Today is a big day for your boy. Today, if all goes according to my machinations, Heaven (internet) and Earth (gas) will be moved into my apartment. As much as I liked the 1980s and all the cold showers of the last week, I am looking forward to being able to optimally perform my job and not relying on the girlfriend's mobile hot spot.
~*~*~let's get this party started~*~*~
THREE FRESHMEN WHO MUST PERFORM. Dave Regimbal of Bleacher Report picked three freshmen who must perform during fall camp:
- Raekwon McMillan, LB
- Johnnie Dixon, WR
- Sean Nuernberger, K
Johnnie Dixon is a player to watch, but the kicking battle between Nuernberger vs. senior Kyle Clinton will be an under-hyped position battle. (Gotta blood the freshman, right?)
LOOK AT THE GOPHERS. Minnesota is back on Ohio State's schedule for the first time since my dude Jerry Kill took over the reins. I'm on record as saying the trip to Minnesota scares me more than The Game.
Anyway, here's part of Cleveland.com's Doug Lesmeries' interview with Minnesota beatwriter, Joe Christensen:
5. Ohio State hasn't played Minnesota since a 52-10 win in Minneapolis in 2010. That means the Buckeyes haven't played a Jerry Kill Gopher team yet. What's the overall state of Minnesota football in your mind, and what kind of game and atmosphere do you expect for the Buckeyes' visit on Nov. 15? What kind of team will Minnesota be by then?
It's going to be cold, and the Gophers were no fun to play last November. They beat Penn State to reach 8-2, as you mentioned. And even though they lost their next two games to Wisconsin and Michigan State, they played physical and tough. The defense played well enough to win both games, but the offense fell into a serious funk, which spilled into the Texas Bowl loss to Syracuse. If their young receivers blossom, and Leidner finds a passing groove – all big ifs – I could see the Gophers sitting at 3-2 in the Big Ten heading into that Ohio State game.
It'll be interesting to see what Minnesota's psyche is coming off the Iowa game on Nov. 8. The end of the season is daunting: Ohio State, at Nebraska, at Wisconsin. I can't imagine Minnesota beating Ohio State this year, but based on the team's progression under Jerry Kill, it's not hard to picture a competitive game.
NO, JOE, IT'S NOT HARD TO PICTURE A COMPETITIVE GAME. Why does a nice guy like Jerry Kill intimidate the bejeesus out of me? BECAUSE NICE GUYS ARE ALWAYS THE SCARIEST.
MATTA STAYS TRUE. Thad Matta is a helluva recruiter, but some Ohio talent has gotten out from under him. Here's a snippet of a Bob Baptist column in yesterday's Columbus Dispatch on that idea:
Matta has another top-10 recruiting class on board for next season, and he is working on yet another for 2015 as he and his assistants embark this week on the annual July tour of skills camps and AAU tournaments.
But he said he hasn’t narrowed his recruiting focus, or tried to identify or project Ohio’s talent earlier, despite the inroads the Buckeyes’ biggest Big Ten rivals have made into the state.
[...]
“I wouldn’t say we’ve made adjustments,” Matta said in a recent interview. “Obviously, we’re trying to do the best we can. But we know we’ve got needs, and we’re attempting to project what we’re going to need in the future.”
I obviously would love for Ohio State to KEEP ALL THE OHIO TALENT, but I'm not going to disagree with Thad Matta's efforts. I think the proof is in the pudding at this point.
JOEY BOSA IS A FREAK. FoxSports released an All-Freaks team, and Joey Bosa's inclusion shouldn't shock anyone. He can do this, remember?
GENE SMITH HAS NO CLUE. Kidding aside, I appreciate the honesty, Gene. From The Lantern:
On the heels of former Buckeye football player Tracy Sprinkle’s arrest, OSU vice president and athletic director Gene Smith said in an interview withThe Lantern Tuesday he doesn’t know if “we’ll ever get to that utopia.”
“It’s been like this for almost 30 years now, every year there’s something,” Smith said. “You know, people put themselves in positions where they just shouldn’t be, and they need to learn that.”
There is, however, hope for Tracy Sprinkle (and others who will eventually fall off the straight and narrow path):
“I’m always a huge believer in if you can save a kid, save him,” he said. “If we have an indication that, from a behavior modification point of view, they’re going to respond to us.”
I guess there will be hope for that utopia when human players are replaced by robots. (Laugh now, cry later.)
THOSE WMDs. Lord of Whispers is killin' it at The Opening... Paying tribute to the NBA's 1996 offseason, the wackiest one by miles... Lance Armstrong's new life... Bartender returns $200 she stole from bar owners 15 years ago... A fixed World Cup match? Yeah, it could happen... Fugitive offers opinion on Washington NFL team name, gets recognized and arrested... Super excited to break down Warren G. Harding's sexting game... Obit of American whose 1978 conviction of espionage led to ban on warrantless wiretaps... Wiggle wiggle wiggle... RIP Brazil...
