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LGHL Ohio State offers 2027 North Carolina linebacker, will host rising running back for opener

Ohio State offers 2027 North Carolina linebacker, will host rising running back for opener
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

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The Buckeyes extend one of their latest offers to Quinton Cypher.

One more day and Ohio State football is back. Regardless of who the Buckeyes are playing, it’s been a long wait to see this 2024 squad take the field, and that wait is finally over. Akron poses little threat to the Buckeyes from a competitive standpoint, and while it will still be a few weeks before Ohio State is really tested, it’s a true first-look at how talented this team really is.

Ohio State offers 2027 linebacker ​


There must be some sort of pipeline building with the Tar Heel State, because Ohio State is spending plenty of time in North Carolina offering several players in various recruiting classes. Fortunate enough to have some success there, the coaching staff is continuing to evaluate the state’s talent pool, and this week saw the latest North Carolina native receive an Ohio State offer.

A 6-foot-2, 215 pound linebacker in the 2027 class, Quinton Cypher is the latest to hear from the Buckeyes and position coach James Laurinaitis. An unranked player right now per his 247Sports profile, early offers from Georgia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wisconsin, and now Ohio State are some of the notable schools to take notice before a real domino effect occurs that could see several more in the near future.

In just his short tenure at the helm of the position, Laurinaitis has proven to be in many ways very similar to Hartline in recruiting. A coach that has played at the highest level and knows his craft, he also has the development aspect already working in his favor. Moving forward, his early success in recruiting will have to be noticed by Cypher, who will be hearing from the Buckeyes more often now that his offer has been extended.

Just a high school sophomore with this year and two more full seasons after to be played, recruiting is just now starting to really take off. Having the Buckeyes in the mix now allows them to take their time in building the relationship. The next steps will be getting him on campus to see all that the program has to offer, but this won’t be the last time his name is mentioned.

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New York native checking in on the Buckeyes this weekend​


Not wasting any time, this weekend will already be an opportunity for Ohio State to show off the program to the recruits on hand for unofficial visits. Hitting the ground running with game day visits, it’s a positive sign to see the Buckeyes bringing in top talent even with a lopsided contest on the schedule this first week.

Set to be in town for the opening game, 2027 running back prospect Elijah Kimble is making the trek from New York to see the Buckeyes and all they have to offer. The 5-foot-10, 180 pound athlete is another youngster that is not yet ranked on his 247Sports profile, but does have plenty of early attention on his radar as he currently holds offers from Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, and a host of others.

Not offered by Ohio State yet, this unofficial visit could change that as Carlos Locklyn will have time to entertain Kimble while in Columbus. Maybe the most enticing aspect of this visit will be seeing the two-headed monster in person of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson in Ohio State’s backfield.

Taking the time to come and see the Buckeyes, clearly there is interest here and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the staff extend the offer either shortly after the game or in the near future once he returns home.


Excited to be at the Shoe this weekend. Columbus see you soon!! @Locklyn33 @TonyJCoach @markpantoni @ryandaytime #GoBucks @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/O5zEgtFOJ6

— Elijah “The Ticket“ Kimble☦︎︎ (@ElijahKimble0) August 28, 2024​
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LGHL MC&J: Clemson-Georgia and Notre Dame-Texas A&M top Week 1 nationally

MC&J: Clemson-Georgia and Notre Dame-Texas A&M top Week 1 nationally
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Capital One Orange Bowl - Georgia v Florida State

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

The two games between ranked teams highlight the opening weekend slate.

Last year ATS: 133-120-2 (71-73-2 National, 62-47 B1G)

Picks for this weekend’s games involving Big Ten teams can be found here.

National games (All games Saturday unless otherwise noted):​


TCU (-9.5) v. Stanford - Friday 8/30 10:30 p.m. ET - ESPN

Normally I’d leave this game alone, but I needed a game to at least make it to five nationally and this feels like it’ll be more competitive than Colorado State-Texas.

After making the national title game the previous year, TCU found life after Max Duggan pretty difficult, posting a 5-7 record. The Horned Frogs raided the transfer portal, bringing over 20 transfers, as well as former Boise State head coach Andy Avalos to be the defensive coordinator.

Stanford feels like they have a couple pieces in quarterback Ashton Daniels and wide receiver Elic Ayomanor. The problem is they don’t have much of note besides those two. Maybe the seven returning starters on defense step up, but this is a group that gave up 37 points per game last year.

The Cardinal hang around but TCU pulls away and covers in the fourth.

TCU 37, Stanford 23


No. 14 Clemson v. No. 1 Georgia (-13.5) - 12:00 p.m. ET - ABC

These teams opened up the 2021 season in Charlotte, with Georgia winning 10-3. Now the Tigers and Bulldogs square off a few hours down I-85 in Atlanta.

Dabo Swinney spent the offseason pretty much ignoring the transfer portal, and will now be ignoring callers on his coaches show. While Cade Klubnik had a lot of hype coming out of high school, he hasn’t lived up to it yet.

Much like Ohio State does, Georgia isn’t rebuilding, they’re reloading. Kirby Smart brought in Florida running back Trevor Etienne, who might not play because of an offseason DUI arrest. Then again, knowing how strict Smart is when it comes to crimes involving cars and Georgia players, Etienne will probably get double the workload on Saturday.

I’m backing Georgia here because I want Dabo humbled in the season opener. Plus, I just feel like the Bulldogs are the better team. Carson Beck and those returning from last year’s squad have to feel snubbed after they were left out of the CFP following the loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Georgia wins in their home away from home by at least two touchdowns.

Georgia 31, Clemson 13


No. 19 Miami (FL) (-2.5) v. Florida - 3:30 p.m. ET - ABC

The U is back! Alright, a win over Florida isn’t what it used to be, but Miami can’t be choosy when it comes to wins. The Hurricanes should be fun to watch this year after landing Washington State quarterback Cam Ward in the transfer portal. If Ward can lead Miami to some early wins, the Hurricanes could be a sleeper for the College Football Playoff.

Apparently Graham Mertz is still playing college football. I just realized that a few minutes ago when doing some research on this game. Normally everyone would know who is quarterbacking the Gators, which shows you just how far Florida has fallen over the last decade. I’m not convinced Billy Napier has the juice to turn things around in Gainesville.

Napier’s seat gets even hotter with a loss to Miami on Saturday.

Miami (FL) 28, Florida 20


No. 7 Notre Dame v. No. 20 Texas A&M (-2.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC

After bringing in Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman last year, Notre Dame again hit up the ACC for Hartman’s replacement. Duke quarterback Reilly Leonard is the starter for the Fighting Irish, and with his experience he won’t be rattled by the raucous environment he’ll face in College Station.

What Leonard will have a hard time overcoming is he’ll be facing his former head coach. After firing Jimbo Fisher, the Aggies hired Duke head coach Mike Elko. Even though Elko isn’t as big of a name as some of the other coaches floated for the job, he has shown he can do a lot with a little, and at Texas A&M he is going to have a lot to work with.

This is a double revenge game for Elko. He not only faces his former quarterback, he used to be on the Notre Dame coaching staff. Leonard may get his, but Texas A&M quarterback Connor Weigman will hang with Leonard.

In the end, the relentless pass rush of the Aggies will get to Leonard in the second half and be the difference.

Texas A&M 31, Notre Dame 24


Boston College v. No. 10 Florida State (-15.5) - Monday 9/2 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN

D.J. Uiagaleleli ain’t it, bro. The Seminoles didn’t impress at all in the opener against Georgia Tech in Ireland. While Florida State’s season isn’t lost because of just one setback, now they have no margin for error. Apparently it isn’t easy to replace a bunch of talent that is now on NFL rosters.

Ohio State coaching legend Bill O’Brien will be making his debut as Boston College head coach on Monday night. I am intrigued by the combination of Thomas Castellanos at quarterback and running back Kye Robichaux.

Last year Boston College pushed the Seminoles to the limit, and I could see the same happening this year.

Florida State 24, Boston College 21

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LGHL You’re Nuts: Who will be Ohio State football’s MVP this season?

You’re Nuts: Who will be Ohio State football’s MVP this season?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

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: Who will be Ohio State’s MVP this season?​

Jami’s Take: Emeka Egbuka, WR​


Singling out just one player on a roster this stacked is tough. With veterans poised to be dominant playmakers on both sides of the ball, there are probably 16-20 guesses for MVP that one could make a case for.

I’ve said before, but it wouldn’t surprise me all that much if Will Howard were in Heisman contention at the end of the season, and not necessarily because he’s the best player on the team, but the weapons he has at his disposal are going to inflate his numbers.

TreVeyon Henderson or Quinshon Judkins would both be excellent choices, particularly given the way Chip Kelly’s style of offense lends itself to their talent.

Defensively, there’s a whole buffet of guys you could choose from—Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom, Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau. The list goes on and on.

Also, for what it’s worth, it’s a very good problem to have, this whole “Your guess is as good as mine” thing the Buckeyes have going on here.

But as for me and my house, we believe it’s Emeka Egbuka’s time to shine.

Egbuka spent last season plagued with injuries and living in the shadow of former WR1 Marvin Harrison Jr. With Marv off to the NFL, it’s Egbuka’s turn to step into the spotlight and become The Guy for the Buckeyes.

The 6-foot-1 senior finished 2023 with 515 yards on 41 receptions, with four touchdowns, having missed three games due to an ankle injury. His numbers, while still good enough for third-team All-Big Ten honors, paled in comparison to his breakout 2022 season, where he logged 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns on 74 receptions.

Injuries and splitting his reps with a Heisman finalist weren’t the only thing that prevented Egbuka from reaching his full potential last year, though. While Kyle McCord was a solid quarterback (I truly don’t mean to knock him—we’re not Kyle McCord haters in this house), objectively, he wasn’t as mobile as Buckeye quarterbacks have historically been.

This was a problem in more ways than one, but ultimately, when plays broke down, he wasn’t great at scrambling to find someone open. This also meant there were fewer opportunities for those guys to create flashy plays downfield.

In 2022, however, we saw glimmers of Egbuka’s ability to read the play and get himself open for C.J. Stroud, creating opportunities for the Buckeyes and creating a name for himself in a big way.

Will Howard is no C.J. Stroud, but he is definitely more mobile than McCord was, so together, he and Egbuka should be able to make a little magic happen when the Buckeyes have to scramble.

Add to this the wide receiver’s ability to put up big numbers, just by the nature of their position, and Egbuka could have the best of both worlds when it’s time to choose the MVP: the kind of quantitative stats that will speak for themselves, plus those memorable moments that stick in people’s brains long after the season is over, a sort of qualitative factor. He sits in the sweet spot of that Venn Diagram if you will.

If Egbuka can stay healthy, take care of the routine plays he needs to, and then add some magic to a team already so full of magical talents you might mistake it for a Disney cruise, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when he’s named the MVP at the end of the year.

Matt’s Take: Josh Simmons, LT​


I really struggled with this one, because there are so many unknowns about this season that I could see this fall going in any number of different directions that I could see everyone from Will Howard to Jack Sawyer, from Caleb Downs to TreVeyon Henderson being the team’s MVP.

I think that’s part of the fun in a season where the expectations are so astronomically high that if the Buckeyes fall even a little bit short, it will spell doom and gloom for the entire fanbase. But when you look at this team, yes, there are a few relative weaknesses here and there (still have questions about the offensive line, can Will Howard be a national title-level QB, some depth concerns at various positions etc.), but overall, it’s tough to look at this roster and find a position group that doesn’t boast someone that could be the team’s MVP.

So, I am going to zig where you might expect me to zag. For obvious reasons, my pick isn’t going to throw up any eye-popping stats, but I think that if Ohio State is going to reach its goals this season, then Josh Simmons is going to need to have a banner year for the Buckeyes.

As mentioned above, the offensive line is one of the areas on the team that it would be fair to have some trepidation about. Clearly the least effective unit on the team last year, there has been some movement on the line this season with the addition of Seth McLaughlin at center and Tegra Tshabola starting at right guard (although it sounds like the position battle with last year’s center Carson Hinzman is still ongoing), but there have not been the dramatic positional improvements (either from guys coming in or guys choosing not to leave) that we have seen at other positions.

That is why I think that the offensive line has the opportunity to make a big statement this year. Simmons, Donovan Jackson, and Josh Fryar have a lot to prove as the returning starts in that unit. While no one is coming out and saying that this offensive line is going to be the best in the country, the vibe coming out of preseason camp has been cautiously positive. An illness raged through the room throughout camp, so there is still some uncertainty as to how everyone will fare on the field, but it feels to me as an outsider that the group has taken a giant step forward from where it was last year.

Aiding the o-line’s progress should be the arrival of Chip Kelly. Known as one of the best run-game schemers in the history of college football, I fully expect the new offensive coordinator and play-caller to pull the strings necessary to accentuate what this group of guys does best. And if he does — coupled with the individual offseason improvements — I think we could see a markedly improved unit.

If that’s the case, the Buckeyes will likely be running the ball more — and more effectively — than they have in recent years. Normally that would lead me to want to pick the starting running back as my MVP, but considering that there does not seem to be a single starting running back, it’s tough to pick Henderson or Quinshon Judkins. So, I look toward the offensive line.

When you couple a theoretically improved running game with the necessity to protect a quarterback less than a year into the OSU offense, I think the left tackle position could prove to be incredibly important for the team this year. Simmons started his Ohio State career on fairly rocky footing, but he made demonstrable strides over the course of the last season and I think proved to be the best guy on the line.

If he can keep that momentum moving, I think that because of his contributions to both the running and passing games, Josh Simmons could be an under-the-radar MVP for the Buckeyes this season.

Let us know who you are agreeing with:​


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LGHL Fast Forward: Previewing Ohio State’s best and worst case scenarios for 2024 season

Fast Forward: Previewing Ohio State’s best and worst case scenarios for 2024 season
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Fred Squillante/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

We fast forward to the end of the season to see where Ohio State might end up.

On the eve of another college football season, before all of the pageantry unfurls in Columbus; before the revelry returns to the banks of the Olentangy; before another entry into the more than a century-old annuls of Buckeye history is written, I feel it is my responsibility to bring a bit of perspective to Ohio State fans.

The wide-eyed optimism of another college football campaign can be both intoxicating and contagious. Despite a string of ultimately disappointing seasons, the potential of this Buckeye team has fans across the country approaching heretofore-unseen levels of giddiness as visions of ticker-tape parades dance in their heads.

While I am not here to put a damper on any of that excitement — as I share their exuberance for what might be — I am also old and have lived through many a disappointing turn in the winding road that is Ohio State fandom. So, I come not to bury the optimism, but to interrogate it.

Imagine me as something akin to The Ghost of College Football Future. I will show you two scenarios of what might be for the Buckeyes at season’s end; neither possibility is written in stone, but both currently sit in the nebulous space between possibility and eventuality. It is up to Ryan Day, his coaching staff, his team, and, yes, even you, Buckeye Nation, to determine which of these outcomes proves to be the reality that we eventually experience.

Venture forward at your own risk, while we will start our journey with a prospective future that many reading will welcome, it will be followed quickly by a far darker and more painful prospective outcome. You have been warned.

It’s his day! Ryan Day, Buckeyes climb college football mountain and finally win national championship​

NCAA Football: Sugar Bowl-Ohio State vs Clemson
Russell Costanza-USA TODAY Sports

By MATT TAMANINI
12:34 AM EDT, January 20, 2025

ATLANTA, Ga. (LGHL) — Neither the mountain of expectations nor Kirby Smart’s No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs were enough to prevent Ryan Day’s top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes from finishing their undefeated season and claiming the first College Football Playoff National Championship in the 12-team era. Just as Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes did a decade ago, securing the first CFP title, OSU has made history. This time, the Scarlet and Gray became the first team in FBS history to ever win 16 games in a season and bested a playoff field of a dozen teams to hold the championship trophy aloft at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Despite the title contest being played in the Dawgs’ backyard, OSU had the game essentially in hand by the end of the first half, eventually winning 38-17. The Buckeyes were led by their Heisman Trophy finalist pair of quarterback Will Howard and running back TreVeyon Henderson. The former threw for another workman-like 284 yards on 21-for-29 passing and 3 touchdowns. The latter rushed for 126 yards, caught one of Howard’s TD throws, and added another on the ground.

The highlight was a wheel route out of the backfield that capped the second quarter. Already up 17-7 with just 8 seconds remaining before halftime, Henderson at first appeared to be sitting in the backfield, content to block as Howard wound up for a last-second Hail Mary. However, he soon released and found a spot 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, completely uncovered.

The quarterback found him and delivered a strike in stride as Henderson and the Buckeye blockers did the rest of the work from there. After a handful of jukes and a powerful stiff arm to UGA defensive back Daylen Everette, the senior back raced 64 yards into the end zone, essentially salting the game away.

The victory is a culmination of not only one college football season but an era of evolution for the Ohio State program and its head coach. Once considered unprepared for the biggest moments, this year’s Buckeyes showed brightest on the biggest stages with decisive victories on the road against Oregon (41-27) and Penn State (38-12) and at home against Iowa (31-3) and archrival Michigan (45-17).

The knock on Day’s teams during the first five years of his tenure at Ohio State was that they were not tough enough to survive the gauntlet of a Big Ten schedule. However, this season, not only did the Buckeye defense become the first team since 2011 to hold opponents to under 10 points per game, but the offense led the power conferences with 231.6 yards per game on the ground; a marked turnaround from Day’s previous pass-first reputation.

This season — especially the final result — is a vindication of both coach and program. Day took his lumps learning to be a head coach on the job under the brightest microscope in all of college football, and while the journey was undoubtedly painful at times, he has emerged on the other side as unquestionably one of the best coaches in the sport and now as a national champion.

No matter what base he started on, it is clear that Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes hit a grand slam this season.

Missouri ends second-straight disappointing season for Ohio State​

NCAA Football: Cotton Bowl-Missouri at Ohio State
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

By MATT TAMANINI
12:34 AM EDT, December 20, 2024

COLUMBIA, Mo. (LGHL) — History, it seems, can in fact repeat itself. Following an embarrassing performance in the Cotton Bowl to close out the 2023 season, the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes again saw their season end in disappointing fashion at the hands of the No. 8 Missouri Tigers. While there were more points scored in the first quarter of the College Football Playoff opening round game than there were in the entire Cotton Bowl a year ago, the outcome was no less crippling for a Buckeye program that went all-in, with decidedly rocky results, this season.

Playing in front of over 62,000 fans at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri, the Tigers won the game 27-16 as Ohio State’s offense continued to sputter. As it has all season, the Buckeye offensive line was unable to either give quarterback Will Howard enough time to find his receivers or open holes for the talented backfield tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins.

Instead, the OSU offense moved down the field in spurts and stops. Howard finished the game completing 17 of his 38 pass attempts for 194 yards and a touchdown. Henderson and Judkins each had moments where their sheer athleticism looked like it might be able to overcome the dire state of the offensive line, but neither was ever able to string together enough positive yards to put a dent in the scoreboard. The pair combined for 96 yards on the ground; Henderson had 53, Judkins had 43.

Despite the Buckeye defense’s continued impressive play, it was again the team’s offense — ostensibly the strength of head coach Ryan Day — that prevented the team from reaching its lofty preseason expectations. After dropping regular season games to Oregon (27-10) and archrival Michigan for the fourth-straight season (17-9), this feels like a turning point in the history of Ohio State football.

With the talent that his staff has assembled in Columbus throughout his time as head coach, Day has never been able to fully capitalize on the potential, routinely falling in the biggest games. Where his predecessors Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel seemed to summon the best of their squads in those moments, Day appears only capable of the opposite. There is no doubt that Day is a good coach and an excellent football mind, but after yet another demoralizing loss, Ohio State must consider if the stage is just too big for him at this point in his career.

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Google 10 More Buckeyes Added to EA Sports College Football 25, Including Josh Simmons, Jelani Thurman and Mylan Graham - Eleven Warriors

10 More Buckeyes Added to EA Sports College Football 25, Including Josh Simmons, Jelani Thurman and Mylan Graham - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

10 More Buckeyes Added to EA Sports College Football 25, Including Josh Simmons, Jelani Thurman and Mylan Graham Eleven Warriors

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Google Ohio State vs. Akron Prediction, Odds, Picks - August 31, 2024 - FOX Sports

Ohio State vs. Akron Prediction, Odds, Picks - August 31, 2024 - FOX Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

  1. Ohio State vs. Akron Prediction, Odds, Picks - August 31, 2024 FOX Sports
  2. Ohio State vs. Akron prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, where to watch, TV channel, live stream CBS Sports
  3. Ohio State depth chart: Final projections of Buckeyes' 2024 two-deep - defense 247Sports

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