Good morning Buckeye faithful and welcome to your Tuesday Skull Session.
Sorry to vent about this, but finals suck. For the past week I have made the 11th floor of Thompson Library my home. All I know is summer is a few days away and it can not come soon enough.
Fortunately for me, nothing cures finals blues like a surprise visit from 11W's own Alex Gleitman who was reliving the glory days this weekend in Columbus. In between doing keg stands in the middle of Thompson, Alex took the time to ask me how finals were going to which I responded, "They suck."
I know, a very thrilling encounter between 11W intern and senior editor. Nonetheless, it is always nice to take a break in between learning the difference between Australopithecus platyops and Australopithecus afarensis for Anthropology to write this skully. Because the difference between the two is...
Never mind, let's just get started.
WHERE'S THE HOOD AT? Please ignore my gangster DMX reference in the title, but do pay attention to Mississippi State transfer Rodney Hood. Hood will be visiting the University of Memphis today as he decides upon the next school he will call home. Reportedly, Hood was down to deciding between Ohio State and Duke, but the trip to Memphis may indicate otherwise.
Hood, who will forfeit next season to transfer, has mentioned interest in OSU and would be a fantastic addition to Thad Matta's team. The All-SEC freshman performer averaged 10.3 points and 4.8 boards per game. The decision to transfer came after Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury resigned last March.
Hood is also considering Duke, Baylor, and Ohio State. If Hood were to come to Columbus, he would have the opportunity to play alongside former AAU teammate Laquinton Ross. He would also most likely receive big minutes his junior year because of his scoring capabilities. Hood has made a trip to OSU and has yet to visit Duke.
SO GOES THE STATUS QUO. Yesterday morning, the Big Ten held a conference call. The topic? The future of college football's postseason.
With continued meetings taking place on the topic across the NCAA, it is clear that there will eventually be some type of +1 playoff format. However, Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman had no problem saying what absolutely no one wanted to hear. Perlman announced that his fellow league presidents prefer "the status quo" as it is right now with college football. A continuance of the BCS and the bowl system.
Really? "The status quo" is what we want to keep? As Stewart Mandel writes in his article, how is it that the overlords of college football fail to recognize that the fans are chomping at the bit for change. Granted, Perlman acknowledged in later comments that "we'll end up making compromises" in regard to the future of college football's post season. Still though, times are a changin', Mr. Perlman. Try and think about what is fair rather than "the status quo".
The real question that remains with a college football postseason is how to determine the best four teams in the country for a +1 playoff system. Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany has come out and said that he doesn't believe in the BCS ranking system, but it will take a lot more criticism from powerful figures to change the BCS system.
Haden in his glory days. THE MEYER WAY. No matter where he decided to coach, Urban Meyer was always going to attract enemies and haters. In the SEC, Lane Kiffin and him shared some words that you could describe as less than friendly. And in the B1G, Bret Bielema isn't exactly his biggest supporter.
The hate that comes with being Urban Meyer is because of his success. He always seems to get the best players and produce a competitive culture where players thrive. Joe Haden of the Cleveland Browns described the level of intensity that came with playing for Meyer during his time at the University of Florida.
"If you wanted to know why you weren't playing, he'd tell you. All you had to do was ask. He was very honest," said Haden.
Haden recalled one time seeing Cam Newton go up against Brandon Spikes in a drill know as the "headcracker".
"I remember seeing Cam Newton and (linebacker) Brandon Spikes in the headcracker," he said. "We were saying, 'This is crazy.' It was pretty much a stalemate between them. Neither would give an inch."
This competitive atmosphere created by Meyer is what motivated players to perform, said Haden.
"The biggest thing he did for me was to teach me to compete every day," Haden said. "I went against Percy in practice all the time. That makes you better," said Haden.
LOS LINKS. Kevin Plawecki is the first Big Ten player selected in this year's MLB Draft... The first round of MLB's draft... Big Ten tweets from Monday... Power ranking OSU's suspensions... More analysis on the Big Ten's playoff stance.
