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LGHL Join the Land-Grant March Madness Women’s Basketball Tournament Challenge
- News
- 0 Replies
Join the Land-Grant March Madness Women’s Basketball Tournament Challenge
1ThomasCostello 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
You know, the one that lets you choose the Buckeyes!
Welcome to March. It’s the month where Ohio starts to bloom, Whoppers Easter eggs are finally on the shelves and people try to get into baseball again. It’s also the best time of the year for fans of the only sport that started out with a peach basket.
Welcome to March Madness!
Ohio State knows who they’re playing, facing the James Madison Dukes on Saturday at the Schottenstein Center. They aren’t the only folks who can compete. We want YOU to join in the action for both the men and women’s tournaments.
This season, your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are holding two different Tournament Challenge competitions. Both feature fields of 68 teams playing in dramatic fashion over a few weeks of absolute magic.
In this edition, the Big Ten has the chance to flex their muscle. Entering the 2023 tournament, there are three conference in the AP Top 25, two of the top three all hail from Big Ten country.
Wyatt Crosher, friend of Land-Grant and guest on multiple site podcasts puts it best.
So, maybe you’re saying to yourself “self, I haven’t watched any NCAA women’s basketball this year because I follow a traditional sports upbringing and girls scare me.” That’s ok! Anyone can join. The wannabe bracketologists, the diehard Buckeye fans and the folks whose NCAA women’s basketball knowledge doesn’t stretch beyond knowing that Caitlin Clark exists.
Mach Madness is great because anything can happen. Look at last season, the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the No. 10 Creighton Blue Jays in the second round on their home court, or the No. 12 seed Belmont Bears beating the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in Oregon. Madness, I tell you.
For absolutely no cost to you, you can join the challenge with the chance to win a prize. Yep, a prize. If you’re the lucky soul who ends the challenge on the top of the leaderboards, you’ll get a special Land-Grant podcast episode just for you! We won’t publish it for the world to hear. In that episode will be a cut of every joke made by head coach Kevin McGuff across press conferences from the 22-23 season. They’re good too!
Also, as a bonus, if the Land-Grant Holy Land Women’s Tournament Challenge gets more participants than the men’s version of the challenge, the top three people can also ask a question to an Ohio State women’s basketball guest on an upcoming podcast (with host and guest approval of said question, be nice).
Here’s how you join:
Make sure to tell all your family, friends and enemies to sign up for the Land-Grant Holy Land Women’s Tournament Challenge. It costs nothing to you. Challenge someone who doesn’t watch women’s basketball. Take that same friend out to a sports bar and demand they put all the games from the ESPN family of networks on their televisions.
Good luck to all who enter!
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello 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
You know, the one that lets you choose the Buckeyes!
Welcome to March. It’s the month where Ohio starts to bloom, Whoppers Easter eggs are finally on the shelves and people try to get into baseball again. It’s also the best time of the year for fans of the only sport that started out with a peach basket.
Welcome to March Madness!
Ohio State knows who they’re playing, facing the James Madison Dukes on Saturday at the Schottenstein Center. They aren’t the only folks who can compete. We want YOU to join in the action for both the men and women’s tournaments.
This season, your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are holding two different Tournament Challenge competitions. Both feature fields of 68 teams playing in dramatic fashion over a few weeks of absolute magic.
In this edition, the Big Ten has the chance to flex their muscle. Entering the 2023 tournament, there are three conference in the AP Top 25, two of the top three all hail from Big Ten country.
Wyatt Crosher, friend of Land-Grant and guest on multiple site podcasts puts it best.
So, maybe you’re saying to yourself “self, I haven’t watched any NCAA women’s basketball this year because I follow a traditional sports upbringing and girls scare me.” That’s ok! Anyone can join. The wannabe bracketologists, the diehard Buckeye fans and the folks whose NCAA women’s basketball knowledge doesn’t stretch beyond knowing that Caitlin Clark exists.
Mach Madness is great because anything can happen. Look at last season, the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes lost to the No. 10 Creighton Blue Jays in the second round on their home court, or the No. 12 seed Belmont Bears beating the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in Oregon. Madness, I tell you.
For absolutely no cost to you, you can join the challenge with the chance to win a prize. Yep, a prize. If you’re the lucky soul who ends the challenge on the top of the leaderboards, you’ll get a special Land-Grant podcast episode just for you! We won’t publish it for the world to hear. In that episode will be a cut of every joke made by head coach Kevin McGuff across press conferences from the 22-23 season. They’re good too!
Also, as a bonus, if the Land-Grant Holy Land Women’s Tournament Challenge gets more participants than the men’s version of the challenge, the top three people can also ask a question to an Ohio State women’s basketball guest on an upcoming podcast (with host and guest approval of said question, be nice).
Here’s how you join:
Bracket Steps
- Join the Land-Grant Holy Land Women’s Tournament Challenge
- Make your selections before the March 17, 2023 cutoff date
- Select one of your entries to join the group, no multiple entries please
- If we find out you used multiple accounts to have multiple entries, first: Why? Second, you won’t win the grand prize
- Read up on the rules over at ESPN, because this challenge will adhere to all of them
Share, Share, Share
Make sure to tell all your family, friends and enemies to sign up for the Land-Grant Holy Land Women’s Tournament Challenge. It costs nothing to you. Challenge someone who doesn’t watch women’s basketball. Take that same friend out to a sports bar and demand they put all the games from the ESPN family of networks on their televisions.
Good luck to all who enter!
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State will not use a “Jack” in the spring, and it should stay that way in the fall
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State will not use a “Jack” in the spring, and it should stay that way in the fall
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Jack position provided little benefit in 2022 because there was not a player on the roster fit for the role. That won’t change in 2023 for a long list of reasons.
Over the past three defensive coordinator transitions, the Ohio State Buckeyes have hinted at a future of hybrid defensive positions. For multiple offseasons, the term “Bullet” was thrown around like the position was part of this holy text, when in reality it glorified a position that few teams should deploy unless they have a player in the mold of Isaiah Simmons, Jabrill Peppers, etc.
Now, the story about the Jack linebacker has sunk its teeth into Buckeye Nation, much like the “Bullet” position craze before it. For anyone interested, the Jack never became the illustrious “Leo” position that Knowles was so in favor of at Oklahoma State. The offseason had Mitchell Melton penciled into the role, but a knee injury derailed that plan. This led to Jack Sawyer taking on the mantle, despite hesitancy from defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
This offseason, Knowles has said that there will be no Jack linebacker practiced in spring as they move to work on their base 4-2-5. This comes on the heels of the announcement Jack Sawyer is not playing the Jack positions this year, instead focusing on becoming a more complete traditional defensive end.
When asked earlier in the spring, Johnson seemed hesitant about some of his players playing the hybrid. But looking back at those words now, there is definitely a part of Johnson who wants to see more of it. Just not now, and not with the current players he’s recruited.
“If that means Jack or playing regular defensive end, I think we got to make that decision and go for it. I think we’ll do a little bit in the spring, just try to get him a home and let him go play,” Johnson said about Sawyer.
Sawyer is playing defensive end this year, and that is home. This will give Ohio State the most talented pair of defensive ends in years, preparing to have a season the Buckeyes have been needing from the edge. Johnson went even further and claimed that second year player Caden Curry is defensive end No. 3 behind the two starters.
That leaves few names that can play the position that come into the year healthy. A big reason for that is the positives from the role were slim. Sawyer had 4.5 sacks, with the majority coming from him with his hand in the ground. The other player Javontae Jean-Baptiste had only four sacks. At best in year one, the Jack position created a distraction for offenses. Is that worth the effort in year 2 when there is not a definitive Jack healthy?
If Mitchell Melton comes into fall camp healthy, there is a possibility this ends up in a package, but dedicating a position to one player seems like a little too much from a resource stand point. Moving C.J. Hicks there in the fall seems like an ideal way to get him on the field, but the trouble with cross-training players is they’re not giving their whole to developing at one position.
The other few players on the roster with Jack potential are Arvell Reese, Joshua Mickens, and Gabe Powers, among a few others. But outside of Mickens, they run into the same problem that Jack Sawyer would in the fact their future is best served focusing on one role.
That is why this position should be shelved moving forward until recruiting finds the guy – or Leo.
There are players who change the way teams play football, and for years Knowles relied on that player as his Leo in the Big 12. Getting a do-it-all defender in advantageous positions is important when the roster is more limited. That was the case for Knowles at Cornell, Duke, and Oklahoma State, but at Ohio State there is not one player cut from that cloth.
That is why in 2023 the focus should be on maximizing the players recruited at the positions they were recruited for. After a few classes, where the focus is there or when Melton is full healthy, there can be a conversation about Jack packages. Until those moments, the goal should be creating versatility through structure, and through the positions that suit the current roster best.
J.T. Tuimoloau is dangerous in a variety of ways. They can utilize him in advantageous positions through twists, stunts, and dropping back into coverage. Sawyer from a hand in the ground sense could still do similar things, but when it comes down to his role on a down-to-down basis, he has a defined sense of purpose.
The success Ohio State had from bringing players from the second level in pressure and from the secondary was high. That is a big reason they were 35th in team sacks with the leading edge rusher having 4.5 on the year. With a hopefully improved secondary, the Buckeyes could get even more dangerous rushing the passer. That is why they don’t need to get fancy.
This position’s future is still on the horizon. There are players across the country who have the skillset and Ohio State will be recruiting them. The reason I bring this up is because there was a time where Ohio State kept recruiting tweeners who didn’t have a position, but were great athletes. There is no reason to dive into names, a few have been mentioned already, but the idea of recruiting a player and finding a place later is far gone.
Unless the player is Sonny Styles, who can do too many things, there is no player who should not be recruited without a plan. Now that there is a sense of stability on the defensive side of the ball, this can begin. Over the next few years, each recruiting class should feature a player with the skillset to play the Jack position if it is to be use effectively.
This has already started with the 2023 recruit Joshua Mickens. As the 2024 class progresses, there will be a player identified with this skillset who will become a priority target. As a three deep turns into a four deep at the position, the plan and impact of the idea can grow. Knowles will have his Leo, but it won’t be this year. His fun will happen with Styles off the ball, but don’t expect the Jack position to be forgotten around the program – it took years for people to get over the bullet.
At the end of the day, there are more important aspects to the defense than moving a defensive lineman around to gain an advantage on a certain play. If Ohio State can create confusion lining up in their base defense by mixing coverages, blitzes, and line movements, the defense will be more dangerous. There will be no keying in on a certain player, and if Knowles feels a need to get spicy he has plenty of athletes who can do that on a play-to-play basis from a traditional alignment.
There is no question Knowles will still get wild, but this past season some of the biggest plays against the Buckeyes came from the gambling nature. That is why getting the easy stuff right needs to take priority, and positional versatility can come as the defense continue being established. The Jack position is shelved for now, and in the near future it should remain there.
Once the turnover on the roster occurs, and the Buckeyes have the depth to dedicate a position to it, there is no reason it won’t reappear. But as of now, Ohio State is not better because of it, and the players on the roster are best served playing in the roles that suit them most. That means a traditional defensive end on both sides, getting after the passer.
Continue reading...
Chris Renne via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Jack position provided little benefit in 2022 because there was not a player on the roster fit for the role. That won’t change in 2023 for a long list of reasons.
Over the past three defensive coordinator transitions, the Ohio State Buckeyes have hinted at a future of hybrid defensive positions. For multiple offseasons, the term “Bullet” was thrown around like the position was part of this holy text, when in reality it glorified a position that few teams should deploy unless they have a player in the mold of Isaiah Simmons, Jabrill Peppers, etc.
Now, the story about the Jack linebacker has sunk its teeth into Buckeye Nation, much like the “Bullet” position craze before it. For anyone interested, the Jack never became the illustrious “Leo” position that Knowles was so in favor of at Oklahoma State. The offseason had Mitchell Melton penciled into the role, but a knee injury derailed that plan. This led to Jack Sawyer taking on the mantle, despite hesitancy from defensive line coach Larry Johnson.
This offseason, Knowles has said that there will be no Jack linebacker practiced in spring as they move to work on their base 4-2-5. This comes on the heels of the announcement Jack Sawyer is not playing the Jack positions this year, instead focusing on becoming a more complete traditional defensive end.
When asked earlier in the spring, Johnson seemed hesitant about some of his players playing the hybrid. But looking back at those words now, there is definitely a part of Johnson who wants to see more of it. Just not now, and not with the current players he’s recruited.
“If that means Jack or playing regular defensive end, I think we got to make that decision and go for it. I think we’ll do a little bit in the spring, just try to get him a home and let him go play,” Johnson said about Sawyer.
Sawyer is playing defensive end this year, and that is home. This will give Ohio State the most talented pair of defensive ends in years, preparing to have a season the Buckeyes have been needing from the edge. Johnson went even further and claimed that second year player Caden Curry is defensive end No. 3 behind the two starters.
That leaves few names that can play the position that come into the year healthy. A big reason for that is the positives from the role were slim. Sawyer had 4.5 sacks, with the majority coming from him with his hand in the ground. The other player Javontae Jean-Baptiste had only four sacks. At best in year one, the Jack position created a distraction for offenses. Is that worth the effort in year 2 when there is not a definitive Jack healthy?
If Mitchell Melton comes into fall camp healthy, there is a possibility this ends up in a package, but dedicating a position to one player seems like a little too much from a resource stand point. Moving C.J. Hicks there in the fall seems like an ideal way to get him on the field, but the trouble with cross-training players is they’re not giving their whole to developing at one position.
The other few players on the roster with Jack potential are Arvell Reese, Joshua Mickens, and Gabe Powers, among a few others. But outside of Mickens, they run into the same problem that Jack Sawyer would in the fact their future is best served focusing on one role.
That is why this position should be shelved moving forward until recruiting finds the guy – or Leo.
There are players who change the way teams play football, and for years Knowles relied on that player as his Leo in the Big 12. Getting a do-it-all defender in advantageous positions is important when the roster is more limited. That was the case for Knowles at Cornell, Duke, and Oklahoma State, but at Ohio State there is not one player cut from that cloth.
That is why in 2023 the focus should be on maximizing the players recruited at the positions they were recruited for. After a few classes, where the focus is there or when Melton is full healthy, there can be a conversation about Jack packages. Until those moments, the goal should be creating versatility through structure, and through the positions that suit the current roster best.
J.T. Tuimoloau is dangerous in a variety of ways. They can utilize him in advantageous positions through twists, stunts, and dropping back into coverage. Sawyer from a hand in the ground sense could still do similar things, but when it comes down to his role on a down-to-down basis, he has a defined sense of purpose.
The success Ohio State had from bringing players from the second level in pressure and from the secondary was high. That is a big reason they were 35th in team sacks with the leading edge rusher having 4.5 on the year. With a hopefully improved secondary, the Buckeyes could get even more dangerous rushing the passer. That is why they don’t need to get fancy.
This position’s future is still on the horizon. There are players across the country who have the skillset and Ohio State will be recruiting them. The reason I bring this up is because there was a time where Ohio State kept recruiting tweeners who didn’t have a position, but were great athletes. There is no reason to dive into names, a few have been mentioned already, but the idea of recruiting a player and finding a place later is far gone.
Unless the player is Sonny Styles, who can do too many things, there is no player who should not be recruited without a plan. Now that there is a sense of stability on the defensive side of the ball, this can begin. Over the next few years, each recruiting class should feature a player with the skillset to play the Jack position if it is to be use effectively.
This has already started with the 2023 recruit Joshua Mickens. As the 2024 class progresses, there will be a player identified with this skillset who will become a priority target. As a three deep turns into a four deep at the position, the plan and impact of the idea can grow. Knowles will have his Leo, but it won’t be this year. His fun will happen with Styles off the ball, but don’t expect the Jack position to be forgotten around the program – it took years for people to get over the bullet.
At the end of the day, there are more important aspects to the defense than moving a defensive lineman around to gain an advantage on a certain play. If Ohio State can create confusion lining up in their base defense by mixing coverages, blitzes, and line movements, the defense will be more dangerous. There will be no keying in on a certain player, and if Knowles feels a need to get spicy he has plenty of athletes who can do that on a play-to-play basis from a traditional alignment.
There is no question Knowles will still get wild, but this past season some of the biggest plays against the Buckeyes came from the gambling nature. That is why getting the easy stuff right needs to take priority, and positional versatility can come as the defense continue being established. The Jack position is shelved for now, and in the near future it should remain there.
Once the turnover on the roster occurs, and the Buckeyes have the depth to dedicate a position to it, there is no reason it won’t reappear. But as of now, Ohio State is not better because of it, and the players on the roster are best served playing in the roles that suit them most. That means a traditional defensive end on both sides, getting after the passer.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State draws James Madison, hosts rounds 1 & 2 of NCAA Tournament
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State draws James Madison, hosts rounds 1 & 2 of NCAA Tournament
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeyes playing home games for first time since 2018, hoping for their first Final Four run in 30 years
The last time the Ohio State women’s basketball team played basketball was Sunday, Feb. 5 at the Big Ten Tournament. University of Iowa, led by guard Caitlin Clark, beat the Buckeyes handedly, 105-72. After a long week of watching film, practicing and waiting to make up for the loss, the Scarlet & Gray knows who they’ll face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Also, the Buckeyes bring March Madness back to the Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State has their first match-up set, against James Madison University of the Sun Belt Conference. It’s the third time the Buckeyes will face the Dukes in the NCAA Tournament, defeating JMU 90-80 back in 2015. Overall, Ohio State is 6-0 against the Dukes.
Should the Buckeyes win their opening round game, they’ll face either the North Carolina Tar Heels or the winner of a First Four game between St. Johns and the Purdue Boilermakers.
A potential match-up with the Tar Heels or the Boilermakers is especially interesting. UNC lost to both the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers this season. Also, Purdue was the lone unranked team to beat Ohio State this year, defeating them 73-65 in Columbus.
Last season, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side made it to the Sweet Sixteen, falling to the Texas Longhorns in a close 66-63 defeat. That came after a tough first two rounds for the Buckeyes, starting with mid-major Missouri State Bears and culminating with a win over the LSU Tigers in a loud homecourt atmosphere.
This year’s Ohio State side is stronger than last season, including the rise of guard Taylor Thierry and B1G Freshman of the Year Cotie McMahon. That’s on top of guard Taylor Mikesell in her final season of her career, leading the Buckeyes averaging 17.3 points per game.
Ohio State enters the tournament with a boost too in the return of guard Jacy Sheldon. The senior guard missed 21 of the Buckeyes 32 games, playing once in the final 22 games of the regular season.
At the Big Ten Tournament, Sheldon played in all three games for the Buckeyes, coming in from the bench for 44 minutes across three games. In the first game against the Michigan Wolverines, Sheldon hit a late three that sealed the victory for Ohio State. However, Sheldon’s biggest impact came in the tournament semifinal.
The Buckeyes were down 24 points to the then No. 2 team in the country, the Indiana Hoosiers. The guard scored 12 points and had four steals in the victory, leading to the largest comeback in the history fo the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament and tied for largest comeback for a Big Ten women’s team in conference history.
Across the Big Ten, seven total programs made the tournament, including four teams hosting first and second round games.
McGuff’s side and the other six Big Ten teams are all hoping to become only the second team to win the annual tournament. The Purdue Boilermakers are the lone side to lift the NCAA National Championship for women’s basketball, back in 1999. No conference side has made it to even the Final Four in six straight tournaments.
For Ohio State, they haven’t made a Final Four appearance since 1993, when the Buckeyes lost in the NCAA Championship game 84-82 to legendary guard Sheryl Swoopes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Scheller/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Buckeyes playing home games for first time since 2018, hoping for their first Final Four run in 30 years
The last time the Ohio State women’s basketball team played basketball was Sunday, Feb. 5 at the Big Ten Tournament. University of Iowa, led by guard Caitlin Clark, beat the Buckeyes handedly, 105-72. After a long week of watching film, practicing and waiting to make up for the loss, the Scarlet & Gray knows who they’ll face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Also, the Buckeyes bring March Madness back to the Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State has their first match-up set, against James Madison University of the Sun Belt Conference. It’s the third time the Buckeyes will face the Dukes in the NCAA Tournament, defeating JMU 90-80 back in 2015. Overall, Ohio State is 6-0 against the Dukes.
Should the Buckeyes win their opening round game, they’ll face either the North Carolina Tar Heels or the winner of a First Four game between St. Johns and the Purdue Boilermakers.
A potential match-up with the Tar Heels or the Boilermakers is especially interesting. UNC lost to both the Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers this season. Also, Purdue was the lone unranked team to beat Ohio State this year, defeating them 73-65 in Columbus.
Last season, head coach Kevin McGuff’s side made it to the Sweet Sixteen, falling to the Texas Longhorns in a close 66-63 defeat. That came after a tough first two rounds for the Buckeyes, starting with mid-major Missouri State Bears and culminating with a win over the LSU Tigers in a loud homecourt atmosphere.
This year’s Ohio State side is stronger than last season, including the rise of guard Taylor Thierry and B1G Freshman of the Year Cotie McMahon. That’s on top of guard Taylor Mikesell in her final season of her career, leading the Buckeyes averaging 17.3 points per game.
Ohio State enters the tournament with a boost too in the return of guard Jacy Sheldon. The senior guard missed 21 of the Buckeyes 32 games, playing once in the final 22 games of the regular season.
At the Big Ten Tournament, Sheldon played in all three games for the Buckeyes, coming in from the bench for 44 minutes across three games. In the first game against the Michigan Wolverines, Sheldon hit a late three that sealed the victory for Ohio State. However, Sheldon’s biggest impact came in the tournament semifinal.
The Buckeyes were down 24 points to the then No. 2 team in the country, the Indiana Hoosiers. The guard scored 12 points and had four steals in the victory, leading to the largest comeback in the history fo the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament and tied for largest comeback for a Big Ten women’s team in conference history.
Across the Big Ten, seven total programs made the tournament, including four teams hosting first and second round games.
McGuff’s side and the other six Big Ten teams are all hoping to become only the second team to win the annual tournament. The Purdue Boilermakers are the lone side to lift the NCAA National Championship for women’s basketball, back in 1999. No conference side has made it to even the Final Four in six straight tournaments.
For Ohio State, they haven’t made a Final Four appearance since 1993, when the Buckeyes lost in the NCAA Championship game 84-82 to legendary guard Sheryl Swoopes and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Continue reading...
