Mr. Robot makes me feel like I'm about to get shivved during a prison riot... and I enjoy it and can't stop watching? It's true, and I'm rattled. (Note: Don't be fooled by it being on USA. It's not for the feint feint of heart.)
IT'S NOT RATIONAL BUT ITS TRUE. Michigan State could be the best team on Ohio State's 2015 regular schedule, and if you polled fans, I'd wager most would rank it third on "the enticement" scale behind Michigan and Virginia Tech.
From Ryan Ginn of Scout.com:
This feels wrong.
I am a bad decision-maker to begin with, so I feel this way often, but it feels like a mistake to put the best opponent on the schedule as the third-most anticipated game of the season. Alas, here we are.
[...]
The Spartans are in all likelihood the only thing capable of standing between Ohio State and another trip to Indianapolis, so this game will once again be the most practically important one of the regular season. But fandom isn’t practical or emotional, and I’m betting the bloodlust of revenge and blinding hatred make Virginia Tech and Michigan more anticipated and intriguing games at the moment.
I agree. It's irrational to rank Michigan State below Virginia Tech, but Sparty in the Shoe doesn't intimidate me. I'm much more looking forward to Ohio State causing a silent postgame evacuation of Lane Stadium on September 7th and leaving Michigan students wallowing in puddles of their own puke on November 28th.
If Sparty does the damn thing, and I end up eating crow on November 21st, then so be it. (Little do my gaggle of haters know: I enjoy the taste of crow.)
IS D'ANGELO RUSSELL BAD, ACTUALLY? No, but there's no denying his Summer League turnover numbers were problematic. If you dig deeper though...
From Dylan Murphy of BleacherReport.com:
Of Russell's 26 turnovers at summer league, 17 were aggressive. Most of those 17 derived from his passing, and, in particular, trying to fit the ball into tight spaces.
Russell's ball distribution is one of the most attractive parts of his game. His ability to both see and create passing angles is remarkably advanced for such a young player. But the consequence of this talent is being turnover prone, and part of Russell's development will be understanding when to unleash his talents.
On a recently assembled Lakers summer league team, he played with teammates that were not used to his style.
Is there anything worse than beating your man off the dribble, dashing into the lane, drawing the defense into the lane, and kicking it out to your teammate... only that stiff isn't ready for it?
Yes, actually. Being that stiff. I was that stiff; D'Angelo Russell was the other guy.
And he may never dominate the game physically (neither has Steph Curry), but it's going to take some time for him to grow into the game. Don't forget: Two years ago he was playing in high school.
But he was also playing with some stiffs.
From Drew Garrison of SilverScreeAndRoll.com:
[Russell] made several pinpoint passes that didn't even seem possible, only to watch his teammates fail to finish or even get more than a few fingertips on the ball. There were at least two sequences in every game that he set the table beautifully without any payoff. That should hopefully change with better talent around him, and with the Lakers getting familiar with the kinds of passes they need to be ready for.
Good thing a raw Julius Randle, a surly and decrepit Kobe Bryant, an incompetent coach and these three stooges are on the way:
(From left to right: Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Brandon Bass. H/T: Benwin)
Did I say I liked the Lakers? I take it all back. They're awful, and I already regret they drafted D'Angelo Russell.
The good news, I guess, is he's still a millionaire in Los Angeles with access to Cardale's dating playbook:
Since we being honest I've been eyeing @Zendaya for a minute now!
— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) July 23, 2015
DOLO'S HILARIOUS SPRAY CHART. I've read people smarter than me say Urban Meyer and Tom Herman (pour a some of your 40 out, please) did a good job at simplifying the offense for Cardale. They also did a good job utilizing the King's howitzer.
From @CFBFilmRoom:
I haven't seriously played NCAA Football since middle school, but it's a high crime a 89-rated "OSU QB No. 12" will never hit these streets.
THAT'S GOOD VALUE. If Chris Ash and Luke Fickell's defense continues its postseason trajectory, I think both men could have a case for a raise (or a head coaching job).
From Chris Vainnini of CoachingSearch.com:
| NAME | SCHOOL | SALARY |
|---|---|---|
| D.J. DURKIN | MICHIGAN | $800,000 |
| TRACY CLAEYS | MINNESOTA | $600,000 |
| LUKE FICKELL | OHIO STATE | $600,000 |
| CHRIS ASH | OHIO STATE | $590,000 |
| DAVE ARANDA | WISCONSIN | $570,000 |
| MARK BANKER | NEBRASKA | $550,000 |
| NAME | SCHOOL in 2014 | PPG |
|---|---|---|
| BOB SHOOP AND BRENT PRY | PENN STATE | 18.6 |
| DAVE ARANDA | WISCONSIN | 20.8 |
| D.J. DURKIN | FLORIDA | 21.1 |
| LUKE FICKELL AND CHRIS ASH | OHIO STATE | 22.0 |
| TRACY CLAEYS | MINNESOTA | 24.2 |
| MIKE HANKWITZ | NORTHWESTERN | 25.2 |
College sports in 2015: I saw an assistant coach's salary listed at $600,000 and I said, "Hmmm, that guy is underpaid."
THOSE WMDs. This Japanese wedding hall will lend you an alpaca as a witness... Migos perform "Hannah Montana" with a full orchestra... Trailer for the new James Bond fiilm, Spectre... The man who flies around the world for free... The Monster of Florence.
