![Rick Ross aka Chris Carter [ElevenWarriors.com]](https://www.elevenwarriors.com/sites/default/files/styles/904x490/public/c/2014/09/40175_h.jpg?itok=ru2R0Pnd)
Welp. I guess we now know why Chad Lindsay couldn't crack the depth chart. Alas, we hardly knew ye.
A B1G PROBLEM. I don't like my favorite college team belonging to a piss-poor football conference any more than you do, but, as Jim Delany said, "the facts are the facts."
When is the last time the Big Ten actually had a great day? Midway through the Michigan State-Oregon game, a colleague in Eugene, thinking about possible story angles, asked about the Big Ten's biggest wins since 2007. The two Rose Bowl wins (Ohio State in 2010, Michigan State in 2014) jumped out along with Iowa's Orange Bowl win, Michigan's Sugar Bowl win and Ohio State's since-vacated Sugar Bowl win. But I had a hard time identifying a truly significant regular-season nonconference victory, one that resonated nationally. The colleague ended up writing about Oregon.
*Kool-Aid Man voice* ACTUALLY!!!!11111......
Actually, I got nothing.
Some Big Ten fans attach the league's shortcomings to Delany, which I don't understand. They say he chases the money more than trying to improve the football product. How do record revenues and unprecedented TV exposure hurt football? It doesn't unless schools fail to use those resources correctly. You might not like Maryland and Rutgers, but Big Ten teams should like the recruiting areas surrounding their campuses.
[...]
...It might be time that Big Ten schools acknowledge their collective problem -- always the first step -- and try to find collective solutions, especially in recruiting. Coaches have diverse backgrounds and observe the national landscape. Some Big Ten programs will be developmental in nature, but it doesn't mean recruiting strategies can't change a little. Would a group discussion about where you recruit, whom you recruit, certain positions and, gasp, academic standards be so bad?
I've always admired the Big Ten's approach to revenue sharing. The idea is to get all ships to rise. Perhaps it's time to extend that philosophy to football. Because days like Saturday drag down the entire league and devalue the league race, which could hurt come playoff selection time.
(Well, the good news is Illinois plays Washington this week. Redemption is back on the barby, mates!)
People always say conference domination is cyclical, but I don't see any proof of Big Ten dominance being right around the corner. And the scary thing is the B1G's image problem won't be repaired by a single game or even a single season.
It's going to take years. If I were Jim Delany, I'd be working on expanding the playoff field to eight teams *~*with higher seeds getting home-field advantage in the opening round~*~.
Sure, Ohio State and Penn State will be okay for the foreseeable future. But Mark Dantonio is no spring chicken, and Michigan has looked as feisty as a beached jellyfish since Jim Tressel broke their back over the course of this millenniums's opening decade. Hell, I love fellow Starcat guardian Bo Pelini, but it's likely Nebraska will probably be looking for another coach before the New Year.
The hellscape in which we dwell is such: RUTGERS looks like it could be one of the better teams in the Big Ten right now. That's where we're at, and the only viable solution I have is #RelegatePurdue.
Or we could say " ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it" and let slip the bagmen. (I want to be a bagman.)
MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE BITE. Lost in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech game was my man Mike Thomas doing the damn thing, but that's a discussion for another day.
But @CantGuardMike had an interesting tweet yesterday:
Sometimes it's better being the underdog, because they don't always hear your bark
— Mike Thomas (@Cantguardmike) September 8, 2014
The problem is, I don't think anybody on an opposing sideline is ever going to see Ohio State as an underdog. That's the blessing and the curse of Ohio State's pedigree.
If Ohio State wants to motivate themselves that way, fine, but the Buckeyes are still going to get everyone's best shot every time they take the field.
SCOUTING KENT STATE. Understandably, there weren't too many folks interested in Urban's #takes on Kent State at yesterday's presser. Regardless, the Golden Flashes are scheduled for a lunch date with Ohio State at noon on Saturday.
Here's an excerpt from 97.1's Lori Schmidt's preview of the Flashes:
Their biggest problems thus far this season have come on the offensive side of the ball. They are only averaging 1.9 yards per carry. There are only four teams with worse numbers in that category (Wake Forest, UCF, Washington State and SMU).
Quarterback Colin Reardon has been hot and cold. He’s completing 58 percent of his passes and has 4 touchdowns to just one interception. However, he missed on 9 of his first ten passes against South Alabama.
A poor running attack and an up-and-down quarterback? WHAT OHIO TEAM ARE WE TALKING ABOUT AGAIN?
The defense has been slightly better. Dating back to last season, Kent State has given up a mere 15 points per game over the course of their last five games.
Safety Nate Holley, another gritty undersized player at 5’11”, already has 27 tackles this season, 2 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a pass breakup and quarterback rush. Fellow safety Jordan Italiano and linebacker Matt Dellinger represent two of the Flashes top three tacklers from a year ago. Meanwhile, NFL.com called nose tackle Nate Terhune one of the toughest players in college ball. (Refusing to take painkillers after you break your leg so you can continue to lift weights will get you recognized as a tough guy.)
Hell, refusing to take painkillers after a broken leg ain't tough; that's stupid. You want to see something tough in regards to pain killers? ALLOW MARIONAIRE KENNETH STAPLETON TO BLAZE THAT IMAGE ACROSS YOUR MIND:
On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, officers responded to a call of a man being shot outside of MotoMart, 617 West Center Street. The victim told officers that he was walking in the parking lot when he heard a shot and felt something strike him in the right thigh. The victim told officers that he did not see a suspect and security video from the store did not provide any further information.
[...]
Through the course of their investigation, officers said they discovered evidence that led them to believe that this incident may have been staged in an effort to obtain pain-killing medication.
“The man was interviewed and confessed to removing the round from its casing with pliers and then using a hammer to insert it into his own thigh,” stated Lt. Dave Clark in a media release.
Now that's toughness — with a little bit of Marionaire ingenuity sprinkled on top. Until Kent State has a player with the swagger of the likely 2014 Marionaire of the Year, I'm not too concerned with the Flashes.
LeMICHAEL JAMES SEES THE LIGHT. Like a lot of fans of the Cleveland Browns, I often turn to Cowboys games for a bit of comedy to lighten dreary Sunday afternoons. (Tony Romo's three first-half interceptions were exactly what the doctor ordered after the Browns epic false-hope rally against the Steelers.)
I ended up watching the entire game, because Carlos Hyde is on my fantasy team. And while Frank Gore still looked to have some gas in the tank, Carlos Hyde was clearly the best running back on the day:
Frank Gore: 16 carries, 63 yards Carlos Hyde: 7 carries, 50 yards, TD.
— Dima (@suckatsports) September 8, 2014
I believe Carlos Hyde will be the main rock-toter for San Francisco by season's end, and it appears LeMichael James, who carried against Dallas before El Guapo, sees the light as well:
The 49ers are reportedly parting ways with their 2012 second-round pick.
The club is waiving tailback LaMichael James, agent Jeff Sperbeck announced on Twitter on Monday.
James asked for his release, Sperbeck said.
Guess there's no sense in sticking around Dodge if the writing is on the wall. Carlos Hyde is a damned thoroughbred, after all. I don't want to compete with him. That's why I'm sitting on the couch and not doing it.
PENN STATE STILL HAS A JOEPA FRINGE. The NCAA granted Penn State parole yesterday. I agreed with the move until I saw these Vines:
And if that wasn't cringe-worthy enough, here's another dose of awful Penn State students:
The statue, you idiots, much like the corpse of your false Ayatollah, is unrecognizable rubble at the bottom of a rural landfill.
The parole celebration did give way to a picture that may win a Pulitzer this year:
Now it's a party pic.twitter.com/b7Mbsy8n3x
— Ben Jones (@Ben_Jones88) September 9, 2014
When Urban Meyer and OSU sack State College next month, I hope Urban spares motorcycle guy the axe.
BRADY HOKE GOES THE "REAL FAN" ROUTE. Ohio State lost last week, but so did Michigan. And unlike Urban Meyer's frankness ("We got exposed a little bit..."), here's what Michigan fans heard yesterday.
From Mark Snyder of Freep.com:
The negative reaction was decisive and loud. Asked what he would tell concerned fans, coach Brady Hoke today was protective of his players.
“If they’re truly fans, they’ll believe in these kids and the hard work they’ve put in,” he said during his weekly news conference at the Crisler Center. “If they’re not, they won’t.”
Pour one out for the demolished strawman, if one of y'all would be so kind.
I don't think the Michigan fans' ire is on the players. It's on the coach and his staff.
Michigan has regressed every year under Hoke. Their million dollar offensive coordinator just orchestrated a shutout on national television. And Hoke is calling out fake fans? *switches to English accent* Has he lost the plot?
It's definitely possible to support Michigan football while wanting Brady Hoke fired. In fact, firing Hoke is probably Michigan football's best interest.
But hey, that's none of my business. (#Kermit)
THOSE WMDs. Timelapse from the Virginia Tech game... Uh, I do not feel sorry for people who make $400k a year and feel broke... State College Police searching for monstrous/unauthorized karaoke users... Detroit, stand up!... Seems the reality is even worse than the commercial... C215's Robin Williams tribute... Not-so-happy trails, Roger Goodell!
