LeBron James never went to college, instead choosing to become a professional immediately after he graduated high school.
On Saturday, James asked a question on Twitter that raised a few eyebrows.
Do I have college eligibility if I went to play another sport besides basketball? How does that rule work?
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 24, 2022
Gene Smith stepped in to help answer James' question, revealing that the NBA legend could still have some collegiate eligibility in a sport outside of basketball, and Brian Hartline already started his recruitment for James to play football for the Buckeyes.
@KingJames - If you never enrolled full-time in college and didnt compete in the sport that you want to play after HS graduation, you could have eligibility remaining. If you professionalize in one sport, you can still be considered an amateur in another.
— Gene Smith (@OSU_AD) September 25, 2022
Would love to help you!
You already know I got ya. We talked about this https://t.co/LW0hrt8AsJ pic.twitter.com/IHANksk3am
— Brian Hartline (@brianhartline) September 25, 2022
While this is 99.9 percent a playful gesture from all parties involved, it is pretty funny to imagine the Buckeyes pulling out all the stops to bring LeBron to Ohio State and have him play football. All I'm saying is he and Cade Stover would make for a mean tight end room.
King James and Farmer Gronk. Stick it on an NBA Jam shirt at Homage and call it a day.
Let's have a good Monday, shall we?
GOOD-ON-GOOD. The Ohio State football program frequently speaks of "good-on-good" reps during practice, where the No. 1 offense battles the No. 1 defense in a controlled scrimmage during the days leading up to a game.
The idea behind good-on-good reps is this: The Buckeyes have the most talented roster in the nation on both sides of the ball, so what better way to prepare for an opponent than by practicing against teammates that are more skilled than the players you'll face on that Saturday?
After Ohio State's 52-21 pounding of Wisconsin, Cade Stover, who caught five passes for 51 yards and two touchdowns against the Badgers, told me that his second score – a play-action pass where C.J. Stroud rolled out right and found a wide-open Stover in the end zone – was a byproduct of his team's effort during good-on-good sessions last week.
Cade Stover said he scored on this play several times against Ohio State's defense in the practices leading up to the Wisconsin game.
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) September 25, 2022
Tommy Eichenberg confirmed as much:
"Yeah, that's true," Eichenberg said. "That's a hard play to defend."pic.twitter.com/FYlIHcipv7
Stover said Ohio State's first-team offense ran that same play several times against the Buckeyes' first-team defense, and each time Stover (or another tight end) was left wide open for six points.
Tommy Eichenberg confirmed that Stover's words weren't hyperbole, claiming the play-action look is "a hard play to defend." While Eichenberg chose not to reveal the schematics behind what makes the play challenging for defenses, he did mention that Wisconsin was forced to respect TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams as runners in short-yardage situations, which made them more susceptible to Stroud's fake.
Once the Badger defenders bit on the play-action, the Buckeye offense capitalized, much like they did against the nation's best defensive players in practice the week before. That, my friends, is why Ohio State's separation comes from its preparation.
SUPER MARV'S DRIP. Much was made about Marvin Harrison Jr.'s attire for the "Black Out" against Wisconsin. Harrison wore a black Apple Watch and black custom-made Nike cleats with Louis Vuitton symbols to accompany his all-black Ohio State uniform, which led to several close-ups on ABC and many comments on Twitter.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is playing with an Apple Watch and Louis Vuitton cleats pic.twitter.com/gmQiU3gCpk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 25, 2022
It's a known fact that the steps don't count unless you wear the Apple Watch, so good on Harrison for making sure he reached 10,000 on Saturday while achieving his calorie, fitness and stand goals by closing all three rings.
As for the cleats, putting Louis Vuitton logos on them is quite the flex from Route Man Marv. My only experience with Mr. Vuitton has been walking past the storefront and laughing about how expensive the items featured in the window were – like thousands of dollars for handbags expensive.
I'm not about that life, but Harrison is, and more power to him. So long as he's catching footballs and making plays, wear whatever you want. Look good. Feel good. Play good.
MOUNTAIN MOVERS. Henderson and Williams deserve the praise for their performances against Wisconsin, as the former collected 121 yards on 21 carries and the latter contributed 101 yards on 11 rushes. However, neither of those outings would have happened without the Ohio State offensive line winning battles at the line of scrimmage.
Just look at the hole the Ohio State OL gave Miyan. pic.twitter.com/z3A5DXgCTn
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) September 25, 2022
Look at the size of that hole Ohio State's offensive line created for Williams. Those were the kinds of holes he and Henderson were seeing all night when they were handed the football.
Remember, this isn't Arkansas State or Toledo defensive linemen that they're moving. Heck, it's not even defensive linemen from Rutgers, Northwestern, Indiana or any other low-level Big Ten team. This was a highly-touted Wisconsin defense, and the Buckeye big men moved them with ease. That is a fantastic sign for Ryan Day, Justin Frye and the Ohio State run game and should do wonders for the offense moving forward.
BREAKING BRUTUS. Our good friend Brutus took a shot during the ever-dangerous inflatable bubble race on Saturday, and I am happy to report that the Buckeye mascot came away without any "long-term injuries." As you'll see, that is the best news we could receive after what he experienced over the weekend.
Oh no Brutus.pic.twitter.com/xc1R6MRmnJ
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 25, 2022
While there are no ailments to share, it's fair to assume Brutus will have a few bumps and bruises to nurse before he returns to action in Week 5 for Ohio State's matchup with Rutgers.
We'll see what we can get from Brutus regarding his status this week during media availabilities, but he's been known to be a man of little words, so we could be out of luck and left guessing up until the game on Oct. 1.
SONG OF THE DAY. "When Night Becomes Day" by Finish Ticket.
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