Though the football Buckeyes are off this week, Urban still knocked out his weekly call-in show yesterday, offering up a few worthy bits of news.
After planting the seed a few weeks back, Meyer basically confirmed Jordan Hall will take a medical redshirt and return next season, adding one more body to what is already shaping up to be a ridiculous amount of talent at running back.
Meyer also reiterated what he said after Wednesday's practice proclaiming Sabino should be ready to roll against Wisconsin. Urban also noted that in the basic 4-3, Sabino will join Boren and Shazier, making it clear he has no plans to move Boren back to offense.
Though both Boren and Sabino struggle to cover receivers, Fickell can likely afford to play three linebackers more often in the next two games as both Wisconsin and Michigan lean heavily on the run game because neither has a quarterback that can throw with much consistency. Currently, Michigan is 4th in rushing offense while Wisconsin is 5th. Through the air Wisconsin has the conference's 7th best pass offense with Michigan sitting at 11th.
Things really seem to be setting up quite nicely for the Buckeyes.
QUESTIONS AT QUARTERBACK. Both Wisconsin and Michigan are are having issues at quarterback thanks to Denard's arm injury and Joel Stave's broken collarbone.
Brady Hoke was non-committal on a potential Robinson return this Saturday against Northwestern, a week after Denard was a late scratch against Minnesota:
"I don't know, if I knew, I'd tell you. The plan is to go out and win a football game."
Last week, QB/WR Devin Gardner played well against the Gophers following a full week of practice to prepare after Russell Bellomy stunk up the joint the week prior when he replaced an injured Denard in the ugly loss to Nebraska. It seems a foregone conclusion that whatever happens this week, Denard should be back for The Game in Columbus but you'll still want to check in on the Wolverines (noon kick) and get some backup quarterback scouting done just in case Denard can't go or is knocked out by the Buckeye defense.
In Madison, the Badgers are turning to their third starting quarterback of the year after William Gholston snapped Stave's collarbone last week. Fifth-year senior Curt Phillips gets the nod over the largely ineffective Danny O'Brien. Phillips is a feel-good story, playing for the first time in two years thanks to three, yes three, torn ACLs during his time in Madison. Phillips has just 12 passing attempts and 14 rushes in his collegiate career. You can keep an eye on Phillips as the Badgers take on Indiana at noon on Saturday.
CIRCLE OF DISTRUST. The Montgomery Advertiser reported yesterday that Auburn football program, aka Gene Chizik, has contracted a private security firm to assist in enforcing player curfews.
Already one of the rare programs to have a nightly curfew, Chizik is sending guys on and off campus to do basically do bed checks which tells you all you need to know about how much he trusts his players.
The players have been openly grumbling about the curfew and with the losses piling up and the clear dissension amongst the ranks, it looks more and more likely that Auburn will fire Chizik once this grease fire of a season is over despite his $7.5 million buyout.
Clearly, it's a little tougher to win games without the aid of a $180k quarterback leading the charge.
Adjusting to the funky shooting backdrops will be keyUNDER CON$TRUCTION. Gene Smith announced yesterday that the construction project currently underway to build a new practice gym, improve the locker rooms, weight room and build a new rehab and exercise pool for both Buckeye hoops programs is both over budget and behind schedule.
The delays in construction mean the full project won't be completed until next fall, though the new locker rooms could be ready to roll late this month.
As for the increased coin, the expected cost upon breaking ground was $13.7 million but Smith said the final figure will be much closer to $19 million.
JUST THE TIP. As you know, your basketball Buckeyes officially open the season tonight against Marquette on the deck of the USS Yorktown at the Carrier Classic.
Kyle will have the preview up later today but in the meantime here's a snapshot from CBS. Like Matta, Golden Eagles head coach Buzz Williams has the tall task of replacing two big guns from last year's Sweet Sixteen squad. Jae Crowder was the Big East POY and both he and Darius Johnson-Odom are now in the league, taking their combined 36 points and 12 boards to the next level.
Williams will rely heavily on senior PG Junior Cadougan to get everyone involved but obviously, Cadougan will have his hands full with Craft.
As of this writing, the Buckeyes are a 6.5 point favorite but I have to believe the winning margin will be more like 10+.
As for the setting, it will be a great night of basketball but I'm interested to see if the one end of the court gives players trouble knowing it's so close to the edge of the ship, and the backdrop looks a little distracting:
The four teams each had about an hour on the converted court, set between the carrier's large command tower and the warship's far end. A mesh backing was set up just a few feet from a basket to stop high rebounds or really bad passes from landing in the water some 30 feet below.
"That one end is intimidating. I didn't know it would be so close to the edge of the ship," Matta said. "After watching us pass the ball in practice, I hope they'll have some extra ones."
In one last nugget on the hoopsters, Luke Winn released his preseason All-American squads and the Buckeyes are well represented.
Deshaun makes the 1st team along with conference mate Cody Zeller while Craft is the 2nd team point guard joined in the backcourt by Trey Burke.
YOU JUST GOTTA KEEP ON LINKIN', MAN. L-I-N-K-I-N. A new bowl game has been announced... USA Today ranks the top 10 college hoopsters and the Buckeyes are left out... The 16 Biggest Reasons Kids Suck at Sports... I do what I want... An anti-women's rights pamphlet from 1910... Tokyo subway map.
