Today's Skull Session is brought to you by the elixir of the Gods: chocolate milk. Did you know ebony milk is more hydrating than other sports drinks? #damnitstrue
LET'S TALK DUBGATE. My favorite event of the year — the artist formerly known as Eat Too Brutus but now rolls by "Dubgate" — is almost upon us. Much like Eleven Warriors' traffic, the Dubgate only gets better with age.
People who do more for this event than show up, drink day-old beer and stuff their face with City BBQ will be through in a couple of hours with the banger's dossier, but here's the rub:
- It's the day Cincinnati gets dumped (9/27). Fact: The Dubgate is 4-0.
- There will be no ticketing this year. Just show up and have a good time
- The suggested donation is $40 per head, but we'll always accept more. If you think about it... where else can you pregame on Lane Avenue for $40? Not to mention, when can you drink beer and eat slammin' food WHILE helping a cause like Down Syndrome Achieves?
Personally, I am loathe to make plans outside of the next hour of my life, but the Dubgate's been on my radar since last year's ended. (Until I am inevitably shivved at one of these things due to an internet hot take.)
BREAKING BAMA. Nick Saban, all hate aside, has built a damn war machine, and I'm not talking about the woman-beating piece of subhuman garbage that will eventually be brought to justice by Dog the Bounty Hunter.
So when 2014 defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Erick Smith visited Alabama (as part of Nick's on-going attempts to bust the Glenville-OSU pipeline), I was nervous. It was not unfounded.
From Ari Wasserman of Cleveland.com:
"At the end of the day, (the recruiting process) is about finding where you want to be," Lattimore said. "And Alabama gives you a lot to think about."
Heard that, Marshon.
But why did the couple stay true to their Buckeye roots?
"Staying on the same path that was already set for us was a big thing and we wanted to keep that going," Smith said. "Ohio State was something we grew up with. Ohio State attracted you to Glenville, and Glenville attracted you to Ohio State. They both coexist with each other. The path to Ohio State is real. ... Ohio State is home."
And now it's 20 [Glenville] players [for Ohio State] in 20 years.
"I am where I am supposed to be," Lattimore said.
/salute to Cleveland Glenville.
DARRON LEE IS COMING. Buried in Michael Citro's breakdown of Buckeye Mama Bears, was this excellent story from Candice Lee, mother of sopohmore linebacker Darron Lee:
“Cincinnati was out because, while they were first to recruit Darron, they were the last to offer a scholarship. We didn’t have time for those mind games,” said Candice Lee. “I wasn’t comfortable at Illinois because Coach Beckman couldn’t remember his name. He kept calling him Duron. We didn’t appreciate negative comments about other programs by the coaches there.”
Good job, good effort, Tim Beckman.
It's hilarious to me Cincinnati slow-rolled Darron Lee, and I have a feeling they may regret that on September 27th.
Why? Because the nickelback is primarily being scrapped in favor of Chris Ash's preferred 4-3.
Darron Lee, c'mon down big fellah.
From Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch:
“I’m the walkout ’backer, as we call it,” Lee said. “I have to also help in on run, depending on formation, and then, depending on formation, I have to help on pass.
“So I have to be patient but also on my toes at all times. I have to be fast. I have to run with speed receivers like Jalin Marshall and Dontre (Wilson), and also take on blocks from, say, (tight ends) Jeff Heuerman and Nick Vannett.”
I think Lee's the man for the job. The pedigree is certainly there.
It's also easy to see why Lee, a former three-star "athlete" prospect from New Albany, has prospered under Urban Meyer's system:
“I’m a competitor,” Lee said. “I think all the way back from when I camped (in a high-school summer session at OSU) to get an offer here, I just had to make it known I was a competitor. Whatever position they put me in here, I was just going to compete.”
There will be some growing pains with the defense this year, and that's okay. I think the Silver Bullets are going to be damned good.
Sure, I could be high on camp buzz, but they'll be the fastest and most talented defense Urban Meyer's had since arrived at Ohio State.
TIME TO BUY JITTERBUG STOCK. Did you guys know offensive coordinator Tom Herman is a member of MENSA?
(I try to drop little nuggets of information like that — much like my writing idol, Peter King — in order to keep my "columns" fresh.)
It's good to see even middle-aged MENSA members type like #teens on Twitter:
.@treydayy_ is definitely in my top 100 fav signees. He's got some ground to make up. Just clownin bro. Love u buddy. pic.twitter.com/Z0orpQ8dnk
— Tom Herman (@CoachTomHerman) August 12, 2014
Kidding aside: Dontre Wilson is about to get #bizzy this year, folks.
DIENHART SAYS MSU IS TOP DOG IN EAST. I underestimated the Spartans last year; I'll admit that.
And maybe I'm doing the same this year, but I don't see a repeat performance from Michigan State this year unless Connor Cook steps up a level. (It looks like he'll have some targets, though.)
After watching @MSU_Football practice today, my opinion hasn't changed: #Spartans are the team to beat in the East.
— Tom Dienhart (@BTNTomDienhart) August 12, 2014
Dienhart lauded Ohio State during his Big Ten tour's stop in Columbus, but despite their losing eight starters on defense and replacing three offensive linemen, Dienhart is backing the Spartans.
His look at Sparty's practice is as informative as his look at Ohio State, but I actually don't mind Ohio State playing the underdog during their business trip to East Lansing. It'd be a refreshing change of pace considering Ohio State's been favored in 98% of Big Ten games since Jim Tressel came down the cocaine pipeline of I-71.
OSU HAS A BUNCH OF HOT DUDES. Are you an alumnus of Ohio State? Chances are you're not as hot as the dudes attending Ohio State today.
From something called UniversityPrimetime.com (via @BenAxelrod); here are the campuses with the hottest dudes:
- 5. University of Washington
- 4. Stanford University
- 3. Duke University
- 2. The Ohio State
- 1. University of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's rate probably went through the roof when Bert, the ugliest man-baby this side of the Mississippi, fled to the Ozarks.
BOSA: NEW OSU TWITTER KING. Back in Twitter's Wild Wild West days, Duron Carter was Ohio State football's Twitter King. Then Jonathan Newsome came along. Keyboard James had his time too, short as it was.
Michael Bennett's reign was nothing to sneeze at, but Joey Bosa is our new champion. Why? Well here's the first tweet:
Awesome time hangin at Ohio State's football practice today. Thanks @osucoachmeyer and good luck this year. OH... pic.twitter.com/wC1xPNEKkF
— Chase Rice (@ChaseRiceMusic) August 12, 2014
Are you, like most Americans, asking yourself, "Who in the hell is Chase Rice?" Allow sophomore phenom Joey Bosa to unravel that riddle for you:
Why do we have to have some worthless country singer to practice can't we get a DJ.... lol
— Joey Bosa (@jbbigbear) August 12, 2014
Once Joey Bosa is cashing those NFL millions, the Woody could be getting an upgrade:
I'll be excited when @jbbigbear donates the stage from Ultra to the WHAC and he hires @deadmau5 and @CalvinHarris to spin #payitforward #NFL
— Kirk Barton (@Kirk_Barton) August 12, 2014
Joey Bosa is good at Twitter... let's not ruin this, please.
THOSE WMDs. New program at Ohio State aims to help autistic children transition into adulthood... YESSS: Will Muschamp can't pronounce "poncho"... Funniest Onion article I've read in awhile... Who is Marcus Ray?... Cool! NCAA spending more money than ever on lobbying... How UNC uses GPS to plan practices... Terrible idea: Liking everything on Facebook...
