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LGHL Despite staying undefeated, Ohio State’s play leaves a lot to be desired
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Despite staying undefeated, Ohio State’s play leaves a lot to be desired
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes haven’t lost yet, but they can’t play like they today against Penn State or Michigan.
For as bad as they have looked at times this season, Ohio State is still undefeated. On Saturday the Buckeyes defeated Maryland 37-17 in Columbus. The win didn’t come easy, as Ohio State started off very slow in the first half, trailing 10-0 before getting on the board when Josh Proctor picked off a Tua Tagovailoa pass and returned it for a touchdown. The teams would go into halftime tied at 10, and opened up the second half each scoring a touchdown before the Buckeyes slowly pulled away.
If there ever was a season in college football to play some sluggish football early in the season, this might be the year to do so. No team has truly established themselves as a dominant power so far. Georgia is living on glory from the last two years, Michigan hasn’t played anyone, Texas just lost, and everyone after in the rankings has their own flaws. An argument could be made that the two most dominant teams this year have been Washington and Oregon, and they’ll play each other next week in Seattle.
Even though a trip to Purdue can never be overlooked, we’ll really find out what the Buckeyes are all about in the following two games when they host Penn State before traveling to Wisconsin. The Buckeyes might be able to overcome mistakes like they had against the Terrapins, but they certainly will be a lot tougher to recover from against the Nittany Lions, Badgers, and when they take on Michigan later in the year.
It’s always tough when you have to replace multiple starters from the year before on the offensive line. I guess I didn’t think the transition would be as tough as it has been since Donovan Jackson was coming back to lead the line, and even the new starters had seen time on the field last year, so at least they had an idea of what is expected of them when they are on the field.
For whatever reason, the offensive line just hasn’t clicked so far this year. The running game looked inept today, and honestly hasn’t looked very good all year long aside from a couple long runs from TreVeyon Henderson and Chip Trayanum. Henderson was a surprise scratch from the game against Maryland, as he is dealing with an injury he suffered against Notre Dame.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24985360/1712271662.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 07 Maryland at Ohio State")
Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Henderson on the sidelines, Trayanum saw most of the carries on Saturday. The former Arizona State running back is a bruising runner that is great at getting some tough yards, as we all saw at the end of the Notre Dame game. What I would rather not see anymore is games where Trayanum gets 20 carries like he did against the Terrapins.
What I want to know is what happened to Dallan Hayden? After torching Maryland last year, Hayden has barely seen the field since. Today would have been a perfect opportunity for Hayden to get some carries. His running style would have perfectly complemented Trayanum and Miyan Williams. Hell, I would have been happy to see Evan Pryor see some time.
As Ohio State fans, we definitely are spoiled. What other school could a head coach have a 50-6 record and essentially be public enemy No. 1? Honestly though, there’s a lot of times where Day is his own worst enemy. At times it feels like he is trying to jam a square peg into a round hole with some of his play calls. If Day decided to throw the wide receiver screen and jet sweep plays in the trash can, Buckeye Nation would rejoice.
Of course, a head coach isn’t going to tell you exactly what he is going to do during a game. Sometimes though, what Day says and what we actually see from his team aren’t even in the same solar system. At least to the credit of Day, he didn’t go after former Maryland coaches Bobby Ross or Ralph Friedgen in postgame interviews. Not that those two said anything about the Buckeyes, I just wasn’t sure if Day was just going to start shooting on former head coaches of the schools he was going up against.
Can we sit Fleming down “Office Space” style and ask him what it is he does here? When people know who the special teams coordinator for a team is, then the special teams suck. Botched snaps, terrible coverage, penalties, and more. Yet for some reason during the offseason Day decided Fleming needed a raise.
The special teams at Ohio State used to be special. Under Fleming, they are just speshul.
Not that there weren’t positives about today’s game. After a rough start, Kyle McCord settled down in the second half and threw a couple touchdowns. J.T. Tuimoloau finally broke through with a sack and a half. Tommy Eichenberg made 13 tackles. Marvin Harrison Jr. had another monster game, catching eight passes for 163 yards and a score. I’ll let the others who are more upbeat people than I am dive deeper into all the good that happened.
Another upside to having issues like Ohio State has had so far this year is they have time to address those problems before some of their tougher games. Last year the Buckeyes didn’t really see some of their faults until the Michigan game and by then it was too late to do much about it. This is where Ryan Day has to earn his money and look deep at himself, as well as the assistant coaches he is surrounding himself with.
At least Ohio State is one of the few teams that can say they are still undefeated. Go Bucks now. Go Bucks forever.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Buckeyes haven’t lost yet, but they can’t play like they today against Penn State or Michigan.
For as bad as they have looked at times this season, Ohio State is still undefeated. On Saturday the Buckeyes defeated Maryland 37-17 in Columbus. The win didn’t come easy, as Ohio State started off very slow in the first half, trailing 10-0 before getting on the board when Josh Proctor picked off a Tua Tagovailoa pass and returned it for a touchdown. The teams would go into halftime tied at 10, and opened up the second half each scoring a touchdown before the Buckeyes slowly pulled away.
If there ever was a season in college football to play some sluggish football early in the season, this might be the year to do so. No team has truly established themselves as a dominant power so far. Georgia is living on glory from the last two years, Michigan hasn’t played anyone, Texas just lost, and everyone after in the rankings has their own flaws. An argument could be made that the two most dominant teams this year have been Washington and Oregon, and they’ll play each other next week in Seattle.
Even though a trip to Purdue can never be overlooked, we’ll really find out what the Buckeyes are all about in the following two games when they host Penn State before traveling to Wisconsin. The Buckeyes might be able to overcome mistakes like they had against the Terrapins, but they certainly will be a lot tougher to recover from against the Nittany Lions, Badgers, and when they take on Michigan later in the year.
The offensive line/running game
It’s always tough when you have to replace multiple starters from the year before on the offensive line. I guess I didn’t think the transition would be as tough as it has been since Donovan Jackson was coming back to lead the line, and even the new starters had seen time on the field last year, so at least they had an idea of what is expected of them when they are on the field.
For whatever reason, the offensive line just hasn’t clicked so far this year. The running game looked inept today, and honestly hasn’t looked very good all year long aside from a couple long runs from TreVeyon Henderson and Chip Trayanum. Henderson was a surprise scratch from the game against Maryland, as he is dealing with an injury he suffered against Notre Dame.
With Henderson on the sidelines, Trayanum saw most of the carries on Saturday. The former Arizona State running back is a bruising runner that is great at getting some tough yards, as we all saw at the end of the Notre Dame game. What I would rather not see anymore is games where Trayanum gets 20 carries like he did against the Terrapins.
What I want to know is what happened to Dallan Hayden? After torching Maryland last year, Hayden has barely seen the field since. Today would have been a perfect opportunity for Hayden to get some carries. His running style would have perfectly complemented Trayanum and Miyan Williams. Hell, I would have been happy to see Evan Pryor see some time.
Ryan Day
As Ohio State fans, we definitely are spoiled. What other school could a head coach have a 50-6 record and essentially be public enemy No. 1? Honestly though, there’s a lot of times where Day is his own worst enemy. At times it feels like he is trying to jam a square peg into a round hole with some of his play calls. If Day decided to throw the wide receiver screen and jet sweep plays in the trash can, Buckeye Nation would rejoice.
Of course, a head coach isn’t going to tell you exactly what he is going to do during a game. Sometimes though, what Day says and what we actually see from his team aren’t even in the same solar system. At least to the credit of Day, he didn’t go after former Maryland coaches Bobby Ross or Ralph Friedgen in postgame interviews. Not that those two said anything about the Buckeyes, I just wasn’t sure if Day was just going to start shooting on former head coaches of the schools he was going up against.
Parker Fleming
Can we sit Fleming down “Office Space” style and ask him what it is he does here? When people know who the special teams coordinator for a team is, then the special teams suck. Botched snaps, terrible coverage, penalties, and more. Yet for some reason during the offseason Day decided Fleming needed a raise.
The special teams at Ohio State used to be special. Under Fleming, they are just speshul.
Not that there weren’t positives about today’s game. After a rough start, Kyle McCord settled down in the second half and threw a couple touchdowns. J.T. Tuimoloau finally broke through with a sack and a half. Tommy Eichenberg made 13 tackles. Marvin Harrison Jr. had another monster game, catching eight passes for 163 yards and a score. I’ll let the others who are more upbeat people than I am dive deeper into all the good that happened.
Another upside to having issues like Ohio State has had so far this year is they have time to address those problems before some of their tougher games. Last year the Buckeyes didn’t really see some of their faults until the Michigan game and by then it was too late to do much about it. This is where Ryan Day has to earn his money and look deep at himself, as well as the assistant coaches he is surrounding himself with.
At least Ohio State is one of the few teams that can say they are still undefeated. Go Bucks now. Go Bucks forever.
Continue reading...
LGHL Instant Recap Podcast: Ohio State gets 37-17 Jekyll and Hyde victory over Maryland
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Instant Recap Podcast: Ohio State gets 37-17 Jekyll and Hyde victory over Maryland
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A pretty uninspiring first half turned into a thoroughly entertaining second half for Ohio State.
On LGHL Instant Recap Pods, Land-Grant Holy Land writers break down Ohio State games just minutes after the action ends. They bring you the biggest stats, storylines, and moments of the game before the players make it back to the locker room.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini and Justin Golba are breaking down No. 4 Ohio State’s 37-17 victory over the Maryland Terrapins who gave the Buckeyes all that they could handle in the first half of the game. Though the Buckeyes ended up covering the spread, the game was certainly in doubt well into the third quarter, but the OSU defense continued its lights-out play and the offense shook off a worrisome first half and an ineffective running game throughout to show glimpses of the Ohio State offenses of years past.
Kyle McCord had his best half as a Buckeye especially as he leaned on his high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. There are certainly plenty of questions to ask coming out of this game, but for Matt, those questions lay more at the feet of the coaches than the players.
Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
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
Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
A pretty uninspiring first half turned into a thoroughly entertaining second half for Ohio State.
On LGHL Instant Recap Pods, Land-Grant Holy Land writers break down Ohio State games just minutes after the action ends. They bring you the biggest stats, storylines, and moments of the game before the players make it back to the locker room.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini and Justin Golba are breaking down No. 4 Ohio State’s 37-17 victory over the Maryland Terrapins who gave the Buckeyes all that they could handle in the first half of the game. Though the Buckeyes ended up covering the spread, the game was certainly in doubt well into the third quarter, but the OSU defense continued its lights-out play and the offense shook off a worrisome first half and an ineffective running game throughout to show glimpses of the Ohio State offenses of years past.
Kyle McCord had his best half as a Buckeye especially as he leaned on his high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. There are certainly plenty of questions to ask coming out of this game, but for Matt, those questions lay more at the feet of the coaches than the players.
Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: Who should be the recipient of this year’s September Heisman?
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You’re Nuts: Who should be the recipient of this year’s September Heisman?
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Now that the calendar has turned to October, the first full month of the college football season is in the books. Teams around the FBS have all played at least a third of their schedule, and we are getting an idea on who the best teams and players in the country are. While there is still a lot that can happen between now and early December, some teams and players have started to build a strong case as to why they should be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy.
Since September is now over, it is a perfect time to give out our September Heismans. Even though everyone knows the Heisman Trophy isn’t actually awarded until December, that hasn’t stopped Michigan in the past from having players that fans of the Wolverines were ready to crown as Heisman winners in the first month of the season. A few Michigan September Heisman winners that come to mind are Denard Robinson, Tate Forcier, and Devin Gardner trying to will a September Heisman into existence by wearing number 98 against Notre Dame back in September 2013.
Of course Michigan isn’t the only school to have September Heismans, they are just the funniest school associated with the whole concept. Today we are going to give our picks for who is deserving of the Heisman Trophy after the first month of the season, and we would love to hear who you think has put themselves in pole position for the golden stiff-arm.
Even though USC quarterback Caleb Williams has the gaudier stats, I really feel like the best quarterback in the Pac-12 this year has been Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. The Huskies are coming off a 31-24 win at Arizona, but the game wasn’t quite as close as the final scoreline might indicate. Washington led 28-10 in the third quarter, and the Wildcats scored with just over a minute left in the game to trim the deficit to seven. Penix was 30-40 for 363 yards in the game. Some may question why Penix didn’t toss any touchdowns in the game, but it was obvious he did a lot of the heavy lifting through the air, while all four of Washington’s touchdowns came on the ground from five yards and in.
Prior to the touchdown-less performance on Saturday night, Penix had thrown at least three touchdown passes in each of the first four games for the Huskies. In the first game of the year, Penix had five touchdown tosses against Boise State, and a couple of weeks later he went to East Lansing and threw four touchdowns against Michigan State. So far this season, Penix is completing 75 percent of his passes, accumulated 1,999 yards passing, and connected for 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Following an exceptional start to the season, Penix is going to have plenty of chances to sway voters over the next two months. Next week Washington hosts Oregon, and in November the Huskies play USC, Utah, Oregon State, and Washington State. There could have been an argument made that Penix should have been a Heisman finalist last year because of how great he was in his first season in Seattle after transferring from Indiana. The problem was nobody saw what Penix did because most of the voters were sleeping by the time Washington games kicked off. That won’t be the case this year since there should be a lot of high-profile Huskies games over the next two months.
Look, the easy answer year is Caleb Williams... well, actually, the easy answer is Michael Penx Jr. because he is who I think has had the best first month of the season. But, since Brett already took him, the next easiest answer is Caleb Williams.
But, I will be damned if I’m going to pick a USC quarterback to win the award, especially when it would knock Archie Griffin off of his perch as college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. So, I am going to zag a little bit and go with Washington State QB Cameron Ward, and I’ll tell you why.
Penix does lead the country in passing yards per game at a staggering 399.8, but in third place — with only Colorado Buffalo quarterback Shedeur Sanders between them — is Ward with 347.3 ypg. He is in the top 15 in nearly every important quarterback counting metric and he has looked great doing it. Last time out, Wazzu beat the then-No. 21 Oregon State (ignore the awful title of the highlights below, it’s from the Pac-12 Network, what do you expect?) and Ward went off. He threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for another score.
I also think he has a good shot at the Heisman because of the story around his candidacy. The Pac-12 is folding this year and no one wants the hapless Wildcats and Beavers of the Pacific Northwest, leaving them essentially homeless starting next fall. Despite that fact, both teams are fighting against all odds to rise from the ashes of their once historic conference like a Phoenix and claim the final conference crown.
And there, leading the charge for Wazzu is an unlikely signal caller. With only two scholarship offers coming out of high school, Ward enrolled at Incarnate Word in 2020 before transferring to Pullman last season and has quickly become one of the most electric players in college football.
Now, would you rather vote for that, or the guy from the team who helped dismantle one of the most tradition-rich conferences in college athletics? Yeah, Michael Penix Jr. has been incredible, but those darn Washington Huskies helped deliver the death knell to the Pac-12. So, they shouldn’t be rewarded with a practically completely subjective and arbitrary award like the Heisman.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Now that the calendar has turned to October, the first full month of the college football season is in the books. Teams around the FBS have all played at least a third of their schedule, and we are getting an idea on who the best teams and players in the country are. While there is still a lot that can happen between now and early December, some teams and players have started to build a strong case as to why they should be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff and the Heisman Trophy.
Since September is now over, it is a perfect time to give out our September Heismans. Even though everyone knows the Heisman Trophy isn’t actually awarded until December, that hasn’t stopped Michigan in the past from having players that fans of the Wolverines were ready to crown as Heisman winners in the first month of the season. A few Michigan September Heisman winners that come to mind are Denard Robinson, Tate Forcier, and Devin Gardner trying to will a September Heisman into existence by wearing number 98 against Notre Dame back in September 2013.
Of course Michigan isn’t the only school to have September Heismans, they are just the funniest school associated with the whole concept. Today we are going to give our picks for who is deserving of the Heisman Trophy after the first month of the season, and we would love to hear who you think has put themselves in pole position for the golden stiff-arm.
Today’s question: Who should be the recipient of this year’s September Heisman?
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: Michael Penix Jr.
Even though USC quarterback Caleb Williams has the gaudier stats, I really feel like the best quarterback in the Pac-12 this year has been Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. The Huskies are coming off a 31-24 win at Arizona, but the game wasn’t quite as close as the final scoreline might indicate. Washington led 28-10 in the third quarter, and the Wildcats scored with just over a minute left in the game to trim the deficit to seven. Penix was 30-40 for 363 yards in the game. Some may question why Penix didn’t toss any touchdowns in the game, but it was obvious he did a lot of the heavy lifting through the air, while all four of Washington’s touchdowns came on the ground from five yards and in.
Prior to the touchdown-less performance on Saturday night, Penix had thrown at least three touchdown passes in each of the first four games for the Huskies. In the first game of the year, Penix had five touchdown tosses against Boise State, and a couple of weeks later he went to East Lansing and threw four touchdowns against Michigan State. So far this season, Penix is completing 75 percent of his passes, accumulated 1,999 yards passing, and connected for 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Following an exceptional start to the season, Penix is going to have plenty of chances to sway voters over the next two months. Next week Washington hosts Oregon, and in November the Huskies play USC, Utah, Oregon State, and Washington State. There could have been an argument made that Penix should have been a Heisman finalist last year because of how great he was in his first season in Seattle after transferring from Indiana. The problem was nobody saw what Penix did because most of the voters were sleeping by the time Washington games kicked off. That won’t be the case this year since there should be a lot of high-profile Huskies games over the next two months.
Matt’s answer: Cameron Ward
Look, the easy answer year is Caleb Williams... well, actually, the easy answer is Michael Penx Jr. because he is who I think has had the best first month of the season. But, since Brett already took him, the next easiest answer is Caleb Williams.
But, I will be damned if I’m going to pick a USC quarterback to win the award, especially when it would knock Archie Griffin off of his perch as college football’s only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. So, I am going to zag a little bit and go with Washington State QB Cameron Ward, and I’ll tell you why.
Penix does lead the country in passing yards per game at a staggering 399.8, but in third place — with only Colorado Buffalo quarterback Shedeur Sanders between them — is Ward with 347.3 ypg. He is in the top 15 in nearly every important quarterback counting metric and he has looked great doing it. Last time out, Wazzu beat the then-No. 21 Oregon State (ignore the awful title of the highlights below, it’s from the Pac-12 Network, what do you expect?) and Ward went off. He threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for another score.
I also think he has a good shot at the Heisman because of the story around his candidacy. The Pac-12 is folding this year and no one wants the hapless Wildcats and Beavers of the Pacific Northwest, leaving them essentially homeless starting next fall. Despite that fact, both teams are fighting against all odds to rise from the ashes of their once historic conference like a Phoenix and claim the final conference crown.
And there, leading the charge for Wazzu is an unlikely signal caller. With only two scholarship offers coming out of high school, Ward enrolled at Incarnate Word in 2020 before transferring to Pullman last season and has quickly become one of the most electric players in college football.
Now, would you rather vote for that, or the guy from the team who helped dismantle one of the most tradition-rich conferences in college athletics? Yeah, Michael Penix Jr. has been incredible, but those darn Washington Huskies helped deliver the death knell to the Pac-12. So, they shouldn’t be rewarded with a practically completely subjective and arbitrary award like the Heisman.
Continue reading...