Four years ago today, I adopted The Starcat from a dumpster of the OK Café in Marion, Ohio. It remains the best decision of my life.
Don't be scared of the dumpster cats. They bring yuletide blessings.
BARRETT REFLECTS ON TRIBULATIONS OF 2015. Many people (author included) anointed J.T. Barrett winner of #QBgeddon before the conclusion of fall camp. To be fair to us, the writing seemed seared into the wall when teammates chose Barrett as one of this year's captains.
From dispatch.com:
“I wasn’t playing great at the beginning of the year, so it wasn’t like I should have been the starter,” Barrett said. “One of the main things I found out about myself was, you’ve got to be ready. You’re constantly going to face things in your career or life — things are going to happen — and you’ve just got to stay patient, be ready, and don’t get stressed out.
“I feel like I put a lot of stress on myself, being that I wasn’t playing like I like. Then, I had to think about it after a while. ‘Well, J.T., are you really playing well enough to be the starter?’ With that, just being honest with yourself, and talking with (quarterbacks) coach (Tim) Beck and Coach Meyer, I wasn’t.”
The more intense soul searching came after a 20-13 win over Northern Illinois on Sept. 19. Jones, who had started all three postseason games to cap the 2014 season, did not play well. Meyer thrust Barrett into the game early, but what was expected to be a powerboat of an offense just kept listing.
Barrett had been given the chance to regain the starting job. He had failed.
Barrett, as we know, would go on to wrestle the starting position from Cardale Jones. But outside of a ceremonial butchering of Rutgers, Barrett didn't look like his 2014-self until The Game.
Mentioned it a bit yesterday, but as long as J.T. Barrett returns (and there's no reason to think he won't) Ohio State will be in the hunt next year. The lack of #QBgeddon will work wonders on not only J.T., but hopefully the rhythm of the offensive staff.
THE IRISH EQUALIZER. Sr. Cazador said, "In a prosperous democracy that is also a society of winners and losers, any man without an equalizer or at least the illusion of one is by definition underprivileged." — Hunter S. Thompson.
Notre Dame hasn't achieved as much 21st century success as Ohio State, but the Irish punch above their recruiting weight in the Buckeye State.
From cleveland.com:
Here are all the prospects Notre Dame has taken or will take out of Ohio with Ohio State offers: Kraemer (2016); four-star offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg of St. Ignatius (2016); four-star cornerback Shawn Crawford of St. Edward; four-star defensive tackle Elijah Taylor of Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller; quarterback DeShone Kizer of Toledo Central Catholic (2014); offensive guard Jimmy Byrne of St. Ignatius (2014); and quarterback Malik Zaire of Dayton (Ohio) Archbishop Alter (2013).
That's eight total and at least one per year since Meyer began assembling full recruiting classes at Ohio State starting with the 2013 recruiting class.
Hmmm. If only there were a connection?
"Ohio State usually gets who they want in Ohio, but when it comes to Catholic schools, it's just not automatic," [Cleveland St.] Ignatius coach Chuck Kyle told cleveland.com during an in-person interview last week. "All the recruits they have gotten out of Ohio with Ohio State offers were from Catholic schools? Well, I think you have your answer."
That makes losing in-state talent to a program like Notre Dame so much more tolerable. It's like when your girlfriend leaves you for a brain surgeon with an anaconda in his pants.
It hurts, but at least it makes sense. (Doubt me? Imagine if it were 6-6 Indiana pulling these heists.)
PROSISE PRACTICING. Injuries riddled the Irish this year, but they're in line for key Fiesta Bowl reinforcements. Nose guard Jarron Jones and tight end Durham Smythe already returned to practice, and No. 1 running back C.J. Prosise joined the team on Wednesday.
C.J. Prosise practiced today. Hes not taking contact right now. He should be able to play, per Kelly.
— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) December 23, 2015
Prosise, a former three-star recruit from Virginia, rushed for 1,032 yards and 11 touchdowns in the first 10 games this season. Injury, however, sidelined him for two of the Irish's last three games.
True freshman Josh Adams rushed for over 140 yards in Notre Dame's last four games, and Kelly foresees a committee approach against Ohio State.
Kelly said Josh Adams and C.J. Prosise complement each other real well as running backs. It would be a very lethal 1-2 punch."
— BlueandGold.com (@BGInews) December 23, 2015
The Irish are going to lead with the battering ram. I hope Joel Hale and Michael Hill are up for the challenge.
ASH IN FOR GROWING PAINS? Tom Herman and Houston bulldozed the American Athletic Conference this year. A big reason for that is Tom Herman's MENSA membership. (MENSA is an organization for geniuses.)
A small reason for that was Houston's personnel—especially QB Greg Ward Jr, a poor man's Braxton Miller—was the perfect fit for Herman's offense.
Chris Ash wants to run the same kind of power spread (Remember, he poached Herman's protégé, Drew Mehringer, to run his offense). Rutgers, however, ran a pro-style offense (or rather as close as close to "pro-style" as bad football coach Kyle Flood could muster) before Ash's arrival.
It could make for an awkward fit, but Ash says his offense will adapt.
From nj.com:
When Miller was sidelined for the 2014 season with an injury, Meyer turned to J.T. Barrett, who had a similar skill set. When Barrett suffered a season-ending injury late in 2014, Cardale Jones took over. Despite having far less mobility than Miller and Barrett, Jones thrived while leading Ohio State to the national championship.
"The offense can adjust based on the quarterback," Ash said. "It's not going to be locked in that we have to have a running quarterback and this all we're going to do, because what if the backup is a thrower and a guy gets hurt? We better be able to adjust or we're not going to be able to move the ball and score points. And vice versa, if the starter is a thrower and we're doing a certain style of offense and certain plays and the backup is a runner and the starter gets hurt, we have to have an offense that's flexible to utilize that skill set."
We'll see how Rutgers' recruiting class finishes, but Ash is in store for turbulence regardless. (Another one of Herman's masterstrokes: Not taking a job in the division with Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer, and legendary college football coach Mike D'Antoni.)
If thankfulness is hard to come by this holiday season, feel free to relish in the fact your Holiday itinerary is nowhere near as brutal as Ash's:
Chris Ash's schedule this week: Heading to NJ after OSU's practice this morning, he'll be at RU next few days, return to OSU Thu/Fri.
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) December 21, 2015
TOM HERMAN HAS NO TIME FOR SPECIALISTS. Here's a thing a lot of people don't know: Tom Herman belongs to MENSA, the organization of geniuses.
So if Tom Herman chose to do so, he could retain the names of his punter, kicker, and long snapper. But real estate in his expansive mind is precious.
From houstonchronicle.com:
"It's an interesting position they play because they are so important to the team - punters, kickers, deep snappers - but yet for only a limited amount of snaps per game," said Herman, whose team is preparing to face Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in Atlanta. "They certainly don't go through the physical rigors that the rest of the team does. They have to earn their stripes from me.
"The Punter has done a pretty good job of that. He's a great kid. He's an unbelievable representative of our program."
Want another testament to Herman's mental power?
For the most part, the specialists hope to remain anonymous. The only thing Herman despises more than punts? Field goals.
No coach in America would trade a field goal for a punt, but logic doesn't generate fear.
THOSE WMDs. Fifteen hours with Fabio... My husband went back to Nigeria last Christmas to wed a secret wife... Oral history of professional wrestling's 1995 excursion into North Korea... My father's kidnapping.... The billionaire, the Picassos, and a $30 million gift to shame a middle man.
