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LGHL Ohio State opens as 38.5-point favorites over Marshall
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Ohio State opens as 38.5-point favorites 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 Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes return from their week off with one final non-conference opponent remaining.
After a 2-0 start, Ohio State got to kick its feet up a bit during its off week. Next weekend, the Buckeyes return to action for their non-conference finale against Marshall, which kicks off at noon on FOX.
Through two games to begin the 2024 season, Ohio State has outscored its opponents 108-6. The Buckeye defeated Akron 52-6 in the opener despite a slow start, and had little trouble with Western Michigan in a 56-0 rout. Ryan Day’s squad has since had a week off to further make improvements before returning to the field in Week 4 to take on the Thundering Herd.
Offensively, Ohio State has gotten just about everything it could have hoped for from quarterback Will Howard, who has completed 35-of-54 passes for 520 yards with five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) and zero turnovers. The elite duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins has been as advertised, with the pair each averaging over seven yards per carry and totaling five TDs between them. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith has also lived up to the hype, leading with team with 11 catches for 211 yards and three scores.
On defense, Jim Knowles has to like what he has seen thus far. The Silver Bullets have yet to allow a touchdown this season while scoring two of their own — both against the Zips — and pitching a shutout for the first time since 2019 against the Broncos. All three levels of the unit have excelled, with nine different players registering at least half a sack, led by 1.5 apiece by J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams, and 11 different players recording at least one tackle for loss, buoyed by two each from Williams and Lathan Ransom. Ransom leads the team with 11 tackles, followed by Sonny Styles with 10.
Like Ohio State, Marshall was also idle this weekend, but their last contest was a 31-14 loss to Virginia Tech. The Herd were in a close battle into the third quarter, trailing just 17-14 midway through the period, but the Hokies scored the final two touchdowns of the game to make the final score look a bit more lopsided that perhaps the matchup actually was.
Marshall used three different quarterbacks in its 45-3 win over Stony Brook in its season opener, but stuck with Stone Earle against Virginia Tech. After going 10-of-16 for 97 yards and two TDs against the Seawolves, Early completed just 13 of his 36 attempts against the Hokies for 131 yards with a TD and a pick. Running back AJ Turner has shown home run hitting ability for the Herd, averaging nearly 16 yards per carry in limited touches (14 carries for 222 yards and a score). Christina Fitzpatrick is the lone receiver to have eclipsed 100 yards in this offense, catching eight balls for 170 yards and two TDs.
The Marshall defense led the Sun Belt a year ago in both third down stops and red zone efficiency, but many of the key players from that team are now gone. One big returnee, however, is defensive lineman Mike Green, who leads the Herd with 3.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss through two games. Oklahoma State transfer corner Jordan Reagan has hauled in the Marshall’s lone interception, while former TCU transfer Landyn Watson and sophomore linebacker Jaden Yates tie for the team lead with 20 total tackles each.
The Thundering Herd were picked fifth in the Sun Belt preseason rankings, and have made a bowl game in each of the last seven seasons, so it should be a slight step up in competition for the Buckeyes. If nothing else, the Marshall offense will give Ohio State a QB run threat to contend with, as Earle has averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 18 attempts. They’ve shown they can run the ball quite a bit overall, averaging 6.5 yards per carry as a team, but those numbers are also inflated by runs of 69 and 80 yards by Turner, so the Buckeyes will have to continue to limit explosives.
The betting line indicates this game won’t be all that close — and it shouldn’t be — but it will be one last chance to tune up before Day’s group enters Big Ten play with a road trip to East Lansing on the horizon.
Just as an added bonus, the current lookahead lines for The Game (Nov. 30), per FanDuel:
Ohio State -19.5 | ML: Ohio State -2100 | O/U 44.5
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 return from their week off with one final non-conference opponent remaining.
After a 2-0 start, Ohio State got to kick its feet up a bit during its off week. Next weekend, the Buckeyes return to action for their non-conference finale against Marshall, which kicks off at noon on FOX.
Bettings Odds: Ohio State -38.5 | O/U 51.5 (per FanDuel Sportsbook)
Through two games to begin the 2024 season, Ohio State has outscored its opponents 108-6. The Buckeye defeated Akron 52-6 in the opener despite a slow start, and had little trouble with Western Michigan in a 56-0 rout. Ryan Day’s squad has since had a week off to further make improvements before returning to the field in Week 4 to take on the Thundering Herd.
Offensively, Ohio State has gotten just about everything it could have hoped for from quarterback Will Howard, who has completed 35-of-54 passes for 520 yards with five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) and zero turnovers. The elite duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins has been as advertised, with the pair each averaging over seven yards per carry and totaling five TDs between them. Freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith has also lived up to the hype, leading with team with 11 catches for 211 yards and three scores.
On defense, Jim Knowles has to like what he has seen thus far. The Silver Bullets have yet to allow a touchdown this season while scoring two of their own — both against the Zips — and pitching a shutout for the first time since 2019 against the Broncos. All three levels of the unit have excelled, with nine different players registering at least half a sack, led by 1.5 apiece by J.T. Tuimoloau and Tyleik Williams, and 11 different players recording at least one tackle for loss, buoyed by two each from Williams and Lathan Ransom. Ransom leads the team with 11 tackles, followed by Sonny Styles with 10.
Like Ohio State, Marshall was also idle this weekend, but their last contest was a 31-14 loss to Virginia Tech. The Herd were in a close battle into the third quarter, trailing just 17-14 midway through the period, but the Hokies scored the final two touchdowns of the game to make the final score look a bit more lopsided that perhaps the matchup actually was.
Marshall used three different quarterbacks in its 45-3 win over Stony Brook in its season opener, but stuck with Stone Earle against Virginia Tech. After going 10-of-16 for 97 yards and two TDs against the Seawolves, Early completed just 13 of his 36 attempts against the Hokies for 131 yards with a TD and a pick. Running back AJ Turner has shown home run hitting ability for the Herd, averaging nearly 16 yards per carry in limited touches (14 carries for 222 yards and a score). Christina Fitzpatrick is the lone receiver to have eclipsed 100 yards in this offense, catching eight balls for 170 yards and two TDs.
The Marshall defense led the Sun Belt a year ago in both third down stops and red zone efficiency, but many of the key players from that team are now gone. One big returnee, however, is defensive lineman Mike Green, who leads the Herd with 3.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss through two games. Oklahoma State transfer corner Jordan Reagan has hauled in the Marshall’s lone interception, while former TCU transfer Landyn Watson and sophomore linebacker Jaden Yates tie for the team lead with 20 total tackles each.
The Thundering Herd were picked fifth in the Sun Belt preseason rankings, and have made a bowl game in each of the last seven seasons, so it should be a slight step up in competition for the Buckeyes. If nothing else, the Marshall offense will give Ohio State a QB run threat to contend with, as Earle has averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 18 attempts. They’ve shown they can run the ball quite a bit overall, averaging 6.5 yards per carry as a team, but those numbers are also inflated by runs of 69 and 80 yards by Turner, so the Buckeyes will have to continue to limit explosives.
The betting line indicates this game won’t be all that close — and it shouldn’t be — but it will be one last chance to tune up before Day’s group enters Big Ten play with a road trip to East Lansing on the horizon.
Just as an added bonus, the current lookahead lines for The Game (Nov. 30), per FanDuel:
Ohio State -19.5 | ML: Ohio State -2100 | O/U 44.5
Continue reading...
LGHL Stock Market Report: Oregon wins big, LSU-South Carolina was a mess, K-State gets big W
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Stock Market Report: Oregon wins big, LSU-South Carolina was a mess, K-State gets big W
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With the Buckeyes on a bye week, we took a look at the college football scene from a national level for this week’s Stock Market Report.
Even though Ohio State is on a bye week, there is no bye week for the #content.
With the Buckeyes taking time off, we took a look at the college football scene from a national level for this week’s Stock Market Report.
Ohio State’s bye week placements
I think the Buckeyes’ two bye weeks — one this week and the other on Oct. 19 — come at perfect times. The one this week is great because the team has played two games, and can now sit back and make necessary adjustments. The next one is perfect because it is right after Oregon, which is likely the toughest game of the season, and the Buckeyes can rest after that battle in Eugene before an interesting matchup against Nebraska.
Oregon
Oregon turned some heads in the wrong way after winning games over Idaho and Boise State, but they did not pull away in those games. However, they did pull away this week against rival Oregon State, 49-14, and looked like the dominant team we expect to see.
Kansas State
Kansas State survived its trap game against a talented Tulane team and then went into a Friday night game against Arizona. A lot of people thought they would drop this one as well. However, they answered the bell strongly and dropped the hammer on Arizona, winning 31-7, getting a solid game from Avery Johnson, and likely becoming the favorites in the Big 12.
LSU 36, South Carolina 33
I have no idea if games like LSU and South Carolina are what I love about college football or what I hate about college football. This game was filled with dumb mistakes, bad coaching decisions and bad plays — and it was over four hours long somehow. There was also a combined 22 penalties for 200 yards.
Just bad football that I watched every single minute of.
Buy: Luke Altmyer
I am not sure if I am buying Illinois yet, but I do think Luke Altmyer has made a large jump this season and can lead the Fighting Illini to a solid record and a bowl appearance. They are 3-0 with a win over Kansas (which might not age as well as we originally thought), but we will see if it continues into conference play. To this point, he has looked solid.
Buy: Tetairoa McMillan as WR1 in the country
I get it. Ohio State fans will tell me it’s Jeremiah Smith, and it very well might be, but McMillan is unreal over at Arizona. In the loss to Kansas State, he had 11 catches for 138 yards and likely should have had more. In three games, he has 23 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns, averaging almost 20 yards per catch.
He is the best receiver in the country… for now.
Sell: Purdue
I was never buying Purdue, but they came into this weekend with an interesting chance to show something against a reeling Notre Dame team.
And they dropped the ball in a huge way.
In a game that some people thought could be an upset looming, Notre Dame won the game 66-7 and was winning 42-0 at the half. Conference play could be brutal for the Boilermakers.
Sell: Kansas
Kansas should have beaten UNLV by 10-14 points, but they lost by three. They looked bad, and Jalon Daniels looked bad. In a conference that was and still is seemingly a toss-up, most people put the Jayhawks in that mix.
Now, they have lost to Illinois and UNLV and are firmly out of that mix.
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
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With the Buckeyes on a bye week, we took a look at the college football scene from a national level for this week’s Stock Market Report.
Even though Ohio State is on a bye week, there is no bye week for the #content.
With the Buckeyes taking time off, we took a look at the college football scene from a national level for this week’s Stock Market Report.
Blue Chip
Ohio State’s bye week placements
I think the Buckeyes’ two bye weeks — one this week and the other on Oct. 19 — come at perfect times. The one this week is great because the team has played two games, and can now sit back and make necessary adjustments. The next one is perfect because it is right after Oregon, which is likely the toughest game of the season, and the Buckeyes can rest after that battle in Eugene before an interesting matchup against Nebraska.
Solid Investments
Oregon
Oregon turned some heads in the wrong way after winning games over Idaho and Boise State, but they did not pull away in those games. However, they did pull away this week against rival Oregon State, 49-14, and looked like the dominant team we expect to see.
Kansas State
Kansas State survived its trap game against a talented Tulane team and then went into a Friday night game against Arizona. A lot of people thought they would drop this one as well. However, they answered the bell strongly and dropped the hammer on Arizona, winning 31-7, getting a solid game from Avery Johnson, and likely becoming the favorites in the Big 12.
Junk Bond
LSU 36, South Carolina 33
I have no idea if games like LSU and South Carolina are what I love about college football or what I hate about college football. This game was filled with dumb mistakes, bad coaching decisions and bad plays — and it was over four hours long somehow. There was also a combined 22 penalties for 200 yards.
Just bad football that I watched every single minute of.
Buy/Sell
Buy: Luke Altmyer
I am not sure if I am buying Illinois yet, but I do think Luke Altmyer has made a large jump this season and can lead the Fighting Illini to a solid record and a bowl appearance. They are 3-0 with a win over Kansas (which might not age as well as we originally thought), but we will see if it continues into conference play. To this point, he has looked solid.
Buy: Tetairoa McMillan as WR1 in the country
I get it. Ohio State fans will tell me it’s Jeremiah Smith, and it very well might be, but McMillan is unreal over at Arizona. In the loss to Kansas State, he had 11 catches for 138 yards and likely should have had more. In three games, he has 23 catches for 453 yards and four touchdowns, averaging almost 20 yards per catch.
He is the best receiver in the country… for now.
Sell: Purdue
I was never buying Purdue, but they came into this weekend with an interesting chance to show something against a reeling Notre Dame team.
And they dropped the ball in a huge way.
In a game that some people thought could be an upset looming, Notre Dame won the game 66-7 and was winning 42-0 at the half. Conference play could be brutal for the Boilermakers.
Sell: Kansas
Kansas should have beaten UNLV by 10-14 points, but they lost by three. They looked bad, and Jalon Daniels looked bad. In a conference that was and still is seemingly a toss-up, most people put the Jayhawks in that mix.
Now, they have lost to Illinois and UNLV and are firmly out of that mix.
Continue reading...
LGHL You’re Nuts: What do you most want to see Ohio State improve during Improvement Week?
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You’re Nuts: What do you most want to see Ohio State improve during Improvement Week?
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
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.
Maybe Matt and I are both nuts this week for focusing on room for improvement when the team is firing on pretty much all cylinders at the moment, offensive line aside.
But here we are, and because the offensive line is the obvious answer, I’m actually not going to take the low-hanging fruit.
In order for this team to reach their potential for greatness, they do need to fix some offensive line issues, but I also believe they have the capacity to look beyond that and dig a little deeper into more granular things, so they can square them away before they face real challenges in earnest.
Beyond the aforementioned O-Line factor, the most glaring issue for me (which, again, is getting nitpicky) is the untapped potential of the tight ends. While the tight ends have been effective as blockers, the Buckeyes haven’t fully figured out what to do with their receiving potential yet (in part because Ohio State doesn’t have to).
There are so many weapons already that it almost feels greedy to ask us to use more of them; plus using our tight ends as large blunt objects helps to fill some of the gap left by the offensive line, but allowing our tight ends to do more than block—particularly in these early games as we try to vary the reps guys are getting—could help some of these guys develop into true threats.
Week Two was an improvement on what we saw against Akron in Week 1—a game in which tight ends Gee Scott Jr., Will Kacmarek, and Jelani Thurman combined for 0 receptions—but clearing a bar of “zero” doesn’t say much.
During the Buckeyes’ routing of Western Michigan in Week 2, the tight end production improved: Gee had one reception, Kacmarek had two, and Patrick Gurd and Bennett Christian each had a catch (Christian’s was a 55-yard touchdown).
Now, low-ish production isn’t particularly new to the Buckeyes, but in the past, they’ve been more effective at using their tight ends holistically than what we’ve seen so far this season.
In particular, there is room for the Buckeyes to do more with their tight ends on the receiving front, which could be especially beneficial when the Buckeyes get into the meat of their season. Tight ends who can do it all have the potential to elevate an offense substantially – and this isn’t news to the Buckeyes, given their success with guys like Cade Stover.
Stover, for example, had 36 receptions for 406 yards in 2022 and 41 receptions for 576 yards in 2023. When you look at the Buckeyes’ current roster of tight ends, a guy like Thurman–who struggles more with the blocking side of things than his current counterparts–could pose a threat as a receiver if we let him really cook.
Kacmarek, for his part, isn’t necessarily going to be putting up bonkers receiving numbers, but he could do more than he’s been given the opportunity to currently. Having Kacmarek pose more of a dual threat could be dangerous for opponents, given his blocking abilities. He has the potential to do some heavy lifting to cover for offensive line deficits (which is admittedly where the Buckeyes need the help more this year), but I truly believe the guy can also help the team move the ball down the field if given the chance.
Albeit at a MAC school, Kacmarek totaled 42 receptions and two touchdowns in his last two seasons combined. These aren’t astonishing numbers by any means, but he has also shown throughout training camp his potential to grow into this role as a Buckeye, and I’d like to see him get more opportunities to pose a more dual threat.
If Ohio State can make better use of these guys on the field, it could be the thing that takes an already-top-caliber team all the way this season.
Jami can call it “low-hanging fruit” all she wants, but it would be a dereliction of my journalistic duty if I didn’t call out of the offensive line play when discussing things that need to be improved by the Buckeyes. Admittedly, the hogmollies played better against Western Michigan than they did against Akron, but we know that there is going to be far more challenging opponents down the road, so there has to be improvement.
We came into the season knowing that the offensive line was going to be the biggest question mark for the Buckeyes, and I still contend that Ryan Day and Justin Frye needed to do more in the transfer portal to address this obvious weakness. Yes, they got Seth McLaughlin, and through two games, he has been close to excellent. However, the right side of the line was a question mark in January, and it is still one now.
Obviously missing a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection like left guard Donovan Jackson for the first two games is going to throw things into a little bit of added chaos, but Austin Siereveld has done an admirable job in Donny’s stead, so the left side isn’t the final point of concern. Against Akron, right tackle Josh Fryar looked a bit at sea, although against Western Michigan, he seemed more at ease. Tegra Tshabola has been serviceable in his first two starts at right guard but hasn’t come out of the gate looking like a sure-fire stud at the spot.
According to Pro Football Focus’ grades — which at this point, I shouldn’t need to tell you to take these with a grain of salt — the Buckeyes have graded out as the 31st best run-blocking team in the FBS, so roughly in the top 25%. However, given that they have played two teams that are graded as No. 125 and 133 (out of 134) in terms of rush defense so far, that might not be as impressive as it otherwise would be. Of course, when there are so few data points to analyze, Ohio State is going to loom large in the grades for both Akron and WMU, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.
The Buckeyes do a bit better on pass-blocking where they are graded as the 22nd-best team in FBS. I would actually say that they have done a pretty good job in pass-blocking. OSU has only allowed two sacks, neither of which were against Will Howard or the starting offensive line. For what it’s worth, Akron is again No. 125 in pressure, while Western Michigan jumps to No. 109.
Here’s the thing, judging solely on the first two weeks of the season, it is a tad nit-picky to criticize the offensive line; they’ve been mostly fine. However, when you compare them to seemingly every other position group, their performance pales in comparison. The wide receivers — highlighted by the immediate ascension of Jeremiah Smith — have been national-tiitle quality. The defensive line — with an added sense of aggression missing in recent years — has been been national-tiitle quality. Even quarterback play — aided by Howard’s decision-making and ability to move in the pocket — has been been national-tiitle quality.
This team needs to have an offensive line that can live up to that standard if they want to finally reach any of the goals that have been avoiding them in the past three seasons. So I hope they did some improving over this past week.
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
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: What do you most want to see Ohio State improve during Improvement Week?
Jami’s Take: Tight End Production
Maybe Matt and I are both nuts this week for focusing on room for improvement when the team is firing on pretty much all cylinders at the moment, offensive line aside.
But here we are, and because the offensive line is the obvious answer, I’m actually not going to take the low-hanging fruit.
In order for this team to reach their potential for greatness, they do need to fix some offensive line issues, but I also believe they have the capacity to look beyond that and dig a little deeper into more granular things, so they can square them away before they face real challenges in earnest.
Beyond the aforementioned O-Line factor, the most glaring issue for me (which, again, is getting nitpicky) is the untapped potential of the tight ends. While the tight ends have been effective as blockers, the Buckeyes haven’t fully figured out what to do with their receiving potential yet (in part because Ohio State doesn’t have to).
There are so many weapons already that it almost feels greedy to ask us to use more of them; plus using our tight ends as large blunt objects helps to fill some of the gap left by the offensive line, but allowing our tight ends to do more than block—particularly in these early games as we try to vary the reps guys are getting—could help some of these guys develop into true threats.
Week Two was an improvement on what we saw against Akron in Week 1—a game in which tight ends Gee Scott Jr., Will Kacmarek, and Jelani Thurman combined for 0 receptions—but clearing a bar of “zero” doesn’t say much.
During the Buckeyes’ routing of Western Michigan in Week 2, the tight end production improved: Gee had one reception, Kacmarek had two, and Patrick Gurd and Bennett Christian each had a catch (Christian’s was a 55-yard touchdown).
Now, low-ish production isn’t particularly new to the Buckeyes, but in the past, they’ve been more effective at using their tight ends holistically than what we’ve seen so far this season.
In particular, there is room for the Buckeyes to do more with their tight ends on the receiving front, which could be especially beneficial when the Buckeyes get into the meat of their season. Tight ends who can do it all have the potential to elevate an offense substantially – and this isn’t news to the Buckeyes, given their success with guys like Cade Stover.
Stover, for example, had 36 receptions for 406 yards in 2022 and 41 receptions for 576 yards in 2023. When you look at the Buckeyes’ current roster of tight ends, a guy like Thurman–who struggles more with the blocking side of things than his current counterparts–could pose a threat as a receiver if we let him really cook.
Kacmarek, for his part, isn’t necessarily going to be putting up bonkers receiving numbers, but he could do more than he’s been given the opportunity to currently. Having Kacmarek pose more of a dual threat could be dangerous for opponents, given his blocking abilities. He has the potential to do some heavy lifting to cover for offensive line deficits (which is admittedly where the Buckeyes need the help more this year), but I truly believe the guy can also help the team move the ball down the field if given the chance.
Albeit at a MAC school, Kacmarek totaled 42 receptions and two touchdowns in his last two seasons combined. These aren’t astonishing numbers by any means, but he has also shown throughout training camp his potential to grow into this role as a Buckeye, and I’d like to see him get more opportunities to pose a more dual threat.
If Ohio State can make better use of these guys on the field, it could be the thing that takes an already-top-caliber team all the way this season.
Matt’s Take: Offensive Line Play
Jami can call it “low-hanging fruit” all she wants, but it would be a dereliction of my journalistic duty if I didn’t call out of the offensive line play when discussing things that need to be improved by the Buckeyes. Admittedly, the hogmollies played better against Western Michigan than they did against Akron, but we know that there is going to be far more challenging opponents down the road, so there has to be improvement.
We came into the season knowing that the offensive line was going to be the biggest question mark for the Buckeyes, and I still contend that Ryan Day and Justin Frye needed to do more in the transfer portal to address this obvious weakness. Yes, they got Seth McLaughlin, and through two games, he has been close to excellent. However, the right side of the line was a question mark in January, and it is still one now.
Obviously missing a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection like left guard Donovan Jackson for the first two games is going to throw things into a little bit of added chaos, but Austin Siereveld has done an admirable job in Donny’s stead, so the left side isn’t the final point of concern. Against Akron, right tackle Josh Fryar looked a bit at sea, although against Western Michigan, he seemed more at ease. Tegra Tshabola has been serviceable in his first two starts at right guard but hasn’t come out of the gate looking like a sure-fire stud at the spot.
According to Pro Football Focus’ grades — which at this point, I shouldn’t need to tell you to take these with a grain of salt — the Buckeyes have graded out as the 31st best run-blocking team in the FBS, so roughly in the top 25%. However, given that they have played two teams that are graded as No. 125 and 133 (out of 134) in terms of rush defense so far, that might not be as impressive as it otherwise would be. Of course, when there are so few data points to analyze, Ohio State is going to loom large in the grades for both Akron and WMU, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.
The Buckeyes do a bit better on pass-blocking where they are graded as the 22nd-best team in FBS. I would actually say that they have done a pretty good job in pass-blocking. OSU has only allowed two sacks, neither of which were against Will Howard or the starting offensive line. For what it’s worth, Akron is again No. 125 in pressure, while Western Michigan jumps to No. 109.
Here’s the thing, judging solely on the first two weeks of the season, it is a tad nit-picky to criticize the offensive line; they’ve been mostly fine. However, when you compare them to seemingly every other position group, their performance pales in comparison. The wide receivers — highlighted by the immediate ascension of Jeremiah Smith — have been national-tiitle quality. The defensive line — with an added sense of aggression missing in recent years — has been been national-tiitle quality. Even quarterback play — aided by Howard’s decision-making and ability to move in the pocket — has been been national-tiitle quality.
This team needs to have an offensive line that can live up to that standard if they want to finally reach any of the goals that have been avoiding them in the past three seasons. So I hope they did some improving over this past week.
Let us know who you are agreeing with:
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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Jake Diebler joins the show
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Bucketheads Podcast: Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Jake Diebler joins the show
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The head ball coach talked with us about taking over as head coach, the culture he is instilling, his playing days, and much more in this exclusive interview.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
For this brand new episode of the Bucketheads Podcast, we are thrilled to be joined by Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Jake Diebler for the second time. However, it is his first time talking with us as the Buckeyes’ head coach
Diebler was named head coach after serving as interim coach until the end of last season, and he is almost through his first offseason as head coach.
We discussed a variety of topics with Coach Diebler, including this offseason, the transfers the program brought in, Meechie Johnson and Bruce Thornton, his playing career, and so much more.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Jake:
Twitter: @JakeDiebler
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justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The head ball coach talked with us about taking over as head coach, the culture he is instilling, his playing days, and much more in this exclusive interview.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
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For this brand new episode of the Bucketheads Podcast, we are thrilled to be joined by Ohio State men’s basketball head coach Jake Diebler for the second time. However, it is his first time talking with us as the Buckeyes’ head coach
Diebler was named head coach after serving as interim coach until the end of last season, and he is almost through his first offseason as head coach.
We discussed a variety of topics with Coach Diebler, including this offseason, the transfers the program brought in, Meechie Johnson and Bruce Thornton, his playing career, and so much more.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Connect with Jake:
Twitter: @JakeDiebler
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