This is April.
There will be no foolin' around today. The Reds and Tribe are back at it, and all of the detailed #analytics point toward an all-Ohio World Series. I wish the very best to whichever franchise has your rooting interest except for those of you who actively cheer for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Apologies to Jon Rothstein, but it's the first of the month, and with it comes my very first Skull Session. After more than five years, the prestigious honor has finally been bestowed upon me. How does this work? What am I doing with my hands? What is the internet?
Fortunately, I was able to phone a friend down at the Magic Kingdom.
The prettiest Disney princess offers guidance from afar.
I find myself batting cleanup in this glorious week, which is a big change of pace since I had little power when suiting up for the Giants in little league. Let's get this show on the road before all 162 games have been played.
Word of the Day: Fossiliferous.
THE FIELDS #TAKES ARE FLOWING.
As you're all well aware of by now, Justin Fields was magnificent at Ohio State's pro day. He dazzled with his blazing 4.44-second 40 and put on a show with his arm. The lasting image from Tuesday may have actually taken place in Tuscaloosa as 49ers' head coach Kyle Shanahan watched in horror as Mac Jones bounced balls off of the ceiling and overthrew his pass-catchers.
I love this time of year as much as anyone. I spend way too much time reading every single mock draft while dedicating a few hours each week to doing my own simulations. College basketball is coming to an end and my Redlegs will probably be out of the playoff race by the end of April. I'll take all the football talk I can get.
But NFL draft season is a time when everyone loves to talk. And that means a bunch of weirdos can say basically anything they want while citing anonymous #sources.
Dan Orlovsky on the @PatMcAfeeShow show today had some interesting quotes that hes getting from guys in the know.
— Seth (Justin Fields is QB2) Steere (@SethSteere) March 31, 2021
Last guy in, first guy out.
Ive heard there are some questions with Justin Fields work ethic.
Where is his desire to be a great quarterback?
Justin Fields fought for the 2020 season to take place. He isolated himself to a one-bedroom apartment while mastering his craft. He tossed six touchdown passes in a playoff game after taking a helmet to the spine that would have sent me to the hospital. But the man who is most known for executing one of the worst plays in the history of the sport is hearing some concerning chatter.
This chatter is allegedly coming from some “pretty high up people" that are "associated with decision making." These supposed sources are getting their information from "someone within Ohio State."
Sure they are, Dan.
DABO'S DEFENSIVE WIZ TALKS BEATDOWN.
Ohio State's 49-28 beatdown of the Tigers was the zenith of the 2020 season. A quarterback who has no desire to be a great quarterback threw for 385 yards and six scores while lighting up Brent Venables' defense. Yesterday, the man had some words about the matchup.
“There wasn't anything worth a flip. The preparation, the gameplan, just burn it all,” Venables said. “We did a poor job of having our guys prepared. Both lines of scrimmage we got physically worked and they got after us, in every way, at all three levels of our defense. We were out-physicaled and I don't think we had the right mindset. I think that goes without saying. They established the run early and that set up play-action passes. We let guys run by us in 3-deep (coverage) and 2-deep and let guys run right through us. We didn't set the edge all day. We got knocked off the ball and it was a bad might, coaching and playing, to say the least. We have a lot of work to do.”
May the memory of the 2021 Sugar Bowl live on forever in our hearts. Props to Venables for manning up during one of his first post-CFP media availabilities.
Brent Venables said Clemson "looked like the Keystone Cops" trying to tackle against Ohio State.
— Matt Connolly (@MattOnClemson) April 1, 2021
I had never heard of them, but after a quick Google search and watching some videos I can't stop laughing.
OHIO STATE FOOTBALL DISHES OUT SOME LOVE.
March was Women's History Month, and that's always a great time to remind ourselves of the accomplishments that women have made throughout the years. Ohio State football took notice and spent much of the day paying homage to several of the females who work with the program on a daily basis. This included some kind remarks from players and other staff members.
Join us in showing some love for our secret weapon, footballs dietitian @kaila_olson. HUGE part of all we do here!#GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/Ae4hnaUTkD
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 31, 2021
When we hear about the strength and conditioning staff, Mickey Marotti immediately comes to mind. It was good to see Marotti offer some praise for Kaila Olson – the program's sports dietitian – while highlighting some of her duties. Others receiving some well-deserved praise included those on the academic side (Belkis Clark & Deana Rugger), on-campus recruiting (Erin Dunston), mental health and wellness (Dr. Candice D. Williams), Senior Deputy Athletic Director Diana Sabau, and President Kristina Johnson herself.
Well done, ladies.
DLEE WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA
Georgia is known for many things including peanuts, pecans, and peaches. It's also one of the states that produces the most football talent. That's a great thing for Kirby Smart, but it's yet to lead to a national title as the Dawgs haven't won it all in 40 years and have been struggling to get over that Alabama hump. One player that does have a national title shared some thoughts on Wednesday.
Biggest choke artist i've seen on national television is the Georgia Bulldogs..
— Darron Lee (@DLeeMG8) March 31, 2021
Georgia fans did exactly what was expected of them: they got mad on the internet. There's probably still a bit of anger flowing four years after the Falcons collapsed against the Patriots as well. I'm not sure who I'd throw into that choke artist category. Brian Kelly's recent playoff performances probably give the Fighting Irish an honorable mention at the very least.
SONG OF THE DAY. So cash your checks and get up.
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. 15 years ago on this day, a guy walked into a bar... An age-progression photo was released this week... Can one of our Russian readers please help this poor wandering polar bear?... The Teletubbies are up to something... A Croatian tennis player sold exclusive lifetime ownership of part of her right arm for more than $5,000... South Carolina man charged with molesting an alligator...
Header photo: Urban Meyer – David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
