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Ohio State vs. #15 Wisconsin, Jan 10, 8:30 PM ET, BTN

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PRESSER BULLETS: WISCONSIN “AS GOOD AND AS DEEP” AS CHRIS HOLTMANN HAS SEEN IT BE, FELIX OKPARA FEELS ADDED SIZE HAS HELPED WITH REBOUNDING​

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  • A variety of players will guard star Wisconsin small forward AJ Storr, Holtmann said.
  • Roddy Gayle Jr. needs to take a step in managing the offense when the ball is in his hands, Holtmann said. "It's decision-making combined with his ball skills growing and getting better. ... He's gotta make some corrections in terms of simplifying his attack, reading situations better."
  • More on Gayle: "He needs to be more consistent. ... We need that from Roddy, we need to that to experience the kind of growth that he wants to experience."
  • On Felix Okpara and whether his effort stood out where Ohio State's defense might have fallen short as a whole against Indiana: "He's got real gifts and we're different defensively when he's on the floor. ... It's gotta be a team effort, and I think we were good at times but not good enough. But at the end of the day, it was really turnovers that got us in that game."
  • Gayle's also had difficulties now that teams have more film on him, Holtmann said. "His minutes weren't as consistent until the end of the year (last year). ... Now that's changed. Now there's more film on you, there's more tendencies. That's changed, so he needs to adjust."
  • On Wisconsin: "I think it's probably as deep and as talented of a Wisconsin team as we've seen. ... They have a number of guys. The addition of a couple of freshmen has helped them."
  • On Badger forward Tyler Wahl: "Really tough, tremendous motor and really smart."
  • Wisconsin can be a threat from the perimeter, though Holtmann sees their attack as balanced overall. "We just need to have great awareness, they have a number of guys that can make shots."
  • With Gayle and star point guard Bruce Thornton combining to shoot 7-of-34 against Indiana, Holtmann wanted to see other players step up. "We really needed to be a little better collectively across the board when two of your top players aren't shooting well and one is struggling."
  • Devin Royal has missed time with an illness, but Holtmann said that he's recovering well and that it "thankfully" hasn't spread to other players yet.

Metaverse Madness Megathread


metaverse-player-730-jpeg.webp


Police are investigating the first case of rape in the metaverse after a child was 'attacked' in a virtual reality video game.

The girl under the age of 16 is said to have been left distraught after her avatar – her digital character – was gang raped by the online strangers.

The headset-wearing victim did not suffer any injuries as there was no physical attack.

But officers said she suffered the same psychological and emotional trauma as someone who has been raped in the real world as the 'VR' experience is designed to be completely immersive.

It is thought to be the first time in the UK that a virtual sexual offence has been investigated by police.

The girl under the age of 16 is said to have been left distraught after her avatar ¿ her digital character ¿ was gang raped by the online strangers. Pictured: A woman using a headset to play in the metaverse


The girl under the age of 16 is said to have been left distraught after her avatar – her digital character – was gang raped by the online strangers. Pictured: A woman using a headset to play in the metaverse

Virtual reality headsets were expected to be a popular gift this Christmas, with the NSPCC estimating that 15 per cent of children aged between five and ten have used one and 6 per cent use one daily.

The worrying rise of the metaverse​

The metaverse has been described as the next iteration of the internet.

The term was first coined in 1992 by the author Neal Stephenson in his science fiction novel Snow Crash.

But what was science fiction in 1992 is now a reality for millions of gamers worldwide, including children.
Using a headset that covers your eyes and ears, players are plunged into an immersive virtual world that feels real where they can interact with others inside a computer-generated environment.

There are also wearable virtual reality vests called haptic suits, which use special technology to simulate sensations such as touching an object or the impact of a punch.

In October 2021 when Mark Zuckerberg announced that his Facebook firm would be renamed Meta, it brought the concept of the metaverse to the public's attention.

But Google, Microsoft and other tech firms are also making big investments in the technology. Users in Meta can set a protective 'bubble' around their characters so others cannot get close to them. But previous victims have told about being coerced into turning such a setting off before being attacked.

Europol has warned: 'With an expected €1.6 trillion (£1.4 trillion) boost to the global economy by 2035 and with 25 per cent of people expected to spend at least an hour daily in the Metaverse, it will certainly have an impact on the security of citizens and be something law enforcement needs to be looking into.'

Led by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, tech giants have bet billions of pounds on drawing people – young and old – towards the virtual realm of the 'metaverse', selling the chance to live a digitised, fantasy life. The victim was in an online 'room' with a large number of fellow users when the virtual assault by several adult men took place.

Police leaders are now calling for legislation to tackle a wave of sexual offending in such a sphere, saying officers' tactics must evolve to stop perverts using new technology to exploit children.

But the landmark case has prompted questions about whether police should be pursuing virtual offences – given police and prosecutors are currently struggling with an enormous backlog of actual rape cases – and if such an attack should be prosecuted under current laws.

Yesterday the National Police Chiefs' Council's Child Protection and Abuse Investigation Lead, Ian Critchley, warned 'the metaverse creates a gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children'.

Details of the extraordinary virtual reality case have been kept secret to protect the child involved, amid fears that, for several reasons, a prosecution will not be possible.

But one senior officer familiar with the case said: 'This child experienced psychological trauma similar to that of someone who has been physically raped. There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer term than any physical injuries.

'It poses a number of challenges for law enforcement given current legislation is not set up for this.' There have been a number of reported sex attacks on Horizon Worlds, a free VR online game run by Facebook's owner, Meta.

In Horizon Worlds users create their own avatars, an animated online representation of themselves that they can design and then control while wearing their virtual reality headset and associated equipment.

Nina Jane Patel, a psychotherapist who conducts research on the metaverse, has described a 'surreal nightmare' of being gang raped in Horizon Venues.

The chairman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners Donna Jones told the Mail that women and children deserve greater protection: 'We need to update our laws because they have not kept pace with the risks of harm that are developing from artificial intelligence and offending on platforms like the metaverse.

Virtual reality headsets were expected to be a popular gift this Christmas , with the NSPCC estimating that 15 per cent of children aged between five and ten have used one and 6 per cent use one daily (Stock Image)


Virtual reality headsets were expected to be a popular gift this Christmas , with the NSPCC estimating that 15 per cent of children aged between five and ten have used one and 6 per cent use one daily (Stock Image)
'The Government needs to look at changing the law to protect women and children from harm in these virtual environments.'

A senior police officer told the Mail that sexual offending in the metaverse is now 'rife'. But so far there have been no UK prosecutions for such offending, despite police receiving reports of other potential offences including the theft of one avatar's valuable sword.

Police believe developments in gaming have opened up new avenues for cybercrime, including virtual robbery, ransomware, fraud and identity theft. But current legislation is unlikely to cover rape in the metaverse as sexual assault is defined in the Sexual Offences Act as the physical touching of another person sexually without their consent.

The nature of the metaverse also blurs geographical boundaries, making it difficult to determine which law enforcement agency has jurisdiction over a particular incident when users and perpetrators are in different countries.

A spokesman for Meta said: 'The kind of behaviour described has no place on our platform, which is why for all users we have an automatic protection called personal boundary, which keeps people you don't know a few feet away from you.'

Mr Critchley added: 'We know offenders' tactics to groom and commit offences are constantly evolving. This is why our collective fight against predators like in this case, is essential to ensuring young people are protected online and can use technology safely without threat or fear.

'The metaverse creates a gateway for predators to commit horrific crimes against children, crimes we know have lifelong impacts both emotionally and mentally.

'As such, our policing approach must continually evolve to enable us to relentlessly pursue predators and safeguard victims across all online spaces.

'The passing of the Online Safety Act is instrumental to this, and we must see much more action from tech companies to do more to make their platforms safe places.'

Things that annoy me..,,

1). All of the people who “order groceries” thus causing me to dodge or be blocked by store employees pushing around minivan-sized carts.

2) In the same vein, DoorDash or any food delivery service. I never eat food in my car so if I go to “The Border”, I am going inside but there are 20 DoorDash and drive through orders in front of me.

I’ve seen people have to wait 45 mins. or longer for their food.

Close the dining room if you don’t have the manpower to serve all of your customers. :smash:

3) People who do not stack their used plates/cups for their server at a restaurant to make it easier for the clean-up crew.

4). People currently complaining about showing a Walmart worker their receipt if asked. They are just doing their job, cut them some slack.

5) People looking for confrontation at all times. (See #4 above.)

That’s all for now.

Google Five-star 2025 cornerback Devin Sanchez commits to Ohio State, Buckeyes land Alabama transfer OL - Land Grant Holy Land

Five-star 2025 cornerback Devin Sanchez commits to Ohio State, Buckeyes land Alabama transfer OL - Land Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Five-star 2025 cornerback Devin Sanchez commits to Ohio State, Buckeyes land Alabama transfer OL Land Grant Holy Land

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LGHL You’re Nuts: Most impactful Ohio State player who has yet to announce their decision

You’re Nuts: Most impactful Ohio State player who has yet to announce their decision
Josh Dooley
via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 14 Ohio State at Purdue

Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Which Buckeye still on the fence about staying or going will have the greatest impact?

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: Most impactful Ohio State player who has yet to announce their decision


Josh’s Take


The Ohio State football program finally received an influx of good news last week as the calendar mercifully flipped from 2023 to 2024. After a rough finish to the Buckeyes’ season – punctuated by an embarrassing Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri – several key starters on the defensive side of the ball opted to “reload the clip” and run it back for at least one more year, with hopes of beating that TTUN and taking care of other unfinished business. I say at least because I’m pretty sure (years of) eligibility is just a myth at this point. But moving on...

Thus far, Tyleik Williams, Lathan Ransom, and Jack Sawyer have all announced their return(s) to Columbus, giving OSU a big, big boost heading into the offseason. Williams was the team’s best interior lineman, while Sawyer led the Scarlet and Gray in sacks, and Ransom acted as the secondary’s air traffic controller prior to suffering yet another unfortunate injury. Of those three, I am personally most excited about the return of Sawyer, as he came on like a freight train at the end of the season, racking up 16 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and 5 sacks in the Buckeyes’ last three games.

But Gene and I are not here to discuss the returnees above... anymore than we already have. Instead, we wanted to focus on Ohio State players who have yet to announce a decision regarding their football future. This is because several Buckeyes are likely still gathering NFL Draft feedback, talking with their coaches and families, and/or discussing NIL deals — as they should.

But they only have one week, until Jan. 15, to declare for said draft. So we should be hearing several more announcements in the coming days or possibly even as this edition of You’re Nuts is being published.

Gene and I are looking toward the future and breaking down whose hypothetical return would be the most impactful for OSU in 2024. And for me, the answer is/was obvious: Marvin Harrison Jr.

Just kidding. The Route Man ain’t comin’ back, folks. We just have to accept it and move on.

While I think I know the real answer, there is a large part of me that simply cannot ignore Ohio State’s most glaring issue from this (past) season. Which was undoubtedly their porous offensive line. So I am going to say that the most impactful return would be that of Donovan Jackson, if he does indeed choose to run it back.

A five-star recruit out of Texas, Jackson hit the ground running in Columbus and appeared to be a star in the making while playing next to former Buckeyes Paris Johnson Jr. and Luke Wypler. But the loss of the latter two (to the NFL) led to Jackson getting two new neighbors in 2023, both of the – let’s face it – less talented variety. And the results were not great. In fact, they weren’t even good. The results were average... At best.

However, I can’t put the blame on Jackson. Nor am I willing to say that he took a major step back. I think the unit was poorly constructed and poorly coached, which put the First-team All-Big Ten guard in a tough spot. I think that he was constantly thinking and/or trying to compensate for a teammate’s shortcomings, ultimately leading to a down year. But a Jackson bounceback in 2024 is surely in play.

Primarily because he is a good freaking player! Who had a rough season in a rough scheme, with rough-ass coaching. But the evidence exists. After playing in all 13 games as a freshman, Jackson graded out as a top-10 guard (P5) in 2022. He did not grade out nearly as well this past season – for several reasons – but there were flashes of brilliance.

Beyond Jackson’s individual talent, there are plenty of other reasons to believe that he could return to prominence, if not dominance, in 2024. First and foremost is OSU’s recent addition of former Alabama center Seth McClaughlin. While the latter endured a difficult Rose Bowl, he brings with him to Columbus 25 games of starting experience. As opposed to Carson Hinzman, who struggled mightily next to Jackson this season.

Also next to Jackson will (presumably) be second-year Buckeye Josh Simmons. The former San Diego State Aztec struggled early on for Ohio State but improved steadily as the 2023 season went along. I am not saying that Simmons will turn out to be the second coming of Paris Johnson Jr., but if he takes another step or two in his development, that would alleviate some of the mental and physical pressure thrust upon Jackson.

I believe that Jackson is the quiet leader and most talented member of the Buckeyes’ offensive line, at least as it stands today. So his return would give the Scarlet and Gray a fairly strong unit (on paper) from middle-to-left, leaving coaches to figure out RG and RT... Easier said than done, I’m aware.

But there are only so many First-Team All-Big Ten players out there, ya know what I mean, Gene? While Jackson had a down season and does not play the most glamorous of positions, I would love to see him back in Columbus. And I think it would go a long way in helping Ohio State’s OL right the ship as well.

Gene’s Take


Ohio State has a number of players who were integral to the 2023 team still weighing their decisions whether to return to Columbus or test the NFL waters. Of course there is a guy like Jackson, who Josh thoroughly laid out before, in addition to really talented and productive guys for the Buckeyes among the likes of Emeka Egbuka, Denzel Burke, TreVeyon Henderson, J.T. Tuimoloau and others.

Of that group of guys, Ohio State probably needs Henderson back the most. Egbuka is a great wide receiver, and would be WR1 should be decide to return, but the Buckeyes are absolutely loaded at the position thanks to Brian Hartline’s recruiting efforts, and while I do think Egbuka returns, it isn’t a necessity. The same goes for Burke, who is without a doubt Tim Walton’s most talented cornerback, but it is another stacked room with a budding star in Jermaine Mathews Jr. waiting in the wings.

Henderson and Tuimoloau are both the feature players in position groups that are lacking in the depth department. Should Henderson go, it leaves just Dallan Hayden alongside freshmen James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon as the only scholarship running backs on the roster. Ohio State is similarly thin at defensive end, with the returning Jack Sawyer joining Caden Curry and Kenyatta Jackson as the only edge rushers with any meaningful game reps should Tuimoloau elect to enter the NFL Draft.

(Editors Note: Ohio State just added star RB Quinshon Judkins via the transfer portal)

However, neither of those guys are who I’m choosing for this exercise. For the sake of making a larger argument, I think that Jordan Hancock is actually the player with the chance to make the biggest impact if he were to come back to Ohio State — and it isn’t entirely all to do with his own personal skillset, despite being an excellent player.

Hancock would be a great player to see return, as he quickly became an integral part of Jim Knowles’ defense at the nickel safety/slot corner position. By season’s end, Hancock actually played more snaps than anyone in the secondary besides Davison Igbinosun and Josh Proctor. Hancock finished with a team-high two interceptions, including a pick-six against Rutgers that turned the tide in a close game, to go along with 41 total tackles, two sacks and five pass breakups.

While Hancock is a stud, and will likely only get better should he spend another year developing in Columbus, his return would also allow Ohio State to move Sonny Styles to linebacker, which is the other half of the equation for me choosing Hancock.

With Ransom already announcing his decision to return, Hancock’s return would solidify two of the starting safety positions, with three guys available to battle it out for the third spot in Ja’Had Carter, Malik Hartford and Cedric Hawkins. Styles is a special athlete, but doesn’t seem all that well-suited to play in a role that demands deep coverage. His skillset would benefit Ohio State far more at linebacker, where he would have more opportunities to wreak havoc in the run game as well as rush the passer.

Especially with both Tommy Eichenberg and Steele Chambers gone, the Buckeyes could use a sure-thing at linebacker. Cody Simon will be back, and we are still waiting to see what former five-star C.J. Hicks can be at this level — he should also be switching positions to the Jack, but that is a discussion for another day — but outside of that there are a lot of question marks. Having Hancock, Ransom and any of the three guys mentioned at safety with Styles and Simon at linebacker gives Ohio State its optimal back seven.

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