Skull Session: J.T. Barrett's Uncharted Territory, Good Guy Cardale Jones, and Nate Ebner Teaches Novices How to Watch Rugby

By D.J. Byrnes on July 22, 2016 at 4:59 am
James Clark beckons the July 22nd 2016 Skull Session
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Friday Night Lights, Ohio State's annual recruiting extravaganza is tonight. Andrew gave a full rundown in last night's Hurry Up, and I'm confident Eleven Warriors dot com will provide updates throughout the night — including any commitments, which almost seem like a certainty this weekend. (Tim will be through later this afternoon with a list of potential commits.)

Meanwhile, Demario McCall grows stronger:

This week's NSFW ANTI-WORK #BANGERS:

 UNCHARTED TERRITORY. Big Ten Media Days start Monday in Chicago. There are storylines abound, but one I find interesting is the uncharted waters in which J.T. Barrett finds himself.

In 2014, he came from anonymity. In 2015, Cardale Jones started and he came in as a last resort. This year, he's The Man before playing a snap.

From espn.com:

2. New challenge for Barrett: There’s already ample evidence that Barrett isn’t phased by a little adversity. He has thrived after being thrust into a starting job as a freshman following Braxton Miller’s freak injury, tackled his own rehabilitation with maniacal intensity and been through the pressure cooker of a position battle the entire nation was scrutinizing. Perhaps dealing with the expectations that come with being the face of the program, a Heisman Trophy candidate and the leader responsible for bringing along so many first-time starters on offense won’t seem like that a big deal. It’s just another chapter and a fresh line of questions for Barrett to face.

Blowing up on campus is always a roll of the dice. Some players can handle it, others can't. (And I say that as somebody who would be ineligible before the end of the first semester.)

Even despite his D.U.I., Barrett is the one Buckeye I would choose to carry that burden. He got a glimpse of it in 2014, so he has the experience to go with his already chill demeanor.

 CARDALE IS AS CARDALE DOES. Whenever Cardale Jones quits his job as an NFL quarterback, he should get a reality TV show in which he travels the world doing random acts of kindness for people that deserve it.

From WSYX ABC 6 Columbus:

It's going to be a long time before another Buckeye in Cardale's mold comes along.

 EBNER ON HOW TO WATCH RUGBY. Perhaps you want to watch Nate Ebner represent America in rugby when the Summer Olympics start next week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Maybe you're worried about not knowing shit about rugby. That's fine! Rugby is an easy enough sport to bandwagon, and Ebner has some tips for easier enjoyment. 

From si.com:

MJ: Because rugby is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1924, and the first time ever as sevens, there will be a lot of spectators new to the sport. What should they look for to learn the game?

NE: More what they shouldn’t be watching. Don’t get too caught up in the breakdown stuff. When someone’s tackled and there’s a ref, don’t try to understand the penalty. Just accept it and don’t try to get overwhelmed with the rules because that’s the most confusing part of the game.

Things to watch are the backwards passing, the one-on-one movement when they get into space and can move around, and the kicking and drop kick conversions. It’s such an exciting game; there’s so much to watch for. Even defensively, guys work across the field, which is something to watch.

Get dumped then, New Zealand. Get dumped then.

 MEET NICK BOSA. Joey Bosa is a San Diego Charger now. Unfortunately for Ohio State's enemies, another Bosa rises.

Here's a video where little Bosa says he's been exposed to "more advanced techniques" than Joey was at that age, thanks to his brother and defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Little Bosa also expects "a little bit better" combine numbers than his big brother, though he concedes the elder Bosa is the better dancer.

 NO SHOCKER HERE. My eighth-grade teacher once told us, "In America, generally speaking, you get what you pay for."

I'm not sure about some of these other schools, but at least Ohio State has the trophies to go along with the highest student season ticket prices in the Big Ten.

From saturdaydownsouth.com:

From Saturday Down South

They charge Purdue students for the experience! It's amazing any of them attend at all outside an awful mid-October Saturday in 2009.

 THOSE WMDs. A Baltimore bail nightmare... How you'd have to look to survive a catastrophic car crash... Even in fiction, the Browns can't get it right... Facebook Messenger bot lets you chat with a World War I soldier... How much apartment space does $1,500 a month get you?

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