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LGHL Buckeye Heroes: Ohio State tackle Orlando Pace set the standard for offensive linemen
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Buckeye Heroes: Ohio State tackle Orlando Pace set the standard for offensive linemen
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images
It’s been 27 years since the pancake man played in Columbus, but the Buckeyes continue searching for “the next Orlando Pace.” Hint: There isn’t one.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Ohio State fans of a certain age can hardly eat a hearty breakfast without thinking of former OSU offensive tackle Orlando Pace. While he didn’t necessarily invent the term “pancake” for knocking an opposition defender to the ground on his back with a powerful block, he sure did popularize it from 1994-1996, when he anchored the left side of the Buckeye offensive line.
The Sandusky, Ohio native arrived in Columbus with big expectations riding on his gargantuan, 6-foot-7 and 300-plus-pound frame. Pace had been a two-sport star and two-way football player during his high school career at Sandusky, and was named a Parade magazine high school All-American on offense and a USA Today All-American on the defensive side of the ball.
It took almost no time for Pace to make an impact. He became Ohio State’s second true freshman starter on opening day. He and the only 1994 returning starter on the offensive line, Korey Stringer, formed arguably the best pair of tackles to ever play together for the Buckeyes. Pace and his teammates took on Fresno State in the 1994 Disneyland Pigskin Classic in Anaheim, California, and brought home a comfortable 34-10 win. The Buckeyes rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns, with Eddie George picking up 90 yards and two scores on the ground behind the rebuilt OSU line.
Ohio State went 9-4 in Pace’s first year of college football, losing twice on the road against ranked teams — including at No. 1 Penn State — and home in the annual Illibuck rivalry game before falling by a touchdown to No. 6 Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. George rushed for 1,442 yards, finishing 10th in the country behind Pace and his linemates. Pace was so good that he was named the 1994 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
During Pace’s junior season, he showed off some of his two-way play, as John Cooper sometimes sent him on to play in the middle of the defensive line in goal line situations. As the new leader of the offensive line after Stringer’s departure for the NFL, Pace’s unit paved the way for George to rush for just 73 yards shy of a 2,000-yard season in 1995. George finished second in the country — to Iowa State’s Troy Davis — with 1,927 yards rushing and an NCAA best 24 rushing touchdowns.
George beat out Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier and Florida’s Danny Wuerffel as the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner, and the Buckeyes finished 11-2, going undefeated and staying in the national championship picture until a 31-23 road loss at No. 18 Michigan. The Buckeyes then fell again in the Citrus Bowl, 20-14 to No. 5 Tennessee.
Pace helped lead Ohio State to an 11-1 record in his final season in Columbus. The 1996 team looked like a potential national champion side until an inexplicable 13-9 home loss in The Game. But the Buckeyes beat No. 2 Arizona State in a thrilling Rose Bowl to close the season and the awards piled up like the defenders Pace had been bulldozing for three seasons wearing the Scarlet & Gray.
He was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year for the second straight season, and was honored as the UPI Lineman of the Year, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and Big Ten Most Valuable Player for the 1996 season.
The Pancake Man was a unanimous All-American his sophomore and junior seasons, winning the Lombardi Trophy both of those seasons — given annually to the best lineman or linebacker — and won the Outland Trophy — best interior lineman — in his final college season in 1996. Pace became the only two-time Lombardi winner in 1996, became one of just 12 players to capture the Outland and Lombardi trophies, and joined Nebraska legend Dave Rimington as the only players in history to win a combined three Outland and Lombardi awards.
As if those awards weren’t impressive enough, Pace was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Yes, as an offensive tackle. The Ohio State Athletic Department sent out pancake magnets to voters, and Pace even had a Heisman campaign ad.
The ad didn’t seem to help Pace’s cause, as the big man finished a distant fourth in the final Heisman Trophy voting for the 1996 season. He finished behind winner Wuerffel, Davis, and Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer. It is rarer than a unicorn sighting for an offensive lineman to even be considered for the Heisman, but that’s how good Pace was. Big No. 75 didn’t allow a single sack in his final two collegiate seasons.
He is considered by some — including me — to be the greatest football player in Ohio State history. That’s obviously subjective, but given that those who play his position has few stats associated with it and doesn’t show up in the box score very often, an offensive lineman has to be special to even be considered in those conversations.
Pace left the Buckeyes after 1996 and was drafted by the Rams at No. 1 overall after St. Louis traded up to get the pick. He was the first offensive lineman taken in that spot since 1968, when Ron Yary was selected first overall by the Minnesota Vikings. Coincidentally, Yary finished his NFL career with the Rams in 1982, before they moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis.
His career in the NFL lasted from 1997 to 2009. Like Yary, he played his entire career with the team that drafted him until his final professional season, when Pace joined the Chicago Bears.
During his 13-year NFL career, Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time First-Team All Pro, a two time Second-Team All-Pro, and he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in January of 2000, ironically beating his former teammate, George, who scored two touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans in that game. For all of his accomplishments, Pace was honored as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
Pace was deservedly inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. For his three seasons in Columbus, he was named as a starter on the Sports Illustrated All-Century Team at the end of 1999.
There may never be another like Orlando Pace. His power, quick feet, good hands, and speed for someone so big were uncanny. For those who never saw Pace play, this is a pretty good compilation that shows what he could do. Just keep your eyes on No. 75 at left tackle.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images
It’s been 27 years since the pancake man played in Columbus, but the Buckeyes continue searching for “the next Orlando Pace.” Hint: There isn’t one.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Ohio State fans of a certain age can hardly eat a hearty breakfast without thinking of former OSU offensive tackle Orlando Pace. While he didn’t necessarily invent the term “pancake” for knocking an opposition defender to the ground on his back with a powerful block, he sure did popularize it from 1994-1996, when he anchored the left side of the Buckeye offensive line.
The Sandusky, Ohio native arrived in Columbus with big expectations riding on his gargantuan, 6-foot-7 and 300-plus-pound frame. Pace had been a two-sport star and two-way football player during his high school career at Sandusky, and was named a Parade magazine high school All-American on offense and a USA Today All-American on the defensive side of the ball.
It took almost no time for Pace to make an impact. He became Ohio State’s second true freshman starter on opening day. He and the only 1994 returning starter on the offensive line, Korey Stringer, formed arguably the best pair of tackles to ever play together for the Buckeyes. Pace and his teammates took on Fresno State in the 1994 Disneyland Pigskin Classic in Anaheim, California, and brought home a comfortable 34-10 win. The Buckeyes rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns, with Eddie George picking up 90 yards and two scores on the ground behind the rebuilt OSU line.
Ohio State went 9-4 in Pace’s first year of college football, losing twice on the road against ranked teams — including at No. 1 Penn State — and home in the annual Illibuck rivalry game before falling by a touchdown to No. 6 Alabama in the Citrus Bowl. George rushed for 1,442 yards, finishing 10th in the country behind Pace and his linemates. Pace was so good that he was named the 1994 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
During Pace’s junior season, he showed off some of his two-way play, as John Cooper sometimes sent him on to play in the middle of the defensive line in goal line situations. As the new leader of the offensive line after Stringer’s departure for the NFL, Pace’s unit paved the way for George to rush for just 73 yards shy of a 2,000-yard season in 1995. George finished second in the country — to Iowa State’s Troy Davis — with 1,927 yards rushing and an NCAA best 24 rushing touchdowns.
George beat out Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier and Florida’s Danny Wuerffel as the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner, and the Buckeyes finished 11-2, going undefeated and staying in the national championship picture until a 31-23 road loss at No. 18 Michigan. The Buckeyes then fell again in the Citrus Bowl, 20-14 to No. 5 Tennessee.
Pace helped lead Ohio State to an 11-1 record in his final season in Columbus. The 1996 team looked like a potential national champion side until an inexplicable 13-9 home loss in The Game. But the Buckeyes beat No. 2 Arizona State in a thrilling Rose Bowl to close the season and the awards piled up like the defenders Pace had been bulldozing for three seasons wearing the Scarlet & Gray.
He was named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year for the second straight season, and was honored as the UPI Lineman of the Year, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and Big Ten Most Valuable Player for the 1996 season.
The Pancake Man was a unanimous All-American his sophomore and junior seasons, winning the Lombardi Trophy both of those seasons — given annually to the best lineman or linebacker — and won the Outland Trophy — best interior lineman — in his final college season in 1996. Pace became the only two-time Lombardi winner in 1996, became one of just 12 players to capture the Outland and Lombardi trophies, and joined Nebraska legend Dave Rimington as the only players in history to win a combined three Outland and Lombardi awards.
As if those awards weren’t impressive enough, Pace was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Yes, as an offensive tackle. The Ohio State Athletic Department sent out pancake magnets to voters, and Pace even had a Heisman campaign ad.
The ad didn’t seem to help Pace’s cause, as the big man finished a distant fourth in the final Heisman Trophy voting for the 1996 season. He finished behind winner Wuerffel, Davis, and Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer. It is rarer than a unicorn sighting for an offensive lineman to even be considered for the Heisman, but that’s how good Pace was. Big No. 75 didn’t allow a single sack in his final two collegiate seasons.
He is considered by some — including me — to be the greatest football player in Ohio State history. That’s obviously subjective, but given that those who play his position has few stats associated with it and doesn’t show up in the box score very often, an offensive lineman has to be special to even be considered in those conversations.
Pace left the Buckeyes after 1996 and was drafted by the Rams at No. 1 overall after St. Louis traded up to get the pick. He was the first offensive lineman taken in that spot since 1968, when Ron Yary was selected first overall by the Minnesota Vikings. Coincidentally, Yary finished his NFL career with the Rams in 1982, before they moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis.
His career in the NFL lasted from 1997 to 2009. Like Yary, he played his entire career with the team that drafted him until his final professional season, when Pace joined the Chicago Bears.
During his 13-year NFL career, Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, a three-time First-Team All Pro, a two time Second-Team All-Pro, and he helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in January of 2000, ironically beating his former teammate, George, who scored two touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans in that game. For all of his accomplishments, Pace was honored as a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
Pace was deservedly inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013. For his three seasons in Columbus, he was named as a starter on the Sports Illustrated All-Century Team at the end of 1999.
There may never be another like Orlando Pace. His power, quick feet, good hands, and speed for someone so big were uncanny. For those who never saw Pace play, this is a pretty good compilation that shows what he could do. Just keep your eyes on No. 75 at left tackle.
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LGHL Ohio State Football Countdown: 63
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Ohio State Football Countdown: 63
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images
One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.
As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 63 days remaining.
Bradley Roby picks off a tipped pass and takes it 63 yards to the house against Illinois in 2013. Ohio State went on to win the game 60-35 behind 334 total yards and three total touchdowns from Braxton Miller and a four-TD, 246-yard rushing performance by Carlos Hyde, who also hauled in a score through the air. The pick-six was one of two for Roby in his Buckeye career, picking off three total passes in that 2013 season and eight total during his three-year stint in Columbus.
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images
One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.
As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 63 days remaining.
Play of the Day: Bradley Roby’s 63-yard pick-six (2013)
Bradley Roby picks off a tipped pass and takes it 63 yards to the house against Illinois in 2013. Ohio State went on to win the game 60-35 behind 334 total yards and three total touchdowns from Braxton Miller and a four-TD, 246-yard rushing performance by Carlos Hyde, who also hauled in a score through the air. The pick-six was one of two for Roby in his Buckeye career, picking off three total passes in that 2013 season and eight total during his three-year stint in Columbus.
Players to Wear the #63 (since 2010):
- Ivan Blackmon (2010)
- Michael Bennett (2011-2014)
- Kevin Woidke (2015-19)
- Zach Prater (2021-22)
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LGHL B1G Thoughts: Ranking the B1G Coaches
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B1G Thoughts: Ranking the B1G Coaches
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
In college football very little is more important than a dynamic head coach! With that in mind, Jordan ranks the Big Ten coaches entering the 2023 season.
Every week after the Big Ten games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, big moments, and more! With USC and UCLA joining the conference in 2024, I’ll be getting a head start on the 16-team conference by including them through the 2023 season. Check out the I-70 Football Show in the Land-Grant Holy Land podcast feed for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
It’s July 4th weekend, which means the offseason has officially switched over to the 2023 football season. All 2023 recruits are on campus for the summer session, the July recruiting dead period has started, and after a quick family vacation coaches will be locked into the 2023 season for the rest of the calendar year.
Having a good head coach is one of the biggest indicators of success, which in my opinion has led to some of the lack of success in the Big Ten. Heading into the 2023 season, Nebraska and Wisconsin have hired new coaches, and in 2024 USC and UCLA enter the conference. Each school bringing a successful head coach. So let’s rank the Big Ten head coaches entering the 2023 season, including USC and UCLA.
While it pains me to admit this, Jim Harbaugh is unequivocally the best coach in the Big Ten. Besides Nick Saban, he may be the best coach in all of college football. I know that will run counter to what’s going on at Georgia or the history of Michigan before the past two seasons, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Jim Harbaughs biggest flaw is he’s stubborn — which you could argue makes him a lesser coach than some — but he is also one of three coaches ever to be successful in the NFL and college football along with Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll. Don’t think that’s impressive? Just ask Matt Rhule, Chip Kelly, and Urban Meyer how hard it is to succeed in the NFL.
Jim Harbaugh may never reach the highest heights of some of the other coaches on this list. He’s a perennial loser in big games, but he will also always have a team at the top of the sport. He’s been successful with Stanford, the 49ers, and Michigan. All that’s left is for him to finally win a championship.
Depending on if you’re an Ohio State fan or not, you either think Ryan Day is one of the best coaches in the country or an absolute scrub who should be fired. After taking over from Urban Meyer, Day is 45-6 with three college football playoff appearances. Starting with his time as offensive coordinator, his last three starting quarterbacks have all been Heisman finalists and first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
Despite his success, he became the first Ohio State coach in 20-plus years to lose back-to-back games to Michigan and hasn’t won the Big Ten since 2019. He is one of the best recruiters in the country and the best quarterback developer in college football. It’s only a matter of time before he wins a national championship. The only question is can he beat Michigan and regain control of the Big Ten?
Luke Fickell was a homerun hire for Wisconsin, and should have the Badgers in the 12-team playoff hunt more years than not. After his first season in Cincinnati, Fickell won at least nine games every season, including back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019 and a 13-1 season in 2021, with their only loss being to the eventual champion Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff.
Fickell gets this nod over USC head coach Lincoln Riley because I don’t believe Riley could recreate the same level of success at Cincinnati. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad at anyone who switches Fickell and Riley here, but ultimately I think Riley is a one-sided coach and his pure ignorance of the defensive side of the ball has dropped him a couple of spots in the coaching rankings.
Lincoln Riley comes in a little lower than expected, but still pretty high. He is one of the best quarterback developers in college football, but has benefitted from getting transfer quarterbacks as one-year rentals. After failing to develop Spencer Rattler, he’s turned Caleb Willams into one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Riley has three Heisman winners to his name, but as previously mentioned he’s a one-sided coach. His affinity for the offense has led to a defense that can’t keep up with the big dogs of the sport or physically and mentally tough teams like Utah. To be successful in the Big Ten, Riley will need to recruit better on the lines and fire defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, but his offense and QB development will always give him a chance. USC will be much better with Riley at the helm, but it’s yet to be seen if he is a championship-caliber coach.
James Franklin comes in at No. 5 in large part to his being the only coach to win at Vanderbilt and his ability to bring Penn State out of the dumpster they were in when he was hired. Franklin’s biggest problem area is his lack of success against Ohio State and Michigan, but someone has to lose the games in the East, and Penn State is the biggest benefactor of the 12-team playoff and the division-less Big Ten.
If Penn State were in the West, I believe they would’ve had an Ohio State-level dominance in that division. I expect Franklin to keep Penn State as a top 10 team nationally, and while I think the reports that Penn State could win the Big Ten in 2023 are a bit early, if Drew Allar is legit his 2024 team could be a legitimate title contender.
Chip Kelly is hard to rank. He’s only 27-29 at UCLA, but has gotten better each year and just stole Dante Moore, a five-star quarterback, away from his former employer Oregon. Despite his measly record at UCLA, Chip Kelly is an innovator, creating one of the most dominant offenses in college football, and his protégé Ryan Day has used some of those tenants to have the best offense year over year.
Chip has failed to relive his Oregon glory in the NFL or at UCLA, but he is a very good coach and if anyone can turn UCLA around it would be Chip. He’s bringing one of his best quarterbacks into the Big Ten. Only time will tell how this ends for Chip and the Bruins.
Bret Bielema gets the nod over Kirk Ferentz because we’ve seen what happened when they played yearly. While at Wisconsin, Bielema is 3-2 over Iowa and played in the Big Ten Championship game in 2010 and 2011. Bielema is currently working to improve Illinois, and honestly should’ve won the West last season but suffered some tough losses in the back half of the schedule.
In 2022, Illinois beat Wisconsin and Iowa by playing their own game just better, with Bielema reminding them that he is one of the godfathers of the three-yard and a cloud of dust style that they all use, winning games with a stout defense and a dominant running game. It gets harder from here for Illinois, but I expect them to be a perennial bowl team and that alone might make Bielema the best coach in Illinois history whenever he hangs up the whistle.
Kirk Ferentz’s time has come. He is a relic of the past and shouldn’t be allowed to continue running this program due to the racial discrimination scandal levied against his program and his unwillingness to change. His hiring and subsequent retaining of his son as offensive coordinator has hurt the team, the university, and the fanbase, but despite all of that he keeps winning games.
Iowa hasn’t missed a bowl game since 2012, and besides the Covid season where they only played eight games they’ve won eight or more contests every season since 2014. Ferentz is objectively a good coach — even if not a great person. It will be interesting to see how Ferentz and Iowa do when they no longer get to feast on the weaker west division and have to play more games against Ohio State, Michigan, and USC.
Matt Rhule is a winner. You may have forgotten that due to his miserable tenure in the NFL, but coaching in the NFL is hard. At the college level, Rhule has won everywhere he’s been, winning 10 games in back-to-back seasons at Temple and winning the conference in 2016. He then won a conference championship at Baylor after they were hit by a scandal that rocked college football.
At Temple and Baylor it only took three seasons to win 10+ games, and he won championships in year three and four respectively. I don’t expect Rhule to win the Big Ten, but he has a chance to get Nebraska into an occasional 12-team playoff and they should be much better than they were under Scott Frost. Nebraska is an easy win no longer.
Similar to Matt Rhule, P.J. Fleck is a winner. Fleck won eight games his second year at Western Michigan and led them to a 13-1 season in 2016 before taking the Minnesota job. Fleck made a bowl game in his second season at Minnesota and four out of six in total. He’s also 4-0 in those games.
You could make the case that Fleck should be higher on this list, but his teams consistently lose at least one game per year they shouldn’t, which is why he hasn’t made an appearance in a Big Ten Championship game and many of the coaches higher than him have won their conference or made the playoffs. Life will be much harder for Fleck without Mo Ibrahim. With college football changing, it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape.
Pat Fitzgerald is very high on my coaches who should be fired list. He comes in at No. 11 because, unlike the coaches below him, he has had some success winning the Big Ten West in 2018 and 2020 and developing lower-rated recruits into high draft picks, including first-round picks Rashawn Slater, Greg Newsome II, and Peter Skoronski.
Since 2020, Fitzgerald has won four total games and his program is going downhill. He is a program legend, arguably the best linebacker in program history, and probably their best coach as well. Regardless, the past is the past. It’s time to build the stature, move him into an administrative role if he wants to stay, and hire a new head coach.
Northwestern’s success came in the two-division format by bullying the Big Ten West with their dominant defense. The defensive coordinator responsible for that has retired and the Big Ten has gotten rid of divisions. Unless they want to be the worst team in the conference for the next 10 years, it’s time to move on.
Greg Schiano is arguably the best coach in Rutgers history, which is why they doubled back and hired him again in 2020. So far Schiano has failed to relieve his glory days. It’s not as easy to win in the Big Ten as it was in the ACC in the early 2000s.
Schiano has the best chance of anyone to keep New Jersey talent in the state, but it’s unlikely that Rutgers becomes much better than a six or seven-win team. Rutgers should benefit from the division-less structure though, getting more chances to play some of the dregs in the West and fewer games against Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan could increase their Bowl chances.
Ultimately, Schiano is a lower-rated coach in the conference, and if Rutgers ever decides to take football seriously, they will need to replace him.
Many people are high on Mel Tucker because he went 11-2 in 2021, but I think we have enough evidence to prove that 2021 was a fluke. Mel Tucker got lucky by getting an NFL-caliber running back in Kenneth Walker III and was smart enough to build his whole offense around him. Without a game-changing running back, Tucker is 12-19 as a head coach and hasn’t shown much to be excited about in the future.
Despite being a former defensive back and a DB coach at Alabama, Ohio State, and the Cleveland Browns, the Spartans under Tucker have had one of the worst secondaries in the country. Michigan State gave him a 10-year contract, so firing him is not an option, but if he doesn’t find a way to become a better coach this is going to be one of the worst coaching hires in Michigan State history, and the decision to extend him after one season will be talked about for years to come.
Like Mel Tucker, Mike Locksley got his head coaching job based on his relation to Nick Saban. Locksley served as Bama’s offensive coordinator for two seasons and then brought Taulia Tagovailoa with him to be his starting quarterback. Under Locksley, Maryland has been largely unimpressive. It’s not easy to win in the Big Ten East, and he has improved in winning bowl games in the last two seasons, but overall he has five losing seasons in seven years, he can’t keep five-star talent in Maryland, and after 2023 he will have to live life without Tualia under center.
If he can get to three-straight bowl games he might move up this list, but for now he is still one of the worst coaches in the conference, and has a lot to prove in the ever-changing Big Ten.
There is no reason to hide what we all know is true — Tom Allen is a bad head coach. He is a great guy, it seems like his players really love him and he puts all his energy into his players. If being a good guy was a pre-requisite to being a good coach, he’d be one of the best, but it’s not and he’s not.
The longer Allen is at Indiana the worse it’s going to be for the Hoosiers. I’ve said it before, but they need to rip off the bandaid and hire Kane Wommack — their former defensive coordinator and head coach of South Alabama. Former offensive coordinator Kalen Deboer is having a lot of success at Washington, and Kane could be next. The issue is Indiana gave him a new contract and a ridiculous buyout due to almost winning the Big Ten in 2020. The problem with betting on Allen is that 2019 and 2020 were his only good seasons, and it was because of Deboer and Wommack, who are no longer a part of the staff.
For this exercise Ryan Walters is unranked. He is a first-time head coach, and we will not know anything about him or his coaching acumen for a few years.
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JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
In college football very little is more important than a dynamic head coach! With that in mind, Jordan ranks the Big Ten coaches entering the 2023 season.
Every week after the Big Ten games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, big moments, and more! With USC and UCLA joining the conference in 2024, I’ll be getting a head start on the 16-team conference by including them through the 2023 season. Check out the I-70 Football Show in the Land-Grant Holy Land podcast feed for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.
It’s July 4th weekend, which means the offseason has officially switched over to the 2023 football season. All 2023 recruits are on campus for the summer session, the July recruiting dead period has started, and after a quick family vacation coaches will be locked into the 2023 season for the rest of the calendar year.
Having a good head coach is one of the biggest indicators of success, which in my opinion has led to some of the lack of success in the Big Ten. Heading into the 2023 season, Nebraska and Wisconsin have hired new coaches, and in 2024 USC and UCLA enter the conference. Each school bringing a successful head coach. So let’s rank the Big Ten head coaches entering the 2023 season, including USC and UCLA.
1. Jim Harbaugh - Michigan
While it pains me to admit this, Jim Harbaugh is unequivocally the best coach in the Big Ten. Besides Nick Saban, he may be the best coach in all of college football. I know that will run counter to what’s going on at Georgia or the history of Michigan before the past two seasons, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Jim Harbaughs biggest flaw is he’s stubborn — which you could argue makes him a lesser coach than some — but he is also one of three coaches ever to be successful in the NFL and college football along with Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll. Don’t think that’s impressive? Just ask Matt Rhule, Chip Kelly, and Urban Meyer how hard it is to succeed in the NFL.
Jim Harbaugh may never reach the highest heights of some of the other coaches on this list. He’s a perennial loser in big games, but he will also always have a team at the top of the sport. He’s been successful with Stanford, the 49ers, and Michigan. All that’s left is for him to finally win a championship.
2. Ryan Day - Ohio State
Depending on if you’re an Ohio State fan or not, you either think Ryan Day is one of the best coaches in the country or an absolute scrub who should be fired. After taking over from Urban Meyer, Day is 45-6 with three college football playoff appearances. Starting with his time as offensive coordinator, his last three starting quarterbacks have all been Heisman finalists and first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
Despite his success, he became the first Ohio State coach in 20-plus years to lose back-to-back games to Michigan and hasn’t won the Big Ten since 2019. He is one of the best recruiters in the country and the best quarterback developer in college football. It’s only a matter of time before he wins a national championship. The only question is can he beat Michigan and regain control of the Big Ten?
3. Luke Fickell - Wisconsin
Luke Fickell was a homerun hire for Wisconsin, and should have the Badgers in the 12-team playoff hunt more years than not. After his first season in Cincinnati, Fickell won at least nine games every season, including back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2018 and 2019 and a 13-1 season in 2021, with their only loss being to the eventual champion Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff.
Fickell gets this nod over USC head coach Lincoln Riley because I don’t believe Riley could recreate the same level of success at Cincinnati. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad at anyone who switches Fickell and Riley here, but ultimately I think Riley is a one-sided coach and his pure ignorance of the defensive side of the ball has dropped him a couple of spots in the coaching rankings.
4. Lincoln Riley - USC
Lincoln Riley comes in a little lower than expected, but still pretty high. He is one of the best quarterback developers in college football, but has benefitted from getting transfer quarterbacks as one-year rentals. After failing to develop Spencer Rattler, he’s turned Caleb Willams into one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Riley has three Heisman winners to his name, but as previously mentioned he’s a one-sided coach. His affinity for the offense has led to a defense that can’t keep up with the big dogs of the sport or physically and mentally tough teams like Utah. To be successful in the Big Ten, Riley will need to recruit better on the lines and fire defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, but his offense and QB development will always give him a chance. USC will be much better with Riley at the helm, but it’s yet to be seen if he is a championship-caliber coach.
5. James Franklin - Penn State
James Franklin comes in at No. 5 in large part to his being the only coach to win at Vanderbilt and his ability to bring Penn State out of the dumpster they were in when he was hired. Franklin’s biggest problem area is his lack of success against Ohio State and Michigan, but someone has to lose the games in the East, and Penn State is the biggest benefactor of the 12-team playoff and the division-less Big Ten.
If Penn State were in the West, I believe they would’ve had an Ohio State-level dominance in that division. I expect Franklin to keep Penn State as a top 10 team nationally, and while I think the reports that Penn State could win the Big Ten in 2023 are a bit early, if Drew Allar is legit his 2024 team could be a legitimate title contender.
6. Chip Kelly - UCLA
Chip Kelly is hard to rank. He’s only 27-29 at UCLA, but has gotten better each year and just stole Dante Moore, a five-star quarterback, away from his former employer Oregon. Despite his measly record at UCLA, Chip Kelly is an innovator, creating one of the most dominant offenses in college football, and his protégé Ryan Day has used some of those tenants to have the best offense year over year.
Chip has failed to relive his Oregon glory in the NFL or at UCLA, but he is a very good coach and if anyone can turn UCLA around it would be Chip. He’s bringing one of his best quarterbacks into the Big Ten. Only time will tell how this ends for Chip and the Bruins.
7. Bret Bielema - Illinois
Bret Bielema gets the nod over Kirk Ferentz because we’ve seen what happened when they played yearly. While at Wisconsin, Bielema is 3-2 over Iowa and played in the Big Ten Championship game in 2010 and 2011. Bielema is currently working to improve Illinois, and honestly should’ve won the West last season but suffered some tough losses in the back half of the schedule.
In 2022, Illinois beat Wisconsin and Iowa by playing their own game just better, with Bielema reminding them that he is one of the godfathers of the three-yard and a cloud of dust style that they all use, winning games with a stout defense and a dominant running game. It gets harder from here for Illinois, but I expect them to be a perennial bowl team and that alone might make Bielema the best coach in Illinois history whenever he hangs up the whistle.
8. Kirk Ferentz - Iowa
Kirk Ferentz’s time has come. He is a relic of the past and shouldn’t be allowed to continue running this program due to the racial discrimination scandal levied against his program and his unwillingness to change. His hiring and subsequent retaining of his son as offensive coordinator has hurt the team, the university, and the fanbase, but despite all of that he keeps winning games.
Iowa hasn’t missed a bowl game since 2012, and besides the Covid season where they only played eight games they’ve won eight or more contests every season since 2014. Ferentz is objectively a good coach — even if not a great person. It will be interesting to see how Ferentz and Iowa do when they no longer get to feast on the weaker west division and have to play more games against Ohio State, Michigan, and USC.
9. Matt Rhule - Nebraska
Matt Rhule is a winner. You may have forgotten that due to his miserable tenure in the NFL, but coaching in the NFL is hard. At the college level, Rhule has won everywhere he’s been, winning 10 games in back-to-back seasons at Temple and winning the conference in 2016. He then won a conference championship at Baylor after they were hit by a scandal that rocked college football.
At Temple and Baylor it only took three seasons to win 10+ games, and he won championships in year three and four respectively. I don’t expect Rhule to win the Big Ten, but he has a chance to get Nebraska into an occasional 12-team playoff and they should be much better than they were under Scott Frost. Nebraska is an easy win no longer.
10. P.J. Fleck - Minnesota
Similar to Matt Rhule, P.J. Fleck is a winner. Fleck won eight games his second year at Western Michigan and led them to a 13-1 season in 2016 before taking the Minnesota job. Fleck made a bowl game in his second season at Minnesota and four out of six in total. He’s also 4-0 in those games.
You could make the case that Fleck should be higher on this list, but his teams consistently lose at least one game per year they shouldn’t, which is why he hasn’t made an appearance in a Big Ten Championship game and many of the coaches higher than him have won their conference or made the playoffs. Life will be much harder for Fleck without Mo Ibrahim. With college football changing, it’s up to him to prove he can continue to succeed in the new landscape.
11. Pat Fitzgerald - Northwestern
Pat Fitzgerald is very high on my coaches who should be fired list. He comes in at No. 11 because, unlike the coaches below him, he has had some success winning the Big Ten West in 2018 and 2020 and developing lower-rated recruits into high draft picks, including first-round picks Rashawn Slater, Greg Newsome II, and Peter Skoronski.
Since 2020, Fitzgerald has won four total games and his program is going downhill. He is a program legend, arguably the best linebacker in program history, and probably their best coach as well. Regardless, the past is the past. It’s time to build the stature, move him into an administrative role if he wants to stay, and hire a new head coach.
Northwestern’s success came in the two-division format by bullying the Big Ten West with their dominant defense. The defensive coordinator responsible for that has retired and the Big Ten has gotten rid of divisions. Unless they want to be the worst team in the conference for the next 10 years, it’s time to move on.
12. Greg Schiano - Rutgers
Greg Schiano is arguably the best coach in Rutgers history, which is why they doubled back and hired him again in 2020. So far Schiano has failed to relieve his glory days. It’s not as easy to win in the Big Ten as it was in the ACC in the early 2000s.
Schiano has the best chance of anyone to keep New Jersey talent in the state, but it’s unlikely that Rutgers becomes much better than a six or seven-win team. Rutgers should benefit from the division-less structure though, getting more chances to play some of the dregs in the West and fewer games against Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan could increase their Bowl chances.
Ultimately, Schiano is a lower-rated coach in the conference, and if Rutgers ever decides to take football seriously, they will need to replace him.
13. Mel Tucker - Michigan State
Many people are high on Mel Tucker because he went 11-2 in 2021, but I think we have enough evidence to prove that 2021 was a fluke. Mel Tucker got lucky by getting an NFL-caliber running back in Kenneth Walker III and was smart enough to build his whole offense around him. Without a game-changing running back, Tucker is 12-19 as a head coach and hasn’t shown much to be excited about in the future.
Despite being a former defensive back and a DB coach at Alabama, Ohio State, and the Cleveland Browns, the Spartans under Tucker have had one of the worst secondaries in the country. Michigan State gave him a 10-year contract, so firing him is not an option, but if he doesn’t find a way to become a better coach this is going to be one of the worst coaching hires in Michigan State history, and the decision to extend him after one season will be talked about for years to come.
14. Mike Locksley - Maryland
Like Mel Tucker, Mike Locksley got his head coaching job based on his relation to Nick Saban. Locksley served as Bama’s offensive coordinator for two seasons and then brought Taulia Tagovailoa with him to be his starting quarterback. Under Locksley, Maryland has been largely unimpressive. It’s not easy to win in the Big Ten East, and he has improved in winning bowl games in the last two seasons, but overall he has five losing seasons in seven years, he can’t keep five-star talent in Maryland, and after 2023 he will have to live life without Tualia under center.
If he can get to three-straight bowl games he might move up this list, but for now he is still one of the worst coaches in the conference, and has a lot to prove in the ever-changing Big Ten.
15. Tom Allen - Indiana
There is no reason to hide what we all know is true — Tom Allen is a bad head coach. He is a great guy, it seems like his players really love him and he puts all his energy into his players. If being a good guy was a pre-requisite to being a good coach, he’d be one of the best, but it’s not and he’s not.
The longer Allen is at Indiana the worse it’s going to be for the Hoosiers. I’ve said it before, but they need to rip off the bandaid and hire Kane Wommack — their former defensive coordinator and head coach of South Alabama. Former offensive coordinator Kalen Deboer is having a lot of success at Washington, and Kane could be next. The issue is Indiana gave him a new contract and a ridiculous buyout due to almost winning the Big Ten in 2020. The problem with betting on Allen is that 2019 and 2020 were his only good seasons, and it was because of Deboer and Wommack, who are no longer a part of the staff.
NR - Ryan Walters - Purdue
For this exercise Ryan Walters is unranked. He is a first-time head coach, and we will not know anything about him or his coaching acumen for a few years.
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LGHL I-70 Football Podcast: Ranking the Coaches in the Big Ten
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I-70 Football Podcast: Ranking the Coaches in the Big Ten
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images
The coaching carousel never stops with new coaches in the conference. Jordan and Dante rank the coaches in the Big Ten.
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 Podcast. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
In this episode of the I-70 Football Show, the guys rank the 16 coaches in the conference. Wisconsin and Nebraska both fired coaches in 2022 and are resetting expectations with Luke Fickell and Matt Rhule, respectively. With the additions of USC and UCLA, Lincoln Riley and Chip Kelly will also be entering the conference. The addition of those four coaches significantly changes the strength of the conference, as all have won conference championships at previous schools — and Fickell, Riley and Kelly have all made it to the CFP.
With the Big Ten getting rid of divisions and the playoff expanding to 12 teams, USC, UCLA, Wisconsin, and Nebraska will be hoping to take advantage of the extra eight spots, but they’ll have tough competition with Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day, and James Franklin at Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. The Big Ten has a lot of good coaches and a couple of superstar coaches, and it has a chance to make the conference stronger if Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa make the right decisions after the 2023 season.
Rankings are always subjective! Take a listen and let us know how you would rank the coaches entering the 2023 season.
Connect with us on Twitter:
Jordan: @JordanW330
Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images
The coaching carousel never stops with new coaches in the conference. Jordan and Dante rank the coaches in the Big Ten.
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s I-70 Podcast. On this show, we talk about all things Big Ten football and basketball. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to next week. My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
In this episode of the I-70 Football Show, the guys rank the 16 coaches in the conference. Wisconsin and Nebraska both fired coaches in 2022 and are resetting expectations with Luke Fickell and Matt Rhule, respectively. With the additions of USC and UCLA, Lincoln Riley and Chip Kelly will also be entering the conference. The addition of those four coaches significantly changes the strength of the conference, as all have won conference championships at previous schools — and Fickell, Riley and Kelly have all made it to the CFP.
With the Big Ten getting rid of divisions and the playoff expanding to 12 teams, USC, UCLA, Wisconsin, and Nebraska will be hoping to take advantage of the extra eight spots, but they’ll have tough competition with Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Day, and James Franklin at Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. The Big Ten has a lot of good coaches and a couple of superstar coaches, and it has a chance to make the conference stronger if Indiana, Nebraska, and Iowa make the right decisions after the 2023 season.
Rankings are always subjective! Take a listen and let us know how you would rank the coaches entering the 2023 season.
Connect with us on Twitter:
Jordan: @JordanW330
Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
LGHL BOOOOOM!!! Ohio State lands five-star DL Justin Scott, chasing No. 1 class in 2024
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BOOOOOM!!! Ohio State lands five-star DL Justin Scott, chasing No. 1 class in 2024
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Five-star DL Justin Scott | via @juustinscott on Twitter
The Buckeyes ain’t done yet, either...
Yes, those are fireworks you are hearing from Columbus, Ohio. No, they aren’t from people celebrating the 4th of July just yet...
Ohio State pulled off a major BOOOOOM on Sunday ahead of the holiday festivities, landing a surprise commitment from 2024 five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott.
With Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Miami and Notre Dame, it was somewhat shocking for Scott to announce his pledge to the Buckeyes this weekend. However, after visiting both Ohio State and Michigan recently, Scott was ready to shut things down. When he arrived in Columbus, it seemed as though the nation’s No. 3 DL and the No. 21 player in the class overall, per the 247Sports Composite, was ready to become a Wolverine. Then, things changed.
“The 5-star DL texted me while on his OV to Michigan that he’d be committing July 2nd,” On3’s Hayes Fawcett said on Twitter. “At first it was Michigan for he & his family but that changed.”
“Going into the visit, my fam was heavily set on Michigan,” Scott told Fawcett. “Throughout the (Ohio State) visit they were really still set on Michigan. But towards the end of it, coach Johnson sat us down & went over an in depth plan that they had for me.”
Needless to say, this is an absolutely massive recruiting victory for position coach Larry Johnson. Beating your rival for a top prospect is a cherry on top, but after the way Ohio State missed out on its big five-star targets along the defensive line in the last recruiting cycle, some had questioned whether or not coach LJ had started to lose his fastball. Pulling a player of Scott’s caliber will silence a lot of those critics.
Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu had to say of Scott’s abilities:
For Johnson, it is the first five-star recruit he’s landed since the 2021 class, when he brought in both J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. For the Buckeyes in 2024, Scott becomes the first defensive lineman commit and the fifth defensive player committed overall, joining linebackers Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce and defensive backs Bryce West and Jaylen McClain. While the offensive side of the football got going fast in this cycle, the defense is now rounding into form quite nicely as well.
Scott becomes the fourth five-star in Ohio State’s 2024 class, and is the second-highest rated player in the group overall behind only wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Scott’s commitment gives Ryan Day and co. the highest average player rating in the country at 93.70, overtaking Georgia (93.20) and Alabama (93.48). Ohio State remains the No. 2 class overall at 279.46 with 17 commits, trailing just behind only the Bulldogs (301.09, 22 commits) but closing the gap — especially with more potential BOOOOOMs coming soon.
That would be none other than fellow five-star defensive lineman Dylan Stewart, who shortly after the commitment of Scott began receiving a flood of Crystal Balls in favor of Ohio State. 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong, alongside OSU insider Bill Kurelic and national analyst Brian Dohn, logged their CBs in the Buckeyes’ favor on Sunday night, and the prospect of landing both Scott and Stewart in quick succession seems almost too good to be true.
Stewart, the No. 2 EDGE and No. 9 overall player in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite, hails out of Washington, D.C., and has hauled in over 35 offers during his recruiting process as one of the nation’s top defensive line prospects. Ohio State is among his top five schools, which also includes Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina and Maryland. The ‘Canes at one point looked to be in the lead, but the experts now believe the race to be down to the Buckeyes and Gamecocks, with coach LJ’s group out in front.
This is, of course, in addition to four-star defensive lineman Marquise Lightfoot, who is scheduled to announce his commitment on Monday, July 3 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Lightfoot, the No. 6 EDGE and No. 67 prospect nationally, will be choosing between Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Miami and USC. Of note, the Buckeyes hold all three Crystal Ball predictions for Lightfoot, so it looks as though the defensive line recruiting in Columbus is really about to take off.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Five-star DL Justin Scott | via @juustinscott on Twitter
The Buckeyes ain’t done yet, either...
Yes, those are fireworks you are hearing from Columbus, Ohio. No, they aren’t from people celebrating the 4th of July just yet...
Ohio State pulled off a major BOOOOOM on Sunday ahead of the holiday festivities, landing a surprise commitment from 2024 five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott.
With Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Miami and Notre Dame, it was somewhat shocking for Scott to announce his pledge to the Buckeyes this weekend. However, after visiting both Ohio State and Michigan recently, Scott was ready to shut things down. When he arrived in Columbus, it seemed as though the nation’s No. 3 DL and the No. 21 player in the class overall, per the 247Sports Composite, was ready to become a Wolverine. Then, things changed.
“The 5-star DL texted me while on his OV to Michigan that he’d be committing July 2nd,” On3’s Hayes Fawcett said on Twitter. “At first it was Michigan for he & his family but that changed.”
“Going into the visit, my fam was heavily set on Michigan,” Scott told Fawcett. “Throughout the (Ohio State) visit they were really still set on Michigan. But towards the end of it, coach Johnson sat us down & went over an in depth plan that they had for me.”
Needless to say, this is an absolutely massive recruiting victory for position coach Larry Johnson. Beating your rival for a top prospect is a cherry on top, but after the way Ohio State missed out on its big five-star targets along the defensive line in the last recruiting cycle, some had questioned whether or not coach LJ had started to lose his fastball. Pulling a player of Scott’s caliber will silence a lot of those critics.
Here is what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu had to say of Scott’s abilities:
For Johnson, it is the first five-star recruit he’s landed since the 2021 class, when he brought in both J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer. For the Buckeyes in 2024, Scott becomes the first defensive lineman commit and the fifth defensive player committed overall, joining linebackers Garrett Stover and Payton Pierce and defensive backs Bryce West and Jaylen McClain. While the offensive side of the football got going fast in this cycle, the defense is now rounding into form quite nicely as well.
Scott becomes the fourth five-star in Ohio State’s 2024 class, and is the second-highest rated player in the group overall behind only wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Scott’s commitment gives Ryan Day and co. the highest average player rating in the country at 93.70, overtaking Georgia (93.20) and Alabama (93.48). Ohio State remains the No. 2 class overall at 279.46 with 17 commits, trailing just behind only the Bulldogs (301.09, 22 commits) but closing the gap — especially with more potential BOOOOOMs coming soon.
That would be none other than fellow five-star defensive lineman Dylan Stewart, who shortly after the commitment of Scott began receiving a flood of Crystal Balls in favor of Ohio State. 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong, alongside OSU insider Bill Kurelic and national analyst Brian Dohn, logged their CBs in the Buckeyes’ favor on Sunday night, and the prospect of landing both Scott and Stewart in quick succession seems almost too good to be true.
Stewart, the No. 2 EDGE and No. 9 overall player in the 2024 class per the 247Sports Composite, hails out of Washington, D.C., and has hauled in over 35 offers during his recruiting process as one of the nation’s top defensive line prospects. Ohio State is among his top five schools, which also includes Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina and Maryland. The ‘Canes at one point looked to be in the lead, but the experts now believe the race to be down to the Buckeyes and Gamecocks, with coach LJ’s group out in front.
This is, of course, in addition to four-star defensive lineman Marquise Lightfoot, who is scheduled to announce his commitment on Monday, July 3 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Lightfoot, the No. 6 EDGE and No. 67 prospect nationally, will be choosing between Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Miami and USC. Of note, the Buckeyes hold all three Crystal Ball predictions for Lightfoot, so it looks as though the defensive line recruiting in Columbus is really about to take off.
Continue reading...
LGHL Broken Records: Mark my words, Cade Stover is breaking the tight end single-season catch record
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Broken Records: Mark my words, Cade Stover is breaking the tight end single-season catch record
Chris Renne 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
This is the year. Stover will be the new single season receptions leader in Ohio State’s record book.
Under Ryan Day, Ohio State has run 12-personnel more than almost everybody in the country, and this means that there is and always will be a commitment to the tight end position. That commitment of getting tight ends on the field does not always translate to receiving production. This is to the frustration of the Buckeye faithful who immediately thought about the wasted potential of Jeremy Ruckert.
The year of the tight end at Ohio State is the offseason conversation that keeps on giving. Every single year, we debate if this will be the year in which the tight end goes from a valuable asset to an absolute weapon. If not this year, the talent in the room continues to be highly touted from a recruiting standpoint. With Keenan Bailey now the tight ends coach and Brian Hartline as the offensive coordinator, there could be a shift even further in using the tight end.
Cade Stover returns after an incredibly successful year at the position. There is no question there should be an expected slight jump in performance numbers. He would have even shattered the record last year had he remained healthy in the Georgia playoff matchup, but we’ll get to his season stats later. Year-in and year out, tight ends are often overlooked due to the talent around them. With all the other attention, this opens up opportunities.
For a tight end to finally shatter Rickey Dudley’s record, it is going to take a lot of fortune breaking their way in terms of play-calling and opportunity. However, this year is definitely the year it is going to happen.
Looking at the record set by Dudley in the 1995 season, I was still not alive and Dudley had just finished two years playing basketball at Ohio State under Randy Ayers and played one season under John Cooper. Like many all-time great tight ends before him, he made a choice to focus on the sport that would net him the most long-term success as an athlete.
In 1995, the athleticism returned for the all-time great Buckeye who showed that he could be a true difference maker in the passing game. In an offense that included Heisman Winner Eddie George and all-time great receiver Terry Glenn, there was still some shine that needed to go around. With the agility of a receiver, Dudley was third on the team in receptions behind two of the greatest players in Ohio State history.
The number of receptions setting the record was 37. This is not a gaudy number by any means, but it took a truly special talent to get there. Bobby Hoying was the quarterback at the time. He completed 211 passes, which was a lot for the era in which this record was set. In the more pass-oriented style of the modern game, there is no reason there are not enough completions to go around to get a new name in the record books.
The reason the record should fall this year is because the record should have fallen last year against Georgia. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes’ lead tight end Stover, he was upended and injured to the point of needing to go to the hospital for further evaluations with the diagnosis being a fracture in the back. His health is the most important thing, but there is no player who wanted to be on the field more for that playoff game than Stover.
Before the injury, Stover was at 36 catches on the season. Georgia had also failed to slow down Ohio State’s passing attack for much of the game. There were definitely two more catches in that game if Stover maintained his health. Joe Royer had one in the absence of Stover. The Buckeyes found ways to sneak out Stover, and they had the trust in him to go out to make plays in the passing the game in key situations.
Even without the catches, Stover would have allowed the Buckeyes to stick more closely to the original game plan. But this story is not about overall impact of the tight end position, because the importance is obvious. That is why this is the year the record will finally fall, and the reasons why are straight forward.
Ohio State has so many weapons on offense it might be a challenge for the Buckeyes to spread enough opportunities around for anyone to break a record. That being said, given the early season schedule – and the talent around Stover – overmatched defenses will need to choose to slow down someone, This creates opportunities for under the radar playmakers to find their stats in the flow of the game. Looking at the list of reasons, there is pretty straight forward path for Stover to get more than 37 catches.
The tight end single season catch record will fall this season because the Buckeyes will have defenses committing heavily to defending the star receivers. As the comedic character from Parks and Rec Tom Haverford once said, “I have never taken the high road. But I tell other people to ‘cause then there’s more room for me on the low road.”
This is basically the life of the tight end. They do the dirty work down low while the receivers get the glory and the shine. The receivers also garner significantly more attention over top. If they are in traffic there is plenty of room for Stover on the low road (or underneath the coverage). Stover had a handful of uncontested catches last season because he was standing alone off of a play fake or a blown coverage. That will continue to happen given the talent the Buckeyes have offensively.
The second reason: Stover is now in year two as a full-time tight end, and he has a former offensive assistant who assisted heavily in the development of the receivers as his position coach in Keenan Bailey. As a receiver at the tight end position, Stover went from providing little outside of blocking with five catches to becoming a legitimate weapon with 36 catches.
Last year had all the workings of a year of the tight end, but this year will be the year because of that progress he has made from a technical standpoint in such a short time at the position. With a coach who has a background with receivers, Stover can easily break the ceiling he set for himself last season.
On to the third reason, Ohio State’s success this year will have a major impact. The Buckeyes in the 1995 season played 13 games. That was the total Stover played last year in a season, and I know we already talked about what would have happen if he got to play the entirety of his 13 games. If Ohio State gets back to where they belong winning Big Ten Titles, playing in the CFP, and getting to a championship, there will be absolutely no doubt that Stover breaks this record. With a 14th or 15th game, Stover would have smashed the record and started the next Tight End University.
To close out this (future) broken record
Stover is incredibly talented at what he does as both an in-line blocker and as a reliable pass catcher in what the offense asks from him. He will never be the No. 1 option, but he will also always be a reliable option for a first year quarterback who will likely be targeting him to find some easy completions. A tight end is the best friend of inexperience, and Stover has the talent to be the safety valve when all else fails which is why this record will be broken this year.
Now, some of you may be tired of the year of the tight end talk, but it is my civic duty to continue this movement every offseason until that record falls. The Buckeyes have had their share of talented tight ends, but now they have that with a coach who commits to getting the tight end involved. Stover may not be the most dynamic weapon at Ohio State, but that gives him the rare advantage being a talented option that defenses can’t really plan for give the rest of the arsenal.
For those who remember Rickey Dudley, and to Rickey Dudley himself, this is not personal. This is personal to the passage of time, and the amount of times I have gone on record saying that this year will be the year the record falls. This time I am going to be right, and the year of the tight end will put an end to this existential battle of me versus predicting this record will fall.
This year Cade Stover will be the single-season record holder for receptions at Ohio State, and if not, the battle will continue.
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
This is the year. Stover will be the new single season receptions leader in Ohio State’s record book.
Under Ryan Day, Ohio State has run 12-personnel more than almost everybody in the country, and this means that there is and always will be a commitment to the tight end position. That commitment of getting tight ends on the field does not always translate to receiving production. This is to the frustration of the Buckeye faithful who immediately thought about the wasted potential of Jeremy Ruckert.
The year of the tight end at Ohio State is the offseason conversation that keeps on giving. Every single year, we debate if this will be the year in which the tight end goes from a valuable asset to an absolute weapon. If not this year, the talent in the room continues to be highly touted from a recruiting standpoint. With Keenan Bailey now the tight ends coach and Brian Hartline as the offensive coordinator, there could be a shift even further in using the tight end.
Cade Stover returns after an incredibly successful year at the position. There is no question there should be an expected slight jump in performance numbers. He would have even shattered the record last year had he remained healthy in the Georgia playoff matchup, but we’ll get to his season stats later. Year-in and year out, tight ends are often overlooked due to the talent around them. With all the other attention, this opens up opportunities.
For a tight end to finally shatter Rickey Dudley’s record, it is going to take a lot of fortune breaking their way in terms of play-calling and opportunity. However, this year is definitely the year it is going to happen.
The Record
Looking at the record set by Dudley in the 1995 season, I was still not alive and Dudley had just finished two years playing basketball at Ohio State under Randy Ayers and played one season under John Cooper. Like many all-time great tight ends before him, he made a choice to focus on the sport that would net him the most long-term success as an athlete.
In 1995, the athleticism returned for the all-time great Buckeye who showed that he could be a true difference maker in the passing game. In an offense that included Heisman Winner Eddie George and all-time great receiver Terry Glenn, there was still some shine that needed to go around. With the agility of a receiver, Dudley was third on the team in receptions behind two of the greatest players in Ohio State history.
The number of receptions setting the record was 37. This is not a gaudy number by any means, but it took a truly special talent to get there. Bobby Hoying was the quarterback at the time. He completed 211 passes, which was a lot for the era in which this record was set. In the more pass-oriented style of the modern game, there is no reason there are not enough completions to go around to get a new name in the record books.
Stover’s stats last season
The reason the record should fall this year is because the record should have fallen last year against Georgia. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes’ lead tight end Stover, he was upended and injured to the point of needing to go to the hospital for further evaluations with the diagnosis being a fracture in the back. His health is the most important thing, but there is no player who wanted to be on the field more for that playoff game than Stover.
Before the injury, Stover was at 36 catches on the season. Georgia had also failed to slow down Ohio State’s passing attack for much of the game. There were definitely two more catches in that game if Stover maintained his health. Joe Royer had one in the absence of Stover. The Buckeyes found ways to sneak out Stover, and they had the trust in him to go out to make plays in the passing the game in key situations.
Even without the catches, Stover would have allowed the Buckeyes to stick more closely to the original game plan. But this story is not about overall impact of the tight end position, because the importance is obvious. That is why this is the year the record will finally fall, and the reasons why are straight forward.
Why the record is done for this season
Ohio State has so many weapons on offense it might be a challenge for the Buckeyes to spread enough opportunities around for anyone to break a record. That being said, given the early season schedule – and the talent around Stover – overmatched defenses will need to choose to slow down someone, This creates opportunities for under the radar playmakers to find their stats in the flow of the game. Looking at the list of reasons, there is pretty straight forward path for Stover to get more than 37 catches.
The tight end single season catch record will fall this season because the Buckeyes will have defenses committing heavily to defending the star receivers. As the comedic character from Parks and Rec Tom Haverford once said, “I have never taken the high road. But I tell other people to ‘cause then there’s more room for me on the low road.”
This is basically the life of the tight end. They do the dirty work down low while the receivers get the glory and the shine. The receivers also garner significantly more attention over top. If they are in traffic there is plenty of room for Stover on the low road (or underneath the coverage). Stover had a handful of uncontested catches last season because he was standing alone off of a play fake or a blown coverage. That will continue to happen given the talent the Buckeyes have offensively.
The second reason: Stover is now in year two as a full-time tight end, and he has a former offensive assistant who assisted heavily in the development of the receivers as his position coach in Keenan Bailey. As a receiver at the tight end position, Stover went from providing little outside of blocking with five catches to becoming a legitimate weapon with 36 catches.
Last year had all the workings of a year of the tight end, but this year will be the year because of that progress he has made from a technical standpoint in such a short time at the position. With a coach who has a background with receivers, Stover can easily break the ceiling he set for himself last season.
On to the third reason, Ohio State’s success this year will have a major impact. The Buckeyes in the 1995 season played 13 games. That was the total Stover played last year in a season, and I know we already talked about what would have happen if he got to play the entirety of his 13 games. If Ohio State gets back to where they belong winning Big Ten Titles, playing in the CFP, and getting to a championship, there will be absolutely no doubt that Stover breaks this record. With a 14th or 15th game, Stover would have smashed the record and started the next Tight End University.
To close out this (future) broken record
Stover is incredibly talented at what he does as both an in-line blocker and as a reliable pass catcher in what the offense asks from him. He will never be the No. 1 option, but he will also always be a reliable option for a first year quarterback who will likely be targeting him to find some easy completions. A tight end is the best friend of inexperience, and Stover has the talent to be the safety valve when all else fails which is why this record will be broken this year.
Now, some of you may be tired of the year of the tight end talk, but it is my civic duty to continue this movement every offseason until that record falls. The Buckeyes have had their share of talented tight ends, but now they have that with a coach who commits to getting the tight end involved. Stover may not be the most dynamic weapon at Ohio State, but that gives him the rare advantage being a talented option that defenses can’t really plan for give the rest of the arsenal.
For those who remember Rickey Dudley, and to Rickey Dudley himself, this is not personal. This is personal to the passage of time, and the amount of times I have gone on record saying that this year will be the year the record falls. This time I am going to be right, and the year of the tight end will put an end to this existential battle of me versus predicting this record will fall.
This year Cade Stover will be the single-season record holder for receptions at Ohio State, and if not, the battle will continue.
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LGHL Ohio State Football Countdown: 62
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Ohio State Football Countdown: 62
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.
As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 62 days remaining.
Rather than one play today, why not take a look back at the 62 points Ohio State put up on Michigan back in 2018. Dwayne Haskins was phenomenal in this one, passing for just under 400 yards with six touchdown passes and zero picks. Parris Campbell led the way in the receiving department with six catches for 192 yards and two scores, including a long 78-yard catch-and-run TD. Defensively, the Buckeyes picked off both Shea Patterson and Joe Milton once apiece, and OSU also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
One play or big moment per day as we count down to the start of Ohio State’s 2023 football season.
As we count down to the start of the 2023 season, we will be looking back at one play or big moment in Ohio State history over the past decade or so that corresponds to the remaining days left until Buckeyes take the field against Indiana on Sept. 2. There are 62 days remaining.
Play of the Day: Ohio State beats Michigan 62-39 (2018)
Rather than one play today, why not take a look back at the 62 points Ohio State put up on Michigan back in 2018. Dwayne Haskins was phenomenal in this one, passing for just under 400 yards with six touchdown passes and zero picks. Parris Campbell led the way in the receiving department with six catches for 192 yards and two scores, including a long 78-yard catch-and-run TD. Defensively, the Buckeyes picked off both Shea Patterson and Joe Milton once apiece, and OSU also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Players to Wear the #62 (since 2010):
- Jon Lorenz (2009-11)
- Logan Beougher (2012)
- R.J. Morris (2014)
- Aaron Parry (2015-16)
- Brandon Pahl (2017-19)
- Chris Kuhn (2020)
- Bryce Prater (2021-22)
- Joshua Padilla (present)
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