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LGHL Dimitrious Stanley’s Ohio State legacy worthy of respect
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Dimitrious Stanley’s Ohio State legacy worthy of respect
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
He wasn’t the flashiest receiver to ever don the scarlet and gray, but Stanley deserves Buckeye Nation’s respect.
A little-used bench option from 1993 to 1995, former OSU wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley broke out during the 1996 college football season that started just a few months after I donned cap and gown and walked for my degree in Ohio Stadium. I was at every home game in which Stanley played — in that same stadium.
So when news of Stanley’s passing at just 48 years old after a battle with prostate cancer for four years dropped three days ago, it shook me up a bit.
It occurred to me that many of our readers, and even some of our writers here at Land-Grant Holy Land, are too young to have seen him play, or at least too young to remember it. I figured that those of us who do remember him have an obligation to talk about what we remember from the man who wore No. 3 for the Buckeyes (for three seasons, anyway — he wore No. 86 his freshman season). After all, remembering people who are gone is the only form of immortality we’ve got at the moment.
A four-year letterwinner from 1993-96, Stanley could easily be lost amidst the names of great Buckeye wide receivers. He was only a starter during his senior season of 1996. He made the most of his time in the starting lineup for John Cooper’s Buckeyes that season, catching 43 passes for 829 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes in all three major categories.
Of those 43 catches, 10 receptions came in a monster performance against Wisconsin for a total of 199 receiving yards. The Buckeyes needed every play Stanley made that day, winning just 17-14 at home. Ohio State had beaten No. 4 Penn State by 31 points a week earlier and then struggled to score or to run the ball against the Badgers’ eight-man front. A sloppy OSU team turned the ball over repeatedly and had a kick blocked.
Still, Stanley scored the winning touchdown on a throw by Joe Germaine, keeping the Buckeyes on track for an eventual Rose Bowl berth.
Only four players have bested Stanley’s career high for yards in a game in that win over Wisconsin, and they are a who’s who of great OSU receivers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (twice), Terry Glenn, Santonio Holmes, Gary Williams, and David Boston.
Stanley capped his senior season in style, helping the Buckeyes snap a long Rose Bowl title drought. Two of his catches came on a second-half drive that gave his team a 14-10 lead. The second of those catches went 72 yards to the house.
The Buckeyes couldn’t hold the lead and fell behind late. But Germaine rallied the Buckeyes and converted a pair of third downs on the decisive drive by finding Stanley. Boston capped the winning drive with a five-yard touchdown reception. All Stanley did was pull two defenders with him on a slant route to free up Boston for the game-winning score.
The winning drive was one of the most dramatic game-winning possessions in school history. It snapped Ohio State’s four-game losing streak in the “Granddaddy of them All” and gave the Buckeyes their first Rose Bowl championship since 1974.
Entering the 2022 season, Stanley was still seventh on Ohio State’s career list for receiving yards per game, averaging 18. As previously mentioned, he didn’t play much his first three seasons, so his career totals are not much higher than his 1996 totals: 63 receptions for 1,136 yards and 13 touchdowns. By today’s standards, that’s somewhere between what a second and third receiver on a Ryan Day offense nets in one season.
Stanley then capped his OSU career with a selection to the 1997 Senior Bowl. After a cup of coffee in the Canadian Football League and arena football, Stanley’s football career was over. He may be more widely remembered for his work on local television in Columbus than as a player, but I’ll never forget what he did to get Ohio State that elusive Rose Bowl win.
While there are far bigger names on the long list of great Buckeye wideouts that leap more immediately to mind, Stanley deserves to be remembered, too.
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
He wasn’t the flashiest receiver to ever don the scarlet and gray, but Stanley deserves Buckeye Nation’s respect.
A little-used bench option from 1993 to 1995, former OSU wide receiver Dimitrious Stanley broke out during the 1996 college football season that started just a few months after I donned cap and gown and walked for my degree in Ohio Stadium. I was at every home game in which Stanley played — in that same stadium.
So when news of Stanley’s passing at just 48 years old after a battle with prostate cancer for four years dropped three days ago, it shook me up a bit.
It occurred to me that many of our readers, and even some of our writers here at Land-Grant Holy Land, are too young to have seen him play, or at least too young to remember it. I figured that those of us who do remember him have an obligation to talk about what we remember from the man who wore No. 3 for the Buckeyes (for three seasons, anyway — he wore No. 86 his freshman season). After all, remembering people who are gone is the only form of immortality we’ve got at the moment.
A four-year letterwinner from 1993-96, Stanley could easily be lost amidst the names of great Buckeye wide receivers. He was only a starter during his senior season of 1996. He made the most of his time in the starting lineup for John Cooper’s Buckeyes that season, catching 43 passes for 829 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes in all three major categories.
Of those 43 catches, 10 receptions came in a monster performance against Wisconsin for a total of 199 receiving yards. The Buckeyes needed every play Stanley made that day, winning just 17-14 at home. Ohio State had beaten No. 4 Penn State by 31 points a week earlier and then struggled to score or to run the ball against the Badgers’ eight-man front. A sloppy OSU team turned the ball over repeatedly and had a kick blocked.
Still, Stanley scored the winning touchdown on a throw by Joe Germaine, keeping the Buckeyes on track for an eventual Rose Bowl berth.
Only four players have bested Stanley’s career high for yards in a game in that win over Wisconsin, and they are a who’s who of great OSU receivers: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (twice), Terry Glenn, Santonio Holmes, Gary Williams, and David Boston.
Stanley capped his senior season in style, helping the Buckeyes snap a long Rose Bowl title drought. Two of his catches came on a second-half drive that gave his team a 14-10 lead. The second of those catches went 72 yards to the house.
The Buckeyes couldn’t hold the lead and fell behind late. But Germaine rallied the Buckeyes and converted a pair of third downs on the decisive drive by finding Stanley. Boston capped the winning drive with a five-yard touchdown reception. All Stanley did was pull two defenders with him on a slant route to free up Boston for the game-winning score.
The winning drive was one of the most dramatic game-winning possessions in school history. It snapped Ohio State’s four-game losing streak in the “Granddaddy of them All” and gave the Buckeyes their first Rose Bowl championship since 1974.
Entering the 2022 season, Stanley was still seventh on Ohio State’s career list for receiving yards per game, averaging 18. As previously mentioned, he didn’t play much his first three seasons, so his career totals are not much higher than his 1996 totals: 63 receptions for 1,136 yards and 13 touchdowns. By today’s standards, that’s somewhere between what a second and third receiver on a Ryan Day offense nets in one season.
Stanley then capped his OSU career with a selection to the 1997 Senior Bowl. After a cup of coffee in the Canadian Football League and arena football, Stanley’s football career was over. He may be more widely remembered for his work on local television in Columbus than as a player, but I’ll never forget what he did to get Ohio State that elusive Rose Bowl win.
While there are far bigger names on the long list of great Buckeye wideouts that leap more immediately to mind, Stanley deserves to be remembered, too.
Continue reading...
LGHL No. 13 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 2 Indiana: Game preview and prediction
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No. 13 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 2 Indiana: Game preview and prediction
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers meet for the final time in the regular season, with a lot on the line for the Scarlet & Gray.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team has had a tough go as of late. After a 19-0 start to the season, the Buckeyes have dropped four of six games. Part of that downfall was a defeat on Jan. 26 against the Indiana Hoosiers.
On Monday, Ohio State and Indiana return to the court in opposite positions. It’s now the Hoosiers coming in as the No. 2 side against the No. 13 Buckeyes. It’s not only another game between two top-15 Big Ten teams, but a chance for the Scarlet & Gray to get back to where they were before the last week of January sent the season in a different direction.
Although this edition of the game is at home for the Buckeyes, it’s arguably a more difficult matchup than almost three weeks ago. That’s because Ohio State faces an Indiana team who’s hitting their stride even better than they were in January.
Indiana is fresh off a program record conference play crowd witnessing IU take down the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes. On the court of Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers neutralized center Monika Czinano, forcing guard Caitlin Clark to try and win the game alone, unsuccessfully.
On the other side, the Buckeyes are 2-2 since their loss to the Hoosiers. Outside of lopsided wins over the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers, Ohio State lost to an unranked Purdue Boilermakers and continued struggles against top-10 ranked conference opponents.
Ohio State’s struggles culminated on Feb. 5 in a trip to College Park, Maryland. Against the No. 8 Terrapins, the Buckeyes lost by a season-high 34 point deficit. Never in the 40 minutes did the Scarlet & Gray look up to the challenge of guard Diamond Miller and the Terps. Now, it’s another game against center Mackenzie Holmes’ Hoosiers.
“She’s one of the best post players in the country,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “So, we certainly have our hands full.”
On Jan. 26, Holmes led all scorers with 26 points, although Ohio State did well to keep her out of a strong rebounding night. Even so, Holmes’ four rebounds were made up for through guards Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon’s 21 combined boards.
Holmes hurts the Buckeyes the way she has since she joined the Hoosiers: inside the paint. The Scarlet & Gray haven’t had an answer for Holmes since the start of last season and now Indiana’s gotten stronger around her, creating one of the most well-balanced teams in the country.
Indiana features point guard Grace Berger, who moved into the one-spot in her senior season this year. Berger leads IU with 5.6 assists per game, which would be the fifth-highest in the Big Ten if not for missing nine games of the season due to a knee injury.
Berger not only finds Holmes, who shoots strong inside the paint but can move throughout the arc and hit midrange jumpers, but a trio of offensive threats on the perimeter.
This summer, head coach Teri Moren added three players — two from the transfer market and one incoming freshman. They’re Parrish, an Oregon Ducks transfer, freshman Yarden Garzon and former Minnesota Golden Gopher Sara Scalia.
Garzon was especially dangerous in the matchup in Bloomington, Indiana. The Israeli National Team guard had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Garzon hit four threes and also had three steals, with two turning into fastbreak points. Those turnovers were crucial in Indiana’s win against a Buckeyes team who outscored Indiana for three quarters, but fell hard in the third quarter.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over six times in the third quarter, with Indiana 7-0 in fastbreak points and 13-0 in points off turnovers. Ohio State’s six points is the second lowest total they’ve scored in a quarter all season.
“Hopefully we can bottle what we did in those three quarters in Bloomington and apply it to Monday night’s game, is what I’m hoping,” said head coach Kevin McGuff.
However, Ohio State might not have the same people available to play those three strong quarters. A potential absence for Monday is forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakian suffered a high ankle sprain halfway through the first quarter of Wednesday’s win against Minnesota.
On Friday, Mikulášiková told the coaching staff she was good to go for Monday, but nothing’s official until after weekend practice and McGuff and the Buckeyes can see what she does on the court. Although, Mikulášiková didn’t affect the last game in Indiana as much as the team needed, scoring three points and grabbing four rebounds.
If the injury does keep Mikulášiková out, it’ll be up to transfer forward Eboni Walker. Walker played 25 minutes, scoring 12 points and dishing six assists. All a Buckeye career high from the former Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year honoree. When Ohio State was effective against Holmes on Jan. 26, it was when Walker was on the court. Walker had seven rebounds in the game, good for second best on the Scarlet & Gray in the defeat.
Another injury discussion is around guard Jacy Sheldon. Will she return? Against Maryland, Sheldon made her long awaited return after not playing since Nov. 30 due to a foot injury. Buckeye fans were surprised on Wednesday when Sheldon didn’t suit up for the game against Minnesota, but that was by design. On Saturday, coach McGuff gave more detail about why Sheldon didn’t play.
“She’s chomping at the bit to play,” said McGuff. “She’s still day to day because I’m watching her move and I’ll just be frank, I didn’t think she was moving like she normally does, when she’s healthy at Maryland, so I kind of took a step back and said ‘hey, I just want to make sure we’re doing the right thing here.’”
Fans and the Buckeyes all want Sheldon back at 100%, but McGuff is still worried more about making sure Sheldon doesn’t aggravate her injury, and still with the mindset that they get Sheldon ready for the stretch run. Although the end of the regular season is coming quickly, next Friday against the Maryland Terrapins.
A win for Ohio State against Indiana could still happen without Sheldon. The Minnesota win showed that the Buckeyes can hit shots, after a cold spell came as the winter months blew in. The more players like guard Rikki Harris and forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon hit their shots, the more space guard Taylor Mikesell will have to work with against the Hoosiers.
In the last outing, McMahon led the Buckeyes in scoring and made things especially difficult for Indiana in the first half. The freshman had 18 of her 21 points in the game in the first two periods, with the Hoosiers finally adjusting to her attacking style in the second half.
If McMahon gets started like that again, and her teammates hit shots, there’s no telling what could happen.
With the ability of Indiana, and how they’ve grown as a unit this season, it’s difficult to see a Buckeyes victory. Something going Ohio State’s way is that they don’t have to play in front of a crowd of over 10,000 who are against them, like the Buckeyes did in Bloomington.
However, Indiana is the better team on Monday. If Mikulášiková is out, Walker will play well against Holmes, with Thierry part of that coverage too. But Walker can’t play 40 minutes, and the lack of depth will be difficult for Ohio State to overcome.
The Buckeyes will shoot better than they did in the third quarter against Indiana in January, but it won’t be enough to overcome Indiana. It’ll be a closer game than last month, but the same result.
Date: Monday, Feb. 13, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Television: Big Ten Network
Stream: Fox Sports app with Big Ten Network subscription
From the Buckeyes’ sellout against the Iowa Hawkeyes to Indiana selling over 13,000 tickets for an upcoming rivalry game against Purdue, the popularity and growth of Big Ten women’s basketball can’t be ignored.
“It’s amazing what some of the conference schools are doing in terms of attendance,” said McGuff. “The league is as good as its ever been in terms of the depth so there are great games and great programs all around and I’m just really happy that people are out and supporting women’s basketball like that in the Big Ten.”
Ohio State is hoping for some of that on Monday, too. While there’s no word yet on attendance numbers, another sellout could help the Buckeyes against a tough opponent like Indiana.
This season, the Buckeyes’ attendance is on the rise, averaging 5,622 per game. That’s the highest it’s been in four seasons. With games against Indiana and Maryland at home to finish the home regular season, there’s a strong chance for it to rise even further.
Continue reading...
1ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Buckeyes and Hoosiers meet for the final time in the regular season, with a lot on the line for the Scarlet & Gray.
The Ohio State women’s basketball team has had a tough go as of late. After a 19-0 start to the season, the Buckeyes have dropped four of six games. Part of that downfall was a defeat on Jan. 26 against the Indiana Hoosiers.
On Monday, Ohio State and Indiana return to the court in opposite positions. It’s now the Hoosiers coming in as the No. 2 side against the No. 13 Buckeyes. It’s not only another game between two top-15 Big Ten teams, but a chance for the Scarlet & Gray to get back to where they were before the last week of January sent the season in a different direction.
Preview
Although this edition of the game is at home for the Buckeyes, it’s arguably a more difficult matchup than almost three weeks ago. That’s because Ohio State faces an Indiana team who’s hitting their stride even better than they were in January.
Indiana is fresh off a program record conference play crowd witnessing IU take down the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes. On the court of Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers neutralized center Monika Czinano, forcing guard Caitlin Clark to try and win the game alone, unsuccessfully.
On the other side, the Buckeyes are 2-2 since their loss to the Hoosiers. Outside of lopsided wins over the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers, Ohio State lost to an unranked Purdue Boilermakers and continued struggles against top-10 ranked conference opponents.
Ohio State’s struggles culminated on Feb. 5 in a trip to College Park, Maryland. Against the No. 8 Terrapins, the Buckeyes lost by a season-high 34 point deficit. Never in the 40 minutes did the Scarlet & Gray look up to the challenge of guard Diamond Miller and the Terps. Now, it’s another game against center Mackenzie Holmes’ Hoosiers.
“She’s one of the best post players in the country,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “So, we certainly have our hands full.”
On Jan. 26, Holmes led all scorers with 26 points, although Ohio State did well to keep her out of a strong rebounding night. Even so, Holmes’ four rebounds were made up for through guards Sydney Parrish and Yarden Garzon’s 21 combined boards.
Holmes hurts the Buckeyes the way she has since she joined the Hoosiers: inside the paint. The Scarlet & Gray haven’t had an answer for Holmes since the start of last season and now Indiana’s gotten stronger around her, creating one of the most well-balanced teams in the country.
Indiana features point guard Grace Berger, who moved into the one-spot in her senior season this year. Berger leads IU with 5.6 assists per game, which would be the fifth-highest in the Big Ten if not for missing nine games of the season due to a knee injury.
Berger not only finds Holmes, who shoots strong inside the paint but can move throughout the arc and hit midrange jumpers, but a trio of offensive threats on the perimeter.
This summer, head coach Teri Moren added three players — two from the transfer market and one incoming freshman. They’re Parrish, an Oregon Ducks transfer, freshman Yarden Garzon and former Minnesota Golden Gopher Sara Scalia.
Garzon was especially dangerous in the matchup in Bloomington, Indiana. The Israeli National Team guard had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Garzon hit four threes and also had three steals, with two turning into fastbreak points. Those turnovers were crucial in Indiana’s win against a Buckeyes team who outscored Indiana for three quarters, but fell hard in the third quarter.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over six times in the third quarter, with Indiana 7-0 in fastbreak points and 13-0 in points off turnovers. Ohio State’s six points is the second lowest total they’ve scored in a quarter all season.
“Hopefully we can bottle what we did in those three quarters in Bloomington and apply it to Monday night’s game, is what I’m hoping,” said head coach Kevin McGuff.
However, Ohio State might not have the same people available to play those three strong quarters. A potential absence for Monday is forward Rebeka Mikulášiková. The Slovakian suffered a high ankle sprain halfway through the first quarter of Wednesday’s win against Minnesota.
On Friday, Mikulášiková told the coaching staff she was good to go for Monday, but nothing’s official until after weekend practice and McGuff and the Buckeyes can see what she does on the court. Although, Mikulášiková didn’t affect the last game in Indiana as much as the team needed, scoring three points and grabbing four rebounds.
If the injury does keep Mikulášiková out, it’ll be up to transfer forward Eboni Walker. Walker played 25 minutes, scoring 12 points and dishing six assists. All a Buckeye career high from the former Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year honoree. When Ohio State was effective against Holmes on Jan. 26, it was when Walker was on the court. Walker had seven rebounds in the game, good for second best on the Scarlet & Gray in the defeat.
Another injury discussion is around guard Jacy Sheldon. Will she return? Against Maryland, Sheldon made her long awaited return after not playing since Nov. 30 due to a foot injury. Buckeye fans were surprised on Wednesday when Sheldon didn’t suit up for the game against Minnesota, but that was by design. On Saturday, coach McGuff gave more detail about why Sheldon didn’t play.
“She’s chomping at the bit to play,” said McGuff. “She’s still day to day because I’m watching her move and I’ll just be frank, I didn’t think she was moving like she normally does, when she’s healthy at Maryland, so I kind of took a step back and said ‘hey, I just want to make sure we’re doing the right thing here.’”
Fans and the Buckeyes all want Sheldon back at 100%, but McGuff is still worried more about making sure Sheldon doesn’t aggravate her injury, and still with the mindset that they get Sheldon ready for the stretch run. Although the end of the regular season is coming quickly, next Friday against the Maryland Terrapins.
A win for Ohio State against Indiana could still happen without Sheldon. The Minnesota win showed that the Buckeyes can hit shots, after a cold spell came as the winter months blew in. The more players like guard Rikki Harris and forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon hit their shots, the more space guard Taylor Mikesell will have to work with against the Hoosiers.
In the last outing, McMahon led the Buckeyes in scoring and made things especially difficult for Indiana in the first half. The freshman had 18 of her 21 points in the game in the first two periods, with the Hoosiers finally adjusting to her attacking style in the second half.
If McMahon gets started like that again, and her teammates hit shots, there’s no telling what could happen.
Projected Lineups
Lineup Notes
- Thierry is third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage at 64.9% and has scored double-figures in nine games in a row.
- McMahon leads the Buckeyes with 119 free throws this season, hitting 68.9% of her shots.
- Buckeyes 83.1 points per game is the second-highest in the conference.
Lineup Notes
- Holmes leads the conference in shooting percentage (69%) and second in points per game (22.1).
- Indiana has the best defense in the Big Ten, allowing 60.3 points per game.
- Berger had her best game of the season last week, against Iowa, with 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
Prediction
With the ability of Indiana, and how they’ve grown as a unit this season, it’s difficult to see a Buckeyes victory. Something going Ohio State’s way is that they don’t have to play in front of a crowd of over 10,000 who are against them, like the Buckeyes did in Bloomington.
However, Indiana is the better team on Monday. If Mikulášiková is out, Walker will play well against Holmes, with Thierry part of that coverage too. But Walker can’t play 40 minutes, and the lack of depth will be difficult for Ohio State to overcome.
The Buckeyes will shoot better than they did in the third quarter against Indiana in January, but it won’t be enough to overcome Indiana. It’ll be a closer game than last month, but the same result.
How to Watch
Date: Monday, Feb. 13, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Television: Big Ten Network
Stream: Fox Sports app with Big Ten Network subscription
LGHL Prediction: 78-72 Indiana Hoosiers
Big Growth in Big Ten
From the Buckeyes’ sellout against the Iowa Hawkeyes to Indiana selling over 13,000 tickets for an upcoming rivalry game against Purdue, the popularity and growth of Big Ten women’s basketball can’t be ignored.
“It’s amazing what some of the conference schools are doing in terms of attendance,” said McGuff. “The league is as good as its ever been in terms of the depth so there are great games and great programs all around and I’m just really happy that people are out and supporting women’s basketball like that in the Big Ten.”
Ohio State is hoping for some of that on Monday, too. While there’s no word yet on attendance numbers, another sellout could help the Buckeyes against a tough opponent like Indiana.
This season, the Buckeyes’ attendance is on the rise, averaging 5,622 per game. That’s the highest it’s been in four seasons. With games against Indiana and Maryland at home to finish the home regular season, there’s a strong chance for it to rise even further.
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LGHL LGHL Uncut Podcast: Izzo, Holtmann discuss Michigan State’s win, state of Ohio State program
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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Izzo, Holtmann discuss Michigan State’s win, state of Ohio State program
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
You can always count on Tom Izzo for some good quotes.
Throughout the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Following Ohio State’s lopsided, comical loss to Michigan State Sunday afternoon, we spoke to Tom Izzo, Chris Holtmann, and Bruce Thornton about that game and the state of Ohio State’s program in general.
Izzo spoke at length about Holtmann and the Ohio State program. He mentioned that “once you build the monster, you have to feed the monster” meaning that once you establish success at this level, you have to figure out how to sustain it. Izzo said Sunday’s game was a “rock fight” but that he had several players contribute in other ways than scoring.
Thornton talked about the losses piling up and was also asked about social media. He said there are a lot of “hate comments” thrown his way, but that he’s had to stay mature and just learn to ignore people on the internet.
Holtmann talked about how Izzo’s Spartans slowed the pace down quite a bit from when the two teams met last season, but that his offense was just all-around “rough.” He talked a bit about Brice Sensabaugh’s continued struggles and what he’d like to see from Roddy Gayle for the rest of the season.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
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
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
You can always count on Tom Izzo for some good quotes.
Throughout the season, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Following Ohio State’s lopsided, comical loss to Michigan State Sunday afternoon, we spoke to Tom Izzo, Chris Holtmann, and Bruce Thornton about that game and the state of Ohio State’s program in general.
Izzo spoke at length about Holtmann and the Ohio State program. He mentioned that “once you build the monster, you have to feed the monster” meaning that once you establish success at this level, you have to figure out how to sustain it. Izzo said Sunday’s game was a “rock fight” but that he had several players contribute in other ways than scoring.
Thornton talked about the losses piling up and was also asked about social media. He said there are a lot of “hate comments” thrown his way, but that he’s had to stay mature and just learn to ignore people on the internet.
Holtmann talked about how Izzo’s Spartans slowed the pace down quite a bit from when the two teams met last season, but that his offense was just all-around “rough.” He talked a bit about Brice Sensabaugh’s continued struggles and what he’d like to see from Roddy Gayle for the rest of the season.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
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LGHL We’ll talk about this later: Donna Kelce, dressing the part
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We’ll talk about this later: Donna Kelce, dressing the part
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Your dose of lighthearted takes from this week’s happenings.
Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games and events) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?
Donna Kelce’s gameday fit was on point for yesterday’s Super Bowl. From the split sweatshirt to the custom clear bag to the personalized sneakers, one for each son playing in the big game, the whole ensemble was everything we could have hoped for.
For Ohio State fans, the immediate and selfish feeling when seeing a pair of brothers playing in the Super Bowl might be one of what could have been. The pair were from Westlake, Ohio near Cleveland and attended Cincinnati. Might they have had starring roles had they played for a program a couple hours up the road? (Probably not, as Travis was a two-star recruit out of high school and Jason didn’t have a recruiting rating.)
However, the very next thought that should be popping in our brains is a repressed memory from the 2006 Fiesta Bowl game between Notre Dame and Ohio State when Laura Quinn (now Laura Hawk) wore a split jersey to support her brother, Brady Quinn, then-quarterback for the Fighting Irish, and boyfriend, AJ Hawk, linebacker for Ohio State.
Who wore it better? Our biases might lead us to Donna, since as Ohio State fans we don’t want to see fans splitting their loyalties away from the Buckeyes. Unbiased, though, Donna completed the look and her shoes were fresh.
It was also special to see that Donna was seated between Roger Goodell and Damar Hamlin in what was clearly the VIP section of State Farm Stadium, and another friendly reminder of the incredible inspiration Hamlin has been at the close of the NFL season.
And while we joke about it when we don’t necessarily care about the outcome, Donna probably really did just wish that both teams had fun yesterday.
Continue reading...
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Your dose of lighthearted takes from this week’s happenings.
Each week, we’ll break down something that happened during the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games and events) that we’ll be talking about for a while—you know, the silly sideline interactions, the awful announcing and the weird storylines that stick with us for years to come. We’ll also compare each of these happenings to memorable moments in pop culture, because who doesn’t love a good Office reference?
Donna Kelce’s gameday fit was on point for yesterday’s Super Bowl. From the split sweatshirt to the custom clear bag to the personalized sneakers, one for each son playing in the big game, the whole ensemble was everything we could have hoped for.
For Ohio State fans, the immediate and selfish feeling when seeing a pair of brothers playing in the Super Bowl might be one of what could have been. The pair were from Westlake, Ohio near Cleveland and attended Cincinnati. Might they have had starring roles had they played for a program a couple hours up the road? (Probably not, as Travis was a two-star recruit out of high school and Jason didn’t have a recruiting rating.)
However, the very next thought that should be popping in our brains is a repressed memory from the 2006 Fiesta Bowl game between Notre Dame and Ohio State when Laura Quinn (now Laura Hawk) wore a split jersey to support her brother, Brady Quinn, then-quarterback for the Fighting Irish, and boyfriend, AJ Hawk, linebacker for Ohio State.
Who wore it better? Our biases might lead us to Donna, since as Ohio State fans we don’t want to see fans splitting their loyalties away from the Buckeyes. Unbiased, though, Donna completed the look and her shoes were fresh.
It was also special to see that Donna was seated between Roger Goodell and Damar Hamlin in what was clearly the VIP section of State Farm Stadium, and another friendly reminder of the incredible inspiration Hamlin has been at the close of the NFL season.
And while we joke about it when we don’t necessarily care about the outcome, Donna probably really did just wish that both teams had fun yesterday.
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which former Ohio State player had the best Super Bowl performance?
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You’re Nuts: Which former Ohio State player had the best Super Bowl performance?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
When we look at historic Buckeye Super Bowl performances, the obvious choice here is Santonio Holmes. He’s the only Buckeye in history to win the Super Bowl MVP award, a title he earned in 2009 after he helped the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals with 9 catches for 131 yards and a game-winning touchdown in the final minute in Super Bowl XLIII.
Alternatively, we did say “Best Performance,” so I did toy with naming my kings Shaun Gayle (former Buckeye safety) and Mike Tomczak (former Buckeye quarterback). Because has there ever been a better football “performance” than the 1985 Chicago Bears’ “The Super Bowl Shuffle”? Methinks not (I’m a Bears fan. I’m biased on the subject. You already know this, so let’s move on).
The problem is, I don’t feel great about selecting my guys in the Shufflin’ Crew for “Best Performance,” given that they didn’t match that legendary dance with on-the-field greatness in the Super Bowl game itself. Tomczak was in his rookie season, and while he did play in the game on the kickoff unit, he was penalized for a face mask. Gayle, for his part, didn’t record a single tackle in Super Bowl XX (though he is pretty well-known and loved in Chicago in spite of it).
So instead of taking the easy out or the kind of lame left-field out, I present for your consideration: Eddie George.
You might have heard of him.
George – Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy-winning running back – was drafted in the first round by the Houston Oilers in 1996. He was the starting tailback from 1996-2003, never missing a start and moving with the team to Nashville when the Oilers became the Tennessee Titans.
This is where our story begins. It is now the year 2000. A month ago, we were worried the human race would be wiped off the planet because of Y2K (a concern I still don’t fully understand), and now we’re ready to celebrate our survival by watching the Tennessee Titans take on the St. Louis Rams at the Georgia Dome in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The Titans and the Rams had both gone 13-3 in the regular season, though the Titans needed a wild card berth to make the playoffs and the Rams were favored.
For both franchises, the playoffs were a welcome change of pace: The Rams hadn’t made the playoffs since 1989 – their first playoff berth since moving from Los Angeles to St. Louis, and the Titans were making their first since 1993, and their first since moving from Houston.
Here’s where George comes in. The game was a largely defensive battle for the first half, with both teams coming up empty on drives deep into their opponent’s territory. George took on his usual role as a steady force though, with some major plays for the Titans' offense. Over the course of the game, he ran for 95 yards in 28 plays.
In the second half, things really got going for George. Playing small ball, George was able to help the team drive down the field. His touchdowns on back-to-back drives cut the Rams’ lead to 16-13. They followed that with a field goal to tie the game, 16-16.
The Rams did ultimately tack on another touchdown, which brings us to one of the greatest ends of an NFL game in history.
In the final seconds of the game, the Titans ran an unbelievable play that used tight end Frank Wychek as a decoy to free up receiver Kevin Dyson. And it almost worked.
Except Rams linebacker Mike Jones caught on just in time, making the tackle with two seconds on the clock. The Titans had no timeouts and were unable to get another play off, falling just short of a last-second comeback. How short? Mere inches.
Final score: 23-16, Rams.
But while the end of this game went down in infamy, it needs to be noted that George brought his team back from what was previously considered an insurmountable deficit. The Rams’ 16-point lead was the largest deficit to be erased in a Super Bowl. It was the first time a deficit larger than 10 points was erased. It was the first time in Super Bowl history a team tied the game after being down double digits in the fourth quarter.
And that was thanks to George.
It’s easy to dole out recognition to players on the winning team. But George broke records, fought back, and held his team in the game until the final seconds, and though the Titans didn’t walk away with the victory, he also made it a helluva game to watch. And that, my friends, is a performance worth talking about.
I love Eddie George. He won the Heisman my freshman year of high school; I was at his Senior Tackle in The Horseshoe; I’ve interviewed him here at Land-Grant Holy Land; I proudly wear my Tennessee State hat as often as possible.
But, there’s no way to argue that any Buckeye had a better Super Bowl performance than Santonio Holmes. Fourteen years ago, the Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver caught the game-winning touchdown with just 35 seconds remaining to win the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl. That catch capped a nine-reception, 131-yard performance, earning him the honor of being the Super Bowl XLIII MVP. The Steelers took home the title in a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
While I am not a passionate NFL fan, it does still pain me a little bit to pick a Steeler even if he does have very strong Columbus roots. If I’m being honest, I would have preferred to go further back in history to pick my Super Bowl Buckeye hero, especially considering Holmes’ spotty legal history. I wish I could have picked Orlando Pace, Tom Matte, Matt Snell, or even Mike Vrabel, but how can I argue with Holmes? He’s the only Buckeye with a Super Bowl MVP trophy, he caught the game-winning score in dramatic fashion, and he put up some really impressive numbers.
So, my heart will always side with Eddie (Eddie, Eddie), but I’ve got to go with Santonio on this one.
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
Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Today’s Question: Which former Ohio State player had the best Super Bowl performance?
Jami’s Take: Eddie George in Super Bowl XLIII, 1997
When we look at historic Buckeye Super Bowl performances, the obvious choice here is Santonio Holmes. He’s the only Buckeye in history to win the Super Bowl MVP award, a title he earned in 2009 after he helped the Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals with 9 catches for 131 yards and a game-winning touchdown in the final minute in Super Bowl XLIII.
Alternatively, we did say “Best Performance,” so I did toy with naming my kings Shaun Gayle (former Buckeye safety) and Mike Tomczak (former Buckeye quarterback). Because has there ever been a better football “performance” than the 1985 Chicago Bears’ “The Super Bowl Shuffle”? Methinks not (I’m a Bears fan. I’m biased on the subject. You already know this, so let’s move on).
The problem is, I don’t feel great about selecting my guys in the Shufflin’ Crew for “Best Performance,” given that they didn’t match that legendary dance with on-the-field greatness in the Super Bowl game itself. Tomczak was in his rookie season, and while he did play in the game on the kickoff unit, he was penalized for a face mask. Gayle, for his part, didn’t record a single tackle in Super Bowl XX (though he is pretty well-known and loved in Chicago in spite of it).
So instead of taking the easy out or the kind of lame left-field out, I present for your consideration: Eddie George.
You might have heard of him.
George – Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy-winning running back – was drafted in the first round by the Houston Oilers in 1996. He was the starting tailback from 1996-2003, never missing a start and moving with the team to Nashville when the Oilers became the Tennessee Titans.
This is where our story begins. It is now the year 2000. A month ago, we were worried the human race would be wiped off the planet because of Y2K (a concern I still don’t fully understand), and now we’re ready to celebrate our survival by watching the Tennessee Titans take on the St. Louis Rams at the Georgia Dome in Super Bowl XXXIV.
The Titans and the Rams had both gone 13-3 in the regular season, though the Titans needed a wild card berth to make the playoffs and the Rams were favored.
For both franchises, the playoffs were a welcome change of pace: The Rams hadn’t made the playoffs since 1989 – their first playoff berth since moving from Los Angeles to St. Louis, and the Titans were making their first since 1993, and their first since moving from Houston.
Here’s where George comes in. The game was a largely defensive battle for the first half, with both teams coming up empty on drives deep into their opponent’s territory. George took on his usual role as a steady force though, with some major plays for the Titans' offense. Over the course of the game, he ran for 95 yards in 28 plays.
In the second half, things really got going for George. Playing small ball, George was able to help the team drive down the field. His touchdowns on back-to-back drives cut the Rams’ lead to 16-13. They followed that with a field goal to tie the game, 16-16.
The Rams did ultimately tack on another touchdown, which brings us to one of the greatest ends of an NFL game in history.
In the final seconds of the game, the Titans ran an unbelievable play that used tight end Frank Wychek as a decoy to free up receiver Kevin Dyson. And it almost worked.
Except Rams linebacker Mike Jones caught on just in time, making the tackle with two seconds on the clock. The Titans had no timeouts and were unable to get another play off, falling just short of a last-second comeback. How short? Mere inches.
Final score: 23-16, Rams.
But while the end of this game went down in infamy, it needs to be noted that George brought his team back from what was previously considered an insurmountable deficit. The Rams’ 16-point lead was the largest deficit to be erased in a Super Bowl. It was the first time a deficit larger than 10 points was erased. It was the first time in Super Bowl history a team tied the game after being down double digits in the fourth quarter.
And that was thanks to George.
It’s easy to dole out recognition to players on the winning team. But George broke records, fought back, and held his team in the game until the final seconds, and though the Titans didn’t walk away with the victory, he also made it a helluva game to watch. And that, my friends, is a performance worth talking about.
Matt’s Take: Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII, 2009
I love Eddie George. He won the Heisman my freshman year of high school; I was at his Senior Tackle in The Horseshoe; I’ve interviewed him here at Land-Grant Holy Land; I proudly wear my Tennessee State hat as often as possible.
But, there’s no way to argue that any Buckeye had a better Super Bowl performance than Santonio Holmes. Fourteen years ago, the Pittsburgh Steeler wide receiver caught the game-winning touchdown with just 35 seconds remaining to win the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl. That catch capped a nine-reception, 131-yard performance, earning him the honor of being the Super Bowl XLIII MVP. The Steelers took home the title in a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
While I am not a passionate NFL fan, it does still pain me a little bit to pick a Steeler even if he does have very strong Columbus roots. If I’m being honest, I would have preferred to go further back in history to pick my Super Bowl Buckeye hero, especially considering Holmes’ spotty legal history. I wish I could have picked Orlando Pace, Tom Matte, Matt Snell, or even Mike Vrabel, but how can I argue with Holmes? He’s the only Buckeye with a Super Bowl MVP trophy, he caught the game-winning score in dramatic fashion, and he put up some really impressive numbers.
So, my heart will always side with Eddie (Eddie, Eddie), but I’ve got to go with Santonio on this one.
Continue reading...
