Tressels, Fickells, Urbans, Days, Johnsons and Days,

When he was little, our eldest son loved a cartoon on Noggin called The Backyardigans.  Right before the show began, there was an introduction that appeared and a motherly voice read: "The Backyardigans enhances preschoolers' early literacy and interpersonal skills, as well as their appreciation and understanding of music and dance."  Really, that was the actual introduction for the show verbatim. 
 
If I wrote the introduction, it would have read: "IT'S A CARTOON!"  Nothing more, nothing less.  Maybe Andrew Dice Clay would do the voiceover, or you could soften it with Gilbert Gottfried.  George Carlin would have been perfect.  It's about a group of "kids" that play in their backyard for about 25 minutes.  I use the term "kids" loosely because I'm not sure what-the-krenzel they are -- one of the cartoon "kids" is purple with a kangaroo tail and pointy ears.  
 
When I was a kid, they didn't introduce Tom & Jerry by saying: "Tom & Jerry enhances preschoolers' early violence and hatred skills by showing repetitive acts of animal cruelty as a cat and a mouse wage a never-ending war against one another with no known higher calling." 
 
Or, the Scooby Doo intro would have been:  "Scooby Doo will make your child think it is normal for a scruffy, full-grown man to not have a job, roll around in a "mystery" vehicle doing mewhort-knows-what all day with a dog that talks...and your child will always be hungry for a cold cut sandwich by the end of the show."
 
This all has a point. 
 
For those who are watching Ohio State football this season and still decided to focus on something negative, every Ohio State Football game should start with an introduction that goes something like:  "IT'S A GAME!"  I hear Jerry Stiller (aka Mr. Costanza) doing the voiceover.  To give it a little umph, he might add: "So just enjoy it!"
 
Are we still not sure if the Buckeyes will be able to run the ball consistently this season, and occasionally it feels like they are being stubborn trying to figure it out?  Yes.  Does it still feel like Ohio State can play faster and score 50+ points every game?  Yes.  Also, is Ohio State playing the regular season with the postseason in mind and might not go full throttle just yet?  It feels like it. Which do you choose? Was the purple kangaroo-thing teaching my son to be the next Aaron Copeland?  Or, is it just fun that he's purple and plays make-believe with his friends in the backyard?  You decide.  

There are too many great things happening with the Buckeyes this season, even if it feels like they have another gear that hasn't been tapped.  They are playing with an edge, playing hard....and are worth just enjoying every weekend. 
 

Touchdowns:  Max Klare, Jeremiah Smith, Bo Jackson, Carnell Tate 

OSU 28 Illinois 6

Go Bucks!  Beat Illinois!  Harry Miller and Eddrick Houston for Heisman!

Stout Pops