M-Borg vs. THE Flavortown U Thread, Orig. by Buckeye Paul, absconded w/by talent.

[iam416]

Goodluck Okonoboh (#24 on 247 Composite) decides tonight. IU, UNLV or OSU. He would be the big Matta needs to finish off the class of 2014. IU thought to be leader for awhile. Seems like it may be UNLV or OSU. Eh, we'll see.

If not, he can continue to chase the Myles Turner dream.

[Ghengis Jon]

Local radio stations have been broadcasting the access codes to local electronic construction signage. I'm surprised this took a couple of weeks to happen. This shot is taken near Williams on Stern Road near the ohio border.

[WM Wolverine]

Indiana was thought to be building an 'outstanding' class a month or two ago. Looks like recruits realize what a weasel Tom Crean is. They have talent from the previous couple classes but it's possible they are falling behind Ohio, M provided M does land Blackmon as hoped.

[Tony G]

[Optimus Prime]

Would like to commend Matt Hayes for having the courage to speak the truth about Ohio & Meyer.

Carlos Hyde saves Buckeyes, but never should have played

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The game is superficial, another victory on a growing unbeaten streak with no end in sight.

Ohio State is that good after a gutty win over Northwestern, the Big Ten is that average, and the argument of whether the Buckeyes are BCS-worthy will rage on with each passing week.

That's not the point here, everyone. The point is the man of the hour in this critical Big Ten game shouldn't even have been on the field.

The man who saved Ohio State's 18-game winning streak, the man who carried his team in the second half when All-Everything quarterback Braxton Miller couldn't, is the same man who hit a woman this offseason.

And lived to play another day of college football.

That was Ohio State tailback Carlos Hyde in the postgame press conference, getting emotional and having to compose himself when he was asked by the Ohio State media -- check that, the Ohio State cheerleaders -- how it felt to have a big game after "all you've been through."

"It was hard," Hyde said, stopping for more than 30 seconds while trying to compose himself and wipe tears from his eyes.

He thanked God for the strength "to get through this." He thanked his coaches and teammates, saying, "I felt like I let my brothers down."

He said he "made a mistake" and that it was "really hard not being out there for the first three games."

I wonder if it has been hard for the girl Hyde hit? You know, the girl who suddenly dropped charges against Hyde -- even though there was video evidence of Hyde hitting her.

Why do women drop charges against men who batter them? The No. 1 reason: fear of retaliation.

Or in this case, fear of living in Columbus and doing something -- anything -- to sidetrack the train to Pasadena. If you don't think this woman, who still hasn't spoken publicly about the case, isn't fearful of what could be, let me explain what happened in that post-game press conference:

After Hyde broke down and told a packed room of Ohio State media how hard it was for him to not play a game -- for the love of Brutus, it's a game, people -- one of the three TV bobbleheads who stood next to the podium to send back live feeds to Columbus, said to Hyde, "Good answer."

Mind-boggling.

Listen, Hyde isn't the only one who shouldn't be playing college football. If you watched Georgia's thrilling victory over LSU last week, it was very easy to see why LSU coach Les Miles had the stones to proclaim he let "the team" decide if Hill -- who punched a man in the head while on probation -- should be allowed to play this season.

And it's easy to see why Ohio State coach Urban Meyer thought a three-game suspension for Hyde was appropriate. Without Hyde, Ohio State doesn't beat Northwestern.

Without Hyde, Ohio State's offense is bogged down from critical mistakes by Miller -- so many, in fact, that Meyer admitted he was "close" to replacing Miller with backup Kenny Guiton.

Without Hyde, Ohio State's 18-game unbeaten streak under Meyer -- the streak where the Buckeyes haven't beaten a team ranked higher than No. 16 Northwestern -- is finished. Hyde rushed for 168 yards and scored three touchdowns, and physically wore down the undersized Wildcats.

Without Hyde, the idea that Ohio State could somehow compete at the highest level of the game despite not showing it in back-to-back prove-it weekends against Wisconsin and Northwestern, is finished.

To Meyer's credit, he didn't go for the chum thrown out by the Ohio State media when asked "how hard it was for Hyde to miss three games."

"Everyone makes mistakes," Meyer said. "I hope this is a game that helps him turn it around."

If you're going to blame someone, don't blame Meyer or Miles. If you're going to point the finger, point it at university presidents who allow this nonsense to continue; who give coaches free reign and look the other way.

Of course a coach is going to do whatever he can to keep a star player eligible. His job depends on it. His family's happiness depends on it. His personal well-being depends on it.

Do you really think a guy who is making $4 million a year (like Meyer and Miles) isn't going to give a bad seed of a kid another chance when his very livelihood depends on it?

At halftime, as the Ohio State staff met with players to work through what led to a 20-13 deficit, Hyde said he was told by coaches to get ready to become more of a factor in the game.

"They were going to ride me," Hyde said. "I was excited to hear it."

Hyde had 11 touches on 37 plays for 65 yards in the first half. He had 19 touches on 37 plays for 141 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

He never should have been on the field.

When Meyer arrived at Ohio State last year, he said he wanted to do things the right way. He had issues with entitlement and rogue players at Florida, and admitted in July that, "we made mistakes" at Florida.

To make sure his declaration wouldn't be misconstrued, he had "Decisions" painted onto a wall in the Ohio State football offices. Under that bold scarlet lettering is this commandment: treat women with respect.

As he was running off the field and into the Ohio State locker room, and as fans cheered him, a group of women reached down from the stands to give him a high-five.

"When I'm in the game now," Hyde said, stopping again to wipe tears, "I feel like I have a different hunger for the game."

Good answer.

[lineygoblue]

A very strong "harumph" is headed your way ... :-)

[Rob F]

Great copy-and- paste there, OP.

I fully agree with what Hayes wrote there, especially regarding university presidents being at fault as much or more than coaches. Both Miles and Meyer are making decisions based on W's and L's and paychecks ; who do they answer to? Shame on those university presidents (and their AD's too) for allowing the skalliwags to go unchecked.

[Rob F]

Isn't Matt Hayes a Columbus writer? If he is I hope he watches his back. Whether or not he is, though, I commend his courage. He hit the mark, too, by pointing out why the victims of assault, especially women, fear pressing charges in cases like these.

Shame on those who allowed Hyde and Hill paper justice.

[Ghengis Jon]

My Tang Soo Doo instructor is a 5'2" 4th degree black belt. Hey Carlos, take a swing at her. You'll spend 3 weeks in intensive care, not just riding a bench, tough guy. Cry your crocodile tears somewhere else. Asshole.

[Optimus Prime]

Tang Soo Doo? Do you order that steamed or fried?

I have no idea what the hell that is but I like it.

[lineygoblue]

Just once, I'd like to see a woman-beater run into a lady like Jon's instructor... I'd buy a ticket to see it ...

[Dr. Strangelove]

Matt Hayes writes for the Sporting News and is one of the biggest reasons that "publication" is struggling as it is. He wants page clicks and gets it by trolling Buckeye, Bama, and other big fanbases. He's a slightly toned down Greg Doyel. And oh yeah, he lives in Orlando, the capital of Urban Meyer butthurt, Mayor Bianchi Prime presiding.

[iam416]

For the slow, a "harrumph" is an endorsement. I doubt I'd harrumph anything OP posts. Fortunately, he's been ignored for awhile now. It'd be fun to watch him meltdown over M's mediocre coaches, but the idiocy...meh.

Anyway, as it relates to Carlos Hyde, I'm just thankful they actually had video cameras to capture the incident. As it is, he was suspended for 2 more games than Frank Clark and his home invasion. Of course, Coach Hoke is a win no-titles at all costs kind of coach, so not really a surprise.

And LOL @internet tough guys.

[Optimus Prime]

I guess Talent took me off his Christmas card list, oh well.

No question Michigan has been a disappointment to date, thankfully we will be treated to the perennial Ohio BCS beatdown by ANY real top ten team with a pulse, provided Meyer stays one step ahead of NCAA investigators, there's always next year and a tasty repeat.

In large part, it has always been about Bucknut edification, humiliation and/or my amusement, no particular order...internets bitches.

[Optimus Prime]

It's a damn shame that Columbus bar bitch got in the way of Hyde's punch and cost him 3 games. No question the Poodle and Talent are stuck so far up Meyer's ass, it's impossible for them to distinguish between right and wrong but hey that is OK, the entertainment and gyrations have been priceless at times.

Thankfully, pretty much the entire college football world sees this differently and to the Legions of OP fans don't worry, I will continue to serve up that saucy smack that you've been accustom to.

As Hayes wrote, damn shame the victim didn't put another Ohio criminal behind bars, the crocodile tears are tragically pathetic.

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