The Winter Olympics Are Coming In Less Than 150 Days - by Wal Ozello

The 2018 Winter Olympics are less than 150 days away. Pencilstorm Contributor Wal Ozello will be providing on-going coverage leading up to the Olympics helping you prepare for what to watch for. 

The Winter Olympics is coming in 2018 and while it seems far on the horizon there are stories playing out today that will have a bigger impact than who are Jon Snow’s real parents. Here are the Top Three stories to pay attention to today.

Location, Location, Location…
The 2018 Winter Olympics are in Pyeongchang. When you search for that on Google Maps you’ll find it in South Korea with the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium about 55 miles from North Korea.  The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be as closer to North Korea than Mansfield is to Columbus. For those of you living under a rock for the past year, the relationship between North and South Korea, let alone the rest of the world, has been less than ideal. Earlier this year, South Korea reached out to its northern neighbor for some Olympic partnership that only sports can create.  They proposed a joint North-South Korea women’s hockey team and offered to host some of the ski competition at a new North Korean ski resort.  North Korea declined both offers. Since then, North Korea has been testing several intercontinental ballistic missiles and the U.S. and South Korea just finished joint bombing drills… in Gangwon Providence - which Pyeongchang County resides in.  Then at the UN on Tuesday, President Trump declared that, “If it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.” Whoa. Khrushchev must be have looked down on that and said, "I just banged my shoe on that table, you sir, just drove head first into the deep end of the crazy pool."  All-in-all, this is much deeper argument than new Metallica vs. old Metallica. Keep an eye out folks, this story isn’t over, yet.

Falling Down The Mountain
Lindsey Vonn and potentially Bode Miller will be returning to compete in the Olympics. Lindsey is the one of the most successful women American skiers with Olympic medals, World Championship medals and World Cup titles.  She’ll be 33 in South Korea and this Olympics could be her last.  While most thought Sochi would be Bode’s last Olympics, rumor is that he’s planning to compete in Pyeongchang at age 40.  He’s the most decorated Olympic Athlete in alpine history and chances are he’s looking to solidify that position.  But those aren’t the name to look for… watch for Mikaela Shiffrin. She’s reigning Overall World Cup champion and the reigning Olympic and World Champion in slalom. Back in 2011 she became the U.S. Champion in Slalom… at age 16. Mikaela won her first World Cup event at age 17. The following year she won Gold in Sochi, becoming the youngest slalom champion in Olympic History. Since then, she’s won two World Championship gold medals, three World Cup slalom titles, and 24 career wins. Mikaela will do for the Olympic Alpine Skiing what Wonder Woman did for the Summer Blockbuster Movies… kick everyone else’s ass.  Here’s an impressive run for the 2017 World Championship where she beats her closest competitor by 1.64 seconds.

That "Other Team" Up North
Forget men's ice hockey during the Olympics.  It's a glorified all star game that lasts two weeks too long.  The real competition is in Women's Ice Hockey. They leave it all on the ice because they are competing at the highest level in their game and it's full contact guts and glory. The competition between the U.S. team and the Canadian team is fiercer than OSU vs. Michigan. While the U.S. team has won the World Championships the past four times and eight out of the last ten meetings, they haven't won Gold in the Olympics since 1998.  Who's beat them each time?  Canada.  They won gold in 2014, 2010, 2006 and 2002.  The last time the Canada held silver was the year U.S. got the gold - 1998.  The two teams will face each other at least four times before Pyeongchang, starting on October 25.  Keep a close eye on these showdowns.  While the U.S. has a great winning streak, I'm sure Canada's montra is going to be "The North Remembers."

And for those of you that don't think these girls can play, I can personally attest they can play hard.  A few years ago, I had the privileged of producing a profile of a High School Senior Goalie up in Duluth, Minnesota.  I stood on the ice as these girls skated a whirlwind around me.  It was just mind-blowing.  They want to prove they kick ass stronger than the Runaways wanted to prove they could rock with the best. Want to see some tough hits and and killer goals?  Check out this video below.

That's enough of a download for this week.  It's going to be a long winter ahead and I'll have more updates in the weeks to come.

Wal Ozello is a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989 ,  Revolution 1990, and Sacrifice 2086. When he's not writing or singing with the Columbus hairband, Armada, he can be found at the regulars table at Colin's Coffee.

Baver Answers Questions and Picks Some Games to Kill Time Until Penn State.

Follow Brent @baverbuckeyebag and tune in CD1025 Morning Show with Brian Phillips to hear him talking for real and stuff. 

Colin: Did we learn anything from the Army game that will matter against Penn State?

Baver: Not a lot. You saw Ohio St get the ball to the WRs on the perimeter in space more so than in the Oklahoma game, and the plays were actually successful against Army. Similar plays against Oklahoma were not. We did get to see Dwayne Haskins, but not until the final drive of the game. Haskins, like in the spring game, and like the whispers you hear from practice, looked good. And the Bucks may have a big time middle linebacker in Tuf Borland who replaced an injured Chris Worley. Worley is going to have a tough time getting his middle linebacker job back as Borland had double-digit tackles in a little more than a half of football.

Colin: Does it look like Kevin Wilson is taking control of the offense? 

Baver: It looked like it against Army more so than against the Sooners, but it was Urban’s offense that I saw against Oklahoma. Your wider question really can’t be answered until after the Penn State game on Oct 28, as you surmised in your 1st question. I certainly still have a lot of confidence in Urban Meyer coaching this team, but I’d feel a heck of lot better if Wilson called the shots on offense against the Nits. Until then, it probably isn’t going to matter who is running the offensive show. The Bucks should put up 50+ against UNLV and handle Rutgers without working up too much of a sweat. Maryland could hang around and Nebraska could play OSU tight, but I still expect to see a one-loss Buckeye team playing Penn St Oct 28th. And that team will need Kevin Wilson’s help come 3:30 that afternoon.

Colin: I have no questions about UNLV though I know you’re hot picking Ohio St games against the spread….for I think a long time now. Do the numbers bear that out?

Baver: Yeah, I just ran the #’s and I’m 30-13-1 against the spread picking Buckeye games since the start of the 2014 season, my first year with Pencil Storm. A hell of a lot of luck involved, and there’s a 6-game losing streak built into those numbers. But, I’ve had the Buckeyes pulse as of late, going 22-7 since the start of the 2015 season, including 3-0 this year. Ohio State is laying 40 against UNLV Saturday. Urban will want to pile it up, and see the Bucks covering for the 3rd time in 4 games this yr. I like Ohio State 56-10.

Colin: What other games / lines will you be keeping an eye on this weekend and how have your picks on other games been going so far? 

Baver: 4-3 ATS on non-OSU games. Not really feeling it except on Buckeye games, but I did hit all 3 of the other games last week. Michigan isn’t playing well, and travels to West Lafayette to play a much improved Purdue team, but Vegas seems to have over-adjusted for this one, with UM only laying 10. Michigan I think is probably the best play of the week at that number. Last year, Saquon Barkley basically said Iowa quit in the 2nd half of Penn St’s 41-14 lambasting of the Hawkeyes in Happy Valley. I know 19-year-olds will be 19-year-olds, but Iowa is going to be fired up Saturday night. I like the Hawkeyes plus the 12 ½ at home, at night. And I like Georgia laying 5 against Miss St in a situational play, with the Bulldogs off the big win against LSU, while Georgia comes off a meaningless game they had against Stamford.

North Coast Posse and the Browns March on Baltimore

                          All Browns fans should follow the NCP @northcoastposse

Q:  All things considered, not a bad way to start the season. What did you think about Kizer's debut and the rest of the offense?

Big$: I'm sure he would love to have the interception back, and he definitely held on to the ball a bit too long on occasion, but a lil film study will iron those wrinkles. Outside of that he showed off an NFL ready cannon and was putting the ball on the money. Plus, he looked like the statuesque AFC north behemoth QB behind center. I think Hue is all in on him which is key, if he can mitigate the hits he was taking (not playing a bunch of degenerate yinzers will help) it should be a fun year.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Despite Kizer’s promise, if this offense is going to click, it needs to get the running game going.  Isaiah Crowell had just 33 yards in the opener, averaging less than 2 yards per carry, and the team had just 57 yards total.  The game only gets harder when Kenny Britt, the purported replacement for Terrelle Pryor, is dropping passes, like he did on a key third down last week.  Rookie David Njoku did snag a couple passes, and fellow tight end Seth DeValve emerged as trusted target for Kizer, but the receiving core really needs to step up and aid in Kizer’s development.  

Q:  Thoughts on the D holding the Steelers to 14 points?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I hate to play the “yeah, but” game, but if not for truly scrumtrulescent Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh was doing nothing on offense.  If you take away his numbers, the Steelers had just 81 yards passing.  And Le’Veon Bell was a nonfactor.  The D also held tough on a couple of key short-yard situations and picked off Big Ben on the goal line.  I truly believe this is the beginning of a defense that will get Browns fans barking again.
     
Big$:  My thoughts can be summed up in 2 words: Carl Nassib. Dude gets after it, I'm expecting more improvement from him over the next couple of weeks and then the big 9 and 1/2 sack game against the Bungles.

Q:  Vegas still isn't impressed. Browns were 9 point dogs last week and now 8 points against the Ravens? Do they cover? Could they win?

Big$:  Several times a year I sit in wonder at just how accurate the odds-makers out west are. The 8 point spread is about right especially if you're looking to lure the easily excitable Browns faithful into laying their mortgage on the Brown and Orange. With that said, anybody know a bookie????

K-Dubs, the Soldier: Take the points.  The Ravens defense forced 5 turnovers and registered 5 sacks in a 20-0 shutout of the hapless Bengals in the opener, and they will be taking on a rookie QB in Kizer.  No doubt, the offense will have some tough sledding on Sunday.  Baltimore’s offense, though, gained just 268 total yards, with only 111 yards in the air.  If the Browns could play the Steelers offense as strong as they did last week, I like their chances of bottling up a Ravens team that has Cleveland-reject Terrance West as its featured back.   

Q: Final question: Who is going to be missed more this season Terrelle Pryor or Kyrie Irving?

Big$:  Oh man, this rips me to the core. I can't imagine how beneficial TP would’ve been to Kizer's development, but he is outta site outta mind in "R word" football purgatory. Kyrie, on the other hand, will be in our face on the regular as a member of our closest conference rival. Therefore, the reluctant answer I must give is Uncle Drew. 

Baver's Buckeye Bag - Picking Through Oklahoma Debris and Army

Listen to Baver Friday Mornings at 7:40 am on CD1025 and follow @baverbuckeyebag

Colin: Ok, it's the question that's been asked a million times, a million different ways, but here goes: Oklahoma puts 10 guys on the line with one safety and we cannot complete a down field pass. This should be like shooting fish in a barrel. What the hell?

Baver: It’s several things… JT’s inaccuracy, JT not trusting his WRs, the WRs inability to get open, and the offensive game plan. There are HUGE problems with JT and the WRs, no doubt about it. And OSU’s all-time leading passer in several categories may soon find a seat on the bench. But the offense we saw Saturday night is still Urban’s…”same as it ever was…same as it ever was”. And the video on Eleven Warrior’s Ramzy Nasrallah’s Twitter Feed linked here >https://twitter.com/ramzy/status/906929593671712768 shows OU free safety Will Johnson knowing the precise rout Parris Campbell would run before Campbell even ran it. This is mind-boggling. But back to your comment about Oklahoma selling out to stop the run. Ohio State still ran the ball well, getting 101 yards off 16 carries between Dobbins and Weber. Why did they only have 16 combined carries? This is an Urban thing, and the extended 5 ½ year honeymoon officially ended for Urban this past Saturday.

Colin: Teams have adjusted to stop J.T. Barrett. The offensive numbers against Michigan, Clemson and Oklahoma are brutal. Let alone the fact Watson and Mayfield completely out played our QB. That is not the recipe for success. Is there any hope of a J.T. revival?

Baver: I was one of JT’s biggest supporters, and finally started to jump ship after re-watching the Indiana game. After watching the Oklahoma game twice, I have little hope for him. As mentioned before, it’s certainly not all JT’s fault, but his confidence is shot, reminding me a lot of Todd Boeckman’s downward spiral in 2008. If Urban sticks with JT, I will still root my ass off for him and hope I’m wrong.

Colin: Meanwhile, the defense hasn't exactly been kicking ass and taking names either. What do you see on that side of the ball?

Baver: The D-line is still fine, actually better than fine. The back-7 was horrendous Saturday. Losing Raekwon McMillian has hurt way more than I thought it would. Worley looked lost all night against OU, and preseason All-American Jerome Baker looked lost as well. I never saw this coming….not thinking a Greg Schiano defense would get shredded at any point this season. Damon Arnette making huge strides in the offseason? Not. JUCO transfer Kendall Sheffield the next great OSU corner? Far from it, so far. And the safeties appeared to be out of position much of the evening as Baker Mayfield carved up the entire back-7.

Colin: Does anything that happens against Army this weekend matter at all?

Baver: Who knows, maybe JT gets some confidence back, or maybe we get a look at Burrow or Haskins, possibly even in the first half. I loved how Jim Tressel bent over backwards to salute Navy when they came here, but actually playing these service academies is not good for your team. Gotta hope the Bucks avoid injuries facing Army’s blocking schemes, specifically cut blocks. And you have to spend all kinds of time stopping an offense you won’t see again during the season. Urban said they spent time in August preparing for Army, noting that you can’t play that kind of option attack with only one week of preparation. I do think however, that OSU covers the 30-pt spread in similar fashion to how they covered late against Indiana. I look for 4 or 5 second half Buckeye TDs after the Black Knights run out of gas. The call: 48-14 Ohio State.

Colin: What other games and lines will you be keeping an eye on this weekend?

Baver: Give me Tom Herman in the underdog roll every time….as the Longhorns visit USC in the Coliseum. Should be a good game, and I’ll gladly take Texas and the 16 pts there. USC made me pay last week, but I’ll try again. And I will stick with Oklahoma St again this week, laying 13 ½ pts at Pittsburgh. Seems like a lot of points on the road, but I’m still not convinced anyone outside of Alabama can slow down the Ok State offense. And I like Clemson -3 at Louisville, even though they are in a letdown spot after their win over Gus’ Auburn Tigers. Clemson is still loaded and I think will be too much for Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals.

Return of the North Coast Posse. Browns v Steelers

@Northcoastposse are considered a Top 5 twitter follow by the real Cleveland Browns.

Q:  Before diving into the upcoming Browns season, everybody is talking about the big beef between you guys and Bomani Jones in the off season. What happened there?

Big$: Well, it appears I was just peripheral damage in the Bomani Jones scandal. The real beef began on a trip Mr. Jones made to Columbus. He encountered an "over saturated" Ben Galli at the 4 String taproom and they engaged in a heated two-and-a-half hour debate over who is better: Avery Bradley or Kentavious Caldwell Pope (we at Pencilstorm sports all support KCP). The argument ended with B. Galli reminding Bo that he was replaced on air in Big 10 country by an SEC talk show. Since then he has had an online axe to grind with p.storm.

Q:  So it looks like we are starting the Kizer era. What are your expectations on this offense?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I think Kizer was a steal as a third-round pick in this year’s draft.  He has a strong arm and moves well in the pocket.  At least in the preseason, he did not show the happy-footed tendency of many young quarterbacks to tuck the ball and run when the first or second option is not open.  He keeps his eyes down field, but he still has the mobility to make a play with his legs when needed.  The two most promising things about him so far are his ability to deliver the ball on the money and throw receivers open, and, according to all reports, he is putting in the study time outside of practice to master Coach Jackson’s offense.   

The Browns also made solid investments in the line, signing center JC Tretter and right guard Kevin Zeitler to help protect Kizer.  Like with any young QB, the Browns will likely focus on running the ball and the new additions to the front five should help with that, as well.   

Big$:  My expectations for the offense would be much higher if TP was here to act as a playmaking crutch for Deshone.  I think the aggressive defense will be exciting, however it's also going to make some mistakes which will leave the O playing catch up. Im not sure this group is ready for that.

Q:  Since we money-balled T Pryor out of town, does this team have the necessary wide outs to help the rookie quarterback?

Big$:  As I've already mentioned, I'm mourning the TP loss. I think Corey Coleman has some playmaking ability, but between Ricardo Louis and Sammie Coates there are some serious hands issues. Last time I checked, catching is kind of important as a receiver. I’m concerned about this current crop and am already penciling in that monster we just saw from Indiana University (Simmie Cobbs) in as a Browns draft pick in the near future.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  This is the biggest question mark for the team as a whole.  The receiver unit has yet to show the ability to separate from coverage consistently.  Coach Jackson is going to have to scheme hard to open up the offense.  

Q: What should we expect from the 2017 Browns defense led by new psychotic DC Gregg Williams?

Big$: Well, expectations have to change with the news that Myles Garrett is out for about four weeks with a high ankle sprain. However, I believe that will give them a chance to highlight the secret weapon, aka Carl Nassib. I really expect him to shine, as well as his other Big 10 brethren, Joe Schobert, who is now starting at middle linebacker. As a group, I expect to see tenacity which will be fun to watch, but I also expect the aggressive exuberance to lead to mistakes and missed assignments. Growing pains, but exciting growing pains.

K-Dubs, the Soldier: Expect a lot of improvement on the defensive side of the ball.  Williams is known for his aggressive, attacking style of defense.  In the preseason, the most promising result I saw from Williams’ influence was that the defensive backs are making tackles at, and sometimes behind, the line of scrimmage.  Better support from the corners and safeties against the run should lessen the times the Browns get gashed outside the tackles, which has plagued them in the last few years.  With last week’s releases of fan-favorite Joe Haden (for financial reasons) and offseason acquisition Calvin Pryor (for fighting a teammate), though, they are thin at DB.  So hopefully Williams’ scheme won’t subject that unit to fatigue and injury.  Also, the Browns have built more quality depth on the defensive front.  Once Myles Garrett and Danny Shelton return from injury, I think the sack numbers will go up and the opponent’s third-down conversion rate will drop.

Is Jabrill Peppers already the best player on this defense?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Not even.  He is a nice addition, and he has ball-hawking skills a la Troy Palomalu or the Honey Badger, but his biggest impact this year should be on special teams.  The Browns have been hurting in the return game since Josh Cribbs left town.  The inability to flip field position on a big return, or even field a punt consistently, has certainly contributed to some of the many losses the Browns have suffered in the last few years.  Peppers has an explosiveness that should improve the average starting field position for this young offense.  That said, he should be a solid, regular presence in the defensive backfield, but he still ranks behind Shelton and Garrett, and linebackers Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey.

Big$:  I don't think Peppers has unseated Collins as the best player on the D......yet. He has definitely shown the propensity for electric playmaking already and I can't wait to see him get after it.

Q:  Is Myles Garrett ready to live up to his #1 overall hype?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  Yep … so long as he stays healthy.  Garrett is a physical freak born to smash QBs and he has shown he can play the run down the line of scrimmage.  No matter what happens with other top-5 draft picks from this year’s draft, the Browns could not pass on this dude.  He is already starting and was making plays in the preseason.

Q:  Who else on this team do you expect to have an impact?

Big$:  I literally believe that new center JC Tretter will be the most impactful player on the team. It's not a sexy pick but all you have to do is track Alex Mack's last few years for how important JC may be. I also think Cam Erving's absence will be quite impactful.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I think this roster simply has more impact players overall compared to the last few years, but I expect breakout seasons from Schobert, who is a playmaker at middle linebacker, and Emmanuel Ogbah at defensive end.  

Q:  If the Browns could upset the Steelers in week one, would that make the season a success?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  In Trump-anese, “It would be yooouuuuuugggeee.”    That would really set the momentum in the right direction and could precipitate more early wins, but a single victory against Pittsburgh wouldn’t make the season a success in and of itself.  

Q:  Vegas has the Browns at 4.5 wins. Do you like the over or under?

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  The NCP has nailed this question the last few years.  With games against the Jets, Jags, Bears, Chargers, and a Week 3 game against the Colts, which will likely still be missing Andrew Luck, I am feeling the over in 2017.

Big$:  I'm a Browns fan, I always take the under.

Baver's Buckeye Bag / Buckeyes vs Sooners - by Brent Baver

Every week of the college football season, Pencilstorm Buckeye guru answers our questions and yours. Follow and shoot him questions @baverbuckeyebag

Colin: Last year, a young OSU team went on the road and blew the doors off the Sooners in what turned out to be the Bucks best downfield passing performance of the year. Since then, tape shows serious flaws in JT and the company's ability to vertically stretch the field. Have we solved this issue or could the Okies stack the box and cause us big trouble?

Baver: I’ve been sticking up for JT for a long time, but after re-watching the 1st half of the Indiana game, it’s pretty clear that JT’s accuracy issues are still glaring. Hell, you even had Indiana’s head coach (Tom Allen) referring to Barrett as “….a QB that’s not that accurate”. Ouch. I thought JT looked better in the 2nd half, but even most of the short completions in the 1st half weren’t really on the mark. To be fair, Barrett’s WR’s aren’t helping the vertical threat much at all. If I’m Mike Stoops and Oklahoma, I’m definitely stacking the box, and challenging Barrett and OSU’s so-called Zone 6 to beat me.

Colin: Along those lines, could the Bucks be over-confident after the easy W last year and be primed for a Va Tech style surprise / slaughter?

Baver: Overconfidence is something I haven’t heard brought up this week, but it’s a valid concern, especially with 20-year old kids that are only a year removed from that easy W.

Colin: Dobbins impressed at RB, but is it a good sign that a freshman could start on a potential National Championship contender? Is his ceiling higher than Weber’s? 

Baver: I was taking a wait and see approach with Dobbins, so I waited….and I saw. I think the question now is, “How can you not start him?” Yeah, JKD’s upside is ridiculous.

Colin: What did you like and dislike about the team's performance at Bloomington?

Baver: We talked about Barrett’s accuracy problems. Obviously the OSU cornerbacks could have played much better, but I think they will be fine in the long run. I think all aspects of Ohio St’s kicking game looked suspect. As far as likes, I still think you give credit where credit is due, with the things JTB does do well. The guy remained extremely poised despite OSU being down for much of the game. He was a very effective runner, like he always is. And he played better when the game was on the line, another thing JT almost always does. Other likes? The O-line looked improved and of course JK Dobbins is going to be special.

Colin: Do you think Mayfield and Co. will find similar success to the Hoosiers picking on our young cornerbacks? 

Baver: Mayfield is going to have success in different ways. He won’t have a 6’5”, 220-pound Simmie Cobb to abuse OSU corners, but Mayfield is way more mobile than Richard Lagow, and he likely won’t make the stupid mistakes Lagow eventually always makes. I think you’ll see Mayfield be much more successful Saturday night than he was a year ago, and TE Mark Andrews will be his main target.

Colin: How do you see the Buckeyes winning this game and what scenario should make us the nervous?

Baver: Gotta admit, I am backtracking from comments I made on CD102.5 the morning after the Indiana game. I tend to think Ohio State gets the W Saturday night, but I’m not so sure. If the OSU offense produces zero vertical threat whatsoever, then they are probably in trouble. Oklahoma has no doubt spent countless hours working on the things they didn’t do well a year ago against Ohio St. Mark Andrews is the best pass catching TE in the nation, and he worries me more than anything else, I’d say. Ultimately, I think OSU will again get things going late this week, will make enough big plays on defense, and will mix things up enough on O to get it done. I like Ohio State 35-31.

Colin: What other games and lines will you be keeping an eye on this week?

Baver: One week doesn’t make a season, but Oklahoma State’s offense is sick. They should have been on my sleeper list that you asked me about last week. I think they roll on the road at South Alabama Friday night. So OK Lite is the play there IMO, laying the 28 ½. And I like Stanford catching 6 on the road at USC – should be a tight game, and Stanford may simply be the better football team. My picks against the spread on the OSU games continue to be red hot, but I am struggling to play .500 on other games as of late.