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LGHL Indiana continues to baffle Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes in overtime 77-76
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Indiana continues to baffle Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes in overtime 77-76
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
IU was up 10 with five minutes left in regulation, but a furious comeback by the Bucks sent the game to OT.
It may only be January, but Friday night’s game between the Buckeyes (10-8, 2-5) and the Indiana Hoosiers (14-5, 5-3) felt like a dire, must-win game for each program.
For Ohio State, it was critical to avoid falling to 2-5 in Big Ten play before heading to Mackey Arena next week. For Indiana, it was critical to win this game to calm down the ravenous mob of Hoosier fans who have decided that Mike Woodson’s time as head coach is over.
Woodson’s job may be safe — for now — as the Hoosiers edged out Ohio State 77-76 in Columbus Friday night behind a combined 44 points from Luke Goode and Oumar Ballo. For the Buckeyes, it means they now head to Mackey Arena 2-5 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have gone 1-6 in their last seven trips to Mackey, winning exactly once there in the past 10 years.
IU wasn’t shy about their priority early on — get the ball to Oumar Ballo. The 7-foot, 270-pounder was unstoppable early in this one, taking four of Indiana’s first seven shots and scoring their first six points. Two of those baskets were from offensive rebounds when Aaron Bradshaw, Sean Stewart, and Evan Mahaffey all failed at stopping the big man on the defensive glass. Four minutes into the game Ohio State was clinging to a slim 7-6 lead.
Being guarded by his former high school teammate Bruce Thornton, Indiana sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle rose up and knocked down his 13th three-point make of the season to get the Hoosiers back within two points with 10 minutes left in the first half. Two minutes later an alley-oop toss and slam from Carlyle to Ballo tied the game at 20, with just over seven minutes to go until halftime.
Thornton, Stewart, Mahaffey, and Ques Glover all scored at least once in the final four minutes leading into halftime, as the Buckeyes jogged into the locker room with a 35-29 lead. The Buckeyes shot 46.2% in the first half, but IU grabbed eight offensive rebounds and turned it into eight second-chance points.
Luke Goode — a transfer from Illinois — chipped in a quick five points at the beginning of the second half, helping Indiana cut the Ohio State lead to 41-40 four minutes into the second half. To this point in the game, Goode and Ballo had combined for 26 of IU’s 40 points.
Indiana took a four-point lead briefly thanks to continued heroics by Goode, who tied his season-high (18) with over 12 minutes still to go in the game. Ohio State was paying a lot of attention to Ballo, and Goode became the beneficiary. A Thornton pull-up jumper with 11:43 remaining got it back within two, 50-48.
Ohio State took the lead back for a moment, 55-54, but IU answered with baskets from Ballo and Carlyle to put the Buckeyes back behind the 8-ball, 59-55. The Hoosiers were attacking the basket to put pressure on Ohio State’s interior defense, and then kicking out to Goode if the Buckeyes overhelped.
The Hoosiers kept coming at Ohio State, extending their lead to 68-58 on a long two-point shot by Goode to set his career-high. Once the lead got to 10, Indiana milked the clock possession after possession, sensing that the Buckeyes may not have the horses to string together one final push.
The Buckeyes pressed Indiana in the final three minutes, forcing one turnover on the inbounds pass and cutting IU’s 10-point lead down to three with 90 seconds remaining. After Galloway missed a three, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds left and drew up a play for Mobley, who promptly canned his fifth three-pointer of the game to tie everything up, 71-71.
Indiana came up empty on their next possession, and Ohio State got the ball back with nine seconds left. Thornton tried to score on Ballo, but the Indiana big did a great job sticking with the guard and he was not even able to get a shot off — overtime!
In overtime, the teams traded buckets back and forth, with Ivan Njegovan scoring at the start of the extra period and giving the Buckeyes the lead, followed by a big block at the other end. A Goode three-pointer that was the product of Indiana’s 14th offensive rebound of the game put the Hoosiers up, 77-76 with 67 seconds remaining.
After Ohio State forced a shot clock violation with 16 seconds remaining, Thornton’s three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced in, around, and out. Ballgame.
If you weren’t around Friday night to see Ohio State fall to Indiana and slip further and further down the Big Ten standings, here were a few key moments that played a part in IU’s road win:
Aside from Zach Edey, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo is the most physically imposing player to face Ohio State in the past several seasons. At an even 7 feet tall and 270 pounds, he has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and Stewart, and 70 pounds on Mahaffey — the three guys responsible for guarding him at different points during this game.
Ballo flexed on Ohio State early in this game, scoring Indiana’s first six points and pretty much establishing that there was nobody in the building capable of boxing him out. He scored twice on offensive putbacks before the first media timeout and was the only Hoosier to score in the first four minutes of the game.
With Ohio State leading 27-24 and 4:23 remaining in the first half, Thornton slipped and fell, but was able to keep his dribble alive. He passed the ball to the only person near him — Mahaffey — with four seconds left on the shot clock.
Mahaffey tried a shot fake to get Luke Goode in the air, but it didn’t work, so Mahaffey had no choice but to rise up and shoot over him.
He sank it, with the ball snapping through the net just as the shot clock went off. It was his first three-pointer of the season and his first make since February 10, 2024. It put Ohio State up, 30-24.
Micah Parrish was the most aggressive Buckeye in the first half, scoring a clean dozen on 5-of-7 shooting. He scored eight consecutive points for Ohio State at one point, and his steal and layup on the ensuing break tied things up 22-22 with just over six minutes remaining in the half. He did not settle in the first half and even drew several IU fouls at the basket as four different Hoosiers finished the opening frame with two or more.
Not even four minutes into the second half, Ohio State’s six-point lead had been cut to one point and Glover was trying to inbound the ball to Parrish in the corner nearest Ohio State’s bench. Glover tossed it up to Parrish, but Trey Galloway reached out and poked the ball in the air, jumped to grab it, and then called timeout right in front of the official as he fell out of bounds.
The ref gave Galloway the timeout, and the official scorer (deservedly) gave Galloway the steal and Glover his second turnover.
After a Mobley three cut Indiana’s lead to just one point, the Hoosiers ripped off nine consecutive points to go ahead 68-58 — their largest lead of the game, with 5:12 remaining in the game. The final basket came on a long, step-back two-point shot by Goode, which gave him a career-high 20 points.
After Galloway missed a three at the other end, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds remaining. Diebler drew up a play to get it to Mobley, who canned it to tie the game, 71-71, with 34 seconds left.
After Myles Rice missed a layup, Ballo grabbed his eighth offensive rebound of the game and kicked out to Goode in the far corner, who sniped his fourth three-pointer of the game to put the Hoosiers up by one points with 1:07 remaining on the clock.
Ohio State (10-8, 2-5) goes to Purdue on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes beat the Boilermakers last season in Jake Diebler’s first game as interim head coach, but Ohio State has not won at Mackey Arena since the 2017-2018 season.
The 17th-ranked Boilermakers (14-4, 6-1) are currently riding a six-game winning streak. They’re No. 14 in the NET rankings and No. 10 in KenPom’s rankings.
Ohio State’s game against Purdue is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 21 and will be broadcast on Peacock.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
IU was up 10 with five minutes left in regulation, but a furious comeback by the Bucks sent the game to OT.
It may only be January, but Friday night’s game between the Buckeyes (10-8, 2-5) and the Indiana Hoosiers (14-5, 5-3) felt like a dire, must-win game for each program.
For Ohio State, it was critical to avoid falling to 2-5 in Big Ten play before heading to Mackey Arena next week. For Indiana, it was critical to win this game to calm down the ravenous mob of Hoosier fans who have decided that Mike Woodson’s time as head coach is over.
Woodson’s job may be safe — for now — as the Hoosiers edged out Ohio State 77-76 in Columbus Friday night behind a combined 44 points from Luke Goode and Oumar Ballo. For the Buckeyes, it means they now head to Mackey Arena 2-5 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have gone 1-6 in their last seven trips to Mackey, winning exactly once there in the past 10 years.
IU wasn’t shy about their priority early on — get the ball to Oumar Ballo. The 7-foot, 270-pounder was unstoppable early in this one, taking four of Indiana’s first seven shots and scoring their first six points. Two of those baskets were from offensive rebounds when Aaron Bradshaw, Sean Stewart, and Evan Mahaffey all failed at stopping the big man on the defensive glass. Four minutes into the game Ohio State was clinging to a slim 7-6 lead.
Being guarded by his former high school teammate Bruce Thornton, Indiana sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle rose up and knocked down his 13th three-point make of the season to get the Hoosiers back within two points with 10 minutes left in the first half. Two minutes later an alley-oop toss and slam from Carlyle to Ballo tied the game at 20, with just over seven minutes to go until halftime.
Thornton, Stewart, Mahaffey, and Ques Glover all scored at least once in the final four minutes leading into halftime, as the Buckeyes jogged into the locker room with a 35-29 lead. The Buckeyes shot 46.2% in the first half, but IU grabbed eight offensive rebounds and turned it into eight second-chance points.
Luke Goode — a transfer from Illinois — chipped in a quick five points at the beginning of the second half, helping Indiana cut the Ohio State lead to 41-40 four minutes into the second half. To this point in the game, Goode and Ballo had combined for 26 of IU’s 40 points.
Indiana took a four-point lead briefly thanks to continued heroics by Goode, who tied his season-high (18) with over 12 minutes still to go in the game. Ohio State was paying a lot of attention to Ballo, and Goode became the beneficiary. A Thornton pull-up jumper with 11:43 remaining got it back within two, 50-48.
Ohio State took the lead back for a moment, 55-54, but IU answered with baskets from Ballo and Carlyle to put the Buckeyes back behind the 8-ball, 59-55. The Hoosiers were attacking the basket to put pressure on Ohio State’s interior defense, and then kicking out to Goode if the Buckeyes overhelped.
The Hoosiers kept coming at Ohio State, extending their lead to 68-58 on a long two-point shot by Goode to set his career-high. Once the lead got to 10, Indiana milked the clock possession after possession, sensing that the Buckeyes may not have the horses to string together one final push.
The Buckeyes pressed Indiana in the final three minutes, forcing one turnover on the inbounds pass and cutting IU’s 10-point lead down to three with 90 seconds remaining. After Galloway missed a three, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds left and drew up a play for Mobley, who promptly canned his fifth three-pointer of the game to tie everything up, 71-71.
Indiana came up empty on their next possession, and Ohio State got the ball back with nine seconds left. Thornton tried to score on Ballo, but the Indiana big did a great job sticking with the guard and he was not even able to get a shot off — overtime!
In overtime, the teams traded buckets back and forth, with Ivan Njegovan scoring at the start of the extra period and giving the Buckeyes the lead, followed by a big block at the other end. A Goode three-pointer that was the product of Indiana’s 14th offensive rebound of the game put the Hoosiers up, 77-76 with 67 seconds remaining.
After Ohio State forced a shot clock violation with 16 seconds remaining, Thornton’s three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced in, around, and out. Ballgame.
If you weren’t around Friday night to see Ohio State fall to Indiana and slip further and further down the Big Ten standings, here were a few key moments that played a part in IU’s road win:
Oumar Ballo is a massive human being
Aside from Zach Edey, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo is the most physically imposing player to face Ohio State in the past several seasons. At an even 7 feet tall and 270 pounds, he has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and Stewart, and 70 pounds on Mahaffey — the three guys responsible for guarding him at different points during this game.
Ballo flexed on Ohio State early in this game, scoring Indiana’s first six points and pretty much establishing that there was nobody in the building capable of boxing him out. He scored twice on offensive putbacks before the first media timeout and was the only Hoosier to score in the first four minutes of the game.
Evan Mahaffey’s first three-pointer in 11 months
With Ohio State leading 27-24 and 4:23 remaining in the first half, Thornton slipped and fell, but was able to keep his dribble alive. He passed the ball to the only person near him — Mahaffey — with four seconds left on the shot clock.
Mahaffey tried a shot fake to get Luke Goode in the air, but it didn’t work, so Mahaffey had no choice but to rise up and shoot over him.
He sank it, with the ball snapping through the net just as the shot clock went off. It was his first three-pointer of the season and his first make since February 10, 2024. It put Ohio State up, 30-24.
Parrish’s great half
Micah Parrish was the most aggressive Buckeye in the first half, scoring a clean dozen on 5-of-7 shooting. He scored eight consecutive points for Ohio State at one point, and his steal and layup on the ensuing break tied things up 22-22 with just over six minutes remaining in the half. He did not settle in the first half and even drew several IU fouls at the basket as four different Hoosiers finished the opening frame with two or more.
Galloway’s absurd steal
Not even four minutes into the second half, Ohio State’s six-point lead had been cut to one point and Glover was trying to inbound the ball to Parrish in the corner nearest Ohio State’s bench. Glover tossed it up to Parrish, but Trey Galloway reached out and poked the ball in the air, jumped to grab it, and then called timeout right in front of the official as he fell out of bounds.
The ref gave Galloway the timeout, and the official scorer (deservedly) gave Galloway the steal and Glover his second turnover.
Goode set his career-high, puts Indiana up 10
After a Mobley three cut Indiana’s lead to just one point, the Hoosiers ripped off nine consecutive points to go ahead 68-58 — their largest lead of the game, with 5:12 remaining in the game. The final basket came on a long, step-back two-point shot by Goode, which gave him a career-high 20 points.
Mobley ties the game with his fifth three-pointer
After Galloway missed a three at the other end, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds remaining. Diebler drew up a play to get it to Mobley, who canned it to tie the game, 71-71, with 34 seconds left.
Goode’s fourth three puts Indiana up, 77-76
After Myles Rice missed a layup, Ballo grabbed his eighth offensive rebound of the game and kicked out to Goode in the far corner, who sniped his fourth three-pointer of the game to put the Hoosiers up by one points with 1:07 remaining on the clock.
What’s next?
Ohio State (10-8, 2-5) goes to Purdue on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes beat the Boilermakers last season in Jake Diebler’s first game as interim head coach, but Ohio State has not won at Mackey Arena since the 2017-2018 season.
The 17th-ranked Boilermakers (14-4, 6-1) are currently riding a six-game winning streak. They’re No. 14 in the NET rankings and No. 10 in KenPom’s rankings.
Ohio State’s game against Purdue is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 21 and will be broadcast on Peacock.
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2026 GA DB Peyton Dyer (USC Verbal)
- By pnuts34
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Class: 2026
Position: CB
School: Duluth(GA) Duluth
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195lbs
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HudL
Class: 2026
Position: CB
School: Duluth(GA) Duluth
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195lbs
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2027 GA DB Adryan Cole (Verbal Offer)
- By pnuts34
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Class: 2027
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School: Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy
Height: 6-foot-2
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Class: 2027
Position: DB
School: Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190lbs
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LGHL Ohio State and Notre Dame injury reports heading into national championship game
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Ohio State and Notre Dame injury reports heading into national championship game
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
In a 16-game season, it is no surprise that both teams in the title game are a bit banged up.
It has been a long season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams will be playing their 16th game of the college football season on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In many ways, football is a war of attrition. The physicality of the game inherently leads to injuries of both the short and long-term variety.
While both the Irish and Buckeyes come into the title game with some season-ending injuries to their roster, both are relatively healthy, given the length of the season. From an Ohio State perspective, head coach Ryan Day, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, and the entire staff have had a plan all season long to get players to this point as fresh and healthy as possible.
Not only has OSU been rotating players at key positions more often this season than in years past, but they have also dramatically slowed down the tempo with which the offense operates. Instead of a no-huddle, quick-snap approach, the Buckeye offense has been slow and methodical. The purpose of that philosophy change was to make sure that when the Buckeyes got to the end of the season and were playing their most important games they were as close to full strength as possible.
Well, that time is now, so let’s take a look at where both the Buckeyes and Irish are in terms of injuries heading into the title game. Which players are able to go on Monday night — and how close to 100% they are — will have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. As of publishing time, the FanDuel Sportsbook has Ohio State as an 8.5-point favorite with the total points mark set at 46.5.
As Notre Dame does, the Buckeyes are dealing with a number of season-ending injuries to key contributors. Most notable are the offensive linemen Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin. Fortunately for the Bucks, they have weeks of experience playing without those guys, so they at least have experience playing without them.
As for the more recent injuries impacting Ryan Day’s squad, coming out of the hard-fought Cotton Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns, there are a number of things to keep an eye on.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25835526/2193340679.jpg "Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Ohio State v Texas")
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
If you are squeamish like me, chances are that you didn’t enjoy the constant closeups of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s engorged left hand during the Cotton Bowl. It appeared that the Kansas State transfer hit his non-throwing hand on a helmet early in the game, and as time went on, his hand became increasingly discolored and swollen.
It did not appear to impact his play, as he finished the game with 289 yards passing. During media availabilities this week, Howard said that the visible signs of injury were caused by a popped blood vessel suffered in the second quarter. He noted that the swelling decreased as the game went on, and that he wasn’t in any pain, and that it had happened before.
“I just looked down and it was pretty big. It happened earlier in the season too. Nobody really noticed then.”
There is no expectation that Howard will be hampered by the injury. However, in case something does happen that keeps him out of the game, his backup Devin Brown will be available, despite the fact that he entered the transfer portal in early December.
Coming into the game, Howard has +320 odds from FanDuel to score a touchdown. This does not include passing touchdowns, as it has to be the person who carries the ball into, or receives the ball in, the end zone. So, it appears that the oddsmakers aren’t too worried about his ability to hold onto the football.
Against the Horns, Ohio State starting cornerback Denzel Burke only played 28 snaps, all of which came in the first half. During the game, there was no obvious indication as to what happened to the defensive back, but in the Sunday media availability following the game, Day described Burke’s injury as minor and that he would be back for the title game against Notre Dame.
“He’ll be available for the next game,” Day said. “He was dealing with an upper extremity issue that we felt like, at the time, was the right thing to do to hold him.
That was reiterated later in the week when defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said that while those types of decisions were quote “above my pay grade,” as far as he knew, everything was good to go.
Listen to Knowles and Chip Kelly’s presser here:
During the game against Texas, edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau was rolled up on during a friendly fire incident that saw true freshman Eddrick Houston blocked into his lower leg. The situation required attention from the medical staff as Tuimoloau was having trouble walking. The senior went to the medical tent and had his ankle heavily taped. He was seen on the sideline jumping up and down and sprinting in order to test his ankle. While he remained out for the remainder of the first half, he did return after the break and finished the game with seven tackles, including 2.5 for loss on 45 snaps.
Coming into the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State had used a three-man lineup of Austin Siereveld, Tegra Tshabola, and Luke Montgomery at the two guard positions. However, against Texas, Siereveld only played 17 snaps, splitting time at right guard with Tshabola; Montgomery played the entire game at LG.
In his media session posted above, Kelly confirmed that Siereveld was dealing with an injury, but did not elaborate. If Siereveld is unable to go, or is limited in how much he can handle, Montgomery and Tshabola have experience in the two spots to go it alone.
Similar to Ohio State, the Fighting Irish are dealing with injuries along the offensive line. However, they do not have the benefit of time, like the Buckeyes do. However, injuries are not the only thing that Notre Dame is dealing with as this week, head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed that the flu is running through the team as well.
“I think probably over half of our team has gotten it already, so I don’t think it will have an impact on this week’s game,” Freeman said. “Ohio State is probably dealing with it, too.”
In their semifinal game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, freshman All-American left tackle Anthonie Knapp suffered an ankle injury, and when talking to the media three days after the Orange Bowl, Freeman confirmed that his blindside tackle will not be able to play against Ohio State.
While ND has not confirmed its plans for the game, it has been reported — and even said outright by the player — that redshirt freshman Charles Jagusah will start in Knapp’s stead. Coming into the fall, it was Jagusah who was the starter, but he tore his pectoral during preseason camp. He returned for the quarterfinal matchup with Georgia and played on five special teams snaps, but came in as an injury replacement for Rocco Spindler (more on that in a minute) against PSU.
However, he did not play tackle; instead, he lined up at right guard where he took 53 snaps. While Jagusah is a talented young player, he has not had much in terms of game reps with the offensive line, and none at the position he is expected to be playing on Monday night. Whether or not they will be able to gel enough in the week and a half between games, could go a long way to determining if the Irish offense can withstand Ohio State’s aggressive defensive front.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25835586/2193028461.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 09 CFP Semifinal Capital One Orange Bowl - Notre Dame vs Penn State")
Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In the Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame’s leading running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a knee injury in the third quarter. He was sandwiched by multiple defenders as he was attempting to block for quarterback Riley Leonard. After the play he was noticeably limping as he left the field, and did not return for the rest of the game.
However, the 1,100-yard rusher did play the following week against Penn State. While the results weren’t what HD fans are used to seeing from him, his presence still made an impact. Against the Nittany Lions, Love had 11 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. That means that he averaged 4.2 yards per carry, down from the 7.1 he has averaged on the season as a whole.
Fortunately for Irish fans, Love is expected to be ready for the game on Monday night. While there is no telling how impactful the injury will be 11 days after he last played, the offense will almost certainly be better for having him available.
FanDuel is giving love +135 odds to score a touchdown at some point in the game, the top odds for anyone wearing a golden dome for a helmet.
In ND’s 27-17 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the playoff, the team’s sack leader Rylie Mills suffered a right knee injury while sacking IU QB Kurtis Rourke. While trying to pull the quarterback down, he left his feet and was whipped into teammate Jaylen Sneed, causing his knee to bend the wrong way. Initially, Freeman said that there was optimism that he would return for the playoff run, but that did not come to pass, as Mills has been ruled out for the season. Mills finished the season with 7.5 sacks per game, good for 37th nationally.
In addition to Knapp’s injury, the ND offensive line is also having to contend with right guard Rocco Spindler’s ongoing right ankle injury. He has been playing in and out of the lineup and exited the game against Penn State late in the first half. It was his injury that brought Jagusah into the game.
Despite having to leave against Indiana and Penn State, Spindler will reportedly be available on Monday night.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
In a 16-game season, it is no surprise that both teams in the title game are a bit banged up.
It has been a long season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams will be playing their 16th game of the college football season on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In many ways, football is a war of attrition. The physicality of the game inherently leads to injuries of both the short and long-term variety.
While both the Irish and Buckeyes come into the title game with some season-ending injuries to their roster, both are relatively healthy, given the length of the season. From an Ohio State perspective, head coach Ryan Day, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, and the entire staff have had a plan all season long to get players to this point as fresh and healthy as possible.
Not only has OSU been rotating players at key positions more often this season than in years past, but they have also dramatically slowed down the tempo with which the offense operates. Instead of a no-huddle, quick-snap approach, the Buckeye offense has been slow and methodical. The purpose of that philosophy change was to make sure that when the Buckeyes got to the end of the season and were playing their most important games they were as close to full strength as possible.
Well, that time is now, so let’s take a look at where both the Buckeyes and Irish are in terms of injuries heading into the title game. Which players are able to go on Monday night — and how close to 100% they are — will have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. As of publishing time, the FanDuel Sportsbook has Ohio State as an 8.5-point favorite with the total points mark set at 46.5.
Ohio State
As Notre Dame does, the Buckeyes are dealing with a number of season-ending injuries to key contributors. Most notable are the offensive linemen Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin. Fortunately for the Bucks, they have weeks of experience playing without those guys, so they at least have experience playing without them.
As for the more recent injuries impacting Ryan Day’s squad, coming out of the hard-fought Cotton Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns, there are a number of things to keep an eye on.
Will Howard | Quarterback
If you are squeamish like me, chances are that you didn’t enjoy the constant closeups of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s engorged left hand during the Cotton Bowl. It appeared that the Kansas State transfer hit his non-throwing hand on a helmet early in the game, and as time went on, his hand became increasingly discolored and swollen.
It did not appear to impact his play, as he finished the game with 289 yards passing. During media availabilities this week, Howard said that the visible signs of injury were caused by a popped blood vessel suffered in the second quarter. He noted that the swelling decreased as the game went on, and that he wasn’t in any pain, and that it had happened before.
“I just looked down and it was pretty big. It happened earlier in the season too. Nobody really noticed then.”
There is no expectation that Howard will be hampered by the injury. However, in case something does happen that keeps him out of the game, his backup Devin Brown will be available, despite the fact that he entered the transfer portal in early December.
Coming into the game, Howard has +320 odds from FanDuel to score a touchdown. This does not include passing touchdowns, as it has to be the person who carries the ball into, or receives the ball in, the end zone. So, it appears that the oddsmakers aren’t too worried about his ability to hold onto the football.
Denzel Burke | Cornerback
Against the Horns, Ohio State starting cornerback Denzel Burke only played 28 snaps, all of which came in the first half. During the game, there was no obvious indication as to what happened to the defensive back, but in the Sunday media availability following the game, Day described Burke’s injury as minor and that he would be back for the title game against Notre Dame.
“He’ll be available for the next game,” Day said. “He was dealing with an upper extremity issue that we felt like, at the time, was the right thing to do to hold him.
That was reiterated later in the week when defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said that while those types of decisions were quote “above my pay grade,” as far as he knew, everything was good to go.
Listen to Knowles and Chip Kelly’s presser here:
J.T. Tuimoloau | Defensive End
During the game against Texas, edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau was rolled up on during a friendly fire incident that saw true freshman Eddrick Houston blocked into his lower leg. The situation required attention from the medical staff as Tuimoloau was having trouble walking. The senior went to the medical tent and had his ankle heavily taped. He was seen on the sideline jumping up and down and sprinting in order to test his ankle. While he remained out for the remainder of the first half, he did return after the break and finished the game with seven tackles, including 2.5 for loss on 45 snaps.
Austin Siereveld | Offensive guard
Coming into the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State had used a three-man lineup of Austin Siereveld, Tegra Tshabola, and Luke Montgomery at the two guard positions. However, against Texas, Siereveld only played 17 snaps, splitting time at right guard with Tshabola; Montgomery played the entire game at LG.
In his media session posted above, Kelly confirmed that Siereveld was dealing with an injury, but did not elaborate. If Siereveld is unable to go, or is limited in how much he can handle, Montgomery and Tshabola have experience in the two spots to go it alone.
Notre Dame
Similar to Ohio State, the Fighting Irish are dealing with injuries along the offensive line. However, they do not have the benefit of time, like the Buckeyes do. However, injuries are not the only thing that Notre Dame is dealing with as this week, head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed that the flu is running through the team as well.
“I think probably over half of our team has gotten it already, so I don’t think it will have an impact on this week’s game,” Freeman said. “Ohio State is probably dealing with it, too.”
Anthonie Knapp | Offensive Tackle
In their semifinal game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, freshman All-American left tackle Anthonie Knapp suffered an ankle injury, and when talking to the media three days after the Orange Bowl, Freeman confirmed that his blindside tackle will not be able to play against Ohio State.
While ND has not confirmed its plans for the game, it has been reported — and even said outright by the player — that redshirt freshman Charles Jagusah will start in Knapp’s stead. Coming into the fall, it was Jagusah who was the starter, but he tore his pectoral during preseason camp. He returned for the quarterfinal matchup with Georgia and played on five special teams snaps, but came in as an injury replacement for Rocco Spindler (more on that in a minute) against PSU.
However, he did not play tackle; instead, he lined up at right guard where he took 53 snaps. While Jagusah is a talented young player, he has not had much in terms of game reps with the offensive line, and none at the position he is expected to be playing on Monday night. Whether or not they will be able to gel enough in the week and a half between games, could go a long way to determining if the Irish offense can withstand Ohio State’s aggressive defensive front.
Jeremiyah Love | Running Back
In the Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame’s leading running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a knee injury in the third quarter. He was sandwiched by multiple defenders as he was attempting to block for quarterback Riley Leonard. After the play he was noticeably limping as he left the field, and did not return for the rest of the game.
However, the 1,100-yard rusher did play the following week against Penn State. While the results weren’t what HD fans are used to seeing from him, his presence still made an impact. Against the Nittany Lions, Love had 11 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. That means that he averaged 4.2 yards per carry, down from the 7.1 he has averaged on the season as a whole.
Fortunately for Irish fans, Love is expected to be ready for the game on Monday night. While there is no telling how impactful the injury will be 11 days after he last played, the offense will almost certainly be better for having him available.
FanDuel is giving love +135 odds to score a touchdown at some point in the game, the top odds for anyone wearing a golden dome for a helmet.
Rylie Mills | Defensive Tackle
In ND’s 27-17 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the playoff, the team’s sack leader Rylie Mills suffered a right knee injury while sacking IU QB Kurtis Rourke. While trying to pull the quarterback down, he left his feet and was whipped into teammate Jaylen Sneed, causing his knee to bend the wrong way. Initially, Freeman said that there was optimism that he would return for the playoff run, but that did not come to pass, as Mills has been ruled out for the season. Mills finished the season with 7.5 sacks per game, good for 37th nationally.
Rocco Spindler | Offensive Guard
In addition to Knapp’s injury, the ND offensive line is also having to contend with right guard Rocco Spindler’s ongoing right ankle injury. He has been playing in and out of the lineup and exited the game against Penn State late in the first half. It was his injury that brought Jagusah into the game.
Despite having to leave against Indiana and Penn State, Spindler will reportedly be available on Monday night.
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European League of Football
- By ScriptOhio
- Professional Football
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European League of Football - Wikipedia
NFL to Europe: Ex-coach Del Rio hired in France
Former Jags and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has been hired as the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the 17-team European League of Football.
Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio to coach team in Paris
Former Jacksonville Jaguars and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has been named the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football.Del Rio, 61, went 93-94 in 12 seasons as an NFL head coach and made two postseason appearances with the Jags and one with the Raiders.
His last NFL job was as defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders from 2020 to '23. He previously held coordinator roles with the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.
Del Rio's move to Paris comes after a brief tenure as a senior assistant for the Wisconsin Badgers. Hired in August 2024, he resigned from the position in November after he was arrested following a car crash in Madison, Wisconsin, and cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The Paris Musketeers are part of the 17-team European League of Football, which played its inaugural season in 2021. The league runs from May until September and features teams from Austria, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
LGHL You’re Nuts: What does Ohio State need to do to snap its three-game losing streak against Indiana?
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You’re Nuts: What does Ohio State need to do to snap its three-game losing streak against Indiana?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Hoosier fans are ready to fire their head coach, but Ohio State can’t afford another loss with Purdue coming up.
Is it possible to feel good about how a team is playing while the team is not winning basketball games at all?
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (10-7, 2-4) lost games to No. 15 Oregon and No. 24 Wisconsin over the past week by a combined four points. Ohio State led for over 30 minutes against the Quackers, but ultimately a thin lead didn’t hold up in the final 90 seconds. The Buckeyes shot themselves in the foot — really both feet — at Wisconsin, falling behind by 17 at halftime before swinging back and cutting the deficit to one point before losing by two.
At 2-4, Ohio State doesn’t really have a whole lot of time to “take positives” from losses or “recognize growth.” They are essentially eliminated from winning the Big Ten regular season title with almost two months to go, and need to go 8-6 over the next 14 to finish .500 in the conference.
Enter Indiana, stage left.
Hoosier fans are done with Mike Woodson. Indiana (13-5, 4-3) has lost three games by at least 25 points this season, including a 94-69 loss to Illinois at Assembly Hall this week. The record is not dire, but the vibes certainly are. Something has to give.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated if Jake Diebler should’ve used his final timeout against Oregon, down two with seven seconds remaining on the clock. 63% of readers sided with Justin, who said that Diebler made the correct call by not using the timeout and preventing Oregon from setting up a full court press with very limited time left.
Connor- 84
In a really strange twist, Ohio State’s lack of a “back to the basket” center might actually play to its advantage against Indiana on Friday night. Oumar Ballo averages just under two blocks per game, but he’s not too quick on his feet and doesn’t react fast enough when guarding away from the basket.
Fortunately, neither Sean Stewart nor Aaron Bradshaw are those types of post players. Even against smaller teams, Ohio State barely ever throws the ball to one of them below the basket and says “go get a bucket.”
When Stewart shoots, it is usually off of a lob, an offensive put-back, or some type of floater/hook shot from six-to-seven feet away. When Bradshaw shoots, it is usually a jumper or a layup where he starts with the ball on the perimeter and slashes to the basket.
As our friends at Crimson Quarry shared with us this week, getting Ballo away from the basket and making him move his feet to guard will be a big key for Ohio State if they want to win on Friday night. Ballo has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and 40 pounds on Stewart, but he’s not as quick as either of them. If the Buckeyes can make him move around a bit, it will be to their benefit.
Plus, if Bradshaw and Stewart can move Ballo away from the paint some possessions, it will open up that area for everyone else to drive to the basket into a little less traffic. Bruce Thornton, Micah Parrish, and Devin Royal are all above average finishers at the rim, but all three of them are going to get stuffed at the rack if Ballo is there.
Settle for fewers jump shots, move Ballo around, get to the rim, hit your free throws. Sounds like a plan to me. We’ll see Ohio State can execute it.
I think the key to winning this game is very simple. They have to get Bruce Thornton going early. The junior point guard is the best player on the team. In many games, he is the best player on the floor.
However, sometimes he is more passive on the offensive end to start games, trying to get others involved and facilitate the offense instead of taking the ball and going and scoring.
It is not a coincidence that when he scored 30 points, and they beat Kentucky. Or that he scored 17 in the second half against Wisconsin, and they immediately got back in the game. He needs to be the main scorer for the Buckeyes to successfully get into the offense.
If teams are not worried about Thornton, it becomes much harder for everyone else. He opens up the offense by scoring.
Thornton must score double-digit points in the first half against Indiana to win the game. I am keeping this short because it is that simple.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Hoosier fans are ready to fire their head coach, but Ohio State can’t afford another loss with Purdue coming up.
Is it possible to feel good about how a team is playing while the team is not winning basketball games at all?
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (10-7, 2-4) lost games to No. 15 Oregon and No. 24 Wisconsin over the past week by a combined four points. Ohio State led for over 30 minutes against the Quackers, but ultimately a thin lead didn’t hold up in the final 90 seconds. The Buckeyes shot themselves in the foot — really both feet — at Wisconsin, falling behind by 17 at halftime before swinging back and cutting the deficit to one point before losing by two.
At 2-4, Ohio State doesn’t really have a whole lot of time to “take positives” from losses or “recognize growth.” They are essentially eliminated from winning the Big Ten regular season title with almost two months to go, and need to go 8-6 over the next 14 to finish .500 in the conference.
Enter Indiana, stage left.
Hoosier fans are done with Mike Woodson. Indiana (13-5, 4-3) has lost three games by at least 25 points this season, including a 94-69 loss to Illinois at Assembly Hall this week. The record is not dire, but the vibes certainly are. Something has to give.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated if Jake Diebler should’ve used his final timeout against Oregon, down two with seven seconds remaining on the clock. 63% of readers sided with Justin, who said that Diebler made the correct call by not using the timeout and preventing Oregon from setting up a full court press with very limited time left.
After 187 weeks:
Connor- 84
Justin- 79
Other- 19
(There have been five ties)
This week’s question: What does Ohio State need to do to snap this three-game losing streak against Indiana?
Connor: Attack the basket on offense/don’t settle
In a really strange twist, Ohio State’s lack of a “back to the basket” center might actually play to its advantage against Indiana on Friday night. Oumar Ballo averages just under two blocks per game, but he’s not too quick on his feet and doesn’t react fast enough when guarding away from the basket.
Fortunately, neither Sean Stewart nor Aaron Bradshaw are those types of post players. Even against smaller teams, Ohio State barely ever throws the ball to one of them below the basket and says “go get a bucket.”
When Stewart shoots, it is usually off of a lob, an offensive put-back, or some type of floater/hook shot from six-to-seven feet away. When Bradshaw shoots, it is usually a jumper or a layup where he starts with the ball on the perimeter and slashes to the basket.
As our friends at Crimson Quarry shared with us this week, getting Ballo away from the basket and making him move his feet to guard will be a big key for Ohio State if they want to win on Friday night. Ballo has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and 40 pounds on Stewart, but he’s not as quick as either of them. If the Buckeyes can make him move around a bit, it will be to their benefit.
Plus, if Bradshaw and Stewart can move Ballo away from the paint some possessions, it will open up that area for everyone else to drive to the basket into a little less traffic. Bruce Thornton, Micah Parrish, and Devin Royal are all above average finishers at the rim, but all three of them are going to get stuffed at the rack if Ballo is there.
Settle for fewers jump shots, move Ballo around, get to the rim, hit your free throws. Sounds like a plan to me. We’ll see Ohio State can execute it.
Justin: Let Bruce Thornton cook early
I think the key to winning this game is very simple. They have to get Bruce Thornton going early. The junior point guard is the best player on the team. In many games, he is the best player on the floor.
However, sometimes he is more passive on the offensive end to start games, trying to get others involved and facilitate the offense instead of taking the ball and going and scoring.
It is not a coincidence that when he scored 30 points, and they beat Kentucky. Or that he scored 17 in the second half against Wisconsin, and they immediately got back in the game. He needs to be the main scorer for the Buckeyes to successfully get into the offense.
If teams are not worried about Thornton, it becomes much harder for everyone else. He opens up the offense by scoring.
Thornton must score double-digit points in the first half against Indiana to win the game. I am keeping this short because it is that simple.
Continue reading...
2026 GA DL Dre Quinn (Clemson Verbal)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
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247
Rivals
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HudL
Class: 2026
Position: DE
School: Norcross(GA) Greater Atlanta Christian School
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 220lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: DE
School: Norcross(GA) Greater Atlanta Christian School
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 220lbs
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LGHL Ohio State is going to rock the championship stripes on Monday night
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Ohio State is going to rock the championship stripes on Monday night
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State Athletics
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!
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Analyzing Cotton Bowl grades for Buckeyes, potential impact in title game
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Three Keys for Buckeyes in national title game against Notre Dame
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
What Ohio State needs to do to beat Notre Dame in the National Championship
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
One More, Then Forever
Jack Sawyer, The Player’s Tribune
TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins Could Both Achieve 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons During CFP Title Game
Chris Lauderback, Eleven Warriors
Why Carnell Tate is seeing larger role in Ohio State passing game
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State unsung heroes of the College Football Playoff
Alex Gleitman, Lettermen Row
Here are local theaters that will screen the CFP championship game
Amani Bayo, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Has High Respect for Notre Dame Quarterback Riley Leonard, Whose Running Ability Makes Him Dangerous
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
No. 9 Ohio State extends winning streak to 17 games, buck the Badgers 80-69 in Madison
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Unrest in Hoosierland: Dissecting Friday’s Indiana - Ohio State tilt with The Crimson Quarry
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
What To Watch: Struggling Ohio State, Indiana both in must-win posture as they meet
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
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
Ohio State Athletics
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!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Analyzing Cotton Bowl grades for Buckeyes, potential impact in title game
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Three Keys for Buckeyes in national title game against Notre Dame
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
What Ohio State needs to do to beat Notre Dame in the National Championship
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
One More, Then Forever
Jack Sawyer, The Player’s Tribune
TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins Could Both Achieve 1,000-Yard Rushing Seasons During CFP Title Game
Chris Lauderback, Eleven Warriors
Why Carnell Tate is seeing larger role in Ohio State passing game
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State unsung heroes of the College Football Playoff
Alex Gleitman, Lettermen Row
Here are local theaters that will screen the CFP championship game
Amani Bayo, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Has High Respect for Notre Dame Quarterback Riley Leonard, Whose Running Ability Makes Him Dangerous
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
On the Hardwood
No. 9 Ohio State extends winning streak to 17 games, buck the Badgers 80-69 in Madison
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Unrest in Hoosierland: Dissecting Friday’s Indiana - Ohio State tilt with The Crimson Quarry
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
What To Watch: Struggling Ohio State, Indiana both in must-win posture as they meet
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
And now for something completely different...
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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana: Game preview and prediction
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 Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Ohio State will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they host the Indiana Hoosiers tonight at Value City Arena.
Ohio State enters tonight’s game coming off a 70-68 loss at Wisconsin on Tuesday night, their second straight setback by two points. The Buckeyes were ice cold in the first half in Madison, scoring just 20 points against the Badgers in the first 20 minutes of play. With their sluggish start to the game, Ohio State went into the halftime break trailing by 17 points.
Jake Diebler’s team got their act together in the second half, chipping away at Wisconsin’s lead, outscoring the Badgers 48-33 after halftime. Ohio State pulled to within a point a couple times late in the game, but couldn’t pull ahead of the Badgers. Bruce Thornton finished with a team-high 21 points, while Devin Royal was the only other Buckeye to reach double figures, scoring 12 points in the loss.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25832013/usa_today_25153072.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Oregon at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes were really hurt in the loss to the Badgers by foul trouble. Ohio State committed 24 fouls in the game, resulting in Wisconsin attempting 28 free throws, almost more than double what the Buckeyes shot. Micah Parrish fouled out in the game, while Sean Stewart was charged with four fouls in just 15 minutes on the floor. The inability of Stewart to stay on the floor was a big loss since the Duke transfer led the team with eight rebounds in his limited action. Had it not been for Ohio State committing some careless fouls they likely would have beat the Badgers in Madison on Tuesday night.
The loss continues a troubling trend of January slumps for Ohio State. Since January 2023, the Buckeyes are 5-16 in the first month of the calendar year. This season Ohio State is just 1-3 in January, with their only win coming in double overtime at Minnesota last week. Following Friday night’s contest against Indiana, the Buckeyes have tough road games at Purdue and Penn State, which sandwich a home tilt with Iowa next Monday.
Much like Ohio State, Indiana enters tonight’s contest on a two-game losing streak. Unlike the Buckeyes, the Hoosiers haven’t been competitive during their skid. After losing 85-60 at Iowa, Indiana was embarrassed at home on Tuesday night by Illinois, 94-69. After the Hoosiers led 6-5 early in the game, the Fighting Illini broke off a 15-2 run to take the lead for good. By the time halftime hit, Illinois was leading 60-32.
The bright spot for Indiana in Tuesday’s loss was center Oumar Ballo, who finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The double-double was the fourth in the last five games for the Arizona transfer. Ballo is averaging 14.1 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per contest this season. If Ballo keeps up his current pace, this will be the second straight season he has averaged a double-double. Last season at Arizona, Ballo finished the season with 12.9 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game.
There was a question of if Ballo would be able to play in Friday night’s game after the seven-footer flew in from out of nowhere to join into an end-of-game scuffle against Illinois, shoving Illini big man Tomislav Ivicic towards a row of photographers. The Big Ten conference did not issue any type of reprimand, so he will be available Friday.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25834108/usa_today_25170059.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Indiana at Iowa")
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Along with Ballo, another important transfer this year for the Hoosiers has been guard Myles Rice, who started his college career at Washington State. After averaging 14.8 points per game for the Cougars last season, Rice is averaging 12.4 points per game in his first season in Bloomington. The sophomore from South Carolina has reach the 20-point mark in four games this season, and scored at least 12 points in four of the last five games.
Indiana has needed Rice and Ballo to pick up their scoring recently after Malik Reneau was injured early in the Rutgers game at the beginning of the month. Reneau was averaging 14.1 points per game before he was sidelined. His status for Friday night is up in the air, but earlier this week Woodson said that he’s hopeful that his star forward will be able to play.
One player who hasn’t met the moment after Reneau’s injury is Mackenzie Mgbako. The sophomore forward is 3-24 from the field over the last three games, scoring a total of 10 points during that span. Instead, Illinois transfer Luke Goode has been establishing himself as a threat at forward while Mgbako has struggled.
What was most interesting about Tuesday night’s game is it feels like the Hoosier fans are starting to turn on coach Mike Woodson, who played for Bobby Knight from 1976 to 1980. The former Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks head coach is in his fourth year at the helm of his alma mater, compiling at 76-45 record so far. After making the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons as head coach, last year the Hoosiers missed the big dance after finishing the regular season with a 19-14 record.
Despite their struggles last season, Indiana did sweep the regular season series with Ohio State. Following a 71-65 win over the Buckeyes at Assembly Hall in early January, the Hoosiers took down Ohio State at Value City Arena 76-73 a month later. The victories extended Indiana’s winning streak over the Buckeyes to three games, as the Hoosiers won the only meeting between the schools in the 2022-23 season. The last win for Ohio State over Indiana came back in February 2022, as the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers 80-69 in overtime in Columbus. This will be the 201st meeting between the schools, with Indiana holding a 112-88 edge in the all-time series.
Both these teams come into tonight’s game desperate for a victory. Ohio State is trying to exercise the demons of the past three Januarys, while Mike Woodson needs a victory to try and point his squad in the right direction. A win for the Hoosiers wouldn’t fix everything, but it would at least buy Woodson a little bit of time to try and quiet the calls from Indiana fans for Woodson to be relieved of his duties. No matter the winner in Columbus tonight, they’ll still have a lot of work to do if they have designs on a NCAA Tournament spot considering the depth of the Big Ten with the addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington.
This game is going to come down to which team can capitalize on the other team missing a key player. Indiana is going to be without forward Malik Reneau, while Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson Jr. has missed the last seven games. It feels like the loss of Reneau is more of an issue for the Hoosiers than the loss of Johnson for the Buckeyes. Without Reneau, Indiana loses some of their size and scoring in the front court. Ohio State has bodies in Devin Royal, Sean Stewart, and Aaron Bradshaw to throw at Ballo. What also helps the Buckeyes are the recent struggles of Mackenzie Mgbako.
Ohio State’s home court advantage is going to give them a slight edge in this game. Not that Value City Arena is some fortress that is impossible to win at, but winning on the road in the Big Ten is extremely difficult. While Oregon was able to beat the Buckeyes in Columbus last week, Ohio State gave a ranked team their best shot and the Ducks barely escaped with a win. Right now the Hoosiers aren’t on the level of Oregon, so the Buckeyes should have a little easier time navigating the challenge they’ll face from Indiana.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State, 77.9%
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
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 Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Ohio State will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they host the Indiana Hoosiers tonight at Value City Arena.
Ohio State enters tonight’s game coming off a 70-68 loss at Wisconsin on Tuesday night, their second straight setback by two points. The Buckeyes were ice cold in the first half in Madison, scoring just 20 points against the Badgers in the first 20 minutes of play. With their sluggish start to the game, Ohio State went into the halftime break trailing by 17 points.
Jake Diebler’s team got their act together in the second half, chipping away at Wisconsin’s lead, outscoring the Badgers 48-33 after halftime. Ohio State pulled to within a point a couple times late in the game, but couldn’t pull ahead of the Badgers. Bruce Thornton finished with a team-high 21 points, while Devin Royal was the only other Buckeye to reach double figures, scoring 12 points in the loss.
The Buckeyes were really hurt in the loss to the Badgers by foul trouble. Ohio State committed 24 fouls in the game, resulting in Wisconsin attempting 28 free throws, almost more than double what the Buckeyes shot. Micah Parrish fouled out in the game, while Sean Stewart was charged with four fouls in just 15 minutes on the floor. The inability of Stewart to stay on the floor was a big loss since the Duke transfer led the team with eight rebounds in his limited action. Had it not been for Ohio State committing some careless fouls they likely would have beat the Badgers in Madison on Tuesday night.
The loss continues a troubling trend of January slumps for Ohio State. Since January 2023, the Buckeyes are 5-16 in the first month of the calendar year. This season Ohio State is just 1-3 in January, with their only win coming in double overtime at Minnesota last week. Following Friday night’s contest against Indiana, the Buckeyes have tough road games at Purdue and Penn State, which sandwich a home tilt with Iowa next Monday.
Preview
Much like Ohio State, Indiana enters tonight’s contest on a two-game losing streak. Unlike the Buckeyes, the Hoosiers haven’t been competitive during their skid. After losing 85-60 at Iowa, Indiana was embarrassed at home on Tuesday night by Illinois, 94-69. After the Hoosiers led 6-5 early in the game, the Fighting Illini broke off a 15-2 run to take the lead for good. By the time halftime hit, Illinois was leading 60-32.
The bright spot for Indiana in Tuesday’s loss was center Oumar Ballo, who finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. The double-double was the fourth in the last five games for the Arizona transfer. Ballo is averaging 14.1 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per contest this season. If Ballo keeps up his current pace, this will be the second straight season he has averaged a double-double. Last season at Arizona, Ballo finished the season with 12.9 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game.
There was a question of if Ballo would be able to play in Friday night’s game after the seven-footer flew in from out of nowhere to join into an end-of-game scuffle against Illinois, shoving Illini big man Tomislav Ivicic towards a row of photographers. The Big Ten conference did not issue any type of reprimand, so he will be available Friday.
Along with Ballo, another important transfer this year for the Hoosiers has been guard Myles Rice, who started his college career at Washington State. After averaging 14.8 points per game for the Cougars last season, Rice is averaging 12.4 points per game in his first season in Bloomington. The sophomore from South Carolina has reach the 20-point mark in four games this season, and scored at least 12 points in four of the last five games.
Indiana has needed Rice and Ballo to pick up their scoring recently after Malik Reneau was injured early in the Rutgers game at the beginning of the month. Reneau was averaging 14.1 points per game before he was sidelined. His status for Friday night is up in the air, but earlier this week Woodson said that he’s hopeful that his star forward will be able to play.
One player who hasn’t met the moment after Reneau’s injury is Mackenzie Mgbako. The sophomore forward is 3-24 from the field over the last three games, scoring a total of 10 points during that span. Instead, Illinois transfer Luke Goode has been establishing himself as a threat at forward while Mgbako has struggled.
What was most interesting about Tuesday night’s game is it feels like the Hoosier fans are starting to turn on coach Mike Woodson, who played for Bobby Knight from 1976 to 1980. The former Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks head coach is in his fourth year at the helm of his alma mater, compiling at 76-45 record so far. After making the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons as head coach, last year the Hoosiers missed the big dance after finishing the regular season with a 19-14 record.
Despite their struggles last season, Indiana did sweep the regular season series with Ohio State. Following a 71-65 win over the Buckeyes at Assembly Hall in early January, the Hoosiers took down Ohio State at Value City Arena 76-73 a month later. The victories extended Indiana’s winning streak over the Buckeyes to three games, as the Hoosiers won the only meeting between the schools in the 2022-23 season. The last win for Ohio State over Indiana came back in February 2022, as the Buckeyes beat the Hoosiers 80-69 in overtime in Columbus. This will be the 201st meeting between the schools, with Indiana holding a 112-88 edge in the all-time series.
Prediction
Both these teams come into tonight’s game desperate for a victory. Ohio State is trying to exercise the demons of the past three Januarys, while Mike Woodson needs a victory to try and point his squad in the right direction. A win for the Hoosiers wouldn’t fix everything, but it would at least buy Woodson a little bit of time to try and quiet the calls from Indiana fans for Woodson to be relieved of his duties. No matter the winner in Columbus tonight, they’ll still have a lot of work to do if they have designs on a NCAA Tournament spot considering the depth of the Big Ten with the addition of UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington.
This game is going to come down to which team can capitalize on the other team missing a key player. Indiana is going to be without forward Malik Reneau, while Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson Jr. has missed the last seven games. It feels like the loss of Reneau is more of an issue for the Hoosiers than the loss of Johnson for the Buckeyes. Without Reneau, Indiana loses some of their size and scoring in the front court. Ohio State has bodies in Devin Royal, Sean Stewart, and Aaron Bradshaw to throw at Ballo. What also helps the Buckeyes are the recent struggles of Mackenzie Mgbako.
Ohio State’s home court advantage is going to give them a slight edge in this game. Not that Value City Arena is some fortress that is impossible to win at, but winning on the road in the Big Ten is extremely difficult. While Oregon was able to beat the Buckeyes in Columbus last week, Ohio State gave a ranked team their best shot and the Ducks barely escaped with a win. Right now the Hoosiers aren’t on the level of Oregon, so the Buckeyes should have a little easier time navigating the challenge they’ll face from Indiana.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State, 77.9%
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 77, Indiana 73
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