Good news, folks: Only 42 days until Ohio State kicks off its 2017 season in Bloomington, Indiana.
Our rotting meat vassals are almost across the finish line.
ICYMI:
- Ramzy's latest dispatch on OSU attracting top tight ends despite historically not throwing to them.
- Four-star forward Musa Jallow added to the Basketbuck roster.
- Scoonie Penn detailed the many hats he'll wear in his new role.
- Help put a life-size statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.
Word of the Day: Factotum.
BETTING BIG ON THE B1G. As our Founding Fathers always said, the biggest piece of proof America is the greatest country in the world is our intrinsic right to wager on the result of amateur athletics.
Thankfully international sportsbooks work around the clock through the offseason to dispense the latest odds.
From Bovada:
| SCHOOL | WIN TOTAL OVER/UNDER |
|---|---|
| OHIO STATE | 10.5 |
| WISCONSIN | 9.5 |
| PENN STATE | 9.5 |
| MICHIGAN | 9 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 8 |
| MINNESOTA | 7.5 |
| NEBRASKA | 7 |
| IOWA | 6.5 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 6.5 |
| INDIANA | 6 |
| ILLINOIS | 3.5 |
| MARYLAND | 3.5 |
| RUTGERS | 3 |
| PURDUE | 2.5 |
Little surprise to see Ohio State leading the pack, though I am somewhat shocked humored to see Michigan trailing Penn State and Wisconsin.
Also shoutout to Nebraska fans, whose program is now rated below P.J. Fleck and Minnesota. At least the Cornhuskers know conference television checks won't bounce at the end of the year.
DPD THROWS IN THE TOWEL. Ezekiel Elliott purportedly broke a DJ's nose at a shitty Dallas bar on Sunday night. Unfortunately, we will never know who put a curve into that man's nose as Dallas police announced Wednesday night they suspended the investigation.
Official statement from DPD on Zeke Elliott case pic.twitter.com/4Yj7BN15zx
— Rebecca Lopez (@rlopezwfaa) July 19, 2017
I guess this means no security cameras exist in Dallas? If so, that's as curious as the guy who originally reported the Zeke punch leaving Twitter.
GET DUMPED THEN, HAWKEYES. Ohio State plays this fall at Kinnick Stadium, which rivals Nebraska's Memorial Stadium in "Intimidating Big Ten Stadium That's Not Intimidating."
From cleveland.com:
Ferentz shook up his offensive coaching staff this offseason, naming his son Brian offensive coordinator and bringing in a new quarterbacks coach.
The status of Iowa's best receiver, Matt VandeBerg, is unknown. He was granted a medical redshirt for a foot injury last year, but the senior re-injured his foot in March and missed spring practice. Without him, Iowa would be down four of its top five pass catchers from last year.
The Hawkeyes do have four starters back on the offensive line, including All-Big Ten candidates in tackle Ike Boettger and center James Daniel. Running back Akrum Wadley (1,081 rushing yards; 83.2 ypg last year) is also back. He could end up being the top receiving threat depending on what happens with VandeBerg. Iowa also added Nevada grad transfer James Butler (2,681 yards the last two years) at running back. Wadley and Butler could form one the best running back tandems in the Big Ten, and Iowa could be real run-heavy this year.
An 86% chance to beat the Hawkeyes sounds 'bout right.
But I'm still praying the Big Ten makes this a noon banger. Iowa highways aren't ready for the calamity that could unfold after thousands of inebriated Iowa fans climb behind the wheel having just watched their team get humbled for the fifth time that year.
SAVE THE TIGERS. One reason (of many) cats are superior to dogs is because they'reminiature tigers.
And tigers are majestic creatures, despite schools with tiger mascots lacking an ounce of originality.
But in their defense, those schools are at least banding together to save tiger populations worldwide.
From clemson.edu:
CLEMSON, South Carolina — Clemson University and Auburn University have joined forces to throw the weight of multiple academic disciplines behind efforts to save wild tiger populations worldwide.
The two universities, along with Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri, are leading the efforts of the newly formed U.S. Tiger University Consortium, so named for the mascots the institutions share.
Brett Wright, dean of the Clemson University College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, the dwindling tiger populations are an issue demanding the attention of land-grant institutions such as those belonging to the consortium. For Wright, the issue should also be central to the many who cheer on their preferred teams on game days.
“Students, faculty and alumni chant ‘Go Tigers’ on a daily basis, but not many know the truth about the animal we hold so dear,” Wright said. “These universities share the tiger mascot and benefit from that majestic symbol of strength, dignity and beauty, so they share a moral responsibility to apply all of our resources to save the animal that inspires that symbol.”
LSU, South Carolina, Missouri, and Auburn are my picks to win the SEC this year.
NEW FAVORITE HAWKEYE. Perhaps you're in search of a new favorite Iowa Hawkeye. If so, look no further than offensive lineman Sean Welsh, who opened up about his battle with depression in an open letter to fans.
From hawkeyesports.com:
Football, the driving force for many years of my life, went from a source of purpose to a source of apathy. I started to feel a myriad of negative emotions: sadness, anxiety, dread and anger. They hit me like a bombardment from the moment I woke up to when I went back to bed.
It was every dimension of terrible. And I kept wondering what was wrong.
My family and I both needed some answers so I went to a therapist where we talked about identity and why I played football. It was like pulling teeth. Up to then, I felt that inner motives or emotions weren’t something to be shared – they showed your weaknesses. Plus, I didn’t have time for this stuff in the fall. I had a full class load and football on top of it. So I swept my depression under the rug and promised to revisit it after the season. Which worked…for a while.
Go read the entire article in full. Even if you don't suffer from depression, I promise you know somebody who battles it every day.
THOSE WMDs. Growing up as Untouchable... Five cheap(ish) things could disproportionately improve your life... Teachers with student debt: Struggle, the causes, and what comes next... The pseudoscience of many genetic tests... How old is too old to be at the club?
