Good morning and happy (Merry?) Boxing Day to all the Canadians out there.
Did everyone get the presents they were hoping for? I'll be honest, after seeing my Facebook and Twitter accounts blow up with pictures of friends at other schools holding bowl game tickets from their significant others, I was a little jealous that wasn't an option for discerning Buckeye gift-givers this year.
However, even though Buckeye stockings weren't filled with national championship game tickets this year, Santa Urban delivered a pretty big (literally) present yesterday with the first commitment of the 2014 class, Marcelys Jones.
Jones is a big, big boy at 6-5/325 and will get looks at both defensive line and offensive guard. The Eleven Warriors recruiting team will be catching up with Jones shortly, but in the meantime, be thankful for Urban Meyer, the gift that keeps on giving...blue-chip recruits and wins, that is.
But don't work too hard there, Urban – remember the Family Contract!
Coaches still working today lol email from #OleMiss #OSU #CoachMeyer #CoachRicht #Vols Just this morning. appreciated, but go enjoy the fam!
— Jeb Blazevich (@JebBlazevich) December 25, 2012
BOWL GAME GOSSIP. Christmas may be over, but that means bowl season really gets into gear. As such, we have news updates for some prominent upcoming bowl games:
Wisconsin is looking to get their first Rose Bowl win since 2000 (also against Stanford, actually), but they'll be doing so with Curt Phillips under center even if Joel Stave is medically cleared:
Wisconsin went 2-2 in Phillips' starts after Stave broke his collarbone, and the Badgers rushed for an average of 551.5 yards per game in the two victories. Though it's not as if Phillips played poorly in the losses -- both of which came in overtime against Ohio State and Penn State -- as he threw for 345 yards, three touchdowns and only one interception.
Wisconsin Prediction: According to the numbers, Wisconsin's defense > Stanford's offense and Stanford's defense > Wisconsin's offense. While the defenses should dominate in a low-scoring, run-heavy affair, I expect Stanford to ultimately take this one.
Oregon-Kansas State may be my favorite matchup of the bowl season – a disciplined defense against an elite offense, not to mention potentially Chip Kelly's final game as a Duck.
FishDuck does their typically excellent job of breaking down the game and concludes that Oregon should have some success as long as Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota can keep the KSU safeties out of the box:
Marcelys just couldn't wait til after National Signing DayThis particular matchup between Oregon and Kansas State is very similar to the Oregon-Wisconsin matchup from last January. The Badgers boasted efficiency and a stout defense, but lacked the speed and athleticism to run base coverages; thus, they could not avoid neglecting a component of the Oregon offense.
I promise I didn't intend for this Skull Session to turn in to "hate on Wisconsin day", but here we are.
Oregon Prediction: I'm taking Oregon here. KSU might have the emotional advantage (what with Kelly to NFL rumors and general disappointment), but I think Oregon is simply the better team.
LESSER BOWL WANT LOVE TOO. For those of you still desperate for some football action, you can catch a replay of the Hawaii Bowl or tonight's Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Not the most exciting of offerings just yet, but hey, at least it's football.
The Christmas Eve showdown between Fresno State and SMU saw SMU run away with the win behind a big game from 6'8" defensive end Margus Hunt:
Hunt, the 6-foot-8 senior from Estonia with an 82-inch wing span, forced two fumbles that led to field goals and sacked Derek Carr for a safety as SMU (7-6) built a 22-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Little Caesars Bowl might be interesting to a few of you (no? OK, fine) because it pits Western Kentucky (Petrino's destination) against Central Michigan.
Rooting interest? I say Western Kentucky, because Central Michigan is in Michigan, and this is your last chance to like Western Kentucky for as long as Petrino is there. Furthermore, root for WKU because it is WKU's first bowl since moving to the big leagues in 2009. Go Hilltoppers!
BOXING LINKS. Megaregions are taking over!... Noah Spence has a big ol' family... Slideshow (ugh) of the top 5 college football stories of the year... Bielema poaches a Washington position coach... It's not just about football... Crist watches ND win, Kansas lose, talks to Feldman... Well, whatever makes you feel better about the state of Texas football, I guess... Hide yo' milk... Science of blinking.
