Small Bucket: OSU-PSU, Brian Kelly’s Family
Something my former employer Eleven Warriors does well is everything.
The ownership and writers that comprise the Eleven Warriors staff work their tails off to provide the best free coverage of all things Ohio State and college athletics. Dan Hope, in particular, is a guy whose off button is as real as Ryan Day’s Michigan problem. I know it exists. I’ve seen Dan take a break. Once. It was pretty cool when it happened over half a decade ago. I promise I’m complimenting Hope’s work ethic and not lamenting Ohio State’s four-game losing streak to Michigan.
Anyway, Eleven Warriors stretches every muscle of the digital experience — articles, longform, graphics, video, podcasts, events — you name it. It’s hard to pay for any subscription when the standard is putting out content for free every week.
They say the sincerest form of flattery is imitation, so here we are. Eleven Warriors starts every morning with something called the “Skull Session,” which is an aggregation of notable stories with commentary from the likes of Kevin Harrish, a ghost named D.J. Byrnes, and currently, Chase Brown.
With that said, welcome to Sonda Green’s (once-a-week) version of the Skull Session. A small bucket is something you can get before a round of golf — if you want to get a little warmup in. Most courses have a driving range, and a small bucket is a literal small bucket filled with golf balls that you get to hit aimlessly into an open field to warm up for a golf round.
This post isn’t a warmup for anything in particular. You’ll just see “Small Bucket” posts moving forward, because sometimes it just feels good to get a bucket full of balls you don’t care about, just to take shot after shot. Sometimes degenerates will drive 30 minutes to a good range for the sole purpose of a small bucket (hi, it’s me).
With that said, let’s dive in.
Ohio State was supposed to host a playoff matchup for the second time this season, but neither Texas or Penn State held up their end of the bargain. That doesn’t change the enormity of the matchup for some. The Nittany Lions have found tremendous ways to spoil otherwise remarkable Ohio State seasons over the last three decades. The 2005 and 2016 matchups are painful memories, but seeing the 2008 catastrophe firsthand from the A-Deck was… a different kind of hurt. Especially since 21-year-old David had enough to drink that he thought a Buckeye necklace was the play that night.
Look at this kid, thinking Terrelle Pryor was just gonna tuck his head and get the yards OSU needed in the fourth.
The Buckeyes are favored by three touchdowns this weekend. Here’s to hoping Ohio State has better luck than the next subject.
Will someone think of this man’s FAyMuILY
It’s not a good year to coach Lions, Tigers or… yeah just those two.
It’s not normal for two of the sports’ top jobs to open up in the middle of the season, but that’s where LSU and Penn State find themselves before Halloween. Both programs came into the year with playoff aspirations, with the Nittany Lions ranked No. 2 and the Tigers No. 9. Those two teams, collectively, are 1-7 in their previous eight games.
That’s a hard reality for the Lions and Tigers, oh my. It’s particularly tough for Penn State, which is only 10 months and a couple plays removed from competing for a national title.
James Franklin and Brian Kelly had earned the right to finish their seasons, but the schools they worked for are looking at Curt Cignetti with as much zeal as I possessed when I saw that cursed Buckeye necklace in 2008.
What’s left after these two institutions recklessly fired their head coaches — a pair of dangerously unpredictable teams. There’s a reason the Big Ten and SEC behemoths came into the season with such lofty expectations. There’s a load of motivated talent dressing up in purple and gold and blue and white this weekend.
That blue and white talent comes to Columbus Saturday with plenty to gain, nothing to lose, and unpredictability on their side. A lot of people thought Illinois or Wisconsin were Ohio State’s trap game, but the one kicking off this weekend has a better chance of souring Ohio State’s run.
Anyway, you guys remember when Brian Kelly, Boston native, faked a southern accent three business minutes after spurning Notre Dame for purple-er pastures.
I sure do. And on second thought, maybe it is okay to fire coaches midseason.
