I'm not sure what this is, but sign me the hell up.
— Juan Reyes (@OfficialJuan) May 24, 2022
Word of the Day: Vexatious.
LAPPING THE FIELD. So, yesterday, I shared the latest SP+ ratings and casually mentioned that Ohio State was No. 1 with no real context or further digging. I sincerely apologize for that, because as it turns out, there's some absolute insanity going on with the Buckeyes' offensive SP+ rating that absolutely needs to be discussed.
Ohio State has the best offensive in the SP+ projections, which should surprise no one. But when you actually look at the numbers, the Buckeyes don't just have the best offense in college football, they're absolutely lapping everyone else.
The Buckeyes have an offensive SP+ rating of 47.9, which is 6.1 points higher than second-place Alabama (that means Alabama has a rating of 41.8 for those of you who choose to boycott math).
Here's where it gets juicy: that 6.1-point difference between No. 1 and No. 2 is the same distance as the difference between No. 2 and No. 21 in the offensive SP+ rankings. Put differently, the gap between Ohio State and Alabama's offense is projected to be about the same as the gap between Alabama and Miami.
TL;DR, Ohio State doesn't just have the best offense in college football. They have an absolute death star. And even the computers know it.
THEY'RE BACCCCKKKK. One gigantic reason why Ohio State is currently first in the SP+ ratings is that the Buckeyes return a hefty chunk of their production from last season – 73 percent to be exact.
That's the most of any legitimate title contender (no disrespect, Iowa).
Updated college football returning production rankings. Teams in green have risen by 15+ spots since Feb, teams in red have fallen by 15+, teams in bold have done so by 30+. pic.twitter.com/hZZ77DhJ47
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) May 23, 2022
The wildest part about that number is that Ohio State somehow returns that much of its production while also having two of last year's receivers drafted No. 10 and No. 11 overall in the NFL Draft.
ELITE TRANSFER. I talked yesterday about how even though Tanner McCalister might not have been the absolute best player available in the portal, he was the absolute perfect addition for Ohio State.
But he's still absolutely elite.
In 247Sports' final transfer portal rankings, McCalister is ranked No. 14 in the country among all players, ranked as the second-best transfer defensive back behind only Eli Ricks and the top transfer safety in the class (though 247 lists him as a cornerback).
Meanwhile, Chip Trayanum was ranked just No. 185 among transfers this year, which is completely fair given that he's transferring to play a position he hasn't even played at the college level yet.
LEGENDARY NUMBER. It looks like new Buckeye Carson Hinzman is gonna have quite the legacy to uphold.
Honored to carry on the legacy of wearing #75 @OrlandoPace_HOF pic.twitter.com/IKFn2XAVD5
— Carson Hinzman (@HinzmanCarson) May 24, 2022
Voluntarily taking that number is bold as hell. If I were choosing a number, I would choose something like 66 to ensure I am playing in absolutely nobody's shadow.
But Hinzman, he's just gonna go out there as a true freshman and wear the number of probably the best college football offensive lineman of all time.
I respect the hell out of that confidence.
SONG OF THE DAY. "Maple Syrup" by Backseat Lovers.
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. The blood-hungry parasite that threatens big fish and business in the Great Lakes... LARPing goes to Disney World... The future of drugs is a synthetic cocktail from hell... Shards of the planet Mercury may be hiding on Earth... How the internet gets people to plagiarize each other... The lead singer of Bright Eyes walked off the stage after two songs, so the rest of the band had audience members sing karaoke...
