A Modest Proposal: Ohio State should stop playing basketball in January
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
With their 79-72 win over the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins, Ohio State is getting back to its early season form.

On Dec. 31, 2019, the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team was 11-2 and ranked fifth in the AP Poll.

One month later on Jan. 31, 2020, the exact same team was 13-7 and no longer ranked by the Associated Press.

With Sunday, Feb. 25’s 79-72 victory over the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins (12-4, 22-5), Chris Holtmann’s No. 25 Buckeyes are 18-9 (8-8 in the Big Ten) and have one final game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-13, 7-19) remaining on Thursday to close out the month.

So, that means that Ohio State is currently 16-4 on the 2019-20 season in months that don’t end with “anuary.” Therefore, I would like to submit for approval to the esteemed members of Buckeye Nation that the Ohio State University should henceforth refuse to play intercollegiate men’s basketball contests during the first month of any given year.

On the final Sunday in February, the Buckeyes played one of their best games of the season, and broke a three-game losing streak against the Turtles. In a sold-out Schottenstein Center, the home team saw five players hit double-digits, as sophomore Luther Muhammad led all scorers with 22, thanks in no small part to going 4-for-8 from behind the arc. Kaleb Wesson went for 15 points and nine rebounds, while Andre Wesson and Duane Washington Jr. had a dozen apiece, and C.J. Walker had 13 of his own.

For the game, the Buckeye shot 42.6 percent from the field, including 40 percent from downtown. Interestingly, the Terps actually out-shot the Buckeyes, hitting 45.1 percent of their shots from the floor. However, OSU’s defense kept Maryland’s top two scorers Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith to a combined 18 points. Cowan fouled out on a technical with just under four minutes remaining in the contest.

The result was in stark contract with the first matchup that the two teams played in (you guessed it) the month of January, in which Ohio State lost 67-55. For that game in College, Park, Md., the Buckeyes shot 31.3 percent from the field and paltry 18.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The difference in results is even more impressive when considering that OSU’s starting forward Kyle Young left the game after rolling his ankle late in the first half and did not return. He was seen on the bench in the second half in a walking boot.

But, the Buckeyes’ turnaround in the month of February didn’t just begin against the Terps. Coming into Sunday’s contest, the Buckeyes had improved their scoring margin by +5 points over January thanks to an increased energy and focus on both ends of the floor.

However, the January doldrums aren’t new for Holtmann’s teams, at Ohio State or elsewhere. Last season, OSU went 1-6 in the first month of 2019 en route to still achieving a 20-win season and a victory in the NCAA tournament. Imagine what could have been had they not been forced to play games in January.

Our old friend Patrick Mayhorn broke down Holtmann’s January struggles at both Ohio State and Butler over at the Buckeye Sports Bulletin. So, after looking at those numbers, it is reasonable to believe that January 2018 — when Keita Bates-Diop led the Buckeyes to an 8-1 record on the month — is the outlier, and difficult Januarys are more of the norm for Holtmann coached teams.


So, it just makes sense that Gene Smith and Ohio State should use all of their considerable athletic capital (literal and figurative) to get the Big Ten Conference to not schedule any league games for the Buckeyes in January.

In recent years, to accommodate the 20-game B1G schedule and the conference’s new television deal, there have been a pair of league games played in December. So, since I understand that it is not logistically feasible for a college basketball team to just take an entire month off, what I am proposing is that Ohio State play its games that would otherwise take place in January in December, and vice versa.

That way, Ohio State would get the generally more over-matched competition in January, when Holtmann teams don’t historically play as well and won’t need their best performances to win, and then the tougher B1G games will be in December, when the Buckeyes are an impressive 16-3 under Holtmann.

Forgive me for patting myself on the back, but this seems like a near-flawless idea. I know that the TV networks like the inherently more important conference games to take place in January, since they need to attract eyeballs to their networks once the football season is over, but think about it.

If the basketball team for Ohio State — one of the most sports-obsessed fanbases in the country — was able to reel off a bunch of B1G wins in December (which obviously they would, since its been statistically proven to be their best month under Holtmann), then an even more highly ranked, rarely defeated Ohio State team would certainly draw ample interest in terms of rankings.

So, again, it’s a win-win for everyone except for the other Big Ten teams, but we’re not here to come up with ideas to help them.

Editor’s Note: If you think that this is a legitimate idea, please look up the original “A Modest Proposal” for context.

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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Maryland: Game preview, prediction
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images
The Buckeyes have one more chance for a marquee Big Ten win.

The No. 25 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team took a blow when the squad fell to the No. 20 Iowa Hawkeyes 85-76 in Iowa City Thursday night. However, Chris Holtmann’s team will have to have a short memory, as the Buckeyes have yet another tough test versus a ranked opponent in the No. 7 Maryland Terrapins this afternoon.

Seeking its 10th-straight wins, Maryland is currently eighth in the NET Rankings. Ohio State, meanwhile, is sitting at 21st. Last week, the Buckeyes found themselves ranked in the AP Poll for the first time in four weeks after winning five out of their last six games — including two on the road. However, that momentum was not enough to carry Ohio State through Iowa City. Regardless, the Buckeyes’ performance in February has been a vast improvement over their early-conference play, and those critical wins helped to secure the tenuous NCAA Tournament resume which had once been so strong following non-conference play.

Now, Ohio State looks to close out the month strong as the team returns home to face Maryland in Columbus at 4 p.m. EST in Value City Arena.

Preview


After a hardfought stretch, the Buckeyes found themselves sitting at 7-7 in conference play heading into Thursday’s matchup against the Hawkeyes. With a chance to move above .500 for the first time since Dec. 7, when the Buckeyes whollopped Penn State 106-74 in their Big Ten opener, Ohio State couldn’t quite overcome two factors that have plagued the conference all season: (1) Iowa’s big man, who has proven to be the conference’s collective boogeyman and (2) the road.

Those two components meant the Buckeyes’ loss to Iowa, while certainly a disappointment, was not entirely unexpected. After all, the Hawkeyes’ player of the year candidate, junior center Luka Garza, continued to do what he’s done all season as he bulldozed his way to the rim to get 24 total points for Iowa. No one’s been able to stop him so far this year, and the Buckeyes proved no exception. Iowa, meanwhile, maintained a 13-1 record at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

In Thursday’s matchup, freshman forward E.J. Liddell led the Buckeyes in scoring with a career-high 17 points off the bench on 5-of-11 shooting. Liddell added eight rebounds — also a team high. Guard Duane Washington Jr. poured in 15 on 5-of-8 shooting, also off the bench, with nine of the sophomore’s points coming from beyond the arc. Junior forward Kaleb Wesson added 10 points and seven rebounds, while junior point guard C.J. Walker put in 11 and senior forward Andre Wesson added nine. In all, while Ohio State shot an impressive 42% from the field, the Buckeyes ultimately couldn’t stop the Hawkeyes, who shot a collective 56%.

The physicality of Garza extended beyond his shooting to be troublesome for the Buckeyes in other ways. Kaleb Wesson had to sit for several of the crucial concluding minutes with four fouls, even as the Buckeyes were drawing closer. In the end, both Wesson brothers fouled out, with the Buckeyes committing 22 fouls to Iowa’s 16. Oddly, given this seeming imbalance down low, Ohio State still managed to out-rebound Iowa 38-29.

On a positive note for the Buckeyes, Liddell had a breakout game Thursday. The freshman’s 26 minutes against the Hawkeyes was the most he’s played all year, and he capitalized on that opportunity. Offensively, Liddell was the most productive player on the court for the Buckeyes. Defensively, the freshman had two of Ohio State’s three total blocks.

In other outstanding news for Ohio State, freshman point guard D.J. Carton, who had taken a leave of absence to work on his mental health, is returning to school for classes. However, there is currently no timetable for his return to the hardcourt. Carton had been averaging 10.4 points per game on nearly 48% shooting before his departure.

Despite the loss, it’s time for the Buckeyes to move on to their next opponent: Maryland. In the bigger picture, as the top-ranked team in the Big Ten, the collective hopes and dreams of the conference rest on the Terps as the team most likely able to make a deep NCAA Tournament run. However, feeding into that bigger picture doesn’t support Ohio State’s tournament resume, as the Buckeyes could definitely use a signature win to improve their seeding come Selection Sunday.

Maryland currently sits atop the Big Ten with a 12-3 in-conference record, and are riding some serious momentum, having won nine-straight. Currently two games ahead of Penn State (weird, right?) and with just five remaining games in the regular season (though that stretch includes three road games and home games versus Michigan State and Michigan), the Terps look poised to lock up the top seed in the Big Ten Basketball Tournament. In all, Maryland is 22-4 on the season, including an impressive 4-4 on the road (impressive because, as previously stated, no one has done well on the road in the Big Ten this year). Additionally, while not germane to this afternoon’s game, the Terps are 15-0 at home this season.

While the Terps have not won a conference title since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Maryland has still been a strong addition to the conference when it comes to the hardcourt. (While not relevant to this discussion, Rutgers, Maryland’s fellow newcomer to the Big Ten, also hasn’t been too bad this year, with the Scarlet Knights locking up their first winning season since 2006.) The Terps have made the NCAA Tournament in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, and, as previously alluded to, are an all-but lock for a favorable seed in this year’s tourney.

Those recent efforts have been led by Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon, who has been at the helm in College Park since the Terps’ inaugural season in the Big Ten (2014-15). Turgeon has amassed an impressive 202-96 overall record, including 93-65 in-conference. Moreover, with the exception of an eighth-place finish in the 2017-18 season, Turgeon’s teams have not finished lower than fifth in the Big Ten regular season.

Ohio State is looking to avoid a sweep against the Terps. The Buckeyes lost their first outing of the year against the Terps Jan. 7. In that matchup, the then 11th-ranked Buckeyes fell to the No. 2 Terps 67-55 in College Park in what was, hitherto, Ohio State’s most anemic offensive performance of the season. Kaleb Wesson had 15 points and nine rebounds in the effort, while Andre Wesson and DJ Carton added 14 apiece. In all, Maryland held Ohio State to just 31% shooting from the field, while the Terps themselves shot nearly 46%. Maryland was also lights out from range, connecting on 44% from beyond the arc. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, were etiolated from three-point range, making just 5-of-27 attempts.

Senior point guard Anthony Cowan Jr., who has been a terror for Ohio State in his four seasons in College Park, led the Terps in scoring in the pair’s last outing, pouring in 20 points on the day. Sophomore forward Jalen Smith and junior guard Darryl Morsell added 11 and 10, respectively.

A unanimous preseason All-Big Ten selection, Cowan has not disappointed in his final season of eligibility. The senior’s 16.7 points per game are good for fifth in the Big Ten. Cowan has also been prolific from range, connecting on 35% of his three-point attempts. Further, Cowan is averaging 4.5 assists to just 2.1 turnovers per game. And if his scoring prowess wasn’t enough, Cowan has been a veteran leader for Turgeon, having started 125-straight games for the Terps and averaging nearly 35 minutes of play per game this season.

In all, however, the Terps have not boasted a particularly fertile scoring offense, averaging 71.7 points per game on 41.7% shooting. However, what Maryland does have is a stout defense, allowing a mere 38.7% from the field.

After their most recent game, Maryland has had a bit longer than the Buckeyes to rest and recover, not having played since the Terps overcame Northwestern Tuesday in College Park. In that matchup, which Maryland took by a narrower-than-expected 76-67 score, Smith had 22 points, while Cowan added 19. The starters took care of business, with just seven points coming off the bench.

Prediction


Ohio State 64%

It’s certainly advantageous that the Buckeyes are at home this evening. It’s no secret that road teams in the Big Ten have struggled this season, and Ohio State has been no exception. However, the Buckeyes have also not been an exception to being a dominant team at home. Even with their slide to open January, Ohio State still boasts a 13-2 record at Value City Arena.

Despite the loss Thursday, the Buckeyes seemed to figure out how to get the ball to Liddell, giving the freshman a career high in scoring. Overall, Ohio State needs to continue spreading the ball around. Hitting three-pointers doesn’t hurt either — an area where both Wesson brothers and Washington can contribute.

The Buckeyes have five games remaining in the regular season. Ohio State already has three wins over top-10 teams under its belt, but none since December, and certainly none in conference play. This afternoon’s matchup could be the Buckeyes’ last chance for another top-tier win.

LGHL final score prediction: 73-65 Ohio State

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The Buckeye Cruise for Cancer raises over $4 million for cancer research
Tia Williams via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images
This year’s cruise crushed last year’s total of $3.25 million


The 13th annual Buckeye Cruise for Cancer raised over $4 million for cancer research, beating last year’s record breaking total of $3.25 million.

Those who attended the cruise got to meet and hear from many Buckeye greats, including Urban Meyer, J.T. Barrett, Kirk Herbstreit, Ezekial Elliott, Terry McLaurin, and Raekwon McMillan.

All proceeds from the cruise benefit the Urban & Shelley Meyer Fund for Cancer Research and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—Arthur G. James Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

The cruise’s anti-cancer efforts get bigger and better each year, considering the record-total in 2014 was just $1.5 million. It seems as though the Buckeye Cruise for Cancer’s future is bright.

“Marcus Hooker said he believes he has more quickness than his brother, and even though he doesn’t yet have a collegiate interception while his brother was one of the best ballhawking safeties in Ohio State history, he believes he has the upper hand in one key area of making plays on the ball.”


- Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

If you’re a college football safety, getting compared to Malik Hooker is a pretty high compliment, no? Well, Marcus Hooker, Malik’s younger brother and current Ohio State safety, would disagree.

That’s not to say he doesn’t respect his brother. He lets Malik guide him. He want’s the same success as his brother. But, as Marcus Hooker approaches what should be his breakout season now that Jordan Fuller is gone, he wants everyone to know he is not his brother.

“I kind of try not to steer myself into his world,” Marcus Hooker told Eleven Warriors. “We have two different paths. We did choose the same place and the same school, but we’re not the same.”

Their paths may be different, but they’re also similar in that both brothers—assuming Marcus starts at safety this season—didn’t really make a name for themselves until their third season as a Buckeye.

Last season, Marcus played in all 14 games on special teams and seven games on defense for a total of 82 defensive snaps. He finished with seven total tackles and one pass breakup. While we don’t know much yet, Hooker is expected to be the team’s top safety along with Josh Proctor this season.

Hooker said that Malik has inspired him throughout his life. Ever since he was young, his big brother taught him new things and new ways to approach things.

But when it comes to football, he’s established his own game.


It’s like the safety version of the Bosa brothers and, well, I’m here for it.

“With its toughest non-conference and conference games both coming on the road, the Buckeyes are more vulnerable to an in-season slip-up than a year ago. Yet the balance of the schedule provides enough quality opponents to potentially absorb one competitive loss.”


— Nathan Baird, Cleveland.com

It’s no secret that Ohio State’s upcoming schedule is a heck of a lot more challenging than last season’s. Despite everyone’s efforts to make Cincinnati, Nebraska, Indiana, etc., sound like doomsday, Ohio State’s opponents last season were lucky if they scored more than a field goal or two before the fourth quarter.

So, worry-warts (including myself), what games should we worry about this season? Baird from Cleveland.com says Michigan, Oregon, and Penn State should give Ohio State a run for their money—Penn State being the No. 1 most worrisome considering its at the dreaded Beaver Stadium.

Here’s why we should worry about all three:

Michigan— The only big question mark for the Wolverines is at quarterback, otherwise Michigan is returning quite a bit of talent and should put up points in Ohio Stadium, according to Baird. However, can their defense stop Ohio State from doing the same?

Oregon— Again, big question mark at quarterback with Justin Herbert gone. The Ducks, however, are also replacing four offensive linemen. Not ideal.

However, ESPN’s SP+ predicts Oregon to have the nation’s second-best defense in 2020. According to Baird, Kayvon Thibodeaux may be the best defensive end in college football, and four other starters passed up the NFL to stay in school.

The good news? The loser of this game should still be in the talk for the college football playoff.

Penn State— Well, their returning talent includes Micah Parsons, who was a consensus All-American linebacker, defensive back Tariq Castro-Fields and defensive end Shaka Toney who were All-Big Ten caliber players, five offensive linemen with starting experience, and Pat Freiermuth who might be CFB’s best tight end.

And Ohio State will face all of the above in the country’s loudest, most intense stadium.

Can we start panicking now or.....?


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• A simple animation reveals that without leap years, December would eventually drift into summer

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Taking a look at potential Ohio State RBs in the 2021 class
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes are in on some of the best players in the country

The Buckeyes have been on a hot streak to begin the 2021 class, currently owning the top class in the country for the next cycle, but the momentum they have built is something they want to keep going for the long haul. Ohio State has seen sustained success in the win column for years. As Ryan Day and the other staff members have mentioned numerous times before, recruiting is the lifeblood of the Buckeye program, and their commitment to bringing the best talent to Columbus is well underway yet again.

Whose on the radar?


The running back spot is arguably the most important position of need in this cycle, and while the Buckeyes may have “missed” on their top targets the last couple of years, this class cannot be a repeat of the past. The Buckeyes will likely not look to add just one elite prospect at the position. Fortunately, Ohio State is in on many of the nation’s best backs, and just need to close the deal effectively.

The first prospect on the list is Ohio’s top-ranked running back, Corey Kiner out of Roger Bacon in Cincinnati. Kiner has every intangible Tony Alford and the Buckeyes are looking for, and keeping him at home for college is a big priority for the staff. Kiner has been linked to both Michigan and Ohio State the most, but as of late many have given the Buckeyes the nod for who has the slight edge in his recruitment. With the 247Sports rankings update for the 2021 class, Kiner is now the No. 7 prospect in Ohio and the No. 10 RB in the country.

Interestingly enough, only one spot behind Kiner is Ohio’s eighth-best player, Jaylen Anderson of Perry High School. The No. 16 RB in the country, the Buckeyes have not offered Anderson at this point, but he could certainly be one to keep an eye on if OSU decides they need to look at other options.

Looking out of state, North Carolina’s Evan Pryor is certainly not a new name to Buckeye recruiting followers. Pryor checks in as the No. 5 RB in the nation and the No. 84 player in the entire country. Having been in constant communication with Ohio State the past several weeks, Pryor is easily a top priority in this cycle.

Having been visited by three different coaches in the past few months, with Kevin Wilson, Brian Hartline, and Tony Alford all making the trek to see the four-star back, Ohio State will likely be involved in Pryor’s recruitment until the very end. In regards to where the Buckeyes stand, the amount of contact between the two parties and Pryor’s feelings himself seem to show a good extent of mutual interest.

Heading north behind enemy lines, Michigan native Donovan Edwards is currently the No. 3 back in the country and Michigan’s top prospect in the 2021 class. Ohio State has been in this one for awhile already, but with Edwards being right in the back yard of the Wolverines, TTUN is certainly going to be a serious player in this recruitment, and possibly the team to beat. If it truly is a two-team race, that pair of teams appears to be those involved in the biggest rivalry in sports. This one will surely go down to the wire.

Finally, a running back that has really seen a boost in his stock thanks to the newly updated class rankings is TreVeyon Henderson, a Virginia native is now checking in as the No. 2 back in the country and a top-30 prospect overall. A true every down back, Henderson checks every box you’d want in terms of size, speed, strength, and overall talent.

A prospect with 40 scholarship offers from every top program in the country, this recruitment is not going to be an easy one for those looking to land his services. Fortunately, per 247Sports, Henderson plans to take an unofficial visit to Ohio State for the upcoming spring game. On top of that, Henderson mentioned to Wiltfong that the Buckeyes are one of two programs that are currently recruiting him the hardest — the other being Oklahoma.

At this time, the Buckeyes’ chances at landing not only one, but maybe two really solid guys at RB seem very good. Ohio State has not landed their top target at the position of need for multiple classes in a row, and they can’t allow that to happen again., Look for the full-court press to be on each of these recruits until Ryan Day and Tony Alford finally find their guy(s).

Quick Hits:

• Per Bucknuts analyst Bill Kurelic, La Salle (Cincinnati, Ohio) product Devonta Smith will be visiting Columbus shortly for a spring practice after being invited by Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs. Smith, the No. 29 cornerback in the nation and No. 15 recruit in Ohio, will be making the trip with current teammate and Ohio State commit Jaylen Johnson.

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That was 2 ass beatings sandwiched around an error fest. Fantastic showing

I was wearing my Ohio State Metcon Reppers to work out on game days for the first several wins this season.



Stopped wearing them, and the losses piled up. I started wearing them again on game days recently, and did so for our last three wins. Forgot to wear them the day we played Iowa. Sorry all, my fault. Today's win over Maryland confirmed the correlation.

In the Spring.
https://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/threads/2020-spring-game-4-11-20-12pm.662350/

Wonder what the staff thinks as far as what side is concerned

buchtelgrad04 said:

Offensive analyst?

Hilarious.

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Offensive does seem more accurate...

Hetuck said:

It's an idiomatic expression. Do you know what that is?

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yes but saying halftime would have been easier lol

Jagdaddy said:

Weird that's it's written in the present tense. Didn't any changes that we're "observing" in Betelgeuse already happen about 650-700 years ago?

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Betelgeuse is going back to the Future?

Charlie Strong was in Tuscaloosa Thursday visiting Nick Saban, Alabama coaching staff

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Nick Saban doesn’t have an opening on his 10-man on-field coaching staff. However, Strong could conceivably join the Alabama football program as some type of an analyst, ala Butch Jones and myriad others.

Entire article: https://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/02/14/charlie-strong-alabama-football/

Bowling is a High School sport now. It wasn't back in my day, but it is now. Anyway, my son took to it as a Freshman, making the varsity team then and having a pretty good season. He worked his way into being named Captain by his junior year and as of this past week, completed his final season as a High School bowler by rolling games of 203, 204, 254 and 181 in the championship tournament. He was the top individual bowler at the match, though his team lost by 28 pins. Nonetheless, it was the first time his school had been in the championship, so that was cool, and he bowled as well as he ever has, so I was very proud of his leadership. He still has sectionals to go, and if he or the team is good enough, he or they could move on to districts and even states (though I'd think state's unlikely). He did well enough to move on to districts as a sophomore. Missed them as a Junior by something like 17 pins. After that... his last season of high school baseball.

I don't know how I have two kids over 18 in that I'm only 26... seriously, time goes really fuckin fast.

exhawg said:

What's wrong with him? I think Beck would do a great job as OC for scUM, MSU, or Ped State.

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He has a point. I have to agree!

FCS football could be on the chopping block at Eastern Washington



The days of playing football at Eastern Washington could be short lived.

Faculty at the school is pushing for significant budget cuts to the Eagles’ athletic department according to a new report obtained by The Inlander. At the heart of the issue? The football program.

The report analyzed the cost of the athletics program to be around $12 million to $14 million per year, but says it has had “no positive impact on our student enrollment, retention or recruitment.” It was commissioned by the faculty senate and has been sent to the EWU administration, including President Mary Cullinan. At the end of the month, it will be presented to the EWU Board of Trustees.

The faculty report says that it “aims to weigh the costs and benefits of funded varsity intercollegiate athletics” at EWU. In 2019, EWU athletics spent $18.3 million, and $13.5 million came from the university through either direct institutional support, student fees or indirect institutional support. (That $18.3 million is a little bit inflated, however, since that was during the football team’s run to the national championship game.)

“The Board of Trustees has asked that we be a Division I FCS program,” athletic director Lynn Hickey told the paper. “I was hired to do that and we’re going to work very very hard to do that until the Board of Trustees changes their mind.”

Among the options presented by the faculty report include a host of football-centric moves designed to cut millions from the annual athletics budget. This includes everything from dropping the sport entirely to dropping down to Division II or even the NAIA level. Such undertaking could trim between $5 million to $12 million off the total budget for the school.

Obviously that would be a worst-case scenario for many EWU fans. The team is among the most successful FCS programs not named North Dakota State for much of the past decade and is known well beyond the Pacific Northwest for their famous red turf at Roos Field. The Eagles started out at the NAIA level back in the day and made their way up to the Division I ranks in 1983. They have since become one of the flagship football teams in the Big Sky, which they’ve been a member of since 1987, and are a regular opponent of FBS teams during non-conference games.

Everything is still in the early stages and this is just a report commissioned by the faculty that, so far, hasn’t had anybody from the Eastern Washington administration pushing for anything drastic. Still, it goes to show you that for all the millions being thrown around by Power Five schools, life doesn’t come easy on the gridiron for those at the lower levels of Division I.

Entire article: https://collegefootballtalk.nbcspor...-on-the-chopping-block-at-eastern-washington/

Shuck invited to Nats camp as a 2-way player

Shuck, 32, will enter 2020 Spring Training as a two-way player. He opened the 2019 season as Pittsburgh’s Opening Day center fielder before being designated for assignment on May 4 and spending the rest of the season with Triple-A Indianapolis. With Indianapolis, he appeared in 61 games (.268, 12 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 14 RBI) in the outfield and made 14 pitching appearances (19.0 IP, 3.79 ERA, 23 SO).

BigWoof31 said:

I want all social media influencers to go to jail

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Better yet, FYRE II.