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LGHL Buckeye Heroes: The Joey Brunk Game
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Buckeye Heroes: The Joey Brunk Game
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
The former Bulldog, Hoosier, and forever Buckeye stunned Tom Izzo and Michigan State, but certainly not himself.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Powered by an NBA-bound duo of E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham, the 2021-22 Ohio State men’s basketball team was on a mission to bounce back from a program-defining loss to 15-seed Oral Roberts in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, get back to the big dance, and make it to the second weekend for the first time in nearly a decade. The Buckeyes were also in search of their first Big Ten title in 10 years, as well as a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2018.
After getting a combined 52 points from Branham and Liddell in a win over Illinois on Feb. 24, 2022, Ohio State was still alive for the first goal mentioned, and very much on track for the second. At 11-5 in Big Ten play with four to play, Chris Holtmann couldn’t have drawn it up any better if he’d tried. Four conference games remaining — three at home — with two of those games against two of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
But after a 15-point loss on the road to Maryland three days later and an unfathomable home loss to last-place Nebraska two days after that, Ohio State’s Big Ten title hopes were all but dead. A double-bye was still within reach, but they had to stop the bleeding immediately.
That meant the Buckeyes’ home game against Michigan State two days after the Nebraska game — their third game in six days — was a must win. A must-win game in March against one of the best coaches the sport has ever seen — always a great situation to be in.
To make things worse, Zed Key injured his ankle in the Maryland loss, and was still recovering. Kyle Young was ruled out pre-game with an “illness” although he took multiple blows to the head during the Nebraska game as well.
That meant Chris Holtmann had no choice but to start sixth-year senior Joey Brunk against the Spartans. Brunk played for Holtmann at Butler during the 2016-17 season (his freshman year) before he took the Ohio State job the following summer. Brunk played three seasons at Butler including a redshirt year before transferring to Indiana in 2019. After two seasons in Bloomington (including one fully missed year due to an injury), he transferred to Ohio State to reunite with his old coach for his final season.
With Key, Young, and Liddell healthy and effective for most of the season, there weren’t many minutes available for the 6-foot-11, 250-pound lefty — but he was fine with that. Brunk knew and accepted his role with the team. His job was to tap in for Key or Young whenever they needed a breather or were in foul trouble.
He played 10 minutes or more just three times through the first four months of the season. His job was not to play 30-plus minutes in a must-win conference game in March.
But that’s exactly what he was asked to do against the Spartans.
With Key and Young both listed as unavailable before the game, Holtmann’s options at center were Brunk, E.J. Liddell, and walk-on Harrison Hookfin — who did in fact see some time against the Cornhuskers out of pure desperation after Young left the game. Holtmann started Brunk along side Branham, Liddell, Jamari Wheeler, and Gene Brown against the Spartans, hoping to just get something out of the 24-year old.
What transpired over the next two hours may go down as the unlikeliest performance of any player in Ohio State history. Brunk entered the game averaging 1.3 points per game, and having scored just two points over the last seven games.
He proceeded to score 10 points in the first half against the Spartans, nearly doubling his season-high over the first 20 minutes. He hit Marcus Bingham, Joey Hauser, Julius Marble, and Mady Sissoko with a flurry of up-and-under moves, hook shots, and two-handed slams.
At one point he got Sissoko to bite on a hard dribble to the left, before pivoting to the right, getting Sissoko to stumble the opposite way, and then wrapping the ball around the rim and dropping in the reverse layup before a leaping Hauser could contest the shot.
Every artistic finish around the basket or two-handed jam was followed by that goofy Italian pinched-hand gesture as he ran back up the court. At the same time, every Brunk bucket brought the noise level up more and more in the arena, while the nearly 15,000 people threw up the same hand gesture Brunk was doing.
There was a period of time in the first half of that game where Ohio State ran the offense through Brunk, rather than Liddell — the future NBA draftee and All-Big Ten honoree. Liddell would receive the ball, but immediately pass and try to set a screen to get Brunk open to feed the hot hand. Liddell had plenty of those nights, and knew this particular one belonged to Brunk.
Brunk went on to finish with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting over 32 minutes — all of which were season highs. The 18 points were the most he had scored since Jan. 2019 when he was still at Butler, over three years earlier.
It was a performance that came out of nowhere, from a player who arrived at Ohio State the previous summer with no expectations. Brunk was a throw-in to top off the roster. An insurance policy in case Ohio State dealt with injuries at center, but really just a “break glass in case of emergency” option, but everyone hoped the glass would never need to be broken. He’d already missed two entire seasons due to injuries before he arrived in Columbus — what reason was there to expect much of anything at this point?
After Ohio State bounced Michigan State 80-69 (which turned out to be irrelevant, since the Buckeyes would go on to lose their final two games of the season after that and lose the double-bye anyway), Gabe Brown sat in the post-game press conference looking dumbstruck as he was asked about Brunk.
One of the first questions Brown was asked was how much the Spartans prepared for Joey Brunk. The answer?
“He wasn’t even on the scouting report.”
“In the last five games he played like, two or three minutes, something like that. And he played a phenomenal game.” Brown said.
Izzo was also asked about Brunk and admitted that the Spartans did not try to double-team Brunk because “If you have to double-team a guy averaging 1.3 points...” before his voice trailed off, allowing everyone in the room to finish the sentence however they’d like. Izzo said he recruited Brunk out of Southport High School in Indianapolis seven years earlier, and said he was a “great kid.”
Liddell and Brunk then took the stand for Ohio State’s portion of the press conference, but Liddell — who sat at the table after nearly every game to answer questions — deferred to Brunk on nearly every question. It was his night, after all. Brunk said that he didn’t think that he’d dunked in a game “In like, two years,” and wasn’t shocked at all to hear that the Spartans didn’t have him in mind when prepping for the game.
“In their defense, there probably wasn’t a whole lot of film to watch on me from this year.” he joked.
“The sun came up today,” he continued, “It’s going to come back up tomorrow, whether we won this game or lost this game. We just had to get in here today and compete.”
Brunk scored a total of 18 points over the next two games filling in for Key, which was impressive considering he was still averaging under five points per game even after the Michigan State game. But it is, and will always be, that Michigan State game on March 3, 2022, that remains etched into the minds of Ohio State fans. The game that people simply remember as “The Joey Brunk Game.”
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
The former Bulldog, Hoosier, and forever Buckeye stunned Tom Izzo and Michigan State, but certainly not himself.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Powered by an NBA-bound duo of E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham, the 2021-22 Ohio State men’s basketball team was on a mission to bounce back from a program-defining loss to 15-seed Oral Roberts in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, get back to the big dance, and make it to the second weekend for the first time in nearly a decade. The Buckeyes were also in search of their first Big Ten title in 10 years, as well as a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2018.
After getting a combined 52 points from Branham and Liddell in a win over Illinois on Feb. 24, 2022, Ohio State was still alive for the first goal mentioned, and very much on track for the second. At 11-5 in Big Ten play with four to play, Chris Holtmann couldn’t have drawn it up any better if he’d tried. Four conference games remaining — three at home — with two of those games against two of the worst teams in the Big Ten.
But after a 15-point loss on the road to Maryland three days later and an unfathomable home loss to last-place Nebraska two days after that, Ohio State’s Big Ten title hopes were all but dead. A double-bye was still within reach, but they had to stop the bleeding immediately.
That meant the Buckeyes’ home game against Michigan State two days after the Nebraska game — their third game in six days — was a must win. A must-win game in March against one of the best coaches the sport has ever seen — always a great situation to be in.
To make things worse, Zed Key injured his ankle in the Maryland loss, and was still recovering. Kyle Young was ruled out pre-game with an “illness” although he took multiple blows to the head during the Nebraska game as well.
That meant Chris Holtmann had no choice but to start sixth-year senior Joey Brunk against the Spartans. Brunk played for Holtmann at Butler during the 2016-17 season (his freshman year) before he took the Ohio State job the following summer. Brunk played three seasons at Butler including a redshirt year before transferring to Indiana in 2019. After two seasons in Bloomington (including one fully missed year due to an injury), he transferred to Ohio State to reunite with his old coach for his final season.
With Key, Young, and Liddell healthy and effective for most of the season, there weren’t many minutes available for the 6-foot-11, 250-pound lefty — but he was fine with that. Brunk knew and accepted his role with the team. His job was to tap in for Key or Young whenever they needed a breather or were in foul trouble.
He played 10 minutes or more just three times through the first four months of the season. His job was not to play 30-plus minutes in a must-win conference game in March.
But that’s exactly what he was asked to do against the Spartans.
With Key and Young both listed as unavailable before the game, Holtmann’s options at center were Brunk, E.J. Liddell, and walk-on Harrison Hookfin — who did in fact see some time against the Cornhuskers out of pure desperation after Young left the game. Holtmann started Brunk along side Branham, Liddell, Jamari Wheeler, and Gene Brown against the Spartans, hoping to just get something out of the 24-year old.
What transpired over the next two hours may go down as the unlikeliest performance of any player in Ohio State history. Brunk entered the game averaging 1.3 points per game, and having scored just two points over the last seven games.
He proceeded to score 10 points in the first half against the Spartans, nearly doubling his season-high over the first 20 minutes. He hit Marcus Bingham, Joey Hauser, Julius Marble, and Mady Sissoko with a flurry of up-and-under moves, hook shots, and two-handed slams.
At one point he got Sissoko to bite on a hard dribble to the left, before pivoting to the right, getting Sissoko to stumble the opposite way, and then wrapping the ball around the rim and dropping in the reverse layup before a leaping Hauser could contest the shot.
Every artistic finish around the basket or two-handed jam was followed by that goofy Italian pinched-hand gesture as he ran back up the court. At the same time, every Brunk bucket brought the noise level up more and more in the arena, while the nearly 15,000 people threw up the same hand gesture Brunk was doing.
There was a period of time in the first half of that game where Ohio State ran the offense through Brunk, rather than Liddell — the future NBA draftee and All-Big Ten honoree. Liddell would receive the ball, but immediately pass and try to set a screen to get Brunk open to feed the hot hand. Liddell had plenty of those nights, and knew this particular one belonged to Brunk.
Brunk went on to finish with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting over 32 minutes — all of which were season highs. The 18 points were the most he had scored since Jan. 2019 when he was still at Butler, over three years earlier.
It was a performance that came out of nowhere, from a player who arrived at Ohio State the previous summer with no expectations. Brunk was a throw-in to top off the roster. An insurance policy in case Ohio State dealt with injuries at center, but really just a “break glass in case of emergency” option, but everyone hoped the glass would never need to be broken. He’d already missed two entire seasons due to injuries before he arrived in Columbus — what reason was there to expect much of anything at this point?
After Ohio State bounced Michigan State 80-69 (which turned out to be irrelevant, since the Buckeyes would go on to lose their final two games of the season after that and lose the double-bye anyway), Gabe Brown sat in the post-game press conference looking dumbstruck as he was asked about Brunk.
One of the first questions Brown was asked was how much the Spartans prepared for Joey Brunk. The answer?
“He wasn’t even on the scouting report.”
“In the last five games he played like, two or three minutes, something like that. And he played a phenomenal game.” Brown said.
Izzo was also asked about Brunk and admitted that the Spartans did not try to double-team Brunk because “If you have to double-team a guy averaging 1.3 points...” before his voice trailed off, allowing everyone in the room to finish the sentence however they’d like. Izzo said he recruited Brunk out of Southport High School in Indianapolis seven years earlier, and said he was a “great kid.”
Liddell and Brunk then took the stand for Ohio State’s portion of the press conference, but Liddell — who sat at the table after nearly every game to answer questions — deferred to Brunk on nearly every question. It was his night, after all. Brunk said that he didn’t think that he’d dunked in a game “In like, two years,” and wasn’t shocked at all to hear that the Spartans didn’t have him in mind when prepping for the game.
“In their defense, there probably wasn’t a whole lot of film to watch on me from this year.” he joked.
“The sun came up today,” he continued, “It’s going to come back up tomorrow, whether we won this game or lost this game. We just had to get in here today and compete.”
Brunk scored a total of 18 points over the next two games filling in for Key, which was impressive considering he was still averaging under five points per game even after the Michigan State game. But it is, and will always be, that Michigan State game on March 3, 2022, that remains etched into the minds of Ohio State fans. The game that people simply remember as “The Joey Brunk Game.”
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeye Heroes: Trey Sermon was massive in two of Ohio State’s biggest games in 2020
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Buckeye Heroes: Trey Sermon was massive in two of Ohio State’s biggest games in 2020
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 Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
After transferring from Oklahoma, Sermon made his mark in his only season at Ohio State
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Nothing about the 2020 season was anywhere close to normal. Then again, we should be happy we had any football to watch that fall, since originally the Big Ten announced they were cancelling the season due to COVID-19.
Then in mid-September, the conference reversed course with an eight-game conference-only schedule, with teams needing to play in at least six games to be eligible for the conference championship game. The Big Ten decided to change their own rules later in the season after three of Ohio State’s games were cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions.
Dealing with COVID-19 safety measures was tough enough for everybody. Now imagine you were running back Trey Sermon, who decided to transfer to Ohio State following his junior season at Oklahoma.
Not only was Sermon new to Columbus and Ohio State, he had to try and find some comfort and stability in a new place during a time when people were supposed to limit in-person interactions with others. The loneliness and uncertainty Sermon must have been feeling had to take a huge toll on him.
As if that wasn’t hard enough to deal with, then there was the initial announcement the Big Ten wouldn’t be playing football in 2020. Sermon transferred to Ohio State to do one thing, and then they announced he wouldn’t be able to play football in the fall.
Sermon committed to Oklahoma out of high school, and it didn’t take the running back long to make some noise in Norman. As a true freshman, Sermon ran for 744 yards and five scores. Sermon’s best game in 2017 came against Baylor, when he recorded his first 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 148 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears.
Despite splitting carries with Kennedy Brooks in 2018, Sermon still had a very strong season as a sophomore, rushing for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns for an Oklahoma team that made the College Football Playoff.
However, after rushing for nearly 1,000 yards as a sophomore, Sermon found himself slipping on the depth chart as a junior. Not only was Brooks the primary running back for the Sooners, Rhamonde Stevenson was used a little more than Sermon in 2019 too. Along with having two running backs with more carries that year, Oklahoma also had Jalen Hurts at quarterback, with the Alabama transfer carrying the football over 200 times.
Having fallen out of favor at Oklahoma, Sermon decided to enter the transfer portal. Ohio State had pursued Sermon out of high school before the running back decided to commit to Oklahoma. The Buckeyes also had a hole at running back after J.K. Dobbins decided to declare for the NFL Draft following a 2019 season that saw him rush for 2,003 yards.
The opportunity to step in immediately and make an impact at running back in Columbus was too much for Sermon to pass up.
Then COVID-19 happened. Originally it looked like Ohio State would miss out on a second season of Justin Fields after the Georgia transfer led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff in 2019, where they lost a heartbreaker to Clemson in a semifinal. Eventually the Big Ten decided they could safely hold football games with rigorous testing prior to games and no fans in attendance. While it wasn’t ideal from an atmosphere standpoint, it was better than having no football at all.
Even when Ohio State’s season started, at first Sermon must have been regretting his decision to come to Columbus since Master Teague was receiving more carries. Through the first four games, Teague carried the football 75 times, while Sermon saw 45 carries.
Then in the 52-12 win against Michigan State, Sermon started to find some comfort on the field, recording his first 100-yard rushing game as a Buckeye, finishing with 112 yards against the Spartans. The touchdown was Sermon’s first in scarlet and gray.
Unfortunately for Sermon, he never was able to experience the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, since “The Game” was scrapped due to COVID-19. Then there came a question if the Buckeyes were going to be allowed to play in the Big Ten Championship Game since they hadn’t played six games during the season. With Ohio State looking like a national title contender, the conference decided to allow the Buckeyes to play Northwestern in Indianapolis.
Heading into the game against the Wildcats, Chris Olave was ruled out of the game because of a positive COVID-19 test. Once the game kicked off, not only did Justin Fields suffer a thumb injury, which greatly hampered his ability to throw the football, Teague left early in the game because of an injury.
If there ever was a time for Sermon to make his mark as a Buckeye, this was it.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25525793/1230387308.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 19 Big Ten Championship Game - Northwestern v Ohio State")
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Ohio State trailing Northwestern 10-6 at halftime, Sermon took control in the second half, rushing for 90 yards on his first three carries. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they couldn’t take advantage of what Sermon was able to do early on, throwing an interception and missing a field goal on their first two drives.
Then after a Northwestern missed field, Ohio State took the lead when Sermon rushed for a 9-yard touchdown. The Buckeye running back would ice the game with a little over four minutes to go, with another touchdown to extend the Ohio State lead to 22-10. Sermon finished with 331 yards rushing, breaking Eddie George’s single-game school record.
The victory over Northwestern not only allowed the Buckeyes to stay undefeated, it helped their case that they were deserving of a spot in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State was given a rematch with Clemson. Despite entering the game as an underdog, the Buckeyes used a 21-point second quarter to take a 35-14 lead into halftime.
Sermon continued to be the hot hand in the Ohio State backfield, rushing for 193 yards and a score on 31 carries in the 49-28 win over the Tigers.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25525795/1294078158.jpg "CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl - Clemson v Ohio State")
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Unfortunately for Sermon and the Buckeyes, it would come crashing back to earth against Alabama. On the first play of the game, Sermon was injured and lost for the rest of the game. Even if Sermon had been healthy, it likely wouldn’t have mattered, since Ohio State had no answer for DeVonta Smith, who finished with 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the 52-24 win for the Crimson Tide.
Sermon would go on to be selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, where he would see 41 carries as a rookie before being released prior to the start of the 2022 regular season. The next day, Sermon was claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who he would spend a year with before being waived early in the 2023 regular season.
Currently, Sermon is a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
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 Jamie Sabau/Getty Images
After transferring from Oklahoma, Sermon made his mark in his only season at Ohio State
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Nothing about the 2020 season was anywhere close to normal. Then again, we should be happy we had any football to watch that fall, since originally the Big Ten announced they were cancelling the season due to COVID-19.
Then in mid-September, the conference reversed course with an eight-game conference-only schedule, with teams needing to play in at least six games to be eligible for the conference championship game. The Big Ten decided to change their own rules later in the season after three of Ohio State’s games were cancelled due to COVID-19 precautions.
Dealing with COVID-19 safety measures was tough enough for everybody. Now imagine you were running back Trey Sermon, who decided to transfer to Ohio State following his junior season at Oklahoma.
Not only was Sermon new to Columbus and Ohio State, he had to try and find some comfort and stability in a new place during a time when people were supposed to limit in-person interactions with others. The loneliness and uncertainty Sermon must have been feeling had to take a huge toll on him.
As if that wasn’t hard enough to deal with, then there was the initial announcement the Big Ten wouldn’t be playing football in 2020. Sermon transferred to Ohio State to do one thing, and then they announced he wouldn’t be able to play football in the fall.
Sermon committed to Oklahoma out of high school, and it didn’t take the running back long to make some noise in Norman. As a true freshman, Sermon ran for 744 yards and five scores. Sermon’s best game in 2017 came against Baylor, when he recorded his first 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 148 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears.
Despite splitting carries with Kennedy Brooks in 2018, Sermon still had a very strong season as a sophomore, rushing for 947 yards and 13 touchdowns for an Oklahoma team that made the College Football Playoff.
However, after rushing for nearly 1,000 yards as a sophomore, Sermon found himself slipping on the depth chart as a junior. Not only was Brooks the primary running back for the Sooners, Rhamonde Stevenson was used a little more than Sermon in 2019 too. Along with having two running backs with more carries that year, Oklahoma also had Jalen Hurts at quarterback, with the Alabama transfer carrying the football over 200 times.
Having fallen out of favor at Oklahoma, Sermon decided to enter the transfer portal. Ohio State had pursued Sermon out of high school before the running back decided to commit to Oklahoma. The Buckeyes also had a hole at running back after J.K. Dobbins decided to declare for the NFL Draft following a 2019 season that saw him rush for 2,003 yards.
The opportunity to step in immediately and make an impact at running back in Columbus was too much for Sermon to pass up.
Then COVID-19 happened. Originally it looked like Ohio State would miss out on a second season of Justin Fields after the Georgia transfer led the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff in 2019, where they lost a heartbreaker to Clemson in a semifinal. Eventually the Big Ten decided they could safely hold football games with rigorous testing prior to games and no fans in attendance. While it wasn’t ideal from an atmosphere standpoint, it was better than having no football at all.
Even when Ohio State’s season started, at first Sermon must have been regretting his decision to come to Columbus since Master Teague was receiving more carries. Through the first four games, Teague carried the football 75 times, while Sermon saw 45 carries.
Then in the 52-12 win against Michigan State, Sermon started to find some comfort on the field, recording his first 100-yard rushing game as a Buckeye, finishing with 112 yards against the Spartans. The touchdown was Sermon’s first in scarlet and gray.
Unfortunately for Sermon, he never was able to experience the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, since “The Game” was scrapped due to COVID-19. Then there came a question if the Buckeyes were going to be allowed to play in the Big Ten Championship Game since they hadn’t played six games during the season. With Ohio State looking like a national title contender, the conference decided to allow the Buckeyes to play Northwestern in Indianapolis.
Heading into the game against the Wildcats, Chris Olave was ruled out of the game because of a positive COVID-19 test. Once the game kicked off, not only did Justin Fields suffer a thumb injury, which greatly hampered his ability to throw the football, Teague left early in the game because of an injury.
If there ever was a time for Sermon to make his mark as a Buckeye, this was it.
With Ohio State trailing Northwestern 10-6 at halftime, Sermon took control in the second half, rushing for 90 yards on his first three carries. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they couldn’t take advantage of what Sermon was able to do early on, throwing an interception and missing a field goal on their first two drives.
Then after a Northwestern missed field, Ohio State took the lead when Sermon rushed for a 9-yard touchdown. The Buckeye running back would ice the game with a little over four minutes to go, with another touchdown to extend the Ohio State lead to 22-10. Sermon finished with 331 yards rushing, breaking Eddie George’s single-game school record.
The victory over Northwestern not only allowed the Buckeyes to stay undefeated, it helped their case that they were deserving of a spot in the College Football Playoff. Ohio State was given a rematch with Clemson. Despite entering the game as an underdog, the Buckeyes used a 21-point second quarter to take a 35-14 lead into halftime.
Sermon continued to be the hot hand in the Ohio State backfield, rushing for 193 yards and a score on 31 carries in the 49-28 win over the Tigers.
Unfortunately for Sermon and the Buckeyes, it would come crashing back to earth against Alabama. On the first play of the game, Sermon was injured and lost for the rest of the game. Even if Sermon had been healthy, it likely wouldn’t have mattered, since Ohio State had no answer for DeVonta Smith, who finished with 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the 52-24 win for the Crimson Tide.
Sermon would go on to be selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, where he would see 41 carries as a rookie before being released prior to the start of the 2022 regular season. The next day, Sermon was claimed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who he would spend a year with before being waived early in the 2023 regular season.
Currently, Sermon is a member of the Indianapolis Colts.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State in-state 2025 target sets decision date, Buckeyes working hard on RB committed elsewhere
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- 0 Replies
Ohio State in-state 2025 target sets decision date, Buckeyes working hard on RB committed elsewhere
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Trey McNutt | 247Sports
The nation’s top safety is set to decide on July 19 between five final schools.
With June in the rearview mirror, July is much more of a slower time concerning the staff’s recruiting efforts. Never really an instance where recruiting is totally shut off, Ohio State can relax a little bit as not every day and weekend is a large event.
In many cases, July is a time to see the rewards of those efforts in June, and that has been the case these last few weeks. Picking up a major commitment from the likes of Riley Pettijohn at linebacker shows how well this staff has done in the 2025 cycle with the current top-ranked class in country, but with those many wins, some losses are to be expected as you can’t sign everyone.
One of the more interesting recruitments in this 2025 class has been from in-state safety target, Trey McNutt. A Shaker Heights native and Ohio State legacy, one would think this would be a rather easy prospect to land considering his in-state and program ties. However, McNutt has been pretty different compared to other in-state kids.
Make no mistake about it, Ohio State would love nothing more than to keep McNutt at home for the next three to four years. If he were decide to do that, his commitment would be welcomed with open arms. Right now that shouldn’t be expected, considering how his recruitment has gone to this point.
Without having to wait to see too much longer where he ends up, McNutt took to social media on Wednesday to announce his decision date coming next week. Set to commit on July 19, the five-star safety is down to Florida, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, and USC. Right now, the runaway favorite is Oregon.
The No. 19 player nationally and top safety in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, a commitment to Oregon would be right on track with how the rest of this month has gone for the Ducks. Dan Lanning and his staff are crushing it on the recruiting trail with the combination of assets they have going for their program. NIL can’t be the only reason for success, but you have to tip your cap to the Ducks and what they’ve been able to do recently.
If McNutt does decide elsewhere, it’s likely to cause Ohio State fans to be in a similar mindset that Justin Hill’s recruitment provided. Again, it’s important to remember that guys like Faheem Delane, DeShawn Stewart, and Cody Haddad are all locked in as safety commits currently. Yes, landing the top-ranked guy who is an in-state product is the goal, but all would not be lost if that doesn’t happen.
Additionally, this is a recruitment that won’t totally be over until signing day. McNutt has made it known that he still plans to take an official visit to Ohio State this fall, regardless of if he is committed elsewhere. That said, don’t be surprised to see the Buckeyes still fighting late in the game for this one.
Ohio State’s desire to add a third running back in the 2025 class is certainly not over, as Carlos Locklyn is still at work with current Alabama commit Anthony Rogers, who has been committed to the Crimson Tide since June of last year.
The No. 110 player nationally and the sixth best running back in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Rogers was last on Ohio State’s campus in May and took time to see all that the Buckeyes had to offer. Coming away impressed and enjoying his time with Locklyn, the chances of Ohio State being a real contender here became apparent.
Now, the Buckeyes fully expect to host Anthony this fall for an official visit, and though his Alabama pledge is still current, any time an official visit is being made means there’s a chance that a player may look elsewhere. Ohio State is trying their best, knowing the need for additional depth, and taking one from Alabama would be just what you’d like to see.
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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
Trey McNutt | 247Sports
The nation’s top safety is set to decide on July 19 between five final schools.
With June in the rearview mirror, July is much more of a slower time concerning the staff’s recruiting efforts. Never really an instance where recruiting is totally shut off, Ohio State can relax a little bit as not every day and weekend is a large event.
In many cases, July is a time to see the rewards of those efforts in June, and that has been the case these last few weeks. Picking up a major commitment from the likes of Riley Pettijohn at linebacker shows how well this staff has done in the 2025 cycle with the current top-ranked class in country, but with those many wins, some losses are to be expected as you can’t sign everyone.
McNutt ready to make his commitment public
One of the more interesting recruitments in this 2025 class has been from in-state safety target, Trey McNutt. A Shaker Heights native and Ohio State legacy, one would think this would be a rather easy prospect to land considering his in-state and program ties. However, McNutt has been pretty different compared to other in-state kids.
Make no mistake about it, Ohio State would love nothing more than to keep McNutt at home for the next three to four years. If he were decide to do that, his commitment would be welcomed with open arms. Right now that shouldn’t be expected, considering how his recruitment has gone to this point.
Without having to wait to see too much longer where he ends up, McNutt took to social media on Wednesday to announce his decision date coming next week. Set to commit on July 19, the five-star safety is down to Florida, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, and USC. Right now, the runaway favorite is Oregon.
The No. 19 player nationally and top safety in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, a commitment to Oregon would be right on track with how the rest of this month has gone for the Ducks. Dan Lanning and his staff are crushing it on the recruiting trail with the combination of assets they have going for their program. NIL can’t be the only reason for success, but you have to tip your cap to the Ducks and what they’ve been able to do recently.
If McNutt does decide elsewhere, it’s likely to cause Ohio State fans to be in a similar mindset that Justin Hill’s recruitment provided. Again, it’s important to remember that guys like Faheem Delane, DeShawn Stewart, and Cody Haddad are all locked in as safety commits currently. Yes, landing the top-ranked guy who is an in-state product is the goal, but all would not be lost if that doesn’t happen.
Additionally, this is a recruitment that won’t totally be over until signing day. McNutt has made it known that he still plans to take an official visit to Ohio State this fall, regardless of if he is committed elsewhere. That said, don’t be surprised to see the Buckeyes still fighting late in the game for this one.
Buckeyes trying hard to flip Alabama commit
Ohio State’s desire to add a third running back in the 2025 class is certainly not over, as Carlos Locklyn is still at work with current Alabama commit Anthony Rogers, who has been committed to the Crimson Tide since June of last year.
The No. 110 player nationally and the sixth best running back in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite, Rogers was last on Ohio State’s campus in May and took time to see all that the Buckeyes had to offer. Coming away impressed and enjoying his time with Locklyn, the chances of Ohio State being a real contender here became apparent.
Now, the Buckeyes fully expect to host Anthony this fall for an official visit, and though his Alabama pledge is still current, any time an official visit is being made means there’s a chance that a player may look elsewhere. Ohio State is trying their best, knowing the need for additional depth, and taking one from Alabama would be just what you’d like to see.
Continue reading...
LGHL Buckeyes lead the way with eight top-100 players in ‘EA Sports College Football 25’
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Buckeyes lead the way with eight top-100 players in ‘EA Sports College Football 25’
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
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: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Who are the highest-rated Ohio State players in EA College Football 25?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
What did EA College Football 25 get right, wrong about Ohio State with top 100 ratings release?
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Ohio State Set to Face 18 of the Nation’s Top 100 Players Based on Ratings From EA Sports College Football 25
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors
<Extreme eye roll>
Who could be next commitment for Ohio State 2025 recruiting class?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
J.T. Barrett is a gosh darn American and Buckeye hero
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land
Here’s what Ohio State will pay former men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Aaron Bradshaw brings smile, talent to Ohio State: ‘It’s alright to have fun’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Notebook: Unpacking observations from early July Ohio State practice
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Twenty-Four Buckeyes Set for 2024 Paris Olympics
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: Cantos Siemers Joins Buckeye Staff as Assistant Coach
Ohio State Athletics
Happy holidays to all who celebrate:
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
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: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On the Gridiron
Who are the highest-rated Ohio State players in EA College Football 25?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
What did EA College Football 25 get right, wrong about Ohio State with top 100 ratings release?
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Ohio State Set to Face 18 of the Nation’s Top 100 Players Based on Ratings From EA Sports College Football 25
Garrick Hodge, Eleven Warriors
<Extreme eye roll>
Who could be next commitment for Ohio State 2025 recruiting class?
Colin Gay, The Columbus Dispatch
J.T. Barrett is a gosh darn American and Buckeye hero
Josh Dooley, Land-Grant Holy Land
On the Hardwood
Here’s what Ohio State will pay former men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann
Adam Jardy, The Columbus Dispatch
Aaron Bradshaw brings smile, talent to Ohio State: ‘It’s alright to have fun’
Patrick Murphy, Bucknuts
Notebook: Unpacking observations from early July Ohio State practice
Andy Backstrom, Lettermen Row
Outside the Shoe and Schott
Twenty-Four Buckeyes Set for 2024 Paris Olympics
Ohio State Athletics
Women’s Tennis: Cantos Siemers Joins Buckeye Staff as Assistant Coach
Ohio State Athletics
All-American collegiate career at Ohio State
Joins the Buckeyes as an assistant coach
We are so excited to welcome Irina Cantos Siemers to the Buckeye staff!
https://t.co/ae93FPR251#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/SD11GBqOAX
— Ohio State Women’s Tennis (@OhioStateWTEN) July 10, 2024
And now for something completely different...
Happy holidays to all who celebrate:
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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: After a couple weeks off, we are back with a full recruiting episode
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Bucketheads Podcast: After a couple weeks off, we are back with a full recruiting episode
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
It has been three weeks since we had an episode, so we figured we would dive full into recruiting and discuss the commitment of Dorian Jones specifically.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
After a small break in the dog days of summer, Connor and Justin are back for episode 123 of Bucketheads, and we have an entire episode dedicated to recruiting.
First of all, Ohio State landed a commitment from the highly touted four-star Dorian Jones. We break down what Jones has to offer, and discuss Jake Diebler landing his second commitment from Cleveland.
We also discuss the influx of talent in Ohio's high school ranks right now, how many recruits the Buckeyes can take over the next two years and who should be the top priorities.
We end the episode with a little TBT update, as well as Reds and Cardinals banter since it is July — a slow time for college basketball.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
It has been three weeks since we had an episode, so we figured we would dive full into recruiting and discuss the commitment of Dorian Jones specifically.
“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. In every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in college hoops.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
After a small break in the dog days of summer, Connor and Justin are back for episode 123 of Bucketheads, and we have an entire episode dedicated to recruiting.
First of all, Ohio State landed a commitment from the highly touted four-star Dorian Jones. We break down what Jones has to offer, and discuss Jake Diebler landing his second commitment from Cleveland.
We also discuss the influx of talent in Ohio's high school ranks right now, how many recruits the Buckeyes can take over the next two years and who should be the top priorities.
We end the episode with a little TBT update, as well as Reds and Cardinals banter since it is July — a slow time for college basketball.
Make sure to like, subscribe, comment, and leave a review on the show!
Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
