than the TCU loss. Until that fan sees the light, we’re going to have to deal with mediocrity, because that fan forms the majority mentality.

    • As far as on the field play–it’s what I expected. There’s not much to add…we all saw it laid out.

      One side note: some other teams in the Pac-10 were impressive today. Good day for the conference. ASU is going to be tougher than expected.

  1. Angry you’re right. But it’s not happening as quickly as you think/hope. Fans will continue to make excuses and be disillusioned because they don’t know. And to some extent, that’s ok. They’re fans because they support unconditionally. (see 1970’s-1990’s) What we must do is get to the gatekeepers and powers that be to do what is necessary for enhancement. And that starts with asking them the tough political questions about “what they’re doing to improve?”

    I still support Riley. I think he’s a great coach, but he’s not the full meal deal. It’s mandatory that he come in a package set. That’s because as task-oriented as he may be in driving this team, he’s unable to teach some of the other crucial aspects of the game that are necessary to make it to the elite level. (as well as a few other deficiencies)

    One of these is clearly the mental side of the game. Our players lack focus, intensity, and motivation to name a few. Riley supplements with “the big games” in hopes to fill this void for him. It’s not enough. Professional psychological counseling in mandatory for the players AND coaching staff. These are the little things that provide the will to win and capabilities throughout a game. Riley instead moves one game at a time, and win or lose, works off of past performance experiences. (all teams do that!) There are other ways.

    We all know football and basketball bring in the big bucks and pay for every other sport on campuses across the country. These schools give their athletes the best of the best and expect dividends. I promote that Oregon State do the same and invest in a solid Sport Psychology core starting from the top down.

    Cal is one of the first schools in the nation to recognize this and is completing construction on a High Performance facility to house just such advancements. Other schools in the Pac-10 are doing the same. Most are forced to put off building a large staff due to budgetary restrictions, but they recognize the necessity.

    There’s a lot that OSU needs to improve, but let’s start looking at how we can change the culture and use enhanced professional knowledge to supplement some of pitfalls we’re currently experiencing. We all know Riley’s contract doesn’t run out anytime soon..

    Cal Berkeley High Performance Center:
    http://stadiumcampaign.berkeley.edu/phase-1/

    • One of my first posts ever was the need for a sports psychologist. These players are USC/Oregon/Washington rejects. 95% of them would be elsewhere with the offer. That is society telling them “you are not good”…it takes more than a chip on the shoulder to get over that. These current vintages don’t even play with a chip on their shoulder, to be honest.

      Imagine you want to go to Stanford, yet you get an 800 on the SAT. Is carrying a chip on your shoulder really going to help you come to grips with what you are? I don’t think so.

  2. I think a lot of early season optimism is due to the late starts the past several years. I didn’t think they could beat there way out of a wet paper bag after Cinn. and AZ last year. The offensive line improved. But after these two games people are seeing more than the usual slow start. It is looking unfix able. It looks like for OSU to have a chance they will have to score a TD every time they get the ball. Punt once, game over.
    According to the FSN announcer, Louisville pulled all stops to win this game. Is OSU going to pull all stops, move around personnel and tweak the schemes to pull off an upset this week? I will give the D credit, it did seem they stepped it up against the run towards the end. At this point, I don’t know outside of WSU, who we can beat in the PAC10 this year.
    I think the point of fans expecting more is good. However the only forum that objectively looks at the team is this one. Most other blogs “OLive” are mired in Duck- Beaver diatribes. Hopefully Banker starts reading this one.

  3. Really? Only able to beat WSU? Are you kidding me? The defense put us in position to win the game at TCU. The offense lost the game for us. It wasn’t the defense that caused the ball to be snapped over our QB’s head. That was his fault.

    In the first quarter of this game did not the defense stop them on a 4th and 1 or 2 deep in our territory to prevent a touchdown? Did it not also cause a fumble, again, deep in our own territory? Did it not get an interception when the game was on the line to seal up the game for us?

    Sure I get what you guys are mad at. I’m not a idiot to football and I see containment issues, cover issues, speed issues, positioning issues, etc. I see that we are giving up way to many yards to a mediocore team like Louisville. But to draw a conclusion based on the past two games and using however much in the past you are using to say we will not beat anyone but WSU in Pac-10 play this year is crazy.

    Sorry but our defense is what it is. Banker works with what he gets. A fact that we all must face is that we DON’T get great/good recruits. Hole gets top-notch athletes and we don’t. It’s that simple. So to a certain degree what we do with who we get is a huge success. I know that has been drug thru the mud but it’s a truth we all must face. Corvallis is not a “hot destination” for a star high school athlete to come play football at. Riley knows this, so he plays the “family card”. Smart man.

    Is Banker the best for the job? Not sure. He’s been at the helm when we’ve been really good and also been at the helm when we’ve been really bad. This week? Who knows maybe we were just looking ahead to Boise too much.

    I guess next week will tell us, and the rest of the nation, if the Beavers are legit.

    Go Beavs!

    By the way, this isn’t the only blog that objectively looks at the team. Have you read Pure-Orange lately? I suggest you go there and post that same statement. You will get laughed off the board.

    • There are a few problems with what you wrote:

      1. Banker does not work with what he gets. That’s what we talk about here, how there are better personnel groups that could increase team speed.

      2. You give too much of a pass on recruiting. Baseball and basketball get four-star recruits. What is the common denominator? Aggressive, persuasive head coaches. There are plenty of small, beat towns with great college athletics. Stop with the Corvallis “crutch”.

      3. The defense, versus Louisville, taketh what they giveth away. That was a 21 point lead at one point, so while the game-clinching interception was nice and small redemption, don’t act as if they won that game.

  4. Angry,
    Dont discount the fact that losing to the Ducks two years in a row with a lot on the line for the program has at least planted the seed of discontent. I think the stigma of having 28 years losing years caused a lot of fans to just be content with going to minor bowl games, but we are almost 11 years beyond that road now. I compare Ron McBride when he was at Utah to Mike Riley beloved by the fans, got the Utahs to some bowl games, but ultimately could not take it to the next level. It took Urban Meyer with his innovations to make it happen. I am not saying it is time yet, but situations need to change, status quo is always the enemy of entrenched coaches.

    • Yes, losing those two Civil Wars opened eyes, and the Bowl game and the beginning to this season have kept them open. There’s a very good chance we lose a 3rd consecutive Civil War. What do you think happens then?

      • My guess is that it would take a couple of 5-6 seasons to really get a groundswell. As you know, you have to have the administration lose faith to push change forward. For example, if the defense truly does not improve and it leads to a worse record this year than that is where the pressure will come first. Has Riley outright fired any of assistants during his tenure?
        In the Utah example, McBride lost the support of the AD. In fact, it was interesting because the Utes only played an 11 game schedule that year, but Weber St. was willing to schedule an end of season game that would have most likely made Utah 6-6 and they would have got the last bowl spot for the league, but the AD nixed it knowing it would support his case to not have the team receive a bowl. Talk about no support from your AD! McBride was an old school defensive guy who would not adapt the offense, so that is where the complaints started from fans and boosters and why Urban Meyer was an inspired hire. They also kept Kyle Whittingham and it paid off nicely.
        Lastly, you sometimes have to be careful as to what you wish for. It certainly has not paid off for New Mexico (although Rocky Long supposedly resigned) and it does not look like So.Miss is taking their play to any next level either after getting rid of Jeff Bower after 16 years. Here is hoping the Beavers do their annual improvement and actually finish the deal this year!

        • Sometimes the administration can believe in a guy, or at the very least not disbelieve, and still feel pressure to make a change. If fans are vocal and constant in their disapproval, attendance declines, etc.

          I’m not against Riley. What I would like to see is this:

          1. Riley stays the length of his contract

          2. Riley learns from the past, improves, seizes opportunity, runs a more effecient program, etc.

          #2 is the huge issue for me. There is so much room for improvement, even if I concede this program has a limit. In 2007, for example, recruiting declined after a 10 win season. This season, the coaching staff have not cashed in and landed an elite running back, even with a Heisman contender on the roster–this is a missed opportunity. When I say elite, I mean a known quantity who is explosive with top end speed (think Oregon’s stable), not a bruiser or 2 star project who looks decent.

          Anyway, I’m on a tangent. If Riley stays, he needs to run a more efficient program. Think the Minnesota Twins of college football. Right now they’re more like the Baltimore Orioles–have more resources than you think, but waste, mismanagement, inefficiency etc hinder.

          I really want a job in the athletic department. If they hire me as a consultant I’d have the Beavers in a Rose Bowl in two years. Petition to get Angry hired? Hmm.

  5. A couple thoughts from an average guy who loves the beavers. If you have a team that needs “professional psychological counseling” why would you play them against top ten teams at the beginning of the season? Wouldn’t that just cause a mental breakdown? It has for me.

    Defense lost the TCU game… look at the stats, even an idiot like me can figure that one out. When you watch a Beaver game this year and find yourself praying the other team doesn’t use the option run… well nuf said. Beavers were lucky to win against Lou… they looked better… look at the stats, even an idiot like me can figure that one out… shouldn’t the numbers be swapped… how did we win?

    Recruiting. Come-on, let’s all wake-up. If I was an average dad that had a star son would I want him to go to Oregon State? Hell yes… Great atmosphere, great coaches, competition against other athletes make chances for playing better… I hear all the time that it is hard to recruit to OSU… bull$#!@, OU does just fine 45 minutes away. The problem is not Corvallis, it is our recruiting. I think OSU has been ripe for a flood of 4/5 star recruits coming but you have to start with getting just a couple there first.

    What sucks is I feel this year is soooooo important to the future of the program. A losing year, this year, will have more ramifications than it would have in prior years. Why, because even non-beaver fans have even noticed we are stuck at this level, including average dads with star sons.

  6. Anybody watching that game and came away thinking the Beavers played well wasnt watching the same game I was (obviously not you Angry :-)

    Where was the killer instinct? Why was Froman able to gain so many yards? What are the odds of playing two red-headed QB’s in a row?

  7. @Bill: I agree that now the Beavers should be positioned to recruit at least some 4-5 star athletes.

    Mike Riley is widely respected as a straight shooter and an honest man, and he is great with people. Riley should be able to convince top recruits and their parents that OSU offers a strong package: PAC-10 football; a chance to play and perhaps to be a star right away (e.g., Jacquizz); national TV exposure; family atmosphere; beautiful campus; etc. Riley and his team won’t snag every top recruit, but Riley certainly should be able to get one or two top recruits each year.

    This needs to start happening NOW, during THIS recruiting season, while we still have both Rodgers brothers and Stephen Paea, and while OSU is still getting lots of media attention (e.g., next Saturday at Boise when the ESPN Game Day crew covers the Beavers vs BSU).

    I was actually happy to hear that Beaver coaches were taking a few days off last week to go on recruiting junkets. I just hope they (and especially Mike Riley himself) were visiting some 4-5 star recruits, not the usual 2-3 star guys…..

    • Maybe Riley should talk with Craig Robinson and get some recruiting pointers. Robinson made the basketball program (somewhat) respectable after just two years by snagging highly touted recruits. They’re going to be pretty good this year.

      Something else that has me concerned: why did David Ross (4 star) and now Michael Phillipp (4 star) wind up in Riley’s doghouse? It could be coincidence, but it’s something I’m going to keep an eye on.

      • Michael Phillip actually started yesterday because McAndrews was out sick with the flu. I watched Phillip and I didn’t see that he was “behind” in blocking at all…in fact, he had a very nice crack back block on I believe an end around or a Katz scramble. So I guarantee you will see Phillip start the rest of the season from here on out at Tackle! :)

  8. I agree that the treatment of Michael Phillipp bears watching. He is a great example of the type of 4-5 star recruit the Beavers should be getting — at least one or two like him each year. I’m hoping that he was benched for the first game as a motivational ploy — to make him work harder, and to realize his full potential — rather than because he wound up “in Riley’s doghouse”. I guess we’ll see whether MP starts against Boise State next Saturday, over a healthy Wilder McAndrew. I sure hope MP gets the start, since he has a big upside this year and the next two years for the Beavers, and perhaps thereafter in the NFL.

    This relates to another point. Every father wants to see his son maximize his potential, whatever that may be. I think Mike Riley could be unusually persuasive on this point with the parents of top recruits. At USC, there are 4-5 star recruits who get little or no playing time for their entire careers. Meanwhile, at Oregon State, a 4-5 star recruit can expect to see lots of playing time right away, and throughout his career. He can also expect to get coached up in a pro offense, and to have a good shot at an NFL career. The Beavers have a strong record in this regard, with lots of Beavers getting drafted and playing in the pros. Mike Riley, as a former NFL coach, should be able to persuade at least a couple of dads each year that OSU represents the best place for their talented sons to maximize their potential and their chance at a pro football career. I hope Riley spent last weekend doing exactly that….

  9. It seems to me that one of the major challenges to OSU’s progress is Riley’s friendship with Banker. On the offensive side of the ball, OSU seems to be more progressive and adaptable with Langsdorf and the way he adds packages to take advantage of talented individuals.

    On the defensive side, Banker’s stubborness to adapt seems a major limitation, but Riley doesn’t appear to expect the progressiveness he sees on the offensive side of the ball. The lack of progress of the defense between games 1 and 2, with an extra bye week, is on the coaching staff. When you have players identifying the need to tackle more in camps to improve it in games, that’s pretty telling. I think it’s time for DeCarolis to play the bad cop and push Banker out the door.

    After a 10-year ‘resurgance,” OSU football looks to be headed for a recession unless some changes are made.

    • Part of Callahan’s demise at Nebraska was his seeming inability to fire Cosgrove, who had one of the worst sets of defenses Nebraksa had ever seen. Pelini took the same kids and turned them into respectible the very next season, and the next year most of these kids were dominating. He got Suh to pull his head out and dominate like he should (he litterally told Suh that he ‘stinks’ after watching film when he took over the coaching reigns, the rest is history).

  10. Very objective points made throughout this thread guys. Season tix for 6 years now and I am guilty of drinking the program’s (and the media’s) kool-aid about the team. I think that comes from many of us (me included) putting too much stock in early season national rankings, and the recent trend of us overcoming horrible early season starts to finish with a shot at the Rose Bowl. I mean, we were one drive away from tying a top ten team in Dallas, so naturally we will beat Louisville by 30 with our backups… That’s why they play the games I guess and that’s why we need people like you Angry. People that are fans of our team but aren’t blinded by hype, media, etc. Good job and thank you.

    You’ve confirmed several thoughts that I’ve had over the last couple months but was too afraid to say them out loud because no one in my circles would ever listen so I thought I was being too critical.

    Now I’m converted. I will speak about these things in my Beaver football circle because I don’t feel like a lone pioneer. In fact I am not a pioneer at all, I just thought I was.

    On a separate note: We hosted the Cardinal’s fan tailgate at the fairgrounds. After the game they were of course disappointed but they all said that THAT was the best game QB Froman has EVER played at that university, period. He is generally regarded as a lame QB to them. So did he play out of his mind, or did our defense prop him up? I’ll watch the Tivo’ed game again tonight before I decide for certain.

    Lastly; am I an a-hole for standing during the game? My new section this year is 118 and geesuz christ on a crutch! I stood for the opening defensive series and by the third play I’m getting SERIOUSLY harassed. It’s been 10 months since we’ve seen our team in Reser, but I’m called names, shouted at, poked in the back because I insist on standing for the opening defensive serious.

    • Welcome.

      No, you’re not an a-hole for standing at a game.

      It’s weird, I’ve had the same problems at games. On Saturday, me and my lady were watching the game at home, and FSN showed a random section of the stands–literally every guy in that area was 70 years old. We couldn’t stop laughing about it.

      That was probably the quietest sellout I’ve ever witnessed, at least on TV.

      As far as the Louisville QB, I really can’t say. I’ve never seen him play before. It looked like the D was playing very passive and soft, and it looked like he felt confident going right at it. The Louisville fans would know more, so he probably stinks. Bad sign since that unit is going up against Kellen Moore on Saturday.

    • I have had the same tickets for eight years in section 116. I was harassed and called every name in the book for standing during the game. It got to the point where I was being grabbed and threatened by those behind me, then Oregon State Police got involved.

      I was told by CMS – the staff who monitor the fans – that if I didn’t sit down that I would be ejected from the game. Completely insane! I will be calling the athlete department on Monday to complain and if the situation is not changed, I will cancel my season tickets. I refuse to be told that I can’t stand and cheer for the Beavers after paying the price that I pay for season tickets.

      I apologize for this rant, but between the football team and the single-game ticket fans, I’m extremely upset.

      • Have any of you guys been to Autzen, Husky Stadium, etc? I’m wondering if this issue is specific to Beaver fans, the northwest, or what.

        I can understand how it’s annoying to have your view blocked, but if it’s a Beaver fan standing to cheer it’s hard to see how you wouldn’t get over it real fast.

        • I’ve been to Autzen, Boise, Seattle, and Dallas for Beaver games (aside from bowls). If I’m on the road and I’m blocking a home team fan’s view, I will sit down when asked only to not cause a ruckus.
          It sounds like the problem is just section-specific. I’ve moved into a new section for me this year at Reser and it just so happens to be amongst a group of older people who have been sitting together for years and they want to SIT. In fact, they’re pissed that somehow I got 3 seats in a row right in front of them.

  11. My season tix are on the old side and I’ve never had a problem if I decide to stand for any reason at any point in the game. The people that used my tix for the game yesterday said the entire section (section 11 lower) stood for most of the game.

  12. I am a proud member of the Section 225 BEAVER BOMBARDIERS. As the rowdiest section in Reser we support passionately but do want more. Our Orange Barons and Flying Circus don’t plan on expanding BOMBARDIER membership until Phase 3 is complete and Reser sits 56,000. Hopefully by then the program will be stronger and we can then open a west upper level branch on the other side to drop even more thunder down from the skies. We would love to see the tradition of Ochocinco, Steven Jackson and the Rodgers Brothers continue with more top level talent and for the Beavs to make two consecutive Rose Bowls just like we won two consecutive national baseball titles. We wait believing that our vision for Beaver Nation is coming!

  13. Section 225 BEAVER BOMBARDIERS are never harassed for standing. We are the most raucous section though and it is in our bylaws that no member of our Orange Barons and Flying Circus will EVER get grief for standing. Trade for some 225 tickets if at all possible and you will love every moment from up in the sky. We have the best views, the loudest fans and you can always stand at will! GO BEAVS!!

  14. On a somewhat unrelated point. In August I upgraded to Dish HD, just so I would see the Beaver games in High Def. FSN has High Def, but it now appears only for their Mariners. Even the home town Dogs were in standard vision last week. The Beavers better improve or all I am going to see this year is 480p or radio.

      • I am actually really hoping that the Beavers leave FSN. They have the worst cameras in TV, The Munsters had better camera definition. Only thing worse than the picture during FSN games is their commentators. I often resort to muting the game part way through. They often have no clue what is going on, don’t know who players are. The color analyst thinks that announcing the ht/wt of a player is color. I heard the play-by-play guy say that Louisville was in the wildcat when their QB was under center. That was when I muted it this weekend.

        Unfortunately, BigTen network is hosted by Fox, wouldn’t be surprised if the commentators move to the Pac-12 network when it is made. Those guys make me wanna kill myself.

    • Agreed! I got Dish’s Fox Sports tier ( I have them all…even saw the Beavers baseball embarassment vs. Florida in the regional on FS Florida). I am dissapointed that practically non of the games were in HD. The Oklahoma vs. Airforce game showed up on an HD alternate, but other than that, it was standard def. That’s shit. Time for Standard Def to go the way of Anolog TV. Give everyone 3-5 years, and get rid of standard def.

    • Castornation…love the handle by the way…clever.

      Calling FSN’s production “standard definition” is an insult to standard definition. Sub-Standard Definition? Shitty Definition? No Definition?

  15. One other positive that I haven’t heard mentioned very often- the offense did a MUCH better job spreading the ball around then they have in the past. Catchings, Wheaton, Halahuni, Nichols, Bishop…not just Rodgers Rodgers Rodgers Rodgers.

    Granted, I want to see more screen passes to Quiz – as IMO those are a great opportunity to make big plays happen – but I have less a sense that we are one injury away from a completely impotent offense ala Sun Bowl 2008. You’ve got to think using more offensive weapons frees up the Rodgers to be more successful as well.

  16. I was disappointed with the 35 points. We got there quickly and easily, and a game that could have been 49 or 56 to 14 didn’t happen that way. It shows Louisville made adjustments. Yes, adjustments.

  17. Our offense let us down, or more sepecifically, let the defense down. We cannot go 3 and out over and over and over again. Our defense isn’t very good in the opening series, let alone when they’re on the field the whole game.

    Why can’t we convert 3rd and short? Quizz looks hesitant. Katz needs a little touch on the short stuff. For us to be successful, we need long, sustained drives. With our defense, we have to outscore peoples, but not 47-43. We need 27-24.

    • I guess my point is…I think we’re letting the O off the hook a bit because our D looks so bad. Our offense looks underwhelming at best.

      • The pass blocking is ahead of the run blocking, for sure.

        This is a head scratcher: the Beavers won’t do a walk through on Friday because they couldn’t get an early flight. Wasn’t this game scheduled for over a year? Couldn’t they book it before…this week…or arrange for a bus? It’s not that far of a drive.

  18. A lot of it can be corrected by film. But will it? Who knows? It is the small things that are killing the Beavers and it is everyone. I am starting to realize that Riley’s best coaching is done with game film to show the players what they are doing wrong. We got to find a way to teach guys how to avoid the common mistakes before they happen. 2 years ago we pulled off a way bigger upset over USC than the task that is before us. I am not saying that is the case here but BSU is over rated. Moore throws a ball that can be picked, got to look for the ball and throw some different looks besides man coverage. The running game wont be any better than we have seen so far. Also someone tell Gabe Miller that running 5 yards behind the QB does no one any good.

      • agreed, even if he doesn’t ever get a tackle or sack if he would cut inside he would at least be a part of the play and at least be something the other QB has to think about. When he runs into the backfield 5 yards past the QB it makes it 11 on 10. I liked some of what I saw from Glover and even more of what I saw when I saw the replay on TV.

  19. One more thing. All week long you will hear how great Moore is. He is a smart QB with a quick read but a lot of those balls he throws he relies on Petis and Young to make plays. Our secondary is one of the few teams they will play that can match that athleticism. Hopefully they are watching for the ball.

  20. Moore is great for that system. He’s definitely not an NFL QB, though. Heard him on an ESPN interview two weeks ago, and he seemed a good guy. Disliked him before that b/c he seemed arrogant.

    • No. The Juco DE, Blake Harrah, is going to commit soon. Not sure if that’s good or bad since he doesn’t have any other offers.

      Todd Peat Jr and Cory Waller are two good prospects with some interest in setting up an official visit.

      Rumors are that Coach Robinson is making a last ditch plea to Sam Thompson, too. Personally, I think that’s a lost cause–Thompson loved tOSU.

  21. I just sent this e-mail to the athletic department. Not sure if someone has Bobby D’s e-mail but it is time they start to show replays at the game. No one in the stadium besides one section could tell what was going on.

    “I am writing this because of something that happened at the Louisville game this weekend that frustrated me as a fan. There were two plays in which the events were very close and somewhat difficult to tell what had happened in real time. These two plays were the first quarter fumble in which Louisville had a TD called back for a fumble and one in which a Louisville receiver bobbled the ball on a potential TD grab. Neither of these plays were shown on the replay screen. I am sure they were captured it was just an issue of OSU not wanting the fans to be angry over a potentially botched call. To me this is very frustrating. I pay close to $500 for two season tickets and I would have been better off to stay home and watch from my couch were a replay would have been provided. I understand the need for safety but stadiums across the country would have shown this replay and the vast majority of fans are level headed enough to realize this is just a game. If the fans can see the replay they can help effect the call on the field or help to get the officials to do a “make-up” call. I think the OSU athletic department si making a huge mistake in not showing replays on the big screen. I know I am going to think long and hard before I renew next year.”

  22. Can someone, for the love of God, get MARKUS WHEATON involved in the offense more?!

    This kid is one of the fastest players on the team, and a great athlete. Riley doesn’t seem to use him except for one fly sweep play a game. He already wasted and burned Wheaton’s freshman year by not using him, now Riley is doing the same thing this season.

    WHEATON’S who OSU career will be one of “what could have been” because Riley doesn’t know how to use him properly.

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