Hello, I have decided that I think Julian Fleming might be a real sleeper in this recruiting class.
THIS IS WHY Julian Fleming (@julian_040) is the top player in the nation!! @OhioStateFB fans are gonna LOVE this kid!#UAALLAMERICA pic.twitter.com/6PRW0EbRii
— All-America Game (@AllAmericaGame) January 3, 2020
Really glad Ohio State took a flier on him.
Word of the Day: Palatial.
NO REUNION. We were any one of 10 agonizing plays away from getting the fated Joe Burrow vs. Ohio State national championship matchup. We're all sad about it, and it seems that Joe is a bit too.
“It would have been fun to play a lot of my old teammates and a lot of my old friends. I know there would have been some friendly trash talk. It would have been a lot of fun. But we'll play whoever. We're excited to get the opportunity to play.
"I did watch the game. It was a fun game to watch. Everyone was battling their tails off, and I know a lot of those guys work so hard to get to that moment, and being with them for three years, it was kind of sad a little bit to see their season end like that. But I know they worked really hard to get there, and we're excited to get the opportunity to play in this game.”
The silver lining here is that Joe no longer has to become folded across Chase Young's shoulder. Instead, he'll be driving a dagger deep into Dabo's cold heart while whispering "the north remembers" – at least in my dreams.
It sucks that my alma mater isn't playing for a national title, but if someone else has to win it, I'll be extremely happy if it's one of my former classmates.
BANGED UP BUCKS. After coming out of the other end one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country with only two losses and as the No. 5 team in the country, Ohio State is heading into the meat of Big Ten play. But as Griffin Strom of The Lantern points out, they're doing it with a bit of a limp.
Kyle Young may be the only starter out for tonight's game against Wisconsin, but more than a few Buckeyes are hurting and ailing.
Freshman forward Alonzo Gaffney, who may have helped share minutes with freshman forward E.J. Liddell in relief of the injured Young, was out this week with flu-like symptoms, Holtmann said.
The first name Holtmann mentioned Thursday when addressing lineup changes to account for Young’s absence was sophomore forward Justin Ahrens.
...
But Ahrens isn’t at full health either. The Versailles, Ohio, native has been dealing with a back injury since before the season, which Holtmann said has caused him to lose weight. While Ahrens’ condition is improving, Holtmann said he still isn’t back at 100 percent.
Sophomore guard Duane Washington is just two games back from a rib injury that kept him out of matchups against Minnesota and Southeast Missouri State.
...
Another Ohio State wing that would aid the Buckeyes with a starting forward down is junior guard Musa Jallow, who has yet to play this year after having an arthroscopic procedure on his ankle in October. However, Holtmann said there’s no plan for Jallow to return this year
Seems like all the previous games were on easy mode, so God had to turn up the difficulty to give the rest of the Big Ten a chance. That's fine, Chris Holtmann is still coming for blood.
As an aside – I don't think we've talked enough about the fact that Kyle Young legitimately played a basketball game with appendicitis that was severe enough that he had to have his appendix removed just a couple hours after the game. And he got 11 rebounds!
I didn't think Andre Wesson's chipped tooth grittiness from last season would ever be topped, yet here we are.
NEXT BROWNS HEAD COACH? Folks, we officially have my favorite Urban Meyer coaching rumor yet: the Cleveland Browns, baby!
Im hearing that the #Browns have strong interest in former #OhioState head coach Urban Meyer, per sources.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 2, 2020
I could easily see this being a disaster for both sides if it comes to fruition, which honestly gives me some confidence that it's legit, since the Browns are involved.
There was another report the Browns did not have an interview scheduled with Meyer and that they were currently locked in on coaches with NFL experience, but Feldman ain't backing down.
.@BruceFeldmanCFB on @BullandFox re: whether he's buying Haslam's comment on Urban: "I am not. I think right now he's probably looking at the guys in front of him...but at the same time, what I've heard from multiple sources, they have a lot of interest in Urban Meyer." https://t.co/i9TOJFGRPS
— Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86) January 2, 2020
One thing I've learned from my years of Buckeye blogging experience is that if Feldman is reporting something with Meyer's name attached to it, there's at least something there, regardless of if it ever comes to fruition.
For Urban's wellbeing, I hope this doesn't happen. There's a very real chance he'd lose more games in one season with the Browns than he did in seven years with Ohio State, and we all saw what one loss a season did to him.
HOME TOWN? Ohio State's got the No. 5 basketball team in the country and I'm already making Final Four accommodations (by making the galaxy brained decision to live in the city in which it will be played), but like any respectable Buckeye Ulta, I'm not satisfied until I can be assured my team will be stacked for at least the next three years.
So you better believe I'm still gonna get a little tingly thinking about a potential huge roster addition this spring.
Towns will have two years of eligibility as a grad transfer
— Zach Fleer (@ZachFleer270) January 2, 2020
Ohio State could be a potential landing spot. Keep an eye on that https://t.co/DTxIe0rFp6
For context, Towns is:
- Very good at basketball
- From Columbus, Ohio.
Basketball aside, the dude graduated with a bachelor's degree from Harvard in three years.
Needless to say, come on down!
YUP, STILL WANT TO DIE. I saw a lot of folks right after the game sick to their stomach that J.K. Dobbins was wide open on that final interception.
He was, but there's no reason to hit a five-yard checkdown when you have a touchdown 25-yards downfield.
And folks...
All-22 of the game sealing INT for OSU
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) January 2, 2020
Had a perfect 2-high beater with a hitch/post combo.
Looked to have TD if WR didnt reverse field for some reason. pic.twitter.com/eAEgGIG1ZT
I'm going to have to do some Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind stuff to keep the ghost of this game from haunting me all of my days.
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