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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which CFB figure do you want to get the Coldplay Kiss Cam embarrassment treatment?

You’re Nuts: Which CFB figure do you want to get the Coldplay Kiss Cam embarrassment treatment?
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


ESPN College GameDay analyst Pat McAfee

Photo by Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.

Late last week, a new meme took over the internet. The CEO of some random company called Astronomer (which apparently has nothing to do with space) was captured on the “kiss cam” at a Coldplay concert in a loving embrace with a woman, who turned out to be the company’s head of human resources.

Once the two realized they were being shown on the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium, they quickly pulled apart, and the woman turned her back on the camera. Coldplay’s lead singer said the couple looked like they were either having an affair or were just really shy. Turns out it was the former, as both are married to other people. Along with likely heading to divorce court, Andy Byron is no longer the CEO, as he resigned from his position over the weekend.

Since all corners of the internet had some fun with the moment the “couple” was caught, we figured we would do the same at LGHL before the meme runs its course. Today, we are putting our own spin on the situation and revealing the college football figure we would love to see exposed like they were caught cheating at a public event. Since the cheating couple was quickly identified and their lives have been turned upside down, we want to know who you want to see the same treatment, at least when it comes to being a figure in college football.

To be clear, we are only looking at this from a college football standpoint; we aren’t looking for any digs at the personal lives of the figures selected outside of college football, or any negative comments about their families or those close to them. Maybe it’s a player who has stuck his foot in his mouth too many times, a coach who has always rubbed you the wrong way, or a talking head you can’t stand.

Today’s question: Which CFB figure do you want to get the Coldplay Kiss Cam embarrassment treatment?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.


Brett’s answer: Pat McAfee


The world’s most annoying punter is getting the Stephen A. Smith treatment at ESPN, and that’s not a good thing. Since joining the network, it feels like McAfee is everywhere. In addition to his afternoon show on TWWL, last year McAfee joined College GameDay. Not that McAfee joining the pregame show really bothered me, since I try to avoid football pregame shows like the plague. What has irked me is that they are trying to shoehorn McAfee into just about everything else. Not only were there McAfee gamecasts for some College Football Playoff games, but the overexposure has branched out to other sports, as recently he was ruining the MLB Home Run Derby.

I get that if it’s not McAfee, it’s just going to be someone else annoying being overexposed on ESPN. That’s a risk I’m willing to take. You would think that with all the money ESPN is paying McAfee that he could find a few more shirts with sleeves. I would get it if A.J. Hawk was trying to go sleeveless as much as possible on the show because he was an actual football player. McAfee was just a punter, which is essentially the designated hitter of football. Nobody actually takes punters seriously.

It probably doesn’t help my opinion that McAfee’s start in the media came from Barstool, which is a company I loathe. It’s obvious why McAfee was popular with their target audience since he is a meathead with little to no filter. I just wish A.J. Hawk didn’t get involved with McAfee, but I understand it from Hawk’s standpoint since it’s easy money to look at a camera while McAfee never shuts up, all while puffing on some e-cigar. Blink twice if you’re being held hostage by McAfee, A.J.!

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is a professional wrestling adage that says it doesn’t matter if you are getting positive reactions or negative reactions, as long as you are getting some sort of reaction from people. I guess McAfee is winning because I have already written this much on how I can’t stand him. In my mind, he is just Yinzer Gus Johnson. He’s loud, makes terrible jokes, and tries to make everything sound way more important than it really is.

Apparently, McAfee has stepped back from his WWE commentating duties because the college football season is upcoming, and he is feeling burnt out juggling so many jobs. If only college football fans were as lucky as wrestling fans, since those who turn into WWE know they’re free of McAfee.


Matt’s answer: Jim Knowles


It would be really easy for me to take some low-hanging fruit on this question, and go with someone like Sherrone Moore or Jim Harbaugh to stoke the rivalry flames (especially we already know they are very familiar with how to cheat), or to go with Fox Sports’ answer to Brett’s Pat McAfee and call out El Presidente Dave Portnoy (another Michigan Man). But, since there is an inherent job-related component to the whole Coldplay Kiss Cam situation, I am going to inject a certain element of employment schadenfreude into the equation. Therefore, I am going with Ohio State Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Last year was a weird one for Knowls; his Buckeye defense was unquestionably the best in college football, holding offenses to just 12.9 points per game, including four College Football Playoff games against some of the best offenses in the country. Yet, there were whispers around Buckeye Nation that head coach Ryan Day had to insert himself into the defensive game plan far more than ever before following the regular-season loss to Oregon.

Following the loss, the team talked of a “reengineering” on that side of the ball that saw the Buckeyes become more creative and aggressive in their schemes, coverages, and pressures... and it worked.

However, Knowles apparently didn’t take to well to his boss having to come in and babysit him, and almost immediately following the season, he pouted and left Columbus to take the same job in State College working for James Franklin’s Nittany Lions. Now, I know that Knowles is a Pennsylvania native, but skipping out on the Buckeyes’ national championship celebration because you have taken a job working for one of their rivals is a shitty move.

So, for that reason, I hope that at Coldplay's next concert in Pittsburgh, the Kiss Cam zooms in exposing a scene something like this:



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LGHL Player of the Year: Arvell Reese has the tools to be the breakout star on Ohio State’s defense

Player of the Year: Arvell Reese has the tools to be the breakout star on Ohio State’s defense
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

After playing over 300 snaps as a sophomore in 2024, Reese will get even more run at linebacker this season.

From now until preseason camp starts on July 31, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the players who will shine this season. Whether they are superstars, diamonds in the rough, or journeymen, these are the Buckeyes who will define the 2025-26 season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Player of the Year” articles here.



Lately, there has been a return to greatness for Ohio State’s linebackers. After the group saw some down years while Billy Davis was given the role of linebackers coach only because he was the best man at Urban Meyer’s wedding, there has been upward momentum for the unit over the past five years. After Tommy Eichenberg recorded over 100 tackles in 2022 on his way to earning First Team All-Big Ten honors in back-to-back years, Cody Simon took over last year and finished with 112 tackles.

With Simon now in the NFL, the leader of Ohio State’s linebackers this year will be Sonny Styles, who surprised a lot of people when he announced he would be returning to Columbus for another season. While Styles will look to impress NFL teams even further ahead of next year’s draft, the real breakout candidate at linebacker this season for the Buckeyes is shaping up to be Arvell Reese, who will step into the MIKE linebacker spot that Simon occupied last season.

Last year, Buckeye Nation got a taste of what Reese brings to the table. Despite Simon and Styles seeing most of the playing time at linebacker, the athletic gifts that Reese possesses allowed him to earn time on the field throughout the season. When all was said and done, the Cleveland Glenville product played over 300 snaps, registering 43 tackles. As the season went on, Reese became more comfortable on the field, registering a career-high seven tackles against Northwestern and Michigan. Along with his growth throughout the season, there were a number of hits Reese made that took the breath of fans away because of how vicious they were.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 31 Akron at Ohio State
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The contrast of how the careers of C.J. Hicks and Reese have gone since they arrived at Ohio State has been incredible to see. Hicks came to Columbus as a highly-touted recruit, while Reese wasn’t even in the top-20 when it came to linebacker recruits in the country. Hicks has barely been able to make it onto the field at linebacker, and now will be utilized as more of an edge-rusher, while Reese is looking like he’ll be the next in a line of impactful Buckeye linebackers.

It doesn’t hurt that Reese has been able to learn from one of the best linebackers to ever sport the scarlet and gray. Linebackers coach James Laurinaitis has been invaluable since returning to his alma mater a few years ago to take a graduate assistant spot on Ryan Day’s staff. The difference from what we saw from the linebackers under Billy Davis and Al Washington, compared to the level Laurinaitis has the group playing at is night and day.

What makes Reese such an intriguing prospect is his size and speed. At 6-foot-4 and nearly 240 pounds, the junior is a freight train when he gets moving downhill. Along with having incredible size and speed, Reese is also a versatile linebacker. Even though he’ll be playing a lot of MIKE linebacker this season as he replaces Simon, he has also shown that he can be a tremendous rusher off the edge. Last year, Reese was willing to play wherever they needed him at linebacker since he was often spelling Simon and Styles. Since he is able to excel at multiple linebacker spots, he’ll be even more attractive to NFL teams when he decides it is his time to hit the professional ranks.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 09 Purdue at Ohio State
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Not only will Reese be a starter when Ohio State opens up the season on August 30th against Texas, he’ll also be celebrating his 20th birthday on that day. Even though Styles and Texas linebacker Anthony Hill will receive most of the attention at that position in the College Football Playoff semifinal rematch from January, it could be Reese who comes out of the game with the brightest-looking future.

With an offseason full of work with Laurinaitis to ready Reese to be a full-time starter this season, the Cleveland native could be one of the biggest breakout stars on defense this year, not only in the Big Ten, but in all of college football. Buckeye fans have seen glimpses of what Reese can do on the field; now it is time for him to do it on a weekly basis.

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LGHL No shock in who Buckeye fans believe will be OSU’s offensive and defensive MVPs

No shock in who Buckeye fans believe will be OSU’s offensive and defensive MVPs
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2025 CFP National Championship - Ohio State v Notre Dame

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.

Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various
Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.



As we inch closer and closer to the start of preseason camp, less than a week away, we here at LGHL are wrapping up Player of the Year Week, and to mark the occasion, today, I am going to celebrate with the release of the (somewhat anticlimactic) results for this week’s fan survey.


Earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation who they believed would end up being Ohio State’s offensive and defensive MVPs. I gave them nearly two dozen options to choose from on each side of the ball, but, my friends, I really only needed to provide one name on offense and one name on defense, because you already know the two Buckeyes who were selected.

Take a look at the official results below, and if you want to share your thoughts on the winners, head down to the comments at the bottom of the page.


Question 1: Who will be Ohio State’s defensive MVP this season?



I know, big shocker that the best defensive player in the country was the pick here. I guess the only surprise is that he won by a plurality, rather than a majority, but Sonny Styles ended up getting a pretty healthy percentage of votes to make that an impossibility.

You could make an argument that Caleb Downs plays too far away from the ball to be the true MVP, that because he is a safety, he isn’t going to be involved on defense enough to truly be the most valuable player on that side of the ball, but, folks, let’s not overthink this.

Downs is so good that he is going to impact everything that every opposing offense does all season, especially if new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia uses him like the Buckeyes did in the second half of last season. Early on in his first year as a Buckeye, Downs was left in the back of the defense to play free safety, and while that was effective, we only truly got to see how impactful he could be when they allowed him to start playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

As Caleb started coming up in run support and becoming a factor in the short-passing game, it became incredibly evident just how awesome and athletic the Alabama transfer was. So, if the Buckeyes continue to allow him the freedom to roam and make plays as only he can, there is no doubt in my mind that he can, and should, be OSU’s defensive MVP this season.


Question 2: Who will be Ohio State’s offensive MVP this season?



I think if Will Howard had returned for a second season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, there would have been a compelling argument to go with him here, simply by virtue of the fact that QB is the most important and impactful position in all of sports.

But considering that we don’t really even know who OSU’s quarterback is going to be just yet, there really is no reason to look anywhere else other than the best offensive player in the country for this one.

I understand that Jeremiah Smith is going to be double and triple-teamed all season, but he is the best playmaker in college football, so it is incumbent on Ryan Day and Brian Hartline to figure out how to get him the ball, and I, for one, trust them both to do just that.

What J.J. did as an 18-year-old true freshman last season was nothing short of silly. And while he will undoubtedly take on even more defensive attention this season now that Emeka Egbuka is off becoming the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Smith will remain the focal point of Ohio State’s offense, regardless of who is going to be getting him the ball.



Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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