Thank you to 11W member SilverState for my legal team's new de facto response to any criticism of my posts, which are my life's work:
@marion_ohio New gif - gotta check today's poll comments for context, lol https://t.co/nzmhhzaxnp pic.twitter.com/OLt3Vf8mDY
— SilverState (@SilverState5) July 5, 2017
I went with a generic poll question today. (Who wins: Florida or Michigan?) Thought I can't promise Friday's poll won't be a 250-comment slobberknocker death match between Dublin and Upper Arlington.
ICYMI:
- Ramzy's latest dispatch: An ode to Upper Arlington (I lived there a year and remain unconvinced.)
- Dane Goodwin of Upper Arlington, a former Basketbuck commit, committed to Notre Dame.
- Quality, not quantity once again the focus of Ohio State's in-state recruiting.
- A school record 115 athletes earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.
- Help put a life-size statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.
Word of the Day: Roister.
PATIENCE PAYS OFF. Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins are both talented enough to lead Ohio State. If the Buckeyes' 2016 season hadn't ended in calamity, perhaps our forums would rage with #QBgeddon2 talk.
In this universe, the Buckeyes have two viable backups with differing skill sets. It shows Meyer's staff can develop quarterbacks with limited game experience.
From Kyle Morgan of theozone.net:
No matter who wins the backup quarterback battle, the offense will be in competent and talented hands, but this competition is far from over. After all, we have seen what a third-string, strong-armed quarterback is capable of, and competition will only raise the level of play within the unit.
Burrow resembles Craig Krenzel, a hard nosed football player who happens to play quarterback. Haskins has the arm strength and effortless release similar to that of Cardale Jones. It just so happens that both of those resemblances are National Championship Quarterbacks, proving both men are capable of winning football if called upon.
My hottest take entering the 2017 is thinking Burrow or Haskins will play a Kenny Guiton-esque role in a win.
HELL, PENN STATE MIGHT BE GOOD AGAIN. Folks, the rumors are true: Penn State won the Big Ten title last year, and I cannot libel James Franklin until at least 9 p.m. ET on Oct. 28.
I don't want to believe it either, but apparently Penn State could be worthy of title contention again this fall.
From Bill Connelly of sbnation.com:
Penn State is the prototypical second-tier national title contender. The Nittany Lions don’t have years of top-five recruiting to lean on if injuries strike, and having to go to Columbus in late-October will make a 12-0 run and division title repeat difficult, even if the injury bug isn’t particularly cruel.
Still, whether the Nittany Lions stick in the title race or not, they’re going to be really good. They boast more proven entities than anyone in the conference not named Ohio State. They have the nation’s scariest back and a “screw it; go deep” offense that will stress defenses like almost no one else can. (It might be more efficient this time around, too.) And if a couple of young ends step up, they should be able to replicate last year’s defensive production.
This is a well-built team, one that surged despite injuries and could now benefit from the experience those injuries created. It should be another fun as hell year in Happy Valley.
By the way, a recruit recently tipped James Franklin signed a five-year extension, although there's no word yet from Penn State. (I'll leave the reader to decide if that'd be a bad or good thing for Ohio State.)
If Penn State repeats through Saquon Barkley running roughshod over the competition, I can handle that. I won't be able to handle it they repeat by completing 600 Hail Marys.
HARBAUGH! You know who keeps all these vapid Youtube vloggers in business? Your kids.
I don't get it either, but it's not like I worked on a cure for cancer or did anything worthwhile at that age.
Some #teens, though, are also talented enough players to draw the attention of football programs. And some college coaches are now pivoting to video to reach them.
One such coach is Jim Harbaugh, a man you may know.
From footballscoop.com:
The one-time official home for cat videos is now, along with Netflix, the most powerful programmer of the 21st century. YouTube reaches 95 percent of all internet users. YouTube usage by 18-to-49 year-olds grew by 74 percent in 2015 while television consumption dropped by four percent during that same span — in fact, in the near future people may use their television sets to watch YouTube more than to watch actual TV programming. A billion YouTube videos a day are viewed on mobile devices alone — most of those a minute or shorter.
And — most importantly — in an age where teenagers are consuming less and less traditional media, YouTube stars have more sway over teenage audiences than movie and television stars.
Why do people continue to film vertically? I understand if you're filming a predawn Waffle House Brawl while trying to avoid haymakers and bullets.
I don't understand if you're trying to enrapture our nation's youth with a self-serving video diary.
BAMA DON'T PLAY NOBODY (ON THE ROAD). Alabama needs money to feed its football machine, and it increases its revenue by pimping its team to NFL billionaires looking to increase the profile of their stadiums.
They haven't played at another school's stadium since 2011!
Longest droughts (inc. 2017) without a non-conference true road game:
— Matt Smith (@MattSmithCFB) July 5, 2017
Alabama - 2011
Tennessee, West Virginia - 2014
LSU, Michigan - 2015
It's not going away, either.
Let's hope Ohio State vs. Texas Christian at JerryWorld will be the last time Ohio State rolls the neutral site route. Sadly, I don't think it will be.
BALL A FREAK DESPITE INJURY. Former Ohio State running back Warren Ball suffered an injury last season with Akron. He'll play a sixth year this fall.
From Bruce Feldman of Sports Illustrated, who listed Ball No. 22 on his annual "Freaks List."
The former Ohio State back spent three seasons in the Big Ten (behind Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott) before joining the Zips. This spring he was granted a sixth year of eligibility. Ball had started the first two games of the 2016 season and piled up 181 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries before getting injured in Week 2 against Wisconsin. The 6’3”, 230-pounder is quite the physical specimen. He vertical jumps 39 inches, broad jumps 10’8”, was clocked at 4.4 in the 40 and only has 3% body fat. It’ll be interesting to see what Ball can do if he can stay healthy this fall in the MAC.
Sounds like Ball will easily earn some NFL looks if he stays healthy and produces at Akron this fall. He wouldn't be the first former Buckeye to use Akron as a springboard to the league.
THOSE WMDs. Dak Prescott accused of using an autograph machine... George R.R. Martin is obsessed with soup... The slow, secret death of guitars... Hobby Lobby to pay $3M fine, hand over illicit ancient artifacts... The Love of My Life: On losing a mother and a marriage.
