Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, December 18, 2013
Hey, it?s never too soon to start looking toward 2014, right? Right. So, let?s turn the calendar and begin daily links with this look at who may replace Michigan State heart-and-soul linebacker Max Bullough. I know, it?s a big job.
Little brother Riley Bullough may be the guy. Or, it could be Ed Davis ? or Darien Harris ? or Jon Reschke ? or Shane Jones. The point: MSU will have lots of options-and good ones, too.
Want more Spartan future talk? Here you go: The skinny on Damion Terry, Gerald Holmes, Jr., and DeAnthony Arnett.
MSU defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi seems especially intrigued by Terry, the talented young quarterback.
?I personally didn?t feel he was ready, watching him through camp based on who he was out there against,? Narduzzi said of Terry. ?But I think he?s come a long way as a football player , a quarterback and a leader. He?s been the guy. Believe me, you?d rather see him as the guy on the scout field than the guy at Spartan Stadium on Saturdays (right now), I think.
?He?s going to be a better player leading that thing. We had to teach him everything on how to check. He had the worst fake-checks I?ve ever seen. You had to pretend like you?re checking into another play, and it was awful.?
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Travis Johnson of the Centre Daily News thinks Penn State is the best place for Bill O?Brien-for now.
Johnson like myself feels O?Brien eventually will land in the NFL. But, let?s enjoy the moment until then, people. He?s laid a good foundation for a program that?s on the rise and whose NCAA sanctions have been lightened. I think BOB wants to see how far he can take Penn State before he dips into the NFL waters.
If and when Bill O?Brien does opt to ?go pro,? David Jones of Pennlive.com has some jobs he may covet-and some he may not.
My advice: Don?t take the Jacksonville Jaguars job. Ever.
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Ohio State?s Urban Meyer is an awful loser. He says so.
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Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges said his offense worked vs. Ohio State because the team executed.
?We executed. It?s that simple. We executed,? Borges said in his first public comments since the game. ?We ran the ball for 150 yards but we really ran it for more than that because there were a couple fly sweeps - passes, I guess. Completed the ball, what was our third-down (percentage)? We dropped 10 (percentage) points in four games (before), I know that.?
It also didn?t hurt that well, you know, Ohio State?s defense isn?t that good.
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Hey, Wisconsin fans. If you are interested-and you probably aren?t-Bret Bielema has opened up about his struggles at Arkansas. Make sure you keep a hanky nearby while reading.
This is the best: Bielema says he will remain active on Twitter.
?I don?t go on Twitter and say, ?Who can I get into it with today??? Bielema said. ?It?s hard to ignore stupidity, so if I see something that?s stupid and I have time to respond, I don?t see why I would deter.?
Bielema?s Twitter handle: @BretBielema. But you didn?t get it from me.
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Hey, looky here: LSU?s Les Miles has compared Iowa to Alabama. Not from a talent standpoint, but from a style standpoint-for what that?s worth.
Now, will LSU give a rip about playing Iowa in the Outback Bowl? Stay tuned.
TWEETS THAT MATTER
SI's Peter King on ESPN radio: "There are NFL teams that will be interested in Bill O'Brien. … If he gets an offer, he will consider it."
— Ron Musselman (@ronmusselman8) December 17, 2013
My take: So there is that.
I mean — when you go 7-5, it's hard to hang on to top 5 players. Too many other options, other coaches, neg recruiting. Just reality.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) December 18, 2013
My take: Yes, Michigan has taken some big hits in recruiting recently.
Greg Mattison singles out Dymonte Thomas, Jourdan Lewis, Chris Wormley as young guys standing out in bowl practice
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) December 17, 2013
My take: This defense needs some playmakers.
I'm fairly confident that 11 #B1G coaches would take Randy Gregory over Calhoun. And Gregory had better stats, too. #Huskers
— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) December 17, 2013
My take: No disrespect to Shilique Calhoun, but I would take Randy Gregory, too.
About Tom Dienhart | BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart is a veteran sports journalist who covers Big Ten football and men's basketball for BTN.com and BTN TV. Find him on Twitter and Facebook, read all of his work at btn.com/tomdienhart, and subscribe to his posts via RSS. Also, send questions to his weekly mailbag using the form below and read all of his previous answers in his reader mailbag section. |
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