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LGHL You’re Nuts: How confident are we that Ohio State will make the NCAA Tournament?
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You’re Nuts: How confident are we that Ohio State will make the NCAA Tournament?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
John Jones-Imagn Images
Ohio State picked up a humongous resume-building win against the Wildcats last weekend.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team faced off with a top-five team for the second time last weekend, and it’s fair to say that it went drastically different than the first time.
Exactly seven days after being rolled by No. 2 Auburn by 38 points — one of the worst losses for the program in the past half century — Ohio State took it to the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats, winning 85-65. The Buckeyes outscored Kentucky 36-24 in the paint, despite being the far smaller and less experienced team.
Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament resume was completely upgraded and refreshed, as they’ve now got two Quad-1 wins under their belt. More on that later.
Last week, Connor and Justin celebrated Christmas early and kept with the holiday theme by debating which college basketball coaches were going to end up on Santa’s naughty list. Connor went with Rick Pitino, who decided his team would no longer participate in the post-game handshake line. Justin chose Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb, who called D-II Michigan Tech “Nobody U” and then lost to them at home hours later.
73% of readers liked Justin’s pick of Gottlieb, who has also lost to Ohio State this season in Columbus.
Connor- 83
One week ago, Ohio State was trending downward in a major way. Embarrassing blowout losses to Maryland and Auburn on the road erased any notion that this team could compete to win the Big Ten this season, but also had many people doubting if this is even an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.
With its win only win against tournament-caliber teams being its victory over the Texas Longhorns to open the season, Ohio State was running out of time to add a non-conference gem to its resume. It did that with a blowout win over Kentucky.
How does that change our vision of this Ohio State team? Is this a surefire NCAA Tournament team? A bubble squad at best? Or was this win merely a fluke? Should we expect a bumpy road in Big Ten play despite last weekend’s win?
If you were getting ready to grab your life vest and jump off the Ohio State boat last week, that win over Kentucky should make you feel a whole lot safer. Perspective is everything, and boy oh boy, things look so much better with that win than if the Buckeyes would’ve lost.
If they would’ve lost, Ohio State would have been 7-5 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten play, and with one Quad-1 win so far this season — Texas.
With the win, the Buckeyes are now 8-4 and have two Quad-1 wins. A win over a top-five team, especially with the Kentucky brand name, is going to age well over the course of the season.
Making the bold assumption that the Buckeyes beat Indiana State this weekend and get to 9-4 on the season, they would need to go 10-10 in Big Ten play plus win one game in the conference tournament to get to 20 wins for the 19th time in the past 21 years. 20 wins isn’t a magical benchmark to make the tournament, but 20 wins plus 10 wins in conference play plus a win over a top-five team will look pretty solid if they can get there.
Jake Diebler’s team is in a good spot at the moment, with the Sycamores coming to town this weekend followed by a visit from Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans next Friday. Michigan State is super deep this year, with eight different players averaging six points per game or better — by comparison, Ohio State has six.
But the Spartans struggle from beyond the arc (28.7% as a team), and don’t have the size around the basket that has given Ohio State problems this year. Right now ESPN is giving Ohio State a 57% chance to win that game.
If they do that and follow it up with a win over Minnesota three days later, the Buckeyes could be 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten heading into a brutally tough eight-game stretch that will start with a home date with Oregon.
I’m not sure if that hypothetical scenario will come to pass, but the Buckeyes should be favored to win all three of those games and get to 11-4. From there, Ohio State wouldn’t even need to play .500 basketball the rest of the way to have a great chance at making the tournament.
Plus, Bruce Thornton is the best player on the floor almost every time he plays. Ohio State is lucky to have him, and as long as he’s playing, the Buckeyes have a chance to win.
I get it. I want Ohio State to make the NCAA Tournament more than I want air to breathe. A lot of my winter happiness is derived from this team’s success, and over the past two years, my happiness has been non-existent.
However, I am cautious of getting too overworked about one game. The only other two wins outside of Kentucky that Ohio State has over teams with a pulse are Texas, who is 10-2 — but I predict will struggle in the SEC’s gauntlet of a schedule — and Rutgers, who, as of right now, is not a tournament team and just lost to Princeton.
The Kentucky win was amazing. It gave me hope I wasn’t sure I would have heading into conference play, but the first three games of 2025 will tell us a lot. At Minnesota is a must-win because the Gophers stink, but it is a road game. Conference road wins are tough to come by. Then, at home against Michigan State, which is a solid team, and then Oregon, which may be the best team in the conference.
Come out of that stretch 2-1 or 3-0, and I will feel much better.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
John Jones-Imagn Images
Ohio State picked up a humongous resume-building win against the Wildcats last weekend.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team faced off with a top-five team for the second time last weekend, and it’s fair to say that it went drastically different than the first time.
Exactly seven days after being rolled by No. 2 Auburn by 38 points — one of the worst losses for the program in the past half century — Ohio State took it to the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats, winning 85-65. The Buckeyes outscored Kentucky 36-24 in the paint, despite being the far smaller and less experienced team.
Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament resume was completely upgraded and refreshed, as they’ve now got two Quad-1 wins under their belt. More on that later.
Last week, Connor and Justin celebrated Christmas early and kept with the holiday theme by debating which college basketball coaches were going to end up on Santa’s naughty list. Connor went with Rick Pitino, who decided his team would no longer participate in the post-game handshake line. Justin chose Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb, who called D-II Michigan Tech “Nobody U” and then lost to them at home hours later.
73% of readers liked Justin’s pick of Gottlieb, who has also lost to Ohio State this season in Columbus.
After 184 weeks:
Connor- 83
Justin- 78
Other- 18
(There have been five ties)
One week ago, Ohio State was trending downward in a major way. Embarrassing blowout losses to Maryland and Auburn on the road erased any notion that this team could compete to win the Big Ten this season, but also had many people doubting if this is even an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.
With its win only win against tournament-caliber teams being its victory over the Texas Longhorns to open the season, Ohio State was running out of time to add a non-conference gem to its resume. It did that with a blowout win over Kentucky.
How does that change our vision of this Ohio State team? Is this a surefire NCAA Tournament team? A bubble squad at best? Or was this win merely a fluke? Should we expect a bumpy road in Big Ten play despite last weekend’s win?
This week’s question: How confident are we that Ohio State will make the NCAA Tournament? (On a scale of 1-10)
Connor: 9.9
If you were getting ready to grab your life vest and jump off the Ohio State boat last week, that win over Kentucky should make you feel a whole lot safer. Perspective is everything, and boy oh boy, things look so much better with that win than if the Buckeyes would’ve lost.
If they would’ve lost, Ohio State would have been 7-5 overall, 1-1 in Big Ten play, and with one Quad-1 win so far this season — Texas.
With the win, the Buckeyes are now 8-4 and have two Quad-1 wins. A win over a top-five team, especially with the Kentucky brand name, is going to age well over the course of the season.
Making the bold assumption that the Buckeyes beat Indiana State this weekend and get to 9-4 on the season, they would need to go 10-10 in Big Ten play plus win one game in the conference tournament to get to 20 wins for the 19th time in the past 21 years. 20 wins isn’t a magical benchmark to make the tournament, but 20 wins plus 10 wins in conference play plus a win over a top-five team will look pretty solid if they can get there.
Jake Diebler’s team is in a good spot at the moment, with the Sycamores coming to town this weekend followed by a visit from Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans next Friday. Michigan State is super deep this year, with eight different players averaging six points per game or better — by comparison, Ohio State has six.
But the Spartans struggle from beyond the arc (28.7% as a team), and don’t have the size around the basket that has given Ohio State problems this year. Right now ESPN is giving Ohio State a 57% chance to win that game.
If they do that and follow it up with a win over Minnesota three days later, the Buckeyes could be 11-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten heading into a brutally tough eight-game stretch that will start with a home date with Oregon.
I’m not sure if that hypothetical scenario will come to pass, but the Buckeyes should be favored to win all three of those games and get to 11-4. From there, Ohio State wouldn’t even need to play .500 basketball the rest of the way to have a great chance at making the tournament.
Plus, Bruce Thornton is the best player on the floor almost every time he plays. Ohio State is lucky to have him, and as long as he’s playing, the Buckeyes have a chance to win.
Justin: 5
I get it. I want Ohio State to make the NCAA Tournament more than I want air to breathe. A lot of my winter happiness is derived from this team’s success, and over the past two years, my happiness has been non-existent.
However, I am cautious of getting too overworked about one game. The only other two wins outside of Kentucky that Ohio State has over teams with a pulse are Texas, who is 10-2 — but I predict will struggle in the SEC’s gauntlet of a schedule — and Rutgers, who, as of right now, is not a tournament team and just lost to Princeton.
The Kentucky win was amazing. It gave me hope I wasn’t sure I would have heading into conference play, but the first three games of 2025 will tell us a lot. At Minnesota is a must-win because the Gophers stink, but it is a road game. Conference road wins are tough to come by. Then, at home against Michigan State, which is a solid team, and then Oregon, which may be the best team in the conference.
Come out of that stretch 2-1 or 3-0, and I will feel much better.
Continue reading...
LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Guarden State talks Rutgers women’s basketball
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Visiting Locker Room: Guarden State talks Rutgers 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
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Adam Zielonka brings his passion for New Jersey college basketball to Land-Grant before Sunday’s Big Ten clash.
With the holiday time off in the rearview mirror for No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball, the road ahead is all lined with Big Ten competition. It begins Sunday when the Buckeyes travel east to face a dynamic pair of stars on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
To prepare for the last game of the 2024 calendar, Adam Zielonka answered questions about Rutgers. Zielonka covers everything and anything related to college basketball in New Jersey on his side Guarden State.
Check it out to learn more about the Scarlet Knights before Sunday’s jump.
Here’s what Zielonka had to say about one of the most exciting freshman in the nation, a hybrid guard/forward who put the conference on notice in the Big Ten tournament and what can people expect from the Scarlet Knights this season.
Land-Grant Holy Land: The focus around Rutgers this season is the play of the duo of Kiyomi McMiller and Destiny Adams.
I want to start with the freshman. McMiller hasn’t taken long to show the conference what she’s about, playing with confidence not seen in many freshmen. What makes her so effective on the court and how does anyone stop her?
LGHL: Adams is on the other side of the class roster, playing in her final season. Last year, Adams was outstanding in the Big Ten tournament with 31 points and 24 rebounds in the Scarlet Knights last game of the season. How has Adams grown this season?
LGHL: With a lot of focus going to the two, who else stands out in the roster?
LGHL: How do you see the season panning out for Rutgers? Are they going to exceed their past two seasons or do you see them sitting outside of the top 15 of the conference and missing out on the Big Ten tournament?
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images
Adam Zielonka brings his passion for New Jersey college basketball to Land-Grant before Sunday’s Big Ten clash.
With the holiday time off in the rearview mirror for No. 10 Ohio State women’s basketball, the road ahead is all lined with Big Ten competition. It begins Sunday when the Buckeyes travel east to face a dynamic pair of stars on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
To prepare for the last game of the 2024 calendar, Adam Zielonka answered questions about Rutgers. Zielonka covers everything and anything related to college basketball in New Jersey on his side Guarden State.
Check it out to learn more about the Scarlet Knights before Sunday’s jump.
Here’s what Zielonka had to say about one of the most exciting freshman in the nation, a hybrid guard/forward who put the conference on notice in the Big Ten tournament and what can people expect from the Scarlet Knights this season.
Land-Grant Holy Land: The focus around Rutgers this season is the play of the duo of Kiyomi McMiller and Destiny Adams.
I want to start with the freshman. McMiller hasn’t taken long to show the conference what she’s about, playing with confidence not seen in many freshmen. What makes her so effective on the court and how does anyone stop her?
LGHL: Adams is on the other side of the class roster, playing in her final season. Last year, Adams was outstanding in the Big Ten tournament with 31 points and 24 rebounds in the Scarlet Knights last game of the season. How has Adams grown this season?
LGHL: With a lot of focus going to the two, who else stands out in the roster?
LGHL: How do you see the season panning out for Rutgers? Are they going to exceed their past two seasons or do you see them sitting outside of the top 15 of the conference and missing out on the Big Ten tournament?
Continue reading...
LGHL Can Jeremiah Smith be the determining factor in the Rose Bowl?
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Can Jeremiah Smith be the determining factor in the Rose Bowl?
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The freshman wide receiver has a chance to lead the Buckeyes into the semifinals.
Jeremiah Smith has had the greatest freshman season of any wide receiver in Ohio State’s storied program history — and by a wide margin, at that.
Prior to the five-star phenom, the Buckeyes’ prior freshman record holder was Cris Carter. The future NFL Hall of Famer tallied 41 receptions for 648 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year in Columbus. That mark withstood 40 years of Ohio State football before it was completely shattered by Smith, who has amassed 1,037 yards on 61 catches with 12 touchdowns with still at least one game left to play.
Carter put an exclamation point on that 1984 campaign with a dominant performance in the Rose Bowl against USC. The then-freshman set a then-Rose Bowl record with nine catches for 172 yards and a TD. It was a game the Buckeyes would go on to lose 20-17 to the Trojans, who at the time were a member of the Pac-10. Carter would go on to become a First Team All American in 1986 and a two-time First Team All-Big Ten before being selected in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft, and the rest was history.
Fast forward four decades later, and a new Ohio State freshman receiving record-holder will now have a chance to add an early chapter to their legacy with a dominant performance in the Rose Bowl against a West Coast powerhouse — albeit this time against a conference foe with much more on the line.
Smith has already gotten a chance to match up against Oregon, and while the Buckeyes came up short in a 32-31 loss at Autzen Stadium in early October, the electric pass-catcher was certainly not the reason.
Smith actually had one of his better games of the year against the Ducks, posting a season-high nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. The freshman could have had one additional catch that would’ve set Ohio State up for potential game-winning field goal, but Smith was incorrectly called for offensive pass interference after outmuscling his defender.
Now, Smith will get the ultimate chance to avenge the early-season loss, and his performance in Pasadena could prove to be the difference in Ohio State advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals, or the Buckeyes’ season coming to an unfortunate end.
We have seen what can happen when Ohio State gears its offense towards Smith and its treasure trove of elite wide receiver talent. After all the talk of Ryan Day and Chip Kelly’s head-scratchingly awful game plan against Michigan, the Buckeyes came out and threw the ball around the yard against Tennessee, with Will Howard completing 24-of-29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Smith was the biggest beneficiary of the air attack, catching a team-high six passes for 103 yards and two scores.
Howard was great the last time Ohio State played Oregon as well, throwing for a season-high 326 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. Smith and Emeka Egbuka combined for 19 catches in that game, while TreVeyon Henderson ran the ball 10 times for 87 yards. The offense was not the problem in that matchup, as the Buckeyes’ defense allowed almost 500 yards in the one-point loss.
Jim Knowles has made massive changes to the unit since that game, but Ohio State’s offensive line is also a lot different this time around. Another wrench in the plan for the Buckeyes in this second meeting with Oregon is the health of the Ducks’ defensive line.
Ohio State will be without both Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons up front, the former of which was playing in that October loss and the latter who suffered a season-ending injury in the first half of that game. Oregon will have a healthy Jordan Burch, who was out during that prior matchup and is second on the team with 8.5 sacks despite missing four games.
As a result, it's likely that Ohio State won’t be able to run the ball as effectively, with Henderson and Quinshon Judkins combining to average 5.23 yards per carry in that prior meeting. Howard also won’t have as much time to sit in the pocket and wait out those long-developing passing plays downfield.
This new-look offensive line did not allow a sack against Tennessee, but the Oregon defensive line presents a different challenge. If the run game isn’t working and Howard doesn’t have a ton of time to throw, Smith may need to do even more to help the offense move the ball.
We know how dangerous the freshman is with the ball in his hands. A guy who stands at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds should not be able to move as quick and as smoothly as he does, and Ohio State would be smart to work Smith both across the middle and outside on quick-hitters and let him pick up those yards after the catch. If they can get their elite wide receiver the ball anywhere from 10-12 times in this game, the Buckeyes’ chances of winning would increase dramatically.
Smith has yet to find a cornerback who can guard him 1-on-1. Oregon has some great defensive backs in Jabbar Muhammad and Nikko Reed, among others, but even the Ducks will likely look to bracket him in coverage. That will open up even more space for Egubka and Carnell Tate, both of whom are more than capable of carving up a defense on their own.
If Oregon really focuses on taking Smith out of this game after the performance he had against the Volunteers, Howard will have to look to his other playmakers to make them pay.
Ohio State will obviously hope to get a better performance from its defense against the Ducks than it got back in October, when Oregon had far too many wide open receivers and Dillon Gabriel faced little to no pressure all game long. However, the Buckeyes know they will still have to put up a lot of points to compete with one of the best teams in college football, who aren’t going to be held in check quite as easily as Tennessee was even with an improved showing from Knowles’ group.
Jeremiah Smith, whether on his own or by virtue of drawing the focus, may be the key for Ohio State to get its revenge in the Rose Bowl.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The freshman wide receiver has a chance to lead the Buckeyes into the semifinals.
Jeremiah Smith has had the greatest freshman season of any wide receiver in Ohio State’s storied program history — and by a wide margin, at that.
Prior to the five-star phenom, the Buckeyes’ prior freshman record holder was Cris Carter. The future NFL Hall of Famer tallied 41 receptions for 648 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year in Columbus. That mark withstood 40 years of Ohio State football before it was completely shattered by Smith, who has amassed 1,037 yards on 61 catches with 12 touchdowns with still at least one game left to play.
Carter put an exclamation point on that 1984 campaign with a dominant performance in the Rose Bowl against USC. The then-freshman set a then-Rose Bowl record with nine catches for 172 yards and a TD. It was a game the Buckeyes would go on to lose 20-17 to the Trojans, who at the time were a member of the Pac-10. Carter would go on to become a First Team All American in 1986 and a two-time First Team All-Big Ten before being selected in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft, and the rest was history.
Fast forward four decades later, and a new Ohio State freshman receiving record-holder will now have a chance to add an early chapter to their legacy with a dominant performance in the Rose Bowl against a West Coast powerhouse — albeit this time against a conference foe with much more on the line.
Smith has already gotten a chance to match up against Oregon, and while the Buckeyes came up short in a 32-31 loss at Autzen Stadium in early October, the electric pass-catcher was certainly not the reason.
Smith actually had one of his better games of the year against the Ducks, posting a season-high nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. The freshman could have had one additional catch that would’ve set Ohio State up for potential game-winning field goal, but Smith was incorrectly called for offensive pass interference after outmuscling his defender.
Now, Smith will get the ultimate chance to avenge the early-season loss, and his performance in Pasadena could prove to be the difference in Ohio State advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals, or the Buckeyes’ season coming to an unfortunate end.
We have seen what can happen when Ohio State gears its offense towards Smith and its treasure trove of elite wide receiver talent. After all the talk of Ryan Day and Chip Kelly’s head-scratchingly awful game plan against Michigan, the Buckeyes came out and threw the ball around the yard against Tennessee, with Will Howard completing 24-of-29 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Smith was the biggest beneficiary of the air attack, catching a team-high six passes for 103 yards and two scores.
Howard was great the last time Ohio State played Oregon as well, throwing for a season-high 326 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. Smith and Emeka Egbuka combined for 19 catches in that game, while TreVeyon Henderson ran the ball 10 times for 87 yards. The offense was not the problem in that matchup, as the Buckeyes’ defense allowed almost 500 yards in the one-point loss.
Jim Knowles has made massive changes to the unit since that game, but Ohio State’s offensive line is also a lot different this time around. Another wrench in the plan for the Buckeyes in this second meeting with Oregon is the health of the Ducks’ defensive line.
Ohio State will be without both Seth McLaughlin and Josh Simmons up front, the former of which was playing in that October loss and the latter who suffered a season-ending injury in the first half of that game. Oregon will have a healthy Jordan Burch, who was out during that prior matchup and is second on the team with 8.5 sacks despite missing four games.
As a result, it's likely that Ohio State won’t be able to run the ball as effectively, with Henderson and Quinshon Judkins combining to average 5.23 yards per carry in that prior meeting. Howard also won’t have as much time to sit in the pocket and wait out those long-developing passing plays downfield.
This new-look offensive line did not allow a sack against Tennessee, but the Oregon defensive line presents a different challenge. If the run game isn’t working and Howard doesn’t have a ton of time to throw, Smith may need to do even more to help the offense move the ball.
We know how dangerous the freshman is with the ball in his hands. A guy who stands at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds should not be able to move as quick and as smoothly as he does, and Ohio State would be smart to work Smith both across the middle and outside on quick-hitters and let him pick up those yards after the catch. If they can get their elite wide receiver the ball anywhere from 10-12 times in this game, the Buckeyes’ chances of winning would increase dramatically.
Smith has yet to find a cornerback who can guard him 1-on-1. Oregon has some great defensive backs in Jabbar Muhammad and Nikko Reed, among others, but even the Ducks will likely look to bracket him in coverage. That will open up even more space for Egubka and Carnell Tate, both of whom are more than capable of carving up a defense on their own.
If Oregon really focuses on taking Smith out of this game after the performance he had against the Volunteers, Howard will have to look to his other playmakers to make them pay.
Ohio State will obviously hope to get a better performance from its defense against the Ducks than it got back in October, when Oregon had far too many wide open receivers and Dillon Gabriel faced little to no pressure all game long. However, the Buckeyes know they will still have to put up a lot of points to compete with one of the best teams in college football, who aren’t going to be held in check quite as easily as Tennessee was even with an improved showing from Knowles’ group.
Jeremiah Smith, whether on his own or by virtue of drawing the focus, may be the key for Ohio State to get its revenge in the Rose Bowl.
Continue reading...
