During the last home game of the season, the Buckeye’s managed to disappoint their fans for the last time. Going into the game, no fan really thought that Ohio State would lose the game. Just a few weeks before hand OSU had defeated Wisconsin at Wisconsin, which has been a difficult task in the past. However during this past Sunday’s game, Wisconsin was able to walk away with the win in Columbus. The beginning of the game panned out as most Top 25 games pan out, with a semi close score. After a few minutes the Buckeye’s had managed to take a decent lead, but that was the last time.

There were many good plays that fans were highly impressed with during the game, but in the end the players just “weren’t playing the way they should have been” according to one fan. A few players missed almost all of their free throws, some missed shots that they clearly should have made, and others passed the ball to the wrong team. Granted the passing of the ball to the wrong team was not intentional, but the team just didn’t seem to be focused on the game according to a group of students that I spoke with after the game.

Buckeye fans were looking forward to a win for the last home game of the season, for most fans this is the last time that they will see the Buckeye’s play in person until next year when the new season starts. The fact that Ohio State lost by only three points, really not something that makes fans look forward to next season. Every fan that I spoke with after the game all said that the Buckeye’s should have won this game. The fans all seem to agree that the mistakes that were being made during the game were rookie mistakes, yet none of them were being made by rookie players. This makes one wonder; did the players not want the win as badly as the fans did? There’s still two games left of the season in which Ohio State could still redeem themselves in the Top 25 rankings and in the Big 10 tournament. All fans can do now is watch the Buckeye’s play and hope that they do better in the next two games.

Buckeyes are known for three big things when it comes to sports – motivation, spirit, and heart. These three things are what help to make the athletes at Ohio State so great, but in the men’s basketball game against Michigan State this past week the team really seemed to be lacking in all three of these. This was a big game for both teams, because they are not only competing in the NCAA tournament, but they are also both Big 10 teams and are competing for a Big 10 title as well. On Saturday, before the game, Columbus was filled with people in their Scarlet and Grey as well as people in their green and white. There was no shortage of fans for either team. So wouldn’t you think that there being so many people there to cheer on both teams that the Buckeye’s would have had a little more spirit themselves when they were playing? Apparently not.

After the game, I spoke to some students and fans about what their thought was on the Buckeye’s lost. Many of them felt that the team really wasn’t playing their hardest for their game. One fan said “they seemed to have no heart in this game. It’s like they just didn’t want to be playing tonight.” This isn’t something that any athlete would want for one of their fans to be saying after a big game. Athletes aren’t only playing because they love the game; most of them also play because they love the popularity and the way that the fans love them.

I caught up with a few Michigan State fans after the game as well to get their opinion on the outcome, and I have to admit I was very surprised. A couple that I talked to said that they had planned on coming to this game and walking away with a loss. They figured that the game would be close, within 10 to 15 points (it was a 10 point difference) but they also figured that Ohio State would win. They even agreed with the Ohio State fan saying that the OSU players really didn’t seem to be all there tonight and that they were honestly kind of disappointed in that. It’s not often that fans of the opposing, winning team are disappointed in the home, losing team. So Buckeye’s where was the heart for this game? Let’s hope the players get it back for the next few games left in the season.

In Part 2 of our three-part coverage, College FootBlog continues our breakdown of the top six BCS conferences from the 2009 season.  In case you missed it, we ranked the fifth and sixth conferences earlier this week (see link). We continue our analysis by providing a recap of last season and an outlook for next year for conferences #3 and #4 in our Power Rankings.

4.  Big 12

Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh was one of very few bright spots in the Big 12 in '09 (google images)

2009 Recap:

If not for Texas making it to the BCS National Championship Game, the Big 12 would have ranked fifth or sixth in the ’09 Power Rankings.  Nebraska came out of nowhere, but their offense was anemic.  Oklahoma lost Sam Bradford and never really got on track all year.  Add in Mizzou and Texas Tech not living up to high expectations coming off successful 2008 campaigns, and the Big 12 didn’t have much to talk about beyond Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley and Ndamukong Suh.

2010 outlook: Next season will likely be more of the same for the Big 12.  Although the loss of Colt McCoy in the first quarter of the BCS National Championship was a huge blow, it provided valuable experience to Freshman Garrett Gilbert.  Oklahoma’s offense should be improved with Landry Jones having a year of experience under his belt, but their dominant defense will likely take a step back.  The Sooners lose six defensive starters, including both corners and projected first-round DT Gerald McCoy.

Texas Tech will likely take a year or two before they truly integrate to Tommy Tuberville’s system, Oklahoma State will have to replace starting quarterback Zac Robinson and will lose WR Dez Bryant to the NFL.  Mizzou loses playmakers on each side of the ball in WR Denario Alexander and projected first round linebacker, Sean Weatherspoon.  Add to that, Nebraska’s departure of Suh (who many project as the number one overall pick in April’s draft), and the Big 12 North will have trouble keeping points off the scoreboard.

3.  Big Ten

2009 Recap: The major reason the Big Ten did not claim the #2 spot in the ’09 Power Rankings was depth.  Iowa surprised many experts by effectively shutting Georgia Tech’s offense down, thanks in large part to All-Big Ten DE Adrian Clayborn, who is planning on returning for his senior year.  Terrelle Pryor saved his best performance for last, as he dominated in Ohio State’s Rose Bowl win over Oregon.

The Big Ten finished with a bowl record of 4-3, with a surprising win from Wisconsin over Miami and a Penn State victory over an offensively inept LSU team.  A more in depth look at the top two teams from the conference, however, shows a couple of teams that were far from juggernauts.

Iowa had one of the best defenses in the nation, but their offense was nothing to write home about.  The Hawkeyes struggled to beat Arkansas State at home and had to depend on two blocked field goals at the end of the game to defeat another FCS opponent, Northern Iowa 17-16 in Iowa City.

The Buckeyes nearly lost their opener to Navy at home and fell to a struggling USC team, and they later fell to 5-7 Purdue.

Look for Terrelle Pryor to have a huge year in 2010 (google images)

2010 Outlook:

Look for the Big Ten to make a serious run at the #2 conference in the country next season.  Jim Tressel continues to put great defenses on the field for the Bucks and the offense should take a huge step forward with the return of running backs Brandon Saine and Boom Herron.  And if Terrelle Pryor’s Rose Bowl performance was a sign of things to come, the Bucks will be the real deal come fall.

Iowa is also very young on offense–the ‘Hawks will return both freshman running backs, quarterback Ricky Stanzi and wideout Marvin McNutt, who exploded onto the scene in 2009.  Couple that with Adrian Clayborn and several returners on an already dominant defense, and the ‘Hawks could make a serious run in 2010.

Three other teams from the Big Ten to keep an eye on next year are Northwestern, Wisconsin and Michigan.  Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald is one of the most underrated coaches in the country.  Wisconsin’s John Clay took full advantage of being the work horse last year, and expect more of the same in 2010, and watch out for the Wolverines.  This will be Rich Rodriguez’ third full season in Ann Arbor, and Tate Forcier will have a spring to put some much needed weight on.  If UM can assemble an average defense, the Big Blue will be bowling again at year’s end.

Look for the breakdown of the top two conferences in College FootBlog’s countdown in the next few days…

There are a few times in my life that I found myself saying these words: “Good luck in your bowl game, Arizona.” As a fan of U of A’s decades’ old rival the ASU Sun Devils, it’s not often that I find myself well-wishing the team from Tucson. However, I recognize that the Wildcats are one of two teams that need big bowl victories this year to show that the Pac-10 is an elite football conference. Although the Pac-10 is the winningest conference in all of NCAA sports, they still feel like they have something to prove. I don’t know if it is because they are west of the Mississippi River, but it has been a constant struggle to gain national respect for their athletic programs. Although the Pac-10 has dominated the Rose Bowl and other football match-ups, talk still circulates that they are an over-rated conference.

This week is going to be a true test for the Pac-10. UCLA was able to pull out their bowl game and create a little cushion for the next few days. The two main match-ups will put the Pac-10 against two strong and storied conferences: the Big 10 and Big 12. Both games will determine how well the Pac-10 needs to perform to gain that desired national respect.

The Holiday Bowl is pitting Nebraska, who came off a devastating loss to Texas in the last seconds of the match up, against Arizona, who had a significant win at Troy. This game for Arizona especially is a must win. With the Mountain West showing such a strong presence in the bowl games they have played thus far, the Wildcats need to be victorious to show their own strength. If Arizona has a chance at winning, they must employ a strong running game and keep the quarterback safe from the Nebraska defensive line.

The Rose Bowl is a match up that will have Ohio State, a program wanting to make an aggressive and dominant statement on the national stage, facing off with Oregon, who is coming off a big win against its rival Oregon State where the Ducks showed that they are a formidable opponent. In order for Oregon to win they are going to need to keep Pryer contained and have a precisely executed throwing game.

I am positive that if Arizona and Oregon can play like they did in their last games they will both be able to emerge from their respective bowls with wins. Then the Pac-10 can finally be recognized as one of college football’s elite conferences.