Skull Session: Joe Theismann Says J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones Can't Throw, Tony Alford on Mike Weber, and the Latest on Joey Bosa's Holdout

By D.J. Byrnes on August 20, 2016 at 4:59 am
Malik Hooker wore the dreads for the August 20th 2016 Skull Session.
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Do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, and check out Tim Shoemaker's #longform on Ohio State Olympic wrestler Kyle Snyder. According to my nutritionist, who is also my cat, it is a part of a well-balanced breakfast.

For today's sermon, we turn to Bishop Coombs and the choice of toughness:

 

 OK, SURE, GUY. One of the worst features of Twitter culture is when cliques spread around a bad article with commentary like, "Get a load of this jackass, folks!"

For the three people still unaware, it's true: You don't need to travel far on the internet to find bad opinions. In fact, some sites give platforms to people with bad opinions because a hate-click pays the same as any other clicks.

Occasionally, however. I can't help myself.

Folks, get a load of this jackass.

From ndinsider.com, here's former Notre Dame QB Joe Theismann discussing the differences between Ohio State playing two QBs in 2015 and Notre Dame's plan to deploy two in 2016:

“The guys at Ohio State (in 2015) really couldn’t play quarterback. That was their problem,” [former Notre Dame QB Joe] Theismann said. “When you don’t have a ‘1,’ you have a couple of 2’s, you don’t know what you’re going to do with them. One becomes a quarterback, and the other you’re not sure of. I think that was Urban (Meyer)’s situation.

“You have to look at Urban’s history with quarterbacks, too. Tim Tebow was not the best thrower of the football. The guys at Ohio State were just OK. The Notre Dame guys are actually passers. If somebody from Ohio State takes offense to that, I don’t care.”

Interesting theory, Joe.

Cardale Jones piloted Ohio State to a national championship and J.T. Barrett ran roughshod over the record books as a redshirt freshman. Sure, neither reached those heights in 2015, but it wasn't because they couldn't throw. If they were No. 2s, Kelly has a pair of No. 4s on his roster.

I also missed the assembly line of quarterbacks Brian Kelly is feeding into the NFL. Perhaps that's because Everett Golson transferred to Florida State before ending up as quarterback of the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Still, that's somewhat of an accomplishment given the gruesome injuries Golson suffered when his head coach threw him under the bus after a loss.

 WEBER SOUNDS READY. One of my favorite things about being an Ohio State fan under Urban Meyer is the 100% belief we have in Mike Weber, who has never played a snap, replacing the No. 4 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

On one hand, it sounds ludicrous. On the other, so did replacing Carlos Hyde once upon a time.

From espn.com:

“I mean, yeah, it’s a lot of pressure. Buckeye Nation, they have really high standards. Carlos Hyde, Ezekiel Elliott, a lot of really great backs came out of here. And it is a lot of pressure. At the end of the day, it’s football, and I just have to come out and play as hard as I can and leave no doubt.”

[...]

“I think it’s a maturation process that goes on,” running backs coach Tony Alford said. “He’s a guy that it bothered when he wasn’t playing -- and it should. He’s a competitive guy, but he’s grown up so much. He’s not even the same kid.

“His demeanor is different, his approach to the game as far as X’s and O’s, his learning and desire to learn, his approach to how he takes care of his body has changed. Everyone has seen a shift in his approach, and now the thing is, can he do it consistently day in and day out? Because he hasn’t had to do that. It’s a long season. You have to have a great routine of how you handle your business every day, and that’s going to be the thing that we help him establish.”

Everything I've read about Weber indicates he took his business to the next level between last season and today.

And yes, Alford has a point about Weber never having to carry himself as The Man throughout the season. Thankfully Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott left behind a blueprint.

One thing I've also noticed with Weber is how fleet-footed he looks in videos. Power was never a question with him, but it looks like his work with Mickey Marotti aided his elusiveness.

 CHARGERS ACTING LIKE SPURNED GOTH #TEENS. When the San Diego Chargers failed to sign Joey Bosa, the draft's No. 3 overall pick, it only became the latest chapter of the franchise trying to shortchange its star players.

From usatoday.com:

Consider prominent members of the holdout club over the years: LaDainian Tomlinson.Philip Rivers. Antonio Gates. Vincent Jackson. Marcus McNeal. Eric Weddle. Corey Liuget.

Hmm. Hard to believe this team never won a Super Bowl. 

The good news is Bosa and the Chargers are talking again after a two-week hiatus. But don't expect Bosa unleashed anytime soon.

From profootballtalk.com:

USA Today reports that the two sides are speaking after previously giving each other the silent treatment for more than two weeks.

However, a source tells PFT the sides are not close to a deal. The Chargers have long insisted that Bosa needs to accept both a deferral of the payment of some of his signing bonus and offset language that would save the Chargers some money if they cut Bosa and he signs with someone else. Bosa’s camp has insisted that he will not sign a contract with both of those terms. Until one side gives ground, merely talking isn’t enough.

I enjoy watching NFL franchises burn, so I hope Bosa says "Screw it!" and rides this out until the 2017 draft, which he can re-enter.

It might not be the best move for his career, but it'd be the most entertaining. Plus, the players' union would owe him a solid for not caving to the Chargers' penny-pinching ways.

 1980 STILL LOOKS LIT. Like most babies born in 1986, I grew up under the impression everything about the 80s sucked. After discovering Earth balls earlier this week, I saw this tweet yesterday:

Yeah, I want to party with those guys.

And shoutout to everyone moving into Ohio State this weekend. Fight Father Time with every fiber of your being, otherwise, you will waste away into the real world.

You don't want any part of the real world. Stay in Candyland. Trust me on this.

 THOSE WMDs. Ohio State's 43210 zip code... The obsessive world of Olympic pin trading... Running a restaurant in a refugee camp... Daughter wanted mom murdered... The Big Smoke.

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