You might think yesterday's confusing of "wont" with "want" (as in, "he's wont to do") was horrendous, but keep in mind I'm the same guy who thought — all the way until the 8th grade — the United States once fought in the Veterinarian War.
ME, in my dipshitty 8th grade voice: "Hey, did you know Mr. [White] was in the Veterinarian War!?")
MOM: The what!? You mean the Vietnam War?
ME: The what!?
My theory? I was built bad.
My only hope is one day my intentional bending or unintentional breaking of the English language doesn't result in a commenter busting bursting a blood vessel in their brain and their family suing me for wrongful death.
MEYER SHAKES UP SPRING CAMP. Looks like Urban wants to shake the repetitiveness out of the team's training.
From Tim May of Dispatch.com:
Ohio State, the first defending College Football Playoff national champion, has adopted the one-word theme “Grind” as it dives into offseason preparations for 2015. With that in mind, “rise and grind” probably should be the motto for the spring, since the Buckeyes plan to hold spring practices in the morning rather than the traditional afternoon.
An OSU spokesman confirmed for The Dispatch that Urban Meyer and his staff have scheduled the week-day practices of spring for the 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. window, starting with the first one March 10. An overwhelming majority of the players have classes scheduled to facilitate the opening.
[...]
The Buckeyes will have 15 practices in the spring, with 11 on weekdays, three on Saturdays, and the the annual spring game on April 18th, also a Saturday.
If I were a commentator during an Ohio State game, this is where I'd mention Urban Meyer's Psychology degree. Does it make him a psychic? Hell, it might.
JONATHAN COOPER LOOKS INDUSTRIOUS. Gahanna's Jonathon Cooper, a top 2016 DE prospect/Ohio State commit, is going to be a problem for opposing offenses.
From Steve Wiltfong of 247sports.com's report from the Best of the Midwest Combine:
On the defensive line, Ohio State Top247 commit Jonathon Cooper shared the [MVP] honors with Westerville (Ohio) North’s Antonio Shelton.
[...]
The future Buckeye, Cooper, blew the offensive linemen away with his first step. It was so deadly, there were times he was on the offensive lineman’s heels before they were even out of their stance.
It's one thing to read about Cooper's speed, but it's another thing entirely to watch it:
Good lord. That dude is 17 and looks like he could suplex a refrigerator, runs like a gazelle, and doesn't yet train under Mick Marotti or play against Ed Warinner-coached linemen in practice. You'd have to be blind to not see the potential.
Yes, I may still be am high off OSU's first championship since 2002, but my only question is who's going to stop Ohio State once Urban Meyer puts Nick Saban into a retirement home? I'm #JustAsking.
JAE'SEAN TATE SHINE. Ohio State men's basketball's other talented freshman, Jae'Sean Tate will be back at Ohio State next year (barring a Mike Conley-like NCAA Tournament blinder).
Tate's an easy guy to like because he brings it every minute he plays. This data via Dylan Burkhardt of UMhoops.com backs that up.
| PLAYER | TEAM | % TIME | POSS | POINTS | PPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JAE'SEAN TATE | OHIO STATE | 17.20% | 37 | 54 | 1.459 |
| MO WALKER | MINNESOTA | 15.10% | 43 | 51 | 1.186 |
| KADEEM JACK | RUTGERS | 8.90% | 35 | 47 | 1.343 |
| ALEX OAH | NORTHWESTERN | 11.80% | 30 | 44 | 1.467 |
| MALCOLM HILL | ILLINOIS | 9.40% | 33 | 44 | 1.333 |
As Burkhardt noted, it's impressive to lead the league in anything as a freshman, but especially so to lead putback points as a 6'4" guy.
POSITION BATTLES COMETH. I've mentioned my excitement for the upcoming DE battle (non-Bosa division), but Austin Ward of ESPN.com mentioned another one that'll be fun to watch:
2. Cornerback: Doran Grant never received much acclaim outside of the program, but the veteran cornerback was a significant factor in Ohio State's dramatic improvement in the secondary last season and will be difficult to replace. Just like on the defensive line, though, the Buckeyes have recruited and planned accordingly for life without him, and they've got some athletic options. Eli Apple will slide over and become the top dog at cornerback, but rising sophomores Gareon Conley and Damon Webb figure to have a spirited battle for the other starting spot in the back end.
I'm hopeful Damon Webb can make the jump this off-season. Actually, it'd be nice if all three of the Cass Tech men (Webb, Alabi, and Weber) became standouts. It'd be even nicer for Michigan fans to get a dose of what it's like to watch their former brethren drive a stake through their heart on a cold November Saturday.
NEWEST JAMARCO: PETRIFIED. This one is on the opposite spectrum from Happy Jamarco.
"After team run and coach mick say on the line for 53's" @jjones_74 pic.twitter.com/AINeaoQmAJ
— Johnnie Dixon (@MakeHistory_JD) February 16, 2015
By the time Jamarco leaves Columbus for the NFL, we should be able to compile photos of him representing every possible human emotion. (Do yourself a favor and follow him on Twitter if you're not.)
THOSE WMDs. Our nation's #teens are losing sleep to social media and the internet... This woman is the greatest sports fan on Earth... She credits raw eggs and having no husband since 1938 with her 115 years of life... Meet the microlabor force feeding modern science research... Current Bucks just straight up ceding the partying crown to Athens these days? SMDH.
