-
Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
LGHL Ohio State opens as 24.5-point favorites over Michigan State
- News
- 0 Replies
Ohio State opens as 24.5-point favorites over Michigan State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes will open up Big Ten play in East Lansing.
Ohio State completed its non-conference schedule a perfect 3-0, outscoring its first three opponents this season by a combined score of 157-20. Things will start to ramp up for the Buckeyes now with the start of Big Ten play, with Ryan Day’s crew hitting the road for the first time next weekend for a night game against Michigan State in East Lansing.
Ohio State had little trouble navigating through a pair of MAC opponents and a Sun Belt foe, scoring at least 49 points in each of its first three games of the season. The Buckeyes’ defense had look impenetrable through the first two contests, but showed some cracks against Marshall, allowing their first two touchdowns of the year against the Herd — both in the first half.
The new Chip Kelly-led offense has gone off without a hitch to this point. Will Howard has gotten comfortable in scarlet and gray, completing just under 70% of his passes for almost 800 yards with six touchdowns to just one interception, also adding a pair of rushing touchdowns. The two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins at running back has been as advertised, with the duo combining to average over nine yards per carry with nine total TDs — five for Judkins and four for Henderson. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka have led the way through the air, both hauling in 14 receptions for 281 and 266 yards, respectively, with Smith tallying four TDs in his first three collegiate games.
Defensively, Ohio State had kept opposing offenses out of the end zone before the Thundering Herd came to town. The Buckeyes allowed a pair of touchdowns to Marshall, and gave up about as many total yards (264) as they had in their first two games combined (276). The real issue for the Silver Bullets was the defensive line, which had trouble generating pressure and also containing the quarterback run. After Ohio State had recorded eight sacks in its first two contests, the Buckeyes got home only once against the Herd. Jim Knowles’ group will have to figure out what went wrong quickly, as they face another capable runner at QB in Week 4.
Michigan State had gotten off to a 3-0 start this season, including its first Big Ten win of the season in a 27-24 victory over Maryland on a game-winning field goal, but suffered its first loss this weekend in a hotly contest 23-19 contest against Boston College. Overall, the Spartans have looked much improved under head coach Jonathon Smith, who is in his first year leading the program having spent the last six seasons at Oregon State.
Speaking of the Beavers, Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles followed Smith from Corvallis to East Lansing. The former top-60 national recruit has been a mixed bag to this point, throwing for nearly 900 yards and scoring seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) but also throwing seven interceptions. The Spartans deploy a two-man backfield like Ohio State, with Kay’Ron Adams and Nate Carter combining for 478 yards and two TDs on around five yards per carry. Nick Marsh, Montorie Foster and Jack Velling — another Oregon State transfer — have all eclipsed 150 yards through the air.
After several years of Michigan State owning one of the nation’s worst secondaries, this year’s defensive group is more than competent. That starts in the front seven, where linebackers Khris Bogle and Jordan Turner have been wreaking havoc with three sacks apiece and 11 combined tackles for loss. As a unit, the Spartans rank atop the Big Ten with 15 sacks and 32 tackles for loss, having also recorded four picks and forcing three fumbles. Cornerback Charles Brantley leads on the back end, picking off two passes and tallying a team-high four pass breakups.
This Michigan State team should be far more competitive than the past few years, with Ohio State having won each of the last eight meetings between the two schools and winning each of the last five by at least 24 points. The Spartans will likely look to attack the Buckeyes in a similar fashion that Marshall did, but with better athletes. Ohio State will have to come to town with a better showing from its front seven, especially along the defensive line, or they could find themselves in a shootout.
Still, the oddsmakers believe in the Buckeyes to figure it out, as they are more than a three-touchdown favorite on the road. Michigan State is a great first test for Ohio State as it enters Big Ten play, as the Spartans likely don’t have enough to sustain an upset over the course of a full game, but have more than enough to make things interesting and keep things within reach if the Buckeyes aren’t well prepared.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes will open up Big Ten play in East Lansing.
Ohio State completed its non-conference schedule a perfect 3-0, outscoring its first three opponents this season by a combined score of 157-20. Things will start to ramp up for the Buckeyes now with the start of Big Ten play, with Ryan Day’s crew hitting the road for the first time next weekend for a night game against Michigan State in East Lansing.
Betting Odds: Ohio State -24.5 | O/U 49.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
Ohio State had little trouble navigating through a pair of MAC opponents and a Sun Belt foe, scoring at least 49 points in each of its first three games of the season. The Buckeyes’ defense had look impenetrable through the first two contests, but showed some cracks against Marshall, allowing their first two touchdowns of the year against the Herd — both in the first half.
The new Chip Kelly-led offense has gone off without a hitch to this point. Will Howard has gotten comfortable in scarlet and gray, completing just under 70% of his passes for almost 800 yards with six touchdowns to just one interception, also adding a pair of rushing touchdowns. The two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins at running back has been as advertised, with the duo combining to average over nine yards per carry with nine total TDs — five for Judkins and four for Henderson. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka have led the way through the air, both hauling in 14 receptions for 281 and 266 yards, respectively, with Smith tallying four TDs in his first three collegiate games.
Defensively, Ohio State had kept opposing offenses out of the end zone before the Thundering Herd came to town. The Buckeyes allowed a pair of touchdowns to Marshall, and gave up about as many total yards (264) as they had in their first two games combined (276). The real issue for the Silver Bullets was the defensive line, which had trouble generating pressure and also containing the quarterback run. After Ohio State had recorded eight sacks in its first two contests, the Buckeyes got home only once against the Herd. Jim Knowles’ group will have to figure out what went wrong quickly, as they face another capable runner at QB in Week 4.
Michigan State had gotten off to a 3-0 start this season, including its first Big Ten win of the season in a 27-24 victory over Maryland on a game-winning field goal, but suffered its first loss this weekend in a hotly contest 23-19 contest against Boston College. Overall, the Spartans have looked much improved under head coach Jonathon Smith, who is in his first year leading the program having spent the last six seasons at Oregon State.
Speaking of the Beavers, Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles followed Smith from Corvallis to East Lansing. The former top-60 national recruit has been a mixed bag to this point, throwing for nearly 900 yards and scoring seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) but also throwing seven interceptions. The Spartans deploy a two-man backfield like Ohio State, with Kay’Ron Adams and Nate Carter combining for 478 yards and two TDs on around five yards per carry. Nick Marsh, Montorie Foster and Jack Velling — another Oregon State transfer — have all eclipsed 150 yards through the air.
After several years of Michigan State owning one of the nation’s worst secondaries, this year’s defensive group is more than competent. That starts in the front seven, where linebackers Khris Bogle and Jordan Turner have been wreaking havoc with three sacks apiece and 11 combined tackles for loss. As a unit, the Spartans rank atop the Big Ten with 15 sacks and 32 tackles for loss, having also recorded four picks and forcing three fumbles. Cornerback Charles Brantley leads on the back end, picking off two passes and tallying a team-high four pass breakups.
This Michigan State team should be far more competitive than the past few years, with Ohio State having won each of the last eight meetings between the two schools and winning each of the last five by at least 24 points. The Spartans will likely look to attack the Buckeyes in a similar fashion that Marshall did, but with better athletes. Ohio State will have to come to town with a better showing from its front seven, especially along the defensive line, or they could find themselves in a shootout.
Still, the oddsmakers believe in the Buckeyes to figure it out, as they are more than a three-touchdown favorite on the road. Michigan State is a great first test for Ohio State as it enters Big Ten play, as the Spartans likely don’t have enough to sustain an upset over the course of a full game, but have more than enough to make things interesting and keep things within reach if the Buckeyes aren’t well prepared.
Continue reading...
LGHL The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 49-14 win over Marshall
- News
- 0 Replies
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 49-14 win over Marshall
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Buckeyes looked great on offense, but not so much on defense...
Ohio State played a less-than-pretty first half, but ultimately ran away with a 49-14 win over Marshall to move to 3-0 on the season.
The Buckeyes’ offense showcased a balanced attack, passing for 289 yards and rushing for 280 yards, while putting on display a knack for the explosive play with four touchdowns of 40 yards or more. Defensively Ohio State has things to be worked on, but the Silver Bullets pitched a shutout in the second half after allowing their first two touchdowns of the season in the first.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Marshall.
The Running Backs
Coming into the season we expected Ohio State’s running back tandem to be elite, but I don't know if we quite thought it would be this good this early. Chip Kelly’s offense has added a ton of diversity to the Buckeyes’ run game, and both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have executed the new scheme near-flawlessly.
That was on full display on Saturday, as Ohio State ran the ball 31 times for 280 yards and five touchdowns against Marshall.
Henderson and Judkins combined for 249 of those yards on only 20 carries — a casual 12.45 yards per carry. Henderson totaled six carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns, while Judkins ran the ball 14 times for 173 yards and two scores. Both backs scored on long TD runs as well, with Henderson ripping off a 40-yard TD and Judkins an 86-yarder. Ohio State even debuted a T-formation with both running backs on the field together, which ironically resulted in a rushing touchdown for Will Howard on the goal line.
Healthy Emeka Egbuka
With all the hype surrounding five-star freshman Jeremiah Smith, who did have a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown against the Herd, some of the focus has come away from a guy like Emeka Egbuka. A former five-star in his own right and the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class, Egbuka didn’t get to have the campaign he wanted last season alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. thanks to some nagging injuries.
Now, the talented pass-catcher is back to his full form, and he is showing why he is still among the nation’s best.
Egbuka got Ohio State’s offense off to a fast start against Marshall, hauling in Will Howard’s first pass of the game and turning on the jets for a 68-yard touchdown — his first of the season. He finished as the Buckeyes’ receiving leader on the day, finishing the game with five catches for 117 yards and the score. It feels like Egbuka has been pretty quiet through three games, but he is actually neck-and-neck with Smith as Ohio State’s second-leading receiver with 266 yards on 14 receptions (compared to 14 receptions for 281 yards for Smith).
The Defensive Line
Ohio State’s defensive line just flat out did not play well on Saturday. The Buckeyes were without starting defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who had been the best player among the front four over the first two games, but that is not a good enough excuse against a Marshall team that has four newcomers on its offensive line from a year ago.
The Thundering Herd ran the ball pretty effectively, especially when quarterback Stone Earle was in the game. Marshall ran the ball 14 times for 59 yards in the first quarter, good for 4.2 yards per carry, and Ohio State had a tough time keeping contain on Earle — especially on third downs, where the Herd converted 6-of-11 times in the first half. When they weren’t running the ball, Marshall QB’s had far too much time to thrown, including on the late touchdown by Elijah Metcalf before halftime.
After recording eight sacks through the first two games of the season, Ohio State managed just one in this game. The pass rush was virtually non-existent for large stretches of the game, and the Buckeyes’ defense seemed unwilling to put extra guys in the box to help out despite Marshall’s reliance on the run game and quick slant passing game. The defensive front is going to play much better offensive lines than the Herd’s, so they will have to figure out what went wrong this time around.
Will Howard’s Interception
Howard recored his first — and to this point only — turnover of the season against Marshall on an attempted deep ball to Jeremiah Smith. It was an odd play, as Smith never looked like he thought the ball was coming his way and the pass itself was under thrown. Credit to defensive back Josh Moten for making a nice play on the ball and coming down with the interception, but that was definitely a pass that Howard wanted back.
All-in-all, it was a small blemish on Howard’s otherwise efficient day, finishing the game completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 275 yards and two TDs while also rushing for a score. If there is one knock on Howard’s game to this point it is that the deep ball has thus far alluded him, but with how easily Ohio State’s receivers have been turning short passes into long touchdowns, maybe the Buckeyes don't need to take all that many deep shots.
Special Teams
If you told me the Buckeyes had brought back Parker Fleming to coach the special teams in this one I certainly would have believed you. Pretty much every aspect of the special teams unit was awful on Saturday, from kicking and punting to returns.
The biggest story of the special teams’ afternoon was surprisingly kickoff trouble. Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding kicked the ball off out of bounds not once, not twice, but three times in a row, resulting in Marshall starting each of those drives at the 35-yard line. That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in a game one time, let alone three, and Fielding was summarily benched in favor of Austin Snyder the rest of the way, who managed to keep the ball in the field of play.
Ohio State also avoided near disaster on a lucky penalty against Marshall for an illegal formation when Brandon Inniss muffed a punt that the Herd had recovered before the play was called back. Inniss later got tripped up by the turf monster on a punt return that looked like it could have potentially gone for a touchdown.
For a unit that was under so much scrutiny the last few years and had so much emphasis on it this offseason, it was both a shocking and concerning day for the special teams.
Officiating
I don't know what was going on with the officiating crew in Columbus this weekend, but it looked as though it was their first time working a football game at any level.
On two separate occasions the group spent several minutes reviewing plays that were obviously called correctly on the field the first time, one being a fumble out of bounds by Marshall that was very obviously a fumble out of bounds by Marshall with no possible alternative and the other a catch by a Herd receiver that very clearly went out of bounds prior to making the catch, rendering the actual completion of the catch or not useless.
The made a handful of puzzling calls, including issuing a 15-yard penalty against Ryan Day for pointing out Marshall’s slow substations — I don't know I've ever seen a penalty levied against a coach prior to getting a sideline warning — as well as ejecting Caden Curry for targeting on a play where helmet-to-helmet contact was nothing more than incidental, much like Burke’s ejection a few weeks ago.
Even when they were making the correct call, the referees had trouble explaining the call on the mic to the crowd, either needing to cut the mic to confer with other officials or simply tripping over their own words and saying the wrong thing.
It didn’t have any impact on the game itself, but it definitely made it a harder watch than necessary. The whole crew was a complete disaster.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Buckeyes looked great on offense, but not so much on defense...
Ohio State played a less-than-pretty first half, but ultimately ran away with a 49-14 win over Marshall to move to 3-0 on the season.
The Buckeyes’ offense showcased a balanced attack, passing for 289 yards and rushing for 280 yards, while putting on display a knack for the explosive play with four touchdowns of 40 yards or more. Defensively Ohio State has things to be worked on, but the Silver Bullets pitched a shutout in the second half after allowing their first two touchdowns of the season in the first.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Marshall.
The Good
The Running Backs
Coming into the season we expected Ohio State’s running back tandem to be elite, but I don't know if we quite thought it would be this good this early. Chip Kelly’s offense has added a ton of diversity to the Buckeyes’ run game, and both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have executed the new scheme near-flawlessly.
That was on full display on Saturday, as Ohio State ran the ball 31 times for 280 yards and five touchdowns against Marshall.
Henderson and Judkins combined for 249 of those yards on only 20 carries — a casual 12.45 yards per carry. Henderson totaled six carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns, while Judkins ran the ball 14 times for 173 yards and two scores. Both backs scored on long TD runs as well, with Henderson ripping off a 40-yard TD and Judkins an 86-yarder. Ohio State even debuted a T-formation with both running backs on the field together, which ironically resulted in a rushing touchdown for Will Howard on the goal line.
Healthy Emeka Egbuka
With all the hype surrounding five-star freshman Jeremiah Smith, who did have a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown against the Herd, some of the focus has come away from a guy like Emeka Egbuka. A former five-star in his own right and the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2021 recruiting class, Egbuka didn’t get to have the campaign he wanted last season alongside Marvin Harrison Jr. thanks to some nagging injuries.
Now, the talented pass-catcher is back to his full form, and he is showing why he is still among the nation’s best.
Egbuka got Ohio State’s offense off to a fast start against Marshall, hauling in Will Howard’s first pass of the game and turning on the jets for a 68-yard touchdown — his first of the season. He finished as the Buckeyes’ receiving leader on the day, finishing the game with five catches for 117 yards and the score. It feels like Egbuka has been pretty quiet through three games, but he is actually neck-and-neck with Smith as Ohio State’s second-leading receiver with 266 yards on 14 receptions (compared to 14 receptions for 281 yards for Smith).
The Bad
The Defensive Line
Ohio State’s defensive line just flat out did not play well on Saturday. The Buckeyes were without starting defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who had been the best player among the front four over the first two games, but that is not a good enough excuse against a Marshall team that has four newcomers on its offensive line from a year ago.
The Thundering Herd ran the ball pretty effectively, especially when quarterback Stone Earle was in the game. Marshall ran the ball 14 times for 59 yards in the first quarter, good for 4.2 yards per carry, and Ohio State had a tough time keeping contain on Earle — especially on third downs, where the Herd converted 6-of-11 times in the first half. When they weren’t running the ball, Marshall QB’s had far too much time to thrown, including on the late touchdown by Elijah Metcalf before halftime.
After recording eight sacks through the first two games of the season, Ohio State managed just one in this game. The pass rush was virtually non-existent for large stretches of the game, and the Buckeyes’ defense seemed unwilling to put extra guys in the box to help out despite Marshall’s reliance on the run game and quick slant passing game. The defensive front is going to play much better offensive lines than the Herd’s, so they will have to figure out what went wrong this time around.
Will Howard’s Interception
Howard recored his first — and to this point only — turnover of the season against Marshall on an attempted deep ball to Jeremiah Smith. It was an odd play, as Smith never looked like he thought the ball was coming his way and the pass itself was under thrown. Credit to defensive back Josh Moten for making a nice play on the ball and coming down with the interception, but that was definitely a pass that Howard wanted back.
All-in-all, it was a small blemish on Howard’s otherwise efficient day, finishing the game completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for 275 yards and two TDs while also rushing for a score. If there is one knock on Howard’s game to this point it is that the deep ball has thus far alluded him, but with how easily Ohio State’s receivers have been turning short passes into long touchdowns, maybe the Buckeyes don't need to take all that many deep shots.
The Ugly
Special Teams
If you told me the Buckeyes had brought back Parker Fleming to coach the special teams in this one I certainly would have believed you. Pretty much every aspect of the special teams unit was awful on Saturday, from kicking and punting to returns.
The biggest story of the special teams’ afternoon was surprisingly kickoff trouble. Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding kicked the ball off out of bounds not once, not twice, but three times in a row, resulting in Marshall starting each of those drives at the 35-yard line. That kind of thing shouldn’t happen in a game one time, let alone three, and Fielding was summarily benched in favor of Austin Snyder the rest of the way, who managed to keep the ball in the field of play.
Ohio State also avoided near disaster on a lucky penalty against Marshall for an illegal formation when Brandon Inniss muffed a punt that the Herd had recovered before the play was called back. Inniss later got tripped up by the turf monster on a punt return that looked like it could have potentially gone for a touchdown.
For a unit that was under so much scrutiny the last few years and had so much emphasis on it this offseason, it was both a shocking and concerning day for the special teams.
Officiating
I don't know what was going on with the officiating crew in Columbus this weekend, but it looked as though it was their first time working a football game at any level.
On two separate occasions the group spent several minutes reviewing plays that were obviously called correctly on the field the first time, one being a fumble out of bounds by Marshall that was very obviously a fumble out of bounds by Marshall with no possible alternative and the other a catch by a Herd receiver that very clearly went out of bounds prior to making the catch, rendering the actual completion of the catch or not useless.
The made a handful of puzzling calls, including issuing a 15-yard penalty against Ryan Day for pointing out Marshall’s slow substations — I don't know I've ever seen a penalty levied against a coach prior to getting a sideline warning — as well as ejecting Caden Curry for targeting on a play where helmet-to-helmet contact was nothing more than incidental, much like Burke’s ejection a few weeks ago.
Even when they were making the correct call, the referees had trouble explaining the call on the mic to the crowd, either needing to cut the mic to confer with other officials or simply tripping over their own words and saying the wrong thing.
It didn’t have any impact on the game itself, but it definitely made it a harder watch than necessary. The whole crew was a complete disaster.
Continue reading...
LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land: Ohio State beats Marshall, and now it’s time for conference play
- News
- 0 Replies
Hangout in the Holy Land: Ohio State beats Marshall, and now it’s time for conference play
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Before we move onto the Big Ten play, we recap the Marshall win and discuss whether people are overreacting or if the Buckeyes have legitimate concerns.
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
For our third postgame recap of the 2023-24 season, Josh and Justin are back to recap the Buckeyes’ 49-14 win over Marshall, marking the conclusion of non-conference play.
Even though Ohio State won by 35 points, fans did not walk away from this one feeling warm and fuzzy. Are the concerns valid, or are people overreacting to what ended up being an easy win? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between?
We break down the game on both sides of the ball and give our takes, positive and negative. Before that, we recapped the Big Ten and big wins by Illinois and Michigan.
Please like, rate, review, 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
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Before we move onto the Big Ten play, we recap the Marshall win and discuss whether people are overreacting or if the Buckeyes have legitimate concerns.
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
For our third postgame recap of the 2023-24 season, Josh and Justin are back to recap the Buckeyes’ 49-14 win over Marshall, marking the conclusion of non-conference play.
Even though Ohio State won by 35 points, fans did not walk away from this one feeling warm and fuzzy. Are the concerns valid, or are people overreacting to what ended up being an easy win? Or does the answer lie somewhere in between?
We break down the game on both sides of the ball and give our takes, positive and negative. Before that, we recapped the Big Ten and big wins by Illinois and Michigan.
Please like, rate, review, 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 All of the news, recaps, analysis from Ohio State’s 49-14 win over Marshall
- News
- 0 Replies
All of the news, recaps, analysis from Ohio State’s 49-14 win over Marshall
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/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
Football: Buckeyes Rush for Five Scores in 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Ohio State Athletics
Football: Postgame Notes vs. Marshall
Ohio State Athletics
Football: Postgame Quotes vs. Marshall
Ohio State Athletics
Buckeyes use quick-strike offense to pull away from Marshall
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Completes Non-Conference Slate with 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes’ big plays too much for Marshall in 49-14 rout
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Buckeyes reign in the Thundering Herd, defeat Marshall 49-14
Samuel Cipriani, The Lantern
Ohio State vs. Marshall Notebook: Jayden Fielding Benched for Kickoff Woes, Tyleik Williams’ Status “Day-to-Day” and Buckeyes Rotate at Right Guard
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
OSU’s Ryan Day makes change after ‘completely ridiculous’ mistake
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Says Tyleik Williams “Day-to-Day” for Ohio State, Quinshon Judkins Has “Great Attitude”
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s win over Marshall swung on a play that didn’t technically happen
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Snap Judgments: Room to grow for Buckeyes even in tuneup win over Marshall (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Offensive diversity: Things we learned from OSU’s win over Marshall
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Snap counts, PFF grades from Buckeyes win over Marshall (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Three Key Stats: Ohio State Has a Near 50/50 Passing and Rushing Attack and the Buckeyes Dominate Defensively in the Second Half of Win Over Marshall
Josh Poloha, Eleven Warriors
First thoughts: Buckeyes thump Marshall after slow start, sluggish defensive outing (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson Look Like Nation’s Best Running Back Tandem in Combined 249-Yard Effort Against Marshall
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Egbuka reminds everyone of importance to OSU offense against Marshall
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Quinshon Judkins, Buckeyes’ rushing attack help squash Marshall
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
Emeka Egbuka, Quinshon Judkins shine as Ohio State offense explodes (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting The Eyes
Quinshon Judkins stays cool, runs hot in OSU win over Marshall
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 49-14 win over Marshall
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Quick Takes: Ohio State gets big plays vs. Marshall; must keep improving
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Report Card: Grading Buckeyes Week 4 win over Marshall (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Buckeye Leaves: Ohio State offense scores fast, often against Thundering Herd (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Unreasonable Overreactions: Running QBs and special teams could hurt Ohio State, but Q and Trey will save them
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Wrapping up Ohio State’s win over Marshall with works from Billy Crystal
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
That’s why Brutus is THE best
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
Barbara J. Perenic/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
Recapping Ohio State’s 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Football: Buckeyes Rush for Five Scores in 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Ohio State Athletics
Football: Postgame Notes vs. Marshall
Ohio State Athletics
Football: Postgame Quotes vs. Marshall
Ohio State Athletics
Buckeyes use quick-strike offense to pull away from Marshall
Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State Completes Non-Conference Slate with 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Buckeyes’ big plays too much for Marshall in 49-14 rout
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
Buckeyes reign in the Thundering Herd, defeat Marshall 49-14
Samuel Cipriani, The Lantern
Ohio State vs. Marshall Notebook: Jayden Fielding Benched for Kickoff Woes, Tyleik Williams’ Status “Day-to-Day” and Buckeyes Rotate at Right Guard
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
OSU’s Ryan Day makes change after ‘completely ridiculous’ mistake
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Presser Bullets: Ryan Day Says Tyleik Williams “Day-to-Day” for Ohio State, Quinshon Judkins Has “Great Attitude”
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Analyzing Ohio State’s 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s win over Marshall swung on a play that didn’t technically happen
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Snap Judgments: Room to grow for Buckeyes even in tuneup win over Marshall (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Offensive diversity: Things we learned from OSU’s win over Marshall
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Snap counts, PFF grades from Buckeyes win over Marshall (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Three Key Stats: Ohio State Has a Near 50/50 Passing and Rushing Attack and the Buckeyes Dominate Defensively in the Second Half of Win Over Marshall
Josh Poloha, Eleven Warriors
First thoughts: Buckeyes thump Marshall after slow start, sluggish defensive outing (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Looking at the Performances of Ohio State’s 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson Look Like Nation’s Best Running Back Tandem in Combined 249-Yard Effort Against Marshall
Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Egbuka reminds everyone of importance to OSU offense against Marshall
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Quinshon Judkins, Buckeyes’ rushing attack help squash Marshall
Noah Weiskopf, The Lantern
Emeka Egbuka, Quinshon Judkins shine as Ohio State offense explodes (paywall)
Jeremy Birmingham, Dotting The Eyes
Quinshon Judkins stays cool, runs hot in OSU win over Marshall
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch
Breaking Down Ohio State’s 49-14 Win Over Marshall
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 49-14 win over Marshall
Gene Ross, Land-Grant Holy Land
Quick Takes: Ohio State gets big plays vs. Marshall; must keep improving
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Report Card: Grading Buckeyes Week 4 win over Marshall (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Buckeye Leaves: Ohio State offense scores fast, often against Thundering Herd (paywall)
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Unreasonable Overreactions: Running QBs and special teams could hurt Ohio State, but Q and Trey will save them
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Having Fun With Ohio State’s 49-14 Win Over Marshall
Wrapping up Ohio State’s win over Marshall with works from Billy Crystal
Brett Ludwiczak, Land-Grant Holy Land
That’s why Brutus is THE best
Continue reading...
LGHL Wrapping up Ohio State’s win over Marshall with works from Billy Crystal
- News
- 0 Replies
Wrapping up Ohio State’s win over Marshall with works from Billy Crystal
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The famous actor attended Marshall on a baseball scholarship, but the program was suspended when he was a freshman.
Following their first of two bye weeks this season, Ohio State was back on the field on Saturday, having little trouble closing out the non-conference portion of their regular season schedule with a 49-14 win over Marshall.
The performance by the Buckeyes was reminiscent of what we saw in the season opener against Akron, with Ohio State coming out of the gates a little rusty before quickly finding their rhythm and burying their overmatched opponent.
When looking at some of the famous alumni from Marshall, I was surprised to find out that Billy Crystal actually attended the university on a baseball scholarship. This is probably the first you are hearing of this as well since the baseball program was suspended during Crystal’s freshman year and he didn’t return to Huntington as a sophomore, instead deciding to return to New York City.
Since we recapped the Akron win with help from musicians from the city, and the Western Michigan win with episode titles from Home Improvement, we might as well keep the weirdness going when it comes to summaries by using works from Billy Crystal to describe what we saw at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
Even though Crystal only played a small uncredited role in this movie, it still shows up on his filmography, so we’ll use it to describe Ohio State’s Rocky and Bullwinkle: running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Following a rather quiet season debut for the combo against Akron, Henderson and Judkins have been dominant over the last two games.
After both running backs had two touchdowns against Western Michigan, they accomplished the feat again against Marshall. Henderson only carried the football six times, making the most of his carries by racking up 76 yards. Judkins had the best game of his short Ohio State career, finishing with 173 yards on 14 carries, highlighted by an 86-yard touchdown run. Had it not been for a holding call a couple weeks ago, Judkins would have touchdown runs of at least 70 yards in back-to-back games.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633452/2173564432.jpg "Marshall v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
What Judkins and Henderson did against the Thundering Herd goes so much beyond the stat sheet. The two running backs had some physical runs in the game, earning a good chunk of yardage after contact. Even more impressive is they are putting up these numbers without being used heavily. So far this season, Judkins has 36 carries and Henderson has 24 carries.
Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly know the Rocky and Bullwinkle of the Buckeye offense are going to be needed more as the season goes on, so they are using them enough to strike fear in future opponents but not so much to wear they’ll be worn out in November and beyond.
When it comes to Ohio State wide receivers so far this season, most of the attention has deservedly been paid to true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Against Marshall, Emeka Egbuka reminded people that he is still the leader of the receivers.
On Ohio State’s second offensive play of the game, Egbuka took a screen pass 68 yards to the house, scoring his first touchdown of the season. The senior from Washington finished with five receptions for 117 yards and a score.
With his effort today, Egbuka moved up to 12th in school history in career receptions and yardage. Egbuka entered the game three catches away from moving ahead of Ted Ginn Jr.’s 135 career receptions and less than 100 yards shy of moving past the 2,090 yards Dee Miller amassed as a Buckeye.
With six more receptions, Egbuka will move past Santonio Holmes, Parris Campbell, and Garrett Wilson for ninth-most in school history, To reach the top-10 in receiving yards, Egbuka needs just 130 receiving yards.
What makes Egbuka’s totals so impressive is he has done it rather quietly since becoming a Buckeye. There always has been a superstar overshadowing Egbuka. Earlier in his career, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison got the headlines when it came to Buckeye receivers, and now Jeremiah Smith is getting the same treatment. Overlook Egbuka all you want, but eventually he is going to make opponents pay for focusing their attention elsewhere.
On my way into work this morning I was listening to the Ohio State pregame show on the radio and was surprised to hear that Tyleik Williams wasn’t going to play against Marshall. I completely understand why he didn’t play, since Ryan Day can afford to let Williams rest up in a game like this ahead of the start of Big Ten play next week. It was obvious the defense wasn’t quite the same without the big defensive tackle on the field, though.
The Buckeye defense didn’t look quite as dominant without Williams in the lineup. On their first drive, Marshall went down the field and not only became the first team to run a play in the red zone against Ohio State this year, they also scored the first touchdown against the Buckeyes. Jim Knowles’ crew just wasn’t quite as crisp as we saw against Western Michigan, where they allowed less than 100 yards of offense.
At least it sounds like the injury to Williams is minor and he should be back out on the field as early as next week. Had this been a game against Oregon, Penn State, or Michigan, I would have to imagine Williams would have played. Keeping Williams healthy is going to be a key for the defense. While Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau will get more of the attention on the defensive line, it’s obvious Williams is the straw that stirs the drink.
I’m not exactly sure what Ryan Day is doing with quarterback Devin Brown. When Buckeye games turn into blowouts the rest of the season, I’d. much rather see Julian Sayin as the first quarterback off the bench to take over for Will Howard.
Not only do I think Sayin would give the Buckeyes a better chance to win if Howard is injured at some point this season, Sayin is also the quarterback of the future. Why are in-game snaps being wasted on Brown when it is obvious he has hit his ceiling in Columbus?
Brown has had two chances to win the quarterback job at Ohio State and both times he fell short. Even when he started the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, he didn’t look all that good before getting injured. Day not getting his backup quarterbacks enough snaps to prepare them for the future has been a problem in the past.
Even when Day has had the opportunity this year to get the backup some work, he is giving the wrong quarterback snaps. Brown has fought hard during his time as a Buckeye, but the smart move for him is to hit the transfer portal after this season since Sayin is the favorite to start for Ohio State in 2025.
Can we all acknowledge just how terrible the referees were in Saturday’s game? There were numerous frustrating calls that were made by the officials, thankfully it didn’t have a major impact on the game, the terrible calls were just annoying.
Some will argue the illegal formation that was called on Marshall where they recovered a muffed punt was a huge swing in the game, but it would have only delayed the inevitable when it came to the result. The targeting call on Caden Curry towards the end of the first half felt like about the only thing the officials got right in the game.
It just feels like there is so much bad officiating going on throughout college football so far this season. Apparently even when a call is painstakingly obvious there is still a need to review it, which makes games last even longer. What made this game last even longer is how slow the officiating crew in Saturday’s game took to make calls. Maybe they just loved having their little private conferences on the field before letting everybody know what the penalty was.
You would think with how hot it was on the field at Ohio Stadium during the game the officials would want to get out of there as soon as possible.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The famous actor attended Marshall on a baseball scholarship, but the program was suspended when he was a freshman.
Following their first of two bye weeks this season, Ohio State was back on the field on Saturday, having little trouble closing out the non-conference portion of their regular season schedule with a 49-14 win over Marshall.
The performance by the Buckeyes was reminiscent of what we saw in the season opener against Akron, with Ohio State coming out of the gates a little rusty before quickly finding their rhythm and burying their overmatched opponent.
When looking at some of the famous alumni from Marshall, I was surprised to find out that Billy Crystal actually attended the university on a baseball scholarship. This is probably the first you are hearing of this as well since the baseball program was suspended during Crystal’s freshman year and he didn’t return to Huntington as a sophomore, instead deciding to return to New York City.
Since we recapped the Akron win with help from musicians from the city, and the Western Michigan win with episode titles from Home Improvement, we might as well keep the weirdness going when it comes to summaries by using works from Billy Crystal to describe what we saw at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle
Even though Crystal only played a small uncredited role in this movie, it still shows up on his filmography, so we’ll use it to describe Ohio State’s Rocky and Bullwinkle: running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Following a rather quiet season debut for the combo against Akron, Henderson and Judkins have been dominant over the last two games.
After both running backs had two touchdowns against Western Michigan, they accomplished the feat again against Marshall. Henderson only carried the football six times, making the most of his carries by racking up 76 yards. Judkins had the best game of his short Ohio State career, finishing with 173 yards on 14 carries, highlighted by an 86-yard touchdown run. Had it not been for a holding call a couple weeks ago, Judkins would have touchdown runs of at least 70 yards in back-to-back games.
What Judkins and Henderson did against the Thundering Herd goes so much beyond the stat sheet. The two running backs had some physical runs in the game, earning a good chunk of yardage after contact. Even more impressive is they are putting up these numbers without being used heavily. So far this season, Judkins has 36 carries and Henderson has 24 carries.
Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly know the Rocky and Bullwinkle of the Buckeye offense are going to be needed more as the season goes on, so they are using them enough to strike fear in future opponents but not so much to wear they’ll be worn out in November and beyond.
I’m Still Here
When it comes to Ohio State wide receivers so far this season, most of the attention has deservedly been paid to true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Against Marshall, Emeka Egbuka reminded people that he is still the leader of the receivers.
On Ohio State’s second offensive play of the game, Egbuka took a screen pass 68 yards to the house, scoring his first touchdown of the season. The senior from Washington finished with five receptions for 117 yards and a score.
With his effort today, Egbuka moved up to 12th in school history in career receptions and yardage. Egbuka entered the game three catches away from moving ahead of Ted Ginn Jr.’s 135 career receptions and less than 100 yards shy of moving past the 2,090 yards Dee Miller amassed as a Buckeye.
With six more receptions, Egbuka will move past Santonio Holmes, Parris Campbell, and Garrett Wilson for ninth-most in school history, To reach the top-10 in receiving yards, Egbuka needs just 130 receiving yards.
What makes Egbuka’s totals so impressive is he has done it rather quietly since becoming a Buckeye. There always has been a superstar overshadowing Egbuka. Earlier in his career, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison got the headlines when it came to Buckeye receivers, and now Jeremiah Smith is getting the same treatment. Overlook Egbuka all you want, but eventually he is going to make opponents pay for focusing their attention elsewhere.
My Giant
On my way into work this morning I was listening to the Ohio State pregame show on the radio and was surprised to hear that Tyleik Williams wasn’t going to play against Marshall. I completely understand why he didn’t play, since Ryan Day can afford to let Williams rest up in a game like this ahead of the start of Big Ten play next week. It was obvious the defense wasn’t quite the same without the big defensive tackle on the field, though.
The Buckeye defense didn’t look quite as dominant without Williams in the lineup. On their first drive, Marshall went down the field and not only became the first team to run a play in the red zone against Ohio State this year, they also scored the first touchdown against the Buckeyes. Jim Knowles’ crew just wasn’t quite as crisp as we saw against Western Michigan, where they allowed less than 100 yards of offense.
At least it sounds like the injury to Williams is minor and he should be back out on the field as early as next week. Had this been a game against Oregon, Penn State, or Michigan, I would have to imagine Williams would have played. Keeping Williams healthy is going to be a key for the defense. While Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau will get more of the attention on the defensive line, it’s obvious Williams is the straw that stirs the drink.
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
I’m not exactly sure what Ryan Day is doing with quarterback Devin Brown. When Buckeye games turn into blowouts the rest of the season, I’d. much rather see Julian Sayin as the first quarterback off the bench to take over for Will Howard.
Not only do I think Sayin would give the Buckeyes a better chance to win if Howard is injured at some point this season, Sayin is also the quarterback of the future. Why are in-game snaps being wasted on Brown when it is obvious he has hit his ceiling in Columbus?
Brown has had two chances to win the quarterback job at Ohio State and both times he fell short. Even when he started the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, he didn’t look all that good before getting injured. Day not getting his backup quarterbacks enough snaps to prepare them for the future has been a problem in the past.
Even when Day has had the opportunity this year to get the backup some work, he is giving the wrong quarterback snaps. Brown has fought hard during his time as a Buckeye, but the smart move for him is to hit the transfer portal after this season since Sayin is the favorite to start for Ohio State in 2025.
Standing Up, Falling Down
Can we all acknowledge just how terrible the referees were in Saturday’s game? There were numerous frustrating calls that were made by the officials, thankfully it didn’t have a major impact on the game, the terrible calls were just annoying.
Some will argue the illegal formation that was called on Marshall where they recovered a muffed punt was a huge swing in the game, but it would have only delayed the inevitable when it came to the result. The targeting call on Caden Curry towards the end of the first half felt like about the only thing the officials got right in the game.
It just feels like there is so much bad officiating going on throughout college football so far this season. Apparently even when a call is painstakingly obvious there is still a need to review it, which makes games last even longer. What made this game last even longer is how slow the officiating crew in Saturday’s game took to make calls. Maybe they just loved having their little private conferences on the field before letting everybody know what the penalty was.
You would think with how hot it was on the field at Ohio Stadium during the game the officials would want to get out of there as soon as possible.
Continue reading...
LGHL Unreasonable Overreactions: Running QBs and special teams could hurt Ohio State, but Q and Trey will save them
- News
- 0 Replies
Unreasonable Overreactions: Running QBs and special teams could hurt Ohio State, but Q and Trey will save them
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Also, The Ref Show was painful to watch today.
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes picked up a decisive 49-14 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday inside Ohio Stadium. Despite the five-touchdown victory, the OSU performance in two of the game’s three phases was sloppier than we’ve seen thus far this season.
I suppose it's better to get that stuff out of the way while playing Marshall than have it creep up for the first time against Iowa or Oregon; that is, of course, assuming that it doesn’t also creep up against the Hawkeyes and Ducks in early October.
Being a fan is a fickle proposition. We allow our emotions to rob us of reason; instead, we ride the wave of emotions that percolate with every first down, missed tackle, penalty, or bone-headed play. So, I am here shortly after the game to get my unreasonable overreactions out so that I can instead focus on more productive ways to break down the game.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633194/usa_today_24290852.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Ohio State’s defense is not built to contend with running quarterbacks. I know that QBs who can run are tough to corral for any defensive, but it seems that Jim Knowles’ #SafetyDrivenDefense is especially susceptible because there are just fewer people in the box.
While you have players — like Sonny Styles or Jordan Hancock — who would normally be ideal for spying the quarterback, when OSU’s in its base defense, those guys all have other responsibilities, meaning that opposing offenses are always at a decided numbers advantage.
Not that I’m looking this far ahead — I’m always looking this far ahead — but if Alex Orji sticks as Michigan’s starting quarterback, we know he is not exactly a proficient passer, so chances are pretty good that Sherrone Moore is going to scheme up as many exotic QB-run plays as possible.
So, I’m not worried about that game yet, but it certainly seems like today’s issues with Earle should serve as a reminder that Knowles needs to come up with a remedy for the ongoing running quarterback conundrum, or it will come back to bite them in the ass at some point.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633196/usa_today_24290485.jpg "NCAA Football: Marshall at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Despite some issues that need to be figured out on defense, the Ohio State offense was near perfect on Saturday. On the day, the Bucks had 569 yards of total offense, led by Will Howard going 16-for-20 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and his first interception as a Buckeye.
As impressive as the transfer QB’s performance was, the day belonged to the running backs, as Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 249 yards on the ground with the former Ole Miss Rebel providing the lion’s share at 173, including an 86-yard scamper following what very well might have been the turning point of the game.
Both backs had two touchdowns, Henderson added a 40-yard score of his own, and averaged 12.45 yards per carry. That’s right, Judkins and Henderson averaged well over a first down every time they ran the ball. We are so used to the Buckeye offense being dominated by elite wide receiver play that it has been a while since it has felt like the Bukeye backfield was a legitimate game-changer.
Well, my friends, that’s exactly what it is this year. Obviously, Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith are still exceptional — both had scores of over 50 yards against Marshall — but Trey and Q are the best and most explosive backfield in all of college football.
I have long been a fan of Henderson and have longed for the day when he would be consistently healthy enough to show the country just what he is capable of, but my goodness, is Judkins a breath of fresh air out of the backfield?
While both backs are incredibly dynamic and have the ability to score every time that they touch the ball, the physicality that Judkins runs with is palpable. Did you see how he planted this Herd defender with a stiff arm before walking into the end zone for the second time today? I’ve missed that from running backs in Columbus.
With veteran starter Donovan Jackson back for the first time this season, the offensive line looked pretty good today; a few issues from Josh Fryar on the right side notwithstanding. If the line is able to continue to open up even the slightest of holes, there’s no doubt that Judkins and Henderson are going to find ways to burst through them.
I generally don’t want to get too far out over my skis with stuff like this, but this is an “Unreasonable Overreactions” column, so I will just say that the Buckeye offense appears to have all of the makings of being practically unstoppable. Sure, the competition level will soon dramatically increase and I still have offensive line reservations, but I think we are going to have a lot of fun watching whatever Chip Kelly’s mad-scientist brain can come up with this season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633195/usa_today_24139816.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Honestly, what the absolutely fudge-sickles was going on with Jayden Fielding in the first half? I remember the Chuck Knoblauch fiasco in 2000, and while Fielding’s spat of kicking the ball out of bounds did not last as long as Knoblauch’s inability to throw it 50 feet to first base, it was similarly mind-boggling.
In the second quarter, the Ohio State kickoff man put three straight kicks out of bounds before Ryan Day put him out of his metaphorical misery in the second half, turning over the kicking duties to second-year walk-on Austin Snyder.
Through the first two weeks, perhaps we were fooled into thinking that the remnants of the ill-begotten Parker Fleming era had completely been eradicated, but what we saw today was not inspiring either from the kickoff or the punt-fielding departments. That has to change if the Buckeyes are going to compete for the national championship.
I’m not going to recycle the old Jim Tressell talking points, but special teams are incredibly valuable when it comes to aiding your defense by pinning opponents deep, or your offense in picking up hidden yardage. Ohio State’s collective approach to coaching special teams needs to figure out how to make that part of the game more effective, or it too could come back to bite the Buckeyes in the ass.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633245/Gemini_Generated_Image_3ajl7l3ajl7l3ajl.jpeg)
Made with Google AI
Man, that Big Ten officiating crew led by Bryan Banks was strug-gl-ing from the jump. I mentioned the weird formation call that negated the muffed punt, but from inexplicable replays to excruciatingly long reviews to flags being thrown and picked up to flagging Ryan Day for saying “It was 20 seconds,” there wasn’t much that this hapless crew of keystone cop-level refs didn’t have issues with. Hell, Banks even routinely stumbled over words while he was attempting to explain what the hell his crew was thinking.
It was a bad day to be a zebra in The Horseshoe today. When the broadcast crew is routinely making fun of the refs, you know things are not going well for the officials. Come to think of it, I would much prefer Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the field as officials than in the booth as announcers, because I do not enjoy them as a broadcasting crew, so might as well give them a try as an officiating crew.
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
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Also, The Ref Show was painful to watch today.
The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes picked up a decisive 49-14 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Saturday inside Ohio Stadium. Despite the five-touchdown victory, the OSU performance in two of the game’s three phases was sloppier than we’ve seen thus far this season.
I suppose it's better to get that stuff out of the way while playing Marshall than have it creep up for the first time against Iowa or Oregon; that is, of course, assuming that it doesn’t also creep up against the Hawkeyes and Ducks in early October.
Being a fan is a fickle proposition. We allow our emotions to rob us of reason; instead, we ride the wave of emotions that percolate with every first down, missed tackle, penalty, or bone-headed play. So, I am here shortly after the game to get my unreasonable overreactions out so that I can instead focus on more productive ways to break down the game.
I Hate Running Quarterbacks
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Ohio State’s defense is not built to contend with running quarterbacks. I know that QBs who can run are tough to corral for any defensive, but it seems that Jim Knowles’ #SafetyDrivenDefense is especially susceptible because there are just fewer people in the box.
While you have players — like Sonny Styles or Jordan Hancock — who would normally be ideal for spying the quarterback, when OSU’s in its base defense, those guys all have other responsibilities, meaning that opposing offenses are always at a decided numbers advantage.
Not that I’m looking this far ahead — I’m always looking this far ahead — but if Alex Orji sticks as Michigan’s starting quarterback, we know he is not exactly a proficient passer, so chances are pretty good that Sherrone Moore is going to scheme up as many exotic QB-run plays as possible.
So, I’m not worried about that game yet, but it certainly seems like today’s issues with Earle should serve as a reminder that Knowles needs to come up with a remedy for the ongoing running quarterback conundrum, or it will come back to bite them in the ass at some point.
Ohio State’s Running Game Is Gonna Be Legit
Despite some issues that need to be figured out on defense, the Ohio State offense was near perfect on Saturday. On the day, the Bucks had 569 yards of total offense, led by Will Howard going 16-for-20 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and his first interception as a Buckeye.
As impressive as the transfer QB’s performance was, the day belonged to the running backs, as Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson combined for 249 yards on the ground with the former Ole Miss Rebel providing the lion’s share at 173, including an 86-yard scamper following what very well might have been the turning point of the game.
Both backs had two touchdowns, Henderson added a 40-yard score of his own, and averaged 12.45 yards per carry. That’s right, Judkins and Henderson averaged well over a first down every time they ran the ball. We are so used to the Buckeye offense being dominated by elite wide receiver play that it has been a while since it has felt like the Bukeye backfield was a legitimate game-changer.
Well, my friends, that’s exactly what it is this year. Obviously, Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith are still exceptional — both had scores of over 50 yards against Marshall — but Trey and Q are the best and most explosive backfield in all of college football.
I have long been a fan of Henderson and have longed for the day when he would be consistently healthy enough to show the country just what he is capable of, but my goodness, is Judkins a breath of fresh air out of the backfield?
While both backs are incredibly dynamic and have the ability to score every time that they touch the ball, the physicality that Judkins runs with is palpable. Did you see how he planted this Herd defender with a stiff arm before walking into the end zone for the second time today? I’ve missed that from running backs in Columbus.
With veteran starter Donovan Jackson back for the first time this season, the offensive line looked pretty good today; a few issues from Josh Fryar on the right side notwithstanding. If the line is able to continue to open up even the slightest of holes, there’s no doubt that Judkins and Henderson are going to find ways to burst through them.
I generally don’t want to get too far out over my skis with stuff like this, but this is an “Unreasonable Overreactions” column, so I will just say that the Buckeye offense appears to have all of the makings of being practically unstoppable. Sure, the competition level will soon dramatically increase and I still have offensive line reservations, but I think we are going to have a lot of fun watching whatever Chip Kelly’s mad-scientist brain can come up with this season.
Who Let Parker Fleming Back in The Shoe?
Honestly, what the absolutely fudge-sickles was going on with Jayden Fielding in the first half? I remember the Chuck Knoblauch fiasco in 2000, and while Fielding’s spat of kicking the ball out of bounds did not last as long as Knoblauch’s inability to throw it 50 feet to first base, it was similarly mind-boggling.
In the second quarter, the Ohio State kickoff man put three straight kicks out of bounds before Ryan Day put him out of his metaphorical misery in the second half, turning over the kicking duties to second-year walk-on Austin Snyder.
Through the first two weeks, perhaps we were fooled into thinking that the remnants of the ill-begotten Parker Fleming era had completely been eradicated, but what we saw today was not inspiring either from the kickoff or the punt-fielding departments. That has to change if the Buckeyes are going to compete for the national championship.
I’m not going to recycle the old Jim Tressell talking points, but special teams are incredibly valuable when it comes to aiding your defense by pinning opponents deep, or your offense in picking up hidden yardage. Ohio State’s collective approach to coaching special teams needs to figure out how to make that part of the game more effective, or it too could come back to bite the Buckeyes in the ass.
The Ref Show Was Painful
Man, that Big Ten officiating crew led by Bryan Banks was strug-gl-ing from the jump. I mentioned the weird formation call that negated the muffed punt, but from inexplicable replays to excruciatingly long reviews to flags being thrown and picked up to flagging Ryan Day for saying “It was 20 seconds,” there wasn’t much that this hapless crew of keystone cop-level refs didn’t have issues with. Hell, Banks even routinely stumbled over words while he was attempting to explain what the hell his crew was thinking.
It was a bad day to be a zebra in The Horseshoe today. When the broadcast crew is routinely making fun of the refs, you know things are not going well for the officials. Come to think of it, I would much prefer Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt on the field as officials than in the booth as announcers, because I do not enjoy them as a broadcasting crew, so might as well give them a try as an officiating crew.
Continue reading...
LGHL Uncut: ‘The mindset is to play with bad intentions,’ Judkins, Howard, Day on 49-14 Marshall victory
- News
- 0 Replies
Uncut: ‘The mindset is to play with bad intentions,’ Judkins, Howard, Day on 49-14 Marshall victory
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
The Ohio State trio discusses a near-perfect offensive performance.
Throughout the year, the Land-Grant Podcast Network 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 | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from the postgame press conference following the Saturday, Sept. 21 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Ohio State Buckeyes weathered a sloppy defensive and special teams performance to win 49-14. Following the game, head coach Ryan Day, running back Quinshon Judkins, and quarterback Will Howard met with the media to discuss the explosive, yet balanced, offensive day.
The head coach gave a slight update on the absence of defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, praised his running backs, and broke down issues on the defensive side of the ball. Judkins and Howard then talked about their big days in OSU’s evolving and dynamic offense.
Contact Matt Tamanini
Authorly: https://authory.com/MattTamanini
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
The Ohio State trio discusses a near-perfect offensive performance.
Throughout the year, the Land-Grant Podcast Network 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 | iHeart Radio
On today’s episode of “Land-Grant Uncut,” we are bringing you unedited audio from the postgame press conference following the Saturday, Sept. 21 victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Ohio State Buckeyes weathered a sloppy defensive and special teams performance to win 49-14. Following the game, head coach Ryan Day, running back Quinshon Judkins, and quarterback Will Howard met with the media to discuss the explosive, yet balanced, offensive day.
The head coach gave a slight update on the absence of defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, praised his running backs, and broke down issues on the defensive side of the ball. Judkins and Howard then talked about their big days in OSU’s evolving and dynamic offense.
Contact Matt Tamanini
Authorly: https://authory.com/MattTamanini
Music by: www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s win over Marshall swung on a play that didn’t happen
- News
- 0 Replies
Moment of the Game: Ohio State’s win over Marshall swung on a play that didn’t happen
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
Brandon Inniss was lucky not to have his turnover turn into a game-tying score.
Believe it or not, despite the fact that the Ohio State Buckeyes beat a game Marshall squad 49-14, the biggest moment of the game was not play that you will actually see the traditional stat sheet. Much like games vacated by the NCAA, it might not have technically happened, but we all saw it and remember it.
With the home team up 14-7 a few minutes into the second quarter, the Buckeye defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back to its offense. However, an Alec Clark punt soared high into the clear, early afternoon sky above Ohio Stadium and despite seemingly having a beat on it, OSU punt returner Brandon Inniss perhaps lost it in the sun for a split second, leading to his first muffed punt of the season.
The Marshall coverage team was ready to pounce as gunner Ian Foster recovered the turnover at the 16-yard line, seemingly setting up the Thundering Herd in excellent position to potentially tie the football game.
But, in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.
The refs — who were having themselves a day almost as bad as the Buckeye defense was at times — flagged Marshall for an Illegal Formation penalty, negating the turnover and forcing Clark to punt again; this time, while shielding his eyes, Inniss successfully completed the fair catch.
As pretty much every call in this game did, it took a while for the officials to work out exactly what was going on. So, I was disappointed that the Fox broadcast didn’t bring in rules expert Dean Blandino to at least try to figure out what was going on.
Now, I am not a rules expert, and I am certainly not going to play one on the internet, so I am by no means going to say whether or not the penalty was correct, but if the call revolves around the two linemen to the right of the long-snapper not being on the line of scrimmage — as Joel Klatt speculated on the broadcast, then... I don’t know? I mean, they look like they’re not on the line of scrimmage, but also, they don’t look like they’re that far off of it.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633115/Screenshot_2024_09_21_at_1.46.50_PM.png)
Also, Gus and Joel made it sound like the flag came in late — again, the always sub-par Fox broadcast did not show us when the flag was thrown — and if that’s the case, then I think Charles Huff and the Marshal sideline has a lot of reason to be upset over that call.
On the subsequent drive following Inniss’ fair catch, the OSU offense went 86 yards on a single play as Quinshon Judkins outran the defense to paydirt to put the Buckeyes up 21-7. While Marshall cut the game to 28-14 just before halftime, the OSU offense just could not be stopped with Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson essentially doing whatever they wanted in the run game.
While I still imagine that Ohio State would have been able to eke out a win in the game, things could have looked markedly different had the Herd been able to tie things up just six minutes into the second quarter. The running ability of Marshall starting quarterback Stone Earle put the defense on its heels a lot during the game, and even though his rushing totals weren’t massive, the impact that his escapability had on the game was significant.
If the muffed punt had stood, it is very possible that it would have been a tied game at the 10:50 mark in the second quarter. From there, Earle and the Herd might have been able to continue to milk the clock, picking up yardage in small amounts, limiting the opportunities that Ohio State had to put up points.
Instead, because of the potentially phantom penalty, OSU was up 21-7 with just under 11 minutes before halftime, forcing Huff, Earle, and company to change their offensive approach. Ultimately, the nullified turnover allowed the Buckeye offense to continue flexing its formidable muscles.
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
Brandon Inniss was lucky not to have his turnover turn into a game-tying score.
Believe it or not, despite the fact that the Ohio State Buckeyes beat a game Marshall squad 49-14, the biggest moment of the game was not play that you will actually see the traditional stat sheet. Much like games vacated by the NCAA, it might not have technically happened, but we all saw it and remember it.
With the home team up 14-7 a few minutes into the second quarter, the Buckeye defense forced a three-and-out to get the ball back to its offense. However, an Alec Clark punt soared high into the clear, early afternoon sky above Ohio Stadium and despite seemingly having a beat on it, OSU punt returner Brandon Inniss perhaps lost it in the sun for a split second, leading to his first muffed punt of the season.
The Marshall coverage team was ready to pounce as gunner Ian Foster recovered the turnover at the 16-yard line, seemingly setting up the Thundering Herd in excellent position to potentially tie the football game.
But, in the words of Lee Corso, not so fast my friend.
The refs — who were having themselves a day almost as bad as the Buckeye defense was at times — flagged Marshall for an Illegal Formation penalty, negating the turnover and forcing Clark to punt again; this time, while shielding his eyes, Inniss successfully completed the fair catch.
As pretty much every call in this game did, it took a while for the officials to work out exactly what was going on. So, I was disappointed that the Fox broadcast didn’t bring in rules expert Dean Blandino to at least try to figure out what was going on.
Now, I am not a rules expert, and I am certainly not going to play one on the internet, so I am by no means going to say whether or not the penalty was correct, but if the call revolves around the two linemen to the right of the long-snapper not being on the line of scrimmage — as Joel Klatt speculated on the broadcast, then... I don’t know? I mean, they look like they’re not on the line of scrimmage, but also, they don’t look like they’re that far off of it.
Also, Gus and Joel made it sound like the flag came in late — again, the always sub-par Fox broadcast did not show us when the flag was thrown — and if that’s the case, then I think Charles Huff and the Marshal sideline has a lot of reason to be upset over that call.
On the subsequent drive following Inniss’ fair catch, the OSU offense went 86 yards on a single play as Quinshon Judkins outran the defense to paydirt to put the Buckeyes up 21-7. While Marshall cut the game to 28-14 just before halftime, the OSU offense just could not be stopped with Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson essentially doing whatever they wanted in the run game.
While I still imagine that Ohio State would have been able to eke out a win in the game, things could have looked markedly different had the Herd been able to tie things up just six minutes into the second quarter. The running ability of Marshall starting quarterback Stone Earle put the defense on its heels a lot during the game, and even though his rushing totals weren’t massive, the impact that his escapability had on the game was significant.
If the muffed punt had stood, it is very possible that it would have been a tied game at the 10:50 mark in the second quarter. From there, Earle and the Herd might have been able to continue to milk the clock, picking up yardage in small amounts, limiting the opportunities that Ohio State had to put up points.
Instead, because of the potentially phantom penalty, OSU was up 21-7 with just under 11 minutes before halftime, forcing Huff, Earle, and company to change their offensive approach. Ultimately, the nullified turnover allowed the Buckeye offense to continue flexing its formidable muscles.
Continue reading...
