Monday Musings: Tattoo Ohio State University

Monday Musings is back after being off a week. At this point, I plan to continue this feature each week all offseason. Some weeks there might be less than 10 musings, but there will be something to muse about. College football lives on all year.

1. The real meaning of tOSU. I have seen the abbreviation of Ohio State University with a small t in front of it on occasion. I always thought it stood for “the,” in the way people in some circles refer to Ohio State as “the Ohio State.” I guess we all found out last week that tOSU really stands for “tattoo Ohio State University.” As for the NCAA penalties going into effect September 2011, that is ridiculous. That isn’t a penalty at all. No one’s NFL draft stock will be hurt (just ask Dez Bryant and Sam Bradford), and Ohio State plays such inferior out of conference teams, they will still be 5-0 or 4-1. It also helps to know all spring and all fall that you need to get your second string players ready to start those five games.

2. Where did that come from? The Big Ten made their announcement that the two six-team divisions would be named “Legends” and “Leaders” when the conference becomes 12 teams next year. I know I am late on this, but count me as one who doesn’t like them, to say the least. This is coming from the conference that made such a big deal about academics and AAU membership during the expansion evaluation process. These division names show no signs of intelligent discussion and decision making. My suggestions: 1 and 2. Since they are so stubborn to change the name to reflect that the conference has 12 teams, you should work the number 12 in there somewhere.

3. Records are meant to be broken. BYU broke or tied 42 New Mexico Bowl records and 13 school bowl records in their 52-24 trouncing of UTEP in the year’s first bowl game.

4. The Humanitarian Bowl was inhumane. Just playing a game in Boise, Idaho, in December is inhumane, but the way Northern Illionis crushed Fresno State, 40-17, made it worse for the Bulldogs who never want to play there again after losing two games in Boise by a combined score of 91-17.

5. The Men of Troy. The Troy Trojans played like the USC Trojans in the New Orleans Bowl. They piled up 602 total yards and converted 10 of 15 third downs. Freshman quarterback Corey Robinson led the charge with 32-42, 387 yards, and 4 TD passes.

6. Special teams does it again. Another game was greatly impacted by special teams late in the game. After taking a 28-21 fourth quarter lead, Southern Mississippi kicked off to Louisville. The Cardinals ran the kick back 95 yards to tie the game. That enabled Louisville to kick a field goal later in the quarter to win.

7. The worst 10 win team. Utah gets my vote for the worst 10 win team in 2010. The Utes looks terrible against Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl. They had just 200 yards of total offense. Looking at their season record, their best win came against a 5-7 Iowa State team. Utah needed overtime to beat a bad Pittsburgh team, and several breaks to win games against Air Force, San Diego State, and BYU down the stretch. Throw in the disasters against TCU and Notre Dame, and Utah was lucky to be above 0.500.

8. The next Marshall Faulk? San Diego State running back Ronnie Hillman ran for 228 yards and scored four touchdowns in the Poinsettia Bowl. That gives this fab freshman 1,532 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns on the season. Marshall Faulk had 1,429 yards and 21 touchdowns as a freshman.

9. How high will he go? With an incredible 326 all-purpose yards in the Hawaii Bowl, Tulsa running back Damaris Johnson broke the NCAA record for career all-purpose yards. Johnson now has 7,796 yards, and he is only a junior. With one more year to play, how high will he push this record? Is 10,000 yards too much to ask?

10. Beginners luck? The Florida International Panthers played their very first bowl game in the Little Caesars Bowl. They also won their first bowl game. They had to overcome a 24-7 second half deficit. They also had to convert a 4th and 17 to get into position to kick the game winning field goal on the last play of the game.

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Poll Results: Has Nike gone overboard with the Pro Combat Uniforms?
Weekly Trivia: Three Team Tie For Conference Championship
Heisman Hopefuls: Bowl Games Will Impact The 2011 Race

5 Step Drop: 2010 Mid-American Conference Football

The Mid-American Conference had some national attention last year with Dan LeFevour capping off his stellar career. Can someone else do the same in 2010?

1. Who will win the conference? Temple Owls. Yes, I am on the Temple bandwagon. I got on it last year and haven’t gotten off yet. The Owls might have won the conference championship last year if not for an injury to Bernard Pierce the week before the Ohio game. Al Golden is a great coach who showed commitment to the program this offseason by not taking other job offers. His players noticed and made the same investment by working extra hard this offseason.

2. Who is the top returning player? Bernard Pierce, Temple. He came in and made an immediate impact as a freshman last year. He rushed for over 100 yards six times en route to 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns. Pierce was a freshman all-American, and this year Temple is promoting him for the Heisman Trophy.

3. Which team will be the most improved? Ball State. The Cardinals did a complete 180 going from two losses in 2008 to two wins in 2009. This year will be much different. Ball State had to start over after losing head coach Brady Hoke to San Diego State and quarterback Nate Davis to the NFL. Running back MiQuale Lewis is still on the roster, so expect marked improvement out of Muncie, Indiana.

4. What will be the biggest surprise? Northern Illinois will beat Iowa State. The Cyclones won seven games in 2009 including a win in the Insight Bowl, but Chad Spann and company will make a statement on the opening day of the 2010 season.

5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Doug Martin, Kent State. Kent State followed a 6-6 year in 2006 with 3-9, 4-8, and 5-7 records. Martin has a talented team this year, especially since the NCAA granted Eugene Jarvis a sixth year of eligibility. If he can’t get the Golden Flashes to a bowl game, he could be shown the way out.