Waking up on Buckeye Saturdays is akin to waking up on a drug kingpin's yacht in international waters. Waking up on Browns Sundays is akin to waking up in a crackhouse with no teeth or any recollection of the past 72 hours.
This could be what Dickens meant when he wrote, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." I'm not sure my psyche can handle these violent mood swings for another three months.
GAREON CONLEY MAKES HIS MOVE. Ohio State fans have been #blessed with seamless cornerback depth for awhile now. Just in the last couple years: Bradley Roby, Doran Grant, Eli Apple, and now, Gareon Conley.
Ohio State won't look back on the Hawai'i game fondly, but Conley was ready to go from the jump. Nobody in the locker room seemed surprised by that, either.
From TheOzone.net:
The people outside the program might be surprised by Conley's performance so far this season, but this is exactly what those inside the program expected.
"I think Gareon’s done an outstanding job in two games," said co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash. "He’s probably from last year to right now the most improved player on this defense. We knew he had a chance to be really good, but the first two games he’s proved that he’s going to have a chance to be a star here.
"I’m really excited about what he’s done. That interception was a great play. Third down, third and short. He was in great position. He turned his eyes back and the ball was there. I think he made a one-handed catch. It was a bang bang. It was a great catch. It was good position, he turns his head back inside and the ball’s right there. Usually guys knock that down or it hits them and they can’t make the catch, but he made the catch and completed the play and it was a good play."
Don't forget that — on another, darker timeline — Gareon Conley is Michigan's best DB. From November 2012:
The ESPN 150 prospect took a visit to Ohio State unofficially on Saturday when the Buckeyes took on the Wolverines and has decided to decommit.
"Coach [Greg] Mattison was at my school today and we told him [I was decommitting]," said Conley, the No. 2 player in Ohio. "I felt like I did it too early and didn't wait to see what else would come. I like Michigan, but I like other schools too, and I want to visit them."
I doubt Conley regrets the move.
HIT THE CRUISE CONTROL. Here's Ohio State's next eight games: Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, at Indiana, Maryland, Penn State, at Rutgers, Minnesota, and at Illinois.
Given that Maryland and Penn State aren't good and Rutgers is either jailed or suspended, it's not exactly a murderer's row. Ohio State will be double-digit favorites from now until Nov. 21 when Michigan State comes knocking. (And they may even be double-digit favorites then too.)
From FoxSports.com:
Skeptics, especially those from SEC and Pac-12 country will try and dismiss the worth of this Buckeyes team, and it’s true OSU’s schedule is hardly daunting, but it’s not Ohio State’s fault that right now the Big Ten is essentially a top-heavy two-team league. Also, give OSU credit for playing at Va. Tech in the non-conference. Many other teams don’t schedule anyone of note in the non-conference -- and if they do it’s usually not a true road game. Beyond that, don’t forget the Buckeyes did beat the SEC and Pac-12’s best last year, and this Ohio State team is a lot more talented than that version was, especially with Miller back in action.
Michigan State (No. 5) is the only ranked team at this point looming on the Buckeyes’ schedule. That game is in friendly territory for OSU in Columbus. The Spartans are better at QB with Connor Cook than Va. Tech is, but for as excellent as MSU is along the D-line (so are the Hokies), it’s a stretch to think it has a cover man as good as Kendall Fuller or as much speed as Bud Foster’s D. And that’s why I don’t see the Spartans or anyone else in the Big Ten slowing down Urban Meyer’s team.
That's why I was glad Ohio State faced some adversity against Hawai'i. Ohio State doesn't need style points to make the playoffs this year.
Sometimes mediocre performances are inspiration for better performances down the road. I think we could all agree that it's better to look mediocre against Hawai'i than Alabama.
That said, it will be interesting to see which opponent in the next eight games rises up and challenges Ohio State, because there's going to definitely be at least one. (It's going to be Minnesota and its dilly bar witchcraft, isn't it?)
A BLIND ITEM. Here's a post-Hawai'i note that made me laugh. My guess is Darron Lee:
An unnamed Ohio State player when I showed him the Arkansas score started mockingly pumping his fists and chanting: "S-E-C! S-E-C!"
— Austin Ward (@AWardESPN) September 12, 2015
THAT'S WHY HE EARNS THE BIG BUCKS. Here is the single highlight from Cleveland's Sunday shellacking in New York.
It's Brian Hartline snagging an errant Johnny Manziel throw (redundant, I know):
All Brian Hartline does is catch footballs. #CLEvsNYJ https://t.co/wNNWgWH49e
— Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) September 13, 2015
Had Manziel been injured yesterday, Brian Hartline was supposedly the back-up. That might be the most shocking event of yesterday's loss: An aging receiver didn't end up playing quarterback for the Browns.
BEE! ONE! GEE! "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer." — mafioso Jim "The Senator" Tressel.
The top TV markets for MSU-Oregon. Ohio State fans were very interested. pic.twitter.com/tBtnnDcjor
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) September 14, 2015
It's over two months away but that game in Columbus is about to be a #banger.
THOSE WMDs. Joe Thomas — A historical talent stuck in a historically bad situation... Hogville seems wild... The Incredible Machine... Fantasy football now matters more than actual NFL teams... Where to catch a bus in Siberia... The funny ways animals sleep... North Philly.
