One more weekend without Ohio State football, folks. Let's cherish it before we get down to business Monday.
This week's NSFW ANTI-WORK #BANGERS:
- Batman interrogates the Joker
- Omar Comin' Supercut
- Top 5 Most Powerful Heisenberg Quotes
HERE COME THE BABY SLOBS. It seems like just yesterday we talked about SB Nation's stats guru Bill Connelly not being as high on the Buckeyes as most media. (Connelly rates them No. 11.)
His biggest reason was Ohio State replacing Ezekiel Elliott and three offensive line positions would wreck OSU's offensive efficiency—his most important stat.
Well don't look now, Math, but large angry men are coming for your throat.
From landof10.com:
“We had an interesting conversation the other day within the offensive line room, we talked about being ready when your moment is called,” {Offensive guard Billy] Price said Wednesday. “There are certain situations – Pat’s moment was when, the Team Up North game, Marcus Hall was ejected out of the game – when you have to be ready and that’s what we preach right now. It takes one wrong hit for you to be out, it takes just one hit. Are you going to be ready?”
Players are getting ready, Studrawa said.
“I’m really pleased with (Branden) Bowen and how he’s coming along,” [Greg] Studrawa, more commonly referred to as “Coach Stud” said. “That’s giving us another tackle out there. He’s doing a heck of a job. Playing both sides, and like I said, I’m really pleased with how much he’s improved. Then, like I said, there are three, four guys inside at that guard spot now with Jordan, Knox, Burrell coming along well, I can rotate those guys in there."
This illustrates why I think the numbers are skewed against Ohio State. Sure, at most programs it'd be foolish to expect to replace an exodus like that in one season.
But how many programs are not only recruiting at Ohio State's level, but have done so since 2012? Alabama is a peer while Clemson, Florida State, and LSU are on the second tier.
Losing Malcolm Pridgeon for three months (which might as well be considered the whole season) hurts, but Bowen's sudden development is a pleasant surprise. (For those that don't follow recruiting religiously, Bowen is listed at 6-7, 320... as a redshirt freshman.)
Math is cruising for a dumping, and I can't wait to put that archaic trash in the dumpster where it belongs. My mediocre son will earn at least a 19 on his ACT when that happens.
TIGHT END A CONCERN? Every year it seems we ask, "Is this the year the tight end becomes an offensive lynchpin?" It never is.
This year, co-offensive coordinator Ed Warinner moved from offensive line to tight ends. Marcus Baugh leads the unit room, with A.J. Alexander backing him up. The Buckeyes brought in three talented Ohioan tight ends in its 2016 class.
So things are sitting pretty in the TE room, right? Not so fast, according to an unnamed source.
From 247sports.com:
“Urban has mentioned Marcus Baugh and some people seem to be worried about him a little,” the source said. “But Marcus will do the job. In fact, remember I mentioned a while back he could be one of the surprise guys to some when it comes to leaving early for the NFL. But after him come the question marks. A.J. Alexander has been good, but we will see once the games start. Neither [Jake] Hausmann nor [Luke] Farrell have shown they are ready yet. Good thing [Chase] Hounshell is here. But Hounshell will be gone after this season and maybe Baugh. So tight end is more of a question mark than the secondary for this season and moving forward for next season.”
And yes, we did notice Class of 2017 tight end Josh Falo was offered by the Buckeyes this week.
I picked Hausmann as a sleeper in 2016, so maybe I was asleep on that one.
Hearing it's a "good thing" Ohio State rostered a graduate walk-on tight end isn't the stuff you want to hear before the season, either. The good news, however, is Ohio State won 50 games under Urban Meyer without dynamic TE play.
Marcus Baugh, this is your time, buddy! Time to show the staff why they valued you over Michigan and Pickerington North's Jake Butt, whom they never offered.
JOHNSON WON'T CUSS, LIKE A BOSS. Football is a man's game, played by men, against other men. (Just ask a coach, they'll tell you.)
And despite the facade presented by most players and coaches on the podium, cussing is as old as the sport itself.
Larry Johnson, however, does not cuss. He takes after two of his high school coaches and has carried it on since:
Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson on why he does not use profanity but is still effective. https://t.co/fMXUxMaljw
— Tim May (@TIM_MAYsports) August 25, 2016
I like to cuss, though not as much as I used to. It's proven to relieve pain.
Still, Johnson not cussing is a boss move. In a sport where screaming and cussing is commonplace, it's easy to see why Johnson found success using a different method, and it's easy to see why it resonates with players.
MAKES YOU THINK. Ohio State privatized its parking in 2012 on a 50-year deal worth $483 million.
YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT TO THE PRICE OF PARKING PASSES.
From thelantern.com:
According to documents detailing parking pricing for each year since the 2012-13 school year — when CampusParc was awarded access to OSU’s parking in a $483 million, 50-year deal — prices have increased each year in almost every category available to students, faculty and staff.
The only variation to this was between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic year, when one pass, the West Campus E pass stayed the same, at $299.52.
Parking passes are not the only areas where CampusParc has increased prices — rates for parking violation fines and garage use have also increased over the five-year period, according to the documents.
It's cool, y'all. Any time an institution of higher learning can pass expenses to its faculty and students, it's an opportunity you have to take!
HELP ME DO MY JOB. As you may have heard, Columbus radio station ESPN 1460 will air The Paul Finebaum Show starting next week.
What you not have heard is your boy—that is me, the guy writing this article—will interview Finebaum in a one-on-one phone interview later this morning in what should be a collision of two college football media puppeteers like this nation has never seen.
If you have any questions you'd like me to ask, please leave them below. (I try to stay employed so no promises your question will be asked. Jason already told me I can't BOFA him.)
Should have a full report written by early afternoon. Throw some prayers up for me in the meantime, 'cause this chump-ass Yankee is going into the lion's den with a glint in his eye and both barrels bucking.
THOSE WMDs. Lawsuit: Granola bars aren't what you think... Woman tosses bugs in subway car, straphangers go berserk... Tornado Town, USA... Businessman amasses world's largest collection of vinyl records... The female beard in perspective... NCAA expands probe into Ole Miss.
