Folks, it's officially that week. Let's all bring our best.
It looks Cameron Johnston is already in the spirit!
That was a punter who just brought down Kamara like that @Cam_Johnston pic.twitter.com/48fN99T5O7
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 18, 2018
ICYMI
- Ohio State survives Maryland
- Notebook
- Quotebook
- Five Things
- Debriefing
- Three Key Stats
- Social Reax
- Game in Gifs
- Statagram
- Freshman Tracker
- Rashod Berry had a clutch catch on fourth-and-1.
- Hey, Ohio State's defense still isn't performing too well.
- Dwayne Haskins had his best performance running the ball.
- Ohio State fought past its struggles to get a win against Maryland.
- Michigan opens as a 3.5-point favorite against Ohio State.
Word of the Day: Abhor.
HEY, WINNING IS ACTUALLY GOOD. I'm done being angry or upset with Ohio State wins, because I've decided that's just a miserable way to live. For years, I've pained myself over the Buckeyes not winning good enough, and I've come to realize that's just an absolute joy suck. So I'm done doing it.
"This team isn't good enough to beat Alabama," I thought, as The Local Team beat a conference opponent by more than three touchdowns in early October.
Maybe it's true, maybe they didn't look good enough to beat Alabama. But here's the thing: the Buckeyes weren't playing Alabama, they were playing Indiana. And they beat Indiana.
Internalizing a comfortable win over the Hoosiers as a loss to an extraordinarily talented team that Ohio State could play sometime in the distant future, if life shakes out that way, borders on masochism.
I get it – the Buckeyes are supposed to compete for national titles. But that doesn't mean I have to be absolutely miserable at the mere thought of Ohio State not winning a championship after a game they win a game, but probably should have won by more points.
All that to say, Saturday's game was awesome. It was absurd, exciting, and the finish was gut-wrenching, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Yes, I enjoyed the Buckeyes pulling out an overtime win against a unranked team after giving up 51 points. And you can too! It's not against the rules!
I mean come on, you're telling me you weren't jumping up and down as the GOAT broke this kickoff loose to set up the go ahead touchdown?
Ohio State kickoff return by @DemarioMccall pic.twitter.com/oIAKqOuTMI
— Tailgate Sports (@_TailgateSports) November 17, 2018
Now, let's beat Michigan.
WOUNDED WINOVICH. Michigan could be without its star defensive end this week after Chase Winovich was injured against Indiana this weekend on what was, for the record, a completely clean play that happens all the time in football.
There were early Twitter rumors that Winovich broke his collar bone, but Jim Harbaugh said that's not the case, though he didn't know if we should expect him against Ohio State.
From Josh Henschke of Wolverine Insider:
After the game, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke to reporters to discuss Winovich's injury. Despite the injury looking severe on film, it appears that Harbaugh sounds optimistic in regards to Winovich's future status.
Things are progressing well with Chase," Harbaugh said. "X-rays were negative here at the stadium and took him to the hospital as well for further tests, CAT scans, et cetera. Those came out negative. I think we're in a good place there."
In terms of his availability for Ohio State, he does haven't an update and declined to comment on which body part suffered an injury.
I'm positive I'm in the minority here, given where here is, but appreciate the hell out of Chase Winovich and wish there were more players like him. He's fun, speaks his mind, and is the very example of living life to the fullest.
He's a quality villain and a worthy adversary. I sincerely hope he plays on Saturday so that his revenge tour has a proper, storybook ending – one final, crushing loss to his rival.
PLAYOFF CHANCES. Ohio State's perception might have a taken a bit of a hit on Saturday, but the playoff chances are still pretty much the same, according to FiveThirtyEight. If anything, they actually improved a bit.
If the Buckeyes win out, they've got an 83 percent chance to make the playoff. Add an Oklahoma loss into that equation and their chances jump to 91 percent. Toss in a Washington State loss and you're at 96 percent.
What has changed is that now, if both Ohio State and Oklahoma win out, FiveThirtyEight is giving them an identical 69 percent chance to make the playoff – which is nice. Before, Oklahoma had the better odds if both teams won out, but I guess West Virginia's loss to Oklahoma State took away some luster from that matchup this weekend.
Ultimately this doesn't matter even a little bit until after Saturday, but playoff talk seems to get the juices flowing, so this is kind of obligatory.
Here's my #take, since you're all dying to hear it: The Buckeyes don't belong in the playoff, but have a legit shot at backing on in there if they win out simply because nobody else would really belong either.
Now, that whole winning out thing could be a problem. Those Wildcats are fierce.
POTTER TO THE BUZZCUTS? Micah Potter may have found himself a new, and absolutely perfect home.
Madison, Wisconsin
— Micah Potter (@BigJam_23) November 17, 2018
Ohio State transfer forward Micah Potter just wrapped up a "great" two-day official visit to #Wisconsin.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) November 18, 2018
Oh yeah, that makes almost too much sense. I can already picture him rocking a Badger uniform with his fellow buzzcuts.
HERBSTREITS HEADED TO CLEMSON. It looks like Kirk Herbstreit's twin sons, who've joined him on College GameDay wearing Buckeye gear in the past, will not be following in their father's footsteps at Ohio State – they're both heading to Clemson as preferred walk-ons.
From Fox17.com:
Montgomery Bell Academy will take on Brentwood Academy again Friday as both teams fight for a birth in the state championship. Kirk will be at the game, cheering on his sons, anxiously watching each play. Next year, his two twin senior boys will go to Clemson University to be preferred walk-ons on the football team.
“I'll have Zak playing [at MBA] as a junior, and Jake and Tye going over to Clemson. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. These are all really good problems to have,” Herbstreit said Thursday. “My goal is to be there for anything I can be.”
Hey, Zak still has a choice to make.
LINK LOCKER. Inmate confesses to over 90 unsolved murders... A deadly tsunami of fire still has not been contained... 73-year-old woman was worried about the meth she was smoking, so she took it to her doctor... Inside the Flat Earth Conference, where the globe’s oldest conspiracy theory is hot again... More companies are chipping their workers like pets...
