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LGHL Three keys to Ohio State beating Notre Dame for the national title
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Three keys to Ohio State beating Notre Dame for the national title
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
From playing fast to playing clean, there are some areas that the Buckeyes need to focus on to complete this magical season.
It is a battle of heavyweights, it is a battle of blue-bloods. On Monday, Jan. 20, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off in the championship game of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Through the first three rounds, Ryan Day’s Buckeyes have looked dominant on defense and explosive on offense.
For former OSU great Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish, the recipe for success has been all about leaning on a suffocating defense and a gritty, physical offense. While it is difficult to imagine either team going through dramatic changes in the week and a half since they last played, there are some things that the Buckeyes will need to do to hoist the trophy in Atlanta late on Monday night.
While Ohio State ranks as the No. 12 scoring offense in college football, the Buckeyes' approach to that side of the ball has changed dramatically this season. With a mind set on a deep playoff run, Day and strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti worked out a plan to keep the guys as healthy as possible for as long as possible. And it seems to have been relatively healthy as the team rolls into its 16th game of the season — a first in FBS football history — the Buckeyes are relatively healthy.
One reason Ohio State has gotten through the season fairly unscathed — save for the two major offensive line injuries — is that the offense slammed its metaphorical and metaphysical foot on the break. This season, Ohio State ranks 123 out of 134 FBS teams in terms of the number of plays per game, at 62.7. They are only ahead of offensively challenged teams like Navy, Purdue, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Army, Michigan, and a few other also-rans.
To accomplish that, Day and Chip Kelly have only rarely utilized any no-huddle or up-tempo game plans, reserving those almost exclusively for the ends of halves. While the strategy has been frustrating to watch at times — and counterproductive in others — the methodical nature of the offense has gotten the team to the precipice of a national title with the vast majority of its roster intact.
But now that they are here, there isn’t really any reason to keep the restrictor plate on. We have seen the Buckeyes execute impressive two and four-minute drills to end first halves this season, and while you can’t go with that speed for an entire 60-minute game, given OSU’s offensive weapons, it could allow them to surprise the Notre Dame defense, get them into advantageous matchups, and wear down a thinned out ND roster.
Beyond the schematic benefits that this would give the Buckeyes, Notre Dame is dealing with more substantive injuries than OSU is. In addition to the Irish’s leading sacker Rylie Mills being out for the season, the offensive line and starting running back are beat up. So, the faster Ohio State can go — and the less time they can give ND to rest — the better things will be for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State won the Cotton Bowl against Texas by a seemingly dominant score of 28-14. However, the Buckeyes benefitted from some timely big plays. But, the game could also have gotten out of hand early on had the Buckeyes not figuratively shot themselves in the foot early in the first half.
In the game, OSU was flagged nine times resulting in 75 penalty yards. That included a devastating unsportsmanlike penalty on TreVeyon Henderson that brought the Buckeyes’ promising second drive to a halt. Then a hold on Emeka Egbuka stalled OSU’s third drive.
That is extremely out of character for this Buckeye squad. On the year, they are 15th nationally giving up only 39.7 penalty yards per game, nearly half of what they gave away against the Horns. Notre Dame is an incredibly tough team, so giving away possessions via penalties could come back to bite them, especially since the NCAA has apparently passed a a new rule that says that Ohio State is incapable of drawing penalties, especially of the holding variety.
On the season, OSU ranks dead last in FBS in terms of opposing penalties per game. At 29.1 yards per game, there is more than a 10-yard difference between the penalty totals, meaning that the Buckeyes are giving away an entire first down every game, despite being one of the most disciplined teams in the country.
Hidden yardage — penalties, special teams, trick plays — will likely be very important in determining the winner of this game, and the Buckeyes can’t afford unnecessary penalties in a game of this magnitude.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has rushed for 1,122 yards this season, but due to a knee injury suffered against Georgia, he was severely hampered in the semifinal against Penn State, rushing for only 49 yards on 11 carries. That means that ND quarterback Riley Leonard’s running ability became even more important to the offense, even if the numbers didn’t necessarily show it.
While the total rushing stats don’t look good for Leonard (18 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown), that factors in the yards lost on Penn State’s sacks. So in total, Leonard had 15 carries for 45 yards — admittedly still not great, but on the season, Leonard has 866 non-sack adjusted rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns and is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
While the transfer quarterback can throw the ball, he is probably even more dangerous as a runner, either on designed keepers — which are a staple of this year’s ND offense — or on busted plays, as evidenced by many of these regular season highlights.
Now, Ohio State is no stranger to running quarterbacks, as the trio of playoff QBs Nico Iamaleava, Dillon Gabriel, and Quinn Ewers are all capable runners. Jim Knowles’ defense has done a couple of things against those guys to attempt to keep their running proclivities under control. One of those things is a natural evolution of the defense. Throughout the season, the Buckeyes have begun to move Caleb Downs closer and closer to the line of scrimmage with Lathan Ransom and Jordan Hancock handling the deeper safety responsibilities.
This has allowed the best defensive player in the country to use his athleticism to become more active and physical in both run and pass plays. This positioning — along with his vision, speed, and grit — allowed him to blow up Texas’ critical second-and-goal stretch run to the boundary that led to Jack Sawyer’s now-iconic scoop and score two plays later.
But it has also allowed him to keep contain on QBs, which I imagine he (and Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau) will be cognizant of at all times on Monday night.
The other thing that Knowles has done in these types of situations is allow linebacker Cody Simon to spy QBs who were likely running threats. We saw that against Iamaleava in the first-round matchup and it worked fairly well. Leonard is athletic but not a Justin Fields-level open-field runner. He is more of a physical, hard-nosed running QB. So I think this would actually be a better situation for Simon to spy than either of the first two quarterbacks OSU has faced in the playoffs.
However the Buckeyes decide to attack the Irish offense, it will be important that they make sure that Leonard isn’t able to escape pressure and extend drives using his legs. If OSU can confine him to the pocket — and make him pay when he leaves it — it becomes difficult to envision how Notre Dame would be able to sustain drives and score on the top-rated Silver Bullet defense.
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Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
From playing fast to playing clean, there are some areas that the Buckeyes need to focus on to complete this magical season.
It is a battle of heavyweights, it is a battle of blue-bloods. On Monday, Jan. 20, the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off in the championship game of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Through the first three rounds, Ryan Day’s Buckeyes have looked dominant on defense and explosive on offense.
For former OSU great Marcus Freeman and his Fighting Irish, the recipe for success has been all about leaning on a suffocating defense and a gritty, physical offense. While it is difficult to imagine either team going through dramatic changes in the week and a half since they last played, there are some things that the Buckeyes will need to do to hoist the trophy in Atlanta late on Monday night.
Play Fast
While Ohio State ranks as the No. 12 scoring offense in college football, the Buckeyes' approach to that side of the ball has changed dramatically this season. With a mind set on a deep playoff run, Day and strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti worked out a plan to keep the guys as healthy as possible for as long as possible. And it seems to have been relatively healthy as the team rolls into its 16th game of the season — a first in FBS football history — the Buckeyes are relatively healthy.
One reason Ohio State has gotten through the season fairly unscathed — save for the two major offensive line injuries — is that the offense slammed its metaphorical and metaphysical foot on the break. This season, Ohio State ranks 123 out of 134 FBS teams in terms of the number of plays per game, at 62.7. They are only ahead of offensively challenged teams like Navy, Purdue, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Army, Michigan, and a few other also-rans.
To accomplish that, Day and Chip Kelly have only rarely utilized any no-huddle or up-tempo game plans, reserving those almost exclusively for the ends of halves. While the strategy has been frustrating to watch at times — and counterproductive in others — the methodical nature of the offense has gotten the team to the precipice of a national title with the vast majority of its roster intact.
But now that they are here, there isn’t really any reason to keep the restrictor plate on. We have seen the Buckeyes execute impressive two and four-minute drills to end first halves this season, and while you can’t go with that speed for an entire 60-minute game, given OSU’s offensive weapons, it could allow them to surprise the Notre Dame defense, get them into advantageous matchups, and wear down a thinned out ND roster.
Beyond the schematic benefits that this would give the Buckeyes, Notre Dame is dealing with more substantive injuries than OSU is. In addition to the Irish’s leading sacker Rylie Mills being out for the season, the offensive line and starting running back are beat up. So, the faster Ohio State can go — and the less time they can give ND to rest — the better things will be for the Buckeyes.
Play Clean
Ohio State won the Cotton Bowl against Texas by a seemingly dominant score of 28-14. However, the Buckeyes benefitted from some timely big plays. But, the game could also have gotten out of hand early on had the Buckeyes not figuratively shot themselves in the foot early in the first half.
In the game, OSU was flagged nine times resulting in 75 penalty yards. That included a devastating unsportsmanlike penalty on TreVeyon Henderson that brought the Buckeyes’ promising second drive to a halt. Then a hold on Emeka Egbuka stalled OSU’s third drive.
That is extremely out of character for this Buckeye squad. On the year, they are 15th nationally giving up only 39.7 penalty yards per game, nearly half of what they gave away against the Horns. Notre Dame is an incredibly tough team, so giving away possessions via penalties could come back to bite them, especially since the NCAA has apparently passed a a new rule that says that Ohio State is incapable of drawing penalties, especially of the holding variety.
On the season, OSU ranks dead last in FBS in terms of opposing penalties per game. At 29.1 yards per game, there is more than a 10-yard difference between the penalty totals, meaning that the Buckeyes are giving away an entire first down every game, despite being one of the most disciplined teams in the country.
Hidden yardage — penalties, special teams, trick plays — will likely be very important in determining the winner of this game, and the Buckeyes can’t afford unnecessary penalties in a game of this magnitude.
Keep Riley Leonard Contained
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has rushed for 1,122 yards this season, but due to a knee injury suffered against Georgia, he was severely hampered in the semifinal against Penn State, rushing for only 49 yards on 11 carries. That means that ND quarterback Riley Leonard’s running ability became even more important to the offense, even if the numbers didn’t necessarily show it.
While the total rushing stats don’t look good for Leonard (18 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown), that factors in the yards lost on Penn State’s sacks. So in total, Leonard had 15 carries for 45 yards — admittedly still not great, but on the season, Leonard has 866 non-sack adjusted rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns and is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
While the transfer quarterback can throw the ball, he is probably even more dangerous as a runner, either on designed keepers — which are a staple of this year’s ND offense — or on busted plays, as evidenced by many of these regular season highlights.
Now, Ohio State is no stranger to running quarterbacks, as the trio of playoff QBs Nico Iamaleava, Dillon Gabriel, and Quinn Ewers are all capable runners. Jim Knowles’ defense has done a couple of things against those guys to attempt to keep their running proclivities under control. One of those things is a natural evolution of the defense. Throughout the season, the Buckeyes have begun to move Caleb Downs closer and closer to the line of scrimmage with Lathan Ransom and Jordan Hancock handling the deeper safety responsibilities.
This has allowed the best defensive player in the country to use his athleticism to become more active and physical in both run and pass plays. This positioning — along with his vision, speed, and grit — allowed him to blow up Texas’ critical second-and-goal stretch run to the boundary that led to Jack Sawyer’s now-iconic scoop and score two plays later.
But it has also allowed him to keep contain on QBs, which I imagine he (and Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau) will be cognizant of at all times on Monday night.
The other thing that Knowles has done in these types of situations is allow linebacker Cody Simon to spy QBs who were likely running threats. We saw that against Iamaleava in the first-round matchup and it worked fairly well. Leonard is athletic but not a Justin Fields-level open-field runner. He is more of a physical, hard-nosed running QB. So I think this would actually be a better situation for Simon to spy than either of the first two quarterbacks OSU has faced in the playoffs.
However the Buckeyes decide to attack the Irish offense, it will be important that they make sure that Leonard isn’t able to escape pressure and extend drives using his legs. If OSU can confine him to the pocket — and make him pay when he leaves it — it becomes difficult to envision how Notre Dame would be able to sustain drives and score on the top-rated Silver Bullet defense.
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LGHL Indiana continues to baffle Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes in overtime 77-76
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Indiana continues to baffle Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes in overtime 77-76
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
IU was up 10 with five minutes left in regulation, but a furious comeback by the Bucks sent the game to OT.
It may only be January, but Friday night’s game between the Buckeyes (10-8, 2-5) and the Indiana Hoosiers (14-5, 5-3) felt like a dire, must-win game for each program.
For Ohio State, it was critical to avoid falling to 2-5 in Big Ten play before heading to Mackey Arena next week. For Indiana, it was critical to win this game to calm down the ravenous mob of Hoosier fans who have decided that Mike Woodson’s time as head coach is over.
Woodson’s job may be safe — for now — as the Hoosiers edged out Ohio State 77-76 in Columbus Friday night behind a combined 44 points from Luke Goode and Oumar Ballo. For the Buckeyes, it means they now head to Mackey Arena 2-5 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have gone 1-6 in their last seven trips to Mackey, winning exactly once there in the past 10 years.
IU wasn’t shy about their priority early on — get the ball to Oumar Ballo. The 7-foot, 270-pounder was unstoppable early in this one, taking four of Indiana’s first seven shots and scoring their first six points. Two of those baskets were from offensive rebounds when Aaron Bradshaw, Sean Stewart, and Evan Mahaffey all failed at stopping the big man on the defensive glass. Four minutes into the game Ohio State was clinging to a slim 7-6 lead.
Being guarded by his former high school teammate Bruce Thornton, Indiana sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle rose up and knocked down his 13th three-point make of the season to get the Hoosiers back within two points with 10 minutes left in the first half. Two minutes later an alley-oop toss and slam from Carlyle to Ballo tied the game at 20, with just over seven minutes to go until halftime.
Thornton, Stewart, Mahaffey, and Ques Glover all scored at least once in the final four minutes leading into halftime, as the Buckeyes jogged into the locker room with a 35-29 lead. The Buckeyes shot 46.2% in the first half, but IU grabbed eight offensive rebounds and turned it into eight second-chance points.
Luke Goode — a transfer from Illinois — chipped in a quick five points at the beginning of the second half, helping Indiana cut the Ohio State lead to 41-40 four minutes into the second half. To this point in the game, Goode and Ballo had combined for 26 of IU’s 40 points.
Indiana took a four-point lead briefly thanks to continued heroics by Goode, who tied his season-high (18) with over 12 minutes still to go in the game. Ohio State was paying a lot of attention to Ballo, and Goode became the beneficiary. A Thornton pull-up jumper with 11:43 remaining got it back within two, 50-48.
Ohio State took the lead back for a moment, 55-54, but IU answered with baskets from Ballo and Carlyle to put the Buckeyes back behind the 8-ball, 59-55. The Hoosiers were attacking the basket to put pressure on Ohio State’s interior defense, and then kicking out to Goode if the Buckeyes overhelped.
The Hoosiers kept coming at Ohio State, extending their lead to 68-58 on a long two-point shot by Goode to set his career-high. Once the lead got to 10, Indiana milked the clock possession after possession, sensing that the Buckeyes may not have the horses to string together one final push.
The Buckeyes pressed Indiana in the final three minutes, forcing one turnover on the inbounds pass and cutting IU’s 10-point lead down to three with 90 seconds remaining. After Galloway missed a three, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds left and drew up a play for Mobley, who promptly canned his fifth three-pointer of the game to tie everything up, 71-71.
Indiana came up empty on their next possession, and Ohio State got the ball back with nine seconds left. Thornton tried to score on Ballo, but the Indiana big did a great job sticking with the guard and he was not even able to get a shot off — overtime!
In overtime, the teams traded buckets back and forth, with Ivan Njegovan scoring at the start of the extra period and giving the Buckeyes the lead, followed by a big block at the other end. A Goode three-pointer that was the product of Indiana’s 14th offensive rebound of the game put the Hoosiers up, 77-76 with 67 seconds remaining.
After Ohio State forced a shot clock violation with 16 seconds remaining, Thornton’s three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced in, around, and out. Ballgame.
If you weren’t around Friday night to see Ohio State fall to Indiana and slip further and further down the Big Ten standings, here were a few key moments that played a part in IU’s road win:
Aside from Zach Edey, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo is the most physically imposing player to face Ohio State in the past several seasons. At an even 7 feet tall and 270 pounds, he has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and Stewart, and 70 pounds on Mahaffey — the three guys responsible for guarding him at different points during this game.
Ballo flexed on Ohio State early in this game, scoring Indiana’s first six points and pretty much establishing that there was nobody in the building capable of boxing him out. He scored twice on offensive putbacks before the first media timeout and was the only Hoosier to score in the first four minutes of the game.
With Ohio State leading 27-24 and 4:23 remaining in the first half, Thornton slipped and fell, but was able to keep his dribble alive. He passed the ball to the only person near him — Mahaffey — with four seconds left on the shot clock.
Mahaffey tried a shot fake to get Luke Goode in the air, but it didn’t work, so Mahaffey had no choice but to rise up and shoot over him.
He sank it, with the ball snapping through the net just as the shot clock went off. It was his first three-pointer of the season and his first make since February 10, 2024. It put Ohio State up, 30-24.
Micah Parrish was the most aggressive Buckeye in the first half, scoring a clean dozen on 5-of-7 shooting. He scored eight consecutive points for Ohio State at one point, and his steal and layup on the ensuing break tied things up 22-22 with just over six minutes remaining in the half. He did not settle in the first half and even drew several IU fouls at the basket as four different Hoosiers finished the opening frame with two or more.
Not even four minutes into the second half, Ohio State’s six-point lead had been cut to one point and Glover was trying to inbound the ball to Parrish in the corner nearest Ohio State’s bench. Glover tossed it up to Parrish, but Trey Galloway reached out and poked the ball in the air, jumped to grab it, and then called timeout right in front of the official as he fell out of bounds.
The ref gave Galloway the timeout, and the official scorer (deservedly) gave Galloway the steal and Glover his second turnover.
After a Mobley three cut Indiana’s lead to just one point, the Hoosiers ripped off nine consecutive points to go ahead 68-58 — their largest lead of the game, with 5:12 remaining in the game. The final basket came on a long, step-back two-point shot by Goode, which gave him a career-high 20 points.
After Galloway missed a three at the other end, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds remaining. Diebler drew up a play to get it to Mobley, who canned it to tie the game, 71-71, with 34 seconds left.
After Myles Rice missed a layup, Ballo grabbed his eighth offensive rebound of the game and kicked out to Goode in the far corner, who sniped his fourth three-pointer of the game to put the Hoosiers up by one points with 1:07 remaining on the clock.
Ohio State (10-8, 2-5) goes to Purdue on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes beat the Boilermakers last season in Jake Diebler’s first game as interim head coach, but Ohio State has not won at Mackey Arena since the 2017-2018 season.
The 17th-ranked Boilermakers (14-4, 6-1) are currently riding a six-game winning streak. They’re No. 14 in the NET rankings and No. 10 in KenPom’s rankings.
Ohio State’s game against Purdue is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 21 and will be broadcast on Peacock.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
IU was up 10 with five minutes left in regulation, but a furious comeback by the Bucks sent the game to OT.
It may only be January, but Friday night’s game between the Buckeyes (10-8, 2-5) and the Indiana Hoosiers (14-5, 5-3) felt like a dire, must-win game for each program.
For Ohio State, it was critical to avoid falling to 2-5 in Big Ten play before heading to Mackey Arena next week. For Indiana, it was critical to win this game to calm down the ravenous mob of Hoosier fans who have decided that Mike Woodson’s time as head coach is over.
Woodson’s job may be safe — for now — as the Hoosiers edged out Ohio State 77-76 in Columbus Friday night behind a combined 44 points from Luke Goode and Oumar Ballo. For the Buckeyes, it means they now head to Mackey Arena 2-5 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have gone 1-6 in their last seven trips to Mackey, winning exactly once there in the past 10 years.
IU wasn’t shy about their priority early on — get the ball to Oumar Ballo. The 7-foot, 270-pounder was unstoppable early in this one, taking four of Indiana’s first seven shots and scoring their first six points. Two of those baskets were from offensive rebounds when Aaron Bradshaw, Sean Stewart, and Evan Mahaffey all failed at stopping the big man on the defensive glass. Four minutes into the game Ohio State was clinging to a slim 7-6 lead.
Being guarded by his former high school teammate Bruce Thornton, Indiana sophomore guard Kanaan Carlyle rose up and knocked down his 13th three-point make of the season to get the Hoosiers back within two points with 10 minutes left in the first half. Two minutes later an alley-oop toss and slam from Carlyle to Ballo tied the game at 20, with just over seven minutes to go until halftime.
Thornton, Stewart, Mahaffey, and Ques Glover all scored at least once in the final four minutes leading into halftime, as the Buckeyes jogged into the locker room with a 35-29 lead. The Buckeyes shot 46.2% in the first half, but IU grabbed eight offensive rebounds and turned it into eight second-chance points.
Luke Goode — a transfer from Illinois — chipped in a quick five points at the beginning of the second half, helping Indiana cut the Ohio State lead to 41-40 four minutes into the second half. To this point in the game, Goode and Ballo had combined for 26 of IU’s 40 points.
Indiana took a four-point lead briefly thanks to continued heroics by Goode, who tied his season-high (18) with over 12 minutes still to go in the game. Ohio State was paying a lot of attention to Ballo, and Goode became the beneficiary. A Thornton pull-up jumper with 11:43 remaining got it back within two, 50-48.
Ohio State took the lead back for a moment, 55-54, but IU answered with baskets from Ballo and Carlyle to put the Buckeyes back behind the 8-ball, 59-55. The Hoosiers were attacking the basket to put pressure on Ohio State’s interior defense, and then kicking out to Goode if the Buckeyes overhelped.
The Hoosiers kept coming at Ohio State, extending their lead to 68-58 on a long two-point shot by Goode to set his career-high. Once the lead got to 10, Indiana milked the clock possession after possession, sensing that the Buckeyes may not have the horses to string together one final push.
The Buckeyes pressed Indiana in the final three minutes, forcing one turnover on the inbounds pass and cutting IU’s 10-point lead down to three with 90 seconds remaining. After Galloway missed a three, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds left and drew up a play for Mobley, who promptly canned his fifth three-pointer of the game to tie everything up, 71-71.
Indiana came up empty on their next possession, and Ohio State got the ball back with nine seconds left. Thornton tried to score on Ballo, but the Indiana big did a great job sticking with the guard and he was not even able to get a shot off — overtime!
In overtime, the teams traded buckets back and forth, with Ivan Njegovan scoring at the start of the extra period and giving the Buckeyes the lead, followed by a big block at the other end. A Goode three-pointer that was the product of Indiana’s 14th offensive rebound of the game put the Hoosiers up, 77-76 with 67 seconds remaining.
After Ohio State forced a shot clock violation with 16 seconds remaining, Thornton’s three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced in, around, and out. Ballgame.
If you weren’t around Friday night to see Ohio State fall to Indiana and slip further and further down the Big Ten standings, here were a few key moments that played a part in IU’s road win:
Oumar Ballo is a massive human being
Aside from Zach Edey, Indiana’s Oumar Ballo is the most physically imposing player to face Ohio State in the past several seasons. At an even 7 feet tall and 270 pounds, he has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and Stewart, and 70 pounds on Mahaffey — the three guys responsible for guarding him at different points during this game.
Ballo flexed on Ohio State early in this game, scoring Indiana’s first six points and pretty much establishing that there was nobody in the building capable of boxing him out. He scored twice on offensive putbacks before the first media timeout and was the only Hoosier to score in the first four minutes of the game.
Evan Mahaffey’s first three-pointer in 11 months
With Ohio State leading 27-24 and 4:23 remaining in the first half, Thornton slipped and fell, but was able to keep his dribble alive. He passed the ball to the only person near him — Mahaffey — with four seconds left on the shot clock.
Mahaffey tried a shot fake to get Luke Goode in the air, but it didn’t work, so Mahaffey had no choice but to rise up and shoot over him.
He sank it, with the ball snapping through the net just as the shot clock went off. It was his first three-pointer of the season and his first make since February 10, 2024. It put Ohio State up, 30-24.
Parrish’s great half
Micah Parrish was the most aggressive Buckeye in the first half, scoring a clean dozen on 5-of-7 shooting. He scored eight consecutive points for Ohio State at one point, and his steal and layup on the ensuing break tied things up 22-22 with just over six minutes remaining in the half. He did not settle in the first half and even drew several IU fouls at the basket as four different Hoosiers finished the opening frame with two or more.
Galloway’s absurd steal
Not even four minutes into the second half, Ohio State’s six-point lead had been cut to one point and Glover was trying to inbound the ball to Parrish in the corner nearest Ohio State’s bench. Glover tossed it up to Parrish, but Trey Galloway reached out and poked the ball in the air, jumped to grab it, and then called timeout right in front of the official as he fell out of bounds.
The ref gave Galloway the timeout, and the official scorer (deservedly) gave Galloway the steal and Glover his second turnover.
Goode set his career-high, puts Indiana up 10
After a Mobley three cut Indiana’s lead to just one point, the Hoosiers ripped off nine consecutive points to go ahead 68-58 — their largest lead of the game, with 5:12 remaining in the game. The final basket came on a long, step-back two-point shot by Goode, which gave him a career-high 20 points.
Mobley ties the game with his fifth three-pointer
After Galloway missed a three at the other end, Ohio State called timeout with 46 seconds remaining. Diebler drew up a play to get it to Mobley, who canned it to tie the game, 71-71, with 34 seconds left.
Goode’s fourth three puts Indiana up, 77-76
After Myles Rice missed a layup, Ballo grabbed his eighth offensive rebound of the game and kicked out to Goode in the far corner, who sniped his fourth three-pointer of the game to put the Hoosiers up by one points with 1:07 remaining on the clock.
What’s next?
Ohio State (10-8, 2-5) goes to Purdue on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes beat the Boilermakers last season in Jake Diebler’s first game as interim head coach, but Ohio State has not won at Mackey Arena since the 2017-2018 season.
The 17th-ranked Boilermakers (14-4, 6-1) are currently riding a six-game winning streak. They’re No. 14 in the NET rankings and No. 10 in KenPom’s rankings.
Ohio State’s game against Purdue is set to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 21 and will be broadcast on Peacock.
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2026 GA DB Peyton Dyer (USC Signee)
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- Football Recruiting
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Class: 2026
Position: CB
School: Duluth(GA) Duluth
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195lbs
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Class: 2026
Position: CB
School: Duluth(GA) Duluth
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195lbs
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2027 GA DB Adryan Cole (Verbal Offer)
- By pnuts34
- Football Recruiting
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Class: 2027
Position: DB
School: Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190lbs
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HudL
Class: 2027
Position: DB
School: Atlanta (GA) Pace Academy
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190lbs
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LGHL Ohio State and Notre Dame injury reports heading into national championship game
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Ohio State and Notre Dame injury reports heading into national championship game
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
In a 16-game season, it is no surprise that both teams in the title game are a bit banged up.
It has been a long season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams will be playing their 16th game of the college football season on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In many ways, football is a war of attrition. The physicality of the game inherently leads to injuries of both the short and long-term variety.
While both the Irish and Buckeyes come into the title game with some season-ending injuries to their roster, both are relatively healthy, given the length of the season. From an Ohio State perspective, head coach Ryan Day, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, and the entire staff have had a plan all season long to get players to this point as fresh and healthy as possible.
Not only has OSU been rotating players at key positions more often this season than in years past, but they have also dramatically slowed down the tempo with which the offense operates. Instead of a no-huddle, quick-snap approach, the Buckeye offense has been slow and methodical. The purpose of that philosophy change was to make sure that when the Buckeyes got to the end of the season and were playing their most important games they were as close to full strength as possible.
Well, that time is now, so let’s take a look at where both the Buckeyes and Irish are in terms of injuries heading into the title game. Which players are able to go on Monday night — and how close to 100% they are — will have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. As of publishing time, the FanDuel Sportsbook has Ohio State as an 8.5-point favorite with the total points mark set at 46.5.
As Notre Dame does, the Buckeyes are dealing with a number of season-ending injuries to key contributors. Most notable are the offensive linemen Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin. Fortunately for the Bucks, they have weeks of experience playing without those guys, so they at least have experience playing without them.
As for the more recent injuries impacting Ryan Day’s squad, coming out of the hard-fought Cotton Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns, there are a number of things to keep an eye on.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25835526/2193340679.jpg "Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Ohio State v Texas")
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
If you are squeamish like me, chances are that you didn’t enjoy the constant closeups of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s engorged left hand during the Cotton Bowl. It appeared that the Kansas State transfer hit his non-throwing hand on a helmet early in the game, and as time went on, his hand became increasingly discolored and swollen.
It did not appear to impact his play, as he finished the game with 289 yards passing. During media availabilities this week, Howard said that the visible signs of injury were caused by a popped blood vessel suffered in the second quarter. He noted that the swelling decreased as the game went on, and that he wasn’t in any pain, and that it had happened before.
“I just looked down and it was pretty big. It happened earlier in the season too. Nobody really noticed then.”
There is no expectation that Howard will be hampered by the injury. However, in case something does happen that keeps him out of the game, his backup Devin Brown will be available, despite the fact that he entered the transfer portal in early December.
Coming into the game, Howard has +320 odds from FanDuel to score a touchdown. This does not include passing touchdowns, as it has to be the person who carries the ball into, or receives the ball in, the end zone. So, it appears that the oddsmakers aren’t too worried about his ability to hold onto the football.
Against the Horns, Ohio State starting cornerback Denzel Burke only played 28 snaps, all of which came in the first half. During the game, there was no obvious indication as to what happened to the defensive back, but in the Sunday media availability following the game, Day described Burke’s injury as minor and that he would be back for the title game against Notre Dame.
“He’ll be available for the next game,” Day said. “He was dealing with an upper extremity issue that we felt like, at the time, was the right thing to do to hold him.
That was reiterated later in the week when defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said that while those types of decisions were quote “above my pay grade,” as far as he knew, everything was good to go.
Listen to Knowles and Chip Kelly’s presser here:
During the game against Texas, edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau was rolled up on during a friendly fire incident that saw true freshman Eddrick Houston blocked into his lower leg. The situation required attention from the medical staff as Tuimoloau was having trouble walking. The senior went to the medical tent and had his ankle heavily taped. He was seen on the sideline jumping up and down and sprinting in order to test his ankle. While he remained out for the remainder of the first half, he did return after the break and finished the game with seven tackles, including 2.5 for loss on 45 snaps.
Coming into the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State had used a three-man lineup of Austin Siereveld, Tegra Tshabola, and Luke Montgomery at the two guard positions. However, against Texas, Siereveld only played 17 snaps, splitting time at right guard with Tshabola; Montgomery played the entire game at LG.
In his media session posted above, Kelly confirmed that Siereveld was dealing with an injury, but did not elaborate. If Siereveld is unable to go, or is limited in how much he can handle, Montgomery and Tshabola have experience in the two spots to go it alone.
Similar to Ohio State, the Fighting Irish are dealing with injuries along the offensive line. However, they do not have the benefit of time, like the Buckeyes do. However, injuries are not the only thing that Notre Dame is dealing with as this week, head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed that the flu is running through the team as well.
“I think probably over half of our team has gotten it already, so I don’t think it will have an impact on this week’s game,” Freeman said. “Ohio State is probably dealing with it, too.”
In their semifinal game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, freshman All-American left tackle Anthonie Knapp suffered an ankle injury, and when talking to the media three days after the Orange Bowl, Freeman confirmed that his blindside tackle will not be able to play against Ohio State.
While ND has not confirmed its plans for the game, it has been reported — and even said outright by the player — that redshirt freshman Charles Jagusah will start in Knapp’s stead. Coming into the fall, it was Jagusah who was the starter, but he tore his pectoral during preseason camp. He returned for the quarterfinal matchup with Georgia and played on five special teams snaps, but came in as an injury replacement for Rocco Spindler (more on that in a minute) against PSU.
However, he did not play tackle; instead, he lined up at right guard where he took 53 snaps. While Jagusah is a talented young player, he has not had much in terms of game reps with the offensive line, and none at the position he is expected to be playing on Monday night. Whether or not they will be able to gel enough in the week and a half between games, could go a long way to determining if the Irish offense can withstand Ohio State’s aggressive defensive front.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25835586/2193028461.jpg "COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 09 CFP Semifinal Capital One Orange Bowl - Notre Dame vs Penn State")
Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In the Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame’s leading running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a knee injury in the third quarter. He was sandwiched by multiple defenders as he was attempting to block for quarterback Riley Leonard. After the play he was noticeably limping as he left the field, and did not return for the rest of the game.
However, the 1,100-yard rusher did play the following week against Penn State. While the results weren’t what HD fans are used to seeing from him, his presence still made an impact. Against the Nittany Lions, Love had 11 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. That means that he averaged 4.2 yards per carry, down from the 7.1 he has averaged on the season as a whole.
Fortunately for Irish fans, Love is expected to be ready for the game on Monday night. While there is no telling how impactful the injury will be 11 days after he last played, the offense will almost certainly be better for having him available.
FanDuel is giving love +135 odds to score a touchdown at some point in the game, the top odds for anyone wearing a golden dome for a helmet.
In ND’s 27-17 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the playoff, the team’s sack leader Rylie Mills suffered a right knee injury while sacking IU QB Kurtis Rourke. While trying to pull the quarterback down, he left his feet and was whipped into teammate Jaylen Sneed, causing his knee to bend the wrong way. Initially, Freeman said that there was optimism that he would return for the playoff run, but that did not come to pass, as Mills has been ruled out for the season. Mills finished the season with 7.5 sacks per game, good for 37th nationally.
In addition to Knapp’s injury, the ND offensive line is also having to contend with right guard Rocco Spindler’s ongoing right ankle injury. He has been playing in and out of the lineup and exited the game against Penn State late in the first half. It was his injury that brought Jagusah into the game.
Despite having to leave against Indiana and Penn State, Spindler will reportedly be available on Monday night.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
In a 16-game season, it is no surprise that both teams in the title game are a bit banged up.
It has been a long season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams will be playing their 16th game of the college football season on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In many ways, football is a war of attrition. The physicality of the game inherently leads to injuries of both the short and long-term variety.
While both the Irish and Buckeyes come into the title game with some season-ending injuries to their roster, both are relatively healthy, given the length of the season. From an Ohio State perspective, head coach Ryan Day, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, and the entire staff have had a plan all season long to get players to this point as fresh and healthy as possible.
Not only has OSU been rotating players at key positions more often this season than in years past, but they have also dramatically slowed down the tempo with which the offense operates. Instead of a no-huddle, quick-snap approach, the Buckeye offense has been slow and methodical. The purpose of that philosophy change was to make sure that when the Buckeyes got to the end of the season and were playing their most important games they were as close to full strength as possible.
Well, that time is now, so let’s take a look at where both the Buckeyes and Irish are in terms of injuries heading into the title game. Which players are able to go on Monday night — and how close to 100% they are — will have a huge impact on the outcome of the game. As of publishing time, the FanDuel Sportsbook has Ohio State as an 8.5-point favorite with the total points mark set at 46.5.
Ohio State
As Notre Dame does, the Buckeyes are dealing with a number of season-ending injuries to key contributors. Most notable are the offensive linemen Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin. Fortunately for the Bucks, they have weeks of experience playing without those guys, so they at least have experience playing without them.
As for the more recent injuries impacting Ryan Day’s squad, coming out of the hard-fought Cotton Bowl win over the Texas Longhorns, there are a number of things to keep an eye on.
Will Howard | Quarterback
If you are squeamish like me, chances are that you didn’t enjoy the constant closeups of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard’s engorged left hand during the Cotton Bowl. It appeared that the Kansas State transfer hit his non-throwing hand on a helmet early in the game, and as time went on, his hand became increasingly discolored and swollen.
It did not appear to impact his play, as he finished the game with 289 yards passing. During media availabilities this week, Howard said that the visible signs of injury were caused by a popped blood vessel suffered in the second quarter. He noted that the swelling decreased as the game went on, and that he wasn’t in any pain, and that it had happened before.
“I just looked down and it was pretty big. It happened earlier in the season too. Nobody really noticed then.”
There is no expectation that Howard will be hampered by the injury. However, in case something does happen that keeps him out of the game, his backup Devin Brown will be available, despite the fact that he entered the transfer portal in early December.
Coming into the game, Howard has +320 odds from FanDuel to score a touchdown. This does not include passing touchdowns, as it has to be the person who carries the ball into, or receives the ball in, the end zone. So, it appears that the oddsmakers aren’t too worried about his ability to hold onto the football.
Denzel Burke | Cornerback
Against the Horns, Ohio State starting cornerback Denzel Burke only played 28 snaps, all of which came in the first half. During the game, there was no obvious indication as to what happened to the defensive back, but in the Sunday media availability following the game, Day described Burke’s injury as minor and that he would be back for the title game against Notre Dame.
“He’ll be available for the next game,” Day said. “He was dealing with an upper extremity issue that we felt like, at the time, was the right thing to do to hold him.
That was reiterated later in the week when defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said that while those types of decisions were quote “above my pay grade,” as far as he knew, everything was good to go.
Listen to Knowles and Chip Kelly’s presser here:
J.T. Tuimoloau | Defensive End
During the game against Texas, edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau was rolled up on during a friendly fire incident that saw true freshman Eddrick Houston blocked into his lower leg. The situation required attention from the medical staff as Tuimoloau was having trouble walking. The senior went to the medical tent and had his ankle heavily taped. He was seen on the sideline jumping up and down and sprinting in order to test his ankle. While he remained out for the remainder of the first half, he did return after the break and finished the game with seven tackles, including 2.5 for loss on 45 snaps.
Austin Siereveld | Offensive guard
Coming into the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State had used a three-man lineup of Austin Siereveld, Tegra Tshabola, and Luke Montgomery at the two guard positions. However, against Texas, Siereveld only played 17 snaps, splitting time at right guard with Tshabola; Montgomery played the entire game at LG.
In his media session posted above, Kelly confirmed that Siereveld was dealing with an injury, but did not elaborate. If Siereveld is unable to go, or is limited in how much he can handle, Montgomery and Tshabola have experience in the two spots to go it alone.
Notre Dame
Similar to Ohio State, the Fighting Irish are dealing with injuries along the offensive line. However, they do not have the benefit of time, like the Buckeyes do. However, injuries are not the only thing that Notre Dame is dealing with as this week, head coach Marcus Freeman confirmed that the flu is running through the team as well.
“I think probably over half of our team has gotten it already, so I don’t think it will have an impact on this week’s game,” Freeman said. “Ohio State is probably dealing with it, too.”
Anthonie Knapp | Offensive Tackle
In their semifinal game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, freshman All-American left tackle Anthonie Knapp suffered an ankle injury, and when talking to the media three days after the Orange Bowl, Freeman confirmed that his blindside tackle will not be able to play against Ohio State.
While ND has not confirmed its plans for the game, it has been reported — and even said outright by the player — that redshirt freshman Charles Jagusah will start in Knapp’s stead. Coming into the fall, it was Jagusah who was the starter, but he tore his pectoral during preseason camp. He returned for the quarterfinal matchup with Georgia and played on five special teams snaps, but came in as an injury replacement for Rocco Spindler (more on that in a minute) against PSU.
However, he did not play tackle; instead, he lined up at right guard where he took 53 snaps. While Jagusah is a talented young player, he has not had much in terms of game reps with the offensive line, and none at the position he is expected to be playing on Monday night. Whether or not they will be able to gel enough in the week and a half between games, could go a long way to determining if the Irish offense can withstand Ohio State’s aggressive defensive front.
Jeremiyah Love | Running Back
In the Sugar Bowl against the Georgia Bulldogs, Notre Dame’s leading running back Jeremiyah Love suffered a knee injury in the third quarter. He was sandwiched by multiple defenders as he was attempting to block for quarterback Riley Leonard. After the play he was noticeably limping as he left the field, and did not return for the rest of the game.
However, the 1,100-yard rusher did play the following week against Penn State. While the results weren’t what HD fans are used to seeing from him, his presence still made an impact. Against the Nittany Lions, Love had 11 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. That means that he averaged 4.2 yards per carry, down from the 7.1 he has averaged on the season as a whole.
Fortunately for Irish fans, Love is expected to be ready for the game on Monday night. While there is no telling how impactful the injury will be 11 days after he last played, the offense will almost certainly be better for having him available.
FanDuel is giving love +135 odds to score a touchdown at some point in the game, the top odds for anyone wearing a golden dome for a helmet.
Rylie Mills | Defensive Tackle
In ND’s 27-17 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers in the first round of the playoff, the team’s sack leader Rylie Mills suffered a right knee injury while sacking IU QB Kurtis Rourke. While trying to pull the quarterback down, he left his feet and was whipped into teammate Jaylen Sneed, causing his knee to bend the wrong way. Initially, Freeman said that there was optimism that he would return for the playoff run, but that did not come to pass, as Mills has been ruled out for the season. Mills finished the season with 7.5 sacks per game, good for 37th nationally.
Rocco Spindler | Offensive Guard
In addition to Knapp’s injury, the ND offensive line is also having to contend with right guard Rocco Spindler’s ongoing right ankle injury. He has been playing in and out of the lineup and exited the game against Penn State late in the first half. It was his injury that brought Jagusah into the game.
Despite having to leave against Indiana and Penn State, Spindler will reportedly be available on Monday night.
Continue reading...
European League of Football
- By ScriptOhio
- Professional Football
- 0 Replies
European League of Football - Wikipedia
NFL to Europe: Ex-coach Del Rio hired in France
Former Jags and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has been hired as the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the 17-team European League of Football.
Former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio to coach team in Paris
Former Jacksonville Jaguars and Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio has been named the head coach of the Paris Musketeers of the European League of Football.Del Rio, 61, went 93-94 in 12 seasons as an NFL head coach and made two postseason appearances with the Jags and one with the Raiders.
His last NFL job was as defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders from 2020 to '23. He previously held coordinator roles with the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.
Del Rio's move to Paris comes after a brief tenure as a senior assistant for the Wisconsin Badgers. Hired in August 2024, he resigned from the position in November after he was arrested following a car crash in Madison, Wisconsin, and cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
The Paris Musketeers are part of the 17-team European League of Football, which played its inaugural season in 2021. The league runs from May until September and features teams from Austria, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and Switzerland.
LGHL You’re Nuts: What does Ohio State need to do to snap its three-game losing streak against Indiana?
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You’re Nuts: What does Ohio State need to do to snap its three-game losing streak against Indiana?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Hoosier fans are ready to fire their head coach, but Ohio State can’t afford another loss with Purdue coming up.
Is it possible to feel good about how a team is playing while the team is not winning basketball games at all?
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (10-7, 2-4) lost games to No. 15 Oregon and No. 24 Wisconsin over the past week by a combined four points. Ohio State led for over 30 minutes against the Quackers, but ultimately a thin lead didn’t hold up in the final 90 seconds. The Buckeyes shot themselves in the foot — really both feet — at Wisconsin, falling behind by 17 at halftime before swinging back and cutting the deficit to one point before losing by two.
At 2-4, Ohio State doesn’t really have a whole lot of time to “take positives” from losses or “recognize growth.” They are essentially eliminated from winning the Big Ten regular season title with almost two months to go, and need to go 8-6 over the next 14 to finish .500 in the conference.
Enter Indiana, stage left.
Hoosier fans are done with Mike Woodson. Indiana (13-5, 4-3) has lost three games by at least 25 points this season, including a 94-69 loss to Illinois at Assembly Hall this week. The record is not dire, but the vibes certainly are. Something has to give.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated if Jake Diebler should’ve used his final timeout against Oregon, down two with seven seconds remaining on the clock. 63% of readers sided with Justin, who said that Diebler made the correct call by not using the timeout and preventing Oregon from setting up a full court press with very limited time left.
Connor- 84
In a really strange twist, Ohio State’s lack of a “back to the basket” center might actually play to its advantage against Indiana on Friday night. Oumar Ballo averages just under two blocks per game, but he’s not too quick on his feet and doesn’t react fast enough when guarding away from the basket.
Fortunately, neither Sean Stewart nor Aaron Bradshaw are those types of post players. Even against smaller teams, Ohio State barely ever throws the ball to one of them below the basket and says “go get a bucket.”
When Stewart shoots, it is usually off of a lob, an offensive put-back, or some type of floater/hook shot from six-to-seven feet away. When Bradshaw shoots, it is usually a jumper or a layup where he starts with the ball on the perimeter and slashes to the basket.
As our friends at Crimson Quarry shared with us this week, getting Ballo away from the basket and making him move his feet to guard will be a big key for Ohio State if they want to win on Friday night. Ballo has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and 40 pounds on Stewart, but he’s not as quick as either of them. If the Buckeyes can make him move around a bit, it will be to their benefit.
Plus, if Bradshaw and Stewart can move Ballo away from the paint some possessions, it will open up that area for everyone else to drive to the basket into a little less traffic. Bruce Thornton, Micah Parrish, and Devin Royal are all above average finishers at the rim, but all three of them are going to get stuffed at the rack if Ballo is there.
Settle for fewers jump shots, move Ballo around, get to the rim, hit your free throws. Sounds like a plan to me. We’ll see Ohio State can execute it.
I think the key to winning this game is very simple. They have to get Bruce Thornton going early. The junior point guard is the best player on the team. In many games, he is the best player on the floor.
However, sometimes he is more passive on the offensive end to start games, trying to get others involved and facilitate the offense instead of taking the ball and going and scoring.
It is not a coincidence that when he scored 30 points, and they beat Kentucky. Or that he scored 17 in the second half against Wisconsin, and they immediately got back in the game. He needs to be the main scorer for the Buckeyes to successfully get into the offense.
If teams are not worried about Thornton, it becomes much harder for everyone else. He opens up the offense by scoring.
Thornton must score double-digit points in the first half against Indiana to win the game. I am keeping this short because it is that simple.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Hoosier fans are ready to fire their head coach, but Ohio State can’t afford another loss with Purdue coming up.
Is it possible to feel good about how a team is playing while the team is not winning basketball games at all?
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (10-7, 2-4) lost games to No. 15 Oregon and No. 24 Wisconsin over the past week by a combined four points. Ohio State led for over 30 minutes against the Quackers, but ultimately a thin lead didn’t hold up in the final 90 seconds. The Buckeyes shot themselves in the foot — really both feet — at Wisconsin, falling behind by 17 at halftime before swinging back and cutting the deficit to one point before losing by two.
At 2-4, Ohio State doesn’t really have a whole lot of time to “take positives” from losses or “recognize growth.” They are essentially eliminated from winning the Big Ten regular season title with almost two months to go, and need to go 8-6 over the next 14 to finish .500 in the conference.
Enter Indiana, stage left.
Hoosier fans are done with Mike Woodson. Indiana (13-5, 4-3) has lost three games by at least 25 points this season, including a 94-69 loss to Illinois at Assembly Hall this week. The record is not dire, but the vibes certainly are. Something has to give.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated if Jake Diebler should’ve used his final timeout against Oregon, down two with seven seconds remaining on the clock. 63% of readers sided with Justin, who said that Diebler made the correct call by not using the timeout and preventing Oregon from setting up a full court press with very limited time left.
After 187 weeks:
Connor- 84
Justin- 79
Other- 19
(There have been five ties)
This week’s question: What does Ohio State need to do to snap this three-game losing streak against Indiana?
Connor: Attack the basket on offense/don’t settle
In a really strange twist, Ohio State’s lack of a “back to the basket” center might actually play to its advantage against Indiana on Friday night. Oumar Ballo averages just under two blocks per game, but he’s not too quick on his feet and doesn’t react fast enough when guarding away from the basket.
Fortunately, neither Sean Stewart nor Aaron Bradshaw are those types of post players. Even against smaller teams, Ohio State barely ever throws the ball to one of them below the basket and says “go get a bucket.”
When Stewart shoots, it is usually off of a lob, an offensive put-back, or some type of floater/hook shot from six-to-seven feet away. When Bradshaw shoots, it is usually a jumper or a layup where he starts with the ball on the perimeter and slashes to the basket.
As our friends at Crimson Quarry shared with us this week, getting Ballo away from the basket and making him move his feet to guard will be a big key for Ohio State if they want to win on Friday night. Ballo has 50 pounds on Bradshaw and 40 pounds on Stewart, but he’s not as quick as either of them. If the Buckeyes can make him move around a bit, it will be to their benefit.
Plus, if Bradshaw and Stewart can move Ballo away from the paint some possessions, it will open up that area for everyone else to drive to the basket into a little less traffic. Bruce Thornton, Micah Parrish, and Devin Royal are all above average finishers at the rim, but all three of them are going to get stuffed at the rack if Ballo is there.
Settle for fewers jump shots, move Ballo around, get to the rim, hit your free throws. Sounds like a plan to me. We’ll see Ohio State can execute it.
Justin: Let Bruce Thornton cook early
I think the key to winning this game is very simple. They have to get Bruce Thornton going early. The junior point guard is the best player on the team. In many games, he is the best player on the floor.
However, sometimes he is more passive on the offensive end to start games, trying to get others involved and facilitate the offense instead of taking the ball and going and scoring.
It is not a coincidence that when he scored 30 points, and they beat Kentucky. Or that he scored 17 in the second half against Wisconsin, and they immediately got back in the game. He needs to be the main scorer for the Buckeyes to successfully get into the offense.
If teams are not worried about Thornton, it becomes much harder for everyone else. He opens up the offense by scoring.
Thornton must score double-digit points in the first half against Indiana to win the game. I am keeping this short because it is that simple.
Continue reading...
DL Dre Quinn (Official Thread)
- By pnuts34
- Buckeye Football
- 49 Replies
247
On3
Twitter
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: DL
School: Norcross (GA) Buford
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 225 lbs
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On3
HudL
Class: 2026
Position: DL
School: Norcross (GA) Buford
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 225 lbs
Login to view embedded media
