It's that time again! You know what time it is! Time is time! IT'S PUNT TIME! Yes, folks, it is that time for another edition of the Third Phase. Or as I like to call it, "Spend all day trying to think of writing a good intro." Powerful Purdue Punting Pickles Plucky Plentiful (P)Ohio (P)State…
It's that time again: Let's talk about punting! The Third Phase is back fulfilling your craving for collegiate punting content. Here are the storylines we're talking about this week. Headed for a Showdown Saturday night undoubtedly featured one of the best games of the season in Penn State versus Ohio State. We're talking about probably…
Good morning, and welcome to The Open Man in The Morning. Enjoy a selection of news from around the world of sports and entertainment to accompany your bagels and coffee. September Isn't Basketball Season The cliche "too much of a good thing" exists for a reason. Everything has a saturation point: The NFL reached it…
Urban Meyer, his suspension served, has returned to active duty. His first public act as reinstated coach at Ohio State was to hold an hour-long news conference Monday in Columbus. During this deserved inquisition, this piece of advice seemed apt: When you find yourself in a hole, put down the shovel. Meyer, though, kept digging.…
Welcome back, college football. No surprise that The Open Man Q& ahead of Week 0 focuses heavily on the gridiron, but here's why I love readers of this site so much: The questions touch on a wide range of different topics. Sleeper teams, service academies, Orange is the New Black; just a truly top-notch effort…
To a hungry man, even half a loaf is a feast. Those of us hungry for a definitive word out Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday had grumbling stomachs after an 11-hour wait. The board of trustees at Ohio State University – sorry, Buckeyes, from now on you’re no longer worthy of the “The” – finally were able…
Details from ESPN.com's investigative look at the "toxic culture" fostered within Maryland football include allegations of: "humiliation;" physical abuse using food; and strength coach Rick Court essentially using weight equipment as weapons against players. The allegations are quite grim on their own. Add the most important and tragic detail -- 19-year-old offensive lineman Jordan McNair…
College football video games enjoyed a two-decade run predating the current, half-decade in which gamers have been without any options. The five-year anniversary since EA Sports last released its NCAA Football title elicited a number of eulogies this summer, the best of which was ESPN.com's feature on die-hards who remain committed to updating rosters and…
August brings real, live college football, and along with it the eager anticipation of ... well, real, live college football. Much like one might tune into an awful Christmas movie in early December -- because, hey, 'tis the season -- early August is prime-time for overselling the significance of otherwise worthless information. And the Amway…
UPDATED, Aug. 1: Independent journalist Brett McMurphy (formerly of ESPN) reports Urban Meyer may have known of the domestic violence allegations against Zach Smith in 2015. Text messages I have obtained, an exclusive interview w/the victim & other information I have learned shows Ohio State coach Urban Meyer knew in 2015 of domestic abuse allegations against…
Just a few years removed from the Mountain West Conference initiating an antitrust lawsuit against the Bowl Championship Series, and in the months following the most dubious BCS Championship Game in the system's history, college football's decision-makers adopted some form of playoff. The formal announcement came in the summer of 2012, with two seasons remaining…
So Your Humble Author went the lazy route of farming out content via social media engagement during the offseason lull posited an important question to the college football nation: Which chain restaurants most reflect the regional tastes of each Power Five conference? Based on not-at-all-established criteria, my nominations were as follows: ACC: Bojangles Based in…
The first games of the 2018 college football season kick off 129 days from today. To commemorate, The Open Man begins the countdown with 129 -- in honor of the 129 programs participating in the Football Bowl Subdivision this year -- things we love (and some we hate) about the sport. A motion picture's score…
The start of this college basketball season marked a 10-year anniversary that garnered little, if any fanfare. The 2007-08 campaign was the last in which 2K Studios, makers of the preeminent NBA video game title, produced their outstanding College Hoops 2k series. College basketball as a video game genre lasted another two years, but the…
The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner could emerge from relative obscurity. Such was the case for recent winners Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston, a pair of redshirt freshmen not even projected to start a year out from their inclusion in college football's most exclusive club. Lamar Jackson was a known commodity after the 2015 season, but…
