I've issued a #DJByrnesFlipFlop on hockey. I thought it was bad, but it's good. Last night was but a minor setback on the road to the Stanley Cup for my Columbus Blue Jackets. #buzzzzz
CHRIS ASH'S RUTGERS REVENGE. Rutgers staged a late-game comeback to beat Bert's Arkansas in 2013, 28-24. (It led to one of my favorite game recaps I've typed at Eleven Warriors.)
But I have done such a remarkable job of blotting out Chris Ash's biggest shame — his association with Bert Bielema — out of my mind that I had forgotten Ash's involvement in that defeat.
From Tim May of The Columbus Dispatch:
[Rutgers] executed it well when it mattered against Arkansas last year. Nova threw for more than 250 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Scarlet Knights suddenly tore through a defense that had been shutting them down.
“They made a couple of plays and we didn’t,” Ash said that day. It came down to a couple of Arkansas defensive backs getting beat on pass routes they had defended well through three quarters. As Ash put it then, the Razorbacks “just didn’t finish the job.”
Sound familiar?
Maks wrote about Ohio State's efforts to break Gary Nova — I'm not sure that's possible because Gary Nova is a boss — but ultimately, if Ohio State doesn't surrender any big (touchdown) plays, the Buckeyes should cruise against Rutgers.
But If the offense is stymied, and it's a close game going into the fourth quarter? Then buckle up folks, BECAUSE GARY NOVA SHINES WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE THE BRIGHTEST. (He's a true #GrudenGrinder, if there ever was one.)
EVAN SPENCER KEEPS HIS AXE TO THE GRINDSTONE. Not going to lie, when I saw Evan Spencer on top of the wide receiver depth chart to start the season, I thought it was a cruel joke.
Spencer is obviously a good guy, but I, the guy with concrete feet that played one year of middle school football, have always thought Spencer was a pedestrian talent at wide receiver. (He could always throw a block, though.)
Spencer's best game this season came against Navy, in which he logged two catches for 24 yards. (In his second best game, against Cincinnati, he caught a 19-yard touchdown pass.)
Despite the lack of gaudy stats, however, Spencer still sits above Corey Smith on the depth chart. He consistently grades out as a champion and has logged over 40 games in his career, so he's obviously doing something right.
For more on that, here's the OZone's Eric Seger:
“When I first got here, I kind of took it upon myself to learn as much as I can and once I learned what I had on this play, I tried to learn what everybody else had. I wanted to know what the quarterback had or I wanted to know what defense. Then I kind of wanted to know what different plays better suit different coverages and vice versa.”
This has allowed Spencer to become a player the OSU coaching staff can rely upon because he knows the whole offense. The senior can line up at any of the wide receiver positions and offensive coordinator Tom Herman is confident he will get the job done, whatever that job may be.
“He's probably our most complete receiver when it comes to understanding the offense, understanding all three positions at wide receiver, and the element that he brings in the run game in terms of his ability to block,” Herman said of Spencer on Monday.
Meyer and Herman's offense operates best when the running game is flowing, and with that in mind, I guess it's not so surprising to see Evan Spencer still topping the depth chart. Props to Evan, because he's obviously earned that spot.
SOURCE: RUTGERS HAS AN AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE. Has there ever been a defense in the history of football that wasn't described as aggressive?
From James Grega Jr. of Ohio State's student voice, The Lantern, on Ohio State preparing for Rutgers aggressive defense:
The Scarlet Knights boast a defensive that has compiled 24 sacks on the season — led by a standout defensive line — which is tied for third in the country.
[...]
“Just like with any team we are going to play in the Big Ten, they are all going to have good players. We got into their defense practicing against it a little bit on the bye week,” [offensive lineman Taylor] Decker said. “We are expecting them to blitz a lot. We are probably expecting them to throw that bear cover zero at us too, because everybody has been trying it. We will probably get more into their personnel today and later through this week.”
[...]
“Front four are very active. They don’t blitz a ton on first and second down. I think somewhere in the range of 15 and 20 percent,” [Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom] Herman said. “On third down, they try to really create confusion and havoc and they’ve got a whole third down specialist-type deal where they’re going to run a bunch of different guys in on the field and line up in some crazy alignments and try to confuse you and pressure the quarterback on third down.”
Rutgers hasn't played anybody crazy, so their defensive line numbers are a little inflated, but I will be interested in watching Ohio State's offensive line — especially on third down 'cause that's when Rutgers likes to bring the ruckus — on Saturday night.
As I said yesterday, it's tough to know how much Ohio State has improved this last month and how much of it is based on playing inferior competition, but Ohio State's offensive line should be able handle the business if they've truly improved. (Is it Saturday yet?)
EDSBS GOES TO ANN ARBOR. (Please don't mention this to the perpetually aggrieved Brian Cook.) I must say this article from Spencer Hall, my favorite college football writer (non-Ramzy Nasrallah division), on his trip to Ann Arbor made for some excellent reading:
At Coach and Four, the barbershop where Bo Schembechler used to get his haircut, the old dudes drinking PBR and shooting the shit at 2 p.m. on a Friday prior to a gameday would rather be talking hockey, and not football. One of them hands me a beer while I wait for a haircut. I ask him if he goes to games anymore. He shakes his head no.
"Why go to the game when I can walk to my house, sit in my leather chair, have cold beer in my fridge, and a half-clean john to use?"
I ask if he still tailgates.
"Oh, well, yeah. Of course. I'm gonna tailgate. But then I'm going home."
One of the main reasons I hope Michigan is condemned to eternal mediocrity is because I love reading tales of Michigan failure. I love watching Michigan struggle and knowing there are old grumpy guys — along with the bro who told me in a Michigan Stadium bathroom in 2009 that Mike Hart was a better running back than Beanie Wells — out there getting pissed.
Does this make me a bad person? Does this make me a troll? Trick questions, y'all. I don't care. #GoBucks #DownWithMichigan
*KERMITDRINKINGTEA.JPEG* The Vegas Death Machine© is a seemingly omnipotent venture. So, it's of note when something like this happens at numerous casinos.
From Chance Linton of 247sports.com:
Several Las Vegas sportsbooks have taken the line for the Florida State-Notre Dame game completely off the board, according to VegasInsider.com.
The Seminoles opened as 13.5-point favorites, but the line was quickly bet down in most places before ultimately being removed. With the uncertainty surrounding Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the casinos that have taken the game off the board likely did so as a precautionary measure.
[...]
"It doesn't make sense to keep it up right now," [Jay Kornegay, the vice president of race and sports at the Westgate SuperBook] told ESPN. "You're only going to drive one-way action [to Notre Dame], so we're taking the cautious approach and see what happens."
Vegas could just be covering their bases, but maybe they know something we don't?
It's like JamesRBrown332 noted yesterday: the Feds got Al Capone on tax evasion. I will laugh if it's trading autographs for money is the reason for his downfall. Now, that'd be some poetic justice.
The better news for Ohio State fans, however, is Florida State or Notre Dame is losing on Saturday.
Bring on the chaos.
THOSE WMDs. To anybody else battling with depression... Japanese man is a level of Catlord to which I hope to aspire... When police moonlight in their uniforms... Google's Nine Eyes camera has seen some things... When the Guy Making Your Sandwich Has a Noncompete Clause... Good take, CNN Money... Why were my teachers never this cool?
