Sometimes, Mondays are just a shot to the groin.
I also might take exception to this pic.twitter.com/3x8kQO1oX4
— Bill Landis (@BillLandis25) February 22, 2022
Here's hoping Tuesday will be better.
Word of the Day: Constitute.
THE GOAT'S GREATEST HIT. Archie Griffin is probably most well known as the only player ever to win the Heisman Trophy twice, but that's not even his most impressive or proudest accomplishment.
Archie Griffin has so many things to be proud of from his @OhioStateFB career.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 21, 2022
The #B1Gimpact Pioneer is proudest of the following:
The teams (4x B1G champ)
His consistency (31 straight games with 100+ yards)
Full #B1Gtoday interview https://t.co/nUXT69yWuQ pic.twitter.com/LDic3kfM79
As cool and impressive as the double Heisman accomplishment is, eventually someone else is going to do that, too. Hell, it could even happen next year if Bryce Young has another great year.
But the 31 straight 100-yard rushing games – that record is as close to unbreakable as you can get.
BRING 'EM HOME. Luke Montgomery is a Buckeye, which is cool and good. But he doesn't just get to coast until signing day – he's got a job to do.
Now that’s he’s done so, he can begin doing the job OSU’s coaching staff has long-envisioned him having as its most prominent 2023 commit: Helping recruit the rest of the Buckeyes’ class.
Good thing he’s already gotten a head start by putting together his own recruiting board.
“A.J. Harris, Payton Kirkland, Chase Bisontis, I could go on and on,” Montgomery told cleveland.com. “Brandon Inniss, Carnell Tate. I’m gonna be recruiting the heck out of those kids.”
...
His recruitment is over. The only campus he’ll be visiting is in Columbus, expecting to be at every possible event outside of the spring game, which he will miss in favor of a much-needed family vacation.
Once he comes back from that, he’ll be ready to take his place as the leader of the Buckeyes’ 2023 recruiting class.
“Coach (Ryan) Day’s already been texting me a lot asking me what I think about different guys,” Montgomery said. “I’m gonna be at Ohio State as much as I can. Going down to Columbus is an easy drive, so I can be there with the kids who still need to make a decision.”
This sort of thing can quickly sound cliche and cheesy, but it absolutely matters.
These days, it's the others recruits that end up being the biggest recruiters. I'm sure they all respect Ryan Day and the other coaches but, at the end of the day, they just connect better with guys their own age. And those are the guys that are going to be your brothers for the years to come.
More recruiting is done in those group texts than Day will ever do visiting schools, hosting players on campus, or calling recruits. And honestly, when you're trying to build a strong team that trusts each other from day one, Day probably wouldn't have it any other way.
THE TATE TESTIMONY. Everyone wants to be a one-and-done, or at least a two or three and done. And don't get me wrong, those guys are great, help recruiting and there's a reason why they're able to jump to the pros (I'm looking at you, Duane Washington).
But a guy like Jae'Sean Tate can be an example for a whole different reason.
I caught up with former Buckeye Jae'Sean Tate today after OSU's game. The 26-year-old Houston Rocket is fresh off the Rising Stars Challenge in Cleveland and had this message about staying the course and being a testimony for players who get overlooked. https://t.co/QxxFwwgqox pic.twitter.com/L8iH3bdrEO
— Justin Holbrock (@NBC4Justin) February 19, 2022
He's just the perfect example of what can happen if you bust your ass and never give up. Besides his work ethic and leadership and drive to get better, here's no real reason why a 6-foot-4 guy should be playing as a post player in the NBA – much less being *good*.
IZZO TALKS JUWAN. Tom Izzo's had his own issues about getting a little too hot and emotional during and after games, but as far as I know, he's never pulled in another coach by his shirt and started a brawl by punching an assistant coach.
So when he gives his #thoughts, I'll listen.
(4/?) Izzo: "Maybe we should teach people how to shake hands." Says this issue more than the fight is a sore spot with him.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 21, 2022
"Those are the moments when I just think you learn the most about people."
I fully agree with this, but I think the postgame press conference was what made things look even worse for Juwan Howard. It's one thing to do something stupid and reckless in the heat of the moment, it's another to sit in a press conference after having plenty of time to cool down and still earnestly believe that you were in the right for punching an assistant coach.
I even think back to a few years ago when Chris Holtmann got a technical foul for being rightfully furious with the officials and the first thing he did in his postgame presser was give an unprompted apology for letting his emotions get the best of him.
To Juwan's credit, he did eventually apologize (while getting the name of the assistant coach he punched wrong), but none of this was a good look.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's.
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