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LGHL On the Record: If Ryan Day can’t beat Michigan this year, he’s seat’s gonna get hot again
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On the Record: If Ryan Day can’t beat Michigan this year, he’s seat’s gonna get hot again
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Winning a national championship is more important than beating Michigan, but we need a coach who can do both.
From now until preseason camp starts later this week, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the things we need to get off our chests before the season starts; the things we need to get on the record. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”On the Record” articles here.
As the Buckeyes hoisted the National Championship trophy into the air last season, the Ryan Day doubters were silenced for a moment, drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Since taking over as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2019, Day boasts a 70-10 overall record, going 24-9 against ranked teams and, of course, leading Ohio State to that aforementioned title in 2024.
Still, the pendulum of public opinion seems to swing back and forth from love to hate, with seemingly no middle ground from fans. In the seven weeks between the end of last year’s 10-2 regular season and the national championship win, fans on social media went from “Fire Ryan Day” to “Never leave us, Ryan Day” without skipping a beat.
Thanks to his overall success with the team and specifically owing to last year’s title, Day has earned the benefit of the doubt from fans, including myself, as we head into the 2025 season. Our attitudes should remain “In Ryan Day We Trust” until he gives us a good reason to adjust them.
But he has one test still to pass, and it’s one that could cause goodwill to sour quickly. It has left us with an elephant in the room coming into this season (or perhaps more accurately, a Wolverine in elephant’s clothing): Ryan Day must beat Michigan, or he has got to go.
Perhaps this sounds harsh, especially in the wake of the two teams’ last meeting. Though Michigan’s 13-10 upset win on the Buckeyes’ home turf (and the subsequent flag-planting debacle) was the thing of nightmares, it’s inarguably also what gave OSU the fire it needed to win the championship in the first place.
That’s great, and in retrospect, I wouldn’t choose a different path for the Buckeyes. But now beating Michigan has become unfinished business, and it’s officially time to finish it.
Day has just one win over the Wolverines, a 2019 walloping on the road in Ann Arbor in which the No. 2 Buckeyes defeated No. 14 Michigan, 56-27. But since then, it’s been crickets.
The Buckeyes have lost four straight to a team we hate so much we won’t even say their name most of the time. Sure, due to the new College Football Playoff structure, a loss to That Team Up North doesn’t single-handedly derail postseason hopes anymore. To that end, the stakes are different from what they were in, for example, 2023, when only four teams could make the playoffs and one loss could eliminate you from contention.
But just because the stakes are different doesn’t mean they are low, and that’s something Day needs to understand and deliver on. The Game, regardless of how good either program is at any given year, is an emotional bloodbath for players and fans alike. We’re not there to have fun. We’re there to defend our honor.
Like it or not, The Game is the axis on which Ohio State’s entire season typically spins: The countdown clock in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center centers ticks down to kickoff of The Game. It’s always on, an ever-present reminder of the importance of this rivalry. Similarly, there are entire websites dedicated to serving the same purpose for fans on both sides: “Countdown to Another Beat Michigan,” “How Many Days Since Ohio State Has Beaten Michigan?” — the list goes on.
Even now, after definitively winning the national championship after a long and grueling playoff season, Wolverine fans will not shut up: “We’re still better, just check the scoreboard.” We’re being trash-talked by a team that went 5-4, a team that had absolutely no business beating us on paper. Not only were they a team that barely eked out a winning record, but they were also missing key players in the matchup with OSU.
It becomes easier to forgive the loss because we know the story had a happy ending. All’s well that ends well. But that happy ending isn’t always guaranteed, and the other side of that coin is this: If we couldn’t beat them last year, when the Buckeyes were dominant in nearly every category offensively and defensively, and the Wolverines were, for all intents and purposes, a little beat up, that’s particularly worrisome.
When we look back at last season, there were certainly execution problems on the field, but one of the primary reasons the Buckeyes lost that game was coaching issues—clock management, game strategy. Those things ultimately rest on Day’s shoulders.
It’s a mental game for him, and it’s one he has to win this year.
As everything around us changes, the traditions surrounding The Game continue to be part of what makes college football so great. It’s bigger than one group of guys on the field at any given time. For a brief moment, there is only us versus them. So just because it won’t derail playoff hopes doesn’t mean we should give The Game any less weight in our minds. It is the greatest rivalry in sports for a reason.
I’m not implying that it’s more important to beat Michigan than to win a national championship: It is always more important to win the title. But a win over Michigan is a non-negotiable stop on the road.
While the ultimate goal should be becoming back-to-back national champions, I won’t be calling for Day to be fired if we don’t so long as we make a respectable showing. Repeating is rare and difficult, and while it is always the bar we’re coming up against as a top program, his job should be safe in my mind, so long as we make the playoffs…and beat Michigan.
Lose to Michigan for a fifth consecutive year, and regardless of CFP outcomes, that’s a dealbreaker for me. Winning the title is the primary goal, but beating Michigan is the secondary one, and we need a coach who can do both.
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Winning a national championship is more important than beating Michigan, but we need a coach who can do both.
From now until preseason camp starts later this week, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the things we need to get off our chests before the season starts; the things we need to get on the record. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”On the Record” articles here.
As the Buckeyes hoisted the National Championship trophy into the air last season, the Ryan Day doubters were silenced for a moment, drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
Since taking over as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2019, Day boasts a 70-10 overall record, going 24-9 against ranked teams and, of course, leading Ohio State to that aforementioned title in 2024.
Still, the pendulum of public opinion seems to swing back and forth from love to hate, with seemingly no middle ground from fans. In the seven weeks between the end of last year’s 10-2 regular season and the national championship win, fans on social media went from “Fire Ryan Day” to “Never leave us, Ryan Day” without skipping a beat.
Thanks to his overall success with the team and specifically owing to last year’s title, Day has earned the benefit of the doubt from fans, including myself, as we head into the 2025 season. Our attitudes should remain “In Ryan Day We Trust” until he gives us a good reason to adjust them.
But he has one test still to pass, and it’s one that could cause goodwill to sour quickly. It has left us with an elephant in the room coming into this season (or perhaps more accurately, a Wolverine in elephant’s clothing): Ryan Day must beat Michigan, or he has got to go.
Perhaps this sounds harsh, especially in the wake of the two teams’ last meeting. Though Michigan’s 13-10 upset win on the Buckeyes’ home turf (and the subsequent flag-planting debacle) was the thing of nightmares, it’s inarguably also what gave OSU the fire it needed to win the championship in the first place.
That’s great, and in retrospect, I wouldn’t choose a different path for the Buckeyes. But now beating Michigan has become unfinished business, and it’s officially time to finish it.
Day has just one win over the Wolverines, a 2019 walloping on the road in Ann Arbor in which the No. 2 Buckeyes defeated No. 14 Michigan, 56-27. But since then, it’s been crickets.
The Buckeyes have lost four straight to a team we hate so much we won’t even say their name most of the time. Sure, due to the new College Football Playoff structure, a loss to That Team Up North doesn’t single-handedly derail postseason hopes anymore. To that end, the stakes are different from what they were in, for example, 2023, when only four teams could make the playoffs and one loss could eliminate you from contention.
But just because the stakes are different doesn’t mean they are low, and that’s something Day needs to understand and deliver on. The Game, regardless of how good either program is at any given year, is an emotional bloodbath for players and fans alike. We’re not there to have fun. We’re there to defend our honor.
Like it or not, The Game is the axis on which Ohio State’s entire season typically spins: The countdown clock in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center centers ticks down to kickoff of The Game. It’s always on, an ever-present reminder of the importance of this rivalry. Similarly, there are entire websites dedicated to serving the same purpose for fans on both sides: “Countdown to Another Beat Michigan,” “How Many Days Since Ohio State Has Beaten Michigan?” — the list goes on.
Even now, after definitively winning the national championship after a long and grueling playoff season, Wolverine fans will not shut up: “We’re still better, just check the scoreboard.” We’re being trash-talked by a team that went 5-4, a team that had absolutely no business beating us on paper. Not only were they a team that barely eked out a winning record, but they were also missing key players in the matchup with OSU.
It becomes easier to forgive the loss because we know the story had a happy ending. All’s well that ends well. But that happy ending isn’t always guaranteed, and the other side of that coin is this: If we couldn’t beat them last year, when the Buckeyes were dominant in nearly every category offensively and defensively, and the Wolverines were, for all intents and purposes, a little beat up, that’s particularly worrisome.
When we look back at last season, there were certainly execution problems on the field, but one of the primary reasons the Buckeyes lost that game was coaching issues—clock management, game strategy. Those things ultimately rest on Day’s shoulders.
It’s a mental game for him, and it’s one he has to win this year.
As everything around us changes, the traditions surrounding The Game continue to be part of what makes college football so great. It’s bigger than one group of guys on the field at any given time. For a brief moment, there is only us versus them. So just because it won’t derail playoff hopes doesn’t mean we should give The Game any less weight in our minds. It is the greatest rivalry in sports for a reason.
I’m not implying that it’s more important to beat Michigan than to win a national championship: It is always more important to win the title. But a win over Michigan is a non-negotiable stop on the road.
While the ultimate goal should be becoming back-to-back national champions, I won’t be calling for Day to be fired if we don’t so long as we make a respectable showing. Repeating is rare and difficult, and while it is always the bar we’re coming up against as a top program, his job should be safe in my mind, so long as we make the playoffs…and beat Michigan.
Lose to Michigan for a fifth consecutive year, and regardless of CFP outcomes, that’s a dealbreaker for me. Winning the title is the primary goal, but beating Michigan is the secondary one, and we need a coach who can do both.
Continue reading...
LGHL After moving from wide receiver, Lorenzo Styles Jr. is ready to be a starter in Ohio State’s secondary
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After moving from wide receiver, Lorenzo Styles Jr. is ready to be a starter in Ohio State’s secondary
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The former Notre Dame wide receiver is the favorite to step into the nickel back role this season with Jordan Hancock having moved on to the NFL.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Texas.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. can certainly say he has had a college football career that can’t be matched by many. The Pickerington native came out of high school as a four-star recruit, committing to Notre Dame as a wide receiver in 2020. After spending two years with the Fighting Irish, hauling in 54 passes for 684 yards and two scores, Styles decided to return home. Styles entered the transfer portal and committed to Ohio State in June 2023.
Despite being a talented wide receiver, Ohio State envisioned Styles as a defensive back. Since the Buckeyes were already loaded at wide receiver, Styles took a rare junior year redshirt, which allowed him to adjust to his new role and soak up all the teachings of defensive backs coach Tim Walton. After appearing in five games during his redshirt season in 2023, Styles knew he was going to have to work hard in 2024 to earn some playing time, considering the amount of returning talent the Buckeyes had in the secondary last season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26074971/usa_today_25244077.jpg "NCAA Football: CFP National Championship-Ohio State at Notre Dame")
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Last season, Styles was on the field for just over 160 snaps, with 26 of them coming in the College Football Playoff. Even though Styles was happy to have earned the playing time he was given during Ohio State’s title run, it must have been tough for him to see his younger brother, Sonny Styles, have a bigger role on the defense over the last two years. Not that he was jealous of what Sonny has been doing on defense, but more because there has to be a bit of a sibling rivalry between the two. While the two are working for a common goal, it’s always fun to have some bragging rights when the family gets together.
Speaking of family, it’s obvious the Styles family bleeds scarlet and gray. This past May, it was a great moment for two members of the family when Lorenzo Styles Sr. and Lorenzo Styles Jr. received their degrees from Ohio State together. Prior to the two Styles men becoming graduates of the university, Lorenzo Jr.’s mother, Laverna, had already earned her degree from the school. In the future, the Styles family will be a quartet of Buckeye graduates, as Sonny Styles is on track to receive his degree in the fall. Sisters Sydney and Tonia both decided to forge their own paths and are graduates of the University of Dayton.
This season, Styles is a favorite to step into the nickel back spot that was vacated by Jordan Hancock, who was selected in April’s NFL Draft. Despite only having a couple of years at defensive back under his belt, there’s no questioning the athletic ability that Styles possesses. Not only did Styles make an immediate impact at Notre Dame out of high school at wide receiver, but he also had enough confidence in his abilities to transfer to Ohio State and move to the other side of the football. Even though Styles might not have quite as much experience at defensive back as some of his teammates whom he will be fighting for playing time, the graduate student undoubtedly has tremendous football instincts.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26074973/2184062059.jpg "Ohio State v Purdue")
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Styles, along with fellow defensive backs Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun, will be looked at as the elder statesmen in the secondary. The group will not only be welcoming some new contributors into the fold, but the defense as a whole will have a different look to it after Matt Patricia was brought in as the defensive coordinator to replace Jim Knowles, who left for the same position at Penn State. With all of the experience Styles has had at Notre Dame and Ohio State, he’ll be seen as a leader by his teammates.
The move to transfer from Notre Dame after two productive years at wide receiver was certainly a risk, especially since there are plenty of programs that would have welcomed Styles as a receiving option. Instead, Styles decided to bet on himself and return home to not only play with his brother at Ohio State, but also take on the challenge of learning a new position. The move has already paid off since Styles was part of last year’s national championship team. Now he has the chance to make an impact as a starter this season in his final season of college football.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The former Notre Dame wide receiver is the favorite to step into the nickel back role this season with Jordan Hancock having moved on to the NFL.
Every day from now until the start of the season, Land-Grant Holy Land is highlighting Ohio State football players that you should be watching this season. Check out all of our ”Player to Watch” articles to get ready for the season opener against Texas.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. can certainly say he has had a college football career that can’t be matched by many. The Pickerington native came out of high school as a four-star recruit, committing to Notre Dame as a wide receiver in 2020. After spending two years with the Fighting Irish, hauling in 54 passes for 684 yards and two scores, Styles decided to return home. Styles entered the transfer portal and committed to Ohio State in June 2023.
Despite being a talented wide receiver, Ohio State envisioned Styles as a defensive back. Since the Buckeyes were already loaded at wide receiver, Styles took a rare junior year redshirt, which allowed him to adjust to his new role and soak up all the teachings of defensive backs coach Tim Walton. After appearing in five games during his redshirt season in 2023, Styles knew he was going to have to work hard in 2024 to earn some playing time, considering the amount of returning talent the Buckeyes had in the secondary last season.
Last season, Styles was on the field for just over 160 snaps, with 26 of them coming in the College Football Playoff. Even though Styles was happy to have earned the playing time he was given during Ohio State’s title run, it must have been tough for him to see his younger brother, Sonny Styles, have a bigger role on the defense over the last two years. Not that he was jealous of what Sonny has been doing on defense, but more because there has to be a bit of a sibling rivalry between the two. While the two are working for a common goal, it’s always fun to have some bragging rights when the family gets together.
Speaking of family, it’s obvious the Styles family bleeds scarlet and gray. This past May, it was a great moment for two members of the family when Lorenzo Styles Sr. and Lorenzo Styles Jr. received their degrees from Ohio State together. Prior to the two Styles men becoming graduates of the university, Lorenzo Jr.’s mother, Laverna, had already earned her degree from the school. In the future, the Styles family will be a quartet of Buckeye graduates, as Sonny Styles is on track to receive his degree in the fall. Sisters Sydney and Tonia both decided to forge their own paths and are graduates of the University of Dayton.
This season, Styles is a favorite to step into the nickel back spot that was vacated by Jordan Hancock, who was selected in April’s NFL Draft. Despite only having a couple of years at defensive back under his belt, there’s no questioning the athletic ability that Styles possesses. Not only did Styles make an immediate impact at Notre Dame out of high school at wide receiver, but he also had enough confidence in his abilities to transfer to Ohio State and move to the other side of the football. Even though Styles might not have quite as much experience at defensive back as some of his teammates whom he will be fighting for playing time, the graduate student undoubtedly has tremendous football instincts.
Styles, along with fellow defensive backs Caleb Downs and Davison Igbinosun, will be looked at as the elder statesmen in the secondary. The group will not only be welcoming some new contributors into the fold, but the defense as a whole will have a different look to it after Matt Patricia was brought in as the defensive coordinator to replace Jim Knowles, who left for the same position at Penn State. With all of the experience Styles has had at Notre Dame and Ohio State, he’ll be seen as a leader by his teammates.
The move to transfer from Notre Dame after two productive years at wide receiver was certainly a risk, especially since there are plenty of programs that would have welcomed Styles as a receiving option. Instead, Styles decided to bet on himself and return home to not only play with his brother at Ohio State, but also take on the challenge of learning a new position. The move has already paid off since Styles was part of last year’s national championship team. Now he has the chance to make an impact as a starter this season in his final season of college football.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State to face UConn in 25-26 non-conference schedule
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Ohio State to face UConn in 25-26 non-conference schedule
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Buckeyes head to Hartford to face the defending NCAA National Champions
The 2025-26 Ohio State women’s basketball schedule is slowly coming together and now the Buckeyes added the top team in the nation to their non-conference slate. On November 16, 2025, Ohio State heads to Hartford to take on the defending national championship-winning UConn Huskies, announced the Huskies on Friday.
For the first time since 2023, the two teams face off, with far less implications involved over the last meeting. In the Sweet Sixteen on March 25, 2023. The Buckeyes defeated the Huskies 73-61 in a matchup that did not feature Paige Bueckers, who missed all of the 22-23 season due to injury.
This time around Ohio State still will not face Bueckers who left UConn for the WNBA in the offseason, but Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma still has guard Azzi Fudd and a strong roster from top to bottom.
Fudd leads the side after she suffered through injuries for most of her college career, including 2023 when she returned from injury for March Madness. Fudd bounced back in the 24-25 season and averaged 13.6 points and 1.8 assists but will feature more prominently this year without Bueckers at the helm.
The Huskies also feature sophomore forward Sarah Strong who was a force in her first season at UConn. Strong won a spot on all three All-American teams: the Associated Press, basketball coaches and basketball writers. The forward was unfazed by the move to the collegiate ranks and averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
This summer, Auriemma made the squad stronger when he added two former Big Ten players that the Buckeyes know well. UConn added former All-Big Ten standout forward Serah Williams from the Wisconsin Badgers program and Kayleigh Heckel left the USC Trojans after her freshman season to join the defending champions.
Ohio State has a 1-6 record against the Huskies and lost all five regular season games against. Head coach Kevin McGuff led the Buckeyes in six of the seven matchups against UConn all-time and the Sweet Sixteen underdog win from Ohio State is the lone time the Scarlet and Gray defeated the now 12-time National Champions. No one on the Ohio State roster in 2023 is on the team this season after the star of that win, Cotie McMahon, transferred to Ole Miss this offseason.
The matchup will not be played on campus at Gampel Pavilion but at the Huskies’ second home at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut.
There are now four public non-conference games announced for Ohio State this season. Tuesday, the annual Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey included a matchup for the Buckeyes against former Notre Dame All-American Olivia Miles and the TCU Horned Frogs. On the week of Thanksgiving, one week after Ohio State travels to Connecticut, the Buckeyes play two games at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship against a potential pool of opponents which includes Alabama, Belmont, Harvard, Minnesota, South Florida, West Virginia and an eighth school that has not been announced, as of publishing.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Buckeyes head to Hartford to face the defending NCAA National Champions
The 2025-26 Ohio State women’s basketball schedule is slowly coming together and now the Buckeyes added the top team in the nation to their non-conference slate. On November 16, 2025, Ohio State heads to Hartford to take on the defending national championship-winning UConn Huskies, announced the Huskies on Friday.
For the first time since 2023, the two teams face off, with far less implications involved over the last meeting. In the Sweet Sixteen on March 25, 2023. The Buckeyes defeated the Huskies 73-61 in a matchup that did not feature Paige Bueckers, who missed all of the 22-23 season due to injury.
This time around Ohio State still will not face Bueckers who left UConn for the WNBA in the offseason, but Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma still has guard Azzi Fudd and a strong roster from top to bottom.
Fudd leads the side after she suffered through injuries for most of her college career, including 2023 when she returned from injury for March Madness. Fudd bounced back in the 24-25 season and averaged 13.6 points and 1.8 assists but will feature more prominently this year without Bueckers at the helm.
The Huskies also feature sophomore forward Sarah Strong who was a force in her first season at UConn. Strong won a spot on all three All-American teams: the Associated Press, basketball coaches and basketball writers. The forward was unfazed by the move to the collegiate ranks and averaged 16.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
This summer, Auriemma made the squad stronger when he added two former Big Ten players that the Buckeyes know well. UConn added former All-Big Ten standout forward Serah Williams from the Wisconsin Badgers program and Kayleigh Heckel left the USC Trojans after her freshman season to join the defending champions.
Ohio State has a 1-6 record against the Huskies and lost all five regular season games against. Head coach Kevin McGuff led the Buckeyes in six of the seven matchups against UConn all-time and the Sweet Sixteen underdog win from Ohio State is the lone time the Scarlet and Gray defeated the now 12-time National Champions. No one on the Ohio State roster in 2023 is on the team this season after the star of that win, Cotie McMahon, transferred to Ole Miss this offseason.
The matchup will not be played on campus at Gampel Pavilion but at the Huskies’ second home at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut.
There are now four public non-conference games announced for Ohio State this season. Tuesday, the annual Coretta Scott King Classic in Newark, New Jersey included a matchup for the Buckeyes against former Notre Dame All-American Olivia Miles and the TCU Horned Frogs. On the week of Thanksgiving, one week after Ohio State travels to Connecticut, the Buckeyes play two games at the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship against a potential pool of opponents which includes Alabama, Belmont, Harvard, Minnesota, South Florida, West Virginia and an eighth school that has not been announced, as of publishing.
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