Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Survive With Miska, Advance With Raskob Overtime Winner

FARGO, N.D. -- Survive and advance.

That's the basic mantra this time of year. It isn't always going to be pretty, a team isn't always going to have its A-level stuff. But the team that is able to survive and advance won't care it didn't have its A-level stuff.

Such was the case Friday night in Fargo. On an incredible night at the NCAA West Regional, UMD took the best punch Ohio State could possibly offer, survived thanks to an incredible performance from freshman goalie Hunter Miska, and got the last shot. Senior defenseman Willie Raskob's one-time blast from the right circle eluded OSU goalie Matt Tomkins and gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 overtime win over the Buckeyes.



This wasn't the best night UMD could have envisioned. Up 2-0 heading into the third, the Bulldogs squandered a power play and almost immediately started playing the game on their heels.

"I don’t know if anything really changed with us, I want to give them credit," UMD head coach Scott Sandelin said. "They came out and I thought they were making a pretty strong push even in the second period. They have a good team."

"We gave the momentum away there," Raskob said. "I think the talk was more making sure we have the coverage coming back, obviously, those two goals was just guys finding slots in open areas, we’ve got to get better at that tomorrow."

The Buckeyes have some strong forwards up front, led by Mason Jobst and David Gust, who can play for anyone, quite frankly. Gust was especially difficult to handle, especially at even-strength, for UMD in this game. He forced Miska to make a handful of spectacular saves, including a how-the-hell-did-he-do-that number with the paddle of his stick in overtime.

"I felt really good tonight," Miska said. "My team played really good in front of me allowing me to see the first puck and make the save and make my rebounds in the corners so they didn’t get another opportunity."

I'm not sure I'd concur that Miska's team played "really good", but I do see his point. The Bulldogs and Miska were victimized a few times this year by shots from distance that no one blocked and Miska couldn't see to stop. That didn't happen on Friday.

But ...

Sandelin: "I didn’t think our coverage was very good. Certainly, that was evident by some of the saves our goaltender had to make but I think you have to give credit where credit is due. They came hard and I think once they got the first one they took another step up and kept coming and we were kind of on our heels. But, that’s why you have great goaltending. It was kind of one of those games where we were just kind of really grinding out, nothing was really clicking. We had very few spurts here and there and they were making a very strong push but Hunter was the difference, no question."

That's on point.

To think, one week ago, there were legitimate questions about how Miska would play when the lights got brighter, both in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and here at the regional. He's emphatically answered those questions with two of his best games of the season.

"We were just trying to have net-front presence and try to get pucks to the net and as you can see from some of those replay, you can't ask for better chances than what we had," Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik said. "He (Miska) just flat out made some unbelievable saves."

UMD has some things to clean up, as Sandelin mentioned. They had some garish turnovers in the defensive zone, especially in the third period as Ohio State started feeling it, so to speak. I almost didn't recognize the team that finished the third period and started overtime. It was as if "weather the storm" became the game plan.

But the Bulldogs started to piece some better shifts together close to the midway mark of overtime. Specifically, Adam Johnson walked a couple Buckeye defenders for a scoring chance that Tomkins had to make a good save on. Then came the one-minute break so the ice crew could come out and scrape the playing surface. After another quality save by Miska on Gust, Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik requested a review to assure the puck didn't cross the goal line (it didn't). That short delay allowed UMD to come back with its top line for a defensive zone faceoff. As rough a night as it was for UMD on faceoffs, Dominic Toninato won the draw, and the once the puck got back in the OSU zone, it never left.

Nick Wolff created a high to low scoring chance for Joey Anderson that rang the iron. After that. Alex Iafallo circled around the back of the goal and found Raskob in the right circle for a one-timer that Tomkins didn't have a chance on. I'm not sure -- and this isn't a rip -- that I've seen Raskob shoot a puck that hard in four years. That thing was labeled.

When everything looked bleak, UMD found a way. That's what great teams do.

We'd all prefer a 4-1 win. They can't all be like that.

******

The win moves UMD into the regional final Saturday at 5pm against Boston University. The Terriers got by host North Dakota 4-3 on a Charlie McAvoy goal in the second overtime. At first glance, BU's young top-end talent -- highlighted by McAvoy and Clayton Keller -- really flashes. Those are difference-maker players, and David Quinn has done a great job coaching those types of players in his short career at Boston (see: "Eichel, Jack").

Gotta get packed for checkout at the hotel, so just a reminder. 4:30pm pregame on 92.1 The Fan. Listen live online here. Should be a great game, hopefully UMD ends a two-year run of losing in regional finals. Enjoy what should be a great day of college hockey around the country.

Game 39: Ohio State vs UMD (NCAA West Regional Semifinal)

FARGO, N.D. -- You don't need me to tell you what's at stake.

One of the messages from the UMD coaching staff to its players this week was pretty simple. This weekend, you're not guaranteed a second game. You have to go earn it.

UMD hasn't lost a first round game in its last seven NCAA trips. There's some luck involved there, to be blunt, as the Bulldogs have survived some games where its opponent could argue it was better (see: "2009, Princeton"). It happens. To win four "loser out" games in this kind of tournament, there will need to be some fortune along the way at some point.

What will also be interesting as the day evolves is to see how many North Dakota fans are willing to stick around for the second game.

For UMD, senior defenseman Carson Soucy (lower body) remains out. No surprise, though there was at least a positive sign for the public to see Thursday when Soucy skated. I'm not at every practice, but it's the first time I've seen him skate since he was injured March 3.

Ohio State is missing big-minute defensemen Josh Healey (suspension) and Drew Brevig (injury), both seniors.

For those wondering, ECAC officials for this game. Peter Feola and Chip McDonald referee, Ryan Knapp and Jim Briggs work the lines.

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Mackay
Tufte - Peterson - Kuhlman
Young - Thomas - Exell

Pionk - Kotyk
Raskob - Hilderman
Wolff - Molenaar

Miska - Shepard - Deery

OSU
Stork - Jobst - Schilkey
Miller - Joshua - Gust
Wiitala - Weis - Laczynski
Fidler - Kearney - Lampasso

Joyaux - Miller
Moser - Parran
Larocque - Myer

Tomkins - Frey - Davis

Steve Rohlik Faces Old Assistant, Team

FARGO, N.D. -- One of the first things Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik mentioned when asked about his ties to Duluth this week was the fact his three kids were born there, while he worked for UMD as an assistant to head coach Scott Sandelin.

"It's a huge part of my life," Rohlik said this week. "I enjoyed my ten years there. I'll have it forever."

Unquestionably, it's a place Rohlik is still fond of, but he hopes to be on the right side of the scoreboard Friday, when his Buckeyes face UMD in the first round of the NCAA West Regional at Scheels Arena.

Asked if the college hockey world has ever felt smaller to him, Rohlik laughed and pointed out "hockey is a small world.

"Certainly, this is a little different. I wouldn't be sitting up here without the opportunity Scott gave me. To help me grow and develop as a coach, a tremendous opportunity."

Rohlik took over for good friend Mark Osiecki, who had recruited Rohlik to join him at Ohio State when he got the head job after the 2009-2010 season. When he got the head job, he needed to fill his old job as associate coach, and in came Brett Larson. The then-former UMD assistant had been working with Sioux City of the USHL, cutting his teeth as a head coach and general manager in juniors.

"First and foremost, he's a guy that cares," Rohlik said of Larson. "He's a soldier in the room. I think every guy in our room that he's coached or recruited can tell you that. When you have a guy on your staff like that, players believe. It's contagious."

Larson, at the minimum, had a hand in recruiting much of Ohio State's current roster, while coaching all the upperclassmen for a couple years. He told KBJR this week there might be "butterflies and the strange feelings," but once the puck drops, it's "just another hockey game."

The fact it's a playoff game of the "Win or go home" variety, that probably helps shake some of the feels away.

(Another UMD tie: Rohlik needed to replace Larson when the latter left to return to UMD, and in came Mark Strobel, who was with Rohlik on Sandelin's first coaching staff at UMD in 2000 and left the program in 2002.)

"I'm excited for them," Sandelin said of Rohlik and Strobel. "They're good coaches and doing a great job."

In his fourth season with Ohio State, Rohlik has seen a breakthrough. The Buckeyes are plus-seven in wins this year, going from 14 to 21, improving from eight to 11 wins in Big Ten play. A big reason for the Buckeyes' presence in the national tournament for the first time since 2009? A 10-2-5 non-conference record in the regular season that included losses only to Robert Morris and Miami. Ohio State opened the season by beating Denver at the Ice Breaker in Denver, then tied NCAA-bound Air Force in the championship (lost in a shootout, but the game counted as a tie). Going 4-3-1 combined against the other Big Ten teams -- Minnesota and Ohio State -- that made the tournament doesn't hurt much.

"It's a surreal moment, very humbling," Rohlik said of getting into the tournament for the first time as a head coach.

Saturday, Ohio State needed Penn State to win the Big Ten title in order to get in.

"When we lost the game (in the semifinals to Wisconsin), we didn't know if our season was over or not," Rohlik said. "When that goal (Penn State won in double overtime), what a feeling. We earned the spot. We won 21 games. We deserve to be here."

(UMD went through the same thing a year ago, only a little different way it played out. The Bulldogs were behind 2-1 to St. Cloud State in the NCHC title game when Michigan closed out a Big Ten tournament title win over Minnesota. That Wolverines win officially clinched UMD's NCAA bid, and thankfully so, since the Huskies ended up beating the Bulldogs that night 3-1. And no one on the UMD side was about to apologize for how it got in the national tournament, nor should they have been. Same for Ohio State. The Buckeyes needn't apologize to anyone for getting in.)

And what a way to get back in for Rohlik. His first tournament game will be against a head coach who helped get his career in college hockey going, and an assistant who was a big part of the build that's paying off for Ohio State now.

UMD's Focus Strong as NCAA Tournament Begins

FARGO, N.D. -- Over the course of a 38-game journey to this point, UMD has not faced what it faces this weekend.

Even in the NCHC Tournament the last two weekends, the Bulldogs knew they would be playing two games on a weekend, no matter how the first one went.

Not the case now.

The only way you play again is if you win.

The Bulldogs' resiliency (© Dan Myers of the Wild) and veteran presence -- along with the steady play of freshman goalie Hunter Miska -- has propelled this team to a No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are a No. 1 regional seed for the first time ever, and will play Ohio State Friday evening in Fargo in the first round. The winner plays either Boston University or North Dakota for the regional championship Saturday.

"Our seniors that came up a game short the last two years of getting to the next step," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week, "I think it's been in their minds. I think they came back for a reason. Absolutely, it's been a goal (to get back)."

If you're looking for a reason this team is so vastly improved from even a year ago, when it had to scratch and claw its way to the national tournament, look no further than that experience.

"You rely on your experience, you rely on your leaders," Sandelin said. "These guys have played in a lot of games, been in a lot of situations. They want more, they came back to try to get it, and they're in a position to do that."

The Bulldogs boast a seven-man senior class that's certainly been a big part of this, but don't forget UMD also has two juniors -- Karson Kuhlman and Jared Thomas -- that sit over 100 games in a UMD uniform. And all these juniors and seniors -- save for Avery Peterson, who didn't join the team until January 2016 -- have been around for a couple great runs that fell one goal short of the Frozen Four.

Add to it this: Every UMD player, outside of Miska and the rest of the freshmen, has been around for an NCAA Tournament run. Peterson was part of the Omaha Mavericks' first-ever trip to the Frozen Four in 2015.

There will be plenty of time to look back and appreciate what's happened here, but there's no question the 2016-17 senior class has helped shape a new culture for Bulldog hockey.

"To come here and find success with a group of guys, be a part of it, is a great accomplishment," senior defenseman Willie Raskob said. "Something I'll take great pride in when we leave here."

"It's been awesome," senior captain Dominic Toninato said. "Our senior class has been tremendous. Being able to grow with them has been awesome. The team as a whole has been great. It's good for the whole program, and the whole city of Duluth."

This has been a mentally tough UMD team all season, too. UMD has conceded the first goal 17 times in 38 games, including in Saturday's crazy NCHC championship game against West Regional host North Dakota. UMD is 10-4-3 when allowing the first goal. To add some perspective, Ohio State is 2-7-4 when the adversary scores first, and even ever-dangerous North Dakota is 9-10-1.

Look at some of the games UMD has won or tied when trailing. Tied UMass-Lowell when down three goals at one point, trailed St. Cloud State 3-1 in both games in St. Cloud and won them both 5-3, fell behind to Minnesota and SCSU at the North Star College Cup and managed to win both games. Oh, and who can forget the Friday game at North Dakota? Gave up the first goal in a hostile building, had two goals disallowed in the first period, had a UND goal count that shouldn't have, and still won convincingly.

Throw in Saturday's game that's hard to describe with actual words, and you have a tough squad that isn't easily phased.

******

Standing in the Bulldogs' way Friday will be a hungry Ohio State team that lacks that experience. Well, at least among the players.

"We tried to prepare them the same way this week," fourth-year head coach Steve Rohlik said this week. "Part of the experience is enjoying it for the first time. We have a lot of guys who are excited and anxious. Our group's going to be ready."

Rohlik and assistant Mark Strobel were both successful players at Wisconsin, with Rohlik a two-year captain and national champion. Strobel played in the NCAA Tournament each year of his Badgers career. This is old hat for them.

Players can't gain NCAA experience -- duh -- without playing in the tournament first. But these guys are adults. The idea of Ohio State being victimized by "wide eyes in the bright lights" is patently ridiculous. The Buckeyes earned their way here, and this is a dangerous offensive team.

Ohio State has a top line that can go, keyed by sophomore Mason Jobst (55 points) -- who lived a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway growing up and still became a really good hockey player (he says growing up there "had a huge impact on my life, kind of formed who I am" -- and seniors Nick Schilkey and David Gust (41 points each, Schilkey has 27 goals). The Buckeyes rode a 32-plus percent power play to an average of nearly four goals per game this season.

"It's huge for our team now, the alumni who have worked hard to get this program where it is," Schilkey said of Ohio State getting back in the tournament. "Getting rewarded with being able to come here is awesome. We're really excited to be here, we feel like we deserve it. It means a lot."

"They play a pace game, score goals, and we like to play the same way," Sandelin said. "Hopefully it's an up and down game."

"We got to be ready to go from the start," Toninato said.

Rohlik conceded there aren't a lot of weaknesses with his adversary Friday, but wasn't about to concede the game.

"They still have to win the game," he said. "We'll be focused and ready to empty the tank (Friday)."

******

For UMD, senior defenseman Carson Soucy (lower body) practiced here Thursday. He didn't take part in team drills, but did plenty of work on his own, including some time at one end of the ice with Sandelin, working on skating, transitions, passing, and puck-handling. Sandelin said "probably not" when asked if Soucy would play this weekend, and went on to repeat the "week to week" timeline we've heard since the week after he was injured in Kalamazoo.

But the Bulldogs are otherwise healthy, with everyone available to play.

The same can't be said for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes will play Friday's game without two top defensemen, seniors Josh Healey and Drew Brevig. Healey picked up a two-game suspension from the Big Ten Conference after his third game misconduct of the season, a contact to the head major he took late in Friday's Big Ten semifinal loss to Wisconsin. Brevig has an injury suffered in the win over Michigan State the day before and did not play against the Badgers.

Rohlik talked up his depth players, noting how hard they've worked and practiced throughout the season, but Healey is the leading scorer among OSU defensemen and Brevig one of the top players in terms of ice time. These aren't insignificant losses, and we'll see if UMD can exploit some things back there Friday. If not, it will be a long evening for the regional top seeds.

Monday Musings: High-Intensity NCHC Title Game Goes UMD's Way; Bulldogs Book Trip to Fargo

You've undoubtedly heard it.

"Hard to beat a team (insert a number) times in a row during a season."

It's true. Just look at Saturday night, where UMD tried to beat North Dakota for a fifth time in five meetings this season (sixth time overall). It was anything but easy.

In an intense, emotional, penalty-filled game, the Bulldogs used a late five-on-three goal from Joey Anderson to beat UND 4-3 and claim their first conference tournament championship since 2009. It's the second conference title for UMD under Scott Sandelin, and now the Bulldogs head to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven years. It's the first time ever that any UMD team in any sport has made the national tournament five out of seven years.

Actually, calling it "intense", "emotional", and "penalty-filled" is probably understating it. This was as crazy a game as I've seen in a long time. There were more combined penalty minutes in the Colorado College game Feb. 18, but this game had a level of intensity that one never got to. Saturday was an example of two rivals fighting for something valuable, and it was the kind of night that would be difficult to duplicate.

Unless the teams play again ... with a spot in the Frozen Four on the line. In Fargo. But I digress.

The fact UMD found a way to win this game Saturday night is an unrelenting positive in a season full of them. It was far from a perfect performance, with North Dakota doing a fantastic job of putting the Bulldogs on their heels early, with the help of some sketchy penalty calls. But UMD was frustrated, as evidenced by sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk taking a five-minute major for charging UND goalie Cam Johnson during a short-handed rush.

(Frankly, wouldn't have been mad if Pionk had been tossed for it, but right before the hit, it looks like he loses his balance a bit, as if he were trying to stop and couldn't. Weird sequence looking at the clip, and it was probably enough to keep him in the game.)

After UMD killed the major (had already gone down 1-0 on a Brock Boeser power play goal, so that was a gigantic kill) and the first period ended, Pionk appeared to be speared by UND's Cole Smith. No call came, but UMD captain Dominic Toninato was irate after the period ended (justifiably so), and UMD carried that emotion into the start of the second period.

Toninato, Riley Tufte, and Adam Johnson scored goals 58 seconds apart in the second, and just like that UMD had a 3-1 lead. It took two more long five-on-three UND power plays -- one in the second and one late in the third -- for the Fighting Hawks to level the score on goals by Tyson Jost and Trevor Olson. That set up Anderson's goal, which came after back to back UND penalties gave the Bulldogs their first five-on-three of the game.

******

Deep down, I can't imagine either coach was pleased with the penalty minutes his team took in this game. But a deeper dive into the numbers shows that there may have been some mitigating factors involved.

First off, we need to throw out the coincidental penalties and operate under the assumption all those minutes were earned. That will take away 20 of the game's 57 minutes. Of the 37 remaining minutes that were assessed, I don't think any reasonable argument can be made against the following calls:

Pionk's major for charging (5)
Olson's roughing penalty in the second (2)
Jared Thomas' minor for tripping in the second (2)
Rhett Gardner slashing minor in the second (2)
Riley Tufte's penalty for interference late in the second (2)
Johnny Simonson high sticking penalty in the third (2)

That leaves 22 of 37 minutes that were either questionable or not-very-good calls, including the last two on UMD that gave UND the late five-on-three it tied the game with, and the last two on UND that gave UMD the five-on-three it won the game with.

This isn't to completely absolve the players of responsibility for their role in Saturday's various fiascoes. There is no excuse for Pionk blasting Cam Johnson like he did. Similarly, no excuse for Smith spearing Pionk. Gardner and Simonson for UND took silly, unnecessary penalties. This stuff happens, especially when a game is played at the level and intensity this one was. Emotions are bound to run high.

But referees Todd Anderson and Geno Binda have to be considered culpable. More than once, they rewarded both teams for clear embellishment and set a bad tone for the game. I don't know the last time I saw a college hockey game -- especially in the postseason -- where there were four five-on-three power plays. And three of the four were more than a minute in scheduled length. It was too much, and I stand by what I said on the air and on Twitter during the game: It took away from the game. That's unfortunate.

However, it's worth noting that they weren't working the conference championship game by accident. They earned that throughout the season, and that fact shouldn't be forgotten in everyone's consternation over how this game played out.

******

Many UMD players should be applauded for their efforts on Saturday. Toninato was a leader in every sense, getting the first goal and on multiple occasions trying to stand up for his teammates. Alex Iafallo not only has points in 11 straight games, but he has ten points in the last five. Anderson has re-emerged after his production slipped after returning from the World Juniors. He has six points in his last five games after being held off the board for five straight.

Osterberg blocked five of the 26 shots UMD got a piece of in Saturday's game. Brenden Kotyk blocked shots and was physical. Hunter Miska made a few brilliant saves in goal and had a fantastic weekend, erasing any questions about his ability to step up and play well in big games as a freshman.

(There were legit questions about Miska in a big-game environment, something CBS Sports Network analyst and brilliant mind Dave Starman referenced on Beyond The Pond Saturday. He answered those questions Saturday night, and did so emphatically.)

Tufte made a few plays, including getting by Christian Wolanin and steaming down the right wing before sniping a shot home to give UMD the lead in the second period. He was a beast at times in Friday's game, too, and it's just fun to watch him show more and more signs of his development.

More than anything, these guys stuck up for one another when necessary and stuck with the game. There were a lot of opportunities to be discouraged and wonder if this was UMD's night. Instead of that, they stayed with what they wanted to do, and as Toninato said Sunday after the selection show, "controlled what we could control."

"Lot of emotions in those games," Sandelin said. "We've played North Dakota a lot. I thought the kill (late in the first after the Pionk major) was outstanding. To get out of that period the way it was going being down one, I was pretty excited for our guys. We finally had a good second period.

"It was an interesting game for sure. Lots of ups and downs."

Plenty to be excited about, as UMD won a couple games playoff-style. By any means necessary.

******

Now, it's back to North Dakota. UMD is the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional, and will play Ohio State Friday at 5:30.

The Buckeyes can fill the net, led by sophomore Mason Jobst (19 goals, 55 points) and senior Nick Schilkey (27 goals, 41 points). Ohio State averages 3.97 goals per game, but also concedes 2.98 per game.  The power play hits at 32.5 percent, including over 38 percent in Big Ten play.

tOSU is coached by former UMD assistant Steve Rohlik, who was with the Bulldogs from 2000-2010 and recruited many of the players UMD won a national championship with in 2011. Brett Larson was a part of the Ohio State staff before returning to UMD two years ago when Derek Plante stepped down.

"I've seen them a little bit," Sandelin said. "I know they have the ability to score goals and play a real pace game. We've got to keep doing the things we're good at."

Lots of talk about UMD and North Dakota meeting again in the regional final, which could certainly happen, but Ohio State and Boston University will have something to say about that first.

We'll be traveling to Fargo on Thursday morning. Expect content from the team press conferences that day at Scheels Arena. Full game preview coming as well.

Game 8: UMD at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- One more game before the break, and despite Friday's win, look for UMD to deliver a much-improved performance in this series finale.

Ohio State is bound to be better, as well, so the Bulldogs had better step up their level of play. Faceoffs were largely non-competitive in Friday's 3-1 UMD win, and it's an area UMD must make some headway in to have a good shot at a weekend sweep.

Lines?

You know it. Lines.

UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Krause
Iafallo - Toninato - Tardy
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell

Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus

Crandall - McNeely

tOSU
Niddery - Statchuk - Johnson
Gust - Dzingel - Angeli
McCormick - Lundey - Greco
Schilkey - Oddo - Szczechura

Gedig - Healey
McLean - DaSilva
Jardine - Brevig

Tomkins - Davis

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Winning Ugly > Losing Pretty

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Friday night wasn't pretty, unless you just look at the final score.

UMD 3, Ohio State 1

The Bulldogs got outshot, lost 53 of 78 faceoffs, continued to struggle on the power play, but found a way to win a key non-conference game here Friday night.

How?

Aaron Crandall made 28 saves, including a couple big ones on Ohio State power play chances. UMD skaters blocked 19 tOSU shot attempts. And UMD's freshmen came up big.

Of eight scoring points in the game, five came from first-year Bulldogs, including all three goals. Reigning NCHC Rookie of the Month Kyle Osterberg started things off with a power-play goal in the first. Sammy Spurrell got his first UMD goal in the second, and Dominic Toninato ran his goal-scoring streak to two games () in the third period.

It was in no way a pretty performance for UMD. Sometimes, especially on the road in a tough environment like this, it just isn't going to be pretty.

But winning ugly is a heck of a lot better than losing pretty.

The Bulldogs were tough defensively. Everyone was in on the shot-blocking act, which was led by Derik Johnson (three) and Luke McManus (among those with two). The UMD "third" defensive pairing has been quite a find, a duo that the coaches can put out in virtually any situation and know that pucks will have a hard time getting through to whoever the goalie is. 11 of 18 skaters blocked at least one shot.

I felt like UMD's top line struggled in its new look Friday. Caleb Herbert didn't play badly in the middle. In fact, he was our best faceoff man by far, winning 12 of 21. He just didn't have a ton of help. Wingers Joe Basaraba and Austin Farley struggled to keep control of the puck, and the line just didn't look in synch. It makes some sense, considering they were just put together this week. But it can't continue much longer.

Farley has one goal and three points in seven games. We need to get him going. Same for Tony Cameranesi. The sophomore won three of 15 faceoffs Friday, and that left linemates chasing the puck all the time.

(Toninato was a garish 5-17 on the night, but one of those 17 losses came right before he scored. Alex Iafallo stripped an Ohio State player of the puck and fed Toninato for a close-in shot.)

I thought this was UMD's worst game when it came to puck possession so far. Not just because it got outshot. There were too many times where tOSU won a draw clean, and it led to Bulldog players chasing the puck up the rink. UMD couldn't take ownership of the neutral zone like it has at times this season because it could never hold on to the biscuit long enough. The Bulldogs did a fantastic job clogging lanes defensively, and for as much chasing as they did, I thought it was very good they somehow avoided constantly icing the puck.

But the overall possession numbers couldn't have been as good as they've been, and UMD can't keep playing this way and expect success.

There are a lot of guys who have to get going. Cameranesi has more PIMs (nine) than points (three). Farley has just the three points. We know Andy Welinski can be more of a factor.

But while these three sophomores try to get things clicking, we'll gladly let the freshmen carry the load. Osterberg and Iafallo each have five points to lead the team.

Oh, and Crandall has a 1.51 goals against and .935 save percentage. The team save percentage is up to .930. That's a good way to win hockey games while the offense solves itself.

UMD improved to 3-1-1 in non-conference play, obviously a huge component -- like it or not -- in the Pairwise.

Oh, and we saw an actual, honest diving penalty. Toninato went for it late in the first period. I didn't get a good look at it from 4,877 feet away like we are in this building, but word is it was a legitimate call. I've never understood why officials don't call it more often. Even if it isn't always easy to call, it's something that could really benefit the game if they did roll it out more. Imagine the hesitation we'd see from players when they thought about diving, then thought about putting their team short-handed with such a dumb play. As it stands, that threat doesn't exist enough to be relevant.

******

In the NCHC, Western Michigan rallied from 2-0 down to beat Colorado College in overtime, 3-2, in Kalamazoo. Archie Skalbeck and Alex Roos had CC up 2-0 in the first before Justin Kovacs and Jordan Oesterle leveled for the Broncos later in the frame. It stayed 2-2 before Kyle Novak scored in overtime, making a winner out of Frank Slubowski.

St. Cloud State scored three in the third to rally past North Dakota 3-2. Drake Caggiula scored for UND in the first, which is awesome after he was stretchered out of the exhibition against the Under 18s on Saturday. But Kevin Gravel, Kalle Kossila, and Andrew Prochno scored for SCSU in the third. Mark MacMillan got one late for UND, but it wasn't enough to keep Ryan Faragher (29 saves) and the Huskies unbeaten.

Josh Archibald got his fifth of the year in overtime to lead Nebraska Omaha past Denver 3-2 in Denver. The Pioneers had leveled with 4:02 to go on a Joey LaLeggia goal. Ryan Massa stopped 33 shots as UNO won its NCHC opener.

Non-conference, Miami shut out Canisius 3-0. Alex Wideman scored twice for the RedHawks.

The UMD women had 53 shots on goal against St. Cloud State Friday. Scored one goal in a 4-1 loss. The UWS women had 29 shots on goal against Hamline. Scored 12 goals in a 12-1 win. I chuckled at that contrast, though surely Shannon Miller didn't find it funny.

53 shots will win UMD more than it loses UMD, so it's probably too early in the season to get overly concerned.

Game 7: UMD at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Bulldogs haven't played particularly well the last two Fridays, so a fast start is highly encouraged as this non-conference series opens up in B1G Country.

Honestly, it's weird seeing the Big Ten logo so prominent inside a hockey arena. It's one thing at a place like this to see it associated with basketball, a sport that shares this building (and draws a few more fans, I'm told). It's another to see it on the ice, something we haven't dealt with before.

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Farley - Herbert - Basaraba
Osterberg - Cameranesi - Krause
Iafallo - Toninato - Spurrell
Sampair - Decowski - Young

Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus

Crandall - McNeely

tOSU
McCormick - Lundey - Szczechura
Gust - Dzingel - Angeli
Lippincott - Oddo - Schilkey
Niddery - Statchuk - Johnson

Gedig - Dalrymple
McLean - Healey
Cristofoli - Jardine

Tomkins - Olson - Davis

Reunion of Sorts Steals UMD-Ohio State Spotlight

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Whether it's a WCHA title, a national championship, or an individual milestone like his 200th career coaching victory, Scott Sandelin is always quick to say that it isn't about Scott Sandelin.

So it wasn't a surprise to hear Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik remind me that this weekend isn't about Steve Rohlik.

These guys are die-hard hockey coaches. They are as intense and as driven as anyone I've worked with in the sport, and their success in the business is no surprise. The success of their teams on the ice means an awful lot to them, and no one goes into a game more prepared than they do.

They also get it. This isn't about them, no matter how hard we may try.

The storyline this week is simple. Rohlik and associate coach Brett Larson are both former UMD assistants. Rohlik recruited a big chunk of UMD's 2011 national championship team. Larson had a hand in bringing in many of the current players, along with serving as an assistant coach during that magical 2011 run.

The guy who hired them at UMD is still there. Speaking to the Duluth News Tribune this week, Larson was exceptionally complimentary of Sandelin's impact on his career.

“I owe my coaching career to Scott Sandelin. I was kind of an out-of-the-box pick when he hired me. I had just finished playing and didn’t have a ton of coaching experience. Without him taking me on at UMD, I’m not where I’m at right now."

While this "reunion" is taking many of the headlines into this weekend, it isn't the story.

That'll happen on the ice, where UMD looks to figure out what has been a bit of a Friday night slumber the previous two weeks. The Bulldogs were not sharp for 40 minutes of a 3-1 loss at Colorado College two weeks ago, or of a 3-2 loss to Notre Dame last week.

"Our first third of the weekend, the first two periods, were not as good as the last four," Sandelin said of the Notre Dame weekend. "We gotta figure that out."

Rohlik, who calls his Ohio State team a work in progress, says his team also has to "figure out how to play 60 minutes."

Whichever team does that this weekend will clearly have a leg up.

Ohio State has some guys. Ryan Dzingel has six assists and seven points in six games. Darik Angeli has four goals. Nick Oddo has a point per game so far, and Alex Szczechura is off to a good start. Rohlik knows his team can score, and they should test UMD's young defense and a goaltending group that had questions surrounding it before the season started.

That goaltending has been a forgotten storyline with this team so far. UMD's team save percentage was unacceptably below .900 last season. It's .922 through six games. Matt McNeely and Aaron Crandall have combined for a 1.68 goals against, with McNeely starting three straight before Crandall started three straight.

In my opinion, Crandall has been the better of the two. He's seeing the puck well right now, and he's doing a good job playing aggressively in goal and making sure he gets the space he needs to make saves.

Ohio State's goaltending hasn't been as good. Sophomore Collin Olson is off to a horrid start, and so far it's been freshman Matt Tomkins carrying the load. tOSU's only got a save percentage of .868 so far, so neither has been great, but Rohlik said they're seeing improvement.

It could be a tough weekend for UMD in another way. The Bulldogs are accustomed to quality atmospheres in buildings they go to on the road. This will not be one of them. Value City Arena seats 17,500, but when we dropped off the players' equipment Thursday night, the upper deck was already blocked off by curtains. The Buckeyes' game Tuesday against Bowling Green drew a paltry 1,782, and even if those folks are happy to be at the game and make a lot of noise, it isn't much of an atmosphere to play in.

Look for UMD to utilize quick shifts early in the game to try to get everyone involved quickly. The sooner someone throws a big hit or makes a big play, the sooner the bench comes alive. The upshot is that the Bulldogs have some experience in these situations (hello, Anchorage). It shouldn't be a big deal, but I've seen it affect teams before. When playing games you expect to win, you can't afford to get tripped up by something relatively minor like this.

I'll be back later Friday with line charts once we get to the building.

Game 2: Ohio State at UMD

According to last year's UMD media guide, Friday's 6-2 win over Ohio State marks UMD's most lopsided season-opening victory since a 12-4 win over U.S. International to kick off the 1985-86 season.

(That doesn't count exhibitions, since exhibition games don't count in the standings.)

The previous mark under Scott Sandelin was a 5-2 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in the 2002 Maverick Stampede.

This is a different day, however, and I think it's safe to assume we will see a different game. Expect Ohio State to be better, and expect the conditioning of both squads -- which have been practicing officially for all of about a week, mind you -- to be tested.

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Crandall (Justin) - Herbert - Seidel
Danberg - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Farley - Camaranesi - Basaraba
DeLisle - Decowski - Krause

Bergman - Casto
Olson - Welinski
Johnson - Corrin

Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons

tOSU
McCormick - Fritz - Greco
Lippincott - Simpson - Crane
Dzingel - Lundey - Johnson
Carlson - Statchuk - Szczechura

Gedig - McLean
Jardine - Dalrymple
Martell - DaSilva

Olson - Hjelle

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Well, That Was A Good Start

UMD head coach Scott Sandelin looks at Opening Night as a starting point.

He has to like the point his players gave him to start from Friday.

UMD overwhelmed Ohio State 6-2 at Amsoil Arena, using dynamic freshmen, experienced skill players, and plenty of snarl to frustrate the young but capable Buckeyes for most of the evening.

In my slew of season preview materials, I mentioned a few keys to the upcoming season. One of them was special teams. Sandelin pointed out in our Friday pregame chat -- quite fairly, in my view -- that many of last year's penalty kill struggles were keyed by a poor start to the season, including the second weekend, when the Gophers scored six goals in nine power plays.

The penalty kill didn't start well Friday, allowing a goal in tOSU's first power play chance. That goal tied the score at 1-1 less than three minutes in, after freshman Austin Farley scored on his first shift as a Bulldog.

But the killers were tested -- and how -- when Joe Basaraba (charging) and Tony Camaranesi (slashing) took simultaneous minor penalties at 7:41 of the first. The Bulldogs successfully killed a two-minute five-on-three Buckeye power play. Ohio State managed six shots in those two minutes, but none of them were notable or terribly dangerous for UMD junior goalie Aaron Crandall.

On the night, the Buckeyes had 13 shots on goal in eight power plays, but only the one goal to show for it. Meanwhile, UMD struck three times in eight power play chances.

Special teams were a decisive win on Friday. It won't be that way every night, but this was a good jumping-off point for Sandelin and his staff.

Five-on-five, UMD controlled much of the game. The Bulldogs outshot tOSU 31-14 when the game was at even strength, and they outscored the visitors 3-1 at even strength. UMD had the best of what short-handed scoring chances happened, too.

There weren't a lot of passengers for UMD. Farley and Camaranesi were as entertaining as advertised, connecting on a goal at 65 seconds of the first period.

(One that wouldn't have counted last year, thanks to a rules change that allows goals in college hockey to count if they are directed in by a skate, as long as there is no distinct kicking motion.)

Freshman defenseman Andy Welinski is going to be really, really good, folks. Senior Drew Olson is a great partner for him, I believe. I thought Wade Bergman might have struggled with the puck a bit, but he was still pretty sound positionally, and he's unbelievably strong for a player of his size. Very responsible player in all zones, and he's always been one of my favorites. His maturity on the ice is shown on a night like this, where he doesn't handle the puck well all the time, but still manages to make smart plays and rarely puts anyone in a bad position. He also made a whale of a play to set up Joe Basaraba's first-period goal.

Despite being held shotless, I thought Caleb Herbert did well in his return to the center position. Herbert won 18 of 24 draws he took, assisted on two goals, and wasn't afraid to get involved physically.

Basaraba, Camaranesi, and Farley combined for 13 shots. Mike Seidel had six more. Justin Crandall was a factor in all three zones.

Older brother Aaron was rock-solid in goal, shaking off a shaky second-period tOSU goal to finish with 25 saves in a strong performance.

Told you: There weren't many -- if any -- passengers for UMD on this night.

Ohio State will be better on Saturday, starting in goal, where I'd be surprised if we didn't see freshman and NTDP product Collin Olson. I don't think Brady Hjelle was bad in his return to Duluth, but he gave up some big rebounds, and that hurt him in the first period, when he wasn't getting much help at all.

As for UMD, I don't know what will happen in goal. Sandelin has hinted that Crandall could start back-to-back games, but I know he also wants a look at freshman Matt McNeely. If that doesn't happen Saturday, I'd think it happens next week in South Bend.

******

Very nice tribute to the late Dick Stewart on Friday. His trademark windsock was proudly waved from his seat before the game, and UMD arranged to have hundreds of replica windsocks dropped into the student section from the catwalk above. Sweet visual and a classy gesture toward UMD's No. 1 fan and supporter.

UMD lost a great supporter in Stewart, and two former players in Bruce Fishback and Bruce Olson. It was great of the school to recognize them before Friday's game.

Our Red Rock Radio family is also grieving. Sales manager Jim Payne passed away on Thursday night. Jim was a neat guy to work with. He admittedly never really had a great understanding of sports, but he understood its place, and he and his staff have worked hard over the years to sell UMD sports and allow us to continue carrying the games.

His personality -- especially his often-infectious laugh -- will be missed in our office, and I want to send my thoughts out to his family.

******

Elsewhere in college hockey, Minnesota won big over Michigan State, 5-1. Hobey Bjugstad had two points, as did freshman defenseman Mike Reilly, who only adds to what was already a group bordering on an embarrassment of riches. New Hampshire toppled St. Cloud State 5-3, as the Huskies struggled to hold on to the puck. Ben Hanowski had a goal and an assist in a losing effort.

Northern Michigan outshot Wisconsin 8-3 in the third and scored twice for a 2-1 upset in Green Bay. Chase Grant and Matt Leitner each had a hand in all four Minnesota State goals in a 4-1 win at Alabama-Huntsville. Grant had a hat trick and an assist, while Leitner had a goal and three assists. The game drew a crowd of over 5,000. Rylan Schwartz had three points for Colorado College in a 5-4 home win over Clarkson. The Tigers led 5-1 in the third period before letting the Knights back into the game.

At the Ice Breaker, Nebraska Omaha -- or "Omaha" as the school seems to prefer, or "Nebraska" as Dave Strader noted a few times on NBC Sports Network -- throttled Army 5-1. Zach Raubenheimer had a goal and two dimes. The Mavericks will play Notre Dame in the title game Saturday night, largely in front of friends and family in Kansas City (2,200 attendance for UNO's game Friday ... ugh).

At the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, UAA beat Canisius 2-0. Derek Docken and Scott Allen had the Seawolves goals, and Chris Kamal threw a 14-save shutout.

Game 1: Ohio State at UMD

Here we go.

Time to kick off the 2012-13 UMD men's hockey season. It's nice to see Steve Rohlik again, as the man who helped build this program as an assistant coach for a decade at UMD is now working with old college teammate Mark Osiecki at Ohio State.

Rohlik got a bit emotional reminiscing before the morning skate Friday, and he joked his daughters will probably be cheering for UMD in this series. You can hear that conversation in the first intermission.

But for now, as Adrian Peterson once said, it's time ... to play hockey.

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Crandall (Justin) - Herbert - Seidel
Danberg - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Farley - Camaranesi - Basaraba
DeLisle - Tardy - Krause

Bergman - Casto
Olson - Welinski
Smith - McManus

Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons

tOSU
Dzingel - Simpson - Crane
McCormick - Fritz - Greco
Lippincott - Lundey - JOhnson
Carlson - Oddo - Szczechura

Jardine - Gedig
DaSilva - Dalrymple
Cristofoli - Krogh

Hjelle - Olson

UMD Starts Anew, Hopes Not To Start Over

It's one thing to have to rebuild.

After UMD made the 2004 NCAA Frozen Four, UMD was never able to put it together in the 2004-2005 season. A slew of freshmen -- 11 of them -- came on board for the 05-06 campaign, one that saw only 11 wins as UMD tried to rebuild its talent base.

Three years later, UMD was back in the NCAA hunt. The WCHA playoff champions rode the hot stick of senior center MacGregor Sharp and the goaltending of Alex Stalock to a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

In 2005, UMD was rebuilding.

In 2010, UMD was able to reload. Yeah, Evan Oberg left early, and Sharp graduated, and Stalock was long gone, but the Bulldogs brought in freshmen named JT Brown and Justin Faulk, and used the leadership of guys who were around when the team was struggling -- captain Mike Montgomery, for example -- to catapult the program to its first national championship.

Now, Brown is gone, as are star forwards Jack Connolly and Travis Oleksuk, and defenseman Brady Lamb. Goalie Kenny Reiter and his 52 wins are headed to Fort Wayne of the ECHL.

It's time for another reload.

Or, at least that's the plan.

It all starts Friday with Ohio State, another team in flux. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs combine for 32 freshmen and sophomores, and many of those youngsters are expected to make an impact.

Both teams lose leading scorers from last year. Connolly had 60 points at UMD, while Chris Crane led Ohio State with 24. Co-leader Ryan Dzingel returns, and guys like Max McCormick, Curtis Gedig, Darik Angeli, and Tanner Fritz should be better-positioned to do good things and be consistent in the tOSU lineup.

Despite the Columbus location of campus, Ohio State should have a notable cheering section tonight. Seven Buckeyes hail from Minnesota, including former UMD goalie Brady Hjelle and Duluth East graduate Al McLean, a defenseman.

UMD relies on sophomore Caleb Herbert (33 points) and senior Mike Seidel (17 goals) to carry their production over from last season. Herbert will get a chance to center Seidel and sophomore Justin Crandall, who was Herbert's wingman for the first part of last season, before Herbert moved permanently to wing in November.

Freshmen Tony Camaranesi and Austin Farley should make their presence felt up front early, as will young defenseman Andy Welinski, a Duluth native who has two years of USHL experience under his belt after he left high school a year early.

The fact that we're talking about reloading with this program is -- by itself -- a win. UMD won nearly 100 games over the last four years, and with that has come a bit of respect for the program. Despite the uncertainty, UMD is solidly in the top six of the WCHA in the preseason polls, and national rankings list UMD in the top 15.

The lines should look a bit like this Friday (the five skaters not likely to play Friday are marked with an asterisk for their groups):

Justin Crandall - Caleb Herbert - Mike Seidel
Austin Farley - Tony Camaranesi - Joe Basaraba
Cody Danberg - Jake Hendrickson - Keegan Flaherty
Dan DeLisle - Max Tardy - Adam Krause
Charlie Sampair - Cal Decowski - Austyn Young*

Wade Bergman - Chris Casto
Drew Olson - Andy Welinski
Luke McManus - Tim Smith
Willie Corrin - Derik Johnson*

Aaron Crandall - Matt McNeely - Alex Fons

You can find coverage of this weekend's games on 94X, 94.1 FM in the Twin Ports, and 104.3 FM in the surrounding area. Listeners in northeast Minnesota can hear the games on KQ 105.5 FM out of Deer River, or KQ 106.7 FM in Babbitt/Ely.

Online, the games can be found at www.94xrocks.com or this page.

More UMD coverage:
Season preview: Goalies
Season preview: Defensemen
Season preview: Forwards

Random Rabble: April 10

The idea of crooked coaches with screwed-up ideas of what constitutes discipline and leadership isn't really new to college sports, but the last few days have been another hit to the overall reputation of the profession.

It started early last week, when Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino was in a motorcycle accident that landed him in the hospital with (thankfully) non-life threatening injuries. Of course, the story didn't end there.

The Razorbacks coach was put on paid administrative leave on Thursday night less than seven hours after his boss, athletic director Jeff Long, learned Petrino had failed to disclose he had been riding with a female employee half his age when his motorcycle skidded off the road over the weekend.

Petrino said he had been concerned about protecting his family and keeping an "inappropriate relationship from becoming public."

It was a stunning revelation for a highly successful coach who prides himself on complete control and intense privacy in his personal life. Petrino will now wait out his fate while Long conducts a review.

Whoops.

Petrino could be fired, and probably for cause, not because he's a married man with four kids who carried on an affair with a woman half his age. Instead, his employment could be in jeopardy because he lied to his boss and tried to cover up the fact she was riding with him when he crashed.

Of course, since it's the SEC, it's not as easy as logic dictates it should be. You see, Arkansas was 11-2 last season, and the Razorbacks are favored to be in the preseason top ten this summer. Why the hell would we care about Petrino lying to his bosses, or generally not being a trustworthy cat? He can win football games, and that's all that matters in that particular part of the country.

Well, until it comes to Election Day. Then, suddenly, morals matter when they fit the talking points.

Elsewhere in college football, Matt Hayes of Sporting News has a pretty impressive story on Urban Meyer's undoing at Florida. The new Ohio State coach has been the subject of much controversy already, which we'll get to in a second.

Hayes writes extensively about Meyer's inability and general unwillingness to institute any sort of discipline for his star players with the Gators. It's a culture that caused many a problem for the program after Meyer left and Will Muschamp took over.

Ironically, Florida’s downfall began at the height of Meyer’s success—the 2008 national championship season. Three seasons of enabling and pandering to elite players—what Meyer’s players called his “Circle of Trust”—began to tear away at what he’d put together.

“I’ve never heard of Circle of Trust before in my life,” Meyer said.

Former players, though, contend it was the foundation of Florida’s culture under Meyer. In the season opener against Hawaii, Meyer said a few elite players (including wideout Percy Harvin, linebacker Brandon Spikes and tight end Aaron Hernandez) would miss the game with injuries. According to multiple sources, the three players—all critical factors in Florida’s rise under Meyer—failed drug tests for marijuana and were sitting out as part of standard university punishment.

By publicly stating the three were injured and not being disciplined, former players say, Meyer was creating a divide between the haves and have-nots on the team.

“They were running with us on the first team all week in practice,” one former player said. “The next thing you know, they’re on the sidelines with a (walking) boot for the season opener like they were injured. Of course players see that and respond to it.”

It was Harvin, more than anyone, who epitomized the climate Meyer created. While former players say Harvin always was treated differently as a member of Meyer’s Circle of Trust, it was the beginning of his sophomore season—after he helped lead the Gators to the 2006 national title—that it became blatant. That's also when it began to contribute negatively toward team chemistry.

During offseason conditioning before the 2007 season, the team was running stadium steps and at one point, Harvin, according to sources, sat down and refused to run. When confronted by strength and conditioning coaches, Harvin—who failed to return calls and texts to his cell phone to comment on this story—said, “This (expletive) ends now.”

“The next day,” a former player said, “we were playing basketball as conditioning.”

It only got worse as Harvin’s career progressed. At one point during the 2008 season, multiple sources confirmed that Harvin, now a prominent member of the Minnesota Vikings, physically attacked wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground. Harvin had to be pulled off Gonzales by two assistant coaches—but was never disciplined.

When asked about the Harvin incident, Gonzales—now offensive coordinator at Illinois—said, “I think it’s a little overblown. I mean, every great player wants his voice to be heard.”

Said Meyer: “Something did happen and something was handled. I don’t think it’s fair to Percy Harvin or Billy Gonzales to talk about it.”

I'm not one to judge, but it seems like Meyer had a tendency to play favorites at Florida. I'm not saying this doesn't happen elsewhere, but I'm going to guess Nick Saban doesn't pull this stuff at Alabama, and it's a big reason why he is able to win year after year.

I'm also not going to judge Harvin, but it's not like his NFL career has come without any problems.

Speaking of Meyer, do you remember the kerfluffle that Wisconsin created regarding his recruiting practices at Ohio State? Hayes' story, which I told you is extensive (and very long and very, very good, too), goes on to detail some of the things Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was upset about.

Bielema, whose team hosts Ohio State on Nov. 17, has declined to offer specifics.

However, according to The Sporting News, UW officials accused Meyer of having former Ohio State players currently in the NFL call recruits. Such calls would be an NCAA violation.

In addition, UW officials accused Meyer and other Ohio State coaches of "bumping into" offensive line recruit Kyle Dodson during mandated dead periods. That would also be an NCAA violation. Dodson, from Cleveland, backed out of a commitment to UW and signed with the Buckeyes.

A college football source confirmed Monday those were the alleged violations that raised Bielema's ire long before signing day. Bielema's issues with Meyer were part of a larger look at how Meyer ran the Florida program.

"There's a few things that happened early on that I made people be aware of," Bielema said in February, "that I didn't want to see in this league that I had seen take place at other leagues . . . recruiting practices that are illegal.

"And I was very up front and was very pointed to the fact. I actually reached out to coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him, and the situation got rectified."

I'm guessing Nov. 17 will be a very interesting day in Madison. Odds are that it'll be a prime-time game, and there's nothing like giving fans in Madison the whole day to lube up before a big game. I'm sure they'll treat Meyer wonderfully.

The Teardown of Ohio State Continues

It's been over a week since Ohio State finally had the good enough sense to tell Jim Tressel to get the hell out of town. The leader of the nation's most self-absorbed and sanctimonious football program was exposed as a fraud on the level of Lane Kiffin, only a fraud who won at least ten games virtually every year he was on the job.

In other words, Tressel was a cheater who actually knew how to take advantage of his cheating. Kiffin is just a fool until proven otherwise.

While the NCAA continues its investigation, and the Buckeyes try to find a quarterback, along with the soul they sold to win BCS games, it's interesting to read different takes on the situation.

Bill Carter of Sports Business Journal doesn't even want to call Tressel a coach, that's how low he thinks of the former media favorite.

He also tears down the notion that coaches who run opposite of Tressel should be considered heroic, or that they should be cheered incessantly for making tough decisions. As an example, he notes that Virginia lacrosse coach Dom Starsia led his team to a national championship this season, even though one of his players was charged with murdering a women's player last year, and he has dealt with disciplinary issues during this season.

This is no slight on Coach Starsia. I think he did a commendable job in which he should be congratulated — just not honored. A year ago, he provided leadership to a group of young men between the ages of 18 and 22 as they tried to understand a tragedy for which they had no experience to draw from. This year, University of Virginia lacrosse coach Dom Starsia provided the appropriate leadership expected of any college coach. Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel did not. This year, he punished individuals with no consideration of their skill level, for behavior that was detrimental to the team.

I’ll say it again — he did what we should expect any adult in a leadership role to do. Nothing more. I hope the athletic director and the administrators at the University of Virginia reward Coach Starsia with a handshake and a smile and tell him “good job” — which would be commensurate with the job he has done. But, by no fault of his, I’m sure he will be lauded as a hero for making “tough decisions” (I would simply call them “right decisions”).

I guess you would call Coach Starsia heroic if you are comparing him with Jim Tressel. (I can’t even call Tressel “Coach”.) Tressel provided no leadership whatsoever. Himself overpaid and self-entitled, he allowed the teens and young adults for which he was responsible to behave similarly (despite the fact that being paid at all is breaking the rules and to be self-entitled will result in difficulties out in the real world — so much for college football coaches teaching life lessons!).

I could write 100 paragraphs on how disgusting I think his behavior is, but it’s a bore. To me, Tressel is a nobody. He’s a footnote. I hope I forget about him by the end of this week, though I doubt ESPN will let me. 

The ESPN part is funny, because as one-time FanHouse comrade Clay Travis noted weeks ago, ESPN was flat-out refusing to cover this story was it was breaking in front of the world. Naturally, they weren't covering it because they wanted to both protect Tressel and themselves ... they didn't break the story, so they weren't going to take it seriously.

No one can deny the hero worship we give to coaches like Starsia, provided it's in a sport we care about. The problem is that we also mix in hero worship for cheats and liars like Tressel, and then we just brush them off like yesterday's news when they're exposed.

After all, there are other cheats and liars to worship. Until they get exposed, too.

Ohio State President Clearly Unaware of Ohio State's Own Football Schedule

There are people out there aggravated by the current BCS standings.

Unfortunately, some of them aren't merely aggravated because the antiquated and virtually useless BCS still exists. Instead, they're upset at the teams that make up the top five.

It seems that some members of power conferences are suffering from increased levels of stress because Boise State and TCU dare to infiltrate the upper tier of the rankings week in and week out.

One of those in a tizzy about this is Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee, a man who clearly has bigger and more important things to worry about than college football.

"Well, I don't know enough about the Xs and Os of college football," said Gee, formerly the president at West Virginia, Colorado, Brown and Vanderbilt universities. "I do know, having been both a Southeastern Conference president and a Big Ten president, that it's like murderer's row every week for these schools. We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor. We play very fine schools on any given day.

"So I think until a university runs through that gauntlet that there's some reason to believe that they not be the best teams to [be] in the big ballgame."

He probably should have kept his damn mouth shut about the matter, rather than revealing his ignorance.

Apparently, Boise State plays the Little Sisters of the Poor, but yet Ohio State is better because they schedule behemoths like Youngstown State, Ohio, Akron, and UAB outside of Big Ten play. Evidently, Ohio State is better because they get to play juggernauts like Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota, and Illinois in conference play. That tough competition makes the Buckeyes better, but playing Air Force, Utah, and BYU does nothing for TCU. And the Horned Frogs deserve ridicule for being in a league with the likes of Wyoming and New Mexico.

Like there aren't any crappy teams in the Big Ten. Hell, Minnesota couldn't even beat South Dakota, and the Coyotes went just 4-7, including an 18-point loss to something called Southern Utah.

You have to love the fear coming out of the power conferences these days. Last year, Boise State and TCU both snatched BCS bowl bids with unbeaten regular seasons, then they sold out the Fiesta Bowl and produced a great football game.

This year, one of the two stands a real chance of making the championship game, where they could get a shot at college football immortality. Meanwhile, the power conferences are stuck watching in horror as the mid-majors have started figuring out how to take their teams to the highest level of the sport.

The days of a team like Utah "getting let in the BCS" and proceeding to kick all sorts of ass on national television, then being content with the accomplishment, are over. They want more, and it's getting more and more difficult for the BCS power structure to argue they don't belong or don't deserve a shot.

A Look at Ohio State From an Ohio State Fan

As you may know, the No. 1 THE Ohio State Buckeyes are in Madison Saturday to battle Wisconsin.

You can read some of my thoughts on the game via The Buckeye Battle Cry. We decided to do a little cross-over this week, as I answered some of their questions about the Badgers, and they answered some of mine about the Buckeyes.

I hope you'll jump over there and read their posts on the game. In the meantime, here's the Q&A that we did on tOSU.

How is the offensive line performing?
That is an interesting question and something that Ohio State has been looking for an answer to for several years now.

Despite being the 20th ranked rushing offense in the country (217 yards per game, a lot of which has been Pryor), many fans are disappointed in the way the offensive line has been run blocking.

My personal feeling is that the breakdowns in the run game have been due to defenses stacking the box and taking their chances with Pryor's arm. Either way, there are question marks surrounding the run game, which starts up front.

On the flip side, the pass protection for Pryor has been great, which once again may go back to the run first schemes the defenses have been utilizing.

Either way, Wisconsin will present a big challenge for the offensive line. If they are not up to that challenge, it will be a long night for the Buckeyes.

Is Ohio State prone to a bruising running back or more of a slashing style of runner?
The Buckeye defense has stopped pretty much everything that has been thrown at it so far this year, so I am not sure if they are more vulnerable to one style of runner over another.

The line has tremendous size and athleticism to stop a bigger back, while the linebackers and safeties (particularly Jermale Hines, #7) have the speed to keep a quicker back from getting to the edge.

Obviously you have a big bruiser in John Clay and a slasher in James White, so I hope that Ohio State is equally good at stopping both.

Ohio State's defensive line and linebackers are very talented this year, but the line in particular lacks the depth of last year's squad. The trick to cracking the D might be a rotation of both backs to wear out the Buckeye starters and get to the more vulnerable back ups.

Does Terrelle Pryor still frustrate Buckeye fans with his bouts of inconsistency? Or has he cleaned up that area of his game at all?
Ohio State fans, like those of many college programs, have a unusual memory. When things are going well, there's a contingent that cannot see any flaw or issue that may exist. When things are going poorly, there's nothing that can be done to correct it. For example, in spite of the successes in wins and losses, there are still those who call for Tressel to step aside and pass the offensive playcalling to someone else. There are also those who, once Terrelle throws his first interception, will be screaming for him to be moved to wide receiver- it's actually become a joke among many Buckeye fans.

Thus far, we haven't seen many of the latter types of arguments lately; mostly because a) Ohio State is winning, b) Terrelle is having a very good year {among the nation's leaders} and is building on the exciting things we saw in the Rose Bowl and c) we're too busy freaking out about our offensive line's seeming inability to open holes the size of battleships in the opposing defensive front. Should he falter, though, I'm confident that those who have reservations will again see their beliefs justified.

What is the best way to keep Pryor in check?
I really am not sure. I thought that Miami would have the best success, given their history of defensive excellence and their speed in the secondary, but Terrelle was able to take over the game during the last quarter and a half in particular.

It seems to be a "pick your poison" type of thing. He's throwing well enough now that you can't just load the box and make him run, if you play heavy coverage it gives the offense running lanes, if you try to spy him (as Illinois and Penn State did last year) it had better be with someone who can make sense of his speed- being so big, it's really hard to gauge the appropriate angles to run him down.

So I really don't know... Get him so enamored by the great brats and beer at a tailgate that he forgets to go to the game? :)

Are you surprised by the relative weakness of the Big Ten?
You know, I don't see it. Wisconsin is having a good year, as is Mich1gAAn (thus far). Iowa's as strong as they were expected to be with only a loss in a hostile environment. Michigan State could run the table, and Illinois looks better than expected (their only losses were to teams that are currently undefeated). Penn State is struggling, but overall the conference looks pretty good.

I think the Big T1e1n is building on a solid bowl season, and will be all that much stronger when Nebraska joins next fall.

If the Buckeyes go 12-0, will you be pissed if they don't make the BCS title game (it could happen)?
Disappointed? Yes. Pissed? No. The BCS system isn't perfect, and an argument could obviously be made that Ohio State truly deserves to be in the title game if we finish the season at 12-0, but in another year we may be the beneficiaries of the system while another team gets left out. While it's possible that we could finish 12-0 and not make it into the title game, it seems unlikely. At this point we should just be looking at the next game on the schedule, focusing on winning one at a time, and at the end of the season we'll see how things fall out.

What is the best shot Wisconsin has to win this game?
Wisconsin's best shot to win this game is for Scott Tolzien to have a career day. While the Buckeyes haven't yet played a team with a solid power running game this season there is no reason to believe that sort of offense will find success against this defensive line. The Bucks have only given up 468 yards total on the ground through 6 games - 4th in the nation in total run defense. Last season Wisconsin ran 6 different backs to the tune of 131 yards on 33 carries for 3.97 yards per carry (taking out Tolzien's 11 for -13). Most of the success came from running Gilreath on end arounds as Clay gained only 59 yards on 20 carries. These kinds of numbers are simply not going to cut it - especially with OSU's coaching staff thinking that this defensive line is by far and away better than any they've had in the last 10 years - and suffered little attrition from last year's squad.

It's up to Tolzien to get the ball over the head of OSU's defensive strength. There's been a number of question marks in the secondary this season, especially with the injuries that have been sustained to our starting "Star" (hybrid nickle back) and backup corners. A sustained, consistent, competent passing attack could be the key.

Big Games Highlight College Football Weekend

After a bit of a slow go through the first week of the season -- slow especially if you're a fan of Kansas and Mississippi -- the college football schedule is quite impressive in Week 2.

There is likely not going to be an instant classic in the bunch for a number of reasons, but there are big names playing against each other, and that should count for something.

The best chance -- I think -- for a great game in the bunch will be in Columbus, where Miami visits Ohio State. The U has come a long way in the last couple years, and they appear ready to reclaim their spot as a marquee "franchise" in college football. The Hurricanes had a layup in Week 1, as did Ohio State, so we can't look too hard at those games.

Instead, look at the talent. Miami lines up with the athletic Jacory Harris at quarterback. He's not the biggest run threat, but he can move around, and he has a live arm. I like their receivers, led by Leonard Hankerson and Travis Benjamin, and Graig Cooper should have a big say in this game's outcome with his running ability.

Of course, Miami has their hands full on defense. Terrelle Pryor is Ohio State's starting quarterback, and he's not just a thrower. He might be the best running quarterback in the nation, even if you count option quarterbacks like Navy's Ricky Dobbs. Pryor led the Buckeyes in rushing last year, beating out back Brandon Saine. He is gaining confidence as a passer, even if there are still games where he doesn't look like he's all there yet.

Linebackers Colin McCarthy and Sean Spence of Miami will have their hands full with tOSU's strong backfield tandem.

This should be a fun game. These are teams that can push the pace, even if they primarily run the ball. They will spread the field and attack, and both teams sport confident, hard-hitting defenses.

I have said all along that I really like what I saw from Pryor in the Rose Bowl last year. It was the kind of game that screamed of being a "leap" game for him, the kind of game that makes him the star player we have all been waiting for him to become.

The problem with that thought is that we've seen games like this from him before, so he still has to prove he can be a consistently productive quarterback for Ohio State to beat a good team like Miami, even when the game is at home.

I'll take the home team, largely because I think it's time for Pryor to turn the corner, and Ohio State has a bit more talent and balance overall.

The pick: Ohio State

The other game I'm really looking forward to is Florida State at Oklahoma. The Seminoles have a high-flying passing game, and the Sooners have a problem. With all due respect to Utah State, the Sooners' secondary was abused last week by ... Utah State. I really like USU's quarterback and receivers, but they're just not good enough to be running up and down the field on Oklahoma without there being an apparent problem with Oklahoma.

The Sooners can move the ball. DeMarco Murray is great, and Landry Jones will come into his own this season. Meanwhile, Christian Ponder might be another overrated Florida State quarterback, but he's talented enough -- with good receivers -- for FSU to go into Norman and give the Sooners a scare. They might just be good enough to do more than that, and I'll call for the upset.

Simply put, I think Florida State has more balance and more experience than the Sooners, and they will play better defense when it matters most.

The pick: Florida State

Other games (home team in CAPS):

Michigan State over FLORIDA ATLANTIC
(Note: This game is in freaking Detroit. And Florida Atlantic is the home team. What a joke. It's simply a grab for money and attendance figures by FAU, and their supporters should be completely pissed about it.)
PURDUE over Western Illinois
NORTHWESTERN over Illinois State
Georgia over SOUTH CAROLINA
MINNESOTA over South Dakota
WISCONSIN over San Jose State
IOWA over Iowa State
Michigan over NOTRE DAME
AIR FORCE over Brigham Young
Oregon over TENNESSEE
ALABAMA over Penn State
ILLINOIS over Southern Illinois
Stanford over UCLA

Last week: 16-2
Season: 16-2

UMD Hockey Loses Assistant Coach Rohlik to Ohio State

According to sources, UMD men's hockey assistant Steve Rohlik has resigned. He will be taking a position at Ohio State, where he gets to work with former Wisconsin assistant and new tOSU head coach Mark Osiecki.

Anyone who knows me knows my opinion of Rohlik. He was a huge part of the UMD staff. If nothing else, his recruiting ability and bench intensity will be missed and not terribly easy to replace.

Update at 8:30 P.M. Central: I have not seen an official press release on the move yet, but it has been expected and it has happened. Remember, Rohlik and Osiecki were teammates at UW, and it seems likely Rohlik was a top choice for Osiecki from the second he took the tOSU job.

I have received a couple e-mails and texts asking who will take over for Rohlik. I am not smart enough to be able to intelligently speculate on the search, but the natural reaction is to fall back on former players. With one former Bulldog -- Brett Larson -- already on the coaching staff, it makes sense that head coach Scott Sandelin might not feel any real pressure to hire an alum this time around.

Doesn't mean UMD won't go in that direction, but it doesn't seem like a slam-dunk.