Behold, the teen fax machine day.
Make sure you're following @11W, @Dan_Hope and @chasshill for updates from the big day. Under no circumstances should you follow my Twitter account.
ICYMI
- Early Signing Period Primer.
- Matthew Baldwin hasn't played yet, but he's grown a lot in the mental aspect of the game.
- Michael Thomas, Cameron Heyward, Denzel Ward and Ezekiel Elliott make the 2019 Pro Bowl.
- Ohio State's 2018 matchup with Northwestern will be a Friday night game.
- Chris Worley was promoted to the Bengals active roster.
Word of the Day: Circumlocution.
FUTURE BUCKEYE ZACH HARRISON. Hi, remember when everything was bad and Zach Harrison was surely heading north? Let's take a look at the 'ole crystal ball...
As much as nothing would shock me about this situation anymore, I would be absolutely shocked if Harrison signed anywhere but Ohio State today.
ITSHAPPENING.GIF. Folks, Justin Fields is officially on the market.
BREAKING: Justin Fields is now listed in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
— Paul Maharry (@pmaharry) December 18, 2018
This means that other schools are now able to contact the former five-star about transferring. pic.twitter.com/RYJL1BHBel
This is all very exciting, but doesn't mean he's absolutely transferring. It just means that other coaches (hello, Ryan Day) are permitted contact him. He's not obligated to transfer and can still stay at Georgia.
Fields can remove himself from the portal whenever he'd like, and in the mean time he can remain on the team and attend practices. Hell, he can still play for Dawgs in the Sugar Bowl if that's what his heart desires. And it looks like he might do just that.
From Mark Schlabach of ESPN:
"[Fields transferring] is a possibility, but we expect him to play in the Sugar Bowl," the source said. "It's not done. He practiced [Monday] and practiced his ass off. He's going to explore what's out there. He might come back."
The source said that Fields and his father have had multiple meetings with Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart about his future over the past few weeks, and that Fields hasn't formally requested a transfer.
This is all absolutely fascinating, but it's much more fascinating knowing the worst-case scenario is the 2017 Gatorade High School Player of the Year who's never lost a game competing with a rocket-armed redshirt freshman.
One way or another, things are going to be alright!
WHAT IF FIELDS DOESN'T COME? Shockingly, the Buckeyes would very much like to acquire the services of one of the best quarterback prospects ever. It also looks like said quarterback prospect is interested in coming to Ohio State.
But it's not like Fields is just falling into their lap as someone who's too talented to pass up. Even if he doesn't come, the Buckeyes are probably going to look to get a transfer quarterback with Dwayne Haskins leaving.
From Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports:
That means the Buckeye coaches would be inherently open to a transfer, as they have zero quarterbacks with starting experience on their roster. Tate Martell is the most experienced, but he’s attempted just 28 career passes. Can he throw the ball well enough to be a quarterback who can win the Big Ten? There’s been quiet buzz in the Buckeye facility about true freshman Matthew Baldwin, who flipped from Colorado State to the Buckeyes before National Signing Day last year. Baldwin was limited by a knee injury this spring and early summer, but he’s flashed long-term potential. Is he ready? Not likely. Ohio State’s 2019 commitment, Dwan Mathis, is physically gifted and has a high upside, but there’s no threat of him contributing immediately.
That would leave a logical place for an experienced option from the outside. If Fields ends up at Oklahoma or elsewhere, both Hurts and Wimbush could be explored here.
Admittedly, neither of those guys are quite as exciting as Fields, but it's hard to turn down someone who could help the Bucks.
JIMMY D SUPPORTS EXPANSION, ACTUALLY. Yesterday, I shared a piece suggesting that Big Ten Commander in Chief Jim Delany was anti playoff expansion. And it looks like that may not be the case.
From Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic ($):
Add Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany to the growing chorus calling for an examination of the CFP structure now, well before the end of the Playoff’s initial 12-year contract with ESPN ends in 2026.
“The Big Ten would be happy to discuss structure issues with colleagues,” Delany told The Athletic. “It’s probably a good idea, given all of the conversations and noise around the issue, to have discussions with our colleagues.
“The Big Ten would definitely have conversations.”
That's not quite "expand the playoff now!!!!!" but it's probably as good as we're going to get given the source and the position of importance he holds.
At the very least, that sounds a little more promising than "the current system is fine and great," which is basically the vibe we've gotten from him thus far.
PENGUIN SUPPORTS THE BUCKS. Folks, Buckeyes are everywhere. Even on the other team.
Youngstown State basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun called himself a "diehard" Ohio State football fan after his team's loss to the Buckeyes.
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) December 19, 2018
Calhoun: "We've got one more game to send coach Meyer out on top."
You have to love the opposing coach dropping a "we" in the postgame press conference.
LINK LOCKER. Texas girl's inoperable brain tumor disappears... 62 percent of Iceland believes that the existence of elves is more than a fairy tale... NASA scientists say Saturn's rings are disappearing... Spam calls jumped over 300 percent in 2018... Turns out, making dad jokes is actually a neurological condition.
