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LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Michigan State rewind and Minnesota preview

Silver Bullets Podcast: Michigan State rewind and Minnesota preview
Michael Citro
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 11 Michigan State at Ohio State

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes handled Sparty and have one test remaining before the one we’ve all been waiting for.

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For once, it was nice to not have to sit through a frustrating first half waiting for Ohio State to put some drives together and take control of the game. The Buckeyes dominated the Michigan State Spartans from start to finish, and fans got to see quite a few backups in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter.

We break down Ohio State’s easy night in those cool, gray alternate uniforms. We also looked back at our score predictions and our picks to click to see how we fared at prognosticating the game.

After our Sparty rewind, we took our usual walk through the other Big Ten results, including that big game over in Happy Valley. If you like defense or hate offense (or both), that was the game for you. Of course, we had to also dive into the Michigan sign-stealing scandal and the Big Ten’s response late last week. We also had to point out the ludicrous reaction by the Wolverines after the game as they painted themselves as the victims when that’s not really how breaking the rules works.

Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday afternoon’s “Senior Day” game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers just got handled by Purdue but there’s some talent on that Minnesota team. However, Ohio State just has to show up and handle its business and things should be fine on Saturday.

We’ll be here with you every week from now until the end of the 2023 Ohio State football season (and then monthly). We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.

As always, thanks for listening!

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LGHL 2026 quarterback had a ‘great night’ on Ohio State visit

2026 quarterback had a ‘great night’ on Ohio State visit
Dan Hessler
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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2026 four-star quarterback Will Griffin via @w_griffin11 on X

The Buckeyes played host to a handful of recruits for their game against Michigan State, including a 2026 four-star QB.

Ohio State is now 10-0 following a dominant 38-3 victory over Michigan State. Ohio State will now prepare to host Minnesota for its final home game of the season. Because this will be the last time multiple current Buckeyes will take the field in front of their home fans, a lot of the headlines surrounding the team this week will focus on the current roster.

However, Saturday could also be a busy recruiting day for the Buckeyes as it will also be the coaching staff’s last opportunity this season to host recruits for a game day experience.

2026 QB had a great visit to Ohio State


Ohio State played host to numerous recruits this past weekend when it hosted Michigan State. The fans, the alternate uniforms, the outcome and the overall atmosphere of ‘The Shoe’ Saturday easily created a successful recruiting environment for the Ohio State coaching staff.

One of the bigger name’s to visit Saturday was 2026 four-star quarterback Will Griffin (Tamps, FL / Jesuit). The visit was not the first to Ohio State for Griffin, but it was his first time visiting with the Buckeyes for a game day.

The visit seems to have gone as well as possible, and Griffin said he had a ‘great night’ in Columbus. Additionally, the below post on Twitter is now pinned to his profile.


Ohio State has been building a relationship with Griffin this year. Griffin attended an Ohio State camp in June and after impressing the coaching staff, left with a scholarship offer. Griffin was also able to compete against Ohio State 2025 four-star quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair who was also in attendance for Ohio State’s game Saturday.

Ohio State is not alone in its pursuit of Griffin though, who holds a near dozen scholarship offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, etc. He is also being recruited by Michigan State, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Clemson, etc.

Griffin is the No. 5 QB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and he is the No. 62 overall prospect. He is also the No. 8 recruit from the talent-rich state of Florida.

Quick Hits​


As previously mentioned, Ohio State played host to numerous recruits for its game against Michigan State. Below are just a few of the recruits who were able to make their way to Columbus.

  • 2026 five-star safety Zelus Hicks, who left this weekend with an offer from Ohio State.

All glory to god! Blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University!! @Coach_Eliano @OhioStateFB @coachskrrt pic.twitter.com/cPrvkAR4XJ

— Zelus Hicks (@Zelus_Hicks) November 13, 2023
  • 2026 Ohio cornerback Elbert Hill

Had an amazing time at ohio state this weekend the atmosphere was amazing @OhioStateFB @CoachTimWalton @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/1Fp8cE8JKv

— Elbert Hill (@Rockk114) November 13, 2023
  • 2024 North Carolina cornerback Cairo Skanes

Had a great time at the Ohio State game on Saturday! Thank you to @N_Murph for the inv and thank you to the rest of the coaching staff for showing so much love! @CoachTimWalton @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/DmcF5vdDjt

— Cairo Skanes (@CairoSkanes1) November 13, 2023
  • 2025 four-star ATH Dante McClellan
  • 2026 four-star IOL Tyler Merrill

Had an amazing time in Columbus this weekend watching @OhioStateFB play! Thank you @etwill21 and the rest of the Buckeyes staff for the hospitality and making the time great! @coachoswalt @CVSDeagles @CVHS_Football pic.twitter.com/B7A3osi0oX

— Tyler Merrill (@BigOak2026) November 12, 2023

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LGHL You’re Nuts: Way-too-early level of concern for OSU men’s basketball

You’re Nuts: Way-too-early level of concern for OSU men’s basketball
Josh Dooley
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

How are we feeling about the Buckeyes after just two games?

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: Way-too-early level of concern for OSU men’s basketball


Josh’s Take


Just two games into the 2023-24 season, the Ohio State men’s basketball team sits at an even 1-1, with the loss coming courtesy of No. 15 Texas A&M in a back and forth affair. Sure, the loss occurred at home, but OSU has not exactly enjoyed a Duke-like home court advantage in recent years. Or since the university moved teams from St. John Arena to a crappy concert venue, but that is neither here nor there...

Regardless, A&M will be a tournament team and likely flirt with a top-10 ranking at some point during the season. So no shame in dropping a close one to a well-coached team with a bunch of juniors and seniors. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with the Buckeyes’ start.

But beneath the surface, there is already some leg kicking and struggling go on, as Chris Holtmann’s squad attempts to find shallow water. Which is my fancy way of saying that the warning signs are there, folks. The same warning signs that have smacked us in the face for years: Lack of ball movement and/or creativity on offense, poor shooting, and trouble rebounding, among others.

Now, I might be overreacting here. After all, we are only two games into the season. But that is why I asked Gene to take this journey with me. I wanted him to potentially be the yin to my yang and talk me off this scary ledge. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. But we are going to ‘debate’ either way. So without further ado, these are our early and respective levels of concern for Ohio State men’s basketball.

I don’t want to sound too pessimistic or ‘hot takey’ here, but I will start by saying that my concern level for these Buckeyes is a 12 out of 10. Because to me, this essentially looks like last year’s squad that went 16-19 and finished 13th in the Big Ten during the regular season. Except Brice Sensabaugh has been replaced by Jamison Battle, while the rest of the new pieces are lesser versions of Justice Sueing and Sean McNeil. Right now, that is.

Make no mistake, I love the upside(s) of Scotty Middleton, Devin Royal, and Taison Chatman. I really do. But Sueing and McNeil had a decade of college basketball experience between them. And while limited in certain aspects of the game, Sueing could still do a little bit of everything. McNeil was a borderline elite shooter.

So far, we’ve seen one good game and one bad game from Middleton, very little from Royal, and nothing from Chatman (due to injury). There is just no guarantee that the young guys will replace 22 points, 7 boards, and 3 assists per game, which is what you were getting consistently from Sueing and McNeil.

So then who are the vets supposedly helping out Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Zed Key? Battle, Evan Mahaffey, and Dale Bonner? I’m holding out hope for 15 and 5 from Battle, but the other two appear to be different versions of Ice Likekele: No offense, little bit of defense. Sick. Exactly what a team with no identity needs.

That last point is what really bothers me about recent Holtmann teams. What is their identity? What do they do well? Lately, the answer has been “Well nothing, really.” They’ve had no real firepower on offense. If E.J. Liddell, Malaki Branham, or Sensabaugh wasn’t going off, the backup plan seemed to be hoping and praying for 20-25 seconds. The defense has been ok at times, but never stifling. Never something OSU could rely on to win games. And those are just the blatantly obvious things that jump out; scoring and stopping the opponent from doing so.

The other parts of the game haven't been great, either. The Buckeyes still can’t shoot. They are 11-of-44 from three and 34-of-47 from the line thus far in ‘23-24. They don’t share the ball well. As a team, Ohio State is dishing out 12.5 assists per game, however, 5.5 of those belong to Gayle. So if you take away the team’s starting shooting guard, OSU is averaging seven freaking assists per game! If you take away both Gayle and Thornton, well then Holtmann’s squad basically doesn’t pass the ball. And don’t get me started on rebounding! I mean, the team's starting center has four boards in two games.

I do give the Buckeyes credit for coming back against Oakland and hanging tough with A&M. And Thornton/Gayle/Zed Key have all played fairly well... But Ohio State has not looked like a good basketball team. It is the will and desire of those three players that has even salvaged a few respectable results. While I really like a handful of the individual pieces, I’m just not sure that Holtmann can coach this group (that he put together) to a 20-win season. I hope I am proven wrong, but these first two games have reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day. So again, I am at a 12/10 on the concern scale.

Gene’s Take


In a rare twist of fate, I will choose to take the more optimistic route in this edition of You’re Nuts, and say that I’m at around a 4/10 level of concern after two games for this year’s group of men’s basketball Buckeyes.

Now, that is not to say that I don't recognize a less-than-ideal start for this Ohio State team. Chris Holtmann’s group struggled against Oakland in the opener, but did come away with a six-point victory. The Grizzlies aren’t world beaters, but they aren’t that awful either, as they lost their next game but kept things close in a 64-53 content against Illinois that was just a one-point game at the half. A loss to a top-15 team in Texas A&M doesn’t really move the needle either, especially considering all five of the Aggies’ top scorers this season are upperclassmen.

However, a look at the statistical rankings — again, it has just been two games — paints the picture of an incredibly slow start to the new campaign for Ohio State. Offensively, the Buckeyes rank 233rd of 363 teams in points per game (72.5) and 146th in offensive rating, a measure of the estimated points scored per 100 possessions (110.7). Defensive things have not been much better, ranking 224th in points allowed per game (73) and 307th in defensive rating (111.5). Again, it is just two games, but being in or near the bottom third in the country in three of four team-based statistics is a tough look.

That being said, these types of early-season struggles are to be expected when basically your entire roster is made up of underclassmen. All but three players (Zed Key, Jamison Battle and Dale Bonner) that have logged minutes for Ohio State through two games are either freshmen or sophomores, with both of the team’s two leading scorers (Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle) being second-year guys. They are going to need more from their veterans like Battle and Key, but its tough to expect a largely young team to be firing on all cylinders right out of the gate.

They are also expecting more — and I think we will see a lot more — from this current freshman class that ranked 12th nationally and third in the Big Ten. Scotty Middleton, one of three four-star signees, was strong in the opener against Oakland, shooting 4-of-7 with 13 points and eight boards, but went just 1-of-5 with two points in 16 minutes against Texas A&M. Ohio State has yet to see Taison Chatman, their top-rated recruit in the 2023 class, as the No. 1 player out of Minnesota has missed the first two games of the season with injury, as well as 6-foot-10 center Austin Parks. Devin Royal, the fourth member of the class, has played sparingly off the bench and has attempted just one shot.

So, for me, I think this incredibly young Ohio State team has a ton of potential, and basically everyone on the roster from the veterans to the first-year guys is capable of playing far better than they are right now. I am definitely concerned that many of the same issues that have plagued prior Chris Holtmann teams continue to show up this season, including stretches of poor shooting and rebounding issues, but even still I think this team has a higher ceiling that year’s past.

Could I be wrong and we are in store for another poor season from the men’s squad if things don't start clicking? Absolutely, but I’m willing to hold out hope and not completely lose faith in this team after just two games.

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LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Michigan State

Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Michael Citro
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Michigan State v Ohio State

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

Here’s what gave me indigestion against Sparty (Or was it just my dinner?)

It may be difficult to get angry at whatever your team does when it puts its opponent in a blender and completely dominates, but that’s the premise here, so bear with me while I put on my most cynical pair of glasses to look back upon Ohio State’s 38-3 home win over Michigan State on Saturday night.

Here’s what gave me indigestion as I watched the night game against Sparty (OK, it could have been the Mexican food).

Snap-fu


Carson Hinzman’s name went into my notes first this week on Ohio State’s first drive. His ridiculously bad snap hit himself in the rear end and nearly created an early disaster for the Buckeyes. It was just the fifth snap of the game. Fortunately for Ohio State, Kyle McCord was able to pick it up cleanly and throw it at the feet of Emeka Egbuka for no loss on the play. The Buckeyes picked up a first down on the ensuing play thanks to Egbuka drawing a pass interference penalty on Jaden Mangham.

Why Did It Have to be a Slant?


Ohio State’s vulnerability against slant passes seems to have no fix. Each week, teams are able to exploit the middle of the OSU defense to the point where I’m not sure why teams call any other play. If I were an opposing offensive coordinator, I’d probably just keep calling slant passes until the Buckeyes showed me that they can stop them. It seems automatic, and a good team that can execute could probably cause a lot of trouble sticking with that one play.

Set That Edge


Nate Carter gashed the OSU run defense for 27 yards on the Spartans’ first play of their second possession. Ohio State’s defense had a slower start to the game than the OSU offense, including giving up some chunk plays to Michigan State’s offense. On the play, Carter simply rushed around the right side, Ohio State did not set the edge, and it was a big play for Sparty. The defense redeemed itself by forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing set of downs.

Garbage Spots


Early in the second quarter, the first of two incredible spots was given to the Spartans when Katin Houser scrambled under pressure. The MSU quarterback was a good yard short of the line to make, but the official who spotted the ball gave him a generous spot. The play was reviewed and moved back, so the replay process worked the way it was supposed to. The second time it happened, in the second half, there was no such review.

Special Teams Still Not-So-Special


With Houser shy of the first down and the ball near midfield, Michigan State sent the punting team onto the field, despite already being down 21-0. Everyone in the stadium and watching on TV knew a fake was likely, and yet Jaren Mangham took the direct snap and went five yards to convert. Ohio State played punt safe but didn’t pack the box, making it an easy conversion.

At this point, I simply have to believe that Ryan Day is waiting until the offseason to fire Parker Fleming, because if he’s allowed to stay on after what we’ve seen from the special teams units this season, it’s coaching malpractice on the same level of keeping Brian Ferentz or Alex Grinch on staff.

Blocking Problems


On a third-down play inside its own 10-yard line, the OSU offense called a safe run play to TreVeyon Henderson. The problem with the call, which was exceedingly conservative when there’s a guy named Marvin Harrison Jr. on the team, was that the right side of the line both blocked the outside defensive lineman and let the inside man go free. That man stuffed Henderson at the line of scrimmage and forced Ohio State to punt. The ensuing Michigan State drive produced the visitors’ only points of the evening on a field goal.

Blemish on a Big Night


McCord had a fantastic game, but it was one of his few mistakes that cost Harrison his third receiving and fourth overall touchdown of the night. The young quarterback underthrew a wide open Harrison in the left corner. Because of the underthrow, the defense was able to make a play on the ball. If he’d put it in the back corner, it was an easy score for the Heisman Trophy candidate receiver.

Don’t Let Them Drive


It looked like the Spartans were about to put a second score on the board late in the third quarter. The Buckeyes had a 38-3 lead at the time, and the Spartans took possession on their own 28-yard line. The OSU defense had a bit of a lapse to start the drive, allowing Sparty to move into OSU territory.

After two strong defensive plays resulted in a loss of a yard across them for Michigan State, the Spartans then picked up 10 on third down and three more on fourth. Pass interference by Malik Hartford gave the visitors another first down immediately after converting on fourth. Jaren Mangham ran three straight times to pick up yet another first, moving the ball to the OSU 34.

Thanks to a Michigan State holding penalty a couple of plays later, the Spartans’ drive stalled, but it was the kind of soft possession we’ve seen about once per game from what has been an excellent defense in 2023.



It wasn’t easy to find things to gripe about this week, so maybe I should be complaining about that. Obviously this column should not be taken out of context. The good vastly outweighed the bad. Harrison Jr. and Henderson did their usual things, while McCord had his biggest night as a starter so far. The young defensive backs filling in at safety did a good job, and Cody Simon deputized well for the injured Tommy Eichenberg. The game was comfortably in hand before halftime. It felt like nature was healing.

Next up, the Buckeyes host Minnesota at 4:00 p.m. ET next Saturday. Ohio State will have to avoid stepping into the trap with The Game looming a week later.

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2025 GA DB Zelus Hicks (Texas Signee)

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Rivals
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Class: 2026 (high school)
Position: Defensive Back
School: Lilburn (GA) Parkview
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 lbs

Hicks, offered by Perry Eliano, is ranked the 32nd-best prospect and third-best safety in the 2026 class. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Georgia prospect holds 20 Division I offers, including Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Liberty, Louisville, LSU, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and UCF.

So far this season, Hicks has recorded 43 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

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LGHL If This Were A Movie: ‘Hey Now, Hey Now’ — Did Ohio State’s win over MSU give you Lizzie McGuire vibes?

If This Were A Movie: ‘Hey Now, Hey Now’ — Did Ohio State’s win over MSU give you Lizzie McGuire vibes?
Jami Jurich
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

Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State proved it’s the real deal on Saturday — much like Lizzie McGuire proved she doesn’t have to lip sync.

Each week, we’ll analyze the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games as well) through the lens of a sports movie. If this game were the next “Remember the Titans,” “Space Jam” or “The Sandlot,” what storylines would keep us talking? What would make us laugh, reach for the box of tissues, or have us on the edge of our seats? Grab your popcorn and get ready for pop culture references, a hint of snark, and a trip back in time to the Blockbuster Video days.



Even though Ohio State has played in — and won — two marquee games this season, with victories over Notre Dame and Penn State, doubts have swirled about whether this “No. 1” team is actually No. 1 this season.

In fact, I’ve been a bit of a doubter myself. In a role reversal from the past few seasons, the defense has been an absolute machine, but the offense has left some questions about how far this team could actually go.

While McCord and his band of merry men always found a way to get it done (with a scrappiness that counts especially in the bigger games), it hasn’t always looked pretty — and we’re used to the OSU offense looking pretty. At times, they’ve looked more like a house of cards, ready to fall over at the slightest breeze. Even with Marvin Harrison Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson both on the field, there have been games this season where I found myself holding my breath.

But while Saturday’s game against Michigan State wasn’t the Buckeyes’ toughest matchup this season, it taught us a few things: This team is the real deal, and they seem to be reaching their peak at the exact right moment in the season.

Much like one Lizzie McGuire reached her peak in Italy on a school field trip.

For the non-millennials among us, the cinematic masterpiece, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” tells the tale of a young Lizzie (Hilary Duff) who is on a graduation trip to Rome with some junior high classmates, chaperoned by their very strict, soon-to-be high school principal Angela Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein).

While at the Trevi Fountain, Lizzie is approached by a famous Italian pop star named Paolo (Yani Gellman), who mistakes her for his singing partner Isabella (a dead-ringer for Lizzie). Lizzie spends the rest of her trip sneaking out from under Ms. Ungermeyer’s eagle eye in order to meet up with the cute Italian singer.

You know who else spent Saturday sneaking around (albeit not in Rome)? Marvin Harrison Jr.

Like Lizzie’s friend Gordo* covers for her while she slips away, Marv had excellent support from quarterback Kyle McCord and the rest of the offense, allowing him to continue his case for the Heisman Trophy. He finished the day with seven receptions for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns (one rushing), becoming the first Ohio State player in history to have multiple 1,000-receiving yard seasons.

*Please know I made a conscious choice to spare you a McCord-o joke, no matter how badly my heart wanted to do it. You. Are. Welcome.

Harrison made it look easy, as he so often does. But Michigan State did their best impression of the Ungermeyer with some solid double coverage. Still, Marv found a way.

Back in Rome, Paolo has told Lizzie a sob story about how he and Isabella ended their singing partnership and she is refusing to perform with him at an upcoming awards show because she *gasp* lip syncs. He hopes Lizzie will disguise herself as Isabella to take her place.

The rest of the movie involves Lizzie sneaking out to get made over enough to believably become a pop star instead of a “sort of frumpy American middle school girl who tripped onstage at her eighth-grade graduation.” And despite her nerves, she sells it.

You know who else looked the part Saturday? Kyle McCord.

McCord went 24-of-31 for a career-high 335 yards and three touchdowns. Though people have had their doubts about whether he could sell it when it counted most, November football arguably counts the most, and he sold it. The hope is that a performance like that boosts confidence enough to slingshot you through The Game and all the drama that will entail.

It did for Lizzie. When it finally came time to perform, she was expecting to be able to phone it in. Isabella lip-syncs, after all! So Lizzie would simply use the same backing tracks!

WRONG. There’s a fun plot twist at the end that I won’t spoil, but the twist leads to Lizzie McGuire bringing down the house with a song called “What Dreams Are Made Of.” Even though people doubted her. Even though she doubted herself. She proves she’s the real deal.

McCord, Harrison, TreVeyon Henderson, and the Ohio State offense proved that against Michigan State. They are hitting their stride at the exact right point in the season, and if they can continue to fire on all cylinders, perhaps they really will silence the doubters (myself included) when it comes time to face Michigan.

And, for their part, the OSU defense continued to dominate on the other side of the ball despite the fact that they were missing several key players. They’ve been the real deal all season long — no lip-syncing to be found.

With Michigan defeating Penn State pretty handily in the Wolverines’ first big battle of the season (and one they fought without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines due to Big Ten sanctions from the sign-stealing scandal), we’re getting set up for another showdown between the rivals that will have drastic playoff implications.

As such, the Buckeyes’ timing in hitting their stride is absolutely critical. They have grown, gone through their whole makeover, and now, they’ve got to pay that work off with a rockstar performance. Dress rehearsal was Saturday, and this kind of November football? This is what dreams are made of (hey, hey, hey).

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LGHL Karla Vreš’ memorable moment for Ohio State women’s basketball

Karla Vreš’ memorable moment for Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Screenshot_2023_11_12_at_7.28.45_PM.0.png

Rikki Harris (left) and Karla Vreš (right) before Ohio State’s game against IUPUI on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. | Ohio State University athletic department

The second-year Buckeye forward makes personal history late in Sunday’s victory.

In Sunday’s 108-58 win for the Ohio State women’s basketball team, the halftime entertainment included an under-appreciated group of people: Players’ parents. Lined up along the length of the court, each player’s family in attendance was highlighted for the outstanding work in getting their kids to their spot in NCAA basketball. Announced in the group were the parents of graduate senior forward Karla Vreš, even though they weren’t in attendance.

“They were back home in Europe,” said Vreš. “Mom is in Croatia and dad is in Sweden.”

Even though Vreš’ parents couldn’t make it, there was an overflow of family support inside the Schottenstein Center late in the game.

With six minutes remaining, the forward got her first minutes of the 23-24 season, with the Buckeyes up 94-45. After joining Ohio State from American University before the start of the 22-23 season, Vreš has played mostly in these situations, whether it being the scarlet and gray light years ahead of opponents or the rare inverse.

Up big, the scarlet and gray didn’t relent, and Vreš got involved offensively early, earning an assist to fellow player off the bench, guard Kaia Henderson. It was two minutes later that Vreš had her moment — scoring her first points as a member of the Buckeyes.

Receiving a pass from fellow graduate senior forward Eboni Walker, Vreš posted up against IUPUI’s Faith Stinson. After taking a step, the Croatian Vreš turned on the defender and hit a smooth hook shot near the rim. The crowd was loud. Not just excited-to-get-another-point-loud, but knowing what the moment meant. The same can be said about Vreš’ teammates on the bench.

“It felt great, amazing. It’s something that obviously I’ve been working on for a long time,” said Vreš. “Having the team there to support me to that extent was amazing. Knowing everybody wanted as much as I did.”


These Karla Vreš plays pic.twitter.com/gt4nQoBefM

— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 12, 2023

Fellow European, Slovakian forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, showing the most excitement as the player who understands Vreš’ journey more than anyone. The rest of her teammates out of their seat, throwing their hands up in celebration of the forward.

Although minutes on the court aren’t always there for the Big Ten Scholar Athlete, she’s an important piece of the Buckeyes.

“She’s a great kid,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “The team really likes her and you can see how excited they were seeing her score a couple baskets.”

That’s right, soon after Vreš added another. Still posted up near the paint, Vreš received a pass from a big who’s on the other end of their NCAA journey, freshman center Faith Carson, finding the Croatian for another two points in the paint.

It was four points in a game with 166 combined points, but they’re a fantastic reminder of a team being more than the biggest names getting the most minutes on the court. After the game, it wasn’t a team high points by forward Cotie McMahon or a perfect shooting game by forward/guard Taylor Thierry getting the honorary “dub chain.”


Efficiency's Finest, Karla Vres #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/sVs1WiTAvJ

— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 12, 2023

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Week 12 Games Discussion

Here are this week’s games. Mostly a snooze-fest.

Tuesday, November 14

Akron at Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Toledo at Bowling Green, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Western Michigan at NIU, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Wednesday, November 15

Buffalo at Miami of Ohio, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Central Michigan at Ohio, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Thursday, November 16

Boston College at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m., ESPN

Friday, November 17

USF at UTSA, 9 p.m., ESPN2
Colorado at Washington State, 10:30 p.m., FS1

Saturday, November 18

Louisville at Miami, Noon, ABC
Oklahoma at BYU, Noon, ESPN
Michigan at Maryland, Noon, FOX
Rutgers at Penn State, Noon, FS1
Michigan State at Indiana, Noon, BTN
Purdue at Northwestern, Noon, BTN
Louisiana-Monroe at Ole Miss, Noon, SEC Network
Coastal Carolina at Army, Noon, CBS Sports Network
Abilene Christian at Texas A&M, Noon, ESPN+
Chattanooga at Alabama, Noon, ESPN+
Southern Miss at Mississippi State, Noon, ESPN+
SMU at Memphis, Noon, ESPN2
Tulane at FAU, Noon, ESPN+
East Carolina at Navy, Noon, ESPN+
Sacred Heart at UConn, Noon, local network

UMass at Liberty, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Hawaii at Wyoming, 2 p.m., Spectrum PPV
Louisiana Tech at Jacksonville State, 2 p.m., ESPN+
UTEP at Middle Tennessee, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Rice at Charlotte, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Kent State at Ball State, 2 p.m., ESPN+
Appalachian State at James Madison, 2 p.m., ESPN+

Utah at Arizona, 2:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
Cincinnati at West Virginia, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Texas State at Arkansas State, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Duke at Virginia, 3 p.m., The CW
Temple at UAB, 3 p.m., ESPN+
North Texas at Tulsa, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Nevada at Colorado State, 3 p.m.

UCLA at USC, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Georgia at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Wake Forest at Notre Dame, 3:30 p.m., NBC
North Carolina at Clemson, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Illinois at Iowa, 3:30 p.m., FS1
NC State at Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
UNLV at Air Force, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Lousiana at Troy, 3:30 p.m., NFL Network
Baylor at TCU, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Sam Houston at Western Kentucky, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+

Oregon at Arizona State, 4 p.m., Fox
Oklahoma State at Houston, 4 p.m., ESPN2
Minnesota at Ohio State, 4 p.m., BTN
New Mexico State at Auburn, 4 p.m., SEC Network

UCF at Texas Tech, 5 p.m., FS2
Marshall at South Alabama, 5 p.m., ESPN+
Old Dominion at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Cal at Stanford, 6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network
North Alabama at Florida State, 6:30 p.m., The CW

Kansas State at Kansas, 7 p.m., FS1
Boise State at Utah State, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network
Florida at Missouri, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Washington at Oregon State, 7:30 p.m., ABC
Nebraska at Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m., NBC
FIU at Arkansas, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
Kentucky at South Carolina, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network

Texas at Iowa State, 8 p.m., FOX
Syracuse at Georgia Tech, 8 p.m., ACC Network
Georgia State at LSU, 8 p.m., ESPN2

New Mexico at Fresno State, 10:30 p.m., FS1

LGHL Game Preview: No. 7 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. IUPUI

Game Preview: No. 7 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. IUPUI
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


USC v Ohio State

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Buckeyes return home from Las Vegas for their first home game of the season.

It was a difficult start to the season for the Ohio State women’s basketball team. The Buckeyes faced a motivated No. 21 USC team, featuring one of the most dangerous freshman and an imposing interior presence. Head coach Kevin McGuff’s side played two solid quarters of basketball, but couldn’t keep things consistent for 40 minutes. Now, Sunday gives the scarlet and gray a chance to continue to gel and find its offensive stroke, against the IUPUI Jaguars.


Preview


Monday’s 83-75 defeat at the hands of the Trojans is likely not indicative of what fans will see out of Ohio State in the 23-24 season. While it's easy to overreact in a game where the Buckeyes looked like two completely different teams, it was the first of 29 games. Also, McGuff’s side knew that offense wasn’t going to just click this year like it had in the past two seasons.

However, Monday’s Ohio State side had spells looking like the team everyone expected this season: Staunch defensively and flowing on offense. Plus a surprise or two.

Defensively, No. 1 freshman recruit in the nation, USC guard Juju Watkins, was the lone player who really exposed the Buckeyes, scoring-wise. Watkins had 32 points, barely breaking a sweat as she dribbled past defenders and caused Ohio State players to pick up early fouls.

Outside of Watkins, no one imposed their will offensively against the Buckeyes half court defense. Forward Rayah Marshall had 18 points, but a lot of those came off poor turnovers and autopilot passing by Ohio State, seemingly right to the forward. In the first and second quarters, the Buckeyes outscored the Trojans 48-25. Eliminate turnovers (Ohio State had 14 for 17 points given up), and it's an even closer outcome and more competitive in the final minutes of the game.

Offensively, forward Cotie McMahon was quiet with seven points, with three coming off one shot from deep in the first quarter, but its not all on the sophomore. Ohio State had good spells of scoring production but overall looked not all on the same page.

Ohio State’s disastrous second quarter, scoring 10 points, the catch and shoot style makes of the first quarter were replaced with catch, dribble and heave on bad opportunities. Making it worse was they came earlier in the shot clock without much passing and off the ball movement, like running plays was optional going into halftime.

It's going to take this team time to align offensively. Sunday is a great chance to work on it. The Buckeyes face Horizon League side IUPUI, based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Interesting enough, the Jaguars bring similar characteristics to the USC Trojans, albeit from a smaller league with less Watkins-esque stars.

While the Jaguars underwent a lot of change this offseason, only four players remain from its last season’s roster, one name to watch against the Buckeyes is forward Jazmyn Turner. After Marshall hit Ohio State for 18 points and 17 rebounds, Turner was pulling up eerily similar numbers against Eastern Illinois.

In 32 minutes, Turner scored 19 points on top of 17 rebounds. While Turner doesn't average a double-double like Marshall, Turner has games where she can pull double-doubles on the boards. The Marion, Indiana native also led the Jaguars in scoring last year with 14.9 points.

Also like USC’s production by Watson, IUPUI’s scoring in its lone game of the season was a 32-point game. This time by guard Katie Davidson. Following two seasons with the Miami University Redhawks, Davidson had a nice introduction to IUPUI fans, hitting a career high in scoring. The guard will hurt the Buckeyes mostly from deep though, not like Watkins’ impressive paint performance.

Sunday’s matinee, one of many for Ohio State on weekends this season, shouldn't give the Buckeyes too much trouble, but there can be matchup problems against Turner especially that could make things interesting early.

An especially important part of Sunday is giving Buckeyes guard Celeste Taylor more real game practice to incorporate into this new side. Taylor had seven points and two assists before fouling out on Monday. Defensively, Taylor had two steals and did well at stifling non-Watkins guards on the Trojans, It’s offensively that Taylor needs to find her place on this scarlet and gray side.

Of Taylor’s seven points, four came from the foul line and one three made up the rest. Overall, Taylor shot 1-for-8, with five of those shots coming from deep. Maybe it was first game jitters with a new team or the pressure to hit three-point shots (no one shot from deep particularly well with OSU going 5-for-21 from beyond the arc).

Either way, taking on a school outside of the power five conferences should help build confidence for Taylor offensively, and help teammates take another step forward in becoming a more consistent side.


Projected Lineups

Lineup Notes

  • McMahon has only scored seven points or less in 10 of the sophomore’s 37 career NCAA games.
  • A bright spot Monday was Sheldon, who led the Buckeyes with 28 points, five steals and two assists, showing that the guard is healthy again.
  • Forward transfers Taiyier Parks and Eboni Walker only played a combined seven minutes for the Buckeyes, with McGuff going with Rebeka Mikulášiková and Taylor Thierry as the main two athletes playing the No. 5 role.

Lineup Notes

  • Senior guard Jaela Johnson has experience against the Buckeyes, scoring 24 points in Nov. 2021 as a member of Bellarmine University.
  • Senior guard Jaci Jones started Monday for IUPUI, only her second start going into her fourth season with the Jaguars.
  • Coach Kate Bruce comes back to Ohio for this one after coaching NCAA Division II Walsh University to 134 wins in six seasons, before leaving for IUPUI in May of 2022.

Prediction


Ohio State will win, and win big. It’s not simply because IUPUI is a smaller division team. It’s because of that Monday defeat. The Jaguars face a Buckeyes team with added motivation following a rough outing against the Trojans.

McMahon will lead the Buckeyes in scoring and hit shots in the paint with regularity. Also, McGuff will continue to see what the scarlet and gray can do from beyond the arc.



How to Watch

Date:
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: B1G+


LGHL Prediction: 92-61 Ohio State Buckeyes


Home Crowd


Sunday is one of seven non-conference games the Buckeyes play in Columbus this year. Last season, Ohio State led the country in the largest increase in home attendance and promotion-wise, the scarlet and gray aren’t slowing down.

The first 1,000 fans to Sunday’s game get a roster t-shirt, and everyone gets a chance to meet and greet the team following the final buzzer. It’s the third meet and greet the team has done in this early season, with both prior editions coming in a combined event with the men’s team and an open practice for the women.


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LGHL Minnich’s Musings about Ohio State vs. Michigan State

Minnich’s Musings about Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Chip.Minnich
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

Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State was dominant in a nationally televised rout of Michigan State.

For a November night game that Ohio State did not want to play but acquiesced to the requests of The Big Ten’s leadership, the 38-3 win over Michigan State was precisely the kind of performance that the coaches, players, and fans wanted to see at this stage of the 2023 season. Ohio State took a 21-0 lead at the start of the second quarter, and comfortably did not look back.

Yes, Michigan State is now 3-7, and it would be foolish to put too much emphasis on this win over the Spartans. I had predicted a 35-14 win over Michigan State, so this game needs to be kept in proper focus about what it means for the Buckeyes as they head into their final two regular season games of this season.



Marvin Harrison Jr. will be a Heisman Trophy finalist

I do not want to suggest that Harrison will be the winner, although in my biased estimation he should be, as compared to other players who are being discussed as Heisman Trophy candidates. I will suggest that Harrison’s performance versus Michigan State, with three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) is the kind of game that will have media and other notable personnel saying, “Hey, did you see what Marvin Harrison Jr. did against Michigan State?”, and it is that type of game that will usually help garner votes, and thus, a trip to New York City.



Kyle McCord played his best game of the season against the Spartans

Again, let us not equate the Spartans with the 1985 Chicago Bears. McCord wound up completing 24-of-31 passes for 335 yards, three touchdowns (two of them to the aforementioned Marvin Harrison Jr.), and no interceptions. Even some of the incompletions were good plays, as McCord was forced to throw the ball away (some examples being a bad first half snap play by Carson Hinzman, pressure in the second half on a play that McCord threw the ball at Chip Trayanum’s feet), but did not force the ball into coverage, as Ohio State fans had seen in previous games.

McCord is still limping, as was visibly evident after the game in his postgame interviews, but his overall play have led me into believing that McCord overall is on the upswing as the regular season is winding down.



“Put me in, Coach”

I have long been an advocate for Ryan Day to play his backups earlier, and Saturday was acceptable. From my vantage point, it seemed as though the defense was substituting in backup players earlier than the offense, as Kyle McCord did not leave the game until very late in the contest. Yes, I know that Devin Brown reaggravated his ankle injury in pregame warmups, and yes, I know that Lincoln Keinholz is only a true freshman. I will simply say that an injury to anyone on the starting offense or defense, after Ohio State had established such a substantial lead, would only irritate Ohio State fans even more.

Lincoln Keinholz, Jelani Thurman, Carnell Tate, Evan Pryor, and I could go on. They should have been in the game from the middle of the third quarter, not the beginning of middle of the fourth quarter.



Ohio State sits at 10-0, and easily vanquished Michigan State. As I was watching the game at home with one of my sons and my wife, NBC showed some of the painful and challenging games from years past (1998, 2015, etc.) against the Spartans that Ohio State did not fare well. It was comforting to see Ohio State come out strongly against Michigan State, establish their dominance, and never let the Spartans get back into this game. There was no complacency on the part of Ohio State’s coaches or players in this victory.

Next up are the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who are now 5-5 on the season. The Golden Gophers were easily handled 49-30 by the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in the game that preceded the Michigan State/Ohio State game on NBC. This upcoming game will have similar vibes like the one Ohio State just completed against Michigan State — get a lead, and get the starters out of the game.

Ryan Day seems to have Ohio State peaking at just the right time, and another commanding performance against a perceived weaker team can only help to booster the team’s confidence as they approach their biggest game of the season on Nov. 25.

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LGHL Ohio State opens as 27.5-point favorites over Minnesota

Ohio State opens as 27.5-point favorites over Minnesota
Gene Ross
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Michigan State v Ohio State

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The Buckeyes have one final home game before a trip to Ann Arbor to close out the regular season.

After easily dispatching Michigan State on Saturday, Ohio State (10-0) gets one more home contest to fine tune itself before the highly anticipated season finale in Ann Arbor. The Buckeyes will take on Minnesota this coming weekend, with the Golden Gophers (5-5) not quite living up to expectations this year. P.J. Fleck’s squad is riding a two-game losing streak, and needs to find a way to win one of its final two games to reach bowl eligibility, but things won’t get any easier for Minnesota in Columbus.

All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread: Ohio State -27.5


Ohio State’s offense had one of its best performances of the season against Michigan State on Saturday. The Buckeyes racked up 530 yards of total offense, and that was with the starters coming out in the third quarter and few pass attempts in the second half overall. Kyle McCord had his best game of the season, throwing for a career-high 335 yards and three touchdowns, while Marvin Harrison Jr. bolstered his Heisman campaign with 149 yards receiving and three total TDs. TreVeyon Henderson had an efficient day on the ground, averaging nearly five yards per carry and adding a rushing TD, while Cade Stover had a big game in his return from injury with 79 yards and a score.

Despite Ohio State playing without both of its starting safeties and its top linebacker, the Buckeyes held Michigan State to just 182 total yards — 88 passing and 92 rushing. Spartans QB Katin Houser couldn’t get much going, completing only 50% of his passes (12-of-24) for 92 yards. No MSU receiver totaled more than 23 yards in the game, while as a team Michigan State converted on just 2-of-14 third down attempts. It wasn’t a huge day for havoc plays by the Silver Bullets, but they did manage six tackles for loss and two sacks, one each by Tyleik Williams and Sonny Styles.

Minnesota’s offense, led by quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, was projected to be one of the better units in the Big Ten. It has not worked out that way, as the Gophers’ 22.5 points per game rank 101st in FBS. Kaliakmanis has not had the greatest season at the helm, completing just over 50% of his passes for 1,582 yards with 13 TDs and seven INTs across 10 games. The return of Chris Autman-Bell was highly anticipated, but the senior wideout has just 81 yards and one TD on the year. Running back Darius Taylor and receiver Daniel Jackson had been the stars of the unit, but Taylor has missed the last three games with an injury. Still, Jackson’s 681 yards and seven TDs are good for third-best in the Big Ten.

The Golden Gophers defense has been better than their offense, but not by a ton. Allowing 25.8 points per game, Minnesota ranks 63rd nationally and 10th in the B1G. They do, however, rank third in the conference with 11 interceptions, led by Tyler Nubin’s four. The unit overall has been led by linebacker Maverick Baranowski, who has a team-high 52 total tackles on the year, while defensive lineman Danny Striggow has been the star up front, leading the group with seven tackles for loss and six sacks. Minnesota’s defense has been largely fine overall, but they’ve had a handful of really poor performances, including 37 points allowed to Northwestern, 52 against Michigan and 49 against Purdue in its last time out.

This game should look a lot like Ohio State’s game against Michigan State — although the Buckeyes will not be in grey jerseys for this one. Ryan Day will be looking to see his offense continue to take strides forward, and while Jim Knowles will be hoping to get some of his starters back on defense, it also wouldn’t hurt to rest some guys so that they are 100% healthy for the Michigan game. Minnesota’s offense is going to have a hard time moving the ball against a stout Ohio State defense — fully healthy or not — and the Gophers likely won’t have many answers for TreVeyon Henderson and Marvin Harrison Jr. on the other side.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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LGHL No. 7 Ohio State women’s basketball responds with 108-58 win over IUPUI

No. 7 Ohio State women’s basketball responds with 108-58 win over IUPUI
ThomasCostello
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE BASKETBALL: NOV 12 Women’s - IUPUI at Ohio State

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes get the most out of an expected win over the Horizon League side

After a less-than-ideal start of the season for the Ohio State women’s basketball team, dropping its first game of the year against the USC Trojans, the Buckeyes returned to the friendly confines of Columbus, Ohio. Instead of a top-25 matchup, it was IUPUI, from neighboring Indianapolis, Indiana, traveling to the Buckeye state.

Ohio State didn’t let that defeat get them down. Instead, they took it to the IUPUI Jaguars for an 108-58 win.

The last time the Buckeyes played, USC held forward Cotie McMahon to a seven-point performance. Sunday, McMahon went to the rim off the won tipoff, showing that the Buckeyes weren’t looking to give IUPUI the same satisfaction it gave the Trojans.

In the first two minutes, Ohio State unleashed from three-point range. After forward Rebeka Mikulášiková hit a catch-and-shoot three at the top of the key, forward Taylor Thierry hit what looked like a three from the corner, but had her foot on the line.

Then, off the inbound pass, McMahon grabbed a steal and found Thierry for a second chance. Thierry hit it from deep and in front of 2024 commits Ava Watson and Seini Hicks, the Buckeyes showed them what they can expect playing for the scarlet and gray.

After going up 13-2, Ohio State made substitutions and with starters going out, IUPUI took advantage. The Jaguars outscored the Buckeyes 10-5, trimming the lead to five points. Included in that IUPUI run were some tough decisions by graduate senior transfer Taiyier Parks for OSU.

With two minutes on the court, Parks missed two shots to start her home debut. The first an attempt to use her strength going into the paint and second an open long two. Although Parks did add a turnover, the missed shots and a quick foul put the former Michigan State forward on the bench.

The Buckeyes extended the lead out again after four free throws, but then IUPUI was dealt a blow. Forward Jazmyn Turner, who was leading the Jaguars with seven points and two rebounds, suffered what at first looked like a twisted ankle. It took the former Miami University Redhawk a few minutes, and assistance from her training staff and head coach to get back to the sideline.

At the end of the first quarter, Ohio State had an eight-point lead, 24-16. It was the turnovers that helped the Buckeyes the most, forcing 10 and scoring 11 points off those turnovers.

Another early issue for the Jaguars was fouling, more specifically fouling while the Buckeyes were shooting. After only 12 minutes of the game, Ohio State already had 17 trips to the line, hitting 12. By comparison, IUPUI had five total free throws but only three more fouls than the scarlet and gray.

Getting going in the second quarter was McMahon. Not only did the sophomore get to the line three times in the first two minutes of the second but also hit a contested layup. McMahon scored 11 with more than half the game remaining.

The Buckeyes saw the work in the paint was going as intended, so they kept pushing. Ohio State scored eight points in the paint during a 14-point run. When not getting to the free throw line, Mikulášiková was hitting a turnaround layup and the five turnovers given up by IUPUI to start the second led to 11 points off turnovers for just that quarter.

Things didn’t improve for the Jaguars. Ohio State went on another run, this time for 13 points. Part of that run was more great shooting by Thierry. The junior had a perfect shooting half, adding a second three-point shot with two minutes remaining in the half. Thierry had 12 first half points on 3-for-3 shooting and adding four free throws.

Ohio State took a resounding 59-31 lead into halftime. Joining Thierry in the double-digit scoring club was McMahon, leading OSU with 15 points. Guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor weren’t far behind though, each with nine points. Taylor added her final two of the half before the halftime buzzer.

The work for the Buckeyes continued into the third quarter. After five minutes, Ohio State outscored IUPUI 17-7, showing it wasn’t going to let up despite the lopsided scoreboard.

With two minutes left in the third quarter, McGuff had seen enough time for his starters, going with an all-bench group. Included was guard Emma Shumate, who missed Ohio State’s first game of the year due to injury.

Included in the group was forward Eboni Walker, guard Rikki Harris and sophomore guard Kaia Henderson. IUPUI responded with a short four-point run, but at that point it didn’t matter a whole lot, with the Buckeyes still up 37 points following the two made baskets. IUPUI tried to add one at the buzzer of the third quarter, but Shumate, who led Ohio State in blocks last season, sent the ball into the stands with her first of this campaign.

The Buckeyes led 39 points going into the final quarter, with a scoreline of 84-45.

McGuff’s side piled on in the fourth, scoring the first 14 points, extending the lead up to 53 points. Thanks to substantial minutes for future Buckeye starters like guards Diana Collins, Henderson and center Faith Carson.

A special moment in the last four minutes was for forward Karla Vreš. The graduate senior who joined the Buckeyes last season scored her first points as a member of the scarlet and gray.

The Buckeyes coasted to a 108-58 victory.

Getting Reps


While the competition for Ohio State wasn’t the Iowa Hawkeyes or UCLA Bruins of the world, an important piece of these non-conference games is building momentum and getting game practice. The Buckeyes had that against IUPUI.

The game against the Jaguars gave the Buckeyes the opportunity to get in more time in its press and half court defense. The score didn’t matter as head coach Kevin McGuff’s side mixed it up defensively a few times each quarter.

It means that IUPUI didn’t know what to expect when they inbounded the ball.

Offensively, Ohio State got the ball in everyone’s hands when working in its half court offense. Every Buckeye starter got into the double-digits in the scoring column. Also, new players like graduate senior Parks and freshman Diana Collins got to work on their game outside of a practice environment.

After a tough start by Parks, the forward showed her paint prowess with two impressive layups. For Collins, the guard had chances which included great ball handling and finding space but it wasn’t ending in points. Collins broke through too, hitting her first home points in scarlet and gray.

What’s Next


The Buckeyes are back at the Schottenstein Center in four days. That’s when the Boston College Eagles land in Columbus. It’s one of two Power Five conference non-conference games for the scarlet and gray this season.

Last year, Ohio State faced the Eagles in Boston. The Buckeyes came away with a comfortable 82-64 victory, with Mikulášiková leading all scorers on the day with 23 points. From beyond the arc, Mikulášiková went 3-for-4 in the victory in an early season surge by the Slovakian.

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