Friday Skull Session

By D.J. Byrnes on September 4, 2015 at 4:59 am
Isaiah Prince
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Besides an Ohio State W, is there anything better in college sports than a Michigan L? (Especially when that L is being handed to them by Trailer Park Legolas?)

Doubt any Michigan fans will slide into my Twitter mentions talking that trash about Harbaugh today. (I mean, who would've thought that an Iowa castaway wasn't the answer at QB? And how bad must Shane Morris be?)

As for TCU-Minnesota... I don't have that answer because I'm a retired family man who is in bed by midnight every night.

  • This week's NSFW ANTI-WORK #BANGERS moved to Monday for [CLASSIFIED REASONS].

PERRY LEADS THE WAY. Joshua Perry will play linebacker in the NFL next year, but that's only if he wants to. Perry is one of those guys that could succeed in any field — whether it be crushing running backs or residing over the United Nations. 

From Scout.com:

One year earlier, in the fall of 2013, an interview session with Perry ended with a small-talk question about the green wristband he was donning. Not yet joined by Joshua’s Be Brave wristband, the brain injury awareness wristband stood out.

Perry mentioned he wore it to support his childhood friend Tyler Batten, noting that his position as a starting linebacker at Ohio State gave him a platform to spread awareness of brain injuries.

“Technically, I shouldn't be alive right now,” Batten told BSB in November 2013. “I should be dead. The doctor thought I would be dead within the week and then the month, and I'm not dying. Then they said I would never walk or talk again and even graduating high school was a stretch. College wasn't even an option back then. It wasn't even thought of. And now I've graduated high school on time and I'm going to Otterbein University.

He added: “Joshua is always there for me and I can always count on him. He's just a great person, and his whole family was there for me when I was in the hospital.”

If you like reading about Perry — and why wouldn't you? — that article is well worth the read.

TECH READY FOR A SLOBBERKNOCKER. The Bear defense gets a lot of praise, but Virginia Tech QB Michael Brewer playing the best game of his life — despite repeated dumpings — played a big role in the Hokies' upset bid.

From Roanoke.com:

“Honestly you just cringe looking at it,” right tackle Wade Hansen said of watching the film. “Because you can’t let him get hit like that. That’s almost disrespecting our quarterback. … So we’ll do everything we can to not make that happen.”

Some of that is on Brewer. On one particular third-down scramble last year, he put his head down into a host of Ohio State defenders, moving the chains but paying a price.

“There were a couple of hits that he took in that game that were like, ‘Wow,’” running backs coach Shane Beamer said. “Standing on the sideline, they were violent collisions.”

“If it were me and I was his size, I probably would have slid,” right guard Augie Conte said. “But I guess that’s not in Brewer’s mentality, so I’m glad to have him on our side of the ball.”

Brewer says he knows he can't be as reckless as he was last year, and he's right. Adrenaline can only override so much pain.

OH, WE KNOW THAT CARDALE. Some people simply don't like Cardale Jones' larger-than-life persona, which is a shame, because it's all part of Cardale's unique story.

From BleacherReport.com:

In the fall of 2011, Jones arrived at Fork Union with fellow Buckeye Michael Thomas—a move orchestrated by Ginn, Nash and then-Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

When he first met Jones, [Fork Union head coach John] Shuman assumed he was a lineman because of his size. Then he saw him throw and move. There were no issues on the football front, but the day-to-day at Fork Union did not come as easy.

The rigid agenda, lack of female students and overbearing structure shocked Jones' system. Shuman recalled that he and Jones clashed over the particulars—shaving, making the bed, wearing his hat sideways, throwing out the trash, hiding cell phones and things of that nature.

[...]

"I told him that when his mind caught up to his talent, he would be a pro. He'll make it where he dreams to go," Shuman said. "As soon as he started maturing, you could see some flourishing. We didn't straighten him out, but he was a better product as a human being when he left." 

Shuman went as far to say there was a time when he thought it was in Cardale's best interests to transfer because his spirits were broken. (Tom Herman's wife is credited with swinging Cardale's morale.)

Let's just say I'm glad Dale never left. (Who would've been postseason QB? Jalin?)

ALL RISE FOR TOTE NATION. Ohio State's wide receivers are known as Zone-6. It looks like Tony Alford has christened the running backs as TOTE NATION:

I'm a fan of this move, mainly because "tote" is one of my favorite words.

PULITZERS ON LINE 1. Here's what I assume to be the greatest issue in Delta Sky Magazine history.

Never heard of that "Coach K" fella, but if Urban likes him then he's going to be huge!

THOSE WMDs. Man says Minnesota's Red Lake County the worst place in the world, regrets it... I recorded my professor every day... Kansas walk-on moonlights as a bounty hunter... Buy the Titanic's lunch menu... Inside a Soviet arcade... The ants are awoken.

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