If you missed anything from the first day of the Big Ten media days: head to the front page. There are 12 stories covering everything you need to know.
GENE TALKS NEUTRAL SITE GAMES. A big nugget Urban dropped yesterday — other than Cardale Jones being named heir to Kenny Guiton's throne — was the fact Ohio State is in "discussions" about playing in a regular season, neutral site game.
Gene Smith clarified the situation last night to Doug Lesmerises — a last name it's taken me over a year to spell correctly — of Cleveland.com. Although Ohio State gets asked to participate in neutral site games "every year," it doesn't sound like anything is imminent:
"We are always keeping that possibility open," Ohio State athletic Gene Smith told cleveland.com on Monday. "It's pretty nice to think of going to Dallas. But right now, no."
Glad Ohio State isn't in the business of making a maniacal elf like Jerry Jones more money. *wipes brow* I was worried there for a hot a second.
What's a reason for caution?
"There are people who count on [money generated by home games] for their livelihood," Smith said.
That's a big point for me.
Say, Gene, would you consider a neutral site game against Alabama?
"I'm not sure I'd play them in a neutral-site game," Smith said, preferring a home-and-home. "Come to me baby, then let me come to you."
You're damn right, Gene, but please, keep Ohio State out of soulless NFL stadiums. I'd much rather visit another college campus than a concrete monstrosity in a colossal parking lot in "Dallas."
SOME BAND ALUMNI ARE FED UP. *siiiiiiiiiiigh*
From Collin Binkley of The Columbus Dispatch:
A group of Ohio State University Marching Band alumni, most of them women, [marched] across campus [yesterday] to demand that the OSU president reinstate Jonathan Waters as band director.
Sorry, ladies... *steeples fingers* I have some grave news.
"We don't believe it's a sexualized culture, we believe it's a college culture." The report, [1986-1990 band member Lori Cohen] said, focused only on the negative: "They were small incidents pulled out of the entire context."
Well, yes, that's what investigations tend to do: focus on the wrongdoing. If I get caught with 300 kilos of cocaine — and we're just spitballing here, people — the police report isn't going to mention my rescuing of a stray cat from a bar dumpster on Christmas Eve in 2011. That's just not how those things work.
Listen, I did sex for a couple glorious minutes in college, and I consumed enough mind-altering substances to incapacitate a baby rhinoceros... I also wasn't the head of an iconic institution within Ohio State. Had I been investigated, I'm sure Ohio State would've severed ties with me.
It doesn't matter some members of the band were "okay with it." (Sorry, Joobs.) There were clearly some members that weren't, and that's unacceptable.
Jon Waters served as an assistant director for years before assuming the head directorship. In that time, he did little (if anything at all) to curtail a culture that belonged in a caricature of a 1970's frathouse.
As director, he could have ended it with one meeting, but instead:
Waters had been told to take sexual-harassment training after one case, the report said, but he didn’t.
Please stop with the petitions, the hashtags and the marches, and save that stuff for something actually worthwhile.
The band will be fine, because it is bigger than Jon Waters.
GOOD NEWS OUT OF ANN ARBOR. Listening to Brady Hoke talk yesterday to assembled Big Ten media in Chicago, it struck me that I had no problem believing the guy is struggling to return Michigan to a level their fans think they inherently deserve.
Don't get me wrong, he's not an evil guy, but he sounded like a guy that should be overseeing a decaying chapter of an electricians' union, not a multimillion dollar institution like Michigan football.
Still, if Michigan State is going to prove last year wasn't a fluke, I have no problem watching Michigan wallow in mediocrity for the rest of my natural life. Actually, I'd prefer it.
Thankfully for me and other Ohio State fans, it appears the Hokester will reside in Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future.
From The Detroit News' Bob Wojnowski (the link is worth clicking for the picture of Dave Brandon alone):
Q: You’ve said 7-6 is unacceptable, so the perception by some is that Hoke’s job is on the line this season. What’s your response to that?
A: It’s not. Every football coach in America lives under enormous pressure, so I don’t need to apply any more. We’re the winningest program in the history of college football, we know what the expectations of our fan base is. Nobody has to tell Brady that. And I have all the confidence in the world that he’s bringing in the right kids, that he continues to do the right thing in terms of getting his staff lined up. I’m convinced we’re heading to a very, very good place.
The question is: How safe is Dave Brandon's job? If his hand-picked coach, Brady Hoke, once again flounders... doesn't that further blemish his résumé?
And if they both get the axe... Jim Harbaugh is getting that Godfather offer, isn't he?
RIVALS 100 FOR 2016 RELEASED. Rivals released their first Top 100 rankings for the 2016 class. Former Ohio State target — and current Auburn commit — Nate Craig, a wide receiver from Tampa, checks in at No. 1.
While Ohio State doesn't have any current commits on the list, there are some Ohioans on the board:
| Rank | name | position | school |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Tommy Kraemer | OL | Cincinnati Elder |
| 33 | Jake Hausmann | TE | Cincinnati Moeller |
| 57 | DeMario McCall | ATH | North Ridgeville |
Appears 2016 will be another big year for trying to haul gems out of the Queen City.
Another name you might recognize, though he isn't an Ohioan: DE Nick Bosa checked in at No. 46 on the list.
JOE MIXON LEAVES THE YARD. You might have missed this over the weekend, but former five-star recruit (and current Oklahoma freshman running back) Joe Mixon was accused of fracturing a woman's face in four places.
This might be shocking to some, but the man paid handsomely to defend Joe Mixon says Joe Mixon did nothing wrong.
This past Friday morning Joe Mixon found himself in a situation where he was subjected to both verbal and physical attacks from a very intoxicated and troubled young woman. As a result of these physical attacks, Joe instinctually defended himself against further harm.
As promised, Joe met with investigators from the Norman Police Department this afternoon. Throughout the meeting, Joe continued to be forthcoming and cooperative with their investigation.
We are looking forward to a thorough investigation and are very much looking forward to the truth coming out. As we have always maintained, Joe has done nothing wrong.
Yes, Joe Mixon — listed at 211 lbs on Oklahoma's website — "found himself in a situation" where, out of the woodwork, he came under a "physical attack" by a 5'7" 130 lbs woman.
Obviously, he had no choice but to defend himself in such a way that left the woman with four facial fractures. (I assume the medieval weaponry she was wielding didn't make it into the police report.)
And because Mr. Mixon did nothing wrong, he fled the scene after smashing the 20-year-old woman in the face with his fist. (What if she got back up and continued her unrelenting assault, after all?)
I guess Mixon should be thankful he's being defended by a lawyer he can't afford, and he's good at carrying a football. Otherwise, the pokey to which he'd be headed wouldn't be in Stillwater.
Star athletes facing consequences for violence against women... wouldn't that be some shit?
THOSE WMDs. Ohio ranked proudest state in the nation... Yessir: Cats are more popular than dogs in Ohio... World War I interactive documentary... Sports scribes take themselves too seriously at their own peril... Just what has Afroman been up to since 'Because I Got High'?... Podcast: Chip Kelly talks his philosophies... Breakdown of NFL prospects at MSU... A tip-toeing thief.
