Silver Bullet Points

Late date with Michigan could make for an awkward Thanksgiving

Much like early reports of the would-be-epic computer crash known as the “Y2K bug,” today’s most shocking OSU news won’t effect anything until around the turn of the decade. At the discretion of Big Ten university presidents, the conference will begin playing a 13-week schedule.

The key rationale being the reinstatement of a bye-week. Math wizards and poor conversationalists alike will immediately note that this means a post-Thanksgiving date for The Game—though it won’t be the first time.

One assumes that the decision was at least partly in response to the onslaught of Big Ten criticism after idle Illinois and OSU “backed in” to their respective BCS bowls.

• A couple more post-season lists at which to gander (or completely ignore) at your discretion. Notable is Malcolm Jenkins’ deserved, albeit still under-appreciated, appearance on SI’s team after being neglected by Bruce Hooley.

• CFN gives 10 points of defense against the increasingly popular “OSU will be thoroughly embarrassed by LSU” argument.

• Dave Zirin of SI.com puts himself on the map as he rides the coattails of numerous, more successful pundits and makes this post-season’s most audacious BCS comparison. While it is uncertain whether Zirin’s extensive archive is the subject of that new Nick Cage flick, one imagines Dave-O is definitely shelling out ten bucks to see this:

(Note: As you can see, this movie will be legit and therefore is in no way meant to be a backhanded insult.)

• You know those listless conversations with friends, colleagues, and strangers on High St. about what would happen if OSU played USC or West Va. this year? Those heated debates over whether or not our front four could overpower Oklahoma’s O-line? And how, when all is said and done, someone with common sense steps in and reminds everybody that there’s no way to tell how the game would play out on the field so you’re just wasting your time? Well, ESPN has found an incredibly incredulous way to legitimize that banter. Not that posting links and embedded YouTube videos is changing lives, but it’s difficult to imagine anyone at the Worldwide Leader in Sports could read off those 7 items in the pop-up window with a straight face. Go ahead, try yourself.