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LGHL Visiting Locker Room: Trojans Wire talks big women’s basketball opener between USC, Ohio State

Visiting Locker Room: Trojans Wire talks big women’s basketball opener between USC, Ohio State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Women’s Basketball: Pac-12 Media Day

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ian Hest of Trojan’s Wire talks about a USC team full of potential.

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

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


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

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

The UCLA close losses hinted it was possible, and then the unthinkable happened. A 55-46 win over No. 2 Stanford. That changes programs. Now they have guard Juju Watkins, the consensus overall best freshman in the country, and this program is on a completely different and exciting trajectory.
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LGHL: One area of struggle for the Buckeyes over the past two years is strong post presence, and USC definitely has that with Marshall. What makes her so dangerous and has any team really found a secret to stop the forward?

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

She’s going to get her boards, but the key to stopping her is those second chance baskets. If you can stop her from the offensive side of the glass, you at least have a chance to mitigate her presence.
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LGHL: A lot of the talk around the Trojans this season is the addition of Watkins, the No. 1 ranked freshman in the country. Monday is Watkins’ first NCAA game. What can people expect from the guard?

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

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

Or does she ease Juju into her career, understanding that this is the beginning of what everyone hopes is a long journey. I find myself somewhere in the middle and honestly unsure of which decision not only is the right one, but the one Gottleib will make.
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LGHL Ohio State opens as 29.5-point favorites over Michigan State

Ohio State opens as 29.5-point favorites over Michigan State
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State v Rutgers

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

The Buckeyes return home to face the Spartans on Saturday.

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

All lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread: Ohio State -29.5​


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

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

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

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

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

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

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LGHL How episode titles from The Sopranos can recap Ohio State’s win over Rutgers

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

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 04 Ohio State at Rutgers

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

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

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

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

“He Is Risen”​


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

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

Ohio State v Rutgers
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

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

“Nobody Knows Anything”​


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

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

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

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


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

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

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

“Commendatori”​


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

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl - Ohio State v Georgia
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

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

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

“The Ride”​


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

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

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

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LGHL The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 35-16 win over Rutgers

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Ohio State’s 35-16 win over Rutgers
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 04 Ohio State at Rutgers

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes trailed at the half, but pulled away from the Scarlet Knights to move to 9-0.

Ohio State played an ugly first half of football, trailing at halftime 9-7, but made up for it with a strong second half as they defeated Rutgers, 35-16. The Buckeyes outscored the Scarlet Knights 28-7 in the final two quarters, including a long defensive touchdown and two receiving TDs by Marvin Harrison Jr. to put the game away. TreVeyon Henderson was excellent once again, while the defense continued its bend-don’t-break style despite letting up more on the ground that Jim Knowles probably would like. At the end of the day, Ohio State is 9-0, and simply in the ‘survive and advance’ portion of the schedule as it prepares for Nov. 25.

Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Ohio State’s win over Rutgers.

The Good​


TreVeyon Henderson

After missing three games with an injury, TreVeyon Henderson has spent the last two weeks making up for lost time. Recording 207 yards of total offense against Wisconsin last week, Henderson matched it against Rutgers with 208 total yards on 128 yards rushing and 80 yards receiving. The talented dual-threat back put Ohio State up two scores late in the third quarter with a nine-yard TD run, and made a huge play on third-and-9 to start the fourth quarter when he turned a short route over the middle into 65 yards to move the chains and set up a Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdown shortly thereafter. Henderson has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Ohio State offense over the past two games.

Second-Half Kyle McCord

We’ll get to his first half in a bit, but as has been the case basically all year for Kyle McCord, he was excellent in the second half. McCord completed seven of his 10 pass attempts in the latter two quarters for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Day’s offense did not require him to do a bunch with Henderson cooking on the ground, but McCord hit on all the throws he needed to and kept the ball out of harms way for the entirety of the half. With help from improved quarterback play, the Buckeyes converted 6-of-7 third down attempts in the third and fourth quarters while outscoring the Scarlet Knights 28-7 in the process.

The Bad​


First-Half Kyle McCord

The numbers for McCord in the first half don’t jump off the page as being all that bad: 12-of-16 passing for 80 yards with a touchdown and a interception. However, it has become an all-too-common theme that Ohio State’s starting quarterback has a tough time getting it going through the game’s first two quarters. Many of the yards McCord picked up in the first half came on short check downs, as five yards per attempt isn’t exactly what you want to see. He seems to miss on too many open receivers early in games, and the interception was a bad decision on top of an underthrown ball. McCord has made up for it with big second halves, but Ohio State cannot afford to put themselves too far behind the eight ball early against better teams — namely Michigan.

Run Defense

Jim Knowles’ defense has been lights out this season. Through nine games, the Silver Bullets are still yet to allow more than 17 points in a game. Even with multiple starting players out in the secondary, the Buckeyes were largely strong through the air, holding Rutgers QB Gavin Wimsatt to just 10-of-25 passing for 129 yards and a TD while also recording a pick-six. However, they were uncharacteristically poor in defending the run, allowing Kyle Monangai was able to go off for 159 yards rushing on 24 carries — 6.6 yards per carry. Rutgers ran for 232 yards on Saturday, which is the most the Buckeyes have allowed on the ground in a game this year.

The silver lining here is that even though Ohio State bent more than they usually do, they still did not break for the vast majority of the contest. Despite Rutgers having six trips to the red zone, they only came away with 16 points total on those trips — one touchdown, three field goals, and two turnovers. You’ll take holding a team to 2.67 points per red zone trip any day, even if you’d like them to get less opportunities overall.

The Ugly​


Parker Fleming

Every week I think it can’t possibly get worse for the $500K albatross currently coaching Ohio State’s special teams, but Parker Fleming continues to outdo himself. The waste of a full-time coaching spot once again saw his unit have a massive blunder, this time a botched fake punt that resulted in Rutgers taking over at the Buckeyes’ 32-yard line. Luckily Jim Knowles’ defense made a goal line stand at the 4-yard line to hold the Scarlet Knights to a field goal, but the longer Fleming’s reign of terror is allowed to continue the more and more likely it becomes that a special teams mistake will cost Ohio State a game.

Injuries

Injuries are really starting to pile up for Ohio State, especially on defense. The Buckeyes came into the day without Lathan Ransom, and surprisingly without Denzel Burke, who returned from injury last game against Wisconsin but was once again out on Saturday. They then went on to lose Josh Proctor, who left the game after a hard hit in the second half, and Tommy Eichenberg went to the locker room late in the contest. With Ransom, Burke and Proctor all on the shelf, the Buckeyes were without two starting safeties and their top cover corner. It is unclear how much time, if any, those guys will miss moving forward, but these are players you cannot afford to be missing come Nov. 25.

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LGHL Minnich’s Musings about Ohio State at Rutgers

Minnich’s Musings about Ohio State at Rutgers
Chip.Minnich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

A grinding 35-16 affair over the resilient Scarlet Knights

Before I get too far into my article, props to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Greg Schiano. Ohio State won 35-16 in a game that evoked memories of “three yards and a cloud of dust” for its physicality. This game lived up to what I had anticipated in my prediction article.

Proud of the way this team never stops chopping.

Back to work tomorrow to get better pic.twitter.com/e0dQ8SSHJb

— Rutgers Football (@RFootball) November 4, 2023
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One of my Saturday morning rituals is to watch, “Game Time with Ryan Day” on Bally Sports Ohio. Former Ohio State running back Chris “Beanie” Wells made a very astute comment that I agree with on this week’s episode that previewed the Ohio State/Rutgers game, and it was that this is the Rutgers that The Big Ten had hoped for when the Scarlet Knights were invited to join the conference years ago.

Greg Schiano has Rutgers back to being a tough, competitive unit that will make their opponents work the full 60 minutes, and Ohio State certainly did that today in SHI Stadium.


The Ohio State defense is carrying the team

I have said this before, and I will say it again — if someone had told me that the Ohio State defense would be the strength of this year’s team back in August, I would have scoffed in their face. The results speak for themselves, as Ohio State is now 9-0, and the most points Ohio State has given up this season in a game is the 17 points they gave up to Maryland back on Oct. 7.

They are not always pretty, and I understand why Ohio State defensive coaches and players bristle at the suggestion that their unit is a “bend but don’t break” type of defense, but Ohio State’s defense have consistently come up at key moments to decisively swing the momentum to Ohio State. The 93-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jordan Hancock, when Rutgers was leading 9-7 in the third quarter, gave Ohio State back the lead in the game that the Buckeyes never relinquished.

It was definitely reassuring to see linebacker Tommy Eichenberg return to the sideline late in the game, as Ohio State will certainly need Eichenberg’s steady play against their upcoming opponents.


TreVeyon Henderson’s emergence on offense has been crucial

22 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown, while also adding five receptions for 80 yards, was essential for Ohio State’s victory against Rutgers. I will freely admit that I am hoping Ohio State head coach Ryan Day will exercise caution in Henderson’s work load for the upcoming games against Michigan State and Minnesota, as the Buckeyes will definitely need Henderson when they travel up to Ann Arbor at the end of the month.

Henderson’s game today, as well as last week’s game at Wisconsin, are two of the best games he has played as a Buckeye.


The Ohio State special teams are a horror movie

That statement is not meant to disrespect horror movies, but the fake punt that was nowhere close to being successful helped give Rutgers momentum at a time in the game and a location on the field when it made no sense. Parker Fleming is already facing pitchforks and torches from the fans for the poor play of the special teams units, and I suspect Ryan Day will be having some unpleasant conversations with Fleming about what has been getting ever so closer to impacting an Ohio State game in a negative fashion.


Victories are paramount, but a return to health is also critical

Just like last season, Ohio State is experiencing a series of injuries across various position groups. Props to the Ohio State secondary for being able to rise up against Rutgers, despite not having Lathan Ransom, Denzel Burke, and eventually Josh Proctor in the lineup. True freshmen Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Malik Hartford both played significant minutes, and it will bear watching to see if Ryan Day tries to rest Ransom, Burke, and Proctor for the upcoming games against Michigan State and Minnesota.


Ohio State is 9-0, with all of their preseason goals still within reach. Did the Buckeyes play like the No. 1 team in the country today? Not by a long shot, but give credit to the scrappy play of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights for that as well. Here’s to a safe return home from New Jersey, and Ohio State can use this week to get healthy for their upcoming night game against the Michigan State Spartans on Nov. 11.

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LGHL Instant Recap Podcast: Henderson, defense step up as OSU runs away from Rutgers

Instant Recap Podcast: Henderson, defense step up as OSU runs away from Rutgers
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State v Rutgers

Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images

None of Ohio State’s wins have been all that pretty, but a win is a win when you are chasing a CFP berth.

On LGHL Instant Recap Pods, Land-Grant Holy Land writers break down Ohio State games just minutes after the action ends. They bring you the biggest stats, storylines, and moments of the game before the players make it back to the locker room.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:


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

It wasn’t always pretty — and none of them have been this season — but not only did the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes get out of Piscataway, New Jersey with a win, but they also got a cover, which we all know that great teams do. The Buckeyes knocked off the Rutgers Scarlet Knights by a score of 35 to 16. The final score does not accurately convey just how close the game was and how much trouble it appeared that OSU was in at different points in the game.

However, the defense and TreVeyon Henderson ended up showing why they are among the best at what they do and turned what was a close, contentious game into the third quarter into a runaway win. On this postgame show, Matt Tamanini and Justin Golba discuss what worked and what didn’t for OSU and get into what Ryan Day and company should do about Kyle McCord.


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Connect with Justin:
Twitter: @justin_golba

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LGHL Tailgate Podcast: Everything you need to know to watch the Ohio State vs. Rutgers game

Tailgate Podcast: Everything you need to know to watch the Ohio State vs. Rutgers game
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Maryland v Ohio State

Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The only Ohio State game day podcast you need.

Before every Ohio State football game, Matt Tamanini will get you ready with all of the information that you need for that day’s game on the “LGHL Tailgate” podcast.

Listen to the episode and subscribe:

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

No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (-18.5) vs. Rutgers | over/under 42.5​


Game Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 4 at 12 noon ET
Location: Piscataway, New Jersey
TV: CBS
Radio: 97.1 FM/1460 AM

Today at 12 noon ET inside SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ, the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes — coached by criminal mastermind Ryan Day — will take on the State University of New Jersey under the direction of former Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.

This past Tuesday, the Buckeyes earned the No. 1 spot in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season. They remain third in both the AP and Coaches polls with three firs place votes in each.

While Rutgers is not included in any of the three major rankings, they are receiving votes in the AP Poll, so they are effectively No. 33 according to the media.

Ohio State and Rutgers have played every year since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014 and the Buckeyes have won each of those contests. The average score in those games has been 53 to 11. Ohio State has failed to score 50 points in just three of those matchups, and in each of those games, they had 49.

Matt’s Prediction: Ohio State 31, Rutgers 6​


Kyle McCord: 250 yards passing, 2 touchdowns
TreVeyon Henderson: 125+ yards from scrimmage
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 100+ yards receiving, 1 touchdown
Ohio State defense: less than 200 yards allowed


Contact Matt Tamanini
Twitter: @BWWMatt

Music by: epidemicsound.com​

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


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LGHL You’re Nuts: What team outside the initial CFP top four is most likely to get a berth?

You’re Nuts: What team outside the initial CFP top four is most likely to get a berth?
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

NCAA Football: Oregon at Utah

Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.

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.

Today’s Question: What team outside the initial College Football Playoff top four is most likely to get a berth? ​

Jami’s Take: Oregon Ducks​


With the first round of College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, it’s time to ramp up debates around the validity of the Selection Committee’s decision-making.

There’s nothing too surprising about the Top 4 as it stands today, but while I certainly have no complaints about my alma mater Ohio State being ranked No. 1, it’s likely at least some of the top four (currently Ohio State, Georgia, Michigan, and Florida State, in order) will see a shake-up before the season is out.

Certainly, Ohio State and Michigan still have to play each other, so there’s a good chance at least one of those teams won’t make the playoffs (though as we know from last season, it is not impossible).

I do also think this is a season in which it’s anyone’s guess. There are some very, very good football teams, and there are some decent football teams that have had absolutely stellar games. But there’s no one in the field this season that looks professional, the way Georgia, Alabama, or even Ohio State, Clemson, and Michigan have in recent memory. The field feels a little more evenly matched, and that means both intangible things like how the team is gelling, and tangible things like remaining opponents can factor in.

Coming up behind our top four, we’ve got the No. 5 Washington Huskies, led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and the only unbeaten team outside of the top 4, followed by No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Texas, and No. 8 Alabama. I can’t emphasize enough how much any of these teams could make it.

Just last week, I was saying Oklahoma had to get through a tough game against Kansas (but a game in which the Sooners were favored) and then it was fairly smooth sailing to the end of the season for them. They lost to Kansas and now they’re sitting at No. 9.

With five undefeated teams so far (two of whom will play each other), the highest number of undefeated teams we could have—if all of them win out—is four. Assuming each unbeaten team got a playoff spot, that would put our top four (in no particular order) as Georgia, Florida State, Washington, and the winner of Ohio State and Michigan.

However, Washington’s schedule for the remainder of the season is absolutely brutal. They face No. 24 USC this weekend on the road, then No. 18 Utah and No. 16 Oregon State on the road before finishing their regular season against Washington State. By the time they get to Washington State, they’ll have had three consecutive games against ranked opponents, something that can physically slow down even the toughest of teams. It’s hard on your bodies to play at that level so many weeks in a row, and that’s assuming you walk away without injury.

Add to that the fact that while Washington has had moments of absolute brilliance this season and the fact that they have a force at quarterback, the team as a whole has looked a bit shaky.

Penix Jr., with the exception of the game against an unranked Arizona State, has played mind-blowing football. Last week against Stanford, he threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns—his FIFTH game this season with four touchdowns.

Still, the team didn’t look like a top-four team against Stanford, and they certainly didn’t look like a top 4 team against ASU. I’m not feeling confident, given their last two weeks, that they’ll win out with three ranked opponents remaining.

Assuming they drop at least one game, at least one team with a loss will make the playoffs.

I don’t think it will be Washington. Instead, I think they will be leapfrogged by a team they handed a loss to earlier this season—No. 6 Oregon.

Oregon, for its part, lost to Washington by only a field goal in a barn burner of a game. While they have games against two of the same ranked opponents as Washington (No. 24 USC and No. 16 Oregon State), both these marquee games are home games for Oregon and they ultimately have a (slightly) easier route to the end of the season as they’ve already played Utah.

Given as much, Oregon has the opportunity to win out at a time when they are playing their best football. Their quarterback Bo Nix, for his part, is absolutely part of the Heisman conversation after an electric performance helped him lead the Ducks to a blowout over Utah this past weekend.

The thing Nix has that Washington doesn’t? The intangibles. Oregon is vibing now—they’re playing their best football at the time it matters most.

If Washington loses its only game toward the end of the season, we also have to consider recency bias (the idea that a loss later in the season hurts more than one earlier on, as you have less time to prove yourself again). Sure, Washington beat Oregon mid-season, but if Oregon wins out and Washington loses a game to any of the three ranked opponents, it will mean Washington also lost a game to a team Oregon beat.

Oregon already curb-stomped Utah. So particularly if Oregon has dominant performances against Oregon State and USC and Washington looks lukewarm AND has a loss, it could be enough for Oregon to leapfrog them despite having lost to them.

I do think ultimately when the end of the season rolls around, that’s what we’re going to see: An Oregon team that dominates the rest of its schedule leapfrogging a Washington team who stockpiled a bunch of tough games for the last month of the season at a time when they already look shaky.

The Ducks might need a little luck on their side, but I do think we’re looking at some Lucky Ducks this year (and Lucky Us because the Duck mascot rules).

Matt’s Take: Alabama Crimson Tide​


I think Jami’s selection of Oregon is a really strong one, as — despite their loss to Washington — I think they are the best team in the Pac-12 and would be my pick to win the conference title. However, there is a very large elephant in the room that we just can’t overlook in the College Football Playoff discussion, and that is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

It wasn’t that long ago that Nick Saban’s squad lost to Texas and essentially everyone in the college football world wrote them off, but they are still lurking around the proverbial chicken coop as they prepare to host No. 13 LSU today in a game that could determine the eventual winner of the SEC West. While I know Ole Miss is still in the mix in that division, they haven’t played Alabama yet, which I think will be an L and push them out of the mix, SEC tiebreakers notwithstanding.

Nonetheless, if ‘Bama comes out of the West and faces off against Georgia, I am not putting it past them to win the SEC crown and coast into the playoffs. The Dawgs have looked better in recent weeks against substandard competition, but when playing anyone with a pulse this season have been less than impressive. Today marks the start of three straight games in which UGA will face ranked opponents, which will obviously tell us a lot about who they actually are.

But whether or not they emerge from this November run unscathed or not, I think that whichever East team plays for the title could have their hands full with the Tide in Atlanta the first weekend in December. And you just know that if the committee has any opportunity to put Alabama in the College Football Playoff, they are going to take it.


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LGHL I would rather Ohio State have a dominant defense and inconsistent offense than the other way around

I would rather Ohio State have a dominant defense and inconsistent offense than the other way around
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

I know that might be blasphemous, but it’s true.

It goes without saying that I would prefer that the team that I root for is dominant on both sides of the football, but it seems that my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes have somehow fallen into a pattern of being borderline unstoppable on one side of the ball while being spotty at best on the other for most of the past half-decade. Primarily, that has been an offensive juggernaut that can score at will while the team’s defense tries to hold on long enough for the other team to screw up.

That is not the case this year. While the 2023 Ohio State offense is not nearly as inconsistent and incontinent as some of the recent defensive units, it is not yet living up to the expectations set by the current defense, or recent offenses. But you know what? That’s okay. Because the defensive is so markedly better than other recent iterations, the Buckeye offense doesn’t need to lead the nation in scoring to have any chance of achieving its goals.

We’ve seen how that script goes, and it usually ends in frustration and disappointment. So, if you are forcing me to pick whether I would want my favorite team to be dominant on offense and struggle on defense, or converse, I’m choosing a lights-out, shutdown, impose-your-will, don’t-bend-or-break defense every single time.

I know that those types of teams aren’t nearly as fun or sexy as the 50-points-per-game squads that we have grown accustomed to during the first four years of Ryan Day’s tenure, but where did that get us?

Obviously, seeing offenses led by C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, and the late, great Dwayne Haskins was thrilling and led to a ton of wins, and I will cherish the memories of those teams as long as my already feeble mind retains them, but the Buckeyes haven’t won a national title since the 2014 season and have lost to their rivals each of the last two Novembers. Don’t get me wrong, I love the wins and recognize that no program is going to be perfect every single year, but to be honest, as a Buckeye fan, I expect more, and I think Jim Knowles’ resurgent Silver Bullets might be the way that we get it.

Take this discussion outside of the confines of this year’s particular team. In college football, the more explosive and prolific your offense is, it can actually hurt your defense, especially if they are already struggling to keep up. If an offense routinely scores on two to five-play drives that minimizes the opportunity for the D to catch its collective breath and reassess what isn’t working.

But it doesn’t really work the same in the converse. The way you win in football is by scoring the most points, and while you can obviously score on defense and special teams, the best way to score — unless you are Iowa — is on offense. Therefore, if a defense is regularly forcing three-and-outs, that means that the offense has even more opportunities to score. So, even if it is not exactly hitting on all cylinders, the more possessions that the offense can have, the better chances it has to score.

When you couple that with a defense that is keeping opponents out of the end zone, you get a pretty good recipe for success, and that’s exactly what I think we are looking at with the 2023 version of the Ohio State football team.

I know that this isn’t exactly groundbreaking, expert-level football analysis, but I do think that it is important to remember that the way that Ohio State has won games in recent years not only isn’t the only way to do it, but probably isn’t even be the best way to do it.

So, while I will undoubtedly continue to scream at Ryan Day when he calls a stretch run into the boundary, and trust that the magic and science of television technology communicate my frustration to him in real-time, and I will continue to hope that the Kyle McCord that we see in second halves somehow becomes the Kyle McCord that we see all game long, I am comforted in knowing that team that I love has figured out an equation that not only has worked so far this season, but could end up working all the way to a national title.

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LGHL Believe it or not, Ohio State fans are feeling pretty good about the team right now

Believe it or not, Ohio State fans are feeling pretty good about the team right now
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Ohio State v Wisconsin

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

The vibes are bit all over the place on Buckeye Twitter, but the majority of fans like where OSU is at.

If you are lurking in certain corners of Ohio State Twitter during football games, you know that there is a portion — it’s difficult to judge exactly how large or small — of the fanbase that views this season as a complete and utter disaster and wants everyone fired and/or benched... despite the fact that the Buckeyes are undefeated and ranked No. 1 by the College Football Playoff Committee.

So, as we enter the final month of the regular season, earlier this week, we wanted to get down to the bottom of just what the bulk of Buckeye Nation was feeling about the team, so we asked that very question in our weekly fan survey.


In addition, we asked what fans thought the outcome would be when the Buckeyes took on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. See what your fellow Buckeye fans had to say in the results below, and feel free to share your opinions in the comments at the bottom of the page.

Check out DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

Question 1: With one month left of the regular season, how are you feeling about the Ohio State team?​



Look, I’m not blind, I know that there are elements of this team — especially on offense — that aren’t exactly up to the level of recent seasons, nor where they could or should be. But nonetheless, I am increasingly getting confident in the prospects for this team. It started with the Notre Dame game and the vibe has only increased as each week (and each win) has come.


So, I am with the majority here. There was an “I feel great” option in the initial survey, and while believing that the Buckeyes are in line for a national championship would certainly fall under the “great” category, there are still weaknesses and injury concerns to factor in, so a very solid “I feel good” is where I am at currently.

Question 2: What will the final score be against Rutgers?​



As of this writing, the Ohio State Buckeyes are favored by 18.5, so the largest plurality of survey respondents are in line with the Vegas bookmakers, but as I mentioned in the Land-Grant Tailgate Podcast that was released this morning, my prediction falls into that second category where just over a quarter of the Buckeye fans are.

My official prediction is that Ohio State wins 31-6.

Bonus Questions:​


Now these two results were not part of the Land-Grant Holy Land survey, but instead were in the national SB Nation Reacts college football questionnaire this week. So, I am just going to leave them here for your perusal.



Couldn’t agree more!



Don’t look now, but there’s an alien marching up the ranks.

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LGHL OHIO STATE GAMEDAY: It’s a bad day to be a Rutgers Scarlet Knight

OHIO STATE GAMEDAY: It’s a bad day to be a Rutgers Scarlet Knight
Gene Ross via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 28 Ohio State at Wisconsin

Photo by Dan Sanger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Buckeyes travel to Piscataway for a second-straight road game.

Wake up, everyone. It’s Ohio State game day!

While one undefeated Big Ten team is looking to avoid the fallout of an intricate sign-stealing scandal, the other will be on the road this week looking to knock off a much improved Rutgers squad. Ohio State will battle the Scarlet Knights having never lost in the all-time series (9-0) between the two schools. Kyle McCord will be looking to bounce back from a tough outing against Wisconsin, while the Buckeyes’ defense will look to continue its dominance this season against Gavin Wimsatt, Kyle Monangai and the rest of Greg Schiano’s offense.

Over the past week, our talented group of writers and podcasters have put together preview pieces, analytical breakdowns, and everything in-between.

If you missed out on any of the coverage, we have you... well, covered. Below, each type of story is categorized. If you’re looking for podcasts and previews we’ve done, you can find them; if you’re looking for the betting lines and non-football topics, they are there, too.

Enjoy the day everyone. As always, Go Bucks!

Podcasts​

Previews​

Sports Betting​

Basketball​

Recruiting​

Ask LGHL​

Other Columns​


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