The Tuesday Victory Bell

Good morning and welcome to your Tuesday Victory Bell. At bat – number-one – Bradley. Roby.

The sophomore standout cornerback, who spent a good portion of his true freshman season overshadowing junior counterpart Travis Howard, has earned the honor of switching his freshman #25 to the more prestigious #1 left behind by Boom Herron. In the college ranks that’s a number that must be earned and then carried with high regard, as you don’t normally walk on campus as a freshman, snag the ace, and roll with it for four years. Roby undoubtedly had to earn it specifically from his cornerbacks coach, Kerry Coombs. The Ozone’s Brandon Castel noted earlier this week that, “A number of DB’s were angling for the #1 jersey, but it was something that had to be earned.” Pay close attention to the verbiage Roby chose to announce the change as well, stating that he ‘graduated‘ from his old 25.

That said, Roby has much bigger plans than just donning the 1 on Saturdays. With the impact and impression he made as a freshman last season, even in a down year for the Buckeyes, smart money says continued progression from the youngster could land him as the next name on the list that caused Ohio State to earn the ‘Cornerback University’ monicker. For the record, I vote yes.

Alright, alright. Enough of the uni-watch.

BONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.

Haha! I’m no Brady Quinn!

Know what sucks? Slipping in the draft a year after being projected as a high lottery pick. Know what sucks worse? Going from that projection to a non-invite to this year’s NBA Draft, with league GM’s projecting you to be drafted at 15th or lower. Know what doesn’t suck? Proving all of those NBA blowhards wrong, just as you’ve done other talking heads throughout your entire basketball career.

Too heavy? Not athletic enough? Not as quick as he needs to be? Can’t jump high enough to succeed? Ask Jared Sullinger‘s two All-American awards if those factors held him back during his two years of college.

It was announced yesterday that Sully is not likely getting invited to the draft this Thursday night in New Jersey and will instead likely watch it from Columbus. While he never seems the egotistical I-guy, this has to have his XXL boxers in a wad, and rightfully so. The reports two weeks ago of Jared being ‘red flagged’ by NBA doctors, causing many teams to play hot potato with his name in their war room, may have been enough to further motivate the big man to succeed. But the Draft slight undoubtedly gets under his skin. That’s the day every young star looks for ward to, or focuses on earning. They want their name called. They want to walk across the stage. They want that NBA jersey handed to them by the NBA commish. Unfortunately Sully is going to miss out on that part – but it would be awfully short-sighted to count he or his earth moving booty out as far as future success. He seems to prove people wrong at every turn. I can’t see where this will be any different.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are big jerks

The Steelers announced yesterday that they have released former Ohio State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. The move leaves Pittsburgh with starter Ben Roethlisberger (insert inappropriate Big Ben joke here), Byron Leftwich and super-vet Charlie Batch, Vampire Hunter.

I can’t help but wonder what Troy’s career would have looked like if not for that stupid viral infection (!!!) he caught in 2008 just as he was about to enter the season as the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback. Instead, Joe Flacco slid into the spot as starter and has never looked back. Meanwhile Troy has gone from Heisman winner to chubby to Baltimore to San Francisco to Pittsburgh to jobless. It’s likely he’ll get picked up by another team before the 2012 season gets under way – or worst case scenario in mid-season – but his hopes of being an NFL starter are probably now behind him, leaving Terrelle Pryor as our lone, current NFL quarterback hope. Wut?

Charlie Batch. Seriously.

U!S!A! U!S!A! U!S!Erbia?

Former Ohio State swimmer/B1G champion/team captain George Markovic became the 10th Buckeye to punch a ticket to the 2012 Summer Olympics and will represent his native Serbia when the games get underway on July 27th. Markovic was a 2010 NCAA All-American for the Buckeyes and will e competing in the 400-meter free style in London.

Ever heard of the Morning Swim? Me either, but the dude’s name interviewing Markovic in this video is Peter Busch. That has to score some points somehow, but his TV skills are somewhere between none and the ‘Boom goes the dynamite‘ fella.

We here at The Empire want to wish Markovic the best of luck in London. Go. Serbia.

Final Thought

Asa. Hope. Is. HOT.