Yesterday I scrubbed my floor with a brush and celebrated with some rum. I'm a parrot short of being a pirate.
ICYMI
- Spring Game commitment watch.
- Zach Harrison is making early moves.
- Ohio State relies on its third-year defensive backs.
- Way-too-early 2019-20 college hoops rankings.
- CJ Saunders has emerged as a leader in the receivers room.
- Nick Bosa will attend the NFL Draft, Dwayne Haskins will not.
Word of the Day: laconic.
INSIDE NICK'S DECISION. Nick Bosa went radio silent after his decision to leave Ohio State, which didn't do much to quiet the hordes accusing him of quitting on his team.
But now a few months later, the smaller big bear is opening up about the injury that cost him his season, his decision to leave Ohio State, and how it all affected him.
From Kevin Van Valkenburg of ESPN:
"I was super depressed," he says. "That first week, I was all alone in my apartment and I just started calling people I care about, just to talk. I called my high school coach, I called my dad, my mom, my brother [Pro Bowler Joey Bosa]. It was pretty rough. My entire year had been stripped away."
...
Bosa says he realized early on that standing on the sideline, watching practice, was not how he needed to be spending his time. The athletic training staff had its hands full with the rest of the team -- it's not as if the trainers could singularly focus on his rehab. About a month later, after mulling it over with his parents and his brother, he decided it was best to leave school. He would move to California and live with Joey. There was a rehab facility just 10 minutes from Joey's condo. "It was the worst time that I can remember as a dad," John says. "Seeing what could've been and thinking about what could've been, and the path he was on. It was pretty difficult."
When Nick went to tell the Buckeyes' coaching staff, he was fighting back tears.
"He's got a big heart," says Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson. "He loves people. I know the day that he left to walk out of this building, there wasn't a dry eye in my office. We cried together. One thing he said was, 'Coach, I'm sorry I let you down.' I said, 'No, you didn't let me down.' He felt so bad that he had to make that decision."
Maybe it was a good move to just stay out of the spotlight, especially if that's how he was feeling. I'm not sure it would have been healthy or helpful to try to answer to fans at that point, because if there's one thing I've learned in my time online, it's that minds don't change anyway.
In any case, it's going to be good to see him folding quarterbacks again. It will be a forever shame he couldn't do more quarterback folds for the Buckeyes.
PARRIS CAMPBELL SNUBBED. Todd McShay put together his annual "All-Satellite team," ranking the NFL Draft's top playmakers, explaining that "you don't want to let these standout draft prospects get some room in space."
That sounded like a list pretty much invented for Parris Campbell, so I was dumbfounded when I learned he didn't even crack the top-five and was instead given an "honorable mention."
From McShay of ESPN:
Honorable mention: Parris Campbell, WR, Ohio State
The Buckeyes burner tied Isabella for the best 40 time among receivers in Indianapolis (4.31), then tied Cody Thompson for the quickest short-shuttle time (4.03) in the position group, so you know the speed is elite. He doesn't make as many defenders miss as you would think, but he has the wheels to exploit a crease.
Campbell had 90 catches in 2018, and he still managed 8.9 yards after the catch.
To McShay's credit, he rightfully excluded D.K. Metcalf as well, which is probably the only thing that kept me from defenestrating my laptop.
He also his best to make amends to the Buckeye faithful with his Draft Class Superlatives, which featured Dwayne Haskins and Nick Bosa.
Most accurate QB: Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
Haskins' 70.0 completion percentage was fourth best in college football last season. He is the purest pocket passer in the class, showing excellent natural touch and anticipation.
...
Best edge rusher: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
No surprise here. He's just a natural pass-rusher, excelling at advancing pass rush while engaged. Bosa plays with great leverage and a solid forward lean.
Those seem terribly obvious to the point that it's almost not even worth mentioning here, but given Parris' earlier snub, I guess we can't really take it for granted.
POTENTIAL ONE-AND-DONES. We all know the rules, but sometimes the rules ain't fair.
Every now and then, a young player steps on the field who looks like he has no business playing with fellow college kids, but then he has to – for three damn years.
And it's not just the fans who think think there are players who could bolt to the next level after just one season in college, NFL decision-makers do, too.
From Jenny Vrentas of SI.com:
... With the NBA preparing for the arrival of Duke freshman Zion Williamson, and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence becoming the first true freshman quarterback to start and win a national championship in three decades, The MMQB asked evaluators around the NFL one of the most-discussed hypotheticals in sports: Could any college football player go one-and-done into the NFL?
We polled 26 general managers, head coaches and personnel executives from 18 different NFL teams, granting them anonymity so they could answer honestly. Some who were polled gave more than one name, while two of the 26 were resolute that no player could do it...
The smart NFL football folks named six former Buckeyes who could have done the deed: Maurice Clarett, Chris Spielman, Andy Katzenmoyer, Joey Bosa, Alonzo Spellman and Orlando Pace.
In my humblest of opinions, think the most can't-miss player out of that whole group was Pace. I'm sure there are teams that would have signed him out of middle school if they could have, and it would be hard to fault the decision.
Also, TIL: Chris Spielman was the first high school athlete ever to appear on a Wheaties box.
NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS. A message to all time travelers: here is where your free money lives.
Ohio State is 66/1 to win the 2020 national title, per @betonline_ag. Tied with LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Seton Hall, and Wisconsin for the 26th-best odds among all teams.
— Colin Hass-Hill (@chasshill) April 9, 2019
In all honesty, 66/1 is incredible value for a team some have in their way-too-early top-10. But then again, you're basically betting on two guards who haven't played a minute in an Ohio State uniform and hoping the Buckeyes add more size and don'tt live and die by Kaleb Wesson anymore.
It's for sure a long shot, but hey, I guarantee you've lit money on fire for worse reasons.
DEAD MAN CONTINUES TO DIE ON HILL. Magic Johnson just got pushed out of his dumpster fire of an organization while All-Star D'Angelo Russell is taking his team to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
You'd think this would be a solid time to at least subtly admit you made a mistake, but we know that ain't Magic's game.
Magic Johnson on D'Angelo Russell: "He always had the talent to score but he was immature." pic.twitter.com/vlygdMRjOQ
— Chris Montano (@gswchris) April 10, 2019
Buddy, you drafted a 19-year-old who went to college for a semester and a half and traded him almost before he was legally able to drink alcohol. If you expected a fully mature player in that span, that is 1000 percent on you.
More than that, you actually sided with a aging role player who calls himself "Swaggy P" over your No. 2 overall pick when he accidentally exposed him for cheating on his girlfriend.
It's just unbelievable he can still say all this with a straight face.
"im not owned! im not owned!!", i continue to insist as i slowly shrink and transform into a corn cob
— wint (@dril) November 11, 2011
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