"I wish we were still playing. This is one of those weeks where there is some momentum, guys are feeling good. I need to keep that momentum, keep getting better, and get out of this week healthy."
- Urban Meyer, via Tim May, The Columbus Dispatch
After three straight wins, the most recent coming against Big Ten foe Maryland in College Park, Ohio State enters their final bye week before the Buckeyes prepare to host Rutgers, the other newcomer to the Big Ten conference. With two whole weeks to gameplan and get ready for the game, the Buckeyes are trying their best to ride their momentum from the past three wins into not only the bye week, but Rutgers week as well.
Another hot topic with Coach Meyer was how he's handling the recent upsets in college football, as far as his players are concerned. Coach Meyer mentioned that he had to have a "state of the union" address to his team, something he says he does every season, about all the one-loss teams and which teams could potentially make a run to seal up one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff. The formula Meyer described to his players on how to make the playoff? Winning out.
"His words leave one to wonder if, even at the age of 29, James is pondering the idea (however far in the back of his mind) that one day he could own an NBA team."
- Joe Vardon, Northeast Ohio Media Group
LeBron James has long been a strong voice for NBA players, despite James not being the Cavaliers' player representative to the union nor the union president itself. Being the best basketball player in the world has the effect, however, of making your voice heard. On Monday, LeBron let players know that they need to be more educated about the NBA's finances while also pointing out the fact that team owners are selling their ownership of teams for huge profits.
LeBron also mentions that in 2011, during contentious negotiations with NBA owners for a collective bargaining agreement, the owners claimed they were losing money. That notion "won't fly" this time around, says James. With his remarks taking the place as major headlines in the NBA, Joe Vardon asks a plausible question about whether or not LeBron thinks he could one day own an NBA team. It's an interesting topic, and I suggest you give it a read.
Big move by Big Ten, announcing guaranteed scholarships for athletes' careers, including return to school to finish degree if interrupted.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) October 8, 2014
The Big Ten has announced that they will be offering guaranteed scholarships for athletes' careers, including if they return to the school to finish a degree.
Obviously, this could be a really nice advantage for Coach Meyer and his football staff or Coach Matta and his basketball staff as they try and recruit players not only as an athlete but as an individual with the chance of having a life after the professional levels football or basketball (if they so choose).
"The employment files of some marching band and compliance office employees lack consistency when it comes to performance reviews."
- Liz Young, The Lantern
Liz Young from The Lantern had some interesting finds while looking at the employment files of the marching band. According to Young, Ohio State's chief compliance officer received a $78,000 bonus this year without a written performance review, which raise a red flag right away.
Young goes on: "And the employment file of the assistant band director under former marching band director Jonathan Waters didn't include a performance review either, while the file of the associate band director did."
STICK TO SPORTS
- The Man With The Golden Voice is broke again, but still clean and sober.
- The Harlem Globetrotters will play the Washington Generals at the Schott in December.
- Verizon's attempt to compete with Netflix has failed.
- Columbus schools are taking back bonuses based on cheating.
- HOMAGE is going to be selling '30-for-30' shirts for ESPN.