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LGHL No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball escape Belmont 67-63

No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball escape Belmont 67-63
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Belmont v Ohio State

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The Buckeyes survive a hardly fought battle in Nashville Sunday

Ohio State women’s basketball played two games fitting of a top 25 team playing a mid-major side to start the season. After rolling in wins over the Cleveland State Vikings and Charlotte 49ers, the No. 12 Buckeyes traveled to Nashville to face the Belmont Bruins. The ranking didn’t matter to the Missouri Valley Conference side, and Belmont kept the game close for 40 minutes in a 67-63 Buckeyes win.

Before Sunday’s game, questions surrounded freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge. Specifically, would she be available after having a big fall to start the second half against Charlotte on Tuesday?

Cambridge started for the Buckeyes, with a large cheering section in the Cambridge’s home town of Nashville, Tennessee. The guard didn’t miss a step, hitting her first shot of the game, a three-point attempt.

Last season, the two sides played a close first half before the Buckeyes pulled away. Sunday, it was the Bruins starting hot, going up 15-13, which caused head coach Kevin McGuff to increase the pressure.

Ohio State put their havoc press into place and slowed down Bruins shooting. The Buckeyes allowed only four shots in the last five minutes of the first quarter for Belmont, hitting one.

That was good for the Buckeyes because the visitors missed seven shots in a row to start the defensive stand. Plus, a hard fall for Cotie McMahon that sent the forward out of the game. McMahon had contact by forward Kendal Cheesman on a layup attempt.

The Buckeye hit a free throw but went to the bench favoring her leg. McMahon didn’t stay on the bench long and came back in to break up the bad shooting spell to score the last four points of the quarter. Ohio State ended the quarter up four points, even on 2-of-13 shooting in the second half of the first period.

Defense continued in the second quarter. Ohio State kept limiting shots for Belmont, and when they did take shots they were under half court pressure. The Buckeyes forced 10 first half turnovers.

Offensively, the Scarlet and Gray had a 13-point run from midway through the first Into the second quarter. Of that run, McMahon accounted for nine of the points. By halftime, McMahon already scored 15 points, eclipsing her season average of 14.0 points per game entering Sunday.

Following the Bruins scoring drought, Belmont upped their intensity. The home side forced four turnovers in just over four minutes and went on a 16-2 run to get back on top with 2:37 remaining in the half. Ohio State hit two shots to end the half to go into the locker room up four points, but the Buckeyes needed to adjust if they wanted to avoid an upset.

The second half picked ups here the first half left off, with Belmont continuing aggressive offensive play but were also aggressive in the paint defensively. With 4:51 remaining in the quarter, the Bruins put the Buckeyes in the bonus, which wasn’t necessarily a saving grace after Ohio State shot 5-of-11 from the line before hitting the bonus.

Belmont fouls and Ohio State rebounding kept the Bruins at a distance. The Buckeyes out rebounded the Bruins 20-10 on offensive boards and 36-29 overall through three quarters. It helped shooting for Ohio State that wasn’t coming from half court offense, shooting 2-of-15 in the quarter.

Even so, without shots falling, Belmont kept the game close and went ahead late in the quarter with a six-point run. Ohio State ended the quarter outscored 18-11, entering the final 10 minutes down three points.

Ohio State probably expected things to swing back in their direction, but the fourth quarter didn’t bring any relief. Following a layup by Taylor Thierry, the Bruins went on a seven-point run to extend their lead further.

Out of nowhere though, the Buckeyes found the composure to bring the game back into Ohio State’s favor. For the first time in the game, the Buckeyes hit four shots in a row, going on a 10-point run to go ahead a point with 3:00 remaining.

From there, Belmont guard Jailyn Banks fouled out, the key defender with three steals on the day and one of the reasons why the Buckeyes struggled to hit shots on the perimeter. Ohio State extended their run to 13 points before Belmont cut the game to a single possession.

Bruins’ guard Emily La Chappell had a chance to put Belmont ahead with a three but missed. On the next possession, the Buckeyes lost the ball and La Chappell was fouled on an attempted layup. The guard tied the game at 63-63 with 35.8 seconds remaining.

Cambridge, who only had one shot on 1-of-9 shooting up until that point, took the ball with the game tied and went to the basket. The freshman hit a runner and was fouled on the play, which Cambridge made from the foul line. With 13.8 seconds remaining, the Bruins had a chance to tie the game but Kendall Holmes pushed Cambridge before a shot, giving the Buckeyes the ball and the win.

McMahon led the way for Ohio State in the win, scoring 21 points with five rebounds. Taylor Thierry scores 11 points with seven rebounds.

What’s Next

Ohio State stays on the road this week, taking the short bus ride to Athens, Ohio to face the Ohio Bobcats. The MAC side is the last team from Ohio to defeat the Buckeyes when the Bobcats defeated the Scarlet and Gray in Columbus on Nov. 17, 2019.

Since then, Ohio State is 2-0 against Ohio. In Athens, two years ago, coach McGuff’s side beat the Bobcats 86-56 and then again last season in Columbus 85-45.

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LGHL Game Preview: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball travels to Belmont

Game Preview: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball travels to Belmont
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Belmont v Ohio State

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The Buckeyes face the Bruins in the away edition of a home-and-home series

For the first time in the young 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season, the Buckeyes are on the road. The Scarlet and Gray head to Nashville, Tennessee to face the Belmont Bruins for the second time in two seasons.

While there’s no longer a family connection between the two sides with head coach Kevin McGuff’s daughter Kilyn McGuff transferring in the offseason, the Bruins have attributes the new-look Buckeyes haven’t seen yet this season.

Preview​


Ohio State’s made a living off mid-major teams so far this season. While only two games have been played, Sunday’s trip to Belmont is the third against a non-Power Five school and part of the 10 of 11 non-conference games not playing a team from one of the heavy-hitting conferences.

Before the season, coach McGuff admitted it’s part who’s available when it comes to scheduling but also getting the opportunity to play sides who are sneaky good, and can challenge the Buckeyes. So far that hasn’t happened, but with Belmont, things could get interesting, at least in stints.

Belmont’s been to the NCAA Tournament four times in the last seven seasons. In that run, they weren’t all one-and-done appearances. Take the 2022 tournament as the best example. In the Bruins’ final season in the Ohio Valley Conference, Belmont shocked not one but two teams in March.

Head coach Bart Brooks led his Bruins side to a double overtime win over the Oregon Ducks and narrowly lost to the Tennessee Volunteers 67-70 in the second round. Belmont is successful because they’re well-balanced.

In the second year of Missouri Valley Conference play, Belmont ended the campaign second behind the Drake Bulldogs, but with their man coverage defense allowed the least amount of points per game in the conference (62.3). They hold onto the ball well, giving up less than 15 turnovers per game and offensively take a lot of shots from deep.

Last season, Belmont was second to Drake with eight three-point shots made per game, and anyone can score them for Brooks’ side. Like forward Kendal Cheesman. The 6-foot-2 senior, who Brooks took out of the lineup to come off the bench this week in a win against Kennesaw State, scored 19 points including five shots from outside.

Belmont v Ohio State
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

The Bruins will challenge a Buckeyes team that allowed nine three-point shots against Cleveland State to start the season. Belmont will bring a similar challenge defensively, making Ohio State think twice about putting more of a presence in the paint.

Also, with a big like Cheesman who can score anywhere, it potentially takes Ohio State’s Ajae Petty out of the box or allows a shorter guard to post up against the forward. If Belmont is successful at drawing Petty out to the perimeter, it could mean trouble on the boards for the Scarlet and Gray, with Petty averaging five rebounds per game in the early season.

However, the biggest question for the Buckeyes isn’t in Xs and Os — it’s the status of Jaloni Cambridge.

The freshman phenom started her NCAA career strong, scoring 31 points against the CSU Vikings, but fell hard against the Charlotte 49ers to start the second half. McGuff said there was no way they’d put Cambridge back in with the game out of reach for Charlotte, which means if needed the point guard could have gotten into the game. Cambridge sat on the bench, and stood near it for a good chunk of the second half, after a brief trip to the medical room.

Will an abundance of caution have McGuff hold Cambridge back from starting in a game in her hometown?

If Cambridge doesn’t start, Madison Greene is already a starting-caliber point guard. While the scoring won’t be as explosive, giving Cambridge another game to rest wouldn’t be the end of the world. Based on McGuff’s starting habits though, it seems likely that Cambridge is in from the jump.

Should Cambridge not play, it means the injury to the guard might be more than was initially known following Tuesday’s home win.

Ohio State will still also have Cotie McMahon, Taylor Thierry, and Chance Gray to provide consistent offense. McMahon’s scoring numbers are down but are giving the ball away less and playing a more mature small-forward role for McGuff as players like Cambridge and Gray shine.

Against Charlotte, Gray had a program record trying nine three-pointers made in a game in only her second game as a Buckeye. It was Gray’s career-best scoring game ever after starting two years with the Oregon Ducks. That experience and shooting ability will be hard for the Bruins to stop if it carries over to the road trip.

It’s hard to compare Sunday’s game in Nashville to last season because both teams have different rosters. Each side has a vastly different starting lineup than last year when Ohio State 84-55. Cheesman returns from last year, along with fellow Preseason All-MVC picks Tuti Jones and Jailyn Banks. Last year, the three combined for 23 points against the Buckeyes, with Cheesman leading the way with 13. Expect the Bruins to fare better at home.

Joining them are Emily La Chappell and Kendall Holmes, both newer names to the program and averaging a combined 21 points per game.

Ohio State​


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

Lineup Notes​

  • Taylor Thierry is 47 points away from scoring 1,000 as a Buckeye
  • Elsa Lemmilä leads the team in rebounds per game with 6.5
  • Chance Gray tied Jaloni Cambridge scoring 19.5 points per game with her historic shooting night against Charlotte

Belmont​


G- Jailyn Banks
G- Emily La Chappell
G- Kendall Holmes
G- Tuti Jones
F- Kendal Cheesman

Lineup Notes​

  • Kendal Cheesman started 36 straight games for Belmont until coming off the bench in the Bruins’ last game, against Kennesaw State.
  • Kendall Holmes and Emily La Chappell are both transfers into Belmont. Holmes joined this season from South Dakota State and La Chappell joined from Marquette last season, but didn’t play against the Buckeyes.
  • The Bruins are the winningest WBB team in Tennessee in the past ten years, winning 236 games, the Tennessee Volunteers have 224

Prediction​


Cambridge will start, not missing a chance to play in front of her home crowd alongside her sister Kennedy Cambridge. Belmont will play stronger than last season, but the gap of talent is large enough that Ohio State will respond after a strong start from the Bruins.

Expect a first quarter where Belmont may even outscore the Buckeyes, but timeout and between-quarter adjustments will favor the Buckeyes. Taylor Thierry will have a more productive game with Belmont trying more outside play on offense. Thierry will be a strong outlet when Petty gets defensive attention, and defensively be able to post up against Cheesman should she move to the perimeter and shoot from deep.

How to Watch​


Date: Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Where: Curb Event Center, Nashville, Tennessee
Stream: ESPN+

LGHL Score Prediction: 85-67, Ohio State Buckeyes ​

Sisters Celebrated​


The Cambridge family has a strong footprint in Nashville basketball. At Ensworth High School, the Cambridge sisters led them to multiple state titles, and the younger Cambridge, Jaloni, won Girls Basketball Player of the Year three times with the Tennessean and once as Gatorade’s Tennessee Player of the Year.

That’s in addition to older sister Jordyn Cambridge playing at Vanderbilt for four seasons, including three inclusions in the SEC All-Defensive Team.

To celebrate, the Cambridge sisters had a giveaway for tickets. It wasn’t anything in conjunction with Ohio State University or NIL, and it gives their home fans a chance to see them live against the Bruins in what should be a strong pro-Cambridge crowd in Nashville.



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Week 13 Games Discussion

BB73

​

Week 13​

Tuesday, Nov. 19

7 p.m. | Akron at Kent State | CBSSN
7:30 p.m. | Western Michigan at Central Michigan | ESPN2
8 p.m. | Northern Illinois at Miami (Ohio) | ESPN

Wednesday, Nov. 20

7 p.m. | Buffalo at Eastern Michigan | ESPNU
7 p.m. | Ohio at Toledo | ESPN2

Thursday, Nov. 21

7 p.m. | SE Louisiana at Nicholls | ESPN+
7:30 p.m. | NC State at Georgia Tech | ESPN

Friday, Nov. 22

7 p.m. | Temple at UTSA | ESPN2
8 p.m. | Purdue at Michigan State | FOX
10 p.m. | UNLV at San Jose State | FS1

Saturday, Nov. 23

12 p.m. | Indiana at Ohio State | FOX
12 p.m. | Wake Forest at Miami (Fla.) | ESPN
12 p.m. | Ole Miss at Florida | ABC/ESPN+
12 p.m. | SMU at Virginia | ESPN2
12 p.m. | Iowa at Maryland | Big Ten Network
12 p.m. | UConn at Syracuse | ACC Network
12 p.m. | North Carolina at Boston College | CW Network
12 p.m. | Sam Houston at Jacksonville State | CBSSN
12 p.m. | Illinois at Rutgers | Peacock
12 p.m. | William & Mary at Richmond | FloSports
12 p.m. | East Tennessee State at VMI | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Yale at Harvard | ESPNU
12 p.m. | Brown at Dartmouth | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Cornell at Columbia | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Lafayette at Lehigh | ESPN+

12:30 p.m. | Holy Cross at Georgetown | ESPN+
12:30 p.m. | UCF at West Virginia | ESPNU
12:45 p.m. | UMass at Georgia | SEC Network
1 p.m. | UTEP at Tennessee | ESPN+/SECN+
1 p.m. | Western Kentucky at Liberty | ESPN+
1 p.m. | New Hampshire at Maine | FloSports
1 p.m. | Delaware at Villanova | FloSports
1 p.m. | Elon at North Carolina A&T | FloSports
1 p.m. | Monmouth at Stony Brook | FloSports
1 p.m. | Hampton at UAlbany | FloSports
1 p.m. | Rhode Island at Bryant | FloSports
1 p.m. | Eastern Illinois at Tennessee Tech | ESPN+
1 p.m. | North Dakota at Illinois State | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Murray State at Southern Illinois | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Butler at Presbyterian | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Drake at Stetson | ESPN+
1 p.m. | San Diego at Morehead State | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Penn at Princeton | ESPN+
1 p.m. | North Carolina Central at Delaware State | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Howard at Morgan State | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Merrimack at Fordham | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Colgate at Bucknell | ESPN+
1:30 p.m. | Charleston Southern at Florida State | ESPN+/ACCNX
1:30 p.m. | Norfolk State at South Carolina State | ESPN+

2 p.m. | Bowling Green at Ball State | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Rice at UAB | ESPN+
2 p.m. | North Alabama at Eastern Kentucky | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Chattanooga at Austin Peay | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Gardner-Webb at Western Illinois | ESPN+
2 p.m. | UIW at East Texas A&M | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Montana at Montana State | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Indiana State at UNI | ESPN+
2 p.m. | North Dakota State at South Dakota | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Davidson at Valparaiso | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | New Mexico State at Middle Tennessee | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | James Madison at Appalachian State | ESPN+

3 p.m. | Florida International at Kennesaw State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | UL Monroe at Arkansas State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | South Alabama at Southern Miss | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Charlotte at Florida Atlantic | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Central Arkansas at Tarleton State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Utah Tech at Southern Utah | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Lindenwood at UT Martin | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Northwestern State at Houston Christian | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Cal Poly at Weber State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Furman at Mercer | ESPN+
3 p.m. | South Dakota State at Missouri State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Prairie View A&M at Alabama State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Jackson State at Alcorn State | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Western Carolina at Samford | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Abilene Christian at Stephen F. Austin | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Arizona at TCU | ESPN+

3:30 p.m. | Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman (at Camping World Stadium in Orlando) | ESPN+
3:30 p.m. | Kentucky at Texas | ABC
3:30 p.m. | BYU at Arizona State | ESPN
3:30 p.m. | Colorado vs. Kansas (at Arrowhead Stadium in KC) | FOX
3:30 p.m. | The Citadel at Clemson | CW Network
3:30 p.m. | Northwestern at Michigan | FS1
3:30 p.m. | Stanford at Cal | ACC Network
3:30 p.m. | San Diego State at Utah State | CBSSN
3:30 p.m. | Georgia Southern at Coastal Carolina
3:30 p.m. | Wisconsin at Nebraska | BTN
3:30 p.m. | East Carolina at North Texas | ESPN+
3:30 p.m. | Tulsa at South Florida | ESPN+
3:30 p.m. | Penn State at Minnesota | CBSSN
3:30 p.m. | Texas Tech at Oklahoma State | ESPN+

4 p.m. | Wofford at South Carolina | ESPN+/SECN+
4 p.m. | Louisiana Tech at Arkansas | ESPN+/SECN+
4 p.m. | Northern Colorado at Portland State | ESPN+
4 p.m. | Pitt at Louisville | ESPN2
4:15 p.m. | Missouri at Mississippi State | SEC Network
4:30 p.m. | Southeast Missouri State at Tennessee State | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Troy at Louisiana | ESPN+
5 p.m. | UC Davis at Sacramento State | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Idaho at Idaho State | ESPN+

7 p.m. | Army vs. Notre Dame (Yankee Stadium) | NBC
7 p.m. | Boise State at Wyoming | CBSSN
7 p.m. | Washington State at Oregon State | CW Network
7 p.m. | Georgia State at Texas State | ESPN+
7 p.m. | Baylor at Houston | FS1

7:30 p.m. | Alabama at Oklahoma | ABC/ESPN+
7:30 p.m. | Texas A&M at Auburn | ESPN
7:30 p.m. | Marshall at Old Dominion | ESPNU
7:30 p.m. | Iowa State at Utah | FOX
7:45 p.m. | Vanderbilt at LSU | SEC Network
8 p.m. | Virginia Tech at Duke | ACC Network
8 p.m. | Lamar at McNeese | ESPN+
8 p.m. | Cincinnati at Kansas State | ESPN2

10:30 p.m. | Air Force at Nevada | FS1
10:30 p.m. | Colorado State at Fresno State | CBSSN
10:30 p.m. | USC at UCLA | NBC
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LGHL Using baseball terminology to wrap up Ohio State’s 31-7 win over Northwestern

Using baseball terminology to wrap up Ohio State’s 31-7 win over Northwestern
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State v Northwestern

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

The victory by the Buckeyes over the Wildcats at Wrigley Field was the football equivalent of a quality start in baseball.

After months of anticipation, Ohio State and Northwestern finally squared off in Wrigley Field. Despite there being concerns about some of the features of the field heading into the game, the latest edition of a football game being played in the “Friendly Confines” went off without a hitch.

Nobody ran into the walls just behind the end zone and was injured, the turf held up a lot better this year than it did for Northwestern’s game with Iowa last year, and the weather didn’t have an impact on the game, unlike when the Buckeyes and Wildcats played in 2022 in Evanston.

Since this game was played in a baseball stadium, there’s no better way to put a bow on Saturday’s game between the Buckeyes and Wildcats than by using some baseball terminology to describe what we saw during the game, as well as where things stand for Ohio State as they turn their attention to home games against Indiana and Michigan over the next two weeks.

The win by the Buckeyes was their 11th-straight over Northwestern, pushing their significant edge in the series to 66-14-1.

Curtain call​


If there was anybody who deserved a curtain call in today’s game, it was wide receiver Carnell Tate. The sophomore returned to his hometown and had himself a game, catching four passes for 52 yards, finding the end zone twice in the victory. The two touchdown receptions not only doubled his season total, it marked the first time in his young career that Tate has scored twice in a game.

What was most impressive about what we saw from Tate on the field today is he made some tough catches over the middle of the field that really had no business being caught. One of those grabs put the Buckeyes on the doorstep of the end zone, with Quinshon Judkins cashing in Ohio State’s first touchdown of the game soon after.

Teammates Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka often overshadow what Tate does on the field, but quietly the Chicago native is having a strong season. Tate has 31 catches for almost 460 yards on the season. Smith, Egbuka, and Tate are making a strong case for the best receiving trio in the country this season.

Two-bagger​


The other Buckeye who found the end zone twice today was running back Quinshon Judkins, who was responsible for the first two scores of the day for Ohio State. Both scores for the Ole Miss transfer were from a yard out.

The first touchdown tied the score at 7-7, allowing Buckeye Nation at Wrigley and watching on TV to breathe a little easier. Then not long after, Judkins was the beneficiary of the second blocked punt in two weeks by the Buckeyes, gaining possession after the punt block went out of bounds at the one-yard-line.

Judkins finished the game with 76 yards on 15 carries.

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The performance by Judkins was massive since he had really been struggling lately, having failed to reach 30 yards rushing in three of his previous four games. So far this season there haven’t been many games where both Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were clicking in the same game. This was one of the better games for the duo, with Henderson rushing for 74 yards.

The good news is with both running backs shouldering a lighter workload than they have been used to over the past couple years, they will be fresher for the important stretch the Buckeyes have coming up, as games against Indiana and Michigan over the next two weeks will determine if Ohio State plays in the Big Ten Championship Game, and what their seeding could be in the College Football Playoff.

Gas​


Since the Oregon game, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has been dialing up some fiery blitzes. Over the past three contests, Cody Simon had been used a lot to put some heat on opposing quarterbacks.

Against Northwestern, Sonny Styles got his turn to leave his mark in the opposing backfield, registering two sacks in the game. Styles finished the game with six tackles, tied with Simon and Caleb Downs for second-most by a Buckeye in the game, just one stop behind the seven tackles Arvell Reese and Jack Sawyer recorded.

Sawyer’s tackle output in the game set a new career-high.

Ohio State v Northwestern
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Speaking of Sawyer, the defensive end thwarted Northwestern’s opening drive of the game when he punched the football out of Northwestern quarterback Jack Lausch’s hands with the Wildcats driving inside the red zone. The football bounced directly to cornerback Davison Igbinosun who picked it up and returned it 17 yards before being run out of bounds.

Over the last two weeks, Sawyer has played his best football of the season, hopefully mirroring the finish to his 2023 season when he was a menace to close out the season.

Five-tool player​


In baseball, a five-tool player is somebody who can do it all. Examples of some five-tool baseball players are Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero. In football, the equivalent would be a five-star recruit or blue chip prospect. Jeremiah Smith is that dude. Many have been saying that even though Smith is a freshman, he could play in the NFL right now. Luckily for Ohio State fans, they’ll be seeing Smith in the scarlet and gray for another two years.

After achieving the triple crown of Ohio State freshman receiving records, Smith is now adding to his totals the rest of the season. With four catches for 100 yards today, Smith notched the third 100-yard receiving game in his young career. Honestly, the yardage total should have been about 40 yards higher since Smith scored a touchdown on a diving reception but after replay review the officials ruled the football touched the ground, taking the touchdown off the scoreboard.

For most freshmen there would be a concern about hitting a “freshman wall”. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Smith, who looks like he is getting stronger as the season goes on. About the only thing that might slow the talented wide receiver down is dirty plays like we saw from Northwestern defender Robert Fitzgerald, who thought he was Kurt Angle and tried to put Smith in an ankle lock with Smith on the ground after a 68-yard gain.

Painting the corners​


Despite completing just 62.5 percent of his passes, which was his second-lowest mark of the season, Will Howard was firing some darts against Northwestern. It’s obvious Howard is becoming more and more comfortable running Chip Kelly’s offense each week.

There were a number of throws that the Kansas State transfer made during the game that were just *chef kiss*. One that really sticks out in my mind was a bullet over the middle into a microscopic window to Carnell Tate to set up the first Buckeye touchdown of the day.

Howard might not put up massive statlines like C.J. Stroud or Dwayne Haskins, but with playing so many games of college football before arriving in Columbus, he just doesn’t get rattled. Now the pressure is about to be ratcheted up going forward, starting with a showdown with undefeated Indiana next week, followed by the grudge match with Michigan a couple days after Thanksgiving.

If Howard continues to play like he has so far this season, it is going to be awfully hard for a team to beat Ohio State the rest of the way.

Catbird seat​


The oddsmakers didn’t feel like there would be much suspense in the result of the game, installing Ohio State as 28.5-point favorites earlier this week. Despite some early sluggishness, the Buckeyes were able to get their act together in the second quarter, taking a 21-7 lead into halftime.

The victory kept Ohio State in control of their own destiny when it comes to earning their first appearance in the Big Ten Championship Game since 2020. If the Buckeyes are able to beat Indiana next week, followed by snapping a three-game losing streak to Michigan in two weeks, Ohio State will head to Indianapolis to take on Oregon in early December, with not only the conference title on the line, but also a first round bye in the College Football Playoff.

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Google Three Key Stats: Ohio State's Defense Flourishes Again in the Red Zone, Jeremiah Smith Notches 100 Yards and C - Eleven Warriors

Three Key Stats: Ohio State's Defense Flourishes Again in the Red Zone, Jeremiah Smith Notches 100 Yards and C - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Three Key Stats: Ohio State's Defense Flourishes Again in the Red Zone, Jeremiah Smith Notches 100 Yards and C Eleven Warriors

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