Good morning, dear readers and welcome to your Wednesday Skull Session.
While Tuesdays have apparently been designated Let's All Talk About the Heisman Day, we've got some Spartans and Huskers to beat before we can seriously talk about Brax and the stiff arm trophy.
Further, we need to discuss whether the defense can stop a decidedly traditional, non-dink and dunk offense!
RECRUITING GETS WEIRD SOMETIMES. Sometimes recruiting is just the best for bringing the LULZ.
The sometimes divisive Mike Farrell reviewed the top ten funniest recruiting stories of the past decade, and the results were hilarious (and horrifying).
Spoiler: Jimmy Clausen's spiked hair and limo didn't make the list! Here are some highlights, but go read the whole thing, laugh, and be sickened:
About former NC State head coach Chuck Amato -
However, when it came to 2002 star cornerback A.J. Davis from Northern Durham (N.C.), Amato become extra creative and undoubtedly embarrassing...Davis had committed to North Carolina a week before signing day only to change his mind a week later after Amato called him on the phone and sang Dean Martin's "Return To Me" into his ear. A few of the lyrics to the song are especially disturbing including "Oh my dear, I'm so lonely, hurry back, hurry back, Oh my love hurry back I'm yours."
On Texas A&M incoming freshman Floyd Raven's mom -
This past February on National Signing Day, cornerback Floyd Raven's mother forged his letter of intent to Mississippi when Raven himself wanted to go to Texas A&M. Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt received the letter but it was hard to read so the school reached out to Raven for another and he declined, learning that his mom had sent it without his say-so. It turns out that Raven's mom wanted him to attend Ole Miss so badly she took matters into her own hands.
Thankfully no Buckeyes make the list, though the former LiC (haven't heard that in a while have you?) does get a shoutout.
THE B12 IS WEIRD. So the Big Ten may not be very good (at all) this year, but at least we're not weird and elusive like the Big 12.
When your top team - well, at least right now - is Kansas State, how could it not be a weird conference? In case you haven't looked around the non-B1G football landscape this year, Bryan Fischer wrote a bit about Kansas State's recent success in their win over Oklahoma.
The interesting part to me was his bit on quarterback Collin Klein, who quietly put up some big numbers last year:
Klein put up impressive numbers a year ago -- 1,141 yards and 27 touchdowns rushing, 1,918 yards and 13 touchdowns passing -- but there's less pressure on him to do everything this year. He gives Kansas State a chance to win every week because of his demeanor and knack for making the right play at the right time.
I think we'd all be pretty happy if Braxton ended this season with those numbers (but I wouldn't say no to more passing yards).
Good game against MSU, pretty please? In case you were wondering, they're putting up eerily similar numbers through the air this year, with Collin averaging just a yard more than Braxton (189.5) per game. Braxton does have him beat in rushing, however, with 110.25 yards/game compared to 72.75 for Klein.
In my extremely scientific analysis, Braxton shares Klein's "demeanor and knack for making the right play at the right time" as well. Braxton to Devin Smith, anyone?
TIME TO MAKE YOUR PICKS. The internet is busy throwing out picks for this weekend's games, including your Buckeyes:
Ohio State has a good defense that should be able to get pressure on the quarterback, but you wonder how they'll respond after UAB was able to hit some big plays last week. I'm just not yet a believer in Andrew Maxwell to make enough plays to keep the defense honest so OSU goes on the road and grabs a big one. Pick: Ohio State
But Michigan State is athletic enough on defense that Braxton Miller's going to have another rough time moving the ball both on the ground and through the air, so while we'll see more offensive production on both sides than last year's 10-7 battle (one of the most lopsided three-point wins of all time), the result still should look pretty familiar. Final Score: Michigan State 16, Ohio State 10
I'm actually feeling fairly optimistic about this game for a couple reasons: a) Meyer knows the importance of big games and this is his first one at Ohio State, and b) our defense, as Meyer said today, is set up much better for Michigan State's offense than a quick screen, 3-step drop offense currently.
Maybe, just maybe, Curtis Grant can have a big day stopping the run.
BRING OUT YOUR LINKS! Pfff can't be worse than LA drivers, amiright? I actually have no idea... Steele's got some new bowl projections... Loved the LSU student's response to UL Monroe game... Love you Tress... Study before bed? Here's some science for you... LSU Freek deserves your views... This is a pretty awesome thread each week... Well, TIL, I guess.
