I dedicate this Skull Sessions to Two Bucks on Chittenden Avenue. A hospitable bar with amicable prices on food, shots, and beer. Had they been in operation when I went to college they'd probably have gold furniture by now.
ICYMI:
- The insane numbers Nick Bosa would need to post to win the 2018 Heisman.
- Comparing Ohio State's 2018 quarterback roster to previous Urban Meyer teams.
- Thad Matta enjoying life a year after being fired.
- Have a tailgate recipe the world needs to know about? Submit it to the Official 11W Tailgate Cookbook. The author of the highest-voted recipe receives a $50 gift certificate to the 11W Dry Goods.
Word of the Day: Menschkeit.
BET THE HOUSE ON THE BUCKS. If you're into free money, I have great news: Vegas has set Ohio State's win total audaciously low.
Bovada released their opening college football win totals yesterday and they have the over/under on Buckeye regular season wins set at 9.5, which is just outright irresponsible.
Maybe casual bettors doubt Dwayne Haskins or think this will finally be the year that Ohio State has actually sent an irrecoverable amount of talent to the NFL, but I just can't find three potential losses no matter how I twist these scenarios around in my head.
A three-loss regular season would be Urban Meyer's worst at Ohio State, and it absolutely ain't happening. Even if you had dip into the second string at half the positions, I would still bet the over with confidence.
Find me three losses. Find them.
DENZEL WARD MAKES EARLY MOVES. The Browns shocked a lot of people with the selection of Denzel Ward at No. 4 overall, but they think the former Buckeye can be a franchise player, and he's already turning heads.
Ward has been impressive enough to join the first-teamers already, which Ohio State football beat writer and noted NFL-knower LeDan Hope tells me is not a particularly common practice.
#Browns on Denzel Ward to moving up with the ones today pic.twitter.com/xbjiOukyOh
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) June 5, 2018
I know a lot of fans wanted the Browns to take Bradley Chubb with the No. 4 overall pick, but personally my head would have exploded if I had to watch the Browns pass on another Buckeye at a position of need and watch him emerge as a super star somewhere else in the league.
TWO BEARS OF A KIND. If Nick Bosa would have been eligible, he almost certainly would have been taken in the first round of April's NFL Draft. Thankfully for the Buckeyes, the rules dictate he must play with college students for one more season before joining his brother in the dominance of paid professionals.
As Bosa enters his junior season, he's now officially an NFL Draft prospect and the early tape reveals two things: He's extremely good, and he plays just like his former rookie of the year brother.
From Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com:
Biggest takeaway: Every opposing team tries to throw multiple blockers at Bosa throughout the game, and he still finds his way to the quarterback. It doesn't matter if he's being doubled by a tight end or chipped by a running back -- he just refuses to be blocked. He's one of the best pure pass rushers I've evaluated. I've seen guys with more size or explosiveness, but his innate feel and polished technique put him in the elite class.
He reminds me of: This one is easy -- my comp for him is Joey Bosa. He looks just like his brother and even wears the same jersey number (97) for the same program. His body control, balance and hand moves are identical to Joey's. Nick might not quite have the same size (Joey was 6-5, 269 coming out of OSU and is currently listed at 280), but he's just as dominant at the collegiate level. If I were to go outside the family, I would compare him to Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence. They have a similar frame and pass-rush prowess.
The best part of this analysis was Jeremiah's section on where Bosa needs to improve, when he essentially said that Bosa sometimes gets fooled by misdirection or bootlegs, but there's no way to know his assignment on any given play so there's a chance that's not even completely true.
And as far as the comparison goes, it's obviously as spot on as you can get since Nick looks like just the second coming of his brother, but according to Joey, Nick is significantly better now than he was at any point in his college career.
Joey Bosa, on @NFLTotalAccess, on his younger brother Nick Bosa: "Hes an absolute monster, and I think hes light years ahead of any spot I ever got to in college."
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) June 5, 2018
KIRBY KEEPS IT POSITIVE. Negative recruiting has been the talk of the recruiting world for the past few seasons. Every now and then we hear a stories about programs targeting weaknesses in other programs in their pitches to recruits.
Most recently in the Ohio State realm, other schools were hitting on Larry Johnson's age, suggesting that he may be nearing retirement – a rumor he recently shot down.
Georgie head coach Kirby Smart went on record as saying he doesn't partake in the recruiting tactic, especially against his former boss, Nick Saban.
From saturdaydownsouth.com:
“If a kid asks me that, I’m like, he may coach forever because he may out-live me the way he takes care of his body,” Smart commented. “I think that’s to each his own.”
The Georgia coach then shared his overall feelings on negative recruiting and why the practice isn’t as valuable as many may make it out to be.
“Negative recruiting, to me, never works on the kind of kids that you want in your program,” Smart said. “Because if they are listening to that and they buy into that, they are probably a little gullible. Where I would much rather be very honest and open because you attract better quality people who respect the fact that you respect the other people in your league.”
I'm with Kirby on Saban's physical condition, the guy is definitely going to outlive me. I'm barely 30 and my body is already starting to depreciate while Saban looks like he's aged in reverse since his days at Sparty.
I also agree with Kirby's stance on negative recruiting. I've never fully believed it's actually successful. Nobody is actually that gullible.
"You mean you think your school is good and the other school I was considering attending is bad? Wow. I've never considered that before and I trust you unconditionally. Where do I sign?"
RALLY FOR REAGAN. The memory of Reagan Tokes continues to live on.
This Thursday, Reagan's family, friends and community will gather at the second-annual Rally For Reagan, where they'll advocate for policy changes, promote safety and self defense, and help raise money for the Reagan Delaney Tokes Memorial Foundation.
From Zach Varda of The Lantern:
“We have an incredible, supportive network of faith and family that have transitioned on this terrible journey with us,” Lisa McCrary-Tokes, Reagan’s mother, said. “Just the support and willingness of them to be by our sides and pull this together through the event and what not has been incredible.”
The first event last year garnered enough money that $50,000 was donated to Ohio State University for a second scholarship to be awarded in Tokes’ name.
The two scholarships awarded by Ohio State via the foundation are in addition to the multiple scholarships that are awarded in Tokes’ name at her church and high school.
The event will take place on Thursday at the Eagle Pavilion Fryer Park in Grove City from 7 to 9 p.m. It's free to attend, but donations to the Reagan Delaney Tokes Memorial Foundation are encouraged.
THOSE WMDs. You're not washing your bath towels enough... The fight to destroy the animal parts bazaar on Facebook... Why no one answers their phone anymore... Mythically massive and powerful waves... Newbery winners we love... Robert F. Kennedy's California story.
