Today's Skull Session is brought to you by American physician Sydney I. Russell, the inventor of the electric blanket; the same device that will be wrapped around my disgusting body while OSU students are risking death — let them tell it — to get to their 8 a.m. biology lab. (Those overachievers might win the game of life, but they'll never be able to take this morning's victory from my warm and toasty hands.)
This week's NSFW ANTI-WORK #BANGERS, because snow days are for people who celebrate recess:
- Victorian flirting tips (at the window and the dinner table).
- Scott Steiner and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to math.
- The Best of Trailer Park Boys.
CHRIS ASH STAYED THE COURSE. There's a lot to be said about staying the course, especially when you're a guy paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to come in and fix a problem.
That money sounds good until it's Saturday night after a loss and your wife is crying because an internet troll with a rudimentary understanding of football posted a Google Earth shot and address of your house into a message board thread dedicated to your murder/unemployment. ("I TOLD YOU NOT TO READ THOSE INTERNET BLOGS, LUWANDA!!!!!!!!")
Chris Ash, though? Ash's belief was never shaken, even after a turbulent start.
From Marcus Hartman of OhioState.Scout.com:
After giving up 370 yards rushing to Navy’s triple-option attack, the Buckeyes went into their second game of the season without having really gotten to play their new base 4-3 “quarters” defense against a live opponent using the type of offense it is actually built to stop. The newness show as the Ohio State defense wasn’t bad, giving up only 320 yards, but it wasn’t good enough, either. There were breakdowns at key times, particularly on third down, that let the Hokies keep drives alive and string together enough points to pull a 35-21 upset at Ohio Stadium.
Ash expressed confidence then, however, and continued to do so even after the Buckeyes yielded 352 yards passing to Cincinnati in a 50-28 win two games later. The problems in the two games seemed to be fairly different as the Bearcats scored on a couple of long bombs and the Hokies did more of their damage on short and intermediate passes, but the answer for the coaching staff remained the same in any event.
“We didn’t change because of a loss to Virginia Tech. We didn’t change because of how we played in a particular game the way we wanted to whether it be pass defense ... After the Cincinnati game, I’m sure people wanted to blow up what we were doing in coverage, but we didn’t change anything,” Ash said.
And that's what separates the good coaches from the bad coaches. Brady Hoke stayed the course all the way to the bottom of Lake Michigan. Chris Ash stayed the course and resurrected Ohio State's pass defense.
HERMAN KNOWS ABOUT RINGS ON FINGERS. Urban Meyer's time at Bowling Green was a necessity to his career, but it didn't take him long to make mince-meat of the MAC.
Call it a hunch if you must, but I can't shake this feeling Conference USA is heading towards a similar shellacking at the hands of Tom Herman and his Houston Cougars.
Via Doug Samuels of FootballScoop.com:
Wow, is Urban's influence is all over that video; Herman was definitely taking notes in Columbus. (Though, I don't think I ever saw two Buckeyes fighting over a tire in any of the videos produced by OSU.)
I don't bet because I don't own money, but if I were a gambling man/money owner, I would put all the money on the Cougars.
(Looking over Houston's 2015 schedule, the Coogs have a September 12th date at Louisville. I'm no financial adviser, but you might want to look into liquidating a 401k to bet on Tom Herman hitting a lick on duplicitous Bobby Petrino. Hell, use your kid's college fund if you must.)
ANOTHER BRAXTON RECOMMIT. Since the Buckeyes won the title, I think everyone but Braxton Miller has said Braxton Miller is coming back for a final run with Ohio State.
From Bill Rabinowitz of Dispatch.com:
“He’s a Buckeye,” said [QB guru George] Whitfield, an Ohio native. “He’s one of those kids who had Ohio State wallpaper growing up.”
[...]
After the national championship game, as the confetti swirled, Whitfield was on the field with Miller.
“He put his arm around me and goes, ‘I didn’t really see it playing out like this for me, but damn, it feels sweet.’ … There’s no bitterness.”
It's still weird to me everyone around Braxton is saying Braxton is returning... except for Braxton. Still, I suppose he gave OSU fans his word before the season began, and if nothing's changed for him, there's no need to create another round of headlines by saying so.
Another storyline of QBgeddon, though: Braxton receives off-season training from George Whitfield, who is the high-profile "QB Whisperer." Many people smarter than me, however, contend the true "QB Whisperer" is Tom House, a lesser-profile QB coach who works with J.T. Barrett. (King Dolodale, for the record, is personally instructed by Zeus in the off-season.)
I guess this summer we'll find out who the true guru is. (In the meantime, I'm going to keep watching this Vine.)
NORWELL LETS SILK BRAIDS FLOW. Former Buckeye OL Andrew Norwell, now with the Carolina Panthers, is proof of what happens when you prepare for an opportunity.
From Andrew Robbins of TheLantern.com:
"The [hair's] still going,” Norwell said. “It’s been five years since I’ve had a full haircut.”
[...]
Andrew Norwell was inactive for the first six weeks of the season before making his NFL debut in Green Bay on Oct. 19, when Trai Turner was injured in the first quarter.
“My O-line coach said, ‘All right, get in there.’ I ran on the field and basically took advantage of the opportunity … and I never got taken off the field since I was put in that day,” Andrew Norwell said.
And it doesn't look like Norwell will be coming off that field for the forseeable future. Norwell, Green Bay's Corey Linsley (another injury benefactor), and Indianapolis' Jack Mewhort all slobbed hardcore in the League this year.
If Ed Warinner is still employed at Ohio State next year, then something went tragically wrong, and I'll already be in Mexico.
MA'AM? Heartbreaking to see how close this girl thinks she was to finding true love...
"@OSUCrush: #Starstruck Where can I buy your jerseys?! @TDeck68 pic.twitter.com/4iYC5RA9IK" uh that's not me, don't use that bag or wear that
— Taylor Decker (@TDeck68) February 20, 2015
@TDeck68: "@OSUCrush: #Starstruck Where can I buy your jerseys?! @TDeck68 pic.twitter.com/3MvXBJI4S0" that's me @TDeck68
— Brady Taylor (@beTaylor79) February 20, 2015
Well, there is no such thing as Slob love, after all...
THOSE WMDs. Jared Sullinger (stress fracture in foot) is out indefinitely.. I want to party with this bossy seal... Cardale Jones to appear on ESPN's Black History Month special... Jay Z thought David Wells was Curt Schilling... Meet Biddy, a traveling hedgehog.
