Seth's 50 Centers

I don’t think Ohio State fans completely grasp the magnitude of beating that team up north four times in a row, and six times in seven years.

I do, and not just because of how rare it is for the Buckeyes to do that.

No, I get it because of my youth. Time after time my heart was ripped out and stomped on, either by blowout (a 28-0 loss in 1993 in the first season I can remember OSU being ranked in the top five) or by one or two bumbling plays by the Buckeyes (like Shawn Springs slipping at home in ’96, or Stan Jackson throwing such a bad interception for a TD in ’97 he might as well have just walked it over to the defender).

Beating Lllllloyd six out of seven times is great. It’s especially great the way it was done this time.

I know if you watched the game with more than one person the second half included someone at the party, a bundle of nerves, yelling at Jim Tressel for his decision to hand the ball off 99 percent of the time. Whether it’s because Tressel has been around for seven years now or something else, I was completely in awe of the game plan.

Was it glamorous? No, not at all. Did it create, other than the 60-plus yard run by Chris Wells on the opening possession of the third quarter, any highlight plays? No.

But until that team up north proved it could do anything except get flattened by a Vernon Gholston rush, why risk a Todd Boeckmann mistake? Why give the other side even an extra second to get something done?

Running the ball meant OSU would keep a vice grip around the neck of Llllloyd from the time Wells made it 14-3, and that made it all the more sweet for me.

Since he announced his retirement Monday a lot of praise has been heaped on Lllllloyd. That’s fine. Let him get some hype for a career that pulled the wool over the nation’s eyes year in and year out. How many years did that team up north open the season in the top five, only to end up with three or more losses?

Aside from 1997, when did that team up north truly live up to expectations?

One area I can’t criticize Llllloyd’s tenure is the Big Ten. Somehow that team up north had its way with Wisconsin (except this season) and Penn State, the only other two teams that came close to the big two in Llllloyd’s time up north. This allowed for early season losses to Oregon or Virginia to not ruin seasons. He still had his team ready for league play.

Of late the losses against Ohio State and in bowl games only served to open eyes. Unlike former OSU coach John Cooper, who had a habit of winning early, tough games only to lose The Game and a bowl game, Llllloyd had won The Game and several bowl games, until Jim Tressel came to town.

That 6-7 mark against OSU looks a lot better than it did after the first six contests, when it was 5-1.

No, I won’t forget the agony of the 2-10-1 mark John Cooper had against Bo, Moeller and Lllllloyd, but Tressel seems well on his way to evening things up.

NFL Results

Big Game hit the trifecta this week — an OSU win, a win from his Browns and, maybe most importantly, a runaway win in the picks.

Big Game 13-3
The CPA 10-6
Seth 9-7
Jessica 9-7
Brian 8-8

Overall totals

Jessica 107
Brian 106
The CPA 103
Big Game 100
Seth 96

Week Twelve

(Get those picks in before Thursday)
Green Bay (9-1) at Detroit (6-4)
NY Jets (2-8) at Dallas (9-1)
Indianapolis (8-2) at Atlanta (3-7)
Tennessee (6-4) at Cincinnati (3-7)
Houston (5-5) at Cleveland (6-4)
Oakland (2-8) at Kansas City (4-6)
Seattle (6-4) at St. Louis (2-8)
Minnesota (4-6) at NY Giants (7-3)
Washington (5-5) at Tampa Bay (6-4)
New Orleans (4-6) at Carolina (4-6)
Buffalo (5-5) at Jacksonville (7-3)
San Francisco (2-8) at Arizona (5-5)
Denver (5-5 at Chicago (4-6)
Baltimore (4-6) at San Diego (5-5)
Philadelphia (5-5) at New England (10-0)
Miami (0-10) at Pittsburgh (7-3) Pts. ______

Picks

Brian
Since I purposefully let everyone back in the race, you’re welome. Now comes the hammer:
Packers
Cowboys
Colts
Bengals
Browns
Chiefs
Seahawks
Giants
Buccaneers
Saints
Jaguars
49ers
Bears
Chargers
Patriots
Steelers: 50

Big Game
Detroit
Dallas
Indianapolis
Tennessee (VY will show you, Merril Hoge!)
Cleveland
Kansas City
St. Louis
NY Giants
Washington
New Orleans
Jacksonville
Arizona
Denver
San Diego
New England
Pittsburgh 38

The CPA
Green Bay
Dallas
Indianapolis
Tennessee
Cleveland
Kansas City
Seattle
NY Giants
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
Jacksonville
Arizona
Denver
San Diego
New England
Pittsburgh (50)

Seth
Green Bay
Dallas
Indianapolis
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Kansas City
Seattle
NY Giants
Tampa Bay
New Orleans
Jacksonville
Arizona
Chicago
San Diego
New England
Pittsburgh (34)

Jessica
Green Bay
Dallas
Indianapolis
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Kansas City
Seattle
NY Giants
Washington
Carolina
Jacksonville
Arizona
Denver
San Diego
New England
Pittsburgh Pts. 35

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