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Success With Hyperlinking Never Forgets Its Roots

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By Tim Aydin
Justin K. Aller

How James Franklin Finds Time To Breathe Is Beyond Us

As if he weren't a busy enough man with coaching up his current squad, recruiting a shit-ton of future Nittany Lions, and choking up at the podium, shaking hands, and doing the 'number one' pose with everyone at the Coaches Caravan stops, James Franklin has carved out time to deliver a commencement address at his alma mater, East Stroudsburg. As you can expect, Franklin plans to dominate the graduates (per CollegeFootballTalk):

"I’m hoping to grab their attention and say a few things that they’ll remember," Franklin said to The Pocono Record. "I don’t want be one of those guys who stands up there talking who no one’s paying attention to. I’m going to talk to them from the heart and be very open and honest with them. Maybe give them a few things that have been important to me since I’ve left East Stroudsburg and also let everybody know how appreciative I am of what East Stroudsburg has done for me."

Here's Some More Ohio State Paranoia

I don't know about you, but I've noticed a lot of sniping towards Penn State and James Franklin lately from Ohio State fans in the wake of all the great news that has come about PSU football since Franklin's hire was first announced. They all seem to follow the same predictable pattern, too:

  • Mention last year's 63-14 beatdown OSU laid upon a PSU team that had about 30 fewer scholarship players available that night (btw, THIS 63-14 beatdown was far more impressive, considering the fact both teams were ranked and had the full allotment of schollies)
  • Reference Brady Hoke's hot recruiting start at Michigan and how that hasn't exactly produced championship results on the field for him and then declare James Franklin the second coming of Brady Hoke, because every coach who recruits so well, so soon, will end up like Brady Hoke..
  • Make the ludicrous claim that several of PSU's verbals will look elsewhere if Ohio State lays another whipping on Penn State this year (Mike Gesicki says 'hi' btw).
Suffice it to say, DJ Byrnes' little blurb over at Eleven Warriors follows this pattern:

Urban Meyer dropped 63 points on noted good guy Bill O'Brien. When OSU rolls into Happy Valley, Urban might be gunning for 100, and that's not an exaggeration.

A little over two years ago, I wrote about Michigan's habit of popping off at the mouth after they came within an overthrown pass from freshman Braxton Miller of losing at home to the worst Ohio State team since the Truman administration. I'll let Michigan's record in the two years speak from there.

Penn State is getting a lot of verbal commitments, but it's only May. I think Franklin is starting to write some checks his team won't be able to cover. Why put another coat of paint on the target on their back created by their recruiting success? In my humble internet opinion, it's not wise.

John Urschel Does Grantland

Grantland.com interviewed Urschel a few days before the NFL Draft. Like most Q&A's Ursch has done, this one also showcases his mathematical genius and focuses on his dissertation, but what really caught my eye was this little exchange towards the end:

What will you be doing 10 years from now?

Listen, it’s going to sound crazy. I hope 10 years from now I’m still in the league.

Linemen can have long careers.

Yeah, linemen can have very long careers, especially interior linemen, but when I’m done playing football, when it’s finally done, no team wants me, John’s stopped trying, I’m going to go back to get my PhD in math.

And how about in 30 years?

Honestly, whatever I want. I’m going to be perfectly honest with you. I have zero intentions of ever working a day in my life.

I wake up. I get to work out. I get to play football. I get to do math. I never want to be at a point in my life where I feel like I have a job.

Whether that’s being a professor, or being an analytics guy for a football team, I’m going to be happy with it.

Some Other Quick Dumps:

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