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LGHL Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for February 2, 2023

Why is this News? All the articles and tweets Buckeye fans need for February 2, 2023
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Screen_Shot_2023_02_01_at_11.04.44_PM.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: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

On the Gridiron​


Key Takeaways as Ryan Day dials up offseason plan for Buckeyes (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting the Eyes

Presser Bullets: Ryan Day to Allow Brian Hartline to Call Plays During Spring, Talks Quarterback Competition, Transfer Portak Additions, Plan for NIL
Griffin Strom, Eleven Warriors

Buckeyes hoping to name starting quarterback by end of spring
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

Ryan Day says the QB battle between Devin Brown and Kyle McCord will be a ‘heck of a competition’

I feel like he’s been reading my articles over the past 14 months:

Ryan Day said he's looked at time management among reasons to distribute offensive playcalling duties.

Day said he feels he must manage his time more efficiently in the middle of the season, and said Brian Hartline has "done a great job" as wide receivers coach and on offense.

— Lantern Sports (@LanternSports) February 1, 2023
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Brian Hartline WIll Call Offensive Plays During Spring Practices, but Ryan Day Won’t Make Final Decision on Delegating Duty Until After Spring
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors

At least eight Buckeyes will miss Ohio State’s spring practice with injuries
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Palaie Gaoteote IV, Tyler Friday not returning to Ohio State for sixth year
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row

He had to make sure he couldn’t still get fined:

"Can I say something?"

"I made a lot of calls after the game"

Here is Ryan Day's full answer on the targeting call on Marvin Harrison Jr that was overturned in the Peach Bowl: pic.twitter.com/kjXMtipMOg

— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) February 1, 2023
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Ryan Day unsatisfied with officials’ explanation of no targeting call on Marvin Harrison Jr. against Georgia
Kevin Flaherty, 247Sports

In Davison Igbinosum, Ja’Had Carter, the Buckeyes got two of the top transfer portal defensive backs
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts

Quick Hits: Ohio State’s 10 Assistant Coaches, James Laurinaitis and Mark Pantoni Provide Offseason Updates, Look Ahead to Spring Practice
Dan Hope, Griffin Strom, Garrick Hodge, and Chase Brown, Eleven Warriors

Between Laurinaitis and this guy, I’m liking the more aggressive approach to coaching lately:

LaAllan Clark, a pass rush specialist who has worked with more than 50 NFL defenders, is joining Ohio State as a defensive line graduate assistant. https://t.co/MLMQbGw4zI

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) February 1, 2023
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Mark Pantoni Says Ohio State “May Have to Pull Out” of Recruiting National Prospects Earlier if NIL Is Driving Force in Their Recruitiments
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors

Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson releases NIL-driven Paris’ Cut jerky
Pete Nakos, On3

B1G Thoughts: Five offseason questions for Ohio State
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land

James Laurinaitis can have a Brian Hartline impact on Ohio State’s linebackers
Stephen Means, cleveland.com

To portal, or not to portal? That is the question for Ohio State football.
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

On the Hardwood​


No. 10 Ohio State women back on track beating Wisconsin 90-67
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land

NBA talks increasing as Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh focuses on team
Adam Jardy, Land-Grant Holy Land

That will get the job done.

Have. A. Night.  

Taylor Thierry put up a career-high 25pts! @OhioStateWBB x @B1Gwbball pic.twitter.com/JWyDALbow0

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) February 2, 2023
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Column: Ohio State men’s basketball is breaking computers like no team ever has
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land

Freshman Bruce Thornton ascending to leadership role for Ohio State
Adam Jardy, Land-Grant Holy Land

This is very cool:

Special moment last night in Cameron.... pic.twitter.com/jwOplD9buW

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 1, 2023
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Outside the Shoe and Schott​


Ohio State wrestling completes Michigan sweep in dominating fashion
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land

Women’s Swimming and Diving: Zenick, Eden Claim B1G Weekly Swimming Awards
Ohio State Athletics

And now for something completely different...​


What could go wrong?

Kirk on staff: “I anticipate no changes on our staff moving forward.”

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) February 1, 2023
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Google Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Tommy Eichenberg Among Eight Buckeyes Who Will Miss Spring Practices | Eleven - Eleven Warriors

Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Tommy Eichenberg Among Eight Buckeyes Who Will Miss Spring Practices | Eleven - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming and Tommy Eichenberg Among Eight Buckeyes Who Will Miss Spring Practices | Eleven Eleven Warriors

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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State’s backs are up against the wall. Can they turn this thing around?

Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State’s backs are up against the wall. Can they turn this thing around?
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State v Indiana

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

And what do they have to do to make the NCAA Tournament?

‘Bucketheads’ is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.

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


For episode 64 of the “Bucketheads” Podcast, Connor and Justin take a look at the Buckeyes' disastrous January, and ask a simple question: Is there any way this thing gets turned around?

The Buckeyes currently sit at 11-10 and 3-7 in the conference, but with seven of their last 10 games at home and games coming up against Wisconsin and Michigan, can the Buckeyes finish strong enough to make the NCAA Tournament? And if they don’t, where do they go from here?

Also, the guys take a look at the 2023 recruiting class, and answer some listener questions to wrap things up.


Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGHL

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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LGHL Wednesday made for the easiest February Signing Day ever for the Buckeyes, but all attention has been focused on 2024 and 2025’s class.

Wednesday made for the easiest February Signing Day ever for the Buckeyes, but all attention has been focused on 2024 and 2025’s class.
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Doral Chenoweth / USA TODAY NETWORK

All the attention has been focused on 2024 and 2025’s class.

The February Signing Day for high school recruits is celebrated for a couple of reasons. The excitement surrounding the hard work paying off for these prep stars is among the top reasons for it being a special day, but it also gives way for the Ohio State coaching staff to speak to the media and give some in-depth coverage as to what is going on in the state of the program.

Wednesday once again allowed other assistant coaches to speak in addition to staffers, such as Mark Pantoni, who’s focus is solely on recruiting efforts and managing the personnel for the Buckeyes. Bringing several pieces of news to attention, the staff is still in full pursuit mode of elite players to join the roster after spring football via the transfer portal, and roster management to get to 85 players is already taking place.

At any rate, there’s plenty going on in Columbus that makes it seem like there’s really not an offseason for this program.

The easiest signing day in Ohio State history ​


Before the sun came up yesterday, Ohio State took to Twitter to preview signing day, and shared their sentiments of, “looking forward to a great day.”

Not even five minutes later, another tweet from Ohio State stated signing day was, “now complete,” after zero new additions were made to the 2023 recruiting class. Having some fun with how that news was shared, this at least ties the easiest signing day ever for the Buckeyes, as all of the work for this class was signed, sealed, and delivered during the December signing period when the entire class inked their letters of intent.

Signing day is now complete Go Bucks!

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) February 1, 2023
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While there weren’t any fireworks, that doesn't necessarily give cause for concern, because the time this staff has spent the last several weeks on the trail has been fully devoted to the efforts in the 2024 and 2025 classes. Seeing coaches on the road and doing so all over the country has made for a ton of new offers. Those recruits have made it clear how they feel about Ohio State, and while the season certainly didn’t go as planned, the feelings by top recruits point to a pretty positive vibe surrounding the Buckeyes’ future.

Pointing to the recent success in the transfer portal as well, this staff is showing signs of doing what it takes when it comes to landing the top players looking for new homes. As long as that remains the case moving forward, Ohio State is in as good of a spot as anyone else.

Quick Hits​

  • Ohio State made the hiring of LaAllan Clark official on Wednesday. Coming in as a defensive GA, Clark will be spending his time helping Larry Johnson with the defensive line group. An important hire for the Buckeyes, Clark’s resume in helping train several current NFL stars at the position may be the stat that jumps out the most, and is definitely a key piece when it comes to recruiting down the road.

LJ is still one of the best in the game at his profession and position group, but having a right hand man to help in development as well as the many other areas is a key to seeing this defensive line group take the next step in 2023.

Truly Blessed!! Let’s Work!! #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/AZelegGsUh

— Coach LaAllan Clark (@CoachLCTrenches) February 1, 2023
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  • Of the many talking points that were brought up regarding recruiting, the notes Pantoni made about recruiting more regionally as well as leaving recruitments of national players if their focus is mainly NIL stick out the most. Knowing Ohio State’s goals to fill the roster with players of a certain mindset, hearing staffers say NIL priorities for national recruits may guide the Buckeyes elsewhere makes sense.

Ohio State will always be in the business of going after the best players in the country, but if the headaches and potential for clashes in culture present themselves, the Buckeyes believe their time is better spent elsewhere. The world of college football and recruiting has never been crazier, but Ohio State seems as prepared as any when it comes to weathering any potential storms.

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Google Buckeyes Targets Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker - Sports Illustrated

Buckeyes Targets Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker - Sports Illustrated
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Buckeyes Targets Jeremiah Smith and JoJo Trader a Package Deal? | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker Sports Illustrated

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Google Ohio State football: Ryan Day on Buckeyes' spring QB battle, Georgia's hit on Marvin Harrison Jr., signing day - 247Sports

Ohio State football: Ryan Day on Buckeyes' spring QB battle, Georgia's hit on Marvin Harrison Jr., signing day - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State football: Ryan Day on Buckeyes' spring QB battle, Georgia's hit on Marvin Harrison Jr., signing day 247Sports

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LGHL To portal, or not to portal? That is the question for Ohio State football.

To portal, or not to portal? That is the question for Ohio State football.
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

1453551358.0.jpg

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Is Ryan Day’s conservative approach to the transfer portal a swing-and-a-miss, or a series of bets on current players’ potential?

Ryan Day and the Ohio State football team added a big piece to the defense on Monday in former Ole Miss cornerback Davison Igbinosun. He joins other transfers that joined the Buckeyes in recent weeks — former Oregon State quarterback Tristan Gebbia, Louisiana-Monroe offensive lineman Victor Cutler, Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter, Kent state kicker Casey Magyar, and Arizona State long snapper John Ferlmann.

In total, the Buckeyes have now added six transfer players since the end of the 2022 season, indicating a more aggressive approach in “free agency”... for OSU, that is. Not most programs.

Dream come true ❤️ pic.twitter.com/IBUVByamNz

— V!c (@CutlerVictor) January 18, 2023
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Under Day’s guidance, the Scarlet and Gray have preferred to build and develop from within, at the same time attempting to avoid massive roster turnover seen elsewhere. As part of that plan and/or process, Ohio State has inarguably taken a very conservative approach to transfers, only wading ankle-deep into the portal waters. Adding five new faces is a detour from the usual path taken, but not a hard left onto Mel Tucker Highway.

So what do we make of OSU’s approach to the transfer portal? Is it the right one or the wrong one? Is it timid or tactical? I am here to tell you that I have absolutely no clue. Every program is different, with a unique combination of resources, expectations, and circumstances under which they operate.

Day and his coaches should not be using the same figurative playbook as Deion Sanders at Colorado, just like Prime Time should not be going out of his way to keep 99 percent of CU’s eligible roster intact (as the Buckeyes tend to do). Different strokes for different folks as they say, and the transfer portal will continue to be utilized differently by each and every program. There is simply no template.

Getting back to Ohio State, there are fans out there who are upset with the way January ultimately played out — and I’m not talking about the Peach Bowl. Specific to transfer comings and goings, the Buckeyes lost a handful of players to the portal, while adding a grad QB with limited game experience, a Sun Belt OL, a long snapper, a preferred walk-on kicker, and a productive safety from the ACC... Not exactly a who’s who of college football. And those additions have not been good enough for some. But I think that many of the negative reactions from Buckeye Nation are short-sighted and unnecessary. Allow me to pontificate.

With the offseason's first transfer portal window closing this week, here's our updated tracker looking at who left Ohio State and who joined the program over the previous weeks: https://t.co/H4LtfWMrqf

— Joey Kaufman (@joeyrkaufman) January 20, 2023
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Also, let me preface my argument with this: I would have been over-the-moon excited had OSU landed a commitment from Dasan McCullough, Ajani Cornelius, or Fentrell Cypress. Those players – among others – should have been pursued aggressively, in my humble opinion. So I am in no way trying to frame the early transfer period as some wild success. But at the same time, I would never call it a failure. By no means whatsoever, and for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, working the transfer portal is much different than high school recruiting — strictly from a timing perspective.. Due to a horrid, horrid schedule set forth by the good ol’ NCAA, Ohio State and other schools competing in meaningful bowl games are expected to navigate the portal and forge relationships while at the same time preparing for the sport’s most prestigious and meaningful games... Just brilliant.

Early Signing Day even gets in on the action! Just a comedy of scheduling errors, but I will touch more on that later. My point here is that certain schools are unable to prioritize relationship-building when dozens (or hundreds, I’m not sure) of players are first exploring transfer options.

Sure, a player can choose to keep their options open until January, February, or even the spring and summer months if they are so inclined, but there is an edge to be gained by making contact early. McCullough, for example, entered the transfer portal on December 5 and committed to Oklahoma on December 12. There were extenuating circumstances, and the former Indiana Hoosier was likely never going to be dissuaded from joining his little brother in Norman, but let’s play make-believe: What if the Buckeyes had been able to arrange a few phone calls and a visit?

What if Day delegated certain coaching duties in preparation for the hypothetical Bush’s Baked Beans Bowl (his team did not make the CFP in this scenario) and instead put a full court press on landing the former OSU verbal commit? I am not trying to make excuses, but I do think there are legitimate reasons as to why Day and his staff were a bit behind the 8-ball during this transfer period.

High school recruiting and Early Signing Day also played a role in dictating Ohio State’s transfer activity, which is something I alluded to earlier. With ESD and the “real” opening of the portal going on concurrently, programs are often forced to choose: Who or what are we all-in (relative term) on? Do we prefer high school recruits, or experienced transfers? While obviously possible to serve two masters in this situation, I would argue that if a team chases even one transfer player, they are not all-in on their recruiting class — or recruits at a certain position. If your favorite team scours the country for two transfers, they are even further away from being all-in. Three players, even further than that. And so on.

Same rings true for the opposite approach. If a team plans to sink or swim with a proven portal QB, but then hosts a late-rising HS recruit who de-committed from another school in mid-December, well then they risk losing John Football, who they began talking to weeks or months prior... Which means they are not all-in on the transfer route. I am focusing on extremes and one-offs here, but I hope you get the point. Two masters can be served, but never with full vigor.

Few programs take all-in literally – whether recruiting or transfer shopping – but they do typically prioritize one method of roster construction over another. OSU clearly prioritizes long-term recruiting relationships over swiping right and hooking up with the most willing or available transfer. And given the results (three CFP berths in four seasons), I find it hard to criticize what Day, Mark Pantoni, and others have adopted as their team-building philosophy. Said philosophy is really what it all comes down to.

Ryan Day and Ohio State as a living, breathing entity preach brotherhood, chemistry, development, and results. Right, wrong, or otherwise, the general philosophy can be summed up as: Bring in the right players, foster relationships, develop those players in-house, and either send ‘em off to the NFL or give them life skills necessary to succeed elsewhere.

Believe in it, buy it, or don’t — I favor the Buckeyes’ football culture over that of, say, Texas A&M. Jimbo Fisher could tell me face-to-face that he and his coaches are building character and mentoring young men to the best of their ability, but I’ll never believe it. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and said fire is probably coming out of Bobby Petrino’s tailpipe right now, as he races away from some unfinished business and right into an A&M staff meeting.

Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Does transfer culture = Texas A&M culture? No idea, but I’m sure this guy would give us an honest answer.

That culture seems (allegedly) toxic. And I’m not here to tell you that OSU has a perfect culture by any means, but part of what makes it worthy of having at least some pride in, is the fact that the coaches, the athletic department, and the university generally seem to do right by their players. Sometimes than can result in being overly stubborn regarding a guy’s potential – and turning a blind eye to outside interest – but I would rather Ohio State miss out on one talent than risk alienating three or four known commodities. Probably not the best way to do business, but my argument is supported by the next paragraph.

Finally, I would point out that bringing in a boatload of transfers is no guarantee of success. See: Michigan State football.

Furthermore, it (operating as Mercenary U) could be rather indicative of failures elsewhere. There are clear exceptions, such as coaching turnover, scandal, etc... But at the end of the day, if your favorite CFB team is bringing in 15-20 transfers, there is a better-than-zero chance that any or all of the following statements are true: Multiple coaches throughout the program suck at their job(s)... Their ability to recruit and/or develop talent is non-existent... Or maybe the head coach is just an asshole, and no player can stand to be around him for longer than 18 months. Either way, you don’t see Alabama or Georgia (or Ohio State) bringing in transfers by dozen(s). There’s a reason for that.

If you (Buckeye Nation, LGHL readers, whoever) are still upset by OSU’s lack of aggressiveness or ability to close in the transfer portal, I get it. I can’t say, with an ounce of honesty in my bones, that January has been a perfect month. The Buckeyes need to better supplement their young roster, period. But at least take a look back at the hits and misses – and give it until spring – before any torches are lit... Justin Fields, Jonah Jackson, Trey Sermon, etc. All hits. And there will be additional roster movement in the future. It’s only January!

As for those misses, who are we even talking about? Eli Ricks? The former LSU Tiger transferred to Bama and played sparingly as a backup. That player every Ohio State fan seemed to want at this time last year totaled 13 tackles and broke up four passes in Tuscaloosa, before declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. He also had a little run-in with the Mississippi Highway Patrol before the 2022 season, which is probably part of the reason he sat on the bench to begin with. So yeah, a real swing and a miss there, huh?

Ryan Day and his staff build their roster a certain way. That’s all there is to it. You can love it, hate it, or be indifferent to it... But if you’re a Buckeye fan, I think it is important to give the new(ish) coaches more time. If cornerbacks still can’t spot a ball in the air after year two with Tim Walton, and Cypress wins the Thorpe Award at Florida State, then I will eat crow and admit that Ohio State’s current approach is ineffective and overly conservative. But until then, I will choose to believe in the old saying: A bird with a hand is worth two bushes.

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LGHL Column: Ohio State men’s basketball is breaking computers like no team ever has

Column: Ohio State men’s basketball is breaking computers like no team ever has
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: Ohio State at Indiana

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

This team stinks, but our A.I. overlords all seem to think differently for some reason.

This Ohio State basketball team reeks. The individual puzzle pieces that comprise the 2022-2023 Ohio State men’s basketball team are mostly nice ones, but they simply do not fit together to make a coherent picture. Additionally, many people are saying the man who is in charge of putting the puzzle together is incapable of putting this puzzle — or any puzzle — together.

There’s no denying the talent on this Ohio State team. Brice Sensabaugh will be a first-round NBA draftee in a few months. Zed Key — while not a superstar — is one of the better low post scorers in the Big Ten, despite an obvious height disadvantage. Justice Sueing isn’t doing much of anything right these days, but for his career he’s a 12.6 PPG scorer on nearly 45% overall shooting — that’s objectively good!

Sean McNeil, Isaac Likekele, and Tanner Holden are all 1,000+ point scorers for their career, and McNeil was shooting north of 40% from three prior to last weekend’s drubbing at Indiana. Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Felix Okpara are talented freshmen who are already contributing — although not at an elite level.

Despite this, Ohio State is 11-10 this season, and 3-7 in Big Ten play thus far with 10 games to go. The last time the Buckeyes started 3-7 in league play was six years ago — the year Thad Matta was fired. That Ohio State finished the year 4-4 (7-11 overall), and did not participate in any postseason tournament. This year’s team could share the same fate if things don’t begin to point upward right away.

But here’s the wild, wacky, befuddling thing about this Ohio State team — the computers love it. KenPom, NET, Haslametric, Bart Torvik — heck even just your general bracket predictions — all love Ohio State. Not to an absurd level that would say, put them in the top 10, but to a level that still seems absurd, considering how stinky this team continues to play.

Let’s start with my personal favorite metric, KenPom. Ken Pomeroy ranks teams based on efficiency, which essentially grades out how many points you score per possession and how many points you allow defensively per possession. Subtract part two from part one, and voila — there’s your overall efficiency.

Despite losing seven of their last eight games, Ohio State is No. 28 in the country as of Tuesday afternoon. They’re three spots below Kansas State, who is 18-3 and sitting at the top of the Big 12 — the best conference in America. They are directly in front of 16-5 Auburn and 17-5 Providence, two teams who have combined to lose as many games as Ohio State this season.


Courtesy of KenPom.com

Maybe it’s because Ohio State — despite the losing streak — has played pretty much every team tight for the entirety of their games, save for a three or four-minute stretch where things snowball. Against Maryland, it was the first four minutes of the second half. Against Indiana, it was the final three minutes of the first half. Against Purdue, it was the final two minutes of the first half. Ohio State played nearly impeccable basketball for the other 111 minutes in those three games but unfortunately, that’s not how it works — a minute or two of sloppy play can and will take a game right out of your hands.

Maybe it’s because Ohio State is one of the better teams in the country guarding the perimeter, and thus driving down that “points allowed per possession” category? The Buckeyes are still a piss-poor defensive team, but they rank 17th in the nation (among power-five conference teams) in preventing threes, as their opponents have only knocked down 30.2% of their triples this season.

Let’s move on to the NET, which might be the singular most important metric used by the NCAA Tournament committee in deciding who gets at-large bids to the tournament and where teams are seeded. Surely, the folks at the top recognize this team stinks, right? Not exactly!


Courtesy of NCAA.com

Ohio State was No. 29 in the NET rankings as of Tuesday afternoon, which is strikingly similar to their KenPom ranking. The Buckeyes are just two spots below a 17-5 Xavier team just down I-70, that’s on track to probably win the Big East. Just below the Buckeyes is New Mexico, who at 18-3 has won seven more games than OSU and was the nation’s last undefeated team. Right below New Mexico are our friends Auburn and Providence again.

We took some guesses on why KenPom values Ohio State more than we do. But if the NCAA is using the NET to dictate tournament seeding, this must have some logic behind it, right? It does.

What are the NET Rankings?

Here's EVERYTHING you need to know. Be on the lookout for the first release pic.twitter.com/kdZwDEjFPS

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 26, 2018
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To dumb it down to the most elementary level, the NET looks at who you play and where you’re playing them. This is more than the RPI system did, which more or less focused just on winning percentages. Even in a losing effort, who you played and where you played them matters quite a bit. The Buckeyes, for example, have only played three tournament-caliber teams at home this season — Rutgers, Purdue, and Iowa. Now, compare that to the eight tournament-caliber teams Ohio State has faced either on the road or on a neutral court this season — San Diego State, Duke, North Carolina, Northwestern, Maryland, Rutgers, Illinois, and Indiana. Ohio State lost seven of these eight games, but five of those losses were by single digits.

That, at its most broken down, simplistic level, is why Ohio State remains in the top 30 of the NET despite looking like trash over the past three-plus weeks.

For the purpose of not getting too into the weeds, we won’t break down HaslaMetrics and BartTorvik/T-Rankings, but both of these websites that rank teams based on various efficiencies also have Ohio State inside the top 40.

HaslaMetrics has Ohio State No. 37 as of Tuesday, above New Mexico, Iowa, and Kentucky.


Courtesy of haslametrics.com

BartTorkvik has Ohio State No. 25 in the country as of Tuesday, one spot behind Gonzaga.


Courtesy of barttorvik.com

All of this ultimately leads us to the NCAA Tournament. Do any of these numbers mean anything? Is it all just grandstanding, or are a few nerds trying to be the smartest ones in the room?

The purpose of putting this piece together is not to make excuses for this team or try to pivot to a different point that somehow points this Ohio State team in a better light. The purpose is to show how much of an anomaly this team is with computer models, and give fans a “warning” that, despite how putrid the Buckeyes look, they are still very much in a position to make the NCAA Tournament. Because the metrics still very much love this team.

As of Monday afternoon, Ohio State was the second team out of the tournament according to Bracket Matrix, which is an average of all the bracket predictions that can be found online. By Tuesday afternoon, the Buckeyes had dropped to the fifth team out of the tournament, despite not playing on Monday night. The teams on the bubble are splitting hairs and decimal points so closely that one win or loss can jump a team from the First Four in Dayton to one of the first four out. That is where Ohio State currently finds itself.


Data courtesy of bracketmatrix.com

Just one week ago, Ohio State was in the spot that Pittsburgh currently sits — the second-lowest 11-seed. Just by losing to Indiana, the Buckeyes have fallen into the puddle of “other at-large” candidates.

The metrics/computers think this Ohio State team is NCAA Tournament-caliber. The play on the court, unfortunately, does not agree. But when the NCAA Tournament committee is looking at these very same numbers, the corpse that is the Ohio State men’s basketball team starts to breathe again.

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LaAllan Clark (LB Coach Texas)

MD Buckeye
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LaAllan Clark - Defensive Ends - FOOTBALL Coaches - Southern University

LaAllan Clark was named to the Southern University coaching staff as the Defensive Ends Coach in January 2022. Clark who is entering his first season as a full-time
gojagsports.com gojagsports.com
Clark who is entering his first season as a full-time coach, started his coaching career in 2019 at Prairie View A&M as a Graduate Assistant. He has specialized in training elite defensive linemen the past few years while serving as CEO of LC Performance, working with over 50 players on NFL rosters, including John Franklin-Myers, Jeffery Simmons, Maliek Collins, Rashan Gary, Bud Dupree, Tanzel Smart, and Macolm Roach.

A native of Baton Rouge, Clark lettered two seasons (2014-2015) at Northwestern State before transferring Grambling State University, where he was a two-year letterwinner (2017-2018) as a defensive end for the Tigers. He graduated Fall 2018 in Business Administration. Doing his time at Grambling, Clark accolades are: 2018: Preseason HBCU POY Watchlist; Preseason All American; Preseason 1st Team All-Conference, 2017: Boxtorow All American; Black College Football All American; 1st Team All-Conference. In the 2017 season, he led the conference and sixth in country with 11 sacks. He also won a Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship in 2017.

Clark graduated from Central High School in 2014.
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Big pickup & could be the heir to replace Larry Johnson when the time comes. Pass rush specialist with ties to the south (Louisiana).
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LGHL Game Preview: No. 10 Ohio State women head north to Wisconsin

Game Preview: No. 10 Ohio State women head north to Wisconsin
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: Lansing State Journal

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes and Badgers take the court with Ohio State looking to get back on track

The Ohio State women’s basketball team has nine games remaining in the Big Ten schedule. Wednesday, they play one of two consecutive away games, beginning with a trip to the University of Wisconsin.

After three straight losses, the Buckeyes hope a game against the Wisconsin Badgers means going back to the Scarlet and Gray’s winning ways.

Preview​


Ohio State and Wisconsin enter Wednesday’s game in vastly different circumstances. The Buckeyes sit at 19-3, and look to hit their stride before the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments come around in March. The team with the home court on Wednesday night hasn’t had a winning season in 12 years and hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament for 13 years.

Even so, Wisconsin is an intriguing team this season and it isn’t a game the Scarlet & Gray can look past.

The Badgers are in their second season with head coach Marisa Moseley, and the former UConn and Minnesota assistant coach has Wisconsin playing some good basketball. They also play a style of defense that the Buckeyes have had recent trouble against with Purdue.

“You can talk a lot about a lot of things but if somebody wants to sit in the zone or sit in the paint and make you score from the perimeter,” said McGuff. “They can do that and you’ve got to make shots to make them do something different.”

Those shots aren’t falling as of late. Ohio State is 14-for-68 from the line during their three-game losing streak. It got to the point that defenses were letting the Buckeyes shoot when it wasn’t guard Taylor Mikesell with the ball from deep. Should those shots not fall on Wednesday, it could be trouble for the Scarlet & Gray.

It’s also movement issues for McGuff’s side, or lack thereof. Against Purdue, players weren’t moving in and out of the zone to pull defenders away and allow drives to the basket. Using players like forward Cotie McMahon or Taylor Thierry to run into the post off the ball makes defending the Buckeyes more difficult, and a reason why they once averaged the most points in the country per game in the early weeks of the season.

Wisconsin can score too, and they’re doing it with a dynamic freshman leading the way: Forward Serah Williams. The 6-foot-4 forward from Brooklyn, New York is a new kind of weapon for the Badgers.

Badgers strike first with an and-1 from Serah Williams! pic.twitter.com/ez84IcujJh

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerWBB) January 29, 2023
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Instead of moving the ball around and biding time before taking a shot, Williams has the ability to drive to the basket and draw attention from the defense. Then, if the defense does break, Williams can pass the ball around the perimeter until an open player gets an open shot.

This season, Williams leads the Badgers in scoring and rebounding this season with 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. In Williams’ last six games she’s gotten better, scoring 17.3 points (at 60.4% efficiency) and 6.5 rebounds per game. The first game of that stretch was an overtime win for the Badgers over the Michigan State Spartans where Williams had 31 points and 12 rebounds.

It’s another battle of players making strong plays for Big Ten freshman of the year with McMahon representing Ohio State’s chance at grabbing the postseason honor.

Another name to be familiar with is guard Julie Pospisilova. The guard from the Czech Republic received an Honorable Mention in last season’s All-Big Ten Team and this year she’s become a more well-rounded player.

Popisilova’s scoring is down slightly, a dip from 14.1 to 12.4 points per game, but she’s increased her rebounding and assists by over one in each category. The forward is eighth in the conference in assists per game, benefiting from the play of Williams in her second year under coach Moseley.

Projected Starters​

Lineup Notes​

  • While guard Jacy Sheldon is close to returning, Tuesday head Coach McGuff didn’t confirm if she’d play Wednesday
  • Guard/forward Taylor Thierry leads the Buckeyes with 66 fouls, leading to three games where the sophomore’s fouled out this season
  • Guard Taylor Mikesell is 14 points away from scoring her 1,000th point as a member of the Buckeyes

Lineup Notes​

  • Wisconsin features just one transfer, starting guard Avery LaBarbera who joined the Badgers this season from the College of Holy Cross, an opponent of coach Moseley when she coached Boston University
  • Nine of the Badgers' 15 rostered players are underclassmen with eight freshman
  • Wisconsin is 2-8 in the Big Ten but had back-to-back wins against Michigan State and Minnesota early in January

Prediction​


The Buckeyes win this game. The message of last week is loud and clear in the brains of Ohio State and Wisconsin is the team on the other side of what could be an angry Scarlet & Gray team.

Mikesell leads the offense, scoring over 20 points, and another big game from McMahon attacking the paint.

Wednesday is a good game for Ohio State to return to their fundamentals of pressing and moving quickly on offense before going East on Sunday to face the No. 8 Maryland Terrapins.

How to Watch​


Date: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin
Stream: B1G+

LGHL Prediction: 89-61 Ohio State Buckeyes​

One Month Remains​


Wednesday is the first day of Feb., the final month of the Big Ten season. With the change of the calendar brings renewed pressure to fine-tune things before the postseason begins at the end of the month. It’s about the fundamentals that put Ohio State in this position for coach McGuff.

“Get back to being really process-oriented,” said McGuff. “And just remind them ‘hey, we’ve had great success this year because we’ve done these things. We’ve played with pace. We’ve been very aggressive in the full court. We’ve really shared the ball and moved the ball and executed.’”

While chances are lower now with three losses, the Buckeyes still have a regular season championship to content for along with both the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Tournament. There’s plenty to play for in the remaining nine games of the regular season.

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LGHL Ohio State lands No. 10 transfer player, Ole Miss cornerback Davison Igbinosum

Ohio State lands No. 10 transfer player, Ole Miss cornerback Davison Igbinosum
Bret Favachio via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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Davison Igbinosum | 247Sports

The Buckeyes picked up a welcome addition to what looked to be an inexperienced secondary on Tuesday.

The Buckeyes got a much-needed spark in the defensive secondary on Tuesday as they dipped into the transfer portal for their latest addition to Jim Knowles' unit. Plus, an in-state offensive lineman lands an offer from Ohio State as the home-grown talent continues to feel like more of a priority moving forward.

Ohio State lands transfer CB​


After kicking off the new year by securing a transfer pledge from former Syracuse safety Ja’Had Carter, the Buckeyes watched January come to a close by ending the month similarly to how it began. On Tuesday, Ohio State landed a commitment from now-former Ole Miss cornerback Davison Igbinosum.

Igbinosum, a freshman all-American with the Rebels, is currently graded as the No. 10 ranked transfer in the country. The addition of Igbinosum and Carter provides a much-needed boost to a secondary that hasn’t been up to the standards in Columbus combined with a few departures among the group.

The New Jersey native originally picked Ole Miss out of high school despite offers from Notre Dame, Tennessee, and more. But this go-around, Igbinosum was being courted by Michigan, Tennessee, and UCLA before ultimately deciding on the Buckeyes yesterday.

The newest Buckeye briefly caught up with On3’s Hayes Fawcett to discuss what led him to Ohio State.

“I’ve been an Ohio State fan my entire life and everything worked out in my favor to get there. They have a history of producing 1st round cornerbacks and I want to be next. Another huge reason is their receiving core, they’re the best wideouts in college football and competing against the best everyday will only make me better.”
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Igbinosun recorded 37 tackles and five pass deflections in 13 games this season for Ole Miss. He will have three years of eligibility left with the Buckeyes.

Buckeyes offer Nave​


As Ohio State adjusts to the new wave of recruiting in the NIL era, it seems that there has been an added emphasis on securing the top talent in their backyard. A flurry of offers has gone out to numerous Ohio kids in the month and Tuesday was no different.

Marc Nave, a 2024 three-star interior offensive lineman from Central Catholic (OH), was the latest in-state prospect to land that coveted offer from the Buckeyes.

WOW!! I am extremely blessed to be offered my 18th division 1 scholarship to THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY! AGTG! #Gobucks pic.twitter.com/jdcqIaQXXW

— Marc Nave Jr. ✞ (@Markn_55) January 31, 2023
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Nave is 6-foot-5, 315-pounder who has already garnered offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Pittsburgh, and more. The Toledo native has yet to receive a 247Sports Composite ranking due to the lack of rankings elsewhere. However, 247Sports by themselves grade Nave as the 37th highest-graded interior offensive lineman and a top 25 prospect from Ohio.

Quick Hits​


According to Eleven Warriors, 2025 four-star running back Gideon Davidson of Liberty Christian Academy (VA) is planning to camp at Ohio State in June. The 6-foot-0, 193-pounder is currently graded as the top running back in the class and the No. 1 player from Virginia.

After a visit with the Buckeyes last week, 2025 athlete Dante McClellan of McKinley (OH) caught up with Garrick Hodge of Eleven Warriors where he revealed that an offer from the program “would be big time.” “I always watched them as a kid growing up in Canton, Columbus isn’t too far. Being home and playing where my family could come see me with no problem (would be great).”

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