AND ON THE NINTH DAY... HEATED WATER, ELECTRICITY, INTERNET AND CABLE COEXISTED IN THE SAME APARTMENT!!!! (BEN FRANKLIN AIN'T GOT SHIT ON ME!!!!! [Link NSFW])
Like the King, Larbon Jam, I'm back, baby. After a week of cold showers, I'm ready to take back my bloggin' corners.
(Just don't make fun of me for the holes in my wall.)
BUCKEYES LEAD THE WAY. ESPN released their "College Football Future Rankings" Top 25, and no surprise, the No. 1 team is the Alabama Crimson Tide. (I can't wait until Saban retires.)
What goes into these rankings?
Here's how we compiled it: Our panel -- [Travis Haney], Brad Edwards, Brock Huard, Tom Luginbill and Mark Schlabach -- provided 1-10 ratings in five different categories that we found to be comprehensive in determining current positioning, as well as a projection for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Fair enough.
Given the fact Urban Meyer has been harvesting gems since he stepped foot in Columbus, it should be equally unsurprising to find out Ohio State is near the top of the list as well. ESPN clocked them at No. 3 in the country, which of course is good enough for the Big Ten's top spot.
"I don't think they look at themselves as competing with the rest of the Big Ten," [Brad Edwards] said. "I think they're competing with Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma, USC and teams like that. ... I think Ohio State is going to keep getting better. I think [the Buckeyes are] going to run away from that conference."
The panel, however, was not as high on a certain team north of Ohio's border:
"Here comes a painful comparison for Michigan fans: Chizik-era Auburn, without the Cam Newton title year," Haney writes. "Michigan had the Nos. 6 and 7 classes in 2012 and 2013. If you recruit that well and you do not produce, it begins to work against you. ...
"Momentum is definitely working against Michigan. But we said the same thing a year ago about Oklahoma, a program with similar history and tradition (albeit a far more stable coaching situation). Hoke's program is at a crossroads. He could be [Will] Muschamp entering 2015, or he could be Bob Stoops. That's one heck of a spectrum."
Damn, ESPN really went there and soiled the honorable name of Will Muschamp by linking him to Brady Hoke? Whom did Muschamp hurt at ESPN?
ON OSU, ENTITLEMENT AND THE BIG TEN RACE. While Brian Bennet was busy re-blogging ESPN's paywalled content (good buisiness #strat there), the talented 50% of ESPN's Big Ten blogging team released an interesting read:
Let's get this out of the way first. I don't begrudge anyone for listing Ohio State as the 2014 Big Ten favorite.
Setting us up for the big hook here, eh, Rittenberg?
What bothers me is the tone about the Buckeyes and this season's Big Ten title race. I've been on several radio shows in recent weeks that have presented the conference as one where Ohio State is 50 yards ahead and everyone else is trying to catch up. Some playoff projections list Ohio State as the Big Ten's only candidate. Bovada's futures list Ohio State with 1/1 odds to win the Big Ten and 2/5 odds to win the East Division. That is an overwhelming endorsement for Meyer's crew.
[...]
I guess I'm trying to figure out where a significant gap exists between Ohio State and Michigan State. I understand the risk of basing too much on a previous season. MSU has to rise up again. But it's not like the Spartans are a one-year marvel. They have averaged 10.5 wins over the past four seasons.
Maybe the perceived gap is based on talent and recruiting.
It's most definitely about recruiting and talent. Sure, Dantonio has cobbled together a respectable program by finding two and three-star gems, but that's not how elite programs are built in this day and age.
Look back to when Urban Meyer and Florida (almost) literally eviscerated Ohio State until Florida State toppled Auburn in January. No championship team during that stretch was built on "diamonds in the rough."
That's why people are high on Ohio State despite all they've lost, because Urban understands recruiting is the lifeblood of a program.
For comparison's sake, however, here are Michigan State's last three recruiting classes, per Rivals:
Now, here are Ohio State's last three, again per Rivals:
So, yeah.
I like Rittenberg, and they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I'm going to take the most recent page out of his book:
No disrespect to Michigan State, but I don't see them contending for a national title anytime soon.
TYLER GREEN BLOWS UP. Tyler Green came to an Ohio State camp with a mission of acquiring an offer. He did that, and shortly thereafter became a brick in the #Elite15. Not bad for a kid who didn't start a majority of last season.
Yet, it looks like this Urban Meyer (and his staff) have a keen eye for talent evaluation, folks:
And Honey Badger was never considered big, but he's also been in an NFL weight program for a year. Tyler Green is a big cat:
OSU commit Tyler Green is a big DB at the Opening. He's towering over the Honey Badger. pic.twitter.com/rVlexw7E2G
— jbook (@jbook37) July 9, 2014
It's a good thing these young fellas roll their shirts up past their midrift. How else would I know they're in shape!?!?
GEORGE HILL GETS #BIZZY. Last month, Hubbard's 2016 running back, George Hill, pledged his services to The Ohio State Buckeyes.
Via @BuckeyeSpeed, here's his 2013 (sophomore) highlight reel that was published yesterday:
I always like highlight reels of unproven prospects, because they always fire me up to the point I'm willing to start working on their busts for the NFL Hall of Fame.
When I attended the University of Montana (a wild time in my life), I was convinced Antonio Henton was the "more athletic" heir to Troy Smith's throne.
The source of my conviction? A three minute highlight video of a Georgia high school state championship game. (I spent twenty minutes searching for the video, but alas, I can't find it.)
Honestly, I still can't believe Antonio isn't doing big things in the league right now. (Don't buy hookers off the street, folks.) What is that guy doing now? I need to get Citro on the case.
SOCIAL MEDIA SINGLE-GAME TICKET SALE. Ohio State is hosting a "social pre-sale" for single game tickets. Follow the team, athletic department or Brutus Buckeye on Twitter or Facebook? Great, you're invited to buy tickets before the unwashed masses show up a day later:
Here's the password for tomorrow's social media football ticket sale (lim quantities avail) pic.twitter.com/kHv8AKRRqv
— OSU Ticket Office (@OhioStateTix) July 10, 2014
Be here. 10 a.m.
THE HAND OF JUSTICE. In light of the Sprinkle situation, ESPN whipped up this graphic illustrating the evolution of Urban Meyer, disciplinarian. At Ohio State, fewer players are getting arrested and Meyer is suspending more of those that do.
THOSE WMDs. Creepy 1910s sexts aside, Warren G. Harding was a solid president, you guys... Shoutout to 11W designer/photographer Walt Keys and his brewery about to take the Midwest by storm... The Engineer's version of a corkscrew... Terrible headline juxtaposition, newspaper... This has to be a bad omen for the Tide, right?... Meet the man guarding Jamaica's endangered reptiles... Michael Irvin is upset with Cris Carter... For $12k, you can own a lighthouse.
