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LGHL Using CFB 25 to predict the College Football Playoff
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Using CFB 25 to predict the College Football Playoff
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Who will the computers crown as this year’s national champion?
College football finally returned to the virtual world in 2024 with the release of EA Sports College Football 25, allowing fans of all 134 FBS schools to take control of their favorite team. For Buckeye Nation, that means getting to dominate with one of the best rosters in the game.
The new game also allows us to get a glimpse at what the season could look like, at least if the computers had their say. Each week, Land-Grant Holy Land will simulate Ohio State’s real-life matchup to see what our AI overlords think will happen.
With the Buckeyes still a week away from returning to this field, this weekend we will use CFB 25 to predict the entire 12-team College Football Playoff. Each matchup was simulated only one time using the correct home/bowl game locations, and we used each of those results to eventually crown a national champion.
Here is how it all went down, presented in chronological order of the real game dates/times...
Indiana 52 - Notre Dame 38
On Friday night in South Bend, No. 10 Indiana went on the road and defeated No. 7 Notre Dame. The Hoosiers dominated right from the start, jumping out to a 31-10 lead by halftime. Kurtis Rourke had a sensational game, throwing for 327 yards and six touchdowns, with Elijah Sarratt his favorite target with six catches for 97 yards and three scores. Notre Dame scored 21 of its 38 points in the fourth quarter, and the Irish finished 3-of-11 on third down.
SMU 41 - Penn State 42
Saturday kicked off with a banger, as No. 6 Penn State narrowly avoided the upset at home with a one-point win over No. 11 SMU. The Nittany Lions trailed 38-28 entering the fourth quarter, but a pair of Drew Allar touchdown passes, including one to Liam Clifford with 43 seconds remaining, earned Penn State the victory. Both Allar and SMU QB Kevin Jennings threw for more than 300 yards, and Tyler Warren stood out with 68 receiving yards and two TDs. The Nittany Lions averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a team.
Clemson 32 - Texas 35
The noon game was followed up by another close contest, as No. 5 Texas needed a second half rally to overcome No. 12 Clemson in Austin. The Longhorns put together a 21-point third quarter to take the lead, but the Tigers went back on top midway through the fourth quarter after scoring 15 unanswered points. Quinn Ewers would find Gunnar Helm on a 12-yard TD pass with four minutes remaining to regain the lead for good, as Ewers finished with 321 yards passing and five touchdowns overall. Each starting quarterback threw two picks in the game.
Tennessee 38 - Ohio State 31
Even though no real head coaches are in the game, it sure looked like virtual No. 8 Ohio State was coached by Ryan Day in a first round loss to No. 9 Tennessee. The Buckeyes got out to their customary slow start, falling behind 24-10 at the half, but battled back to tie things up in the fourth quarter. With 1:32 to go, Nico Iamaleava hit Dont’e Thornton on a 47-yard TD pass that would wind up as the game-winner. Iamaleava finished the night with five touchdown passes, but Ohio State actually out-gained Tennessee 428-382. Will Howard threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns.
Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 32 - Boise State 21
Penn State advanced to the semifinals with a 32-21 win over Boise State in the lone New Year’s Eve CFP matchup in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions trailed 10-9 at the midway point after three first-half field goals, but would finally score their first touchdown of the game in the third quarter to take the lead. The two sides would find themselves tied 18-18 entering the final frame, but a pair of touchdowns by Clifford and Warren proved too much for the Broncos to overcome. Penn State managed to hold Ashton Jeanty to 83 yards on 15 carries.
Peach Bowl: Texas 54 - Arizona State 52 (3OT)
New Years Day got off to an insane start, with Texas getting the best of Arizona State in a triple-overtime thriller. The Sun Devils led 28-14 early in the third quarter, but the Longhorns stormed all the way back and took a 35-28 lead by the middle of the fourth quarter. ASU re-tied the game on an 82-yard punt return TD by Melquan Stovall, and from there we headed to overtime.
Both teams threw for touchdowns in the first OT, and both teams had to settle for a field goal in double-overtime. Arizona State failed on its ensuing two-point try in 3OT, and Quinn Ewers ran it in to secure the win for Texas on its possession. Ewers threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns, while Cam Skattebo did his best for ASU with 173 yards rushing and two scores.
Rose Bowl: Tennessee 38 - Oregon 31
The Volunteers continued their Cinderella run with a second-straight win by the exact same score, this time against Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Tennessee scored the first 14 points of the game and led 24-14 at the half, but the Ducks managed to tie it up a 31 apiece with only six minutes left in the contest. With 28 seconds to go, Iamaleava ripped off a 24-yard touchdown run to secure a stunning victory for Tennessee.
Iamaleava attempted only 15 passes, but threw for 257 yards and two scores while adding 70 yards with his legs. Both teams ran for more than 200 yards, with Oregon’s Noah Whittington going off for 151 yards and two TDs on 14 carries and Dylan Sampson totaling 145 yards on 19 carries and two scores.
Sugar Bowl: Indiana 22 - Georgia 14
As the lowest remaining seed in the field, Curt Cignetti got the whole college football world Googling him with a huge win over Georgia in New Orleans. The Hoosiers only scored one touchdown in the game, kicking five field goals en route to victory — four of which were from at least 42 yards out. Indiana’s lone touchdown, which gave them a lead in the third quarter, was a 81-yard catch-and-run score by Sarratt. Georgia actually had the football with 1:08 to play and a chance to tie the game from Indiana’s 3-yard line, but an incomplete pass on fourth down sealed the deal.
The Bulldogs actually out-gained the Hoosiers in the game 437-320, but were awful in the red zone and even worse on third down, where they finished the game converting on just three of their 13 tries (not that Indiana was much better on third down at 5-of-17). Carson Beck threw for 204 yards with one TD and a pick, while Rourke threw for 285 yards with one TD and a pick as well.
Orange Bowl: Indiana 20 - Penn State 28
We got a good ole fashioned Big Ten matchup in the CFP Semifinals, and it was Penn State emerging victorious to advance to the national title game.
Despite the Hoosiers out-gaining Penn State 460-336, Indiana turned the ball over three times. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of Nicholas Singleton touchdown runs, but Cignetti’s group made it a 14-10 game by halftime. Penn State tacked on with a short Allar TD run to begin the fourth quarter after both teams went scoreless in the third, and from there it was too little too late for the Hoosiers.
Allar finished with only 141 yards passing and two TDs, but Singleton kept the offense churning with 124 yards rushing and two TDs on the ground. Rourke, meanwhile threw for 327 yards but also had a trio of interceptions to go along with his two TDs. Indiana actually never entered the red zone in this game, with both of its touchdowns coming from more than 30 yards out. Penn State averaged 5.2 yards per carry as a team.
Cotton Bowl: Tennessee 34 - Texas 31
Two orange-clad units met in Arlington with a spot in the national title game on the line, and Tennessee proved the stronger of the SEC duo.
It was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with Tennessee jumping out to a 10-0 lead to begin the second quarter. Texas took the lead by halftime on a pair of Quinn Ewers TD passes to make it 14-10, and further extended that lead in the third quarter on a Jaydon Blue TD run and a short field goal. Now trailing 24-10, the Volunteers stormed back on a pair of long Dylan Sampson TD runs of 33 and 41 yards to tie it up. The Longhorns regained the lead on a 36-yard Isaiah Bond TD catch, but after a 33-yard Tennessee field goal, Iamaleava scored a game-winning touchdown with 52 seconds left.
Texas gained most of its yards through the air, with Ewers finishing 27-of-42 for 356 yards and three TDs with one pick. Tennessee, meanwhile, ran for 197 yards as a team, with Sampson accounting for 131 yards on 18 carries with two scores. Iamaleava was efficient throwing the football, completing 26-of-32 passes for 258 yards and a TD. Bru McCoy had a big day through the air with seven catches for 101 yards.
Penn State 23 - Tennessee 8
In an unlikely title game matchup, Penn State dominated en route to the program’s third national championship. It was a much lower scoring affair than most of the CFP games before it, as perhaps the grind of the 12-team field took its toll on two teams that did not receive a Round 1 bye.
Neither team would get on the scoreboard until the second quarter, where Kaytron Allen’s 1-yard TD run broke the scoreless tie. Penn State would add a field goal to take a 10-0 lead into halftime, and quickly added to that lead with a 4-yard TD by Liam Clifford to begin the third quarter. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Tennessee would score its lone touchdown, an 11-yard score from Iamaleava to Holden Staes plus a successful two-point conversion to make it 17-8. Penn State added a short Tyler Warren TD midway through the quarter but missed the extra point, and the 23-8 score would hold until the end.
Penn State significantly out-gained Tennessee, 408-270. The Nittany Lions’ rushing attack really showed out, as they ran for 231 yards on 5.4 yards per carry as a team. Singleton ran for 89 yards on 18 carries, and Allen totaled 126 yards on 15 carries with the lone TD. Allar had a quiet passing game, throwing for 167 yards and two TDs, as his running backs really paved the way for the victory. Iamaleava threw for 193 yards with a TD and a pick, and Sampson was held to just 40 yards on 17 carries. PSU held the ball for virtually the entire game, finishing with 38:57 of possession time.
Continue reading...
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Who will the computers crown as this year’s national champion?
College football finally returned to the virtual world in 2024 with the release of EA Sports College Football 25, allowing fans of all 134 FBS schools to take control of their favorite team. For Buckeye Nation, that means getting to dominate with one of the best rosters in the game.
The new game also allows us to get a glimpse at what the season could look like, at least if the computers had their say. Each week, Land-Grant Holy Land will simulate Ohio State’s real-life matchup to see what our AI overlords think will happen.
With the Buckeyes still a week away from returning to this field, this weekend we will use CFB 25 to predict the entire 12-team College Football Playoff. Each matchup was simulated only one time using the correct home/bowl game locations, and we used each of those results to eventually crown a national champion.
Here is how it all went down, presented in chronological order of the real game dates/times...
Round 1
Indiana 52 - Notre Dame 38
On Friday night in South Bend, No. 10 Indiana went on the road and defeated No. 7 Notre Dame. The Hoosiers dominated right from the start, jumping out to a 31-10 lead by halftime. Kurtis Rourke had a sensational game, throwing for 327 yards and six touchdowns, with Elijah Sarratt his favorite target with six catches for 97 yards and three scores. Notre Dame scored 21 of its 38 points in the fourth quarter, and the Irish finished 3-of-11 on third down.
SMU 41 - Penn State 42
Saturday kicked off with a banger, as No. 6 Penn State narrowly avoided the upset at home with a one-point win over No. 11 SMU. The Nittany Lions trailed 38-28 entering the fourth quarter, but a pair of Drew Allar touchdown passes, including one to Liam Clifford with 43 seconds remaining, earned Penn State the victory. Both Allar and SMU QB Kevin Jennings threw for more than 300 yards, and Tyler Warren stood out with 68 receiving yards and two TDs. The Nittany Lions averaged 5.8 yards per carry as a team.
Clemson 32 - Texas 35
The noon game was followed up by another close contest, as No. 5 Texas needed a second half rally to overcome No. 12 Clemson in Austin. The Longhorns put together a 21-point third quarter to take the lead, but the Tigers went back on top midway through the fourth quarter after scoring 15 unanswered points. Quinn Ewers would find Gunnar Helm on a 12-yard TD pass with four minutes remaining to regain the lead for good, as Ewers finished with 321 yards passing and five touchdowns overall. Each starting quarterback threw two picks in the game.
Tennessee 38 - Ohio State 31
Even though no real head coaches are in the game, it sure looked like virtual No. 8 Ohio State was coached by Ryan Day in a first round loss to No. 9 Tennessee. The Buckeyes got out to their customary slow start, falling behind 24-10 at the half, but battled back to tie things up in the fourth quarter. With 1:32 to go, Nico Iamaleava hit Dont’e Thornton on a 47-yard TD pass that would wind up as the game-winner. Iamaleava finished the night with five touchdown passes, but Ohio State actually out-gained Tennessee 428-382. Will Howard threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterfinals
Fiesta Bowl: Penn State 32 - Boise State 21
Penn State advanced to the semifinals with a 32-21 win over Boise State in the lone New Year’s Eve CFP matchup in the Fiesta Bowl. The Nittany Lions trailed 10-9 at the midway point after three first-half field goals, but would finally score their first touchdown of the game in the third quarter to take the lead. The two sides would find themselves tied 18-18 entering the final frame, but a pair of touchdowns by Clifford and Warren proved too much for the Broncos to overcome. Penn State managed to hold Ashton Jeanty to 83 yards on 15 carries.
Peach Bowl: Texas 54 - Arizona State 52 (3OT)
New Years Day got off to an insane start, with Texas getting the best of Arizona State in a triple-overtime thriller. The Sun Devils led 28-14 early in the third quarter, but the Longhorns stormed all the way back and took a 35-28 lead by the middle of the fourth quarter. ASU re-tied the game on an 82-yard punt return TD by Melquan Stovall, and from there we headed to overtime.
Both teams threw for touchdowns in the first OT, and both teams had to settle for a field goal in double-overtime. Arizona State failed on its ensuing two-point try in 3OT, and Quinn Ewers ran it in to secure the win for Texas on its possession. Ewers threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns, while Cam Skattebo did his best for ASU with 173 yards rushing and two scores.
Rose Bowl: Tennessee 38 - Oregon 31
The Volunteers continued their Cinderella run with a second-straight win by the exact same score, this time against Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Tennessee scored the first 14 points of the game and led 24-14 at the half, but the Ducks managed to tie it up a 31 apiece with only six minutes left in the contest. With 28 seconds to go, Iamaleava ripped off a 24-yard touchdown run to secure a stunning victory for Tennessee.
Iamaleava attempted only 15 passes, but threw for 257 yards and two scores while adding 70 yards with his legs. Both teams ran for more than 200 yards, with Oregon’s Noah Whittington going off for 151 yards and two TDs on 14 carries and Dylan Sampson totaling 145 yards on 19 carries and two scores.
Sugar Bowl: Indiana 22 - Georgia 14
As the lowest remaining seed in the field, Curt Cignetti got the whole college football world Googling him with a huge win over Georgia in New Orleans. The Hoosiers only scored one touchdown in the game, kicking five field goals en route to victory — four of which were from at least 42 yards out. Indiana’s lone touchdown, which gave them a lead in the third quarter, was a 81-yard catch-and-run score by Sarratt. Georgia actually had the football with 1:08 to play and a chance to tie the game from Indiana’s 3-yard line, but an incomplete pass on fourth down sealed the deal.
The Bulldogs actually out-gained the Hoosiers in the game 437-320, but were awful in the red zone and even worse on third down, where they finished the game converting on just three of their 13 tries (not that Indiana was much better on third down at 5-of-17). Carson Beck threw for 204 yards with one TD and a pick, while Rourke threw for 285 yards with one TD and a pick as well.
Semifinals
Orange Bowl: Indiana 20 - Penn State 28
We got a good ole fashioned Big Ten matchup in the CFP Semifinals, and it was Penn State emerging victorious to advance to the national title game.
Despite the Hoosiers out-gaining Penn State 460-336, Indiana turned the ball over three times. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of Nicholas Singleton touchdown runs, but Cignetti’s group made it a 14-10 game by halftime. Penn State tacked on with a short Allar TD run to begin the fourth quarter after both teams went scoreless in the third, and from there it was too little too late for the Hoosiers.
Allar finished with only 141 yards passing and two TDs, but Singleton kept the offense churning with 124 yards rushing and two TDs on the ground. Rourke, meanwhile threw for 327 yards but also had a trio of interceptions to go along with his two TDs. Indiana actually never entered the red zone in this game, with both of its touchdowns coming from more than 30 yards out. Penn State averaged 5.2 yards per carry as a team.
Cotton Bowl: Tennessee 34 - Texas 31
Two orange-clad units met in Arlington with a spot in the national title game on the line, and Tennessee proved the stronger of the SEC duo.
It was a back-and-forth affair throughout, with Tennessee jumping out to a 10-0 lead to begin the second quarter. Texas took the lead by halftime on a pair of Quinn Ewers TD passes to make it 14-10, and further extended that lead in the third quarter on a Jaydon Blue TD run and a short field goal. Now trailing 24-10, the Volunteers stormed back on a pair of long Dylan Sampson TD runs of 33 and 41 yards to tie it up. The Longhorns regained the lead on a 36-yard Isaiah Bond TD catch, but after a 33-yard Tennessee field goal, Iamaleava scored a game-winning touchdown with 52 seconds left.
Texas gained most of its yards through the air, with Ewers finishing 27-of-42 for 356 yards and three TDs with one pick. Tennessee, meanwhile, ran for 197 yards as a team, with Sampson accounting for 131 yards on 18 carries with two scores. Iamaleava was efficient throwing the football, completing 26-of-32 passes for 258 yards and a TD. Bru McCoy had a big day through the air with seven catches for 101 yards.
National Championship
Penn State 23 - Tennessee 8
In an unlikely title game matchup, Penn State dominated en route to the program’s third national championship. It was a much lower scoring affair than most of the CFP games before it, as perhaps the grind of the 12-team field took its toll on two teams that did not receive a Round 1 bye.
Neither team would get on the scoreboard until the second quarter, where Kaytron Allen’s 1-yard TD run broke the scoreless tie. Penn State would add a field goal to take a 10-0 lead into halftime, and quickly added to that lead with a 4-yard TD by Liam Clifford to begin the third quarter. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Tennessee would score its lone touchdown, an 11-yard score from Iamaleava to Holden Staes plus a successful two-point conversion to make it 17-8. Penn State added a short Tyler Warren TD midway through the quarter but missed the extra point, and the 23-8 score would hold until the end.
Penn State significantly out-gained Tennessee, 408-270. The Nittany Lions’ rushing attack really showed out, as they ran for 231 yards on 5.4 yards per carry as a team. Singleton ran for 89 yards on 18 carries, and Allen totaled 126 yards on 15 carries with the lone TD. Allar had a quiet passing game, throwing for 167 yards and two TDs, as his running backs really paved the way for the victory. Iamaleava threw for 193 yards with a TD and a pick, and Sampson was held to just 40 yards on 17 carries. PSU held the ball for virtually the entire game, finishing with 38:57 of possession time.
Champions: Penn State
Continue reading...
LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land: Our full College Football Playoff predictions
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- 0 Replies
Hangout in the Holy Land: Our full College Football Playoff predictions
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Also, we discuss the state of the Ohio State men’s basketball team after its blowout loss to Auburn.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On this brand new episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, we are officially one week out from kickoff, and it is game week for the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff! In honor of that, we make our full bracket predictions and preview each game, except for Ohio State and Tennessee as we will have a full preview of the matchup this week.
Before that, we talk about Ohio State men’s basketball getting run off the court by Auburn and what are panic and concern levels are for the team as we get ready to move into conference play.
Also, what are our best Christmas gifts of all time?
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Also, we discuss the state of the Ohio State men’s basketball team after its blowout loss to Auburn.
The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Justin Golba as they discuss Ohio State football, basketball, recruiting, and much more! Come for the hot takes. Stay for the warm ones.
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
On this brand new episode of Hangout in the Holy Land, we are officially one week out from kickoff, and it is game week for the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff! In honor of that, we make our full bracket predictions and preview each game, except for Ohio State and Tennessee as we will have a full preview of the matchup this week.
Before that, we talk about Ohio State men’s basketball getting run off the court by Auburn and what are panic and concern levels are for the team as we get ready to move into conference play.
Also, what are our best Christmas gifts of all time?
Make sure to like and subscribe to the podcast. As always, Go Bucks!
Connect with the pod:
Twitter: @HolyLandPod
Connect with Josh Dooley:
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye
Connect with Justin Golba:
Twitter: @justin_golba
Continue reading...
LGHL ‘I just couldn’t stop smiling,’ the Thierrys reflect on a matchup four years in the making
- News
- 0 Replies
‘I just couldn’t stop smiling,’ the Thierrys reflect on a matchup four years in the making
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State women’s basketball on Twitter | @OhioStateWBB
A simple compliment, a surprise interaction and spending time with a best friend.
In the fourth quarter of No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball’s victory over Youngstown State, forward Taylor Thierry had a block. Thierry’s lone block of the game and 75th of her NCAA career, but it was far and away the most memorable. It didn’t win the game for the Buckeyes or stop a big Youngstown run, but it gave the Thierry twins a memory they’ll never forget.
“Thank you,” said Taylor to her twin sister Haley as they headed back down the court after Taylor blocked her sibling in the fourth quarter of the 87-39 Ohio State victory.
At that moment, nothing else mattered. Ohio State was up 42 points and even if nobody wants to see an opponent swipe away one of their shots, it didn’t phase the Youngstown guard.
Haley had a smile on her face the entire game. From the moment the guard stepped onto the court in the second quarter, it was evident joy. Their time against each other started with a surprise for Haley. The guard headed to the scorer’s table to check into the game as a substitute, something she’s done countless times in her life as a basketball player.
Seconds later, Ohio State’s Thierry got up off the bench and ran to the scorer’s table too. It looked almost planned by Buckeyes’ head coach Kevin McGuff.
“No, just random. So meant to be, I guess,” said McGuff.
Taylor ran to the scorer’s table and crouched down next to her sister. It wasn’t an immediate reunion with smiles and hugs. For nearly a minute the two just kneeled there, with Haley having no idea it was her fraternal twin.
“I didn’t know until she said, ‘Oh, Hey,’ and then she gave me a high five,” said Haley Thierry. “I didn’t expect it to be her. But obviously when I saw her, I got excited and happy.”
The two played only 1:11 of game time in the second quarter, a brief introduction but one that filled the hearts of fans in the know and a traveling supporter group from across the country to see the twins play — their family.
“We had 15 family members that came and then just lots of friends from high school,” said Taylor Thierry.
Their family sat in the first two rows of the Ohio State family section, with most donning some Thierry sister memorabilia in the form of buttons and a custom made Thierry shirt with the Ohio State “Block O” and the Youngstown State “Y.”
Elin Thierry, the sister’s mom, didn’t wear any sort of team paraphernalia, instead wearing a red sweater without a penguin or buckeye in sight. After all, their mom didn’t want to even see them play against each other, instead wishing the two were on the same side.
“I’m just not a fan of playing against my sister,” said Taylor Thierry, “I’d rather have her on the same team. So, but yeah, I guess my mom was the same thing.”
Regardless, the joy on Elin and their family’s faces, with some coming in from as far as Louisiana, was on the faces of the Thierry twins too in the second half when they played extended time against each other on the court.
That was due in part to the Buckeyes’ in-team sisters being injured and McGuff using an eight-player rotation in the Saturday victory.
A silver lining of the shorter bench of available players was more time for the Thierrys to bask in the moment. More time to make memories.
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Ohio State Women’s Basketball on Twitter | @OhioStateWBB
Taylor Thierry and Haley Thierry
On the court, Taylor won out on the competitive piece of the “rivalry.” Before the block, Thierry hit a layup over her sister. Those two moments combined, all within the span of 15 seconds, have a good chance of becoming stories the two will share for the rest of their lives, probably with some gentle ribbing from Taylor Thierry who, despite her quiet demeanor, has a quick wit and funnier facial reactions.
For Haley, she didn’t seem to care. She felt differently than Taylor on the excitement of the day too. While Taylor was happy, Haley was excited for the matchup and looking forward to it since she found out over the summer.
“Ever since warmup, when I saw her, I just couldn’t stop smiling,” said Haley.
It shows the juxtaposition of the fraternal twins who have different personalities, games on the court and are separated by a good four inches of height. The scoreline will one day be forgotten, but not the memories created by the senior sisters in their final years of NCAA basketball.
“I feel like that was a very memorable moment and exciting,” said Haley. “And I was, again, like, I’m just happy to be here and be able to play against, you know, my best friend right here.”
For more on the Thierry sisters, and the meaning behind Saturday’s game, read what they and their mom told Land-Grant Holy Land in the days leading up to Ohio State’s matchup with Youngstown State.
Taylor and Haley Thierry compete Saturday, celebrating a family legacy
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State women’s basketball on Twitter | @OhioStateWBB
A simple compliment, a surprise interaction and spending time with a best friend.
In the fourth quarter of No. 11 Ohio State women’s basketball’s victory over Youngstown State, forward Taylor Thierry had a block. Thierry’s lone block of the game and 75th of her NCAA career, but it was far and away the most memorable. It didn’t win the game for the Buckeyes or stop a big Youngstown run, but it gave the Thierry twins a memory they’ll never forget.
“Thank you,” said Taylor to her twin sister Haley as they headed back down the court after Taylor blocked her sibling in the fourth quarter of the 87-39 Ohio State victory.
At that moment, nothing else mattered. Ohio State was up 42 points and even if nobody wants to see an opponent swipe away one of their shots, it didn’t phase the Youngstown guard.
Haley had a smile on her face the entire game. From the moment the guard stepped onto the court in the second quarter, it was evident joy. Their time against each other started with a surprise for Haley. The guard headed to the scorer’s table to check into the game as a substitute, something she’s done countless times in her life as a basketball player.
Seconds later, Ohio State’s Thierry got up off the bench and ran to the scorer’s table too. It looked almost planned by Buckeyes’ head coach Kevin McGuff.
“No, just random. So meant to be, I guess,” said McGuff.
Taylor ran to the scorer’s table and crouched down next to her sister. It wasn’t an immediate reunion with smiles and hugs. For nearly a minute the two just kneeled there, with Haley having no idea it was her fraternal twin.
“I didn’t know until she said, ‘Oh, Hey,’ and then she gave me a high five,” said Haley Thierry. “I didn’t expect it to be her. But obviously when I saw her, I got excited and happy.”
The two played only 1:11 of game time in the second quarter, a brief introduction but one that filled the hearts of fans in the know and a traveling supporter group from across the country to see the twins play — their family.
“We had 15 family members that came and then just lots of friends from high school,” said Taylor Thierry.
Their family sat in the first two rows of the Ohio State family section, with most donning some Thierry sister memorabilia in the form of buttons and a custom made Thierry shirt with the Ohio State “Block O” and the Youngstown State “Y.”
Elin Thierry, the sister’s mom, didn’t wear any sort of team paraphernalia, instead wearing a red sweater without a penguin or buckeye in sight. After all, their mom didn’t want to even see them play against each other, instead wishing the two were on the same side.
“I’m just not a fan of playing against my sister,” said Taylor Thierry, “I’d rather have her on the same team. So, but yeah, I guess my mom was the same thing.”
Regardless, the joy on Elin and their family’s faces, with some coming in from as far as Louisiana, was on the faces of the Thierry twins too in the second half when they played extended time against each other on the court.
That was due in part to the Buckeyes’ in-team sisters being injured and McGuff using an eight-player rotation in the Saturday victory.
A silver lining of the shorter bench of available players was more time for the Thierrys to bask in the moment. More time to make memories.
Taylor Thierry and Haley Thierry
On the court, Taylor won out on the competitive piece of the “rivalry.” Before the block, Thierry hit a layup over her sister. Those two moments combined, all within the span of 15 seconds, have a good chance of becoming stories the two will share for the rest of their lives, probably with some gentle ribbing from Taylor Thierry who, despite her quiet demeanor, has a quick wit and funnier facial reactions.
For Haley, she didn’t seem to care. She felt differently than Taylor on the excitement of the day too. While Taylor was happy, Haley was excited for the matchup and looking forward to it since she found out over the summer.
“Ever since warmup, when I saw her, I just couldn’t stop smiling,” said Haley.
It shows the juxtaposition of the fraternal twins who have different personalities, games on the court and are separated by a good four inches of height. The scoreline will one day be forgotten, but not the memories created by the senior sisters in their final years of NCAA basketball.
“I feel like that was a very memorable moment and exciting,” said Haley. “And I was, again, like, I’m just happy to be here and be able to play against, you know, my best friend right here.”
For more on the Thierry sisters, and the meaning behind Saturday’s game, read what they and their mom told Land-Grant Holy Land in the days leading up to Ohio State’s matchup with Youngstown State.
Taylor and Haley Thierry compete Saturday, celebrating a family legacy
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LGHL Buckeye fans expect The Shoe to be rocking vs. Tennessee, and they are absolutely right
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Buckeye fans expect The Shoe to be rocking vs. Tennessee, and they are absolutely right
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
We are now one week away from Ohio State kicking off its 2024 College Football Playoff opportunity by welcoming the Tennessee Volunteers to Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET. After getting the news that not only was Penn State — who the Buckeyes beat — ahead of OSU but that Ryan Day’s squad would be hosting a primetime playoff game in late December, there was a lot to unpack from the CFP committee’s announcements and the networks’ subsequent timeslot assignments.
So, earlier this week, we asked Buckeye fans their thoughts on OSU’s No. 8 seed (even though the committee had them ranked No. 6) and the fact that Ohio State was not subject to a noon CFP kickoff in our weekly fan survey.
Now we have the results of those poll questions, and we got solid majority opinions on both. So, check out the results below and if you have any comments or want to make any additions, feel free to respond at the bottom of the page.
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Following last Saturday’s action, we essentially knew that as long as the CFP committee stuck to its word, it would be the Bucks vs. the Vols in the Shoe, and that’s exactly what happened. While I do not think that Ohio State is a worse team than Penn State, I understand that the Nittany Lions made the Big Ten Championship Game and OSU did not, so they get the benefit of the doubt.
So, I would say that this ranking is essentially correct, even though if they were seeding them based on who was best, I think the Buckeyes would be no lower than fourth.
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This is the kind of energy that I like to see Buckeye Nation bringing into a game like this. I know that there are some people online and in the media (rhymes with Girk Blurbstreit) who want to paint Ohio Stadium as a poor gameday environment. Hogwash, I say.
You know what Ohio Stadium is? Ohio Stadium is the old dog who has seen it all in his day. He has witnessed the good times and he has witnessed the bad times, and fortunately, his owner has treated him well and always looked out for him, so there have been far more good times than there have been bad. However, the owner takes his loyal pet for granted, assuming that he will always be there, but only ever doing the bare minimum to acknowledge just how good of a boy he is.
Therefore, when his owner gives him a treat, or buys him a new toy, or takes him to the park to play, he’s happy, but not enthusiastically overjoyed. However, when his owner forgets to feed him, or his owner yells at him unnecessarily, or his owner lets a suspicious-looking stranger into the house, he gets ferocious. Perhaps he goes too far and gets too aggressive or defensive than he needs to, but that’s just the way that he’s been conditioned.
Maybe if his owner had sprung for some actual meat every now and then instead of the dry Kibbles and Bits, or had arranged some doggy play-dates with his pup’s favorite friends, or hadn’t raised the price of football tickets to the point where only the uber-wealthy could afford to come to games regularly and sit in the best seats, or hadn’t confused the average gameday with a mix between a middle school field day and end of year assembly featuring stupid games where people run into each other inside inflatable balls and other people you’ve never heard of get handed a certificate for something you don’t care about.
Call me old fashioned, but if your game day environment isn’t as good as you want it to be, don’t blame the fans, blame the people making the decision about who gets into the stadium and how the game day environment is run. They are the ones pulling the strings, not the people who love the team so much that they sold their left liver to be able to afford tickets.
And furthermore, in the biggest moments, Ohio Stadium fucking rocks. Maybe not against Akron and Marshall, but I’d bet my right liver (I sold my left one for Ohio State football tickets) that the fans will be well lubricated and rowdy next weekend against Tennessee.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
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
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
We are now one week away from Ohio State kicking off its 2024 College Football Playoff opportunity by welcoming the Tennessee Volunteers to Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. ET. After getting the news that not only was Penn State — who the Buckeyes beat — ahead of OSU but that Ryan Day’s squad would be hosting a primetime playoff game in late December, there was a lot to unpack from the CFP committee’s announcements and the networks’ subsequent timeslot assignments.
So, earlier this week, we asked Buckeye fans their thoughts on OSU’s No. 8 seed (even though the committee had them ranked No. 6) and the fact that Ohio State was not subject to a noon CFP kickoff in our weekly fan survey.
Now we have the results of those poll questions, and we got solid majority opinions on both. So, check out the results below and if you have any comments or want to make any additions, feel free to respond at the bottom of the page.
Question 1: What do you think of Ohio State’s playoff seeding?
Following last Saturday’s action, we essentially knew that as long as the CFP committee stuck to its word, it would be the Bucks vs. the Vols in the Shoe, and that’s exactly what happened. While I do not think that Ohio State is a worse team than Penn State, I understand that the Nittany Lions made the Big Ten Championship Game and OSU did not, so they get the benefit of the doubt.
So, I would say that this ranking is essentially correct, even though if they were seeding them based on who was best, I think the Buckeyes would be no lower than fourth.
Question 2: How do you feel about OSU facing Tennessee at night in The Shoe in mid-December?
This is the kind of energy that I like to see Buckeye Nation bringing into a game like this. I know that there are some people online and in the media (rhymes with Girk Blurbstreit) who want to paint Ohio Stadium as a poor gameday environment. Hogwash, I say.
You know what Ohio Stadium is? Ohio Stadium is the old dog who has seen it all in his day. He has witnessed the good times and he has witnessed the bad times, and fortunately, his owner has treated him well and always looked out for him, so there have been far more good times than there have been bad. However, the owner takes his loyal pet for granted, assuming that he will always be there, but only ever doing the bare minimum to acknowledge just how good of a boy he is.
Therefore, when his owner gives him a treat, or buys him a new toy, or takes him to the park to play, he’s happy, but not enthusiastically overjoyed. However, when his owner forgets to feed him, or his owner yells at him unnecessarily, or his owner lets a suspicious-looking stranger into the house, he gets ferocious. Perhaps he goes too far and gets too aggressive or defensive than he needs to, but that’s just the way that he’s been conditioned.
Maybe if his owner had sprung for some actual meat every now and then instead of the dry Kibbles and Bits, or had arranged some doggy play-dates with his pup’s favorite friends, or hadn’t raised the price of football tickets to the point where only the uber-wealthy could afford to come to games regularly and sit in the best seats, or hadn’t confused the average gameday with a mix between a middle school field day and end of year assembly featuring stupid games where people run into each other inside inflatable balls and other people you’ve never heard of get handed a certificate for something you don’t care about.
Call me old fashioned, but if your game day environment isn’t as good as you want it to be, don’t blame the fans, blame the people making the decision about who gets into the stadium and how the game day environment is run. They are the ones pulling the strings, not the people who love the team so much that they sold their left liver to be able to afford tickets.
And furthermore, in the biggest moments, Ohio Stadium fucking rocks. Maybe not against Akron and Marshall, but I’d bet my right liver (I sold my left one for Ohio State football tickets) that the fans will be well lubricated and rowdy next weekend against Tennessee.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...