Gah, it's Monday. Time to pull myself out of the gutter and re-connect to civilization. (I assume this is what Nick Saban is talking about in regards to "the process.")
I am also a tad worried about Columbus' recent success. The Crew are off to a hot start and soon Lord Stanley's chalice will reside in Ohio's capital city. This is on top of Columbus already being the gem of the Midwest. Sorry, but the bandwagon is full, folks; parking in the Short North is already atrocious.
BUCKEYES LOSE BEN EDWARDS. The big news over the weekend was Ben Edwards' decommitment from Ohio State and his flip to Auburn.
When asked what made the difference for Edwards, the Florida star was to the point.
"The family atmosphere," he said of what Auburn has working for it. "My parents were happy, and I love the coaches."
Not going to lie, I'm a little salty about this one because I was looking forward to shouting "DUUUUVALLLLL!" whenever Edwards picked off a pass or laid the lumber to some scrub. (Edwards is from Duval county's Jacksonville.)
I also can't find it in myself to dislike Gus Malzahn because that dude is a straight chop-buster.
Another cause for saltiness is SB Nation's "Meet the [SEC] Bag Man" story makes me look at every flip/big recruit landed by the SEC in a much different light.
Is it fair? Probably not, but I — much like the SEC — couldn't give a shit about fairness in the realm of recruiting.
Does Ohio State have a shadowy syndicate of bag men willing to funnel cash to recruits? Because I'd like to volunteer my services. I'm from Marion, so in the words of Bane, I was raised and molded by the darkness. I also love Waffle House and clandestine meetings. The only thing I lack is the liquid capital (or any capital, for that matter.) Otherwise, I was built to be a legendary bag man.
Perhaps I should take this one to Kickstarter. I'll make it rain on these teens like an uncomfortably-erect Russian oligarch in a Taiwanese whore-house.
For a much wiser take, however, here's Jamel Dean, a 2015 Ohio State commit from Florida:
Top athletes need to consider Ohio St because they 1 of the best school for academic and sport
— Mr. Ohio State (@jamel_dean15) April 21, 2014
When it come to getting a job, you will mostly likely be hired faster than others since you went to a school like Ohio St
— Mr. Ohio State (@jamel_dean15) April 21, 2014
THIS TRAIN DOESN'T STOP. Recruiting is a 24/7/365 endeavor for Urban Meyer, so the loss of one four-star safety isn't going to cripple Ohio State. In fact, the Buckeyes hosted a few blue chippers this weekend.
North Carolina decommit Chris Clark, Rick DeBerry Jr., and Mathew Burrell were all on campus. Birm has the full break down over here.
I know people are frustrated with the progress of the 2015 class, especially with the likes of Alabama lighting the world on fire, but those people would be wise to consult the nearest Gregorian calendar. It's only April, and it's a long trek until Signing Day 2015.
In Urban Meyer I trust, and if the Buckeyes ball out in the fall and earn some hardware, I fully expect OSU to once again land a top five class.
URBZ KNEW BRYANT INJURY WAS BAD NEWZ. I remember watching Christian Bryant writhe on the ground during the fourth quarter of the Wisconsin game and thinking, "This is not good. Nope. This is not good at all."
Turns out, my thought process wasn't far off from Ohio State's ~$4 million/year coach. From Doug Lesmeries of The Cleveland Plain Dealer:
"I ask you to keep Christian's family in your prayers," Meyer said then. "That darn kid has done so much for our program, has come so far, incredible leadership skills. I love that guy. Doggone it. It's a hard part of the game, boy."
[...]
“We lost Christian Bryant last year, one of the best safeties in the country,” Meyer told coaches in a brief tangent during a speech on leadership inside the practice facility at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “I knew deep in my heart when I saw his leg break against Wisconsin that there was a chance that we wouldn't be able to go play for a national title.
[...]
“When I saw that leg snap right in front of me, it’s a tough game, on the second-to-last play against Wisconsin, I knew in my heart we had a problem. But I thought we might be able to overcome it. We did not. We did not.”
Ramzy — that beautiful, bourbon-battered bastard — already locked own the hottest take on the circumstances surrounding Bryant's injury. (So read that, but please pretend I typed it.)
As an aside: Great job by the NCAA in denying Christian Bryant, an inner-city kid, a medical waiver and a chance at a true senior season. When Urban Meyer goes out of his way to laud a kid's leadership, obviously that kid is a blight on "amateur" athletics and should be shoved out the door at the first chance.
It's just another reason to love the level-headed thinkers involved with a stand-up organization like the NCAA. Where would this sport be without these people?
THOSE WMDs. A small town's five-year string of murders, car accidents and suicides... What was new on the internet from June 1993 to June 1996... An interview with the creator of Calvin and Hobbes... The dangerous work of war photographer Chris Hondros.... Hero Harvard Law students create tool that can erase much of your digital history... $100k raised for homeless woman accused of leaving child in hot car during a job interview... The Secret Shame of the Scholarly Writer...
