Let's begin today with a moment of reflection upon Demario McCall's baller status. He should've won the damn Heisman.
And Michigan fans did their best, but let the record show Shelley Meyer is too smart to be fooled by Los Angeles' perfect weather:
@Andy_Staples I have never said LA is "nice". #toomuchtraffic
— Shelley Meyer (@spinnershells) December 12, 2016
Their troll campaign will prove ironic when Jim Harbaugh accepts $40 million to become the next head coach of the Rams.
ICYMI:
- 2017 five-star CB Shaun Wade reaffirmed his commitment to Ohio State.
- Help put a statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.
- Film Study: Ohio State will face a mirror image of its offense in Clemson.
I talked with Savage Tiger last night. I couldn't figure out where my screen share video in Google Hangouts went, so naturally this means I'm a lying piece of yankee trash.
Thankfully, Tiger is on the case:
Rip eleven warriors writer. Southern boys 1, Yankees 0. He's to scared to post the whole vid, but I will
— Savage Tiger (@SavageTiger3) December 13, 2016
Don't let his persecution complex fool you: Victory won't be claimed until the end of the Fiesta Bowl.
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL. Savage Tiger claimed Clemson will win 45-0. That's a bold prediction against a team with the same recruiting philosophy but is also richer and has multiple championships.
From thetandd.com:
“We are similar in a lot of ways,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “They’re a tempo team, a lot of shifts and motions built into what they do. They’re going to run their quarterback, similar to us, as well. But it’s not just those guys. I mean they’re surrounded by a great cast.
“You know, two really good football teams and we've got great respect for Ohio State. I watch them whenever I get the opportunity. … This is an outstanding quarterback team led by two great quarterbacks, certainly. But a lot of weapons around them.”
[...]
“Our offenses are somewhat similar, we play with tempo. We have some run-pass options, and the difference is obviously the athlete, and very rarely do you find a guy that’s big and athletic and can throw, so we’re still trying to figure that out (who will play Watson),” Meyer said. “The first part of our practices are always just fundamentally based and then we move into game planning. … “So we’ll have those conversations this weekend — who will play Deshaun, and then as difficult as those receivers are to defend, as well.”
I give Clemson credit; It and Alabama are the only two schools recruiting on Ohio State's level. I don't disrespect that program.
Ohio State should be the underdog, but Clemson can't compete with our betting syndicate. It will be a close game, regardless.
THAT PASSING GAME. The Ohio State offense has been good this year... but it has also been bad. Worse yet, it can switch in the middle of a game or the middle of the drive.
But with a month to prepare... could Barrett make another leap? We're just asking the hard questions, folks.
From cleveland.com:
Barrett had 24 touchdowns and five interceptions, but Ohio State's passing game couldn't get going a lot this year. Barrett often looked hesitant, he double-clutched his throws and wasn't always accurate. Ohio State barely escaped a handful of games with wins, and when it did it was because of Barrett's legs.
So as Ohio State prepares for its New Year's Eve matchup with Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal, you have to wonder if a month of bowl prep is enough to fix the Buckeyes passing game.
Can Ohio State have a team transformation in a month?
Say whatever you want about J.T. Barrett. He plays his best with the chips down. Meyer says younger players are more likely to take the leap, but Barrett has never come up small in big situations.
Expect a Picasso from the Texan.
TAKES TWO TO TANGO. Barrett, however, is only half of the equation. Though he hasn't been perfect down field, his receivers shortchanged him other times.
Clemson's secondary will be comparable to Michigan's (at worst), so Barrett will need his weapons to power up in Glendale.
From dispatch.com:
There were glimpses of that potential. Brown had four touchdown catches — a couple of them spectacular — in a 45-24 win at Oklahoma in game three. He snagged the winning TD pass from Barrett in an overtime win at Wisconsin. And Brown and tight end Marcus Baugh had key catches in a drive to a field goal that sent the game against Michigan to overtime.
K.J. Hill showed major promise at certain points, but while splitting time with other receivers in the rotation — such as Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin and James Clark — he was rarely targeted by Barrett down the stretch.
The receiver corps drew praise from Meyer in later games, especially the win over Michigan, for its blocking and selflessness. But going against a talented, aggressive defense such as Clemson’s, more will be expected.
Noah Brown or K.J. Hill. Ohio State needs an iconic play from one of them to beat Clemson.
MAN STEALS IPAD, EARNS DEATH WARRANT. Logan Stieber earned a world championship on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
Monday in Columbus, Ohio, he got victimized:
Home 4 30 mins.Some1 breaks Helens car window while we're at dinner steals my bag with medal,belt, passport, iPad,keys, beats. People suck
— Logan Stieber (@_LogieBear_) December 13, 2016
That's why I leave my car empty and unlocked. All it takes is a glance from a desperado to cause a broken window and a headache.
I STAND WITH TERRELLE. I've defended Terrelle Pryor since 2011, and I'm not about to stop because a bunch of grown men got salty about his trash talk.
From espn.com:
"I don't think (that has) any place in the National Football League, especially on our team," Jackson said. "We're going to try to get all those things quieted down. We just going to play football, be the best football players we can be. Let's get away from all of that."
Jackson apparently was referring to trash-talk that Jackson thinks has gotten excessive. Jones accused Pryor of telling the Cincinnati defensive coordinator he was going to get Jones cut. Jones lambasted Pryor, calling him garbage and arrogant, and at one point even looking in a garbage can to see if Pryor was in there.
It's the second game in a row a defending cornerback had led less that complimentary words for Pryor. Janoris Jenkins of the Rams tweeted heavy criticism after the Giants beat the Browns Nov. 27.
Black Inspector Gadget plays for an 0-13 team that hasn't secured the No. 1 pick, and players playing on the shitty Rams and Bengals want to take Pryor to task over words? Sounds like salt because Pryor already earned a free trip to Hawai'i Orlando, which isn't as cool as Hawai'i, but still.
His enemies better hope he doesn't get a quarterback between now and the 2017 season.
THOSE WMDs. Target in China probe appealing porn sentence... Oakland inspection problems extend to hazardous materials... Teeth whitening: What really works... Constant moving as well as exercise may be needed to combat effects of sitting... People have been sending invites since the 1600s... The greatest self-help scammer of all time.
