• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Google sued for... $20 DECILLION DOLLARS !

I0w8RJG.gif



A Russian court has ordered Google to fork over a calculator-breaking sum of money to more than a dozen TV channels whose programming the tech company blocked from appearing on YouTube.

RIA FAN sued Google for blocking their content, according to Novaya Gazeta. Since then, the penalty has continued to grow as 15 other channels, including Kremlin-backed networks, won court cases against Google. “As of Tuesday, the fine totaled 2 undecillion rubles (that’s 2 followed by 36 zeros), which is equivalent to about $20 decillion (2 followed by 34 zeros) U.S. dollars.

Given that Google has gone years without paying the fine, it’s unlikely the company is going to open its checkbook now that the numbers are getting really goofy. And even if it wanted to, Google couldn’t cover the bill. As the fourth most valuable company in the world, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has a market capitalization of only $2 trillion.

RIA FAN sued Google for blocking their content, according to Novaya Gazeta. Since then, the penalty has continued to grow as 15 other channels, including Kremlin-backed networks, won court cases against Google. “As of Tuesday, the fine totaled 2 undecillion rubles (that’s 2 followed by 36 zeros), which is equivalent to about $20 decillion (2 followed by 34 zeros) U.S. dollars.

Given that Google has gone years without paying the fine, it’s unlikely the company is going to open its checkbook now that the numbers are getting really goofy. And even if it wanted to, Google couldn’t cover the bill. As the fourth most valuable company in the world, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has a market capitalization of only $2 trillion.

LGHL Is Ohio State’s No. 1 weapon against Penn State actually James Franklin?

Is Ohio State’s No. 1 weapon against Penn State actually James Franklin?
Jami Jurich
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Record

Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Until the Nittany Lions’ head coach proves otherwise, his abysmal track record against the Buckeyes will speak for itself.

Without rehashing the much-discussed issues against Nebraska, the Buckeyes need to take the field in Happy Valley looking like an entirely different team.

Offensive line issues abounded, hindering the Buckeyes’ powerful run game. Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson just didn’t have the room they needed to do their jobs. The usually consistent Will Howard was uncharacteristically sloppy.

The defense, while much improved over their performance against Oregon, got bogged down by unnecessary penalties (Davison Igbinosun, I’m talking to you. Knock it off with the pass interference). Even special teams got in on the action, with Jayden Fielding missing a 42-yard field goal.

Succinctly, the Buckeyes looked beatable, and Penn State typically plays us close, so I’m not expecting a huge margin of error.

Still, if I had to pinpoint which individual would play the most important role in beating Penn State, it’s none of the guys I mentioned above. The Buckeyes’ biggest asset isn’t their quarterback or any one of their star wide receivers or running backs. If they have an Achilles heel, there’s a good chance it will be canceled out on the other side of the field.

Because their biggest asset isn’t a Buckeye at all. It’s Nittany Lions’ head coach James Franklin.

Before the Penn State fans try to burn me at the stake for this, hear me out: When a program reaches the caliber of Penn State or Ohio State, coaches are judged as much by their success in high-stakes games as they are by their overall record.

I hold Ryan Day to this same standard. In fact, I sent a text today saying that if Ohio State can’t get the job done against Penn State, it might be time to re-evaluate his future with the Buckeyes. Ultimately, the number of Ws in the win column doesn’t matter if you can’t finish the job when it counts—especially at schools like Ohio State or Penn State where the fans have come to expect excellence.

With an overall record of 95-39 at Penn State, on paper, Franklin is exceptional.

But “on paper” doesn’t tell us the full story—because Franklin has historically struggled against ranked opponents, particularly top-10 opponents, and especially Ohio State. No matter how good the Nittany Lions look coming into the game against the Buckeyes, Franklin always seems to get in his own way.

His program always seems to be on the cusp of greatness. But what does Franklin have to show for it? A woeful 1-9 record — with seven consecutive losses — against the Buckeyes,

And to be fair, beating ranked teams is hard. While Day himself has a better record than Franklin against top 10 teams, OSU has lost three consecutive games to ranked opponents (last year’s loss to Michigan, their loss to Missouri in last season’s Cotton Bowl, and their one-point loss on the road to Oregon just a few weeks ago).

But there is something about Ohio State in particular that seems to be a thorn in Franklin’s side, even when we’re talking about a Penn State team that is really good.

They enter Saturday’s matchup as the No. 3 team in the country, with a 7-0 record, while the Buckeyes sit at No. 4 following the aforementioned loss to the Ducks. But who have the Nittany Lions played? Illinois? Not to mention, they struggled against a dud of a USC team (I know, I know: OSU vs. Nebraska. Pot, meet kettle).

It was just last year that Penn State came into the game against the Buckeyes with a 6-0 record and got a little too big for their breeches against another imperfect Ohio State team. So until Franklin can actually deliver on his end, you won’t exactly find me shaking in my boots.

Star quarterback Drew Allar (who is questionable for this weekend due to injury) went just 18-of-42. PSU converted just one of 16 third downs. The offense didn’t produce the way it needed to, and the defense did the football equivalent of yelling “Hey guys! Could you stop, please?” to OSU’s offense. They got outplayed by a Buckeye team that wasn’t even firing on all cylinders.

In large part, the responsibility for that falls on Franklin. His team couldn’t execute the small plays and didn’t deliver on the big ones. Despite it being a one-score game, Penn State couldn’t find the end zone until the fourth quarter.

Baffling play calls abounded. I’m talking “We’re down in the fourth quarter and the momentum gods have given us a gift. We’ve recovered a fumble from Ohio State, and now we get the ball on our own 48-yard-line. What excellent field position! You know what we should do? A TRICK PLAY FOR FUNSIES!”-bad. That play, for the record, resulted in a loss of yards, and I’m still scratching my head about it.

After the loss, Franklin didn’t really have answers for Penn State’s performance. And that’s part of his problem, in my opinion. You can’t win big games if you can’t learn from the losses. Losses are an opportunity to adjust, yet Franklin’s teams repeat the same mistakes year after year.

Now, against an Ohio State squad that looked less and less fearsome by the snap last weekend, Franklin has a chance to prove something has changed. If he can pull it off, I’ll deserve to eat crow for this column.

But until Franklin proves otherwise, I’m expecting more of the same from him: Poor execution of the fundamentals, questionable clock management, and mind-boggling play calls, with no answers for any of it.

So yes, Ohio State made mistakes against Oregon and again last weekend against Nebraska. Yes, they have to go on the road, and Happy Valley is a tough place to play. Yes, the Nittany Lions are a very good football team. But as long as James Franklin is calling the shots for Penn State, I’m putting my money on the Buckeyes.

Continue reading...

LGHL Where do you fall on the Ohio State Football Optimism-Pessimism Spectrum?

Where do you fall on the Ohio State Football Optimism-Pessimism Spectrum?
Matt Tamanini
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


ohio_state_football_ooptimism_pessimism.0.jpeg

Made with Google AI

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.



For a lot of folks in Buckeye Nation, Saturday’s win over Nebraska was the peak of their frustration level so far this season — not to mention the nadir of their enthusiasm level. We Ohio State fans are nothing if not an emotional and fickle group, so our feelings on the team tend to ebb and flow a bit more volatilely than most normal, well-adjusted humans.

So, now that a few days have been allowed to pass, we wanted to check in with members of our beloved fanbase in order to see where they were in terms of the Optimism-Pessimism Scale.

Check out the two questions in our weekly fan survey below and let us know how you are feeling about the team and what you think is going to happen in Saturday’s game against Penn State. So, check out the two questions below and then vote in the survey underneath. If you want to write-in options that we didn’t include, or add context to your pick, feel free to hit the comments at the bottom of the page.


Question 1: What is your level of optimism/pessimism heading into Penn State?


Look, as a life-long Buckeye fan, I know that we have never been the most level-headed and even-keeled group, so the extreme opinions inside the OSU community are no surprise to me. But it does feel like we are reaching an anti-Ryan Day fevered pitch. I tend to try to be as passionate of a fan as I can be while being as dispassionate in my analysis here at LGHL as possible.

But it’s become harder and harder to excuse the shortcomings that this coaching staff — and by extension the team — seem in capable of remedying. I am still optimistic that they can get this ship righted before they blow yet another massively talented roster on an underachieving season, but I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out that hope.


Question 2: What do you think is the margin of victory against Penn State this week?


When the FanDuel SportsBook opened the Ohio State vs. Penn State game for bettering on Sunday, they installed the Buckeyes as 3.5-point favorites, and that is where the line currently sits — although you can find up to 4 points at other books. The gold-standard college football analytics model SP+ projects OSU to win 25-24.


I don’t know for sure, but I think that in my nine seasons covering the Buckeyes here at Land-Grant Holy Land, I’ve only ever picked Ohio State to win games — with a few caveats. In some College Football Playoff games, I have picked the Buckeyes with my heart, but either Georgia or Clemson with my head.

However, while I reserve the right to change my pick up until Saturday morning when I officially publish it in the LGHL Experts Prediction article and on the “Tailgate” podcast, I’m not sure that I can even muster a based, homer, heart pick.

I might be overreacting to what I saw against Nebraska, but the legitimate issues that OSU’s coaching staff has put itself in on the offensive line is incredibly concerning, and I’m just not especially confident that they will be able to overcome it... but man, do I hope that I am wrong.


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.

Continue reading...

LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land: Penn State week is finally here

Hangout in the Holy Land: Penn State week is finally here
justingolba
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Football: Nebraska at Ohio State

Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

We recap our final thoughts on the Nebraska win and give a full preview for the showdown with the Nittany Lions.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.



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



Josh is back from a wedding, and Hangout in the Holy Land is back for another preview episode — a big one at that.

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) head to Happy Valley to take on the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions (7-0) for another top-five battle as Ryan Day and company look to get back on track following a loss to Oregon and an underwhelming performance against Nebraska.

We preview the Nittany Lions’ offense and defense. How much of an impact will the Penn State pass rush be? Will Drew Allar or Beau Pribula be the quarterback? How good of a running duo are Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton? We answer all those questions and more.

Before that, we concluded the Nebraska discussion and shared our thoughts on all the coaching narratives currently in circulation.

Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!



Connect with the pod:

Twitter:
@HolyLandPod

Connect with Josh Dooley:

Twitter:
@jdooleybuckeye

Connect with Justin Golba:

Twitter:
@justin_golba

Continue reading...

LGHL Jake Diebler excited things “aligned” for Buckeyes to tangle with his alma mater this season

Jake Diebler excited things “aligned” for Buckeyes to tangle with his alma mater this season
Connor Lemons
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Basketball: North Carolina vs Valparaiso

Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Ohio State is set to face Valparaiso, where Diebler played, on Dec. 17.

Jake Diebler’s journey to becoming a head coach at a power conference program was expedited a bit compared to other coaches, but you can hardly say he skipped the line.

Before becoming the head man at Ohio State, he was an assistant on Chris Holtmann’s staff for five seasons. Before that, he was an assistant coach at Vanderbilt for three years under Bryce Drew. For the three seasons before Vanderbilt he was at Ohio State, serving as video coordinator under Thad Matta.

But prior to all of that, Jake Diebler was a product of Valparaiso University. He played for the Crusaders from 2005-09, finishing with 160 career steals as well as finishing among the league leaders in three-pointers made and minutes per game his senior season.

Diebler has spoken about his college career before, telling Land-Grant Holy Land this fall that he considered quitting after his freshman season, when he averaged 1.1 points and played just four minutes per game. He thought he could walk on at a larger school somewhere or play more at a smaller school.

But after a very brief conversation with his father Keith — a longtime high school basketball coach himself — Diebler decided to stick it out. He now says that his freshman year at Valpo was one of the most important years of his life, and the best thing for him.


Once his playing days were finished, Diebler coached at Valpo under both Homer and Bryce Drew for four seasons. It was the first coaching position for the son of a coach who at one point refused to consider coaching as a profession because he didn’t want to follow in his dad’s footsteps. After playing for so many great coaches and seeing the impact they have on their players, he changed his mind.

That’s why Ohio State’s game against Valparaiso on Dec. 17 is going to feel so odd for Diebler.

“I follow that program closely for obvious reasons.” Diebler said at Ohio State’s media day Oct. 8. “It’ll be a weird feeling probably before that game, but once the ball is thrown up, it’ll be back to normal.”

Not only will he be facing the school he graduated from in 2009, Diebler will also be facing one of his former colleagues from Valpo, Roger Powell. Powell played collegiately at Illinois from 2001-05 and had a cup of tea in the NBA with the Utah Jazz, but was eventually hired to be on Bryce Drew’s staff at Valpo in 2011.


A staff photo guide from Vanderbilt’s 2016-2017 team. Photo courtesy of vucommodores.com.

Powell coached with Diebler at Valparaiso from 2011-13, until Diebler left to take the video coordinator position at Ohio State. But when Drew took the Vanderbilt job in 2016, he brought Powell with him and hired Diebler as a full-time assistant, bringing the two coaches back together for a second stint on Drew’s staff together. Diebler and Powell remained at Vanderbilt for three seasons until Drew was fired in 2019 after going 0-18 in SEC play.

All in all, Diebler coached alongside Powell for five seasons — two at Valpo and three at Vanderbilt. Diebler and Powell remain close, which will make Ohio State’s tilt against the Beacons (the team’s name changed from Crusaders to Beacons in 2021) even more meaningful for Diebler.

“Roger Powell is a close friend of mine,” Diebler said. “I hope they win every game but one next year. I think Roger’s going to do a really good job, he’s got some good pieces coming back.”

Diebler said that he didn’t go into the offseason looking to get Valpo on Ohio State’s schedule, but as dates started to fill up, the Buckeyes’ options to fill the schedule grew slimmer.

“I don’t think I immediately went into this off-season saying ‘We’ve gotta get Valpo on the schedule,’” Diebler said. “I think it happened organically. He was looking for games, we were looking for games, and it was like ‘Hey let’s see if the dates make sense.’ It wasn’t one of the first games we locked in, and when you start to get down to the end of putting a schedule together, dates become so important. And so it aligned that we were able to do this.”

Valparaiso-UNC
Photo by Scott Strazzante/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Ironically enough, in 2017, Chris Holtmann’s seventh game as head coach of the Buckeyes came against Butler — the program he led for three seasons before taking the Ohio State job. The Buckeyes lost that game in overtime, 67-66.

Diebler’s 11th game as head coach of the Buckeyes will be against his alma mater and the place he began his coaching career. Ideally, that game will end differently than that 2017 game against the Bulldogs did for Holtmann.

Diebler credits Valparaiso and the people there for helping get him to where he is now, but on Dec. 17, it’ll be his job to beat his former colleague and deliver a victory for the program he now leads.

Continue reading...

LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Devin Royal

Ohio State men’s basketball player preview: Devin Royal
justingolba
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Basketball: Big Ten Conference Tournament Quarterfinal-Ohio State vs Illinois

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Royal is expected to take a huge step under Jake Diebler as a sophomore this season in Columbus

If you have been locked into college football so this fall, here is your friendly reminder that the Ohio State men’s basketball hoops season starts Monday.

As we wrap up our player preview series this week, here are the final Buckeyes we are examining to preview the 2024-25 season.


The Devin Royal File


Name: Devin Royal
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
High School: Pickerington Central
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Weight: 220 pounds
Height: 6-foot-6


Breakdown


Devin Royal showed progress throughout his freshman season, especially when Chris Holtmann's head coach position was shifted to Jake Diebler. Royal played in 33 of the team’s 36 games and became a low-post threat as the season progressed. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor

As mentioned above, Royal played well down the stretch, averaging nearly eight points per contest over the final nine games. He played his best in one of the biggest games of the season, scoring a team-high 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting and adding a pair of steals in the last-second win at Michigan State.

Before he got to Columbus, he was a consensus four-star recruit who was named Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in 2023. He became the 12th player in Ohio State basketball history to earn Ohio’s Mr. Basketball. He helped lead Pickerington Central to a DI state title game in each of his last two seasons, scoring a game-high 20 points in a win in 2022 and a team-high 15 points in a runner-up finish in 2023.

He earned first-team All-Ohio honors as both a junior and senior, averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds as a senior and averaging 19.1 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior. On the AAU circuit, he played for All-Ohio Red in 2022 and averaged 17.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting over 51 percent in 26 games.

In high school, he played alongside current Ohio State football player Sonny Styles at Pickerington Central. Royal was the No. 9 PF and No. 1 player in Ohio as a top-50 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.


Expected Role


When you talk to anyone who follows Ohio State or Big Ten basketball, Royal is the main name mentioned. He is expected to make a huge leap in his sophomore season.

Royal took an obvious jump toward the end of last season, particularly when Jake Diebler took over as the head coach. He showed efficiency and solid rebounding and did not make any freshman mistakes.

Royal will not be a starter this season with the additions of Micah Parrish and Sean Stewart to the team. He needs to be a better shooter to play the three, and be a little more physical to play the four consistently.

However, Royal will be the first player off the bench for the Buckeyes and will likely play 20-23 minutes a game since he can play multiple spots on the floor. He is one of the top players in the conference due for a jump in his second season, and will be one of the top Buckeyes to keep an eye on this year.

Continue reading...

LGHL Michalski’s status still undetermined, but Day said he’ll be No. 1 left tackle if he’s healthy

Michalski’s status still undetermined, but Day said he’ll be No. 1 left tackle if he’s healthy
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_2024_10_30_at_12.31.54_AM.0.png


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 to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio


On the Gridiron


Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Focused on Third-Down Dilemmas, Offensive Line Still Being Sorted Through With Zen Michalski Banged Up
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors

Key Takeaways as Buckeyes get back to practice ahead of Penn State trip
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes

Ryan Day updates status of Zen Michalski and Lathan Ransom ahead of Ohio State at Penn State
Grant Hughes, 247Sports

UpDAYtes ahead of top-four showdown in Happy Valley against No. 3 Penn State
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern

Sure, Jan:



Asked about the lack of snaps for Ohio State's defensive line rotation behind the starting four, Jim Knowles said he's comfortable with whatever Larry Johnson decides because he's around the unit daily and knows what he's doing.

— Dillon Davis (@DillonDavis56) October 29, 2024

Three lessons learned from Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day ahead of Penn State game
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Ryan Day Says Ohio State Expects Lathan Ransom to “Get a Full Week of Practice” Leading Up to the Penn State Game
Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors

‘You’ve got to put the best five out there’: Ohio State evaluating left tackle situation
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row

Caleb Downs Named a Semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award
Ohio State Athletics

God, I hate this guy:


"You get a false impression of how great you are when you're going up and down the field against inferior opponents."

@desmondhoward on Ohio State pic.twitter.com/hVLrTjXfx1

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 29, 2024

“Oopsie” - Big Ten officials, apparently
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land

OSU QB Howard still ‘salty’ about Penn State snub as recruit
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

You’re Nuts: Which Nittany Lion do you secretly have a soft spot for?
Brett Ludwiczak and Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land


On the Hardwood


Making predictions for Faith Carson’s sophomore season at Ohio State
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

Can program overhaul help Ohio State rebuild a winning culture?
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch


Outside the Shoe and Schott


Men’s Soccer: No. 1 Ohio State Rallies for 2-all Draw Against Michigan State
Ohio State Athletics


79' | Ajagbe ties up the match with a header. Buckeyes 2, Spartans 2. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/p1UzA2LE5e

— Ohio State Men’s Soccer (@OhioStateMSOC) October 29, 2024

Wrestling: Ohio State Wrestling 2024-25 Preview Media Conference
Ohio State Athletics

Men’s Soccer: Adedokun Earns Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
Ohio State Athletics


And now for something completely different...


Yeah, I’m here for this:


First trailer for Marvel Studios’ TV slate:

• What If? S3 - Dec. 22
• Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - Jan. 25
• Daredevil Born Again - Mar. 4
• Ironheart - June 24
• Eyes of Wakanda - Aug. 6
• Marvel Zombies - Oct ‘25
• Wonder Man - Dec ‘25 pic.twitter.com/OdmG9NeURE

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 30, 2024

Continue reading...

Filter

Back
Top