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LGHL MC&J: Texas travels to Michigan in Week 2’s marquee matchup
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MC&J: Texas travels to Michigan in Week 2’s marquee matchup
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 Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Plus, picks for all the other games with point spreads involving Big Ten teams this weekend.
Last week ATS: 13-10 (3-2 National, 10-8 B1G)
The first week of games is always so tough to pick since there are so many questions still left to be answered about who is going to step up to replace departed players for teams. Also, a lot of the matchups end up being games against Group of Five or FCS schools.
Anytime you can finish the opening weekend with a positive record you’ll gladly take it.
Duke v. Northwestern (-2.5) - Friday 9/7 9:00 p.m. ET - FS1
Northwestern opened up their season with a solid 13-6 over Miami (OH), who will be in the mix to win the MAC this year. Quarterback Mike Wright did most of the work for the Wildcats on offense, throwing for 178 yards and adding 65 yards and a score on the ground. Northwestern’s defense was outstanding, holding the RedHawks to just 40 yards rushing and forcing two turnovers.
Remember Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy? The big sophomore is now at Duke, throwing for nearly 300 yards in his debut with the Blue Devils. Much like Northwestern, Duke was able to use their defense to stifle their opponent, giving up just 110 total yards to Elon. In what is likely to be a low-scoring game, I’ll side with Murphy and the Blue Devils since I feel Murphy is a little more capable of stringing together some drives to get Duke into scoring position.
Duke 21, Northwestern 17
No. 3 Texas (-7.5) v. No. 10 Michigan - 12:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Had it not been for Washington, this would have been a rematch of the national title game. Who knows, maybe Texas would have won that game and Jim Harbaugh would have bolted for the NFL as a three-time loser in the College Football Playoff. There are some who think both of these teams are headed to this year’s expanded playoff, but I think the Wolverines end up losing at least three games this year.
Texas had no problem in their opener, as Quinn Ewers threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-0 win over Colorado State. Even Arch Manning got into the game and was able to record his first career passing touchdown for the Longhorns. Texas has an impressive group of receivers, and they’ll have to be at their best since there are still questions about their running game after CJ Baxter was lost for the season due to injury.
Michigan didn’t impress me in their opener against Fresno State. Had it not been for Will Johnson’s pick-six in the fourth quarter, the score would have truly shown how much the Wolverines struggled. I’m not exactly sure what head coach Sherrone Moore was trying to accomplish, starting Davis Warren over Alex Orji and only giving Donovan Edwards 11 carries in the game.
Texas is a whole different animal than Fresno State, and the Longhorns win by at least 10.
Texas 28, Michigan 17
Bowling Green v. No. 8 Penn State (-34.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Penn State was very impressive in their 34-12 win over West Virginia last week. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is bringing some pop with him from Kansas, which could have Drew Allar as a Heisman Trophy sleeper if he has a few more performances like we saw from him against the Mountaineers. Add in running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and opponents will have their hands full trying to slow down the Nittany Lions.
After saying so many nice things about Penn State, I must be taking the Nittany Lions this week, right? Wrong. This feels like it could be a bit of a letdown spot for them. Not saying Penn State is on upset alert, but Bowling Green does have a quarterback in Connor Bazelak, who used to play in a Power 5 conference, so he is familiar with the big stage.
The Falcons should be able to keep the final score margin inside 30.
Penn State 42, Bowling Green 14
Akron v. Rutgers (-23.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Playing Ohio State takes a lot out of opponents. Just ask Akron quarterback Ben Finley, who was punished by the Buckeyes before leaving Saturday’s game. Rutgers isn’t the offensive juggernaut Ohio State is, but the Scarlet Knights have shown under Greg Schiano they can take care of business against teams they should beat.
Rutgers 37, Akron 10
Iowa State v. No. 21 Iowa (-2.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - CBS
El Assico is back! This year’s edition should be a fun watch. Not only do the Cyclones have quarterback Rocco Becht and running back Abu Sama III back, the Hawkeyes are coming off a 40-point performance last week against Illinois State. Iowa really got their act together after halftime on offense, putting up 34 points in the second half. Cade McNamara threw three touchdown passes in the victory.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25604085/usa_today_24122893.jpg "NCAA Football: Illinois State at Iowa")
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Find something you love doing as much as Matt Campbell loves losing to Iowa. Following last year’s 20-13 Hawkeye victory, Campbell is now 1-6 against Kirk Ferentz. The only victory for Campbell came in 2022 when the Cyclones won 10-7. I’m having a hard time seeing Campbell’s squad making it two wins in the last three years.
New offensive coordinator is going to open up the Iowa offense just enough to put the Hawkeyes in position to possibly make the CFP.
Iowa 24, Iowa State 14
Michigan State v. Maryland (-9.5) - 3:30 p.m ET - Big Ten Network
Michigan State may have won their season opener, but it certainly wasn’t pretty. The Spartans pulled out a 16-10 victory in head coach Jonathan Smith’s first game in charge in East Lansing. If Michigan State can’t handle their business at home against an inferior opponent like Florida Atlantic, what hope do they have against a team like Maryland, who was hitting on all cylinders in their opening game win over UConn?
The Terrapins win the first Big Ten game of the season by at least 10 points.
Maryland 38, Michigan State 20
Eastern Michigan v. Washington (-25.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Washington opened up their life in the Big Ten with an easy win over FCS foe Weber State. This week the Huskies move up to playing FBS teams, as Eastern Michigan makes the trip out to Seattle. The Eagles are replacing a lot on offense from last year’s team, which isn’t something you want to be doing against a defense that only allowed three points to Weber State.
Chris Creighton always fields pesky teams that punch above their weight limit when taking on Power 5 schools. I just think asking the Eagles to stay within four touchdowns on Washington is asking a lot. The Huskies looked good with the combo of quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jonah Coleman. The duo is only going to get stronger as they get more reps together.
Washington 41, Eastern Michigan 13
No. 19 Kansas (-5.5) v. Illinois - 7:00 p.m. ET - FS1
Just a few years ago nobody would have cared about this matchup. Now the battle between the Jayhawks and Fighting Illini is actually an interesting one. Kansas will be fighting for the Big 12 crown this year with quarterback Jalon Daniels running the offense. Devin Neal rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the season opening 48-3 win over Lindenwood.
Luke Altmyer is back for another season as Illinois quarterback, and tossed four scores against Eastern Illinois last Thursday. This game could be one of the most exciting of the weekend, as both offenses have the potential to put points on the board. To me, Kansas is just a little more of a complete team and I could see Daniels leading the Jayhawks to a score late in the fourth quarter to secure the victory for Kansas.
Kansas 38, Illinois 31
Colorado v. Nebraska (-7.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - NBC
Colorado opened up their 2024 season by squeaking by North Dakota State 31-26 in Boulder. Sheduer Sanders was outstanding in the victory, passing for 445 yards and four touchdowns, finding two-way star Travis Hunter three times in the end zone. The issue with Colorado is they are still pretty weak in the trenches. Dallan Hayden was the leading rusher for the Buffaloes, but the former Buckeye only had 20 yards rushing.
Dylan Raiola impressed in his first collegiate game, completing 70 percent of his passes in the blowout of UTEP. What was most impressive about the Cornhuskers last week was how fierce their defense was. Sanders will put up some numbers but the difference is going to be how much better the lines of Nebraska are than what Colorado has to offer.
The Cornhuskers gain some revenge for last year’s loss as Matt Rhule continues to inject some excitement back into the Nebraska fan base.
Nebraska 41, Colorado 30
Boise State v. No. 7 Oregon (-18.5) - 10:00 p.m. ET - Peacock
Oregon’s season opener against Idaho was very puzzling. Even though Dillon Gabriel completed 41 of his 49 passes for 380 yards, the Ducks only beat Idaho by 10 points in Eugene. Now Oregon has to try and stop Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns in a 56-45 win over Georgia Southern.
While the defense of the Broncos did leave a lot to be desired with their performance against Georgia Southern, they were able to get some stops in the fourth quarter to pull away and secure the victory. Oregon certainly will be more efficient on offense, but I think Boise State has more than enough to keep this game from getting out of control.
Oregon 45, Boise State 34
Utah State v. No. 13 USC (-28.5) - 11:00 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
I’ll be honest, I was not expecting USC to look as good as they did on Sunday night in Las Vegas against LSU. If the Trojans can keep playing defense like they did against the Tigers, they are going to be tough to beat this year. It just goes to show you how terrible former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was at his job, since D’Anton Lynn has been able to change the culture on defense after coming over as defensive coordinator from UCLA.
Utah State was probably just happy to get on the football field after the offseason drama that resulted in the firing of head coach Blake Anderson. The Aggies rolled up over 600 yards of offense in a 36-14 win over Robert Morris last week. Quarterback Bryson Barnes actually led Utah to a win last year at USC so he’ll go into the game with some confidence.
While I’m not calling for Utah State to win this one, they could annoy the Trojans, who are working on a short week and have been hearing about how great they are after the win over LSU,
USC 48, Utah State 24
Western Michigan v. No. 2 Ohio State (-37.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Last week we rolled with Akron to cover the massive point spread against Ohio State. The play worked, as the Buckeyes won by ONLY 46 points.
There was some rust early on that contributed to Ohio State barely failing to cover the massive number against the Zips. The most notable issue for the Buckeyes was how much trouble they had running the football. Quinshon Judkins was bottled up in his Ohio State debut, with the Buckeyes running for 170 yards on the ground as a team.
At least Will Howard was able to find Jeremiah Smith early and often in the game. In his first collegiate game, Smith has already started to live up to the hype. The trifecta of Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate are only going to get better as the season moves along. The veteran leadership of Will Howard is also going to make this team so much more enjoyable to watch than what we saw from Kyle McCord last season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25604086/2169390092.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: AUG 31 Akron at Ohio State")
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Western Michigan hung with Wisconsin last week, actually taking a 14-13 lead on the Badgers early in the fourth quarter. Although, I think that might have more to do with Wisconsin still struggling to find their identity under Luke Fickell than the Broncos being a team that is going to contend for the MAC title this year. Western Michigan is still pretty green on offense, which will likely show up more against Ohio State’s outstanding defense, who were able to score two touchdowns against Akron last week.
It probably sounds crazy to say the Buckeyes are going to improve after a 46-point win, but they will tighten up some areas this week. TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins find some more running room this week, especially if guard Donovan Jackson returns to the lineup after missing last week due to injury. Next week Ohio State has a bye, so Ryan Day is going to expect a complete performance out of his team this week.
This feels like a game the Buckeyes should win by at least 40 points.
Ohio State 51, Western Michigan 10
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 Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Plus, picks for all the other games with point spreads involving Big Ten teams this weekend.
Last week ATS: 13-10 (3-2 National, 10-8 B1G)
The first week of games is always so tough to pick since there are so many questions still left to be answered about who is going to step up to replace departed players for teams. Also, a lot of the matchups end up being games against Group of Five or FCS schools.
Anytime you can finish the opening weekend with a positive record you’ll gladly take it.
B1G games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):
Duke v. Northwestern (-2.5) - Friday 9/7 9:00 p.m. ET - FS1
Northwestern opened up their season with a solid 13-6 over Miami (OH), who will be in the mix to win the MAC this year. Quarterback Mike Wright did most of the work for the Wildcats on offense, throwing for 178 yards and adding 65 yards and a score on the ground. Northwestern’s defense was outstanding, holding the RedHawks to just 40 yards rushing and forcing two turnovers.
Remember Texas quarterback Maalik Murphy? The big sophomore is now at Duke, throwing for nearly 300 yards in his debut with the Blue Devils. Much like Northwestern, Duke was able to use their defense to stifle their opponent, giving up just 110 total yards to Elon. In what is likely to be a low-scoring game, I’ll side with Murphy and the Blue Devils since I feel Murphy is a little more capable of stringing together some drives to get Duke into scoring position.
Duke 21, Northwestern 17
No. 3 Texas (-7.5) v. No. 10 Michigan - 12:00 p.m. ET - FOX
Had it not been for Washington, this would have been a rematch of the national title game. Who knows, maybe Texas would have won that game and Jim Harbaugh would have bolted for the NFL as a three-time loser in the College Football Playoff. There are some who think both of these teams are headed to this year’s expanded playoff, but I think the Wolverines end up losing at least three games this year.
Texas had no problem in their opener, as Quinn Ewers threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-0 win over Colorado State. Even Arch Manning got into the game and was able to record his first career passing touchdown for the Longhorns. Texas has an impressive group of receivers, and they’ll have to be at their best since there are still questions about their running game after CJ Baxter was lost for the season due to injury.
Michigan didn’t impress me in their opener against Fresno State. Had it not been for Will Johnson’s pick-six in the fourth quarter, the score would have truly shown how much the Wolverines struggled. I’m not exactly sure what head coach Sherrone Moore was trying to accomplish, starting Davis Warren over Alex Orji and only giving Donovan Edwards 11 carries in the game.
Texas is a whole different animal than Fresno State, and the Longhorns win by at least 10.
Texas 28, Michigan 17
Bowling Green v. No. 8 Penn State (-34.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Penn State was very impressive in their 34-12 win over West Virginia last week. New offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is bringing some pop with him from Kansas, which could have Drew Allar as a Heisman Trophy sleeper if he has a few more performances like we saw from him against the Mountaineers. Add in running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and opponents will have their hands full trying to slow down the Nittany Lions.
After saying so many nice things about Penn State, I must be taking the Nittany Lions this week, right? Wrong. This feels like it could be a bit of a letdown spot for them. Not saying Penn State is on upset alert, but Bowling Green does have a quarterback in Connor Bazelak, who used to play in a Power 5 conference, so he is familiar with the big stage.
The Falcons should be able to keep the final score margin inside 30.
Penn State 42, Bowling Green 14
Akron v. Rutgers (-23.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Playing Ohio State takes a lot out of opponents. Just ask Akron quarterback Ben Finley, who was punished by the Buckeyes before leaving Saturday’s game. Rutgers isn’t the offensive juggernaut Ohio State is, but the Scarlet Knights have shown under Greg Schiano they can take care of business against teams they should beat.
Rutgers 37, Akron 10
Iowa State v. No. 21 Iowa (-2.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - CBS
El Assico is back! This year’s edition should be a fun watch. Not only do the Cyclones have quarterback Rocco Becht and running back Abu Sama III back, the Hawkeyes are coming off a 40-point performance last week against Illinois State. Iowa really got their act together after halftime on offense, putting up 34 points in the second half. Cade McNamara threw three touchdown passes in the victory.
Find something you love doing as much as Matt Campbell loves losing to Iowa. Following last year’s 20-13 Hawkeye victory, Campbell is now 1-6 against Kirk Ferentz. The only victory for Campbell came in 2022 when the Cyclones won 10-7. I’m having a hard time seeing Campbell’s squad making it two wins in the last three years.
New offensive coordinator is going to open up the Iowa offense just enough to put the Hawkeyes in position to possibly make the CFP.
Iowa 24, Iowa State 14
Michigan State v. Maryland (-9.5) - 3:30 p.m ET - Big Ten Network
Michigan State may have won their season opener, but it certainly wasn’t pretty. The Spartans pulled out a 16-10 victory in head coach Jonathan Smith’s first game in charge in East Lansing. If Michigan State can’t handle their business at home against an inferior opponent like Florida Atlantic, what hope do they have against a team like Maryland, who was hitting on all cylinders in their opening game win over UConn?
The Terrapins win the first Big Ten game of the season by at least 10 points.
Maryland 38, Michigan State 20
Eastern Michigan v. Washington (-25.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Washington opened up their life in the Big Ten with an easy win over FCS foe Weber State. This week the Huskies move up to playing FBS teams, as Eastern Michigan makes the trip out to Seattle. The Eagles are replacing a lot on offense from last year’s team, which isn’t something you want to be doing against a defense that only allowed three points to Weber State.
Chris Creighton always fields pesky teams that punch above their weight limit when taking on Power 5 schools. I just think asking the Eagles to stay within four touchdowns on Washington is asking a lot. The Huskies looked good with the combo of quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jonah Coleman. The duo is only going to get stronger as they get more reps together.
Washington 41, Eastern Michigan 13
No. 19 Kansas (-5.5) v. Illinois - 7:00 p.m. ET - FS1
Just a few years ago nobody would have cared about this matchup. Now the battle between the Jayhawks and Fighting Illini is actually an interesting one. Kansas will be fighting for the Big 12 crown this year with quarterback Jalon Daniels running the offense. Devin Neal rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the season opening 48-3 win over Lindenwood.
Luke Altmyer is back for another season as Illinois quarterback, and tossed four scores against Eastern Illinois last Thursday. This game could be one of the most exciting of the weekend, as both offenses have the potential to put points on the board. To me, Kansas is just a little more of a complete team and I could see Daniels leading the Jayhawks to a score late in the fourth quarter to secure the victory for Kansas.
Kansas 38, Illinois 31
Colorado v. Nebraska (-7.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - NBC
Colorado opened up their 2024 season by squeaking by North Dakota State 31-26 in Boulder. Sheduer Sanders was outstanding in the victory, passing for 445 yards and four touchdowns, finding two-way star Travis Hunter three times in the end zone. The issue with Colorado is they are still pretty weak in the trenches. Dallan Hayden was the leading rusher for the Buffaloes, but the former Buckeye only had 20 yards rushing.
Dylan Raiola impressed in his first collegiate game, completing 70 percent of his passes in the blowout of UTEP. What was most impressive about the Cornhuskers last week was how fierce their defense was. Sanders will put up some numbers but the difference is going to be how much better the lines of Nebraska are than what Colorado has to offer.
The Cornhuskers gain some revenge for last year’s loss as Matt Rhule continues to inject some excitement back into the Nebraska fan base.
Nebraska 41, Colorado 30
Boise State v. No. 7 Oregon (-18.5) - 10:00 p.m. ET - Peacock
Oregon’s season opener against Idaho was very puzzling. Even though Dillon Gabriel completed 41 of his 49 passes for 380 yards, the Ducks only beat Idaho by 10 points in Eugene. Now Oregon has to try and stop Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who ran for 267 yards and six touchdowns in a 56-45 win over Georgia Southern.
While the defense of the Broncos did leave a lot to be desired with their performance against Georgia Southern, they were able to get some stops in the fourth quarter to pull away and secure the victory. Oregon certainly will be more efficient on offense, but I think Boise State has more than enough to keep this game from getting out of control.
Oregon 45, Boise State 34
Utah State v. No. 13 USC (-28.5) - 11:00 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
I’ll be honest, I was not expecting USC to look as good as they did on Sunday night in Las Vegas against LSU. If the Trojans can keep playing defense like they did against the Tigers, they are going to be tough to beat this year. It just goes to show you how terrible former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was at his job, since D’Anton Lynn has been able to change the culture on defense after coming over as defensive coordinator from UCLA.
Utah State was probably just happy to get on the football field after the offseason drama that resulted in the firing of head coach Blake Anderson. The Aggies rolled up over 600 yards of offense in a 36-14 win over Robert Morris last week. Quarterback Bryson Barnes actually led Utah to a win last year at USC so he’ll go into the game with some confidence.
While I’m not calling for Utah State to win this one, they could annoy the Trojans, who are working on a short week and have been hearing about how great they are after the win over LSU,
USC 48, Utah State 24
Western Michigan v. No. 2 Ohio State (-37.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - Big Ten Network
Last week we rolled with Akron to cover the massive point spread against Ohio State. The play worked, as the Buckeyes won by ONLY 46 points.
There was some rust early on that contributed to Ohio State barely failing to cover the massive number against the Zips. The most notable issue for the Buckeyes was how much trouble they had running the football. Quinshon Judkins was bottled up in his Ohio State debut, with the Buckeyes running for 170 yards on the ground as a team.
At least Will Howard was able to find Jeremiah Smith early and often in the game. In his first collegiate game, Smith has already started to live up to the hype. The trifecta of Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate are only going to get better as the season moves along. The veteran leadership of Will Howard is also going to make this team so much more enjoyable to watch than what we saw from Kyle McCord last season.
Western Michigan hung with Wisconsin last week, actually taking a 14-13 lead on the Badgers early in the fourth quarter. Although, I think that might have more to do with Wisconsin still struggling to find their identity under Luke Fickell than the Broncos being a team that is going to contend for the MAC title this year. Western Michigan is still pretty green on offense, which will likely show up more against Ohio State’s outstanding defense, who were able to score two touchdowns against Akron last week.
It probably sounds crazy to say the Buckeyes are going to improve after a 46-point win, but they will tighten up some areas this week. TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins find some more running room this week, especially if guard Donovan Jackson returns to the lineup after missing last week due to injury. Next week Ohio State has a bye, so Ryan Day is going to expect a complete performance out of his team this week.
This feels like a game the Buckeyes should win by at least 40 points.
Ohio State 51, Western Michigan 10
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LGHL Pooch Punt: General thoughts and mild musings about Ohio State’s lopsided victory over Akron
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Pooch Punt: General thoughts and mild musings about Ohio State’s lopsided victory over Akron
Josh Dooley 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
Week 1 was a bit of a snoozer in The Shoe, however, several players and themes still stood out.
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened their 2024-25 football season with an exciting nail-biter of a win over vaunted in-state rival Akron this past Saturday, overcoming early adversity to eventually pull away by a slim margin... Okay, so most of that is and was a total lie. But give me a break, it’s tough to dress up a Week 1 “paycheck” game (yes, Akron was paid for their time and trouble).
That being said, it wasgood great to see the Buckeyes back on the field in a real game setting. Saturday’s game had its highs and its lows, but all in all, it was a solid start for Ryan Day’s squad. New and/or young guys played well, Jim Knowles’ defense was dominant, and the team’s offensive line was... present.
Unfortunately, I just don’t have much for you when it comes to in-depth analysis. I mean, we’re talking about a game against Akron. This was a glorified exhibition that happened to go on/count towards OSU’s regular season record. But I’m not sure that we learned a ton about how Day and Co. will approach their tougher games and Big Ten schedule.
So instead of breaking down the all-22, I decided to empty the observation tank. These are and were my first impressions of the Buckeyes, in what may or may not become a recurring weekly theme.
Will Howard has aura, as the kids would say. No offense to Ohio State’s previous starting quarterback – who had a hell of a game in Syracuse, NY BTW – but Howard just looked the part of a “franchise” signal caller on Saturday. He appeared calm, cool, andcollected most importantly, confident throughout the game against Akron, even after a sluggish start. And he probably should (have), right? Given his years of experience in Manhattan, KS.
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Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Still, the way Howard carried himself on Saturday was... refreshing. And different. Different from what OSU fans saw from the QB position last season. The former Kansas State Wildcat often appeared to be the most locked-in guy on the entire field, while also smiling and enjoying himself. And that’s just not something Buckeye fans saw enough of in 2023.
Now at some point, Howard’s performance will take (greater) precedence and be the only thing that matters. Not his attitude and/or the vibes he is putting out. But what I saw on Saturday gives me confidence that Howard is going be a great leader for this Ohio State team, through thick and thin.
Jeremiah Smith dropping the first ball thrown his way was the funniest possible outcome, given the hype around – and expectations for – him. Although, Smith likely didn’t find humor in the situation. But it put(s) him in good company, as OSU and NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter was quick to note.
Smith recovered quite well and wasted little time giving the college football world a preview of what’s to come. As well as a glimpse of what opponents should fear when taking on the Buckeyes. The true freshman already looks like one of the best wide receivers in CFB after just one game, drop be damned. So that little snafu will likely become just a footnote in history; something that Smith is hoping and appears poised to make.
Brandon Inniss is Ohio State’s most exciting special teams player in a decade (or more). Not since Jalin Marshall has OSU had a truly exciting kick/punt returner. Sure, there were players who fans hoped would generate excitement and return kicks like Marshall and/or Ted Ginn Jr., but it just never came to fruition. Inniss, on the other hand, is already a certified electric factory.
The second-year WR returned four punts for 60 total yards against Akron, racking up 80% of the Buckeyes’ 2023 punt return total... Yep, that’s right. Parker Fleming’s unit totaled just 75 punt return yards all of last season! And Inniss nearly matched or exceeded that in one afternoon.
He (Inniss) looked both fearless and supremely confident while catching punts inside the 10 and/or off the bounce, something we haven’t seen in Columbus in a long, long time. And it was never the wrong decision! Inniss didn’t make any boneheaded mistakes that could have cost Ohio State. Instead, he set the team up with better field position on four separate occasions.
Now, was this against an inferior team in Akron? Yes, you know it was. And am I fully expecting Inniss to make one of those aforementioned wrong/bad decisions in the fourth quarter of a close Big Ten game? Also yes.
But OSU hasn’t returned a kick of any kind for a TD since 2014, and I’m sick of waiting. Ryan Day guaranteed a return TD, and after Saturday, I legitimately expect Inniss to deliver.
Ohio State’s defensive ends... all of them... looked phenomenal, as they should against an overmatched Akron team. But even though OSU should dominate against a MAC team, wasn’t it great to see the likes of Kenyatta Jackson, Caden Curry, Mitchell Melton, and even Eddrick Houston actually do so!?
More on this group later, but it wasn’t just J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer who looked the part of a starting DE for the Buckeyes. The “others” looked and/or played like they could enter the lineup at any point and help cause chaos up front.
Jack Sawyer (and Joe Moorhead, oddly) seemed to have a personal vendetta against Akron QB Ben Finley. Though Sawyer was not credited with a sack, he was in Akron’s backfield – and Finley’s face – all afternoon. At least while both were in the game.
Time after time, Sawyer bull-rushed his way past or spun around the Zips’ right tackle, reaching Finley just after he released a pass and planting the latter firmly in the Ohio Stadium dirt. There was even a sequence shortly before Akron’s starting QB exited the game where Sawyer got to him on three straight or three out of four snaps and seemingly did significant (and legal, nothing dirty) damage to Finley’s upper body on each and every occasion. It was almost like Sawyer channeled The Waterboy’s Bobby Boucher for a few hours.
And oddly, Moorhead seemed to be okay with Finley taking hit after hit. The coach even ran his signal caller (via designed play) multiple times after it was clear and evident that Finley was in pain. Kudos to the QB for displaying grit and toughness, but I gotta question the decision to leave him in as long as the Akron coach(es) did.
Davison Igbinosun is all gas, no brakes, and that’s great. But coaches and fans should not be surprised if/when he racks up a few penalties. Igbinosun plays with his hair on fire, plain and simple. And I absolutely love that from “my” defensive backs. However, the former Ole Miss Rebel has been prone to penalties during his time in Columbus, and Saturday was no different. Igbinosun was nearly ejected from the game for targeting on Akron’s first drive. Can’t have that.
Most coaches are fine with the occasional penalty, but Igbinosun should choose his spots carefully when it comes to being hyper-aggressive. Because Ohio State is better/best when he’s on the field.
Donovan Jackson was sorely missed. Look, I don’t want to be negative, but Saturday was a D/D+ performance by OSU’s OL... Against Akron! This shit can’t continue. It’s one thing if Justin Frye struggles to recruit, but it’s another if he (also) can’t put a cohesive and high-performing unit on the field. The Buckeyes’ best O-lineman on Saturday was developed at Alabama... Hopefully, it was just Week 1 jitters.
Quick Hitters
The kids are alright. Smith, Houston, and James Peoples – all true freshmen – got real snaps in Saturday’s game and contributed in meaningful ways. Hell of a start for the young Bucks.
Larry Johnson’s “backup” Rushmen package brought tears to this fan’s eyes. I may have missed an earlier iteration with different personnel, but when I saw Houston and Melton playing DE, with Jackson and Curry inside, I thought maybe I was on illicit substances. And guess what? The Rushmen package worked, as Jackson and Melton combined for a sack. Please, please, please give us more of this.
Archie Griffin “dotting the i” was awesome. That’s it, and that’s the end. Until next time...
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley 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
Week 1 was a bit of a snoozer in The Shoe, however, several players and themes still stood out.
The Ohio State Buckeyes opened their 2024-25 football season with an exciting nail-biter of a win over vaunted in-state rival Akron this past Saturday, overcoming early adversity to eventually pull away by a slim margin... Okay, so most of that is and was a total lie. But give me a break, it’s tough to dress up a Week 1 “paycheck” game (yes, Akron was paid for their time and trouble).
That being said, it was
Unfortunately, I just don’t have much for you when it comes to in-depth analysis. I mean, we’re talking about a game against Akron. This was a glorified exhibition that happened to go on/count towards OSU’s regular season record. But I’m not sure that we learned a ton about how Day and Co. will approach their tougher games and Big Ten schedule.
So instead of breaking down the all-22, I decided to empty the observation tank. These are and were my first impressions of the Buckeyes, in what may or may not become a recurring weekly theme.
Will Howard has aura, as the kids would say. No offense to Ohio State’s previous starting quarterback – who had a hell of a game in Syracuse, NY BTW – but Howard just looked the part of a “franchise” signal caller on Saturday. He appeared calm, cool, and
Still, the way Howard carried himself on Saturday was... refreshing. And different. Different from what OSU fans saw from the QB position last season. The former Kansas State Wildcat often appeared to be the most locked-in guy on the entire field, while also smiling and enjoying himself. And that’s just not something Buckeye fans saw enough of in 2023.
Now at some point, Howard’s performance will take (greater) precedence and be the only thing that matters. Not his attitude and/or the vibes he is putting out. But what I saw on Saturday gives me confidence that Howard is going be a great leader for this Ohio State team, through thick and thin.
Jeremiah Smith dropping the first ball thrown his way was the funniest possible outcome, given the hype around – and expectations for – him. Although, Smith likely didn’t find humor in the situation. But it put(s) him in good company, as OSU and NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter was quick to note.
Smith recovered quite well and wasted little time giving the college football world a preview of what’s to come. As well as a glimpse of what opponents should fear when taking on the Buckeyes. The true freshman already looks like one of the best wide receivers in CFB after just one game, drop be damned. So that little snafu will likely become just a footnote in history; something that Smith is hoping and appears poised to make.
Brandon Inniss is Ohio State’s most exciting special teams player in a decade (or more). Not since Jalin Marshall has OSU had a truly exciting kick/punt returner. Sure, there were players who fans hoped would generate excitement and return kicks like Marshall and/or Ted Ginn Jr., but it just never came to fruition. Inniss, on the other hand, is already a certified electric factory.
The second-year WR returned four punts for 60 total yards against Akron, racking up 80% of the Buckeyes’ 2023 punt return total... Yep, that’s right. Parker Fleming’s unit totaled just 75 punt return yards all of last season! And Inniss nearly matched or exceeded that in one afternoon.
He (Inniss) looked both fearless and supremely confident while catching punts inside the 10 and/or off the bounce, something we haven’t seen in Columbus in a long, long time. And it was never the wrong decision! Inniss didn’t make any boneheaded mistakes that could have cost Ohio State. Instead, he set the team up with better field position on four separate occasions.
Now, was this against an inferior team in Akron? Yes, you know it was. And am I fully expecting Inniss to make one of those aforementioned wrong/bad decisions in the fourth quarter of a close Big Ten game? Also yes.
But OSU hasn’t returned a kick of any kind for a TD since 2014, and I’m sick of waiting. Ryan Day guaranteed a return TD, and after Saturday, I legitimately expect Inniss to deliver.
Ohio State’s defensive ends... all of them... looked phenomenal, as they should against an overmatched Akron team. But even though OSU should dominate against a MAC team, wasn’t it great to see the likes of Kenyatta Jackson, Caden Curry, Mitchell Melton, and even Eddrick Houston actually do so!?
More on this group later, but it wasn’t just J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer who looked the part of a starting DE for the Buckeyes. The “others” looked and/or played like they could enter the lineup at any point and help cause chaos up front.
Jack Sawyer (and Joe Moorhead, oddly) seemed to have a personal vendetta against Akron QB Ben Finley. Though Sawyer was not credited with a sack, he was in Akron’s backfield – and Finley’s face – all afternoon. At least while both were in the game.
Time after time, Sawyer bull-rushed his way past or spun around the Zips’ right tackle, reaching Finley just after he released a pass and planting the latter firmly in the Ohio Stadium dirt. There was even a sequence shortly before Akron’s starting QB exited the game where Sawyer got to him on three straight or three out of four snaps and seemingly did significant (and legal, nothing dirty) damage to Finley’s upper body on each and every occasion. It was almost like Sawyer channeled The Waterboy’s Bobby Boucher for a few hours.
And oddly, Moorhead seemed to be okay with Finley taking hit after hit. The coach even ran his signal caller (via designed play) multiple times after it was clear and evident that Finley was in pain. Kudos to the QB for displaying grit and toughness, but I gotta question the decision to leave him in as long as the Akron coach(es) did.
Davison Igbinosun is all gas, no brakes, and that’s great. But coaches and fans should not be surprised if/when he racks up a few penalties. Igbinosun plays with his hair on fire, plain and simple. And I absolutely love that from “my” defensive backs. However, the former Ole Miss Rebel has been prone to penalties during his time in Columbus, and Saturday was no different. Igbinosun was nearly ejected from the game for targeting on Akron’s first drive. Can’t have that.
Most coaches are fine with the occasional penalty, but Igbinosun should choose his spots carefully when it comes to being hyper-aggressive. Because Ohio State is better/best when he’s on the field.
Donovan Jackson was sorely missed. Look, I don’t want to be negative, but Saturday was a D/D+ performance by OSU’s OL... Against Akron! This shit can’t continue. It’s one thing if Justin Frye struggles to recruit, but it’s another if he (also) can’t put a cohesive and high-performing unit on the field. The Buckeyes’ best O-lineman on Saturday was developed at Alabama... Hopefully, it was just Week 1 jitters.
Quick Hitters
The kids are alright. Smith, Houston, and James Peoples – all true freshmen – got real snaps in Saturday’s game and contributed in meaningful ways. Hell of a start for the young Bucks.
Larry Johnson’s “backup” Rushmen package brought tears to this fan’s eyes. I may have missed an earlier iteration with different personnel, but when I saw Houston and Melton playing DE, with Jackson and Curry inside, I thought maybe I was on illicit substances. And guess what? The Rushmen package worked, as Jackson and Melton combined for a sack. Please, please, please give us more of this.
Archie Griffin “dotting the i” was awesome. That’s it, and that’s the end. Until next time...
Continue reading...
LGHL Judkins throws shade at Ole Miss and Day wants improvement ‘across the board’
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Judkins throws shade at Ole Miss and Day wants improvement ‘across the board’
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
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
Quick Hits: Quinshon Judkins Calls Playing in Ohio State “A One-of-a-Kind Experience” and Carnell Tate Expects Western Michigan to “Play Ball With Us”
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Jeremiah Smith gives the Buckeyes something they haven’t yet had under Ryan Day and Brian Hartline
Caleb Houser, Land-Grant Holy Land
Shove it, Lane.
Buckeyes program-wide emphasis on special teams already paying off (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ryan Day Says Ohio State Needs to Improve “Little Things All Across The Board” in Week 2
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Evaluating grades beyond box score after Buckeyes beat Akron (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Game Data: Ohio State hoping for better start as it hosts Western Michigan
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
How Ryan Day is adjusting to OSU’s new offensive play-calling dynamic
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Three areas Buckeyes must show improvement in this week (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Which Buckeye surprised you most against Akron?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye changed the perception of them the most in Week 1?
Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
Cincinnati to host Ohio State for preseason men’s basketball game
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Five Big Ten men’s basketball sophomores who could have breakout seasons
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Men’s Cross Country: Jack Agnew Selected B1G Freshman of the Week
Ohio State Athletics
Baseball: Buckeyes’ College Baseball Series Schedule Announced
Ohio State Athletics
Is Eastern Kentucky my new favorite team?
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
All the Buckeye news thats fit to re-print.
Look, we get it. Your days are busy and you don’t have time to read all of the stories and tweets from the three dozen websites dedicated to covering Ohio State athletics, or the 237 Buckeye beat writers churning out hot takes and #content on a daily basis. But that’s ok, that’s what your friends at Land-Grant Holy Land are here for.
Monday through Friday, we’ll be collecting all of the articles, tweets, features, interviews, videos, podcasts, memes, photos, and whatever else we stumble across on the interwebz and putting them in our daily “Why is this News?” article. That way, you’ll have a one-stop shop for all of the most important Buckeye news, jokes, and analysis.
You’re welcome!
For your Earholes...
Subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network for all of your Ohio State needs
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Quick Hits: Quinshon Judkins Calls Playing in Ohio State “A One-of-a-Kind Experience” and Carnell Tate Expects Western Michigan to “Play Ball With Us”
Chase Brown, Dan Hope, Garrick Hodge, and Andy Anders, Eleven Warriors
Jeremiah Smith gives the Buckeyes something they haven’t yet had under Ryan Day and Brian Hartline
Caleb Houser, Land-Grant Holy Land
Shove it, Lane.
Buckeyes program-wide emphasis on special teams already paying off (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Ryan Day Says Ohio State Needs to Improve “Little Things All Across The Board” in Week 2
Dan Hope, Eleven Warriors
Evaluating grades beyond box score after Buckeyes beat Akron (paywall)
Austin Ward, Dotting The Eyes
Game Data: Ohio State hoping for better start as it hosts Western Michigan
Steve Helwagen, Bucknuts
How Ryan Day is adjusting to OSU’s new offensive play-calling dynamic
Joey Kaufman, The Columbus Dispatch
Three areas Buckeyes must show improvement in this week (paywall)
Spencer Holbrook, Lettermen Row
Which Buckeye surprised you most against Akron?
Matt Tamanini, Land-Grant Holy Land
You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye changed the perception of them the most in Week 1?
Matt Tamanini and Jami Jurich, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Cincinnati to host Ohio State for preseason men’s basketball game
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Five Big Ten men’s basketball sophomores who could have breakout seasons
Justin Golba, Land-Grant Holy Land
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Men’s Cross Country: Jack Agnew Selected B1G Freshman of the Week
Ohio State Athletics
Baseball: Buckeyes’ College Baseball Series Schedule Announced
Ohio State Athletics
And now for something completely different...
Is Eastern Kentucky my new favorite team?
Continue reading...
LGHL I-80 Football Show: We’re about to find out just how bad (or good) Michigan is!
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I-80 Football Show: We’re about to find out just how bad (or good) Michigan is!
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
With Texas coming to the Big House, we’re about to see if Week 1 was a fluke for Michigan
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week.
My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Michigan is about to play 60 minutes against Texas with an offense that might not be able to beat a Texas high school football team.
Before that, FSU is 0-2. We can’t say we predicted 0-2, but we did say it would be really bad if FSU lost two games in the two most exclusive windows of the college football season besides the national championship game.
For two weeks in a row, FSU was the only game on television, and for the second week, they got bullied on the line of scrimmage, couldn’t complete routine passes, and looked overmatched against a team they were expected to beat handily. One official week into the season their playoff hopes were smashed, and they went from nNo. 10 in the AP Poll to unranked.
Back to the Big Ten, the guys break out their second-ever Mapquest segment, where they tell you at least one game in every television window to watch. Friday night might be best spent with family, but if you must watch football then Northwestern vs. Duke is on.
On Saturday, Michigan faces Texas in the Big House after a disappointing showing against Fresno State. While we expect Texas to win this game no matter what, Michigan’s defense may not be good enough to keep the score close with how inept their offense looked last week against a much lesser opponent.
In the mid-day time slot, the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry will be played before part two of the Nebraska vs. Colorado home-and-home in the primetime slot. Nebraska is hoping to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Buffs last season, and hopes that freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola can lead them past Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
Lastly. Big Ten after dark is here with Oregon hoping to bounce back and prove that week one was a fluke against a Boise State team that ran for over 350 yards and seven touchdowns in Week 1.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show you can subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Thursday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
With Texas coming to the Big House, we’re about to see if Week 1 was a fluke for Michigan
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s I-80 Football Show. On this show, we travel down I-80 to talk all things Big Ten Football. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the conference’s games and look ahead at the matchups, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week.
My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host Dante Morgan.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio
Michigan is about to play 60 minutes against Texas with an offense that might not be able to beat a Texas high school football team.
Before that, FSU is 0-2. We can’t say we predicted 0-2, but we did say it would be really bad if FSU lost two games in the two most exclusive windows of the college football season besides the national championship game.
For two weeks in a row, FSU was the only game on television, and for the second week, they got bullied on the line of scrimmage, couldn’t complete routine passes, and looked overmatched against a team they were expected to beat handily. One official week into the season their playoff hopes were smashed, and they went from nNo. 10 in the AP Poll to unranked.
Back to the Big Ten, the guys break out their second-ever Mapquest segment, where they tell you at least one game in every television window to watch. Friday night might be best spent with family, but if you must watch football then Northwestern vs. Duke is on.
On Saturday, Michigan faces Texas in the Big House after a disappointing showing against Fresno State. While we expect Texas to win this game no matter what, Michigan’s defense may not be good enough to keep the score close with how inept their offense looked last week against a much lesser opponent.
In the mid-day time slot, the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry will be played before part two of the Nebraska vs. Colorado home-and-home in the primetime slot. Nebraska is hoping to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Buffs last season, and hopes that freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola can lead them past Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
Lastly. Big Ten after dark is here with Oregon hoping to bounce back and prove that week one was a fluke against a Boise State team that ran for over 350 yards and seven touchdowns in Week 1.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show you can subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Thursday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @I80FootballShow
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and Dante: @DanteM10216
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State looking to hold on to 2025 commits as Signing Day draws closer
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Ohio State looking to hold on to 2025 commits as Signing Day draws closer
Caleb Houser 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 Buckeyes will continue to fight off other programs to keep their 2025 class in tact.
The Buckeyes have quite the haul thus far along the defensive line with six current commits in the fold. Larry Johnson and LaAllan Clark are proving to be quite the dynamic duo in this 2025 recruiting class, and after falling short the last couple of cycles, this latest group is looking to right the ship.
Like every class, there’s sure to be at least a couple of commits that are worrisome. Whether that’s due to them looking around at other schools or being desired by other programs, Ohio State is no stranger to this situation. Time and time again the Buckeyes are having to fend off the other top suitors, and while that’s a frustrating aspect of recruiting, Ohio State’s staff also partakes in trying to sway recruits away from other schools.
One commit that falls into this category is Florida native, Jarquez Carter. The most recent addition to his position group in the 2025 class for the Buckeyes, Carter has been a name that has come up several times as of late with the in-state Florida Gators snooping around and rumored to be more than interested in trying to flip him into staying closer to home.
The No. 273 player nationally and 30th best defensive lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Ohio State is no stranger to having to try a little bit harder to keep a Florida recruit in the fold, but nonetheless it’s still a cause for concern anytime the close to home teams are making strides at your committed players.
Florida looking like they did opening week certainly doesn’t hurt the chances of Ohio State holding on here. With the Buckeyes playing 16 different players along the defensive line in Week 1, Carter has to be taking notice of the stability in Columbus. When you compare that to what is going on in Gainesville, it’s really not close.
Ohio State will have its work cut out for them to keep other programs away from not only Carter, other prospects as well. What they can control is continuing to show off their defensive line development. This weekend will be another opportunity to do the same.
Continuing to be a priority for the Buckeyes, the offensive line recruiting is still a need both in 2025 and in the classes down the road. Just three in the fold for the current cycle, position coach Justin Frye has been no stranger to criticism, and Ohio State needs to play better up front this weekend and beyond to help ease the tension even more.
If 2025 doesn’t finish the way the coaching staff would like, the transfer portal will have to be an area they look into. In addition, 2026 will definitely need to be a recruiting cycle that has inflated numbers of commits at the position. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options around the country and even in Ohio.
That said, the Buckeyes have yet to offer in-state native Adam Guthrie, for whatever reason that may be. His offer list that includes Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, and plenty of others makes you wonder what Ohio State is waiting on considering the national recruiting approach isn’t working all that well right now.
The No. 213 player nationally and 16th best offensive tackle in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Guthrie is headed to Clemson this weekend for an unofficial visit, and trips like these you would think would catch Frye’s attention. Unfortunately, it’s not common knowledge on whether the Buckeyes get in the mix here, but waiting any longer doesn’t bode well if they really want to have a chance.
In addition to Guthrie making a trip, another offensive lineman in the 2026 class is taking in a game day visit on Saturday. A player the Buckeyes have offered, Darius Gray is slated to be at South Carolina this weekend — a program Ohio State has had to battle recently with Dylan Stewart in the 2024 class being the most well-known guy the Buckeyes lost out on.
The No. 63 player nationally and third best interior lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Gray being on campus elsewhere is expected, but Ohio State and the coaching staff will look to get not only him, but several others in town for visits of their own.
Week 1 started off with a bang in terms of the guest list and surely with bigger games coming up, the recruiting opportunities will only increase.
Continue reading...
Caleb Houser 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 Buckeyes will continue to fight off other programs to keep their 2025 class in tact.
The Buckeyes have quite the haul thus far along the defensive line with six current commits in the fold. Larry Johnson and LaAllan Clark are proving to be quite the dynamic duo in this 2025 recruiting class, and after falling short the last couple of cycles, this latest group is looking to right the ship.
Like every class, there’s sure to be at least a couple of commits that are worrisome. Whether that’s due to them looking around at other schools or being desired by other programs, Ohio State is no stranger to this situation. Time and time again the Buckeyes are having to fend off the other top suitors, and while that’s a frustrating aspect of recruiting, Ohio State’s staff also partakes in trying to sway recruits away from other schools.
One commit that falls into this category is Florida native, Jarquez Carter. The most recent addition to his position group in the 2025 class for the Buckeyes, Carter has been a name that has come up several times as of late with the in-state Florida Gators snooping around and rumored to be more than interested in trying to flip him into staying closer to home.
The No. 273 player nationally and 30th best defensive lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Ohio State is no stranger to having to try a little bit harder to keep a Florida recruit in the fold, but nonetheless it’s still a cause for concern anytime the close to home teams are making strides at your committed players.
Florida looking like they did opening week certainly doesn’t hurt the chances of Ohio State holding on here. With the Buckeyes playing 16 different players along the defensive line in Week 1, Carter has to be taking notice of the stability in Columbus. When you compare that to what is going on in Gainesville, it’s really not close.
Ohio State will have its work cut out for them to keep other programs away from not only Carter, other prospects as well. What they can control is continuing to show off their defensive line development. This weekend will be another opportunity to do the same.
Offensive line prospects heading out on unofficial visits
Continuing to be a priority for the Buckeyes, the offensive line recruiting is still a need both in 2025 and in the classes down the road. Just three in the fold for the current cycle, position coach Justin Frye has been no stranger to criticism, and Ohio State needs to play better up front this weekend and beyond to help ease the tension even more.
If 2025 doesn’t finish the way the coaching staff would like, the transfer portal will have to be an area they look into. In addition, 2026 will definitely need to be a recruiting cycle that has inflated numbers of commits at the position. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of options around the country and even in Ohio.
That said, the Buckeyes have yet to offer in-state native Adam Guthrie, for whatever reason that may be. His offer list that includes Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Oregon, Penn State, and plenty of others makes you wonder what Ohio State is waiting on considering the national recruiting approach isn’t working all that well right now.
The No. 213 player nationally and 16th best offensive tackle in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite, Guthrie is headed to Clemson this weekend for an unofficial visit, and trips like these you would think would catch Frye’s attention. Unfortunately, it’s not common knowledge on whether the Buckeyes get in the mix here, but waiting any longer doesn’t bode well if they really want to have a chance.
In addition to Guthrie making a trip, another offensive lineman in the 2026 class is taking in a game day visit on Saturday. A player the Buckeyes have offered, Darius Gray is slated to be at South Carolina this weekend — a program Ohio State has had to battle recently with Dylan Stewart in the 2024 class being the most well-known guy the Buckeyes lost out on.
The No. 63 player nationally and third best interior lineman in the class per the 247Sports Composite, Gray being on campus elsewhere is expected, but Ohio State and the coaching staff will look to get not only him, but several others in town for visits of their own.
Week 1 started off with a bang in terms of the guest list and surely with bigger games coming up, the recruiting opportunities will only increase.
Continue reading...
LGHL Jeremiah Smith gives the Buckeyes something they haven’t yet had under Ryan Day and Brian Hartline
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Jeremiah Smith gives the Buckeyes something they haven’t yet had under Ryan Day and Brian Hartline
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
joseph maiorana-usa today sports
A performance like that from a true freshman could further boost receiver recruiting if that’s even possible.
If you watched Saturday’s game, it’s likely you came away with the feeling that the hype surrounding true freshman Jeremiah Smith is more than warranted. An electric performance with six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns, that’s just the beginning of what will be a stellar season for the youngster.
If anything, Saturday could have even been better for Smith, who dropped his first pass that realistically looked like it could have gone for another score, but that’s just further proof to his ability that he can start a little sluggish and still finish with the numbers he did.
While you could speak to Smith’s stats ad nauseam, it’s the outside factors with recruiting that make the Week 1 performance that much more exciting for the program.
Since Brian Hartline has been at Ohio State, he has dominated in both the on-field development and recruiting with the guys he’s been able to bring in. A two-way street and strategy, it’s easier to develop the best players in the country at the position, but his constant track record of getting guys to the NFL cements him as the best receivers coach in the country.
Still, this past weekend showed something different for Hartline and Ohio State, and that’s watching a true freshman compete with the first-team offense and at that high of a level. Sure, the Buckeyes have played true freshmen before in games where they have a substantial lead, but seeing Smith start is an aspect the Buckeyes are now rolling out there for the first time in the Day era.
Guys like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are among the latest receivers to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, but not one of them started their first game as a true freshman — Wilson started toward the end of the year. The argument of “who they had in front of them” can be played here, but Smith also has a bevy of receivers in front of him who have been in Columbus long before he arrived.
All of this to say that Smith starting as a true freshman and performing the way he did should help continue to have the Buckeyes recruiting receivers at an elite rate, and potentially even boost the stock of Hartline’s room more, if that’s even possible, knowing how well they’ve done already.
Class of 2026 commit Chris Henry Jr. was on campus this weekend to watch his future team. The No. 1 player in the country and top receiver per the 247Sports Composite, any time you have Henry Jr. back on campus it’s a good thing. Giving him the chance to see what he could do once at Ohio State has to go a long way in his mind after seeing what a freshman is capable of.
A player that is already receiving similar bouts of hype as Smith, Henry Jr. playing at Mater Dei rather than Cincinnati Withrow has worried some people that Oregon or USC may swoop in with him leaving the Ohio state lines. It’s been thought clearly since his pledge that as long as Day and Hartline are in Columbus, he will end up there too.
Seeing Smith go off on Saturday doesn’t hurt the Buckeyes either, and if anything should give Henry the excitement that he too can have similar success early in his career if he continues on the path that he’s already on.
Simply put, Smith’s Week 1 was about as good as you could have hoped for in a freshman debut. While it was a help to the team in regard to winning the game, it’s also a win for the Buckeyes in recruiting, as this does nothing but add fuel to the fire that is the Ohio State wide receiver recruiting machine.
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Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
joseph maiorana-usa today sports
A performance like that from a true freshman could further boost receiver recruiting if that’s even possible.
If you watched Saturday’s game, it’s likely you came away with the feeling that the hype surrounding true freshman Jeremiah Smith is more than warranted. An electric performance with six receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns, that’s just the beginning of what will be a stellar season for the youngster.
If anything, Saturday could have even been better for Smith, who dropped his first pass that realistically looked like it could have gone for another score, but that’s just further proof to his ability that he can start a little sluggish and still finish with the numbers he did.
While you could speak to Smith’s stats ad nauseam, it’s the outside factors with recruiting that make the Week 1 performance that much more exciting for the program.
Since Brian Hartline has been at Ohio State, he has dominated in both the on-field development and recruiting with the guys he’s been able to bring in. A two-way street and strategy, it’s easier to develop the best players in the country at the position, but his constant track record of getting guys to the NFL cements him as the best receivers coach in the country.
Still, this past weekend showed something different for Hartline and Ohio State, and that’s watching a true freshman compete with the first-team offense and at that high of a level. Sure, the Buckeyes have played true freshmen before in games where they have a substantial lead, but seeing Smith start is an aspect the Buckeyes are now rolling out there for the first time in the Day era.
Guys like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are among the latest receivers to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, but not one of them started their first game as a true freshman — Wilson started toward the end of the year. The argument of “who they had in front of them” can be played here, but Smith also has a bevy of receivers in front of him who have been in Columbus long before he arrived.
All of this to say that Smith starting as a true freshman and performing the way he did should help continue to have the Buckeyes recruiting receivers at an elite rate, and potentially even boost the stock of Hartline’s room more, if that’s even possible, knowing how well they’ve done already.
Prospective players taking notice of early playing time
Class of 2026 commit Chris Henry Jr. was on campus this weekend to watch his future team. The No. 1 player in the country and top receiver per the 247Sports Composite, any time you have Henry Jr. back on campus it’s a good thing. Giving him the chance to see what he could do once at Ohio State has to go a long way in his mind after seeing what a freshman is capable of.
A player that is already receiving similar bouts of hype as Smith, Henry Jr. playing at Mater Dei rather than Cincinnati Withrow has worried some people that Oregon or USC may swoop in with him leaving the Ohio state lines. It’s been thought clearly since his pledge that as long as Day and Hartline are in Columbus, he will end up there too.
Seeing Smith go off on Saturday doesn’t hurt the Buckeyes either, and if anything should give Henry the excitement that he too can have similar success early in his career if he continues on the path that he’s already on.
Simply put, Smith’s Week 1 was about as good as you could have hoped for in a freshman debut. While it was a help to the team in regard to winning the game, it’s also a win for the Buckeyes in recruiting, as this does nothing but add fuel to the fire that is the Ohio State wide receiver recruiting machine.
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LGHL Can Jake Diebler land the No. 1 guard in the country, or will OSU’s shoe deal get in the way?
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Can Jake Diebler land the No. 1 guard in the country, or will OSU’s shoe deal get in the way?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Twitter | @PetersonDarryn
Darryn Peterson might be a native Ohioan, but he is also officially part of Team adiddas.
We now pause your regularly scheduled Ohio State football coverage for a men’s basketball update. While there is still plenty to break down from the football Buckeyes’ 52-6 win over Akron, and even more to look forward to for Saturday’s primetime matchup with Western Michigan, the biggest news on the recruiting trail on Tuesday did not come from the gridiron but instead happened on the hardwood.
Yesterday, the No. 3 player in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247Sports Composite rankings Darryn Peterson cut his list of finalists down to four, and that list included Jake Diebler’s Buckeyes.
Peterson is the No. 1 combo guard in the class and the top player in the state of California, but here’s the thing, he’s only been in California for less than a month. He is originally from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and played at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy before going to Huntington Prep in West Virginia for his junior season. Now the five-star prospect is headed West as he will play his senior season at Prolific Prep in Napa.
This past weekend, Peterson was back in Ohio for an official visit in Columbus and then just days later announced that he was cutting his previous top-eight schools down to a final four. Joining the Buckeyes in the list are the presumed favorite Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, and USC Trojans.
The Jayhawks are believed to be the leaders for a number of reasons. The first is that Bill Self is an incredibly good recruiter and Kansas is one of the bluest-blood programs in the country, so those two facts are tough to turn down for anyone.
However, the other factor is a little bit more specific to the era of college sports that we live in. Last November, Peterson signed a historic NIL deal with adidas; this made him the first high school basketball player to sign a shoe endorsement deal of this kind. Perhaps not coincidentally, three of Peterson’s final four schools are outfitted by Nike, and the fourth is repped by adidas... care to guess which one that is?
While the Buckeyes, Trojans, and Cats are all Nike teams, that doesn’t mean that there is no chance for Peterson to eventually choose to play for them.
Land-Grant Holy Land’s men’s basketball insider Connor Lemons agreed that KU was the presumptive favorite, but cautioned that it was far from a done deal.
“Because of the adidas deal and Bill Self being a recruiting mobster, Kansas is probably in the lead,” Lemons told me. “But it’s not a lock by any means. Diebler could still definitely get this done.”
Peterson is 6-foot-5 and weighs 195 pounds. ESPN analyst and former Ohio State assistant Paul Biancardi said of him, “Peterson is a prolific scoring guard with playmaking talent. He possesses positional size, power, footwork, and touch.”
Over the summer, 247Sports’ director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote that what makes Peterson so unique is his ability to score from anywhere on the flow, and to make it all look natural in the flow of the offense.
“Peterson is extremely versatile,” Finkelstein said.” He’s a true combo guard who is equally effective playing on or off the ball. He has natural poise as a handler ... He’s also a true multi-level scorer who can simultaneously see the floor, make reads, and pass well.”
The one area of Peterson’s game that apparently still needs some work is his shot from distance. He shot 31% from three-point land last season, which is good for a high school junior, but he is working on becoming more consistent before he heads to the next level, but that is picking nits for a guy who seems destined for NBA stardom.
“There’s just not another guard in the country right now who can match Peterson’s combination of size, length, strength, real functional versatility, and effortless ability to get to his spots that can make the game look easy at times,” Finkelstein concluded.
In addition to his high school and AAU careers, Peterson was named to the All-Tournament Team at last summer’s 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship. He put up 13 points as Team USA destroyed Canada 118-36 in the championship game.
Anytime you are going up against Bill Self and Kansas on the recruiting trail, it will almost certainly be an uphill battle, but as an Ohio native, Diebler does have some sentimental strings to pull. I also think that it is hopefully telling that Peterson announced his finalists within days of ending his official visit in Columbus.
I’m not saying that he quietly committed to OSU while on the trip or anything like that, I do think that it has to bode well for OSU that he was confident in narrowing down his options after spending time with the team and coaching staff.
As it stands, it looks like the Buckeyes have a little over two months to convince Peterson to come home. The expectation is that he will commit in time to make it official during the early signing period which begins on Nov. 13. He will visit Manhattan, Kansas on Sept. 27, having already made official trips to USC and Kansas.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Twitter | @PetersonDarryn
Darryn Peterson might be a native Ohioan, but he is also officially part of Team adiddas.
We now pause your regularly scheduled Ohio State football coverage for a men’s basketball update. While there is still plenty to break down from the football Buckeyes’ 52-6 win over Akron, and even more to look forward to for Saturday’s primetime matchup with Western Michigan, the biggest news on the recruiting trail on Tuesday did not come from the gridiron but instead happened on the hardwood.
Yesterday, the No. 3 player in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247Sports Composite rankings Darryn Peterson cut his list of finalists down to four, and that list included Jake Diebler’s Buckeyes.
Peterson is the No. 1 combo guard in the class and the top player in the state of California, but here’s the thing, he’s only been in California for less than a month. He is originally from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and played at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy before going to Huntington Prep in West Virginia for his junior season. Now the five-star prospect is headed West as he will play his senior season at Prolific Prep in Napa.
This past weekend, Peterson was back in Ohio for an official visit in Columbus and then just days later announced that he was cutting his previous top-eight schools down to a final four. Joining the Buckeyes in the list are the presumed favorite Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, and USC Trojans.
NEWS: 2025 5️ Darryn Peterson has cut his list to four schools, a source tells @LeagueRDY:
Kansas
Kansas State
USC
Ohio State
Peterson is the top guard prospect in the 2025 class. #3 overall in the ESPN100. @rtpgfx pic.twitter.com/47JZhwCZVL
— 24/7 High School Hoops (@247HSHoops) September 3, 2024
The Jayhawks are believed to be the leaders for a number of reasons. The first is that Bill Self is an incredibly good recruiter and Kansas is one of the bluest-blood programs in the country, so those two facts are tough to turn down for anyone.
However, the other factor is a little bit more specific to the era of college sports that we live in. Last November, Peterson signed a historic NIL deal with adidas; this made him the first high school basketball player to sign a shoe endorsement deal of this kind. Perhaps not coincidentally, three of Peterson’s final four schools are outfitted by Nike, and the fourth is repped by adidas... care to guess which one that is?
While the Buckeyes, Trojans, and Cats are all Nike teams, that doesn’t mean that there is no chance for Peterson to eventually choose to play for them.
Land-Grant Holy Land’s men’s basketball insider Connor Lemons agreed that KU was the presumptive favorite, but cautioned that it was far from a done deal.
“Because of the adidas deal and Bill Self being a recruiting mobster, Kansas is probably in the lead,” Lemons told me. “But it’s not a lock by any means. Diebler could still definitely get this done.”
Peterson is 6-foot-5 and weighs 195 pounds. ESPN analyst and former Ohio State assistant Paul Biancardi said of him, “Peterson is a prolific scoring guard with playmaking talent. He possesses positional size, power, footwork, and touch.”
Over the summer, 247Sports’ director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote that what makes Peterson so unique is his ability to score from anywhere on the flow, and to make it all look natural in the flow of the offense.
“Peterson is extremely versatile,” Finkelstein said.” He’s a true combo guard who is equally effective playing on or off the ball. He has natural poise as a handler ... He’s also a true multi-level scorer who can simultaneously see the floor, make reads, and pass well.”
The one area of Peterson’s game that apparently still needs some work is his shot from distance. He shot 31% from three-point land last season, which is good for a high school junior, but he is working on becoming more consistent before he heads to the next level, but that is picking nits for a guy who seems destined for NBA stardom.
“There’s just not another guard in the country right now who can match Peterson’s combination of size, length, strength, real functional versatility, and effortless ability to get to his spots that can make the game look easy at times,” Finkelstein concluded.
In addition to his high school and AAU careers, Peterson was named to the All-Tournament Team at last summer’s 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship. He put up 13 points as Team USA destroyed Canada 118-36 in the championship game.
Anytime you are going up against Bill Self and Kansas on the recruiting trail, it will almost certainly be an uphill battle, but as an Ohio native, Diebler does have some sentimental strings to pull. I also think that it is hopefully telling that Peterson announced his finalists within days of ending his official visit in Columbus.
I’m not saying that he quietly committed to OSU while on the trip or anything like that, I do think that it has to bode well for OSU that he was confident in narrowing down his options after spending time with the team and coaching staff.
As it stands, it looks like the Buckeyes have a little over two months to convince Peterson to come home. The expectation is that he will commit in time to make it official during the early signing period which begins on Nov. 13. He will visit Manhattan, Kansas on Sept. 27, having already made official trips to USC and Kansas.
Check out Darryn Peterson’s spring highlights:
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LGHL You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye changed the perception of them the most in Week 1?
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You’re Nuts: Which Buckeye changed the perception of them the most in Week 1?
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.
Saturday’s performance was, in many respects, unspectacular for the Buckeyes, though it did give us our first look at many of the players who dominated off-season chatter, including quarterback Will Howard and true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Both looked great on Saturday, but I don’t know if it’s fair to call that a change in perception—they were expected to be great going into the game. It didn’t change the way people would view them this season so much as it solidified those opinions.
Another wide receiver has flown a bit under the radar this off-season, though, as a second-year player on a team stacked with veterans, while guys like Smith and veteran WR TreVeyon Henderson dominated the conversation around his position group.
Inniss, who came in with high expectations surrounding him as a five-star recruit, played in 12 games last season, but with only one reception (though to his credit, it was a 58-yard touchdown reception), he hardly became a household name.
But if there’s one thing about Inniss, it’s that he’s going to do what it takes to get his team to victory. So Inniss, who did not start at wide receiver Saturday, found a way to make his mark while returning punts.
If you had to identify Ohio State’s Achilles heel in the 2023 season, the special teams performance would certainly have to be part of the conversation. On Saturday, in no small part due to Inniss’s work as the lone punt returner against Akron, the Buckeyes’ special teams woes seemed to be a distant memory.
Inniss returned four punts for a total of 60 yards, which, for those of us who have been on summer break and haven’t flexed our math muscles, is an average of 15 yards per return.
The team average in 2023 was only a measly 4.4 yards per punt return, 75 total on the season on 17 returns. Yikes! Inniss single-handedly put up 80 percent of last season’s punt return yardage on Saturday in just a fraction of the returns. He looked like a natural doing it, too, particularly on a few key plays where his athleticism allowed him to grab the football rather than let it roll.
In fact, if the ball was in Inniss’s general stratosphere, he was going for it, a particularly aggressive (and somewhat terrifying) approach to punt returning that I personally loved. It displayed a certain confidence of a player who had come into his own and was ready to lead on the field, even if it was not in the position he ultimately hopes to be in.
His fearlessness and risky maneuvers will surely come at a cost at some point, but on Saturday, it was all reward. These returns positioned the Buckeye offense well, with solid field position to start their drives (for the record, I think the reward outweighs the risk in almost all instances, and I’m happy to see the special teams unit take a more hands-on approach).
The anticipation of Inniss returning a punt for a touchdown outweighs my concerns about a costly play, at least for the moment.
Whether Inniss sees time on offense (and how much) remains to be seen. While competition is high in the wide receiver corps, Inniss is looking to play a bigger role on offense this season. If he proves himself on special teams (and infuses a little life into the unit), he could earn himself that chance.
Regardless, the takeaway from Saturday’s game is that no matter where he is on the field, there is no doubt Brandon Inniss is talented enough to be a playmaker, and he’s enough of a leader to rise to the occasion wherever he is needed.
Now, I’m not saying that Cody Simon is in danger of being Wally Pipped, but what I am saying is that he better not miss too much time or that could become a distinct possibility. With senior captain and Block O recipient Simon out for the season opener against Akron, Arvell Reese did not get the start alongside Sonny Styles, but when he did get onto the field as a linebacker, man, did he look good.
Coming into preseason camp, Reese didn’t seem like he would have a major impact for the Buckeyes this season, outside of mop-up duty. However, all of that changed throughout camp and after the Akron season opener. He has been one of Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis’ favorite players to praise in recent weeks, and everyone saw on Saturday why. He is a 6-foot-4, 238-pound star-to-be from Cleveland Glenville High School who wreaked havoc on the Zips’ offense on Saturday. On his 31 defensive snaps (13 on special teams), Reese accounted for four tackles, including one for loss when he engulfed Akron quarterback Ben Finley on an option keeper.
According to Pro Football Focus, Reese was the highest-graded linebacker who played more than five snaps on Saturday and was the sixth-rated Buckeye in terms of rush defense grades and fifth in coverage.
As soon as Simon is able to return to the lineup, he will. The veteran is at the center of everything OSU does on defense, both literally as its middle linebacker, but also figuratively, as he is the player with the green dot on his helmet so that Jim Knowles and Ryan Day can communicate with him throughout the game.
But when Simon is back, Knowles and Baby Animal need to figure out how to keep Reese on the field. I don’t think that you are going to take Styles out of the game much more than you already planned, so, unfortunately, I think that C.J. Hicks is going to have to be the one to lose some snaps in favor of Reese.
We know that Hicks is a supremely athletic player, but his time at LB — both last year and against Akron — has been underwhelming. It feels like he has yet to fully adapt his game for the position. Instead, he has looked most at ease in a purely pass-rushing position. He’s obviously not big enough to be an edge rusher, but if Knowles and Larry Johnson could ever agree to use the Jack, he would be a perfect fit. Against Akron, PFF graded Hicks as the best pass rusher on the team, but the lowest-graded defensive starter overall.
So, based on the word of mouth coming out of camp, and his exciting, athletic performance in the season opener, I think that Arvell Reese is going to have to steal some of C.J.’s snaps this season.
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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: Which Buckeye changed the perception of them the most in Week 1?
Jami’s Take: Brandon Inniss
Saturday’s performance was, in many respects, unspectacular for the Buckeyes, though it did give us our first look at many of the players who dominated off-season chatter, including quarterback Will Howard and true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Both looked great on Saturday, but I don’t know if it’s fair to call that a change in perception—they were expected to be great going into the game. It didn’t change the way people would view them this season so much as it solidified those opinions.
Another wide receiver has flown a bit under the radar this off-season, though, as a second-year player on a team stacked with veterans, while guys like Smith and veteran WR TreVeyon Henderson dominated the conversation around his position group.
Inniss, who came in with high expectations surrounding him as a five-star recruit, played in 12 games last season, but with only one reception (though to his credit, it was a 58-yard touchdown reception), he hardly became a household name.
But if there’s one thing about Inniss, it’s that he’s going to do what it takes to get his team to victory. So Inniss, who did not start at wide receiver Saturday, found a way to make his mark while returning punts.
If you had to identify Ohio State’s Achilles heel in the 2023 season, the special teams performance would certainly have to be part of the conversation. On Saturday, in no small part due to Inniss’s work as the lone punt returner against Akron, the Buckeyes’ special teams woes seemed to be a distant memory.
Inniss returned four punts for a total of 60 yards, which, for those of us who have been on summer break and haven’t flexed our math muscles, is an average of 15 yards per return.
The team average in 2023 was only a measly 4.4 yards per punt return, 75 total on the season on 17 returns. Yikes! Inniss single-handedly put up 80 percent of last season’s punt return yardage on Saturday in just a fraction of the returns. He looked like a natural doing it, too, particularly on a few key plays where his athleticism allowed him to grab the football rather than let it roll.
In fact, if the ball was in Inniss’s general stratosphere, he was going for it, a particularly aggressive (and somewhat terrifying) approach to punt returning that I personally loved. It displayed a certain confidence of a player who had come into his own and was ready to lead on the field, even if it was not in the position he ultimately hopes to be in.
His fearlessness and risky maneuvers will surely come at a cost at some point, but on Saturday, it was all reward. These returns positioned the Buckeye offense well, with solid field position to start their drives (for the record, I think the reward outweighs the risk in almost all instances, and I’m happy to see the special teams unit take a more hands-on approach).
The anticipation of Inniss returning a punt for a touchdown outweighs my concerns about a costly play, at least for the moment.
Whether Inniss sees time on offense (and how much) remains to be seen. While competition is high in the wide receiver corps, Inniss is looking to play a bigger role on offense this season. If he proves himself on special teams (and infuses a little life into the unit), he could earn himself that chance.
Regardless, the takeaway from Saturday’s game is that no matter where he is on the field, there is no doubt Brandon Inniss is talented enough to be a playmaker, and he’s enough of a leader to rise to the occasion wherever he is needed.
Matt’s Take: Arvell Reese
Now, I’m not saying that Cody Simon is in danger of being Wally Pipped, but what I am saying is that he better not miss too much time or that could become a distinct possibility. With senior captain and Block O recipient Simon out for the season opener against Akron, Arvell Reese did not get the start alongside Sonny Styles, but when he did get onto the field as a linebacker, man, did he look good.
Coming into preseason camp, Reese didn’t seem like he would have a major impact for the Buckeyes this season, outside of mop-up duty. However, all of that changed throughout camp and after the Akron season opener. He has been one of Jim Knowles and James Laurinaitis’ favorite players to praise in recent weeks, and everyone saw on Saturday why. He is a 6-foot-4, 238-pound star-to-be from Cleveland Glenville High School who wreaked havoc on the Zips’ offense on Saturday. On his 31 defensive snaps (13 on special teams), Reese accounted for four tackles, including one for loss when he engulfed Akron quarterback Ben Finley on an option keeper.
According to Pro Football Focus, Reese was the highest-graded linebacker who played more than five snaps on Saturday and was the sixth-rated Buckeye in terms of rush defense grades and fifth in coverage.
As soon as Simon is able to return to the lineup, he will. The veteran is at the center of everything OSU does on defense, both literally as its middle linebacker, but also figuratively, as he is the player with the green dot on his helmet so that Jim Knowles and Ryan Day can communicate with him throughout the game.
But when Simon is back, Knowles and Baby Animal need to figure out how to keep Reese on the field. I don’t think that you are going to take Styles out of the game much more than you already planned, so, unfortunately, I think that C.J. Hicks is going to have to be the one to lose some snaps in favor of Reese.
We know that Hicks is a supremely athletic player, but his time at LB — both last year and against Akron — has been underwhelming. It feels like he has yet to fully adapt his game for the position. Instead, he has looked most at ease in a purely pass-rushing position. He’s obviously not big enough to be an edge rusher, but if Knowles and Larry Johnson could ever agree to use the Jack, he would be a perfect fit. Against Akron, PFF graded Hicks as the best pass rusher on the team, but the lowest-graded defensive starter overall.
So, based on the word of mouth coming out of camp, and his exciting, athletic performance in the season opener, I think that Arvell Reese is going to have to steal some of C.J.’s snaps this season.
Let us know who you are agreeing with:
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