Ohio State
Reptapping Michigan State and Hawaii roots
Tom Shanahan Jan 16 2018Jacob Isaia first traveled to Spartan Stadium as a sixth-grader growing up in Hawaii. His grandfather, Michigan State Hall of Famer Bob Apisa, brought him to a 2011 game that left a memorable impression.Kirk Cousins’ Hail Mary touchdown pass to Keith Nichol upset unbeaten and No....
Ahmad Bradshaw and the routine at West Point
Tom Shanahan Sep 12 2017Ohio State’s players undoubtedly face tougher practices than normal following an embarrassing 31-16 loss to Oklahoma at home on Saturday.“Tougher,” though, is relative when juxtaposed with a routine day for the Buckeyes opponent this week — ArmyClick here for the rest...
Here is why CFP selections angered Woody
Tom Shanahan Dec 4 2016If you think the College Football Playoff committee selecting Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington set off angry debates on terra firma, consider Woody Hayes watching as he sat among the football gods.He threw down in anger his hat with the block O. He searched for...
Virginia names change but defense the same
Tom Shanahan Nov 29 2016The Green Bay Packers finally lived up to Virginia basketball’s famed “Pack Line Defense” with a 27-13 Monday night over the Philadelphia Eagles.Virginia coach Tony Bennett’s Green Bay roots – he played at Wisconsin-Green Bay for his father, Dick Bennett – are the football...
Big Ten balanced far beyond Woody and Bo years
Tom Shanahan Nov 26 2016The final weekend of regular season began with seven Big Ten teams contending for at least a share of one of the two division titles and five contending for a berth in the Big Ten Championship game.Iowa quickly whittled down the numbers with a 40-10 upset of No. 16 Nebraska on...
Big Ten balanced far beyond Woody and Bo years
Tom Shanahan Nov 26 2016The final weekend of regular season began with seven Big Ten teams contending for at least a share of one of the two division titles and five contending for a berth in the Big Ten Championship game.Iowa quickly whittled down the numbers with a 40-10 upset of No. 16 Nebraska on...
Big Ten better now than Woody and Bo era
Tom Shanahan Nov 25 2016Yes, Ohio State and Michigan sit where many expected once Jim Harbaugh returned home two years ago to challenge Ohio State and Urban Meyer.But please, let’s not romanticize Meyer and Harbaugh re-enacting the overblown “Ten Year War” between Ohio State and Woody Hayes and Michigan...
Ohio State seeks Big Ten respect from CFP
Tom Shanahan Nov 19 2016We’ll learn this week if the College Football Committee holds the same respect for Ohio State and the Big Ten overall that it did last week following Michigan’s upset loss.The Buckeyes avoided an upset, but they were a three-touchdown favorite forced to come from behind for a...
CFP pattern to Michigan State and Ohio State
Tom Shanahan Nov 15 2016Michigan State and Ohio State meet in November for the third straight year of the College Football Playoff era, and they’ve established a pattern to determine the Big Ten’s CFP representative.It’s a small sample size, to be sure, but the results are dramatic enough to reviewClick...
Cutcliffe says no need for expanded playoff
Tom Shanahan Nov 14 2016The College Football Playoff is underway. That’s what Duke coach David Cutcliffe believes a topsy-turvy November weekend of conference upsets demonstrated to us.His unranked Blue Devils kicked off the chain of surprises when Duke beat No. 17 North Carolina 28-27 on Thursday night...