Friday Skull Session

By D.J. Byrnes on September 19, 2014 at 6:00 am
94 Comments

And so begins the first bye-weekend. Please don't get arrested, Buckeyes.

This week's NSFW ANTI-WORK #BANGERS:

JALIN MARSHALL MAKES THE LEAP. I've been impressed with Jalin Marshall this year; I'd even go as far to say he's looked Ohio State's best H-back. Urban said yesterday on his call-in show Marshall used to be "a bad practice player."

But he's gotten past that in his second year in the program. And he's looking to continue his development.

From Doug Lesmerises of the cleveland.com:

Marshall (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) has gained 36 yards from scrimmage on three carries and four catches. Wilson (5-10, 188) has gained 146 yards on eight carries and five catches. The Buckeyes have speed there but are still trying to figure a way to use it best. And they're still balancing players with raw talent and those veterans with a little more blocking and fundamental ability

[...]

"If he keeps moving up the ladder, those two will be on the field at the same time, too," Meyer said.

[...]

"I feel like I can grow as a vital part of the team," Marshall said. "I need to be more of a vital part of the team so we can win more games."

Urban also slyly noted on his his call-in show that "there were a few ways," the team wanted to use Jalin Marshall if he continued his trajectory. (Could be a way for the high school quarterback to solve Bennett's inability to test the edge with the speed option, ya?) 

Regardless, I look forward to watching Marshall for the next couple years. 

FIXING THE B1G. The Big Ten is trash, but I found Associated Press writer Ralph Russo's take on fixing the matter. Here's a startling stat:

Only 17 of the top 100 high school players, as rated by Rivals.com, in the 2014 signing class came from states with Big Ten schools, and that's including New York, New Jersey and Maryland, and Washington D.C. Rutgers and Maryland joined the Big Ten this season.

The current top 100 for 2015 includes only nine players from Big Ten states. It goes to 10 if you throw Connecticut in the Big Ten's footprint.

And what about facilities?

Franklin, along with his predecessor, Bill O'Brien, brought a dose of reality to Penn State that could have a ripple effect throughout the conference.

"Y'all might think these are the best facilities in the country, but they're not," [BTN's Gerry] DiNardo said was the message Franklin and O'Brien sent. "Y'all might think you're paying everyone a lot, but you're not. Y'all might think the staff's big enough, but it's really not."

I don't have a magic wand for the Big Ten, but this isn't the first year they've been ridiculed for their football teams, and yet, it seems like it will get worse before it gets better. Good times.

GOOD SEC PARENTING. I don't know all the rules about having a kid (judging by the reproduction of former classmates, there aren't many), but uh, I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to force a #teen to play a drinking game during a Tennessee game even if you catch your #teen drinking.

From Tennessee's WLTX via (Deadspin's Samer Kalaf):

Some of the witnesses then left the home, but when they came back, the teen was lying unresponsive on the kitchen floor.

Hughes started fighting with the people in the house when they tried to take the boy to the hospital, so they put the 15-year-old in the back of a car and called police.

Officers said Hughes was "clearly intoxicated" and "couldn't keep his balance." Hughes was apparently cursing and screaming at witnesses, according to the release. Officers said they had to restrain Hughes when he tried to attack the witnesses.

Ironically, watching his stupendously drunken father catch  delinquency of a child and aggravated child abuse charges might be the greatest anti-drinking PSA this #teen ever sees.

COLUMBUS NAMED TOP OPPORTUNITY CITY. Here's something that doesn't surprise anybody residing in Ohio's capital city.

From Erin Carlyle of Forbes.com:

It’s not just the Short North neighborhood that makes Columbus a city of opportunity. A major factor is its very low cost of home ownership (the median sales price in the first quarter was $99,900). Amenities like Ohio State, a major university in the heart of downtown, a thriving arts and cultural scene, and a top-tier hospital make it a city where people can build a career as well as a rewarding life. Columbus lands the No. 1 spot on our inaugural list of Opportunity Cities, which we developed in collaboration with Sperling’s Best Places.

Unlike major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, where professionals in the early to middle phases of their careers (ages 25 to 39) might feel overwhelmed or lost in the shuffle, most of these cities are small enough that enterprising people can really make their mark. But they’re still large enough to offer amenities—museums, parks, and in many cases vibrant downtowns–that make for a high quality of life. Most importantly, because these places offer affordable housing, residents enjoy the opportunity to spend their energy getting creative, starting a company, or simply enjoying time off, without the pressure-cooker professional environment and stressfully high housing costs that are the hallmark of many of the nation’s biggest job centers.

If Marion is disqualified: Columbus rules. Not sure where life will take me, but it's very likely I will die (penniless, in a gutter) somewhere within the borders of Franklin County. I really couldn't be a bigger believer in this city or its future.

If you're thinking of moving to the area, what's stopping you? THERE'S GOLD IN THESE HERE HILLS.

LOOK AT OL' WALT. You guys might recognize Walt Keys from the photography, graphic design and game day posters he churns out for 11W. Did you also know he moonlights as a brewery owner? #DamnItsTrue.

From Walker Evans of ColumbusUnderground.com on Walt's Franklinton-based company, Land-Grant Brewing:

The warehouse itself clocks in at 9000 square feet and is home to Land Grant’s 20-barrel brewing system, 45-barrel fermenters, a smaller pilot system for testing recipes, kegging and canning equipment, a cold-storage room and a loading dock for deliveries.

“For the first couple of weeks, we’ll just be serving our beer at the bar, and then we’ll start putting it in kegs to deliver to other venues,” says Benner. “The canning operation is still a few months away.”

The starting lineup of beers at Land Grant includes the 1862 Kolsch Ale, Stiff-Arm Imperial IPA, Son of a Mudder Brown Ale and Greenskeeper Pale Ale. Keys says that seasonal beers will also be offered, though they haven’t decided which ones will appear in the lineup first.

Walt, as you guys might imagine, is a bit of a boss, so I expect big things from Land-Grant Brewing. If suds are your thing, you should definitely check it out if you're in the Franklinton area.

THOSE WMDs. There are is such a thing as a gourmet hotdog?... Blue Jackets playing hard ball with their best player... The original 'Friday Night Lights' article... Police seize Vatican car carrying four kilos of cocaine worth £150,000... Roll Tide... Clever... Can't stop looking.

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