After reading dispatches from the Bahamas Bowl, I'm now ready to forget A Small Place and go to the 2018 Bahamas Bowl.
And the nice thing about posting this week's schedule last week is it makes this week's an easy copy and paste:
| TIME (ET) | GAME (BOWL) | TV |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 | TEXAS TECH vs. SOUTH FLORIDA (BIRMINGHAM) | ESPN |
| 3:30 | SAN DIEGO STATE vs. ARMY (ARMED FORCES) | ESPN |
| 4:30 | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE @ JAMES MADISON (D1-AA SEMIS) | ESPNU |
| 7:00 | APPALACHIAN STATE vs. TOLEDO (DOLLAR GENERAL) | ESPN |
Word of the Day: Susurrus. (Double checked to make sure I spelled today's WoD correctly.)
BASKETWHAT? The Ohio State men's basketball team plays No. 5 North Carolina in Chapel Hill New Orleans at 1:30 p.m. on CBS. For those just tuning in, unlike me, the No. 1 Buckeye basketball fan, Chris Holtmann's program is looking froggy this year.
Unfortunately the Buckeyes won't be sneaking up on the Tarheels thanks to something called Wofford.
From dispatch.com:
In what various analytics websites have billed as the biggest upset of the season, the third-smallest school in Division I went to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and knocked off the No. 5 Tar Heels, 79-75. They did it with some analysis-defying shots, a number of uncharacteristic North Carolina turnovers and some old-fashioned gumption.
The Buckeyes are expecting a different Tar Heels team than the one the nation most recently saw.
“We know they’re a good team,” junior Keita Bates-Diop said Thursday morning. “I saw the end of it, but one game doesn’t define them. They’ve played (a lot) of games and we know they’re a good team.”
Going to be hilarious when this spurs that mystical Final Four run that Dan Dakich prophesied. Regardless of outcome, I already have more faith Holtmann's team will be more competitive than Thad Matta's would've been.
Be sure to follow our basketball beat writer, James Grega, for the latest updates.
RELEGATE THE WEST. The Big Ten is a tale of two divisions. One is the most competitive in college football. The other... is like the 15th most.
The talent disparity begins with recruiting. It continued this year as the East signed 46 blue-chip recruits while West mustered 10.
From reddit.com/cfb:
Blue Chips / Per Team
- SEC West 51 / 7.3
- B1G East 46 / 6.6
- SEC East 42 / 6.0
- Entire B12 42 / 4.2
- PAC 12 North 26 / 4.3
- ACC Coastal 25 / 3.6
- ACC Atlantic 25 / 3.6
- PAC 12 South 19 / 3.2
- B1G West 10 / 1.4
My barber, the world renowed Michael Treon of Piqua, suggested yesterday the Big Ten should just do away with divisions and play the top two teams. I agree. If it brings a chance dump Jim Harbaugh into the abyss twice in one season, all the better. I'm tired of Wisconsin getting a cakewalk to Indianapolis every year after out-of-conference scheduling like a MAC school.
ON THAT PARSONS VIOLATION. Ohio State reportedly agreed to stop recruiting 2018-five star Micah Parsons after a self-reported violation that started with his tour guide leading him to the set of ESPN's College GameDay.
As always with recruiting, the public story is more cut and dry than reality. But it was still a curious violation nonetheless. Meyer spoke on it this week.
From theozone.net:
“When I hear the word violation, and most people, including my wife say, ‘what does this mean?’ A kid took a picture on a set of a game day thing or something like that. But there’s — everybody in our program should know the rules, and that shouldn’t have happened.”
And how does he deal with proposed punishment when it does happen?
“It’s presented to me, and I agree with it or disagree with it, and we move on,” he said.
Can only imagine how enthused Kirk Herbstreit was when he logged into Twitter to see insane Buckeye fans cussing at him for "costing us" Parsons. I'm sure he had some thoughts.
WILLIAM SWINNEY MUST FALL. Any time the illustrious Football Gods want to kick William Swinney off his throne of lies would be fine by me.
Dabos media availability ends with him being asked by a media member to autograph some footballs for his nephew. Good grief.
— Matt Connolly (@MattatTheState) December 22, 2017
All local media is in the tank for the local team, but good lord. No need to make it so obvious.
CLARETT STEPS UP (AGAIN). From the Sept. 22 Skull Session:
MAURICE CLARETT AT IT AGAIN. Maurice Clarett delivered 800 already-assembled bikes to the youth of Youngstown. For his next trick, he's passing the hat for winter coats for Youngstown's youth.
Mission accomplished:
Maurice Clarett, the Godfather of Youngstown. Who would have thought?
THOSE WMDs. Jerry Yellin, fighter pilot in last combat mission of WW2, dies at 93... The first Toyota dealership in Florida was born of desperation... The "completely childish" man hanged for murder... The spectacular Navy con... Should you shower in the morning or at night? Yes.
