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LGHL Using Tyler Childers’ music to wrap up Ohio State’s 63-10 win over Western Kentucky
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Using Tyler Childers’ music to wrap up Ohio State’s 63-10 win over Western Kentucky
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 Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The country music star was a student at Western Kentucky for a semester.
When your team wins a game 63-10, you try and have some fun summing up what you saw on the field in the victory. At first, I was thinking of writing about Big Red, and while that giant red creature is glorious, I didn’t think I could tie in enough about the game with the furry mascot. So I started to look at the notable people who went to Western Kentucky.
As I scrolled through the list, there it was: Tyler Childers did attend Western Kentucky. Now I’m not going to sit here and try and pretend he graduated from the university, as he only studied for a semester in Bowling Green. Even that short amount of time is good enough for me to use some of his works to describe what we saw on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge country music fan. For a long time, really the only country music I listened to was by Garth Brooks. If you made me listen to Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, or some of the other country singers along those lines I’d want to punch you in the face. Then I heard some of Childers’ music, along with Sturgill Simpson and Colter Wall, and I realized there was a segment of country music I could stomach. Real country music with a mix of outlaw and bluegrass.
So to put a bow on the blowout win over the Hilltoppers, here are a few song titles from Childers’ albums that I think tie in well with the performance of the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
This title is from Childers’ recently released album, Rustlin’ in the Rain. Ohio State’s offensive line had a performance they can build on yesterday. The big uglies not only gave Kyle McCord time, but they also opened up holes for the Buckeye running backs to hit. The result was over 560 yards of offense in the win. By far this was the best offensive performance of the year for the Buckeyes, giving them some much-needed confidence heading into South Bend on Saturday night.
Not that Western Kentucky is going to be mistaken for some defensive juggernaut, but coaches have to be thrilled when their quarterbacks are kept pretty clean for most of the game. The Hilltoppers were only able to muster one sack and two tackles for loss. Obviously, things are going to be a lot tougher against what Notre Dame will throw at them this week, but the line can at least feel good about themselves for a bit after some spotty play to start the year.
The track from Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? perfectly describes the feeling of watching Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka operate on the field. For the second straight week, Harrison notched a touchdown that went at least 70 yards. Last week Harrison took a pass 71 yards to the house early against Youngstown State, and he topped that career-high yesterday when he scored a 75-yard touchdown in the middle of the second quarter to help the Buckeyes respond after Western Kentucky closed the deficit to 14-10. Harrison finished the game with five grabs for 126 yards and a score. With his output on Saturday, Harrison now has eclipsed 100 career catches in his Buckeye career.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24909424/usa_today_21381435.jpg "NCAA Football: Youngstown State at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Later on in the second quarter, Egbuka left his mark on the game, scoring two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half. The first score came from 15 yards out, and he followed it up with a 14-yard score with eight seconds left on the clock. Even though Egbuka hasn’t topped 100 yards in a game this season, he is the perfect compliment to Harrison on the field. While so much attention will be paid to Harrison in South Bend, it could shape up to be a real breakout game for Egbuka under the lights on a national stage.
From the OurVinyl Sessions, this perfectly describes what we saw from the Ohio State running backs against Western Kentucky. The Buckeyes toted the rock 33 times for 204 yards on the ground, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. There were a couple of lengthy runs, most notably Chip Trayanum’s 40-yard touchdown scamper, but for the most part, it was hard running from a number of Buckeye backs.
TreVeyon Henderson tightened his grip on the starting running back role, putting together his best game of the young season, leading Ohio State with 88 yards on 13 carries, finding the end zone on two of those carries. We even got to see Evan Pryor for the first time since the 2021 season, as Pryor got three carries. The backs will face a tough challenge trying to find running room against Notre Dame, but they are certainly trending in the right direction.
I would imagine the title of the track from Bottles and Bibles is what the Ohio State defense was saying to each other after the game. In full disclosure, I thought the defense might struggle a little against a high-octane passing attack after two games of boring offense from Indiana and Youngstown State. It’s not the first time I’ve been wrong, and it certainly won’t be the last.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24928937/usa_today_21441239.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Two sacks, four turnovers, eight tackles for loss, and two defensive touchdowns. It’s hard to play much better than that. We got Tyleik Williams falling on a fumbled football in the end zone for a LARGE MAN TOUCHDOWN. Denzel Burke and Josh Proctor made numerous plays to break up passes, Tommy Eichenberg registered 10 tackles. The Buckeyes held the top passer in the FBS last year to just 207 yards passing, with Austin Reed doing pretty much nothing throwing the football after the midway point of the second quarter.
The title track from Childers’ 2017 feels like it perfectly encapsulates what the defensive line is in right now. There were a few good plays from the d-line, yet they should be playing a lot better. While efforts like we saw Saturday might fly against the Western Kentuckys of the college football world, it certainly won’t against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes only recorded two sacks, with one of those coming late in the game from linebacker Mitchell Melton.
The play of the defensive line has to be better against Notre Dame since if it’s not Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman will pick the defense apart if he has time to throw. Saturday night’s game is one where we’ll need another performance from J.T. Tuimoloau like we saw last year against Penn State. If Ohio State's defensive line can’t create some noise in one of the biggest games of the season, they might not be quite the title contender we thought they were.
Continue reading...
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 Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The country music star was a student at Western Kentucky for a semester.
When your team wins a game 63-10, you try and have some fun summing up what you saw on the field in the victory. At first, I was thinking of writing about Big Red, and while that giant red creature is glorious, I didn’t think I could tie in enough about the game with the furry mascot. So I started to look at the notable people who went to Western Kentucky.
As I scrolled through the list, there it was: Tyler Childers did attend Western Kentucky. Now I’m not going to sit here and try and pretend he graduated from the university, as he only studied for a semester in Bowling Green. Even that short amount of time is good enough for me to use some of his works to describe what we saw on Saturday afternoon in Columbus.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge country music fan. For a long time, really the only country music I listened to was by Garth Brooks. If you made me listen to Kenny Chesney, Jason Aldean, or some of the other country singers along those lines I’d want to punch you in the face. Then I heard some of Childers’ music, along with Sturgill Simpson and Colter Wall, and I realized there was a segment of country music I could stomach. Real country music with a mix of outlaw and bluegrass.
So to put a bow on the blowout win over the Hilltoppers, here are a few song titles from Childers’ albums that I think tie in well with the performance of the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on Saturday.
“Space and Time”
This title is from Childers’ recently released album, Rustlin’ in the Rain. Ohio State’s offensive line had a performance they can build on yesterday. The big uglies not only gave Kyle McCord time, but they also opened up holes for the Buckeye running backs to hit. The result was over 560 yards of offense in the win. By far this was the best offensive performance of the year for the Buckeyes, giving them some much-needed confidence heading into South Bend on Saturday night.
Not that Western Kentucky is going to be mistaken for some defensive juggernaut, but coaches have to be thrilled when their quarterbacks are kept pretty clean for most of the game. The Hilltoppers were only able to muster one sack and two tackles for loss. Obviously, things are going to be a lot tougher against what Notre Dame will throw at them this week, but the line can at least feel good about themselves for a bit after some spotty play to start the year.
“Jubilee”
The track from Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? perfectly describes the feeling of watching Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka operate on the field. For the second straight week, Harrison notched a touchdown that went at least 70 yards. Last week Harrison took a pass 71 yards to the house early against Youngstown State, and he topped that career-high yesterday when he scored a 75-yard touchdown in the middle of the second quarter to help the Buckeyes respond after Western Kentucky closed the deficit to 14-10. Harrison finished the game with five grabs for 126 yards and a score. With his output on Saturday, Harrison now has eclipsed 100 career catches in his Buckeye career.
Later on in the second quarter, Egbuka left his mark on the game, scoring two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the half. The first score came from 15 yards out, and he followed it up with a 14-yard score with eight seconds left on the clock. Even though Egbuka hasn’t topped 100 yards in a game this season, he is the perfect compliment to Harrison on the field. While so much attention will be paid to Harrison in South Bend, it could shape up to be a real breakout game for Egbuka under the lights on a national stage.
“Nose on the Grindstone”
From the OurVinyl Sessions, this perfectly describes what we saw from the Ohio State running backs against Western Kentucky. The Buckeyes toted the rock 33 times for 204 yards on the ground, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. There were a couple of lengthy runs, most notably Chip Trayanum’s 40-yard touchdown scamper, but for the most part, it was hard running from a number of Buckeye backs.
TreVeyon Henderson tightened his grip on the starting running back role, putting together his best game of the young season, leading Ohio State with 88 yards on 13 carries, finding the end zone on two of those carries. We even got to see Evan Pryor for the first time since the 2021 season, as Pryor got three carries. The backs will face a tough challenge trying to find running room against Notre Dame, but they are certainly trending in the right direction.
“We’ve Had Our Fun”
I would imagine the title of the track from Bottles and Bibles is what the Ohio State defense was saying to each other after the game. In full disclosure, I thought the defense might struggle a little against a high-octane passing attack after two games of boring offense from Indiana and Youngstown State. It’s not the first time I’ve been wrong, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Two sacks, four turnovers, eight tackles for loss, and two defensive touchdowns. It’s hard to play much better than that. We got Tyleik Williams falling on a fumbled football in the end zone for a LARGE MAN TOUCHDOWN. Denzel Burke and Josh Proctor made numerous plays to break up passes, Tommy Eichenberg registered 10 tackles. The Buckeyes held the top passer in the FBS last year to just 207 yards passing, with Austin Reed doing pretty much nothing throwing the football after the midway point of the second quarter.
“Purgatory”
The title track from Childers’ 2017 feels like it perfectly encapsulates what the defensive line is in right now. There were a few good plays from the d-line, yet they should be playing a lot better. While efforts like we saw Saturday might fly against the Western Kentuckys of the college football world, it certainly won’t against Notre Dame. The Buckeyes only recorded two sacks, with one of those coming late in the game from linebacker Mitchell Melton.
The play of the defensive line has to be better against Notre Dame since if it’s not Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman will pick the defense apart if he has time to throw. Saturday night’s game is one where we’ll need another performance from J.T. Tuimoloau like we saw last year against Penn State. If Ohio State's defensive line can’t create some noise in one of the biggest games of the season, they might not be quite the title contender we thought they were.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State opens as 3-point favorites over Notre Dame
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Ohio State opens as 3-point favorites over Notre Dame
Gene Ross 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
The Buckeyes’ first marquee matchup of the season is upon us.
After three weeks of tune-up games, No. 6 Ohio State will now hit the road for its toughest test of the young season as the Buckeyes head to South Bend to take on No. 9 Notre Dame. Both teams come into the game undefeated, as would be expected with what has been on the schedule for both squads to begin the year. The Fighting Irish are 4-0 thus far having played in Week 0, and are coming off a 41-17 win over Central Michigan in their last time out. Ohio State, meanwhile, is 3-0 after an impressive 63-10 win over Western Kentucky.
All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
We had been anxiously awaiting Ohio State’s offense to break out, and they did that on Saturday with strong performances both on the ground and through the air. Now officially the starting quarterback, Kyle McCord completed 19-of-23 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns in his best outing to date. Marvin Harrison Jr. was his top target on the day, hauling in five catches for 126 yards and a touchdown, but eight different players caught passes in the game overall. On the ground, TreVeyon Henderson showed his elusiveness and quick burst with 13 carries for 88 yards and two scores.
Defensively, Jim Knowles group did a fantastic job of limiting the explosive Western Kentucky passing attack, as the Hilltoppers’ 10 points and 284 total yards were their fewest in any game since the start of the 2021 season. The Denzel Burke-led secondary was making plays, the linebackers were flying all over the field, and the defensive line got enough pressure on Austin Reed to force some errant throws. Ohio State took the ball away four times on two fumbles and two interceptions, one of which was a pick-six by freshman Jermaine Matthews Jr. to put the final icing on the cake.
Notre Dame continued its strong start to the season in its 41-17 win over Central Michigan. Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman has been a huge upgrade at QB for the Irish, throwing for 330 yards and three TDs against the Chippewas. Hartman couldn’t have asked for a much better start in South Bend, tossing 13 touchdowns without an interception to begin the season. On the ground, Notre Dame has been led by Audric Estime, as the 6-foot-1, 215-pound bruiser has rushed for 521 yards and five touchdowns on 8.3 yards per carry through four games. Estime is coming off a career-high 176 yards against Central Michigan.
On the other side of the ball, the Irish have been led by linebacker Jack Kiser. The senior has a team-high 26 tackles with a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Converted wide receiver Xavier Watts has led the way in the secondary from his safety spot, totaling 14 tackles with a pick and three pass break ups. Five different players in the Notre Dame secondary have recorded an interception, and seven different guys have been credited with a forced fumble. Like Ohio State, ND hasn't been dominant in the sack department, with six total sacks on the year from six different players. As a team, the Irish rank 14th in the nation allowing 11.8 points per game.
This will be the first real test for both teams. Notre Dame has the added bonus of playing one extra game to help prepare for this contest, but the Irish haven’t seen anyone quite like what Ohio State is capable of at its best. The Buckeyes have played one really good offense in WKU and performed well, but the Irish are far more talented than the Hilltoppers even if they aren’t as explosive. Ryan Day’s side won this matchup 21-10 in Columbus last season, and now Marcus Freeman will be looking to return the favor in South Bend.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
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
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes’ first marquee matchup of the season is upon us.
After three weeks of tune-up games, No. 6 Ohio State will now hit the road for its toughest test of the young season as the Buckeyes head to South Bend to take on No. 9 Notre Dame. Both teams come into the game undefeated, as would be expected with what has been on the schedule for both squads to begin the year. The Fighting Irish are 4-0 thus far having played in Week 0, and are coming off a 41-17 win over Central Michigan in their last time out. Ohio State, meanwhile, is 3-0 after an impressive 63-10 win over Western Kentucky.
All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread: Ohio State -3
We had been anxiously awaiting Ohio State’s offense to break out, and they did that on Saturday with strong performances both on the ground and through the air. Now officially the starting quarterback, Kyle McCord completed 19-of-23 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns in his best outing to date. Marvin Harrison Jr. was his top target on the day, hauling in five catches for 126 yards and a touchdown, but eight different players caught passes in the game overall. On the ground, TreVeyon Henderson showed his elusiveness and quick burst with 13 carries for 88 yards and two scores.
Defensively, Jim Knowles group did a fantastic job of limiting the explosive Western Kentucky passing attack, as the Hilltoppers’ 10 points and 284 total yards were their fewest in any game since the start of the 2021 season. The Denzel Burke-led secondary was making plays, the linebackers were flying all over the field, and the defensive line got enough pressure on Austin Reed to force some errant throws. Ohio State took the ball away four times on two fumbles and two interceptions, one of which was a pick-six by freshman Jermaine Matthews Jr. to put the final icing on the cake.
Notre Dame continued its strong start to the season in its 41-17 win over Central Michigan. Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman has been a huge upgrade at QB for the Irish, throwing for 330 yards and three TDs against the Chippewas. Hartman couldn’t have asked for a much better start in South Bend, tossing 13 touchdowns without an interception to begin the season. On the ground, Notre Dame has been led by Audric Estime, as the 6-foot-1, 215-pound bruiser has rushed for 521 yards and five touchdowns on 8.3 yards per carry through four games. Estime is coming off a career-high 176 yards against Central Michigan.
On the other side of the ball, the Irish have been led by linebacker Jack Kiser. The senior has a team-high 26 tackles with a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Converted wide receiver Xavier Watts has led the way in the secondary from his safety spot, totaling 14 tackles with a pick and three pass break ups. Five different players in the Notre Dame secondary have recorded an interception, and seven different guys have been credited with a forced fumble. Like Ohio State, ND hasn't been dominant in the sack department, with six total sacks on the year from six different players. As a team, the Irish rank 14th in the nation allowing 11.8 points per game.
This will be the first real test for both teams. Notre Dame has the added bonus of playing one extra game to help prepare for this contest, but the Irish haven’t seen anyone quite like what Ohio State is capable of at its best. The Buckeyes have played one really good offense in WKU and performed well, but the Irish are far more talented than the Hilltoppers even if they aren’t as explosive. Ryan Day’s side won this matchup 21-10 in Columbus last season, and now Marcus Freeman will be looking to return the favor in South Bend.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
Continue reading...
LGHL Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Ohio State finally looks like Ohio State, and Buckeye fans can breathe
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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Ohio State finally looks like Ohio State, and Buckeye fans can breathe
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 are finally feeling confident in this OSU team, thanks to their dominant performance against WKU.
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:
On this episode of “Hangout in the Holy Land,” Josh and Chuck discuss Ohio State’s first dominant performance of the season, as well as the Week 3 college football slate which saw several (other) top-10 teams ‘play with their food’ and fail to take care of business in impressive fashion.
The Buckeyes are good again! And so is Kyle McCord, as well as the OSU defense. In reality, Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky is or was what fans of the Scarlet and Gray had been hoping for all season. The hosts are cautiously optimistic that momentum carries over to next weekend and a massive matchup with Notre Dame.
Elsewhere, you know who’s not good again!? Alabama... Maybe. The Hangout Boys saw several lackluster performances outside of Columbus yesterday, and they think it is due to CFB’s growing quarterback problem. Early in the pod, the guys talk QB movement and failure, and why Ryan Day deserves credit for developing players at the most important position on the field.
Josh and Chuck close the episode with Winners, Losers, and Fantasy MVPs, a tradition like no other.
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
Continue reading...
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 are finally feeling confident in this OSU team, thanks to their dominant performance against WKU.
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 Ohio State’s first dominant performance of the season, as well as the Week 3 college football slate which saw several (other) top-10 teams ‘play with their food’ and fail to take care of business in impressive fashion.
The Buckeyes are good again! And so is Kyle McCord, as well as the OSU defense. In reality, Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky is or was what fans of the Scarlet and Gray had been hoping for all season. The hosts are cautiously optimistic that momentum carries over to next weekend and a massive matchup with Notre Dame.
Elsewhere, you know who’s not good again!? Alabama... Maybe. The Hangout Boys saw several lackluster performances outside of Columbus yesterday, and they think it is due to CFB’s growing quarterback problem. Early in the pod, the guys talk QB movement and failure, and why Ryan Day deserves credit for developing players at the most important position on the field.
Josh and Chuck close the episode with Winners, Losers, and Fantasy MVPs, a tradition like no other.
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
Continue reading...
LGHL Minnich’s Musings about Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky
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Minnich’s Musings about Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky
Chip.Minnich 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
The Hilltoppers were “just what the doctor ordered.”
“Just what the doctor ordered,” an old expression, meaning what is wanted or needed. For example, having a strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning to help wake me up could lead me to say, “That’s just what the doctor ordered.”. In the case of 2023 Ohio State football, the positive results of the dominant 63-10 win over the visiting Western Kentucky Hilltoppers could lead someone to say, “That’s just what the doctor ordered...”.
Looking at these first three games for Ohio State, I have reflected that it was almost like an NFL team’s preseason schedule. The outcomes were not in doubt, but it felt like these were opportunities for the coaching staff to evaluate their personnel and schemes, knowing the first true test would be coming when Ohio State would travel to South Bend to face a talented Notre Dame team.
Ohio State fans, such as myself, were bracing ourselves for a challenging and potentially frustrating game versus the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. After all, Ohio State did not look especially dominant in the first two games of the season, defeating Indiana 23-3 and Youngstown State 35-7. Add in the fact that Western Kentucky, a pass-oriented offense was coming to Ohio Stadium to face a relatively untested Ohio State secondary, and it was understandable that there was anxiety. Heck, a close friend of mine from high school who is a proud Ohio State alum let our other friends know that he sold the best tickets he has ever had for an Ohio State game, as he was so certain of a loss to Western Kentucky.
We all saw that my friend’s pessimism was not warranted, as the Buckeyes exploded for 35 points in the second quarter. I had predicted a 42-20 win, with frustrating moments by the secondary — Ohio State had 42 points by the end of the first half.
Following the game, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day stated,
Ohio State fans, “preseason football” is now over. It’s time to get ready for Notre Dame. Western Kentucky, thank you for coming - you were “just what the doctor ordered”.
Continue reading...
Chip.Minnich 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
The Hilltoppers were “just what the doctor ordered.”
“Just what the doctor ordered,” an old expression, meaning what is wanted or needed. For example, having a strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning to help wake me up could lead me to say, “That’s just what the doctor ordered.”. In the case of 2023 Ohio State football, the positive results of the dominant 63-10 win over the visiting Western Kentucky Hilltoppers could lead someone to say, “That’s just what the doctor ordered...”.
Looking at these first three games for Ohio State, I have reflected that it was almost like an NFL team’s preseason schedule. The outcomes were not in doubt, but it felt like these were opportunities for the coaching staff to evaluate their personnel and schemes, knowing the first true test would be coming when Ohio State would travel to South Bend to face a talented Notre Dame team.
Ohio State fans, such as myself, were bracing ourselves for a challenging and potentially frustrating game versus the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. After all, Ohio State did not look especially dominant in the first two games of the season, defeating Indiana 23-3 and Youngstown State 35-7. Add in the fact that Western Kentucky, a pass-oriented offense was coming to Ohio Stadium to face a relatively untested Ohio State secondary, and it was understandable that there was anxiety. Heck, a close friend of mine from high school who is a proud Ohio State alum let our other friends know that he sold the best tickets he has ever had for an Ohio State game, as he was so certain of a loss to Western Kentucky.
We all saw that my friend’s pessimism was not warranted, as the Buckeyes exploded for 35 points in the second quarter. I had predicted a 42-20 win, with frustrating moments by the secondary — Ohio State had 42 points by the end of the first half.
- Kyle McCord played well in his first game as the unquestioned starter, completing 19 of 23 passes for 318 yards and 3 touchdowns. Yes, he fumbled after being sacked by Western Kentucky, but that was probably the only blemish on the day, as the Hilltoppers were able to eventually get a field goal after gaining possession.
- The defensive line made things difficult for Western Kentucky quarterback Austin Reed. The Buckeyes were not sacking Reed at first but were putting enough pressure on Reed where passes were being hurried, leading to incompletions.
- In my estimation, the turning point of the game was in the second quarter, when Western Kentucky went for it on fourth down and was not successful. Ohio State was leading 21-10, and the Hilltoppers were in their own 40-yard line, trying to convert on 4th and 6. After the possession went to Ohio State, Chip Trayanum rumbled for a 40-yard touchdown run on the first play, and the game was pretty much done for the Hilltoppers at that point.
- The much-maligned Ohio State defense came up big. The aforementioned 4th down conversion that led to points, plus interceptions and fumble recoveries, were crucial in the decisive victory.
- It was in the second half — after the game was well-decided — but backup quarterback Devin Brown was inserted into the lineup. My thanks to Ohio State head coach Ryan Day for not just having Brown hand the ball off, as Brown was allowed to throw and completed the first touchdown pass of his career, as well as freshman Carnell Tate’s, to put the Buckeyes up 56-10 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Yes, Brown did throw an interception, but that did not lead to any points by the Hilltoppers.
- Similar to the quarterback position, the running back position has seemingly established a clear depth chart. TreVeyon Henderson is at the top, and the coaches clearly have a role for Chip Trayanum. Perhaps Miyan Williams is not fully healthy, as he was inserted into the game in the second half. And I was happy to see Evan Pryor get into the game late, after missing the entire 2022 season.
- The offensive line, also a source of concern through the first two games of the season, played better. One sack allowed, the subsequent fumble, and some false start penalties, but overall, they played better than they did in the first two games. The upcoming trip to South Bend is going to be the offensive line’s biggest test so far for the 2023 season.
Following the game, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day stated,
Ohio State fans, “preseason football” is now over. It’s time to get ready for Notre Dame. Western Kentucky, thank you for coming - you were “just what the doctor ordered”.
Continue reading...
LGHL The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 63-10 win over Western Kentucky
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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 63-10 win over Western Kentucky
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 Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes played their best game of the young season on Saturday against the Hilltoppers.
After two weeks of less than stellar performances, Ohio State came out and looked dominant in a 63-10 win over Western Kentucky in Week 3.
The Buckeyes’ defense was up to the challenge of stopping the Hilltoppers’ prolific passing attack, holding WKU to 207 yards passing while forcing four turnovers — two forced fumbles and two interceptions, including a pick-six. It was an extremely encouraging showing against a legit offense, as Western Kentucky finished the game just 3-of-16 on third down and 3-of-6 on fourth down. The Buckeyes recorded eight tackles for loss on the afternoon, while adding six pass breakups and a pair of sacks. It would be tough not to come away impressed by Jim Knowles’ group.
Offensively, things looked to go a lot smoother now that the quarterback battle is over. Kyle McCord was comfortable and confident as he moved the Buckeyes down the field, and Ryan Day did a really great job of putting together a balanced attack that saw both the passing and rushing attack flourish. Eight different players caught passes against Western Kentucky, led by Marvin Harrison Jr.’s five catches for 126 yards and a TD as well as Emeka Egbuka’s two-TD game. On the ground, six different non-QBs carried the ball on Saturday, including the collegiate debut of Evan Pryor, who tallied 12 yards on three touches.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Western Kentucky.
A Confident Kyle McCord
It seems as though being officially named Ohio State’s starting quarterback and getting a full week of uninterrupted reps with the ones in practice has been good for Kyle McCord. QB1 was fantastic on Saturday, completing 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 318 yards and three touchdowns with zero picks. After an early overthrow and losing the ball on a sack fumble, McCord locked in the rest of the way. He made some really nice throws, including some accurate deep balls, and overall looked comfortable leading the offense. With the position battle in the rearview, McCord can now play with a weight off his shoulders and just focus on making plays.
A Healthy TreVeyon Henderson
It wasn’t entire clear last season who the Buckeyes’ top running back on any given weekend would be, as all of them spent some time rehabbing injuries. Now healthy, TreVeyon Henderson is showing off the speed and athleticism that made him a five-star prospect coming out of high school. The junior put together a strong performance against the Hilltoppers, leading Ohio State with 13 carries for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also hauled in one catch for 27 yards. While Chip Trayanum (who also had a nice day with five carries for 56 yards and a TD) and Miyan Williams are here to give him a breather, Henderson has looked like a man on a mission to start the 2023 campaign.
The Silver Bullets
Against one of the nation’s best passing offenses two years running, I was expecting Ohio State’s secondary to struggle a bit in this game. Western Kentucky knows how to air out the football, and I wouldn’t have been shocked if they were able to put up somewhere in the neighborhood of 24-30 points against the Buckeyes. Instead, the OSU secondary was outstanding, holding WKU QB Austin Reed to 207 yards passing — only the second time he’s thrown for less than 250 yards in his 17 games as a starter. Denzel Burke was phenomenal, and other guys all over the defensive backfield made plays when called upon. I was really impressed with the Ohio State secondary against probably the best passing attack they will face this year.
The Freshmen
We couldn’t talk about some of the positives from this game without mentioning the freshmen, as a handful of first-year players got to play a decent amount a snaps in a blowout. On offense it was wide receiver Carnell Tate, who tallied two catches for 40 yards including his first career touchdown. Defensively, corner Jermaine Matthews Jr. stole the show, jumping a route and taking an interception 58 yards to the house. While not freshmen, another handful of young guys made some impressive plays, including QB Devin Brown’s first career TD pass (on the ball to Tate) and DE Omari Abor making a nice play to record a tackle for loss late in the contest.
The Defensive Ends
I will start this section off by saying that I am nitpicking here. The defense, as mentioned, played extremely well as a whole. While the counting stats still aren’t there, I do think the defensive line played better in this game than they did in the first few weeks. They continued to be strong against the run, and even though there was only two sacks recorded for Ohio State against the Hilltoppers — by Tyliek Williams and Mitchell Melton — they got enough of a pass rush that they were able to affect several throws.
That being said, I’m still waiting to see either J.T. Tuimoloau or Jack Sawyer make an impact on a football game. Outside of Tuimoloau’s big game against Penn State, neither of these two former five-stars have done much of anything in Columbus. Through three games this season, the duo has combined for one TFL and zero sacks. Tuimoloau was in the backfield a handful of times against Western Kentucky and did officially record a QB hurry, but for neither of these guys to even have one sack against overmatched competition is troubling. It’s not going to get any easier next week against Notre Dame.
Ohio State’s Use of Cade Stover
This is less about Cade Stover the player and more about what Ohio State’s coaches ask him to do. It is very clear at this point that the Buckeyes’ starting tight end is incapable of blocking. I don’t know whether its an effort thing or an ability issue, but either way we have enough of a sample size throughout his career to see that Stover is a well below-average blocker. Against Western Kentucky, he completely whiffed on a key block on one play, then followed that up with a fumble on his next touch, and still the Buckeyes went right back to him on the next play.
Stover is okay as a pass-catching option, but nothing more. Having a tight end on the field that cannot block seems like a pretty significant issue, and could come into play against better teams when you are trying to set the edge on all these stretch runs Ryan Day loves to call. You cannot keep attempting stretch runs, screens and tosses to the side of the field that requires Stover to block, because we’ve seen time and time again that it won’t work.
While I dont think he’s objectively a bad player necessarily, it seems like a bit of a waste to have a one-dimensional non-blocking tight end on the field when you can instead have a guy like Gee Scott Jr. (a converted WR that can actually block a little) or a true fourth wide receiver out there (who’s probably also a better blocker anyway).
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Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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The Buckeyes played their best game of the young season on Saturday against the Hilltoppers.
After two weeks of less than stellar performances, Ohio State came out and looked dominant in a 63-10 win over Western Kentucky in Week 3.
The Buckeyes’ defense was up to the challenge of stopping the Hilltoppers’ prolific passing attack, holding WKU to 207 yards passing while forcing four turnovers — two forced fumbles and two interceptions, including a pick-six. It was an extremely encouraging showing against a legit offense, as Western Kentucky finished the game just 3-of-16 on third down and 3-of-6 on fourth down. The Buckeyes recorded eight tackles for loss on the afternoon, while adding six pass breakups and a pair of sacks. It would be tough not to come away impressed by Jim Knowles’ group.
Offensively, things looked to go a lot smoother now that the quarterback battle is over. Kyle McCord was comfortable and confident as he moved the Buckeyes down the field, and Ryan Day did a really great job of putting together a balanced attack that saw both the passing and rushing attack flourish. Eight different players caught passes against Western Kentucky, led by Marvin Harrison Jr.’s five catches for 126 yards and a TD as well as Emeka Egbuka’s two-TD game. On the ground, six different non-QBs carried the ball on Saturday, including the collegiate debut of Evan Pryor, who tallied 12 yards on three touches.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s victory over Western Kentucky.
The Good
A Confident Kyle McCord
It seems as though being officially named Ohio State’s starting quarterback and getting a full week of uninterrupted reps with the ones in practice has been good for Kyle McCord. QB1 was fantastic on Saturday, completing 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 318 yards and three touchdowns with zero picks. After an early overthrow and losing the ball on a sack fumble, McCord locked in the rest of the way. He made some really nice throws, including some accurate deep balls, and overall looked comfortable leading the offense. With the position battle in the rearview, McCord can now play with a weight off his shoulders and just focus on making plays.
A Healthy TreVeyon Henderson
It wasn’t entire clear last season who the Buckeyes’ top running back on any given weekend would be, as all of them spent some time rehabbing injuries. Now healthy, TreVeyon Henderson is showing off the speed and athleticism that made him a five-star prospect coming out of high school. The junior put together a strong performance against the Hilltoppers, leading Ohio State with 13 carries for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also hauled in one catch for 27 yards. While Chip Trayanum (who also had a nice day with five carries for 56 yards and a TD) and Miyan Williams are here to give him a breather, Henderson has looked like a man on a mission to start the 2023 campaign.
The Silver Bullets
Against one of the nation’s best passing offenses two years running, I was expecting Ohio State’s secondary to struggle a bit in this game. Western Kentucky knows how to air out the football, and I wouldn’t have been shocked if they were able to put up somewhere in the neighborhood of 24-30 points against the Buckeyes. Instead, the OSU secondary was outstanding, holding WKU QB Austin Reed to 207 yards passing — only the second time he’s thrown for less than 250 yards in his 17 games as a starter. Denzel Burke was phenomenal, and other guys all over the defensive backfield made plays when called upon. I was really impressed with the Ohio State secondary against probably the best passing attack they will face this year.
The Freshmen
We couldn’t talk about some of the positives from this game without mentioning the freshmen, as a handful of first-year players got to play a decent amount a snaps in a blowout. On offense it was wide receiver Carnell Tate, who tallied two catches for 40 yards including his first career touchdown. Defensively, corner Jermaine Matthews Jr. stole the show, jumping a route and taking an interception 58 yards to the house. While not freshmen, another handful of young guys made some impressive plays, including QB Devin Brown’s first career TD pass (on the ball to Tate) and DE Omari Abor making a nice play to record a tackle for loss late in the contest.
The Bad
The Defensive Ends
I will start this section off by saying that I am nitpicking here. The defense, as mentioned, played extremely well as a whole. While the counting stats still aren’t there, I do think the defensive line played better in this game than they did in the first few weeks. They continued to be strong against the run, and even though there was only two sacks recorded for Ohio State against the Hilltoppers — by Tyliek Williams and Mitchell Melton — they got enough of a pass rush that they were able to affect several throws.
That being said, I’m still waiting to see either J.T. Tuimoloau or Jack Sawyer make an impact on a football game. Outside of Tuimoloau’s big game against Penn State, neither of these two former five-stars have done much of anything in Columbus. Through three games this season, the duo has combined for one TFL and zero sacks. Tuimoloau was in the backfield a handful of times against Western Kentucky and did officially record a QB hurry, but for neither of these guys to even have one sack against overmatched competition is troubling. It’s not going to get any easier next week against Notre Dame.
The Ugly
Ohio State’s Use of Cade Stover
This is less about Cade Stover the player and more about what Ohio State’s coaches ask him to do. It is very clear at this point that the Buckeyes’ starting tight end is incapable of blocking. I don’t know whether its an effort thing or an ability issue, but either way we have enough of a sample size throughout his career to see that Stover is a well below-average blocker. Against Western Kentucky, he completely whiffed on a key block on one play, then followed that up with a fumble on his next touch, and still the Buckeyes went right back to him on the next play.
Stover is okay as a pass-catching option, but nothing more. Having a tight end on the field that cannot block seems like a pretty significant issue, and could come into play against better teams when you are trying to set the edge on all these stretch runs Ryan Day loves to call. You cannot keep attempting stretch runs, screens and tosses to the side of the field that requires Stover to block, because we’ve seen time and time again that it won’t work.
While I dont think he’s objectively a bad player necessarily, it seems like a bit of a waste to have a one-dimensional non-blocking tight end on the field when you can instead have a guy like Gee Scott Jr. (a converted WR that can actually block a little) or a true fourth wide receiver out there (who’s probably also a better blocker anyway).
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