I will serve the Skull Session as soon as I recover from the DickRod StairMaster workout. Thirty minutes of Level 20 StairMaster ain't for the weak of heart.
ICYMI:
- Ohio State sent out official offer letters to 2018 prospects. East Carolina's were cooler, though.
- Urban Meyer took his team to Magic Mountain to build unit camaraderie.
- Gareon Conley, exonerated by a grand jury Monday, issued a statement on the ordeal.
- The Buckeyes could start a true freshman along the offensive line for the second year in a row.
- Mike Nugent signed with the New York Giants.
- Scarlet and Gray suffered a five-point loss in the semifinals of The Basketball Tournament.
- Help put a life-size statue of Woody Hayes in his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio.
Word of the Day: Causerie.
LEADER JAMARCO. Center Billy Price enters the 2017 campaign as King Slob and rightfully so. The man brings his lunch pail to every practice and every game.
But Jamarco Jones is equally important at left tackle. If he goes down, the local team has a problem. He's proven durable in the past, though, and he's looking to follow Price's lead on the unit leadership committee this fall.
From dispatch.com:
“This is my last year,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot over my years from the older guys. Last year it was more on Pat and Billy. Now with Pat gone, I have to step up and own that role myself and (share) all the things I’ve learned from guys over the years to bring guys along and help them develop.”
However well Jones may have played last year, an offensive line is usually judged as a unit. Jones knows he and his linemates have much to prove in 2017.
“We heard all the critics all offseason and during the season last year,” he said. “We heard it all. You never want to be labeled a bad unit or the pitfall on a team. I think it really pushed us a lot to prove a lot of people wrong, and we look forward to doing that this year.”
It's funny how things switch in sports. Last year was the least fun two-loss season in history, and I realize that makes me a a prick for typing that sentence.
But now... the struggles last year... they were good because it helped forge this year's team. If the offensive line plays to expectations, it will make everything easier for J.T. Barrett, the running backs, and the receivers.
If Urban Meyer's proven one thing in his five years in Columbus, it's you don't beat him when his team wins in the trenches.
SOMEBODY BLUFFED. BTN took a straw poll among player attendees at Big Ten media days. A lot of answers made sense (like Ohio State being the favorite and having the best helmet).
Others... uh... others did not make sense.
From btn.com (via 11W member Cledaybuck):
BEST MASCOT
10 – Sparty
1 – Testudo; Goldy; Purdue Pete; BuckyBEST UNIFORM
4 – Maryland
3 – Penn State
2 – Northwestern; Ohio State
1 – Indiana; Michigan; MinnesotaCOACH YOU’D LIKE TO PLAY FOR
3 – Kirk Ferentz, Iowa; Jim Harbaugh, Michigan; Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
2 – Urban Meyer, Ohio State
1 – Lovie Smith, Illinois; DJ Durkin, Maryland; P.J. Fleck Minnesota
How many dead bodies does Sparty have in the concrete foundation of his house? If the answer is less than 25, there's no way he's better than Purdue Pete.
Maryland winning best uniforms means I have officially lost the youth plot. I now agree that everyone younger than me deserves the death penalty.
And at least Mark Dantonio has won a Big Ten Championship game. Sadly, Jim Harbaugh makes more sense than Kirk Ferentz. I have no idea why anyone would want to play for Ferentz. Iowa's best quality is the BAC of its fans.
DRAFT TERRELLE PRYOR. This is it. This is the year Terrelle Pryor puts it together and destroys the league as a receiver.
I'm telling y'all. Defenses aren't ready for Pryor pic.twitter.com/09BwSDWTiP
— CarolB (@FixOurBullpen) August 1, 2017
Browns fans, it can't be said better than this:
So sick of this narrative. A 1-15 team $50 million under the cap lost its best playmaker. No way around it. https://t.co/9vSvVWkRRT
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) August 1, 2017
WHAT'S ALREADY DEAD CAN NEVER DIE. August marks the return of football, the sport we love to know. It's also marks the time Ohio State students move out or into apartments.
It leads to scenes like this.
Someone's profiting from Student Moveout. pic.twitter.com/PAJ1ctEfAX
— Univ Dist History (@UDHCMH) August 1, 2017
I don't think that's street legal, buddy.
It also leads to campus landlords pretending their doors are made out of African Blackwood because some young entrepreneurs once used one to play beer pong. Their answer is predatory contract language.
I love that this is actually part of our move-in packet. "Many students have decided that our doors make great beer pong tables." pic.twitter.com/EZgtXSnz0i
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) August 1, 2017
As always, push campus-area landlords and their $700 doors into the Olentangy River.
WARLOCK WON'T ANALYZE. It appears the dream of Les Miles commentating a live college football game is dead. Long live the dream of Les Miles commentating on a live college football game.
From montgomeryadvisor.com:
Miles said he went for a tryout to be an analyst for FOX Sports, but didn't want to be conformed.
"It's a struggle when you haven't had a censor button on the sidelines," Miles said. "You quickly find out I gave it the old college try, but it's not going to happen."
Miles has said he would be interested in coaching again, but didn't mention any potential opportunities.
This can only mean Miles is preparing to take over for Harbaugh should he fall to 0-3 against Meyer.
THOSE WMDs. Serving frozen food without telling customers is fraud, rules top Italian court... They trashed their wedding photographer over $125; jury told them to pay her $1 million... It's called "Columbusing," and it's the latest #teen craze that has kids sailing the globe in search of spice... Eastside prostitution bust... Ohio doctors cut opioid prescriptions, but is it enough?
