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LGHL Uncut: Howard, Simon say Day is ‘best coach’ they will ever have
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Uncut: Howard, Simon say Day is ‘best coach’ they will ever have
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Apparently, following the national title win, Will Howard believes that “sleep is for the weak.”
Throughout the year, the Land-Grant Podcast Network will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from the Tuesday, Jan. 21 press conference with the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes before they departed Atlanta to return home to Columbus. At the podium were OSU head football coach Ryan Day, offensive player of the game quarterback Will Howard, and defensive player of the game linebacker Cody Simon.
Despite Howard revealing that “sleep is for the weak,” the trio discussed the national title win having gotten a few hours of distance between themselves and the final whistle. Both of the players heaped praise on Day as both a coach and a human and said they never doubted that he was the right person to lead this team.
Day deflected any questions about next season, either in terms of his roster or coaching staff, choosing instead to embrace the joy and celebration following his first national title.
You can watch the full press conference on the College Football Playoff’s official YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkSfC1uY_sQ
Contact Matt Tamanini
Online Profile: https://authory.com/MattTamanini
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
Apparently, following the national title win, Will Howard believes that “sleep is for the weak.”
Throughout the year, the Land-Grant Podcast Network will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from the Tuesday, Jan. 21 press conference with the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes before they departed Atlanta to return home to Columbus. At the podium were OSU head football coach Ryan Day, offensive player of the game quarterback Will Howard, and defensive player of the game linebacker Cody Simon.
Despite Howard revealing that “sleep is for the weak,” the trio discussed the national title win having gotten a few hours of distance between themselves and the final whistle. Both of the players heaped praise on Day as both a coach and a human and said they never doubted that he was the right person to lead this team.
Day deflected any questions about next season, either in terms of his roster or coaching staff, choosing instead to embrace the joy and celebration following his first national title.
You can watch the full press conference on the College Football Playoff’s official YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkSfC1uY_sQ
Contact Matt Tamanini
Online Profile: https://authory.com/MattTamanini
Music by: www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: How do you nitpick a national championship?
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Grumpy Old Buckeye: How do you nitpick a national championship?
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Is it possible to find fault with a team that just won the whole darn thing?
Ohio State has done it. The team that couldn’t beat a middling 2024 Michigan squad put together four games of brilliance to win the school’s ninth national championship and capture the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
The trophy can go in the case next to the Buckeyes’ title in the first-ever four-team College Football Playoff. They may only win a title once every decade these days, but at least the Buckeyes are trend setters.
This is where I would normally tell you about all the things that had me looking to fight the Irish, but if Ryan Day can flip the script and change the narrative, so can I. Rather than your usual Grumpy Old Buckeye, you’re getting the Happy Old Buckeye this week.
With that said, here are the things that gave me a smile the size of Lake Erie Monday night when Ohio State squared off against Notre Dame.
Several Buckeyes entered Monday night shy of major milestones, and they all reached them, as once again Ohio State’s offense was the only thing that could stop Ohio State’s offense.
Running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson entered the game each needing to add to their total to reach 1,000 yards rushing. Emeka Egbuka needed a good night to reach 1,000 yards receiving. Will Howard was just shy of 4,000 passing yards.
All of them hit their targets, and as far as I can tell, Ohio State became the first team with two running backs to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and score 10 or more touchdowns while also having two wide receivers surpass 1,000 yards receiving and score 10 or more touchdowns in the same season (Jeremiah Smith entered the game already over 1,000/10).
The 2018 Oklahoma Sooners had two players do each of those things, but one of them was quarterback Kyler Murray, not a running back. Murray also threw for 4,000+ yards. So, depending on how you want to look at it, Ohio State did something either no one else has done (vis-a-vis having it be two running backs in that 1,000-yard rushing group) or only one other team has done (counting all rushers).
It’s true that the Sooners did it in 14 games as opposed to 16, but it’s still an impressive feat and an elite club to be in, and maybe someone with more time on their hands than me can figure out how many snaps all those players played.
There was a lot of talk online in public and among national and local sports pundits when Will Howard transferred to Ohio State. I can anecdotally recall a lot of people who didn’t think much of the signing but at least felt there was an alternative to Devin Brown. Some people were already willing to roll the dice with freshman Julian Sayin.
Howard proved the doubters wrong, although he was still underrated just a few days ago. More than one national media member placed him dead last when ranking the quarterbacks in the College Football Playoff. That’s a good way of telling people you don’t watch Howard play every week.
The Kansas State transfer quietly turned in the kind of season that would normally garner Heisman Trophy discussion. He finished so strong in the national championship game that he broke the school record for completion percentage set by a guy named C.J. Stroud.
Howard completed 73% of his 423 attempts (that’s 309 completions) for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. His big night against the Irish helped him eclipse 200 rushing yards as well, as he finished the season with 226 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Considering how seldom designed quarterback runs were called in the first half of the season, that’s solid.
Howard wasn’t as good as some people said he would be... He was much better.
Notre Dame was known for its pass defense this season, but I figured after being held in check against Texas that we’d hear a lot more out of Jeremiah Smith against the Irish.
Smith was a factor early and late in the game, scoring Ohio State’s first touchdown on a gorgeous brand new play in the playbook that looked like something Alabama beat the Buckeyes with using DeVonta Smith a few years back. So maybe it’s a Smith thing. JJ faked a jet sweep motion and then exploded into space to the right, taking a short pass from Howard and almost walking in for an uncontested score.
He might have scored a second touchdown on a third down call that Howard misfired on — one of Will’s few errant throws on the night.
Smith then sealed the win by roasting single coverage to set up the field goal to put the game to bed. Five receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Irish pass defense is a good night. Smith finished the season with impressive freshman numbers, breaking several school records. He caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.
While I didn’t love Judkins getting run down from behind — something that wasn’t often seen this year — it was nice to see Chip Kelly let him finish the job by punching in his third touchdown of the night. His first was a terrific individual effort with a stiffarm that dismissed an Irish defender and a last-ditch lunge that got him into the end zone just before his knee touched down.
In between was a nice catch in the end zone after Howard’s scramble had distracted his defender. Judkins drifted to empty space and made himself available for an easy touchdown pass for his quarterback. With 100 yards rushing and an average of 9.0 per carry, plus 21 more yards and a touchdown receiving, it was a big night for Q.
That’s what had me explaining to strangers that I had 99 problems but a natty wasn’t one of them when the Buckeyes beat the Irish for the national championship. I could go on and discuss Jayden Fielding’s clutch kick to put the game out of reach, the defensive line’s big night stopping the run (after the first drive), and the solid night by Cody Simon, but what stuck out to you?
Of course, there were plenty of dark clouds around the above silver linings, because there is no such thing as a perfect game.
I could discuss the unnecessary Josh Fryar holding penalty (unnecessary because TreVeyon Henderson was there to help him with the block) that started to turn momentum the wrong direction in the second half. I could gripe about the Egbuka fumble that seemed likely to happen for a good 10 yards before it finally did, allowing Notre Dame to have some late hope.
I could once again fill this space with a diatribe about Davison Igbinosun’s maddening propensity for dumb and unnecessary penalties — this time on a third-and-19 play that would have been cleaned up by Lathan Ransom. I could talk about Jordan Hancock’s inability to even interfere with a receiver well enough to prevent a touchdown catch. Or I could bemoan some of the conservative play calling late.
I could even crab about the opening Notre Dame drive, which seemed more of a statement about physicality than anything Michigan did in November.
Instead, all I can say is that the season was a successful one for Ohio State. In years to come, it’ll become difficult to remember the two losses the Buckeyes suffered along the way. What I’ll remember most is the effort by the guys who could have been playing NFL football leading the team to a championship trophy.
Each year, only one team’s fans get to end the season completely happy with the outcome. This year, Buckeye fans, it’s you.
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
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Is it possible to find fault with a team that just won the whole darn thing?
Ohio State has done it. The team that couldn’t beat a middling 2024 Michigan squad put together four games of brilliance to win the school’s ninth national championship and capture the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
The trophy can go in the case next to the Buckeyes’ title in the first-ever four-team College Football Playoff. They may only win a title once every decade these days, but at least the Buckeyes are trend setters.
This is where I would normally tell you about all the things that had me looking to fight the Irish, but if Ryan Day can flip the script and change the narrative, so can I. Rather than your usual Grumpy Old Buckeye, you’re getting the Happy Old Buckeye this week.
With that said, here are the things that gave me a smile the size of Lake Erie Monday night when Ohio State squared off against Notre Dame.
An Exclusive Club
Several Buckeyes entered Monday night shy of major milestones, and they all reached them, as once again Ohio State’s offense was the only thing that could stop Ohio State’s offense.
Running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson entered the game each needing to add to their total to reach 1,000 yards rushing. Emeka Egbuka needed a good night to reach 1,000 yards receiving. Will Howard was just shy of 4,000 passing yards.
All of them hit their targets, and as far as I can tell, Ohio State became the first team with two running backs to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and score 10 or more touchdowns while also having two wide receivers surpass 1,000 yards receiving and score 10 or more touchdowns in the same season (Jeremiah Smith entered the game already over 1,000/10).
The 2018 Oklahoma Sooners had two players do each of those things, but one of them was quarterback Kyler Murray, not a running back. Murray also threw for 4,000+ yards. So, depending on how you want to look at it, Ohio State did something either no one else has done (vis-a-vis having it be two running backs in that 1,000-yard rushing group) or only one other team has done (counting all rushers).
It’s true that the Sooners did it in 14 games as opposed to 16, but it’s still an impressive feat and an elite club to be in, and maybe someone with more time on their hands than me can figure out how many snaps all those players played.
Speaking of Howard
There was a lot of talk online in public and among national and local sports pundits when Will Howard transferred to Ohio State. I can anecdotally recall a lot of people who didn’t think much of the signing but at least felt there was an alternative to Devin Brown. Some people were already willing to roll the dice with freshman Julian Sayin.
Howard proved the doubters wrong, although he was still underrated just a few days ago. More than one national media member placed him dead last when ranking the quarterbacks in the College Football Playoff. That’s a good way of telling people you don’t watch Howard play every week.
The Kansas State transfer quietly turned in the kind of season that would normally garner Heisman Trophy discussion. He finished so strong in the national championship game that he broke the school record for completion percentage set by a guy named C.J. Stroud.
Howard completed 73% of his 423 attempts (that’s 309 completions) for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. His big night against the Irish helped him eclipse 200 rushing yards as well, as he finished the season with 226 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Considering how seldom designed quarterback runs were called in the first half of the season, that’s solid.
Howard wasn’t as good as some people said he would be... He was much better.
Strong Finish for the Freshman
Notre Dame was known for its pass defense this season, but I figured after being held in check against Texas that we’d hear a lot more out of Jeremiah Smith against the Irish.
Smith was a factor early and late in the game, scoring Ohio State’s first touchdown on a gorgeous brand new play in the playbook that looked like something Alabama beat the Buckeyes with using DeVonta Smith a few years back. So maybe it’s a Smith thing. JJ faked a jet sweep motion and then exploded into space to the right, taking a short pass from Howard and almost walking in for an uncontested score.
He might have scored a second touchdown on a third down call that Howard misfired on — one of Will’s few errant throws on the night.
Smith then sealed the win by roasting single coverage to set up the field goal to put the game to bed. Five receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Irish pass defense is a good night. Smith finished the season with impressive freshman numbers, breaking several school records. He caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Hat Trick for Q
While I didn’t love Judkins getting run down from behind — something that wasn’t often seen this year — it was nice to see Chip Kelly let him finish the job by punching in his third touchdown of the night. His first was a terrific individual effort with a stiffarm that dismissed an Irish defender and a last-ditch lunge that got him into the end zone just before his knee touched down.
In between was a nice catch in the end zone after Howard’s scramble had distracted his defender. Judkins drifted to empty space and made himself available for an easy touchdown pass for his quarterback. With 100 yards rushing and an average of 9.0 per carry, plus 21 more yards and a touchdown receiving, it was a big night for Q.
That’s what had me explaining to strangers that I had 99 problems but a natty wasn’t one of them when the Buckeyes beat the Irish for the national championship. I could go on and discuss Jayden Fielding’s clutch kick to put the game out of reach, the defensive line’s big night stopping the run (after the first drive), and the solid night by Cody Simon, but what stuck out to you?
Of course, there were plenty of dark clouds around the above silver linings, because there is no such thing as a perfect game.
I could discuss the unnecessary Josh Fryar holding penalty (unnecessary because TreVeyon Henderson was there to help him with the block) that started to turn momentum the wrong direction in the second half. I could gripe about the Egbuka fumble that seemed likely to happen for a good 10 yards before it finally did, allowing Notre Dame to have some late hope.
I could once again fill this space with a diatribe about Davison Igbinosun’s maddening propensity for dumb and unnecessary penalties — this time on a third-and-19 play that would have been cleaned up by Lathan Ransom. I could talk about Jordan Hancock’s inability to even interfere with a receiver well enough to prevent a touchdown catch. Or I could bemoan some of the conservative play calling late.
I could even crab about the opening Notre Dame drive, which seemed more of a statement about physicality than anything Michigan did in November.
Instead, all I can say is that the season was a successful one for Ohio State. In years to come, it’ll become difficult to remember the two losses the Buckeyes suffered along the way. What I’ll remember most is the effort by the guys who could have been playing NFL football leading the team to a championship trophy.
Each year, only one team’s fans get to end the season completely happy with the outcome. This year, Buckeye fans, it’s you.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State men come back from 16 down to stun No. 11 Purdue in Mackey, 73-70
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Ohio State men come back from 16 down to stun No. 11 Purdue in Mackey, 73-70
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes stunned Purdue in the second half with a 17-2 run and snapped Purdue’s 26-game home winning streak.
So, what happens when you lose a “must-win” game? In the case of the Ohio State men’s basketball team (11-8, 3-5), it makes the very next game — one that nearly everyone expected you to lose — a “must-win” as well.
Ohio State’s one-point, overtime loss to Indiana on Friday night was crucial for the Buckeyes to win, knowing full well that their next game was in West Lafayette against the Purdue Boilermakers (15-5, 7-2). By happenstance, Purdue came into Tuesday night’s game having won their last 26 home games. The Buckeyes had only won in Mackey Arena once in the last decade.
That was until Tuesday, when Ohio State stunned the No. 11 Boilermakers, 73-70, to pick up their third ranked win of the season and snap a three-game losing streak. The Buckeyes waltzed into Mackey Arena for the first Purdue home game with students since before Christmas and stunned the home fans behind a combined 38 points from Devin Royal and Micah Parrish.
Trey Kaufmann-Renn, who came into this game leading Purdue with 17.9 points per game, scored six before the first media timeout, as Purdue built an early 10-5 lead. Two of those baskets were assisted by Braden Smith, the Big Ten’s assist leader. The Buckeyes weren’t switching cleanly enough off of Kaufmann-Renn, and the 6-foot-9 junior was getting just enough space to slither in for some high-percentage looks.
The Boilermakers extended that lead over the next eight minutes or so. After Devin Royal was called for a travel at one end, CJ Cox knocked down a mid-range jumper to push Purdue ahead, 25-11.
Purdue seemingly scored after every Ohio State turnover or goof-up, making it feel like there was no room at all for error in front of a sold-out, raucous Mackey Arena crowd. The Buckeyes went for a long stretch where they only scored one basket in a seven-minute stretch, falling behind by double digits and eventually heading to the locker room trailing the 11th-ranked Boilermakers, 41-28.
Kaufman-Renn had 14 points and six rebounds in the first half for Purdue. Devin Royal had 11 for Ohio State, in the opening 20 minutes, and was the only Buckeye to score more than five points during the first half.
After getting completely shut out of the offense in the first half, Bruce Thornton scored a quick five points to start the second half, cutting Purdue’s lead to eight points. After a Purdue turnover, Bradshaw scored over a triple team to cut the deficit even further. Just two minutes into the second half, Ohio State was back within six points, 41-35. Aaron Bradshaw scored twice in the opening minutes of the second half, and by the first media timeout of the second half Ohio State had come all the way back to make it 43-39.
The Buckeyes kept at it, blasting off in a big way and going on a 17-2 run to take a two-point lead against Purdue with 14 minutes left in the game. Thornton was the initiator of the offense, but it was guys like Bradshaw and Micah Parrish who did the heavy lifting as Ohio State turned a runaway blowout into a very tight basketball game.
After Fletcher Loyer scored six straight points for Purdue, Jake Diebler called a timeout to settle his team and the crowd. Purdue had gone back ahead 54-53 with just over eight minutes to play, but the Buckeyes were once again in a one-possession game — something they’ve been very familiar with lately.
Ohio State turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions, and Purdue scored on after all three of them to re-take a 59-53 lead with 7:22 remaining in the game.
When it looked like maybe Purdue had thrown the final punch and Ohio State would just fade away, the Buckeyes responded with a 9-0 run, five of which came from Parrish. After the fifth-year senior knocked down an NBA-range three to make it 62-59, Matt Painter was forced to call a timeout to gather the troops.
Parrish remained on fire for two more minutes, going on an 8-0 run all by himself to help put Ohio State ahead, 68-59, with 2:42 remaining.
Purdue answered with eight straight points to close it to 68-67 with 55 seconds remaining. John Mobley Jr. answered with a long two to put Ohio State up three, 70-67, with 17 seconds remaining. Two Purdue free throws cut it to 70-69, but Devin Royal knocked down a pair of free throws of his own to make it a three-point game again, 72-69.
The Buckeyes played the foul game once they got up three, and fortunately Royal was able to knock down three out of four in the final three seconds to clinch it, 73-70.
If you don’t have a Peacock subscription — or were still too hungover from national championship celebrations and forgot the men’s basketball team played tonight — here are a few key stats and numbers that help break down Ohio State’s 73-70 upset of the 11th-ranked Boilermakers in West Lafayette.
Thornton, a three-year captain for the Buckeyes, had scored in double-digits in each of the last eight games but was also completely erased during Ohio State’s losses to Auburn and Maryland, scoring three and nine points in those games.
That was the story Tuesday night against Purdue, as he was matched up with Big Ten POY frontrunner Braden Smith. Thornton wasn’t able to get any daylight heading to the rim at all, and the only shots he was able to take were from three-point range, where he went 1-for-3. His only make came right at the halftime buzzer that cut Purdue’s lead to 13, 41-28.
For the second straight game, Ohio State was tortured by an opposing big on the glass. On Tuesday night it was Purdue junior Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored 14 points and had six rebounds in the first half. He also had all four of his team’s offensive rebounds, which by happenstance was one more than Ohio State’s entire team had in the first half.
This comes four days after Indiana center Oumar Ballo grabbed eight offensive rebounds against the Buckeyes.
Ohio State entered Tuesday’s game with the lowest assist rate in the Big Ten conference, assisting on just 48.7% of their made baskets. In the first half, Ohio State recorded an assist on just three of the team’s eight made baskets. Two of those assists came from backup guard Ques Glover, and zero of them were from Thornton.
Purdue, on the other hand, assisted on 10 of their 15 made baskets. Braden Smith had five first-half assists despite only playing 10 minutes in the opening frame.
More often than not, when Purdue shot the ball Tuesday night, it was going to drop. Kaufman-Renn was the biggest force behind this uber-efficient first half, hitting six of his eight shots en route to 14 first-half points. Purdue’s freshman guard CJ Cox was a perfect 4-for-4 shooting in the first half as well, totaling nine points.
After falling behind by 13 at halftime, the Buckeyes came out scorching hot in the second half to take the lead on the 11th-ranked Boilers. Thornton knocked down a three-pointer and then was fouled going to the basket, hitting both free throws. A Bradshaw basket followed, making it 41-35 Purdue.
Ohio State used those seven points as part of a larger 17-2 run to start the second half, taking a 45-43 lead on the home team six minutes into the second half.
After Sean Stewart knocked down his first career three-pointer to give Ohio State a 51-48 lead, Loyer went on a 6-2 run all on his own to put the Boilermakers back up, 54-53. Ohio State started to slow down Kaufman-Renn, but when they did that, the Purdue guards started to get it going.
After re-taking the lead, 53-50 with 9:50 remaining in the game, Ohio State proceeded to turn the ball over on three consecutive possessions. On all three possessions, Purdue scored. In less than two minutes, the Boilermakers turned the tables, taking a 59-53 lead and making the Buckeyes once again pay for any mistakes they made inside a deafening Mackey Arena.
After the brutal stretch where Ohio State turned it over 48 times and Purdue took the lead, the Buckeyes went on an improbable 15-0 run to go back ahead, 68-59. The rally was spearheaded by Parrish, who at one point scored eight straight points and 11 of 13 for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State (11-8, 3-5) has five days off before welcoming the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-6, 3-4) to Columbus Monday night. With the result of their Tuesday night game against Minnesota pending, the Hawkeyes are currently riding a two-game losing streak after being swept on the West Coast by USC and UCLA. The Trojans and Bruins combined to score 193 points in those two Iowa losses, and the Hawkeyes defense is now rated No. 158 in the nation, according to KenPom.
Ohio State’s game against Iowa will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1.
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
Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
The Buckeyes stunned Purdue in the second half with a 17-2 run and snapped Purdue’s 26-game home winning streak.
So, what happens when you lose a “must-win” game? In the case of the Ohio State men’s basketball team (11-8, 3-5), it makes the very next game — one that nearly everyone expected you to lose — a “must-win” as well.
Ohio State’s one-point, overtime loss to Indiana on Friday night was crucial for the Buckeyes to win, knowing full well that their next game was in West Lafayette against the Purdue Boilermakers (15-5, 7-2). By happenstance, Purdue came into Tuesday night’s game having won their last 26 home games. The Buckeyes had only won in Mackey Arena once in the last decade.
That was until Tuesday, when Ohio State stunned the No. 11 Boilermakers, 73-70, to pick up their third ranked win of the season and snap a three-game losing streak. The Buckeyes waltzed into Mackey Arena for the first Purdue home game with students since before Christmas and stunned the home fans behind a combined 38 points from Devin Royal and Micah Parrish.
Trey Kaufmann-Renn, who came into this game leading Purdue with 17.9 points per game, scored six before the first media timeout, as Purdue built an early 10-5 lead. Two of those baskets were assisted by Braden Smith, the Big Ten’s assist leader. The Buckeyes weren’t switching cleanly enough off of Kaufmann-Renn, and the 6-foot-9 junior was getting just enough space to slither in for some high-percentage looks.
The Boilermakers extended that lead over the next eight minutes or so. After Devin Royal was called for a travel at one end, CJ Cox knocked down a mid-range jumper to push Purdue ahead, 25-11.
Purdue seemingly scored after every Ohio State turnover or goof-up, making it feel like there was no room at all for error in front of a sold-out, raucous Mackey Arena crowd. The Buckeyes went for a long stretch where they only scored one basket in a seven-minute stretch, falling behind by double digits and eventually heading to the locker room trailing the 11th-ranked Boilermakers, 41-28.
Kaufman-Renn had 14 points and six rebounds in the first half for Purdue. Devin Royal had 11 for Ohio State, in the opening 20 minutes, and was the only Buckeye to score more than five points during the first half.
After getting completely shut out of the offense in the first half, Bruce Thornton scored a quick five points to start the second half, cutting Purdue’s lead to eight points. After a Purdue turnover, Bradshaw scored over a triple team to cut the deficit even further. Just two minutes into the second half, Ohio State was back within six points, 41-35. Aaron Bradshaw scored twice in the opening minutes of the second half, and by the first media timeout of the second half Ohio State had come all the way back to make it 43-39.
BUCKEYES TAKE THE LEAD@OhioStateHoops #B1GMBBall on Peacock pic.twitter.com/y2GvkkRcnu
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 22, 2025
The Buckeyes kept at it, blasting off in a big way and going on a 17-2 run to take a two-point lead against Purdue with 14 minutes left in the game. Thornton was the initiator of the offense, but it was guys like Bradshaw and Micah Parrish who did the heavy lifting as Ohio State turned a runaway blowout into a very tight basketball game.
After Fletcher Loyer scored six straight points for Purdue, Jake Diebler called a timeout to settle his team and the crowd. Purdue had gone back ahead 54-53 with just over eight minutes to play, but the Buckeyes were once again in a one-possession game — something they’ve been very familiar with lately.
Ohio State turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions, and Purdue scored on after all three of them to re-take a 59-53 lead with 7:22 remaining in the game.
When it looked like maybe Purdue had thrown the final punch and Ohio State would just fade away, the Buckeyes responded with a 9-0 run, five of which came from Parrish. After the fifth-year senior knocked down an NBA-range three to make it 62-59, Matt Painter was forced to call a timeout to gather the troops.
Parrish remained on fire for two more minutes, going on an 8-0 run all by himself to help put Ohio State ahead, 68-59, with 2:42 remaining.
Purdue answered with eight straight points to close it to 68-67 with 55 seconds remaining. John Mobley Jr. answered with a long two to put Ohio State up three, 70-67, with 17 seconds remaining. Two Purdue free throws cut it to 70-69, but Devin Royal knocked down a pair of free throws of his own to make it a three-point game again, 72-69.
The Buckeyes played the foul game once they got up three, and fortunately Royal was able to knock down three out of four in the final three seconds to clinch it, 73-70.
If you don’t have a Peacock subscription — or were still too hungover from national championship celebrations and forgot the men’s basketball team played tonight — here are a few key stats and numbers that help break down Ohio State’s 73-70 upset of the 11th-ranked Boilermakers in West Lafayette.
3 - Bruce Thornton points in the first half
Thornton, a three-year captain for the Buckeyes, had scored in double-digits in each of the last eight games but was also completely erased during Ohio State’s losses to Auburn and Maryland, scoring three and nine points in those games.
That was the story Tuesday night against Purdue, as he was matched up with Big Ten POY frontrunner Braden Smith. Thornton wasn’t able to get any daylight heading to the rim at all, and the only shots he was able to take were from three-point range, where he went 1-for-3. His only make came right at the halftime buzzer that cut Purdue’s lead to 13, 41-28.
4 - Offensive rebounds for Trey Kaufman-Renn in the first half
For the second straight game, Ohio State was tortured by an opposing big on the glass. On Tuesday night it was Purdue junior Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored 14 points and had six rebounds in the first half. He also had all four of his team’s offensive rebounds, which by happenstance was one more than Ohio State’s entire team had in the first half.
This comes four days after Indiana center Oumar Ballo grabbed eight offensive rebounds against the Buckeyes.
3 - assists in the first half
Ohio State entered Tuesday’s game with the lowest assist rate in the Big Ten conference, assisting on just 48.7% of their made baskets. In the first half, Ohio State recorded an assist on just three of the team’s eight made baskets. Two of those assists came from backup guard Ques Glover, and zero of them were from Thornton.
Purdue, on the other hand, assisted on 10 of their 15 made baskets. Braden Smith had five first-half assists despite only playing 10 minutes in the opening frame.
60% - Purdue’s shooting percentage in the first half
More often than not, when Purdue shot the ball Tuesday night, it was going to drop. Kaufman-Renn was the biggest force behind this uber-efficient first half, hitting six of his eight shots en route to 14 first-half points. Purdue’s freshman guard CJ Cox was a perfect 4-for-4 shooting in the first half as well, totaling nine points.
7 - Consecutive points scored by Ohio State to open the second half
After falling behind by 13 at halftime, the Buckeyes came out scorching hot in the second half to take the lead on the 11th-ranked Boilers. Thornton knocked down a three-pointer and then was fouled going to the basket, hitting both free throws. A Bradshaw basket followed, making it 41-35 Purdue.
Ohio State used those seven points as part of a larger 17-2 run to start the second half, taking a 45-43 lead on the home team six minutes into the second half.
6 - Consecutive points scored by Fletcher Loyer to give Purdue the lead back
After Sean Stewart knocked down his first career three-pointer to give Ohio State a 51-48 lead, Loyer went on a 6-2 run all on his own to put the Boilermakers back up, 54-53. Ohio State started to slow down Kaufman-Renn, but when they did that, the Purdue guards started to get it going.
3 - Ohio State turnovers in just over a minute
After re-taking the lead, 53-50 with 9:50 remaining in the game, Ohio State proceeded to turn the ball over on three consecutive possessions. On all three possessions, Purdue scored. In less than two minutes, the Boilermakers turned the tables, taking a 59-53 lead and making the Buckeyes once again pay for any mistakes they made inside a deafening Mackey Arena.
8 - straight points for Micah Parrish
After the brutal stretch where Ohio State turned it over 48 times and Purdue took the lead, the Buckeyes went on an improbable 15-0 run to go back ahead, 68-59. The rally was spearheaded by Parrish, who at one point scored eight straight points and 11 of 13 for the Buckeyes.
What’s next?
Ohio State (11-8, 3-5) has five days off before welcoming the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-6, 3-4) to Columbus Monday night. With the result of their Tuesday night game against Minnesota pending, the Hawkeyes are currently riding a two-game losing streak after being swept on the West Coast by USC and UCLA. The Trojans and Bruins combined to score 193 points in those two Iowa losses, and the Hawkeyes defense is now rated No. 158 in the nation, according to KenPom.
Ohio State’s game against Iowa will kick off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FS1.
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