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LGHL Adding Elsa Lemmilä to the roster should help improve Ohio State women’s rebounding
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Adding Elsa Lemmilä to the roster should help improve Ohio State women’s rebounding
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
FIBA.com
Fans could see the Finnish big sooner rather than later.
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is getting you ready with a series of player previews. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for more player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
The last time Ohio State women’s basketball featured a player averaging more than 10 rebounds a game, it was 2021. That’s when Dorka Juhasz led the Buckeyes with 11.1 per game in her final season before transferring to the UConn Huskies.
Since Juhasz’ departure, a constant talking point for head coach Kevin McGuff is the team’s struggle with consistent rebounding. The Buckeyes finished 11th out of 14 teams last season. This offseason, McGuff addressed the issues in two ways.
Elsa Lemmilä is one of those ways.
Name: Elsa Lemmilä
Position: Center
Class: Freshman
High School: Tapiolan Honka Club (Espoo, Finland)
2023-24 Stats: 15.8 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.4 bpg
Lemmilä’s final amateur season before heading to Ohio didn’t happen due to injury. The 6-foot-6 center tore her ACL, meaning a loss of the center’s final campaign.
However, Lemmilä’s history dates back years with her role with Finland’s national team system. At the young age of 16, Lemmilä played on the senior national team. Lemmilä debuted with the top women’s team in Eurobasket Qualifying. In her second game, the center played 20 minutes, grabbing eight rebounds and adding three blocks against Ukraine.
On the youth team level, Lemmilä represented Finland in both U16 and U18 European competition. In the 2022 U18 European Championships, Lemmilä played seven games and nearly averaged a double-double with 12.9 points and nine rebounds per game.
Despite the injury, Lemmilä returned to the national team but not for getting game minutes. Before traveling to Columbus to begin a college career, Lemmilä worked out with Finland, taking steps toward recovery.
In club basketball, with Honka, Lemmilä played 27 games in the 2022-23 season, her final full year before the ACL tear. The center averaged a double-double, scoring 15.8 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and adding 2.4 blocks per game.
Her standout performance of the season came on Jan. 18, 2023. In a 94-40 win over Catz Lappeenranta, Lemmilä nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks. It was one of 16 double-doubles for the center that season.
At 6-foot-6, the most obvious skill to expect is rebounding. Lemmilä’s size puts her at an advantage against most bigs in the conference, minus the likes of UCLA’s Lauren Betts or Oregon’s Phillipina Kyei. Even so, Ohio State hasn’t had a presence like Lemmilä for years.
Sometimes, a recruit the size of Lemmilä has stats that stand out simply because of a lack of competitors who can match up. The international experience means she’s gone up against other top European players on youth and senior levels.
Lemmilä gets rebounds because of her length and physicality. The center will use her frame to get the advantage around the basket and reach over shorter defenders.
Also, in practice, Lemmilä showed the ability to run up the court with the ball too. Usually, someone with that size may not have the ballhandling skills to move quickly but Lemmilä has that ability, even though it won’t be required much in McGuff’s offense.
There are a few reasons that Lemmilä is not going to feature prominently in the first season at Ohio State. The first is the transfer of graduate senior Ajae Petty from the Kentucky Wildcats. Petty joins the Scarlet and Gray after averaging 10.6 rebounds per game in the SEC. That ability and experience, combined with only one year remaining in eligibility, means Petty likely the signed in ink starter for coach McGuff.
The return from injury is another piece that might slow things down. According to McGuff, Lemmilä returned to full practice a few weeks ago. That and being new to the offense in general puts the center slightly behind compared to if she joined without the ACL concern.
That doesn’t mean fans won’t see Lemmilä on the court soon. In practice, Lemmilä’s played in the second group of five, behind the likely starting five of the first group. Also, the Buckeyes non-conference schedule, aside from Stanford, is against mid-major competition that likely ends in Ohio State victories.
Lemmilä will get opportunities to play against those sides with hopes that she plays a bigger role off the bench in Big Ten play, where rebounding will be especially important.
If you’ve got the time, here’s a replay of a 2022 U18 European Championship game between Finland and Lithuania. Lemmilä (No. 13), had eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the victory.
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
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
FIBA.com
Fans could see the Finnish big sooner rather than later.
College basketball season is fast approaching and Land-Grant Holy Land is getting you ready with a series of player previews. Before the season starts this fall, check back regularly for more player previews, schedule news, features, and more heading into the 2024-25 Ohio State women’s basketball season.
The last time Ohio State women’s basketball featured a player averaging more than 10 rebounds a game, it was 2021. That’s when Dorka Juhasz led the Buckeyes with 11.1 per game in her final season before transferring to the UConn Huskies.
Since Juhasz’ departure, a constant talking point for head coach Kevin McGuff is the team’s struggle with consistent rebounding. The Buckeyes finished 11th out of 14 teams last season. This offseason, McGuff addressed the issues in two ways.
Elsa Lemmilä is one of those ways.
Name: Elsa Lemmilä
Position: Center
Class: Freshman
High School: Tapiolan Honka Club (Espoo, Finland)
2023-24 Stats: 15.8 ppg, 10 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.4 bpg
Last Season
Lemmilä’s final amateur season before heading to Ohio didn’t happen due to injury. The 6-foot-6 center tore her ACL, meaning a loss of the center’s final campaign.
However, Lemmilä’s history dates back years with her role with Finland’s national team system. At the young age of 16, Lemmilä played on the senior national team. Lemmilä debuted with the top women’s team in Eurobasket Qualifying. In her second game, the center played 20 minutes, grabbing eight rebounds and adding three blocks against Ukraine.
On the youth team level, Lemmilä represented Finland in both U16 and U18 European competition. In the 2022 U18 European Championships, Lemmilä played seven games and nearly averaged a double-double with 12.9 points and nine rebounds per game.
Despite the injury, Lemmilä returned to the national team but not for getting game minutes. Before traveling to Columbus to begin a college career, Lemmilä worked out with Finland, taking steps toward recovery.
In club basketball, with Honka, Lemmilä played 27 games in the 2022-23 season, her final full year before the ACL tear. The center averaged a double-double, scoring 15.8 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and adding 2.4 blocks per game.
Her standout performance of the season came on Jan. 18, 2023. In a 94-40 win over Catz Lappeenranta, Lemmilä nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks. It was one of 16 double-doubles for the center that season.
What to Expect
At 6-foot-6, the most obvious skill to expect is rebounding. Lemmilä’s size puts her at an advantage against most bigs in the conference, minus the likes of UCLA’s Lauren Betts or Oregon’s Phillipina Kyei. Even so, Ohio State hasn’t had a presence like Lemmilä for years.
Sometimes, a recruit the size of Lemmilä has stats that stand out simply because of a lack of competitors who can match up. The international experience means she’s gone up against other top European players on youth and senior levels.
Lemmilä gets rebounds because of her length and physicality. The center will use her frame to get the advantage around the basket and reach over shorter defenders.
Also, in practice, Lemmilä showed the ability to run up the court with the ball too. Usually, someone with that size may not have the ballhandling skills to move quickly but Lemmilä has that ability, even though it won’t be required much in McGuff’s offense.
Prediction
There are a few reasons that Lemmilä is not going to feature prominently in the first season at Ohio State. The first is the transfer of graduate senior Ajae Petty from the Kentucky Wildcats. Petty joins the Scarlet and Gray after averaging 10.6 rebounds per game in the SEC. That ability and experience, combined with only one year remaining in eligibility, means Petty likely the signed in ink starter for coach McGuff.
The return from injury is another piece that might slow things down. According to McGuff, Lemmilä returned to full practice a few weeks ago. That and being new to the offense in general puts the center slightly behind compared to if she joined without the ACL concern.
That doesn’t mean fans won’t see Lemmilä on the court soon. In practice, Lemmilä’s played in the second group of five, behind the likely starting five of the first group. Also, the Buckeyes non-conference schedule, aside from Stanford, is against mid-major competition that likely ends in Ohio State victories.
Lemmilä will get opportunities to play against those sides with hopes that she plays a bigger role off the bench in Big Ten play, where rebounding will be especially important.
Highlights
If you’ve got the time, here’s a replay of a 2022 U18 European Championship game between Finland and Lithuania. Lemmilä (No. 13), had eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the victory.
Other Player Previews
Miss a player preview? Click the links below to learn more about the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster:
Madison Greene
Eboni Walker
Ava Watson
Chance Gray
Continue reading...
LGHL Power Two Podcast: Multiple upsets have set college football on fire!
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- 0 Replies
Power Two Podcast: Multiple upsets have set college football on fire!
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A weekend full of seemingly uninteresting matchups ends in multiple top-11 upsets, including No. 1 Alabama
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football… and everyone else. This show is for the die-hard fans and the casual college football fans. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the major matchups of the previous weekend and look ahead at the games, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week.
My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.
This week DJ and Jordan jump straight into a riveting Week 6. This will go down in history as one of the most dynamic weeks in college football, with five of the top 11 teams losing in the same week for the first time since 2016. DJ and Jordan marvel at the odds that this would happen and break down all of the contests.
In the two-minute drill, Vanderbilt upsetting Alabama is the hottest topic. Jordan has particularly strong thoughts about narratives surrounding Alabama’s playoff contention. It’s way too early to have that conversation. We should just enjoy this insane week of football.
DJ shares their in-person experience at the SMU vs. Louisville game, as SMU will most likely be ranked after a complete enough game to secure the win. When discussing the Syracuse vs. UNLV contest, DJ shares some strong opinions about officiating and the effects on the game viewing experience. There was no review of the power rankings, but Jordan and DJ shared their thoughts on the movement based on the recent results.
There was no way to predict what happened this week, but we are still pretty solid with our Pregame Power Sweep predictions. This week we suggested:
In the two-minute warning, Jordan expresses excitement about the upcoming National Women’s Soccer League season and the potential addition of a team in Cleveland, OH. DJ updates us on Round 2 of the WNBA Playoffs, and they speculate on potential results as the series begins to conclude.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on Land-Grant Holy Land.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @PowerTwoPodcast
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
Continue reading...
JordanW330 via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A weekend full of seemingly uninteresting matchups ends in multiple top-11 upsets, including No. 1 Alabama
Welcome to a new episode of Land-Grant Podcast Network’s Power Two Podcast. On this show, we talk about Big Ten and SEC football… and everyone else. This show is for the die-hard fans and the casual college football fans. After every week of action, we will catch you up on all the major matchups of the previous weekend and look ahead at the games, storylines, and players you should be paying attention to for the next week.
My name is Jordan Williams, and I am joined by my co-host DaNaysia Jones. Lock in as we run a power sweep through the college football landscape.
This week DJ and Jordan jump straight into a riveting Week 6. This will go down in history as one of the most dynamic weeks in college football, with five of the top 11 teams losing in the same week for the first time since 2016. DJ and Jordan marvel at the odds that this would happen and break down all of the contests.
In the two-minute drill, Vanderbilt upsetting Alabama is the hottest topic. Jordan has particularly strong thoughts about narratives surrounding Alabama’s playoff contention. It’s way too early to have that conversation. We should just enjoy this insane week of football.
DJ shares their in-person experience at the SMU vs. Louisville game, as SMU will most likely be ranked after a complete enough game to secure the win. When discussing the Syracuse vs. UNLV contest, DJ shares some strong opinions about officiating and the effects on the game viewing experience. There was no review of the power rankings, but Jordan and DJ shared their thoughts on the movement based on the recent results.
There was no way to predict what happened this week, but we are still pretty solid with our Pregame Power Sweep predictions. This week we suggested:
- Friday: Utah State - Arizona
- Saturday, Noon: South Carolina - Alabama, Washington - Iowa, Wisconsin - Rutgers
- Saturday, mid-day: Texas - Oklahoma, Penn State - USC
- Saturday, primetime: Oregon - OSU, Iowa State - WVU, Ole Miss - LSU
- Saturday, after dark: K State - Colorado.
- Honorable Mentions: Kentucky - Vanderbilt, Boise State - Hawaii
In the two-minute warning, Jordan expresses excitement about the upcoming National Women’s Soccer League season and the potential addition of a team in Cleveland, OH. DJ updates us on Round 2 of the WNBA Playoffs, and they speculate on potential results as the series begins to conclude.
If you like the show, please share it with friends and family and leave a five-star review. If you want to keep up with the show, subscribe to the Land-Grant Podcast Network Feed where new episodes drop every Monday.
You can also find Jordan’s article ‘B1G Thoughts’ on Land-Grant Holy Land.
Follow the show on YouTube: @JordanW330
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @PowerTwoPodcast
Connect with us on Twitter: Jordan: @JordanW330 and DJ:@dj_danaysia
Continue reading...
LGHL A Gene Wilder themed recap of Ohio State’s 35-7 win over Iowa
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- 0 Replies
A Gene Wilder themed recap of Ohio State’s 35-7 win over Iowa
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes turned up the heat in the second half to bury the Hawkeyes in Columbus.
Ohio State continued their undefeated start to the 2024 season on Saturday, beating the Iowa Hawkeyes 35-7 in Columbus. The Buckeyes started off slow, only leading the Hawkeyes by a touchdown at halftime before putting some distance on Kirk Ferentz’s team in the second half. Now, Ohio State fully turns its attention to Saturday night’s massive showdown in Eugene with Oregon.
I’ve been using the works of some famous alumni from the opponents of Ohio State this year to hit on the key points of what we have seen in games this year. One of Iowa’s most famous alums is actor Gene Wilder. After growing up in Wisconsin, Wilder attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in Communication and Theatre Arts in 1955. With his impressive resume, it wasn’t hard to find five of his works that describe what we saw on Saturday.
The combination of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson at running back is electric. Iowa entered the game not having allowed 100 yards rushing to any of their first four opponents this season. Their streak of holding opponents under triple digits on the ground this year came to an end against the Buckeyes, who rolled up 203 yards rushing. Judkins finished with 78 yards on 13 carries, while Henderson had 61 yards on 11 carries.
There’s no question the duo is the best running back combination in the country. Even though their stats haven’t jumped off the page in the last two games, they are perfect for Chip Kelly’s offense since they demand so much attention when they are on the field, which forces opposing defenses to make a decision on where they want to allocate their resources.
What’s even scarier for upcoming opponents on the schedule of Ohio State is Judkins and Henderson aren’t being used a ton, which will keep them fresher as the season goes along. In November as the weather becomes more suspect in Big Ten country, the running backs are going to become an even bigger part of the offense than they already are.
If you were to build a perfect wide receiver, it would be Jeremiah Smith. Through five games at the college level, Smith has scored at least one touchdown in each game. Along with the scores, Smith has had three highlight reel one-handed catches over the past two games. The latest was a touchdown reception where he had an Iowa defender blanketed on him in the end zone. Smith just stuck his free hand up and was able to corral the Will Howard pass.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25661181/2176082927.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 05 Iowa at Ohio State")
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Smith has a great compliment in the passing game, lining up with Emeka Egbuka at wide receiver. Egbuka brings veteran leadership and steady play, while Smith has the youth energy and big-play ability. Smith finished with four catches for 89 yards and a score against the Hawkeyes.
Speaking of wide receivers, Egbuka had what might have been his best performance in the scarlet and gray, hauling in nine passes and scoring three touchdowns. The senior now has five touchdowns this year, halfway to matching his career-high that he set in 2022. What made what we saw from Egbuka even more impressive is his touchdown were all contested catches, unlike some of the scores where he takes a screen pass and uses his outstanding speed to leave defenders in the dust.
When it is all said and done, Egbuka is going to have one of the quietest great careers in school history. Since arriving in Columbus, Egbuka has been surrounded by tremendous receivers. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. we’re all first round draft picks, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Egbuka taken in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Even this year, Smith has dominated the headlines where it comes to the receivers. In honesty though, Egbuka probably likes it that way. With less attention being given to him, it allows him to continue to put up big numbers and move his way up Ohio State’s receiving record books.
Wilder was only credited as “waiter” in one episode of the show from the 1960s, but it is on his filmography and still counts, so we’ll use it to give the Buckeye defense some shine.
The Ohio State defense continued to make like miserable for their opponents this year. Through five games, the Buckeyes have allowed just 34 points. Where Ohio State have been particularly strong this season is in the second half games. While Iowa did get a touchdown after halftime, it wasn’t anything that put the lead of the Buckeyes in danger.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25661182/usa_today_24421575.jpg "Syndication: The Des Moines Register")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson entered the game on a heater to start the season. Ohio State only allowed the Hamilton native 86 yards on the ground, with 28 yards coming on his touchdown run. Had it not been for the touchdown run by Johnson, the Hawkeyes wouldn’t have even cracked 100 yards rushing for the game.
Along with the rush defense, the secondary continued to cause problems for opponents. Davison Igbinosun grabbed his first career interception, Caleb Downs was everywhere on the field, and Lathan Ransom was laying the lumber from his safety position. The unit was helped by the constant pressure Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, and the rest of the defensive line were creating. Sawyer had a sack and a half, while Tuimoloau was credited with the other half sack.
While we know Iowa’s defense isn’t going to light the world on fire, it was still a very workmanlike showing from the Buckeyes. They’ll head into Eugene with a lot of confidence as they prepare for the toughest test they’ll face during the regular season.
At least on Saturday there was no evil afoot in Columbus. The same can’t be said around the rest of the country, with a number of Top 10 teams being upset. The most shocking upset came in Nashville, where Alabama lost to Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide entered the week as the top team in the country after beating Georgia last Saturday night. Even though Alabama’s playoff hopes are still alive, they took a huge hit after falling to a team they were favored over by more than three touchdowns.
In the Big Ten, Michigan lost the rematch of January’s title game. Washington was able to gain a bit of revenge by beating the Wolverines 27-17. Sherrone Moore’s team has already lost two games this year, and still have to play Oregon and Ohio State. At this point, the only hope for the Wolverines to make the CFP looks like it will have to be winning the Big Ten.
Elsewhere in the conference, USC is still winless on the road in the Big Ten, losing at Minnesota last night. The Trojans will have to put the loss behind them quickly, as they’ll host Penn State this Saturday.
Moving back to the SEC, Tennessee and Missouri were big losers on Saturday. The Tigers had no shot against Texas A&M on Saturday, getting blown out by the Aggies in College Station. Later in the evening, the Volunteers were upset by Arkansas. The loss for Josh Heupel’s team was shocking considering how good they have looked prior to the game with the Razorbacks. It is going to be tougher for Missouri to rebound from the setback since they haven’t been nearly as impressive to start the season as Tennessee had been.
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
Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes turned up the heat in the second half to bury the Hawkeyes in Columbus.
Ohio State continued their undefeated start to the 2024 season on Saturday, beating the Iowa Hawkeyes 35-7 in Columbus. The Buckeyes started off slow, only leading the Hawkeyes by a touchdown at halftime before putting some distance on Kirk Ferentz’s team in the second half. Now, Ohio State fully turns its attention to Saturday night’s massive showdown in Eugene with Oregon.
I’ve been using the works of some famous alumni from the opponents of Ohio State this year to hit on the key points of what we have seen in games this year. One of Iowa’s most famous alums is actor Gene Wilder. After growing up in Wisconsin, Wilder attended the University of Iowa, graduating with a degree in Communication and Theatre Arts in 1955. With his impressive resume, it wasn’t hard to find five of his works that describe what we saw on Saturday.
Bonnie and Clyde
The combination of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson at running back is electric. Iowa entered the game not having allowed 100 yards rushing to any of their first four opponents this season. Their streak of holding opponents under triple digits on the ground this year came to an end against the Buckeyes, who rolled up 203 yards rushing. Judkins finished with 78 yards on 13 carries, while Henderson had 61 yards on 11 carries.
There’s no question the duo is the best running back combination in the country. Even though their stats haven’t jumped off the page in the last two games, they are perfect for Chip Kelly’s offense since they demand so much attention when they are on the field, which forces opposing defenses to make a decision on where they want to allocate their resources.
What’s even scarier for upcoming opponents on the schedule of Ohio State is Judkins and Henderson aren’t being used a ton, which will keep them fresher as the season goes along. In November as the weather becomes more suspect in Big Ten country, the running backs are going to become an even bigger part of the offense than they already are.
Young Frankenstein
If you were to build a perfect wide receiver, it would be Jeremiah Smith. Through five games at the college level, Smith has scored at least one touchdown in each game. Along with the scores, Smith has had three highlight reel one-handed catches over the past two games. The latest was a touchdown reception where he had an Iowa defender blanketed on him in the end zone. Smith just stuck his free hand up and was able to corral the Will Howard pass.
Smith has a great compliment in the passing game, lining up with Emeka Egbuka at wide receiver. Egbuka brings veteran leadership and steady play, while Smith has the youth energy and big-play ability. Smith finished with four catches for 89 yards and a score against the Hawkeyes.
Silver Streak
Speaking of wide receivers, Egbuka had what might have been his best performance in the scarlet and gray, hauling in nine passes and scoring three touchdowns. The senior now has five touchdowns this year, halfway to matching his career-high that he set in 2022. What made what we saw from Egbuka even more impressive is his touchdown were all contested catches, unlike some of the scores where he takes a screen pass and uses his outstanding speed to leave defenders in the dust.
When it is all said and done, Egbuka is going to have one of the quietest great careers in school history. Since arriving in Columbus, Egbuka has been surrounded by tremendous receivers. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. we’re all first round draft picks, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Egbuka taken in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Even this year, Smith has dominated the headlines where it comes to the receivers. In honesty though, Egbuka probably likes it that way. With less attention being given to him, it allows him to continue to put up big numbers and move his way up Ohio State’s receiving record books.
The Defenders
Wilder was only credited as “waiter” in one episode of the show from the 1960s, but it is on his filmography and still counts, so we’ll use it to give the Buckeye defense some shine.
The Ohio State defense continued to make like miserable for their opponents this year. Through five games, the Buckeyes have allowed just 34 points. Where Ohio State have been particularly strong this season is in the second half games. While Iowa did get a touchdown after halftime, it wasn’t anything that put the lead of the Buckeyes in danger.
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson entered the game on a heater to start the season. Ohio State only allowed the Hamilton native 86 yards on the ground, with 28 yards coming on his touchdown run. Had it not been for the touchdown run by Johnson, the Hawkeyes wouldn’t have even cracked 100 yards rushing for the game.
Along with the rush defense, the secondary continued to cause problems for opponents. Davison Igbinosun grabbed his first career interception, Caleb Downs was everywhere on the field, and Lathan Ransom was laying the lumber from his safety position. The unit was helped by the constant pressure Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau, and the rest of the defensive line were creating. Sawyer had a sack and a half, while Tuimoloau was credited with the other half sack.
While we know Iowa’s defense isn’t going to light the world on fire, it was still a very workmanlike showing from the Buckeyes. They’ll head into Eugene with a lot of confidence as they prepare for the toughest test they’ll face during the regular season.
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
At least on Saturday there was no evil afoot in Columbus. The same can’t be said around the rest of the country, with a number of Top 10 teams being upset. The most shocking upset came in Nashville, where Alabama lost to Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide entered the week as the top team in the country after beating Georgia last Saturday night. Even though Alabama’s playoff hopes are still alive, they took a huge hit after falling to a team they were favored over by more than three touchdowns.
In the Big Ten, Michigan lost the rematch of January’s title game. Washington was able to gain a bit of revenge by beating the Wolverines 27-17. Sherrone Moore’s team has already lost two games this year, and still have to play Oregon and Ohio State. At this point, the only hope for the Wolverines to make the CFP looks like it will have to be winning the Big Ten.
Elsewhere in the conference, USC is still winless on the road in the Big Ten, losing at Minnesota last night. The Trojans will have to put the loss behind them quickly, as they’ll host Penn State this Saturday.
Moving back to the SEC, Tennessee and Missouri were big losers on Saturday. The Tigers had no shot against Texas A&M on Saturday, getting blown out by the Aggies in College Station. Later in the evening, the Volunteers were upset by Arkansas. The loss for Josh Heupel’s team was shocking considering how good they have looked prior to the game with the Razorbacks. It is going to be tougher for Missouri to rebound from the setback since they haven’t been nearly as impressive to start the season as Tennessee had been.
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