Friday Skull Session

By D.J. Byrnes on October 3, 2014 at 6:00 am
Vonn Bell powers up against Virginia Tech
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I've said it before but I'll say it again: SHOUTOUT TO TECK'S BARBERSHOP. I live on the east side now, but I still make the hajj to campus when I need to get my hair right, and I always come out of that place looking like a sex icon. 

This week's NSFW Anti-Work #Bangers:

Programming note: Haters, rejoice! Nicholas will be handling Monday's Skull Session. Not permanently — I am still your blood-soaked victor of the War of the Six Skulls — just Monday, October 6th's. You have been warned.

RABINOWITZ GOES BEHIND ENEMY LINES. The Columbus Dispatch's Bill Rabinowitz sat down with somebody at The Baltimore Sun to dish his thoughts on the upcoming Ohio State-Maryland tilt. It makes for a good read:

Tracking the Terps: Ohio State wasn't overly impressive when the Buckeyes came out this way to open against Navy, and J.T. Barrett looked like a freshman through the first two weeks of the season. What's changed since?

In the Navy game, he was playing for the first time in nearly two years. His senior season in high school ended with an ACL injury and he redshirted last year while he healed (and was unneeded). He played decently against Navy and has steadily improved as he has gained confidence. He came to Ohio State with a reputation for being a natural leader and having uncommon poise for his age. That seems to be true. He's also a better passer and thrower than many expected. He's not as gifted as Braxton Miller, but few are. It also helps greatly that the offensive line, which had to replace four multi-year starters, has begun to jell and that he has a lot of skill-position players to distribute the ball to.

Maryland is averaging a shade under 37 points per game. What's going to be the key for Ohio State slowing down the Terps (beside, perhaps, putting that assistant strength coach on the field)?

Unfortunately, Anthony Schlegel's eligibility has expired. What a tackle he made, though. Maryland and Cincinnati are fairly similar. Both have potent offenses. I'd say that while Cincinnati has a great quarterback and very good receivers, Maryland has great receivers and a good quarterback (though Brown's status is up in the air at this moment). The Buckeyes will try to make Maryland one-dimensional by stopping the run, which Ohio State is pretty good at, and then try to pressure the quarterback. The Buckeyes will stick to their new pass-coverage philosophy of contesting every throw. That might leave them vulnerable to the big play, which they can live with as long as it's an occasional occurrence and not a regular one. That'll be a huge key to this game.

I too think this game will go much like the Cincinnati game. I expect Maryland to offer a stiff test in the early rounds, before fading late and succumbing to a superior team. (Think of it like Floyd Mayweather's last two fights.)

It all hinges on the play of the offensive line. If they come out on their current trajectory, Ohio State will be fine. If they come out lookin' like a plate of mashed potatoes that's been in my mama's fridge for two weeks... things could get a little dicey. Please don't come out looking like old mashed potatoes, guys.

MARYLAND AND RUTGERS ENTER THE FRAY. Well, it looks like it wasn't a joke. Rutgers and Maryland are part of the family now, and boy, do they have some big chances ahead this weekend.

From BTN's Tom Dienhart: 

“We have a tremendous opportunity and tremendous challenge ahead of us this weekend,” said Terps coach Randy Edsall. “We are playing a very talented Ohio State team and a very well coached Ohio State team. Looking forward to the home opener here at Byrd Stadium. I know it is going to be an electric crowd and a packed house. There will be a lot of pageantry with the first home game here. Hopefully, what we can do here is play to the best of our ability and give ourselves the opportunity to get a win on Saturday afternoon.”

Maryland has done it with a strong offense. The Terps have scored a total of 184 points in 2014, the third-highest total in the Big Ten. The Terps are averaging 36.8 points, which is on pace for the highest scoring average in school history. But, this isn’t Syracuse, USF or IU. This is Ohio State, the famed Scarlet and Gray of Archie Griffin fame. Can Maryland keep rolling?

“They put on their pants just like we do, so it’s just another team that we are looking forward to playing,” said Maryland defensive lineman Darius Kilgo. “It is a great opportunity to play Ohio State because of the history, but we are just looking at it as another chance to get another win.”

I wish we could take a poll of how many Maryland players know Archie Griffin. I know it seems heretical, but I'd be surprised if half of Maryland's team knew Archie Griffin as the only two-time Heisman winner. #KidsTheseDays, amirite?

Also, I am stoked for my dude Gary Nova — my favorite college quarterback this side of J.T. Barrett — to light up Michigan. Is there any question Michigan loses to Rutgers this week? Hell, I'm still amazed Rutgers — Rutgers! — is a two-point favorite over the Wolverines. Good lord, I hope the year of Luigi never ends.

ANTHONY WUNDER MAY NOT LOSE HIS SCHOLARSHIP AFTER ALL. Anthony Wunder, the bright-eyed college student who invaded Ohio Stadium and got flexed on by Anthony Schlegel, may not have to sell himself to legalized loan sharks in order to finish school.

And while yesterday it was reported Wunder lost his Evans Scholarship (and the free housing that came with it), it appears that may not be the case after all.

From Allison Manning of The Columbus Dispatch:

Jeff Harrison, senior vice president for education at the Evans Scholar Foundation, said Wunder has been suspended from all activities and was asked to move out of the house but remains on scholarship. 

“We’re doing an internal review and gathering as much information as we can before we make a final determination on his scholarship,” Harrison said today. 

Evans Scholars have a code of conduct they must follow, Harrison said. He didn’t specify what part of that code Wunder may have broken. 

I was no Evans Scholar at Ohio State, but I assume the code Wunder broke was the whole "bro, don't do crime" part. (Those are always the toughest contract stipulations to follow.)

BRAXTON MILLER: STILL IN THESE STREETS. I feel kinda dirty posting this, but honestly it's too funny not to share.

Get well soon, Braxton, get well soon.

BUT THAT'S NONE OF MY BUSINESS THO. Dave Brandon — save for a 12:52 AM press release — has been strangely silent while the Big House has burned. What has the greatest Wolverine-killer this side of Jim Tressel been up to? IMPORTANT STUFF YOU MORTALS WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND:

By the way: Dominos Pizza — the last corporation Brandon ran into the ground — has seen their stock rise sixfold since Brandon left. Turning corporate ineptitude into an athletic directorship of Michigan is the kind of savvy you wouldn't expect from a man who couldn't adequately run a pizza chain, but here we are.

RICH ROD GETS HIS. While some of you were sleeping, Rich Rodriguez, the man Michigan couldn't wait to run for a guy with a sub-.500 career mark, was coaching his team to a 5-0 start, upsetting No. 2 Oregon in Autzen, 31-24.

ENJOY THE NIGHT, RICH ROD:

Just facts:

Bring it home:

Which leads to:

Michigan Man and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Week™.

THOSE WMDs. From 11Wer TMac: Pripyat Amusement Park: Where The Ghosts Of Chernobyl Play... The Half-Time Hero... American chickens have posted ridiculous #gainz since 1950... Good to have you back, Kobe... Catching-up with morons who've hopped the White House fence...

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Ohio State Adds Former Kentucky Center Aaron Bradshaw From Transfer Portal

Aaron Bradshaw

NCAA Hands Michigan Three Years of Probation, A Fine and Recruiting Restrictions For Recruiting and Coaching Violations

Michigan Football Helmet
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