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LGHL Silver Bullets Podcast: Ohio State roster moves, path through the College Football Playoff
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Silver Bullets Podcast: Ohio State roster moves, path through the College Football Playoff
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
News and awards out of Columbus, and Ohio State’s difficult road to the semifinals.
We start this week’s show with news and notes from Ohio State, including a brief look at the Buckeyes’ 2025 recruiting class. Although we don’t fancy ourselves as “recruiting guys,” there are still some conclusions we can draw from looking at Ryan Day’s latest class.
We also touched on a few Ohio State players who chose to enter the transfer portal and some guys who were honored for having standout seasons in the Big Ten in 2024. The transfer portal decisions weren’t terribly surprising, and we didn’t even get to touch on Devin Brown, who made his announcement while we were wrapping up our recording.
After the news segment, we discussed the Big Ten title game that pitted Oregon against Penn State. The Nittany Lions acquitted themselves well, but still didn’t play the Ducks as closely in Indianapolis as the Buckeyes did in Eugene. That didn’t matter much to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
The final poll came out and the Buckeyes found themselves at No. 8. We talked about what we didn’t like about that decision, what we liked about other decisions, and then we broke down the bracket. Ohio State has a difficult road to the semifinals, and the committee did No. 1 Oregon no favors either with the way the bracket is set up. Let us know what you thought of our analysis of the CFP bracket as we look forward to seeing 12 teams in the postseason for the first time.
We would love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Any questions directed toward us will be answered on our next show.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
0:21 - Digesting Ohio State’s class after National Signing Day, Buckeyes in the portal, other Buckeyes who won awards, and more.
22:27 - The B1G championship, Ohio State’s difficult draw, and the College Football Playoff bracket overall.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
News and awards out of Columbus, and Ohio State’s difficult road to the semifinals.
We start this week’s show with news and notes from Ohio State, including a brief look at the Buckeyes’ 2025 recruiting class. Although we don’t fancy ourselves as “recruiting guys,” there are still some conclusions we can draw from looking at Ryan Day’s latest class.
We also touched on a few Ohio State players who chose to enter the transfer portal and some guys who were honored for having standout seasons in the Big Ten in 2024. The transfer portal decisions weren’t terribly surprising, and we didn’t even get to touch on Devin Brown, who made his announcement while we were wrapping up our recording.
After the news segment, we discussed the Big Ten title game that pitted Oregon against Penn State. The Nittany Lions acquitted themselves well, but still didn’t play the Ducks as closely in Indianapolis as the Buckeyes did in Eugene. That didn’t matter much to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
The final poll came out and the Buckeyes found themselves at No. 8. We talked about what we didn’t like about that decision, what we liked about other decisions, and then we broke down the bracket. Ohio State has a difficult road to the semifinals, and the committee did No. 1 Oregon no favors either with the way the bracket is set up. Let us know what you thought of our analysis of the CFP bracket as we look forward to seeing 12 teams in the postseason for the first time.
We would love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email. Any questions directed toward us will be answered on our next show.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.
As always, thanks for listening!
0:21 - Digesting Ohio State’s class after National Signing Day, Buckeyes in the portal, other Buckeyes who won awards, and more.
22:27 - The B1G championship, Ohio State’s difficult draw, and the College Football Playoff bracket overall.
Continue reading...
LGHL Game Preview: No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Ball State
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Game Preview: No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Ball State
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes look to extend their win streak to 10-in-a-row when they welcome the Cardinals Tuesday night.
After kicking off Big Ten action against No. 21 Illinois on Sunday, No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball (9-0) remains unbeaten as they head into another non-conference matchup, this time against Ball State (6-3) at the Schottenstein Center.
The Cardinals are heading to Columbus on the heels of an 81-60 home victory over Davidson. Ball State is 1-0 in true road games this season and 1-2 in neutral site games.
The Buckeyes are 4-2 all-time against Ball State, but Tuesday’s game is the first meeting of the two programs since 1996.
Ohio State will celebrate pride night at Tuesday’s game.
After missing four games due to a right lower leg injury, senior forward Cotie McMahon was back in action against Illinois Sunday, leading the Buckeyes in their 83-74 win with 25 points. It was OSU’s first ranked win of the season.
In addition to McMahon, senior guard Taylor Thierry and junior guard Chance Gray scored in double-digits, with 14 and 13 points respectively.
Against the Fighting Illini, freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge found herself in foul trouble early and eventually fouled out of the game, though McMahon and co. had no trouble picking up the slack for the team’s second-highest scorer, who sits just behind Gray’s 15.6 average points per game at 15.1.
Despite the foul troubles, OSU fared better than their counterparts, posting 21 fouls to the Illini’s 25.
The Buckeyes’ success against the Illini was in no small part thanks to forwards Ajae Petty and Elsa Lemmilä, who are each averaging over 7 rebounds per game and had no problem containing Illinois standout forward Kendall Bostic. Additionally, the Buckeyes were on fire defensively, collectively logging 19 turnovers and converting them into 30 points. They were also good for nine steals.
Ultimately, Ohio State looked composed and in control for the majority of the game. They led by as many as 21 points, while the Illini’s largest lead was just three, thanks to a combination of powerful shooting, strong defense and forced errors. This well-rounded effort will serve them well against Ball State, a team who has plenty of high-powered scorers of their own.
The Cardinals are trying to follow a strong 2023-2024 season, in which they set program records for both overall wins (28) and Mid-American Conference victories (16) under head coach Brady Sallee.
Ball State has five players with double-digit scoring averages: team leader Ally Becki (14.4), Lachelle Austin (12.9), Alex Richard (12.3), Madelyn Bischoff (12.2) and Elise Stuck (10.0). Becki also leads the team in assists with 5.9 per game, while Marie Kiefer leads in rebounding with 6.6.
The Cardinals were named the preseason favorite to win the MAC conference and tournament titles, though they have not yet kicked off conference play. Their matchup with the Buckeyes marks their second game against a ranked opponent (they fell in a respectable effort against No. 16 North Carolina, 63-52, in November).
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
G - Lachelle Austin
G - Ally Becki
G - Madelyn Bischoff
G - Sydney Bolden
F - Marie Kiefer
Though Ball State has had a successful season and each of the Cardinals’ three losses came against respectable opponents (Columbia and South Dakota State, in addition to the aforementioned No. 16 North Carolina game), unless the Buckeyes have an extremely off night, this game shouldn’t be too much trouble for the Scarlet and Gray.
Look to Ball State to make enough runs to keep things interesting, especially if Becki is shooting well or the Buckeyes find themselves in foul trouble again. But in the end, the Buckeyes should have no trouble maintaining control to lock in the win.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: B1G+
Continue reading...
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes look to extend their win streak to 10-in-a-row when they welcome the Cardinals Tuesday night.
After kicking off Big Ten action against No. 21 Illinois on Sunday, No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball (9-0) remains unbeaten as they head into another non-conference matchup, this time against Ball State (6-3) at the Schottenstein Center.
The Cardinals are heading to Columbus on the heels of an 81-60 home victory over Davidson. Ball State is 1-0 in true road games this season and 1-2 in neutral site games.
The Buckeyes are 4-2 all-time against Ball State, but Tuesday’s game is the first meeting of the two programs since 1996.
Ohio State will celebrate pride night at Tuesday’s game.
Preview
After missing four games due to a right lower leg injury, senior forward Cotie McMahon was back in action against Illinois Sunday, leading the Buckeyes in their 83-74 win with 25 points. It was OSU’s first ranked win of the season.
In addition to McMahon, senior guard Taylor Thierry and junior guard Chance Gray scored in double-digits, with 14 and 13 points respectively.
Against the Fighting Illini, freshman point guard Jaloni Cambridge found herself in foul trouble early and eventually fouled out of the game, though McMahon and co. had no trouble picking up the slack for the team’s second-highest scorer, who sits just behind Gray’s 15.6 average points per game at 15.1.
Despite the foul troubles, OSU fared better than their counterparts, posting 21 fouls to the Illini’s 25.
The Buckeyes’ success against the Illini was in no small part thanks to forwards Ajae Petty and Elsa Lemmilä, who are each averaging over 7 rebounds per game and had no problem containing Illinois standout forward Kendall Bostic. Additionally, the Buckeyes were on fire defensively, collectively logging 19 turnovers and converting them into 30 points. They were also good for nine steals.
Ultimately, Ohio State looked composed and in control for the majority of the game. They led by as many as 21 points, while the Illini’s largest lead was just three, thanks to a combination of powerful shooting, strong defense and forced errors. This well-rounded effort will serve them well against Ball State, a team who has plenty of high-powered scorers of their own.
The Cardinals are trying to follow a strong 2023-2024 season, in which they set program records for both overall wins (28) and Mid-American Conference victories (16) under head coach Brady Sallee.
Ball State has five players with double-digit scoring averages: team leader Ally Becki (14.4), Lachelle Austin (12.9), Alex Richard (12.3), Madelyn Bischoff (12.2) and Elise Stuck (10.0). Becki also leads the team in assists with 5.9 per game, while Marie Kiefer leads in rebounding with 6.6.
The Cardinals were named the preseason favorite to win the MAC conference and tournament titles, though they have not yet kicked off conference play. Their matchup with the Buckeyes marks their second game against a ranked opponent (they fell in a respectable effort against No. 16 North Carolina, 63-52, in November).
Projected Starters
Ohio State
G- Jaloni Cambridge
G- Chance Gray
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Ajae Petty
Lineup Notes
- McMahon has scored in double digits in all four games she’s played in this season, putting up 20 points in two of them.
- McMahon, Thierry, and Gray all scored in double digits against the Fighting Illini.
Ball State
G - Lachelle Austin
G - Ally Becki
G - Madelyn Bischoff
G - Sydney Bolden
F - Marie Kiefer
Lineup Notes
- Austin, Becki, and Kiefer have started all nine games, though head coach Brady Sallee has rotated the other two spots between five other players on the roster.
- Becky, Kiefer and Bischoff, along with Alex Richard, are all returning starters from last year. Richard has started in four games this year, most recently, on Nov. 16 against Northern Iowa.
Prediction
Though Ball State has had a successful season and each of the Cardinals’ three losses came against respectable opponents (Columbia and South Dakota State, in addition to the aforementioned No. 16 North Carolina game), unless the Buckeyes have an extremely off night, this game shouldn’t be too much trouble for the Scarlet and Gray.
Look to Ball State to make enough runs to keep things interesting, especially if Becki is shooting well or the Buckeyes find themselves in foul trouble again. But in the end, the Buckeyes should have no trouble maintaining control to lock in the win.
How to Watch
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: B1G+
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 88, Ball State 65
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LGHL Ohio State gets college football’s equivalent of the “Group of Death” in the playoff
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Ohio State gets college football’s equivalent of the “Group of Death” in the playoff
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes could hardly have a tougher path to the semifinals than the one they’ve been given, but that’s what losing to Michigan gets them.
Now that we know who is in, which teams will play in the first round, and who will host on-campus games in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, it’s worth taking a look at each team’s path to the semifinals.
But first, a reminder of where everyone is seeded.
The top four rated conference champions get a first-round bye. This theoretically makes for an easier path to a national championship, as it’s one fewer win needed to get there and less wear and tear on the players during the playoff run. The drawback is not getting a game on campus, and perhaps losing momentum with a week off while other teams might gain momentum with a first-round win.
In this first season with 12 teams in the playoff, those four slots went to:
They’ll each have this weekend off while they wait for their next opponents.
Texas fell to No. 5 by losing in overtime to Georgia after the Longhorns largely approached their matchup with Georgia the way Ohio State decided to play against Michigan — which is to say they played into their opponents’ strengths and away from their own.
The No. 6 seed is Penn State. It’s understandable if Ohio State fans aren’t happy with that decision, because the Nittany Lions lost at home to the Buckeyes and lost by more against common opponent Oregon on a neutral field than OSU did in a true road contest.
Semi-independent and part-time ACC moonlighters Notre Dame got the No. 7 seed, with the Buckeyes getting the last home game at No. 8.
The first-round matchups then were set by figuring out which teams got to be the ninth through 12th seeds. Tennessee was placed ninth after finishing behind Georgia in the SEC at 10-2 by suffering a two-touchdown loss to the Bulldogs. Indiana was placed 10th, with ACC runners-up SMU getting the No. 11 seed and ACC champions Clemson getting in at No. 12.
Because Clemson won the ACC Championship Game, it got in over Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss, and South Carolina, which all finished higher in the final CFP rankings.
Looking at the first-round matchups, the final seeding appears to give Ohio State or Tennessee the toughest road to the semifinals, while Penn State may have the easiest.
The Buckeyes have to play a physical and athletic Tennessee team, although they get to be at home for the game. Ryan Day’s track record in big games isn’t going to make OSU fans anything other than nervous going into Saturday, but it is a winnable game if the Buckeyes can play defense they way they have all season and get the offense back on track. The Vols may claim the toughest road to the semis because they are literally on the road, but there is no lack of swagger in Knoxville and the Vols will be ready for the challenge.
The winner gets Oregon in the Rose Bowl, so it’s a longer trip for the winner of the first-round game, although the Buckeyes have had success against the Ducks in Rose Bowls before. Still, having to play the best team in college football throughout the season is a difficult second step on the journey.
On the other end of the spectrum is Penn State, which gets to host SMU at Beaver Stadium Saturday at noon. The Nittany Lions are tough to beat at home, and may be feeling confident after playing Oregon fairly close in the Big Ten Championship Game. Should they get past SMU, they’ll face Boise State, which has had some scares this season. I would expect Penn State to be favored in a Fiesta Bowl matchup against the Mountain West winners.
If Ohio State and Tennessee aren’t the teams with the most difficult path through, it might be Indiana. The Hoosiers get to stay in state, but they’ll travel to South Bend to face Notre Dame Friday night. Indiana can win that game, but this is unfamiliar territory for the Hoosiers. If they do get past the Irish, their reward will be a Sugar Bowl meeting with Georgia.
Texas fans will like their path to the semifinals. First up is a home game Saturday afternoon against a three-loss Clemson team that got destroyed by Georgia to open the season, lost at home to Louisville, and lost a close rivalry matchup against South Carolina. The Tigers were fortunate to get a long kickoff return after SMU tied the game with seconds left on Saturday, allowing them to get into long field-goal range to make the last-second winning kick rather than facing a momentum-laden Mustangs team in overtime.
The Texas-Clemson winner will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. It’s hard to know exactly how good the 11-2 Big XII champs are. They lost to Texas Tech and Cincinnati, which weren’t exactly juggernauts, and had narrow wins against the likes of North Texas, Mississippi State, Kansas, UCF, and BYU before blowing out Arizona and Iowa State.
If I had to handicap the path to the semifinals for the eight teams that have to play the extra game in this College Football Playoff from hardest to easiest, I’d go:
Beyond the first weekend, Oregon was given no favors by earning the No. 1 seed, as the Ducks would have to play the Tennessee-Ohio State winner, while Georgia would seem to have the easiest bowl opponent. Arizona State and Boise State will have a tough matchup whoever wins in the first round, but I like the Broncos over SMU much more than their chances against Penn State.
Arizona State is a complete wild card to me, but I like Texas to get past them, and if somehow Clemson dumps the Longhorns, I think the Sun Devils would take that result happily.
But enough about what I think. What do you think the easiest and toughest paths through the postseason are? Let me know in the comments section.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes could hardly have a tougher path to the semifinals than the one they’ve been given, but that’s what losing to Michigan gets them.
Now that we know who is in, which teams will play in the first round, and who will host on-campus games in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, it’s worth taking a look at each team’s path to the semifinals.
But first, a reminder of where everyone is seeded.
THE BRACKET IS SET
Who are you taking to win the #CFBPlayoff? pic.twitter.com/9BDWwesEVL
— ESPN (@espn) December 8, 2024
The top four rated conference champions get a first-round bye. This theoretically makes for an easier path to a national championship, as it’s one fewer win needed to get there and less wear and tear on the players during the playoff run. The drawback is not getting a game on campus, and perhaps losing momentum with a week off while other teams might gain momentum with a first-round win.
In this first season with 12 teams in the playoff, those four slots went to:
- Top-seeded Oregon, the Big Ten champion
- Second-seeded Georgia, the SEC winner that lost a couple of games and escaped in overtime in each of the last two weeks
- Third-seeded Boise State, which won the Mountain West champion, went 12-1 and finished ninth in the final CFP standings
- Arizona State, which won the Big XII Saturday by beating Iowa State.
They’ll each have this weekend off while they wait for their next opponents.
Texas fell to No. 5 by losing in overtime to Georgia after the Longhorns largely approached their matchup with Georgia the way Ohio State decided to play against Michigan — which is to say they played into their opponents’ strengths and away from their own.
The No. 6 seed is Penn State. It’s understandable if Ohio State fans aren’t happy with that decision, because the Nittany Lions lost at home to the Buckeyes and lost by more against common opponent Oregon on a neutral field than OSU did in a true road contest.
Semi-independent and part-time ACC moonlighters Notre Dame got the No. 7 seed, with the Buckeyes getting the last home game at No. 8.
The first-round matchups then were set by figuring out which teams got to be the ninth through 12th seeds. Tennessee was placed ninth after finishing behind Georgia in the SEC at 10-2 by suffering a two-touchdown loss to the Bulldogs. Indiana was placed 10th, with ACC runners-up SMU getting the No. 11 seed and ACC champions Clemson getting in at No. 12.
Because Clemson won the ACC Championship Game, it got in over Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss, and South Carolina, which all finished higher in the final CFP rankings.
The Path to Glory
Looking at the first-round matchups, the final seeding appears to give Ohio State or Tennessee the toughest road to the semifinals, while Penn State may have the easiest.
The Buckeyes have to play a physical and athletic Tennessee team, although they get to be at home for the game. Ryan Day’s track record in big games isn’t going to make OSU fans anything other than nervous going into Saturday, but it is a winnable game if the Buckeyes can play defense they way they have all season and get the offense back on track. The Vols may claim the toughest road to the semis because they are literally on the road, but there is no lack of swagger in Knoxville and the Vols will be ready for the challenge.
The winner gets Oregon in the Rose Bowl, so it’s a longer trip for the winner of the first-round game, although the Buckeyes have had success against the Ducks in Rose Bowls before. Still, having to play the best team in college football throughout the season is a difficult second step on the journey.
On the other end of the spectrum is Penn State, which gets to host SMU at Beaver Stadium Saturday at noon. The Nittany Lions are tough to beat at home, and may be feeling confident after playing Oregon fairly close in the Big Ten Championship Game. Should they get past SMU, they’ll face Boise State, which has had some scares this season. I would expect Penn State to be favored in a Fiesta Bowl matchup against the Mountain West winners.
If Ohio State and Tennessee aren’t the teams with the most difficult path through, it might be Indiana. The Hoosiers get to stay in state, but they’ll travel to South Bend to face Notre Dame Friday night. Indiana can win that game, but this is unfamiliar territory for the Hoosiers. If they do get past the Irish, their reward will be a Sugar Bowl meeting with Georgia.
Texas fans will like their path to the semifinals. First up is a home game Saturday afternoon against a three-loss Clemson team that got destroyed by Georgia to open the season, lost at home to Louisville, and lost a close rivalry matchup against South Carolina. The Tigers were fortunate to get a long kickoff return after SMU tied the game with seconds left on Saturday, allowing them to get into long field-goal range to make the last-second winning kick rather than facing a momentum-laden Mustangs team in overtime.
The Texas-Clemson winner will face Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. It’s hard to know exactly how good the 11-2 Big XII champs are. They lost to Texas Tech and Cincinnati, which weren’t exactly juggernauts, and had narrow wins against the likes of North Texas, Mississippi State, Kansas, UCF, and BYU before blowing out Arizona and Iowa State.
If I had to handicap the path to the semifinals for the eight teams that have to play the extra game in this College Football Playoff from hardest to easiest, I’d go:
- Ohio State
- Tennessee
- Indiana
- Notre Dame
- SMU
- Clemson
- Texas
- Penn State
Beyond the first weekend, Oregon was given no favors by earning the No. 1 seed, as the Ducks would have to play the Tennessee-Ohio State winner, while Georgia would seem to have the easiest bowl opponent. Arizona State and Boise State will have a tough matchup whoever wins in the first round, but I like the Broncos over SMU much more than their chances against Penn State.
Arizona State is a complete wild card to me, but I like Texas to get past them, and if somehow Clemson dumps the Longhorns, I think the Sun Devils would take that result happily.
But enough about what I think. What do you think the easiest and toughest paths through the postseason are? Let me know in the comments section.
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