I come bearing good news for our allies, and terrible news for our enemies: his GOATness could see some action on Saturday.
Urban Meyer says Demario McCall plays both running back and H-Back. "He's going to be involved in this gameplan, I think."
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) September 26, 2018
ICYMI
- Penn State Trailer
- Penn State Game Poster
- Mid-week notebook
- There's room for improvement for Ohio State's linebackers.
- Dwayne Haskins faces his toughest test yet against Penn State.
- For the Buckeye team captains, it's now time to lead.
Word of the Day: Effete.
WE WANT BAMA. Alabama has looked absolutely unbeatable this year and are a ridiculous -300 favorite to win the national title – meaning you would have to risk $300 in order to just win $100.
But they play the games for a reason, and college football analyst Joel Klatt thinks the Buckeyes are one of the only teams in college football with the talent to hang with Nick Saban and his horde.
Here are Klatt's thoughts. Disregard the yelling man behind the desk.
"This is the best QB talent Urban Meyer has ever had, including Alex Smith... this kid's an NFL QB."@ColinCowherd on Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins pic.twitter.com/iejcuZjKnP
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) September 26, 2018
“Ohio State has established themselves as the second-best team in the country," Klatt said. "They’re one of the rare teams that has the roster, the coaching acumen, the quarterback explosiveness, the offense that could actually compete with Alabama and give them a game."
I think another key is that game wouldn't happen tomorrow, giving this Buckeye team room to get even better and sort things out of the defensive end. On offense though, the team is already money.
"This Ohio State offense is one of the best Ohio State offenses I’ve seen in a long, long time."
Klatt is also extremely high on Dwayne Haskins, calling him the best quarterback Urban Meyer has ever had, including Tim Tebow. That's extremely high praise.
SHOOTOUT IN STATE COLLEGE. It's looking like the scoreboard is going to light up on Saturday night in Happy Valley in a matchup between top-scoring offenses like we haven't seen in the Big Ten since 1962.
.@OhioStateFB at @PennStateFball will be the 1st @B1Gfootball matchup featuring the Top 2 scoring offenses in the nation since Nov. 10, 1962 when #8 Wisconsin beat #1 Northwestern 37-6 in Madison. #PennState #Buckeyes
— BTNStatsGuys (@BTNStatsGuys) September 25, 2018
Times have changed just a bit.
Heading into that game, Wisconsin was averaging 33.1 points per game and Northwestern 32.5. Penn State and Ohio State nearly double that, averaging 55.5 and 54.5 points per game respectively, and in a lot of those game the starters were out at halftime.
The over/under total points line is currently set at 72 points, and I honestly lean under. I get that both of these teams can put up a bunch of points, but I think both defenses are better than people think and I think both will play a little tighter with how much is on the line.
Then again, I'm an atrocious 8-12 in my Skull Session picks this season so it'll probably be a 63-56 finish.
QUARTERBACKS REJOICE. It looks like neither Bosa will be ravaging opposing quarterbacks anytime soon as both Big Bear and Little Bear are out for an indeterminate amount of time with injuries.
Nick, of course, will be out until at least November with a core muscle injury, but his big brother Joey hasn't had much more luck in the NFL. He missed his first three games with a foot injury and it looks like he also won't return until at least November.
Joey Bosa just spoke for the first time about his foot injury. Bosa said hes expecting to remain out until the Chargers bye week. There is still instability in the tendon, he said. But Bosa is optimistic that he wont need surgery.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 26, 2018
Bosa said he tried to come back from his foot injury in camp before he was ready. He ended up reaggravating the injury by returning too soon.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 26, 2018
Bosa said he tried to come back from his foot injury in camp before he was ready. He ended up reaggravating the injury by returning too soon.
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 26, 2018
Heres what Bosa said about his injury timeline: "Its going to be a few more weeks, and once that time comes, its really going to be a day at a time. Right now, were really trying to prevent surgery, which is looking good, as long as I take my time and do everything right."
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 26, 2018
I'll say this much, quarterbacks at the college and pro levels are catching some lucky breaks this season with those two sidelined.
STEALING A BIKE > WALKING. If this impacts Saturday's meeting at all, Penn State's got huge problems, because he was never expected to play in the first place, but Nittany Lions' offensive tackle Rasheed Walker is facing misdemeanor theft charges for stealing a bike.
From the Daily Collegian:
According to Penn State police, Walker confessed to stealing a Trek 830 mountain bike that was reported missing from directly under a surveillance camera by the Lasch Football Building on Sept. 11.
Walker, 18, allegedly took the mountain bike, valued at $150, and disposed of it near his residence building because he did not feel like walking back to his residence building that day.
Honestly, we've all been there, Rasheed. Just take one of the mobile app scooters next time. Then you wouldn't even have to pedal.
HOCKEY IN THE 'SHOE? Folks have been clamoring for an outdoor NHL hockey game in Ohio Stadium since the Blue Jackets rose to power, and it seems like that might not be an outlandish dream.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke about the possibility of an outdoor game in Columbus, and while he wouldn't commit to anything, he definitely seems more than open to the idea.
From NHL.com:
"It's obvious that the team is competitive, that they're playing exciting hockey, that the fans are reacting in positive ways," Bettman said. "It's even at the point where, internally - we're not there yet - we have started focusing on the possibility of an outdoor game. So, we view Columbus as a great success story."
...
Fans clearly want one, with the obvious choice of venue being Ohio Stadium on Ohio State's campus, aka "The Shoe."
"I've [been] in one and they're a blast," said Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who coached the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic. "You know how I feel about the City of Columbus. I don't think we get respect. We're trying to fight for that. For us to be mentioned or involved in all those games, I think would be great for the city and great for the team and help us keep progressing."
Told there might be winterization hurdles that might need to be dealt with at that stadium, Bettman didn't sound too concerned.
"There's a big football stadium there, last time I checked," he quipped. "We've put on 24 outdoor games. I think we kind of know what's involved and we're excited to see how well Columbus is doing."
If they want to do the thing right, it should be Blue Jackets vs. Red Wings, and work in an Ohio State vs. Michigan tie in.
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