The Game could get canceled at any moment. But for now, it's Michigan Week and I'm going to enjoy every bit of it that I can.
And so are the Buckeyes...
LL Cool J - Its Time for War .. IYKYK #BeatTTUN
— Teradja itchell (@teeraaw__) December 6, 2020
Word of the Day: Praxis.
GIVING IT A SHOT. If I were setting betting odds, I'd put the chances that The Game gets played this week at like 15 percent. I don't really think it's going to happen, but I also think Michigan truly is going to give it a shot.
Michigans status has not changed, meaning the earliest practice can resume is tomorrow. U-M expects a resolution tomorrow as well, according to the release.
— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) December 7, 2020
I'll say this, though – if Michigan voluntarily cancels this game without Big Ten protocol mandating a cancelation, Buckeye fans are going to lose their minds after watching Ohio State play a game this weekend with two dozen people sidelined.
IT AIN'T EASY. The Twitter warriors were out in full force on Saturday ready to yank Harry Miller's scholarship for a few off-target snaps.
But some former Buckeyes are here to remind you that maybe – just maybe! – it's a little harder than you think.
If anything this should show is an appreciation of what Josh Myers has been doing since week one last year but hey, thats just my opinion
— Branden Bowen (@BrandenBowen) December 5, 2020
And a fellow how made the switch (and won the damn Rimington at center!) chimed in, as well.
NO idea lmao
— Branden Bowen (@BrandenBowen) December 5, 2020
Chill on my guy, switching positions in a week isnt easy plus making all the correct calls. https://t.co/4aIJgt03Ee
— Billy Price (@b_price53) December 5, 2020
It wasn't perfect by any means, but they really replaced *most* of the offensive line in a week and put up 52 points and 521 yards, averaging 7.2 yards per play. And hey, Harry Miller didn't even have the second-worst snap in the game.
SIGH. Look, I'm in no place to criticize someone for being an unabashed home online. But I learned long ago that if you're going to be homerific, you at least have to live in reality.
I regret to inform you that there are some Indiana folks who are not there, including former Eleven Warriors recruiting analyst – and my good friend – Taylor Lehman.
In summation:
— taylor (@ByTaylorL) December 6, 2020
- OSUs best win was at home against IU in a game that couldve gone either way
- IU has played two more games
- IU has the best win not involving either team
- IU has won four games vs. teams with more than a week of prep
- IU undefeated against spread
- Better D
Listen, I sincerely love Taylor. He's a great guy, great friend, and was a pleasure to work with while he was here. But we've gotta have a talk about this...
If I didn't know any better, I would think this was a parody. And I excuse stuff like this a little bit from teams who've never sniffed a championship conversation before. But come on, man.
"Indiana has done more to clench (sic) a spot in the Big Ten Championship than Ohio State."
Besides, you know, beat Ohio State in a head-to-head matchup. And of those six reasons for his stance, one (1) is anywhere close to reasonable, and it's that Indiana has simply played more games.
Other than that...
– Saying the Indiana vs. Ohio State game "could have gone either way" implies, to me, that if you played it 10 times, Indiana might win five. And if you believe that, you're either lying or delusional. More than that, if we can just throw that game away as "could have gone either way," what the hell can we say about Indiana's win against Penn State, when the Hoosiers only won (despite Penn State *doubling* their yardage total!) because the Nittany Lions accidentally scored a touchdown while trying to run out the clock and Indiana was gifted a controversial-at-best game-winning two-point conversion.
– Sure, Indiana beat Wisconsin and Ohio State hasn't played, but Ohio State has also performed better against literally every common opponent. And I love how keen we are to just throw away the fact that Ohio State literally won the head-to-head matchup.
– Congrats, but that literally only happened because the global pandemic caused teams to cancel games. It's not like they were given that schedule, to begin with.
– Hell yeah, let's actually just seed the College Football Playoff based on performance against the spread. That's all that really matters. But if we seriously need to address this, it's a hell of a lot easier to cover the spread when you're an underdog against a team that ended up winning two games this season than it is when you're a three-touchdown favorite against a top-10 team. That should be obvious, but.
– I mean, sure? But why does your performance on one side of the ball mean that you're more worthy of a spot in the title game? Especially when that side of the ball allowed 35 points to the team you're comparing it to?
The best part is, all Taylor had to say to have a valid argument is "The Big Ten set rules before the season and everyone agree to them, so I think they should stick to them." Instead, he's arguing that the Hoosiers are more deserving because they cover the spread.
But don't worry, I have an easy solution to this – let's just put Indiana in the playoff, too. Do it, cowards.
CHANGES COMING. Much to Taylor's dismay...
B1G ADs will likely change B1G title game requirements to allow 5-0 Ohio State in title game if it cant play 6th league game, sources told @Stadium. But it wont be an easy decision, source said. A win in B1G title game would all but guarantee Buckeyes a spot in @CFBPlayoff
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 5, 2020
There's a solid chance this won't have to happen anyway, for what it's worth. Even if Michigan isn't able to play this week, there's the chance Ohio State could find a new opponent instead.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN. As if Justin Fields wasn't already a legend in Columbus, he's out here giving us quotes like this.
He's definitely had better stat-lines than he had this week, even against better teams, but I don't think you could possibly give him enough credit for how awesome he was in a game where his head coach/playcaller and position coach weren't even in the stadium and he was playing behind 3/5ths of a completely new and inexperienced offensive line, including a new center (who made him chase snaps the entire first quarter).
He just went ahead and did this.
First game in two weeks and Justin Fields has already found the end zone
— ESPN (@espn) December 5, 2020
ABC pic.twitter.com/04SjCkHdcd
And this.
Justin Fields had them shook in space.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 5, 2020
The @OhioStateFB QB is unfair: pic.twitter.com/U5mMldPzXt
And he was even making plays he didn't have to make.
Justin Fields is the fastest man alive
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 5, 2020
pic.twitter.com/9yR1LOkQtS
WEAR THE GOLD. Joey Bosa's stepping up his cleat game and for a good cause.
Get dumped then, cancer. Especially childhood cancer.
A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention what happened on this day 79 years ago at Pearl Harbor.
Never forget.
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