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LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Akron rewind, Big Ten results, and Western Michigan preview
- News
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Silver Bullets Podcast: Akron rewind, Big Ten results, and Western Michigan preview
Michael Citro 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
A breakdown of Ohio State’s win over the Zips and a look ahead to the Broncos.
Week 1 is in the books, and Ohio State eventually posted the blowout win over the Akron Zips that most people predicted... it just took a bit to get there. The offensive line, in particular, struggled at times — especially in the first quarter. We do our best not to overreact to Saturday’s occasionally problematic dispatching of the Zips and break down Ohio State’s victory.
There were success stories (kick and punt returns, Jeremiah Smith, Will Howard, the defense not only getting takeaways but also turning them into points, etc.), and plenty of issues that the coaching staff can work on to improve the team as the season progresses. We also looked back at our picks to click and score predictions to see how well (or unwell) we envisioned the game.
After our game recap segment, we took a trip throughout the Big Ten to see how the rest of the conference fared on opening weekend. The only exception was the USC game, which we could not discuss because we recorded Sunday afternoon. We did not see the Trojans pulling off the upset against LSU, but we’re not mad about it.
Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday’s meeting with Western Michigan. The Broncos were sitting in a good position in the fourth quarter at Wisconsin when an unlucky bounce on a Badger punt turned things around in Madison. Ohio State will need to be better against Western Michigan to avoid the Broncos hanging around like they did in Madison.
We would love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Any questions directed toward us will be answered on our next show.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
0:30 - We break down the Buckeyes’ win over the Zips.
40:39 - A walk through the other Week 1 scores from around the B1G.
58:50 - The Broncos gave the Badgers a scare. Can the Buckeyes avoid the same?
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A breakdown of Ohio State’s win over the Zips and a look ahead to the Broncos.
Week 1 is in the books, and Ohio State eventually posted the blowout win over the Akron Zips that most people predicted... it just took a bit to get there. The offensive line, in particular, struggled at times — especially in the first quarter. We do our best not to overreact to Saturday’s occasionally problematic dispatching of the Zips and break down Ohio State’s victory.
There were success stories (kick and punt returns, Jeremiah Smith, Will Howard, the defense not only getting takeaways but also turning them into points, etc.), and plenty of issues that the coaching staff can work on to improve the team as the season progresses. We also looked back at our picks to click and score predictions to see how well (or unwell) we envisioned the game.
After our game recap segment, we took a trip throughout the Big Ten to see how the rest of the conference fared on opening weekend. The only exception was the USC game, which we could not discuss because we recorded Sunday afternoon. We did not see the Trojans pulling off the upset against LSU, but we’re not mad about it.
Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday’s meeting with Western Michigan. The Broncos were sitting in a good position in the fourth quarter at Wisconsin when an unlucky bounce on a Badger punt turned things around in Madison. Ohio State will need to be better against Western Michigan to avoid the Broncos hanging around like they did in Madison.
We would love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Any questions directed toward us will be answered on our next show.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
0:30 - We break down the Buckeyes’ win over the Zips.
40:39 - A walk through the other Week 1 scores from around the B1G.
58:50 - The Broncos gave the Badgers a scare. Can the Buckeyes avoid the same?
Continue reading...
LGHL Catch up on all of the news, analysis, and commentary from Ohio State’s win over Akron
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- 0 Replies
Catch up on all of the news, analysis, and commentary from Ohio State’s win over Akron
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 Jason Mowry/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
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
Ohio State opens as 39.5-point favorites over Western Michigan
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
BOOOOM! Four-star 2025 wide receiver Phillip Bell commits to Ohio State
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 52-6 win over Akron
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
5 things we learned from Ohio State’s 52-6 win over Akron
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State: 5 thoughts on Buckeyes’ season-opening win vs. Akron
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Report Card: Grading Buckeyes season-opening beatdown of Akron (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Three Key Stats: Defense Dominates the Line of Scrimmage, Jeremiah Smith Lives Up to the Hype, and the Return of the Return Game
Johnny Ginter, Eleven Warriors
Moment of the Game: The Jeremiah Smith Era
has begun
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
‘You don’t think he’s quite human’: Inside the debut of Jeremiah Smith
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Stock Market Report: One game into the season, the Buckeyes are undefeated
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Takeaways: Ohio State’s defense improves as offense finds its way
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
With two scores, OSU defense lives up to goal of creating havoc
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Using songs from Akron artists to wrap up Ohio State’s 52-6 win
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
If This Were a Movie: Is Jeremiah Smith the Henry Rowengartner of football?
Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
Croatian center Ivan Njegovan getting settled at Ohio State as college career begins
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Men’s Soccer: No. 20 Buckeyes Down UNLV for 2-0 Weekend
Ohio State Athletics
Field Hockey: No. 14 Ohio State Closes 2-0 Weekend with Win over Bucknell
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Volleyball: Ohio State Claims Win Against UNI, Match Against No. 22 Dayton Ruled No Contest
Ohio State Athletics
All of the tears...
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 Jason Mowry/Getty Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
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
Ohio State opens as 39.5-point favorites over Western Michigan
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
BOOOOM! Four-star 2025 wide receiver Phillip Bell commits to Ohio State
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 52-6 win over Akron
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
5 things we learned from Ohio State’s 52-6 win over Akron
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State: 5 thoughts on Buckeyes’ season-opening win vs. Akron
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Report Card: Grading Buckeyes season-opening beatdown of Akron (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Three Key Stats: Defense Dominates the Line of Scrimmage, Jeremiah Smith Lives Up to the Hype, and the Return of the Return Game
Johnny Ginter, Eleven Warriors
Moment of the Game: The Jeremiah Smith Era
has begunMatt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
‘You don’t think he’s quite human’: Inside the debut of Jeremiah Smith
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Stock Market Report: One game into the season, the Buckeyes are undefeated
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Takeaways: Ohio State’s defense improves as offense finds its way
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
With two scores, OSU defense lives up to goal of creating havoc
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Using songs from Akron artists to wrap up Ohio State’s 52-6 win
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
If This Were a Movie: Is Jeremiah Smith the Henry Rowengartner of football?
Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Croatian center Ivan Njegovan getting settled at Ohio State as college career begins
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Men’s Soccer: No. 20 Buckeyes Down UNLV for 2-0 Weekend
Ohio State Athletics
Field Hockey: No. 14 Ohio State Closes 2-0 Weekend with Win over Bucknell
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Volleyball: Ohio State Claims Win Against UNI, Match Against No. 22 Dayton Ruled No Contest
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
All of the tears...
Continue reading...
LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Akron
- News
- 0 Replies
Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Akron
Michael Citro 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
A 46-point win does not mean things are as they should be.
Ohio State kicked off the 2024 season with a 46-point win over the Akron Zips, pulling away for a 52-6 victory. That’s a final score that may not be too far off from predictions, but it’s the way we got there in the end that held some surprises.
As a reminder for our longtime readers and a heads up to newcomers, the purpose of this column is to accentuate the negative, even when things are going great. Most of it is meant to be taken tongue in cheek, but it does contain kernels of truth.
With that said, here are the things that burned my toast when the Buckeyes played the Zips.
Jeremiah Smith is a recruit we’ve been hearing a lot about for a long time, and he showed why throughout the day on Saturday. However, his first college offensive series was one to forget. His first target of the season — and Will Howard’s first throw as a Buckeye — fell incomplete when Smith failed to look the ball in.
It squirted through his hands and hit him in the helmet. The play was set up well and may have turned into an explosive run after catch, but we’ll never know. The freshman then was late getting set on the ensuing short-yardage play. The penalty turned a third-and-1 into a third-and-6 because of the penalty.
Howard threw incomplete to Emeka Egbuka, who was hit early, but no flag flew for the pass interference infraction. Around the first weekend of the season, referees around the country have been letting defenders do a lot more grabbing and hitting early, so it wasn’t a big surprise, but it was still annoying.
Davison Igbinosun got Akron’s first offensive drive off to a great start when he foolishly launched himself at a sliding quarterback, picking up an obvious flag. The targeting penalty that was called always seemed likely to be overturned, and it was, but it was still a dumb thing for a veteran to do.
The penalty helped Akron with field position, and the Zips were able to move the ball into scoring position. Despite a sack by JT Tuimoloau and a bad snap, the Zips took a 3-0 lead with a field goal.
It’ll be hard to ever convince me that Emeka Egbuka’s acrobatic catch wasn’t a touchdown near the end of the first quarter. The ruling on the field was that he came down out of bounds and the replays (even the live look, to me) clearly refuted that.
So, the officials decided the ball moved, which it did when the receiver was getting up. Prior to that, it appeared to be pinned to his body through contact with the opponent and then the ground. The coolness factor alone should have made it a touchdown. But no, it was upheld as incomplete after review.
That’s OK, because it allowed Smith to make his first collegiate touchdown catch instead. The freshman did well to locate the ball, pull it in, and get both feet in bounds in a tight corner of the end zone. The thing about ball is that ball don’t lie.
Ohio State’s offensive line struggled with the interior run game all day, and at times missed pass blocking assignments and other blocks on the edge. While Donovan Jackson was out for this game, the problems seemed much larger than one player being out.
A microcosm of the overall performance came on a key third down early in the second quarter. Carson Hinzman was out in front of TreVeyon Henderson and was moving his head back and forth as if he was looking for someone to block. There was no lack of options. He had multiple defenders from which to choose, but he decided not to block any of them. Henderson was dropped after a short gain, and the Buckeyes failed on a fourth-and-5 situation, turning it over on downs.
Hinzman wasn’t the only problem. Josh Fryar had a difficult first quarter, and short-yardage situations were making Akron’s defensive line look like Georgia’s. The offensive line is a work in progress and will no doubt be a focus in practice this week.
A failure to line up correctly turned a third-and-3 — which would have been converted by Egbuka on a nice catch and run — into a third-and-8 situation. The Buckeyes still converted, with Howard firing a strike to Carnell Tate on the next play.
It’s early in the season, so I’ll look for improvement in this area. Eliminating preventable formation and pre-snap penalties before the schedule gets tougher is imperative. Those longer conversions aren’t as easy against better competition.
Come on. I’m not sure I even knew this was a penalty. I nominally understood that two players with the same number couldn’t be on the field together, but I had literally never seen this call until Saturday. I think I’ve seen everything in college football now.
Even as an Ohio State fan, it was uncomfortable, at first, and outrageous, as it continued, to see what Akron’s coaching staff did to quarterback Ben Finley. Anyone watching the game could see how much discomfort Finley was in after taking several big shots in the first half.
That continued with consecutive big hits from Jack Sawyer on the Zips’ first possession of the second half. Finley was in obvious pain, even as the CBS sideline reporter discussed how his ribs/chest area was deemed a non issue by Akron head coach Joe Moorhead. Akron then called a quarterback run, making matters worse. Finley finally couldn’t take anymore punishment and came out of the game.
The coaches are the adults here, not the players. They have a responsibility to protect the young athletes in their programs. Even if Finley was asking to stay in, Moorhead should have taken him off after the second Sawyer hit to at least let him catch his breath and get looked at by the training staff. To call a quarterback run (even if it was a run-pass option) on the next play was sadistic and borderline criminal, in my opinion.
I felt terrible for the kid, who was shown several times on the broadcast with an ice bag and still in obvious pain.
Those are the things that got my blood pressure up on Saturday. What stuck out to you?
Obviously, the above did not negate all of the positives from Ohio State’s opener. Smith looks like the next great OSU receiver. Henderson and Quinshon Judkins appear to be a formidable duo if they get any help from the offensive line creating running lanes. The defensive line looked physical, and Tuimoloau sniffed out multiple passes in the flat. The defense got three takeaways and scored on two of them. All of that was a welcome sight.
The Buckeyes are back at it at home next Saturday night when they host a Western Michigan side that gave Wisconsin a game this past week.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A 46-point win does not mean things are as they should be.
Ohio State kicked off the 2024 season with a 46-point win over the Akron Zips, pulling away for a 52-6 victory. That’s a final score that may not be too far off from predictions, but it’s the way we got there in the end that held some surprises.
As a reminder for our longtime readers and a heads up to newcomers, the purpose of this column is to accentuate the negative, even when things are going great. Most of it is meant to be taken tongue in cheek, but it does contain kernels of truth.
With that said, here are the things that burned my toast when the Buckeyes played the Zips.
Freshman’s Follies
Jeremiah Smith is a recruit we’ve been hearing a lot about for a long time, and he showed why throughout the day on Saturday. However, his first college offensive series was one to forget. His first target of the season — and Will Howard’s first throw as a Buckeye — fell incomplete when Smith failed to look the ball in.
It squirted through his hands and hit him in the helmet. The play was set up well and may have turned into an explosive run after catch, but we’ll never know. The freshman then was late getting set on the ensuing short-yardage play. The penalty turned a third-and-1 into a third-and-6 because of the penalty.
Howard threw incomplete to Emeka Egbuka, who was hit early, but no flag flew for the pass interference infraction. Around the first weekend of the season, referees around the country have been letting defenders do a lot more grabbing and hitting early, so it wasn’t a big surprise, but it was still annoying.
More Laundry
Davison Igbinosun got Akron’s first offensive drive off to a great start when he foolishly launched himself at a sliding quarterback, picking up an obvious flag. The targeting penalty that was called always seemed likely to be overturned, and it was, but it was still a dumb thing for a veteran to do.
The penalty helped Akron with field position, and the Zips were able to move the ball into scoring position. Despite a sack by JT Tuimoloau and a bad snap, the Zips took a 3-0 lead with a field goal.
So Nice They Made Ohio State Do It Twice
It’ll be hard to ever convince me that Emeka Egbuka’s acrobatic catch wasn’t a touchdown near the end of the first quarter. The ruling on the field was that he came down out of bounds and the replays (even the live look, to me) clearly refuted that.
So, the officials decided the ball moved, which it did when the receiver was getting up. Prior to that, it appeared to be pinned to his body through contact with the opponent and then the ground. The coolness factor alone should have made it a touchdown. But no, it was upheld as incomplete after review.
That’s OK, because it allowed Smith to make his first collegiate touchdown catch instead. The freshman did well to locate the ball, pull it in, and get both feet in bounds in a tight corner of the end zone. The thing about ball is that ball don’t lie.
Offensive Line Struggles
Ohio State’s offensive line struggled with the interior run game all day, and at times missed pass blocking assignments and other blocks on the edge. While Donovan Jackson was out for this game, the problems seemed much larger than one player being out.
A microcosm of the overall performance came on a key third down early in the second quarter. Carson Hinzman was out in front of TreVeyon Henderson and was moving his head back and forth as if he was looking for someone to block. There was no lack of options. He had multiple defenders from which to choose, but he decided not to block any of them. Henderson was dropped after a short gain, and the Buckeyes failed on a fourth-and-5 situation, turning it over on downs.
Hinzman wasn’t the only problem. Josh Fryar had a difficult first quarter, and short-yardage situations were making Akron’s defensive line look like Georgia’s. The offensive line is a work in progress and will no doubt be a focus in practice this week.
Illegal Formation
A failure to line up correctly turned a third-and-3 — which would have been converted by Egbuka on a nice catch and run — into a third-and-8 situation. The Buckeyes still converted, with Howard firing a strike to Carnell Tate on the next play.
It’s early in the season, so I’ll look for improvement in this area. Eliminating preventable formation and pre-snap penalties before the schedule gets tougher is imperative. Those longer conversions aren’t as easy against better competition.
Illegal Numbering
Come on. I’m not sure I even knew this was a penalty. I nominally understood that two players with the same number couldn’t be on the field together, but I had literally never seen this call until Saturday. I think I’ve seen everything in college football now.
Protect the Players
Even as an Ohio State fan, it was uncomfortable, at first, and outrageous, as it continued, to see what Akron’s coaching staff did to quarterback Ben Finley. Anyone watching the game could see how much discomfort Finley was in after taking several big shots in the first half.
That continued with consecutive big hits from Jack Sawyer on the Zips’ first possession of the second half. Finley was in obvious pain, even as the CBS sideline reporter discussed how his ribs/chest area was deemed a non issue by Akron head coach Joe Moorhead. Akron then called a quarterback run, making matters worse. Finley finally couldn’t take anymore punishment and came out of the game.
The coaches are the adults here, not the players. They have a responsibility to protect the young athletes in their programs. Even if Finley was asking to stay in, Moorhead should have taken him off after the second Sawyer hit to at least let him catch his breath and get looked at by the training staff. To call a quarterback run (even if it was a run-pass option) on the next play was sadistic and borderline criminal, in my opinion.
I felt terrible for the kid, who was shown several times on the broadcast with an ice bag and still in obvious pain.
Those are the things that got my blood pressure up on Saturday. What stuck out to you?
Obviously, the above did not negate all of the positives from Ohio State’s opener. Smith looks like the next great OSU receiver. Henderson and Quinshon Judkins appear to be a formidable duo if they get any help from the offensive line creating running lanes. The defensive line looked physical, and Tuimoloau sniffed out multiple passes in the flat. The defense got three takeaways and scored on two of them. All of that was a welcome sight.
The Buckeyes are back at it at home next Saturday night when they host a Western Michigan side that gave Wisconsin a game this past week.
Continue reading...
'26 OH F Alex Smith is a Buckeye!!!
- By ScriptOhio
- Basketball Recruiting
- 8 Replies
Alex Smith Becomes Ohio State's Second Basketball Commitment for the Class of 2026
In-state forward Alex Smith is Ohio State's second commitment in the 2026 class, fulfilling a lifelong dream for the 6-9 prospect.
Alex Smith Becomes Ohio State's Second Basketball Commitment for the Class of 2026
An Upper Arlington High School standout completed a lifelong dream on Monday.
Alex Smith, a forward in the recruiting class of 2026, committed to Ohio State over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Nebraska and Xavier.
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"Ever since I could walk, ever since I could talk, I've always been a Buckeye fan," Smith told Eleven Warriors. "It's my dream to go to OSU. Just to be able to commit now, it's kind of a surreal feeling to think that all the hard work that I've put in has now paid off and it's my dream school."
He hit a growth spurt this past year to sprout up to 6-9, and with it came constant time in the gym to improve his craft. Smith went from a player well off the radar of major programs to picking up five Power Five offers in a matter of months.
Smith was one of the top standouts at Ohio State's recruiting camps in June, and with that came an offer from the Buckeyes on June 17.
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While Smith is unranked in the 247Sports composite, which could change with time, Ohio State is a believer in Smith's growth over the past year as he's developed incredible ball-handling and shooting skills at his size.
"My range has extended," Smith said. "I could shoot the ball really well on the high school line, now I'm shooting NBA 3s. Nobody in high school can really guard the NBA line. Then I also took strides becoming (more like) a bigger guard. Just dribbling, passing, facilitating, all that type of stuff."
Smith fits with some of the versatile additions Jake Diebler has made to the Buckeyes' roster. With his size and skill combination, he could play power or small forward at the next level. While Diebler hasn't attached a specific label to Smith or many of his players, the plan for Smith is to play as a power forward with a real shooting threat.
"(Diebler) doesn't necessarily tag people as numbers, but if you want to play the numbers game, he sees me as a stretch 4," Smith said. "Someone who can step outside, knock the three-ball down. Of course, I need to add some muscle and some weight to me to be able to play the 4 coming in my freshman year. So that's definitely something me and Jake will look at and start now, my junior year of (high school), instead of starting it when I get into college."
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