I know why you're here this morning, so let's just get this out of the way.
Braxton Miller is fine and should be good for practice this week from what we're being told.
We'll have more later today from Urban Meyer's weekly presser, but based on what we know now, count on Miller Saturday against Penn State.
Now, on to that epic comeback we were treated to Saturday. I'm done worrying about the defense and have come to accept it for what it is. We may see improvements and players playing out of position will only become more comfortable in their new spots, but this team will need to figure out ways to win in spite of the defense the rest of the way. I'm not convinced they won't be able to pull that off four more times.
Here's what I do know: Purdue scored on their first play, returned a kick for a touchdown, won the turnover battle 4-1 and threw everything they had at an Ohio State team playing without its top running back, top receiver and one of the best players in college football.
And the Buckeyes still gave us one of the better finishes you'll ever see.
I think Reid Fragel said it best:
If you're not an Ohio State fan I feel bad for you, I got 99 problems and a loss ain't one.
— Reid Fragel (@Fragel77) October 21, 2012
Speaking of Twitter, Kenny Guiton (@lowKeyG_13) is riding his comeback win to the tune of nearly 2,000 new followers in the last 36 hours. All earned.
SOUNDS LIKE A MAN COMPLAINING TO SAVE HIS JOB. Following his team's collapse, Purdue coach Danny Hope spoke out about holds that weren't called against Ohio State on the game-tying drive.
That's fascinating, Danny. Really fascinating.
WE ARE... BETTER THAN WE THOUGHT. I've mentioned it in this space before, but Alex has long held the belief that Penn State would be the team that will trip up the Buckeyes this season. And that was before thinking Penn State was decent became fashionable.
So here we are, staring down a trip to Happy Valley to take on a team that's in a position to challenge the Buckeyes for the Leaders Division title, features a candidate for the league's MVP award in quarterback and former walk-on Matt McGloin and is coached by a guy that appears to be everything Charlie Weis thought he was when he arrived in South Bend.
Following Penn State's 38-14 road win over Iowa, the venerable Adam Rittenberg went so far as to say that the Nittany Lions—decimated by transfers and sanctions—are looking like the Big Ten's best team.
Maybe it's time to be honest about Penn State. This is a merciless football team playing with tremendous confidence and urgency on both sides of the ball. O'Brien and his staff are one step -- or, in games such as Saturday night's -- three steps ahead of the competition, and they have more than enough talent to keep on winning.
Right now, the Big Ten has no hotter team than the Lions. A week from now, we could be proclaiming Penn State the Big Ten's best team.
Given the holes on Ohio State's defense and special teams, I'm certainly in no position to argue with him. But I'm also not ready to absolve Penn State of having the worst fans in the league, either1.
feelsgoodman.jpgMAKE PLANS FOR MARCH. With Big Ten basketball media day Thursday2 and Ohio State eight days away from opening the 2012-13 season with an exhibition with Walsh, Buckeye roundball is nigh.
It's also time to for the annual rite of absorbing everything that Ken Pomeroy puts to hypertext. Yesterday, he ran some data on the AP Poll, which will be released Friday, and found that teams appearing in the top five of the preseason poll made the tournament nearly 98% of the time.
This is great news for an Ohio State team that lost a once-a-decade type player, but still returns enough talent be a top five team (Ohio State debuted at #4 in the Coaches Poll).
THE STATE OF FOOTBALL (A SERIAL). The top five Ohio major college football teams are still playing well, having racked up a cumulative 33-3 record. Though one of the previously unbeatens, #21 Cincinnati, took one on the chin against Toledo Saturday, the win moved the Rockets to 7-1. Toledo is joined by Ohio State (8-0), Ohio (7-0), Kent State (6-1) and the Bearcats, now 5-1.
We've given the teams plenty of ink and it's all deserved, especially in Kent State's case. The Golden Flashes are bowl eligible for the first time since 1972, which also happens to be the last year Alabama coach Nick Saban and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel donned the navy blue and gold together as teammates.
Kent State's surge is a testament to the turnaround job former Buckeye assistant head coach Darrell Hazell has done. In the 13 seasons before his arrival, the Golden Flashes were a combined 46-104, but after a 5-7 season in his first campaign, Hazell has Kent State playing excellent football. Unfortunately for Kent State supporters, this means he won't be in town for much longer.
Outside of FBS schools, Mount Union is having a typical Purple Raiders season, which means they're annihilating everyone they face.
Saturday's 51-0 romp over Otterbein gave head coach Larry Kehres his 324th win, moving him past Bear Bryant3. Mount Union faces fellow unbeaten Heidelberg on Saturday, where the Purple Raiders will go for an NCAA record 7th-straight shutout.
TBDBITL IS ON A ROLL. In their first performance since the video games tribute that went viral, the band went Mayan 2012 for their halftime show Saturday, complete with aliens, REM and Michigan as the bad guys.
Strong stuff, ladies and gents of TBDBITL.
ETC. Tiffany Cameron is straight ballin'... Doug Lesmerises does AP poll voting right... NCAA president Mark Emmert forced to testify and produce documents in NJ sports betting case... Wisconsin now has a Barge formation, which also happens to be Bielema's preferred pleasure boat type... I know it's Penn State hate week, but this happened in State College over the weekend... Ohio counties one year before statehood... Someone is casting for a zombie movie to be shot in Columbus... A&F hit with lawsuit because their CEO likes his jets one way and one way only.
- 1 I suppose he deserves credit for not deleting the tweet, but still, DERP ON STATE. ↑
- 2 Kyle will be attending the event for 11W, so thank you all, once again for donating to our Respect the Basement fundraiser. Your dollars at work, indeed. ↑
- 3 BUT, PAWWWWL, DEY WEAR PURPLE! ↑
