Beyond Buckeye Lines: Midnight Yelling with The 12th Man
Mike Meals via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
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We have a very special guest with us this week, as we go Behind Buckeye Lines. This week, my guest is former Texas A&M
All American Defensive Back and #1 pick Sammy Davis. Sammy was the #1 ranked defensive back in the state of Texas going into his senior year (1998) at Humble (TX) High School, where he was also teammates with Ohio State legend David Boston.
The Life of a Big Time College Recruit
Sammy and I had a good chat reminiscing about his college recruitment and playing days. Sammy stepped on campus in College Station the fall after the John Cooper-led Buckeyes took down A&M in the Sugar Bowl, 24-14. When asked about that game, Sammy told me he actually watched it while taking his recruiting visit to Michigan. I can only imagine how that night would play out in Ann Arbor, because I am sure the locals just loved it.
I had to ask if that was the game that really opened his eyes to Ohio State. While it did, what really made him like and respect the Buckeye program was actually his former teammate David Boston catching the game winning touchdown pass in the 1997 Rose Bowl. Having that connection to the team helped bring the Buckeyes on his radar. When asked for his opinion of the Buckeyes, Davis mentioned that he and a lot of A&M fans have a lot of respect for Ohio State based on the understanding of the traditions and history of both programs.
Texas A&M Today
Looking at the current standing of Texas A&M football, we discussed both the Prairie View and UCLA games. Davis knew the UCLA game would be tougher, especially with UCLA’s quarterback being an experienced and improved player. Sammy said he fully expected the Aggies to win, but he, as a former player, understood the comment about the noise. He says it makes sense, “…after so much, so many people, loud noise is loud noise. But as Aggie fans, of course we are going to take that as a sign of disrespect”. And the 12th Man did, making sure Josh Rosen (UCLA QB) heard from them. It really did remind me of the way the Block O student section in Ohio Stadium would react if they were slighted.
Davis did point something out to me that I had never really thought about, regarding the scheduling of the “cupcakes” that so many teams do. At a big program like OSU, A&M, etc., these games serve as a way to not only get an easy win, but also as a glorified scrimmage. It allows teams to work on things from the first big game and all of fall practice that they would not be able to do otherwise.
As far as storylines at A&M the Aggie faithful are watching this year goes, Davis’ main concern was the continued improvement of starting quarterback (and Oklahoma transfer) Trevor Knight. Knight is one of the few quarterbacks in college football who has actually beat Alabama. The Aggies are really counting on him to lead the team, and not just have beaten Alabama in the past, but to do it again this year. The other big story line is how the Aggie defense continues to grow and get better under 2nd year Defensive Coordinator John Chavis. Davis thinks the defensive will continue to grow this year, be stronger against the SEC opposition week in and week out, and really help develop star defensive end Myles Garrett.
The Aggies travel to Auburn this week, in a tough SEC opener in a hostile environment. The Tigers nearly upset #2 Clemson the first week of the season, and A&M knows they will be tough. When asked for a prediction, Sammy tells me that he “will always pick A&M, no matter who we play. It could be Ohio State, and I am picking A&M”. But he also thinks the Aggies will click on both sides of the ball, against what feels like a slightly lesser opponent, and A&M wins 35-17.
The Big 12
I did ask a couple questions about the Big 12 also, seeing as how Davis is an alumnus from a Big 12 school. Davis mentioned that the Big 12 has struggled a lot the last few years, as everyone else knows. But I was surprised to learn about the amount of respect Davis has for Texas and Coach Strong. He loves what he is seeing Strong do in Austin, and thinks they have made the turn. In fact, he says that if UT doesn’t win the Big 12 this year, it will next year. Davis also tells me, as a warning to Buckeye fans, that Norman is no joke of a location to go play. Even with Stoops having the Big Game reputation he has now, the Sooners will be ready to play and it will be a tough place to go into.
As many of you know, I am a big supporter of the University of Houston joining the Big 12. I asked Davis about that and what his thoughts were. He, like myself, is a big supporter of it also. He knows that UH getting in will help keep the Houston talent home, and actually make the Coogs tougher, since kids won’t have to leave home to play big time college football. Davis even mentioned to me that had UH been in a Power 5 when he was in high school, he would have looked at them harder than he did, since he wanted to stay close to home and enable his family to be a part of his student-athlete career.
Perceptions of Ohio State and the B1G
I like to get an outsider’s view on Ohio State and the B1G. I want to show our fans what others think not just of the Buckeyes, but also the Big Ten. As mentioned above, Davis thinks A&M fans have a lot of respect for the Buckeye program, at least a lot more than the rest of the SEC. A&M prides itself on the traditions of the program, from midnight yell to who can say “whoop” on campus. As a program steep in tradition, they understand and respect the traditions of the Buckeyes, they just may not be fans of the program. Personally, this writer loves that, as a big time fan of college football history. That is what makes this sport special and great.
For the B1G, most of the people Davis knows views it like a lot of us do too. There are 2 programs, OSU/UM, that run the conference, and a couple who are the next step down. Although Davis was quick to point out that MSU has made a lot of noise, and people are taking notice of that. And, he has bought into the thought that the SEC is the number one conference in the country. I had to interject that, as we all know, after Alabama, they are no better off than the B1G is.
When pressed for a B1G champ this year, Davis said he thought UM would win if The Game was played in Ann Arbor, but since it is in Columbus, he thinks it’s really a toss-up (even though later he hinted that OSU would win, I’ll get to that.)
Davis is a big fan of J.T. Barrett, he really likes the way our Wichita Falls Texas product plays ball. Like many of us, he is glad that Urban is playing just with one QB this year. Davis was also very high on Urban Meyer. He says “Any coach who can win multiple national championships and beat Alabama along the way? Clearly he’s a good coach and deserves the awards and recognition. And any coach who can get Tim Tebow drafted? Clearly he is a miracle worker.”
Would You Rather:
Would you rather face OSU or UM this year in the playoff? “Michigan” – I think this means he knows A&M could beat UM easier than OSU
Would you rather face Ohio State or UM in the regular season? “OSU”
Predictions
What should Buckeye fans expect out of A&M? “The defense continues to improve. Expect big things from Myles Garrett, and watch out for the development of Knight with his wideouts”
What should Buckeye fans expect from OU? “It’s going to be a good game. OSU isn’t going to be able to go into Norman and walk over OU. This is a big task for both teams, and OU knows they need to win if they want to get back into the playoff talk, this is their make-or-break game. But OSU will win the game.”
Who wins the B1G this year? OSU
Who wins the SEC? “Alabama is the team to beat, they are always out in front of the SEC. It’s going to come down to 2 or 3 teams, being able to beat Alabama, making the right plays. It won’t be LSU, I know that though.”
Who are the playoff teams this year? A&M (total homer pick), Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson. He doesn’t think FSU is ready, especially with their QB play so far this season.
Who wins the Heisman? “Myles Garrett, first defensive player since Woodson” This was said with a laugh, but also some seriousness in his voice.
Wrap Up
First, I have to thank Sammy Davis again for chatting with us here at The Buckeye Battle Cry. Full disclosure, Sammy is a good friend of mine, and is the humblest and most kind person I know. I can tell you from firsthand knowledge, he doesn’t walk around like a former first round NFL pick. Besides being a father, businessman, husband, and good guy, Sammy also gives a lot back to his community. He runs an organization called Leafs of Love, a non-profit that donates turkey dinners to members of the Houston community at Thanksgiving. He has done this for the last 5 years in the Humble area. His group also does skills camps for the youth in inner cities to help develop skills in football, which could allow them to go to college and better themselves.
Here is a great little piece from ABC 13, Houston, on Sammy’s program last year in Humble.
If you are interested in helping out Sammy’s programs, or want more information, contact me on twitter or here through the website, and I can help get you in touch with him.
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Beyond Buckeye Lines: Midnight Yelling with The 12th Man appeared first on
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