UM Grads Make University Proud

Wow. I don't like Charlie Weis or Notre Dame either, but that's taking the rivalry a little far, don't you think? This is what happens when you shotgun Belvedere straight from the bottle, I guess.

Just another example of a classy ESPN employee. Hopefully Disney executives will seize on this opportunity and let her voice a character in their next animated family film. She could play a three-toed sloth/skunk-bear/wolverine that would confuse the kids. It would make a nice McDonald's happy meal toy as well. Vodka sold separately.

Feel the Love, Terrelle...

We blogged a few days ago about the sad, NCAA-violating efforts of Michigan fans to make an 11th hour plea to uber-quarterback Terrelle Pryor during his official visit to Ann Arbor. One of the reasons their efforts will likely fail is the bond of the 2008 recruiting class and the passion of the Ohio State fans. Unbeknownst to me, one Ohio State student created a fantastic Facebook group named, "Bring Terrelle Pryor, The #1 QB in the Country to The Ohio State University".

The group was started by OSU student Douglas DiLillo, and it already has over 5,000 members. By comparison, the comparable Michigan groups, even in aggregate have about 600 or so members. But wait, there's more. If you call in now, you can get a free set of steak knives, absolutely free...(sorry, lost my train of thought).

Seriously, check out this group's officers. Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, J.B. Shugarts, DeVier Posey, Nic DiLillo, Garrett Goebel, Lamaar Thomas, Jake Stoneburner...it's a who's who of the Brew Crew, destined to be one of the most celebrated classes in Ohio State history. 2009 recruits John Simon and Jack Mewhort are also in the mix. There is something special about this class, and it's not just the exceptional talent.

So join the group (just like Terrelle did). The more the merrier, bigger is better. That's what she said.

Bored Now...

This weekend is Terrelle Pryor's official visit to Michigan, an opportunity for Michigan Nation to dream about a huge coup and for Buckeye fans to hold their collective breath. I'm already tired of the whole process, and there's more than two weeks left. Some random thoughts to chew on...

*Pryor will get called by Rivals, Scout, major newspapers and possibly your grandmother after his visit for an update. I expect the quotes to say that he had a great time, that early playing time and the system are a big benefits, that he has a lot to think about, he has no leader, etc. Anyone want to take bets on this? Barring a "game-changing" public quote like, "Michigan is now my leader" I'm not going to sweat any Internet rumors. I'm sure there will be some folks at Michigan who heard something from someone, or allude to an unnamed source or their gut feeling, and I'm just not interested. Wake me up on signing day.

*One thing that was probably clear to Pryor was how much Michigan needs him. Now, I don't think it's a great idea to start a true freshman quarterback, but given the Threet situation, better to let Pryor train on the job. He know the offense, though there will surely be some adventures in the passing game as he matures. But Michigan is absolutely desperate to land him. That doesn't mean that Ohio State doesn't want him - he would be the best prospect in a truly historic class that would lock Ohio State into the elite for the next few seasons. But Ohio State football will march on with or without Pryor. Next year will be a banner year, and it's almost inconceivable that the talent from this class won't propel the Buckeyes to a few BCS games. But if mighty Michigan swings and misses on Pryor, 2008 will go from an adventure with potential to a possible nightmare in the middle of the Big Ten. It's unlikely that they'll get Star Jackson, and even getting a stud '09 commit will mean a two year delay until The Rod is really making a run at the hardware.

*One thing you can say for Michigan is that they have catapaulted Pryor's recruitment into another stratosphere. It boggles my mind how many national columnists are now weighing in on the Pryor situation, especially because most assume that Terrelle will choose Michigan. My favorite Sportsline hack, Dennis Dodd, wrote just such a column here. Mind you, the guy clearly doesn't follow recruiting, and had to get an e-mail quote from Jeremy Crabtree at Rivals.com for some information. I've already panned the non-recruiting expert articles, but it is a little shocking the amount of coverage this is generating. Articles breaking down the pluses and minuses of a potential school are something I expect to see on a specialized web site, not in a mainstream paper.

*Fans are playing a fool's game if they hang on Pryor's every word over the next few weeks. Maybe he has his mind made up. Maybe he's really undecided. And maybe he's got an inkling but wants to be sure. Those are your three options. And it would be a shock if anyone really knew the deal much before signing day. So people that get all hot and bothered over Charlie Batch, or Ohio State recruits sending text messages, who runs the "true spread offense" or whether Toney Clemons sits next to the guy at a game...get over it.

All that said, I'm sure I'll check in with another Terrelle Pryor-centric post tomorrow. Or later today. Grrr..arrgh.