Two Heisman finalists and an Ohio State graduate and I'm out here feeling short-changed.
Welcome to Buckeye fandom.
Word of the Day: Algid.
URBAN SPEAKS. Urban Meyer is quickly becoming the most thorough, candid, thoughtful and enjoyable analyst on television – even if he's sharing a screen with Colin Cowherd.
I appreciate how blunt Urban is these days. He talked about how much he loves Joe Burrow and called it "heartbreaking" when he left and was candid that the injury might have cost him a starting job at Ohio State, but I also loved when spoke a little bit about Clemson what he thinks of its weak schedule, straight-up calling the ACC "not good."
The most interesting thing was when he essentially said he retired earlier than he was planning to to make sure Ohio State didn't lose Ryan Day to another head coaching job, which seems a little off given that he could barely stand on the sideline following the games, but multiple folks have whispered to me that Ryan Day thought Meyer was going to coach at least another year, so I buy it.
For what it's worth, I took Meyer's "coaching football" class during the 2017 season, and everyone there seemed oddly obsessed with the idea of "planned succession" and there always seemed to be a healthy bit of "hint hint, nudge nudge" every time Ryan Day's name was brought up.
I think this was in the works a lot longer than Ohio State will admit.
CLOSE AS IT GETS. Ohio State and LSU flip-flopped all year in the College Football Playoff rankings in what seems like the closest debate the committee has seen yet.
While their private, sequestered approach to picking the four best teams hasn't changed over the past six seasons, their biggest debate of the year was no secret -- it's been going on all season.
"They spent as much time on this 1 and 2 as on anything I can remember in the past," CFP executive director Bill Hancock said.
...
"I think these are two teams that have been really close the entire time, and as we've explained, every weekend one of them has done something to move above the other," selection committee chair Rob Mullens said on Sunday. "I think [Saturday] in watching the championship game, LSU's performance against a No. 4-ranked Georgia propelled the committee to put them just ahead of Ohio State in 1 versus 2. Did last night's games play a role? Sure they did. Every game plays a role, and I think it was more about LSU's strong, dominant performance over a No. 4-ranked team that elevated them to No. 1.
Personally, I'm over it. Should Ohio State have gotten the No. 1 ranking? Hell yeah. But I'm not about to hype this team all year and then be afraid to play two tough games instead of one.
We'll blast Clemson, too. Give LSU the easier road, that's fine. I want to leave no doubt. If we're gonna win the Natty, we're going to win the damn Natty.
EARNEST REACTION. Chase Young learned he was a Heisman Trophy finalist at a banquet for another national award (that he won, of course).
He probably should have seen it coming, but by all accounts, he didn't.
At the Nagurski Trophy banquet in Charlotte, I just broke the news to Chase Young that hes a Heisman finalist as he was signing autographs. He was genuinely floored. Antoine Winfield Jr. offered his congrats. pic.twitter.com/Dx5C2QvXsk
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) December 9, 2019
I've got no problem with players knowing damn well they're the best in the country, but I still appreciate the humble fellows who seem to genuinely have no idea just how good they are.
I covered one player like that for three years (Kelsey Mitchell) and Chase Young seems cut from that same cloth.
PAT CHAMBERS = GOOD SPORT. As a fellow who used to camp out on a sidewalk to get seats right behind the visiting bench, I can attest that you can learn everything there is to know about a college basketball head coach by how they react to the bullshit the student section pulls off.
The good coaches (like Izzo) embrace it and even dish it back. The bad coaches (most of the, to be honest) try to pretend you're not there before ultimately crying about it and crumbling.
Pat Chambers gets my stamp of approval.
Penn State head basketball coach Pat Chambers said the Ohio State fans were crazy, during Saturday's game. They found a way to get a wad of gum stuck on Chambers' whiteboard.
— Josh Kurelac (@JoshKurelac) December 9, 2019
Chambers is asking for the Penn State fans to come out for tomorrow's game against No. 4 Maryland: pic.twitter.com/vfbAKqcKC5
"Good move. Pretty funny. Nice job."
At first I thought he was going to publicly whine about it, but then I realized I sold him short – he's out here in his press conference using this as an example for how crazy he wants his crowd to be.
Respect, Pat. Respect.
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