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LGHL Buckeyes prepare for the first major visit weekend of the summer
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- 0 Replies
Buckeyes prepare for the first major visit weekend of the summer
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State has a big weekend ahead, hosting several top targets.
The Buckeyes currently have two linebackers committed to their 2025 class in Tarvos Alford and Eli Lee, but this staff is set on at least one more addition. After a 2024 haul of just one at the position, position coach James Laurinaitis knows depth is needed, and will use the many recruiting opportunities in June to hopefully cash in on adding another elite playmaker to the defensive side of the ball.
Visit season really starts this weekend, and the Buckeyes are thrilled to have Texas native linebacker Riley Pettijohn in town, among several other top targets. The No. 31 player nationally and fourth-best player at his position per the 247Sports Composite, Pettijohn picking Ohio State as his first summer visit expresses his interest in what the program has to offer, as well as the potential fit of playing for Laurinaitis.
The in-state Longhorns are the favorite on the Crystal Ball, but the Buckeyes won’t go down without a fight here knowing how impressive Pettijohn is. It helps seeing the current commits speaking out and doing some peer recruiting of their own to let Pettijohn know why Ohio State is the place to be. Getting him on campus is a major win, and odds are the staff will make him a priority all weekend during his stay.
There may not be another player in the 2025 cycle as important for Ohio State than Justin Hill. The No. 72 player nationally and seventh-best edge rusher in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Hill is a flat out football player in it’s purest form. From camp circuits to his overall film, the reps show what he’s made of. Being an Ohio native, it’s critical the Buckeyes are able to keep him at home for his next three to four years.
Schools such as Alabama and Oregon are trying to pitch that he won’t have a true position at Ohio State due to the lack of snaps the Jack role has been used, but the Buckeyes are pitching that they will deploy that spot if they’re able to land a guy like himself. Regardless, this recruitment needs to be won, and getting him back on campus this weekend is a big step towards doing just that.
Set to arrive later today, Ohio State will take extra time with Hill and ensure him all of the benefits of staying close to home. Set to decide on July 3, the staff is just about a month away and knows they need to keep fighting tooth and nail to make sure this ends up on their side. This weekend could be an important factor come decision day.
Ohio State’s 2025 offensive side of the ball has some work to be done. Yes, the players in the fold are what you’d want the Buckeyes to have, but more players need to be added with only four of the 12 current commits being on offense.
Another big-time player set to be in Columbus this weekend, offensive line prospect Kaden Strayhorn arrives later today, and will join several others in what is hard to keep track of in terms of players attending.
The No. 431 player nationally and the 27th best interior lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite, the Buckeyes are no stranger to his recruitment, but don’t seem to have the advantage — at least right now. Schools such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Miami have stayed in it, but as it typically is on any Ohio State visit, the Buckeyes tend to impress and can leave a lasting impact on any recruit.
Position coach Justin Frye wants to add more guys to this class, and though there’s multiple names on the list he is still in good position for, it’s never a bad idea to cast a wider net.
The two five-stars were able to be around some impressive players, but it looks like a majority of the attention was paid their way as both were able to not only further express their Ohio State pledges, but also talk about guys they too are trying to add for their class.
A testament to both, Ohio State struck gold with these two and will continue to see the benefits of having the top two cornerbacks in the class not only on the field with their play, but also in the ways they’re able to attract fellow talent to Columbus.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State has a big weekend ahead, hosting several top targets.
The Buckeyes currently have two linebackers committed to their 2025 class in Tarvos Alford and Eli Lee, but this staff is set on at least one more addition. After a 2024 haul of just one at the position, position coach James Laurinaitis knows depth is needed, and will use the many recruiting opportunities in June to hopefully cash in on adding another elite playmaker to the defensive side of the ball.
Visit season really starts this weekend, and the Buckeyes are thrilled to have Texas native linebacker Riley Pettijohn in town, among several other top targets. The No. 31 player nationally and fourth-best player at his position per the 247Sports Composite, Pettijohn picking Ohio State as his first summer visit expresses his interest in what the program has to offer, as well as the potential fit of playing for Laurinaitis.
The in-state Longhorns are the favorite on the Crystal Ball, but the Buckeyes won’t go down without a fight here knowing how impressive Pettijohn is. It helps seeing the current commits speaking out and doing some peer recruiting of their own to let Pettijohn know why Ohio State is the place to be. Getting him on campus is a major win, and odds are the staff will make him a priority all weekend during his stay.
Buckeyes hosting important in-state target
There may not be another player in the 2025 cycle as important for Ohio State than Justin Hill. The No. 72 player nationally and seventh-best edge rusher in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Hill is a flat out football player in it’s purest form. From camp circuits to his overall film, the reps show what he’s made of. Being an Ohio native, it’s critical the Buckeyes are able to keep him at home for his next three to four years.
Schools such as Alabama and Oregon are trying to pitch that he won’t have a true position at Ohio State due to the lack of snaps the Jack role has been used, but the Buckeyes are pitching that they will deploy that spot if they’re able to land a guy like himself. Regardless, this recruitment needs to be won, and getting him back on campus this weekend is a big step towards doing just that.
Set to arrive later today, Ohio State will take extra time with Hill and ensure him all of the benefits of staying close to home. Set to decide on July 3, the staff is just about a month away and knows they need to keep fighting tooth and nail to make sure this ends up on their side. This weekend could be an important factor come decision day.
Touching down in Columbus in less than 24hrs#GoBucks #The25 #OSU pic.twitter.com/ZwDy8jaDon
— Justin “J-Hill” Hill (@justinnn10k) May 30, 2024
IMG product making the trek north to see the Buckeyes
Ohio State’s 2025 offensive side of the ball has some work to be done. Yes, the players in the fold are what you’d want the Buckeyes to have, but more players need to be added with only four of the 12 current commits being on offense.
Another big-time player set to be in Columbus this weekend, offensive line prospect Kaden Strayhorn arrives later today, and will join several others in what is hard to keep track of in terms of players attending.
The No. 431 player nationally and the 27th best interior lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite, the Buckeyes are no stranger to his recruitment, but don’t seem to have the advantage — at least right now. Schools such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Miami have stayed in it, but as it typically is on any Ohio State visit, the Buckeyes tend to impress and can leave a lasting impact on any recruit.
Position coach Justin Frye wants to add more guys to this class, and though there’s multiple names on the list he is still in good position for, it’s never a bad idea to cast a wider net.
Quick Hits
- The Buckeyes have some star-studded players in this 2025 class, and that was on full display with both Devin Sanchez and Na’eem Offord as they attended On3’s latest recruiting event.
The two five-stars were able to be around some impressive players, but it looks like a majority of the attention was paid their way as both were able to not only further express their Ohio State pledges, but also talk about guys they too are trying to add for their class.
A testament to both, Ohio State struck gold with these two and will continue to see the benefits of having the top two cornerbacks in the class not only on the field with their play, but also in the ways they’re able to attract fellow talent to Columbus.
Continue reading...
LGHL I-80 Football Show: I will not call this game by its name
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- 0 Replies
I-80 Football Show: I will not call this game by its name
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
In this episode, we talk College Football... video games!
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Unless you care about court cases or early season television schedules, it’s been a slow week in the college football news space. Slow for everything, of course, not related to the new college football video game.
EA Sports allowed a bunch of journalists to play the new game, which led to massive drops in features, gameplay, sights and sounds.
First things first, EA College Football 25 is a horrible name. Like Twitter, we will stubbornly be calling this game by its old name. With all of the time and effort spent making the game, unfortunately, they won’t just pay for the ‘NCAA’ branding. Aside from calling it by its rightful name, we would accept another “Madden” where they name the game after one of the best coaches of all time. Saban ‘25 has a nice ring to it.
So far, EA Sports is winning the press conference. It’s naive to believe that this game is not going to be similar to Madden in any way, seeing that they are both built on the same Frostbite gaming engine, but if the reports are to be believed it is a unique product.
Despite the positive news, we still have questions. Namely: will there be any sort of cut scenes and replays like the old game? How will the crowd noise affect gameplay? Plus, will the actual gameplay suffer due to the focus on visuals?
If you care about the new video game — and even if you don’t — sit down with us as we walk through all the news and brainstorm the potential downfalls of trusting EA Sports to make a good game on the first try.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
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
In this episode, we talk College Football... video games!
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Unless you care about court cases or early season television schedules, it’s been a slow week in the college football news space. Slow for everything, of course, not related to the new college football video game.
EA Sports allowed a bunch of journalists to play the new game, which led to massive drops in features, gameplay, sights and sounds.
First things first, EA College Football 25 is a horrible name. Like Twitter, we will stubbornly be calling this game by its old name. With all of the time and effort spent making the game, unfortunately, they won’t just pay for the ‘NCAA’ branding. Aside from calling it by its rightful name, we would accept another “Madden” where they name the game after one of the best coaches of all time. Saban ‘25 has a nice ring to it.
So far, EA Sports is winning the press conference. It’s naive to believe that this game is not going to be similar to Madden in any way, seeing that they are both built on the same Frostbite gaming engine, but if the reports are to be believed it is a unique product.
Despite the positive news, we still have questions. Namely: will there be any sort of cut scenes and replays like the old game? How will the crowd noise affect gameplay? Plus, will the actual gameplay suffer due to the focus on visuals?
If you care about the new video game — and even if you don’t — sit down with us as we walk through all the news and brainstorm the potential downfalls of trusting EA Sports to make a good game on the first try.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
LGHL Unpopular Opinions: A quartet of gripes about Ohio State and college football
- News
- 0 Replies
Unpopular Opinions: A quartet of gripes about Ohio State and college football
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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images
One of our writers will likely ruffle some feathers with four hot takes about college football and Ohio State.
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 unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
One of the few things in life I am good at is having unpopular opinions. While I won’t turn 40 until next July, at this point I feel like I’m the Clint Eastwood GIF from Gran Torino where he is looking out from his porch with utter disgust.
Basically everything is awful, and more often than not I’m proven right. Luckily growing up as a Buffalo sports fan broke my brain at a young age, so I’ve come to accept and embrace my fate as an extreme pessimist. Now I’m just striving to be the best at being the worst.
At this point, you’re probably wondering where I’m going with all this. Today I’m going to dish out a few of my most unpopular opinions about college football and Ohio State. While you don’t have to like the opinions I’m about to give, there is going to come a time when you realize that I was right all along.
This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop loving and rooting for the Buckeyes, there just aren’t that many highs anymore.
Every year there are three objectives: Beat Michigan, win the Big Ten, and win a national title. The last three years have seen the Buckeyes fail to achieve the first objective, which has kept them from the second objective, and taken them out of the running for the third in two of the last three seasons. In the year they did make the College Football Playoff, Ohio State had eventual national champion Georgia on the ropes but blew a fourth-quarter lead to the Bulldogs.
Things could change this year with the introduction of the expanded playoff, as well as the expansion of the Big Ten. With the conference doing away with divisions, a loss to Michigan won’t necessarily eliminate the Buckeyes from competing for a Big Ten title. Who knows, we could actually get a rematch with the Wolverines the week after The Game if the rivals both sit on top of the Big Ten at the end of the regular season.
Even if Ohio State doesn’t make the Big Ten Championship Game, they’ll have more margin for error when it comes to making the playoff, since there will be 12 teams competing in the College Football Playoff.
What worries me is how the goalposts are moved with the expanded playoff. Is it a disappointment if Ohio State doesn’t earn a bye? Is the world ending if Ohio State can’t secure a home playoff game? What if they lose in a first-round game?
Imagine how prickly Christmas will be if Santa Claus delivers Ohio State fans a lump of coal before Dec. 25. Imagine how upset we were after the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri and multiply that by eleventy bajillion.
Again, I’m not jumping ship and going to start rooting for another team, I’m just stating it can be rough at times to be a Buckeye fan because the bar is set so high. They say heavy is the head that lies the crown, it’s just Ohio State hasn’t been winning titles or beating Michigan enough lately for us to be living like the kings and queens we think we are.
So many Ohio State fans were elated when it was announced the Big Ten would be ending their partnership with ESPN. Be careful what you wish for.
With the departure of “WWE SmackDown!” on Friday nights, FOX is going to expand their college football coverage and start broadcasting Friday night games. Following the Sept. 13 game between Arizona and Kansas State, the next nine Friday night games on FOX’s schedule are Big Ten conference games.
This year, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State weren’t included in the Friday night schedule, but you know it’s only a matter of time before the Buckeyes are told to play on Friday night.
Don’t like it? Too damn bad. Just look at the NFL, which is playing on every day of the week except Tuesday this season. You can argue how it is different since the NFL is a professional sports league, but college football isn’t far off. The players are getting paid and the television contracts are massive. It’s good business for FOX to capitalize on their investment and broadcast content they know people will watch.
It’s not like Ohio State hasn’t already played in a Friday night game, as they destroyed Northwestern on a Friday night in Evanston a few years ago. Some will argue that Friday night should be for high school football and if you are playing on Friday night you are at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. Maybe 20-30 years ago that might be the case but not these days since everything is available on the internet.
If I had to guess, I’d say the Buckeyes will be asked to play a Friday game once every other year. I know it’s hard to imagine right now but we will all find a way to survive when Ohio State is forced to strap on the pads on a Friday night.
I always get a laugh when I see somebody freaking out when it is announced that an Ohio State event is on Peacock. In a way, this goes back to the joy Buckeye fans had when the Big Ten was able to free themselves from the evil that is ESPN. Be careful what you wish for because you might have actually had it better than you thought.
Prior to last season I already had been subscribed to Peacock for a number of years. As a fan of WWE and the English Premier League, Peacock was a great value to me. Not only could I watch events like the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania for six dollars a month, but I also had access to tons of soccer. While I know the price will be increasing by a couple of bucks a month soon, it’s still less than $100 a year, so it’s not like you’re having to break the bank for it.
Really the only people I feel sad for when it comes to Ohio State events being on Peacock are bar and restaurant owners, since it could take away from some of their business as they don’t have a cost-effective option to air streaming games on multiple televisions. For everybody else, at least it could possibly give you a chance to talk to your parents more since you’ll have to walk them through how to get the Buckeye game on their television.
If we’re being honest, I’d much rather just kick Northwestern out of the Big Ten. But since we can’t do that, we are stuck with them playing at temporary stadiums while they rebuild Ryan Field.
On Nov. 16, Ohio State will travel to Chicago and take on the Wildcats at Wrigley Field. I know there are some people that love the idea of the Buckeyes playing at the home of the Chicago Cubs. I’m not one of those people.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25469975/1775202919.jpg "Iowa v Northwestern")
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
So why do I hate that this is happening? When we saw Northwestern and Iowa play there last season, the field was awful and both teams were on the same sidelines. It’s all fun and games until someone gets injured for the rest of the season because of how bad the footing is.
Even though an injury because of the field could happen at any venue, there is more of a possibility of it happening at a stadium that isn’t really designated for football. Save shenanigans like this for bowl season like they do at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.
On the bright side, at least they figured out the dimensions so they can use both end zones!
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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images
One of our writers will likely ruffle some feathers with four hot takes about college football and Ohio State.
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 unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
One of the few things in life I am good at is having unpopular opinions. While I won’t turn 40 until next July, at this point I feel like I’m the Clint Eastwood GIF from Gran Torino where he is looking out from his porch with utter disgust.
Basically everything is awful, and more often than not I’m proven right. Luckily growing up as a Buffalo sports fan broke my brain at a young age, so I’ve come to accept and embrace my fate as an extreme pessimist. Now I’m just striving to be the best at being the worst.
At this point, you’re probably wondering where I’m going with all this. Today I’m going to dish out a few of my most unpopular opinions about college football and Ohio State. While you don’t have to like the opinions I’m about to give, there is going to come a time when you realize that I was right all along.
There’s not much joy in being an Ohio State football fan these days
This doesn’t mean I’m going to stop loving and rooting for the Buckeyes, there just aren’t that many highs anymore.
Every year there are three objectives: Beat Michigan, win the Big Ten, and win a national title. The last three years have seen the Buckeyes fail to achieve the first objective, which has kept them from the second objective, and taken them out of the running for the third in two of the last three seasons. In the year they did make the College Football Playoff, Ohio State had eventual national champion Georgia on the ropes but blew a fourth-quarter lead to the Bulldogs.
Things could change this year with the introduction of the expanded playoff, as well as the expansion of the Big Ten. With the conference doing away with divisions, a loss to Michigan won’t necessarily eliminate the Buckeyes from competing for a Big Ten title. Who knows, we could actually get a rematch with the Wolverines the week after The Game if the rivals both sit on top of the Big Ten at the end of the regular season.
Even if Ohio State doesn’t make the Big Ten Championship Game, they’ll have more margin for error when it comes to making the playoff, since there will be 12 teams competing in the College Football Playoff.
What worries me is how the goalposts are moved with the expanded playoff. Is it a disappointment if Ohio State doesn’t earn a bye? Is the world ending if Ohio State can’t secure a home playoff game? What if they lose in a first-round game?
Imagine how prickly Christmas will be if Santa Claus delivers Ohio State fans a lump of coal before Dec. 25. Imagine how upset we were after the Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri and multiply that by eleventy bajillion.
Again, I’m not jumping ship and going to start rooting for another team, I’m just stating it can be rough at times to be a Buckeye fan because the bar is set so high. They say heavy is the head that lies the crown, it’s just Ohio State hasn’t been winning titles or beating Michigan enough lately for us to be living like the kings and queens we think we are.
Ohio State possibly playing in a Friday night game isn’t as terrible as everyone is making it out to be
So many Ohio State fans were elated when it was announced the Big Ten would be ending their partnership with ESPN. Be careful what you wish for.
With the departure of “WWE SmackDown!” on Friday nights, FOX is going to expand their college football coverage and start broadcasting Friday night games. Following the Sept. 13 game between Arizona and Kansas State, the next nine Friday night games on FOX’s schedule are Big Ten conference games.
This year, Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State weren’t included in the Friday night schedule, but you know it’s only a matter of time before the Buckeyes are told to play on Friday night.
Don’t like it? Too damn bad. Just look at the NFL, which is playing on every day of the week except Tuesday this season. You can argue how it is different since the NFL is a professional sports league, but college football isn’t far off. The players are getting paid and the television contracts are massive. It’s good business for FOX to capitalize on their investment and broadcast content they know people will watch.
It’s not like Ohio State hasn’t already played in a Friday night game, as they destroyed Northwestern on a Friday night in Evanston a few years ago. Some will argue that Friday night should be for high school football and if you are playing on Friday night you are at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting. Maybe 20-30 years ago that might be the case but not these days since everything is available on the internet.
If I had to guess, I’d say the Buckeyes will be asked to play a Friday game once every other year. I know it’s hard to imagine right now but we will all find a way to survive when Ohio State is forced to strap on the pads on a Friday night.
Peacock is actually fine
I always get a laugh when I see somebody freaking out when it is announced that an Ohio State event is on Peacock. In a way, this goes back to the joy Buckeye fans had when the Big Ten was able to free themselves from the evil that is ESPN. Be careful what you wish for because you might have actually had it better than you thought.
Prior to last season I already had been subscribed to Peacock for a number of years. As a fan of WWE and the English Premier League, Peacock was a great value to me. Not only could I watch events like the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania for six dollars a month, but I also had access to tons of soccer. While I know the price will be increasing by a couple of bucks a month soon, it’s still less than $100 a year, so it’s not like you’re having to break the bank for it.
Really the only people I feel sad for when it comes to Ohio State events being on Peacock are bar and restaurant owners, since it could take away from some of their business as they don’t have a cost-effective option to air streaming games on multiple televisions. For everybody else, at least it could possibly give you a chance to talk to your parents more since you’ll have to walk them through how to get the Buckeye game on their television.
I’m not a fan of Ohio State playing at Wrigley Field
If we’re being honest, I’d much rather just kick Northwestern out of the Big Ten. But since we can’t do that, we are stuck with them playing at temporary stadiums while they rebuild Ryan Field.
On Nov. 16, Ohio State will travel to Chicago and take on the Wildcats at Wrigley Field. I know there are some people that love the idea of the Buckeyes playing at the home of the Chicago Cubs. I’m not one of those people.
So why do I hate that this is happening? When we saw Northwestern and Iowa play there last season, the field was awful and both teams were on the same sidelines. It’s all fun and games until someone gets injured for the rest of the season because of how bad the footing is.
Even though an injury because of the field could happen at any venue, there is more of a possibility of it happening at a stadium that isn’t really designated for football. Save shenanigans like this for bowl season like they do at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.
On the bright side, at least they figured out the dimensions so they can use both end zones!
Continue reading...
LGHL C.J. Stroud is officially the NFL’s top ‘Good Guy,’ Garrett Wilson praises OSU training
- News
- 0 Replies
C.J. Stroud is officially the NFL’s top ‘Good Guy,’ Garrett Wilson praises OSU training
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
Former Ohio State Quarterback C.J. Stroud Wins PFWA’s Good Guy. Award as NFL’s Most Media-Friendly Player
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Ohio State slight favorite over Oregon to win Big Ten championship
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
Unpopular Opinion: There should be limitations on the transfer portal
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Garrett Wilson thinks OSU develops five-star wide receivers well
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Re-ranking Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class four years down the road (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Hardworking TC Caffey never gave up on Ohio State dream, now is important piece of RB room (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Colin White eager to get enrolled at Ohio State, begin journey as a Buckeye
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Meechie Johnson “Always Wanted to Be a Buckeyes,” Has Matured as player and Person Since Previous Stint at Ohio State
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Rowing: Kate Sweeney Resigns as Rowing Team Coach
Ohio State Athletics
Hoping for some more upper-90s coming soon:
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
On the Gridiron
Former Ohio State Quarterback C.J. Stroud Wins PFWA’s Good Guy. Award as NFL’s Most Media-Friendly Player
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Ohio State slight favorite over Oregon to win Big Ten championship
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
Unpopular Opinion: There should be limitations on the transfer portal
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Garrett Wilson thinks OSU develops five-star wide receivers well
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Re-ranking Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class four years down the road (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Hardworking TC Caffey never gave up on Ohio State dream, now is important piece of RB room (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
On the Hardwood
Colin White eager to get enrolled at Ohio State, begin journey as a Buckeye
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Meechie Johnson “Always Wanted to Be a Buckeyes,” Has Matured as player and Person Since Previous Stint at Ohio State
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Rowing: Kate Sweeney Resigns as Rowing Team Coach
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Hoping for some more upper-90s coming soon:
Continue reading...
LGHL Unpopular Opinion: Roddy Gayle Jr. transferring to Michigan is OK with me
- News
- 0 Replies
Unpopular Opinion: Roddy Gayle Jr. transferring to Michigan is OK with me
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 Matthew Holst/Getty Images
We’ve seen glimpses of the guard’s potential, but his departure isn’t a big deal for Ohio State’s basketball team.
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 unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
In a perfect world, no Ohio State fan would ever see a starter transfer to Michigan. No self-respecting Buckeye would ever join that team up north, but — in my opinion — while losing guard Roddy Gayle Jr. in the transfer portal to the Wolverines isn’t optimal, it also isn’t that big of a deal.
On the surface, Jake Diebler’s team will be missing its third-leading scorer from the 2023-24 season; Gayle made 45% of his field goal attempts last season and averaged 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Those are solid, if unspectacular numbers. Gayle has unbelievable athletic ability and has shown glimpses of what kind of player he could become, including his hot start to last season.
In addition to the numbers above, Gayle finished second on the team in assists, with 111, was fourth in steals, with 27, and contributed six blocks. That last number is surprisingly low, given Gayle’s vertical leap, long arms, and athleticism.
However, Diebler has seemingly added players who have the potential to elevate the team by doing many of the things that Gayle did for the Buckeyes last season. In addition to big men Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, the new head coach has welcomed back former Buckeye-turned-South Carolina Gamecock Meechie Johnson Jr. this offseason, and in many ways, he will slide straight into Gayle’s spot on the roster.
Johnson averaged 14.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in the SEC last season, connecting on 40% of his shots from the floor. He also added 95 assists and 30 steals in 154 fewer minutes on the floor than Gayle.
So, while Meechie’s numbers are not dramatically different than Roddy’s, there does appear to be one significant area where the returning Buckeye is far stronger than the departing one. Last season, Johnson tallied 52 turnovers — 3.3 per 100 possessions — while Gayle had 87 and 4.6 per 100 possessions; Jamison Battle committed OSU’s second-highest total of turnovers with 55. While Gayle continues to have a ton of potential, his biggest weakness through two seasons of collegiate basketball has always been his inconsistency.
My biggest beef with Gayle was that it felt like he was where Ohio State fast breaks went to die. Any time it appeared that a clear-cut transition basket was coming, something weird would happen if Gayle was leading the break. Whether he dribbled off his foot, lost control momentarily and stepped on the end line while regathering the ball, traveled, committed a charge on the only defensive player back while ignoring two open teammates, or simply blew a layup, those mistakes have been costly in close games.
It’s possible that I’ll regret writing this if Gayle develops into the kind of player in Ann Arbor that he showed signs of becoming in Columbus. However, I’ll probably be OK with that, since I’d rather not have the uncertainty of what might happen late in a close game if Gayle had a contested layup in the lane. After investing years into rooting for a player, not to mention the time coveting him as a top-50 recruit, it is always tough to see someone choose to play elsewhere, especially when they opt to side with your school’s rival. But given the seemingly on-court upgrade that Diebler has pulled off across his roster this offseason, it's hard to be too upset over Gayle’s departure.
And perhaps the state of the OSU program is another reason why it has been easy to say goodbye to the guard. Diebler turned around a floundering club and came within a whisker of getting the Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament. The team played with passion and worked hard for Diebler; it seemed like the chemistry between the coach and his players was incredibly strong, especially since he was the lead recruiter for many of them, including Gayle.
While in today’s day and age, you can’t fault players for seeking out the places that they feel are going to be best for them, their futures, and their families, it does sting a little that Gayle chose to leave a team that seemingly had its momentum going in the right direction, especially when he chose to join a squad in even more desperate need of a rebuild.
As bad as the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season was, the Wolverines’ was even worse. OSU finished the season 22-14 (9-11) and ended up ninth in the Big Ten, but were within a bucket of making it to the B1G Tournament semifinals. TTUN, on the other hand, was 8-24 (3-17) on the campaign and dead last in the conference. Both schools parted ways with their coaches with Diebler taking over for Chris Holtmann and one-time leading OSU candidate Dusty May replacing Juwan Howard.
While there is certainly reason for excitement around both new coaches, it doesn’t sit incredibly well that Gayle would leave OSU for TTUN given all of the known circumstances. Again with the state of college athletics being what they are, there is likely far more going on behind the scenes than we know, and perhaps there are deeply personal reasons for Gayle’s decision to abandon ship and join his former rival’s squad. But, given the positivity and excitement around what Diebler is doing in Columbus, there’s no reason to long for someone who was obviously not 100% on board with what the Buckeyes were building.
So, in that case, we wish Roddy the best of luck and look forward to seeing him on the court when Ohio State welcomes the Maize and Blue to the Schott this season, I’m sure that the Nut House will be on its best behavior !!
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 Matthew Holst/Getty Images
We’ve seen glimpses of the guard’s potential, but his departure isn’t a big deal for Ohio State’s basketball team.
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 unpopular opinions. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Unpopular Opinion” articles here.
In a perfect world, no Ohio State fan would ever see a starter transfer to Michigan. No self-respecting Buckeye would ever join that team up north, but — in my opinion — while losing guard Roddy Gayle Jr. in the transfer portal to the Wolverines isn’t optimal, it also isn’t that big of a deal.
On the surface, Jake Diebler’s team will be missing its third-leading scorer from the 2023-24 season; Gayle made 45% of his field goal attempts last season and averaged 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Those are solid, if unspectacular numbers. Gayle has unbelievable athletic ability and has shown glimpses of what kind of player he could become, including his hot start to last season.
In addition to the numbers above, Gayle finished second on the team in assists, with 111, was fourth in steals, with 27, and contributed six blocks. That last number is surprisingly low, given Gayle’s vertical leap, long arms, and athleticism.
However, Diebler has seemingly added players who have the potential to elevate the team by doing many of the things that Gayle did for the Buckeyes last season. In addition to big men Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, the new head coach has welcomed back former Buckeye-turned-South Carolina Gamecock Meechie Johnson Jr. this offseason, and in many ways, he will slide straight into Gayle’s spot on the roster.
Johnson averaged 14.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in the SEC last season, connecting on 40% of his shots from the floor. He also added 95 assists and 30 steals in 154 fewer minutes on the floor than Gayle.
So, while Meechie’s numbers are not dramatically different than Roddy’s, there does appear to be one significant area where the returning Buckeye is far stronger than the departing one. Last season, Johnson tallied 52 turnovers — 3.3 per 100 possessions — while Gayle had 87 and 4.6 per 100 possessions; Jamison Battle committed OSU’s second-highest total of turnovers with 55. While Gayle continues to have a ton of potential, his biggest weakness through two seasons of collegiate basketball has always been his inconsistency.
My biggest beef with Gayle was that it felt like he was where Ohio State fast breaks went to die. Any time it appeared that a clear-cut transition basket was coming, something weird would happen if Gayle was leading the break. Whether he dribbled off his foot, lost control momentarily and stepped on the end line while regathering the ball, traveled, committed a charge on the only defensive player back while ignoring two open teammates, or simply blew a layup, those mistakes have been costly in close games.
It’s possible that I’ll regret writing this if Gayle develops into the kind of player in Ann Arbor that he showed signs of becoming in Columbus. However, I’ll probably be OK with that, since I’d rather not have the uncertainty of what might happen late in a close game if Gayle had a contested layup in the lane. After investing years into rooting for a player, not to mention the time coveting him as a top-50 recruit, it is always tough to see someone choose to play elsewhere, especially when they opt to side with your school’s rival. But given the seemingly on-court upgrade that Diebler has pulled off across his roster this offseason, it's hard to be too upset over Gayle’s departure.
And perhaps the state of the OSU program is another reason why it has been easy to say goodbye to the guard. Diebler turned around a floundering club and came within a whisker of getting the Buckeyes into the NCAA Tournament. The team played with passion and worked hard for Diebler; it seemed like the chemistry between the coach and his players was incredibly strong, especially since he was the lead recruiter for many of them, including Gayle.
While in today’s day and age, you can’t fault players for seeking out the places that they feel are going to be best for them, their futures, and their families, it does sting a little that Gayle chose to leave a team that seemingly had its momentum going in the right direction, especially when he chose to join a squad in even more desperate need of a rebuild.
As bad as the Buckeyes’ 2023-24 season was, the Wolverines’ was even worse. OSU finished the season 22-14 (9-11) and ended up ninth in the Big Ten, but were within a bucket of making it to the B1G Tournament semifinals. TTUN, on the other hand, was 8-24 (3-17) on the campaign and dead last in the conference. Both schools parted ways with their coaches with Diebler taking over for Chris Holtmann and one-time leading OSU candidate Dusty May replacing Juwan Howard.
While there is certainly reason for excitement around both new coaches, it doesn’t sit incredibly well that Gayle would leave OSU for TTUN given all of the known circumstances. Again with the state of college athletics being what they are, there is likely far more going on behind the scenes than we know, and perhaps there are deeply personal reasons for Gayle’s decision to abandon ship and join his former rival’s squad. But, given the positivity and excitement around what Diebler is doing in Columbus, there’s no reason to long for someone who was obviously not 100% on board with what the Buckeyes were building.
So, in that case, we wish Roddy the best of luck and look forward to seeing him on the court when Ohio State welcomes the Maize and Blue to the Schott this season, I’m sure that the Nut House will be on its best behavior !!
Continue reading...
LGHL Unpopular Opinions: Ohio Stadium is not a top-5 college football experience
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Unpopular Opinions: Ohio Stadium is not a top-5 college football experience
Josh Dooley 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
Relax, relax. The Shoe is fantastic and a top-5 weekly venue. But for certain marquee matchups, big night games, and one-offs, there are a handful of better environments.
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 what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
As sports fans – or I guess people in general – we all have opinions that stink. That’s why they say that opinions are like... Well, you know the rest. And it’s true, right? Even the most arrogant, stubborn individuals on the planet have opinions that are just plain bad. Or wrong.
So there is no sense in ignoring this undeniable truth. Or getting upset about it. Instead, we should just embrace and possibly even laugh about it. Which is what LGHL is doing this week. And being the company man that I am, I decided to really commit to the bit. I wanted to give you, the reader(s), an Unpopular Opinion the likes of which you’ve never seen or heard... Ok, that’s probably a bit much. But I did make an effort to go off-menu.
Without further ado, my unpopular opinion (realistically speaking, I have many) is that Ohio Stadium AKA The Horseshoe or simply The Shoe is not a top-5 college football stadium/venue.
At least not when it comes to hosting marquee matchups, night games, one-offs, and/or special occasions. In other words, attending a run-of-the-mill game in or at The Shoe is not a top-5 CFB experience.
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Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Now, before I go any further, I’d like – nay, I need – to apologize to my Buckeye brethren and sistren (yes, it’s a real word): I am truly, truly sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness. I take no joy in writing this piece. But allow me to explain...
First of all, I love Ohio Stadium and do believe that it is a top-5 week-to-week venue. What I mean by that is that if you love college football and/or the Buckeyes, or you have season tickets, or you want to bring friends and family to a game, or you just want to guarantee yourself a great gameday experience, then The Shoe is always going to deliver. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, it’s loud, it’s just an amazing place to be.
However, if one is looking for a CFB-related bucket list experience, then I would say that there are at least five venues better than the nearly 102-year-old stadium located at 411 Woody Hayes Drive in Columbus, Ohio. There just are. Although, I will sort of contradict myself here and say that The Shoe is really, really tough to beat when Ohio State hosts Michigan. But I still believe that there are (at least five) better experiences to be had elsewhere.
**I should point out that I have only attended a handful of non-OSU CFB games in a handful of stadiums, so take my unpopular opinion with a grain of salt. But I stand by it.
Here are my top five CFB venues (atmosphere/game-specific), in no particular order:
To be clear, I am fully aware that it is Rose Bowl Stadium. But I will always refer to it as just the Rose Bowl. For my money, the Rose Bowl is the most beautiful CFB setting in existence. Night games are great, but the sun setting during an afternoon marquee matchup is even better. Who cares if UCLA stinks, the Bruins’ home stadium is iconic.
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Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Night games at Tiger Stadium are pure electricity. But I can’t pinpoint one reason why; I think it’s just the combination of everything. Regardless, Death Valley at night seems louder, more rowdy, and more raucous than any other stadium in CFB, so that’s why it gets a spot in my top-5.
Begrudgingly, I had to put a different Big Ten venue in my top-5. But there is simply no denying that night White Out games go extremely hard in the paint.
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Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
Sure, there are older, bigger, louder stadiums, but Notre Dame’s is (the most?) synonymous with college football. It is steeped in history and tradition, and every game at “The House that Rockne Built” seems like an event. In that way, Notre Dame Stadium is like Madison Square Garden... Iconic.
Two words: Enter Sandman. The Hokies taking the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” for a night game is absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt the coolest freaking thing in CFB. I won’t hear anything to the contrary. VT might not be a good team, but I get chills just watching them run out of the tunnel. For now, I can only imagine what that’s like in person.
So there ya have it. That wasn’t so bad or unpopular, was it? I didn’t badmouth or eviscerate Ohio Stadium. And I certainly didn’t make a case for “The Big House” as a top-5 CFB venue. I just happen to think that there are at least a handful of other stadiums and/or sites that provide a better one-off experience than The Shoe.
Don’t shoot the messenger, folks. I think we all know that it’s true.
But still, Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley 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
Relax, relax. The Shoe is fantastic and a top-5 weekly venue. But for certain marquee matchups, big night games, and one-offs, there are a handful of better environments.
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 what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.
As sports fans – or I guess people in general – we all have opinions that stink. That’s why they say that opinions are like... Well, you know the rest. And it’s true, right? Even the most arrogant, stubborn individuals on the planet have opinions that are just plain bad. Or wrong.
So there is no sense in ignoring this undeniable truth. Or getting upset about it. Instead, we should just embrace and possibly even laugh about it. Which is what LGHL is doing this week. And being the company man that I am, I decided to really commit to the bit. I wanted to give you, the reader(s), an Unpopular Opinion the likes of which you’ve never seen or heard... Ok, that’s probably a bit much. But I did make an effort to go off-menu.
Without further ado, my unpopular opinion (realistically speaking, I have many) is that Ohio Stadium AKA The Horseshoe or simply The Shoe is not a top-5 college football stadium/venue.
At least not when it comes to hosting marquee matchups, night games, one-offs, and/or special occasions. In other words, attending a run-of-the-mill game in or at The Shoe is not a top-5 CFB experience.
Now, before I go any further, I’d like – nay, I need – to apologize to my Buckeye brethren and sistren (yes, it’s a real word): I am truly, truly sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness. I take no joy in writing this piece. But allow me to explain...
First of all, I love Ohio Stadium and do believe that it is a top-5 week-to-week venue. What I mean by that is that if you love college football and/or the Buckeyes, or you have season tickets, or you want to bring friends and family to a game, or you just want to guarantee yourself a great gameday experience, then The Shoe is always going to deliver. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, it’s loud, it’s just an amazing place to be.
However, if one is looking for a CFB-related bucket list experience, then I would say that there are at least five venues better than the nearly 102-year-old stadium located at 411 Woody Hayes Drive in Columbus, Ohio. There just are. Although, I will sort of contradict myself here and say that The Shoe is really, really tough to beat when Ohio State hosts Michigan. But I still believe that there are (at least five) better experiences to be had elsewhere.
**I should point out that I have only attended a handful of non-OSU CFB games in a handful of stadiums, so take my unpopular opinion with a grain of salt. But I stand by it.
Here are my top five CFB venues (atmosphere/game-specific), in no particular order:
Any big game at the Rose Bowl (UCLA)
To be clear, I am fully aware that it is Rose Bowl Stadium. But I will always refer to it as just the Rose Bowl. For my money, the Rose Bowl is the most beautiful CFB setting in existence. Night games are great, but the sun setting during an afternoon marquee matchup is even better. Who cares if UCLA stinks, the Bruins’ home stadium is iconic.
Night game at Tiger Stadium AKA “the real Death Valley” (LSU)
Night games at Tiger Stadium are pure electricity. But I can’t pinpoint one reason why; I think it’s just the combination of everything. Regardless, Death Valley at night seems louder, more rowdy, and more raucous than any other stadium in CFB, so that’s why it gets a spot in my top-5.
Night White Out game at Beaver Stadium (Penn State)
Begrudgingly, I had to put a different Big Ten venue in my top-5. But there is simply no denying that night White Out games go extremely hard in the paint.
Any big game at Notre Dame Stadium (ND)
Sure, there are older, bigger, louder stadiums, but Notre Dame’s is (the most?) synonymous with college football. It is steeped in history and tradition, and every game at “The House that Rockne Built” seems like an event. In that way, Notre Dame Stadium is like Madison Square Garden... Iconic.
Night game at Lane Stadium (Virginia Tech)
Two words: Enter Sandman. The Hokies taking the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” for a night game is absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt the coolest freaking thing in CFB. I won’t hear anything to the contrary. VT might not be a good team, but I get chills just watching them run out of the tunnel. For now, I can only imagine what that’s like in person.
So there ya have it. That wasn’t so bad or unpopular, was it? I didn’t badmouth or eviscerate Ohio Stadium. And I certainly didn’t make a case for “The Big House” as a top-5 CFB venue. I just happen to think that there are at least a handful of other stadiums and/or sites that provide a better one-off experience than The Shoe.
Don’t shoot the messenger, folks. I think we all know that it’s true.
But still, Go Bucks!
Continue reading...
