Officially licensed Ohio State helmet skull. Or something.130 days. 3120 hours. Just a shade beyond what we usually equate to roughly four months. I know, I know -- it sucks, but at the same time, there's plenty of decent stuff to get us through to that point. Memorial Day. Who doesn't love three day weekends? Independence Day -- more of the same (plus explosions!). Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and All Star Game. NCAA Football 12's release date (July 12th, FYI). The NFL's pre-seaso--Okay, so maybe not so much that. Beastie Boys, Fleet Foxes, Okkervil River, Lil Wayne, My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver, and CSS are all releasing new records and probably many of them are touring in support there of. Plus many other excellent must-see concert staples (Arcade Fire, anybody?) should be hitting the road as well. I imagine we can find plenty to keep ourselves occupied for just four months. And if for whatever reason we happen to succumb to the burden of impatience? I suspect there's a popular internet web log support group meeting regularly but a few pixels from where your cursor is presently positioned.
Spring In Your Step. So about that whole Spring Game thing. If for whatever reason you were in Israel on some kind of Easter weekend themed pilgrimage (or more likely going out of town visiting in-laws/family sans BTN like a good American), you're obligated to commit this and this to heart.
I'll brief share my two cents, because damnit, this is my Skull Session. Braxton was impressive from a poise standpoint and certainly got into more of a groove as the afternoon progressed, but much of the later success came against hodgepodge defenses composed of walk on and backup types. Essentially he was never put in position to have to make the sort of multiple progression reads he'll have to make when the difficulty is upped from Sophomore to Heisman. I don't think it's going out on much of a limb to say amongst the options at hand he's far and away the most capable of producing dynamic results, but I've also seen little to suggest he'll be able to protect the ball at the level Coach Tressel (by proxy, of course) will be insistent upon. That being said, as weird as it sounds, I'm almost angry Joe Bauserman got that late garbage touchdown. While he'll still very likely (and unfortunately) be the guy under center when 100,000 cram into the Shoe the first weekend in September, I'm hoping the lack of standard deviations separating the four could open the door to each seeing their chances in the Akron affair. Still, a large part of me is starting to feel a lot like this about it all:
Straight Villaining Ohio's Greatest Villain. Oh hai snarky petulant NBA bloggers. Evan Turner hears you calling his being college basketball's best two seasons ago "damning of the entire level of play." He's also aware you've already dismissed his entire future (the dude's 21 FYI) based on a season marred by inconsistency, a rookie learning curve, and squabbling with his coach. And he's going to keep doing this over and over and over until he gets his.
This marks The Villain's second impressive playoff coming out party this series against a vastly superior Miami Heat side. The Villain's first season in Columbus was also marred by wild inconsistency and a delta that would make even John Hollinger blush. That being said, by year two there was a legitimate case to be made he was the Big Ten's best and brightest and by year three there was no doubt. I'm not a huge proponent of bulletin board material, but between ET and MC2, the NBA blogosphere sure knows how to deliver it by the boat load.
Ohio State-Bill Nebrasky -- A Night Time Hot Tub Party. Per 247's Nebraska representative HuskerIllustrated ($$$), the Tat Five and (NCAA WILLINGLY! PLZ Y'ALL) Jim Tressel's return from exile in Lincoln will take place in glorious prime time under the bright lights. Nebraska's inaugural Big Ten contest against Wisconsin is also evidently set as a night game. Enjoy as the league milks eyeballs and rides the hype train for each and every one of your Year One contests if you don't mind Big Red. Signed sincerely, B1G.
Other potential night rides for the Bucks include Wisconsin (Eat Too Brutus Two, y'all; mark it in your calendars now), Penn State, and well, really any road game involving the Buckeyes. I see you Purdue.
Devin Smith Is Some Kind of Superman. While you were busy mowing the lawn and entertaining family this weekend, future Buckeye Devin Smith went about tearing up just about every Stark County record he could get his hands on:
Less than 24 hours after catching a touchdown pass in the Ohio North-South Classic in Columbus, Smith won three open events and ran on a winning relay to lead the Tigers to the team championship. It is the second straight year he collected four first-place medals at the county meet.
Smith set county meet records in the 100 meters and long jump and tied a meet record in the high jump. He also anchored the 800 relay, which moved up from second to first when McKinley was disqualified.
Get to Columbus. Like yesterday. Please and thank you.
James Jackson Hits the Ol Dusty Trail. As long thought to be the case, Ohio State wide receiver James Jackson made his transformation from EA Sports' annually most over rated player on a major BCS program's depth chart to former FBS athlete official over the weekend. Jackson will head to Grand Valley State with a potential lingering season of remaining eligibility to go should he reemerge elsewhere. Here's wishing James the best in the next chapter of his life.
Gallimaufry. Obvious headline is obvious. Protect the beer at all costs, bro. This would completely freak me out (and I'd have no choice but to try to walk through them). Every morning y'all. This. Uh, whoops.
