Thursday Skull Session

By Jason Priestas on April 5, 2012 at 6:00 am
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The Buckeyes completed their fifth spring practice yesterday and the first session in pads, with the defense getting the better of the offense yet again, leading to extra cardio for the group still learning a new system.

Defenses typically have the edge early in camp as the offense is still working to get its timing down. This year, the offense must also contend with a new scheme, implemented by a new staff, made up of guys that have really never worked together.

Urban Meyer said as much after practice, while also pointing out how hard it is to get anything done with John Simon and Johnathan Hankins "disrupting everything". How's that for a post-Final Four pick-me-up? Just repeat until you smile: SIMON AND HANKINS ARE DISRUPTING EVERYTHING.

Meyer also said the staff may slow down the installation of the new scheme -- one that's given previous squads at Utah and Florida trouble when it was first introduced there as well.

Curtis Grant is starting to emerge at middle linebacker, thinking less and reacting more. Tony Gerdemen reports Grant had a TFL on the first play of the scrimmage held at the end of practice and then followed it up by causing a fumble while tackling Carlos Hyde on the very next play. It's spring which means it's homer season, but I cannot wait to see Sabino, Grant and Shazier on the field this fall.

Here's video of Meyer meeting with the press after practice:

And here's practice footage from Lori Schmidt. At 1:08, Mickey Marotti is putting some poor soul through what looks to be a modified Day Walk Course.



PLEASE STOP, JIM. USA Today has obtained documents outlining four plans to improve the BCS. The plans include a slight tweak to the current BCS format, the "plus one" option and two plans that would bring about a four team playoff, including one that preserves a Big Ten/Pac-12 Rose Bowl clash.

In the latter plan, the four highest-ranked teams at the end of the regular season would meet in semifinals unless the Big Ten or Pac-12 champ, or both, were among the top four. Those leagues' teams still would meet in the Rose, and the next highest-ranked team or teams would slide into the semis. The national championship finalists would be selected after those three games.

Wut?

This plan is what you'd get if "plus one" and a traditional four-teamer created a baby. In bathroom at Out-R-Inn. It has Jim Delany's fingerprints all over it and as expected, it was put on blast, with Bill Connelly perhaps putting things best:

I understand business is business, but please stop doing things to embarrass the Big Ten, Mr. Delany (and to some degree, Larry Scott).

Me, I'll take a straight four-team option with higher-seeded teams getting semifinal games at home and on campus, where college football was meant to be played1.

GET PAID, YOUNG MAN. Jeff Goodman of CBS delighted many of us yesterday when he reported that Trey Burke is heading to the NBA.

His father, Benji, who originally told the Detroit Free Press that his son would look into his professional options two weeks ago, later semantically disputed Goodman's report via Twitter:

Meanwhile, MGoBlog is in full-on FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU mode, and has an unconfirmed email from "a guy who isn't established with me stating that Burke already has his evaluation, that it's 20-35, and is gone".

Trey, if you're reading this, it's time for you to take the next step in your career. You have nothing left to prove at this level.

FOUND MY BOWL TEAM. Paul Myerberg has championship odds for teams that you won't get from any sportsbooks this year -- odds that approach the 175,000,000 to 1 plunge that many took last week for the record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot2. His short list of teams that would pay big:

Duke 15,000,000-1
Indiana 20,000,000-1
Minnesota 20,000,000-1
Army 21,000,000-1
Memphis 35,000,000-1
New Mexico 50,000,000-1
U.N.L.V. 55,000,000-1
Florida Atlantic 75,000,000-1
Buffalo 75,000,000-1
Akron 125,000,000-1

With the Buckeyes out of the postseason this fall, and by extension, the national championship race, I have no problem cheering on a team like Minnesota (Indiana is on the schedule), or for an epic payout, Akron.

I mean, sure the Zips finished 1-11 last season leading to Rob Ianello's ouster, but Terry Bowden is in town and he's done it before if you count "doing it before" as leading a team that was on probation and ineligible for postseason to a perfect 11-0 record. And let's not forget the school's Vice President of Strategic Engagement. Jim Tressel knows a thing or two about winning national championships and although his job (and show cause) won't take him anywhere near the Zip football team, if you're in the same zip code as the man, you're benefiting from his Dave and punt aura.

Really, all the Zips would need to do is blow out Tennessee at Neyland Stadium (80+ points should do it), go undefeated and win the MAC Championship Game, and then hope that every other BCS conference team has at least two losses. Just to be safe, we're going to need three losses each out of your teams, SEC.

I have a dollar for you, Paul.

ETC: Can anyone compete with ESPN? Who greenlit this?  Bro of the year... Donut life... Nunchucks... Great news, Uncle Dale is going to be able to make the Spring Banger .

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