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LGHL Uncut Podcast: Chris Holtmann, Zed Key, and Evan Mahaffey discuss Ohio State’s seventh consecutive win
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Uncut Podcast: Chris Holtmann, Zed Key, and Evan Mahaffey discuss Ohio State’s seventh consecutive win
Connor Lemons 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 knocked off in-state foe Miami on Wednesday night to advance to 8-1 on the season.
Throughout the season, Land-Grant will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Following Ohio State’s 84-64 win over Miami on Wednesday night, Chris Holtmann, Zed Key, and Evan Mahaffey spoke to the media about the win.
Key said that people “get hung up too much on points” when talking about his teammate, Mahaffey. He said Evan can guard the other team’s best player and rebound the basketball, so just “let him do his thing.” Mahaffey spent some time discussing preparation for this game that was wedged in between two Big Ten games, saying that the best teams get up for every game and don’t overlook anyone.
Holtmann spent some time discussing Jamison Battle’s well-rounded offensive night that saw him take six two-point shot attempts before even considering a three-pointer. He also said that the coaching staff was mildly concerned with the team’s focus heading into this game, with Minnesota in the rearview mirror but Penn State coming up this weekend.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons 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 knocked off in-state foe Miami on Wednesday night to advance to 8-1 on the season.
Throughout the season, Land-Grant will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Listen to the episode and subscribe:
Subscribe: RSS | Apple | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | iHeart Radio
Following Ohio State’s 84-64 win over Miami on Wednesday night, Chris Holtmann, Zed Key, and Evan Mahaffey spoke to the media about the win.
Key said that people “get hung up too much on points” when talking about his teammate, Mahaffey. He said Evan can guard the other team’s best player and rebound the basketball, so just “let him do his thing.” Mahaffey spent some time discussing preparation for this game that was wedged in between two Big Ten games, saying that the best teams get up for every game and don’t overlook anyone.
Holtmann spent some time discussing Jamison Battle’s well-rounded offensive night that saw him take six two-point shot attempts before even considering a three-pointer. He also said that the coaching staff was mildly concerned with the team’s focus heading into this game, with Minnesota in the rearview mirror but Penn State coming up this weekend.
Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State Wrestling: Buckeyes take third at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, prepare to host top-20 Pitt squad
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Ohio State Wrestling: Buckeyes take third at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, prepare to host top-20 Pitt squad
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Ohio State Wrestling - X/Twitter, @wrestlingbucks
Tom Ryan’s squad also crowned an individual champion and saw two other Buckeyes secure podium finishes in Sin City.
Nearly two weeks removed from their back-to-back, same-day drubbings of Columbia and Hofstra on Nov. 19, the Ohio State wrestling Buckeyes were back in action this past Friday and Saturday, competing in the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Buoyed by three podium finishes – including one individual champion – Tom Ryan’s young squad would go on to place third (among teams) in the desert, showing little rust and lots of promise.
OSU finished behind only Iowa State and Big Ten foe Nebraska, in an event that has treated the Scarlet and Gray very well over the years. Under Ryan, the Buckeye grapplers have now finished among the top-5 in 12 of the last 14 Keen Invitationals, winning three consecutive team titles from 2016-2018.
This year’s Keen results were generally rather promising for Ohio State, as five wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals. Said group of five included 133-pound redshirt freshman Nic Bouzakis, who was forced to claw his way back into contention via the consolation bracket.
After dropping his opening match to Stanford’s Tyler Knox, Bouzakis then reeled off seven straight wins (!) to secure a third-place podium finish. The latter also earned the event’s Most Pins Award – giving him five on the season, to go with four tech falls – and pushed his overall record to 13-4.
While Bouzakis continues to show serious breakout potential, OSU’s MVP of the weekend was stud sophomore and 2022-23 All-American Jesse Mendez, who was crowned individual champion at 141 pounds. Now 11-0 on the young season, he went a perfect 5-0 in Sin City, including a major decision over fourth-ranked Brock Hardy of Nebraska. Mendez also defeated No. 7 Ryan Jack of NC State and No. 14 Vince Cornella of Cornell (yes, really), putting together arguably the most impressive individual performance of the entire weekend.
Veteran Buckeye Carson Kharchla was Ohio State’s other podium finisher, taking third (like Bouzakis) at 174. The Columbus native took a more traditional route than his younger teammate, winning each of his first three matches. He then slipped up against South Dakota State’s Cade DeVos, before rebounding with back-to-back victories in the consolation bracket. Kharchla finished 5-1 on the weekend, pushing his season record to 6-2.
Lastly, Dylan D’Emilio (149), Paddy Gallagher (157) and Nick Feldman (HWT) were among those who narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming in fourth, seventh, and sixth, respectively. The latter began his tournament 5-1 but appeared to suffer an injury in the consolation semifinal. Feldman then medically forfeited his fifth-place match. Here’s hoping the promising big man can return to action quickly.
Here are your weekend results for all (Buckeyes) who competed in Sin City:
Ohio State hits the mat(s) again this Sunday, when Ryan’s squad hosts No. 18 Pittsburgh at the Covelli Center. The dual begins at noon, and it should be a good one. Not only is Pitt a top-20 team, but several Panthers competed in the Clarion Open earlier this year, where OSU was also well-represented. And this will be the third dual between these two teams in the last five years.
The battle between the Buckeyes and Panthers will be televised on Big Ten Network, so you’ve got no excuse not to tune in! Go Bucks.
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
Ohio State Wrestling - X/Twitter, @wrestlingbucks
Tom Ryan’s squad also crowned an individual champion and saw two other Buckeyes secure podium finishes in Sin City.
Nearly two weeks removed from their back-to-back, same-day drubbings of Columbia and Hofstra on Nov. 19, the Ohio State wrestling Buckeyes were back in action this past Friday and Saturday, competing in the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Buoyed by three podium finishes – including one individual champion – Tom Ryan’s young squad would go on to place third (among teams) in the desert, showing little rust and lots of promise.
OSU finished behind only Iowa State and Big Ten foe Nebraska, in an event that has treated the Scarlet and Gray very well over the years. Under Ryan, the Buckeye grapplers have now finished among the top-5 in 12 of the last 14 Keen Invitationals, winning three consecutive team titles from 2016-2018.
This year’s Keen results were generally rather promising for Ohio State, as five wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals. Said group of five included 133-pound redshirt freshman Nic Bouzakis, who was forced to claw his way back into contention via the consolation bracket.
After dropping his opening match to Stanford’s Tyler Knox, Bouzakis then reeled off seven straight wins (!) to secure a third-place podium finish. The latter also earned the event’s Most Pins Award – giving him five on the season, to go with four tech falls – and pushed his overall record to 13-4.
While Bouzakis continues to show serious breakout potential, OSU’s MVP of the weekend was stud sophomore and 2022-23 All-American Jesse Mendez, who was crowned individual champion at 141 pounds. Now 11-0 on the young season, he went a perfect 5-0 in Sin City, including a major decision over fourth-ranked Brock Hardy of Nebraska. Mendez also defeated No. 7 Ryan Jack of NC State and No. 14 Vince Cornella of Cornell (yes, really), putting together arguably the most impressive individual performance of the entire weekend.
Veteran Buckeye Carson Kharchla was Ohio State’s other podium finisher, taking third (like Bouzakis) at 174. The Columbus native took a more traditional route than his younger teammate, winning each of his first three matches. He then slipped up against South Dakota State’s Cade DeVos, before rebounding with back-to-back victories in the consolation bracket. Kharchla finished 5-1 on the weekend, pushing his season record to 6-2.
Lastly, Dylan D’Emilio (149), Paddy Gallagher (157) and Nick Feldman (HWT) were among those who narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming in fourth, seventh, and sixth, respectively. The latter began his tournament 5-1 but appeared to suffer an injury in the consolation semifinal. Feldman then medically forfeited his fifth-place match. Here’s hoping the promising big man can return to action quickly.
Here are your weekend results for all (Buckeyes) who competed in Sin City:
Brendan McCrone (125) – 3-2, two wins over top-25 opponents
Nic Bouzakis (133) – 7-1, third place
Jesse Mendez (141) – 5-0, first place
Dylan D’Emilio (149) – 5-2, fourth place
Paddy Gallagher (157) – 5-2, seventh place
Isaac Wilcox (165) – 2-2
Carson Kharchla (174) – 5-1, third place
Gavin Hoffman (184) – 2-2
Luke Geog (197) – 1-2
Nick Feldman (HWT/285) – 5-3, sixth place
Ohio State hits the mat(s) again this Sunday, when Ryan’s squad hosts No. 18 Pittsburgh at the Covelli Center. The dual begins at noon, and it should be a good one. Not only is Pitt a top-20 team, but several Panthers competed in the Clarion Open earlier this year, where OSU was also well-represented. And this will be the third dual between these two teams in the last five years.
The battle between the Buckeyes and Panthers will be televised on Big Ten Network, so you’ve got no excuse not to tune in! Go Bucks.
Continue reading...
LGHL Things got suprisingly chippy during Ohio State’s win over Miami Wednesday night
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Things got suprisingly chippy during Ohio State’s win over Miami Wednesday night
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Three technical fouls were assessed during the second half of Wednesday night’s game between the in-state foes.
Things got exceptionally chippy between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Redhawks on Wednesday night, in a game that the Buckeyes were favored to win by 22 points and was generally considered a tune-up for Big Ten play. Three technical fouls were assessed during the second half of Wednesday night’s game, which ultimately resulted in an 84-64 win for Ohio State.
“I think there’s a reason coaches have not played a ton of Ohio schools, you know?” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said after the game. He went on, “Ohio schools, they play with a different way about them when they come in here. I was reminded of that before we played them. I think there’s always an energy in those games that’s just different, and we respect it.”
Miami coach Travis Steele was not made available to the media following Wednesday night’s game (as is typical for many non-conference games).
With 17:12 remaining in the game, Miami head coach Travis Steele — a former GA at Ohio State 20 years ago — took exception to a play where Ohio State’s Felix Okpara impacted Miami’s Evan Ipsaro’s shot, but no foul was called. After Ohio State went to the other end and scored on an Evan Mahaffey layup to take a 46-33 lead, Steele called timeout and immediately let the closest official hear it. Steele was assessed a technical within seconds, and Ohio State’s Jamison Battle knocked down both free throws to make it a 15-point lead.
Less than three minutes later, Miami was trying to inbound the basketball on the far end of the court, with Ohio State leading 51-35. Ipsaro (who seemed to be in the middle of everything) was the intended inboundee, but Scotty Middleton was all over him. In what looked like a big brother/little brother “I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you” moment, the 6-foot-7 Middleton was leaning on the 6-foot tall Ipraso, impeding him from moving towards the ball. Meanwhile, Middleton had both arms in the air, trying to show the officials that he wasn’t touching him (despite him leaning and bumping into him with his entire lower body).
The two started leaning shoulders into each other and were talking to each other, with the much shorter Ipsaro not giving an inch on his fellow freshman. The nearby official had to come over and separate the two of them, before giving Miami the basketball and allowing it to inbound the ball. To Ipsaro’s credit, he went at Middleton on the other end and wound up scoring about 10 seconds later. He would finish with eight points and five rebounds, while Middleton finished with just three points.
Not even 30 seconds later, it was Ohio State that was trying to inbound the basketball under its own basket. Bruce Thornton was struggling to find a target on the near side of the court, so Roddy Gayle started running towards the backcourt, with his back to Thornton and the rest of the action. Miami’s Ryan Mabrey chased him down, and when Thornton’s long inbounds pass came down, Mabrey unintentionally tripped Gayle, causing the Ohio State sophomore to fall awkwardly with his legs pointing to the side.
The other eight players on the floor immediately rushed over, a few guys had words for each other, and not much else came of it other than Mabrey being assessed a common foul.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25139613/usa_today_22051210.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Then, with 12:19 remaining in the game (yes, all of this happened in a five-minute stretch of play) Zed Key went straight up for a layup, and Ipsaro poked it out of his hand. The ball was loose, and several players dove into the pile for it, including Key, Ipsaro, Thornton, and Miami’s Darweshi Hunter.
In a massive pile of arms and legs, it was Key and Hunter who started to get into it, before teammates separated them. Key hopped up, put his arms in the air (the universal sign of “I did nothing wrong”), and jogged towards the other end of the court, away from the scrum. Offsetting technical fouls were assessed to Key and Hunter, who were coincidentally two of the biggest performers Wednesday night. Key had 13 points and 10 rebounds, good for his second double-double of the season. Hunter led Miami with 16 points and played a game-high 37 minutes.
After the game, Key said, “It was a whole big thing, but at the same time it wasn’t even a big thing.” Key also said that there were several men on top of his legs, and Key — who missed several months of action over with a shoulder injury this year — just wanted to get his legs free. Key also defended his sterling behavioral record, saying this was the first technical that he’s received in four years. This, in hindsight, turned out to be false, as Key was given a technical during Ohio State’s 77-44 win over Morehead State back on December 2, 2020 — Zed’s freshman year — for a hook-and-hold.
All in all, Wednesday night’s game between the two Ohio programs was accompanied by a whole lot more drama than anyone expected. This was only the 10th meeting between the two programs, with the last meeting coming back in 2017. There was no existing rivalry between the teams before this, but perhaps moving forward this will be a matchup to keep an eye on — if for no other reason than hoping for more fireworks.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Three technical fouls were assessed during the second half of Wednesday night’s game between the in-state foes.
Things got exceptionally chippy between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Redhawks on Wednesday night, in a game that the Buckeyes were favored to win by 22 points and was generally considered a tune-up for Big Ten play. Three technical fouls were assessed during the second half of Wednesday night’s game, which ultimately resulted in an 84-64 win for Ohio State.
“I think there’s a reason coaches have not played a ton of Ohio schools, you know?” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said after the game. He went on, “Ohio schools, they play with a different way about them when they come in here. I was reminded of that before we played them. I think there’s always an energy in those games that’s just different, and we respect it.”
Miami coach Travis Steele was not made available to the media following Wednesday night’s game (as is typical for many non-conference games).
With 17:12 remaining in the game, Miami head coach Travis Steele — a former GA at Ohio State 20 years ago — took exception to a play where Ohio State’s Felix Okpara impacted Miami’s Evan Ipsaro’s shot, but no foul was called. After Ohio State went to the other end and scored on an Evan Mahaffey layup to take a 46-33 lead, Steele called timeout and immediately let the closest official hear it. Steele was assessed a technical within seconds, and Ohio State’s Jamison Battle knocked down both free throws to make it a 15-point lead.
Less than three minutes later, Miami was trying to inbound the basketball on the far end of the court, with Ohio State leading 51-35. Ipsaro (who seemed to be in the middle of everything) was the intended inboundee, but Scotty Middleton was all over him. In what looked like a big brother/little brother “I’m not touching you, I’m not touching you” moment, the 6-foot-7 Middleton was leaning on the 6-foot tall Ipraso, impeding him from moving towards the ball. Meanwhile, Middleton had both arms in the air, trying to show the officials that he wasn’t touching him (despite him leaning and bumping into him with his entire lower body).
The two started leaning shoulders into each other and were talking to each other, with the much shorter Ipsaro not giving an inch on his fellow freshman. The nearby official had to come over and separate the two of them, before giving Miami the basketball and allowing it to inbound the ball. To Ipsaro’s credit, he went at Middleton on the other end and wound up scoring about 10 seconds later. He would finish with eight points and five rebounds, while Middleton finished with just three points.
Not even 30 seconds later, it was Ohio State that was trying to inbound the basketball under its own basket. Bruce Thornton was struggling to find a target on the near side of the court, so Roddy Gayle started running towards the backcourt, with his back to Thornton and the rest of the action. Miami’s Ryan Mabrey chased him down, and when Thornton’s long inbounds pass came down, Mabrey unintentionally tripped Gayle, causing the Ohio State sophomore to fall awkwardly with his legs pointing to the side.
The other eight players on the floor immediately rushed over, a few guys had words for each other, and not much else came of it other than Mabrey being assessed a common foul.
Then, with 12:19 remaining in the game (yes, all of this happened in a five-minute stretch of play) Zed Key went straight up for a layup, and Ipsaro poked it out of his hand. The ball was loose, and several players dove into the pile for it, including Key, Ipsaro, Thornton, and Miami’s Darweshi Hunter.
In a massive pile of arms and legs, it was Key and Hunter who started to get into it, before teammates separated them. Key hopped up, put his arms in the air (the universal sign of “I did nothing wrong”), and jogged towards the other end of the court, away from the scrum. Offsetting technical fouls were assessed to Key and Hunter, who were coincidentally two of the biggest performers Wednesday night. Key had 13 points and 10 rebounds, good for his second double-double of the season. Hunter led Miami with 16 points and played a game-high 37 minutes.
After the game, Key said, “It was a whole big thing, but at the same time it wasn’t even a big thing.” Key also said that there were several men on top of his legs, and Key — who missed several months of action over with a shoulder injury this year — just wanted to get his legs free. Key also defended his sterling behavioral record, saying this was the first technical that he’s received in four years. This, in hindsight, turned out to be false, as Key was given a technical during Ohio State’s 77-44 win over Morehead State back on December 2, 2020 — Zed’s freshman year — for a hook-and-hold.
All in all, Wednesday night’s game between the two Ohio programs was accompanied by a whole lot more drama than anyone expected. This was only the 10th meeting between the two programs, with the last meeting coming back in 2017. There was no existing rivalry between the teams before this, but perhaps moving forward this will be a matchup to keep an eye on — if for no other reason than hoping for more fireworks.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State women’s basketball doesn’t want to become a light switch
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Ohio State women’s basketball doesn’t want to become a light switch
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Head coach Kevin McGuff strives to put past inconsistency in the dark with Big Ten play on the doorstep
Great basketball teams know they’re great. Despite what is sometimes said in media availability about taking things one game at a time, some games grab more attention than others. For Ohio State women’s basketball, Tuesday was not one of those games.
No offense to the Ohio University Bobcats, but the game against a 6-23 MAC side from last season fell during an interesting stretch of the Buckeyes’ 23-24 season. The game came two days after a trip to SEC country, facing the Tennessee Volunteers. Then on Sunday it's the first Big Ten game of the season against a Penn State Nittany Lions team on the rise. Look a little bit further into the future and the No. 2 team in the country comes to the Schottenstein Center on Dec. 18, the UCLA Bruins.
Considering the increased difficulty of schedule that the scarlet and gray are in, taking a day off on Tuesday against the Bobcats made all the sense in the world. That’s not a strategy of interest to head coach Kevin McGuff.
“We can’t turn on, turn off,” said McGuff. “If we’re gonna be who we’re capable of being, then we need to be on all the time.”
That was the message to the Buckeyes’ locker room at halftime. At that moment, Ohio State was up 29 points to the Bobcats. A marked improvement compared to last year’s final score when coach McGuff and the Buckeyes played Ohio in Athens, winning by 30 points.
The Buckeyes pushed the lead up to 41 points, with starters playing a majority of the third quarter. Guard Celeste Taylor was the last remaining starter to play, finishing the final three and a half minutes of the third quarter with four teammates off the bench. In other words, Ohio State didn’t relent.
Two days prior, the scarlet and gray did the same thing. The Buckeyes defeated the Vols, leading from jump ball to final buzzer. These kind of performances haven’t been the case for Ohio State in the past two seasons.
In the first 19 games of the scarlet and gray’s 22-23 season, Ohio State was 5-0 in games where it went down by double-digit points. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, Louisville Cardinals and Minnesota Golden Gophers, the deficits were early enough in the game where it didn’t cause too much of a headache for the Buckeyes to flip the switch and come out on top.
However, in December and January the cracks almost stopped the Buckeyes’ record start to the campaign.
Against the USF Bulls on Dec. 20, Ohio State needed a miraculous comeback in the final minute of regulation and overtime to squeak by with a victory. On Jan. 8, the Buckeyes cut down a 17-point third quarter lead for the Illinois Fighting Illini in one quarter. Following that Buckeyes win, the tide finally turned.
“You start turning on, turning off, and that’s kind of who you become, and it’ll show up in bigger games,” said McGuff.
That’s exactly what happened. Over the remaining 17 games, coach McGuff’s side went down by double-digits nine times, winning only twice. While one was a record-breaking 24-point comeback against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament, there were also 36 and 38-point defeats to the Maryland Terrapins and Iowa Hawkeyes. Each game exposing a Buckeyes team that was either unprepared or expecting that switch to flip.
The last two weeks of Buckeyes basketball shows a team getting closer to its goal of playing four quarters of consistent basketball. Leaving the switch at the on position.
Since the defeat to the USC Trojans to start the year, Ohio State’s been outscored in only three out of 24 quarters. Of those three, one was the fourth quarter of a win against Boston College where the Buckeyes didn’t play any starters. The other two came during the Pink Flamingo Championship (one against both the East Carolina Pirates and Oklahoma State Cowgirls).
Each time, McGuff chalked lulls in play down to a general lack of energy. Buckeyes didn’t get into rebounding positions, close down shooters or make extra passes in situations where Ohio State was already in the lead.
Albeit a small sample size, Sunday and Tuesday’s wins are more indicative of the team the scarlet and gray are hoping to become. The upcoming stretch of games for the Buckeyes gives this improved form the chance for stiffer competition. Starting with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State started the year strong, going 7-1 with the only defeat coming at the hands of the USC Trojans, and even that was only by a single point. Sunday, the Lions enter the Schottenstein Center after suffering what looks like a focus-based stumble of their own.
Monday night In Morgantown, WV, the Mountaineers went down early but dominated three quarters of play against Penn State, on their way to an 83-65 defeat. While the ACC side was undefeated going into the game, it wasn’t against the same caliber of competition Penn State’s faced so far this season.
Plus, the Nittany Lions haven’t lost to their former conference rivals since 1989, long before any player on either side was even born. The defeat was a perfect example of what happens when a team relies on flipping that switch. It also means Penn State enters Sunday with more motivation than there already is facing a Buckeyes team who’s competing for a National Championship.
“Their (Penn State’s) chemistry is good, and this will be a really big test for us,” said McGuff. “All of that will get our players’ attention, and they know that we’ve got a really terrific opponent coming in this Sunday.”
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Head coach Kevin McGuff strives to put past inconsistency in the dark with Big Ten play on the doorstep
Great basketball teams know they’re great. Despite what is sometimes said in media availability about taking things one game at a time, some games grab more attention than others. For Ohio State women’s basketball, Tuesday was not one of those games.
No offense to the Ohio University Bobcats, but the game against a 6-23 MAC side from last season fell during an interesting stretch of the Buckeyes’ 23-24 season. The game came two days after a trip to SEC country, facing the Tennessee Volunteers. Then on Sunday it's the first Big Ten game of the season against a Penn State Nittany Lions team on the rise. Look a little bit further into the future and the No. 2 team in the country comes to the Schottenstein Center on Dec. 18, the UCLA Bruins.
Considering the increased difficulty of schedule that the scarlet and gray are in, taking a day off on Tuesday against the Bobcats made all the sense in the world. That’s not a strategy of interest to head coach Kevin McGuff.
“We can’t turn on, turn off,” said McGuff. “If we’re gonna be who we’re capable of being, then we need to be on all the time.”
That was the message to the Buckeyes’ locker room at halftime. At that moment, Ohio State was up 29 points to the Bobcats. A marked improvement compared to last year’s final score when coach McGuff and the Buckeyes played Ohio in Athens, winning by 30 points.
The Buckeyes pushed the lead up to 41 points, with starters playing a majority of the third quarter. Guard Celeste Taylor was the last remaining starter to play, finishing the final three and a half minutes of the third quarter with four teammates off the bench. In other words, Ohio State didn’t relent.
Two days prior, the scarlet and gray did the same thing. The Buckeyes defeated the Vols, leading from jump ball to final buzzer. These kind of performances haven’t been the case for Ohio State in the past two seasons.
In the first 19 games of the scarlet and gray’s 22-23 season, Ohio State was 5-0 in games where it went down by double-digit points. Against the Tennessee Volunteers, Louisville Cardinals and Minnesota Golden Gophers, the deficits were early enough in the game where it didn’t cause too much of a headache for the Buckeyes to flip the switch and come out on top.
However, in December and January the cracks almost stopped the Buckeyes’ record start to the campaign.
Against the USF Bulls on Dec. 20, Ohio State needed a miraculous comeback in the final minute of regulation and overtime to squeak by with a victory. On Jan. 8, the Buckeyes cut down a 17-point third quarter lead for the Illinois Fighting Illini in one quarter. Following that Buckeyes win, the tide finally turned.
“You start turning on, turning off, and that’s kind of who you become, and it’ll show up in bigger games,” said McGuff.
That’s exactly what happened. Over the remaining 17 games, coach McGuff’s side went down by double-digits nine times, winning only twice. While one was a record-breaking 24-point comeback against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Tournament, there were also 36 and 38-point defeats to the Maryland Terrapins and Iowa Hawkeyes. Each game exposing a Buckeyes team that was either unprepared or expecting that switch to flip.
The last two weeks of Buckeyes basketball shows a team getting closer to its goal of playing four quarters of consistent basketball. Leaving the switch at the on position.
Since the defeat to the USC Trojans to start the year, Ohio State’s been outscored in only three out of 24 quarters. Of those three, one was the fourth quarter of a win against Boston College where the Buckeyes didn’t play any starters. The other two came during the Pink Flamingo Championship (one against both the East Carolina Pirates and Oklahoma State Cowgirls).
Each time, McGuff chalked lulls in play down to a general lack of energy. Buckeyes didn’t get into rebounding positions, close down shooters or make extra passes in situations where Ohio State was already in the lead.
Albeit a small sample size, Sunday and Tuesday’s wins are more indicative of the team the scarlet and gray are hoping to become. The upcoming stretch of games for the Buckeyes gives this improved form the chance for stiffer competition. Starting with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State started the year strong, going 7-1 with the only defeat coming at the hands of the USC Trojans, and even that was only by a single point. Sunday, the Lions enter the Schottenstein Center after suffering what looks like a focus-based stumble of their own.
Monday night In Morgantown, WV, the Mountaineers went down early but dominated three quarters of play against Penn State, on their way to an 83-65 defeat. While the ACC side was undefeated going into the game, it wasn’t against the same caliber of competition Penn State’s faced so far this season.
Plus, the Nittany Lions haven’t lost to their former conference rivals since 1989, long before any player on either side was even born. The defeat was a perfect example of what happens when a team relies on flipping that switch. It also means Penn State enters Sunday with more motivation than there already is facing a Buckeyes team who’s competing for a National Championship.
“Their (Penn State’s) chemistry is good, and this will be a really big test for us,” said McGuff. “All of that will get our players’ attention, and they know that we’ve got a really terrific opponent coming in this Sunday.”
Continue reading...
LGHL With Kyle McCord in the portal, who do you think should be Ohio State’s QB in 2024?
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With Kyle McCord in the portal, who do you think should be Ohio State’s QB in 2024?
Matt Tamanini 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/Getty Images
Also, what (if anything) are you looking forward to from the Cotton Bowl?
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
Take a look below and make sure to register your vote in the survey. Then, if you have additional thoughts, hit up the comments at the bottom of the page!
I know that Kyle McCord wasn’t exactly everybody’s favorite Buckeye following the loss to Michigan last month, but I think that I can speak for just about all of Buckeye Nation in saying that I was still incredibly surprised that he entered his name in the transfer portal as soon as it opened.
But, for better or for worse, the Buckeyes will have a third starting quarterback in as many years when they take to the field in September 2024. As of now — if I’m being honest — none of the options are especially reassuring, even if they all bring their own level of potential and intrigue. Devin Brown is technically the backup, assuming he is healthy, so going into the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, I guess we should assume that he will get the first chance to take over as the starter.
While I was not particularly impressed with his limited snaps running the offense (I’m not counting his red zone running package), I am open to seeing what he is able to do getting the bulk of the bowl reps, if that is where the next three weeks take us. And, if he proves himself against Mizzou, I’m obviously ready to welcome him with open arms heading into next season.
However, I do think that there is a decently sized chance that true freshman Lincoln Kienholz might actually end up being the guy for the Cotton Bowl. Either because Brown’s injured ankle isn’t 100% or he just straight-up wins the job. While his time was also pretty limited this season, he looked pretty good, especially considering that he only got to Columbus in the summer. If his freakish South Dakotan athleticism proves enough for Day to make him QB1 for the Cotton Bowl, you’d have to assume that he would immediately jump to the front of the conversation for the fall.
Of course, there will be at least one guy in that room that isn’t in Columbus just yet. Five-star QB prospect Air Noland will be coming to campus in 2024, and while I think a ton of people ar rightly excited about what he could mean to the Ohio State offense, I am always very hesitant about even entertaining the idea that a true freshman could become a starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. So, I am holding off on getting too excited about what Air can do next season. If he ends up being the guy, great. I would still have reservations about his inexperience, but if you’ve watched his film at all, you know he’s got all of the tools.
Then that brings us to OSU potentially bringing somebody in from the transfer portal. I think it is almost a necessity that Day finds at least another body for the room, especially because if Kienholz wins the job, Brown will almost certainly depart. But the question is, would he be looking more for a Tristan Gebbia, Gunnar Hoak type of transfer, or a Justin Fields type?
There are some interesting names already in the portal, and some that still might land there, and it will be interesting to see what direction Day decides to go. If he is looking for a potential starter, does he opt for a guy with only a single year of eligibility left, essentially filling the role that McCord had occupied? If so, that player would almost certainly have to be assured of the starting job, otherwise, he wouldn’t want to waste his last chance to play college football holding a clipboard.
Of course, Day could also try to bring in a younger guy with multiple years of eligibility remaining to compete for the job. But, if he does go that route, how does that impact Kienholtz and Noland?
There are a lot of factors at play in this quarterback decision and Day needs to get it right, because if he doesn’t... he might not have any other decisions to make as the Buckeyes’ head coach.
I said it on Twitter when the transfer portal opened, but if this means that we get to see a bunch of the young players in meaningful reps against an SEC opponent in an exhibition game, then I am excited about the possibility of what the Cotton Bowl could bring.
Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images
Also, what (if anything) are you looking forward to from the Cotton Bowl?
Throughout the Ohio State football season, we will be asking and answering questions about the team, college football, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
Take a look below and make sure to register your vote in the survey. Then, if you have additional thoughts, hit up the comments at the bottom of the page!
Question 1: With Kyle McCord in the transfer portal, who do you want to be the Buckeyes starting quarterback in 2024?
I know that Kyle McCord wasn’t exactly everybody’s favorite Buckeye following the loss to Michigan last month, but I think that I can speak for just about all of Buckeye Nation in saying that I was still incredibly surprised that he entered his name in the transfer portal as soon as it opened.
But, for better or for worse, the Buckeyes will have a third starting quarterback in as many years when they take to the field in September 2024. As of now — if I’m being honest — none of the options are especially reassuring, even if they all bring their own level of potential and intrigue. Devin Brown is technically the backup, assuming he is healthy, so going into the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, I guess we should assume that he will get the first chance to take over as the starter.
While I was not particularly impressed with his limited snaps running the offense (I’m not counting his red zone running package), I am open to seeing what he is able to do getting the bulk of the bowl reps, if that is where the next three weeks take us. And, if he proves himself against Mizzou, I’m obviously ready to welcome him with open arms heading into next season.
However, I do think that there is a decently sized chance that true freshman Lincoln Kienholz might actually end up being the guy for the Cotton Bowl. Either because Brown’s injured ankle isn’t 100% or he just straight-up wins the job. While his time was also pretty limited this season, he looked pretty good, especially considering that he only got to Columbus in the summer. If his freakish South Dakotan athleticism proves enough for Day to make him QB1 for the Cotton Bowl, you’d have to assume that he would immediately jump to the front of the conversation for the fall.
Of course, there will be at least one guy in that room that isn’t in Columbus just yet. Five-star QB prospect Air Noland will be coming to campus in 2024, and while I think a ton of people ar rightly excited about what he could mean to the Ohio State offense, I am always very hesitant about even entertaining the idea that a true freshman could become a starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. So, I am holding off on getting too excited about what Air can do next season. If he ends up being the guy, great. I would still have reservations about his inexperience, but if you’ve watched his film at all, you know he’s got all of the tools.
Then that brings us to OSU potentially bringing somebody in from the transfer portal. I think it is almost a necessity that Day finds at least another body for the room, especially because if Kienholz wins the job, Brown will almost certainly depart. But the question is, would he be looking more for a Tristan Gebbia, Gunnar Hoak type of transfer, or a Justin Fields type?
There are some interesting names already in the portal, and some that still might land there, and it will be interesting to see what direction Day decides to go. If he is looking for a potential starter, does he opt for a guy with only a single year of eligibility left, essentially filling the role that McCord had occupied? If so, that player would almost certainly have to be assured of the starting job, otherwise, he wouldn’t want to waste his last chance to play college football holding a clipboard.
Of course, Day could also try to bring in a younger guy with multiple years of eligibility remaining to compete for the job. But, if he does go that route, how does that impact Kienholtz and Noland?
There are a lot of factors at play in this quarterback decision and Day needs to get it right, because if he doesn’t... he might not have any other decisions to make as the Buckeyes’ head coach.
Question 2: What are you most looking forward to from the Cotton Bowl matchup with Missouri?
I said it on Twitter when the transfer portal opened, but if this means that we get to see a bunch of the young players in meaningful reps against an SEC opponent in an exhibition game, then I am excited about the possibility of what the Cotton Bowl could bring.
Share your thoughts here:
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LGHL Bowl practices vital for Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz and Ohio State
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Bowl practices vital for Devin Brown, Lincoln Kienholz and Ohio State
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
It’s trial by fire time for the Buckeyes’ 2023 backup quarterbacks.
With the surprising announcement that Ohio State starting quarterback Kyle McCord decided to enter the transfer portal, the next few weeks become huge ones for backups Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz. As the Buckeyes prepare for a game against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, head coach Ryan Day has only a few weeks to prepare someone with limited snaps against an opposing defense to lead his offense in a New Year’s Six matchup against a solid Tigers squad.
Neither Brown nor Kienholz were given much to do on game days in 2023, and the former’s season was exacerbated by an injury, keeping him sidelined for a few weeks. Brown was fighting McCord for the starting position even as the season was getting underway, but ultimately lost the battle.
The sophomore got more meaningful snaps, as he was inserted into a red zone package designed to take advantage of his skills as a runner. Brown completed 12-of-22 passes (54.5%) for 197 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception. He also carried the ball as a runner 19 times for 35 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 1.84 yards per carry.
Kienholz got to throw a few passes, albeit in low-pressure situations when the game was well in hand. The sample size is small, but the freshman was the more accurate passer of the two backups who saw snaps this year, completing four of his five attempts (80%) for 25 yards. He did not throw a touchdown pass or an interception, and was mainly just asked to throw short and move the chains to eat up clock at the end of games.
The Buckeyes’ current situation is a byproduct of Day’s refusal to let his backups run more of the team’s normal offense when they get into games. Some may see this as not wanting to run up the score or put the ball in harm’s way with a big lead, and those are valid reasons. But those snaps are too important in the development of a young quarterback to simply keep handing the ball off, running into a pile three times, and punting.
Had Day allowed McCord to run the offense normally when he was spelling C.J. Stroud late in games the last two years, McCord may have been better prepared for 2023, fully seized the starting spot earlier (and more decisively), and perhaps earned enough confidence to expect the job to be his next year, negating the need to go look for a starting job somewhere else in order to raise his draft stock.
The quarterback battle over the next few weeks should be an interesting one. Brown seems to have a leg up in Day’s eyes, based on where he started the season. But Kienholz looked like the real deal as a passer in his limited live snaps. This competition is likely Brown’s to lose, but he’ll need to be much more precise with his passing than he showed in the regular season if Ohio State is to have a chance against Missouri.
Could we see a two-headed quarterback system against the Tigers? That is a strong possibility. Day has already shown that if a battle is close, he’s willing to give both guys a look in live action.
But the next few weeks of practice are more important than just giving the Buckeyes a chance to win a meaningless exhibition game — one that several key players will likely opt out of, including potentially the entire starting receiving corps (Julian Fleming has already entered the transfer portal).
This battle may determine the course of the 2024 Ohio State season, and who might be in the best position to challenge an incoming new quarterback from the portal. Multiple big names from the portal have already been potentially linked to a move to Columbus, and they’ll likely arrive with expectations of winning the starting job.
For Brown, the next few weeks may determine whether he finishes his college career at Ohio State. For Kienholz, it’s an opportunity to lay some groundwork to at least stay ahead of incoming freshman Air Noland in the pecking order, and, at best, to claim the job himself.
Continue reading...
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Barbara J. Perenic/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
It’s trial by fire time for the Buckeyes’ 2023 backup quarterbacks.
With the surprising announcement that Ohio State starting quarterback Kyle McCord decided to enter the transfer portal, the next few weeks become huge ones for backups Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz. As the Buckeyes prepare for a game against Missouri in the Cotton Bowl, head coach Ryan Day has only a few weeks to prepare someone with limited snaps against an opposing defense to lead his offense in a New Year’s Six matchup against a solid Tigers squad.
Neither Brown nor Kienholz were given much to do on game days in 2023, and the former’s season was exacerbated by an injury, keeping him sidelined for a few weeks. Brown was fighting McCord for the starting position even as the season was getting underway, but ultimately lost the battle.
The sophomore got more meaningful snaps, as he was inserted into a red zone package designed to take advantage of his skills as a runner. Brown completed 12-of-22 passes (54.5%) for 197 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception. He also carried the ball as a runner 19 times for 35 yards and a touchdown, averaging just 1.84 yards per carry.
Kienholz got to throw a few passes, albeit in low-pressure situations when the game was well in hand. The sample size is small, but the freshman was the more accurate passer of the two backups who saw snaps this year, completing four of his five attempts (80%) for 25 yards. He did not throw a touchdown pass or an interception, and was mainly just asked to throw short and move the chains to eat up clock at the end of games.
The Buckeyes’ current situation is a byproduct of Day’s refusal to let his backups run more of the team’s normal offense when they get into games. Some may see this as not wanting to run up the score or put the ball in harm’s way with a big lead, and those are valid reasons. But those snaps are too important in the development of a young quarterback to simply keep handing the ball off, running into a pile three times, and punting.
Had Day allowed McCord to run the offense normally when he was spelling C.J. Stroud late in games the last two years, McCord may have been better prepared for 2023, fully seized the starting spot earlier (and more decisively), and perhaps earned enough confidence to expect the job to be his next year, negating the need to go look for a starting job somewhere else in order to raise his draft stock.
The quarterback battle over the next few weeks should be an interesting one. Brown seems to have a leg up in Day’s eyes, based on where he started the season. But Kienholz looked like the real deal as a passer in his limited live snaps. This competition is likely Brown’s to lose, but he’ll need to be much more precise with his passing than he showed in the regular season if Ohio State is to have a chance against Missouri.
Could we see a two-headed quarterback system against the Tigers? That is a strong possibility. Day has already shown that if a battle is close, he’s willing to give both guys a look in live action.
But the next few weeks of practice are more important than just giving the Buckeyes a chance to win a meaningless exhibition game — one that several key players will likely opt out of, including potentially the entire starting receiving corps (Julian Fleming has already entered the transfer portal).
This battle may determine the course of the 2024 Ohio State season, and who might be in the best position to challenge an incoming new quarterback from the portal. Multiple big names from the portal have already been potentially linked to a move to Columbus, and they’ll likely arrive with expectations of winning the starting job.
For Brown, the next few weeks may determine whether he finishes his college career at Ohio State. For Kienholz, it’s an opportunity to lay some groundwork to at least stay ahead of incoming freshman Air Noland in the pecking order, and, at best, to claim the job himself.
Continue reading...
LGHL Seventh heaven: Buckeyes stifle Redhawks 84-64, extend winning streak to seven games
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Seventh heaven: Buckeyes stifle Redhawks 84-64, extend winning streak to seven games
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State completes a clean three-game sweep of the MAC portion of their schedule.
Sandwiched in between two Big Ten games this week, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (8-1, 1-0) welcomed in-state foe Miami (OH) (4-4) to the Schott on Wednesday evening. Calling Wednesday night’s tilt a “trap” game takes away from Ohio State’s MAC foe, but the coaching staff’s ears were certainly perked up for this one.
The Redhawks were fresh off a win against Marshall, and are led by former Xavier head man and Ohio State GA Travis Steele. Miami also shot the three-ball at a 38% clip coming into this game— the second-highest clip in the MAC. Toss in the fact that this game was squeezed in between two seemingly more important games, and you had a recipe for a potential letdown.
Chris Holtmann did not change the starting lineup he’s been using for the entire season, going with sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evana Mahaffey, Felix Okpara and senior forward Jamison Battle.
Travis Steele went with a lineup of Ryan Mabrey, Evan Ipsaro, Darweshi Hunter, Bryson Bultman, and Jaquel Morris.
Miami led 7-6 at the first media timeout that happened 4:04 into the game. The Buckeyes struggled to contain the ball, and Steele was doing a good job drawing up plays to isolate his guys against Battle and Okpara early on. Thanks to a Roddy Gayle steal-and-slam, Ohio State was able to retake the lead, 17-13, by the under-12 timeout.
The story of the first half was Ohio State’s inbility to finish at the rim, but the second-most important stat of the first half was all of the second-chance points the Buckeyes scored over a smaller Miami team. Zed Key, Gayle, Dale Bonner, and Devin Royal all missed point-blank attempts in the first half, but the Buckeyes racked up 15 second-chance points over the first 20 minutes. It grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in the first half alone, and led 39-26 at the halftime break.
As a unit, the Buckeyes shot 38.2% in the first half, which was one of its worst offensive halves of basketball it has played this year so far. Both Thornton (11) and Gayle (12) scored double-digit points in the first half. Hunter had seven points for Miami on 3-7 shooting in the first half, but oddly enough was a team-worst -13 plus/minus for the Redhawks in the opening stanza.
Miami was pretty clearly out-classed in this one, but there was never a point during the game where it felt like Ohio State was going to run them off the floor — nor was there ever a moment where the outcome of this game felt like it might be in doubt. With 8:49 remaining in the game, Battle scored on back-to-back possessions (the second being his first three of the game), giving Ohio State a 63-44 lead — its largest of the game at the time.
Even though it trailed for the first five minutes or so of this game, Ohio State’s offense was steady, even if it was a bit slow to develop. Its defense wasn’t great when Miami was able to slow down and run its sets, but the Buckeyes did force Redhawks into 17 turnovers, which kneecapped their chances at an upset. When the final buzzer sounded, the Buckeyes had wrapped up their seventh consecutive win, 84-64.
Gayle led Ohio State in scoring with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting over 32 minutes, while also chipping in four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Five other Buckeyes also scored in double digits, including Zed Key, who had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Hunter led Miami with 15 points as well, although he did it on a less than efficient 6-of-16 shooting over 37 minutes.
If you weren’t around tonight to see Ohio State extend its winning streak to seven games (or you don’t have BTN+, which is understandable), here are some key stats and figures that were noteworthy during the Buckeyes’ seventh consecutive win.
This isn’t Travis Steele’s first ride on the turnip truck, having coached at Xavier from 2018-2022. The now-second year Miami coach did a good job early on of drawing up sets to isolate his guys against Battle and Okpara, two defenders that Ohio State would prefer not be the ones chasing around ballhandlers. The Redhawks led for the first several minutes in this one, before Gayle’s steal near midcourt and fastbreak slam made it 10-9, 5:30 into the game.
After Miami got back-to-back back buckets to drop to re-take a 13-12 lead, Bruce Thornton and Zed Key went on a 9-0 run to turn the one-point deficit into an eight-point lead. Over a span of 3:26, Thornton knocked down two free throws and knocked down a three, followed by a dunk from Key followed by a pair of free throws. During that time, Miami missed the three shots they took.
As noted above, Ohio State missed more than a handful of point-blank shots in the first half of this one. The plays that were being called led to open looks, but pretty much everyone chipped in at least one miss for the collective cause. However, the Buckeyes crashed the offensive glass like they hadn’t all season to this point, snagging 12 offensive rebounds in the first half. Key had six of them by himself. Those second-chance points were a big difference maker, since Ohio State wasn’t exactly lights-out from distance (3-10 in the first half) either.
With Ohio State leading 44-33 just over minutes into the second half, Miami’s Evan Ipsaro drove to the basket but was fouled by Okpara as he went up. No foul was called, however, so after Mahaffey scored at the other end to put OSU up 13, Steele took an opportunity to call a timeout and discuss the no-call with the officials.
Unsuprisingly, the zebras weren’t too appreciative of Steele’s feedback, and he was slapped with a technical foul. Battle knocked down both free throws to push Ohio State’s lead to 13 points with over 17 minutes left in the game.
With 14:46 left in the game, Ipsaro was trying to get free of Scotty Middleton to recieve an inbounds pass, but Middleton was leaning on him and preventing him from getting free, while also putting his hands high in the air to say “I’m not touching you.” Ipsaro tried to shove through him, and the two had words for each other until a ref separated the two of them. To Ipsaro’s credit, he did go down to the other end and score on Middleton 10 seconds later.
Then, 28 seconds later, Ryan Mabrey unintentionally tripped Gayle on a long inbounds play, sending the sophomore sliding to the ground in an awkward position. The two had words, and both teams ran over. After a mostly uneventful shouting match, the squads separated and nothing came of it.
Not even two minutes after that, Ipsaro slapped the ball away from Key below the basket on a layup attempt, and both teams were immediately on the ground grabbing for it. Key and Thornton were two of the last guys on the pile. During the pileup, Key and Hunter got into it, and both were assessed technical fouls. The call, ultimately, was a jump ball, with the possession aarow pointing to the Redhawks.
Despite this game being a slower developing one from an offensive standpoint, Ohio State still wound up scoring 84 points, with six guys in double digits.
Ohio State (8-1, 1-0) has a quick turnaround, as it travels to Penn State (4-4) on Saturday for its second Big Ten game of the season. The Nittany Lions are now led by Mike Rhoades, who took over the program after Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. Penn State has the lowest KenPom rank of any Big Ten team this year, at No. 129.
Ohio State’s game against Penn State will tip off at 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Ohio State completes a clean three-game sweep of the MAC portion of their schedule.
Sandwiched in between two Big Ten games this week, the Ohio State men’s basketball team (8-1, 1-0) welcomed in-state foe Miami (OH) (4-4) to the Schott on Wednesday evening. Calling Wednesday night’s tilt a “trap” game takes away from Ohio State’s MAC foe, but the coaching staff’s ears were certainly perked up for this one.
The Redhawks were fresh off a win against Marshall, and are led by former Xavier head man and Ohio State GA Travis Steele. Miami also shot the three-ball at a 38% clip coming into this game— the second-highest clip in the MAC. Toss in the fact that this game was squeezed in between two seemingly more important games, and you had a recipe for a potential letdown.
Chris Holtmann did not change the starting lineup he’s been using for the entire season, going with sophomores Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Evana Mahaffey, Felix Okpara and senior forward Jamison Battle.
Travis Steele went with a lineup of Ryan Mabrey, Evan Ipsaro, Darweshi Hunter, Bryson Bultman, and Jaquel Morris.
Miami led 7-6 at the first media timeout that happened 4:04 into the game. The Buckeyes struggled to contain the ball, and Steele was doing a good job drawing up plays to isolate his guys against Battle and Okpara early on. Thanks to a Roddy Gayle steal-and-slam, Ohio State was able to retake the lead, 17-13, by the under-12 timeout.
RODDY@OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/peIIrOyPV4
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) December 7, 2023
The story of the first half was Ohio State’s inbility to finish at the rim, but the second-most important stat of the first half was all of the second-chance points the Buckeyes scored over a smaller Miami team. Zed Key, Gayle, Dale Bonner, and Devin Royal all missed point-blank attempts in the first half, but the Buckeyes racked up 15 second-chance points over the first 20 minutes. It grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in the first half alone, and led 39-26 at the halftime break.
As a unit, the Buckeyes shot 38.2% in the first half, which was one of its worst offensive halves of basketball it has played this year so far. Both Thornton (11) and Gayle (12) scored double-digit points in the first half. Hunter had seven points for Miami on 3-7 shooting in the first half, but oddly enough was a team-worst -13 plus/minus for the Redhawks in the opening stanza.
Miami was pretty clearly out-classed in this one, but there was never a point during the game where it felt like Ohio State was going to run them off the floor — nor was there ever a moment where the outcome of this game felt like it might be in doubt. With 8:49 remaining in the game, Battle scored on back-to-back possessions (the second being his first three of the game), giving Ohio State a 63-44 lead — its largest of the game at the time.
Even though it trailed for the first five minutes or so of this game, Ohio State’s offense was steady, even if it was a bit slow to develop. Its defense wasn’t great when Miami was able to slow down and run its sets, but the Buckeyes did force Redhawks into 17 turnovers, which kneecapped their chances at an upset. When the final buzzer sounded, the Buckeyes had wrapped up their seventh consecutive win, 84-64.
Gayle led Ohio State in scoring with 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting over 32 minutes, while also chipping in four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Five other Buckeyes also scored in double digits, including Zed Key, who had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Hunter led Miami with 15 points as well, although he did it on a less than efficient 6-of-16 shooting over 37 minutes.
If you weren’t around tonight to see Ohio State extend its winning streak to seven games (or you don’t have BTN+, which is understandable), here are some key stats and figures that were noteworthy during the Buckeyes’ seventh consecutive win.
5:30
How long Miami led to start the game
This isn’t Travis Steele’s first ride on the turnip truck, having coached at Xavier from 2018-2022. The now-second year Miami coach did a good job early on of drawing up sets to isolate his guys against Battle and Okpara, two defenders that Ohio State would prefer not be the ones chasing around ballhandlers. The Redhawks led for the first several minutes in this one, before Gayle’s steal near midcourt and fastbreak slam made it 10-9, 5:30 into the game.
Nine
Consecutive points to take the lead back
After Miami got back-to-back back buckets to drop to re-take a 13-12 lead, Bruce Thornton and Zed Key went on a 9-0 run to turn the one-point deficit into an eight-point lead. Over a span of 3:26, Thornton knocked down two free throws and knocked down a three, followed by a dunk from Key followed by a pair of free throws. During that time, Miami missed the three shots they took.
12
Offensive rebounds in the first half for the Buckeyes
As noted above, Ohio State missed more than a handful of point-blank shots in the first half of this one. The plays that were being called led to open looks, but pretty much everyone chipped in at least one miss for the collective cause. However, the Buckeyes crashed the offensive glass like they hadn’t all season to this point, snagging 12 offensive rebounds in the first half. Key had six of them by himself. Those second-chance points were a big difference maker, since Ohio State wasn’t exactly lights-out from distance (3-10 in the first half) either.
One
Technical foul for Travis Steele
With Ohio State leading 44-33 just over minutes into the second half, Miami’s Evan Ipsaro drove to the basket but was fouled by Okpara as he went up. No foul was called, however, so after Mahaffey scored at the other end to put OSU up 13, Steele took an opportunity to call a timeout and discuss the no-call with the officials.
Unsuprisingly, the zebras weren’t too appreciative of Steele’s feedback, and he was slapped with a technical foul. Battle knocked down both free throws to push Ohio State’s lead to 13 points with over 17 minutes left in the game.
Three
Scuffles in the second half
With 14:46 left in the game, Ipsaro was trying to get free of Scotty Middleton to recieve an inbounds pass, but Middleton was leaning on him and preventing him from getting free, while also putting his hands high in the air to say “I’m not touching you.” Ipsaro tried to shove through him, and the two had words for each other until a ref separated the two of them. To Ipsaro’s credit, he did go down to the other end and score on Middleton 10 seconds later.
Then, 28 seconds later, Ryan Mabrey unintentionally tripped Gayle on a long inbounds play, sending the sophomore sliding to the ground in an awkward position. The two had words, and both teams ran over. After a mostly uneventful shouting match, the squads separated and nothing came of it.
Not even two minutes after that, Ipsaro slapped the ball away from Key below the basket on a layup attempt, and both teams were immediately on the ground grabbing for it. Key and Thornton were two of the last guys on the pile. During the pileup, Key and Hunter got into it, and both were assessed technical fouls. The call, ultimately, was a jump ball, with the possession aarow pointing to the Redhawks.
Six
Buckeyes in double digits
Despite this game being a slower developing one from an offensive standpoint, Ohio State still wound up scoring 84 points, with six guys in double digits.
Up Next:
Ohio State (8-1, 1-0) has a quick turnaround, as it travels to Penn State (4-4) on Saturday for its second Big Ten game of the season. The Nittany Lions are now led by Mike Rhoades, who took over the program after Micah Shrewsberry took the Notre Dame job. Penn State has the lowest KenPom rank of any Big Ten team this year, at No. 129.
Ohio State’s game against Penn State will tip off at 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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LGHL Uncut: Kevin McGuff on Buckeyes in-state rivalry win and upcoming Penn State matchup
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Uncut: Kevin McGuff on Buckeyes in-state rivalry win and upcoming Penn State matchup
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 Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Plus guards Emma Shumate and Kaia Henderson talk career nights.
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Tuesday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomed in-state Ohio University to the Schottenstein Center. After 40 minutes, the Buckeyes record against the Athens, Ohio side improved to 23-1 after defeating the Bobcats 85-45.
In the win, guards Emma Shumate and Kaia Henderson had career nights. Shumate led all Buckeyes with 22 points (a career high), with six shots from beyond the arc. Henderson followed suit with a career-high six points on perfect shooting from the floor. This episode of Uncut features both guards plus head coach Kevin McGuff.
Coach McGuff discusses what guard Emma Shumate needs to do to get into bigger games, what he said to the team at halftime, already up 29 points, and looking ahead to the first conference game of the season against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Shumate and Henderson talk about their impressive evenings. Shumate talks about the support from her teammates, the boost in confidence from last season to this season and Henderson goes deeper into her perfect shooting performance.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Plus guards Emma Shumate and Kaia Henderson talk career nights.
Throughout the year, Land-Grant Holy Land will be bringing you uncut audio primarily from Ohio State press conferences, but also from individual interview sessions.
Tuesday night, the Ohio State women’s basketball team welcomed in-state Ohio University to the Schottenstein Center. After 40 minutes, the Buckeyes record against the Athens, Ohio side improved to 23-1 after defeating the Bobcats 85-45.
In the win, guards Emma Shumate and Kaia Henderson had career nights. Shumate led all Buckeyes with 22 points (a career high), with six shots from beyond the arc. Henderson followed suit with a career-high six points on perfect shooting from the floor. This episode of Uncut features both guards plus head coach Kevin McGuff.
Coach McGuff discusses what guard Emma Shumate needs to do to get into bigger games, what he said to the team at halftime, already up 29 points, and looking ahead to the first conference game of the season against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Shumate and Henderson talk about their impressive evenings. Shumate talks about the support from her teammates, the boost in confidence from last season to this season and Henderson goes deeper into her perfect shooting performance.
Connect with Thomas:
Twitter: @1ThomasCostello
Theme music provided by www.bensound.com
Continue reading...
#25 Ohio State vs. Miami (OH), Wednesday, Dec 6, 2023 at 7PM, BTN+
- By brodybuck21
- Buckeye Basketball
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BASKETBALL PREVIEW: OHIO STATE PLAYS PENULTIMATE MID-MAJOR TUNEUP VS. MIAMI (OHIO) BEFORE SCHEDULE RAMPS UP
By Andy Anders on December 6, 2023 at 8:35 am @andyanders55
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If one were still caught up in the throes of football season, it might be a surprise to find out that only two mid-major opponents remain on the Ohio State men’s basketball schedule.
MIAMI
REDHAWKS
4 - 3
ROSTER | SCHEDULE
DEC. 6, 2023 - 7 PM ET
VALUE CITY ARENA
COLUMBUS, OHIO
B1G+OSU -21
The Buckeyes play their second Big Ten game of the season at Penn State on Sunday and will see UCLA and West Virginia sandwiched around their final mid-major, New Orleans, before they hit the conference-only portion of their schedule starting in January.
First, however, Ohio State clashes with Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday. The Buckeyes are riding a six-game winning streak with a victory in their first conference contest against Minnesota on Sunday, and Chris Holtmann says his squad will need “great preparation” to maintain momentum before its first true road game against the Nittany Lions.
The RedHawks have a 4-3 record after a 0-2 start to the year, but Ohio State will be their first opponent of the season from a power conference.
“(Miami) is playing well right now, just won at Marshall, won four of the last five games they’ve played,” Holtmann said. “They’ve got a great, very skilled group that is difficult (to defend), their effective field goal percentage is really good. They’re a disciplined group and well-coached and (we) need to have a readiness to play tomorrow.”
NEED TO KNOW
SUBOPTIMAL SCORING
Miami ranks 243rd in college basketball with 71.7 points per game, and its rate statistics aren’t any better. The Redhawks are only 240th nationally with 102.7 points per 100 possessions. Only one player on the team averages double figures, that being the 13.4 per contest scored by Darweshi Hunter.To Holtmann’s point about effective field goal percentage, however, a big contributing factor to that statistic is 3-point percentage, which Miami is 42nd nationally in at 38.1%. Conversely, however, it is 240th converting from inside the arc at 49.8%.
XAVIER BEHAVIOR
Travis Steele, head coach of the RedHawks, has experience from another, larger basketball program in Ohio. Steele spent four seasons as head coach of Xavier from 2018-22 after spending nine seasons as an assistant for the Musketeers. However, his four-year stint as head coach coincided with Xavier’s only four-year NCAA Tournament drought since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. He had a 70-50 career record with the Cincinnati-based university and was fired immediately following a first-round victory in the NIT in 2022.The system Steele ran at Xavier is alike in some ways to what he’s running at Miami and different in others, Holtmann said.
“There are some similarities for sure, but there’s also some differences there,” Holtmann said. “They’re different offensively than what they were when he was (at Xavier), (Miami) is predicated on great spacing and skill. They’ve got some really good young players, a couple are returning players that have done some really high-level things for them.”
GRAY UNIS
Ohio State will be pulling out its gray alternate uniforms for the first time this season when it faces Miami.Login to view embedded media
Basketball Preview: Ohio State Plays Penultimate Mid-Major Tuneup vs. Miami (Ohio) Before Schedule Ramps Up
Bridging the gap between its first two Big Ten games, Ohio State plays its penultimate mid-major opponent of the season in Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday.
LGHL Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Miami (OH): Game Preview and Prediction
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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Miami (OH): Game Preview and Prediction
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight’s contest against the RedHawks is sandwiched between Ohio State’s first two Big Ten games of the season.
After opening up their Big Ten schedule with an 84-74 win over Minnesota on Sunday evening, Ohio State’s men’s basketball team jumps back out of conference tonight to host the Miami (OH) RedHawks. Tonight’s matchup marks the 10th meeting between the in-state foes, with the Buckeyes holding a 7-2 edge in the series. The last time the teams met saw Ohio State beat the RedHawks 72-59 in the 2017-18 season. Aside from Miami winning the first game between the schools in 1916, their only other win came in 1993 when they defeated the Buckeyes 56-53 in the first round of the NIT.
Since losing to Texas A&M in the second game of the season, Ohio State enters tonight’s contest riding a six-game winning streak. In their last time on the court, the Buckeyes never trailed against Minnesota, scoring 42 points in each half to down the Golden Gophers. Not only did Jamison Battle put home a season-high 25 points against his former team, Bruce Thornton added a team-high 26 points in the victory, and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 16 points on Sunday night. Ohio State blocked six shots in the game, with five of those swats coming from Felix Okpara, tying his career-high.
With his performance against the Golden Gophers, Thornton has now scored in double figures in seven of eight games this season, and cracked the 20-point mark in three of the last four games. After scoring 26 points on Sunday night, Thornton surpassed 500 career points in the scarlet and gray. Thornton is not only filling it up in the scoring column, he is also doing a great job at finding his teammates, registering at least five assists in a game for the fifth time this season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25135660/usa_today_19625600.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Miami (OH) at Cincinnati")
Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports
Miami comes to Columbus on a two-game winning streak after beating Marshall 79-74 on Saturday. The RedHawks led 77-59 with just over three minutes left in the second half before the Thundering Herd were able to go on a 15-2 run to close the gap before the game ended. Miami was able to earn the victory because of their ability to hit shots from beyond the arc, netting 13 of their 26 three-point attempts. Mekhi Cooper led the RedHawks with a career-high 17 points in the win, while Evan Ipsaro added 16 points, and Bradley Dean scored 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
With the win, Miami is now 4-3 on the season, with their losses coming to Evansville, Texas State, and St. Bonaventure. The RedHawks are coached by former Xavier coach Travis Steele, who is in his second season in Oxford. During his four seasons at Xavier after replacing Chris Mack, Steele posted a 70-50 record, and he was 12-20 last year in his debut season at Miami. Steele is hoping to bring the RedHawks back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Along with coaching at two Division I programs in Ohio, Steele is the brother of former Ohio State assistant coach and current Akron head coach John Groce.
Through seven games this season, Miami is led in scoring by Darweshi Hunter, who is averaging 13.4 points per game. The senior guard is also second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per contest. Oddly enough, Hunter has been at his best this year in Miami’s losses, with his three highest scoring outputs of the season all coming in the three setbacks the RedHawks have suffered. This is Hunter’s first season in Oxford after spending the last two at Northern Illinois.
Along with Hunter, Miami has a couple freshmen at guard that are averaging at least 24 minutes per game this year. Evan Ipsaro is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points per game, and Mekhi Cooper is right behind Cooper, scoring 8.9 points per game. On Saturday night, Ipsaro hit four three-pointers, which is the most of his young career. Cooper will likely enter tonight’s game with a ton of confidence after leading the RedHawks in scoring against the Thundering Herd.
In the frontcourt, center Jaquel Morris will have his hands full with Felix Okpara and Zed Key. Miami doesn’t look for Morris to do a ton of the offensive end, instead hoping the sophomore big man makes a difference on the defensive end of the floor. So far this year, Morris has blocked at least two shots in over half of Miami’s games. Along with Morris, Bryce Bultman will also try and make a difference in the paint. The graduate transfer in his first season with the RedHawks after spending four years at Division-II McKendree University.
Tonight will mark the third game this season Ohio State has played against a team from the MAC. In their first two games against teams from the conference this year, the Buckeyes have had little trouble, beating Western Michigan and Central Michigan by a combined 44 points. As long as the Buckeyes aren’t looking ahead to Saturday’s Big Ten game at Penn State, Chris Holtmann’s team shouldn’t have much trouble with the RedHawks.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25135665/usa_today_22030209.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Ohio State")
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
So far this year Miami hasn’t played all that tough of a schedule and they have still lost three games. If the RedHawks can’t beat teams like Texas State and Evansville, they are going to have a lot of trouble against an Ohio State team that is gaining confidence with each game. Bruce Thornton is playing like a leader, Roddy Gayle Jr. is consistently getting better, Jamison Battle provides a veteran presence, and Felix Okpara and Zed Key are a force in the paint. The Buckeyes are going to overwhelm a Miami team that can struggle to score at times.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 92.7%
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: B1G+
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Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight’s contest against the RedHawks is sandwiched between Ohio State’s first two Big Ten games of the season.
After opening up their Big Ten schedule with an 84-74 win over Minnesota on Sunday evening, Ohio State’s men’s basketball team jumps back out of conference tonight to host the Miami (OH) RedHawks. Tonight’s matchup marks the 10th meeting between the in-state foes, with the Buckeyes holding a 7-2 edge in the series. The last time the teams met saw Ohio State beat the RedHawks 72-59 in the 2017-18 season. Aside from Miami winning the first game between the schools in 1916, their only other win came in 1993 when they defeated the Buckeyes 56-53 in the first round of the NIT.
Preview
Since losing to Texas A&M in the second game of the season, Ohio State enters tonight’s contest riding a six-game winning streak. In their last time on the court, the Buckeyes never trailed against Minnesota, scoring 42 points in each half to down the Golden Gophers. Not only did Jamison Battle put home a season-high 25 points against his former team, Bruce Thornton added a team-high 26 points in the victory, and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 16 points on Sunday night. Ohio State blocked six shots in the game, with five of those swats coming from Felix Okpara, tying his career-high.
With his performance against the Golden Gophers, Thornton has now scored in double figures in seven of eight games this season, and cracked the 20-point mark in three of the last four games. After scoring 26 points on Sunday night, Thornton surpassed 500 career points in the scarlet and gray. Thornton is not only filling it up in the scoring column, he is also doing a great job at finding his teammates, registering at least five assists in a game for the fifth time this season.
Miami comes to Columbus on a two-game winning streak after beating Marshall 79-74 on Saturday. The RedHawks led 77-59 with just over three minutes left in the second half before the Thundering Herd were able to go on a 15-2 run to close the gap before the game ended. Miami was able to earn the victory because of their ability to hit shots from beyond the arc, netting 13 of their 26 three-point attempts. Mekhi Cooper led the RedHawks with a career-high 17 points in the win, while Evan Ipsaro added 16 points, and Bradley Dean scored 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench.
With the win, Miami is now 4-3 on the season, with their losses coming to Evansville, Texas State, and St. Bonaventure. The RedHawks are coached by former Xavier coach Travis Steele, who is in his second season in Oxford. During his four seasons at Xavier after replacing Chris Mack, Steele posted a 70-50 record, and he was 12-20 last year in his debut season at Miami. Steele is hoping to bring the RedHawks back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Along with coaching at two Division I programs in Ohio, Steele is the brother of former Ohio State assistant coach and current Akron head coach John Groce.
Through seven games this season, Miami is led in scoring by Darweshi Hunter, who is averaging 13.4 points per game. The senior guard is also second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per contest. Oddly enough, Hunter has been at his best this year in Miami’s losses, with his three highest scoring outputs of the season all coming in the three setbacks the RedHawks have suffered. This is Hunter’s first season in Oxford after spending the last two at Northern Illinois.
Along with Hunter, Miami has a couple freshmen at guard that are averaging at least 24 minutes per game this year. Evan Ipsaro is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points per game, and Mekhi Cooper is right behind Cooper, scoring 8.9 points per game. On Saturday night, Ipsaro hit four three-pointers, which is the most of his young career. Cooper will likely enter tonight’s game with a ton of confidence after leading the RedHawks in scoring against the Thundering Herd.
In the frontcourt, center Jaquel Morris will have his hands full with Felix Okpara and Zed Key. Miami doesn’t look for Morris to do a ton of the offensive end, instead hoping the sophomore big man makes a difference on the defensive end of the floor. So far this year, Morris has blocked at least two shots in over half of Miami’s games. Along with Morris, Bryce Bultman will also try and make a difference in the paint. The graduate transfer in his first season with the RedHawks after spending four years at Division-II McKendree University.
Prediction
Tonight will mark the third game this season Ohio State has played against a team from the MAC. In their first two games against teams from the conference this year, the Buckeyes have had little trouble, beating Western Michigan and Central Michigan by a combined 44 points. As long as the Buckeyes aren’t looking ahead to Saturday’s Big Ten game at Penn State, Chris Holtmann’s team shouldn’t have much trouble with the RedHawks.
So far this year Miami hasn’t played all that tough of a schedule and they have still lost three games. If the RedHawks can’t beat teams like Texas State and Evansville, they are going to have a lot of trouble against an Ohio State team that is gaining confidence with each game. Bruce Thornton is playing like a leader, Roddy Gayle Jr. is consistently getting better, Jamison Battle provides a veteran presence, and Felix Okpara and Zed Key are a force in the paint. The Buckeyes are going to overwhelm a Miami team that can struggle to score at times.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 92.7%
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: B1G+
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 78, Miami (OH) 59
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