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As we said last week, the negotiations between the Big Ten Network and Time Warner Cable are no longer business as usual.

Athletic directors aren't usually in the business of advising you on your choice of cable provider. Can you imagine Gene Smith extolling the virtues of gas heat over electric?

Smith dove into the cable battle with his letter to Time Warner customers telling them to move to another provider. That includes nearly 1 million Time Warner customers in Northeast Ohio. He believes no deal will be reached between the Network and Time Warner in time for Ohio State fans to see the Buckeyes' first game of the season with Youngstown State on Aug. 30. Three of Ohio State's first five games will be on the Big Ten Network.

"We remain disappointed in Time Warner's decision," Smith wrote in part - as if the Big Ten Network has nothing to do with it.

Continue reading "Ohio State football: Despite Smith's letter, all sides still at fault in Big Ten Network dispute" »

Columbus- Ohio State offensive linemen who don't know where to go, what to do or when to do it can turn into Buckeye blobs in a hurry. That's why it's a good idea to check out the big brain on Bryant.

The valedictorian at Glenville High in 2006, Bryant Browning had always led with his head. Long before he got on the field for the Buckeyes, he was named one of five national scholar athletes by the National Football Foundation his first year at Ohio State.

Not that defensive ends stopped while rushing the passer to admire his acumen. But a smart guy is a smart guy. And with Ohio State basically replacing just one offensive starter from last season, right tackle Kirk Barton, it's easier to keep up with the old guys if you're a smart guy. Browning's noggin has always done more than just hold a helmet.

"His first year of spring ball, it amazed me how much he knew," OSU senior right guard Ben Person said. "He's just a bright kid. Some guys pick up things quickly in football and some don't."

Continue reading "Glenville valedictorian Bryant Browning takes his brains to the field for Ohio State" »

OWINGS MILLS, Md. --Ohio State's 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will be the Baltimore Ravens' starting quarterback for Saturday's preseason game against the St. Louis Rams, coach John Harbaugh said today.

The former Glenville High School standout may play as much as three quarters as the Ravens want to evaluate him as they try to determine who will be the QB in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.

Former starter Kyle Boller is Smith's chief competition, yet he might not even play against the Rams. Boller has committed a team-high three turnovers in two preseason games.

Continue reading "Troy Smith to start Saturday for Baltimore Ravens against St. Louis" »

COLUMBUS -- The kids kept asking, mistaking Ross Homan for the departed star, so after James Laurinaitis left a youth football camp to take a summer school test, Homan had to call him.

"If another kid says, 'James, will you sign my jersey?' I'm going to freak out,'" Laurinaitis said Tuesday, recalling Homan's message. "I told Ross plenty of times, his time is coming.

"Ross is going to be the star of the linebackers for years to come here."

Ohio State wouldn't mind if that process started to show results now. Once Laurinaitis and fellow senior Marcus Freeman passed up the NFL to return for a final season, the Buckeyes knew their linebackers were going to be a strength, but it wasn't immediately apparent who would join those two.

Homan split reps at Freeman at weakside linebacker in 2007 before a turf toe injury forced him to redshirt, and the sophomore is listed as a backup in all the Buckeyes' preseason media guides.

Continue reading "OSU soph Homan anxious to be a hit among Buckeyes' star-studded linebacker corps" »

I'm not saying they're separated at birth: the gold medalist is five months older than the linebacker, one inch taller, 55 pounds lighter ... and the gold medalist went to Michigan and the linebacker plays at Ohio State.

But you people have heard Michael Phelps and James Laurinaitis both conduct interviews ... anyone getting kind of a similar vibe?

It's mostly in the way they pause between words, how they play off their success at one moment, then maybe admit to a secret motivation the next ... and there's kind of an ear thing working to.

Anyone else, or am I watching too much swimming and writing too much football?

UPDATE: Originally posted three days ago, this idea has gained some traction. The Ohio State linebackers were in to talk today and Austin Spitler admitted that the Laurinaitis-Phelps comparison had been brought up.

"We just got through talking about that, because we've been talking about the Olympics," Spitler said, laughing. "Of course [he looks like Phelps], he's got big ears."

Laurinaitis copped to some similarities.

Continue reading "Ohio State football: Phelps and Laurinaitis and Homan" »

The Buckeyes have been getting a lift from Barack. It's O-H-I-O meets O-B-A-M-A.

As proven in his "Winner's Manual," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel will quote anyone with a message that he likes. Add Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., through Barack Obama, to the list.

Continue reading "Ohio State football: The fierce urgency of beating USC" »

Notes from Monday's practice:

* Terrelle Pryor does have an obviously different throwing motion from his high school days. That could be seen a bit at Ohio State's first practice two weeks ago and was more obvious on Monday night.

He was much more of a slinger from a three-quarters motion before, and is now right over the top. He looked comfortable in the pocket in the scrimmage portions of practice. But you can still see what the possibilities are when he runs. He threw out a juke at the line during a 7-on-7 drill and didn't look like a quarterback.

He also showed that ability to roll away from pressure. If he can throw on the run after all those moves, that will freeze defenses. He stepped up in the pocket on one throw, then stopped and seemed to float a sideline route that was almost picked. But he followed that up with a bullet on a crossing route. On another play, he rolled out to the right and overthrew an open sideline pass. He missed another short, quick out on a play from the 5-yard line.

Yes, he can throw, as Jim Tressel effused after Saturday's scrimmage. But it seemed to me, from one practice, that starter Todd Boeckman is definitely more consistently accurate right now, which is no surprise.

Continue reading "Ohio State football: Practice notes" »