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LGHL B1G Thoughts: Ranking FOX’s Friday night football lineup

B1G Thoughts: Ranking FOX’s Friday night football lineup
JordanW330
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Oregon State v Oregon

Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images

Starting in 2024, FOX will be showcasing Big Ten football on Friday nights. Let’s rank the 2024 games.

Every week after the Big Ten games, I will bring you some B1G thoughts on everything that happened! This will include analysis, stats, key players, moments, and more. Check out the I-80 Football Show for more in-depth analysis and to preview the next week of B1G games.

As a part of the new multi-billion dollar contract the Big Ten signed with FOX, NBC, and CBS, the Big Ten has agreed to play football games on Friday nights. All told, there are rumored to be 16 total games on Fridays, including nine games on FOX and a Black Friday doubleheader including Nebraska vs. Iowa and an unannounced game.

FOX is trying to separate itself in the college football media space first by abandoning the prototypical Saturday primetime slot to put their No. 1 game at Noon on Saturday, following a new pre-game show called Big Noon Kickoff, a direct rival to College Gameday. After seeing success with Big Noon Kickoff, FOX is continuing to try and separate itself by going all in on Friday nights.

Time will tell how successful this endeavor will be, considering that the biggest brands in the Big Ten have fought to stay off Friday nights and FOX’s No. 1 game will always be Saturday at Noon. But lucky for FOX, the four newcomers are big brands and do not have the power to say no to this lineup.

With all that said, let’s look at the nine games and rank them from worst to best...


Friday nights Primetime matchups on FOX

Can’t wait for FOX College Football Fridays to kick off pic.twitter.com/g8JkBgQtVB

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) May 22, 2024

No. 9: Purdue at Michigan State

Friday, Nov. 22 @ 8:00 p.m.


Have you started Christmas shopping yet? Do you have your groceries for Thanksgiving? I promise you that there are better things to do than to watch this game. Check the score at halftime, and if it’s a good game turn it on in the second half.


No. 8: Iowa at UCLA

Friday, Nov. 8 @ 9:00 p.m.


Don’t watch this game. Iowa is Iowa, and UCLA has a new coach and lost a lot of its talent. Nov. 8 is past the halfway point of the season, and we have to get ready for the first 12-team playoff. It’s not worth it.


No. 7: Washington at Rutgers

Friday, Sept. 27 - @ 8:00 p.m.


Outside of this being Washington’s first trip to New Jersey I can find many reasons to watch this one. Rutgers will be trying to prove itself and avoid the cellar of the Big Ten. In the long term, I’d expect Washington to be much better than the Scarlet Knights, but in 2024, Rutgers may have a chance for the upset as the Huskies get used to their new conference and travel schedule.


No. 6: UCLA at Washington

Friday, Nov. 15 - @ 9:00 p.m.


This is the only Friday night matchup between two former Pac-12 schools, but the last time they played it was a 40-32 high-scoring affair. UCLA and Washington both have new coaches and remade rosters, but this could still be a fun game.


No. 5: Rutgers at USC

Friday, Oct. 25 @ 11:00 p.m.


I do not think Rutgers nor USC will be good in 2024, but this game could showcase the difference between the Big Ten and the Pac-12. USC should be significantly better than Rutgers, but last season we saw the Scarlet Knights dominate Ohio State on the line of scrimmage in an upset bid. If USC’s defense isn’t fixed and Rutgers gets better quarterback play, this could be a sneaky upset game on a Friday night in October.


No. 4: Northwestern at Maryland

Friday, Oct. 11 @ 8:00 p.m.


Northwestern overachieved last season in the first year of David Braun’s tenure. It is unlikely they will reach those heights again, but winning a primetime game against Maryland could prove Northwestern is here to stay and won’t be returning to the pit of the conference after a resurgent 2023 campaign.


No. 3: Illinois at Nebraska

Friday, Sept. 20 @ 8:00 p.m.


Illinois was a late-season collapse away from winning the Big Ten West in 2022. They struggled last year, but Bret Bielema is one of the best coaches in the conference. Matt Rhule has engineered successful turnarounds at Temple and Baylor, and recently landed five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola. In the early season window, this will be one of our first chances to see Raiola play, and it’s likely to be a good game as well.


No. 2: Oregon at Purdue

Friday, Oct. 18 @ 8:00 p.m.


This is my No. 2 game because Oregon is primed to make a run at a national championship, and nobody likes ruining national championship hopes more than Purdue. Oregon may want to reach out to Ohio State to gain insight into avoiding the Spoilermakers.


No. 1: Michigan State at Oregon

Friday, Oct. 4 @ 9:00 p.m.


This is my top game largely due to helmets. Oregon is set up to be one of the best teams in the conference from day one, and for my money they’re the only ones ready to make the jump. Similarly, I think Michigan State has the best chance to be successful out of the teams with first and second-year coaches. Michigan State has good access to talent, Jonathan Smith is a great coach and he brought his quarterback with him. If there is any game that will prove to be significant in this lineup, I’d put my money on this one.



Truthfully, this is not a great slate of games. FOX may be spending over a billion dollars on the Big Ten’s tier-one rights, but they were not able to get the big dogs to play ball on Friday night. Unless something surprising happens, none of these games should have any real implications on the Big Ten title race or the 12-team College Football Playoff.

I won’t be skipping date night for any of these games, but if I’m home I’ll tune in.



Follow The I-80 Football Show on YouTube: @JordanW330

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LGHL If I Was in Charge: I would name a starting QB ASAP

If I Was in Charge: I would name a starting QB ASAP
Megan.Husslein
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 13 Ohio State Spring Game

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

We all know what happened last year...

June is right around the corner, so you know that means: Ohio State summer football practices! All throughout last summer, Ryan Day didn’t know who the starting quarterback was going to be. If I was in charge, I would make sure to change that this year.

Obviously one of the main problems last season was that Kyle McCord just wasn’t the right fit to be the Buckeyes’ QB1. However, I think a big contributor to that was due to the fact that he was named the starting quarterback so late into the process.

Ryan Day had said that he was favoring Devin Brown for a good portion of the summer and fall practices. Yet, McCord really came on towards the end of those practices and took the lead. While he ended up with the starting job, he most likely was not mentally prepared, since he physically wasn’t the starter until August.

Now, I’m not making excuses for him; He should have been ready no matter the circumstances. After all, you’re the starting quarterback for Ohio State. However, I think being named the starter as early as possible is clearly beneficial for the player and the team as a whole.

Will Howard transferred here for a reason. He has one season of eligibility left and he chose to come to Ohio State and be QB1, improve his draft stock and win a national championship. But with so much competition, the starting job isn’t just going to be handed to him. In fact, for the majority of what the media saw in the winter and spring, including the spring game, Howard was taking second-team reps to Brown.

Brown has stuck it out and put in his time in this program. He is a fiery leader for this team and has dual-threat abilities. One downside — he has gotten injured a lot. He really has had bad luck staying healthy, especially in the Cotton Bowl, which was really his time to show what he’s got after McCord transferred. But, there is no denying that he is talented and a great veteran presence.

Now, I haven’t even mentioned Lincoln Kienholz, Julian Sayin and Air Noland, the other quarterbacks on this insanely talented roster. While there is definitely a lot of buzz surrounding Sayin, including from Day himself, I just find it hard to believe that a freshman would get the starting job over Howard or Brown.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: APR 13 Ohio State Spring Game
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

I am not writing this article to declare who the starting QB is going to be. I truly don’t know. Day can definitely surprise us all sometimes. My point is, I think he needs to make the decision as soon as possible. I know that’s not as easy as it sounds, and you don’t want to make the wrong decision, but I don’t think he should wait until a couple weeks before the first game to announce it.

This team has the talent and the veterans to accomplish all of their goals. There is absolutely no doubt about that. The offense features with the best running back duo in the country, along with the best wide receiver room. They need a playmaker under center to make it all happen.

Personally, I think a good time frame to name the starter would be around mid-July. That way, the team will have been practicing with whoever it will be for over a solid month before the first game. Also, that way the quarterback can mentally build confidence as he is taking the first-team reps. He doesn’t have the additional worry of if he’s going to win the job; he can just focus on doing it.

We will see if this actually happens. Typically in the past it has not worked out well for a starter to be named late, or to go into the season with two starters. I’m interested to see who wins the job and when he will be named. Let the best man win!

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LGHL Bucketheads Podcast: Guest co-host Joe Gemma talks men’s basketball transition, sandwiches, and more

Bucketheads Podcast: Guest co-host Joe Gemma talks men’s basketball transition, sandwiches, and more
justingolba
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

We also talked about Joe’s new job with Ohio State, the firing of Chris Holtmann, the hiring of Jake Diebler and much more.

“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



For episode 120 of the Bucketheads podcast, we welcome back Joe Gemma of Ohio State Athletics for a record-setting fourth time. Joe joined us to talk about his new job with the athletic department and his role with the basketball program moving forward.

We also discussed the 24 hours before and after Chris Holtmann's firing and navigating that as a social media manager, plus the three weeks after the firing as Jake Diebler was the head coach and what it was like when he was officially named head coach.

At the end, we discuss Roddy Gayle's transfer to Michigan, and then get off the rails a bit and discuss Columbus sandwiches and Joe’s hot take about a certain NFL quarterback.

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

Connect with Joe:
Twitter:
@JoeDGemma

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LGHL Unpopular Opinions: Ohio Stadium is not a top-5 college football venue

Unpopular Opinions: Ohio Stadium is not a top-5 college football venue
Josh Dooley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


1790166097.0.jpg

Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Relax, relax. The Shoe is fantastic and a top-5 weekly venue. But for certain marquee matchups, big night games, and one-offs, there are a handful of better environments.

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 what we would do if we were in charge of our favorite position group, team, conference, or sport. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”If I Was in Charge” articles here.



As sports fans – or I guess people in general – we all have opinions that stink. That’s why they say that opinions are like... Well, you know the rest. And it’s true, right? Even the most arrogant, stubborn individuals on the planet have opinions that are just plain bad. Or wrong.

So there is no sense in ignoring this undeniable truth. Or getting upset about it. Instead, we should just embrace and possibly even laugh about it. Which is what LGHL is doing this week. And being the company man that I am, I decided to really commit to the bit. I wanted to give you, the reader(s), an Unpopular Opinion the likes of which you’ve never seen or heard... Ok, that’s probably a bit much. But I did make an effort to go off-menu.

Without further ado, my unpopular opinion (realistically speaking, I have many) is that Ohio Stadium AKA The Horseshoe or simply The Shoe is not a top-5 college football stadium/venue.

At least not when it comes to hosting marquee matchups, night games, one-offs, and/or special occasions. In other words, attending a run-of-the-mill game in or at The Shoe is not a top-5 CFB experience.

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

Now, before I go any further, I’d like – nay, I need – to apologize to my Buckeye brethren and sisten (yes, it’s a real word): I am truly, truly sorry, and I ask for your forgiveness. I take no joy in writing this piece. But allow me to explain...

First or all, I love Ohio Stadium and do believe that it is a top-5 week-to-week venue. What I mean by that is that if you love college football and/or the Buckeyes, or you have season tickets, or you want to bring friends and family to a game, or you just want to guarantee yourself a great gameday experience, then The Shoe is always going to deliver. It’s big, it’s beautiful, it’s historic, it’s loud, it’s just an amazing place be.

However, if one is looking for a CFB-related bucket list experience, then I would say that there are at least five venues better than the nearly 102-year-old stadium located at 411 Woody Hayes Drive in Columbus, Ohio. There just are. Although, I will sort of contradict myself here and say that The Shoe is really, really tough to beat when Ohio State hosts Michigan. But I still believe that there are (at least five) better experiences to be had elsewhere.

**I should point out that I have only attended a handful of non-OSU CFB games in a handful stadiums, so take my unpopular opinion with a grain of salt. But I stand by it.

Here are my top five CFB venues (atmosphere/game-specific), in no particular order:

Any big game at the Rose Bowl (UCLA) – To be clear, I am fully aware that it is Rose Bowl Stadium. But I will always refer to it as just the Rose Bowl. For my money, the Rose Bowl is the most beautiful CFB setting in existence. Night games are great, but the sun setting during an afternoon marquee matchup is even better. Who cares if UCLA stinks, the Bruins’ home stadium is a iconic.

Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Night game at Tiger Stadium AKA “the real Death Valley” (LSU) – Night games at Tiger Stadium are pure electricity. But I can’t pinpoint one reason why; I think it’s just the combination of everything. Regardless, Death Valley at night seems louder, more rowdy, and more raucous than any other stadium in CFB, so that’s why it gets a spot in my top-5.

Night white out game at Beaver Stadium (Penn State) – Begrudgingly, I had to put a different Big Ten venue in my top-5. But there is simply no denying that night white out games go extremely hard in the paint.

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Any big game at Notre Dame Stadium (ND) – Sure, there are older, bigger, louder stadiums, but Notre Dame’s is (the most?) synonymous with college football. It is steeped in history and tradition, and every game at “The House that Rockne Built” seems like an event. In that way, Notre Dame Stadium is like Madison Square Garden... Iconic.

Night game at Lane Stadium (Virginia Tech) – Two words: Enter Sandman. The Hokies taking the field to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” for a night game is absolutely, unequivocally, without a doubt the coolest freaking thing in CFB. I won’t hear anything to the contrary. VT might not be a good team, but I get chills just watching them run out of the tunnel. For now, I can only imagine what that’s like in person.


Goosebumps. Every. Single. Time. pic.twitter.com/6F5yRrduas

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 3, 2023


So there ya have it. That wasn’t so bad or unpopular, was it? I didn’t badmouth or eviscerate Ohio Stadium. And I certainly didn’t make a case for “The Big House” as a top-5 CFB venue. I just happen to think that there are at least a handful of other stadiums and/or sites that provide a better one-off experience than The Shoe.

Don’t shoot the messenger, folks. I think we all know that it’s true.

But still, Go Bucks!

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LGHL What does the success of prior McDonald’s All-Americans mean for Aaron Bradshaw, Sean Stewart?

What does the success of prior McDonald’s All-Americans mean for Aaron Bradshaw, Sean Stewart?
Connor Lemons
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


NCAA Basketball: Mississippi State at Kentucky

Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Does the historical success of All-Americans from 2013-2022 bode well for Ohio State’s star sophomore transfers?

Prior to this summer, D’Angelo Russell was the last McDonald’s All-American to play for Ohio State — back in 2014.

One of the last truly elite recruits brought to Columbus by Thad Matta, Russell was a First Team All-Big Ten honoree his freshman season, averaging 19.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game on 44.9% shooting (41.1% from three). He played a team-high 33.9 minutes per game, and was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Russell came into college with high expectations due to a top-tier basketball pedigree, and exceeded them by leaps and bounds. Not a single player has shown up on Ohio State’s campus over the past nine years with expectations that high. Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw — both former McDonald’s All-Americans — are the first Buckeyes to have ceilings somewhat comparable to Russell in nearly a decade.

Neither incoming sophomore was nearly as productive as Russell was during his freshman season, but both carry that All-American distinction. If history tells us anything, that means one or both are in for huge seasons.

Since the 24 players who are selected to the McDonald’s All-American team each year are considered the best of their respective classes, it makes sense that those players have the highest likelihood of becoming elite college players and being selected in the NBA Draft shortly thereafter.

To get a better idea of the “hit rate” on All-Americans becoming top-level college players, I took a look at every McDonald’s All-American class since 2013, stopping at 2022 — the class before Stewart and Bradshaw.

To find a statistical measurement of success, I found the percentage of these players that wound up becoming all-conference players (either first, second, or third-team all-conference) or that were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.

While these two classifications are specific and could certainly be expanded, they are both outcomes that would mean very promising things for Stewart and Bradshaw at Ohio State this season, should either find themselves in the conversation for All-Conference honors or a first-round NBA Draft selection next summer.

Sean Stewart brought the power to the #PoweradeJamFest last night. @McDAAG @SCNext pic.twitter.com/64ZAzEQnif

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) March 28, 2023

The results? 55% of McDonald’s All-Americans from 2013 to 2022 — 134 out of 241 — became All-Conference players in college. The highest percentage came from the 2013, 2014, and 2019 classes, which each saw 17 of the 24 players (25 in 2013) earn all-conference honors.

41.4% of McDonald’s All-Americans from 2013 to 2022 — 101 out of 241 — went on to become first-round NBA Draft selections. The highest percentage of draftees came from the 2014 class, which saw 15 of the 24 players selected in the first round and included players such as Myles Turner, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, and Devin Booker in addition to Russell.

The 2021-2022 classes combined to have 16 players taken in the first round, which was a noticeable drop from prior years. Part of the reason could be the growing influence of international talent in the NBA — there were 21 international players selected in the 2021 and 2022 drafts who did not play college basketball.

There were also six players drafted who opted to play in the G-League (G-League Ignite) in 2021 and 2022. It’s also important to note that some McDonald’s All-Americans from 2021 and 2022 are still in college and — while not likely — could still wind up as first-round picks, adding to these totals.

So, what do these numbers mean for Stewart and Bradshaw, exactly? How likely are one of them (or both of them) to become All-Big Ten players or turn into first-round NBA Draft selections?

Ohio State Transfer Film Thread - Aaron Bradshaw

The 7'1 center (#2) from Kentucky averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds a game in 13.7 minutes a game. A lot of the upside for this incoming sophomore is based on his size (7'1 w/ 7'4 wingspan) that still can move well

(1/8) pic.twitter.com/AwCNpJibvb

— Joe Jackson (@joejacksonCBB) April 15, 2024

Based on history alone, there’s a very high chance that either Bradshaw or Stewart becomes an All-Big Ten player for Jake Diebler at Ohio State. By utilizing a two-event probability calculator, there’s a roughly 79.75% chance that one of these two (or both) take home All-Big Ten honors, based purely on the odds over the past 10 seasons.

When you do the same calculation but for first-round NBA draftee odds, it drops marginally. There’s a 65.6% chance that at least one of them becomes a first-round pick, vs a 34.3% chance that neither make it in the first round.

While the historical figures are interesting, there’s a plethora of caveats to consider when looking at raw numbers that don’t take into account details of each individual player. Freshmen are most likely to be selected in the first round, and neither Bradshaw nor Stewart are freshmen. The older a college basketball player gets, the less likely they will be selected based purely on potential, since scouts have had more of an opportunity to see that potential play out on the floor — if someone wasn’t selected as a freshman or sophomore, it’s tough to suddenly be viewed as NBA-caliber as an upperclassman.

It’s also fun to take into consideration what Ohio State fans would like to see. If Bradshaw or Stewart play well, fans will want to see them back in Columbus as juniors. The best upperclassmen in college basketball each year (older players) are typically a group that earns All-Conference honors but aren’t on NBA scouts radars for one reason or another.

Buckeye fans would love to see Bradshaw and Stewart play well enough to earn All-Big Ten honors, but simultaneously would also want them both to return as juniors if that was the case.

It’s been a long time since Ohio State has had the level of raw talent on the roster as the 2024-25 team will. The numbers — while they are just that, numbers — say that the two former blue-bloods and blue-chippers could be on track to do big things this year for Diebler’s first Ohio State team.

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LGHL Ohio State baseball battles Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament

Ohio State baseball battles Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament
Brett Ludwiczak
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE BASEBALL: MAY 19 Michigan at Ohio State

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After beating Nebraska 15-2 on Tuesday, next up for the Buckeyes are the Indiana Hoosiers.

After Tuesday night’s 15-2 win over Nebraska in seven innings in Omaha, Ohio State will now face Indiana this afternoon in the Big Ten Tournament. The winner of Wednesday’s game will play the winner of the Purdue/Nebraska game on Saturday morning, while the loser will play the loser of that game tomorrow in the elimination bracket.

Today’s game will be the first meeting of the season between the Buckeyes and the Hoosiers.

This marks the 31st appearance in the Big Ten Tournament for Ohio State, with the Buckeyes winning the tournament 10 times, which ties Michigan and Minnesota for most in conference history. The last time Ohio State won the Big Ten Tournament was back in 2019, which was also the last time they made the conference tournament prior to this season.

When the Buckeyes won the 2019 tournament, they were also the No. 7 seed, which made them the lowest-seeded team to win the Big Ten Tournament.

Despite taking on a Nebraska team that was the No. 2 seed in this year’s Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday night, Ohio State had little trouble with the Cornhuskers. Joseph Mershon opened up the scoring for the Buckeyes in the second inning with a solo home run. Ohio State would continue to put runs on the board after Mershon’s blast, building an 11-0 lead by the middle of the fourth inning.

Mershon finished with a team-high four RBIs and Trey Lipsey notched three hits. Every Ohio State starter recorded at least one hit on Tuesday night.

Along with a potent offensive attack, the Buckeyes were able to get a strong start from pitcher Landon Beidelschies. The sophomore allowed just one run and two hits over five innings, striking out eight batters on the way to his sixth victory of the season.

Beidelschies has been a workhorse for Ohio State this year, starting 15 games and tossing 84.2 innings. The 91 strikeouts by Beidelschies is the most among Buckeye pitchers this season.


Indiana at a glance


Indiana enters Wednesday’s game against Ohio State as the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Hoosiers are coming off an 8-6 win over Purdue on Tuesday.

The Boilermakers led 1-0 in the fourth inning before Indiana responded with three runs in the fifth, followed by five runs in the sixth inning. At the center of the offensive explosion for the Hoosiers during those two innings was Jasen Oliver, who hit a three-run home run in the fifth, and an RBI double in the sixth inning.

Oliver became the first Indiana freshman since Logan Sowers in 2015 with four RBIs in a Big Ten Tournament game.

Unlike Ohio State, who got a strong start from Landon Beidelschies on Tuesday, Indiana had to use a number of pitchers to secure the win over Purdue. Ty Bothwell started for the Hoosiers, but was only able to pitch three innings as he was still recovering from an illness he has been dealing with over the past week.

Drew Buhr took the ball next for Indiana, pitching four innings before three other Hoosiers finished out the final two innings. Buhr was credited with the win, pushing his record to 2-2 on the season.


Taking the mound today


The pitching matchup should be a fun one, as Ohio State will start Gavin DeVooght, and Indiana will counter with Connor Foley. DeVooght was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after posting a 2-3 record with a 4.22 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 42.2 innings this year. DeVooght’s last start came on May 12 against Northwestern, where he tied a season-high with six strikeouts over five innings

Starting for Indiana will be sophomore Connor Foley, who gotten better as the season has gone on. Over his last two starts, Foley allowed just three combined hits and no runs over nine innings. Foley has done a great job at making opposing hitters miss this year, striking out 75 batters over 56.2 innings. In two starts this year, Foley has struck out 10 batters in a game.


Batters to watch in today’s game


Along with trying to solve Foley today, there are a number of Indiana hitters that will pose a serious threat to DeVooght and the Buckeyes. Outfielder Devin Taylor is Indiana’s biggest power threat, entering the game with a .359 average, 17 home runs, and 47 RBIs.

Other Hoosiers who have amassed at least 100 total bases this year are Tyler Cerny and Carter Mathison. Cerny is hitting .315 with 22 doubles, 10 home runs, and 57 runs batted in, while Mathison has 13 home runs and 40 RBIs.

Ohio State will counter with some notable power threats. Henry Kaczmar was a Second Team All-Big Ten selection this season, posting a .321 average with 69 hits and 34 RBIs. Tyler Pettorini is hitting .318 with nine homers and 49 runs batted in, while Mitchell Okuley is batting .317 with 16 doubles and 43 RBIs.

Mershon and Nick Giamarusti have caused havoc on the bases for opponents this season, with the speedy duo tying for the team lead with 15 stolen bases so far this year.

Wednesday’s game will start at 3:00 p.m. ET and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.

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LGHL Ohio State dishes out three new offers, 2025 QB commit shoots up recruiting boards

Ohio State dishes out three new offers, 2025 QB commit shoots up recruiting boards
Caleb Houser
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes had a busy Wednesday, offering three new players in the future cycles.

Another week just means more chances for Ohio State to continue their recruiting pursuits. With more offers being dished out on Wednesday, the Buckeyes are still all over the country making their presence known and still evaluating players across several cycles.

Making headway in North Carolina on Wednesday, the Buckeyes were in to see defensive back prospect, Samari Matthews.

A 6-foot, 180 pound cornerback, Matthews is the No. 83 player nationally and the sixth best cornerback in the 2026 class per the 247Sports Composite. The latest school to join the mix, the DB does have over 30 offers to his name already, and from many of the top programs in college football such as Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, USC, and a host of others.

No secret as to why the Buckeyes are now getting involved, with how well they have done in both the 2024 and 2025 classes with cornerback recruiting, it’s become a trend for Tim Walton to land the guys he’s after, and 2026 shouldn’t be any different.

With this offer now extended, look for Walton and Ohio State to start really building the relationship and working to get him to Columbus to see all that the Buckeyes have to offer.

Humble and blessed to have received an offer from @OhioStateFB. Thank you @MattGuerrieri @OGWalt_ @ryandaytime really appreciate it. @HoughFB @SC_DBGROUP @DeShawnBaker6 @ChadSimmons_ @adamgorney @RivalsFriedman @TomLoy247 @SWiltfong_ @NPCoachJeff @AnnaH247 @TomLuginbill pic.twitter.com/uwAppbVJWN

— Samari “Smoke” Matthews (@samari_matthews) May 22, 2024

Sticking right with the class of 2026 and the cornerback position, Ohio State wasn’t just making stops in North Carolina. Headed south one state away, the Buckeyes also made another offer to South Carolina native, J’Zavien Currence.

A 6-foot-3, 210 pound athlete, Currence is not your typical cornerback with his size and frame. He already has an impressive stature, and makes sense that he’s listed as a safety on his 247Sports profile. The No. 68 player nationally, Currence is the seventh best safety in the class and the top player in South Carolina per the 247Sports Composite.

Another dynamic offer list, over 30 schools have thrown their name into the fold, and Ohio State being the latest may be later than most, but certainly doesn’t hurt their chances as it’s been seen how well they’ve been doing on the defensive back side of things. Currence becomes another name to keep an eye on as Ohio State looks to lock down the rest of their 2025 haul and focus the majority of their attention on the next cycle on deck.


Moving away from the defensive side of the ball, Ohio State was active on the recruiting front with the offense as well as they sent out an offer to 2027 running back, Brayden Tyson. It’s not often you see the Buckeyes offering players two years down the pipeline, but clearly the staff and position coach Carlos Locklyn felt waiting wasn’t necessary.

A 6-foot, 215 pound athlete, Tyson is not yet ranked via 247Sports, but early offers from the likes of Florida State, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, and plenty of others show this is one target that will see a high ranking when the time comes. Playing in Georgia as well, odds are the caliber of talent he is facing early in his high school career is impressive enough to see why the list of schools just mentioned is already after his services.

Locklyn has plenty of work to do in this current 2025 class while he tries to land likely two and maybe even three at the position, but when relationships are everything in recruiting, it’s never a bad thing to early players that have a while before they decide anything final. Doing well in Georgia over the last several years doesn’t hurt either, and now there’s another name to look at when it comes to recruiting the Peach State and the unlimited talent they seem to produce each year.


Ohio State has offered Brookwood (Ga.) 2027 running back Brayden Tyson who running backs coach Carlos Locklyn last August while at Oregon.

Tyson rushed for 642 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman at the 7A level in Georgia.https://t.co/EJRgWXplUE https://t.co/2bK9ioNkZ9

— Mick Walker (@mickdwalker) May 22, 2024

Quick Hits

  • Rankings aren’t everything to this Ohio State staff, but it does tell a story for how a given target is being looked at. The Buckeyes tend to land some of the top-ranked guys at every position regardless of cycle and that’s no different in 2025.

Looking specifically at the quarterback spot, the Buckeyes didn’t have to go far with who they were trying to bring in as Ohio had not only one, but two big-time players and Tavien St. Clair is proving to be the right choice over and over.

Now the No. 2 player nationally per 247Sports, St. Clair has really shot up the ranks, and this latest update has the Buckeyes boasting once again another top player at the position.

St. Clair will continue to help this class overall not just with his commitment, but being a mainstay for guys wanting to follow a top signal caller in the 2025 cycle. It’s no surprise to see Ohio State continuing their run of elite quarterback recruiting under Ryan Day.


CLASS OF 2025 5-STARS

1⃣ Bryce Underwood, QB (LSU commit)
2⃣ Tavien St. Clair, QB (Ohio State commit)
3⃣ David Sanders Jr., OT
4⃣ Devin Sanchez, CB (Ohio State commit)
5⃣ Dakorien Moore, WR

FULL RANKINGS https://t.co/FSTsC35EJV pic.twitter.com/LcCwiMoYs1

— 247Sports (@247Sports) May 22, 2024

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