Are any of you excited for some new seats in Ohio Stadium?
ICYMI yesterday, OSU released some artist renderings and details about the additional 2,522 seats in the Horseshoe that show new sections above the twin team entrances to the stadium.
As D1145Fresh mentioned yesterday, can you imagine being an opponent coming into the stadium with over 108,000 fans (4,000 over capacity) screaming around you, including a section right over your head?
Actually, that might be too much of a treat for some opposing teams.
WE CAN LIVE WITH THESE PREDICTIONS. Just in time for college football preview magazine season, Athlon posted their predictions for the Big Ten yesterday.
Like many, they predict big things for Meyer's second year in the Big Ten, with the Buckeyes at least extending the streak to 25-0. So how confident are they about the Buckeyes? How much time did they spend considering Wisconsin or maybe even Penn State to top the Leaders?
None. The only discussion about Ohio State was about how high we would pick the Buckeyes in the national rankings. And after a brief discussion, we put Ohio State No. 2, right behind Alabama.
Can't say I disagree. Athlon also has Michigan winning the Legends division over Nebraska, Northwestern, and Michigan State (a somewhat tougher choice).
Preseason predictions are fun to read regardless of how accurate they end up being, but Athlon has a fairly decent track record when it comes to predicting the Big Ten. Last season they had the Buckeyes going 11-1 and winning the Leaders division over Wisconsin.
LAW CORNER. Pennsylvania's governor lobbed a "Hail Mary pass" of a lawsuit against the NCAA over the Sandusky Penn State sanctions, but it was struck down yesterday by Judge Yvette Kane.
Judge Kane was able to easily dismiss the case after not finding "any factual allegations supporting (Corbett's) allegation of 'concerted action' that might nudge its conspiracy claim into 'plausible' territory."
This case was primarily an anti-trust suit that alleged the penalties would make it more difficult for Penn State to recruit quality players:
"The fact that Penn State will offer fewer scholarships over a period of four years does not plausibly support its allegation that the reduction of scholarships at Penn State will result in a market-wide anticompetitive effect, such that the 'nation's top scholastic football players' would be unable to obtain a scholarship in the nationwide market for Division I football players,'' Kane wrote.
Johnny Music is better than you at literally everything. Wait — so you're telling me that reducing Penn State's scholarships each year will affect the entire market for the nation's top scholastic football players? As in, five-star recruits won't be able to get scholarships anymore simply because Penn State might not have room?
That's not just a Hail Mary kind of lawsuit, that's blindfolding yourself, spinning in a circle, and then lobbing a Hail Mary into a secondary full of Bradley Robys.
Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration. The worry isn't so much about players missing out on Penn State scholarships, but the principle that it might set for future cases.
But wait! That wasn't the only bit of legal news from yesterday, as the O'Bannon case moved to an old Delany classic, the "if pay-for-play model comes around, the Big Ten is headed to DIII."
Assertions like Delany's are "part of the legal maneuvering connected to whether the case should be certified as a class action. If the case is certified as a class action, it likely would bring thousands of current and former college football and men's basketball players into the case and potentially place billions of dollars in damages at stake."
So, no pressure, District Judge Claudia Wilken.
KENNY G, YOU'RE MY HERO. The Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart took some time to rank the Big Ten's most popular men on campus, the backup quarterbacks. Noted Boilermaker-slayer Kenny Guiton was second behind Northwestern's two starting quarterbacks.
Wait, what? I'm not sure Kain Colter and Trevor Siemian, who rotate at quarterback for Northwestern, really qualify for "best backup quarterback" considering neither is actually a backup. Colter typically takes the first snap of the game, but Northwestern runs one of the few successful platoon quarterback offenses in the country.
Besides Ohio State and Northwestern, the Big Ten is actually loaded with quality back ups, but few superstar starters. Wisconsin has Danny O'Brien, Curt Phillips, and Bart Houston, while Indiana has two of Tre Roberson, Cam Coffman, and Nate Sudfeld as well.
HELPING TO RECRUIT. Speaking of Indiana, Kevin Wilson is already declaring the new uniform designs a success on the recruiting front.
Wilson told a group of athletic department donors that the new looks are hip without being gimmicky, and will help to shift the perception of Indiana's program. I agree with Wilson — the new helmets look good, but their importance goes beyond just looking good on the field.
Multiple flashy uniforms don't equal success, despite what watching Oregon might make you think, but they do help to shift high schoolers' perceptions of Indiana football.
PLEASE LINK BEFORE PROCEEDING. Looks like Mississippi State is getting some news today... No one calls Urban a cry baby. NOBODY... Quite a few Buckeye targets on this list... Um, have you seen Bryce Haynes? A video in case you forgot... Notre Dame picks a QB... New insurance money in the NCAA... Kevin Sumlin, gamer... Looks like some UK players are out the door... Of interest to recruiting fans... Johnny M is now a country music video superstar, at least when he's not throwing passes blindfolded.
