:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44297638/usa-today-8255504.0.jpg)
"Under Meyer, the Buckeyes defeated a total of nine bowl-eligible teams and went 3-0 vs. ranked opponents."
-Adam Widman, OSU Athletic Communications
Finalists have been announced for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer is among those who made the cut. The award is a national honor presented by the Football Writers Association of America in conjunction with the All-State Sugar Bowl. The winner will be announced January 10 in Dallas, Texas. Former Buckeye head coach Woody Hayes won the inaugural FWAA coach of the year award in 1957.
Urban Meyer has had an outstanding year for the 12-1 Buckeyes. Some of his accomplishments as listed in the release include the following:
Under Meyer, the Buckeyes defeated a total of nine bowl-eligible teams and went 3-0 vs. ranked opponents. Offensively, Ohio State ranked fourth in the NCAA in scoring (45.2 ppg), eighth in total offense (507.6) and 10th in rushing (260.8) while boasting the nation’s second-most efficient passing attack with a 172.3 team passer rating. Defensively, the Buckeyes led the Big Ten with 21 interceptions and ranked 15th in the NCAA in total defense (328.0) and seventh in passing efficiency defense (103.6). Special teams also played a integral role in Ohio State’s success as the Buckeyes ranked No. 1 in the country in starting field position.
Meyer accomplished all that and more this season after losing his starting quarterback, senior Braxton Miller, just 10 days before the start of the regular season while replacing four starters along the offensive line. Meyer replaced Miller with redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett, who went on to become a leading Heisman candidate while shattering several school and Big Ten records.
Joining Meyer as finalists for the award are Art Briles (Baylor), Jimbo Fisher (FSU), Justin Fuente (Memphis), Bryan Harsin (Boise State) Mark Helfrich (Oregon), Gary Patterson (TCU), and Nick Saban (Alabama). Conspicuous in his absence is Big Ten Coach of the Year Jerry Kill of the 8-4 Minnesota Golden Gophers.
"After losing on the road to Louisville the Buckeyes actually rose in the AP poll."
If I had told you 15 minutes into Ohio State’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup against Louisville that the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team would actually rise two spots in the polls this week, you probably would have thought that I was crazy. As it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. Ranked 14 a week ago, the Buckeyes have moved up to the 12. The Buckeyes are also ranked 12 in the USA today coaches poll.
Full poll results for both can be found below.
AP Top 25 Poll
| Rank | Team | Rec | Pts | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky Wildcats (64) | 9-0 | 1,600 | 1 |
| 2 | Duke Blue Devils | 8-0 | 1,518 | 4 |
| 3 | Arizona Wildcats | 8-0 | 1,486 | 3 |
| 4 | Louisville Cardinals | 7-0 | 1,319 | 5 |
| 5 | Wisconsin Badgers | 8-1 | 1,316 | 2 |
| 6 | Virginia Cavaliers | 9-0 | 1,285 | 7 |
| 7 | Villanova Wildcats | 8-0 | 1,173 | 10 |
| 8 | Texas Longhorns | 7-1 | 1,155 | 6 |
| 9 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | 7-1 | 1,145 | 9 |
| 10 | Kansas Jayhawks | 6-1 | 1,083 | 11 |
| 11 | Wichita State Shockers | 5-1 | 929 | 8 |
| 12 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 6-1 | 808 | 14 |
| 13 | Utah Utes | 6-1 | 717 | 25 |
| 14 | Iowa State Cyclones | 5-1 | 668 | 20 |
| 15 | Butler Bulldogs | 7-1 | 593 | 23 |
| 16 | Oklahoma Sooners | 5-2 | 557 | 22 |
| 17 | Washington Huskies | 7-0 | 428 | 35 |
| 18 | San Diego State Aztecs | 6-2 | 390 | 13 |
| 19 | Maryland Terrapins | 8-1 | 370 | 21 |
| 20 | Miami-Florida Hurricanes | 8-1 | 359 | 15 |
| 21 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 6-2 | 350 | 12 |
| 22 | West Virginia Mountaineers | 8-1 | 313 | 16 |
| 23 | Northern Iowa Panthers | 8-0 | 232 | 26 |
| 24 | St. John's Red Storm | 6-1 | 211 | 39 |
| 25 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 8-1 | 200 | 47 |
| Others Receiving Votes: Michigan St 120, Illinois 91, Georgetown 62, Iowa 60, Seton Hall 57, Baylor 49, TCU 45, Colorado St 28, Arkansas 22, California 19, Michigan 14, Creighton 7, Virginia Commonwealth 6, LSU 5, NC State 3, Indiana 3, Old Dominion 2, Yale 1, Dayton 1 | ||||
USA Today Coaches Poll
| Rank | School | Record | Pts | Prev | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky (30) | 9-0 | 798 | 1 | 1/1 |
| 2 | Duke (1) | 8-0 | 761 | 2 | 2/3 |
| 3 | Arizona | 8-0 | 742 | 3 | 2/4 |
| 4 | Louisville | 7-0 | 676 | 5 | 5/9 |
| 5 | Virginia | 9-0 | 654 | 6 | 6/9 |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 8-1 | 639 | 4 | 3/4 |
| 7 | Villanova | 8-0 | 606 | 9 | 9/12 |
| 8 | Gonzaga | 7-1 | 562 | 8 | 8/13 |
| 9 | Texas | 7-1 | 558 | 7 | 7/10 |
| 10 | Kansas | 6-1 | 515 | 11 | 5/12 |
| 11 | Wichita State | 5-1 | 447 | 10 | 10/13 |
| 12 | Ohio State | 6-1 | 400 | 13 | 13/20 |
| 13 | Iowa St. | 5-1 | 349 | 19 | 13/19 |
| 14 | Utah | 6-1 | 238 | 27 | – |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 5-2 | 232 | 20 | 18/21 |
| 16 | San Diego State | 6-1 | 230 | 14 | 14/17 |
| 17 | Washington | 7-0 | 225 | 32 | – |
| 18 | North Carolina | 6-2 | 204 | 12 | 6/12 |
| 19 | Butler | 7-1 | 199 | 29 | – |
| 20 | Maryland | 8-1 | 198 | 22 | 22/NR |
| 21 | West Virginia | 8-1 | 168 | 17 | 17/NR |
| 21 | Miami | 8-1 | 168 | 15 | 15/NR |
| 23 | Michigan State | 6-3 | 111 | 18 | 18/19 |
| 24 | Northern Iowa | 8-0 | 110 | 30 | – |
| 25 | Illinois | 7-1 | 104 | 25 | 25/NR |
| Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame 91; St. John?s 62; Michigan 45; Arkansas 38; Georgetown 34; Florida 31; Baylor 29; Iowa 29; Seton Hall 28; TCU 26; California 23; Creighton 12; Virginia Commonwealth 10; Nebraska 9; Colorado State 9; Louisiana Tech 8; Oklahoma State 5; North Carolina State 5; Providence 4; Old Dominion 3; UCLA 3; Saint Mary?s 1; LSU 1. | |||||
Congrats to @OhioStateHoops rookie D'Angelo Russell...named Big Ten Freshman of the Week http://t.co/xMUUR0w6WP
— Dan Wallenberg (@OSUADAthComm) December 8, 2014
For the first of what could be many times this season, Ohio State Freshman guard D’Angelo Russell was named Big Ten Freshman of the week. Russell averaged 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals per game last week in contests against Colgate and Louisville.
The last Buckeye Freshman to earn the award was Jarred Sullinger in 2011
Got to know #Buckeye Joshua Perry a little bit this wk. Freak athlete. Also a really affable kid. Here's more proof: http://t.co/W6Yoe7ThCR
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 8, 2014
It looks like the rest of the world is discovering what Buckeye fans already knew: Joshua Perry is pretty awesome. Check out the video linked above for a story about Perry’s work with young cancer patient Joshua Chambers.
STICK TO SPORTS:
- The Wexner Medical center picks a CEO.
- Notable Columbusites sing Christmas carols...to varying degrees of success.
- Ohio DMV blazes trail into the new millennium, will now accept debit cards.
- The infamous Alrosa Villa incident was ten years ago.