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Poll
Should The Bears Trade Justin Fields?
- By ScriptOhio
- Professional Football
- 24 Replies
Hey, nobody has posted a "poll" lately so I thought that I'd try one.....
www.cbssports.com
A year after trading the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and the eventual rights to Bryce Young, the Bears are in a similar position with three games remaining in the regular season as a result of that trade, as the Panthers pick they acquired would currently be No. 1 overall.
His play this season has inspired a bit more confidence in his capabilities moving forward. However, has it been enough to tip the scales in his favor? The NFC North franchise could keep their young quarterback and try to build upon the momentum established over the past month, winning three of their last five games. In that scenario, they could either select the best non-quarterback at No. 1 overall or trade out of the pick for the second consecutive year. The defense, particularly, has shown a lot of promise over the second half of the season since acquiring Montez Sweat. If the offense can catch up, the Bears should be able to rise quickly in a relatively open NFC.
So, again, why would Chicago trade Justin Fields?
First, he was drafted by neither general manager Ryan Poles nor head coach Matt Eberflus. They do not have ties to the quarterback outside of the past year they have spent together. Fields, who is nearing the end of his third season, was drafted No. 11 overall. He is through 60% of his rookie contract if it is assumed that the fifth-year option would be used.
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What should Bears do with Justin Fields? Chicago faces decision to trade QB or top pick for 2nd straight year
Chicago is in line to pick No. 1 in the 2024 NFL Draft, but should it trade the pick again or deal Fields?
www.cbssports.com
What should Bears do with Justin Fields? Chicago faces decision to trade QB or top pick for 2nd straight year
Who could have known exploring whether the Chicago Bears should take a quarterback at No. 1 overall or soldier forth with Justin Fields would become evergreen content?A year after trading the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and the eventual rights to Bryce Young, the Bears are in a similar position with three games remaining in the regular season as a result of that trade, as the Panthers pick they acquired would currently be No. 1 overall.
Should the Bears trade Justin Fields and draft a quarterback?
Why would Chicago keep Justin Fields?His play this season has inspired a bit more confidence in his capabilities moving forward. However, has it been enough to tip the scales in his favor? The NFC North franchise could keep their young quarterback and try to build upon the momentum established over the past month, winning three of their last five games. In that scenario, they could either select the best non-quarterback at No. 1 overall or trade out of the pick for the second consecutive year. The defense, particularly, has shown a lot of promise over the second half of the season since acquiring Montez Sweat. If the offense can catch up, the Bears should be able to rise quickly in a relatively open NFC.
So, again, why would Chicago trade Justin Fields?
First, he was drafted by neither general manager Ryan Poles nor head coach Matt Eberflus. They do not have ties to the quarterback outside of the past year they have spent together. Fields, who is nearing the end of his third season, was drafted No. 11 overall. He is through 60% of his rookie contract if it is assumed that the fifth-year option would be used.
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LGHL Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 2 UCLA
- News
- 0 Replies
Five Storylines: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 2 UCLA
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Facing Lauren Betts will require the Buckeyes focusing closely on their strengths.
The future of Big Ten basketball returns Monday, as the Ohio State women’s basketball team faces its second challenge against a soon-to-be ex-Pac 12 team. After dropping the season opener to the USC Trojans, the Buckeyes have an opportunity for redemption against the other Los Angeles side in the No. 2 UCLA Bruins.
If the scarlet and gray want to compete, there’s a 6-foot-7 center standing in their way. Her, plus a group of strong underclassmen from the West Coast side, requires the Buckeyes’ strengths consistently for 40 minutes.
Here are five storylines to watch heading into Monday night’s marquee matchup in not only the Big Ten, but the NCAA as a whole.
A main storyline of Monday isn’t if center Lauren Betts is going to have a big game. The better question is how big? The sophomore transfer from Stanford University went from a freshman who averaged less than 10 minutes per game to the star of a UCLA Bruins team full of stars.
Betts leads the No. 2 team in the nation in both scoring and rebounding, almost averaging a double-double with 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds. At 6-foot-7, there’s nobody on the Buckeyes who can match her size. The center plays like a traditional big. Betts will get near the paint, back into her defender and spin, or force, her way to the rim for high percentage shots.
The only way to possibly limit the center is getting her in foul trouble, but that’s not exactly easy as the sophomore has upperclassmen patience and discipline. Betts hasn’t had more than one foul per game in the nine starts she’s had with the Bruins.
She’s the kind of player Ohio State’s had trouble with over the past two seasons. The game might elicit flashbacks of University of South Florida’s Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 34 points and 17 rebounds performance against the Buckeyes last December. Also, the 27-point, 15-rebound performance by University of Illinois’ forward Kendall Bostic in January.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Ohio State won both of those games, even though it saw double-digit deficits. While Betts won’t likely be neutralized, the best bet for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side is making life difficult on the other four Bruins on the court.
On Nov. 24, the Bruins faced the UConn Huskies in a main event-style billing in the Cayman Islands. The game was much more of a vacation for the Bruins than the Huskies.
UCLA led the entirety of the game, once being up as much as 23 points against the perennial college basketball power. What hurt UConn wasn’t Betts directly, who had a “quiet” 13 points and seven rebounds. The center helped UCLA indirectly because the defense was so focused on playing in the perimeter that Bruins guards had a field day.
Leading the day were guards Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne. When the offense UCLA offense moved down the court, and pressure built around Betts, Rice and Osborne hit their shots. Osborne led the day going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc, and Rice following behind going 2-for-4. Rice’s other 18 points in the team-leading 24-point performance came going at the basket and pulling up for midrange shots.
Rice is a force. In that game against UConn, Rice benefited from the added attention to Betts and grabbed 11 rebounds. In terms of running the offense, she also had eight assists, putting her within two of a triple-double. Stopping Betts means trying to stop Rice.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, graduate guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor have been in strong defensive form to start the season. While still developing their partnership after Taylor joined in the offseason out of Duke University, the two don’t get players much time to breathe. As long as Ohio State gets back quickly on transition defense, Rice, Osborne and other Bruins won’t have the same easy looks as they had against UConn.
For that to come to fruition, Coach McGuff will need a 40-minute consistent performance from the duo of guards. Both Sheldon and Taylor seemingly have endless energy, so stamina shouldn’t be a worry. Stopping shooting and making passes difficult, all while staying out of foul trouble, will be the real worries.
Speaking of Rice, both her and guard Londynn Jones reunite with a teammate on Monday night: Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon. Together, the trio won the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 and most recently brought home the gold in the FIBA U19 World Cup.
The Buckeyes don’t need motivation to play the No. 2 team in the country, but consider it a little extra “oomph” for McMahon. Friday night, the forward only played 17 minutes against NCAA Division II side Grand Valley State — maybe in an effort to keep her ready for Monday.
Ohio State’s offense will need a complete McMahon performance, even with Betts patrolling inside the paint. McMahon’s ability to get to the basket, and draw whistles, could be what the scarlet and gray needs early in the game to not allow the Bruins to get off to a hot start.
Since starting the year with a difficult day against the USC Trojans, scoring seven points and turning the ball over five times in 34 minutes, McMahon’s been strong and consistent. The forward averaged 18.1 points in the seven games following the defeat to the Trojans.
The most impressive came a week ago against the Penn State Nittany Lions. McMahon had 27 points and eight rebounds, her strongest performance of the young season. While those were needed points, especially considering McMahon had a slow start and came on strong in the second half, the most important piece of the stat line when considering Monday’s opponent is the season-high three steals. McMahon will need to be an active participant in the press.
Ohio State will need its havoc-inducing press to have a standout performance on Monday. UCLA has stars on its roster, but feature a team of predominantly underclassmen. While those sophomores like Rice and Jones are younger, they still have international experience. Also, the Bruins have six of the top 100 recruits combined from the last two years.
However, an experienced group of Ohio State graduate seniors can leverage that additional time in the NCAA game to exploit the Bruins as often as they can. That means forcing turnovers and not missing chances on the extra offensive possessions created.
Because of the Buckeyes’ defensive prowess, they average seven more shot attempts per game compared to their opponents. Against USC, Ohio State allowed more overall shots to the Trojans, and USC hit over 50% of their attempts on the night. Compare that to the Buckeyes who shot only 39.7% on the day.
Since that Nov. 6 defeat, the Buckeyes’ offense is improving with additional game experience for new players. Ohio State only had nine assists against USC, in the seven games that followed the scarlet and gray averaged 18 per game. While the opponents haven't been up to the caliber of a USC or UCLA, its in those games where players grow chemistry. Monday will test how strong of a bond the offense has built over the last month and a half.
With Betts on the court, Ohio State isn’t likely to win the rebounding margin, but it has to win all of the close chances it can. Friday, the Buckeyes took a step back in rebounding though, being out rebounded by the Grand Valley State Lakers 30-25.
“If we rebound like that on Monday, it’s going to be a long night, I can assure you,” said Coach McGuff following the win. “So we’ll have to really get back at it, make sure we’re on point in practice.”
That means McMahon and Thierry, the primary targets for rebounds, will be battling the likes of Betts and the Bruins inside the paint. However, when Sheldon and Taylor get rebounds, good things happen.
Both bring intensity to the court, and in stretches this season that ability to get around players turned into Sheldon and Taylor getting under the basket and taking advantage of lax rebounding attempts by opponents.
In the 20-point route of the Tennessee Volunteers, Taylor led the game with 12 rebounds, and seven from Sheldon, against a taller SEC team. That’s with 6-foot-6 center Tamari Key in the game for 16 minutes, a season high following heart concerns that cut the player’s 22-23 season short.
When shots go up, expect Sheldon and Taylor to join the fray in the paint. While it may not mean a rebounding performance in Ohio State’s favor, taking anything away from the Bruins will be a long way in staying competitive.
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
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
Facing Lauren Betts will require the Buckeyes focusing closely on their strengths.
The future of Big Ten basketball returns Monday, as the Ohio State women’s basketball team faces its second challenge against a soon-to-be ex-Pac 12 team. After dropping the season opener to the USC Trojans, the Buckeyes have an opportunity for redemption against the other Los Angeles side in the No. 2 UCLA Bruins.
If the scarlet and gray want to compete, there’s a 6-foot-7 center standing in their way. Her, plus a group of strong underclassmen from the West Coast side, requires the Buckeyes’ strengths consistently for 40 minutes.
Here are five storylines to watch heading into Monday night’s marquee matchup in not only the Big Ten, but the NCAA as a whole.
Lauren Betts
A main storyline of Monday isn’t if center Lauren Betts is going to have a big game. The better question is how big? The sophomore transfer from Stanford University went from a freshman who averaged less than 10 minutes per game to the star of a UCLA Bruins team full of stars.
Betts leads the No. 2 team in the nation in both scoring and rebounding, almost averaging a double-double with 17.0 points and 9.7 rebounds. At 6-foot-7, there’s nobody on the Buckeyes who can match her size. The center plays like a traditional big. Betts will get near the paint, back into her defender and spin, or force, her way to the rim for high percentage shots.
The only way to possibly limit the center is getting her in foul trouble, but that’s not exactly easy as the sophomore has upperclassmen patience and discipline. Betts hasn’t had more than one foul per game in the nine starts she’s had with the Bruins.
She’s the kind of player Ohio State’s had trouble with over the past two seasons. The game might elicit flashbacks of University of South Florida’s Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu’s 34 points and 17 rebounds performance against the Buckeyes last December. Also, the 27-point, 15-rebound performance by University of Illinois’ forward Kendall Bostic in January.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, Ohio State won both of those games, even though it saw double-digit deficits. While Betts won’t likely be neutralized, the best bet for head coach Kevin McGuff’s side is making life difficult on the other four Bruins on the court.
Defense around the arc
On Nov. 24, the Bruins faced the UConn Huskies in a main event-style billing in the Cayman Islands. The game was much more of a vacation for the Bruins than the Huskies.
UCLA led the entirety of the game, once being up as much as 23 points against the perennial college basketball power. What hurt UConn wasn’t Betts directly, who had a “quiet” 13 points and seven rebounds. The center helped UCLA indirectly because the defense was so focused on playing in the perimeter that Bruins guards had a field day.
Leading the day were guards Kiki Rice and Charisma Osborne. When the offense UCLA offense moved down the court, and pressure built around Betts, Rice and Osborne hit their shots. Osborne led the day going 6-for-10 from beyond the arc, and Rice following behind going 2-for-4. Rice’s other 18 points in the team-leading 24-point performance came going at the basket and pulling up for midrange shots.
Rice is a force. In that game against UConn, Rice benefited from the added attention to Betts and grabbed 11 rebounds. In terms of running the offense, she also had eight assists, putting her within two of a triple-double. Stopping Betts means trying to stop Rice.
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, graduate guards Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor have been in strong defensive form to start the season. While still developing their partnership after Taylor joined in the offseason out of Duke University, the two don’t get players much time to breathe. As long as Ohio State gets back quickly on transition defense, Rice, Osborne and other Bruins won’t have the same easy looks as they had against UConn.
For that to come to fruition, Coach McGuff will need a 40-minute consistent performance from the duo of guards. Both Sheldon and Taylor seemingly have endless energy, so stamina shouldn’t be a worry. Stopping shooting and making passes difficult, all while staying out of foul trouble, will be the real worries.
Defeating Team USA teammates
Speaking of Rice, both her and guard Londynn Jones reunite with a teammate on Monday night: Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon. Together, the trio won the U18 Americas Championship in 2022 and most recently brought home the gold in the FIBA U19 World Cup.
The Buckeyes don’t need motivation to play the No. 2 team in the country, but consider it a little extra “oomph” for McMahon. Friday night, the forward only played 17 minutes against NCAA Division II side Grand Valley State — maybe in an effort to keep her ready for Monday.
Ohio State’s offense will need a complete McMahon performance, even with Betts patrolling inside the paint. McMahon’s ability to get to the basket, and draw whistles, could be what the scarlet and gray needs early in the game to not allow the Bruins to get off to a hot start.
Since starting the year with a difficult day against the USC Trojans, scoring seven points and turning the ball over five times in 34 minutes, McMahon’s been strong and consistent. The forward averaged 18.1 points in the seven games following the defeat to the Trojans.
The most impressive came a week ago against the Penn State Nittany Lions. McMahon had 27 points and eight rebounds, her strongest performance of the young season. While those were needed points, especially considering McMahon had a slow start and came on strong in the second half, the most important piece of the stat line when considering Monday’s opponent is the season-high three steals. McMahon will need to be an active participant in the press.
Next level press
Ohio State will need its havoc-inducing press to have a standout performance on Monday. UCLA has stars on its roster, but feature a team of predominantly underclassmen. While those sophomores like Rice and Jones are younger, they still have international experience. Also, the Bruins have six of the top 100 recruits combined from the last two years.
However, an experienced group of Ohio State graduate seniors can leverage that additional time in the NCAA game to exploit the Bruins as often as they can. That means forcing turnovers and not missing chances on the extra offensive possessions created.
Because of the Buckeyes’ defensive prowess, they average seven more shot attempts per game compared to their opponents. Against USC, Ohio State allowed more overall shots to the Trojans, and USC hit over 50% of their attempts on the night. Compare that to the Buckeyes who shot only 39.7% on the day.
Since that Nov. 6 defeat, the Buckeyes’ offense is improving with additional game experience for new players. Ohio State only had nine assists against USC, in the seven games that followed the scarlet and gray averaged 18 per game. While the opponents haven't been up to the caliber of a USC or UCLA, its in those games where players grow chemistry. Monday will test how strong of a bond the offense has built over the last month and a half.
Rebounding. Rebounding. Rebounding.
With Betts on the court, Ohio State isn’t likely to win the rebounding margin, but it has to win all of the close chances it can. Friday, the Buckeyes took a step back in rebounding though, being out rebounded by the Grand Valley State Lakers 30-25.
“If we rebound like that on Monday, it’s going to be a long night, I can assure you,” said Coach McGuff following the win. “So we’ll have to really get back at it, make sure we’re on point in practice.”
That means McMahon and Thierry, the primary targets for rebounds, will be battling the likes of Betts and the Bruins inside the paint. However, when Sheldon and Taylor get rebounds, good things happen.
Both bring intensity to the court, and in stretches this season that ability to get around players turned into Sheldon and Taylor getting under the basket and taking advantage of lax rebounding attempts by opponents.
In the 20-point route of the Tennessee Volunteers, Taylor led the game with 12 rebounds, and seven from Sheldon, against a taller SEC team. That’s with 6-foot-6 center Tamari Key in the game for 16 minutes, a season high following heart concerns that cut the player’s 22-23 season short.
When shots go up, expect Sheldon and Taylor to join the fray in the paint. While it may not mean a rebounding performance in Ohio State’s favor, taking anything away from the Bruins will be a long way in staying competitive.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State earns Crystal Ball for four-star TE, McCord commits to Syracuse
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Ohio State earns Crystal Ball for four-star TE, McCord commits to Syracuse
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey (left) with 2025 TE Nate Roberts (right) | via @nateroberts2025 on Twitter
The Buckeyes’ starting QB from 2023 is talking his talents to the ACC.
Transfer portal season has been rather quiet for Ohio State in terms of additions, but with the early signing period beginning this week, it is the last chance for the Buckeyes’ staff to be some final additions to the 2024 class before switching gears entirely towards 2025. That being said, there is still work being done on future classes as well, as Ohio State appears to be the favorite for a top tight end in next year’s cycle.
With Cade Stover having a decision to make in regards to his NFL future and Joe Royer entering the transfer portal, the Buckeyes are running a bit thin at tight end. Outside of those two guys, there are only four scholarship players remaining at a position that head coach Ryan Day likes to have at least one of and many times two on the field at once. With a pair of prospects currently committed in 2024 in Max LeBlanc and Damarion Witten, it will likely need to be another two-man class at tight end in 2025 in order to keep the room fully stocked — barring any transfer portal additions.
Luckily, it appears Ohio State is already in great shape with their top target at the position in the junior class. The highest-rated player the Buckeyes have offered at tight end in 2025, Nate Roberts is listed as the No. 4 TE and No. 102 player overall, per the 247Sports Composite, as well as the No. 2 prospect out of his home state of Oklahoma. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Roberts has now received a pair of Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Ohio State, with the latest coming from OSU insider Bill Kurelic this past week.
Roberts has nearly 40 scholarship offers to his name, including from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and many more. A two-sport athlete who also plays baseball, Roberts played on both sides of the football as a freshman on the varsity team, starring mostly at tight end while taking snaps at defensive end and quarterback as well. In 2022, he hauled in 33 catches for 705 yards and 11 TDs as part of Washington High School’s 15-0 record and Oklahoma 2A State Championship team.
Originally committed to Notre Dame, Roberts was first offered by Ohio State in May, and de-committed from the Irish in August. The in-state Sooners have been trying hard to land him, but the Buckeyes have made a strong push and seem to be the favorites right now in his recruitment. Roberts has been to Columbus on several occasions, and seems to have built a great connection with position coach Keenan Bailey.
“Coach Bailey came out and saw me during spring ball, and that means a lot to me,” Roberts told Eleven Warriors after getting his Ohio State offer. “Just when we first met each other, I felt something between us and felt we could really do something together. I feel like he really wants me to get better and he can really coach me. He showed a lot of interest in me and I have a lot of interest in him.”
With still a long way to go in the 2025 class, anything can still happen. At this current juncture, Bailey and the Buckeyes have to feel good about where this stand with one of the nation’s best tight ends in the next cycle.
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord surprised many when he entered his name in the transfer portal on Dec. 4. Now, the junior who started all 12 games for the Buckeyes during the regular season has found a new home in the ACC, officially committing to Syracuse on Sunday.
Reports seem to indicate that McCord wanted a guarantee that he would retain his starting job with the Buckeyes next season, something head coach Ryan Day could not offer him after the way the 2023 campaign ended. With the Orange, McCord will certainly be in line to start with incumbent quarterback Garrett Shrader exhausting eligibility. Syracuse has a very favorable schedule next season under new head coach Fran Brown, avoiding both Clemson and Florida State in the regular season and getting Miami (FL) at home.
McCord joins a list of five former Buckeyes to commit elsewhere out of the 14 total that have entered the transfer portal, including both Evan Pryor and Kye Stokes landing at Cincinnati, Chip Trayanum at Kentucky and Ryan Turner at Boston College.
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
Ohio State tight ends coach Keenan Bailey (left) with 2025 TE Nate Roberts (right) | via @nateroberts2025 on Twitter
The Buckeyes’ starting QB from 2023 is talking his talents to the ACC.
Transfer portal season has been rather quiet for Ohio State in terms of additions, but with the early signing period beginning this week, it is the last chance for the Buckeyes’ staff to be some final additions to the 2024 class before switching gears entirely towards 2025. That being said, there is still work being done on future classes as well, as Ohio State appears to be the favorite for a top tight end in next year’s cycle.
Roberts gets second Crystal Ball to Ohio State
With Cade Stover having a decision to make in regards to his NFL future and Joe Royer entering the transfer portal, the Buckeyes are running a bit thin at tight end. Outside of those two guys, there are only four scholarship players remaining at a position that head coach Ryan Day likes to have at least one of and many times two on the field at once. With a pair of prospects currently committed in 2024 in Max LeBlanc and Damarion Witten, it will likely need to be another two-man class at tight end in 2025 in order to keep the room fully stocked — barring any transfer portal additions.
Luckily, it appears Ohio State is already in great shape with their top target at the position in the junior class. The highest-rated player the Buckeyes have offered at tight end in 2025, Nate Roberts is listed as the No. 4 TE and No. 102 player overall, per the 247Sports Composite, as well as the No. 2 prospect out of his home state of Oklahoma. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Roberts has now received a pair of Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Ohio State, with the latest coming from OSU insider Bill Kurelic this past week.
Roberts has nearly 40 scholarship offers to his name, including from the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and many more. A two-sport athlete who also plays baseball, Roberts played on both sides of the football as a freshman on the varsity team, starring mostly at tight end while taking snaps at defensive end and quarterback as well. In 2022, he hauled in 33 catches for 705 yards and 11 TDs as part of Washington High School’s 15-0 record and Oklahoma 2A State Championship team.
Originally committed to Notre Dame, Roberts was first offered by Ohio State in May, and de-committed from the Irish in August. The in-state Sooners have been trying hard to land him, but the Buckeyes have made a strong push and seem to be the favorites right now in his recruitment. Roberts has been to Columbus on several occasions, and seems to have built a great connection with position coach Keenan Bailey.
“Coach Bailey came out and saw me during spring ball, and that means a lot to me,” Roberts told Eleven Warriors after getting his Ohio State offer. “Just when we first met each other, I felt something between us and felt we could really do something together. I feel like he really wants me to get better and he can really coach me. He showed a lot of interest in me and I have a lot of interest in him.”
With still a long way to go in the 2025 class, anything can still happen. At this current juncture, Bailey and the Buckeyes have to feel good about where this stand with one of the nation’s best tight ends in the next cycle.
Kyle McCord commits to Syracuse
Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord surprised many when he entered his name in the transfer portal on Dec. 4. Now, the junior who started all 12 games for the Buckeyes during the regular season has found a new home in the ACC, officially committing to Syracuse on Sunday.
Reports seem to indicate that McCord wanted a guarantee that he would retain his starting job with the Buckeyes next season, something head coach Ryan Day could not offer him after the way the 2023 campaign ended. With the Orange, McCord will certainly be in line to start with incumbent quarterback Garrett Shrader exhausting eligibility. Syracuse has a very favorable schedule next season under new head coach Fran Brown, avoiding both Clemson and Florida State in the regular season and getting Miami (FL) at home.
McCord joins a list of five former Buckeyes to commit elsewhere out of the 14 total that have entered the transfer portal, including both Evan Pryor and Kye Stokes landing at Cincinnati, Chip Trayanum at Kentucky and Ryan Turner at Boston College.
Quick Hits
- In yet another recruiting loss for Ohio State against Miami, four-star linebacker Elijah Melendez committed to the Hurricanes on Saturday. The Buckeyes had made the Florida native’s top eight schools list just last week, but it is tough to win any battles for linebacker targets when Ryan Day continues to drag his feet in firing Parker Fleming and has yet to promote James Laurinaitis to a full-time position coach role so that he can hit the trail.
- Speaking of Miami, current 2026 Hurricanes commit Malachi Toney was on campus this past weekend on a visit. The 5-foot-9 wide receiver has been committed to Miami since this past August, but you can never count Brian Hartline out of any recruitment within his position group if there is a guy he really wants. Toney is not yet rated, but caught 35 passes for 621 yards and eight TDs as a freshman on varsity at American Heritage in Florida.
- Another 2026 prospect in town this past weekend, Cam Thomas made the roughly two-hour drive West from West Chester, Ohio to Columbus to take in the Buckeyes’ Cotton Bowl practice. Listed as an athlete at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Thomas has around a dozen offers to his name thus far, but has not yet received an Ohio State offer. Thomas attends Lakota West, the same high school as current Buckeyes Malik Hartford and Tegra Tshabola.
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LGHL Ohio State fans are most excited to see more Dallan Hayden in the Cotton Bowl
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Ohio State fans are most excited to see more Dallan Hayden in the Cotton Bowl
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
They also want to see Little Animal officially on the coaching staff.
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.
Believe it or not, Buckeye fans, but we are just over a week and a half away from the Cotton Bowl when your Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Missouri Tigers. As the final game of the 2023 season approaches, we asked OSU fans for their thoughts on which players they were most looking forward to watching in the game and what they are hoping for the 2024 season in our weekly fan survey.
Below are their answers, and I threw in my thoughts on the topics as well. So, take a look at what your Buckeye brethren said, and if you want to throw in your two cents, hit up the comments at the bottom of the page.
Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
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The top two answers on this one make a ton of sense to me because Buckeye fans want to know what the players that will potentially be the biggest weapons on offense next season look like. The thing is, we don’t actually know if they will be the biggest weapons next season, or how much they will actually play in the Cotton Bowl, which is while to say just 11 days out. Now, of course, the team might already know what TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are going to do for the Dec. 29 game against Missouri and for the 2024 season, but we don’t. And while I have absolutely no problem with that, it does make answering questions like this difficult.
Nonetheless, getting a better look at Dallan Hayden in a primary-back capacity would be great. He looked tremendous in his limited action this season — and last — and if Henderson does not return, I would be comfortable going into 2024 with him as RB1, especially if he has a great showing in the Cotton Bowl.
My answer to this question was C.J. Hicks. Alongside Sonny Styles, the linebacker came to Columbus with sky-high expectations in 2022, but has yet to see the field consistently. Despite that fact, the coaches have continued to talk him up, so I don’t think that he is on the path to being a bust. But, with Tommy Eichenberg off to the NFL, and the general consensus being that Steele Chambers has played his last game in an OSU uniform, this seems like the time for the former five-star recruit to grab his spot as a starting LB.
We know that Cody Simon will return in 2024, so unless Jim Knowles decides to change his scheme, there is a very real possibility that the starting linebackers will be Simon and Hicks. So, I would love to get a nice, long look at that duo in the bowl game.
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I have long been on the “Ryan Day Needs to Give Up Play-Calling Train,” so, for me, that is always going to be No. 1. I don’t actually have a preference if it’s Brian Hartline taking over, Justin Frye, or someone new to the staff, I simply continue to believe that it is imperative that the head coach passes those duties to someone else.
However, in terms of actual roster and personnel changes, I am of the opinion that Day needs to make some significant changes. My colleague Gene Ross has been all over the Parker Fleming fiasco, but I think OSU needs to make more changes than just that. I am of the opinion that Day needs to gratefully, graciously, and respectfully help transition all of the coaches remaining from the Urban Meyer era out of the program, except for Hartline.
Whether that is in the legendary Larry Johnson retiring, Tony Alford finding an offensive coordinator or head coaching job, or Corey Dennis getting a chance to be an OC, I believe that it is time for the staff to be 100% Day’s.
I know that all three of these men provided varying levels of continuity during the transition from Meyer to Day, and Johnson and Alford especially have been consummate professionals helping to lead incredibly productive units over the years; this is not to dismiss Dennis’ contributions, just that he doesn’t have the years under his belt that the other two do, and obviously the quarterbacks have been greatly impacted by Day’s involvement.
I am going to dive into my thoughts on the coaching staff in a longer article later this week, but between recruiting misses — especially significant, down-to-the-wire flips — and position groups not showing the progress that is needed, I think it would be beneficial for the program to start fresh-ish and bring in new voices and experiences.
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.
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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
Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
They also want to see Little Animal officially on the coaching staff.
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.
Believe it or not, Buckeye fans, but we are just over a week and a half away from the Cotton Bowl when your Ohio State Buckeyes will take on the Missouri Tigers. As the final game of the 2023 season approaches, we asked OSU fans for their thoughts on which players they were most looking forward to watching in the game and what they are hoping for the 2024 season in our weekly fan survey.
Below are their answers, and I threw in my thoughts on the topics as well. So, take a look at what your Buckeye brethren said, and if you want to throw in your two cents, hit up the comments at the bottom of the page.
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Question 1: What non-quarterback are you most excited to see get additional playing time in the Cotton Bowl?
The top two answers on this one make a ton of sense to me because Buckeye fans want to know what the players that will potentially be the biggest weapons on offense next season look like. The thing is, we don’t actually know if they will be the biggest weapons next season, or how much they will actually play in the Cotton Bowl, which is while to say just 11 days out. Now, of course, the team might already know what TreVeyon Henderson, Emeka Egbuka, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are going to do for the Dec. 29 game against Missouri and for the 2024 season, but we don’t. And while I have absolutely no problem with that, it does make answering questions like this difficult.
Nonetheless, getting a better look at Dallan Hayden in a primary-back capacity would be great. He looked tremendous in his limited action this season — and last — and if Henderson does not return, I would be comfortable going into 2024 with him as RB1, especially if he has a great showing in the Cotton Bowl.
My answer to this question was C.J. Hicks. Alongside Sonny Styles, the linebacker came to Columbus with sky-high expectations in 2022, but has yet to see the field consistently. Despite that fact, the coaches have continued to talk him up, so I don’t think that he is on the path to being a bust. But, with Tommy Eichenberg off to the NFL, and the general consensus being that Steele Chambers has played his last game in an OSU uniform, this seems like the time for the former five-star recruit to grab his spot as a starting LB.
We know that Cody Simon will return in 2024, so unless Jim Knowles decides to change his scheme, there is a very real possibility that the starting linebackers will be Simon and Hicks. So, I would love to get a nice, long look at that duo in the bowl game.
Question 2: What is your biggest, actually possible roster/personnel Christmas wish for this Ohio State football team?
I have long been on the “Ryan Day Needs to Give Up Play-Calling Train,” so, for me, that is always going to be No. 1. I don’t actually have a preference if it’s Brian Hartline taking over, Justin Frye, or someone new to the staff, I simply continue to believe that it is imperative that the head coach passes those duties to someone else.
However, in terms of actual roster and personnel changes, I am of the opinion that Day needs to make some significant changes. My colleague Gene Ross has been all over the Parker Fleming fiasco, but I think OSU needs to make more changes than just that. I am of the opinion that Day needs to gratefully, graciously, and respectfully help transition all of the coaches remaining from the Urban Meyer era out of the program, except for Hartline.
Whether that is in the legendary Larry Johnson retiring, Tony Alford finding an offensive coordinator or head coaching job, or Corey Dennis getting a chance to be an OC, I believe that it is time for the staff to be 100% Day’s.
I know that all three of these men provided varying levels of continuity during the transition from Meyer to Day, and Johnson and Alford especially have been consummate professionals helping to lead incredibly productive units over the years; this is not to dismiss Dennis’ contributions, just that he doesn’t have the years under his belt that the other two do, and obviously the quarterbacks have been greatly impacted by Day’s involvement.
I am going to dive into my thoughts on the coaching staff in a longer article later this week, but between recruiting misses — especially significant, down-to-the-wire flips — and position groups not showing the progress that is needed, I think it would be beneficial for the program to start fresh-ish and bring in new voices and experiences.
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...
LGHL Game Preview: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 2 UCLA
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Game Preview: No. 12 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 2 UCLA
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
The non-conference schedule experiences a large jump in competition Monday night in Columbus
So far this season, the Ohio State women’s basketball team’s faced competition that’s regularly had the Buckeyes as the heavy favorites entering games. Outside of falling to the USC Trojans on Nov. 6, the scarlet and gray stepped up and had little issue taking care of the remaining non-conference sides in its schedule.
Monday night, that changes.
That’s when the No. 2 UCLA Bruins head to the Schottenstein Center for a matchup that gives a look into the crystal ball for the future of Big Ten basketball. Before UCLA can join the conference though, it has the chance to put not only the conference, but the country even further on notice than it already has this season.
UCLA is good. They are very good. Not only is the team undefeated to start the season, but the Bruins have three wins over ranked teams, with the Princeton Tigers becoming ranked following a close defeat to UCLA. That three point win for the future Big Ten team is the outlier in a season full of one-sided games.
Against the then-No. 6 UConn Huskies on Nov. 24, the Bruins led beginning-to-end, leading by as much as 23 points. Wash and repeat when UCLA faced No. 20 Florida State in a 95-78 victory.
Leading the way is a dynamic quartet of sophomores. All four average at least 10 points per game, but guard Kiki Rice is at a different level. In nine games, Rice averages 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists. The guard has one triple-double this season (which was three steals away from a quadruple-double) and two additional games where she was within two to three stat items from another triple-double. Rice isn’t the highest scoring Bruin on the team, but it's hard to find someone more dangerous in every aspect of the game.
Alongside Rice are a duo of guards who have had their turns starting this year, but both come off the bench as some of the strongest depth in the league. Londynn Jones, who played with Rice and Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon on Team USA youth teams, and Gabriela Jaquez 14.1 and 14.8 points, respectively. Jaquez sits second on the UCLA roster with 7.1 rebounds per game too.
Overall, the guard play has the scoring ability, but will have its hands full with the steal sisters of Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The duo of graduate seniors become shadows on the players they defend. A question will be how often will the Bruins make substitutions to bring in fresh legs. UCLA has seven players who play at least 20 minutes a game, compared to only five on Ohio State.
The biggest UCLA game changer isn’t going to be taking shots from deep or using ball handing skills to dribble past defenders. Nope. The player that’s making opposing coaches sleep less at night is the fourth sophomore: center Lauren Betts. The 6-foot-7 transfer from Stanford gives flashbacks to former Baylor Bear All-American Brittney Griner, with slightly less agility than the college legend. UCLA makes life difficult for most teams because there aren’t many that possess a player who can go against Betts like-for-like.
Ohio State is not one of those teams.
Betts is likely to have a double-double in points and rebounds. The Buckeyes have shown that they can give up those stat lines and still squeak out victories. Monday night can go Ohio State’s way if its able to keep in check those around Betts.
That means impressive games are needed from the likely contributors. McMahon is the primary name to watch. Even with Betts in the lane, McMahon will still go for the basket and potentially put the center into situations to pick up fouls. Also, forward Rebeka Mikulášiková could be a secret weapon if she hits threes. That could give more space inside the paint if Betts steps away to take space away from Mikulášiková.
Ohio State needs a resurgence from guard/forward hybrid Taylor Thierry. In two of the last four games, Thierry’s been held to less than 10 points — the only two times it's happened so far this season. Recent performances have been a far cry from the start of the year. Thierry averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in the first six games of the season, compared to 10.5 and 3.5 in the past four.
Early season layups that went in are clanging out, and Thierry’s been boxed out inside the paint, away from grabbing a near-average rebound total. Sheldon and Taylor should help in the rebound department, and if they do it’ll also give the highly athletic Thierry room to play.
It seems like a game that’s ripe for the picking for the Bruins, but don’t count out an Ohio State team if role players are firing on the same night. It’s just something that hasn’t happened yet so far through 10 games.
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášiková
G- Kiki Rice
G- Charisma Osborne
G- Camryn Brown
F- Angela Dugalic
C- Lauren Betts
There’s no doubt that Betts will have a big game on the stat sheet, but the Buckeyes will do a good job going up against the guard play of UCLA. The game will swing the Bruins way at first, especially as Betts gets looks early, but Ohio State will find its footing through the press.
The scarlet and gray will keep the game competitive, but the depth of UCLA will make the difference in this one. Ohio State loses by a possession in the best three-point shooting night for the Buckeyes this season.
Date: Monday, Dec. 18, 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
TV: FS1
Stream: Fox Sports App
Following the Friday win over Grand Valley State, the Buckeyes’ social media got going to push people to head to campus Monday for the biggest non-conference game of the season. Included in that is a request for all in attendance to wear their best Ohio State gear that’s also white.
So, put the scarlet or gray away for one night, if you so please. Just make sure if you’re sitting court side that you don’t call for the ball, in hopes of confusing the Buckeyes who are also likely to don white and scarlet.
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
Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images
The non-conference schedule experiences a large jump in competition Monday night in Columbus
So far this season, the Ohio State women’s basketball team’s faced competition that’s regularly had the Buckeyes as the heavy favorites entering games. Outside of falling to the USC Trojans on Nov. 6, the scarlet and gray stepped up and had little issue taking care of the remaining non-conference sides in its schedule.
Monday night, that changes.
That’s when the No. 2 UCLA Bruins head to the Schottenstein Center for a matchup that gives a look into the crystal ball for the future of Big Ten basketball. Before UCLA can join the conference though, it has the chance to put not only the conference, but the country even further on notice than it already has this season.
Preview
UCLA is good. They are very good. Not only is the team undefeated to start the season, but the Bruins have three wins over ranked teams, with the Princeton Tigers becoming ranked following a close defeat to UCLA. That three point win for the future Big Ten team is the outlier in a season full of one-sided games.
Against the then-No. 6 UConn Huskies on Nov. 24, the Bruins led beginning-to-end, leading by as much as 23 points. Wash and repeat when UCLA faced No. 20 Florida State in a 95-78 victory.
Leading the way is a dynamic quartet of sophomores. All four average at least 10 points per game, but guard Kiki Rice is at a different level. In nine games, Rice averages 13.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists. The guard has one triple-double this season (which was three steals away from a quadruple-double) and two additional games where she was within two to three stat items from another triple-double. Rice isn’t the highest scoring Bruin on the team, but it's hard to find someone more dangerous in every aspect of the game.
Alongside Rice are a duo of guards who have had their turns starting this year, but both come off the bench as some of the strongest depth in the league. Londynn Jones, who played with Rice and Buckeyes forward Cotie McMahon on Team USA youth teams, and Gabriela Jaquez 14.1 and 14.8 points, respectively. Jaquez sits second on the UCLA roster with 7.1 rebounds per game too.
Overall, the guard play has the scoring ability, but will have its hands full with the steal sisters of Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor. The duo of graduate seniors become shadows on the players they defend. A question will be how often will the Bruins make substitutions to bring in fresh legs. UCLA has seven players who play at least 20 minutes a game, compared to only five on Ohio State.
The biggest UCLA game changer isn’t going to be taking shots from deep or using ball handing skills to dribble past defenders. Nope. The player that’s making opposing coaches sleep less at night is the fourth sophomore: center Lauren Betts. The 6-foot-7 transfer from Stanford gives flashbacks to former Baylor Bear All-American Brittney Griner, with slightly less agility than the college legend. UCLA makes life difficult for most teams because there aren’t many that possess a player who can go against Betts like-for-like.
Ohio State is not one of those teams.
Betts is likely to have a double-double in points and rebounds. The Buckeyes have shown that they can give up those stat lines and still squeak out victories. Monday night can go Ohio State’s way if its able to keep in check those around Betts.
That means impressive games are needed from the likely contributors. McMahon is the primary name to watch. Even with Betts in the lane, McMahon will still go for the basket and potentially put the center into situations to pick up fouls. Also, forward Rebeka Mikulášiková could be a secret weapon if she hits threes. That could give more space inside the paint if Betts steps away to take space away from Mikulášiková.
Ohio State needs a resurgence from guard/forward hybrid Taylor Thierry. In two of the last four games, Thierry’s been held to less than 10 points — the only two times it's happened so far this season. Recent performances have been a far cry from the start of the year. Thierry averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds in the first six games of the season, compared to 10.5 and 3.5 in the past four.
Early season layups that went in are clanging out, and Thierry’s been boxed out inside the paint, away from grabbing a near-average rebound total. Sheldon and Taylor should help in the rebound department, and if they do it’ll also give the highly athletic Thierry room to play.
It seems like a game that’s ripe for the picking for the Bruins, but don’t count out an Ohio State team if role players are firing on the same night. It’s just something that hasn’t happened yet so far through 10 games.
Projected Lineups
Ohio State
G- Jacy Sheldon
G- Celeste Taylor
G- Taylor Thierry
F- Cotie McMahon
F- Rebeka Mikulášiková
Lineup Notes
- Guard Madison Greene played substantially more minutes for Ohio State on Friday, increasing from 3:39 in her first appearance to 21 minutes. Monday is likely to feature Greene closer to the minutes played in Penn State season debut than Friday, because of speed of play and intensity expected.
- Forward Rebeka Mikulášiková hit a three-point shot in two of the first six games of the season. Now, the Slovakian is on a four-game streak with at least one three made, averaging two makes per game.
- Guard Kennedy Cambridge and center Faith Carson are the only two Buckeyes on the injury report, as of publishing.
UCLA
G- Kiki Rice
G- Charisma Osborne
G- Camryn Brown
F- Angela Dugalic
C- Lauren Betts
Lineup Notes
- Center Lauren Betts leads the NCAA in field goal percentage, hitting 77.4% of shots taken.
- Guard Kiki Rice’s 6.9 assists per game is best for ninth in the country, and second in the Pac 12 for the 2023-24 season.
- The projected starting lineup’s been used by head coach Cori Close in the past four games, including a 95-78 win over the then-No. 20 Florida State Seminoles.
Prediction
There’s no doubt that Betts will have a big game on the stat sheet, but the Buckeyes will do a good job going up against the guard play of UCLA. The game will swing the Bruins way at first, especially as Betts gets looks early, but Ohio State will find its footing through the press.
The scarlet and gray will keep the game competitive, but the depth of UCLA will make the difference in this one. Ohio State loses by a possession in the best three-point shooting night for the Buckeyes this season.
How to Watch
Date: Monday, Dec. 18, 2023
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
TV: FS1
Stream: Fox Sports App
LGHL Prediction: 87-84 UCLA Bruins
White Out the Schott
Following the Friday win over Grand Valley State, the Buckeyes’ social media got going to push people to head to campus Monday for the biggest non-conference game of the season. Included in that is a request for all in attendance to wear their best Ohio State gear that’s also white.
️ WEAR WHITE
— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) December 16, 2023
So, put the scarlet or gray away for one night, if you so please. Just make sure if you’re sitting court side that you don’t call for the ball, in hopes of confusing the Buckeyes who are also likely to don white and scarlet.
Continue reading...
