-
New here? Register here now for access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Plus, stay connected and follow BP on Instagram @buckeyeplanet and Facebook.
LGHL Ranking all 19 Ohio State touchdowns in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff (Part 2)
- News
- 0 Replies
Ranking all 19 Ohio State touchdowns in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff (Part 2)
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
The offseason is dark and full of terrors, so let’s continue our look back at 19 enjoyable touchdowns in three easy-to-read columns.
Last week, we began our look back at all 19 of Ohio State’s touchdowns from the Buckeyes’ 2024 College Football Playoff national championship. The countdown began with numbers 19 through 11 — largely supersized due to four nearly identical 1-yard runs by Quinshon Judkins.
This week, we continue reviewing Ohio State’s historic four-game run through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff with a look at touchdowns No. 10 through No. 6 in the countdown. This is, admittedly, completely subjective, but I did consider some criteria to make my decisions.
Among those was the degree of difficulty of each scoring play, the magnitude of the moment (i.e., how clutch they were), and the “wow” factor. Was I consistent in applying these criteria? I don’t know. As always, I’m just a guy with a keyboard who loves college football.
We open the Top 10 in the Rose Bowl, with the transfer quarterback firing a bomb to the freshman. As Pat McAfee says in the clip, Smith was “wide-ass open,” but it was the way he got open that makes him so special.
Blazing down the field, Smith was inexplicably left in one-on-one coverage with Tysheem Johnson. Although the clip I chose (poorly, but it does include the requisite desciption of how open Smith was) doesn’t show the end zone look. Smith sold a move to the left with his head and entire body lean.
Johnson, not realizing Smith is a literal wizard instead of a typical freshman wide receiver, bought every bit of that fake. Smith broke back to his right while Johnson was literally running the other direction. That’s why Howard only had to make sure he didn’t overthrow his receiver.
The Buckeyes were already up 17-0 when this play occurred early in the second quarter, and the Rose Bowl felt done and dusted when Smith crossed the goal line.
Although the Rose Bowl felt over two minutes earlier, it was seriously over with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half. Ohio State took over the ball after stopping Oregon and added to its big lead.
Carnell Tate provided the eye candy for some backfield misdirection as Howard handed off to Henderson. The speedy tailback followed Donovan Jackson into a gaping hole up the middle and then cut sharply to the outside on the right, making mincemeat of the defensive back’s angle.
From there, the play was over as long as Henderson stayed in bounds, which he did, blasting down the field and into the end zone to extend the Buckeyes’ lead over the Ducks to 31-0 with more than eight minutes remaining in the first half.
At this point, Ohio State fans were happy to relax and enjoy the rest of the beatdown, knowing a spot in the semifinals was all but assured.
It wasn’t as long of a touchdown run that extended Ohio State’s lead to 42-10 against Tennessee in the Horseshoe, but it was an impressive run. Henderson took the handoff on second-and-10 and promptly ran into a wall a yard behind the line of scrimmage.
Giving ground, Henderson broke left, then set up his defender and cut sharply straight up the gut, racing 24 yards to the house early in the fourth quarter. It was time to get the backups into the game and make Rose Bowl travel plans.
Leading by one score late in the second quarter against the Fighting Irish, the Buckeyes made a smart play on second-and-4 to take control entering the break. While it wasn’t the most flashy play, there were a lot of moving parts.
Howard did well to field a low snap in the shotgun and surveyed the field. Feeling the pressure from his right, Howard stepped up and realized that he had three defenders closing on him. The math wasn’t there to make anything of the play with his feet, and Howards wisely kept his eyes downfield.
Judkins found space and threw up his hand to show Howard he was open. The quarterback pulled the defense toward him and sent a harder-than-it-looks pass back across his body to the running back to extend Ohio State’s lead in the national championship game with less than half a minute to play in the first half.
It was a critical play in a tight game with everything on the line.
The touchdown that set the tone for Ohio State’s run to the natty came early in the game against Tennessee. The Buckeyes went on offense first and started their first postseason possession of the 12-team College Football Playoff at their own 25-yard line.
It wasn’t a drive for the ages. The Volunteers extended what would have been a three-and-out with a facemask penalty, and the drive included a 1-yard loss on a Judkins run and a false start by Ohio State. Howard found Henderson to get the Buckeyes into plus territory and then went to work down the field.
Smith got single coverage on the left, and Howard let fly a perfect strike into the corner. Rickey Gibson III interfered with Smith, pulling down the freshman’s right arm before the abll arrived. That didn’t matter to Smith, who was strong enough to fight through the contact and haul in an over-the-shoulder catch to open the scoring.
The play electrified the Ohio Stadium crowd, gave the Buckeyes early momentum, and set the stage for a 42-17 dismantling of Tennessee.
That’ll do it for the second part of this three-week look at Ohio State’s touchdowns in the College Football Playoff run. We’ll bring you the top five next week.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
The offseason is dark and full of terrors, so let’s continue our look back at 19 enjoyable touchdowns in three easy-to-read columns.
Last week, we began our look back at all 19 of Ohio State’s touchdowns from the Buckeyes’ 2024 College Football Playoff national championship. The countdown began with numbers 19 through 11 — largely supersized due to four nearly identical 1-yard runs by Quinshon Judkins.
This week, we continue reviewing Ohio State’s historic four-game run through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff with a look at touchdowns No. 10 through No. 6 in the countdown. This is, admittedly, completely subjective, but I did consider some criteria to make my decisions.
Among those was the degree of difficulty of each scoring play, the magnitude of the moment (i.e., how clutch they were), and the “wow” factor. Was I consistent in applying these criteria? I don’t know. As always, I’m just a guy with a keyboard who loves college football.
10. Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith from 43 yards vs. Oregon
We open the Top 10 in the Rose Bowl, with the transfer quarterback firing a bomb to the freshman. As Pat McAfee says in the clip, Smith was “wide-ass open,” but it was the way he got open that makes him so special.
Blazing down the field, Smith was inexplicably left in one-on-one coverage with Tysheem Johnson. Although the clip I chose (poorly, but it does include the requisite desciption of how open Smith was) doesn’t show the end zone look. Smith sold a move to the left with his head and entire body lean.
Johnson, not realizing Smith is a literal wizard instead of a typical freshman wide receiver, bought every bit of that fake. Smith broke back to his right while Johnson was literally running the other direction. That’s why Howard only had to make sure he didn’t overthrow his receiver.
The Buckeyes were already up 17-0 when this play occurred early in the second quarter, and the Rose Bowl felt done and dusted when Smith crossed the goal line.
9. TreVeyon Henderson’s 66-yard run vs. Oregon
Although the Rose Bowl felt over two minutes earlier, it was seriously over with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half. Ohio State took over the ball after stopping Oregon and added to its big lead.
Carnell Tate provided the eye candy for some backfield misdirection as Howard handed off to Henderson. The speedy tailback followed Donovan Jackson into a gaping hole up the middle and then cut sharply to the outside on the right, making mincemeat of the defensive back’s angle.
From there, the play was over as long as Henderson stayed in bounds, which he did, blasting down the field and into the end zone to extend the Buckeyes’ lead over the Ducks to 31-0 with more than eight minutes remaining in the first half.
At this point, Ohio State fans were happy to relax and enjoy the rest of the beatdown, knowing a spot in the semifinals was all but assured.
8. Henderson’s 24-yard run vs. Tennessee
It wasn’t as long of a touchdown run that extended Ohio State’s lead to 42-10 against Tennessee in the Horseshoe, but it was an impressive run. Henderson took the handoff on second-and-10 and promptly ran into a wall a yard behind the line of scrimmage.
Giving ground, Henderson broke left, then set up his defender and cut sharply straight up the gut, racing 24 yards to the house early in the fourth quarter. It was time to get the backups into the game and make Rose Bowl travel plans.
7. Howard to Judkins from six yards vs. Notre Dame
Leading by one score late in the second quarter against the Fighting Irish, the Buckeyes made a smart play on second-and-4 to take control entering the break. While it wasn’t the most flashy play, there were a lot of moving parts.
Howard did well to field a low snap in the shotgun and surveyed the field. Feeling the pressure from his right, Howard stepped up and realized that he had three defenders closing on him. The math wasn’t there to make anything of the play with his feet, and Howards wisely kept his eyes downfield.
Judkins found space and threw up his hand to show Howard he was open. The quarterback pulled the defense toward him and sent a harder-than-it-looks pass back across his body to the running back to extend Ohio State’s lead in the national championship game with less than half a minute to play in the first half.
It was a critical play in a tight game with everything on the line.
6. Howard to Smith from 37 yards vs. Tennessee
The touchdown that set the tone for Ohio State’s run to the natty came early in the game against Tennessee. The Buckeyes went on offense first and started their first postseason possession of the 12-team College Football Playoff at their own 25-yard line.
It wasn’t a drive for the ages. The Volunteers extended what would have been a three-and-out with a facemask penalty, and the drive included a 1-yard loss on a Judkins run and a false start by Ohio State. Howard found Henderson to get the Buckeyes into plus territory and then went to work down the field.
Smith got single coverage on the left, and Howard let fly a perfect strike into the corner. Rickey Gibson III interfered with Smith, pulling down the freshman’s right arm before the abll arrived. That didn’t matter to Smith, who was strong enough to fight through the contact and haul in an over-the-shoulder catch to open the scoring.
The play electrified the Ohio Stadium crowd, gave the Buckeyes early momentum, and set the stage for a 42-17 dismantling of Tennessee.
That’ll do it for the second part of this three-week look at Ohio State’s touchdowns in the College Football Playoff run. We’ll bring you the top five next week.
Continue reading...
LGHL Remembering the 1993 Holiday Bowl where Ohio State topped BYU, 28-21
- News
- 0 Replies
Remembering the 1993 Holiday Bowl where Ohio State topped BYU, 28-21
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes only made two trips to the Holiday Bowl, battling BYU on both occasions. We look back on the 1993 game, which Ohio State entered with a 9-1-1 record.
For today’s random Ohio State bowl game win, we travel back to 1993 when the Buckeyes met the BYU Cougars in the Holiday Bowl. There have only been three meetings all-time between the programs, with all of them coming in bowl games.
The first was in the 1982 Holiday Bowl, followed by the 1985 Citrus Bowl, and finally the 1993 Holiday Bowl. Ohio State has been on the winning end of all three matchups with the Cougars.
The 1993 regular season saw John Cooper put together one of his best seasons as Ohio State head coach, with the Buckeyes entering the Holiday Bowl with a 9-1-1 record. The tie came at Wisconsin in early November, when Bret Powers found Joey Galloway for a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, followed by Marlon Kerner blocking a Wisconsin 22-yard field goal with seven seconds left to preserve the draw.
Ohio State would get blanked by Michigan 28-0 in Ann Arbor to end the regular season, which allowed the Badgers to head to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1963 despite the teams being co-champions of the Big Ten.
With the Rose Bowl out of the picture for the Buckeyes, they still ended up in California for their bowl game, accepting a bid to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. This marked the second appearance for Ohio State in the Holiday Bowl, as they played in the 1982 Holiday Bowl, beating BYU 47-17.
Prior to their trip to San Diego in 1993, the Buckeyes spent the previous two seasons playing in bowl games in Florida, followed by two more appearances in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl to close out the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
BYU came out of the gates hot in LaVell Edwards’ 22nd season as head coach of the Cougars, posting a 4-0 record. Then things really fell apart for BYU, starting with a 68-14 loss at UCLA. After being shellacked by the Bruins, the Cougars lost to Notre Dame, Fresno State, and Utah State.
The setbacks to the Bulldogs and Aggies had to especially hurt since they came by a combined five points. BYU was able to regroup to close out the regular season by winning two of their final three games.
The biggest issue for BYU in 1993 was their terrible defense, which allowed 407 points. Quarterback John Walsh did his best to try and keep the Cougars in games, throwing for 3,727 yards and 28 touchdowns, but he was also prone to mistakes, tossing 15 interceptions.
Bryce Doman led the team with seven touchdown catches, while Eric Drage and Tyler Anderson each added five touchdown grabs. Kalin Hall and Jamal Willis combined to rush for 15 touchdowns to try and keep opposing defenses honest.
By comparison, Ohio State’s passing game was inconsistent at times. Bobby Hoying threw for 1,570 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while Bret Powers added 721 yards, seven touchdowns, and six picks. The top target was Joey Galloway, who found the end zone on 11 of his 47 receptions, finishing the year with 946 yards receiving.
Raymont Harris was a workhorse at running back, rolling up 1,344 yards and 12 scores. Butler By’not’e helped carry some of the load on the ground, grinding for 474 yards and four touchdowns.
The 1993 Holiday Bowl saw some fireworks early when Tim Patillo’s touchdown on a blocked punt opened up the scoring for Ohio State four minutes into the game. BYU responded quickly when Walsh found Jamal Willis for a 27-yard touchdown just over two minutes later. It wouldn’t take long for the Buckeyes to take back the lead, as Raymont Harris scored from two yards out with 5:30 left in the first quarter.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25941497/1784477.jpg "Raymont Harris")
Harris would extend Ohio State’s lead to 21-7 early in the second quarter when he again scored from two yards out. BYU would rally in the second quarter to tie the game at halftime when Walsh first found Lewis for an eight-yard touchdown, followed by a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Doman.
After a thrilling first half, the scoring slowed down in the second half, with Harris scoring for the third time in the game to give the Buckeyes the lead for good. BYU would drive down to the Ohio State 6-yard-line but couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone late in the game.
The best chance for the Cougars came on third down when Tim Nowatzke dropped a pass from Walsh that would have been a touchdown. Then Walsh underthrew Nowatzke on fourth down to seal the victory for Ohio State.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25941496/228662.jpg "DAN WILKINSON OHIO")
Following the season, defensive tackle Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson was drafted first overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilkinson finished with 13 tackles for loss, which was tops on the Buckeye defense, bettering Jason Simmons’ total by one.
Ohio State would finish the 1994 season 9-4, losing to Alabama 24-17 in the Citrus Bowl. At least Cooper can fondly remember 1994 since it was one of the few seasons where he was able to earn a win over Michigan.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes only made two trips to the Holiday Bowl, battling BYU on both occasions. We look back on the 1993 game, which Ohio State entered with a 9-1-1 record.
For today’s random Ohio State bowl game win, we travel back to 1993 when the Buckeyes met the BYU Cougars in the Holiday Bowl. There have only been three meetings all-time between the programs, with all of them coming in bowl games.
The first was in the 1982 Holiday Bowl, followed by the 1985 Citrus Bowl, and finally the 1993 Holiday Bowl. Ohio State has been on the winning end of all three matchups with the Cougars.
The 1993 regular season saw John Cooper put together one of his best seasons as Ohio State head coach, with the Buckeyes entering the Holiday Bowl with a 9-1-1 record. The tie came at Wisconsin in early November, when Bret Powers found Joey Galloway for a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, followed by Marlon Kerner blocking a Wisconsin 22-yard field goal with seven seconds left to preserve the draw.
Ohio State would get blanked by Michigan 28-0 in Ann Arbor to end the regular season, which allowed the Badgers to head to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1963 despite the teams being co-champions of the Big Ten.
With the Rose Bowl out of the picture for the Buckeyes, they still ended up in California for their bowl game, accepting a bid to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. This marked the second appearance for Ohio State in the Holiday Bowl, as they played in the 1982 Holiday Bowl, beating BYU 47-17.
Prior to their trip to San Diego in 1993, the Buckeyes spent the previous two seasons playing in bowl games in Florida, followed by two more appearances in Orlando at the Citrus Bowl to close out the 1994 and 1995 seasons.
BYU came out of the gates hot in LaVell Edwards’ 22nd season as head coach of the Cougars, posting a 4-0 record. Then things really fell apart for BYU, starting with a 68-14 loss at UCLA. After being shellacked by the Bruins, the Cougars lost to Notre Dame, Fresno State, and Utah State.
The setbacks to the Bulldogs and Aggies had to especially hurt since they came by a combined five points. BYU was able to regroup to close out the regular season by winning two of their final three games.
The biggest issue for BYU in 1993 was their terrible defense, which allowed 407 points. Quarterback John Walsh did his best to try and keep the Cougars in games, throwing for 3,727 yards and 28 touchdowns, but he was also prone to mistakes, tossing 15 interceptions.
Bryce Doman led the team with seven touchdown catches, while Eric Drage and Tyler Anderson each added five touchdown grabs. Kalin Hall and Jamal Willis combined to rush for 15 touchdowns to try and keep opposing defenses honest.
By comparison, Ohio State’s passing game was inconsistent at times. Bobby Hoying threw for 1,570 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while Bret Powers added 721 yards, seven touchdowns, and six picks. The top target was Joey Galloway, who found the end zone on 11 of his 47 receptions, finishing the year with 946 yards receiving.
Raymont Harris was a workhorse at running back, rolling up 1,344 yards and 12 scores. Butler By’not’e helped carry some of the load on the ground, grinding for 474 yards and four touchdowns.
The 1993 Holiday Bowl saw some fireworks early when Tim Patillo’s touchdown on a blocked punt opened up the scoring for Ohio State four minutes into the game. BYU responded quickly when Walsh found Jamal Willis for a 27-yard touchdown just over two minutes later. It wouldn’t take long for the Buckeyes to take back the lead, as Raymont Harris scored from two yards out with 5:30 left in the first quarter.
Harris would extend Ohio State’s lead to 21-7 early in the second quarter when he again scored from two yards out. BYU would rally in the second quarter to tie the game at halftime when Walsh first found Lewis for an eight-yard touchdown, followed by a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Doman.
After a thrilling first half, the scoring slowed down in the second half, with Harris scoring for the third time in the game to give the Buckeyes the lead for good. BYU would drive down to the Ohio State 6-yard-line but couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone late in the game.
The best chance for the Cougars came on third down when Tim Nowatzke dropped a pass from Walsh that would have been a touchdown. Then Walsh underthrew Nowatzke on fourth down to seal the victory for Ohio State.
Following the season, defensive tackle Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson was drafted first overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilkinson finished with 13 tackles for loss, which was tops on the Buckeye defense, bettering Jason Simmons’ total by one.
Ohio State would finish the 1994 season 9-4, losing to Alabama 24-17 in the Citrus Bowl. At least Cooper can fondly remember 1994 since it was one of the few seasons where he was able to earn a win over Michigan.
Continue reading...
LGHL Power Two Podcast: Paige Buckets finally wins a title in her last game with UConn
- News
- 0 Replies
Power Two Podcast: Paige Buckets finally wins a title in her last game with UConn
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Women’s College Basketball season has ended with Paige Bueckers and UConn winning a title!
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football…and everyone else. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.
On this week’s episode, Jordan and DJ discuss a new football camp. Khalen Saunders is launching an LGBTQ+ friendly football camp. DJ shares how excited she is about advocacy from people who are not members of the LGBTQ+ community. Football can be a very macho sport so we appreciate the effort to create a safer space for all types of athletes.
In the two-minute drill, we discussed the “upset” that Houston Men’s Basketball handed to Duke. This prompted a conversation about men’s basketball and the success of recent draft prospects from college. There has not been much success for many, but will there be one for Copper Flagg?
There were way-too-early comparisons between him and Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse which prompted a conversation about the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The class features heavyweights such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Maya Moore, and Sue Bird. DJ and Jordan took a moment to celebrate their accomplishments.
For the rest of the show, Jordan and DJ react to the Women’s National Championship game between UConn and South Carolina. DJ revels in the fact that she was correct about UConn winning from the beginning and makes her usual complaints about officiating. Jordan celebrated the young talent in the tournament, specifically Sarah Strong. This prompted a debate about the recent women’s recruiting classes and the talent within each class.
Jordan believed that it was rare to see generational talents like Juju Watkins and Sarah Strong in back-to-back classes. DJ argued that there are great talents in each class before them because women’s basketball is on a generally upward trajectory. They do eventually come to a consensus and preview next week’s episode which will cover our SEC game picks and the WNBA Draft.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday. You can also find Jordan’s article including B1G Thoughts on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.
Follow the show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
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
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Women’s College Basketball season has ended with Paige Bueckers and UConn winning a title!
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football…and everyone else. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.
On this week’s episode, Jordan and DJ discuss a new football camp. Khalen Saunders is launching an LGBTQ+ friendly football camp. DJ shares how excited she is about advocacy from people who are not members of the LGBTQ+ community. Football can be a very macho sport so we appreciate the effort to create a safer space for all types of athletes.
In the two-minute drill, we discussed the “upset” that Houston Men’s Basketball handed to Duke. This prompted a conversation about men’s basketball and the success of recent draft prospects from college. There has not been much success for many, but will there be one for Copper Flagg?
There were way-too-early comparisons between him and Carmelo Anthony at Syracuse which prompted a conversation about the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The class features heavyweights such as Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Maya Moore, and Sue Bird. DJ and Jordan took a moment to celebrate their accomplishments.
For the rest of the show, Jordan and DJ react to the Women’s National Championship game between UConn and South Carolina. DJ revels in the fact that she was correct about UConn winning from the beginning and makes her usual complaints about officiating. Jordan celebrated the young talent in the tournament, specifically Sarah Strong. This prompted a debate about the recent women’s recruiting classes and the talent within each class.
Jordan believed that it was rare to see generational talents like Juju Watkins and Sarah Strong in back-to-back classes. DJ argued that there are great talents in each class before them because women’s basketball is on a generally upward trajectory. They do eventually come to a consensus and preview next week’s episode which will cover our SEC game picks and the WNBA Draft.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday. You can also find Jordan’s article including B1G Thoughts on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.
Follow the show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State recruiting stays HOT, picks up fifth commitment in two weeks
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State recruiting stays HOT, picks up fifth commitment in two weeks
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State 2026 LB commit CJ Sanna with Ryan Day | via @Cjsanna07 on Twitter
The Buckeyes keep on BOOOOMing!
Ohio State football recruiting is absolutely on fire right now, as the defending national champs have added repeatedly to their 2026 class over the last two weeks. The Buckeyes opened up spring practice with only five commits in the cycle, and have since doubled that total to 10 with a number of huge additions.
This flurry of commitments has catapulted the class the No. 3 in the country with still plenty of time to go. Ryan Day and company aren’t just getting the job done from a quantity standpoint either, as Ohio State currently lays claim to the highest average player rating of any school with double-digit commits.
Four-star offensive lineman Maxwell Riley got the ball rolling on March 10 prior to the start of spring ball, and since then the Buckeyes have added four-star OT Sam Greer (March 25), four-star IOL Tucker Smith (March 26), five-star safety Blaine Bradford (March 31), four-star safety Simeon Caldwell (April 3) and mostly recently four-star linebacker, CJ Sanna.
The talented in-state prospect announced his commitment to Ohio State on Friday morning. Sanna, a product of Lewis Center Olentangy High School, ranks as the No. 20 player in Ohio and the nation’s No. 35 linebacker per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound defender first received his OSU scholarship offer back in January from position coach James Laurinaitis.
“I love how coach (James) Laurinaitis runs his room and the fact he’s been through the program as a player as well,” Sanna told 247Sports. ”I also believe in what coach (Matt) Patricia is bringing to Ohio State.”
Sanna holds over two dozen offers to his name, choosing the Buckeyes over Indiana, Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and many others. The junior is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign, recording 97 tackles with 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Ohio State is doing a fantastic job of locking down the borders, with Sanna the fifth commit in the 2026 class from the state of Ohio, joining the aforementioned Greer and Riley in addition to four-star CB Jakob Weatherspoon and four-star WR Jaeden Ricketts. The Buckeyes are also still heavily involved in the recruitments of four-star CB Elbert Hill (No. 2 in OH) and four-star LB Cincere Johnson (No. 6), among others.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State 2026 LB commit CJ Sanna with Ryan Day | via @Cjsanna07 on Twitter
The Buckeyes keep on BOOOOMing!
Ohio State football recruiting is absolutely on fire right now, as the defending national champs have added repeatedly to their 2026 class over the last two weeks. The Buckeyes opened up spring practice with only five commits in the cycle, and have since doubled that total to 10 with a number of huge additions.
This flurry of commitments has catapulted the class the No. 3 in the country with still plenty of time to go. Ryan Day and company aren’t just getting the job done from a quantity standpoint either, as Ohio State currently lays claim to the highest average player rating of any school with double-digit commits.
Four-star offensive lineman Maxwell Riley got the ball rolling on March 10 prior to the start of spring ball, and since then the Buckeyes have added four-star OT Sam Greer (March 25), four-star IOL Tucker Smith (March 26), five-star safety Blaine Bradford (March 31), four-star safety Simeon Caldwell (April 3) and mostly recently four-star linebacker, CJ Sanna.
The talented in-state prospect announced his commitment to Ohio State on Friday morning. Sanna, a product of Lewis Center Olentangy High School, ranks as the No. 20 player in Ohio and the nation’s No. 35 linebacker per the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound defender first received his OSU scholarship offer back in January from position coach James Laurinaitis.
“I love how coach (James) Laurinaitis runs his room and the fact he’s been through the program as a player as well,” Sanna told 247Sports. ”I also believe in what coach (Matt) Patricia is bringing to Ohio State.”
Sanna holds over two dozen offers to his name, choosing the Buckeyes over Indiana, Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and many others. The junior is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign, recording 97 tackles with 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Ohio State is doing a fantastic job of locking down the borders, with Sanna the fifth commit in the 2026 class from the state of Ohio, joining the aforementioned Greer and Riley in addition to four-star CB Jakob Weatherspoon and four-star WR Jaeden Ricketts. The Buckeyes are also still heavily involved in the recruitments of four-star CB Elbert Hill (No. 2 in OH) and four-star LB Cincere Johnson (No. 6), among others.
Quick Hits
- Ohio State had a huge visitor on campus this past weekend in five-star safety Bralan Womack. The nation’s No. 1 safety and No. 12 overall player per 247Sports’ rankings, Womack made the trip up to Columbus to spend time with position coach Matt Guerrieri in addition to Caleb Downs. By all accounts, the Buckeyes are now at or near the top of his list following the visit.
- Another big name in attendance this past weekend was five-star DL Richard Wesley. Recently reclassifying from the 2027 class to 2026, Wesley is the No. 3 EDGE and No. 20 player overall per the 247Sports Composite. The California native is notably teammates with the also recently reclassified five-star corner Havon Finney Jr., who Ohio State is also pursuing.
- Ohio State and position coach Carlos Locklyn sent out a new offer on Saturday to four-star running back, Damon Ferguson. The Baltimore native is the No. 27 RB and the No. 7 player out of his home state of Maryland, per the 247Sports Composite. Ferguson holds nearly 40 offers to his name, including the likes of Duke, Indiana, Michigan State, North Carolina, Wisconsin and now the Buckeyes, among many others.
- Carsyn Baker, who just last week included Ohio State among his top five schools, will be on campus this week to take in a spring practice session. Baker, the No. 14 RB and No. 23 player in the talent-rich state of Georgia per the 247Sports Composite, ran for nearly 1,300 yards with 14 touchdowns this past season. The Buckeyes are one of his final programs in consideration alongside Clemson, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and his official visit with Ohio State is scheduled for June 13.
Continue reading...