Congratulations, gentle laborers. We reached the precipice of another weekend.
ICYMI:
- The men's basketball team los—BEAT NO. 16 WISCONSIN?!?!? It's true.
- Westerville South four-star RB Jaelen Gill will announce his commitment (probably to Ohio State) on March 1st.
Word of the day: Salubrious.
TO PLAY OR NOT TO PLAY. J.T. Barrett is the most valuable member of the offense. Normally, he would sit out a majority of spring ball as one of Ohio State's most experienced players.
While there's a question of how Kevin Wilson will handle the backup derby between Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins, there's also intrigue centering on Barrett's usage.
From cleveland.com:
Ohio State likes to give players with 2,000-plus live reps in their career some time off during spring drills. That's a little different for a quarterback because they don't go through some of physical rigors other positions do on a daily basis. But a player like Barrett, with 451 career rushing attempts under his belt, would probably qualify for a tempered-down spring under normal circumstances.
This spring is too important for Barrett to take it easy. He has to make improvements as much as the offense has to make improvements around him.
Meanwhile Ohio State has to find ways to make sure Burrow, Haskins and Martell are getting the reps they need behind Barrett to make sure of two things: 1. That one or more of them is ready to play this fall should anything happen to Barrett. 2. To get an early grip on the impending battle to start in 2018.
Last year's offensive disjointedness and the installation of Wilson almost demand a more active spring, no? Not saying we should expect to see him without a black jersey during the spring game, but this is valuable practice time (and Urban Meyer knows this).
Honestly, I'm just ready for some football, even if it shatters the illusion the local team will average 500 points this fall (which is fine, 300 points per game would be pretty good too).
A LOT CAN CHANGE IN SIX WEEKS. Mickey Marotti runs one of the best strength and conditioning programs in America. However, his charges are still amateurs bound by NCAA bylaws. He also can't control every single thing they put into their bodies.
Personal trainers preparing players for the draft have much more leeway. Here's what former Ohio State great LeCharles Bentley did to former Ohio State great Pat Elflein in six weeks:
2/2 - 6 weeks... The rabbit hole is deep with this one.... It's the process.... @elflein65 #OLPBuiltToDominate pic.twitter.com/4aVR421DKe
— LeCharles Bentley (@OLineWorld65) February 23, 2017
1/2 - 6 weeks of doing what needed to be done. We're not finished... It's the process @elflein65 #OLPBuiltToDominate pic.twitter.com/WkjDO5KDVS
— LeCharles Bentley (@OLineWorld65) February 23, 2017
Six weeks! That's still time to get your body right for this summer despite only going to the gym three times since you bought a membership three months ago.
LONGSNAPPERS ARE FOOTBALLERS TOO. Looks like Ohio State coronated another class of Varsity Letter winners Thursday. Here's longsnapper Liam McCullough modeling his new jacket:
Growing up in Ohio I dreamed about playing football for the Buckeyes. As of today I am a Varsity Letter winner at The Ohio State University! pic.twitter.com/yMjCQ363bq
— Liam McCullough (@LiamMcCullough2) February 23, 2017
Just remember, Liam, these are just like high school letter jackets. They're kosher to wear while you're in school and creepy to wear after you leave.
And can we do something about those cream sleeves? I get it's how they've always looked, but unlike black, cream isn't actually an official Buckeye #brand color.
GOOD NIGHT, MR. FREEZE. The Mississippi case could result in the harshest NCAA penalty since college football's governing body forced mastermind criminal Jim "The Vest" into exile back in prehistoric times.
The way it looks, Hugh Freeze could soon be Serbia's newest resident.
From foxsports.com:
Only a Hall of Fame basketball coach (Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino) survives allegations like these on his watch. Over the years, football icons from Auburn’s Pat Dye to Ohio State’s Jim Tressel learned they couldn’t outlast extra benefits scandals.
What hope does one-time Sugar Bowl champion Hugh Freeze hold? Especially coming off a 5-7 stinker in 2016 and entering what will now be another lost season in 2017.
It’s only a matter of whether Ole Miss waits out the still-impending Committee on Infractions hearing and subsequent final verdict later this year.
With anything dealing with NCAA enforcement, I'll believe it when I see it. Everybody acted like Johnny Manziel would burn at the stake, and he only missed one half of football against Rice.
KEEP ROASTING, BOYS. Is there anything better than when two of your enemies get dragged into a pissing match for the entertainment of the entire country? Yes, but not much.
Harbaugh took another dig at his boy Pete Finebaum yesterday.
From detroitnews.com:
During a podcast interview, posted Thursday, with Tim Kawakami, the San Jose Mercury columnist who covered Harbaugh when he was coaching the 49ers, Harbaugh was asked if he was annoyed by Finebaum’s comment. Harbaugh laughed at the onset as he answered.
“Well, you try to take it with a grain of salt, as they say, and put some humor into it,” Harbaugh said on the podcast. “The annoying part is people who show their true colors and try to impugn your integrity where you’ve done nothing wrong. They want to impugn your integrity. They want to see you fail. They want to take shots at you.
Also of note in that podcast: Harbaugh says losing three of his last four games was good for Michigan, actually. I'd say beating Ohio State probably would've been better, but cut ol' Jim some slack: 1986 was over 30 years ago.
Of course Finebaum had to have his say later in the day on his show:
From Detroit News reporter Angelique Chengelis:
"I wish the guy would just quit talking about me. I'm tired of answering questions about it. 'What about Harbaugh?' Jim, coach your team, okay? I mean, quit choking away games at the end of the season like you did last year, three out of the last four. Come on. I'm busy. I've got a job."
Classic Finebaum, wailing about being attacked when he was the one who ignited this latest round of salvos for blasting Harbaugh over a hiring that never transpired.
THOSE WMDs. Texas has a new weapon in its war on feral hogs... Four Loko introduces its Bold Series... Mom sends son care package of trash he forgot to take out... Candy Barr was a porn pioneer and Texas legend... Was Jill Wells' death an accident or murder?
