Reminder: Porter Gustin, a composite four-star OLB/DE/freak out of Utah, will be announcing his collegiate decision at 1 p.m.
Urban handled his recruiting personally down the stretch, and my policy is known in these streets by now: I don't bet against Urban Meyer in anything, let alone football.
The #Elite15 is going to bend some minds when the dust settles.
MIKE WEBER DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A MAN HEADING TO MICHIGAN. Mike Weber is one of my favorite commits in the 2015 class, namely because I'm a fan of young men who run like an Abrams tank:
It also doesn't hurt Weber was once committed to Michigan, or that it looks like he'll be another in a long line of recruits to say "thanks, but no thanks" to Michigan's 0-0 Footballing Jesus.
From DetroitNews.com's David Goricki's excellent profile of Mike Weber (emphasis mine):
New Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh made a big push to try to get Weber to reverse field and flip back to Michigan. While Weber didn't return phone calls or texts Sunday, he said recently he was "solid on Ohio State."
"I grew up a Michigan fan and it's always been a school I wanted to go to, play for, and that's why I made my decision to go there early," Weber said. "But when it went downhill and they lost Brady Hoke and didn't know who they would bring in, I committed to Ohio State. Then they hired (Jim) Harbaugh, but I was pretty solid on Ohio State because I wanted to try something different.
"I talked to Coach Harbaugh a few times and he's a real energized guy, a cool guy," Weber added. "I think he understands (why I'm going to Ohio State). He just wanted to get to know me."
Granted, it's recruiting and anything can happen, but it's like I've said: It would take a Harbaugh-like package for me to get into the professional ring with Urban Meyer, let alone a scenario where I'm behind him by three years. Anything less than that wouldn't be worth the pain or aggravation.
OSU-PURDUE ABOUT TO BE A BANGER? It's always weird for me when we shift from football to basketball, and Purdue morphs from bottom-feeding joke into something somewhat respectable.
And, if tomorrow's National Signing Day isn't your cup of tea, Ohio State's men's basketball team — now ranked No. 20, baby! — will play Purdue in what could be the Big Ten game of the week (6:30, BTN).
From Tom Dienhart of BTN.com:
GAME OF THE WEEK: Ohio State at Purdue, Wednesday – BTN (Watch on BTN2Go). Five teams are tied for second place with 6-3 conference records. Will anyone separate themselves from the others in the chase of first-place Wisconsin? This game in West Lafayette should provide some clarity to the tight bunch of teams. Mackey Arena will be rocking, as the Boilermakers and Buckeyes each has won three in a row. Can Purdue contain Ohio State’s work off the dribble? How will the Buckeyes deal with the Boilermakers’ size?
How will Ohio State deal with Purdue's size, Dienhart? Well, you know how Sirens lure drunken, horny sailors to their death? Ohio State's song of death goes a little something like this:
I think I need an MRI on my ankles just watching that.
A POIGNANT DEVIN SMITH OBSERVATION. Go watch some Devin Smith highlights. I had never noticed this, but it's uncanny:
I am dubious of Devin Smith as a 1st round pick, BUT... there are two things he does at an unbelievable level as a WR.
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmithFS) February 3, 2015
His ability to focus on and track the football, making some of the most difficult catches directly over his head.
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmithFS) February 3, 2015
The other thing that Smith does, that goes hand in hand with that, is how he runs. Watch Devin Smith run. It's difficult to master this
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmithFS) February 3, 2015
http://t.co/FICA54oDnx His head doesn't bounce... it barely moves. It allows him to track the ball much more easily than others.
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmithFS) February 3, 2015
Usually when receivers run, they have to gear down slightly to find that balance where the ball stops bouncing in the air. Smith doesn't.
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmithFS) February 3, 2015
http://t.co/egfZKQVX8R Another good example of D. Smith's running. This catch is absurd. Way more difficult than it looks
— Pete Smith (@PeteSmithFS) February 3, 2015
I've seen some mock drafts have Smith to the Browns at No. 19. I think that'd be painful to watch, and that has nothing to do with Smith's ability and everything to do with the Browns' quarterback situation.
SAMMY SILVERMAN: STILL A BAD, BAD DUDE. I would say I'd like to figure out a way to make this the wallpaper in my future mancave, but then I'd have to turn myself into prison for unironically using the term "mancave."
Still, this Sammy Silverman guy might have a future in the graphics design business. Here's his latest work commemorating every single win of the Urban Meyer reign (click to enlarge):
Come back to me, Buckeye football.
BOBBY PETRINO: STILL THE WORST. Yesterday, I mentioned Bobby Petrino using Super Bowl Sunday to avoid negative press about signing a JUCO player, Devonte Fields, who was thrown out of TCU after especially heinous domestic violence allegations.
Yesterday, Petrino struck again:
Dutch Fork (SC) RB Matt Colburn had been a Louisville committ for months. Until today. When UofL pulled his offer. Someone get that kid!
— Dallas Jackson (@DallasAJackson) February 3, 2015
Colburn is a four-star RB and the reigning Mr. Football of South Carolina. (One Rivals writer, in a since-deleted Twitter rant, told future South Carolinian stars to boycott Louisville.)
Starting with next year's class, I think any parents that let Bobby Petrino within 500 yards of their kid should be snitched on to Children's Services. That dude represents everything wrong with college football.
THOSE WMDs. This Old Man... Drug Kingpin Dethroned... Stevie Wonder is Not Blind: The Truthers' Case... Reuters' Pictures of the Month: January... Manifesto of the Committee to Abolish Outer Space... Let's put those record-breaking Super Bowl ratings in perspective.
