Is it just me or is Westworld on HBO not good? Solid visuals and acting, but the plot seems overworked and way too janky for my liking. Am I losing my mind? Wait, don't answer that. Let's move on.
STILL TALKING THE BIG GAME. Just when I was ready to move on from the local team's big win in enemy territory, this appeared on my timeline Monday morning:
What was it that you wanted me to tell my Ohio State friends @kylecarbone56? @BadgerFootball @ESPNCFB pic.twitter.com/VtzxYdy9Ab
— Jacquelyn Marie (@Jacqattack2013) October 16, 2016
I remain mystified by the confidence conjured by enemy fans after the quarters of good football played against Ohio State. Sure, Ohio State fans would've said the same thing if the roles switched, but at least the Buckeyes' trophy case backs that up.
Wisconsin? Hell, you would've thought that guy cheered for the team quarterbacked by J.T. Barrett and not Generic Wisconsin QB No. 1832832.
From landgrantholyland.com:
Besides the defense's second-half improvement and first half red zone resilience, J.T. Barrett'ssecond half passing was really responsible for Ohio State's gritty win.
J.T. started off looking not much better than he had against Indiana. Multiple drives stalled as J.T.'s first half passing success rate was just 36%. But the passing attack was 67% more effective in the second half as J.T. had a 60% second half passing success rate. Eight different receivers caught a pass against Wisconsin, but most critically, the Buckeyes' top three receivers stepped up to lead the team in receiving: Curtis Samuel, Dontre Wilson, and Noah Brown. Barrett extended multiple drives with his feet as the more traditional passing game was still difficult, but he also faced significant pressure from defenders like Jack Cichy, who had 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
The big difference between the two halves seems to be in J.T.'s standard downs passing success rate. He was just 4/11 in successful passes on first or second down in the first half, but was 7/11 on second half standard downs (he was also 1/3 on third down passing in the first half and 2/3 in the second half).
Kyle Carbone, you should've known better!
What I loved most about Barrett's performance is it came after a half in which Ohio State fans tweeted @11W about the need to replace him. He's bad at the read-option, actually! His arm sucks! His accuracy is too streaky!
And yet Barrett put the team on his back. It showed why teammates and coaches love him.
It will also be interesting to see if he hangs around next year. I heard Ohio State plans for him to leave after this year, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Barrett in Columbus next year, delaying #QBgeddon2 until 2018.
BUT COACH, I SAW IT IN A MOVIE? Every sports fan knows the genre where the beloved sports team, who had been winning recently, runs into a tough game. Late in the game, the coach of the beloved team rallies his team together and delivers a sermon that lights a fire in the souls of his men.
Suddenly enlightened, the beloved team plays harder and executes better en route to a come-from-behind win. I can almost hear the muzak now.
Unfortunately, Urban Meyer put a dagger into the ribs of that genre at his Monday press conference.
From cleveland.com:
"It's kind of silly when you say, how was the pregame speech, Coach? I don't know. They're certainly not listening for something ... Are they going to play harder because you said something? They play harder because of the training, power of the unit, and brotherhood of trust, in our opinion, the way we approach it. That's why they play so damn hard. I would be shocked if our players said anything other than that."
[...]
"I came in at halftime, and it's 16-6, I believe, and we're not playing well, and I look in the locker room and ready to kind of go after everybody, and I see Coach (Luke) Fickell has the -- you know, they use that projector, and they're going through making adjustments," Meyer said. "All the defense is sitting right in front of them. I go walk in on the offense and get ready to implode a little bit, and they're in there, Ed Warinner and everybody is working like pros, working on things.
"The worst thing I could do is open my big mouth and get in the way of a bunch of people working their tails off and being professional, as they were."
Sorry, Urban, not even Deadspin pointing out Herman Boone was a glory-hounding jackass ruined Remember The Titans for me. Halftime speeches are still real to me, dammit!
***clears tear out of eye*** Man, still hard to believe Julius Campbell ended up as the crack kingpin of West Baltimore.
OH YEAH, PENN STATE. It's Tuesday of Penn State week, which means it's time to put the Camp Randall win in a time capsule and concentrate on the Nittany Lions because life in the Big Ten is brutish and short.
Here are some things to watch, from pennlive.com:
Will eight be enough? Saquon Barkley shredded Maryland's 4-2-5 for a career-high 202 yards and Barkley also had his way with the Ohio State front seven last year, running for 194 yards. You can bet Barkley's big day has not been forgotten by Urban Meyer or new OSU DC Greg Schiano. The Buckeyes are going to crowd scrimmage in this one.
The battle outside. Can Penn State's receivers — and tight end Mike Gesicki — make enough plays down the field? Lions offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead and quarterback Trace McSorley have not been shy about testing defenses deep. Ohio State seems to thrive on that challenge. If the Buckeyes load up to stop Saquon Barkley, the burden falls to McSorley, Chris Godwin, Gesicki, DeAndre Thompkins and the rest to make Ohio State pay for that defensive scheme.
J.T. Barrett vs. the PSU defense, Round III. Barrett, Ohio State's dual-threat quarterback, is a Heisman Trophy contender and a terrific player in space. He has really hurt the Lions' defense with his legs the last two seasons, running for two touchdowns in 2014 and adding 102 rushing yards and two more scores last year. PSU has more to worry about than Barrett so it will be interesting to see what Lions defensive coordinator Brent Pry does to try and slow down the quarterback.
You know Greg Schiano and Meyer will stress Barkley's last performance against Ohio State. I can hear them screaming about holding him under 100 yards from Piqua.
Meyer said Monday this is the best receiving corps they will have faced, and I didn't get this far by doubting him. The good news is the Buckeyes have a bevy of weapons to throw at a guy like Mike Gesicki, who could be poised to learn the famous recruiting parable of "Join Ohio State or lose to Ohio State."
Give me Barrett, too. I expect Saturday's game to be a more exaggerated affair than the one in Wisconsin. Penn State hits Ohio State with a few wrinkles before the Buckeyes tighten their play and overwhelm the inferiorly talented team.
YA DONE GOOFED, DAWGS. Georgia axed Mark Richt to make way for Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.
Richt is 4-2 at Miami after two losses in two weeks. Smart is 4-3 at Georgia, including losses in three of the last four, the last one coming at home to Vanderbilt.
You know what would've been better? Calling the man who founded an organization of geniuses.
From usatoday.com:
Georgia was not only willing to make that gamble, it did so aggressively and with great enthusiasm despite the reality that more experienced coaches were quite intrigued by the potential of the Georgia job. Georgia didn’t even so much as bother to pick up the phone and call Houston’s Tom Herman, for instance, even though his representatives had made it abundantly clear that there was interest.
But Georgia only had eyes for Smart, and now halfway into the season fans are wondering whether the Bulldogs have really made a change for the better. Because it's not just that Georgia is 4-3, it’s that Georgia is a bad 4-3 with a home loss to Vanderbilt already on Smart’s ledger.
It's early, but I have a feeling Georgia will regret their infatuation with a former Saban lieutenant. (Let that be a lesson to anyone looking to hire Lane Kiffin, too?)
THE GOOD DONUT PEOPLE. Only Ohio State students with bad taste have bad things to say about Buckeye Donuts, which is one of the most iconic collegiate campus-area restaurants in the country, according to some magazine I didn't know about until right now.
From qsr.com:
These quick-serve restaurants are located in ideal demographic markets on college campuses, which means they’re bringing in big revenue—sometimes well after midnight. But late-night pizza is just the beginning. From subs to ice cream sandwiches to barbecue, it’s clear what the students crave: quality, accessible, and customizable food in a fun atmosphere. Here are some of the most successful quick-serve restaurants on college campuses across the country.
Buckeye Donuts
Ohio State University
When Buckeyes are craving fried confections—be it in the morning, before a game, or after a night out at the bars—they know where to turn. This 24/7 shop is even open on Christmas Day, and it’s been that way since 1969. There are 31 varieties of donuts, but the namesake Buckeye Donut is the obvious favorite. Like the dessert with the same name, this donut features peanut butter and chocolate with a cream center. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, you won’t walk away empty-handed: this donut shop also serves up gyros and fries at student-friendly prices.
I ate no less than 100 gyros while living in the Iuka triangle. I hope that business never closes.
THOSE WMDs. The Brothers Rosenberg... Bob Dylan isn't the first lyricist to win a Nobel prize... Swedish Academy gives up trying to contact Bob Dylan about Nobel Prize... Twitter trolls tank sale to Salesforce... Is the self-driving car unAmerican?
