I know I didn’t write anything after the Penn State and the state up north (I’mstupidandmakeoutwithfamilymembers) games, but I just couldn’t bring myself to write either post. Both were close losses and I just ran out of excitement for reliving football misery. I will, however, write a season in review after the bowl game (come on Little Caesar’s bowl! Getting shanked in Detroit while attending a bowl sponsored by a $5 large pizza chain is exactly what I want on my tombstone!) There are two other Ohio State happenings that I need to chime in about…
1. Urban Meyer
Ohio State trying to tell everyone that we weren’t hiring Urban Meyer was the biggest lie since any time a girlfriend asks her boyfriend if he thinks one of her friends is cute (you want us to be honest with you…yet you ask us about your friend…if I say yes I’m leering at other women and I’m in the doghouse…if I say no I’m insulting her friend and I’m in the doghouse…I’ll take a swift kick in the balls, please.) Having said that…
I CAN’T BE MORE EXCITED FOR THE MEYER DYNASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I need a word to describe the excitement I have for the hire. Urboner? Nah. Meyerection? Sounds like I’m just talking about myself. It’s an UrbanMeyerIsOhioState’sHeadCoachHardOn (or UMIOSHCHO for semi-short). Anyway my UMIOSHCHO is at full staff right now.
Listening to and watching highlights of the press conference made me unbelievably jacked up for at least (hopefully) the next 10 years. Meyer’s intensity and accomplishments should get any Ohio State fan with a pulse thrilled. Born in Ohio. Went to school in Ohio. Made Bowling Green viable. Undefeated at Utah. Two BCS championships in six years at Florida. And now…home.
I know there could be some hesitation to go all-in with the hire because of Meyer’s health issues, but there was a huge thing in the press conference that should relieve some of that: he mentioned bringing in excellent coaches. Having a year off to relax and reflect Meyer realized he didn’t want to be the coach who never sees his family or enjoys life. He needed to step away and learn to find the balance…hence getting excellent coaches to surround him at all times so he won’t need to micro-manage every minute detail of the program.
I do have one reservation for the hire and it doesn’t have to do with Meyer himself. We need to learn from the past and not build Meyer as a God. It’s where Joe Paterno became and, closer to home, Jim Tressel was before he was fired. I don’t believe Meyer will become that himself. He’s a man who’s driven to making Ohio State the best program in the nation…but my guard is up and I don’t want people anointing him The Chosen One and putting him above the university.
That being said…get ready I’mstupidandmakeoutwithfamilymembers University up north. Savor your one win in the last eight years. You barely beat us with your best shot. Now we have Urban Meyer. Get ready for a hellstorm for the next decade.
My UMIOSHCHO is ready.
2. Men’s Basketball
On to the second piece of OSU business: the men’s basketball team.
THEY ARE REALLY F***ING GOOD!!!
I went to the Valparaiso game on Friday for a blast from the college past: a basketball game, getting hammered at Thirsty Scholar and ordering drunk food at PJ’s (nostalgia was through the roof…or maybe through the bottom of my glass…that’s more appropriate). Anyway after the game I saw a couple things that were problems come March Madness if not improved on:
Free throw shooting. It was pretty bad Friday, but that will come. Thad “Birdman” Matta doesn’t subscribe to the John “It’s not cheating if you don’t get caught over 14 times” Calipari school of thought (free throws are meaningless)A consistent three-point threat. With Jon Diebler gone we will need someone to step up and become the deep option come crunch time. The great equalizer in March Madness is the three point line. It’s the same length for mid-majors as it is for the big boys. This hasn’t been an issue thus far, but just a concern.Team defense. Individually Ohio State has the quickest hands (led by Aaron “Trust me I’m 20, not 12” Craft) I’ve seen, but the few times zone was thrown out it was rusty.
Granted I don’t know that much about the team…or basketball…or women…but those three things were what I think I saw in a trap game the night before the football game and Duke. Then Duke happened and proved one thing:
I know nothing.
It was a thorough beat down last night. Ohio State scored every which way possible at ease, frustrated the Duke players on the defensive end and gave the rowdy fans in attendance a dominant performance that we will not soon forget.
Craft is a beast. Jared Sullinger is a beast. William Buford is a beast. Deshaun “Chucker” Thomas has talent. While previous Ohio State teams had great individual players had individual talent…this team seems like the best team in terms of on floor chemisty. It’s like everyone is in sync with each other, knows where everyone will be and what they like and execute perfection.
A big thing that Ohio State did last night was make the extra pass. The ability to pass up a semi-open shot for a wide open look for a teammate is huge when you play great teams. Great teams will force you to move the ball around and earn every point. Being able to make the extra pass successfully is needed to win grind-out wins and Ohio State is able to do that.
I’m excited for this season. When the stars were out, the atmosphere was rocking and the lights were brightest…OSU shined the brightest. No stage will be too big for this team and with the combination of offensive chemisty and suffocating man-to-man defense this team is a force to be reckon with.
It’s great to be a Buckeye.
