Please, every bowl trip has down time, rec time and activities for the teams.  Did we show up? NO....Are we as talented as Troy was?  NO  They took it to us, but not because a kid may have played Black Jack, or the team went to a basketball game.

One thing that surprised me was how fast Troy was compared to how slow we were.   I really thought Troy was faster than we were and I don't know if we had a good answer for that.  I'm not sure more prep time would have helped us as you can't teach speed, and Troy has it. 

Very true!

We saw this with Southern Miss when we played them, and it is very similar to the arguement used by those who love to point our flaws of the Big10 v. the SEC.  Bottom line there is more speed in the South, more athleticism, and Troy was able to exploit those against us. 

Stunter:  I give you we were not focused, but Troy was in the same environment we were in, I think  they were just that much better than us.  Let me explain, we have put up good offensive numbers most of the year as far as points, but not statistically, that will eventually catch up with you.

ESPN said same thing about Fresno. Faster! But, NIU won big anyway. Speed can be neutralized. NIU did it; Ohio didn't.

When fast guys know their assignments, are running on instincts, are playing with great energy, and have the momentum, they will look fast on the field.

When fast guys are thinking on the field and reacting to what is being dictated to them, they will look slow in the field.

I doubt the guys from Troy run much better than the guys from Ohio. The better team of the day always looks faster.

Tough to do when the recruiting class # differentials look like this, and remember, only 85 scholarship players are allowed on a roster at once. Wonder what happens to all the "extra" people?


25 + 32 + 33 + 40 + 34 = (Troy's last 5 recruiting classes) 164 players

 21 + 23 + 20 + 21 + 17 = 102 players for Ohio during the same period


As with Cam "the son of a preacher man" Newton, things are done differently in the dirty south.

I think as the year went on Troy did get better. The BG game was not only Troy's first game of the season, it was Corey Robinson's 1st game as a starter at QB for Troy. He certainly seemed to improve as the season went on, culminating in the game against us.

every school pushes kids who they feel can't play out the door one way or another they find room.

Then why do SEC schools recruit substantially larger classes than Big Ten schools? If they're both pushing kids out the door who don't produce, shouldn't the recruiting numbers be fairly even? It would be pointless to push guys out and not replace them with higher numbers in recruiting.

Why does Ohio State have 5th year seniors on the roster who have never contributed? Why are a few of their walk-ons given scholarships every year?

In addition to BGSU, the other common opponent was Louisiana-Lafayette.  Both the Cats and Troy beat them by 7 at home. 

Troy was far superior in the bowl game, but I don't think they are THAT much better than Ohio.  They do have more overall speed and athleticism, but the key to the bowl was that they were much better prepared than Ohio.  On another day, I'm sure the game would be much more competitive. 

Ohio's overall team speed isn't bad.  But I'll have to say that we looked like we were running with concrete boots on our feet.  Something wasn't right.

Not to make excuses, just some observations in our preparation for this game:

-We essentially disbanded the team after the Kent game. The quarter had ended, we didn't know if we would get a bowl, the continuation of the season was in limbo for weeks with the players off campus.
-When the team was called back to Athens, with no Indoor Practice facility, the weather was frightful to say the least. I can't imagine anything of a productive nature was accomplished in Athens to help prepare before we departed for New Orleans.
-After arriving in New Orleans, our starting QB remained in Athens, not becoming "eligible" for participation until Friday, thus losing precious few days of what could have been productive preparation.
-The in-game decisions by the coaching staff were baffling to say the least. IF Boo's sporadic participation was a punishment type decision, why play him at all. IF the coaching staff was really that petrified of Bates throwing the ball, shouldn't someone, anyone else been inserted as the back-up weeks ago that could actually attempt a forward pass? I unerstand the "logic" behind redshirting people for next year, I don't understand the "logic" of redshirting when it hinders "this year".
-Nothing in either of the Troy or OHIO schedules would have indicated OHIO would be routed in this game.We were non-competitive against OSU, Troy was handled by South Carolina. Both the OHIO and Troy conferences games played out about the same.  With 2 common opponents and especially the Ragin Cajuns both being played mid-way thru both teams seasons, it appeared the "bookies", who usually are uncannily spot on, saw this as Troy favored by only 3, not 43, for what amounted to be a Troy home game and even after our less than stellar effort against Kent State.
-Our late season complete collapse was baffling.