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2026 CA DB Davon Benjamin Jr.(Verbal Offfer)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
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Class: 2026
Position: CB/S
School: Westlake Village(CA)Oaks Christian
Height: 6ft
Weight:180lbs
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Rivals
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: CB/S
School: Westlake Village(CA)Oaks Christian
Height: 6ft
Weight:180lbs
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LGHL Stock Market Report: For the first time ever, there is no stock to take
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Stock Market Report: For the first time ever, there is no stock to take
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After the worst loss the Buckeyes have suffered in a long time, the whole program has to look in the mirror.
Normally, after every Ohio State game no matter the results, we do a Stock Market Report, focusing on players and other things that have raised or lowered its stock depending on how they played and how the game played out. But it doesn’t feel right to do that this week.
I was born on June 25, 1996, which makes me 28, plus some change. I remember all the games I have watched since I was about six or so, and that was the worst loss I have ever seen for Ohio State. It’s not the worst team I have seen them lose to. It is not the biggest loss I have seen, and this isn’t the worst season I have seen, but it is the worst individual loss I have seen.
For this Ohio State team to lose at home to that Michigan team in the manner that they did with all of the conversations that have surrounded it — Ryan Day saying how much losing this game haunts him, the seniors that came back for this game specifically, and the predictions that Ohio State would use this game to get three years of losses out of their system.
When a loss like this happens, there are no positives to be taken away. There is nothing to take stock of. You have to sit in the suck, and then figure out how you move on.
For the Buckeyes, moving on will have to have to happen with a quick turnaround, because the season is not over. They will be in the College Football Playoff and maybe even still host a first-round game. That look in the mirror is going to have to come very quickly.
Also, normally, the Stock Market Report is more positive than negative. There is more buy than sell. I don’t know what the positive takeaway from this game is.
Carnell Tate dropped a pass in a key situation, maybe the first drop of his career. Jayden Felding, who had never missed a kick inside 40 yards in his career, missed two. Kaleel Mullings was seemingly tackled behind the line of scrimmage to stall a drive in the fourth quarter, and he ended up getting 30 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.
There were about 10 plays that, if they had gone differently, Ohio State would have won this game. But they didn’t, and it set up for the worst loss in a long, long time.
Those aren’t excuses, but it is just more examples of a team that can’t execute against Michigan, no matter how the rest of the season goes.
That is why it is impossible to accurately do a Stock Market Report. This is The Game, and things work differently in The Game. Ryan Day is 47-1 against Big Ten teams that aren’t named Michigan, and 1-4 against teams that are named Michigan.
The 1-4 record is much more important than the 47-1 record.
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After the worst loss the Buckeyes have suffered in a long time, the whole program has to look in the mirror.
Normally, after every Ohio State game no matter the results, we do a Stock Market Report, focusing on players and other things that have raised or lowered its stock depending on how they played and how the game played out. But it doesn’t feel right to do that this week.
I was born on June 25, 1996, which makes me 28, plus some change. I remember all the games I have watched since I was about six or so, and that was the worst loss I have ever seen for Ohio State. It’s not the worst team I have seen them lose to. It is not the biggest loss I have seen, and this isn’t the worst season I have seen, but it is the worst individual loss I have seen.
For this Ohio State team to lose at home to that Michigan team in the manner that they did with all of the conversations that have surrounded it — Ryan Day saying how much losing this game haunts him, the seniors that came back for this game specifically, and the predictions that Ohio State would use this game to get three years of losses out of their system.
When a loss like this happens, there are no positives to be taken away. There is nothing to take stock of. You have to sit in the suck, and then figure out how you move on.
For the Buckeyes, moving on will have to have to happen with a quick turnaround, because the season is not over. They will be in the College Football Playoff and maybe even still host a first-round game. That look in the mirror is going to have to come very quickly.
Also, normally, the Stock Market Report is more positive than negative. There is more buy than sell. I don’t know what the positive takeaway from this game is.
Carnell Tate dropped a pass in a key situation, maybe the first drop of his career. Jayden Felding, who had never missed a kick inside 40 yards in his career, missed two. Kaleel Mullings was seemingly tackled behind the line of scrimmage to stall a drive in the fourth quarter, and he ended up getting 30 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.
There were about 10 plays that, if they had gone differently, Ohio State would have won this game. But they didn’t, and it set up for the worst loss in a long, long time.
Those aren’t excuses, but it is just more examples of a team that can’t execute against Michigan, no matter how the rest of the season goes.
That is why it is impossible to accurately do a Stock Market Report. This is The Game, and things work differently in The Game. Ryan Day is 47-1 against Big Ten teams that aren’t named Michigan, and 1-4 against teams that are named Michigan.
The 1-4 record is much more important than the 47-1 record.
Continue reading...
LGHL Grumpy Old Buckeye: Examining the remains of Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan
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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Examining the remains of Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Everything about Saturday was questionable, from the coaching to whether the team’s quarterback seemed healthy enough to be out there.
To say Saturday didn’t go as planned for Ohio State fans is an understatement of epic proportions. The Buckeyes’ 13-10 loss was shocking in many ways, including the failures of special teams, offense, and coaching on a combined scale not seen in Columbus in years.
This column typically accentuates the negative, because there are generally so few. This week, the column could conceivably fill all available space on the internet. As such, I’ll try to keep it broad to make for a manageable reading experience.
The following had me yelling The Expletive at The TV during The Game.
Do Things that Work; Don’t Do Things that Don’t Work
The obvious thing that most OSU fans are upset about is whatever that game plan was on offense. There was no discernible logic to a scheme that seemed to involve more running straight at Michigan’s large future NFL defensive tackles at the same time it became more and more obvious that it wouldn’t work.
Ohio State’s first scoring drive included six passes and only three runs, ending in a short field goal. The Buckeyes’ only touchdown drive of the day consisted of eight passes and one run. Both of those scoring drives — the only two on the day — started with a pass play. Every single drive of the second half started with a running play until the final drive with less than a minute remaining and no timeouts left.
Will Howard attempted 33 passes on Saturday, and 18 of those came on the two scoring drives plus the futile final possession.
Will Howard
Howard’s first interception turned out to be a backbreaker, although at the time, with so much clock left, it didn’t seem like it. There was no reason not to sail that ball high, where it would have gone out of play if Carnell Tate couldn’t reach it. That was a bad throw. The second pick was worse, because it took away a scoring opportunity, his man (Emeka Egbuka) wasn’t open, and the throw was well behind the receiver.
However, there was a bigger issue with Howard. The shot that he took that sent him to the medical tent looked bad. He took a shoulder hit to the head, which may have glanced off the top of his shoulder pad first, but it didn’t negate the violence of the collision. The quarterback was off the field a shockingly short amount of time to get checked for a concussion.
Once he came back on, he didn’t play the same way. This was exacerbated when the coaching staff inexplicably called another quarterback run and he took a helmet-to-helmet shot in the earhole. From that point in the game, Howard only threw two passes that looked anything like his usual form — a key completion to Egbuka for a first down and a dropped pass by Tate that could have gotten Ohio State’s second-to-last drive started on the right foot.
I’m not saying Howard played concussed, but he didn’t look at all the same after the second hit to the head, and the offensive play calling was even more conservative afterwards (notably, a middle run on third-and-long prior to Jayden Fielding’s second missed field goal on the day by a team that includes Jeremiah Smith).
What I will say, however, is that if Howard was playing while concussed, everyone involved in letting him back on the field must answer for it. I don’t have an explanation for his performance after the second helmet shot, but it was noticeably worse.
After the game, Ryan Day said part of the reason they ran so often was that there was a lot of pressure on the quarterback. To that remark, I will point out that Howard was not sacked on Saturday.
Bringing Field Goals to a Touchdown Fight
Big games require big decisions, including trying to score touchdowns. Caleb Downs made a huge play to pick off Davis Warren, setting the Buckeyes up at the Michigan 16. After a(nother) first-down rush for no gain, a pass to Gee Scott also netted zero yards.
The handoff to TreVeyon Henderson on third down was a cowardly white flag with little chance of success, which was almost certainly always going to result in a field-goal attempt. Fielding missed for the second time, which is about what teams deserve for playing like that.
Speaking of Fielding…
Ohio State’s kicker entered The Game having missed only one field goal in 2024 and having never missed a try from less than 40 yards. In this one game, one in which he hit an early attempt to put Ohio State on top, he tripled his miss total for the season and failed from inside 40 for the first two times in his career.
Making both short kicks would have forced a different end game out of the Wolverines. Missing two of three was fatal.
Befuddlement and Wasteful Confusion
College coaches haven’t had the two-minute timeout (sorry, just call it the two-minute warning — it’s what we’re used to and it sounds weird not to call it that) very long, so it may take some adjusting, but Day is a former NFL assistant coach. Chip Kelly is a former NFL head coach. They have no excuse not to understand how taking timeouts before the two-minute mark can save additional time.
However, Ohio State did not opt to use a timeout before that point in the game. To make matters worse, when the Buckeyes did call timeout, they failed to get the correct personnel out there and lineup up properly, taking a costly penalty by trying to take a second timeout in succession. That allowed Michigan to use more clock.
The timeout you took is for getting your house in order. Not doing so is wasting the resource you just used. It was yet another gaffe on a day filled with them.
Catch It
A key moment in the game was a 68-yard punt that seemingly didn’t have to go that far. Ohio State had just missed a field goal, with Michigan starting at its own 20. The defense held and forced a quick punt. Caleb Downs appeared to be in position to catch the line drive effort and even perhaps make a big return out of it. At worst, the Buckeyes would have been near midfield to start their drive.
However, Downs let it go, and it rolled deep into OSU territory. I can’t blame Downs much, as punt returners are supposed to let it go if there is any doubt in their mind about whether they can come up with it cleanly. In other words, he did the right thing as instructed, but I wish he hadn’t.
If he did catch it, it would likely have been a big play and wouldn’t have flipped the field, helping the Wolverines, who held on the ensuing defensive series, took over in great field position, and kicked a 54-yard field goal on their next possession as a result of flipping the field.
It did not help that Ohio State’s coaching staff turtled on the possession, which started at the OSU 7-yard line. That possession consisted of a 2-yard run by Henderson, an incomplete pass, and a Henderson run for a loss of yardage.
More Field Position Woes
Henderson erred on the second-half kickoff, scrambling to cover the ball at his own 6-yard line, putting Ohio State in a bad spot again after regaining momentum late in the first half. That drive was somewhat successful anyway, due to calling seven pass plays out of 10 total, as the Buckeyes drove it down to the Michigan 38-yard line.
If you’re keeping score, I have now accounted for 25 of Howard’s 33 pass attempts on just four drives, including three of the team’s most successful ones on the day. I guess I just see a pattern that somehow escaped the notice of both Day and Kelly.
The drive bogged down at that point, as it was a choice between a 55-yard field goal or going for it on fourth-and-7. Day would go for that first down against Purdue. He would go for it against Northwestern. He would go for it against Michigan State. To summarize, he would go for that first down in most cases.
He did not go for it against Michigan. Scared money don’t make money.
Those are the things that made me want to stomp off into the woods and fight a real wolverine on Saturday (disclaimer: never do this). What stood out to you?
Normally, I would put a whole slew of good things that the Buckeyes did in this section, but there weren’t many you could point to on Saturday. The defense basically did its job. Even when they gave up a few too many yards, they made a fourth-down stop inside their own 5-yard line and got a Jack Sawyer interception in the end zone.
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. There were not many positives, and in five decades of watching Ohio State football, this is the most perplexed I’ve ever been after a game about what I saw.
Next up is a mystery for the time being. Ohio State will play at least one more game this season, but it won’t be in the Big Ten title game, meaning it’ll be the second failed accomplishment for the Buckeyes who returned to complete “unfinished business.”
All that’s left is a national championship (yeah, that’s all), but it’s understandable if no one in Buckeye Nation has the confidence that a team that just lost to the most mediocre Michigan team in years can pull off that kind of run.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Everything about Saturday was questionable, from the coaching to whether the team’s quarterback seemed healthy enough to be out there.
To say Saturday didn’t go as planned for Ohio State fans is an understatement of epic proportions. The Buckeyes’ 13-10 loss was shocking in many ways, including the failures of special teams, offense, and coaching on a combined scale not seen in Columbus in years.
This column typically accentuates the negative, because there are generally so few. This week, the column could conceivably fill all available space on the internet. As such, I’ll try to keep it broad to make for a manageable reading experience.
The following had me yelling The Expletive at The TV during The Game.
Do Things that Work; Don’t Do Things that Don’t Work
The obvious thing that most OSU fans are upset about is whatever that game plan was on offense. There was no discernible logic to a scheme that seemed to involve more running straight at Michigan’s large future NFL defensive tackles at the same time it became more and more obvious that it wouldn’t work.
Ohio State’s first scoring drive included six passes and only three runs, ending in a short field goal. The Buckeyes’ only touchdown drive of the day consisted of eight passes and one run. Both of those scoring drives — the only two on the day — started with a pass play. Every single drive of the second half started with a running play until the final drive with less than a minute remaining and no timeouts left.
Will Howard attempted 33 passes on Saturday, and 18 of those came on the two scoring drives plus the futile final possession.
Will Howard
Howard’s first interception turned out to be a backbreaker, although at the time, with so much clock left, it didn’t seem like it. There was no reason not to sail that ball high, where it would have gone out of play if Carnell Tate couldn’t reach it. That was a bad throw. The second pick was worse, because it took away a scoring opportunity, his man (Emeka Egbuka) wasn’t open, and the throw was well behind the receiver.
However, there was a bigger issue with Howard. The shot that he took that sent him to the medical tent looked bad. He took a shoulder hit to the head, which may have glanced off the top of his shoulder pad first, but it didn’t negate the violence of the collision. The quarterback was off the field a shockingly short amount of time to get checked for a concussion.
Once he came back on, he didn’t play the same way. This was exacerbated when the coaching staff inexplicably called another quarterback run and he took a helmet-to-helmet shot in the earhole. From that point in the game, Howard only threw two passes that looked anything like his usual form — a key completion to Egbuka for a first down and a dropped pass by Tate that could have gotten Ohio State’s second-to-last drive started on the right foot.
I’m not saying Howard played concussed, but he didn’t look at all the same after the second hit to the head, and the offensive play calling was even more conservative afterwards (notably, a middle run on third-and-long prior to Jayden Fielding’s second missed field goal on the day by a team that includes Jeremiah Smith).
What I will say, however, is that if Howard was playing while concussed, everyone involved in letting him back on the field must answer for it. I don’t have an explanation for his performance after the second helmet shot, but it was noticeably worse.
After the game, Ryan Day said part of the reason they ran so often was that there was a lot of pressure on the quarterback. To that remark, I will point out that Howard was not sacked on Saturday.
Bringing Field Goals to a Touchdown Fight
Big games require big decisions, including trying to score touchdowns. Caleb Downs made a huge play to pick off Davis Warren, setting the Buckeyes up at the Michigan 16. After a(nother) first-down rush for no gain, a pass to Gee Scott also netted zero yards.
The handoff to TreVeyon Henderson on third down was a cowardly white flag with little chance of success, which was almost certainly always going to result in a field-goal attempt. Fielding missed for the second time, which is about what teams deserve for playing like that.
Speaking of Fielding…
Ohio State’s kicker entered The Game having missed only one field goal in 2024 and having never missed a try from less than 40 yards. In this one game, one in which he hit an early attempt to put Ohio State on top, he tripled his miss total for the season and failed from inside 40 for the first two times in his career.
Making both short kicks would have forced a different end game out of the Wolverines. Missing two of three was fatal.
Befuddlement and Wasteful Confusion
College coaches haven’t had the two-minute timeout (sorry, just call it the two-minute warning — it’s what we’re used to and it sounds weird not to call it that) very long, so it may take some adjusting, but Day is a former NFL assistant coach. Chip Kelly is a former NFL head coach. They have no excuse not to understand how taking timeouts before the two-minute mark can save additional time.
However, Ohio State did not opt to use a timeout before that point in the game. To make matters worse, when the Buckeyes did call timeout, they failed to get the correct personnel out there and lineup up properly, taking a costly penalty by trying to take a second timeout in succession. That allowed Michigan to use more clock.
The timeout you took is for getting your house in order. Not doing so is wasting the resource you just used. It was yet another gaffe on a day filled with them.
Catch It
A key moment in the game was a 68-yard punt that seemingly didn’t have to go that far. Ohio State had just missed a field goal, with Michigan starting at its own 20. The defense held and forced a quick punt. Caleb Downs appeared to be in position to catch the line drive effort and even perhaps make a big return out of it. At worst, the Buckeyes would have been near midfield to start their drive.
However, Downs let it go, and it rolled deep into OSU territory. I can’t blame Downs much, as punt returners are supposed to let it go if there is any doubt in their mind about whether they can come up with it cleanly. In other words, he did the right thing as instructed, but I wish he hadn’t.
If he did catch it, it would likely have been a big play and wouldn’t have flipped the field, helping the Wolverines, who held on the ensuing defensive series, took over in great field position, and kicked a 54-yard field goal on their next possession as a result of flipping the field.
It did not help that Ohio State’s coaching staff turtled on the possession, which started at the OSU 7-yard line. That possession consisted of a 2-yard run by Henderson, an incomplete pass, and a Henderson run for a loss of yardage.
More Field Position Woes
Henderson erred on the second-half kickoff, scrambling to cover the ball at his own 6-yard line, putting Ohio State in a bad spot again after regaining momentum late in the first half. That drive was somewhat successful anyway, due to calling seven pass plays out of 10 total, as the Buckeyes drove it down to the Michigan 38-yard line.
If you’re keeping score, I have now accounted for 25 of Howard’s 33 pass attempts on just four drives, including three of the team’s most successful ones on the day. I guess I just see a pattern that somehow escaped the notice of both Day and Kelly.
The drive bogged down at that point, as it was a choice between a 55-yard field goal or going for it on fourth-and-7. Day would go for that first down against Purdue. He would go for it against Northwestern. He would go for it against Michigan State. To summarize, he would go for that first down in most cases.
He did not go for it against Michigan. Scared money don’t make money.
Those are the things that made me want to stomp off into the woods and fight a real wolverine on Saturday (disclaimer: never do this). What stood out to you?
Normally, I would put a whole slew of good things that the Buckeyes did in this section, but there weren’t many you could point to on Saturday. The defense basically did its job. Even when they gave up a few too many yards, they made a fourth-down stop inside their own 5-yard line and got a Jack Sawyer interception in the end zone.
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. There were not many positives, and in five decades of watching Ohio State football, this is the most perplexed I’ve ever been after a game about what I saw.
Next up is a mystery for the time being. Ohio State will play at least one more game this season, but it won’t be in the Big Ten title game, meaning it’ll be the second failed accomplishment for the Buckeyes who returned to complete “unfinished business.”
All that’s left is a national championship (yeah, that’s all), but it’s understandable if no one in Buckeye Nation has the confidence that a team that just lost to the most mediocre Michigan team in years can pull off that kind of run.
Continue reading...
LGHL A very James Earl Jones look at Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan
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A very James Earl Jones look at Ohio State’s 13-10 loss to Michigan
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The iconic actor was a Michigan graduate, and a number of his works describe what was seen Saturday in Columbus.
Buckeye Nation was left scratching their heads on Saturday as Ohio State fell to Michigan for the fourth-straight season. Heading into The Game, this year felt like the result was going to be different from the last three since the Wolverines had struggled most of the season, entering their regular season finale with a 6-5 record. Unfortunately, nothing can be taken for granted in a heated rivalry game as the Buckeyes have found out over the years.
Since Michigan won, we are going to give a nod to one of their most famous alums by using some works from James Earl Jones to describe what was seen on Saturday in Columbus.
After he was born in Mississippi, Jones moved to Michigan during the Great Migration, eventually graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955, majoring in drama. Known for his iconic voice, Jones became one of the most recognizable actors once his film career began 60 years ago. In September, Jones passes away at the age of 93.
Jones’ most famous role is that of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. Vader is known as one of the biggest villains in cinema, which fits Michigan because they are the biggest villains to Ohio State fans.
From the Connor Stalions cheating scandal which went a long way to helping the Wolverines win the title last year, to being a thorn in the side of the Buckeyes over the last four years. Right now Buckeye Nation feels like they are watching a movie where the bad guy wins.
This was supposed to be the year where Ryan Day channeled his Luke Skywalker and put down Darth Vader. I hope that reference is right because I’ve never really been into Star Wars, so I’m relying on a Cliff Notes version of the films.
The Buckeyes were more talented and on their home turf, yet they still couldn’t get the job done. Watching how the second half played out was nauseating since Ohio State was playing like their lightsabers were out of batteries. C-3PO could have probably called a better game than whatever the Buckeyes were trying to do.
In the end, Michigan said to Ohio State, “May the 4th be with you” since that’s how many straight losses the Buckeyes have had to eat from That Team Up North.
There’s no other way to describe what Ryan Day is in right now. It’s obvious that Michigan is in his head and there really might be some truth to Day being born on third base.
The game plan Day put together for Saturday’s game was baffling. Apparently Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly thought that continually trying to run the football was the best option even though the Wolverines have one of the best rush defenses in the country.
Michigan hasn’t done a lot right this year, but one of the few things they have excelled at is stopping the run. The choice to focus on the run was even more puzzling since Ohio State has three great receivers in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, while the Wolverines were without cornerback Will Johnson.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25768506/2187648548.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
So what does the future hold for Day? It’s hard to believe Ohio State would fire their head coach since the Buckeyes are still in line for a spot in the playoffs, where anything can happen. A school isn’t going to fire their head coach if they make it to the semifinal or even go on to win a title.
If anything, Day will likely leave for an NFL job if a team comes calling, that way he can land in a cushy spot and save the university from having to make a tough decision. Until that happens, Day will have to grow some thick skin and eat all the criticism he is facing.
Speaking of the College Football Playoff, all hope is not lost for Ohio State. With two losses this season, with one of them coming to Oregon by a point in Eugene, the Buckeyes still can claim to be one of the best 12 teams in the country.
Wins over Penn State and Indiana in Top 5 clashes will help Ohio State out in their argument that they deserve a home playoff game. At least the loss to Michigan isn’t the most shocking by a playoff team this season, since that belongs to Notre Dame, who fell earlier this season at home to Northern Illinois.
What the Buckeyes need to do is reset and refocus ahead of a playoff game in a few weeks. With the loss, Ohio State won’t play in the Big Ten Championship Game, allowing them some extra time to recharge. Even though a Big Ten title was a goal of the team, not playing in Indianapolis on Saturday night isn’t the worst thing in the world.
At least the last time the Buckeyes went into a playoff game after missing the Big Ten Championship Game they nearly upset Georgia in 2022. Day just needs to lock himself in a room at the WHAC and put together a plan of attack when the matchups are announced.
It’s easy to criticize the Buckeyes for their play on Saturday, but there was one player who did everything he could to lead the team to victory. Defensive end Jack Sawyer made an amazing play when he intercepted Davis Warren at the goal line in the fourth quarter with the game tied.
Some of the shine was taken away when he wasn’t able to wrap up Kalel Mullings on the game-winning drive, but it was a tough tackle for Sawyer to make and his teammates should have been able to finish the job on the tackle, so I’ll give him a pass there.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25768507/2187597990.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
What hurts so much about Saturday’s loss is knowing guys like Sawyer aren’t able to get their pair of gold pants. Sawyer is a Pickerington product, and it’s obvious the rivalry means a lot to him.
There have been times where Sawyer’s play hasn’t matched his recruiting ranking, but he is out there giving it his all and trying to make plays. Hopefully the Buckeyes can make a deep run in the playoff so Sawyer and the rest of the seniors’ decision to return to school for another year pays off.
While nothing is a given with how the transfer portal has changed college football, at least the way things stand now Ohio State should have two of the best players in college football on their squad next year. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs each had memorable moments on Saturday. Smith caught a touchdown, and Downs had 11 tackles and an interception in each of their first edition of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Why Smith wasn’t targeted more in the second half is an argument for another day, but he made a great move to get open for the first and only Ohio State touchdown of the day. Smith finished the regular season with 57 catches for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. There’s no doubt Smith will be in the mix for the Biletnikoff Award next year since he’ll be even better with a year of college football under his belt.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25768509/2187065010.jpg "Michigan v Ohio State")
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Downs has a chance for some national hardware this year as he is a finalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards. The sophomore safety from Alabama had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Saturday. After a slow start to the season, Downs has playing better and better each week. Expect even more from Downs next year since he’ll have to shoulder even more of the defensive weight with so many starters moving on to the professional level.
Continue reading...
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
The iconic actor was a Michigan graduate, and a number of his works describe what was seen Saturday in Columbus.
Buckeye Nation was left scratching their heads on Saturday as Ohio State fell to Michigan for the fourth-straight season. Heading into The Game, this year felt like the result was going to be different from the last three since the Wolverines had struggled most of the season, entering their regular season finale with a 6-5 record. Unfortunately, nothing can be taken for granted in a heated rivalry game as the Buckeyes have found out over the years.
Since Michigan won, we are going to give a nod to one of their most famous alums by using some works from James Earl Jones to describe what was seen on Saturday in Columbus.
After he was born in Mississippi, Jones moved to Michigan during the Great Migration, eventually graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955, majoring in drama. Known for his iconic voice, Jones became one of the most recognizable actors once his film career began 60 years ago. In September, Jones passes away at the age of 93.
Darth Vader
Jones’ most famous role is that of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise. Vader is known as one of the biggest villains in cinema, which fits Michigan because they are the biggest villains to Ohio State fans.
From the Connor Stalions cheating scandal which went a long way to helping the Wolverines win the title last year, to being a thorn in the side of the Buckeyes over the last four years. Right now Buckeye Nation feels like they are watching a movie where the bad guy wins.
This was supposed to be the year where Ryan Day channeled his Luke Skywalker and put down Darth Vader. I hope that reference is right because I’ve never really been into Star Wars, so I’m relying on a Cliff Notes version of the films.
The Buckeyes were more talented and on their home turf, yet they still couldn’t get the job done. Watching how the second half played out was nauseating since Ohio State was playing like their lightsabers were out of batteries. C-3PO could have probably called a better game than whatever the Buckeyes were trying to do.
In the end, Michigan said to Ohio State, “May the 4th be with you” since that’s how many straight losses the Buckeyes have had to eat from That Team Up North.
Clear and Present Danger
There’s no other way to describe what Ryan Day is in right now. It’s obvious that Michigan is in his head and there really might be some truth to Day being born on third base.
The game plan Day put together for Saturday’s game was baffling. Apparently Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly thought that continually trying to run the football was the best option even though the Wolverines have one of the best rush defenses in the country.
Michigan hasn’t done a lot right this year, but one of the few things they have excelled at is stopping the run. The choice to focus on the run was even more puzzling since Ohio State has three great receivers in Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka, and Carnell Tate, while the Wolverines were without cornerback Will Johnson.
So what does the future hold for Day? It’s hard to believe Ohio State would fire their head coach since the Buckeyes are still in line for a spot in the playoffs, where anything can happen. A school isn’t going to fire their head coach if they make it to the semifinal or even go on to win a title.
If anything, Day will likely leave for an NFL job if a team comes calling, that way he can land in a cushy spot and save the university from having to make a tough decision. Until that happens, Day will have to grow some thick skin and eat all the criticism he is facing.
A Piece of the Action
Speaking of the College Football Playoff, all hope is not lost for Ohio State. With two losses this season, with one of them coming to Oregon by a point in Eugene, the Buckeyes still can claim to be one of the best 12 teams in the country.
Wins over Penn State and Indiana in Top 5 clashes will help Ohio State out in their argument that they deserve a home playoff game. At least the loss to Michigan isn’t the most shocking by a playoff team this season, since that belongs to Notre Dame, who fell earlier this season at home to Northern Illinois.
What the Buckeyes need to do is reset and refocus ahead of a playoff game in a few weeks. With the loss, Ohio State won’t play in the Big Ten Championship Game, allowing them some extra time to recharge. Even though a Big Ten title was a goal of the team, not playing in Indianapolis on Saturday night isn’t the worst thing in the world.
At least the last time the Buckeyes went into a playoff game after missing the Big Ten Championship Game they nearly upset Georgia in 2022. Day just needs to lock himself in a room at the WHAC and put together a plan of attack when the matchups are announced.
Jack and the Beanstalk
It’s easy to criticize the Buckeyes for their play on Saturday, but there was one player who did everything he could to lead the team to victory. Defensive end Jack Sawyer made an amazing play when he intercepted Davis Warren at the goal line in the fourth quarter with the game tied.
Some of the shine was taken away when he wasn’t able to wrap up Kalel Mullings on the game-winning drive, but it was a tough tackle for Sawyer to make and his teammates should have been able to finish the job on the tackle, so I’ll give him a pass there.
What hurts so much about Saturday’s loss is knowing guys like Sawyer aren’t able to get their pair of gold pants. Sawyer is a Pickerington product, and it’s obvious the rivalry means a lot to him.
There have been times where Sawyer’s play hasn’t matched his recruiting ranking, but he is out there giving it his all and trying to make plays. Hopefully the Buckeyes can make a deep run in the playoff so Sawyer and the rest of the seniors’ decision to return to school for another year pays off.
Best of the Best
While nothing is a given with how the transfer portal has changed college football, at least the way things stand now Ohio State should have two of the best players in college football on their squad next year. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs each had memorable moments on Saturday. Smith caught a touchdown, and Downs had 11 tackles and an interception in each of their first edition of the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.
Why Smith wasn’t targeted more in the second half is an argument for another day, but he made a great move to get open for the first and only Ohio State touchdown of the day. Smith finished the regular season with 57 catches for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. There’s no doubt Smith will be in the mix for the Biletnikoff Award next year since he’ll be even better with a year of college football under his belt.
Downs has a chance for some national hardware this year as he is a finalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik Awards. The sophomore safety from Alabama had his best game in the scarlet and gray on Saturday. After a slow start to the season, Downs has playing better and better each week. Expect even more from Downs next year since he’ll have to shoulder even more of the defensive weight with so many starters moving on to the professional level.
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