Ohio State underwhelms, but finds a way to win season opener against Oakland, 79-73
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Nobody feels great about it, but the Buckeyes were able to avoid disaster at the Schott and pick up their first win of the year.

It’s been 240 days since the Ohio State men’s basketball lost to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, squashing its slim hopes of finishing off a miraculous run and sneaking into the NCAA Tournament after a horrendous regular season. The 13-seed Buckeyes went farther than any first-team day had ever gone, making it all the way to the semifinals of the conference tourney.

The momentum was strong, and progress was clearly made. But that loss still sent Ohio State into an off-season that included no postseason participation play and a sub-.500 record hanging around their necks. Tonight’s game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies represented the Buckeyes’ first chance to begin cleansing themselves of last season’s struggles.

Chris Holtmann’s first starting lineup of the season was the same five we saw in Ohio State’s exhibition game against Dayton last month — Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Jamison Battle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara. Greg Kampe, who has led the Oakland program since 1984 (!!) went with a starting lineup of Rocket Watts (yes, that Rocket Watts), Blake Lampman, Jack Gohlke, Trey Townsend, and Chris Conway.

Kampe threw a zone at Ohio State to start the game, and the Buckeyes didn’t do a good job moving the ball against it. Six of their first 10 shots came from beyond the arc, but they only hit one, courtesy of Jamison Battle. Oakland, on the other hand, started the game 4-8 from the floor and took an 11-5 lead into the first media timeout, 5:26 into the game.

To their credit, the Grizzlies knocked down a bunch of tough, contested shots in the first half, and still held a 24-20 lead when we arrived at the under-eight media timeout. The Buckeyes continued to struggle against the zone, but scored several buckets purely off hustle — namely from Scotty Middleton, who always seemed to be around the basket and ready to recieve a pass if Ohio State missed their first attempt.

1 half down in Columbus.#Team125 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wjINu08Vo2

— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 7, 2023

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Ohio State took the lead for one minute at the very end of the half, but Townsend’s baseline jumper put the Grizzlies up 35-34, and that was our halftime score. The Buckeyes put themselves in an early six-point hole early, and then outscored Oakland 34-29 the final 17 minutes or so of the first half. However, their inability to work the ball inside against Oakland’s zone killed them, and was the main reason Ohio State wasn’t able to ever separate themselves. Also, Oakland hit a ton of three-pointers and Ohio State did not. The Grizzlies went 6-12 from downtown in the first half, while Ohio State went 3-15.

The teams continued to trade buckets, and Oakland held on to a 50-47 lead at the under-12 media timeout with 11:10 remaining. The Buckeyes were dominating the rebounding battle, but their inability to guard the perimeter or get consecutive stops made it difficult to establish any kind of lead.

Felix Okpara with the SOLID dunk for @ohiostatehoops, courtesy of the feed from Roddy Gayle Jr.! pic.twitter.com/tVJqVE9Goi

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) November 7, 2023

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Gayle and Zed Key gave the Buckeyes a burst, combining to score 20 points in a row for Ohio State, as they took a slim lead with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Gayle only had three points in the first half, but came alive in the second, while also riling up the home crowd and imploring them to get loud. The Buckeyes held a 67-63 lead at the final media timeout with 3:39 remaining, but the Grizzlies had absolutely no plan of going away — clearly.

It wasn’t pretty, and Ohio State never had this game in the bag until the final buzzer sounded, but the Buckeyes were able to stave off Greg Kampe’s Grizzlies and win their season-opener, 79-73.

If you weren’t able to catch Ohio State’s season-opening win tonight because it was on stinky Big Ten+, here’s a quick rundown of how it went down at the Schott:

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Ohio State struggling to work against the zone ​

Rather than going man-to-man, Oakland employed a zone defense to start the game, and the Buckeyes did a really poor job breaking it. Six of Ohio State’s first 10 shots came from beyond the arc, as they passed the ball around and around the perimeter, failing to get the ball close to the basket. This was a theme of the entire first half — Ohio State struggled mightily getting high percentage looks. There were a few fast break lobs to Okpara at the rim, but aside from that, the Buckeyes generated very little offense around the basket in the first half.

Oakland, on the other hand, hit a handful of contested shots in the first half as well as hitting six of their first 12 three-pointers.

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Scotty Middleton doing all the little things ​

Middleton struggled with the ball in his hands in his first college game, missing a few three-pointers in the first half and failing to take open ones due to his own hesitation as well. However, it was the stuff he did without the ball that made a difference in tonight’s game.

Whether it was jumping passing lanes and then diving into the bench to save the loose ball he just tipped away, tapping in missed layups or simply being in the right place at the right time, Middleton was able to contribute in a myriad of ways despite looking a little rough on designed plays for him, or in spots where he had time to set his feet and shoot.

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Thornton invisible for much of the first half ​

Thornton, who most people think will lead Ohio State in scoring this season, was held scoreless for the first 16 minutes of tonight’s game. In fact, Thornton only took two shots over the first 16 minutes. However, over the final four minutes he scored seven points on two pairs of free throws and a three, helping the Buckeyes hang around in a game that they absolutely should’ve been winning at halftime.

Thornton began forcing the issue more in the second half, dribbling into traffic below the traffic to try and clog up the lane. He wound up getting fouled on multiple drives, sending him to the line for easy points.

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Middleton knocks down back-to-back threes to tie it ​

It kind of felt like Ohio State was banging its head on the wall as it continued to try and shoot over the zone, but damnit, they got a few to drop. After looking a little sluggish with the ball in his hands in the first half, Middleton banged back-to-back triples from the far corner with 13 minutes to go in the game to tie it up, 44-all.

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Oakland won’t go away, goes back up six ​

After Middleton tied it up, Oakland returned the favor by hitting threes on back-to-back possessions to go back up, 50-44. DQ Cole knocked down his second of the game, followed by the third three of the game from Gohlke, who was 2-9 from distance before knocking down his step-back triple.

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Gayle pumps up the crowd, wills Buckeyes to lead ​

After Thornton picked Cole’s pocket in front of the Oakland bench and connected with Gayle for a thunderous alley-oop to give Ohio State the lead, Gayle ran back down the court, lifting his arms emphatically and asking the crowd to get into it.

On the very next play, Gayle attacked the right side of the tin, floating it up off the glass for another bucket while being fouled by Conway, who fouled out of the game on the play. The crowd got into it, and Gayle went to the line. He sunk it for his 14th point of the game, giving OSU a 56-52 lead.

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Thornton’s corner three pushes the lead to four ​

After Gohlke knocked down his sixth three-pointer of the game to pull Oakland back within one, Thornton knocked down his first shot in nearly 10 minutes — a three from the corner — to put the Buckeye back ahead 71-67 with two minutes remaining in the game to put Ohio State back up, 71-67.

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The Schott was definitely not in mid-season form ​

Ohio State has a new arena announcer, whose name I currently do not have. But to say he was too loud, might not get the point across. It sounded like he was shouting into the mic, which was turned up to max volume, which felt like it was being shoved directly into your earholes the entire game.

Additionally, there were multiple panels on the scoreboard that weren’t working, leaving small black spots on the screen that hangs high above the court. There hasn’t been a game played here since March, so I’m really not sure how these things weren’t sorted out prior to the season opener.

Hopefully the production teams gets these kinks worked out before Friday, or else there will be a few more deaf people living in Columbus after going to Buckeye games.

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Up Next:​

Ohio State (1-0) has three days off before welcoming No. 15 Texas A&M to the Schottenstein Center for the first game of a home-and-home series that will take will take the Buckeyes to College Station next year. The Aggies are No. 24 in KenPom, were picked to finish second in the SEC this season, and have the pre-season SEC Player of the Year in guard Wade Taylor.

Ohio State’s game against Texas A&M will tip off at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock.

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MSU Blitzes Buckeyes, 6-0, in B1G Opener - Michigan State Athletics
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MSU Blitzes Buckeyes, 6-0, in B1G Opener Michigan State Athletics

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LIVE UPDATES: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies - Sports Illustrated
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1. LIVE UPDATES: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies Sports Illustrated
2. Steve Says: Buckeyes build around sophomore trio as new season gets under way 247Sports
3. GAME PREVIEW: Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies Sports Illustrated

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Ohio State Buckeyes Projected To Play In Orange Bowl Against ... - Sports Illustrated
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Ohio State Buckeyes Projected To Play In Orange Bowl Against ... Sports Illustrated

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No. 7 Ohio State women's basketball fall to Juju Watkins and No. 21 USC 83-74
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 Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes had questions surrounding its offense this preseason, and after Monday’s game there aren’t many answered

The Ohio State women’s basketball team didn’t want to wait until next season to start playing some of its new Pac-12 defectors. Monday, a potential Big Ten rivalry in the making tipped off the 23-24 Buckeyes season, at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.

With all the expectations of the 23-24 campaign on the shoulders of the Buckeyes, it was a freshman that made life difficult. Guard Juju Watkins led the Trojans to an 83-74 victory to put an early speed bump in Ohio State’s season.

After Ohio State won the tip, it took each side a couple possessions before shots fell, but the rust fell off quickly. In the first 5:09 of the game, there were five lead changes, including some deep shooting by the Buckeyes.

Guard Jacy Sheldon was one of four Buckeyes to take deep shots to start the game. Sheldon hit two, plus one from forward Cotie McMahon, to put Ohio State up 11-9 at the first timeout of the game.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, forwards Taylor Thierry and Cotie McMahon each picked up fouls. Thierry, who matched up against the 6-foot-2 freshman guard Juju Watkins, had two herself, sending her to the bench early.

The early substitutions gave Ohio State fans the first view of forward Taiyier Parks. Graduate senior and former Michigan State Spartan went up against USC forward Rayah Marshall, but there was little stopping the Trojans big to start the game.

Marshall had six rebounds in the first quarter and six points. with USC out rebounding Ohio State 15-8 in the first 10 minutes of the game. Even so, diverse shooting and a late quarter running layup by Sheldon put Ohio State up 18-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Buckeyes didn’t hold the lead long into the second quarter. After two quick Buckeye turnovers, USC went up two. The lead came off a picked off pass by Thierry at the top of the key. Marshall intercepted the pass and a five-point run forced head coach Kevin McGuff to call a timeout with over eight minutes left in the half.

It didn’t get much better out of the timeout though. The Ohio State offense lacked cohesion. After five minutes, the Buckeyes only had two points, off free throws. Overall, the scarlet and gray mustered only three shots halfway through the second quarter. Compare that to 7-for-13 shooting in the second quarter for the Trojans.

McGuff called a second timeout because of the 13-point run of the Trojans. Guard Rikki Harris came in off the bench to knock down a shot from deep, but the Trojans answered back with one of their own.

Ohio State’s second quarter dug a big hole. USC outscored the Buckeyes 31-10, with five of those 10 points coming from the free throw line.

With seven turnovers, three off intercepted passes, the movement and distribution for the Buckeyes all but halted, forcing bad shots by the scarlet and gray. Instead of running plays or finding the open teammate, a credit to the Trojans defensive adjustments for clogging passing lanes, the Buckeyes received passes, dribbled for a second and then threw up low percentage shots.

For the Trojans, Watkins was as advertised. Entering the halftime locker room, the No. 1 overall freshman in the country led everyone with 12 points, hitting 5-for-8 in shot attempts and four free throws. Marshall added a first half double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Buckeyes were out rebounded, outshot and less careful with the ball than USC, requiring a lot of work from McGuff’s side entering the second half.

In that second half, Ohio State started looking better offensively. With 5:35 remaining in the third quarter, the Buckeyes already matched its second quarter point total of 10 points. McGuff’s side did it putting bodies in the paint and forcing turnovers. In the first half of the quarter, Ohio State forced four from the Trojans, scoring six points off those turnovers.

At the line, the Buckeyes went 6-for-6 from the free throw line, leading to a six-point run that cut the USC lead down to 13 points. Cut down from a high of 19 points earlier in the quarter. Ohio State kept pushing and cut the lead down further to six points, thanks to a 14-to-2 run and eight points in the paint.

It was also half court defense helping put Ohio State back in the game. With under three minutes left in the quarter, the Buckeyes cut USC’s shooting percentage from a 66.7% in the second quarter to only 30% in the third.

While fouls were holding the scarlet and gray back in the first half, Watkins had to take a seat on the bench with four fouls in the third quarter. That meant the then 25-point scorer couldn’t help the Trojans offensively.

Thierry, who had a quieter first half with foul concerns of her own, came alive in the third quarter. The guard/forward scored 10 points (four from the free throw line) after forcing her will in the paint. Sheldon led the Buckeyes with 12 points and three steals at the same time. At the end of the third quarter, Ohio State outscored USC 30-10 to go up 58-56 with 10 minutes remaining.

To start the fourth, the two sides exchanged shots. Making it easier for the Trojans was the reemergence of Marshall. After only grabbing two rebounds in the third quarter, Marshall had three within minutes of the start of the fourth.

The Trojans also found scoring from non-Watkins players. Guard McKenzie Forbes, who had three points in the first three quarters, starting hitting shots. Forbes had six points in 36 seconds after making a layup, free throw and three-point shot. On the Trojan’s next possession, off a Buckeyes intercepted pass, Watkins hit a running shot and a free throw thanks to a light foul call against Sheldon. That run put USC up seven again with 6:35 remaining.

Watkins continued her tear, ending the day with 32 points. After a third quarter with the Buckeyes at the driver’s seat, Watkins bumped OSU out for good. The freshman added five more points and two assists, putting the Buckeyes down eight with two minutes remaining. Sheldon cut it down to six, but the Trojans slowed the game down, using as much clock as possible and then letting playmakers make plays.

Offensive Issues​

Former Buckeyes guard Taylor Mikesell was a storyline entering Monday’s game. The now-professional led Ohio State in scoring and three-point shooting, so the obvious question was how would the team make up for it?

In the first quarter, it was extra passes, movement and finding the open player. The Buckeyes went ahead because players found open teammates and confused the USC defense into giving OSU open shots from deep. That stopped in the second.

If a pass wasn’t intercepted, there wasn’t enough going on for players to find a scoring option or run a play.

Part of that offensive problem too was a quiet game from McMahon. The forward had seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, not a normal day by any means for the sophomore.

Although its early in the season, and teams aren't playing their best basketball from the jump, there’s a lot to watch for improvement in this Buckeyes team.

Experience Pays Off​

Last season, the Buckeyes came back from 17 and 24-point deficits. In the third quarter alone, Ohio State turned a 19-point deficit into a two-point lead. The scarlet and gray got there with their leadership and remembering why there are so many expectations around this team.

Upperclassmen Sheldon and Thierry showed their poise in the run. It showed that even with some offensive things to work on, the foundation is there for the Buckeyes to turn a tough opening night of the season into a longterm positive.

What’s Next​

Ohio State travels back home for its first home game of the season. On Sunday, Nov. 12, the IUPUI Jaguars travel east to Columbus in a 1:00 p.m. ET start. It’s the first of two games in the second week of the season.

After the Horizon League opponents on Sunday, the scarlet and gray welcome its first Power Five conference opponent to Central Ohio on Thursday. That’s when the Boston College Eagles play the Buckeyes on a Thursday night tip at the Schottenstein Center.

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You’re Nuts: Best Ohio State NFL rookie class
Josh Dooley 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

Which group of professional Buckeyes showed out in their first season?

Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.

This week’s topic: Best Ohio State NFL rookie class​

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Josh’s Take​

Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud lit up the NFL stage yesterday, producing the league’s best individual performance of the weekend and, most importantly, leading his Houston Texans team to a thrilling come from behind victory.

Down 33-37 with just 46 seconds remaining, the former Buckeye only needed 40 of them to march Houston’s offense down the field with surgical precision. He capped a masterful 75-yard scoring drive by hitting fellow rookie Tank Dell with a strike in the back of the endzone as time ticked away, putting the Texans up for good with just six seconds left on the clock. The Stroud-to-Dell hookup was the former’s fifth of the day (!) and 14th of his impressive rookie season. He (Stroud) also finished the game with 470 passing yards, setting a new NFL rookie record.

Stroud has quickly established himself as the Texans’ franchise QB, as well as the current favorite to take home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He is on pace for an absurd 4,800 yards and 30 touchdowns and has thrown just one interception. He has also helped lead Houston to a 4-4 record. Which is rather impressive considering the team’s over/under was 5.5 in September.

Up next for Stroud is a return to the Buckeye State, where he is set to take on Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 10. Yours truly will be attending that game, and frankly, I am as excited as Pete Davidson in a room full of gorgeous women who love publicity and are wildly out of his league (kidding, Pete is the man).

Naturally, Stroud’s performance got Gene and I thinking Buckeyes... Buckeyes in the NFL... Buckeyes in the NFL doing what? We debated ‘best overall performance by a former Buckeye in 2023’ but it has been a tough year between J.K. Dobbins and Justin Fields going down, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba not having capable QBs, Joey Bosa looking a bit (or a lot) long in the tooth, etc.

Instead, we decided to stick with rookie seasons. Several former Buckeyes have excelled and even won awards for their rookie performances in recent years, so we decided to write about our personal favorites. Call it ‘Best Ohio State NFL rookie class’.

And if you thought that I might cheat in order to ‘win’ this debate or make my argument... Well, congrats. You saw or predicted the future. But I swear this is not dirty pool. Hear me out:

When I think of outstanding rookie performances by one or more former Buckeyes, I think 2016. Because in my opinion, it is the best and/or most productive rookie draft class that one school (OSU) has ever produced, at least as far as top-end talent is concerned.

I’m talking about Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, AND Michael Thomas, three guys who came in and immediately dominated at ‘money’ positions. One could even throw Taylor Decker’s name into the mix, as he started all 16 games at left tackle and earned an 82.1 overall grade from PFF. So we’re talking elite or borderline elite play at running back, wide receiver, left tackle, and defensive end. I mean, are you kidding me!?

Elliott was the real star of the group, despite not winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. He lost that award to teammate Dak Prescott, but then came in third in the AP MVP voting. Zeke rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 TD, while also adding 363 yards and an additional TD through the air. Think about what RBs are doing nowadays, and then realize that Zeke averaged 109 rushing yards and more than one total TD per game. Impressive, impressive stuff, for which he was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro.

Elsewhere on the offensive side, Thomas and Decker began to establish themselves as foundational players for their respective teams. The former hauled in 92 catches for 1,137 yards and 9 TD, while the latter protected Matthew Stafford’s blind side and helped the Lions reach the playoffs. That’s right, Detroit made a postseason appearance in 2016! All because of Taylor Decker (joking, but he played well). Neither Thomas nor Decker earned any major accolades for their performances as rookies, however, they were undoubtedly among the best newcomers in the game.

And on the other side of the ball, all Bosa did as a rookie was not really participate in camp, hold out due to a contract dispute, come off for the bench for his first game, and then kick the living sh*t out of guys once he finally got on the field. Seriously. He played just 27 snaps during his NFL game and recorded two sacks. He would go on to add eight more, finishing the 2016 season with 10.5 (sacks) and earning 74% of the first-place votes for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

I’d say that’s a hell of a draft class, Gene. And one impressive performance as a group. I will remember Ohio State’s 2016 draft class for a long, long time, so I just had to do it.

Gene’s Take​

There is no arguing with Josh here that 2016 is one of if not the greatest rookie class Ohio State has had in program history. Not only was that group dominant in their first year in the league, but many of those guys are still near the top of their respective positive groups even today. From the first round guys like Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa and Taylor Decker to Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell in the second round, that was truly a loaded class, and one that would be tough to top.

The Buckeyes have produced a ton of NFL talent in each of the classes since then as well:

• 2017: Marshon Lattimore, Curtis Samuel
• 2018: Denzel Ward, Jerome Baker, Sam Hubbard
• 2019: Nick Bosa, Dre’Mont Jones, Terry McLaurin
• 2020: Chase Young, Jeff Okudah, JK Dobbins, Jonah Jackson, Jordan Fuller
• 2021: Justin Fields, Pete Werner, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper
• 2022: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jeremy Ruckert
• 2023: CJ Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dawand Jones

While I could have easily picked a handful of those classes to run with for this exercise, I instead decided to go back in time for a group filled with star players, some of whom were still playing until very recently. That would be Ohio State’s 2014 NFL Draft class, which included Ryan Shazier, Bradley Roby, Carlos Hyde, Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley.

Shazier’s career was unfortunately shortened, as a scary back injury ended his career and could have left him unable to walk again. After undergoing a spinal stabilization surgery that doctors feared could leave him paralyzed, Shazier was able to dance at his wedding 17 months later. Before the injury, Shazier quickly became one of the most dominant linebackers in the game, being named to the Pro Bowl in both 2016 and 2017 and racking up 263 total tackles, 22 TFLs, seven picks and seven sacks in his three years as a starter.

Roby has had one of the longest and most successful careers of any cornerback in recent memory, and is still playing this season as he was added to the Eagles active roster back at the beginning of October. The now 10-year NFL veteran began his career with the Broncos, and has now played stints in Houston and New Orleans before landing in Philadelphia. Roby, while no longer one of the league’s elite cornerbacks at age 31, has been a stalwart in defensive backfields for a decade, amassing 85 pass breakups and 11 interceptions to go along with 372 career tackles.

Hyde spent eight productive years in the NFL, and with the wear and tear that comes at the running back position — especially for a bruiser like Hyde — that is more than respectable. The 6-foot, 230-pound ball carrier racked up just under 5,000 rushing yards in his career with 37 touchdowns, while also doing some work in the passing game with 867 receiving yards and another three scores. Hyde put together one 1,000-yard season with Houston in 2019, and was close with San Francisco in both 2016 and 2017, finishing with 988 and 938 yards, respectively. He wasn’t flashy, but Hyde put together a strong NFL career for himself as a late second round pick.

For Mewhort and Linsley, it is harder to quantify their impacts to their teams in counting stats as offensive linemen, but the duo were two of the premier players at their position during their time in the league. Mewhort’s career did not last long, retiring after just four seasons as a result of injuries, but before that he started 30 of 32 games for the Colts after being selected in the second round. Linsley’s career is much more well-known, as the two-time All-Pro center was a staple of the Packers’ offensive line for seven seasons before joining the Chargers in 2021. Linsley has played in 132 career games, starting all of them, including five seasons starting in all 16 games.

Is the 2014 group as prolific as the 2016 class? No, especially not in their rookie seasons. However, I still think this NFL Draft group warrants some love, as it produced some really impactful players at the next level.

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Tito is gone. We got some new guy. They're probably gonna suck. Meh, have at it.

Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State at Rutgers
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

There are only a few things more aggravating than seeing Rutgers ahead on the scoreboard at any point in the game.

The Buckeyes took another physical team’s best shot and emerged relatively unscathed after a 35-16 road win at Rutgers. You can bet that few things make me as grumpy as trailing Rutgers at halftime, which is what the Buckeyes did on Saturday. But being 9-0 after three quarters of the season is (almost) nothing to complain about.

Here are the things that made me scream into a pillow to keep my family from having me committed.

Missed Opportunity​

Ohio State had a tailor-made opportunity to block the first Rutgers punt on Saturday after the Scarlet Knights had a bad snap. Even token pressure likely would have made the difference. But Flynn Appleby was given time to recover and get the kick away. It wasn’t a good one, traveling only 18 yards, but a big momentum play early in the game may have prevented some of the sleepy play we saw early from Ohio State.

It ended up being OK, with Ohio State driving down and scoring off the shanked effort from Appleby. I made a bold prediction about the number of punts Ohio State would block based on last year as a starting point, and that does not appear to be in the cards at this stage unless the Buckeyes just start blocking everything in sight.

Failure to Protect​

Holding a 7-0 lead, the OSU defense forced a quick three-and-out from Rutgers and the Buckeyes took over on their own 27-yard line. Ohio State moved into Rutgers territory a few plays later and looked to take an early stranglehold on the game. Miscommunication on who to pick up between Josh Fryer and TreVeyon Henderson allowed linebacker Mohamed Toure to sack Kyle McCord for a 9-yard loss. That stalled the drive and a couple of short passes later the Buckeyes punted.

Don’t Dance​

Ohio State was forced into a risky decision to go for it on 4th-and-1 at its own 41-yard line on the fourth drive. That was set up by a 6-yard pass from McCord to Emeka Egbuka that seemingly could easily have gotten the one extra yard needed to pick up the first down. Egbuka caught the pass short and tried a couple of juke moves before being tackled.

Had he sold out to get the first down, Ohio State would not have needed to go for the fourth down. That choice worked out when Henderson just managed to pick up the yard on the ensuing down (after sweating through a video review of the spot), but the situation was avoidable.

Julian’s Drop​

McCord was cruising in the passing game. Although many of his throws were check-downs, the Ohio State quarterback was taking what the Rutgers defense was giving him underneath and avoiding having the wind affect longer throws, going 10-for-10 in the first quarter and hitting his first 11 passes in the game. The 12th, however, derailed the offense for the rest of the first half.

Julian Fleming dropped what would have been a first down. The veteran receiver couldn’t haul it in, putting his team behind the chains with a third-and-7 situation at the Rutgers 44. McCord could not connect with Marvin Harrison Jr. on the next play and the Buckeyes punted. The Scarlet Knights finally put points on the board on the ensuing drive to get some momentum in the game. To make things worse, starting with that drop McCord went just 1-for-6 the rest of the half with an interception.

Fell for It​

The Buckeye defense had a big moment on that drive and came up wanting. Rutgers faced a 4th-and-1 at its own 43-yard line. A stop would have set up the OSU offense in plus territory. Instead, the defense gave up its first play of the season over 40 yards. To Rutgers.

I’ll give the Scarlet Knights this: it was an inventive and brave play call and it caught Ohio State completely off guard. The Buckeyes expected a sneak by quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. Instead, the quarterback snapped the ball backward to running back Kyle Monangai. OSU linebacker Cody Simon should have had a good view of it, but he attacked where he expected Wimsatt to go, rather than trusting his eyes.

Monangai was able to break Simon’s last-ditch attempt at an arm tackle and rushed for 45 yards to the OSU 12. The defense held Rutgers out, but the hosts built some momentum they rode for the rest of the half.

Aww, Gee!​

Ohio State looked to answer the Rutgers scoring drive after the kickoff. The Buckeyes, however, quickly went three and out. A pair of running plays by Henderson set up a makeable third-and-5. McCord dropped back and fired to tight end Gee Scott Jr., who was tasked with carrying the bulk of the tight end snaps with Cade Stover unavailable.

Scott, much like Fleming earlier, dropped a catchable pass from McCord on third down and Ohio State was forced to give the ball right back to Rutgers — just not in the way we all expected.

WYD?​

The Buckeyes couldn’t simply just punt the ball away. They had to compound going three and out with the blunder of the game. Punter Jesse Mirco fielded the snap to his left and took off, picking up only 40% of the distance needed to convert for a first down. Rutgers took over at the OSU 32 and quickly pulled within 7-6 with another short field goal.

Ryan Day said after the game that it was not a called fake, but a miscommunication. Either way, the continual lack of production — and, in fact, downright harmful play — from Ohio State’s special teams is maddening to watch every week.

McCord’s Mistake​

I mentioned earlier how McCord was in rhythm until Fleming’s drop. Two of his five incomplete passes starting with that one were dropped, which isn’t his fault, but he also had some of his ugliest passes of the day during that second-quarter stress. None was worse than the one he threw right to Toure.

On the first play after Rutgers cut the lead to 7-6, McCord found Harrison for 16 yards. But the next play was a disaster. McCord either did not see Toure drop into coverage underneath Harrison or he left the pass too low. Rutgers got the ball back in OSU territory just two plays after pulling within a point. The hosts used the gift to take a 9-7 halftime lead.

If not for Ohio State’s defense, the halftime score could have been much more dire for the Buckeyes.

Helping the Enemy​

Riding their momentum from the first half, the Scarlet Knights started the second half with the ball. Rutgers quickly picked up a pair of first downs — the first on a Josh Proctor pass interference call. But a holding penalty pushed Rutgers back to its own 35-yard line with a second-and-20 situation. Sonny Styles gifted the opposition a first down with a pass interference penalty of his own.

Rutgers was poised to add to its lead over Ohio State when a Proctor pass breakup fell into the hands of Jordan Hancock, who went 93 yards to flip the game on its head with Ohio State’s first big momentum play.

Defense Takes a Holiday​

Just when it seemed like normal order had been restored in the game, the Ohio State defense had its softest series in a few weeks. The Buckeyes had stopped Rutgers and tacked on a third touchdown to make it 21-9 and it was time to start squeezing the game and putting it away. But instead, Rutgers climbed right back in it.

The Rutgers offense, which is very much not built to come from behind, skipped 75 yards straight down the field in only six plays. The drive started with a Kenyatta Jackson offside penalty, setting up an easy conversion for Rutgers. Wimsatt shredded the OSU secondary with passes of 13, 35, and 19 yards on the drive, with the latter ending in a touchdown. The Scarlet Knights were within 21-16 early in the fourth quarter.

Stop Helping!​

After Harrison scored to make it 28-16, Rutgers again marched down the field on an Ohio State defense that had been great at limiting opponents in the second half. However, that same defense helped the Scarlet Knights with 30 yards in penalties in a three-play span to jumpstart Rutgers’ possession. Sure, one of those calls was Downy soft, but that’s beside the point. Rutgers drove down inside the OSU 10. The threat didn’t end until Ty Hamilton got a sack on fourth-and-goal to keep the game at two scores.

---

Obviously not everything was bad. Henderson had a massive game for the Buckeyes. The defense bent a few times but only broke once, despite being put in bad positions repeatedly on Saturday. Some backup safeties and corners got plenty of snaps with Lathan Ransom and Denzel Burke out and Proctor knocked out of the game on the play that forced Hancock’s interception return — itself perhaps the biggest play of the day.

These are the things that stuck out to me. What had you yelling at your television?

The Buckeyes return home next week for a night game against the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Game Preview: No. 7 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. No. 21 USC
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The future Big Ten school takes on a Big Ten staple to tipoff the 23-24 season for both teams

It’s finally here. After the Ohio State women’s basketball team lost to Virginia Tech in the Elite Eight 244 days ago, it's time for a return to competitive basketball. The No. 7 Buckeyes do it with a trip out to Las Vegas, Nevada for the Naismith Hall of Fame Series, facing the No. 21 USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena.

On paper, it’s a game between an experienced scarlet and gray going up against a Trojans team losing three starters in the offseason. However, there’s a new name on the USC roster that’s likely to soften the overturn blow.

---

Preview​

Expectations are higher than in recent years in Columbus, Ohio. Head coach Kevin McGuff has a Buckeyes team full of experienced upperclassmen, and a dynamic sophomore, fresh off a deep NCAA Tournament run.

The scarlet and gray return four of its five starters and seven of its eight most-played players from the 22-23 roster. This is great... until you isolate that one player who’s no longer on the roster: Guard Taylor Mikesell.

Mikesell’s graduation and move into professional basketball is a key storyline entering this season. The Jackson High School alum led the Buckeyes in scoring and minutes played in 22-23. Of those minutes, the guard hit 116 three-point shots at a clip of 41.4%, with the next closest being Rebeka Mikulášiková, a forward, hitting 41. Most of those are coming in the first half of the season.

Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State needs to account for the points Mikesell took with her to the WNBA. Frankly, nobody on the Buckeyes will match her three-point shooting. Mikesell shot from deep at a record clip, even hitting 50% of long-range attempts halfway through the 21-22 season.

Looking at the current edition of the roster, the closest three-point shooters who can help fill the hole are the aforementioned Mikulášiková and the remaining four expected starters. Guards Jacy Sheldon, Celeste Taylor, and guard/forward Taylor Thierry all can hit deep shots. Of Ohio State’s 22-23 starters, Thierry was the second most effective from beyond the arc, hitting them 38.7% of the time, but she only had 31 attempts, making 12.

When prompted about filling the space, graduate senior and Buckeye leader Sheldon was clear, “I need to take more threes.” In that 21-22 season where Ohio State made a living from deep, Sheldon shot 36.6% and hit 41 behind Mikesell’s team-leading stats.

With all that said though, maybe threes aren't the answer. The 23-24 Buckeyes can hurt teams in a number of ways offensively. The biggest is through the work of sophomore Cotie McMahon.

McMahon enters Monday’s season tipoff as a preseason First Team All-B1G, AP All-American honorable mention, and on the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year watch list. All of the accolades are warranted, although they aren’t changing how the forward’s tackling this season.

On the court, McMahon has all this attention because in the game she’ll be the pendulum swinging the Buckeyes’ offense forward. McMahon attacks the rim better than most in the country and in a short amount of time learned to find teammates when she attracts defensive attention. Of those teammates, one is making her Buckeyes debut in shooting guard Celeste Taylor.

Taylor comes in with a strong defensive background, securing a spot as one of three finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season. The Long Island native will improve the Buckeyes' defense over Mikesell’s more offensive-minded play, especially in the half-court which is another focus of Ohio State this season.

How Taylor blends into the offense is a wild card. Taylor led the Duke Blue Devils in scoring on a heavy full-court defensive team that wasn’t known for scoring points. If Taylor scores close to Sheldon or Thierry’s numbers, it’ll propel the Buckeyes.

There is another team on the court Monday. The USC Trojans enter this campaign with high expectations of their own. Even though USC lost three starters to graduation, following a tough defeat in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to South Dakota State, the Trojans have players that can, and will, hurt the Buckeyes. The most dangerous is forward Rayah Marshall.

Ohio State’s struggles against athletic and tall bigs is well documented. Last year, USF Bulls center Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu had 34 points and 17 rebounds against the Buckeyes. A few weeks later Kendall Bostic of Illinois scored 27 points and added 15 rebounds. In the Elite Eight, Virginia Tech forward Elizabeth Kitley had 25 points and 12 rebounds. You get it. It’s not great.

Marshall is one of the two remaining starters from last year’s USC team and the forward is dynamic. The junior averaged a double-double with 12.7 points and 11.5 rebounds. In 31 games, Marshall had seven games where she grabbed at least 15 rebounds including 21 and 20 rebounds in back-to-back games in Pac-12 play.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This year, the Buckeyes did bring in paint reinforcement with Michigan State transfer Taiyier Parks. Although Coach McGuff already named Mikulášiková the starter, Parks is the next one coming in, especially if rebounding gets out of hand early. It’s not all on Marshall though, there’s one more likely starter for USC that Ohio State gets to see before anyone else in NCAA play: No. 1 ranked 2023 freshman guard Juju Watkins.

Watkins is a 6-foot-2 guard who will play similarly to McMahon. The question is how long will it take the guard to adjust to the level of NCAA play? Will USC head coach Lisa Gottlieb entrust the guard to take over the team from day one?

Fortunately for Ohio State, the defensive duo of Sheldon and Taylor is formidable. It’ll experience vs. hype in the guard positions.

---

Projected Lineups​

Lineup Notes​

• Forward Cotie McMahon is second on the Buckeyes’ roster in 20-point games with 14 after just one season. She’s behind Jacy Sheldon who has 26 in four seasons.
• Assists are usually indicative of how the game ends for Ohio State, in 58 games under McGuff where the Buckeyes have at least 20 assists, the scarlet and gray have lost only twice.
• Newcomer Celeste Taylor leads all Buckeyes in double-doubles with eight, usually coming from points and assists.

Lineup Notes​

• Guard Kayla Padilla is one of multiple graduate transfers expected to make an impact for the Trojans this year. Padilla came from the Ivy League where the guard 17.8 points per game and is a three-time First Team All-Ivy League honoree.
• Forward Kaitlyn Davis is another graduate Ivy League transfer. Like Padilla, Davis is a multiple-time winner of a spot on the First Team All-Ivy League team, averaging 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
• Guard Juju Watkins is a two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year award winner.

---

Prediction​

The Trojans filled the experience gap left by leaving graduates with a chunk of smart Ivy League stars. Will all the new names, including Watkins, gel quickly enough to upset the No. 7 Buckeyes? It’s going to be close.

Marshall is going to be tough for Ohio State and will likely give the Trojans multiple leads in the game, but the experience and experience with each other of the Buckeyes will battle back. Coach McGuff’s side made a habit out of coming back in games last season and while a 17 or 24-point USC lead isn’t likely, it won’t be a rout for Ohio State by any means.

When USC does go up, they won’t have the offensive cohesiveness to take on the havoc press of McGuff.

Thierry is going to continue to surprise people and have a big start to her 23-24 campaign, receiving a lot of scoring opportunities from McMahon and Sheldon. Taylor is also going to hit at least two three-point shots, feeling and meeting the expectations placed on her filling Mikesell’s shooting guard spot.

---

How to Watch​

Date: Monday, Nov. 5, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Television: TruTV
Stream: Max

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LGHL Prediction: 83-76 Ohio State Buckeyes​

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No Greene, Yet​

Someone not mentioned in this preview was guard Madison Greene. The former starting Buckeye point guard has missed the bulk of the last two seasons due to season-ending knee injuries.

Greene is back with the team, even warming up with the squad before Monday’s open practice, but she wasn’t doing any drills that recreate game situations. The guard is still a bit of a way away from returning to the lineup.

A good thing for Greene is that her services won’t be needed right away anyway. The Buckeyes are deep at guard with not only the duo of Sheldon and Taylor but do-it-all redshirt senior Rikki Harris fits into any role Ohio State needs. Watch for Harris to come in as the Sixth Player for the scarlet and gray until Greene is healthy and conditioned enough to game minutes.

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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs Oakland: Game Preview and Prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

It is officially college basketball season, and the Buckeyes are back!

We. Are. Back. It is November, meaning the College Football Playoff Rankings are out, and College Basketball is back. It has been a long eight months for Ohio State men’s basketball coaches, players, and fans, as everyone has been ready to put the last season behind them and move on to the 2023-24 season.

It is a different-looking roster for the Buckeyes this season, with freshman phenom Brice Sensabaugh heading to the Utah Jazz as a first-round pick, Wright State transfer Tanner Holden heading back to Wright State, and Justice Sueing, Isaac Likekele, and Sean McNeil all moving onto life after college. Gene Brown also transferred to Georgia Southern.

The Buckeyes bring in a top-10 freshman class nationally and three transfers to the team this season.

Scotty Middleton, Devin Royal, Taison Chatman, and Austin Parks make up the freshman class, while sophomore Evan Mahaffey (Penn State), graduate senior Jamison Battle (Minnesota), and graduate senior Dale Bonner (Baylor) make up the transfer class.

Chatman will be unavailable to start the season due to minor knee surgery that he had done in the fall.

---

Preview​

Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Unlike last season, the Buckeyes are coming into this season with an established point guard, something that the importance of truly can’t be overstated.

Sophomore Bruce Thornton has full control of the offense after starting all 35 Buckeye games last season. Thornton averaged 10.6 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game in 30.5 minutes per contest.

Now in his second year as the main ball handler, Thornton will look to take the next step as one of the top point guards in the conference. Roddy Gayle, who was a role player last season, is now going to be the starting shooting guard with Thornton, and they will be trusted by the coaching staff to be the main guys for the Buckeyes on offense.

A transfer from George Washington and Minnesota, Jamison Battle will be relied upon as well to be one of the top scorers for the Buckeyes. Battle struggled a bit last season with consistency, as he dealt with injuries on a bad Minnesota team, but in the 2021-22 season, Battle averaged 17.5 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game and shot the deep ball at an elite level, shooting 37 percent on 7.1 attempts per game. He is a career 35 percent three-point shooter.

After losing Sensabaugh and McNeil, Battle will be key in giving the Buckeyes some much-needed shooting and spacing for Felix Okpara and Zed Key to work in the paint.

In the Buckeye’s exhibition game against Dayton, a 78-70 win, the starting lineup was Bruce Thornton-Roddy Gayle-Evan Mahaffey-Jamison Battle-Felix Okpara, and it seems that will be the case against Oakland. Freshman Scotty Middleton and Devin Royal could see starting minutes down the road, but for now it looks like it will be the Penn State transfer Mahaffey, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 200 pounds.

Oakland has some question marks, with their leading and third-leading scorers from last season, Keaton Harvey and Jalen Moore, both departing. Moore averaged 19.6 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game, and Harvey averaged 11.7 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. They brought in six new transfers and will look to figure out the best way to incorporate these new players into the offense.

Oakland finished 13-19 overall and 11-9 in conference last season as their legendary head coach Greg Kampe returns for his 40th season at the helm.

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Prediction​

Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio State should be able to win this game comfortably, but there are enough question marks as the first game of the season and a decent Oakland team with a legendary head coach to make the first half uncomfortable.

In the Buckeyes “secret” scrimmage game against Clemson, Jamison Battle and Devin Royal were not available. They will be back for the opener, with only Chatman not being available.

The main questions about this contest are how the transfers mesh into the rotation, what the highly anticipated backcourt of Roddy Gayle and Bruce Thornton looks like, and how the minutes are split up at center between Felix Okpara and Zed Key.

I expect this one to be close early as both teams figure some things out rotationally, and then after halftime, the talent gap shows, and the Buckeyes pull away and win comfortably.

---

ESPN BPI: Ohio State 86.3%

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: Big Ten Network Plus

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 78, Oakland 62​

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Season 125 tips off tomm night vs Oakland.

Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Good teams win, great teams... probably don’t trail Rutgers at halftime
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Josh and Chuck discuss another lackluster Ohio State performance, this one propped up by the greatness of TreVeyon Henderson. Plus, a quick recap of the weekend's great slate of college football.

The latest episode of Land-Grant Holy Land’s flagship podcast is here! Join LGHL’s Josh Dooley and Chuck Holmes as they discuss Ohio State football, recruiting, and much, much more! Come for the hot takes, stay for the warm ones.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio​

On this episode of “Hangout in the Holy Land,” Josh and Chuck discuss a surprisingly entertaining weekend of college football, air out concerns and disagreements RE: Kyle McCord, praise TreVeyon Henderson, and make quite clear that they can no longer defend the presence or performance of at least one Ohio State position coach.

The hosts kick things off by recapping a wild CFB weekend, highlighted by big-time matchups and several closely contested results. Some national contenders rose to the occasion, while others saw their CFP hopes come to an end.

And in other news, the Ohio State Buckeyes played...

It was not an instant classic, but OSU won and somehow covered against Rutgers. However, the team’s continued struggles and/or lack of progress - plus their mounting injuries - certainly have the Hangout boys concerned.

Will these Buckeyes flip the switch when they really need to? Do they have the ability to? Do they even know where the switch is!?

Please make sure to like, rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast! And as always, Go Bucks!

---

Connect with the pod
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Josh Dooley
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

Connect with Chuck Holmes
Twitter: @ctholmes3

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Here are the matchups this week, with several times not determined in this list. I’ll update it when they are.

SCHEDULE - WEEK 11

Tuesday, Nov. 7

Ball State at Northern Illinois | 7 p.m.
Central Michigan at Western Michigan | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
Ohio at Buffalo | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Wednesday, Nov. 8

Bowling Green at Kent State | 7 p.m.
Akron at Miami (Ohio) | 7 p.m. | ESPNU
Eastern Michigan at Toledo | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Thursday, Nov. 9

Virginia at Louisville | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
Southern Miss at Louisiana | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU

Friday, Nov. 10

North Texas at SMU | 9 p.m. | ESPN2
Grambling at Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 9 p.m. | ESPNU
Wyoming at UNLV | 10:45 p.m. | FS1

Saturday, Nov. 11

Michigan at Penn State | 12 p.m. | FOX
Alabama at Kentucky | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Tulsa at Tulane | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
Holy Cross at Army | 12 p.m. | CBSSN
Georgia Tech at Clemson | 12 p.m. | ABC
Maryland at Nebraska | 12 p.m. | Peacock
Indiana at Illinois | 12 p.m. | BTN
Texas Tech at Kansas | 12 p.m. | FS1
Vanderbilt at South Carolina | 12 p.m. | SEC Network
Virginia Tech at Boston College | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
Temple at South Florida | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Norfolk State at Delaware State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Morgan State at South Carolina State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Murray State at Illinois State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
South Dakota State at Youngstown State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Charleston Southern at Robert Morris | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Yale at Princeton | 12 p.m. | ESPNU

Fordham at Lafayette | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Brown at Columbia | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Old Dominion at Liberty | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgetown at Bucknell | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Lehigh at Colgate | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Illinois at Indiana State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Penn at Harvard | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
North Dakota at South Dakota | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Davidson at Morehead State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Tennessee State at Eastern Illinois | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Stetson at Valparaiso | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
East Tennessee State at Western Carolina | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
VMI at Furman | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Cornell at Dartmouth | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Arizona at Colorado | 2 p.m. | P12
UConn at James Madison | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Memphis at Charlotte | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Appalachian State at Georgia State | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Troy at UL Monroe | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Utah Tech at Austin Peay | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Bryant at Lindenwood | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Presbyterian at Drake | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Wofford at The Citadel | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at Tennessee Tech | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Sam Houston at Louisiana Tech | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Prairie View A&M at Southern | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Tarleton State at Abilene Christian | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Washington at Montana State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Idaho at Weber State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
UNI at Missouri State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Southeast Missouri State at UT Martin | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Virginia Lynchburg at Kennesaw State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Samford at Mercer | 3 p.m. | ESPN+

Miami (Fla) at Florida State | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
Utah at Washington | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
Tennessee at Missouri | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
Rutgers at Iowa | 3:30 p.m. | BTN
Oklahoma State at UCF | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Minnesota at Purdue | 3:30 p.m. | NBC
Northwestern at Wisconsin | 3:30 p.m. | FS1
Florida International at Middle Tennessee | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
New Mexico State at Western Kentucky | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Pitt at Syracuse | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
UAB at Navy | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Texas State at Coastal Carolina | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
North Carolina Central at Howard | 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU
Southern Illinois at North Dakota State | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Auburn at Arkansas | 4 p.m. | SEC Network
Washington State at Cal | 4 p.m. | ESPN2
East Carolina at Florida Atlantic | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Lamar at Nicholls | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
St. Thomas (Minn.) at San Diego | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Southeastern Louisiana | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Arkansas State at South Alabama | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Central Arkansas | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Southern Utah at Stephen F. Austin | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Cal Poly at Sacramento State | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
UC Davis at Idaho State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+

Ole Miss at Georgia | 7 p.m. | ESPN
West Virginia at Oklahoma | 7 p.m. | FOX
San Diego State at Colorado State | 7 p.m. | CBSSN

Michigan State at Ohio State | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
Texas at TCU | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
Florida at LSU | 7:30 p.m. | SEC
Mississippi State at Texas A&M | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Rice at UTSA | 7:30 p.m. | ESPNU

Duke at North Carolina | 8 p.m. | ACC
Houston Christian at McNeese | 8 p.m. | ESPN+

Montana at Portland State | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
New Mexico at Boise State | 10 p.m. | FS1
Iowa State at BYU | 10:15 p.m. | ESPN

USC at Oregon | 10:30 p.m. | FOX
Fresno State at San Jose State | 10:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Air Force at Hawai'i | 11 p.m. | Spectrum Sports PPV

Stanford at Oregon State
Arizona State at UCLA
Baylor at Kansas State
NC State at Wake Forest
Cincinnati at Houston
Georgia Southern at Marshall

Updated College Football Playoff odds after initial 2023 rankings
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 John Fisher/Getty Images

The Buckeyes debut at No. 1 in the CFP, but are not the favorite to win the title or make the final field of four.

The first College Football Playoff ranking of the 2023 season dropped on Tuesday night, and with it came a shake up of the top teams from the AP Top 25. Ohio State debuted as the No. 1 team in the initial CFP, followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 Florida State. The Buckeyes’ impressive strength of schedule, which includes wins over No. 11 Penn State and No. 15 Notre Dame, as well as its elite defense were a big reason for Ryan Day’s group taking the top spot.

With the College Football Playoff rankings now in effect, how do the betting odds look for teams to make the final bracket, and who is now the favorite to win the national championship?

All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Odds to Make the CFP​

1. Florida State (-270)
2. Georgia (-220)
3. Michigan (-175)
4. Ohio State (+105)
5. Washington (+140)
6. Oregon (+170)
7. Texas (+220)
8. Alabama (+270)
9. Oklahoma (+340)
10. LSU (+750)

Despite ranking fourth in Tuesday’s initial CFP Top 25, Florida State has the current best odds of any team to make the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles have already won the toughest games on their schedule, including a victory over now No. 14 LSU, and have really nothing in their way the rest of the season in an incredibly weak ACC. Georgia has three more “ranked” teams on the docket, but nobody will actually threaten the Bulldogs until the SEC title game against either Alabama or LSU. Ohio State and Michigan have a date in Ann Arbor on Nov. 25, while Washington and Oregon will likely meet again in the Pac-12 title game.

Odds to Win the National Title​

1. Georgia (+240)
2. Michigan (+240)
3. Florida State (+600)
4. Ohio State (+700)
5. Oregon (+1400)
6. Washington (+1500)
7. Alabama (+1500)
8. Texas (+1600)
9. Oklahoma (+4000)
10. LSU (+4000)

Georgia remains the favorite to win the national title, but Michigan is now tied with the Bulldogs for the best odds to take home the CFP trophy. It’s tough to bet against Kirby Smart’s team, coming off back-to-back national titles and staring down the barrel of a three-peat, but the Wolverines have been one of the most dominant teams in FBS this year. If they can take down Ohio State again — without cheating this time — they are a legitimate threat to win it all. Its interesting to see Oregon with better title odds than Washington, given the Huskies beat them head-to-head this year, but the Ducks have looked really good overall and will probably get a chance to avenge that loss in Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 1.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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If This Were A Movie: Like Krampus, Rutgers did not come to give, but to take
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Perhaps a visit from “Krampus” could help the Buckeyes remember the reason for the football season.

Each week, we’ll analyze the Ohio State game (and occasionally other games as well) through the lens of a sports movie. If this game were the next “Remember the Titans,” “Space Jam” or “The Sandlot,” what storylines would keep us talking? What would make us laugh, reach for the box of tissues, or have us on the edge of our seats? Grab your popcorn and get ready for pop culture references, a hint of snark, and a trip back in time to the Blockbuster Video days.

We are entering, as I like to call it, the holiday shoulder season. It’s that special time of year between Halloween and the winter holidays that should be reserved for the celebration of gluttonous feasting but usually winds up being a battle between the “Spooky Season is Not Over” and the “Holly Jolly Time is Here” folks.

I like to celebrate the holiday shoulder season with a specific genre of film — holiday horror. Why not enjoy the best of both worlds during this brief overlap?

It seems, my friends, the currently No. 1-in-the-CFP Ohio State Buckeyes are also fans of holiday horror during the holiday shoulder season, in that they are determined to continue providing us with good scares before we’re allowed to deck the halls with rings and trophies.

This weekend’s game against Rutgers was no exception. While the final score of the game (35-16, OSU) reflects a steady victory, don’t let the numbers fool you: The Buckeyes’ No. 1 ranking was in danger more than once, and I found myself yelling, “Krampus, take me now.”

Now, let’s get one thing straight: This is not the easy-to-beat Rutgers team we’ve seen in recent years. They’ve leveled up, with a competitive defense that can hold its own against the top teams.

But Ohio State is currently the No. 1 team in the country, and in this game? They didn’t look it. They were losing, 9-7, at halftime after Rutgers linebacker Mohamed Toure intercepted the Buckeyes to set up the final of three second quarter field goals.

Toure’s interception added insult to injury after the Scarlet Knights had already pulled off a trick play on 4th-and-1 from their own 43-yard line.

The Buckeyes seemed to be caught unaware by the Scarlet Knights, much like the Engel family in my favorite holiday horror film “Krampus.”

For those unfamiliar with Krampus, he is—according to Alpine folklore—an anthropomorphic half-demon, half-goat who partners with Santa Claus. Together, the pair go house-to-house on December 6, with Santa Claus leaving gifts and goodies for the nice children and Krampus doling out punishment and pain to the naughty ones to scare them into behaving.

The Engels—a family swimming in dysfunction and discord—learn about Krampus the hard way, when young Max (the family’s lone believer in Santa Claus) tears up his letter to Mr. Kringle after his cousins mock him, declares that he hates his family and throws the pieces of the letter out the window.

The rest of his family, for their part, are content to coast by while simply going through the motions of the holiday, with no real heart in it.

Enter everyone’s favorite holiday demon, Mr. Krampus. The Engels find themselves being hunted and tormented by the Krampus, whose ultimate goal is not to harm the family but to light a fire that inspires Max to rediscover his Christmas spirit.

The Engels and their half-hearted attempt at celebrating the holiday is reminiscent of the Buckeyes against Rutgers. The offense looked lackluster, save for running back TreVeyon Henderson who finished the day with 22 carries, 128 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown, along with 5 receptions for 80 yards through the air.

Even Heisman hopeful Marvin Harrison, Jr. had a relatively quiet day (Harrison finished with 25 yards on 4 receptions, though two of those receptions were touchdowns).

The Scarlet Knights were playing with spirit, and the Buckeyes looked rattled without it until OSU cornerback Jordan Hancock’s 93-yard pick-six helped the Buckeyes remember the reason for the season—the football season, that is.

The Buckeyes led the game from that point on, but the margin of victory wasn’t reflective of the threat Rutgers posed.

While the defense continued to be a dominant force, the OSU offense seemed to need some reminding about what was at stake—in the same way Max and the Engels needed a wake-up call.

Hancock’s momentum-shifting play seemed to work in this game, but the Buckeyes’ No. 1 ranking is in danger and they need to ensure they carry that heart into the remaining games. With the Michigan game looming on the horizon, they must be cautious not to look past their opponents.

Without spoiling how they get there, the Engels do eventually heed the Krampus’ warnings to find themselves a happy ending, but not before they come dangerously close to the alternative.

The Buckeyes, for their part, need to heed the warning of the Scarlet Knights and rediscover their heart, particularly on offense, or their hopes for a magical season could find themselves in the fiery pit of the Krampus.

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Visiting Locker Room: Trojans Wire talks big women’s basketball opener between USC, Ohio State
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Ian Hest of Trojan’s Wire talks about a USC team full of potential.

Ohio State women's basketball starts a gauntlet of a regular season with a top-25 matchup. To add to the excitement, Las Vegas, Nevada, a place that makes a living off of excitement, hosts the opening of the Buckeyes season.

Before the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes face the No. 21 USC Trojans, Land-Grant Holy Land reached out to a site that knows the Women of Troy well. Ian Hest writes for USA Today’s Trojans Wire. He answered questions about the work of USC’s head coach and two key players who can cause issues for the scarlet and gray.

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Land-Grant Holy Land: Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb took over two seasons ago and now she has USC ranked at the preseason for the first time in 12 years. What’s Gottlieb done in the past two years that have made the Trojans so successful?

Trojans Wire: She hit the gold mine and then recruited the heck out of her program off of it. The Trojans were a year ahead of schedule last year which has exacerbated how special this season could be. Guard Destiny Littleton brought the pedigree. Forwards Rayah Marshall and Kadi Sissoko had the seasons of their lives.

The UCLA close losses hinted it was possible, and then the unthinkable happened. A 55-46 win over No. 2 Stanford. That changes programs. Now they have guard Juju Watkins, the consensus overall best freshman in the country, and this program is on a completely different and exciting trajectory.

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LGHL: One area of struggle for the Buckeyes over the past two years is strong post presence, and USC definitely has that with Marshall. What makes her so dangerous and has any team really found a secret to stop the forward?

TW: Marshall is all of what you’d want a 6-foot-4 post player in women’s basketball to look like. Powerful, relentless, sure hands, and a work ethic that puts most to shame. One of her biggest strengths is not just the first attempt at a board or a put-back but the second, third, fourth, etc.

She’s going to get her boards, but the key to stopping her is those second chance baskets. If you can stop her from the offensive side of the glass, you at least have a chance to mitigate her presence.

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LGHL: A lot of the talk around the Trojans this season is the addition of Watkins, the No. 1 ranked freshman in the country. Monday is Watkins’ first NCAA game. What can people expect from the guard?

TW: We all don’t really know what to expect because a lot of this is unchartered territory.

The Women of Troy have never had the best recruit in the nation so I think the real responsibility relies on Gottleib. How is she going to handle this? Does she turn over the keys immediately, knowing this is one of the best teams USC will play all year?

Or does she ease Juju into her career, understanding that this is the beginning of what everyone hopes is a long journey. I find myself somewhere in the middle and honestly unsure of which decision not only is the right one, but the one Gottleib will make.

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Ohio State opens as 29.5-point favorites over Michigan State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

The Buckeyes return home to face the Spartans on Saturday.

After a two-game road trip that saw Ohio State earn wins over Wisconsin and Rutgers, the Buckeyes now return home to take on Michigan State. The Spartans finally stopped the bleeding of a six-game losing streak with a win over Nebraska on Saturday, but things won’t get any easier when they head to Columbus. Ohio State will look to move to 10-0 on the year, donning its alternate gray jerseys for the game, while 3-6 Michigan State will be looking to pull off one of two huge upsets it would need to reach bowl eligibility.

All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread: Ohio State -29.5​

Now nine games into the season, I think it's safe to say the 2023 Ohio State offense isn’t going to just magically turn it on. It isn’t a bad unit, but it’s certain not up to the lofty standards set by Ryan Day over his first few years at the helm. The Buckeyes rank No. 33 in scoring offense, No. 25 in passing, No. 46 in total offense and No. 90 (!!) in rushing. The rushing numbers will only continue to get better the longer TreVeyon Henderson stays healthy, as the star back turned in another 200-total-yard performance against Rutgers. Still, while Marvin Harrison Jr. remains the best player in the country, this Ohio State offense will only go as far as the quarterback play will allow it.

The defense, on the other hand, remains one of the best units in all of college football. Having held every opponent to 17 points or less this season, the Buckeyes rank second in scoring defense and fifth in total defense nationally. They have been better against the pass than they have against the run, and it was not a particularly stout rushing defense against the Scarlet Knights with Kyle Monangai going off for 159 yards. Still, they were able to keep Rutgers out of the end zone for the majority of the contest even despite missing both starting safeties and their top cornerback. Hopefully they can get everyone back before the team heads to Ann Arbor at season’s end.

Michigan State broke a six-game losing streak this weekend with a 20-17 win over Nebraska. It has not been smooth sledding on either side of the ball for the Spartans, but the offense has been particularly rough. MSU has averaged just 18.2 points per game, good for 123rd of 133 FBS teams. Mel Tucker switched quarterbacks a few games ago, but both Noah Kim and Katin Houser have struggled, combining for nine touchdown passes and eight interceptions. The lone bright spot of the Spartans offense has been running back Nate Carter, who has rushed for 659 yards and four TDs on the year. Montorie Foster has led the way through the air as the only receiver on the team with more than 300 yards.

Michigan State’s defense isn’t completely hopeless as it was last season, but the numbers are still not great. The Spartans rank 74th in scoring defense, allowing 26.6 points per game, while ranking 56th in defending the pass. They did a good job against Nebraska, picking off Heinrich Haarberg twice and also forcing a fumble, but they have really struggled against the good teams on the schedule, allowing 41 points and 49 points to Washington and Michigan, respectively. Still, they have a strong linebacker trio in Cal Haladay, Aaron Brule and Jordan Hall, and DB Jaden Mangham ranks second in the Big Ten with four interceptions. The group as a whole has not performed well, but there are still some playmakers on that side of the ball.

Ohio State has dominated this matchup as of late, winning the last seven meetings between the two teams. The Buckeyes have really had the Spartans number recently, winning the last three meetings by an average of 39.3 points. This Ohio State offense is not nearly as dynamic as it was the last few years, but the defense is much better. Ryan Day’s group probably won’t drop 50 points like they have in two of the last three matchups against Michigan State, but the Spartans will have a tough time putting points on the board, even if the Silver Bullets are playing without a few starters.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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How episode titles from The Sopranos can recap Ohio State’s win over Rutgers
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Since the Buckeyes were in New Jersey, why not lean on the state’s most famous family?

Last year following the Rutgers game I used some things from The Sopranos to describe an Ohio State win over the Scarlet Knights. This year I’m going back to well, just putting a different spin on it. I used some specific people and places from the legendary television show in 2022. To wrap up the 35-16 win for the Buckeyes this time around, I figured I would use episode titles from the HBO series.

I know it’s probably lazy to use The Sopranos again for a post game Ohio State article, but the only good thing about New Jersey is a fictional television show.

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“He Is Risen”​

The eighth episode of season three that actually aired on Easter Sunday revolved around Ralph Cifaretto being promoted to Capo. If TreVeyon Henderson wasn’t already a Capo in the Ohio State offense already, he better be promoted immediately. After totaling 207 yards in last week’s win at Wisconsin, Henderson bettered that mark by a yard against Rutgers. The junior running back provided a massive spark in the second half of the game to a Buckeye offense that was struggling through the first 30 minutes.

Somehow Henderson looked even better this week than he did last Saturday night against the Badgers. Along with his ability to find some room to run, Henderson was also dealing out some punishment to the Rutgers defenders. Had it not been for Henderson, it would have been a very ugly day for the Ohio State offense. The Buckeyes only amassed 120 yards of offense from players other than Henderson.

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

What Ryan Day and Brian Hartline will have to try and limit over the next couple of weeks is the number of touches for Henderson. While you don’t want to completely shut the junior down, you would prefer to not have him touch the football over 25 times per game in contests against Michigan State and Minnesota. Let Henderson get some work and hopefully the Buckeyes can build a big enough lead in those games so he doesn’t really have to play much in the second halves of those games. The goal is to have Henderson as fresh and healthy as possible for the Michigan game.

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“Nobody Knows Anything”​

The title refers to the 11th episode of the first season of the show. In the episode, Tony is becoming increasingly suspicious that Pussy Bonpensiero is an FBI informant. While there sounds like there was plenty of informing done by Conor Stalions when it came to the signals of the opponents of Michigan over the last few years, I’m going in a different direction when it comes to tying in this episode title to the Rutgers game.

It feels like when it comes to Ohio State’s special teams, nobody knows anything. Did Jesse Mirco go rogue on the fake punt decision early in the game? Why does Parker Fleming have a job? Does Fleming have some incredible blackmail information on Ryan Day? Buckeye fans are wondering all this and more when it comes to the special teams play.

Special teams haven’t cost Ohio State a game yet this year, but it feels like there is going to come a time where special teams is going to decide the game. If that’s the case then the Buckeyes might be in a lot of trouble since this is a poorly coached unit. Fleming is getting paid way too much for some of the blunders we have seen from the group this year. If Day was smart, he would evaluate Fleming’s position on the coaching staff once the season is over. Unfortunately it feels like for whatever reason that Fleming is a made man and will be stealing money from Ohio State for years to come.

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“Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist’s Office...”​

Maybe Kyle McCord could benefit from a few sessions with Dr. Melfi. If she can help someone like Tony Soprano, imagine the wonders she could do for the Ohio State quarterback. Maybe a professional could trick him into thinking every half of football he plays is the second half of a game, since he often struggles in the first half only to find more of a rhythm in the second half of games.

A performance like we saw on Saturday might fly against Rutgers, but it certainly won’t against Michigan, or whoever the Buckeyes would see if they make the College Football Playoff. What’s so frustrating is we have seen glimpses of how good McCord can be, but he just struggles with consistency more than you’d like to see from a starting quarterback.

Even though sometimes we act like the sky is falling when there is some bad quarterback play for the Buckeyes, there are reasons for optimism. McCord should be able to work on some things over the next two weeks since Ohio State will host Michigan State and Minnesota. Also, hopefully by the end of the month the Buckeye offense should be healthier. Emeka Egbuka returned to the field today after missing a few games, but tight end Cade Stover didn’t see any action as he was dealing with an injury.

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“Commendatori”​

When Tony goes to Naples with Christopher and Paulie, they are given this greeting in Italy. Commendatori is the plural of commendatore, which means commander in Italian. Jim Knowles is definitely the commander of the Ohio State defense. The reason the Buckeyes have been able to work through some of their inconsistency and struggles on the offensive end is because they have confidence that the defense can pick them up.

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

A few weeks ago it was Josh Proctor against Maryland who put a spark in the Buckeyes. This week it was the interception return by Jordan Hancock in the third quarter. Even though Ohio State gave up 361 yards of offense to Rutgers, the defense of the Buckeyes bent but tightened up when the Scarlet Knights got into the red zone, holding Rutgers to three field goals.

About the only major negative from the game for the Ohio State defense is they finally gave up a play of over 40 yards this season. There honestly should be an asterisk by that stat, since Rutgers had to run a “fumblerooski” to achieve the feat on the Buckeye defense. There still are some areas you’d like to see the defense of Ohio State improve on, but there is no doubt they deserve to be in the conversation as one of the best defensive units in the country.

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“The Ride”​

This was episode nine in the sixth season of the show. The ride Ohio State is on is a lot different than the amusement park ride that broke during the episode while Janice and Bobby Baccalieri’s daughter was on it. Instead, we are just sitting here every week hoping the ride that is Ohio State football doesn’t break anytime soon.

The first half of Saturday’s game certainly wasn’t fun to watch. As bad as it was at times, Ohio State still won by 19 points and covered the spread. The Buckeyes are handling their business while Texas was taken to overtime by Kansas State, Florida State had a tough time separating from Pitt, and Oklahoma was in a dogfight with Oklahoma State.

Who knows if Ohio State is going to be ranked No. 1 in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings. Honestly, the rankings don’t matter until early December. If the Buckeyes beat Michigan, then they’ll be in the CFP. Until then we just have to try and enjoy the ride, even though it can be tough at times. Hopefully at least these next two weeks Ohio State will make it a little less stressful with convincing performances at home over lesser opponents.

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Wolverines to Open Big Ten Play with Home Series Against ... - MGoBlue
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Wolverines to Open Big Ten Play with Home Series Against ... MGoBlue

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Brads' Breakdown: Buckeyes survive Big Ten bloodbath - Cedars
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Brads' Breakdown: Buckeyes survive Big Ten bloodbath Cedars

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Michigan intel before the Purdue game: Wolverines enter November with eyes on Buckeyes, Penn State - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Michigan intel before the Purdue game: Wolverines enter November with eyes on Buckeyes, Penn State 247Sports

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No. 3 Buckeyes defense steps up big in 20-12 win over Penn St - Spectrum News 1
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No. 3 Buckeyes defense steps up big in 20-12 win over Penn St Spectrum News 1

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