Wednesday Skull Session

By D.J. Byrnes on September 10, 2014 at 6:00 am
Rod Smith da GAWD
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Just realized there's a bye week next week, and I'm pretty salty about it. 

FIVE THINGS I KNOW I THINK. I try to give myself about 72 hours before unleashing my hottest takes after a loss, and given that reflection time, here are some things I've come to know I think:

  • Curtis Samuel is the best running back on the team. As Urban once said about Curtis Samuel: "He goes so hard." (Harder than a Russian, mayhaps?) Ezekiell Elliott is a fine running back, but I think Samuel has earned a larger share of the carries. 
  • Corey Smith is redeemable. There's a reason J.T. Barrett kept throwing to Corey Smith, and it's not because he sucks. The junior college transfer might've had a bad game, but it happens. His best is yet to come.
  • Offensive line may not be fixed this year. Braxton Miller could mask some deficiencies, but J.T. Barrett isn't on that level yet.
  • Raekwon McMillan and Johnnie Dixon need to see the field. I don't understand how Urban says things like "We have to find ways to get Raekwon McMillan on the field," during his Thursday call-in show and then Raekwon plays one snap against Virginia Tech. It's time to blood the youngsters.
  • Bucks are still better than Michigan. If this turns into one of those "As long as we beat Michigan years," so be it. Ohio State will beat Michigan.

Just some #takes from the local Internet Man.

SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE. In wake of the VaTech loss, Bovada, the online oddsmaker, dropped Ohio State from 20:1 to win the national title to 40:1. That's the same spot they were in the day after Braxton Miller got injured.

The Buckeyes might still be worth a cheeky wager, because hell, last year Michigan State lost to a Tommy Rees-quarterbacked Notre Dame team. And by the end of the season they looked like they could beat anybody. I'm still holding out hope, baby.

BRI'ONTE DUNN PATIENTLY WAITS. Curtis Samuel, Ezekiel Elliott and Rod Smith have gotten the carries out of the backfield thus far this year. Canton's Bri'onte Dunn appears to be the odd man out, although it doesn't look like it's too much of a fault to Dunn.

From Todd Porter of The Canton Repository:

When Urban Meyer drove to Stark County and sat in Bri’onte Dunn’s kitchen during his senior season at GlenOak High School, Meyer got Dunn’s affirmation he would remain a Buckeye. He was one of the first recruits Meyer firmed up as Ohio State’s head coach.

Dunn had been waffling, initially after committing to Ohio State, wondering whether he should go to Michigan. The Buckeyes went through a coaching change and Meyer was bringing in his spread offense.

Keeping Dunn was seen by Buckeye fans as a major get then.

And here's Stan Drayton saying Dunn is almost there:

“You know what... Bri’onte has done more than he’s ever done. He’s improved in every facet of his game. At some point, as a positional coach, I make a decision based on who’s the most productive back and I have to put that in order.

“It’s a matter of guys executing a little bit better than him right now. He’s not doing anything wrong.”

If I were Dunn, hell, I'd be okay with biding my time. Running back is a brutal position, and one only has so many carries. Why not save them until you're an elder statesman?

GUNNER KIEL COMMETH. Tommy Tuberville — who has never lost to Urban Meyer — named ol' Gunner Kiel the starting quarterback as Cincinnati makes its 2014 debut(!) on Thursday Friday night

2012's No. 1 pro-style quarterback  originally committed to Louisiana State Indiana, then flipped to LSU, but ultimately spurned the Tigers for Notre Dame. This did not go over well with Les Miles on national signing day:

"There was a gentleman from Indiana that thought about coming to the Bayou state [who] did not necessarily have the chest and the ability to lead a program."

In April 2013, Kiel left Notre Dame and chose Cincinnati over Miami (OH), Ball State, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Kansas State. Brian Kelly, who used to coach Cincinnati, said Kiel landed "at the right place."

So it's likely Kiel's chest and ability will lead him into the Horseshoe — the same night as Dubgate V, don't forget — two weeks from Saturday.

BIGGEST EVER? Yesterday I mentioned how, regardless of actually ability, nobody is going to see Ohio State as an underdog. Today, I mention this:

THOSE WMDs. Drew Magary's "What It's Like to be a Benchwarmer" had me rolling... When you're in the club and remember you forgot to TiVo Ice Road Truckers...A diver wearing a robot-submarine suit will scour an ancient shipwreck for Roman artifacts.... Here's why video pop-up ads are so prominent... The worst #PennStateParole take... Sometimes the universe is tragically poetic.

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