The Ruckus

Are '11-12 Hoopsters Title-Bound?

Jeff Rapp — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:34:32 GMT

Should Herron Have Started Vs. UI?

Jeff Rapp — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:44:12 GMT

Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site leads to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world. And unlike the protests on Wall Street, no one is going to get cuffed and hauled away for disturbing the peace.

In this installment, editor Jeff Rapp and Dave Maetzold carry on the conversation they just had on air during a segment of the WTVN radio (610 AM) “Buckeye Rewind” show that recaps Ohio State football each Monday night.

The hot topic seemed to be OSU tailback Daniel “Boom” Herron, who had just spurred the Buckeyes to a 17-7 upset of Illinois in his return to the lineup. Herron, who served a five-game suspension to begin the season then a one-game suspension because of a separate off-field incident, immediately found himself at tailback and taking handoffs from Braxton Miller.

The senior ended up with 23 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown, his fourth 100-yard rushing performance as a Buckeye.

Maetzold was not in favor of coach Luke Fickell returning him to the field so abruptly; Rapp wasn’t as sure.

Maetzold is the host of “Buckeye Rewind” and WTVN’s Sunday morning program as well as the pregame show that kicks off the station’s “Best Buckeye Coverage” on game day. He also is a former sports anchor at WCMH-TV (Ch. 4) in Columbus and still has daytime duties with that station as well as a serving as an analyst for FOX Sports Ohio as a key part of that station’s coverage of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Maetzold has been prominent in the Columbus market since the mid-1990s and has covered Ohio State football for more than 15 years.

We pick up his conversation with Rapp right after the two have signed off from the airwaves:

Rapp: Well, we just did our show and you’re still hepped out about the Boom Herron story.

Maetzold: From the moment he walked out onto the field, I was saying to myself, “What the hell are they doing? Why’s he starting?” Not this game; not with everything he’s done to get the program in hot water, including getting the last additional game added to his suspension.

OK, here he is, he’s one the big stage for the first time since it’s all happened. There’s 55,000 people in the stands, there are people watching on TV. Now is the time to say, “Wait a minute, Boom. Come here. You stand by me for a couple of plays. We’re going to let those two guys carry the ball for the first couple of series.” That’s what I would have done.

Rapp: So you think they just made him look like a mercenary, or whatever the word is, in your mind? I mean, what would have placated you on how long he sat out?

Maetzold: I’ll tell you what, something that would say, “Hey, look, we understand you’re eligible now, but you’re not eligible until I say you’re eligible” from Luke Fickell. “You’re not going out there until I say you’re eligible and, OK, now you can go.” You’re not just automatically turned loose.

I wouldn’t even have had such a big problem with it had it been after a five-game suspension, had there not been the extra game tacked on. But there was something about that extra punishment, that “Oh, yeah, I had this job and I took a little bit of extra money, maybe a little bit more than I should have and, OK, I guess I’ve got to be suspended one more game.” To me, that was a real kick in the gut to Ohio State fans and for the team. So if I’m the coach I’m going to say, “Hey, hang on. Just wait one second before you trot out there.”

Rapp: Well, let me not defend this but play a little bit of devil’s advocate and say that because Ohio State and the head coach specifically had to tighten the ranks so much through all this turmoil that they’re now at the point where they don’t give a damn what anybody thinks and how things look. Not that they want to be classless or anything like that.

But we hear all the time and I think we saw this, too, in the preseason how Boom looked terrific, it looked like guys responded to him, that he was a vocal leader – something the coaches talked about all season as something they need and want and this team’s got to have. We’ll get Luke Fickell’s version soon enough, but do you think that was it? That they feel like, “Hey, this guy has served his time. We need him out there leading and we need our best players.”

That still doesn’t sit well with you.

Maetzold: Well, two answers to that. Number one, had it just been the five games, that would have been fine. I read the thing that the Dispatch put in their little sports magazine. It talked about how remorseful he was …

Rapp: I saw that, too.

Maetzold: They called his dad and he said he thought he screwed up and all that kind of stuff. And after I read that, I was kind of swayed. I was like, “You know what? That kid really has paid his dues. Let him go out there.” But then the other thing happened, and that to me is what the deciding factor was.

And the other part of that answer is, look you’ve got two guys who were doing fine. Jordan Hall was doing well early in the year and Carlos Hyde has really come on toward the middle part of the season. He’s earned it. Carlos Hyde has earned the opportunity to start because he has kept his nose clean, he’s worked hard, he’s made incremental improvements. He’s earned the opportunity to be out there and to start.

So that’s the other side of who should have been out there. Give it to the guy who’s earned it the first six games.

Rapp: For the record, I would have had no problem with (Herron) waiting a series or two or whatever. I will say this, though, to people who are trying to justify Carlos Hyde should now play over him because he’s been there – which there is some merit to that – or because he’s faster or that he has some advantage metrically or because of certain measurements. I’m not swallowing that because I think he’s their best tailback.

Maetzold: Boom.

Rapp: Yeah. I think that part of it is arguable but you’re not going to sway me. I think he’s their best tailback. That touchdown he ran on the first touch of the second half, that was a thing of beauty. As he put it, he sunk in, kind of tightened the linebacker to the middle of the field, and then he knew where the blocks were going to be and he knew he could get to the outside. Frankly, he got there easily and allowed (Reid) Fragel, a tight end, and Zach Boren, a fullback, to make their blocks.

That’s why he’s out there.

Maetzold: Yes, and I don’t take any of that away from him. He had another run like that. I believe it was late in the second quarter right after a punt where he saw the field better than any tailback had seen the field this year, cut back to the inside and cut back outside. He was making those lateral moves that make you go, “Wow, this guy’s really impressive.”

So I don’t take any of that away from him. But I think to start the game was not the right move. And I think to keep Carlos Hyde on the bench until mop-up time, I still don’t get that one.

Rapp: Did they make a mistake based on how the kid has reacted?

Maetzold: They might have. They might have. Because you know Carlos Hyde has his supporters. That’s the way those things work, that there are any number of kids who get behind one guy or the other, be it a quarterback or whoever. We’ll see how that affects the whole chemistry thing.

And I don’t know where Carlos Hyde’s head is at right now. Somebody ought to take his Twitter away from him, I guarantee you that.

(both laugh)

Rapp: Well, I’ll make this point again. The kid runs hard and when he gets in the clear he’s faster than you think and I like that he’s learning on the job and giving effort, but I don’t think he’s got the vision and obviously not the experience that Boom Herron has. And if this team is going to go anywhere and have any chance to beat a Wisconsin, they’re going to need a lot of Boom Herron.

That doesn’t mean that Carlos Hyde should be shoved back to third or fourth string. Interestingly, the same week when all of this broke, the rumor was that Rod Smith was working out at linebacker and he even repped before the game there. So let me throw that at you. What do you think about that?

Maetzold: Well, if you can’t keep the ball firmly in your grasp, they’re going to look at you for something other than tailback, and he obviously had two huge fumbles early in the year against inferior opponents that I think hurt him and have really hurt his playing time. The thing is, as we sat through the whole Rod Smith ordeal last year – first of all, waiting for him to be cleared and to get to Ohio State then waiting for him to get on the football field this year – all we heard was that this guy could be the guy.

Rapp: Yep.

Maetzold: He’s got size, he’s got speed, he could be the guy. So what a disappointment if he winds up not only not being the guy, but tried at linebacker or tight end or, who knows, someplace else. And his talent may really lie there, so who knows.

Rapp: It’s funny, I had almost forgotten about that entire ordeal with him because of everything else that has happened lately. There’s a lot of baggage in this program right now.

Maetzold: (laughs)

Rapp: Especially at the tailback position.

Maetzold: There is a little bit of baggage. If we can get through this week without a BB gun going off or some guy having some sort of medical breakdown that causes him to attack other students then we should consider ourselves lucky, And, oh, by the way, Lord knows when the memo is going to come down from the NCAA. That could be the final straw, too.

Rapp: Amen.

What Ranking Befits The Buckeyes?

Jeff Rapp — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:01:59 GMT

Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site leads to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world. No London riots here.

In this installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with Matt McCoy, the renowned sports director at 610 WTVN (AM) in Columbus. They got together for some lunch at Tommy’s – certainly familiar to most all Ohio State fans – and decided it was time to take a preseason look at the Buckeye football team.

A former OSU swim team captain, McCoy has been covering Ohio State football for basically two decades and also serves as the on-air host of WTVN’s “Best Buckeye Coverage” during the season.

We pick up their conversation just after the Buckeyes had completed their second practice of preseason camp and days after they had been tabbed as the nation’s No. 16 team in the USA Today coaches poll.

McCoy is a longtime voter in The Associated Press poll that will be unveiled on Aug. 20. So the two took an analytical look at Ohio State’s chances at contention after one of the most trying offseasons anyone can remember.

Rapp: The coaches poll is out and Ohio State is No. 16, which I think is about right or maybe even a little high. But if you talk to Ohio State fans, it’s a slap in the face. I know you have an opinion on that because you vote in the AP poll. Where do think this team should be?

McCoy: When that poll came out, I noticed some different threads on websites of fans saying, “Sixteen? We’ve got all the talent in the world,” which is true. I like their talent. But I actually tweeted that, “I have to confess I just did my AP poll and I picked them 21st,” and I immediately got a couple of replies of people asking me if I was kidding. But I look at this as a fascinating year in that I don’t know what to expect. They could go 10-2 or 11-1. They’ve got that kind of talent, but what do I think is more likely? I think more likely is 8-4 given the hurdles that they have to overcome both on the field and off the field. And 8-4 in the AP poll is about 21st playing in the Big Ten.

So that’s kind of just where they fell. I don’t necessarily think they’re a bad team. I think that would be a really good job, frankly, by Luke Fickell. Let’s think about it. For five games they are going to be without four of their best players, certainly three of their best on offense.

Rapp: Right.

McCoy: Who knows what they are going to get at the quarterback position. The defense is supposed to be the strength of the team and it probably will be again. But look at what they lost last year. That’s a lot to replace. Even if they take a step back … what did they give up, 13, 14 points a game last year? What if they back up three points a game. For this offense, that’s a big deal. I mean, that’s potentially a loss or two.

Rapp: Well, I think the fans are equating ESPN taking a swing at them and SI (Sports Illustrated) jabbing them and the NCAA nosing around and then this ranking as everyone assuming Ohio State is no good anymore. I don’t think that’s how I look at it at all. It’s my experience, like you said, that you’re more likely to lose four games than one when you don’t know who your quarterback is and you don’t know who your running back is – not that you don’t have talent at those positions.

And let’s face it, I like Luke Fickell and I think he’s going to enthuse some good things into this program, but he’s not had a chance to change very much and he’s said he doesn’t want to change very much. So we’re not going to see a suddenly revamped offense built around Braxton Miller, for example. That’s not going to happen. We may see Braxton Miller for parts of games or something like that, but they’re going to be begging for that kid to make plays and they’re going to be relying on their defense and hoping their special teams are way better than last year, quite frankly.

McCoy: Not to mention, Luke Fickell is … I think I’m rooting for him because I’ve covered him and like him and he’s a good guy, but he’s never coached a game. That’s a question mark.

Rapp: Well, yeah. I’m not saying he shouldn’t trust his staff, but at some point you may have to tweak some things or overrule what’s going on with the offense. Is he willing to do that? We have no idea.

McCoy: Then there’s the whole distraction thing, by the way. They had a tumultuous offseason. They’ve said the right things about rallying together, and I believe them. When you talk to them, they have a chip on their shoulder and all those things. That’s all well and good, but if I were an Ohio State fan what I would be worried about is does that last if they get tripped up in a game that they shouldn’t get tripped up in.

It’s all well and good in the offseason to say, “We’re going to rally together; we’re going to get it done,” and then you lose to Miami and does that start to splinter a little bit.

Rapp: Well, I’m hearing people check-marking games that, to me, you just can’t check-mark. Just because Michigan State is coming here, I’m not putting a check mark there. Who knows?

McCoy: Especially considering you have no (Boom) Herron, you have no (DeVier) Posey, you have no (Mike) Adams.

Rapp: Exactly. You might really be looking around for those guys at that point, for a huge Big Ten game.

McCoy: That’s right.

Rapp: Well, going back to the poll, I find the preseason poll to be very unscientific. To me it’s who’s usually good, who’s back and then the teams at the end of the poll, quite frankly, it’s usually a sign of respect. People don’t know if Florida, Texas and Penn State are going to be legitimate teams or not this year but because they’re Florida, Texas and Penn State, hey, let’s just throw them in at the end of the poll.

McCoy: I agree, totally. Right around Ohio State in my poll I have Florida and Texas. It’s funny you say that. I think they’re 19, 20, 21 or something like that.

Rapp: Because you’re thinking, “Jeez, I’ve got to put them in there somewhere, don’t I?”

McCoy: Well, I just feel Texas is going to rebound. They’re not going to stink like that again. They might. It’s a preseason poll, very unscientific. I wish we’d wait three, four weeks before doing a poll so you can see them. Ohio State, probably more than any team in the country, I really need to see them. I don’t know what to expect. I think it will be fascinating to watch.

They could be really good if (Joe) Bauserman is in there and he’s solid or Braxton Miller gets in there and he’s a dynamic freshman and not making too many mistakes. They do have some explosive running backs even with Herron out. Maybe Rod Smith comes in and is a star. I just need to see them. I haven’t seen them so you have to do some guesswork. 

Rapp: Let’s say Ohio State loses three games and they finish right where they started, which is (No.) 16. It sounds like you and I agree that would be a pretty good job by Luke Fickell. Now, what we think doesn’t matter. What matters is what the hierarchy thinks and, quite frankly, what recruits think.

Would the perception be that Ohio State has come down a whole peg and they absolutely have to go get a new head coach or is 9-3 good enough to save his job?

McCoy: Boy, that would be right on the fence. I think it probably depends on the nine wins. If you’re 9-3 and you lost to Michigan that probably would hurt. I tend to think with nine wins it would be hard to get rid of him, in my opinion.

It will be very interesting to see how it plays out. But right now it’s hard not to like Luke Fickell and be rooting for the guy.

Has OSU Hoops Reached Elite Status?

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 19:57:22 GMT

Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site lead to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world.

In this initial installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with Matt McCoy, the renowned sports director at 610 WTVN (AM) in Columbus. They got together after a recent Ohio State basketball interview session and discussed where the Buckeyes really are after being on the brink of ascending to the top of both major polls.

A former OSU swim team captain, McCoy has been covering Ohio State basketball for basically two decades and also serves as the PA announcer for home games at the Schottenstein Center. He was there when the Buckeyes made Final Four runs in 1999 and 2007 and he was there for the lean years as well.

We pick up their conversation as the Buckeyes were preparing to face Penn State on Jan. 15 in their first attempt to secure the No. 1 ranking and maintain an undefeated season.

Rapp: Matt, you thought it was interesting that Dave Lighty brought up in interviews today that it might finally be time for Ohio State to be in the national consciousness for basketball as well as football. You know me, Matt, I’ve been wanting this forever or as long as you have and we’ve always wondered when this was going to happen. And here we are now. Ohio State is on the verge of being No. 1 in the country, they just had the national Player of the Year last year, they’re in the NCAA Tournament every year except the one year they, oh by they way, won the NIT. They’ve been No. 1 before, they’ve had 1- and 2-seed teams. Is it finally time? Or is it never going to happen?

McCoy: I think it is, for one reason, finally time: Thad Matta. I think they got the right coach at the right time. I was looking up when they beat Michigan the other day, they are 40 games above .500 in Big Ten games, 73-33. The last four Ohio State coaches combined were even .500 in Big Ten games. And that’s including, by the way, the games the Big Ten doesn’t recognize. The only coach who is that much above .500 in history is Fred Taylor, and we know about Fred Taylor, and that’s probably the last time during the stretch in the ’60s where maybe Ohio State basketball was looked upon that way.

Rapp: Well, you just said the phrase to me. You can make a statistical case for this. If you look at Thad Matta’s record overall and at Ohio State, it’s astounding. And all the things I already said should be impressive enough, and yet I still – I guess I’m skeptical because I’ll believe it when I see it – think there are people out there who think, “Oh, they got lucky that that Oden-Conley group wanted to go there” or “Well, they didn’t know Turner was going to be that good.”

You know what I mean? There’s still this idea that as Doug (Lesmerises), our colleague, said today, it’s catching lightning in a bottle. I think the people who really follow it, and obviously the Clark Kelloggs of the world understand, this is now a top-10 program. But I don’t know. I think they have to win the whole damn thing for it to finally sink it, not only nationally but here. They haven’t even had a sellout yet.

McCoy: It’s funny, but I think they could do it nationally before they do it here. Because you’re right, nationally there are people who see it. Even, not that I like him very much, the Dick Vitales of the world and people like Seth Davis, I think they get it.

Rapp: But ESPN is just now marketing Ohio State but I don’t think there is a “Gameday” this year, is there? They probably looked at it like, “Well, they’re losing Turner they might not be very good.” Well, they’re good every year when they lose these guys. They need to start figuring it out.

McCoy: I like Thad Matta’s point, too. If you look at the Big Ten championships they’ve won, they’ve done it with completely different teams. Even before the Oden-Conley team, the Terence Dials team that won the Big Ten title and Georgetown eliminated them in Dayton, and then the next year the roster completely flipped over except Ron Lewis was still there and Jamar (Butler). Otherwise, pretty much a whole new roster.

Really, the only year he’s had the same team back to back was Turner’s sophomore and junior years. The sophomore year was when they lost to Siena. Ugh. That still bothers me. Last year was when they won another Big Ten title. He’s changing the roster, he’s changing the style. Next year he’s going to have a completely different team again. He’s going to lose Lighty and Diebler, but look at the recruiting class he has coming in.

Rapp: So why isn’t their a national media love affair like we see with other programs? Is it because of football? I’ve asked myself this question a hundred times. I remember the first big game Ohio State played this year, they’re at Florida and Digger Phelps picked Florida the game. He also picked Florida to win the national championship. He said, ‘Well, they’ve got all their starters back.’ Nevermind, Ohio State had four of their five starters back, maybe better returning talent, and some fantastic freshmen, and we know how that game turned out.

I don’t know. When is the perception going to meet up with the reality?

McCoy: I don’t know because I think right now they’re still … I do think they’re catching on nationally for the reasons I just said. But I still think when people think of the Big Ten they still think of Michigan State, and rightfully so. Michigan State has been doing it with Izzo for a long time.

Rapp: Right.

McCoy: You talked about winning a title. That might be what they have to do because that’s what Michigan State, and they continue to be good and getting to Final Fours. They haven’t won another one but they are the standard bearer. And I think probably even Thad would say that, that with the number of Final Fours they’ve been to they’re the standard bearer.

But what about, you know, there’s a lot of programs that might be overlooked. Wisconsin is pretty good. I wanted to see when I found that Thad was 40 (games) above .500, since he’s been coach there are there any other coaches that have as good a record as him.

Rapp: Bo Ryan, maybe.

McCoy: Bo Ryan is one game better. And Michigan State is exactly the same. How amazing is that? It’s those three and no one else is close.

Rapp: I think Purdue can get there with (Matt) Painter.

McCoy: Purdue can get there with Matt Painter.

Rapp: But you’re right, Michigan State has stolen their thunder. In ’99, they make that unbelievable run out of a 4-seed – and I know that year doesn’t exist anymore – well, who’s there when they get there? Michigan State. Then the next year, I remember covering the Big Ten Tournament and Ohio State got knocked off and somebody asked Mateen Cleaves about the 1-seed being knocked, and he goes, “I thought we were the 1-seed.” And nobody remembers since Michigan State went on to win the Big Ten Tournament that year and the national championship that Ohio State split with them that year and shared the Big Ten title.

Then last year …

McCoy: That’s the one that’s the kick in the pants.

Rapp: It really was because …

McCoy: They were a better team than Michigan State.

Rapp: Here’s Ohio State absolutely outclassing Georgia Tech while we were there in Milwaukee and we have to run in and do interviews, and while that’s going on Korie Lucious just chucks up a shot and Michigan State gets by Maryland. And then for that they get to play Northern Iowa. And then, obviously, they played Tennessee and beat Tennessee, and Ohio State didn’t.

But what got lost in that was how good Ohio State was. They beat Michigan State handily up there, they won the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State got a piece of the regular-season title, quite frankly, because of a late injury to (Purdue’s) Robbie Hummel, and here Michigan State gets to another Final Four to build the national perception. And again, rightfully so. Look how great Izzo and that program is.

But it seems like it’s always at the expense of Ohio State.

McCoy: I guess what we’re saying is they’ve got to get over the hump, and that’s terrible to say because I think they’re over the hump. I do.

Rapp: Yeah, they won the Big Ten Tournament last year and Michigan State got dumped right out of it. They didn’t even bother with that.

McCoy: Right. Again, I do think the nation gets it. The people who follow it closely get what Thad Matta has done. But maybe locally what it’s going to take is get there and win the darn thing.

Rapp: They may be No. 1 as we speak. I used to work at a place where I’d answer the phone and the first 10 questions would be about football recruiting. That’s coming up, by the way, signing day, and that will steal some thunder once again.

McCoy: It’s funny you mention that because I had one phone call this morning that came through to sports and it was, “Is today the last day underclassmen can declare for the NFL draft?” and here they’re No. 1 in basketball. What Dave Lighty said to me was enlightening because if you look at their body of work over the last five years it is every bit as good as football, and we know how good a coach Jim Tressel is.

It’s been right there, and I don’t know if everybody recognizes it.

Rapp: Maybe it’s because Lighty and Matta have been the constants during that whole five-year run and talk about two guys who don’t beat their chest.

McCoy: You’re right. They don’t.

Rapp: Now Thad today seemed like he bit on the question a little bit and did make a little bit of a case, though not emphatically or with any bravado. But he did make the case that, “Yeah, I think we are where I wanted us to be.” And he wouldn’t even normally do that but I think he feels like there are people out there who still haven’t figured it out. At least that’s the way I feel about it.

McCoy: Well, as we tape this here they are getting ready to play Penn State with a chance to be No. 1, not that it really matters. But for the national perception it does, and fan-wise. And last we heard there were tickets still available (laughs). I don’t get it. I know the economy is bad and I know ticket sales are down everywhere across the country, but it just seems like … When the football team beat Eastern Michigan 73-20 there weren’t really tickets available.

Rapp: As I said on the radio with BC (Bob Conners) today, you can only shovel so much snow. It’s time to come out to a ballgame.

6-Love, 6-Love For Buckeyes?

Jeff Rapp — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:20:18 GMT

Welcome back to what we like to call The Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site leads to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world.

In this fourth installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with on-air cohort Dave Maetzold of 610 WTVN of Columbus. Maetzold not only serves as a frequent host for that top AM station, he also served as a sports anchor for WCMH-TV (Ch. 4) and has covered Ohio State football since the mid-1990s.

Through the halfway point of the regular season, the Buckeyes (6-0) have handled all challenges and moved up to the top of both major polls. That’s when Rapp and Maetzold discussed Ohio State’s outlook with a back-loaded schedule and a very large target awaiting the Buckeyes.

We pick up their off-air discussion at the WTVN studio:

Rapp: OK, so 12-0, Dave. Easy pickings, right?

Maetzold: No. What always happens is in the preseason Ohio State fans get caught up into thinking, “Oh, my God. Here we go. This is going to be a great season. We’re going to roll right straight through. Let’s make our reservations for Glendale right now.” Then something happens like happened (at Illinois) that makes you say, “Well, we do need to develop this.” And if you think you saw it against Illinois, wait until you go to Camp Randall. The issues really are going to surface at that point, I think.

Rapp: I always say it’s really hard to pick 12-0 for a season. It doesn’t matter how good it looks on paper because, you’re exactly right, you can’t account for injuries and momentum and certain things happen and don’t develop. But I do think if Terrelle Pryor can go out and show that he’s healthy enough that Jim Tressel will lean right on him like a pogo stick and try to bounce him all the way in.

But they’re going into some tough, tough places. I actually think Iowa is almost a 1A team in the Big Ten. I like them a lot right now. And they kind f got their mess out of the way, if you will, at Arizona. They’ve had one bad half of one quarter and that’s all they had.

I think Ohio State can survive at Wisconsin but right now there are a lot of question marks with this team.

Maetzold: Here’s the other thing, Jeff. We’ve been talking about riding Terrelle Pryor since the Rose Bowl. Terrelle Pryor is going to take Ohio State to the Promised Land. I haven’t seen anything out of him that has surpassed what anybody else has done nationally. Mark Ingram certainly has done a great job. LaMichael James has been fantastic. He’s putting up unbelievable numbers. And just look a little north to Denard Robinson. I know Ohio State fans don’t want to do it. But those are guys who are leading their teams and leading their teams in an exceptional way.

Terrelle Pryor is improved, and it’s true he’s been better with his passing mechanics and all that stuff, but I haven’t seen the phenomenal football player who’s going to lead his football team to the Promised Land just yet. And now he’s hurt.

I don’t know. I’m not as convinced as I was earlier.

Rapp: Well, the Heisman thing just needs to go away now. I don’t know if the Ohio State fans get it yet. I think you’re right. I think they’re looking at that (schedule) magnet on the refrigerator and going “win, win, win … ” Hey, I used the term survive and advance. That’s kind of what the Illinois game was. I never felt like they were in true danger of losing the game, but it’s kind of advance when you’re not hitting on all cylinders.

And we need to stop talking about the Heisman Trophy, I felt if he did have a good year and they go 12-0, he’d go to New York. I vote for the Heisman and I haven’t had a moment yet this year where he’s made a play and I told myself, “Oh, he’s a Heisman winner.” Maybe that will change.

Maetzold: The Eastern Michigan game, he’s part of six touchdowns. He scored a rushing touchdown and caught one and all that kind of stuff. Do any one of those stand out in your mind other than the throw-back pass from Hall?

Rapp: Well, the 53-yard is pretty impressive when you think about it but he did it so easily …

Maetzold: And it was against a middle school defense.

Rapp: They had such a bad defense it was almost comical, like, “Really, you can’t get within 10 yards of him at any point on this run?” No one could even breathe on him.

Maetzold: Yeah, I haven’t seen that spectacular play yet out of Terrelle Pryor and now he doesn’t have that burst, at least we are led to believe that because of his quad injury. So will he be able to break loose again like he did at Illinois? I don’t know. And he is Ohio State’s entire offense. If you look at the stats now he leads virtually every category he can lead, and now he’s hurt.

So who picks up the slack? Boom Herron? I hope so. But we don’t know.

Rapp: Or maybe this defense can do what the Pittsburgh Steelers did without Ben Roethlisberger and just completely take over and take the football away.

Maetzold: Then it becomes 2002, and can Ohio State really live through another season like 2002?

Rapp: Well, it’s a good question because, again, I don’t know if the fans realize we’re already into a grind here. I don’t know if there’s too many easy games left at this point.

A month ago, the Purdue game, I would have just put a check mark on that because it’s a revenge game and it’s in Columbus and I still think Ohio State should be OK in that game but you don’t know.

Maetzold: I’m going to put Purdue in the win column because they’ve already lost their quarterback, their tailback and their best receiver.

Rapp: Yeah, that’s probably a good point (they both laugh).

Maetzold: That’s probably going to be a little bit of a problem.

Rapp: You’re right about the home-and-away structure of the schedule because if there’s one thing Ohio State fans are very good about it’s when they sense their team is in trouble or an underdog or needs a little bit of a push, they are awesome in that stadium. I almost like it when they’re an underdog at home because you’re guaranteed of having a spine-tingling crowd.

I was a student in the ’80s and was at that Illinois game when they came back from 24-0 and that Iowa game in the rain. Those are two of the best environments I’ve ever been in.

But, see, this is the problem with the No. 2 ranking and the expectations that you’re talking about. Now it’s almost like you’re supposed to go out and win 50-10 every week. These fans need to get that out of their head because there are issues with this team.

Maetzold: That’s why I wouldn’t mind seeing them come down a peg in the rankings. Knock them down to 3, knock them down to 4. Put them behind both Oregon and Boise State and really piss them off. Then you’ll see a more passionate football team come out and try to knock the hell out of people because they’ll want to get that No. 2 ranking back and they’ll want to get to No. 1.

Rapp: Yeah, and it’s getting to be that time of year when we start talking about Harris Interactive polls and the BCS formula, which is another sidetrack. This team, though, Dave, has been pretty good about being focused and following the lead of the seniors and the head coach, who are extremely on-point human beings. So is that enough to carry them through.

Maetzold: Man, I don’t know. We saw a very focused and mature, very goal-oriented national championship-oriented team protect a four-point lead in the fourth quarter on the road at Illinois. There are going to be tougher tests. Iowa and Wisconsin are going to be tougher tests. I don’t think Penn State is going to be much of a challenge but playing them is still going to be a test.

Ask me when we know how healthy Terrelle Pryor is when we really know what the extent of that injury is. That’s a thigh injury that he said hurt a lot and he was warned up and he was ready to go. We’ll see what it’s like. That could be a real aggravating injury and you’re talking about a guy who depends upon his legs so much.

Rapp: Here’s another thought, Dave: Here we go again where Northwestern is off to a nice start and suddenly has squeaked into the polls. Ohio State doesn’t play them. Michigan State has gotten over some mental hurdles. Sometimes it seems like they can’t get out of their own way but that is changing. They make it happen in the Notre Dame game and then they come out and play well again and beat Wisconsin. Ohio State doesn’t play them.

Does that scare you? It could be another 8-0 deal like we had in 1995 or 2002.

Maetzold: That’s really, really interesting and another motivation to get Ohio State to take care of business. Also it could be motivation for other teams who are looking at that and going, “Let’s do Michigan State a favor and knock these guys off” because Ohio State already does have a huge target on its back. If you throw that into the mix it even gets harder.

Rapp: So in wrapping up, let me ask you this: What is your biggest concern going forward other than Pryor’s health right now?

Maetzold: Developing a running game. I don’t think you’re going to have your senior tailback run for 14 yards on eight carries again.

Rapp: Way too many runs or 0 yards and 1 yard. That’s glaring. I’ll go way off the board. I’ve always touted this defense. I like the way they’re coached and I like the way they play. I just don’t know if we really know if this is a championship defense. I think it is. I certainly like the guys at the top of the heap when you’re looking at Cameron Heyward. I think Nathan Williams is on his way to a really nice year …

Maetzold: Uh-huh.

Rapp: And obviously Homan and Rolle are proven.

Maetzold: John Simon. John Simon is playing his way in there.

Rapp: I agree. And there’s experience in the secondary. So I’m not down on these guys at all, but let’s see. They’re going to play some teams that can really wing the ball. Can they really shut that down like past Ohio State defenses? I don’t know.

Maetzold: And one more injury and they are really in trouble. One of those linebackers goes down and it’s tough. But I think they are a little deeper and I think Big Hank (Jonathan Hankins) is going to step in and be more of a factor. So that will be big. But one more injury and look out. Then the parts are really falling off and they’ve got to do some retooling, if you will.

Can Ohio State Actually Go 12-0?

Jeff Rapp — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 03:37:03 GMT

Welcome back to what we like to called he Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site leads to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world.

In this third installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with Stu Mason, a longtime central Ohio radio reporter and editor of the new area-sports website MegaSportsNews.com

Rapp and Mason have been covering the Ohio State football team for two decades and this fall should be one to remember as the Buckeyes already are being tabbed as a top-five team. They delved into the outlook for OSU this offseason after putting the team under the microscope during the spring practice session.

We pick up their discussion at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Rapp: Stu, you mentioned you think this is a national championship-type schedule. Why?

Mason: Any time you have eight home games and you’ve got four road games … they’re all long trips, Jeff, because they go to Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, but you’ve got Penn State here at home. If you take care of your home games, the road games take care of themselves. It’s still going to be tough with going to Wisconsin and Iowa but I still think they can make a championship run.

If they let Terrelle (Pryor) play the way they did in that bowl game, this team is going to score a lot of points.

Rapp: I would agree with that to a point, but I’m a little skeptical. Maybe I’m putting too much into a jersey scrimmage (Mason laughs) and that may not have a lot to do with November. But I am really concerned with their lack of depth offensively.

Can you really expect to go through a 12-game season crossing your fingers that Terrelle Pryor never gets hurt, that somebody emerges other than (DeVier) Posey and (Dane) Sanzenbacher? You may need another tight end, you may need another fullback. And then we’ve known for years that this offensive line is not as deep as they’d like it to be.

Am I putting too much on that or what do you think?

Mason: No, I saw some of the same things you saw in the jersey scrimmage. The offensive line looks kind of shaky. And you’re right, they don’t have a lot of depth. And you always worry about your No. 2 quarterback. Is (Kenny) Guiton ready? Is (Joe) Bauserman ready?

I tell you what, from what I saw of Guiton this spring, he looks a lot better. Bauserman is still kind of shaky.

Rapp: Yeah, he is shaky. And Guiton is still a little mistake-prone. I don’t know if they can use him and really unleash him. If we ever saw him out there in a must-win, tight game they probably wouldn’t ask him to do much anyway. So maybe he would be OK.

I don’t know how to feel about left tackle because I think that’s such a huge, key position when we’re talking about the blind side and all that, but I almost like that there’s competition there, that (Mike) Adams is playing well and looking like he’s finally getting it but that Andy Miller is the type of kid who deserves to play, too, and isn’t just going to give it up.

Normally I would say that you absolutely have to have an anchor point over there, so maybe you disagree with that, that you don’t like that there is still competition going on there.

Mason: It’s good anytime that you have competition and you’re right, that’s Terrelle’s blind side. You have to have somebody over there who can block the speed rushers. Mike Adams, he’s deserving. Andrew Miller, like you said, he’s deserving. I’m surprised thus far that Mike Adams hasn’t solidified himself on the offensive line. Are you kind of surprised by that?

Rapp: Yeah, I am with all his natural talent. But you’ve got to practice well and you’ve got to show hunger, and I’m not sure that’s been there until maybe just now.

Mason: And I think Coach (Jim) Tressel is one of those coaches where if you don’t show hunger in practice, how can you expect him to put you in the game?

Rapp: Yeah. Is he just going to shrug if the quarterback gets his head taken off? Because you can’t have that.

Mason: No, you can’t because that’s his blind side and they’re going to try to come from that side, especially if they know you’ve got a weak link over there. But it is good to have competition. But you also kind of need somebody who can slide across that offensive line like they had last year and that can play any of those positions, and maybe one of those guys is that player.

Rapp: I’ve got to ask you this, too, because you’ve covered the team as long as I have and yet I still I still don’t know what the correct answer to this question is. They have, what, four, five six guys who are capable of taking handoffs? I don’t know if I can equate this to a year since, what, 1991? Are we going into the way-back machine here?

They had (Butler) By’not’e. Ironically that year they did not have Robert Smith, but you had Raymont (Harris) and I think Dante Lee was around that year. There were a lot of tailbacks then who were capable of playing and I’m seeing that this year, too. Is that good or bad? Because you’ve got to have a hot hand when you need it. Spending eight weeks and part of every game looking for that hot hand, can you do that?

Mason: Well, you can’t ever have enough running backs because that’s a position where you get a lot of injuries, as we saw. When (Dan) Herron went down they still had (Brandon) Saine and these other guys. And (Jermil) emerged last year. I didn’t know what he was capable of. He seems to have a lot of Keith Byars in him, especially wearing No. 41.

But we really haven’t seen Jaamal Berry, and I hear he’s just as good as any one of them.

Rapp: Well, he’s been a little fumble-prone this spring but he’s definitely got some shake.

I just always go back to this: This is Ohio State. I expect them to have good linebackers. I expect them to compete. I expect them to have good athletes in the secondary, a good kicking game with Jim Tressel here and good skill people. That’s every year. To me, once again, it’s just offensive line. I don’t even care who the running back is, just open holes for the guy.

Do you look at this line and feel this is a championship line? Because let’s face it, if you’re talking about national championship … now I don’t know in 2002 if I would have said at the beginning of the year that was a championship line but, by God, at the end of the year they played like one. In the bowl game, by the way, they had a true freshman at left tackle in Rob Sims. I was down there on the sideline for that game and I’m telling you Miami’s defense, which Vince Wilfork and guys who are still in the NFL, were having trouble getting around these guys. Do you see that kind of capability with this offensive line? Because I don’t know if I see it.

Mason: Jeff, if you remember the Purdue game from last year we saw a lot of mistakes in that game and we were all thinking this team is not going to win the Big Ten again. And then all of a sudden when the November schedule came around they just steamrolled everybody and looked good …

Rapp: They ran the ball.

Mason: They ran the ball, they steamrolled people. If we can see that again starting out … you can’t wait until November. You’ve got to do it from the beginning in the very first game against Marshall. Yeah, I think they’ll be OK. I think Coach (Jim) Bollman can get those guys going with this schedule.

Rapp: With this schedule, can you have a Purdue-like slip-up and expect to be in the national championship game?

Mason: No, not with this schedule.

Rapp: We had two 13-0 teams in the title game last year. I didn’t think we’d ever see 14-0 again, but we just did last year with Alabama. Can Ohio State slip-up at Minnesota, say, and think they are going to go to that game?

Mason: Well, remember the one year (2007) they had the one loss and they made it to the title game. I didn’t expect they were going to do it that year but things shook out for them to go.

Rapp: They sure did. Hell, it almost happened in ’98 after losing in November.

Mason: Right. I just think with this schedule it can’t happen. You’ve got some creampuffs on this schedule and you can’t afford it. You can’t have any Purdues. The thing of it is, though, I wasn’t so surprised about Purdue beating them last year, because when Purdue came to play they were pretty good last year. But when you look at the Buckeyes’ talent and you look at Purdue’s, no, they shouldn’t have a slip-up like that.

That was an aberration game. I’m sure you were sitting up in that press box like myself thinking, “What is going on here?”

Rapp: Yep. If you would’ve started the game over it would have never happened that way again.

Mason: I think they had a touchdown called back. It’s just that swing of momentum. It can hurt or help. But this team cannot have that again, especially with the BCS set up the way it is. You just never know what they are going to do.

Rapp: Are you concerned about the kicking game? For some reason, I’m not, and yet I haven’t seen enough of Ben Buchanan or Devin Barclay to sit here and say for sure that they are going to perform up to Ohio State’s standards.

Mason: I’ll tell you this: From what I’ve seen, I don’t know if we have any Aaron Pettreys or anybody who can kick 57-yard field goals. But Devin Barclay, he surprised us last year because when Pettrey went down it was like, “Oh, no. Tressel-ball is not going to work now.” (Rapp laughs)

But Barclay has shown a lot. And Ben Buchanan in the kick scrimmage has shown he’s got a nice leg. We just haven’t seen enough of him because he hasn’t played. It’s his turn now.

The punting situation I’m kind of concerned with, but the placekicking, no.

Rapp: Why can’t this team do well in returns? And even covering kickoffs.

Mason: That’s been a question for years with all this talent. You’ve got all this speed on this team. They could be starting every drive on the 35-yard line but they can’t even get past the 20 sometimes. Somebody has got to take the bull by the horns back there in the return game. They haven’t had anybody close to that basically since Teddy Ginn left.

Rapp: So in summary, if they do go 12-0 and get to that title game, will it be from having a dynamic, 2006-like offense and Heisman Trophy-like season from Terrelle Pryor or is it because of all the little things we’re talking about? Just improving here, improving there, not having a leaky offensive line, that kind of thing.

Mason: I think it will be a combination of all those things. Yes, you definitely have to have a Heisman performance from Terrelle Pryor but your running game has to be there, your blocking has to be there. You know the defense is going to be there. There are going to be some times they are going to steal some games. We’re going to see a game like we saw last year against Iowa where your kicking game and your special teams are going to win the game for you.

But this offense does have to score some points, because they’re going to play some games against some teams where they’re going to have to score. And when you go on the road you’re going to have to score on the road. You can’t just kick field goals all the time.

Can The Reds Actually Factor?

Jeff Rapp — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:57:45 GMT

Welcome to what we like to call the Ruckus, but only because this segment of the site leads to lively discussion and debate, not because anyone is trying to shake up the world.

In this second installment, editor Jeff Rapp looks at the summer forecast for the Cincinnati Reds with colleague Mike Wachsman, a self-described Reds fan and longtime columnist for the Buckeye Sports Bulletin. Among Wachsman’s many other former and current publication involvements, he is a longtime copyeditor and contributor for Reds Report magazine.

We pick up their discussion on June 13, a day when a loss to the Kansas City Royals left Cincinnati at 36-28 overall but still clinging to first place in the National League’s Central Division.

Rapp: Well, Mike, to my amazement this team has gotten enough pitching, timely hitting, and, dare I say it, correct maneuvers from manager Dusty Baker to look very much like a playoff team to this point in the season.

But that is the key to the statement: to this point. Call me a cynic – it’s OK because I know you’ve called me worse – but I just don’t see how the next 98 games will go as well for this team. Yes, we are basically 2/5 the way through the campaign, but I have my reservations. Then again, I am not nor have I ever been a Reds fan, so maybe I am just skeptical out of habit.

Tell me then, my friend, how it is going to be different this time, how this Cincinnati team stays in the race in 2010.

Wachsman: Ah, silly Rapper – these are not the same Reds you’ve grown used to seeing fold up shop by the beginning of summer. No, this group is in it for the long haul, and one big reason is because the bats have been outstanding.

Having a healthy Scott Rolen has seemingly made all the difference in the world. The guy is 107 but leads the team in homers and RBIs, and he’s hitting over .300. He also brings a veteran presence to the clubhouse, and as someone who’s been in a pennant race or two during his career he knows what it takes to reach the finish line.

Jay Bruce may finally be ready to deliver on the promise he’s shown throughout his rapid ascent to the majors, Brandon Phillips is proving to be a stabilizing force AND a tough out, Joey Votto is getting it done (and is staying on the field) … it’s a real team effort, one that’s leading the NL in most hitting categories.

I also love what they’ve gotten from Orlando Cabrera ... when that pick-up was made I was among the minority who thought it would help, and he’s been a steady fielder at shortstop and a base stealing threat. The Reds as a team are third in the NL in steals and second in homers – so they can play small ball or go big. That’s a dangerous combination, my friend.

Rapp: Well, I am with you on the Rolen-Cabrera combination. Those guys are pros, have been part of winning teams and know how to perform – Rolen as the steady Eddie who is going to do his job every day and Cabrera a little feistier and a little more proven in the clutch.

Frugal moves by the Reds to get those guys and shore up the left side of the infield. I also agree that Votto is a legit talent and that this team is well built for its bandbox of a home park.

But I expected the Reds to put up above-average offensive numbers going into the season. The pitching is where I’d be concerned.

Bronson Arroyo just lost a very winnable game at home against the Royals and was shelled in one of the most important games of the year at St. Louis. His durability is admirable (especially these days) but you never know when he’s about to implode – and I’m expecting an implosion since I just acquired him in a big trade in my fantasy league. But that’s another story.

Homer Bailey is hurt and unreliable and Aaron Harang should have been moved two years ago. Mike Leake has been impressive to this point, but what if opposing teams begin to figure him out? I know Edinson Volquez could be back before the month is out but he’ll be coming off a major injury and a 50-game suspension.

That leaves Johnny Cueto, and as much as I like him as a talent the Reds have no idea if he can really take the mantle of staff ace in a pennant race.

If this team plays loose and free and pulls off some more late-game heroics then it can stay in the race for a while. But I don’t know if that pitching staff is going to hold up – or if the organization would be aggressive about finding help in that area for the second half.

Wachsman: Valid points all, and to be truthful I worry a bit about them as well. But I’m also buoyed by the fact that the pitching staff, by and large, doesn’t walk a lot of guys – just about middle of the pack in that stat. So they aren’t letting batters reach base unchallenged. Where they lack is in power pitching – there really isn’t a strikeout ace on this team – and teams are batting .272 against the staff, which is one of the higher figures in the NL.

But I maintain that most of the issues are with the relief corps, NOT the starters. As you mentioned, Arroyo eats innings (though not sure if that’s great when you’re giving up runs) and Harang can do the same. But those were the guys I expected little from.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Leake. I do think he’s for real, and he’ll benefit by being brought along slowly. Cueto is inconsistent but has the ability to look unhittable on a given night, and the way Volquez’s recovery is being portrayed is slightly ahead of schedule. He’s the closest thing to an ace the Reds have, so if he can shake the rust off quickly – and if the Reds are in first place or a game or two out at the All-Star break – then I think they have a really legit shot at the playoffs.

Where they’ve run into problems is transitioning from starter to Francisco Cordero. The bullpen – save for Arthur Rhodes, and I never thought I’d be writing THAT – has been abysmal. Nick Masset, Daniel Herrera and Mike Lincoln have been frightfully bad. They have a young kid in Edwin Del Rosario who has shown promise, and they may be ready to call up some relief arms from the minors. If they can be just a tad aggressive at the trade deadline and acquire a setup arm or two – and Lord knows there are plenty to be had – that would be the last real deficiency the Reds have.

The other thing that I don’t think can be overlooked is how resilient this team has been. They’ve won the second-most one-run games in baseball, and their 5-2 mark in extra innings is also right there among the best. When a team believes it can push through adversity, that’s when it knows that the ingredients are there for a full-season run.

There also haven’t been a lot of losing streaks since April, when they had a four- and five-game dry spell. But that’s when the kinks were being worked out, and they’ve played solid baseball ever since.

Rapp: True, especially the Rhodes point. He’s had the most unbelievably effective season in the majors so far that no one is talking about. But that leads to concern that Dusty could burn out guys like Cueto and Harang trying to get to Rhodes in the eighth (not sure you can burn out Arroyo). He’s been notorious for overworking starters and I think he’ll be more prone to do it as this season unfolds.

Also, recent history shows that when this team turns bad, it is black-banana-peel-with-fuzzy-mold bad. You can’t rely on 9th and 10th inning karma all season and there are potential pitfalls ahead. In fact, Cincinnati has played just 27 of its 64 games on the road and, for the most part, has beat up on teams like Houston, Pittsburgh and Chicago to gain this position.

It gets tougher starting right now. The rest of this month reads home series with the Dodgers, a West Coast interleague trip to Seattle and Oakland and a home set with in-state rival Cleveland and the defending NL champion Phillies. The mid-August ledger is potentially brutal with a home series with the Cards and a nine-games-in-nine-days roadie against the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Giants.

Yes, it will help the Reds that they are in an awful division and so far they have handled the teams below them, but there isn’t going to be much margin for error when comparing them against the Cardinals.

Wachsman: Which is a perfect segue into my final point. It will be difficult for the Reds to fall completely out of it because the division is so stinkin’ bad. The Cubs just haven’t put it together; Milwaukee, expected to surprise with its young bats, hasn’t put together anything resembling consistency; and Pittsburgh and Houston are – well – Pittsburgh and Houston.

While teams in the East and West fight and scratch and claw to get some separation, the Reds only have to worry about the Cardinals. That is a formidable task, to be sure, but not impossible. (Tony) LaRussa’s bunch probably is the better team, but the Reds have held their own with them, and that’s a good sign.

The other thing I think is important is that the Reds aren’t trying to be something other than what they are. This is a team that enjoys playing, but has to fight and scrap for everything it gets. They lead the league in runners going from first to third on outfield hits, basically playing an American League game. Teams that hustle make their own luck rather than simply hoping it comes about, and if nothing else the Reds hustle.

Tell me that Phillips and Votto and (Drew) Stubbs and crew don’t appear to be having fun. They don’t go through the motions, and that helps when things get tight. It’s hard for a team to sleepwalk through seven innings then turn it on.

I believe for once the Reds’ front office has something up its sleeve, and will be buyers at the trade deadline. It may not be anything as earth-shaking as getting Rolen, but it may be something that shores up the bullpen.

While you made the point that they can’t have the late inning karma all year, I’ll counter with the fact that the bullpen can’t be THIS awful all season. Once that group comes around the Reds should resemble real-life contenders – and should make it interesting for fans all the way through September.

Is The Big Ten Tournament Worth It?

Jeff Rapp — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:02:45 GMT

In this initial installment, editor Jeff Rapp sits down with Matt McCoy, the renowned sports director at 610 WTVN (AM) in Columbus. Actually, they had no choice to be seated as this conversation took place as the two were on their way to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament.

This is an annual occurrence. Rapp has been to every men’s Big Ten tourney since the event tipped off in 1998. McCoy, a longtime familiar voice on the local radio airwaves and as the PA man for Ohio State men’s basketball home games, has been to the tournament every year but one (2004).

We pick up their discussion while the pair is en route to Indy as the two assess the merits – and shortcomings – of the Big Ten Tournament.

Rapp

Well, we’re on our way to the Big Ten Tournament, which raises the question, “Why?” (both laugh) You were saying you were interested in Thad Matta’s take on it.

McCoy

Yeah, Jim Foster, the women’s coach, has said he doesn’t like the tournament because it devalues the regular season. Thad said he was pretty much in that boat. He really likes the grind of the Big Ten regular season and he puts a lot more stock into that than he does getting together with everybody for three days.

I find that interesting because since he’s been at Ohio State they have done pretty well in the Big Ten Tournament. So if he devalues it, it certainly doesn’t come across in the way he coaches in it. They’ve been to the finals three of the last four years. I do think once you get there and once you’re playing the game it still gets real competitive and is high-level basketball.

Rapp

What’s interesting to me is he gets a heftier bonus for winning the tournament than he does for winning the regular season (championship). With the journey and the grind aspect of it, that should be much more enjoyable and give you more of a sense of accomplishment. It’s kind of like, “Yeah, that’s great. Now win the tournament,” which, I guess, makes sense in that you get an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

So if you have a year where you have a borderline season but you win that thing, you’ve not only saved your season, you’ve made everybody in the administration happy and they are willing to pay 20 more grand for that.

McCoy

I guess you could say, “Why do they have the tournament,” and it’s because of money. But it is interesting that his bonus is bigger for that. But I can tell you, taking the professional side out of it and just as a fan, I put way more stock in the regular season. That scene, what, a week ago Tuesday where fans are running out on the court, they’re cutting down the nets, you could see a sense of accomplishment in the players, especially this year after the 1-3 start.

Rapp

That is something to celebrate.

McCoy

That’s right. It was, “Wow, we did this.” I’m not saying if they win three games this week they won’t have a similar type of celebration but I really felt like those guys were extremely happy last Tuesday. That was pretty special. I, frankly, like the regular-season title more than the Big Ten Tournament title.

Having said that, I do like the Big Ten Tournament, though, and I didn’t think I would when they first went to it. There’s always interesting storylines that come out of it and there’s always that team that needs one more win. So there’s always that intrigue. Initially, I didn’t think I was going to like it, but I do on balance like the Big Ten Tournament and what it presents.

Rapp

How about this radical thought, especially if they have expansion (for the NCAA Tournament), which it appears they are going to do: The regular-season champ, or the 1-seed as it were, is your automatic qualifier. What do you think of that?

McCoy

I would like that.

Rapp

I don’t think they would ever do that because it would be like an admission of “Yeah, this is just a dog-and-pony show.”

McCoy

If they expand the tournament to 96 teams … I don’t know, I’d have to look at the numbers, but couldn’t they tell the conferences that your regular-season champ automatically gets a bid. But I’m with you. That’s the thing that bothers me about conference tournaments. And it’s not even so much the major conferences because generally you have three, four, five, sometimes eight teams come out of those leagues.

It’s the little conferences like the MEAC where a team goes 15-1 in the conference in the regular season and loses in the tournament and their season is screwed. That bothers me.

Rapp

That in a way, though, gives those dinky conferences a little more exposure. Like for example if Utah State doesn’t win its tournament they are going to get an at-large. So basically they wipe off a bubble team and now the country cares about it.

McCoy

Right. Like if Wright State stole the Horizon League bid instead of Butler.

Rapp

Have you been to every Big Ten Tournament?

McCoy

Every year but (Jim) O’Brien’s last year. They lost to Indiana and were one and done.

Rapp

Oh, you missed when OSU lost to the walk-ons and A.J. Moye.

McCoy

(impersonating O’Brien): “I don’t care what his stats are, you still have to guard him.” (Rapp laughs) I don’t even remember who that was.

Rapp

Some stiff who could have been an extra in the movie, “Hoosiers.” Well, some of these Thursdays have been pretty drab. Let’s face it. You sit there and go, “Why are we doing this again?” But the thing always perks up on Friday. And I have to say, I love that atmosphere. I love the four games in a row deal. I like seeing, basically, fans of every team on that day. Maybe that’s the only real worthwhile day, but it’s a pretty fun day.

McCoy

And like I said earlier, we will always have - this year it will be Illinois and Minnesota - that team that Joe Lunardi tries to figure out if they are in or are they out. A couple years ago, a fine example is Ohio State. They didn’t win. They played Michigan State needing a win on Friday to get a 20th win and probably get themselves in the (NCAA) tournament. Even though they lost that game, that was like an NCAA Tournament game. I thought they played very well. They just didn’t win and had a couple calls go against them.

I guess as a basketball fan, that’s why I like it. As much as I like the regular season sometimes both teams are tired or don’t play with a real sense of urgency. And there are games here that are bad, too. But for the most part you get to see high-level basketball and it makes me go, “Man, I’m ready for next week.” That’s what I enjoy, when teams are playing at that level.

Rapp

That leads to one of my thoughts, which is probably my biggest problem with the Big Ten Tournament in particular is that it should build to this glorious Sunday finale that makes the whole country take notice. In a way it does, but honestly it does simply because it’s a lead-in to the brackets being announced. They are the last teams to play on Sunday, and the second that game’s over it doesn’t matter and all anyone cares about are who are the 1s, who’s in, who’s out. I think it diminishes what just happened on the floor.

I don’t know what the solution is, if you do what the Big East does and bump it to Saturday night. Obviously they don’t want to lose their TV slot. I don’t know. What are your thoughts on that? I find it to be a little bit of a downer.

McCoy

I agree. It’s anticlimactic, the final. You’re right, after the game who won and who lost doesn’t matter. It’s where are you going and on to the next thing. So if I were an all-powerful god, I do think the Big East does it and I would have that championship on Saturday.

It does a couple of things. Number one, your tournament champion who has played three games in three days, it’s an extra day for that team to get ready for the NCAA Tournament. And two, it lets you celebrate that championship for 24 hours.

I understand the time slot and, again, it’s the almighty dollar. I think you do a disservice to that top team in the league who performs well in that tournament championship by then immediately having that devalued.

Let’s take a couple of examples. Last year I give Purdue a lot of credit because they played through it. But let’s face it. They got screwed. They had a real nice regular season and won the Big Ten Tournament championship and then the NCAA sends them to Portland, Ore., on a Thursday.

Rapp

(facetiously): What’s wrong with Portland?

McCoy

Nothing. It’s just a lousy draw after playing the very last game on Sunday and having to play two time zones away. Which brings us to 2002 with Ohio State. The same thing happened. They won the Big Ten Tournament and they got sent to Utah.

Rapp

Albuquerque. They made a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

McCoy

That’s right. And they played at noon on Thursday.

Rapp

That was ridiculous.

McCoy

So I guess if I was a Big Ten official – and I know CBS’ contract has a lot to do with that – I would really look at that and get that game out of Sunday. I would find a way to get it to Saturday. The other thing about the Sunday game is that I am fully convinced that game doesn’t have anything to do with your seeding. I mean that game is meaningless.”

Rapp

I agree. But I will give the league credit for one wrinkle that I really do like. I don’t know if we can use the word “permanent” yet, but they have decided to have this thing at Conseco Fieldhouse. And I say that as we’re driving to Indianapolis, which is a pretty simple drive.

The other thing is, you mentioned the Big East. One reason why their tournament has some appeal is they’ve got that classic settting, Madison Square Garden. For anyone who has never been to Conseco, it is a basketball mecca in its own right. I think they should just settle on it being here, be done with it, and build up Conseco Fieldhouse as the site for Big Ten basketball.