Skull Session: Bucks Listed at 3/1 to Make CFP, Linebacker Gamesmanship, and Urban Ends Weber's Shimmy

My plan for Wednesday of Illinois week: Definitely not thinking about Ohio State needing Paul Chryst, the most boring coach in the Big Ten, to come with both Bucky barrels bucking against Michigan in Camp Randall this weekend.

Still, I believe in the prophecy laid down by the most underrated Buckeye on Twitter:

I honestly think Ohio State will beat Illinois.
I honestly think Ohio State will beat Michigan.
I honestly think Ohio State will beat Wisconsin.
I honestly think Ohio State will beat Alabama.
I honestly think Ohio State will beat Miami.

— cam duffner son of brett son of carl son of walter (@camduffner) November 15, 2017

Ohio State run thats gauntlet, I'll get it get it tattooed on my back.

Word of the Day: Beatitude.

 BET THE RENT! Ohio State ranked No. 9 last night in only poll that matters. That's well within striking distance with three swings left to impress the country. 

Here are where the latest championship odds stand.

Teams with better odds than Ohio State: Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Miami, Wisconsin (lol), Georgia (lol), and Auburn (lol). 

My prediction (no order) Alabama, Oklahoma, Miami, and Ohio State. The ratings should be decent.

 SCHIANO CASTS SMOKE. Ohio State drummed Michigan State without Jerome Baker and Dante Booker. It begs the question (did I use that right?—trick question, I don't care), what does that mean for the rotation when they return?

Tuf Borland balled Saturday. In an extremely scientific poll funded by The Starcat of over 3,200 11W readers, 98% said Borland should remain in the middle. There were 50 comments.

Ahead of Illinois and with Michigan "looming," the Buckeyes played coy after Meyer announced Baker would return against Illinois while the status of Dante Booker remained unknown.

Asked whether he has been practicing at middle or outside linebacker this week, Chris Worley responded only with a smile. Wasnt going to give away Ohio States game plan.

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 14, 2017

Ohio State still mum on whether Jerome Baker and Dante Booker will play this week. I just asked Greg Schiano & he basically gave no comment.

— Dave Biddle (@davebiddle) November 14, 2017

And so the dance begins. Baker will play but Booker will be managed into a bench role. Such is the nature of a blue blood program with two-losses hunting for a playoff spot. 

A rotation of Malik Harrison, Baker, Borland, and Worley should be enough to answer any offensive question in the games remaining. Anything less and Columbus pizza drivers may want to keep their hot takes to themselves. (If you got that joke, congrats, you're among the Buckeye Kingdom cognoscenti.)

 LET THE FELLA DANCE. Mike Weber opted out of surgery for a preseason hamstring injury and didn't look like himself until the middle of November. That's an eternity as a fan, let alone a player walking the lonely rehab road.

So when Weber finally got loose against a Spartan rush defense then ranked No. 1 in the country, he shimmed when he got to pay dirt.

But his coach quickly put an end to that.

From the G.O.A.T. Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch:

After a preseason of frustration because of a torn hamstring and nine games of waiting for his new (faster) version to kick in, Mike Weber took off on his first long touchdown run of the season Saturday against Michigan State. And some might have noticed the quick shimmy from the sophomore in the end zone.

Coach Urban Meyer noticed. The first thing he told Weber was he didn’t want to see that again. The shimmy, that is.

“I don’t regret it, but it won’t happen again,” Weber said. “It’s a policy that coach Meyer has, give the ball to the official, hug a big guy (offensive lineman). But it was just an in-the-moment thing.”

We live in an era where the NFL relaxed celebration laws and allows group celebrations, so I have to call a foul on a three-time champion coach. These men put in more work than the NCAA-mandated hours while still attending class.

If they want to shimmy when they score, let 'em shimmy. Sports are an arena where emotion should flow freely. 

 LET'S GO SOONERS. My dream for this season ends with an Ohio State–Oklahoma rubber match in the playoffs. For that to happen, the Sooners need to be ranked as high as possible.

From newsok.com:

Oklahoma has the best resume’ in college football. And that includes undefeated teams Alabama, Miami and Wisconsin.

The Sooners have three huge wins – victories over top-15, or even top-12 opponents.

Miami has one. Bama and Wisconsin have zero.

Sounds good to me! And while we're at it: The Buckeye defense wants no part of Baker Mayfield. The spread for that game would be Sooners (-10), easily. 

 HELLO, WORLD. People think I started out as a professional blogger. Hell no. I started in the message board pits in corners of the internet my lawyer won't let me describe. 

That is to say, I have a healthy respect for message boards. They're a shinning beacon in the literary history of the human race. 

For such an example of how they can offer hope to a statewide community, look no further than the hope proffered in Florida by the faintest whiff of hiring Chip Kelly. 

From College Sports Only:

Going to be hilarious if Kelly rips their heart out. No doubt it would be because his old pal Urban spoiled him on the idea.

 OHIO U: STILL HAS A FOOTBALL TEAM. I did not stay up late enough to watch Akron and Ohio throw haymakers, but the Bobcats made at least one nice play:

The Bobcats did WHAT?! TOUCHDOWN @OhioFootball!

We suggest you turn on ESPN2 likeeeee now. #MACtion pic.twitter.com/ebDjpxnMte

— #MACtion (@MACSports) November 15, 2017

Frank Solich: Not a bad hire.

 THOSE WMDs. An ode to Derrick Rose's 12 assists... Traffickers making New York a lucrative and deadly fentanyl hub... Your football club owners' do not, never have and never will care about you... OSU student reflects on eating disorder recovery... Doctors advice for going to work sick.