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LGHL Buckeyes send seniors off with 84-61 blowout of Michigan, keep March dreams alive

Buckeyes send seniors off with 84-61 blowout of Michigan, keep March dreams alive
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Basketball: Michigan at Ohio State

Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio State is now 4-1 under interim head coach Jake Diebler following Sunday’s win.

“Tomorrow is March. Let the madness begin.”

Those were the words of Jamison Battle following Ohio State’s win (18-12, 8-11) over Nebraska Thursday night. Sunday’s battle with the Michigan Wolverines (8-22, 3-16) was the Buckeyes’ first game during the wild and wacky month of March and was also an opportunity to even the score after the Wolverines beat Ohio State 73-65 in Ann Arbor back on January 15.

On top of the obvious implications for the season that came with Sunday’s bout with That Team Up North, Ohio State was also honoring four seniors. Jamison Battle, Dale Bonner, Owen Spencer, and Zed Key were all honored before the game with a framed jersey. Key still has eligibility if he wants to return next season, but with the uncertainty regarding the coaching situation, it looks unlikely at the moment.

For Senior Day, Jake Diebler went with a starting five of Bruce Thornton, Dale Bonner, Jamison Battle, Zed Key, and Owen Spencer. Losers of 11 of their last 12, Michigan went with a starting five of Dug McDaniel, Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter, Terrance Williams, and Tarris Reed.

The two rival programs combined to go 3-for-12 over the first 4:12, with the Buckeyes leading 4-2 at the first media timeout. Key started the game with a thunderous dunk right on Tschetter’s head that immediately engaged the crowd, but Ohio State missed its next three shots, which settled things down for Michigan.

ZED KEY‼️

The senior opens his senior day with a gigantic flush.

: CBS pic.twitter.com/aMwwV7175c

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 3, 2024
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Ohio State opened up a 10-2 lead early, but McDaniel pulled the Wolverines back into it with five consecutive points. Michigan then cut it to a one-point deficit, but the Buckeyes responded with a 7-0 run and led 19-13 at the under-eight media timeout with 7:37 remaining in the half.

The Buckeyes just destroyed that rim in the first half. @Felixokpara24 x @OhioStateHoops

: CBS pic.twitter.com/Hz5H7q9kL3

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 3, 2024
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The Wolverines fell behind early in the half but quickly got it back to a one-possession game, keeping it close for the majority of the first 20 minutes. But Ohio State outscored Michigan 7-3 over the final 3:35 to go into the halftime locker room up 32-27. The Buckeyes got eight points from Thornton and eight more from Key in the first half. Six different Buckeyes turned the ball over in the first half alone, preventing them from turning a five-point lead into something much bigger.

Michigan got a combined 17 points from McDaniel and Williams and shot an even 40% as a team in the first half. Ohio State shot 44.4% in the first half.

Ohio State came out of the halftime locker room and went on the offensive, opening the half with a 10-0 run, making it 42-27 not even three minutes into the second half and forcing a Michigan timeout. The Wolverines responded with buckets from McDaniel, Williams, and Youssef Khayat, pulling it back to 42-34 by the first media timeout.

The deficit for Michigan continued to float back and forth between six for most of the second half, with the Buckeyes pushing it back to 13 momentarily on a Gayle and-one layup with 8:42 left in the game. A Tarris Reed foul with 7:21 remaining took this one to the under-eight timeout with Ohio State up 60-49. The Buckeyes weren’t hitting many jumpers, but Thornton and Gayle were getting downhill easily in the second half to score or draw fouls.

Try as they might, the Wolverines were never able to string together enough buckets to get back within a possession or two, as the Buckeyes salted it away over the last several minutes and won, 84-61. The win was Ohio State’s third in a row, and improves Jake Diebler’s record as interim head coach to 4-1, with one game remaining in the regular season.

If you weren’t around this afternoon to see Ohio State extend its winning streak to three games and keep its slim tournament hopes alive, here are a few key moments, plays, and runs that played a part in the win:

Welcome to the Thunder Dome, Will Tschetter​


Battle missed the first shot of the game, and on the other end, Reed turned the ball over. On Ohio State’s second possession of the game, Key was handed the ball at the top of the arc and immediately attacked the basket, throwing down a massive dunk right over the top of Tschetter to open the scoring 47 seconds into the game.

McDaniel tightens things up a bit ​


The Buckeyes took an early 10-2 lead after seven minutes, but McDaniel — Michigan’s leading scorer — knocked down a three-pointer and a layup off the glass in a span of 36 seconds to make it a one-possession game, 10-7, with 11:37 left in the first half.

Missed layups hurt Ohio State in the first half​


The fighting Jake Dieblers never trailed in the first half, but missed layups kept the Wolverines in this one when the Buckeyes should’ve been running away. Ohio State went 6-for-11 on layups over the first 20 minutes, with Gayle, Battle, and Evan Mahaffey all missing at least once.

Buckeyes open the second half with a 10-0 run ​


Thornton was fouled by McDaniel on the first possession of the second half and hit both free throws to make it 34-27. The Buckeyes then got baskets from Gayle, Mahaffey, and Okpara to make it 40-27 not even three minutes into the second half.

The 8-0 run then became a 10-0 run when a Tschetter turnover turned into a fastbreak slam for Gayle, making it 42-27 and giving Ohio State its biggest lead of the afternoon.

Burnett pays Key back, gets Wolverines back within six​


With Ohio State leading 46-38, Scotty Middleton lost control of the ball and Burnett grabbed it, streaking down the floor for an open basket. Key got down there in time to contest it, but the 6-foot-4 guard from Chicago rose up and slammed one down on Key’s head, making it 46-40 and getting the Michigan bench riled up.

Battle’s three makes it 65-51​


Jamison Battle got a lot of attention from the Wolverines after his 32-point game last time out, and Ohio State struggled to get him open looks for most of the game. But with 6:39 left on the clock, Gayle drew a double team near the basket and then found Battle open in the corner closest to Ohio State’s bench. The sophomore hit the senior with a perfect chest pass, and Battle drained it to put the Buckeyes up two touchdowns on their rivals from up north.

Up Next:​


It’s an odd schedule twist, but Ohio State (18-12, 8-11) now has six days off to prepare for Rutgers. The Buckeyes will travel to New Jersey at the end of the week and will face the Scarlet Knights on Sunday. Rutgers (15-13, 7-10) is in the same boat as Ohio State — trying to dig themselves out of the bottom four and get a bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.

Ohio State’s game against Rutgers will be their senior day. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

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Google Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Odds, Betting Lines, Expert picks, Game Projections and DFS ... - SportsLine

Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Odds, Betting Lines, Expert picks, Game Projections and DFS ... - SportsLine
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Michigan Wolverines vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Odds, Betting Lines, Expert picks, Game Projections and DFS ... SportsLine

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LGHL No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball falls in Iowa City 93-83 over No. 6 Iowa

No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball falls in Iowa City 93-83 over No. 6 Iowa
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Womens Basketball: Ohio St. at Iowa

Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The two top teams in the Big Ten battled in Iowa City, but the Buckeyes couldn’t mount another comeback.

The No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball celebrated its 16th Big Ten title on Wednesday. On Sunday, it was time to close out the regular season and it doesn’t get much bigger than doing it in Iowa City, against the No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes. In guard Caitlin Clark’s final regular season game playing on campus, no title or conference tournament seeding would be determined but each team continues fighting for a strong NCAA Tournament seed; plus a historic rivalry between schools that’s personal to the Scarlet and Gray.

After defeating the Hawkeyes on Jan. 21 in overtime, the Buckeyes fell to the Hawkeyes 93-83.

Off the jump, it was guard Jacy Sheldon getting the scoring started for the visitors. The graduate senior began the day with a driving layup, then a three-point shot that rolled in off the front of the rim.

Following that 2-for-3 shooting start to the game, the baskets stopped falling. Ohio State missed three contested layups, going 1-for-5 from the floor following its strong start. Iowa played the offense it's known for playing.

The Hawkeyes hit five of their first 10 shots, with only one coming from superstar guard Caitlin Clark who needed 18 points to pass Pete Maravich for Division I all-time leading scorer. However, Clark still had three assists to put the home side up to a 13-7 start.

Defensively, guard Celeste Taylor was responsible for guarding Clark, and the superstar hit only one of her first four attempts from the floor. Taylor had a hand in the guard’s face, as did all of the Buckeye defenders going up against Hawkeye players around the arc.

Clark’s passing continued to exploit the Buckeyes defense. With 2:55 remaining in the quarter, Clark already hit seven assists, the total she hit in Columbus on Jan. 21. That forced a timeout from head coach Kevin McGuff, with his team down 12 points early.

Iowa’s scoring continued, going on a 10-point run before guard Madison Greene finally broke it with a three-point shot. The first make for Ohio State in almost two and a half minutes.

Ohio State ended the quarter by scoring nine of the last 12 points. It cut a 15-point lead down to nine points. Across the board, the Buckeyes struggled in the first half, with Iowa out-rebounding, out-shooting, and passing better than Ohio State.

The start of the second quarter saw the Buckeyes continuing that momentum, although Clark kept responding from deep. The guard hit two, scoring the first eight points of the game and keeping the crowd in the game, until an unfortunate accident for Iowa.

Guard Molly Davis, also being celebrated Sunday for Senior Day, went for a steal on the inbound pass and rolled her ankle, going to the ground and holding her entire lower leg. Davis went to the bench, with help from Iowa’s staff. Davis didn’t return to the game.

From there, the fans in Carver-Hawkeye started booing Ohio State’s Greene, who was in the guard’s proximity when she rolled her ankle. Despite there being no contact between the two players causing the injury.

Despite the crowd going hostile, the Buckeyes mirrored Clark’s deep shooting, hitting two to cut the Iowa lead down to four points, forcing an Iowa timeout.

The two sides traded baskets and it appeared that Ohio State would be down four points going into halftime. That’s when a foul was called on forward Hannah Stuelke, with Greene hitting the ball away and not making contact with the forward. In the lead-up to free throws, Clark walked up and put her shoulder into Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon. The sophomore turned, lifting her arm slightly, and Clark reacted as if she was hit by the Buckeye, earning a technical foul against the Ohio State player.

Iowa hit four free throws on two debatable calls to increase its lead back to nine points going into the locker room, with Iowa up 48-39. Of the two free throws for Clark, on the technical foul, the second broke the Division I points record, previously held by Pete Maravich.

Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 12 points, compared to 18 points for Clark. Ohio State forced 10 turnovers but was outshot 42.9% to 50%. Iowa had 12 free throws, compared to four for the visitors.

Known for big third-quarter performances, the Buckeyes scored the first seven points to cut its deficit down to a single possession. Ohio State did it with movement inside the paint and the first three of the day by forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, after missing her first two attempts.

However, threes by Clark and guard Gabbie Marshall quickly put the deficit back to eight points, motivating another timeout by McGuff with 6:31 remaining in the quarter.

Out of the timeout, the Scarlet and Gray had another made shot from deep from Mikulášiková, but turnovers hurt the Buckeyes. Iowa expanded the lead back to nine points again with two straight layups, off poor passing leading to turnovers.

McGuff again called a timeout, because it looked like the Buckeyes were too amped up coming out of halftime. Out of the moment to calm, Ohio State responded with two layups, one off a turnover, putting the game back to within two possessions.

Then, another technical foul against the Buckeyes. This time it was guard Rikki Harris. After going out of bounds, Harris was upset with the referees after thinking she was pushed out of bounds. That gave Stuelke a free throw for the bonus and two technical free throws by Clark.

It began a run that ballooned Iowa’s lead up to 17 points, scoring 13 of 14 points in a minute and a half. The game was slipping away from the Buckeyes, and couldn’t slow down Iowa’s conference-leading offensive work.

Even so, Ohio State scored eight of the last 10 to cut its deficit back to 11 points by the end of the quarter. The Buckeyes would need another double-digit comeback in the fourth quarter to defeat the Hawkeyes. It did on Jan. 21, when Ohio State was down 12 points in the fourth quarter.

After expending all timeouts in the third quarter, the margin for error from the visitors was little to none. It didn’t start well for Ohio State. After another Mikulášiková three-point shot, Iowa hit two layups to bring the lead back up to 13 points.

Then, on an inbound pass, Clark received a pass. Taylor and Sheldon descended, with the Buckeyes playing a strong full-court press in the fourth, and Clark called a timeout as Sheldon and Taylor wrestled for the ball. After the whistle, Clark threw Sheldon’s arm up and then pushed her in the chest. Referees looked at it and gave no technical, although it was more contact than McMahon had at the end of the second quarter.

The Buckeyes tried, but there was no stopping the Hawkeyes. Iowa defeated Ohio State 93-83. Although it has no weight in the title or conference tournament seeding, its a game the Buckeyes wanted to win to end the season.

Leading the way for the Scarlet and Gray was Sheldon, scoring 24 points in the defeat.

Free Throw Disparity​


Making the difference in the Buckeyes’ defeat were trips to the foul line. The Hawkeyes had 23 attempts from the free throw line, compared to eight for the Buckeyes. Overall, Iowa had 15 points more than Ohio State from the line alone.

Of the 23 for Iowa, four of those came from technical fouls picked up by McMahon and Harris.

Better Clark Defense​


While it doesn’t look like it, go further behind Clark’s numbers and the Buckeyes had strong spells against the superstar. After having six assists in the first half, Ohio State held Clark to three in the second half. Also, after having two triple-double performances against the Scarlet and Gray last season, Clark was held to under a double-double for the second time this season, against the Buckeyes.

It isn’t much of a consolation prize for Ohio State, but it showed improvement.

Three-Point High​


In the 10-point defeat, Ohio State hit 14 three-point shots, going 46.7% from the floor. Much of that was because of being down double-digits for most of the second half, but it was also credit to the Iowa defense whose zone forced deep shooting.

What’s Next​


Now that the regular season is over, it’s time for the Big Ten Tournament. Friday, the Buckeyes will face the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game. As of publishing, that’s either the Michigan Wolverines or Illinois Fighting Illini, but with the rest of the conference slated to play today, not much of the seeding is certain; except for the No. 1 Buckeyes.

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Google What channel is Iowa vs. Ohio State on today? Time, TV schedule to watch Caitlin Clark, Hawkeyes vs. Buckeyes - Sporting News

What channel is Iowa vs. Ohio State on today? Time, TV schedule to watch Caitlin Clark, Hawkeyes vs. Buckeyes - Sporting News
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What channel is Iowa vs. Ohio State on today? Time, TV schedule to watch Caitlin Clark, Hawkeyes vs. Buckeyes Sporting News

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LGHL Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball at No. 6 Iowa

Game Preview: No. 2 Ohio State women’s basketball at No. 6 Iowa
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Iowa v Ohio State

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Although the all stakes are no longer there, the top-10 matchup segues the Big Ten into the postseason

It’s been 118 days since the start of Ohio State women’s basketball’s 2023-24 season. After starting the year losing three of its first 13 games, the Buckeyes head into the final day of the regular season campaign on a 15-game winning streak.

Before the Big Ten Tournament or March Madness begins, the Scarlet and Gray have one more opponent in front of it, and it’s a big one. Here’s what you need to know about Ohio State vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Preview​


On Jan. 21, No. 18 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Iowa lived up to its billing. After two sound defeats to the Hawkeyes in the 2022-23 season, the Buckeyes overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to come away with a 100-92 overtime victory.

Since then, the two favorites to win the Big Ten went down slightly different paths. For Ohio State, it was the continuation of an in-conference winning streak that hasn’t been seen in Big Ten country in almost 18 years. That culminated with an outright regular season title celebration on Wednesday, against the Michigan Wolverines.

That title wouldn’t be possible without the Hawkeyes slipping up on its race to the postseason.

On Super Bowl Sunday, with the Hawkeyes riding a four-game winning streak that kept them tied with the Buckeyes at the top of the standings, the Nebraska Cornhuskers welcomed Iowa to Lincoln, Nebraska and shocked the nation. Up 14 points with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Hawkeyes let it slip away.

Nebraska went on a 10-point run to end the fourth quarter, edging Iowa 82-79. That was without guard Molly Davis, who missed due to illness. The defeat put Ohio State at the top of the standings, but the season still could have ended with a tie of the title. However, Iowa lost again, this time a convincing defeat to the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana’s Assembly Hall.

The rest is history, but Sunday itself features another chance at history.

In Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the focus of the raucous home crowd will be on none other than superstar guard Caitlin Clark. Pause for shock

Sunday was already going to be key in the guard’s impact on the history books. The Des Moines, Iowa native is 18 points away from breaking “Pistol” Pete Maravich’s NCAA Division I scoring record, after already breaking both the NCAA Division I women and AIAW scoring records. Clark hasn’t scored less than 18 points since February of 2023.

Illinois v Iowa
Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images
The graphic added to the floor of Carver-Hawkeye Arena to designate where Clark broke the DI women’s basketball scoring record

What elevated the weekend to a different level is the finality of Clark’s collegiate career. Although it’s still highly likely that the Hawkeyes host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Sunday is the last regular season game she’ll play in Iowa City. That’s because Thursday, Clark announced her decision to forego her final year of NCAA eligibility to declare for the WNBA Draft.

The decision wasn’t too much of a shock. Clark was planned to be part of Iowa’s Senior Day celebration. Plus, the program set up a game in her home city of Des Moines earlier this season, which is something a team isn’t likely to do until the player is on their going-away tour.

Clark welcomes the Buckeyes on the back of one of her best games of the season. Earning her sixth triple-double of the season, Clark led the Hawkeyes over the injury-ridden Minnesota Golden Gophers with 33 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

In the Schottenstein Center, on Jan. 21, Ohio State mostly gave Clark the space to score all the points she wanted. Where the Buckeyes were successful was neutralizing the players around the star, and didn’t let her rebound.

Ohio State held Clark to three total rebounds and seven assists, a down game for the superstar. Also, scoring-wise, the rest of the Scarlet and Gray defense didn’t give teammates the ability to give Clark more assists. Of Iowa’s starting five, three scored under season averages.

That was mostly without Buckeye guards Celeste Taylor and Taylor Thierry available.

In the first quarter, Taylor quickly picked up two fouls. Thierry followed with two of her own, and the main players in the defensive game plan against Clark were watching from the sidelines.

Will Taylor and Thierry staying on the court mean Clark will struggle offensively? More than likely no, but the idea isn’t stopping the guard, its slowing her down and disrupting the Hawkeyes.

The more Clark gets frustrated, the more she takes low percentage shots. While the guard will elicit screams from the crowd, and commentary teams, alike on her long three-point shots, its a better pick that passing in to forward Hannah Stuelke or finding an open teammate on the wing.

Speaking of Stuelke, the sophomore forward was also watching much of the game from the bench, picking up fouls herself. Should referees give more allowance to play on Sunday, she adds a dangerous dimension in which the Buckeyes need to prepare. It’s unsure how Ohio State will do because of previously mentioned foul issues.

Sunday could be the game that both teams were planning for in January, with all the adjustment required.

For the Buckeyes, remaining calm will be paramount. Remember that Ohio State was down 12 points to this very side in the fourth quarter and came back. That’s because the Scarlet and Gray didn’t focus on the scoreboard, according to guard Jacy Sheldon following the game.

Iowa v Ohio State
Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

Following Wednesday’s win over the Wolverines, the Buckeyes were clear that even though there is no title or seeding directly on the line in Iowa City, there’s no let up expected. Head coach Kevin McGuff doesn’t want his team thinking they can flip a switch whenever they choose.

Also, to the players, this game is still personal. Nothing was resolved beating the Hawkeyes in front of a sellout crowd of almost 19,000, a program home record.

Is that because of the postgame actions of Clark in last year’s January victory over Ohio State, taking a “Dub Chain” shirt and throwing it over her shoulder? The lopsided defeat to the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament? Does the collision following the Jan. 21 game between Clark and someone storming the court have something to do with it?

The players wouldn’t say, but they did say Iowa will get everything they have available to give.

Ohio State​


G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášikova

Lineup Notes​

  • Guard Jacy Sheldon has scored double figures in 25 of 28 games this season.
  • Sheldon is 42 points away from scoring 2,000 career points, all with the Buckeyes.
  • Guard Celeste Taylor averages 3.0 steals in the month of February.

Iowa​


G- Molly Davis
G- Caitlin Clark
G- Gabbie Marshall
G- Kate Martin
F- Hannah Stuelke

Lineup Notes​

  • Caitlin Clark’s 32.2 points per game average leads NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
  • Clark is also the only women in Division I basketball history to score at least 3,600 points, 1,000 assists and 900 rebounds in a career.
  • The Hawkeyes are 3-2 against ranked teams this season, losing to the Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers.

Prediction​


It’s going to be another close game between the sides, but Iowa gets the advantage playing at home. It’ll be a better game defensively than the January matchup, with Taylor and Thierry playing more minutes than in Columbus.

The Hawkeyes will go down in the first half but have a strong second half, ultimately winning with free throws.

How to Watch​


Date: Sunday, March 3, 2024
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Television: Fox
Stream: Fox Sports App

LGHL Prediction: 85-80 Iowa Hawkeyes​

Final Day Implications​


Every Big Ten team plays on Sunday, and the end result some teams are fighting for is Big Ten tournament seeding. Here’s where the standings fall before the games tip, and the schedule of seven games:

Big Ten conference website
Big Ten conference website

The biggest jumps available for teams include the final double-bye and single-bye spots. The Michigan State Spartans hold the fourth spot. If they lose and the Nebraska Cornhuskers win, Big Red takes the fourth seed, earning an additional day off.

At the bottom of the conference, Purdue can also find itself earning a day of rest. If the Boilermakers defeat the Michigan Wolverines and both Minnesota and the Wisconsin Badgers fall, Purdue gets to start its tournament on Thursday.

There’s also tournament seeding for March Madness. Teams like the Maryland Terrapins, Wolverines and Nittany Lions are all playing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Wins Sunday, plus strong runs in the conference tournament, make them dangerous teams both Sunday and into the postseason.

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LGHL Pre-spring football depth chart projection: Defense

Pre-spring football depth chart projection: Defense
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 14 Ohio State at Purdue

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes bring back the majority of their defensive starters while also adding a huge name via the portal.

With spring practices set to ramp up in early March, it’s a good time to take a look at where Ohio State’s roster currently stands and attempt to project forward ahead of some key position battles. After running through the offense last time, now we can take aim at the defense, where the Buckeyes bring back nearly all of its starting production while also adding a huge name through the transfer portal.

Defensive Line​


DE: Jack Sawyer, J.T. Tuimoloau
DT: Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton
DE Depth: Caden Curry, Kenyatta Jackson, Eddrick Houston, Mitchell Melton
DT Depth: Hero Kanu, Tywone Malone, Kayden McDonald, Jason Moore

Ohio State could’ve been in a pretty precarious position along its defensive line had Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau elected to enter the NFL Draft. Instead, both starting ends return for another season in Columbus, with only one loss from last year’s starting front four as Mike Hall Jr. went pro. This gives the Buckeyes a ton of experience at the position, but it is also a group that will have to improve upon some less than stellar pass rushing numbers over the last two seasons.

Larry Johnson’s unit has not had a player even come close to reaching double-digit sacks since Chase Young’s 16.5 in 2019. In fact, they’ve only had two players record more than five sacks in a season since Young, with Haskell Garrett leading the team with 5.5 in 2021 and Jack Sawyer recording a team-high 6.5 this past year. It is also worth noting that three of those sacks for Sawyer came in Ohio State’s bowl game against Missouri, just about doubling his 2023 total.

The Buckeyes ranked 10th in the Big Ten this past year with 28 total sacks across 13 games. For a program with seemingly endless talent, led by a pair of five-star defensive ends at the top, that is just not going to cut it. The defensive tackle group has been solid, taking care of things in the run game and even getting some good pressure on opposing QBs at times, but Ohio State will have to get more out of its ends in the sack department in order to make a great defense an elite one. Luckily, with both Sawyer and Tuimoloau back for another year in addition to rising talents in Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson, that should be doable.

Linebackers​


WILL: Sonny Styles
MIKE: Cody Simon
Depth: CJ Hicks, Gabe Powers, Arvell Reese

Linebacker is really the only position on the defense that sees significant turnover, as both of last year’s starters in Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers are now gone. Luckily for James Laurinaitis, Ohio State brings back Cody Simon, who has played over 600 snaps at linebacker for the Buckeyes over the past two seasons. However, outside of Simon, there is little to no experience returning — at least among guys who have been linebackers to this point in their career.

I say this because there is a very real and likely scenario that Sonny Styles moves down from his safety position to linebacker. The former five-star prospect, who skipped his senior year of high school football to enroll early at Ohio State, played the most snaps of any non-Josh Proctor safety in 2023, but with his frame and skillset, in addition to the team’s needs, it makes far more sense for Styles to play at linebacker in 2024. The ability to put a player like Styles in the box to help make plays in the run game and also as a potential extra pass-rusher makes far too much sense to not give it a shot.

Of course, there are others in the room who can contribute as well, and that conversation likely starts with CJ Hicks. A former five-star prospect as well, Hicks played just 75 defensive snaps a year ago after playing only on special teams as a freshman. Now entering year three, it is time for him to show off the talents that made him such a highly touted recruit coming out of high school. Hicks has struggled a bit when thrust into action, but there’s a good chance he was pressing in his limited opportunities. With a full spring to finally get some consistent reps with the ones, the Dayton, Ohio native could make a big impact this season.

Corners​


CB1: Denzel Burke
CB2: Davison Igbinosun
CB Depth: Jermaine Mathews Jr., Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Aaron Scott, Bryce West

On the complete opposite spectrum of the linebackers, Ohio State brings back its entire cornerback room, led by somewhat surprising return of Denzel Burke. The three-year starter was a freshman All-American in 2021, and bounced back from a just-okay 2022 campaign to be named first-team all-conference by Big Ten coaches this past season. Burke likely would’ve been an early-round pick had he decided to forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, but instead he will anchor the nation’s top passing defense from 2023 for another year.

Returning by his side is Davison Igbinosun, a former Ole Miss transfer who performed more than admirably this past season opposite Burke. Igbinosun was one of the team’s best open-field tacklers last year, finishing third on the team with 59 total tackles to go along with 1.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. With opposing teams’ unwillingness to throw a Burke, Igbinosun was tested pretty regularly, and was more than up to the task at hand despite some intermittent penalty issues.

Behind the two returning starters, Jermaine Mathews Jr. will certainly see the field in a rotational role to keep everyone fresh. Named a freshman All-American by College Football Network, Mathews was the No. 6 CB in the 2023 recruiting class, and looked every bit the part in limited opportunities this past season, even recording a 58-yard pick-six against Western Kentucky. In addition to Mathews, Ohio State brings in a loaded 2024 class at the position, highlighted by Aaron Scott and Bryce West.

Safeties​


Nickel: Jordan Hancock
Free Safety: Caleb Downs
Strong Safety: Lathan Ransom
Nickel Depth: Lorenzo Styles Jr., Jayden Bonsu
Safety Depth: Malik Hartford, Cedric Hawkins, Ja’Had Carter

Despite all the other talent across the defense for Ohio State, there is no position that is more loaded than at safety, and that only got even better this offseason with the addition of Alabama transfer Caleb Downs. With Josh Proctor the only exit from the room, the Buckeyes can insert Downs alongside a pair of other studs in the defensive backfield in Lathan Ransom and nickel Jordan Hancock, both of whom were excellent in 2023.

Downs was one of the best defensive players in the country as a freshman with the Crimson Tide this past season, leading the SEC with 70 solo tackles (107 total) to go along with 3.5 TFLs, two picks, four pass breakups and a punt return TD on special teams. The younger brother of Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, Caleb was the guy that everyone had their eyes on as soon as Nick Saban announced his retirement. His move to Ohio State can take an already impressive defense to the next level.

Ransom and Hancock are coming off pretty impressive campaigns of their own. Ransom played in only eight games before injuring his foot against Wisconsin, and would end up missing the rest of the year, but has been a real force at the back end of the defense each of the last two seasons. Hancock, meanwhile, shined in his first season as a starter, taking over the nickel role and leading the team with a pair of interceptions, including a 93-yard pick-six against Rutgers.

Those three are going to get the lion’s share of the reps at the safety spots, but Jim Knowles and Matt Guerrieri are fortunate to have some really strong depth behind them as well. Guys like Cedric Hawkins and Malik Hartford have been pushing for playing time early in their careers, while Lorenzo Styles Jr. — Sonny’s brother — is an intriguing player having transferred to Ohio State after playing wide receiver at Notre Dame. Ja’Had Carter could see the field in a rotational role as well, having transferred in from Syracuse prior to last season, where injuries played a large part in keeping him from making a real impact.

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Google #35 Women's Tennis Takes Down #7 Buckeyes For First Time Since 1990 - Arizona State University Athletics - Sun Devil Athletics

#35 Women's Tennis Takes Down #7 Buckeyes For First Time Since 1990 - Arizona State University Athletics - Sun Devil Athletics
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

#35 Women's Tennis Takes Down #7 Buckeyes For First Time Since 1990 - Arizona State University Athletics Sun Devil Athletics

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Google Potential answer to Ohio State's offensive line recruiting woes is one step closer to a decision: Buckeyes Recruiting - cleveland.com

Potential answer to Ohio State's offensive line recruiting woes is one step closer to a decision: Buckeyes Recruiting - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Potential answer to Ohio State's offensive line recruiting woes is one step closer to a decision: Buckeyes Recruiting cleveland.com

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