T.J. Downing lettered three years for The Ohio State Buckeyes football team from 2004 through the 2006 season that ended with a loss to Florida in the National Championship Game. The 6'5", 305-pound OL from GlenOak HS (Canton) shared the Jim Parker Offensive Lineman Award at Ohio State with running-mate Doug Datish in 2006 while being named a first-team All Big-10 and second team All-America by the Associated press. He also spent 2006 protecting Troy Smith, later to be named the 2006 Heisman Trophy winner, as well as opening holes for 1,200-yard rusher Antonio Pittman. Downing helped to anchor one of the better offensive lines in recent Ohio State memory alongside names like Kirk Barton, Alex Boone and Steve Rehring.
Oh, and he beat Michigan three years in a row.
In late 2008 Downing ran into some issues off the gridiron and, just as he did in dealing with the ups and downs of college football, he leaned on the words of one man in particular to fight his way through it and come out a better person on the other end. As was with many Buckeyes over the last decade, that voice was the one of former head coach Jim Tressel.
We talk haircuts, memories, Michigan and Tress with former Ohio State offensive lineman T.J. Downing...
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Can you spot the secondary NCAA violation within the-Ozone.com photo pictured to the right? No?
I couldn't either.
According to Doug Lesmerises of the Plain Dealer, The Ohio State University has self-reported forty-six secondary violations that have occurred since May 30th, 2011 - which includes an infraction on assistant coach Mike Vrabel for using a tobacco product while coaching. Yep, you heard right. According to the NCAA that's a no-no whether it during a game or a practice.
Gene Smith and Urban Meyer were also flagged for violations, Smith for filming a video communication to a football recruit (Ezekiel Elliott) and Meyer for telling Noah Spence "Good luck" before one of his games in 2011. By rule, coaches aren't allowed to speak with high school recruits on the day of a game. Meyer, who was at Spence's state championship game with other assistants back in mid-December, approached both coaches before the game. At one point before leaving the field, Spence apparently walked by - saw Urban - and said hello as he walked by. Meyer's two-word response wasn't allowed by NCAA rule. He passed it on to Ohio State two days later, reporting himself for the violation.
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Time heals all wounds. It may be an old saying, but truer words have never been spoken. Even though it feels like yesterday when Terrelle Pryor was the heralded freshman quarterback out of
Terrelle Pryor has been described in many ways from Buckeye fans and college football fans around the country - selfish, brash, arrogant, cocky - those are a few that were uttered, but under appreciated should be added to the list. TP didn't go out with a National Championship or a Heisman Trophy as Texas coach Mack Brown once predicted he would. He was forced out due to NCAA violations stemming from investigations dealing with selling memorabilia and receiving free tattoos. The 'fleet' of vehicles? Barely mentioned by those who mattered most - the NCAA. Playing for a university as large as
Brian Rolle was a four-year letterman at The Ohio State University, starting at middle linebacker his junior and senior years. Remember the Buckeyes opening up against Navy in '09, with the Midshipment taking it down to the wire before Ohio State closed them out? With 2:23 remaining Navy lined up at Ohio State's three yard line for a two-point conversation attempt that would have tied the game and had Buckeye Nation in a collective state of shock. Instead Rolle picked off the Ricky Dobbs pass and streaked 99 yards to give the Buckeyes the final 2 points of the afternoon and sealing a 31-27 opening weekend win.
That was just the start of what would be a fantastic final two seasons in Scarlet and Gray for Rolle, a junior and senior year that would ultimately earn him a spot playing on Sundays.
Brian would close out his Ohio State career, after his 2010 senior season, with 206 career tackles, 3 1/2 sacks as a mike linebacker and 4 interceptions - including a pick-six his senior year. He was one of the last Buckeyes to enjoy a Senior Day (pictured below) with former head coach Jim Tressel, but that didn't mark the end of the relationship.
The Immokalee, FL native was drafted 193rd overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2011 NFL Draft, marking the official end to his Ohio State career, but leaving Coach Tressel and the Buckeyes behind was only figurative. The relationships built between coach and player is normally a pretty tight bond, especially at the collegiate level, but as you'll see it's a whole different game when that coach is Jim Tressel. That's a relationship that lasts a lifetime...
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On Wednesday afternoon Urban Meyer and The Ohio State University released it's final depth-chart before summer football. Not much can be labeled as surprising, but there are a few interesting pieces to note.
Wide Receiver Michael Thomas, nephew of ESPN's Keyshawn Johnson and successful recipient of twelve Braxton Miller throws back in April's Spring Game at the Horseshoe is listed as a back-up. Rumor has it he's been a beast in the weight room and obviously made an impact on the receiving corps this spring, but has yet to make his way into the group of top three receivers. Given a little more time and that could very well change before Ohio State's September 1st match-up with Miami (OH).
Senior corner Travis Howard listed as tied for the starting role with Doran Grant? Interesting. Either Grant has made that much progress - or Meyer simply wants to see more out of Howard, as does Buckeye Nation after his lackluster 2011.
Meyer did comment on Wednesday, when asked if any incoming (June) freshman might mix that depth chart up significantly, that DE Noah Spence could earn immediate playing time in Ohio State's defensive line rotation.
Here is the full 2-deep heading into summer...
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Even within the ultimate of team sports there are moments in a career - a season - or one cold night in Columbus, OH - where the pressure of an entire fan base rests solely on the shoulders of one man.
On Saturday night November 14th, 2009, only three games after taking over for the injured Aaron Pettrey, Devin Barclay lined up from just left of center with the ball placed on the 29 yard line in overtime at Ohio Stadium, stared directly into the face of a B1G Championship and a trip to Pasadena, and split the uprights to close out a 27-24 overtime win over the tenth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. A few seconds later the 26-year old Barclay was being mobbed by his teammates - along with tens of thousands of Ohio State fans who had rushed onto the turf of the Horseshoe - all celebrating a kick that Buckeye Nation won't soon forget.
Barclay's overtime field goal clinched at least a share of Ohio State's fifth consecutive conference title and earned them a one-way ticket to a Rose Bowl the program hadn't seen in thirteen years, where they would later knock off the Oregon Ducks in impressive fashion.
While that night in Ohio Stadium didn't go exactly as Buckeye fans had envisioned - watching Iowa's backup quarterback James Vandenberg leading the Hawkeyes up and down the field from the outset - there's no doubt that the victory was a special one for head coach Jim Tressel, lover of all things foot and ball. Coach often referred to the punt as, 'the most important play in football.' He also wasn't afraid to kick field goals on 4th and inches from the opponent's red zone, no matter how loudly 106,000 fans packed into the Horseshoe disagreed at times. But his recipe for success worked 106 times in ten years.
That night in Columbus was vintage Tresselball. After Ohio State's defense stood up and forced Iowa into three plays for -16 yards on their first and only overtime possession, Tress chose to run Boom Herron straight up the middle on three consecutive plays for a net three yards, putting every ounce of his faith into the right foot of his 26-year old former professional soccer player, and the rest was history.
With the one year anniversary of coach Tressel's resignation quickly approaching we were fortunate enough to catch up with Devin Barclay to talk about overtimes, pressure kicks and his former head coach.
no commentsLet's go back, shall we?
November 29th, 2011 - Jerome Schottenstein Center - Ohio State hosts the Duke Blue Devils in the marquee match-up of the 2011 B1G/ACC Challenge. Jared Sullinger poured in 21 points to go alongside his 8 rebounds, while DeShaun Thomas, William Buford and Aaron Craft combined to score 55 more in an 83-65 lopsided victory over Coach K his fourth-ranked Blue Devils. Embarrassing for Duke - but the score paled in comparison to their head coach's comments in the post-game:
"I've had my butt kicked before. We've kicked some butt. Tonight my butt's sore."
To Krzyzewski's credit (pictured right, sore butt and all), he's the consummate professional who is as classy in defeat as he is in victory. The best news for he and his Blue Devils is that they'll get their shot at revenge just one year later, but this time it will be in their friendly confines back in Durham, North Carolina.
This year's November match-up won't get quite the hype outside of Columbus and Durham as last year's #2 vs #4 game in Columbus, but with ESPN giving Ohio State an early preseason ranking of eight, and positioning Duke at fifteen, it could very well be the best pairing of this year's Challenge by the time it gets here (#5 Michigan also faces #6 NC State in Ann Arbor).
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