Today is Thursday, which means it's a good day to have a great day. Make sure to caffeinate and dominate.
Also, if you're a Columbus resident, make sure to get a library card this month. If you do, the Main Library will be renamed Flavortown HQ.
Lets make it happen Columbus!! https://t.co/1q6MX5wqCX
— Mayor Guy Fieri (@GuyFieri) September 21, 2022
Guy Fieri wants you to do it, so I don't know what more could make you want to do it. And if you don't live in Columbus, do it anyway because books are cool.
Let's have a good Thursday, shall we?
A FOND MEMORY. A video of the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game surfaced on my Twitter timeline on Wednesday. Immediately came back all the fond memories of watching Cardale Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, Devin Smith and Curtis Samuel score all over the Wisconsin defense. At the same time, Joey Bosa, Doran Grant and Vonn Bell incapacitated the Badgers' offense.
2014 Big Ten Championship
— Mr. Ohio (@MrOH1O) September 21, 2022
Ohio State - 59
Wisconsin - 0 pic.twitter.com/tdvrXy7s78
Everything went Ohio State's way on that fateful night in Indianapolis. Jones finished 12-of-17 for 257 yards and three touchdowns, Elliott collected 220 yards and two scores on 20 carries and Smith caught four passes for 137 yards and had three trips to the end zone.
On the outside looking in as the No. 5 team according to the College Football Playoff committee, Ohio State needed a blowout win over Wisconsin to make the CFP. The Buckeyes delivered and would eventually win a national championship, making their 59-0 stomping over the Badgers one of the most significant victories in program history.
THE LAY OF THE LAND. According to our excellent data analyst Matt Gutridge, Ohio State is off to a 3-0 start for the 61st time in program history, which made me wonder: How often did the previous teams to start 3-0 achieve undefeated regular seasons?
Gutridge again had that info. He found that the Buckeyes have completed an unblemished regular season 18 times since the program's inception in 1890, which again made me wonder: What are the chances that Ohio State finishes the 2022 season undefeated?
For that information, I turned to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, a computer system used by ESPN to calculate College Football Playoff odds for programs near the top of weekly polls. As it stands, the predictor likes the Buckeyes’ chances for a perfect 12 games this fall, with the least likely Ohio State win coming against Penn State at 69%.
| Matchup | Date | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Sat, Sep 24 | 89 |
| Rutgers | Sat, Oct 01 | 98 |
| @Michigan State | Sat, Oct 08 | 79 |
| Iowa | Sat, Oct 22 | 95 |
| @Penn State | Sat, Oct 29 | 69 |
| @Northwestern | Sat, Nov 05 | 98 |
| Indiana | Sat, Nov 12 | 98 |
| @Maryland | Sat, Nov 19 | 85 |
| Michigan | Sat, Nov 26 | 73 |
Ohio State's next lowest odds for a victory are 73% against Michigan in the final game of the regular season on Nov. 26 and 79% at Michigan State on Oct. 8. Outside of those three games, the Buckeyes are offered at least an 85% chance to defeat the other six remaining opponents on their regular season schedule.
An undefeated regular season would put the Buckeyes firmly in the top four teams in the country and possibly make them the No. 1 seed in the CFP. From there, all bets are off as they attempt to win their first national championship since 2014. And let's be honest, that's all that matters for Ohio State fans. Undefeated regular seasons are fine, but championships are the goal, and this year's team has done what it’s needed to do so far to give itself a chance to accomplish that feat.
CAFFEY FOR SIX. The entire Ohio State roster celebrated when walk-on running back TC Caffey's scored a 49-yard touchdown against Toledo last weekend, which also happens to be the longest carry of the season by a Buckeye ball arrier.
Caffey was featured in a video on the Ohio State football Twitter after receiving a Buckeye Leaf for his effort on the play. He described his long run and revealed he didn't know where he would end up when he took the handoff from fellow freshman Devin Brown.
:
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 21, 2022
week 03 - @tC2_2Caffey
#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/DTlaiplDzo
“I felt like a little kid,” Caffey said of the touchdown. “It was like a dream come true for me.”
I am happy Caffey could capitalize on his opportunity against the Rockets. He certainly made the most of it. I also loved seeing how his teammates reacted to his touchdown. It seems he's making as much or more of an impact in the locker room as he is on the field.
When the players speak of The Brotherhood, I think this is what they mean – celebrating their teammate's successes no matter who is in the limelight in certain games. Whether it is C.J. Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Caffey, the Buckeyes are happy to score points and win games, and that's a neat thing.
ELEVEN DUBGATE X IS BREWED WITHOUT COMPROMISE BY ATHLETIC BREWING.
Athletic beers are meant to be enjoyed proudly – taking non-alcoholic beer out of the penalty box forever. Whether you’re looking to cut out alcohol for life or just for a night, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your ability to be healthy, active and at your best to enjoy great beer.
Athletic donates 2% of sales to protecting and restoring local trails.
Since day one, Athletic Brewing’s mission has been to combine a love for an active, healthy lifestyle and a love for great beer. The essential Athletic brews – Run Wild IPA, Upside Dawn Golden Ale, and Free Wave Hazy IPA – are available year-round. But Athletic also brews seasonal releases, limited edition styles and collaboration beers highlighting ingredients or flavors from some of their favorite brands.
Doors open at 3 p.m. for Eleven Dubgate X, which is being held this Saturday prior to Ohio State's game with Wisconsin. This event relies on your donations, which will benefit Special Olympics Olentangy. Cash and Venmo (@OSSOSTORM) are both accepted.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Olivia” by Rayland Baxter.
CUT TO THE CHASE. Man pleads guilty to dousing ‘Bewitched’ statue in red paint... Blind dog rescued from hole at California construction site... Please don't cook chicken in NyQuil... A stunning move shakes the chess world... An arctic fox was found scratching at a Tennessee women's door.
