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LGHL While some fans can be psychotic, it is actually healthy to criticize your favorite team
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- 0 Replies
While some fans can be psychotic, it is actually healthy to criticize your favorite team
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 Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images
Just because you have questions about your favorite team doesn’t mean that you don’t still love your favorite team.
Following Ohio State’s Week 1 win over Indiana, former Buckeye and long-time ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” and discussed what he believes to be a problem in his alma mater’s fan base.
Herbie believes that a vocal minority of fans have such unreasonable expectations for the team that when the goals aren’t met, the fan response can be detrimental to the long-term health of the program.
“There’s a standard and then there’s a psychotic standard,” Herbstreit said. “And I would say that the 15% that represent Ohio State on social media fall into that category of psychotic. They’re out of their minds, and what they do is they make high school players not want to play for that program because they’re just such jackasses. They drive me crazy with everything that they do.”
While I might be a bit biased, I am a fan of Kirk’s and think he is as good as there is in college football. Not only has he been a guest on the Land-Grant Podcast Network on three different occasions, but when I was a student at Ohio State, I was an intern for his radio show on 1460 The Fan in Columbus over 20 years ago. So, while I would never say that I know Kirk, I do feel like I generally understand where he is coming from on many major issues.
No matter the topic, no matter the fanbase, there will always be a lunatic fringe. That is why every National Signing Day, we — along with many other outlets — remind people never to tweet at teenagers, especially if they spurn your school of choice. I might be going out on a limb, but I believe that these types of folks — the people who verbally attack players and coaches, threaten them with violence, and hurl internet obscenities at them — are the people that Herbstreit is referring to.
So, if that assumption is correct, then I wholeheartedly agree with him. Those individuals, regardless of perspective or fanbase, do nothing but damage the experience and community for players, coaches, other fans, and, ultimately, themselves. Their toxic, bad behavior needs to be called out and held up as an example of how not to behave as a fan or as a human.
However, I have witnessed many people on social media through the first two weeks of the season — before and after Kirk’s comment — equating criticism of the Ohio State football team with something bordering on hate speech or outright blasphemy. While I understand the desire to immediately leap to the defense of a program that you love when someone is openly discussing its flaws and shortcomings, not all fault-finding is unwarranted, nor does it equate to personal attacks.
It is inarguable that the first two games of Ohio State’s season have not gone according to plan, the team’s own players and coaches have essentially said as much. Some of the problems thus far can be attributed to typical early-season bumps in the road that will naturally be smoothed out as the latest configuration of the team gets more snaps under its collective belt, but others are — in my opinion — the latest example of ongoing issues that the program and coaching staff inherently find themselves in.
From criticism of how the staff handled the quarterback battle to concerns over offensive playcalling to confusion with the lack of a pass rush to questions about the offensive line’s struggles in run blocking, there have been a lot of legitimate critiques to come out of OSU’s first two outings this season, and bringing them up is neither objectionable nor offensive.
Of course, while anyone is obviously welcome to disagree with the substance and veracity of those critiques, as long as they are not delivered with malice and venom, then there is nothing wrong with fans calling out faults in the teams that they love. While I think that in college sports criticism should be more often directed at coaches, if couched correctly, calling out onfield missteps by players is also perfectly acceptable. If it is admissible to point out issues with teams that you don’t actively root for, then why is it inherently bad to do so for a team that you build your entire weekend around?
In fact, I would say that being able to acknowledge the shortcomings of your favorite team is actually healthy. We all know people — sometimes it's ourselves — that make loving a specific team their entire personality, to the point where every win results in atmospheric highs and every loss leads to cavernous lows; and we don’t even need to get into the depression of back-to-back rivalry losses or coming up a field goal short of a national title.
Obviously, every fan is going to feel their favorite team’s wins and losses to some degree, but when the investment in the outcome of a team’s games becomes so all-encompassing that it consumes every available moment and emotion, that is not healthy. In the recent stages of social media, there has been a lot of discussion about the formation of parasocial relationships between fans and celebrities. Because of the exposure of — and access to — these famous figures, fans can feel like they know them and have a personal connection to them as if they were actual members of their circle of friends.
While it is not the exact same thing, an over-investment in a favorite team can lead to the same type of obsessive behavior that is so problematic in stan culture. That’s why keeping a bit of a critical distance between your heart and the teams that you follow can not only be good for your mental health but also your enjoyment of your team’s games. This extreme attachment can manifest itself in both positive and negative ways.
Some fans can get incredibly defensive about a team leading them to respond to every perceived slight with insults and accusations, no matter how valid the original statement might be. Of course, the converse can be true as well. Some people can get so caught up in the need for perfection that they almost instinctively hate-watch the teams that they claim to care about. This often leads to not seeing the forest through the trees and nit-picking every single little thing that doesn’t live up to their lofty expectations.
Both approaches are bad, both for the individual fans and the larger fandom. Now, I try to make it a rule not to tell other people how they should do anything (as long as it doesn’t harm anybody), especially how to be a fan. If you want to so intertwine your happiness with the on-field/court/ice success of a team that you willingly ride the wave between inconsolable and manic based solely on the bounce of the ball, go for it, but I think that there are better ways.
One of those ways is being realistic about your teams, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they need to do to improve. If we can acknowledge that our favorite team is not perfect, or that the head coach is not infallible, or that the players are not all future first-ballot Hall of Famers, I believe that this alleviates some of the pressure for them to perform flawlessly; it doesn’t remove the pressure from the players, of course, because they generally don’t have any insight to the thought processes of individual fans (aside from via social media) and they have plenty of their own internal and institutional pressure to contend with, but it does eliminate the pressure on you, the viewer, the fan.
This mindset can allow you to appreciate what the team does well without getting overwhelmed by the negativity of what they don’t. And here is where we get to the crux of the argument; once you no longer feel as if your personal identity and happiness are tied directly to the on-field results of your favorite teams, you are able to more objectively assess what is and isn’t working for them and what potentially should be done to address shortcomings.
Earlier this week, we asked our followers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, what their expectations were for the OSU football team following the first two weeks of the season. Of course, the four options that we provided do not cover the entire spectrum of potential outcomings for the season, but they were chosen strategically.
If we had included “Lose 1-2 games, make NY6 bowl,” I think that would have been the safe answer in between the extremes of making the College Football Playoff and losing three or more games. The middle ground we went with was the far less likely scenario of winning the Big Ten, but not making the CFP, which would likely have to involve losing to Notre Dame on Sept. 23, losing one Big Ten game, but winning the conference title game as a two-loss team. We also threw in one never-gonna-happen, tongue-in-cheek option that was there mostly to give the extremely angry fans somewhere to vent.
As expected, the majority of fans were split across the two most realistic options, and to be honest, I think this is a fairly good distribution. About 40% are still riding with the glass-half-full option, while 45% are rocking the glass-half-empty choice; and practically nobody is going with the glass-completely-empty-and-broken-into-tiny-shards-on-the-floor-because-I-threw-it-against-the-wall alternative.
I personally don’t know that I am going to change my official, on-the-record predictions for the season following just two games, because I do think that the talent is there both on the field and amongst the coaching ranks to address the team’s issues large and small. But, I am far less confident about those predictions now than I was when I made them, and even then, I was admittedly typing through scarlet and gray-colored glasses.
I have serious concerns about Ryan Day retaining the offensive play-calling duties — as I have for nearly two years — I also am worried that on both offense and defense, the Buckeyes are struggling on third down. However, my biggest concern, as it was to start the season, is the still seemingly disjointed offensive line and how it will perform against the better defensive fronts it will face later in the season.
But you know what? Having these doubts about the team does nothing to lessen my love for Ohio State as an institution of higher education or the football team that I actively and passionately root for. While the Buckeyes are my favorite real-life football team, my favorite fictional team — the Dillon Panthers — had a saying that I think applies perfectly to this discussion, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” (are you already tearing up like I am?).
While, again, I’m not going to tell you how to be a fan, I fully believe that if you approach your fandom with the clear eyes necessary to accurately and objectively assess your favorite team, but still maintain the full heart of love and excitement that you feel for them, you can never lose. Yes, your team is going to lose from time to time, and that will suck, but keeping a tender distance will help save your heart and psyche from the full weight of the pain that you would otherwise feel, while still allowing you to fully experience the joys when they win.
When you are part of a fandom as large as Ohio State’s, you are bound to see both of the extreme approaches to watching football — the “Everything My Team Does Is Perfect and Brilliant” approach and the “Everything My Team Does Is Terrible and Stupid” approach; both should be avoided, in my opinion, but that doesn’t mean that pulling elements from each is inherently wrong. Both will be correct eventually, in the same way that a broken clock is, but by dispassionately maintaining the excitement of the former and the critical eye of the latter, I think this allows you to have the best football-watching experience.
People who criticize playcalling, player rotation, and even on-field play with thoughtfulness and objectivity are not trolls or idiots, nor are they psychotic. If that’s not how you approach watching your favorite team, that’s okay, but it doesn’t make you a better or worse fan; Buckeye Nation is wide enough for all types of level-headed supporters. So the next time that you see an OSU fan (or OSU fan blog) legitimately questioning the team and its coaches and it starts to make your blood boil, consider that being overly defensive of a team is not really all that different than being overly critical.
Ultimately, we all want to see the Buckeyes lifting large trophies at the end of the season, and whether you choose to focus primarily on the bright spots or dark spots along the way, as long as you are doing so in moderation, there’s no reason why we can’t all cheer the team on together.
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 Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images
Just because you have questions about your favorite team doesn’t mean that you don’t still love your favorite team.
Following Ohio State’s Week 1 win over Indiana, former Buckeye and long-time ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit was a guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” and discussed what he believes to be a problem in his alma mater’s fan base.
Herbie believes that a vocal minority of fans have such unreasonable expectations for the team that when the goals aren’t met, the fan response can be detrimental to the long-term health of the program.
“There’s a standard and then there’s a psychotic standard,” Herbstreit said. “And I would say that the 15% that represent Ohio State on social media fall into that category of psychotic. They’re out of their minds, and what they do is they make high school players not want to play for that program because they’re just such jackasses. They drive me crazy with everything that they do.”
While I might be a bit biased, I am a fan of Kirk’s and think he is as good as there is in college football. Not only has he been a guest on the Land-Grant Podcast Network on three different occasions, but when I was a student at Ohio State, I was an intern for his radio show on 1460 The Fan in Columbus over 20 years ago. So, while I would never say that I know Kirk, I do feel like I generally understand where he is coming from on many major issues.
No matter the topic, no matter the fanbase, there will always be a lunatic fringe. That is why every National Signing Day, we — along with many other outlets — remind people never to tweet at teenagers, especially if they spurn your school of choice. I might be going out on a limb, but I believe that these types of folks — the people who verbally attack players and coaches, threaten them with violence, and hurl internet obscenities at them — are the people that Herbstreit is referring to.
So, if that assumption is correct, then I wholeheartedly agree with him. Those individuals, regardless of perspective or fanbase, do nothing but damage the experience and community for players, coaches, other fans, and, ultimately, themselves. Their toxic, bad behavior needs to be called out and held up as an example of how not to behave as a fan or as a human.
However, I have witnessed many people on social media through the first two weeks of the season — before and after Kirk’s comment — equating criticism of the Ohio State football team with something bordering on hate speech or outright blasphemy. While I understand the desire to immediately leap to the defense of a program that you love when someone is openly discussing its flaws and shortcomings, not all fault-finding is unwarranted, nor does it equate to personal attacks.
It is inarguable that the first two games of Ohio State’s season have not gone according to plan, the team’s own players and coaches have essentially said as much. Some of the problems thus far can be attributed to typical early-season bumps in the road that will naturally be smoothed out as the latest configuration of the team gets more snaps under its collective belt, but others are — in my opinion — the latest example of ongoing issues that the program and coaching staff inherently find themselves in.
From criticism of how the staff handled the quarterback battle to concerns over offensive playcalling to confusion with the lack of a pass rush to questions about the offensive line’s struggles in run blocking, there have been a lot of legitimate critiques to come out of OSU’s first two outings this season, and bringing them up is neither objectionable nor offensive.
Of course, while anyone is obviously welcome to disagree with the substance and veracity of those critiques, as long as they are not delivered with malice and venom, then there is nothing wrong with fans calling out faults in the teams that they love. While I think that in college sports criticism should be more often directed at coaches, if couched correctly, calling out onfield missteps by players is also perfectly acceptable. If it is admissible to point out issues with teams that you don’t actively root for, then why is it inherently bad to do so for a team that you build your entire weekend around?
In fact, I would say that being able to acknowledge the shortcomings of your favorite team is actually healthy. We all know people — sometimes it's ourselves — that make loving a specific team their entire personality, to the point where every win results in atmospheric highs and every loss leads to cavernous lows; and we don’t even need to get into the depression of back-to-back rivalry losses or coming up a field goal short of a national title.
Obviously, every fan is going to feel their favorite team’s wins and losses to some degree, but when the investment in the outcome of a team’s games becomes so all-encompassing that it consumes every available moment and emotion, that is not healthy. In the recent stages of social media, there has been a lot of discussion about the formation of parasocial relationships between fans and celebrities. Because of the exposure of — and access to — these famous figures, fans can feel like they know them and have a personal connection to them as if they were actual members of their circle of friends.
While it is not the exact same thing, an over-investment in a favorite team can lead to the same type of obsessive behavior that is so problematic in stan culture. That’s why keeping a bit of a critical distance between your heart and the teams that you follow can not only be good for your mental health but also your enjoyment of your team’s games. This extreme attachment can manifest itself in both positive and negative ways.
Some fans can get incredibly defensive about a team leading them to respond to every perceived slight with insults and accusations, no matter how valid the original statement might be. Of course, the converse can be true as well. Some people can get so caught up in the need for perfection that they almost instinctively hate-watch the teams that they claim to care about. This often leads to not seeing the forest through the trees and nit-picking every single little thing that doesn’t live up to their lofty expectations.
Both approaches are bad, both for the individual fans and the larger fandom. Now, I try to make it a rule not to tell other people how they should do anything (as long as it doesn’t harm anybody), especially how to be a fan. If you want to so intertwine your happiness with the on-field/court/ice success of a team that you willingly ride the wave between inconsolable and manic based solely on the bounce of the ball, go for it, but I think that there are better ways.
One of those ways is being realistic about your teams, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they need to do to improve. If we can acknowledge that our favorite team is not perfect, or that the head coach is not infallible, or that the players are not all future first-ballot Hall of Famers, I believe that this alleviates some of the pressure for them to perform flawlessly; it doesn’t remove the pressure from the players, of course, because they generally don’t have any insight to the thought processes of individual fans (aside from via social media) and they have plenty of their own internal and institutional pressure to contend with, but it does eliminate the pressure on you, the viewer, the fan.
This mindset can allow you to appreciate what the team does well without getting overwhelmed by the negativity of what they don’t. And here is where we get to the crux of the argument; once you no longer feel as if your personal identity and happiness are tied directly to the on-field results of your favorite teams, you are able to more objectively assess what is and isn’t working for them and what potentially should be done to address shortcomings.
Earlier this week, we asked our followers on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, what their expectations were for the OSU football team following the first two weeks of the season. Of course, the four options that we provided do not cover the entire spectrum of potential outcomings for the season, but they were chosen strategically.
If we had included “Lose 1-2 games, make NY6 bowl,” I think that would have been the safe answer in between the extremes of making the College Football Playoff and losing three or more games. The middle ground we went with was the far less likely scenario of winning the Big Ten, but not making the CFP, which would likely have to involve losing to Notre Dame on Sept. 23, losing one Big Ten game, but winning the conference title game as a two-loss team. We also threw in one never-gonna-happen, tongue-in-cheek option that was there mostly to give the extremely angry fans somewhere to vent.
As expected, the majority of fans were split across the two most realistic options, and to be honest, I think this is a fairly good distribution. About 40% are still riding with the glass-half-full option, while 45% are rocking the glass-half-empty choice; and practically nobody is going with the glass-completely-empty-and-broken-into-tiny-shards-on-the-floor-because-I-threw-it-against-the-wall alternative.
I personally don’t know that I am going to change my official, on-the-record predictions for the season following just two games, because I do think that the talent is there both on the field and amongst the coaching ranks to address the team’s issues large and small. But, I am far less confident about those predictions now than I was when I made them, and even then, I was admittedly typing through scarlet and gray-colored glasses.
I have serious concerns about Ryan Day retaining the offensive play-calling duties — as I have for nearly two years — I also am worried that on both offense and defense, the Buckeyes are struggling on third down. However, my biggest concern, as it was to start the season, is the still seemingly disjointed offensive line and how it will perform against the better defensive fronts it will face later in the season.
But you know what? Having these doubts about the team does nothing to lessen my love for Ohio State as an institution of higher education or the football team that I actively and passionately root for. While the Buckeyes are my favorite real-life football team, my favorite fictional team — the Dillon Panthers — had a saying that I think applies perfectly to this discussion, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” (are you already tearing up like I am?).
While, again, I’m not going to tell you how to be a fan, I fully believe that if you approach your fandom with the clear eyes necessary to accurately and objectively assess your favorite team, but still maintain the full heart of love and excitement that you feel for them, you can never lose. Yes, your team is going to lose from time to time, and that will suck, but keeping a tender distance will help save your heart and psyche from the full weight of the pain that you would otherwise feel, while still allowing you to fully experience the joys when they win.
When you are part of a fandom as large as Ohio State’s, you are bound to see both of the extreme approaches to watching football — the “Everything My Team Does Is Perfect and Brilliant” approach and the “Everything My Team Does Is Terrible and Stupid” approach; both should be avoided, in my opinion, but that doesn’t mean that pulling elements from each is inherently wrong. Both will be correct eventually, in the same way that a broken clock is, but by dispassionately maintaining the excitement of the former and the critical eye of the latter, I think this allows you to have the best football-watching experience.
People who criticize playcalling, player rotation, and even on-field play with thoughtfulness and objectivity are not trolls or idiots, nor are they psychotic. If that’s not how you approach watching your favorite team, that’s okay, but it doesn’t make you a better or worse fan; Buckeye Nation is wide enough for all types of level-headed supporters. So the next time that you see an OSU fan (or OSU fan blog) legitimately questioning the team and its coaches and it starts to make your blood boil, consider that being overly defensive of a team is not really all that different than being overly critical.
Ultimately, we all want to see the Buckeyes lifting large trophies at the end of the season, and whether you choose to focus primarily on the bright spots or dark spots along the way, as long as you are doing so in moderation, there’s no reason why we can’t all cheer the team on together.
Continue reading...
DT Eric Mensah (National Champion)
- By pnuts34
- Buckeye Football
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Class: 2024
Position: DT
School: Stafford(VA) Mountain View
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 294lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2024
Position: DT
School: Stafford(VA) Mountain View
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 294lbs
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LGHL Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky: 2023 game preview and prediction
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Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky: 2023 game preview and prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Fresh off a 35-7 win over Youngstown State, Ohio State takes on Western Kentucky for the first time.
Following their 23-3 win over Indiana to open the season, Ohio State took care of Youngstown State 35-7 in its home opener last week. Now the Buckeyes will battle Western Kentucky for the first time. The Saturday afternoon contest between the two schools will be Ohio State’s second meeting with a current Conference USA school. The other C-USA foe the Buckeyes came back in 2009, when they shutout New Mexico State 45-0 in Columbus.
Although Ohio State beat Youngstown State by four touchdowns, it was a performance that didn’t feel complete. Much like the Indiana game, there was some frustrations with the new clock rules, which has limited the possessions for the Buckeyes over the first two games. Both the Hoosiers and Penguins chose to run a methodical offense, bleeding as much clock as possible before having to give the football back to Ohio State.
Saturday’s game will be the Buckeyes’ final contest before they head to South Bend next week for a showdown with Notre Dame. Ohio State’s can’t afford to look past Western Kentucky, since the Hilltoppers possess a much more dynamic offense than the Buckeyes have seen in their first two games. One thing Ryan Day won’t have to worry about is his opponent this week trying to milk as much time off the clock as possible, since Western Kentucky plays with tempo when they have the football.
It became obvious that Kyle McCord was the best option at quarterback for Ohio State this season after his performance against Youngstown, and Ryan Day confirmed as much on Tuesday, naming McCord the starter for the Buckeyes going forward. Against Youngstown State, McCord was 14-of-20 for 258 yards and three touchdown passes. Devin Brown did see more playing time on Saturday, but his play was a little more inconsistent than what McCord showed.
Following a quiet game from Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka in the season opener, the dynamic duo exploded in the home opener. Harrison opened up the game with a 71-yard touchdown reception, which was the longest catch of his career. Harrison finished with seven receptions, 160 yards, and two touchdown catches. Egbuka added five catches for 94 yards and a score.
With his output on Saturday, Harrison became the 24th Buckeyes receiver to eclipse 1,500 career receiving yards. Egbuka should join his teammate soon, as he is 48 yards away from the 1,500-yard mark Both receivers are nearing 100 career receptions, with Harrison three grabs away from the century mark, while Egbuka is nine catches shy of triple digits.
Even though his workload was limited on Saturday, TreVeyon Henderson was great when he had the football in his hands. The junior carried the football five times for 56 yards, scoring on two of those carries. Henderson is now 78 yards away from reaching 2,000 yards rushing in his Ohio State career. Through two games, Henderson is the team’s leading rusher, totaling 103 yards. While the total feels low, there are three Buckeye running backs with at least 50 yards rushing.
The area of the Ohio State defense that will be tested the most on Saturday is the secondary. So far this season, Denzel Burke has been the standout of the group. Last week against Youngstown State, Burke nabbed his second career interception, and the team’s first this year. The pick was Ohio State’s first by a cornerback since the 2021 season. Through two games, Burke leads the team with two pass breakups.
Along with Burke, Sonny Styles has been playing at a high level early on in his Buckeye career. Styles has eight tackles so far this year, which ranks fifth on the team. It’s not that Styles is making tackles, it is how he is tackling that is impressing people. Along with being all over the field, Styles has laid the lumber on a number of tackles.
Styles isn’t the only young Buckeye in the secondary who is garnering a lot of attention. With Josh Proctor missing last week’s game due to injury, freshman Malik Hartford started his first game. While Proctor will be back in the starting lineup when healthy, Hartford got a taste of what it was like to be a starter, and it seems like only a matter of time before he is a fixture at safety.
After a quiet first game of the season, Tommy Eichenberg played like what he showed in 2022. Through two games, the linebacker has 10 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. His 10 tackles are second on the team in stops, one behind his parter at linebacker, Steele Chambers. The linebackers are joined by defensive lineman Tyleik Williams in the double-digit tackle club through two contests.
The concerning area of the defense through two games is the defensive line. Some of the subpar play can be attributed to the plodding offensive styles of the opponents they have played, but there is reason to be worried if the group continues to fail to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Ohio State has registered three sacks this year, with two of those coming from the defensive line. Michael Hall Jr. has one sack, while Hero Kanu registered the other late in the game against Indiana.
The bottom line is both sides of the trenches aren’t getting the job done. If Ohio State has any hopes of making it back to the College Football Playoff, they’ll have to generate more push on both sides of the line. While some of the woes of the offensive line can be attributed to having three new starters, there is no excuse for the defensive line, which should be playing better with the talent, experience, and depth that they possess.
Western Kentucky enters Saturday’s game with a 2-0 record on the season. The Hilltoppers beat South Florida 41-24 in their season opener, and followed it up with a 52-22 victory over Houston Christian. Tyson Helton is now in his fifth season as the head coach of Western Kentucky, amassing a 34-21 record during that span. Helton has made the most of his first head coaching job, leading the Hilltoppers to nine wins in three of his first four seasons in Bowling Green. Western Kentucky has made bowl games in each of the last four years, winning three of those contests.
Powering the Western Kentucky offense is quarterback Austin Reed. Last year Reed led the nation with 4,744 yards passing, while tossing 40 touchdowns. The senior has gotten off to a fabulous start in 2023, racking up 589 yards passing and six scores through the first two games. Last week against Houston Christian, Reed threw five touchdown passes in the win. Reed is currently first among active FBS quarterbacks with an average of 333.4 passing yards per game, and was named the Conference USA preseason Player of the Year.
One thing that could be tough for Ohio State to defend is the number of targets Reed can throw the football to. The Hilltoppers have 13 players that have caught a pass this year, and Reed has thrown touchdown passes to six different targets. The leading receiver for Western Kentucky is Easton Messer, who has caught 11 passes for 134 yards and a score through the first two games. Dalvin Smith is the team’s other receiver that has cracked 100 yards receiving so far this year.
A name in the Western Kentucky receiving corps that will be familiar to Buckeye fans is L’Christian “Blue” Smith, who committed to Ohio State out of high school. Smith didn’t play in any games for the Buckeyes before transferring to Cincinnati, where he appeared in 21 games over four seasons for the Bearcats. Following last season, Smith transferred to Western Kentucky, and has caught eight passes for 88 yards so far this season.
Don’t expect the Hilltoppers to run the football much, but when they do Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Markese Stepp will see the bulk of the carries. Ervin-Poindexter started his college career at Indiana, spending three seasons with the Hoosiers before transferring. Markese Stepp is also a find in the transfer portal for Western Kentucky, playing at Nebraska and USC before becoming a member of the Hilltoppers. Helton and Western Kentucky have been very active in the transfer portal, with 51 of their 114 players being transfers.
Unlike Ohio State, who has had some issues with their offensive line play, the same can’t be said for Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers are one of seven teams in the country that haven’t allowed a sack so far this year. The play of the offensive line has given Reed time to scan the field and find the best possible option throwing the football, which has allowed him to accumulate all those big passing numbers.
Sometimes the issue with the Western Kentucky offense is they can score so quickly that it might put a tired defense back out on the field. Even though sometimes the defense may allow some high point totals, they make up for it with their ability to force turnovers and score on their own. Last year the Hilltoppers forced 32 turnovers and scored six defensive touchdowns. The defense has picked up where they left off last season, scoring a defensive touchdown in each of their first two games in 2023.
Leading the way for the Western Kentucky defense is linebacker JaQues Evans, who was named the Conference USA preseason Defensive Player of the Year after earning All-Conference USA first team honors in 2022. Evans finished last season with 106 tackles in 14 games, with nine sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. The linebacker is filling up the stat sheet already this year, registering 11 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. Much like Aaron Casey in Ohio State’s first game against Indiana, expect to hear Evans’ name called early and often on Saturday.
Even though he plays in the secondary, the Buckeyes will have to keep an eye on Kendrick Simpkins, who is as dangerous creating pressure as he is defending passes. The junior already has 2.5 sacks this season, and has added another stop behind the line of scrimmage. Along with his sack total, Simpkins has also forced a fumble. As a team, Western Kentucky has six sacks in 2023.
There are a number of other Hilltopper defenders to keep an eye on in Saturday’s game. While Evans deservedly gets a lot of publicity, leading Western Kentucky in tackles is linebacker Talique Allen, who has 12 stops so far this year. Defensive back Upton Stout has a 53-yard interception return for a touchdown and two pass breakups through two games, while Anthony Johnson Jr. leads the team with four PBUs. Linebackers Desmyn Baker and Aaron Key are the other Western Kentucky players that have nabbed an interception this season.
With the offensive firepower they possess, facing Western Kentucky can seem daunting. The one area where the Hilltoppers have struggled mightily over the years is against ranked opponents. Since 2007, Western Kentucky is 1-12 when squaring off with a ranked foe, with their only victory being a 67-66 thriller against Marshall, who was ranked 19th at the time, in 2014. The last ranked team the Hilltoppers played was Michigan State in 2021. The Spartans won 48-31 in East Lansing.
Despite Ohio State not looking all that sharp in their first two games of the year, this is the type of game that plays more into their hands. The Buckeyes have had a hard time establishing much of a rhythm with how slow Indiana and Youngstown State have played on offense. With the increased tempo Western Kentucky will play at, it will get the football in Ohio State’s hands more, and the superior depth of the Buckeyes should start to shine more than it did over the first two games.
With how much Western Kentucky throws the football, some cracks in the secondary will likely show at times. The Hilltoppers are going to put up some points since Reed and the offense are too good to keep off the scoreboard. What will be interesting to see is how the Buckeyes respond when there is some adversity. Honestly, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for Ohio State to be forced to respond to some tough moments, especially since they’ll be facing a really good Notre Dame team next week.
The Buckeyes should still win this game, but they’ll face more of a fight than they did over their first two games.
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 James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Fresh off a 35-7 win over Youngstown State, Ohio State takes on Western Kentucky for the first time.
Following their 23-3 win over Indiana to open the season, Ohio State took care of Youngstown State 35-7 in its home opener last week. Now the Buckeyes will battle Western Kentucky for the first time. The Saturday afternoon contest between the two schools will be Ohio State’s second meeting with a current Conference USA school. The other C-USA foe the Buckeyes came back in 2009, when they shutout New Mexico State 45-0 in Columbus.
Although Ohio State beat Youngstown State by four touchdowns, it was a performance that didn’t feel complete. Much like the Indiana game, there was some frustrations with the new clock rules, which has limited the possessions for the Buckeyes over the first two games. Both the Hoosiers and Penguins chose to run a methodical offense, bleeding as much clock as possible before having to give the football back to Ohio State.
Saturday’s game will be the Buckeyes’ final contest before they head to South Bend next week for a showdown with Notre Dame. Ohio State’s can’t afford to look past Western Kentucky, since the Hilltoppers possess a much more dynamic offense than the Buckeyes have seen in their first two games. One thing Ryan Day won’t have to worry about is his opponent this week trying to milk as much time off the clock as possible, since Western Kentucky plays with tempo when they have the football.
The Buckeye offense is making strides
It became obvious that Kyle McCord was the best option at quarterback for Ohio State this season after his performance against Youngstown, and Ryan Day confirmed as much on Tuesday, naming McCord the starter for the Buckeyes going forward. Against Youngstown State, McCord was 14-of-20 for 258 yards and three touchdown passes. Devin Brown did see more playing time on Saturday, but his play was a little more inconsistent than what McCord showed.
Following a quiet game from Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka in the season opener, the dynamic duo exploded in the home opener. Harrison opened up the game with a 71-yard touchdown reception, which was the longest catch of his career. Harrison finished with seven receptions, 160 yards, and two touchdown catches. Egbuka added five catches for 94 yards and a score.
With his output on Saturday, Harrison became the 24th Buckeyes receiver to eclipse 1,500 career receiving yards. Egbuka should join his teammate soon, as he is 48 yards away from the 1,500-yard mark Both receivers are nearing 100 career receptions, with Harrison three grabs away from the century mark, while Egbuka is nine catches shy of triple digits.
Even though his workload was limited on Saturday, TreVeyon Henderson was great when he had the football in his hands. The junior carried the football five times for 56 yards, scoring on two of those carries. Henderson is now 78 yards away from reaching 2,000 yards rushing in his Ohio State career. Through two games, Henderson is the team’s leading rusher, totaling 103 yards. While the total feels low, there are three Buckeye running backs with at least 50 yards rushing.
The good and the bad on defense
The area of the Ohio State defense that will be tested the most on Saturday is the secondary. So far this season, Denzel Burke has been the standout of the group. Last week against Youngstown State, Burke nabbed his second career interception, and the team’s first this year. The pick was Ohio State’s first by a cornerback since the 2021 season. Through two games, Burke leads the team with two pass breakups.
Along with Burke, Sonny Styles has been playing at a high level early on in his Buckeye career. Styles has eight tackles so far this year, which ranks fifth on the team. It’s not that Styles is making tackles, it is how he is tackling that is impressing people. Along with being all over the field, Styles has laid the lumber on a number of tackles.
Styles isn’t the only young Buckeye in the secondary who is garnering a lot of attention. With Josh Proctor missing last week’s game due to injury, freshman Malik Hartford started his first game. While Proctor will be back in the starting lineup when healthy, Hartford got a taste of what it was like to be a starter, and it seems like only a matter of time before he is a fixture at safety.
After a quiet first game of the season, Tommy Eichenberg played like what he showed in 2022. Through two games, the linebacker has 10 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. His 10 tackles are second on the team in stops, one behind his parter at linebacker, Steele Chambers. The linebackers are joined by defensive lineman Tyleik Williams in the double-digit tackle club through two contests.
The concerning area of the defense through two games is the defensive line. Some of the subpar play can be attributed to the plodding offensive styles of the opponents they have played, but there is reason to be worried if the group continues to fail to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Ohio State has registered three sacks this year, with two of those coming from the defensive line. Michael Hall Jr. has one sack, while Hero Kanu registered the other late in the game against Indiana.
The bottom line is both sides of the trenches aren’t getting the job done. If Ohio State has any hopes of making it back to the College Football Playoff, they’ll have to generate more push on both sides of the line. While some of the woes of the offensive line can be attributed to having three new starters, there is no excuse for the defensive line, which should be playing better with the talent, experience, and depth that they possess.
A strong start to the season
Western Kentucky enters Saturday’s game with a 2-0 record on the season. The Hilltoppers beat South Florida 41-24 in their season opener, and followed it up with a 52-22 victory over Houston Christian. Tyson Helton is now in his fifth season as the head coach of Western Kentucky, amassing a 34-21 record during that span. Helton has made the most of his first head coaching job, leading the Hilltoppers to nine wins in three of his first four seasons in Bowling Green. Western Kentucky has made bowl games in each of the last four years, winning three of those contests.
Western Kentucky on offense
Powering the Western Kentucky offense is quarterback Austin Reed. Last year Reed led the nation with 4,744 yards passing, while tossing 40 touchdowns. The senior has gotten off to a fabulous start in 2023, racking up 589 yards passing and six scores through the first two games. Last week against Houston Christian, Reed threw five touchdown passes in the win. Reed is currently first among active FBS quarterbacks with an average of 333.4 passing yards per game, and was named the Conference USA preseason Player of the Year.
One thing that could be tough for Ohio State to defend is the number of targets Reed can throw the football to. The Hilltoppers have 13 players that have caught a pass this year, and Reed has thrown touchdown passes to six different targets. The leading receiver for Western Kentucky is Easton Messer, who has caught 11 passes for 134 yards and a score through the first two games. Dalvin Smith is the team’s other receiver that has cracked 100 yards receiving so far this year.
A name in the Western Kentucky receiving corps that will be familiar to Buckeye fans is L’Christian “Blue” Smith, who committed to Ohio State out of high school. Smith didn’t play in any games for the Buckeyes before transferring to Cincinnati, where he appeared in 21 games over four seasons for the Bearcats. Following last season, Smith transferred to Western Kentucky, and has caught eight passes for 88 yards so far this season.
Don’t expect the Hilltoppers to run the football much, but when they do Davion Ervin-Poindexter and Markese Stepp will see the bulk of the carries. Ervin-Poindexter started his college career at Indiana, spending three seasons with the Hoosiers before transferring. Markese Stepp is also a find in the transfer portal for Western Kentucky, playing at Nebraska and USC before becoming a member of the Hilltoppers. Helton and Western Kentucky have been very active in the transfer portal, with 51 of their 114 players being transfers.
Unlike Ohio State, who has had some issues with their offensive line play, the same can’t be said for Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers are one of seven teams in the country that haven’t allowed a sack so far this year. The play of the offensive line has given Reed time to scan the field and find the best possible option throwing the football, which has allowed him to accumulate all those big passing numbers.
Sometimes the issue with the Western Kentucky offense is they can score so quickly that it might put a tired defense back out on the field. Even though sometimes the defense may allow some high point totals, they make up for it with their ability to force turnovers and score on their own. Last year the Hilltoppers forced 32 turnovers and scored six defensive touchdowns. The defense has picked up where they left off last season, scoring a defensive touchdown in each of their first two games in 2023.
The defense of the Hilltoppers
Leading the way for the Western Kentucky defense is linebacker JaQues Evans, who was named the Conference USA preseason Defensive Player of the Year after earning All-Conference USA first team honors in 2022. Evans finished last season with 106 tackles in 14 games, with nine sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. The linebacker is filling up the stat sheet already this year, registering 11 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. Much like Aaron Casey in Ohio State’s first game against Indiana, expect to hear Evans’ name called early and often on Saturday.
Even though he plays in the secondary, the Buckeyes will have to keep an eye on Kendrick Simpkins, who is as dangerous creating pressure as he is defending passes. The junior already has 2.5 sacks this season, and has added another stop behind the line of scrimmage. Along with his sack total, Simpkins has also forced a fumble. As a team, Western Kentucky has six sacks in 2023.
There are a number of other Hilltopper defenders to keep an eye on in Saturday’s game. While Evans deservedly gets a lot of publicity, leading Western Kentucky in tackles is linebacker Talique Allen, who has 12 stops so far this year. Defensive back Upton Stout has a 53-yard interception return for a touchdown and two pass breakups through two games, while Anthony Johnson Jr. leads the team with four PBUs. Linebackers Desmyn Baker and Aaron Key are the other Western Kentucky players that have nabbed an interception this season.
With the offensive firepower they possess, facing Western Kentucky can seem daunting. The one area where the Hilltoppers have struggled mightily over the years is against ranked opponents. Since 2007, Western Kentucky is 1-12 when squaring off with a ranked foe, with their only victory being a 67-66 thriller against Marshall, who was ranked 19th at the time, in 2014. The last ranked team the Hilltoppers played was Michigan State in 2021. The Spartans won 48-31 in East Lansing.
Summary
Despite Ohio State not looking all that sharp in their first two games of the year, this is the type of game that plays more into their hands. The Buckeyes have had a hard time establishing much of a rhythm with how slow Indiana and Youngstown State have played on offense. With the increased tempo Western Kentucky will play at, it will get the football in Ohio State’s hands more, and the superior depth of the Buckeyes should start to shine more than it did over the first two games.
With how much Western Kentucky throws the football, some cracks in the secondary will likely show at times. The Hilltoppers are going to put up some points since Reed and the offense are too good to keep off the scoreboard. What will be interesting to see is how the Buckeyes respond when there is some adversity. Honestly, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for Ohio State to be forced to respond to some tough moments, especially since they’ll be facing a really good Notre Dame team next week.
The Buckeyes should still win this game, but they’ll face more of a fight than they did over their first two games.
LGHL prediction: Ohio State 45, Western Kentucky 24
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LGHL Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for September 14, 2023
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Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for September 14, 2023
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Wednesday evening interviews: Frye, Walton, Egbuka, Scott, Eichenberg, Hancock
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
Quick Hits: Emeka Egbuka Has “Full Confidence” in Kyle McCord, Tommy Eichenberg Thinks Ohio State’s Defensive Ends Are “Doing a Great Job” and Tim Walton Says Denzel Burke Is “Dialed In”
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Hear Justin Frye’s Wednesday night media availability:
Ohio State has a talent advantage over every team it plays; it’s time Ryan Day coaches like it
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
It’s not the clock rules that have affected Ohio State’s offense; it’s Ohio State’s lack of efficiency in 2023
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Cover Six: Is Denzel Burke back to All-American status?
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land
Jim Knowles takeaways: On Ohio State’s third-down defense and WKU challenge
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
What Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton said about the Buckeyes
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
“It’s a Long Time Coming”: Former Ohio State Wide Receiver Blue Smith Grateful to Finally Be Making On-Field Impact at Western Kentucky
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
What former Ohio State player suffered an injury in the NFL that hit you hardest?
Brett Ludwiczak and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
What is Western Kentucky’s mascot ‘Big Red’?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Men’s Swimming & Diving: Clark, Armstrong Named to 2023-24 U.S. National Team
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: Cantos Siemers Named Women’s Tennis Captain
Ohio State Athletics
Somehow this feels so very Micahel Cera:
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
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
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: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Wednesday evening interviews: Frye, Walton, Egbuka, Scott, Eichenberg, Hancock
Dave Biddle, Bucknuts
Quick Hits: Emeka Egbuka Has “Full Confidence” in Kyle McCord, Tommy Eichenberg Thinks Ohio State’s Defensive Ends Are “Doing a Great Job” and Tim Walton Says Denzel Burke Is “Dialed In”
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Hear Justin Frye’s Wednesday night media availability:
Ohio State has a talent advantage over every team it plays; it’s time Ryan Day coaches like it
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
It’s not the clock rules that have affected Ohio State’s offense; it’s Ohio State’s lack of efficiency in 2023
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Cover Six: Is Denzel Burke back to All-American status?
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land
Jim Knowles takeaways: On Ohio State’s third-down defense and WKU challenge
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
What Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton said about the Buckeyes
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
“It’s a Long Time Coming”: Former Ohio State Wide Receiver Blue Smith Grateful to Finally Be Making On-Field Impact at Western Kentucky
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
What former Ohio State player suffered an injury in the NFL that hit you hardest?
Brett Ludwiczak and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
What is Western Kentucky’s mascot ‘Big Red’?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Men’s Swimming & Diving: Clark, Armstrong Named to 2023-24 U.S. National Team
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: Cantos Siemers Named Women’s Tennis Captain
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Somehow this feels so very Micahel Cera:
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LGHL Ohio State offers latest prospect in the 2025 class with Texas linebacker
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Ohio State offers latest prospect in the 2025 class with Texas linebacker
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes are the latest to offer the Lone Star State product.
The weeks are flying by as it’s already game three tomorrow for Ohio State in its 2023 campaign. An underwhelming start thus far, Saturday presents several opportunities for this roster and coaching staff. First and foremost, the chance to continue improving is the mission, and while doing so the Buckeyes have to come away with this win. A new set of challenges, Western Kentucky’s high-flying passing attack is going to test this secondary more than they’ve seen the previous two weeks, and knowing the lack of pass rush the defense has provided so far, it’s a chance for them too to get right.
Several other factors in this game — such as quarterback play — will also be a theme, but this weekend also brings plenty of recruiting opportunities as the staff plays host to quite a few targets. With the postgame providing the chance to catch up with these prospects, this weekend has no shortage of excitement. Here’s to hoping the wins are present both on and off the field.
If there’s a position on defense that’s going to need some depth in the coming years, it’s at linebacker. Thanks to veteran players on the current roster, Ohio State has had tons of experience playing the position the last couple of seasons, but after landing less than they planned for in a couple recent recruiting cycles, the future of the linebacker spot will only be as solid as the recruiting wins this coaching staff has. Fortunately, James Laurinaitis is a tremendous help with that aspect of his job, but the work is far from over and there’s still plenty of improvement that can be made.
With only one true linebacker in 2024’s class currently committed, 2025 will be a big year for recruiting linebacker targets. Knowing that, Ohio State has already dished out offers to multiple players at the position, and on Thursday the most recent one came about after Texas native Riley Pettijohn shared via Twitter that the Buckeyes were the latest school to enter his recruitment.
A 6-foot-2, 205 pound athlete, Pettijohn is currently the No. 54 player nationally, the ninth best linebacker and the eighth best player in Texas for the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite. Holding offers from well over 20 schools already, the Buckeyes may be a little late to the party, but now join the likes of Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, USC, and several more. A coveted four-star, it’s interesting that some programs — and obvious ones such as in-state Texas — have yet to pull the trigger here, but many times an Ohio State offer can help create a domino effect.
The plan now is to get Riley to campus and have him see all that Ohio State has to offer. While a visit to see the sights is definitely of priority, maybe the first matter of business is the chance for Pettijohn to meet and speak with the aforementioned Laurinaitis. Being hamstrung by his current job title that prevents him from being out on the road as a recruiter, it’s even more important now that Riley visits Columbus so the two parties can really start their courtship.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes are the latest to offer the Lone Star State product.
The weeks are flying by as it’s already game three tomorrow for Ohio State in its 2023 campaign. An underwhelming start thus far, Saturday presents several opportunities for this roster and coaching staff. First and foremost, the chance to continue improving is the mission, and while doing so the Buckeyes have to come away with this win. A new set of challenges, Western Kentucky’s high-flying passing attack is going to test this secondary more than they’ve seen the previous two weeks, and knowing the lack of pass rush the defense has provided so far, it’s a chance for them too to get right.
Several other factors in this game — such as quarterback play — will also be a theme, but this weekend also brings plenty of recruiting opportunities as the staff plays host to quite a few targets. With the postgame providing the chance to catch up with these prospects, this weekend has no shortage of excitement. Here’s to hoping the wins are present both on and off the field.
Buckeyes offer Texas linebacker
If there’s a position on defense that’s going to need some depth in the coming years, it’s at linebacker. Thanks to veteran players on the current roster, Ohio State has had tons of experience playing the position the last couple of seasons, but after landing less than they planned for in a couple recent recruiting cycles, the future of the linebacker spot will only be as solid as the recruiting wins this coaching staff has. Fortunately, James Laurinaitis is a tremendous help with that aspect of his job, but the work is far from over and there’s still plenty of improvement that can be made.
With only one true linebacker in 2024’s class currently committed, 2025 will be a big year for recruiting linebacker targets. Knowing that, Ohio State has already dished out offers to multiple players at the position, and on Thursday the most recent one came about after Texas native Riley Pettijohn shared via Twitter that the Buckeyes were the latest school to enter his recruitment.
A 6-foot-2, 205 pound athlete, Pettijohn is currently the No. 54 player nationally, the ninth best linebacker and the eighth best player in Texas for the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite. Holding offers from well over 20 schools already, the Buckeyes may be a little late to the party, but now join the likes of Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, USC, and several more. A coveted four-star, it’s interesting that some programs — and obvious ones such as in-state Texas — have yet to pull the trigger here, but many times an Ohio State offer can help create a domino effect.
The plan now is to get Riley to campus and have him see all that Ohio State has to offer. While a visit to see the sights is definitely of priority, maybe the first matter of business is the chance for Pettijohn to meet and speak with the aforementioned Laurinaitis. Being hamstrung by his current job title that prevents him from being out on the road as a recruiter, it’s even more important now that Riley visits Columbus so the two parties can really start their courtship.
Continue reading...
LGHL What Ohio State can learn from Deion Sanders and Colorado
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What Ohio State can learn from Deion Sanders and Colorado
JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
In a season full of tough rivalry matchups and high stakes for Ohio State, its time the Buckeyes make it personal
There is something I love so much about a big swing.
Deion Sanders knows a lot about those since he played both football and baseball professionally. So while his baseball days have given way to coaching NCAA Division I football, it seems he hasn’t left the big swings behind, metaphorically speaking.
Now, in his first year as the head football coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, those big swings are already paying off.
The Buffaloes have started the season 2-0—surpassing the number of wins Colorado had the entire season in 2022 (they went 1-11, their only win coming in overtime against Cal). After a narrow Week 1 upset, 45-42, against the defending national runner-up TCU, the Buffs handily beat Nebraska in Week 2, 36-14.
There is audio evidence to prove I have been a believer in this Colorado team from Day 1, predicting their upset over TCU in their season opener. But to me, perhaps even more interesting than the doing is the how behind it.
It’s not just that Shedeur Sanders (Deion’s son) is having a lights-out season at quarterback so far, catapulting himself into Heisman conversations. It’s not just that Colorado has the former top overall recruit in the country in Travis Hunter, who remarkably plays on both sides of the ball (a feat of sheer athleticism that leaves my jaw on the ground each time).
No, there are intangibles at play here too.
In a season that feels like a slow start for Ohio State (despite their being 2-0), perhaps taking a page out of Deion Sanders’ playbook of intangibles would help Ryan Day’s Buckeyes pick up the pace a bit.
That is to say, the Buckeyes need to make it personal.
It’s easy to say it’s just a football game. Anyone who has been around the OSU-Michigan rivalry—or any college rivalry for that matter—knows it feels bigger than that.
Sanders certainly knew that walking into the Nebraska game, which is why he and his players were repeating the mantra “It’s personal,” leading up to the Nebraska game.
Despite the fact that both Sanders and many of his players were brand new to Colorado, they made the outcome of that game personal—for the players and fans who came before them, and for themselves. Because while the stakes have been lower in recent years than they were in the 80s (when these teams were both in a streak of excellence and happened to be a mere 7-hours’ drive apart), the depths of that kind of animosity outlive the stakes.
It continued to grow when Nebraska’s head coach Matt Rhule started taking shots at Sanders, and again when a group of Nebraska players congregated on the Buffalo logo in the middle of Colorado’s field before the game.
The Buffaloes settled it the best way anyone can—by letting the scoreboard do the talking.
Sanders walked into that game with something to prove, not just for himself (although I’m sure that was part of it) but also for the honor of Colorado as an entity. Ohio State needs to take the same approach in each of their major games this season.
On the road in South Bend? It’s personal. Facing a Penn State team that looks dominant? It’s personal. Heading to Madison to play Luke Fickell’s Badgers? You guessed it—personal.
And never ever will they need to channel that more than in the most personal game of all—The Game, in Ann Arbor, against the team that is currently No. 2 in the country.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has talked enough trash to build a landfill, and he now has two consecutive wins against OSU under his belt to top it off. This trash-talking, for Harbaugh, is rooted in his time as a player at Michigan, for his respect and understanding of the rivalry between these two programs. That is to say—it’s personal to Harbaugh.
It better be for the Buckeyes too.
If the Buckeyes want to beat Notre Dame, Penn State, and Michigan this season, they’re going to have to channel something deep inside them that lets them play with productive rage, keeping cool, staying level-headed, executing well, and outplaying their opponents.
It’s about being the better team, yes. But it’s also about using your energy to your advantage. Make it personal as a means to play better football.
Although this Buckeye team has the potential to be a great football team, it’s missing some of the weapons it’s had in past years. And the opponents they’ll face this season are better than these same opponents have been in recent memory (even Michigan, who looked stellar last season).
So the rage, the drive, the intangible passion—that’s going to have to come from somewhere deep inside.
It did last week for Deion Sanders, his son Shedeur, and the rest of the Colorado Buffaloes. Now, it’s the Buckeyes’ turn to do the same.
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JamiJurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
In a season full of tough rivalry matchups and high stakes for Ohio State, its time the Buckeyes make it personal
There is something I love so much about a big swing.
Deion Sanders knows a lot about those since he played both football and baseball professionally. So while his baseball days have given way to coaching NCAA Division I football, it seems he hasn’t left the big swings behind, metaphorically speaking.
Now, in his first year as the head football coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, those big swings are already paying off.
The Buffaloes have started the season 2-0—surpassing the number of wins Colorado had the entire season in 2022 (they went 1-11, their only win coming in overtime against Cal). After a narrow Week 1 upset, 45-42, against the defending national runner-up TCU, the Buffs handily beat Nebraska in Week 2, 36-14.
There is audio evidence to prove I have been a believer in this Colorado team from Day 1, predicting their upset over TCU in their season opener. But to me, perhaps even more interesting than the doing is the how behind it.
It’s not just that Shedeur Sanders (Deion’s son) is having a lights-out season at quarterback so far, catapulting himself into Heisman conversations. It’s not just that Colorado has the former top overall recruit in the country in Travis Hunter, who remarkably plays on both sides of the ball (a feat of sheer athleticism that leaves my jaw on the ground each time).
No, there are intangibles at play here too.
In a season that feels like a slow start for Ohio State (despite their being 2-0), perhaps taking a page out of Deion Sanders’ playbook of intangibles would help Ryan Day’s Buckeyes pick up the pace a bit.
That is to say, the Buckeyes need to make it personal.
It’s easy to say it’s just a football game. Anyone who has been around the OSU-Michigan rivalry—or any college rivalry for that matter—knows it feels bigger than that.
Sanders certainly knew that walking into the Nebraska game, which is why he and his players were repeating the mantra “It’s personal,” leading up to the Nebraska game.
Despite the fact that both Sanders and many of his players were brand new to Colorado, they made the outcome of that game personal—for the players and fans who came before them, and for themselves. Because while the stakes have been lower in recent years than they were in the 80s (when these teams were both in a streak of excellence and happened to be a mere 7-hours’ drive apart), the depths of that kind of animosity outlive the stakes.
It continued to grow when Nebraska’s head coach Matt Rhule started taking shots at Sanders, and again when a group of Nebraska players congregated on the Buffalo logo in the middle of Colorado’s field before the game.
The Buffaloes settled it the best way anyone can—by letting the scoreboard do the talking.
Sanders walked into that game with something to prove, not just for himself (although I’m sure that was part of it) but also for the honor of Colorado as an entity. Ohio State needs to take the same approach in each of their major games this season.
On the road in South Bend? It’s personal. Facing a Penn State team that looks dominant? It’s personal. Heading to Madison to play Luke Fickell’s Badgers? You guessed it—personal.
And never ever will they need to channel that more than in the most personal game of all—The Game, in Ann Arbor, against the team that is currently No. 2 in the country.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has talked enough trash to build a landfill, and he now has two consecutive wins against OSU under his belt to top it off. This trash-talking, for Harbaugh, is rooted in his time as a player at Michigan, for his respect and understanding of the rivalry between these two programs. That is to say—it’s personal to Harbaugh.
It better be for the Buckeyes too.
If the Buckeyes want to beat Notre Dame, Penn State, and Michigan this season, they’re going to have to channel something deep inside them that lets them play with productive rage, keeping cool, staying level-headed, executing well, and outplaying their opponents.
It’s about being the better team, yes. But it’s also about using your energy to your advantage. Make it personal as a means to play better football.
Although this Buckeye team has the potential to be a great football team, it’s missing some of the weapons it’s had in past years. And the opponents they’ll face this season are better than these same opponents have been in recent memory (even Michigan, who looked stellar last season).
So the rage, the drive, the intangible passion—that’s going to have to come from somewhere deep inside.
It did last week for Deion Sanders, his son Shedeur, and the rest of the Colorado Buffaloes. Now, it’s the Buckeyes’ turn to do the same.
Continue reading...
LGHL In-state 2026 DB set to see OSU this weekend, 2025 tight end target breaks down top schools
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In-state 2026 DB set to see OSU this weekend, 2025 tight end target breaks down top schools
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Eric Marshall/News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State is preparing for another home game, which means more recruiting visits.
With another home game this weekend, the opportunity to play host to more recruiting targets is once again available for Ohio State’s staff. Though it’s only Week 3 and the program’s second home contest, the Buckeyes have already welcomed a great deal of talent in the current 2024 and future recruiting classes, and this weekend will be the same story.
Making the short trek south this Saturday, in-state 2026 prospect Victor Singleton (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) took to Twitter to share his latest visit plans. A 6-foot, 160 pound defensive back, Singleton does not currently have a recruiting ranking on 247Sports, but does have one offer to his name with the local Toledo Rockets being the first on his list. Having an impressive start to his sophomore season, Victor has been turning heads and making some progress towards seeing his recruitment really increase in terms of attention.
The Buckeyes know how critical it is to recruit Ohio natives, and with how well Singleton is progressing this early on, his trip to see Ohio State this weekend won’t be his only one. Playing at the same prep program as current OSU commit Marc Nave, the staff has plenty going for themselves with Toledo’s Central Catholic coaching staff, and odds are the two parties will keep in communication often.
At any rate, though this is a newer name, it’s one worth paying close attention to moving forward as the Buckeyes look to start getting involved.
Earlier this month, Georgia native and 2025 tight end target Ethan Barbour (Alpharetta, Georgia/Alpharetta) released his list of five final schools before making a decision. Keeping Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Ohio State in the mix, Ethan is set decide between his following schools next week on Sept. 22.
A coveted four-star talent, Barbour is the No. 179 player nationally and the fourth best tight end in the class per the 247Sports Composite. Nearing his decision date though, Barbour has taken the time to break down the remaining finalists, and gives an in-depth look at why each program is still in the running for his services in a recent interview with 247Sports.
As it stands now, the odds on favorite to land his commitment is Georgia, as they are also the leader on the 247Sports Crystal Ball feature. The wait is nearly over, and though the Buckeyes are in the mix, it would take some momentum to sway this one their direction. Still, Barbour goes out of his way to share the positives Ohio State has going for them.
A 6-foot-5, 175 pound shooting guard in the 2026 class, Johnson is already the No. 37 player nationally, tenth best player at his position and the top overall player in Kentucky for the 2026 cycle per the 247Sports Composite.
Though he currently only holds four offers from the likes of West Virginia, Cincinnati, Texas A&M, and Missouri, with his class status and athleticism, it’s really only a matter of time before other major suitors come calling. With his unofficial visit to Columbus this weekend, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see him leave with an Ohio State offer.
Programs such as Cincinnati, Xavier, Illinois, Texas A&M, and a host of others are in the fold early on, but like the aforementioned Johnson, trips to Columbus for these two points toward the notion of both being players the coaching staff at Ohio State is definitely interested in. Odds are these are two names that you haven’t heard the last of.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Eric Marshall/News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ohio State is preparing for another home game, which means more recruiting visits.
With another home game this weekend, the opportunity to play host to more recruiting targets is once again available for Ohio State’s staff. Though it’s only Week 3 and the program’s second home contest, the Buckeyes have already welcomed a great deal of talent in the current 2024 and future recruiting classes, and this weekend will be the same story.
Making the short trek south this Saturday, in-state 2026 prospect Victor Singleton (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) took to Twitter to share his latest visit plans. A 6-foot, 160 pound defensive back, Singleton does not currently have a recruiting ranking on 247Sports, but does have one offer to his name with the local Toledo Rockets being the first on his list. Having an impressive start to his sophomore season, Victor has been turning heads and making some progress towards seeing his recruitment really increase in terms of attention.
The Buckeyes know how critical it is to recruit Ohio natives, and with how well Singleton is progressing this early on, his trip to see Ohio State this weekend won’t be his only one. Playing at the same prep program as current OSU commit Marc Nave, the staff has plenty going for themselves with Toledo’s Central Catholic coaching staff, and odds are the two parties will keep in communication often.
At any rate, though this is a newer name, it’s one worth paying close attention to moving forward as the Buckeyes look to start getting involved.
The scoop on 2025 tight end nearing decision
Earlier this month, Georgia native and 2025 tight end target Ethan Barbour (Alpharetta, Georgia/Alpharetta) released his list of five final schools before making a decision. Keeping Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Ohio State in the mix, Ethan is set decide between his following schools next week on Sept. 22.
A coveted four-star talent, Barbour is the No. 179 player nationally and the fourth best tight end in the class per the 247Sports Composite. Nearing his decision date though, Barbour has taken the time to break down the remaining finalists, and gives an in-depth look at why each program is still in the running for his services in a recent interview with 247Sports.
As it stands now, the odds on favorite to land his commitment is Georgia, as they are also the leader on the 247Sports Crystal Ball feature. The wait is nearly over, and though the Buckeyes are in the mix, it would take some momentum to sway this one their direction. Still, Barbour goes out of his way to share the positives Ohio State has going for them.
Quick Hits
- It’s a big recruiting weekend for football come Saturday, but Ohio State’s hoops team will also be doing some recruiting of their own as they play host to multiple targets. Starting with Louisville, Kentucky native Jayden Johnson, the four-star athlete will be making the trek north to see campus and what the Buckeyes have to offer.
A 6-foot-5, 175 pound shooting guard in the 2026 class, Johnson is already the No. 37 player nationally, tenth best player at his position and the top overall player in Kentucky for the 2026 cycle per the 247Sports Composite.
Though he currently only holds four offers from the likes of West Virginia, Cincinnati, Texas A&M, and Missouri, with his class status and athleticism, it’s really only a matter of time before other major suitors come calling. With his unofficial visit to Columbus this weekend, it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see him leave with an Ohio State offer.
- In addition to Johnson, another talented Kentucky native will be making the trip to see Ohio State. Another unofficial visit planned for this weekend, 6-foot, 160 pound point guard Taylen Kinney is set to see the Buckeyes and Holtmann. Kinney does not yet hold a ranking on his 247Sports profile, but with double-digit offers to his name already, the 2026 athlete should see that change in the near future.
Programs such as Cincinnati, Xavier, Illinois, Texas A&M, and a host of others are in the fold early on, but like the aforementioned Johnson, trips to Columbus for these two points toward the notion of both being players the coaching staff at Ohio State is definitely interested in. Odds are these are two names that you haven’t heard the last of.
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LGHL Uncut: Justin Frye on the good and bad he’s seen from the offensive line this fall
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Uncut: Justin Frye on the good and bad he’s seen from the offensive line this fall
Matt Tamanini 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
The run-game coordinator also discusses how the ground game could attack Western Kentucky.
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 | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from Ohio State offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Justin Frye from his media availability session on Wednesday, Sept. 13. During his time with reporters, Justin goes into the areas that he feels that the offensive line has exceeded expectations through the first two games and where they need to improve. He also discusses what’s going on with holding penalties and how the Buckeyes might attack Western Kentucky on the ground this Saturday.
Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The run-game coordinator also discusses how the ground game could attack Western Kentucky.
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 | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from Ohio State offensive line coach and run-game coordinator Justin Frye from his media availability session on Wednesday, Sept. 13. During his time with reporters, Justin goes into the areas that he feels that the offensive line has exceeded expectations through the first two games and where they need to improve. He also discusses what’s going on with holding penalties and how the Buckeyes might attack Western Kentucky on the ground this Saturday.
Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt
Music by: www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Column: Forget the transfer portal, college football needs to adopt professional soccer’s system of player movement
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Column: Forget the transfer portal, college football needs to adopt professional soccer’s system of player movement
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Pandora’s Box has already been opened. So why not tear the lid off entirely, allowing CFB teams to loan and rent players like Manchester City and/or Real Madrid?
By loosening the rules and/or restrictions around college football’s transfer portal, the NCAA or powers-that-be have essentially opened Pandora’s Box. They have taken the restrictor plate off the Red Dragon. CFB and college sports in general have become the wild, wild west, and freedom of movement is now on steroids. Well... maybe not steroids. But at least some sort of TRT or ‘vitamin regimen’.
And since there is no Wyatt Earp or group of hardened lawmen laying down the law at the O.K. Corral also known as college sports, I say let’s get nuts. How nuts, you ask? Well, I’m talking Blue Diamond or Planters-level.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24890337/MV5BMTk2ODI3OTg1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzc0MjIyNw__._V1_.jpg)
IMDB
I think that college football should adopt the loan system currently utilized in professional soccer. And in case you are not familiar with said system, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: A system in which teams loan out players (currently under contract with them) to other teams for a mutually agreed-upon period. Team B – the team adding a player or players – often pays Team A or the ‘parent club’ for that player’s services; a sum that may or may not be equal to the player’s contract.
In theory, a team could draft or sign a player, develop said player into a star, and then ship that individual out for a large sum if the team’s roster or club is otherwise loaded. But more often than not, loans are set up for one of two reasons: To get a young, developmental player more playing time elsewhere. Or to send an expensive player away from an underperforming team, allowing that team to recoup money. For example, imagine the Kansas City Chiefs starting out 1-6 and deciding to loan Travis Kelce to the Detroit Lions.
I may or may not have nailed that explanation, and the separate transfer system/window adds another component or layer to this global soccer marketplace... But I only started watching high-level professional soccer a few years ago. So forgive me if I committed a ‘howler’.
Let’s get back to the idea of loans being implemented or used in college football. This idea came to me as I was watching some of the early season action. I was particularly interested in certain transfers sprinkled across the P5 landscape. Because I find it fascinating that teams and coaches now have such a ‘quick fix’ mentality. Like, “Oh, we can fix him. They were just in a toxic relationship before, and that’s why things ended poorly.” Well guess what!? Sometimes you can’t fix what or who has already been broken. And I am a firm believer that when somebody tries to show you who they are, you should believe them.
So it has come as no surprise that more than a few transfers are struggling, particularly at the quarterback position. They did so for two or three years with their last team, why did you (Coach X) think it would be any different in 2023!? Because you coached in the NFL? Or because it’s warmer in Gainesville? These are just random questions that have popped into the ol’ noggin, that may or may not be specific to any one player or team.
But the funny thing about the transfer portal is that even though we are all aware of the fact that things are ever-changing and temporary, it still feels sort of permanent. Transferring schools and/or moving across the country is not nothin’, folks. Players and/or students cannot pack up and leave on a whim, every other quarter or semester. So these college football teams typically get only one or two cracks at ‘acquiring’ star players from elsewhere — if they get one at all.
Sure, Deion Sanders can go the route he did with Colorado, but he and the Buffaloes are outliers. They are the exception to the rule. When most teams/programs goes all-in on a player or players, there is some finality. Even if it is only for a year. Or a season, which is much shorter.
Again, look at the QB position. Only one takes the snap. The depth chart is not 8, 9, 10 players deep. If Coach X does not like the in-house talent they are working with, they can choose to look elsewhere (officially or unofficially). And if a new QB is brought in, he likely joins only one, two, or three others that Coach X was not happy with in the first place. So more often than not, this new QB gets handed the job and becomes the captain of the ship. There is really no going back at that point. So I repeat: There is some finality.
But what if there was an alternative to bringing in new talent? Ya know, besides recruiting, which some coaches no longer want to do. What is there was a temporary fix that benefitted all? Well that’s the loan system, baby! Like I said earlier, let’s get nuts!
Under the premise of the loan system, a player could commit to a school, love it there, and/but be allowed to gain experience and playing time elsewhere, until they are no longer buried on their original team’s depth chart. They could then return to their beloved team or university a better, more experienced player, with no hard feelings. I mean, it seems foolproof! All schools ought to love the idea because they could profit even more off the backs of athletes and potentially lease talent as needed.
Let’s try to come up with an example of how this proposed CFB loan system can be used. I’m thinking of a random team in the Big Ten West. We’ll just say Nebraska. Say they’ve struck out at QB and could really use an infusion of talent to get the Matt Ruhle era kickstarted. Ruhle says “Hey, we don’t play Ohio State this year, and they always have a spare QB laying around. Let’s give ‘em a call.” He calls Ryan Day and asks about the availability of Lincoln Kienholz, who just so happened to play his high school ball in South Dakota, directly above the Cornhusker State... Now we’re cookin’ with oil!
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24890375/1575076186.jpg)
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Nebraska offers up half a million dollars to rent LK47’s services for one season. As a result, they acquire talent, OSU gets a little spending money, and Kienholz lands an internship that will prepare for him for his days as the Buckeyes’ (future) signal caller. Am I on to something, or am I on to something?
Sticking with Ohio State, what if Kyle McCord is not the answer after Western Kentucky or Notre Dame? Are we foolish enough to believe that the athletic department could not afford to rent North Carolina’s Drake Maye for a few months? And this loan system would not be exclusive to QB. While I would be absolutely devastated and have no intention of putting bad juju out there, what if the Buckeyes don’t love their chances of winning a national championship? How much could they fetch for Marvin Harrison Jr.? I am putting the over/under at $10 million from another blueblood program. The possibilities are truly endless.
But alas – and obviously – this loan system is far-fetched and far from the realm of sanity/reason for now... Isn’t it? I mean, most would have said the same thing about Cal and Stanford joining the ATLANTIC COAST Conference, but here we are. So don’t call me crazy just yet, unless it is for other, perfectly justifiable reasons. Because you never know what is going to happen in this wild and whacky world of the sport(s) we love.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Pandora’s Box has already been opened. So why not tear the lid off entirely, allowing CFB teams to loan and rent players like Manchester City and/or Real Madrid?
By loosening the rules and/or restrictions around college football’s transfer portal, the NCAA or powers-that-be have essentially opened Pandora’s Box. They have taken the restrictor plate off the Red Dragon. CFB and college sports in general have become the wild, wild west, and freedom of movement is now on steroids. Well... maybe not steroids. But at least some sort of TRT or ‘vitamin regimen’.
And since there is no Wyatt Earp or group of hardened lawmen laying down the law at the O.K. Corral also known as college sports, I say let’s get nuts. How nuts, you ask? Well, I’m talking Blue Diamond or Planters-level.
I think that college football should adopt the loan system currently utilized in professional soccer. And in case you are not familiar with said system, it is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: A system in which teams loan out players (currently under contract with them) to other teams for a mutually agreed-upon period. Team B – the team adding a player or players – often pays Team A or the ‘parent club’ for that player’s services; a sum that may or may not be equal to the player’s contract.
In theory, a team could draft or sign a player, develop said player into a star, and then ship that individual out for a large sum if the team’s roster or club is otherwise loaded. But more often than not, loans are set up for one of two reasons: To get a young, developmental player more playing time elsewhere. Or to send an expensive player away from an underperforming team, allowing that team to recoup money. For example, imagine the Kansas City Chiefs starting out 1-6 and deciding to loan Travis Kelce to the Detroit Lions.
I may or may not have nailed that explanation, and the separate transfer system/window adds another component or layer to this global soccer marketplace... But I only started watching high-level professional soccer a few years ago. So forgive me if I committed a ‘howler’.
Let’s get back to the idea of loans being implemented or used in college football. This idea came to me as I was watching some of the early season action. I was particularly interested in certain transfers sprinkled across the P5 landscape. Because I find it fascinating that teams and coaches now have such a ‘quick fix’ mentality. Like, “Oh, we can fix him. They were just in a toxic relationship before, and that’s why things ended poorly.” Well guess what!? Sometimes you can’t fix what or who has already been broken. And I am a firm believer that when somebody tries to show you who they are, you should believe them.
So it has come as no surprise that more than a few transfers are struggling, particularly at the quarterback position. They did so for two or three years with their last team, why did you (Coach X) think it would be any different in 2023!? Because you coached in the NFL? Or because it’s warmer in Gainesville? These are just random questions that have popped into the ol’ noggin, that may or may not be specific to any one player or team.
But the funny thing about the transfer portal is that even though we are all aware of the fact that things are ever-changing and temporary, it still feels sort of permanent. Transferring schools and/or moving across the country is not nothin’, folks. Players and/or students cannot pack up and leave on a whim, every other quarter or semester. So these college football teams typically get only one or two cracks at ‘acquiring’ star players from elsewhere — if they get one at all.
Sure, Deion Sanders can go the route he did with Colorado, but he and the Buffaloes are outliers. They are the exception to the rule. When most teams/programs goes all-in on a player or players, there is some finality. Even if it is only for a year. Or a season, which is much shorter.
Again, look at the QB position. Only one takes the snap. The depth chart is not 8, 9, 10 players deep. If Coach X does not like the in-house talent they are working with, they can choose to look elsewhere (officially or unofficially). And if a new QB is brought in, he likely joins only one, two, or three others that Coach X was not happy with in the first place. So more often than not, this new QB gets handed the job and becomes the captain of the ship. There is really no going back at that point. So I repeat: There is some finality.
But what if there was an alternative to bringing in new talent? Ya know, besides recruiting, which some coaches no longer want to do. What is there was a temporary fix that benefitted all? Well that’s the loan system, baby! Like I said earlier, let’s get nuts!
Under the premise of the loan system, a player could commit to a school, love it there, and/but be allowed to gain experience and playing time elsewhere, until they are no longer buried on their original team’s depth chart. They could then return to their beloved team or university a better, more experienced player, with no hard feelings. I mean, it seems foolproof! All schools ought to love the idea because they could profit even more off the backs of athletes and potentially lease talent as needed.
Let’s try to come up with an example of how this proposed CFB loan system can be used. I’m thinking of a random team in the Big Ten West. We’ll just say Nebraska. Say they’ve struck out at QB and could really use an infusion of talent to get the Matt Ruhle era kickstarted. Ruhle says “Hey, we don’t play Ohio State this year, and they always have a spare QB laying around. Let’s give ‘em a call.” He calls Ryan Day and asks about the availability of Lincoln Kienholz, who just so happened to play his high school ball in South Dakota, directly above the Cornhusker State... Now we’re cookin’ with oil!
Nebraska offers up half a million dollars to rent LK47’s services for one season. As a result, they acquire talent, OSU gets a little spending money, and Kienholz lands an internship that will prepare for him for his days as the Buckeyes’ (future) signal caller. Am I on to something, or am I on to something?
Sticking with Ohio State, what if Kyle McCord is not the answer after Western Kentucky or Notre Dame? Are we foolish enough to believe that the athletic department could not afford to rent North Carolina’s Drake Maye for a few months? And this loan system would not be exclusive to QB. While I would be absolutely devastated and have no intention of putting bad juju out there, what if the Buckeyes don’t love their chances of winning a national championship? How much could they fetch for Marvin Harrison Jr.? I am putting the over/under at $10 million from another blueblood program. The possibilities are truly endless.
But alas – and obviously – this loan system is far-fetched and far from the realm of sanity/reason for now... Isn’t it? I mean, most would have said the same thing about Cal and Stanford joining the ATLANTIC COAST Conference, but here we are. So don’t call me crazy just yet, unless it is for other, perfectly justifiable reasons. Because you never know what is going to happen in this wild and whacky world of the sport(s) we love.
Continue reading...
LGHL MC&J: Week 3’s national slate has Tennessee looking for their first win at Florida in 20 years
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- 0 Replies
MC&J: Week 3’s national slate has Tennessee looking for their first win at Florida in 20 years
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Plus six other predictions for interesting games outside the Big Ten on Saturday.
All things considered, last week wasn’t a bad week. It would have been nice to be in the ballpark when it comes to my Ohio State final score prediction, but there is still plenty of season left. Even though I have been terrible with my national picks, I have made up for it with a couple solid weeks of Big Ten predictions. Hopefully we can get the national record on the right side of .500 soon.
No. 14 LSU (-9.5) v. Mississippi State - 12:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
After falling apart in the second half against Florida State in their first game, LSU rebounded with a 72-10 win over Grambling last week. Jayden Daniels tossed five touchdown passes in the blowout, as the Tigers rolled up over 600 yards of offense on their overmatched opponent. Saturday’s contest in Starkville kicks off a stretch for LSU that will see them on the road for three of their next four contests.
Until I checked in on last week’s Arizona-Mississippi State game last week as it was heading to overtime, I had completely forgot Will Rogers is still the quarterback of the Bulldogs. This isn’t quite the same Mississippi State offense that we had become used to before the passing of head coach Mike Leach. The Bulldogs can run the football a bit, with Jo’Quavious Marks rushing for 250 yards and three scores in the first two games of the season.
Even though I know LSU has a higher ceiling because of the talent they have, it’s never easy to go into StarkVegas and grab an easy win. The cowbells are going to be in full force on Saturday afternoon, which makes me think the Bulldogs are going to push the Tigers to the limit. I’m still not completely sure if LSU is as good as we were thinking they were prior to the season, so I’ll take the unranked home team to keep things close against a ranked conference foe.
LSU 31, Mississippi State 27
No. 15 Kansas State (-4.5) v Missouri - 12:00 p.m. ET - SEC Network
Heading into last week, I was thinking that Troy might give Kansas State a game since the Trojans were returning a lot of starters from last year, while I wasn’t quite sure what we’d see from the Wildcats now that running back Duece Vaughn is in the NFL. Kansas State wouldn’t even entertain the idea of being upset, hammering Troy 42-13 in Manhattan.
While Kansas State has starting quarterback Will Howard returning, Missouri also has their starter from last year back. Brady Cook has completed 31-40 passes through two games, tossing three touchdowns. Cook’s favorite target has been Luther Burden, who has caught 15 passes already this season. Even though Cook has been smart with the football, it hasn’t translated into a ton of points, as the Tigers have scored 58 points in wins over South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State.
Even though this game is in Columbia, I like Kansas State with a rather short line. I do like some of the pieces Missouri has with Cook and Burden, I just think the Wildcats are a better team as a whole. Kansas State’s defensive line has been tremendous so far this year, and I think they push around a Missouri offensive line that has been inconsistent through the first two games. The Wildcats beat their former Big 12 foe by at least a touchdown.
Kansas State 34, Missouri 23
South Carolina v. No. 1 Georgia (-27.5) 3:30 p.m. ET - CBS
We’ll finally find out a little more about this Georgia team. The Bulldogs dominated their first two games of the season, but they didn’t really have to work too hard to lay beatdowns on UT-Martin and Ball State. It’ll be interesting to see how Georgia and Carson Beck responds if they do get a little pushback from South Carolina in this game, since the Bulldogs haven’t had to deal with any adversity in their first two games.
I wonder what type of spread we would have seen for this game if South Carolina hadn’t dropped their season opener to North Carolina. Despite the loss to the Tar Heels, Spencer Rattler’s stat line through two games has looked good, with the former Oklahoma quarterback completing 55-of-66 passes for nearly 700 yards and three passing touchdowns. Rattler will now try to solve a Georgia defense that has only allowed 10 points in two games this season.
Four touchdowns feels like a lot to lay with a Georgia team that hasn’t played anyone yet this season. Beck and the offense have been able to plod along and put up 40+ points in their first two games, but they could be without wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who missed last week’s game with a back injury. I don’t think the Bulldogs are on upset alert, I just think Rattler and the Gamecocks could score some points in garbage time to make the final score look a little more respectable.
Georgia 38, South Carolina 17
No. 11 Tennessee (-6.5) v. Florida - 7:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
2003. That was the last time Tennessee won at The Swamp. Not only have the Gators dominated the Volunteers in Gainesville, they’ve had their way with Tennessee overall in the rivalry for most of the past 20 years, winning 16 of the last 20 meetings. Last year the tide started to shift a bit, with the Volunteers winning 38-33 in Knoxville.
After not being able to do anything in their season opener against Utah, Florida was able to restore a little bit of confidence last week with a 49-7 win over McNeese State. The Gators ran all over the Cowboys, rolling up 327 yards on the ground in the victory. This week the Florida offensive line will have to be on point since Tennessee has a strong pass rush.
Even though the Volunteers should get pressure on the quarterback, at least Florida has a veteran behind center in Graham Mertz who has experience being under fire. While Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton has a cannon for an arm, I’m still not sure if he is as good as some people seem to think he is. Tennessee ends their losing streak in Gainesville, just not by more than a touchdown, as this game comes down to the wire.
Tennessee 33, Florida 30
BYU v. Arkansas (-8.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN2
Last year we got Arkansas fans going out to Provo, and this year we have BYU fans going to Fayetteville. I just wish I was there to see both games since I’m sure they were two incredible social experiments when it comes to fans traveling to areas out of their comfort zones.
Not only should this game be a fun fan experience, the football should be pretty good. We’ll have two experience quarterbacks squaring off. BYU’s starter is Kedon Slovis, who is now playing for his 14th school at the college level, while Arkansas has 14-year starting quarterback KJ Jefferson. Even though Jefferson already has five touchdown passes, it doesn’t feel like the Razorback offense is clicking. Some of that could be because they haven’t had to be at their best against Western Carolina and Kent State.
Last year Jefferson tossed five touchdowns in Arkansas’ 52-35 win over the Cougars. This year’s contest doesn’t feel like it’s going to be quite as high-scoring, especially since the Razorbacks will be without running back Raheim Sanders. BYU’s defense has looked very tough so far this season. The Cougars are going to play Arkansas tough, keeping things closer than last year’s meeting with the Hogs.
Arkansas 28, BYU 24
TCU (-7.5) v. Houston - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Following their loss to Colorado to open the season, TCU bounced back with a 41-6 win over Nicholls last week. Unlike the Horned Frogs, Houston fell 43-41 in double overtime to Rice after beating UTSA 17-14 in their opener. It feels like the one thing we know about both teams in this game is that we know nothing.
Despite restoring some their confidence after beating up on a FCS opponent, I still don’t think much of TCU. The Horned Frogs lost so much from last year’s team on both sides of the football. I already didn’t think much of TCU’s defense after seeing some of their performances late last season, and I don’t really think they did much to improve the unit.
I probably wouldn’t be picking this contest if there were a few more quality games on the schedule this week. Since it’s a primetime game on national television I figured I might as well include it with the rest of the slate being rather weak. Despite their setback last week, I still like Houston getting a touchdown and the hook. I have faith that Dana Holgorsen will have something for a suspect TCU defense, while the Horned Frogs are still trying to recover from the losses of quarterback Max Duggan and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.
Houston 35, TCU 31
Colorado State v. No. 18 Colorado (-22.5) - 10:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
Deion Sanders might be new to the state of Colorado, but I’m pretty sure he gets what this rivalry means. Especially since it’ll be the first time since 2019 that the teams have battled in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Who knows, Coach Prime might be somewhere else coaching next year if the money is right, so it could be the only chance he has to put it on the Rams.
Next week the Buffaloes have to travel to Oregon to play the Ducks, so all the good feelings about Colorado’s start to the season might not last much longer. Expect Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and the rest of the Buffaloes to make some big plays in front of the home crowd. If Washington State can put 50 up on the Rams, just imagine what Deion is going to want his team to score.
Over three touchdowns might seem like a lot to be laying for a Colorado team that doesn’t have a ton of depth with all the transfers during the offseason. I’ll be more worried about that next week. This week we’ll see Colorado out there having fun and piling up points against a Colorado State team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017.
Colorado 48, Colorado State 21
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Plus six other predictions for interesting games outside the Big Ten on Saturday.
Last week ATS: 10-9 (3-5 National, 7-4 B1G)
Season ATS: 22-22 (9-14 National, 13-8 B1G)
All things considered, last week wasn’t a bad week. It would have been nice to be in the ballpark when it comes to my Ohio State final score prediction, but there is still plenty of season left. Even though I have been terrible with my national picks, I have made up for it with a couple solid weeks of Big Ten predictions. Hopefully we can get the national record on the right side of .500 soon.
National games
No. 14 LSU (-9.5) v. Mississippi State - 12:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
After falling apart in the second half against Florida State in their first game, LSU rebounded with a 72-10 win over Grambling last week. Jayden Daniels tossed five touchdown passes in the blowout, as the Tigers rolled up over 600 yards of offense on their overmatched opponent. Saturday’s contest in Starkville kicks off a stretch for LSU that will see them on the road for three of their next four contests.
Until I checked in on last week’s Arizona-Mississippi State game last week as it was heading to overtime, I had completely forgot Will Rogers is still the quarterback of the Bulldogs. This isn’t quite the same Mississippi State offense that we had become used to before the passing of head coach Mike Leach. The Bulldogs can run the football a bit, with Jo’Quavious Marks rushing for 250 yards and three scores in the first two games of the season.
Even though I know LSU has a higher ceiling because of the talent they have, it’s never easy to go into StarkVegas and grab an easy win. The cowbells are going to be in full force on Saturday afternoon, which makes me think the Bulldogs are going to push the Tigers to the limit. I’m still not completely sure if LSU is as good as we were thinking they were prior to the season, so I’ll take the unranked home team to keep things close against a ranked conference foe.
LSU 31, Mississippi State 27
No. 15 Kansas State (-4.5) v Missouri - 12:00 p.m. ET - SEC Network
Heading into last week, I was thinking that Troy might give Kansas State a game since the Trojans were returning a lot of starters from last year, while I wasn’t quite sure what we’d see from the Wildcats now that running back Duece Vaughn is in the NFL. Kansas State wouldn’t even entertain the idea of being upset, hammering Troy 42-13 in Manhattan.
While Kansas State has starting quarterback Will Howard returning, Missouri also has their starter from last year back. Brady Cook has completed 31-40 passes through two games, tossing three touchdowns. Cook’s favorite target has been Luther Burden, who has caught 15 passes already this season. Even though Cook has been smart with the football, it hasn’t translated into a ton of points, as the Tigers have scored 58 points in wins over South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State.
Even though this game is in Columbia, I like Kansas State with a rather short line. I do like some of the pieces Missouri has with Cook and Burden, I just think the Wildcats are a better team as a whole. Kansas State’s defensive line has been tremendous so far this year, and I think they push around a Missouri offensive line that has been inconsistent through the first two games. The Wildcats beat their former Big 12 foe by at least a touchdown.
Kansas State 34, Missouri 23
South Carolina v. No. 1 Georgia (-27.5) 3:30 p.m. ET - CBS
We’ll finally find out a little more about this Georgia team. The Bulldogs dominated their first two games of the season, but they didn’t really have to work too hard to lay beatdowns on UT-Martin and Ball State. It’ll be interesting to see how Georgia and Carson Beck responds if they do get a little pushback from South Carolina in this game, since the Bulldogs haven’t had to deal with any adversity in their first two games.
I wonder what type of spread we would have seen for this game if South Carolina hadn’t dropped their season opener to North Carolina. Despite the loss to the Tar Heels, Spencer Rattler’s stat line through two games has looked good, with the former Oklahoma quarterback completing 55-of-66 passes for nearly 700 yards and three passing touchdowns. Rattler will now try to solve a Georgia defense that has only allowed 10 points in two games this season.
Four touchdowns feels like a lot to lay with a Georgia team that hasn’t played anyone yet this season. Beck and the offense have been able to plod along and put up 40+ points in their first two games, but they could be without wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who missed last week’s game with a back injury. I don’t think the Bulldogs are on upset alert, I just think Rattler and the Gamecocks could score some points in garbage time to make the final score look a little more respectable.
Georgia 38, South Carolina 17
No. 11 Tennessee (-6.5) v. Florida - 7:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
2003. That was the last time Tennessee won at The Swamp. Not only have the Gators dominated the Volunteers in Gainesville, they’ve had their way with Tennessee overall in the rivalry for most of the past 20 years, winning 16 of the last 20 meetings. Last year the tide started to shift a bit, with the Volunteers winning 38-33 in Knoxville.
After not being able to do anything in their season opener against Utah, Florida was able to restore a little bit of confidence last week with a 49-7 win over McNeese State. The Gators ran all over the Cowboys, rolling up 327 yards on the ground in the victory. This week the Florida offensive line will have to be on point since Tennessee has a strong pass rush.
Even though the Volunteers should get pressure on the quarterback, at least Florida has a veteran behind center in Graham Mertz who has experience being under fire. While Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton has a cannon for an arm, I’m still not sure if he is as good as some people seem to think he is. Tennessee ends their losing streak in Gainesville, just not by more than a touchdown, as this game comes down to the wire.
Tennessee 33, Florida 30
BYU v. Arkansas (-8.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN2
Last year we got Arkansas fans going out to Provo, and this year we have BYU fans going to Fayetteville. I just wish I was there to see both games since I’m sure they were two incredible social experiments when it comes to fans traveling to areas out of their comfort zones.
Not only should this game be a fun fan experience, the football should be pretty good. We’ll have two experience quarterbacks squaring off. BYU’s starter is Kedon Slovis, who is now playing for his 14th school at the college level, while Arkansas has 14-year starting quarterback KJ Jefferson. Even though Jefferson already has five touchdown passes, it doesn’t feel like the Razorback offense is clicking. Some of that could be because they haven’t had to be at their best against Western Carolina and Kent State.
Last year Jefferson tossed five touchdowns in Arkansas’ 52-35 win over the Cougars. This year’s contest doesn’t feel like it’s going to be quite as high-scoring, especially since the Razorbacks will be without running back Raheim Sanders. BYU’s defense has looked very tough so far this season. The Cougars are going to play Arkansas tough, keeping things closer than last year’s meeting with the Hogs.
Arkansas 28, BYU 24
TCU (-7.5) v. Houston - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Following their loss to Colorado to open the season, TCU bounced back with a 41-6 win over Nicholls last week. Unlike the Horned Frogs, Houston fell 43-41 in double overtime to Rice after beating UTSA 17-14 in their opener. It feels like the one thing we know about both teams in this game is that we know nothing.
Despite restoring some their confidence after beating up on a FCS opponent, I still don’t think much of TCU. The Horned Frogs lost so much from last year’s team on both sides of the football. I already didn’t think much of TCU’s defense after seeing some of their performances late last season, and I don’t really think they did much to improve the unit.
I probably wouldn’t be picking this contest if there were a few more quality games on the schedule this week. Since it’s a primetime game on national television I figured I might as well include it with the rest of the slate being rather weak. Despite their setback last week, I still like Houston getting a touchdown and the hook. I have faith that Dana Holgorsen will have something for a suspect TCU defense, while the Horned Frogs are still trying to recover from the losses of quarterback Max Duggan and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.
Houston 35, TCU 31
Colorado State v. No. 18 Colorado (-22.5) - 10:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
Deion Sanders might be new to the state of Colorado, but I’m pretty sure he gets what this rivalry means. Especially since it’ll be the first time since 2019 that the teams have battled in the Rocky Mountain Showdown. Who knows, Coach Prime might be somewhere else coaching next year if the money is right, so it could be the only chance he has to put it on the Rams.
Next week the Buffaloes have to travel to Oregon to play the Ducks, so all the good feelings about Colorado’s start to the season might not last much longer. Expect Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and the rest of the Buffaloes to make some big plays in front of the home crowd. If Washington State can put 50 up on the Rams, just imagine what Deion is going to want his team to score.
Over three touchdowns might seem like a lot to be laying for a Colorado team that doesn’t have a ton of depth with all the transfers during the offseason. I’ll be more worried about that next week. This week we’ll see Colorado out there having fun and piling up points against a Colorado State team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017.
Colorado 48, Colorado State 21
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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State brings in big-time recruits for football weekend
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Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State brings in big-time recruits for football weekend
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Just how important are these football game recruiting visits for the basketball team?
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.
On this episode of “Bucketheads,” we talked about the recruits that Ohio State basketball hosted at the Youngstown State football game.
The Buckeyes hosted several of the top recruits in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 recruiting classes at the first home football game of the season, and the visits seemed to be a resounding success. We talked about what goes into these visits and the culture surrounding Ohio State basketball that has helped them recruit at a high level over the past couple of years.
Then at the end, we discussed just how big of a season the 2023-24 basketball season is for the Buckeyes to aid in that recruiting process.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on what you think of the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Just how important are these football game recruiting visits for the basketball team?
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On this episode of “Bucketheads,” we talked about the recruits that Ohio State basketball hosted at the Youngstown State football game.
The Buckeyes hosted several of the top recruits in the 2024, 2025, and 2026 recruiting classes at the first home football game of the season, and the visits seemed to be a resounding success. We talked about what goes into these visits and the culture surrounding Ohio State basketball that has helped them recruit at a high level over the past couple of years.
Then at the end, we discussed just how big of a season the 2023-24 basketball season is for the Buckeyes to aid in that recruiting process.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on what you think of the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
