Daily Bullets (Oct. 3): Prepping for Tech’s QB, Bryce Thompson Update

John Smith landed the top recruit in the 2020 class last night – the rich get richer.

Bullets Rundown

• Minimizing Tech’s running QB
• Bryce Thompson update
• Chuba by the numbers

OSU Bullets

• As the Pokes get ready to play Texas Tech this weekend, preparation is all about making their quarterback not effective.

“It’s just like if we were preparing for Spencer Sanders,” (Tre) Sterling continued accounting for (Tech quarterback Jett) Duffey and his ability to run the football. “We’ve seen it all winter, all spring and all fall camp. We’re just focusing on not getting out-leveraged by anybody. That’s really the main key to stopping the quarterback from getting past us.” [GoPokes]

It’s reasonable to assume that either Duffey lacks the long ball that Sanders does or some of the breakaway speed. But either way, a running quarterback is upon us.

• Here’s a Bryce Thompson-recruitment update – he’s cancelling some visits.

He has also visited North Carolina, Texas unofficially, and now a change in his schedule as he will not make the originally planned official visits to Arkansas and Michigan State in October.

Bryce’s father Rod Thompson, told us Sunday night that the schedule had changed and that they were backing off taking those visits. He implied an unofficial visit might happen to Arkansas, but Michigan State was a little far away and the recruiting situation looked like it was narrowing in scope for Bryce. [GoPokes]

I’m no Kyle Boone but I like thinning the field a bit and think that means something for the Cowboys’ odds. My greatest hope: I really don’t want to see Thompson go to OU.

• As we continue to marvel at the season Chuba Hubbard is having, here’s a look at what an analytics-based site says about his Heisman candidacy.

8. CHUBA HUBBARD, RB, OKLAHOMA STATE
From last week: +3
No running back is grading higher as Hubbard’s 87.6 rushing grade tops all FBS RBs with at least 65 carries. He’s gained a whopping 938 rushing yards, 284 more yards than the next-closest back as he’s gaining a massive 7.3 yards per carry despite leading the country in attempts. He’s scored 10 touchdowns and another 29 first-down runs while leading the nation with his 479 yards coming after contact.

He’s on pace to potentially break the national rushing record and if that pace continues, he’s certainly likely to pass Taylor on this list and make some noise in December. [PFF]

Let me repeat – “…on pace to potentially break the national rushing record…”

Have mercy.

• Super-recruit Cade Cunningham did an interview this week with Rivals

• SP+ has the Pokes by seven in Lubbock this weekend:

?? WEEK 6 SP+ PICKS ??

* Man, a lot of lines are REAL close to SP+ this week
* Michigan 26, Iowa 22 (gulp)
* Florida 28, Auburn 25
* Notre Dame 50, BGSU 4
* That Saturday evening slate is … light pic.twitter.com/hGPEQkHtVI

— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 2, 2019

Non-OSU Bullets

• Fascinating read on the pursuit of the impossible dream – happiness

• How to quickly build trust with anyone

• They’re tough to apply but I appreciate these two faith-based ideas of how to be a better parent

• “What the Brooklyn Nets will look like without KD” is just fun NBA reading – I really enjoy reading anything Chris Herring writes