Saturday Skull Sessions left before Bowling Green: Two(!!!!!!!!!!!!).
GET DUMPED THEN, ENEMY COACH. Folks, in lieu of an Ohio State football game, we're grabbing the pitchforks and burning down a coach's house... as soon as this coward puts his name on his words like an honorable sports blogger!
From sportsillustrated.com (via BuckeyeDave), here's an "opposing coach's take" on this year's Buckeyes:
I know this is going to sound weird because they finished No. 2 nationally in scoring defense, but new co-defensive coordinator Greg Schiano will make them much better. His specialty at Rutgers were his third down pressure packages on defense, as he was great at finding creative ways to get to the quarterback. Ohio State will force a lot more turnovers because of what he’ll be able to do on third down.
[...]
I thought Gareon Conley, who returns at corner, and Eli Apple (the No. 10 pick in the NFL Draft) were similar talents. You actually saw a lot of teams throw at Apple because he committed pass interference a lot. Once place teams took advantage of them last year was taking the slot receiver, running him 10 or 12 yards downfield and then to the sideline. Ohio State’s safeties struggled to cover and people hit it on them. I thought middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan was overrated. He was athletic and pretty looking but lacked great instincts. They don’t return any guys who are first rounders on their defensive line, so they’ll be an adjustment there.
With J.T. Barrett entrenched as the starter, Urban Meyer can get back in his comfort zone. Just like with Alex Smith at Utah and Tim Tebow at Florida, he’s going to challenge defenses by forcing you to defend the quarterback run. They’re really going to miss the experience of Ezekiel Elliott, especially in pass protection. I wonder how talented their offensive line will be. Last year, Taylor Decker was the guy our staff really liked. Other than him, no one really scared you. They’ll miss Mike Thomas at receiver, but they have quality depth. That group was raw and young, but they can play."
I was under the impression anonymous sources were only allowed to bomb their foes, not give tepid (albeit reasonable) takes. I now have no use for this flaming pitchfork.
If Ohio State's defense is better than last year, it's over for the Big Ten.
Points scored against Ohio State in Urban Meyer's four losses: 34, 40, 35, and 17. OSU played its worst offensive game in four years in a rainstorm against Michigan State. Outside of that, it's clear you need 28+ points to beat Meyer's Buckeyes.
And if the defense is better, where will opponents get their points? Thankfully, it's not my job to answer that—it's to make fun of other grown men for trying.
I also cringe whenever I hear Raekwon McMillan described as overrated, but this guy is a coach and not some putz with 12 followers typing in caps lock. McMillan's play will defend itself.
SMITH IN A STREET FIGHT. One of my favorite Meyerisms is "street fight," because it makes me envision someone throwing a Newport to the ground before walking out the back of a seedy bar while wrapping a bike chain around his knuckles.
Last year, Erick Smith saw the field and projected as a 2016 starting safety. After a November ACL injury derailed his season, Smith finds himself in a street fight with three other teammates.
From cleveland.com:
Smith tore his ACL in November. That injury ended his season and kept him out of spring practice in April. Back to full-go in training camp, Smith is battling for a starting safety spot.
"I'm medically cleared, but I can always get better," Smith said Thursday. "I gotta get better than I was before. So that's the goal ... The knee is 100 percent. It's the things around it I have to strengthen."
[...]
Now Smith is in a crowded position battle with five players -- Smith, Malik Hooker, Damon Webb, Cam Burrows and Eric Glover-Williams -- fighting for two spots.
Also mentioned in the article: Smith, Marshon Lattimore, and Devan Bogard — all Cleveland Glenville alumni — have battled injuries in Columbus, with Bogard's ACLs costing him his career.
My advice to Glenville biologists is to figure out what Cardale Jones is made of, as he will one day survive the sun exploding and swallowing Earth. Once that is discovered, Glenville should create a few generations of players before passing the mold off to the United States military.
EDDIE BACKS BOSA. A lot of fans have a hard time backing millionaires in labor disputes with billionaires. The reason is simple: They would gladly sign a multimillion dollar contract nobody is offering them.
For Joey Bosa, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, things are different. The Chargers are refusing to offer a contract on par of top-3 picks of years' past. While Bosa's agent is willing to compromise on offset language or signing bonus disbursement, he's unwilling to compromise on both.
Thursday, Buckeye legend Eddie George weighed in.
From our nation's site of record, tmz.com:
Eddie George says he COMMENDS fellow Ohio State alum Joey Bosa for holding out from Chargers training camp ... saying the NFL is a business and he MUST look out for numero uno.
[...]
But George LIKES that Bosa is taking such a strong stand -- saying some NFL teams will "screw" players if they don't have a strong team in place to fight for them.
As for criticism that Bosa's game will suffer as a result of missing practice, George calls BS -- saying he's a "natural freak" who's got plenty of time to get in football shape.
Shame on the Chargers players that spoke out against Bosa, as well. Every one of them negotiated contracts. If they took less than they deserve, that's their problem.
It's also a helluva lot easier to call out an unsigned rookie than it is the sorry-ass club that signs your paychecks.
GOOD NIGHT, SWEET PRINCE. Fired Ohio State band director Jon Waters' legal fight against the university appears to be at an end.
From mydaytondailynews.com:
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal judge has dismissed the civil rights lawsuit filed by Ohio State University's fired marching band director, putting an almost certain end to his two-year legal fight.
Jonathan Waters was fired in July 2014 for ignoring a "sexualized culture" inside what's known to fans as The Best Damn Band in the Land. He denied wrongdoing and sued for reinstatement and damages alleging reverse gender discrimination.
Judge James Graham on Friday rejected Waters' argument that he was treated differently than a similarly situated Ohio State female employee who faced allegations about "sexualized behavior" on the cheerleading squad.
The lesson: Don't try Ohio State in court unless you have inexhaustible resources. Otherwise, you're going back to your family in a pine box.
ANOTHER D-LIST MOVIE IN THE BUS. According to 10TV.com, a new Bruce Willis movie ditched Cincinnati for Columbus. The director of the film said Cincinnati was "too busy."
From deadline.com:
Willis will play a police chief who tries to solve a kidnapping, with a ticking clock. After a man and his son witness a thug shooting a bank thief while on a hunting trip, the bank robber takes the boy hostage, in order to recover the key to a locker that contains the loot from the bank heist. Randall Emmett and George Furla will produce. Trevor Matthews of Brookstreet Pictures, Barry Brooker and Stan Wertlieb will serve as executive producers. Tim Sullivan, Tony Callie, Ryan Black, and Nick Gordon will Co-Produce.
That sounds as enticing as a root canal performed by a rodeo clown. Let's boycott it for the honor of Columbus.
THOSE WMDs. A section of Yellowstone where you can get away with murder... The internet's favorite punching bag... Why Your Team Sucks: Oakland Raiders... Volunteering: Good for your mental health... GMs and others say RG3 will sink Hue Jackson.
