Made it through Lonesome Dove. I may need to track down the miniseries just for comparison.

I’ve also been reading some of S. A. Cosby’s stuff. Really solid writer and definitely recommend him.

Funny how the hot streak ended about the same time they stopped playing the Rockies and A’s

He just gave the Silver Bullets some bulletin board material. As Brady Choke would say, "not, not, good."

No. 14 USC loses starting center Kilian O'Connor to season-ending knee injury in practice​

The Trojans are used to a carousel along the offensive line​

A USC offense with big expectations has suffered a tough blow just weeks before the season-opener against San Jose State on Aug. 29. Starting center Kilian O'Connor suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Wednesday, Lincoln Riley announced.

Riley described the incident as a "non-contact kind of freak injury" and confirmed that O'Connor won't take the field in 2026. The Trojans coach said it was a tough pill to swallow given O'Connor's journey from walk-on to starting center.

"Tough one for us I think more than anything from just an emotional standpoint," Riley said, per 247Sports. "Tremendous leader. Obviously well-versed on his track here as a walk-on into becoming a team leader and one of the heartbeats of this program."

The Rimington Trophy, which is handed out to the best center in the nation, had earlier in the day announced O'Connor as on the watch list for the award.
.
.
.
continued

Which college football teams can go undefeated in 2026? Here are 10 potential candidates​

Every college football team sets out to win each game, but only a select few have the talent, coaching and schedule favorability to pull off that feat​

The expanded College Football Playoff has changed the math, but regular-season perfection still carries value in postseason seeding. Unbeaten Power Four teams don't have to worry about résumé comparisons or strength-of-schedule arguments.

Pulling off an undefeated regular season, however, has never been more difficult. Championship hopefuls must overcome unexpected injuries, and even the nation's heavyweights face dangerous road trips capable of derailing title dreams.

Talent alone is no longer enough. Since 2020, only 10 teams have reached conference championship weekend with undefeated regular seasons, and no season has produced more than two such teams. Last year featured the rare unbeaten No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in the Big Ten championship game after Ohio State and Indiana navigated the first 12 games without a loss.

For this list, we're leaning on four traits that separate legitimate unbeaten candidates from everyone else: roster strength, coaching edge, survival ability and, perhaps most importantly, schedule favorability. The teams that navigate their toughest matchups with championship aspirations intact are usually the deepest, most disciplined and best prepared for adversity.

These 10 programs check at least two major boxes. One has the most forgiving schedule in the country, while others boast overwhelming talent or elite coaching. All have a path -- some more realistic than others -- toward finishing the regular season without a blemish.

1. Texas Tech​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: 0.......

2. Notre Dame​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at BYU, Miami, SMU

3. Miami​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Clemson, at Notre Dame

4. Oregon​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at USC, at Ohio State, Michigan, Washington

5. Indiana​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Ohio State, at Michigan, USC, at Washington

6. Georgia​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Oklahoma, at Alabama, Florida (Atlanta), at Ole Miss, Missouri

7. Penn State​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: USC, at Michigan, at Washington

8. Ohio State​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: at Texas, at Iowa, at Indiana, at USC, Oregon, Michigan

That's right, Penn State has a better chance than the Buckeyes of finishing the regular season unbeaten because of the significant difference in their schedules.

Those odds improve considerably if Ohio State wins at Texas in Week 2, but no top 10 team faces a more difficult collection of road games than the Buckeyes. If a three-loss team reaches the CFP this season, Ohio State or Texas feels like the most likely candidate because of their schedules.

Chances increase significantly if ... the Buckeyes win their first two road games of the campaign against the Longhorns and Hawkeyes.

9. NC State​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Louisville

10. Texas​

Opponents in post-spring top 25: Ohio State, at Tennessee, Oklahoma (Dallas), Florida, Ole Miss, at Missouri, at LSU, at Texas A&M

Love hearing the positive reports about him. I feel like the reporters/podcasters etc are generally pretty accurate if they are saying this guy looks like a player as a true freshman in camp---examples being Garrett Wilson, Dobbins and then Jeremiah to a whole other level

Login to view embedded media
Just sayin': Under the new NCAA rule "5 in 5" Luke Montgomery now has 2 more years of college eligibility. He does have the option to play for Ohio State again in 2027 and wait for the 2028 NFL draft.

Login to view embedded media

Today’s question: Which Ohio State freshman, in any sport, has the highest ceiling?​

Brett’s answer: Anthony Thompson​

Right now the Ohio State men’s basketball program needs some juice. It has been a while since the Buckeyes have had a highly touted recruit out of high school commit to the school. The last big-time recruit Ohio State was able to bring in was D’Angelo Russell, who put up big numbers and went on to be selected second in the NBA Draft after a year in Columbus.

There are plenty of expectations for Anthony Thompson heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season. Thompson is the highest-rated Ohio State recruit since Jared Sullinger in 2010, and is the highest-rated Big Ten signee in the class of 2026. In high school, Thompson was a five-star recruit, a McDonald’s All-American, was the top-ranked recruit in the state of Ohio, and ranked in the top-10 in the country.

At 6-foot-9 with a wingspan that spans at least 7-foot-4, Thompson has the size and length to be disruptive wherever he is on the court. Despite head coach Jake Diebler saying Thompson is going to need some time to adjust to college basketball, it’s likely Thompson will only be at Ohio State for one season since he is already projected to be a first-round draft pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Unlike sports like college football, where it’s hard for a single player to truly take over a game since there are so many other players on the field he has to be in sync with, the same can’t be said about college basketball. Just look at a little more than 20 years ago when freshman Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a national championship. Just a few years later, Greg Oden had the Buckeyes in that national title game before losing to Florida.
.
.
.
continued

Login to view embedded media

Today’s question: Which Ohio State freshman, in any sport, has the highest ceiling?​

Matt’s answer: Chris Henry Jr.​

Normally, when comparing the ceilings of true freshmen across different sports, basketball players have a fairly substantial advantage. One elite freshman can step onto the court, immediately become the focal point of an offense, and completely alter the trajectory of a program. Generally, those types of players only last one season in college and are off to make millions in the NBA

Football players generally need more time; there is some logic in the rule keeping players in college for three years before they can be drafted into the NFL. They have to develop physically, learn a significantly larger playbook, and adjust to playing against grown men who are bigger, stronger, faster, and more experienced than nearly anyone they faced in high school.

All that being said, Chris Henry Jr. might be an exception.

The five-star receiver arrives at Ohio State with practically every physical tool you could ask for. The Buckeyes list him at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, giving him the size to overwhelm smaller defensive backs without sacrificing the athleticism needed to create separation downfield. Henry was the nation’s top-ranked receiver and the No. 10 overall player in the 247Sports Composite ratings. As anyone who has seen him play or watched his film can attest, he has unquestionable athleticism and was one of the premier prizes in the 2026 class.

Of course, Henry’s pedigree extends well beyond recruiting stars and measurements. His father, the late Chris Henry, was a uniquely gifted NFL receiver whose combination of length, speed, and athleticism made him an explosive threat for West Virginia in college and the Cincinnati Bengals in the pros. Henry Jr. also got to learn from his father’s former college and NFL teammate Adam “Pacman” Jones, who adopted him and his brother DeMarcus, who is a five-star small forward with Ohio State in his top-eight schools.

That background, of course, does not guarantee immediate success, but it means Henry has been exposed to the realities of high-level football for most of his life. He should arrive in Columbus more prepared for the expectations, scrutiny, and competition than the typical freshman.
.
.
.
continued

Zero doubt Coach Mike drooled when he looked at this massive hunk of clay and thought
I can make my own Michelangelo.. let's get started

Definitely thought that Devin portaled because of minutes. This being his money year and all. But losing Devin took a big chunk of leadership and experience from this team. Hopefully, the young 'uns will season-up early, and when the going gets tough, they will rise to the occasion. This will be a young tOSU team. Maybe older players, but not so many with this team experience. Go Bucks!

What ruling would you make, if after getting up, Sophie used a roundhouse kick to knock the snot out of that gal? She's a black belt (or so I've read), but haven't seen any sort of use of said blackbelt stuff on her part? Probably be a Tech foul #2 though. But bet that no one would go after her again.....

That would be sweet. If RBs scenario happens, would also believe that when 2-3 DBs cover Jeremiah, then the other WRs start catching TDs. Simply because of the double-triple teams on JS. Also believe that Sayin will be turned loose in this game. Last year, he was being held back by Day, and simply tried to play without turning the ball over. It worked superbly, but this year, believe we'll see him make a Heisman statement early on.

This guy is gonna occupy more than one DL on every snap. He's certainly wide enough to blot out at least one of the RB 'holes'. Glad he's suited up in S&G. Go Bucks!

TDunk said:

My 6" iron cracked my nut in your wife's chassis last night. I did enjoy the new plates though.

Click to expand...

So that's where she was!

NJ-Buckeye said:

Blowing up today all over media

Click to expand...

brodybuck21 said:

Login to view embedded media

Click to expand...

Ohio State Practice Observations: Devin McCuin Dominates, Jay Timmons Plays First-Team Nickel and Joshua Padilla Starts at Right Guard​

It only took two practices of preseason camp for a frontrunner to emerge in the competition to be Ohio State’s new starting wide receiver.

After an impressive spring and a strong first day of camp, Devin McCuin was the star of Ohio State’s second preseason practice. The UTSA transfer hauled in multiple deep balls from Julian Sayin, including a long post on a bomb over the middle against Cam Calhoun in team drills, and a toe-tapping touchdown catch in the right front corner of the end zone against tight coverage from cornerback Dominick Kelly during a 7-on-7 period.

Later in the practice, McCuin made another big play when he made a defender miss with a spin move for a long gain after the catch on a slant over the middle.

McCuin took most of the first-team reps at wide receiver alongside Jeremiah Smith and Brandon Inniss during team drills on Friday. Through two days of camp, that seems to be the most likely starting trio for Ohio State at wide receiver, though Chris Henry Jr. also continues to push for a starting spot with Kyle Parker, Brock Boyd and Jerquaden Guilford also in the mix for spots in the receiver rotation.

As Ohio State is looking for a deep threat to replace Carnell Tate opposite Jeremiah Smith as well as for its receivers to make more explosive plays after the catch than they did a year ago, McCuin is showing early in camp that he has the skill set to help Ohio State in both of those areas. And he could very well end up being Ohio State’s No. 2 wideout this season as a result.

“McCuin is definitely gonna be a great player for us,” safety Earl Little Jr. said after Friday’s practice. “I feel like he’s a dog. He gets in and out of his routes smoothly. He can block. He’s physical at the point of attack.”

Mike80 said:

Steiner Math is inarguable...

View attachment 92812

Click to expand...

Just sayin': Apparently he played college ball at Jacksonville State; I would have though that he would have followed his old man and been a "legacy" at scUM. Anyway he plans to end up being a "legacy" in WWE.

Jacksonville State football's Brock Rechsteiner announced as part of WWE's NIL class​

“I work out with [Bron Breakker] all the time back home. I go fishing with him a lot because he moved back to Georgia. He has really convinced me to, once I’m done playing football, to get into the wrestling business,” Rechsteiner told WDSU-TV. “I want to play football for as long as I can, give it the best shot I can, but once I’m done playing football, I’ll get into it, for sure. I’ll be getting into WWE.”

Click to expand...

He's tied for 50th place with 7 others, i.e. 69-67-69 = 205 (-5). The two leaders are in at -16. If he doesn't shoot something in the low 60s tomorrow; he's probably destined for yet another payday in the low $20Ks.