by Matt Johnson – October 3rd

Tressels,

Typically, the least interesting thing you can do with your free time is listen to any interview with Coach Tressel.

Bob Hunter wrote a funny editorial in the Dispatch describing a pre-season press conference where Coach Tressel was saying he was excited for the start of the 2009 season, but his body language and tone would suggest the exact opposite.  Juxtapose a Coach Tressel interview with an Earle Bruce interview.  Someone could ask Earle Bruce what the weather will be like tomorrow and he’ll quickly digress into a passionate plea for Ohio State to punch someone in the nose.  He’ll also somehow boldly work in – “if you think you can, you can; if you think you can’t, you can’t.”  If you ask Coach Tressel about the weather tomorrow, somehow he’ll work in “(insert name of next opponent) cannot be taken lightly and so forth.”

I was floored to see Ohio State score a TD late in the game against Illinois last weekend.  Under Coach Tressel, Ohio State NEVER runs up the score – even if they should.  After the game, I actually watched the post-game news conference because something as rare as Lydell Ross getting past the line of scrimmage had just occured.  There was no way Coach Tressel could avoid “interesting” with this one.  The question came up right away – why go for the TD late in the game?  Coach Tressel said that they felt not going for the TD would have been risky because the Bucks were only up by three scores at that time (it was 23-0).  There were 2 minutes left in the game and the possibility of The Illini scoring 3 TDs and 3 two-point conversions in that time was as likely as Mark Dantonio sending Mike Hart a birthday e-card with pictures of Anne Geddes babies.

So, how did Coach Tressel feel about it?  We’ll never really know…   (more…)

Join your local Portland Buckeyes to kick off the Big Ten Season vs. Illinois. OSU has won 4 of the past 5 meetings with the Illini. That one defeat, however, ruined the Buckeyes’ 10-0 start in 2007.  Ohio State must find a way to contain QB Williams, who can beat you with both his arms and his legs.

Revenge is a dish best served with beer, wings, and Buckeyes.

Kick off is at 12:30pm PST, so arrive early to get the best seats.

What do you think so far of our new home at Bltiz?

A dozen new members will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend

Allison Hanna – Golf 2000-04

A two-time All-American, Allison Hanna was the Big Ten Player of the Year and Ohio State Female Athlete of the Year in 2004, as well as the 2001 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She was a three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection and won the 2003 Big Ten Championships individual title. Hanna, a two-time team captain, was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete. A member of the All-NCAA West Regional Team in 2004, Hanna ended her career with the lowest scoring average (72.58) in program history. She turned professional in 2004 and has played several seasons on the LPGA Tour.

Friday Sept. 11 – by Matt Johnson

Tressels,

I debated sending this email out early this week – Monday or Tuesday.  It was going to be very short and to the point….something like “EVERYBODY CALM DOWN AND ENJOY USC WEEK!  GO BUCKS!”

Or, I might have thrown in an expletive for effect like “EVERYBODY CALM THE FRONCZAK DOWN AND ENJOY USC WEEK!  GO BUCKS!”

Or, maybe something more directive like “EVERYBODY KRENZEL UP THEIR TRESSELS AND ENJOY USC WEEK!  GO BUCKS!”

After many rough drafts, I couldn’t figure out the right approach, so I held off.

There’s been negativity around Buckeye Football in recent years, but nothing of the magnitude that we experienced earlier this week.  The mood has improved slightly as we get closer to gametime.  But, not much.

It’s gotten to the point where you might start to wonder why the game is even going to be played…or, why people don’t find less torturous ways to pass the time.

Everyone knows it is automatic for a team to win on the road at night in Ohio Stadium with a freshman QB.   (more…)

Thanks for the 88 people that voted!!  The winner for the new Portland Buckeye Gamewatch is:

Blitz Ladd
2239 SE 11th Ave.
(Corner of S.E. 11th and SE Sherman)

Pass the word around to all the Buckeyes you know!!

If your in the mood to check out our new home, plan on watching the Boise State vs Oregon game on Thursday, Sept 3rd!!  This great game kicks off the college football season and will give you a chance to check out the new diggs!!

BUCKEYES OPEN WITH NAVY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH AT 9:00AM PDX TIME!!!

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1. The Blitz Bar

2239 SE 11th Ave. (Corner of SE 11th and SE Sherman)

About 6 Buckeye fans met in SE Portland toured the new Blitz Bar in Ladds Addition.The General Manager,John Cooper, was very interested in hosting our games this upcoming season .It has more than double the room of our previous home.We checked out the menu,seating arrangement,the bar,TV’s and the availability of parking(lots/free). It is also accessible by the #70 and #4 TriMet bus lines.

The manager would really like our business and is more than willing to accommodate any and all of our needs.

Hey Buckeyes,

It’s time to put a serious search on for a new location for the The Ohio State University Portland Club and it starts this Thursday, June 18th at 6:00pm at Grand Central Restaurant and Bowling Lounge. If you haven’t been this place rocks and of course they want the Buckeyes!! Wear a Buckeye logo and get free happy hour food!!

Grand Central is located at SE 8th & Morrison

If you have any other suggestions we will be touring clubs over the next 2 months and a final decision will be made early August. Send your suggestions to me ASAP so we can schedule outings. If you have any questions or concerns please contact John direct at (360)606-9353.

The fact that the German Village Oktoberfest is in September (and not in German Village) seems perfectly normal.

You beam with pride that we’re the hometown of Wendy’s, White Castle, Rax Roast Beef, & Bob Evans & Donatos, but you wonder why we’re the 8th fattest city in America

You remember very vividly City Center & Northland.

You know how to pronounce “Scioto” and “Olentangy”.

You see nothing unusual about a street being called East North Broadway.

You live in the suburbs but your backyard was actually a cornfield last year.

That complex on the corner, with the CVS, Blockbuster’s, and Kroger, was a cornfield last year, too!

As you lament the loss of all those cornfields, you see the infinite wisdom of Dublin City Council, who spent over $60,000 on a field of 10′ concrete corn ears.

You don’t even notice new buildings being built because a new building goes up every single day.

You know all the 4 seasons: Winter, Still Winter, Almost Winter, and Construction. (more…)

A third straight national championship appearance was not in the cards for Ohio State this season, but a second straight top-six finish in the recruiting rankings could be. The Buckeyes currently sit fourth with a few big targets still out there. The class currently has 24 prep commitments with 13 hailing from Ohio. The Buckeyes are losing two key defenders at linebacker in James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman, but are bringing in three top-30 linebacker prospects to try to reload. Jordan Whiting (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) and Adam Homan (Coldwater, Ohio) are the No. 29- and No. 15-rated inside linebackers and Dorian Bell (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) is the No. 4-rated outside linebacker. The receiver position is also suffering a key loss, but the Buckeyes have several good receiver prospects in this class, including ESPNU 150 prospect Duron Carter (Ft Lauderdale, Fla./St Thomas Aquinas).

Top prospect: The Buckeyes received bad news after the season when they found out RB Chris Wells was opting for the NFL. With his departure goes a key part of their offense, but help could be on the way. With Wells leaving, landing No. 3-rated back Jaamal Berry (Miami/Palmetto) becomes that much bigger of a get. He suffered injuries through his senior season, but when healthy, Berry is a dynamic runner. He will bring a different style to the table than Wells did. Although Berry is a good-sized back and a strong in-line runner, he will not be as potent as Wells. However, he will be a more explosive runner. He has excellent acceleration and elusiveness and can supply big plays. Berry could be called on early and should be able to handle the task, if he can stay healthy.

Don’t be surprised if … Ohio State adds one or even two more prospects to this 2009 class. With players such as Marlon Brown (Memphis, Tenn./Harding Academy), Darren Myles Jr. (Atlanta/Carver), Tajh Boyd (Hampton, Va./Phoebus) and Marcus Hall (Cleveland/Glenville) serious possibilities, the Buckeyes still have a chance to strengthen this class more by national signing day.

Source: ESPN