Power Two Podcast: The Eagles win the Superbowl; is Juju Watkins the next LeBron ?
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Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


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In this episode, Jordan and DJ recap the Super Bowl and look into the roster management strategies that separate the Eagles and the Chiefs.

Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football…and everyone else. This show is for the die-hard fans and the casual college football fans. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the major matchups of the previous weekend and look ahead at the games, 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 DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.


In this week’s episode, Jordan and DJ discuss Valentine’s Day. DJ is buzzing because it is her favorite holiday. She loves to take time to send her love to not only romantic individuals but also her friends and family. Jordan shares his thoughts on Valentine’s Day and why it’s not that big of a deal to him. This sparked a discussion about Valentine’s Day today and how it is celebrated on social media. In the news, Jordan shares more coach hirings. Ohio State hires Matt Patricia as the Defensive Coordinator and Penn State hires Stan Drayton as the Running Back Coach.

In the two-minute drill, Jordan shares that Women’s Flag Football has been recommended for the emerging women’s sports program with the NCAA. DJ is excited because if it becomes an NCAA-sponsored sport it could have positive Title IX implications for different schools. DJ and Jordan dive into what Title IX is and how it affects different programs.

In the power sweep, DJ and Jordan sound off on the Super Bowl. With a decisive win, the Eagles take home the Lombardi trophy but what does this say about the Chiefs? Jordan feels that the Chiefs got lazy when building their roster and hung their hat on Patrick Mahomes to their own detriment. DJ feels that the Chiefs were too cocky because they have been to the Super Bowl so many times in the last few seasons. DeVonta Smith was the stand-out story of the Super Bowl becoming the fifth football player to win the Super Bowl, a college national title, and the Heisman Trophy. DJ and Jordan discuss his Hall of Fame potential.

In the two-minute warning, DJ discusses the finale of the Unrivaled 1V1 Tournament. Jordan praises JuJu Watkins for her 38 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and 8 block performance against UCLA.

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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, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday. You can also find Jordan’s article including B1G Thoughts on the Land-Grant Holy Land website.

Follow the show on YouTube: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @GetDefensiveSportsNetwork

Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia

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Game Preview: No. 9 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Iowa
Jami Jurich 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 via Imagn Images

After coming out on top in an overtime nail biter against Minnesota, the Buckeyes continue their homestand looking to end a six-game Iowa win streak.

The No. 9 Ohio State women’s basketball team (21-3, 10-3 B1G) bounced back from their two-game skid out west with an overtime win over Minnesota last Thursday. Now, they get ready to welcome Iowa to the Schottenstein Center as they head into the final five games of the regular season.

The Hawkeyes (18-7, 8-6 B1G), for their part, are hot on a six-game win streak — which includes a 7-point win over No. 4 USC — as they head to Columbus. Most recently, they took down Rutgers, 55-43, in Iowa City.

The teams faced off twice last season, with each team claiming victory on their own court. Ohio State won, 100-92, in an overtime victory in Jan. 2024, while Iowa took their March meeting, 93-83.

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Preview​

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Ohio State struggled to shoot the ball against UCLA and USC, they found their lights-out ability again when it counted — in overtime of their nail-biter against Minnesota, improving Ohio State’s home record to 12-0 on the season.

Against the Bruins and the Trojans, the Buckeyes shot just 29.4 percent from the field, compared to 59.3 percent against Minnesota. In overtime, the Buckeyes shot a whopping 75 percent from the floor.

Still, it wasn’t all roses. When the Buckeyes were on, they were hot. They started the game 13-of-17, capitalizing nicely off turnovers to add points, including a three from freshman Ava Watson to end the first quarter, which she followed by also netting OSU’s first three buckets in the second.

Things cooled off, though, with the Buckeyes shooting just 2-for-8 for the rest of the quarter: One jumper from Ajae Petty and one from Cotie McMahon, plus two made-frees for McMahon, giving the Buckeyes a narrow 35-30 lead at half.

After the break, Watson was still hot offensively, adding five more points in the third quarter, while Jaloni Cambridge got going defensively, adding three points and an assist for the Buckeyes off three steals. At the end of the third, the Buckeyes held a six-point lead, but by halfway through the fourth quarter, they’d extended that lead to 14.

Then, what looked like it was going to be a comfortable win against the Golden Gophers became anything but, with the Buckeyes getting outscored 17-3 and nearly crumbling. A three from Minnesota’s Grace Grocholski in the final 10 seconds sent the game into overtime.

Then, the Ohio State offense turned back on, flipping back to the top-notch form we’ve come to expect from this team. Though Minnesota kept things neck-and-neck, a huge block from Elsa Lemmilä kept the Golden Gophers from tying the game, sealing the Buckeyes’ 87-84 win.

The Buckeyes struggled to rebound, getting outrebounded 35-27 by Minnesota, who managed 10 more second-chance points than OSU. But what they lacked in rebounding, Ohio State made up for in steals, netting 13 to Minnesota’s four and scoring 30 points off Minnesota’s miscues.

McMahon, who leads the team in scoring this season with an average of 16.7 points per game, also led the team against Minnesota with 25 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Watson added 16 points and shot 4-of-4 from three-point range.

Taylor Thierry and freshman Jaloni Cambridge each added 10 points, and Cambridge was also good for a career-high six steals. Cambridge leads the team on the season with an average of 4.0 assists per game, while Petty is the leading rebounder with 6.8 per game.

Against Iowa, the Buckeyes won’t have as much room for error, so they’ll need to get hot and stay hot if they want to remain undefeated in Columbus.

In their first season under head coach Jan Jensen (who has been with the program for 25 years in other roles) and their first without former sensation Caitlin Clark, who now plays in the WNBA, Iowa has had its share of ups and downs. But recently? It’s been up a lot more than it has been down.

After starting the season 12-2, the Hawkeyes went on a five-game losing streak before they found their footing. But since losing on the road to Oregon, 50-49, on Jan. 19, the Hawkeyes have remained unbeaten for almost a month, including a marquee win over No. 4 USC, 76-69.

That’s thanks in large part to guard Lucy Olsen, the transfer out of Villanova who has been spectacular this year, especially over the last month for the Hawkeyes. Since their win streak started, Olsen is averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Against Nebraska last Monday, Feb. 10, Olsen was good for 32 points, seven assists, and six rebounds—her best performance as a Hawkeye. It was the second time an Iowa player recorded 30+ points, 5+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in a single game since 2009 (the first was, of course, Clark).

Most recently, the Hawkeyes welcomed Rutgers to Iowa City, and while Rutgers led at the end of the first quarter, Iowa took the lead early in the second quarter and never looked back. They won the game, 55-43, shooting 37 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from 3-point territory.

Olsen put up 27 points, including 4-of-5 from long range, and she’s not the only Hawkeye Ohio State needs to keep their eye on: Sydney Affolter has also put up double figures in each of the last five games.

On the season, Olsen, along with forwards Hannah Stuelke and Addison O’Grady, have double-figure scoring averages (17.4, 12.9 and 11.0 ppg, respectively).

The team is shooting 46.3 percent from the field (44.6 percent against conference opponents—the fourth-best in the Big Ten).

Defensively, this could be a battle, with both teams posing a turnover threat. Against Rutgers, Iowa forced seven turnovers and two shot clock violations in the first quarter alone, along with five more turnovers in the final quarter of the game.

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Projected Starters ​

Ohio State​

G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty

Lineup Notes

• McGuff has used three different starting lineups this season, compared to just one game with a different lineup in 2023-24. However, he has used the same starting five in each of the last six games.
• McMahon, Cambridge, Thierry and Gray all boast double-digit scoring averages, while Petty leads the team in rebounds.
• Against Minnesota, McMahon, Cambridge and Thierry each put up double figures.
• Last week, McMahon was named to the Wooden Award’s late midseason top 20 list and the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team.

Iowa​

G- Sydney Affolter
G- Kylie Feuerbach
G- Taylor McCabe
G- Lucy Olsen
F- Hannah Stuelke

Lineup Notes

• Iowa has used six starting lineups this year, but they have used the same starting five since Jan. 28, which was the second game of their six-game win streak.
• Olsen and Stuelke are both averaging double-digit scoring this season.
• Over the last six games, Affolter has shot 62 percent from 3-point range. She also leads the team in assists and steals.

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Prediction ​

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Though a loss won’t rob either team of its tournament hopes, it’s an inopportune time in the season to lose any game. Each game carries with it seeding implications that impact the path to victory.

The Hawkeyes have perhaps more to gain than the Buckeyes do to lose, as another marquee win could boost them higher than the 9-seed they’re currently projected at, especially as Iowa has to follow this game with a matchup against No. 1 UCLA. The Buckeyes, for comparison, are projected to enter the tournament with a No. 3 seed.

The Buckeyes have played well at home this year, but the Hawkeyes have hit their stride at the exact right point in the season, setting the teams up for a battle in Columbus.

In recent road games, the Hawkeyes have started strong, giving them momentum that has powered them through to victory. They built double-digit leads early against Minnesota, Washington and Oregon, while they led by as many as nine at Nebraska and Illinois. And while the Hawkeyes went on to lose at Nebraska, Illinois and Oregon, the hot-and-cold nature of OSU’s shooting of late could leave the door cracked for an Iowa win if the Buckeyes don’t quickly take control offensively.

In their last outing, the Hawkeyes sputtered against Rutgers (though this was a home game, compared to the aforementioned results on the road). But while they were able to recover in the second quarter against the Scarlet Knights, it’s unlikely they’ll have that same margin of error against the Buckeyes.

Then again, this game might not come down to offensive prowess at all. Both teams have done well defensively, and if Iowa can contain McMahon or the Buckeyes can contain Olsen, that shifts the game entirely.

Both teams will need to force turnovers—and convert those turnovers into points. And the Buckeyes will need to do better on the glass than they did against Minnesota, as second-chance points could be a difference-maker.

Ultimately, Iowa should keep this one close, and it could be a nail-biter, but if the Buckeyes can shut the Hawkeyes down early and execute well, OSU should be able to walk away with a slight edge.

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How to Watch ​

Date: Monday, Feb. 17, 2025
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Watch: FOX

LGHL Score Prediction: 77-72, Ohio State Buckeyes ​

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Can Ohio State Win BACK-TO=BACK National Champships? | Ohio State Buckeyes Podcast - KARE11.com
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Can Ohio State Win BACK-TO=BACK National Champships? | Ohio State Buckeyes Podcast KARE11.com

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Ohio State makes top schools for nation’s No. 1 RB, trio of others
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Five-star 2026 RB Savion Hiter with Ohio State running backs coach Carlos Locklyn | Via @5starsavi on Twitter

The Buckeyes made the cut for a handful of the country’s top prospects over the weekend.

The college football world is currently in the midst of a recruiting dead period, which won’t end until March 2. While coaches aren’t allowed to have any in-person contact with prospects until the dead period is over, that doesn’t mean recruiting is at a standstill. Across the country highly touted players at the high school ranks continue to make plans for future visits while narrowing down their options.

As far as Ohio State is concerned, this past weekend was a busy one. The Buckeyes made the top schools list for a quartet of blue-chippers over these last few days, including the nation’s No. 1 running back.

That prospect in question in five-star Virginia native Savion Hiter. The top running back in the 2026 class as well as the No. 17 overall prospect in the cycle overall per the 247Sports Composite, Hiter cut his list from over two dozen offers down to a final four, with Ohio State among the finalists alongside Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee. In addition, the 5-foot-11 ball-carrier locked in official visits with each of his finalists, with a trip to Columbus slated for May 30-June 1.

BREAKING: Elite 2026 RB Savion Hiter is down to Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The No. 1 RB in ‘26 has locked in OVs to each of his finalists:

• Ohio State- May 30-June 1
• Georgia- June 6-8
• Michigan- June 13-15
• Tennessee- June 19-22https://t.co/VKtLd1LZEN pic.twitter.com/KdXpjkTd

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 16, 2025​

Click to expand...

After an immensely successful season for the running back position at Ohio State with both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins eclipsing 1,000 yards rushing and helping lead the program to a national title, position coach Carlos Locklyn is hoping to strike gold with Hiter. The MaxPreps Junior All-American is coming off a huge season for Louisa County, running for almost 1,700 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 56 tackles, seven sacks and a pick on defense.

It will not be Hiter’s first trip to see the Buckeyes, as the star tailback previously visited Ohio State back in November for their 45-0 stomping of Purdue. That visit was his second to Columbus, initially making the trek back in October of 2023 when he originally received his OSU offer. As of right now it sounds like Ohio State and Georgia have the upper-hand of the four remaining schools, but these official visits will go a long way in ultimately determining the outcome.

Speaking of Georgia, Ohio State is looking to make some progress in the Peach State after making the top schools list for four-star athlete Tyriq Green. Taking snaps at both running back and safety for Buford, Green currently ranks as the No. 10 ATH nationwide and the No. 22 player in Georgia as the No. 164 prospect overall in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite.

NEWS 4-star athlete Tyriq Green is down to 8⃣ schools, he tells @ChadSimmons_

Read: https://t.co/akTFnui02q pic.twitter.com/RINuPxON0V

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) February 15, 2025​

Click to expand...

With an offer sheet that extends more than 40 schools deep, cutting things down to a final eight was no small feat for the 5-foot-10 Swiss Army Knife. That being said, Ohio State did manage to make the cut alongside Florida, Georgia, Miami, USC and others. The Buckeyes offered Green back in April 2024, with the freaky athlete calling it a “dream offer” at the time. Still, it will be tough for Ohio State to pry him away from the in-state Bulldogs.

Elsewhere, Ohio State also got some good news from four-star tight end Mack Sutter. The 6-foot-5 Illinois native is the No. 7 TE and No. 94 player nationally per 247Sports’ rankings. Sutter cut his list down from over 40 programs down to a final five, with the Buckeyes making that small group alongside Alabama, Illinois, Ole Miss and Penn State. In addition, the tight end has an official visit scheduled with each of his finalists, with plans to take in Columbus on May 30.

NEWS: Four-Star TE Mack Sutter is down to Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’6 225 TE from Dunlap, IL is one of the Top TEs in the ‘26 Class

Where Should He Go? https://t.co/oE9uNJtyTr pic.twitter.com/duYjvX7D6W

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 15, 2025​

Click to expand...

Ohio State’s tight end room is in good shape under position coach Keenan Bailey, most recently adding the No. 1 TE in the transfer portal in Purdue’s Max Klare. We saw how important a guy like Gee Scott Jr. was to the Buckeyes’ national title hunt, and the Buckeyes are hoping to parlay that success into momentum on the recruiting trail as they pursuit one of the country’s best in Sutter.

Last but certainly not least, Ohio State also made the top schools for reclassified five-star wide receiver Ethan “Boobie” Feaster. Formerly a member of the 2027 class, Feaster is now the No. 4 WR and the No. 23 overall prospect nationally in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite. With 12 schools still in the mix for the elite 6-foot pass-catcher, the Buckeyes are among the dozen alongside Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Texas and others.

BREAKING: Five-Star 2027 WR Ethan “Boobie” Feaster will reclassify to 2026, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 181 WR from DeSoto, TX was ranked as the No. 4 Recruit (No. 1 WR) in ‘27 per On3

Feaster is down to these 12 Schoolshttps://t.co/9QEh2EwziD pic.twitter.com/9sxUu1kXvu

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 14, 2025​

Click to expand...

A multi-sport athlete, running a 22.01 200 as a freshman, Feaster is coming of a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American season having caught 57 passes for 824 yards and 13 touchdowns, helping DeSoto reach the 6A D-II quarterfinals. Obviously now a top priority for position coach Brian Hartline having reclassified to the current cycle, the Buckeyes will look to get Feaster on campus as soon as possible. Ohio State first offered the Texas native in January.

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WATCH: What Michigan coach Dusty May, players, said about Ohio State after the game. - Buckeyes Wire
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WATCH: What Michigan coach Dusty May, players, said about Ohio State after the game. Buckeyes Wire

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Hollenbaugh, Buckeyes in Second After 36 Holes of Spartan Suncoast Invitational - Ohio State University
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Hollenbaugh, Buckeyes in Second After 36 Holes of Spartan Suncoast Invitational Ohio State University

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Ohio State basketball head coach Jake Diebler, Bruce Thornton, discuss loss to Michigan - Buckeyes Wire
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Ohio State basketball head coach Jake Diebler, Bruce Thornton, discuss loss to Michigan Buckeyes Wire

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Buckeyes Fall Just Short Against Michigan - Press Pros Magazine
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Buckeyes Fall Just Short Against Michigan Press Pros Magazine

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Julian Edelman sends message to Ohio State after hiring Matt Patricia - Patriots Wire
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Julian Edelman sends message to Ohio State after hiring Matt Patricia Patriots Wire

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Uncut: Diebler, May discuss Roddy Gayle’s return in Michigan’s win over Ohio State
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Michigan completed the football-basketball sweep Sunday in Columbus, winning 86-83.

Throughout the season, Land-Grant will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.

Listen to the episode and subscribe: ​

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio

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The 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines won an intense, back-and-forth battle on Sunday afternoon in Columbus, knocking off the Buckeyes 86-83 in the only meeting between the two teams this season. Bruce Thornton’s floater with two seconds remaining didn’t touch the rim, and Roddy Gayle Jr. left the arena all smiles as he beat the Buckeyes in his first time in Columbus since leaving Ohio State.

After the game, Dusty May, Danny Wolf, and Vlad Goldin spoke to the media, followed by Jake Diebler and Bruce Thornton.

Goldin said the environment in the arena was “great” and what he expected the rivalry to feel like. Wolf said that “All 18,000 people” in the arena were shouting obscenities at Gayle, but had “no idea what goes on behind the scenes” with the junior guard who transferred from Ohio State to Michigan in the spring.

May said that he thought the Wolverines would have an advantage over the Buckeyes with their two seven-foot starters, but opted not to get into specifics about why he thought that was the case.

Jake Diebler said he was “Angry, frustrated, and disappointed” at the loss and that he would allow the team to be angry and disappointed about it. He said that the game against Michigan wasn’t like any other game, and he was not going to “walk that back” just because they lost.

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Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Theme music provided by www.bensound.com​

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Ohio State Buckeyes Included in Top 5 Schools of Highly-Touted 2026 Recruit - Yardbarker
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Ohio State Buckeyes Included in Top 5 Schools of Highly-Touted 2026 Recruit Yardbarker

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Arizona State wins 17-10 to sweep Buckeyes in chaotic third game - Devils in Detail
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Arizona State wins 17-10 to sweep Buckeyes in chaotic third game Devils in Detail

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Michigan Edges Buckeyes Late in Rivalry Win at Ohio State - MGoBlue
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Michigan Edges Buckeyes Late in Rivalry Win at Ohio State MGoBlue

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Buckeyes' comeback bid comes up just short in 86-83 loss to No. 20 Michigan - 247Sports
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Buckeyes' comeback bid comes up just short in 86-83 loss to No. 20 Michigan 247Sports

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Ohio State slightly favored over Michigan in hoops showdown | Buckeyes have win probability of 60.7% - 247Sports
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Ohio State slightly favored over Michigan in hoops showdown | Buckeyes have win probability of 60.7% 247Sports

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Michigan basketball survives another close game as Danny Wolf stars vs Ohio State, 86-83 - Detroit Free Press
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Michigan basketball survives another close game as Danny Wolf stars vs Ohio State, 86-83 Detroit Free Press

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National 7-round NFL mock draft transforms Browns offense including 2 Buckeyes - Dawgs By Nature
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National 7-round NFL mock draft transforms Browns offense including 2 Buckeyes Dawgs By Nature

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Ohio State women’s basketball projected a No. 4 seed in NCAA Tournament
ThomasCostello 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 via Imagn Images

A weak non-conference schedule has Buckeyes on the cusp of traveling for first and second rounds of March Madness

Sunday afternoon, the NCAA Tournament committee released the first of two top-16 rankings of the regular season. The annual release shows teams where they’re at in the minds of those selecting which teams will host the first two rounds of March Madness, and the committee put Ohio State women’s basketball in at No. 14.

That puts the Buckeyes in the tournament as a No. 4 seed, as of today. There are still five regular season games and the Big Ten Tournament to play, but it puts Ohio State in a position where the margin for error is thin to avoid a road trip in the tournament this March.

The non-conference schedule sticks out as a reason why Ohio State is in this position. The Buckeyes scheduled no teams in the preseason rankings in their non-conference slate. Ohio State’s biggest test before Big Ten play was the Stanford Cardinal, a team that earned a No. 24 ranking in the Associated Press weekly poll, but lost it after one week and have a 12-12 record in the Cardinal’s first season in the ACC under first year head coach Kate Paye.

Look at the Big Ten schedule and the Buckeyes are 3-2 against top-25 teams, but two of those three wins came against teams that are no longer ranked.

An important change to how the women’s tournament gets ranked is the adoption of the quad system used by the men’s tournament.

In quad 1, meaning games against teams 1-to-25 in the NET at home, 1-to-35 at neutral sites and 0-to-40, the Buckeyes are 2-2. Of the top-16, the Kansas State Wildcats are the only other program playing in only four quad 1 games

Ohio State lost to the No. 1 UCLA Bruins and then No. 7 USC Trojans last week, not helping the Buckeyes. Right now, there are three remaining quad 1 game for Ohio State in the regular season on Thursday, in Bloomington against the Indiana Hoosiers, the Michigan State Spartans trip to Columbus on Feb. 26 and the regular season finale in College Park, Maryland against the Terrapins. That’s subject to change with the NET rankings updating daily.

That means that Ohio State has little margin for error through the end of the regular season and Big Ten tournament. Slip up, especially against teams in the second, third and fourth quads, and the Scarlet and Gray might have to travel for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Here is the full top-16:

Top-16 from the NCAA Tournament committee:

1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame
5. USC
6. LSU
7. UConn
8. NC State
9. TCU
10. Duke
11. North Carolina
12. Kansas State
13. Kentucky
14. Ohio State
15. Oklahoma
16. Tennessee

The committee will release one more top-16 ranking before the end of the regular season on Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN2.

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Visiting Locker Room: Hawkeye Report breaks down Hannah Stuelke and Iowa women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Buckeyes and Hawkeyes renew their Big Ten rivalry Monday in Columbus

At lunchtime on Monday, No. 9 Ohio State women’s basketball and the unranked Iowa Hawkeyes celebrate President’s Day on national television. For the first time since the last game of the 2023-24 regular season, the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes add another chapter in their long-running Big Ten rivalry.

It’s the first game that won’t feature names like Jacy Sheldon or Caitlin Clark, but it still features two teams with the personnel to compete in the postseason.

To learn more about this season’s edition of the Hawkeyes, Land-Grant Holy Land reached out to Kyle Huesmann of the Hawkeye Report. The Iowa Hawkeyes beat writer talked about how this team is different without the NCAA all-time leading scorer, how a summer injury for forward Hannah Stuelke is still impacting the Hawkeyes and Iowa’s ceiling in the NCAA Tournament.

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Land-Grant Holy Land: With the departure of Iowa’s focal point on offense, and head coach Lisa Bluder, how have the Hawkeyes changed systematically?

Hawkeye Report: Honestly, not a ton has changed systematically, which isn’t a surprise considering Jan Jensen was an assistant under Bluder for 30 years. It just looks a bit different because the personnel changed. They still run the same base offense, but with some of the pieces they lost, most notably Caitlin Clark, they can’t quite go at the same tempo as before and don’t make as many threes as they did last season.

As of late, the offense has really started to hit its stride. Some people may not know that Hannah Stuelke was out the entire summer after postseason knee surgery and then Syd Affolter got a minor procedure right when Stuelke was returning to full speed. That meant transfer Lucy Olsen never really got a chance to work with Stuelke and Affolter on the floor together.

The team started out well in non-conference play, but as team’s started to build a better scouting report against Iowa, the lack of fully healthy practice time over the offseason started to show. Over their current six-game winning streak, the veterans have played more consistent basketball, which they weren’t doing when things were going sideways. Iowa is still going to try to score a decent amount of points in the paint with Stuelke/O’Grady and will look to hit some threes, mostly with McCabe, Affolter and Olsen, but they have a couple of others that can hit from outside. Their three-point shooting has improved quite a bit from the beginning of the season.

The big thing that is different with this team is that they are playing better defense than in year’s past. Credit Jensen and her staff for that. They knew what they were losing offensively with Clarks and others, and made defense an emphasis over the offseason. They are currently ranked 136th in points per possession allowed (0.901), which is almost 100 spots higher than they finished last season (211th).

It’s been even better as of late, holding opponents to below 0.85 points per possession in four of their last six games. Their rebounding has even gotten a touch better, jumping from 31st in total rebounding percentage to 19th, while they are top ten in defensive rebounding.

Click to expand...

LGHL: 2. Coach Jensen tried to move Stuelke to a No. 4 role on the team, but moved her back recently after a string of defeats. What does Stuelke bring to the No. 5 role that Addi O’Grady didn’t bring and how has Stuelke grown into the focal point of this new look team?

HR: Stuelke’s natural position is the power forward position and with Addi O’Grady developing into a capable starter at center, the hope was to play Stuelke at the 4 this season. Unfortunately, Hannah was forced to play the 5 all of last season, so she never got reps at the 4 and then, this past offseason, she got knee surgery and did not return to full practice until the fall.

She never got time to work on developing the skills that would allow her to play the 4 at Iowa. Moving Hannah back to the 5 wasn’t due to anything Addi O’Grady was doing poorly, in fact, O’Grady is top ten in the country in field goal percentage. However, the move allowed Stuelke to be a consistent contributor on the offensive end and has allowed the offense to play a little bit faster.

Syd Affolter has also been a beneficiary of the move because the floor opened up a bit more and she has been much more consistent on the offensive end as of late. Hannah didn’t have a great game against Nebraska, but is capable of putting up a double-double any given night at the center position.

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LGHL: What has Taylor McCabe brought to the starting lineup with O’Grady now coming off the bench?

HR: McCabe brings three-point shooting, which is something Iowa lost a lot of from last year’s team. Taylor doesn’t create her own three-point looks very often, which, at times, can be an issue, but since the offense has started to hit its stride, she has gotten more looks.

The guard is the team’s top three-point shooter and if she gets 5-6 looks in a game, more often than not, she’s going to make 2-3 of them and sometimes 4 of them. She was 0/4 against Minnesota until late when she hit a clutch three and then knocked down five second half threes in the win over Nebraska.

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LGHL: Recent history shows Iowa bringing in maybe one transfer a season, far less than some other sides in the conference, but it’s been quality over quantity with names like Molly Davis and now Olsen. Over the last six games, Olsen is hitting another level for Iowa. What is she doing differently lately and what does she bring to the team overall?

HR: Any time a transfer joins a new team, there is going to be a period of time where that transfer is trying to figure out what role they should play. For Lucy, she was that go-to, 25-point a game scorer at Villanova and it’s hard to bring that same “I’m going to go win us the game mentality” to a more talented team, a better conference, etc, right off the jump.

I think a culmination of things led to her middle of the season struggles, but she has been pretty dominant as of late. At her best, Lucy can score at all three levels and she showed that against USC, Nebraska and even going back to the Washington game. Her midrange game is where she is most comfortable, but she’s been able to get to the rim a bit more lately and that has really opened things up for her.

She’s also started hitting threes at a higher clip. My sense is that earlier in the season, Lucy was trying to learn the system , correctly run the system and fit in with her new team. Now, she is starting to understand when it’s time to run the offense or run the set and when it’s time to abort the play and go get a basket for herself because it’s available. The Lucy Olsen that played against USC and Nebraska was one that saw openings for her to take over the game on her own and she did it.

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LGHL: What is this team’s ceiling for the postseason?

HR: This is an interesting question. I think this team, when playing at their best, is a Sweet Sixteen level team. However, some of their close losses earlier in the year may cost them in terms of tournament seeding, with them currently projected in that 8-9 seed range.

Probably too far of a climb to get to a 6 seed and too far to fall out of the tournament. That means they’ll likely be headed to a regional hosted by a 1 or 2 seed. The path to a Sweet 16 is far tougher in that situation than if they won a couple of those earlier games and earned a 5-6 seed.

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No. 2 Ohio State women’s hockey in search of back-to-back national titles
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The Buckeyes have already racked up 23 wins this year with the end of the regular season on the horizon.

Ohio State’s women’s hockey team is off this weekend, making it a perfect time to reflect on what the Buckeyes have done on the ice so far this season, as well as set the stage for what lies ahead.

With one weekend of regular season games left, Ohio State currently has a 23-6-3 record, marking the third-straight season the Buckeyes have won at least 23 games. With what they have shown on the ice so far this season, Ohio State is not only a lock to make their fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, they have a great shot to make their fourth straight title game.

The Buckeyes currently are ranked second in the country, with Wisconsin being the only squad ahead of them. Ohio State is riding a three-game winning streak, most recently sweeping a weekend series with St. Thomas in Columbus.

Friday night’s game wasn’t pretty for the Buckeyes early on, as St. Thomas jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a power play goal a couple minutes into the second period. Jocelyn Amos responded with a goal at the 5:47 mark of the second period before St. Thomas again extended their lead to two goals 10 minutes later. Riley Brengman cut into the lead early in the third period with a goal, but at the midway point of the third period St. Thomas would again restore their two-goal lead, pushing the score to 4-2.

One thing Nadine Muzerall’s team can hang their hat on is they never give up. Jenna Buglioni scored a short-handed goal with just under six minutes to play to close the gap to 4-3. Then with 30 seconds to go, Jocelyn Amos scored her second goal of the game to send the the contest to overtime. Joy Dunne would secure the comeback victory by netting a power play goal just over a minute into overtime.

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The Buckeyes didn’t have to sweat nearly as much in the second game against St. Thomas. Amos again scored the first goal of the game for Ohio State, putting the puck in the back of the net with the Buckeyes on the power play 8:30 into the first period. Makenna Webster would extend the lead to 2-0 early in the second period before St. Thomas would pull one back at the 8:48 mark of the period.

Ohio State wouldn’t be rattled by giving up a goal, keeping their foot on the gas with goals from Kiara Zanon, Dunne, and Buglioni to round out the 5-1 win. Goaltender Hailey MacLeod only faced seven shots in the victory, turning aside six of them.

With three goals over the weekend, Jocelyn Amos now has a team-high 21 goals this season. Back in January, Amos had a game to remember, netting four goals in a win over Bemidji State. While Amos holds the individual high mark for goal scoring by a Buckeye this season, the team’s top score came earlier in the season against Stonehill when they scored 11 goals on 72 shots.

Overall, five Ohio State players have at least 10 goals so far this season. Joining Amos and Dunne in the double-digit scorer club are Jenna Buglioni, Kiara Zanon, and Jordyn Petrie.

Sharing most of the goaltending duties for the Buckeyes this season have been Amanda Thiele and Hailey MacLeod. Thiele has been a goaltender on both of Ohio State’s national championship teams, so she has seen just about everything there is to see on the ice. This season Thiele is 14-5-2 with a 2.15 goals against average and .890 save percentage in 23 games.

MacLeod is a transfer from Minnesota-Duluth and has impressed in her first season in Columbus, posting a 8-1-1 record with a 1.63 goals against average, .907 save percentage, and three shutouts in 14 games.

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The moment of the season so far for Ohio State was undoubtedly squaring off with rival Wisconsin at Wrigley Field in early January. The Buckeyes and Badgers have split the last two national titles, with Wisconsin winning 1-0 in 2023, followed by Ohio State winning 1-0 to cap off last season.

Entering the outdoor game, the Buckeyes were destroyed just a couple days before in Madison, losing 6-0 to the Badgers. Much like many of the other games between the hockey powers over the last few years, the game at Wrigley Field came down to a shootout, with Ohio State earning the victory at the iconic baseball stadium.

To close out their regular season schedule, Ohio State will host St. Cloud State at the OSU Ice Rink on Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET and Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET. The teams split their first two meetings of the season back in October, with Ohio State winning the first game 5-1 before losing a shootout the next day.

Following the weekend series, the WCHA will hold their first round games between Feb. 28 and March 2, which will determine the WCHA Final Faceoff field, which will take place March 7 and 8 in Duluth.

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The team from up north visits.

Ohio State Football to Hold Spring Showcase at Ohio Stadium on April 12​

The Ohio State football team will hold an event at Ohio Stadium on its typical spring game date, but it’s still to be determined whether it will be an actual spring game.

Even though the Buckeyes are starting spring practice two weeks later than usual, Ohio State will conclude spring practice on April 12, sticking with its typical schedule of concluding spring practice on the second Saturday in April.

That said, Ohio State is calling its final practice of the spring a “spring showcase” this year, opening up the possibility that Ohio State could deviate from holding a traditional spring game. Per Monday’s announcement of Ohio State’s spring practice schedule, details of the spring showcase including ticket information are still to be determined.

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Ohio State will hold a Buckeye Gameday Fan Fest before the spring showcase in Remembrance Park (located on the corner of Woody Hayes and Archie Griffin Drives), featuring live entertainment, food and beverage and fan activations and giveaways, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Ohio State will conduct its entire spring practice schedule in four weeks this spring, beginning on March 17 when Ohio State students return from spring break. The Buckeyes will practice three times during the first week of practice, then practice four times in each of the following three weeks, culminating with the spring showcase for their 15th and final practice.

Ohio State is starting its spring practice schedule two weeks later than usual due to the length of its 2024 season, which culminated on January 20 with the Buckeyes winning the national championship in their 16th game of the season.

Spring Practice Starts: Monday, March 17th
Gameday Fanfest and Spring Game: Saturday, April 12th

Just sayin': The fans will want to see how the QB1 competition (i.e. Justin Sayin) looks in actual game conditions and will be disappointed if there isn't an actual "traditional" spring game.

Matt Patricia Compared to 5-Time Super Bowl Coach By Former Ohio State Star - Athlon Sports
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Matt Patricia Compared to 5-Time Super Bowl Coach By Former Ohio State Star Athlon Sports

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Controversial former Buckeye sends strong message to Jeremiah Smith about his future at Ohio State - AtoZ Sports
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Controversial former Buckeye sends strong message to Jeremiah Smith about his future at Ohio State AtoZ Sports

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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. No. 20 Michigan: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Roddy Gayle returns to Columbus as Jake Diebler and Dusty May face off for the first time.

Ohio State (15-10, 7-7) will host No. 20 Michigan (19-5, 11-2) on CBS at 1:00 p.m. ET at the Schottenstein Center.

According to Ohio State Athletics, Sunday’s game will be the 192nd all-time meeting between the two schools. Officially, Ohio State leads the series 102-82, taking into account the vacated games.

The teams have split the last 20 meetings (10-10), and Ohio State holds just a 20-point edge (1,363-1,343) in combined points in those games.

Last year, the teams split their regular season meetings, with each winning on its home floor. Michigan won 73-65 win in Ann Arbor, and but in the second meeting the Buckeyes dominated from start to finish in an 84-61 victory on Senior Day.

Michigan comes into this game on a five-game winning streak, taking down Purdue in its last game 75-73.

This is the game of storylines, with first-year head coaches Dusty May and Jake Diebler facing off for the first time and former Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle returning to Columbus after spending two years as a Buckeye and transferring to Michigan.

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Preview​

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Michigan is led by the Twin Towers, two seven-footers, in Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. Goldin is a transfer from Florida Atlantic that May brought with him to Ann Arbor, and Wolf is a transfer from Yale that was one of the more coveted targets in the transfer portal last season.

Goldin averages 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He shoots 63.9 percent from the field and 74 percent from the free-throw line. He also has shot 47 percent from beyond the three-point line this season, although it has been on limited attempts (9-for-19).

Wolf averages 12.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Wolf is also second in the Big Ten in turnovers per game, averaging 3.4 giveaways per game.

Auburn transfer guard Tre Donaldson has also been a valuable addition to the Wolverines, averaging 12.9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 4.2 assists per game. He’s also shooting 42% from three-point range on nearly five attempts per game.

Gayle has been up and down for Michigan, similar to his sophomore season at Ohio State. He is averaging 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He has struggled shooting the ball, shooting 45 percent from the field and 22 percent from the three-point line. His turnovers are slightly down, believe it or not, but basically all other counting stats — including his minutes — have gone down from a year ago.

Nimari Burnett averages 10.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as the fifth Michigan player to average double-digit points. He’s Michigan’s most efficient three-point shooter, knocking them down at 42.7% on just under five attempts per game.

For the Buckeyes, junior point guard Bruce Thornton leads the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game. He’s also grabbing 3.4 rebounds per game and dishing out 4.3 assists per game. Both of those marks are lower than last year, but he’s been incredibly efficient scoring the basketball, shooting 52 percent from the field, 46 percent from three-point range, and 83 percent from the free-throw line.

Sophomore forward Devin Royal is averaging 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, leading the team in the latter category. Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. has been one of the top shooters in the country, averaging 13.4 points per game on 42 percent from three-point range and 91 percent from the free-throw line.

Mobley has made five three-pointers in back-to-back games and now leads the Big Ten with 63 three-pointers. He’s one of just 13 players in the country, and just one of three freshmen, to have made a three-pointer in every game this season. Mobley is also on pace to have the best free-throw season in program history. The current record holder is Jody Finney, who hit 90% of his free throws during the 1968-1069 season.

Micah Parrish averages 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He’s averaged 21.3 points per game over the last three games, shooting 53.4% overall and 42.8% from three-point range during that time. Parrish is playing in his 160th career game on Sunday and has been great over the last month. He’s also averaged a team-best 17.4 points per game over the last eight games.

In his previous four seasons, he scored 20 points in a game just three times. In the last seven games, he’s recorded 20 or more points three times, including a 30-point game last Sunday at Nebraska.

Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart are averaging 6.8 and 5.7 points per game, respectively. Stewart also averages 5.8 rebounds per game.

Both teams are rated favorably according to the metrics, with Michigan ranked No. 22 and Ohio State ranked No. 28 in KenPom. Michigan is No. 25 in offensive rating and No. 18 in defensive rating, while Ohio State is ranked No. 29 in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

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Prediction​

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This game will come down to how well Ohio State can defend Goldin and Wolf due to their size and how well they run the pick-and-roll action between the two of them. Sean Stewart and Evan Mahaffey will be the defensive catalysts for this, and if they can use their athleticism to slow those two down, the Buckeyes have the advantage at guard and can lead them to a win.

Also, the Buckeyes have proven they can win games that they are outmatched in the frontcourt. They beat Purdue against Trey Kaufman-Renn and defeated Maryland with Derik Queen and Julian Reese.

This is one of the games that Thornton has to assert himself as the best player on the floor. He has had games where he has done that and scored 30 points, but in other games, he has tried to set others up and facilitate when he should be taking the offense into his own hands.

This game should be high-scoring, as these are two of the top-scoring teams in the conference, with Michigan averaging 81.4 points per game and Ohio State averaging 79.8 points per game.

This is also a sandwiched game for Michigan, as they just played Purdue and play Michigan State in its next game on Friday, so there could be a little let-down and look ahead for the Wolverines.

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ESPN BPI: Ohio State 60.4%

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 83, Michigan 78​

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