Happy Sunday Buckeye fans and welcome to today's Skull Session.
I honestly feel terrible for Urban Meyer right now.
He was often criticized at Florida for having so many players arrested (30 during his 6 years at Florida) and since he's taken the reigns at Ohio State, there have been 3 major arrests already, including Storm Klein's recent debacle later dismissed from the team.
Even though these arrests are completely out of his control, won't Coach Meyer get the blame?
If the Buckeye football team continues their arrests at the current pace, Meyer will definitely smash his arrest record at Florida, even if it's completely out of his control.
Way to go Buckeyes, let's continue our streak of dominance vs. Florida since the 2007 multi-sport championship losses.
Anyway, Nike's The Opening in Oregon has occupied most of my weekend and there is a lot to talk about, the Ohio Homecoming was entertaining, and many other exciting things happened in the last few days. We can put the negatives aside for now.
I'll ease you into it. We'll start with hoops and make our way into the football recruiting news.
CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT 'EM. Just like how you are indispensable to the company you work for (they can't get rid of you), college basketball has their indispensable players.
ESPN posted a list of college basketball's most indispensable players and you guessed it, there has to be at least one Buckeye on the list. Why would I post this without one?
8. Aaron Craft (Ohio State) -- Another year in the Big Ten. Another battle at the top of the conference. Indiana should be the preseason favorite to win the league. But Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State will be in that mix, too. The latter of which lost Jared Sullinger, but Craft is the kind of point guard that can make any roster click. He’s an efficient distributor (4.6 apg). And he’s still America’s top perimeter defender (2.5 spg). Yes, the Buckeyes need Deshaun Thomas to embrace his new role as the center of the offense. But Craft is still the most important player on that team. The Bucks are not elite without him.
I can't agree more that Aaron Craft is the most indispensable player on the Buckeyes, but #8? I was thinking top 5 for sure and here's why:
Other notables: #2 Cody Zeller, #4 Trey Burke. Agree?
OHIO HOMECOMING HOOPS. There were many questions why Evan Turner was not playing for the Team USA Elite squad that scrimmages the real Team USA during the Olympic trials.
The answer is that Evan Turner was helping out his former university and contributing to charity at the same time this Saturday. It wasn't just Evan Turner, many other "celebs" joined in on the action including former Buckeyes J.J. Sullinger, Ton Stockman, Dallas Lauderdale, Jon Diebler and David Lightly, Cleveland Cav Tristan Thompson, and others including former Lebron teammate Dru Joyce.
The group split to represent Team Columbus and Team Cleveland. The event held a 3-point contest before the game and can you guess who won? Check out that video here.
J.J. brought back memories once the game started:
Another THREEEE from @MrOH1O !!!! #TeamColumbus RT
— Ohio Homecoming (@OhioHomecoming) July 7, 2012
Each player had an opportunity to shine and the game was a success with Team Columbus eeking it out at the end 94-91.
11W's Kyle Rowland will have the full story tomorrow.
NIKE'S #THEOPENING RUMOR MILL . The Opening out in Oregon has been extremely eventful and the 11W recruiting staff has been working hard to stay on top of the rumor mill.
There has been plenty of rumors floating around specifically with Plano, Texas LB Mike Mitchell, who just crushed the SPARQ record with an incredible 4.39 40 yard dash time.
Now, this isn't a speedy wide receiver. This kid is legit 6'3/215 and is faster than almost everyone else at the camp.
Mitchell has been rumored to be a Buckeye lean and could commit to OSU this weekend before the camp ends.
Hearing matter of when not if for Mike Mitchell to #OhioState
— Alex 11W (@alex11w) July 7, 2012
Mitchell says his top 3 are Ohio State, TCU, and Florida State but will visit Ohio State and Florida State in the next few weeks.
The six Buckeye commits at The Opening have also been under the microscope and TE Marcus Baugh performed as well as anyone in Saturday's 7 on 7s.
Marcus Baugh has been great today. #Buckeyes
— JC Shurburtt (@jcshurburtt) July 8, 2012
Baugh hooked up for multiple TDs with future rival and Penn State commit Christian Hackenberg.
RB Ezekiel Elliott rocked an Ohio State hat all day yesterday on ESPNU showing his strong allegience to his future school.
And...the best tweet of the day and something we will definitely be seeing a lot of down the road:
Cam Burrows breaks up a Shane Morris pass
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) July 8, 2012
Count on it.
MORE MITCHELL. Mike Mitchell also has a little brother who is a stud athlete as well. Mickey Mitchell (6-7/200) happens to be one of the top, if not the top, 2015 basketball recruit in the country. Whichever football program ends up landing Mike could greatly benefit the school's basketball program as well.
Whoever gets Mike Mitchell is also in very good position for landing his bro, stud 2015 SF Mickey Mitchell. bit.ly/NcqrZj
— Brian Perroni (@RivalsPerroni) July 7, 2012
Oh how Thad would be so happy with Urban if this all worked out.
CLICK IT OR A TICKET. Video from The Opening where it seems like the Michigan OL commits get beat every time. David Lighty giving his thoughts before the Ohio Homecoming game starts (bad quality). The Opening "easiest coach impersonations" with the not-so-funny Shane Morris and Alex Anzalone. If each BCS team was a drug which one would the Buckeyes be (Not too fond of OSU's but funny)? New Scout 100 has Marc Loving dropping to 48.
Comments
These are still Tressel's guys who are getting themselves arrested. We shall see about Meyer's recruits, whether they are quality individuals or the continuing line of thugs who have shown up way too often around Columbus recently.
From my perspective, it starts at the head coach and ends at the head coach. Recruit quality individuals and have little tolerance for bad activiy and the problem eventually takes care of itself, but you can't capitulate just because someone is a starter.
I don't know if all of the dismissals should be classified as "thugs" since they were for various reasons. Let the Klein situation play out before passing judgement. Don't forget that it was less than a year ago when a Pickerington player was a so-called rapist only to be exonerated later. Klein, if found guilty, will surely be one to classify as an undesirable but Clarke and the others have made bad decisions (firing a bb gun) and not acts considered felonious. My point is that these acts are not the same and 18 or 19 year old kids will make bad decisions, but obviously you can't call all of these kids thugs.
Beware the sound of one hand clapping.....
Well, yeah, the coach is responsible to some degree, but you just never know. You may recruit a kid that seems like a good kid, and then he surprises you with bad behavior.
Urban can't babysit all of these kids 24/7. All he can do is continue to emphasize the importance of making good decisions, and be swift and consistent in his punishments to players who make bad decisions. If Klein's dismissal sticks, who knows, maybe that will make another player stop himself before making a similar decision. I agree that there is no place for woman beaters anywhere in this world, and if he did in fact do this, he should be dismissed from the team plus face jailtime.
Class of 2010.
The only way Coach Meyer should get any blame for this kind of thing is if he does not make his expectations clear, or if he does not take firm punitive measures. Everything I have seen so far of Meyer in this regard has been just what I would hope for. He has responded quickly and his punishments have been firm and appropriate. Let's hope that his recruits are less troublesome as they begin to fill up the roster over the next few years.
GLiening
Thats something you have to give to coach meyer, hes had no tolerance for that sort of behavior so far. And he definetly didnt let the fact stoney is one of our best offensive weapons keep him from coming down hard on him(some might say too hard). I think the rest of the team will see that and respond by keeping themselves in check.
Well i like college and i like football...and im gunna keep doin em both cause they make me feel good!!!
He suspended from the team two starters for doing something I'd wager damn near everyone did in college and now has at least temporarily thrown off the team a quality backup for what may just have been defusing the situation by removing his angry girlfriend from the room during an argument (time will tell).
Folks, that's more than almost all D-1 coaches would do. Not sure what else people are thinking would "get it under control". Firing squads? Crucifictions?
Crucifixion ! In the middle of the Oval. Imagine the scene ! Just kidding, HC Meyer handled this appropriately, he has enough on his plate.
^^^+++ You nailed it here CPlunk.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
Isn't it "crucifixion?" Not to be anal. God knows how many times I've spelled "rediculous" and been reamed on this blog for it too.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
Haha, yes it is. That's what i get for spending 80k on American University.
Hahaha - I'm probably responsible for the reaming. Sorry - it's one of my pet peeves.
peaves.
Taquitos.
Actually, no.
It's "neaux" not "no"
"What do you think they will do?"
"Oh, you'll probably get away with crucifixion."
"Crucifixion?!?"
"Yeah...first offense."
"Get away with crucifixion??"
"It's the best things the Romans have ever done for us."
"Guards!"
"Nail him up I say..."
"Guards!"
"...nail some sense into him!"
To err is human. Really sucking requires having yellow stripes on your helmet.
Everybody please click the " if your BCS team were a drug" link... It's stings just a little bit but ours is spot on.
The world is full of kings & queens who'll blind your eyes & steal your dreams - it's heaven & hell - Ronnie James Dio.
I'm having trouble getting to that link... it's destroying my CPU. The main EDSBS page is fine... going to this story is maxing the processor, and I've tried it on 2 machines now.
IOWA: Auto-erotic asphyxiation
BWHAHAHA
~Because we couldn't go for three~
I love the tweet from the opening about Burrows...foreshadowing?
Raekwon commented on it last night as well. I like to know he is paying attention to our boys.
College kids will do college kid stuff regardless of how much the coaches are in their faces about what should and should not be done! Unless they hire a personal guard for them 24/7 - this will always be around.
The best thing about Pastafarianism? It is not only acceptable, but advisable, to be heavily sauced
The best part about the Burrows tweet is that Macmillan retweeted it
Cause I couldn't go for three
What do you know, the two most athletic kids at the opening are white kids..Mitchell and that Corner commited to Kansas. Kind of surprising, good for them.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.
It is not that bad. Mewhort and Stoneburner was just silly. Klein's is a bad one but he is gone. The arrests at Florida were not Meyers fault, rather, the type of players that are attracked to Florida. OSU will never look like the pit of thugs and crooks that make-up most of the SEC conference.
Did I mention Mike Mitchell is a beast!!?!? If we land this kid imagine the potential? A 6'3 240 lb LB that runs in the 4.4's as a jr or sr down the line. Being from Texas is great too.
Run_Fido's favorite word is strawman.
Imagine the potential of having him...all the LBs from 2012 and 2013 classes as well as these for 2014 (almost in now>"Garrett, Booker, McMillian" and may be one more in Kevin Crosby<may be). That would be a down right sick LBs corp to go along with a sick D-line and possibly no fly zone DBs if the right ones keep getting aquired. OH MY...is all I can say if that above happens. I'm a huge fan of Defense too J..so this is really exciting for me. Miss what OSU's Defense used to be like after last year...
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
@ David: I thought the same thing about the future after seeing that about Cam and Morris. NICE!
As far as Storm, it's too bad...and good luck to him. Hopefully it doesn't turn out to be all his doing and charges are changed (but a restraining order doesn't sound good nor does any of this for him). Unfortunately Meyer will continue to receive these types of criticisms from the media (and always will from SI, ESPN and others...SN and Matt Hayes types) over any of these types of situations involving arrests. Whiz Gate got WAY to much attention for what it was (Even though it was stupid as hell bc Stoney's house was literally 500yards away...wow...must have been really drunk). It sucks for Urban and as well as players that are not involved in any off the field issues (I must admit though, these guys are 18-22 and boy oh boy did I make some bad decisions during those years;-). Hopefully these guys will learn, I'm afraid it will be "rule with an Iron Fist" until they do.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
Just read a piece that said Alex Anazlone committed to Notre Dame - uff! Well, Mike Mitchell - come aboard the Buckeye Nation - we can use you immediately!!!
The best thing about Pastafarianism? It is not only acceptable, but advisable, to be heavily sauced
i guess they're 1-1 against each other, but if the game later in the season counts more (and i think it does) then Craft should be ranked over Burke.
obviously he's not the scoring machine that Burke can be, but he is the glue that holds the whole thing together... and if he can shut Burke down and put tOSU on top, doesn't that make him more valuable?
Veni, vidi, vici
UM3
Craft should definitely be top-5.
I was trying to think of the Buckeyes most indispensible player of my era and it's definitely Turner. The Buckeyes would have been terrible without him and we saw them go 3-3 with him on the bench.
If we removed Craft from this team, how fall would the Buckeyes fall off?