Another day closer to Buckeye football. You can do it!
Word of the Day: Vellicate.
I’M NOT YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE! Maybe it was just an “enemy of my enemy” situation, but for a few weeks there, Ohio State and Nebraska were best pals as they both battled back against the Big Ten in an effort to play football this fall.
To be fair, Nebraska probably did most of the fighting with the lawsuits and the FOIA requests and such, but at the very least, Ohio State was that loyal friend screaming “beat his ass!” throughout the fight.
Regardless, we were on the same side for the past few months. And now, unfortunately, our efforts shift towards burying them next month.
https://t.co/7NVhMa2eCe pic.twitter.com/V47VfnJWcC
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 19, 2020
Thanks for everything, Nebraska. Threatening to quit and suing the conference were the most productive things you’ve done in any sport since joining the Big Ten. And I mean that!
But now, things have to get back to normal.
“AND THAT WAS THAT.” We’ve had two preseason All-Americans and potential first-round picks opt back in after initially leaving – the #BOOMiest of #BOOMs, when you really think about it.
But there wasn’t a third, because Justin Fields didn’t have to. He didn’t opt out, and according to Ryan Day on his Fox Big Noon Kickoff appearance, he was never going to.
“He could have packed his bags and left – he never wavered once. He never even thought about leaving. He looked me in the eye and said ‘coach, the NFL will come one day. I want to win a national championship with this team and I want to win a Heisman trophy. And that was it. We didn’t have another conversation.”
Well damn.
By just suiting up and playing this season after everything that’s gone down, Justin Fields has already reached legend status. If he can hoist a natty at the end of all of this, you can go ahead and build a damn statue.
TIME FOR HITTING. Big Ten teams haven’t just been doing nothing during the time when they thought their season was canceled, but they also weren’t tackling – which, I’m told, remains an integral part of the game.
You shouldn’t need a hall of fame head coach to tell you that contact and tackling is a very important part of football, but here he is, anyway.
“Every drill, from this point forward, in my mind, is all about the contact of the game.”@CoachUrbanMeyer shares how @B1Gfootball teams can best prepare for the season. pic.twitter.com/YtThkFz6t9
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 18, 2020
If you would like to find out what happens when you just don’t go full-contact at any point leading up to the season, take a gander at Navy. The water troops went contact-free all throughout camp and got outscored 79-3 across the first six quarters of the season.
Let’s refrain from doing that, please!
THE BEST DAMN SOUND IN THE LAND. If this sound doesn’t get you just a little juiced for football season, I don’t know what will.
Is @OhioSt_Drumline rehearsing in B Deck today??? pic.twitter.com/sqJ7vIC3Ep
— The Ohio State University Marching Band (@TBDBITL) September 17, 2020
I have no idea what the Big Ten’s plans and procedures are regarding marching bands, but I’m praying they’re deemed permissible. If you want to empty the ‘Shoe on gameday, fine. But please don’t take my marching band away.
SONG OF THE DAY. “Some Will Seak Forgiveness Others Escape” by Underoath.
NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. Uganda says 219 prisoners escape, some with guns and ammunition… Waterworld at 25: Reappraising cinema’s biggest flop… The mysterious Bible find that sparked a real-life detective story… The CIA sent a team of 4 operators on a spy mission targeting China and none came back…
