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LGHL Eboni Walker granted final year of eligibility, staying with Ohio State women’s basketball
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Eboni Walker granted final year of eligibility, staying with Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Walker’s return gives the Buckeyes veteran forward depth.
The transfer portal prompts questions about where players are going or staying. In the case of Ohio State women’s basketball, forward Eboni Walker was hoping for any eligibility at all. Wednesday, the forward announced on Instagram that she received another year of eligibility and is staying put with the Scarlet and Gray.
Questions arose about Walker earning another year of eligibility during the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season. Head coach Kevin McGuff shared that the team was looking into getting Walker a redshirt season for her lone year with the Syracuse Orange.
After playing two years at Arizona State, Walker transferred to Upstate New York in a tumultuous year for the program. After 15 seasons in charge of the Orange, head coach Quentin Hillsman resigned after accusations of verbal abuse by former players.
Walker transferred into Syracuse before 12 players on the roster transferred out. After six appearances in the 2021-22 season, where Walker never started but averaged 22 minutes, an injury took the forward out for the remainder of the campaign. The forward was on the bench on Dec. 21 when the Buckeyes traveled to Syracuse and lost in the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Following the season’s end, Walker transferred to Ohio State. After not playing for close to a year, Walker worked on her conditioning and the former Gatorade Nevada Basketball Player of the Year became a boost of energy off the bench for Coach McGuff.
By the end of the 2022-23 season, Walker was starting for the Buckeyes. At first, it was due to an ankle injury for starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. However, when the Slovakian forward returned to full health, Walker held onto her starting position through the end of the season, starting the last 11 games for the Scarlet and Gray.
However, the 2023-24 season saw Walker back on the bench. Starting only one game due to a Mikulášiková illness, the forward averaged 10.4 minutes per game in 23 appearances, down 5 minutes per game from her debut season in Columbus.
Then, in a 79-66 win against the Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 25, 2024, Walker left the game early and didn’t return. Walker wasn’t with the team when they lifted the Big Ten regular season title three days later and wasn’t seen again with the Scarlet and Gray publicly until the Selection Sunday NCAA Tournament announcement party on campus.
That’s when coach McGuff announced Walker’s return to the team following a three-game hiatus. Walker played two minutes in the NCAA Tournament against the Maine Black Bears. As the crowd began chanting “EBONI,” the Buckeyes made wholesale changes in the five on the court with a double-digit lead against Maine.
Now, Walker returns to a team that needs veteran forward depth. Following the end of the season, Mikulášiková and fellow forward Taiyier Parks both ended their NCAA careers. It left a gaping hole, especially if Walker was not granted an additional year.
With Walker’s additional season and the transfer of Kentucky Wildcats graduate senior Ajae Petty, Ohio State now has a strong pair to take up the No. 5 position for Coach McGuff. Plus a second season for center Faith Carson and the addition of freshmen Ella Hobbs and Elsa Lemmilä.
Petty joins Ohio State coming off a season where she averaged a double-double with a struggling Wildcats team. It’ll be some time before anyone sees which way McGuff goes, but now there are options to play alongside a potentially strong 2024-25 team. A team that includes the return of Taylor Thierry, Cotie McMahon, and Madison Greene; plus incoming top freshman guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge.
Walker’s return brings the Buckeyes roster to 14 for next season, leaving room for one more addition. Coach McGuff cited rebounding as an area needing improvement and the additions of Petty and Walker help. Oregon transfer Chance Gray helps the Buckeyes’ perimeter shooting, the other area McGuff hoped to shore up in the offseason.
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Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Walker’s return gives the Buckeyes veteran forward depth.
The transfer portal prompts questions about where players are going or staying. In the case of Ohio State women’s basketball, forward Eboni Walker was hoping for any eligibility at all. Wednesday, the forward announced on Instagram that she received another year of eligibility and is staying put with the Scarlet and Gray.
Questions arose about Walker earning another year of eligibility during the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season. Head coach Kevin McGuff shared that the team was looking into getting Walker a redshirt season for her lone year with the Syracuse Orange.
After playing two years at Arizona State, Walker transferred to Upstate New York in a tumultuous year for the program. After 15 seasons in charge of the Orange, head coach Quentin Hillsman resigned after accusations of verbal abuse by former players.
Walker transferred into Syracuse before 12 players on the roster transferred out. After six appearances in the 2021-22 season, where Walker never started but averaged 22 minutes, an injury took the forward out for the remainder of the campaign. The forward was on the bench on Dec. 21 when the Buckeyes traveled to Syracuse and lost in the ACC/B1G Challenge.
Following the season’s end, Walker transferred to Ohio State. After not playing for close to a year, Walker worked on her conditioning and the former Gatorade Nevada Basketball Player of the Year became a boost of energy off the bench for Coach McGuff.
By the end of the 2022-23 season, Walker was starting for the Buckeyes. At first, it was due to an ankle injury for starting forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. However, when the Slovakian forward returned to full health, Walker held onto her starting position through the end of the season, starting the last 11 games for the Scarlet and Gray.
However, the 2023-24 season saw Walker back on the bench. Starting only one game due to a Mikulášiková illness, the forward averaged 10.4 minutes per game in 23 appearances, down 5 minutes per game from her debut season in Columbus.
Then, in a 79-66 win against the Maryland Terrapins on Feb. 25, 2024, Walker left the game early and didn’t return. Walker wasn’t with the team when they lifted the Big Ten regular season title three days later and wasn’t seen again with the Scarlet and Gray publicly until the Selection Sunday NCAA Tournament announcement party on campus.
That’s when coach McGuff announced Walker’s return to the team following a three-game hiatus. Walker played two minutes in the NCAA Tournament against the Maine Black Bears. As the crowd began chanting “EBONI,” the Buckeyes made wholesale changes in the five on the court with a double-digit lead against Maine.
Now, Walker returns to a team that needs veteran forward depth. Following the end of the season, Mikulášiková and fellow forward Taiyier Parks both ended their NCAA careers. It left a gaping hole, especially if Walker was not granted an additional year.
With Walker’s additional season and the transfer of Kentucky Wildcats graduate senior Ajae Petty, Ohio State now has a strong pair to take up the No. 5 position for Coach McGuff. Plus a second season for center Faith Carson and the addition of freshmen Ella Hobbs and Elsa Lemmilä.
Petty joins Ohio State coming off a season where she averaged a double-double with a struggling Wildcats team. It’ll be some time before anyone sees which way McGuff goes, but now there are options to play alongside a potentially strong 2024-25 team. A team that includes the return of Taylor Thierry, Cotie McMahon, and Madison Greene; plus incoming top freshman guard recruit Jaloni Cambridge.
Walker’s return brings the Buckeyes roster to 14 for next season, leaving room for one more addition. Coach McGuff cited rebounding as an area needing improvement and the additions of Petty and Walker help. Oregon transfer Chance Gray helps the Buckeyes’ perimeter shooting, the other area McGuff hoped to shore up in the offseason.
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LGHL Where Ohio State has been, where its headed in the 2025 class
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Where Ohio State has been, where its headed in the 2025 class
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Former Ohio State targets are finding their own path.
Though spring football practice has concluded, it’s still a busy time for Ohio State. The quiet periods in recruiting are coming and going, but this group of coaches are all in on doing everything in their power to land the next great Buckeyes in the current 2025 cycle and beyond. Over the last few months, the fruits of their labor have shown in a major way, as this class sits atop the country per the 247Sports recruiting rankings.
With the transfer portal window once again open, Ohio State may even be recruiting their current roster and having real-life talks about certain guys’ futures. A non-stop grind, the Buckeyes have only lost two guys to the portal so far in this window, and while more may come in the near future, the trust this staff has earned the last few months should ease any worries.
Regardless, this roster is loaded with talent, and could even improve further before the first kickoff takes place. It should be a fun 2024 season for this Ohio State program.
Before Ohio State went all in on their current quarterback commit, Tavien St. Clair, it was thought that fellow Ohio native Ryan Montgomery would be the likely target to lead the 2025 class. The younger brother to current Buckeye offensive lineman Luke Montgomery, Ryan was the easy guess to be the guy for the Buckeyes with his ties and his abilities, but this staff saw something in St. Clair and focused on him from late fall and on.
Putting Montgomery in a situation where he would be looking elsewhere, Ohio State never fully shuts off the communication with an in-state recruit of his caliber, but certainly knew St. Clair was the top choice. After several visits the last few months, Montgomery made his commitment public when he announced his pledge to Georgia on Wednesday.
The No. 170 player nationally and the 14th best quarterback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Montgomery joins the Georgia class that sits at 11th in the overall class rankings. A Findlay, Ohio product, the nod to the Buckeye State for producing two of the top quarterbacks nationally is a welcomed aspect in today’s recruiting landscape. With so many players at the position coming from the West Coast and southeastern part of the country, seeing Ohio still able to pan out top talent is a pretty impressive feat.
Again, Ohio State has their guy and is completely sold on the attributes St. Clair brings to the table. Not to mention, he’s already one of the better recruiting leaders in the last few years considering how present he is on campus for other top target visit dates, and also how vocal he has been in peer recruiting of his own. The quarterback spot for 2025 with Ohio prospects is put to bed and set in place.
It wasn’t that long ago that Florida’s Jayvan Boggs was Ohio State’s lone receiver commit in the 2025 class. After re-opening his recruitment and hearing the intel on the situation, it seemed more like a mutual parting of ways between Boggs and Ohio State, as Jayvan still had desires to take visits and see other programs.
Typically not a real issue, as the staff likes guys to be fully committed and sure of their decision, the Buckeyes having several top receivers on their radar helps ease any loss Boggs would be. At any rate, when a player decommits from a school it’s not always likely that player continues his relationship with that staff, and in this case with Boggs that is the latest.
Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday to release a top schools list, Boggs included seven programs he is considering, and left Ohio State out of the mix. His new list of Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Notre Dame, Texas, USC, and UCF shows the Buckeyes are no longer on his mind — and that’s ok.
Ohio State has things cooking right now at the receiver spot, and while any loss to a recruiting class seems like a negative, there really can’t be much that hurts a position group like Brian Hartline’s receiver position considering who is leading the charge. Hartline has dominated on the trail since the moment he took over the room, and that’s not changing any time soon.
Set up for multiple top guys once again, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the more impressive classes.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Former Ohio State targets are finding their own path.
Though spring football practice has concluded, it’s still a busy time for Ohio State. The quiet periods in recruiting are coming and going, but this group of coaches are all in on doing everything in their power to land the next great Buckeyes in the current 2025 cycle and beyond. Over the last few months, the fruits of their labor have shown in a major way, as this class sits atop the country per the 247Sports recruiting rankings.
With the transfer portal window once again open, Ohio State may even be recruiting their current roster and having real-life talks about certain guys’ futures. A non-stop grind, the Buckeyes have only lost two guys to the portal so far in this window, and while more may come in the near future, the trust this staff has earned the last few months should ease any worries.
Regardless, this roster is loaded with talent, and could even improve further before the first kickoff takes place. It should be a fun 2024 season for this Ohio State program.
In-state QB commits to Georgia
Before Ohio State went all in on their current quarterback commit, Tavien St. Clair, it was thought that fellow Ohio native Ryan Montgomery would be the likely target to lead the 2025 class. The younger brother to current Buckeye offensive lineman Luke Montgomery, Ryan was the easy guess to be the guy for the Buckeyes with his ties and his abilities, but this staff saw something in St. Clair and focused on him from late fall and on.
Putting Montgomery in a situation where he would be looking elsewhere, Ohio State never fully shuts off the communication with an in-state recruit of his caliber, but certainly knew St. Clair was the top choice. After several visits the last few months, Montgomery made his commitment public when he announced his pledge to Georgia on Wednesday.
The No. 170 player nationally and the 14th best quarterback in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Montgomery joins the Georgia class that sits at 11th in the overall class rankings. A Findlay, Ohio product, the nod to the Buckeye State for producing two of the top quarterbacks nationally is a welcomed aspect in today’s recruiting landscape. With so many players at the position coming from the West Coast and southeastern part of the country, seeing Ohio still able to pan out top talent is a pretty impressive feat.
Again, Ohio State has their guy and is completely sold on the attributes St. Clair brings to the table. Not to mention, he’s already one of the better recruiting leaders in the last few years considering how present he is on campus for other top target visit dates, and also how vocal he has been in peer recruiting of his own. The quarterback spot for 2025 with Ohio prospects is put to bed and set in place.
Boggs sets top schools list showing
It wasn’t that long ago that Florida’s Jayvan Boggs was Ohio State’s lone receiver commit in the 2025 class. After re-opening his recruitment and hearing the intel on the situation, it seemed more like a mutual parting of ways between Boggs and Ohio State, as Jayvan still had desires to take visits and see other programs.
Typically not a real issue, as the staff likes guys to be fully committed and sure of their decision, the Buckeyes having several top receivers on their radar helps ease any loss Boggs would be. At any rate, when a player decommits from a school it’s not always likely that player continues his relationship with that staff, and in this case with Boggs that is the latest.
Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday to release a top schools list, Boggs included seven programs he is considering, and left Ohio State out of the mix. His new list of Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Notre Dame, Texas, USC, and UCF shows the Buckeyes are no longer on his mind — and that’s ok.
Ohio State has things cooking right now at the receiver spot, and while any loss to a recruiting class seems like a negative, there really can’t be much that hurts a position group like Brian Hartline’s receiver position considering who is leading the charge. Hartline has dominated on the trail since the moment he took over the room, and that’s not changing any time soon.
Set up for multiple top guys once again, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the more impressive classes.
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LGHL B1G Thoughts: Ranking the Big Ten football coaches for the 2024 season
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B1G Thoughts: Ranking the Big Ten football coaches for the 2024 season
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
It’s the ranking season, so let’s rank Big Ten Coaches going into the 2024 season.
Every week after the Big Ten games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. With the Big Ten expanding from 14 teams to 18 teams in 2024 this article will also include the newest members, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington. Check out the “I-80 Football Show” for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
It’s the off-season which means it’s talking season. All of your favorite and most hated analysts, Twitter “gurus” and fans spend weeks arguing and ranking any and everything. So why not join in, this is my 2024 edition of the Big Ten rankings. I did this in 2023 but please don’t reference it because I didn’t and therefore have no idea what I said and can not be held liable for any changes.
While it’s not official until later this summer the Big Ten is expanding to 18 teams which means even more coaches to rank and create a stir on social media. In my opinion, this ranking is one of the hardest to do because for starters there are not nearly as many bad coaches in the conference as there have been previously. If you follow me or listen to my podcast you’ll know I’ve been leading the charge to fire bad coaches and almost everyone on my list has been axed, I’m still coming for you, Kirk.
The 2024 version of the Big Ten includes two first-time head coaches Sherrone Moore and DeShaun Foster. Two coaches entering their second year as coaches Ryan Walters and David Braun, as well as five experienced coaches who are either first or second-year coaches at their Big Ten school in Jedd Fisch, Jonathan Smith, Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti, and Luke Fickell. Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley have been at USC and Oregon respectively for two seasons but their third season will be their first in the Big Ten. This is a long way to say the Big Ten is influx and regardless of their level of confidence or how loud they scream it, no one knows anything about these coaches entering 2024.
Yet… it’s no fun to not rank them! I have no problem being wrong or putting my opinion to paper so let’s do it. Here are my rankings for the 2024 Big Ten Coaches as well as some of my thoughts on a few coaches.
Oregon fans are one of the loudest fan bases on my timeline and will ultimately have a major issue with Dan Lanning being seven so let’s get this out of the way. I think Lanning is a good coach with a lot of potential. I think he has the best chance of anyone to jump Ryan Day and earn the spot as the best coach in the Big Ten. He is young, charismatic, can cut a promo that would make the WWE proud, and is an aggressive recruiter. All of that can be true but it’s also true that he has only been a coach for two seasons and has lost all the important games he’s played. He lost to Georgia which shouldn’t be held against him but he’s also 0-3 against Washington including 0-2 in 2023 with a PAC-12 championship and a spot in the CFB Playoff on the line.
Bret Bielema has three Big Ten championships with Wisconsin and is in the process of turning around a historically bad program with half the resources of Oregon. Cignetti has won multiple FCS national championships and went 19-4 at James Madison. Luke Fickell went undefeated in back-to-back seasons at Cincy and brought a G5 team to the playoffs. Oregon plays Illinois and Wisconsin this year and I’m going to pick them to win both games but I can’t justify putting Lanning over proven winners who have done it in the Big Ten or at multiple schools at multiple levels.
This is simple, James Franklin could go 19-8 in two years at USC in the PAC-12. I don’t think Riley could go 21-5 the last two seasons at Penn State in the Big Ten East. To be clear, with Riley’s last two rosters, I’d bet my next paycheck that Franklin would win the conference and make the playoffs. If Franklin has Caleb Williams at Penn State he probably wins the Big Ten last year. Riley is a good coach, Day, Riley, and Franklin all have issues when it comes to winning big games, especially against other top 5 programs but Franklin won at Vanderbilt and brought Penn State out of harsh sanctions while Riley went 7-6 with the soon to be no. one pick Caleb Williams didn’t win a conference title or make the playoffs either.
Kirk may be better than the ninth-best coach in the conference but he refuses to develop an offense, had to be forced to fire his nepo baby son, and was in the Big Ten West. It’s hard to give credit to a guy who is winning despite himself. He also has had no real success against any Big Ten East team which also counts in his legacy.
I struggled with Braun because you could argue going 8-5 at Northwestern was the best coaching job in the country last season. Especially when you consider the state of the program when he received it and the fact that Northwestern is facing multiple lawsuits from athletes in various sports regarding hazing and racial discrimination. I predicted Northwestern would win one game last semester and he won eight. Still, it was one season and the Big Ten is about to get harder, I’m rooting for him to do it again though!
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
It’s the ranking season, so let’s rank Big Ten Coaches going into the 2024 season.
Every week after the Big Ten games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. With the Big Ten expanding from 14 teams to 18 teams in 2024 this article will also include the newest members, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington. Check out the “I-80 Football Show” for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
It’s the off-season which means it’s talking season. All of your favorite and most hated analysts, Twitter “gurus” and fans spend weeks arguing and ranking any and everything. So why not join in, this is my 2024 edition of the Big Ten rankings. I did this in 2023 but please don’t reference it because I didn’t and therefore have no idea what I said and can not be held liable for any changes.
While it’s not official until later this summer the Big Ten is expanding to 18 teams which means even more coaches to rank and create a stir on social media. In my opinion, this ranking is one of the hardest to do because for starters there are not nearly as many bad coaches in the conference as there have been previously. If you follow me or listen to my podcast you’ll know I’ve been leading the charge to fire bad coaches and almost everyone on my list has been axed, I’m still coming for you, Kirk.
The 2024 version of the Big Ten includes two first-time head coaches Sherrone Moore and DeShaun Foster. Two coaches entering their second year as coaches Ryan Walters and David Braun, as well as five experienced coaches who are either first or second-year coaches at their Big Ten school in Jedd Fisch, Jonathan Smith, Matt Rhule, Curt Cignetti, and Luke Fickell. Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley have been at USC and Oregon respectively for two seasons but their third season will be their first in the Big Ten. This is a long way to say the Big Ten is influx and regardless of their level of confidence or how loud they scream it, no one knows anything about these coaches entering 2024.
Yet… it’s no fun to not rank them! I have no problem being wrong or putting my opinion to paper so let’s do it. Here are my rankings for the 2024 Big Ten Coaches as well as some of my thoughts on a few coaches.
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Oregon fans are one of the loudest fan bases on my timeline and will ultimately have a major issue with Dan Lanning being seven so let’s get this out of the way. I think Lanning is a good coach with a lot of potential. I think he has the best chance of anyone to jump Ryan Day and earn the spot as the best coach in the Big Ten. He is young, charismatic, can cut a promo that would make the WWE proud, and is an aggressive recruiter. All of that can be true but it’s also true that he has only been a coach for two seasons and has lost all the important games he’s played. He lost to Georgia which shouldn’t be held against him but he’s also 0-3 against Washington including 0-2 in 2023 with a PAC-12 championship and a spot in the CFB Playoff on the line.
Bret Bielema has three Big Ten championships with Wisconsin and is in the process of turning around a historically bad program with half the resources of Oregon. Cignetti has won multiple FCS national championships and went 19-4 at James Madison. Luke Fickell went undefeated in back-to-back seasons at Cincy and brought a G5 team to the playoffs. Oregon plays Illinois and Wisconsin this year and I’m going to pick them to win both games but I can’t justify putting Lanning over proven winners who have done it in the Big Ten or at multiple schools at multiple levels.
Lincoln Riley, USC
This is simple, James Franklin could go 19-8 in two years at USC in the PAC-12. I don’t think Riley could go 21-5 the last two seasons at Penn State in the Big Ten East. To be clear, with Riley’s last two rosters, I’d bet my next paycheck that Franklin would win the conference and make the playoffs. If Franklin has Caleb Williams at Penn State he probably wins the Big Ten last year. Riley is a good coach, Day, Riley, and Franklin all have issues when it comes to winning big games, especially against other top 5 programs but Franklin won at Vanderbilt and brought Penn State out of harsh sanctions while Riley went 7-6 with the soon to be no. one pick Caleb Williams didn’t win a conference title or make the playoffs either.
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Kirk may be better than the ninth-best coach in the conference but he refuses to develop an offense, had to be forced to fire his nepo baby son, and was in the Big Ten West. It’s hard to give credit to a guy who is winning despite himself. He also has had no real success against any Big Ten East team which also counts in his legacy.
David Braun, Northwestern
I struggled with Braun because you could argue going 8-5 at Northwestern was the best coaching job in the country last season. Especially when you consider the state of the program when he received it and the fact that Northwestern is facing multiple lawsuits from athletes in various sports regarding hazing and racial discrimination. I predicted Northwestern would win one game last semester and he won eight. Still, it was one season and the Big Ten is about to get harder, I’m rooting for him to do it again though!
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LGHL You’re Nuts: What is getting you through the summer until Ohio State football returns?
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You’re Nuts: What is getting you through the summer until Ohio State football returns?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
On Saturday we saw Ohio State wrap up their spring practices with the annual spring game. Now comes a lull in the athletic calendar. No disrespect to baseball, softball, and all the other spring sports but they don’t move the needle in terms of attention compared to football and basketball. With not as much attention being paid to Ohio State sports from mid-April till mid-August, it gives Buckeye fans a chance to step away a bit and recharge their batteries.
Today we want to know what is going to get you through the spring & summer until Ohio State football starts back up. Luckily here in Columbus, there are plenty of sporting events on the schedule over the next few months. Not only is there The Memorial Tournament up at Muirfield in June, but there will be plenty of Columbus Crew matches, as well as the MLS All-Star Game. Also, we can’t forget about the Columbus Clippers and some of their famous dime-a-dog nights. Elsewhere around Ohio, there are Reds and Guardians games, SummerSlam in Cleveland in early August, and professional tennis tournaments down near Cincinnati.
For some people, the best way to get ready for the football season is to step away from sports fandom completely. For those people, the best way to unwind might be traveling, going to music concerts and festivals, or just spending time with friends and family. Everybody has their own interests and likes, so there is no wrong answer when it comes to how you spend your time outside of being an Ohio State sports fan.
This summer is going to be huge for soccer in Columbus. Not only are the Columbus Crew the defending MLS champs, but they’ll be hosting the MLS All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars in July, as well as a friendly against English Premier League side Aston Villa shortly after. While tickets for the MLS All-Star Game likely won’t come cheap, those in attendance will have a chance to see some of the best players in the MLS and Liga MX in Mexico.
Since I’m a Chelsea FC supporter, what I’m looking forward to most this summer is the friendly between Manchester City and Chelsea at Ohio Stadium. I was there a decade ago when PSG and Real Madrid played at The Horseshoe and I wasn’t even a fan of either squad, I was just happy to see soccer being played at the iconic venue. In a perfect world, Ohio Stadium would be a host site for the World Cup in 2026 but I know that isn’t a possibility because the field isn’t quite big enough to accommodate a soccer pitch. The requirements aren’t quite as strict for a soccer friendly. Really the big clubs on tours of the United States before their domestic seasons begin are just looking for venues where they can bring in the most fans.
When it comes to Chelsea, over the last few years the club hasn’t been as strong as they had been over the last 20 years. There has been a change in ownership, along with a number of managers that have failed to produce. I’m sure nobody is going to feel sorry for me because of the way Chelsea has spent money in the past. Honestly, I became a Chelsea fan while drunkenly playing FIFA with friends during my teenage years. This was back when the Premier League was rarely on television in the United States. Now you can see every game on NBC, USA, or Peacock.
I’m not only excited to see Cole Palmer and the rest of the Chelsea players, I’m also pumped to see all the stars Manchester City has on their roster. It’s not often when teams stocked with world-class players come to Columbus, so I’ll take every advantage I can to see them when they do. Plus, while we won’t see both squads playing their most popular players for a full 90 minutes since they are building towards the start of the season a few weeks later, we should at least see them for a decent amount of time on the pitch. It should be a great night under the lights in early August at Ohio Stadium!
My Ohio State fandom is inextricably tied to the fact that I grew up as the son of two Ohio State alums. Long before I became an Ohio State student, there was no doubt that I would bleed scarlet and gray for the entirety of my life. However, during the summer months, that scarlet blood does warm up a little bit and turns are particularly attractive shade of red.
Even though both of my parents were raised in Central Ohio, they came of age in the era of the Big Red Machine, so just as I was taught to root for the Buckeyes from birth, my love of the Cincinnati Reds was also part and parcel with being a member of my family. So, as the football offseason is now officially upon us, it is time for me to turn at least one eye toward the happenings at Great American Ballpark.
Despite getting swept by the Seattle Mariners earlier this week, the Reds are currently just 2.5 games out of first place in the NL Central, perhaps the most competitive division in all of baseball. They are also 1.5 games out of one of the NL Wild Card spots. Of course, it is only April, so those standings don’t mean anything, but after the excitement generated by the Rally Reds in 2023, the start to the 2024 season has been gratifying.
Led by guys like Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, Hunter Green, Alexis Díaz, and more, the youth on the team means that there will continue to be some growing pains — as evidenced by the trip to the Pacific Northwest — but they are incredibly competitive and resilient.
I always used to say that all I cared about was the Reds staying in the hunt until August when the Buckeyes’ fall camp started, and then everything that they did in the final months of the season was a bonus. But I’m starting to think differently about this team. With the expanded Wild Card situation and all of the young talent, I really think that this team can make some noise in the postseason, so I’m hoping to have to split my sports attention between the Reds and the Buckeyes deep into the fall.
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
On Saturday we saw Ohio State wrap up their spring practices with the annual spring game. Now comes a lull in the athletic calendar. No disrespect to baseball, softball, and all the other spring sports but they don’t move the needle in terms of attention compared to football and basketball. With not as much attention being paid to Ohio State sports from mid-April till mid-August, it gives Buckeye fans a chance to step away a bit and recharge their batteries.
Today we want to know what is going to get you through the spring & summer until Ohio State football starts back up. Luckily here in Columbus, there are plenty of sporting events on the schedule over the next few months. Not only is there The Memorial Tournament up at Muirfield in June, but there will be plenty of Columbus Crew matches, as well as the MLS All-Star Game. Also, we can’t forget about the Columbus Clippers and some of their famous dime-a-dog nights. Elsewhere around Ohio, there are Reds and Guardians games, SummerSlam in Cleveland in early August, and professional tennis tournaments down near Cincinnati.
For some people, the best way to get ready for the football season is to step away from sports fandom completely. For those people, the best way to unwind might be traveling, going to music concerts and festivals, or just spending time with friends and family. Everybody has their own interests and likes, so there is no wrong answer when it comes to how you spend your time outside of being an Ohio State sports fan.
Today’s question: What is going to get you through the summer until Ohio State football returns in August?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: The Manchester City/Chelsea friendly at Ohio Stadium
This summer is going to be huge for soccer in Columbus. Not only are the Columbus Crew the defending MLS champs, but they’ll be hosting the MLS All-Star Game against the Liga MX All-Stars in July, as well as a friendly against English Premier League side Aston Villa shortly after. While tickets for the MLS All-Star Game likely won’t come cheap, those in attendance will have a chance to see some of the best players in the MLS and Liga MX in Mexico.
Since I’m a Chelsea FC supporter, what I’m looking forward to most this summer is the friendly between Manchester City and Chelsea at Ohio Stadium. I was there a decade ago when PSG and Real Madrid played at The Horseshoe and I wasn’t even a fan of either squad, I was just happy to see soccer being played at the iconic venue. In a perfect world, Ohio Stadium would be a host site for the World Cup in 2026 but I know that isn’t a possibility because the field isn’t quite big enough to accommodate a soccer pitch. The requirements aren’t quite as strict for a soccer friendly. Really the big clubs on tours of the United States before their domestic seasons begin are just looking for venues where they can bring in the most fans.
When it comes to Chelsea, over the last few years the club hasn’t been as strong as they had been over the last 20 years. There has been a change in ownership, along with a number of managers that have failed to produce. I’m sure nobody is going to feel sorry for me because of the way Chelsea has spent money in the past. Honestly, I became a Chelsea fan while drunkenly playing FIFA with friends during my teenage years. This was back when the Premier League was rarely on television in the United States. Now you can see every game on NBC, USA, or Peacock.
I’m not only excited to see Cole Palmer and the rest of the Chelsea players, I’m also pumped to see all the stars Manchester City has on their roster. It’s not often when teams stocked with world-class players come to Columbus, so I’ll take every advantage I can to see them when they do. Plus, while we won’t see both squads playing their most popular players for a full 90 minutes since they are building towards the start of the season a few weeks later, we should at least see them for a decent amount of time on the pitch. It should be a great night under the lights in early August at Ohio Stadium!
Matt’s answer: The Cincinnati Reds
My Ohio State fandom is inextricably tied to the fact that I grew up as the son of two Ohio State alums. Long before I became an Ohio State student, there was no doubt that I would bleed scarlet and gray for the entirety of my life. However, during the summer months, that scarlet blood does warm up a little bit and turns are particularly attractive shade of red.
Even though both of my parents were raised in Central Ohio, they came of age in the era of the Big Red Machine, so just as I was taught to root for the Buckeyes from birth, my love of the Cincinnati Reds was also part and parcel with being a member of my family. So, as the football offseason is now officially upon us, it is time for me to turn at least one eye toward the happenings at Great American Ballpark.
Despite getting swept by the Seattle Mariners earlier this week, the Reds are currently just 2.5 games out of first place in the NL Central, perhaps the most competitive division in all of baseball. They are also 1.5 games out of one of the NL Wild Card spots. Of course, it is only April, so those standings don’t mean anything, but after the excitement generated by the Rally Reds in 2023, the start to the 2024 season has been gratifying.
Led by guys like Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, Hunter Green, Alexis Díaz, and more, the youth on the team means that there will continue to be some growing pains — as evidenced by the trip to the Pacific Northwest — but they are incredibly competitive and resilient.
I always used to say that all I cared about was the Reds staying in the hunt until August when the Buckeyes’ fall camp started, and then everything that they did in the final months of the season was a bonus. But I’m starting to think differently about this team. With the expanded Wild Card situation and all of the young talent, I really think that this team can make some noise in the postseason, so I’m hoping to have to split my sports attention between the Reds and the Buckeyes deep into the fall.
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