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LGHL Ohio State fans approve of Ryan Day’s handling of off-season staff changes
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Ohio State fans approve of Ryan Day’s handling of off-season staff changes
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are in full-on spring football mode, so as the players learn the schemes and perfect their technique, we asked the team’s fans about their thoughts on a couple of questions surrounding the squad.
Last week, we asked Buckeye Nation about what they felt would make for a successful 2025-26 season as the team is coming off a national championship. From winning The Game to winning the title, there were tons of options, and I have to say, I am a bit surprised by the results.
We also asked what folks thought about how head coach Ryan Day handled the personnel turnover on the coaching staff during the offseason. You can see the results below, and my off-the-cuff reactions to the responses.
If you want to have your say on the matter, head down to the comment section at the bottom of the page and sound off!
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I’m not gonna lie, I’m not sure what to make of this result. On one hand, now that Ohio State has won the national title, I can understand why nearly 40% of respondents would need a win in The Game to feel good about the 2025-26 season. However, we have also seen that in the 12-team playoff era, beating your rival is not required to have a successful season.
Personally, of course, I want (and even need) the Buckeyes to beat Michigan this season, but we live in a new world of college football where a loss in your regular-season finale rivalry game does not preclude you from making the playoff or even winning the national title. So from my perspective, we do have to kind of rewire our brain chemistry in order to prioritize what is most important.
So even if you are saying that a win over the Wolverines is required for the season to be successful, I feel like there’s got to be more than that to meet the minimum level for me. I would say that they would have to make the CFP semifinals to be considered a truly successful season. I might be able to wrap my head around a quarterfinal berth, depending on the specific circumstances of the season, but coming off of a national title, I think making it back to the Final 4 would absolutely be a success, even despite all of the roster turnover.
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I think that this is a pretty fair grade from Buckeye Nation. If Day had been able to keep Chip Kelly in Columbus, I probably would have gone with an A, but losing some of his credentials coming off a dazzling playoff run has to hurt a little bit, even if you completely understand the circumstances.
When it comes to elevating Brian Hartline to the role of sole offensive coordinator, I don’t have much of a problem with that. I am always hesitant about people getting their first opportunities as head coaches and coordinators at Ohio State, but this is a unique situation. Not only has Hartline technically been the co-OC for a number of years, but he has also been an integral part of building the OSU offense into the juggernaut that we saw during the playoff run.
So, I really can’t be upset about his taking the play sheet and presumably calling plays this season. With Day there to guide him through the new responsibilities and new offensive line coach and run-game coordinator, Tyler Bowen, helping with the ground attack, there is reason to feel confident.
Admittedly, I will be a little hesitant when the Buckeyes take the field against Texas, just because we haven’t seen what it looks like with Hartline running the show, but I am cautiously optimistic.
The major move on the other side of the ball I kind of feel the opposite about. During a lot of last season — and especially in the postseason — it felt like former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles just wasn’t vibing with Day and the rest of the staff. Things started to percolate following the mid-season loss to Oregon when the head coach became more involved with the defense. Then, following the loss to Michigan, the DC just seemed to be extra on edge in press conferences and interviews.
So given what appears to have been a little bit of friction on the staff (not to mention the perceived differences of opinion between Knowles and defensive line coach Larry Johnson), while I admit to being a bit shocked, it did feel natural for Knowles to move on.
His replacement, Matt Patricia, obviously has a ton of NFL experience — some of it good, some of it not so good — and he comes with some baggage that, on first blush, seems to run counter to the core principles of the Ohio State football program. However, Day has stated that the program did its due diligence on the matter and was satisfied by what it found.
On the field, the response from players has been very positive so far through spring practice. There is little doubt that Patricia knows how to be a championship-level DC, but will he be able to translate his Super Bowl success to the college level? His post-Bill Belichick career has been nowhere near as productive as it was while he was in New England, so there is at least a little cause for concern now that he is Ohio State’s “head coach of the defense.”
Nonetheless, it’s tough to be too upset about the on-field abilities of a guy with multiple Super Bowl rings who learned at the knee of the greatest coach in pro football history.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are in full-on spring football mode, so as the players learn the schemes and perfect their technique, we asked the team’s fans about their thoughts on a couple of questions surrounding the squad.
Last week, we asked Buckeye Nation about what they felt would make for a successful 2025-26 season as the team is coming off a national championship. From winning The Game to winning the title, there were tons of options, and I have to say, I am a bit surprised by the results.
We also asked what folks thought about how head coach Ryan Day handled the personnel turnover on the coaching staff during the offseason. You can see the results below, and my off-the-cuff reactions to the responses.
If you want to have your say on the matter, head down to the comment section at the bottom of the page and sound off!
Question 1: What would the minimum be for you to consider the 2025-26 football season a success for Ohio State?
I’m not gonna lie, I’m not sure what to make of this result. On one hand, now that Ohio State has won the national title, I can understand why nearly 40% of respondents would need a win in The Game to feel good about the 2025-26 season. However, we have also seen that in the 12-team playoff era, beating your rival is not required to have a successful season.
Personally, of course, I want (and even need) the Buckeyes to beat Michigan this season, but we live in a new world of college football where a loss in your regular-season finale rivalry game does not preclude you from making the playoff or even winning the national title. So from my perspective, we do have to kind of rewire our brain chemistry in order to prioritize what is most important.
So even if you are saying that a win over the Wolverines is required for the season to be successful, I feel like there’s got to be more than that to meet the minimum level for me. I would say that they would have to make the CFP semifinals to be considered a truly successful season. I might be able to wrap my head around a quarterfinal berth, depending on the specific circumstances of the season, but coming off of a national title, I think making it back to the Final 4 would absolutely be a success, even despite all of the roster turnover.
Question 2: How would you grade Ryan Day’s offseason staff moves?
I think that this is a pretty fair grade from Buckeye Nation. If Day had been able to keep Chip Kelly in Columbus, I probably would have gone with an A, but losing some of his credentials coming off a dazzling playoff run has to hurt a little bit, even if you completely understand the circumstances.
When it comes to elevating Brian Hartline to the role of sole offensive coordinator, I don’t have much of a problem with that. I am always hesitant about people getting their first opportunities as head coaches and coordinators at Ohio State, but this is a unique situation. Not only has Hartline technically been the co-OC for a number of years, but he has also been an integral part of building the OSU offense into the juggernaut that we saw during the playoff run.
So, I really can’t be upset about his taking the play sheet and presumably calling plays this season. With Day there to guide him through the new responsibilities and new offensive line coach and run-game coordinator, Tyler Bowen, helping with the ground attack, there is reason to feel confident.
Admittedly, I will be a little hesitant when the Buckeyes take the field against Texas, just because we haven’t seen what it looks like with Hartline running the show, but I am cautiously optimistic.
The major move on the other side of the ball I kind of feel the opposite about. During a lot of last season — and especially in the postseason — it felt like former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles just wasn’t vibing with Day and the rest of the staff. Things started to percolate following the mid-season loss to Oregon when the head coach became more involved with the defense. Then, following the loss to Michigan, the DC just seemed to be extra on edge in press conferences and interviews.
So given what appears to have been a little bit of friction on the staff (not to mention the perceived differences of opinion between Knowles and defensive line coach Larry Johnson), while I admit to being a bit shocked, it did feel natural for Knowles to move on.
His replacement, Matt Patricia, obviously has a ton of NFL experience — some of it good, some of it not so good — and he comes with some baggage that, on first blush, seems to run counter to the core principles of the Ohio State football program. However, Day has stated that the program did its due diligence on the matter and was satisfied by what it found.
On the field, the response from players has been very positive so far through spring practice. There is little doubt that Patricia knows how to be a championship-level DC, but will he be able to translate his Super Bowl success to the college level? His post-Bill Belichick career has been nowhere near as productive as it was while he was in New England, so there is at least a little cause for concern now that he is Ohio State’s “head coach of the defense.”
Nonetheless, it’s tough to be too upset about the on-field abilities of a guy with multiple Super Bowl rings who learned at the knee of the greatest coach in pro football history.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ranking all 19 Ohio State touchdowns in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff (Part 1)
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- 0 Replies
Ranking all 19 Ohio State touchdowns in the 2024-25 College Football Playoff (Part 1)
Michael Citro 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 offseason is dark and full of terrors, so let’s look back at 19 enjoyable touchdowns in three easy-to-read columns.
With the 2025 Ohio State football still five months away and the 2024 championship still somehow only weeks behind us, there’s simply far too much offseason between now and more meaningful Buckeye action.
The Buckeyes’ four-game run through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff was a historic one, as Ohio State navigated the toughest postseason schedule in the history of the collegiate game. Just because 10 weeks have passed since the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame to claim the crown, it doesn’t mean we have to stop enjoying what took place.
To that end, it’s a good time — and just plain fun — to revisit every touchdown of Ohio State’s championship run. Starting this week, my next three Monday columns will look back at the OSU touchdowns in those four games, ranking them countdown style.
While this is, admittedly, completely subjective, I did consider some criteria to make my decisions. I considered the degree of difficulty of each scoring play, the magnitude of the moment (i.e., how clutch they were), and the “wow” factor. Was I consistent in applying these criteria? I don’t know. I’m just a guy with a keyboard who loves college football.
Ohio State found the end zone 19 times — six times against Tennessee, five against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, and four times each against Texas and Notre Dame. To do this in three columns, I’m going to stuff nine of those touchdowns into this first part. I chose to do this because four of the touchdowns were 1-yard runs by Quinshon Judkins.
It was difficult to differentiate between their degree of difficulty, and I’m going to officially call that a four-way tie, but I’m not above doing a mini-ranking of them, so that’s what I did.
Let’s get to it.
A. Vs. Notre Dame
Judkins ‘ most important 1-yard touchdown run came early in the third quarter of the national championship matchup against Notre Dame. At the time, it gave Ohio State a 28-7 lead which seemed on the verge of putting the game away. Despite adding a field goal, that lead shrunk as the game went on as the Irish continued to fight.
This play was also big because it came on third down, so a failure to score may have helped Notre Dame gain momentum earlier in the second half and it prevented Ryan Day from having to make a choice between kicking and going for it.
B. Vs. Texas
The game was tied at 14 in the fourth quarter of the 2025 Cotton Bowl, which served as a venue for one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals. The Longhorns had made it a new game late in the third quarter and the outcome of the game was on a knife’s edge.
Judkins was met at the line of scrimmage on second-and-goal and powered his way into the end zone. This is the touchdown that made it necessary for Texas to get into the end zone, which the Longhorns did not do. Their failure set up a play that we’ll look back on later in this series. Meanwhile, this was a vital touchdown from Q.
C. Vs. Tennesse (first quarter)
The win over the Volunteers ended up being no problem for Ohio State, but at the time of the first of two Judkins 1-yard plunges against Tennessee, no one knew the Buckeyes were going to be a postseason juggernaut. The last time they’d played...well, let’s not dwell on that.
This touchdown showed Judkins’ power and gave the Buckeyes separation at 14-0 early in a game they went on to dominate.
D. Vs. Tennessee (third quarter)
Judkins capped an 81-yard drive when he plowed in over the right side on second down, putting the icing on an already sweet cake. His running mate finished the scoring a bit later, but this made it 35-10 with just over 16 minutes remaining in the game.
In the first of Ohio State’s touchdowns longer than a single yard, Judkins’ stable mate makes his first appearance on the list. As far as 8-yard touchdown runs go, this was an easy one and not strictly needed.
The Buckeyes already led the Oregon Ducks 34-15 late in the third quarter. The defense was playing well, and the Ohio State offense could run and pass against a normally stout Oregon defense. Henderson took a toss from Will Howard on the left side and wasn’t threatened until he reached the 3-yard line, where he broke a weak tackle attempt and ran through another at the goal line as the Duck defense capitulated.
Ohio State made it 41-15 with the extra point and romped in the Rose Bowl.
It was early in the Cotton Bowl and Ohio State’s defense began the game with a stop. Ohio State embarked on an opening drive that reached the Texas 9-yard line in nine plays. On the 10th, Judkins took a handoff up the middle, made a man miss in the backfield, cut around another inside the 5-yard line, and followed his blockers into the end zone to open the scoring.
Every point ended up being crucial against a stout Longhorns defense that came into the matchup with a solid game plan. Judkins ensured the Buckeyes got off on the right foot.
It seems rude to put a 29-yard run this low in the countdown, but in the end, we love all our children equally. Something needed to go in this slot, and while this may be a hot take on my part, the ease with which this touchdown was scored factored into its placement.
Tennessee was not prepared for Henderson’s speed, and the future NFL running back punished the Vols for it, racing untouched through a gap created by Luke Montgomery and then down the sideline to make it 21-0, and the rout was on.
As 9-yard runs go, this was impressive, and it happened on the biggest stage. Judkins again avoided a loss in the backfield with a stiffarm that planted his defender in the artificial turf. He then broke left and carried a defender into the end zone for the final 4 yards, putting the Buckeyes ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.
It was the second of three unanswered touchdowns by Ohio State to close the first half with momentum.
The first pass play on my list — and I swear I’m not biased against rushing touchdowns...I love them, and there are more to come later — comes courtesy of a perfectly executed fade throw from Howard to freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith to open the scoring in the second half against the Volunteers.
Ohio State led 21-10 at the half, but this touchdown early in the third quarter essentially sealed Tennessee’s fate. Smith got separation, used his body well, and plucked Howard’s pass out of the air to extend the Buckeye lead. Ohio State tacked on two more touchdowns before the Volunteers added a late score against a lot of backup defensive players.
That’s it for the first part of three-straight weeks of looking back at glory. The scoring plays get bigger and better from here. See you next week for Part 2.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The offseason is dark and full of terrors, so let’s look back at 19 enjoyable touchdowns in three easy-to-read columns.
With the 2025 Ohio State football still five months away and the 2024 championship still somehow only weeks behind us, there’s simply far too much offseason between now and more meaningful Buckeye action.
The Buckeyes’ four-game run through the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff was a historic one, as Ohio State navigated the toughest postseason schedule in the history of the collegiate game. Just because 10 weeks have passed since the Buckeyes beat Notre Dame to claim the crown, it doesn’t mean we have to stop enjoying what took place.
To that end, it’s a good time — and just plain fun — to revisit every touchdown of Ohio State’s championship run. Starting this week, my next three Monday columns will look back at the OSU touchdowns in those four games, ranking them countdown style.
While this is, admittedly, completely subjective, I did consider some criteria to make my decisions. I considered the degree of difficulty of each scoring play, the magnitude of the moment (i.e., how clutch they were), and the “wow” factor. Was I consistent in applying these criteria? I don’t know. I’m just a guy with a keyboard who loves college football.
Ohio State found the end zone 19 times — six times against Tennessee, five against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, and four times each against Texas and Notre Dame. To do this in three columns, I’m going to stuff nine of those touchdowns into this first part. I chose to do this because four of the touchdowns were 1-yard runs by Quinshon Judkins.
It was difficult to differentiate between their degree of difficulty, and I’m going to officially call that a four-way tie, but I’m not above doing a mini-ranking of them, so that’s what I did.
Let’s get to it.
16. (Four-way tie) Quinshon Judkins’ 1-yard touchdown runs
A. Vs. Notre Dame
Judkins ‘ most important 1-yard touchdown run came early in the third quarter of the national championship matchup against Notre Dame. At the time, it gave Ohio State a 28-7 lead which seemed on the verge of putting the game away. Despite adding a field goal, that lead shrunk as the game went on as the Irish continued to fight.
This play was also big because it came on third down, so a failure to score may have helped Notre Dame gain momentum earlier in the second half and it prevented Ryan Day from having to make a choice between kicking and going for it.
Make that#CFBPlayoffs • #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/6A0agDKKPo
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 21, 2025
B. Vs. Texas
The game was tied at 14 in the fourth quarter of the 2025 Cotton Bowl, which served as a venue for one of the two College Football Playoff semifinals. The Longhorns had made it a new game late in the third quarter and the outcome of the game was on a knife’s edge.
Judkins was met at the line of scrimmage on second-and-goal and powered his way into the end zone. This is the touchdown that made it necessary for Texas to get into the end zone, which the Longhorns did not do. Their failure set up a play that we’ll look back on later in this series. Meanwhile, this was a vital touchdown from Q.
C. Vs. Tennesse (first quarter)
The win over the Volunteers ended up being no problem for Ohio State, but at the time of the first of two Judkins 1-yard plunges against Tennessee, no one knew the Buckeyes were going to be a postseason juggernaut. The last time they’d played...well, let’s not dwell on that.
This touchdown showed Judkins’ power and gave the Buckeyes separation at 14-0 early in a game they went on to dominate.
D. Vs. Tennessee (third quarter)
Judkins capped an 81-yard drive when he plowed in over the right side on second down, putting the icing on an already sweet cake. His running mate finished the scoring a bit later, but this made it 35-10 with just over 16 minutes remaining in the game.
15. TreVeyon Henderson’s 8-yard run vs. Oregon
In the first of Ohio State’s touchdowns longer than a single yard, Judkins’ stable mate makes his first appearance on the list. As far as 8-yard touchdown runs go, this was an easy one and not strictly needed.
The Buckeyes already led the Oregon Ducks 34-15 late in the third quarter. The defense was playing well, and the Ohio State offense could run and pass against a normally stout Oregon defense. Henderson took a toss from Will Howard on the left side and wasn’t threatened until he reached the 3-yard line, where he broke a weak tackle attempt and ran through another at the goal line as the Duck defense capitulated.
Ohio State made it 41-15 with the extra point and romped in the Rose Bowl.
for 3⃣2⃣#CFBPlayoff • #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Px2onaSSen
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 2, 2025
14. Judkins’ 9-yard run vs. Texas
It was early in the Cotton Bowl and Ohio State’s defense began the game with a stop. Ohio State embarked on an opening drive that reached the Texas 9-yard line in nine plays. On the 10th, Judkins took a handoff up the middle, made a man miss in the backfield, cut around another inside the 5-yard line, and followed his blockers into the end zone to open the scoring.
Every point ended up being crucial against a stout Longhorns defense that came into the matchup with a solid game plan. Judkins ensured the Buckeyes got off on the right foot.
13. Henderson’s 29-yard run vs. Tennessee
It seems rude to put a 29-yard run this low in the countdown, but in the end, we love all our children equally. Something needed to go in this slot, and while this may be a hot take on my part, the ease with which this touchdown was scored factored into its placement.
Tennessee was not prepared for Henderson’s speed, and the future NFL running back punished the Vols for it, racing untouched through a gap created by Luke Montgomery and then down the sideline to make it 21-0, and the rout was on.
12. Judkins’ 9-yard run vs. Notre Dame
As 9-yard runs go, this was impressive, and it happened on the biggest stage. Judkins again avoided a loss in the backfield with a stiffarm that planted his defender in the artificial turf. He then broke left and carried a defender into the end zone for the final 4 yards, putting the Buckeyes ahead 14-7 in the second quarter.
It was the second of three unanswered touchdowns by Ohio State to close the first half with momentum.
11. Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith from 22 yards vs. Tennessee
The first pass play on my list — and I swear I’m not biased against rushing touchdowns...I love them, and there are more to come later — comes courtesy of a perfectly executed fade throw from Howard to freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith to open the scoring in the second half against the Volunteers.
Ohio State led 21-10 at the half, but this touchdown early in the third quarter essentially sealed Tennessee’s fate. Smith got separation, used his body well, and plucked Howard’s pass out of the air to extend the Buckeye lead. Ohio State tacked on two more touchdowns before the Volunteers added a late score against a lot of backup defensive players.
That’s it for the first part of three-straight weeks of looking back at glory. The scoring plays get bigger and better from here. See you next week for Part 2.
Continue reading...