ICYMI:
- We're hearing Ohio State will breakout the black jerseys for the Penn State game. (That sound you hear is Nike executives cackling about how much money they're about to make.)
- No industry is firing at the level of the Ohio State hype reel industrial complex.
- A look at Urban Meyer's indispensable strength sensei.
TOM HERMAN TALKS BAMA TRIP. Ohio State humiliated Alabama so badly in the Sugar Bowl Nick Saban and Kirby Smart flew Tom Herman into Tuscaloosa for a brain-picking session.
Some Ohio State fans considered this high treason. For a reality-based take, we turn to the man himself.
From Chris Vannini of CoachingSearch.com:
“One, there are no secrets,” Herman told CoachingSearch. “All the video being digital, there’s so much access to everybody’s video. Another thing, guys are proud, as you get asked about it, I’m sure it strokes your ego a little bit to talk about it. That’s one thing.
“The other thing, it’s just for the game. At some point, what are you hiding from? There are no secrets. There’s no magic formulas. There’s no kryptonite. It’s silly to think any of us have a better play or system or anything. We just have our way of doing things. If one little piece of that can help another team succeed, then so be it.”
When Herman was with the Buckeyes, he and Urban Meyer met with the Clemson offensive staff twice. As it would turn out, the teams would meet in the Orange Bowl in the 2013 season. But it’s just how things work in the profession.
Seriously though, #shoutout to the fans that got bent out of shape over Herman aiding Alabama, as if Urban Meyer wasn't already onto the next victory.
The only way Herman's visit ultimately affects Ohio State is if he took a shipment of Kryptonite with him. (I also don't think Alabama will be back in the playoffs this year. Fave this tweet.)
TALKIN' TIM BECK. I hope you folks are sitting down for this one:
Tim Beck, the man hired to replace Tom Herman, might just be a helluva recruiter.
From Bill Landis of Cleveland.com's interview of Beck's former pupil, Nebraska QB Tommy Armstrong:
After first spotting Armstrong on a trip to recruit his high school teammate, former Texas running back Malcolm Brown, Beck made frequent trips back to make sure Armstrong knew he was his guy. He got Armstrong to pick Nebraska over offers from Oregon, TCU, UCLA and others.
"Honestly it's the relationship he builds with players," Armstrong said. "We built a great relationship after we first met each other. He's a great guy. He cares about his position, his team, his players."
Is there a better name for a QB than "Tommy Armstrong"? If so, I haven't seen it.
Beck's passion, however, doesn't stop at recruiting:
"He loves what he's doing," Armstrong said. "There's times where he might stay overnight in the film room just to have every single thing set for the week. That's why he's a great coach. He goes that extra mile to get his players prepared."
Sounds like a guy that would fit seamlessly into Urban Meyer's culture. And since Urban struggled to replace assistants at Florida, that can't be overstated.
OSU READY FOR VIRGINIA TECH. Here's why I would never be chosen to go to media days: Somebody would ask me about being ready for the only team that beat me last year, and I'd dead-pan something like, "Actually, we're already onto the Hawaii game."
Then my team would hate me because we'd all be running wind sprints at 5 a.m.
From Andy Bitter of RoanokeTimes.com:
“We want that opportunity,” offensive tackle Taylor Decker said. “I would never, ever call it a revenge game because we’re a different team, they’re a different team and playing on emotion alone can be dangerous. But yeah, I definitely, definitely want that opportunity to get that one back.”
The “Bear” defense that Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster devised for last year’s meeting gave the Buckeyes plenty of problems. The blitzing Hokies stacked the box and trusted their cornerbacks to contain the Ohio State receivers without any help.
“They played a defense that we weren’t ready for,” Decker said. “Now that we’ve seen that and we’ve seen their defenses, we’re going to be prepared for those. We’re going to be prepared for the Bear.”
I've heard rumblings Virginia Tech is planning to deploy some variation of the infamous Bear defense. I'm not sure I believe those rumblings, though. Hokie DC Bud Foster is an evil genius, and leaking defensive strategies before playing an Urban Meyer-coached offense is extremely, extremely dumb.
SCOUTING PERRY. Josh Perry will be playing professionally this time next year, but it's still going to be interesting to see what kind of leap his play takes this year.
Perry (LILB) fills well but has to shed block and take on ball carrier. https://t.co/7Q0qyFmCjU
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) August 3, 2015
More like it from Josh Perry (37). Read and react and runs a clean alley. https://t.co/esF4eRnjSC
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) August 3, 2015
I'd rate the Ohio State defenders I've seen as Bosa, Lee, Bell, Washington, Perry right now. https://t.co/6JPsMvFCbW
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) August 3, 2015
The offense will sell the tickets and get the press, but I think people outside of Columbus are asleep on the defense.
REEVES THE NEXT NINJA WARRIOR? I have always wanted to appear (and fail miserably) on Ninja Warrior, so I fully support Armani Reeves if this is his new athletic career:
I'm real about this @ninjawarrior life can't to start training for it soon !! @KristineLeahy pic.twitter.com/gEXCbtvcRE
— Armani Reeves (@PTReeves8) August 2, 2015
THOSE WMDs. The dangers of partying in a stretch limo... How a small-time drug dealer saved dozens of people from Hurricane Katrina... Don't mess with Ronda Rousey... A car accident in Emeryville, 1958... View from Columbus' courthouse, 1908.
