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LGHL How much did the mid-season coaching change impact Devin Royal? Quite a bit, it turns out.
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How much did the mid-season coaching change impact Devin Royal? Quite a bit, it turns out.
Connor Lemons 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
Royal’s stats spiked across the board, but the biggest difference? His confidence.
Devin Royal’s recruitment – and subsequent commitment – to Ohio State was a big deal two years ago.
A top-50 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and a local product out of Pickerington Central High School, Royal was a player that Chris Holtmann and Jake Diebler put a full-court press on for about 10 months after formally offering him a scholarship in October 2021. Despite a strong push from Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, Holtmann and Diebler were able to keep Royal in-state, and in August of 2022 he committed to Ohio State.
Royal was an unranked recruit for most of high school. He didn’t crack the top 100 until the summer before his senior year. He did not transfer to a prep school or move out of state to finish playing high school basketball like so many of the nation’s most talented players do.
He stayed the course and then stayed home for college. But his freshman year wasn’t going as smoothly as he hoped through the first three months.
Through the first 25 games of the season, Royal was averaging 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game and was playing just under nine minutes per contest. Ohio State was 4-10 in the Big Ten through 14 games, and Royal had logged three DNPs as well. He was clearly not part of Holtmann’s circle of trust during the first half of the season. His playing time and his performances were sporadic.
And then on Valentine’s Day — not even 12 hours after losing to Wisconsin, Ohio State’s sixth loss in a stretch of seven games — Holtmann was fired by former athletic director Gene Smith. Jake Diebler was installed as interim head coach, and he made it clear that he planned on playing a long bench as well rotating guys in and out frequently.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25680257/usa_today_22686950.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK
Diebler expressed in February that Ohio State’s depth was a strength of the team, and rotating players in and out would help maximize their performance when they were in the game. Basically, he was asking each player to exhaust themselves and empty the tank, knowing that as soon as they needed it, they would get a breather.
The player that benefited most from this philosophical shift may have been Royal. His minutes immediately shot up. After playing double-digit minutes in just eight of the first 25 games, he played 13 or more minutes in 10 of the final 11.
After averaging three points per game under Holtmann, Royal finished the season by averaging 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game over the final nine. That included a 14-point, two-rebound, two-steal performance against Michigan State on February 25, in a game Ohio State won 60-57 on a buzzer-beater by Dale Bonner. However, that shot to win the game may not have happened if Royal, a freshman at the time, wasn’t able to inbound the ball from the opposite end of the court with six seconds left.
Royal was able to find Bruce Thornton just before his five seconds were up. Thornton then advanced the ball down the floor to Bonner, who knocked down the game-winner over top of former MSU guard Tyson Walker.
“I was like oh my God, nobody is open, right?” Royal recalled at Ohio State’s media day last week.
“So I’m just looking at Bruce and I’m like ‘Bruce, get open. Get open!’ And I’ll be honest, I laid it to him and I was just so happy he got it. And then seeing Dale hit that shot I was just like, ‘Great play, great play.’”
Royal led Ohio State in scoring for the first time that day on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting. He didn’t attempt a three — instead, he found cushy spots near the elbow and repeatedly knocked down smooth mid-range jumpers to keep Ohio State, which trailed by 10 at halftime, in the game.
He followed that up with a 13-point, five-rebound performance in a win against Nebraska four days later, and finished his freshman season averaging 4.7 points per game. All in all, Royal saw his minutes, opportunities, and production spike once Diebler took over. He went from averaging 3.2 points per game under Holtmann to 7.6 under Diebler. He averaged just under nine minutes per game playing for Holtmann but played 16.5 minutes per game for Diebler.
His defense, shot selection, and poise got better as the season went on, but there was no magic switch or button that was pressed when Holtmann was fired. For all intents and purposes, Royal was the same player in early March he was a month prior. The major difference was his confidence, which grew as he was given more opportunities.
“I feel like at the beginning of the year my confidence kind of went down a little bit, but Diebs definitely helped me get it back up by just letting me go out there and play, and not putting me on a string where like, if I do one thing wrong I come straight out,” he said last week.
“Like, (he’s) just letting me play and get better.”
Royal said he appreciates the way that Diebler lays down non-negotiables for his players, and is clear about what those non-negotiables are. The biggest thing Diebler demands — no questions asked — is effort. The first-year coach isn’t asking for perfection from anyone — including Royal — but nobody is taking a play off, and nobody is walking.
“I love that,” Royal said on media day. “Because I’m gonna give effort all the time. So you know, being able to mess up one time but if I’m giving a full effort, I’m not just going to get taken out for that. And then coming back next play and (I’ll) do it right that time, giving me the chance to do it right that next time.”
With his new head coach in his corner and his eyes on the prize rather than looking over his shoulder, Royal has been picked by several national and Big Ten media members to be a breakout player for the Buckeyes this season.
Former Purdue guard and current Big Ten studio analyst Rapheal Davis thinks Royal is going to have a breakout season. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, within his Big Ten Offseason Breakdown article, has listed Royal as one of 10 “Breakout Players.”
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25680240/Screenshot_2024_10_15_at_11.25.13_PM.png)
Will Royal blossom into a First-Team All-Big Ten player this season? Probably not, but never say never. There are times when the sophomore gives pointless fouls, and conditioning in Diebler’s new up-tempo offense is a work in progress for everyone, including Royal. There was also a time this summer when Diebler said that Royal was “starting to get away from what made him great” last season, as he tried to implement some more perimeter offense to his game.
Diebler wants Royal to shoot more three-pointers this year, but that cannot come at the expense of being the best offensive rebounder on the floor. Threes can’t take the place of consistently being in the right place at the right time or knowing when to step in and take that little eight-foot jumper that he’s perfected. All of those things have to remain. The shooting will hopefully be a new tool added to the toolbox, but it cannot replace what’s already there.
If he can bottle that production from the final third of last season over more minutes and add a little bit of shooting, then Davis, Rothstein, and Diebler might be on to something here with this sophomore version of Devin Royal.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons 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
Royal’s stats spiked across the board, but the biggest difference? His confidence.
Devin Royal’s recruitment – and subsequent commitment – to Ohio State was a big deal two years ago.
A top-50 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and a local product out of Pickerington Central High School, Royal was a player that Chris Holtmann and Jake Diebler put a full-court press on for about 10 months after formally offering him a scholarship in October 2021. Despite a strong push from Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans, Holtmann and Diebler were able to keep Royal in-state, and in August of 2022 he committed to Ohio State.
Royal was an unranked recruit for most of high school. He didn’t crack the top 100 until the summer before his senior year. He did not transfer to a prep school or move out of state to finish playing high school basketball like so many of the nation’s most talented players do.
He stayed the course and then stayed home for college. But his freshman year wasn’t going as smoothly as he hoped through the first three months.
Through the first 25 games of the season, Royal was averaging 3.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game and was playing just under nine minutes per contest. Ohio State was 4-10 in the Big Ten through 14 games, and Royal had logged three DNPs as well. He was clearly not part of Holtmann’s circle of trust during the first half of the season. His playing time and his performances were sporadic.
And then on Valentine’s Day — not even 12 hours after losing to Wisconsin, Ohio State’s sixth loss in a stretch of seven games — Holtmann was fired by former athletic director Gene Smith. Jake Diebler was installed as interim head coach, and he made it clear that he planned on playing a long bench as well rotating guys in and out frequently.
Diebler expressed in February that Ohio State’s depth was a strength of the team, and rotating players in and out would help maximize their performance when they were in the game. Basically, he was asking each player to exhaust themselves and empty the tank, knowing that as soon as they needed it, they would get a breather.
The player that benefited most from this philosophical shift may have been Royal. His minutes immediately shot up. After playing double-digit minutes in just eight of the first 25 games, he played 13 or more minutes in 10 of the final 11.
After averaging three points per game under Holtmann, Royal finished the season by averaging 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game over the final nine. That included a 14-point, two-rebound, two-steal performance against Michigan State on February 25, in a game Ohio State won 60-57 on a buzzer-beater by Dale Bonner. However, that shot to win the game may not have happened if Royal, a freshman at the time, wasn’t able to inbound the ball from the opposite end of the court with six seconds left.
Royal was able to find Bruce Thornton just before his five seconds were up. Thornton then advanced the ball down the floor to Bonner, who knocked down the game-winner over top of former MSU guard Tyson Walker.
“I was like oh my God, nobody is open, right?” Royal recalled at Ohio State’s media day last week.
“So I’m just looking at Bruce and I’m like ‘Bruce, get open. Get open!’ And I’ll be honest, I laid it to him and I was just so happy he got it. And then seeing Dale hit that shot I was just like, ‘Great play, great play.’”
Royal led Ohio State in scoring for the first time that day on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting. He didn’t attempt a three — instead, he found cushy spots near the elbow and repeatedly knocked down smooth mid-range jumpers to keep Ohio State, which trailed by 10 at halftime, in the game.
He followed that up with a 13-point, five-rebound performance in a win against Nebraska four days later, and finished his freshman season averaging 4.7 points per game. All in all, Royal saw his minutes, opportunities, and production spike once Diebler took over. He went from averaging 3.2 points per game under Holtmann to 7.6 under Diebler. He averaged just under nine minutes per game playing for Holtmann but played 16.5 minutes per game for Diebler.
His defense, shot selection, and poise got better as the season went on, but there was no magic switch or button that was pressed when Holtmann was fired. For all intents and purposes, Royal was the same player in early March he was a month prior. The major difference was his confidence, which grew as he was given more opportunities.
“I feel like at the beginning of the year my confidence kind of went down a little bit, but Diebs definitely helped me get it back up by just letting me go out there and play, and not putting me on a string where like, if I do one thing wrong I come straight out,” he said last week.
“Like, (he’s) just letting me play and get better.”
Royal said he appreciates the way that Diebler lays down non-negotiables for his players, and is clear about what those non-negotiables are. The biggest thing Diebler demands — no questions asked — is effort. The first-year coach isn’t asking for perfection from anyone — including Royal — but nobody is taking a play off, and nobody is walking.
“I love that,” Royal said on media day. “Because I’m gonna give effort all the time. So you know, being able to mess up one time but if I’m giving a full effort, I’m not just going to get taken out for that. And then coming back next play and (I’ll) do it right that time, giving me the chance to do it right that next time.”
With his new head coach in his corner and his eyes on the prize rather than looking over his shoulder, Royal has been picked by several national and Big Ten media members to be a breakout player for the Buckeyes this season.
Former Purdue guard and current Big Ten studio analyst Rapheal Davis thinks Royal is going to have a breakout season. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, within his Big Ten Offseason Breakdown article, has listed Royal as one of 10 “Breakout Players.”
Will Royal blossom into a First-Team All-Big Ten player this season? Probably not, but never say never. There are times when the sophomore gives pointless fouls, and conditioning in Diebler’s new up-tempo offense is a work in progress for everyone, including Royal. There was also a time this summer when Diebler said that Royal was “starting to get away from what made him great” last season, as he tried to implement some more perimeter offense to his game.
Diebler wants Royal to shoot more three-pointers this year, but that cannot come at the expense of being the best offensive rebounder on the floor. Threes can’t take the place of consistently being in the right place at the right time or knowing when to step in and take that little eight-foot jumper that he’s perfected. All of those things have to remain. The shooting will hopefully be a new tool added to the toolbox, but it cannot replace what’s already there.
If he can bottle that production from the final third of last season over more minutes and add a little bit of shooting, then Davis, Rothstein, and Diebler might be on to something here with this sophomore version of Devin Royal.
Continue reading...
LGHL Stock Market Report: Mistakes plague Buckeyes in loss to Oregon
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Stock Market Report: Mistakes plague Buckeyes in loss to Oregon
justingolba 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 via Imagn Images
Ohio State gets called for a season-high eight penalties and loses to Oregon by one point.
The game that everyone anticipated all season has come and gone, and the No. 2 Buckeyes fell to the No. 3 Oregon Ducks 32-31 in Eugene.
The Buckeyes lost, and that is never fun. There are still things to be positive about and, of course, some criticism to dish out.
Here is who and what we are high and low on heading into the bye week...
Uniform matchup
I love a good uniform matchup. Plus, Ohio State lost this game, so it is hard to find the true silver linings. Ohio State brought back the all-whites for this one and Oregon had the all-black. With the game being played on the West Coast, it went from light to dark and made the uniforms pop even more.
It isn’t important, but it still looked cool.
12-team playoff
Ohio State lost a game, but every single goal they have is still right in front of them. That is a new feeling and a good feeling. With the 12-team playoff and no divisions, Ohio State can still win the conference, beat Michigan, make the playoff and win a national championship.
They need to clean some things up on the field, no doubt, but realistically, every goal the Buckeyes have is still attainable, and that is a good feeling.
Will Howard
I understand people who are out on Howard, and they are mad that he slid down a second too late. However, overall Will Howard showed that he can lead this team.
He was 28-for-35 for 326 yards and three total touchdowns. He made the right decisions and made almost every throw throughout the game. It can be true that he made a bad decision at the end of the game, but he played great in general and proved he could play at a high level in the biggest games.
Defense
Howard and Ryan Day will take the brunt of the criticism for the loss, and there is plenty to go around, but the defense simply did not step up in this one. They had a chance to get one stop at the end of the game and win it, and they didn’t. In fact, in their last five games against ranked teams, they haven’t forced a punt in the fourth quarter. At all.
This isn’t good or championship-level. Something has to change with that unit.
Buy: The running game
The running game was nonexistent in the second half of this game. They ran 12 times for 19 yards. Josh Simmons was hurt in the second quarter, and that likely affected the game plan moving forward. However, the Buckeyes will need the running game to show up as we move forward this season.
Chip Kelly is still calling plays, and TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are still incredibly talented. I don’t have concerns moving forward.
Buy: Denzel Burke moving forward
I am going to die on this hill, and I accept that. I still think Denzel Burke can be a CB1 for the Buckeyes. He had the worst possible game that he could have, but he has bounced back before, and I think he will do it again.
This surely won’t look like a horrible take come January, right?
Sell: Injuries
One of the things Ohio State had going for them was a clean injury report coming into this game. Now, they are without Simmons for (likely) the rest of the season, and Tegra Tshobola is banged up. Also, Jordan Burch did not play for Oregon.
Injuries suck. You always want to see players healthy, no matter who they are.
Sell: Losing big games
Ryan Day is 2-6 against top five teams in his career. I do think all of those things need context, and a lot of bad luck has been involved, but the record is the record — and it isn’t good.
Penn State will very likely be in the top-five in three weeks when they play Ohio State, so he will have a chance to go to 3-6. For now, it looks bleak for the Buckeyes when the talent is level.
Continue reading...
justingolba 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 via Imagn Images
Ohio State gets called for a season-high eight penalties and loses to Oregon by one point.
The game that everyone anticipated all season has come and gone, and the No. 2 Buckeyes fell to the No. 3 Oregon Ducks 32-31 in Eugene.
The Buckeyes lost, and that is never fun. There are still things to be positive about and, of course, some criticism to dish out.
Here is who and what we are high and low on heading into the bye week...
Blue Chip
Uniform matchup
I love a good uniform matchup. Plus, Ohio State lost this game, so it is hard to find the true silver linings. Ohio State brought back the all-whites for this one and Oregon had the all-black. With the game being played on the West Coast, it went from light to dark and made the uniforms pop even more.
It isn’t important, but it still looked cool.
Solid Investments
12-team playoff
Ohio State lost a game, but every single goal they have is still right in front of them. That is a new feeling and a good feeling. With the 12-team playoff and no divisions, Ohio State can still win the conference, beat Michigan, make the playoff and win a national championship.
They need to clean some things up on the field, no doubt, but realistically, every goal the Buckeyes have is still attainable, and that is a good feeling.
Will Howard
I understand people who are out on Howard, and they are mad that he slid down a second too late. However, overall Will Howard showed that he can lead this team.
He was 28-for-35 for 326 yards and three total touchdowns. He made the right decisions and made almost every throw throughout the game. It can be true that he made a bad decision at the end of the game, but he played great in general and proved he could play at a high level in the biggest games.
Junk Bond
Defense
Howard and Ryan Day will take the brunt of the criticism for the loss, and there is plenty to go around, but the defense simply did not step up in this one. They had a chance to get one stop at the end of the game and win it, and they didn’t. In fact, in their last five games against ranked teams, they haven’t forced a punt in the fourth quarter. At all.
This isn’t good or championship-level. Something has to change with that unit.
Buy/Sell
Buy: The running game
The running game was nonexistent in the second half of this game. They ran 12 times for 19 yards. Josh Simmons was hurt in the second quarter, and that likely affected the game plan moving forward. However, the Buckeyes will need the running game to show up as we move forward this season.
Chip Kelly is still calling plays, and TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are still incredibly talented. I don’t have concerns moving forward.
Buy: Denzel Burke moving forward
I am going to die on this hill, and I accept that. I still think Denzel Burke can be a CB1 for the Buckeyes. He had the worst possible game that he could have, but he has bounced back before, and I think he will do it again.
This surely won’t look like a horrible take come January, right?
Sell: Injuries
One of the things Ohio State had going for them was a clean injury report coming into this game. Now, they are without Simmons for (likely) the rest of the season, and Tegra Tshobola is banged up. Also, Jordan Burch did not play for Oregon.
Injuries suck. You always want to see players healthy, no matter who they are.
Sell: Losing big games
Ryan Day is 2-6 against top five teams in his career. I do think all of those things need context, and a lot of bad luck has been involved, but the record is the record — and it isn’t good.
Penn State will very likely be in the top-five in three weeks when they play Ohio State, so he will have a chance to go to 3-6. For now, it looks bleak for the Buckeyes when the talent is level.
Continue reading...
LGHL How did the Oregon loss impact your feelings about the Buckeyes’ potential?
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How did the Oregon loss impact your feelings about the Buckeyes’ potential?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
It’s now been almost three and a half days since Ohio State’s disappointing and temporarily demoralizing loss to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. While the bye week might allow the team to regroup a bit before the second half of the season gets underway, having extra time to stew in our frustration might not be the best situation for Buckeye Nation.
So, in an effort to put a bow on OSU’s first defeat of the season and looking forward to an even brighter rest of the 2024 regular season, this week’s fan survey takes the temperature of the fandom coming out of the 32-31 loss and turns an eye toward what players you expect to shine from now through The Game.
So, take a look at this week’s three-question survey and make sure to vote at the bottom of the article. If the selectable answers don’t lineup with what you are thinking, feel free to write in another answer in the comments at the bottom of the page. We will share the results of the survey later this week.
Hopefully, by now, you have gone through at least four or five of the stages of grief following the loss in Eugene on Saturday night. So, now that the emotions have mostly leveled out, where have you landed? I think this is one where it would make a lot of sense to have conflicting emotions. From a logical perspective, we all know that it is highly unlikely that the Buckeyes will not make the 12-team college football playoff, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be frustrated by the repeated big game failures.
However, given all of the mishegoss that happened in that game — a weird on-side kick, a bad offensive pass-interference call, the exploitation of the 12-men on the field rule — I don’t think that there is anything wrong in thinking that the Buckeyes could have (and maybe would have) won that game on a neutral site in almost any other circumstance.
So, now that the game is behind us, what are your feelings for the Buckeyes moving forward? Has it changed what you think that they are capable of in terms of this year’s postseason? Let us know.
Will Jeremiah Smith hit a true-freshman wall, or will he only get better with half a season under his belt? Will TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins take control of the running back rotation, or will they continue to share carries? If Will Kacmarek seemingly out for a while, will Gee Scott Jr. build on his Oregon game production and become a bigger part of the offense?
Lots of questions remain on the offensive side of the ball, so who do you think has the best second half of the season? It doesn’t need to be a breakout, obviously, since so many of the guys listed have had very strong first halves, but looking forward from Nebraska through Michigan, who do you think shines as we head into the postseason?
The first half of the 2024 campaign might not have been quite as shiny on defense as it was on offense, so that just means that the answer to this question is a bit more wide-open. Will Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson figure out what’s slowing down the defensive line to see J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer finally start wracking up the sacks? Or will Tyleik Williams continue to be the only defensive lineman blowing things up?
Will Sonny Styles find his stride now that he has six games as a linebacker to look back on? Will Denzel Burke rebound from a horrendously poor performance against the Ducks and return to his All-American level? Will Caleb Downs continue to come on as a bigger part of the Buckeye defense? Or will someone else step up given increased opportunities in the back half of the season? What do you think?
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
It’s now been almost three and a half days since Ohio State’s disappointing and temporarily demoralizing loss to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. While the bye week might allow the team to regroup a bit before the second half of the season gets underway, having extra time to stew in our frustration might not be the best situation for Buckeye Nation.
So, in an effort to put a bow on OSU’s first defeat of the season and looking forward to an even brighter rest of the 2024 regular season, this week’s fan survey takes the temperature of the fandom coming out of the 32-31 loss and turns an eye toward what players you expect to shine from now through The Game.
So, take a look at this week’s three-question survey and make sure to vote at the bottom of the article. If the selectable answers don’t lineup with what you are thinking, feel free to write in another answer in the comments at the bottom of the page. We will share the results of the survey later this week.
Question 1: What is your general feeling about the season following Ohio State’s 32-31 loss to Oregon?
Hopefully, by now, you have gone through at least four or five of the stages of grief following the loss in Eugene on Saturday night. So, now that the emotions have mostly leveled out, where have you landed? I think this is one where it would make a lot of sense to have conflicting emotions. From a logical perspective, we all know that it is highly unlikely that the Buckeyes will not make the 12-team college football playoff, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be frustrated by the repeated big game failures.
However, given all of the mishegoss that happened in that game — a weird on-side kick, a bad offensive pass-interference call, the exploitation of the 12-men on the field rule — I don’t think that there is anything wrong in thinking that the Buckeyes could have (and maybe would have) won that game on a neutral site in almost any other circumstance.
So, now that the game is behind us, what are your feelings for the Buckeyes moving forward? Has it changed what you think that they are capable of in terms of this year’s postseason? Let us know.
Question 2: Which offensive Buckeye will have the biggest second half of the season?
Will Jeremiah Smith hit a true-freshman wall, or will he only get better with half a season under his belt? Will TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins take control of the running back rotation, or will they continue to share carries? If Will Kacmarek seemingly out for a while, will Gee Scott Jr. build on his Oregon game production and become a bigger part of the offense?
Lots of questions remain on the offensive side of the ball, so who do you think has the best second half of the season? It doesn’t need to be a breakout, obviously, since so many of the guys listed have had very strong first halves, but looking forward from Nebraska through Michigan, who do you think shines as we head into the postseason?
Question 3: Which offensive Buckeye will have the biggest second half of the season?
The first half of the 2024 campaign might not have been quite as shiny on defense as it was on offense, so that just means that the answer to this question is a bit more wide-open. Will Jim Knowles and Larry Johnson figure out what’s slowing down the defensive line to see J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer finally start wracking up the sacks? Or will Tyleik Williams continue to be the only defensive lineman blowing things up?
Will Sonny Styles find his stride now that he has six games as a linebacker to look back on? Will Denzel Burke rebound from a horrendously poor performance against the Ducks and return to his All-American level? Will Caleb Downs continue to come on as a bigger part of the Buckeye defense? Or will someone else step up given increased opportunities in the back half of the season? What do you think?
Share your thoughts here:
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land: Overreactions, surprises, and disappointments halfway into the season
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Hangout in the Holy Land: Overreactions, surprises, and disappointments halfway into the season
justingolba 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 via Imagn Images
As we approach the bye week, we give some overreactions and things that have surprised and disappointed us so far this season
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Even though it is a bye week, we are still back for another mid-week Hangout in the Holy Land and talking some Ohio State football.
Since there is nothing to preview, this is not a preview episode. Instead, we are taking a look at some of the surprises and disappointments halfway through the season and through the final bye week. Who has been a pleasant surprise? And who needs to step it up as the back half of the season starts?
We also discuss our overreactions to the loss and whether they are reasonable or just bad thoughts. To close, we preview this week’s national slate.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba 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 via Imagn Images
As we approach the bye week, we give some overreactions and things that have surprised and disappointed us so far this season
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
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Even though it is a bye week, we are still back for another mid-week Hangout in the Holy Land and talking some Ohio State football.
Since there is nothing to preview, this is not a preview episode. Instead, we are taking a look at some of the surprises and disappointments halfway through the season and through the final bye week. Who has been a pleasant surprise? And who needs to step it up as the back half of the season starts?
We also discuss our overreactions to the loss and whether they are reasonable or just bad thoughts. To close, we preview this week’s national slate.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL Lanning confirms Oregon took advantage of rule; NCAA looking to change it... can we move on now?
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Lanning confirms Oregon took advantage of rule; NCAA looking to change it... can we move on now?
Matt Tamanini 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 via Imagn Images
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!
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Pair of Buckeyes earn midseason All-American honors
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
NCAA reportedly considering rule correction after Oregon, Ohio State football game
Chris Hansen, Eugene Register-Guard
Oregon’s Lanning effectively confirms Ducks’ penalty vs Ohio State was intentional
Craig Meyer, USA Today Network
Quinshon Judkins talking to Golic Jr. to sell some Icy Hot:
How will Ohio State handle the loss of offensive tackle Josh Simmons?
Bill Landis, Dotting The Eyes
Three areas of concern for Buckeyes offense at halfway point of season
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Breaking Down Will Howard’s Performance in Ohio State’s Loss at Oregon
Josh Poloha, Eleven Warriors
B1G Thoughts: How should Ohio State fans feel about Ryan Day?
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State women’s basketball ranked No. 14 in preseason AP poll
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State Freshman Center Ivan Njegovan Recounts His Journey From a Croatian Small Town to Columbus: ”Out of Nowhere, Literally”
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Battle-tested Taylor Thierry up next for big role in Ohio State backcourt
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Coming off redshirt season, Kennedy Cambridge boosts Ohio State defense
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Media day extra: Ohio State men’s basketball team reveals their favorite NFL teams
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Women’s Tennis: Champion! Perry Leads Buckeyes at ITA Midwest Regionals
Ohio State Athletics
Well, I didn’t expect this:
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini 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 via Imagn Images
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Pair of Buckeyes earn midseason All-American honors
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
NCAA reportedly considering rule correction after Oregon, Ohio State football game
Chris Hansen, Eugene Register-Guard
Oregon’s Lanning effectively confirms Ducks’ penalty vs Ohio State was intentional
Craig Meyer, USA Today Network
Quinshon Judkins talking to Golic Jr. to sell some Icy Hot:
How will Ohio State handle the loss of offensive tackle Josh Simmons?
Bill Landis, Dotting The Eyes
Three areas of concern for Buckeyes offense at halfway point of season
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Breaking Down Will Howard’s Performance in Ohio State’s Loss at Oregon
Josh Poloha, Eleven Warriors
B1G Thoughts: How should Ohio State fans feel about Ryan Day?
Jordan Williams, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Ohio State women’s basketball ranked No. 14 in preseason AP poll
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State Freshman Center Ivan Njegovan Recounts His Journey From a Croatian Small Town to Columbus: ”Out of Nowhere, Literally”
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Battle-tested Taylor Thierry up next for big role in Ohio State backcourt
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Coming off redshirt season, Kennedy Cambridge boosts Ohio State defense
Thomas Costello, Land-Grant Holy Land
Media day extra: Ohio State men’s basketball team reveals their favorite NFL teams
Connor Lemons, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Women’s Tennis: Champion! Perry Leads Buckeyes at ITA Midwest Regionals
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Well, I didn’t expect this:
Continue reading...
