Well, today's the day of Ohio State's annual exhibition extravaganza. I'm just glad Ohio State will finally get some competition. Hell, the last competitive game they played was in the last week of October.
There are more pieces en route in a couple of hours, but here are some #springgamereads to help pass the time:
- Rosters.
- Film Study: What to watch during the spring game.
- Urban Meyer says he loves that Ohio State produces big crowds for its spring game.
P.S. I could be dead from last night's banger. Please know that my mom reads these things before you post any celebratory GIFs. Thank you.
THE DAY CARDALE JONES BEAT SUPERMAN. Remember that time Cardale Jones strolled into Nationwide Children's Hospital and eviscerated a patient in NCAA Football? Well, as it turns out... that's not all the Iron King did that night.
From Adam Kramer of BleacherReport.com, who profiled that night.
Inside the hospital walls, the buzz from Jared's room began to spread quickly. As laughter poured out of the recovery room and into the hallways, those in the vicinity were drawn to the commotion. A crowd of nurses and children huddled outside the room, hoping to get a glimpse of the Buckeyes' new superstar.
"[Cardale Jones, Zach Smith, and Johnnie Dixon] ended up visiting almost all of the kids on the floor that night," Stacey said. "As they were leaving, the kids who could get out of their beds came out to the hallway, shook their hands, and they took pictures with everyone. It was such a nice experience. They were so polite."
As they made the rounds, a doctor's eyes welled up with tears as the quarterback greeted her. He embraced her right back. The madness of the outside world subsided, even for a short while.
This is billed as an article about the "Cardale Jones you don't know," but in Columbus we've known about No. 12's kind acts for awhile now.
If it seems like it was only a year ago we were wondering if Cardale was even fit to be a backup... well, that's because it was. Last year was a hell of a ride.
#TEEN TO WATCH: PARRIS CAMPBELL. Ohio State's known commodities won't be logging massive minutes today, which is a good thing for Ohio State fans eager to scout the next Buckeyes up.
One of those players is Parris Campbell, who is positioned nicely for some H-Back minutes this fall.
From Ryan Ginn of Scout.com:
Player you'll want to watch – Parris Campbell While it’s been Noah Brown that’s received the most praise this spring, Campbell hasn’t been far behind in that category. He showed up to Ohio State last June at just 16 years old and still has a handful of months before he turns 18. That was at least one of the factors in the decision to redshirt him, but now the coaching staff can turn him loose. In media day interviews in New Orleans and Dallas, players told me that he was the redshirting player that impressed them the most in practice.
If you need a reminder of his powers, here he is competing at age 16:
MIKE THOMAS: FUTURE NFL FIRST ROUNDER. On the other end of the receiving stable is Mike Thomas. This time last year, he was plagued by questions about his maturity.
Now?
Just handed a ball to @Cantguardmike oh my lord.... #TheGreatOne pic.twitter.com/va5yKrOEJP
— Caleb Houser™ (@calebhouser9) April 17, 2015
Good luck guarding that rock of a man, defenses. You're going to need it.
DODD DROPS STRONG TAKE. Love when national writers fly over Columbus and firebomb it with a #take:
Braxton Miller HAS to transfer, doesn't he? http://t.co/rF0lb5JlWN
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) April 17, 2015
No, actually. He doesn't have to transfer. (He already missed that boat anyway.) The actual article is mumble-jumble word salad.
I still think, given this four-day old quote from Urban Meyer to Sports Illustrated, that it's Braxton's job to lose if he makes it back to 100%:
I know Braxton probably better than anyone in this program, along with [strength coach] Mickey Marotti. He’s never been this way. His leadership, pushing each other, pushing himself, the attention to detail, because he was one of those guys his whole life he’s been better than everybody, so why does he have to work this hard? And we got him through that. Now he’s working harder than anybody. When you put that kind of work ethic now with the skill he has, it’s pretty good.
Now, coming back from two shoulder surgeries and not playing a competitive game since January 2014 is a lot easier said than done. I suppose, however, if anybody could do it, it's mutant Braxton Miller.
THOSE WMDs. The way our brains are wired makes us all susceptible to grammar slip ups... Serial bank robbers thought to be former policemen or soldiers... Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale... Elmore Leonard talks about his life and writing... This isn't a painting; it's the Namib desert... Is The Elements of Style still useful? An investigation.
