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LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land: Ohio State embraces the chaos and defeats Penn State
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Hangout in the Holy Land: Ohio State embraces the chaos and defeats Penn State
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ryan Day moves to 6-0 against Penn State, while James Franklin falls to 1-10 against the Buckeyes.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back for another recap episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, and we must let our blood pressure settle down after this one.
No. 4 Ohio State (7-1) takes down No. 3 Penn State (7-1) by a score of 20-13 in one of the more roller coaster and chaotic games you will ever see. Both teams had a turnover in the red zone and the game started with a pick-six, but after all that the Buckeyes settled in and controlled the game in Happy Valley for the most part.
How did Ohio State pull this off? Who were the Buckeyes that made it happen? And how did this game shift all the narratives surrounding this team? We answer all of those questions and more.
Plus, our full thoughts about this game and the season in general now that the Buckeyes’ path to Indianapolis is a bit clearer.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ryan Day moves to 6-0 against Penn State, while James Franklin falls to 1-10 against the Buckeyes.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
We are back for another recap episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, and we must let our blood pressure settle down after this one.
No. 4 Ohio State (7-1) takes down No. 3 Penn State (7-1) by a score of 20-13 in one of the more roller coaster and chaotic games you will ever see. Both teams had a turnover in the red zone and the game started with a pick-six, but after all that the Buckeyes settled in and controlled the game in Happy Valley for the most part.
How did Ohio State pull this off? Who were the Buckeyes that made it happen? And how did this game shift all the narratives surrounding this team? We answer all of those questions and more.
Plus, our full thoughts about this game and the season in general now that the Buckeyes’ path to Indianapolis is a bit clearer.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 20-13 win over Penn State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The Buckeyes went on the road and defeated the No. 3 team in the country.
No. 4 Ohio State overcame some adversity on Saturday, falling behind 10-0 almost immediately before rallying to defeat No. 3 Penn State 20-13 in Happy Valley. The Buckeyes’ defense, which had come under fire over the last few weeks, did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game as the Nittany Lions were stuffed on 4th-and-goal on their final possession before Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins and the offense ran out the clock on a big win for Ryan Day’s group.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Penn State.
The Defense
After a terrible performance against Oregon and a less-than-impressive outing against Nebraska, many began to question Jim Knowles’ defense. On Saturday, the Ohio State defensive coordinator completely flipped the script, allowing zero offensive touchdowns and coming up big in the fourth quarter against Penn State.
The Buckeyes were especially effective at stopping the run. The Nittany Lions came into the game with the third-best rushing attack in the Big Ten, but Knowles’ group managed to hold the dynamic duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton to 18 carries for 42 yards. Overall, Ohio State held the Nittany Lions to just 270 yards of total offense, and James Franklin’s group was limited to 3-of-11 on third down as well as 1-of-2 on fourth down — including, of course, the huge stop on 4th-and-goal on Penn State’s final possession of the game.
The goal line stand was one of two huge plays for the Silver Bullets in the red zone, the other being an impressive toe drag interception by Davison Igbinosun at the end of the first half in the end zone. Penn State had first-and-goal at the Ohio State 3-yard line twice in the game, and came away with zero points both times.
Run the Damn Ball
With the defense stuffing Penn State on the goal line, Ohio State got the ball back on their own 1-yard line, needing to escape the shadow of their own end zone and avoid a safety with a little over five minutes remaining. After Will Howard picked up four yards on a QB keeper up the middle, Quinshon Judkins ran the ball three-straight times to put the Buckeyes in position to ice the game.
The Ole Miss transfer rushed for nine yards on his first touch to pick up a first down, followed by gains of six yards and 15 yards to move the chains yet again, moving the ball to the 35-yard line and getting the game clock down near the final two-minute timeout. From there, a mixture of run plays by Howard and TreVeyon Henderson picked up two more first downs, and that would be all she wrote.
Those first three runs by Judkins were critical in allowing Ohio State to run out the clock on a one-score victory. Overall, the Buckeyes ran the football 10 consecutive times to end the game, not including the final kneel down by Howard, in an impressive feat of bully ball. Which brings us to our next point...
The Offensive Line
Ohio State had two weeks to figure out its offensive line after losing Josh Simmons to injury in the Oregon game, and yet came out against Nebraska with one of the worst blocking performances the program has seen in quite some time. After Simmons’ backup Zen Michalski went down with an injury of his own against the Cornhuskers, Justin Frye was once again tasked with coming up with a plan — this time against one of the nation’s top defensive lines.
The solution was to move Donovan Jackson to left tackle and insert Carson Hinzman at left guard, and that will likely be the formula for the Buckeyes moving forward after an impressive showing by the offensive line against Penn State. Ohio State put Jackson in some impossible 1-on-1 scenarios against future NFL first-rounder Abdul Carter, leading to a pair of sacks, but the unit otherwise played tremendously in what was a massive test for the offense as a whole.
Howard was sacked just one other time in the game on a scramble outside the pocket, and the Buckeyes’ rushing duo of Henderson and Judkins combined for 149 yards on 24 carries, good for more than 6.2 yards per carry against a team that entered the day allowing only 93 yards per game on the ground. It was a very promising performance for a group that looked much maligned a week ago.
Jeremiah Smith
In case you missed it, Jeremiah Smith broke the Ohio State freshman receiving record against Penn State with his 14 catches for 95 yards. After only eight collegiate games, Smith has racked up 678 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions, surpassing the 648 yards amassed by Cris Carter during his freshman campaign in 1984. He will likely break the program’s freshman record for receptions in his next game, needing just two more catches to tie Carter’s first-year mark of 41, and is currently tied with Carter with his eight scores.
Saturday’s game against Penn State marked the first time this season that Smith did not score a touchdown. Looks like he will have to make up for it with two of them against Purdue next week...
Making Donovan Jackson block Abdul Carter 1-on-1
As previously mentioned, it was unfair to Donovan Jackson to make him block one of the country’s premiere edge rushers in his first career start at tackle. The Buckeyes did a decent job most of the afternoon with helping to chip Carter on the outside with either a tight end or a running back — or both — but on the few occasions they left Jackson on his own, things did not go particularly well.
It’s hard to blame Jackson for allowing those sacks, especially with both coming on obvious passing downs. Carter’s first sack was on a 3rd-and-7 play, and his second was on a 3rd-and-8. You cannot expect a guy to hold up in those situations playing out of position against a truly elite player like Carter, and in both instances there should have been at minimum a running back there to help alleviate some of that pressure.
Overall, it seemed like Jackson played pretty well given the circumstances, and he will hopefully get more comfortable at tackle moving forward with the Buckeyes almost certainly sticking with this group the rest of the way.
Five-Star Defensive Ends
As a whole, Ohio State’s defense played well. It’s hard to argue with the results, given that the Buckeyes did not allow an offensive touchdown. That being said, I am still waiting to see something from the pair of senior five-star defensive ends that specifically came back for another season to try and lead the charge for a national title.
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau have both had pretty pedestrian seasons for Ohio State. Tuimoloau had been credited with four sacks heading into Saturday, and Sawyer with 2.5, but neither have been able to get any sort of consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season — especially in the team’s biggest games. Against Penn State, the duo combined for 0.5 sacks, as Tuimoloau helped clean up a sack that was started by Kenyatta Jackson. Sawyer tallied one solo tackle, and whiffed on at least two sacks where he had a clear lane to Drew Allar in the backfield.
The Buckeyes simply need to get more from these two guys if they are going to continue to see the lion’s share of the snaps. Now more than ever it seems as though both guys are having trouble winning their 1-on-1 battles, which is basically the only situation Larry Johnson’s archaic system puts them in. We have seen flashes from both Jackson and Caden Curry when thrust into action, and maybe it is time those guys start to play a bit more if the starters aren’t getting the job done.
The Pick-Six
Ohio State had the worst possible start to the game it could’ve had offensively, with Howard’s very first pass of the afternoon being picked off and returned for a touchdown by Zion Tracy to give Penn State a 10-0 lead. It was a poor read by Howard and a bad throw behind Smith that the safety saw coming the entire way, and it put the Buckeyes in a precarious spot right from the jump.
Credit to Chip Kelly and the Ohio State offense for not letting it alter their plans, as the Buckeyes responded by scoring touchdowns on their next two drives to take a 14-10 lead that they would never relinquish. Howard made some really good decisions with the football the rest of the way, completing 16 of his 24 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns as well as picking up some big first downs with his legs, but he has also now thrown an interception in five of his last six games.
A Super Unfortunate Fumble
Speaking of Howard’s turnover woes, his fumble midway through the second quarter was an incredibly unlucky turn of events that had a chance to completely change the game.
Ohio State had driven the ball all the way down the field, set up with a first down inside the Penn State 15-yard line. A first down keeper by Howard originally looked like it may have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, it was a catastrophic turnover.
Defensive back Zakee Wheatley knocked the ball free from Howard along the sideline at the 2-yard line, and the ball bounced off Howard’s knee into the end zone and out of bounds, resulting in a touchback for Penn State. The Buckeyes were able to get a stop on the Nittany Lions’ ensuing drive to limit any damage, but Ohio State easily could have held a 21-10 lead with what would have been three-straight scoring drives and a chance to put the game away in the first half.
Another Injury
Already missing its best offensive lineman, Ohio State could’ve suffered another big injury on the other side of the line after Tyleik Williams went down late in the fourth quarter.
On Penn State’s final possession, the defensive tackle fell awkwardly and got rolled up on following a short run by Kaytron Allen. Williams was helped off the field by trainers, walking on his own power but hobbling, and was taken straight into the injury tent. Luckily for the Buckeyes, Kayden McDonald stepped in and was a key part of making the goal line stop to effectively end the game, but of course the worry postgame was the severity of Williams’ injury.
It sounds as though Ohio State dodged a bullet, as Ryan Day said after the game that Williams ‘should be fine.’ The Buckeyes do have some good depth along the defensive line, but it is obviously good news that Williams’ injury doesn’t seem to be long term, as he has been one of the team’s most consistent players in that unit. The tackle is tied for second on the team with 2.5 sacks despite missing two games, adding 20 total tackles and four tackles for loss.
That being said, Larry Johnson should consider getting McDonald some more playing time, as the sophomore has looked excellent in his limited reps. It would be a lot of fun to see an interior defensive line of McDonald and Williams playing side-by-side.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The Buckeyes went on the road and defeated the No. 3 team in the country.
No. 4 Ohio State overcame some adversity on Saturday, falling behind 10-0 almost immediately before rallying to defeat No. 3 Penn State 20-13 in Happy Valley. The Buckeyes’ defense, which had come under fire over the last few weeks, did not allow an offensive touchdown in the game as the Nittany Lions were stuffed on 4th-and-goal on their final possession before Will Howard, Quinshon Judkins and the offense ran out the clock on a big win for Ryan Day’s group.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Penn State.
The Good
The Defense
After a terrible performance against Oregon and a less-than-impressive outing against Nebraska, many began to question Jim Knowles’ defense. On Saturday, the Ohio State defensive coordinator completely flipped the script, allowing zero offensive touchdowns and coming up big in the fourth quarter against Penn State.
The Buckeyes were especially effective at stopping the run. The Nittany Lions came into the game with the third-best rushing attack in the Big Ten, but Knowles’ group managed to hold the dynamic duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton to 18 carries for 42 yards. Overall, Ohio State held the Nittany Lions to just 270 yards of total offense, and James Franklin’s group was limited to 3-of-11 on third down as well as 1-of-2 on fourth down — including, of course, the huge stop on 4th-and-goal on Penn State’s final possession of the game.
The goal line stand was one of two huge plays for the Silver Bullets in the red zone, the other being an impressive toe drag interception by Davison Igbinosun at the end of the first half in the end zone. Penn State had first-and-goal at the Ohio State 3-yard line twice in the game, and came away with zero points both times.
Run the Damn Ball
With the defense stuffing Penn State on the goal line, Ohio State got the ball back on their own 1-yard line, needing to escape the shadow of their own end zone and avoid a safety with a little over five minutes remaining. After Will Howard picked up four yards on a QB keeper up the middle, Quinshon Judkins ran the ball three-straight times to put the Buckeyes in position to ice the game.
The Ole Miss transfer rushed for nine yards on his first touch to pick up a first down, followed by gains of six yards and 15 yards to move the chains yet again, moving the ball to the 35-yard line and getting the game clock down near the final two-minute timeout. From there, a mixture of run plays by Howard and TreVeyon Henderson picked up two more first downs, and that would be all she wrote.
Those first three runs by Judkins were critical in allowing Ohio State to run out the clock on a one-score victory. Overall, the Buckeyes ran the football 10 consecutive times to end the game, not including the final kneel down by Howard, in an impressive feat of bully ball. Which brings us to our next point...
The Offensive Line
Ohio State had two weeks to figure out its offensive line after losing Josh Simmons to injury in the Oregon game, and yet came out against Nebraska with one of the worst blocking performances the program has seen in quite some time. After Simmons’ backup Zen Michalski went down with an injury of his own against the Cornhuskers, Justin Frye was once again tasked with coming up with a plan — this time against one of the nation’s top defensive lines.
The solution was to move Donovan Jackson to left tackle and insert Carson Hinzman at left guard, and that will likely be the formula for the Buckeyes moving forward after an impressive showing by the offensive line against Penn State. Ohio State put Jackson in some impossible 1-on-1 scenarios against future NFL first-rounder Abdul Carter, leading to a pair of sacks, but the unit otherwise played tremendously in what was a massive test for the offense as a whole.
Howard was sacked just one other time in the game on a scramble outside the pocket, and the Buckeyes’ rushing duo of Henderson and Judkins combined for 149 yards on 24 carries, good for more than 6.2 yards per carry against a team that entered the day allowing only 93 yards per game on the ground. It was a very promising performance for a group that looked much maligned a week ago.
Jeremiah Smith
In case you missed it, Jeremiah Smith broke the Ohio State freshman receiving record against Penn State with his 14 catches for 95 yards. After only eight collegiate games, Smith has racked up 678 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 receptions, surpassing the 648 yards amassed by Cris Carter during his freshman campaign in 1984. He will likely break the program’s freshman record for receptions in his next game, needing just two more catches to tie Carter’s first-year mark of 41, and is currently tied with Carter with his eight scores.
Saturday’s game against Penn State marked the first time this season that Smith did not score a touchdown. Looks like he will have to make up for it with two of them against Purdue next week...
The Bad
Making Donovan Jackson block Abdul Carter 1-on-1
As previously mentioned, it was unfair to Donovan Jackson to make him block one of the country’s premiere edge rushers in his first career start at tackle. The Buckeyes did a decent job most of the afternoon with helping to chip Carter on the outside with either a tight end or a running back — or both — but on the few occasions they left Jackson on his own, things did not go particularly well.
It’s hard to blame Jackson for allowing those sacks, especially with both coming on obvious passing downs. Carter’s first sack was on a 3rd-and-7 play, and his second was on a 3rd-and-8. You cannot expect a guy to hold up in those situations playing out of position against a truly elite player like Carter, and in both instances there should have been at minimum a running back there to help alleviate some of that pressure.
Overall, it seemed like Jackson played pretty well given the circumstances, and he will hopefully get more comfortable at tackle moving forward with the Buckeyes almost certainly sticking with this group the rest of the way.
Five-Star Defensive Ends
As a whole, Ohio State’s defense played well. It’s hard to argue with the results, given that the Buckeyes did not allow an offensive touchdown. That being said, I am still waiting to see something from the pair of senior five-star defensive ends that specifically came back for another season to try and lead the charge for a national title.
Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau have both had pretty pedestrian seasons for Ohio State. Tuimoloau had been credited with four sacks heading into Saturday, and Sawyer with 2.5, but neither have been able to get any sort of consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season — especially in the team’s biggest games. Against Penn State, the duo combined for 0.5 sacks, as Tuimoloau helped clean up a sack that was started by Kenyatta Jackson. Sawyer tallied one solo tackle, and whiffed on at least two sacks where he had a clear lane to Drew Allar in the backfield.
The Buckeyes simply need to get more from these two guys if they are going to continue to see the lion’s share of the snaps. Now more than ever it seems as though both guys are having trouble winning their 1-on-1 battles, which is basically the only situation Larry Johnson’s archaic system puts them in. We have seen flashes from both Jackson and Caden Curry when thrust into action, and maybe it is time those guys start to play a bit more if the starters aren’t getting the job done.
The Ugly
The Pick-Six
Ohio State had the worst possible start to the game it could’ve had offensively, with Howard’s very first pass of the afternoon being picked off and returned for a touchdown by Zion Tracy to give Penn State a 10-0 lead. It was a poor read by Howard and a bad throw behind Smith that the safety saw coming the entire way, and it put the Buckeyes in a precarious spot right from the jump.
Credit to Chip Kelly and the Ohio State offense for not letting it alter their plans, as the Buckeyes responded by scoring touchdowns on their next two drives to take a 14-10 lead that they would never relinquish. Howard made some really good decisions with the football the rest of the way, completing 16 of his 24 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns as well as picking up some big first downs with his legs, but he has also now thrown an interception in five of his last six games.
A Super Unfortunate Fumble
Speaking of Howard’s turnover woes, his fumble midway through the second quarter was an incredibly unlucky turn of events that had a chance to completely change the game.
Ohio State had driven the ball all the way down the field, set up with a first down inside the Penn State 15-yard line. A first down keeper by Howard originally looked like it may have resulted in a touchdown. Instead, it was a catastrophic turnover.
Defensive back Zakee Wheatley knocked the ball free from Howard along the sideline at the 2-yard line, and the ball bounced off Howard’s knee into the end zone and out of bounds, resulting in a touchback for Penn State. The Buckeyes were able to get a stop on the Nittany Lions’ ensuing drive to limit any damage, but Ohio State easily could have held a 21-10 lead with what would have been three-straight scoring drives and a chance to put the game away in the first half.
Another Injury
Already missing its best offensive lineman, Ohio State could’ve suffered another big injury on the other side of the line after Tyleik Williams went down late in the fourth quarter.
On Penn State’s final possession, the defensive tackle fell awkwardly and got rolled up on following a short run by Kaytron Allen. Williams was helped off the field by trainers, walking on his own power but hobbling, and was taken straight into the injury tent. Luckily for the Buckeyes, Kayden McDonald stepped in and was a key part of making the goal line stop to effectively end the game, but of course the worry postgame was the severity of Williams’ injury.
It sounds as though Ohio State dodged a bullet, as Ryan Day said after the game that Williams ‘should be fine.’ The Buckeyes do have some good depth along the defensive line, but it is obviously good news that Williams’ injury doesn’t seem to be long term, as he has been one of the team’s most consistent players in that unit. The tackle is tied for second on the team with 2.5 sacks despite missing two games, adding 20 total tackles and four tackles for loss.
That being said, Larry Johnson should consider getting McDonald some more playing time, as the sophomore has looked excellent in his limited reps. It would be a lot of fun to see an interior defensive line of McDonald and Williams playing side-by-side.
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LGHL Record Breaking: Jeremiah Smith breaks Cris Carter’s freshman receiving record in just eight games
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Record Breaking: Jeremiah Smith breaks Cris Carter’s freshman receiving record in just eight games
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Buckeyes’ freshman phenom is already in the record books.
With his 18-yard catch against Penn State to end the third quarter, Jeremiah Smith has officially broken Ohio State’s freshman receiving record, taking only eight games to do it. The five-star phenom came to Columbus with all of the hype in the world, and he has backed up his recruiting rankings immediately with a spot in the Buckeyes’ record book.
Carter played for Ohio State from 1984-86, and has long been lauded as one of the greatest wide receivers to ever suit up for the scarlet and gray. The eventual NFL Hall of Famer and eight-time Pro-Bowler made his mark in Columbus immediately once he arrived on campus, posting 41 catches for 648 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman — marks that have all stood for 40 years as the best for a first-year player even with an increased focus on the passing game in today’s world of college football.
That is, until today.
A 6-foot-3 pass-catcher out of Opa Locka, Florida, Smith came to Ohio State as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class. Virtually no comparisons to the greatest to ever play the position seemed off-limits to liken to Smith’s talent, drawing comparisons to once-in-a-generation-type prospects like Julio Jones and AJ Green.
Here is just part of the scouting report on Smith from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins:
After becoming an immediate starter at wide receiver for the Buckeyes this season, it has become clear that all of the hype surrounding Smith as a high school prospect is warranted and then some. Even with a treasure trove of fellow former five-star talents in the position group ahead of him, Smith has instantly vaulted himself into at worst the 1B to Emeka Egbuka’s 1A, if not the top dog on some Saturdays.
It took Smith no time at all to adjust to the college game, going off for 92 yards on six catches with two touchdowns in Ohio State’s first contest of the season against Akron. He followed that up with a team-high 119 yards on five catches with another touchdown against Western Michigan the following week and has recorded at least 70 receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch in each of his first seven career games.
It isn’t just the statistics that jump off the page for Smith, but how he is getting it done. The immensely talented pass-catcher has already put on seemingly a full career’s worth of highlight plays in only a few games, whether it be a short catch he turns into a 70-yard touchdown or a one-handed grab in the face of a defender. Virtually any ball in Smith’s vicinity is almost definitely going to be caught, and he has already become a reliable and consistent safety blanket for Will Howard in any situation despite being a freshman.
It seems hard to believe that someone with his physical makeup and skillset is only 18 years old, but he is truly a special player that now holds a place in the Ohio State record books. With the receiving yardage record already in the books, it is only a matter of time — likely one of the next few games — before Smith also holds the freshman record for both receptions and receiving touchdowns (having already tied the TD mark).
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Buckeyes’ freshman phenom is already in the record books.
With his 18-yard catch against Penn State to end the third quarter, Jeremiah Smith has officially broken Ohio State’s freshman receiving record, taking only eight games to do it. The five-star phenom came to Columbus with all of the hype in the world, and he has backed up his recruiting rankings immediately with a spot in the Buckeyes’ record book.
Carter played for Ohio State from 1984-86, and has long been lauded as one of the greatest wide receivers to ever suit up for the scarlet and gray. The eventual NFL Hall of Famer and eight-time Pro-Bowler made his mark in Columbus immediately once he arrived on campus, posting 41 catches for 648 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman — marks that have all stood for 40 years as the best for a first-year player even with an increased focus on the passing game in today’s world of college football.
That is, until today.
A 6-foot-3 pass-catcher out of Opa Locka, Florida, Smith came to Ohio State as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 1 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class. Virtually no comparisons to the greatest to ever play the position seemed off-limits to liken to Smith’s talent, drawing comparisons to once-in-a-generation-type prospects like Julio Jones and AJ Green.
Here is just part of the scouting report on Smith from 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins:
After becoming an immediate starter at wide receiver for the Buckeyes this season, it has become clear that all of the hype surrounding Smith as a high school prospect is warranted and then some. Even with a treasure trove of fellow former five-star talents in the position group ahead of him, Smith has instantly vaulted himself into at worst the 1B to Emeka Egbuka’s 1A, if not the top dog on some Saturdays.
It took Smith no time at all to adjust to the college game, going off for 92 yards on six catches with two touchdowns in Ohio State’s first contest of the season against Akron. He followed that up with a team-high 119 yards on five catches with another touchdown against Western Michigan the following week and has recorded at least 70 receiving yards and at least one touchdown catch in each of his first seven career games.
It isn’t just the statistics that jump off the page for Smith, but how he is getting it done. The immensely talented pass-catcher has already put on seemingly a full career’s worth of highlight plays in only a few games, whether it be a short catch he turns into a 70-yard touchdown or a one-handed grab in the face of a defender. Virtually any ball in Smith’s vicinity is almost definitely going to be caught, and he has already become a reliable and consistent safety blanket for Will Howard in any situation despite being a freshman.
It seems hard to believe that someone with his physical makeup and skillset is only 18 years old, but he is truly a special player that now holds a place in the Ohio State record books. With the receiving yardage record already in the books, it is only a matter of time — likely one of the next few games — before Smith also holds the freshman record for both receptions and receiving touchdowns (having already tied the TD mark).
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LGHL Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s rebuilt offensive line won the game vs. Penn State
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Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s rebuilt offensive line won the game vs. Penn State
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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
I did not expect that o-line performance, but they were masterful.
What a game, what a win, what a collection of moments. Ryan Day, his staff, and his team put together a championship effort against a very good Penn State Nittany Lions team. It wasn’t a perfect effort, and it wasn't a perfect Penn State team, but it was one that was full of progress and fixes to problems that had plagued the Buckeyes throughout the season and especially since the game in Eugene against the Oregon Ducks.
To me, the major storylines were the dominance of the defense (for the second year in a row against PSU) and the completely out-of-left-field performance by a reconfigured Ohio State offensive line. While I was surprised by how often they let Donovan Jackson — in his first-ever start at left tackle — go one-on-one against the fantastic Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter on third downs.
Aside from that, without going back to rewatch the game, I have very few complaints about how they played. The way that the unit routinely got incredible push off of the snap, allowing Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Will Howard to pick up solid yardage at almost every turn was not something that I expected against a very good Penn State.
Nonetheless, that was one of the best big-game offensive line performances that I can remember (admittedly, I have a terrible memory), and it was never more dominant than on the final, game-sealing drive. Chip Kelly and/or Ryan Day knew what was at stake and knew what their team was doing well, so after getting the ball on their own one-yard line with 5:13 left in regulation, they called 11 straight runs to ice the game.
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What made that all-run drive possible was the fact that the Buckeyes were able to stay ahead of the chains. In the last 5:13, OSU averaged 5.75 yards on first down — again, all runs — and only got to third down twice.
On 3rd and 2 from OSU’s 43, Howard kept it and ran behind Jackson and Hinzman to pick up three yards with 1:19 remaining.
Then, after three timeouts — one from OSU, one from PSU, and one for the two-minute break — the Buckeyes found themselves in 3rd and 3 from Penn State’s 47 with 1:11 left, and again Howard kept it and ran to the left again, picking up 7 yards and sliding (this time appropriately) to effectively end the game.
I think Howard could have kept running and potentially even scored a touchdown, but there was no need for that; we’ve seen how what appears to be a clear touchdown can end up being a turnover.
So, Howard got down and then knelt down on the next play to get Ohio State a top-5 victory and essentially save their championship hopes. OSU certainly could have still made the College Football Playoff with two losses, but I sure like their chances with only one L.
Yes, I am a prisoner of the moment, but my faith in this team (and humanity at large) has been restored, and I am back to looking for Atlanta hotels in mid-January!
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 Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
I did not expect that o-line performance, but they were masterful.
What a game, what a win, what a collection of moments. Ryan Day, his staff, and his team put together a championship effort against a very good Penn State Nittany Lions team. It wasn’t a perfect effort, and it wasn't a perfect Penn State team, but it was one that was full of progress and fixes to problems that had plagued the Buckeyes throughout the season and especially since the game in Eugene against the Oregon Ducks.
To me, the major storylines were the dominance of the defense (for the second year in a row against PSU) and the completely out-of-left-field performance by a reconfigured Ohio State offensive line. While I was surprised by how often they let Donovan Jackson — in his first-ever start at left tackle — go one-on-one against the fantastic Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter on third downs.
Aside from that, without going back to rewatch the game, I have very few complaints about how they played. The way that the unit routinely got incredible push off of the snap, allowing Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Will Howard to pick up solid yardage at almost every turn was not something that I expected against a very good Penn State.
Nonetheless, that was one of the best big-game offensive line performances that I can remember (admittedly, I have a terrible memory), and it was never more dominant than on the final, game-sealing drive. Chip Kelly and/or Ryan Day knew what was at stake and knew what their team was doing well, so after getting the ball on their own one-yard line with 5:13 left in regulation, they called 11 straight runs to ice the game.
What made that all-run drive possible was the fact that the Buckeyes were able to stay ahead of the chains. In the last 5:13, OSU averaged 5.75 yards on first down — again, all runs — and only got to third down twice.
On 3rd and 2 from OSU’s 43, Howard kept it and ran behind Jackson and Hinzman to pick up three yards with 1:19 remaining.
Then, after three timeouts — one from OSU, one from PSU, and one for the two-minute break — the Buckeyes found themselves in 3rd and 3 from Penn State’s 47 with 1:11 left, and again Howard kept it and ran to the left again, picking up 7 yards and sliding (this time appropriately) to effectively end the game.
WILL HOWARD FIRST DOWN THAT'LL DO IT@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/RGN19JW9si
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024
I think Howard could have kept running and potentially even scored a touchdown, but there was no need for that; we’ve seen how what appears to be a clear touchdown can end up being a turnover.
So, Howard got down and then knelt down on the next play to get Ohio State a top-5 victory and essentially save their championship hopes. OSU certainly could have still made the College Football Playoff with two losses, but I sure like their chances with only one L.
Yes, I am a prisoner of the moment, but my faith in this team (and humanity at large) has been restored, and I am back to looking for Atlanta hotels in mid-January!
Continue reading...
LGHL Streaming expert has the best ways to watch Ohio State vs. Penn State for free without cable
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Streaming expert has the best ways to watch Ohio State vs. Penn State for free without cable
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Made with Google AI
You’ve got a number of free trials you can choose from of various lengths and breadths.
The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action after a disappointing performance against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This time, they will have to step as they are heading to Happy Valley to take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions. The Bucks and Nits will kick off at 12 noon ET in a game airing on Fox. This will be OSU’s third Big Noon Game of the week this fall and second in a row. Coming along for the ride will be the traveling circus of Big Noon Kickoff. The pregame show will begin at 10 a.m. ET also on Fox.
This season, the Buckeyes will play on three different broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, and NBC), at least one cable channel (Big Ten Network), and exclusively on a streaming service (Peacock); it can be tough to keep up with where and how to watch your favorite team.
As cord-cutting has become far more the norm than the exception across the United States, it would not be a surprise if you gave up cable or a live-streaming service following last year’s season only to realize that it’s the day of the game and you have no way to watch it.
And I know it can be incredibly confusing to find the best way to watch a game in today’s entertainment landscape. Fortunately for you, I am something of a streaming expert... no really, I write about streaming services for a living. So, I am going to walk you through the best — and cheapest — ways for you to stream today’s game.
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 12 noon ET
TV: Fox
Broadcasters: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft
Betting Line: Ohio State -3.5 | 47.5 o/u
Best Streaming Option for All College Football Games:
If you’re either looking for a streaming service just for this weekend of football or to watch as much college football as possible, then Hulu + Live TV very well might be the perfect option. Everyone who signs up gets a three-day free trial, so you can watch the entire college football Saturday, NFL Sunday, and “Monday Night Football” without having to pay a single penny.
But, if you are looking for something for the whole season, then Hulu is great because it comes with ESPN+ (more on that below), so in addition to all of the channels available on the live streaming service, you also get all of the streaming-exclusive games via the worldwide leader’s platform.
Hulu + Live TV has one of the few guaranteed multi-day free trials in the industry and provides nearly all of the major cable channels on the market. The basic package comes with all of the major broadcast network channels — all of which have college football — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. It also has ESPN, ESPN2, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and the NFL Network (yes, they have college games) without having to sign up for any sports add-on plans. However, if you do want more sports, you can add NFL RedZone, MLB StrikeZone, FanDuel TV, the Tennis Channel, and more.
What’s great about Hulu + Live TV is that in addition to all of the broadcast and cable channels that you could possibly want, it also comes with the Disney Bundle for free. So, you also get the full on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN+, which also has hundreds of college football games every season.
Currently, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV costs $82.99 per month after your three-day free trial. It is a little more expensive than some of the other options, but if you are just looking to watch this game, Hulu + Live TV is your best option.
DIRECTV STREAM: $87.99 per month five-day free trial
Sling TV: As low as $40 per month | First month 50% off
Fubo: $94.99 per month, at least a one-day free trial
YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
Below is your Ohio State vs. Penn State 2024 game thread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!
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
Made with Google AI
You’ve got a number of free trials you can choose from of various lengths and breadths.
The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes are back in action after a disappointing performance against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This time, they will have to step as they are heading to Happy Valley to take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions. The Bucks and Nits will kick off at 12 noon ET in a game airing on Fox. This will be OSU’s third Big Noon Game of the week this fall and second in a row. Coming along for the ride will be the traveling circus of Big Noon Kickoff. The pregame show will begin at 10 a.m. ET also on Fox.
This season, the Buckeyes will play on three different broadcast networks (CBS, Fox, and NBC), at least one cable channel (Big Ten Network), and exclusively on a streaming service (Peacock); it can be tough to keep up with where and how to watch your favorite team.
As cord-cutting has become far more the norm than the exception across the United States, it would not be a surprise if you gave up cable or a live-streaming service following last year’s season only to realize that it’s the day of the game and you have no way to watch it.
And I know it can be incredibly confusing to find the best way to watch a game in today’s entertainment landscape. Fortunately for you, I am something of a streaming expert... no really, I write about streaming services for a living. So, I am going to walk you through the best — and cheapest — ways for you to stream today’s game.
How can I watch the No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State college football game?
Game Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 12 noon ET
TV: Fox
Broadcasters: Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft
Betting Line: Ohio State -3.5 | 47.5 o/u
Best Streaming Option for All College Football Games:
Hulu + Live TV | 3-Day Free Trial
If you’re either looking for a streaming service just for this weekend of football or to watch as much college football as possible, then Hulu + Live TV very well might be the perfect option. Everyone who signs up gets a three-day free trial, so you can watch the entire college football Saturday, NFL Sunday, and “Monday Night Football” without having to pay a single penny.
But, if you are looking for something for the whole season, then Hulu is great because it comes with ESPN+ (more on that below), so in addition to all of the channels available on the live streaming service, you also get all of the streaming-exclusive games via the worldwide leader’s platform.
Hulu + Live TV has one of the few guaranteed multi-day free trials in the industry and provides nearly all of the major cable channels on the market. The basic package comes with all of the major broadcast network channels — all of which have college football — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. It also has ESPN, ESPN2, Big Ten Network, FS1, FS2, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and the NFL Network (yes, they have college games) without having to sign up for any sports add-on plans. However, if you do want more sports, you can add NFL RedZone, MLB StrikeZone, FanDuel TV, the Tennis Channel, and more.
What’s great about Hulu + Live TV is that in addition to all of the broadcast and cable channels that you could possibly want, it also comes with the Disney Bundle for free. So, you also get the full on-demand Hulu library, Disney+, and ESPN+, which also has hundreds of college football games every season.
Currently, a subscription to Hulu + Live TV costs $82.99 per month after your three-day free trial. It is a little more expensive than some of the other options, but if you are just looking to watch this game, Hulu + Live TV is your best option.
Other Streaming Options for the Ohio State and Penn State Game:
DIRECTV STREAM: $87.99 per month five-day free trial
Sling TV: As low as $40 per month | First month 50% off
Fubo: $94.99 per month, at least a one-day free trial
YouTube TV: $72.99 per month
Join the conversation
Below is your Ohio State vs. Penn State 2024 game thread. Be respectful, be kind and — as always — keep it classy, BuckeyeNation. If you like GIFs, lay ‘em on us. In all, be good fans, cheer for your teams, be cool to each other (even if somebody else isn’t) and everyone wins. Let’s finish the season strong!
Continue reading...
