It's always a blessed Saturday when it offers a chance to boom the Buckeyes and boo the Wolverines. Today is such a case when No. 1 Ohio State faced No. 8 Michigan in the League of Legends Conference Tournament (yes you read that right).
Ohio State earned the top overall seed after securing the Big Ten East division crown with a perfect 7-0 record, while Illinois captured the No. 2 seed with an undefeated (7-0) record in the Big Ten West. The Buckeyes and Illini also featured the league’s two top-scoring threats, with Zach “Dare 2 Defy” Previte (OSU) and Joshua “Xeno” Kim (ILL) setting the pace.
The BTN League of Legends champion and runner-up will each earn berths in the College Championship play-in tournament, and the final eight will advance to the League of Legends College Championship. The championship is held in the North America LCS Arena in Los Angeles from June 7th – 10th.
Move over, Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins. Today belongs to Dean Ice and Baconseeker.
What is League of Legends, exactly? Don't ask me. I retired from video games years ago because I'm a grown ass man who lacks the emotional maturity required to compete in them.
I'll offer the same deal to every non-revenue athlete at Ohio State: Relegate Michigan to the dustbin of history and our bards will sing your praises. Lose and we'll deny all existence of any association.
BEST OF LUCK IN YOUR QUEST, BUCKEYES. That match tips off(???) at 3 p.m. on BTN2GO and Twitch.
If you're asking "what is Twitch?" please enjoy your ignorance and move on with your day.
ICYMI:
- Bill Davis sees strongside and weakside linebackers as interchangeable positions.
- Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbbins are one of the most talented backfields in school history, but only if the coaching staff uses them that way.
- Marcus Williamson working to become part of the cornerback rotation.
- Kelsey Mitchell won the Dawn Staley Award, given annually to the nation's top guard.
- Reserve your (or your business’) spot next to the life-size statue of Woody Hayes coming to Newcomerstown!
Word of the Day: Axiomatic.
FORGOTTEN FIVE-STAR. Here's how good the 2017 class is: It lost one of their highest-rated members, five-star cornerback Shaun Wade, to injury last season and still contributed.
This year, Wade is healthy and ready to show what the hype was about. He has already impressed new position coach Taver Johnson.
From theozone.net:
“During the summer we were talking a lot about just going out there and making a big impact,” said Okudah. “So when he went down it kind of hurt me that he couldn’t play.”
Wade is healthy now, which means he finally has a chance to get back out on the field and show why he was one of the most sought-after recruits in the nation.
“Shaun’s done a really good job,” said OSU cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson. “He’s healthy now, he’s progressed every practice that we’ve had.
Once the Buckeyes lock down the safety position opposite Jordan Fuller, the defense will be nasty this year as long as the linebackers don't regress.
The cornerbacks have too much talent to take a step back, which is remarkable considering they just lost the top cornerback of the 2018 draft. That's what elite recruiting does, baby.
GET DUMPED THEN, ALLEGED SERIAL RAPIST. Comedian Bill Cosby faces 50 years of rape and sexual assault allegations. It's a true case of he said, she said, she said, she said, she said, she said, she said, she said, she said, etc.
Although Cosby miraculously isn't in prison (the benefits of financing a battalion of lawyers), Ohio State trustees decided yesterday Cosby is unworthy of an honorary degree bestowed upon him in 2001.
From 10tv.com:
COLUMBUS - Ohio State University's Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday to revoke Bill Cosby’s honorary degree.
Cosby was given an honorary doctoral degree in education in 2001 when he delivered a spring commencement speech to graduates.
The decision to revoke Cosby's degree is effective immediately.
Can't argue with that decision.
MICHIGAN SIMPLIFIES OFFENSIVE LINE. Here is what I believe to be our first look at our old friend Ed Warinner wearing the disgusting color scheme of a small liberal arts college in Michigan:
Ed Warinner talks being here and his time at OSU (reminds he coached at ND and MSU too) pic.twitter.com/emFAK7dKhx
— angelique (@chengelis) April 5, 2018
Lackadaisical line play played a big role in Michigan's ineptitude under Jim Harbaugh. Warinner has worked to simplify their play to reduce thinking, which we know to be the bane of Wolverine footballers.
From freepsports.com:
"(We're trying to get) that swagger we need for the season. We need a big season. Everybody's always talking trash about us, how we can't block anyone and it's kind of pissing us off," fourth-year offensive tackle Jon Runyan Jr. said. "We don't want that anymore."
...
"We've simplified the offense a little bit more. There's not as much thinking when you're (at the line), you make a call and you go," Runyan added. "We've tweaked techniques and stuff's a bit more comfortable.
"We're hanging in there."
I expect Warinner to improve Michigan's offensive line play. He's a helluva position coach. They'll still be at a talent disadvantage when facing Ohio State's defensive line in November. And you can't beat Meyer's teams without controlling both lines of scrimmage.
McELWAIN TAKES LOSS, HELPS FAMILY. Florida coach Jim McElwain took a $400,000 hit on his $1.8 million mansion and folks laughed at him, because that's as close as any of us will come to buying or selling a $1.4 million property.
Turns out, McElwain took the loss in the name of charity.
From tampabay.com:
At first, they didn't. They rejected a bid well below the $1.8 million they paid for their Gainesville home in 2015, when McElwain was entering his first season as the Gators' coach instead of exiting his final one. The house they no longer needed wasn't even officially on the market.
So here's why the McElwains ultimately agreed to the $400,000 hit — the one that led to digs about taking another loss after a 22-12 run at Florida.
Because the family who made the offer has two disabled kids.
Because the home's ramps, lift and wide hallways were perfect for a wheelchair.
Because the converted garage would make a great first apartment for a 20-year-old with limited mobility.
Unfortunately, I can't go further in my praise of McElwain as he chose to work for Jim Harbaugh as receivers coach. To me, he'll always be that guy who maybe possibly might've humped a shark on vacation.
THOSE WMDs. The crystals that may have helped Vikings navigate northern seas... The Undertaker: Dead man walking... As waves of homeless descend onto trains, Los Angeles tries a new strategy: Social workers on the subway... Concern, condemnation after student newspaper reports on scandal disappear... The largest and most ambitious cruise ship ever built.
