Wednesday Skull Session

By D.J. Byrnes on April 23, 2014 at 6:00 am
The 1890 Ohio State Footballing Buckeyes, via the Ohio State Library's Digital Archives
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Shoutout to everyone under the age of 30 that will log into Facebook today. Y'all put the "lost" in the "Lost Generation."

 GET WHOOPED THEN, BEARCATS. Urban Meyer wanted more night games, and Urban Meyer gets what he wants. BTN released their primetime slate yesterday, and it was announced the Cincinnati-Ohio State banger will be a 6 P.M. kickoff.

That brings Ohio State's night games to an unprecedented four. I'm glad I'll be working during those games, otherwise I'd end up in the Workhouse. (If you're asking yourself "What's the Workhouse?" consider yourself blessed.)

CHAD LINDSAY ROLLS BUCKEYE. Ohio State's quest to rebuild its offensive line got a shot in the arm yesterday. Former Alabama center Chad Lindsay, who started four games for the Tide last year, chose to sign with Ohio State. He's a graduate transfer and will play this year.

Many thought Lindsay would follow his old coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, to Michigan. Apparently Mr. Lindsay is a bit smarter than that. (Your MGOBLOG meltdown thread can be found this way.) 

 THERE WAS FIRE AFTER ALL. Rumors had swirled around Ohio State commit/Canton McKinley Bulldog Eric Glover-Williams about a possible fight with a teammate. Yesterday, those rumors came to fruition.

ELEVEN WARRIORS WORLDWIDE LLC obtained a copy of the grainy, vertically-filmed video, but some narc reported it to YouTube. So you'll have to take my word: This whole thing was pretty overblown. 

It's hard to make a final judgement without knowing the context of the fight/which fighter was the aggressor, but even so, it wasn't a good look for a kid who has a lot to lose and already has some marks on his record. (So says the 27-year-old man who was an idiot teen and also has the benefit of hindsight.)

JIM TRESSEL IS A FINALIST FOR AKRON PRESIDENCY. Jim Tressel is currently applying for two university presidencies. The current Vice President of Student Affairs at Akron, however, has made the final three for Akron's head spot.

The cynic in me I think this could be a ploy to pacify the pro-Tressel crowd for when he is eventually passed over.

Tressel is a great man, but he doesn't have a doctorate and isn't steeped in academia. I also have a feeling some college professors — the wisest human beings known to walk the earth — would have a problem with reporting to a retired football coach.

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

SHAZIER, ROBY INVITED TO NYC. Browns Christmas — aka the NFL Draft — is almost upon us. The NFL has invited an unprecedented 30 players to the affair

The list is heavy on SEC players, but Ohio State's Bradley Roby and Ryan Shazier have been extended an invite, meaning they have a great shot at being drafted in the first round. (Who knew Bradley Roby wasn't a bum?)

I, for one, would loathe to be the last guy in the green room during a year with an unprecedented number of invitees.

OHIO STATE BE CHEATING. I believe if your college's athletics programs ain't cheating, they ain't trying. Would it surprise you to learn Ohio State seems to be the only one in the Big Ten trying?

From Ohio State's student voice, The Lantern:

The Ohio State athletic department self-reported 24 minor violations in the latter half of 2013, about double the amount reported by any of five other Big Ten schools.

[....]

The OSU Compliance Office determined there were multiple phone calls by football team staff members to prospective student-athletes and/or their parents. The report says they were the result of inadvertent “pocket dials.”

[...]

A member of the OSU football coaching staff reportedly used smokeless tobacco product during a game, violating NCAA bylaws.

Damn right they were pocket dials. And who's to say otherwise? NOBODY, THAT'S WHOM.

And props to the staff for once again refusing to throw out their smokeless tobacco during games. If there isn't a penalty, is it really a violation?

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. Bart Doan — if that is your real name — what the hell are you doing? Here's his rankings of B1G quarterbacks:

1. Connor Cook, Michigan State: He might look like a hipster, unconventional pick, but let's be honest ... Cook got it done when it had to be done last year, and before you scoff at his statistics, recognize that he had 21 TD's and 6 picks, which is not too shabby. Cook's 58 percent completion percentage leaves much to be desired, but a lot of that is from the first three games of the season, when drops were rampant and he eclipsed 55 percent only once. His only below 50 percent game from there on out was when they scored 41 against Nebraska. Make no mistake, he's ascending and enters the league as the best returning starter at the position.

2. Braxton Miller, Ohio State: Let this sink in: Braxton Miller is still at Ohio State. I suppose logic dictates that when you start winning a ton of games as a freshman, your college career to the outsider seems like it goes at glacial pace. Injury has nagged Braxton at times, but it's hard to ignore a guy who returns after slinging 24 TD's to 7 picks and is an astounding 23-2 in his last two years as a starter. You do wonder about his completion percentage though, eclipsing 45 percent only once in his last four Big Ten games. The running game won't be as big of a fallback option this year.

I don't even think Mark Dantonio would take Connor Cook over the reigning two-time Big Ten MVP. If I were a teacher, and thankfully for America I'm not, I would just scrawl "NO NO NO NO" in big red letters on this and make his mom sign it before returning it to me before tomorrow's class.

I MISS TEDDY BALLGAME. Here's a sick play from the immortal 2004 Alamo Bowl that surfaced on r/CFB yesterday:


Great football play is right. Adrenaline hadn't coursed through my body like this since I discovered a crackhead-burglar in my living room at 4:30 on a Tuesday afternoon a couple weeks back.

Teddy Ballgame was the definition of "cooking with peanut oil."

THOSE WMDs. Behind the Beanie Babies: The Secret Life of Ty Warner... Florida man tries to keep low profile while hauling 800 lbs shark in back of pick-up truck.... Charlie Strong: Texas won't play for title this year... Where the phrase "Back to square one" comes from... Watch a Troy OL squat 800 lbs... Here's old friend Kosta Koufos making a "three" sign... Texas fans have raised $16k for player's mom's open heart surgery... The ten movies with the highest body counts of all time... How to forge a masterpiece painting... Ryan Hall actively impeded the Boston Marathon chase group, helping Meb Keflezighi win... Not the best presentation of a beef jerky contest... 

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