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LGHL You’re Nuts: How will Ohio State’s new additions impact the team?
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You’re Nuts: How will Ohio State’s new additions impact the team?
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 Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Following Ohio State’s national championship season, there will be a lot of new faces in scarlet and gray this season, both on the field and on Ryan Day’s coaching staff. With so many new players and coaches stepping into new roles for the Buckeyes this year, there are also a lot of questions that Ohio State fans will have until we have a chance to see them on the field.
Even though we haven’t seen any of the new additions to this year’s Ohio State team on the field or sidelines coaching for the Buckeyes in an actual game yet, there are players we have already seen compete at the college level because they were brought in via the transfer portal. When it comes to the coaches, there is also a track record of what to expect from them because of their previous stops. The biggest unknown when it comes to the new assistants is whether Day will let them coach their own way, or will he want them to conform more to the standards he has set as Ohio State’s head coach.
With it being “Burning Questions” week here at LGHL, today we figured we’d try and answer some of our concerns about the new Buckeyes. Whether it’s a transfer, an incoming freshman, or an assistant coach, every area surrounding the Ohio State football team is going to be heavily scrutinized this year since the Buckeyes will be looking to win back-to-back national titles. Despite the margin for error not being quite as severe with an expanded playoff, Ohio State will need their new pieces to be at the top of their game, starting with the late August clash in Columbus with Texas to open up the season.
The only bright spot on Purdue’s offense last year was Max Klare. The tight end caught 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns for a Boilermakers team that was 1-11. Overall, Purdue quarterbacks completed 189 passes for 13 touchdowns over the 12 games, so it’s obvious that Klare was the main target in their passing attack.
The only game where Klare failed to reach at least 30 yards receiving came in the 45-0 loss to Ohio State in November. The best two games of the year for Klare came against Penn State and Illinois, when he caught at least six passes in both contests, running up a season-high 133 yards receiving against Illinois, followed by a 91-yard effort with a touchdown against the Nittany Lions.
Klare figures to be in store for an even bigger year this season, since he’ll be part of an offense that will be way more dynamic than at Purdue. The fact that the Buckeyes will be breaking in a new quarterback should help Klare’s production since he should turn into a trusted target for Julian Sayin, or whoever is taking snaps for Ohio State this fall.
Is Klare going to be the top target in the passing attack for the Buckeyes? Since Jeremiah Smith is still on the roster, Klare isn’t expected to see the type of pass volume that Smith will see. What will help Klare is the amount of attention that Smith, as well as Carnell Tate, will receive. Texas put together the perfect game plan in the Cotton Bowl to keep the ball out of Smith’s hands, so expect opponents of the Buckeyes this year to try and do the same.
It wouldn’t be crazy to expect Klare to threaten the school’s single-season receiving records when it comes to tight ends. After years of tight ends primarily being used for pass protection and run blocking, lately, Ohio State tight ends have been given more responsibility in the passing game. Cade Stover made some noise at the position, and I could see Klare seeing similar usage through the air. At worst, Klare will help raise the bar for Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian, and Jelani Thurman.
For all the unrealized expectations around the Jack position and the rumored disagreements with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, I think that we can all say that Jim Knowles' time as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator was pretty darn successful. As worthy of praise as Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, TreVeyon Henderson, and the rest of the offense were last year (especially in the playoffs), in my opinion, the defense was what made the 2024 Buckeyes national champions.
Despite that fact, Knowles is now the DC at Penn State, and former New England Patriots coordinator and Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has now taken over the OSU defense.
Patricia has a tall task in front of him, having to not only replace eight starters, but also having to live up to the expectations set during the championship run a season ago. And while I was (and still am, but to a lesser degree) concerned about Patricia’s track record since being untethered to Bill Belichick, I think that Patricia is going to be able to keep the Buckeye defense at the top of the Big Ten and college football.
Will the Scarlet and Gray lead the country in yards and points allowed per game again, while being in the top three in both pass and rush defense (not to mention a whole host of other important statistical categories)? Probably not, that defense was a once-in-a-decade unit, and a D doesn’t need to be that dominant to have similar success.
While Patricia will only have three returning starters (linebacker Sonny Styles, corner Davison Igbinosun, and safety Caleb Downs) to work with, the rest of the presumed starters join the first-team with plenty of experience. Other than defensive tackle Eddrick Houston and safety Jaylen McClain (both of whom are true sophomores), every one expected to start is an upperclassman, including North Carolina transfer Beau Atkinson. So, there is plenty of experience to draw from for the new D-Cor.
All indications are that Patricia will maintain the 4-2-5 structure that Knowles brought to Columbus. While this is not the type of defense that he employed at his stops in the NFL, Patricia does have a history of running nickel schemes, so it is not completely new to him. This should help with the transition and make it easier for the players to adapt to their new coordinator.
But what has me most excited about what Patricia will most likely bring to the defense is his ability to adapt. During the Knowles Era, there was a lot of conversation in Columbus about whether or not the defense was “multiple” enough to confuse high-level offenses. However, we didn’t see it nearly as much as one would think, given how much Knowles talked about it. But that is not likely to be the case with Patricia.
Throughout his time with the Pats, Patricia showed a remarkable tendency to throw a bunch of new looks at opposing offenses, building off of what his players did best, but also exploiting what their opponents did worst. He implemented a hybrid 3-4/4-3 look across the defensive front, and would work in the nickel package that I mentioned earlier, always trying to find a personnel advantage over the offense.
While there are a lot of differences between college football and the NFL, this has me excited for what Patricia could come up with. While this year’s defensive Buckeyes clearly don’t have a ton of starting experience, we know that all of those guys have a ton of talent and are likely chomping at the bit to finally be able to prove it. So, any opportunity they get, I expect them to make the most of it.
There is no doubt talent on the defensive roster, and when combined with a fresh perspective and flexibility on that side of the ball, I think that Matt Patricia just might be able to keep the Silver Bullets at an elite level.
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
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Following Ohio State’s national championship season, there will be a lot of new faces in scarlet and gray this season, both on the field and on Ryan Day’s coaching staff. With so many new players and coaches stepping into new roles for the Buckeyes this year, there are also a lot of questions that Ohio State fans will have until we have a chance to see them on the field.
Even though we haven’t seen any of the new additions to this year’s Ohio State team on the field or sidelines coaching for the Buckeyes in an actual game yet, there are players we have already seen compete at the college level because they were brought in via the transfer portal. When it comes to the coaches, there is also a track record of what to expect from them because of their previous stops. The biggest unknown when it comes to the new assistants is whether Day will let them coach their own way, or will he want them to conform more to the standards he has set as Ohio State’s head coach.
With it being “Burning Questions” week here at LGHL, today we figured we’d try and answer some of our concerns about the new Buckeyes. Whether it’s a transfer, an incoming freshman, or an assistant coach, every area surrounding the Ohio State football team is going to be heavily scrutinized this year since the Buckeyes will be looking to win back-to-back national titles. Despite the margin for error not being quite as severe with an expanded playoff, Ohio State will need their new pieces to be at the top of their game, starting with the late August clash in Columbus with Texas to open up the season.
Today’s question: How will Ohio State’s new additions impact the team?
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: Tight end Max Klare will give Julian Sayin a trusted option in the passing game behind Jeremiah Smith
The only bright spot on Purdue’s offense last year was Max Klare. The tight end caught 51 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns for a Boilermakers team that was 1-11. Overall, Purdue quarterbacks completed 189 passes for 13 touchdowns over the 12 games, so it’s obvious that Klare was the main target in their passing attack.
The only game where Klare failed to reach at least 30 yards receiving came in the 45-0 loss to Ohio State in November. The best two games of the year for Klare came against Penn State and Illinois, when he caught at least six passes in both contests, running up a season-high 133 yards receiving against Illinois, followed by a 91-yard effort with a touchdown against the Nittany Lions.
Klare figures to be in store for an even bigger year this season, since he’ll be part of an offense that will be way more dynamic than at Purdue. The fact that the Buckeyes will be breaking in a new quarterback should help Klare’s production since he should turn into a trusted target for Julian Sayin, or whoever is taking snaps for Ohio State this fall.
Is Klare going to be the top target in the passing attack for the Buckeyes? Since Jeremiah Smith is still on the roster, Klare isn’t expected to see the type of pass volume that Smith will see. What will help Klare is the amount of attention that Smith, as well as Carnell Tate, will receive. Texas put together the perfect game plan in the Cotton Bowl to keep the ball out of Smith’s hands, so expect opponents of the Buckeyes this year to try and do the same.
It wouldn’t be crazy to expect Klare to threaten the school’s single-season receiving records when it comes to tight ends. After years of tight ends primarily being used for pass protection and run blocking, lately, Ohio State tight ends have been given more responsibility in the passing game. Cade Stover made some noise at the position, and I could see Klare seeing similar usage through the air. At worst, Klare will help raise the bar for Will Kacmarek, Bennett Christian, and Jelani Thurman.
Matt’s answer: Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia will keep the new-look defense at an elite level
For all the unrealized expectations around the Jack position and the rumored disagreements with defensive line coach Larry Johnson, I think that we can all say that Jim Knowles' time as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator was pretty darn successful. As worthy of praise as Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, TreVeyon Henderson, and the rest of the offense were last year (especially in the playoffs), in my opinion, the defense was what made the 2024 Buckeyes national champions.
Despite that fact, Knowles is now the DC at Penn State, and former New England Patriots coordinator and Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has now taken over the OSU defense.
Patricia has a tall task in front of him, having to not only replace eight starters, but also having to live up to the expectations set during the championship run a season ago. And while I was (and still am, but to a lesser degree) concerned about Patricia’s track record since being untethered to Bill Belichick, I think that Patricia is going to be able to keep the Buckeye defense at the top of the Big Ten and college football.
Will the Scarlet and Gray lead the country in yards and points allowed per game again, while being in the top three in both pass and rush defense (not to mention a whole host of other important statistical categories)? Probably not, that defense was a once-in-a-decade unit, and a D doesn’t need to be that dominant to have similar success.
While Patricia will only have three returning starters (linebacker Sonny Styles, corner Davison Igbinosun, and safety Caleb Downs) to work with, the rest of the presumed starters join the first-team with plenty of experience. Other than defensive tackle Eddrick Houston and safety Jaylen McClain (both of whom are true sophomores), every one expected to start is an upperclassman, including North Carolina transfer Beau Atkinson. So, there is plenty of experience to draw from for the new D-Cor.
All indications are that Patricia will maintain the 4-2-5 structure that Knowles brought to Columbus. While this is not the type of defense that he employed at his stops in the NFL, Patricia does have a history of running nickel schemes, so it is not completely new to him. This should help with the transition and make it easier for the players to adapt to their new coordinator.
But what has me most excited about what Patricia will most likely bring to the defense is his ability to adapt. During the Knowles Era, there was a lot of conversation in Columbus about whether or not the defense was “multiple” enough to confuse high-level offenses. However, we didn’t see it nearly as much as one would think, given how much Knowles talked about it. But that is not likely to be the case with Patricia.
Throughout his time with the Pats, Patricia showed a remarkable tendency to throw a bunch of new looks at opposing offenses, building off of what his players did best, but also exploiting what their opponents did worst. He implemented a hybrid 3-4/4-3 look across the defensive front, and would work in the nickel package that I mentioned earlier, always trying to find a personnel advantage over the offense.
While there are a lot of differences between college football and the NFL, this has me excited for what Patricia could come up with. While this year’s defensive Buckeyes clearly don’t have a ton of starting experience, we know that all of those guys have a ton of talent and are likely chomping at the bit to finally be able to prove it. So, any opportunity they get, I expect them to make the most of it.
There is no doubt talent on the defensive roster, and when combined with a fresh perspective and flexibility on that side of the ball, I think that Matt Patricia just might be able to keep the Silver Bullets at an elite level.
Continue reading...
LGHL Burning Questions: Did Ohio State men’s basketball do enough in the transfer portal?
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Burning Questions: Did Ohio State men’s basketball do enough in the transfer portal?
Justin Golba 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 via Imagn Images
As Jake Diebler enters his second season as head coach, the Buckeyes need to make it back to the NCAA Tournament
The Ohio State men’s basketball team has one main goal next season: Make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
It has been three years since the Buckeyes went dancing, and that is unacceptable for a program like Ohio State. Now, as head coach Jake Diebler enters his second season leading the program, the Buckeyes have to get back to the tournament this season to avoid another possible coaching search.
So, the question is simple: Did the Buckeyes and Diebler do enough in the offseason to upgrade the roster into a tournament team?
First of all, outside of the transfer portal, they returned the three players that had to return. Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal are the big three that are coming back to Columbus for the 2025-26 season.
Bruce Thornton averaged 17.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. Devin Royal averaged 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while rising sophomore guard John Mobley Jr. averaged 13.0 points per contest. From just those three players, the Buckeyes are returning 44.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, which is second in the Big Ten behind the possible No. 1 team in the country, Purdue.
Now, when it comes to the actual portal, they added a starting-level center, a starting-level power forward, and depth at the guard position. The one concern is the starting three spot and adding another wing, but there is a chance that they did add that.
The Buckeyes missed on Darrion Williams from Texas Tech, who would have come in and immediately jolted them into a top 15 team in the country, likely as a possible preseason All-American and one of the top players in the conference. Instead, they added international prospect Mathieu Grujicic — an 18-year-old freshman who can play multiple positions.
The obvious concern is his adaptation to the collegiate game, but he played at the highest level of Euro ball and has a versatile enough game to adapt easily, as long as he gets enough offseason time to get comfortable with the team, the system, and college life. If Grujicic can play more than they expect and become a legitimate fixture in the lineup, he can play the role of backup wing to Devin Royal and sure up the depth for the Buckeyes, and maybe even start at times when they want to play smaller.
The Buckeyes’ season will depend heavily on whether the two mid-major transfers that are likely to be starters (Noel and Tilly) can adapt to the Big Ten and level their games up. If they can, this is a team that can be in the top five of the conference and easily make it back to the tournament.
If they don’t, this will be another season on the bubble and failing to reach expectations.
Continue reading...
Justin Golba 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 via Imagn Images
As Jake Diebler enters his second season as head coach, the Buckeyes need to make it back to the NCAA Tournament
The Ohio State men’s basketball team has one main goal next season: Make it back to the NCAA Tournament.
It has been three years since the Buckeyes went dancing, and that is unacceptable for a program like Ohio State. Now, as head coach Jake Diebler enters his second season leading the program, the Buckeyes have to get back to the tournament this season to avoid another possible coaching search.
So, the question is simple: Did the Buckeyes and Diebler do enough in the offseason to upgrade the roster into a tournament team?
First of all, outside of the transfer portal, they returned the three players that had to return. Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal are the big three that are coming back to Columbus for the 2025-26 season.
Bruce Thornton averaged 17.7 points and 4.6 assists per game. Devin Royal averaged 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while rising sophomore guard John Mobley Jr. averaged 13.0 points per contest. From just those three players, the Buckeyes are returning 44.4 points, 11.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game, which is second in the Big Ten behind the possible No. 1 team in the country, Purdue.
Now, when it comes to the actual portal, they added a starting-level center, a starting-level power forward, and depth at the guard position. The one concern is the starting three spot and adding another wing, but there is a chance that they did add that.
The Buckeyes missed on Darrion Williams from Texas Tech, who would have come in and immediately jolted them into a top 15 team in the country, likely as a possible preseason All-American and one of the top players in the conference. Instead, they added international prospect Mathieu Grujicic — an 18-year-old freshman who can play multiple positions.
The obvious concern is his adaptation to the collegiate game, but he played at the highest level of Euro ball and has a versatile enough game to adapt easily, as long as he gets enough offseason time to get comfortable with the team, the system, and college life. If Grujicic can play more than they expect and become a legitimate fixture in the lineup, he can play the role of backup wing to Devin Royal and sure up the depth for the Buckeyes, and maybe even start at times when they want to play smaller.
The Buckeyes’ season will depend heavily on whether the two mid-major transfers that are likely to be starters (Noel and Tilly) can adapt to the Big Ten and level their games up. If they can, this is a team that can be in the top five of the conference and easily make it back to the tournament.
If they don’t, this will be another season on the bubble and failing to reach expectations.
Continue reading...
LGHL Burning Questions: Which are Ohio State’s toughest games this season?
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Burning Questions: Which are Ohio State’s toughest games this season?
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 Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The answer may come as a surprise…
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Unlike Ohio State’s 2024 schedule, which didn’t look very strong heading into the season, the 2025 schedule has a number of tough contests on tap for the defending national champions.
There are at least six contests that should make Ohio State fans a little nervous. Prior to the start of last season, the only games that really drew much of a reaction from fans were the road tilts with Oregon and Penn State, followed by a home game against Michigan to close out the regular season.
The schedule did happen to get a little tougher since Indiana shocked the world with their start to the season, going undefeated before coming to Columbus the Saturday before the Michigan game.
The Buckeyes don’t have quite as many layups this year as they did in 2024. Following the opener against Texas, Ohio State should be able to easily navigate non-conference games where they host Grambling State and Ohio before jumping into Big Ten play.
While last season Ohio State had a tough game against an undefeated Indiana team the weekend before The Game, the Buckeyes should be able to coast into this year’s contest in Ann Arbor since they’ll play on the road at Purdue, followed by home games against UCLA and Rutgers before trying to snap the four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
Today we are going to dive into which games on Ohio State’s 2025 regular season schedule are the toughest. There are a few that jump out immediately when looking at this year’s schedule, while there are a few others that could be overlooked. The toughest game for the Buckeyes this year in my opinion could surprise a lot of people since it’s against a team that isn’t one of the perennial conference powers of the Big Ten.
Not only will I take a look at the game I think could be Ohio State’s toughest, I’ll also note some of the other ones that could be a little too tense for the liking of Buckeye Nation.
Last year Indiana shocked college football by going 11-1 in the regular season, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff in Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach of the Hoosiers. Even though Illinois making the playoff this year wouldn’t be quite as surprising as what Indiana did last year, the Fighting Illini are by no means a favorite to make the playoff.
Oddsmakers don’t think Illinois has much of a chance to compete in the Big Ten, since Bret Bielema’s team currently sits with the eighth-lowest odds to win the conference.
It’s crazy it has been nearly a decade since Ohio State and Illinois have met. The last battle for Illibuck came in 2017, with the Buckeyes winning 52-14 in Columbus. The last time Illinois beat Ohio State came in 2007 when Juice Williams and the Fighting Illini pulled off a shocking 28-21 victory in a season that would see them go to the Rose Bowl. Last season was the first year since 2007 that Illinois recorded more than eight wins in a campaign.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is already laying the groundwork for the Fighting Illini to be a playoff team this year. Aside from the game against Ohio State, the schedule for Illinois is very manageable, and the Fighting Illini have quarterback Luke Altmyer returning. Weird things always seem to happen in Champaign, which will have me feeling uneasy heading into the game.
Despite Illinois not being as talented as the Buckeyes, Bielema knows what strings to pull to keep his team in the game.
This will be the toughest game of the year for the Buckeyes for many people. Penn State returns quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, along with bringing in former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
The Nittany Lions will be flying high after making the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last year before losing to Notre Dame. Since Penn State was able to win two playoff games, head coach James Franklin will probably think he can finally win a big game.
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Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Aside from Ohio State being at home for this game, the reason the contest against the Nittany Lions isn’t in the top spot for me is I just don’t respect Franklin enough to believe he can beat the Buckeyes. There’s no doubt his team could threaten Ohio State, Franklin just always finds a way to not be able to complete the job.
The only win for Franklin against Ohio State came on a flukey blocked field return for a touchdown in State College in 2016. With a win this season, the Buckeyes will extend their winning streak against the Nittany Lions to nine games.
For many, losing four straight games to Michigan is unacceptable and this game would be at their top of their list. I’m not as worried about the Wolverines since last year the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and went on to win the College Football Playoff.
It’s almost like the loss to the Wolverines was a wakeup call to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. With the expansion of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State knows they can lose to Michigan and still be in good shape as long as they handle their business in the games leading up to The Game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26048012/2187576656.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 30 Michigan at Ohio State")
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One of these days, Day isn’t going to let Michigan get in his head. Last year it felt like Michigan made Day call the game they wanted him to play, when it should have been the other way around since it was quite obvious Ohio State was the better team.
I think that because Day now has a national title under his belt, he won’t coach so tight this year, which will allow the Buckeyes to play a little looser and possibly earn their first Big Ten Championship Game appearance since 2020.
The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch could be one of the most entertaining games of the season, I just don’t think it will be one of the most important contests. A win is a nice feather in the victor’s cap, while a loss won’t really hurt the loser.
Both teams are replacing so much on both sides of a football that a grace period will be given since there are so many new parts that will be in play. The Labor Day weekend clash will be an outstanding test for both sides, but by no means will it be an elimination game.
Ohio State’s first Big Ten game of the season will see them head out to Seattle following a bye week after the Ohio game. There’s no doubt the Buckeyes will be favored against the Huskies, what is a bit worrisome is they’ll be heading out west after a week off.
Last year Ohio State had an issue with slow starts during the regular season, so we could see that issue pop up again since there will be a few things going against them.
Husky Stadium has also been a tough environment to play in over the years. Just ask last year’s Michigan squad. Despite the Buckeyes going into a number of opponent stadiums that hold at least 100,000 fans, this will be the first time Ohio State has done so with this new crop of starters, including presumed starting quarterback Julian Sayin.
The Buckeyes will have to be careful to not let quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and running back Jonah Coleman make some plays early on and allow the Huskies to gain some momentum.
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
Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The answer may come as a surprise…
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Unlike Ohio State’s 2024 schedule, which didn’t look very strong heading into the season, the 2025 schedule has a number of tough contests on tap for the defending national champions.
There are at least six contests that should make Ohio State fans a little nervous. Prior to the start of last season, the only games that really drew much of a reaction from fans were the road tilts with Oregon and Penn State, followed by a home game against Michigan to close out the regular season.
The schedule did happen to get a little tougher since Indiana shocked the world with their start to the season, going undefeated before coming to Columbus the Saturday before the Michigan game.
The Buckeyes don’t have quite as many layups this year as they did in 2024. Following the opener against Texas, Ohio State should be able to easily navigate non-conference games where they host Grambling State and Ohio before jumping into Big Ten play.
While last season Ohio State had a tough game against an undefeated Indiana team the weekend before The Game, the Buckeyes should be able to coast into this year’s contest in Ann Arbor since they’ll play on the road at Purdue, followed by home games against UCLA and Rutgers before trying to snap the four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
Today we are going to dive into which games on Ohio State’s 2025 regular season schedule are the toughest. There are a few that jump out immediately when looking at this year’s schedule, while there are a few others that could be overlooked. The toughest game for the Buckeyes this year in my opinion could surprise a lot of people since it’s against a team that isn’t one of the perennial conference powers of the Big Ten.
Not only will I take a look at the game I think could be Ohio State’s toughest, I’ll also note some of the other ones that could be a little too tense for the liking of Buckeye Nation.
1) At Illinois - Oct. 11
Last year Indiana shocked college football by going 11-1 in the regular season, earning a spot in the College Football Playoff in Curt Cignetti’s first season as head coach of the Hoosiers. Even though Illinois making the playoff this year wouldn’t be quite as surprising as what Indiana did last year, the Fighting Illini are by no means a favorite to make the playoff.
Oddsmakers don’t think Illinois has much of a chance to compete in the Big Ten, since Bret Bielema’s team currently sits with the eighth-lowest odds to win the conference.
It’s crazy it has been nearly a decade since Ohio State and Illinois have met. The last battle for Illibuck came in 2017, with the Buckeyes winning 52-14 in Columbus. The last time Illinois beat Ohio State came in 2007 when Juice Williams and the Fighting Illini pulled off a shocking 28-21 victory in a season that would see them go to the Rose Bowl. Last season was the first year since 2007 that Illinois recorded more than eight wins in a campaign.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is already laying the groundwork for the Fighting Illini to be a playoff team this year. Aside from the game against Ohio State, the schedule for Illinois is very manageable, and the Fighting Illini have quarterback Luke Altmyer returning. Weird things always seem to happen in Champaign, which will have me feeling uneasy heading into the game.
Despite Illinois not being as talented as the Buckeyes, Bielema knows what strings to pull to keep his team in the game.
2) Vs. Penn State - Nov. 1
This will be the toughest game of the year for the Buckeyes for many people. Penn State returns quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, along with bringing in former Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
The Nittany Lions will be flying high after making the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last year before losing to Notre Dame. Since Penn State was able to win two playoff games, head coach James Franklin will probably think he can finally win a big game.
Aside from Ohio State being at home for this game, the reason the contest against the Nittany Lions isn’t in the top spot for me is I just don’t respect Franklin enough to believe he can beat the Buckeyes. There’s no doubt his team could threaten Ohio State, Franklin just always finds a way to not be able to complete the job.
The only win for Franklin against Ohio State came on a flukey blocked field return for a touchdown in State College in 2016. With a win this season, the Buckeyes will extend their winning streak against the Nittany Lions to nine games.
3) At Michigan - Nov. 29
For many, losing four straight games to Michigan is unacceptable and this game would be at their top of their list. I’m not as worried about the Wolverines since last year the Buckeyes lost to Michigan and went on to win the College Football Playoff.
It’s almost like the loss to the Wolverines was a wakeup call to Ryan Day and the Buckeyes. With the expansion of the College Football Playoff, Ohio State knows they can lose to Michigan and still be in good shape as long as they handle their business in the games leading up to The Game.
One of these days, Day isn’t going to let Michigan get in his head. Last year it felt like Michigan made Day call the game they wanted him to play, when it should have been the other way around since it was quite obvious Ohio State was the better team.
I think that because Day now has a national title under his belt, he won’t coach so tight this year, which will allow the Buckeyes to play a little looser and possibly earn their first Big Ten Championship Game appearance since 2020.
4) Vs. Texas - Aug. 30
The College Football Playoff semifinal rematch could be one of the most entertaining games of the season, I just don’t think it will be one of the most important contests. A win is a nice feather in the victor’s cap, while a loss won’t really hurt the loser.
Both teams are replacing so much on both sides of a football that a grace period will be given since there are so many new parts that will be in play. The Labor Day weekend clash will be an outstanding test for both sides, but by no means will it be an elimination game.
5) At Washington - Sept. 27
Ohio State’s first Big Ten game of the season will see them head out to Seattle following a bye week after the Ohio game. There’s no doubt the Buckeyes will be favored against the Huskies, what is a bit worrisome is they’ll be heading out west after a week off.
Last year Ohio State had an issue with slow starts during the regular season, so we could see that issue pop up again since there will be a few things going against them.
Husky Stadium has also been a tough environment to play in over the years. Just ask last year’s Michigan squad. Despite the Buckeyes going into a number of opponent stadiums that hold at least 100,000 fans, this will be the first time Ohio State has done so with this new crop of starters, including presumed starting quarterback Julian Sayin.
The Buckeyes will have to be careful to not let quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and running back Jonah Coleman make some plays early on and allow the Huskies to gain some momentum.
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LGHL Burning Questions: What will Ohio State’s offensive line look like this season?
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Burning Questions: What will Ohio State’s offensive line look like this season?
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 Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Even though Ohio State will be replacing three starters on the offensive line from last year’s squad, they will have some experienced starters taking snaps in 2025.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Ohio State will be replacing starters from last year’s national championship team all over the field this season. One group that will be replacing three players who started last season is the offensive line.
Left tackle Josh Simmons, center Seth McLaughlin, and right tackle Josh Fryar have all moved on to the pros, leaving some questions on who will fill those spots. Today we’ll try to predict who is in line to start on the offensive line this season.
Despite being down three starters from last year’s squad, Ohio State did get a taste of life without Simmons and McLaughlin last season. Simmons suffered a knee injury in the Oregon game, leading to some shuffling on the offensive line. Just as the Buckeyes were getting used to life without Simmons, McLaughlin suffered an achilles injury prior to the game against Indiana, leading to a former starter at center returning for the remainder of the season.
Not only did Ryan Day have to replace Simmons, McLaughlin, and Fryar this season, he also needed to find a new offensive line coach since Justin Frye moved on to the NFL to join the coaching staff of the Arizona Cardinals. Taking over for Frye is former Virginia Tech offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, who has already made some splashes on the recruiting trail.
There won’t be much of a grace period for Bowen and the new starters on the offensive line, since Ohio State is not only defending champs, they’ll open up the season in one of the marquee non-conference games in college football this year when they host Texas.
Ryan Day has already declared that Siereveld would start in 2025 for Ohio State, the only question is where. After starting six games at left guard last year, Austin Siereveld will likely move to right tackle to replace Josh Fryar, who started every game for the Buckeyes at the position last season.
Even though it would make sense for Siereveld to stay at left guard since he has familiarity at the position, Luke Montgomery feels like the favorite to be the starter there, especially after starting the final two games last season at left guard.
What will be interesting to see is if Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels is able to push Siereveld for playing time. Since both are juniors, it is likely we see both starting somewhere on the offensive line over the next two seasons. Siereveld gets the nod just because he has familiarity starting for the Buckeyes and he is a bit of a jack of all trades since he can start at both guard and tackle.
Daniels did start four games for the Golden Gophers last season, he just might be a year away from seeing playing time as a starter in Columbus.
In his first season as starter, Tshabola was a rock for Ohio State on the interior of the offensive line, starting every game at right guard. With the experience Tshabola picked up as the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship, it’s hard to imagine anybody else starting at right guard this season.
Tshabola will be entering his senior season so the mountain of a man from West Chester will be looking to close out his Ohio State career on a high note.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26045500/2187038904.jpg "Indiana v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
Backing up Tshabola will likely be Gabe VanSickle, who didn’t appear in any games last season as a freshman after he didn’t enroll in classes until June. Even though he hasn’t yet seen any action on the field in a game, the coaching staff is high on VanSickle, and he figures to play a big role on the offensive line over the next few years.
Center is the easiest position to predict on the offensive line. Not only did Hinzman start 12 games in 2023, he stepped in for Seth McLaughlin when the Alabama transfer was injured prior to the Indiana game.
Nobody would have blamed Hinzman if he had decided to jump into the transfer portal when McLaughlin committed to Ohio State since it felt like there was a disconnect between Hinzman and the coaching staff. Instead, Hinzman stuck it out and was ready to step in wherever he was needed.
Prior to returning to center following the injury to McLaughlin, Hinzman started three games at left guard after Donovan Jackson moved to tackle after Simmons was injured.
Backing up Hinzman will likely be Josh Padilla, who has made some appearances in the scarlet and gray but hasn’t seen any significant action yet. What will serve Padilla well is to sit behind Hinzman this year and soak up all he can from the starter to try and prepare to be in the mix to take over for Hinzman at the position next year.
Much like how Donovan Jackson was the leader on the Ohio State offensive line last year, Luke Montgomery could be the same this year for the Buckeyes. Despite starting just two games last season, Montgomery started the two most important games, manning the left guard spot against Texas and Notre Dame.
Now a junior, Montgomery has turned those performances against the Longhorns and Fighting Irish into a spring that saw him earn rave reviews from the coaching staff. Montgomery has also been working at center, but that feels more like an emergency plan in case Ohio State has some terrible injury luck on the line like they did last season.
One name to know for the future of the Ohio State line is Jake Cook. The true freshman from Westerville North is able to play all five positions, which could come in handy since college football seasons are turning into wars of attrition following the continued expansion of the College Football Playoff. Cook is a four-star recruit and could be eased into action while sitting behind Montgomery this year, with bigger plans on the horizon for him in 2026 and beyond.
Filling the shoes of two first round picks at left tackle won’t be easy, but Ohio State is taking a big swing at replacing Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson by bringing in Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa. Simmons started the year at left tackle before he suffered a knee injury at Oregon, forcing Donovan Jackson to shift from left guard to tackle for the rest of the season.
Onianwa has incredible size at 6-foot-6, 345 pounds, and was considered the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal. After starting 25 games at right tackles for Rice from 2021 to 2023, he shifted to left tackle last season and made nine starts for the Owls.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26045505/2181360429.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 26 Rice at UConn")
Backing up Onianwa will likely be Ian Moore, who was part of Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class. Moore was named Indiana’s Mr. Football Offensive Lineman in high school, it’s just not quite time for him to start just yet. With Onianwa starting for the Buckeyes this year before heading off to the NFL next year, Moore figures heavily into the offensive line plans in 2026 when he can compete for a starting role at tackle.
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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 Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Even though Ohio State will be replacing three starters on the offensive line from last year’s squad, they will have some experienced starters taking snaps in 2025.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the most important questions yet unanswered for the season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content and our ”Burning Questions” articles here.
Ohio State will be replacing starters from last year’s national championship team all over the field this season. One group that will be replacing three players who started last season is the offensive line.
Left tackle Josh Simmons, center Seth McLaughlin, and right tackle Josh Fryar have all moved on to the pros, leaving some questions on who will fill those spots. Today we’ll try to predict who is in line to start on the offensive line this season.
Despite being down three starters from last year’s squad, Ohio State did get a taste of life without Simmons and McLaughlin last season. Simmons suffered a knee injury in the Oregon game, leading to some shuffling on the offensive line. Just as the Buckeyes were getting used to life without Simmons, McLaughlin suffered an achilles injury prior to the game against Indiana, leading to a former starter at center returning for the remainder of the season.
Not only did Ryan Day have to replace Simmons, McLaughlin, and Fryar this season, he also needed to find a new offensive line coach since Justin Frye moved on to the NFL to join the coaching staff of the Arizona Cardinals. Taking over for Frye is former Virginia Tech offensive line coach Tyler Bowen, who has already made some splashes on the recruiting trail.
There won’t be much of a grace period for Bowen and the new starters on the offensive line, since Ohio State is not only defending champs, they’ll open up the season in one of the marquee non-conference games in college football this year when they host Texas.
Right Tackle - Austin Siereveld
Ryan Day has already declared that Siereveld would start in 2025 for Ohio State, the only question is where. After starting six games at left guard last year, Austin Siereveld will likely move to right tackle to replace Josh Fryar, who started every game for the Buckeyes at the position last season.
Even though it would make sense for Siereveld to stay at left guard since he has familiarity at the position, Luke Montgomery feels like the favorite to be the starter there, especially after starting the final two games last season at left guard.
What will be interesting to see is if Minnesota transfer Phillip Daniels is able to push Siereveld for playing time. Since both are juniors, it is likely we see both starting somewhere on the offensive line over the next two seasons. Siereveld gets the nod just because he has familiarity starting for the Buckeyes and he is a bit of a jack of all trades since he can start at both guard and tackle.
Daniels did start four games for the Golden Gophers last season, he just might be a year away from seeing playing time as a starter in Columbus.
Right Guard - Tegra Tshabola
In his first season as starter, Tshabola was a rock for Ohio State on the interior of the offensive line, starting every game at right guard. With the experience Tshabola picked up as the Buckeyes went on to win the national championship, it’s hard to imagine anybody else starting at right guard this season.
Tshabola will be entering his senior season so the mountain of a man from West Chester will be looking to close out his Ohio State career on a high note.
Backing up Tshabola will likely be Gabe VanSickle, who didn’t appear in any games last season as a freshman after he didn’t enroll in classes until June. Even though he hasn’t yet seen any action on the field in a game, the coaching staff is high on VanSickle, and he figures to play a big role on the offensive line over the next few years.
Center - Carson Hinzman
Center is the easiest position to predict on the offensive line. Not only did Hinzman start 12 games in 2023, he stepped in for Seth McLaughlin when the Alabama transfer was injured prior to the Indiana game.
Nobody would have blamed Hinzman if he had decided to jump into the transfer portal when McLaughlin committed to Ohio State since it felt like there was a disconnect between Hinzman and the coaching staff. Instead, Hinzman stuck it out and was ready to step in wherever he was needed.
Prior to returning to center following the injury to McLaughlin, Hinzman started three games at left guard after Donovan Jackson moved to tackle after Simmons was injured.
Backing up Hinzman will likely be Josh Padilla, who has made some appearances in the scarlet and gray but hasn’t seen any significant action yet. What will serve Padilla well is to sit behind Hinzman this year and soak up all he can from the starter to try and prepare to be in the mix to take over for Hinzman at the position next year.
Left Guard - Luke Montgomery
Much like how Donovan Jackson was the leader on the Ohio State offensive line last year, Luke Montgomery could be the same this year for the Buckeyes. Despite starting just two games last season, Montgomery started the two most important games, manning the left guard spot against Texas and Notre Dame.
Now a junior, Montgomery has turned those performances against the Longhorns and Fighting Irish into a spring that saw him earn rave reviews from the coaching staff. Montgomery has also been working at center, but that feels more like an emergency plan in case Ohio State has some terrible injury luck on the line like they did last season.
One name to know for the future of the Ohio State line is Jake Cook. The true freshman from Westerville North is able to play all five positions, which could come in handy since college football seasons are turning into wars of attrition following the continued expansion of the College Football Playoff. Cook is a four-star recruit and could be eased into action while sitting behind Montgomery this year, with bigger plans on the horizon for him in 2026 and beyond.
Left Tackle - Ethan Onianwa
Filling the shoes of two first round picks at left tackle won’t be easy, but Ohio State is taking a big swing at replacing Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson by bringing in Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa. Simmons started the year at left tackle before he suffered a knee injury at Oregon, forcing Donovan Jackson to shift from left guard to tackle for the rest of the season.
Onianwa has incredible size at 6-foot-6, 345 pounds, and was considered the best offensive lineman in the transfer portal. After starting 25 games at right tackles for Rice from 2021 to 2023, he shifted to left tackle last season and made nine starts for the Owls.
Backing up Onianwa will likely be Ian Moore, who was part of Ohio State’s 2024 recruiting class. Moore was named Indiana’s Mr. Football Offensive Lineman in high school, it’s just not quite time for him to start just yet. With Onianwa starting for the Buckeyes this year before heading off to the NFL next year, Moore figures heavily into the offensive line plans in 2026 when he can compete for a starting role at tackle.
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which classic Ohio State team would be the most fun to play with in a CBB video game?
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You’re Nuts: Which classic Ohio State team would be the most fun to play with in a CBB video game?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Mike Carter-Imagn Images
There are a bunch of old Buckeyes teams to choose from.
Big news: EA Sports confirmed reporting this week that a college basketball game is in the works: the first since 2010. Land-Grant Holy Land alum Matt Brown, the author of the Extra Points newsletter, broke the news first, and also reported that the game would be released in 2028.
To this point, EA Sports has not confirmed when the highly anticipated game will be released. The release date being three years down the road certainly bursted people’s bubble a little bit, but it is still exciting to know that college basketball will be back on game systems soon.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated which high school recruit Ohio State should prioritize next. With Dorian Jones de-committing from the 2025 class in June, Ohio State now has zero high school commits in the last nine months — the most recent was A’mare Bynum in October 2024, who is now on campus with the team as a freshman.
In a landslide vote, 83% of readers agreed with Justin last week, who picked Anthony Thompson, the No. 11 player in the nation, per 247Sports. 9% of readers agreed with Connor, who wants to see Ohio State pursue a possible legacy Buckeye in Jason Singleton. The remaining 8% believe Jake Diebler and his and his staff should be pursuing someone else.
Connor- 95
We’re both giddy for EA Sports to come out with a college basketball video game, even if it’s a few years down the road. Aside from taking a mid-major nobody to the Final Four, playing with Ohio State is obviously the best thing you can do in that game.
With that established, which Ohio State team would be the most fun to play as? Since the last college basketball video game came out in 2009, we are only talking about the teams since that game came out. Ohio State teams from 2010 to 2025 are eligible for this, since none of them have been in a college basketball game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26046768/usa_today_6107996.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Division I Championship-Ohio State vs Gonzaga")
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Sure, I’ll play with the best Ohio State team of the past 15 years. A share of the Big Ten title, a 31-8 record, an All-American, and two other guys who scored at least 14 points per game. Sounds like a good time to me.
Jared Sullinger was an All-American that year, averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Deshaun Thomas, who would take over as the go-to guy one year later, averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In his senior season, William Buford averaged 14.5 points and five rebounds per game.
As a team, Ohio State was the second highest-scoring team in the Big Ten at 75 points per game. The Buckeyes had the second highest shooting percentage in the Big Ten at 47.9%. They were also the second-best rebounding team in the conference, averaging 36.8 boards per game, with seven different players averaging at least two rebounds per game.
Even thought we didn’t pay much attention to KenPom back then, the Buckeyes were a very well-balanced team under the analytical microscope. Thanks in large part to guards Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr., Ohio State was No. 4 in defensive efficiency that season. They were also No. 6 in offensive efficiency, thanks to the scoring trio I noted above.
More than anything, it would be fun to play with the Sullinger-Thomas combination. As far as sidekicks go, there haven’t been many better than Thomas was to Sullinger over the past 20 years in the Big Ten. If opponents try to double-team Sullinger, Thomas is great as a No. 2, and would’ve been the go-to guy on a lot of teams that season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26046805/usa_today_23580392.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Barbara J. Perenic / USA TODAY NETWORK
When it comes to playing as a certain team in a video game, playing as the 2014-15 Ohio State men’s basketball team would be a ton of fun.
Let’s start with the star of the team D’Angelo Russell, who led the loaded 2014 recruiting class to Columbus (Russell, Jae’Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop, and Kam Williams). Russell was the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft after averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He was fun to watch every single game, and was a human highlight reel and would be exciting to play with in a video game.
Sam Thompson was the second leading scorer for the season at 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but everyone that has watched Ohio State basketball when Thompson was there knows why he would be fun to play with in a video game: Posters every game.
Jae’Sean Tate was the third best player on the team and second best freshman on the team. Marc Loving, Shannon Scott, Amit Williams, Kam Williams, and Keita Bates-Diop rounded out the contributors, and all have something unique about them that would be fun to use and play around with the different rotations as a unit that had solid depth.
This was also one of the best scoring teams the Buckeyes had in recent years. This team averaged 75.3 points per game, which was good for 26th out of 351 teams. That is another fun thing to play with on a video game.
This is not the best Ohio State team of the past two decades, but it was one of the more exciting ones with some of the best players.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Mike Carter-Imagn Images
There are a bunch of old Buckeyes teams to choose from.
Big news: EA Sports confirmed reporting this week that a college basketball game is in the works: the first since 2010. Land-Grant Holy Land alum Matt Brown, the author of the Extra Points newsletter, broke the news first, and also reported that the game would be released in 2028.
To this point, EA Sports has not confirmed when the highly anticipated game will be released. The release date being three years down the road certainly bursted people’s bubble a little bit, but it is still exciting to know that college basketball will be back on game systems soon.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated which high school recruit Ohio State should prioritize next. With Dorian Jones de-committing from the 2025 class in June, Ohio State now has zero high school commits in the last nine months — the most recent was A’mare Bynum in October 2024, who is now on campus with the team as a freshman.
In a landslide vote, 83% of readers agreed with Justin last week, who picked Anthony Thompson, the No. 11 player in the nation, per 247Sports. 9% of readers agreed with Connor, who wants to see Ohio State pursue a possible legacy Buckeye in Jason Singleton. The remaining 8% believe Jake Diebler and his and his staff should be pursuing someone else.
After 211 weeks:
Connor- 95
Justin- 90
Other- 20
(There have been six ties)
We’re both giddy for EA Sports to come out with a college basketball video game, even if it’s a few years down the road. Aside from taking a mid-major nobody to the Final Four, playing with Ohio State is obviously the best thing you can do in that game.
With that established, which Ohio State team would be the most fun to play as? Since the last college basketball video game came out in 2009, we are only talking about the teams since that game came out. Ohio State teams from 2010 to 2025 are eligible for this, since none of them have been in a college basketball game.
This week’s question: Which old Ohio State team would be the most fun to play as in a college basketball video game?
Connor: The 2011-12 team
Sure, I’ll play with the best Ohio State team of the past 15 years. A share of the Big Ten title, a 31-8 record, an All-American, and two other guys who scored at least 14 points per game. Sounds like a good time to me.
Jared Sullinger was an All-American that year, averaging 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Deshaun Thomas, who would take over as the go-to guy one year later, averaged 15.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In his senior season, William Buford averaged 14.5 points and five rebounds per game.
As a team, Ohio State was the second highest-scoring team in the Big Ten at 75 points per game. The Buckeyes had the second highest shooting percentage in the Big Ten at 47.9%. They were also the second-best rebounding team in the conference, averaging 36.8 boards per game, with seven different players averaging at least two rebounds per game.
Even thought we didn’t pay much attention to KenPom back then, the Buckeyes were a very well-balanced team under the analytical microscope. Thanks in large part to guards Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith Jr., Ohio State was No. 4 in defensive efficiency that season. They were also No. 6 in offensive efficiency, thanks to the scoring trio I noted above.
More than anything, it would be fun to play with the Sullinger-Thomas combination. As far as sidekicks go, there haven’t been many better than Thomas was to Sullinger over the past 20 years in the Big Ten. If opponents try to double-team Sullinger, Thomas is great as a No. 2, and would’ve been the go-to guy on a lot of teams that season.
Justin: The 2014-15 team
When it comes to playing as a certain team in a video game, playing as the 2014-15 Ohio State men’s basketball team would be a ton of fun.
Let’s start with the star of the team D’Angelo Russell, who led the loaded 2014 recruiting class to Columbus (Russell, Jae’Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop, and Kam Williams). Russell was the No. 2 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft after averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He was fun to watch every single game, and was a human highlight reel and would be exciting to play with in a video game.
Sam Thompson was the second leading scorer for the season at 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but everyone that has watched Ohio State basketball when Thompson was there knows why he would be fun to play with in a video game: Posters every game.
Jae’Sean Tate was the third best player on the team and second best freshman on the team. Marc Loving, Shannon Scott, Amit Williams, Kam Williams, and Keita Bates-Diop rounded out the contributors, and all have something unique about them that would be fun to use and play around with the different rotations as a unit that had solid depth.
This was also one of the best scoring teams the Buckeyes had in recent years. This team averaged 75.3 points per game, which was good for 26th out of 351 teams. That is another fun thing to play with on a video game.
This is not the best Ohio State team of the past two decades, but it was one of the more exciting ones with some of the best players.
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