Welcome to a new week. I hope that your Monday brings you as many feels as this Kansas fan felt this weekend.
Here ya go. pic.twitter.com/Nb3edHGSXF
— Ryan Fares (@AirFares27) November 15, 2021
Word of the Day: Ere.
THE WORLD IS RIGHT AGAIN. I'm pleased to announce that with Saturday night's public execution of Purdue Pete, Ohio State has officially reclaimed its throne as the top offense in the country in both major statistical categories.
After scoring 59 points on 624 yards against Purdue yesterday, Ohio State's offense is back to No. 1 in the country in both points per game (46.3) and yards per game (550.4).
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 14, 2021
Those are cool and good numbers, but personally, I just can't wait to see what happens to the scoring average once the Bucekyes drop 100 on Michigan in two weeks.
GARRETT WILSON FOR HEISMAN. After carving up Purdue, C.J. Stroud is officially the new Heisman Trophy betting favorite over on on the FanDuel Sportsbook with TreVeyon Henderson coming in at a (admittedly distant) No. 6.
But I'd argue neither of them are even the best or most deserving offensive weapon on the roster. Folks, it's time for a Garrett Wilson Heisman campaign.
The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on their first six possessions, punted once and ended nine of 10 drives — excluding the last one when it ran the final 7:40 off the clock and ended the game with a couple of kneeldowns in the red zone — with points. And Wilson showed that he might very well be the most integral piece to the whole thing.
It’s under that premise that this thought came to mind: If this is the best offense in college football — meaning it’s back on track and what we saw against Purdue is more or less what we’ll see moving forward — then perhaps Wilson deserves Heisman Trophy consideration in a year in which the race looks wide open.
...
... if you’ve been watching the Buckeyes all season, you can reasonably come to the conclusion that Wilson has been the team’s best player. That’s based on a presence and feel as much as it is on stats, which might be hard for the average voter who hasn’t watched every Buckeyes game to take into account. However, being the best player on one of the four or five best teams is a good place to be if you’re chasing a Heisman. And more eyeballs will be watching the Buckeyes down the stretch, giving Wilson more opportunities to impress voters.
On Saturday, Wilson showed great after-the-catch skill, first outracing a defender to the pylon on a 21-yard score in the first quarter and then making one defender miss while fighting through a jersey tug from Purdue’s George Karlaftis at the end of a 24-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. He showed his elite ball skills and body control while corralling a back-shoulder throw in the end zone for a 12-yard score early in the second quarter. And he showed the threat he can be in the run game with a 51-yard touchdown on an end-around midway through the second quarter.
I'm a huge fan of the concept of simply giving the trophy that's supposed to be award to the best player in the country to... the best player in the country. And there's nothing you could say to convince me that Garrett Wilson isn't that guy.
At the end of the day, though, I'll be happy with C.J. Stroud accepting the trophy as the pilot of the best offense in college football. He can just saw it into a few pieces – one for each player that accounts for 1,000 yards this season.
SUPERIER SLOBS. After a week of critical headlines, the Ohio State offensive line was a new level of dominant on Saturday afternoon while playing arguably the best defensive line and defensive lineman it's faced all season.
OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE WEEK: OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Ohio State’s running back room produced the second-most-efficient ground game among Power Five teams in Week 11. The average of 4.2 yards before contact per attempt will certainly help.
The Buckeyes' offensive line gave plenty of open lanes for the running backs and presented quarterback C.J. Stroud with a clean pocket as much as possible. And that’s not hyperbole. The offensive line didn’t allow a pressure all game long across 38 dropbacks — not even star edge defender George Karlaftis had one.
I think the most frustrating thing about the slobs' performance over the past few weeks wasn't necessarily that they were bad, but that it's so clear that this *should* be the best offensive line in the country.
Being the best is fantastic. But to be honest, Saturday was the expectation when you've got that much talent.
PANTS ON FIRE. Jim Harbaugh may have coached himself off of the hot seat this season, but it would seem that the hot seat is chasing him around.
Jim Harbaugh's pants got burned by the space heater on the sidelines in the 1st half pic.twitter.com/RPF60G3UwZ
— Patrick Barron (@BlueBarronPhoto) November 15, 2021
That's what he gets for ditching the khakis.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Autumn's Here" by Hawksley Workman
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. A man is finally evicted after not paying his rent for 23 years... An arctic penguin randomly shows up 2,000 miles from home... Inside the rise and surprising crackdown of the country’s hottest weed market... Actually, everyone is thinking about you... Over half of Americans think their life story is interesting enough to be a book...
