Ponderous Adolphus Washington — pictured above — captured my reaction to our report Mike "Baby 'Los" Weber is sidelined for 3-4 weeks with a torn meniscus. He is scheduled for surgery this morning and should be back in time for the Hawaii or Western Michigan game.
In other running back news, ESPN E60's special, The Rise of Ezkiel Elijah Elliott, airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
ICYMI:
- Video: Scrimmage highlights. (Torrance Gibson and Noah Brown are about to be some problems.)
- Video: 2017 kicker commit Blake Haubeil nailed a 61-yard field goal.
THE CULTURE. THE CULTURE. THE CULTURE. Urban Meyer told the team going into Blacksburg without nine strong units is an impossibility. And those are the demands you can make when you've spent years laying the foundation of a "next man up" culture.
From Dispatch.com:
The program’s culture, set down by Meyer and spurred by strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti and the rest of the staff, lives the “next man up,” chip-on-the-shoulder credos, senior offensive tackle Taylor Decker said, even when things seemingly are going well.
Adversity sure struck the past two seasons. Running back Carlos Hyde was suspended for the first three games in 2013, and quarterback Braxton Miller was lost for almost three full games right after that, yet the team responded with a second straight 12-0 regular season. Last year, Miller was lost for the entire season early in preseason camp and record-setting sub J.T. Barrett went down to injury against Michigan, and the Buckeyes … well, you know the rest.
“I just think that’s going to reveal the true colors of your team, and you’re just going to revert back to your culture, revert back to your training,” Decker said. “You are never going to play to the level of your expectations. How you prepared is how you’re going to play.
This is why — above all other reasons — I have Ohio State tabbed for the repeat. Its culture is what separates Ohio State from all the other national contenders.
IMPORTED FROM DETROIT. Mike Weber is sidelined for a bit, but the early returns have been nothing but glowing. (Eric has an in-depth dive on Weber's temporarily paused ascendancy coming at 8:15 a.m.)
Weber was one of three Cass Tech players (Damon Webb and Joshua Alabi too) who wore "IMPORTED FROM DETROIT" shirts to fall camp check-in.
From Cleveland.com's look at those shirts:
"We were sending a message that Detroit develops a lot of great players, elite players," Weber said Sunday at Ohio State's media day. "We wanted to make a note that Detroit is really the deal."
It was a message for anyone who thought that Weber's wild recruitment -- a tug of war between Ohio State and Michigan -- would somehow ruin the Buckeyes' fruitful relationship with Cass Tech, Weber's Detroit high school.
"The pipeline is for sure open," Weber said.
That's the swagger of Urban Meyer. Michigan has leeched on the talent from our great state since the inception of their diabolical program. In under four years Urban has taken three highly-recruited players out of a Detroit football factory coached by a former Wolverine running back.
Let's hope that pipeline continues to thrive, because I enjoy the role reversals.
BRI'ONTE DUNN ON DECK. With Mike Weber sidelined, it's zero hour for Bri'onte Dunn, a former four-star recruit who has taken years to climb out of Urban Meyer's doghouse.
From Ohio.com:
“We’re counting on him to be a guy who can play,” Warinner said Sunday at Ohio State’s Media Day. “He’s efficient as a runner and physical and has some skills. We like we’re he’s at.”
Asked if he believes he has a big opportunity this year, Dunn said, “I feel like if I keep working hard and still have the momentum like I’ve got right now, yes, I do.”
[...]
“Mom always told me when it comes to adversity you’ve got to step up and get through it because it’s going to show how good your character is,” Dunn said of his mother, Donna Hatcher. “That’s what I did. Over these years I got better and better and accepted coaching.
#Shoutout to Bri'onte Dunn's mom, who is the realest mom living in the world today.
THERE'S NOTHING EDDIE GEORGE CAN'T DO. At this point we're probably only a few years away from Eddie George walking on the moon out of sheer boredom. There is no arena this man can't conquer.
From BuckeyeVoices.OSU.edu:
Drawing on experiences from a successful career in professional football and business, Buckeye legendEddie George is giving back and preparing the next generation of sports leaders — as a teacher.
If there is one lesson I learned during my time at Ohio State, it’s that the concept of “paying forward” is as powerful as the man who spent his lifetime embracing the mantra.
That belief is what brought me back to Ohio State this year — not as a coach, administrator or fundraiser, but as a teacher. Yes, 20 years after last stepping foot inside an Ohio State classroom, I was back leading a management course with Dr. David Greenberger, associate dean for staff, human resources and administration and a professor of management and human resources at Fisher College of Business.
I wonder how big his lecture hall is? Because I can look non-conspicuous if I want to.
THAT'S TRUST. Could we one day see Blake Haubeil kick a 61-yard field goal off the nose of 2016 punter commit, Drue Chrisman? It looks like that's in play:
Specialists need to have trust @nick_veite pic.twitter.com/YSj7guQUbr
— Drue Chrisman (@Drue_Man) August 17, 2015
THOSE WMDs. Stolen Papa John's Camaro found in Detroit... Clint Eastwood knows crack... Mister Softee sues ice cream man for illegal use Of its trademarked jingle... The Trent Richardson play is why I hate talking about football In public... The Life and Unsolved Killing of Chinx.
