Updated Heisman Trophy odds with two weeks remaining in the regular season
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Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

Which individual performers stand out above the rest with two regular season games to go?

All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Ohio State’s Heisman Trophy odds (Current // Preseason)​

• Marvin Harrison Jr. (+475 // +2000)
• Kyle McCord (+30000 // +2200)

With TreVeyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka no longer on the board, both having missed multiple weeks of action this season, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord are the last two Heisman Trophy hopefuls standing for Ohio State. Harrison Jr. is trying to become the rare wide receiver to win the award, and has done just about everything possible to do so with over 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on the year, finishing seven games with over 100 yards and four of over 140 yards.

McCord is a super long shot at this point, as it would be nearly impossible for him to improve his own case without also improving Harrison Jr.’s. Still, it has been a good year statically for the Buckeye QB, throwing for nearly 2,700 yards with 20 TDs and four INTs through 10 games.

Overall Heisman Trophy Top 10: ​

• Bo Nix - Oregon (+110)
• Jayden Daniels - LSU (+320)
• Michael Penix - Washington (+380)
• Marvin Harrison Jr. - Ohio State (+475)
• Carson Beck - Georgia (+4000)
• Jalen Milroe - Alabama (+5000)
• Jordan Travis - Florida State (+6000)
• Blake Corum - Michigan (+10000)
• Dillon Gabriel - Oklahoma (+10000)
• J.J. McCarthy - Michigan (+10000)

As things boil down here with just two games remaining in the regular season, it is really just a four-man race for the Heisman Trophy, with a massive drop-off after the top quartet of guys. Bo Nix is the current betting favorite, leading all of FBS with his 77.7 completion percentage while ranking second nationally in TD passes (29) to Jayden Daniels (30). Michael Penix is the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to yardage, passing for over 3,500 yards — almost 300 more than the next-best — with still two games to play. Nix and Penix will get a chance to secure a signature Heisman moment when they almost certainly face off in the Pac-12 title game, while Daniels will not get that added data point with LSU out of the running in the SEC.

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

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MC&J: Week 12’s national slate will see Oregon State try to spoil Washington’s perfect season
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Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Plus predictions for seven other interesting games outside the Big Ten on Saturday.

Last week ATS: 7-7 (2-5 National, 5-2 B1G)​

Season ATS: 89-87-1 (40-51-1 National, 49-37 B1G)​

Last week we were back to normal, missing on a bunch of national games while hitting on most of our Big Ten picks. The good news is we broke even for the week, still giving us a couple game cushion on .500 ahead of the last couple weeks of the regular season.

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National games​

No. 10 Louisville (-1.5) v. Miami (FL) - 12:00 p.m. ET - ABC

Louisville has to be really kicking themselves for dropping a game at Pitt last month. Had it not been for the setback to the Panthers, the Cardinals would be undefeated and could possibly be battling Florida State in the ACC Championship Game for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Even with the loss, Jeff Brohm has had a phenomenal first season as head coach of his alma mater.

While Louisville is soaring right now, the same can’t be said for Miami. The Hurricanes have lost their last two games, and even though they hung with Florida State last week, quarterback Emory Williams was injured late in the loss. With Williams not available to play, Mario Cristobal will turn back to Tyler Van Dyke, who has thrown 12 interceptions this season.

I’m not impressed by Cristobal and the Hurricanes. I know this could be a redemption game for Van Dyke after a tough season, but I think Louisville is going to come out on top on Saturday. The Cardinals are angling for a New Year’s Six bowl bid, and they are better on both sides of the football. Louisville continues their strong play heading into the ACC Championship Game in a few weeks.

Louisville 34, Miami (FL) 21

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No. 22 Utah (-1.5) v. No. 17 Arizona - 2:30 p.m. ET - Pac-12 Network

Arizona continued their recent roll, beating Colorado last week 34-31 in Boulder to extend their winning streak to four games. Even though he didn’t see significant playing time until the end of September, Noah Fifita has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country this year, throwing 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions. What makes what Fifita has done on the field so impressive is he has been playing against some of the best teams in the country. In the six games where he has attempted at least 10 passes, five of those contests were against teams that were ranked at the time.

If the College Football Playoff rankings were based on effort, Utah would be tops in the country. Even though they have had to play such a tough schedule without quarterback Cam Rising this year, the Utes enter this game with a 7-3 record. Utah is coming off a 35-28 loss at Washington, where Bryson Barnes threw for a career-high 267 yards against the Huskies.

Even though I know Utah is going to give Arizona all they can handle in Tucson, I still like the Wildcats in this one. Arizona is playing with a ton of confidence with Fifita at quarterback during their four-game winning streak, and they have a couple of outstanding receivers in Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan. The Wildcats keep the pressure on Oregon in the Pac-12 standings with a win over the Utes.

Arizona 31, Utah 27

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No. 1 Georgia (-10.5) v. No. 18 Tennessee - 3:30 p.m. ET - CBS

I apparently am never going to learn when it comes to Georgia. One week the Bulldogs will struggle a bit and then I think their next opponent can hang with them. Then Kirby Smart’s team blows that team off the map and I think their next opponent has no chance to stay within the spread. It feels like it has been that way all season.

Tennessee is coming off a 36-7 loss at Missouri last week. Joe Milton definitely isn’t it at quarterback for the Vols. While he’s serviceable behind center, he isn’t a game-changer. Milton has played college football for like 26 years, so it’s not like he hasn’t been underachieving for quite a while.

Sorry Tennessee, Hendon Hooker ain’t walking through that door. Last week the Bulldogs put up over 600 yards on Ole Miss, while the Volunteers gave up over 500 yards to Missouri. Even if Brock Bowers isn’t able to play, Georgia has too much firepower for Milton and the inconsistent Tennessee offense to keep pace with. While Dolly Parton is going to be at the game on Saturday, it isn’t going to be able to help the Vols in this one.

Georgia 41, Tennessee 20

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No. 20 North Carolina v. Clemson (-6.5) - 3:30 p.m. ET - ESPN

There was a little bit of truth to what Dabo Swinney said after the Notre Dame game when he said Clemson’s stock was on the rise. Last week the Tigers built off their win over the Fighting Irish by beating Georgia Tech 42-21. Clemson has a strong rushing attack with Will Shipley and Phil Mafah, while quarterback Cade Klubnik had one of his best games last week, throwing for four touchdowns against the Yellow Jackets.

North Carolina may be ranked entering this week’s game, but I’m not all that impressed by the Tar Heels. With their weak schedule so far this year, North Carolina should be entering this game undefeated. Clemson is going to be the toughest opponent this year, and I just don’t think Mack Brown’s team is good enough to beat a Clemson team that is playing their best football of the season right now.

Clemson 38, North Carolina 28

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No. 21 Kansas State (-8.5) v. No. 25 Kansas - 7:00 p.m. ET - FS1

Kansas State has dominated the “Sunflower Showdown” recently, winning the last 14 meetings with the Jayhawks. This isn’t the same Kansas team we have become accustomed to, though. Earlier this year the Jayhawks beat Oklahoma, and another win this year would give Kansas their first eight-win season since 2008.

The good news for Kansas is head coach Lance Leipold is optimistic Jason Bean will be able to play on Saturday night after suffering a head injury in last week’s loss to Texas Tech. Right now Kansas State is playing great football, having no issues in four of their last five games, with the only loss during that span being an overtime setback to Texas. I like Kansas State to win, but Kansas to cover in this one.

Kansas State 34, Kansas 30

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No. 5 Washington v. No. 11 Oregon State (-2.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - ABC

Oregon State has a chance to truly bury the Pac-12 in the final season of the conference. If the Beavers beat the Huskies on Saturday night, it will be the first loss of the season for Washington and eliminate them from the College Football Playoff race. It’s already concerning that the Huskies aren’t in the top-four right now even though they’re undefeated. A loss to Oregon State would be something Washington wouldn’t be able to overcome in their drive to make the playoff for a second time.

Lately Washington has been testing the limits. Each of the last six wins by the Huskies have come by 10 points or less. The inability of Washington to truly put opponents away could really come back to bite them on the road against a team like Oregon State. Last week the Beavers throttled Stanford 62-17 in Corvallis. Damien Martinez ran for 146 yards and four touchdowns in the blowout of the Cardinal.

The Pac-12 loves to cannibalize itself, and a win by Oregon State would be extremely on brand. Just imagine if the Beavers not only beat Washington this year, but if they win next week against Oregon. While I’m not so sure if Oregon State can win their final rivalry battle with the Ducks next week, I do like their chances on Saturday against the Huskies.

Oregon State 31, Washington 24

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Florida v. No. 9 Missouri (-11.5) - 7:30 p.m. ET - ESPN

I’m definitely rooting for Florida to lose their final two games so they’ll finish the regular season 5-7. I’m not going to spend a ton of time on this game since I think it’s a mismatch. Missouri is playing at a high level right now, while the Gators have lost three straight games. Now you want me to believe that Florida can come to Missouri and keep the score within two touchdowns? I’m not buying it. Brady Cook and the Tigers roll in this one.

Missouri 38, Florida 17

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No. 7 Texas (-7.5) v. Iowa State - 8:00 p.m. ET - FOX

In a way you have to feel for Texas a little bit. After getting quarterback Quinn Ewers back from injury, the Longhorns lost running back Jonathon Brooks for the rest of the season. Even with the injury, Texas is still on track to make the Big 12 Championship Game in their final season in the conference, and has an outside shot at making the College Football Playoff.

Iowa State is a team that has gotten better as the year has gone on. The Cyclones have won four of their last five games, with the only loss during that span coming to Kansas. Last week Iowa State went out to Provo and demolished BYU 45-13. Matt Campbell’s team ran all over the Cougars, piling up 234 yards rushing in the blowout.

Texas is the better team, there’s no question about that. Strange things happen in Ames, though. I’m not ready to predict an Iowa State upset here, but I do feel comfortable enough to call for the Cyclones to keep this game within a touchdown. This game has the feel of a one that will have a similar scoreline to the Kansas/Iowa State game a couple weeks ago.

Texas 27, Iowa State 20

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The Ohio State Buckeyes released their official schedule for the 2024-25 season.
Aug. 31 – Southern Mississippi Akron
Sept. 7 – Western Michigan
Sept. 14 – BYE
Sept. 21 – Marshall
Sept. 28 – at Michigan State
Oct. 5 – Iowa
Oct. 12 – at Oregon
Oct. 19 – BYE
Oct. 26 – Nebraska
Nov. 2 – at Penn State
Nov. 9 – Purdue
Nov. 16 – at Northwestern
Nov. 23 – Indiana
Nov. 30 – Michigan

Ohio State Wrestling: Buckeyes upset Hokies, blow the doors off some Fighting Scots
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Ohio State wrestling - Twitter/X

OSU grappled with both Virginia Tech and Edinboro this past weekend, notching two impressive results.

Ohio State wrestling began its 2023-24 season in earnest this past weekend, competing in two team duals between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Despite the tough turnaround and tight travel schedule (to Blacksburg, VA and then back home), Tom Ryan’s grapplers stormed out of the gates by taking both duals in impressive fashion.

The level of competition changed drastically from one dual to the next – as did the final score – but both results should give OSU plenty of confidence as their ’23-24 season kicks into high gear.


To open their dual season, the Buckeyes traveled to Blacksburg on Friday to take on No. 3 Virginia Tech. The Hokies boasted ranked wrestlers at all but one weight class and were likely considered a heavy favorite. However, Ryan and his squad did not get the memo. Ohio State only took two of the first five matches, but were tied at the midway point thanks to bonus points. The Scarlet and Gray then proceeded to take four of the last five, eventually running away with the match by a score of 24-12.

OSU’s young guns (of which they have many) were the stars of the VT dual, starting with 125-pound redshirt freshman Brendan McCrone. Replacing long-time 125 staple Malik Heinselman, McCrone was tasked with taking on Eddie Ventresca of VT, a top-5 wrestler in their shared weight class. After falling behind 0-3 in the first period, McCrone went on to score a near fall and the final 11 points of the match, earning an 11-3 major decision. It was the first and perhaps most impressive upset of the night, but certainly not the last.

The Ohio State bench reacts to Brendan McCrone’s 11-3 major decision over Virginia Tech’s Eddie Ventresca at 125 pounds. pic.twitter.com/cJHnJtkQ4u

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) November 11, 2023

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After redshirt freshman Nic Bouzakis dropped his 133-lb match to VT’s Sam Latona, returning All-American Jesse Mendez put Ohio State back on top with an 18-3 tech fall at 141. But then the tide started to turn against the Buckeyes. Dylan D’Emilio and Paddy Gallagher lost back-to-back matches at 149 and 157, both to top-6 wrestlers. This led to a brief 9-9 tie and appeared to give VT some much-needed momentum... They (VT) also had five ranked wrestlers still due to compete.

Fortunately, this is when OSU’s big men rose to the occasion. In a major way. Isaac Wilcox, Ryan’s ‘super utility player’, defeated VT’s Connor Brady at 165, putting the Scarlet and Gray up 12-9. The Hokies then tied the match again with a win at 174. However, it would prove to be the home team’s last positive result of the evening.

At 184, true freshman Ryder Rogotzke put Ohio State ahead for good with his dominant win and pin of VT’s Sam Fisher. Luke Geog (197) and Nick Feldman (HWT), both redshirt freshmen, then sealed the deal for the Buckeyes, each earning a decision over a top-20 opponent... Notice the theme here?

a winning tradition #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/fmftR3B63W

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) November 11, 2023

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OSU tallied six individual wins against VT, five of them coming from grapplers in their first or second year with the program. Wilcox was the only junior or senior to notch a dub, and he has long been considered ‘just’ a utility guy. I think he becomes a staple in Ryan’s lineup this season, but that is neither here nor there. The point is, Ohio State looked great kicking off their ’23-24 campaign. And it was youth leading the way.

The Scarlet and Gray then welcomed Edinboro to Covelli Center on Sunday, and... Well, let’s just say things got ugly. OSU destroyed the Fighting Scots by a score of 53-0, earning at least a major decision in every match. Four grapplers won via fall, with three of those taking place in the first 66 seconds of the match. I personally don’t recall seeing such a lopsided result, but Edinboro was simply outclassed here. Each and every Buckeye who donned a singlet impressed during this one.

The best thing about 2-0….. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/ZGEcUG2lak

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) November 12, 2023

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Paramount to this early November result over an inferior non-con opponent, is/was the fact that Sunday’s dual victory was No. 200 for Coach Ryan at Ohio State. A newly minted member of both the OSU and Hofstra athletics hall of fame(s), Ryan now boasts 309 combined dual victories to go with his numerous conference and NCAA achievements. And with such a young team already showing this much promise, it seems certain that he will notch a few more during this ’23-24 season.

Next up, the Buckeye wrestlers will compete in a unique doubleheader. That’s right, a wrestling doubleheader! Ryan’s squad will head to New York this weekend, to face both Columbia and Hofstra in Sunday duals. Get this: Ohio State will take on the former at 11:00 a.m. ET, before making a short drive to face their coach’s alma mater in the afternoon.

But this young group seems to be up for any challenge. So find the coverage on Sunday and enjoy an entire day of OSU wrestling. Go Bucks!

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Stock Market Report: The Buckeyes dominate Michigan State, send Marvin Harrison Jr. to New York
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK

The stars shined in what was maybe the best overall performance this season by the Buckeyes.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are 10-0 on the season, but now they are the No. 2 team in the country after the Georgia Bulldogs beat the brakes off Ole Miss and overtook the No. 1 spot in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. None of that matters, as the Buckeyes will now take on Minnesota before the game everyone is waiting for.

For now, let’s take a look at who helped their stock against the Spartans.

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Blue Chips​

Good on Good Football

I almost made this Marvin Harrison Jr., but at this point, we know he is a generational talent. We all should appreciate the short time we have left watching him in the Scarlet and Gray.

Another great thing about this season, and this game in particular, is good on good football. A lot of people use this term to describe practice competition when there is a lot of depth at different positions and the competition is strong. It also means just simply when the offense complements the defense and vice versa. This has been great to see from the Buckeyes this year, and with injuries, other guys have stepped into roles in a big way.

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Solid Investments​

Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kyle McCord

I have been on the Kyle McCord train all season, and even though we have seemingly missed a few stops, it seems like McCord is starting to settle in. He has played very well over the last few games, and the Buckeyes are still 10-0. However, let’s be honest: the only thing that truly matters is how he plays on Nov. 25 at The Big House. And I am calling it now — I think he will show up.

Cade Stover

Stover missed the Rutgers game, and his absence in the passing game was noticed. He is a Biletnikoff semifinalist and one of the top tight ends in football that is not named Brock Bowers. He finished with seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown against the Spartans, and will continuously be a big part of the offense, especially as Emeka Egbuka continues to get healthier.

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Junk Bond​

Nonaggression with backups

This has been somewhat of a trend with Ryan Day, but when he puts in the backups, they just seem to run out the clock. I am not advocating for running the score up on teams, but it would be nice to see a little more than 2-for-3 for 18 yards from the backup quarterback. Let him air it out a little.

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Buy/Sell​

Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Buy: Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Heisman odds

This was basically the best week possible for anyone who has money on Marvin Harrison Jr. winning the Heisman trophy. Most people would agree that right now, it is down to Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., Jayden Daniels, and Marvin Harrison Jr.

MHJ scored three touchdowns in one half of football and is outscoring teams on his own. There have been concerns about McCord and whether or not he can be a national title-winning quarterback, and while I don’t personally subscribe to those doubts, it has undoubtedly been a testament to Marvin Harrison Jr. that he has been able to produce no matter what, even with the injuries to Henderson, Egbuka, and Stover.

Buy: Gray Uniforms

Everything can be divisive in sports. However, I think 90-95 percent of the reaction to the gray was positive, and I personally loved them. I did see some people say they wished the gray of the jerseys and the helmet were the same, and I thought it was, so I am slightly worried about my vision.

Sell: Injuries

Of course, they happen to every team. And that does not make them suck any less. The Buckeyes could be without Lathan Ransom until at least the postseason, and maybe not even then. Miyan Williams is out for the season, and Tommy Eichenberg and Josh Proctor are dealing with injuries that seem less serious, but are still without an official timetable to return. Let’s go into the video game sliders, turn them all to zero for the injuries the rest of the season, and let the boys play.

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Buckeyes have momentum with 2025 tight end, set to host nation’s top player in 2026 this weekend
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Ohio State looks to have the lead for a four-star tight end target.

He may only be in his first full season at the helm of the tight end position, but Keenan Bailey has been a major key to Ohio State’s success at the position the last several years. Working as an assistant for both the wide receivers and quarterbacks before his full-time role, Bailey’s tenure in Columbus has landed him own position group. Of the many reasons why, recruiting is certainly up there, as he knows what he’s doing on the trail.

Looking at the 2025 class, the Buckeyes have already offered a healthy amount of players at the position, and look to have it set at taking two guys in the cycle. Of the names that have mentioned most often, none is a bigger target than Oklahoma native, Nate Roberts. A 6-foot-4, 235 pound athlete, Roberts is currently the No. 92 player nationally and the second best tight-end for the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite.

Owning an Ohio State offer since May, the Buckeyes are one of nearly 40 programs to throw their name into the mix, and right now look to be in a great spot. It’s been mainly Ohio State and Oklahoma that are out in front in this recruitment thus far, and on Wednesday the Buckeyes picked up some more momentum as 247Sports analyst Tom Loy submitted his Crystal Ball prediction in favor of Ohio State.

With that, there’s a ton of time still in this recruitment before all is said and done, and the Sooners are certainly not out of contention yet. The staff will continue to stay on this one, but right now it is trending towards Ohio State landing an elite player at the tight end position in the 2025 class that follows a very strong 2024 haul and a roster than boasts key guys like Jelani Thurman, who we got to see a small glimpse of against Michigan State.

UPDATE: 2025 4️ TE Nate Roberts has been Crystal Balled to Ohio State By 247 Tom Loy

Roberts is a big time prospect out of the state of Oklahoma

Currently Roberts is the 2nd Ranked TE In the Class of 2025

Would be a MASSIVE GET For Ohio State pic.twitter.com/HA9MyKFxAo

— Recruiting Edits (@614EditzDSGN) November 15, 2023

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Top player in the 2026 class looking to see Ohio State​

With it being the last home game of the 2023 season, the Buckeyes have one last chance at hosting recruits for a game day visit, and this weekend they’ll end with a major guest on hand to see all things Ohio State. Taking advantage of some big time game days this year, the coaching staff has been able to bring in elite talent all season long, and this Saturday looks to be no different.

The No. 1 player nationally and top quarterback in the class of 2026, Julian Lewis is planning on being in Columbus this weekend when the Buckeyes play host to Minnesota. A current USC commit, Lewis has been committed since August, but taking visits elsewhere typically means he’s not ruling any one out just yet. Of course, when it comes to quarterbacks and development, the two coaches in the front of it are Ryan Day and Lincoln Riley, so it makes sense that Lewis is committed to one already and looking to see what the other has to offer as well.

The Buckeyes have the 2024 and 2025 quarterback recruiting situations taken care of and can really focus in on 2026. Sure, a USC commitment means something, but this far away from Lewis signing anything, the Buckeyes know they have more than enough time to make up ground. The first step of getting him on campus looks to already be underway, and then all bets are off. When you have the run of success at the most important position like the Buckeyes do, you’re never out of the game.

At any rate, there’s no telling what could happen in the next year or two, so Ohio State wanting to get in the mix here is no surprise. Odds are Lewis will leave Columbus with a lot to think about.

Carrollton (Ga.) High Top247 2026 QB Julian Lewis - @247Sports No. 1 prospect in the sophomore class - will visit #OhioState this weekend. Story here: https://t.co/LAapHO0yvZ

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) November 15, 2023

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Quick Hits​

• It’s almost a tradition or a right of passage seeing Ohio State commits play their last prep game in San Antonio, Texas, and this year the Buckeyes will have another strong showing once again at the All-American Bowl.

Receiving his jersey on Wednesday, current Buckeye commit Justin Scott is another to add to the watchlist for the Jan. 6 contest. The No. 12 player nationally, Scott is the third best player at his position and the top player from Illinois per the 247Sports Composite and one of the more important commits to this 2024 haul.

No. 1 Player in Illinois

Welcome ️️️️️ Justin Scott (@juustinscott) to the 2024 All-American Bowl @NBCSports #GoBucks #AABCO2ON4TION #AllAmericanBowl @adidasFballUS pic.twitter.com/JgmLbxHWOx

— All-American Bowl (@AABonNBC) November 16, 2023

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Game Preview: No. 13 Ohio State women’s basketball vs. Boston College
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 Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Columbus leg of a home-and-home matchup from last season will look different this time around, for both sides

With the constant conference shuffling of universities in the last few years, a recent casualty was basketball’s ACC/B1G Challenge. Since 2007 on the women’s side, Ohio State women’s basketball took on a team from the predominantly east coast conference, culminating in a win over the Louisville Cardinals in the final iteration during the 22-23 season.

This year, the Ohio State women’s continues the tradition, in a way, taking on the Boston College Eagles in Columbus. Part of a two-year home-away agreement, both the Buckeyes and Eagles enter Thursday’s game with key differences that will impact the game.

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Preview​

Ohio State enters Thursday off a one-sided victory against the IUPUI Jaguars at the Schottenstein Center. The game showed that the Buckeyes can look cohesive for four quarters, unlike its first game of the season against the USC Trojans. However, the opponent wasn’t nearly the same caliber.

Against Boston College, the challenge is higher than Sunday, but it isn’t a game between two evenly matched sides. From the Eagles perspective, a win over the Buckeyes would be a big upset.

That’s because the team that Ohio State faced, and beat, last year in New England isn’t the same side head coach Kevin McGuff’s side can expect to enter the Schottenstein Center. The Eagles fell 82-64, and this time around Boston College is without their two leading playmakers.

Forward Maria Gakdeng and guard Taina Mair, the two leading scorers for the Eagles, transferred out after featuring prominently for head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. Starting every game for Boston College, the duo both left for other ACC schools: Gakdeng to the North Carolina Tar Heels and Mair to rival Duke Blue Devils.

Versus the Buckeyes on Nov. 13, 2022, Mair had 10 assists, seven points and three steals in her third NCAA game. The 6-foot-3 forward Gakdeng led all Eagles with 13 points, adding five rebounds in what was actually a subdued game for a big going up against Ohio State’s usually light paint defense against impressive post players.

Now, the lineup for the Eagles looks a lot different, returning two starters from the end of the 22-23 campaign. In terms of new blood, there’s one transfer and four freshman taking up spots on the roster. From the West Virginia Mountaineers is guard Savannah Samuel, who hasn’t played a minute for the Eagles this season.

In terms of experience, there are two seniors and four juniors on a squad of 14 players, meaning there’s a distinct advantage to the Buckeyes who are a team on the older side, in terms of NCAA squads. It’s a situation ripe for Ohio State to take advantage.

Returning for the Buckeyes are the same four who faced the Eagles last year, minus guard Taylor Mikesell. Standing out was Ohio State guard Jacy Sheldon, who had a double-double with points and steals with 14 and 11, respectively. This year, Sheldon is playing as consistent as the healthy guard from two seasons ago when the scarlet and gray won a share of the Big Ten regular season title.

Across Ohio State’s two games, Sheldon averages 19.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Plus three steals per game, playing above career averages, although there’s a small sample size for the 23/24 season.

Sheldon’s looked healthy again, diving on the court for loose balls and forcing turnovers, even if she’s not the one grabbing as many steals as the start of last season. Still, six steals in two games is impressive for any NCAA athlete, even if the Sheldon of 22/23 grabbed 17 in two games to start the season.

Instead, Sheldon’s splitting the defensive guard load with Duke transfer Celeste Taylor. Although the pair looked a little disjointed against USC, the reps against IUPUI showed the duo’s capabilities. Against Boston College, it’ll be a slightly larger test.

On the opposition is still dangerous players, most notably guard Dontavia Waggoner. The former NC State guard had a career high six steals against the Buckeyes in Boston last year. Also adding nine points and close to a career high in rebounds with 13. The guard’s energy caught Ohio State off guard, and made life difficult for the Buckeyes when Waggoner was on the court, giving a matchup to watch on Thursday.

This season, the Eagles are 2-1. None of the three games came against Power Five conference opponents, beating Holy Cross and Northeastern, with a loss to Harvard sandwiched between the two victories. None of the wins have been convincing either, beating Holy Cross by five and Northeastern by nine.

Something in the visitor’s favor is what lies ahead for the scarlet and gray, potentially shifting focus to next week. After Thursday, Coach McGuff’s side heads to the Bahamas for two games in three days, facing the East Carolina Pirates and Oklahoma State Cowgirls.

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Lineup Notes​

• Forward Taylor Thierry is 8-for-9 from the floor this year, missing one three. Thierry leads Buckeye starters in efficiency, rebounds and her 14.0 points per game is third on the team.
• After taking no free throws against the Trojans, forward Cotie McMahon was more aggressive against IUPUI, getting to the line 10 times, making eight.
• Forward Taiyier Parks recovered from a tough five minutes against USC to a 12-point, five-rebound performance in only 14 minutes against IUPUI.

Lineup Notes​

• Boston College is last in the ACC in shooting efficiency heading into Thursday, shooting 36.2% from the field.
• Waggoner leads the Eagles and the entire conference in shot attempts after three games, but is shooting a career low 38.8%.
• For the shooting concerns, Boston College takes care of the ball, ranking 22nd in the nation averaging 11 turnovers per game

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Prediction​

The upcoming trip to the beach won't be a distraction for the Buckeyes. The competitors on Ohio State grew against IUPUI, and Thursday will be much of the same. Ohio State gets off to a strong start, thanks to forward Rebeka Mikulášiková who will control the paint early.

Similar to the IUPUI game, starters won’t have to play more than 30 minutes in the contest, although most of the Buckeyes’ top players didn’t even reach 20 minutes against the Jaguars. Taylor will be on Waggoner and limit attempts, and Ohio State will cruise to a comfortable win against the ACC side.

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How to Watch​

Date: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: Schottenstein Center, Columbus, Ohio
Stream: B1G+

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LGHL Prediction: 89-62 Ohio State Buckeyes​

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Wooden Watch​

On Tuesday, The Wooden Award, in honor of former legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden, included three Buckeyes in its top 50 for the 23-24 season. Graduate senior guards Sheldon and Taylor joined sophomore forward McMahon on the list.

View this post on Instagram​

A post shared by Ohio State WBB (@ohiostatewbb)​

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Given out by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the historically men’s award branched out to the women’s game beginning the ‘03-04 season. Since its inception, only one player from the Big Ten received the honor, and that came last season when Iowa Hawkeyes megastar Caitlin Clark swept most Player of the Year honors.

If a Buckeye wins, it’ll be the second time the university overall has won the honor, after men’s guard Evan Turner won it for the ‘09-10 season.

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Moments that mattered: Ohio State’s slightly concerning (but still a win), win over Merrimack
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

The Buckeyes were able to emerge victorious Wednesday night, but it wasn’t comfortable, and I feel gross for watching all of it.

Undefeated no more, Ohio State (2-1) returned to the hardwood Wednesdy evening, looking to get back on track after a tight home loss to No. 13 Texas A&M on Friday night. While on paper the Merrimack Warriors (2-2) looked like a far inferior opponent compared to either of the Buckeyes’ first two foes, head coach Chris Holtmann noted last week that it does run a primarily zone defense, which will give his team an opportunity to improve after struggling against Oakland’s zone last week.

Merrimack lost its first game of the season to Vermont, before winning games against Division-III Worcester State and Maine. They came into the game as the No. 312 team in the nation according to KenPom, out of 362. If you were curious, Merrimack College, with an enrollment of 4,229, is located in North Andover, Massachusetts.

With leading scorer Jordan Derkack out with a left leg injury, eighth-year head coach Joe Gallo went with a starting five of Adam Clark, Jaylen Stinson, Devon Savage, Samba Diallo, and Bryan Etumnu. Of those five, only Savage and Diallo averaged six or more points per game last season. Chris Holtmann countered with Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, Jamison Battle, Evan Mahaffey, and Felix Okpara — the same five that’ve been used in each of the first two games.

It wasn’t the prettiest first few minutes, but Ohio State did jump out to a 16-7 lead by the under-12 media timeout. The Buckeyes actually did a good job early throwing the ball to the elbow and below the basket to get better looks, but just blew a few easy shots. Roddy Gayle started the game off with back-to-back triples, and after that the Buckeyes almost exclusively operated below the basket for the next six to seven minutes.

Rejected @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/zYr4AuUyBU

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 16, 2023

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The Warriors went on a 12-4 run over a five-minute stretch to get back within four points at one point, but Ohio State held on and went to the locker room up 35-29. It was an uninspiring first half five days after nearly knocking off a top-25 team at home. Gayle was superb in the first half with 13 points on 5-6 shooting, but his nine teammates combined to shoot 4-22 and score 22 points. Devon Savage led the Warriors with eight first-half points.

You need to see this dunk from @roddy_gayle. pic.twitter.com/vEIMeywYKo

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) November 16, 2023

Click to expand...

Truthfully, Ohio State probably would’ve been losing this game at halftime if Merrimack didn’t foul 14 times and send the Buckeyes to the line 20 times in the first 20 minutes.

After their lead shrunk to just four points a few minutes into the second half, Ohio State responded with an 8-0 run, capped off by a Bruce Thornton-to-Roddy Gayle inbounds slam, to push their lead back to 43-31 with 14 minutes left in the game. The Buckeyes started to pick up the pace and try to make Merrimack look vulnerable in transition, and it worked enough to give OSU some breathing room.

He can't be stopped tonight. @roddy_gayle is on fire for @OhioStateHoops. pic.twitter.com/eexKcWGMyX

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) November 16, 2023

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Ohio State extended its lead to 59-43 with 7:24 left in the game thanks to a Jamison Battle three, which also represented the largest lead of the evening. The Buckeyes mostly avoided shooting from the perimeter in this one — whether that was a conscious effort after struggling so badly, or because they didn’t want to shoot over the zone, we may never know. But second-half triples from Gayle, Battle, and Bruce Thornton all helped take Ohio State’s uncomfortably small lead and push it to an insurmountable one in the closing minutes.

By the time all was said and done, the Buckeyes had wrapped up a win that looks easy in the box score but was anything but in real life, 76-52. They were led by Gayle, who had 20 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Battle also scored in double digits with 13. Savage led Merrimack with 14 points on 5-11 shooting.

If you weren’t around tonight to catch Ohio State’s win over reigning NEC champ Merrimack in front of dozens of adoring fans at the Schott, here are few of the moments that mattered:

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“Hot Rod” (2007) starring Roddy Gayle Jr.​

Gayle started the season by missing his first seven three-point attempts of the year, which was a little concerning considering the heater he went on in the Big Ten Tournament last season. He was able to finally take the lid off the basket on Wednesday night, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers on consecutive possessions to start the game and put Ohio State up 6-0 early.

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Devin Royal’s first collegiate basket ​

Devin Royal didn’t attempt a shot against Oakland and only took one shot against A&M, but there were expectedly more opportunities on Wednesday for the local product. After missing two good looks below the basket in the first half, Royal dropped in a layup off the glass with 8:19 left in the first half to give Ohio State a 23-11 lead.

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Merrimack’s 7-0 run ​

A 7-0 run isn’t huge and typically isn’t noteworthy, but in a game played at a snail’s pace like tonight’s, it makes a difference. After Royal’s bucket with 8:19 left in the first half made it 23-11, the Warriors went on a 7-0 run over the next 1:27 to get right back into the game. Clark had two of the baskets, and his second layup during the run, with 6:52 to go, got the Warriors back within five points.

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Don’t play with your food! ​

There was no reason for Ohio State to even entertain Merrimack Wednesday night. With all due respect to the Warriors, they are a sub-300 team in KenPom, and their only double-digit scorer was out Wednesday night.

Still, Ohio State refused to put them away. Merrimack started the second half by hitting just one of their first five shots and turning the ball over twice, giving the Buckeyes a prime opportunity to push their lead to double digits. Instead, Ohio State turned the ball over on three of their first six possessions to start the second half, and actually watched their lead shrink to four points after about three minutes of play in the second half.

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10-0 run pushes lead to double digits ​

Ohio State came out flat in the second half, allowing Merrimack to cut their lead to four points, 35-31. But after Etumnu’s layup at the 19:26 mark, Merrimack didn’t score for over seven minutes. The Buckeyes outscored them 10-0 during that period, taking a 45-33 lead by the under-12 media timeout.

Part of that 10-0 run was a flashy inbounds alley-oop from Bruce Thornton to Roddy Gayle, as one freshman found the other for a big dunk that gave us shades of Aaron Craft to Sam Thompson nearly a decade ago.

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Battle, Thornton seal the deal from real far away ​

Merrimack closed the lead to just six points with 9:24 left in the game, but the Buckeyes responded with a 16-0 run to essentially put this one away. During that run, Battle and Thornton took turns hitting three’s on back-to-back possessions, and then two possessions later Battle hit another — his second of the game and second in the last 2:20 — to stretch the lead to 59-43.

Ohio State didn’t take a ton of three-pointers in this game, but did finish 7-13 (53.8%) from the beyond the arc.

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Up Next:​

Ohio State (2-1) gets three days off and will return to action Sunday afternoon against MAC cellar-dweller Western Michigan (0-3). The Broncos finished last in the MAC last season, and that’s where they sit right now as well. WMU is the No. 307 team in the country, according to KenPom.

The Buckeyes’ game against Western Michigan tips off at 4:00 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast on BTN.

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Ohio State keeping tabs on Northwestern offensive line commit
Caleb Houser via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2024 OL Gabe VanSickle | Dan Harker, 247Sports

The Buckeyes are still looking to add another blocker to their 2024 class.

Ohio State’s current 2024 recruiting class has a few remaining spots up for grabs. The nation’s second-ranked class per 247Sports, the Buckeyes boast 23 guys currently committed, but are looking to secure a couple more before it’s on to 2025 and 2026. Of those spots, the trenches are where a lot of the focus is for Ohio State’s staff right now, and rightfully so.

Specifically speaking, the offensive line is a huge area of importance for Ohio State, and though there’s three players at the position in the fold right now, adding another offensive tackle has long been the goal here. IMG Academy product Jordan Seaton has always been the desired candidate, but his canceled visit for this past weekend against Michigan State as a result of a practice schedule conflict has soured the confidence that he will wind up in the class.

Seaton has made it public that he wants to visit, and that he does think highly of the Buckeyes, but until he’s actually able to step foot on campus, it’s a little far-fetched to believe he will choose Ohio State. That said, the staff is still working overtime to get him back in Columbus, and will do so as long as they feel they have a shot.

Looking elsewhere, the Buckeyes know they have to have a backup plan. There’s a couple of names that come to mind when thinking along these lines. From a recency bias, the staff was able to bring in Gabe VanSickle this past weekend, and that’s where our focus lies today.

A possible flip-candidate worth watching​

A 6-foot-5, 285 pound tackle, VanSickle has been committed to Northwestern since May of this year. Knowing the changes that program has seen over the last several months, it’s a little more clear to see why he chose to visit the Buckeyes this past weekend. In doing so, there’s been an aura of growing confidence that he could be a realistic flip-candidate for Ohio State.

A Coopersville, Michigan native, VanSickle plays in the same football conference as the high school team I coach, and is a load to deal with. It is a given that he is the best player on his offensive line, but he’s one of the better players at his position in the state overall. Having faced him in week three of the season, there was game planning involved to scheme around him, and even still his presence was felt.

Following his visit, there hasn’t been a ton of talk about his plans. Being a prospect that isn’t super active and vocal on social media, it’s not out of the ordinary, but this is a recruitment worth following. If the Buckeyes are unable to make any progress with Seaton, surely the efforts with VanSickle will increase.

VanSickle is a three-star recruit, and the No. 61 interior offensive lineman as well as the No. 14 player out of Michigan, per the 247Sports Composite. At any rate, his senior film is worth watching:


VanSickle was one of three potential flip candidates in attendance for the Michigan State game that Ohio State will be working on trying to sway away from their current pledges, with the other two being Florida defensive line commit Amaris Williams and Miami wide receiver commit Chance Robinson.

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Hangout in the Holy Land Podcast: Michigan football’s unfathomable victim mentality, plus a preview of Ohio State’s home finale against Minnesota
Josh Dooley 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

After weighing in on the Michigan football saga - again - Josh and Chuck preview the game before The Game.

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

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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

On this episode of “Hangout in the Holy Land,” the dynamic duo is back together, and they’ve got some bones to pick. Josh and Chuck call out University of Michigan football coaches - as well as the university’s ‘leadership’ - for their absurd behavior.

Is U of M’s response to Big Ten punishment legit? Or some form of obnoxious trolling?

Next, after a quick recap of Ryan Day’s Tuesday press conference, the Hangout boys jump into a preview of Ohio State-Minnesota (on the gridiron). The Buckeyes host their final home game of the 2023-24 season Saturday, with a trip to Ann Arbor looming in the not-so-distant future.

So for OSU, this weekend’s gameplan should focus on starting fast, scoring often, and hopefully sitting stars late.

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

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Connect with the pod
Twitter: @HolyLandPod

Connect with Josh Dooley
Twitter: @jdooleybuckeye

Connect with Chuck Holmes
Twitter: @ctholmes3

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


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes will look to bounce back from their loss to Texas A&M against the Warriors.

The Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team is back in action Wednesdy night against the Merrimack Warriors.

The Buckeyes (1-1) are coming off a loss to No. 13 Texas A&M at home on Friday night, 73-66. Ohio State defeated Oakland in the season opener 79-73 to start the season last Monday.

It’s been an interesting 80 minutes of basketball for the Buckeyes thus far. They have looked solid at times and, at others, struggled to hit the deep ball and rebounding — particularly on the defensive end

Against Texas A&M, the Buckeyes were outrebounded 45-35 and allowed 16 offensive rebounds compared to their own 12. Henry Coleman recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting in 36 minutes and was the main difference maker for the Aggies, making it difficult down low for both Zed Key and Felix Okpara.

Wade Taylor and Tyrese Radford make up possibly the best backcourt the Buckeyes will see all season, and they took the game over late, combining for 42 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

Both teams struggled from behind the three-point line, with the Aggies shooting 3-for-18 and the Buckeyes shooting 4-for-19.

Ohio State looks to bounce back with two home games against inferior opponents as they prepare for the Emerald Coast Classic over Thanksgiving weekend, where they will play No. 24 Alabama and then either Oregon or Santa Clara.

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Preview​

Kris Craig / USA TODAY NETWORK

Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton has been the Buckeye’s leading scorer to this point, averaging 20.5 points per game after scoring 17 against Oakland and 24 against Texas A&M. However, against the Aggies, Thornton was 8-for-20 and found himself in some situations where the ball stopped moving and was forced to try and create the offense for himself. Thornton added five assists and had no turnovers, which is incredibly impressive against a guard of Taylor’s caliber.

Roddy Gayle had another solid stat line, recording nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Although he struggled offensively, shooting just 4-for-12 from the field and 0-for-3 from three-point range.

Jamison Battle joined Thornton as the only other Buckeye in double-figures with 10 points, but he struggled with foul trouble through much of the second half and played just 23 minutes.

Zed Key finished with eight points and seven rebounds on 4-for-5 shooting from the field.

Merrimack is led by stellar sophomore guard Jordan Derkack, who is averaging 16.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game. However, Derkack is “questionable” for this game after injuring his left leg in Merrimack’s win over Maine this past weekend.

The Warriors made national headlines last season as they won the Northeast Conference, but could not go to the NCAA tournament due to NCAA rules from transferring Division II to Division I. Because they could not participate, the NEC automatic bid went to Fairleigh Dickinson; the rest is history.

The Warriors lost a lot from last year’s team. Jordan Minor averaged 17.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, but transferred to Virginia in the offseason. Ziggy Reid averaged 14.2 points per game last year, and transferred to Youngstown State. Javon Bennett averaged 9.6 points per game and transferred to Dayton.

Now, the Warriors have ushered in a new era and are led by Derkack, Adam Clark, Samba Diallo, and Devon Savage. They are 2-1 with a 12-point loss to Vermont to start the season but wins over Worcester State and Maine.

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Prediction​

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buckeyes are coming into this one with a stale taste in their mouth after the loss to the Aggies, and the best way to get that out is to get off to a solid early start.

Ohio State is a much better team than the Warriors, but Merrimack runs a fairly unique defense and won their conference last season, so the chance for this one to be close at least early in the game is decent.

However, the Buckeyes are the better team, which will take over as the game progresses. This is a great game to work on the things that held them back against Oakland and Texas A&M, like securing rebounds and not allowing second-chance points, their on-ball defense, and knocking down shots from behind the arc.

This should be a comfortable home win for the Buckeyes; if it is not, we will allow the panic button to be placed on the table, within arm’s reach.

On the bright side for fans, this is the first game that is not on streaming. While the Oakland game was on Big Ten Network Plus and the Texas A&M game was on Peacock, this one is on the good ole Big Ten Network.

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ESPN BPI: Ohio State 91.1%

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: Big Ten Network

LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 82, Merrimack 60​

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Bucketheads Podcast: Recapping the Texas A&M loss, and why it is okay not to panic yet
justingolba 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

Two games in, and some people have hit the panic button. It is okay to keep it in the drawer, at least for right now.

“Bucketheads” is LGHL’s men’s basketball podcast, hosted by Connor Lemons and Justin Golba. Every episode, they give you the latest scoop on the Ohio State Buckeyes and everything else happening in the college hoops world.

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

On the newest episode of “Bucketheads,” Connor and Justin recap the Texas A&M loss. As always for Ohio State Buckeyes’ men’s basketball home games, Connor was boots on the ground and covering the game while Justin watched it, like everyone else, from his couch.

Was the loss to Texas A&M concerning? Or just one loss against a good team? What were the main takeaways from the Buckeyes’ loss, and how can they improve on that moving into the Emerald Coast Classic?

Also, we talk about the Gavitt Games, what is going on with the Big Ten, and Justin's rant about Kent State-James Madison.

Be sure to like and subscribe to the podcast and leave a review of what you think of the show!

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Connect with the Podcast:
Twitter: @BucketheadsLGPN

Connect with Connor:
Twitter: @lemons_connor

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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Lack of respect for Taylor Thierry’s shooting is a benefit for Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State University athletic department

There was a different Taylor shooting big shots for the Buckeyes on Sunday.

When talking about the 23-24 edition of Ohio State women’s basketball, the conversation usually includes a name from previous years in guard Taylor Mikesell. The lights-out shooting guard was well known for getting to practices and games early to take extra shots, which led to big moments in games, and Buckeye victories. On Sunday, fans got a small glimpse of another lights-out shooting performance by a different Taylor: Junior guard/forward Taylor Thierry.

Sunday, in a lopsided victory against IUPUI, Thierry was the most efficient scorer for either side. The guard had 12 points on 3-for-3 shooting, plus a perfect 4-for-4 from the line. Zoom out a bit to look at both games for Ohio State and Thierry is 8-for-9 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the free throw line. The lone shot missed by Thierry was a three-point attempt against the USC Trojans on Monday, Nov. 6.

Against IUPUI, Thierry made up for that.

Of the forward’s three shots on Sunday, all of them were from deep, with one counting as a long two because of her foot on the line. They were also taken from the corner, without the safety of the backboard for a lucky bounce or two.

While the shooting did impact Thierry’s rebounding numbers, grabbing only two which is under Thierry’s 2022-23 average of 6.5 per game, it's indicative of the type of shooter opponents should expect, even though so far they haven’t.

“Yeah, I told you, she’s a great shooter,” said forward Cotie McMahon. “She has more opportunity to be able to get those looks because people aren’t gonna be respecting her shot as much because last year she just didn’t look to, you know, shoot it.”

Last year, head coach Kevin McGuff didn’t need always Thierry to shoot the ball. The guard/forward hybrid used outstanding technique and athletic ability to grab rebounds and hit layups. Also adding mobility and ball handling in the paint to her game. While Thierry still showed those abilities in Ohio State’s loss on opening day to USC, Sunday showed that Thierry can’t be pinned to a player who will hurt a team inside the post.

Sunday’s shooting performance wasn’t a flash in the pan or the planets aligning. Thierry’s shots been refined over her two seasons at Ohio State. It's grown on the practice court.

Thierry, like Mikesell, spent more time in the gym to work on her shooting. After team practices, the Cleveland, Ohio native was in the facility taking shots. It didn’t always show up in the game, which is linked to confidence in that ability.

“I mean, she’s a really talented player,” said Coach McGuff. “I think we need her to be assertive, and she was today, and we need more of that effort.”

Against IUPUI, Thierry didn’t hesitate. When McMahon drew attention while driving in the lane, the forward found Thierry in the corner for a catch-and-shoot. On the next possession, Thierry repeated it. Last year, in similar situations, Thierry was more apt to hesitate and unload to a teammate.

That work by Thierry is going to stretch the court for the Buckeyes this season, giving her teammates more room to work. It’ll also tire out forwards who want to cover the threat. While Thierry starts the game as a guard, so far this season, she’s also played the No. 5 role for the Buckeyes. It creates a mismatch where Thierry either brings the opposing big out of the paint, gives Thierry a favorable matchup against a smaller guard, or allows a teammate to go to the basket without a forward or center looming under the basket.

Thierry isn’t getting the same kind of attention others with her skills receive. The soft-spoken hybrid threat hasn't reached the national conversation, but don’t expect that to last if her start to the season is consistently repeated throughout the campaign.

“I feel like she’s always kind of been the underdog,” said McMahon. “With T-Mike (Mikesell) being gone, yes, it was a blessing having her here. She was a great player, but it just opens opportunity for other players to kind of, you know, feel like they have the chance to be that next star player. So, I feel like for Taylor, she’s more confident.”

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247
Rivals
HudL
ON3



Class: 2025
Position: OL
School: Las Vegas(NV) Bishop Gorman
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 300lbs

https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/2...s-utu-offered-2025-offensive-tackle-buckeyes/

Michigan showed flaws against Penn State, while Ohio State is surging at the right time
Megan.Husslein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

I don’t want to jinx anything, but I’m feeling pretty good about the Buckeyes.

TTUN’s first true test of the season came this past Saturday at Penn State at its whiteout game. The Wolverines may have pulled out the win, but they didn’t look the greatest while doing so. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes looked absolutely dominant against Michigan State. This bodes very well in preparation for The Game in just two weeks.

Michigan relied almost entirely on its run game in order to take down the Nittany Lions. J.J. McCarthy went 7-of-8 and only threw for 60 yards. 60! Meanwhile, Blake Corum rushed for 145 yards on 26 carries, and Donovan Edwards added another 52 yards on 10 carries. At one point in the game, they ran the ball 32 straight times.

It is highly unlikely that the Wolverines will be able to do that against Ohio State, or that they will try to do so. They can, but they definitely won’t experience the same success as they did against Penn State — at least I would hope. Jim Knowles has gotten this defense into shape, and that includes the run defense.

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images

The Buckeyes held six different opponents under 100 yards rushing this season, including holding Penn State to under 50 yards on the ground, while allowing just three rushing scores. However, they did allow Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai to rush for 159 yards against them, but look... the Bucks still won. Corum may not be as efficient as he was a season ago, but he has still averaged 5.2 yards per carry with 18 rushing touchdowns and will provide another stiff test for the Ohio State run defense.

The good news for Ohio State is that they looked to find a bit of a groove on offense last time out. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord looked phenomenal Saturday against Michigan State. I realize it was against the Spartans, which doesn’t mean much, but it definitely was comforting to see how capable of greatness that duo is. We all knew this about Marv, but to see McCord have such a strong performance was a confidence booster to both fans and him.

Now, Michigan does currently have the top overall defense in the nation. Drew Allar and the Nittany Lions still managed to put up two touchdowns, scoring 15 points against the Wolverines compared to 12 against Ohio State. Both teams finished their games allowing nearly identical yardage to Penn State, with Michigan giving up 238 total yards and Ohio State giving up 240. The Buckeyes, however, allowed just one touchdown, which came in the final minutes with the game already in hand.

Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Ohio State’s offense has a much higher ceiling than Michigan’s when fully healthy, especially considering they can lay claim to the best wide receiver in all of college football. Assuming TreVeyon Henderson, Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Cade Stover all play, Michigan will certainly have their hands full. Penn State was the best offense they have played all year — which isn’t saying much — and they gave up 15 points, so it’s not impossible to think the Buckeyes can have success if they execute their game plan.

So, my main takeaway from the Michigan/Penn State game? Michigan is beatable, especially against this Ohio State team. I don’t put a ton of stock in the fact that Michigan has the No. 1 overall defense because they haven’t played really any good offenses besides Penn State. Are they talented? Of course. A bit overrated? Definite possibility.

Meanwhile, if the Buckeyes have a game like they did against MSU this Saturday against Minnesota, I think they will be peaking at just the right time as they head to Ann Arbor. Only two more weeks, my friends!

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Breaking down Ohio State’s 38-3 win over Michigan State by the numbers
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

The Buckeyes were dominant from start to finish on Saturday night in Columbus.

On Saturday night, Ohio State dominated Michigan State from start to finish, beating the Spartans 38-3. Not only did the Buckeye defense continue to stand their ground, the offense was cooking early and Michigan State had no answers for Kyle McCord, Marvin Harrison Jr., and the rest of the Ohio State offense.

To wrap up the fun night at Ohio Stadium, we are going to dive into some of the important numbers to come out of the game.

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14​

Marvin Harrison Jr. finished Saturday night’s with seven receptions for 149 yards, two receiving touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. With the yardage he racked up against Michigan State, Harrison now has 14 games where he has eclipsed 100 yards receiving, tying David Boston’s school record of 14 games of at least 100 yards receiving. Harrison now will have at least two chances to move past Boston, as the Buckeyes finish up the regular season by hosting Minnesota before heading to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.

Beyond those two games, it is still up in the air if we see Harrison in the scarlet and gray again if Ohio State doesn’t make the Big Ten Championship Game or the College Football Playoff.

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1,000​

David Boston’s school record for 100-yard receiving games wasn’t the only mark Harrison was able to reach on Saturday night. Last year, Harrison finished with 1,263 yards receiving, and with his 149 yards against the Spartans, the standout wide receiver has 1,063 receiving yards this season. Harrison now has reached 1,000 receiving yards in two different seasons, which is something no other Ohio State receiver has done. The feat is pretty impressive considering the talent the Buckeyes have had at wide receiver over the years.

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335​

Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord was on his game on Saturday night against Michigan State, completing 24-of-31 passes for a career-high 335 yards. Prior to his performance against the Spartans, McCord’s career-best mark came in his first start in 2021 when he threw for 319 yards against Akron. So far this season, McCord has one other game of at least 300 yards passing. Against Western Kentucky, McCord threw for 318 yards in the 63-10 win over Western Kentucky.

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5​

Along with the passing yardage he racked up against Michigan State, McCord threw three touchdowns on Saturday night, marking the fifth time this season where he has thrown for three touchdowns in a game. The first-year starter now has back-to-back games with three touchdown passes for the second time this season. Through 10 games this season. McCord has thrown 20 touchdown passes, which puts him third in the Big Ten.

Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa is two touchdowns ahead of McCord for the lead in the conference, and Drew Allar of Penn State has one more touchdown pass than the Ohio State quarterback.

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75​

After missing the game against Rutgers, tight end Cade Stover returned to the field on Saturday night, tying a career-high with seven receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown. Entering the game against the Spartans, Stover was fifth in school history for receptions by a tight end with 68 catches. With his performance, Stover now sits third in school history, passing Cedric Saunders and Jeff Ellis.

Sitting ahead of Stover on the school’s all-time receptions list among tight ends are John Frank and Billy Anders. Frank has 121 career receptions, while Anders has 108 catches, so it’s unlikely Stover will be able to move ahead of those two tight ends.

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30​

With their win on Saturday night, Ohio State now has recorded at least 10 wins in 30 seasons, which is fourth all-time in FBS history. Aside from the 2020 season that was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time the Buckeyes didn’t reach at least 10 wins in a season came back in 2011, when Luke Fickell was the interim head coach for the season after the dismissal of Jim Tressel.

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182​

Ohio State’s defense was dominant on Saturday night, only allowing 182 yards to Michigan State. The yardage total was the second-lowest of the season for the Buckeyes, who gave up just 153 yards in the season opener to Indiana. It was also the second time this season that Ohio State didn’t give up a touchdown in a game, as they also accomplished the feat against Indiana.

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38-2​

Head coach Ryan Day is now 38-2 in Big Ten games. The only two losses for Day in conference play came against Michigan the last two seasons, and those losses now look a little suspicious after sign stealing by the Wolverines has been uncovered. The last loss in the Big Ten for Ohio State against a team other than Michigan came back in 2018 during Urban Meyer’s last season as head coach when Purdue dismantled the Buckeyes in West Lafayette.

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320-77​

With their win on Saturday night., Ohio State has now won eight-straight meetings with Michigan State after the Spartans beat the Buckeyes 17-14 in Columbus in 2015. Aside from the 17-16 win by Ohio State in 2016, the Buckeyes have absolutely dominated Michigan State. During the eight-game winning streak, Ohio State has outscored the Spartans 320-77. Of those eight-straight victories, the Buckeyes have held Michigan State to less than 10 points in four of those games.

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Silver Bullets Podcast: Michigan State rewind and Minnesota preview
Michael Citro via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes handled Sparty and have one test remaining before the one we’ve all been waiting for.

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

For once, it was nice to not have to sit through a frustrating first half waiting for Ohio State to put some drives together and take control of the game. The Buckeyes dominated the Michigan State Spartans from start to finish, and fans got to see quite a few backups in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter.

We break down Ohio State’s easy night in those cool, gray alternate uniforms. We also looked back at our score predictions and our picks to click to see how we fared at prognosticating the game.

After our Sparty rewind, we took our usual walk through the other Big Ten results, including that big game over in Happy Valley. If you like defense or hate offense (or both), that was the game for you. Of course, we had to also dive into the Michigan sign-stealing scandal and the Big Ten’s response late last week. We also had to point out the ludicrous reaction by the Wolverines after the game as they painted themselves as the victims when that’s not really how breaking the rules works.

Finally, we looked ahead to Saturday afternoon’s “Senior Day” game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers just got handled by Purdue but there’s some talent on that Minnesota team. However, Ohio State just has to show up and handle its business and things should be fine on Saturday.

We’ll be here with you every week from now until the end of the 2023 Ohio State football season (and then monthly). We’d love to hear from you, so please reach out with your feedback and questions below in the comments section or send us an email.

Be sure to subscribe, rate, review, share, and follow the show over on Twitter at @SilvrBulletsPod.

As always, thanks for listening!

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2026 quarterback had a ‘great night’ on Ohio State visit
Dan Hessler via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


2026 four-star quarterback Will Griffin via @w_griffin11 on X

The Buckeyes played host to a handful of recruits for their game against Michigan State, including a 2026 four-star QB.

Ohio State is now 10-0 following a dominant 38-3 victory over Michigan State. Ohio State will now prepare to host Minnesota for its final home game of the season. Because this will be the last time multiple current Buckeyes will take the field in front of their home fans, a lot of the headlines surrounding the team this week will focus on the current roster.

However, Saturday could also be a busy recruiting day for the Buckeyes as it will also be the coaching staff’s last opportunity this season to host recruits for a game day experience.

2026 QB had a great visit to Ohio State​

Ohio State played host to numerous recruits this past weekend when it hosted Michigan State. The fans, the alternate uniforms, the outcome and the overall atmosphere of ‘The Shoe’ Saturday easily created a successful recruiting environment for the Ohio State coaching staff.

One of the bigger name’s to visit Saturday was 2026 four-star quarterback Will Griffin (Tamps, FL / Jesuit). The visit was not the first to Ohio State for Griffin, but it was his first time visiting with the Buckeyes for a game day.

The visit seems to have gone as well as possible, and Griffin said he had a ‘great night’ in Columbus. Additionally, the below post on Twitter is now pinned to his profile.

Great night! Skull session and the 38-3 domination were awesome, Go Buckeyes! Thank you @ryandaytime @CoreyDennis_ @CoachTFitch @markpantoni @MarcVott @Bucknuts247 @Birm @Bill_Kurelic @MarcGivler @OhioStateFB @GregSmithRivals @SWiltfong247 @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @CraigHaubert… pic.twitter.com/J2QN6TtdoJ

— Will Griffin 4️ 2026 QB (@w_griffin11) November 13, 2023​

Click to expand...

Ohio State has been building a relationship with Griffin this year. Griffin attended an Ohio State camp in June and after impressing the coaching staff, left with a scholarship offer. Griffin was also able to compete against Ohio State 2025 four-star quarterback commit Tavien St. Clair who was also in attendance for Ohio State’s game Saturday.

Ohio State is not alone in its pursuit of Griffin though, who holds a near dozen scholarship offers from the likes of Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, etc. He is also being recruited by Michigan State, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Clemson, etc.

Griffin is the No. 5 QB in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and he is the No. 62 overall prospect. He is also the No. 8 recruit from the talent-rich state of Florida.

Quick Hits​

As previously mentioned, Ohio State played host to numerous recruits for its game against Michigan State. Below are just a few of the recruits who were able to make their way to Columbus.

• 2026 five-star safety Zelus Hicks, who left this weekend with an offer from Ohio State.

All glory to god! Blessed to receive an offer from The Ohio State University!! @Coach_Eliano @OhioStateFB @coachskrrt pic.twitter.com/cPrvkAR4XJ

— Zelus Hicks (@Zelus_Hicks) November 13, 2023​

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• 2026 Ohio cornerback Elbert Hill

Had an amazing time at ohio state this weekend the atmosphere was amazing @OhioStateFB @CoachTimWalton @ryandaytime pic.twitter.com/1Fp8cE8JKv

— Elbert Hill (@Rockk114) November 13, 2023​

Click to expand...

• 2024 North Carolina cornerback Cairo Skanes

Had a great time at the Ohio State game on Saturday! Thank you to @N_Murph for the inv and thank you to the rest of the coaching staff for showing so much love! @CoachTimWalton @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/DmcF5vdDjt

— Cairo Skanes (@CairoSkanes1) November 13, 2023​

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• 2025 four-star ATH Dante McClellan

#GoBucks @ryandaytime @CoachJimKnowles pic.twitter.com/9CwxBbnv9k

— Dante McClellan (@dante__il) November 13, 2023​

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• 2026 four-star IOL Tyler Merrill

Had an amazing time in Columbus this weekend watching @OhioStateFB play! Thank you @etwill21 and the rest of the Buckeyes staff for the hospitality and making the time great! @coachoswalt @CVSDeagles @CVHS_Football pic.twitter.com/B7A3osi0oX

— Tyler Merrill (@BigOak2026) November 12, 2023​

Click to expand...

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You’re Nuts: Way-too-early level of concern for OSU men’s basketball
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

How are we feeling about the Buckeyes after just two games?

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: Way-too-early level of concern for OSU men’s basketball​

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Josh’s Take​

Just two games into the 2023-24 season, the Ohio State men’s basketball team sits at an even 1-1, with the loss coming courtesy of No. 15 Texas A&M in a back and forth affair. Sure, the loss occurred at home, but OSU has not exactly enjoyed a Duke-like home court advantage in recent years. Or since the university moved teams from St. John Arena to a crappy concert venue, but that is neither here nor there...

Regardless, A&M will be a tournament team and likely flirt with a top-10 ranking at some point during the season. So no shame in dropping a close one to a well-coached team with a bunch of juniors and seniors. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with the Buckeyes’ start.

But beneath the surface, there is already some leg kicking and struggling go on, as Chris Holtmann’s squad attempts to find shallow water. Which is my fancy way of saying that the warning signs are there, folks. The same warning signs that have smacked us in the face for years: Lack of ball movement and/or creativity on offense, poor shooting, and trouble rebounding, among others.

Now, I might be overreacting here. After all, we are only two games into the season. But that is why I asked Gene to take this journey with me. I wanted him to potentially be the yin to my yang and talk me off this scary ledge. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. But we are going to ‘debate’ either way. So without further ado, these are our early and respective levels of concern for Ohio State men’s basketball.

I don’t want to sound too pessimistic or ‘hot takey’ here, but I will start by saying that my concern level for these Buckeyes is a 12 out of 10. Because to me, this essentially looks like last year’s squad that went 16-19 and finished 13th in the Big Ten during the regular season. Except Brice Sensabaugh has been replaced by Jamison Battle, while the rest of the new pieces are lesser versions of Justice Sueing and Sean McNeil. Right now, that is.

Make no mistake, I love the upside(s) of Scotty Middleton, Devin Royal, and Taison Chatman. I really do. But Sueing and McNeil had a decade of college basketball experience between them. And while limited in certain aspects of the game, Sueing could still do a little bit of everything. McNeil was a borderline elite shooter.

So far, we’ve seen one good game and one bad game from Middleton, very little from Royal, and nothing from Chatman (due to injury). There is just no guarantee that the young guys will replace 22 points, 7 boards, and 3 assists per game, which is what you were getting consistently from Sueing and McNeil.

So then who are the vets supposedly helping out Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle, and Zed Key? Battle, Evan Mahaffey, and Dale Bonner? I’m holding out hope for 15 and 5 from Battle, but the other two appear to be different versions of Ice Likekele: No offense, little bit of defense. Sick. Exactly what a team with no identity needs.

That last point is what really bothers me about recent Holtmann teams. What is their identity? What do they do well? Lately, the answer has been “Well nothing, really.” They’ve had no real firepower on offense. If E.J. Liddell, Malaki Branham, or Sensabaugh wasn’t going off, the backup plan seemed to be hoping and praying for 20-25 seconds. The defense has been ok at times, but never stifling. Never something OSU could rely on to win games. And those are just the blatantly obvious things that jump out; scoring and stopping the opponent from doing so.

The other parts of the game haven't been great, either. The Buckeyes still can’t shoot. They are 11-of-44 from three and 34-of-47 from the line thus far in ‘23-24. They don’t share the ball well. As a team, Ohio State is dishing out 12.5 assists per game, however, 5.5 of those belong to Gayle. So if you take away the team’s starting shooting guard, OSU is averaging seven freaking assists per game! If you take away both Gayle and Thornton, well then Holtmann’s squad basically doesn’t pass the ball. And don’t get me started on rebounding! I mean, the team's starting center has four boards in two games.

I do give the Buckeyes credit for coming back against Oakland and hanging tough with A&M. And Thornton/Gayle/Zed Key have all played fairly well... But Ohio State has not looked like a good basketball team. It is the will and desire of those three players that has even salvaged a few respectable results. While I really like a handful of the individual pieces, I’m just not sure that Holtmann can coach this group (that he put together) to a 20-win season. I hope I am proven wrong, but these first two games have reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day. So again, I am at a 12/10 on the concern scale.

Gene’s Take​

In a rare twist of fate, I will choose to take the more optimistic route in this edition of You’re Nuts, and say that I’m at around a 4/10 level of concern after two games for this year’s group of men’s basketball Buckeyes.

Now, that is not to say that I don't recognize a less-than-ideal start for this Ohio State team. Chris Holtmann’s group struggled against Oakland in the opener, but did come away with a six-point victory. The Grizzlies aren’t world beaters, but they aren’t that awful either, as they lost their next game but kept things close in a 64-53 content against Illinois that was just a one-point game at the half. A loss to a top-15 team in Texas A&M doesn’t really move the needle either, especially considering all five of the Aggies’ top scorers this season are upperclassmen.

However, a look at the statistical rankings — again, it has just been two games — paints the picture of an incredibly slow start to the new campaign for Ohio State. Offensively, the Buckeyes rank 233rd of 363 teams in points per game (72.5) and 146th in offensive rating, a measure of the estimated points scored per 100 possessions (110.7). Defensive things have not been much better, ranking 224th in points allowed per game (73) and 307th in defensive rating (111.5). Again, it is just two games, but being in or near the bottom third in the country in three of four team-based statistics is a tough look.

That being said, these types of early-season struggles are to be expected when basically your entire roster is made up of underclassmen. All but three players (Zed Key, Jamison Battle and Dale Bonner) that have logged minutes for Ohio State through two games are either freshmen or sophomores, with both of the team’s two leading scorers (Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle) being second-year guys. They are going to need more from their veterans like Battle and Key, but its tough to expect a largely young team to be firing on all cylinders right out of the gate.

They are also expecting more — and I think we will see a lot more — from this current freshman class that ranked 12th nationally and third in the Big Ten. Scotty Middleton, one of three four-star signees, was strong in the opener against Oakland, shooting 4-of-7 with 13 points and eight boards, but went just 1-of-5 with two points in 16 minutes against Texas A&M. Ohio State has yet to see Taison Chatman, their top-rated recruit in the 2023 class, as the No. 1 player out of Minnesota has missed the first two games of the season with injury, as well as 6-foot-10 center Austin Parks. Devin Royal, the fourth member of the class, has played sparingly off the bench and has attempted just one shot.

So, for me, I think this incredibly young Ohio State team has a ton of potential, and basically everyone on the roster from the veterans to the first-year guys is capable of playing far better than they are right now. I am definitely concerned that many of the same issues that have plagued prior Chris Holtmann teams continue to show up this season, including stretches of poor shooting and rebounding issues, but even still I think this team has a higher ceiling that year’s past.

Could I be wrong and we are in store for another poor season from the men’s squad if things don't start clicking? Absolutely, but I’m willing to hold out hope and not completely lose faith in this team after just two games.

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Ohio State wrestling: A quick ‘23-24 season preview, plus highlights from the Buckeyes’ dominant performance(… - Land Grant Holy Land
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".

Ohio State wrestling: A quick ‘23-24 season preview, plus highlights from the Buckeyes’ dominant performance(… Land Grant Holy Land

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Grumpy Old Buckeye: Ohio State vs. Michigan 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


Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

Here’s what gave me indigestion against Sparty (Or was it just my dinner?)

It may be difficult to get angry at whatever your team does when it puts its opponent in a blender and completely dominates, but that’s the premise here, so bear with me while I put on my most cynical pair of glasses to look back upon Ohio State’s 38-3 home win over Michigan State on Saturday night.

Here’s what gave me indigestion as I watched the night game against Sparty (OK, it could have been the Mexican food).

Snap-fu​

Carson Hinzman’s name went into my notes first this week on Ohio State’s first drive. His ridiculously bad snap hit himself in the rear end and nearly created an early disaster for the Buckeyes. It was just the fifth snap of the game. Fortunately for Ohio State, Kyle McCord was able to pick it up cleanly and throw it at the feet of Emeka Egbuka for no loss on the play. The Buckeyes picked up a first down on the ensuing play thanks to Egbuka drawing a pass interference penalty on Jaden Mangham.

Why Did It Have to be a Slant?​

Ohio State’s vulnerability against slant passes seems to have no fix. Each week, teams are able to exploit the middle of the OSU defense to the point where I’m not sure why teams call any other play. If I were an opposing offensive coordinator, I’d probably just keep calling slant passes until the Buckeyes showed me that they can stop them. It seems automatic, and a good team that can execute could probably cause a lot of trouble sticking with that one play.

Set That Edge​

Nate Carter gashed the OSU run defense for 27 yards on the Spartans’ first play of their second possession. Ohio State’s defense had a slower start to the game than the OSU offense, including giving up some chunk plays to Michigan State’s offense. On the play, Carter simply rushed around the right side, Ohio State did not set the edge, and it was a big play for Sparty. The defense redeemed itself by forcing a three-and-out on the ensuing set of downs.

Garbage Spots​

Early in the second quarter, the first of two incredible spots was given to the Spartans when Katin Houser scrambled under pressure. The MSU quarterback was a good yard short of the line to make, but the official who spotted the ball gave him a generous spot. The play was reviewed and moved back, so the replay process worked the way it was supposed to. The second time it happened, in the second half, there was no such review.

Special Teams Still Not-So-Special​

With Houser shy of the first down and the ball near midfield, Michigan State sent the punting team onto the field, despite already being down 21-0. Everyone in the stadium and watching on TV knew a fake was likely, and yet Jaren Mangham took the direct snap and went five yards to convert. Ohio State played punt safe but didn’t pack the box, making it an easy conversion.

At this point, I simply have to believe that Ryan Day is waiting until the offseason to fire Parker Fleming, because if he’s allowed to stay on after what we’ve seen from the special teams units this season, it’s coaching malpractice on the same level of keeping Brian Ferentz or Alex Grinch on staff.

Blocking Problems​

On a third-down play inside its own 10-yard line, the OSU offense called a safe run play to TreVeyon Henderson. The problem with the call, which was exceedingly conservative when there’s a guy named Marvin Harrison Jr. on the team, was that the right side of the line both blocked the outside defensive lineman and let the inside man go free. That man stuffed Henderson at the line of scrimmage and forced Ohio State to punt. The ensuing Michigan State drive produced the visitors’ only points of the evening on a field goal.

Blemish on a Big Night​

McCord had a fantastic game, but it was one of his few mistakes that cost Harrison his third receiving and fourth overall touchdown of the night. The young quarterback underthrew a wide open Harrison in the left corner. Because of the underthrow, the defense was able to make a play on the ball. If he’d put it in the back corner, it was an easy score for the Heisman Trophy candidate receiver.

Don’t Let Them Drive​

It looked like the Spartans were about to put a second score on the board late in the third quarter. The Buckeyes had a 38-3 lead at the time, and the Spartans took possession on their own 28-yard line. The OSU defense had a bit of a lapse to start the drive, allowing Sparty to move into OSU territory.

After two strong defensive plays resulted in a loss of a yard across them for Michigan State, the Spartans then picked up 10 on third down and three more on fourth. Pass interference by Malik Hartford gave the visitors another first down immediately after converting on fourth. Jaren Mangham ran three straight times to pick up yet another first, moving the ball to the OSU 34.

Thanks to a Michigan State holding penalty a couple of plays later, the Spartans’ drive stalled, but it was the kind of soft possession we’ve seen about once per game from what has been an excellent defense in 2023.

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It wasn’t easy to find things to gripe about this week, so maybe I should be complaining about that. Obviously this column should not be taken out of context. The good vastly outweighed the bad. Harrison Jr. and Henderson did their usual things, while McCord had his biggest night as a starter so far. The young defensive backs filling in at safety did a good job, and Cody Simon deputized well for the injured Tommy Eichenberg. The game was comfortably in hand before halftime. It felt like nature was healing.

Next up, the Buckeyes host Minnesota at 4:00 p.m. ET next Saturday. Ohio State will have to avoid stepping into the trap with The Game looming a week later.

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Bucks are back in action this Wed at home vs. Merrimack

247
Rivals
HUDL
ON3



Class: 2026 (high school)
Position: Defensive Back
School: Lilburn (GA) Parkview
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 180 lbs
Hicks, offered by Perry Eliano, is ranked the 32nd-best prospect and third-best safety in the 2026 class. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Georgia prospect holds 20 Division I offers, including Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Liberty, Louisville, LSU, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and UCF.

So far this season, Hicks has recorded 43 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two pass breakups and one forced fumble.

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If This Were A Movie: ‘Hey Now, Hey Now’ — Did Ohio State’s win over MSU give you Lizzie McGuire vibes?
Jami Jurich 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

Ohio State proved it’s the real deal on Saturday — much like Lizzie McGuire proved she doesn’t have to lip sync.

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

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Even though Ohio State has played in — and won — two marquee games this season, with victories over Notre Dame and Penn State, doubts have swirled about whether this “No. 1” team is actually No. 1 this season.

In fact, I’ve been a bit of a doubter myself. In a role reversal from the past few seasons, the defense has been an absolute machine, but the offense has left some questions about how far this team could actually go.

While McCord and his band of merry men always found a way to get it done (with a scrappiness that counts especially in the bigger games), it hasn’t always looked pretty — and we’re used to the OSU offense looking pretty. At times, they’ve looked more like a house of cards, ready to fall over at the slightest breeze. Even with Marvin Harrison Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson both on the field, there have been games this season where I found myself holding my breath.

But while Saturday’s game against Michigan State wasn’t the Buckeyes’ toughest matchup this season, it taught us a few things: This team is the real deal, and they seem to be reaching their peak at the exact right moment in the season.

Much like one Lizzie McGuire reached her peak in Italy on a school field trip.

For the non-millennials among us, the cinematic masterpiece, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” tells the tale of a young Lizzie (Hilary Duff) who is on a graduation trip to Rome with some junior high classmates, chaperoned by their very strict, soon-to-be high school principal Angela Ungermeyer (Alex Borstein).

While at the Trevi Fountain, Lizzie is approached by a famous Italian pop star named Paolo (Yani Gellman), who mistakes her for his singing partner Isabella (a dead-ringer for Lizzie). Lizzie spends the rest of her trip sneaking out from under Ms. Ungermeyer’s eagle eye in order to meet up with the cute Italian singer.

You know who else spent Saturday sneaking around (albeit not in Rome)? Marvin Harrison Jr.

Like Lizzie’s friend Gordo* covers for her while she slips away, Marv had excellent support from quarterback Kyle McCord and the rest of the offense, allowing him to continue his case for the Heisman Trophy. He finished the day with seven receptions for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns (one rushing), becoming the first Ohio State player in history to have multiple 1,000-receiving yard seasons.

*Please know I made a conscious choice to spare you a McCord-o joke, no matter how badly my heart wanted to do it. You. Are. Welcome.

Harrison made it look easy, as he so often does. But Michigan State did their best impression of the Ungermeyer with some solid double coverage. Still, Marv found a way.

Back in Rome, Paolo has told Lizzie a sob story about how he and Isabella ended their singing partnership and she is refusing to perform with him at an upcoming awards show because she *gasp* lip syncs. He hopes Lizzie will disguise herself as Isabella to take her place.

The rest of the movie involves Lizzie sneaking out to get made over enough to believably become a pop star instead of a “sort of frumpy American middle school girl who tripped onstage at her eighth-grade graduation.” And despite her nerves, she sells it.

You know who else looked the part Saturday? Kyle McCord.

McCord went 24-of-31 for a career-high 335 yards and three touchdowns. Though people have had their doubts about whether he could sell it when it counted most, November football arguably counts the most, and he sold it. The hope is that a performance like that boosts confidence enough to slingshot you through The Game and all the drama that will entail.

It did for Lizzie. When it finally came time to perform, she was expecting to be able to phone it in. Isabella lip-syncs, after all! So Lizzie would simply use the same backing tracks!

WRONG. There’s a fun plot twist at the end that I won’t spoil, but the twist leads to Lizzie McGuire bringing down the house with a song called “What Dreams Are Made Of.” Even though people doubted her. Even though she doubted herself. She proves she’s the real deal.

McCord, Harrison, TreVeyon Henderson, and the Ohio State offense proved that against Michigan State. They are hitting their stride at the exact right point in the season, and if they can continue to fire on all cylinders, perhaps they really will silence the doubters (myself included) when it comes time to face Michigan.

And, for their part, the OSU defense continued to dominate on the other side of the ball despite the fact that they were missing several key players. They’ve been the real deal all season long — no lip-syncing to be found.

With Michigan defeating Penn State pretty handily in the Wolverines’ first big battle of the season (and one they fought without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sidelines due to Big Ten sanctions from the sign-stealing scandal), we’re getting set up for another showdown between the rivals that will have drastic playoff implications.

As such, the Buckeyes’ timing in hitting their stride is absolutely critical. They have grown, gone through their whole makeover, and now, they’ve got to pay that work off with a rockstar performance. Dress rehearsal was Saturday, and this kind of November football? This is what dreams are made of (hey, hey, hey).

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Karla Vreš’ memorable moment for Ohio State women’s basketball
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Rikki Harris (left) and Karla Vreš (right) before Ohio State’s game against IUPUI on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. | Ohio State University athletic department

The second-year Buckeye forward makes personal history late in Sunday’s victory.

In Sunday’s 108-58 win for the Ohio State women’s basketball team, the halftime entertainment included an under-appreciated group of people: Players’ parents. Lined up along the length of the court, each player’s family in attendance was highlighted for the outstanding work in getting their kids to their spot in NCAA basketball. Announced in the group were the parents of graduate senior forward Karla Vreš, even though they weren’t in attendance.

“They were back home in Europe,” said Vreš. “Mom is in Croatia and dad is in Sweden.”

Even though Vreš’ parents couldn’t make it, there was an overflow of family support inside the Schottenstein Center late in the game.

With six minutes remaining, the forward got her first minutes of the 23-24 season, with the Buckeyes up 94-45. After joining Ohio State from American University before the start of the 22-23 season, Vreš has played mostly in these situations, whether it being the scarlet and gray light years ahead of opponents or the rare inverse.

Up big, the scarlet and gray didn’t relent, and Vreš got involved offensively early, earning an assist to fellow player off the bench, guard Kaia Henderson. It was two minutes later that Vreš had her moment — scoring her first points as a member of the Buckeyes.

Receiving a pass from fellow graduate senior forward Eboni Walker, Vreš posted up against IUPUI’s Faith Stinson. After taking a step, the Croatian Vreš turned on the defender and hit a smooth hook shot near the rim. The crowd was loud. Not just excited-to-get-another-point-loud, but knowing what the moment meant. The same can be said about Vreš’ teammates on the bench.

“It felt great, amazing. It’s something that obviously I’ve been working on for a long time,” said Vreš. “Having the team there to support me to that extent was amazing. Knowing everybody wanted as much as I did.”

These Karla Vreš plays pic.twitter.com/gt4nQoBefM

— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 12, 2023​

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Fellow European, Slovakian forward Rebeka Mikulášiková, showing the most excitement as the player who understands Vreš’ journey more than anyone. The rest of her teammates out of their seat, throwing their hands up in celebration of the forward.

Although minutes on the court aren’t always there for the Big Ten Scholar Athlete, she’s an important piece of the Buckeyes.

“She’s a great kid,” said head coach Kevin McGuff. “The team really likes her and you can see how excited they were seeing her score a couple baskets.”

That’s right, soon after Vreš added another. Still posted up near the paint, Vreš received a pass from a big who’s on the other end of their NCAA journey, freshman center Faith Carson, finding the Croatian for another two points in the paint.

It was four points in a game with 166 combined points, but they’re a fantastic reminder of a team being more than the biggest names getting the most minutes on the court. After the game, it wasn’t a team high points by forward Cotie McMahon or a perfect shooting game by forward/guard Taylor Thierry getting the honorary “dub chain.”

Efficiency's Finest, Karla Vres #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/sVs1WiTAvJ

— Ohio State WBB (@OhioStateWBB) November 12, 2023​

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