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LGHL All of the news, notes from Ohio State’s first day of spring football practice
- News
- 0 Replies
All of the news, notes from Ohio State’s first day of spring football practice
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
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 | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Ohio State to be without five players through spring practice
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State hires former Tulsa pass game coordinator Michael Hunter as a graduate assistant
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Listen to the full press conference audio from Ryan Day and Chip Kelly:
Quick hitters from first Ryan Day spring ball press conference
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Buckeyes not hurrying starting QB competition in spring practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
‘He’s always been innovative on how he’s done things.’ Takeaways from Ryan Day’s first spring press conference
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ryan Day Embracing CEO Role as Chip Kelly Takes Over as Ohio State Offensive Coordinator
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes focused on reps, not pecking orders, for quarterbacks early in spring (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Chip Kelly’s decision to take Ohio State OC job driven by pursuit of happiness (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Chip Kelly Relishing Opportunity to Step Back from Head Coaching, Coordinate Offense and Coach Quarterbacks at Ohio State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
What was the biggest bit of news from Ohio State’s first spring practice?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
First impressions from Ohio State football’s first spring practice
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Practice Observations as Buckeyes open spring camp (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
‘Good first day’: 4 takeaways from start of Ohio State spring practice
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Notes and observations from opening of OSU spring football practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Early enrollees, transfer portal additions highlight Ohio State debut 2024 spring practice
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row
Chip Kelly’s addition adds buzz to already potent Ohio State offense (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Michael Thomas calls Jeremiah Smith ‘The next Great one’ at Ohio State
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State women’s basketball clean up in postseason Big Ten awards
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Despite the frustration, Ohio State women’s basketball puts Iowa defeat behind them
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Head Coach Candidate Profile: Jake Diebler
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State vs. Iowa Was Most-Watched Regular-Season Women’s College Basketball Game in 25 Years
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State women’s team’s NCAA Tournament run are you more excited for?
Brett Ludwiczak and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Women’s Golf: McGinty Leads Buckeyes Through 36 Holes of Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
Ohio State Athletics
A little bit of work from my day job:
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
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 | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Ohio State to be without five players through spring practice
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ohio State hires former Tulsa pass game coordinator Michael Hunter as a graduate assistant
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Listen to the full press conference audio from Ryan Day and Chip Kelly:
Quick hitters from first Ryan Day spring ball press conference
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Buckeyes not hurrying starting QB competition in spring practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
‘He’s always been innovative on how he’s done things.’ Takeaways from Ryan Day’s first spring press conference
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Ryan Day Embracing CEO Role as Chip Kelly Takes Over as Ohio State Offensive Coordinator
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes focused on reps, not pecking orders, for quarterbacks early in spring (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Chip Kelly’s decision to take Ohio State OC job driven by pursuit of happiness (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Chip Kelly Relishing Opportunity to Step Back from Head Coaching, Coordinate Offense and Coach Quarterbacks at Ohio State
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
What was the biggest bit of news from Ohio State’s first spring practice?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
First impressions from Ohio State football’s first spring practice
Megan Husslein, Land-Grant Holy Land
Practice Observations as Buckeyes open spring camp (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes
‘Good first day’: 4 takeaways from start of Ohio State spring practice
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Notes and observations from opening of OSU spring football practice
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Iron Buckeyes of 2024
️ @joshfryar2
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 5, 2024
Early enrollees, transfer portal additions highlight Ohio State debut 2024 spring practice
Matt Parker, Lettermen Row
Chip Kelly’s addition adds buzz to already potent Ohio State offense (paywall)
Bill Landis, Dotting the Eyes
Michael Thomas calls Jeremiah Smith ‘The next Great one’ at Ohio State
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
On the Hardwood
Ohio State women’s basketball clean up in postseason Big Ten awards
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Congratulations to Jacy Sheldon on her numerous Big Ten awardsShe was a UNANIMOUS choice by the coaches for All-Big Ten First Team!#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/9nYy733Gzo
— Ohio State Women’s Basketball (@OhioStateWBB) March 5, 2024
Despite the frustration, Ohio State women’s basketball puts Iowa defeat behind them
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Head Coach Candidate Profile: Jake Diebler
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State vs. Iowa Was Most-Watched Regular-Season Women’s College Basketball Game in 25 Years
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Outside the Shoe and Schott
You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State women’s team’s NCAA Tournament run are you more excited for?
Brett Ludwiczak and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Women’s Golf: McGinty Leads Buckeyes Through 36 Holes of Darius Rucker Intercollegiate
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
A little bit of work from my day job:
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State now favored to land every major 2025 recruit in the country
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State now favored to land every major 2025 recruit in the country
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ok, not every major recruit, but it sure felt like it.
Yesterday was a big day for Ohio State football fans. Not only was it the start of spring practice following one of the most exciting two-month, offseason periods in program history, but the floodgates seemingly opened on Tuesday in terms of expert predictions from the recruiting front. While some of the developments are new, others are improvements in OSU’s odds of landing the talented players, but nonetheless, it was a bit of a deluge when it came to recruiting news.
So, we will run through all of the prognostications for you here.
On Monday, Ohio State Insider Matt Parker put an official prediction into On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine based on “intel” that the former Alabama commit would become a Buckeye. Ffrench (no, that is not a typo) is the No. 16 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite Ratings and is the No. 3 wide receiver nationally.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound pass catcher from Jacksonville originally pledged to play for the Crimson Tide in July of 2023, but following the retirement announcement of ‘Bama head coach Nick Saban, he opened up his recruitment again and Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes have been at the top of the list in terms of pursuit.
On3’s prediction machine needs a bit of a kick, because it is still factoring in predictions from before his Alabama commitment last summer, so the numbers are obviously off, but the Buckeyes appear to be battling Florida State for the receiver. Obviously, the Seminoles are one of Ffrench’s in-state teams, so nothing is decided yet, but it does appear to be moving in the right direction for OSU.
On the other side of the ball, on Tuesday, Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes picked up a prediction for a high-value in-state edge rusher who has long been a priority. Yesterday, On3’s director of recruiting Chad Simmons logged an official prediction — also based on intel — for the Buckeyes to land Winton Woods defensive end Justin Hill.
This prediction moves Ohio State to a 94.4% chance to land Hill according to the RPM, thanks to previous predictions from OSU insiders. But, given Simmons’ status in the recruiting world, his insight certainly makes things a bit more real.
Hill is the No. 120 player in the 2025 recruiting class and No. 12 edge rusher, according to 247Sports composite Ratings. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is currently a junior at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati and has held an Ohio State offer since last March. The Buckeyes already have commitments from two of the top-six players in the state — quarterback Tavien St. Clair and offensive tackle Carter Lowe — and at least one more will pop up a bit later in this list, so getting Hill officially in the fold would certainly help Ryan Day and company keep the fence up around the state.
Hill is not the only defensive lineman trending toward Columbus, as yesterday On3’s Matt Parker and Alex Gleitman both logged predictions for Johnson to land Elkhart, Indiana native Mariyon Dye. The No. 189 player in the 2025 cycle and No. 19 defensive end, Parker and Gleitman put in their predictions based on intel picked up on Tuesday.
This officially moves the Buckeyes to a 95.3% chance to land Dye according to the RPM. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound edge rusher visited Columbus for the January Junior Day where he picked up his Buckeye offer, and he has an official visit planned for June. He has other visits on the books for the summer as well — including one to Tennessee the week following his trip to Columbus — so this is far from finished, but it definitely looks like OSU is in the driver’s seat at the moment.
Believe it or not, we’ve got news on yet another defensive end prediction in the Buckeyes’ favor. This recruiting cycle will need to see a ton of d-lineman coming to Columbus with all four starters likely to be heading to the NFL following the 2024 season, so it looks like Larry Johnson is putting in the work to get guys wrapped up sooner rather than latter.
On Tuesday, Gleitman logged another intel-based prediction, and that one was for IMG Academy edge rusher London Merritt to become a Buckeye. This follows up the crystal ball prediction from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong in February for OSU to land the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder. The prediction moves Ohio State to an 87.9% chance to pick up the Atlanta native now playing at the IMG sports factory in Florida.
Merritt will be joining Dye in Columbus on June 14, which is shaping up to be a major summer recruiting day for the Buckeyes.
Don’t look now, but yesterday was a busy one for Gleitman who must have been hearing a ton of chatter around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on the first day of spring ball because he also logged a prediction that Ohio State would land Shaker Heights native, and Buckeye legacy, Trey McNutt.
Classified as either a safety or athlete depending on which service you look at, Trey is the son of former Ohio State cornerback Richard McNutt. The younger McNutt is the No. 29 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Ratings, the No. 2 safety nationally, and the top player in the state of Ohio. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine now gives the Buckeyes 80.9% odds to land McNutt.
While he doesn’t have any 247 crystal balls yet, if we suppose the On3 predictions is accurate and McNutt becomes a Buckeye, when combined with a crystal ball from Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic for OSU to land running back Bo Jackson (no, not that Bo Jackson), Ohio State would lock down the top-four high school players from the state of Ohio in the 2025 recruiting cycle with Hill at No. 6.
The Buckeyes are also in on Cleveland Heights running back Marquise Davis, who is planning an official visit to Columbus on June 7.
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
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Ok, not every major recruit, but it sure felt like it.
Yesterday was a big day for Ohio State football fans. Not only was it the start of spring practice following one of the most exciting two-month, offseason periods in program history, but the floodgates seemingly opened on Tuesday in terms of expert predictions from the recruiting front. While some of the developments are new, others are improvements in OSU’s odds of landing the talented players, but nonetheless, it was a bit of a deluge when it came to recruiting news.
So, we will run through all of the prognostications for you here.
Jaime Ffrench | Wide Receiver | No. 16 Nationally
On Monday, Ohio State Insider Matt Parker put an official prediction into On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine based on “intel” that the former Alabama commit would become a Buckeye. Ffrench (no, that is not a typo) is the No. 16 player in the country according to 247Sports Composite Ratings and is the No. 3 wide receiver nationally.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound pass catcher from Jacksonville originally pledged to play for the Crimson Tide in July of 2023, but following the retirement announcement of ‘Bama head coach Nick Saban, he opened up his recruitment again and Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes have been at the top of the list in terms of pursuit.
On3’s prediction machine needs a bit of a kick, because it is still factoring in predictions from before his Alabama commitment last summer, so the numbers are obviously off, but the Buckeyes appear to be battling Florida State for the receiver. Obviously, the Seminoles are one of Ffrench’s in-state teams, so nothing is decided yet, but it does appear to be moving in the right direction for OSU.
Justin Hill | Edge Rusher | No. 120 Nationally
On the other side of the ball, on Tuesday, Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes picked up a prediction for a high-value in-state edge rusher who has long been a priority. Yesterday, On3’s director of recruiting Chad Simmons logged an official prediction — also based on intel — for the Buckeyes to land Winton Woods defensive end Justin Hill.
This prediction moves Ohio State to a 94.4% chance to land Hill according to the RPM, thanks to previous predictions from OSU insiders. But, given Simmons’ status in the recruiting world, his insight certainly makes things a bit more real.
Hill is the No. 120 player in the 2025 recruiting class and No. 12 edge rusher, according to 247Sports composite Ratings. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is currently a junior at Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati and has held an Ohio State offer since last March. The Buckeyes already have commitments from two of the top-six players in the state — quarterback Tavien St. Clair and offensive tackle Carter Lowe — and at least one more will pop up a bit later in this list, so getting Hill officially in the fold would certainly help Ryan Day and company keep the fence up around the state.
Mariyon Dye | Edge Rusher | No. 189 Nationally
Hill is not the only defensive lineman trending toward Columbus, as yesterday On3’s Matt Parker and Alex Gleitman both logged predictions for Johnson to land Elkhart, Indiana native Mariyon Dye. The No. 189 player in the 2025 cycle and No. 19 defensive end, Parker and Gleitman put in their predictions based on intel picked up on Tuesday.
This officially moves the Buckeyes to a 95.3% chance to land Dye according to the RPM. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound edge rusher visited Columbus for the January Junior Day where he picked up his Buckeye offer, and he has an official visit planned for June. He has other visits on the books for the summer as well — including one to Tennessee the week following his trip to Columbus — so this is far from finished, but it definitely looks like OSU is in the driver’s seat at the moment.
London Merritt | Edge Rusher | No. 110 Nationally
Believe it or not, we’ve got news on yet another defensive end prediction in the Buckeyes’ favor. This recruiting cycle will need to see a ton of d-lineman coming to Columbus with all four starters likely to be heading to the NFL following the 2024 season, so it looks like Larry Johnson is putting in the work to get guys wrapped up sooner rather than latter.
On Tuesday, Gleitman logged another intel-based prediction, and that one was for IMG Academy edge rusher London Merritt to become a Buckeye. This follows up the crystal ball prediction from 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong in February for OSU to land the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder. The prediction moves Ohio State to an 87.9% chance to pick up the Atlanta native now playing at the IMG sports factory in Florida.
Merritt will be joining Dye in Columbus on June 14, which is shaping up to be a major summer recruiting day for the Buckeyes.
Trey McNutt | Safety (Athlete) | No. 29 Nationally
Don’t look now, but yesterday was a busy one for Gleitman who must have been hearing a ton of chatter around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on the first day of spring ball because he also logged a prediction that Ohio State would land Shaker Heights native, and Buckeye legacy, Trey McNutt.
Classified as either a safety or athlete depending on which service you look at, Trey is the son of former Ohio State cornerback Richard McNutt. The younger McNutt is the No. 29 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Ratings, the No. 2 safety nationally, and the top player in the state of Ohio. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine now gives the Buckeyes 80.9% odds to land McNutt.
While he doesn’t have any 247 crystal balls yet, if we suppose the On3 predictions is accurate and McNutt becomes a Buckeye, when combined with a crystal ball from Bucknuts’ Bill Kurelic for OSU to land running back Bo Jackson (no, not that Bo Jackson), Ohio State would lock down the top-four high school players from the state of Ohio in the 2025 recruiting cycle with Hill at No. 6.
The Buckeyes are also in on Cleveland Heights running back Marquise Davis, who is planning an official visit to Columbus on June 7.
Continue reading...
LGHL Uncut Podcast: Ryan Day, Chip Kelly on spring practice position battles, play-calling duties
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- 0 Replies
Uncut Podcast: Ryan Day, Chip Kelly on spring practice position battles, play-calling duties
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ryan Day at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center for March 5 for first spring practice press conference. | Ohio State Athletics
The long-time friends and colleagues break down the Buckeyes on the first day of spring practice.
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 the Tuesday, March 5 press conferences at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center where Ohio State football coach Ryan Day and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly answered questions from the assembled media on the occasion of the first day of spring practice.
The long-time friends and colleagues got into the weeds about the Buckeye roster, the position battles that will be at the center of spring practice, and how Kelly’s addition to the coaching staff will impact the offensive philosophy and game plan. Day also discusses Sonny Styles’ apparent move to linebacker, the acclimation processes that transfers and early enrollees have gone through, and how his coaching focus has changed with his mentor now on staff.
Kelly also provided some insight into his thinking about leaving UCLA to come to Columbus, and why now was a perfect time to make such a massive career move. You can hear both Day and Kelly’s full press conference audio here and make sure to subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network wherever you get your daily dose of audio goodness.
Watch the full press conference on the Ohio State Athletic Department’s Facebook: Login to view embedded media
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
Ryan Day at The Woody Hayes Athletic Center for March 5 for first spring practice press conference. | Ohio State Athletics
The long-time friends and colleagues break down the Buckeyes on the first day of spring practice.
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 the Tuesday, March 5 press conferences at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center where Ohio State football coach Ryan Day and new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly answered questions from the assembled media on the occasion of the first day of spring practice.
The long-time friends and colleagues got into the weeds about the Buckeye roster, the position battles that will be at the center of spring practice, and how Kelly’s addition to the coaching staff will impact the offensive philosophy and game plan. Day also discusses Sonny Styles’ apparent move to linebacker, the acclimation processes that transfers and early enrollees have gone through, and how his coaching focus has changed with his mentor now on staff.
Kelly also provided some insight into his thinking about leaving UCLA to come to Columbus, and why now was a perfect time to make such a massive career move. You can hear both Day and Kelly’s full press conference audio here and make sure to subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network wherever you get your daily dose of audio goodness.
Watch the full press conference on the Ohio State Athletic Department’s Facebook: Login to view embedded media
Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt
Music by: www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL First impressions from Ohio State football’s first spring practice
- News
- 0 Replies
First impressions from Ohio State football’s first spring practice
Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Caleb Blake, Lantern Photo Editor
I got to see the first 30 minutes and here’s what I thought.
Today, the media was able to watch the first 30 minutes of practice from the Buckeyes, and it was our first look into this new look team. From a slew of quarterbacks, Sonny Styles moving to linebacker, a new running back, and more. Here are some of my observations from practice today.
All five quarterbacks threw some passes today, with Devin Brown leading the pack. Brown was followed by Will Howard, Lincoln Kienholz (who is now No. 3 instead of No. 12), and then Air Noland and Julian Sayin.
Howard is as big as advertised. He is listed as 6-foot-4, 237 pounds on the roster and he looks every bit of it. In this video, he almost looks as big as transfer center Seth McLaughlin!
During practice, Sonny Styles was practicing with the linebacker group, albeit initially with the second team. Despite playing his first two years as a safety, he has been described by James Laurinaitis as a “freak athlete” and very versatile.
The rest of the first-team defense was pretty much as expected — Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Ty Hamilton, and Tyleik Williams on the defensive line, Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks at LB, Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock at corner, with Jermaine Mathews Jr. in the mix and Caleb Downs along with Lathan Ransom at safety.
As for the first-team offensive line, freshman Luke Montgomery was practicing at right guard while Josh Fryar was at right tackle. Carson Hinzman was at center, with McLaughlin taking second-team reps behind him, but it’ll be interesting to see if that changes as practices progress. Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson remained at left tackle and left guard.
Today we also got our first look at Quinshon Judkins as a Buckeye. Seeing him in uniform for the first time in person was definitely eye-opening. He is a TANK, yet still looked quick and agile out there. Seeing him and TreVeyon Henderson together, it is clear that they will be a scary combination:
Continue reading...
Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Caleb Blake, Lantern Photo Editor
I got to see the first 30 minutes and here’s what I thought.
Today, the media was able to watch the first 30 minutes of practice from the Buckeyes, and it was our first look into this new look team. From a slew of quarterbacks, Sonny Styles moving to linebacker, a new running back, and more. Here are some of my observations from practice today.
Quarterbacks
All five quarterbacks threw some passes today, with Devin Brown leading the pack. Brown was followed by Will Howard, Lincoln Kienholz (who is now No. 3 instead of No. 12), and then Air Noland and Julian Sayin.
Howard is as big as advertised. He is listed as 6-foot-4, 237 pounds on the roster and he looks every bit of it. In this video, he almost looks as big as transfer center Seth McLaughlin!
New positions and new starters
During practice, Sonny Styles was practicing with the linebacker group, albeit initially with the second team. Despite playing his first two years as a safety, he has been described by James Laurinaitis as a “freak athlete” and very versatile.
The rest of the first-team defense was pretty much as expected — Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Ty Hamilton, and Tyleik Williams on the defensive line, Cody Simon and C.J. Hicks at LB, Denzel Burke, Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock at corner, with Jermaine Mathews Jr. in the mix and Caleb Downs along with Lathan Ransom at safety.
As for the first-team offensive line, freshman Luke Montgomery was practicing at right guard while Josh Fryar was at right tackle. Carson Hinzman was at center, with McLaughlin taking second-team reps behind him, but it’ll be interesting to see if that changes as practices progress. Josh Simmons and Donovan Jackson remained at left tackle and left guard.
Best RB duo in the nation?
Today we also got our first look at Quinshon Judkins as a Buckeye. Seeing him in uniform for the first time in person was definitely eye-opening. He is a TANK, yet still looked quick and agile out there. Seeing him and TreVeyon Henderson together, it is clear that they will be a scary combination:
As for some random notes:
- Chip Kelly ran the first-team offense today while Ryan Day oversaw the second-team.
- Kam Babb, Miyan Williams, and John Cooper were all in attendance today.
- This team was HYPED.
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State women’s team’s NCAA Tournament run are you more excited for?
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- 0 Replies
You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State women’s team’s NCAA Tournament run are you more excited for?
Brett Ludwiczak 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
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Now that the calendar has turned to March, we are just a few weeks away from the start of NCAA Tournament runs for a couple of Ohio State’s women’s teams. Not only will expectations be high for the Ohio State women’s basketball squad, but the women’s ice hockey team will be looking to win their second NCAA title in the last three years. Being able to watch the Buckeye women’s teams compete at a high level on the hardwood and the ice will take some of the sting away from the men’s basketball team likely missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
Today we want to know which women’s team you are looking forward to watching more during the NCAA Tournament. In reality, we hope that both teams get tons of eyes and support from Buckeye Nation since they are both among the best teams in the country at their respective sports. We know some people prefer basketball over hockey, or vice-versa, so we are curious to find out which team you are riding with more as they make their way through March in their quest to bring championships back to Columbus.
This is no slight to the women’s basketball team since I’ll be tuning in as they look to make their first Final Four since 1993, I’m just a hockey junkie. I have a quarter-season ticket package to the Columbus Blue Jackets and plan to be at Ohio Stadium next March when they host the Detroit Red Wings. It’s refreshing to watch the Ohio State women’s hockey team since I can actually watch a well-coached hockey team that handles their business when they take the ice. The same certainly can’t be said about the Blue Jackets.
In her eighth season as Ohio State head coach, Nadine Muzerall has built a dynasty in Columbus. So far Muzerall has led the Buckeyes to the only four Frozen Four appearances in school history. The Buckeyes look primed for their fourth straight Frozen Four appearance, as they are 31-3 so far this season and ranked first in the country ahead of this weekend’s WCHA Final Faceoff. After suffering just their third loss of the season in their final game of the regular season at Wisconsin, Ohio State took out some of their frustrations last weekend against Bemidji State in the WCHA Quarterfinals, beating the Beavers by a combined score of 18-1 over two games to sweep the best-of-three series.
Not only are the Buckeyes beating teams this year, they are grinding them into dust, outscoring opponents 179-44 through 34 games. What Ohio State has done a great job at this season is sharing the puck, with nine Buckeyes scoring at least 10 goals. While the defenses Ohio State will face will certainly tighten up in the NCAA Tournament, it helps to have a variety of players who have proven they can put the puck in the back of the net.
Another reason Ohio State is the favorite to win their second title in the last three years is the stellar goaltending they have gotten all year. Not only is Amanda Thiele back between the pipes for Ohio State, but Raygan Kirk has actually played even better than Thiele so far this year, posting seven shutouts in 19 games. It’ll be interesting to see who gets the bulk of the starts for the Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament. Does Muzerall ride the hot hand in Kirk, or does she trust in Thiele, who has seen her fair share of high-pressure starts in the scarlet and gray? Finding out the answer to this question and a number of others is one of the reasons that I’ll be tuning in whenever Ohio State takes the ice in March!
The women’s hockey team is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason, and I am completely on board with hockey-head Brett’s excitement for their postseason run in search of a fourth-straight Frozen Four appearance and a second national title in three years. However, there is a reason that women’s basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America. The on-court quality has always been incredible (I am an OG fan of the Columbus Quest), but over the past few seasons, the television attention to women’s basketball at both the college and pro levels is finally catching up to the entertainment value the sports has always had.
If you have watched the OSU women’s basketball team at all this season, then you know that Kevin McGuff’s team is the epitome of on-court excitement. Their high-pressure defense puts them in the top 25 nationally in steals and their electric offense has them in the top 15 in field goal percentage and points per game.
The squad has also developed an incredible ability to erase any deficit, no matter the size. This is because it is made up of a slew of talented players who work well as a unit. That fact is exemplified by how many Buckeyes received All-Conference honors on Tuesday, including guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Cotie McMahon who were on the first-team. Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry made the second team, but Taylor won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, her second DPoY honor in as many years, despite playing for the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC last season.
Of course, it also helps that McGuff was named the B1G’s coach of the year.
With wins over Tennessee, Penn State, Indiana, and Iowa, there is no question that the Buckeyes can beat anyone they face off with, and a run to last year’s Elite Eight proves that they have the strength and stamina to make a deep run in the Big Dance.
So, I am pumped to watch Sheldon, McMahon, et al., work their way through the postseason and who knows, maybe have a rubber match with Caitlin Clark and Iowa for the national title.
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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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Now that the calendar has turned to March, we are just a few weeks away from the start of NCAA Tournament runs for a couple of Ohio State’s women’s teams. Not only will expectations be high for the Ohio State women’s basketball squad, but the women’s ice hockey team will be looking to win their second NCAA title in the last three years. Being able to watch the Buckeye women’s teams compete at a high level on the hardwood and the ice will take some of the sting away from the men’s basketball team likely missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
Today we want to know which women’s team you are looking forward to watching more during the NCAA Tournament. In reality, we hope that both teams get tons of eyes and support from Buckeye Nation since they are both among the best teams in the country at their respective sports. We know some people prefer basketball over hockey, or vice-versa, so we are curious to find out which team you are riding with more as they make their way through March in their quest to bring championships back to Columbus.
Today’s question: Which Ohio State women’s team’s NCAA Tournament run are you more excited for?
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: Ohio State women’s ice hockey team
This is no slight to the women’s basketball team since I’ll be tuning in as they look to make their first Final Four since 1993, I’m just a hockey junkie. I have a quarter-season ticket package to the Columbus Blue Jackets and plan to be at Ohio Stadium next March when they host the Detroit Red Wings. It’s refreshing to watch the Ohio State women’s hockey team since I can actually watch a well-coached hockey team that handles their business when they take the ice. The same certainly can’t be said about the Blue Jackets.
In her eighth season as Ohio State head coach, Nadine Muzerall has built a dynasty in Columbus. So far Muzerall has led the Buckeyes to the only four Frozen Four appearances in school history. The Buckeyes look primed for their fourth straight Frozen Four appearance, as they are 31-3 so far this season and ranked first in the country ahead of this weekend’s WCHA Final Faceoff. After suffering just their third loss of the season in their final game of the regular season at Wisconsin, Ohio State took out some of their frustrations last weekend against Bemidji State in the WCHA Quarterfinals, beating the Beavers by a combined score of 18-1 over two games to sweep the best-of-three series.
Not only are the Buckeyes beating teams this year, they are grinding them into dust, outscoring opponents 179-44 through 34 games. What Ohio State has done a great job at this season is sharing the puck, with nine Buckeyes scoring at least 10 goals. While the defenses Ohio State will face will certainly tighten up in the NCAA Tournament, it helps to have a variety of players who have proven they can put the puck in the back of the net.
Another reason Ohio State is the favorite to win their second title in the last three years is the stellar goaltending they have gotten all year. Not only is Amanda Thiele back between the pipes for Ohio State, but Raygan Kirk has actually played even better than Thiele so far this year, posting seven shutouts in 19 games. It’ll be interesting to see who gets the bulk of the starts for the Buckeyes in the NCAA Tournament. Does Muzerall ride the hot hand in Kirk, or does she trust in Thiele, who has seen her fair share of high-pressure starts in the scarlet and gray? Finding out the answer to this question and a number of others is one of the reasons that I’ll be tuning in whenever Ohio State takes the ice in March!
Matt’s answer: Ohio State women’s basketball team
The women’s hockey team is the No. 1 team in the country for a reason, and I am completely on board with hockey-head Brett’s excitement for their postseason run in search of a fourth-straight Frozen Four appearance and a second national title in three years. However, there is a reason that women’s basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in America. The on-court quality has always been incredible (I am an OG fan of the Columbus Quest), but over the past few seasons, the television attention to women’s basketball at both the college and pro levels is finally catching up to the entertainment value the sports has always had.
If you have watched the OSU women’s basketball team at all this season, then you know that Kevin McGuff’s team is the epitome of on-court excitement. Their high-pressure defense puts them in the top 25 nationally in steals and their electric offense has them in the top 15 in field goal percentage and points per game.
The squad has also developed an incredible ability to erase any deficit, no matter the size. This is because it is made up of a slew of talented players who work well as a unit. That fact is exemplified by how many Buckeyes received All-Conference honors on Tuesday, including guard Jacy Sheldon and forward Cotie McMahon who were on the first-team. Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry made the second team, but Taylor won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, her second DPoY honor in as many years, despite playing for the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC last season.
Of course, it also helps that McGuff was named the B1G’s coach of the year.
With wins over Tennessee, Penn State, Indiana, and Iowa, there is no question that the Buckeyes can beat anyone they face off with, and a run to last year’s Elite Eight proves that they have the strength and stamina to make a deep run in the Big Dance.
So, I am pumped to watch Sheldon, McMahon, et al., work their way through the postseason and who knows, maybe have a rubber match with Caitlin Clark and Iowa for the national title.
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LGHL What was the biggest bit of news from Ohio State’s first spring practice?
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What was the biggest bit of news from Ohio State’s first spring practice?
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
Also, we ask Buckeye fans to predict what will happen for the men’s basketball team over the next few weeks.
Before, during, and after the Ohio State football season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to ask and answer questions about the team, college football, 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.
The football Buckeyes were back on the practice field today for the first of 15 practices over the next six weeks. With little tidbits of news coming out from the first 30 minutes of practice that was open to the media, we want to see what Buckeye Nation thinks about the tidbits that were able to be gleaned.
So, in this week’s fan survey, we talk about the first spring practice, and since the men’s basketball team is off until its regular-season finale on Sunday against Rutgers, we want to know how you think the next few weeks of their season is going to play out.
Answer the simple, two-question survey down the page, and if you have additional thoughts, please feel free to share them in the comments. The options in the survey are obviously not exclusive, so if you have other possibilities that you would like to posit, please do.
While I don’t want to prejudice the results with my opinions here, I think that there is only one true answer to this question, let’s see if I’m right! The major thing to take away from these options in my opinion is that I think a lot of these bits are simply first-day, respect for seniority in the program things.
I would be shocked if Seth McLaughlin isn’t the No. 1 center by the next time that the media sees practice, and the same goes for Will Howard at quarterback. What happens at linebacker I’m not as sure of. I think that how the coaching staff handles C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles could see Hicks as the technical starter, with both of them moving around quite a bit.
Nonetheless, the fact that Styles is working out with the LBs is a massive development, in my opinion... oops, did I just tip my hand on this question?
I am, and always have been, an Ohio State homer, so I am completely on board the bandwagon in Jake Diebler and the OSU men’s basketball team shocking the world and making the NCAA Tournament. I know that it is still a bit of a longshot, but I think that if they get a win over a decent Rutgers team on Sunday (which would put them at 19-12 on the regular season), they have a shot.
That move will give them a bye out of the first round of the Big Ten Tourney (which actually might hurt their chances from a record perspective), but they then will have a game against either the No. 7 or No. 8 team in the league, which I think is winnable (but far from guaranteed) given the way that they are playing. If they win that to make the quarterfinals, they would be at 20-12. Even if they lose the next game to a double-bye team, at 20-13, and winning six of eight, they could get in — although they would need a lot of help.
If they then were able to pull a massive upset over a team that would be inarguably better than they are to make it to the B1G semis, then I think they are in. It’s not like Diebler and the Bucks don’t have the ability to beat a highly-ranked team, and don’t forget the surprising run that the team made in the conference tournament last year.
So, is the OSU MBB team officially in the tournament at this point? Obviously not, but crazier things have happened!
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.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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
Also, we ask Buckeye fans to predict what will happen for the men’s basketball team over the next few weeks.
Before, during, and after the Ohio State football season, we here at Land-Grant Holy Land like to ask and answer questions about the team, college football, 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.
The football Buckeyes were back on the practice field today for the first of 15 practices over the next six weeks. With little tidbits of news coming out from the first 30 minutes of practice that was open to the media, we want to see what Buckeye Nation thinks about the tidbits that were able to be gleaned.
So, in this week’s fan survey, we talk about the first spring practice, and since the men’s basketball team is off until its regular-season finale on Sunday against Rutgers, we want to know how you think the next few weeks of their season is going to play out.
Answer the simple, two-question survey down the page, and if you have additional thoughts, please feel free to share them in the comments. The options in the survey are obviously not exclusive, so if you have other possibilities that you would like to posit, please do.
Question 1: What’s the biggest story coming out of Ohio State football’s first spring practice?
While I don’t want to prejudice the results with my opinions here, I think that there is only one true answer to this question, let’s see if I’m right! The major thing to take away from these options in my opinion is that I think a lot of these bits are simply first-day, respect for seniority in the program things.
I would be shocked if Seth McLaughlin isn’t the No. 1 center by the next time that the media sees practice, and the same goes for Will Howard at quarterback. What happens at linebacker I’m not as sure of. I think that how the coaching staff handles C.J. Hicks and Sonny Styles could see Hicks as the technical starter, with both of them moving around quite a bit.
Nonetheless, the fact that Styles is working out with the LBs is a massive development, in my opinion... oops, did I just tip my hand on this question?
Question 2: What’s most likely to happen down the stretch for the OSU men’s basketball team?
I am, and always have been, an Ohio State homer, so I am completely on board the bandwagon in Jake Diebler and the OSU men’s basketball team shocking the world and making the NCAA Tournament. I know that it is still a bit of a longshot, but I think that if they get a win over a decent Rutgers team on Sunday (which would put them at 19-12 on the regular season), they have a shot.
That move will give them a bye out of the first round of the Big Ten Tourney (which actually might hurt their chances from a record perspective), but they then will have a game against either the No. 7 or No. 8 team in the league, which I think is winnable (but far from guaranteed) given the way that they are playing. If they win that to make the quarterfinals, they would be at 20-12. Even if they lose the next game to a double-bye team, at 20-13, and winning six of eight, they could get in — although they would need a lot of help.
If they then were able to pull a massive upset over a team that would be inarguably better than they are to make it to the B1G semis, then I think they are in. It’s not like Diebler and the Bucks don’t have the ability to beat a highly-ranked team, and don’t forget the surprising run that the team made in the conference tournament last year.
So, is the OSU MBB team officially in the tournament at this point? Obviously not, but crazier things have happened!
Share your thoughts here:
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.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
Continue reading...
LGHL Head Coach Candidate Profile: Jake Diebler
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- 0 Replies
Head Coach Candidate Profile: Jake Diebler
Connor Lemons 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
The 37-year old has never been a head coach before now, but has this Ohio State team playing its best basketball of the season.
Current position: Interim Head coach, Ohio State (2024-present)
Previous Stops:
Valparaiso (2011-2013, assistant)
Ohio State (2013-2016, video coordinator)
Vanderbilt (2016-2019, assistant)
Ohio State (2019-2022, assistant)
Ohio State (2022-2024, associate head coach)
Overall Record: 6-1 (.857)
Current Contract:
Two-year, $1-million dollar contract that expires June 30, 2024
There’s some serious momentum building from the fans for Ross Bjork to remove the interim tag from Diebler’s title and give him the full-time job, as well as a number of donors and former players allegedly telling Bjork that Diebler is “the guy.” Bjork did share with the Columbus Dispatch a few weeks ago that input from former players will be crucial in his search, but will it be enough to hand the job to a first-time head coach?
Despite his lack of experience compared to some of the other candidates, there are some valid reasons to think Jake Diebler is the man for the job.
First and most importantly, he is absolutely crushing his on-the-job audition. When Chris Holtmann was fired on February 14, Diebler was named interim head coach and had four days to prepare for Purdue, the number two team in the country. While preparing for Purdue, Diebler also was trying to help a group of young men — and his staff — mentally deal with the emotions of losing Holtmann at a moment’s notice. Even with all of that swirling around in their heads, Diebler guided the team to a 73-69 upset of the second-ranked Boilermakers.
Since then, Ohio State has also picked up wins over Michigan State, — which was Ohio State’s first win in East Lansing in 12 years — Nebraska, and Michigan. The team was 4-10 in the Big Ten when Diebler took over, now they’re 8-11 and have the tiniest of chances at making the NCAA Tournament, which seemed completely impossible two weeks ago.
In short: Diebler is coaching his tail off — it doesn’t matter if you’ve got seven games experience or seven years, turning this mess around and getting this team in the NCAA tournament conversation means Diebler deserves to be in the conversation for the job.
Diebler is also the key to keeping the core of this team together. If you think keeping guys like Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, Devin Royal, and Scotty Middleton together is important, keeping Diebler will do that. If Bjork hires someone else, there’s a good chance most of those players will enter the transfer portal. A team led by juniors Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle, with Diebler at the helm plus a full summer of Diebler working the transfer portal and summer workouts his own way, doesn’t sound half bad, right?
There are also long-term recruiting implications of Diebler becoming head coach. There are multiple four and five-star recruits in the classes of 2025 and 2026 that are waiting to find out if Diebler is the coach before making a decision. Marcus Johnson, a five-star 2026 guard from Cleveland, was at the Michigan game “in support” of Diebler Sunday afternoon. Five-star guard Darryn Peterson is another 2025 recruit who is waiting to find out if Diebler is named head coach before making a final decision. There’s also Colin White and Juni Mobley — Ohio State’s two 2024 commits — who are waiting to see who is hired before deciding if they will de-commit or not.
Ultimately it will be up to Bjork to decide if the short-term benefits of getting elite talent in upcoming classes will be worth the “risk” of hiring Diebler. But Diebler is a huge reason why players like Thornton, Gayle, Malaki Branham, and Brice Sensabaugh came to Ohio State. That kind of recruiting would assumedly continue with him as head coach.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25318969/usa_today_22590625.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Ohio State at Minnesota")
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
As great as Ohio State has been since Diebler was promoted, success in a 10 or 12-game span doesn’t mean he would continue being that successful next season and beyond. Even if he gets this team to the NCAA Tournament, that doesn’t mean his lack of experience won’t show itself next year, causing Bjork to question if hiring the guy with no head coaching experience was the right decision with his first big hire as Ohio State athletic director.
There’s a reason why nearly all coaches follow the “top assistant to head coach at a smaller school to head coach at a bigger school” pipeline. There’s a ton of pressure at the highest level — more people in your ear about money, recruiting, and winning. There’s also a much bigger fanbase, starving to see banners hung in the rafters. We can’t forget that Holtmann did go to the NCAA Tournament four times out of his six chances, so Diebler would have to blow past that benchmark by a good margin to prove he was the “right” hire.
Bjork may also want to move in a different direction than Diebler just for the fact that he was Holtmann’s top assistant. While the buck stopped at Holtmann, Diebler was his top assistant and is at least partially responsible for the massive struggles of the program for the last two years. Getting hot at the tail end of what will likely still end up a lost season does not change that.
While money won’t be the biggest factor in Diebler’s future, it will play a part. If the Buckeyes go on a magical run that takes them to the first round of the NCAA Tournament and beyond, Bjork will be put in a tough spot. You don’t pay your basketball coach $12.8 million to walk away, just to hire that coach’s top assistant who is currently making $500,000 and would only demand a fraction of the money that Ohio State has available to hire the next men’s basketball coach.
There’s an opportunity for Bjork to take a big swing and hire an even bigger name with his first big hire. He isn’t hoping Ohio State fails, but we can agree that the fighting Jake Dieblers will need to string together several more wins in a row for Bjork to consider making the 37-year-old northwest Ohio native his first hire at OSU.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
The 37-year old has never been a head coach before now, but has this Ohio State team playing its best basketball of the season.
For the next several weeks, Land-Grant Holy Land will highlight candidates for the Ohio State men’s basketball head coaching position, including their current and previous coaching positions, win/loss record, and (in our opinion) the pros and cons of hiring each.
Current position: Interim Head coach, Ohio State (2024-present)
Previous Stops:
Valparaiso (2011-2013, assistant)
Ohio State (2013-2016, video coordinator)
Vanderbilt (2016-2019, assistant)
Ohio State (2019-2022, assistant)
Ohio State (2022-2024, associate head coach)
Overall Record: 6-1 (.857)
Current Contract:
Two-year, $1-million dollar contract that expires June 30, 2024
Why Ohio State should hire Jake Diebler:
There’s some serious momentum building from the fans for Ross Bjork to remove the interim tag from Diebler’s title and give him the full-time job, as well as a number of donors and former players allegedly telling Bjork that Diebler is “the guy.” Bjork did share with the Columbus Dispatch a few weeks ago that input from former players will be crucial in his search, but will it be enough to hand the job to a first-time head coach?
Despite his lack of experience compared to some of the other candidates, there are some valid reasons to think Jake Diebler is the man for the job.
First and most importantly, he is absolutely crushing his on-the-job audition. When Chris Holtmann was fired on February 14, Diebler was named interim head coach and had four days to prepare for Purdue, the number two team in the country. While preparing for Purdue, Diebler also was trying to help a group of young men — and his staff — mentally deal with the emotions of losing Holtmann at a moment’s notice. Even with all of that swirling around in their heads, Diebler guided the team to a 73-69 upset of the second-ranked Boilermakers.
Since then, Ohio State has also picked up wins over Michigan State, — which was Ohio State’s first win in East Lansing in 12 years — Nebraska, and Michigan. The team was 4-10 in the Big Ten when Diebler took over, now they’re 8-11 and have the tiniest of chances at making the NCAA Tournament, which seemed completely impossible two weeks ago.
In short: Diebler is coaching his tail off — it doesn’t matter if you’ve got seven games experience or seven years, turning this mess around and getting this team in the NCAA tournament conversation means Diebler deserves to be in the conversation for the job.
Diebler is also the key to keeping the core of this team together. If you think keeping guys like Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Felix Okpara, Devin Royal, and Scotty Middleton together is important, keeping Diebler will do that. If Bjork hires someone else, there’s a good chance most of those players will enter the transfer portal. A team led by juniors Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle, with Diebler at the helm plus a full summer of Diebler working the transfer portal and summer workouts his own way, doesn’t sound half bad, right?
There are also long-term recruiting implications of Diebler becoming head coach. There are multiple four and five-star recruits in the classes of 2025 and 2026 that are waiting to find out if Diebler is the coach before making a decision. Marcus Johnson, a five-star 2026 guard from Cleveland, was at the Michigan game “in support” of Diebler Sunday afternoon. Five-star guard Darryn Peterson is another 2025 recruit who is waiting to find out if Diebler is named head coach before making a final decision. There’s also Colin White and Juni Mobley — Ohio State’s two 2024 commits — who are waiting to see who is hired before deciding if they will de-commit or not.
Ultimately it will be up to Bjork to decide if the short-term benefits of getting elite talent in upcoming classes will be worth the “risk” of hiring Diebler. But Diebler is a huge reason why players like Thornton, Gayle, Malaki Branham, and Brice Sensabaugh came to Ohio State. That kind of recruiting would assumedly continue with him as head coach.
Why Ohio State should not hire Jake Diebler:
As great as Ohio State has been since Diebler was promoted, success in a 10 or 12-game span doesn’t mean he would continue being that successful next season and beyond. Even if he gets this team to the NCAA Tournament, that doesn’t mean his lack of experience won’t show itself next year, causing Bjork to question if hiring the guy with no head coaching experience was the right decision with his first big hire as Ohio State athletic director.
There’s a reason why nearly all coaches follow the “top assistant to head coach at a smaller school to head coach at a bigger school” pipeline. There’s a ton of pressure at the highest level — more people in your ear about money, recruiting, and winning. There’s also a much bigger fanbase, starving to see banners hung in the rafters. We can’t forget that Holtmann did go to the NCAA Tournament four times out of his six chances, so Diebler would have to blow past that benchmark by a good margin to prove he was the “right” hire.
Bjork may also want to move in a different direction than Diebler just for the fact that he was Holtmann’s top assistant. While the buck stopped at Holtmann, Diebler was his top assistant and is at least partially responsible for the massive struggles of the program for the last two years. Getting hot at the tail end of what will likely still end up a lost season does not change that.
While money won’t be the biggest factor in Diebler’s future, it will play a part. If the Buckeyes go on a magical run that takes them to the first round of the NCAA Tournament and beyond, Bjork will be put in a tough spot. You don’t pay your basketball coach $12.8 million to walk away, just to hire that coach’s top assistant who is currently making $500,000 and would only demand a fraction of the money that Ohio State has available to hire the next men’s basketball coach.
There’s an opportunity for Bjork to take a big swing and hire an even bigger name with his first big hire. He isn’t hoping Ohio State fails, but we can agree that the fighting Jake Dieblers will need to string together several more wins in a row for Bjork to consider making the 37-year-old northwest Ohio native his first hire at OSU.
Continue reading...
