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LGHL LGHL Asks: Which Buckeye has to have the biggest game to beat Notre Dame?

LGHL Asks: Which Buckeye has to have the biggest game to beat Notre Dame?
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 03 Notre Dame at Ohio State

Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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

Throughout the
Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering 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 first three weeks of the football season are behind us, the prologue is over, the overture is complete, the bouche has been amused. Now it’s time for Ohio State to take a massive step up in competition. On Saturday, Sept. 23, the No. 6 Buckeyes will travel to South Bend, Indiana to face off against the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

However, there are still a ton of unanswered questions remaining on both sides of the ball. But, since we are an Ohio State site, we don’t care nearly as much about ND’s uncertainties, so we are polling the faith fans of Buckeye Nation to see where their collective head is at as we get closer to the biggest game of the early season.

So, at the bottom of the page, answer the two questions in our weekly survey and if you have other thoughts beyond the options that we’ve presented, feel free to make note of them in the comments at the bottom of the page.


Question 1: Other than Kyle McCord, which player has to have a great game for Ohio State to beat Notre Dame?


Obviously, the simple answer here is always the quarterback, so we have eliminated Kyle McCord from consideration, but that still leaves a number of other players to pick from. We’ve included a couple of the offensive weapons that McCord will be counting on this Saturday, as well as the offensive lineman who has thus far been the biggest question for the Buckeyes.

On the other side of the ball, we’ve got at least one option at each level. The defensive ends have not recorded nearly as many sacks as many of the more optimistic fans had hoped coming into the year, but the coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Jim Knowles believes that they are playing excellent football. Notre Dame’s offensive line is one of the best in the country, so will OSU need the ends to step up in order to get quarterback Sam Hartman out of rhythm?


Or will the team’s veteran secondary members need to provide lock-down coverage in order to shut down what could be a prolific passing attack? Let us know what you think in the survey.


Question 2: What do you think happens against Notre Dame on Saturday?


This is an easy question, perhaps not to answer accurately, but at least to comprehend. The Buckeyes opened the week as three-point favorites. Since they are the road team in this contest, that means that the Vegas oddsmakers would have them pegged as a five to six-point favorite in a neutral site game. However, this game is not being played at a neutral site, it is being played at Notre Dame Stadium.


And as I mentioned before, there are so many unanswered questions about both teams. Neither has really played a team that challenged them, though the Domers’ victory over N.C. State is probably the closest thing to it. But the Buckeyes appeared sluggish in the first two games (plus another quarter) before going full Death Star mode against Western Kentucky.

Which version of OSU is the real one? We will have to wait until Saturday to know for sure, but you can get your pick in now in the survey below.


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.

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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Ryan Day says Ohio State has confidence heading into Notre Dame game

Uncut Podcast: Ryan Day says Ohio State has confidence heading into Notre Dame game
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Screenshot_2023_09_19_at_12.03.16_PM.0.png


Jim Knowles also teases the potential use of Mitchell Melton at the Jack.

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:



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On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from their respective Tuesday, Sept. 19 press conferences. The coaches spend a little time putting a bow on the 63-10 victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, but spend much of their respective media availabilities discussing how they think the team is shaping up for this weekend’s matchup against Notre Dame.

Both coaches praise Irish quarterback Sam Hartman and know that he presents a much different challenge to the Buckeyes than they have seen so far this season. The Domers’ offensive line is also of special concern for Knowles who teases that he might have a few tricks up his sleeve regarding Mitchell Melton and the Jack position.

Watch the complete press conference on Ohio State Athletic’s official Facebook page: Login to view embedded media


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter:
@BWWMatt

Music by: www.bensound.com


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LGHL You’re Nuts: What Ohio State game were you most nervous heading into?

You’re Nuts: What Ohio State game were you most nervous heading into?
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Michigan Wolverines v Ohio State Buckeyes

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

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

On Saturday night, Ohio State heads to South Bend to take on Notre Dame in prime time. The battle between the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish will be one of the biggest regular-season games in the college football seasons. The two teams met last year in the opening weekend’s marquee game, and it ended with Ohio State winning a tense game 21-10 in Columbus.

As nerve-racking as last year’s game against Notre Dame was heading into the contest, as well as during, this year’s game will see blood pressures raised even higher this year. Not only will the Buckeyes be on the road, but they’ll be taking on a Notre Dame team that doesn’t have concerns at quarterback like they did heading into last season’s game. While oddsmakers have Ohio State as a favorite in the game, this year’s result feels like it could go either way.

Today we want to know what Ohio State game you were most nervous going into. There certainly are plenty of options over the years that have had Buckeye fans especially tense. Games against Michigan, Penn State, and other Big Ten foes are the first that come to mind. Then there are high-profile non-conference games like we’ll see on Saturday. As if those weren’t enough to put some butterflies in your stomach just by thinking of them, then there are BCS and CFP games where the Buckeyes had a shot to head to the national title game or were playing for a national championship. All the choices should lead to some very interesting answers.

Today’s question: What Ohio State game were you most nervous heading into?

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: 2006 vs. Michigan


I find it hard to believe that there will be a bigger edition of The Game. Ohio State was the top-ranked team in the country heading into the rivalry battle, while Michigan was ranked second. Not only was there the usual battle for bragging rights, but the winner of the matchup would be headed to the BCS National Championship Game. This game was so big that it was moved out of its normal noon kickoff slot to a 3:30 start time.

As for me, I did get a taste of the rivalry after moving to Columbus in 2005, but it would be the first Ohio State-Michigan game in Columbus that I would experience as a resident of Ohio. The week didn’t exactly go smoothly for me, as I ended up getting food poisoning on Wednesday night, and I spent most of the next day throwing up and feeling terrible. Since I was a dumb college student, that didn’t stop me from jumping into Mirror Lake on Thursday night. I did have to do the jump sober, so I didn’t have all that liquid courage to keep me warm.

The HBO documentary on the rivalry came out a few days before The Game, so I was ready to run through walls early in the week. Then came the news that Bo Schembechler had passed away, which made me even more nervous about Saturday since that would add even more fuel to the fire that Michigan would be playing with. By the time Saturday morning rolled around, I was a mess, not only from the nerves but just because I felt pretty terrible physically from the last few days.

I know I could have said the Alabama game from the first CFP, but honestly, I felt like with that one we were playing with house money since the Buckeyes were on their third-string quarterback. In the 2007 title game I was confident Ohio State would win, and that backfired on me. 2008 was such a strange season overall that I guess I was just happy Ohio State made it to the championship game. It certainly is going to take a lot to top what I felt heading into the 2006 game.


Matt’s answer: 2002 vs. Michigan


I know I am throwing this back perhaps further than some of you were alive, or at least to before you can remember, but this game was my senior season at Ohio State, it felt serendipitous that I was able to witness this season while being an OSU student as a long overdue apology from the Football Gods for subjecting me to a childhood riddled with the Shouldas, Couldas, and Might Have Beens of the John Cooper Era.

However, going into The Game, the nerves were still incredibly high. Not only was the residual trauma of suffering through countless years of Cooper’s teams being the most talented team in the Big Ten, only to have their championship hopes dashed by their rivals, but even though Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes were obviously undefeated coming into the regular-season finale, they had not been a dominant team for much of the season, winning five of their previous nine games by a single score, including some against seemingly overmatched competition like Cincinnati, Northwestern, Purdue (The “Holy Buckeye” game), and Illinois.

So, even though the No. 9 Wolverines had already dropped a pair of contests to Notre Dame and Iowa on the year, there was only muted confidence going into The Game. Yes, we Buckeye fans were pumped up knowing that a victory would assure a spot in the BCS Championship Game, but I didn’t know a single person who was overly confident. With that Buckeye team, you just couldn’t afford to get over-excited, because even the most exciting wins felt like walking on a knife’s edge; you could either lose your balance and come crashing down, or you could slip and face a fate far worse by falling on the blade.

Yes, the team had the skills of Will Smith, Maurice Clarett, Santonio Holmes, Mike Doss, A.J. Hawk, Chris Gamble, Nick Mangold, Will Allen, Bobby Carpenter, Michael Jenkins, Ben Hartsock, Rob Sims, Dustin Fox, Simon Fraser, Cie Grant, Quinn Pitcock, Nate Salley, Matt Wilhelm, and more, but we knew that quarterback Craig Krenzel wasn’t going to be a guy who could throw a team to victory, so all optimism — at least from me — was cautious at best.

Like it had all season, the Buckeyes played the game close; the home team trailer 9-7 heading into halftime, and after a scoreless third quarter, OSU pulled ahead for good with a three-yard touchdown run by Maurice Hall with 5:28 remaining to ice the game at 14-9.

Following the game, like nearly all of the students and many other fans, I would up on the Ohio Stadium turf, celebrating the historic victory. In fact, I took a bit of that turf from inside the Block O at the 50-yard line and put it in my pocket. From there, I “planted” it in a styrofoam cup and kept it on the windowsill of my parents’ house until they moved to Florida a year later.

So, while the memories of that game are some of my favorite as a student at Ohio State, I know that the nerves were not only real and justified, but they were overwhelming until the clock struck 00:00.

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LGHL Kyle McCord showed Saturday why he deserves to be QB1

Kyle McCord showed Saturday why he deserves to be QB1
Megan.Husslein
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Western Kentucky v Ohio State

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

He was darn near perfect against Western Kentucky.

There has been a debate for months over who should be the starting quarterback at Ohio State: Kyle McCord or Devin Brown? Even head coach Ryan Day couldn’t decide until the the third week of the season. He decided to go with McCord, and that seems to be 100% the right call.

Admittedly, McCord looked shaky the first couple of weeks of the season. Although it has been made very clear that his performance wasn’t solely on him; the offensive line is adjusting to game play as well. Finally, on Saturday versus Western Kentucky, everything clicked into place.

McCord’s stats are about as perfect as can be. He went 19-of-23 with 318 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and a QBR of 95.7 He really showed every skill that was expected of him.


Kyle McCord had a big-time game today.

Watch each of his 3 @OhioStateFB TDs passes. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/zYbaRiyx34

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 16, 2023

The deep ball was WORKING for McCord, as clearly demonstrated on his touchdown pass to his high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr. This was probably the most exciting pass of the game, as it was just a dime to Marv for a 75 yard score. THIS was exactly what Ohio State fans were waiting for.

Overall, he just looked comfortable out there. Day said in his weekly press conference that he was hoping that now that McCord was named the starter, he could relax out there and find his rhythm, and I think that is exactly what happened. He didn’t have to worry about making zero mistakes in fear that Devin Brown might take over. He knew he had the confidence of everyone around him that he was THE guy, and therefore he was confident.

Now, I’m aware that he did all of this against a Western Kentucky defense, a team that was known for its offense (and still only put up 10 points). So, McCord’s first true test will come this Saturday against Notre Dame. However, this is exactly the kind of game he needed to have as a confidence booster heading into a top-10 matchup. The offense as a group needed a game where it fired on all cylinders and everything clicked.


Kyle McCord took a lot of heat the past couple weeks but today he proved a lot of people wrong.

Number 6 exited the field with 300 yards and 3 TD’s and got to truly experience the stardom and love a starting QB at Ohio State gets. pic.twitter.com/lRRVxi3vm8

— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) September 16, 2023

Now, none of this is to make Brown look or sound bad. Hey, he had his first collegiate touchdown Saturday as he went three-of-four throwing the ball. However, McCord’s experience and maturity I think edges Brown’s out a bit, which makes sense as he is older.

So moving forward, what do I want to see out of McCord? Obviously, just continue to build on the performance from Saturday. This weekend I will be interested to see how he stays calm and collected under pressure in a massive road game. Many coaches and players have described how cool he stays in pressure situations, so now it will be time to show that on the field, especially when maybe everything isn’t going as smoothly as it did against Western Kentucky.

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LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Western Kentucky rewind and Notre Dame preview

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


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Brendan McAlinden from One Foot Down joins us to help preview the matchup against the Fighting Irish.

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio


At long last, the Buckeyes finally looked like the Buckeyes. While Western Kentucky might not be the strongest test, it was at least nice to see Ohio State playing football that resembles what we’ve seen from the Buckeyes in recent years. The 63-10 win was a comprehensive one, although it wasn’t without its bumps in the early going. In the end, the improving Ohio State offensive line did well and the defense continues to look good. Heck, they even came up with some defensive touchdowns in this one.

We break down the lopsided win with all of the key plays and performers and check back on our score predictions and picks to click to see how we did. We actually did well this week, although we underestimated Ohio State’s ability to improve and score points.

After the recap, we were joined by Brendan McAlinden of the One Foot Down blog, which covers Notre Dame. Brendan’s encyclopedic knowledge of the Fighting Irish helps get you ready for Saturday’s Top 10 showdown in South Bend.

After our discussion with Brendan, we toured the other results from the weekend around the Big Ten. Sparty seems to be in trouble, Wisconsin is shaky at times, Northwestern is bad, and Rutgers and Maryland are both halfway to bowl eligibility.

Finally, we looked at the matchup with Notre Dame and chose the players we pick to click and made our score predictions for Saturday. We’re expecting a tight game and a little bit lower scoring matchup than your usual Ohio State contest. We’ll check back next week to see how we did in predicting this highly anticipated game between two of college football’s true bluebloods.

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

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

As always, thanks for listening!

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