Following practice on Thursday, the team’s final practice of the week, head coach Jimbo Fisher ran through the injury report for FSU’s game versus Louisville on Saturday.

As expected, Derwin James was ruled out, and will be “out indefinitely” as he continues to recover from a torn meniscus. He will not be traveling with the team to Louisville. Defensive back Nate Andrews will be active, and could help fill in the void created with James’ injury.

After missing last week’s game against CSU with an ankle injury, fullback Freddie Stevenson was ruled active, and will play, according to Fisher.

Offensive lineman Kareem Are (concussion) and Wilson Bell (ankle) also missed last week’s game against Charleston Southern. Both will be active and ready to go against Louisville.

There are some new names on the injury list: offensive lineman Derrick Kelly and receiver Ja’Vonn “Pigg” Harrison; both will miss Saturday’s game.

Here’s the full injury report for the game against Louisville:

Out (bold denotes out for season):

WR Ja’Vonn Harrison (migraines)

OL Derrick Kelly (knee)

DT Darvin Taylor (shoulder)

DB Derwin James (knee)

OL Corey Martinez (knee)

WR George Campbell (core muscle)

DE Keith Bryant (foot)

Out: LB Sh’Mar Kilby Lane (academically intelligible)

I. Intro

You’re never as good as you think you are and you’re never as bad as you think you are. Coach Pruitt used to preach it following every game, never too high never too low. Unless you lose to Nicholls State, in which case you might be terrible.

I am going to be honest, I didn’t have much motivation to write anything this week. I had about as much motivation as Georgia did against a team that’s gone 9-48 over the last 5 years. I mean by God, there was a “Block that kick” chant with 3 minutes to play vs Nicholls State. I’ve never stooped so low.

This would have been classic first year coach syndrome. Beat a team in a high profile match up week 1 and then lose to a team you have no business losing to in week 2. All because you have no experience controlling the emotions and focus of your team. We probably deserved to lose that game. It was uuuuugly

Ok let’s get positive for a minute. God knows we need it. Georgia is 2-0 and may have some slight positives falling into place. Hopefully the Colonels woke Georgia up and we see an inspired performance in Missouri. The tiger faithful seem to be taking the week off as 15,000 tickets are still available. I guess that new SEC smell finally wore off and now we can’t even fill out Faurot Field for a top 25 team. Moving forward, you’ve got to hope 230lb Bo Scarbrough gets 35 carries and wears the Ole Miss defense down this week. A noon start will likely see me only slightly buzzed and could catch the talented Rebels sleeping. Georgia will get an early return home and full rest before a home game against Tennessee who will have just seen one of the SEC’s best defenses in Florida. These are small things, but the parity in college football makes small things huge advantages. Don’t think about Georgia, prepare for Alabama, prepare for Florida and give us the noon kick. Everybody will be shocked when you sneak into Atlanta.

II. Scheme/Recap

I am not going to retract every good thing I said last week about Jim Chaney’s scheme. I don’t think Chaney called near the game he called against UNC. But make no mistake about it, this was a player execution issue throughout the game. This offensive staff is still adjusting to the personnel it was given and the developing freshman it recruited. The biggest issue from an offensive perspective in this game was clearly the offensive line. Chaney and Pittman do not have the offensive lineman they are accustomed to. They like to feature huge mauling creatures that clear out the interior line. Georgia has recruited (not necessarily by choice) athletic blockers without the physical prowess to force their will inside. This is why we’ve seen success with the power toss and other edge bending concepts. Perimeter runs allow our lineman to use their versatility in the open field with talented runners behind them. Of course, you will see plenty of interior runs to keep the defense honest and hopefully we can improve in the interior run game. But the success of this offense will hinge on Chaney’s ability to keep the perimeter run game unpredictable and efficient.

Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images High Steppin’ into those endzone DM’s

The Mishaps

• Isaiah- MVP turned complete dunce. C’mon man. The punt return is understandable. Y’all ever returned one of those? One of the hardest things to do on a football field. The boneheaded catch on the Kickoff is not explainable, its just bad ball.
• Turnovers- Trivia: What’s the only way to lose to an FCS school with 236 yards, 2 interceptions thrown and a fumble for a TD given up. Red Zone and Black Zone turnovers. Jacob Eason must have been trying to impress a KD in the South Endzone with how hard he can throw from the five yard line (that went well, he’s going on a KD semi formal Thursday night). Isaiah Mckenzie did his best Reggie Davis impersonation and dropped a crucial punt. I will get to Chubb in a minute.
• Jeb Blazevich– somebody give Jeb a hug. Both Eason and Lambert decided to check down to avoid a sure fire Jeb Blazevich TD.
• Nick Chubb Turnover– Chubb is the GOAT, but damn he picks terrible times for rare fumbles. On a comeback trail vs Florida, on the 20 against slappy Nicholls State. Lock it up GOAT
• Chigbu/Blocking WRs – Michael Crisco needs some serious stickem. The worst part is that he is one of our best blocking WRs and if he cant be counted on for consistent ball catching, he’s got to sit. Insert run blocking experts Godwin and Mckenzie (lulz). Javon Wims could make serious PT out of this issue if he can show consistent route running and a grasp of the offense.

The Guarded Optimism

• Nicholls St– Forgive me for this but they have some DUDES. Their offense was horrible but their defense was stout. Those Juco DLmen were the real deal. Ronald Ollie was a force combined with a few quick undersized partners. Give me Nicholls to win the FCS championship of the world
• UNC- Beat Illinois 48-23. It’s gotta make you feel just a little bit better that we beat a team that beat another team, right? By transitive property, Nicholls state beats Illinois. I always rely on the transitive property in college football for reliable information (sarcastic emoji)
• DL- A pleasant surprise thus far. David Marshall is dynamic. A bit smaller than the prototypical lineman in this scheme but he is athletic and instinctive. Trent was the dude he needs to be every game with 11 tackles and a hit that made me fear for the life of the Nicholls RB. We look better than expected here and the young talent is exciting.

Long Term Issues

• OLB Pressure- it’s bad. Lorenzo has the capability to do it but can’t put it together every week. Bellamy has been quiet. D’andre Walker hasn’t let it loose. This is my number 1 concern. To beat Josh Dobbs, you have to force him to do something stupid and not allow him to dictate when he throws the ball or takes off. We have also been playing a ton of spy technique, sometimes with more than one guy. Not sure the game plan here but it’s frustrating to see 2-3 guys in no man’s land 3 yards from the ball with a 3 man rush.
• Offensive Line– yikes. I give Nicholls state props but they are still an FCS team. Assert your damn will or the Florida game will look worse than last year. Need to figure out a consistent rotation and I’m not totally convinced Dyson Sims should be involved yet.

Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images I used to take Brandon Kublanow to and from speed training in high school. Dude never brought an extra shirt for the ride home. Go Raiders though

III. Mizzou Preview

Ah yes the T-shirt fanbase of the SEC. Every single man, woman and infant wears a T-shirt to a Mizzou game. Some may say MIZ, some may say ZOU but they are all piss yellow and proudly donned every week. Heaven for bid you throw a collar on that thing.

I’m not sure I’ve had more fun at any game than working the 2014 Mizzou game from the pressbox. We absolutely whooped that ass. That week was completely chaotic. We heard Todd would be suspended just minutes before it hit the media and all of the sudden we were thrust into an underdog role that UGA is almost never used to. It was invigorating. The players were so motivated to not only play for Todd, but to prove that they were not a one man team. We hitched our wagon to Nick Chubb and ran all over those sorry Midwestern boys, who for one fleeting moment thought they may have had a chance to beat Georgia that year. But give them credit, they recovered from the humiliation of 34-0 and were able to put together a solid performance against Alabama in Atlanta only losing by 29. Can y’all tell when I’m being sarcastic or do I need some sort of indicator. Oh we are good? You got that one? Ok, great, moving on then.

3’s up, G’s up

Watching the Missouri game last year was one of the most miserable things I’ve ever had to endure. Being so excited to get a win after failing to score a TD was humiliating. I needed a serious amount of courage to make it through that game and Bombay Sapphire was there for me.

I’m not going to get in depth on Mizzou. I’ll do that next week following a win or loss. Georgia should beat this team as the rosters are not comparable from a talent perspective. This game hinges on scheme, want to and turnovers. It’s the first SEC game on your schedule. Time to get up.

IV. SEC Predictions

V. Bucky’s Easy Money of the Week

I’m more reliable than the S&P. We went 3-1 last week. You made money. 5-3 overall. Time to Double Down Dawgs

VI. Recruiting

Mark Webb commits to UGA tomorrow. I like his deep ball acumen and frame. Another solid 4 star that will need grooming but could be an early impact guy.

Gotta Have Em’

1. Tua Tagovailoa St. Louis (Honolulu, HI) QB 6-1 212

I’d love to say the Bama commit is overrated but he isn’t. Strong arm. Huge combination of size and speed as a runner. Really reminds me of a thicker Blake Sims. More than adequate in the pass game and the ability to break the game open with the run game. I’ll take Fromm long term though.

2. Xavier McKinney Roswell (Roswell, GA) S 6-1 192

Flashes everything you want in a safety. Already has a college frame. Has tremendous ball skills and athleticism to return punts. If he buys into your program, he’s a star safety prospect

Need to See More

1. Will Ignont Buckhorn (New Market, AL) ILB 6-2238

Stiff stiff stiff. His frame is excellent but he has some serious stiffness. His biggest asset is his size but I also think it slows him down in his pursuit of the ball. You can see that some schools have dropped off in his recruitment and I think Auburn finally lands a project.

VII. Links to Previous Volumes

Season 1 Volume 1 | UNC

Season 1 Volume 2 | Nicholls State

Go Damn Dawgs! See you next week…

“Did I think Malik Hooker would be playing at the level he’s at? I wouldn’t be telling you the truth. At this level? I thought he’d be a very good player for us and grow into that position. He’s growing real fast – same with [safety] Damon Webb.”

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer via Nicholas Piotrowicz, The Toledo Blade

It’s hard to blame Urban Meyer if he had concerns about the secondary heading into this year after losing Eli Apple, Vonn Bell, and Tyvis Powell. Through two games Meyer has been able to breathe a little easier since the Buckeyes in the defensive backfield have exceeded expectations. Malik Hooker has intercepted three passes, which is tied for the NCAA lead, and Marshon Lattimore was just named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week for his two interception performance against Tulsa.

So far Ohio State’s defense hasn’t given up an offense touchdown and a lot of that is due to the work of the secondary. Meyer knew there was plenty of talent with the new starters, he just wasn’t sure how long it would take for those players to put it all together. This marks the first time in school history that Ohio State has intercepted seven passes through their first two games. Now Meyer is hoping the secondary can continue their hot play as they’ll travel to Oklahoma and be tasked with trying to shutdown Heisman Trophy candidate Baker Mayfield and the rest of the Sooner offense.

“It’s a great situation. We have a lot of depth right now. They’re all performing at a high level. We’re just going to rep them and rotate them until they separate themselves. I’m playing 10 guys right now, which is kind of unheard of, but it’s a great problem to have.”

Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith via David Jablonski, Dayton Daily News

Coming into this season one of the biggest question marks about this Ohio State team was who was going to step up at wide receiver. So far the Buckeyes have had plenty of players trying to make their mark in the passing game, with 11 players having caught at least one pass through two games. Six of those players hadn’t caught a pass coming into this season. With so many players making plays, wide receivers coach Zach Smith is riding the wave until some of the receivers separate themselves from the rest of the group.

One player who has done just that so far is h-back Curtis Samuel, who already has caught 14 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns. The junior is also getting it done on the ground as well, rushing for 162 yards in two games. Samuel is on pace for 2,406 total yards, which would fall just short of Keith Byars school record. Wide receivers Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin have each caught four passes, and if the Buckeyes continue to get contributions from guys such as K.J. Hill and Parris Campbell their offense will be tough to slow down.

“I feel way more involved. I feel my role every week is huge. I prepare different. I practice different. I do everything different than I have in the past because I play a lot more plays.”

Ohio State h-back Dontre Wilson via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

This Dontre Wilson is what Ohio State fans were expecting to see when he came to the Buckeyes as a four-star recruit from Texas. After having to deal with numerous injuries throughout most of his Ohio State career, Wilson is finally healthy, and has put up big numbers in the first two games of the year. Wilson is averaging 10 yards per touch and has already scored three touchdowns. Now the Buckeyes are going to need Wilson to continue to roll up numbers like that this weekend when they head to Oklahoma for a showdown with the Sooners.

Wilson might have a little extra pep in his step on Saturday night since his hometown of DeSoto, Texas is just a three-hour drive from Norman, so he’ll have some family and friends in attendance. So far this year, Wilson and Curtis Samuel are creating a lethal combination at h-back, which defenses haven’t found a way to stop. As a senior, Wilson is one of the elder statesmen of the Ohio State offense and he’s just hoping to stay injury-free and help Ohio State take home another championship this season. While Wilson’s breakthrough for the Buckeyes is coming later than most expected, at least it is better than not coming at all.

“Meyer’s young Buckeyes will take on Bob Stoops’ No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman on Saturday, a battle between two of the most consistent winners in college football. The schools have combined for 55 top-five finishes (OU 30, OSU 25) and the two coaches have combined for 13 (Meyer seven, Stoops six).”

Bill Connelly, SB Nation

At this point people don’t need to be told just how important Saturday night’s clash between Ohio State and Oklahoma will be in terms of the national title picture, but what will end up deciding the game? With the talent both teams will have playing on Saturday, there isn’t a lot of room for error for either team. If Ohio State has any designs on winning on the road, they’ll have to run the ball with more efficiency than they did against Tulsa. The Buckeyes will need more from Mike Weber, as the redshirt freshman will be going up against the tough defense he has faced in his young career. Even though Houston was able to take down Oklahoma, most of their damage was through the air, as the Sooners were able to bottle up the Cougars rushing attack. An x-factor for Ohio State could be h-back Curtis Samuel, who can not only run the football, but also can catch it out of the backfield if the running game isn’t working.

With Oklahoma having Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon in the backfield, it’s a bit of a surprise they don’t utilize the rushing game that much. With Ohio State’s youth on the defensive line, this might be a prime opportunity for the Sooners to unleash their rushing attack. At least for the Sooners if they are going to look to pass more, they have a quarterback like Baker Mayfield to lean on.

The final key which could decide the game will be field position. If Oklahoma forces Ohio State to punt at least the Buckeyes have a weapon like punter Cam Johnston to try and pin the Sooners deep in their own territory. The Buckeyes can’t afford to give Oklahoma a short field, because the Sooners are too talented not to capitalize. No matter what the outcome ends up being in this game, fans should be in for a treat when they settle in to watch on Saturday night.

STICK TO SPORTS

Charlie Strong uttered the phrase countless times after Texas’ victory over Notre Dame— “one game does not make a season.” Really, neither does two. Though the Longhorns are 2-0, one can’t assume that a victory over shoddy UTEP really proves that the burnt orange are worthy of their No. 11 AP rank.

Imagine if Texas’ 2015 season swapped out its Notre Dame opener with Oklahoma. The Longhorns would’ve entered week three in 2015 with a narrow top 10 victory over the Sooners under their belts, as well as a double digit win over Rice. We would be praising Jerrod Heard as Texas’ quarterback savior and the ‘Horns would undoubtably be in the top 25.

The reality is, Strong already proved he could beat elite teams last season after the Red River Showdown, and to some degree, the Baylor victory.

So when can we know that Texas really is “back”, that the strong start isn’t a fluke? How about this weekend against Cal?

The first road game of the season is obviously a huge test for any young squad, and the 7:30 pm Pacific kickoff does no favors for Longhorns whose body clocks still may think its 9:30. Add in the fact that Texas’ only true road win of the 2015 season was against an admittedly depleted Baylor unit and its easy to see why the game against the Golden Bears feels like it could be one Texas’ biggest litmus tests of the season.

But time change and nearly 2,000 miles of travel aside, the Cal game is monumental mostly because last year Texas had more trouble sealing the deal against teams in the “pretty good” range.

Going by Football Outsiders F/+ 2015 team rankings, Texas was 2-2 against top 25 opponents, and 3-0 against teams ranked 80th or worse. However, the Longhorns were 0-5 against teams in the 26-79 range.

Cal is ranked 68th so far — the same spot where Texas ended the season last year. What better challenge for the ‘Horns to show they are improved over 2015 than to face off against a team of similar talent to that 2015 Texas unit?

And any Texas fan can testify that the losses that hurt the most in 2015 weren’t the Notre Dame or TCU drubbings, but the close games against evenly matched opponents which disastrously slipped away. From the missed extra point against Cal, to the officiating errors and botched punt against Oklahoma State, to the defensive melt down against Texas Tech, Texas couldn’t catch a break against the good, but beatable teams.

Yes, the Longhorns can win when their coaches’ job is on the line and the world is watching, and they can defeat the cupcakes, too. But the Cal game won’t be on prime time, nor will it be an easy test.

Texas opens as only four point favorites against a team that isn’t rock steady, but isn’t without offensive weapons either. For Texas to prove it belongs in the top 10 conversation, the ‘Horns will need to do what top 10 teams do: go on the road and win against a unit with less talent than you.

Beating the Golden Bears will be a formidable task when considering their aerial attack which consists of a great quarterback-receiver duo in Davis Webb and Chad Hansen. But for this incarnation of the Longhorns, hopefully these kinds of games will begin to feel less like a worrying toss-up and more like a solid challenge for Texas to showcase its abilities.

The dreadful outlook of 2015 appears far in the rearview mirror as the ‘Horns hit the road for the first time in 2016. One game doesn’t make a season. Nor does two. But three? Three starts to feel pretty good.

Alvin Hill has put on football cleats plenty of times. But when he went to buy shoes for ballet class at Maryland this fall, he was way out of his comfort zone.

He had to go to a store that specifically sells ballet shoes. As a 6-foot, 200-pound football player, it was an awkward experience.

“I tried to make myself feel a little bit masculine, but the more I walked in, I started deflating,” Hill told reporters Wednesday.

Hill made his time in the shoe store short. “Lemme get the shoes,” he said. He got a black pair, and headed out.

He’s far from the first football player to take ballet. Barry Sanders and Lynn Swann are a few NFL legends who come to mind.

Hill’s uncle was the first to suggest he take ballet. So the cornerback dug into the subject a little.

“I took it and ran with it,” Hill said. “And I started looking up some things.

“They said Barry Sanders took ballet.”

Bryce Bevill, the team’s director of player development, handed him video showing how ballet could help him jump “higher, faster, quicker” and prevent injuries. Hill took a yoga class last spring, and when the same teacher offered ballet this fall, he went for it.

His mom didn’t think much of it, but his younger sister teased him. When he got to his first class, the other students were taken aback.

“They were shocked. I’m, like, a lot bigger than everybody,” he said. “I got some balance though. I take it serious. You gotta respect that.”

Hill isn’t the only one on his team to take a dance class at Maryland. Quarterback Perry Hills and defensive end Roman Braglio both took an interpretive dance class.

“I don’t know, I was doing a bunch of weird stuff,” Hills joked. “A lot of good NFL players have been in ballet classes, so hopefully he can find something that helps him out.”

After Wednesday afternoon’s practice, Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer addressed the gaggle of assembled media to discuss his team’s preparations for its first major test of the 2016 season. On Saturday, the No. 3 Buckeyes travel to Norman, OK to take on the No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners, who are looking to revive their season after a 33-23 opening week loss to Houston.

Coming off of two lopsided victories, the Buckeyes will be stepping up in competition, taking on one of the most storied and successful programs in college football history.

Injury updates

Linebacker Dante Booker’s been downgraded to questionable for Saturday’s game (MCL sprain), and Jerome Baker has practiced well in the OLB position in his place.

The week of practice

When asked about how he thinks that the week of practice has gone, Meyer said, “I love it. Our effort’s been outstanding.” He added that they will need it on Saturday, because of how talented and well-coached Oklahoma is.

Meyer mentioned that he has yet to see enough from his wide receivers to determine who the top playmakers are, but he did stress that J.T. Barrett has a number of good targets at WR.

Thoughts on Oklahoma

Meyer reiterated that Houston didn’t run the ball well against OU, but he did say that it was helpful to see a similar offense play the Sooners to get an idea as to how they will line up in certain situations.

Meyer noted that OU gives QB Baker Mayfield a lot of responsibility, “He knows that offense very well, you can tell… He’s had some outstanding plays… when nothing’s there. It’s tough to bring him down.”

Meyer said that Barrett will audible this weekend completely with hand signals, which should make changing the play in a hostile environment much easier than it otherwise would be.

When asked what he liked about Sooners’ head coach Bob Stoops, Meyer said, “I like that he’s from Ohio, and Northeast Ohio specifically.” He also notes that they have similar family and childhood backgrounds. He went on to credit Stoops with being one of the first successful head coaches to show him that having a healthy work-life balance is possible.

Meyer said that to win this Saturday’s game the Buckeyes must have toughness. “This is going to be one of those prize fights.”

Mental health interview

When asked about his recent Bleacher Report interview about battling mental health issues, Meyer said that he was convinced to do it when the reporter said, “I think we can help some people.”

LeonPowe: Despite the turnovers and general lack of tackling we were right there at the end. And if Webb doesn’t throw high – that’s a win. He had Hansen right there. Ugh. We can obviously throw the ball. And I think we can run the ball. The defense was bad, but they honestly gave us a chance – after the half they settled down until Pumphery got going again. It reminded me of 2014 not 2013 – where the guys were in the right space but just missed the tackle – unlike 2013 where we were just beat and had to chase guys. Seems like a small difference but 2014 gives slight hope.

Hansen, Robertson, Looney (the d line was playing well – the linebackers weren’t. And the defensive backs covered well, but tackled poorly) Rubenzer continues to be a ball hawk. Enwere.

boomtho: Biggest positive for me was probably the offense, starting with Davis Webb. He obviously missed some throws but his deep ball definitely exceeded my expectations and he spread the ball around nicely. Chad Hansen obviously looks like a rockstar, and it’s nice to get contributions from guys like Wharton, Rivera, and Worstell. And hey, Demetris had 4 catches, so great to get him contributing a bit more.

I also thought Vic ran welll, though his reps were limited probably more than we would like given game flow.

At a more macro level, the team showed a ton of fight in clawing back from the big deficit. That character will definitely serve us well this year.

Andy Johnston: Vic Enwere. I thought the ground game as a whole was impressive but Vic stood out as he continued to break tackles on nearly every touch. He averaged nearly eight yards a carry and provided a run threat sorely missed last season.

Avinash: This Cal defense is in full Bob Gregory mode, and that’s not a bad thing! Give up play after play after play, miss tackle after tackle after tackle, and somehow at the end of the day they stiffen, get a few timely turnovers, and only allow 24 points in all. That is a very solid performance for a team lacking any depth at LB, missing a good DT, and having two young safeties. If the Bears can take a two or three score lead on a few teams and force the opposition into a pass-heavy offense, that should play into the strength of our squad (the secondary) and take the onus off our linebackers. Unfortunately turnovers took away that opportunity.

Nik Jam: If the offense can stop shooting themselves in the foot, they can put themselves in any game this season. Also, the defense did sometimes come through with stops. It’ll be a big factor if they can force some empty possessions against Texas.