Written by David Regimbal

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The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (7-0) will take the field this Saturday looking to establish, well, anything resembling a competent defense.

Quotes from the past week lean heavily toward the defense after giving up 49 points to the Indiana Hoosiers. Doing that on a basketball court is one thing, but allowing that to happen on a football field is the kind of thing that will force Urban Meyer into another unexpected retirement.

And just a reminder, the college basketball season is about three weeks away. Covering a postseason-eligible team will be a nice change of pace for yours truly.

Let’s get to the real reason you’re here. This week’s telling quotes are below.

“It was really painful to watch.” - Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer

Via Bill Rabinowitz

Meyer was of course talking about the end of the Indiana game, where we all witnessed Ohio State’s defense fall apart late in the fourth quarter.

The 49 points scored by Indiana was the most Ohio State has given up the Hoosiers in school history. Indiana piled up 481 total yards (352 passing, 129 rushing) and 26 first downs. They converted eight of their 19 third-down attempts and never turned the ball over.

Yeah Urban, it was really painful to watch. It’s as if every terrible quality Jim Bollman ever had was left in a cup of coffee that Luke Fickell drank unknowingly.


"At the end of the day, defense and kicking game is how you win games." - Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer

Via Brandon Castel

Wait, that wasn’t Jim Tressel talking?

In reality, Jim Tressel’s formula for winning wasn’t that far off from Meyer’s. Of course, Meyer doesn’t treat his offense like it’s something that offends him on a personal level, but you can see that Ohio State’s new coach knows that having a dominant defense is the key to building a contender.

His two championship squads at Florida were very talented offensively, but his defense, the group that allowed just 14 points in both title games, really put those teams over the edge.

"Very disappointed that it happened this way. We have 11 months, and we didn't get a phone call, we just got a letter. So I'm very disappointed in that." - Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith

Via Doug Lesmerises

Ohio State will likely enter the 2013 season considered by many as preseason title contenders. Right now though, they don’t have an opponent to kick off any kind of title march.

That’s the result of Vanderbilt pulling out of the season-opener that was scheduled to be played in Ohio Stadium next August.

Vanderbilt officials couldn’t even pick up the telephone to make the break-up official. Gene Smith received a letter notifying the school that it was cancelling the game that’s just 10 months away.

The letter probably wasn’t handwritten with one of those glittery, pink gel pens, but this whole thing is much funnier if you imagine it that way.

Regardless, the classless move by Vanderbilt has sent Ohio State scrambling in search of an opponent to open the season next year. In disheartening news, Lesmerises reports that the slot won’t be filled by “BCS team,” so I guess should start looking forward to some MACTION to open the season in the ‘Shoe next fall.

(Photo credit - Dan Harker - TheOzone.net)

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