Wednesday needs to leave. I'm already shirtless and sharpening utensils into shivs for the brawl against the the Spartan juggalos at the flagpole Saturday at noon.
ICYMI:
- Buckeyes #13 in latest CFP.
- Urban Meyer: Moving on from Iowa.
- Recruiting Heatcheck: November.
- Help put a life-size statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.
Word of the Day: Esplanade.
GET DUMPED THEN, EVERYBODY ELSE. Up until I saw the Playoff Committee rank Ohio State No. 13 in the latest poll, I assumed the Buckeyes championship hopes to be dead.
But! They ain't dead yet.
FWIW, Ohio State has a better ranking now (No. 13) than it did at this time in 2014 (No. 14). That team, of course, had only one loss. But still jumping 10 teams isn't impossible.
Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 8, 2017
Obviously, chaos would need to reign. The good news is nobody watches college football for law and order. The Buckeyes just need to handle their end, which is blazing opponents like Dan Dakich's government weed.
From the indomitable Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors, whom you should follow on Twitter::
WIN OUT, AND WIN CONVINCINGLY
This is by far the most important thing that needs to happen for Ohio State to have any shot at getting back into the playoff conversation – even though it’s also the most obvious – which is why it gets a bigger subhead than the rest. This might all prove to be a moot conversation anyways, but it will certainly be a moot point if the Buckeyes lose another game.
If the Buckeyes don’t play much better against Michigan State than they played against Iowa, they could lose their third game by the end of the week. If the Buckeyes can beat the No. 12-ranked Spartans by any margin, that will prove that they are a better team than they appeared to be against Iowa. But the Buckeyes probably also need a big statement win at the end of the year – like that which they had against Wisconsin in 2014 – to convince the CFP committee that they deserve another playoff shot.
Two losses may seem insurmountable. But if Ohio State rolls Michigan State, the team coached by the guy that took Rex Grossman to a Super Bowl, Michigan, and an undefeated Wisconsin... well, ESPN would definitely want them in the tournament.
Granted, Michigan State could smother those dreams. But still, the important thing is, on this date, November 7th, 2017, hope is not dead yet. Again: HOPE IS NOT DEAD YET.
STOP BLUFFING, DINO. Here's how much I respect Mark Dantonio this week: I have refused to call him Mike D'antoni as in years past, despite knowing at least 500 people would not get the joke.
But I'm not about to buy this malarkey he didn't know about the 16-point spread 45 seconds after knowing 16 points meant it had gone up.
Still, Vegas didn't build a 21st century Gomorra on the backs of bad lines. Oddsmakers know something we don't.
For example, Sparty will be without starting cornerback Josh Butler.
From freep.com:
BUTLER OUT: Dantonio said Tuesday that Josh Butler planned to return to campus later Tuesday, but the sophomore cornerback will not travel with the Spartans to Columbus. Instead, he will be in Texas for his father Steven’s funeral on Saturday.
Steven Butler died Saturday morning, hours before MSU upset Penn State. Butler learned about his father’s death just before the team headed to Spartan Stadium and started the game at cornerback.
Is that enough to justify 16 points? I don't think so. But something is fishy about this line.
CAMPBELL BACK. Parris Campbell can be an adventure on offense, but his effect on the kicking game is undeniable. (Can't say I wasn't shocked to see Mike Weber returning kicks against Iowa).
He will return against Michigan State.
From Edward Sutelan of The Lantern:
Meyer said Campbell’s return will be important for his team moving forward considering the impact he has on the game.
“Obviously, he’s one of the best kick returners in America, and he’s such a tough guy and good kid that anytime he’s not out there it hurts, like any player,” Meyer said.
Would be a good time for a kick return. Feels like the last one happened in 1962.
DOOMSDAY SCENARIO. Listen, if the thread of society collapses in four weeks, here are your doomsday cheering instructions:
OSU loses to MSU & UM
— Tom Orr (@TomOrr4) November 5, 2017
UM loses to Wisky
MSU loses to Maryland & Rutgers
PSU loses to Rutgers
Rutgers wins out
Rutgers is co-B1G East champs
You might be thinking it's preposterous to ponder doomsday. But consider it's almost the middle of November and Rutger isn't yet statistically eliminated for a slice of a Big Ten championship.
LIGHTWEIGHT BAMA BOYS. Ohio State opened the season with an offensive line larger than the Cleveland Browns'.
OL weights have come a long way in 25 years:
One crazy thing I noticed working on a radio project. Check out the weights on the offensive line on Bama's national title team in 1992. pic.twitter.com/oiXnDSLwoM
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) November 7, 2017
Offensive linemen going to be 375 lbs. by 2050.
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